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Smores

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I just finished reading Crystals, “Last days of summer” entry and it reminded me of making oven smores. Though I don’t know why, the two have absolutly no connection.

This last weekend I was over at a friends house and we had planned on having a bonfire with smores. Well, being that we live Manitoba, and the weather here is so wonderfully predictiable, it rained. Really rained, nice hard cold rain.

Not in the least bit discouraged, my friends sister decided that they would make smores in the oven. I for one have never atempted this, to me no fire means no smores. It would appear I was horribly mistaken.

It’s as simple as it sounds. Turn oven on to 400-425 degrees. Place graham wafers on cookie sheet, put 1 large marshmellow on top. Put pan in the oven. Watch them, when the mellow has puffed up take the sheet out. Immediatly place pieces of choloate on the marshmellow. Top with another graham wafer. Let sit 1 minute. Enjoy:)

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Cooking with Kids–A kids cookbook

Cooking with Kids (Cookbook overview)
I perused the kids cookbook, flipping through the pages. Colorful pictures and lettering fill the pages. Pictures of children cooking and making the recipes are on almost every page. The picture of the food you are preparing is shown with most recipes.

The kids cookbook is the title; a gleeful young boy smiles on the front cover. On page 4, a rainbow catches my eye. “Why is there a rainbow in a cookbook?” Rather than a food pyramid chart, it is a rainbow chart. Want to learn about table manners and table setting, see page 5.
The recipes are great, very kid friendly.
Mini-biscuit pizzas page 9 of kids cookbook
(prep time: 10 minutes—cook time:12 minutes—serves 6)
1 10 count can refrigerated biscuit dough
2/3 cup Pizza Sauce
2/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or cheese you like)
Pizza toppings of your choice (see page 10 for ideas)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the cups of a regular size muffin tin with a non-stick spray.
2. Press one biscuit into each muffin tin cup.
3. Place a tablespoon of sauce on each biscuit. Place one or 2 toppings of your choice on the sauce, then top with 1 tablespoon of cheese.
4. Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until cooked and cheese is melted.

Meatball Sub Sandwiches
(prep time:10 minutes—heat time: 5 minutes—serves 6)
6 sub or hoagie buns
36 Italian Mozzarella Meatballs (Homemade Gourmet), prepared (see recipe page 12)
2 cups of Homestyle Spaghetti Sauce Mix (Homemade Gourmet) prepared
Optional:
sliced black olives
onion slices
bell pepper slices
Parmesan Cheese

1. Re-heat meatballs and spaghetti sauce in the microwave for 3 minutes on high.
2. Fill each bun with 6 warm meatballs and cover with spaghetti sauce.
3. Top with any other ingredients you want.
4. Optional to make a sub sandwich car: use pretzel sticks to add zucchini shaped wheels on the sides. Use a pretzel shaped pretzel to add a steering wheel in the front. Keep the hoagie bun together and cut a rectangular opening in the top of the bun. Place meatballs inside.

Information: There are about 26 recipes in the cookbook ranging from snacks to entrees to desserts. It has 31 pages which include: introduction, frequently asked questions, measuring tips, safety tips, food rainbow, table manners, table setting, make a bunch tips, meal idea, freeze it and reheat it ideas, grocery list all ingredients, and a Homemade Gourmet grocery list. Nutritional information is listed at the end of each recipe.
The cookbook is $4.00 or for readers of this blog it is FREE with a purchase of $30.00.
www.4minutemeals.com go to Shop my Catalog.
***Tune into the next edition about Dirt Cake.***
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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com

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Company Chicken

I’m always looking for simple chicken recipes that taste like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.

Company Chicken

8 half boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg. sliced Mozzarella or Swiss cheese
1 box Stove Top Chicken Flavor Stuffing
Salt
Watkins Granulated Black Pepper to taste

Prepare stuffing per package directions. Place chicken breasts in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Mix soups, milk, salt, pepper and Worchestershire sauce; pour over chicken. Place slices of cheese on chicken; then top with stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Shredded cheese can be substituted for sliced cheese.
One cup white wine can be substituted for the milk.

Shopping Tips

1. Read the package label to see what parts are contained in the package, a product description, the total weight, a sell-by date and nutritional information.

2. The “sell-by” date is 7 to 10 days after the chicken was slaughtered and if properly refrigerated it should remain fresh 2 to 3 days after that date. If it is a “used-by” date, the chicken should be cooked or frozen by that date.

3. Choose plump, moist chicken with skin that is not patchy or transparent in appearance.

4. When choosing fresh chicken, avoid meat that show signs of freezing by feeling or looking for ice formation. When choosing frozen chicken, select one that is rock hard and shows no signs of freezer burn.

Tenderness Tips

1. Avoid freezing whenever possible to eliminate additional moisture loss during thawing, which results in less tender meat.

2. Keep chicken from drying out in the refrigerator by keeping it tightly wrapped. If the chicken dries out, it will become tough.

3. Leaving the skin on the chicken, when cooking it, helps to hold in juices, which increases tenderness.

4. To keep breast area of chicken from drying out during roasting, place a piece of foil over this area. Remove during last 30 minutes of roasting time to allow the skin to brown properly.

5. Cook chicken to the proper temperature, because undercooking the chicken will cause it to be tough and overcooking the chicken causes loss of moisture, making the chicken drier.

6. Let roasted chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to allow juices to be distributed throughout the meat. Standing the chicken up with bottom end up allows more juices to run into the drier breast area.

7. Cutting meat across the grain will produce slices with shorter fibers, resulting in more tender pieces.

8. When adding cooked chicken to dishes that have a long cooking time, it is best to use dark meat because it will stay moist longer than white meat.

Light Tips

1. Roasting chicken on a rack, broiling and grilling are cooking methods that allow fat to drip away from the meat. Poaching, steaming and microwaving are methods of cooking where no additional fat is used. All provide for less fat content in the meat when it is done.

2. When frying or browning chicken in a pan, use a nonstick skillet, which requires less added fat, or use a nonstick skillet with a fat free nonstick cooking spray to reduce the amount of fat used.

3. Reduce added fat by seasoning chicken in marinades that are low-fat or fat-free. Use ingredients such as low-fat yogurt, juices, wine, herbs, and spices.

4. Removing the skin before eating chicken eliminates about two thirds of the fat content.

5. When stewing chicken for soup, let broth cool and then discard fat that forms on top before reheating to serve.

Cooking Tips

1. When adding chicken to a recipe that calls for a measured amount, determine how much chicken is needed by following a standard of one pound of boneless chicken equals approximately 3 cups of cubed chicken.

2. When roasting a chicken, an untrussed chicken will cook faster and more evenly than a trussed chicken.

3. Covered chicken takes longer to cook in the oven than uncovered chicken.

4. When frying, grilling, broiling, or sauteing chicken, remove pieces as they get done to avoid overcooking while finishing other pieces. White meat and smaller pieces, such as breasts and wings, will get done faster than dark meat pieces, such as legs and thighs.

5. For a quick test of doneness when roasting a chicken, hold on to the leg, move it around, and side to side. The leg should move freely at the joint if it is done.

6. Do not overcrowd chicken pieces when cooking. Leaving space between them will allow them to brown and cook more evenly.

7. If using a marinade for basting, set some marinade aside before placing raw chicken in it to marinate. Never reuse marinade that the chicken was marinated in for basting.

8. Be sure to use a sharp knife when cutting or carving chicken. Sharp knives will make the job a lot easier, especially when having to cut in the joint areas, and will provide neatly cut slices and pieces.

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Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products. Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com

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Cooking with Penelope

My oldest daughter, Penelope, is learning how to cook dinner. The first meal that she made by herself is called Garlic Basil Chicken.

Penelope was very excited when I told her she was going to cook dinner. She stated, “I don’t know how to make anything, Mama.” I got out the ingredients for her, and set them beside the slow cooker. It was an easy recipe that she could handle.

Beside the slow cooker I set:

3 pounds of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 can of diced tomatoes

Garlic Basil seasoning (recipe calls for 2 tablespoons)

Penelope was not excited to touch the chicken. She said, “It feels funny, Mama.” She hesitantly placed the chicken in the slow cooker one at a time. I opened the can of diced tomatoes for her. Slowly, she poured in the can of diced tomatoes. She loves to add the seasoning. I said, “Penelope, add two scoops of the Garlic Basil seasoning.” She smiled, took the container and the scooper. She carefully measured out two scoops of the Homemade Gourmet Garlic Basil seasoning. She carefully placed the lid on the slow cooker and turned the dial to low. She let it cook all day.

“Penelope, you did a great job! Thanks for helping to make the dinner.” She was so proud of herself for helping out. She loves to be Mommy’s helper. We served our Garlic Basil Chicken over pasta with a fresh salad on the side. It was quite tasty.

At dinner that night, she declared to all that she made the garlic basil chicken. He father and I oooowwwed and aaahhhhhed over her chicken. I think she will cook for us again.

Penelope is 6 years old and loves to help out with almost anything at home. She is a blessing to our family.

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Stacey Walker has a Homemade Gourmet Home Business. She uses her Homemade Gourmet products regularly for cooking fast and easy to prepare meals. She is currently using Homemade Gourmet in her meal planning and when teaching her children to cook. Visit her website at www.4minutemeals.com

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Homemade Apple Pie

�

Autumn is apple picking time. If there are apple orchards within driving distance, take your family on an apple picking adventure. Plan for a day of fresh air with a picnic lunch. Search for the perfect apple. Polish it until it shines and then bite into that ripe, crisp apple. It tastes so much better when you picked it yourself. Pick a few apples to eat or pick a bushel or more for fresh apples for lunches and snacks. Most orchards grow a variety of apples - Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Winesap, Rome Beauty, Jonathan, Granny Smith, and Fuji to name a few.

Most apple orchards have a stand with fresh apple cider, by the cup or by the gallon, and other apple treats. Nothing tastes better than a cup of fresh cold apple cider.

Apples provide fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.

This apple pie recipe can be made with a crust or streusel top.

Homemade Apple Pie

Pastry dough for a� 9-inch/25-cm double� crust pie� (Recipe below)
3/4 to 1 cup/180 to 250 mL sugar
3 tablespoons/45 ml cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon/2.5 ml Watkins Apple Bake Seasoning
1 teaspoon/5 ml Watkins Cinnamon
Dash of salt
6� peeled, cored and thinly-sliced tart apples (I like Granny Smith apples for a pie)
1 tablespoon/15 ml butter or margarine, cut into pieces
Sugar

Place prepared pastry dough in pie plate; trim and flute edge. Combine sugar, cornstarch, Apple Bake Seasoning, Cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add apples and toss to coat. Fill pastry with apple mixture. (I like the apples in my pie to be soft rather than firm so I cook the apples coated with cornstarch and seasonings in a large sauce pan for 10 minutes before filling the pastry. Stir in a little water so the apple mixture does not stick. This will make a juicy pie.)� Dot with pieces of butter.

Roll out top crust and cut slits for steam to escape while pie is baking. Arrange top crust on pie. Trim edges and flute to seal. Sprinkle top crust with sugar. Bake at 400°F/205°C for 40 minutes or till done.

For French Apple Pie with Streusel Top

Instead of placing a second crust on top of apple filling top with the following streusel mixture.

1/2 cup/125 mL all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/125 mL brown sugar
1/4 cup/60 mL butter

Mix flour, brown sugar, and butter with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 400°F/205°C for 40 minutes or till done. Makes 8 servings. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Crust

For one 9 or 10 inch/25 or 28 cm double crust pie
2 cups/ 500 ml flour
1 teaspoon/5 ml salt
3/4 cup/180 ml shortening ( I use Crisco)
5 to 7 tablespoons/75 to 105 ml ice water

Cut shortening into flour and salt mixture with a pastry blender or fork until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water over mixture and gently toss with fork to mix. Gather dough with fingers to form a ball. For a two crust pie divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface flatten ball and roll with rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick. Roll from center to edge using light strokes to form a circle. If edges split, pinch them together. Roll pastry over rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Adjust and fit to bottom and sides of pie plate.� Then fill with apple mixture.

____________________________________________________________________________________________� Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products. Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/

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Double Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

I have to admit that� I am a chocoholic. When I look for new dessert recipes the chocolate ones always catch my eye first. I eat a well balanced diet but I still crave chocolate, candy, brownies, pie, cookies.

This chocolately and crisp cookie makes a yummy� afternoon snack dipped in a glass of cold milk or� a dessert with a cup of hot tea or coffee. This cookie is a delicious addition to your holiday baking and cookie exchange.

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup Watkins Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces white baking bar, coarsely chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons shortening (optional)
2 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar, coarsely chopped (optional)

1. Grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder; beat until combined. Beat in eggs. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the 4 ounces white baking bar and the 3 ounces semisweet chocolate.
2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 9-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; flatten rolls slightly to 2 inches wide.
3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slice, one cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake slices in a 325 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 7 to 9 minutes more or until slices are dry and crisp. (Do not overbake.) Transfer to a wire rack; cool.
5. If desired, in a heavy small saucepan combine the shortening and the 2 ounces semisweet chocolate or white baking bar. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle over tops of biscotti. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes 32 biscotti.

Nutrition facts per serving
calories: 97 total fat: 4g saturated fat: 3g cholesterol: 20mg sodium: 53mg carbohydrate: 13g fiber: 0g protein: 2g vitamin A: 25% vitamin C: 0% calcium: 3% iron: 1%

Did You Know?

Chocolate comes from the the Cacao tree,� an “American” plant, probably of Amazonian origin. The pods of the tree are about the size of a football. They develop on the bark, or on large branches, from flowers. Trees do not produce cocoa beans until they are about 3 or 4 years old and do not become real producers for as much as 10 years. They are relatively delicate plants, grow to about 20 feet in height, and must be harvested from the ground. The pods themselves are filled with a white pulp, and beans which contain nibs, from which the chocolate is made.

The cocoa beans are ground to form a paste called chocolate liquor. This chocolate liquor is hardened into molds to form baking chocolate (bitter chocolate).

Cocoa butter is the vegetable fat component of chocolate. Cocoa powder is formed by pressing out the cocoa butter from the liquor and crushing it.

Sweet chocolate, used for eating, is formed by mixing sugar and additional cocoa butter to the chocolate liquor. Adding concentrated milk to sweet chocolate results in Milk Chocolate.

In 1876 Daniel Peter & Henri Nestle created milk chocolate, by combining chocolate with sweetened condensed milk, an invention of Henri Nestle. This opened up a whole new era of chocolate

White Chocolate is a blend of cocoa butter, milk, sugar, and other flavors, but does not contain any actual chocolate solids.

Carob is similar in appearance to cocoa but actually comes from the bean-like pod of an evergreen tree called Eratonia Siliqua which is native to the Eastern Mediterranean. Nutritionally, cocoa can contain up 23% fat and 5% sugar, where carob has .7% fat and about 45% natural sugar. Carob also does not contain any of the caffeine found in chocolate.

Types of Chocolate

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - Roasted ground cacao beans with most of the cocoa butter removed. It is light in color and has a strong chocolate flavor.

Dutch Process Cocoa Powder - This is unsweetened cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to reduce some of the chocolate’s natural harshness. It is important to know that because dutched cocoa is more alkaline, it will react differently in recipes. Don’t substitute dutched cocoa for regular cocoa. Hershey’s European Style Cocoa is a dutched cocoa that is available in many supermarkets.

Unsweetened Chocolate - Also known as baking chocolate. It is pure chocolate with no additives like milk solids or sugar.

Bittersweet Chocolate - Contains at least 35% chocolate liquor. It has cocoa butter, sugar, a flavoring [usually vanilla], and lecithin added.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate - This chocolate is very similar to its bittersweet cousin; however, the chocolate liquor content can vary between 15-35%. It also has more sugar. Semi-sweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Milk Chocolate - A mixture of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, and flavoring. It consists of approximately 10% chocolate liquor and 12% whole milk. It is seldom used in baking.

White Chocolate - We call this chocolate, but it isn’t actually chocolate because it has no chocolate liquor. This product consists of cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin, and vanilla.

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Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,” that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products. Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com

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After School Snack Energy Boosters

Healthy after-school snacks provide� a boost of� energy for kids after a day of learning and activities. Fruit, vegetable sticks, crackers, cheese, granola bars, healthy cookies and muffins, peanut butter on celery, and peanut butter sandwiches are all high-energy healthy snack foods.� Store-bought snacks are often very expensive and tend to be packed with sugar, fat, salt and preservatives! To save money and promote healthy eating,� make homemade snacks.

Bake these nutritious cookies with honey, whole wheat flour, oats, and fresh apples for an after-school snack� or� lunch.�

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup/120 ml� margarine, softened (use regular or reduced-fat margarine)
1/2 cup/120 ml� honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon/5 ml� Watkins Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup/180 ml� stone ground whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon/2.5 ml� baking soda
3/4 teaspoon/7.5 ml� Watkins Ground Cnnamon
1 1/2 cups/375 ml� quick-cooking oats
1 or 2� apples,� peeled and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, honey, egg and vanilla until smooth. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and apples. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake� for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

( I baked these cookies this past week. The apples� give them a soft, moist� texture.)

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Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins� extracts, spices,� herbs, and sauces for healthy meals.� Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, “Around the Kitchen Table,”� that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products. Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com�

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