What's cooking? - Easter brunch

I'm playing catch up again!

I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm not organized and/or energized enough to do a daily blog. Thousands do, but I'm not one of them.

And I've had to ask myself, why even do a blog?

Well, the answer is simple: I love what I do and I like to share what I'd love! (that should sound somewhat famaliar for those of you out there who are Stampin' Up! demonstrators, as it comes from our "Statement of the Heart")

But it fits, you know?

I love to stamp and I'd love to cook.

I want to share fabulous recipes that I found with all of you. I also like to make things with my Stampin' Up! products!

I am now starting my 19th year as a demonstrator! Can you believe it?

Over time, my dabbling in this direct sales company has waxed and waned ... completely evolving over time ... changing the way I do things to suit my needs, my life.  

I've made so many fantastic friends through this endeavor I never want to give it up- even if it means just doing the bare minimum and sales each quarter. 

Right now I know I'm not very active with my Stampin' Up! business, but I know I can pick up the pace when I'm able to and/or if I want to. That's the beauty of it!

But I digress...

I have been cooking and stamping but not blogging! 

So for those of you who subscribe to email notifications, I'm sorry for their irregularity, but it will probably always be that way.

A friend recently told me that she loves to read my blog because it sounds as if I'm saying it right then/ she can hear me say it. I feel that it helps to bridge the many miles between us. I hope you feel that way too!

You know when I am excited about something, (be it a recipe or something to do with stamping) I want to share it with you! It's a way to keep in touch with all of you even though I may not see you on a daily basis.

And, if I make some new friends/followers along the way… even better!

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Now… Where to begin.....

How about in the kitchen?

This past Sunday my husband had to work, so I opted to serve an Easter brunch instead of our traditional Easter Sunday dinner.

Here is a picture of our table and what I served (counterclockwise starting from the top right, behind the flowers):

(* recipe to follow...)

• Apricot-yogurt muffins*

• fresh fruit 

• potato-crusted quiche (see recipe at:

 http://dandyspandy.blogspot.com/2014/02/what-cookin-breakfast-for-dinner.html?m=1)

• crustless tomato-spinach quiche*

• deviled eggs

• mini cheesecakes decorated to look like nests

• mac and cheese "muffins"*

• sassy tailgate sandwiches*

• Cadberry egg crescent rolls*

And, yes, they were only five of us.

I've come to the conclusion that I know how to cook for the 4 of us ..... or 40 -there is no in between!  I always cook too much food on holidays even when we don't have company or it's just us (or like in this case, one of the boys' friends).

That's alright - we like leftovers!

For each food that has a star (*), I will either give you the recipe or the link to the recipe that I followed.

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1) Apricot – yogurt muffins

(my favorite new recipe of the bunch!)

These muffins are not too sweet and very moist, bursting with the flavor of apricots! They would be perfect if you host a tea party!

Here's the link: http://www.iheartnaptime.net/apricot-yogurt-muffins/

2) Crustless Tomato – Spinach Quiche:

• In a large sauce pan sauté a bag of baby spinach, 1 cup grape tomatoes, and two cloves minced garlic in 2T olive oil. (spinach well wilt; tomatoes may pop)

• Pour mixture into a pie plate and top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together: 4 eggs, a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup half and half.

• Add to pie plate; sprinkle with more mozzarella (up to 1 cup).

• Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes until top is golden brown.

• Let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

3) What do teenage boys like? Macaroni and cheese that you can eat with your hands, of course!

These Mac and Cheese Muffins are individual servings cooked in a muffin pan. They feature a bottom crust made of Ritz crackers, butter and cheddar. Boursin cheese spreads adds a "not-your-run-of-the-mill-Mac n' Cheese" depth of flavor!

Here's the link: http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/08/18/mini-mac-and-cheese-pies-and-a-virtual-baby-shower/

4) "Sassy Tailgate Sandwiches"

Seriously, I can't believe that I don't have this on my blog already (and I do not know how to make the font larger again)! And, maybe I do I just can't seem to find it, so here it is again! 

I have made this recipe so many times and we love it!

The slider sandwiches are perfect for feeding the masses at a lunch or just watching a football (or hockey!) game.

• Start with a package of Kings Hawaiian rolls. Slice the whole "unit "in half, dividing the tops from the bottoms, and put in a 9 x 13" baking pan.

• Spread one half of each bun with chive & onion flavored cream cheese (you will use a whole 8 ounce tub).

• Layer 1 pound of deli ham slices on the bottom half of buns. Top with 1 pound of deli Swiss cheese slices. Put the tops of the buns on.

• Pour over the tops of the buns a mixture of: one stick melted butter, 1T Worchestershire sauce, 1/2 T dried minced onion, 1/4 c grated or Parmesan cheese.

• Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

5) Cadbury Creme Egg crescent rolls

Yes, you read that correctly! The ultimate in brunch decadence!

• Freeze 8 Cadbury creme eggs for at least one hour.

• Using Pillsberry (or similar brand of) refrigerated crescent rolls, roll up one frozen egg per triangle, starting at the wide and and ending with the point.

(Since the chocolate eggs milk and burst during baking I found it helpful to do these two things: 1) USE PARCHMENT PAPER so as to avoid stuck on caramel 2) pinch each Crescent closed to "dam up" some of the leaking caramel while baking.

• Bake according to temp and time on crescent package; until crescent rolls begin to turn golden brown.

YUM! 

I hope you'll find opportunities to try a few of these new recipes- no need to wait until next Easter!

What's cookin'? - "Italian" lunch!

It's lunchtime.

If you're in the mood for something not too heavy, but tasty, try these two options:

Pastina

Stracciatella Soup

Both our choices that remind me of my Italian upbringing!

Pastina is kind-of like a comfort food to me now. When I was little it was my one of mom's go-to foods when I was sick.

It's quick and simple, and it makes you feel all warm inside... AKA "comfort food".

First, you go to the store and buy a box of Pastina so you always have it on hand! This is what it looks like:

They are usually just tiny pasta stars!

There are plenty of brands to choose from also! Whatever your store carries, whatever's cheapest, it's all the same!  Barilla, Ronzoni, Prince... I do usually have this on hand because it's good to add to soups, especially Italian wedding soup or like my first recipe today - or to just eat alone, by itself.

Pastina

You will need:

1/4c Pastina

1c water or chicken broth*

1 egg, lightly beaten

1t butter

1T grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Bring water or broth to boil in a small pot.

• Add Pastina and salt; cook until most of the water is absorbed (3-4 minutes)

• turn off heat and stir in egg - it will cook in the hot pasta

• add butter, cheese, and pepper

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You could add Passtina to the following soup as well; I didn't.  It's like an Italian version of "egg drop soup"...

Stracciatella Soup

INGREDIENTS

4c chicken broth*

4 eggs

1/3c grated Parmesan

1T chopped fresh parsley

2c fresh spinach

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

• bring broth to a simmer in soup pot

• whisk together eggs, cheese, parsley, and about 1/2t salt.

• slowly pour the egg mixture into broth while stirring

• continue to stir until the eggs are "set" (about one minute)

• add spinach and stir to wilt

Yum! 

Stave off that cold! 

Perfect for a rainy day!

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**Making your own broth:

I have been making my own chicken broth lately. It seems that it is something that I am always buying at the store.

Making your own not only means that you can control the ingredients, but it is better tasting than the store-bought.

The soup was killer because of the broth!

If you haven't tried making your own yet I highly recommend it! It's easy and way cheaper in the long run!

** I usually make broth the day after I have used a whole chicken, or a rotisserie chicken in some other recipe. Buying the rotisserie chicken seems to be my trend these days! They're inexpensive and save a lot of cooking time!

Just take the chicken carcass (if you have some meat on it - great, but it's not necessary) Throw it in a soup pot and cover it with water.

Add salt pepper and any or all of the following: carrot, celery, onion, parsley.

They don't even have to be nice - Just clean! And, by nice I mean you can use the parts of the veggies that you have cut off to throw away from other recipes! Just save the ends of carrots or celery - or even onion skins - in a Ziploc bag as you are preparing other meals during the week. They just help to flavor the broth and you will be skimming them all off and throwing them away anyway!

Which leads me to my next step:

Cook on low heat at least two hours.

Skim all veggies out and throw away along with the chicken carcass that has been plucked of any remaining bits.

Now you have chicken broth free of MSD or an overload of salt!

I like to freeze mine in leftover containers from cottage cheese (or anything). I even pour some into ice cube trays, freeze them and then pop them out to freeze in Ziploc bags - easy to add a little bit of broth that way to recipes.

If you are not eating meat and want to make vegetable broth just don't include the chicken carcass and throw in any vegetables that you would like. Just follow the same steps.

Enjoy your lunch!

What's cookin'? - Breakfast for dinner

I had stamp club today and by the time I was done there wasn't enough time to make what it wanted. It was a crock pot meal but it would take 4 to 6 hours.

No biggie.

Quick switch.

At our house breakfast food is always welcome at any time! So I had everything to make this meal, and it was a hit! 

Potato-Crusted Quiche is an egg bake that is different from the ordinary quiche in  that it has a crust made of hash brown potatoes instead of pastry.

 I just happened to have a bag of leftover hashbrowns in the freezer from another recipe. What luck! Of course, I have to just call it an "egg bake" for my husband because if he hears me say "quiche", he'll say the old-line "real men don't eat quiche"!

I have to say, this was such a hit that both of my sons asked me to make it again! Homerun!

Not only that, it was e-a-s-y!

I served it with a great fruit salad. Any leftovers of the quiche can be reheated for tomorrow's breakfast, and the fruit salad can be eaten at any time - guilt free!

Potato-Crusted Quiche

•3 c Frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (The shredded kind, not the cubed potatoes!)

• 4 T Butter

• 4Eggs

• 1/2 c Milk

• 1/2 c Sour cream

• 4 Green onions, sliced 

• 1 1/2 c Shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

• 5 Slices of bacon, cooked and 

crumbled

** preheat oven to 350°

** Pat thawed hashbrowns with paper towels to remove any excess water

** Melt butter. Toss gently with hashbrowns in medium bowl. Pour into a 9 inch pie plate. Press on bottom and up sides to form a "crust". Bake approximately 40 minutes. (Edges will be slightly browned.)

** In the meantime whisk together remaining ingredients.

** Remove crust from oven. Pour egg mixture into crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until center is set and crust is golden brown.

** Let stand five minutes before serving.

What's cookin'? - A Healthy Start

They say you should start the day off with a good breakfast. Many times in the past that meant me running out the door to work with a cup of coffee in hand -sometimes with a banana, sometimes a bagel - whatever I could manage to drive with!

Now that I'm home I have more time to devote to what goes in my mouth! If your morning is rushed, you could probably make many of these the night before so that you could have a good breakfast too! Say goodbye to that morning run to DD for that coffee and a muffin!

I've already shared with you that many mornings I have a Nutribullet smoothie. I am still trying out different combinations and I have a few others I will share with you real soon!

My other favorite healthy breakfast choices these days are egg mugs and different oatmeal creations.

What's an egg mug, you ask? Basically. it's scrambled eggs that you make in a  mug and cook in the microwave. 

I bought a cookbook about a year ago called  Hungry Girl - 300 Under 300. In it  are several recipe variations to the egg mug. My favorite is the Say Cheese! Egg Mug. It is so good, it's hard to believe that it is only 172 calories the way it is prepared in the book! 

Here's what you need:

The recipe calls for Egg Beaters. We don't buy those because my boys like to eat a lot of whole eggs. So what I do for the egg mug is use one whole egg and 2 egg whites.

*Scramble that up in your mug or small bowl. Put in the microwave for 1 minute.

*Add the following:

1 wedge Laughing Cow light creamy Swiss cheese

1 Baby Bel cheese round

1 T ricotta cheese (light)

1 t dried minced onion

Dash garlic powder

Dash black pepper

*Cook 1 minute in microwave.

*Add 1 t grated Parmesan cheese. Stir.

*Enjoy, then soak your mug/bowl immediately. They really stick on there! I'll nag you like I nag my husband!..."Soak your bowl!" Haha

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Growing oatmeal

The cookbook also features several variations of the "growing oatmeal" bowl. They call it that because you only use a small amount of oatmeal, but when you double-up on the liquid and cook it for a longer time on the stove, you get a lot!

I love oatmeal, and sometimes I throw in frozen berries, nuts or even a little organic granola. I consider these oatmeal bowls a special treat because you throw in a little bit of indulgence foods - chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mini marshmallows, etc. But they are such scant amounts that it keeps the recipe just under 300 calories. Sometimes for extra chocolate flavor the recipe uses a packet of 25 cal. hot cocoa mix (Swiss Miss makes this).

You always start off the same way:

1/2 c oatmeal (Slow cooking, not quick oats or instant)

Dash salt

1 c unsweetened almond milk

1 c water

* Mix starter ingredients together.

* Bring to boil.

* Reduce heat to low .Simmer 12 to 15 minutes.

*Add "extras" and stir.

The Banana Split Bowl: Add 1/2 sliced banana, 2 t chocolate chips, 1 t sugar-free strawberry preserves, and 2 t of a fat free whipped topping.

The Smores Bowl: Stir in a 25 cal. packet of hot cocoa in the beginning. When done, stir in 2 t chocolate chips, 2 t mini marshmallows,1quarter sheet of a graham cracker (crumbled).

The Almond Joy (my own creation)

Add 1packet of 25 cal. hot cocoa mix in the beginning. After cooking, add 2 t chopped almonds, 2 t chocolate chips, 2 t sweetened coconut flakes.

There are many more in the cookbook (Like peanut butter chips and chocolate - mmm!) and I'm sure you could also create your own, like I did. Oatmeal is great just be careful not to overdo it on the sweet things you add at the end!