* ORMG *

Goodbye, from ORMG

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:09:00 +0000

Well, I've been putting off this day for a long time. But today, I received an email from a publisher that made realize it's time to officially say goodbye. It's been so great to have run this successful blog for four years, I've met so many wonderful foodies and will remain friends forever!

I figured that this post can be a little different so that I don't cry writing it. So I formatted it into an interview instead! Hope you like it! :)

Why did you decide to stop posting to ORMG?

The simple answer is that my life has significantly changed since moving to Oregon. I find that I just don't have the time to keep up as well as losing the motivation that it really takes to have a food blog such as this and do it justice. I don't think it's fair to abandon a blog once it's started. I found myself so many times in a position of feeling guilty for not having written in awhile and I knew I had to make some decisions. It took a lot of praying, soul searching, and getting advice before I decided to close ORMG. After I made the decision, I actually felt relief and I knew then I was doing the right thing.

Will you miss posting?

Yes and no. Yes, because I always enjoyed writing and sharing recipes. No, because of the time it takes to research, oftentimes re-writing recipes, getting photos, and trying to keep content interesting. There is so much more to blogging and it can be a full-time job easily.

Will ORMG go offline?

I don't think so for now at least. There are some great recipes that someone can use should they stumble upon the blog. Maybe next year, I might revisit this question and decide then if I'll renew the domain.

Are you doing other food blogs?

Yes, just one and that's Beautiful Food. It's not at all like ORMG or Treats of Sweets. It is just celebrating great food photos.

Why continue Beautiful Food if blogging takes so much time?

Well, Beautiful Food is just posting a great photo of anything food-related and so it takes absolutely little time to search for something, post it, and credit the photographer. Plus, I adore good food pics!

Do you still cook a lot?

Not as much. We're still settling here in Oregon so I haven't had a whole lot of time to cook, but I still love to and I'm sure after we get over the initial adjustment period, I'll be back in the kitchen all the time again!

Do you have other blogs you write to?

Yes, Kim's LifeStyle Blog is where I spend the majority of my time. I decided that I really wanted to concentrate on writing about my moving cross country, share the things I love like fashion and hairstyle tips and just have a girly blog. It's fun and it's truly a hobby and not a job and that's why I spend so much time on it.

What are you hoping to get from blogging on Kim's LifeStyle Blog?

I really enjoy writing a journal and following my own life and how I grow and deal with situations and stuff. I also want to leave something of my life behind as a legacy. Maybe it will inspire someone or even encourage them. I hope many of my ORMG readers will migrate over to it even if to just go along on the ride with me through "My Personal Journey." Plus, they might love all the fashion stuff there too.

Where do you see yourself in about five years? Do you think you'll ever return to food or recipe writing?

You know, I don't know. That's a long time from now and right now I'm all about getting through day by day. I'm not sure what the future will hold and I'm not sure I'll go back to recipe writing. Right now, I just want to focus on each day trying to get as much out of it as I can. I hope to be able to encourage and brighten someone's day and we'll just see where God takes me.

What will you miss most about ORMG?

Probably all the designing and tweaking I did. I love being a designer and I was challenged a lot with ORMG. I learned a lot and indeed I have to credit ORMG a little with helping me to migrate over to becoming a WordPress Web Developer. I had to really learn Blogger, XML, CSS and it was so good to understand the coding once I began working with WordPress.

Well, thank you for this interview and we wish you much success in your future endeavors!

And thank you world for coming into my kitchen for the past four years! It's been an amazing ride and I hope you'll check out Kim's LifeStyle Blog to keep up with me and my life in the West Coast!!!

The Supper Club: Pan-Fried Fish Fillets with Baked Potato

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Lately, I've had an idea that I'm thinking of starting. I've always loved the name, "The Supper Club" so I'm going to borrow it for this idea which is to share dinner recipes. I'm not sure how all this will come together as I'm still working out all the details in my brain right now. I recently signed up for a bunch of foodie newsletters for inspiration and ideas which are filling up my email and so I'm pretty excited about this.

So, for my first dinner recipe, I offer Pan-Fried Fish Fillets served with a Baked Potato. I think this is a nice light dinner dish perfect for the summer, not too light, not too heavy either.

Pan-Fried Fish Fillet:
Ingredients:

2 lb. fresh fish fillets
EVOO
kosher salt and lemon pepper
garlic and onion powder
pinch of cayenne
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk or water
1 c. dry Italian bread crumbs

Cut fillets into serving portions. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne. Beat egg slightly and blend in milk. Dip portions in the egg mixture then roll them in crumbs.

Place fish in a heavy frying pan coated with EVOO, hot but not smoking. Fry at a moderate heat until fish is brown on one side. Turn carefully and brown the other side, don't turn too quickly. Usually fish will pull away from the pan when it's ready to be turned. Cooking time is approximately 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Drain on absorbent paper.

Baked Potato:

I like to take a baking potato coated with EVOO, sprinkled with lemon pepper to tie the flavor together with the fish, salt, and place inside aluminum foil tightly. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake potato for about 30 to 45 minutes until it's soft and a fork goes through easily.

Top the meal with dill or any herbs you have on hand, slice of lime or lemon. And of course, load the baked potato with any condiments you like! Bon Appetit!

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:18:00 +0000

Wishing all our mothers a Happy Mother's Day! And for those like me, whose mother is gone, I wish you a happy day full of wonderful memories and not sadness. My mom was a wonderful lady and I am blessed to have had her in my life! :) Love you Mommy!

No Words Wednesday: Just a Cool Glass of Raspberry Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:23:00 +0000

I bought this photo a long, long time ago and it just seemed like a fitting image for today since the weather here got to 82 degrees! Looks so refreshing!

Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Sometimes my mom would break out with a bread pudding for breakfast. This happened every once in a great while and I didn't remember this until this morning when I was thinking about what to post today. Suddenly, bread pudding came to my mind and then I remembered how much she liked it, but she never made it a lot either, not sure why. I do know that the raisin bread pudding she made was always soooo good and it filled me up at breakfast plus it gave us more time to spend together at the dining table. She didn't believe in skipping breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 c. cubed cinnamon-raisin bread or about 10 slices
1 egg
2/3 cup 2% milk
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash salt
1/3 c. raisins

Place bread cubes in a greased 2-cup baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended. Stir in raisins. Pour over bread and press the bread cubes into the milk mixture to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 - 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with fruit or ice cream.

No Words Wednesday: Sweet Potato Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:26:00 +0000

So good for these cold or rainy days or even for the Holidays!

Ingredients:

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. melted butter

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/3 c. melted butter

1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1-1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

Serves 6 to 8.

Another Bad Weather Day: Another Good Day for Comfort Food, Macaroni Cheese Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Today's a rainy, cold, dreary day...great for my plants but maybe not so good for my morale. Still, there is something great about these kinds of days and that is it's great for making our favorite comfort meals.

Macaroni and cheese definitely is one of my hubby's favs and I think before we met, he ate this everyday...poor guy when he was single! :D I think a lot of single guys probably eat this daily too....because it's normally something you can throw in the mic and in six minutes it's done! However, when hubby married me, that all changed. I really only use the mic to do heating, thawing, or melting something quickly.

So, to spruce up the traditional mac and cheese, we're doing a layered pie in a casserole dish. It gives it that "gourmet" look I'm always going for!

The cheese is layered throughout the dish and it's so comforting all by itself or add a salad to it if you like. This recipe is very easy to make too and I bet the kids will love it also!

Ingredients:

1 box of elbow macaroni

4 eggs

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. kosher salt

A dash of pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (or other favorite semi-soft cheese)

Cook macaroni in pot until nearly done (under cook 2 minutes).

Use a 2 quart casserole dish, well buttered or sprayed with oil. Layer macaroni (still hot) and cheese: a layer of macaroni, then a layer of cheese, etc., repeating layers until it reaches to about 1/2 inch from the top of the casserole dish.

Combine eggs, butter, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir until smooth; pour over macaroni and cheese layer. Sprinkle cheese over the top of pie. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted. Pie will continue cooking after removing from oven for an additional 5 minutes or so. Then serve in your best dainty bowls to make it look really elegant! :D

No Words Wednesday: French Onion Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:00:00 +0000

This soup's perfect for something light when you feel like eating soup and it's not exactly cold outside. Lovely recipe and pic from my Krafts 2004 calendar.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. margarine or butter
3 large Spanish onions, peeled, sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth
3 c. cold water
1 bay leaf
6 slices French bread, toasted
1 c. Kraft Shredded Swiss Cheese
1/4 c. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt margarine in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add broth, water and bay leaf; stir. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Preheat broiler. Ladle hot soup evenly into 6 ovenproof bowls; top each bowl of soup with a toast slice. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Broil 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Bad Weather Day, Warm Up with Salmon Corn Chowder

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:13:00 +0000

I dedicate this recipe and post to my friend Janet who like me had some nasty weather in our areas today. She's on the West Coast and I'm on the East but today was a day or rain, wind, and cold. So when I posted on Facebook what recipe should I put up, she immediately asked for a soup! And that sounded so good to me because I love eating soup when I'm cold so I delved into my recipe box looking for the perfect dish to share! I hope this fits the bill! Thank you Janet, try this and stay warm and dry girl!!!!!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter

3/4 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 c. diced potatoes

2 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. fresh dill

2 (16 oz.) cans pink salmon

1 (12 fluid oz.) can evaporated milk

1 (15 oz.) can creamed corn

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Add potatoes, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, and corn. Cook until heated through. Top with fresh dill. I think this will make about 6 - 8 servings.

No Words Wednesday: Strawberry Pancakes w/Syrup

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:02:00 +0000

YUM is all I gots to say!

No Words Wednesday: Blueberry Croissant Puff

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Blueberry Croissant Puff
photo & recipe from my 2004 Krafts Kitchens Calendar

Ingredients:
3 large croissants, cut up
1-1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese or Philadelphia Neufchatel cheese, one-third less fat than cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 c. milk

Place croissant pieces evenly in 10 (1/2 cup) ramekins. Sprinkle with blueberries.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add milk, beating until smooth. Pour evenly over croissant pieces. Let stand 20 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes or until set in centers and golden brown. Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar. Makes 10 servings.

Variation: make puff in one baking dish. Mix cream cheese batter as directed; pour into 9-inch square baking dish. Let stand 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until set in center and golden brown.

Farfalle Mushroom Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 02:44:00 +0000

This has GOT to be the easiest casserole to make! All you have to cook is the pasta and the oven will finish it off. It is such a comfort meal and after eating it, taking a nice nap is in order!

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta)

kosher salt

EVOO

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

lemon pepper

garlic pepper

Fresh herbs like thyme or Italian parsley

Boil pasta and be sure to generously salt the water just before tossing in the pasta. I also put in a teaspoon of EVOO in the water and stir it around to keep the pasta from sticking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I usually remove the pasta just before al dente because you're going to finish it off in the oven. So pour the cooked pasta into a casserole pan. Then add the mushroom soup into the pasta and stir around covering it. I then sprinkle some lemon and garlic pepper over it to taste and place in the oven for about 30 minutes until the soup kind of thickens.

Remove pan and top with fresh herbs. Optionally, you can spread some shredded cheese on top and then put back into the oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. Scrumptious meal!

No Words Wednesday: Shrimp Ceviche

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
recipe & photo from 2004 Krafts Kitchens Calendar (May)

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked frozen shrimp (36-45 count), thawed, drained, chopped
1 c. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 red pepper, seeded, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips

Place shrimp in large glass or plastic bowl. Pour combined lime juice and dressing over shrimp. Add red pepper, celery and cilantro; mix lightly. Cover. Refrigerate several hours to marinate.
Drain shrimp mixture; discard marinade. Spoon 1 tsp. of the shrimp mixture onto each tortilla chip. Serve immediately.

Note: Ceviche mixture can be prepared in advance. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 days. When ready to serve, drain and place on tortilla chips as directed.

Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:40:00 +0000

I can't eat salmon enough. I just love, love, love this fish. It's so buttery, flaky, and just um um good! Grilled makes it even better. And you know...I almost didn't realize that I had this old Krafts Kitchens Calendar from 2004 with some mouth-watering recipes for each month. I'm planning to share some of them for No Words Wednesday so come back this week for sure! But anyways...I've been re-using the calendar for this year and it dawned on me that the dishes on it are perfect for sharing.

I began flipping through the months and found this one for August (the month of my birthday, LOL). I couldn't wait till Wednesday to post it...so here you go!

Grilled Cedar-Planked Salmon

inspired from 2004 Krafts Kitchens Calendar (August)

Ingredients:
1 untreated cedar plank (14x7x1 inch)
1/2 c. Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp. oil
1 salmon fillet (2 lb.), 1-inch thick
Optional: sesame seeds
Lemons, sliced for topping

Immerse plank in water, placing a weight on top of plank to keep it submerged. Soak 4 hours or overnight. Heat grill to medium heat. Mix dressing, parsley and tomatoes; set aside. Brush top of plank with oil; top with fish. Place on grill; cover grill with lid.

Grill 10 minutes. Brush fish with dressing mixture; grill 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Top with seeds and lemon. I also like to pour some lemon juice over the fish too for extra flavor!

Ham, Pasta, & Asparagus Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:04:00 +0000

In the winter time, I get on a casserole kick! I love making them and eating them because they're such comfort foods for me. Hubby and I will watch racing on TV for the weekends enjoying a plate of whatever I have on hand in the frig. That's another reason I love casseroles because you can mix just anything together and bake them and in under an hour, you've got a meal! I can also get more veggies in us because casseroles are so filling. For this recipe, I got my greens, I got the meat part for hubby, got the pasta, and the cheese tops it off!

Of course if you want to go completely vegetarian, don't add the ham. Instead maybe add another veggie that you like. And believe me, I'll have some veggie casseroles coming up really soon.

If you guys have been following me for awhile, you'll know about my journey to become "A Healthier Me", and since I made up my mind to become healthier I've been reading more about certain vegetables and their health qualities. So for this recipe, I looked up some facts about asparagus. It was surprising to learn how healthy this vegetable is and you know I didn't grow up eating it. My mom loved veggies too so I'm curious as to why she never served it...I can't remember but maybe she didn't like it...oh well...

About Asparagus:

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family. Its spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period.

Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer.

The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours. After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season.

An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system. A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.

The larger the diameter, the better the quality! Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium. - taken from asparagus.org.

If you're not eating asparagus a lot, maybe this dish will encourage you to add it to your diet more often and so now here's how easy it is to make this casserole!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. pasta or elbow macaroni

2 c. diced cooked ham

1 lb. asparagus OR 1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. milk

1-1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

3 hard-boiled eggs

1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

1/4 c. sliced green onions

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Dash of lemon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to instructions on package; drain. Cook asparagus until tender; drain. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Combine soup and milk in large mixing bowl.

Stir in 1 cup cheese, eggs, mushrooms, and onion. Stir in macaroni, ham, and asparagus. Put in casserole pan and bake 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven. Add remaining cheese on top and return to oven until cheese melts for about 5 minutes. Serve with bread or put a spoonful of casserole on top of the bread and eat it! YUMMMMM!

No Words Wednesday: Cool and Hot Drinks

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:40:00 +0000

photo by Sandra Voogt

Basic Cappuccino

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c. strongly brewed coffee
1 c. skimmed milk
1 tsp. sugar

Put the sugar in the milk and thoroughly heat it in the microwave oven. Pour the milk in a blender and blend till it develops a thick layer of froth. You can also use a whisk for this purpose.

Brew the coffee till it is strong, and fill only 3/4 of your cup with coffee. Pour in the frothy milk and sugar mixture. Add in a pinch of cinnamon for a spicy flavor, or garnish the drink with some chocolate like I like to do!

Instant Cappuccino
Ingredients:
1 c. Coffee Granules
1 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Powdered Chocolate Drink Mix
4 c. Powdered Milk
1/2 jar Flavored Creamer

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl, and store it in an airtight jar.
Add 3 tablespoons of this mixture to 6 ounces of boiling water. Use a whisk or a milk frother to give it that real frothy appearance. Add more flavors like: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or vanilla extract.

Iced Cappuccino

So what if you want a cold coffee drink? No problem!

photo by Kanko

Ingredients:

2 tsp. Instant Coffee
1 tsp. Sugar or a Low Calorie Sweetener
6 fluid oz. cold milk
3 tbsp. warm water

First, prepare a tall glass filled to the brim with ice cubes. Then, in a shaker or a jar that can be sealed, add in all the ingredients and shake thoroughly. Pour the drink into the glass.

NOTE: The strength of the coffee and the sweetness can vary as per your choice. If you prefer strong coffee, you may add some more coffee to the drink. The same goes for the sugar. As goes for the above mentioned recipes, even this drink can be varied with additions of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, or even hazelnut.

A big thanks to Buzzle.com for all the cappuccino recipes and information!

Cheese Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:37:00 +0000

While I was posting on a Choco Bars recipe on Treats of Sweets tonite, I kept thumbing through "Off the Shelf Baking" and saw this recipe for cheese bread. I decided to post this here because I guess I was thinking of that soup in the book and how cheese bread would taste so good to dip in any soup. It's rather cold this week in North Florida, at least today...supposed to get to 24 degrees tonite so a nice hot bowl of soup with cheese bread would be delightful and even romantic!

I think cheese can make just about anything taste good, to me it's a lot like ketchup! LOL...if cheese can't make something better, then there's no hope for that recipe! :D I do enjoy sopping up my bowl with a crunch slice of bread while watching an old Bette Davis movie wrapped up in a thick quilt next to hubby!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 c. sliced green onion (4)
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 c. snipped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/8 tsp. salt
Few drops of bottled hot pepper sauce
2 16-oz. loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed

Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds into plan to cover bottom and hallway up the side; set pan aside.

For filling, in a small saucepan cook the green onion in hot butter over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, egg, parsley, bread crumbs, dill, salt, and bottled hot pepper sauce, set aside.

Knead together both portions of dough and shape all the dough into one large ball. Place on a lightly floured surface; flatten slightly. Roll dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle. (Let dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes if it is difficult to roll.) Spread the filling over the dough. Roll up in a spiral, starting from a long side. Seal seam; pinch ends together lightly to seal. Place roll, seam side up, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 1 hour). After 50 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake in the preheated oven about 35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove bread from pan and let cool about 1 hour on a wire rack. Serve warm.

My Spruced-Up Bush's Baked Beans on my Monday OFF

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:14:00 +0000

One thing I love about being self-employed is that I'm in control over my time. However, you have to be careful not to go overboard working so many long hours. After awhile, you wonder what happened to your life! So, I asked my Facebook friends and hubby if I should work four days a week, instead of the six I was doing, and it was unanimous that I should not work on Mondays. So, this is my first Monday off! If you follow me a lot, you know how hard I work and for the most part I like it. I like to feel useful and I love to contribute to my household helping hubby. But the downside to all that is I push myself way too hard. I've known for a long time that I need to cut myself some slack.

I come from such a strict background that I think it's still in my blood. I make out daily goals, weekly initiatives, monthly strategies, all with individual deadlines and timelines for completion. I sound like a corporate big whig huh? And, of course if I missed any deadline or to-do task, I was mad at myself which made me feel like a failure and then here comes the increased stress level. Well, working for myself does mean that I don't report to an actual boss so I have to be self-starter, but it doesn't mean I have to put myself through burnouts and anxiety attacks either!

So, I'm stopping the madness! I talked long and hard with hubby, my friends, and to the Lord about all this and it feels good to downsize so to speak. I'm not used to this new work schedule, but my hope is that it will help calm my nerves and get me on a better more balanced track. Wish me luck!

One of the things that I know I'd like to do more with the extra time off is cook in the evenings and so for today, I decided to make my Spruced-up Bush's Baked Beans. I love their baked beans and most of the time they come perfect for me. I just like to add some embellishments to them like: grilled chopped turkey dogs, balsamic vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, ketchup, maple syrup, garlic pepper, chili powder and for garnish any herb on hand. YEAH, that's a lot of embellishments, but it's worth it!

This is my method so before you try this, I recommend reading through this post and then you can tailor any of my preparation to your own liking. And, after adding each layer of flavor, taste it to see if you like it because you may not like your beans as sweet as I do.

So here's what I do:

I start off with Bush's Original, Seasoned with Bacon and Brown Sugar. I chop up the green onions and saute them in EVOO. Add a little balsamic vinegar (not too much) until the onions are translucent. Meanwhile, I grill four turkey dogs.

Then I add the beans to the onions, stir, then add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. I use the light brown kind. Now the beans come with brown sugar, but I like mine a little more sweeter. And all of these additives are to my taste so I don't measure much for this recipe.

I squeeze the ketchup bottle about twice, sprinkle some garlic pepper, and then mix again. The ketchup gives the beans so much more flavor. Bring to a boil. Then squeeze about 2 turns of the pan with the maple syrup and stir again. Continue cooking and then add some chili powder. I taste it at this point to see if I need to add anymore ingredients and usually I'm satisfied and I just lower the heat and let the beans continue cooking.

The turkey dogs are normal done on my grill in about 10 to 15 minutes so after that, I let them cool off and then chop them up and stir them in the beans. Then I let them simmer and get all nice and gooey ooey and then I sprinkle some dried parsley or you can use fresh - whatever you have on hand. That's it and it's ready to serve. Delicious as a side dish, and it serves 2. If you want to make these for 4, I would buy 2 cans of beans and just double up on the brown sugar and maple syrup. ENJOY!

No Words Wednesday: Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Get the Recipe >>

Oven Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
adapted from Betty Crocker recipe

Ingredients:
2 tsp. dried herbs such as parsley
2 or 3 chives, chopped thinly
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. EVOO
1 (3-1/2 to 4-lb.) whole roasting chicken
1-1/2 to 2 lb. small red potatoes, unpeeled, halved

Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, combine herbs, chives, salt, pepper and oil; mix well. Place chicken, breast side down, in shallow roasting pan. Arrange potatoes around chicken in pan. Drizzle half of oil mixture over potatoes; stir to mix. Bake at 450°F. for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Spoon some of remaining oil mixture over chicken and potatoes; stir potatoes. Turn chicken breast side up. Return to oven; bake an additional 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Drizzle remaining oil mixture over chicken and potatoes; stir potatoes. Return to oven; bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, and potatoes are all tender. Then take out and turn chicken breast side down for pretty presentation and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Going Healthy with Zucchini

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:51:00 +0000

I'm going vegetarian lately...well I still have to have that fish and chicken but I can definitely say that I've heightened my intake of veggies. After I dropped a little weight and my skirts aren't so tight, that gave me a boost in my attitude! So, I just feel this burst of energy and joy that I want to stay on track really bad.

Two of my best friends are vegetarian and every time I'm researching recipes or even rewriting some of my old ones, I think of them. My mom was a big veggie lover too. I wasn't when I was little. I began to really crave them after I grew up. And of course when I started cooking for just myself, I experimented a lot more with different spices and sauces to spruce them up. Topping pizzas with veggies in one of my go to ways of having pizza, which I can't live without, but still get my healthy dose of vegetables too. Tonite when I was thinking of what to post, I was reading my Greenwise catalog from Publix and it's really weird sometimes where you get inspiration from, but I was looking at their recipe for grilled halibut with zucchini and peppers and my eyes weren't glued to the fish, I was thinking about the zucchini! So, I decided to do some reading on them and then onto a couple of recipes that I'm sure you'll want to try.

I do love to do research because I learn so much, it makes me almost jealous that the technology we have today wasn't around when I was in school cause I think I would have learned my subjects so much easier. I'm a very visual person and so learning off textbooks just doesn't work for me, but that's another story...anyways I was studying about zucchini and I wanted to share some of what I was reading:

"Zucchini, when used for food, is usually picked when under 20 cm (8 in.) in length, when the seeds are still soft and immature. Mature zucchini can be as much as three feet long, but the larger ones are often fibrous and with the flowers attached are a sign of a truly fresh and immature fruit.

Unlike cucumber, zucchini is usually served cooked. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés. It also can be baked into a bread similar to banana bread or incorporated into a cake mix. Its flowers can be eaten stuffed and are a delicacy when deep fried, as tempura.

Zucchini has a delicate flavor and requires little more than quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs. The skin is left in place. Quick cooking of barely wet zucchini in oil or butter allows the fruit to partially boil and steam, with the juices concentrated in the final moments of frying when the water has gone, prior to serving. Zucchini can also be eaten raw, sliced or shredded in a cold salad, as well as lightly cooked in hot salads, as in Thai or Vietnamese recipes. Mature (larger sized) zucchini, while not often eaten by themselves, are well suited for cooking in breads. Zucchini typically should be stored no longer than three days. They are prone to chilling damage which shows as sunken pits in the surface of the fruit, especially when brought up to room temperature after cool storage." - excerpt from Wikipedia.org.

And of course I couldn't leave you with just one recipe, you have two today! Aren't I nice? hee heee! I hope you try either or both of these cause they're delicious!

Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Bacon and Cheese

Grilled Zucchini Bacon and Cheese Rolls

from The Budding Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 very large or 3 small zucchini

8-10 bacon rashes

olive oil

kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

3-1/2 oz herbed goat cheese

Preheat grill to high heat.

Slice a strip lengthwise from the zucchini to expose the inside of the vegetable. Discard or reserve for another use. Cut the 2 ends from the zucchini to make straight edges. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips.

Brush both sides of the zucchini pieces liberally with olive oil. Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay the zucchini pieces on the grill at a 45-degree angle (for more attractive grill marks). Cook until the zucchini is very tender, but not mushy, about 3 minutes per side, moving the pieces during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove zucchini from the grill. Set a wire cooling rack on top of a bowl to give the cooling rack extra clearance from the counter. Drape the zucchini pieces on the rack to cool. This method will stop the zucchini from steaming will cooling.

In a pan, cook the bacon rashes for a few minutes. Place goat cheese in a medium bowl and stir it. Add a strip of bacon over the zucchini, spread a layer of the goat cheese mixture onto one side of each zucchini piece. Gently roll each piece of zucchini. Serve. Makes 8 to 10 rolls.

Zucchini Cranberry Bread

Zucchini Cranberry Bread

adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. shredded unpeeled zucchini (1 small)

1/3 c. skim milk

1 tbsp. oil

1 egg or 2 egg whites

1 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries

1 tbsp. sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, zucchini, milk, oil and egg and mix well.

Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and dried cranberries. Mix just until combined. Pour into sprayed pan; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 400°F. for 12 to 19 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Cut into slices. Serve warm.

Roasting Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:49:00 +0000

Thanks to Bobby Flay, I love to roast garlic. I was looking at Boy Meets Grill, one of my favorite grilling cooking shows on Food Network and he roasted some garlic. I can't even remember what he was making that day...all I could think of was how good that roasted garlic must taste like so I remember that I immediately downloaded the recipe, ran to the grocery store to buy some fresh garlic. There's so many dishes that you can make with it and the aroma from the kitchen while they're in the oven! Oh Mama! I use it in soups, dips, on bread, just about everything I cook has garlic in it.

There's a lot of ingredients and spices that I love to keep in my kitchen and one of them is definitely garlic. It just has such a way of spicing up any dish. Just rubbing it on french bread and toasting it is so good. So I've got a few recipes here using roasted garlic.

If I don't have fresh garlic in the frig, I always keep garlic pepper around. My favorite is the McCormick California Style. To me, if I'm using dried garlic, I want something that I can really taste the garlic flavor. I've even drizzled some EVOO on some day old bread and then rubbed some of the dried garlic pepper on it and then grilled it...YUMMO! Roasted garlic bread is even better.

Even Purple garlic is great for roasting and has an even more sweeter taste.

My Easy Roasted Garlic Recipe:

Ingredients:

fresh garlic gloves

kosher salt

EVOO

There's different ways to roast garlic so here's mine: I preheat my oven to 400 degrees F. Then I remove the outer leaves of the garlic and cut off the heads. Then I put them in aluminum foil in a pan, drizzle them with EVOO to coat and sprinkle salt on them. I wrap the foil around the garlic and roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Then I let them cool off before I handle them. Once cooled, I use my fingers to squeeze the cloves out, they're very soft at this point and so good. I refrigerate what I don't use.

Here's a couple more great recipes to use roasted garlic in.

Roasted Garlic and Almond Spread Recipe

Ingredients:

16 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 c. unblanched sliced almonds, chopped

3 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 c. sour cream

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

2 shallots, chopped

3 tbsp. whipping cream

1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or any hot sauce)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Place garlic in a shallow, oven-proof casserole, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the oil for at least 30 minutes. Place almonds in a heavy frypan over high heat and toast the almonds until they are lightly browned. Let cool.

Scrape garlic and oil into a food processor and puree until smooth. Add cream cheese, sour cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Process until well-blended. Add the almonds, parsley, rosemary, shallots, whipping cream and Tabasco sauce. Pulse until incorporated, but not completely smooth.

Scrape spread into a glass serving dish and chill for 4 hours. Serve with melba toast, butter crackers, matzoh crackers, or saltines. May be made up to a day in advance. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 1 day.

Roasted Garlic Soup with Thyme Croutons

Ingredients:

4 heads garlic

3 c. milk

1 c. cream

Fresh thyme

Kosher Salt

Pepper

EVOO

Coat the garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 350-degree oven till cloves are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Once the garlic is roasted, cut the head in half, from side to side, exposing all the cloves. Squeeze both halves into a bowl, discarding any skin. Pick out any fiber from the skin.

Bring the roasted garlic, milk, cream and thyme to a simmer. Allow simmering for 10 minutes. Puree in a blender, then strain through a very fine mesh sieve. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Thyme

Croutons, and a light drizzle of Extra-virgin olive oil. Serves: 4.

For the Croutons

Ingredients:

1 small loaf French bread

Olive oil

Fresh thyme

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the crust from the bread with a knife. Cut the loaf into very small cubes. Toss the cubes with a small amount of olive oil, fresh chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Place the cubes on a tray and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Serve while warm.

You also need to check out The Hungry Mouse's post on Garlic Three Ways cause she has a step-by-step method of roasting garlic and using it in three ways...it's an awesome post!

Eating Healthy with Spinach Mushroom Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:05:00 +0000

I've got a lot of pizza recipes on here, I counted them all and had to admit that I wasn't sure if I should post another one but oh well...eating healthy shouldn't mean I give up everything I love. Pizza is one of those meals that like salads, I can top it with anything I want and how much I want too. What do I like about pizza? I think that in my mind, it's a cross between a casserole and a pie. A casserole to me is having a bunch of main ingredients mixed together cohesively that marry each other and taste better the next day. A pie because of biting into and tasting a crisp crust. There's no way I could ever stop eating pizza! No way...

Also, pizza is easy to make and takes little time. Everytime I make it, it turns out differently. I like that it's not predictable. Coming from Chicago, I've eaten tons and tons of great pizza, even the next day I've eaten it for breakfast. I'll never get enough of it!

This topping is healthy, easy, quick, and delicious! Thinking about cheese melting makes my mouth do a happy dance!

Love Spinach especially with melted cheese!

Ingredients:

1 12-inch pre-baked pizza crust
or you can buy refrigerated pizza dough and bake it. I like Pillsubry pizza crust the best or you can

buy pizza dough from your favorite pizza place or grocer.*

3 tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 c. fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pizza crust on pizza stone.

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and sesame oil. Brush onto pre-baked pizza crust, covering entire surface. Stack the spinach leaves, then cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips and scatter evenly over crust. Cover pizza with shredded mozzarell and top with sliced mushrooms.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges are crisp.

*If you opt to bake the pizza dough, I just roll it on the stone and sprinkle a bit of EVOO on it then take a fork and poke holes throughout the dough (you don't have to poke too hard, just enough to keep the dough from rising in the oven). Then bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until it is golden brown, I would say about 7 minutes but your oven temps may vary. Then take out and follow the directions above.

The Perfect Side Dish - Roasted Brussels Sprouts

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:22:00 +0000

I love cabbage for Thanksgiving and my mom used to fix it all the time with bacon and sometimes ham hocks, occasionally she would mix it with black eyed peas. But, however I never thought about using brussels sprouts until this year. I was already cooking a big menu and I didn't want to mess with a big cabbage so I opted for brussels sprouts instead and glad I did!

This recipe is for roasting them but I kept some extras and sauteed the rest of them in leeks and green onions and of course balsamic vinegar and garlic. YUM YUM YUM is all I gots to say! But roasting them is just as good too!

Ingredients:

2- 3 c. brussels sprouts, sliced in half
dash of kosher salt & lemon pepper, to taste

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. EVOO

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly incorporate the olive oil until a dressing is formed.

Place the brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the sprouts and gently toss to coat. Bake for 25 minutes, turning once. Sprouts are done when they are lightly browned. I like to top them with fresh herbs or dried herbs.

White Bean Carrot Soup with Ham

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:12:00 +0000

Making my own soups especially in the wintertime is a favorite pasttime for me. I enjoy the aromas first off but also I get to put in exactly what I want and I can make as much as I want. The other thing is I can control the amount of salt I use. I think the only thing to be aware of it over seasoning it because since there's so many ingredients that you put in, if the soup has too much salt, it affects everything and ruins the whole soup. One trick I use to prevent this is I check my seasoning to taste after every layer.

The beans in this soup really fills you up so it's a great winter meal I think.

Ingredients:

1 lb. white beans (Great Northern)

1 lb. smoked ham, diced

1 c. celery, sliced

1 c. vidalia onion, chopped

1 c. carrots, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 can Hunt's diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano, undrained

1 can Progresso hearty tomato soup

Kosher salt and lemon pepper to taste

Fresh basil for topping

Soak beans overnight in 4 cups water. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Add water to cover and mix well. Cover and cook on high setting 3 hours, turn to low setting and cook for 8 to 14 hours. Can be cooked entire time on high setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaves when done. Top with basil and serve hot. I love having a bowl with some crusty bread and use it to sop up the bowl!

Time for a Nice Bowl of Cream of Spinach Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:13:00 +0000

Though I love soups, I haven't had a bowl of any kind since last winter. In Florida, it's just too hot for soup for me and I don't like cold soups at all. But this time of the year is when it's great for a bowl of comfort food cause the temps are like in 30s at night and gets up to 70ish during the day. This is actually my favorite time of the year. I love this not too hot not too cold weather, and I try to enjoy it as long as possible as it'll be over before I know it.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. fresh spinach, stems removed
6 tbsp. butter
1 c. chopped onion
4 med. potatoes, peeled & quartered, about 3 c.
2 c. chicken stock
2 c. water
Kosher Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 c. heavy cream

Rinse the spinach and shred it with a knife. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion until wilted. Add the spinach, potatoes, stock and water and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Put the soup through a sieve or place in blender until smooth. If using a blender, do small quantities because steam from the hot liquid can force the lid off the blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and swirl in remaining butter. Serve immediately.