Karebear Central

I finally remembered to do this again. Here goes:

#1. What’s the worst tasting food you’ve ever eaten?—Sushi–I hated the taste.
#2. Share a funny or embarassing story about a meal you’re made. I accidentally screwed up instant potatoes. I didn’t know I needed to add milk.
#3. What food do you burn or have problems cooking most often? I have burned pizza. When I was a tennager, my best friend and I really screwed up a frozen pizza. It was natrually rising, well–it didn’t rise. So for some reason, we thought it would heat the bottom if we put it on the burner. Needless to say, we eneded up ordering pizza.
#4. Name two foods you’ll be eating on this Thanksgiving. Canned Cranberries (nothing better) and Turkey

Today in the mail, there was a flier for the Glass Nickel Pizza Company. One thing that really makes me want to eat there is that they are going green. How? They are using the grease from their fryers for gas in their delivery vehicles. They only use diesel to get the car started. I think that is awesome. As a business that uses grease, you have to pay to get rid of it. It is just saving them money in the long run. I’m sure it cost a lot to convert the automobiles, but they can get 45-50 mpg, that is great. The pizza is okay, I think next time I will have to check out chicken or fish.

One of Andy and my favorite new meals is this Mile High Torta.  I can’t believe I haven’t posted the recipe because we have this at least once a month since I found it. 

Ingredients:

1 lb lean (80%) ground beef

2 Roma tomatoes (if you like tomatoes, use more)

1 can spicy chili beans (we use black beans in cumin sauce)

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Old El Paso taco seasoning (we made our own)

3 8 inch flour tortillas

2 cups shredded taco-flavored cheese

Heat oven to 375,  Spray 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.  In skillet, cook ground beef over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, and 2 tablespoons cilantro. 

In a bowl, mix sour cream and taco seasoning.

Place 1 flour tortilla in bottom of pie pan.  Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons of sour cream mixture over tortilla.  Top with 1/3 of ground beef and 1/2 cup of cheese.  Repeat layers 2 more times, sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. We added green onions, since we like green onions. 

Serves 6 or serves 4 hearty portions

Okay I’m back doing this again.  I always seem to forget until Thursday and then something shiny distracts me! 

#1. Artichokes. Love em or leave em?  I recently found out I love artichokes.  I am really good at spinach artichoke dip.  I like it on pizza too.
#2. What’s your favorite kind of bean?   A year ago I would have said green, but now I like black beans in cumin sauce.

#3. Share a recipe for any kind of cake.

Cookies and Creme Cake

Ingredients: 1 package Duncan Hines Deluxe Moist Cake Mix, 3 egg whites, 1 1/3 water, 2 TBSP vegetable oil, 1 cup chopped Oreos (about 12 cookies), 1 container Cream Frosting.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Combine cake mix, egg whites, water and oil in mixing bowl.  Beat at low speed w/electric mixer until moistened.  Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Fold in 1 cup cookies.  Pour into pans.  Bake 30 minutes.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.  Fill and frost cake with frosting.
#4. What’s your favorite dairy product? Chocolate milk and Chocolate ice cream are tied.

If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would like mushrooms, I would have laughed.   But my husband has opened my eyes to a whole bunch of new foods.  Portobello mushrooms are my latest adventure.   We decided to combine it with one of my favorite meals–pizza. 

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushroom caps (about 12 oz) stems removed–the bigger and deeper, the better

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage links, casing removed

1 medium Italian plum tomatio, seeded, chopped

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons grated Parmasean cheese

1 tablespoon chopped basil

Preheat over to 400 F.  Wipe mushrooms clean with damp towl.  Brush both sides of cap with oil; stem side down, on ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning and salt.

Bake caps until soft about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a skillet.  Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until no pink shows.  Drain. 

Preheat broiler for 5 minutes.  Turn mushroom caps up. Spoon cooked sausage, tomato, mozzarella and Parmesean evenly into each mushroom cap; top with basil. 

Broil 4 inches from heat until cheese is lightly golden and bubbly, 2-3 minutes.  Serve warm.  Makes 4 pizzas. 

We used smaller portobello mushroom caps so we ended up with 6.  This is supposed to be an appetizer, but we made it a meal.

When I have kids, I want to be that mother that always has desserts. Only problem with that is that I do not make that many desserts! So I decided that each week (given I have time) I am going to try to make one dessert. This week it was Chocolate cheesepie. I found out I actually do like cheesecake, so I figured I would give this a try. And, the truth is in the name—it is easy!

Ingredients:
3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounce package) of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 extra serving size packaged graham cracker crumb crust (9oz)
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Heat oven to 450 F.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl until blended with mixer. Add eggs (we used egg beaters because we can) and vanilla; beat well. Stir in 1 and 2/3 cups small chocolate chips; pour into crust.
Bake about 10 minutes. W/O ioenuing the door; reduce temp to 250 F and continue baking for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack for cooling. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Place remaining 1/3 cup chips and whipping cream in pan, heating slowly until chips are melted and mixture smooth. Cool and spread over cheesepie. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes and waalaa.

Seriously, if I can make this and it turn out great, then anyone can!

For Christmas, Andy wanted 16 ramekins.   I had no clue when he would actually use them, but we did a couple of weeks ago when we made Chocolate Pots de Creme (french for pots of cream.)  It was a simple recipe which makes about 6 servings.  This really will satisfy your chocolate cravings. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 cup semisweet  chocolate chips (6 ounces)

3 large eggs (Or egg beaters–3/4 cup)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine half and half and chocolate chips in saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (2-3 minutes).  Do not boil.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Combine eggs(egg beaters) sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Beat with wire whisk until smooth.  Whisk in chocolate mixture gradually until smooth.

Pour mixture into 6 ounce ramekins.  Place ramekins in a 13-x9-inch baking pan. Place pan on oven rack in oven.  Pour boiling water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of ramekins. 

Bake pots de creme until set and tops no longer look wet-20-25 minutes.  Remove pan from oven.  Remove ramekins from water and place on a wire rack.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Cover ramekins; chill until cold, 3-4 hours.

This was a great refreshing chocolate dessert for the summer.  I love chocolate, but I could only stomach half immediately after dinner and then later I finished it while watching TV.  Really simple and easy to make.

On our way to the in-laws a couple of weeks ago, we decided to to stop at one of our favorite resturaunts–Hudson’s Classic Grill. We used to have one in our town, but now it only seems to be in the middle of Wisconsin, in the Wausau area.
My favorite thing about the resturaunt is that it is no smoking. Plus it is very affordable–$6 or $7 a basket, great choices and a fun atmosphere–old car parts hanging all over the place from the ceiling. Their menu is in car terms with lots of goodies–dip sticks (mozerrella sticks), Golden Lugnuts (fried cheese curds), etc. It offers an array of sandwiches–Angry Chicken sandwich, California burgers (burgers with guacomole), pastas and salads. It is a great family resturaunt with pretty quick service.
My only gripe is that the Mozzerella sticks at the Wausau resturant are just normal. The one in De Pere had like tortilla wrapped sticks, which are really good. Once we find a recipe, we may try to make that!

Here we are again with Four Foods on Friday.  I’m actually remembering!

#1. What’s your favorite white beverage? If you don’t have one, what’s your favorite beverage with something white in it?  Milk
#2. What’s your favorite white gravy, sauce, condiment, dressing or topping? alfredo sauce
#3. What’s your favorite white item from the refrigerated section? tartar sauce
#4. Share a recipe for something white. 
We are going to make this recipe next week, so I will let you know how it turns out:
Individual Clam Chowder Potpies
Ingredients 
1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 2 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups cubed potatoes, 2 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 package 15 oz refrigerated piecrust

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in flour, cook, stirring constantly about one minute.

2.  Stir in water and whipping cream. Bring to a boil.  Add mixed vegetables, potatoes clams, salt and pepper, mix well. Cook stirring frequently until mixture boils and thickens.  Remove from heat.

3. Place each piecrust on lightly floured surface.  Cut 6 rounds each 1/2 larger than the diameter of 1 cup overproof soup bowl, from piecrusts.  Reroll piecrust as needed to cut rounds.

4.  Ladle clam chowder into the six soup bowls filling each about 3/4ths full.  Place 1 piecrust round over each bowl, pressing firmly.  Cut slits in each round to let steam escape.

5.  Bake for 20-25 or until tops golden and filling is bubbly.

This weeks Four Foods on Friday from Fun, Crafts and Recipes has made me really hungry.

#1. What’s your favorite beverage containing chocolate or chocolate flavoring? Chocolate milk (its nutrition in disguise.)
#2. What’s your favorite chocolate bar? OR Share a pic of your favorite candy, chocolate or otherwise.  Hershey Bars
#3. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten that had chocolate in it? chocolate crepe. 
#4. Share a recipe using chocolate.  Take vanilla ice cream out of freezer, pour hershey syrup over it.  Right now, this is my favorite chocolate dessert.  I don’t know why but the most simple meals lately.