My Favorite Eggs

I hope you don't think this week's recipe is lame, but I'm quite smitten with these scrambled eggs I've concocted.  I'll share the very simple recipe with you in the hopes that you will be smitten with the basil+goat cheese combo too.  And then if you want to share your favorite eggs recipe below that would be grand!  Side notes...I love these eggs with toasted homemade Multigrain Bread and there simply must be a handmade cloth napkin at my side as well (see tutorial here).

The cast of characters:

(This is enough for me + Henry, adjust numbers to meet your needs)

PAM or butter to grease the pan

3 eggs (I do 2 whites and one whole egg)

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. dried basil, or 1 Tbs. fresh basil

a splash of milk

1 Tbs. Goat Cheese (or more if you'd like - crumbled or fresh grated)

Heat a small skillet sprayed with PAM over Med-High heat, add eggs, basil, salt & milk.  Stir until eggs are cooked (less than 5 minutes...watch closely and stir often!).  Once eggs are cooked through remove from heat and stir in goat cheese.  Enjoy!

Fall Baking

I love fall...the cooler weather, the falling leaves, cuddling under quilts, and perhaps soon a fire in the fireplace.  One of my favorite things to do in the cooler months is to bake.  Our house is hard to keep cool during the hot months of summer, so I tend to keep the oven off as much as I can, but now that fall is here I can start baking on a regular basis again.  I LOVE to bake! 

 

Here are a few of my favorite things to bake:

Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (pictured)

Multi-Grain Bread

Pumpkin Muffins

No-Knead Bread

Zucchini Bread

Granola Bars

Here's a few recipes I've been wanting to try:

Baked Apple Donut Holes

Zucchini Squares

Pretzel Bites

Overnight Waffles

What have you been baking?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments section (links & recipes are much appreciated, I'm always on the prowl for new recipes to try!)

Multi Grain Bread - and other baked goodies...

I'm not participating in Menu Planning Monday this week, because we were on vacation last week.  But I do want to share a couple yummy recipes with you!
Here's what I had on my cooling rack last week.

Oatmeal Cookies ~ Michael said they are the best he's ever had!

Multi-Grain Bread ~ I used a recipe for Oat Bread from my friend Melissa.  The Oat Bread is amazing on it's own, but I wanted a recipe for multi-grain bread as well.  After trying several different recipes for multi-grain bread and not liking what I made, I tweaked hers a bit to make it have a bit of crunch.  Now I make both the oat bread and the multi grain bread!

Multi-Grain Bread

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1 1/2 Tbs. sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 Tbs. Oil

2 Tbs. flax seed meal or ground flax seeds

1/4 cup harvest grains blend**

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

1.  Mix yeast and sugar with water and let sit several minutes.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients in order listed

3.  Knead, adding flour as needed

4.  Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise one hour, or until doubled

5.  Punch down, shape into loaf and place in oiled bread pan, covered

6. Let rise 1/2 hour, or until doubled, while your oven preheats to 425

7.  Bake 25 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when gently tapped

I usually double this recipe, because it's so good.  It freezes well too.

**the 1/4 cup multi-grain blend can be substituted with oats to make oat bread (yum).  I bought my Harvest Grains Blend from King Arthur's Flour online, but you can also create your own multi-grain blend, the best place to find a lot of grains to mix together is Whole Foods.

Menu Planning Monday ~ In Reverse ~ May 30

I am participating in Menu Planning Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good. Participating in MPM has inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family!

May I present to you, our family's menu for last week's meals:
Monday ~ Basil Burgers
Tuesday ~ Tortellini Marinara and our new favorite BREAD
Wednesday ~ Max's Talent Show = Leftover night
Thursday ~ Mustardy Pot Roast with vegetables (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Friday ~ Chicken Fried Rice & Roasted Broccoli
Saturday ~ Cookout with the in-laws.  I bought buns & made Market Day cookies, so no new recipes to share.
Sunday ~ Impromptu dinner with my parents.

Extras this week ~ Zucchini Bread, Banana Oat Bran Muffins, Breakfast Sandwiches (made 8 to freeze for quick breakfasts for mama and papa - yum!), and Multigrain Flapjacks from my new favorite cookbook: The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook.

So there you have it, our menu for the week. What's cookin' at your house? And if you are a visitor popping over from the orgjunkie, please leave a comment to say hello, or follow along with my blog...I have lots of fun craft & recipe ideas along with cool giveaways here and there.

Have a great week!

Menu Planning Monday ~ In Reverse ~ May 23 2011

 I am participating in Menu Planning Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later.  I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great.  I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good.  Participating in MPM has inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family! 
May I present to you, our family's menu for last week's meals:
Monday ~ Basil Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta (see picture, yum yum...don't be stingy with the garlic though!)
Tuesday ~ Chicken Caesar Pitas
Wednesday ~ Brinner!  ~ Whole Wheat Waffles from Weelicious (not at all like the kind of waffles we are accustomed to because of the "wheaty" taste, but we all thought they were tasty)
Thursday ~ I took the kids rollerskating, and there was no time for cooking...so I opted for a take-out treat
Friday ~ Sesame Beef, Roasted Broccoli & Rice ~ this is my own version of beef & broccoli, I roast the broccoli at 425 for about 20 minutes, with olive oil drizzled on top and a healthy dose of garlic stirred in.  Yum.
Saturday ~ Turkey Burgers, Hot Dogs, and all the cookout sides
Sunday ~ Sam's Birthday ~ Dinner at Sky Galley at the Lunken Airport.

Extras:  I made some delicious granola this week for snacking :)  and of course we had some delicious bread on Monday with our pasta.  I'm hoping for some more time for baking in the kitchen this week, I have some new recipes to try out.

So there you have it, our menu for the week.  What's cookin' at your house?  And if you are a visitor popping over from the orgjunkie, please leave a comment to say hello, or follow along with my blog...I have lots of fun craft & recipe ideas along with cool giveaways here and there.

Have a great week!

this bread is the bomb!

my neighbor calls it "ned bread" because ned bakes it on a regular basis, my cousins call it "nana's bread" because the grands love when their nana makes it for sunday dinner, and sam calls it "earth bread" because it's round like the earth.  but jim lahey, the creator of this amazing bread, calls it "no-knead bread".  i had heard all about this bread from our cousins, and my neighbor had baked it for us on a few occasions, and i had fallen in love with it. 
so i bought myself one of these:

then i mixed together a bit of flour, salt, yeast & water, let it rise for quite a few hours, tended to it just a bit, let it rise again for a bit, baked it, and then....voila, i had this:

it's just delicious, and the preparation is so simple.  i've made it over and over again and it's always a hit!  so light and airy on the inside...perfect with a bit of butter or honey.  i love this bread.  i do miss the kneading, i find kneading to be very therapeutic, but it's so quick and easy to make, so i can forego the kneading.  you should try this bread yourself!  check it out: jim lahey's no-knead bread!

what's your favorite EASY recipe?

Italian Meatsauce & Garlic Bread

I am a sucker for pasta dishes.  And I'm even more of a sucker for easy cooking.  BUT it has to be YUMMY pasta dishes and YUMMY easy cooking.  We want flavor and spice and everything nice!  This meal meets all of those requirements.  The spaghetti sauce is simple to prepare in the morning, and will be ready in the crock pot at dinner time.  The garlic bread can be created at the last minute and is scrumptious. 

what is your favorite slow cooker recipe?  Please share in the comments section...I'm always looking for new recipes!

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

(I stole this from my cousin Laura, who adapted it from a Betty Crocker Slow Cooker recipe)

2 pounds Italian sausage or ground beef
3 medium onions, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms (yuck…I omitted this)
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste
2 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp each of pepper & crushed red pepper

Cook the meat, onions, mushrooms and garlic for 20 minutes until cooked through. Drain. Spoon into slow cooker and stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours until veggies are tender.

 
Garlic Bread
 
French or Italian loaf, sliced in half
Olive Oil
1 stick butter (may need less depending on size of loaf), melted
¼ tsp. Garlic Salt (mixed with butter)
Garlic, pressed ~ the more the merrier!
Oregano
Thyme
Basil

Spread a bit of olive oil on the bread, then spread the butter/garlic salt mixture (be generous!). Then add pressed garlic, spreading all over the bread. Sprinkle the spices on. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes, until brown. Slice and Enjoy!

baking

this week i devoted an entire afternoon to baking. i have been slacking in the kitchen since henry arrived in january. i have made meals, and dishes for parties, but i have not spent time cooking for enjoyment lately. in fact, for a while i was feeling like cooking was a chore, when i used to enjoy it so much. henry is getting older (as i type that a tear trickles down my cheek), and so it is easier for me to find time to spend in the kitchen, it's not as stressful as it was in months past. and to celebrate this fact, ella and i spent an afternoon together baking. i'd like to mention that my timing for this baking day couldn't have been worse...i chose one of the hottest days of the year to keep my oven on for hours in a house that is cooled by two window units. it was totally worth the heat, but i might wait for my next baking afternoon until the temperatures are less than 90degrees outside!

we made:

~ 28 banana chocolate chip muffins (stashed them in the freezer for school lunches). very tasty, but thinking next time i will try peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips. the kids love them! thank you meal makeover moms.

~ 2 loaves of zucchini bread, and for those who are wondering, i took a poll, and apparently you leave the peel on the zucchini when grating it. this bread is delicious!

~ 2 snickers pies. heaven in a crust.

~ a batch of chewy granola bars...also very yummy, and filling. my cousins gave me these granola bars the night henry was admitted to the hospital with rsv (when he was 1 week old). these bars sustained me that very long weekend.

~ pizza for dinner: fresh tomatoes & basil from the garden with olive oil, garlic & mozzarella...yummmmmmm!

what have you been baking lately? please share some links for your favorite recipes!

in my kitchen

in my kitchen at any given moment you might find:

~ a baby helping with the dishes (or at least providing cuddles to his mama whilest she washes the dishes)

~ general silliness with grapes, and the gobbling of grapes as well

~ an art project of one kind or another in process (sometimes a complex & messy affair, sometimes a simple drawing)

~ an independent young man (who was just recently a toddler) taking the recyclables out for his mama

~ bread cooling on the stovetop

~ a bowl full of fruit for snacking or for rotting (if mama has intentions of baking banana bread)

**inspiration for this post came from one of my favorite blogging mamas: http://www.soulemama.com/

baguette + pesto + garlic = yum!

here is another one of my favorite appetizer recipes. i found it on allrecipes.com, and it is always a hit at parties.

Basil Pesto Rounds

Ingredients
1 (1 pound) loaf French baguette
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup basil pesto
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Directions
1.Preheat oven on broiler setting. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted on one side. Watch carefully to ensure they don't burn. Remove from oven, and flip bread slices so that the toasted side is on the bottom.
2.Set the oven temperature for 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, pesto, garlic, Parmesan and salt. Spread evenly over untoasted sides of bread slices. 3.Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Set the oven to broil, and place the rounds under the broiler just until they begin to bubble and turn golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

ladies & gentlemen...we have a winner!

three cheers for barb r. ~ the winner of peter reinhart's 'artisan breads every day'!

email me at: katie@cards-by-katie.com and let me know what your mailing address is so the book can be shipped to you. happy baking!

**this contest winner was chosen using random.org to choose a random number

cookbook giveaway!

calling all bread bakers, bread lovers, and cookbook collectors…i have the perfect giveaway for you! we are going to give one lucky reader a copy of peter reinhart’s bread-baking cookbook: artisan breads every day. perhaps you have heard me mention our family’s love for this cookbook, i can’t stop talking about it, and about the bread that michael has been baking since we purchased the book.
entering to win this cookbook is simple! you can do one of the following things, or do all three to have three chances to win!

1. leave a comment below telling me the title of your favorite cookbook.

2. spread the word about this contest via email, facebook, or twitter, and then leave me a comment below telling me how you spread the word!

3. email your favorite baking recipe to me at: katie@cards-by-katie.com (i’m always on the prowl for new recipes and will shamelessly use this giveaway to collect more!) after you email me the recipe be sure to leave a comment below telling me that you did so!

so for every comment you leave (no more than three) you will have a chance to win this cookbook! just be sure to leave contact information in your comment.
submissions are due by noon on tuesday, june 15, 2010. winner will be selected using a random number generator. winners will have 48 hours to respond. the cookbook will be mailed to the winner from ten speed press (i also have the author’s address, he has offered to mail the winner an autographed paste-in bookplate to go in the cookbook!).

my bread baking husband

i am a lucky girl. i know this. my husband cooks. i know that many women out there envy the fact that my husband cooks, bakes, cleans and is an active participant in the raising of our children. and he fixes things! i'll say it again...i am a lucky girl!

for the past year or so michael has been on a quest to learn how to bake bread. he has tried different recipes over this time, from several different cookbooks. it wasn't until i brought home peter reinhart's artisan breads everyday from the library that he found the perfect inspiration for baking bread (soon after we bought the book -- it's a keeper!).

michael has tried several loaves from this book, our favorites being the french loaf and the ciabatta. when he baked the ciabatta last week we had sandwiches for dinner every single night. it was that delicious! and since we purchased this book we have not bought bread from the bakery. michael loves this bread baking book because of the helpful tips, the way the author thoroughly explains each recipe in detail, giving how-to directions instead of just throwing the recipe at the reader and letting them figure out the nuances on their own. this cookbook has become our bread bible. i cannot wait for him to experiment with more bread baking!

my tasty italian sandwich on ciabatta!

Banana Bread and other Baking Adventures

Sam sifts the flour

Ella kneads the dough for the white bread

Max mixes the banana bread dough

Rising

White Bread

Banana Bread

Mmm Mmm Good

The kids and I spent yesterday baking in the kitchen. We made two yummy kinds of bread: Banana Bread & White Bread. I got the white bread recipe from my friend Melissa's blog, and it was a great "first" bread to make if you haven't made bread before. I've made quick breads a million times, but never baked "real" bread...you know, the kind that involves yeast, kneading, rising, etc. It was a super fun and super messy endeavor, but so worth it in the end! Neither bread is expensive to make, you probably have the ingredients on hand (except for rotting bananas...not everyone has those on hand). I have a HUGE bread book with all kinds of recipes in it, and I had chosen a very simple and easy bread to "cut my teeth" on, but realized the morning of the baking that the recipe had milk in it. No milk for Sam! So I checked out my friend's blog and she had the perfect recipe, I suggest you check it out...she has a plethora of bread recipes! We cannot wait to bake more bread...such a wonderful experience for all of us.

Banana Bread

From Better Homes & Gardens (the really old version)

1/3 cup Margarine

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 3/4 cup Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 cup Mashed Ripe Banana

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients well and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees, until the knife comes out clean.