Mini German Pancakes ~

Recipe | Food Inspiration

I just saw this recipe on Pinterest today. 

I am thinking these would be perfect for Easter brunch, so I thought I would share.

Ingredients

1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender.  Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full.  I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings.

The pin originated from Real Mom Kitchen.

Happy Sunday!

Yummy Greek ~

Recipe | Inspiration

Here is a Greek Chicken recipe that caught my eye from Martha Stewart.

It look perfect for Spring, so I thought I would share...

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds thin chicken cutlets (about 8)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta, mint, and 1 tablespoon oil. 
2. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Heat a grill pan over high; brush lightly with oil. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook, working in batches as necessary, until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Top chicken with tomato mixture, and serve.

You have one more day to enter my Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

~ Chelsea

Apple Oven Cake ~

Recipe | Inspiration

My daughter and I made this yummy "dessert" last night. 

I say "dessert" because it really was more of a pancake than a cake, but the kiddos loved it! 

I think I might be including it in our Christmas morning.

 recipe via Sunset

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 sweet apple such as Fuji, peeled and sliced 
• 3 large eggs 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup flour 
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a 12-in. ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, swirling to combine. Add apple and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl together eggs, salt, flour, and milk. Pour egg mixture into pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Yummy Banana Bread ~

Yummy Recipe | Inspiration

I know I have posted this recipe in the past, but I just made it again, and it was just as yummy as it was the last time. 

So...I had to share again.

It is from The Pioneer Woman...of course it is good! I really think the secret here is the bundt pan, the crispy outside is divine.

And in case you are wondering, I got my lovely bundt pan from Williams-Sonoma . So don't throw away those squishy bananas!

Strawberry Galette ~

Yummy Food | Inspiration

I decided to re-post this after I made it this weekend for friends, and it was just as yummy as I had remembered it. This time, we simply served it with vanilla ice cream...simple, easy and delicious! 

I recently made this yummy Summer dessert for the first time - it was one of those recipes I kept meaning to make but never did. It is from Martha Stewart Living May 2008 (I know, it took over 2 years to make it!)

 Here are the ingredients (Martha's recipe requires making the crust, I went the loser way out and used a refrigerated pie crust):

FOR THE BASIL CREAM (This was not a huge hit)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

FOR THE DOUGH
I used a ready to go pie crust

FOR THE GALETTE 1 pound strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Make the basil cream: Combine cream, basil, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 hours for a more pronounced basil flavor). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add mascarpone, and whisk until medium peaks form. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

I simply unrolled my pie crust onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then I cut the strawberries lengthwise into slices.

 Then toss slices with 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch, and immediately arrange them in concentric circles on dough. Start 1 inch from edge, overlapping slices slightly (as you can see, I started the outside edge into a circle and then just piled the rest in the center - I know loser way).

 Fold edge of dough over berries. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

 Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Dot berries with butter. Bake until crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

 We served it room temperature and it was great. It pretty much tasted like strawberry jam in a pie crust - I mean how could you really go wrong with strawberries, sugar and crust! The basil infused cream was not a huge hit, next time I will simply combine the cream, sugar and mascarpone.

Linked to:
Weekend Wrap Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Nigella Lawson Beef & Bean Pasta ~

Recipe | Weeknight Inspiration

Have I told you how much I adore Nigella Lawson? I absolutely love her cooking series - Nigella Feasts and Nigella Express - and her books are fabulous. Her shows are described as delectable and they truly are - I love her passion for cooking and her smooth, painless recipes. 

So, with as much as I enjoy Nigella, I simply had to download her iphone app! Tonight I tried my first recipe directly from my app and I am still very much in love.

One-Pan Beef and Beans with Pasta

Ingredients

1 Onion, Peeled

1 Clove Garlic, Peeled

1 Carrot, Peeled

1 Stalk Celery

1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Pound Ground Beef

1 15oz Can Borlotti Beans, Drained (I used Cannelloni beans)

1 Quart Beef Stock

1 14oz Can Chopped Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Red Wine (yes, yes, yes!) 

 Directions

Finely chop onion, garlic, carrot and garlic in food processor. Cook vegetable mixture in the oil in a saucepan for 5 minutes (do not brown). Then add the beef until browned. Add the drained beans, beef stock, can of chopped tomatoes and red wine - add liquid slowly. Bring to a boil with lid on, add the macaroni and cook uncovered, for 12 minutes or more if the pasta and/or meat need it. Taste for salt and pepper, and grate some Parmesan.  

 This is a great, quick, comforting meat sauce that is simply yummy! A family favorite for sure! Now I am a huge fan of beans - I love all beans - but my hubby is not as fond, and has requested next time I hold on the beans. I think even without the beans, it will be a huge hit.

Bunco Recipes ~

Recipe | Entertaining Inspiration

Happy Friday all! 

I have received a ton of requests for the recipes from my recent Bunco party, so here we go.  

Let's start with the yummy Jalapeno Poppers - 

I will fair warn, this are delicious, just don't pay attention to the actual ingredients. 

Ingredients

22 Fresh Jalapeno Peppers
1 Pound Jimmy Dean Sausage
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the peppers in half - remove all seeds and large veins - set aside for stuffing. Saute the sausage until crumbly, drain off the fat (ha, this might help cut out a few calories). Remove the sausage from heat and add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese - mix well. Then stuff each of the 44 pepper halves with mixture. Place poppers on a cookie sheet and bake until peppers are soft - about 15-20 minutes - do not over cook. Serve warm.

Next up is the fresh bruschetta -

 This is super easy and way healthier than buying the processed pre-made variety. 

Ingredients

Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt 

Pepper

Directions

For this recipe the key is fresh ingredients. From there, just add as much or as little of each that your like. Finely chop your tomatoes, mince your garlic and chop your basil. In a bowl mix together the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. The great thing about this recipe is you can't really mess it up. I personally like is once it has sat for a little bit. 

Seriously, all I need is this with a chunk of crispy bread and a great glass of red wine and I am set! If I didn't have to feed a family (and be responsible), this would be my dinner 9 out of 10 times! 

Here is the recipe for the Bunco Buns and the Yummy Cookies. 

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

Yummy Banana Bread ~

Food | Baking Inspiration

I had a few bananas laying around gettin' brown so I was in the need for a new banana bread recipe.  I luckily landed on The Pioneer Woman's banana bread because it was wonderful!

I had never made banana bread in a bundt pan before, and let me say, I will never make any other way. I loved the crispy crust...and of course the middle was yummy and soft. 

Get the recipe for the awesomeness here.

Have a wonderful inspired weekend!

Yummy (easy) Curry ~

Yummy Recipe | Inspiration

Here is a great (super easy) recipe for chicken curry (okay, "recipe" might be a bit of an overstatement since I am using jarred curry paste). 

Here is what you need:

Cubed Chicken

Curry Paste (mine is from World Market)

Can of Light Coconut Milk

Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 Chopped Onion

Chicken Broth

Vegetable Oil

Rice (I use brown)

Saute onion in a couple tablespoons of oil. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. 

Then stir in the curry paste (I used a couple heaping tablespoons - but add as much or as little as you like). Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add tomatoes and chicken broth (I added a few cups of broth, it just depends on how much curry paste you add). 

Now time for the coconut milk, gotta love this stuff (I think I might have added the entire can)! Simmer uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked. 

And serve over hot rice. I added a little sour cream and cilantro.
Oh, yes...yummy.

My New Favorite Cookie ~

Yummy Recipe | Inspiration

I had to share this fabulous cookie recipe that I made for the kiddos latest Birthday party. They were SO yummy...really addictive-ly yummy (and they are also great frozen)! 

I got the recipe from my friend Val over at Heartland Interiors. She made them with pink frosting - which was of course super fabulous.

Melting Moments

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Cream butter, add sugar & cornstarch, mix well.
Add vanilla, mix well.
Add flour, mix well.
(Recipe says to refrigerate dough for 1 hour, but you don't need to)
Shape dough into little balls and bake @ 350° for about 10 - 12 minutes
(or until cookies barely turn golden).
Frost with your favorite butter cream frosting!

I was in a huge hurry and didn't have time to make butter cream frosting, so I will let you in on my "cheater" way of making frosting. Simply start with store bought frosting (yes, the completely artificial kind by the cake mixes) and start adding a little almond favoring until it makes you smile (if you want, this is a good time to add a little food coloring too). Then mix in as much powdered sugar as you need to to get the consistency back to were it was before you added the flavoring. Like I said "cheater" frosting...but it is super easy in a pinch and better than straight out of the "can"!

Yummy Pot Roast ~

Food | Recipe Inspiration

My darling hubby has been craving pot roast - I know, it sounds a bit weird. So I thought I would post the recipe that I use (it is from Cooking Light) - we had it last night and it was yummy! Even my kiddos enjoyed it.

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  cups  coarsely chopped onion
• 1  cup  dry red wine
• 4  thyme sprigs
• 3  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1  bay leaf
• 4  large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 2  pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.

Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

My Caramel Apples ~

Holiday | Entertaining Inspiration

 I wanted to show you how my recent caramel apples turned out. I used a 14oz bag of wrapped caramels and 2 tablespoons of milk - really that was all my caramel consisted of - and it worked great!

I started with my apples and a handful of wooden skewers. 

I then unwrapped the caramels.

And then added the milk and put the microwave safe dish in the microwave for a total of 2 1/2 minutes. I made sure to stir the caramels 2-3 times during the cooking time.

At the last minute I decided to I wanted to add a little something, so I dug into the Halloween candy and roughly chopped up some Crunch Bars. 

After I let my melted caramel sit for about 3 minutes, I dipped my apples into the hot caramel and rolled each apple until it was completely coated. I let rolled half in the chopped up chocolate. It was super easy! Really, no problems - and they were a hit! Everyone loved them, especially the ones with the Crunch bars. 

Spooky Food Ideas ~

Entertaining | Inspiration

I am in the process of planning the menu for our kid-friendly Halloween bash on Sunday. Here are a few last minute ideas to make your party spooktacular (I know, a bit cheesy)!

Images: 1. pillsbury.com, 2. womansday.com, 3. pillsbury.com, 

4. bhg.com, 5. marthastewart.com, 6. womansday.com

Have a safe and fabulous Halloween!

Caramel Apples ~

Entertaining | Inspiration

I have never made caramel apples before, but I have been itching to make them this year. I think the kiddos and I will make them for our Halloween bash...yummy! I think they are super festive and...gorgeous - I know, weird right? There is something about that fabulous caramel color next to that vibrant green...lovely.

 

Here is the recipe via Martha Stewart:

Ingredients 

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 Granny Smith or Red Delicious apples

1 cup toasted pecans (optional), coarsely chopped

 

Directions 

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and coat with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil over high. Reduce to medium-high and simmer, undisturbed, until caramel is golden brown, 8 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream (mixture will sputter). Transfer to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
2. With a paring knife, make a small slit in top of each apple. Insert an ice-pop stick 1 inch deep into each slit. Dip apples into caramel, swirling to coat. Sprinkle with nuts (if using) and transfer to sheet. (Store in a deep airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

 

Here is the directions for melting caramel candies 

(I think we will be using this easy route at our house)

Unwrap the candies from a 14oz bag. Melt them, over a low heat, while stirring in two tablespoons for milk, water or cream. When caramels have melted into a smooth liquid, they're ready to use. 

 

Do you make caramel apples at your house? If so, does your family have a favorite "topping" to sprinkle on over the caramel?

Ty's Amazing Iced Pumpkin Cookies ~

Food | Inspiration

My niece Ty has been making these amazing pumpkin cookies and I just had to share the recipe. Be warned, they are super yummy and super addictive! And with a little coffee - oh, so yummy!

 

 recipe from allrecipes.com

 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency. 

 Try them, you will love them (if you like pumpkin)!

Linked to:

Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge

Show and Share Day at Just a Girl

The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

Raspberry Galette ~

I thought I would let you know I tried the Strawberry Galette recipe with raspberries - and it was super yummy!

I used the same recipe found here, and simply substituted raspberries for the strawberries.

I have made this several times since the last post, this is such a great Summer dessert. And it is so easy - seriously, super easy!

Be sure to come over tomorrow for the Be Inspired Link Party!

Strawberry Galette ~

I recently made this yummy Summer dessert for the first time - it was one of those recipes I kept meaning to make but never did. It is from Martha Stewart Living May 2008 (I know, it took over 2 years to make it!)

 Here are the ingredients (Martha's recipe requires making the crust, I went the loser way out and used a refrigerated pie crust):

FOR THE BASIL CREAM (This was not a huge hit)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese

FOR THE DOUGH
I used a ready to go pie crust

FOR THE GALETTE 1 pound strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Make the basil cream: Combine cream, basil, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and stir until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 hours for a more pronounced basil flavor). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add mascarpone, and whisk until medium peaks form. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

I simply unrolled my pie crust onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then I cut the strawberries lengthwise into slices.

 Then toss slices with 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch, and immediately arrange them in concentric circles on dough. Start 1 inch from edge, overlapping slices slightly (as you can see, I started the outside edge into a circle and then just piled the rest in the center - I know loser way).

 Fold edge of dough over berries. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

 Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Dot berries with butter. Bake until crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

 We served it room temperature and it was great. It pretty much tasted like strawberry jam in a pie crust - I mean how could you really go wrong with strawberries, sugar and crust! The basil infused cream was not a huge hit, next time I will simply combine the cream, sugar and mascarpone.

I linked this post to:
Lucky Linky Tuesday at Lucky Star Lane

Summer Vegetable Casserole ~

I made this yummy casserole as a side for dinner this week and it was a hit with the whole family...I mean the kiddos inhaled it! So I thought I would share the recipe from Food & Wine magazine. 

 Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced 

1 large garlic clove, minced 

1 teaspoon thyme leaves 

1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick 

2 small zucchini (1/2 pound), sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick 

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

 

 

As for the directions, it is really a layering act:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread the potatoes in the dish in an even layer; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. 

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

 

 Arrange two-thirds of the bell pepper mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with oil.

Top with the tomatoes 

 

and the zucchini; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. 

 

Cover with the remaining bell pepper mixture 

 

and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and glazed on top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm. 

 

I will definitely make it again, but the next time I think I might eliminate the tomatoes. We grill veggies pretty much every night in the Summer, so this was a welcome change and something you could do year round.