Weekly Test Recipes - Week 23!
I loooooove fruit pizza, but have never attempted to make it myself. After researching variations online, I decided on the following:
FRUIT PIZZA
1 refrigerated sugar cookie dough (the kind you buy in a tube at the grocery store. Maybe taking the easy way out, but it tastes just as good in this kind of recipe and is much less work than whipping up some sugar cookie dough from scratch.)
1 recipe fruit dip (8 oz. cream cheese, 7 oz. marshmallow cream, a couple shakes ginger; mix until smooth)
assorted fruit (we like red grapes, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, and mandarin oranges)
GLAZE:
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. orange juice
1 tsp. lemon juice
Spread cookie dough onto pizza pan or cookie sheet; bake according to package directions. Careful, because it's all one cookie, it might have to bake longer than called for. However, I found that if I waited until the cookie was starting to brown in the oven, it was a little over-baked. Take it out just before it starts browning. Let cool. Spread fruit dip on cooled cookie crust. There will be some leftovers. This is a good thing - it's amazing for dipping strawberries, peaches, etc. This stuff is evil. Place fruit in a lovely arrangement on top of the creamy dip (grapes sliced in half the long way, strawberries and kiwis sliced, blueberries, mandarin oranges, and blackberries, etc. can be placed on whole). For glaze: combine corn starch and sugar in sauce pan. Whisk in orange juice and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and cool, then spread over top of fruit pizza. Cut into pieces and serve. Betcha can't eat just one! EXCELLENT!
August 8, 2010
{recipes} Kabobs Galore
Weekly Test Recipes - Week 21 and 22!
These recipes were made utilizing my graduation gift for Tony - a portable grill :)
1. HONEY CHICKEN KABOBS (allrecipes.com)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2" pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2" pieces
wooden skewers, soaked in water to prevent from catching fire
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, RESERVE a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Preheat the grill for high heat. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.
2. ORANGE VEGETABLE KABOBS (allrecipes.com)
1 large sweet onion
1 large orange, unpeeled
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 medium fresh mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes
2 small yellow summer squash, cut into 1 inch slices
MARINADE:
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons orange juice
Cut the onion and orange into eight wedges; halve each wedge. Alternately thread vegetables and orange pieces onto eight metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place in a shallow oblong dish. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt if desired, garlic powder and pepper. Pour over skewers. Marinate for 15 minutes, turning and basting frequently. Grill, covered, over indirect heat for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Brush with orange juice just before serving.
I didn't get a picture of either of these, but picture all the ingredients on a stick and that's it :) Check the allrecipes.com links to see photos as well. Both of these recipes were fantastic and fresh and EXCELLENT!
These recipes were made utilizing my graduation gift for Tony - a portable grill :)
1. HONEY CHICKEN KABOBS (allrecipes.com)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2" pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2" pieces
wooden skewers, soaked in water to prevent from catching fire
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, RESERVE a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Preheat the grill for high heat. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.
2. ORANGE VEGETABLE KABOBS (allrecipes.com)
1 large sweet onion
1 large orange, unpeeled
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 medium fresh mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes
2 small yellow summer squash, cut into 1 inch slices
MARINADE:
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons orange juice
Cut the onion and orange into eight wedges; halve each wedge. Alternately thread vegetables and orange pieces onto eight metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place in a shallow oblong dish. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt if desired, garlic powder and pepper. Pour over skewers. Marinate for 15 minutes, turning and basting frequently. Grill, covered, over indirect heat for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Brush with orange juice just before serving.
I didn't get a picture of either of these, but picture all the ingredients on a stick and that's it :) Check the allrecipes.com links to see photos as well. Both of these recipes were fantastic and fresh and EXCELLENT!
{recipe} Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Weekly Test Recipes - Week 20!
This was one of the recipes we made for Tony's graduation BBQ. The original recipe was shared by my sister, and we tweaked it a little for the graduation. The recipe below is as we made it.
HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK SANDWICHES (adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 lb. pork shoulder
1 bottle/can of your favorite root beer
salt/pepper/mesquite seasoning
16 oz. bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
hamburger buns
***side note: Tony wanted a luau-themed graduation BBQ, so we used 2 parts Archer Farms Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce and 1 part regular sweet BBQ sauce. It was soooo nummy with a little bit of a kick to it, and we will make it this way every time!***
Rub pork with salt/pepper/mesquite seasoning. Pour half the root beer in the crock pot (use the entire bottle for a bigger pork shoulder) and place in crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove pork and trim off fat. Drain liquid from crock pot. Shred pork and place back in crock pot to cook for 20 minutes. Add BBQ sauce, stir, and cook for 20 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns. Yum, yum, yum! Definitely rated EXCELLENT and one of the best recipes I've tried in a long time.
This was one of the recipes we made for Tony's graduation BBQ. The original recipe was shared by my sister, and we tweaked it a little for the graduation. The recipe below is as we made it.
HAWAIIAN PULLED PORK SANDWICHES (adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 lb. pork shoulder
1 bottle/can of your favorite root beer
salt/pepper/mesquite seasoning
16 oz. bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
hamburger buns
***side note: Tony wanted a luau-themed graduation BBQ, so we used 2 parts Archer Farms Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce and 1 part regular sweet BBQ sauce. It was soooo nummy with a little bit of a kick to it, and we will make it this way every time!***
{recipe} Fruited Tuna Salad
Catching up today and tomorrow....So sorry I have fallen TWO months behind with my recipes. I have been cooking as normal, just not blogging the results. I have some new favorites that I'll be posting about this week. Bear with me while I catch up.
Weekly Test Recipes: Week 19 (From May....)
FRUITED TUNA SALAD (Simple&Delicious, May 2010)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. honey (or corn syrup)
2 cans water-packed tuna, drained
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 medium apple, chopped
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/8 tsp. salt
4 whole pita breads
alfalfa sprouts
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise and honey. Stir in the tuna, mandarin oranges, apple, pecans, celery, cranberries, and salt. Serve on pita breads with sprouts.
This was sooooooo yummy!!!! I was a little apprehensive about how all the different fruits would mesh with the tuna, but it was amazing! I will definitely be making this in the future. Rating: EXCELLENT. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of this yumminess for you. Next time I make it I will add a picture to this post.
Weekly Test Recipes: Week 19 (From May....)
FRUITED TUNA SALAD (Simple&Delicious, May 2010)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. honey (or corn syrup)
2 cans water-packed tuna, drained
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 medium apple, chopped
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/8 tsp. salt
4 whole pita breads
alfalfa sprouts
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise and honey. Stir in the tuna, mandarin oranges, apple, pecans, celery, cranberries, and salt. Serve on pita breads with sprouts.
This was sooooooo yummy!!!! I was a little apprehensive about how all the different fruits would mesh with the tuna, but it was amazing! I will definitely be making this in the future. Rating: EXCELLENT. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of this yumminess for you. Next time I make it I will add a picture to this post.
New Blog Design!
The lovely black/white damask blog background I had on here wasn't working anymore, so I found a new one! All the credit goes out to Izzie Grace Blog Backgrounds - creator of free and custom blog backgrounds. She has sooo many beautiful designs, I had a very hard time choosing which one I liked best! Hope you like it!
July 18, 2010
{recipe} Creamy Caramel Flan
Weekly Test Recipes: Week 18!! (Playing catch-up this week...)
This first recipe for the week was part of my Cinco de Mayo celebration. I decided to make a Mexican-style dessert, and this is what I came up with:
CREAMY CARAMEL FLAN (allrecipes)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring, until golden. Pour into a 10 inch round baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Beat in condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into caramel coated pan. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, until center is just set. Cool one hour on wire rack, then chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a rimmed serving platter.
This was good, but nothing compared to cheesecake. The jello-ish consistency bothered me a bit, and the eggy-custardy taste. Just not as sweet as I expected. Overall, I would probably rate this GOOD, but I probably won't ever make it again.
*************************************************
CRANBERRY REFRESHER
1 1/4 c. cranberry juice
scant 1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. fresh raspberries (I used frozen)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Pour the cranberry juice and orange juice into a blender and process gently until combined. Add the raspberries and lemon juice, and mix until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with slices and spirals of fresh lemon or orange. Serve immediately.
This was nice a refreshing. I rate it EXCELLENT.
This first recipe for the week was part of my Cinco de Mayo celebration. I decided to make a Mexican-style dessert, and this is what I came up with:
CREAMY CARAMEL FLAN (allrecipes)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, cook sugar, stirring, until golden. Pour into a 10 inch round baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Beat in condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into caramel coated pan. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, until center is just set. Cool one hour on wire rack, then chill in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a rimmed serving platter.
This was good, but nothing compared to cheesecake. The jello-ish consistency bothered me a bit, and the eggy-custardy taste. Just not as sweet as I expected. Overall, I would probably rate this GOOD, but I probably won't ever make it again.
*************************************************
CRANBERRY REFRESHER
1 1/4 c. cranberry juice
scant 1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. fresh raspberries (I used frozen)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Pour the cranberry juice and orange juice into a blender and process gently until combined. Add the raspberries and lemon juice, and mix until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with slices and spirals of fresh lemon or orange. Serve immediately.
This was nice a refreshing. I rate it EXCELLENT.
July 1, 2010
Will You...
...Be My Bridesmaid?
I've been perusing crafty blogs for well over a year now, and came across these bridesmaid invitations last year. I had never thought of doing anything like that, so I bookmarked them in my secret wedding file (even though I wasn't even engaged at the time...). Well the time has come to use the idea!
While I liked the overall concept of the invitations, I wasn't completely sold on the design. Then I saw these accordian-style photo albums and decided to go with that design.
Here's what I came up with to ask my girls to stand by me while I get married! *I haven't actually asked anyone yet, so names have been hidden :)
I've been perusing crafty blogs for well over a year now, and came across these bridesmaid invitations last year. I had never thought of doing anything like that, so I bookmarked them in my secret wedding file (even though I wasn't even engaged at the time...). Well the time has come to use the idea!
While I liked the overall concept of the invitations, I wasn't completely sold on the design. Then I saw these accordian-style photo albums and decided to go with that design.
Here's what I came up with to ask my girls to stand by me while I get married! *I haven't actually asked anyone yet, so names have been hidden :)
I can't wait to ask them!!!
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