Pretty Darn Great

Baked Artichoke Squares

Its Memorial Day weekend. There's a barbecue today, wasn't sure I'd be able to go until last minute but as I am I needed to bring something. Since appetizery things were the only things left available on the list I was excited to try out a Baked Artichoke Squares recipe I've had my eye on for a while.

Though it required some prep work (chopping an onion and a couple of jars of artichoke hearts, shredding a couple of cups of cheese) it was easy. Once I'd finished crying after the onion dicing I saute-ed it in the artichoke juices, along with some garlic.

(Above) Onions getting all fragrant and sauteed

After that it was just about mixing in the artichokes and cheese and a couple of other tasty things.

(Above) Artichokes and cheese ready to be mixed

Recipe called for a 9 x 9 pan and all I had was an 8 x 8 or a 9 x 13. I went for the 8 x 8 and upped the bake time until they were done. They were a little les firm than I would have liked but they were ridiculously delicious. Got multiple recipe requests, will be bringing these around again.

(Above) Cheesy oniony artichoky squares before the barbecue

(Above) And after!

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Baked Artichoke Squares from Shutterbean (http://www.shutterbean.com/2012/baked-artichoke-squares/).

Modifications: Used a smaller pan. Save yourself the guesswork and use the correct size one.

Fruit Salad Bonanza

Maybe its knowing I'll be in California for a too-brief weekend next month, maybe its the warmer weather, maybe its the sad fruit I see in the work cafeteria but for the last several weeks its been fruit salad all the time at the house.

(Above) The result of a lot of fruit chopping

I cut up a cantaloupe, some oranges and whatever else I have lying around, package it up in a jar, throw in some lime juice so things don't brown in an unappealing way, throw it in the fridge, then into my bag in the morning so I can have some for breakfast and then as an afternoon snack. Exciting? No. Better than hitting the snack machine on the ground floor? Absolutely.

Still-Very-Good-But-Maybe-A-Little-Less-Butter-Next-Time Turtle Bars

Go to my office holiday party with only one kind of baked good? Puhleeze. As a incurable over-baker I knew I needed to bring something else. And as a lover of turtle bars was curious to try these lovelies out.

The recipe was a super easy three layers - pressed crumb crust, caramel and chocolate. With the KitchenAid mixer still out from the Raspberry Bars I made earlier in the week I set to the easy work of making the crust and then pressing it into a parchment-papered pan.

(Above) Top to bottom - pecans, crust, parchment, pan

Once that was done sprinkled pecans and got to caramel making. Was a little nervous with the hot sugar but it all came off without burning me or the caramel. The recipe involved Lots of Butter which I hadn't seen before - smelled and looked carmel-ish but was thinner than the sugar and water versions I've made before.

(Above) The caramel, behaving itself

Once the caramel was finished, poured it over the crumbs and pecans and popped the pan in the oven for 20 minutes (enough time to manage the cleaning up and grab a second to rest). After its 20 took it out of the oven and poured chocolate chips over it. Let them hang out for five minutes or so to get melty, then spread them evenly across the top.

Didn't end up cutting the bars until the next morning before leaving for work. The chocolate was still pretty soft and I could see traces of butter from the caramel I think that had seeped up through the top. But a taste told me that they were still very delicious, and they were a popular part of the party's heavily laden dessert table.

(Above) Bars all packed up to go!

 

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Turtle Bars from A Southern Fairytale (http://asouthernfairytale.com/2011/09/25/turtle-bars/).

Modifications: Used fantastic easy lovely parchment paper rather than buttering the pan.

Warnings: It's probably best to stick with the recipe (had people ask me for it so really they are good) but when I make this again I want to try the caramel with a quarter less butter and see if it makes a difference.

Raspberry Crumb Squares

Years ago I made Christmas cards. And then it moved to New Years cards for a couple of years. Now (and for the last several years) its been Valentines.

Which is all to way say I understand and empathize with the belated Holiday Hoopla that's happening at my office this week. I promised to bring some sweets to the gathering and started baking over the weekend. First up? Some Raspberry Crumb Squares.

These were easy peasy to make. Crumb crust patted into a parchment lined pan, raspberry jam spread across, and then another layer of crumb topping on top.

(Above) Crust and jam done, top crust to go

The recipe makes a fair number of pieces, and was totally delicious. I recommend it if you need some (well, lots) of bars to bring to a hootenanny. Will report back on their success.

(Above) Delicious and done and packed to go

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Raspberry Crumb Squares from Big Girls Small Kitchen (http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2011/09/recipe-flash-raspberry-crumb-squares.html).

Modifications: An extra 5 minutes in the oven but that's because my oven runs a tad cold.

Warnings: The recipe says that the crumb mixture should be mixed until creamy - mine never really did get that way but it still worked wonderfully.

Still Loving Steel Cut Oats

I started making steel cut oats to bring in for breakfast a couple of years ago but after a close call with a container almost opening in my bag I avoided them for a while. Until this winter when I bought some pint-sized mason jars to put gifts in and had some extras left over. Finally, a container that I could guarantee wouldn't open and that I could still use in the microwave. Hurrah!

(Above) Jars filled up and ready to take to work this week

I've been using Alton Brown's recipe with a few modifications (no butter when toasting the oats, slightly longer cooking time). I usually toss in some of whatever fruit I have on hand and a little bit of brown sugar - adore it and love that its about one fifth the price of something similar though not as tasty at the cafeteria.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Modified version of Alton Brown's Steel Cut Oats recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe/index.html).

Modifications: Dry toasting the oats and longer cooking time. Like an extra 10 minutes longer.

Warnings: If you're thinking of not rinsing out the jar after you've had the oatmeal and just taking it home dirty and throwing it into the dishwasher, reconsider. Don't know if its the milk in the recipe or what but they do not smell pleasant after being reopened. Seriously - rinse out the jar and take it home at least mostly clean.

Definitely Ambrosia

I hadn't had Ambrosia Salad in forever. I could remember that sweet semi-solid salad of marshmallow and canned fruit from my childhood (in school lunches? from family potlucks?) but couldn't tell you when the last time I'd had it been. And I'd certainly never made it as an adult.

But a while back I wanted to make a not-too-difficult From-the-South dessert and looking through The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook found a recipe for the stuff and decided to give it a go. It was ridiculous easy.

(Above) First you add the fruit

(Above) Then you add the marshmallows and coconut

Add in the sour cream and put it in the fridge for a while the viola - its done. And completely delicious, as well as thoroughly unhealthy (canned fruit not-withstanding). But totally worth it.

(Above) Ambrosia - done and delicious!

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Ambrosia Fruit Salad from the The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook (ISBN-13: 978-0-8203-3275-8) 

Notes: The pineapple chunks were pretty big, out of the can, so I did chop them into quarters so they were about te same size as the cherries and mandarin oranges.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares

Peanut butter are my favorite cookies and so a peanut butter snack bar intrigues me. Make it a recipe that uses ingredients already in my pantry and have the recipe throw in the added interest of oatmeal and it was irresistible.

(Above) Crumbly Peant Butter Close Up

Actually I didn't have all the ingredients on hand - was missing chocolate chips. As a result, while the bars were tasty they tasted decidedly healthy. Not bad and I may make it again (adding in chocolate chips and maybe nuts), but not really what my sweet tooth was aching for.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares from the How Sweet It Is (http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/08/oatmeal-peanut-butter-snack-squares/) 

Notes: Definitely definitely don't leave out the chocolate chips.

(Modified) West Texas Venison Chili

1) It's Fall. 2) On the weekend I really enjoy taking time to cook something fun.  3) By the time I get home from work the last thing I want to do is cook something from scratch.  What do those add up to (besides 6)? Me cooking up a batch of (Modified) West Texas Venison Chili from a recipe I got off of Garden and Gun.

Had no deer on hand but one cool Sunday morning I rustled up a few pounds of beef, along with the rest of ingredients. There was some beer.

(Above) Action shot of beer with blue manicure

And a half cup of chili powder.

(Above) That chili powder, almost actual size

Let me say that again. One. Half. Cup. Of. Chili. Powder. I am the kind of woman who has that much chili powder on hand but hot damn that's a lot of hot stuff. And we could certainly taste it. Not in the first part of the bite but at the end there was a strong kick at the end that had to be cut with some sour cream or a big glass of milk. Thankfully over the next few days the taste mellowed to a point where it was spicy like a campfire rather than inferno.

(Above) The end result, tastier than it is pretty

And the chili, in general?  Its a huge favorite in the house. There was plenty left over so we've eaten it for lunch and dinner several times, and I'm going to be sorry when its gone. And no doubt making another batch.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: West Texas Venison Chili from the Garden and Gun (http://gardenandgun.com/west-texas-venison-chili) 

Notes: Seriously, consider adding less chili powder; My super-carnivorous beau adored the three pounds of beef in this recipe

One of Us thinks Chicken Divan is Divine

Was looking through recipes using up rotisserie chicken, mentioning in passing to my Beau that one of the recipes was a casserole with cheese. All other conversation stopped as he asked me to tell him more, then suggested in passing that he wouldn't be opposed to having it sometime.

Last night I felt up for a bit of cooking so decided to give it a shot. 

(Above) The whole casserole, ready to go into the oven

I didn't have any rotisserie chicken so seasoned, chopped and cooked up some regular breasts and thighs. Added in some extra broccoli and cauliflower  and of course a little extra cheese and popped it in the oven.

(Above) Closeup of the casserole

The result? The Beau liked it a lot (bringing it into work lunch and having it for dinner again) but there's something about it that's just not appealing to me. Maybe its the curry? Or the mayonnaise? I'll keep looking for recipes and see if I can fine a Chicken Divan variation that both of us are into.

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Recipe: Easy Chicken Divan from the Art of Manliness (http://artofmanliness.com/2011/07/27/5-delicious-ways-to-use-a-store-bought-rotisserie-chicken/) 

Notes: Definitely liked the added vegetables; Though the regular chicken was fine think that rotisserie would be better.

Its Not Like I've Been Doing Nothing This Week

Though I suppose it does kind of look like it. Let's see....

1) Early in the week I finished up some baby gifts that I don't want to post about until the Mama I mailed them to gets a chance to see them.

(Above) Just a sliver of a look

2) Late in the week the Marvelous Mixologist and I made some not-very-successful-but-gave-us-a-good-idea-of-what-to-try-next-time-Mango-Mojitos.

(Above) Lots of mango in that mojito

3) And then tomorrow I'm slated to make another Rum Cake for a friend's party. Mmmmmmm.

So its been pleasantly but not crazily busy. And can't wait to share the baby gift pictures in the next week or so!