Review: And it STILL turned out great!

I have been wanting to make Lisa's Spinich Calzones since she won the bloscar. And I agree--they really are that good. Unfortunately I left out the Italian seasoning it called for, and didn't realize this until they were all wrapped up and ready to pop in the oven. So I sprinkled the seasoning over the buttered tops, and then topped that with fresh parmasean. They were so good! They look fancy, too.

Scott insisted that these are a breakfast food. (He got hung up on the egg in them, I think.) Breakfast food or not, we really like them. Thanks, Lisa!

O'Boy question...

So I'm looking at the recipe for O'Boy Oatmeal Cake... and pardon my ignorance, but what is a nutmeat???

Chris is allergic to many nuts (if that has anything to do with this). Would pecans work as a substitute?

REVIEW: Ricotta Filling/P-Dub Lasagna

So I've never been a huge fan of the cottage-cheese-in-lasagna thing, so I decided to make P-Dub's lasagna with Jen's ricotta filling... EXCELLENT! Sheer genius! The cream cheese adds so much creaminess and great texture. Also, I used shredded parmesan on the top instead of grated (that's all I had) and it turned out fantastically. I think this will be the recipe I use from now on. THANKS!

Hurry-up Ham 'N' Noodles (from Taste of Homes magazine)

I made this for the first time the other night. It is really good. My 2 year old had seconds. That's saying a lot since she doesn't seem to want to eat lately. I think when I make it again I will add a clove of garlic (minced) to the butter/cream mixture. That would make it even better, but usually garlic always makes things better.


5 to 6 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
1/4 cup butter or margarine (could probably use olive oil)
1 cup whipping cream
1-1/2 cups julienned fully cooked ham
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add ham, cheese, onions, salt and pepper; heat through. Drain noodles; add ham mixture and heat through. Enjoy.

Italian Cheesecake

This is the real thing- authentic too. Supposedly this guy's great-grandmother served this on holidays in Sicily. I got this off another recipe website and I have made it many times- it is the best homemade cheesecake I have ever had. It makes a lot so have some friends or family over to help you eat it.


4 pkg. of cream cheese, softened to room temp. (Don't use generic brand cream cheese, it does affect the texture.)
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
2 Tblsp. sugar
3 Tblsp. vanilla
1 box of graham cracker crumbs (I didn't know what this meant because a box is too much so I think I used a package?)
Melted butter (no substitutes)


First, butter the sides and bottom of a springform pan. Melt down some butter and add it to the graham cracker crumbs... just enough butter to where the crumbs stick together. Press the crumbs all along the bottom and sides of your springform pan.

Next, beat eggs, 1 c. of sugar, and cream cheese together for 15 minutes. The secret to this cheesecake is the timing- no more and no less than 15 minutes. (It is nice to have a mixer for this) When done, pour this mixture into the springform pan and put into a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Once again, the timing is very important, no more and no less.

Now set your mixer on "whip" and mix together the 1 container of sour cream, the 2 Tblsp. of sugar and the 3 Tblsp. of vanilla. Mix for exactly 10 minutes. Gently pour (I spoon- I made the mistake of pouring and the topping went right into the center and didn't cook well!) this on top of the cheesecake, then bake in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Put in fridge overnight. (It won't completely solidify until completely cooled and it sits in the fridge for awhile.) I like to serve this with canned pie fillings or fresh/ frozen berries. Give it a try, it is amazing!!

Short Cut Carmels

1 C butter (no substitutions!)
2 1/4 C packed brown sugar
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 C light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla (use the good stuff)

line a 8x8 baking pan with foil (I skip this and just butter the pan really well). Butter foil, set aside. In a heavy 3 qt saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, milk and corn syrup. mix well. Cook and stir over medium high heat to boiling. Cook to 248 or the firm ball stage. (15-20 min. this is the shortcut part. Normal carmels take about 60 min. at this point). Remove the saucepan from the heat and remove thermometer. Stir in vanilla. immediately pour into prepared pan. When carmel is firm, remove from pan and using a buttered knife cut into 1" squares. wrap in waxed paper or dip in chocolate

Cranberry Yams

I was thinking of posting this one anyway, it is my new favorite way to make yams. My sister-in-law gave me this recipe.

You will need:

1/2 C. (1 stick) of butter
3/4 C. light brown sugar
2 C. cranberries

1 can of yams (drained)

Preheat oven to 350. In a 8x8 glass pan, mash the yams with a fork or
potato masher, set aside. In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt
the butter and brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries.
Simmer over medium heat until cranberries pop. Pour mixture over yams.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 min. Add mini-marshmallows. Broil
until brown on top.

For a 13x9 pan, use 2 cans of yams, & double the cranberry mixture-it
makes the yams dry if you don't.

*I have never actually used canned yams, I just use fresh ones and cook them on the stove, but canned are probably much easier. I just don't know the difference.

Request: CRANBERRIES

I just bought a 5-lb bag of cranberries with only one recipe (cranberry orange bread) in mind....(can we say: impulse buy?). Help!

Veggie Beef Barley Soup

A dish with lot of veggies was requested and I have wanted to post this anyway. Yummy, healthy soup that is great for cold days! The amounts are all approximations/ guesses. Sorry it is an odd recipe format. Make it according to your taste!


This is what I made the other night. I used a medium/ large pot and it made about 6 servings.



Ingredients:
About 1/2 c. dry barley (or rice if you prefer)
1/2-1 lb. ground beef (optional)
1 can beef broth
1-2 cans (or more) water
1-2 carrots, chopped
2 med. potatoes, diced
Zucchini
Yellow squash
1 can tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn (or corn cut off the cob is delicious!!)
Chopped onion
Basil to taste
Thyme to taste
Salt/ Pepper to taste

First, cook some barley according to directions. I cooked about 1/2 c. of barley in 1 1/2 c. water. This takes awhile- about 45 min. for me.

Brown beef in a med./ large pot. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and potatoes are soft. Add barley when the barley is soft and cooked. Serve with bread. I will also brown the meat and stick it in a crock pot, add all other ingredients and leave on high for a couple hours. Yummy!

English Toffee

A recipe from my sister-in-law Rynell. This is a Andersen family Christmas favorite- Christmas is not Christmas with out these. I hope it is what you are looking for!

Toffee:
1 lb. real butter (sweet cream or unsalted)
2 c. white sugar

For Topping:
2 regular size Hershey milk chocolate bars or 1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans

1. Butter a heavy cookie sheet. (I use a jellyroll pan.)
2. Put butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep stirring as butter melts and mixes with sugar. Keep Stirring! Stir until the mixture turns the color of peanut butter. (I actually get a jar of peanut butter out to compare colors.)
3. Carefully pour hot toffee out onto buttered cookie sheet. Use the back of a spoon to spread if needed. (At this point, put the sauce pan in the sink and fill with hot soapy water for easier clean up.)
4. Let mixture sit for about 3-5 minutes or until you finger doesn't leave an impression in the toffee. Put chocolate on very warm toffee. Once the chocolate is shiny, the chocolate is ready to spread. Spread it with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula.
5. Sprinkle nuts over melted chocolate. Put in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Take toffee out of fridge. Crack the toffee into servings by sliding a knife under it and also by using a heavy knife to break it up. Enjoy!