What Up Paula Deen...I'm Coming For You Rachel Ray!

Unemployment has obviously left me with alot of free time on my hands. Since I don't have much going on right now I've decided to kick up my housewifefiancee duties and work on my cooking skills a bit. It is common knowledge in my household as well as blogland that cooking is not really my strong point but I started simple with a basic pasta dish.

Penne Pasta

I'm new to this whole cooking (if you could call this that) thing so there was no measurements or anything to this recipe. I have made this with Big Man a couple times before but I haven't made it since we've been in Pennsylvania yet.

You'll need:

- Penne pasta

- Ground Turkey

- Shredded Mozzarella

- Old Bay Seasoning

-Garlic Salt

- Prego Sauce

How To Prepare:

- Boil Penne Pasta till noodles are a little soft

- Drain pasta

- Prepare meat, include seasoning as meat is browning

- Once fully cooked and browned drain some of the grease/fat out

- Mix meat, pasta, and sauce

- Put mixture into baking dish and cover with shredded cheese

- Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted

-Enjoy!!!

Before my mom and I went to Wally World to get the ingredients for my meal, I also decided that besides dinner I wanted to surprise Big Man with a dessert. I usually stick to the regular cookie, brownies, cupcakes route but I wanted to try something different so I browsed the Internets and found a yummy recipe for...

S'More Bars

This turned out delicious and was actually pretty easy to make!

What You'll Need:

- 10 Graham Crackers

- Fudge Brownie Mix

- Mini Marshmallows

- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

How To Prepare:

- Lay out about 8 1/2 crackers at the base of your pan. I used a 13 x 9.

- Prepare brownie mix as instructed on the box and then spread evenly over the graham crackers....now my mom wanted you to know, that she indeed did mix the brownie mix and she says that it was made with love : )

- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes...I'm pretty sure this is universal but we stick a toothpick in and see if it comes out clean to see if the middle is baked enough, but to each their own.

- Take out of oven and cover with mini marshmallows. Now like I said before I really didn't do any measuring, I pretty much just grabbed in the bag by the handful and kept going till the whole pan was covered.

- Again just reach in the bag and grab the semi-sweet chocolate chips by the handful and cover till you have a good mix over the marshmallows.

NOM! NOM! NOM!

- After you have covered with the chocolate chips, place back in the oven at 300 for about 5 minutes till the marshmallows are fluffed and the chocolate chips are semi (haha) melted.

- I used about 8 1/2 graham crackers for the base and with the remaining I crushed them up and sprinkled them on top

Now I must admit, I must not greased the pan enough because the bottom graham crackers did burn a bit but besides that everything went smoothly.

I didn't let it cool completely because it smelled so good but here's a better look of it out of the pan after Big Man took a forkful out.

Big Man tested and approved!!! : )

My Domestic Darling Skills Are Severely Lacking In That Place That Some Of You Call A Kitchen...

It's not a surprise to anyone that I do not have any talent when it comes to the culinary arts. I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty much only good at cooking things that primarily need to only be boiled in hot water...mac & cheese, pierogies, spaghetti, etc.

Touching raw meat and having to cut the fat of chicken breast...skeevy mcskveester right here, I honestly want to throw up in my mouth when I have to do that. The texture of the meat, the sliminess, and just thinking that at one time poor Chicken Little was alive and led a 'fulfilling' life...tear. I don't know what it is but having to make those types of things creep me out. And without that basic food group and having a fiancee who loves to eat, it leaves my options a little slim.

Big Man loves that stuff. He's a man's man. A meat and potatoes boy who loves grilling up nonsense with his chest puffed practically grunting like Tim 'The Toolman' Taylor. Me on the otherhand can eat a whole pot of macaroni by itself without a meat or fish in sight. Don't get me wrong I do eat meat and like some stuff but I'd prefer a grilled cheese over it anyday, and I have 3 bloggy friends to vouch for that ; )

The point is that even though I don't care much for these dishes I would like to know how to make them just so Big Man can actually eat a fulfilling meal of mine, and I can wave my wifey kitchen flag high. It's might sound foolish to some women but I want to be that wife that runs a good household and can make a tasty meal for her man.

If you want to help, you can rally around Big Man and demand he buy me this...

I think it would help my kitchen cause verrry much....*wink wink*

I seriously want one of those but honestly I really want to improve my cooking skills. My sad little cookbooks are sitting under my bed collecting dust crying to come out.

You ladies have any tips? What are some good recipes for new cook as myself?!?

And someone please tell me I'm not the only skeeved out by raw Chicken Little....thanks!!

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies are probably one of the easiest and most popular cookies to make. Since I am not much of a cook, I bake and this is def. one my top 10 that I am actually good at! : )

So enjoy the yummy goodness that I got from the Pillsbury Best Desserts Cookbook!

SOFT & CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Yields: 6 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups margarine or butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

4 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies*

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips .** Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

2. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutesor until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute and then remove from cookie sheet.

*- you can substitute with peanut butten, mint chocolate chips, white vanilla etc.

**- at this point you can freeze the dough for later use. Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. To bake, thaw dough at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Bake as directed above.

Another thing that my Nan taught that has been proven correct and very useful is once your cookies are packaged in a tin or tupperware, put a piece of fresh sliced bread in there to keep the cookies soft. The bread sops up all the extra moisture and keeps your cookies from drying up and hardening.

Enjoy! :)

The Good & The Bad

It is officially Memorial Day weekend...woo-hoo!

What do you ladies have planned for the weekend?!?

BBQ's? Parties? Boozin'?

Unfortunately I will not be able to partake in any festivities today since I have two work at both the fitness center and the restaurant....boo!

But I do plan on making a festive little cake on Sunday to celebrate though! :)

I made the one on the left (strawberries & blueberries) last year and it came out pretty good. That is the one that I will also be making this year (why fix what isn't broken?). I would love to attempt the right side one but I am not that skilled yet in my cake decorating, so maybe I'll try that another time..maybe for the Fourth of July.

If you would like to try them out you can find both recipes HERE.

***

And with that sweet goodness, I must end this post on a sour note:

I'm burying my Facebook!

(a.k.a. deleting it)

Yes, it is a sad day in the social networking community.

Between my marriage to MySpace and my affair with Facebook, it was a choice that needed to be made.

I was over old Facie tryin' to booze me up, 'sending me drinks' and shit, when I knew all he really wanted to do was 'poke' me. Yeah ..he would send me 'gifts' and we would have long conversations about 'what 80's superstar I was' but I needed more...more than he could give me.

He put up a good fight tho...poor guy even got a face lift. But it was too little, too late.

It's over! :(

(**I would have also probably deleted Myspace too but most of my family & friends from PA are still on there so I decided to keep that one...for the time being**)

***

P.S. I am soo effin' pissed about the last one second of the Magic/Laker game last night...WTF?!? When does the last one second last for like 10 minutes..Son of a bitch...Whatever they still got time yet! : )

GO MAGIC!!!

Festive Thanksgiving Recipes!

Skinny Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup crushed gingersnap
• 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1 16 ounce can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk

Directions

1. In a 9-inch pie plate, combine gingersnap and graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and flour; drizzle with melted margarine and mix with a fork. Using your fingers, pat crumbs to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Chill about 1 hour or until firm.
2. In a mixing bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Blend in egg product with a rotary beater or fork. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour in prepared pie shell. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until center appears set when shaken. Cool on wire rack; cover and chill to store. Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8 servings

Roasted Cheddar Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 24 ounce package frozen potato wedges ( skin on)
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded white or other cheddar cheese ( 4 ounces)
• 2/3 cup crushed croutons ( about 1 cup croutons)
• Dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to package directions for potatoes. Place frozen potatoes in a large self-sealing plastic bag. Combine cooking oil, garlic, paprika, and salt. Drizzle over potato wedges. Seal bag and shake to coat potatoes.
2. Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread potatoes in a single layer on prepared pan. Bake potato wedges according to package directions, turning once.
3. In another small bowl combine the cheese and croutons. Sprinkle over the potatoes the last 3 minutes of baking. Use a large spatula to transfer potato wedges to a platter or large plate (keep potatoes in a single layer). Serve with sour cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts
Calories 165,
Total Fat (g) 8,
Saturated Fat (g) 4,
Cholesterol (mg) 15,
Sodium (mg) 217,
Carbohydrate (g) 19,
Fiber (g) 1,
Protein (g) 5,
Vitamin A (DV%) 6,
Vitamin C (DV%) 5,
Calcium (DV%) 11,
Iron (DV%) 2,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Apple Sparkler

*safe for kiddies*

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon red or green colored sugar (optional)
• 10 unpeeled orange wedges or chunks
• 5 unpeeled lime wedges or chunks
• 5 6-inch wooden skewers
• 2/3 cup raspberry juice blend
• 1 750 ml bottle sparkling apple cider or sparkling pear apple juice, chilled

Directions

1. Sprinkle colored sugar on a piece of waxed paper. Moisten the rims of five wine glasses, one at a time, with a little water. Dip each rim in sugar and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to dry.
2. For fruit garnish, place 2 orange wedges and 1 lime wedge onto each skewer; set aside
3. Divide raspberry juice blend among prepared wine glasses. Being careful not to disturb the sugar on the rim, gently pour sparkling cider into each glass. Place a citrus skewer in each glass. Makes 5 servings

Nutritional Facts
Servings Per Recipe 5 servings

Pomegranate Sparklers

*21+ only*

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups pomegranate seeds (from 1 large pomegranate)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup brandy
• 1 750 ml bottle sparkling wine, such as Prosecco, Asti Spumante, or brut champagne, chilled

Directions

1. In a bowl place pomegranate seeds and enough brandy to cover. Cover; let stand at room temperature 4 to 24 hours.
2. For each Sparkler, pour 5 ounces sparkling wine into a champagne glass. Add a few brandied seeds. Makes 5 servings.

Note: Prosecco is a variety of white grape grown in the Veneto region of Italy, and also gives its name to the sparkling wine made from the grape.