Ooey Gooey Butter Cake ~ Day 22

My new thing today came about because my BFF since 4th grade called. Yep, we still joke and say BFFs because we have known each other that long. She knows what I am thinking before I say it, and knows every story about me. My whole family thinks of her like family. She couldn't get rid of us if she tried.

Well, she is in Bass Lake for Christmas with no internet. She calls with a favor, "Can you find Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake for me online?" So I do, and start asking questions while I read her the directions. What is this cake, why is it so important, and should I try it? Her answers were as follows: It is amazing, seriously soooooo good, we absolutely need to make it, and yes, yes, you should definitely try it, it is that good.

Our new thing for the day was Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Gluten free style. Butter baby, Paula loves the butter. http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/gooey_butter_cake/ I substituted the yellow cake mix for a Pamela's gluten free vanilla cake mix and added an extra egg. It was VERY GOOD. Paula's seems a little more gooey than mine but I knew my family would say ooey if it was too gooey. I thought it was perfect. My neighbor came over and ate two pieces, can anything made with butter taste bad? The fact she said MMMMM MMMM several times made me think it was a hit. It is worth making, try it for yourself this week, you won't be disappointed.

Shepherds Pie ~ Day 17

I have always wanted to make Shepherds pie but never have because of the meltdown I knew would follow. For some crazy reason, 2 of 3 children in this house hate mash potatoes. Tonight I decide too dang bad, mamas making a Shepherds pie!!

I got the recipe off of food network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2/index.html It had 5 stars, so I had hope. I altered a few things, gluten free flour instead of regular all purpose, ground beef instead of lamb and 1 cup of corn instead of corn and peas, because well, I was all out of peas.



The outcome was a surprise success. Even though it had mashed potatoes, the kids ate it and they all loved it. My oldest asked for seconds and my two that "didn't like mashed potatoes" mixed it all up together and threw it down. Our six year old kept telling me, "I can't believe I like this, it must be a different kind of mashed potatoes." "Sure it is", I said winking at her.

My new thing for the day was Shepherds pie and I am heading back for seconds.

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Marshmallows ~ Day 10

Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Marshmallows need I say more. I found this recipe on a site called One Charming Party http://onecharmingparty.com/2010/12/09/holiday-treats-chocolate-and-caramel-dipped-marshmallows/.



I decided to make goodie baskets for my girls teachers and amazing friends in my life. I thought this looked delicious, and not to mention I LOVE marshmallows. It wasn't a hard sell.



One hour later, I'm finished. I have chocolate on my clothes, face, I smell of peppermint, I burnt my finger, have a large blister but let me say, they are sooooooo good. They were pretty easy to make, but the burn is all my fault. The caramel just look so good and here is a reminder, melted caramel sticks like glue from a hot glue gun..bad idea. What can I say, I am a hands on girl. Mine may not look as pretty as the ones on the site, but they sure taste UMMM UMMM Good!!

My new thing for the day Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Marshmallows.

Day 83 ~ Carmel Corn

My husband is the best popcorn maker in town. I don't mean the kind of popcorn you stick in the microwave, I mean the kind you put in a pan with oil cook, my friend comes over sometimes just for my hubby popcorn.

He really outdid himself this time, and we had something new. He made homemade Carmel corn. It was so good you couldn't stop eating it and my mouth waters thinking of it. Here is the recipe he followed but this is not for the weak stomach. I say this because it is impossible to eat less than a huge bowl full. It was DELICIOUS!!

Here is the link and the recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/My-Amish-Friends-Caramel-Corn/Detail.aspx

My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn
7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional) We skipped the peanuts
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup We used dark
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine We used good old fashion butter!
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Day 52 ~ It is all about the Yum Yums

I am starting to see a pattern. I like food, I like to cook, I like trying new dishes, tastes, meals, especially treats. Tonight I once again made a new dish and it was delicious.

Tonight I cooked another recipe from the Clean Eating magazine called Moroccan Buffalo and Chickpea Chili. Sounds strange, but oh man, it was so good.
The recipe is as follows:

1lb top-rounded buffalo steak or lean beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes. (I used beef stew)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp cumin, ground
2 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp saffron (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw)
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 6-oz jar tomato paste
2 lemons (optional) used them and added a great taste to chili!

Step One: In a large nonstick pot, cook steak for 2 min. over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrots and all spices. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add chickpeas, cooking for 2 more minutes.

Step Two: Turn up heat to high and pour in 4 cups water, corn tomatoes and bay leaf,. Bring to a boil and stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and chili thickens. Squeeze juice of both lemons into chili, if desired, and stir.. Remove bay leaf before serving.

After my yumo meal, and once the girls were in bed I sat and watched a new movie. It was one of those movies I saw and thought, hey why not? It was called Garden State and it was actually pretty good. I loved to be surprise by a movie, when you don't expect much, but you end up enjoying it. I guess that is where they came up with the term pleasantly surprised.

I tried something new today and was pleasantly surprised by a good meal and some laughter.

Day 50 ~ Flank Steak Roll with Spinach and Garlic

Today I made a new recipe, Flank Steak Roll with Spinach and Garlic. It was easy and VERY good. Believe it or not, but this is one of the Clean Eating recipes. I have to admit, after I had cooked it and put it on the table, I felt kinda fancy. Oh la la.

I asked my husband what he thought about the clean eating and he told me as long as I cook meals like tonight there is no way he will say no. I have to admit though, I am fiending for some treats and chocolate right now. It is Friday night movie night and everyone is having something sweet but me. I think there are some healthy treats in the magazine, I think I need to check them out.

My new thing for today felt like a gourmet meal, with little or no work.

Day 37 ~ Beef Bourguignon

Tonight I tried a new recipe, Beef Bourguignon, and although it took awhile to cook it was DELICIOUS!!


In Late December I rented Julie and Julia and was inspired. She went through the entire year, cooking new recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The movie not only inspired me to cook, but inspired me to start this blog. I loved the idea of trying something new everyday, and so here I am, day 37, trying the famous Beef Bourguignon. Although it is a slight variation from Julia Child's recipe, it was still wonderfully delicious. Trust me, the picture does not do it justice, just ask my husband who licked his bowl clean. I spent most of the afternoon cooking, sautéing, and chopping, and it was well worth it. I have attached the link to the recipe I used. I made a few substitutions like using 6 pieces of thick cut bacon instead of what the recipe called for, and no, I didn't use the cognac... I was afraid I would set the house on fire with that trick! Either way it was still absolutely delicious. The Italian Bread was a wonderful touch, toasted with a small amount of butter. All I can say is I tried a new recipe today and it was YUMMY!

Try it out, you will not be disappointed!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html

Day 26 ~ Taco Soup

Today I tried a new recipe, Taco Soup.

Yes, I know the title doesn't sound all that great but don't let that stop you because it was AWESOME. Everyone in the family liked it, even the baby and it was so simple.

It looks a little crazy but is soooo good!!



Taco Soup

2 15 oz cans black beans with juice
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c frozen corn
1/2 onion
1 lbs ground beef
1 packet or more of taco seasoning
3/4 cup of water
cheese, cilantro, green onions and or sour cream to garnish
a good bag of tortilla chips to crush on top

Cook ground beef and season with salt and pepper. You can add onion to cook with meat or add to slow cooker later. Once meat is cooked add meat and all ingredients to slow cooker set on high. Let cook 7 hours.

When done garnish with all your favorite toppings

Day Four - A Surprise Kiss

My sister-in-law makes the BEST cookies during the holiday season. A peanut butter cookie that contains a chocolate kiss inside of it. They are called a Surprise Kiss. My husband and I looked forward to her making these every year, but now that we are all in different states, we haven't been able to indulge in this mouth watering treat for a very long time.


Today I set out to master this recipe. I had the girls help too. The girls favorite part was licking the beaters, but isn't that everyone's favorite part? I love to cook, and normally it is a lot of fun, but tonight I dropped an egg on my shoe, and just about took my pinkie off with my beater. To top it off I burnt my hand trying to get cookies out and accidentally said a four letter word in front of my kids that I would never admit to.Even after all that, I would have to say these cookies were worth it. They are the kind of cookies that people eat the entire batch in one night. They are the kind of cookies where your mouth really does water. They are the kind of cookies where you say mmmmm mmmm, mmmmmmmmm to, and cause people to stare. They are by far the yummiest cookies to date. I tried a new recipe today and it was delicious!