July 5, 2012

Guest Post {Rants From My Crazy Kitchen}

Hi! I'm Bernadette from
or
I'm so happy that Audra invited me to do my first ever guest post while she is away! She's an awesome lady, and from looking through her recipes I can see we have somewhat similar cooking styles ( I haven't figured out what to call it, family style cooking, maybe?)

So let me tell you a little bit about me and then we'll get into the recipes. I'm a 37-year-old stay at home mom to an almost 3-year-old daughter. I have no professional culinary training but learned to cook many things through improvision when I was a live in nanny to two girl with phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder that inhibits their ability to digest a component of protein. If you would like to know more, this is my post on it here.

Then when I moved out on my own, I realized I really loved cooking and have been doing it ever since! My blog is new, I just started it in late April, so I don't have tons of recipes on there yet, but one step at a time, right?
Ok, now on to the Salisbury Steak, Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and gravy. I'll start with:

Salisbury Steak

just under 2 pounds ground round
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/4 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. You are going to have to use your (clean!) hands for this, there's just no way around it. Form into 6 patties about an inch thick. In a large pan over medium heat brown patties, turning until both sides are browned but not cooked through. Pour the gravy ( recipe below) over the top, reduce heat and simmer, turning occasionally until desired doneness.

My remake of Cheesy Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
from Once A Mom Always A Cook ( original recipe here )
6 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
3 cloves garlic
1 cup shredded mild cheddar
2/3 cup light cream
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt, to taste

( I used it in the boiling water) Add sliced potatoes to a pot of cold water as your slicing them to prevent browning, add whole garlic cloves to the water ( don't worry they will mash right in with the potatoes!). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender ( about 15-20 minutes) Drain in a colander, then add softened butter, light cream, cheddar cheese, chives and parsley. Mash well with a potato masher, using a spoon to scrape up any large pieces of potatoes stuck on the bottom of the pan. Let sit for a minute or two to absorb cream.

Beef Gravy
( Or how the whole thing was almost ruined!)

Yep, almost messed this up entirely! If your making Salisbury steak of course your going to need gravy, and I just never though about it while I was grocery shopping last week. I had 2 cups of beef broth in my refrigerator, and thought I had more in my cabinet, but I didn't. I did have a can of gravy, though it wouldn't be enough either. So I had to improvise!

Beef Mushroom Gravy
2 cups beef broth ( I used Swanson's)
1- 10 and 1/4 ounce can Campbells beef gravy
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine all except the cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms and onions are soft. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of gravy in a small cup and pour into saucepan. Bring back to a boil and stir constantly for one minute. And here it is!

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The gravy came out pretty good, just a bit salty from the canned gravy. I'd call it a good save! Well, that's all I have. Thanks again to Audra for having me and thank you to all her followers that are reading this! Feel welcome to visit my FB page or blog anytime!

July 3, 2012

Guest Post - Cherished Bliss

Hey Everyone, I’m Ashley, and I am so excited to be helping out my sister today!! You can find me over at
my blog, Cherished Bliss, most days ; )
Ashley_edited-1
HEADER PLAIN
I am a mother of two and wife to an amazing man! My kids keep me on my toes and I love every minute of it! Over at my blog you can take a peek into my creative life and see what I work on when I’m not cooking, cleaning, and chasing kids around! Ok fine, I don’t cook as much as my sister does ; ) You caught me!

Today I’m going to show you how to make mini Pink Lemonade Pies and Pink Lemonade Pie in a jar! Two recipes?! What! Yeah… that’s not completely normal for me to have 2 recipes to share! Ok fine, you caught me again. Technically the are the same recipe, I just “prepared” them differently.

My daughter just turned two and I made them for her birthday! These pies are so refreshing and cool! You will love them on any summer day!

Mini Pink Lemonade Pies Recipe
These are super easy to make! So easy my 4 year old son helped me : ) Now I can’t take complete credit for these, you can find the full Recipe at Creative Homemaking (for the pie itself)

--The change I made was that I used 3/4 of the can of the pink lemonade concentrate--
(visit creative homemaking from the pie recipe)

PLEASE NOTE: this recipe makes approx 12 mini pies and 3 pies in a jar

For the topping I used my own recipe (with guidance from my lovely sister!) 

{Whipped Topping}

2 cups Heavy whipping cream 
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice  
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar  
1/2 to 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (based on taste preference)  
A few drops of red food coloring (optional)

{Recipe}
-First thing you need to do is put a large metal bowl in the freezer and chill it for about 10-15 minutes.
-Then pour your whipping cream into the bowl and whip it until thickened and peaks are about to form.
-Next mix in your sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whip until peaks form.
-Stir in your red food coloring until you get the desired shade of pink.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

{Pink Lemonade in a Jar}

1 pkg. Graham Crackers 
1/8 cup sugar
2 tbsp. Softened butter 

- Make the pie batter (is it batter when it’s a pie? Where is my sister when I need her?) and the whipped topping just like above as described above
- Next take your graham crackers and crush them up. I used a magic bullet, or you could just stick them in a baggy and take out some frustration ; )
- Mix in your sugar and butter until it is evenly distributed and the graham crackers look moist. Fee free to add a little more butter if you need.

{layering} 
 Layer your graham crackers, pink lemonade pie mix, and whipped topping however you like. I did each jar differently. Pictured above is: pie, graham crackers, pie, whipped topping. That probably turned out the prettiest : )

Next just put them in the freezer until you are ready to eat! 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

{Mini Pies}
I tried to make my own mini pie shells out of graham crackers, but let’s just say that was an EPIC fail! So I bought some pre-made mini pie shells at the grocery store! Then pour your batter into each shell and top with your whipped cream. Place it in freezer until you're ready to serve! This is great if you need to make them the night before!!

To Garnish I cut up graham crackers into little triangles (this was kind of difficult being it’s a cracker, but I made it work best I could) and added a lemon wedge : ) Or add whatever else you think might look cute. 

Here they are with the cupcake toppers I made

Mini Pie Toppers

Pie in a Jar

These little pies really made the party fun! They are so cool and refreshing! I just love them! I tried to give away a few of the mason jar desserts but my husband did everything but tackle me to the floor! He was NOT giving them up! Can't lie.. kinda made me feel good : )
If you’d like to catch up on a few of my other Pink Lemonade Crafts you can check them out below, just click on the picture!
Pink Lemonade Mason Jars MAIN_edited-1 Cupcake Stand 1 Paper Flower Tutorial

You can see the Pink Lemonade Party Reveal HERE
Cherished Bliss Pink Lemonade Party
I’d be thrilled if you stopped by and said HI! I’d be even more thrilled if you decided to follow along in my adventures of a crazy crafting life!
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Thank you sweet sister for having me over! I miss you so much and wish we could still have coffee together! Love you!!

June 28, 2012

Guest Post {Walking On Sunshine}

Hi, I'm Lois.
You can usually find me at my blog


A place where I share a little of my life, but more importantly,
what's for dinner at our house tonight!  



Today I am Guest Posting for Audra
at Once a Mom...Always a Cook.

Thank you so much letting me "hang out" in your kitchen today Audra!

The recipe I chose to share with you today is a favorite here at 

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Chicken Cutlets 
(marinated in YOUR favorite Italian Dressing)
Package of Grape Tomatoes
2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Garlic, Salt and Pepper
Mozzarella Cheese

Begin by preparing your chicken...


Marinade the chicken cutlets in Italian Salad Dressing for 
a few hours in the refrigerator.
I usually do this early in the morning so the chicken has time
to soak in all the goodness.  

Now, prepare the tomatoes...



Mix together the balsamic vinegar with the olive oil and
toss with the package of grape tomatoes that you have already seasoned 
with garlic, salt and pepper.
I did this step a few hours earlier and put the grape tomatoes
in a plastic container and then in the refrigerator...




Now, let's start GRILLING...

Place your chicken on the grill and cook until just about done.
Remove the chicken and place in an aluminum pan.  

Please do not use a GLASS pan!

Spread the tomatoes, along with their marinade, over the grilled chicken.
Close the grill and let cook about 5 minutes or 
until the tomatoes start to burst...



Now sprinkle the chicken with some mozzarella cheese and 
close the lid again for a few more minutes until the cheese has melted...



Doesn't that look DELICIOUS?

I like to serve this chicken with a side salad and homemade mac and cheese.

Now this is dinner!
Easy, quick and DELICIOUS...



If you'd like my homemade Mac and Cheese recipe,
please go HERE.

Stop by Walking on Sunshine on FACEBOOK
and let me know what you think of the recipe!

Thanks again for the opportunity Audra,
I had fun...hope you all did too!  

June 26, 2012

Guest Post {The Fountain Avenue Kitchen}



This is my FAVORITE restaurant salad, which I have remade to be healthy but seriously satisfying. I absolutely adore it. The salad incorporates my recipes for ranch dressing and black bean salsa and is an extra-easy dinner if you have leftovers from a roasted (or rotisserie) chicken. Use the salsa another night for a grilled chicken, steak, or fish topper or as a salsa for tortilla chips. The ranch dressing is another favorite in our house, although you may certainly substitute your favorite store-bought brand. I used to make the quesadillas with flour tortillas, but my new favorite way is to use whole wheat pita bread. A little cheese on the outside makes for a crusty and extra-yummy outcome.

Southwestern Chicken Quesadilla Salad

Mixed greens- romaine, or lettuce of choice
tomato grapes- halved
black bean salsa (recipes to follow)
ranch dressing
whole wheat cheddar chicken quesadillas 
optional garnishes
:
avocado
chopped cilantro
salsa
black olives

Lightly toss lettuce greens with ranch dressing. Top with black bean salsa, tomatoes, and optional garnishes. Place a few wedges of quesadilla around the edges and enjoy! 

 Black Bean Salsa:
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup corn, frozen and thawed; fresh if available
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste  

Whole Wheat Cheddar Chicken Quesadillas:

whole wheat pita bread
shredded cheddar cheese
cooked chicken, sliced or shredded
salsa for serving, optional

Carefully cut the pita bread in half horizontally. Rub a little olive oil on the outside of both halves. Layer cheese, then chicken, then a bit more cheese on one half. I use about a quarter cup of each, but you can eyeball it. Top with the other pita half and grill on a panini maker for three minutes. You can also grill one side at a time on the stovetop. A cast iron pan or grill pan will work especially well.

Tip:
For a crusty top, sprinkle about a teaspoon or two of additional cheese on top of the quesadilla prior to grilling.  

Better-For-You Ranch Dressing
:
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons 2% plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced chives

Whisk all ingredients together and store in the refrigerator.

Stop by and visit anytime:
The Fountain Avenue Kitchen Blog
The Fountain Avenue Kitchen Facebook Page

June 25, 2012

Guest Post Line Up

I am so happy to announce that my husband is flying over the Atlantic Ocean as I type. Pick up time at the airport is at 2:00 today and I am so excited. Signs are made, Father's Day presents are in line, house is almost done, and a meal plan from out of this world is prepared! I cannot wait!

I am so blessed that these lovely ladies have volunteered to guest post for me while my husband is in so I can give him my full attention!

If you do not already follow these amazing cooks, please do! A big thank you goes out to all my guests...


thank you

The Fountain Avenue Kitchen

Tuesday June 26th

Walking on Sunshine
Thursday June 28th

Cherished Bliss- {my sister}
Tuesday July 3rd

Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Thursday July 5th

Sweet Heat Chefs

Saturday July 7th

Chew Love

Tuesday July 10th

&
Tales From a Kansas Farm Mom

Thursday July 12th

Please go visit these wonderful women when you have a chance!
They have amazing stories and family, fun recipes to share!





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