Picture
I was going to swear off Shake and Bake.  Every time I make it, the tops of the chicken or pork chops are perfectly crispy and yummy but the bottoms are a soggy bottom mess. 
I called Shake and Bake and asked them how do you get the bottoms to not be soggy.  They told me that they shouldn't be soggy at all.  I have tried glass pans, cookie sheets, aluminum foil on glass, aluminum foil on cookie sheets, top rack, bottom rack, middle rack - you name it, I have tried it.

A friend of mine told me that she was watching a show on Food Network and the host - probably Rachael Ray since I googled it and looks like it was her - said to cook foods like baked "fried' chicken and whatnot on top of a cookie cooling rack.  Hmmm.  I have one of those.. I have more than one of those.  We'll give it a try....

So out came the Shake and Bake for yet another attempt at crunchy goodness.

Was it as success?  You tell me.... The picture above is the tops... Here are my... wet and soggy bottoms.  Sigh.  It was not crunchy.  It was wet and goopy and all around unappetizing.  I'm sorry Shake and Bake but I think we won't be partaking in your crumby goodness anymore.
Picture
2 Comments
 
 
Picture
So last night I tried out two new recipes...For our entree I made a pulled pork chili recipe that was on the cover of the latest Kraft Food and Family magazine.  The pictures looks A LOT better than it tasted.  I didn't save the leftovers...

My oldest son, who is 10 has been interested in cooking with me lately.  I'm just thrilled by the idea since we haven't done that since he was very little... The other night he helped me dish out and serve dinner.  He then said he'd like to make cupcakes with me. 

I picked out a recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor Returns book.  It was for Strawberry Cream Cheese cupcakes with a lemon buttercream icing.  We had a great time making them... but not so much eating them.  My youngest son enjoyed the cupcakes but they are ridiculously sweet.  The cake itself was super sweet.  The icing was super sweet.  I just could not choke down an entire cupcake.  Sorry Cake Mix Doctor but that recipe is a dud.

So after two duds of course I've felt a bit scorned... but the kids wanted to make cake so we made cake... Out of the Cake Mix Doctor's book of course since you know I'm totally digging this book more or less... We made the Toffee Cake and it was a hit.  The first day it wasn't all too great.  The toffee bits were very hard and the kids didn't like the massive crunchiness to it... however by the second day that cake is awesome!  If you make this cake, let it sit overnight.

It's a sour cream cake with brown butter cream cheese icing.  It is really yummy.  The cake is moderately heavy - not as heavy as a pound cake but not as light as a regular cake mix.  The icing is really awesome too.  I'm totally loving it - and so are the kids.  Next week we'll work on a chocolate one since it's been awhile since we've had chocolate...  Sadly I used my son's camera since I was lazy and his was the closest... and the pictures just came out terrible!
Add Comment
 
 
Wednesday night I tried two new recipes for the crock pot...
Baked Corn and Noodle Casserole which I got out of one of my cookbooks - the link is the exact recipe btw... I have to say that it was bland, tasteless and well, kind of icky.  We won't be making it again...

I also tried a boneless chicken recipe from one of my cookbooks  - the Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes .  It came out okay... not terrific.  Just okay.  What it amounts to is you cut up and onion.  Put the slices on the bottom of the crock pot.  Put chicken breasts on top then season it.  It said to season with garlic, pepper and salt.  I chose to go with a Monterey steak seasoning instead.  It was still pretty bland though. 

What's up next for the crock pot?  Lots of stuff!  I have marked a slew of things to try out in it.  I will be going to Sam's today to pick up steak, roast & pork loin/boneless chops to continue our culinary conquest.

Tonight's dinner is going to be Spicy Tex Mex Crock Pot Chicken although I'm using 3 chicken breasts not 6... and I didn't brown the chicken first.  Hopefully that won't be a deal breaker.  It is what it is now.  I realized that I was suppose to brown it first after putting the rotel in ... can't turn back after the goopy stuff goes in.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Yes, I know. I'm late again.  I really need to write on a set day every week.  I'll work on it I promise!!

I have been working again towards my goal of trying new recipes.  I have no idea what number I'm on.  I will say that I just bought a new crock pot - sized just right - I have a small one and a really big one now I have one that is just right at 4 quarts.  I looked through a few cookbooks and came up with some things I want to try next so we're going to get crocking again!

My most recent experiments in cooking were Hungarian Gulash and Strawberry Nut Bread out of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.  It wasn't very strawberryish but it had a decent flavor.  I'm glad I made it. It made a great weekend breakfast having said that, I doubt I'll be making that one again.  There are too many others out there that are tastier...  Hubby was happy that I made regular banana bread as well.  I would search the net and find the exact recipe I used to link to it but seriously it wasn't all that and a bag of chips so don't go there...


The next thing I made was Hungarian Gulash in the crock pot.  My oldest son is a VERY picky eater.  He will not even eat ketchup and after the last McDonald's burger fight where his had ketchup on it I am not going to push it again.  Too bad it happened.  It would have been his very first burger - and he's 10....  No pictures though.  It just didn't photograph well at all.  I guess you can say that it had looks that only a 10 year old would love...

Anyhooo... He won't eat anything that has the word sauce or gravy in it pretty much - although he loves pizza.  I served him this Hungarian Gulash and he loved it.  He pushed his fork about in the gravy and told me that the flavoring was really good.  I told him it was gravy.  He went pale for a moment and then said that it was really tasty.  He finished his plate. We will definitely be making it again...

What's up next?  Today we're going to try a new dessert I saw using a Betty Crocker chocolate cookie mix - to make turtle bars.  I'll work on those around lunch time as well as dinner... I'm going to try a cheesy corn noodle crockpot concoction that is in one of the Fix it and Forget It cookbooks and make some sort of chicken thing... What's for lunch you ask?  Frozen lasagna.  My oldest son's request.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Next up in my ongoing challenge to try new recipes is the Cake Mix Doctor's Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake...

Let me start off  by saying that it smelled absolutely amazing in the oven... and it made for an absolutely beautiful cake...

It was the first time I got to use my new to me tube spring form pan that I scored at a second hand store for $1.91.  Yeah.  Weird price but that's how they do it there for some silly reason.  The pan looked nearly new and for $2, how could you go wrong??

I just snagged a piece for an afternoon snack and let me tell you what - it isn't a heavy cake like I expected.  I expect pound cakes to be very dense.  This was pretty light for a pound cake.  It has a great flavor - although it is REALLY sweet.  The sweetness seems to build up the more you eat it - kind of like when you are eating a really hot chili and it seems to get hotter and hotter the more spoonfuls you consume?  Well, this was like that but sweet....

Sooooo... Bottom line... smells amazing.  Has good flavor - but just don't take too big of a piece - and maybe cut down the sweetness with a bit of cool whip next time... cool whip can fix anything....
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Picture
I was asked about my pan - and I really should have posted pictures of it.  It's really cool in my opinion. 

Here's my second hand, $1.91 beauty.  Isn't she cute?

I don't know who made the one I found.  I'm happy I found one with the straight center piece as opposed to the slanted one.  I like this much better..
Picture
You just unlatch the side and viola!  Her sides just release like magic. 

I tell you what... whoever designed the spring form pan was a genious.  This thing is wicked cool - and not just for cheesecake!  I saw one online in a square.  If I thought I'd use it more, I'd be all over it.  It's just too cool if you ask me.   Why be round when you can be square?  Well.  It's not on my short list of things to buy but it was pretty nifty  :)
2 Comments
 
 
Picture
I have been not keeping up with my quest to try new recipes personal challenge.  I don't even remember what number I am on anymore I have to admit.. I know, how hard is it to count to 50, right?

Well... I love my Cake Mix Doctor book and I didn't think I'd find a recipe I didn't enjoy.  This one was suppose to be Mom's Chocolate Syrup Cake.  Collin wanted it and I had a bottle of chocolate syrup so why not?  I will say that it is not very chocolately - at all.  It is more of a marble cake with less marbling in it.  It was mostly yellow cake.  The biggest issue I had with it was that it called for a tube pan.  I don't own one anymore - although I believe it is on my shopping list now... I used a bundt pan because that is what I had.   In hindsight, I should have used two loaf pans.  I think it would have come out better.  

The recipe tells you to pour in half the batter then pour the chocolate syrup in making sure you don't touch the sides... then swirl it with a knife.   That is easier said than done.  Want to know what happens when your chocolate syrup touches the sides?  Well, it seeps out of the cake mix and along the edges of the pan and then just sticks to it like glue.  The picture shows what it looked like when I took it out of the pan.  What was stuck to the bottom was a gooey mess. 

I won't be making this recipe again any time soon... if ever.  Okay, probably never again.  There are too many really good cake recipes out there.  This one did not make the grade.  Speaking of grades, I give it a C and that is being generous and only because it was a moist cake but just not chocolately enough.
Picture
And then this weekend I made the Pineapple Inside Out Cake from the same book....

The actual cake itself was pretty tasty. There's a bit of pineapple blended in with the lemon cake mix which kind of toned down the lemon of a standard lemon cake mix. 

The glaze however was sickening sweet.  It was FAAAAAAAR too sweet for me.  I made the mistake of pouring some over on the cut side of a slice and I just could not eat it.  It made my eyes curl in to my head.  If I were diabetic I think that glaze would have really pushed me over the edge.

What is the big *surprise* here with the Pineapple Inside Out Cake?  Well, you just spoon some crushed pineapple on top - not too much of a surprise there is you ask me.  I have never made a traditional pineapple upside down cake before... wanna guess what will be on my short list to do?  Yup.  A real one.

This is also on my don't make again list.  If for some reason I get a wild hair and want to make it again... I will not use the glaze.  I think maybe a little sprinkle of confectioner's sugar on top would have been way more sufficient.

Oh and this recipe also called for the tube pan... I used two loaf pans instead.  I really really really regret pouring the glaze over both of them.


Collin loves it but then he loves just about any food item.  David and Logan won't touch it.  It will end up in the trash soon.
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
2 Comments
 
 
Picture
My quest for trying new foods is usually centered around my family.  My oldest son, now 10, is really picky.  Fortunately for me he does like Mexican food. 

This recipe was included in a calendar that I received from Pillsbury and I had to try it.  I am ashamed that it has taken me this long to write my review of it - it has been over a month since we tried it! 

It is called Taco Melts and it was a big hit with the boys.  My husband was okay with it.  I liked them well enough.  It is sort of a Mexican calzone for lack of better foody words.  They were easy to make and they reheated nicely too which is a bonus.  One can of 8 grands was enough for two meals for us. Hmmm... I wonder.... can you prepare only half a can of refrigerator biscuits one day then make the rest of them the next?  That would be so much better than reheating things!

The recipe can be found here....
If you have picky kids and they like Mexican, I'd say it would be a good thing to try.  I served them with some Mexicorn and it was a huge hit - Oh, I have to mention that yes, of course I had to change things up a bit.  I used ground turkey instead of beef and added a can of rinsed black beans.  I also didn't have the proper brand of seasonings and salsa so I used what I had on hand.  It all worked out fine

Add Comment
 
 
Picture
My family loves Mexican - even my pickiest of eaters.  Quite frankly, I am really tired of nachos, tacos and burritos.  I have had an Ortega cookbook booklet - you know, one of the ones you can get at the grocery check out lanes - for a long time.  I finally tried this one.  It was called Mexican Linguini.  Of course, you know I have to change it up a bit.... I added a can of rinsed black beans and changed the linguini to shells.  I also didn't have the *right* Ortega salsa so I improvised with Walmart's Great Value black bean and corn salsa since it isn't too hot.  I served it up with some barbque bread turned in to garlic bread and viola! A meal that even my picky eater was happy with.


2 Comments
 
 
I'm still plugging away at my 50 new recipes in 2011.  This past week I tried a few new recipes...

Yesterday for lunch I made a recipe that was in a calendar that  Betty Crocker so nicely sent me this year.  Wild West Sizzlin' Chicken Tacos
I will say that they were tasty.  I did change a bit though - I didn't have the kind of beans it called for so I used black beans. We always have a few cans of those on the shelves.  I'm not sure if it made THAT big of a difference.  I don't normally make bacon so of course that morning we had bacon and eggs for breakfast...
I will make these again but will need to add A LOT more spices to them.  They were not nearly flavorful enough if you ask me.


Picture
This morning I made Blueberry Banana Mini Breads... and a boring banana bread with pecans for hubby.  He didn't like the idea of anything but pecans in his beloved banana bread.
Both of my boys opted for blueberries.  This was a first for me.  I'm not sure if it technically counts as a new recipe since I only added a new ingredient to a recipe I use a lot - but man it tasted like a brand new thing!

To make these mini loaves...
I used the Better Homes and Gardens banana bread recipe.. of course I'm not finding the exact recipe I used online right this moment and I don't think it is proper for me to post it since it is out of a book... but let's just say, make your favorite banana bread recipe and toss in about 3/4  1 cup of blueberries.  I used frozen ones... If you use frozen ones, run them under some warm water if there is any ice formed on them just long enough for the ice to melt away then shake them up a bit to get rid of any extra water... then fold them in to the batter.  You will probably have to cook them a little bit longer because of the added moisture but man, those were some seriously yummy mini loaves!

I usually bake my mini loaves for 25 minutes - the blueberry ones took about 5 minutes longer.   I can get 4 mini loaves from one loaf pan recipe  :) 

I don't make big loaf breads anymore.  The kids and husband all like being able to pick if they want raisins or pecans in them - and now I suspect they will ask for blueberries in them quite often now!

I know there was something else that I tried that was new this past week but for the life of me I can't remember what it was!


Future planned recipes to try......
This coming week I am planning on making fresh tortillas!  I have never made them before but I want to.  I sure do wish I still had that tortilla press I used to have hanging in my old house, before I got married.  It didn't make it this past move.  Who knew that I'd want to finally make tortillas - 20 years after having it enter my life.  I never used it so it was left behind.

I'm also planning on making a new dessert of some sort.  I don't know what yet.  I'll figure that one out tomorrow though!

1 Comment
 
 
Picture
Some of you might know that I have begun to try a new recipe a week or 50 new recipes for the year.  I'm leaving a few weeks off there for vacation time ;)

The first recipe of the new year is out of the Cake Mix Doctor's first book. 
I have to say that I was skeptical.  I think that pretty much all cakes with a few exceptions - my  mother in law's pound cake for one - really  need some sort of icing even if it is just a drizzle of some delicious sugary goo or a sifting of powdered sugar - but this one doesn't need anything at all.  I put a dollop of lite non dairy topping (aka store brand Cool Whip) on top and it probably didn't even need that but it certainly didn't hurt!

This is officially my favorite chocolate cake recipe - ever.


On a side note... I also added a recipe to the favorite recipes section - Dreamy Coconut Cake
It is the best coconut cake recipe I have ever tried.  One of the women at the school made this, scribbled down the recipe and we have loved it ever since. 

I'm also working on a chili recipe. Once I have it perfected, I'll share that.  I am trying to make the perfect for my family chili.  I know there are tons and tons of recipes out there.  I was close yesterday.  I forgot to add the cocoa and I had one too many dried New Mexico peppers in it.  I'm hoping for perfection with the next batch  :)
Add Comment