Yummy Mummies

October 18, 2010 by
I felt a little weird buying a tube of crescent rolls at the store the other day.  I looked around first to see if anyone saw me put them in my cart.  I don’t have anything against them, and don’t judge someone for buying them, I just never do.  I enjoy making homemade rolls and breads alot, so I never have a need for them.
And I probably could have used some homemade roll dough to make these, but it was a last minute project to make with friends coming over and wasn’t sure if my dough would raise too much and ruin it.
The kids got a kick out of these and it really was a nice, quick kid treat.  Happy Halloween!
YUMMY MUMMIES
Pkg of 8 hot dogs
Pkg of Crescent Rolls
Separate crescents and roll each into a long rope.
Wrap around mummy, a small section around one end, then leave a space for the face and wrap around the remaining section for the body.
Place on a baking sheet, repeat with remaining hot dogs and crescent roll dough.
Bake according to crescent directions. (Mine took a few more minutes.)
Dip a toothpick in mustard or ketchup to add eyes after baked.
Filed Under: Halloween / Fall

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

October 15, 2010 by
Everyone should have a variety of good side dishes in their recipe collection.  They come in very handy, and I like to make sure whenever I try a new recipe to make a side dish that I KNOW everyone loves.  That way, in case the test recipe doesn’t turn out wonderful, at least there will still be something on the table everyone is happy about.  This is one of those recipes.  Simple, delicious, all around trusty dish. 
CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES
Recipe by My Stained Apron
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
chives or green onions, for serving, optional
Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add flour and stir for about 1 minute. 
Whisk in milk and let cook until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes. 
Add salt, pepper, paprika, and 2 1/2 cups of the cheese.
Spray a 9 by 13 inch dish with cooking spray and spread out a third of the potatoes and onions in the bottom.
Spoon over about a third of the sauce.
Repeat twice.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are cooked through and cheese is crusty and browned.  Top with green onions or chives, if desired.
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With:

Split Pea Soup

October 13, 2010 by
 
This is seriously one of my favorite dishes.… Do I say that alot?… Anyways, there is nothing that makes me feel more content than stirring a pot of soup.  Soup is a miracle food in my book.  It’s usually very healthy and satisfying, easy to feed a crowd with, inexpensive, easy to cook… need I go on?  And let’s not forget delicious! 
So there are many reasons I’m excited that “soup season” has begun around here.
And my cheddar pepper drop biscuits go just perfect with this soup.  Happy Soupin’!
 
SPLIT PEA SOUP
 
12 oz dried green split peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 cup cooked, diced ham or turkey ham
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
 
Rinse peas and soak  in cold water overnight. (This is optional- they may just need simmered longer if you skip this step.)   Drain, rinse again.
Put peas along with everything else in a large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer for at least 2 hours, or until peas are tender.  If you want the soup thinner, just add more liquid.
 
*This soup also freezes well, if I have leftovers I freeze them in individual serving size freezer containers.  If it’s too thick when re-warmed, just add more water.
Filed Under: Soups / Stews Tagged With: ,

Paprika Roasted Chickpeas

October 11, 2010 by
Yes, I love roasting.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ve probably guessed as much.  I also LOVE paprika.  Especially smoked paprika.  If you can’t find smoked paprika, look for a darker color, that usually means it will have a deeper, smokier flavor.  I pressure cook beans and keep them in 1 1/2 cup baggies in the freezer (that’s about equal to a can).  These are so divine.  Slightly crunchy from the roasting, with a smoky paprika flavor and a hint of saltiness.  They would make a great appetizer, or maybe even made into hummus.  But just throw them in a bowl and watch them dissapear. I bet they will!
PAPRIKA ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Recipe by My Stained Apron
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked from dried beans)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika (I prefer smoked)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Toss all together, mixing well.
Spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks

Cherry Vanilla Crunch Cake

October 7, 2010 by
 
Vanilla bean paste is one of my favorite new ingredients.  It really gives such a stronger vanilla flavor compared to just extract.  But if you don’t have any, you really should still make this.  The cherries kind of bake in to the cake a little, and the crunch topping just perfects it.  You could put the pie filling on top of the cake batter, but I really wanted to cake to stay white.  Either way I think you’ll like it!  And yes, I used home canned pie filling, but you can use store-bought as well.  I won’t tell anyone.
 
CHERRY VANILLA CRUNCH CAKE
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
White Cake Mix
1 T vanilla bean paste (or 1 T vanilla extract)
Cherry Pie Filling
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
 
Make cake mix according to package directions, except add the Tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.
Spoon the cherry pie filling into a 9 by 13 inch pan.
 
Pour batter as evenly as possible over the pie filling.
Mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
Cut butter using a pastry blender until about the size of peas.
Evenly distribute topping over cake mix.
 
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until cake is done.
Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops

Upcoming Review!

October 6, 2010 by

I’m excited to do a review coming up for CSN Stores.  You can get anything from a bar stool to silverware there since they have over 200 online stores. I’ll be reviewing a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker.  It’s fairly inexpensive, has good reviews, and I’m excited to finally get around to making homemade yogurt!

I’ve been curious about trying one out for awhile now, and I’ll let you know how I like it!
Filed Under: Giveaways / Reviews

Chocolate Whipped Cream

October 6, 2010 by
 
This is probably one of the most simple things to make.  Whipped cream.  And wouldn’t you know it’s one of the best?  This was my birthday cake this year.  A simple homemade chocolate cake, with my favorite frosting, a lightly chocolate whipped cream.  You don’t have to use the Instant ClearJel, but I tell ya, that stuff is pure magic.  It keeps the whipped cream from getting loose or runny, and it has no flavor.
Next time you’re making a cake and want a quick and easy frosting, give this a try- or serve with some fresh strawberries, or whatever else you fancy!
 
CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp instant ClearJel, optional
 
Whip cream slightly, then add remaining ingredients.  Continue whipping to stiff peaks.
(In pictured cake I sprinkled some Heath Bits on top of the cake for texture.)
 
Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

October 4, 2010 by
 
My Hubby loves enchiladas. LOVES. I get tired of buying enchilada sauce, it seems a bit overpriced in my opinion, and it seemed like something that I should be able to make myself. Not to mention we don’t like super spicy food, and more than once I made enchiladas without knowing that the sauce I was using was more spicy than we cared for.  So I did some digging around and found a few recipes.  This ended up being the winner after some small adaptions, and I was amazed at how good the flavor was.  The nice thing is you could make this as spicy or as mild as you like.  (The original recipe called for a whopping 1/4 cup of chili powder).  I’m never buying a can of enchilada sauce again- try this and you won’t either!
 
HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE
Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse
 
3 T canola oil
1 T flour
1/2 tsp chili powder (more if you like it hotter)
2 cups chicken stock
10 oz tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
 
Heat oil in a medium saucepan.  Add flour, stirring well.  Cook for 1 minute.
Add chili powder, cook for 30 seconds.
Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder.  Stir well.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. (It will become thicker and smoother.)
Add salt, taste and add more seasonings if desired.  Serve on your favorite enchiladas.
Filed Under: Mexican, Sauces / Condiments Tagged With: , ,

Blackberry Vanilla Bean Cake

October 1, 2010 by
 
This is a great “end of summer” kind of cake.  Blackberries always make me think of the end of summer and hot days.  I used vanilla bean paste in this recipe and really loved it.  If it’s unavailable to you, use the same amount of vanilla extract. (Or if you have a vanilla bean, use that).  The paste had a much stronger vanilla taste than the extract and I’m definitely keeping it in my pantry from now on. (I found it at Whole Foods).  Also, I used blackberries in mine (fresh or frozen will work), but raspberries would be wonderful as well.
Berries and vanilla, can it get any better?
Oh wait, throw on my Grandma’s French Cream Frosting and it will.
 
BLACKBERRY VANILLA BEAN CAKE
Recipe by My Stained Apron
 
6 egg whites
1 cup milk
1 T vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 cup mashed and strained blackberries*or raspberries
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
French Cream Frosting
 
Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine vanilla bean paste, mashed berries, and milk.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add flour mixture and berry mixture to butter and sugar in alternating batches.
Fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites, the fold in the rest all at once.
Spray two 8 or 9 inch cake pans with nonstick spray and bake at 350 degrees for about 24-28 minutes.
*I used frozen blackberries, and microwaved them for just a couple of minutes and mashed them.  I didn’t strain them, but if you don’t like the seeds, you should.  You could also use raspberries here- that would be quite delicious as well.

 
Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops

French Cream Frosting

October 1, 2010 by
 
Okay, we need to have a little talk.  You’re going to scroll down and read the ingredients and immediately think I’m crazy and no frosting calls for a whole egg, yolk and all.  But yes, you’re reading that right.  My grandmother has been making this frosting since… I don’t know… for FOREVER.  And she’s 96 years old and I am not about to start telling the woman how to make frosting, especially since this frosting is SO right.  Just try it and you’ll see.  It tastes just like hot summer in my Grandma’s back kitchen, sitting in her old swivel chair and looking out the window to the big pasture.  I can almost smell my Grandpa’s pipe and hear Grandma fussing over something on the stove. 
 
FRENCH CREAM FROSTING
Recipe source: My Grandma
 
1 egg
1 lb (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
 
Beat egg slightly. (Egg yolk and white).
Add powdered sugar to egg and mix well.
Put sugar, water, and salt in a small pot and boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add sugar mixture to egg mixture slowly, mixing the whole time. (You don’t want scrambled eggs here)
Add butter, shortening, and vanilla.
Store in refrigerator. Makes 1 quart.
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Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops