Exploring with Food

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Hubby and I got a chance to explore some food the other day! We took a drive down to Sunset Beach and then walked around the local shopping area. There is a very large department-grocery store there called Jusco and right next to that is Depot Island and America Town. We went in to just look around. It is stimulation central! There are clothes, food, people, language you don't understand! It was awesome! We decided to just pick out a few treats at the grocery's bakery section. We got 4 different things:

This was a sweetbread with a green tint to it. It might have been green tea, not quite sure. It was only a little sweet, not too powerful in the sweet department. 

This sweet bread was the same as the one above only it was not green. 

This doughnut-like pastry was dense and it had a strawberry yogurt-like frosting on top. Again, it was not overly sweet. Not what we thought it was going to be, but happy we tried it!

 This guy was the best! Happy Halloween! I believe it was a sweetbread with some sort of a sweetened yam spread on the inside and used to glue on the almond eyes. I liked it, Hubby, not so much! Tehehe!

After eating our goodies, we stopped by a beach shack and got an Orion beer.

This morning we went and had brunch at Camp Cortney with Hubby's XO and his wife. It was wonderful and the view was spectacular! (cant upload right now....) I look forward to meeting new people and starting to explore this island some more!

Coming up: We get our house tomorrow and I will get pics up ASAP. I also have some recipes to share from our time home in MN. Yes, I did do a little cooking, and my mother did some baking! 

Keep checking in!

Almost that Time of Year

So...it is progressively progressing ever closer to the holidays: Christmas and New Years! And boy oh boy I cannot wait! But, this years holiday season comes with a little bit of bitter news mixed in...my hubby is NOT going to be around for Christmas or New Years...Yes, SAD, sad day indeed.

He is deploying yet again, and this time to Afghanistan. Oh joy! I do not know much about where he is going and what exactly he will be doing, but I know that this time there is much greater risk involved in what he is doing, and communication will be very little. Dang! But, it comes with the job description, and he is fighting for our freedom and for that of our children's as well. So, I am VERY VERY PROUD of him and PROUD to be a military wife and support him in every which way I can!

Well, enough of all this sappy sap...I have some Holiday Themed Recipes! One is for a Kringle that I always remember being made at our family's Christmas morning get together. The other is for a Cinnamon Stick Cookie that my mother says her mother used to make all the time, but she has not had it for ever! I am determined to make both of these recipes at some time this holiday season, and I will have new pictures to prove that I did so! Well, here ya go!

~Myrna's Cinnamon Stick Cookies~

1 c. butter

5 tbsp. sugar

2 1/4 c. AP flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in vanilla and combine. Gradually incorporate the flour. Roll into 3 in. sticks. Bake for 21 min. on an ungreased cookie sheet. Let cool slightly and roll in cinnamon sugar while the sticks are still warm so it will stick. Let cool completely and ENJOY!!

~Swedish Kringle~

Pastry

2 c. flour

1 c. butter, divided

1 c. water, plus 1 tbsp.

3 eggs

1/2-1 tbsp. almond extract

Glaze

1 tbsp. butter

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

4 tbsp. cream or milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. butter, and 1 tbsp. water. Mix by hand until totally combined and pat onto a greased or tinfoil lined cookie sheet and form into 2 3in. strips. Set aside.

In a med. sauce pan bring 1/2 c. butter and 1 c. water to a boil and stir in 1 c. flour, eggs, one at a time, and almond extract. Spread on the prepared strips. Bake for 60 min. Let cool.

Prepare the glaze by mixing the butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, and cream or milk in a large bowl until combined and smooth. Pour over the Kringle. Cut and ENJOY!!

This is a Chocolate Peppermint Kringle from O&H Danish Bakery in Racine, WI. Racine has one of the largest Danish populations in the U.S. and this Danish Kringle is similar to the Swedish one.

I am busy...Call me bee...

Well HELLO THERE!!

There has been some time since my last post! I do apologize, but I have a ligetimate excuse! I am in school and it is the end of the year...and that can only equate to one answer...FINALS!! Oh yeah, guess what one of my finals is? Guess? Yeah, a gallery show! Not a solo show, it is with me and 9 other amazing artists...but its stressful to get work done! Especially if you are in another state for half of that time!

I was in North Carolina visiting the Hubby other the Thanksgiving holiday! It was wonderful! I got to cook, bake, stuff my belly, relax with hubby, and play with twin boys under 2 years old! Can life get more perfect!?!?! I think not!

With being out in NC, Hubby likes for me to cook for him....and boy did I ever! I cooked many scrumptious goodies for Turkey Day, but that will come in another post...In this one I will share with you the best that I made. (or what I took photos of!)

First off, lets start with some chicken wings...BBQ ones to be exact. Hubbs and I had just gotten done working out, and he had a craving for some finger licking goodness! (not the colonel) So, I experimented with a recipe right out of my head! It turned out wonderful and moist, just like good chicken should!

~Baked BBQ Chicken Wings~

1 pkg. whole chicken wings (about 8 pieces), thawed

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. seasoning salt

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the flour into a medium mixing bowl and add the seasoning salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Set aside. Take the chicken wings and separate the wing from the drummy by cutting at the joint. Also cut off the wing tip and discard. Coat the pieces in the flour mixture and lay into a single row in the baking dish. Cook in oven for about 15 min. then flip the wings. Bake for another 10 min. and cover with BBQ sauce. Bake for about another 30-40 min. or until the wings are tender and the juices run clear. Remove from oven, let cool for a min. and transfer to a plate and cover with remaining BBQ sauce from the baking dish. enjoy!

These turned out very yummy indeed and they were demolished. Next time I would used more spice and crisp them up a little more. (The top heating element in our oven does not work) The spice measurements are just a guideline, use whichever ones that you like and add as much or as little as you please!

Our Last meal...

~Steamed Asparagus~

1 bunch asparagus

2 thin slabs of butter

2-3 tbsp. water

Pinch of salt and pepper

Place the asparagus in a shallow bowl and pour the water into the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and place the butter on top of the asparagus. Steam for about 2-3 min. and then stir. If needed, steam for another few min. They should be green and crisp, but cooked. Season again before serving if desired.

~Greek Salad~

1 lg. tomato

1 lg. cucumber

1 pt. pitted kalamata olives

8 oz. feta cheese

1 16 oz. jar pepperoncini peppers

1 8.5 oz. jar Tuscan flavored olive oil

1 med. red onion*

1 lg. red or green pepper*

Chop up the tomato, cucumber, and green or red peppers into bite sized pieces. Place into a large bowl. Slice the red onion into thin rings and cut off the top of the pepperoncini peppers. Add them to the bowl. Add the olives and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Pour the bottle of olive oil over the entire salad. Toss to coat. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few min. to let the flavors mingle. Serve and enjoy!

*We did not use these ingredients in our salad, but they are other classic greek additions to salads. Next time I will add them!

~Seasoned Crescent Rolls~

1 pkg. reduced fat crescent rolls

garlic powder

garlic salt

italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to temp on crescent roll package. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Undo half of the crescent rolls and lay out flat on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and powder, and italian seasoning. Roll up and sprinkle with a little more of each seasoning. Repeat for the remaining rolls. Bake for 10-12 min. or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Again...these spices are just what I used because I was in a garlicky mood. Use whatever you like and enjoy! Duh!!

~Herbed Grilled Chicken~

1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1/2 c. olive oil

garlic salt

garlic powder

onion powder

dried oregano

dried basil

Slice the chicken lengthwise through the middle to get 6 thin breast pieces. In a deep tuperware container pour the olive oil and the seasionings and herbs. Use as much or as little as you like! Stir to coat the chicken and store in the fridge for at least 30 min. Take chicken out and cook over med. heat, covered, for about 3-4 min. per side. Test for doneness, if inside is not pink and juices run clear they are done. Enjoy!

~Cinnamon Biscuits~

1 2/2 c. AP flour

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. milk

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and mix untl combined. Add more milk if needed. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 1/4 in. thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Make sure this mixture is a more cinnamon-y than your standard cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll the long way into a log and slice into 1 in. pieces. Place in a muffin tin and bake at 375 for about 10-15 min. or until tender and sightly browned. The frosting I made was just powdered surgar, milk and some vanilla extract.

**Updated**

On a side note...

Apparantly I make really good cheesy eggs! Hubby had some every day that I was visiting him in NC. I make them like this:

Whip some eggs together in a bowl with a fork. Add a little bit of milk (more if you have more eggs) and whip again. Pour into a heated pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Scramble the eggs. Add the cheese on top of the almost done eggs and cover with a lid for a few seconds. Uncover and mix until all the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Eggs!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Cinnamon Rolls, Pizza, and Planes! What more...

Hello, Hello!!

Once again...it has been a while since I have last posted...please do not hate me! I am really going to start making this a regular thing...I just have to find the time...and the content. But...on a better note...I did some BAKING!!!

I was in North Carolina over the weekend with the Hubbs and we (I) had some wonderful culinary adventures! The first was Homemade Pizza Crust with jarred sauce :-(...sad I know, but if we had had the ingredients on hand we would have used them! We made two medium sized pepperoni pizzas. The crust was very thick and some what doughy...but not underdone! Its just really "thick" for a pizza crust. Next time we will make 2 LARGE pizzas or 3 MEDIUM ones so that the crust is thinner. But on the whole...a Delicious experience!

~Homemade Pizza Dough~
2 c. warm water
1 pkg. yeast or 1 tbsp.
1 tbsp. sugar
1/3 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
5-5 1/2 c. four (more if needed)

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl and allow yeast to ferment (bubble). Mix the olive oil, basil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Pour in yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add in flour 1 c. at a time and stir to combine. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until well combined. Place in oiled bowl and cover with a towel or oiled saran wrap. Let sit in warm location until doubled in size. (About 1 hour or more.) Once risen, turn out onto floured surface and knead a little more then roll out to desired size. This recipe makes 2 large pizza crusts or 3 medium pizza crusts.

~Pizza~

3-4 c. pizza sauce

toppings of choice

cheese of choice

Italian seasoning

After dough is rolled out to desired size, spread sauce over top. Amount used depends on how much sauce you like on your pizza. Spread with toppings of choice then top with cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30-45 min. Remove and let cool for 5 min. then slice and enjoy!

Look at that wonderful crust! Perfect, I like it slightly doughy...yummy!

Wow, so the next morning I decided to make some Cinnamon Rolls. These did not turn out quite as good. They tasted spot-on, but they were really quite stiff and crunchy due to the dough not rising properly. I did not want to waste in, so I made them any way! Hey, I can always get better and whats not good when it is liberally covered in cream cheese frosting? Hahaha!

~Cinnamon Rolls~

(adapted from the Skinny Gourmet)

Dough

1/4 c. warm water

1 tsp. white sugar

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg, beaten

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. salt

1/2-1 c. skim milk

2 1/2 - 5 c. flour (more if needed)

Filling

4 - 6 tbsp butter, divided

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 -1 c. raisins (optional)

Pour the warm water into a small bowl. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour in the yeast and set aside until yeast has fermented or "puffed".

In a large bowl, mix the milk, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt. Sir to combine. Once yeast has proofed, add it to the mixture and stir to combine. Add half of the flour and stir. Slowly add in 1 c. of flour at a time and stir after each addition. The dough should come together but not be tough. Dump out the dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour if necessary. Place in a buttered bowl and cover and let to rise in a warm location, free from drafts, until it has doubled in bulk. This could take anywhere from 30 to 90 min.

Once the dough has doubled in size, dump out unto a floured surface and knead slightly. Divide dough and roll out into a rectangle. Spread surface of dough with butter then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Roll dough starting with the long side and cut into 4-6 even pieces. Place into a buttered baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 min. or until rolls are golden brown.

~Cream Cheese Icing~
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2-3 tbsp. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Taste and add more sugar and milk to desired taste and consistency. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Rolling the cinnamon rolls

And I have to put in a plug for my favorite new drink! So, I am NOT a pop drinker. I gave it up in high school for lent and still have not drank it. (unless I did not know about it) BUT...there is one "exception"...Vernors Ginger Soda. It is AMAZING!! Much more potent than ginger ale...wonderful ginger flavor and carbonation.

And I would like to leave you with some more plane pictures! This one one top is during take off with a sunrise...i just love it! The one below is about an hour before landing...the texture of the clouds was just to amazing to pass up! Hope you like them as much as I do!

Im at school!

Yeah! NOT!!

Okay, okay, don't get me wrong, I do like school, its just that it takes up so much time!! Jeez! But, I do like the fact that your done in 4 years!

So, that is why I have not posted in a while, I have been packing, moving, unpacking, and going to classes. Phew!! So...I am going to share a recipe with everyone...Its Monkey Bread! I woke up this morning craving it! But, I can't make it yet...the pan is on its way!! (Snail mail lol!) Sooo...in lue of me caving it, I thought that I would post the recipe that I like the best and then accompany it with some pics of the last time I made it. (Sometime in the summer) I hope that will make all my readers happy! (the few that I have!) So, here is the recipe:

~Crazy Monkey Bread~

16 frozen yeast rolls

1 3 oz. pkg. dry butterscotch pudding

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Arrange the frozen bread into the bottom of a bundt pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over top. Melt together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour mixture over rolls. Let thaw and rise overnight or for several hours. Bake in a 350 F oven for 25 min. Turn out immediately onto a large plate. Enjoy!

**Note that you can add 1/2 c. chopped pecans to the bread. Sprinkle them into the sprayed bundt pan before you put in the frozen bread.

The dough as it rises

Interior inner-goodness shot