Gobble it Up!

mini apple pies with Star Crust
below mini chocolate cream Pies

 My 3rd year of thanksgiving! I have learned a few things over the years, but first a quick recap of the last 2 years.  Year one was crazy I cooked solid for 2 days and had 15 people coming to my house. The term go big applied here! I made 4 different desserts (sweet potato pie, apple pie, chocolate pecan tart, and cream puffs), a 24 pound turkey named Hank, 5 different sides (carrots, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole and stuffing) I truly have no clue how I pulled it all off.

Last year I had a smaller crowd, only cooking dinner for 8 was way more manageable. I also had to work on the day before and the day of. I still made 4 different desserts in the form of mini pies (apple, sweet potato, pecan, and chocolate cream) a 17 pound turkey,  and 4 sides (green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and stuffing) Everything was in smaller portions so a bit easier to handle. 

Now that I have bored you all with a not so quick overview of the last 2 years- lets get on to this year. I am hosting about 10 people. I learned last year that my mini pies were cute- however they took a really long time to make. This year I am sticking to two desserts.  I have a 20 pound turkey courtesy of my work! yeah I got a free Turkey! I am going to add a cocktail. That should be fun! Now for the recipe roundup!
To start the day off right I will be serving a Special cocktail in addtion to Ryan's homemade beer. In trying to be festive I thought of a Cranberry Margarita- Here is a recipe simple and easy.
Cranberry Margaritas!
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup Triple Sec

-Pour everything over ice and stir to combine. garnish with some salt rimmed glasses and lime!

Turkey Brining in my largest pot. -  (beer brine)

I asked Lukas to name the Turkey-  as we do every year since I was young, usually it's Tom. He has named our Turkey- Bunny. Yes! that is not a typo- A turkey named Bunny!  Last year I did a beer brine bird, and the year before was a cider brine. Both were amazingly delicious. No other recipes I saw looked as good as the cider-brined-turkey-with-star-anise-and-cinnamon . It will go down as one of my favorite turkey brines of all time. I will just warn you now, doing a wet brine like this one takes up alot of space in the fridge. If you have an extra fridge or even a large cooler it will help to keep your fridge free for other ingredients. And for easy clean up use a brine bag- yes they do make heavy duty bags just for this, don't use a garbage bag- they are NOT food safe.
this year really jumped out at me. So  I am going to go with the
Now on to the sides. Really if it ain't  broke don't fix it right? Well I am only changing a few things around.
But not the Mashed Potatoes! They are the co-star to any thanksgiving dinner for me. Served with any creamy mashed potatoes goes the gravy! Gotta have gravy! here is a fantastic rich-and-silky-turkey-gravy recipe.
Green Bean Casserole- A can of green beans and mushroom soup just doesn't cut it. 2 years ago  I made up my own version- Using fresh green beans, and a thick mushroom sauce. I am a sucker for the fried onions so they have to stay. The first year it was devoured, no leftovers for me. Last year I  made double and it was still all gone. This we will see if I can make enough! -yet still no recipe. I am such a slacker. 

Once again I am here with Stuffing- I can't explain how it's made. I can say whats in it but it's going to have to be by feel. I have watched my dad make it countless times- It's a basic stuffing recipe with onions, celery, mushrooms, olives, chicken stock, sausage, bread, salt, pepper, garlic. Mix together and either stuff or bake in the oven. Dad I'll be calling you on Thursday morning!

Last but not least Brussels sprouts! My favorite! My sister in law never liked Brussels sprouts until I made them for her. SO I get to make a whole bunch because I know they will at last be eaten by both of us. With any leftovers I will use for pizza later in the week. (SO YUMMY)

 Now onto Desserts! This is usually the section that takes the most amount of time to make. So happy I am only going to make 2 different kinds. 

Salted Caramel Cream puffs- Oh YES! thanksgiving doesn't have to be all about pies. I declare cream puffs just as good if not better then pie. They are light and fun to eat! need I say more?!

As always I will make Ryan's favorite- Chocolate Pecan tart. Rich and full of a toffee and chocolate flavor is a great end to a turkey dinner. 

This year I will take  more pictures.  I hope I have inspired some ideas. And wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. 

Fast Erny's Slow Cooked Ribs

Here we are with another one of Fast Erny's recipes. Last time I posted Fast Ernys Sonoran Lime Chicken  it was a hit. Now that summer is right around the corner, these ribs are a real crowd pleaser. It's the winner of multiple rib contests, and is AMAZING! The meat just falls off the bone, and the recipe is effortless. Go ahead try it out. You will want to eat these ribs every night!
3 1/2# St. Louis Ribs
4 TBS Garlic Pepper
2 tsp Salt
1 bottle BBQ sauce-
5 ounces Franks hot sauce
3 TBS minced garlic
I started with some meaty St.Louis style ribs, they generaly are cheaper than baby back ribs and yield more meat.Wash the ribs and pat dry with a paper towel.  Mix the garlic pepper and salt together and rub all over the ribs. Place on a cookie sheet that has 4 sides. Turn the oven to 400* and place the ribs in (no need to preheat the oven) fill a casserole dish with water about 2 quarts and place in the bottom rack of the oven. Cook at 400 for 1 hour. After the 1 hour turn the oven down to 225* without opening the door. Set the timer for 3 hours. Every few hours check the water and make sure it is full, but mostly keep the oven closed. Combine the BBQ sauce, franks hot sauce and minced garlic to form "secret confidential" sauce. Cover the ribs in the sauce and cook for another 45 min. For a total of 4 hours and 45 min of cooking time. Once they come out- cut the ribs, make sure you get some for you they tend to go fast.

Honey and Soy Pork Chops

Just like I was saying about having a bunch of pork chops in my previous post of  Molasses Coffee Pork Chops. I found another great recipe, it's oringaly ment for pork ribs but I thought it would be great on chops and it was! Another great pork chop recipe! Yay I was getting a little tired of same dijon pork- yes it's yummy but sometimes it nice to spice things up.
Honey and soy pork chops
4 (1/2 inch thick) bone in pork chops
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 TBS sherry
1TBS garlic powder
1/2 -1 tsp crushed red peppers

Combine the honey, soy sauce, sherry, garlic powder and red peppers in a sauce pan and heat up to a mild boil, then take off the heat and let cool. Once it's cool pour over the pork chops and let marinate overnight.
When I cooked them I slow roasted the pork chops in the marinade covered with foil for 2 hours at 300 in the last 20 min take off the foil. With all the excitement of dinner being ready I didn't take any pictures.

Coffee and Molasses Pork Chops

I recently bought a big pack of pork chops cause they were a great price. Talk about getting four -3 serving  meals for $13.  All I had to do was make something spectacular, and I can do that! I was on a search for good pork chop recipes and came across this one. Let me tell you this was fantastic! But what do you expect from Alton Brown? I changed the recipe around a bit because of what I had in my pantry.
Coffee and Molasses Marinated Pork Chops
adapted from Alton Brown
3 or 4 (1/2 inch) bone in pork chops
1 cup Coffee -cooled
1/2 cup Molasses
1 TBS Dijon mustard
2 TBS minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 Bay leaf
Rinse and pat dry the pork chops and set in a large ziplock or shallow dish.
In a seperate bowl combine the coffee, molasses,  mustard, garlic, salt, ginger, pepper, rosemary and bay leaf. Whisk everything till smooth. Pour over the pork chops and let marinate for a little as 2 hours or as long as overnight.
To cook: It would be great grilled for summer cookouts- or if you are inside: Pan fry in a large frying pan with 2 TBS olive oil and let the pan heat up. I mean get it smokin' hot. Then carefully add the pork chops. Depending on the thickness of the meat will depend on the amount of time it needs to cook on each side. Mine took about 3 min each side. With the leftover marinade it can be reduced down by half and served over the pork. I didn't do that I as out of space on the stove. But I bet it's really yummy. Over all the meat was tender and juicy and didn't have a overwhelming taste of coffee. I served it with brown rice, brussels sprouts, and corn It will definitely be in rotation in this house.

Pizza Rolls

Yes PIZZA ROLLS! This is a combination of cinnamon rolls and pizza. I got the idea from better homes and gardens, but jazzed it up a bit. It's a basic pizza dough but seasoned with garlic, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes. This gives the dough some life, it layers in the flavor!  They make the cutest rolls perfect for a informal gathering, or a kid's party.  If making pizza dough isn't an option I know Safeway  has pre-made dough in their deli area, it's a great deal for $1.89 and sometimes on sale for less!
Pizza Rolls:
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Pizza Dough:
2 cups warm water  (105-115*F)
2 packs active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
6 cups flour-
1 TBS chopped Rosemary (fresh)
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS dried Basil
1 tsp Red Pepper flakes- more if you like some kick
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt

Fillings:
Fresh Mozzarella  sliced
8oz tomato sauce
6 oz sliced Salami
Sliced Olives
Sliced Mushrooms
8oz shredded Romano- for tops

Pizza Dough:
In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar and water; let stand for  5 min until bubbly. Note: if you water is too hot it will kill the yeast! While the yeast is activating measure out the flour and all the spices and mix together. Once the yeast is ready add all the flour and spices. In a mixer mix with a dough hook for about 8 min on medium speed. If doing by hand, knead on a floured surface for 8 min or till smooth and elastic. Put in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Let sit in a warm place till doubled in size.

 Assembly:
Preheat oven 425*
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide in half. This made a ton of dough, rather then make more then we could eat, I put the other half in the freezer for later use.  With half the dough roll out into a rectangle. Now it's time to layer in those flavors! The fillings really don't matter, anything that you like or is available. Just some guidance, I wouldn't put too much cheese or sauce inside, so it doesn't fall apart. Also leave about 2 inches on the top and bottom free from filling, it will keep it's shape better. Now roll gently keeping everything in. Once it forms a log cut crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls cut sides up onto a sheet pan sprayed or fitted with parchment paper. Space about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with Romano cheese.  Bake in oven for 12 min then rotate the sheet pan and bake another 12 min, till golden brown.

Colorado Burritos

I picked up the strangest magazine. It is printed by Darigold and I have only seen it once before it's called Fresh: From our farms to your table. I was flipping through it and found this chili Colorado recipe and it looked yummy. The funny part is that it suggested using darigold sour cream on top but I didn't have any, so went without.  Just to warn you this takes a long time to cook, so plan this one out or cook the meat one night and prepare the rest the next night- that's what I did. And yes I did have all the spices, sub if you need to.  I suggest reading the recipe through- as any cook should know what they are getting themselves into.
without delay Chili Colorado:

1 pound boneless beef chuck steak or roast cut into 2 inch cubes
1 TBS dried chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TBS red pepper flakes- ancho or chipoltie
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 TBS vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 325*- prepare a large covered casserole dish by spraying with nonstick spray
- Combine the cubed beef with all the spices above.  In a large skillet heat the oil on medium heat, add half the beef and brown on all sides, remove then repeat with the other half of beef.  Set all beef aside.

1 yellow onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf crumbled
1 dried pasilla chili crumbled
1 pinch ground cloves
1 TBS vegetable oil

After browning the beef, add 1 TBS vegetable oil back into the skillet and saute the onion, carrots and garlic, once translucent add the spices. Mix to combine.  Spread onion mixture on the bottom of prepared baking dish. Pour beef cubes over the onion mixture.

Before cooking

2 TBS flour
1 cup beef stock
1 cup dark beer
1/2 tsp sugar

Combine the flour, beef stock and sugar mix well. Pour over the beef cubes along with the beer.
Cover casserole dish and bake for 2- 2 1/2 hours- See told ya it's gonna take awhile!
bake till the meat is nice and tender.

After cooking

What you many be asking yourself- are we done yet? Oh no just getting started!
Now to another post: Spanish Rice. It was too much to put in one post, so sorry my friends this burrito is a two parter. But well worth it! The Spanish rice is amazing wrapped up with the chili Colorado, I suggest adding some cheese and smothering with sauce. The original recipe calls for garnishing with sour cream and cilantro.

Meaty Tomato Pasta

Spring has sprung and it has been busy in my house. I notice I haven't written a new post for almost 2 months. I have been half writing posts. Now I plan to finish.
This post is about my throw together dinner that is my go to at least once a week. It is healthy and easy! So many different combinations can be put into this dish. It's just whatever I have on hand. Alright here we go Baked Meaty Tomato Pasta!
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS diced garlic
 1/2 Yellow onion diced
15oz can of Tomato Sauce
 16- 20oz Meat-- this can vary*
 1/4 cup pured squash, sweet potatoes or carrots etc.- OPTIONAL
1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 pound whole wheat pasta or gluten free pasta
8 oz  Shredded Italian Cheese- this can vary**

optional add ins - 1 cup of corn kernels, 1 /12 cups Garbanzo beans,  Use rice instead of Pasta!
* Meat-I use Italian sausage links the most, brown them up then slice. But using ground beef, turkey, chicken is great too. Really any kind of meat that is available.
** Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano-  in a pinch I have used cheddar.

In a 4 quart pot start boiling water for the pasta, add a pinch of salt. Once the water starts to boil add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.

before adding the cheese and baking!

 Meanwhile in heavy roasting pan cook your meat. Once it is done cooking, drain the fat- if any and set aside. In the same pan add the Olive Oil and saute with the onion and garlic till translucent.  If the meat needs to be sliced slice it now and add to the onion garlic mix. Time to add the spices, tomato sauce,  and pured veggies. By this time the pasta should be done cooking. drain but SAVE some of the cooking water! Add the pasta directly to the tomato mixture, toss all together. At this point look and see if the sauce looks a little dry, that is when I like to add some of the pasta water to thin it out. After everything looks combined sprinkle the top with the cheese and turn the oven to broil- (my saute pans are all metal if yours have a plastic handle I suggest you transfer the pasta to a baking dish then sprinkle with cheese) Toss the whole thing in the oven to brown the cheese up for about 3-5 minutes. Pull from the oven let sit a few minutes before eating. So quick and easy, the best part just use up what is in the pantry and fridge.


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On the roller derby news front my team has a game coming up on May 19th. If anyone is in the Everett, Washington area you should come on by for a good fun game! Check out my team's website for all the details. http://www.tacokickers.com/.

Brussels Sprouts

I have had the reputation of not liking green things from when I was a kid. But really no joke I love green things- with a few exceptions. Broccoli is my first love then green beans, peas, Brussels Sprouts and artichokes. I would say that is pretty good. However Brussels Sprouts have only been on my radar for about a year and a half. My dad always cooked them in balsamic vinegar. I started liking them when I visited my friends restaurant Hunger in Seattle. She cooked me amazing Brussels Sprouts. I couldn't get enough and so the love affair began.  Of course she cooked them in butter. The saying is always correct: butter is better, fat is fabulous. I started eating them with everything, on pizza was the best. Oh the cheesy goodness of them on pizza.
Now I am trying to cook my veggies in less butter, and fat. A few days ago I was experimenting with cooking them light. The first attempt was blasting them in the oven on a high temp with some spices. It turned out pretty good, I ended up dipping them in Dijon. So the next night I decided to roast the Brussels Sprouts in Dijon and some spices. Wow was that a horrible idea- I still ate them but it was horrible. Now I have  been looking for great Brussels Sprouts recipes, here are a few along with my quick blasted Brussels sprouts

Blasted Brussels
2 cups Brussels Sprouts
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher Salt (optional)
 Heat the oven to 450*, while preheating cut the ends off each sprout and remove any leaves that might look discolored or bad. Depending on the size I always cut them in half or even quarter, it helps them cook faster. Wash the sprouts and leave them pretty wet. Spread over a single layer on a baking sheet. Once all spread out sprinkle with garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt if using.  Cover with a sheet of foil. Roast for about 7-9 min, then remove the foil cover. Turn the oven to BROIL. Broil uncovered till they start to brown at the edges. This should only take a few minutes. Take out and let sit for a few, because those suckers are going to be HOT! Eat them as they are or dip in balsamic dressing or Dijon mustard.
Below is a little link love:
shaved-brussels-sprouts-salad from cooking light looks fresh and exciting
roasted-brussels-sprouts simply roasted is really the way to go from the Barefoot Contessa
bucatini-with-cauliflower-and-brussels-sprouts from Food and Wine sounds delish in this complete meal I would just use whole wheat pasta instead of white.
warm-brussels-sprout-leaves from Sunset looks fun taking the leaves off them.

Avocado Tuna Salad

I love tuna salad sandwiches. Lately I have gotten rather picky of what I put in the mix. I must point out this not the average tuna salad it's spectacular! Tuna is a great protein, however the mayo is making it not as healthy as I wanted. By replacing the mayo with avocado. Yes that's right avocado, It adds some "good" fat into the sandwich along with the necessary moisture to bind it all together. I like my tuna salad spicy, but to each his own. So if spicy is not for you then just omit the pepper flakes. I was sceptical at first but it really is yummy! The amount is enough for 5 servings of 1/4 cup each.

Avocado Tuna Salad
12oz. Can of Tuna (Albacore Tuna in water)
1/2 avocado
1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 TBS red onion diced
1 tsp. minced garlic

 Drain the tuna, get all liquid out. Combine the avocado with olive oil, lemon or lime juice and Dijon mustard, mash it good so it's all creamy! Add everything to the tuna, mix till combined. Wow you just made tuna salad. Now what to put it on? Well going with no carbohydrates put it in a lettuce wrap. Or I toast some 100% whole wheat bread and spread it with more Dijon and pile that tuna on. To make it a tuna melt, put sandwich open-faced under the broiler with a slice of cheese to melt it.

Grainy Beer Mustard

Soaking Mustard Seeds in Beer

 I never knew that making mustard was so easy. I came across some mustard seeds 1/2 price, I figured I would give it a go. Just like my other recipes, I change it to my needs or what I have in my pantry. I found a great recipe from smedette. I didn't have everything her recipe required, so I changed it a bit.
I must say if you have never made mustard, just do it. It's so easy, you don't even have to can it. Just keep it in the fridge, or share with friends. Either way it will disappear quickly! I had it the other night on my burger- and it was 1 million times better then the store bought stuff!


When buying spices look for them in the Bins or bulk section of the store. Buying in bulk is much more inexpensive, then the tiny fancy jars. I like to make a big trip down to Pike Place Market and visit Market Spice- they have the best selection. 


Grainy Beer Mustard:
1 12oz bottle of beer
 (I used Pyramid Hefeweizen)
1/2 cup brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/2 cup mustard powder-mild works best
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS Kosher Salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves minced
2 TBS Sliced jalapeño pickled
1 TBS sliced habanero pickled 
Pour beer and mustard seeds into a glass jar and set aside for a few hours- or even overnight in Fridge, to let the seeds soften.
Whisk mustard powder, onion powder and salt in a small bowl.
Using a food processor or blender, blend the garlic, jalapeño, habanero together. Add the beer soaked seeds, blend to break up about half of them.  Whisk in mustard powder mixture and vinegar. Put in non-reactive pot and cook over medium heat until just barely boiling; whisking often.  Turn down heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, cook longer if you desire a thicker mustard, or less for a thinner mustard. And thats it, mustard is made. Let it sit for a few days for the flavors meld. Refrigerate if you don't plan to can. 


For you canners out there, this is easy.
 Use a hot pack method, for water bath processing. Process in boiling water for 10 min. take out and let sit for 24 hours, remove rings and store. 
I hope you all enjoy!

Steak House Chili

Last Friday I was ambitious!  First I started cooking a few of my favorite things Chili and Clam Chowder. Ryan wanted Chili and I wanted Clam Chowder. What the heck right? I had plenty of time and everything I needed.
First off I started with Chili since it cooks longer then Clam Chowder. I looked at a few recipes but then decided to wing it, as I do quite a bit. In no way since I made both in 1 day am I suggesting you do the same. I am just insane.
Clam Chowder is right after the Chili, I just wanted to do two separate posts.

Steak House Chili
3 TBS Olive Oil
3 Pounds Beef for Stewing* (see note) cubed
1 Jalapeno Pepper- Diced 1/2 seeds removed
1 Yellow Onion- Diced
1 Red Pepper-Diced
1 Green Pepper- Diced
1 TBS Minced Garlic
3 (14oz) Canned Beans** (see note)
1 (28oz) Canned Tomato Sauce or 1 jar of  Tomato, Basil & Garlic Sauce
1 (14oz)  Petite Diced Tomatoes
2 TBS Chili Powder
2 TBS Cumin
2 TBS Italian Seasoning
1 TBS Oregano
1 TBS Dill Weed
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Chopped
1 TBS Red Pepper Flakes - or more if you want it Spicy
1 TBS Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt- add more to taste.

In a large pot over medium heat Saute Beef, Jalapeno, Onion, Peppers, Garlic. Until the meat is browned and onion is translucent. Lower the heat, add everything else. Cover and let simmer for a few hours, till the meat is tender. Serve by it self or over rice, noodles, hot dogs, burgers, nachos. Great toppings are cheddar cheese, diced onions, cilantro, sour cream. The possibilities are endless.

Notes: * This steak is  really tough and needs to be cooked for a long time to become tender. It is relatively cheap. If you like ground beef, pork or turkey that can subbed as well. Even chunks of chicken is good. If you don't have a long time ground meat is the way to go.
** Any variety of beans works well.  I like to use a mixture or Black, Garbanzo, Kidney, Pinto and Chili. If using dried beans you will need  4 cups dried beans that have been soaked overnight and rinsed.

Snowy Cooking

Well it looks like it really happened, snow for the first time this season in Seattle. I am not ok with this! I moved to Seattle in the hopes to get away from my snowy childhood of Salt Lake City. For the past few years we have had snow. Seriously Seattle?! I am ok with rain, sleet, and gray days. But not snow!  I now know that embracing the snow is the best thing. I am big fan of staying home and cooking, crafting and all around hanging out by the fire- by all means playing games. Don't get me wrong I am not afraid of driving in the snow-  I am afraid of the other drivers, and the hills. Yes the hills in the snow are what kills me. Growing up in Salt Lake we didn't have that many hills. Not to mention all the snow plows, and salt hence the name. So today I will stay home. I have found a few things that look like fun. I am going to show some Link Love, just perfect for the blustery days of winter.
I will start with the Basics:
This is just funny but Martha does it again:
How to Build a Fire! Seriously? I bet it is the most amazing fire ever- right?

Now on the to good stuff- DRINKS!!
Block Island Fog from Country Living- I have new heard of this drink but I looks interesting for the coffee drinkers out there. Give it a try and let me know!
Soothing Ginger Tea From Martha-  This drink has many advantages. Ginger is really good for you and is low fat.
Mulled Cider with Red Wine - From Martha- This will make the house smell Awesome!
Honey Bourbon Toddy- From Bon Appetit- I had a Chef make me drink this when I told him my throat was sore and it was the beginning of a busy night!
Hot Buttered Rum- from Single Minded Women- I didn't know this But National Hot Buttered Rum Day is January 17th! So get ready it's right around the corner.
The Best Hot Chocolate! - from Food Network- Saved this one for last- I LOVE hot chocolate, I didn't care much for skiing but when we got to go the lodge and have Ho Cho- I was happy. And if you make the marshmallows for the top, that's a special treat.

Cooking- on cold days you need something to warm your core! And if playing in the snow is for you then something to stick to your bones!
Quinoa winter squash & carrot stew -  from Bon Appetit this  looks yummy and to add it is Vegan and Gluten Free. If you haven't had Quinoa it's a must. Look for it in the bulk section of the store, it cooks like rice.
Mushroom and Potato Stew - From Bon Appetit- this one will come together rather fast.
Chicken Pot Pie- Thanks Emeril! Pot pie is great as a easy casserole you can toss in the oven.
Sausage Lasagna- From the Food Network- Delish! I think we are having that tonight!

Desserts and Breads! My favorite is making the house smell like brownies and homemade bread!
Monkey Bread! From Smitten Kitchen- let me just first say I LOVE her blog and you should check it out sometime http://smittenkitchen.com/  I wish I could blog like her- maybe one day!
Brownies- from Allrecipes- gooey brownies are the best when they are hot.
Chocolate Chip cookies from Smitten Kitchen again! But like I said before Deb is amazing! I am a big fan of  M & M's instead of chocolate chips. I'm not really sure why.

I think I got enough here to get anyone started, I like doing posts that have many links as to add some variety. Not everyone likes the same stuff.

Chicken Phad Thai

Hello- and welcome to the New Year! This year I plan on doing many fabulous things with my blog. But as of now I am without Internet at home so it might be a little slow.  However I live very close to one of the most bad ass libraries ever. Free Internet and wifi, I just need to plan better and make trips when I can. 
 Over the holidays I made so much fun stuff while visiting my family. And of course I forgot to take photos.
A few of my posts will be without photos, or using stock photos from online. But the recipes will be great, no worries on that. I know  what you are thinking-BLAH BLAH BLAH- Shut up already and give me the recipe: so here you go the most delicious Phad Thai I have ever made (had it for dinner last night!). Word of advice- when closing the cap to fish sauce- don't put it near the face! Just sayin' I got fish sauce in my face, and that stuff stinks!

Chicken Phad Thai:
12 oz dried Rice Noodles
3 Chicken Breast
1/4 cup Olive Oil
5 eggs
1 head of garlic minced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS Paprika
2 TBS Siracha or more if you want it spicy!
4 green onions- sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
3/4 cup Peanut butter (optional)

First get that chicken cooking, easiest way is to bake in the oven, Put them whole on the sheet pan and bake at 350 for about 30 min. Chicken should read at 165 in the thickest part. (Restaurants cook chicken at 165 or higher to be safe from disease, so invest in a meat thermometer so you can be safe at home too!) When the chicken is ready pull it out and dice in medium size cubes.
Once the chicken is baking, soaking the rice noodles is the next longest task. Soak them in a large bowl in warm water for 30 min, or till they are soft. If the rice noodles are still a little stiff no big deal.
When the noodles have been soaking for about 25 min it's time to make magic!  In a large frying pan, and yes I mean LARGE! Heat up the oil on medium heat, add the garlic and saute for a a min. Lower the heat then add the eggs. Scramble the eggs with the garlic.  When the eggs are all scrambled drain the rice noodles and add to the eggs. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Using tongs make sure the toss the noodles in the pan, cook till the noodles get soft and sticky. While the noodles are cooking they may look dry, slowly add up to 1/2 cup water- it cooks out quickly.  When the noodles look all clumped together and sticky it's time to add the fish sauce, sugar, paprika and siracha. Just dump them all in a once and toss. Cook for another 3-5 min or when the smell of fish sauce is faint. All there left to do is add the green onions, bean sprouts, peanuts, and chicken chunks. Ryan likes to add peanut butter to his, I do admit it is pretty tasty but not necessary.  Voila dinner! 
Yield- 4-5 servings - delish for leftovers!