Missing Pictures

I'm sad that my pictures have gone missing from my blogs. I'm reloading a few of them. The process of viewing my food blog pictures is making me want to cook. I decided to just randomly post some photos. I had a friend comment once on Facebook that they just don't get it why people have to take pictures of their food.

I love photographing food. It's fun and tasty. Enjoy the photos.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Macho Chili

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I don't think I need to say anything here

Home made corn tortillas

Brown Sugar Fudge

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes (Vanilla Wafer in bottom)

Mom's Coconut Macaroon with corn flakes

Ummm, Brioche

Breakfast Options

To make 6 cups (large muffin tin) mix 4 or 5 eggs with a variety of chopped vegetables. I had some leftover roasted vegetables that worked great. I also added cheese and some chopped up Canadian bacon. I have a tendency to put in too many vegetables and then they overflow. 

Spray the muffin tin with oil then set small corn tortilla into cup. It will crack in the corners and you can overlap it in the pan. Then pour in the egg and veggie mix. I like to top them with a slice of tomato prior to baking. Bake at 350 until egg is set, takes about 30 minutes or so. Run a knife around the tortilla before taking out of the pan, take it out carefully and put on a plate. Serve with salsa and sour cream.


I also like to take the same mixture and tear up the corn tortillas and bake in a square cake pan.

If I didn't have leftover roasted vegetables then I would have lightly saute the veggies before adding to the eggs.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

 This is a quick soup made with mostly items I had on hand in my pantry. Missing from the picture below is the enchilada sauce. I used chicken that was leftover from Sunday dinner.

 Other items could be added but I just needed a quick dinner with little work.

 I like to eat it with corn tortillas.

Easy Enchilada Soup
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 can chicken broth
Cut up cooked chicken

Mix all together in sauce pan, add salt, pepper, cumin and chili pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer until ready to eat. Serve with grated cheese, lime and cilantro. I like to crunch tortilla chips in mine and sometimes add sour cream. Serves 4 - 6 (that means the three of us had it for dinner, some with seconds and there will be enough for 2 people for lunch tomorrow).

Mushroom Popcorn

Yep you heard me correct. There is such a thing called mushroom popcorn. Why don't they tell us about this kind of thing? I had to buy 2 lbs of it over the internet to try it. And I tell you it's a wonderful thing. I can't wait to try it on my caramel corn.

I took a very old family recipe for Easy Butterball Popcorn balls and after the popcorn was coated with the syrup I then baked it in the oven on a low temperature. That set the syrup into a glaze. It turned out quite amazing.
Here is the recipe.

Mix in a saucepan over med heat:
1 C. butter
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. Karo syrup

Boil for about 4 minutes stirring madly, to a softball stage. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Pour over 2 batches of popcorn (my hot air popper pops 1/2 cup at a time). Stir to coat. Then spread into jelly roll pan and bake in 250 degree oven for about 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven. As it cools it will dry.

I added sliced almonds and unsweetened coconut when I poured the syrup over the popcorn. They get toasted in the oven and it's a sweet treat. I will also try pecans and macadamia nuts sometime.

Smoothie Operator

I see recipes for smoothies in most magazines. I decided it's time to throw in my 2 cents worth on the matter.

I love smoothies for breakfast after my work out. Here is how I make my smoothies and also some fruit options to try.

I use an orange juice blend for my liquid, and add flax seed oil and protein powder. Then I take 1/2 banana (might be fresh or frozen), frozen pineapple chunks, mango chunks and frozen strawberries. That is my basic regular smoothie.

I do not understand recipes that tell you to add sugar or other sweeteners. Please don't, you don't need to.

I use a Magic Bullet. It makes one at a time and I love it. A lot of times I make my smoothie the night before, put it in the freezer in a Tupperware cup with a lid. Then the next morning I take it to the office with me and enjoy it. Or I'll make it in the morning before I leave for work.

They are also good for a snack anytime during the day.

I have taken mandarin oranges out of the can and put them in a baggie and froze them. Then mixed them with banana and some coconut, that's very good. Sometimes I put in an Activa vanilla yogurt. I like raspberries and use them sometimes, but I don't like the seeds. And I simply don't care for blueberries, but they would be very good in a smoothie. Frozen peaches are also good as are other berries.

The sugar free flavored syrups will also add some fun flavors to your smoothie.

I have used this Breakfast Blend for years. I find it at Fred Meyer's in the health food section. It's on the shelf so I can stock up when it's on sale. Flax oil adds a lot of calories to the smoothie but it's very good for you. And of course protein is good for your muscles. I'm a creature of habit and I put the juice in first, then flax oil, protein powder, banana, pineapple and strawberries. Until the cup is full.

The Magic Bullet mixes right in the cup you are going to drink out of. Sometimes I do open it and scrape down the protein powder if it's sticking to the sides. Because I use mostly frozen fruit, I seldom use ice cubes. I like the creamy texture.

Did you know they make straws in different sizes? The small ones don't work with smoothies.

And voila! Breakfast.

This is what it looks like out of the freezer. It's a frozen treat, but will melt down and you can use a straw.

Crock-Pot Chocolate Candy (AKA Peanut Clusters)

When I went to Utah last month my sister handed me a page torn out of Redbook from April 2010 with this recipe on it. I brought it home and today after work I decided I would give it a try. I hadn't gone grocery shopping on Saturday so I needed to go today and I only had to add a couple of items for this recipe.

At the bottom of the Crock Pot is dry roasted peanuts, a lot of them. Then layered on top is 4 kinds of chocolate. Why? Because you can never have too much chocolate.

It's all placed in the Crock Pot and set on low for 3 hours without stirring. Unless you are me and then you poke a spoon into the almond bark to see if it melted. And then after 2 hours you decide it's had enough time.

Then you stir it all together until it's smooth. Take a small spoonful while it's warm and taste it to make sure it tastes okay.

Then drop using a large spoon drop spoonfuls of it into cupcake liners. I just sat mine on a cookie sheet. Then let them set.

Because it was 9:30 at night, I put these 3 in the fridge so they would set up sooner so I could eat them, I mean so I could take this picture.

Good news - looks like we are having treats at staff meeting tomorrow. And I'll be sure and save one or two for my sister who is coming to visit this weekend.

2 lbs. (32 oz.) salted dry-roasted peanuts

4 oz. (4 squares) German's sweet chocolate

1 12 oz. package semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

2 1/2 lbs. white almond bark

1. Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4-quart slow-cooker. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts, beginning with the sweet chocolate, followed by the chocolate chips, and then the almond bark. Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir the mixture.

2. After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake pan liners, using about 2 tablespoons per liner. Allow the candy to cool completely before removing the cupcake liners. Makes 30 to 40 (I made 50 and I think they are almost too big.)

I was not aware that almond bark was a seasonal thing, that's what the guy told me at the store. Like people only make candy in November and December? I think not.

I had one package of white almond bark in my pantry (no recollection of what I was thinking when I bought it months ago) and then I used a package of white chocolate chips for the rest of the almond bark. I actually used an 11 oz bag of chips and probably needed 1 lb of almond bark, but it was perfectly fine.

Truffles

My daughter came for a visit in February and one of the things we wanted to do was learn how to make truffles. We used two different recipes and mixed them up by adding peppermint extract and orange extract to some of the mixture.

We made milk chocolate truffles, rolled them in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chopped nuts and even dipped some in chocolate. We also made a semisweet/bittersweet batch.

Basically there are just 3 steps to make truffles:
1. Mix the truffle center, usually melted chocolate with cream. Let that set up.
2. Shape the mixture into balls.
3. Roll the balls in a coating or dip in melted chocolate.
And I guess the 4th step would be to savor and enjoy, they are delicious.

Here are some of our pictures and a couple of recipes.

I really liked using the Trader Joe's Belgium milk chocolate bar.

Milk Chocolate Truffle Recipe

http://www.famousfrenchdesserts.com/truffle-recipes.html

Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt from Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chocolate-truffles-with-sea-salt/