Twice Baked Reuben Potatoes

 I told you last week that I was on a twice baked potato kick.  I shared my "twice the fiesta potatoes" with you and now here is another variation: Reuben potatoes.   I threw Swiss cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut into the potato mixture and then topped it with a brown mustard sour cream and homemade brown bread croutons.  If you like Reuben sandwiches, you are going to love these potatoes.

Twice Baked Reuben Potatoes:
6 baking potatoes
4 ounces Neufchatel style cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/3 pound deli corned beef, cubed
6 ounce brick Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 cup sauerkraut
2-3 slices brown bread, cubed and sauted in butter until crunchy
2 Tbsp brown mustard
3 Tbsp sour cream
Bake the potatoes until done.  Cool until you are able to handle them without burning yourself.  Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  Put the flesh in to a medium sized mixing bowl.  Add the cream cheese and butter, mixing until smooth.  Stir in the corned beef, sauerkraut and 4 ounces of grated Swiss cheese.  Spoon back into the potato skins.  Cut the remaining Swiss cheese into slices and stick a slice into each potato.  Bake in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven.  Combine sour cream and mustard in a small bowl.  Dollup a bit on each potato and sprinkle brown bread on top.  Garnish with parsley if desired.

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Your Recipe, My Kitchen: Wonderful Waffles

I am pretty comfortable with my waffle recipe.  In fact, I have been using it without variation for the last eight years.  I know, that sounds pretty weird for a recipe changing person such as myself, but it's a really great recipe!  Then, the inevitable happened.  I made a deal with my sixteen year old son.   I needed him to give up a night out with friends in favor of being home to let my other sons in the house.  I had a prior obligation and no other option.  My part of the deal?  You got it.  Waffles for breakfast.  At 5:00 in the morning.  Suddenly, I needed a faster recipe.  One that didn't involve beating egg whites and making a lot of other noise that early in the morning.

Orangette, written by Molly Wizenberg had just the waffle I needed.  In fact, her post had two different waffle recipes on it, a yeast one and a quick one.  In my need for speed and quiet, I chose the quick one, but I am going back soon to try out the yeast waffle.  I have never made one of those before and I have heard a lot of good things about them.   Do any of you make yeast waffles?  Are they better, different, just as good as the quick versions?

This is a nice, thick waffle.  I must admit I almost forgot to take any pictures, they were disappearing so quickly.  I needed to double her recipe to feed the five kids.  That would be my only complaint about the recipe.  With the same amount of flour and milk as my normal recipe, this one made only two thirds as much.  It really is a frugal thing to beat the egg whites and add them to the batter.  The increased volume goes much further.  I got six waffles out of the doubled recipe and normally get nine or ten out of my stand-by.  Here is the non-doubled recipe: 

Wonderful Waffles (from Orangette, originally from Food Network) 

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup oil

1 egg, beaten slightly

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl (I used a 4 cup Pyrex measure) and whip slightly with a fork to break the egg.  Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Make as directed by your waffle iron.  

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Twice the Fiesta Potatoes

This Southwest inspired potato is green because I mixed an avocado right into it!  Surprisingly, and luckily for me, the avocado did not lose it's green color after being baked....no brown, unappetizing color here!!  There are also some green chiles, Neufchatel style cream cheese, and  Monterey Jack in the potato.  It was so good, I wondered afterwards why I had never thought to expand my twice baked potato repertoire to main dishes!

Twice the Fiesta Potatoes
6 potatoes, scrubbed
1 ripe avocado
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 small can green chiles
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 slices Cheddar cheese
black bean salsa (I used Newman's Own)
sour cream
Bake the potatoes (I put mine in the microwave on the potato setting).  Let the potatoes cool to the point that you can handle them.  Cut them in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the potato, leaving about 1/8 inch layer in the skin for sturdiness.  Put the flesh into a bowl.  Add the Neufchatel, butter and avocado.  Whip or mash until smooth.  Stir in the cheese and chiles.  Spoon the mixture back into the shells.  You may not be able to fill them all.  Put half a slice of cheese in each potato (I folded the slice to make it thicker).  Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts (maybe 5-8 minutes).  Top with sour cream and salsa when you serve them.

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Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

 I am partial to oatmeal, especially with raisins.  It can be in any form: hot cereal, cookies, granola or bread.  These muffins are now in that list, too.  They made the perfect breakfast or snack or even dessert.   Full of plump raisins and cinnamon, I cannot say enough good things about them.  Oh!  And they are good for you, too.  This recipe comes from the book Prevent a Second Heart Attack.   The only thing I will do next time I make them is to either reduce the sugar or substitute a different form of sweetener (like maple syrup or honey).

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins (from Prevent A Second Heart Attack)
1/2 cup raisins
4 Tbsp water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat free milk
4 egg whites (or 2 eggs)
2 Tbsp flaxseed oil (or other fat)
Prepare 12 muffin cups with paper cups or vegetable spray or whatever it is that you use to grease a pan. Place the raisins and water in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30 seconds and then set aside to plump.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, oatmeal, sugar, powder and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the applesauce, milk, eggs, oil and raisins (with water).  Stir until just mixed.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done.  Cool in pan 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.

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Cookbook Review: Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease

This week's review is a slight departure from the normal reviews.  Prevent a Second Heart Attack contains recipes at the back of the book, but the first two thirds are filled with information on diet changes that the author felt is lacking in most cardiac patient treatment plans.  February is American Heart Month, so it seemed appropriate to review just such a book this month.

The book is fairly easy to understand, though there are a lot of illustrations of arteries and much technical jargon throughout.  I skimmed some of it, but found the information on the 8 foods that Dr. Brill recommended to be fascinating.  She promotes a form of the Mediterranean type diet, eating olive oil, nuts, whole grains, vegetables,  with little or no animal fat.  There is a two week diet plan included as well as many recipes.  

I made one of the recipes, the Oatmeal Raisin Muffins.  They were quite delicious.  I noticed she included a good hummus recipe as well as a sauteed spinach/nut/raisin recipe that is similar to one I make all the time.  She includes many fish/seafood recipes as well as meatless main dishes, too.  Her diet is very heavy on whole grains and vegetables.

One of the 8 special foods Dr. Brill wants heart patients eating is walnuts.  Here is what she has to say: 

Heart Health in a Nutshell: What Walnuts Can Do for You 
By Janet Bond Brill Ph.D. R.D., LDN
Author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease

Walnuts are an ancient plant food that has sustained humans since the dawn of civilization. They are key to heart health because they are a top source of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). ALA is the omega-3 fatty acid derived from plants which our bodies need in addition to the other omega-3 that comes from salmon and other fish. Studies show that people who eat an ALA-rich diet are less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. 

Walnuts (along with flaxseeds) are one of the eight key food groups - - along with olive oil, leafy greens, figs, and other fruits, lentils and other legumes, salmon and other seafood, oatmeal and other whole grains, and red wine - - that are part of my plan to reverse heart disease, or build good heart health to hopefully avoid heart troubles. Dark chocolate is a bonus food in this plan.

Walnuts stand apart from all other types of nuts for two reasons:

• they provide the highest amount of the "vegetarian" omega-3 fatty acid, ALA, and
• they are packed with the most plaque-fighting antioxidants relative to all other nuts

While the thin brown skin that surrounds the walnut meat - - the pellicle - - may taste a bit bitter, this is naturally rich in antioxidant polyphenols, which combat plaque buildup, so try to eat that portion when you eat your walnuts.  Walnuts are also naturally rich in vitamin E, the potent healthy antioxidant, concentrated mostly in the nut kernel.

Consuming just a handful of walnuts daily can help:

• Make your dysfunctional endothelium (the damaged inner arterial layer that instigates and promotes heart disease progression) more functional by reducing inflammation and promoting more relaxed and dilated blood vessels.
• Lower your cholesterol (both walnuts and flaxseeds will work together to make a dent in your "bad" LDL cholesterol level). 
• Make your blood less likely to clot.
• Lower your blood level of inflammation.  Eating walnuts is probably the easiest and tastiest way to incorporate ALA into your day because they can be enjoyed multiple ways: as a handy and portable snack or as an embellishment to any meal.

Here are a few of the ideas I offer in Prevent a Second Heart Attack:

• Keep a bag of shelled walnuts on your kitchen counter and grab some nuts as a quick and healthy snack.
• Go Greek: enjoy a fat-free Greek yogurt topped with a little honey, some crushed walnuts and savor a nutritious choice that makes a sensational and satisfying sweet dessert.
• Sprinkle walnuts on your green salads. (Dr. Janet's Spinach Salad with Apples, Toasted Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries and Dr. Janet's Arugla Salad with Figs and Walnuts can be found on page 284 and 285)
• Try candied walnuts - - bake walnuts sprinkled with a little brown sugar for a sweet treat.
• Toss walnuts and dried fruit together in a small plastic bag and you have a super-antioxidant-rich and convenient snack for when you are out and about or even as a late-afternoon pick-me-up.
• Use walnuts in cooking to add taste and nutrition to your favorite dishes.

So, go nuts (walnuts, that is) every day, and get heart healthy.
 

© 2011 Janet Bond Brill, Ph. D. R.D., LDN, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease

(Note: All opinions are mine.  I did receive a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes)

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Macaroni and Cheese Soup

 A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the NFL Gameday Cookbook by Ray "Dr. BBQ" Lampe.  One of the recipes that particularly caught my eye was the Macaroni and Cheese Soup.  However, because of the harried nature of my life, it took me this long to get around to actually making it.  It was so good that it will be a regular feature in my soup rotation.  I figure, it costs about $5 to make and it serves at least 8.  I don't know if you could freeze it, so plan on feeding a big family or halve the recipe.

 This soup is everything a homemade macaroni and cheese should be.  It starts with a roux and it contains bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, though if you are a one that uses a combination of cheeses, that would work, too.

Macaroni and Cheese Soup (taken mostly from NFL Gameday Cookbook)
10 strips bacon (I used the precooked crumbles - about a handfull (2/3 cup)
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil (only if you aren't cooking the bacon)
1/4 cup flour
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper (I used white)
1 1/2 cups macaroni, cooked (that's 1 1/2 cups uncooked noodles that are then cooked)
3 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 cups)(I used 1/2 mozzarella because that's what I had)
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven.  Remove bacon when crisp to a plate to drain.  Saute the onion in the bacon grease (if there is more than 3 Tbsp grease, drain some off first) over medium heat.  When the onion begins to get soft, add the garlic and continue to cook until the onion turns slightly golden in color.  Stir in the flour and continue to cook, stirring constantly.  Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to keep smooth.  Add the dry mustard, chili powder and pepper.  Continue to stir while mixture reaches a simmer.  Add the milk and macaroni and return to a simmer, stirring often.  Add the cheese and bacon.  Stir until cheese melts.  (Note: leftovers will thicken slightly in the fridge, but are great reheated in the microwave).

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Your Recipe, My Kitchen: Oven Omelets

Today's recipe is an example of how Not to save recipes.  When I first started this blog in 2008 and the adventure of visiting other blogs, I failed to realize how important it was to record where I was finding new recipes.  I started a Word document and simply copied and pasted recipes.  It wasn't until I went back to that document a few months later to begin making those recipes that I realized my mistake.  I couldn't give credit to the original authors!!!

From then on, I either copied the URL into the Word document or I used Springpad to bookmark the recipe page.  So, here is a recipe that I found...somewhere.  It's not mine.  If you recognize it as yours, by all means step forward and claim it so I can give you credit!

Oven Omelet (from the Unknown Blogger)
1 cup diced ham, bacon or sausage, cooked
1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
(Note: I added 1 tsp thyme, skipped the olives and tomato, substituted Swiss cheese for the mozzarella and used ham)
Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.  Spread ham or other meat, mushrooms, tomato, onions, olives and cheeses in  pan.  Beat eggs well.  Add sour cream and mix well.  Add salt and pepper (or herbs).  pour egg mixture over other ingredients.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 20-40 minutes (depending on the veggies you add and their moisture content) or until center is set.  Cut into squares.  Depending on the kind of things you added, you may want to serve it with salsa or guacamole.

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Saturday Stories: The Family That Plays Together....

My grandmother, Mamie, had a very close, loving family.  She was the oldest of five children.  They had so much fun together as children.   Their parents fostered activities that all could enjoy.  Music, sports and creativity brought them together.  Remember the miniature golf course that Gram built?

For some reason, Bunk and all five of his children played the baritone.  Perhaps, they owned one horn and because they were poor, that was the only option.  Regardless of the reason, the kids learned to play and in turn, had some of their own children learn to play it, too.  My mom and her sister played the baritone through high school, though my mom tried to start out with the trombone.  She was too small to fully extend it, and used to give the slide a big push and then kick it back with her feet.  Eventually, Mom gave up her rebellious ways and learned to play the baritone, too.

Bunk volunteered to drive the girls' basketball team to their games.  Mamie and her sisters were on the team.  I don't know much about their skills or the fun they had.  This was something we learned about Mamie in the last year of her life.  She had fond memories of those games and the time spent with her dad.  The fact that we almost lost this tiny piece of family history is part of the reason I write these family stories.   So much of our past can teach and help us in our present lives.  Examples of family fun, bravery, frugality, and love from long gone generations offer solutions to problems that seem to appear in everyone's lives, no matter when or where they live.  How can we use the wisdom of their experience if we don't know the stories?

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Caramel Bars

I am going to warn you right now.  These bars should be cut really, really small.  You can always go back for seconds, but they are really, really rich.

 The first thing that my sons ask when they come in the house after school is "What's for dinner?" followed almost in the same breath with, "What's for dessert?"  They are pretty good about accepting any dessert.  If I say we are having the rest of the cake I served the night before, that's okay.  If I say, "Nothing" then the mutiny begins.  They start suggesting things.  "Don't we have any store bought cookies?"  "Is there any ice cream?"  "Didn't you freeze some cookies last week?"  "I need, I need, I need, gimme, gimme, gimme!"

 There was no such scene when I whipped these lovelies out of the fridge.  Instead, my fourteen year old said in his deepening voice, "Oh Ho Ho!"  My eleven year old said, "Sweet!  I get the biggest piece."  The rest of the gang settled in to finish their dinner so dessert could be served sooner.

 These are incredibly simple to make.  I adapted the recipe from  Taste of Home's Cake Mix Creations.  Although I really like to make things all the way from scratch most of the time, there are days when a mix sure helps things along.

Caramel Bars: 

1 yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 package milk chocolate chips

32 caramels

1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 stick butter

In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sweetened condensed milk and caramels over medium low heat.  Stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool.  In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix with the eggs and oil.  Add the chocolate chips (you can use any other flavor you want or combination or nuts, too).  Press three fourths of the mixture into a greased 9X13 pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Spread with caramel sauce.  Top with spoonfuls of remaining cake mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes, cut and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Keep leftovers in the fridge.  

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Giant Cinnamon Roll

 This roll is on a huge pizza pan (you know, the size an extra large pizza used to be in the 1980s?).  I started out to make a big ring, but as the recipe went on, I realized that I would have a ring the size of a hula hoop.  That didn't seem feasible.

 So I started to coil the dough.  And coiled and coiled and coiled.   This finished baby ended up about 15 inches across.  It made a lovely dessert (although some of my sons were hoping I'd save it for breakfast).  I am thinking that a honey based filling and glaze would be kind of fun...like a giant honey bun.

 Giant Cinnamon Roll (adapted from a King Cake recipe in Cooking Up a Storm)
Dough:
1/3 cup warm water
1 Tbsp instant yeast
1/3 cup milk
1 stick butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups flour
2 eggs
Filling:
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
Combine warm water, sugar, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl until the yeast bubbles.  Meanwhile in a microwave safe bowl, nuke the milk and butter until the butter is soft.  Add the nutmeg and eggs to the milk mixture and beat a little with a fork to break up the yolks.  Add egg mixture to the yeast mixture.  Add 1 cup of flour and mix with a dough hook.  Add the remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Knead by hand or mixer for another 5 minutes.  Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).  On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 9X30 inch rectangle.  Spread with melted butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll up the long side to form a Long, tight roll.  Cut the roll in half lengthwise so cinnamon filling is face up.  Start coiling on a large pan until all 60 inches of coil is wrapped into a large circle.  Cover and let rise another 30 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 25-30 minutes.  In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar, vanilla and milk together into a smooth frosting.  Drizzle all over the baked roll.

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Cookbook Review: Good Stuff

What do you get when you cross fast food with the farmer's market? You get the recipes in Spike Mendelsohn's cookbook, Good Stuff. Based on the food he serves in his eatery of the same name, he takes good old hamburgers and french fries to an entirely new level. Some of you may recognize he name as one of the contestants on the Top Chef television program. He opened his Washington DC restaurant in 2008.

At first glance, his menu looks like the normal fare. You can get a burger and fries with a milkshake for dessert at his place. Upon closer examination, however, you will notice that these recipes are not what you might have expected. You won't see a Tamarind-glazed pork buterger with red cabbage slaw and grilled pineapple at your local greasy spoon. Nor will you find zucchini fritters or a wedge salad with fennel, orange and pomegranate.

I had a ball reading through these delightful recipes. My family is big on homemade milkshakes, so I loved the chapter on shakes. The idea of a Milky Way malt, Creamsicle shake or Mint oreo shake sounded like items we would definitely love. I am not too sure how the Avocado variation would fly, though.

Ever wanted to make your own gourmet mayonnaise? Well, there is an entire chapter devoted to them. Balsamic, Old Bay, Mango, Curry, you name it and Spike Mendelsohn has a spread like it.

If you have wanted to stop eating out, but don't want to give up some of your favorite restaurant fare, this is the book for you. The author takes you through a step by step process to make french fries, onion petals and over twenty kinds of burgers. You won't miss your neighborhood eatery with this book in hand. You may even find that making it at home tastes better.

(I received no compensation for this review and all opinions are mine)

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Your Recipe, My Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Cookies with Yeast

When I saw this recipe on the Sugar Plum blog, I knew I had to try it.  Yeast in a cookie?  In my never ending search for that perfect chocolate chip cookie, this was a new twist.  It also called for a bit of coconut oil which is another new addition.   It started me thinking, "Mmm, didn't Chips Ahoy used to have coconut oil in them long ago?"   I had a jar of coconut oil, so why not?

These cookies are very similar to the recipe I posted from America's Test Kitchen.  They both start with browned butter.  I really like that change from the norm.  The nutty flavor of the browned butter combined with a bigger ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar gives an almost butterscotch flavor to the cookie itself.

I used extra big chocolate chips.  I believe they were called Jumbo.  The batter didn't want to accept them, so I ended up squishing them in by hand.  These cookies are simply Loaded with chocolate.  I think that is one of the things my kids liked about them.  That and the fact that they are perfect for dunking in milk.  Because I made them extra large, I had to get out some wide-mouthed mugs for the milk.

As for the yeast?  I couldn't tell there was any in the cookie.  Really, I am not sure whether it was a good addition or not.  They didn't "rise" like bread.  There was no yeast flavor detectable over the chocolate and butter flavors.  You can see how thick these cookies were, but I don't know if that was the size I made them, the ratio of flour to butter or the yeast.  Either way, these were Some Good Cookies!!

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (according to the the Sugar Plum Blog)
1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 package chocolate chips
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then swirl it until it browns (watch it closely so it doesn't burn!).   Combine the butter with the sugars and mix with a mixer.  Add the coconut oil, egg and vanilla and continue to mix.  Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl and add gradually to the butter mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Scoop out large (like 1/4 cup or giant ice cream scoop sized) mounds of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet.  Press down slightly and bake 10 -14 minutes.

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Saturday Stories: A Real Valentine

One summer, in the 1930s, my grandfather, Bumpa, worked pushing an ice cream cart. Being the enterprising young man that he was, he knew just where he would find the most customers, too. He left the city limits and walked out into the country to the local swimming hole. Many of the young people that lived in the neighboring towns gathered there to escape the summer heat and humidity. Bumpa made good sales when he made the trek out there.

On one particular day, however, he found more than good business. As he was serving the people lined up for treats, he looked up and saw a pretty girl. In his words, he was “smitten” right then and there. After a few inquiries, he learned the girl's name and was introduced to her. He discovered that she lived in a village on the other side of the swimming hole, about ten miles away from his home.

That did not deter him, however. He managed to get introduced to her and then without a car, he walked to her house to court her. What were ten miles in the eyes of love? He made the trip many times and became a welcome guest in Mamie's home.

When his visits lasted too long, her parents let Bumpa sleep on the couch in the front room. The downside to that was Mamie's dog. That dog just didn't like Bumpa. Once, in the middle of the night, Bumpa woke up having to go to the bathroom (which may or may not have been outside). When he attempted to swing his legs off the couch to stand up, there was the dog, hackles raised and teeth bared. Bumpa quickly lay back down and stayed there in agony the rest of the night. When the first family member woke in the morning, calling off the dog, Bumpa made a beeline to the bathroom. He had to have been serious about Mamie to endure that kind of discomfort!

Eventually they married and had four children. They comforted each other through the death of three of those children. Bumpa helped Mamie run an in home restaurant and with her catering business. Mamie put up with Bumpa's train obsessions and other wacky ideas. They loved, laughed, fought and cried. They were married for 68 years before Bumpa died. Mamie followed him the next year. Bumpa stayed “smitten” all of those years, though Alzheimer's robbed him of their precious last years together.

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Cinnamon Chip Cookies

 

Monet, from Anecdotes and Apple Cores, inspired these cookies.  She made some that were similar a few weeks ago that looked so delicious, I had to give them a shot.  I didn't use her recipe, but the idea is hers.  If you haven't visited her before, go...right now.  She is one of those people who make the blog world a little brighter just by being here.

 For these cookies, I used the "supposed" Neiman Marcus recipe. You know, the one with the ground up oatmeal that someone either stole or bought for $250?  Anyway, I thought chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, what's the difference in the long run?

  

 These are crunchy cookies.  In fact, one of my most vocal sons has been complaining that all of the cookies have been crunchy lately.  When he was given a box of frozen oatmeal cookie dough the other day, he told me to watch how he baked them...and learn.  Sheesh!  Someone doesn't want any more desserts for a while!

 No one else complained.  In fact, the cookies didn't last very long at all.  

Cinnamon Chip Cookies
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups ground oatmeal (pulverize in a blender or food processor)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 package cinnamon chips
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Cream the butter and two cups of sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Combine the dry ingredients and add.  Stir in the cinnamon chips.  In a shallow bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Form the cookies (I use a small ice cream scoop) and roll in the cinnamon/sugar combination.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

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Ranch Burger Stuffed Peppers

 These stuffed peppers are like little meatloaves in a pepper. My favorites are the red ones and not just because they are red.  They are so much more subtle than green peppers.  Once they are cooked, they are sweet, juicy and delicious.

The beef filling has 1/3 cup of Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk salad dressing and 1/3 cup of bread crumbs per pound of meat.  It's an easy ratio to remember.  The dressing makes the meat so tender.  The meat almost melts in your mouth.

 They go together in a few minutes and then bake for 2 hours, giving you time to get the rest of your meal together.  I served these with the first strawberries and asparagus of the season.  Spring cannot get here soon enough!

Ranch Burger Stuffed Peppers (makes 6-8)
3 pounds ground beef
1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Salad Dressing
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 tsp onion powder
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6-8 large bell peppers
Prepare the peppers by cutting off the tops and taking out the seeds/core.  In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended.  Fill the peppers with the meat mixture.  Replace the tops.  Place in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.  Remove foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

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Ranch House Bacon and Egg Cups

Things are a little out of schedule this week because I am in the middle of a little project for Foodbuzz.  Today is this week's bread post.  There will not be a cookbook review.

I wanted to make a breakfast sandwich the could be made, crust and all, in a muffin tin; sort of a breakfast-on-the-go. I decided to base my recipe on the idea of a kolache; a rich, sweet dough with a savory filling. It didn't really turn out like a kolache, though, hence the name.  I have two versions for you, one using frozen bread dough and one using the aforementioned rich dough.  That way, if you don't want to bother with the homemade bread, you can still enjoy this amazing breakfast.

Ranch House Bacon and Egg Muffins(makes 12 cups)

1 package frozen rolls

6 eggs

2 Tbsp milk

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch Salad Dressing Mix

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with vegetable spray. Break six rolls in half and place a piece in the bottom of each cup. Flatten it to fit on the bottom of the muffin cup like a crust.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and dressing mix. Divide the bacon evenly between each cup. Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Top with cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until egg is set. Serve warm.

For Homemade Ranch Rolls:

7 ½-8 cups flour

1 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 Tbsp yeast

2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

¼ cup sugar

1 stick butter

½ cup warm water

2 eggs, slightly beaten

In a microwavable bowl, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Add the sugar and salt to the

milk mixture and let it cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast. When the yeast is proofed, add the milk mixture and the eggs. Add the flour and dressing mix to the bowl and mix with a dough hook attachment until a smooth, soft dough is formed. Cover and let rise one hour on the counter or you can put this in the refrigerator for a slow rise if you plan to use it more than an hour later. This can be made into regular dinner rolls, bake in greased pans at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. If you are using the dough in the above recipe, break off golf ball sized pieces and put them in the bottom of the muffin tins. Bake any remaining dough into dinner rolls.

The Ranch rolls didn't last long enough for a photo shoot.  They are amazing.   In fact the entire recipe, with the eggs and bacon was so delicious, it's going into the regular rotation of breakfasts.

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