T minus one hour

And my guests will be here! The house is sparkly, lunch is prepped and ready to cook, wine is chilled, boys are at school, Eden is napping, my lamp berger succeeded in making my house smell yummy, and the lemon curd has found it's home in those cute little jars.

All is right here.

Will let you know how it all goes, recipes and pic's included!

Aprons

Don't these apron's from Epicurean Style just make you want to stop what you are doing and cook something?

To die for!! (especially the Penelope and the Paisley) Way cute!

On the menu & my schedule for the week

Wednesday: Mexican fiesta for the teachers at the school. Our theme of the week is 'Cinco de Mayo' (since that is next week), so we thought we'd have a little Latin fun this week. On the menu is -

Taco Salad
Queso
Homemade Salsa and Chips
Bean and Corn Salsa (Terri is making this one)
Tortillas (it's a Texas thing, people eat them alone....like you would eat bread. Strange I know...I'm still getting used to it myself.)
Limeade
Sopapilla Bars
Warm Cinnamon Tortillas

Thursday: Lunch is here at my house. We are having this menu, except I am substituting pan sauteed chicken for the tuna. Also I am serving in the Edamame shelled. The teachers dont want to be eating with their hands I'm sure! I wanted to serve something fun and different that I don't think the teachers would cook for themselves at home. I am also having herb butter and rolls (no it doesn't go, but most people like bread). I am having White Wine and Sparkling Water for beverages. For dessert is a Lemon Curd Cheesecake. It is to die for. I made it this weekend to make sure it was what I wanted to make and we had it last night. DELISH!

Soooo, my schedule to pull all of this off is as follows.

Monday: Grocery shop. This in and of itself is a big job. My list is a MILE long! Also run to Hobby Lobby and pick up two more chargers.

Tuesday: Make salsa, Sopapilla Bars and chop and prepare veggies for salad Wednesday. Make Lemon cheesecake for Thursday, also, make tons and tons of lemon curd. **See below

Wednesday: Wake up at crack of dawn and prepare ground turkey for salad. Eden's 9 month check up at 9:30 and then I will go to school and prepare the lunch. All with Eden and Parker in tow! I will make the Queso there and get everything ready. I will share how I make my taco salad later. :) After lunch is done, I will come home and start preparing for the luncheon the next day. My table is already set (and looks great if I do say so myself). I will pound the chicken, make the sauce for the meal, leaving the cilantro out (it wilts). Put my little gift bags for the teachers together. It's nothing big, just something to give them as they leave. I will also have to make sure the house is perfect this day. The worst part of this day is that Mike will be out of town. ACK!! He has a meeting somewhere and is leaving Wednesday, coming home Thursday. The meeting couldn't have been held on a worse day for me!

Thursday: Do everything else. Run around like a chicken with my head cut off until 2:30 when the luncheon is over. Promptly down a bottle of wine.

Whew. This is tiring just typing it out. I better get off the computer and on to doing things. Wish me luck!

Oh, and here's a sneak peek......




Little gift for teachers. You really can make a mason jar cute, see? ;)

Teacher Appreciation Week

Lucky for the K is for Kitchen readers (which is probably only a handful, lol), this coming week is Teacher Appreciation at the kids pre-school. What does this mean for the website? Well, it means LOTS of posting. I will be cooking every day so I will have lots and lots of recipes to share. Wednesday I am catering a lunch at the school and then Thursday I am hosting a lunch on my home for the teachers. I will be very busy this week!

On the agenda tomorrow is goodies for the teachers. We hope to have lots of stuff for the teachers to much on. I heard one of the teachers say that they really only like Peanut Butter Desserts, so I figured I'd give a few recipes a try.

The first I tried was Peanut Butter Brownie cupcakes. Not a novel idea, but something that I knew everyone would like. I tried one and WOW. Sometimes simple = VERY YUMMY!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes
adapted from Paula Deen

1 package chewy fudge brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
36 miniature peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 mini muffin pans. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions. Fill the cups 3/4 full with brownie batter. Press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup. Bake for 12-14, or until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

I also have a recipe for Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies that I cut out for the kids a while ago. I thought I'd give it a try!

Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Beat together first 3 ingredients and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until fully incorporated. Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 1 rounded tablespoonful at a time, about 2 inches apart. (Dough should yield about 24 cookies.) Press cookies flat with the back of a fork dipped into remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle cookies with any remaining sugar, if desired, and bake 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven, and cool 5 minutes on pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread about 1 tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter Filling onto flat side of 12 cookies, and top each with another cookie, flat side down, to make a sandwich.

Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Dinner club

Dinner club was last night. YUMMY! Everything was fabulous!! I have requested everyones recipes, so as I get them, I will update this post.

Our menu was

Pre-Dinner drinks - Bellini's - Tabitha & Doug
Appetizer - Cheese tray - Me & Mike
Appetizer - Strawberry Bruschetta & Stuffed Mushrooms - Ashley & Chris
Soup - Italian Wedding Soup - Kris
Salad - Spinach Salad & Caprese Salad - Pam & Travis
Bread - Foccacia - Kat & Scott
Main Course - Lasagna - Terri & Rob
Dessert - Tiramisu Cake & Chocolate Toffee Trifle - Ana & Chris

We had a great time and all the food was so great.

For my part, I knew we were doing appetizers and drinks out on the patio. I wanted something people could pick up. I decided to do a cheese tray. Not the kind you pick up at the grocery store either!

I did 3 different presentations of cheeses. I did a bread pot 'fondue', marinated cheeses and then 3 different kinds of cheese truffles.


**I apologize about the quality of the picture. My good camera had a dead battery!

Marinated Cheeses

1 block mozzarella
1 block sharp cheddar
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Spices of your choice (I used basil and parsley)
Garlic

Cube cheeses and place with other ingredients to marinate. Marinate at least 6 hours before serving.

I put the cheeses on a bed of parsley and toothpicks to serve.
____________________________

Bread Pot Fondue

1 (1 pound) loaf round bread
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can diced green Chile peppers or diced jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.Cut a circle in the top of the bread. Remove top, and set aside. Hollow out the loaf, reserving removed bread for dipping.
In a medium bowl, mix the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, peppers, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into the bread bowl, and replace the top. Wrap loaf tightly in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1 hour. (if it isn't all the way hot at this point, you can scoop out the cheese into a microwave safe bowl and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then put it back in the bread. This is what I had to do this time!) Meanwhile, cut reserved bread into small pieces. Toss with oil and melted butter, and place on the baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In the picture, you can see the bread pieces for dipping; I had them in a separate bowl on the side.
______________________________

Cheese Truffles

Feta Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover mixture tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in parsley. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and whole almonds.

Blue Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled blue cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. ***Can be served with apple and pear slices and grapes.

Goat Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in pecans. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with dried figs and apricots.

My favorite of the 3 were the Feta ones. YUMMY!

OK, as promised, I am updating this post with other recipes that people have sent to me.

Strawberry Bruschetta

1 8-oz. baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 4-oz. log goat cheese
1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup arugula
Olive oil
Sea salt or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh herbs

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs. Makes 4 servings.

*this is the recipe Ashley used, but she didn't have the arugula (couldn't find any), and she added balsamic vinegar. It was DELICIOUS as she had it. If and when I make these, I will do them exactly the same way. One of the best Hors devours I have had in a LONG TIME. Super yum.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound 2-inch-wide stuffing mushrooms (about 14 to 16), cleaned
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Madeira (she used marsala and used more than 2 T.)
1 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup creme fraiche (can use sour cream)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water
**Ashley added bacon

Pop the stems from the mushrooms and reserve. Using a melon baller or spoon, gently scoop out any remaining stem from inside the mushroom caps. Set the caps aside. Finely chop the stems and bits from the caps (there should be about 1 1/4 cups).

Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the Madeira and thyme and cook until dry. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and cool slightly.

Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, creme fraiche, and parsley to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a skillet that is just large enough for the mushroom caps to fit snugly inside in a single layer. Pour the water into the skillet. Brush the outside of the caps with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set the caps, smooth side-down, in the skillet. Divide the filling evenly among the caps. Drizzle the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until the mushroom caps are soft and cooked and the filling is browned, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature.

She also made a sauce to go with it from marsala, butter, flour, beef stock, salt and pepper. DELISH!

Dinner Club this weekend!

YAY! One of my favorite things is dinner club. We have such a great time and it is so fun trying people's stuff! This time, we have appetizer. The friend who is hosting just got an awesome outdoor kitchen built, so we are having pre-dinner drinks and appetizers out there. Because of this, I wanted to do pick up foods instead of something that needed lots of hand wiping or utensils.

I am thinking of doing a cheese tray, with 3 different kinds of cheese balls, a cheese 'fondue', marinated cheeses and then some breadsticks. Also, grapes of course!

I will keep you all posted!!

Sopapilla Bars

We had my friend Terri's birthday dinner last night and I said I would bring dessert. The host was making fajitas so I decided we couldn't go wrong with Sopapilla Cheesecake bars. Soooo easy and everyone loves them!

Sopapilla Bars

2 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1/2 cup melted butter
ground cinnamon

Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with Pam or any other spray oil. Open one can of crescent rolls and stretch on bottom of pan. Seal holes together to form a crust. Blend together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla with mixer until fluffy. Spread over dough, do not go all way to the edges.
Stretch second can of dough over cream cheese filling, seal together with other crust. Melt butter in a saucepan mixed with remaining cup of sugar. When butter is melted, remove from heat and add vanilla. Brush or pour all of the butter mix over top crust, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, then refrigerate before cutting into squares.

Although these are supposed to be served cold, I had a bite of them shortly after they came out of the oven and it was DIVINE! Very rich when they're warm, but so gooey and delicious. This recipe is clearly not for the health conscious, but I really do think you could use light ingredients and get the same result. Light crescent rolls, light cream cheese, a splenda/sugar mix and then use light butter on top. They now sell the 50% less baking sticks, and while I personally wouldn't use them in a cake or cookie recipe, since you are only topping these with butter, I would definitely try it next time. Usually I don't skimp with light ingredients on desserts, but I truly think you would get the same result. Next time! ;)

Bon Appetit!

Wine, Chocolate and Pasta. Is there anything better?

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup) (I used turkey bacon)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs (I used boneless ribs)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (I used fettuccine)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

I thought this was pretty good! When I was making this and taste testing, I thought it tasted like beef stew. A good beef stew, but beef stew nonetheless. I wasn't doing cartwheels or anything. But let me tell you. The chocolate? OMG. Soooooooo good. It gave it the most interesting flavor that I just couldn't get enough of. I keep scooping more and more spoonfuls of chocolate shavings on there. If I had a blindfold on, I don't know if I would have been able to figure out the flavor. I didn't even need the meat, just the beef broth/red wine sauce, the pasta and the chocolate. Or just a nice hot plate of beef stew with chocolate shavings. I actually do use red wine in my beef stew so I bet the chocolate would be unbelievable on it!!

Coming soon....

Our dinner I made for tonight. I can't review and post it yet, because we havent eaten. But I will give you a few hints:

Red Wine....


Pasta....


Chocolate.....


All in one dish. YUM-O.

Dinner tonight

Anyone looking for a dinner idea for tonight? I will be making something boring since I will just be returning from the gym with the kiddos in tow. Mike is playing in a golf tournament today that he says will probably last into the evening. He claims it takes so long because of "prizes". Apparently "prizes" is the key word for beer.

Anywho...moving on. Here is a good dinner idea for tonight. I have made it before and it is delicious!

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Basil
by Barefoot Contessa


6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
8 to 10 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet
6 large fresh basil leaves
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch- thick slices and place 1 or 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won’t dry out. With your fingers, rub each piece with olive oil, and sprinkle them very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

this is great served with

Rosemary Polenta
by Barefoot Contessa
serves 6

4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese (I used light)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and simmer over very low heat, stirring almost constantly, for 7-10 minutes until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring. Remove the polenta from heat and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan, Olive oil, rosemary, salt & pepper. Stir until smooth and serve hot sprinkled with extra Parmesan cheese.

Very, very yummy!! Even Mike and Ana who thought they didn't like polenta were LOVING this.

You can serve this with roasted asparagus. I know we all know how to roast asparagus, but just for a refresher...

Roasted Asparagus

1 bundle of asparagus
EV olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Wash and trim asparagus. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle somewhat generously with salt and pepper. Place in 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. No more, no less for perfect asparagus.



Bon Appetit!

Roasting tomatoes.

Speaking of healthy dishes, here is one that is very healthy and very rich and satisfying. I roast these and put them on top of steak or chicken. I also serve them as a side sometimes when I want something hot. I have also tossed them with pasta. You don't need ANYTHING but these tomatoes, pasta and maybe some Parmesan if you want. Some things are better plain and simple and not all 'ingrediented' up. Did I just make up a word? Anyway....

Roasted Tomatoes my way

2 pints grape tomatoes
EV Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced - optional

Preheat oven to 400. Put tomatoes in baking dish and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until they start cracking. Before serving, toss with raw, minced garlic (if desired). Serve as a side, atop meat of choice, or tossed with pasta. You could even use this to top a toasted baguette for Bruschetta!



***I grabbed this image from somewhere else...so these tomatoes look more done than I like mine....but I don't have a picture of mine!

Most importantly, this is a dish you can play with. You can add capers, minced onion, the garlic that I mentioned, Parmesan, Feta....anything you want. Be creative!

Healthy snacks

Well all like to snack, right? I know I do. I eat pretty healthy when it comes to meal time, but my in between meal snacking really gets to me sometimes. Having 2 kids that go to school is tough with all the school activities. There is ALWAYS candy, cookies, cupcakes, etc. laying around. I have such a major sweet tooth that it is VERY hard for me to stay away from it. Easter has pretty much gotten the best of me with those damn Robin's Eggs...my fave! Oh, and I can't forget the Hershey's Dark Chocolate Eggs. I only grab 3 or 4 at the time, but I take a trip to the jar about 8-10 times a day. No lie! That is 40...FORTY eggs a day. Sooooo not good.

Anyway, I am trying to recuperate and get back on track, thus the post for today! My favorite healthy snacks. (in no particular order)

1. Raw broccoli and dip. More specifically, this dip.


Major yum, and good for you.

2. Vic's Gourmet Lite popcorn. I am addicted to this popcorn. To me it tastes exactly like movie popcorn, but way better for you. You will see it at the store in those huge white bags. I know you've seen it! You can have 3 cups for only 130 calories. And 4 grams of fiber! That's a great snack.

3. Sliced mushrooms with Hidden Valley light ranch. You can have 1 whole cup of sliced raw mushrooms for only 15 calories, so basically all you are eating is the calories in the ranch...and you don't need much! Of course, this is not a filling snack, but if you are feeling munchie, it is totally guilt-less.

4. South Beach protein bars.


If you are in a hurry and you don't have time to fix anything, they are quick and easy. Most protein bars have upwards of 200 calories, but these are only 140 calories. And they still have the 10 grams of protein that the others have! Yes, it is just like eating a granola bar....all carbs and sugar, but if you are in a hurry, this will fill you up and keep you satisfied much better than a regular granola bar. Remember the 10 grams of protein! I like the chocolate flavor, but that's because I am a chocolate junkie. I haven't tried any others.

Now for dessert. We have major dessert struggles in this house. Actually, let me re-phrase. We are very good at eating dessert, what we struggle with is NOT eating dessert! What works the best for me is plain old Chocolate pudding.


You can go with the fat free, or sugar free, but the regular chocolate pudding only has 140 calories and is A LOT better. If you are feeling extra indulgent, add a squirt of this-


Fat Free Reddi Whip whipped cream. Yummy! Plus, it only has 8 calories per 2 T. I probably put about 4 T. on there, because I am a pig and I like to make a "whipped cream tower" on top of my pudding. Luckily, doubling the serving size only equals 16 calories! That is just over 150 calories for an entire dessert. Not too shabby!

Now, I am off to baseball practice only so we can come home and shove pizza in our faces before bedtime. *groan* Healthy eating is tough on-the-go!

Survey...

What is your favorite green vegetable?

I am looking for something to serve with a braised chicken dish for a luncheon for our teachers at the pre-school. I will be serving the chicken with orzo and want to pair it with a green veggie. Should I stick with old faithful asparagus, or try something else??

Easter!!

Well, I meant to post my Easter menu before hand and then follow it up with pictures....but obviously THAT didn't happen. It was hard enough feeding 20, much less snapping pictures of the process! Actually I really only had to serve 8, the 12 kids just ate bits and pieces of what we had.....although I'm sure all they *really* ate was Easter candy.

So on the menu was....

Smoked ham with orange and coffee glaze
Herb and Shallot roasted pork loin
Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Wedge Salad
Yeast Rolls and Herb Butter
Easter Bunny Cake (for the kiddos)

and last but not least....

Italian Creme Cake

1 stick margarine
1/2 C. shortening
2 C. sugar
5 egg yolks
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 C. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. coconut flavoring
1 can shredded coconut (or 1 C. very packed)
1 C. chopped pecans
5 egg whites

Cream margarine, shortening and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Sift flour and baking soda and add alternately with the buttermilk, keeping the mixer running. Add vanilla and coconut flavoring. Stir in coconut and pecans. Finally, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold into batter. Do not over mix, the beaten egg whites are what makes this so fluffy. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Icing:
1, 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 box confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla
pecans, chopped fine

Mix all ingredients. When cake is cooled, ice cake and sprinkle pecans on top.

YUMMY!!!


Since I don't have many pictures of my own...here is a picture of my table!

And a horribly overexposed picture of the bunny cake. :)

Cooking strike!

Well, not so much of a cooking strike, as I just haven't had any time whatsoever to cook something yummy! We have been busy around here as usual. Nevertheless, I *have* been trying to plan my Easter Menu. Holiday menu's are some of my favorite meals to cook so I will definitely keep you posted on that. The only thing that is for SURE is the bunny cake (which we make every year....have since I was little), and an Italian Creme Cake. I'm sure everyone reading this blog has had a piece of Italian Creme Cake, so I need not go into detail about what it is. My mouth is watering thinking about it though. It has been a long time since I have had one and there is no better time for coconut than Easter. Why? I'm not sure, but I'll say because it is white and spring-y.

Other posts to look out for besides Holiday meals, are our monthly/bi-monthly (when we can squeeze it in) Dinner Clubs. Not only do we have a BLAST at Dinner Club, but the food is always delicious. There are 9 couples and we each bring one dish, anything from pre-dinner drinks to dessert. You can rest assured that the meals are always delicious and recipes are shared. As long as no one objects, I will be posting all of the recipes from our Dinner Club on K is for Kitchen. Lucky for you (and me), Dinner Club is next weekend! I have appetizer this time. I still haven't decided what to make, but I will keep you posted.....

For now I will leave you with this....


I found it in the baking aisle yesterday. Or was it the canned fruit aisle? Can't remember. Anyway, it said it was a '"Lighter Bake" Butter or Oil Substitute'. I was curious, so I read further. The back said

Try Sunsweet's 100% fat- and cholesterol-free baking ingredient — perfect for your favorite heart-healthy recipes! Lighter Bake is a great-tasting substitute for butter, margarine, oil and shortening, made from a blend of dried plums and apples. It makes fabulous moist and chewy baked goods that are healthy, too.

Although Mike turned green right there in the aisle, I knew I had to get it. Before he could beg me not to, I quickly let him know that he would get brownies more often if they didn't call for a 1/2 cup of oil. To which he replied, "Oh, OK then."

So I tried them tonight. The verdict is: it really wasn't bad! The consistency of the brownie was a little more spongy that I would like on the ouside pieces, but when I got to the inside (Yes, I ate more than a row. Shut up.), it was moist and gooey, just like I like them. And there was no difference in taste whatsoever. Now stirring them prior to putting them in the pan did give me quite the bicept work out, but thats no biggie.

Now I cant wait to try them cold. That's the true test! It's an Ashley McCool secret that I have to let you in on. Cold brownies = HEAVEN.

April Fools Day!!

In honor of the silliness of April Fools Day, I thought I could make something funny today. Soooo, I decided to bring cupcakes, errrr, Spaghetti and Meatballs for Jacob's class.





I piped the frosting on to look like spaghetti. The 'meatballs' are Ferrero Rocher chocolates, tossed in the 'sauce' aka strawberry jelly. I grated a little white chocolate over the top to look like Parmesan and ta da! There you have it, Spaghetti and Meatballs! :)

Happy April Fools Day!