The Townsend Bakery

What's For Dinner?

2011-06-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

My goodness that cow-webs are thick in here. *shudder*

I wish I had a good excuse for not posting. But, I don't. And, truthfully I don't even have the energy to make one up.

But, on the bright side, the garden is planted. My herbs are wilting to smithereens in the containers I bought them in because I still haven't had time to get them planted. And, we are eating a huge variety of in season vegetables thanks to the Community Support Agriculture (CSA) group we recently joined. Have you heard of CSAs? If not, then you really should look into it. It has to be the MOST AFFORDABLE way to purchase your vegetables. Oh, and our first pick up on our fruit CSA is is this Saturday. I'm excited to see what we will be given. There really is something to be said for eating in season fruits and vegetables. (and no, I'm getting all hippie granola headed on you........)

So, without further adu...Here's what we are dining on this week (or in the case of Sunday and yesterday, what we have already eaten)

This Week's Menu:

Sunday
Meatloaf
Fresh Snap Beans
Smashed Taters & Gravy
Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
(carrots were from our CSA)

Monday
Ranch & Herbed Oven Baked Boneless Pork Chops
Brocolli Rice
Saucy Noodles
Peas

Tuesday

Baked Ham
Smashed Taters
(from our CSA)
Veggie of the cooks choice

Wednesday
Pasta w/ Turkey Sausage & Brocoli Rabe
French Bread

Thursday
Fend for Yourself
(Maddy has soccer, I have a cardio class)

Friday
Salad
(made w/ CSA greens/lettuce)
Rotisserie Chicken
French Bread

Saturday
Sirloin Steaks
Chard and Rice
Veggie by choice of the Cook

Sunday
Tacos
or
Spaghetti & Meatballs
(it will depend on the weather)

Bakery Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes...Just sometimes, someone else comes up with something so damn good, all I can do is make it, take a picture of it (albeit a crappy picture) , and slap it up on this here blog. Make these muffins. They taste EXACTLY like what you would find right out of your favorite bakery. Let's just say they didn't even last 3 days in my house. Hence the reason the only photo I have of them is the one that I took of them right out of the oven.

As always, you can thank me after you make them.

Menu Plan Monday: April 18th - April 24th

2011-04-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Ravioli's w/ Red Sauce
Herb Focaccia

Tuesday

Sliders with Cheese
Oven Baked French Fries

Wednesday
Grilled Sirloin
Brown Rice Pilaf or Mashed Taters
Vegetable of Choice via the cook

Thursday
UN-stuffed Peppers

Friday
Fish Sticks
Oven French Fries

Saturday
Lasagna

Sunday
Easter Dinner at my Parent's House

Menu Plan Monday: April 10th - April 17th

2011-04-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

This Week's Menu:

Sunday
Pulled Pork BBQ
Parmesan Risotto
Little Rolls

Monday
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Stuffing & Gravy
Mixed Vegetables

Tuesday

Grilled Sirloin
Brown Rice Pilaf or Mashed Taters
Vegetable of Choice via the cook

Wednesday
Crock Pot Roast w/ root veggies
Rolls

Thursday
Oven Baked Crispy Chicken
Scallop Taters
Vegetable of Choice via the cook

Friday
Fish Sticks
Oven French Fries

Saturday
Scuteri's Pizza

Sunday
Roast Pork
Homemade Mac & Cheese
Madaline's Choice of Vegetable

Menu Plan Monday: March 20th - March 27th

2011-03-21T07:40:00.001-07:00

This Week's Menu:

Sunday
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Cheesy Garlic Bread

Monday
Breakfast for Dinner
Waffles & Sausage

Tuesday

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Brown Rice

Wednesday
UN-Stuffed Peppers

Thursday
Cheddar Burgers
Bacon & Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Friday
Fish Sticks
Oven Baked French Fries

Saturday
Pizza

Sunday
Creamy Chicken & Veggie Casserole w/ Puff Pastry Topping

Enjoy!

part of :

Menu Plan Monday: February 21th - February 27th

2011-02-21T13:25:00.001-08:00

Not much fan-fare this week. Busy...Busy...Busy.

I'm still working on perfecting my granola bar recipe. Hopefully the next batch turns out just the way I want them to. And, if I can get them to last longer than 1/2 a day after they have cooled, then maybe, just maybe, I can get some photos up. Because, they are a million times better than store bought granola bars and super simple to make. Well worth the effort. Oh...and I owe you a tale of 6 Bananas. I do know this. Maybe if I had just a few more hours in my day. I bet we all wish that at some point, right?

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Tacos
(Madaline asked for these last week & I told her we'd have them this week)

Tuesday

Homemade Mac & Cheese with Ham

Wednesday
Spaghetti & Meatballs
{freezer meal}

Thursday
Pancakes & Sausage

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
No clue - Suggestions?

Sunday
Roast Chicken & Stuffing
Smashed Taters & Gravy
Green Beans & Fresh Biscuits
{we didn't have this last Sunday so I'm hoping I can make it happen this Sunday}

Enjoy!

Sandwiches for Supper

2011-02-15T07:22:00.001-08:00

At least once a week we have something just a simple as a sandwich for supper. Or, Dinner. Madaline waffles back and forth between calling it Dinner and Supper. You can even call it the evening meal if you'd like to get really fancy about it.
Some weeks they are made with leftovers - as in last night we had grilled ham and cheddar sandwiches since I'd made a ham for dinner on Sunday. Another favorite is chicken salad. Most of the time if I'm going to roast a chicken, I roast two at once. Once for dinner and one for a pot of soup and some sandwiches later in the week. It takes no more time or effort to roast two than it does one - as my roasting pan easily accommodates two beautifully plump birds at a time. NOM NOM

Oh...and grilled cheese. Hands down my favorite sandwich on the planet. I love grilled cheese sandwiches so much that I could eat one every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it. The possibilities are endless - all the different kinds of breads and cheeses. *drool* My husband and my daughter really are traditionalists when it comes to their grilled cheeses. Just bread and either American or Cheddar cheese. On the weeks that our weekly sandwich is just grilled cheese, I usually splurge for some special bread out of the bakery. And, so, to make it special, the last few times I've made them with a thick sliced farm style bread - the crusts get all crispy while the middle is toasted and soft. So yummy.
Having something as filling and as satisfying as a sandwich for dinner is an easy way to stretch your dinner budget. It pairs well with some a steamed veggie or any in season raw fruit or veg served on the side. You could even have a picnic in your living room. How can you go wrong by bring a little bit of summer into winter complete with a big blanket, a killer sandwich and maybe some macaroni salad and chips? The possibilities are endless. And, it really doesn't get any easier on a busy week night than a sandwich for supper.

I'm always looking for new ideas - So, tell me....what are your favorite sandwiches?

Menu Plan Monday: February 13th - February 20th

2011-02-14T06:48:00.001-08:00

*waves* H-E-L-L-O! *WAVES*

Yes. I'm still here. But, it seems that sometimes life take over. And, in the grand scheme of things, blogging tends to take a back seat when life starts to take over.

One of the main reason for that is that there have been a LOT of changes in the Mayehm household. The Hubs got a new job. *squee* And, with that, he is instantly working 50-60 hours a week. This means bag lunch for me every day AND bag lunch for him as well. Not to mention any snacks/treats. As, I just can not see the sense in spending a ridiculous amount of money on cookies or brownies, from eh store, that are filled with preservatives and other ingredients that I can't spell, let alone pronounce. Especially when I know I am more than capable of making something that tastes 100x better, at home, in my own kitchen. Needless to say, my weekends are packed to the brim with making treats & snacks to last the week. As well as cooking at least one main meal that can be stretched and re-made into to tasty leftovers. *whew*

And, so with that....in the coming days I should have a killer granola bar recipe for you, a go to soup we eat on a regular basis around here, a yummy tale involving six bananas, simple week night sandwich ideas. And, without further ado, this weeks menu:

This Week's Menu:

Sunday
Oven Baked Ham
Smashed Taters
Rolls

Monday
Grilled Ham & Cheddar Paninnis
Chips
Grapes

Tuesday

Cheeseburgers
Crispy Oven French Fries
Maddy's Choice of Veg

Wednesday
Rustic Italian Tortelinni Soup

Thursday
Chessy Ham & Hashbrown Bake
Dunky Eggs cooked to order
Toasts

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Chinese Takeout

Sunday
Roast Chicken & Stuffing
Smashed Taters & Gravy
Green Beans & Fresh Biscuits

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: January 17th - January 23rd

2011-01-18T07:11:00.001-08:00

Last week went pretty much according to plan, with the exception of the weekend. We ended up having Chinese take-out with my parents & my sister on Saturday night. Which was amazing! It's probably been at least 6 months since we had Chinese take-out. Then on Sunday, instead of adding ham to the Mac & Cheese, I roasted a nice marinated pork loin that I found tucked away in the freezer. It made the house smell so divine.

I'm late posting this week's menu, because, as of this morning, I was still trying to map out the week. I'm trying to menu plan with a grocery budget of less than $50 per week and that gets a bit dicey when it seems that there are no reasonably priced protein items. And, please don't tell me that we could eat beans for protein. I don't like beans and therefore, that is NOT an option.

Have a great week everyone!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Shake & Baked Chicken
Smashed Taters
Broccoli, Carrots & Cauliflower w/ cheese

Tuesday
Breakfast for Dinner

Wednesday
Leftovers/Cereal Night
*I have a meeting & Madaline will be eating dinner w/ my parents*

Thursday
Grilled Cheese
Oven Baked French Fries

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Tomato Swiss & Tortellini Soup

Sunday
Lasagna
Garlic Bread

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: January 10th - January 16th

2011-01-07T08:36:00.001-08:00

Last week, I actually spent a fair amount of time in my kitchen. Not too much, but enough. Madaline was sick most of the week and I was thankful that I'd taken the time to roast two chickens last Sunday as opposed to one. I'd forgotten how easy, simple and satisfying a chicken salad sandwich on toast can be.

And, so, while last week was the week of the chicken at The Townsend Bakery, this week might as well be the week of the cow and pig. I've got a good mixture of meals planned and I'm really looking forward to trying Rachel's Twice Baked Sausage Potatoes on Wednesday.

Have a great week everyone!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Spaghetti w/ meat-sauce
Italian Bread

Tuesday
Tacos

Wednesday
Twice Baked Sausage Stuffed Potatoes
Green Beans

Thursday
Roast Beef & Cheddar Panini
Chips

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Turkey Sausage Tortellini Soup

Sunday
Macaroni & Cheese w/ Ham
Peas

Enjoy!

Wow WOW WHOOPIE!

2011-01-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned on Monday, the week between Christmas & New Years, we celebrated my Grandmother's 85th Birthday. It typical style, there were trays, upon trays, upon trays of cookies. It's tradition. We do it at every overly large family function we have - graduation parties, milestone anniversaries, weddings. In fact, I think I still have some of my Aunts "No one makes them the way she does OR as Good as she Does" no-bake cookies in my fridge. NOM NOM!
And, on the cookies trays were these little round chocolate sandwich mounds of goodness. I eyed them with my skeptical eye. You see, it take a LOT to make me excited about a cookie. I bake a LOT, but, I tend to eat very little of what I make. Just how I am. But, these babies? They. BLEW. ME. AWAY. So much so, that I ate not one, not tow, but THREE of them. Perhaps this is why my face looks so puffy and pudgy this week. And, then over the course of the week as the leftover had made their way back to my parent's house? I continued to shove them in my mouth. I think I even snarled at someone when I discovered they were all gone.
Then? Someone told me that they were not scratch made - but made from a cake mix. Yikers! It doesn't get any easy than that. But, you see, I didn't want to wait for that specific recipe that had made the ones I just spent an entire weeks feeding on. Oh no. I goggled the idea of making whoppie pies out of a cake mix. I looked at several different recipes and then, thought. Ok. I can do this. And, I did. It also helped, that I ended up home at 1:30 in the afternoon the other day, because the child was sick. This meant I had a few extra hours of time to kill. Also, I took the easy road this time on the frosting. Madaline's requested cupcakes last Sunday and I had about 3/4 of a container of vanilla frosting in the fridge that needed to be used up.It's sinful to let frosting go to waste - even if it is out of a tub. So, cookies made from a cake mix and sandwiched together with tub o' frosting? Just fantastically delicious! I even think these would be best if they came along side a very tall, icy cold glass of full fat milk. But, I don't drink milk, so someone else if going to have to try that and let me know how it goes. And, beware, they might even make you go WOW WOW Whoppie! when your done eating.
Whoopie Pies
1 boxed cake mix (I prefer the kind that have the puddin' in the mix and I had a box of Chocolate Fudge in the cupboard)
3 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Oil

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl beat together all the ingredients until well combined. Drop by the 2 tablespoonfuls onto your cookie sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes, until puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

When cookies are completely cool place 1/2 of pies, flat side up, on a cooling rack. Mound 1.5 - 2 Tablespoons of your favorite frosting in the center of each. Spread to the edges of cookies in a nice even layer. Top with remaining pies, rounded side up, and press gently to make sandwich. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to devour.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: January 2nd - January 9th

2011-01-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

*waves* HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a CWAZY last few weeks it has been. In case you hadn't guessed already, I always take the week off from blogging between Christmas & New Years. I'm on vacation that week and really try my hardest to focus on my family. Madaline had an exceptional Christmas which ushered in an amazing week full of good good food and family. Our family celebrated my Grandmother's 85th birthday - which meant that family members from both near and far gathered as only we know how. Lots of food plus cookies, cookies and more cookies, copious pots of coffee, HUGE dinners and lots of laughter. It was an amazing week. Sadly, I have no photos to document the week. I was so busy enjoying myself, that I never took it out. That to me is the sign of a rockin' good time.

One of the best perks of the last week? I didn't cook. Not once. And, so, I had to brush the dust off my pots & pans as I spent most of the afternoon yesterday in the kitchen making a Sunday dinner of epic proportions. I decided, since it was the least expensive meat option at the grocery store this week, to roast not only 1, but 2 chickens. It took no more effort or time, as they were both in the oven at the same time. Plus, to the dismay of my husband, that means that two additional meals this week will be made with chicken.

And, to make the holiday's last one more day, I invited my parents & my sister over for dinner. Madaline decided we should use the "good" plates out of the hutch and I did take a few moments to marvel at the faces of my family around my dining room table. Happiness, just happiness in its purest form.

And, with that....here's

This Week's Menu:

Sunday
Roast Chicken with gravy
Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Biscuits

Monday
Cheddar BBQ Burgers
Crispy Crowns
Peas

Tuesday
RE-DO Recipe
Crock Pot Chicken Soup

Wednesday
Tacos

Thursday
RE-DO Recipe
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Bake

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Baked Potato Soup

Sunday
Meatloaf w/ gravy
Roasted New Potatoes
Corn

Enjoy!

Homemade Peppermint Mocha

2010-12-13T07:47:00.001-08:00

Saturday night there was the usual chill in the air. And, I wanted something warm. I'd put the Mayhem Maker to bed and stressed myself out looking for her pretty princess shoes. Then it dawned on me, I had the house to myself and complete control of the remote. I mean, really, how often does that happen?
I left the 3 loads of laundry to be folded for another night and decided to curl up on the couch with Morris & Murphy. But, I needed a drink. A drink that would warm me from my toes to my nose. I thought...hhmmmmm.....maybe a cup of tea. But, that just didn't even sound appealing to me. Hot chocolate? Too sweet. A cup of coffee? As much as I love coffee, I just didn't feel like that would really cover what I was looking for. Homemade Peppermint Mocha? *ding, ding, ding* We have a winner!

So Tasty, So Good, and really, so, very, very, VERY simple! And, it sure did hit the spot!

Homemade Peppermint Mocha
4 Tbs Cocoa Powder
3 Tbs Sugar
1 cup Milk
1 cup STRONG coffee
Splash to Taste CoffeeMate Peppermint Mocha creamer

Whisk together all ingredients, except creamer, in a small sauce pan on medium to medium low heat until hot. Turn off heat and stir in creamer to taste. Pour into your favorite mug, top with whip cream (if you have it on hand) and

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: December 13 - December 19th

2010-12-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a busy week. Just trying to get organized for Christmas - which is easier said than done. And, hopefully, we can get our tree up this weeks. It's really one of the last few pieces of our holiday decorating puzzle.

Don't forget - you can let The Townsend Bakery take the STRESS our of your Holiday DeSSERTS. Just click here to place an order!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Cheeseburgers
Tater Tots
Peas

Tuesday
Crock Pot Chili
Cornbread

Wednesday
Pancakes
Sausage
(we have this new pancake pan that makes bear faces! We gots to try it out!)

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Homemade Baked Potato Soup w/ Ham

Sunday
Molly's 1st Night home after spending her Fall semester in Wales - We will be having dinner with my parents!

Enjoy!

Jazzed Up Gingerbread Muffins

2010-12-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when I bake, I don't want to drag out the flour, the sugar, the baking soda and who knows what else I need to make so tasty morsel of decadence. Sometimes, I'm so pressed for time, that that doing whats in the previous sentence is just not an option. And, sometimes, because I do almost all of my baking with Madaline, its just easier to take the easy way out. That means, letting her crack and wisk the eggs, while I open a box of mix. And, while, it kills me at times, there really is NOTHING wrong with it. And, there is a way that I put my mind at ease. I jazz up a said box mix. I've been known to add fresh grated carrots or chopped up apples to a spice cake mix. No matter how pressed for time I am, I almost always take a few minutes to swirl in some peanut butter or mix chucks of good quality chocolate into boxed brownie mix. And, I 99% of the time, will make a homemade frosting, glaze or gnache for cakes or cupcakes if I've taken a short cut and used a box mix.
Case in point - These fantastically delicious, moist, dense, spicy mounds of muffin heaven. The gingerbread is an old standby (thank you Betty Crocker) and, well, the gnache. Yeah. That's a new one to me. I'd be totally fibbing if I said that I'd come up with the idea of the white chocolate cream cheese gnache all on my own, but I didn't. I totally used the recipe from Vanilla Sugar. I adore her site - and I have a LOT of her recipes in my "when I have more time I need to try this" pile. And, when she posted her recipe for the gingerbread cupcakes with white choco-cream cheese gnache, I knew IMMEDIATELY what Madaline and I would be making on Thursday night.
And, oh....they are good. So, very, very, very good. So, take a couple of hours (well, about 18 minutes to bake the muffins + cooling time + gnache making time) and treat yourself. You'll be happy you did. And, if you really want to take it over the top? Brew yourself a pot of the most decadent coffee you have in the cupboard. Between the muffins and the coffee, all the troubles from your day will just disappear.

Enjoy!

Place Your Orders NOW!

2010-12-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

* Office Parties*
*Teacher Gifts*
*Cookie Swaps*Holiday Table*
*Hostess Thank-You*Time Savers*

Cookies/Candies/Barks

Each order contains 16 pieces of the item selected

1 - Monster Cookies – a chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookie with M&M’s
2 - Peppermint Bark – delicious dark and white chocolate with crushed peppermint candies
3 - Oreo Truffles – crushed oreo cookies mixed with homemade cream cheese frosting coveredin chocolate
4 - Caramel Brownies – rich fudgy brownies swirled with caramel
5 - Pecan Pie Squares – pecan pie you can hold in your hand (please add $5 per order for these special treats)
6 - Graham Cracker Toffee – crispy graham cracker and buttery toffee covered chocolate
7 - Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls – peanut butter mounds covered in chocolate

Choose any 4 items - $35.00 Choose any 5 - $40.00
Choose any 6 items - $45.00
All 7 holiday goodies - $50.00

Holiday Snacks

Each order contains 12 servings (1/2 cup each)

Caramel Corn – Traditional caramel covered popcorn
Muddy Buddies – (also known as “white trash” or “Christmas Crack”) chocolate peanut butter coated crunchy cereal dusted with powder sugar
Puppy Chow – chocolate peanut butter coated popcorn dusted with powder sugar

$8.00 per order or $20.00 when you order all three

Show Stealing Cheesecakes

Each cheesecake serves 8-10 people

Classic Cheesecake – rich, smooth, velvety NY style cheese cake with a graham cracker crust $25.00
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake – same as our classic cheesecake studded with chocolate chips $30.00
Oreo Cheesecake – We use this favorite childhood cookie both for the crust and in the cake $30.00
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake – chocolate cookie crust, a layer of peanut butter filling, peanut butter cup studded cheesecake topped with a rich hot fudge sauce and garnished with more peanut butter cups – This is the ultimate holiday dessert $35.00

To place an order:

call 607.331.1280 or email TheTownsendBakery@gmail.com
Will ship any goodies except Cheesecakes
Buyer must pay shipping in addition to any charges
All shipping will be done via USPS 2 day Priority Flat Rate Shipping

Local Orders (Watkins Glen/Elmira/Corning/Ithaca)
Payment due in full upon delivery of your goodies
50% deposit is required on all orders over $40.00
Must take delivery no later than December 23rd
Last Day for to place orders is Monday 12/20
Cash/check/Paypal Accepted

Shipped Orders
Order must be paid in full when placed
Last Day to place shipped orders is Saturday, 12/18
Cash/check/Paypal Accepted

All items are 100% homemade. Goodies are made in a kitchen in which contains nuts, milk, and other potential food allergens. If you have any allergies or sensitivities to these products, please keep this in mind.

Menu Plan Monday: December 6 - December 12th

2010-12-06T06:40:00.001-08:00

December roared into town with lots of snow and blustery winds. It make me want to do one of two things - spend a ridiculous amount of time in my kitchen making foods that will stick to my hips and help me add my layer of winter blubber OR curl up on the couch under a warm quilt, with a steaming mug of coffee and the TV remote. Much to my surprise, there are two days in a weekend and I got to do both! That is something that doesn't happen often - but it was nice to re-charge my batteries before the Holiday's get into full swing around here.

And, I am putting the finishing touches on my surefire way for you to take the STRESS our of your Holiday DeSSERTS.

Have a good week all!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Breakfast for Dinner
Scrambled Eggs
Sausage & Cheddar Pinwheels

Tuesday
Southern Style Chicken w/ Country Gravy
Smashed Taters
Sugar Snap Peas

Wednesday
Crock Pot Chili

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Homemade Soup
(just don't know which on yet)

Sunday
Baked Meaty Ziti
Italian Bread

Enjoy!

Just ME and the little RED mixer that could

2010-12-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

I have an idea.

A CRAZY idea.

I've always wanted to run a bakery. Well, an in my mind it is more like an establishment that serves "bar" food (wings, mozz sticks, poppers, french fries), killer burgers and fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, beer, local wine and my desserts. An ever changing assortment of my delectable baked goods. Why would I want to do this you ask? Because, I can bake. And, I'm good at it. And, people tell me all the time I should sell my goodies.

Which brings me back to the idea. I've created a flier and I'm going to sell goodies this holiday season. Well, I'm going to try to sell goodies. I'm not sure anyone would buy.

Can someone please tell me I'm not crazy - and that everyone has to start somewhere......right?

**if you are interested in seeing what is being offered - please email me at TheTownsendBakery{at}gmail{dot}com - and I will be more than happy to send you my ordering flier**

RE-DO Recipe: A Stew of Endless Possibility

2010-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

This can ultimately be one of those "everything but the kitchen sink" type of recipes. Got left over broccoli in the fridge? Throw it in. Got some left over asparagus? Throw it in. Need to use up a few slices of bacon? Crisp it up in the pan and then cook your veggies in the pan drippings. *drool* We had carrots, celery, spinach, and turkey. Yep, this was my turkey RE-DO recipe. This recipe really isn't much different than this one. But it is. I find that this one is more versatile - and does particularly well with beef. That is, if you ever have any left over beef. *RAWR* Beef is such a rarity in this house that there is seldom any left over. Oh, and it's thicker. Soup is good for the fall, but once the snow flies and the crisp air is replaced with a biting bitterness that just chills you right down to the bone - I want stew. Stew so thick that you can put a wooden spoon vertical in the pot, let go, and it stands there. Ok, well, that's a wee bit extreme, but I think you get what I'm trying to say.
Also, I just wanted to say, that I'm really only giving you a base recipe. Some of you might wonder why some of my recopies are so bland or they do not always have the typical base ingredients. For example, someone asked me about adding onions. My answer? Sure! Go ahead - add in a small to medium onion. I typically don't have onions in my recipes, because I don't like onions, but that doesn't mean you can't add them in. Secondly, I've been asked about the blandness. Madaline tends to eat best if I keep the food fairly simple and lightly seasoned. I think it has a lot to do with her reflux - so I tend to not add much seasoning other than salt and pepper. But, sometimes, just sometimes, I allow myself the extra indulgence and add in some herbs and spice. This stew would be great with a palm full of poultry seasoning. Herbs de provence would be lovely here as well (with either chicken or turkey). Get adventurous - check out the spice isle of our local grocery store - the seasoning blends are fantastic - play with your seasonings make it yours. You are not going to hurt my feelings.
Leftover Stew

1 cup of diced carrots
1 cup of diced celery
1/4 cup butter
Salt, Pepper and seasoning you'd like, to taste
1/4 cup flour
5 - 6 cups of stock (veggie/chicken/beef)
2-3 cups cooked & shredded leftover meat (chicken/turkey/beef**)
1 pkg frozen tortellini
1 bag frozen mixed veggie (I buy the green bean, pea and corn blend)
1 6oz bag of baby spinach

Melt your butter in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add your carrots, celery (onion *shudder* if you like) and cook 7-12 minutes until they just are starting to get soft. Add 1/4 cup of flour to cooked veggie mixture. Stir and cook about 3 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Slowly wisk in 5 - 6 cups of stock, making sure you have no lumps of flour left. Add in your leftover cooked meat, turn heat to high and bring to a bubbling boil. As your stew boils, it will start to thicken. If it thickens too quickly on you, then add in some more stock. Once your meat is heated thru, gently stir in frozen veggies & tortellini, bring bring back to a gentle boil and cook until the tortellini are tender. Stir in spinach, cover and let simmer just long enough for spinach to wilt into the stew. Give it one last good stir and serve.

*If you do make this with beef, leave out the tortellini & cook up a bag of egg noodles on the side. Put your cooked and slightly buttered & salted egg noodles in a bowl first and then ladle the beef stew mixture over the top.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: November 28 - December 5th

2010-12-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Holy CARP! It's WEDNESDAY already? oops!

Not need to talk about last week and really, since we are already three days into this week, there's not much to be said.

Check back tomorrow for a soup recipe. And, I have some holiday baking ideas up my sleeve - something that that should take the STRESS our of your Holiday DeSSERTS.

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Spaghetti & Meatsauce
Garlic Bread

Tuesday
Subs

Wednesday
Crescent Wrapped Cheesy Hot Dogs
Mac-n-Cheese (out of a box)

Thursday
Leftovers/Cereal/Fend For Yourself

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
Wild Rice Pilaf
Green Beans

Sunday
Scallop Taters & Ham
(we didn't have this last Sunday, so it's a hold over for sure!)
Peas

Enjoy!

Firsts

2010-11-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

I remember a lot of "firsts" in my life. My first car. My first kiss. My first apartment. My first sale when I worked in Financial Planning; even the first time I made my sales goal when I worked in Newspaper advertising. And, don't even get me started on all the firsts regarding Madaline - for there are plenty. Many more than you would probably care to have to read. Especially on my food blog.
Your probably wondering where I am headed with all of this. Well, today is an important day of firsts for The Townsend Bakery. Some might call it a notch. Some might even go so far as to call it a milestone. Me? I call it a first. Hopefully, the first of many.Because, today? Today, I made delivery on our first sale. My first paid order. And, all I can keep thinking is - my goodness, what do I do if they don't like the way that they taste?

Menu Plan Monday: November 22 - November 28th

2010-11-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Last week actually went according to plan. I was a bit surprised. This week - I'm a wee bit late with posting what we are eating because I was still trying to hammer out what we will be having from Wednesday on and over the weekend. It gets a bit trickier this week, because after today - daycare is closed. That means my husband and I are responsible for feeding the child Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and countless snacks through out the day. *whew* No wonder the grocery bill was so outlandish this week. And, I will have to go again on either Friday or Saturday.

On a brighter note, hopefully I can get the camera back from my Mom. She returned last weekend from visiting my sister who is studying abroad in Wales this fall semester. That way, I should have LOTS and LOTS of yummy photos & recipes to share either at the end of this week and next week!

And, I'd like to wish you all a "HAPPY TURKEY DAY" and have a good week!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Breakfast for Dinner
Cinnamon Bread French Toast
Sausage

Tuesday
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Wednesday
Breakfast:
Cereal
Lunch:
PB&J on Whole Wheat
Chips/veggies/fruit
Dinner:
Grilled Cheese & Oven French Fries

Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Breakfast:
Bagels or Cereal
Lunch:
Cheese, Crackers, Fruit
Dinner:
Roast Turkey, Stuffing, Smashed Taters
Gravy, Cranberry Chutney, Sweet Potato Casserole,
Rolls
Pumpkin Roll, Cherry Pie

Friday
Breakfast:
Pancakes & Sausage
Lunch:
Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sandwiches
Dinner:
Pizza

Saturday
Breakfast:
Bagels or Cereal
Lunch:
Leftovers
Dinner:
Turkey Soup

Sunday
Breakfast:
Waffles & Sausage
Lunch:
What ever you can pull out of the fridge
Dinner:
Scallop Taters & Ham
Peas

Enjoy!

RE-DO Recipe: Cheesy Saucy Balls Roll Up

2010-11-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Meatballs. I love meatballs. My family loves meatballs. Especially homemade meatballs. Besides, macaroni and cheese, I'd say that it ranks as one of my all time favorite comfort foods. There is just a certain kind of comfort one can find in a pot full of simmering sauce and meatballs. However, one can only eat so much spaghetti and meatballs. A few Sunday's ago we had a nice dinner. Toasted warm garlic bread and heaping plates of 'sketti and meatballs'. I am one to put more meatballs on my plate than 'sketti'. As are the other members of my family as well. Which always means that there is usually about a 1/2 pound of cooked sketti left but not too many saucy balls. So, the few I did have left, I tucked carefully inside a Tupperware container and put them in the back of the fridge. I hoped that that they would be there later in the week, as I had a plan brewing in my head.
Now - now of you might find it odd, me being Polish, that I have such an affinity for Italian food. Then again, I have an affinity for good food, regardless of origin, so perhaps it doesn't really matter. But, Italian food, GOOD Italian food takes up more space on my food chart than anything else. I like good pizza, good sauce, my noodles cooked al dente, cannolis (dear GAWD do I love me some cannoli) and occasionally, I like calzones. Now, the reason I say occasionally, is that most calzones for me have way to much bread, too much ricotta cheese and not enough of the other good filling ingredients. And, so as that plan I had brewing in my head? I was going to put my take my leftover saucy balls and make it kinda like a calzones.
As you can see, it certainly was not the prettiest meal I have ever pulled out of my oven. But, darn if it wasn't tasty. Part of me wonders that perhaps if I hadn't had the tiny hands of my Mayhem Maker helping to push and pull the dough as I spread it out on the pan, it would have looked more purdy. But, well, what fun would that be? Not matter how much of an eye sore it was, the two cheeses melted together perfectly with the quartered up saucy balls and oozed out of the sides in spots, where it was barely held together by the golden brown crispy pizza dough. Yum! It only took about 30-40 minutes total to make, from start to finish - depending on how brown you want your crust. I like mine crispy so I baked mine longer. Add really all you need to do add a little side salad, maybe a glass of good red wine and you have yourself a really easy weeknight dinner.

Cheesy Saucy Balls Roll Up
Leftover Meatball & Sauce, meatballs cut up into bite sized pieces (I had about 12 meatballs left over)*
6 slices Provolone Cheese**
6 slices Mozzarella Cheese**
1 tube of refrigerated thin crust pizza dough

*I see no reason why you'd have to wait until you had left over meatballs to make this - as I'm sure it would be just as tasty with frozen meatballs
**I get my cheese slices from the deli counter, that way I get to choose how thick or thin they are sliced. You could certainly use shredded mozzarella cheese or even one one of those Italian Blend shredded cheese. If your going the shredded cheese route - I'd use a total of 2 cups*

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Re-heat your leftover saucy balls (I choose to do this on the stove top, but I don't see why you couldn't do this in the microwave)

Roll out your pizza dough out to a 15" by 10" rectangle and place on a a cookie sheet.

Arrange all 6 slices of provolone cheese on top of dough. Evenly spread your heated through saucy ball mixture on top of provolone cheese. Arrange all 6 slices of mozzarella over top of saucy ball mixture.

Fold short sides of the dough in about 1-1.5 inches. Then, just roll it up like you would a jelly roll. Do you best to seal seam together and place seam side down in the in the center of your pan.

Bake, for about 20-30 minutes until a nice golden brown. Let sit for about 5 minutes before you slice.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: November 15 - November 21st

2010-11-15T11:41:00.001-08:00

Ah. Yeah. So, planning a week's worth of meals is only useful if one actually follows the plan that she has laid out. But, then again, change it good. As long as one is able to adapt to the change. All is good.

If you haven't figured it out yet, things got all jumbled up last week. And, that is really a bit of an understatement. I took a package of burgers out of the freezer that never got cooked and had to be thrown away. We had an unplanned fends for yourself night. We ran out of milk and eggs - but thankfully not on the same day.

Hopefully things will got a big smoother this week. At least that is what I'm hoping for.

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Subs
*I have to run to Wegman's after work - and it's just easy*

Tuesday
Breakfast For Dinner
Homemade Waffles & Sausage

Wednesday
Hodge-Podge/Fend for Yourself
*Madaline is eating with my Parent's as I have a 6pm meeting & the Hubby will be at work*

Thursday
Ravioli's with Red Sauce
Italian Bread

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Nachos

Sunday
Homemade Mac & Cheese w/Ham

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: November 8 - November 14th

2010-11-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Ok. Ok. Ok. I'm really hoping that this is not going to be a trend. I swear to you my loyal reader that I had the BEST of intentions in posting this week's menu yesterday. But, as you well you know what they say about good intentions. However, late in the day, it looked like I might be shaking up the menu a bit, and next thing I knew - the day had gotten away from me.

I do want to update you - I shook things up a wee bit over the weekend. Last week's menu had us eating Scallop Taters and Ham on Sunday. As it turned out - Madaline and I spent the entire weekend at home. It was kinda cold out and so, I wanted soothing, stick too your ribs good home cooked comfort foods. As a result? We had homemade scallop taters & ham for dinner Saturday night and then I made meatloaf with smashed potatoes and mixed veg on Sunday night.

I have some pictures to edit - and hopefully will have some quick and easy RE-DO recipes for you later this week. Hope every one has a good week!!!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Oven Fried Chicken
Long Grain & Wild Rice
Green Beans

Tuesday
Burgers
Oven Toasted Hash Browns

Wednesday
Ravolis
Fresh Baked Bread

Thursday
(I'm home all day - because of the Veteran's Day holiday our daycare is closed)
Breakfast:
Pancakes and Sausage
Lunch:
Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets & French Fried
Dinner:
Homemade Soup
(Just not sure what kind yet)
Fresh Baked Bread

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Nachos

Sunday
Eating Out to celebrate a birthday in the family

Enjoy!

RE-DO Recipe: Cheesy Chili Pie

2010-11-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I made a crock pot full of warm, steamy, slightly spicy chili. Nothing fancy - just some chili seasoning mix, 2 pounds of browned up ground beast, 1 can of kidney beans (drained & well rinsed), 1 can of tomato sauce, and 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Since, I am a crazy fanatic that likes crispy well browned ground beast - there was really nothing for the crock pot to do other than heat the ingredient through. So, I put it on low before I left for work, and then my husband turned it to warm at about noon. I didn't want it to burn. Yuck! Burnt, blackened, charred chili is not high on my list of things to eat.
And, so, after dinner Tuesday night and the Hubs & I both eating it as "chili" the next day for lunch leftovers, there was STILL some left. Nothing pains me more than throwing out food. Especially food that has meat of some kind it it - because meat is do damn expensive. And, so, for about another $5.00 (if that) I turned that chili into a whole different meal.
You can call it Chili Lasagna, Cheesy Chili Tortilla Bake, or what it's called in my house: 'Cheesy Chili Pie'. All are fitting. All, I know, is it was easy, simple, and the longest part of the whole dish was waiting for the oven to pre-heat to 400 degrees. It took me less than 10 minutes to put the whole dish together - and then about another 15 minutes it spent in the oven turning into this cheesy, bubbly, warm your body from the inside out pie plate full of goodness. Serve it with a salad or maybe even some quick Mexican corn saute (corn, peppers, onions - little butter - all heated together) and you've got yourself a complete dinner that is super flavorful and isn't going to break the weekly grocery budget.

Cheesy Chili Pie
Leftover Chili (I maybe had 3 cups of chili left)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 small flour tortillas

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a 9" pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside.

Reheat chili (I reheated mine on the stove top - or you could easily do this in the microwave).

Line bottom of pie plate with 4 flour tortillas - overlapping each one slightly. Evenly distribute 1/2 of reheated chili on top of tortillas. Sprinkle chili with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with another 4 tortillas, remaining chili and 1/2 cup of cheese.

Place remaining 4 tortilla shells on top and cover with remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: November 2 - November 7th

2010-11-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know Monday was YESTERDAY.

Yes, I am well AWARE that today is TUESDAY.

My philosophy for the week is better late than never. Ok? I hope so. {moving on.....}

Life is has just been that darn crazy. I think it may have had something to do with sewing a Halloween costume and not getting to the grocery store over the weekend. Add in that I have an extra day of solo parenting (the Hubby is going on a fishing trip) and I am feel like I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. All of this is clear in this week's menu. It's crystal clear that I am I'm not into doing a whole lot of cooking this week. Things are easy, quick, and in some cases, a bit high in sodium (eh-hmm...hot dogs!). And, while this is not an ideal week for my family in regards to dinner - I am ok with it. We haven't had a week full of food like this in a long time. Sometimes, something has to give, and this week - it's what we are eating for dinner.

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Wegman's Subs

Tuesday
Cheesy Meatball Roll-Up
*RE-Do Recipe*

Wednesday
Crescent Wrapped Cheesy Hot Dogs
Mac-n-Cheese (out of a box)

Thursday
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tomato Soup

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
*see note on Saturday from this post*

Sunday
Scallop Taters & Ham

Cinnamon Swirl Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

I think I've made it rather clear how much I ADORE Fall. Right? I mean, how can you go wrong? Hearty soups, desserts that sooth and the versatility of fall ingredients. And, since we've been more into snacking on our apples this week and I wasn't in the mood to have to peel something. But, I wasn't feeling overly lazy either. So for what is quickly becoming weekly tradition of baking on Thursday's with my lil' Mayhem Maker, we decided to try our hand at Cinnamon Swirl Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffins . (yeah, say that 3 times fast) For the most part, it is a very easy recipe. I had all the ingredients already in my cupboards. The only thing some folks might not have on hand is the pumpkin. But, since it's Fall, doesn't pumpkin automatically become a pantry staple? I know it does in my house. I actually think I buy a can each time I go to the store. I just don't want to not be able to get one. You know - like last year, when, it was like, GONE. In light of the simplicity of these muffins, I do have a few complaint and a few things I would do different next time I make them. I dirtied THREE bowls while making these - not to mention my food processor as well as countless other utensils. There is a LOT of kitchen clean up involved with these. Also, the recipe called for filling the muffin cups 1/2 way, sprinkling with the brown sugar filling, more muffin batter and finally the Streusel topping. It's too much muffin batter for a standard sized muffin tin. As you can see from my photos, while these are TASTY, they are not pretty. I like pretty baked goods. I like to be able to share them with others and not have them look at the plate and cringe. When I make these again, I'd only fill the muffin liner a 1/3 of the way, then the brown sugar mixture topping with more muffin batter. I'd also probably hold off on putting the Streusel topping on the muffins until about the last 10 minutes of baking. It's a heavy topping and really sinks into the batter. By waiting I I think it would allow the muffins to develop more of a crown. Also, if your using decorative liners - Maddy chose white liners with pumpkins for these out of the cupboard - I'd double line them. As, you are dealing with a melted sugar filling - that seeps into the liner - making the design disappear. Not that it really matters - but, if you are looking to maybe gives these away or take to a party, you are going to want to see the pretty liner. Also, if your looking for something that really packs a pumpkin punch, these are not for you. The star of this muffin is really the streusel topping and the brown sugar filling. The sweet stickiness of the brown sugar filling is balanced perfectly by the crunchy oat filled streusel topping. Combined with the cinnamon nutmeg cake like texture of the muffins that have just the slightest hint of pumpkin to them...... *sigh*......then they are for you. Hands down, the perfect breakfast treat on a chilly weekend morning.
Adapted, slightly, from Two Peas and Their Pod

cinnamon Swirl Streusel Pumpkin muffins.

Muffin Batter:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a whisk together the dry muffin batter ingredients and set aside. In another arge bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk all the wet ingredients until smooth and combined.

Very slowly stir dry mixture into wet and mix until until just combined.

Brown sugar cinnamon filling: in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.

For the Streusel topping: In a food processor (or you can use two knives or a pastry blender - I'm lazy and just my food processor) put flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter. Process until mixture starts to get crumbly and add oats. Pulse a few more times just to incorporate the oats.

Fill prepared muffin cups 1/3 of the way full, Sprinkle approx 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar cinnamon filling over each. Fill the muffins cups with the remaining batter. Top each muffin with Streusel topping (or wait until there's about 10 minutes of bake time left).

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean Remove pans from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove muffins from pans. You can eat these warm and they taste just as good the next day.

Enjoy!

RE-DO Recipe: Caramel Apple muffin CAKE

2010-10-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. You want to make muffins. For breakfast or maybe as a snack. But, your out of those paper liners and no amount of cooking spray ever makes your muffins come out of the muffin pan in one piece. OR ~ perhaps your having one of those lazy moments where you just want to dump the whole darn batter in one pan instead of trying to get it evenly divided between 12 muffin cups. I find that to be such a pain at times - because I always end up with a muffin runt. But, finally - I have the solution. Turn your muffins into cake.You see, Very rarely does my husband come up with a suggestion for something that I make in the kitchen that makes me go "Hey - that's not a bad idea". And, as he was contemplating eating the paper liner on a Caramel Apple Muffin because they are that darn good, he said "you should make these a cake". And, so, shortly after this cooking epiphany, Carmel Apple muffin CAKE was created. Sweet spicy caramel goodness in a spring form pan. And, since it was a cake, I was able to pop it under the broiler once it was done baking to further crystallize the brown sugar and oat goodness on the top into a crust. A crust that crackles and provides a protective shell around everything you love so very much about gooey caramel with the still slightly crispy apple held together with warm cinnamon laced cake.
And, it was good. In fact, so good that by the time I remembered that I needed to take pictures of what a slice of this looked like, it was gone. Gone, gone, gone.

Caramel Apple Muffin recipe here

Follow caramel apple muffin as written. After you fold in the apples and caramels, pour batter into a well greased spring form pan. Top cake batter with brown sugar and sprinkle with oats.

Place spring form pan on cookie sheet and into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 40 - 45 minutes until toothpick inserted into cake part comes out clean. (I started checking min around the 35 minute mark. and I think I pulled mine at minute 42)

Preheat your broiler. Place cake under broiler for 5 - 7 minutes. Your just looking for the the brown sugar to create that crisp almost 'creme brulee' type crust. Just keep a close watch on it - as sugar burns quickly and there is NOTHING nastier than burnt sugar.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: October 25 - October 31st

2010-10-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last weeks menu sorta fell apart once the weekend got here. We had pizza as normal on Friday. I ended up cooking dinner on Saturday night. Which hardly ever happens. Granted, I took the easy way out and made croissant roll wrapped hot dogs stuff with cheese. Quick, simple, easy and only 14 minutes to golden brown yummy perfection in my oven.

But, I have to admit what killed me was Sunday. I had really been wanting some Roast Beef. Slow cooked most of the afternoon in the oven until it reached medium rare perfection. Served with gravy, taters and a veg. I'd been dreaming of it all week. Then, while standing in the meat section of the grocery store Saturday afternoon, that dream came to a screeching halt. Have you seen beef prices? Anything decent was going to cost me upwards of $20.00 or more. And, as I'm doing the math in my head I realize that $20 is almost almost 1/2 of my grocery budget. For the whole damn week. YIKES! I don't think so. I ended up making Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Breasts, smashed taters with gravy and peas.

Oh well. Maybe some day if I win the lottery my family can dine on Roast Beef. But, until then, it's chicken and ground beef and the occasional piece of pork - but only when I find it with a bright orange sticker that say "Special Today".

Have a great week!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Breakfast for Dinner!
Cinnamon Swirl French Toast
Sausage

Tuesday
Crock Pot Chili
Cornbread

Wednesday
Chili Lasagna
*RE-Do Recipe*

Thursday
Leftovers/Cereal/PB&J night

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
*see note on Saturday from this post*

Sunday
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Green Salad
Bread

Menu Plan Monday: October 18 - October 24th

2010-10-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while I ask my husband if there is anything in particular that he would like to have for dinner. It is really the least I can do - as he's a good sport - always eats what I make. He only asks that I not feed him chicken more than once a week. And, so you can only imagine my shock and subsequent horror when he said "Hot Dogs & Baked Beans". I don't like Baked Beans. Even the sight of them makes me shudder. But, my husband likes them. And, as he so aptly pointed out to me, just because I don't like something doesn't mean that I can't make it for others. And, so, I'm sucking it up - and the Hubs & Madaline are having Hot Dogs & Baked Beans for dinner. Me? Most likely a bowl of cereal.

And, I must say I'm excited about this weeks Re-Do recipe. I'm not a fan of straight up left overs (unless of course it's pasta related, since that ALWAYS taste better then next day). But, my Re-Do meals? It really does not feel like I'm eating leftovers. And, it has really cut down on our food waste as well as our grocery budget. Tune in Thursday to see how it goes!

I hope everyone has a good week!!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Hot Dogs
Baked Beans (My husband's request)
Chips

Tuesday
Crock Pot Beef Stew
Bake Off Biscuits

Wednesday
Beef Pot Pie
*RE-Do Recipe*

Thursday
Leftovers/Cereal/PB&J night

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
*see note on Saturday from this post*

Sunday
Roast Beef
Ranch, Cheddar & Bacon Oven Roasted Potatoes
Corn

RE-DO Recipe: Slow Cooked Chicken Soup w/ Mini Ravioli's

2010-10-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

I like simple food. Food that warms your soul. Food that makes the drama of the day just melt away. And, even more so, I like food that is eaten, without any form bribery, by a certain 3 year old little girl.

This soup surely fits the bill. It simmers all day long in the crock pot. It used up what was left of the oven roasted chicken we'd had Tuesday night for dinner. I always have stock in my pantry and several varieties of cream of {fill in the blank} soup. All I had to purchase for this soup was the mini ravioli's, carrots & celery. And, the only reason I purchased the mini ravioli's is that I had a $1 off coupon for Wegman's Specialty refrigerated pasta. Also, I try to do a either a crock pot meal or something extremely easy on Wednesday. As it never goes with out fail that Wednesdays are just crazy days for me at work. But, as the clocked ticked down towards 5pm I took comfort in knowing that after I picked up Madaline from daycare I didn't have to scramble home to make dinner. Dinner would be waiting for me. Oh - and was it ever! The yummy aroma wafting from this pot of slow cooked goodness starting tickling my nose as soon as we stepped onto the back porch. And, by the time I had my key in the door my mouth was watering.
And, as if there was some weird gravitation pull in the kitchen, I'd barely set our bags down before the smells of dinner sucked me towards the far end of the kitchen. I did manage to stop momentarily at the fridge to grab the mini ravioli's. Operating on sensory overload, I took the lid off the crock pot to dump in the pasta and was instantly greeted with a a chicken soup facial. Ahhhhh.......20 minutes later - Enough time to have cooked the mini raviolis through, change my cloths, slice a loaf of Italian bread, and hastily set the table, Madaline I were sitting down to dinner.

"Ohhh..MOMMY, CARROTS"..."Ohhhh....MOMMY, 'itle pastas"...."Ohhh...MOMMY, celery"..."Mommy - can I have another piece of bread"

(*sigh* my kid is such a carb junkie)
I think it is safe to say that this one is a keeper!

Slow Cooked Chicken Soup w/ Ravioli's

1 1/4 pounds of cooked chicken *
1 26oz carton of chicken STOCK (not broth! STOCK)
2 stalk of celery, chopped**
1 cup of baby carrots, each carrot cut into thirds
1 can of Cream of {something}***
1 16 oz package for fresh/refrigerated mini cheese filled raviolis****

Mix stock and Cream of {something} in a 3-4 quart crock pot until combined. Add celery, carrots and cooked chicken. Cook on a low for 8 - 10 hours. Turn slow cooker to High and stir in pasta 20 minutes (or until pasta is tender) before you are planning on serving.

*You can use chicken breast, boneless/skinless chicken thighs, or rotisserie chicken - totally your choice. We had Oven Roasted chicken Tuesday night for dinner, and so I just de-boned what was left and used it for this soup

**the original recipe I adapted this from also called for onions. I do not like onions. Not one bit, therefore it is not part of my recipe. If you are were going add onions {shudder} just add 1/2 cup or 1 medium sized onion*

*** I used Cream of Mushroom, but you could easily use Cream of Chicken, really Cream of Anything - just use what you have on hand.

****You can really use any pasta you would like. However I would make sure it was "fresh" or refrigerated pasta. However, if you are using frozen, just leave the bag in the fridge to defrost all day while the soup is cooking.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Muffins

2010-10-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Just like chocolate was meant to be with peanut butter, it only seems natural for caramel to hang out with apple. Right? But, well, dunking apple slices into individual vats of caramel gets redundant. And, as much as I love caramel apples, I'm not a huge fan of them in the traditional sense. Too messy.
And, so last night as Madaline and I were loading up the dishwasher after dinner, I was doing a mental inventory of the ingredients I had on hand. Caramel candy squares? check. Apples? Check. Cinnamon to make it a wee bit spicy and balance the sweetness? Check. Brown sugar and oats to sprinkle on the top? check.

But, what was I going to combine those ingredients with? I wasn't in the mood for cake and all of a sudden Madaline says "Muffins - I want a muffin for snack Mommy". Which lead me too.... Well, thinking about muffins. Muffins are the perfect experimental baking vessel. You can add just about anything to a basic muffin recipe. Blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips, peanut butter, the combination and possibilities are endless. And, it just seemed so natural. So right to want to take one of my favorite fall treats and turn it into a muffin.
Oh my good heaven! Just the smell of these bad boys baking in the oven last night made me weak in the knees. I was drooling all over myself as I was sticking them with a toothpick to make sure the cake part was done. And, I must have burned at least three of my fingers on the molten sugar as I was hastily trying to get the paper wrapper off one of the muffins. And, the gooey caramel with the still slightly crispy apple held together with warm cinnamon laced cake? Heaven, I tell you. Heaven!
recipe adapted and modified from Taste of Home

Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1 cup 2% milk
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 medium to largish apple - diced
* 14 caramel candy squares, quartered

TOPPING:
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4-1/2 cup oats

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and wisk together until combined.

In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in apple and caramels and scoop into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

Tops the unbaked muffins with brown sugar and then sprinkle with oats.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (mine took the full 30 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing a wire rack to cool. You can dig into them warm and they are just as fantastically sticky and yummy the next day cold.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: October 11 - October 17th

2010-10-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Gosh. I wish I was more organized. Really. I make all this really awesome food and I never seem to be able to get any of the recipes posted in a decent manner. No wonder this poor blog only has 12 followers. But, by golly, they are LOYAL followers, and I appreciate them. Just wanted them to all know that. And, if your new here - WELCOME!!! The coffee is always hot and I've usually got a plate of homemade goodies to go with it.

Its been a busy weekend and it is shaping up to be a busy week. I am breaking out the crock pot this week for Wednesday's left over re-do meal. And, I'm already salivating just thinking about what is for dinner tonight. Have a greet week everyone!!!

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Parmesan Orzo and Meatballs
*hopefully I can get this recipe post up this week*

Tuesday
Oven Roasted Chicken
Stuffing
Green Beans

Wednesday
Chicken w/ mini Raviolis Soup
*crock pot left over re-do recipe*

Thursday
Leftovers/Cereal/PB&J night

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
*see note on Saturday/Sunday from this post*

Sunday
Lasagna
Green Garden Salad
Italian Bread

Pumpkin Snack Cake

2010-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love fall. Fall brings with it apples, pumpkins, and the beauty of rainbow colored leaves. I love the chill in the air and filling the house with the warm scents of old fashion home-cooked meals and delectable baked goods. Nothing warms my heart and soul more than spending my Sunday roasting dinner and baking a pan of goodies for the week. And, last Sunday I did just that.
I kept seeing multiple recipes in and around blog land for "Pumpkin Blondies". I love a good "Blondie". LOVE. And, I have been on the hunt to add some more pumpkinlicious-ness to my repertoire of fall baking. I have mastered an amazing pumpkin roll that gets requested every year at Thanksgiving and my husband drools at the mere mention of my pumpkin muffins with my homemade cream cheese frosting. All I was missing was a good fall cookie/bar thingy.
I had really been hoping that this would be it. I admit, while these are good and tasty I was left a little disappointed. When I read the words "BLONDIE", in reference to baking, I expect something that is soft and chewy - kind of like a cookie, but much more substantial. Suffice to say, had these been labeled Pumpkin Bars or Pumpkin Snack Cake I don't think I would have felt a shred of disappointment. Because, that is what they are. They are very dense and cake like.Don't get me wrong - they really are pumpkinlicious. And, the spicy sweetness of the pumpkin and cinnamon is beautifully complimented by the addition of the dark chocolate chips. It's just that I wouldn't call them a "Blondie".Pumpkin Snack Cake
*recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg (more or less - I used a just a little shy of a full teaspoon)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (I was out of regular brown sugar and only had some Splenda Brown Sugar blend for baking on hand. Did not affect the taste what so ever)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Grease with nonstick cooking spray. (I did the whole line with parchment thing - I think it was a bit over-kill. These bars are so moist that as long as you grease your pan well, you should be good to go)

2. In bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Using a mixer, preferably a stand mixer (I used my beloved Kitchen Aid Stand Mix - and NO, I am not a Kitchen Aid spokes person, I just love my Red Stand mixer that much that I feel the need to tell you about it every single chance I get) cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined, then add and beat in pumpkin puree. The mixture is going to look nasty - almost like it is curdled. Don't worry - it's ok. It will work itself out. Trust me.

4. On low speed, add your dry ingredients until just combined.

5. Gently fold in your chocolate chip by hand.

6. Spread batter evenly in your prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.

7. Cool completely in pan - or if you like me, take a fork and do a little taste testing after its been out of the oven for 15 minutes.

These kept really well for me, all week, on the counter, in an airtight container. However, by day 3 the top does get a little sticky. Wednesday night I moved them from the counter to the fridge. And, let me tell you - reheated in the microwave, for about 10 seconds just to take the fridge chill off - DIVINE! Also goes great with a strongly brewed cup of coffee.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: September 27 - October 3rd

2010-09-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been craving spaghetti with meatballs like most women crave chocolate. And, well, I finally did something about it. Granted, I didn't got the extreme known as 'The Meatball Division'. But, I did end up pulling about 70 moist, tender, melt in your mouth MEAT-A-BALLS out of my oven yesterday afternoon at 5:30. Half of them got to spend a little time in a bubbly tomato sauce hot tub. And, the other half you might ask? Well, they are in the freezer.

This week's menu is really about using up the leftovers. Unfortunatly, as the season moves from Summer to Fall and Fall to Winter, money can get a wee bit tight. This means less nights of brand new meals and more nights of re-purposed left overs. But, more on that later this week. Unless the week gets away from me. Like it did last week. (yes, I know I still owe you all a post on how I spend less than $50 a week at the grocery store).

This Week's Menu:

Monday
We've been invited to dinner at my Parents

Tuesday
Cheesy Meatball Sandwiches
Caesar Salad

Wednesday
Garlic & Herb Chicken Brocolli Pasta

Thursday
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
*see note on Saturday/Sunday from last week's post*

Sunday
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Mac & Cheese
Green Beans

So, what are you having for dinner this week? Anything tasty? I'm always looking for new recipe ideas, so please share in the comments section. I'd appreciate it. Really. I would.

Fending

2010-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

I know it's been quite a long time since you've heard from me, mostly since I don't live on my own and have to cook all of my meals.

Which abruptly changed a week ago when I moved into a Welsh flat. And inherited a kitchen, which, thankfully, came with a couple of pots, utensils, and some plates, cups, and other such kitchen stuff. I didn't have to worry about cooking on Monday because the International Office gave us meals in a bag - and I therefore had a tuna sandwich that night and some bran flakes the next morning - and went shopping Tuesday afternoon after a tour of town. So Tuesday was when I had to actually look at what I had bought, look at what I had to work with in terms of utensils, and figure out what to throw together that wasn't going to bloat me up like a balloon.

Baked wheat penne. With a salad and a slice of wholemeal bread and a glass of pinot grigio.

The glass of pinot grigio confirmed that I do indeed dislike white wine.

I don't have a picture of any of that. And there was a little bit of a joke Thursday when I got internet and was finally able to IM my sister that I was turning into a vegetarian because I hadn't bought any meat.

The reason that I didn't buy any meat was that I hesitated since I'm not really sure how to cook it so that it tastes good.

Well, today I bucked up and bought myself some chicken breasts and minced beef (ground beef, for everybody reading in the U.S.) and decided that I was having a grilled cheeseburger tonight. Along with a salad and some red wine in a coffee mug. Legit wine glasses are a little difficult to come by. Coffee mugs? Not so much.

Not quite like dad makes it, but close enough.

And really, if I give myself food poisoning there's only one person to blame.

(I am well aware that it's cock-eyed kiddy whumpus but I don't really know how to fix that. I do, however, know how to make soft-shell tacos using chili mix instead of taco seasoning. But that's a story for another time.)

Menu Plan Monday: September 20 - September 26th

2010-09-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Its getting to be that time of year again. The air is crisp. The leaves are changing to their pretty autumn hues. And, life overall is just sorta starts to slow down. I start to crave actual meals again. Something warm. Something hearty. Something more than cheese, crackers, fruit and veggies shared between Madaline and I because it is so darn hot outside.

And, so, once again, I start to get a wee bit more organized in regards to my meal planning. I take an inventory of what we have in the freezer, the pantry, what we had last week and plan away. Also, Daryl is home for dinner both Monday & Tuesday. Dinner on those days can tend to take a wee bit longer to prep/cook, since I don't have to pick Madaline up from daycare and then come home. Also, because we only get 2 days a week to sit down and eat as a family I try to make meals that just seem to scream and ooze "Family Dinner" to me.

This Week's Menu:

Monday
Shepard's Pie*
Fresh Italian Bread

Tuesday
Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts
Cheesy Ranch & Bacon Roasted Potatoes*
Green Beans

Wednesday
Crock Pot Pork BBQ on Bake off Biscuits
(the link is to the time I used Beef instead of pork. Either works really well, especially on any really cheap cut of beef or pork)
Corn

Thursday
Leftovers/Cereal

Friday
Pizza

Saturday/Sunday
Typically we are on the go so much on the weekends and with Daryl working the late evening shift at the Diner, I don't plan actual meals for Saturday and Sunday. Daryl's too beat when he gets home to eat or its so late that he doesn't want to eat - that cooking dinner becomes a waste. So, we piece dinner together from what left in the fridge, do soup with grilled cheese or we have dinner at my parents

*recipes later this week

So, what are you having for dinner this week? Anything tasty? I'm always looking for new recipe ideas, so please share in the comments section. I'd appreciate it. Really. I would.

Oh - and stayed tuned - later this week I'm going to tell you how I feed my family of 3 for less than $50 every week! Yep - your eyes are not deceiving you - Less than $50 a week!!!!

Farmer's Market Friday: Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

2010-08-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday, on my lunch hour, I go to the Corning Farmer's Market. I do the best I can with making sure that we always have fresh fruits and vegetables in the house, but it can get pricey at the local grocery store. Which is why a Farmer's Market is so awesome. The prices great, the produce picked at the peak of perfection and I am supporting local farmers. It's really a win-win. Yesterday for about $20.00 I came home with sweet corn, cucumbers, baby tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce, fresh garlic, peaches, and of course, blueberries. *wow* And, not to mention the most vibrant bunch of zinnias in shades of red and pink to brighten up the dining room table.
I am not a huge fan of blueberries in this natural state. But, between last week and this week the my favorite vendor has had the most tasty, vibrant, most beautiful lookin' pints of blueberries for sale. *drool* So good in fact, that last week, as Madaline was helping me wash and prep the produce, she devoured so many of the blueberries that there were not enough left for bread or muffins or pancakes. So,this week, I got smart. I separated what I needed for this loaf of bread AND then I let her know that I had them all washed, rinsed and ready for snacking. *win-win*
Now, I mentioned that I am not a huge fan of a raw blueberry. BUT - put it in a cake...a muffin...or even a quick bread, and I am good to go. (and, yes, my dislike for the raw blueberry also extends to the cooked realm as it applies to blueberry pie and blueberries used in crisps and crumbles) (YES....I know I am weird). And, I adore anything that contains Oatmeal - a cookie, a cobbler, a crisp, a cake, a muffin or a quick bread. But, to sit down and eat a bowl of Oatmeal - ahhh...I think not. *gag*Moving on. SO - here, I get what I like best - Cooked Blueberries and Oatmeal, in the form of a somewhat good for you, yummy, bread. I say good for you, because this recipe used brown sugar instead of white and you could very easily substitute applesauce for the oil in a 1:1 ratio.
It made the house smell divine as it was baking last night and this morning I cut myself a slice, dropped it in the toaster.....and OH MY GOODNESS - It was a TOASTY OATMEALY BLUEBERRY HEAVEN.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk (I used regular, 2% cows milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour (I used all-purpose)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oat
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries that have been thawed & drained (I used fresh)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom ONLY of an 8 or 9 inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the brown sugar, milk, oil and eggs until well combined. Set aside and sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add oats to the flour mixture. Reserve 2 teaspoons of flour mixture. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet. Toss blueberries with reserved flour mixture and gently fold into bread batter. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle top with additional oats.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine spent an hour in the oven and my oven temp is fairly spot on). Cool in pan, on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around to loosen from pan; remove from the pan and cool completely, about 2 hours on a wire racks.

Wrapped tightly, bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days or up to 10 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Molten Summer in a Pan

2010-08-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ham Porter: Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?

Smalls: Some more of what?
Ham Porter: No, do you wanna s'more?
Smalls: I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?
Ham Porter: You're killing me Smalls!...
source:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108037/quotes

Summer time just isn't summertime without at least once or twice scalding the delicate skin in the corners of your mouth on a molten hot marshmallow sandwiched between a graham crackers and drenched in melted chocolate.

(fyi: Try a Resee's Peanut Butter cup in place of the Hershey Bar next time you make s'mores - and when you do - let me know - it's a sandwich full of marshmallowly peanut buttery goodness - you will LOVE me forever for sharing that little secret with you)

So...Where were we?????

Ahhh...Yes....S'more Brownies.

What is there not to like about a S'more Brownie? Nothing. At least in my opinion. You get all the goodness of both worlds. The ooey gooey goodness of a S'more and the luscious fudge-y deliciousness of a brownie. Oh my good heaven!

*drool*

S'more Brownies*:
1 Family Six brownie mix in a box + ingredients to make the brownies from the back of the box
One sleeve of graham crackers, broken into bite sized pieces
(there were 8 crackers, 4 rectangles each, in a sleeve, at least in my box)
1 bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
2-3 cups of mini marshmallows (or you can cut a whole bag of regular marshmallows into 4qtrs)

Preheat oven and mix brownies according to package directions. Pour into a foil lined 9x13 inch pan and bake per directions on the back of the box. While brownies are baking, mix your broken grahams, chocolate chips and mallows in a dish and set aside.

(Try to refrain eating this mixture and for the LOVE of all that is HOLY try to keep your toddler from picking out the chocolate chips)

About 7 minutes before the brownies are completely finished baking, remove from over and evenly distribute graham/chip/mallow mixture over to of brownies. Smoosh gently into the brownies, return to the oven, and finish baking.
When finished, your s'more brownies should be puffed, golden, molten and delicious.

*Side Notes:
~When I makes these next time - I will most likely add the extra egg to the brownie batter to make the brownies a cake like consistency. I really think it is necessary considering the weight of the topping that goes on top.

~Wait until the brownies are completely done or within the last 5 - 7 minutes. When I made this batch, I put the topping on during the last 15 minutes of baking. Since my brownies were made to be more fudge like, it took forever for the center of the brownies to get done and as a result some of my marshmallow gooey goodness melted and disappeared into the brownies.

~Also, I made this batch by cutting regular sized marshmallows into quarters. Next time, since they really are only 99 cents a bag, I won't be such a penny pincher and actually make them with mini-marshmallows to get better more even distribution when the topping is added.

~I am not usually a big fan of lining the pan with foil - but, unless you want to be scraping and scrubbing molten mallow goo off your baking dish, I highly recommend that you do.

Enjoy!

What's RED, SWEET and YUMMY? STRAWBERRIES!

2010-06-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

I LOVE strawberries. Madaline LOVES strawberries. And, the prices right now on strawberries are amazing. Just this week I was able to purchase 2lbs of berries for $2.99. And, they are the sweetest most delectable tasting strawberries we have had this season. So good in fact, I have deluded myself in to think I should make freezer jam.

But, that is a different post all on its own.

Back to the berries and all their red yumminess. Last year, I came across a strawberry crostada recipe over at Buns in My Oven. Now, you have to understand, I adore Karly's blog. LOVE IT! I am constantly printing out recipes from there to try. And, the crostada recipe was no expectation. We enjoyed it last summer and this summer was to be no exception. Except - I was going to tinker with the crust.You see, I have a NEW toy in my kitchen. I am a sucker for Kitchen Aid. I think I have said on more than one occasion if I could have babies with my beloved red Kitchen Aid stand mixer I would. And, so, it has a friend to share counter space with now. A sleek, shiny, handsome black Kitchen Aid food processor. And, what is a food processor good for? Making homemade crust. And, so that is EXACTLY what I did. I made homemade crust. And, it was easy - So easy my toddler could do it. So, enjoy. And, unless you are so pressed for time, make the crust from scratch. I swear it will give you extra karma points.

Rustic Strawberry Tart

Heat over to 400 degrees

1.5 - 2lbs of Strawberries

2+ Tablespoons of Sugar

Hull and slice the berries to your liking. Mix in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar or more, depending how how sweet you like your berries. Set aside to do its thing while you make the crust.

Crust:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, COLD cut in 1/2-inch pieces

1.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
6-7 tablespoons chilled water

Cut butter into 1/2 in pieces & place in the freezer while gathering & measuring the other ingredients. Dump flour, sugar and salt into food processor and pulse a few times to mix together. Remove butter from the freezer and add about 2 Tablespoons of butter into the flour mixture. Pulse food processor until just combined. Continue adding butter & pulsing until all the butter is added and your flour mixture resembles small peas. Through the feed tube add 2 tablespoons of your chilled water. Keep adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time until your dough just starts to come together. Turn out on a floured board & pat together. It will be slightly sticky. If its TOO sticky, then add some more flour. Shape into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Filling:

8 ounces of cream cheese, room temp 3 tablespoons of sugara dash of vanilla

Mix room temperature cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside

Assembly:

Roll out your refrigerated crust, to a shape of your liking. I rolled my kinda oblong to fit on my baking sheet. Make sure you can always move the dough on your surface. It's pretty pointless to rough out dough only to have it stick to your rolling surface. Place dough on your desire baking vessel of choice that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread cream cheese mixture to within one inch of the edge of your crust. Cover the cream cheese mixture with your cut berries & sugar. Going all the way around your crosttat folding up the edges all the way around.

Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes depending on how crispy you like your crust. You can serve warm from the oven or nice and cold from the fridge.

Recipie Credit:

http://bunsinmyoven.com/2009/06/22/strawberry-crostada-now-i-can-die-happy/

Crust adapted from:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/simplest-apple-tart/

Stopping To Taste

2010-03-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Two of my photos were recently published on

I am OVER the moon about it. It makes me feel happy and accomplished. Recognized in a way. Know what I mean?

Casey over at TasteStopping graciously renamed my photos with some cleaver tag lines - and for that I am grateful. If you get a chance...Follow the links - check it out:

Need butter composition and Must be the dark chocolate

Orginal TTB blog posts that go with those photos can be found here and here.

Enjoy!

Peabutteroos!

2010-03-18T06:17:00.001-07:00

I gave up baked goods for lent. This includes brownies, cookies, muffins, scones, quick breads, cake, pie and I threw in donuts for good measure. I also gave up soda, but we won't talk about that because discussing how much I miss my beloved diet coke makes me weepy.

But these tasty treats? They don't bake. They didn't require me to turn on the oven. Nope. Just a sauce pan on top of the stove. Think of them as rice krispie treats on steroids. Ok?

As most of you know, I really prefer my cookie bars to be ooey and gooey. Remember this post? But these, they are not technically a cookie bar, so I want these to be chewy. Chewy like caramel. Chewy like salt water taffy. Chewy like they are going to pull all the fillings out my teeth that my parents paid the local dentist years ago to put in.

And, oh my good gracious they are peabutterootastic!

Recipe adapted from Buns in my Oven

*1 cup light corn syrup
*1 cup sugar
*1 cup peanut butter
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*6 cups crisp rice cereal
*1 pkg of chocolate & peanut butter chips

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cookie spray. (This is not the time to be stingy with the cooking spray)

Add sugar and corn syrup to sauce pan and stir over medium heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. (mine don't have vanilla in them, I forgot and I didn't know the difference)

In a large bowl, add six cups of crispy rice cereal. Pour on the peanut butter mixture and stir until all the cereal pieces are coated. Spread in prepared pan.

In a double boiler (or the microwave like I did because I didn't want to drag out my double boiler) melt the chips. Spread on top of cereal and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Wordful Wednesday

2010-03-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the other half of Townsend Bakery hasn't fallen off the face of the Earth, she's just been at college. And is also searching her picture archives for something nice and neutral to place here for a Wordful Wednesday.

This is a village in Germany. Incredibly difficult to get to by bus, but incredibly beautiful once you get there. The Little Mayhem Maker has a postcard from Olly from this village on her refrigerator.

Chicken and Broccoli and Rice! Oh My!

2010-03-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Chicken. Chicken can be a dirty word in our house.

My husband is NOT a fan of chicken. However, I force him to eat it at least ONCE a week. Because, well, nothing meat wise has been on sale and I only buy what ever meat is on sale. And, since nothing has been on sale, we have only been eating what is in the freezer. And all that was left in the freezer, was chicken.

That being said, there are a few chicken dishes my husband will eat. I make a mean chicken enchilada lasagna (coming soon) and a tasty pan full Chinese style of chicken and broccoli with rice (and yes, Olly, it's made with brown rice).

The package of chicken I took out of the freezer only had 3 chicken breast in it. They were HUGE. Plenty for this dish - because you are cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces. And there was plenty for the three of us for dinner plus dish of leftovers for my lunch later this week.

Now, back to the chicken - you want to cut it into bite sized pieces while you melt about 1/4 - 1/2 a stick of butter in a big deep sided pan on the stove. Add your chicken in one layer and leave it alone. We have talked about this before. Give it some time to get nice and brown and yummy. There is flavor in that browned goodness. Really. Trust me.

While you are waiting for your chicken to get brown, start cooking your favorite rice according to the package direction. I took the easy way out and used a boil in the bag brown rice. It only takes about 10 minutes to coo. I also took a short cut and used straight out of the freezer, steam right in the bag via the microwave, a 10 ounce package of broccoli cuts. You know what else? I also cheat and use bottled stir-fry sauce. The International Foods section of my local grocery store (Wegmans) carries a fantastic variety of Asian style sauces and condiments. Take a little help where you can get it. It's fine. Really. Trust me.

By the time you get all that going (your rice & your broccoli) - you can start moving your chicken around. Once my chicken is cooked through, I then added about 1 - 3 Tablespoons of the searing flour and allow it to get nice and toasty. Once that was done, I dumped in about 1/3 - 1/2 a cup (just eye balled it) of my Stir Fry sauce and a 1/3 of a cup of hot tap water. This is the time where you want to use the back of your wooden spoon and scrap all that yummy brown goodness off the bottom of your pan. Your taste-buds will thank you for it.

I let is all bubble away on the stove - adding the broccoli when it is done and then the rice once it finishes cooking. I let it cook together a few minutes so all the flavors and ingredients can get nice and cozy with each other.

Then, all I do is spoon it on a plate, call Madaline to the table and

Dinner is served.

Enjoy!

Hunting Birds

2010-03-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is Murphy - trying to hunt a bird through my dining room window.

Bird

BIRD

no bird.

And, yes, this is a process I have watched him do every morning this week, starting prompty at 7am. I don't think he has realized yet that he is never going to get the bird.

Poor Murphy Kitty.

Enjoy!

For the LOVE of Frosting

2010-02-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

The fact that my daughter decorated cookies.....lots, and lots and LOTS of cookies kind of got lost in the mix of me turning 29+3. These cookies are divine. They are light and flaky, soft and buttery. Everything you would ever wanted in a Sugar cookie. However, they are made from a recipe that has been in the family for years. A recipe that I hope to someday have access to. So, please, don't ask me for the recipie, because, NO, I will NOT share it, and I don't even have it. Perhaps some day my Dad will share it with me. Until then, I am content to let him bake these Sugericious cookies.

I think she really ate more frosting then she put on the cookies.

But, really, Who Care?

And, believe it or not, its been almost 2 weeks since she did this, and it's still something she chatters about.

Also, interested in seeing how Madaline spent her more recent Maddy & Daddy Tuesday? Check out Toothpaste Spatters & Smiles. And, if that is still not enough, go here:

Heather Turns 29 + 3

2010-02-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

A birthday dinner request full-filled.

My favorite yellow layer cake with chocolate frosting so sweet it makes your teeth ache that only my Dad really knows how to make.

And the smiling face of my Mayhem Maker.

My day was complete. All the way around.

Happy Birthday to me!

Enjoy!

The Coffee Lovers Prayer

2010-02-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

My very good friend posted this to her brother on Facebook who is currently living in Japan. Both of whom I know read this space on a regular basis. I hope she doesn't mind - but I 'borrowed' it as it was too good not to share.

*******************

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures;
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz;
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction, I will fear no Equal;
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Dunkin Donuts;
Thou anointest my day with pep;
my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

Early Morning Love

2010-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

My husband had some wonky hours this week & has been home most of the week with Madaline. I have had a week from hell at work. Wednesday, I was up earlier than usual - and I took a few minutes to whip up some Blueberry & Blueberry/Raspberry muffins. It was cold, I was hungry, and I wanted something warm for breakfast. These were ready to come out of the oven before I was even was done drying my hair.

I left them on the counter, with a little note.

Now....who wouldn't want to come downstairs to that and a coffee pot full of liquid french roast?

Enjoy!

This Ain't Your Grandma's Mac & Cheese

2010-01-05T06:33:00.001-08:00

It's FREEZING here. This is what it looks like for us

....only, not as sunny.

I think the HIGH for today is going to be 18 degrees, and it feels more like 10 degrees out. And, when it gets COLD like this, all I want to to put on the table at night, is something that is a casserole dish full of hot, chewy, gooey, cheesy goodness. There is nothing in my arsenal of recipes that fits the bill for my taste-buds other than my homemade Mac & Cheese. But, wait - this is not your Grandma's Homemade Mac & Cheese....This is Townsend Bakery Mac & Cheese. *bobs head up and down*

Now...I don't always make it like this. Every now and again, I want something different. When I made this, as my cheese sauce was melting away doing it things on the stove and the water was bubbling next to it as it cooked the pasta - I decided that I wanted, no, needed, a bit of crunch to balance out the cheesy goodness. Adding the topping to this does just that.

Now....if you want to try to be somewhat healthy with this reciepie...you could use Olive Oil (EVOO) instead of the butter I used. But, then again, I love butter, I love to cook with butter, and well, I think this had been established several posts ago. Therefore, you have all had sufficent warning.

Also, I tend to make my cheese sauce with a mixture of milk and either heavy cream or half & half (which ever is in the fridge at the moment). The velvety texture the cream gives to your cheese sauce can just not be duplicated by milk alone. This is not to say that you can't make this recipe with just milk. I have, especially when using that last of the cream means that there will be none for my morning coffee. Please just make sure you do it with either - whole or 2% - NOT skim....as, because, well, what is the point of making a sinfully delicious stick to your ribs and make your ass grow three sizes just by looking at it mac & cheese if your going to use skim milk?

And, this stuff is soo good and so addicting...you will find yourself sneaking bites of it every single time to go into the kitchen long after dinner is over. Actually, you might find yourself making excuses to go into the kitchen. Not that I would know anything about doing that.......

Homemade Mac & Cheese with Ham
1.5 cups of Heavy cream or Half & Half
1.5 cups of Milk (Whole or 2%)
1 Stick of Butter
1/3 cup of flour
3.5 cups of WHITE Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 - 1.5 pounds of cooked, cubed ham - (I just go to the deli and ask them for a thick, slab like cut of my favorite ham and then cut it into chunks)
1 pound of Pasta, cooked (I typically use Barillas Cellentani Pasta)

Start by making a roux (melt in a large pan, add the flour, cook together for a few minutes until a light toasty brown in color). Whisk in milk until all the roux has disappeared. Then stir in your cream. Continue whisking over a moderate heat until the mixture has thickened. (Do not leave unattended - and DO NOT BOIL THE MIXTURE, as there is nothing nastier than boiled and scorched bechamel sauce). Once thickened, stir in cheese. Once the cheese has melted into the milk/cream mixture, add in ham and pasta.

Pour into a greased or buttered 9X13 inch casserole dish.

Crunchy Topping:
4 - 5 Tablespoons of Butter, melted
1 cups of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of WHITE Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Place butter in a heat proof microwave bowl and melt. It takes about 30 seconds depending on your microwave. Mix in breadcrumbs until you get a nice crumbly mixture. Fold in cheese. Sprinkle crunchy topping mixture over Mac & Cheese. Pop into a 400 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes, until bubbly and topping is a crispy golden brown.

enjoy!

Bread and Butter, a kitchen shoppe

2009-12-18T07:39:00.001-08:00

If you have a moment.... hop on over to Madaline: The Magnificent Mayhem Maker (click here) today. You will be glad you did. I will give you a hint:

So, HURRY UP!

Really....What are you waiting for?

Chocolate Coated Cereal Crunchy Goodness

2009-12-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

*please excuse the messy counter*

I am always looking for quick and easy things to make with Madaline in the kitchen. Something that is simple, and easy, and that she can help with. And, this chocolate coated cereal treat is just the thing.

And, now that I think about it, you could probably make it with any kind of cereal that you may or may not have on hand. Just so long as it had some body to it - as I am just not sure I would make this with rice krispies - know what I mean? I mean, if you are dealing with rice krispies, then I would make rice krispie treats, but, well, that is a whole other post in and of itself.

*ohh....chocolate covered rice krispie treat...nom, nom!*

I would have to also say that my favorite part of making this was when I got to melt the chocolate. And, it goes from this:

to this:

Don't you just want to stick you tongue under that ribbon of chocolaty goodness?

And, once you have your chocolate melted, just stir it into your bowl full of cereal and pretzels & chocolate coated candies. Once everything is evenly coated, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. However, since this makes a HUGE amount, I actually had to split mine between two cookie sheets to harden. That being said, I am not the most patient person in the world, I ended up putting the cookie sheets in the fridge. It only took about an hour or so.

And, oh, my, GOONNESS!!!! It is heavenly. It's hard not to open up the fridge every time I am in the kitchen and snarf handfuls of this down. Yes....snarf it down by the handful.

*snarf, snarf*

TTB Chocolate Coated Cereal Crunchy Goodness

3 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Honey Nut Chex
3 cups of Cherrios
1 cup of Pretzel Sticks
1 bag of M&M's
2 - 12oz. bags of White Chocolate Chips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt White Chocolate chips until smooth. Stir melted chocolate into cereal/pretzel/M&M mixture until all is well combined. Pour onto cookie sheets and spread into a single layer. Allow to sit about 4 hours until chocolate hardens or speed up the process by placing cookie sheets in the fridge. Once hardened, break into chunks and store in a sealed container or food storage bag, in the fridge.

enjoy!

Toffee Choclate Chip Cookie Bars

2009-12-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

It is safe to say that I have been on the hunt for a basic Blondie bar recipe for a while. One that I could manipulate according to what ever mood I was in. Think of it it like owning multiple pairs of black shoes - a black shoe is a black shoe, in that the color is the same, but they are infinitely different at the same time. Each difference may be very subtle, whether it be heel height, style, or material, but, it is an important difference in how it pulls together an outfit. Cookie bars are the same way. Once you have a standard base recipe, you can tailor your add ins, much like you choose one pair of black shoes over another.

I also believe that when it comes to cookie bars, that folks fall into one of two categories. You are either a Soft & Chewy or an Ooey & Gooey. Really...Ask yourself...What to you look for in a cookie bar? No crust? Hard Edges? Everything but the kitchen sink added in? Just some chocolate chips? No nuts? And, most importantly, Soft & Chewy or Ooey & Gooey? When I asked myself what I was looking for, I realized that that I wanted a subtle, complex mix of flavors. No hard edges, I always only eat the inside pieces, and they MUST BE SOFT & CHEWY!

And, so, in my quest, to find the perfect pair of black shoes, err, Blondie recipe, I discovered a very simple, very delicious, basic recipe over at Smitten Kitchen. I took it, Madaline and I baked it, and we made it ours. I was a happy camper - and now that I have such a dynamite base recipe - my mind is swarming with different flavor combination.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

1 cup of Butter - Melted
2 Cups of Brown Sugar (I used light brown sugar & lightly packed it)
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons of Good Vanilla Extract (I never measure this - I just pour in what I think looks like what the recipie is asking for)
2 cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Bag of Toffee Pieces (I used Heath Bar Pieces - sold in the baking isle)
1/2 - 3/4 of a Bag of Chocolate Chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter or Spray grease a 9 x 13 inch - set aside

Mix the melted butter & brown sugar until smooth and well combined. (My toddler did this with a wooden spoon). Add the eggs and vanilla - mix until combined. Mix in the flour and once that is incorporated, gently stir in the toffee pieces and chocolate chips.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 - 45 minutes, depending on if you want Ooey & Gooey or Soft & Chewy. Mine were in the oven for about 40 minutes or so. These need to cool completely before cutting. Actually, if you can, let them sit over night first before cutting or eating. My thought is that they actually taste their best, after they have sat for about 24 hours.

Enjoy!

Simple Supper

2009-11-18T05:16:00.001-08:00

I don't have a lot of time in the evenings to make dinner - I don't get home till shortly after 5:30. However, it is still important to me, as a Mom, to put a nice home cooked meal on the table.

Yesterday morning, before I left for work, I shoved a beef roast in the crock pot with an entire bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce. When I got home, I pulled the beef out - and set it aside. I cut about 4 medium sized white potatoes, leaving the skins on, and set them to boil in a shallow pan. I then, skimmed the fat off the BBQ sauce, and transferred it to an sauce pot of the stove. I whisked in a couple of spoons fulls of flour and brought it to a boil. While my potatoes simmered, I worked at shredding up the beef and dumped it into the boiling BBQ mixture on the stove.

Once this was done, my potatoes were fork tender, since I had cut them into small pieces, and so I drained them. As they were draining in the sink, I put some bake off biscuits on a cookie sheet and threw them in the oven. I then melted a 1/2 a stick of butter in the pan I just cooked the potatoes in & added the potatoes, in a single layer, back in the pan. I then simply sprinkled them with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. (And, folks, the key to crispy taters - put them in the pan and LEAVE THEM ALONE - I only flipped my taters once, after they had been cooking in the pan for about 7 minutes). The oven timer went off, the biscuits came out of the oven, I plated it all up and we sat down to dinner.

Wordless Wednesday - Twilight

2009-11-11T06:09:00.001-08:00

ROCKIN' Chix Tortilla Soup

2009-11-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

Forever ago, I tweeted about how I needed a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. Thankfully, people replied. I got recipes from Jennifer who blogs at Playgroups Are No Place For Children, from LZ who authors My Messy Paradise, and of course, the ever lovely I can always count on Connie of The Young & the Relentless.

I printed off the recipes - and then sat down and made a grocery list. I selected my favorite ingredients from each list. And, what I noticed, is essentially I ended up with chicken, stock, stewed tomatoes, salsa, tortilla chips and shredded Mexican cheese blend on my list.

To get started, I diced up about 2 pounds of chicken breast, sprinkled it with some pan searing flour, salt & pepper, then bowned it up in 2 - 3 tablespoons of butter in my large dutch oven. Oh - before we move on, Let's talk about butter for a moment...shall we?

butter photo credit click here

Yes - I cook with butter - I like the flavor it gives to my food and so to hell with the fat and calorie content. I cook with butter - I *think* I already said that. And, since we are taking this side trip - lets talk about the chicken for a moment. Put it in the pan and LEAVE IT ALONE. Let it BROWN. Let it do its thing. You want all those tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan. You need them there. They will make you happy. Trust me.

After my chicken cooked, I dumped in the whole carton of chicken stock, 2 14oz cans of stewed tomatoes, a 24oz jar of medium heat salsa and brought the whole pot up to a boil. I then turned down the heat and let it simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes.

Then, viola - SOUP! To serve it, I crushed a handful of tortilla chips into the bottom of a bowl, sprinkled the chips with shredded Mexican cheese blend, and ladled the soup on top. I then took the biggest spoon I have in the drawer, curled up with my favorite blanket in my favorite chair and lost myself in my soup bowl.

Enjoy!

Its Not Delivery - It's Townsend Bakery

2009-10-13T06:07:00.001-07:00

My sister, Molly, affectionately known as Ollie was home over last weekend for Fall Break. Since she can't eat regular Pizza, I decided to make homemade Pizza. Well, somewhat homemade. I cheated on the crust and the sauce. Wegman's makes these really fab large pizza crusts. Just layer on your toppings, stick in the oven, and 20 minutes later you have a pizza that is better than you could ever get via delivery.

I started out by slicing a nice heirloom tomatoe and one yellow bell pepper.

Then, I diced up about 1/2 a pound of bacon and fried that up. Because, well, everything tastes better with bacon.

Then, I added about 1 Tbsp. of butter some of the reaming bacon fat in the pan after I removed the bacon, and tossed in a package of sliced baby bella mushrooms.

*Remember: don't salt your mushroom when you add them to the pan, allow them to cook for about 5 minutes before you season, other wise it will take forever for them to brown up.*

Spread some Alfredo sauce on your pizza crust - We used a Whole Wheat crust. Then top the sauce with your cooked bacon & mushrooms. I then neatly arranged the tomatoes around the outside of the crust, and then piled the peppers in the middle. I popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes to give the sauce and raw veggies a chance to heat thru before adding the cheese.

Once the 10 minutes is up - I just took it out, smothered it with 2 cups of Shredded Pizza Blend cheese & slide it right back in the oven.

About 10 minutes after that, I had Pizza Heaven - right in my own kitchen. No scary delivery boy needed.

It was good. So, good in fact, that I ate two slices, my sister ate two slices, my mom ate two slices, and even the Mayhem Maker at a slice.

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2009-10-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I purchased some Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk cookies from a local grocery store. For grocery store cookies, they rocked my world. They were good. And, I said to myself, these can't be too hard to make. So I went searching for a recipe. I came across Ina Garten's Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Now. I must tell you, I am a HUGE fan of Ina Garten. Love her. I secretly wish that she some days stumbles across my blog and invited me to cook in her kitchen. Because, well, that would just simply rock my world

Anyway, where was I? Oh. That's right. Cookies.

You start with the usual suspects - sugar & eggs and of course, white chocolate.

You mix it all up - as usual - and you end up with vat full of chocolaty goodness, that is only going to get even more gooder (yes, I know that I not a word, but, it seemed like it fit the best)

I could probably just sit down with a spoon right at this moment. No need to bake, expect for the fear of salmonella from the raw egg.

Are they not beautiful? Big, beautiful rounds of chocolate goodness?

And, of course, if I drank milk, I would need to have these with a glass of milk. Because it seems like the right thing to do, especially with salad plate sized chocolate cookies.

Who wants to stop by for cookies and milk?

Apple Cake w/ Powdered Sugar Glaze

2009-09-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Madaline and I picked 30lb of apples. I have been baking with apples like crazy lately. And, this cake, THIS CAKE ROCKS!!!

So - you need to gather up your ingredients and usually everything I bake, gets mixed my RED Kitchen Aid stand mixer. (Yes, I love my mixer so much I would have babies with it if I could)

The recipe only call for 3 cups of applies. I figured 5 good sized apples would do the trick - It didn't matter to me if it came out to be more than three cups.

And, of course, what cake is not complete without some butter AND cream cheese?

Cream that yummy goodness together, and try not to take a spoon and start eating it - especially after you add in the flour and other dry ingredients.

(please excuse the photo quality - that corner in my kitchen is a bit dark)

After you get everything mixed together, then you need to fold in your chopped up apples

And, after you pour this applely (is that even a word?) batter in your greased spring form pan, recruit your toddler to cover the entire top of the cake with cinnamon sugar

And, after it came out of the oven, I thought it looked a little naked, so, I made a simple powdered sugar glaze..

And, then it didn't look so naked anymore...

It looked good enough to eat..

Thanking Thursday

2009-09-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

(Been a while, I know. Lemme see if I can remember how to do this while I procrastinate on my history paper a little more....)

A Few of my Favorites....

+Surprising a certain little girl at her daycare

+Monster Cookies made with TTB love

+Having a Starbucks on campus

+Sitting on the hill and watching soccer accompanied by a sibling

+Being the only girl on the field

+Being healthy

+Feeling good after an organic chemistry exam

+Thank Goonness tomorrow is Friday

+When my sister "borrows" my Focus so that hers and mine can have a playdate

+A mix of Yahoo! music videos to help me write my paper due, of course, tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday - Hybrid Beauty

2009-07-22T06:59:00.001-07:00

The Meatball Division

2009-07-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Townsend Bakery does not merely stop at baked goods; we actually do food, too. Normally, when Heather bakes or cooks, it's usually only for 6 people (just our "family") or, at most on some days, 9 (our "family" plus our aunt and uncle and grandmother). Most of the times the baked goods stay between our two houses. At most, she makes a double batch of things.

Not so with the meatballs.

Considering that we break out the meatballs at special occasions (graduations, marriages, the lake, etc..) and considering that there's quite a few in our extended family, when we do meatballs and cookies, we do them in mass. Let me share some numbers from this morning's meatball frenzy.

- 19.5 pounds ground beef
- 3.25 cup oil
- 13 eggs
- 13 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 9.75 cups of bread crumbs
- 1.5 teaspoons of pepper
- 6.5 cups of milk

Mix it all well, and then break out the melon ballers. Onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and into this oven at 300 degrees.

To help speed this process up, not only were two pots of coffee consumed, but also some delightful pastries from the local DD.

The grand result: 415 meatballs.

Did I mention we had a crowd to feed? Well..mathematically speaking, if we have 70 people, that's only about 5.98687 meatballs per person. Get 'em while they're there.

Thankful Thursdays....

2009-06-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

These are a few of My Favorite Things.....

The Hubby's New Job

Ice Cold Chunks of Watermelon

Big Beautiful Peony Blooms

The Tart Sweetness of Strawberries

Lil' Mayhem Maker in Braided Piggy Tails

Five Minutes of Silence

Moon lite Back Yards

Thanks on a Thursday

2009-06-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things.....

+ The beautiful place that I live

+ Having the courage to do the right thing

+ A flowy summer skirt

+ The smell of a shirt that's been hung in the country air to dry

+ The baby bunnies that live under the boat trailer

+ Napping with both the cat and the dog

+ A little mayhem maker who makes life a bit more interesting on a daily basis

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Finally....the day comes to an end.

Wordless Wednesday....

2009-06-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tasteful Tuesdays

2009-06-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

Bananas! "BA-NANAS" BANANAS!

I like bananas. Really, I do. As long as they do NOT smell like a Banana and as long as they do NOT taste like a banana. Needless to say, it only takes about 2 days after I bring home for a banana to reach this stage. Good thing, that Madaline and my husband, LOVE, and I mean LOVE, baked goods that are made with Bananas. '

So, today, I am sharing with you, my latest and greatest BA-NANA Bread Recipe.

EnJoy!

2 1/2 all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups over-ripe mashed bananas
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup chocolate chips (if you want - these are optional - sometimes I add them, and sometimes I don't)
1 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; stir to mix well. In the bowl of an electric mixer (I use my kitchen aid for this), beat together shortening, vanilla, sugar, mashed bananas, and eggs. When well beaten, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix only until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips if you are adding them. Butter and flour a loaf pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for several minutes. Run a bread knife around edges of loaf pan to free it from sides and remove from pan. Rub the top of the still-warm loaf with a pat of butter to soften and glaze the top, if desired.

Serve this tasty goodness with gobs of butter or it is also tasty, or so I have heard, with some cream cheese smeared on the top.

Simplified SINfullness

2009-06-15T05:11:00.001-07:00

Take a box of these:

and, then a box of these:

Make both boxes, in the same bowl, according to the package direction. Spread the ooey gooey goodness, known as brownie batter, into a lightly greast 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven, for about 45 - 50 minutes, depending on the quirks of your oven. Cool completely, and then enjoy.

You will get this:

and eventually this, in LESS THAN 24 hours:

Thankful Thursdays....

2009-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things................

Yogurt, fresh berries & crunchy granola clusters

FINALLY able to wear ALL my pre-Madaline jeans

Freshly made & Slightly Warm Rice Krispie Treats

Fountain Soda - Specifically Diet Coke

Crisp, Sweet Green Grapes

Emerging Toddler Independence

The Warming Rays of a Setting Sun

the absence of complication

2009-06-10T05:23:00.001-07:00

Speechless

2009-06-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

How we are. And how we always will be.

Thanks.

2009-06-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

My take on Thankful Thursdays.

+Being healthy

+"Side! Side! Ollie side!"

+When my muse and my focus get together for a play date.

+My cousin and my sister both of whom I can tell anything.

+The smell of asphalt in a south summer breeze.

+The fresh scent of lake.

+A little hand in mine when we get (ice) "cream" on Fridays.

Thankful Thursdays....

2009-06-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

These are a few of My Favorite Things....
**think: "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things"**

The Smell of Fresh Cut Grass

Freshly Laundered Bed Sheets

Star Filled Night Skies

3 Hour Afternoon Naps

Spontaneous Play Dates

Zabar's Cappucino & Fudge Coffee

Slippers with Fuzzy Linings

'mommy, Mommy, MOMMY!' - as I come through the door after a llloonnnggg day at work

No Words Required..

2009-06-03T06:23:00.001-07:00

Red Shoes Rock!

Tasteful Tuesdays

2009-06-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

You can find the recipe here....Sweetheart Trifle

When I make this - I use Peanut Butter cups instead of Crunch Bars and I always make a double batch of the peanut butter sauce. If you are like me, then you can NEVER have to much PB Sauce. And, as long as you layer this the day you are going to eat it, go ahead, make real whip cream - don't settle for that frozen stuff out of a tub! Oh - and also - make the cake in a bundt pan - It's easier to layer the slices, if you choose, and also easier for your Mayhem Maker to snack on the left over cake.

Thankful Thursdays....

2009-05-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

Life is hard right now - and in times like these, it is important to remember what we are thankful for. A colleague of mine, sent the following to me. I thought it fit right in, on our second installment of Thankful Thursdays.....

However, it is important to note, that credit for today's list goes to Regina Brett. Regina Brett is a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. Her column runs on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

So, without further ado....

45 Life Lessons w/ 5 more to Grow on...

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Wednesday Without Words

2009-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Could basically sum up a usually workday.

Wordless Wednesday....

2009-05-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Seems that I stumbled upon an interesting 'tradition' in Blog land.....Wordless Wednesday's. Let me see what I can dig out of the catacombs for our first installment. Though, I am sure I should choose wisely, as my 'baker in training' will most likely blow me away with her addition if I am not careful. Oye!

My favorite person.....during my favorite time of year, on one of the best days of my life.

Thankful Thursdays....

2009-05-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

These are a few of My Favorite Things....

**think: "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things"**

OPI Sweet Heart Nail Polish

My bright red Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

The scent of a freshly bathed Madaline the Mayhem Maker

Tres Smooches from my hubby

Flip Flops

Warm sunny days

Daises and any other sort of wild flower

The smell of brand new leather shoes

Soft fluffy bath towels