Simple Cookery

Simple Spaghetti Sauce

2012-01-22T10:36:00.000-06:00

I love whole wheat pasta, but there is just something about plain, old-fashioned spaghetti that, well, satisfies the soul. In the time that it takes you to make the salad and garlic bread, this sauce will be ready to serve. The secret? Start with a jar of sauce rather than straight from scratch. I love Prego, but you can use your favorite sauce.
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Simple Spaghetti Sauce
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1 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 jar Prego, fresh mushroom
1/2 jar Prego, garden combination
1 can Hunts (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes with green pepper, onion, & celery
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, roasted (see recipe below)
1/2 cup water
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Brown ground beef with onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and drain. Add all other ingredients to saucepan and stir well to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. Reduce to a simmer until ready to serve over your favorite pasta.
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Roasted Mushrooms
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1/2 pound mushrooms (any type)
enough olive oil to drizzle over mushrooms
salt
pepper
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Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice mushroom about a quarter of an inch thick and place in single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.

Leftover Wine?

2012-01-18T22:17:00.000-06:00

What do you do with leftover wine from a Wine Gift Basket? Okay, so I can hear you laughing. Who has leftover wine anyway? I have to admit, it doesn't happen very often. But, every once in a while there's just enough left for....well, for that you'll have to scroll down. First, here's a interesting history of Champagne.

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

My favorite thing to do with leftover wine is to cook with it. I have vowed to never, ever make the mistake of using 'cooking wine' again because of the added salt. Leftover wine is the perfect start for a delicious salad dressing, marinade, or to amp up a pot roast. So, give it a try next time instead of pouring it down the drain.

Simple Cherry Dessert

2012-01-17T01:30:00.004-06:00

I love simple desserts that you can make from ingredients in your pantry. You can substitute your favorite canned fruit, but I like cherries best.

Simple Cherry Dessert

1 can biscuits (10 count)
1 can cherries, drained (not pie filling)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 box Jello instant pie filling - French Vanilla
milk (for pie filling)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Press biscuits lightly into 8x10 pan, overlapping to make a crust. Sprinkle with flour. Cover with cherries. Mix sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle on cherries. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While baking, prepare the pie-filling according to package directions for a pie. When cherry mixture is finished baking, remove from the oven and let cool. Top with pie filling and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Cabbage

2012-01-11T01:12:00.004-06:00

This comfort food favorite is a delicious way to use up leftover ham.

Baked Cabbage

1 cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped ham
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 350. Heat butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cabbage. Cook until onion is tender. Mix breadcrumbs, ham, eggs, salt, black pepper and cayenne with cabbage mixture. Pour into large casserole dish. Pour in chicken broth and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until slightly browned on top.

Sausage Burgers

2012-01-07T01:52:00.005-06:00

Have you ever made sausage burgers? Mom used to make these and we would serve them up just like a hamburger on a bun. She probably did this because pork sausage was cheaper than ground beef. It's also a good way to stretch ingredients. But, the result is a delicious supper.

SAUSAGE BURGERS

1 pound lean fresh pork, ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 egg, beaten

Mix all ingredients together and form into small patties. Fry in skillet over medium heat until brown and they reach an internal temperature of 160 F.

Concerned about how to cook with fresh pork? Check out Fresh Pork from Farm to Table.

BOCCES BISCUITS

2012-01-06T15:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Darwin Barton

I used my clear internet connection to go to the “Today Show” website and find a product that I saw highlighted on the show. Savannah, one of the hosts, interviewed two sisters that had created a business called Bocces Biscuits. The sisters had left high paying jobs in engineering and managerial retail to start their own business selling dog biscuits. They are gourmet doggie treats that are in flavors like macaroni and cheese and peanut butter and jelly. The most sophisticated sounding biscuit is Truffle-oil flavored doggie treats. The sisters have a website where you can order the biscuits and also have created New York’s first mobile doggie treat bike. You can find the vendors riding around Central Park. While you are walking your dog, you can stop and get your little pooch a treat, just like if you were going to stop by the hotdog vendor or the ice cream truck. It is such a great idea. I am ordering my dog some biscuits on-line for Christmas! I just haven’t decided which flavors!

FOODIE NEWS: Fat Chef & Heat Seekers

2012-01-05T06:45:00.000-06:00

FOOD NETWORK PREMIERES NEW SERIES ‘FAT CHEF’ AND RETURNS WITH A NEW SEASON OF ‘HEAT SEEKERS’ IN JANUARY

Fat Chef Premieres Thursday, January 26th at 10:00pm ET/PT

Heat Seekers Premieres Monday, January 16th at 8:00pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, NY – January 4, 2012 – Food Network primetime heats up 2012 with eight new episodes of Heat Seekers beginning Monday, January 16th at 8pm ET/PT. Aarón Sanchez and Roger Mooking are back to spice things up and see who can handle the heat in this tongue-torching odyssey to discover the most deliciously spicy food across the country. Over the course of the season Roger and Aarón’s journey to experience the spiciest dishes take them to restaurants in Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Diego, Tampa and Washington, D.C. With a high-stakes challenge at the end, the winner gets bragging rights, and the loser suffers a little public humiliation.

New series Fat Chef gives viewers an inside look at the struggle chefs face when their love for food becomes overwhelming and affects their health. Premiering Thursday, January 26th at 10pm ET/PT, the six episode series follows twelve overweight culinary professionals from Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio on their four-month venture to overcome weight issues with the help of therapists, nutritionists, and trainers. Each episode will include two chefs working with their health consultant, including Christine Avanti (nutritionist, author of Skinny Chicks Eat Real Food), Robert Brace (dubbed as one of New York’s “top fitness gurus”) and Brett Hoebel (previously one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser), as they look to defeat their abusive relationship with food and regain control of their lives.

Episodes include:

HEAT SEEKERS:

Premiering Monday, January 16 at 8:00pm – SEASON PREMIERE!

“Dallas”

Chefs Aarón Sanchez and Roger Mooking hit Dallas for a tongue-torching challenge of Hotter than Hell sliders - and the loser looks like a clown. Literally. Plus, the duo taste test Texas-style “Wangs” and creole-style enchiladas with ghost pepper sauce.

Restaurants visited include: Buttons Restaurant, The Alligator Café, and Rooster's Roadhouse.

Premiering Monday, January 23 at 8:00pm

“Las Vegas”

With a name like Fire-Breathing Dragon, there’s definitely going to be heat. Roger Mooking and Aarón Sanchez face off to see who can handle the hottest sushi roll on the Vegas strip, and somebody’s going to really lose his shirt. Plus, the two sweat it out with a Mexican chicken dish, “Cry Today, Cry Tomorrow” and tasty, Jalapeno-drenched potato twisters.

Restaurants visited include: LBS Burger Joint, Lindo Michoacán and Rice & Company.

Premiering Monday, January 30 at 8:00pm

“San Diego”

In San Diego, Chefs Aarón Sanchez and Roger Mooking tackle the hottest pepper they've ever tasted. It's a Naga Viper-drenched pork carnitas challenge with the loser singing for his food, Mariachi-style. Plus, they visit Charger football legend Junior Seau's restaurant for the hottest Ahi Poke in Southern California, and both turn up the heat with an island fiery favorite, mango pepper shrimp.

Restaurants visited include: Seau's The Restaurant, Mama Jamaica's and Café Coyote.

FAT CHEF:

Premiering Thursday, January 26 at 10:00pm – SEASON PREMIERE!

“Michael/Melba”

Michael Mignano is a 36-year-old, morbidly obese pastry chef from Long Island with a dangerous fast food addiction. As he hovers around 500 pounds, his life and health are in dire straits. Meanwhile, Harlem soul food maven Melba Wilson is a single mom wrestling with obesity of her own, as she deprives herself during the day and binges at night. Both blame their extreme weight on long hours, stress, and constant temptation synonymous with the food industry. Their weight is putting their lives in serious danger. Now they are doing something about it – following them over sixteen weeks, Michael and Melba attempt to reassess their relationships to food. With the help of Robert Brace working with Michael and Christine Avanti working with Melba, these chefs will try to lose 25% of their body weight and regain control of their lives.

Premiering Thursday, February 2 at 10:00pm

“Rocco/Kim”

Cleveland-based chef Rocco Whalen weighs more than 300 pounds and can’t seem to put the brakes on his nonstop eating, while fellow overweight Cleveland caterer Kimberly McCune Gibson samples her decadent dishes all day and binges on takeout at night. Both blame their obesity on having no time to cook for themselves or exercise, and they need help to take back control of their health. With the goal of losing 25% of their body weight in sixteen weeks, Rocco and Kimberly will work under the guidance of Brett Hoebel. Can they conquer their cravings and learn time management, or will their jobs continue to destroy their bodies and lives?

Premiering Thursday, February 9 at 10:00pm

“Ally/Mike”

Ally Vitella is a New York City caterer who is addicted to the delectable party food she serves every day. Mike Digby is a line cook at a Chicago bistro who can’t get enough of the mouth-watering burgers and fries he churns out every night. Both chefs weigh more than 300 pounds and can’t control themselves around their own food. The food industry is killing them but they are determined to lose more than 75 pounds each over sixteen weeks without jeopardizing the careers they love. With the help of Christine Avanti working with Ally and Brett Hoebel working with Mike, they will attempt to relearn everything they know about food and exercise in order to transform their bodies and save their lives.

For more information, visit FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com).

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:34:00.003-06:00

Have a blessed day!

Simple Sausage & Potato Soup

2011-12-22T02:13:00.004-06:00

What’s that you say? No peeling? No chopping? How can this be? I came up with this recipe on a day that I could not handle peeling a potato. Ever have one of those days? If not, give it time and you’ll know what I mean.
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I made this in the Crockpot. If you decide to make it on the stovetop, I would add some more liquid as it will cook down while you simmer it. This needed no seasoning, but I did add some black pepper to the bowls I served. If you’ve never tried Jimmy Dean Skillets, they are found in the freezer section. The package contains sausage, potatoes, green peppers, red peppers and onions. Try it and let everyone think you slaved for hours!
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Simple Sausage Potato Soup
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2 packages Jimmy Dean Skillets – sausage
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can evaporated milk – 12 oz
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth– 14 oz
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Mix all ingredients together in Crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Beef Stew – As Seen on TV

2011-12-18T15:55:00.000-06:00

Yes, I watch Doctor Oz. He’s addictive. Did you see the episode with Rachel Ray? She made Autumn Beef Stew With Apple, Onion and Roasted Garlic. It looked so good and so easy that I had to try it. Of course, I made a few changes mostly because of the ingredients and local availability. Also, my heart just wouldn’t let me make a beef stew without potatoes. (Rachel Ray’s recipe calls for mashed potatoes on the side.) So, I substituted the apples for potatoes.
When I make this again, and I will be making it often, I’m going to make the chunks of beef and vegetables a little smaller. I also won’t use quite as much butter. As the stew cooked there was a large amount of grease that made it to the top. I just skimmed it off every hour or so and the final dish wasn’t greasy at all. I don’t have a Dutch oven, so I used a Crockpot. It turned out just as well as it would have in the oven with the exception of an additional pan to wash.
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Click here for Rachael Ray's Autumn Beef Stew With Apple, Onion and Roasted Garlic and here’s the version that I made.
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Simple Beef Stew
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2 bulbs garlic, roasted
Salt and pepper
4 slices of thick bacon cut in to small pieces
1 stick butter, divided
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Flour, for dredging plus 2 tablespoons
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 potatoes (about 2 and a half cups) peeled & cubed
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups cloudy organic apple juice
2 cans Campbell’s beef consommé
Herb bouquet, a few sprigs each parsley and sage tied together with kitchen string
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Combine and cook ingredients according to the original recipe – click here. The exception is to use a Crockpot. Combine all ingredients into your Crockpot (6 quart) and cook on high for 4 and 1/2 hours to 5 hours. It turned out great in the Crockpot, but Santa could bring me a Dutch oven this year. I’ve been good!

LEFTOVER PIE

2011-12-03T06:49:00.005-06:00

I'm always looking for something new to do with leftovers. This 'pot pie' is so yummy, I usually don't want to wait for a roast. Chicken works well and you can also add your favorite or leftover vegetables.

LEFTOVER PIE

1½ cups leftover beef roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped
⅓ cup chopped pepper
1 can green peas, drained
salt & pepper to taste
2 pie-crust (for top & bottom)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop up beef and discard any fat. Mix mushroom soup and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the salt, onion and green pepper. Mix in cut-up meat and peas. Pour it into pastry lined baking dish. (a pie dish works fine) Pierce top of pastry with a fork in several spots. Top with remaining pie crust and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Stuffed Green Peppers

2011-12-01T06:39:00.004-06:00

I love stuffed green peppers. Every time I make them, I wonder why I don't do it more often. This is a nice way to bring a little sunshine into a dreary winter day. You can also slice your peppers in half before filling them if you want to try something a little different. The peppers will lay nicely in the bottom of your pan and won't take quite as long to cook.

STUFFED PEPPERS

1½ lbs. ground beef
6 green peppers
1 can condensed tomato soup
3 tblsp. rice, uncooked
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the meat, rice, eggs and seasoning together. Cut tops off the peppers and soak in hot water for a couple of minutes. Scoop out seeds and fill with the meat mixture. Stand them in baking pan, pour the tomato soup over them and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

ANTICIPATING BREAKING DAWN

2011-11-30T18:12:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Lemuel Craft

We upgraded our television package at http://www.direct.tv/ recently. I am certainly glad that we did. The other day, on some of the movie channels that we got, in anticipation of the upcoming “Breaking DawnPart One” that is going to be released they were playing the first twilight movies. I spent most of yesterday watching a marathon. I had forgotten how much that I loved to watch the movies together. When the first movie came out, my friends and I were totally obsessed and even joined the Robert Pattinson Offical Fan Club and also had “Twilight” themed parties at each of our houses. I know that it is silly, but at the time we absolutely loved it and thought that it was a great idea. Now, watching the movies in order again, I realize why I loved the series so much. I had to call all of my girlfriends who are in to the whole “Twilight” thing and let them know exactly how excited that I still was to see “Breaking Dawn Part One”. The anticipation in killing me. I hate that there is only one last installment of the series left.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:10:00.001-06:00

I hope you all have a blessed day filled with family, friends and delicious food.

Thanksgiving – A Time to Experiment?

2011-11-20T20:11:00.001-06:00

‘X’ Marks the spot! Buried treasure in the sky? It’s all I could think of when I saw this just in time to snap a quick picture. Isn’t the Internet like a treasure chest of information? Some baubles are cheap plastic, but some are real treasures.

Thanksgiving Dinner is not a time for experiments. If you want to add a new recipe to the table, try it out first instead of waiting for ‘the’ day. And, when it comes to recipes, trust those product websites for no-fail recipes. They have devoted many hours in their test kitchens before publishing a recipe. Trust your blogger friends too. We’ve likely served the dish to our family and friends before posting.

This year I’m adding Classic Baked Corn Pudding. It’s a recipe from Betty Crocker and I tried out out last weekend. It’s absolutely delicious!

While you’re online, check out these sweepstakes.

Who doesn’t like something new? Odom’s Tennessee Pride is giving you a chance to win new kitchen appliances. Hurry though – all entries must be in by 12/31/2011. http://www.tnpride.com/sweepstakes.asp

Take the Martha White® Muffin Mix Challenge ™! You could win $5,000! Enter by 11/30/2011 – Click here to enter.

Food Network's Deep Fried Thanksgiving Sweepstakes
Enter now for a chance to win an indoor turkey fryer and $4,500! You may enter once a day through November 21st at 5PM ET.

Cranberry Orange Relish

2011-10-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp, cool air in the mornings and the warm afternoons. Of course, my thoughts turn toward Thanksgiving and the menu for this year. I love cranberries, but as a child, we only had them at Thanksgiving. There are so many other uses for them. Check out my Crockpot Cranberry Chicken & Rice. You can buy bags of cranberries cheaply when they are in season and freeze them for later use. So, now is a good time to stock up!

This is a quick relish that you can make ahead of time so that it's ready for Thanksgiving or any special meal.

Cranberry Orange Relish

2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups raw cranberries
2 oranges, quartered and seeded

Put raw cranberries and oranges through food chopper. Add sugar, cinnamon and mix well. Chill in refrigerator a few hours before serving. Makes one quart relish. This relish will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks. You could also substitute an apple for one of the oranges. And, your favorite chopped nuts would be a great addition.

Holiday Baking & Gifts

2011-10-29T08:07:00.002-05:00

Have you started planning your Holiday baking? October is usually the time I start making lists. The key is remembering to bring those lists to the store! If you use a lot of candy in your baking, Halloween sales are a great time to pick up some extra bags. As I’m shopping for others, I am always tempted to pick up something new for myself. And, I’m a slave to kitchen gadgets.

I remember the year I purchased my KitchenAid stand mixer. I hovered around the store for weeks until it finally went on sale. It’s so much easier to shop online now. On thing to always remember when you are purchasing a new product is to check out the accessories and replacement parts. You don’t have to buy all kitchenaid food processor parts in one order. Buy the ones you need most and then space out the other purchases so you stay within your budget. Keep those accessories in mind when you are gift shopping this year. Almost everyone has a secret ‘gourmet’ cook in their circle of friends. You could make up a basket of kitchen goodies and add a couple of unique accessories. I can’t think of anything I’d like better for Christmas! What’s on your wish list this year?

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders and Honey Mustard Sauce

2011-10-19T21:29:00.001-05:00

I've never tried to make fried chicken tenders in the oven. I've made the uncoated kind covered in spices and sauce. But, I truly doubted a crispy chicken tender could come from the oven. Then I saw Paula Deen make them on Dr. Oz! If Paula can do it, so can I. Of course, it all passed too quickly and I didn't write down the recipe. So, I did a quick search on the web and found Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders at Betty Crocker. I used the plain panko bread crumbs and added some Mrs. Dash. They turned out yummy and crispy. But, they definitely needed a dipping sauce. Here's the quick and easy recipe for my Honey Mustard Sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fall Mornings

2011-10-08T18:52:00.000-05:00

One of the best parts about Fall is relaxing on the porch and enjoying all the colorful trees. I love the idea of enjoying a steaming hot cup of coffee on a chilly Fall morning. After the lazy days of summer, the patio furniture could use some sprucing up. I'm always on the look for new ideas - especially when I can search on the Internet. I searched for patio furniture cleaning austin. Lots of great sites popped up.

While I found exactly what I needed at http://www.thesteamteam.com/, I also found a lot of useful information about air duct cleaning. Have you ever had this done? Since Fall is usually when I have my heating unit serviced, I was especially interested in having the ducts cleaned. Isn't that always the way it works? You start searching for one idea and end up with something even better!

Now I'm thinking I should just take my laptop to the porch with my morning coffee instead of the newspaper! How about you? Where's the first place you look for information?

Redecorating the Living Room

2011-09-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

We are doing some decorating in our home. I have decided to change the color of the living room from a light yellow to an egg shell tone. We have a vaulted ceiling and I am going to go with the current trend of doing an ombre ceiling. I have seen several designs similar to what we are doing in “Architectural Digest” and “Town and Country”. I have decided to keep the same sofa, but change lamp shades and cover a couple of chairs. I chose a great fabric that is also ombre in jewel tones. I have been moving things around all week to get ready for the painters. I took down all of the pictures on the walls, removed the outlet covers, and removed the light switch covers. I did not move the ADT equipment . The painters are going to be able to paint around the keypad. I have been waiting a long time to be able to redecorate. I hope that everything is going to turn out exactly how I have imagined it.

Kitchen Thoughts

2011-09-29T21:48:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about a kitchen makeover. Some articles say that the quickest way to freshen a kitchen is to replace the cabinet doors and update the hardware. That may be true, but I always like to change out tablecloths with each season. And, without a doubt, Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Of course, it helps that the colors of the season match well in my kitchen. Some new towels and potholders are an inexpensive way to freshen up your kitchen.

Do you ever notice how efficient kitchens are on all those yummy cooking shows? There's almost always a kitchen island decked out with all the latest cooking tools. They certainly make us take more interest in cooking these days. And, it's not just at home. I have a friend who can make a gourmet meal with a hot-plate and stuff stored in a mini fridge at the office. It helps remind us all that a true cook can take nothing and make something delicious for dinner.

What's your 'go to' meal when you're running low in the pantry?

Crockpot Steak & Potatoes

2011-08-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

It’s simple and makes the most delicious gravy. I used top round steak, but you could make this with any kind of beef roast. My favorite part about using a crock pot is that it doesn’t heat up the kitchen and you don’t have to worry about the food while it’s cooking.

What’s your favorite Crockpot meal?

Crockpot Steak & Potatoes

4 top round steak medallions, about an inch thick
1 jar (12 oz) medium chucky salsa (use mild if you prefer)
2 cups sliced portabella mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
12 small potatoes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Place steak in Crockpot. Cover with salsa, mushrooms & onion. Stir in honey and teriyaki sauce. Cook on high for 2 hours. Add potatoes. Cook on high for 2-3 more hours or until ready to serve. Mix cornstarch and cold water until dissolved and add to Crockpot. Stir until gravy thickens and enjoy.

Corn Beef Hash

2011-08-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

Growing up, if times were good, we'd have a beef roast for Sunday Dinner. Then on Monday, Mom would make Hash. I ran across this recipe and it brought back memories so I thought I'd share it with you. This uses corned beef, but you could use any leftover meat.

Corn Beef Hash

Corned Beef
Milk
Potatoes
Salt and Pepper
Lump of Butter

Chop the meat fine, add the same bulk of potatoes or a little more. Put into a saucepan or spider a lump of butter the size of an egg, and a few spoonfuls of milk or water. When bubbling, put in the meat and potatoes, and a little salt and pepper, if you like. Stir for a while, then let it stand ten or fifteen minutes, until a crust is formed at the bottom. Loosen from the pan with a cake-turner. Turn a warm platter over it. Turn pan and hash together quickly and serve. If you have a scant quantity, place it on slices of toasted bread, which have been buttered and wet with hot water.

Baby Showers

2011-08-11T04:09:00.001-05:00

Do you ever think about how many baby showers you've attended? I've been to dozens and I bet many of you have been to several. I always end up giving the same kinds of gifts so I was searching online the other day for something different. Who knew that there were scrubs for kids? And, cute little scrubs for babies too! What a perfect idea for someone in the medical field! Well, actually, I think it would be perfect for just about anyone and I have not seen any at showers that I've attended recently. If you get a chance, check out their site: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Men/

Thankfully, I've never planned a shower all by myself, but I've helped out plenty of times. And, I have to admit that I love the finger foods. A quick and simple appetizer is to make Ham Roll-ups. You just take cooked ham slices, dry them off and spread with flavored cream cheese - the savory kind you use for bagels. Then roll them up and slice into bite-size pieces. You don't need a toothpick as the cheese will hold it together. But, they are very pretty with some fancy toothpicks added.

What's your favorite finger food?

Of Spiders and Wasps

2011-08-09T23:34:00.001-05:00

I recently had a run in with a spider and a wasp in the same day. The spider bit the back of my leg. And, the wasp got the back of my shoulder. After the initial pain, my first thought was how soon I'd be sitting in a doctor's office. Why is it we spend so much time there as we get older? If I'm not too under the weather, I enjoy 'people watching' while in the waiting room. Have you noticed how much scrub clothing has changed over the last few years?

The uniforms out there are so much cuter these days. I would imagine some of the designs are a comfort when 'little ones' are visiting the doctor. Who wouldn't find scrubs covered with cuddly animals comforting? After my last visit, I checked out http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/ and was amazed at the wide selection available. Scrubs aren't just for nurses anymore.

My bite and sting? Thankfully, I didn't have an allergic reaction and I'll definitely be more careful in the future. Funny thing is, I craved chicken soup!

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

2011-08-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

Doesn't cheese make everything taste better? I love this dish - not only because it's simple, but because it tastes so good.

CAULIFLOWER WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Select a medium-sized, firm cauliflower. Trim off leaves, cut off stalk, and soak one hour (head down) in cold salt water to cover. Cook (head up) until soft but not broken (about thirty minutes) in boiling salted water. Drain and place carefully in a buttered, shallow baking dish, pour over one and one-half cups of Cheese Sauce, sprinkle with buttered crumbs and place in oven until crumbs are browned. Serve in baking dish.

CHEESE SAUCE

3 tablespoons butter.
2 tablespoons flour.
½ teaspoon salt.
¹/₈ teaspoon pepper.
Few grains cayenne.
1½ cups hot milk.
½ cup cheese cut in small pieces.

Melt butter in a sauce-pan, add flour, mixed with seasonings, stir to a smooth paste; let cook one minute, stirring constantly. Pour on gradually hot milk and beat until smooth and glossy. Add cheese and when melted pour over cauliflower.

Big, Long Vacation

2011-08-07T15:30:00.000-05:00

Content by Sol Rosales

It’s been really nice this year looking forward to such a big vacation so long and I can’t believe we’re getting close and about to leave in a few weeks! My husband and I are going to Hawaii for the very first time and I couldn’t be more pumped. We’ve got a really full itinerary full of everything from hiking volcanoes to eating at some pretty amazing restaurants and I’m going to have to figure out how in the world to pack for all the things we’ve got on the docket! I went to Http://HOME-alarm-systems.com/the other day since we’re going to be gone for close to two weeks and I’ve still got to finish up some stuff before I leave for work. I can’t believe it’s closing in and I’m going to be in Hawaii just a couple of weeks from now. That sounds so exotic and far away and I guess all it takes to get there is a short little plane ride! I’m not going to forget to take lots of sunscreen, either!

Summer Blackberry & Apple Crumble

2011-08-07T10:02:00.001-05:00

Here’s a delicious guest recipe from one of my friends ‘across the pond’.

Summer Blackberry and Apple Crumble Recipe

It’s the beginning of August and it’s a lovely coincidence that both dessert apples and wild blackberries are ripening at the same time, as they make a perfect seasonal crumble recipe. Homemade Blackberry and Apple Crumble Recipe is the perfect comfort food this summer! Read on if you are interested to know how easy it is to make.

The ingredients you will need for the recipe, include 1 tablespoon of butter, 4 table spoons of sugar, 750g of Discovery or any other dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced and 750g blackberries rinsed in cold water and drained.

For the crumble you’ll need 120g caster sugar, 60g medium oatmeal, 180g plain white flour and 120g unsalted butter.

Firstly, preheat the oven to gas 6/200C. Then start by putting the sugar, fruit, butter and two tablespoons of water in a pan and heat over a medium heat. Cook until the apples soften up and become stained with the blackberry juice. Remove from the heat and put into an ovenproof dish. They will cook further under the crumble, so it doesn’t matter if they aren’t fully cooked yet.

To make the crumble, rub in the butter, flour and oatmeal together until you have breadcrumbs and then stir in the sugar. Sprinkle the mixture all over the fruit in the dish and bake for about 30 minutes until the crumble is crisp and golden.

Serve the meal hot with ice-cream, double cream or custard.
You don't have to be a top pastry chef with a restaurant insurance quote to make this recipe. It’s the perfect comfort food that’s easy to make and satisfying for everyone.

Other seasonal variations of the crumble include pear and blackcurrant for the summer, apple and quince in the autumn, forced rhubarb and ginger in the winter and ‘green’ rhubarb and Bramley apple in the spring.

Tomato Soup

2011-08-05T22:10:00.005-05:00

In a world full of microwaves and pre-packaged foods, it's hard to remember sometimes that slower is better. When was the last time you warmed up leftovers in an oven rather than a microwave? It's how we used to do it. Yes, it heats up the kitchen, but there is something delicious about leftover pizza warmed in an oven. Have you ever made tomato soup? I don't mean opening a can, adding milk and heating it on the stove. I mean real home-made tomato soup. The mere thought of it makes me think of fancy uniforms and decorated tables. It takes a little time, but it is definitely worth the effort.

TOMATO SOUP

1 can tomatoes- 32 ounce, or 1 quart tomatoes peeled and cut in pieces
2 slices onion
2 sprays parsley
Bit of bay leaf
4 cloves
½ teaspoon peppercorns
Few gratings nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Cook the first six ingredients together twenty minutes in pot over medium heat. Rub through a purée strainer, keep hot. Melt butter in a sauce-pan, add flour and stir to a smooth paste, let cook one minute; dilute with tomato mixture to the consistency to pour. Combine mixtures and season with salt, a few grains cayenne and a grating of nutmeg. Reheat and serve with buttered toast, set the table, find the right outfit and you're ready for a gourmet meal!

And the winner is....

2011-08-01T06:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Kroger Gift Card Giveaway. And the winner is.....

Susan B said...

I would buy diapers for my grandson (economy has hit his Momma hard) and a pie

to give a friend who is going through a rough divorce. Thank you for the

opportunity.

susan23cherub@yahoo.com

Congratulations Susan B!

"Disclosure: The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

Kroger Gift Card Giveaway!

2011-07-20T20:14:00.002-05:00

Have you heard the news? The Cart Buster Savings Event is back at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores, beginning July 31st. There will be storewide savings in almost every department!

From July 31st through August 17th save on tons of brands across more than 100 categories from General Mills, PepsiCo, Unilever, Heinz, Mars, Wrigley and Kimberly Clark.

Look for some of your favorite participating products like, Honey Nut Cheerios, Yoplait , Pillsbury Pepsi, Doritos, Gatorade, Smart Ones, Ore-Ida, Cottonelle, Viva, Breyer´s Ice Cream, Axe , Snickers, Pedigree and Orbit.

Look for big savings storewide at the Kroger Family of Stores, which includes Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott´s food & Pharmacy.

Looking for more ways to save? Just follow the Cartbuster "Deal of the Day" beginning August 3rd and running through August 16th.* You can download exclusive offers directly to your shopper card, by visiting www.cartbuster.com, beginning Wednesday, August 3rd. If you haven’t already tried this for your coupons, now is a great time to start.

Remember, www.cartbuster.com is your link to all of the details, savings and the special "Deal of the Day" offers for the Cart Buster Savings Event, exclusively at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores. The Cart Buster Savings event beginning July 31st. "Deal of the Day" offers begin August 3rd.

*Please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores for participating dates and deals. The Deal of the Day promotion is not valid at: Fred Meyer or Food 4 Less.

To help get you started saving money, here’s a great giveaway:

One $25 Kroger gift card (Good at any of the Kroger. Co Family of Stores)

How to enter? Just leave a comment and tell me how you’d like to spend the gift card. If you’re a follower of this blog, you’ll get an extra entry. Be sure to enter by midnight, July 31st and I’ll announce the winner on August 1st.

"Disclosure: The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

Check out these great links for more info:

Kroger Website http://bit.ly/cartbustersavings

Kroger Facebook Page http://on.fb.me/krogercartfbook

Kroger Twitter Page http://bit.ly/krogertwitter

Cooking with Gas?

2011-07-06T16:37:00.004-05:00

I spent years cooking without the benefit of an oven. The stove I had belonged to my Grandmother and it was an old gas range. The oven had been repaired a couple of times at a pretty high cost, but it never worked properly. So, I just used the burners on top and borrowed the use of my Mother's oven whenever it was absolutely necessary. I saved money for a long time before I finally purchased a new electric stove. I wish I had known about "www.canadapost.ca/shopper/" back then. This comparison shopper site helps you make a really informed choice about your purchase because you can compare each item side by side.
.
I eventually bought a smooth top range and love it. But, I had to learn to cook on electric again after all those years of cooking on a gas range. I know a lot of cooks prefer gas. If you have the right pan, it's great. But, most of my pans were thin and I never could 'simmer' anything. It would always end up boiling even when I had the burner turned down to warm. But, it was great for roasting a marshmallow indoors!
.
My first baked item in my new oven? Cinnamon rolls! And, everyone at the office was thankful! How about you? What's your favorite - gas or electric?

Foodie News – Samples & Offers

2011-07-06T00:03:00.000-05:00

Just passing along some interesting offers and sites:

If you use Schiff Move Free® Advanced or Schiff® Glucosamine check out www.SchiffLoyaltyRewards.com for more ways to save each time you purchase their products.

Need a new grill? Check out www.tnpride.com to enter for a chance to win a George Foreman Mega Size Grill! Hurry – contest ends 7/31/2011.

Want a free sample of Nutrish for little Fluffy? Check out www.switchtonutrish.com.

Have you heard the BUZZ?

2011-07-05T04:53:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the BUZZ? Honey Nut Cheerios cereal is hosting a "Billion 'O' Giveaway", providing free samples to fans beginning July 4, 2011, available while supplies last.

If you've never tried this cereal, now is the prefect time. Just zip over to FavCereal.com for your sweet sample!

In addition to checking out the "Billion 'O' Giveaway", make sure to BEE-come a fan of Cheerios on Facebook and get involved in the conversation about Honey Nut Cheerios!

My thanks to Honey Nut Cheerios cereal for providing me this information through MyBlogSpark.

Foodie News – Cooking Channel in July

2011-07-05T04:39:00.000-05:00

**COOKING CHANNEL JULY 2011 HIGHLIGHTS**

The Perfect 3 Highlights Top Recipes in 13 Categories

Plus: Viewers showcase their perfect recipes in exclusive online videos

3 Season Premieres of Cooking Channel Classics and New Episodes of Hit Series

July is all fireworks on Cooking Channel with its brand new series The Perfect 3 premiering Saturday, July 23^rd at 4pmET/1pmPT. This series joins together the three best recipes from fan-favorite chefs in 13 categories and gives viewers the chance to highlight their perfect dishes in an exclusive online episode featured on CookingChannelTV.com alongside Kelsey Nixon (Kelsey’s Essentials). Diving in for more, Cooking Channel serves up four premiere episodes of Hook, Line & Dinner on Tuesdays at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT while traveling with Emeril on his cross-country quest for iconic restaurants on The Originals with Emeril airing Thursdays at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT. Annie Sibonney continues her Spanish odyssey in premiere episodes of From Spain With Love on Saturdays at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT. Two Food Network classics Alex’s Day Off and Ace of Cakes make their Cooking Channel debuts, and season premieres of Cooking Channel originals Everyday Exotic, Food(ography) and United Tastes of America round out a robust summer line up. In case that’s not enough, viewers can fill up on premiere episodes of Cooking Channel favorites throughout the month. Join the Cooking Channel conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SERIES PREMIERES

The Perfect 3

Food Network and Cooking Channel chefs spotlight the perfect three dishes in 13 classic categories, from burgers and brownies to sandwiches and salads. Each episode then throws to CookingChannelTV.com/perfect for a webisode featuring a viewer paired with Kelsey Nixon (Kelsey’s Essentials) showing how to make his or her online recipe submission that was voted as category favorite by fans.

· Premiering Saturday, July 23^rd at 4pmET/1pmPT – “Cakes”

It's time for dessert with cake recipes from Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis and Paula Deen.

· Premiering Saturday, July 30^th at 4pm ET/1pmPT – “Pancakes”

Tyler Florence, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay and Sunny Anderson put their culinary spin on pancakes, a breakfast classic.

SEASON PREMIERES

Everyday Exotic: Season 4 Premieres Saturday, July 9^th at 12:30pmET/9:30amPT – “Chipotle”

Chef Roger Mooking uses chipotle to turn a gringo style tortilla and cheese meal into the real deal. He redefines refried beans, creates two unique and fresh salsas and cools it off with a refreshing watermelon drink.

Be sure to check out Roger on his new Food Network series Heat Seekers as he and Aaron Sanchez take viewers on a flaming hot journey around the nation in search of the country’s hottest dishes premiering Friday, July 22^nd at 10pm ET/PT.

Food(ography): Season 3 Premieres Tuesday, July 12^th at 9pmET/6pmPT – “Beer”

On tap for this episode, viewers learn the brew basics along with the ultimate beer and food pairings. Beer-inspired culinary creations include: German beer pizza, malt-flavored blondies from the Baked Bakery and a bottled up specialty from the Brooklyn Brew Shop.

United Tastes of America: Season 2 Premieres Tuesday, July 12^th at 10pmET/7pmPT – “Sushi”

Sushi, an in-the-raw import, has become an American success story. Jeffrey Saad does the legwork to learn what happened when sushi washed up on American shores and find out why this Japanese classic is still on a roll.

NEW EPISODES

In addition to the above series, new episodes of hit Cooking Channel series air throughout July.

Hook, Line & Dinner

· Premiering Tuesday, July 5^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “Oregon”

Ben visits the coastal town of Newport where he helps with the winter harvest by re-baiting traps. He then visits The Saffron Salmon to cook crab cakes before teaming up with Chef Eric Bechard to catch ling cod in Depoe Bay. He then heads to Gilmore Fish Smokehouse after the annual sturgeon catch before meeting ‘Sockeye Suzy’ on the banks of the Columbia for a fish fry.

· Premiering Tuesday, July 12^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “San Francisco”

Ben heads up to Drakes Bay for an oyster farming lesson and then rides Swan Oyster to try oysters on the half shell before heading to Tadich Grill for farmed Scottish salmon. Ben then heads out for halibut on the Lovely Martha before ending his day with cioppino, a fish stew made from the catch of the day.

· Premiering Tuesday, July 19^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “Santa Barbara”

Ben experiences life on a trawler dragging for halibut and marches his catch straight to Brophy Brothers Restaurant where they sauté his fish. Ben takes his pile of rockfish to The Hungry Cat before heading to Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. He finishes his trip with a sunset dinner with restaurant owner, Adam White.

· Premiering Tuesday, July 26^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “San Diego”

Ben brings sea urchins to Baci Ristorante to feast on Pasta con Ricci. He then joins Elena Rivellino on a sardine boat as Elena watches as he learns to grill sardines on a stick. Ben finishes his trip at Bull Taco Café.

The Originals with Emeril

· Premiering Thursday, July 7^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “New Orleans 2”

Emeril heads to New Orleans to visit Domilise for fried shrimp and roast beef sandwiches, Angelo Brocato’s Italian Ice Cream Parlor for their famous cannolis and ices and The Commander’s Palace for their signature turtle soup.

· Premiering Thursday, July 14^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “Los Angeles 2”

In Los Angeles, Emeril travels to El Cholo for green corn tamales and chile rellenos, Pink’s Hot Dogs for a specialty hot dog, and Musso & Frank Grill for charbroiled steaks and a martini.

· Premiering Thursday, July 21^st at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “New York City 2”

Emeril heads to the Big Apple to visit Lombardi’s Pizza for their famous White Pizza and Clam Pizza, Katz’s Delicatessen for their corned beef and pastrami, and 21 Club for Dover Sole.

· Premiering Thursday, July 28^th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “New York City 3”

Emeril visits Grand Central Oyster Bar for fresh oysters, Papaya King for fresh homemade juices and hotdogs and Peter Luger Steakhouse for instruction on prime meat selection.

From Spain with Love

· Premiering Saturday, July 9^th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT – “24 Hours in Barcelona”

Annie takes viewers on a whirlwind eating tour of Barcelona with breakfast in Boqueria market, lunch at Cinc Sentits and dinner at legendary seafood restaurant Suquet de L’Almierall.

· Premiering Saturday, July 16^th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT – “Playing with Fire”

Annie explores the many ways the Spanish cook meat, fish and even ice cream over fire, using wood, coal and grapevines.

· Premiering Saturday, July 23^rd at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT – “Granada: Culinary Crossroads”

Annie explores Granada and cooks traditional Moroccan dishes, enjoys Granadian classics at the Mirador de Morayama and dines on dried octopus at BAR FM.

· Premiering Saturday, July 30^th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT – “Olive Oil: Liquid Gold”

Spain produces and distributes more olive oil than any other place in the world, and Annie hooks up with a range of experts who demonstrate the versatility of olive oil.

DAYTIME

Chuck’s Day Off: July 10^th, July 17^th and July 24^that 11amET/8amPT

From the Kitchens Of...: July 10^th at 10amET/7amPT

PRIMETIME

Eat St.: July 5^th and July 7^th at 8pmET/5pmPT

Kelsey’s Essentials: July 2^nd, July 9^th, July 23^rd and July 30^th at 2pmET/11amPT

Unique Eats: July 3^rd, July 10^th, July 24^th and July 31^st at 10pmET/7pmPT

Unique Sweets: July 3^rd, July 10^th, July 24^th and July 31^st at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT

COOKING CHANNEL SPECIAL

Eden Eats: Premieres Sunday, July 17^th at 8pmET/5pmPT

Eden Grinshpan takes viewers around the world in her 24-hour food adventure without ever using her passport. She arrives in Austin, Texas to highlight the city’s global cuisine where she’s invited into kitchens to discover how people from around the world have re-created their lives and culture through food. From Chef Piroshka's famous Hungarian Spaetzle at the European Bistro to Malek the Baker's Lebanese Pita making machine, every step leads to another country without leaving the city limits.

FOOD NETWORK FAVORITES ON COOKING CHANNEL

Alex’s Day Off

In Alex's Day Off, Alex Guarnaschelli, professional chef, working mom and passionate home cook invites viewers along for a unique culinary journey. Playful, poetic and downright funny, she thinks about food and cooking in a whole new way. For Alex, cooking is sensual, personal and pleasurable, and she wants to share that passion. Her recipes are down-to-earth, sophisticated and a bit sassy – just like her.

· Premiering Saturday, July 9^th at 11:30am ET/8:30amPT – “Brunch”

Alex begins her favorite meal of the week with Popovers topped with creamy Homemade Ricotta. Next, she fries up Blended Pork Sausage and Fried Eggs and tops it off with a Salty Dog, a grapefruit and vodka cocktail.

Ace of Cakes

By shaping cakes with drill saws and blow torches and staffing his bakery with fellow rock musicians, Duff Goldman is not your typical baker. Yet he's one of the most sought after cake makers in the country. From a tilted Dr. Seuss-like-seven-tiered wedding cake to an almost perfect replica of Wrigley Field, he and his team of artists dish up sugar and spice in the most unexpected and entertaining ways.

· Premiering Tuesday, July 12^th at 9:30pmET/1:30amPT – “Triple Crown Cake”

Duff and his staff crank out 21 decorative cakes in one week including a special cake for the Preakness, one of the biggest horse races in the world, but delivering the cake to the Maryland Jockey Club's VIP tent in the infield will be no easy feat.

Foodie News – July Notes

2011-07-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

FOOD NETWORK SCORCHES SUMMER PROGRAMMING WITH NEW SERIES ‘TOUGH COOKIES’(WT) AND ‘HEAT SEEKERS’

Robert Irvine Returns with Season Two of ‘Restaurant: Impossible’

Plus: 5 New Episodes of ‘Food Network Star’ and 6 Daytime Season Premieres

Summer‘s heating up on Food Network with two new series, seven new seasons and five premiere episodes of its number one show, Food Network Star. It’s raining men in the series premiere of Heat Seekers as Aarón Sanchez and Roger Mooking take the country by storm in a sizzling search of the nation’s spiciest food beginning Friday, July 22^nd at 10pm, and two cacophonous New Jersey sisters get down to baking business in the new series Tough Cookies (WT)premiering Monday, July 11^th at 10pm. Summer fun doesn’t stop there as Robert Irvine returns to save the day in season two of Restaurant: Impossible premiering Wednesday, July 6^th at 10pm while the suspense builds and contestants dwindle in premiere episodes of Food Network Star on Sundays at 9pm. Things are getting busy “In the Kitchen” with six daytime season premieres, and the action continues with countless premiere episodes of Food Network favorites including Iron Chef America and Food Network Challenge. Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

FEATURED SERIES

Food Network Star

· Premiering Sunday, July 3^rd at 9pm – “Diners, Drive-Ins and 4th of July”

In this 90-minute episode, the ten finalists must prove that they can entertain and cook. Guy Fieri explains that each finalist will take part in a taping at Mel’s Drive-In. Then, it’s all fireworks as the contestants put their spin on American classics using MGD 64 as a special ingredient for the Fourth of July All-American Food Festival, and the finalists must take the stage and serve as the live entertainment for the day.

· Premiering Sunday, July 10^th at 9pm – “Food Truck Face Off”

Tyler Florence divides the nine finalists into groups challenging them to create and brand a unique menu for a lunch truck. They must film an advertising spot promoting their truck and then serve mobile meals to viewers they inspired, but contestants have to put their best foot forward as consumers can only visit the truck they liked best.

· Premiering Sunday, July 17^th at 9pm – “Dinner Party for Wolfgang Puck”

In this double elimination episode, Bobby Flay charges the eight finalists to create a signature dish and helps them shine before each finalist demos their dish in front of the selection committee. Later, Bobby reveals the next challenge where the remaining finalists must host a dinner party for Wolfgang Puck and create a menu with only the ingredients and supplies in the house. HGTV’s Sabrina Soto makes a guest appearance to help the finalists get the house dinner party ready, and Puck arrives with the judges to help decide which six finalists will head to New York City to finish the race to become a Food Network Star.

· Premiering Sunday, July 24^st at 9pm – “Ina Garten and Rachael Ray”

In this episode, the six remaining finalists arrive at Food Network headquarters in New York City and are greeted by Ina Garten and Bobby Flay. She challenges them to create unique cupcakes that best represent their personalities. Next, contestants are floored when Rachael Ray joins them via satellite and informs them they must put on a live demonstration on the Rachael Ray Show. Each finalist puts their twist on a traditional dinner dish hoping to impress the live studio audience and Rachael Ray herself.

· Premiering Sunday, July 31^st at 9pm – “Comedy Roast”

The five finalists begin this action-packed episode scouring the stores of Chelsea Market in New York City searching for the “Best Thing I Ever Ate.” Bobby Flay then directs them to describe how this dish impacted them. Next, the finalists prepare a signature roast dish that gets roasted by guest star comedians Gilbert Gottfried, Aubrey Plaza, Anthony Anderson, Louie Anderson and Judy Gold.

SERIES PREMIERES

Tough Cookies (WT): Premieres Monday, July 11^th at 10pm

Food Network heads down the shore this summer for the new series Tough Cookies (WT), following sisters Susan Adair and Linda Brand and their loving, squabbling, multi-generational family as they run Crazy Susan’s Cookie Company in Ocean City, N.J. Crazy Susan’s isn’t your average bakery – Susan is a mad genius, cooking up crazy new concoctions every day, and their cookies are as popular as the beach in this town. They have their hands full with lines out the door and phones that never stop ringing – all while baking and managing their employees, who are mostly family members.

Heat Seekers: Premieres Friday, July 22^nd at 10pm

For chefs Aarón Sanchez and Roger Mooking, Heat Seekers is a tongue-testing odyssey to discover the most delicious and dangerous spicy food in the country—and figure out why it’s so much fun to eat. This season Aarón and Roger travel to Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Chicago, Seattle, Charleston and Los Angeles in search of outrageously spicy creations. In each city, they discover the secrets of everything from broiled crawfish and buffalo frog legs to fiery ribs and seafood ceviche, and then subject themselves to a test of who can handle the heat. What results is either tears of laughter or tears of pain, but usually, it’s both.

SEASON PREMIERES

Primetime

Restaurant: Impossible: Season 2 premieres Wednesday, July 6^th at 10pm

· Premiering Wednesday, July 6^th at 10pm – “Dodge City”

Robert heads to Harrisburg, Pa., to save Dodge City, a Wild West themed restaurant. Robert challenges the staff to create an original dish, and the design team races against the clock to finish the restaurant’s new look before the grand opening.

· Premiering Wednesday, July 13^th at 10pm – “La Stanza”

At La Stanza in Philadelphia, Robert finds an old-world Italian restaurant being run by the owner’s daughter and on the brink of failure. He jumps into action brightening up the dining room and updating the menu while also training an inexperienced manager.

· Premiering Wednesday, July 20^th at 10pm – “Sweet Tea”

Robert travels to Chapin, S.C., in attempt to save Sweet Pea by improving the freshness of the food, quality of service and restaurant décor. With just minutes until opening, Robert puts the staff through a grueling boot camp to shake the bad service in a last attempt to save this restaurant from complete failure.

· Premiering Wednesday, July 27^th at 10pm – “Country Fare”

Robert’s mission is clear when he arrives at Country Fare in Stafford, Va., a neighborhood diner with inedible food and a repulsive kitchen. After teaching the staff basic cooking skills, he focuses on a much-needed design overhaul.

Daytime

Aarti Party: Season 3 premieres Saturday, July 2^nd at 9am – “Summertime and the Cookin’ Is Easy”

Down Home with the Neelys: Season 10 premieres Saturday, July 2^nd at 11:30am – “Food Spell”

Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Season 8 premieres Saturday, July 2^ndat 12pm – “The Secret to Lobster Rolls”

Barefoot Contessa: Season 5 premieres Saturday, July 2^nd at 1pm – “Summertime Easy”

Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian: Season 5 premieres Sunday, July 3^rd at 9am – “Italian Inspiration”

Cooking for Real: Season 10 premieres Saturday, July 9^th at 10am – “Taking My Lumps”

ON-AIR SPECIAL

Sunny’s All-American Celebration: Premieres Saturday, July 2nd at 10am

Sunny Anderson shows us that behind every great soldier is a good meal. It's a very special personal and patriotic journey for Sunny as she travels to Ft. Bragg, N.C. and Fort Lee, Va. to look back on her time in the military, celebrate men and women in uniform, reconnect with her active duty family members, and show viewers why food is often the glue that holds military families together.

ONLINE CONTENT

Pull out a checkered tablecloth, fire up the grill and look no further for perfect all-American recipes at FoodNetwork.com/july4. Food Network fans get party-perfect recipes like Guy's 4th of July Cocktail, Alton's Fried Chicken and a new favorite, Flag Cake, from Ina Garten.

NEW EPISODES

In addition to the above new series, seasons and specials, Food Network premieres all new episodes of:

Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, July 3^rd at 8pm – “Star Wars Cakes”

Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, July 17^th at 8pm – “Chocolate Myths”

Food Network Challenge: Premiering Sunday, July 24^th at 8pm – “Smurf Cakes”

Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, July 24^th at 10pm – “Flay vs. Christiansen”

Iron Chef America: Premiering Sunday, July 31^st at 10pm – “Symon vs. Johnson”

Daytime: 5 Ingredient Fix, 30 Minute Meals, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, Giada At Home, Guy’s Big Bite, Mexican Made Easy, Paula’s Best Dishes, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee

Primetime: Chopped, Cupcake Wars, Extreme Chef, Meat & Potatoes, Outrageous Food, The Best Thing I Ever Ate

And the winner is….

2011-07-01T04:05:00.001-05:00

And the winner is….

Peggy Clyde said...

When would I eat a brownie? Just about anytime I have the chance. I love Fiber One bars. Thanks.

June 26, 2011 11:31 PM

Congratulations Peggy! Please e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com to claim you terrific prize.

My thanks to Fiber One and General Mills through MyBlogSpark for providing me with a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies gift pack to give away.

Fiber One Brownies & Giveaway

2011-06-25T22:19:00.003-05:00

When I was given a chance to try the new Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies from Fiber One and General Mills through MyBlogSpark, my first thought was…yummm. Well, maybe my first thought was chocolate, then brownie and then yum. Have you tried these great brownies yet? They actually sent me the Chocolate Fudge Brownies and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies. Both are delicious, but my favorites are the Chocolate Fudge Brownies. I’ve already been trying Fiber One bars for a quick breakfast or snack. So, I was excited to hear about their new brownies. They definitely did not disappoint and make the perfect evening snack. Then again, a little chocolate for breakfast never hurt either!

Want to try them for yourself? Check out this giveaway:

Fiber One and General Mills through MyBlogSpark are providing me with a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies gift pack to give away to one of you! The gift pack includes:

a box each of the Chocolate Fudge and the Chocolate Peanut Butter brownies

a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownie themed duffel bag, jump rope. water bottle, snack case, headband, bracelet

How to win? Just leave a comment on this post, and tell me:

when you plan to enjoy their Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownie - as an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening indulgence

You’ll receive a bonus entry as a follower of this blog. Hurry though, contest ends June 30th, and I’ll post the winner July 1st.

Making Your Corner of the World Better

2011-06-09T03:07:00.001-05:00

If you think about all that is wrong in the world today, it seems like too much to fix. But, I really do believe that we can all help out in small ways and make our little corners of the world a little better. If you ask any charity, I bet they'll tell you all those little donations of $10 and $20 add up to more than the 'big' donations.

I read somewhere that one of the instructions they give you in the event of a problem on an airplane is to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then your children. That goes against instinct because you want to protect your children first. However, if you pass out before you get the mask on them, how can you help? So, put the mask on yourself first. In charity, I think that means taking care of yourself, your family and your friends. Chances are in that large group, there is always someone in need. Then, expand out from there. Local homeless shelters, food banks, charities and animal shelters are always in need of donations. Check out the charity or organization before you donate so that you know what they need and how it will help others. Unfortunately, there are a lot of well meaning organizations that fail to get items to the needy because of red tape. It's often why they ask for money first because the organization can purchase the needed items rather than spending precious time going through donated goods. You don't want to bring them a truckload of paper towels if they have no place to store them. But, with a few phone calls, you can find an organization with the need and storage space.

We all have coupons that we don't need or use. Consider using those to purchase items to donate to local charities. For instance, you can stock up on dog or cat food and treats. Then, donate them to a local animal shelter. It's a clear way of stretching your donation dollars. One of our local shelters maintains this list of needed items on their website:

Leashes (not retractable)

Collars

Bleach

Pine Sol

Paper Towels

Dish Detergent

Buckets

Sponges

Scrubbers

Toys

Towels

Kitty Litter

Tarps

Contractor Trash Bag

Cat or dog Treats

Blankets

Bedding

Stainless food and water bowls

When you think about it, this list makes a lot of sense. But, if you had asked me before what a shelter could use, I would have just said food. So, consider some of the above items when you're going through your coupons. By combining the same coupon/sale strategy to your charity dollars, you'll have more to give than you think. And, you'll be making Fluffie's little corner of the world a little better until her 'forever' family adopts her.

Couponing Has a Dark Side

2011-06-05T08:22:00.006-05:00

Does couponing have a dark side? I say, yes, it can. I almost titled this post 'How to Save Hundreds of Dollars by Gaining Pounds!' Until last year, I lived in the normal coupon world. I used coupons for products I would have normally purchased anyway and sometimes for a new product I wanted to try. I usually saved around $10 on each grocery trip. I had heard of 'extreme couponers' and knew there was a 'secret' to getting free stuff or hundreds of dollars in groceries for pennies. I finally did a little research online and figured out how it all works by combining sales, store coupons, manufacturer coupons, etc. On my first try, I saved tons of money.

Other than the free products I snagged, my best deals were name brand sanitary napkins that I purchased for less than fifty cents a box! And, the sales kept coming. As I shoved more and more boxes into the closet, I slowly began to realize I probably had more than a year's supply on hand. But that couldn't mean I had a problem. I mean, it's not like they were going to 'expire'. Well, at least not until menopause.

From that, I moved on to dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. Same thing...I have enough on hand to last a year, maybe even longer. Toothpaste? I'll be reaching that goal pretty soon. Deodorant? Yep...no problems there. Pain killers? Allergy? Vitamins? I could stock a small pharmacy. Granted, this is all stuff that I will use, but how much does one family really need? The upside is that these were really good deals and I saved a lot of money. Of course, I had to spend it a lot sooner than I normally would have due to buying a year's worth of products in a few short months. But, over a yearly budget, most of what I purchased was at least 50% off or more based on the normal cost. That is a savings that is hard to argue with when considering couponing's dark side. There is a fine line between being well stocked and hoarding. So, just be cautious if you have hoarding tendencies.

Chocolate. I love the word almost as much as the candy. I try not to allow it in the house because I'll eat it. But, who can resist practically free chocolate? With coupons, it's possible. First, I thought I'd stock up for the holiday's. Like Valentine's Day or Easter. Funny how none of the candy lasted that long in the pantry, but it's still on my hips. So, okay, I told myself I could still buy it, but for other people. My friends love chocolate and it was costing me practically nothing. Strange thing happened; it cost money to give away chocolate to my friends. While they were quite happy, it really defeated the purpose of 'saving' money with coupons. Free or cheap is not necessarily good for you if it causes you to gain weight or become some sort of 'chocolate pusher' among your friends.

Saving on groceries is a necessity. By combining sales and coupons, you can really save a lot of money. But, this takes time. Nothing is more frustrating than making a list only to find the store out of the products you want because other 'couponers' have scooped up the sales. And, like chocolate, just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's good for you. Since organizing my spending and coupons over the last few months, I've consistently saved over 50% on staples like soup, mustards, sauces, etc. There are free or almost free items too. Most local stores will double fifty cent coupons, so each one is like a dollar off a product. It's easy to combine those with sales and find items for pennies on the dollar. On most other grocery items, I save at least 20% on each trip. I'm happy with that considering I buy a lot of fresh produce and meats that don't usually have coupons.

Even with all my planning, I still end up with tons of coupons that I'll never use. There was a time when each one was merely paper, but now I see dollars slipping away. Surely someone wants that unused coupon. I've tried all different kinds of outlets for the ones I won't use and the best one is trading with friends. It's free and easy. And, the expired coupons or ones that no one I know will use? I send those overseas for use on our military bases. Check out the Overseas Adoption Program. They can use expired coupons for a few months after the expiration date. So, in the end, everyone saves a little. The trick is not to become too obsessed and to stay away from the dark side.

Foodie News - Cooking Channel Highlights for June 2011

2011-06-01T07:03:00.000-05:00

**COOKING CHANNEL JUNE 2011 HIGHLIGHTS**

Ben Sargent Hosts First-Ever Seafood Series: ‘Hook, Line & Dinner’
New Episodes of ‘The Originals with Emeril’ and ‘From Spain With Love’
Season Premiere of ‘Kelsey’s Essentials’ and Summer Kicks Off with “Grilling Week”

NEW YORK – May 16, 2011 – Cooking Channel sizzles into summer with a series and season premiere along with countless new episodes of fan-favorite shows. New primetime series Hook, Line & Dinner reels viewers in on Tuesday, June 7th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT as host Ben Sargent teams up with local experts to secure the catch of the day and cook it up in the best seaside kitchens during this one-of-a-kind seafood-focused series. Emeril Lagasse highlights the country’s most iconic restaurants in new episodes of The Originals with Emeril on Thursdays at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT, and Annie Sibonney continues her culinary trip through notable Spanish regions in new episodes of From Spain with Love on Saturdays at 9:30pmET/6:30pmPT. “Grilling Week” airs Sunday, June 12th - Saturday, June 18th from 8pm-11pmET/5pm-8pmPT and features grilling-themed episodes of Cooking Channel favorites, while CookingChannelTV.com offers the ultimate burger guide for summer grilling. And, Kelsey Nixon returns for season two of Kelsey’s Essentials on Saturday, June 25th at 2:30pmET/11:30amPT. Join the Cooking Channel conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

SERIES PREMIERE

Hook, Line & Dinner
By bike, boat, car or surfboard, Ben Sargent embarks on the ultimate coastal road trip in his primetime Cooking Channel series, Hook, Line & Dinner. From Florida and Louisiana to California and Oregon, Ben uncovers the country’s best seafood joints and regional specialties while taking viewers on the awesome journey from sea to table. Crab shacks, lobster pounds, and chowder houses – to Ben, they’re more than just places to get a hot meal. They’re hangouts for eccentrics, where locals swap stories and fishermen share tales from the sea. In each episode, Ben visits a new coastal locale where he teams up with the expert locals to secure the catch of the day, and then he follows that catch straight to the best seaside kitchens.
Premieres Tuesday, June 7th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – SERIES PREMIERE! – “Bayou Country”
Ben’s first stop in Bayou Country is Bayou Sorrel to meet fisherman Carey Carline. Next, he heads to Breaux Bridge, the ‘Crawfish Capital of the World’ to visit Crazy ‘bout Crawfish and try his hand at making crawfish etouffee. Then, Ben’s off to learn how to boil purged crawfish at Cajun Claw and then finishes his trip with a visit to Café des Amis for Cajun catfish.
Premieres Tuesday, June 14th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “Miami & the Everglades”
Ben travels the Miami River aboard Lord of the Tides en route to Biscayne Bay to help harvest spiny lobster, and then he completes the ultimate sea-to-plate experience by sautéing lobster Cuban creole style at Garcia’s Seafood Grille. He whips up ‘down-home style’ frog’s legs at Coopertown Restaurant, and last on the adventure, Ben heads to sea with Lee Noble of Leebo’s Rock Bottom Bar to highlight South Florida’s other famous crustacean – the stone crab.
Premieres Tuesday, June 21st at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT – “Charleston, South Carolina”
Ben discovers Charleston’s current culinary renaissance with the region’s rustic Lowcountry cuisine and its seemingly timeless union with all things fresh and aquatic. He begins his journey at Bowens Island Restaurant, a local marsh-side oyster house. Then he heads to Husk in historic downtown Charleston for pan-seared sheepshead fish, and prepares stuffed blue crab at T.W. Graham & Company in nearby McClellanville.
Premieres Tuesday, June 28th at 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT – “New Orleans”
Ben travels to New Orleans during Mardi Gras and joins shrimper Brian Drury for the catch before whisking the crustaceans into the kitchen with Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, where they specialize in creole gumbo. Then, Ben travels south of The Big Easy to meet Jacques Leonardi of Jack-Imo’s to blacken fish fillets New Orlean’s style. Finally, Ben journeys to the Mississippi Delta to get a first-hand look at oyster beds nearly a year after the oil spill before heading to Castnet Seafood to make a giant oyster po-boy.

FEATURED SERIES

The Originals with Emeril
Premieres Thursday, June 2nd at 10:30pmET/7:30pm PT – “Atlanta”
Emeril ventures to Atlanta to visit Mary Mac’s Tea Room for spicy Cajun shrimp and grits, the Busy Bee Café for fried chicken and Horseradish Grill for char-grilled Georgia mountain trout, braised greens and fried green tomatoes.
Premieres Thursday, June 9th at 10:30pmET/7:30pm PT – “New York”
Emeril heads to New York to visit Il Vagabondo for their world-famous Veal Parmesan, King Yum for butterfly shrimp and savory Wonton Soup and Keens Steakhouse for their popular Porterhouse steaks and timeless mutton chops.
Premieres Thursday, June 16th at 10:30pmET/7:30pm PT – “Chicago”
Emeril discovers culinary charms of the Windy City when he visits The Berghoff for a Reuben sandwich, Twin Anchors for Chicago-style ribs and creamed spinach and Gene and Georgetti’s for “garbage salad” and “Chicken Ala Joe.”
Premieres Thursday, June 23rd at 10:30pmET/7:30pm PT – “Miami”Emeril explores three original establishments in Miami: Joe’s Stone Crab for tasty Key Lime Pie, Casa Larios for “fried cow,” and Tobacco Road for smoked ribs and chicken.
Premiering Thursday, June 30th at 10:30pmET / 7:30pm PT – “New Orleans”
Emeril returns to New Orleans to stop by Casamento’s for its fresh oysters, Café Du Monde for beignets and Antoine’s for Oysters Rockefeller and Baked Alaska.

From Spain With Love
Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 9:30pmET/6:30pmPT – “Paella: Tradition in a Pan”
Annie explores all aspects of the traditional Spanish dish – paella. She visits a family in La Mancha to pick saffron and later talks to the “Queen of Saffron,” Chef Maria José San Román, at her restaurant in Alicante. She ends her journey in Barcelona, where everything - including paella - is done with a twist.
Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 9:30pmET/6:30pmPT – “Madrid: Dusk ‘til Dine”
Annie starts her evening in Madrid at the historic Mercado San Miguel in the heart of downtown Madrid and later enjoys the local street food of the city. Annie savors a fantastic multi-course dinner at El Fogon de Trifon, and ends her evening with an early morning treat of hot chocolate and churros.
Premieres Saturday, June 18th at 9:30pmET/6:30pmPT – “Preserves: Keeping the Flavor Alive”
Annie feasts on locally-sourced conservas (canned food) at Quimet y Quimet in Barcelona. She then prepares traditional dried salted cod (bacalao) in Bilbao and explores a range of meat smoking techniques in Catalonia. She also prepares chicken and vegetables in the traditional escabeche style.
Premieres Saturday, June 25th at 9:30pmET/6:30pmPT – “Seafood To Die For”
Annie helps female clam diggers of Galicia gather clams before the tides come in and later risks the dangerous surf off of Spain’s “coast of death” in search of percebes (goose barnacles). She enjoys a Galician-style octopus party and works alongside Chef Marcelo Tejedor to cook local seafood in his restaurant in Santiago de Compostela.

SEASON PREMIERE
Kelsey’s Essentials: Season Two Premieres Saturday, June 25th at 2:30pmET/11:30amPT – “Summer Desserts”
Kelsey whips up delicious desserts including Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Icebox Cake; Sugar Cookie Crust Pizza; Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granita; and Cucumber, Meyer Lemon and Lavender Granita.

ON-AIR “GRILLING WEEK”
Grilling Week: Sunday, June 12th - Saturday, June 18th from 8pm-11pmET/5pm-8pmPT
From healthy hamburgers and scrumptious sides to thirst-quenching libations and delicious desserts, Cooking Channel gets grilling with tasty themed episodes of fan favorite shows offering up expert tips and techniques perfect for summer entertaining.

Premiere and encore episodes of series and specials include: BBQ with Bobby Flay; BBQ Boot Camp; BBQ Circuit; Bitchin’ Kitchen; Ciao America; Eat St.; Everyday Italian; Food(ography); From Spain with Love; Giada’s Weekend Getaways; Hook, Line & Dinner; The Originals with Emeril; Two Fat Ladies; Unique Eats; and United Tastes of America.

ONLINE

Cooking Channel’s Best Burger Blitz
From bison burgers and bacon-wrapped meatloaf burgers to crab burgers and Aussie chicken burgers, CookingChannelTV.com has the perfect patty to satisfy every craving, including exclusive recipes from Food Network Kitchens, Hungry Girl’s Lisa Lillien, Fan Fave Chef Kevin Gillespie, and Kelsey Nixon from Kelsey’s Essentials. CookingChannelTV.com also offers up a rare gem: a burger recipe from legendary chef, Julia Child.

NEW EPISODES
In addition to the above series, new episodes of hit Cooking Channel series air throughout June.
Chuck’s Day Off: June 5th, June 12th, June 19th and June 26th at 11amET/8amPT
Eat St.: June 14th, June 21st and June 28th at 8pmET/5pmPT
Unique Eats: June 5th, June 12th, June 19th and June 26th at 10pmET/7pmPT
Unique Sweets: June 19th and June 26th at 10:30pmET/7:30pmPT
David Rocco’s Dolce Vita: June 4th, June 11th, June 18th and June 25th at 1:30pmET/10:30amPT
From the Kitchens Of...: June 12th at 10amET/7amPT

Foodie News - Guy Gourmet

2011-05-28T18:28:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the beginning of summer as well as the grilling season, Men’s Health food blog ‘Guy Gourmet’ kicks off a 10-week series called “10 Foods Every Man Must Grill.” Each Friday, starting today, ‘Guy Gourmet’ will feature a grilling recipe from a well-known chef. This week, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York City shares his recipe for “Grilled Lobster with Sauce Vierge.” Over the course of the series, nine other notable chefs including Tadashi Ono, Adam Perry Lang, and Elizabeth Karmel will share their favorite grilling recipes.

To follow the series at Guy Gourmet and check out the series’ first recipe, visit: http://blogs.menshealth.com/guy-gourmet/10-foods-every-man-must-grill-1-lobster/2011/05/27/.

Zesty turkey wrap for quick lunches

2011-05-27T22:48:00.002-05:00

Guest post written by Emily Shelton

I've never minded preparing and fixing food for myself. I actually love to cook! But there are just some times when I wish that I had the chance to whip up something really great but I don't have the time to do it. So I like to figure out shortcuts for little dishes that I just throw together in a matter of minutes.

But I tend to over think these things, so I went online to get some inspiration for really simple quick meals to make that don't require cooking or baking. When i was online looking up some stuff like that I came across the website http://get.wildblue.com/faqs.html and after I looked through it a little bit, I decided to sign up for a new internet service for my apartment through it.

I found a quick recipe for a zesty turkey wrap that sounded delicious so I've made that a couple of times, which includes ingredients that I kind of already have around the kitchen anyway. Also, I love hummus and I can throw that in the wrap too to add a little more flavor.

And the winner is....

2011-05-26T23:18:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the great response! The winners of the trial packs of Cascade Complete All-in-1 Action Pacs are:

jezinthekitchen said...
I can't tell you how many times I have placed an empty but dirty casserole dish in the oven because of lack of counter space and forgotten it - and then turned the oven on to preheat for another meal. Ugh. It's my worst kitchen habit! Hopefully someday I'll have a kitchen with LOTS of counter space :)

Jodi said...
Hey there! Need some cooking help, glad you sent me to your blog! And trying a new recipe in a new pan could deffinatley be fun!jharstine@hotmail.com
May 16, 2011 1:20 PM

Anonymous said...
Love your blog. Worst thing to clean is the brownie pan with the insert to make individual brownies. Even after soaking, it never gets completely clean in the dishwasher. Sheila
May 19, 2011 10:00 AM

Anash said...
scarmbled eggs is what i hate cleaning! Thanks for the chance to win!! What a lovely giveawayanashct [at] yahoo [dot] com
May 17, 2011 10:28 PM

Becky Vance said...
I am the worlds worst at not cleaning up the night I cook. Cascade is real good for the next day cleaning..lol
May 18, 2011 5:14 PM

And, the lucky winner of the $15 Wal-Mart Gift Card is:

Anonymous said...
lasagna is always the worst!!! Amy :o) funbbw40@aol.com
May 25, 2011 8:34 AM

Congrats to all the winners! Please e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com with your name & mailing address so I can mail out your prize.

My thanks to P&G for providing me with the Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPac Kit, 6 trial packs, information, and the $15 Walmart gift card to giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

Legal Disclaimer:
This product review was based on using complimentary Cascade product provided by P&G. Bloggers also received a Walmart® gift card to share with their readers. P&G does not represent or warrant the accuracy of any statements or product claims made here, nor does it endorse any opinions expressed within this blog site.

Buffalo & Bleu Chicken Salad

2011-05-24T03:49:00.000-05:00

Summer means salads! I've been experimenting with different recipes for homemade salad dressings. This one is a bleu cheese dressing, but it tastes great without the cheese too. I'd say this recipe makes two good servings of the dressing. I added leftover Simple Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders to romaine lettuce for a great dinner.

Bleu Cheese Dressing
.
2 tablespoons Kraft Miracle Whip Dressing
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons aged bleu cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
salt/pepper to taste
.
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Serve over romaine lettuce and top with chicken tenders.

Foodie News - 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off

2011-05-23T03:07:00.000-05:00

Entries for the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest are in and judging is now underway. And once again the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest is letting You Be the Judge!

Beginning May 12, 2011, America will have the opportunity to vote for 10 of the 20 original recipes posted on www.bakeoff.com. The recipes will be posted in pairs every two weeks and during each two-week period, consumers will have the opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite of the two recipes. Voting is limited to one vote per person per each pair of recipes. Voters must be registered members of www.pillsbury.com and 18 years of age or older as of May 1, 2011 to participate.

At the end of two weeks, the home cook whose recipe receives the most votes in each pair will become a finalist in the 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest taking place in Orlando, Florida from March 25-27, 2012...getting one step closer to the $1 million grand prize. The contest will feature 100 original recipes-90 recipes whose creators will directly earn a spot at the competition and the 10 winning recipes determined by people like you through You Be the Judge!

Simple Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders

2011-05-21T15:25:00.003-05:00

I frequent a great Mexican restaurant that serves the best hot wings. The sauce is the best part, but I also like that the wings are not breaded. They are deep fried and then covered in the yummy sauce. I love this sauce so much that I finally asked how they made it. Two ingredients - hot sauce and melted butter. No wonder it tasted so good! I love butter too, but I'm constantly looking for ways to cook without it or at least by reducing it. I honestly didn't expect to find a bottled sauce that tasted as good as the homemade kind. Then I ran across Frank's" RedHot Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce. I've been a fan of their hot sauce for years and decided to give the wing sauce a try - especially since it didn't call for butter! So, this delicious recipe has only two ingredients - chicken tenders and the sauce. You can add as much or as little sauce as you want as it's not 'super' hot. Just do a taste test first to see how much you want to use. The sauce thickens as it cooks. I used boneless chicken tenders, but you could use breaded or wings. Happy cooking!
.
Simple Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders

8-12 boneless chicken tenders
1/2 cup Frank's" RedHot Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce
.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place tenders in a shallow dish and cover with wing sauce. Cook for 35 minutes or until chicken is done. If using frozen, follow package directions for thawing/cooking times.

Foodie News - Food Network June Highlights

2011-05-20T23:07:00.000-05:00

**FOOD NETWORK JUNE HIGHLIGHTS**

“Food Network Star” Season 7 Kicks-Off Sizzling Summer Programming

Two New Series Premieres: “Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction” and “Extreme Chef”

Plus: Season Premiere of “Cupcake Wars” and Father’s Day Fun On-Air and Online

Food Network jumpstarts summer on Sunday, June 5th at 9pm with the return of the number one series, Food Network Star, kicking off the most exciting and challenging season to date with countless guest stars and 15 finalists vying for their own Food Network show. On-air and online, Food Network also serves as the most comprehensive grilling destination this summer. Primetime “Grilling Week” programming starts off with the Best In Smoke season finale on Sunday, May 29th at 9pm and continues with 20+ hours of hit series from Sunday, May 29th – Saturday, June 4th from 8-11pm. And, 12 hours of “In The Kitchen” daytime programming feature the best-of-the-best grilling recipes from Food Network favorites on Saturday, June 4th from 7am-2pm and Sunday, June 5th from 7am-12pm including the series premiere of Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction on Sunday, June 5th at 11am. Plus, online at FoodNetwork.com/Grilling, fans can access the ultimate grilling guide with expert recipes, tips and techniques including eight exclusive videos with Bobby Flay. In Food Network’s new series, Extreme Chef, premiering Thursday, June 30th at 10pm, chefs compete in seemingly impossible challenges for the chance to win $10,000. Cupcake Wars returns for its third season on Tuesday, June 14th at 8pm. Viewers can also get ideas for the perfect Father’s Day with an on-air theme weekend on Saturday June 11th from 7am-2pm and Sunday, June 12th from 7am-12pm along with an online package at FoodNetwork.com/Dad featuring exclusive content from Guy Fieri. Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

FEATURED FINALE

Best In Smoke: Premieres Sunday, May 29th at 9pm

After three grueling episodes of competition, three of the best barbecue masters are left to compete for the ultimate title of “Best In Smoke.” In the season finale, the competitors’ culinary knowledge and stamina are tested as they face off in three catered events in one day. Each location showcases a different element of the New York lifestyle including ballparks, Broadway and bars. The finalists must feature brisket in at least one of their meals, which can take up to 12 hours to cook. With their eye on the prize, this final battle determines which competitor wins the $50,000 grand prize and the coveted title of Best In Smoke.

FEATURED SERIES

Food Network Star: Premieres Sunday, June 5th at 9pm

Food Network’s number one series, Food Network Star, returns for season seven with the most intense tests of talent and exciting guest stars. With 15 finalists vying for the ultimate dream job, his or her own Food Network show, they strive to follow in the footsteps of their culinary idols. The finalists must first prove they have the charisma and culinary prowess to impress the selection committee: host/judge Bobby Flay, new selection committee member Giada De Laurentiis and Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson. Culinary competence and on-screen star potential will surely separate a true star from just another cook in the kitchen. For more information and press materials, visit the online press site.

· Premiering Sunday, June 5th at 9pm – “Lights, Camera, Cook”

In the two-hour season premiere, the 15 finalists meet in Los Angeles at Hollywood’s famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater to kick off the competition with a breakfast dish that best represents their personal culinary style. Next, the competitors head to the Original Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles to meet Alton Brown (Good Eats, Iron Chef America), who places the finalists in five groups of three, challenging them to create an on-air promo for a “night of programming” with a four-course meal, presented to a panel of media member judges including Mario Lopez (Extra), Hal Rubenstein (InStyle) and Jess Cagle (Entertainment Weekly).

· Premiering Sunday, June 12th at 9pm – “In the Line of Fire”

In this 90-minute super-sized episode with two eliminations, the remaining 14 hopefuls, joined by pizza-throwing champion Tony Gemignani, put their own personal twist on pizza. With a surprise elimination after the first challenge, the 13 finalists dive in to the next competition in three groups to make restaurant dishes accessible to the everyday cook at home. Scott Conant (24 Hour Restaurant Battle), Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America), and Pat and Gina Neely (Down Home with the Neelys) join to critique the contestants not only on flavor and creativity, but also on the ability to adapt the recipe for the average consumer.

· Premiering Sunday, June 19th at 9pm – “Dueling Desserts”

To kick off this sugary sweet 90-minute episode, the 12 finalists make dinner using only Hershey’s ® products. Then, surprise guests Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) and Robert Irvine (Restaurant: Impossible, Worst Cooks In America) challenge the 12 finalists to create a “Dueling Dessert” party. Two teams, two personalities and two different demands - the contestants set out on Team Duff and Team Robert to create decadent dessert dishes to suit the tastes of their team captains.

· Premiering Sunday, June 26th at 9pm – “Cougartown and Paula Deen”

Season five Star winner, Melissa d’Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners), kicks off the episode by challenging each of the 11 finalists to create an amuse bouche in 45 minutes using Kellogg's ® cereals, toaster pastries, and items typically found in a home kitchen. Michael Symon (Iron Chef America) joins the contestants as they present their dishes. Then they head to the set of ABC’s hit series Cougar Town where the finalists are divided into five teams and challenged to create an on-set meal for the cast and crew. Paula Deen (Paula’s Best Dishes), Courteney Cox, show creator Bill Lawrence and other cast members are on hand to evaluate the final product.

SERIES PREMIERES

Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction: Premieres Sunday, June 5th at 11am

The quintessential grill master Bobby Flay takes outdoor grilling to a new level in his daytime cooking series. Surrounded by a sea of grills and the tools he loves, Bobby transforms a backyard into a mecca of barbecue deliciousness using flavor-packed ingredients from around the world. With his arsenal of expert grilling techniques, Bobby showcases everything from charcoal, to smoke, to global Q and proves why he’s truly addicted to barbecue.

· Premiering Sunday, June 5th at 11am – “Pacific Northwest Fresh Off the Grill”

Bobby uses Pacific Northwest crown jewels to create Hot Smoked Salmon with Salad of Apples, Dried Cherries, Hazelnuts and Greens with Apple Cider Vinaigrette; Dungeness Crab Steamed on the Grill in Ginger, Soy, Lime & Mirin with Soy Dipping Sauce; Cedar Planked Burgers with Grilled Walla Walla Onions and Mushrooms.

· Premiering Sunday, June 12th at 11am – “Wine & Dine Barbecue”

Bobby takes inspiration from California Wine Country as he cooks Ribeye with Goat Cheese, Meyer Lemon-Honey Mustard and Watercress; Flatbread with Fresh Figs, Monterey Jack, Blue Cheese and Red Wine Reduced Vinaigrette; Grilled Chicken Salad with Apricot Glaze, Homemade Mustard Seed Dressing; and Grapes-Almonds-Fresno Chiles.

· Premiering Sunday, June 19th at 11am – “Greek Barbecue… Opa!”

Bobby grills up a Greek-inspired menu includingGyros with Radish Tzatziki and Oregano Vinaigrette with Grilled Plum Tomatoes; Charcoal Grilled Shrimp; Calamari with Grilled Lemons; Smoked Tomato-Black Olive Relish; and a Grilled Fingerling Potato Salad with Feta, Green Beans, Olives & Red Wine Vinaigrette.

· Premiering Sunday, June 26th at 11am – “Cuba on the Q”

Bobby gets his groove on as he whips up Cuban barbecue classics including Cuban Pulled Pork Tacos with Guava Glaze and a Sour Orange Red Cabbage Jicama Slaw, Tirado de Mahi Mahi and Cuban Skirt Steak with a Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce.

Extreme Chef: Premieres Thursday, June 30th at 10pm

Whether extracting ingredients from a block of ice or using a Swiss Army knife as a lone cooking utensil, three chefs are pushed to their physical and mental limits in each episode of Extreme Chef. The series takes chefs out of their kitchen comfort zone to test their wits, adaptability and artistry as they must adapt to extreme conditions and unpredictable factors including swimming across a lake for ingredients and constructing a makeshift stove in only 30 minutes. In a series of arduous challenges, the competitors must impress judges and various guest critics with their out-of-box culinary masterpieces to earn the title Extreme Chef.

SEASON PREMIERE

Cupcake Wars: Premieres Tuesday, June 14th at 8pm – “Kentucky Derby”

It will be a real horse race when four talented cupcake bakers vie for the chance to have their delicious displays featured at the red carpet celebration for the famed Kentucky Derby.

GRILLING: ON-AIR PROGRAMMING BLOCKS AND ONLINE CONTENT

Food Network is the one-stop destination for grilling and entertaining with primetime and daytime programming and a complete online package featuring hundreds of recipes, techniques and expert tips on how to plan a perfect summer soiree. Below is a list of all premiere episodes airing during the themed programming blocks.

Primetime Grilling Week (May 29th – June 4th from 8-11pm every night)

· Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, May 29th at 10pm – “Symon vs. Mooking”

· Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Premieres Monday, May 30th at 9pm – “Grillin’ and Smokin’”

· Meat and Potatoes: Premieres Monday, May 30th at 10pm – “Kansas City Barbecue Tour”

· The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Premieres Monday, May 30th at 10:30pm – “Smoky”

· Chopped: Premieres Tuesday, May 31st at 10pm – “Grilling”

· 24 Hour Restaurant Battle: Premieres Thursday, June 2nd at 10pm – “Grill vs. BBQ”

· Outrageous Food: Premieres Friday, June 3rd at 10pm – “27 Ton Grill”

Daytime Grilling Weekend (Saturday, June 4th from 7am-2pm and Sunday June 5th from 7am-12pm)

· Big Daddy’s House: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 9am – “Lunch Special”

Aaron cooks up a BLT with Blue Buffalo Aioli, Beer Braised Brats, Big Daddy’s Funked Out Chef Salad and Thai Noodles with Grilled Chicken.

· Mexican Made Easy: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 9:30am – “Marcela’s Mexi-Grill”

Marcela grills Mexican-style with Grilled Rib-Eye with Roasted Garlic and Ancho Butter, Mexican Requeson Spread with Grilled Tostadas, Grilled Calabacitas and Bean Salad and Tequila Drenched BBQ Honey Peaches.

· 30 Minute Meals: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 10am – “Texas 2-Step”

Rachael helps conquer a big bad appetite with a Tex-Mex meal loaded with flavor, including Smoky Chipotle BBQ Potted Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Jalapeno Poppers.

· 5 Ingredient Fix: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 10:30am – “Mighty Aphrodite Meal”

Claire has a Greek feast fit for the gods with Tzatziki, Sliders With Ground Lamb and Feta, Whole Marinated Chicken, and a Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

· Paula’s Best Dishes: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 11am – “Fire Up The Grill!”

Paula grills up new favorites with her son Jamie such as Grilled Artichokes and Bacon-Rosemary Dip, Grilled Radicchio and Walnut Salad, Grilled Tuna Steaks with Lemon-Pepper Butter, and Cream Scones with Grilled Strawberries and Orange Cream.

· Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 12pm – “The Secret to Pulled Pork”

Anne shares her recipes for all-American favorites with Pulled Pork, Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ Sauce, Broccoli Stem and Carrot Slaw and Spiked Lemonade.

· Dessert First: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 12:30pm – “Raise the Dessert Bar”

Anne welcomes the neighborhood kids over for some fun and delicious dessert bars including Smoky S’mores Bars, Raspberry Crumble Bars, and Bridge Mix Bark.

· Giada At Home: Premieres Saturday, June 4th at 1:30pm – “A Girl’s Grill”

Giada grills for her girlfriends, but not the typical burgers and hot dogs. Instead, she cooks up Grilled Pineapple, Bananas and Grapes; Grilled Corn and Cheese Cakes; and Beet, Apple and Cheese Pizzettes.

· Guy’s Big Bite: Premieres Sunday, June 5th at 10:30am –“Guido’s Great Gumbo”

Guy whips up a meal inspired by the south, with Tempura Fried Okra, Spicy Ranch Dressing and Smoky Chicken Gumbo.

· Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction: Premieres Sunday, June 5th at 11am – “Pacific Northwest”

Bobby uses Pacific Northwest crown jewels to create Hot Smoked Salmon with Salad of Apples, Dried Cherries, Hazelnuts and Greens with Apple Cider Vinaigrette; Dungeness Crab Steamed on the Grill in Ginger, Soy, Lime & Mirin with Soy Dipping Sauce; Cedar Planked Burgers with Grilled Walla Walla Onions and Mushrooms.

Online, FoodNetwork.com/Grilling offers the ultimate grilling guide featuring recipes and techniques perfect for summer entertaining. With tips, menus, and how-to guides from fan-favorite Food Network chefs including Bobby Flay, the Neelys, and Sandra Lee, FoodNetwork.com offers up summer fare of all kinds from healthy hot dogs and tasty peach cobbler to chicken wings and refreshing libations. Content highlights include:

· Eight web-exclusive videos with Bobby Flay showcasing recipes and tips for everything from grilling with wood and perfect summer drinks to making beer can chicken and pizza on the grill

· 50+ burger recipes including Guy Fieri’s Killer Inside Out Burger and Bobby Flay’s Green Chile Cheeseburgers

· June calendar with one tip each day from Food Network chefs with helpful hints to maximize the summer season

· Spectacular summer menus including All-Star Al Fresco Menu, The Neelys’ Best Barbecue, Bobby’s Burger Bash, Classic Cookout Menu, Steak Lover’s Delight, Quick and Easy Cookout, Foolproof Summer Bash and Freshest Farmer’s Market Menu

· Sweepstakes offering a chance to win tickets to the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

FATHER’S DAY: ON-AIR PROGRAMMING BLOCK AND ONLINE CONTENT

“Father’s Day” Weekend (Saturday, June 11th from 7am-2pm and Sunday, June 12th from 7am-2pm)

It’s a family affair on Food Network when the chefs serve up some of Dad’s food favorites during this “In The Kitchen” programming block. Online, FoodNetwork.com/Dad serves up a how-to for the perfect Father’s Day picnic from Guy Fieri in addition to 50+ recipes to make the best Dad’s Day brunch.

· Big Daddy’s House: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 9am – “All Grown Up”

· Mexican Made Easy: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 9:30am – “Papa’s Party”

· 30 Minute Meals: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 10am – “Never Had It So Good”

· 5 Ingredient Fix: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 10:30am – “The New Steakhouse”

· Paula’s Best Dishes: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 11am – “Celebrating Dads”

· Dessert First: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 12:30pm – “Rock N’ Roll Retro Cakes and Shakes”

· Giada At Home: Premieres Saturday, June 11th at 1:30pm – “Dad’s Day”

· Guy’s Big Bite: Premieres Sunday, June 12th at 10:30am – “The Fieri Boys Go Fancy”

· Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction: Premieres Sunday, June 12th at 11am – “Wine & Dine Barbeque”

NEW EPISODES

In addition to the above new series, seasons and specials, Food Network premieres all new episodes of:

Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, June 5th at 8pm – “Awesome 80’s Cakes”

Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, June 12th at 8pm – “Romance Novel Cakes”

Daytime

5 Ingredient Fix , 30 Minute Meals, Big Daddy’s House, Dessert First, Giada At Home, Guy’s Big Bite, Mexican Made Easy, Paula’s Best Dishes, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee

Primetime

24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped, Diners Drive-Ins & Dives, Meat & Potatoes, Outrageous Food, The Best Thing I Ever Ate

# # #

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers’ best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.25 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.

Cascade Complete® All-in-1 ActionPacs™ & Gift Card Giveaway

2011-05-16T01:01:00.000-05:00

I grew up with a manual dishwasher. If you’re scratching your head, a manual dishwasher means we washed dishes by hand! Maybe that’s why I’ve always been a firm believer in soaking dishes. I love baking, but I really hate doing the dishes. When MyBlogSpark gave me the opportunity to take the 24 Hour Cascade Challenge, I had to give it a try. P&G, through MyBlogSpark, sent me a Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs kit.

The kit included:

A beautiful Corningware baking dish with glass lid for cooking & a plastic lid for storing or potlucks
6 trial packs of Cascade Complete All-In-1 Action Pacs – one to use for my challenge and 5 for to share with you
Wal-Mart Gift Card ($15) for one of my lucky readers

That’s the easy part. The hard part was the challenge. I do not mean it was difficult to cook, but it was difficult to resist the temptation to soak the dish. My instructions were:

Bake a Blueberry Cobbler
Set the empty baking dish out for 24 hours
Without rinsing, put it in the dishwasher with Cascade Complete

No rinsing! No soaking! No way! But, I did it. (By the way, the cobbler was delicious!). The dish looked pretty sad the next day – all empty, dirty and abandoned. I had blueberry stain nightmares. I had my doubts, but the dish came out squeaky clean! Will I rinse in the future? Yes, it’s habit. But, it’s nice to know I don’t always have to if I forget and leave a dish out overnight.

How about you? Do you want to take the challenge too?

It’s easy, but you do have to leave a comment on this post. Maybe you could tell me about your dirtiest dish and how hard you had to scrub for it to come clean. If you’re a follower of this blog, you get an extra entry.

The prize? I have five trial packs of Cascade Complete All-In-1 Action Pacs to give away and one lucky reader will receive a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
Hurry though as this giveaway will end May 25, 2011 at midnight

My thanks to P&G for providing me with the Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPac Kit, 6 trial packs, information, and the $15 Walmart gift card to giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-05-14T20:29:00.003-05:00

I make a list, check it twice, and vow to go strictly by the list. But, somehow, these things end up in my grocery cart and I am left trying to figure out what to do what them. Sometimes I blame it on great deals. Sometimes I think the store has someone going around throwing random items into carts to help move merchandise. I am especially suspicious when they offer to help empty my cart at check-out. ‘No thanks’ I say. You see, I have a system of how things go into the cart and how I line them up for check-out. If someone helps, it ruins my system. Then chaos erupts. But, that’s a story for another day.

I do remember buying a container of PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Flavored Cooking Creme. Unloading it, I remembered this is a no pasta week at home. I do things like that – sort of like not buying pasta when I’m supposed to make it. So, this handy new product could wait in my refrigerator for pasta week or I could find another way to use it. That leads us to stuffed mushrooms. This was soooo easy! I only made eight mushrooms and we immediately wanted more. I’m not including total measurements since you will want to adjust to the number of mushrooms and size you are you are using. My mushrooms were medium-sized and I only used about 2 tablespoons of the cooking creme for the entire dish.

Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

PHILLY Savory Garlic Flavored Cooking Creme

Fresh Mushrooms

Bacon Bits

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coarse ground black pepper

Grated cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil into a shallow baking dish. Remove stems from mushrooms. Fill each cap with cooking creme – approx 1 teaspoon each depending on size. Place in baking dish. Top with bacon bits. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese & pepper. Drizzle each mushroom with a little olive oil. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown on top.

Vintage Chicken Pot Pie

2011-05-04T01:21:00.000-05:00

BY
MRS. F.L. GILLETTE
AND
HUGO ZIEMANN,
Steward of the White house
1887

Is there anything better than comfort food? We all have a different idea of what comfort food is, but I think one of my favorites will always be chicken pot pie. I ran across these vintage recipes and thought you might enjoy them. They are also a great reminder of how to use up some of your leftovers.

CHICKEN POT-PIE. No. 1.

Cut and joint a large chicken, cover with cold water, and let it boil gently until tender. Season with salt and pepper, and thicken the gravy with two tablespoonfuls of flour, mixed smooth with a piece of butter the size of an egg. Have ready nice light bread-dough, cut with the top of a wine-glass about a half an inch thick; let them stand half an hour and rise, then drop these into the boiling gravy. Put the cover on the pot closely, wrap a cloth around it, in order that no steam shall escape; and by no means allow the pot to cease boiling. Boil three-quarters of an hour.

CHICKEN POT-PIE. No. 2.

This style of pot-pie was made more in our grandmother's day than now, as most cooks consider that cooking crust so long destroys its spongy lightness, and renders it too hard and dry.

Take a pair of fine fowls, cut them up, wash the pieces, and season with pepper only. Make a light biscuit dough, and plenty of it, as it is always much liked by the eaters of pot-pie. Roll out the dough not very thin, and cut most of it into long squares. Butter the sides of a pot, and line them with dough nearly to the top. Lay slices of cold ham at the bottom of the pot, and then the pieces of fowl, interspersed all through with squares of dough and potatoes, pared and quartered. Pour in a quart of water. Cover the whole with a lid of dough, having a slit in the centre, through which the gravy will bubble up. Boil it steadily for two hours. Half an hour before you take it up, put in through the hole in the centre of the crust some bits of butter rolled in flour, to thicken the gravy. When done, put the pie on a large dish, and pour the gravy over it.

You may intersperse it all through with cold ham.

A pot-pie may be made of ducks, rabbits, squirrels or venison. Also of beefsteak. A beefsteak, or some porksteaks (the lean only), greatly improve a chicken pot-pie. If you use no ham, season with salt.

Foodie News - From Spain With Love

2011-04-28T21:29:00.001-05:00

Cooking Channel Embarks on International Culinary Adventure in New Series From Spain With Love

Lauded Food Writer and Expert on Spanish Cuisine Annie Sibonney Leads Gastronomic Journey Through Spain, Premiering Saturday, May 28th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT

New York – April 28, 2011 – Cooking Channel takes an intimate food lover’s odyssey through the rich culinary culture of Spain in the new series From Spain With Love, premiering Saturday, May 28th at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT. As seen through the eyes of food writer Annie Sibonney, an expert in Spain’s regional and haute cuisine, the series uses food as a window into the very heart of Spain and its people and uncovers the diverse culinary traditions of the country.

From the food mecca of San Sebastian and the quaint fishing villages of Galicia, to cosmopolitan Barcelona and the bustling excitement of Madrid, From Spain With Love explores the deep-rooted connection between the land, the farmer, the fisherman, the ingredient, the home cook and the chef across Spain’s many regions. As Annie eats and cooks her way through Spain, audiences will taste the food and savor each experience with her.

In the premiere episode, Annie visits the Basque Country, a fiercely independent region with more cooks per capita than anywhere else in the world and its own style of uniquely inventive cuisine that put Spain on the culinary map. Annie breaks through barriers at a men’s only Gastronomic society; indulges in her favorite Basque dish, cod kokotaxas, prepared by Basque chef Andoni; enjoys a Basque-style tapas crawl; and cooks alongside the “godfather” of modern Basque cuisine, chef Juan Mari Arzak, whose reinvention of traditional Basque cooking revolutionized the culinary world.

Annie Sibonney is a food writer and expert on Spanish regional and haute cuisine. She has spent the past five years eating her way through Spain in search of the most memorable meals and ethereal culinary pleasures. Along the way, she has forged relationships and friendships with world-renowned chefs, local characters, food critics, historians, wine makers and artisans, all rooted in a shared love for celebrating life through memorable food, wine, travel, friends and experiences. Annie, who is based in Toronto, launched Relish Culinary Tours in 2007, which designs exclusive, fully arranged, escorted gastronomic excursions to Spain and Italy for private groups and individuals as hungry for adventure as she is.

From Spain With Love is produced by Shaftesbury, in association with Henry Less Productions.

Guest Recipe – Susan’s Taco Pie

2011-04-04T20:48:00.002-05:00

Taco and Pie! What more can I say? Here's another great recipe from Susan.

Susan's Taco Pie
.
1 pound ground beef
1 Taco Seasoning packet
1 pkg (8-Inch) Flour Tortillas, 8-Count
1 can refried beans
1 jar salsa , mild
2 cups shredded, cheddar cheese
sour cream, lettuce, etc. for toppings
.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef - drain off excess fat. Add a packet of taco seasoning - prepare as per the package directions. Spray a pie pan with Pam - cover the pan with flour tortillas. Spread a can of refried beans (more or less according to your likes) over the tortillas. Mix about 1/2 jar of salsa with ground beef. Layer the beef mixture over refried beans. I prefer mild salsa- but this is to your taste also - then cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Cut a few of the tortillas into triangles and place on top - (or you can just place the entire tortilla on top.) Heat in a 350 degree oven - 30 minutes or until it is heated through and the tortillas are getting a little brown.
.
Susan says "You can serve with sour cream on a slice of the pie and salad on the side w/cheese and salsa - or place a slice of pie on a bed of lettuce with salsa drizzled over it and sour cream on top of the pie. Sorta like a taco salad."

Foodie News: Food Network April 2011 Highlights

2011-04-03T04:25:00.001-05:00

** FOOD NETWORK APRIL 2011 HIGHLIGHTS **

Food Network Puts the ‘Royal Icing’ on the Cake
with April Premieres of

‘Last Cake Standing’ and ‘Have Cake, Will Travel’

Season Premieres: Dessert First, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle,
Outrageous Food, Mexican Made Easy

On-Air and Online Theme Weekends: “Royal Icing” Primetime
and “Mexican Fiesta” Daytime

Viewers will be showered with dynamic programming this April as Food Network features two new series, four season premieres, two special themed weekends and countless new episodes of fan-favorite shows. Eight stars of the cake world battle for a $100,000 grand prize in the featured primetime series Last Cake Standing premiering Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT. Another sweet series joins the lineup as cake decorator Ashley Vicos travels the country creating innovative cakes in her new primetime reality series Have Cake, Will Travel premiering Tuesday, April 26th at 9pm ET/PT. In honor of the Royal Wedding, primetime encores of wedding-themed competitions lead up to the Last Cake Standing premiere and a special sneak peek of Have Cake, Will Travel for a “Royal Icing”-themed weekend on Saturday, April 23rd and Sunday April 24th. New episodes of daytime shows get out their maracas for a special “Mexican Fiesta”-themed weekend on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st, hosted by Marcela Valladolid in honor of her Mexican Made Easy season premiere. And, viewers can also catch three additional season premieres this April: Anne Thornton’s Dessert First (April 2nd), Tom Pizzica’s Outrageous Food (April 8th), and Scott Conant’s 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (April 21st). Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

FEATURED FINALE

Chopped All-Stars: Premieres Sunday, April 3rd at 9pm ET/PT – SEASON FINALE!

After four weeks of intense Chopped All-Stars competition, the final four chefs duke it out in hopes of winning the ultimate Chopped title and $50,000 for their charity of choice. The chefs face an awfully-challenging first round when they find offal and a crunchy snack in the appetizer basket. Then, a wild combination of trail mix and goat legs in the entrée round makes an intense battle even more difficult. When the two remaining chefs find a tangy fruit and canned legumes in their mystery baskets, one whips up a championship-caliber dessert and survived the chopping block. Judges for the finale include Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, and Marcus Samuelsson. Fans can also follow the action online by tweeting along with their favorite Chopped All-Stars by following @FoodNetwork during the show and using the hashtag #Chopped. And on Mondays, host Ted Allen shares behind-the-scenes stories on Food Network’s official blog – FN Dish.

FEATURED SERIES

Last Cake Standing

Last Cake Standing pits eight stars of the cake world against each other as they vie for the title of “Best Cake Artist in America” and an incredible $100,000 grand prize. The six-episode elimination competition series, hosted by Justin Willman (Cupcake Wars), places talented pastry chefs in intense competitions with crazy twists. The competitors endure difficult tasks from creating cakes with “talents” and superhero-inspired cakes to undergoing a two-day competition in Las Vegas. Each week, the judges eliminate a competitor, until there is only one Last Cake Standing. Notable cake designer Kerry Vincent and pastry chef Keegan Gerhard, both from Food Network Challenge, lead the judging panel with a rotating guest judge each week.

· Premieres Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT – “Monster Cakes” (Note: Special time)

The cake designers form two teams to create two original monsters in 12 hours. A game-changing twist sends one competitor home. Reigning Last Cake Standing champion, Mary Maher, serves as guest judge.

· Premieres Sunday, April 10th at 9pm ET/PT – “Cakes Got Talent”

The competitors must create a cake for a talent show in only eight hours at Bluebird Theater. When presenting, they will perform with their cakes in front of an audience. Broadway actress Kate Shindle serves as guest judge.

· Premieres Sunday, April 17th at 9pm ET/PT – “50th Anniversary of Marvel’s Fantastic Four”

The competitors must design over-the-top cakes inspired by Marvel’s classic comic book series, “The Fantastic Four.” Halfway through, the competitors are challenged to create two more cakes that celebrate the series.

· Premieres Sunday, April 24th at 9pm ET/PT – “Magic Cakes”

Now in Las Vegas, the competitors have eight hours to create a cake featuring an illusion or magic trick presented live in front of Caesars Palace with comedic magician, Nathan Burton, who serves as guest judge.

SERIES PREMIERE

Have Cake, Will Travel

Have Cake, Will Travel is a new comedy docu-reality series that follows Ashley Vicos, the reigning queen of the cake decorating world, as she leads her motley crew of assistants around the country creating jaw-dropping, three-dimensional cakes for every type of event imaginable. Unlike most cake designers who are based in a single location, Ashley runs her business on the road, hand delivering her creations and partaking in the parties. Each new city brings its own unique challenges, from finding a working kitchen, to arranging reliable transport for her larger-than-life creations, to taking on last minute custom orders with tight deadlines – all sure to make each event an entertaining yet challenging road trip.

SEASON PREMIERES

· Dessert First: Season 2, Premieres Saturday, April 2nd at 12:30pm ET/PT

· Outrageous Food: Season 2, Premieres Friday, April 8th at 10pm ET/PT

· 24 Hour Restaurant Battle: Season 2, Premieres Thursday, April 21st at 10pm ET/PT

· Mexican Made Easy: Season 4, Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 9:30am ET/PT

THEMED WEEKENDS

“ROYAL ICING” WEEKEND (Saturday, April 23rd and Sunday, April 24th)

Food Network honors the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton with special encore wedding-themed episodes of favorite competition series throughout the weekend, leading up to the premiere of Last Cake Standing. Online, FoodNetwork.com has assembled a “how to” guide on throwing an at-home Royal Wedding watch party, along with photo galleries, historical facts on British food, and cake recipes fit for a Queen. Visit www.foodnetwork.com/royalicing for more ideas on how to celebrate like royalty.

· Food Network Challenge: Saturday, April 23rd at 8pm ET/PT, “Extreme Wedding Cakes”

· Food Network Challenge: Saturday, April 23rd at 9pm ET/PT, “Giant Wedding Cakes”

· Cupcake Wars: Saturday, April 23rd at 10pm ET/PT, “Wedding Planner”

· Last Cake Standing: Sunday, April 24th at 9pm ET/PT, “Magic Cakes” – FEATURED SERIES PREMIERE

· Have Cake, Will Travel: Sunday, April 24th at 10pm ET/PT – SNEAK PEEK

“MEXICAN FIESTA” WEEKEND (Saturday April 30th from 7am-2pm and Sunday May 1st from 7am-12pm)

Food Network chefs celebrate Cinco De Mayo with new episodes of popular daytime series featuring Mexican food and fiestas. Online, FoodNetwork.com is the go-to source for all things fiesta with Cinco De Mayo menu ideas, featuring Chicken Enchiladas, taco truck tips from Aaron Sanchez, ideas on how to get creative with the traditional margarita, and Marcela Valladolid’s favorite Salsa Borracha recipe. Visit www.foodnetwork.com/cincodemayo for more enticing recipes, photos and tips.

· Big Daddy’s House: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 9am ET/PT, “Movie Night Madness”

Aaron kicks off movie night with a Tropical Frozen Slush, Hot Dug Stuffed Pretzels, Kicked up Nachos, Caramel Popcorn, Truffle Salted Parmesan Popcorn and a Mint Sundae.

· Mexican Made Easy: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 9:30am ET/PT – Season Premiere!

Marcela cooks up an amazing Mexican meal featuring Steak Quesadillas with Apple & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers, Shrimp-Stuffed “Chilitos” and Piña Colada Pops.

· 30 Minute Meals: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 10am ET/PT, “All-Day Fiesta”

Rachel cooks up a Mexican menu featuring recipes for Egg-Tostada Frittata that are perfect for any time of the day.

· 5 Ingredient Fix: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 10:30am ET/PT, “My Team is On Fire”

Claire celebrates game day with broiled Hot Pepper Wings, Calamari and a zesty Red Hot Shot.

· Paula’s Best Dishes: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 11am ET/PT, “Fantastic Fiesta”

Paula throws a fiesta featuring recipes for 5-Layer Taco Pie, Catfish Tacos with a zesty Remoulade sauce, Roasted Corn, Pepper and Black Bean Salsa, and Grilled Banana Quesadillas.

· Down Home with the Neelys: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 11:30am ET/PT, “Neelys Mexican Style”

Pat and Gina put together a party menu with Grilled Southern Fish Tacos, Tropical Salsa & Chips, Mexican Brown Rice Salad and Gina’s Mai Tai.

· Dessert First: Premieres Saturday, April 30th at 12:30pm ET/PT, “Whipping Up Meringues”

Anne whips up meringue desserts including Baked Alaska and Salted Caramel Banana Macaroons.

· Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day: Premieres Sunday, May 1st at 9am ET/PT, “From a Taco to Morocco”

Rachael spices up her menu with Braised Pork Tacos, Crab Cake Mac ’n Cheese, Moroccan Meatloaf, Zucchini Couscous, Ratatouille with Poached Eggs and Garlic Croutons, and Pork Ragu.

· Guys Big Bite: Premieres Sunday, May 1st at 10:30am ET/PT

· Cooking For Real: Premieres Sunday, May 1st at 11am ET/PT, “It Takes Two to Salsa”

Sunny prepares a fun and flavorful meal including Curry Coconut Chicken Breasts, Mango and Peach Salsa, Black Eyed Peas, and Rice Pulao.

· Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee: Premieres Sunday, May 1st at 11:30am ET/PT, “A Fine Fiesta”

Sandra makes tasty Mexican dishes with Black Bean Sopes, Chili Lime Grilled Shrimp Tacos and a sweet Acai Margarita.

NEW EPISODES

In addition to the above new series, seasons and specials, Food Network premieres all-new episodes of:

· Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, April 10th at 8pm ET/PT, “Donut Champions”

· Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, April 10th at 10pm ET/PT, Cora vs. Schneider (Taxim in Chicago)

· Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, April 17th at 8pm ET/PT, “Sugar Inventions”

· Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, April 17th at 10pm ET/PT, Garces vs. Paley (Paley’s Place in Portland, Ore.)

· Food Network Challenge: Premieres Sunday, April 24th at 8pm ET/PT, “Sugar and Candy Fashion”

Daytime: 5 Ingredient Fix, 30 Minute Meals, Aarti Party, Barefoot Contessa, Big Daddy’s House, Cooking For Real, Down Home With the Neelys, Giada at Home, Paula’s Best Dishes, Rachael’s Week in a Day, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian

Primetime: Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, Good Eats, Ice Brigade, Kid in a Candy Store, Meat & Potatoes, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Unwrapped

Foodie News: Last Cake Standing

2011-04-02T03:56:00.000-05:00

TOP CAKE DESIGNERS BATTLE FOR
"BEST CAKE ARTIST IN AMERICA" TITLE
AND $100,000 GRAND PRIZE ON
FOOD NETWORK'S LAST CAKE STANDING

Special Six-Week Series Returns for
Season Two on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT

As the countdown to the Royal Wedding continues, Food Network puts the icing on the cake with the season two premiere of Last Cake Standing. Premiering after the finale of Chopped All-Stars on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT (with subsequent episodes premiering Sundays at 9pm ET/PT), the six-week series places eight of America’s top pastry chefs in intense challenges with crazy twists as they vie for the title of “Best Cake Artist in America” and an incredible $100,000 grand prize. Justin Willman (Cupcake Wars) serves as host, with the judging panel led by notable faces of the ever-popular Food Network Challenge: renowned pastry chef and Denver-based owner of D Bar Desserts, Keegan Gerhard, along with celebrated cake designer and master sugar artist, Kerry Vincent.

The Last Cake Standing competitors include: Jörg Amsler (Truly Jorg’s in Saugus, Mass.), Jason Ellis (Top Tiers in Farmingdale, N.Y.), Nikita “Nikki J” Jackson (Absolutely Edible Cakes & Catering in Rowlett, Texas), Kaysie Lackey (The People’s Cake in Seattle), Richard Ruskell (Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif.), Joshua John Russell (Highland Bakery in Atlanta), Orlando Serrano (Orlando Serrano Cakes in Chicago) and Marina Sousa (Just Cake in Capitola, Calif.).

These competitors have no “sweet escape” as they face extreme and grueling challenges. From designing over-the-top monster cakes, to ones that “sing and dance” for a talent show, to those inspired by Marvel’s classic comic book series, “The Fantastic Four,” and Sin City-inspired illusion cakes, these competitors are pushed to their artistic limits. The competition heats up midway through the season as the competitors endure game-changing twists including a scavenger hunt around Las Vegas, a round of blackjack and additional surprise cake challenges. Each week, guest judges join the panel including reigning Last Cake Standing champion Mary Maher, Broadway actress Kate Shindle, comedic magician Nathan Burton and pastry chef Gale Gand to determine who will advance in this fierce competition. Just as the competitors think they have completed their final task, one more awaits: design a cake that tells the story of their $100,000 dream. At the end of this marathon competition, one cake designer wins the grand prize and the bragging rights of the Last Cake Standing.

Visit www.foodnetwork.com/lastcakestanding for more information, bios, and photo gallery.

Foodie News: Cooking Channel April 2011 Highlights

2011-04-01T02:11:00.000-05:00

** COOKING CHANNEL APRIL 2011 HIGHLIGHTS **

Two Tasty Primetime Premieres: ‘Eat Street’ and ‘Unique Sweets’

Plus: The ‘Urban Grocer’ Special and New Episodes of Cooking Channel Favorites

This April, Cooking Channel premieres two new series, a featured special, and countless new episodes of hit shows. Comedian James Cunningham takes his food truck curiosity to the streets as he searches for irresistible street food on Eat Street premiering Tuesday, April 12th at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The sweetest desserts and inventive eateries are featured on Unique Sweets premiering Sunday, April 24th at 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT. Caitlin Zaino travels to Argentina in search of the best urban food spots in the primetime special The Urban Grocer premiering Sunday, April 10th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Plus, brand new episodes of Cooking Channel favorites like Extra Virgin, Hungry Girl, The Minimalist, and Unique Eats premiere throughout the month. Fans can join in the fun by participating in The Perfect 3 Recipe Contest on CookingChannelTV.com for the chance to film their own how-to cooking webisode alongside Cooking Channel’s Kelsey Nixon. Join the Cooking Channel conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

SERIES PREMIERES

Eat Street

Eat St. is a lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest, and most irresistible street food. Host and comedian, James Cunningham travels across the country to find the very best curbside eats, from Tijuana-style tacos served out of an Airstream trailer to brick oven-style pizza baked on wheels. The true stars of this show are the street food mavericks themselves, with their innovative takes on mobile meals and inspiring stories to tell. Food cart fare is the hottest trend going, and Eat St. is the grease-stained roadmap to the ultimate street food experience. In addition, the Eat St. App – that uses GPS to track street fare – will also be available for download this spring.

· Premieres Tuesday, April 12th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Grilled Cheese Truck (Los Angeles), Izzoz Tacos and G’Raj Mahal (Austin, Texas), Schnitzel & Things (New York)

· Premieres Tuesday, April 19th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Brunch Box (Portland, Ore.), Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (New York), Sâuçá (Washington, D.C.), Where Ya At (Seattle)

· Premieres Tuesday, April 26th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Frysmith (Los Angeles), Crème de la Crème (Portland, Ore.), Sugar Philly Truck (Philadelphia), Fusion Taco (Houston)

Unique Sweets

Unique Sweets is an insider’s peek into innovative eateries across America creating unique and exciting desserts. Filled with gooey, crunchy, sticky and sweet treats, each 30-minute episode of this primetime Cooking Channel series runs the gamut on the sweet spectrum: restaurants with revolutionary pastry chefs, candy shops inventing eye-popping confections, chocolate boutiques with wild artisanal flavors, and bakeries producing one-of-a-kind creations in the middle of the night.

· Premiering Sunday, April 24th at 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT – SERIES PREMIERE!

Pies are anything but humble in the hands of these innovative bakers. Whether it’s a Seattle shop that imagines pies on sticks or in jars, a San Francisco baker who likes his pies on the spicy side, or pies both deliciously peculiar and uniquely down-home coming from New York City, the pie has arrived.

FEATURED SPECIAL

The Urban Grocer

Premieres Sunday, April 10th at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Join the Urban Grocer, Caitlin Zaino, as she tours the best, freshest urban food spots in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From the posh to the underground, from the main stream to the off-the-beaten-path, Caitlin seeks to discover the most innovative, cutting edge foodstuffs this city has to offer. She plans to capture the heart and soul of the new generation that leads the way in nouveau Argentine food and to find out what they care about while discovering how the city's history informs the way that they are now defining the future.

NEW EPISODES

New episodes of hit Cooking Channel series air throughout April.

Ciao America – April 1st at 9pm ET/6pm PT

David Rocco’s Dolce Vita – April 2nd, April 16th and April 23rd at 1:30pm ET/10:30am PT

Extra Virgin – April 6th and April 13th at 10pm ET/7pm PT

Food(ography) – April 3rd, April 17th and April 24th at 9pm ET/6pm PT

Giada’s Weekend Getaways – April 1st, April 8th, April 15th and April 22nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT

Hungry Girl – April 16th at 4pm ET/1pm PT

Luke Nquyen’s Vietnam – April 3rd and April 10th at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT

The Minimalist – April 3rd, April 10th, April 17th and April 24th at 10:30am ET/7:30am PT

Secret Life Of – April 7th at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT

Sweet Dreams – April 4th-8th, April 11th-15th and April 19th-22nd at 10:30am ET/7:30am PT

Unique Eats – April 3rd (Season Premiere), April 10th, April 17th and April 24th at 10pm ET/7pm PT

ONLINE

Beginning in mid-March and running through April 4, 2011, fans can sign up for CookingChannelTV.com’s The Perfect 3 Recipe Contest, a contest that invites fans to submit their perfect recipe for thirteen categories, such as Brownies, Tacos, Cakes, Burgers, and Pancakes. The full list of categories can be found at http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/food-categories-for-the-perfect-3-recipe-contest/index.html.

Three finalists from each category will then be chosen to submit a “how to” video for their recipe and fans will vote for their favorites on CookingChannelTV.com. The ultimate winners for each category will then be flown to New York City to film their own The Perfect 3 webisode alongside Cooking Channel star Kelsey Nixon. For more information, please visit http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/the-perfect-3-recipe-contest/package/index.html

For complete rules, visit http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/official-rules-for-the-perfect-3-recipe-contest/index.html.

Guest Recipe – Susan’s Pizza Boats

2011-03-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

I love pizza! But, the crust doesn't really like me sometimes even if you overlook the calories. I've made pizza casseroles and pizza soups - each containing all my favorite pizza toppings, but just lacking a little something. When Susan sent me her latest recipe creation, I finally figured out what mine were missing. It's that lovely, slightly browned, gooey cheese topping. I love that she put these mini-casseroles in little 'boats'. Here's another winner from Susan.
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Susan's Pizza Boats
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1 pound sausage
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
50 (or several)slices of pepperoni - chopped
1 jar pizza sauce
any other pizza toppings (olives, banana peppers, etc)
2 cups mozzarella cheese - depending on how much you like on your pizza
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage, onions, green peppers, pepperoni and whatever else you like on pizza- all this is to taste. Drain off the fat. Spray the dish with a cooking spray, cover bottom of the dish with a thin layer sauce, as you would for pizza pie, spoon on a healthy portion of the pizza topping mixture - then mozzarella cheese. I prefer a lot. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese melts. I prefer my cheese to brown a little. Then serve w/extra sauce on the side.
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You can use an individual dish like I did or a pie pan.

Simple Baked Chicken and Rice

2011-03-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

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I love simple, especially when it tastes so good! After a week of being 'under the weather' I wanted something other than soup, but just as easy. This dish has 3 ingredients and no measuring. It doesn't get much easier. I used split chicken breasts, but you could substitute boneless chicken breasts or even chicken tenderloins.
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Simple Baked Chicken and Rice
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2 split chicken breasts
1 package Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, Fast Cook Recipe, 6.2-Ounce Box
1 can Low Sodium Chicken Broth, 14-Ounce
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Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In shallow casserole dish, combine uncooked rice, chicken broth, and 1/2 of rice seasoning packet. Place chicken breasts (skin side up) on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle remaining seasoning on top of chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Remove foil and place dish under broiler for 5-10 minutes to brown the skin.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

2011-03-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

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I wanted to try making turkey meatballs, but in the oven rather than frying them. They turned out very tasty, but you definitely need to serve these with sauce. I used a simple jar sauce that I jazzed up a little with a few spices. Then, I topped them with grated parmesean cheese.
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Baked Turkey Meatballs
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1 pound ground turkey, all white
1 egg
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons onion, minced
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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Set out a cookie sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Foodie News-2011 SeaPak Costal Getaway Sweepstakes

2011-03-12T04:13:00.000-06:00

The 2011 SeaPak Costal Getaway Sweepstakes will give the winner a weekend escape to St. Simons Island, Georgia. Who couldn't use a vacation by the sea? Click here to enter. Contest ends 4/30/2011.

What does $10 buy?

2011-03-10T22:41:00.003-06:00

What does $10 buy? It buys quite a bit with coupons! Here’s another success at using coupons at Walgreen’s. The total cost of this trip was $10.37 including tax. Total savings was $36.98. I also used $5 in Register Rewards from a previous purchase. Here’s a highlight of the goodies purchased:

Folgers Coffee 11.3 oz – 2/$6 (cost $4.50 after Register Reward $1 & 2/.25 cent coupons)

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Biscuit –2pk – 2/$4 (cost $2 after 2/$1 coupons)

Morton Salt .99 cents (cost .50 cents after coupon)

Baking Soda $1.29 (cost .50 cents after coupon)

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid 2 @ $1.99 each (cost .75 cents each after store and manufacturer coupons)

Aleve – 130 count $9.49 (cost $6.49 after coupons)

Nature Made Vitamin $4.99 (free with $5 coupon)

Nature Made Vitamin $4.99 (received $5 for purchasing product – used $5 coupon combined with Buy 1 Get 1 Free store sale)

Nature Made Vitamin $5.99 (cost .99 cents after $5 coupon)

What did you spend $10 on today?

Foodie News- Royal Wedding Cake Designs

2011-03-09T20:18:00.002-06:00

I remember watching Princess Di’s wedding day, and dreamed of having a gown just like hers. It seems like yesterday and now her son is getting married. And, once again, the world will be watching the crowning of a new princess, Kate Middleton. You might say she has a lot on her plate. From finding the right dress to finalizing the 3,000 person guest list, to selecting the perfect cake, it seems as if this bride could use a little help!

Betty Crocker decided to help the royal couple by offering four Royal Wedding Cake Designs to choose from for their special day. Inspired by the traditional British wedding saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," they’d like to know what you think of these magical cakes!

Help Kate by voting for your favorite Royal Wedding Cake at BettyCrocker.com. Voting ends March 18, with the winning cake to be announced on March 23.
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Why not bring a bit of royalty to your home? Check out these great recipes just in time to watch the Royal Wedding.
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Tea Sandwich Flats

Hibiscus Royale Champagne Cocktails

Royal Blue Velvet Cake

Simple Green Bean Casserole

2011-03-08T07:02:00.001-06:00

Have you noticed how many Green Bean Casserole recipes are out there? I’ve got several versions of the famous one that have been handed down from my Grandmothers. Each one varies just a bit. But, I ran across this great Green Bean Casserole recipe at atasteofdixie.blogspot.com. I pretty much followed the recipe, but omitted the sugar & salt. I also decided to top it with bacon bits and only a cup of cheese rather than Ritz crackers. Sorry, but sometimes it’s just about what I have in the kitchen! Everyone loved this dish! (You’ll notice most of it was eaten before I could snap a picture!) I served it with oven baked chicken, but honestly, I think I could have just eaten the casserole. I can’t imagine how delicious the original must be!

Coupons – Every Little Bit Helps

2011-03-07T01:32:00.005-06:00

These days, every little bit helps. I’m still amazed at some of the coupon deals that I’ve found. And, to be honest, still feeling a little naive for having paid full price for so long. I picked up these deals at Fred’s. On Saturday’s, Fred’s will double coupons up to .70 cents. I had six Ajax Dish Liquid coupons for fifty cents each. So, that was a $1 off. Well, the bottles only cost a $1 each. The net was ten cents each bottle for the sales tax. The Gain Fabric Softener Sheets, Original Fresh, 120-count were $4.30 each, but I had a $3 coupon. The net cost was $1.70 each with sales tax. The whole trip cost $4 for a total savings of $12! In this week's sale flyer, the fabric sheets are on sale for $3 a box, so I could have gotten those for free if I had waited another week. But, I'm still happy with this shopping trip.
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How did you save money this week?$

Sliced Baked Potato

2011-03-06T10:02:00.001-06:00

When I first saw this potato, I had to try it. I cannot say that this is a faster way to make a baked potato, but it definitely makes it more interesting. At least I thought so until my brother said they looked like bugs. But, if you have little one in your house, I suppose you could decorate these instead of just adding cheese. I changed this a little from the original recipe - click here to see the original.
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Sliced Baked Potato
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4 baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning Blend
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Pre-Heat oven to 450 degrees. Wash & scrub potatoes. Slice potatoes, but do not go all the way through - so that the potato looks like an accordion. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash and a tiny bit more olive oil. Bake another 10 minutes or until herbs begin to brown. Serve plain or add your favorite toppings.

Simple Curry Chicken

2011-03-03T06:37:00.000-06:00

You’ll notice salt is not listed in the ingredients of this recipe. I don’t normally add salt to this and just sprinkle a little on at the dinner table. But, if you want, start by adding about a 1/4 teaspoon with the other spices. Once this mixture cools and you re-heat it, the spices really seem to come alive and I find that salt really isn’t missed at all. Oh, did I mention it’s great to make ahead of time? It’s one of those dishes that just gets better with time. And, I see no reason why you could not use leftover chicken.

Simple Indian Curry

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 chicken breasts (boneless)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Simply Organic Curry Powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and chicken until onions are tender. Add garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, cayenne pepper and sugar. Continue to cook another minute, stirring constantly. Stir tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk together. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

Free ACCU-CHEK Aviva Meter Coupon

2011-03-02T01:11:00.001-06:00

I have two coupons for a Free ACCU-CHEK Aviva meter with purchase of any ACCU-CHEK Aviva test strips (any size). The coupons expire 5/29/2011. If you're interested, please leave a comment below or e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com. I'd like to see these coupons go to someone who needs them rather than my trash can.
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Also, if you are interested in trading coupons, please contact me. I have several grocery/personal care products/pet food coupons that I'm not going to use.
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Thanks for the repsonse everyone - I've given out all the coupons and don't have any left.

Foodie News: Chopped All-Stars begins March 6th

2011-03-01T03:34:00.001-06:00

CULINARY ‘ALL-STARS’ ENTER ‘CHOPPED’ KITCHEN FOR $50K CHARITY PRIZE

Five-Week Primetime Series Premieres on Sunday, March 6th at 9pm ET/PT

NEW YORK – February 1, 2011 – A Chopped event like no other, Chopped All-Stars features unbeatable drama, a $50,000 charitable cash prize and 16 celebrated chefs familiar to Food Network fans. In this fierce five-part competition hosted by Ted Allen, premiering Sunday, March 6th at 9pm ET/PT, four chefs go head-to-head in each round with an unthinkable array of mystery basket ingredients. The champion from each round advances to the finale for a chance at taking home the prize and coveted title. From teething biscuits and rabbit kidneys to dried hibiscus flowers and cobia, these chefs must crank up the heat and get creative to avoid the chopping block. Competitors include Food Network stars like Anne Burrell and Duff Goldman, former contestants from The Next Food Network Star, recurring Chopped judges, and renowned chefs like Anita Lo and Jacques Torres. Judges for this special series include Chopped favorites Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy, and Chris Santos. For more information visit: www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.

“This fierce ‘All-Stars’ competition will feature some of the country’s top celebrity chefs along with viewer favorites from shows like The Next Food Network Star and The Next Iron Chef,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming & Production, Food Network. “With the stakes so high, these chefs will do whatever it takes, and all for a good cause.”

Episodes include:

Part 1 (premieres Sunday, March 6th at 9pm) – Brad Sorenson, Debbie Lee, Lisa Garza, Michael Proietti

Part 2 (premieres Sunday, March 13th at 9pm) – Anne Burrell, Claire Robinson, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine

Part 3 (premieres Sunday, March 20th at 9pm) – Anita Lo, Beau MacMillan, Jacques Torres, Nate Appleman

Part 4 (premieres Sunday, March 27th at 9pm) – Aaron Sanchez, Amanda Freitag, Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan

Part 5 (premieres Sunday, April 3rd at 9pm) – Final showdown featuring one winner from each round

Chopped premiered in January 2009 and returned for its sixth season in January 2011. Hosted by Ted Allen, the fast-paced reality series challenges four chefs to turn mystery basket ingredients into an impressive three-course meal. After each course, one contestant gets "chopped" until the last chef standing claims victory. With more than 65 episodes, Chopped consistently ranks as one of Food Network’s highest rated primetime series with a devoted fan following of more than 20 million viewers per month. Chopped and Chopped All-Stars are produced by Notional Entertainment.

Cart Buster Savings Event Winner

2011-02-28T07:02:00.001-06:00

The winner is:

Sunflower Sue said...
I love your site. The recipes are great and the give-a-ways are fun. Keep up the good work!

February 25, 2011 12:34 PM
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Congratulations Sunflower Sue! Please e-mail your contact information to simplecookery@aol.com so I can send you the gift card. Be sure to visit my blog again and let us all know how you used the gift card at Kroger!

My thanks to everyone that entered the contest. Be sure to visit Kroger.com/CartBuster to participate in their "Deal of the Day" promotion! During each day of Kroger´s Cart Buster Savings Event, be one of the first 1000 people to click on the deal link and receive a free load-to-card coupon for the featured daily item.
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The gift card, information, and giveaway were provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills / Nestle / Proctor & Gamble through MyBlogSpark.
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Cart Buster Savings Event & $25 Gift Card Giveway!

2011-02-25T10:40:00.006-06:00

It's no secret to my friends that I love shopping at Kroger. Combining sales and coupons make for some great bargains. In addition, I almost always find new products at my local Kroger before I can find them at other stores. And, I'm not the only one. I was at the hair salon the other day and the customer in the chair next to me was talking about trying to find a new product. The stylist suggested she try Kroger, because if anyone has it, Kroger would!
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I was extremely excited to hear about the Cart Buster Savings Event exclusively at Kroger and the Kroger Family of Stores. From February 27th through March 12th, shop Kroger´s biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P&G, Nestle, Pepsi and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you´ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores. You are sure to find bargains near you because the Kroger Family of Stores includes Kroger, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.
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I want you to be able to enjoy this great savings event. I have a $25 Kroger Family of Stores gift card that you can use on the great savings available during the Cart Buster Savings Event! Entering is easy:
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1)Leave a comment below & tell me how you love to save money on groceries
2)If you are a follower of this blog, you will automatically receive an additional entry.
3)Link to this blog post from your blog or website for an extra entry
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The gift card, information, and giveaway were provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills / Nestle / Proctor & Gamble through MyBlogSpark. The giveaway will end at midnight, February 27th and I'll post the winner on February 28th.
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Here's a short list of the brands included in the Cart Buster Savings Event:

Multigrain Cheerios
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Pillsbury
Betty Crocker
Hamburger Helper
Yoplait
Progresso
Totino´s
Green Giant
Cascadian Farm
Tide
Charmin
Bounty
Pampers
Pantene
Crest
Iams
Febreze
Old Spice
Bounce
DiGiorno´s
Nestle Toll House
Juicy Juice
Coffee-Mate
Edy´s
Stouffer´s
Lean Cuisine
Hot Pockets
Nestle Candy
Purina
and many more!
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Looking for even more ways to add money to your pocket? Visit Kroger.com/CartBuster to participate in their "Deal of the Day" promotion! During each day of Kroger´s Cart Buster Savings Event, be one of the first 1000 people to click on the deal link and receive a free load-to-card coupon for the featured daily item.
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This contest has ended. The winner is:

Sunflower Sue said...
I love your site. The recipes are great and the give-a-ways are fun. Keep up the good work!

February 25, 2011 12:34 PM

Congratulations Sunflower Sue! Please e-mail your contact information to simplecookery@aol.com so I can send you the gift card. Be sure to stop back my my blog and let us all know how you used the gift card at Kroger!

Foodie News - Free Stuff

2011-02-24T18:28:00.003-06:00

Just a couple of offers for Cat and Dog lovers!

Overby Farm is offering a sample of their Dog or Cat Treats. Click here to order.

Natural Nutrition is offering a sample of their gourmet cat food. Click here to order.

Fried Brown Rice

2011-02-17T04:59:00.002-06:00

Uncle Ben's is my favorite rice brand. They have some wonderful versions that cook right in the microwave. I especially like that those versions include plain white and plain brown rice that doesn’t have any flavor added. It helps cut down on sodium and you can control your own added flavors.

For this dish, I used the boxed kind cooked on the stove-top rather than the microwave pouch. You could use either though.

I served this with Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry. If you wanted to make this a meal on it’s own, you could add some cooked chicken, beef, pork or shrimp with a little soy sauce.

Fried Brown Rice

1 box (12 oz) Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice

3 cups low sodium Chicken Broth

1/2 cup onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped

1/4 cup Shiitake Mushrooms , chopped fine

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Seeds

Cook rice according to package directions using chicken broth instead of water. (Note: you’re reducing the amount of liquid by 1/4 cup to make a firmer rice). Once rice is cooked, cool to room temperature and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or overnight). When ready to cook, heat oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, carrot, mushrooms, and ginger. Sauté about 3 minutes or until onions just start to get tender. Add rice, and continue to cook until rice is re-heated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

2011-02-15T06:58:00.002-06:00

I’m all about easy. Recently I tried one of those frozen dinner kits meant to taste like Chinese take-out. To say I was disappointed is putting it mildly. First, I felt like saying ‘Where’s the Beef?”. Second, there really weren’t a lot of veggies either. The kit included meat, vegetables, rice and a sauce packet. The cost was $5.99 (on sale) and I had a $1 off coupon. So, I thought the $4.99 cost for a meal kit meant for 2 servings wasn’t a bad deal. Even if I was happy with the portion size, I definitely wasn’t happy with the taste – too salty and the beef tasted really ‘off’ – like it had been, well, frozen. The whole experience made me determined to try again with my own version.

Like I said, I’m all about easy. First, I chose Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce. Second, I chose Bird’s Eye Steamers – the plain veggies you steam right in the bag. With all kinds to choose from, I decided on 2 bags of broccoli flowerets and one bag of stir-fry vegetables (sugar snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and broccoli). The beef? Top sirloin steak that was on sale. The rice? Uncle Ben's Instant Brown Rice. All in all, the total cost was around $13, but this made approximately 5-6 good sized servings. The time involved? About 20 minutes which wasn’t much longer than the meal kit. The taste? So, so wonderful! Even if I did cook it myself, I have to say it was as good as what you’d get in a Chinese restaurant.

The next time you’re tempted to buy one of those kits, think about trying this version instead. You won’t be disappointed. Check out my next post for the Fried Brown Rice recipe I served with this meal.

Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

2 sirloin steaks (totaling approx. 1 lb)

1/4 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 bottle Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce, 11.75 fl oz

2 packages Bird’s Eye Steamers – Broccoli (12 oz bag)or 3 cups

1 package Bird’s Eye Steamers – Stir-Fry Veggies (12 oz bag)or 1 & 1/2 cups

1 can Baby Corn (drained)

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

Cut steak into thin strips. (Place in freezer for about 20 minutes before slicing & meat will be easier to slice thinly). Combine steak, garlic, ginger, and teriyaki sauce in bowl. Stir well to make sure steak is coated well. Store in refrigerator until ready to cook or about 20 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Remove steak from bowl & place in skillet. (Discard remaining marinade). Cook, stirring well, until browned on both sides, and remove from heat. In the meantime, cook frozen vegetables in microwave according to package directions. Return skillet to heat and add bottle of stir-fry sauce and canned baby corn. Heat until bubbly. Add vegetables and stir well. Serve over rice.

Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Kitchen Mishaps

2011-02-13T09:30:00.004-06:00

I've been fortunate in the kitchen and only had a couple of grease fires. Nothing serious enough for a fire department, but enough to spread a foul smell throughout the house and to consider carpet and furniture cleaning. But, the other day, I left a non-stick pan on the burner to heat up. The phone rang, and I thought I had turned it off. Instead, I left it on high. After the phone call, I didn't go back in the kitchen. It wasn't too long before I smelled the fumes. Thankfully, nothing caught on fire and the pan was not ruined. But, the smell in the house, oh my. I had to open all the windows and doors and the temp outside was well below freezing. It made me wish I had Fridge-It Naturally Activated Charcoal Odor Absorber on hand. Of course, the central heat kicked on as soon as I opened the windows which had me wondering about air duct cleaning process. Have you ever looked in your air conditioning ducts? Think of your dirtiest filter and multiply that by ten. Then add my kitchen fumes on top of it!
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We have so many modern conveniences these days, but sometimes just expect them to work all the time with no human error. Leaving a burner on too long or burning something in the oven can really change the air quality in your house for days. Even those scented candles we love can leave candle soot damage. So, be careful and take care!

Teriyaki Steak

2011-02-11T12:36:00.002-06:00

I love this recipe - so simple, yet so tasty. You can also substitute chicken breasts for the steak. Hope you enjoy it!
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Teriyaki Steak
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3 lbs. steak cut 1 inch thick (round steak works well)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
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Mix all ingredients well (except steak). Put steak in a large, shallow dish. Pour mixture over meat. Marinate 30 minutes, turning meat once or twice. You could also use a gallon size ziploc bag.
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Set oven temperature to Broil. Remove steak from marinade and place on the broiler rack. Put into broiler with top of steak 3 inches from heating element. Broil 9-12 minutes depending on whether you want your steak rare or well-done. Turn and broil second side 9-12 minutes.

Coupons?

2011-02-08T17:20:00.002-06:00

What do you think I paid for these products? The total before coupons was $37.20 (including sales tax). Total after? Only $14.84! Plus, I received an $8 coupon for my next purchase which brings the net down to $6.84. The eye drops alone cost more than that! And, the Reynolds Wrap is a 75 sq. ft. roll! Here’s a breakdown of each product and the original cost.

Russel Stover’s Chocolate Heart 2/$1
Blink Tears $7.99
M&M’s Plain (12.6 oz bag) $2.50
M&M’s Peanut (12.6 oz bag) $2.50
Reynolds Wrap (75 sq.ft.) $3.79
AXE Body Spray $5.79
AXE Body Spray $5.79
Nature Made Vitamin D $4.99

After watching extreme couponing shows and visiting various websites, I decided to give it a try. I’ve always used coupons, but never could figure out how these extreme couponers were able to buy so much for so little. The secret? Combining store coupons with manufacturer’s coupons. I purchased all of these items at Walgreen's. I combined Walgreen's store coupons with manufacturers coupons. The easiest example of this is the AXE Body Spray.

Walgreen's had AXE products on sale. You could buy one and get one at 50% off. I had a manufacturer’s coupon that was buy one, get one free up to $5.99. The two products I chose were $5.79 each. But, with the Walgreen’s sale, one was 50% off, so it only cost $2.90. Then, I received an additional $5.79 off with my manufacturer’s coupon. The net cost for both products was $2.90. I’m not sure what this product retails for at some of the super discount stores, but I’m willing to bet it’s more than $2.90.

Maybe I was naive, but I had no idea that you could combine these coupons. The first time I tried it, I was sure the clerk would laugh at me. Combining coupons, I picked up Stayfree sanitary napkins (28 count) for .49 cents! In that same shopping trip, I received a $5 Walgreen's coupon for my next purchase and two coupons for additional ‘free’ products to try that were worth $7.99 each. It was like they gave me $21!

Since then, it’s become a game to see how much I can save while stocking up on products that I use on a regular basis. I want you to be able to do this too. Once you try, you’ll see it really doesn’t take that much extra time. And, just think of the fun you can have figuring out how to spend your savings. So, here are a few tips.

Walgreen's:

Watch their weekly ad for coupons and sales. You can also check out their website for these ads if you don’t subscribe to the newspaper. When you first go into the store, they have stacks of their weekly ads next to the shopping cart.
Read the Walgreen's coupons carefully. Most of the time you can use the same coupon for more than one product. Let’s say you have a Walgreen’s coupon for Dawn dish washing liquid for .99 cents a bottle with a limit of 3. That means you can buy 3 for .99 cents each using the Walgreen's coupon. Then, you combine it with your 3 manufacturer’s coupons which are .50 cents each. So, each bottle actually costs you .49 cents.
Read the ads carefully and look for products that will give you cash back for the next Walgreen's purchase. This can range from $1 to $10 depending on the product. You probably already have a manufacturer’s coupon for these products. It’s like being paid to shop!
Your total coupons cannot exceed the total products. Let’s say you only buying those 3 bottles of dish washing liquid. Well, you have 3 products, but 4 coupons (1 Walgreen's and 3 manufacturer’s). So, you need to buy one more product – like a candy bar. I did that recently. I had a candy bar coupon that was buy one get one free. That brought the total coupon count to 5 and product count to 5 so all was good. Did I mention I like chocolate? I really don’t need a reason to buy it, but a coupon always helps!
Watch the ads for sales on grocery items like soup and tuna. Walgreen's usually has good sales and prices on these.
Watch the expiration dates on your manufacturer’s coupons. Wait to combine them with the sales at Walgreen's. I haven’t been doing this long, but have read that grocery and discount stores usually do their sales in cycles. So, after about 3 months we should have a good idea of when certain products go on sale to take advantage of the most savings.
Remember, just because a product is cheap, on sale, or has a coupon doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. I only buy something that I will use or a product that I want to try.

I’ve tried the same strategy at Kroger with groceries. But, that’s a blog post for another day. I hope you find this helpful and start saving soon! Let me know how you do.

Wild Rice

2011-02-08T17:13:00.001-06:00

I’ve always liked wild rice, but I’ve only had it mixed in with other types of rice. This recipe was a nice and simple variation for this pantry staple.

Wild Rice

1/2 cup onion, chopped fine

1 cup chopped parsley

1 &1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/3 cup canola oil

3 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Salt & Paprika to taste

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs and add canola oil. Add onion, parsley and 1 cup of cheese. Add rice, milk and salt to taste. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Spread balance of cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Onion & Mushroom Gravy

2011-02-08T17:10:00.002-06:00

Sure you can buy the packaged kind, but the homemade version is so much better. And, you can control the sodium content if you make your own broth instead of using canned. Try this gravy recipe the next time you’re looking for a rich gravy. If you’re thinking of using this as a topping for steak, slice the onions and mushrooms rather than chopping them. I’d even double the amount of onions and mushrooms for a steak topper.

Onion & Mushroom Gravy

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Sauté onion and mushrooms in oil for about 5 minutes. Add beef broth. Remove from heat. Mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into pan. Return to heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes.

Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Foodie News - Contest Alert

2011-01-27T17:23:00.003-06:00

Who doesn't want free groceries or new cookware? Knorr has a contest for a chance to win cookware and bakeware, Knorr Side Dishes and hundreds of dollars in groceries (awarded as a gift card). Click here to enter. Hurry though, this contest ends 1/31/2011 at midnight.

Coupon Savings - Zantac

2011-01-17T03:44:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned that I love coupons? Zantac comes in handy for some of my spicier recipes! The makers of Zantac are offering a coupon good for $5 off their products. Just click on the link below for details.

Zantac - Coupons and Special Offers

Foodie News - Tune-in Alert - Farmageddon

2011-01-07T19:12:00.001-06:00

I wanted to give you a quick heads up regarding this Sunday’s “Farmageddon” episode of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America as it relates to using farm fresh ingredients. Since farm-to-table, nose-to-tail, the importance of shopping at local Greenmarkets, and the overall theme of supporting local farms are timely and important topics, I thought you would like to tune-in and check out this week’s competition.

If you haven't yet watched an episode of Food Network's Worst Cooks in America, tune-in and be prepare to be amazed. One contestant actually gave her family food poisoning - twice! One was unsure of how much olive oil to use in a skillet - I cringed as it looked like she was going to deep fry an omelet! Chefs Anne and Robert have a hard road ahead, but it definitely makes for good entertainment.

Premiering Sunday, January 9th at 9pm ET/PT

“Farmageddon”

Awakened by a live chicken in their penthouse, the 14 remaining recruits take a field trip to a farm where Chefs Anne and Robert challenge them to prepare the perfect omelet for their Skill Drill. Back at Boot Camp, in the Main Dish Challenge, both chefs demonstrate a pork dish, and each recruit participates in a step of the demo. Halfway through prep, the chefs surprise the recruits by taking away their notebooks. To finish the task, the recruits must rely on their own memory and each other. After mixed results, the two worst cooks are eliminated.

Foodie News!!! January 2011 Features

2011-01-02T01:17:00.001-06:00

Food Network Rings In 2011 With Star Chefs Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine 'Worst Cooks in America’ Returns and New Series ‘Restaurant: Impossible’ Premieres Plus: Season Premieres, Featured Specials, Schedule Changes and Online Exclusives
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NEW YORK – December 15, 2010 – Food Network welcomes the New Year with one new series, seven season premieres, and two superstar chefs: Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine. To kick off 2011 with flair, hit primetime reality series Worst Cooks in America returns on Sunday, January 2nd at 9pm with hosts Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine following a special two-on-two Iron Chef America battle with Anne and Robert at 8pm. Starting Wednesday, January 19th at 10pm, Robert Irvine takes on a new nearly-impossible challenge as he attempts to save the most desperate restaurants in America in 48 hours with only $10,000 in the new primetime series, Restaurant: Impossible. Guy Fieri’s hunt for the ultimate tailgate champ concludes in the finale of Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri on Saturday, January 29th at 10pm. Plus, FoodNetwork.com features exclusive health-conscious videos, tips and recipes for the New Year from favorites like Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis, and Aarti Sequeira. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

FEATURED SERIES

Worst Cooks in America: Season 2
Sixteen of the country’s most hopeless cooks attempt to transform from kitchen zeros into kitchen heroes as they compete in a grueling culinary boot camp. The “recruits” – nominated by family and friends for their abysmal cooking skills – are split into two teams led by Chef Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) and Chef Robert Irvine (Dinner: Impossible). In each one-hour episode, the recruits put to use the techniques they learn from their chefs in two high-pressure tests. The worst cook from each team is eliminated at the end of the episode and in the finale, the finalists must prepare a restaurant-quality meal for a panel of culinary experts. On the line are the chefs’ professional reputations and $25,000 for the newly-crowned kitchen hero. Season one of Worst Cooks in America premiered on January 3, 2010 as the highest-rated series premiere in Food Network history.

Premieres Sunday, January 2nd at 9pm, “Worst Food Forward” – SEASON PREMIERE!
For the Skill Drill, the 16 recruits must prepare a dish from scratch before each chef chooses a team for the other chef to teach. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits butcher a chicken and replicate an entrée as taught by their chef.
Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 9pm, “Farmageddon”
The recruits visit a farm where Chefs Anne and Robert challenge them to prepare an omelet for their Skill Drill. For the Main Dish Challenge, both chefs demonstrate a dish, and each recruit participates in a step of the demo. Then, the recruits must rely on their memory when the chefs take away their notebooks.
Premieres Sunday, January 16th at 9pm, “Frozen to Fabulous”
Chefs Anne and Robert set out sauces for each team to replicate by taste alone, and each chef then incorporates one of the sauces into a seafood dish which their team members must recreate for the Skill Drill. Then, in the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must replicate a “Frozen Meal Makeover.”
Premieres Sunday, January 23rd at 9pm, “Grill Skills”
Chefs Anne and Robert challenge the recruits to a burger-grilling Skill Drill. The chefs choose the most creative burger after a blind taste test, and reveal a “Chef Advantage” – the chef whose recruit wins the Skill Drill gets to trade a team member. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must execute elegant meals for two.
Premieres Sunday, January 30th at 9pm, “Game Day Party”
The chefs assign their teams a scrambled recipe for the Skill Drill. Each team works together to unscramble the recipe and cook the dish while the chefs secretly watch. For the Main Dish Challenge, the recruits must cater an hors d’oeuvre party for NFL star Kris Jenkins, his wife, and 30 of their guests.

SERIES PREMIERE

Restaurant: Impossible
Premieres Wednesday, January 19th at 10pm – SEASON PREMIERE!
After combating countless “impossible dinners,” Chef Robert Irvine faces a daunting new challenge: save America’s most desperate restaurants from impending failure in just two days with only $10,000. Robert aims to rescue these restaurants and give hope to the owners and their employees. Day one of the extreme mission begins with a thorough business assessment as Robert launches the restaurant into full service, closely observes the staff and kitchen, and determines their weakest spots. Then, he updates the menu, restrains the staff, and implements aesthetic changes with the help of his design team before hitting the streets to tell the community about the improved restaurant.

FEATURED EPISODES

Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 2nd at 8pm
“Iron Chef Symon and Anne Burrell vs. Iron Chef Cora and Robert Irvine”
Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 10pm
“Iron Chef Flay vs. Chuck Hughes (of Garde Manger in Montreal/host of Cooking Channel’s Chuck’s Day Off)”
Barefoot Contessa: Premieres Saturday, January 22nd at 1pm
Special guests Alec Baldwin and Mariska Hargitay join Ina Garten for a scrumptious lunch.
Iron Chef America: Premieres Sunday, January 23rd at 10pm
“Iron Chef Forgione vs. Nicolas Cantrel (of Bagatelle in New York, N.Y.)”
Tailgate Warriors: Premieres Saturday, January 29th at 10pm
Guy Fieri settles the score as the finalists cook up all-new menus in hopes of being crowned the ultimate tailgate champion at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

SEASON PREMIERES
*Denotes new time slot

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Season 11, Premieres Monday, January 3rd at 9pm*
Chopped: Season 6, Premieres Tuesday, January 4th at 10pm
Ace of Cakes: Season 10, Premieres Thursday, January 6th at 10pm*
Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Season 7, Premieres Saturday, January 8th at 12pm*
Barefoot Contessa: Season 13, Premieres Saturday, January 8th at 1pm
Sandra’s Money Saving Meals: Season 4, Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 12pm*
Ten Dollar Dinners: Season 4, Premieres Sunday, January 9th at 12:30pm

SCHEDULE CHANGES

PRIMETIME SERIES

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Mondays at 10pm
Throwdown with Bobby Flay: Wednesdays at 8:30pm
Unwrapped: Thursdays at 10:30pm

DAYTIME SERIES

Weekends:
Big Daddy’s House: Saturdays at 8am
Alex’s Day Off: Saturdays at 9am
Giada at Home: Sundays at 10am
Paula’s Best Dishes: Saturdays at 11am
Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day: Sundays at 9am
Cooking for Real: Sundays at 11am
Aarti Party: Sundays at 11:30am
Down Home with the Neelys: Sundays at 1pm

Weekdays:
Guy’s Big Bite: Sundays at 1:30pm
30 Minute Meals: Monday-Friday from 2-3pm (back-to-back episodes)
Paula’s Best Dishes: Monday-Friday from 12-1pm (back-to-back episodes)
Barefoot Contessa: Monday-Friday from 1-2pm (back-to-back episodes)
Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee: Monday-Friday at 10am
Grill It with Bobby Flay: Monday-Friday at 10:30am
Down Home with the Neelys: Monday-Friday at 11am

ONLINE

As of Saturday, January 1st, FoodNetwork.com will launch Healthy Every Week offering:
Healthy weeknight appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts.
Simple tips and tricks to make meals more health-conscious.
Slideshows of healthy foods for different issues like super foods, low cal foods, gluten free, and more.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:11:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas! It seems just like yesterday that we were celebrating Halloween! I've been behind in posting and in cooking this year. But, I did manage to invent a delicious new candy recipe that had my friends saying 'yum'. Then, they promptly hid the rest of the candy from everyone else! So, give this recipe a try the next time you need a quick chocolate fix!
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Chocolate Toffee Candy
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1 lb chocolate almond bark
1 cup semi-sweet morsels
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup toffee chips
1 cup nuts, chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
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Melt almond bark in microwave according to package directions. Stir in semi-sweet morsels and peanut butter chips until melted and well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients until everything is coated well. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and let cool.

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-03T22:05:00.003-06:00

Have you ever thought about how many times someone goes out of their way to help you during the year? Christmas always has me thinking about that and how fortunate I am these days. You’ll see gift and tipping guides for most everyone from the newspaper carrier to your housekeeper. Well, okay, I do have a newspaper carrier, but definitely not a housekeeper. Though, I could really use one right now! Dust bunnies aside, now’s a good time to remember some every day heroes uniform that are there for us when we’re under the weather.
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I’m thinking in particular of dedicated workers in the medical field. The ones that hold your hand in comfort, give you encouragement, and even fuss on you a bit when you’re not following your diet. Granted, most of the time you see someone in nursing scrubs, you’re probably not thinking about bringing them cookies. And, I’m sure they don’t want you baking while sick! But, if you’re well this year, why not bake a few extra goodies to drop by your doctor’s office? If you’re not keen on baking, you could put together a gift basket that included hand-lotions and maybe a couple of cute scrub tops. These days scrub clothing comes in lots of cool designs that anyone would appreciate. It’s just a nice way to say ‘thank-you’ for all those times you worked me in for an emergency appointment.
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How will you spread cheer this Christmas season?

Cornbread Dressing

2010-11-23T06:31:00.003-06:00

Dressing or Stuffing? Cornbread or Bread? Everyone has a different recipe or style and nothing will divide cooks quicker! We never stuffed our turkey and always had Cornbread Dressing. Mom would also make a pan of plain Bread Dressing for Daddy because it was his Mother's recipe. Daddy never knew that Mom snuck a little cornbread into that pan of bread dressing. And, of course, a little white bread went into her cornbread dressing.

We measured everything by the bowl size. Last year I carefully measured everything out so that I could be completely accurate with Mom's recipe. I always add the eggs last - after I've tasted the dressing for proper seasoning. I'm giving you a minimum measurement on the seasonings. Add them to your dressing, taste it, and add a little more of this and that. Some people like a little more sage. If it seems dry, add more broth. If it seems too moist, add more bread or cornbread. Mom and I would add a little of everything until the dressing was 'just right'. Keep in mind that you don't want to 'over season'. Once the dressing is cooked, the flavors will become richer, so keep this in mind. Happy Cooking!

Cornbread Dressing
8 to 10 cups of cornbread, crumbled
2 to 4 cups of white bread, slightly stale and broken into small pieces
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons rubbed sage (use less if ground sage)
2 to 4 cups broth (ideally a mixture of chicken broth and turkey broth)
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
2 beaten eggs

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth, turkey neck (or use chicken thighs), enough water to cover, and butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. In a large bowl, crumble cornbread and bread together. Add celery, onion, and seasonings. Mix well. Remove turkey/chicken from the broth and set aside. Add broth a cup or two at a time until you reach the desired consistency, mixing well after each addition. Keep in mind the dressing will 'set' as it cooks. Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Then add eggs and stir well. Pour into 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown on top. This recipe actually makes a little more than will fit into a 9x13 pan, so you can also bake a smaller dish along side the bigger one. I like to take the chicken cooked for the broth, remove the skin and bones, and add it to the leftover dressing. Then bake it in a casserole dish along side your cornbread dressing. This will make a great leftover casserole that can quickly be re-heated the next day.

Foodie News - Contests

2010-11-17T04:49:00.000-06:00

As you know, I love contests! Here are a few contestes and sweepstakes I've run across recently.

Need new appliances??? Odom's Tennessee Pride has a great sweepstakes for new kitchen appliances! Click here to enter. Contest ends December 31, 2010. Check out their website for other cool offers and coupons.

The Food Network's Spice Up Your Season Pie Sweepstakes gives you a chance to win a Turkey Day Grand Prize Pack including $4,500 cash and a collection of Food Network Chef Cookbooks. Just vote for your favorite Thanksgiving pie recipe. You can enter the sweepstakes daily through 5pm ET on November 29, 2010. Click here for more details.

Need help going home for the Holiday's? Folgers is sendign five people home this holiday season to visit with family and friends. All you have to do is tell Folgers "What's the best part of wakin' up at home for the holidays with Folgers Coffee?". Click here for more details and to enter. Contest ends at Noon ET on November 30, 2010.

Foodie News - The Pioneer Woman

2010-11-14T16:35:00.002-06:00

I've enjoyed following The Pioneer Woman over the past few years. If you've never checked out her great blog, now is the perfect time. I'm excited to spread the news about an upcoming episode of Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Ree Drummond, known by most as The Pioneer Woman, is appearing in a special Thanksgiving themed episode of Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay on Wednesday, November 17th, at 9pm/8c (check local listings). The best part? This episode was filmed on location at Ree’s ranch! I can't wait to see The Pioneer Woman's kitchen up close! Be sure to tune in next week to see the two go head-to-head in the ultimate Thanksgiving showdown.

Foodie News - Holiday Highlights - Food Network

2010-11-08T22:14:00.001-06:00

**FOOD NETWORK 2010 NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS**
FOOD NETWORK PREMIERES 29 BRAND-NEW HOLIDAY-THEMED EPISODES
‘Dear Food Network’ Answers Top 10 Turkey Day Queries; ‘Cupcake Wars’ Returns
Celebrate with Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Sandra Lee, Melissa d’Arabian and More

NEW YORK – October 19, 2010 – This holiday season, Food Network serves up all-new daytime and primetime shows with festive recipes, entertaining ideas and more. Eight Food Network stars help solve Turkey Day conundrums in Dear Food Network: Top 10 Thanksgiving Problems Solved, the one-hour primetime special premiering Saturday, November 13th at 9pm. Iron Chef America celebrates the holidays with a festive and bubbly battle premiering Sunday, December 5th at 10pm, and popular competition series Cupcake Wars returns for a second season just in time for the holidays on Tuesday, December 7th at 9pm. “In the Kitchen” daytime favorites like Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, and Claire Robinson bring in the holidays throughout November and December. Plus, FoodNetwork.com features exclusive Thanksgiving videos, entertaining tips and scrumptious holiday recipes from Paula Deen, Alton Brown, the Neelys, Tyler Florence and more. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

NOVEMBER

PRIMETIME
Highlights of primetime holiday programming are outlined below. Additionally, Food Network airs all-new holiday-themed episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Food Feuds, Good Eats, Outrageous Food, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Unwrapped.

Dear Food Network
Premieres Saturday, November 13th at 9pm
“Top 10 Thanksgiving Problems Solved”
Food Network stars save Thanksgiving once again by answering viewer questions and dishing up fantastic recipes destined to become new family favorites. Aaron McCargo Jr., Aarón Sánchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, Chris Cosentino, Claire Robinson, Melissa d’Arabian, and Sandra Lee count down the most common Turkey Day questions as searched on FoodNetwork.com.

Food Network Challenge
Premieres Sunday, November 14th at 8pm
“Thanksgiving Family Face-Off”
Four regular families visit the Challenge studios to prove their Thanksgiving meal is the best around. A distant loved one must come to assist them cook up the feast, and one very happy family takes home $10,000.

The Next Iron Chef
Premieres Sunday, November 21st at 9pm – SEASON FINALE!
“Honor”
After a season packed with grueling challenges, only two chefs remain to battle it out for the ultimate culinary title of Iron Chef. The challengers head to New York for a Thanksgiving-themed showdown in legendary Kitchen Stadium where they face a true Iron Chef challenge: prepare five creative and delicious dishes in 60 minutes using the always-feared Secret Ingredient. In addition to the season’s three judges, the finalists also try to impress special guest judges – Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. In the end, only one chef will reign supreme to earn the title of The Next Iron Chef.

Ace of Cakes
Premieres Saturday, November 27th at 10pm
“Holidays on Icing”
Charm City Cakes gets in the holiday spirit by decking the halls, sipping the eggnog and hitting the golf course. The bakery staff chops a tree, decorates ornaments and sneaks around town playing Secret Santa. Plus, Duff whips up a batch of his infamous eggnog until evil Christmas elves cause some wedding cake damage.
Food Network Challenge
Premieres Sunday, November 28th at 8pm
“Holiday Windows”
Three teams of artistic pastry chefs transform boring storefront windows into edible holiday wonderlands. The team that can create, transport and install the best holiday window display takes home a $10,000 prize.

Chopped
Premieres Sunday, November 28th at 9pm
“Yes Virginia, There Is a Chopping Block”
In honor of the holidays, the chefs stick with a seasonal theme, but gauging from the first basket, the competitors quickly learn they need to veer from tradition. In the Entrée Round, things get loosey-goosey when the chefs must butcher a big bird and use a cloyingly sweet jarred fruit. When both finalists want to use the only microwave to speed things along in the Dessert Round, some holiday bickering ensues.

DAYTIME
Highlights of daytime holiday programming are outlined below. In addition, Food Network airs all-new holiday-themed episodes of 30 Minute Meals, Barefoot Contessa, Big Daddy’s House, Cooking for Real, Giada at Home, Guy’s Big Bite, Nigella Kitchen, Paula’s Best Dishes, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals.

5 Ingredient Fix
Premieres Saturday, November 13th at 10am
“Thanksgiving”
For a five ingredient Thanksgiving, Claire shares her most favorite recipes along with a two-day breakdown of the menu, shopping list and Turkey Day tips to help everyone enjoy the holiday. In this one-hour special, she prepares an easy and delicious meal that includes a Classic Turkey in 5 along with a rich Southern Egg Gravy. Everyone loves Thanksgiving sides, so Claire makes a flaky Brie and Onion Puff and Pecan Bars to satisfy every guest at the feast.

Barefoot Contessa
Premieres Saturday, November 13th at 1:30pm
“Thanksgiving Potluck”
Ina goes back to basics on Thanksgiving pot luck parties. First, Ina prepares a fool-proof, no-stress Turkey Roulade, with easy sides like Roasted Vegetables, Cranberry Conserve, and Homemade Gravy. For dessert, Ina whips up Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Frosting plus a festive table setting created by Ina's new stylist Robert Ruffino.

Alex’s Day Off
Premieres Sunday, November 14th at 9:30am
“An Early Thanksgiving”
Alex celebrates an early Thanksgiving with some of her close friends featuring family traditions and some new additions. Alex grew up with family traditions like her Sugar-Cranberry Pie with a flaky homemade crust and tangy cranberry filling. The centerpiece, a golden Turkey, is paired with a Sourdough and Spicy Sausage Stuffing. Plus, a Stovetop Green Bean Casserole topped with fried shallots.

Dessert First with Anne Thornton
Premieres Sunday, November 14th at 12pm
“Thanksgiving Desserts”
Anne transforms traditional Thanksgiving desserts with a unique and indulgent touch. She starts with scrumptious Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cheesecake baked with crumbled graham crackers, nutmeg and maple syrup. Filled with thinly-sliced Golden Delicious apples, Anne’s impressive Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie serves as a mouth-watering Turkey Day option.

Ten Dollar Dinners
Premieres Sunday, November 14th at 12:30pm
“Thanksgiving”
Melissa d'Arabian gets creative with classic Thanksgiving dishes to prepare an entirely new dinner menu to use up all those leftovers. Crunchy and cheesy Turkey Taquitos make the perfect salty foil for sweet and tangy Cranberry Salsa. For dessert, baked Sweet Potato Empanadas get a dusting of cinnamon-sugar and a dollop of creamy yogurt.

DECEMBER

PRIMETIME

Iron Chef America
Premieres Sunday, December 5th at 10pm
“Garces vs. Lata”
The Chairman celebrates the holiday season with a festive battle. Charleston, S.C. chef Mike Lata of FIG (Food is Good) enters Kitchen Stadium to take on Iron Chef Jose Garces. Will Chef Lata's food be impressive enough to topple the towering Iron Chef Garces?

The Best Thing I Ever Made for the Holidays
Premieres Monday, December 6th at 9pm
From succulent juicy prime rib to sweet delicious butter tarts and a sizzling crispy rack of pork, Food Network stars Cat Cora, Aarón Sánchez, Ted Allen and more welcome viewers into their homes while they create mouth-watering dishes for the holidays.

Cupcake Wars
Premieres Tuesday, December 7th at 9pm – SEASON PREMIERE!
In the season two premiere, four talented cupcake bakers from across the country vie for the chance to take home $10,000 and have their decadent displays featured at a star-studded holiday tree lighting ceremony in the heart of Hollywood.

Food Network Challenge
Premieres Sunday, December 19th at 8pm
“Sugar Destinations”
Four top pastry chefs board a seven-day cruise to four ports of call. The competitors must design a colorful sugar and candy showpiece inspired by shore excursions found at each destination. Then the chefs visit Food Network Challenge studios and attempt to create their sugar showpiece in hope of winning $10,000.

DAYTIME

5 Ingredient Fix
Premieres Saturday, December 4th at 10:30am
“Posh Potluck”
For the ultimate pot-luck menu, Claire serves up scrumptious dishes such as a warm and thick Butternut Squash Soup. She also prepares a sweet and tender Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate Molasses that pairs perfectly with Rice Pilaf. For a decadent dessert, Claire makes her Chocolate Truffles sure to satisfy even the pickiest of guests.

Down Home with the Neelys
Premieres Saturday, December 4th at 11am
“Holiday Time”
It's 'Holiday Time' in Tennessee, and the Neelys share the food wealth with some near and dear senior citizens. Their flavorful Grilled Holiday Honey Ham pairs perfectly with two scrumptious sides of Roasted Asparagus with Mustard Vinaigrette and Crumbled Feta and garlicky Holiday Wreath Rolls. Finally, everyone gets a pair of melt-in-your-mouth Gingerbread Cookies.

Secrets of a Restaurant Chef
Premieres Saturday, December 4th at 12:30pm
“The Secrets to Standing Rib Roast”
Anne pulls out all the stops with an impressive menu perfect for the holidays. Standing Rib Roast makes a mouthwatering centerpiece, and cheesy Smashed Potato Gratin adds a creamy and indulgent touch. Molten Chocolate Cake with Crushed Candy Cane serves as a festive twist on a classic crowd-pleaser.

Giada’s Family Christmas
Premieres Saturday, December 4th at 1pm
Giada and her family celebrate the holidays at Aunt Raffy's house in Aspen where fun-filled days in the snowy mountains end with family meals and amazing food. In the one-hour special, they prepare a delicious Straccoto (Italian Pot Roast), and a honey Italian Struffoli for a sweet dessert. To start the morning off right, the family makes a special holiday French Toast that will keep everyone full of good cheer throughout the day.

Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee
Premieres Sunday, December 5th at 11:30am
“White Christmas”
Sandra and her sister prepare a holiday feast to make the winter days sparkle. Sandra begins the festive menu with a Macadamia Nut Crusted Goat Cheese and cooks up Pork Crown Roast with Royal Glaze and an amazing Roasted Parsnip Medley. They whip up 'Snowy' Angel Food Cakes for dessert and White Chocolate Egg Nog for cocktail time.

Dessert First with Anne Thornton
Premieres Sunday, December 5th at 12pm
“Anne’s Christmas”
Tis’ the season to eat dessert first! Anne whips up the perfect Christmas dessert menu starting with Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake, a cool and delectable treat filled with crushed peppermint candies and topped with a luscious chocolatey glaze. Then, Anne prepares three easy and edible holiday gifts: Russian Tea Cakes featuring salted pecans and a dusting of powdered sugar, Fabulous Fudge packed with chocolate chips, and festive Christmas Cookies with a super simple icing!

Mexican Made Easy
Premieres Saturday, December 11th at 9:30am
“My Favorite Holiday Dishes”
Marcela shares some of her holiday favorites like a flavor-packed Avocado and Cilantro Mousse. Spicy and tangy Roasted Pork Loin with Pineapple Glaze pairs perfectly with Marcela’s rice with ancho chiles and pine nuts. To round out this tasty menu, she prepares an Easy Mexican Chocolate Soufflé.

Barefoot in London
Premieres Saturday, December 11th at 1pm
Ina Garten explores the London food scene in a dazzling all-new one hour holiday special. Inspired by her delicious discoveries, Ina conjures up a savory Sausage and Mash, mouth-watering Iberico Ham and Figs, and a refreshing Middle Eastern Salad. To top off the meal, she makes sweet Chocolate Bark.

Foodie News - Food Network November 2010 Highlights

2010-11-03T22:05:00.001-05:00

**All Times ET/PT**
**FOOD NETWORK NOVEMBER 2010 HIGHLIGHTS**

Food Network Crowns ‘The Next Iron Chef’ – Winner’s First Battle Ensues in Kitchen Stadium
Primetime: Tom Pizzica Exposes ‘Outrageous Food’ and Guy Fieri Finds the Ultimate ‘Tailgate Warrior’
FoodNetwork.com Gears Up for Thanksgiving with Alton Brown and Paula Deen Online Exclusives

NEW YORK – October 21, 2010 – This fall, Food Network launches an Outrageous new primetime series, crowns ‘The Next Iron Chef’, and prepares for Thanksgiving with festive holiday recipes and online exclusives. Beginning Friday, November 5th at 10pm, “Big Chef” Tom Pizzica, season six finalist from The Next Food Network Star, takes on a new challenge in his primetime series Outrageous Food – uncover out-of-this-world dishes from across the country. Guy Fieri’s hunt for the ultimate tailgate champ concludes in the finale of Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri on Wednesday, November 10th at 10pm. As the heated season winds down, Food Network’s search for The Next Iron Chef comes to a thrilling and rewarding end on Sunday, November 21st at 9pm as the season three winner takes on the ultimate culinary title of “Iron Chef.” With no time to waste, the winner endures his or her very first battle in Kitchen Stadium on Sunday, November 28th at 10pm. Plus, FoodNetwork.com features exclusive Thanksgiving videos, entertaining tips and scrumptious holiday recipes from favorites like Paula Deen, Alton Brown, the Neelys, Tyler Florence and more. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

THE NEXT IRON CHEF – SEASON 3

The Next Iron Chef
The fiercest season-to-date concludes with the final three episodes. The winner claims the ultimate culinary title: Iron Chef. Additionally, FoodNetwork.com gives fans an exclusive look at Kitchen Stadium and the chance to win a one-of-a-kind prize with ‘Behind-the-Scenes Sweepstakes.’ The winner receives a trip to New York City for a tour of Kitchen Stadium and seats at an upcoming Iron Chef America battle.

Premiering Sunday, November 7th at 9pm
“Inspiration”
Host Alton Brown and the Chairman welcome the remaining five chefs to Las Vegas on the CityCenter promenade and present them with a test of inspiration. World-champion pastry chef Jean-Phlippe Maury meets the contestants in a pastry kitchen with his dessert showpiece collection and reveals chocolate as their secret ingredient. The contenders must then create a wedding-worthy chocolate dessert. For the Chairman’s Challenge, the chefs prepare a buffet inspired by the modern Las Vegas surroundings in just three hours, with the threat of a double elimination adding to the pressure.

Premiering Sunday, November 14th at 9pm
“Seduction”
Stress levels skyrocket as the remaining chefs face the test of seduction. In the Secret Ingredient Challenge, the competitors find themselves at the bar inside Jean-Georges Steakhouse at the Aria Hotel where they have 30 minutes to create a cocktail and snack using liquor that seduces the judges’ taste buds, including guest judge Charlotte Voisey, a renowned mixologist. Next, the chefs meet host Alton Brown in a posh Sky Villa on Aria Hotel’s 59th floor for the Chairman’s Challenge. They have only 90 minutes to create an elaborate three-dish meal using luxurious ingredients gathered from restaurants in the hotel. Two chefs leave in an intense double elimination, and the last two standing prepare for the final battle in Kitchen Stadium.

Premiering Sunday, November 21st at 9pm – SEASON FINALE!
“Honor”
After a season packed with grueling challenges, only two chefs remain to battle it out for the ultimate culinary title of Iron Chef. The challengers head to New York for a Thanksgiving-themed showdown in legendary Kitchen Stadium where they face a true Iron Chef challenge: prepare five creative and delicious dishes in 60 minutes using the always-feared Secret Ingredient. In addition to the season’s three judges, the finalists also try to impress special guest judges – Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. In the end, only one chef will reign supreme to earn the title of The Next Iron Chef.
SERIES PREMIERES

Outrageous Food
Premieres: Friday, November 5th at 10pm
In Outrageous Food, “Big Chef” Tom Pizzica, season six finalist from The Next Food Network Star, is on a quest to unearth the most jaw-dropping, eye-popping, occasionally heart-stopping foods in the country – dishes that give “outrageous” a whole new meaning. From the oversized and absurdly spicy to the ridiculously pricey and the blatantly bizarre, Tom learns the secrets of these out-of-this-world eats from the chefs at all the locales. Years of experience working in kitchens coupled with his every-guy likeability, sharp wit, and appetite for bold food, Tom Pizzica takes Outrageous Food to new heights.

Premiering Friday, November 5th at 10pm
“The 72-Inch Burrito”
For a colossal-sized meal, Tom Pizzica visits Gus’ Mexican Cantina in Franklin, Wis., to help serve up the six-foot burrito smothered in cheese and topped with all the Mexican fixings imaginable. Next stop: Chicago’s Dog House in Chicago, a hot dog joint that redefines this classic with an alligator corn dog for the truly adventurous type. For his last stop, Tom goes to New York’s Wall Street Burger Shoppe, where tasty and expensive Kobe beef burgers come topped with black truffles, foie gras, and real gold.

Premiering Friday, November 12th at 10pm
“The Chocolate Pizza”
First up on this outrageous tour, Tom Pizzica heads to Minneapolis to hit up Burger Jones, a local favorite that challenges customers to eat a massive burger piled high with everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to chicken fried bacon. Then, he’s off to Chipshop in Brooklyn, N.Y., a fish and chips, deep-frying Mecca to fry up things like pizza and even bagels with lox. Lastly, he checks out Pizza Doctors in La Crosse, Wis., where they top pies with everything from spaghetti to breakfast cereal and even serve up sweet chocolate pizza dough covered with candy

Premiering Friday, November 19th at 10pm
“The Knishwich”
Tom Pizzica builds the “Ultimate New Yorker” at Lansky’s Deli in New York, a seven pound deli sandwich with corned beef and pastrami packed between a potato knish instead of bread. At Feast in Houston, Texas, he tries heart, brain black pudding and pig face at this “nose to tail” joint. For dessert, Tom heads to Dania Beach, Fla., where a crowd of school kids help make and taste the jumbo-sized sundaes served at Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor.

Premiering Friday, November 26th at 10pm
“Rattlesnake Pierogies”
Tom Pizzica visits Bartolini’s, an Italian restaurant in Midlothian, Ill., that challenges customers to eat a ten-pound meatball sandwich in one sitting. Then, at Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh, Pa., Tom learns an untraditional recipe for stuffing pierogies with rattlesnake and he tries some of the dishes they make with beer brewed on site. On his last stop, Tom finds Randy’s Premier Pizza in St. Paul, Mich., which challenges patrons to eat a four-foot pizza for a cash prize.

FEATURED SPECIALS

Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri
Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Guy’s Big Bite) continues his search for the top “tailgate warriors” as the remaining tailgating teams compete at NFL stadiums across the country. Each week, two teams must create two appetizers, one entrée, two sides and one dessert in an hour. They will be judged by a three-person panel and scored based on taste, creativity, difficulty, and presentation. The two highest-scoring teams move on to the championship round.

Premieres: Wednesday, November 3rd at 10pm
In this round, Guy Fieri brings his culinary battle royale to The Bayou, as tailgaters representing the Minnesota Vikings take on the team from the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome. Judges include: Maile Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief of Food Network Magazine; Eddie George, former NFL Pro-Bowler; and Ray Lampe, “Dr. BBQ.”

NEW EPISODES
Aside from new series and seasons, Food Network premieres all-new episodes of its popular primetime and daytime shows.

Primetime: Chopped, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Food Feuds, Food Network Challenge, Good Eats, Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Unwrapped

Daytime: 5 Ingredient Fix, 30 Minute Meals, Alex’s Day Off, Barefoot Contessa, Big Daddy’s House, Cooking for Real, Dessert First with Anne Thornton, Down Home with the Neelys, Giada at Home, Guy’s Big Bite, Mexican Made Easy, Nigella Kitchen, Paula’s Best Dishes, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee, Ten Dollar Dinners

Iron Chef America
The heat rises in Kitchen Stadium as the American Iron Chefs face off against fierce new competitors.

Premieres Sunday, November 7th at 10pm
“Garces vs. Lee”
Kentucky’s Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia challenges Iron Chef Jose Garces to an intense culinary battle in Kitchen Stadium. Will Chef Lee’s contemporary take on American cuisine earn him a win over Iron Chef Garces, or will he leave with a bitter taste of defeat in his mouth?

Premieres Sunday, November 21st at 10pm
“Flay vs. Greenspan”
Los Angeles chef (and season two competitor on The Next Iron Chef) Eric Greenspan of The Foundry on Melrose goes up against Iron Chef Bobby Flay. Will Chef Greenspan wow the judges with his culinary creations or feel the fiery flames of defeat at Iron Chef Flay's hands?

Premieres Sunday, November 28th at 10pm
“The Next Iron Chef Season 3 Winner vs. RJ Cooper”
Washington D.C. chef RJ Cooper of Rogue 24 enters Kitchen Stadium to be the first challenger ever to face the newest Iron Chef. Will Chef Cooper take advantage of first-time jitters, or will he help the new Iron Chef kick off a reign of domination?

Turkey Pastrami Casserole

2010-11-01T04:55:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this casserole came from a Reuben dip I tried at a party. It was so good, everyone was wanting to know who made the Reuben casserole! Have you ever tried turkey pastrami? It’s actually very flavorful, but a little goes a long way. I was trying to think of something to do with the leftovers when I remembered the Reuben dip and decided to use the pastrami in place of corned beef.

Turkey Pastrami Casserole

1 cup sliced & chopped turkey pastrami

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (16 oz) sauerkraut, drained

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Kraft miracle whip

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

4 slices provolone cheese

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pastrami, onion, kraut, ketchup, miracle whip, and relish. Mix well and pour into large casserole dish. Top with cheese slices and sprinkle with pepper. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Flat-Iron Steak Tips & Veggies

2010-10-25T03:57:00.003-05:00

I really enjoy eating out for a change of pace and it has become a welcome luxury. Since it’s not something I do a lot given today’s economy, I’ve become pretty choosey. Normally, I like to order something I would not fix at home. Recently though, I ordered steak tips at a local restaurant. I have to admit the entire dish was delicious, but it had one major flaw. It was too salty. I have to wonder when we began to rely on salt to flavor everything. As you know from my recipes, I don’t use it a lot. Once you make this choice, the salt content in food becomes very noticeable. Of course, I decided to revamp the restaurant dish into my on version. You’ll notice that I do not have salt listed as an ingredient. This is because there’s plenty of sodium in the other ingredients. When all was said and done, it could have used a dash, but I definitely felt healthier. At the end of the day, I’d rather add some salt at the table than to serve a salty dish!

Flat-Iron Steak Tips & Veggies

1 – 2 lb flat iron steak (or sirloin) cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Mrs.. Dash original flavor

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 large onion, sliced

2 cups fresh Monterey mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pkg (16 oz) frozen broccoli, carrot, cauliflower mix (cooked to package directions)

Combine steak, garlic, teriyaki sauce, Worchestershire sauce, olive oil, Mrs.. Dash, and vinegar in a zip lock bag. Marinate for 1 hour.

In a large sauce pan, heat butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms & cook until slightly browned. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Add onions to pan and cook until tender. Remove from pan. Add a bit more oil to the pan, if necessary. Remove steak from marinade & add to pan. Cook over medium high heat until medium rare (or to own taste). Add onions, mushrooms, and vegetables to pan along with 1/2 cup water. Continue to cook, scraping bottom of pan to make your ‘gravy’. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve over rice, if desired.

Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Brats & Cabbage

2010-10-22T18:58:00.000-05:00

This is a remake of a Bangers & Mash recipe I saw recently. I wanted to re-make this recipe without using mashed potatoes. I love turnips and thought they would add some distinct flavor. As an added benefit, I took made the leftovers into a hearty soup the next night!

Simple Cookery Brats & Cabbage

1 pkg brats – 5 links

1 large red onion, sliced in rings

1 head cabbage, chopped

6-8 turnips, peeled and diced

2 cups chicken broth or stock plus water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup water

In large pot, combine cabbage, turnips, chicken broth and enough water to cover all. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Continue to simmer for 45 minutes or until cabbage reaches desired texture and turnips are fork tender. If you like your veggies a little firmer, reduce cooking time. Meanwhile, cook brats according to package directions and remove from skillet. Cover with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, add olive oil. Add onions, and cook over medium low heat until slightly browned. Add water and mustard, scraping the bottom of the pan to make your ‘gravy’. Remove cabbage mixture with slotted spoon to reserve cooking liquid. Layer in a casserole or serving dish. Top with onion mixture and brats.

Bonus recipe for leftovers:

By reserving the cooking liquid, you have a delicious start to a hearty soup. Dice any leftover brats and store overnight in cooking liquid.

Brat & Cabbage Soup

4 cups leftover cabbage, turnip, onion, brat mixture

1 small onion, chopped

1 tomato chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

to taste – red pepper flakes, salt, pepper

1-2 cups chicken broth

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and tomato. Cook until tender. Combine all ingredients in medium sauce pan – adding the desired amount of chicken broth depending on how thick you like your soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook another 15 minutes.

Pillsbury® Grands!® Giveway Winner....

2010-10-22T00:29:00.003-05:00

Thanks everyone for the great comments and ideas for using Pillsbury® Grands!® Biscuits.

And, the winner is....

barbara.montyj said...
I like to use the biscuits with my chicken and gravy.
barbara dot montyj at gmail dot com

October 19, 2010 6:59 PM

Congrats!!! barbara.montyj please e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury for the Pillsbury Grands! Mini Biscuits prize pack that includes a coupon for a free package of biscuits, a $15 gift card, a biscuit basket, a butter dish and spreader.

Cinnamon Butter & Giveaway

2010-10-17T20:54:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite memories as a child is watching Mom make buttermilk biscuits. Almost every Sunday morning, Mom would scoop up the flour and start from scratch. They were perfect. Of all the things that I learned from Mom, I never have mastered the art of a perfect biscuit. Oh, Mom used canned biscuits too and we considered them a treat. She’d flatten them out, fill them with home-made apple pie filling and make the best fried apple pies. Add a some ice cream, and you’re in heaven.

When Pillsbury first began making frozen biscuits to bake at home, I jumped on the bandwagon. At last, I could get the taste of home-made biscuits without the fuss. And the best part? I could cook as many as I wanted. If I only needed two biscuits, then that’s all I needed to pull out of the freezer. Anyone knows, there’s no such thing as making a ‘small’ batch of homemade biscuits!

As you can imagine, I was very excited to hear about the new Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits. These little biscuits are just the right size for little appetites or big appetizers! Love coupons? Click here so you can save $1.00 on the purchase of any Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits.
.
Through MyBlogSpark, Pillsbury sent me information and a Pillsbury Grands! Mini Biscuits prize pack that included a coupon for a free package of biscuits, a $15 gift card, a biscuit basket, a butter dish and spreader. The best part? Pillsbury, through MyBlogSpark, is providing me with an additional prize pack for one of you!

What’s your favorite use for Pillsbury® Grands!®? Do you use them in a recipe? I love cooking home-made pot pies topped with a biscuit instead of pie crust. Topping a biscuit with a little cinnamon, sugar, and butter before baking makes a wonderful dessert. Or, try this yummy recipe for cinnamon butter. The maple syrup adds just a taste of Fall!

CINNAMON BUTTER
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1 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Allow butter to soften at room temperature. Beat butter, sugar, syrup and cinnamon together until well blended. Store in air-tight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury want you to enjoy the new Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits too. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog & tell me your favorite use for Pillsbury biscuits. If you’re a follower of this blog, you are automatically entered, but you’ll get an extra entry if you leave a comment. Hurry though, this giveaway ends October 20, 2010 at midnight.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED - THE WINNER WAS: barbara.montyj

Is it really cheaper?

2010-10-11T22:23:00.002-05:00

I'm all about saving money and taking short cuts. I also know it can be easy to make healthier versions of convenience items you find in the grocery store. However, I have to wonder about the following recipe. I haven't tried it, but wanted to get your thoughts on it. Considering the cost of ingredients and time involved, I think I'll stick with the easy route of buying it. I also know that I'd probably end up scorching the milk! But, if you decide to try this one, let me know how it turns out.
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Sweetened Condensed Milk
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3/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup water
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Mix ingredients well and bring to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, or until it reaches the desired thickness.

Movies, Books & Food

2010-10-04T23:41:00.003-05:00

I love old movies just about as much as I love food. Sometimes I just want to curl up with an good book. Have you ever noticed how food is somehow involved in almost all parts of a novel? A book about San Francisco wedding caterers would no doubt involve a lot of cooking. Think about the latest suspense novel you read over the summer. How many recipes could you cook up from just that one book?

How many of those books have a happy ending involving a wedding? Destination weddings are very popular these days, and I'm sure it can take a lot of time to hire local wedding caterers. A little extra time and research can pay off in the long run resulting in the perfect wedding dinner.

I won't mention the name of the movie, but if you're a fan of fast cars that transport unusual items, you can probably guess it. The female lead in this movie spends a great deal of time describing delicious meals in nearby restaurants while speeding through Europe. Just like in a book, movies sometimes leave me wondering about the characters afterward. I can see this couple hiring a wedding caterer soon. Don't we all love happy endings?

Foodie News - Tune-In Alert for October

2010-09-26T21:47:00.001-05:00

**FOOD NETWORK OCTOBER 2010 HIGHLIGHTS**

Food Network Seeks ‘The Next Iron Chef’ and Michael Symon Resolves ‘Food Feuds’
Anne Thornton Whips Up ‘Dessert First’ and Nigella Lawson Unwinds in ‘Nigella Kitchen’
Guy Fieri Pursues the Ultimate ‘Tailgate Warrior’ in Special Primetime Series; ‘Private Chefs’ Returns
Food Network Preps for a Spooky Sweet Halloween with Sandra Lee Online Exclusives

NEW YORK – September 16, 2010 – Food Network falls into October with a bang – four series premieres, six all-new seasons and 62 brand-new episodes! Competition hits the ground running as 10 of the country’s most reputable chefs vie for the ultimate culinary title of “Iron Chef” on season three of The Next Iron Chef premiering Sunday, October 3rd at 9pm. Michael Symon visits cities across the country in efforts to squash heated dish disputes on the new primetime series, Food Feuds, premiering Thursday, October 14th at 10pm. The culinary glamour continues as popular primetime series Private Chefs of Beverly Hills returns with a second season on Tuesday, October 12th at 9pm. On a mission to determine which tailgate team reigns supreme, Guy Fieri hosts a special four-week primetime series, Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri, premiering Wednesday, October 20th at 10pm. Food Network also launches two new daytime series: professional pastry chef Anne Thornton simplifies the world of sweets on Dessert First premiering Sunday, October 24th at 12pm, and Nigella Lawson shares recipes for modern living on Nigella Kitchen premiering Sunday, October 3rd at 9am. Plus, FoodNetwork.com features exclusive Halloween videos, entertaining tips and recipes from Sandra Lee, Alton Brown, Duff Goldman and more. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

PRIMETIME SERIES PREMIERES

The Next Iron Chef: Season 3
Premieres: Sunday, October 3rd at 9pm
In the fiercest season-to-date, ten of the country’s most accomplished chefs bet on their skills and put their reputations on the line for the chance to join the industry’s most elite culinary society: the Iron Chefs. Hosted by Alton Brown (Good Eats) and filmed in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York City, season three challenges the chefs’ culinary skills and mental toughness as they enter a clash of culinary titans.

Premieres: Sunday, October 3rd at 9pm
“Ingenuity”
In the season three premiere of The Next Iron Chef, 10 of the country’s best chefs arrive in Los Angeles to compete for the chance to join the most elite culinary society: the Iron Chefs. Host Alton Brown greets them with a test of ingenuity, the first of seven tests each focused on an important Iron Chef attribute. With bread as the Secret Ingredient Challenge, the chefs must create sandwiches that represent their personalities. Next, the threat of elimination looms in the Chairman’s Challenge as the chefs find themselves cooking on a beach each with the one ingredient they would want to have if stranded on a desert island. The competition heats up, and the judges send the first contender home.

Premieres: Sunday, October 10th at 9pm
“Innovation”
The competition escalates among the remaining nine chefs when host Alton Brown presents a challenge to test their innovation. The contenders arrive at a coffee shop for the Secret Ingredient Challenge where they must create two innovative dishes using a duo of American breakfast favorites: coffee and doughnuts. In the Chairman’s Challenge, the chefs have one grueling hour to innovate classic diner fare like meatloaf and corned beef hash to Iron Chef-quality cuisine. The finalists frantically cook up their improved diner dishes, and another chef leaves at the end of the challenge.

Premieres: Sunday, October 17th at 9pm
“Resourcefulness”
An Iron Chef must be able to think on their feet, so the eight remaining chefs face a true test of resourcefulness. For the Secret Ingredient Challenge, the chefs make an imaginative snack from pickles. The competitors then bring their small bites on a fishing field trip where they all reel something in – including a shark! Back in the kitchen, for the Chairman’s Challenge, they make two dishes using the fish they caught. The finalists attempt to conquer the challenge and win over the judges, but one chef doesn’t make the cut.

Premieres: Sunday, October 24th at 9pm
“Transformation”
The remaining seven chefs undertake a test of transformation. In the Secret Ingredient Challenge, the chefs transform traditional American condiments and sauces like ketchup, ranch dressing, and mayonnaise into unique recipes. Next, the competitors get sent to the San Diego County Fair where they must gather ingredients from the concession stands in a mad dash to transform their fair food into Iron Chef-worthy dishes for the Chairman’s Challenge. During the difficult battle, the chefs prepare their food on “The Outlaw Grill,” the world’s largest grill, but one of the chefs can’t take the heat and gets eliminated.

Premieres: Sunday, October 31st at 9pm
“Respect”
In this “all-American” episode, the six remaining competitors face the test of respect. For the Secret Ingredient Challenge, the kitchen doors open to reveal a Humvee packed with thousands of pounds of potatoes. Guest expert and judge Lt. Col. Barnes of the U.S. Army explains the challenge: showing respect for the potato (the peeling of which was formerly military punishment) by creating a potato dish in 45 minutes. In the Chairman’s Challenge, the chefs must show respect for the United States by cooking four dishes representing the four main regions on the map: North, South, East, and West. Before elimination, Alton Brown reveals that the five surviving chefs will travel to Las Vegas. One chef gets eliminated while the rest hop on the plane to Sin City.

Food Feuds
Premieres: Thursday, October 14th at 10pm
Across the country, heated rivalries divide passionate locals in cities big and small – over which dish defines the district. From meaty lobster rolls and golden fried clams to juicy meatballs and luscious cheesecake, these signature dishes polarize the community. Michael Symon (Iron Chef America) pounds the pavement searching for the country’s most intense and long-standing dish disputes to settle once and for all. Michael works in their kitchens, interviews locals, and summons undercover critics to learn as much as he can about the divisive dishes to finally put a lid on these Food Feuds.

Premieres: Thursday, October 14th at 10pm – SERIES PREMIERE!
“Italian Feud”
Michael Symon rolls up his sleeves to take on two Italian favorites: meatballs in Philadelphia and pizza in Boston. Villa di Roma and Ralph’s Italian Restaurant have both rolled out meatballs for generations and claim to make the best in Philadelphia. Michael settles this feud with the help of locals and the toughest critics of all, grandmothers. Then, he gets to the heart of the Boston-style pizza dispute between Regina Pizzeria and Santarpio’s. Michael enlists the help of an undercover restaurant critic, pizza connoisseurs and local college kids to decide which pizza takes the pie.

Premieres: Thursday, October 21st at 10pm
“Seafood Feud”
Michael Symon dives into seafood battles head first in Massachusetts and New York. In Essex, Mass., Woodman’s and J.T. Farnham’s fry up clams better than anyone else. Michael explores their kitchens, talks to foodies, and even goes clamming to figure out who has the best fried clams in Essex. Then, he visits New York City to settle the lobster roll dispute between Luke’s Lobster and Ed’s Lobster Bar. He goes to their kitchens, chats with locals, and gets an expert opinion from Chef Geoffrey Zakarian (24 Hour Restaurant Battle) to declare who makes the supreme lobster roll.

Premieres: Thursday, October 28th at 10pm
“Cake Feud”
Michael Symon settles two cake feuds: crab cakes and cupcakes. In Baltimore, he claws his way into the crab cake recipes of competitors J.W. Faidley and Gertrude’s. He explores the Inner Harbor to determine the people’s choice, and picks the brain of Ron Kasper, a columnist for Baltimore Sun. Then, Michael pounds the pavement to determine who bakes the best red velvet cupcake – Ladybird in Brooklyn, N.Y. or Cupcake Stop in Montclair, N.J. He pops in on a birthday party to get the opinions of 10-year-old cupcake fanatics, but when he tastes a wildcard entry, the decision gets harder.

DAYTIME SERIES PREMIERES

Nigella Kitchen
Premieres: Sunday, October 3rd at 9am
With her winning mix of passion, enthusiasm and love of comfort foods, Nigella Lawson is in the kitchen cooking meals for modern living that you will want to make all the time. As well as creating easy and everyday recipes to beat the clock, Nigella shares tips on dishes made just to unwind at the end of the day. Nigella Kitchen will teach viewers how to cook at home with simple and accessible ingredients – making the everyday special and special days easy.
*This October, Nigella also releases a new cookbook, “Nigella Kitchen” (Hyperion, 2010), focused on feel-good food for the way we eat and live today – a welcome resource for both hectic weekday and leisurely weekend cooking.

Dessert First with Anne Thornton
Premieres: Sunday, October 24th at 12pm
In Dessert First with Anne Thornton, expert pastry chef Anne Thornton shares indulgent recipes for tantalizing and tasty sweet treats. From fresh pie crust and creamy ice cream cake to flaky pastries and make-ahead tarts, Anne demystifies and simplifies the sweet world of pastry and dessert. While sprucing up old-fashioned favorites like apple turnovers and pecan pie, Anne teaches viewers the keys to no-fear baking proving any home cook can create show-stopping desserts. Whether she’s planning a dinner party for friends or whipping up a quick weeknight meal, Anne always thinks about Dessert First.

FEATURED SPECIALS

Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri
Premieres: Wednesday, October 20th at 10pm
Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Guy’s Big Bite) searches for the top “tailgate warriors” as eight tailgating teams compete at NFL stadiums across the country in a four-week series. Each week, two teams must create two appetizers, one entrée, two sides and one dessert in an hour. They will be judged by a three-person panel and scored based on taste, creativity, difficulty, and presentation. The two highest-scoring teams move on to the championship round and battle it out for the chance to win $50,000.

Premieres: Wednesday, October 20th at 10pm
The battle on the gridiron may be rough when the Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks, but it’s nothing compared to the action going on outside the stadium. Guy Fieri throws down the gauntlet and searches for the best tailgate teams in the country. This round, teams from Green Bay and Qwest Field take on the top team from Seattle in a one-hour competition to see who has the most killer grub at the game.

Premieres: Wednesday, October 27th at 10pm
On the hunt for the country’s best tailgate team, Guy Fieri visits the San Francisco 49ers as they take on their neighbors, the Oakland Raiders. In this round, Guy visits his hometown, as the top tailgate team from San Francisco heads across the bay to take on the top team from Oakland in a one-hour competition to see who moves on to round three.

*Note: The final two episodes premiere on Wednesday, November 3rd at 10pm and Wednesday, November 10th at 10pm.

SEASON PREMIERES

Mexican Made Easy
Premieres Saturday, October 9th at 9:30am
“From Mexico to the World”
Marcela creates a menu highlighting key culinary gifts from Mexico: corn, chocolate, avocadoes, and chiles. She shows viewers how easy it is to incorporate these ingredients into mouthwatering dishes like Easy Corn Tamales, Mexican Chocolate Margaritas, Avocado Flan and Stress-Free Salsa.

5 Ingredient Fix
Premieres Saturday, October 9th at 10:30am
“Ode to the Grastropub”
Claire serves up gastropub favorites with a gourmet twist. From Bangers and Mash and Cheddar Beer Soup to Soda Bread and Banoffee Mess, Claire turns pub grub into super simple and delectable five ingredient dishes.
*On October 6th, Claire will release her first cookbook: 5 INGREDIENT FIX: Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes by Claire Robinson (Grand Central Publishing, 2010). The quest for simple and fresh food is over as Claire helps put delicious and sophisticated meals on the table in no time.

Private Chefs of Beverly Hills
Premieres Tuesday, October 12th at 9pm
“A Side of Lamas”
Sasha and Stuart are in for a wild ride when asked to spice up the unveiling of Lorenzo Lamas’ new motorcycle. A California teen’s circus themed Sweet Seventeen party finds Brian and Brooke working without a net, and a Hollywood health nut challenges Jesse and Manouschka to prepare a healthy soul food dinner for her plus-sized family members.

Alex’s Day Off
Premieres Sunday, October 24th at 9:30am
“Sweet Treats”
Once in a while, Alex gets the urge to indulge her sweet tooth. To start, she whips up Chocolate Cupcakes with decadent frosting and chewy Lemon Macaroons. To round out the menu, Alex creates a classic Bananas Foster and stirs up a cool Coffee Granita.

NEW EPISODES
Aside from new series and seasons, Food Network premieres all-new episodes of its popular primetime and daytime shows as well as featured competitions series, Iron Chef America and Food Network Challenge.

Primetime: The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Good Eats, Meat & Potatoes, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Unwrapped

Daytime: 30 Minute Meals, Barefoot Contessa, Big Daddy’s House, Cooking for Real, Down Home with the Neelys, Grill It with Bobby Flay, Giada at Home, Guy’s Big Bite, Paula’s Best Dishes, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, Ten Dollar Dinners

Iron Chef America
The heat rises in Kitchen Stadium as the American Iron Chefs face off against fierce new competitors.

Premieres Thursday, October 14th at 9pm
“Symon vs. Fraser”
New York City chef John Fraser of Dovetail challenges Iron Chef Michael Symon to an intense culinary battle in Kitchen Stadium. Will Chef Fraser's meal impress the judges enough to beat Iron Chef Symon?

Premieres Sunday, October 17th at 10pm
“Symon vs. Vetri”
Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri of Vetri Italian restaurant enters Kitchen Stadium to take on Iron Chef Michael Symon. Will Vetri’s treatment of the secret ingredient earn him a win, or will he fall to Iron Chef Symon’s cuisine?

Food Network Challenge
Food Network gets the competitive juices flowing in Food Network Challenge with the biggest and most exciting food battles from around the world. Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix) hosts as competitors vie for bragging rights and a $10,000 prize.

Premieres Sunday, October 3rd at 8pm
“Outrageous Pumpkins”
Four talented pumpkin carvers have three rounds to amaze the judges with their sculpting skills. Competitors must carve a classic Jack-o-lantern, an impressive 3-D pumpkin, and their own over-the-top pumpkin masterpiece.

Premieres Sunday, October 24th at 8pm
“Flying Sugar”
Four adventurous sugar artists must create a fantasy flying machine out of sugar. Since combining movement with sugar seems nearly impossible, will any of these machines survive their maiden voyage?

Premieres Sunday, October 31st at 8pm
“Urban Legends”
Four artistic cake designers must tell an urban legend story through cakes using extreme elements like lights, sparklers and moving parts.

ONLINE

FoodNetwork.com prepares for a scary sweet Halloween with Sandra Lee and shares the lowdown on the ultimate trick-or-treats, festive recipes and must-have entertaining tips from Food Network stars Alton Brown, Duff Goldman and more.
*Visit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/halloween (live as of 10/1)
Sandra Lee Exclusive Videos: A can’t-miss collection of Sandra’s best Halloween costumes, cocktails, cupcakes and tablescapes.
Duff’s Tricks and Treats Video Tips: Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman shares gory food tricks and fun ways to create decorative jack o’ lantern and eyeball mini cakes.
Most Popular Halloween Recipes: Serve up some Halloween fun with ghoulishly good desserts from like Candy Corn Parfaits, Sweet and Spicy Pepitas Popcorn Balls, Pecan-Caramel Spiders and more.
Creepy Cocktails: Find recipes for the most popular and festive Halloween cocktails like Emeril Lagasse’s Spellbinders with Devil Eyeballs, Michael Chiarello’s Vampire Blood Drink , Sandra Lee’s Green Ghoulade and more.
Alton Brown’s Favorite Fall Recipe: Alton shares an in-depth look at his easy-to-make toasted pumpkin seeds – a perfect treat for any Halloween party.

Roasted Ground Sirloin Steaks

2010-09-20T19:41:00.001-05:00

I love using ground sirloin in dishes because it’s leaner than ground beef. It can be expensive, but I usually buy a couple of packages when it’s on sale. I’ll brown it with onion and spices and then freeze it for later. Sometimes I get lazy and just freeze the whole package. Then I’m stuck with thawing it before cooking. That can be a problem if you forget to do it before dinner! So, I had this idea to put it in the Crockpot like a roast. Once it had cooked/thawed enough to break apart, I broke it into six ‘steaks’. It turned out to be delicious and easy.

Roasted Ground Sirloin Steaks

1 and 1/2 pounds ground sirloin

1 large onion

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup flour & 1/4 cup water

Leave ground sirloin whole and place in Crockpot with all ingredients except flour and water. Cook on high for 2 hours. Break beef into smaller steaks. Continue to cook another hour and reduce to low. Mix flour and water and add to Crockpot to thicken broth. After 15 minutes reduce to warm until ready to serve.

Foodie News - Michael Symon

2010-09-18T21:44:00.001-05:00

FOOD NETWORK’S FOOD FEUDS PUTS AN END TO DISH DISPUTES
Chef Michael Symon Squashes Local Culinary Feuds in New Primetime Series Premiering Thursday, October 14th at 10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 – Across the country, heated rivalries over local signature dishes divide cities – and Food Network’s new primetime series Food Feuds will decide, once and for all, which dish defines the district. From Baltimore crab cakes and Philadelphia cheesesteaks to New York lobster rolls and New Orleans po’ boys, Iron Chef Michael Symon searches the country to quell the most intense, long-standing culinary rivalries. The series premieres Thursday, October 14th at 10pm ET/PT.

“Every town has a fierce competition between two local eateries, and Food Feuds will settle the debate with a passionate look at each city’s signature dish,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming, Food Network. “Michael Symon’s humor, energy and expertise as an Iron Chef make him uniquely qualified to help analyze the food from every angle to determine who does it best.”

Each episode includes two Food Feuds, with battles royal featuring the following cities and establishments:
Philadelphia – Cheesesteak: Pat’s King of Steaks vs. Geno’s Steaks; New York – Cheesecake: Eileen’s Special Cheesecake vs. Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery (sneak peek – October 10th at 10pm ET/PT)
Boston – Pizza: Regina Pizzeria vs. Santarpio’s; Philadelphia - Meatballs: Villa di Roma Restaurant vs. Ralph’s Italian Restaurant (October 14th)
Essex, Mass. – Fried Clams: Woodman’s vs. JT Farnham’s; New York - Lobster Roll: Ed’s Lobster Bar vs. Luke’s Lobster (October 21st)
New York - Red Velvet Cupcakes: Cupcake Stop (Montclair, N.J.) vs. Ladybird Bakery; Baltimore – Crab Cakes: J.W. Faidley vs. Gertrude’s (October 28th)
New Jersey – Sliders: White Manna (Hackensack, N.J.) vs. White Mana (Jersey City, N.J.); Barberton, Ohio – Fried Chicken: Belgrade Gardens vs. Hopocan Gardens (November 4th)
Roast Pork: TBD; Murphysboro, Ill./St. Louis – Ribs: 17th Street Bar & Grill vs. Pappy’s Smokehouse (November 18th)
Elyria, Ohio – Burgers: Smitty’s Place vs. Midway Oh Boy; New Orleans – Po’ Boys: Parasol’s Restaurant & Bar vs. Parkway Bakery & Tavern (November 25th)
Cincinnati – Ice Cream: Aglamesis Brothers vs. Graeter’s; St. Louis – Butter Cake: Gooey Louie vs. Park Ave. Coffee (December 2nd)

In each episode of Food Feuds, Michael travels to a different city to oversee cutthroat competitions between two restaurants who prepare the same local specialty. With the help of neighborhood customers, local foodies, journalists, undercover critics and special guests, including Food Network expert pastry chef Anne Thornton and acclaimed chef Geoffrey Zakarian, one eatery’s dish will be named Food Feuds champion.

Renowned in the culinary world and adored in his hometown of Cleveland, Michael is the chef and owner at the critically acclaimed Lola and Lolita in Cleveland, chef and partner of Roast in Detroit, chef and owner of Bar Symon in Avon Lake, Ohio, BSpot in Chargin, Ohio and Bar Symon and B-Spot in Cleveland. The Culinary Institute of America graduate competed on The Next Iron Chef in 2007 and won, securing his place as an Iron Chef on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. He released his first cookbook “Michael Symon’s Live to Cook” (Clarkson Potter) in October 2009. In July 2010, Michael’s instructional cooking series, How to Cook Like an Iron Chef premiered on Cooking Channel and in October 2010, Michael joins season three of The Next Iron Chef, as a first-time judge.

Chicken Legs & Broccoli

2010-09-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

I love to mix chicken and broccoli. This quick dish is made in the Crockpot and doesn’t take very long.

Chicken Legs & Broccoli

6-8 chicken legs

1 tablespoon Mrs.. Dash, original flavor

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups cooked broccoli

Place chicken, spices and water in Crockpot and cook on high for two hours. Add soup, mixing well, and continue to cook for 1 hour. Add cooked broccoli and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook for additional 1/2 hour or keep on warm until ready to serve.

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