Christmas Goodies

Unfortunately, I bet I'm too late for the day of baking. I will still contribute 2 of my Christmas treat recipes.. one old (and classic!) and one that I recently discovered and LOVE.

The Classic... Peppermint Bark!

what you need:
- 1 bag milk chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli.. might as well use the best, right?)
- 1 lb. (big bag) white chocolate chips
- the equivalent of about 1 cup crushed peppermint candies
- 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
- foil and a cookie sheet

what to do:
- line your cookie sheet with foil, making sure to go up the sides
- pour your bag of milk chocolate chips onto the foiled sheet, and place in a 250 degree oven for 5 minutes
- remove pan from oven, and with a flat edged tool (knife, rubber scraper, etc.), spread the almost melted chocolate pieces to cover the length of your sheet. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, and up to an hour. Make sure this layer is completely cooled.
- meanwhile, unwrap and crush your candies. You may put them in a food processor if you have a heavy duty one. I chose instead to place them in a plastic bag and beat them with a meat pounder. Same difference. :)
- when your milk chocolate is nearly cooled completely, start melting your white chocolate down in a double boiler. When the chips have almost melted, add the peppermint extract and stir until completely incorporated and your chocolate is melted.
- here, you may go one of two ways- add the candies as well, or use the candies as a topper. I choose to add my candies into the white chocolate. Let it cool slightly, but warm enough to be spreadable.
- pour this mixture over the milk chocolate layer and spread, working quickly. Let cool completely, then break apart and serve!
** if you chose not to add the candies to the white chocolate, follow the same steps by pouring the white chocolate over the milk chocolate. Then, sprinkle the candies over the top, pressing into the white chocolate slightly to stick. Let cool, serve.


The New- Spiced Chai Eggnog Cookies!

what you need:
- 1 chai tea bag (i like tazo best)
- 1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons eggnog, divided
- Parchment paper
- Cinnamon sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

what to do:
-preheat oven to 350°. Remove tea leaves from tea bag; discard bag. Crush up leaves a bit, if desired
-Stir together tea leaves, cookie mix, butter, egg, and 2 Tbsp. eggnog until well blended.
-Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar
-Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 10 minutes)
-Whisk together powdered sugar, nutmeg, and remaining 2 Tbsp. eggnog until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.

Does everyone want to share a Holiday Treat recipe???

Does everyone have a specific cookie, bar, cake, candy or another tasty treat that says Christmas to them?  My sister and I are going to have a day of baking and we were looking for a few new recipes.  We were thinking about trying this one or another truffle recipe (we have not decided quite yet).  

Has anyone ever had these?

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

• 1 package Oreos
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 bags chocolate chips (semi-sweet or white or both)
• ~2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (I am thinking we will use cream or high quality butter)

Directions

1. Add Oreos and cream cheese to food processor. Pulse 2-3 minutes until sticky and shiny.
2. Refrigerate for 1 hour to harden.
3. Roll into ~1-inch balls.
4. Melt chocolate chips over double boiler, stirring constantly until smooth. Add vegetable shortening if chocolate is too thick (2 Tbsp of shortening  / 12 oz of chips).
5. Coat Oreo balls in chocolate, place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (For additional decoration, drizzle white chocolate over top.)

Steak Rub...

I was in Missouri for an extra day because of a flight cancellation, so this has been a short week for us.  Also, Maddie is visiting!  We are making a few of her favorites instead of a normal week's menu and we are trying some of your recipes.

One of Maddie's favourites is steak!  It made me want to share this recipe with you.  This turns a steak into something divine!!!  This is a spice rub recipe that I discovered in Las Vegas with my Grandma Nowak.  We have used it ever since.

Mix these ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons salt - you really should use this much to draw out moisture, it won't make it salty, but you can cut it in half if you are very sodium intolerant - I use it all.
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pulverized crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons pimenton (Smoked Spanish Paprika) (I just use whatever Paprika I have in the pantry)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

I usually apply this to 4 New York strips, but you can use whatever cut of meat you would like.

Distribute and rub into the 4 steaks.  Wrap very very well with Saran Wrap.  I usually go around them each way twice and keep them in the fridge for 24-ish hours.  Do not use this recipe and then cook soon after.  This is meant to sit and "age" your steaks in the fridge.

That is it...grill and eat.  This makes them so delectable that you will not need any herb butter or steak sauce...promise!!!

We are also making Lasagna, the Pesto Chicken Pot Pie and I am going to try to recreate a Mostacolli I had recently! :  )

Happy Eating! 

Oh yes, I did

I'd just like to share how much I love my dear husband.  After my chicken post, Stef commented how B-Rad loves anything wrapped in a crescent roll.  After I laughed, I read it aloud to Mike, who then exclaimed how much he too loves "weenie cheese toastys" (his exact words).  He then proceeded to beg me to make them & reminded me when I headed to the grocery store yesterday.  So tonight, we had, what I googled & found out are actually called, Pigs in a Blanket.

Wrap a hotdog (or veggie dog) in a crescent roll, with American cheese slices if you'd prefer. Bake at 350 degrees for around 20 minutes.

Laugh hysterically at how excited your husband gets when he walks in & sees them on a pan.

It's the simple things, ladies.

Irish Oatmeal

I am not sure how many of you are oatmeal eaters.  I love it all - oatmeal, grits, any warm cooked cereal.  My Dad hates it all.  The man loves exotic things like Borsht and caviar, but cannot stand oatmeal even as a grown-up.  So if you are one of those people I am not trying to convert you, but if you like oatmeal and it's cousins than you have to try Steel Cut Oatmeal if you are not already eating it.

If you follow these directions you will have warm (as close to instant as I am willing to get) breakfast for a week!  You will have to get over the gross factor of "slicing" portions...just fair warning.

Irish Oatmeal

Go to Whole Foods or another grocery store with a bulk dry goods section
Buy Steel Cut Oatmeal in Bulk...think 2 C per week, buy as much as you want

To cook and have breakfast for a week here is what I do:
Measure out 2 cups of dried oats into a large pot
Add 6 cups of water
Add a generous sprinkling of salt (probably 1/4 teaspoon or so)
Stir well
Stir occasionally until it comes to a boil
Reduce to an active simmer and cook for 20 minutes
Scrape down the sides of the pot 3-4 times while cooking oats for 20 minutes
Serve immediately if you plan to eat immediately or put into a large gladware, seal, refrigerate and slice out portions over a week.

I slice out a portion, put it in a bowl and warm it up in the microwave for 3 minutes.  It is a little dry to I add Soy Milk (I only drink Soy) and then any of the following: honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, nothing, rasins, or cinnamon apple sauce.

It has a ton of fiber, almost none existent fat, you only get the sodium/sugar that you add and it leaves me feeling healthy at the start of my day.

So that is my advertisement for Irish Oatmeal.  That instant stuff from Quaker will never seem the inside of my home again!

Pesto Chicken Pot Pie

While flipping through my mother-in-law's magazines one weekend, I saw the word PESTO and I was hooked. Found this in Family Circle and have adapted it to Andy's liking.

PESTO CHICKEN POT PIE

4 tbsp. butter

1 can mushrooms

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. Montreal chicken seasoning (I used Emeril's Essence, as I had it in my cabinet)

1 bag frozen mixed veggies, thawed

1 can cream of mushroom

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken)

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 packet pesto sauce mix (I used Knorr)

1 tube crescent rolls (they make these as a full sheet now, instead of the triangles)

1 clove pressed garlic

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray (I don't have a deep pie plate, so I used a 9 x 9 glass brownie pan instead).

In a bigger sized saucepan, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the can of mushrooms, flour and seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the veggies and can of soup. Bring to a boil and reduce head. Cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, half and half, parmesan cheese and pesto sauce mix. Pour into prepared dish. Unroll crescent rolls and place sheet across mixture. Meanwhile, in the microwave, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and the pressed garlic clove. Brush across the top of the crescent rolls (I brushed it on thick - we love garlic!).

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees until the bread is golden and the sauce bubbles. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This is delicious. I don't ever go back for seconds, but I did that night. I also don't want to eat leftovers more than once, but I did with this! YUM!

Weekly Menu from Abby...

My internet was down last night!  We spent about 20 minutes trying to fix it, but then decided our time was better spent enjoying the evening and trying to pretend that we did not have internet.

This week’s menu has been shaped by two events: spending a day putting up Christmas decorations and my trip to Missouri Friday to Sunday.  I needed something easy to have on the stove and eat when we were hungry while decorating for Christmas and I need something that will feed my man for three days while I am gone.  I try to make a large meal before I leave so that there is something easy to heat up while I am gone.  I do this so that it is easy for Evan to eat something healthy because if I don’t he will end up eating Mac and Cheese with hot sauce.

What’s on our table this week:

Potato and Corn Chowder

French Dip Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

Italian Sausages with Peppers and Marinara

Burritos

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Chili

Potato and Corn Chowder

I decided to roast the corn to make it a bit more special, but other than that I pretty much just used the traditional chowder base.

Saute 1 medium onion in 6 T of butter or a mix of butter and olive oil, once soft add 1/4 C (+1T if using milk instead of cream) of Flour, cook for 1 minute.  Here are the herbs I used, but you can switch them out: S&P, rosemary, paprika (just a little), poultry seasoning (because I have it and there is thyme, garlic, and onion powder in there)  Add 3 cans of low sodium chicken broth, 1 can of water (because you are cook potatoes in this liquid) and 2 C of Milk or 1 C of half and half or cream.

Dice peeled russet potatoes and add to liquid.  Boil until cooked - 10-15 minutes depending on size.

During this time I roasted the corn in the oven at 425.  I added olive oil, salt, pepper, 3 small cloves of garlic or 2 large ones and poultry seasoning.  I tossed the corn halfway through.

Once the potatoes were cooked I used my immersion blender to blend some of the liquid.

I then added the corn to the soup and stirred. Once incorporated I added about 3/4 of a cup of cheddar cheese, and two large spoonfuls of sour cream.

I had some extra cheese available for a topper if desired.  If I was not making this out of my pantry I might have added some bacon (but I do not like bacon, so maybe not) (I know, gasp, right!).

French Dip Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

I assume that your Grandma has made this, but if not you must add this to your Sunday supper repertoire!

Marinade enough Sirloin Tip Steak or lean Rump Roast to feed your crowd in the following:

1 can of beef broth

1/2 - 1 can water

1 pkg of Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix (the dry stuff)

1 pkg Aus Jus mix (you can also use an onion style aus jus or add onion if desired)

Marinade overnight or for a few hours.  Put in your Crock Pot and cook 6-8 hours depending on temperature desired.  It will probably fall apart, but if not you will need to slice the roast.  Put sliced meat back in the crock pot and leave on low.  Your crowd can serve themselves sandwiches and broth for dipping out of this crock pot for the whole night!  Easy!  Best served with Pasta Salad with tons of fresh veggies!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

This is one of the easiest and best recipes I have...I think I will save this one for it's own feature blog post so that I can link back to it!

Chili

My hubby can eat off of this for days.  This time I bought him fries so that he can eat chili cheese fries for lunch one day.   Okay - not everything has to be balanced and healthy! :  )

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner(s)

Two fabulous recipes - one main ingredient - a whole chicken.  

We tend to hit up our local farmer's market on Saturday mornings where I can snag a 4-6 pound chicken for $5-7 - cage free, no hormones or antibiotics added on the cheap (which is a requirement for meat being purchased from our pocketbook).

If there's one thing I love more than recycling part of a meal, it's beginning that process in my crock pot.  These dishes have both covered.  Add a few ingredients & this chicken will last two solid meals for us (although it should probably be said that B doesn't eat meat).

Delicious Whole Slow Cooker Chicken 

(in all fairness this recipe was named for Kathy, but as I have no idea who Kathy is, I thought better to drop it)

1 (3 pound, although I use larger) whole chicken, skin removed (I don't remove it, actually)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps balsamic vinegar (I've used red wine vinegar both times instead)
2 tsps sesame oil
2 tbls minced garlic

1. remove skin from chicken (again, I don't do this) & empty inner cavity of contents within.  pat chicken dry with a paper towel & place inside the slow cooker.

2. in a bowl, stir together the chicken broth, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, & minced garlic.  pour mixture over chicken & cover.

3. cook chicken on low setting for 8 hours or high setting for 4 hours.

I typically serve this with rice, quinoa or cous cous & a green veggie.  After we're finished making our selection, M is in charge of removing the remaining chicken & shredding it.  Later in the week, I'll use the chicken in the following recipe.

Chicken Croissants

2 tbls butter

3 oz cream cheese

2 cups cooked chicken (this would be the 'recycled' shredded chicken)

salt & pepper to taste

2 tbls milk

1 tbls onions or chives, chopped

1 - 8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls*

melted butter

seasoned crushed croutons

Cream butter & cream cheese until smooth. Add chicken.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Stir in milk & onions.  Place 1/2 cup of filling into each full square* of crescent dough.  Pull all 4 corners of dough to center & seal the sides.  Brush the stuffed croissants with melted butter & sprinkle generously with crushed croutons.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

*note - a full-square of crescent dough is more of a rectangle, so you can roll it out a little with flour & a rolling pin to make it more square.  this means, you do not pull it apart into triangles. 

I also serve this with rice & a steamed veggie or two.

Bacon and Potato Chowder

Ok, so this is probably one of the simplest dishes you will ever, EVER make but man, is it a good one to keep in your back pocket!

This has been a staple in the Schweisberger family household for years. I think one of my favorite things about this dish, besides being simple to prepare, is how friendly it is on your wallet. You can make a giant pot of this stuff for less than $10. It feeds Brad and I a full dinner (he eats 2 bowls, I eat one) and has enough left over for his lunch the following day.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. bacon (or 16 slices if you buy straight from meat counter- which is even cheaper!)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4-5 russet baking potatoes (or more if they are the smaller ones) you want the equivalent of about 6 cups when cubed
- 1 8 oz. container of sour cream
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 1 soup can of milk
- parsley (fresh or dried) *optional


Directions:

Slice bacon into small pieces, dice the onion, and peel and cube your potatoes to bite-sized pieces. Make your chunks uniform in size for even cooking.

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, render bacon over medium heat. Once cooked through about half way, add onions and continue to cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain bacon grease, if desired (I do.. its healthier).

Return pot to medium heat. Add sour cream, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1 soup can full of milk, 1 soup can full of water, and potatoes. Mix well. If your liquid does not cover your potatoes, add more milk/water as desired. Cover, and let simmer until potatoes are tender. In the last few minutes of cooking, add parsley is desired. If fresh, I use about a tablespoon and if dried, about a teaspoon.

Serve warm, topped with cheese if desired. We make this one with grilled cheese sandwiches and curl in for movie night. :)

Chicken Marsala with Mustard Marscapone Sauce

One of the very first times Brad and I went out to dinner, we went to an Italian place. He didn't even bother to open the menu, he knew already that he was having chicken marsala because "its soo good with the cheese and the mushrooms". Well, mushrooms yes.. but I had never heard of this dish with cheese before. I chose not to correct him and see what he ended up with.

To his disappointment, the meal was served as a plain chicken breast over a rather unappealing looking sauce and some dried out pasta (not the best Italian joint in DSM, apparently!). Since then, I had been on a hunt for a good chicken marsala recipe that would give him the creamy (from the cheese), delicious mushroom sauce he craved.

Enter: Chicken Marsala with Mustard Marscapone Sauce. I know.. you're thinking.. "mustard??" Trust me, you'll want to give this one a try. Adapted from a recipe by Giada.


Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast per person, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces or into chunks, your preference
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, and flour for coating chicken
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (or button if you can't find the good ones)
  
• 3 or 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 1 cup (8 ounces) marscapone cheese
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard (i use a creamy one, I don't like the mustard grains)

The above portions make enough sauce for 2 people, with a LOT of mushrooms. If you prefer more sauce, or are cooking for more people, you may consider doubling it.


Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.

This can be served with pasta, but we prefer garlic mashed potatoes. If you have the time, roast a head of garlic in the oven, wrapped in foil, for about 45 minutes, then add the garlic to your cooked, mashed potatoes. If you prefer to cheat, like me, stir into your potatoes a package of Boursin or Allouette garlic and herb cheese with a little bit of milk. :)