Culinary Goods

This was actually my mother-in-law's recipe, so Jared had these a lot growing up. These look like regular waffles, but they're kind of a brownie waffle cookie combo. They were super easy and were awesome served with ice cream.  1/2 C. butter, melted 6 TBS cocoa 3/4 C. sugar I used 1/2 C. 2 eggs 1 C. flour 1 tsp. vanilla Blend butter and cocoa together. Add the other ingredients and beat until smooth. The batter will be thick. Drop a generous tablespoonful of the dough into each section of a pre-heated waffle iron. Close it and cook for 1-3 minutes (we cooked ours for about 1 minutes and 15 seconds). Carefully open and remove with a fork. 

I cut down the sugar in these a bit too much, so they weren't good plain, but they tasted great with raspberry jam. They get a 6, and the recipe came from fivehearthome.com. 2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats) 2 cups buttermilk 2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup packed brown sugar I used 1/2 C.  2 eggs 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled I used 1/2 C. oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Optional add-ins: 1 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips I used 3/4 C. chocolate chips Here's the link:  http://www.fivehearthome.com/2015/08/25/oatmeal-spice-muffins/

Jared made this for Mother's Day since he knows I love skillets for breakfast, and this was awesome. I would definitely give it a 10 (because you can't go wrong with smoked gouda and bacon). He said he combined a bunch of different recipes, so the ingredients below are to the best of his memory.  1/2 lb. bacon 1/2. diced onion  4 Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 lb. pastrami 1/2 lb. smoked gouda  Spinach  He said he would add a chopped green pepper and egg next time. He cooked the bacon and set it aside. He then cut up the pastrami, browned it in the same skillet, and set it aside. In the same skillet he used to cook the bacon, he cooked the diced onion. While the onion was cooking, he poked holes on the potatoes and cooked them in the microwave for 4 minutes. He cut the potatoes and put them in the skillet with the onion until they were brown and cooked through. He added the bacon and pastrami back to the skillet and mixed well. He served it with spi...

My sister-in-law made these for a family dinner and they were awesome. They were nice and dense and fudgy, and not at all dry. When she sent me the recipe, my jaw actually dropped when I saw how much sugar was in them, so I will probably use 1 1/3 C. when I make them. The recipe came from tasteofhome.com and they get an 8. 1-1/3 cups butter, softened 2-2/3 cups sugar I will try 1 1/3 C. when I make them  4 large eggs 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup baking cocoa 1/2 teaspoon salt Confectioners' sugar, optional Here's the link:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/best-fudgy-brownies

This is a terrible picture, but the soup was pretty good. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a just a good, regular, weeknight meal. It gets a 6.8 and the recipe came from spendwithpennies.com. 1   large onion   , diced 3   cloves   garlic   , minced 1   lb   lean ground beef I used ground turkey 1/2   lb   lean ground pork I left this out  3/4   cup   uncooked long grain rice 1   medium head cabbage   , chopped (core removed) 1   (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes 2   tablespoons   tomato paste 4   cups   beef broth 1 1/2   cups   V8 or other vegetable juice I used tomato sauce 1   teaspoon   paprika 1   teaspoon   thyme 1   tablespoon   Worcestershire sauce 1   bay leaf salt and pepper   , to taste Here's the link:  http://www.spendwithpennies.com/cabbage-roll-soup-2/

      This recipe came from cookingclassy.com, and it was awesome. I give this a 9.5. It’s like the world’s best strawberry shortcake. Anyway, I would absolutely make this again, it’s fantastic. This is a great vanilla cake base as well Fresh Strawberry Cake Cake 3 cups (370g) cake flour I measured this by weight and just put 1/3 cup of cornstarch in the bowl and then dumped flour in until it reached the right number of grams 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cup (390g) granulated sugar I only did 1 1/3 cups and it was plenty sweet 3 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 1/4 cups milk (anything but skim) I used 2% 2 tsp vanilla extract I increased this to 1 Tbs. Strawberry Cream Cheese Whipped Cream 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar, divided I only used 2/3 cup total 8 oz cream cheese, left at room temperature until partially softened (about 20 - 30 minutes) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract I also added a pin...

So, I made this up—hooray Mel. It’s the best I’ve had, and strawberry pie is not my favorite, but I would say it is an 8.5.    Strawberry Pie—this filling makes 2 pies worth   2 cups strawberries, blended 1/2 cup water 2 Tbs. cornstarch 2/3 – 3/4 cup sugar few shakes salt lemon zest from a medium lemon   So, I put the strawberries in a blender, then added the sugar, salt, and the cornstarch water. You boil it until it’s thick, add the salt, and then put in the fridge. You cut strawberries into 4-5 pieces and then coat them with the filling. You need about 4 lbs. for 2 pies.

Ugh, these are a pain.  I didn’t try them, but I would say they are an 8. They came from Fine Cooking Magazine. Chocolate and Peppermint Macarons By James Arena December/January 2017 Issue For the cookies 9 oz. (2-1/2 cups) almond flour, preferably superfine 8 oz. (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar 6 large egg whites (see tip, below) he said to measure them and use 198 grams, which I would do Small pinch cream of tartar 1 cup granulated sugar Red gel food coloring (optional) For the chocolate filling 1-1/3 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup corn syrup we cut this down 10-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups) 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract, preferably Nielsen-Massey; more to taste we used 1/2 tsp, as well as about 1/2 tsp vanilla. 6-1/2 oz. starlight peppermint candies, finely crushed we forgot these     http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/chocolate-and-peppermint-macarons   Basically you pulse the almond flour and the powdered sugar together in a ...

The picture was a bit slow, obviousl y. My dad used to make these, and I love them. I give them an 8. They are easy, but I always forget the recipe, so here you go.   Potatoes, cubed Olive oil Lawry’s seasoned salt, use liberally kosher salt pepper rosemary   After you cut the potatoes, you put the oil and seasonings on them. You also put some oil on the bottom of the pan and sprinkled it with some of the salts. You bake these at 450 for about 15 minutes, and don’t crowd the pan. They get crispy and beautiful.

So, this cake was good, I give it an 8. Also, I will not take credit for how hideous it looks (that’s all Brit).  It came from cookingclassy.com, and it has potential. I have tried all sorts of lemon cakes and desserts lately, and here is what I think I’m going to try next and hopefully have it be a winner. I will use this lemon cake recipe, put raspberry curd in the layers, and then do a cream cheese/whipped cream lemon mousse for the frosting. Traditional frosting is just WAY too sweet. It’s sickly. So, the mousse will lighten it up and the raspberry flavor is a must. Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Cake 2 3/4 cups (352g) cake flour Do this by weight 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3 1/2 Tbsp (30g) poppy seeds I left this out 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups (366g) Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar I decreased this to about 1 1/3 cups 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from about 4 lemons) 1/4 cup (60ml) canola ...

So, these were good and they came from my Fine Cooking magazine issue. I give them an 8.6. This is probably the easiest fancy dessert I have ever made.  Hands down. It’s super quick. Panna Cotta By Faith Durand April/May 2016 Issue For the panna cotta Cooking spray 3 cups half-and-half So I did 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups 2% milk, but I bet it would be fine with 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream 2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract I increased this and used Watkin’s Pinch table salt http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/classic-panna-cotta-with-brandied-cherry-sauce   So, you put 1 1/2 cups of the half and half in a pan and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Wait 5 minutes. Whisk in the sugar. You put it on medium/low and stir for about 3-5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved (just test it with your fingers). Then, you take it off the heat and add the rest of the half and half, the salt, and the vanilla. Then, you...

  I didn’t personally taste this, but it seems to be a big hit. The people that tried it said you can taste the honey. This came from Fine Cooking, and we served it with the panna cotta. Honey Caramel Sauce By Faith Durand April/May 2016 Issue 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 Tbs. mild honey 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. table salt   So, you add 1/4 cup of water to the sugar and honey and stir. Put this carefully in the middle of a big saucepan. Put it on like 8, high, and let it boil and boil until it turns a dark amber. You can swirl it or move it around slightly with a fork to help the color be consistent. Once it’s dark amber, you add the cream and stir and stir. boil it on low for 3 minutes, and then take it off the heat and add the vanilla and the salt.   http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/buttermilk-panna-cotta-with-honey-caramel-sauce

Brit made this, and I love it. I have no control when it comes to dip. I give it an 8 if you eat it with potato chips. Anyway, she thinks the base recipe was from Pioneer Woman Cooks:   Ranch Dip 3/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayo I use lots of dill. Probably like at least 1 Tbs. Probably 1 tsp. or more garlic powder I sprinkle in Lawry's Probably 1 tsp. of celery seed

I don't know why it's called Honey Lavender Cake because there's no honey. But there is a lemon glaze. So you can change the name to Awesome Lavender Lemon Cake if you want. This recipe came from my awesome bi-sexual friend who now works for Planned Parenthood in D.C. and helps give healthcare to low-income women. I really should have put my PRIDE flag in the middle of the cake with an IUD to really present it properly. But then I would not have wanted to eat something that held an IUD on the top. Grossy. I'm getting off track. It's easy to make, it's tasty, and it's not a big sugar type of cake. I put in more lavender than it called for. You can crush some up with your hands and put over the top. Mine was dry but I think it's because I live at sea level and I'm still trying to figure out my oven problems. I found a cool spice store in town and bought lavender there for like $1.50. Or you can grab some at a Farmer's Market.  Cake ...

This was really good. It had a great lemon taste and was super smooth—I give this an 8 and it came from Fine Cooking Magazine. Blueberry Sauce By Faith Durand April/May 2016 Issue 12 oz. (about 2-1/2 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries I did frozen 2 Tbs. granulated sugar 2 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest I did 2 lemons 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Pinch table salt Recipe and instructions at link below: http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/coconut-panna-cotta-with-blueberry-sauce   You put the blueberries and lemon zest and sugar with 1/4 cup water in a sauce pan and you boil it on medium for like 5 minutes, until the berries split. Then, you mash it through a sieve. Then, you put this back in a pan and whisk in the cornstarch and lemon juice (which you mix together beforehand). After it thickens, it takes only a minute once it boils, you take it off the heat and add the vanilla and salt.

This dessert was a total fail. Like, it gets a 0 because we didn’t even eat it. It didn’t set up, and it’s like the coconut fat separated from the coconut water part. So sad, because they smelled great! Coconut Panna Cotta Coconut Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce By Faith Durand April/May 2016 Issue 2 13-1/2-oz. cans coconut milk, well shaken I did one can of low-fat because I ran out, and maybe this was the problem 2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin I am wondering if the gelatin was expired? 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract I also added 1/4 tsp. coconut extract. Pinch table salt   You put one can of coconut milk in a pan and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Wait 5 minutes, then whisk in sugar and stir over medium for like 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Then you add the other can of coconut milk and the vanilla and salt, and pour into your containers. Put in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Recipe and instructions at link below: http://www.finec...