Christmas Post Link

Check out my guest blog post (and all the other great stuff) at the Doormouse House. Merry Christmas!
http://www.doormousehouse.com/2014/12/making-christmas-merry-well-be-home-for.html?m=1

Fruit Salsa

I got this idea from a couple of recipe websites, and tweaked it to make it my own.  This makes a little more than 4 cups.  I didn't really measure anything, but I eyeballed the measurements.

Ingredients:
1 12oz jar of preserves (I used strawberry)
~1 tbsp white sugar
~1 tsp brown sugar
~1 tbsp cinnamon
~1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch cardamom
dash allspice
1 honeycrisp apple, finely chopped
1/2 lb strawberries, finely chopped
1 banana, finely chopped
3 nectarines, finely chopped
5 kiwi, finely chopped

I really wanted mango as well, but they looked pretty nasty at the store--way over-ripe.

Mix all together.  Serve with cinnamon flavored chips (pita or tortilla?  I made a Pillsbury pie crust flat on a pizza pan, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled liberally with cinnamon sugar).

You could probably eliminate the sugar from the salsa if you wanted it to be healthier.  Feel free to substitute your favorite fruits or flavors of preserves for those listed.  Let me know if you make a variation that turns out amazing!

Keep it Kute (and tasty)!

New Pasta Sauce!!!

I invented a new pasta sauce last night that I thought I'd share with you.  I need a name for it; if anyone has a suggestion.
I made this for 2 and had a little leftover for lunch.  You may need to modify it for a larger family.

1. Start the sauce with a roux.  I use stick margarine and white flour.
2. Add about half a package of Kraft Triple Cheddar with Philly.
3. Once the cheese is melted, add heavy whipping cream until the mixture is smooth and there is enough for your meal.  I used ~1/2 pint.
4. Add 3-4 cloves of freshly pressed garlic, a dash of cayenne, a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, and a dash of parsley.
5. Simmer until you are ready to serve your pasta; keep it covered; stir occassionally.

It's very sticky and spicy, but, oh, so good!  Even reheated in the microwave the next day.  I served it over angel hair pasta with a side of garlic/bacon green beans and Beddar Cheddars.

Keep it Kute!

MMMM...Deep-Fried Tortellini!

Deep-Fried Tortellini

• Cook frozen cheese tortellini according to the directions, and drain.  I used ~30 pieces of this stuff.  Heat the oil in your deep-fat-fryer to ~350°.
• Crack 2 eggs and break yolks and stir them together with whites.  Dunk pasta into eggs.
• Then dunk pasta into a mixture of cornflake crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Deep fry for ~5 minutes.

Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce
I actually wasn't completely satisfied with how my sauce turned out, so I'll give you what I actually did in regular type and what I will try next time/recommend underlined.

• Melt 10 tbsp of butter in a saucepan. Or try melting 16tbsp/one-third cup of butter in a saucepan.
• Add a dash each of red pepper flakes, dried minced onion, sea salt, fresh-ground pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley.
• Add 2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed.
• I splashed in a random amount of White Zinfandel*.  I suggest measuring it out.  I think 2 tbsp would be about right . I put too much and it overpowered the buttery taste I wanted.
• I also put in a bunch of shredded cheddar and grated Parmesan. Omit the cheese.  It just clumps and ruins the texture.  Your sauce will be much better as a butter sauce than masquerading as a cheese sauce.
• Bring to a boil quickly, then reduce heat, put a lid on the pan, and simmer until dinner is ready; stir occasionally.

* I may or may not be allergic to alcohol.  I get sick when I cook with alcohol; the fumes make me nauseated and headachey.  So I cook with this.  I don't particularly care for the taste as a beverage, but I like the flavor in sauces and I don't feel sick inhaling it.

EDIT: Tried it again tonight (4-5-11) and made a few variations.  I did use 1/3 cup butter, and the flavor was better, but there was too much sauce for just the 2 of us.  Added a splash of EVOO, which gave it a better texture.  I nixed the cheese and reduced the white Zin to just a capful. Our eggs were bad, so I used EVOO to "glue" the breading to the tortellini.  Deep fried these with the tortellini.

Cookie Painting

K, so I know it's been a while since Superbowl, but I wasn't blogging then. I wanted to share the cookies I painted with y'all.

There are, of course, Steelers and Packers helmets, since they were in the Superbowl.  I also made 2 each of the helmets from the church fantasy football league, of which Hubby is the instigator.  The trophies have the church league logo on them.  The logos were all designed by the brilliant and OCD Pastor Kevin, whom I consider to be a genius!

The shapes were cookie cutters from a 100 cookie cutter set I got as a bridal shower gift, oh, eons ago.  I think it was Wilson?  The paint was egg yolk, food coloring, and condensed milk.  Except the white paint.  It is impossible to make white paint out of egg yolk.  For that I had to use cornstarch, condensed milk, and water.  I painted the cookies before baking them.  Most of the colors stayed pretty true to their original after baking, which impressed me greatly.  The cookies were my Auntie's sugar cookie recipe, which is the best sugar cookie recipe in the world.  I've been making it since I was a little girl, but I'd only ever made them for Christmas until now.  I was excited to find another reason to use the recipe. 

Aunt Julie's Superb Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 2 cups sifted flour; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup melted shortening (I use Crisco in these little trays that look like stick butter and melt it in a glass bowl in the microwave); 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla

Recipe:

1. Measure sifted flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt into flour sifter and sift into medium bowl.
2. Grease baking sheets (I use Pam original flavored cooking spray).
3. Measure sugar and shortening into large bowl and stir until well blended.
4. Break eggs into small bowl and beat well with egg beater.  Stir with vanilla into sugar/shortening mix.
5. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition.  Chill bowl of cookie dough until it can be easily handled before rolling/cutting.  (I also tend to sprinkle flour on a pastry mat, my rolling pin, and my hands).

Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

These also taste terrific plain, with buttercream frosting, or with a lemon/sugar glaze.

Keep it Kute!