French Apple Cobbler

I hope everybody has had a restful weekend and is charged up to tackle yet another week! (yeah, right! I know.. I have the Monday Blues, too)

Last night, as I had mentioned in my previous post, I was given the job to make bread, crackers, and a dessert. I was surfing the internet for different recipes and inspiration for what I should make for dessert. I stumbled upon this and it seemed to be a no-brainer! I mean I love fruit cobblers AND I love everything French. Mixing my two loves together appeared to be a match made for foodie heaven.

What is different about this kind of cobbler than what an American's traditional notion of cobbler is the topping. Most cobblers have a crumbly, awesome, sink your teeth into type of topping. This is different in that it is a cake-like batter that goes on top of the apples before you bake it. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it as I put it into the oven. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the results: the topping allows the apples to be the main part of the dessert. This cobbler is sort of transformed. It is light and leaves room for more! Yet, there is just the right amount of topping to give you the feeling that you're eating something more than what could be seen as pie filling.

It's delish and I highly recommend that you try it!


French Apple Cobbler
Courtesy: southernfood.about.com
Yields: 6 to 8 servings



Ingredients:
Apple Filling:
5 cups tart apples, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Topping:
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°

2. In a medium bowl, combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and water.


3. Turn into a lightly buttered 9-inch square pan. Dot apples with 1 tablespoon butter.


4.Combine all topping ingredients. Beat with wooden spoon until batter is smooth.


5. Drop batter in 9 portions, over the apples, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking.


6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375° or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Yummmm. And most importantly: enjoy!

Rosemary Wheat Crackers

As each day passes, winter comes closer to an end! It is quite exciting, although, a great amount of snow still covers the ground from the last snow storm. The temperatures are rising and the birds are beginning to sing their song! You can almost feel it in your bones, spring is near! Feels good, huh??? Now, onto the good stuff: FOOD!

My parents had a dinner party and had asked that I made some baguettes and some of my Wheat Thin knock-offs, as well as dessert. Of course I gladly accepted!!! The baguettes came out wonderfully, like they did the last time I made them, thank goodness! As did these crackers and the dessert.

Background on myself: I love Rosemary. Rosemary Clooney, that is. I could listen to her sing all day. Honestly. Love her. I feel like we could have been best of buds! :o) Sisters, sisters... There were never such devoted sisters... Oh wait!! This is a FOOD blog, my mistake. This is perhaps for another conversation.

Let's see! Where was I? Rosemary!!! Yes, Rosemary. I looove using Rosemary (the herb) as I cook. I'm sure you have all eaten the Triscuits with the rosemary and olive oil. There's simply no debating it, they're the best! After racking my brain, thinking of a way to make Triscuits, I decided that it is potentially quite difficult and perhaps meant to be done when I'm not making it for dinner guests. At those moments, you stick with what works. My knock-off Wheat Thins that I made about a month ago. I decided to combine what I love about those rosemary Triscuits with my Wheat Thins recipe! This was the result, and I was quite pleased!

Rosemary Wheat Crackers
Adapted recipe by King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking
Yields 13 dozen crackers



1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons rosemary
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Additional salt for topping (optional)

1. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, rosemary and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it in thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor. Combine the water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. TO ROLL AND CUT THE DOUGH: Divide the dough into 4 pieces; keep the other pieces covered while you work with one at a time. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece of dough into a large rectangle, which should be at least 12 inches square when trimmed. Keep your pin and the surface of your dough evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but too much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until the dough is as thin as you can get it without tearing, at least 1/16 inch thick. Trim the dough to even the edges and use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the piece into squares approximately 1 1/2 inches wide.

4. Transfer the squares to a prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together, as they don’t expand while baking. Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt, if desired. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Save the scraps under plastic wrap and reroll them all at once just one time.

5. TO BAKE THE CRACKERS: Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. If some of the thinner crackers brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely - even 30 seconds can turn them from golden brown to toast! Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or on a plate; they cool quickly. These crackers will stay crisp for several days, but are best stored in airtight containers.

Nutella Oatmeal

Happy Friday all!

How lucky are you?? This posting serves as a double-whammy!!! This is another chapter in ways to spruce up your oatmeal, in addition to my first post after my long absence of bell'alimento's Nutella Challenge! It feeeels good to be back!!!

I made this delicious breakfast while visiting my dearest friend Natalie of Oven Love in Dayton, Ohio (check out her blog, it's full of amazing baking recipes, she's my inspiration!!!)! She was kind enough to let me use her camera and her kitchen for this yummy breakfast!

Nutella Oatmeal
Serves 1! Easily multiplied



1 cup of cooked oatmeal (instant or steel cut, whatever tickles your fancy!)
1 TBS Nutella.

Cook the oatmeal, put in your favorite bowl, and add the Nutella and stir. It is that simple! Eat slowly and enjoy :o)

Triple Tomato Soup in a Light Whole Wheat Bread Bowl

Today was yet another snow day for yours truly. The roads are quasi-plowed making it impossible to go anywhere. After shoveling for a good part of the morning, I decided to give way to my hunkering for some tomato soup in a bread bowl.

Yumm... the thought of it made me weak in the knees.. well.. kinda... it was more than likely the shoveling of over 50 inches of snow on the ground causing the weak knees, but for the sake of a poetic blog posting, we'll attribute the weak knees to the goodness of this meal.

Only one half of this meal comes from Better Homes and Gardens, so HA! The other half comes from my loved cookbook: Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day. And yes, I do look for recipes elsewhere. The best ones are always found from these resources. Although, both recipes have been Emilified. Not quite sure what that means? Well, me neither! Let's learn together..

Bread Bowl
Adapted from: Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day
Yields 3 large bread bowls



Ingredients:
3 cups water (at approximately 100 degrees)
1 and 1/2 packets of yeast
1 and 1/2 TBS salt
3 and 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
3 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 TBS herbes en provence

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the water with the yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients with a whisk. Then, slowly combine the flour mixture with the yeast water, making sure to incorporate everything fully. No need to knead, remember! Cover the dough with plastic wrap, or anything similar, and allow it to rise for 2 to 3 hours. Then when it is time to use the dough, sprinkle flour on top and use a serrated knife to cut the dough and form the dough into a ball by pulling the dough. Place on a pizza peel covered with cornmeal and allow to rise for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven for 450, with a baking stone and broiler pan already in the oven. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top of your dough so that you can cut slits into the top with a serrated knife. Once your oven is ready to go, carefully put the dough onto the baking stone and pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan and quickly close the door.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.


Bread is ready to go!

Place on a rack to cool. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut about a 2 to 3 inch hole out of the top of the bread and scoop out the bread on the inside. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ABOUT AN INCH TO 1/2 AN INCH OF BREAD IN YOUR BOWL SO THE SOUP DOESN'T COME OUT!!!


Hollowed out, primed for some soup!


Triple Tomato Soup Recipe
Adapted from none other than Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
1 TBS oil
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1/2 of 6-ounce can no-salt-added tomato paste
1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
2 TBS parsley
2 to 3 tsp lime juice
Dairy sour cream
Fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Directions:
1. In 4-quart Dutch oven cook onion in hot butter, covered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add undrained whole tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the dried tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, celery, and parsley. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes; cool. Meanwhile, in microwave-safe bowl cover remaining dried tomatoes with water. Microcook on high (100% power) for 1 minute. Cool. Drain. Snip into pieces; set aside.

2. In blender, blend half of the tomato mixture at a time until smooth. Return to saucepan; add lime juice, heat through. Top with sour cream, snipped dried tomatoes, and parsley. Makes 4 side-dish servings

Nutrition Facts
Calories 128, Total Fat (g) 4, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 8, Sodium (mg) 786, Carbohydrate (g) 22, Total Sugar (g) 14, Fiber (g) 5, Protein (g) 6, Vitamin C (DV%) 56, Calcium (DV%) 10, Iron (DV%) 21, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


Put inside the bread bowl and you have an awesome dinner!



Oh, it was gooood.


So what have we learned about an Emilified meal? Quite frankly, it means substituting items that you don't have for a recipe with what you have in your pantry, as well as something you think would be awesome! That is your word for the day: Emilified. Use it wisely, as it may sweep the nation!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is the last thing I've baked today. I promise. It is dark and windy over here on the East Coast. Not quite sure what the morning will bring and if I will be able to trek into work. Only time will tell!

However, I did manage to bake a bounty. My co-workers will be quite pleased tomorrow- or Friday- when I bring all of these goodies in!

These cupcakes are just in time for Valentine's Day. I love red velvet. I mean, I loooove red velvet. This love affair has been around long before the husband-elect and Gene Kelly. As I was surfing Better Homes and Gardens website (be quiet!!, stop making fun.. I do get recipes from other places, too, ya know!), I saw this recipe featured. So, I naturally had to try it out considering I really had nothing else to do today since I can't find my knitting needles.

Here you go, ladies and gentlemen! I put in a fuuuull day of baking. Fortunately, everything came out great! This wife-to-be is learnin' her bakin' and slowly gettin' it down to a science! Go me!

Enjoy and stay warm to those of you bearing this storm!

Just In Time for St. Valentine's Red Velvet Cupcakes
Courtesy: Like you need to ask? (In case you do: Better Homes and Gardens)



Ingredients

* 3 eggs
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2-1/4 cups sugar
* 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
* 1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
* 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
* 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar
* Small chocolate heart-shaped cookies (optional)
* Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 2-1/2-inch cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. One at a time, add eggs; beat on medium after each. Beat in food coloring on low.

3. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low to medium sped after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. Top with small chocolate cookies, if desired. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 28 servings.
Nutrition Facts

* Calories 172,
* Total Fat (g) 6,
* Saturated Fat (g) 3,
* Monounsaturated Fat (g) 2,
* Cholesterol (mg) 36,
* Sodium (mg) 124,
* Carbohydrate (g) 28,
* Total Sugar (g) 17,
* Protein (g) 3,
* Calcium (DV%) 2,
* Iron (DV%) 4,
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Peanut Butter Munchies

The weather hasn't improved much throughout the day. In fact, it has become much worse. It's difficult to tell whether it is snowing still or if it's the wind that is picking up snow as it blows!

I have continued my bake-a-thon to include "peanut butter munchies," a cookie that I found on my favorite website, yes, you guessed it: Better Homes and Gardens!


Peanut Butter Munchies
Courtesy: Better Homes and Gardens



Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

3. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.

4. On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.


Here you can see the whole process from start to finish, from bottom to top!

5. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 32 cookies.

This Ain't Your Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie

Be prepared, friends: a lot of recipes are going to be put up on my blog today!!! This is blogging in real time! It's almost like you're watching me as I make it! :o)

Today's weather reminds me of one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life- an Antarctic Expedition. Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to go to Antarctica with NGO 2041. Amazing isn't quite the word for it. I have a million pictures and a ton of stories to pair with what became a life-defining moment for me.

What is most amusing is that when I compare the pictures from that trip and today, it's hard to tell the difference!!



VERSUS






Although, you won't find any of these in Pennsylvania, unless you're at the Zoo!





Anyways!! Onto some chicken pot pie. And this ain't your grandma's chicken pot pie. I made the whole wheat pastry sitting on top of it. I figured since I am baking all day, and not necessarily making the healthiest of foods, I should at least make whole wheat pastry for the chicken pot pie my mom made. It is sooooooo goooood!!


This Ain't Your Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie


Whole Wheat Piecrust
Courtesy: King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
1 cup traditional whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon (3/4 stick, 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons (1 or 2 ounces) ice water

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder (if using), sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, Cut the butter into small cubes and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers, a pastry blender, or fork, or a mixer until the dough is unevenly crumbly. This isn't exact science; the goal is a crumbly mixture featuring uneven bits of butter with the butter being in recognizable pieces.

Sprinkle the orange juice over the dough and toss to moisten. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough is cohesive. Grab a handful; if it holds together willingly and doesn't seem at all dry or crumbly, you've added enough liquid.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a round disk as illustrated at right. Roll on its edge along a floured work surface, as though the disk were a wheel, to smooth the edges out. This will result in a rolled-out crust with smooth, rather than ragged, edges.

Chicken Pot Pie
Courtesy: Better Homes and Gardens, once again!

Pastry Topper (recipe above)
1 cup chopped leek (3 medium) or onion (1 large)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sliced celery (1-1/2 stalks)
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2-1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 cup loose-pack frozen peas or frozen peas and carrots
1 egg, beaten

Directions
1. Prepare Pastry Topper; set aside.

2. In a large saucepan cook leek, mushrooms, celery, and sweet pepper in hot butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add broth and half-and-half all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chicken and peas. Pour into a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

3. Place pastry over chicken mixture in dish. Turn edges of pastry under; flute to edges of dish. Brush pastry with some of the egg. If desired, place cut-out pastry shapes on top of pastry. Brush again with egg.

4. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Apple Pie Bread

Lots of snoooow, about a foot has fallen, laying on top of the 2 feet already there from the snow from this weekend!!


As per my previous post, I am snowed in at my parents' house, baking up a storm with my mom. The first thing I tackled was this apple pie bread. Although it is not the healthiest of breads, it may just be the most delicious.

I found this recipe yesterday and am keeping this in the forefront of go-tos for a breakfast bread, dessert, etc. Trust me, people, this one is GOOD!

Apple Pie Bread
Courtesy: Better Homes and Gardens



Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded, peeled apple (about 4 medium)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup raisins
Streusel-Nut Topping
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar until combined. Add buttermilk and baking powder; beat until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour and salt; beat until combined. Stir in apple, nuts, and raisins.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle Streusel-Nut Topping over batter. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

5. Makes 1 loaf (14 servings)

6. *Note: To make 1/4 cup sour milk, place 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1/4 cup total liquid; stir. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.

7. Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.




Nutrition Facts
Calories 326, Total Fat (g) 17, Saturated Fat (g) 6, Cholesterol (mg) 52, Sodium (mg) 193, Carbohydrate (g) 42, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 5, Vitamin A (DV%) 0, Vitamin C (DV%) 3, Calcium (DV%) 4, Iron (DV%) 8, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Blizzard Alert!!

Hello and good morning!

I'm not sure if you have turned on the news lately, but Philadelphia is supposed to get slammed with another 18-24 inches of snow today, after 20 inches fell this weekend. No work for me today, and potentially tomorrow! So what does that mean? A bake-a-thon. Yeup!

Today I will be making:
Apple Pie Bread
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Munchies (intrigued? I thought you would be)
Chicken Pot Pie


Stay tuned. It's 6:50AM here in Philly now! I'm going to start cooking/baking before the power goes out, as it's predicted to around noon or so with the blizzard!

Bring it on Mother Nature! This girl is in the kitchen today! Stay tuned! Recipes and photos to follow today (if the power stays on) or later!

Oatmeal- Recharged

Meh, oatmeal? Again? ...but it's sooooo booooring. Nope. Not going to accept that excuse!

Ever since I have moved back to my parents' until my house will be finished construction (*sigh* which is hopefully within the next 2 to 3 weeks), my mornings consist of: hitting the snooze button until the last possible minute, jumping up realizing a good shower is in order, running around looking for clothes, looking at the clock realizing the train is coming soon, trying to find the clothes that I had picked out, only to find that my dog is laying on top of them, and THEN realize that I need my coffee and breakfast. Seem familiar? I bet it does! So many of us have hurried mornings that make hearty, healthy breakfasts darn near impossible. Break the urge to grab something unhealthy and expensive because you skipped breakfast! My oatmeal recipes take but a moment!! ....You can do it while you brush your teeth! Or get dressed! Or walk the dog! It's so worth taking the 3 to 5 minutes required to make these oatmeal recipes because it starts your day off RIGHT and keeps you FULL, while being quite easy on the pocketbook/wallet!

I have decided to spruce up my morning oatmeal once again my friends! And although this may initially cause some heads to turn because it airs on the side of unconventional, trust me, it is delicious, different, refreshing, and best of all- HEALTHY!

I am sending your way a citrusy oatmeal. Say wah? Yeup. You heard me correctly: oatmeal with an orange and some ground cloves. It is, yet again, another great way to recharge that boring morning oatmeal!

Let's face it, oatmeal is:
1. inexpensive (which can't be overlooked during these trying economic times);
2. healthy (complex carbohydrates are necessary for a balanced diet);
3. hearty (a good bowl will easily keep your belly happy until it's time for your morning snack or lunchtime); and
4. I bet your grandparents ate oatmeal and plenty of it. (And aren't they usually the coolest people you know? Of course they are! In my mind, oatmeal is as Americana as Norman Rockwell and apple pie! Therefore, there is no better reason to keep this morning tradition alive!).

Convinced? Thought so! With these ideas in mind, why dontcha start off the day and shake off those cobwebs with a nice bowl of inexpensive, healthy, and hearty oatmeal. See? Don't you feel better already!!

This is yet again another chapter in my sprucing up what is otherwise known as boring, blah, meh oatmeal.

Oatmeal with Oranges and Cloves
Courtesy: my tight budget and love for oatmeal in the morning
Yields 1 serving, but can be easily doubled, etc.



1/2 cup of dry instant oatmeal**
3/4 cup of water
1 orange, peeled, sliced, and diced!
1 tsp ground cloves

**If you would rather use good old fashioned steel cut oats, go for it! I tend to get up and run out of the door so early in the morning that instant rolled oats is the way I go!

In a microwavable bowl, I combine all of the above ingredients and microwave to my heart's content.

Yeup. It's that easy. Your breakfast just got more interesting! I am wanting to try this recipe with steel cut oats! Perhaps a Saturday or Sunday will yield enough time to make oatmeal the right way, but for now, this will have to suffice! Annnd boy does it ever!

It's a Major Award!

Good morning ladies and gentlemen!

Got a few nice surprises today! First- the snow that hit the Philadelphia region last night! I must admit, I have been unable to keep up with weather forecasts lately, so imagine my surprise to wake up to a few inches on the ground this morning! Woohoo! Secondly, and most excitingly, Cleanliness is Next to Godliness got an awesome award today, it's a major award!... (sorry, I couldn't resist to quote A Christmas Story). Claudia of What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine awarded Cleanliness is Next to Godliness with a Friendship Award!!!!! I must admit, it made my day! If you ever get a chance, check out Claudia's blog. It is full of the familiar Italian recipes that we all know and love, interspersed with great new recipes and some darling baking recipes (including a cookie version of those cute little Valentine's Day heart candies that you probably gave your 2nd-grade-check-yes-or-no-if-you-like-me-girlfriend.). It was fantastic to get this thoughtful nod from an amazing blogger, chef, and foodie. Thanks Claudia, you rock!

Check out some of the other blogs Claudia awarded, most of which I follow, and others that I am new to but was excited to stumble upon! Won't you check them out, too?

Drick's Rambling Cafe
Little Chef and I
Tasty Trix
Journey of an Italian Cook
The Colors of Indian Cooking
The Food of Love
Sweets Foods
Cajun Chef Ryan
Alison's Trials
I Love Flavour, Me!
Are You Hungry?
Las Vegas Food Adventures

Thanks again Claudia! This is quite an honor coming from you!

The Great Things that Ritz Crackers Can Do- Part 1

Thin Mints, Lightened Up!
Happy February and Happy Groundhog's Day (I live in PA, I can say that)!

I must admit, I did have a bit of the Monday Blues today. I decided that to get through today with a great amount of motivation, and at the request of a dear friend, that I would make a knock off Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. You won't believe how simple it is to make these cookies!

I had envisioned very romantic ideas as to how I should make these cookies (it is most likely because this is the month of looooove!). I perused the internet, found tons of awesome recipes. Confession- out of all of the recipes I found the one that I decided I needed to try was the one that called for Ritz Crackers. Annnnnd.... drum roll... I recently bought a box of Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers to make the Ritz Mock Apple Pie (which, massive sigh, I haven't had the time to make).

In fact, I have decided to make periodic awesome recipes using an inexpensive ingredient: Ritz crackers! Awesome! There is so much you can do, really! The Greatest Generation made a great deal of dishes using Ritz crackers (including the Ritz Mock Apple Pie, soon to be featured!).

I have found several recipes with conflicting amounts of chocolate, crackers, and peppermint oil. So, I've decided to give it a go and do it myself! Below is the result of my version of a Ritz Cracker meets Thin Mint cookie!

It's Ritzy! and Thin Mint, hmmm... no.. Puttin' on the Ritz (Thin Mint Style)... nah..name it what you will! They're awesome!
Yields approximately 2 dozen cookies- but easy to double or triple!




16 oz of dark chocolate
Approximately 1/2 TBS to TBS of peppermint extract (taste as you add, for your preference)
1 sleeve of Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Add the peppermint oil. I recommend you taste as you go along with the peppermint oil so that you can get it just the right about of "mintiness and chocolatiness" for your enjoyment! Dip in the crackers and rest on waxed paper to dry. Yes, it's really that easy. Want to microwave it? Go ahead, I tried it out, too, and it works just as well!

It's a lightened up version of the good old fashioned thin mint cookie. Whole Wheat? Check! Dark Chocolate? Check! Happy belly? CHECK! :o)

They. Taste. Remarkable. Makes me want to put Fred Astaire's Puttin on the Ritz on my iPod.. Hmm... perhaps I may do just that!

I brought these into work and my boss and coworkers very much liked them! Yeup, so you know they have got to be good!! They made for a happy work day in this law firm!
:o)

SIDENOTE: Even though you are now one of the coolest people in history because you can make the best cookie ever, still support your Girl Scouts when they sell their cookies! You now have the satisfaction of smiling on the inside knowing that you, YES YOU, can make your own Thin Mint very inexpensively and very simply, too! Woohoo, good for you! Pat yourself on the back!!