Quick and Easy Dessert

The other night our friends invited us over for dinner and asked me to bring a dessert.  I didn't have many ingredients on hand and didn't have a ton of time to prep anything too fancy....but not to worry, I did remember I purchased some miniature pre-made Graham Cracker pie crusts on an impulse buy earlier in the week...

Now that I had a graham cracker crust, I was pretty sure I would be trying to craft a no-bake dessert.  After deciding I was not in the mood for something with pudding, I scoured the internet and settled on a recipe for a no-bake cheesecake.

Following a super-easy recipe, I ended up with a few mini no-bake cheesecakes that turned out to be a perfect bite of dessert after our main meal.

Ingredients:
1-8 ounce package Cream Cheese, softened
1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Premade graham cracker crusts in tin foil pans

Directions:
Combine softened cream cheese and can of condensed milk.  Blend these two together using an electric handmixer, and beat until all the lumps are gone.  Add vanilla, then add the lemon juice slowly while blending all the ingredients together.  Spoon the mixture into the graham cracker crust cups and place in the refrigerator for about three hours to firm up.  My mixture made about 9 mini cheesecakes.  If you are short on time you can always put them, covered, into the freezer for about 45 minutes.  Because I live in the Midwest and it is freezing outside, I just covered the cheesecakes and set them out on the backporch.

I served these with some homemade whipped cream, and they were quite delicious.

Pic=not so good, Mini Cheesecakes=very good

If you are feeling adventurous you can add any type of fruit, or even chocolate or caramel sauce for more flavor/fun :)


What is the quick dessert you bring to an informal get together when you don't feel like picking up something at the grocery store?

-Looking forward to a wonderful Wednesday!

Miscellaneous Monday

It's official....welcome to winter....  Today the greater Cleveland area got quite a bit of snow, so I have now had to drag out all my winter gear.  In today's Miscellaneous Monday, here are a few fun snow facts and some tips for keeping your winter gear in good condition!

• Lake Effect Snow.  This term gets thrown around a lot in the midwest and upstate New York, but most people don't know the science behind the weather.  The major snow that gets dumped inland occurs when a cold front of air moves across a warmer lake.  The lake/bay/ocean never completely freezes over, so even when it is cold, the massive body of water will be warmer than the outside air.  When the cold air passes over warm lake, the warm air from the lake hits the cold arctic air and precipitation forms.

• Boots.  I love winter boots, but the salt can really wreak havoc on any leather, suede or cloth product.  My strategy for keeping my boots from getting demolished is a can of Scotchguard or sneaker protector.  I'm sure you have been talked into buying shoe/leather protector spray at some point, but if not, buy yourself a can of Scotchguard.  Make sure your boots are totally clean by using a leather cleaning brush, or if they are fabric, make sure they are dirt free.  Follow the directions on the can, but make sure you don't spray too closely to the leather/fabric.  If you are nervous about the impact on your fabric, test a small patch.  After spraying two coats on in a well ventilated area and letting them dry, you should have somewhat water repellent boots.

• Driving.  Once it starts snowing, people seem to forget important rules of driving.  There is no sense bashing all motorists, so here are a few things you can do to help keep yourself and fellow travelers accident free!  Start by slowing down and leaving enough room between you and the car traveling ahead of you.  Get used to feeling out how your car reacts when you break on snow while you are driving at slow speeds on side streets.  Also remember when you are traveling on the highway, bridges and overpasses tend to ice over more quickly than the regular stretches of road, so use caution!

•  Car Kit.  Make sure to throw a few essentials in the trunk of your car in case you do get stranded on the highway.  A few people got stuck near buffalo last week on I-90 for over 12 hours! Bah!  Your emergency kit should contain a blanket, a shovel, kitty litter or sand for traction, a few granola bars and bottles of water.  You should also invest in a small first aid kit, they aren't too expensive and something that is worthwhile to have in your car for all seasons.  

• Salt Stains.  Despite the huge pain in the butt that rock salt is for clothes, it shouldn't cause stains to the back of your pants/skirts.  Just wash regularly or dry clean and you should avoid too many problems.  If you wear your nice leather shoes out, instead of your boots that you Scotchguarded, you can clean those salt stains with a tablespoon of vinegar mixed in a cup of water (or so says GQ style guy).  

Are you ready for the winter and all the snow?!?!

-Looking forward to a great Tuesday!

Good Morning Pumpkin Wednesday!

Good Morning!  Open your eyes and get moving!

So Sleepy!

Time to get out of bed/your box and get to work!

Get out of bed, or your box...

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Just a Quick Dinner

I guess I have never put much thought into this before, but when I get back from Thanksgiving I feel like I need a break from eating.  Turns out, I am also not that interested in cooking.  I'm not sure you can blame me, or anyone else for that matter, because after eating a delicious home-cooked Thanksgiving meal it's difficult to feel inspired in the kitchen.


Nonetheless I couldn't handle takeout and wanted to get back into the kitchen.  So for tonight's quick post I leave you with a recipe for Chicken Paprikash from the Real Simple Magazine.  As a heads up, this is definitely not a traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash.  However, the flavors were good, ingredients were easily put together and the final meal was quite tasty.  


Here's my take on the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I know its a different shape than the pepper, but I liked diced onions much better)
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
•  28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 6 ounces wide egg noodles
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

• Heat the oil in a large sauce pan with sides.  Don't use anymore than the 1 tablespoon of oil or the sauce will be too oily. Season the chicken liberally with the kosher salt and black pepper.
• Cook the chicken until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
• Discard some of the drippings. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes
• Add the tomatoes.  I recommend chopping or breaking up the tomatoes before you put them into the pot.  Add the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and bring to a boil.  I also added about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.  Be careful with this spice because you can always add more, but can never take away!
• Return the chicken to the pan and cover the chicken in the vegetable/tomato mixture and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes
• While the chicken and veggies meld together, cook the noodles according to the package directions. You can top the chicken with sour cream, but I didn't think it was necessary.

What recipes have you tried when looking to change up your weeknight cooking routine?

-Looking forward to a wonderful Wednesday!

Miscellaneous Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend some time with friends and family. I had a great few days at my parent's house in Michigan, but am now back in Cleveland and am ready to post!

• Did you go shopping on Black Friday?  My mom and I woke up at 6 AM, and made it to our local mall by 7 AM.  It was pretty early, believe me, but I didn't find anything in the ads that would make me want to stand in line at 3 AM.

This store was far too busy and crowded for us to venture into

• This was our first time venturing out for the early morning "doorbuster" and some early spending data indicates there were more people out buying more merchandise.  Early estimates based on credit card data show the spending on Friday may have returned to pre-recession levels.  Always positive.

We were starting to get tired when we re-energized by trying on hats

• Also, while I was home, my mom made the most delicious Turkey.  She brined it in spices for 24 hours prior to cooking and I must say it was super moist and delicious.  I basically ate nothing but turkey... Anyway, I hope to find out more about this brining process and share it with you all.

A very delicious turkey

• In the news today, Leslie Nielsen passed away at the age of 84.  Known for his comic performances in "Airplane" and the "Naked Gun" series, Nielsen started his acting career as a serious man starring in a few big screen dramas.  While everyone seems to remember Nielsen's classic "surely" line in Airplane, I will always best remember him in Naked Gun with Anna Nicole Smith when he tries to host the Oscars and the tech crew remarks they should not invite Phil Donahue next year...haha

• I was fortunate to be invited to join in a recipe exchange via e-mail.  Here's a super easy recipe I received that looks tasty and a great way to use up some leftovers (I'm sure you could make this one with any turkey you still have lying around.)  I haven't tried it yet, but its on my menu plan for the week.

Leftover Chicken Dish

1. 13 X 9 oblong glass dish
2. 1/2 of large pkg Wide Egg Noodles cooked according to pkg directions
3. 1 large sweet onion, cut up in pieces
4. 1 can sliced mushrooms (or equivalent fresh)
5. 1 pkg of chopped spinach, thawed (or equivalent fresh)
6. 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
7. half cup milk
8. Equivalent of about half of a cooked chicken, cut/tear up in pieces
9. Grapeseed Oil or EVOO
10. Seasoning:  Morton's Nature's Seasoning; Tarragon leaves;
11. 1 Pkg of shredded cheese (mexican mix is good)

• Prepare Noodles, drain and set aside, Preheat over to 350
• In large skillet, sautee the onion and mushrooms in 2 tsp. grapeseed oil or EVOO over med. heat
• Season with Nature's Seasoning and Tarragon (and whatever other favorite seasoning)
• Add spinach, mushroom soup and milk, mix all together to sizzling
• Add chicken pieces, mix some more; reduce heat to low
• Place noodles in the oblong dish; drizzle LIGHTLY w/oil
• Mix in your veg/chicken mixture, sprinkle w/shredded cheese
• Bake uncovered at 350,  20 minutes

Tell me about your adventures over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

Looking forward to a terrific Tuesday!

New Thanksgiving Recipe

On Sunday I made a full Thanksgiving meal for me and Tim.  Since we are going to our respective family homes, I thought it would be nice to celebrate the holiday a bit early, together.  I cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, cranberry relish and a pumpkin pie.

The spread

I really enjoyed making all of these different foods, and will be sharing the rest of the recipes tomorrow.  But tonight, in case you don't have your Thanksgiving menu set I wanted to introduce you to a delicious sweet potato recipe.

I found this recipe, Brandy and Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups, on Food Network, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.  I was intrigued because my family has traditionally favored the very sweet, canned yams with brown sugar, butter and marshmallows.  Because Tim is open to trying new foods, I thought this more savory sweet potato recipe would be fun to make.

Here is what you will need to make this delectable side dish:

• 7 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
• 4 large oranges
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

And here are the step by step instructions, along with some of my observations from cooking:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put the sweet potatoes, whole and with the skins on, on a baking sheet in the oven for an hour.  I recommend turning the sweet potatoes over about halfway through the cooking process.  Take the potatoes out, let them cool just long enough to be able to remove the skins.  

At this point, turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  Take your four oranges, halve them, and scoop out the insides.  I recommend using a grapefruit spoon (with the sharp edges) to scoop out the inside of the oranges.

While the sweet potatoes are warm, cut them in half and remove the skins and any stringy fibers. 

Yams after one hour in the oven

Put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Make sure the bowl is a pretty good size because you will be adding quite a bit of liquid to the sweet potato mixture.  Add the butter to the sweet potatoes and blend with an electric hand mixer until you remove all the lumps.  It's important at this point that the sweet potatoes are warm so the butter melts and eases the mixing process.

Definitely should have used a larger bowl, so many ingredients

Add the sugar, eggs, orange juice, heavy cream, and brandy, and mix with the electric mixer until smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix again, making sure all the ingredients are incorporated throughout.  Fill the orange cups with the sweet potato mixture, filling the cups to a bit overflowing and smooth out the tops.  Place in a baking pan and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy while warm!  If you decide to add these potatoes to your menu, you will not be disappointed.  They are worth the extra work and will bring new and surprising flavors to your Thanksgiving meal.

Since sweet potatoes are my most favorite food, what is your secret family sweet potato recipe?

-Wishing everyone safe travels tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Countdown

I can't believe the holiday season is on our doorstep!  I am looking forward to my shortened work week and will be heading home early to hang out with my family (minus my brother who is working out in Colorado) and enjoy my mom's delicious cooking.  In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I have done a bit of cooking and baking to highlight some great recipes and tips for pulling off a fabulous Thanksgiving meal.  So this week will feature recipes for a few traditional Thanksgiving dishes and some new things I tried this year.

So much sugar, but so delicious and fun to make

Tonight I'm still recovering from cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, but I wanted to get in the turkey day spirit.  So here is my recipe for a sweet turkey shaped cookie treat, a.k.a, a turkey-gram.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 package Double Stuf Oreo cookies
• 1 container store bought chocolate frosting
• 1 container cinnamon red hots
• 1 container malted milk balls
• 1 package candy corn

Step 1- Twist Oreo cookie so it is in two pieces.  One side should have all the frosting while the other is just the cookie.  It takes a gentle hand to be able to twist the cookie without breaking it, so be patient

Step 2- Apply chocolate frosting to the cookie-only side.  Make sure it's thick enough to hold a few candies

Step 3- Place 5 candy corn pieces on the frosting like so:

Step 4- This is the tricky part.  Stand the cookie with the candy corn vertically into the cookie with the white frosting.  Again, be gentle, and your cookie should now be 3D and look like this

Step 5- Add a little bit of chocolate frosting to the cookie on the white frosting and place the Whopper securely on the chocolate.

Step 6- Add a tiny bit of chocolate frosting to the malted milk ball near where the turkey gobbler would be.  Secure the cinnamon red hot candy to the malted milk ball.

Hello Turkey!

Step 7- Repeat steps 1-6 and make enough turkeys to share with friends!

So many turkeys

What are the special sweets (besides pies) you make for Thanksgiving?

-Looking forward to the Holiday!