a Latte' with Ott, A

crock pot minestrone

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sundays are a great day for me to utilize my crock pot. I love throwing something in it before we go to church in the morning and coming home to lunch already made. It makes for a much more relaxing afternoon and if need be a quick lunch so we can get on to our afternoon activities (whether that's watching football, taking a walk or catching up on odd jobs around the house). Our crock pot keeps us on time and moving on those busy weekends. This past weekend I made Minestrone and it tasted delish. This recipe makes a large amount of soup, so you can freeze the leftovers and eat them later if need be. (It's also a great way to use up canned items in your pantry.)

Ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped onions, 3 T. parsley flakes, 2 cloves garlic, 5 cups beef broth, 1 can diced tomatoes & zucchini, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 cup sliced carrots, 2 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 lb. ground beef browned, 1 cup green beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can garbanzo beans,1 cup pasta, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Directions: Place all ingredients except for the cheese in crock pot. Stir and cover; cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours). Serve and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

This recipe made for a tasty soup that was great to come home to on a cold winter day.

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life, and NapTime Creations Tasty Tuesday Party.

Super Bowl XLVI - Indianapolis, In.

2012-01-30T08:34:00.001-05:00

Well it's not everyday that the Super Bowl comes to town, and let me tell you Indianapolis is all decked out and ready to welcome fans and teams to this great city. As I've mentioned before there is something about Hoosier Hospitality; and the way people in this state go above and beyond to make sure guests fell welcomed and invited. As you will see in the pictures below, there are banners on every street sign. The hotels have large banners (Like the JW Marriott's 30 story tall Lombardi Trophy.) Even the flower planter boxes have Lombardi artwork in them.

It's everywhere you look, why they even renamed the streets downtown after NFL teams.

On Monument Circle in the heart of the city, there are giant roman numerals. At night these letters are like giant TV Jumbotrons that show different images.

So, I'll be the first to admit; I honestly thought when the game came to town that was it. There was a football game and people came and went with that. I had no idea what all else went on in and around the Super Bowl. What I quickly found out is that there is a week long party leading up to the big event. There are lots of parties and lots to see and do. This past weekend Ott, E and I went downtown and took in the NFL Experience.

The NFL Experience is located in the Convention Center downtown and it costs $25 per person to get in. But once inside there is plenty to see and do; especially if you have kids. There are large rooms full of astro-turf and places for you to practice kicking field goals, throwing footballs and tacking dummy's.

The Lombardi Trophy is on display and there are players and famous NFL alumni on hand to sign autographs. Above is a picture of Ott, E pretending to get drafted by the Packers. They have jerseys from every team and have set up a mock stage and platform for you to pose with your teams jersey. They also have game balls on hand from previous Super Bowls to look at and they have a ring from every Super Bowl victory on display to view.

They have cut outs of your favorite players, and below is a wall dedicated to last years Super Bowl winners, the Packers.

There was an area that was a mock up locker room and it showed you what different players from around the league had in their own lockers.

There was an area where they demonstrated how footballs were made and people on hand to explain the process. There were also historical items from the Pro-Football Hall of fame on display to view like this old Bears Jersey, helmet and showes.

Then outside their is the Super Bowl Village. This is free and open to anyone. There are more astroturf areas to run around on as well as a couple outside bars, souviner stands and various other items to see. Below is a picture of an ice sculptor on display. (I'd like to see them try this in a warmer climate.)

And to give the Super Bowl an Indy touch there are Indy Race Cars on display and each one is painted with a different NFL teams logo.

There are space heaters every 100 feet or so to keep you warm while out in the Village.

There are 2-3 outdoor stages with entertainment every afternoon and night.

And all of this is next to lots of restaurants and shopping. Indianapolis is set up great for this type of event as everything downtown is within walking distance so you can go from your hotel to the stadium to dinner and then off to a museum or concert and it's all right there, you never have to get in your car once you arrive.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Indianapolis during the Super Bowl and hope you learned a little more about what to expect when a big event like this is in town.

This post was linked to:Wordless Wednesday on Project Alicia and Wordless Wednesdayon Pinke Post

Hawaiian Bruschetta Bread Appetizer

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about a recipe for this month's Iron Chef Challenge and with the Super Bowl right around the corner I thought: Why not do an appetizer?!?!? So I set out and created this recipe on my own taste from what I thought would taste good with this sweet tasting Hawaiian bread. I love a hawaiian pizza so I thought why not incorporate some of those flavors and I came up with a Hawaiian Bruschetta Bread and here is how I made it.

I started with the round loaf of King's Hawaiian Bread.

And I took a knife a scored it. I made sure not to cute through the bread, just cut it about 3/4's of the way down.

I then took my ingredients and stuffed them individually, one at a time in the cuts of the bread. I placed them in a pattern of every other one, this way the ingredients were spread evenly thoughout the bread and I ended using all the cuts and all the ingredients.
Here are the ingredients I used in the cuts:
4 thick slices of Honey ham, cut into bite sized chunks
1 can of sliced pineapple chunks drained
1 large tomato sliced (or you could use a can of diced tomatoes)
20+ slices of Mozzarella cheese cut off a block of cheese.

Then I sprinked some bacon bits, basil and oregano on top, but made sure some of it got down in the cuts.

I then wrapped the bread completely in foil and placed it on a baking tray in the oven. You can either bake the bread for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Or if you want more of a toasty bread you can place it under your broiler for just a couple of minutes. (Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.)

As you can see I went for the toasty method and used the broiler. Once it's done, simply unwrap your bread cut and serve. All the cheese should be melted nice and warm.

As I mentioned the Iron Chef Challenge is going on this week, so if you cook with King's Hawaiian Bread I hope you will consider linking up to this month's Challenge and getting a chance at winning the prize basket.

a super bowl wreath

2012-01-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard the Super Bowl will be in Indianapolis this year and the city is getting all ready to welcome the fans and players. There are lots of decorations and signs going up in the downtown, so I thought... why not decorate our front door for the big game as well??!! It's a great way to show some community pride and welcome guests who come to your Super Bowl viewing party. After a quick trip to the craft store I made this Super Bowl wreath for about $5.

I started with an artificial evergreen wreath I bought after Christmas for $1 at WalMart. I then went to the craft store and bought some wooden letters, a cut out wooden football and blue and yellow ribbon. These items cost me about $4.

I painted the letters X L V I (the roman numerals of this years super bowl) blue with some acrylic paint I had on hand.

I then took a blue ribbon and a yellow ribbon with blue and green circles on it and proceeded to wrap it around the wreath. I just did a quick wrap around because I knew I would be arranging the branches and could readjust the ribbons placement later.

After the paint dried on the letters I attached them to the wreath with a hot glue gun.

I also used the glue gun to attach a wooden cut out of a football on the wreath as well.

Lastly I made a bow with the ribbon and tied that in the upper left corner of the wreath. I then fluffed the wreath branches and rearranged some of the ribbons and I was all set to hang the wreath on our front door.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou,

Ott, A's January Iron Chef Challenge: King's Hawaiian Bread Linky Party

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

This month's Iron Chef Challenge will feature King's Hawaiian Bread.

Rules: Chefs (aka bloggers) will prepare something using any King's Hawaiian Bread Products in their recipe and blog about it. Included in this blog post must be the recipe (stating what Kings Hawaiian Bread Product you used) along with pictures and any tips on preparing the item. Posts must include Ott, A's Iron Chef Challenge Badge (code found in sidebar).

Judge: At the end of the contest a representative from Kings Hawaiian Bread will judge the entries and select the winner.

Prize: The winning recipe will be announced on this blog and will receive a gift basket of King's Hawaiian Bread (valued at $150) containing: one of each Original Hawaiian Sweet Round Bread, 12-pack Rolls Mini Sub Rolls, Sandwich Buns, One serving platter with four matching plates, $50 grocery gift card, King’s Hawaiian apron, King’s Hawaiian coupon, and a King’s Hawaiian recipe booklet

Big Thanks to King's Hawaiian for sponsoring this month's contest. Be sure to check out their website, facebook page or twitter accounts (@KingsHawaiian) for more information and recipes about their products.

They Linky will be open from January 20 - 27th. And the winning recipe will be announced on this blog the week of the 30th.
Good Luck and Aloha!!!

Valentines Day Mantle

2012-01-18T20:45:00.001-05:00

After Christmas I normally just put my everyday decorations back on my mantle, however this year I was digging through some boxes in the attic and found some of my Valentines Day Decorations..... so..... I decided to put them out on the mantel and give it a holiday look in red, pink and brown colors.

I had some red baskets, and red votive candle holders to intermix. Along with some heart shaped decorations.

I then went to the craft store and bought some red and brown spiral twigs. (I'm sure they have a name, but I'm going to call them spiral twigs.) This added some fullness and wavy lines to my mantle to help carry your eye from one end to the other yet tie it all together at the same time.

Some more up close shots of the mantle.

Love showing off some of my Longabergers.

There's just something about Valentines Day that makes the winter bearable.

This post was linked to Stories of A2Z Valentines Mantel Linky party.

Lamb Fajitas

2012-01-16T13:04:00.000-05:00

First off I have to tell you I am a big fan of the Mexican Food restaurant, Don Pablos. They have great queso dip and fajitas. Well this past weekend, Ott, E was watching football and I was looking through my Taste of Home Cookbook for a recipe to make with Lamb. I found one for Lamb Fajitas and thought this would be a great meal to eat while watching the game. Little did I know that when I was tasting this recipe it would taste so similar to Don Pablo's fajitas that you'd swear I'd gotten take out. They were delish and perfect for a weekend meal. In fact, Ott, E told me he wants to make this again some time.... perhaps I have our Super Bowl meal planned now.

Ingredients: 2 leg of lamb steaks, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 3 T. Lemon juice, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 1/2 T. Worcestershire Sauce, 1 T. ground mustard, dash of pepper, 1 medium onion (sliced), 4 flour tortillas (warmed). Optional 1 green pepper sliced, 1 sweet red pepper sliced.

Directions: cut lamb into thin bite-sized chunks. In a large resealable plastic bag combine oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar,vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper and lamb. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 3 hours; turning occasionally.

Place lamb and marinade in a large Skillet and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until meat is tender. Add peppers and onions; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender; about 4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon; place meat and vegetables on tortillas. Then you can add toppings if you so choose. I added tomatoes, but Ott, E added lettuce and cheese as well to his. This served two of us and we were both really full after eating, but loved every bite. I'm sure you could use this same recipe with beef or chicken, but I always encourage my readers to give lamb a try.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life, and NapTime Creations Tasty Tuesday Party.

a bright and sparkly giveaway for a cold and dreary day

2012-01-12T12:10:00.001-05:00

It is a cold and dreary January day and the weatherman says we are to get 2-4 inches of snow here in central Indiana. Needless to say I was looking for some way to brighten up my day and I thought.... how about having a giveaway for something bright and sparkly?!?!?

So today I am giving away a pair of earrings from Jenny Present. This pair of Gold and Zircon round stud earrings measure about 1/2 inch in diameter and have an 18kt gold hammered center lined with sterling silver and natural zircons for glitz. And let me tell you these beauties shine and sparkle and will be sure to brighten up you cold and dreary winter days as well.

This giveaway will run through Sunday, Janaury15th. The winner will be announced on this blog first thing Monday morning. Simply click on the read more link below and use the rapplecopter widget to enter. Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Calzones.... with chicken, spinach & artichokes

2012-01-10T08:33:00.000-05:00

The recipe I am sharing today is a recipe I adapted from a Rachel Ray cookbook. While I find Rachel Ray's recipes to be really tasty, they are usually really involved and require a lot of ingredients. So I want to warn you up front this recipe will take some time to plan and prepare, but I've made a few tweaks to it to make it easier and it is definitely tasty and was well worth our time. We've been eating a lot of spinach lately because it's high in folic acid, so when I saw this recipe for a Spinach & Artichoke Calzone, I thought why not add some chicken and we can make it a full meal.

To start with this recipe you make a Artichoke & Walnut pesto so I had to break out my food processor. (I love it when I can use some of our wedding gifts.)

Ingredients for Artichoke & Walnut Pesto: 4 oz. Watnut pieces, 15 oz can of Artichoke hearts, drained, 1 large garlich clove, zest of one lemon, 1 T. of parsley flakes, 1/2 grated parmigiano-Reggiano, a dash of pepper and salt, 1/4 tsp. grated nutmet and 1/3 cup EVOO.

Directions: In a food processor, combine walnuts, artichoke hearts, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Pulse the ingredients until chopped. Turn the processor on and stream in EVOO in a slow stream until the pesto forms.

As you can see this makes a really creamy pesto which you could also use sometime seperately on pasta for another meal all together.

Next we make the rest of the Calzone filling to add the pesto to.

Calzone filling ingredients: 4 cups recotta cheese, 2 (10 oz) boxes of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrong dry and artichoke & walnut pesto. (You will also need 2 cups cooked chicken in pieces, 10 oz. shredded Italian cheese and 2 tubs of fresh pizza dough and a sprinkle of flour.)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the pesto and the ricotta. Add the spinach, pulling it apart as you add it to the bowl, then mix into the ricotta and pesto.

Now for the Calzone dough; simply take two tubes of pizza dough and cut each into two pieces. Dust hands with flour and work each piece of dough into a circle 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Pile one fourth of the ricotta filling on each half of the dough. Top with 1/4 of the chicken pieces and 1/4 of the cheese.

Fold the dough over and seal at the edges. Brush the calzone lightly with EVOO and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until even and golden and crisp.

This recipe makes 4 calzones and will serve 4 people a large portion of food. We really liked the flavors of the calzone filling and thought the chicken and extra cheese really improved the flavor of the meal.

When I make this recipe again I will probably use a rolling pin to roll out my dough to get a thinner more consistant crust. I would also probably half the filling as I stuffed these calzones as full as I could make them and still had a good 1/3 of the filling left over. Luckily, I just used the filing to make stuffed pasta shells and froze them so we will have a freezer meal to eat sometime later this weekend, so if you find yourself with extra shells or ravioli would be a great way to use up the leftovers.

Bellybuds for my Baby Bump

2012-01-09T11:14:00.000-05:00

We are past the half way mark and our little machiaOTTo is doing just great. Below is a picture from our 20 week ultrasound. We were so amazed getting to see the baby's heart, brain, kidneys, bladder, umbilical cord and even it's feet. It is truly a blessing to see what technology and biology can do.

And 20 week also means that the baby's hearing has developed so it can now hear sounds outside the womb. This got me to thinking about playing some music for our baby. Now of course the baby can jam along with me during a car ride, but what about some music directed toward the baby and for the direct benefit of the baby. Well I got to looking and thinking and was thrilled to get a pair of Bellybuds to review.

Just like earbuds are for you to help listen to your ipod or MP3 player; bellybuds are designed for your baby to listen to music while in the womb. The bellybuds are designed for sound to reach the womb at a safe level, yet dampen the sound so it can't be heard by you or others around you. There is an adhesive on the bellybuds to attach right to your belly, and as you can see in the picture below they can be worn discreetly under your clothes so no one will know your baby is boogieing away.

After use the bellybuds can be removed painlessly (I've had bandaids hurt worse than these do) and returned to a card they come with to keep the adhesive fresh until next time. The pack also came with some replacement adhesives for multiple uses and you can purchase more on the bellybuds website. (And yes, I can't believe I am showing you my pregnant belly on this blog, but I did want you can see how the bellybuds fit.)

Another feature that come with the belly buds is a Audio Splinter. (pictured below) This is an extra piece that allows you to hook up your own earbuds to the sound outlet so you can ear and baby can hear at the exact same time. I really liked this feature and enjoy knowing exactly what our baby is hearing while they hear it. Here I hooked the bellybuds up to a diskman. Bellybuds has a voice share option on their website and I found this to be helpful in that it allows you to record your voice and then download it and burn it on a CD. Not that baby needs to hear my voice anymore than it already does all day long, but now it can hear Ott, E's voice. You could also have other family members record their message, read it a book or tell it a story and they could e-mail the message to you for download and baby can become familiar with every ones voices.

Or like I mentioned earlier you can always plug it into your ipod or MP3 Player and tuck it inside your pocket while you do other work during the day. In general they say not to use the bellybuds for more than one hour at a time and only about 3 days a week.

I started out with only 15 minutes the first time and then worked my way up in 15 minutes intervals to the full hour. I have been playing classical music mostly, but every now and then I play it the Purdue Fight Song (Boiler Up!) along with some country and classic rock favorites.

So what songs would you select for your baby to listen to????

Big thanks to Bellybuds for sending me this pair to review on my blog. You can purchase a pair for yourself or for someone you know who is expecting on their website. You can also find them on facebook and twitter (@bellybuds).

Please note while Bellybuds did give me this sample of their product to review; all thoughts, opinions and photos shared on this blog post are my own.

Iron Chef Challenge January: Kings Hawaiian Bread

2012-01-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

A new year is here and that brings a new round of the Iron Chef Challenge. This month we are kicking off our 2012 series with King's Hawaiian Bread as the themed ingredient. Starting January 20th you can link up a recipe where you use any variety of Kings Hawaiian Bread. Just think of all the tasty appetizers, desserts or main dishes you can make with this sweet tasting bread?!?!

The linky contest will be open on this blog from January 20-27th. At the end of the contest a representative from Kings Hawaiian Bread will judge the entries and select the winner. The winning recipe will be announced on this blog and will receive a gift basket of King's Hawaiian Bread (valued at $150) containing: one of each Original Hawaiian Sweet Round Bread, 12-pack RollsMini Sub Rolls, Sandwich Buns, One serving platter with four matching plates, $50 grocery gift card, King’s Hawaiian apron, King’s Hawaiian coupon, and a King’s Hawaiian recipe booklet

To learn more about our sponsors products or to get some recipe inspiration visit King's Hawaiian Breads website, facebook page or follow them on twitter (@KingsHawaiian).

So I was trying out these King's Hawaiian Mini Sub Rolls. They are the perfect size for a lunch time sandwich and I decided to try out Leah from the blog Beyer Beware, Ham Sammies Recipe with them.

I put my own twist on Leah's recipe and here's how I made them my own. I melted 4 T. of butter and add a dash of onion flakes, a Tablespoon of Worcester Sauce, a Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard, and a dash of garlic salt. I spread half of this mixture on the bottom roll.

Then layer honey ham and Swiss cheese, and covered it with the top half of the roll and poured the remaining mixture on top of the sandwich.

I then baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. And they came out warm and yummy. Thanks to Leah for sharing this recipe. Until January 20th I will look forward to what you all come up with for your Iron Chef Challenge: King Hawaiian Bread entries!!!!

A Winter Breakfast of Gingerbread Donuts

2012-01-02T07:59:00.001-05:00

I asked some of my facebook fans if they thought gingerbread was strictly a Christmas time flavor or if it could be used all winter or all year? They responded with a resounding Yes, it could be used all winter. So I decided to try use my donut pan again and bake up a gingerbread donut. All I can say is Yum! This is a great recipe with a great gingerbread flavor that is sure bring smiles to your winter breakfast table.

Ingredients: 1 cup flour (or white whole wheat flour), 3/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger, pinch of allspice, pinch of cloves, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar (divided), 1 egg, 1/4 cup applesauce, 2 T. maple syrup, 3 T. milk (divided), 4 T. butter (divided), 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar and set aside. In a seperate bowl mix egg, applesauce, syrup, 1 T. milk and 2 T. melted butter together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just mixed.

Pour batter into a gallon-sized bag and cut the corner off. Pipe batter into greased donut pan filling each space 1/2 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

For glaze melt 2 T. of butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 T. milk and bring back to a boil. Add powdered sugar, and use the last Tablespoon of Milk to thin out glaze if needed.

Keep over low heat and dip each donut in glaze to cover half. Set donut aside as glaze will set up immediately.

Serve with a cup of coffee and enjoy. These gingerbread donuts have a nice homey flavor to them and will take the chill out of your winter mornings.

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken

2011-12-26T19:09:00.000-05:00

We had just got back from our whirlwind tour of the midwest for Christmas, I mean I had barely gotten my shoes off or the heat turned back up from being gone when Ott, E asked..... Whats for dinner? Honestly, it was probably the last thing on my mind, with the unpacking, laundry, and mail to get through. But, I went to the fridge and found 2 chicken breasts. I looked at the clock and there wasn't enough time to fix them in the crock pot. I looked outside and it was cold and rainy, so I knew we wouldn't be grilling them. So I looked over at my oven.... back at some items I had in the fridge..... and set out to make these Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast.

In a small bowl I mixed together; 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. garlic salt, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach.

I then took my two chicken breast and cut them each into two pieces. I took each piece and sliced them in the very middle, making sure not to cut through to the outside, but creating a little pocket inside the chicken. I then spooned my Spinach and Cheese mixture into each one and placed in a greased baking dish. I baked them in the oven at 375 degrees for 55 minutes or until the thermometer read 170 degrees.

I served with some sweet potato fries and a small salad. Ott, E was please with his dinner, and I'll admit it was quick and easy to make and made for a delicious and nutritious dinner after a busy holiday weekend.

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Hunk of meat Monday on Beyer Beware, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green

Winner of the 2011 Iron Chef Challenge: Champions Edition Bake-Off

2011-12-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

Well the recipes have all been posted, the ovens are turned off, the judge has reviewed the entries and all the contestants are anxiously awaiting the results of the 2011 Iron Chef Challenge Bake-Off against our monthly champions. In case you missed each previous winning Iron Chef Blogger received a Taste of Home recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. They were to bake this bread and follow the ingredients and then make something else with the bread. This great collection of recipe creations can be found here. (Go check it out!)

Our guest judge from Taste of Home had quite the time selecting a winner. They told me that they loved the entries and showed them to their Test Kitchen Staff and they were impressed as well. In the end the winning recipe and title of 2011 Iron Chef Blogger went to.......

Girlichef and her Cinnamon Lovers DelightCinnamon Ice Cream with Cinnamon Raisin Bread Praline Crunch

The judge thought this decadent treats looked positively heavenly and a true cinnamon-sensation!

Girlichef will be receiving a Taste of Home Baking Cookbook courtesy of Taste of Home and of course the title of 2011 Iron Chef.

I want to say a big Thank you to everyone who participated, stopped by to see these great recipes and blogs and our sponsors for their judges and prizes. I am pleased to say we will be back again in 2012 for another year of this contest and will be announcing the themed ingredients right after the first of the year!!!

my holiday home tour

2011-12-20T19:24:00.001-05:00

Today I am showing off some of my holiday decorating in our house. So step right in, here's a cup of coffee and come enjoy these pictures of my holiday home tour.

My mantle is done up with snowmen.

My front porch is all lit up with lights and garland.

My holiday dinner table is all set and ready for our dinner party.

Our family tree in the living room is all decorated with our childhood ornaments.

Now all we need is for Santa to arrive!!!

Ummmm.... Chocolate Peppermint Doughnuts

2011-12-19T17:33:00.000-05:00

Normally I would blame my cravings on the pregnancy. But this time of year, regardless if I'm pregnant or not I crave peppermint. Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Peppermint Ice Cream, Peppermint Candy, Cookies, Chocolates and Cheesecakes. And today I'm craving Chocolate Peppermint Doughnuts, which are sure to be a hit at your holiday breakfast table. Simply mix up your chocolate doughnut, then drizzle with a peppermint glaze and top off with some crushed candy canes as a sprinkle.

I bought this new pan at a department store and it worked great for the doughnuts. And the recipe I'm about to share with you is fool-proof for an easy and perfect tasting chocolate cake doughnut. Besides the peppermint glaze recipe I'm sharing with you; one could easily do a chocolate or vanilla flavored glaze to put on top as well.

Doughnut Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa, 1 tsp. baking powder, dash of salt, 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 T. butter, melted.

Directions: Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir until just mixed. (you don't want to over stir.) Then place batter into a large ziplock bag. (I used a gallon sized bag.) Snip the end off of one of the corners and squeeze batter into doughnut pan until 2/3's full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Then take out of oven and allow to sit in pan for 5 minutes. Then remove onto cooling rack or place. Ice and serve fresh.

Peppermint Glaze Ingredients: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 drop peppermint extract, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 T. milk. Mix ingredients. If glaze is too thick add a little more milk until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over doughnuts and top with crumbled candy cane as a sprinkle.

Iron Chef Challenge: Champions Edition

2011-12-15T07:39:00.002-05:00

Today is the big day for our Iron Chef Bloggers. Each of these bloggers won a monthly contest held throughout the year and today they are baking against each other to determine who is the 2011 Iron Chef! For this contest each blogger was given the same recipe from a Taste of Home Cookbook for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. They were each to use the same ingredients as the recipe called for. Then take the bread and turn it into something else. So we have here a collection of 9 ways to use Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

Photo by of Taste of Home

Taste of Home has graciously agreed to be our sponsor for this contest and will judge the entries and award a copy of the Taste of Home Baking Cookbook to the winner. So without further delay lets look at what are champion chef/bloggers have come up with for this Challenge.

My Merry Cooking!

Brown Butter Cinnamon Bread Croutons

Girlichef

Cinnamon Ice Cream with Cinnamon Raisin Bread Praline Crunch

From Mess Hall to Bistro

Herb Crusted Stuffed Hens

Pinay in Texas

Holiday Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Cook with Sara

Sweet & Salty Breakfast Monte Cristos

Gal in the Middle

Grandmas Bread Pudding

Wag n'Tales

Cinnamon Raisin Fruit Falafel with Cream Cheese Frosting

Create with Joy

Stuffed Pumpkin with Apple & Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding

3 Kids & Lots of Pigs

Aunt Netties Famous Bread Pudding in Whiskey Sauce

Who knew you could do so much with something as simple as Cinnamon Raisin Bread?!?!? As you can see our judge from Taste of Home will have quite the time picking a winner. But when they do we will announce it on this blog and the 2011 Iron Chef will receive their Taste of Home Baking Cookbook and bragging rights for all of 2012. Thanks again to our sponsor and the bloggers for playing along.

So which recipe do you like best and who do you think should win??????

2011 Iron Chef Challenge Winners Recap

2011-12-13T12:26:00.002-05:00

This month will conclude our year of monthly Iron Chef Challenges, and today I am showcasing the winners one more time as tomorrow they will bake-off against each other to determine who is the 2011 Iron Chef Blogger. Each blogger will be given the same Taste of Home Recipe to make; then they will need to create something else with that product. Taste of Home has graciously agreed to be the sponsor and judge for this Champions Edition and the winning blogger will receive a Taste of Home Baking Cookbook.

But before we get to that match-up I thought we would start with recapping the winners who will be battling it out for the 2011 Iron Chef. Each month we have had some challenging ingredients for bloggers to cook with and each month they have risen to the challenge and come up with recipes to please their families, as well as the judges, and won some fabulous prizes along the way. So without further ado; here are your monthly winning recipes and bloggers.

January

Theme: Duck

Sponsor: Maple Leaf Farms

Winner: Girlichef
Recipe:Lazy Girl's Cassoulet

February

Theme: Lamb

Sponsor: American Lamb Board

Winner: My Merry Cooking

Recipe: Gorgonzola Artichoke Heart Stuffed Lamb Loin Chops.

March

Theme: Canned Tomatoes

Sponsor: Red Gold

Winner: From Mess Hall to Bistro

Recipe: Fiesta Bake

April

Theme: Baking Powder

Sponsor: Clabber Girl

Winner: Pinay in Texas

Recipe: Philippines Inipit

May

Theme: Ham

Sponsor: Dakin Farms

Winner: Cook with Sara

Recipe: Wild Rice Quiche

June

Theme: Milk

Sponsor: Dean Foods

Winner: A Gal in the Middle

Recipe: Dirt Pudding

July

Theme: Flour

Sponsor: King Author Flour

Winner: Wag n'Tails

Recipe:Grandma Vivian's Dumblings

September

Theme: Yeast

Sponsor: Red Star Yeast

Winner: Create with Joy

Recipe: Chocolate Babka

October

Theme: Artichokes

Sponsor: Ocean Mist Farms

Winner: 3 Kids & Lots of Pigs

Recipe: Grilled Garlic Artichokes

November

Theme: Turkey

Sponsor: National Turkey Federation

Winner: 3 Kids & Lots of Pigs

Recipe: Turkey Manhattans and the Cranwich

Be sure to check back tomorrow to see what these bloggers create for the Iron Chef Challenge Bake-Off! And big thanks to Taste of Home for being our sponsor!!!!

My recipe for chicken, artichoke Lasagna

2011-12-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ott, E and I have been on an Artichoke kick lately. I don't know why but we eat it as appetizers, on pizza, and anything else we can find. I found this recipe for an Artichoke Lasagna.... and I tweaked it a little to turn it into a Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna. It's pretty quick and easy to make so in about 40 minutes you can have dinner on the table. And let me tell you.... it tastes great!!!

Ingredients: 2 cups chicken (cubed and cooked), 2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided), 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 cup chopped spinach, 1 can of artichoke hearts (drained), I can of diced tomatoes (drained), 2 tsp. Basil, 2 tsp. Oregano, 1 tsp. Garlic Powder, 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, 1/2 cup milk, 12 lasagna noodles (cooked).

Directions: Mix chicken, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and spinach in a dish.

In a separate bowl mix cream cheese and milk together until smooth. Add basil, oregano and garlic powder.

Spread enough of the cream cheese mixture into a 9 X 13 baking pan to just cover the bottom. The place a layer of noodles, with a layer of chicken mixture on top and a layer of the cream cheese mixture on top. Continue layering until all ingredients are used. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Decorating with Longaberger for the Holidays

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's no secret..... I'm a basket case when it comes to Longaberger baskets. I love to decorate with them during the holidays, but before I get to showing you ways I do that I wanted to be sure and let you know that I am guest posting today on the Real Farmwives of America & Friends Blog about a traveling Longaberger Basket for Charity. You see The Longaberger Company has graciously agreed to donate one Medium Market Basket to the Farmwives to criss cross the country doing good deeds this holiday season. Then the first week in January we are going to auction the basket off on E-Bay and donate the proceeds to the Melanoma Cancer Research Foundation in honor of our fellow Farmwife Leontien from the blog; Four Leaf Clover Dairy. So stop by and see what charity I donated to and how I put the basket to good use!

Now on to my post about decorating with Longaberger. For one of my Christmas Trees I use the Large Ficus basket as my tree stand. This works great to hold up my tree and gives the room some country charm.

On my fire place hearth I have a couple of the Longaberger Christmas Baskets displayed with some other Christmas decorations. These baskets are great for storing extra Christmas items like Candles and Christmas Tree hooks that you need but don't necessarily want laying around for everyone to see.

Next I set out some baskets on my counsel table, behind our couch in the living room. On the far left you can see a small holiday basket that holds post it notes. I set it next to the phone for when messages need to be taken. Then on the far right I have coasters setting in another baskets for our holiday guests to use for their drinks.

The last item I wanted to share is my umbrella basket. I found a small lid to place on top and now it can be used as an end table or holds a candle and small wreath. Just another way to add a little charm to house and decorating style.

Exercising with a Bump

2011-12-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

It case you've been out of the loop; Ott, E and I are expecting and it's Day 4 of "Pregnancy Week" here on a Latte' with Ott, A. Today I'm sharing what exercises I do while being pregnant. I try to walk a mile a day. Granted with winter weather approaching there are a few days this is hard to accomplish. But, along with walking I also do 3-4 days a week of Prenatal Yoga. I have been doing yoga off and on for a couple of years now, so after we found out I was pregnant I went out and bought a DVD for Prenatal Yoga. I find the stretching I do during the Yoga works wonders on all my achy joints and back pain caused by the growing baby. Yoga is also good for relieving stress and aiding in digestion. Just 15-30 minutes a day, and I feel much more relaxed and comfortable with my changing body.

But, why not be fashionable while you work out, right?!?!?! Well the Folks at For Two Fitness have a line of active wear for expectant mothers and they sent me a "Yoga for Two" maternity fitness tank to review as part of my "Pregnancy Week" Celebration.

I wore this tank with a pair of pink yoga pants and the material of this top is ideal for working out. It is gather on both sides the legnth of the top so there is plent of room for your growing belly. It has a raser back and overall has a great fit and feel to it. (And of course the two hearts on the belly are really cute too.)

The tank moves and bends as you do. And when your at the gym you'll look super cute and be the envy of the other pregnant mommy's in your yoga class. The only thing I would maybe change about this top was possibly having a built in sports bra in the top. Although I realize that may be harder to size, I luckly had a sports bra with a razer back so it fit underneath the top without showing.

For Two Fitness has several different sayings on their maternity fitness tops to choose from to match whatever pregancy workout routine you have. They also several different colors to choose from and great looking maternity fitness pants.

All pictures and opinions shared on this blog are my own and I would like to thank For Two Fitness for sponsoring this review. Please feel free to follow them on facebook and twitter (@ForTwoFitness) to learn more about their line and find out about some of their upcoming sales.

So did you exercise while you were expecting? What did you do and what advise would you give to other expectant mothers?

Dressing the Bump

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

As I continue on in "Pregnancy Week" on this blog; I would be re missed if I didn't talk about clothes. At 9 weeks my pants were getting tight. By 11 weeks I was down to only two pairs of pants that fit. So I headed off to do some maternity clothes shopping. And I gotta admit.... it was a little hard. The few stores that carried clothes only had 2 or 3 racks to select from and for me that was not nearly enough. I went to Old Navy, Target, Gap, Macy's, H&M and Destination Maternity; and between those stores I was able to find some of the basics to get me started. I'm trying to keep wearing as many tops as I already had as possible for as long as I can, but even those are starting to get reduced.

Here I am at 18 weeks and you can see my baby bump is showing.

This top and pants I got at Destination Maternity. I like the detail around the neck and the sides of the shirt are gathered which should come in handy as my belly continues to grow. The slacks are black with a slight gray plaid to them. And as winter keeps approaching I can wear a black cardigan or shrug to keep warm.

Next up I'm showing off an outfit I bought at H&M. This is a gray sweater dress with a pair of black leggings. (The black turtleneck I already had.) The great thing about this sweater dress is that there is a belt that can be tied in front to show off the bump or later on tied in back.

I have also bought a couple of ballet flats as I thought they might be easier to wear than heals, and as snow and ice start to accumulate this winter probably safer to be walking around in. With this outfit I wore a pair of silver flats to compliment the gray sweater.

I really like the detail in the knit around the neck and base of the sweater. I wore some silver jewelry as an accessory to the outfit and was all set.

So what tips do you have for maternity clothes shopping? What stores did you go to? And did the clothes you bought last all 9 months or did you have to buy bigger sizes later???

This post was linked to What I Wore Wednesday on the Pleated Poppy.

Parsnip Chocolate Chili (great recipe for expectant mothers)

2011-12-06T07:50:00.000-05:00

In case you missed yesterday's post you might not know that we are celebrating "Pregnancy Week" on a Latte' with Ott,A is week and today I'm sharing a recipe for Parsnip Chocolate Chili that is supposed to be great for expectant mothers. Parsnips are high in folate and fiber, which help both mother and baby.

Ingredients: 1 T. vegetable oil, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 1 lb. ground beef, 2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp. chili powder, 1 T. dried oregano, 1 tsp. cumin powder, 1 (29 oz) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste, 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans (drained and rinsed), 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed.

Directions: heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef and cook until browned throughout about 5 minutes. Add parsnips, red pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chili oregano, cumin, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes more.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, cocoa powder, kidney beans and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Ladel into serving bowls. A great winter-time recipe and you can slightly taste the chocolate in it. And you definitely will feel healthy eating this tasty soup.

No more Latte's for Ott, A!

2011-12-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

Now don't fret, I'm not giving up blogging, I'm giving up caffeine. And let me tell you that was no easy task. I started out by making the coffee weaker each morning and then dropping from one cup to two. Then I switched to half calf, then I tried to fool by self by drinking decaf, but finally I just went cold turkey. It was probably a 3 month process and I'll be honest I still crave coffee each and every morning. I smell it in the break room at work and long for a cup. As all the fun holiday flavored creamers come out this time of year, I stand in the dairy section of the grocery store and stare and long for a cup of Peppermint mocha flavored creamer in a hot cup of black coffee.

But my sad story of withdrawal still doesn't give you the reason as to why I went off coffee. I will let the shutterfly card below explain.

Classic Black 5x7 folded card

Modern shower invitations and holiday cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

On the inside of the card we wrote:

Cost of In-State College Tuition in 1998:
$12,824

Cost of Out-of-State College Tuition in 1999:
$22,208

Cost of BioChem 307 textbook in 2002:
$59.42

Letting you know there are 3 Boilermakers in this picture.....
Priceless!!!

Thats right! A baby Macchiato (or MacchiOTTo) is on the way!!!!!! Since Ott, E and I met at Purdue it seemed like a perfect segway for our announcement. And with our family and friends being so spread out over the country it seemed better to send a card since we couldn't tell them in person. Most were surprised and of course excited as it will be the first grandchild on both sides of the family.

We are very happy and excited for this new arrival and are certain our lives will never be the same once it arrives. So in honor of this exciting announcement I am declaring this week on a Latte' with Ott, A "Pregnancy Week." Each day this week I will have a post on recipes, clothing and exercise all focused on expectant mothers. I hope you will come back each day to see what all we have going on.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Just Something I whipped up Mondays on the Girl Creative, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou

November's Iron Chef Challenge: Turkey Winner

2011-11-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

By now the Thanksgiving Meal has been eaten, leftovers have been served and the extended family has all headed back home. (hopefully) So it is time to announce the winner of November's Iron Chef Challenge featuring Turkey as the themed ingredient from our sponsor The National Turkey Federation.

A representative from the National Turkey Federation did judge the recipes and made their selection. The winning Turkey recipe is...............................

Turkey Manhattans and the Cranwich by Heather from 3 Kids & Lots of Pigs

The judge had this to say about the winning recipe; "These two recipes are excellent examples of how to enjoy leftover turkey or turkey deli meat. consumers are always looking for easy, affordable and quality meals they can make at home and these recipes include all of these aspects while putting a twist on the perennial favorite, the turkey sandwich."

Congrats to Heather as she won the turkey prize pack. (And if you are keeping track you will notice that this is the second month in a row Heather has won the Iron Chef Challenge and the only blogger to ever win twice.)

Be sure to check back next month (December 15th) when we wrap up 2011 Iron Chef Challenges with a winner bake off. Each months winner from 2011 will bake up a recipe in a head to head competition and Taste of Home will be the judge to select the 2011 Blogging Iron Chef. You won't want to miss what these great food bloggers come up with!!!!!

And, thanks again to the National Turkey Federation for being Novembers sponsor. Be sure to visit their website, facebook and twitter @TurkeyGal for more information and recipes for Turkey.

Got leftover turkey???? Make Turkey Ole'!

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

I love using up leftovers. It makes me feel resourceful. But when I can use leftovers in a completely different way than I originally did.....it makes me feel like Super Woman (at least in the kitchen). So with leftover Turkey I made this tasty Mexican dish in the crock pot called Turkey Ole'.

To start with I shredded 4 cups of turkey and placed it in my crock pot. I used a crock pot liner, but if you don't have one, simply spray your crock pot with cooking oil.

Next I added one can of enchilada sauce, one can of tomato paste, 1/4 cup of water and 1 T. of taco seasoning. Stir and cover your crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.

After your turkey is done cooking, simply place a couple of spoonfuls onto a tortilla shell. Sprinkle with some cheese (I used Monterrey Jack, but I sure any kind would work well.)

Then roll up like you would a burrito. Eat and enjoy. With the taco seasonings and Mexican taste of these burrito like creations, your family will never think that this came off their Thanksgiving Table. It's a unique way to use up leftovers and is quick and easy to make.

And any leftovers you still have of the Turkey Ole' can be placed into freezer containers and kept for later use this winter. Simply thaw and you can enjoy this dish again.

And for more Turkey Recipes be sure to check out this month's Iron Chef Challenge where the themed ingredient is Turkey.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Hunk of meat Monday on Beyer Beware, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green

Thanksgiving Turkey in the Crock Pot

2011-11-22T19:47:00.001-05:00

I was fixing a big meal and trying to time the turkey around the sweet potato casserole and the green bean casserole and the rolls and.... well obviously I had more items to go in my oven than I had room for. So I thought, why not fix the turkey in the crock pot. This would free up time and space in my oven for other things and be a lot less stressful on me. Genius idea I thought; as I pulled the crock pot off the shelf and prepared to make our holiday turkey.

I used a 6 pound bone in turkey breast. In a small bowl I mixed together 1 cup cranberry juice, 1/2 cup dried cranberries and one envelope dried Onion soup mix. I poured these ingredients over the turkey which was in a greased crock pot; covered and cooked on Low for 12 hours (or you could do it on high for about 6 hours) or until meat thermometer reads 190 degrees.

The turkey was nice and moist and had good flavor. And was one less thing for me to worry about while getting the rest of the meal prepared. As I mentioned I cook the turkey on low and if I had to do it again I would cook it on high, just to ensure enough cooking time as 12 hours was a long time to wait on it.

And you won't believe what I did with the leftovers.... check back next week for an amazing recipe that was a big hit and didn't resemble the look or taste of the previous days meal. But until then be sure to check out this month's Iron Chef Challenge as the themed ingredient is Turkey, or if you have a recipe feel free to link it up!

This post was linked to: Hunk of meat Monday on Beyer Beware, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party

bird seed ornaments for a winter bird garden

2011-11-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

I was feeling crafty the other day and made these bird seed ornaments to place in my bird garden in the back yard during the winter months. I thought they might be a cute addition to my bird feeders for the winter months and continue to draw birds into my backyard to watch this winter. And I pretty much used supplies I had around the house to make a suet type of mixture for my birdseed. Even the pine cones came from my back yard.

I started with a 1/2 cup of lard and placed it in an empty soup can.

Next I added 1/2 cup of peanut butter.

I heated a pan of water on the stove and placed my soup can with my ingredients inside and allowed this to cook until it melted completely.

Next I dipped the pine cones into my suet mixture. (I used an ove glove to hold on to the can as it was hot.)

Then I rolled my pine cone in birdseed. (Different types of birdseed attract different birds; this was a mixture of cracked corn and other ingredients which should attract blue jays, cardinals and robins.)

I then allowed the bird seed pine cones to set up for about a day before I moved them again. The next day I drilled a small hole into the stem of the pine cone. (I used my husbands power drill for this with the smallest drill bit.)

Then I attached an ornament hook through the hole and made a hanger for the pine cone.

After that my pine cones were ready to be hung on the tree for the birds. I have also thought about stinging some popcorn and hanging that up for the birds to eat as well. And figured it would make a nice little decoration for my winter bird garden.

November's Iron Chef Challenge: Turkey Linky Party

2011-11-18T05:45:00.001-05:00

Turkey Month is here and what better themed ingredient would there be to have for this month's Iron Chef Challenge?!?!? I am please to announce that the National Turkey Federation is sponsoring this month's contest and we are running it for a little bit longer this month to ensure that your thanksgiving bird can be featured. Simply take pictures while you prepare your bird and link it up to the party below.

Rules: Chefs (aka bloggers) will prepare something using turkey in the recipe and blog about it. Posts must include Ott, A's Iron Chef Challenge Badge (code found in sidebar). Please note these can be any recipe that calls for Turkey (leftover recipes would work great too.)

Prize: The winning blog post will receive a Turkey prize pack consisting of a cookbook, Magnet, BMI calculator, Turkey polo shirt, and Thanksgiving Mickey.

The guest judge for this month's Iron Chef Challenge will be a representative from representative from the National Turkey Federation and they will be looking for content, pictures and how the product was enjoyed by your families and/or guests as criteria for selecting a winner.

The winner will be announced on this blog a few days after November 29th.

Big thanks to the National Turkey Federation for sponsoring this event! Be sure to check their website for great turkey cooking tips and find them on facebook and twitter @TurkeyGal.

The Linky will be open from November 18-29.

Good Luck and may the best Chef win!!

a quick & tasty gameday appetizer

2011-11-17T12:15:00.001-05:00

Nothing beats a weekend afternoon, curled on on the couch, watching your favorite team play football while snacking on some tasty appetizers. I got this idea while clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper and knew this would be tasty, but I don't think they have a name. So I'm going to call them my Tasty Game day Appetizer Rolls. But the great thing about this particular appetizer; are the endless possibilities to how you could make this according to your own likes and preferences.

Simply take a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Unwrap and lay out flat. Next sprinkle your toppings on it. I used chopped spinach, tomatoes, bacon and cheese. Then roll up your dough and slice into about 1/3 inch pieces and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

But lets think of all the other toppings you could use for this tasty appetizer.

Marinara Sauce, cheese and pepperoni.

Cheese and bacon.

Artichokes, spinach and cheese.

Chicken, tomatoes and ranch dressing.

Chicken and BBQ Sauce.

Or you could go a sweeter route with chocolate chips, peanut butter and marshmallows.

The list is endless, so whatever your family enjoys snacking on; wrap it up in a crescent roll, slice and bake and they will cheer even louder for their teams!!!

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Sausage (yes that's right I said Pumpkin)

2011-11-13T15:03:00.001-05:00

Ott, E came upon this recipe the other day in one of my random cookbooks, and I thought he was half crazy to want to put pumpkin on pasta. (I mean who eats pumpkin for something other than dessert?!?!) But is still fall, and I was feeling rather adventuresome in the kitchen so I thought... why not give give it a try?!?! Off to the store to buy some sweet Italian sausage and whole wheat Penni pasta and I was all set to make this Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Sausage.

I prepared my pasta in a pot of boiling water.

I browned my sausage, then browned my onions. Combined the two along with 1 cup of chicken stock and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

I then added 1 can of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of cream and some spices to create my sauce.

I spooned the sauce over the pasta and topped with some Parmesan cheese and chives and what we ate was a savory entree' with an autumn flair. The sweet sausage really complimented the pumpkin and spice. It's not an overwhelming taste, but definitely a different kind of sauce for your pasta and one your guests are sure to ask for seconds for.

Here is the full recipe for you on a handy card that you can click on, print off and keep for yourself.

a fantastic fall breakfast: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2011-11-08T06:53:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned before on this blog about our lazy Saturday morning tradition and how Ott, E likes to makes pancakes. Well today I'm sharing a great autumn recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes. The flavors of the pumpkin and chocolate work great as a breakfast option and pair very nicely with maple syrup.

Ingredients: 1 cup flour, 2 T. baking powder, 2 T. sugar, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. salt, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 2 T. oil, 1/4 cup pumpkin.

Mix together and pour into a hot skillet (or if you are Ott, E a quesdilla maker) until brown on one side, flip and brown on the other side. Serve warm with syrup.

We hope this recipes makes it to your breakfast table some fall weekend!!

a Battle over Boots

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well I've told you before on this blog about my shoe obsession. But did you know I also like boots?!?!? Now I'll be the first to admit I have lots of what I'll call "fashion boots". I've got short boots, tall boots, boots with heals, boots with leather, boots with suede, boots with a square toe, boots with a pointy toe and ..... you get the idea. But sadly, this farm girl only owns one pair of what I'll call "cowboy boots."

Don't get me wrong I love my cowboy boots. I have worn them to numerous livestock shows, barn dances and even a night out on the town. My cowboy boots are purple! And I love the color purple!!!! But I feel a little limited as to what I can wear them with.

So I have decided that I need a new pair of boots and I have picked out these Black Tooled Nocona Cowgirl Boots. Go ahead and take a look at them. They are cute and girly. I like the design on them and they fact that I could wear them dressed up or dressed down. And, to quote the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. "It practically goes with everything and I'll wear them everyday."

But here's where I need your help. I need you to go vote for me on the Real Farmwives of America & Friends blog. You see, if I get enough votes I'll win these boots for free. And by you going to vote you'll be entered for a chance to win a pair of Nocona Boots for yourself. A win, win situation if you ask me.

November's Iron Chef Challenge: Turkey

2011-11-04T08:48:00.001-04:00

November is here and you know what that means?!?!?!? Another round of the Iron Chef Challenge and how appropriate for this month that the themed ingredient is............. Turkey!!! Now I know you will all be fixing one this Thanksgiving so why not take some pictures while you do and share your recipe, family secrets and time old tips. Whether you stuff, brine, bake or fry your turkey we want to see it linked up to the Iron Chef Challenge Linky Party November 18-29.

I am pleased to announce that the sponsor for this month's contest is the National Turkey Federation. The National Turkey Federation is an advocate for all aspects and members of the Turkey Industry.

Judging the recipes will be a representative from the National Turkey Federation and they will be looking for content, pictures and how the product was enjoyed by your families and/or guests as criteria for selecting a winner.

The winning blog post will receive a Turkey prize pack consisting of a cookbook, Magnet, BMI calculator, Turkey polo shirt, and Thanksgiving Mickey.

So start thawing those turkeys and be sure to check back November 18th to see what other bloggers are baking or to link up some recipes of your own. Please note this month's challenge will run a little longer than usual to accommodate the holiday so you can enter the contest while your enjoying leftovers.

And be sure to check out http://www.eatturkey.com/ for lots of tips and recipes for preparing your Turkey. Also you can follow the National Turkey Federation on Facebook and twitter @TurkeyGal.

Winner of October's Iron Chef Challenge: Artichokes

2011-11-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

Well the results are in from October's Iron Chef Challenge featuring Artichokes from our sponsor Ocean Mists Farms and this contest proved to be challenging for some of our bloggers this was their first time cooking with artichokes.

A representative from Ocean Mists Farms did judge the recipes and made their selection. The winning Artichoke recipe is...............................

Grilled Garlic Artichokes by Heather from 3 Kids & Lots of Pigs

Ocean Mist Farms had this to say about the winning recipe; "From one farming family to another…we were thrilled to see they had never cooked with FRESH artichokes until this challenge. Most people not familiar with artichokes think of using canned or frozen chokes- but we actually grow the fresh artichokes found in a fresh produce department of a grocery store. The cooking steps were well documented and the artichokes got a thumbs up from her sissy. Tip: From the looks of the photos…we suggest maybe boiling them longer than 15 minutes to make sure the artichoke is cooked all the way through for a better eating experience!"

Congrats to Heather as she won a case of fresh artichokes that will be shipped right to her door.

And, big thanks to Ocean Mist Farms for being our sponsor. Be sure to visit their website and sign up for their Artichokes Aficionados club more tips and recipes for artichokes. You can also find them on facebook and twitter @artichokerecipe.

Crock Pot: Apricot Glazed Chicken

2011-10-31T19:17:00.001-04:00

I have fixed this recipe several times when you know you have company coming over, but you don't quite know what time they will arrive. Crock pot's work great in these type of situations as they keep your entre' warm and allow for some variance in cooking times. This recipe for Apricot Glazed Chicken taste great and will leave your guest thinking you are the perfect dinner hostess.

This recipe calls for 4 simple ingredients.

4-6 chicken breasts, 1 cup apricot jam, 1 package dry Onion Soup mix and 1 cup Catalina or French Salad Dressing. Mix the jam, soup mix, and salad dressing together and pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Serve with some vegetables and you have one super easy, yet super delicious meal that will leave your guest asking for seconds.

Not 1 but 2 Artichoke Recipes

2011-10-25T08:42:00.001-04:00

That's right, this week I am bringing you two delicious artichoke recipes that are quick, easy and quite tasty. Now, I'll be the first to admit artichokes are not a common ingredient in my kitchen, but this month's Iron Chef Challenge is sponsored by Ocean Mist Farms and the themed ingredient is artichokes, and the word challenge is definitely what this ingredient brought to my kitchen. I set out to find a recipe and found two so I figured why not make them both. And I learned that Artichokes are high in potassium, vitamin C, magnesium and a great source of fiber. But enough about the healthy stuff, lets get on to the good tasting stuff.

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

Ingredients: 1 cup yogurt, 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup Romano cheese, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

Directions: In a small bowl mix yogurt, artichoke hearts and cheeses. Pour into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with pita chips.
You are sure to love the creamy-ness of this dip and the yogurt makes it a healthy snack.

Next I made a Bacon, Artichoke Panini.

This recipe makes 2 panini's and calls for 1 can of cooked artichoke hearts, 4 slices of bread, 4 strips of cooked bacon, 1 sliced tomato, a handful of spinach leaves, butter and garlic salt.

To start with I cooked the artichoke hearts and bacon. I also toasted the bread. I then buttered one slice of bread for each sandwich and sprinkled it with a little bit of garlic salt.

Next I placed the spinach leaves and bacon on one slice of toasted bread and then the drained artichoke hearts and tomatoes on the other slice of bread.

Lastly I put the two pieces together and put them on the grill for a couple of minutes. (Shhhh... don't tell anyone but I use our George Foreman Grill as a panini press at our house. It works great!)

Overall, I really liked how the garlic salt brought out the flavors of the tomato and complimented the artichokes and spinach nicely. The bacon added a great taste as well. (Doesn't bacon make everything taste better though?!?!) And, another healthy meal option.

Be sure to check out all the other great recipes linked up to this month's Iron Chef Challenge featuring Ocean Mist Farm's Artichokes, or if you have a recipe of your own feel free to link it up as well and be entered to win this month's prize.

My fall decorations

2011-10-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

We are all set for fall at the Ott house. I have the inside decorated and the outside decorated. I have Halloween decorations out and my fall dinner table all set. So today I show off a few pictures from my fall decorating.

Above is a pumpkin with our name on it. And below a wrought iron pumpkin adorns our fireplace hearth.

Jack-o-laterns and a witch sit atop our entertainment center and below you can see our mantle is all decked out in sunflowers, baskets, candles and other fall decorations.

And lastly my fall dinner table is all set and ready for guests. I love white pumpkins and have played off the white and brown colors for my centerpieces.

Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Winner

2011-10-22T10:30:00.000-04:00

Ten Recipes

Two Cookbooks

One Giveaway

Well our 10 weeks of Gooseberry Patch cooking has come to an end. If you'll recall, you all voted for the cookbook I would cook out of and Homemade Christmas won. Then I let my husband, Ott, E pick out the 10 recipes and I baked them up. Each week I posted a recipe and at the end you all got to sign up to win a copy of this cookbook for yourselves.

Well the entries are in and the lucky reader is.......

#75 Madeline Jones.

Big Thanks to all who signed up and to Gooseberry Patch for allowing me to participate in this endeavor. There are more Farmwives still cooking up a storm, so be sure to stop by the Real Farmwives of America & Friends blog for more great recipes and your chance to win!!!!

Iron Chef Challenge: Artichokes

2011-10-21T08:07:00.000-04:00

The theme for October's Iron Chef Challenge is Artichokes, sponsored by Ocean Mist Farms.

Rules: Chefs (aka bloggers) will prepare something using Artichokes in the recipe and blog about it. Posts must include Ott, A's Iron Chef Challenge Badge (code found in sidebar). Bloggers need to also sign up for the Artichokes Aficionados club on Ocean Mist Farms Website. (This site contains lots more insider tips and places where you can share recipes of your own.) And if you would like you can also submit your recipe to their website. (This is not required, but encouraged.)
Prize: The winning blog post will win a case of fresh Artichokes straight from Ocean Mists Farms and delivered to your door.

The guest judge for this month's Iron Chef Challenge will be a representative from Ocean Mists Farms.

The winner will be announced on this blog the week of October 31st!

Big thanks to Ocean Mist Farms for sponsoring this event! Be sure to check them out on facebook and twitter @artichokerecipe.

The Linky will be open from October 21-28.

Good Luck and may the best Chef win!!!

My Food Swap Experience

2011-10-20T16:08:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I participated in a Food Swap here in Indianapolis. And, I'll be honest I didn't know quite what to expect. I didn't know what the other swappers would be like, what the food would be like or what the swapping itself would be like. I found out about the Indy Food Swap on Twitter, and I knew other cities had food swaps, and I knew a couple of bloggers who participated in them. So I chatted with Jen from the blog Mess Hall to Bistro and we signed up to attend.

Now, I read ahead of time on the Food Swap website that samples were good to have on hand so others could try your product. I also knew that food items were exchanged for food items and no currency was exchanged. So with 12 jars of my homemade Honey Lemon Apple Jam I headed out the door and was ready to swap.

When I arrived; I checked in, and sat up my area with a sign stating what my item was. I sat out my cute jars all decorated with a bloggy business card attached, along with my samples and I was all set.

Jen From Mess Hall to Bistro was there with jars of Carmel Apple Jam, hot cocoa and homemade marshmallows. Other swappers brought everything from wine to salsa's, soups, cookies, brownies, chex mix, dried crock pot mixes, cake pops, and lots of other items. The first half hour you could walk around and sample each others food. Then, each swapper had a piece of paper and could write down what they were willing to swap for. Then the last half hour the swapping began!

Above is a pictures from the swap of the food, samples and swappers. I swapped out all 12 jars I came with and ended up with the following: peach jam, grape jelly, butterscotch cookie mix, granola mix, a chocolate pecan tart, hot cocoa mix with marshmallows, brownies, cookies, lemon poppy seed bread and I'm sure there's more there that I just can't remember. The great thing about the food swap is there is no pressure to swap for things you don't want, and it's a great place to try new things.

Overall, it was a fun experience and a great way to meet some new people and check out some new foods & recipes. I hear they are having another swap in the month of December and Jennifer and I are already planning what we will make to swap for then.

Cooked Chicken with Chickpea & Dried Fruit Couscous

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well I was feeling a little adventurous in the kitchen and decided to try couscous. I had a recipe that called for dried fruit in the couscous, so after a quick trip to the store to pick up some of the ingredients I was set and ready to make us dinner. But before I get to the recipe for that I wanted to remind you of the giveaway I still have going on for a Gooseberry Patch Homemade Christmas Cookbook. You'll want to be sure and sign up for that!!!

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
3 T. Olive Oil
1 cup chopped mixed dried fruits (apples, pears, apricots, mango's, pineapples or whatever you like.)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 cups instant couscous
dash of salt

Directions: In a large pot, heat oil and saute' dried fruit over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add cumin and stir.

At the same time cook chicken breast in a skillet over medium heat until cooked throughout.

Back in the large pot add vegetable broth, couscous and chickpeas. Bring to a boil; cover and turn off heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a for and add salt to taste.

I really liked the sweetness and flavor the dried fruit brought to the couscous. It gives the dish a great taste and severed along side a vegetable made for a great meal.

Next week starts the Iron Chef Challenge with Artichoke Recipes; so be sure to stop by and see all the tasty ways to fix artichokes or link up a recipe of your own.

a Saturday in my Carhartt jacket

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

I recall growing up there was usually a tan colored Carhartt jacket on the back porch of my grandparents farm. It was my grandfathers but he had several other jackets to wear so sometimes when I needed a quick coat to throw on I would grab it. It was of course way to big on me, but I liked that you could easily zip it up and it was warm. Nowadays, Carhartt has a womans line which fit much better and no more tan, as they have some great colors to choose from. Today I am reviewing the Carhartt Serpa Sweat Jacket in the Dusk Blue Color.

My Saturday started out like any other; sleeping in just a little then eating breakfast before getting ready to head to town to run some errands. It was a brisk October morning so my Carhartt Jacket kept me warm. Once home I decided to plant some flower bulbs in my garden.

First off I love the Dusk Blue color of my Carhartt as it's not quite purple but almost could be. The jacket has a zipper and a button at the top to help keep the collar up and the wind out on colder days.

I planted pheasant eyes, tulips and Iris's in my garden.

Later that day we went to Connor Prairie. This is a interactive living history area on the northside of Indianapolis with towns and farms based in the 1800's. They had a Morgan's Raid exhibit that I had been wanting to see. (Morgan's Raid was the only civil war battles that took place in Indiana.) And with the leaves being so brightly colored it seemed like a great day to visit.

This jacket has two pocket in front which are great for your hands when you get cold or to keep your keys in. Next we went to a local apple orchard and picked some apples. Ott, E and I both enjoy apple picking in the fall and I of course enjoying baking with apples.

If you would like to win a Carhartt product of your own; head over to the Real Farmwives of America & Friends blog to enter for your chance to win!!!!

Big Thanks to Carhartt with providing me with this jacket to review. Please note all thoughts, opinions and pictures of this product are my own.

My new Ravioli Maker

2011-10-14T11:43:00.000-04:00

I've blogged before about my obsession with my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer Pasta Attachment and my new found abilities for making Ravioli. Well Ott, E bought me this Ravioli Maker tray from Super Target so I decided to try it out. I made my pasta and used the lasagna noodle attachment to flatten out my dough.

Then I draped one piece of dough over this tray with the holes for stuffing the ravioli. (I found out the hard way that it works best if you spray the tray with some cooking oil.) Then I gently push the dough down into each hole.

Next I spooned my stuffing into each hole and because the holes were deep I could stuff some extra into each one.

Next I dipped my finger in water and went around the edges of each ravioli. (This will help the dough seal together.) Then I put a 2nd flat piece of dough on top. I then took the other part of my ravioli maker and pressed down. The reverse side has indentations to press the dough together and form the ravioli into uniform squares with lines on where to cut the dough.

Next I took a knife and cut on the lines to separate the ravioli.

Then I pulled them out one at a time and placed them on a wire rack to dry.

Overall it still took about the same amount of time to make the ravioli using this tray vs. when I just did it by hand. But my ravioli are all uniform and I will say having the tray with the holes in it allowed me to stuff a lot more filling into my ravioli. This also made for a more even amount of both pasta and filling. Ott, E liked the addition filling as well. So I was pleased with my new kitchen gadget and am already searching for new ravioli recipes.

Our weekend get-a-way to Springfield, Illinois

2011-10-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Ott, E and I had a little getaway to Springfield, Illinois. I had been wanting to go there for quite some time to see all the historical sites for Lincoln. I enjoy learning about history and Lincoln actually lived in southern Indiana for a short time. He was born in Kentucky, and around the age of 8 his family moved to Indiana about the same time it became a state. His family then moved to Illinois when he was 21.

Our first stop was New Salem, Illinois which is where Lincoln first lived by himself as an adult. He helped run a general store in this small town about 20 miles north of Springfield. Below is a picture of some of the cabins that have been rebuilt in this little town to resemble what it was like back then.

Next we went to the Cemetery to see Lincoln's tomb. It is a very impressive limestone structure and visitors can enter to see statues of Lincoln and the final resting place of him and his wife and children.

I found it fascinating how many times they moved his body within this cemetery. Below is a picture of the original tomb which is actually on the backside of the monument.

Next we went to downtown Springfield to see the house he lived in while being a lawyer and married with kids. They added on to this house several times and the National Park Service has maintained all the furniture from the original home. The angle I took the picture of his house below is the most photographed angle of the house whenever you see old photos or newspapers. (There was a sign there telling me that.)

These are pictures of the parlor and sitting rooms.

Then for dinner that night we ate at D'Arcy's Pint. While watching an episode of Man vs. Food on the travel channel we saw him eat a Horseshoe at this establishment and knew this was the place for us to try out. (In case you've been keeping track, this is the 5th Man vs. Food Restaurant we've been to.) Ott, E ordered the Deluxe Horseshoe and I was happy to help him eat it. It's consists of a piece of Texas Toast, ground hamburger, bacon bits, onions and topped off with fries and then they pour a homemade cheese sauce over the top of it. (Ummm.... just thinking about the cheese sauce makes me want another one.)

The next day we drove past the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield.

Ott, E stopped to pose with a statue of Lincoln on a park bench.

Then we went to Lincoln's Presidential Museum. I had been wanting to come here for a long time and it was well worth the wait. The museum is divided into two sections; the first focuses on Lincoln growing up and moving to Illinois, practing law and entering into politics. The other sections focuses on his time as President. There were great interactive exhibits that told his story and laid out all the political ramifications of the decisions he made during the Civil War.

The museum also had two theatres which used holograms and audio visual effects to tell other aspects of Lincolns life which were very entertaining. We ended up spending 2.5 hours there before heading home for the weekend.

Overall we thought there was lots to see in Springfield and felt like it was all very educational. All the locations were easy to find and park and reasonable priced. With great fall weather and the leaves just starting to change it was a great weekend!

This post was linked to:Wordless Wednesday on Project Alicia and Wordless Wednesday on Pinke Post

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #10 and the Giveaway!

2011-10-10T16:20:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the last recipe from the Gooseberry Patch "Homemade Christmas" Cookbook. I have baked 10 recipes that Ott, E selected from this cookbook and shared them all with you on this blog. Each post was a new recipe and I let you know what Ott, E thought of the recipe so you would get a man's perspective on these dishes. Today I share with you a great autumn recipe for:

Carmel Glazed Apple Cake

Ott, E really liked the spices in this cake and thought they compliments the apples perfectly. It was a great dessert to serve on a fall day with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. And, or course the Carmel Sauce on top is sure to please anyone sweet tooth.

Ott, E and I picked these apples at an orchard not too farm from our house, so I thought I would use them in this cake.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts
2 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Directions: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices. With a wooden spoon gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture to form a very thick batter. Stir in remaining ingredients.

(I love my handy apple peeler/corer. It's quick, easy and fun to use and works great.)

Pour batter into a greased 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

With a fork; poke holes all over the surface of the cake.

Carmel Glaze: 1/4 c. butter, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. brown sugar (packed), 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup whipping cream.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add sugars and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Pour warm Carmel Glaze over cake. Serve warm or cooled. Serves 16.

In case you missed here here were the other 9 recipes!

Cheesy Eggplant Casserole, Baked Spiced French Toast, Chocolate Oat Chews, Holiday Loin in the Crock Pot, Maple Baked Acorn Squash, Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

And as promised I am giving away a copy of Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas Cookbook to one of you! This Cookbook will come in handy around the holidays for all your baking needs or could make a great Christmas present or hostess gift. All you have to do to sign up in click on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Big Thanks to Gooseberry Patch for sponsoring this contest with The Real Farmwives of America & Friends and providing this cookbook to be giveaway.

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Just Something I whipped up Mondays on the Girl Creative, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou
2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green

October's Iron Chef Challenge themed ingredient is....Artichokes!

2011-10-04T18:30:00.000-04:00

That's right! It wouldn't be a challenge unless we picked some things that were out of the ordinary and not fixed in your homes on a weekly basis. This month I am please to announce that Ocean Mist Farms has graciously agreed to be our Iron Chef Challenge Sponsor for the themed ingredient of Artichokes.

Ocean Mist Farms is a family owned farm located in Castroville, California since 1924 and is the largest grower of fresh Artichokes in the US. Ocean Mist Farms has a great website with recipes and tips on cooking artichokes. They also have an Artichokes Aficionados club which I highly recommend signing up for as it contains lots more insider tips and places where you can share recipes of your own. Ocean Mist Farms can also be found on facebook and twitter @artichokerecipe.

In order to participate in this month's challenge simply blog about a recipe that uses Artichokes. Take pictures of the recipe being prepared and the final dish, then link up your recipe/blog post to the Iron Chef Challenge Linky Party on this blog from October 21-28.

The guest judge for this month's Iron Chef Challenge will be a representative from Ocean Mists Farms.
The prize for this month's Challenge will be a case of fresh Artichokes straight from Ocean Mists Farms and delivered to your door.

The winner will be announced on this blog the week of October 31st!

Big Thanks to Ocean Mists Farms for being our sponsor and we look forward to all the tasty recipes you will link up!!

Oh my.... Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie!!! (Gooseberry Patch Recipe #9)

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I know they say save the best for last, but this #9 recipe could not wait another moment to be made, eaten and now shared with all of you. It is fall and pumpkins are a craving most people have this time of year, especially Ott, E. I was not surprised when he picked this recipe out of Gooseberry Patch's "Homemade Christmas" Cookbook.

I will admit this dessert is sure to enhance your usual pumpkin pie. The ice cream combines perfectly with the pumpkin and spices to create a great tasting dessert. You'll want to be sure and serve this Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie at your Thanksgiving feast this year. That's right... ice cream and pumpkin.... together!!!

Ingredients:
15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 pints vanilla ice cream
9 inch graham cracker crust, frozen
Optional: Whipped cream, butterscotch sauce

Directions: Stir pumpkin, brown sugar and spices together in a saucepan over low heat. cook and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens. Refrigerate until cool (about 2 hours). Soften 2 pints of ice cream and blend with pumpkin mixture: spread evenly into crust. Cover; freeze at least 2 hours. At service time, let pie stand for a few minutes at room temperature before slicing.

If desired sever with Butterscotch Sauce and whipped cream.

Butterscotch Sauce: 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 cup whipping cream. In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, cool. Refrigerate in a covered container.

Next week I will share my last recipe out of Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas Cook and then I will be giving away a copy of the book to one of you! Be sure to come back next week for the final recipe and your chance to win!!!!!

Honey Lemon Apple Jam

2011-09-29T19:08:00.000-04:00

After Ott, E and I went apple picking I canned my usual apple products: Carmel Apple Jam, Applesauce, and applebutter. But this year I thought I would also try a new recipe. One that I actually found on Mrs. Wages website which was originally from Marisa, the blogger over at Food in Jars.

I tweaked the recipe from hers a little so here is my version of this jam recipe which both Ott, E and I will admit packs and citrus punch and is sure to jump start your mornings on your breakfast toast or biscuit.

Ingredients:
12 cups chopped apples
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 cup honey
5 cups sugar
zest of 2 lemons

Directions:
Combine the chopped apples and lemon juice in a large pot and cover over med-low heat, stirring frequently, until the apples have broken down. When you've got a nice, chunky applesauce, add the honey and sugar and stir to incorporate.

Bring the fruit to a bubble and cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring regularly. (It will become soupy.) After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Fill jars, but leave 1/4 inch headspace. When wiping down the rims of the jars, try using white vinegar to help get any stickiness off. Apply lids and screw on rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

I also decided to sign up for the Indy Food Swap coming up here in a couple of weeks. I have heard Kate over at the Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking talking up these food swaps, so when they started one in Indy I thought I would give it a try. I will be there with jars of this delicious jam to swap.

This post was linked to: It's a Blog Party, I'm Lovin' It on Tidy Mom and Inspiration Friday.

Winner of September's Iron Chef Challenge: Yeast

2011-09-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

Well let me first tell you that Red Star Yeast had quite the time choosing a winner for the Iron Chef Challenge! They told me that they really enjoyed the variety of recipes that were submitted from root beer and ginger ale to a bread that combined two rather unlikely ingredient companions--rosemary and raisins.
But they did make a decision and the winner of Septembers Iron Chef Challenge is................

Chocolate Babka from Create with Joy

Judge, Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast had this to say about the winning recipe. "Among all of the wonderful recipes that were submitted, I ultimately chose the Chocolate Babka as the winner. I must admit I’m a big chocolate fan and it’s not often that you’ll find chocolate in a yeast dough recipe. Create with Joy took a rather involved recipe, broke it down step-by-step, supported by fabulous photos and made it look quite effortless. I am certain that her post will inspire even the most yeast-challenged bakers to give it a try. A great recipe to try for the holidays---makes 3 loaves, one to keep and two to present as gifts!"

Congrats to Create with Joy on winning the Red Star Yeast Prize Pack. We will be sending that to you shortly. And Big Thanks to Red Star Yeast for sponsoring this month's Iron Chef Challenge. Be sure to check out their website and facebook page for more recipes and tips.

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was not surprised in the least when Ott, E selected this recipe out of Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas Cookbook. You see he is crazy about Pumpkin and chocolate chips. (Remember the story about our pumpkin pie???) So combine those two ingredients and make them into a cookie and he was hooked. This recipe is ideal for fall, has a moist taste, nice consistency and the combination of chocolate and pumpkin is sure to please your taste buds.

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil or applesauce
1 egg, beaten
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil or applesauce and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir well. Dissolve baking soda in milk; add to dough and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

I particularly liked how you could substitute applesauce for oil and I actually used dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet but I'm sure both kinds of chocolate chips would taste just as good.

Only two more recipes to go and then I'll be giving away a copy of Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas. With this cookbook you will either be all ready to start baking for the holiday seasons or have a great gift to give away to the baker in your life.

5 Unique Apple Recipes

2011-09-23T09:41:00.001-04:00

It's officially fall and Ott, E and I have already been apple picking once this year and plan on going back again some time here in a couple of weeks. I love baking with apples, canning apples and making all kinds of delicious treats with apples, so this got me to thinking..... perhaps I could share some of my favorite apple recipes with you.

Apple Lamb Chops

Who doesn't love homemade applesauce?!?! But did you know it's great in lots of recipes too??

Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce Bars

And then theres recipes that call for applebutter. (that's right there's more to do with applebutter than spreading it on your toast in the morning.)

Applebutter Cake Roll

Applebutter Sweet Potatoes

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #7: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread

2011-09-20T20:09:00.001-04:00

You know that saying; kill two birds with one stone. Well that's what I am doing with the recipe I am sharing this week. I'm using a recipe that calls for yeast to suffice this month's Iron Chef Challenge and selected one out of the Gooseberry Patch Homemade Christmas Cookbook that I've been cooking out of for the past few weeks. Therefore I share with you the recipe for Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread. (See....I told you... two birds..... one stone.)

Somewhat similar in taste to the cheddar bay biscuits they serve at Red Lobster, this recipe is easy to make and utilizes a bread machine (which you all know as one of my all time favorite kitchen appliances.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. Red Star active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
4 tsp. butter softened
1/2 c. sour cream
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. bread flour

Directions:
Heat water until 110 to 115 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar. Pour into bread machine pan and add other ingredients in order listed. Select dough cycle. When cycle is completed, turn dough out onto a flour surface. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes.

Pull dough apart by handfuls and dip in Cheesy Garlic Mixture.
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 T. dried, minced onion
2 tsp. granulated garlic

Place in a greased pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese.

Cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until golden.

I liked this recipe because the bread machine does all the work for you. Ott, E liked this recipe because the bread made nice sized rolls to have with dinner and had great flavor.

This post was linked to: 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green

A "Cancer Sucks" Bouquet

2011-09-19T08:17:00.000-04:00

The Real Farmwives of America & Friends are having a "Love for Leontien Day" so I am blogging today to encourage Leontien in her fight against cancer. Leontien blogs over at 4 Leaf Clover Tales, she is a dairy farmers wife who moved here from the Netherlands and writes fun stories about her life. Be sure to check out her blog because everyday you read it you are sure to have a smile on your face by the time you are done. Today I'm joining with some of the other Farmwives to find a way to make her smile.

So I thought about what I could make for Leontien, and came up with this idea.

A "Cancer Sucks" Bouquet

Basically a collection of suckers, but I thought it would be fun for Leotien to have for times when she needs something sweet. It's colorful, tasty and hopefully will brighten her day. I gathered up Blow Pops, Tootsie Roll Pops, Dum Dums and various other suckers and arranged them in a bouquet like fashion.

To make this bouquet I started with my stem and wrapped a paper towel roll with ribbon.

I then attached it to a 3 inch diameter floral ball.

From there I started with my biggest suckers and poked them evenly spaced through out the ball.

Then I added the medium sized and finished up with the smallest sized until the ball was completely full.

So Leontien as soon as I find a box I am shipping this "Cancer Sucks" Bouquet to you. And wish you best of luck in your continued success in beating it.

If you would like to give Leontien some words of encouragement then please feel free to join the Love for Leontien Facebook Page.

This post was linked to: Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Just Something I whipped up Mondays on the Girl Creative, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou

Ott, A's September Iron Chef Challenge: Red Star Yeast Linky Party

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

The theme for September's Iron Chef Challenge is Yeast, sponsored by Red Star Yeast.

Rules: Chefs (aka bloggers) will prepare something using Red Star Yeast in the recipe and blog about it. Included in this blog post must be the recipe (stating what kind of Red Star Yeast you used) along with pictures and any tips on preparing the item. Posts must include Ott, A's Iron Chef Challenge Badge (code found in sidebar).

Prize: The winning blog post will win "The Kneaded Loaf" recipe book, a Red Star "I love to Knead" apron, a bread pan, oven mitts, thermometer and of course Red Star Yeast!!!
The winner will be announced on this blog the week of September 26th.

Judging the recipes will be Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast. She will be looking for content, pictures and how the product was enjoyed by your families and/or guests as her criteria for selecting a winner.

Big thanks to Red Star Yeast for sponsoring this event! Be sure to check them out on facebook and twitter (@RedStarYeast).

The Linky will be open from September 16-23.

So lets fire up those ovens!
Good Luck and may the best Chef win!!!

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #6: Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

2011-09-13T07:51:00.000-04:00

Ott, E picked out a soup recipe from the Gooseberry Patch Homemade Christmas Cookbook that can be made in the crock pot. So naturally I was thrilled to have something so simple and easy to throw in before heading out the door to work and he was thrilled to come home to an already cooked and ready to eat meal. This recipe for Corn Chowder has a rich and creamy taste and it loaded with vegetables. It is sure to stick to your ribs on these chilly fall nights.

Ingredients:

32 oz. pkg. frozen shredded hashbrowns with peppers and onions, thawed and patted dry

2 cups cooked ham or chicken, cubed

15.25 oz. can corn

14.75 oz. can creamed corn

10.75 can cream of mushroom soup

10.75 can cream of chicken soup

2 1/2 cup milk

2 T. Butter

2 T. Dried Parsley

Dash of Salt & Pepper

Directions: In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 hours. Serves 8.

Well we are over half way through our Gooseberry Patch Recipes so in 4 more weeks we will have our Cookbook giveaway so keep checking back in for your chance to win.

This post was linked to:

Hunk of Meat Monday, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green

Fire Pits & Fireflies

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about summer is sitting outside in the evenings and just relaxing with families and friends. Ott, E and I enjoy sitting on our patio and just watching the fireflies light up the back yard. This summer we had a new addition to our backyard with a CobraCo Steel Mesh Rim fire pit with 2 benches from Avant Garden.

Now, I must admit this fire pit was really easy to put together. It came in a box with all the parts and instructions and in under an hour I had it all put together. (All by myself, mind you.)

What I like most about this fire pit is that the mesh wrought black iron pattern of this pit and the two matching benches match the rest of our patio furniture perfectly. (The benches can also double and end tables.)

The fire pit came with a lid and a plastic cover to keep it from rusting in the rain.

Here is one of the two benches.

I also like that there is a ridge to this fire pit so you can lean your forks for roasting marshmallows on it or set a drink there temporarily if you needed a spot. While the ledge itself never got hot obviously the heat of the fire kept the air around it warm.

In no time Ott, E had the fire roaring and we were ready to settle in and watch the night sky, fireflies, and flames.

I look forward to the coming of fall so we can use this more on those chilly nights and roast more marshmallows with friends. Speaking of marshmallows I'm sharing my smore's recipe on my facebook fanpage so be sure to like a Latte; with Ott, A on facebook and see the fun and creative twist we put on smores'.

If you would like to win a fire pit of your very own, then head over to the Real Farmwives of America and Friends webpage as they are giving one away this week. It's super easy to sign up and just think of all the great times you will have outside!!!

Thanks to Avant Garden for giving me this fire pit to review. Please note all pictures and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

When in Rome.... throw cow chips

2011-09-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

I don't even know where to begin with this post.... so I guess I'll start at the beginning.

Ott, E and I went to Wisconsin for Labor Day weekend to visit his family. We were going to go to his hometown's festival parade, grill out, visit with the relatives and then stop by the festival. His hometown (Sauk City, Wisconsin) hosts this festival and contest every year on Labor Day. What kind of a festival you ask??? .....a cow chip festival with the state's cow chip throwing contest.

Now, if your asking what's a cow chip you may want to stop reading about now. A cow chip or cow patty is dried cow poop. And apparently seeing how far you can throw it, is a sport in some areas of the country. In fact there is even a National Cow Chip throwing contest in Oklahoma each year which the winner of this contests gets to attend.

Well now your probably asking how did I get entered into this contest? I was sitting at Ott, E's parents house minding my own business when his uncle called and said he was going to sign me up to be in the contest. At first I declined, but then when I found out his mother, aunt and cousin were going to compete I figured I'd at least be in good company, I'm mean... when in Rome.... (I still didn't know for sure what I was getting myself into.)

Now being a farmgirl I'll admit I have touched a lot of gross things in my day. But also, with being a farmgirl, comes knowing when to put on a pair of gloves to get the job done. One of the few rules in this cow chip throwing contest was, no gloves.

Now my first instinct to throwing this cow chip was to throw it like a Frisbee, but what I learned was that the winners throw their cow chips overhand. Each entrant gets two chips to throw and the farthest throw is the one that is recorded. So for your cow chip viewing pleasure, below is video of my attempt along with Ott, E's relatives.

I came in at 32.2 feet. Obviously not the winning throw, but still somewhat respectable and I didn't hit anyone in the audience which was my only goal. Below is Ott, E's father throwing.

And here is Ott, E's uncle throwing. (he's the one who signed me up for this.) And Labor Day 2012 is only 363 days away so make your travel plans now to travel to Sauk City, Wisconsin to get in on this end of summer tradition.

This post was linked to:Wordless Wednesday on Project Alicia and Wordless Wednesday on Pinke Post

plOTTing & planting: butternut squash

2011-09-06T19:14:00.000-04:00

We planted butternut squash for the first time in our garden this year. We had three vines, several flowers and only one squash. At first we thought something was eating the blossoms. Then we thought maybe due to the weather the blossoms were rotting or drying up before getting pollinated.

Then Ott, E spoke with a co-worker who deals with curcurbits (squashes, melons, and gourds) and he said butternut squash were notorious for having more male blossoms than female.

Well that made us feel better (or at least like it wasn't anything we were doing wrong). So here is our one and only butternut squash, which I just about daily check on and can't wait to harvest as I have big plans with what I'm going to make with it.

this post was linked to Tuesday Garden Party.

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #5: Maple-Baked Acorn Squash

2011-09-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

Do I ever have a treat for you today?!?!? I was coming home late from work one day and Ott, E started dinner and had it on the table ready to eat when I walked in the back door. Now normally I would think; wow am I ever lucky to have a guy who can help in the kitchen. But this time I was completely thrilled to see that he fixed a recipe he selected from the Homemade Christmas Gooseberry Patch cookbook.

Oh but wait it gets even better than that......He took pictures while he was making it. (Do I have him trained to be a blogger or what?!?!?)

So if Ott, E can make this tasty fall side dish...... so can you!

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 cup maple Syrup, divided
2 tsp. Butter, diced and divided
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Fill an ungreased 9x9 inch pan with 1/2 inch water. Place squash halves in pan, cut side up. Pour 1/4 cup syrup into each squash half. Dot each with 1 tsp. of butter; sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, until squash is tender. Serves 2.

Please note Ott, E said it took closer to an hour to bake these squash as they may have been a little larger. I love the way the squash cut open looks like a flower. I think it makes an attractive side dish for any meal. Ott, E liked the way the maple enhanced the flavor of the squash and just made for a nice homey taste.

We are halfway through our recipes for this cookbook partnership. So come back next week for some more fall themed food items.

September's Iron Chef Challenge: Red Star Yeast

2011-09-01T04:30:00.000-04:00

With the start of fall right around the corner, what better time to fire up your ovens for some tasty breads and rolls to enjoy during those chilly evening dinners. Fall just says soups and crock pots and warm bread fresh out of the oven to me. So what better product to feature in this months' Iron Chef Challenge than Red Star Yeast!!!

Red Star Yeast has a great website with recipes and tips on baking with yeast. If you are a baker/blogger then break out your bread pans and feel free to link up a recipe featuring Red Star Yeast to the Iron Chef Challenge Linky Party which will run September 16-23 on this blog. Simply grab the code for the linky party badge (found in the right sidebar) and insert that into your post. Then come back to this blog and link up!!!

Please note all recipes must contain this month's themed iingredient: Red Star Yeast

Judging the recipes will be Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast. She will be looking for content, pictures and how the product was enjoyed by your families and/or guests as her criteria for selecting a winner.

The winning blog post will win "The Kneaded Loaf" recipe book, a Red Star "I love to Knead" apron, a bread pan, oven mitts, thermometer and of course Red Star Yeast!!!

So start preheating those ovens and be sure to check back September 16th to either see what other bloggers or baking or to link up some recipes of your own.

Red Star Yeast can also be found on twitter @redstaryeast or check out their facebook page.

Gooseberry Patch Recipe #4: Holiday Loin in the Crock Pot

2011-08-30T04:00:00.000-04:00

One of the recipes Ott, E picked out from Gooseberry Patch's Homemade Christmas Cookbook for a slow cooker recipe. So of course I was happy to fix this on a work day so we could come home to an already cooked meal. Ott, E selected a recipe for a Holiday Pork Loin, but as you know around this house we eat a lot of lamb, so I simply replaced the two pounds of boneless pork loin it called for with two pounds of lamb chops. All the other ingredients complimented the lamb well and it was easy to throw in the crock pot on the way out the door to work and come home to a great tasting meal.

Here's how I made this Holiday Loin.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple juice

2 pounds of lamb chops (or a 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

12 package cranberries

2-3 T. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. dried sage

Pour apple juice in crock pot. Add salt, pepper, apples, squash, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sage. Stir and then place lamb chops on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serves: 6-8

I also liked that is called for butternut squash which are in season right now. Ott, E liked the flavors of this dish and liked that it was almost a complete meal in one pot, since the squash and apples could serve as a side dish for this meal.

Four recipes down and six to go, then I will give away a copy of this cookbook to one of you lucky readers.

This post was linked to: Hunk of Meat Monday on Beyer Beware, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul with A Moderate Life, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green

An Indiana Themed Meal for your Dinner Party

2011-08-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

As you know I love to entertain, and go out of my way make great food when company comes over. So I was racking my brains the other night for some meal ideas for guest we were having over for dinner. The guests were not from Indiana so I thought, why not show them an Indiana themed meal showcasing food eaten traditionally in the Hoosier state. And what better to feature than Ott, E and my's favorite breaded pork tenderloin?!?!

Ott, E worked out a recipe to fix this famed Hoosier sandwich.

While I'm not going to reveal the recipe he used I will share some of his techniques. He pounded the meat flat and then marinaded the meat all day. Then he breaded the meat with a recipe he worked out on their own.

Then he fried them up in a pan.

After frying he drained them on a paper towel.

Then I served the sandwhich with muskmelon since Indiana raises a lot of muskmelon in the southern part of the state; and of course some corn on the cob since it's in season.

And for dessert I fixed them the state pie of Indiana; a Sugar Cream Pie. Our guests and never had either the breaded tenderloin or the sugar cream pie and enjoyed eating both of them. And our course Ott, E and I enjoyed eating these as well.

So the next time you have company consider serving some food for your area to show off local flavors and traditions.

This post was linked to: Monday Mingle Blog Hop, Meet Me Monday, Monday Mingle,Follow Us Monday Morning Monday Hop Along with Me, Monday Monkey Hop, Mingle Monday.

Canning week 2011: Winners

2011-08-27T08:34:00.003-04:00

Whew.... What a week it has been?!?!?! Like any party when it's over there lots of cleaning up to do. But there is still one thing we need to do...... Announce the winners!!!!!

Kate from the Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking was the judge of our Canning Week Blog Party Linky. She had quite a few entries to look through but after some deliberation made her decision. The winner of the Canning Week Blog Party Linky is....

Jami from An Oregon Cottage.

Kate had this to say about the winning post.
"I like the ingredients used and that she offered up a no-sugar variation; I also found her thorough approach to the process inviting and easily understandable to newbie canners. I especially loved how she included her gift basket ideas (and a note to people who might receive them to "kindly act real surprised")."

Jami will win a copy of Kate's book The Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking. Congratulations to Jami!!!

And although there are no prizes for this she did want me to be sure and mention who she thought should receive Honorable Mentions:

-The Lunch Lady's Nectarines in Organic Syrup for her ingenuity with the spiced no-added-sugar syrup

-Laura @Cubits Organic Living's Really Really Dill Pickles for her great photography

-Schnieder Peeps Wild Grape Jelly for her hilarious kid-involved commentary

-This Dame Cooks' Quick Pickled Green Beans for the fact that she introduced me to this pickle history

-Pinke Post's Easy steps on how to can cherries for her thorough photo tutorial

To see who won the all the prizes for our giveaways please head over to Jen's blog From Mess Hall to Bistro to check those out.

Big Thanks to all of our sponsors for this week: Punk Domestic, Pacific Pectin, Tattler Rreusable Canning Lids and Ball. And Thanks to all of you for stopping by and partying with us this week. We hope you found some inspiration, encouragment and some tips to can for yourselves!!

Canning Week 2011: Recipes

2011-08-26T04:00:00.000-04:00

For those more advanced canners we are featuring canning recipes for today's Canning Week Blog Party Theme. I will be sharing my recipe for Italian Sauce using Tomatoes, Onions and green peppers from the garden. This recipe has a fresh taste with wild mild Italian flavors and goes great over pasta.

To start I use my food processor to finely chop up 1 green pepper.

Then I chop up 1/2 onion.

And 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery.

While I'm chopping I have about 24 large tomatoes on the stove boiling. I will remove the skins and seeds and use my food processor to almost puree' these but I still like them to have a little bit of chunkiness to them.

Then I mix all the ingredients together in a large sauce pot on the stove over medium heat. I add to this 1 Tablespoon basil, 1 Tablespoon Oregano, 1 Tablespoon minced parsley and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Next I use a funnel and ladle the sauce into my hot sterilized jars; leaving 1 inch headspace at the top.

I wipe down the rims, add my lids and rings and process pints for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. I used pints because this is a good size for Ott, E and I, but if you use Quart sized jars then then need to be processed for 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Be sure to check out what recipe Jen is featuring today on her blog, From Mess Hall to Bistro. You can also check out our Facebook Page "from garden plOTT to kitchen pOTT" where we have been having some great canning conversations all week by interacting with other canners, asking questions and getting tips. If you are on Pinterest you can check out my Canning Board with a collection of pictures from around the blogosphere. Also feel free to check out our Canning Linky Party or link up a canning recipe of your own. You can also vote for which recipe you like best and the winner will receive a Ball Home Discovery Canning Kit.

And what is a party without prizes?!?!? Be sure to sign up for:

Punk Domestic "Yes I Can" Shirt

Tattler Reusable Canning Lids

7 piece Canning Accessory Kit from Red Hill General Store

A box of Pacific Pectin

All giveaways end at Midnight on August 26th. Winners will be announced on Saturday, August 27th!

This post was linked to: I'm Lovin' It Fridays, Follow Along Fridays, Inspiration Friday, Feathered Nest Fridays, Fridays Unfolded, Tickled Pink

Canning Week 2011: Vegetable Day

2011-08-25T04:30:00.000-04:00

Today is Vegetable Day on the Canning Week Blog Party and I am going to show you how to can Asparagus. (Last year I blogged about canning Green Beans so feel free to check out that post.) I know Asparagus may not be everyones favorite vegetable but when your garden is overflowing with more than you can consume during the growing season; canning is a great way to enjoy that same asparagus later in the year. I will be using a pressure canner to can this and will give you step by step instructions so you will feel confident enough to try pressure canning on your own. (Trust me if you can hot water can you can pressure can.)

To start with I cleaned my cut asparagus and cut it to a length that would fit in my jar. (I used a tall jelly jar for this as I think it compliments the tallness of the Asparagus.) The discarded ends I pureed into Fresh Asparagus Soup.

I used the raw pack method for this and placed the asparagus in the hot sterilized jar. (Raw pack just means the vegetable have not been cooked/fresh and are packed tightly.)

While I'm packing my jars on the stove I have a pot of boiling water. Using a funnel on top of the jar I ladle boiling water into the jar, leaving 1 inch head space at the top. (It's important to use hot water so the temperature of the jars stays warm as this will keep the jars from cracking or breaking when placed in the pressure canner.)

Next I add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to each jar.

I wipe down the rim of the jar with a paper towel. I do this to ensure there is no debris on the rim so my lids will seal completely.

I always have my lids and rings in a bowl of warm water. I think the water helps the sealant on the lids to become activated and gets the rings to a warm temperature to be placed on the jars.

Next I place my lid on the jar.

Then I screw the ring down on top of the lid and jar securely.

I then place my jar into the pressure canner on my stove. At this point I have had the heat on under this canner for awhile but the water is not boiling just getting hot.

Next I place my lid on my canner with a 10 pound weight. My pressure canner does not have a gauge so I use the weights to know when my canner is pressurized.
In the upper right section of the picture below you will see a little pressure valve. When I first put the lid on the valve will be down. After the the canner has pressurized to meet the weight on top of the vent pipe the valve will pop up. This lets me know I am read to begin the timer. (If you have a dial gauge on you canner you would watch the needle until it reaches 10.) Asparagus should be processed for 30 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. At this point to I usually turn down the heat under my canner just a little because I want the canner to maintain this heat level and not continue to increase.

Once the timer goes off I will turn off the heat underneath the canner and gently tip the 10 pound weight to allow steam to escape from the canner slowly. It's important to release this pressure slowly so the jars won't break and so bacteria does not form. Please note this will take several minutes. Once the steam is completely out I still wait until the pressure valve had dropped back down to take the lid off my canner. (You should only take the lid off when there is no pressure left inside the canner.)

I will then take my jars out of the canner and set them on a towel to cool. I will leave them there for 12-24 hours to cool and seal completely. You will probably start to hear a ping sound and that lets you know the jars are sealing. Later you can check to make sure your jars sealed by taking the rings off and trying to pull the lid off. If you can't pull the lid off with your bare hands you know it sealed.

Now you should go check out what vegetable Jen is canning today on her blog, From Mess Hall to Bistro and what giveaway she has going on. You can also check out our Facebook Page "from garden plOTT to kitchen pOTT" where you can interact with other canners, ask questions, get tips and more. And if you are on Pinterest you can check out my Canning Board with a collection of pictures from around the blogosphere. Also feel free to check out our Canning Linky Party or link up a canning recipe of your own. You can also vote for which recipe you like best in the linky party by clicking on the like button underneath each posts pictures. The post with the most likes will win a Ball Home Discovery Canning Kit.

Now on to the give-a-way!!! If you leave a comment on my blog or Jen's Blog you can enter this giveaway for a box of Pacific Pectin. I'm certain every good canner could find a use for Pacific Pectin, so leave a comment and then sign up for this great giveaway.

This post was linked to: Buzz on By Thursday, Sugar & Spice, Thursday's Friends Cafe, Strut Your Stuff, Show off your Stuff, Pennywise Platter, Recipe Swap, It's a Keeper Thursday,

Canning Week: Pickling Day

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-04:00

It's Pickling Day on our Canning Week Blog Party and today I am using up cucumbers from the garden and making a Hambuger Dill Pickle. This recipe came straight from the Ball Cook Book, but I have a recipe card for your reference here.

To start, I clean and coin 6 pounds of cucumbers and cut them into 1/4 inch coins.

I then raw pack the cucumbers into hot sterilized jars. On the stove I have a pot with 6 T. of canning salt, 4 1/2 cups of water and 4 cups vinegar and I bring this to a boil.

Next I add 2 peppercorns,1/4 tsp. of dill, and 1/4 tsp of ground mustard to each jar.

I then ladel the boiling water into each jar leaving a 1/4 inch headspace at the top.

Next I check for airbubbles inside each jar.

Then I wipe down the rim of the jar with a paper towel to ensure there is no debris on the rim that would keep the jar from sealing and then I place a lid on top.

Screw a ring on over the lid tightly and your jar is now ready to be placed in the canner.

Jar lids should be submirged under the water line by about 1/2 inch.

Process jars for 15 minutes in a hot water bath. Remove and let sit on a towel on your counter to cool. Jars should start to make a ping sound and that way you know they sealed properly. (Another way to ensure they sealed is long after they have cooled unscrew the ring and pick the jar up by just the lid. If you can you know your jar sealed.)
Label and date you jars and store in a cool dark place.

Be sure to check out what Jen is pickeling today on her blog, From Mess Hall to Bistro and what give-a-way she has going on. You can also check out our Facebook Page "from garden plOTT to kitchen pOTT" where you can interact with other canners, ask questions, get tips and more. And if you are on Pinterest you can check out my Canning Board with a collection of pictures from around the blogsphere. Also feel free to check out our Canning Linky Party or link up a canning recipe of your own. You can also vote for which recipe you like best and the winner will receive a Ball Home Discovery Canning Kit.

Now on to the give-a-way!!! We are so happy to have Tattler Reusable Canning Lids be a sponsor of our party this week as they are giving-a-way 2 dozen of their reusable canning lids to one of our lucky readers.

This post was linked to: Good Cheap Eats, what's cooking wednesday, What I ate Wednesday, GP recipe Round-Up,

Canning Week 2011: Jam Day

2011-08-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

Today for our Canning Week Blog Party we are sharing some recipes for Jams and Jellies. I always think jams are a great place for beginning canners to start as they are easy to make, easy to can and quite tasty to eat. I will be sharing a recipe for an Apricot-Pineapple Preserve that has a citrus flavor that will tickle your tastebuds as you eat it and is sure to awaken your senses in the morning on your slice of toast for breakfast.

To get you started here is a recipe card which you can click on, print off and keep to make this for yourself.

First you need to combine 2 cups of dried apricots with 2 cups of water in a pan over medium heat. Boil until tender.

In a food processor, puree 4 cups of drained pineapple. Then puree the softened apricots.

In a pan on the stove mix together the pureed pineapple and apricots. Add 1 cup golden raisins, 1 tsp. ginger and 4 tsp. lemon juice. Simmer until thick and stir constantly.

Meanwhile I have sterilized my jars and have them sitting in a sink full of hot water to keep them warm before adding hot jam to them.

I also have my lids and rings setting in bowls of warm water too.

Next, I use a ladle and funnel to fill my jars with jam, making sure to leave 1/4 of headspace. I wipe down the rim of the jar with a paper towel to ensure there is no debris on the jar so the lid will seal properly.

I then place my lid on the jar.

And screw the ring over the lid on the jar tightly.

Lastly, I place the jam in pot of boiling water.

I place the lid on my canner and when the lid pressurizes (see how the pressure valve is raised up.) I then set my timer and continue to boil the water.

When the timer goes off, I turn off the heat on the stove and wait for the pressure to be released from my canner. When the pressure valve drops, I know it is safe to take the lid off and remove my jars. I place the jars on a towel and leave alone for 12-24 hours. During this time they will cool and you will start to hear a ping sound letting you know the jars have sealed properly. Before moving the jars to a pantry shelf I will label and date them and some day this winter they will be opened and eaten on toast or biscuits.

Be sure to check out what Jam Jen is canning today on her blog, From Mess Hall to Bistro and what give-a-way she has going on. You can also check out our Facebook Page "from garden plOTT to kitchen pOTT" where you can interact with other canners, ask questions, get tips and more. For more recipes check out our canning week linky party or feel free to link up a recipe of your own. And if you are on Pinterest you can check out my Canning Board with a collection of pictures from around the blogsphere.

Now on to the give-a-way. We are thrilled to have Punk Domestics sponsoring this give-a-way of their "Yes, I can" t-shirt!!! Punk Domestics is a great site for canning related posts so be sure to check them out.

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul with A Moderate Life, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Just Something I whipped up Mondays on the Girl Creative, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou, Tip Junkie, It's a Blog Party, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Tuesday Night Supper Club,