No problem classic - let me know what you think!

Holy freaking mother of spaghetti ....
They were outstanding.
we each ate 2 and then we split the last one - - - to uh not have to wrap it. cough cough

LOL - good news! Yea, wrapping would never work. You made the right decision :yesnod: for the sake of the lasagnas of course....

Tonight was a disappointing recipe that has lots of potential - beef and onions from Meta Givens Volume 2. The only thing that was wrong was the sauce - or what they tried to pass off as one. They should have deglazed the pan with red wine or balsamic vinaigrette and it would have been out of this world! Even just making a normal gravy would have been better.

I was able to make it into something that wasn't completely horrible. I am glad that there are only 4 servings, though. I do have pictures, so if you want to see them, let me know and I will post them. There will be at least one other recipe this week.

*if* we want to see them? wth?

Yes, please bbro, post your pictures.

better? :)

several folks responded, thanks.

I prepared the last of three of these this morning and it worked out great.

They were prepackaged in little plastic clamshells, but came with the custard in a wide shallow ramekin and a plastic envelope the size of a teabag filled with syrup the color of tea to be poured on the top. I blazed this syrup mercilessly with my torch and all I got was boiled syrup. I thought perhaps I was getting creme caramel instead of creme brulee. For the third one I took a spoonful of granulated white sugar and sprinkled it over the top of the syrup (which I poured onto the custard first). Then I burned/carmelized the sugar. It, too, melted, but then after letting it rest it hardened into the candy top I was hoping for. It worked great. I'll be making these again.

lol - sure BigV, how silly of me :D

Recipe:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6...7a9bbda188.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6...a53dfdec47.jpg

Ingredients (the flour included sugar which was just not good - the onions would have been enough):
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6...5bc1c14240.jpg

Beef cooking:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6...22738f15d7.jpg

Onions In
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6...e4eeb44df3.jpg

Pretty color on the beef:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6...ea610f36e2.jpg

Almost done:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6...20b964c215.jpg

With the sauce I doctored up:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6...e657f21360.jpg

Plated
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6...d5bfb03ccb.jpg

I have a kitchen blow torch. I just sprinkle sugar over my pre chilled custards then blast it for a minute or two with the blow torch. Works a treat.

bbro, that beef and onion recipe looks really yummy from here.

Thanks Aliantha.

Here's some more pictures of food I found. You know, in case you aren't getting enough:

Sugar cookies from v-day:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6...bd2b9ab1a0.jpg

Lasagna soup (if this is on the dinner thread, my apologies):
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6...03387e6c32.jpg

My first bundt cake - it was supposed to be marble - guess I mixed too much :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7043/6...97acc5ede1.jpg

Damn, baking like a pro. Good job. :thumb:

Thanks Bruce! I can't wait to make another one :)

From here:
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipe...age-pasta.html

Ingredients (Forgot the cheese):
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/6...e5fab688f8.jpg

Sausage and onions cooking
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/6...d5829faf7e.jpg

Adding all the ingredients for a boil
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/6...e011d6cae2.jpg

Boiled and first round of cheese added
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7...9e9e41100f.jpg

Ready for baking:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/6...915f45695d.jpg

All baked
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7...755469e54d.jpg

My dinner!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/6...59cefeefff.jpg

Changes (cause you know I always do) Deviating from the original recipe, I used half and half instead of heavy cream. Only 6 ounces of pasta and 14 ounces of sausage. About a cup of onions instead of 1.5 cup. I put the servings into individual ramekins instead of the whole skillet. I also made 6 servings instead of 4. I would definitely add less pepper next time. While it was good, the spice kinf of overwhelmed everything

Looks delicious. I like the way you put them into ramekins. :)

Very nice.
I do a similar thing with ham and mac & cheese.
I'll try adding the onions next time. I hadn't thought of that.

That does look trooly yummy! I'll have to give it a go sometime!

Thanks! I will probably have more next weekend definitely. I am making 2 new appetizer recipes and a new cake recipe :D

Everything looks great, you've got a hell of a portfolio now. :D

Blimey, that steak & onions.
I'd trash that - nommie!

Working on a post for you all!! There's gonna be 5(?) new things today. Only one that I have made before. I am waiting for the butter to soften for the last one before I post them.

A friend of mine is having a cookout this weekend and I offered to make some appetizers for her

First up we have the tried and true recipe for a veggie dip. Trust me, it doesn't taste low fat even though the ingredients are. The secret is to not use fat free - it changes the consistency of the products. This one is ALWAYS a huge hit

Ingredients
Attachment 38629

Finished product with all of the cut veggies ready to go.
Attachment 38630

Next, is a new recipe found online. Spicy Mango Salsa

Ingredients
Attachment 38631

Finished product. Obviously I used more mango than was in the original recipe. The recipe was only to serve 4 as a garnish and I didn't realize that. I added 4 mangoes to make this amount. I haven't tasted it yet, but I am hoping it is good.
Attachment 38632

Another new online recipe - Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Ingredients
Attachment 38635

Finished product. I am debating adding grape tomatoes and chopped garlic and make it kind of like a caprese salad type thing
Attachment 38634

CAAAAAKE!

Yes, I believe this does deserve it's own post. This, my friends. Is my very first Red Velvet cake in bundt form. I made cream cheese frosting to go with it (next post), even though I think glazes are better with bundt cakes. First time frosting a cake, too. It doesn't look very good, but I tell you what, that frosting is the BOMB! If the cakes is even half as good this is going to be a huge hit. I didn't use all of the icing though. I think it would have been WAY too much. If it would've looked anything like the ones in the book, I would have been mortified. The only question now, is how do I transport it an hour away? :/

This
Attachment 38636

Plus This
Attachment 38637

Equals This
Attachment 38638

Combine these
Attachment 38640

And you get this
Attachment 38641

Add to the cake and you get a giant marshmallowy looking thing
Attachment 38643

Busy, busy day :)

You could a cake holder. That should transport and hold the cake quite nicely for an hour. Just don't swing and bounce it wildly. :D

Wow - good job!

The cream cheese icing is the same I put on carrot cake.
The staffroom go crazy for it.

They're never once commented on my gorgeous ganaches, which are still easy but twice as expensive...

I've been tempted by a Red Velvet Cake but they are not known in this country and I'm not sure how they would be received.

Lola - I just covered it with foil and put it on the front seat - that worked pretty well. I don't have a cake holder - I should probably get one, though. I just touched it up with the leftover icing when I got to the destination.

Sundae - once it was cut, it seems like it went flying. Half gone in no time! I might be making another with just a glaze to use up the buttermilk, but I haven't decided yet. I don't ever use buttermilk.

An update - though, all items were a hit. :D Although, it seems like me providing all those veggie types was pointless. People mostly only ate carrots and celery.

You can use buttermilk in cornbread...?

Glad it went so well.
Grace will come to you for putting in the effort, even if they preferred rabbit food :)

I don't like cornbread, but I did find an oven fried chicken recipe that uses it and a mashed cauliflower recipe. These are on the menu for Tuesday. Today's dinners will be supplied by Trader Joe's and my freezer - lol

Oven-fried chicken sounds yum, please document.
Anything with cauliflower is grim and you can bury it quietly.

Actually maybe that should be my Frog Prince challenge.
If I ever meet a man who can cook cauli in a way I enjoy, I will marry him and give him a BJ every Saturday night.

Not that I'm beating them off with a stick without a challenge...

A friend of Baby's turned me onto this. Great on a hot day/evening.

Kool-Aid Pie

2 pkgs Kool-Aid drink mix (any flavor, I used Black Cherry)
1 - 14oz can of sweetened, condensed milk
1 - 8oz bowl of Cool Whip
1 Graham cracker pie crust

Whip everything til it's nice and whipped (except the pie crust, pie crusts do not respond well to whipping. A stern talking to is usually all that's needed.). Put it in the pie crust. Make it cold. Eat it, or alternatively, rub it all over your significant other, and then eat it.


***WARNING***

Do not put Kool-Aid Pie on top of your head. Your tongue may well beat your brains out trying to get to it.


ETA: Here's the one I'm makin' cold RFN.

Attachment 38656

NOTE: That is not an ant or fly in my pie, it's a blueberry peekin' through.:yum:

I love the color.

We made a version with frozen condensed lemonade. I've never had crack, but I imagine it's like that, the way it got scarfed down at the party we attended.

What is cool whip?

don't worry. I looked it up.

Heheh...ok, so, whatcha call it downunda?

Gravdigr - looks pretty, but never been a fan of coolwhip - much to my mother's disappointment.

Sundae - I love cauliflower! I am kind of iffy about the mashed cauliflower thing, but I am gonna give it a try - half a recipe is good for experimenting.

I don't know Grav. If it's the same thing, I think it's called dairy whip, but it doesn't really last long. You have to spray it on just before you present food served with it or it kind of deflates after an hour or so. I don't usually use that sort of stuff much although occasionally the boys want it for hot chocolates in winter.

I've never seen Cool Whip in can form at the supermarket in my area before. Apparently, there is one because I found a picture of it while during an image search.

Here we go - two new ones for tonight. Ingredients and finished products first.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Attachment 38680

Finished - yes, it is supposed to be purple :)
Attachment 38681

Oven Fried Chicken - http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ov...chicken.html_0
Attachment 38679

Chicken Done
Attachment 38675

Final Dinner tonight
Attachment 38682

For the cauliflower, I added purple cauliflower to make it more fun. BUT, it was a huge flop. At first it was ok, but the more I ate it, the more it got gross. I tried more butter, more salt, mixing it with the corn, but nothing made it good. I was actually disappointed, too, even though it was what I expected. That first taste just raised my expectations so high. What a waste of perfectly good cauliflower :(

The chicken on the other hand, was GREAT. The only problem I had was that I was trying to do a half a recipe, but my chicken breasts were huge. I still used half the breading, but next time, I will use all of it. I may try to do some chicken finders instead of breasts. I only baked it for 20 minutes and it was perfect. I even took a bite and juice just squirted out! I would do without the sesame seeds, but that is just because I am not the biggest fan of them. I also had a problem with the chicken sticking, but I think that can be solved next time by putting some oil on the bottom of the chicken. I will try that next time. I actually already doubled the oil for the top.

I don't think you get an equivalent of cool whip in the UK, it may be the same in Aus -I had certainly never tasted anything that sickly-disgusting in my life before......

/firsttimefoodsnob

I wonder if Ali is thinking of squirty cream? Anchor makes it here.

The stuff we get here tastes more or less the same as cream because it mostly is cream which has simply been aerated. Must be different by the looks of things. I'm guessing cool whip is kind of like what we call 'mock cream' but Mum used to make that at home herself. It's really just whipped butter with icing sugar and a bit of water beaten in. Not much icing sugar though, because it's meant to taste like cream, not frosting.

Here it is www.coolwhip.com

Tonight at bible study we had for desert, jello they called it.
Jello Yankee style
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 pound small curd cottage cheese
1 14 ounce can manderan oranges
In large bowl mix together, chill and serve. YUM YUM!!!

Coolwhip is mostly water, oil, and corn syrup. It's not remotely healthy.

WATER, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SKIM MILK, LIGHT CREAM, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR). CONTAINS: MILK.

It's pretty gross by itself, but used in recipes, it's surprisingly delicious.

BZZZZZZT.
What is gluttony?

doo doo doo doo

BZZZZZT.

What is disgusting?

:lol:

Which is why it's used in stuff that tastes good.

Despite having close to (or over, I never counted them) 100 cookbooks, what do I do? I defrost chicken, slather it with Kraft Catalina dressing (the Italian was so expired it scared me) and throw it in the oven.

Chicken tonight, people.

I hope some body ate that stuff and did let all that food go to waste.

nannerbread!

Mrs G was supposed to have year 6 PE outside today.
It was smacking it down with rain (which is when the rain bounces off already sodden ground with a sound like an 11 year old being smacked).

They made banana buns instead, because we had a surfeit of said fruit from last week.
Key Stage One children have free fruit as part of a Govt initiative - sometimes they back up though, hence me as a 'nana hater making 'nana recipes - carrot cakes also.
Imagine a classful of bears making cakes. Tcha. I love working with 6 year olds!

The buns almost upstaged my cheese scones.
But the truth is they were grim because they had bananas in them.




Oh okay - they were grim because staff see what the childer do with their hands.
Any comestible that has been near a child is suspect to a teacher or TA.
I didn't tell them that the rubbing in method used for making scones (ie hard fat and flour) is a great way to clean your nails...










That is also a joke. It's true. But I do wash my hands before making cakes. And after touching my nose, or Diz, or my hair, or eating, drinking etc etc. I just gob in it after.

Good looking bread, wolf! Never did get into bananas much, though.

From here: http://www.preventionrd.com/2012/05/...cken-parmesan/

Ingredients (missing chicken and oil):
Attachment 38853

Sauce:
Attachment 38851

Quinoa:
Attachment 38852

Done:
Attachment 38850

Thoughts - I didn't cook the chicken as suggested in the recipe, but grilled it in my panini press. As you can see, I didn't have fresh onions or garlic or seasonings. I think the fresh veggies would make a huge difference. It was still good. I just am not sure about using quinoa as a pasta replacement. I do like it as a normal side so I am excited to experiment with it. I also broke it out into single servings to make it easier for portions. If I do make it again, I would use pasta, mix the parm in, leave out the breadcrumbs and put all the cheese on tom instead of trying to split it in the middle and on top.

Thanks! I love your single serving idea. :) What about the quinoa that you didn't like?

The texture when buried in sauce, I think. It is hard to pinpoint. I think even rice would fare better. It felt weird to chew it - like I was trying to chew the sauce

Ahhhh....I just may not try the quinoa then. :p:

I think Quinoa is a lot like barley in soups. Maybe put a little less in next time? That might improve it. :)

I don't like barely either - lol. I am excited to try it with some parm, olive oil and garlic. I think that would be good.

lola - I tried it at the whole foods hot bar first. It wasn't bad then which is why I think it would be good as a side.

I actually used a cookbook for this next recipe - can you believe it?? This is from my Whole Foods Cookbook. Not too many pictures because it was just chicken salad. I only made half the recipe and still ended up with a decent amount. I actually got 4 nice portions out of it instead of the 3 I was expecting from the half portion.

Here you go
Sauce ingredients:
Attachment 38892

Rest (without the celery - forgot it in the pic):
Attachment 38891

All mixed together - so pretty
Attachment 38894

Far view to show how much it made:
Attachment 38893

I tried some of it - because, well, you have to - but I haven't actually eaten it as a meal though. I plan on it for lunch tomorrow. I am going to serve it on a piece of toast with watermelon. I can't wait.

That looks delicious. :yum:

Thanks Bruce! I will let you know about 1:30-2pm how it tastes for real :) The close up picture is a little fuzzy, but overall, I think I am getting better, so that helps portray the yumminess.