Two Happy Bellies

Fudge Jumbles

Anyone remember these from back in the 80s? Pillsbury used to make a box mix called Fudge Jumbles and I loved them. They discontinued it, however my Granny found a recipe in the newspaper one day for "Fudgey Oatmeal Bars" and gave them a try. You know what? We can't tell the difference and I continue to enjoy my Fudge Jumbles. They were a huge hit when we took them into work this week.

• 2 C. brown sugar
• 1 C. margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 1/2 C. flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 C. oats

Mix together brown sugar, margarine, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in oats. Reserve 1 C. oat mixture and pat remaining into a cookie sheet.

• 2 T. margarine
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2 t. salt

Heat margarine, milk, and chocolate chips over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Spread over oat mixture.

Drop reserved oat mixture randomly over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Cool and cut.

Two notes:

1. The recipe actually calls for one cup nuts to be added to the fudge layer. I don't remember nuts in the original and I don't like nuts in my cookies/brownies/etc. so I leave them out.
2. While I don't expect to ever reach the level of photography on many of the blogs I enjoy (Pioneer Woman comes immediately to mind), I just decided that in 2012 I'm going to work on my food styling skills. These pictures are horrible! Of course, I have some photos already taken for upcoming posts so you'll have to suffer through some more terrible ones while I work my way up to mediocre and hopefully to decent ;-)

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Processor Review

Okay, so Tracy and I have gotten though the Christmas rush and everything is getting back to normal.  Ha!!! There is no normal here. We are in the middle of the two biggest holidays, work is crazy and the house is kind of a wreck. There is lots of joy this time of year and one item that has been joyous to me has been that I have been using the Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Processor that we received as a wedding gift, umm... two and a half years ago. There is a good reason for this delay.

After the wedding when Tracy moved in with me into my little house and there was only so much room for all our stuff. Many of our wedding gifts got packed away for a year until we moved in to the bigger new house. At that point some things found homes in kitchen cabinets but were 'out of sight, out of mind'. A few weeks ago we did some reorganization and rearranging in the kitchen and this little food processor came out of the box.

It took me a few times using this food processor to start to warm up to how cool and useful it is. I am normally a cut and chop everything with one of my awesome Global kitchen knives and a cutting board type but Tracy needed some nuts chopped for a recipe on day so I grabbed this gadget. The pecans did not stand a chance. I needed some onion finely chopped for a recipe. The onions did not stand a chance either. The best part about this food processor is that there are only two options CHOP or GRIND unlike a seriously confusing blender with PUREE, LIQUEFY, BLEND, OBLITERATE and all those other settings. CHOP sends the internal blade counter-clockwise to take advantage of the long surface area of the blade while GRIND spins clockwise and uses a small sharp area on the back of the blade.

I think one way to think about the difference between CHOP and GRIND is that soft vegetable items get the CHOP while hard things like nuts get the GRIND but there may be a big grey area in that logic. Either way both settings only work while either button is depressed. A simple quick press (less than a second) will spin the blade quickly several times or the button can be held down for several seconds for lots of revolutions. On the really big Cuisinarts they have the ON and PULSE buttons. This Mini-Prep is on permanent PULSE mode.

This food processor works great but I did get carried away with it.  I made a recipe of Goat cheese, mushroom and walnut dip that called for chopping and sauteing mushrooms.  I chopped the walnuts briefly with no problem but when I went to chop the mushrooms I chopped them for too long and they ended up being too small for the recipe. Next time I will stick to hand chopping the mushrooms instead. Other than that one misadventure I am pretty happy with this little food processor.

Tracy and I used it again to make a Rosemary vinaigrette that was wonderful. Into the food processor went fresh rosemary, red onion, oil, balsamic vinegar and some other stuff that I cannot remember right now and after a good 10 seconds of blending out came a dressing better than that Paul Newman stuff. Meh, who needs a blender.

So I feel guilty that it has taken us two and a half years to get around to using this nifty gadget but I am still thankful we did receive it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars for quality, ease of use and hopefully long lasting like other Cuisinart products.     

Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole

Even though I can hear my father saying "where's the meat?" I still think he would enjoy this casserole very reminiscent of the Ole Casserole my mom has made for years. And, Mom? If you added some meat, he'd like it even more!

• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (4 oz.) can roasted green chiles, undrained
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 1/4 t. ground cumin
• 8 flour tortillas (we ended up only using 6)
• 4 C. cooked pinto beans (three 15 oz. cans, drained)
• 4 C. shredded Mexican blend cheese

Also from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow (Buy the book!), this recipe calls for a 4 qt. slow cooker, however it worked just fine in our larger 6 qt. (with the automatic turn to warm after timer is up). In a mixing bowl, stir together the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and spices. Put a layer of tortillas on the bottom of the cooker, tearing if necessary to fit. Add a scoop of onion/tomato mixture, then a spoonful of beans, and a handful of cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours. Serve with desired extras such as sour cream, salsa, and avocado.

We liked it, however it was a bit bland for us. Next time we'll use a spicy tomato with jalapenos blend and up the spices. We served it with salad and were full by the end.

I will say that I came home at lunch to start this one as even with the cooker turning from low to warm after 6 hours, we knew we were going to be gone 12 hours that day and that just seemed too long to sit on warm.

Slow Cooker Beef in Red Wine Gravy

Okay, so this one? It comes from Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy. We haven't used this cookbook as much. However, we might start if all the recipes we try are this good. One really nice thing about this one is that it cooks on low for 10 - 12 hours which is nice in that our 4 qt. crockpot doesn't automatically switch down to low like our 6 qt. one. So even though we were gone for a full day of work and gym, the meat did not overcook.

• 1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 medium onions, cut up
• 2 beef bouillon cubes OR 1 package onion soup mix (we used the onion soup mix)
• 3 T. cornstarch
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 1/2 C. dry red wine
• Hot Cooked Noodles (optional)

In slow cooker, combine stew meat and onion. Add bouillon or onion mix. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Pour wine over all. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. If desired, serve over noodles. Makes 6 servings.

Our first night eating this we had it with the red potatoes blogged about previously.

Then, we had leftovers two nights later over the egg noodles as suggested. We had to add a roll to sop up the wonderful gravy.

We put the last two servings in the freezer for a later meal and think we'll try it with either brown rice or barley next time. Just to vary it up. We will say it was wonderful with both the potatoes and the noodles so it is two for two so far!

Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

From the fabulous promoter of Slow Cookers, Stephanie O'Dea (and her cookbook More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow), I have another new favorite recipe. I love potatoes and this time of year I want to eat them all the time. (I refrain, but sometimes it is hard.) Anyway, roasted potatoes that don't require standing over a hot oven stirring them? Let me try!

• 1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 t. dried rosemary (we actually used fresh from our herb pot)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1/2 t. black pepper

Wash and quarter the red potatoes, and add to a 4 qt. slow cooker. Add everything else and toss well. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. Your potatoes are done when they become fork tender. Ours actually took 3 hours to cook.

I enjoyed the first serving last Sunday evening with some meatloaf from the freezer while Aaron was at a book club meeting. Then we ate them again Monday night with (soon to be blogged about) Slow Cooker Beef in Red Wine Gravy.I can't find this recipe on the Year of Slow Cooking website which is yet one more reason why you should buy her book . . . and I should buy her first one. Every recipe we've tried from it, we've enjoyed!

Linking up to Foodie Friday.

Good Cheddar Cheeses (Tillamook and Tickler)

I love a good sharp cheddar. In fact my go to cheese has been Tillamook Sharp Cheddar for years. I can only buy it in a block locally (used to find slices, but not anymore).

I'm okay with not finding slices locally as my parents bring me some when they come to visit. Although last time (hmm, hmm Dad!) my father couldn't remember the "sharp" so he brought a package of sharp, a package of mild, and a package of white - then proceeded to eat all my sharp! He has promised to redeem himself on the next visit. Anyway, this cheese shreds beautifully and makes the best grilled cheese or quesadillas in a hurry (yes, they aren't authentic quesadillas - get over it).

However, even though I will always rave about Tillamook, I'm actually going to tell you about a NEW favorite cheddar. We found this at Whole Foods and bought it on a whim. Wow! What a great impulse purchase it was. Now why does the closest Whole Foods have to be 45 minutes away??? Anyway, it is Tickler brand and it is their one with Red Onions . . .

We ate and enjoyed every bite and are trying to find a reason to head back to Whole Foods again soon. Although if we don't come up with one, we'll go just for the cheese. Because I can't locate it anywhere else. If you enjoy good cheeses - give this one a try! Let us know how you like it.

Happy Bird Bellies

Aaron indulged me this year by helping me decorate our tree out front for the birds. I think he thought it was silly at first, but by the end he was getting into it.

We kept our decorations fairly simple. There are strands of cranberries, filled orange halves, and bread snowflakes. Both the bread snowflakes and the orange halves use the same peanut butter mixture along with birdseed. Recipe is as follows:

Take slices of bread and cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Let dry overnight. Then take 1/3 C. peanut butter, 1/3 C. shortening, and 1 C. cornmeal blending together until it forms a paste. (If you have a peanut allergy, just double the shortening.) Smear the mixture all over the hardened bread. Dip into bird seed. Hang on tree - using some sort of natural material so as to not harm the birds please.

We also cut oranges in half and scooped out the fruit (saving that for us to eat). Then we filled up the cavities with the peanut butter mixture and topped these with more bird seed. We hung them up as well.

While the birds did take a few days to find their treats, they have been eating on them now and we will need to put out more this weekend.

I do have to say, we feed our birds all through the winter so we will not cause any suffering by creating expectations that will not be fulfilled.

Asian Broccoli Stir Fry

And now for the rest of the meal . . .

• 1 bunch broccoli - cut into florets, stem peeled and chopped
• 1 T. canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t. grated fresh ginger
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 t. sesame oil
• 1 T. dry sherry
• 1 t. sugar
• 3 T. toasted slivered almonds

Lightly steam broccoli. Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, and sugar. Heat canola oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir-fry the broccoli in hot oil, 1 to 2 minutes, until almost tender. Push to sides of pan. Put ginger and garlic in middle of pan and saute 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Put sauce in pan and toss all ingredients together. Top with almonds.

This makes 6 servings. We did cut our recipe down as stir frys don't reheat well (in my opinion).

Crispy Sesame Shrimp

I can't believe we forgot to post this as it was very good! Back on November 20th we had Crispy Sesame Shrimp with Asian Broccoli Stir Fry for dinner and now I shall tell you about it.

It may not look like much in this picture, however don't let that stop you from trying it.

• 3/4 C. herb-seasoned stuffing mix, crushed (we used seasoned panko as we had that in the house)
• 1 t. sesame seeds
• 1/4 t. paprika
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/8 t. garlic powder
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine stuffing, sesame seeds, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a pie plate or shallow dish, and stir well. Place egg white in a small shallow bowl; stir well. Dip shrimp in egg white, and dredge in stuffing mixture. Place shrimp on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Makes 2 (very tasty) servings

Citrus and Radish Salad

Finally we made the recommended Citrus and Radish Salad to go with our no chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos.

Even though this recipe comes from the December 2010 Cooking Light, I think this salad would be much tastier in the summer due to the lightness of it. It was very tasty though! To make four servings:

Combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper. Toss with 4 cups prechopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes, 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, and 1 sliced peeled avocado.

We'll definitely be eating this one again. Linking up at foodie friday.