little helper

i love how much she enjoys being in the kitchen. 

she has her own kitchen at gramma's house

and one in her room here now from nana. 

her specialties are soup, pot pie and cupcakes.

although she has fake food,

she usually uses non-food items 

like play dough, animal magnets, necklace beads and tissues.

or anything else lying around.

when it's ready, she'll bring it to someone and tell them
"close eyes!"

(she never tells us to open them...so we just do)

then she gives it to us and watches us eat it. 

over

and over

and over :)

she helps in the real kitchen too and does a pretty good job, 

mainly with stirring, and adding things to the pot -or blender.

she has smoothies down pat.

i get a little nervous but she has it under control!

i wonder if i'll encourage eli to help in the kitchen too...

maybe when we make things like burgers.

and steaks.

?

ha. 

we'll see.

happy tuesday y'all! 

mom's loaded oatmeal cookies

1/2 cup crisco

6 T softened butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped pecans

preheat to 350.

beat the crisco, butter and sugars in electric mixer.

add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

add combined flour, baking soda and salt.

fold in oats, coconut, chocolate and pecans.

drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

bake 11 minutes or until golden brown.

let cool (just a little bit).

eat warm with milk.

enjoy!

baking with gramma

pumpkin waffles

we made these a few days ago when our friend annie came over to make a gingerbread house with ivy! i know everyone is probably done with the pumpkin this year, but i just wanted to jot this down for my record because they were really good and worth remembering!

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour for half)

3 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t nutmeg

1 t ground ginger (didn't have this)

a pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin

1 2/3 cup of milk (can't remember how much i used... just add til desired consistency)

4 T butter, melted and cooled

Heat your waffle maker.

Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl. (flour, powder, soda, salt, spices)

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, pumpkin and butter.

Gently fold in the flour mixture.

Spray waffle iron and pour your batter in.

Cook until brown and slightly crispy.

Serve with honey and syrup of course!

+these also freeze really well. just keep in a ziploc, and when you're ready to make them, put them straight in the toaster from the freezer. we've been eating them all week!+

pumpkin pie milkshakes

i have lots of pumpkin leftover, so i'm trying to use it all up.

next on my list: pumpkin waffles!

2 c vanilla ice cream

1 c milk

2/3 c pumpkin

1/4 c brown sugar

3/4 t pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t vanilla

blend all together.

top with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

or you can do like my friend lisa and just put leftover pumpkin pie and ice cream in a blender and mix it all together (crust & all)! i tried it with paula deen's pumpkin butter cake and it works!

grill guy

so kevin's been grilling pretty much every night.

and it never gets old.

in fact, it gets more awesome each time.

i'm thinking about an indoor grill for his bday (hello boston winter!)

because the best part is, he loves it as much as i do.

lamb kebabs {bottom right} from everyday food magazine

1 lb boneless lamb (i bought 3 lamb chops and had the butcher de-bone and cut them into 1-inch pieces... awesome)

2 tsp fresh lemon zest

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 pint grape tomatoes

bunch of fresh mint leaves

s+p

heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.

in a large bowl, combine the lamb, lemon zest and spices. season with s+p and toss to coat.

thread the lamb, tomatoes and mint onto 4 skewers.

grill kebabs, covered, 7-8 minutes for medium, turning occasionally.

serve with lemon wedges and grilled naan!

(i added some baby potatoes too -just boil them a few minutes first)

green rice {top right} from everyday food magazine

1 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 3/4 cups water

1 cup long grain white rice

1 lime

in a blender, combine all ingredients except the rice and blend til smooth.

season with s+p.

in a medium pot, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium -high heat. add the rice and stir to coat.

add herb mixture and bring to a boil.

reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes.

remove pan from heat and let sit , covered 5 more minutes.

add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fluff with a fork.

pork chops {bottom left}

2 boneless thin cut pork chops

brush with olive oil.

season with fresh thyme, ground sage, s+p.

grill em up and serve with grits & peaches.

soooooo good.

enjoy!

chocolate chip oatmeal bars

a perfect afternoon snack!

this recipe is from kendall back in st. andrews. she pulled some of these out of her freezer after dinner one night and they were so good. it's more in the snack department rather than a super sweet dessert. i think they'd be good with peanut butter or coconut mixed in too.

ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp or so pure vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

pinch of cinnamon (opt)

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat to 350. Grease 9X13.

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, vanilla and sugars.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oats, chocolate chips and nuts.

Pour flour mixture into wet ingredients and stir all together.

Spread evenly into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool and cut into bars.

(These came out pretty thick, so it might work even better on a thinner baking sheet, and reduce the cooking time. They freeze really well too!)

Enjoy!

chocolate chip zucchini muffins

this is kendall's recipe for zucchini oat muffins - i just added a little chocolate. i used my last stash of american chocolate chips for these, but it was worth it :) these are quick & simple, and pretty healthy too! hope the bible study girls like them.

chocolate chip zucchini muffins

2 1/2 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp or so of cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup oats

1 zucchini, shredded

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and sugar. Combine with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Your batter will be thick and lumpy. Fill muffin cups just about all the way and bake 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

salmon with citrus herb butter

Yum, salmon! We try to have it weekly in our house, especially during pregnancy :) I usually just season it with s&p, but wanted to try something a little Spring-y. I threw together a few things with some butter and it turned out really tasty and was just as simple to make.

Citrus Herb Butter

1. mix together in a small bowl:

--a few TBS of butter at room temp

--zest of an orange and lemon

--a spoonful of chopped fresh herbs (I used dill and lemon thyme)

--sprinkle of salt

2. roll up in parchment or put in little butter molds.

3. throw in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.

*This butter would work great on any fish or chicken!

Here's all you do:

Preheat oven to 350.

Make your butter and let it sit in the fridge while you get everything else ready.

Sear salmon fillets over high heat in a teeny bit of butter, 1-2 minutes on each side.

Put in the oven to finish cooking to your liking.

Take out your butter, unroll it from the parchment or molds and place a slice on each fillet.

enjoy!

carrot bread

CARROT BREAD RECIPE

from Junior League of Tampa's Everyday Feasts

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups shredded carrots

2/3 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans

a few personal little additions:

1 tsp pure vanilla

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 T fresh orange zest

I also substituted 1/3 cup brown sugar in place of the white.

orange glaze:

Scoop a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar into a small bowl, add a pinch of fresh orange zest, a good squeeze of orange juice and then add a few drops of milk until the consistency is good.

Done! I learned this simple icing method from Mom - so good and easy.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir together flour, sugar, spices, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the carrots, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the pecans and orange zest. Pour into greased loaf pans (I just line mine with parchment) about 3/4 full.

1 regular loaf - bake for about 1 hour.

2 mini loafs - bake for about 45 minutes.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Drizzle with glaze (or leave plain) and eat for breakfast, snack or dessert!

hope you enjoy!

{side note: kevin kindly hinted that i use a lot of pics. i hope it doesn't come across indulgent - i'm just experimenting with a new camera and it's fun... i'll try to be a better editor though. thanks for bearing with me!}

homemade breadsticks

I've never successfully baked with yeast in the past, but I've been trying to lately and realized it's really not that hard. (I'm convinced my pack of yeast was expired or something in SA.) Anyway, you just need the right recipes and a little time. This is a great beginner recipe to try because you don't even have to let the yeast rise. Hope you like it!

RECIPE:

1-½ cup Warm Water

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Dry Active Yeast

3-½ cups Flour

½ cups Melted Butter

1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix together warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Allow yeast to activate (about 10 minutes). Add flour and stir in with a fork until dough holds together. Turn out onto floured board.

Knead lightly into a ball. Pinch off a small handful. On floured board, roll out into bread stick (like a snake!). Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (or whatever you want). Place onto greased cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. This gives the bread sticks about 10 minutes to begin to rise. Cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Try not to over-bake or they get a little tough (not that I would know.)

May be made in the morning and kept in the refrigerator unbaked. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 – 45 minutes (depending on how warm your house is) before baking.

ENJOY!

Next I want to master pizza dough and cinnamon rolls!!!!!!!!!!! sorry I just got real excited. (Does anyone have a good cinnamon roll recipe??)

PS. Sorry this has kinda become a food blog. It's kinda cold outside and I'm kinda fat and lazy these days. I'm going to give a better effort to make it more about St. Andrews, especially since our time here is running out!

happy 4 months e!

chunky monkey cookies

I named these after the Ben & Jerry's ice cream because we recently had some (for the first time) and it was so good!!! I know I'm at least a decade behind on this, but I think it's a new favorite. Having a craving for all things banana this time around might have something to do with it. Anyway, while we were eating it, I told Kevin I wanted to make a cookie version because we were loving it so much! I was going to just make one up, but then found the perfect one online. It is from a cute food blog called 101 cookbooks, and they are known there as Banana Chip Cookies.

Also, this recipe is a really good basic dough if you want to swap out the banana chips or nuts for your favorite things.... pecans, coconut, peanut butter chips, etc. or just keep it simple with chocolate chips.

Recipe: click HERE.

(note: I only used plain white flour + brown sugar.)

Hope you enjoy!

chocolate pots de crème

for only the serious chocolate lovers!!

this sounds french and fancy (and it is!) but it's the simplest dessert i've ever made. i had it a few weeks ago at the old course hotel and wanted to try it out at home. they served it with chocolate biscotti which was really good, but there are endless toppings you could do: toasted coconut, peppermint pieces, chocolate shavings, toasted nuts, chocolate chips, etc. this would be fun for a dinner party because you can make them in advance and keep them in the fridge and each guest gets their own little glass. it's kind of like a sophisticated pudding :) but these are rich and dense, so a little goes a long way!

from junior league of houston's peacemeals:

8 ounces chopped semisweet or dark chocolate

2 T sugar

1 cup heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1 t vanilla

whipped cream + toppings

1. Slowly melt chocolate in medium saucepan.

2. Whisk in sugar and cream, continue cooking for 1 minute, and remove from heat.

3. In separate small bowl, whisk the yolks.

4. Add a little melted chocolate to the yolks to temper. Then, stir in the yolk/chocolate mixture into the saucepan.

5. Stir in the vanilla.

That's it!

Pour into little glasses (any will do.... even an assortment of different ones would be pretty) and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Top with whipped cream and whatever your heart desires. Serve chilled.

enjoy!

a very special happy birthday to nana!

we love you!

vidalia honey vinaigrette

salad dressings are practically non-existent over here, so you're kinda left to your own creativity in that department. my friend stocks up on starter packets when she's in the states which i'd never heard of but her salads always turn out so good! i'll have to bring some back after christmas. until then... i've made this one a few times and we've really liked it. making your own vinaigrette is something i probably would've never thought to do, but i've enjoyed it. let me know if you've ever made your own or have a good recipe! i'd love to try it!

click here for recipe.

note: there aren't vidalia onions in this region, so i just use a plain white one, and add a pinch of sugar.

recipe & image from southern living october 2010

ps. sorry for this healthy post in december. how disappointing! i'll make up for it with a chocolate one very soon. i think you'll like it!

sweet potato soup

i love soup!
y'all may already know that by now.
this one is brought to us from my friend joy again and it's fantastic. all the different ingredients combine to make such an interesting flavor. it's autumn in a bowl. i think this would be better as a starter rather than a main, but that's just a personal preference. there's a lot of peelin' and choppin' going on here, but don't be intimidated. it's really not that bad, and it's worth it!

1. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large pot over med-high heat.
2. Stir in: 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add: 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
5. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low. Cover and simmer about 15-20 minutes, until veggies are tender.
6. Puree in a blender and garnish with parsley & paprika.

ENJOY!

brock family chex mix

this is a family FAVORITE - we love making it, smelling it, and eating it til every last bite is gone. sooo addicting!

combine in a large bowl:

3 cups rice chex

3 cups corn chex

3 cups wheat chex

+ a few handfuls of:

pretzel sticks

peanuts

cheese crackers

garlic bagel chips

seasoning:

butter

worchestshire

tony chachere's original creole seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

preheat to 250.

1. in two baking trays, melt 4-6 T of butter (per tray) in the oven.

2. remove trays and add a few tablespoons of worchestshire and creole seasoning. stir together.

3. pour all the chex mix on the baking trays, and stir well so the butter coats everything evenly.

4. bake for 1 hour, mixing it well every 15 minutes.

5. remove from trays onto paper towels and let cool. store in airtight container.

enjoy!

banana nut muffins

i've been meaning to post this recipe since forever ago. they are so good and i make them all the time. i want to try grilling a slice (from a loaf) and serving it with ice cream for dessert. mmm!

makes a dozen (ivy ate one) and one small loaf.

recipe from tyler florence: here

{this post and picture are terribly plain, but really do try them - it's a great thing to have around the kitchen for breakfast, snack and on-the-go. our dozen is gone by the end of the day.}

cindy's pumpkin bread

our dear family friend cindy jones gave me a little red binder full of her own hand-written recipes as a wedding gift a few years ago. this is one of them, and probably my favorite! it's fall in a loaf pan.

cindy's pumpkin bread:

2 cups pumpkin puree (1 1/2 cans)

1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

dry ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (my little addition!)

directions:

1. mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. in a standing mixer, combine the pumpkin, oil, water and sugar. mix well.

3. add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

4. slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. fold in the chocolate chips and pecans (optional).

pour into loaf pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. you could also pour into muffin trays. let cool in pans, then move onto serving platter.

serve with cinnamon whipped cream.

good for breakfast too :)

makes 3 loaves.

y'all enjoy!

pecan chicken

Here's my husband's favorite thing I make for dinner.

It's simple & quick but something a little different - isn't that what we're all looking for?

Well look no further folks - this one's a keeper.

for the chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 Tb or so butter, melted

1 cup crushed pecan pieces

1/2 cup grated (not shredded) parmesan

s&p

1. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and pound slightly(I use a rolling pin) so it is a bit thinner and even thickness, and season well with salt & pepper.

2. Melt butter in bowl. Combine the pecans and parmesan in a separate shallow bowl.

3. Dip the chicken in the melted butter and then in the pecan mixture. Coat well.

4. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in 375 oven until chicken is cooked through. I never time how long this takes - I just keep an eye on it. Tip: The way I tell when chicken is cooked is just by pressing gently on it. If it is almost firm to the touch then it's ready. If it gives too much, it needs longer.

for the strawberry sauce:

{adapted from Junior League of Tampa's Savor the Seasons, which was given to me by Kevin's Aunt Heather in Tampa as a wedding gift - thank you!}

1 Tb minced green onions

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup strawberry jam

1 Tb balsamic

1 Tb chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried

1. Saute the green onions in a drop of olive oil over medium heat in a small pan for 2 minutes.

2. Add the broth, jam, balsamic and rosemary. Stir together.

3. Turn up the heat, then simmer for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened.

4. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

Spoon sauce over the cooked chicken and serve with mashed potatoes and green beans.

pound cake

I made this a few days ago for a dinner club I recently joined. The theme was "Colors of the Rainbow" and we were each assigned a color. Mine was blue. Hmm... blueberries? I decided to make this pound cake that I remember being soooo good -with a blueberry compote on top.

for the cake:

3 sticks (339 grams) softened butter

8 ounces softened cream cheese

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 Tb vanilla

1 tsp almond

3 cups flour

Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in the vanilla and almond. Slowly pour in the flour and mix until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into greased or buttered angel food pan (or Bundt pan or loaf pans 2/3 full). Put in a cold oven and bake at 275 for 1 1/2 hours. Ovens vary, so check for doneness with a toothpick or knife. (My oven took almost 2 hours.) Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and gently turn over onto serving plate.

for the blueberry compote:

(from peacemeals junior league of houston cookbook)

3 Tb water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups blueberries

In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup of the blueberries. Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of blueberries and simmer for an additional 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature.

*This recipe also called for 1 Tb of fresh chopped basil when removed from the heat. I didn't use any, but I'm sure it would be good.

Slice the pound cake and spoon sauce on top. But the cake is perfect by itself, too!

Thanks Mrs. Goth for the recipe :)

enjoy!