9/30/09

Cooking!

I have an AWESOME slow cooker...that I never use. I need to change that, esp. now with Micci's evening soccer practises, it would be smart to cook dinner ahead of time and eat as soon we all get back. (Don't worry Micci has a snack before practise...we all eat our main meals later than most.)

Tonight we are having Orange Chicken, from this awesome cooking blog: A Year of Slow Cooking. Her recipes are all gluten free as well, I gluten them up because luckily we don't have gluten issues in our house. I used the 4 quart pot (my lovely slow cooker has three pots to chose from: 2, 4, 6 quarts)

You brown the floured chicken first (for the color and flavour--slightly burned (aka browned) meat always tastes better). I added salt, pepper and garlic powder to the flour.

Then you plop that in the crock pot, ahem the slow cooker. And start making the sauce.

I altered the recipe a teeny bit, added a tad more sugar, pepper, a few drops of sesame seed oil, and a squirt of honey. I probably should have used less ketchup. There is a decided twang that I don't love because I do not like ketchup...but it might turn out better in the cooking.

Pour that all over the chicken-tossing it around. Now the recipe said pour over evenly, toss to coat. I am wondering if I have too much sauce and too little chicken? It asked for 1.5 pounds...I used about 4 breasts. Extra sauce is good--it'll be nice on the rice.

Then just set it for 6 hours on low and hopefully we will have a yummy dinner tonight with little fuss.

I am going to cook the rice when we get home and roast some zucchini and squash while the rice cooks. Jamey has been on a zucchini and squash kick lately. I am gonna try to make it taste better by roasting it and sprinkling some Parmesan over it.

I am writing this blog, just after I put everything in the pot. I even took pictures. Come back later on tonight and I'll have finished pics and reviews. I am hoping Mic won't give us a fuss.

Update: Looking back maybe I should have used the 2 quart...hopefully it'll still come out right...

Update: finished!

Yeah, I did use a too big pot. It cooked WAY too fast. And was very dry. Sigh. I think it was done (maybe a bit too done) when Jamey came home to pick us up for soccer practise. I switched it to "warm" and left. It kept on cooking and drying... Lesson learned: size matters!

But the roasted squash and zucchini came out great!

Labels: cooking, recipes

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3/18/08

Monkey Bread!!

We made Monkey Bread today--it came out great! I have great memories of eating this as a teen. I am so glad I did my memory justice.

Our recipe:
3 cans of 7.5 oz buttermilk biscuits
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of chopped pecans (cookie chopped)

Heat Oven to 350. Grease bundt pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon into a gallon ziplock bag. Open the tubes and separate the biscuits. Cut the individual biscuits into quarters, shaping them into balls. Pop biscuit balls into the sugar mixture a can at a time. Sprinkle a few pecans on the bottom of the pan then start placing the balls into the pan. Sprinkle pecans in amongst the balls and in between the layers. Continue till until there is 2 or so inches form the top of the pan. Melt the butter and then pour the remaining sugar mixture into the pot and boil for one minute. Then slowly pour the mixture all over the top of the balls...making sure all the balls are covered. Cook in the oven for 35 minutes. About a minute after you take them out of the oven, upend the pan onto a plate and cook till you can eat them without suffering burns.

This was taken like a minute after I set it down in front of the kids. It took a bit convince Micci that this was good and that it was very much like cinnamon buns, but then he helped Lori ravage the bread. And oh it was so ooey gooey good.

I am totally making this again.

Labels: recipes

9:43:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

3/16/08

Thursday was the Zoo!

Thursday was a big day. We went to the zoo, saw the new Africa Live exhibit and then Mic had his FIRST soccer practise.

First stop was the bears (which were hiding), but he got to ride the Kimodo Dragon.

Every time we go to the zoo Mic has to perch on the statue...

Then to see the Hippos in their new exhibit. It also helps cut down on the smell: hippos are very stinky.

This croc was really beautiful and the picture was perfect.

This hyena was incredibly hyper.

It was incredibly hard to get a decent picture: he was always in motion. I normally don't like hyenas but this one was beautiful.

The ostrich got quite close to us.

Then he got upset when the keepers came it to the enclosure to do chores.

Onward to the Rhinos!

I also took a ton of pictures of flowers, because it is Spring (and with the accompanying allergy fun)--I love the flowers, these flowers will not last once temps hit the high 90's and stay that way. I am looking forward to the Blue Bonnets.

After the zoo (Jamey had a volunteer thingy for the Final Four--he then picked us up at the zoo), we run some errands and then went to Mic's first soccer practise. He did great. He listened well, took turns, and was a good kicker. We do need to teach him jumping jacks. Jamey and I nearly fell out of our lawn chair laughing so hard. He jumped like a martinet: his feet never did close back together.

Mic did get hives from the sweat like I knew he would. His entire torso was covered in hives....his face broke out too--but that died down by the next morning. His torso hives didn't fade until Saturday night...we were nearly to the point where we were going to take him to the urgent care clinic, but finally a double dose of benadryl calmed them down.

This is Saturday morning. I decided to give him 1% hydrocortisone with aloe.

This is what it looked 5 minutes after I rubbed in the cream. This is why I was very close to taking him to the clinic. But it did die down and I gave him two tablets of children's benadryl and he sleeped and most of the hives went away.

I am hoping that if I give him one tablet before practise it'll prevent the hives.

Labels: family, recipes, Sports

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11/27/07

Turkey Soup!

Jamey made THE soup Sunday...since then we've kept our tummies warm eating it for every meal. It is amazingly good. This soup is why I really look forward to the holidays and why we buy a whole turkey for just our little family. We need the turkey bones!!

After 8 or 10 hours of simmering the bones, vegetable scraps and herbs it's a delightful golden liquid completely opaque and rich!! Then Jamey adds red potatoes, celery, carrots, pearl onions, cut up turkey and some extra salt...cooks it for an hour or so. Poof a weekend of soup. We've had it simmering on low on the stove since Saturday night.

Despite the cold--both kids are protesting the wearing of clothes. It got down to freezng last night and we spent most of the night trying to convince Lorelei to stay under the covers. (Yes we haven't turned on the gas for the heater yet--NOT when the highs in the day time reaches the 70s).

Yes, I am trying to make up for the lack of blogging by blogging all day today.

Labels: recipes

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10/31/07

Halloween

GOt the pumpkins carved. Roasted the pumpkin seeds. Got the candy. Got the costumes. Ready set go!

I just love pumpkins seeds. I toss some salt and garlic powder and roased them in the oven at 300 degrees and poof deliciousness. I also don't wash the seeds so the pumpkiny goodness is still on the hulls.

Poor Jamey is at a loss as what to be. For the past two years he's gone as Charlie Brown...he can't be a Renaissance Princess now that my mom moved--they were the same size.

Labels: holiday, recipes

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4/20/07

Birdy's Famouz Baked Beans

I've been promising this recipe, I know. I made it again today for the gals at my Knitting Retreat this weekend.

This recipe is based on the one from America's Test Kitchen, BUT it ceased to be Boston baked beans after all the things I did to it.

Birdy's Famouz Baked Beans
Serves 6 and like all beans taste great the next day or the next or the NEXT. It takes about 6 hours to make.

4 ounces salt pork, trim the rind and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 ounces bacon (2 slices), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mild molasses, plus one tablespoon
1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard, plus a little extra
1 pound dried navy beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus a bit extra
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
ground black pepper
brown sugar
ground nutmeg
ground cinnamon
ground clove
cumin
cayenne Pepper
and what ever else you have in your cupboard that suits your fancy.

In a 300 degree oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Add salt pork, and bacon to 5 quart dutch oven (stock pot works well too); cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and most of fat is rendered. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, then add garlic, cook until you can smell garlic. Add 1/2 cup molasses, mustard, beans, salt, and 9 cups of water; increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cover pot and set in oven. Bake until beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours. Remove lid and continue to bake until liquid has thickened to syrupy consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer. Remove beans from oven, stir in remaining molasses, vinegar. This is where it gets tricky....taste it and then add spices as needed....to suit your taste.I typically add 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar, and dashes of the rest of the spices--till it tastes just right.

And there it is. I also have a a special pepper and spices mix I got from dearest Q and her hubby that I always add. Scrumptious. I have made this for people who don't even like baked beans--and they LOVED these beans.

Enjoy! I 'll see you Monday.

Labels: recipes

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