Cheddar Biscuits and Gravy

Growing up we used to love it when my dad would make homemade biscuits & gravy for dinner. Craving some comfort food I found a good recipe from Sandra's Money Saving Meals.  For the gravy I just cooked a pound of pork and only used half, freezing the remainder in a ziplock bag. 

Gravy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown pork.  Season with a little salt & pepper and set pork aside in a separate bowl. Drain any excess liquids from pan.

2. In the same skillet whisk together the oil and flour over medium heat. Add milk, thyme, salt & pepper.  Keep whisking over medium heat till thickened. Add cooked pork and serve.

Cheddar Biscuits

 Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 3/4 cup milk
•  1 Tbsp parsley
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, & salt.  Using a pastry blender cut in the shortening (if you do not have a pastry blender then you can use a fork to cut in the shortening or use a food processor).

2. Add melter butter, milk, & parsley stirring till just blended.  Gently fold in the cheddar cheese. 

3. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and drop large spoonfuls of the biscuit mixture onto the sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes till it just starts to turn brown.

Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

My mom gave me this little cookbook/pamphlet called Cake Mix Miracles.  I have no idea where she got it but it has all sorts of fun recipes that are quick & easy using a box of cake mix.  Mmmmmm cakes, cupcakes, cookies...I just had to try it out. These cupcakes remind me of the hostess cupcakes you buy in the store and definitely a fun thing to whip up for a kids party.  Emma was thrilled to help me make them and even more thrilled to make sure they tasted good enough for daddy to try some.

Self- Filled Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) box of devil's food cake mix
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened 
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pans, filling to half way.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg beating well. Stir in chocolate chips.  Spoon 1 tsp cream cheese mixture into the center of each cupcake.  Cover the top of the cupcake with 1 tsp batter.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks. Store in fridge.

so why cant we forget baking & just eat the batter?

Brownies to die for

My Super Bowl treat to bring to our friend's house for the past couple of years has been brownies.  Brownies you say?  How boooooring....
Oh contrare, these are not your everyday brownies but the real thing made with melted chocolate...and I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips just to see people swoon.  I love the very few ingredients this requires, you would never know it cause of the richness and complexity of the flavors.
This recipe came from a very old Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, the kind of cookbook that the pages remain together only because of the food stains sticking them.
Instead of a birthday cake I make these brownies, its become a requirement every year now from my family. Try it with the mashed banana, gives it a little extra something!

Enjoy!

Moosewood Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

• butter for the pan
• about 5oz semi sweet chocolate 
• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (not melted!)
• 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour (use 3/4 cup for fudgier brownies)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 rip banana, very well mashed (optional)

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Gently melt the chocolate, let it cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Cream the butter and sugar in a medium-sized bowl until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.

5. Stir constantly as you drizzle in the melted chocolate. After all the chocolate is in beat well for a minute or two.  Beat in the cinnamon and banana .

6. Stir in flour, mix just enough to blend thoroughly.

7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Bake 25- 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into squares while still hot, then allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Back in time when calories meant nothing

Don't you just love this.

You mean I can eat all I want and lose weight? Wow!  At only 261 calories I could eat the whole thing for just 2,600 calories! Amazing!

My mom recently sent me several stacks of magazine clippings and recipe cards she had been holding onto for a while and this one cracked me up.  Since January is such a diet month I thought you guys would get a chuckle.

Maybe this is the chocolate cake diet ... sounds like something I would come up with.. hahaha

Roasted Root Veggies and Chocolate Truffles

Christmas Day we had our tradition of going over to the Jackson's house for feasting and visiting.  With my sister's family included there is usually close to 20 people so it makes for a really nice celebration of the holiday.  There is always tons of good food and the delicious opportunity of stuffing yourself to where you can't move....ahhhhh i love it!
I decided to bring over a batch of my homemade eggnog since it was so additively yummy.  My personal preference is the non rum version so I made it without and just let people add rum if they wanted it.  About 5 minutes after we brought out the eggnog it was gone so I am thinking that it was a success.  :)
I also brought a veggie dish and in my grand tradition of being weird I decided to make roasted root vegetables: parsnips, carrots, rutabagas, & turnips.  I saw someone cook with them on TV and it looked good so why not!   Jeff summed it up perfectly when he saw me chopping them up -  "who even uses those vegetables anymore?".  Exactly!   That's why I gave him specific instructions to not tell people what they were - these veggies have a bad rap.  (even I didn't know what a rutabaga looked like).  I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the turnips turned out  - they were really good and had the look and texture of roasted potatoes.

Carrots,   parsnips,   turnips,   rutabagas 

The veggies were half gone before I told anyone what they were eating.  This turned out to be a good healthy recipe that was really simple - and Jeff went for seconds so cheers!

Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients:

• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Rutabagas
  
• Turnips
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel and cut the vegetables into same size pieces. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over the veggies.  Drizzle olive oil over and toss to coat.

3. Pour out veggies in either a casserole dish or cookie sheet - using two if necessary to make a single layer.  Roast in oven for about 45 minutes till tender, turning them a couple of times during cooking.  Add a little more olive oil if they seem to be getting too dry.

The last thing I made came from the Food Network's Giada's Everyday Italian.  The recipe looked too good to pass up: Balsamic Chocolate Truffles.  I know, balsamic vinegar in chocolate?  But it really worked well.  This is something that you eat one of and your sweet tooth is cured for the rest of the year, very rich!

Balsamic Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• 8 1/2 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

1. Slowly melt chocolate and cream in a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. 

2. Place chocolate in bowl and add vinegar mixing well.  Cool in fridge for at least one hour.

3. Put cocoa in bowl (I did a chopped walnut mixture too).  Scoop out chocolate and form into little balls.  Roll chocolate in cocoa power or nuts and set in a single layer.  Place back in fridge for at least 15 minutes to set.  Store in airtight package

Pumpkin Muffins

I got this great recipe for pumpkin muffins from my mother-in-law Barbie when we were visiting last.  Emma fell in love with them and, as they are not loaded with sugar and pretty healthy for a muffin, I was grateful for the addition of this to the super picky eater's diet.  To give it a little extra healthy punch for her I sift in (to keep the big pieces out) some milled flax seed .... & to make it not so healthy for Jeff I add chocolate chips to his.  Yes I am the evil stepmother who doesn't let her stepdaughter know there are chocolate chip versions out there - I figured she gets enough sugar in her life & she already thinks the muffins are a treat (for breakfast this morning she ate 3 big muffins and 2 little ones .. yikes!)

The best part about this is that it freezes well and with a quick zap in the microwave for 30 seconds you have yourself a nice warm snack.  I copied Barbie's method of freezing by wrapping each one individually in clear plastic wrap. 

My friend Jen found the best combination  - pumpkin muffins and hot Chai!   Breakfast of Champions

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 4 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 6 oz chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Beat oil and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin and beat once more.

3. Sift in spices, baking soda & powder.  Sift in flour and mix well.  Add chocolate chips last.

4. Line a muffin pan with cupcake wrappers or use nonstick cooking spray.  Drop spoonfuls into cups and bake 15-18 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean (for medium sized muffins).

5. For a pumpkin cookie version drop spoonfuls on a grease a cookie sheet and bake 18-20 minutes.

Saving for later. .....mmmm... maybe later today