Sweet Pickles…………Easy and Sweet!!!

4 Comments

Posted on September 9, 2013

Summer is coming to a close and the garden’s are producing some late blooming goodies.

I got my hands on some good seedless cucumbers or some might call them “burpless” even “English”, in any case I like using these cucumbers for making pickles, so I had about 30 minutes on my hands and I made Sweet Pickles 🙂

Ingredients

Slice the cucumbers, I used my Wolfgang Puck’s Crinkle Cutter 🙂

Put into a colander, sprinkle with salt, let set for 30 minutes

In a medium saucepan add, sugar, salt, onion powder, mustard & celery seed

Add both vinegar’s

Add colman’s mustard and stir to combine

Bring to a boil

Rinse the salted cucumbers

I used a 2 quart jar

add the cucumbers

then vinegar mixture, fill to the top, put lid on, let cool about an hour on the counter, then keep in refrigerator

Eat them plan or on a burger…how about a grilled cheese 🙂

Recipe

4 Cucumbers (seedless, burpless, English)
2 tbsp. mustard seed
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 tsp. celery seed
2/3 apple cider vinegar
2 3/4 cup white vinegar
2 1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. colman’s english mustard

Slice cucumbers and place in a colander, sprinkle with 2 tsp. kosher salt and toss, let stand in sink to drain for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile in a medium sauce pan add sugar, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, onion powder, mustard & celery seed, then add both vinegar’s, stir in colman’s mustard, bring to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
After 30 minutes rinse the cucumbers with cold water, then add cucumbers to the jar. You can use any size jars, just fill your cucumbers to the top. Add liquid to jars covering the cucumbers, put the lid on and let stand on the counter for an hour. Keep in refrigerator, and eat them up 🙂

I hope everyone had a great summer, I have been extremely busy and will continue to be busy into the fall, so bare with me as I might be even slower getting more recipes out, but more are to come I a sure you.
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read and enjoy my recipes!! 🙂

Brown Bread!!

12 Comments

Posted on August 22, 2013

No I don’t mean like Whole Wheat bread…I mean Brown Bread, this is a sweet or quick bread and bake in a CAN!!

Yes I said a can…you know a can that veggies come in or soup

I grew up having brown bread in our house my Mom would make this as well as my Grandma…I don’t think I ever thought it was odd baking it in a can…I was a kid it was a cool thing 🙂

Wikipedia says –

New England or Boston brown bread is a type of dark, slightly sweet steamed bread (usually a quick bread) popular in New England. It is cooked by steam in a can, or cylindrical pan.
Brown bread’s color comes from a mixture of flours, usually a mix of several of the following: cornmeal, wheat, whole wheat, graham flour, or rye, and from the addition of sweeteners like molasses and maple syrup. Leavening most often comes from baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) though a few recipes use yeast. Raisins are often added. The batter is poured into a can, and steamed in a kettle. While most variations are quick breads, and can be made in less than an hour, several commercial brands are available. Brown bread is somewhat seasonal, being served mostly in fall and winter, and is frequently served with baked beans.

I really had forgotten about this Brown Bread until I read this blog “A Small Insight” http://asmallinsight.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/mammas-fruit-loaf/
Lucy call it “Mamma’s Fruit Loaf and when I read this post and saw what it was, I immediately thought of Brown Bread 🙂

So go to her blog and check her out and her recipe for her Mamma’s Fruit Loaf 🙂

All know is that I really was not a big fan growing up, but now this stuff if great and I like mine with butter, now my Mom likes her’s with cream cheese. So its up to you on which way you eat it, its also good heated in the microwave 🙂

My recipe here is is made with a couple of can, I also used small paper loaf pan, easy to give as gifts and I made some today for our office and I used a Bundt pan and it just came out so nice…perfect with you were having people over for coffee or tea, it’s perfect.

Now I did compare my brown bread to the ‘Can” kind you find in the store and let me say, I thought the store bought one was very dense, dry, very little raisins compared to mine. And the flavor well I am sorry to say it was just plan awful…sorry if you like it, I just didn’t care for it 🙂

Store bought

Ingredients

Raisins and water in a small sauce pan

add flour, salt, baking soda and bran/bran buds to bowl

Mix together

cream butter and sugar

stir in egg and vanilla

add dry mixture and stir a little

add raisin mixture

Fold to combine

pour batter into your containers

bake

this is the can

this looks so good

this is store on left and mine on right

You can see that mine has so many more raisins

Both buttered and ready to eat

Out come, like I said did not care for the store bought, took one bite 😦

Mine oh it looks so good!!!!

Brown Bread Recipe

1 1/2 -2 cups raisins
2 cups water
1 cup Bran or Bran Buds Cereal
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

4 – 16oz. cans (fill 2/3 full)- bake for 35-55 minutes, small loaf pans (fill half full) – bake 30 minutes, large loaf pan (fill half full to 2/3’s) – bake 40 – 50 minutes, bundt pan (whole recipe) – bake 45 minutes. With any of these just keep an eye on it, when you stick a toothpick or skewer in bread it should come out clean, it then is done. Cool upside down on a cooling rack.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

In a small to med sauce pan add water and raisins, bring to a boil over med-high heat, once it boils, remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl add flour, bran/bran buds, salt and baking soda, stir to mix…set aside
In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar for 1 minute, then stir in egg and vanilla, then add dry mixture, stir it a little and raisin mixture, fold to fully combine.

Pour into your WELL greased or spray baking container, and bake. Let cool enough to handle and then you can dig in 🙂

The Bundt pictures

Banana Bread!!!!

8 Comments

Posted on August 8, 2013

Okay who doesn’t like Banana Bread 🙂

I love Banana anything…cakes, muffins, cookies, bread, ice cream, yogurt, candy!!!

Oh and have you seen the **NEW** Dole Dippers, slices of bananas dipped in dark chocolate and FROZEN can you say

YUMMMMMMMMYYYY!!!!!!

I can, I have had them and they are addicting, they even have them with chopped almonds sprinkled on top too 🙂 They come 6 packages in the box, 100 calories a package, so well worth it 😛

So have a pack of those so when you have a slice of this Banana Bread you will not feel so guilty 🙂

So we’ve all had the few bananas sitting on the counter that are slightly or way past their prime…right 😛

I think what most people think of when that happens to the bananas is….BANANA BREAD TIME!!

So here’s my Banana Bread recipe 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!!

Ingredients

whisk together, four, salt and baking soda

add bananas to bowl and mash

then add sour cream and vanilla to bananas

mix together

cream butter and sugar

for about 3 minutes

add egg yolks

beat to combine

fold in half flour mixture

then add banana mixture and rest of dry

beat egg whites just until frothy

fold into batter, but don’t over work it

I used mini loaf pans, you can also find paper baking loaf size too, for easy gift giving

Then bake and done

This recipe is so moist you will never use another 🙂

Recipe

1 stick of butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. sour cream
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

pans – 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 loaf pan, or mini loaf pans or small bundt pan.

In a small bowl add mashed banana, sour cream and vanilla, mix to combine.

In another small bowl add flour, salt and baking soda, whisk to combine, set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl for about 3 minutes, then add egg yolks and beat until combined.
Fold in 1/2 of dry mixture, then add banana mixture and the rest of the dry.

In a clean dry bowl add egg whites and beat for about 30 – 45 seconds just until frothy, then fold egg whites into the batter.

Just until combined, try not to over work the batter.

Bake for regular size loaf pan 45 minutes to 1 hour, mini loaf pans about 30 minutes, check by inserting a toothpick in the center and comes out clean.

Enjoy!!!!

S’Meaches!!!!

7 Comments

Posted on June 24, 2013

S’Meaches…………………WHAT THE HECK ARE S’Meaches??????????????????????????

That is what everyone has been asking me since I’ve told them I’m going to make S’Meaches!!!

It’s like S’Mores but with peaches and a little kick 😉

Funny I first heard about S’Meaches in a meeting at work, the video (below) is going to be featured in a few of our stores on huge TV Screens to promote the great tasting peaches we have for sale.

Click this link below for the video

https://vimeo.com/28647609

They are some good peaches too…I’ve been adding them to salads, oatmeal, making my spicy peach chicken, I could go on and on 🙂

But I want to talk about S’Meaches….this is not my recipe, this recipe is all over the internet but of course I have to change it 🙂

Only thing I did was use 2 peach slices and 2 marshmallows…next time I would add some cinnamon to the brown sugar, but using cinnamon graham crackers would do the trick too 🙂
I just thought 2 peaches would make it better and of course adding a second marshmallow made it even gooier 😛

So if you don’t have a huge fire to cook these at then just use your grill just like I did…let’s take a look 🙂

Ingredients

Slice peaches, mix cayenne and brown sugar together
(next time I will add the cinnamon)

dredge slices in brown sugar mixture

add peach slices to a skewer

I grill peaches first, until tender and caramelized

add marshmallows, hold over grill until lightly brown

ready for graham crackers

marshmallow down with peach on top then top with another marshmallow

Eat and enjoy!!!

Recipe

1 peach, sliced into 8 slices and halved horizontally

8 marshmallows

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (i will add this next time)

Graham Crackers

skewers

Mix the cayenne, cinnamon and brown sugar, and dredge the peaches in it.
Put 2 slices on skewer, grill over a medium-low flame until caramelized and brown, add 2 marshmallows and toast over flame until light brown.

Break graham crackers into 2 pieces, add marshmallows to top and to bottom piece, then add peaches, put them both together and Enjoy!!!

So quick and easy!!!!! Try it at your next grill out!!!

Mammoth Cafe…Newport, Ky

2 Comments

Posted on June 10, 2013

I moved back to Ky (where I am from) nine months ago, I am getting use to new places to hang out and to go and I must say that Newport, Ky has a lot of good places to do just that 🙂

plus one of our Grocery Stores is in Newport 🙂

As I am friends with the Mayor of the City of Newport, he recently told me about a few more places that would be opening and I am looking forward to trying those places.

But in the mean time, the main strip down the center of town has a “Wide” variety of places, from diners (that have good diner food to home style cooking), burger places, pizza places that are so GOOD, a bakery to coffee shops.

That’s just to name a few, there are all kinds of small shops along the way too, and lots of stuff off the side streets too like Sweet Tooth Candy Shop…not only do they have all kinds of candy and they make all kinds of candy and fudge, but they have Ice Cream with freshly made waffle cones and ice balls…that post will be coming on up 🙂

There is a lot to choose from!!!

But today I want to feature the Mommoth Cafe, I stumbled upon this place one day and loved it. They are open only till 3pm, but don’t let that stop you, get your butt up and get in there 🙂

I am now known to girl that works their as “It’s my Saturday”, when I first went in to the shop I was talking to them and they commented about the weekend and I told them that today was my weekend “It’s my Saturday” I said (see my off day’s are on Tues & Weds)…so now when I walk in she always says “Hey it’s my saturday” it’s like I’m Norm from “Cheers” when he would walk into the Bar everyone would say his name 🙂

This is what you can expect when you come to Newport, good friendly people that make you feel welcome

On my last trip there a friend of mine and I went for lunch and again this place has plenty to choose from 😛

Check out the menu

As I started off with a Coke Zero (my fav)

I got the “Cured Bootlegger”

Roasted Turkey, bacon, gouda cheese, with jalapeno jam on a grilled ciabatta roll

It also came with a side, I got the homemade chips & salsa

My friend got “The Elliot Ness”
Roasted Turkey, smoked gouda, Mammoth red onion-cranberry marmalade, lettuce on whole grain bread with a side of horseradish mayo

Theses sandwiches were to die for, we shared a little with each other

I just loved adding the horseradish mayo to my sandwich

Then I added it to my chip with both salsas 🙂

It was a 3 napkin meal 🙂

Not only is this such a cute place to visit or hang out, they have plenty of seating inside

and they have a few table outside too. My friend and I love to hang out there on a nice day, sit watch the people and traffic go by, I give this place “two thumbs up” for sure.

So if you ever make to Newport, Ky this place is a great stop for breakfast or lunch and they have great coffee too!! 🙂

And tell them that “It’s My Saturday” sent you 🙂

Limoncello…FATTO!!

Chef Jon Molnar Genuine Italian Pasta and Pizza Sauce

3 Comments

Posted on May 20, 2013

As we go through the summer, I will be doing more product reviews, as we all know the summer time becomes very busy for all of us. Well as least for me, I’d like to spend a little more time out and about with my family and friends. So I have been given some products to taste test and I will be letting you all know how they taste and what you can do with them.
I’m sure I’ll come up with some recipes too, but I am looking forward to these products that are from all over the world.

This is one that I have today is Fantastic, I really must say…I have a great connection with the Gia Russa people which are right here in Ohio.

Chef Jon Molnar’s love and enthusiasm for cooking can be traced back to the roots of his family. At an early age, Jon’s grandmother, Helen, demonstrated that cooking is a labor of love. With his grandmother’s guidance, Jon Molnar pursued his passion and perfected his craft at the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts. Since his graduation in 1994, Chef Jon Molnar has been a professional in the commercial and private sectors of the culinary world, holding prominent positions in various parts of the United States. With tireless years of experience, Chef Jon Molnar’s cuisine crusade has led him to develop Chef Jon Molnar Culinary Creations, in an effort to produce products that are of the highest quality and standards, from his kitchen to yours.

Finally, you can get genuine Italian sauces right here in the U.S.A. They taste so much better than American sauces, you may never go back. Chef Jon Molnar and the chefs of the top Tuscany restaurants in Italy now provideGenuine Italian Pasta and Pizza Saucesright here in America.

Genuine Italian Pasta and Pizza Saucesare made with the exact recipes and actual tomatoes from the Tuscany Province of Italy. Tuscany is famous for having the best tasting pizza and pasta sauces in the world. This is due to their superior recipes and superior tomatoes.

Tuscany tomatoes are the best tasting tomatoes in the world because of Tuscany’s ideal soil, ideal climate and ideal sun exposure. The recipes for the sauces are also different and superior to American pizza and pasta sauces. Chef Jon Molnar’s Genuine Tuscany Italian Sauces are all-natural, gluten-free, contain no preservatives, and are produced in a green facility. Once you taste Genuine Italian Pasta and Pizza Sauces, you will immediately notice the superior taste.

I loved this sauce so much, it was rich with a pure tomato flavor and so balanced, it was great on the pizza and with the pasta!!

This totally gets “Two Thumbs Up” from me…if you see in your local grocery store make sure you pick it up!!! 🙂

Pizza Ingredients – Crust, ricotta, provolone, spinach and Chef Jon’s Sauce