Stuffed French Toast

This was such an delicious but easy recipe. It's nice and sweet without the overload of maple syrup.

 Here's a link to the recipe:  Stuffed French Toast

Apricot Cookies

A different approach to an ordinary cookie. It has a cool filling and a half apricot on top. It looks so cool. =]

Zebra Cake

This is marble cake except you put in alternating colors into your pan like a bulls eye and it comes out like this:

Second try at Pizza

This time the pizza was amazing! We got a pizza pan with the holes at the bottom, I found the perfect dough recipe, we figured out how to stretch the dough and we experimented with some flavors.

This one is barbecue chicken pizza:

This one is onion, mushroom and jalapeno pizza:

These were awesome =]

First try at Pizza

The first time we tried pizza, we weren't sure about the dough consistency, thickness, etc. One of the pies we made was oblong, the crust was too thick and there was not enough tomato sauce. It was like a Sicilian pizza except it was kind of chewy. Here's a picture:

That time we had extra dough so we made two pies and this was the second one. It was better, but still not perfect.

We tried again recently and it was perfect, the secrets coming up in the next post.=]

Oriental Stir Fry

This is super easy and feels like a challenge but it really isn't.

All it is is japanese noodles (soft ones not hard ones), baby carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, onions, yellow pepper and shrimp. You can add anything you want into this and it will taste good!

Why did the pound cake fall?

This is a pound cake we made, but it fell into the center for some odd reason. If you know please let me know!

Just Pictures of Food

These next few posts are recipes we have made over the past few weeks and just didn't have the energy to put them up. Here are just pictures, if you want a recipe just leave a comment!

Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake

I am a die-hard cheesecake fan. I am obsessed with it and its so easy to make. This is a little twist on cheesecake based on the fact that it has an actual cake part. Make this and enjoy! Although it does take two days to make, day two is pretty much just assembling and frosting it. Don't let how long this is to discourage you because it is delicious.

Cheesecake layer
10 oz (1 cup) frozen whole strawberries, thawed and drained well
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp cornstarch
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs
2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
3 to 4 drops red food coloring (optional)

For the sponge cake (2 layers):
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
5 extra large eggs, separated and at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp pure lemon extract
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp cream of tartar

to assemble and frost:
2 quarts fresh strawberries
1 tbsp unflavored granulated gelatin
3 tbsp cold water
1 quart heavy or whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of one 9-inch springform pan and two 9 inch round layer cake pans. Wrap the outside of the springform (but not the cake pans) with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Very important: line the bottom of all three pans with parchment or waxed paper (do not let the paper come up the sides).

2. Pulse the thawed strawberries in your food processor until smooth (you need ¾ cup of puree). Stir in the 1 tsp of cornstarch and set aside. It will thicken slightly as it stands.

3. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Beat in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Beat in the cream just until it’s completely blended. Be careful not to overmix! Fold in the strawberry puree, plus the food coloring, if you wish (use just enough to tint the batter light pink).

4. Gently spoon the batter into the springform, then place it in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake the cake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is set, about 1 ¼ hours. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool in the pan for 2 hours, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, about 4 hours. Then freeze overnight until ready to assemble the cake.

5. While the cheesecake is cooling, make the sponge cake layers. Check that the oven is preheated to 350 degrees and that the water bath has been removed. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. While the mixer is still running, slowly add 1/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating until thick, light yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no white flecks are visible. Blend in the melted butter.

6. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean medium size bowl and, using clean, dry beaters, beat the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then add the remaining whites. Don’t worry if you still see a few white specks-they’ll disappear during baking. Divide the batter evenly between the two layer cake pans and bake until golden (not wet or sticky) and the center springs back when lightly pressed, about 12 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack and gently peel off the paper liners. Let cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until ready to assemble the cake.

7. on the day you plan to assemble the cake, hull 1 quart of the strawberries, then cut them into ½ inch pieces (you need 2 cups). Reserve the remaining berries for decorating the cake.

8. Make the frosting. Place the gelatin in a heatproof measuring cup, stir in the cold water, and let stand until it swells and thickens. Cook in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds or over a pan of simmering water for about 1 minute, until clear and completely melted. In a medium size bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer on high until it thickens and soft peaks just begin to form. With the mixer still running, add the sugar and beat just until the cream stands up in peaks (don’t overmix or the cream will curdle). Beat in the vanilla. Add the melted gelatin all at once and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate the cream for at least 30 minutes (preferably no longer than 1 hour) in two bowls: 2 cups in a small bowl for piping decorations on the top of the cake and the remainder in a second larger bowl for frosting the cake. Meanwhile, remove the frozen strawberry cheesecake from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

9. Place one layer of the sponge cake, top side down, on a cake plate. Spread evenly with a thin layer of whipped cream frosting from the large bowl and half of the strawberry pieces. Release and remove the ring of the springform, then remove the frozen cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. Peel away the paper liner and place top side down on top of the frosted bottom layer. Press the cheesecake down gently, just enough so the two layers stick together but not enough for the filling to come out the sides. Top the cheesecake layer with some more whipped cream from the large bowl, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining strawberry pieces. Top with the second cake layer of sponge cake, top side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the whipped cream in the large bowl.

10. To decorate, hull the remaining quart of berries and halve them, from top to tip. Place a ring of berries around the bottom edge of the cake, tip ends up. Using 5 or 6 berry halves, make a star in the center of the cake, pointing the tips of the berries away from the center. Fit a pastry bag with a medium closed star tip or medium open star tip and fill the cream from the small bowl. Pipe shells or rosettes around the top edge of the cake and make a large rosette on top of the strawberry pieces.

11. Refrigerate the cake until serving time (it takes at least 2 hours to allow the cheesecake to thaw enough to slice easily. Use a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover and leftover cake and refrigerate. Do not freeze this cake.

Lemon Chicken

This chicken was tangy and citrusy and minty all at the same time

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped (I used this lemon-mint stuff growing in the garden)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

Buy thin slices of chicken because they cook much more evenly, but if you have thick ones then just pound them with a mallet. \ Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 1/2 tablespoons of fresh basil/mint leaves, salt, pepper and minced garlic. I added a lot more of the basil/mint so it was covered thoroughly. Mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes prior to cooking. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large grill pan or skillet over medium heat. I removed a lot of the mint/basil and just left a little coating on which as you see in the picture shriveled up. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let the meat "rest" for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the last half tablespoon of fresh basil and extra lemon. Enjoy.

Apple Cake

Unfortunately, there is no recipe for these because it is a recipe of my grandmas. This cake is so delicious and if you really want it, I will have my mother write it up for the 0 readers of you out there. HAHAHAHA

Cinnamon Raisin Babka

We made this for Easter, and WOW was it good. You actually can put anything you want inside such as the raisins, chocolate, jam, etc. So perfect to make for a daytime snack. =]


Ingredients:

-1/2 cup milk

-1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

-1/3 + 1/4 cup sugar

-1 large egg divided (33.3 grams - 2/3 egg, 16.67 grams - 1/3 egg)

-12 grams egg yolk

-2 cups unbleached white flour

-1 teaspoon salt

-8 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

-2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

-1 teaspoon cream

 

Procedure:

1. Butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
2. Heat milk to 100-110 degrees. Pour into a small bowl, and add yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. in another small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar, 33.3 grams of egg (that's 2/3 of an egg) and the egg yolk. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture, and whisk to combine.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together flour and salt. Add wet ingredients and mix on low until the flour is almost incorporated. Change to dough hook. Add 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon butter to mixer. Beat on medium until dough is smooth and soft, and slightly sticky. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the right consistency.

5.Butter a large bowl, form dough into a ball and roll around the bowl to coat it with butter. Cover bowl with plastic and set in a warm place until doubled in size, about and hour.

6. Beat remaining egg (remember, this is 1/3 of an egg) with cream.

7. Turn dough out on a well-floured board. Roll to a square about 16" x 16". Brush edges with the egg-wash, and sprinkle the raisins over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Roll dough tightly into a log. Pinch seam closed, pinch ends together. Twist 5 or 6 times, and lay twisted log out straight on your board. Brush the left half of log with egg-wash.. Fold the right side over the left, making sure your chocolate stays in place. Fold ends under, and pinch closed. Twist your doubled log two times, and place in prepared pan. Brush the top of log with egg-wash, and sprinkle with streusel (recipe below). Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm place for 20-30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350.

-Struesel Topping-

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Combine all ingredients. Using your fingers, mix until completely incorporated. Crumble, so that there are chunks ranging greatly in size.

Happy Eating!

Rainbow Cookies

These cookies seriously were 100x better than store bought. Even though they take two days to make, they are totally worth it. You get several dozen depending on how bog or small you cut them. They can be kept in a freezer or just eaten right away.

Recipe coming soon!

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

I have made a ton of chocolate chip cookies recipes, and this is the one that has been placed in the family cookbook. I have made this recipe many times and it turns out great every time. I usually cut the recipe in half when making for my family.



Ingredients

1 ¼ c. sugar
1 ¼ c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs. baking soda
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 sticks butter
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 12 ounce package of chocolate chips
Raisins or nuts if your heart desires (about 1 cup)


Procedure

· This recipe makes about 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

1. Prior to making the cookies, leave the butter out to soften a bit
2. Preheat the oven to 350 and place the sugar, brown sugar, softened butter, eggs,and vanilla in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined and smooth.
3. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the mixture and combine.
4. Use a spoon or your hands and form a thick dough. Make sure it in not sticky, if it is, add more flour.
5. Add the chocolate chips, as many as you want. Add raisins, nuts, or any other toppings as you wish.
6. Buttering the cookie sheet is not necessary. Take some dough into your hands and roll into small balls. Don’t make them to big because you will end up with giant cookies. Place the balls on the cookie sheet. If you want the cookies a bit flatter, flatten them by pressing your hand down on the top.
7. Place the cookies into the oven for about 15 minutes, take them out and transfer them to a cookie sheet to cool.
~Made By Mika~

Painting Pots is Fun

Yes, it really is fun... I think this is a hibiscus flower but it was never really suppose to be...just sorta happened that way. That's the fun part! You sit down not knowing what to paint and magic happens!! The best part about this craft is that it is really cheap and can be done anytime!

By the way, this is Emily... I'm the creative art person in the family, Anna on the other hand enjoys to crochet...and I am not making fun of her, I like her crochet's...especially if they are something fashionable for me to wear! Did anyone notice the twilight books in the background =]

Things I needed to paint this pot!
1. a pot (what a surprise)...I got this pot for $1.20 at Michael's....if you didn't know, Michael's is my all time favorite store in the world =]
2. acrylic paints...most people will tell you that you need special pottery paints, you don't (see #3)
3. clear pottery paint, yes all you need is this one tube, it is pointless to buy pottery colors of paints you already have at home, I just put two coats of this clear paint over my dry paint, works just as well. FWI, if you don't put this on and go to water whatever is planted inside, the paint will get wet an may come off, so I recommend it.

Yes it is a Painted Pineapple

I (Mika) believe that everything has more than one purpose in life. For example, pineapple. It has a greater calling in this world than just pina coladas and fruit baskets. It has the ability to be crafted into a fabulous work of art suitable for a centerpiece for any occasion.
Things You Need:
1. A pineapple (obviously)...i recommend one that is nicely shaped with healthy leaves that aren't broken or bend out of shape.
2. various acrylic paints in metallic colors and paintbrushes
3. gold or sparkly spray paint
4. some old newspapers you can use to paint on and spray
Procedure
1. simply grab the paints and go, use any colors or designs you want on your pineapple
2. after it drys, take it into a well ventilated area and spray paint the leaves. I also spray a bit of paint on the surface, but don't overload or it will completely cover the paint!


Here's a close up!












Just some of the paints I use. $1-$2 dollars at Michael's, totally recommended!











And here is a centerpiece!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Now these are the kind of dessert that I (Anna) adore. They were so nice and creamy, and the raspberry swirl part was fantastic. I will be making this often.


Ingredients :

1 ¼ cups graham crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz each),softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
3 tbsp of lemon juice
2 eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam (or any other jam you'd like)



1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and line an 8” x 8” square baking with parchment paper with leaving an overhang on both side (for easy removing you slices later)
2. Mix crumbs and butter together and press firmly into bottom of the pan. Set it aside.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Heat up strawberry jam slightly in the microwave. Gently drop jam by small spoonfuls over top of batter. Cut through batter several times with knife for marble effect.
5. Bake 40 min. or until centre is set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting it.

Cheesecake Brownies

A nice combination of creamy cheesecake and brownies. Although I'm not a big brownie fan, these were ok.

You can make the brownie bottom out of a package, but that's not our style. So here's the brownie recipe we used.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate (I used 4 oz)
1 1/4 cup of sugar (I used only 1 cup)
2 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt

For the cream cheese topping:

1 (8 oz) low fat cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup of sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (4 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix just until all ingredients are moistened and brownie mixture is smooth.
4. Spread brownie mixture into prepared baking pan.
5. For the topping beat the cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan. *Make sure the center is not jiggly; if it is, keep them in longer.* Cool completely and then cut into bars and serve.

Sherried Sardine Toast with Salad

This has become one of my new favorite meals. I love these sandwiches so much. They're so easy to make, and go great on any day and with anything. I ate them with salad.

Here's the ingredients:
Ingredients

* 2 (3.75-ounce 2-layer) tins brisling sardines in olive oil
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
* 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, reserve the lemon and cut into 4 wedges
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 4 (1/2-inch) thick slices crusty bread, such as sourdough, country loaf or rye
* 1 ripe Hass avocado
* Coarse sea salt

Here's how you make it:
Drain the oil from 1 tin of sardines into a small bowl and set aside. Drain the oil from the other tin into another small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of parsley, vinegar, lemon zest, and black pepper, to taste. Add the sardines, stir to combine and set aside for up to 1 hour.

After 45 minutes, put a rack 3-inches from the broiler and heat the oven to the broiler setting on high. Brush each slice of bread on 1 side with the reserved oil. Put the bread, oil side up, onto a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Smash the flesh in each half with a fork.

Spread the avocado evenly onto the toasted bread. Top evenly with the sardines. Pour any remaining dressing on top and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Season lightly with sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.

---Instead of putting the bread slices in the oven, I just put them into the toaster (same concept). Also, you don't have to wait that long when you mix the ingredients together. It still tastes awesome if you eat it right away.

Cinnamon Apple Cream Cheese Crossover

Cinnamon Apple Cream Cheese Loaf

Ingredients :

* 6 oz of low fat cream cheese
* 1 egg – separated
* 3 tbsp of powder sugar
* 2 apples
* 1 (11 oz) tube of bread stick dough


Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combined soft cream cheese, powder sugar and egg yolk. Mix until well combined.

Cut up the apples into medium sized wedges. Heat up a medium saucepan and add the apples, four tablespoons of water, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a tsp of sugar, and half a tsp of nutmeg. Keep heating until the water is gone and the apples are soft.

Remove breadstick dough from the tube, unroll it and separate the dough and you will have two rectangles. Join the dough up by placing both dough rectangles horizontally on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press the steam together. Spread cream cheese mixture onto the centre of the dough. Layer the apples onto the cream cheese Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture (You might need scissors for this). Slightly pull and stretch the dough strips. Start from the top and bring and braid dough strip to cover the filling. Make sure to tuck and seal both ends of the loaf.

Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf, (I sprinkled sugar on top too). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the loaf.

Potato Wedges

So, for lunch/dinner we had potato wedges. These are so easy to make. Cut 4-5 potatoes into wedges. They should be regular yellow ones, red ones, and sweet potatoes. That makes a variety to tastes. Then in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika. Toss this all together and your done. Pour this on a baking sheet, put in the oven at 400 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes depending on if you want them crispy or just cooked. Halfway through baking, turn them over. Eat them with ketchup, bbq, whatever. Enjoy!

Raspberry Loaf

This loaf was spectacular, and pretty easy to make. Here's the recipe:
Sour Cream Raspberry Swirl Loaf
Origin: Cooking Light
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
● 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
● 3 tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted
● 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
● 1 tsp. baking powder
● 1/4 tsp. baking soda
● 1/8 tsp. salt
● 3/4 cup sugar
● 1/4 cup butter, softened
● 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
● 1 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
● 1 large egg
● 1 large egg white
● 3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
● Cooking spray
● 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
● 1 1/2 tsp. 2% reduced-fat milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine raspberry jam and walnuts in a small bowl.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine sugar, butter, lemon rind, 1 teaspoon vanilla, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spread half the batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Spoon raspberry mixture over top, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Spread remaining batter over raspberry mixture.

Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Combine 1/8 teaspoon vanilla , powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over loaf.

It turned out so good we couldn't wait to eat it!

What we made today.

So, we had a baking extravaganza and we felt like making two dessert type meals. The first was a raspberry loaf, while the other was a cream cheese thing.
Here's the loaf:






Here's the cream cheese thing: