Chicken Taco Stuffed Shells

Here is my pre Cinco de Mayo celebration Tex-Mex dinner with an Italian twist. The celebrants all declared this dinner muy delicioso. Served along side a big garden salad and fruit, this meal brought them all back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Add the ingredients to your shopping list for your Cinco de Mayo Celebration (with an Italian twist!)

Chicken Taco Stuffed Shells
3 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1- 8 ounce brick cream cheese
1- 12 ounce box jumbo shells
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1- 13 ounce bottle Old El Paso Taco Toppers Sauce
3 green onions, sliced

In a large skillet, on med-high, heat oil and add onions, cook until translucent, add ground chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, water and cream cheese and lower heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes stirring occasionally until cheese is melted and mixture has thickened. Meanwhile, while the meat is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and separate shells out on a tray so they do not stick to each other.
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a large lasagna pan and spread 1/2 bottle taco sauce on bottom. Using a regular spoon stuff each shell with meat mixture and place in prepared pan. Top with cheese and drizzle with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with green onion, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serve with sour cream. Makes about 42 shells. Serves 6-8.

Note- I ground my own chicken by placing 3 raw, cubed, chicken breast halves in the food processor and pulsed until ground. I did not have a large lasagna pan so I used a 9x13 inch and 8x8 inch pan. This recipe freezes well.

South Pacific Chicken Pizza

Ilove a good pizza, the usual tomato and cheese, maybe with some veggies or pepperoni. But sometimes its nice to try something new, such as a taco pizza, fruit pizza, or in this case a South Pacific Chicken Pizza. I have adapted this pizza from many other recipes and it is a really nice and different pizza. So many flavors going on which is typical of Pacific Rim foods. The pizza seems to cover the five bases well; salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy.

South Pacific Chicken Pizza
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 T. water
2 T. peanut butter
1 tsp. ground ginger
1-2 tsp. Sriracha hot chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup Colby-jack shredded cheese
one 12 inch prepared pizza crust, I used my homemade dough
4 small bowls for the toppings- chopped peanuts, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro or basil, and lime wedges

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine first 8 ingredients, put aside. In a greased non-stick pan over medium high heat, sauté chicken for 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and add sauce to the pan and bring to a boil and cook for about 6 minutes or until thickened, add chicken and cook 2 more minutes. The sauce should be like a thick syrup. Sprinkle cheese over crust or dough. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out chicken from sauce and place evenly over pizza. Drizzle as much of the sauce as you want over the entire pizza. I used all my sauce for a real saucy pizza, that is how hubby likes it. Bake for about 12 minutes or until crust is golden and topping is bubbly. Slice pizza into 8 slices and serve with toppings to be sprinkled over top according to each dinner's preference.
Serves 4.

Easy Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is a favorite in my house. We try to have it often to please the kids, and a few of us adults. My Mammy used to make Mac and Cheese that was so good, I think all she used was whatever cheese she had in her fridge some butter and milk, very rustic, very good. This recipe has taken me a while to get right and I know its good because one of my kids thought that it was Stouffers from the big red box. I will take that as a compliment.

Easy Mac and Cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
4 cups milk
3 cups colby jack cheese, shredded
1 cup Italian Blend cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 -1/2 tsp. ground black pepper-optional
1 pound elbow macaroni

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and 2 T. salt, bring to a boil-this will be for the pasta. While you are waiting for the water to boil, melt butter in large sauce pan, over medium-high heat, then whisk in flour and mustard powder. Cook one minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt 1/2 tsp at a time tasting between additions to see if more salt is needed. The amount of salt depends on the cheese you used, mine required the full amount of salt called for. Lower heat to low and cover. Add pasta to the boiling water and boil for 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and put back in the pot. Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until blended. Add pepper if you would like. Cover pot and let set for 5-10 minutes (heat off) to set up. Serves 10-12.

Note- For the Italian Blend cheese, I use Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio Cheese a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, and Provolone. Four Italian cheeses in one pack all shredded and excellent on pizza.

Friday Night Food- Hidden Treasure Mussels

The weekend is almost here and I am ready for some Friday Night Food. Food that is quick to make but the process is enjoyable and relaxing, something that can be done while sipping wine. Food that is savory, special, and treat-ish. A dinner that can be lingered over, nibbled at, and encourages conversation. My choice for this Friday Night Food segment is...Hidden Treasure Mussels. Why that name? Because once the mussels have been picked through and eaten one takes their fork and plunges it down into that mouthwatering broth in hopes to find that one last escaped mussel but comes up with a piece of chorizo, or a broth enriched potato chunk, or a soft tomato...all so many treasures. Then one breaks off a piece of crusty bread and dips it down into the broth and takes a small bite, then a bigger bite and dips some more to find that all is well on Friday Night.

Hidden Treasure Mussels
3 T. olive oil
2 shallots finely chopped
1 large potato, cubed the size of large dice
2 handfuls grape tomatoes, pierced
1 link chorizo, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups good chicken broth
few twists of the black pepper mill
2 pounds mussels washed and de-bearded
1 cup good white wine
1/2 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

In a large skillet with fitting lid, heat oil over med high heat. Toss in shallots, potato cubes, tomatoes, and chorizo. Stir constantly until shallots are translucent and a little browned. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add broth and pepper, simmer about 10 minutes covered until potatoes are fork tender. Add the mussels and wine and cover and simmer for five minutes. Pour into a large bowl, top with parsley and enjoy with a crusty loaf, a bottle of good wine, and your favorite people. Serves 2 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer.
Note- I did not need to salt my mussel dish but you can if it is necessary.

Go grab your canvas grocery sacks and purchase everything needed to make this brilliant dish--Have a Great Weekend!

Ground Beef Series: Pound #5+ German Roladen

The fifth and final round, I mean pound. The grand finale of the Ground Beef Series. And boy its a good one. The German Roladen is a meat roll up filled with bacon, mustard and a dill pickle and usually made with flank steak but remember I am trying to be creative here. Don't turn your nose up on this one, its a keeper. A hearty dinner main attraction saddled to side of homemade spätzle and brown gravy. Comfort food with a German accent, ja?

Ground Beef Series Recap
5 pounds ground beef= $12.01
5 amazing meals= est. cost $60.00
one family sick of beef= PRICELESS

To see all the recipes used in this series click Ground Beef Series in The Big RK Recipe Index on the right.

German Roladen
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
spicy brown mustard
4 slices bacon
4 dill pickle spears, drained on paper towels
3 T. olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
4-5 T. flour
2 1/2 cups good beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Divide meat into four 6 ounce portions and press into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread a teaspoon of mustard on each patty. Wrap each pickle with a slice of bacon and place in the center of each patty. Press all sides together, completely surrounding the pickle. In a large skillet with a fitting lid, heat oil and brown onions and each side of the roladan. Once browned, remove the roladen to a plate and add flour to the onions stirring well. Slowly whisk in broth and bring to a boil stirring occasionally until thickened. Lower heat and replace roladen to the skillet, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Strain off any fat and serve roladen sliced in half over a bed of buttered noodles and gravy. Serves 4.

Auf Wiedersehen

Butterflied Chicken

Grilled Ina Garten's Butterflied Chicken last night. Excellent. Except my chicken was not butterflied as I had requested at the Wegman's meat counter, it was "butchered" by the butcher who didn't know how to debone and butterfly a chicken. Argh. But he did apologise and I forgave him tonight after tasting this excellent dish. I added 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to Ina's marinade, just because I was craving something mustardy and balsamic-y. Also did not have one hour to marinate and grilled immediately after adding the seasonings and it was still so flavorful. Served the chicken along side some fresh strawberries and Cucumber Salad, using up the leftover Donair sauce. My family ate the entire 2 pounds of strawberries, the entire cucumber salad, and all but a thigh of a whole chicken. This was quite an accomplishment for my gang. Wow this meal was a winner. Or we just worked up a big appetite planting flowers and herbs in honor of Earth Day and our Creator.

Ground Beef Series: Pound #4- Meatball Braciola

Braciola is an Italian stuffed meat dish I grew up eating on Holidays. It is usually made using flank steak instead of ground beef but I wanted to be creative with this series and think outside of the box for uses of that giant pack-of-ground-up-goodness. You will use my Italian Meatball recipe for this dish.

Meatball Braciola
1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
3 T. olive oil
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, shredded
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 thin slices capicola (Italian hot ham)
one single recipe Italian Meatballs, raw
1 pound linguini cooked al dente
28 ounces Marinara sauce of choice
Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, mix the first five ingredients. Line a 9x13 inch baking sheet with sides with foil. Top the foil with plastic wrap.
1. Press the meatball mixture evenly to the edges of the sheet and top with capicola.
2. Pour egg mixture down the center of the meat.
3. Using the plastic wrap bring both sides of the long ends of meat together tightly and pinch seam together.
4. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then enclose with the foil. Chill for about 2 hours to set. To cook, remove from foil and plastic wrap. Use the same foil to reline the baking sheet. Grease foil. Although I greased my foil, the meat still stuck a little. Bake seam side down in 400° oven for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reads 160°. Remove from oven and let rest for about 7 minutes before slicing. Gently slice into 12 pieces using a serrated knife. Serve hot over pasta topped with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.
Note- Capicola may be too spicy so regular ham can be used instead. The braciola will freeze better in the raw state for a short time, 4 weeks, any longer and the eggs may get rubbery. Defrost 24 hours in the refrigerater before baking.


One more pound to go....

Ground Beef Series: Pound #3- Italian Wedding Soup

Of course there has to be the infamous meatball segment in the Ground Beef Series. But this is like no other meatball. For this installment you will make the best meatball recipe you have ever had, it has taken me years to perfect.

Italian Meatballs
3 slice of fresh bread, crumbled fine
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, shredded
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh oregano, minced
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, no more!
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
one pound raw ground chuck (80/20 lean)

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together except beef. Crumble small amounts of beef into the bread mixture, using a rubber spatula, gently fold meat into bread mix. Repeat until all the meat is incorporated. This makes for a more tender meatball. (I used to do this in my stand mixer, food processor, and even with my hand and wondered why my meatballs were too hard). If you plan to make regular meatballs, roll meat into balls the size of golf balls and place on a greased, foil lined baking sheet with sides. Bake in 400° oven for 15-20 minutes. Baked meatballs freeze well. Single recipe makes about 15 meatballs.
NOTE-For the Mini Meatballs called for in Italian Wedding Soup, roll meatballs into the size of grapes and bake in 400° oven for 14 minutes. Makes about 80 mini meatballs.
Another Note- Do not over salt this recipe!
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Italian Wedding Soup
one single recipe Mini Meatballs
2 (32 ounce) boxes good chicken broth
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 pound orzo cooked according to package directions
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach
fresh ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste, optional

In a large pot pour broth, add mini meatballs and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes (this will help the meatballs flavor the broth). After ten minutes, add orzo and heat through. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste only if necessary. Serve hot topped with Parmesan cheese. Don't forget the bread for dipping. This soup will freeze ok for a short amount of time then the pasta gets mushy. Serves 6-8.

Ground Beef Series: Pound #2- The Donair

For a while I have been collecting and trying Micro-Regional Food recipes. When I started writing the Ground Beef Series, I remembered the Donair, famous only to those from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The shop from which it hails is called King of Donair and has made their Donairs based on the Middle Eastern (Lebanese), Doner Kebab that I was so fond of eating while living in Germany. Do not be put off by the sweet Donair sauce because with the spice of the meat and the bite of the onions it is surprisingly delicious. Here is the Donair recipe I like.

Donair Building- Once you have cooked the meat and made the sauce, heat meat slices in a lightly greased iron skillet turning once. Also heat the pitas in the skillet turning once. Top each pita with a serving of meat, shredded mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, and the special sauce. Fold the pita closed, more so in a cone shape instead of a taco shape and wrap the end with a piece of wax paper because its going to get messy. This recipe makes 4 large Donairs.

Note- The meat alone is a fantastic pizza topping and once sliced it will top 3 large pizzas. The meat freezes well.

Another Note- If you have leftover sauce which you may, make this salad with it. Cucumber Salad- Slice one peeled cucumber thinly as well as one vidalia onion. Toss in bowl with remaining sauce and stir in 1 tsp. dried dill. Chill to marry flavors and serve up cold. This salad is usually made with a sour cream mixture but it was the perfect salad to use up this delicious sauce.

Ground Beef Series: Pound #1- Kabob Kubideh

What can I do with those Food Club sized 5 pound packs of Ground Beef you ask? Make something for now make, something for later. When I was first married I froze a whole 5 pound pack of ground beef and had to use my hubby's screw driver and hammer to chisel large chunks off to defrost. Now when I purchase a pack like that I go to work making a few meals up. You have read previous posts where I have browned the whole pack and froze the meat in one pound bags (about 4 cups per bag) for use in chili, bolognese, and tacos in a bag, all recipes can be found on this site under meat. This has made meal prep a snap as the beef defrosts quickly in the microwave for a quick toss with the other ingredients. Then there is always those dishes that need to be mixed up while the beef is in the raw state such as meatloaf another recipe under meat.

This series of articles will fill you in on 5 other dishes that can be made with 5 pounds of ground beef. Each recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef and you may adjust the recipe for the amount of servings needed. Also choose the fat content of the beef, I like 80/20 so that if I do form them into patties they will remain juicy and not like hockey pucks.

Here is what I did with Pound #1, Kabob Kubideh from Attifood. Watch that dude dance. Kubideh is made with onions, garlic, and turmeric and is a very popular Persian dish. I followed the recipe on Attifood's site but made mine in the food processor. I first chopped the onion in the processor then dumped them out on to three layers of paper towels and wrung them out in the sink. Replaced them to the processor, added the other ingredients and gave it a big zingo. I found that they were more dense that way and stuck to the skewers a little easier. I shaped mine like sausages and grilled them on my cook top iron griddle. They are great served with a side of rice and salad but I chose a less formal meal of the kabobs with a big plate of home fries and some fresh pineapple. It was finger food heaven.


Note- If you choose to freeze these then do so before grilling by placing the kabobs on a cookie sheet and freezing until solid then place in zip top bag. To defrost, remove kabobs the night before to defrost in the refrigerator. This recipe makes 6 kabobs.

Blogging with a Purpose

WOOT! I feel so honored, noticed, giddy even. I just received the "Blogging with a Purpose" award from fellow blogger and foodie Nicole from Art and Aioli, which by the way is a fantastic blog that I spy each day. Go visit her site and see what she has been cooking up and some pictures of her cute little kiddies. The brunch she just created for another blogger contest was beautiful and very ingenious.


August 20, 2008

The Yum Yum Award comes to me from Laura over at The Spiced Life and Leah at A Corner of My Kitchen. Laura has some delicious recipes and once it gets chilly out I am definitely going to try her Baked Oatmeal. It seems as though no recipe is too tough for Laura, her meals will amaze you. Leah not only has enticing photography her recipes are wonderful. Just lately she has made a Gazpacho, a Turkey Jalapeno Cheeseburger, and a Shrimp Salad that made my heart flutter. Thank you Laura and Leah!


I also received The Smile Award from Lisa at Jersey Girl Cooks. Her Sesame Scallops with Ponzu Spinach looks killer, can't wait to try that one out! Being a Jersey Girl, Lisa has many recipes spotlighting Jersey favorites like seafood, blueberries and tomatoes. Many thanks Jersey Girl!

Now for the Music Meme from Veronica a Supermarket Serenade. She has entered her Warm Tropical Breeze Fruit Wraps in the Snack with Dole Recipe Contest and has made it to the finals. So go on over there and vote for her, this recipe is a winner.

Here are my 7 musical choices that get me grovin', especially while cooking:
Mambo Italiano Rosemary Clooney
That's Amore Dean Martin
Nessun Dorma Pavarotti
Sweet Home Alabama
Sound of Music Soundtrack
Anything from Fiddler on the Roof
No Reservations Soundtrack

Robin Sue

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

We had a friend of ours, Armin, visit from Germany Sunday and we took him and his coworker, Heike, downtown to see what was left of the cherry blossoms along with a few monuments and a smashing view of D.C. from the Old Post Office Pavillion. Boy was it cold. So we came back to a pot of Starbucks (sie lieben Starbucks!), these tasty sandwiches that I put together in the morning, homemade Easy Mac and Cheese , fresh fruit, and my coleslaw. Then we dined on the German chocolates that they brought. Mmmm.

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls
2 T. dried minced onions
1 T. prepared mustard (I used Dijon)
2 T. poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
1 dozen dinner rolls or 2 dozen party rolls- I used 1 doz. Martin's Famous Dinner Potato Rolls
1/2 pound ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small mixing bowl mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, and melted butter. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open so that you have one solid top and bottom. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet or in a 9x13 inch baking pan, the pan size will depend on choice of rolls. Line the bottom half of the rolls with cheese slices and ham. Return the top part of the rolls and drizzle the butter mixture evenly over top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Now use a sharp knife and separate the little sandwiches. Place on a pretty platter and serve immediately.

Note- These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, may require 5 more minutes of baking. Also can be prepared ahead and frozen. Defrost in refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. I love keeping a pan of these in the freezer for emergencies. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Another Note- The picture was taken just prior to baking the sandwiches. They will come out golden and melty from the oven.

1 Recipe = 2 Meals: Pasta Bolognese and Sloppy Giuseppes

It is very convenient when I can cook up a big batch of something for one meal and change it up a bit for a second. Doing this makes my busy life and meal planning so much easier and cuts down on repetition and waste. After enjoying a meal of pasta Bolognese with a garden salad and a loaf of fresh Italian bread this week I wrapped up the leftover Bolognese sauce to use again the very same way. But I thought why not make the Italian version of the already favorite “Sloppy Joe”? Hence the birth of the “Sloppy Giuseppe.” Here is my favorite Bolognese recipe that you will definitely want to DOUBLE so that you can have it over pasta one night and use the leftovers for Sloppy Giuseppes on another night. I doubt there will be any leftover after that but if there is simply place in a freezer container and freeze for a future lunch.

Bolognese Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
One medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, minced
2 carrots, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce –I use Pastene Kitchen Ready
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup good red wine
1-2 T. butter– Trust me on this one!

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. When oil is heated and almost smoking, add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until onions are golden and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until cooked through and thickened. Add cheese, wine and butter and stir until butter is melted and cheese is blended. Re-season with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over hot cooked pasta, a large garden salad, and a fresh loaf of bread. Don't forget a nice bottle of Chianti and some fun Italian music.

Sloppy Giuseppes
4 hoagie rolls
3-4 cups Bolognese sauce, depending on size of rolls
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 °. Slice hoagie rolls open making the bottom halves thicker. Dig a bit of the inside of the bottom half of the roll out if you want and place bottoms of hoagie rolls on a baking sheet. Reheat Bolognese sauce in microwave until hot if you are using it as leftovers. Spread each roll with a generous helping of Bolognese sauce (I hit my sauce with a few whirls of my immersion blender to give it a finer texture for these sandwiches.) Divide cheese evenly over the meat and replace bread tops. Place in oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serve immediately with lots of napkins and cherry, pepperoncini, or mild banana peppers. Serves 4.

Micro-Regional Foods-Taco in a Bag

We know that in certain areas of the country or world there are dishes associated with that region. Such as expecting to see New England Clam Chowda on a menu in New England, or crayfish on a menu in Louisiana, or good Tex-Mex from Texas. And each region has their own type of pizza like the Chicago Deep Dish for instance, or a type of barbecue like North Carolina pulled pork in that tangy vinegar sauce versus Memphis Barbecue in its thick tomato based sauce. But what about Sugar Cream Pie of the Hoosier State, Indiana, and the "Petro", a taco in a bag, of Tennessee launched during the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, and the Donair of Halifax, N. S., has anyone outside of these regions ever heard of these dishes? I just discovered Salt Potatoes from another blogger, Warm Olives. Who knew they even existed except for those people in Syracuse, New York? When these folks leave their neighborhoods, no one else in the country or world has ever heard of their specialty dish and most can only get those specials by going back and visiting those places or making the dishes themselves.

Only known to South Jersey are these fresh fried hot and gooey panzarottis. A panzarotti is a small pizza folded in half, sealed and deep fried. They are crispy, burning hot and delicious. But I can only get them in South Jersey unless I make them myself, which I do, but not as good as the real thing. I have asked deli owners here in Virginia if they would close my pizza and deep fry it and they think I am crazy and deny my request because it would wreck their fryers. Huh?

Do you have a micro-regional specialty dish that is unheard of anywhere else? I'm not looking for the Philly Cheese Steak here I am looking for the "Wets" (Gravy Fries) of Reading, PA or the Cherry Limes from Borger, TX. Folks in the Poconos, do you have a Pocono only food, how about you in Lacey, WA, or those in Southern Cal? In Germany I ate my weight in Cheese Pretzels but now have to make my own as they are no where in site here.

Share a micro-regional specialty food favorite of yours.

Taco in a Bag- my way
One recipe chili
4-6 small bags Fritos corn chips
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
green onions or red onion, chopped

Make chili according to recipe. While bags are closed, slightly crush chips and then cut open along the long side of the bag. Top chips with hot chili a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of onions and cheese. Take along plastic forks and napkins and ta-da, dinner!

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Here are the recipes I used to make the baby shower cupcakes in the post previous to this one. Although the cake is from a box, making it convenient but not so healthy, it is a very moist and tasty cake. The addition of the coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor. The chips of course are a big treat in the cake but if you are making cupcakes stir the bowl of batter frequently as they sink to the bottom and it would be a crying shame to have some cupcakes without those yummy morsels. If you do not want to use a box mix (I am trying to get away from these) try Martha Stewart's Devil's Food Cake with Mrs. Milman's Frosting. Excellent. Excellent! But do not forget to add the coffee to the cake batter, Martha missed that one. Wink.

Chocolate Mocha Cake
One pkg Devil’s food cake mix
1 3.9 ox. pkg instant chocolate pudding
2 cups sour cream
1 cup melted butter
6 eggs
One double shot espresso(or 2 T. instant coffee or espresso powder)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in sour cream, melted butter, eggs and espresso. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4minutes on medium speed. Blend in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50– 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. If you are going to make cupcakes this recipe will make about 4 dozen. Fill cupcake papers with 45 grams of batter or about 2/3 full. I like the weighing technique to get all the cupcakes the same size. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool and frost. My cupcakes "fell" probably due to the amount of beating called for so if you do make cupcakes beat for less time.

Buttercream Frosting
2 - (1-lb.) pkg. Domino® Confectioners Sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 T. vanilla

In large bowl using a hand mixer or a KitchenAid stand mixer, cream butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and blend well after each addition. Slowly add cream and beat faster until you get a light and fluffy frosting. Add vanilla and beat until blended. Frost cake or cupcakes immediately or refrigerate until ready to use bringing the frosting to room temp.

Baby Shower Review

The sun finally came out in Northern Virginia making the throwing of a baby shower most delightful. We hosted a Jack and Jill Baby Shower in our home last night for one of my hubby's associates. Jack and Jill Showers are hugely fun as the men are invited into a world that is usually experienced by women only. When the men are invited we women behave differently as we do not tell our labor stories, mention words like breast pads, nipple guards, or Tucks and the oohing and aahing is more subdued when we pass those cute and tiny garments around upon gift opening. We do not play the usual shower games like who can put the most cotton balls on their head or who can name the most baby things on a tray that they stared at for 20 seconds. Nope none of that. With men we get to well um hmmm....we get to eat more guy-ish fare, make predictions and develop office pools on the date and time of the baby's birth and place our bets (only after Monday's March Madness ends of course), and help the couple decide on their next vehicle that holds baby and all their gear. Men do not just run to the dessert table squealing in delight over the cute cupcakes, they are cool about it, a type of saunter via way of the TV and basketball scores before the sly approach to the sweeties table. I love Jack and Jill Showers, I think the guys make them so much fun! Try one some time.


Decore.
My favorite entertaining decoration is fresh flowers. I own a few glass block type vases so that I can create my own center pieces. I enjoy sending the flowers home with the guest of honor too. Most flower purchases are done at Trader Joe's or Costco. I also love the clean and crisp look white table cloths lend to a party whether formal or not. It is fun to be spiffy once in a while. I purchase my cloths from Sam's Club or a restaurant supply store. They usually come in packs of three and are a 50/50 cotton-poly blend. You want that blend for the crispness of the cotton but the washability and wrinkle-free look that the poly gives. The cloths are affordable and wash up beautifully. I like cloth napkins but this time chose a quality paper napkin matching the square paper plates I found in Target.


Menu.
For the food everyone from the office pitched in. These Chicken Enchiladas were made by Jon and Kristen and were out of this world yummy, I will be hounding them for the recipe. Sally brought the chips and salsa and helped me with setting up. Other items were guacamole, pepper jelly over cream cheese with crackers, chili and fixens, and corn bread. Yup you guessed it, a Tex-Mex dinner as per request of the pregnant one!


Fruit Salad.
A word on fruit salad- I love them just can't stand making them. Washing the fruit, peeling the fruit, cutting the fruit, blah. So I like a nice berry salad. A gentle bath with the fruit and veggie cleaner and a quick hulling of the strawberries, done. Layer the berries starting with the strawberries, then blackberries, followed by blueberries and some roughly chopped fresh mint, tossing is unnecessary, and look how vibrant the colors are.


Beverages.
Everyone pitched in and contributed to the beverage bar. We had Corona and other beers, fantastic white and red wines chosen by our resident sommelier, Marjorie, sangria ("Reál Sangria" has to be the best bottled sangria I have ever had), Italian sodas, and bottled water. This is the first time I used large containers filled with ice to display the drinks and I quite liked it. Very convenient. A note on bottled water- at the end of the party do not throw away the stray half drank or drunk water bottles, use them to water your plants.


Distraction.
It is usually my policy to not have dishes in the sink when guests arrive. My sink is usually filled with warm soapy water but I got side tracked by this guy. My littlest child came to me while I was prepping the fruit salad and said that there was a snake in the house. I asked her if she was teasing mommy but then she started to cry so I knew she could not be that creative to get my undivided attention. Sure enough there was a snake in my foyer. After shooing it out I got some neighbor men to take it away, hubby was at son #2's baseball game. Yes it is Springtime in The Den! I think the snake really wanted one of these.....


Dessert.
I love, love, love chocolate covered strawberries. I think I would take wages in chocolate covered strawberries. When I was in High School the boy across the street paid me in chocolate covered strawberries to drive him to and from school every day. Deal! For a whole school year I had a fresh dozen chocolate covered strawberries paid to me weekly. The cupcakes are Chocolate Mocha with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and chocolate piped "baby" words on them. According to the guests they were delectable. I also entered them in Martha Stewart's Cutest Cupcake Contest. I do not think they are so much cute as they are elegant and sophisticated. My mother taught me about improvising when baking and improvise I did with these cupcakes. For some reason the cupcakes "fell" when I removed them from the oven causing a great well in the center of each one. To improvise I filled each well with a bit of butter cream and topped each with the chocolate decoration. The best part was that the cupcake to frosting ratio was just right. All things work out for the best in the kitchen, don't they?


Hospitality.
Now for the potty. I like to make sure this little place is clean for my guests. Checking for enough TP, air freshener, and clean towels. But I have added something new to the repertoire, a touch of feng shui and spa to my little bath haven. I got the idea somewhere, can't remember where, to place river rocks in the sink. I like the look, so earthy. Just be sure to use round smooth rocks so not to scratch your sink and be sure the rocks are large enough not to go down your drain or you will have the plumber at your shower too.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at and reading about the shower as much as we ALL did in throwing it for our ready to bust pregnant friend, Laurie.

PS- A huge thanks to our office spy, Kristi, for her sleuthing to find out what the happy couple needed, purchasing and wrapping that monstrosity of a gift as I'm sure it took a football field of paper to cover it.

Wall of Fame

I have this big wall on the left of the hall leading into my kitchen and did not really know what to put on it. Art? Mirror? Naw, all too conventional. So I came up with a way to display our family photos. I am not a scrap-booker and I did not want to place the pictures in frames as I would have to change them out constantly. This design works well and allows me to change out pictures easily. I like to display pictures of our guests, like the time when my hubby's brother Doug and his family visited and I doug (dug!) out pictures of them at our wedding and one of Doug water skiing as a teen, to place on the Wall of Fame. They loved seeing themselves and had forgotten about those pictures, so it brought back great memories.

My Father-in-law Bob helped me build the display. We purchased trim from Home Depot, he cut, sanded, and stained it, then with a laser leveler we hung the trim with a nail gun. Most of my photos are 4x6 inches so we placed the trim close enough that the pictures would slightly bow in order to stay put. See lower right. We placed the trim so that I could display portrait and landscape shots. We have found that if the kids whiz by the Wall of Fame a few pictures may fly loose but no big deal, they go back easily. I have received many compliments on the wall and it has been a great conversation piece. Make one for a wall you have been wondering what to do about.

Note- See the pair of feet in the upper right hand picture, and the right foot is huge. Click on it for a closer look. That is my hubby Dan's feet and what happens when a Copperhead Snake bites. I was in Texas for a wedding when it happened. So I asked his Lt. Col. nurse anesthetist brother to call and check up on him. I'm a nurse too but he would listen to his brother better in this ordeal. After asking about Dan's symptoms and giving much medical advice, his brother then asked, "well does the Ranger Handbook say anything else about snake bites?" To which Dan answered, "skin and fry snake before eating." Men.

Chicken Noodle Soup

My brother and fellow foodie called me the other day while I was eating a bowl of this soup. He asked if I was going to post about it and I told him no that chicken noodle soup is just too homey and no one would be interested. He told me I should post it because it is the homey stuff folks need to learn. The art of homey is being lost to trendy gourmet, not that there is anything wrong with that but we must keep the basics alive. So here it is, I love chicken noodle soup and I even like to eat a bowl of it for breakfast, especially on chilly mornings. This soup is your classic chicken noodle soup, nothing unusual or gourmet-ish with this one. I make it in huge batches for us to eat all week, share with sick folks, or freeze. You'll need a big pot for this recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup
3 T. olive oil
1/2-3/4 small bag baby carrots, sliced
one large Vidalia onion, chopped
6-8 stalks celery sliced, leaves too
1 tsp. fresh thyme
4- 32 ounce boxes good chicken broth, I use Trader Joe's Free Range
1 heaping T. tomato paste
6 chicken breast halves
1 pound noodles
1 cup orzo
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper

In a large stock pot heat oil and add carrots, onions, celery and thyme. Cook until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, chicken, and tomato paste to the pot, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer covered until chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions in salted water, in the last 6 minutes add the orzo, once cooked drain reserving 3-4 cups pasta water. Remove cooked chicken and shred using two forks. Return chicken to pot. Add the cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste and heat through. If you think there is not enough broth add enough reserved pasta water and re-season if necessary. Serve piping hot with grated Parmesan cheese, crackers or buttered artisan bread.

Note- Remember that the noodles will continue to absorb the broth so be sure to add enough pasta water to compensate. Also do not be afraid to add plenty of salt, most folks under season their soups. If you like more veggies then add more. This is a good basic guide to good soup. The tomato paste is my mother's secret weapon. Tomato adds depth and color to even clear broth soups, try it and notice the difference it makes.