BFMH: Cranberry Cream Cheese "Pinwheel"

I don't know about you guys, but I pretty much always have left over cranberry relish/jelly. This recipe is a great use of what is left over from the wonderfulness that is Thanksgiving.

Plus it is simple, you KNOW I like that.

First off, mix one 8 oz package of softened cream cheese with 4 oz cranberry relish/jelly.

I ended up with more than 4 oz cranberry in mine. don't do that. Stick to the original measurements I stated above. Do as I say, not as I do.



Mix the cheese and cranberry together with a hand mixer until smooth (you see how mine is NOT smooth, don't settle for that like I did). Easy right?

Take one package of the pre-made Crescent Rolls, open them up, and roll them lightly on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to make them into one single sheet of dough. (I didn't do this and it cost me dearly on presentation and food construction. please do this, don't use the "Oh, I'll just pinch it together" mentality.

Smear cheese and cranberry mixture over half the dough, leaving a 1 inch border as needed.

Fold the dough that is not smeared with the yummy stuff over the smeared size. Then fold and pinch the edges up to form a rectangle of yum.  (I attempted to roll mine. Did not work. Make it into a rectangle, not pinwheels.)

Put on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes



This recipe is a bit tart, so if you are a sweet tooth morning person, add a bit of powder sugar into the cheese and cranberry mixture.

While MY attempt was not pretty, it was tasty. I will do this again when we have company probably.

They make a pretty little Dish...

Something else that was enjoyed at our Thanksgiving feast, much to the delight of my father and his wife as well as Husband, were Creamed Onions and Peas! This old fashioned recipe (first documentation of creamed onions in America was in American Frugal Housewife by Susannah Carter in 1803) never found it's way on to my childhood Thanksgiving plate, but that is not the case for Husband.

Husband's family has made this sort of dish most every Thanksgiving of his life and therefore, he has been missing it the last 5 years that he has hosted his own dinner. But this year: The Sixth Year, that all changed!

I wanted to give Husband a really good Thanksgiving as he gave me a really good one last year (He proposed the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2012). So I tracked down several recipes from his mother that I knew he would like and tweeked a couple of them, knowing he liked more of this or that.

So here it is:
The Not-A-Family-Recipe-But-Still-Really-Good Creamed Onions and Peas (my addition) Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen pearl onions
1 cup chicken broth (Or vegetarian broth)
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (I used 1 tablespoon flour)
1 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 bag of frozen peas
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
2 tsp lemon juice
pinch nutmeg

Method:
Bring onions brother, sherry, thyme, and bay leaf to a boil in 12 inch non stick skillet over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid evaporates, 12 - 15 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of milk together in a small bowl until well combined.
Stir cream, remaining milk, cornstarch mixture, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and peas into onions and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium- low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and onion are tender and peas are cooked, 8 - 10 minutes.
Turn off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of chives, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of chives.
Serves 8 to 10

This dish was very well received by our guests and I have been enjoying the leftovers, as I am programmed to do.


Until the next Thanksgiving meal...


**The title for today comes from Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747 in reference to her recipe "Ragoo of Onions". The full quote reads: They make a pretty little Dish, and are very good.**

We should all get together...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!

Until the next Thanksgiving meal...

**Today's Quote is from Harry S. Truman. The full quote reading: We should all get together and make a country in which everybody can eat turkey whenever he pleases.**

Packed with sugar and coffee flavor.

Today's gift to you, the reader, is a pie of amazing proportions. This pie is pretty much perfect.

Not too sweet, not too nutty, and a refreshing taste of Kahula all around. Very well balanced, and super easy too. Husband got this recipe from his mom and has made it occasionally over the years of Thanksgiving he has hosted. I have a pie I really like: Chocolate Whiskey Pecan Pie! which you will see at Christmas time.

Kahlua Pecan Pie (a la my Mother in Love)
Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9-10 inch pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Kahlua
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temp/soft
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup of dark corn syrup (I didn't have any dark, so I used light and mixed a touch of molasses in)
1 - 1 1/2 cup pecans (at least 1/2 cup chopped. then, if desired, enough halves for a pretty design)
Method:
Preheat oven to 325.
Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla together.
Add flour and mix well.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in Kahlua, corn syrup, and evaporated milk.
Stir in chopped pecans.
Pour into pie shell.
If desired: Make a pretty design on top with the not chopped pecan halves.
Bake for 40 minutes.
*This pie browns on top quite a bit, which I like, but feel free to tin foil the crust part of the way through.*
Cool completely and serve chilled.

Until the next Thanksgiving meal...



**Today's title is from Richelle Mead The Indigo Spell The third book in the Bloodline Series, very nice piece of Teen Literature which tells the backstory of the characters in Vampire Academy. The full quote is "It's Kahula, Sage. Packed with sugar and coffee flavor."**

Don't gobblefunk around...

So I made my original recipe deliciousness:

Brie,Onion, and Apple Tarts!

These little buggers are a huge hit with the regulars at my Thanksgiving feast. 

It must be known that Thanksgiving 2012, I had these ingredients around the house the day before the dinner. Being a bit bored, I ended up deciding I liked all these foods, so there for, let's see who they were all together. Prepped them much like how it is described below, then plopped them in a pie crust.

That is how a legend is born.

Here is the basic gist of this delish dish:

Crust:

You can make your own crust if you would like, but I ended up using a puff pastry lining the cup of a muffin tin.

Filling:

1 large onion, diced (I used red this year but it was rather hard to caramelize and a bit bitter so I suggest white or yellow)

1 tablespoon salt 

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup of flour

1/4 cup of brown sugar

2  green apples, peeled, cored, and diced

8 oz of brie, diced *It isn't necessary, but it is take less time to cook if you take off at least some of the rind*

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, oven medium heat, melt butter.

Add onions to the butter, sprinkling the salt over then as they soften to pull out the juices.

Allow onions to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent.

Add balsamic to the onions. Cook until reduced and syrupy.

Combine the flour and red wine to make into a paste.

Add the flour/ red wine combination to the onions and stir until well combined.

In a mixing bowl, toss apples with brown sugar.

Add apples to onion mix and allow to cook further until the apples are soft.

Once apples are soft, stir in brie. Stir often to encourage the cheese to melt. 

Don't be tempted to turn up the heat, as this will increase the chance of burning the filling.

Slow and steady wins the yummy race.

Once all the ingredients are well combined, allow the filling to cool slightly to thicken into a paste.

Then fill your cups/tarts, bake for 25-35 minutes, and enjoy! Should make 12 tarts.

Chef's note: I will normally make the filling a day or two ahead of time and then bake the tarts the day of as that saves quite a bit of time. Granted, I do that with my pies as well.

Until the next Thanksgiving meal...

**Today's title is from Roald Dahl's masterpiece The BFG. The full quote is "Don't gobblefunk around with words", but I imagine that I can paraphrase this to "DO gobblefunk around with food!"**

Touch has a memory.

As man of you might know, I lived in London for a spell in 2006. While there, I went on many adventures and ever more escapades, always returning to my dorm with a small memento from the day's events. I worked diligently on my school work, harder on my few friendship with those who lived there and worked only slightly on a collage of the things I had brought home. It made it safely back to the states with me and hung on my wall for the last 7 years. 

Alas, as the years of past, and the marital status has changed, I realized I would no longer be displaying my masterpiece. I have grown so much since those most influential days in London-town though the memories and what I learned about myself has stuck with me...hard.

I have retired the collage from my wall and my collection, but I figured I could preserve the physical memories in a few photos. For your curiosity and my continued enjoyment, my London Life Collage.

Until the next adventure...


**Today's title comes from John Keats, whose home in Hampstead Heath I visited with my friend Kelsey while we lived at Regent's Collage < http://www.regents.ac.uk/ >.**

BFMH: Egg Muffins

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY DOCTOR WHO!!!

Husband and I got to go see Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary in 3D! Be SUPER Jealous. As we were heading out pretty early, I figured a good amount of protein would be a great idea to get us through the morning (and me through the popcorn cravings).

I was rather content that I had lost a few pounds as my costume, while not revealing, was a bit sexy. I went as Captain Jack(ie) Harkness complete with Time Vortex Wristlet and a 1940's flair.

For those of you who love the show, enjoy the title of the Egg Muffins for this edition of Breakfast For My Husband.

They Are Cheesier On The Inside Muffins
This is halved from my original recipe for this since it was only going to be Husband and I eating.
Ingredients
6 eggs
1 tsp seasoning - Choose from what you have handy. Parsley, oregano, pepper, and herbs de Provence are good choices. So is a splash of hot sauce and some cilantro.
1 cup low fat cheese, grated (I used sharp cheddar)
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Then add what else you might want. I chose to use what was on hand.
Bacon, chopped (leave out for vegetarian)
Onion, diced
Roasted sweet pepper, chopped
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line the muffin tin with double the paper liners. (I used tin foil liners so one was good for me.)
Fill each cup with 2/3 with cheese, meat and veggies.
In a mixing bowl with a spout, beat eggs with seasonings (and a splash of low fat or skim milk, if desired)
Top meat and veggies with egg mixture until the cup is 3/4 full.
Stir each cup gently with a fork
Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until muffins have risen, lightly browned, and set.

Enjoyable and easy to reheat the day of (1-2 minutes in the Microwave). Wish I would have had a few other options to put in them, but still tasty.

YES, THE SPECIAL WAS SPECTACULAR!

This is, as they say...

This is a "Back to the Future" Post... in other words. I am writing this post on Monday the 25th, but am posting it for the 22nd. Just gotta be honest. This is not what it seems....

Right then, on Saturday the 23rd, the Harry Potter Party occurred. While I have posted already once about my Butter Beer Recipe < http://my-pinterest-board-live.blogspot.com/2013/11/it-does-not-do-to-dwell-on-dreams.html >, I made it even a little better the day of the party.

Used my Grandmother's Punch Bowl and Cups and used a 2 liter of Cream Soda, a 2 liter of Ginger ale, 2 cups Amber (not spiced) Rum, and 2 cups Butter Schnapps in the main bowl. THEN I got a little creative out of necessity as I forgot to get heavy whipping cream. I took 2 cups of vanilla bean ice cream and whipped it with a 1/3 cup of half and half and then added half a package of butterscotch pudding. I then scooped a tablespoon into the cup before ladling in some soda mixture to make a little bit of a "float" like.A little stir and then Ta dah! Creamy, cold, refreshing, sweet (but not overly) Butter Beer.

Very happy with how the whole kick back ended up going. We watch Part 1 and Part 2 of Deathly Hallows and we laughed and we cried. A great gang of people and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Until the next meal...



**Today's Title is from Harry Potter and then Deathly Hallows. The full quote, of course, is as follows: My dear boy, I have no idea. This is, as they say, your party.  **

By that logic....

We have had waaaaay too many left overs so I decided to take the night off from cooking.

Instead, a quick update on my South Beach Diet Phase 1, Week 1.

I had a few slips ups this first week, but nothing that made me break my focus.

One day, I was having a tummy ache so I ate some crackers which is obviously not approved on a low carb diet.

Also, I have been breaking the rules and have been having a glass of wine at night if I want one (which has been most nights). Even with these "modifications", I am down pounds! Huzzah! 5 pounds till my next goal and 9 Until my wedding weight and 14 until my ultimate goal.

I read something this week that went like this:
If you tripped and fell on your way to work, would you turn around, go home, and never return? Of course not! By that logic, one bad day or binge shouldn't ruin your fitness goals, either!


**As you can see, this is where today's title comes from. There is no listed author that I can find.**


This is really sound logic. Obviously, if you KEEP tripping, then maybe something needs to change, but, for the most part, Just because you "failed" today, doesn't mean you failed for the who quest.

Determination and forgiveness are looking like they are becoming my best friends.

A good marriage is like a casserole...

As many of you may have noticed, I made spaghetti (squash) and meatballs for Husband's birthday last week. Well, I figured that the HUGE amount of "spaghetti" I got from one squash needed a little bit of a remake in order to be appealing after the initial meal. I found an excellent recipe for a Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash Casserole.

Recipe from Kaylan's Kitchen
1 whole spaghetti squash, roasted and spaghetti-fied
2 zucchini,diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 25 oz. can of marinara sauce
1 15 oz. container of fat free ricotta cheese
4 slices of reduced fat provolone or mozzarella
1/34 cup of grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat.
Add zucchini, garlic, and salt and pepper. Saute until zucchini becomes tender, about 5 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, oregano and basil. Fold in with zucchini.
Put spaghetti squash in the a casserole dish. Spoon ricotta mixture over it. Pour marinara sauce over the ricotta mixture. Layer slices of cheese over the dish, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

I ended up just using grated mozzarella versus the sliced on top and that turned out just fine. Also, I used dried basil and oregano which ended up being ok in the long run, but I needed to add a little more than what was asked for the fresh.

Husband like it as did I so I figure it is a win!

Until the next meal...

**Today's title is an anonymous quote which I found very fitting for this post. "A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes in it." So incredibly true... **

I love a massage.

Today, I made a little nice and simple for dinner. It is light and healthy and while it is exceptionally easy, it is quite elegant. I don't really have a recipe for today's meals as it is Salmon Packets! It is much more up to your imagination. most of the time when you see recipes for this meal, you will see it call for a Grill. Unfortunately, Husband and I don't have  a backyard or a patio or even a balcony large enough that we could even have a grill! I know...sad panda day. While I look forward to the day when I can grill my veggies and meat freely, I have made this recipe work still.

Directions for Salmon Packets
Double layer a bit of tinfoil (big enough to tent cover the salmon piece) and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it.
Place salmon in the center and season fish with salt and pepper.
Now, add what you want!
The first time I made this was with a few slices of lemon on top of the salmon is nice and you could throw in some asparagus.
Today, I put in tomatoes,garlic, and fresh thyme.
I also made a separate packet with sliced squash and onion drizzled with olive oil and then seasoned with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and put salmon packets in for about 8 - 10 minutes and the squash in for 12 - 15 minutes.
Sprinkle squash packet with a bit of Parmesan cheese if desired when I comes out of the oven.

This dish is pretty, yummy, and saves on dirty cooking dishes. As Husband and I have a deal, I cook, he does the dishes, I like to make his job easier occasionally. I can't say that I will make squash this way again was it was a bit squishy, but it was certainly still yummy. All around this dish needed more salt. I usually will pour the amount of salt I want into my hand, and then sprinkle it over but for some reason I was just shaking it on from the shaker and that did not prove to be the best route. Better under salted than over, but a bit of a let down in my chefy brain of pride. What can you do?

Until the next meal...


**The title today is from Jason Bateman with the quote reading: I love a massage. I'd go every day if I could. I don't need to be wrapped in herbs like a salmon fillet, but I do love a massage. **

It is one of the few contributions America has made to world cuisine.

As I am living in the world of South Beach right now, I find that the best way to adhere to said diet is to have food ready to go! So I prepped a Crockpot full of Phase 1 approved chili. It is very nice and really isn't all that different from regular chili. It is easy to make, to reheat, has easily varied serving sizes, and is just plan yummy. 5 days in now and have been very successful thus far, besides a few beverages of choice. I'll give a proper update on Thursday at the weekly check in mark.

On to the good stuff, talking about the food. I know, I know, I know! I betray my Texas roots for having BEANS in my Chili. I can't say that it didn't break my heart a little bit when I found this recipe, but I was looking to find a recipe what would be filling and healthy. In that aspect, I did succeed. So here it is...

Crockpot Black Bean Chili with a Twist Recipe
1 large onion. finely chopped
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 bouillon cube reduced in 1 1/2 cups of water
2 cans black bean, rinsed and drained
1 can fat free refried pinto beans
2 cans petite diced beans
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 lime wedge per bowl for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro per bowl for garnish
1 tablespoon low fat sour cream per bowl for garnish
Method:
In a pan over medium high heat, heat oil and saute the chopped onions until tender and lightly browned.
Put into the Crockpot.
In the same pan, put ground beef and brown.
Combine the bouillon cube with the water by microwaving the water to hotness and stirring and smashing the cube until combined. Pour over the beef while it is cooking to keep the lean beef moist while it browns then pour it all in the Crockpot.
Rinse and drain the black beans at least 3 times to remove the excess salt from canning and add to Crockpot.
Mix in the rest of ingredients, save the garnish.
Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. Serve with a lime wedge squeezed over it, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Husband really liked the chili when he had it for lunch so that is a great sign. I think it turned out very nicely and has already proved to be a good stop me from eating my arm or something not on Phase 1. I think that the use of some hot sauce would be good in the cooking of it as it was very mild (though not bland).


Until the next recipe...



**Today's title comes from Rex Stout, the author of the Nero Wolfe mysteries series. The complete quote is as follows: Chili is one of the great peasant foods. It is one of the few contributions America has made to world cuisine. Eaten with corn bread, sweet onion, sour cream, it contains all five of the elements deemed essential by the sages of the Orient: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, and bitter.**

BFMH: Frittata with Chevre and Caramelized Onions

This morning's breakfast is a type of dish I have never made before so it was an adventure!

A Frittata is an Italian dish made with fried beaten eggs; resembling a Spanish omelet. The origins of the name is from the Italian "friggere" which means "to fry".

Here is the recipe that I found for today's breakfast, originally from http://emmycooks.com/2012/09/22/frittata-with-chevre-and-caramelized-onions/

Frittata with Chevre and Caramelized Onions Recipe
Whisk together 8 eggs with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper and a good splash of milk.
Stir in 1 1/2 cup of caramelized onion and a good handful of chopped parsley. Heat in an oven proof skillet over medium heat, pour in a glug of olive oil and then add eggs. Cook undisturbed until edges are set, then dollop chevre all over the top and transfer to a 375 degree oven to finish cooking.

Me being me, I changed it up a bit. I added a thawed block of chopped frozen spinach I had in my freezer, thawed in the microwave, and wrung out add the extra water in dish towel before combine with the onions to add to the egg mixture. Additionally, some chopped mushrooms, and  cherry tomatoes made it in to the dish as well when I added the onions and spinach. I also reduced some balsamic while the Frittata cooked to be poured over the dish if desired. This sort of this is almost ALWAYS desired by me.

Ta Dah!

I asked Husband if you put it on a scale from one to delicious and his answer was  a pretty dang tastey!

I (as well as my Auntie) would probably eat cardboard with balsamic reduction so I found this meal through the roof.

Another success!


Until the next meal...

Everything you see...

Today is Husband's birthday! I already gave him his main present, a classy formal Disney watch. Seriously. It is really classy.

As he is working today, we will actually be eating his birthday dinner tomorrow night.So I am posting about tomorrow's dinner today, in order to leave Saturday's post for BFMH series. Deal with it. I can retroactively post. Gotta love technology. Moving on...

The In Laws here in town this past weekend (which was super duper great) and it turns out that M.i.L. makes Spaghetti and Meatballs for Papa G for his birthday every year. Unfortunately, M.i.L. had misplaced her recipe. Most fortunately though, I was able to find it online as it is a Martha Stewart Recipe! Needless to say, the Papa G's birthday has been saved and all will be right in the world this Hatch Day coming for him.

All this talk about Spaghetti and Meatballs, as well as talking about Swedish Meatballs (we went to Ikea), has gotten Husband asking for the same meal for his birthday. Alas, I am doing a low-carb diet so pasta (even whole wheat) isn't in the plans for me quite yet. I asked if I could do a Spaghetti Squash version of the dish and Husband, ever the sweetest man I know, said that would be dandy.

Here are the recipes I have found for Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Garlic and Herb Meatballs.

Spaghetti Squash and Sauce
Ingredients
2 whole spaghetti squash
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cup prepared marinara sauce <tomato basil a la Trader Joe's for me> (sub out for an appropriate option if you're vegan)

Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Split squash in half and scrap out seeds.
Line an oven tray with aluminum foil.
Season spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place flesh side down and roast for 30 - 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a large saute pan.
When squash is cool enough to handle, using a large kitchen spoon, scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin. Toss the squash in the pan with the sauce until it is hot enough to serve.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Meatballs (don't use if you are vegetarian or vegan, duh)
Ingredients
1 bulb of garlic
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 pound of ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped shallots (I used onions)
1 egg
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (white preferred)
1/4 cup olive oil

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves beneath, but don't peel the garlic as you want to roast it in the skin.
Place bulb in a piece of aluminum foil, place butter on top, pour lemon juice over the garlic and sprinkle with salt.
Bring up sides of the foil and twist together to close.
Cook for 60 minutes or until garlic cloves are soft and golden in color. Allow to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Combine turkey, shallots, egg, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
use a fork to remove cloves from skin and add to mixture. Mix well. Roll into approximately 15 meatballs.
Place meatballs in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil over the top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn on broiler for 5 minutes to brown. Serve and Enjoy.

As per usual, I went off book a little bit. I prepared the garlic in with the squash on Friday night to lower the energy costs a bit. I mixed together MOST of the ingredients (not the egg) for the meatballs and let it sit over night to allow the flavors to combine well. Also, I seared the meatballs in a deep saute pan before baking them to keep the moist while baking. I know some people are squeamish with the word "moist", but that is the only word in my opinion for well prepared meat or poultry. I then chose to use deep saute pan to heat the sauce and squash together on the stove top while the meatballs baked.

I think this turned out very well. Husband agreed with me in that it is an excellent alternative if you can't have / don't want the real thing. He really like my healthy no carb meatballs. This will probably be made again sometime.

Until the next meal...


**Today's title comes from Sophia Loren when she was asked about her physique: Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. **

All truly great thoughts are conceived...

In order to lead a healthier life style, I have taken up walk/running. The running part is a bit of a misnomer. I pretty much imagine there is a zombie behind me or another tribute (Hunger Games) is after me or sometimes just that Doctor has said run and he wasn't able to grab hand and then I run for as long as I can. Burst training. I have realized through these experiments that I stand no chance with any of them...yet.

But I can already tell that I stand a better chance than I did when I started walking consistently a week ago. It isn't a huge change, but one that I already have noticed some differences. Not getting winded over easy stuff and my mile time has already gotten a bit faster. 

I decided on this style of exercise for a few reasons:

1) I have seen the power of running to lose weight for several friends.

2) It's free. There are no membership fees to the world. Well, no down payment, at least.

3) Lastly, I want to participate in one of the Disney Run events some day.

So I figure I just have to be diligent, get out there every day and I'll see some improvement by Thanksgiving. 

Side note: I know there is nothing about  cooking in this post. I haven't cooked quite as much this week because of the In-Laws being in town, Husband and I actually ate out a few times! 

**Today's title is from the full quote "All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking." from Friedrich Nietzsche.**

You may die of a misprint.

Home alone.

No one to cook for, but myself.

As I will be spending the New Years in Brazil, I would like to be feeling my best while on the beach eating ice cream for my friends' wedding. So I am starting a low-carb diet (worked for the wedding to drop some pounds) and walk/jog training everyday. I refuse to be at my highest weight for such an exotic adventure.

So what is quick, yet yummy enough to keep myself from cheating on myself (aka the diet that I and choosing to follow) while I am home alone. That is where Portobello Mushroom Cap Pizzas come in.

Take a mushroom cap, slather on a bit of pizza sauce, top with your choice of deliciousness, and bake for 20 minutes in a pan with a bit of olive oil.

Ka Pow! You got yourself just about the healthiest version of pizza you can find! Plus, no binge or breaking of my choice to be thinner. Now lets just keep it up for 42 more days.

**Today's title is from Mark Twain: Be careful of reading health books. You may die of a misprint.**

Happy Birthday, Maman...

Today, 11.12.13, would have been my Mother's 69th birthday were she still alive. While I think of her daily, I find that I focus on living in her spirit verses in her memory nowadays. Everything about her use to be holy and sacred in my mind. I was fiercely protective of what people thought or said about her. I was selfish. I wanted to let everyone know about how wonderful she was, but I would get irked if someone who I didn't think knew her that well would say something about her. Their memories, their thoughts could never be as true or as important as mine or my brothers.

Something that I realized with the loss of my friend Diane is that every person's memories are valid. As a friend of Diane's daughter, my heart breaks for her loss of a most wonderful mother and it weeps for the pain she will have to endure to recover from such a sudden and wounding shock. As a daughter figure of Diane's best friend, I grieve for the loss of a friend, companion, and confidant for her. As a friend of Diane herself, I miss my friend. All of these relationships feel the hurt and anguish at the loss of one woman. This doesn't mean that any of the hurt is more important than another person's or that it isn't as real. Just different.

Through this most recent tragedy, I realized that my thinking about my mother has changed since I was 14, 18, 21, 25. I use to think of my mother as only as my mother. I, for so long, have only seen her through the lens of "daughter" as that is the only relationship we had the time to form.

As a nearly 30 year old, I can say with confidence that I know my father as the man who gave me life as well as reared me, but also, I know him as a friend, a (most of the time) welcome and able counselor, and the sort of man that people like and want to be around. I never had this sort of realization with my mother. She was on the verge of becoming my friend as well as nurturing mother, but that opportunity was not to be.

I understand now my previous selfishness of her memory and I am thrilled that I over the last few years, I have been able to come to the realization that I am not as selfish as I once was.


So on this day, as there is nothing physical I do for her on her birthday, I give her my thanks.

Thanks for setting me up for success with what little time she had with me. For instilling a love and admiration of art. All the arts. I thank her for showing me her passion so that I can remember and emulate her in pursing my own dreams and desires, no matter the size. I thank her for never kicking me out of the kitchen when she was cooking. I thank her for teaching me how to read and understand a recipe, but also for teaching me that it is ok to go off book. I thank her for answering my questions openly. I thank her, most dearly, that she never spoke to me in a way that belittled or made me feel like I was less than her simply because I was young. I thank her for believing, for her wit, for her joy. I thank her for her legacy, for all the peoples lives that she touched in some way or another so that they can bring their memories and stories to me. I thank her for her style, her grace, and her charisma in all things.

Thank you Maman. I miss you, but I keep you present in the things I do daily.

With my continued love,
Your Daughter

After a good dinner...

This is a very simple, but tasty meal which, of course, reheats well. As the In-Laws are In-Town, I decided to make something that I know to be delectable while not causing me to be over the stove for an hour or more.

This meal, as long as the chicken in is defrosted, takes about 30 minutes. A perfect amount of time to be cooking when you want to be hanging out with your guest. Plus it is pretty delicious and is a usual recipe for my pseudo family, the Henderson's.

Stuffed Marmalade Chicken Breast with Peas and Quinoa
For the Boobies:
4 chicken breasts
1 container soft flavored soft cheese
1 jar of marmalade
For the Quinoa:
2 cups of quinoa
3 Cup of water
1 cup chicken stock
1 clove smashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon of salt
For the Peas:
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 of an onion, very finely sliced (or a couple bunches of scallions)
1 package of frozen peas
1/4-1/2 cup of white wine
fresh ground pepper

Method:
For the Boobies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a deep incision (but not all the way through) in each chicken breast and stuff with the soft cheese. I use the "garlic and herbs" flavor Boursin normally. Then place in a baking dish lined with tin foil (I don't have to scrub it as hard) and cover each breast with marmalade. Put into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes.
For the Quinoa:
Bring water/stock to a boil, lower to med low heat, then add salt, garlic and quinoa. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Check the quinoa by giving it a little stir to see how much water/stock is left. Use your best judgement and cook the quinoa till all the water/stock is absorbed.
<Don't forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking, it takes away the bitterness you can get with quinoa>
For the Peas:
Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a pan and saute the onion. Stir in frozen peas and then deglaze with white wine, using just enough so that the peas are steamed through. turn off the heat, and add the other 1/2 tablespoon of butter and add freshly ground pepper.

We got a different style of Maramalade this time which was less sweet than the normal Kroger brand I buy. I was nervous that it would effect the flavor drastically. It was certainly not what the dish normally tasted like, but it certainly didn't make it an unpleasant meal by any stretch. Just different.

Also, instead of the peas, we ended up getting a pretty much AWESOME couple of Asparagus bunches at the Burbank Farmer's Market. I prepared them the way I normally do for Eggs Benedict (A bit of olive oil, crushed almonds, and asparagus in a pan with a lid and shake it over medium heat time bright green.) and it was a perfect meal.

The In Laws liked it, Husband liked it, and I liked it, despite the differences to how I normally make it. So winner-winner-chicken-(stuffed with cheese and topped with jelly)-dinner!



**Today's title is is from a play entitled A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde. Definately one of his lesser pieces, it has similar themes (and lines even) to his better known pieces Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Ernest:: After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.**

BFMH: Sticky Buns

First off: check out my friend's blog. It is pretty rad.

http://howtofeedastarvingartist.blog.com/

Right on to business....

So if you read about the awesomeness that are biscuit pizza's earlier this week, you know that I have a something in store for today that will be using left over refrigerator biscuits. Also, Husband and I get to go to PAX East this year, so I have been thinking about the east coast and the delish things there. So I landed on the idea of Sticky Buns made with Fridge Biscuits.

Here is the concoction I came up with from what I found online.
Cat's Epic Sticky Buns
1-2 tubes of refrigerator biscuits, cut willy nilly
1/2 cups chopped pecans and almonds
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Add raisins if you would like, I don't care for them personally and they are not traditional.

Preheat Oven to 375

Toast nuts until fragrant and slightly darker.

Let cool completely.

In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. stir in brown sugar, cream, honey, syrup, salt, zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon. (Raisins optional)

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until glaze is gold brown and glossy. 

Focus on the outside for this color. If you wait for the center to be brown, the toffeeish concoction will have burned. 

Pour the 3/4 of the glaze into the bundt pan, tilting the pan to coat much of the area the biscuit will be touching. 

Sprinkle in nuts 3/4 of the chopped and toasted nuts. 

cover with chunks of biscuit, overlapping edges and lightly pressing pieces together occasionally to form a bun ring.

Top with remaining glaze and nuts.

Bake for 20-25 mins minutes (not really, 25-30 for batch).

Allow to cool for 1-2  mins in pan then invert on to a serving dish and enjoy!

Well, for some reason, I couldn't toast a nut to save my life last night. So I ended up just using regular nuts, not toasted.

These turned out pretty great. Simple and very good. Not too sweet and perfectly moist. Make this sometime. Even the kids will like it.

It does not do to dwell on dreams...

So a year or so ago, my Auntie and I were planing a trip to Florida to see Walt Disney World as well as planing on visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A lot of things changed quickly late last summer when I got a new job as well as deciding to go home for the holidays with my then boyfriend (now Husband). Needless to say, Auntie and I did not get our awesome girl's trip that we were planning. I still lament that loss, but overjoyed at where I am now, a year or so later.

One thing that Auntie and I were looking forward to the most was trying the Butter Beer at Universal Orlando. As the fall season makes me more and more in the mood for Harry Potter books and movies, I decided to try my hand as the classic beverage. After doing some heavy research, I tried out a recipe that most the internet public was saying was closest to the Hot delightful drink they had in Florida. and then I added an added kick of Butter Schnapps and a bit of whipped cream with butterscotch jello mix and powder sugar.

Here the Ingredients:

Cream Soda
Butter
Brown Sugar
Whipping Cream
Butterscotch Topping

Now since I added the schnapps and whipped cream topping, I left out the whipping cream and butterscotch topping. Still the beverage tasted like...diabetes. It didn't have a flavor other than sweet. I took 2 sips and was done, Husband managed 4. So that was bust. Although, it sure did look pretty.

You know you are jealous of my Cowboy boot mug. I got it when I went to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse with a college best friend Dana and her father's family the first time I went north to visit her.

As we had to head out to the softball game, I whipped up another batch, but this time a cold and simpler version. 7 parts cream soda, 1 part butter schnapps. The rest of the Force (The Fans of the Rebel Alliance Softball Team) us tasted it and agreed it was very nice flavor combination. After a series of thoughts and discussions we landed on the idea of cutting the sweetness even more with using a bit of ginger ale as cream soda is already SUCH a sweet beverage.

Here is my new, not as sweet-as-sin cold version of the beverage.
4 parts ginger ale
3 parts cream soda
1 part butter schnapps
1 part amber (but not spiced) rum

I suppose this is the Adult version of the beverage. No rum and I suppose would make it the house elf version. This was refreshing and sweet without it being a curb kiss of sugar to your taste buds. I am happy with this cocktail. I will be throwing a small Harry Potter Party later this month so I will serve these as well as Crockpot Warm Bourbon Apple Cider and "Elixir of Life" (aka fruit flavored water) for the beverages. I am looking forward to getting to post about the greatness that will be Quidditch Player's Pie and Herbology Bites.

Until the next meal...



** Today's Title is from the mind of J.K. Rowling and from the mouth of Albus Dumbledore: It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.**

...crunchy like a bell.

Yet again, I have a grip of peppers that need to be used. I really need to learn to not buy the baggies of them, but they are such a good value normally. Value is pretty much my favorite thing. Even above cooking, I think.

Anyway, it isn't really a value if I have to throw them out, now is it? So I figured it was time to roast those suckers up and put them in a mason jar so they could last a bit longer than their raw selves. Oven to 400, rub the peppers with a bit of olive oil, and cook till well charred, stirring occasionally.

Since I now have roasted peppers at my disposal I decided it was time for a recipe I have been waiting on for a while since I never actually buy roasted peppers.

Pasta with creamy sweet pepper and feta sauce
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of roasted peppers
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup crumbled feta
1 pound pasta
Salt and Pepper for taste
Fresh Parsley for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of feta.
Process until combined and smooth about 30 seconds
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Toss pasta sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon
Sauce should cling nicely to the pasta
Salt and pepper to taste.
divide pasta into bowls
Garnish with parsley and remaining feta.

This dish turned out extremely well. The best part was how thick and creamy the sauce was without heavy cream to help it along. Also, I got to use my immersion blender (verses my food processor) which made me feel exceptionally "chef-like". I would say that because I chose the immersion blender over the food processor, I think my sauce was a bit chunkier. Another alteration to the recipe that I made was that, as I made only a half recipe of this, I didn't use stock. Mainly because I don't like to open stock unless I use a good amount of it. Instead I used the lightly salted pasta water. This is another reason my recipe was thicker than would be expected as I didn't use quite as much liquid.

Besides roasting the peppers, the recipe was easy and it didn't take too much brain power. Husband and I talked while I cooked about who is getting what for Christmas, our impending trip to Brazil, and the last few things that need to happen before his parents arrive for the weekend. I will definitely make this dish again sometime.

In completely other news, I have been typing up my Grandmother's recipes. As much as I have been enjoying the action pouring over the ancient, hand written texts, it has been begun to get a little ridiculous. Honestly, how many "Date Bar" or "Ham Loaf" recipes does one lady need? I have stopped typing up EACH recipe and have begun sifted through them a bit more, typing up the recipes I either don't have a version of yet or ones that look esp different and interesting. I still find this to me a very rewarding task and look forward to Pinteresting-it-up a bit by framing a couple of this recipes. Still hoping to find a couple written by Maman so I can frame them and give them to the brothers.

Until the next meal....


**Today's title comes from The Simpsons the episode entitled "Dial 'N' for Nerder". The full quote from the genius of Homer's mind goes like this: It tastes good like a pepper, but crunchy like a bell." **

It's circular, so there's plenty to go around.

I love me some biscuits and gravy. Maybe it is the Southerner in me, but I down right crave the stuff. I bring this up because I had purchased the makings of an easy feast of the carby-fatty-goodness for a couple friends, Husband, and me. Unfortunately, said feast didn't occur due to sickness, so I found I had a surplus of refrigerator biscuits. I had managed to use the extra sausage in the savory bread pudding and breakfast burritos I made on Halloween, but the biscuits were eluding me.

Thanks the World Wide Web and Pinterest, I found this idea (as well as what you will see in the BFMH series on Saturday) and made it.

BISCUIT PIZZAS!!!!!!

This were kinda perfect! Maybe I just have children on the brain right now, but this will totally perfect whenever Husband and I get blessed with miniature humans...

It is such a simple yet delectable dish, obviously with a veggie side so I can feel like I feed myself and Husband not just unhealthy foods.

How to prepare this lovely thing:

Take a refrigerator biscuit, like Pillsbury Grands.
Starting in the middle and using your finger tips, press it out to form a mini pizza crust. Don't forget to make a high enough crust edge to keep in all the yummy. Think a Chicago Deep Dish Crust, just miniature.
Spoon in desired amount of Pizza Sauce and add desired toppings. Then bake until crust is golden brown the cheese is melted. about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. BOOM! DELISH!

For Husband and I, we opted for minced garlic, diced onion, and pepperoni, extra oregano and basil, small chunks of fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan.

Y'all gotta try this...for reals. Super yummy.


** Today's quote is from Love Quotes for the Ages. And the Ageless Sages by Dora J. Arod, the female pseudonym of Jarod Ora Kintz: "My love is pizza shaped. Won't you have a slice? It's circular, so there's plenty to go around." **

...cabbage with a college education.

One of my favorite things about dinner is having a petite salad some where in the mix. It has often been a conversation between Husband and I about when to have the aforementioned salad. My MiL (Mother in Love) always serves the salad prior to the meal, while my Maman always served it after the entree, in the French style. This has caused an "agree to disagree" situation for us, the happily married couple. I have found the best compromise is to put it on the table before the meal and then I simply wait to eat mine. This is the kind of compromise they were talking about in premarital counseling ...right? *She said with a dead pan face until she cracks a smile in the absurdity of what she just said.*

Anyway, no matter when the salad is served, I am adamant that it is dressed, not smothered and that is has more than just lettuce. I love getting to pull out veggies and fruit from the fridge and know that what I am about to make will be delightful. Here is an explanation of what I like in my salads: 

You might notice that the Tomato is de-seeded. It is a habit I picked up from my Auntie who can't eat seeds. I used to greatly dislike tomato until I ate one that had been de-seeded at my Auntie's farmhouse. Seriously, it changed my view on the fruit. Try it sometime. It will sweeten up your life.

Moving along, Dinner this evening was some left-over pork, but as i didn't have much to go on the side, I figured I should make something nice and moist, since the pork was definitely on the dry side. One challenge I have been enjoying is using cauliflower instead of a main ingredient in various dishes. In this case, I made my Twice Baked (not potato) Cauliflower. This is a very simple thing that I am sure I will utilize when I have children. Not that I want to "trick" my someday maybe children, but it really makes cauliflower taste good. I really don't care for cauliflower, but this dish makes it pretty good.

Twice Baked Cauliflower

1 Large head of cauliflower, snowed (about 2 cups)*

4 ounces low fat cream cheese (room temperature) - Don't use fat free, trust me on this.

1/2 cup of low fat sour cream - see above about fat free

1/4 cup green onion, minced - Optional

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp, blotted and crumbled

1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

If the cauliflower is freshly snowed, don't wring completely. If you leave a little hot water in the vegetable, it will combine better with the cream cheese.

If it is not freshly snowed, add a little water and Microwave till hot.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the bacon in to the cauliflower.

spread into a medium casserole dish, then sprinkle with cheddar and remaining bacon.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

* How to Snow Cauliflower * <This is what I use for the cauliflower pizza crust.>

Put the kettle on and start boiling some water.

Into your blender (or food processor, but that can get a bit messier for clean up time), put the florets from a head of cauliflower, stem is not needed.

When the water is hot, pour in enough to cover about half of the cauliflower in the appliance.

Pulse until the cauliflower looks like snow.

Pour into strainer lined with a cheese clothe (or a less fibrous dish towel).

If any large pieces remain, return to blender with a bit of water and snow.

After all the cauliflower is snowed, allow the pile of mush in the clothe in the strainer to cool a bit.

When the mush and towel are cool enough to handle, wring the heck of the stuff. 

The more water that gets taken out now, the longer the snow will last you as well as the versatile it can be.

I didn't use any cheddar today as I didn't feel like the side dish needed to be that rich. Even without that part of the recipe, this side dish didn't disappoint. Try it sometime, y'all.

What sort of substitutions do you like?


**Today's title is from the very witty mind of Mark Twain: Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.**

How to prep for parents and in loves (laws)...

So this month is a bit ridiculous with parents coming into town plus the best of holidays - aka Thanksgiving. Husband loves the food that happens around this time of year. If we end up moving back to St Louis, it will significantly help me in getting in the mood for all the winter vegetables as it has been warm this year...yes, still.

So with our first house guests coming out to play, how does a new wife prepare. First off, the weekend before they arrive, I deep clean. I dust and sweep and wipe down EVERYTHING. Husband and I gain a lot of dust. Not sure why, but it just builds up. Deep clean the bathroom they will be using and make a conscious choice to avoid using it. Husband and I divided up the chores and as soon as we were both done, we rewarded ourselves with a new episode of Doctor Who. Then over the course of the week before they arrive, I prep the room. Clean sheets, fluffed pillows, fresh towels, mints on the pillow (seriously, it makes a big impression), put out the typical hotel shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc plus some extras like sunscreen, take out or put away extra clutter to give the room a clean and chic look, and pray that you don't spill anything before they arrive.

Also, during the week before arrival, I figure out what meals I will want to make and how the guest eats. The In Loves (who are visiting first) as well as my Dad and his wife are pretty love maintenance. No weird food allergies, etc. I know there will be a couple restaurants that we will want to take them too i.e. Porto's and Story Tavern.

So I figure that have some soup and sandwich makings prepped and ready in the fridge is a great call for lazy lunches. I choose a yummy, but hassle free breakfast that doesn't take a lot of work on my part/can be made a head of time and just requires baking (Sticky Buns). I prep what I can for the "big" dinner in, complete with some sort of appetizer. Parents and In Loves always want to be helpful, which is great, but I attempt to have something to show them or for Husband to talk about with them so I can focus and get it done as quickly as possible. I will be prepping my Amazeball Stuffed Mushrooms for appetizer to keep hands busy for before dinner and the Marmalade Stuffed Chicken. Day of I will just need to bake the mushrooms, pour marmalade over chicken and bake it, and then prep the Quinoa and peas. Very easy and my hands don't get messy so there is a lot of me being part of the conversation in the living room.

Another little thing that makes a big impression is that I go ahead and set the table for 4 so it doesn't seem like a last minute thought when they arrive. It is all about making people feel welcome.

I think that this game plan will work, but if it doesn't, it is fine too. No need to stress about the people I call family.

BFMH: Breakfast Bread Pudding

Husband wasn't home on Saturday morning (overnight work for a shoot) so I actually made this breakfast on Friday morning and I just posted it for Saturday

This week I got super homemaker-ish and ended up prepping a batch of frozen breakfast burritos. They did infact turn our super duper yummy. BUT, as I have made breakfast burritos before for BFMH (see the Comic-Con photo), this yumminess does not count.

What goes into a Frozen Breakfast burrito in Cat's kitchen:
Cooked Sausage
Fried Potatoes
Onions
Scrambled Eggs
A Chutney of Jalepeno and Tomato (Firey hot. As in burns your mouth hot)
Shredded Cheese
Combine and rolled it in a tortilla and then roll in tin foil. Freeze.
Throw in the toaster oven at work for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Now then....what I really made for my Husband.

Breakfast Bread Pudding! There was so much bread that was going stale in our house, I decided that I would make a small one just for Husband as he left on Friday and won't be home till Sunday.

Orange Breakfast Bread Pudding Recipe:

1 stale bagel or 1 cup of stale bread, cubed

2 eggs

1/2 cup of Milk

1/8 cup of Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

1 teaspoon Orange Zest

1/2 cup of Apricots, diced

1/2 cup Cranberries

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bread in a well greased 3X9 pan.

Combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, zest, marmalade, apricots, and cranberries.

Pour over bread. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

I found out I didn't actually have cranberries the morning I was assembling it. The orange and apricot alone turned out to have an excellent flavor togeher. Unfortunately, I added a little too much milk and needed one more egg. A little on the soggy side, yet Huband infored me it was very good still. He even went back for seconds versus just going for a burrito. 

I think he was telling the truth. 

You're Scottish, Fry something!

Husband is at work this fine Friday (overnight out of town sort of work) and I am off to a Doctor Who Tribute Art Show in Hollywood (be jealous) by myself (alright, a little less jealous).

With the sheer number of "must-gos" as the Husband's family calls nearly done for leftovers, I decided I would show the dish I made on Wednesday as I will be eating the left overs tonight.

So the Butternut Squash Risotto I had thought to make 2 weeks ago became a reality!

Cat's Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe:
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 an Onion (I used brown, but choose what you like), diced
1 cup of Roasted Butternut Squash (I reserved this from a recipe earlier in the week)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
fresh Sage
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
1 cup Arborio rice, uncooked (Don't try this with regular long grain rice. You'll be unhappy with the results.)
3 cans (about 6 cups) of Chicken Stock/Broth (or veggie stock if you're vegetarian or vegan)
1/2 cup Cheese, grated or shredded, Parmesan or Asiago (leave off or sub out if you're vegan)
1/2 cup of Milk <the heavier the yummier, but I just used 1% and it turned out yum> (leave off or sub out if you're vegan)

Melt butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Put Onion, Squash, Garlic, Salt, White Pepper, and Sage into the pan and let cook till well heated and fragrant. If you don't (or can't) cook by your nose, cook till the onions are browned and translucent.

Chef's Note: Most recipes have you cook the squash then set it aside and then cook the onions with rice and add the squash back in later so that the squash keeps it shape and consistency. That is up to you. I enjoyed to gruel-like texture as it is Halloween Time.

Heat stock in a separate saucepan  until simmering and have a ladle at the ready.

When the veggies are cooked and the Broth is a bubbly, then the fun begins!

Stir uncooked rice into the veggie skillet and allow to toast for a minute.

Reduce the heat to medium low.

Ladle in a scoop of broth and stir rice and veggies gently until all the scoop of broth is absorbed. Repeat this step until you have only about 2 ladle fulls left of broth.

Check the doneness rice. It should be al dente, but not crunchy. decide then if you want to add the rest of the broth.

Add milk and cheese, stirring together well. Serve immediately with more cheese and sage if desired.

The photo above doesn't do much justice to the yuminess that it was. Mainly because I was a little distracted (I was watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks while I was cooking) and I left the squash and onion in while the rice was cooking. Though it did little to assist the presentation of the  dish, I think that it helped the flavor as everything was infused with scrumptious, sweet squash and onion flavor.

I will definitely will be making a Risotto again. Husband enjoyed it and I found it not too difficult to make. PLUS it will be reheat very well. I love left overs.

I also made the best cookies ever for Halloween at the Office. Chocolate Crinkles. Ask anyone...or just ask my brothers. BEST COOKIES. A little messy and involved to make, but I think that my Mom had a good this going when we helped her make these brownie bite delishiousness (yes, that is word...now). She could make the dough a day a head of time (it has to be refrigerated) then get her kids to help with the messy/fun part. I am not going to bother typing out the recipe as it is a Betty Crocker Recipe found in her Cooky Book.

Here is a link to it though: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-crinkles/941e22b3-9a48-4fb1-bdb0-27479e76d484


Here is the rolling process:

Here is the delicious-ready-to-eat process:

**Today's title comes from Doctor Who:The Eleventh Doctor episode "The Eleventh Hour". The full quotation is as follows: Young Amy: What is it? What's wrong with you?
The Doctor: Wrong with me? It's not my fault, why can't you give me any decent food! You're Scottish, fry something!" **