Failure

I have cooked many a thing in my time. Some have turned out better than others. The only major cooking failure I can remember was when I was fourteen. My parents and brother had gone out for the evening, and I decided to stay in for some reason. I decided I was going to try and bake a cheesecake. For someone who had only made chocolate chip cookies up until that point, this was probably not the best choice, but I was an ambitious teenager. I looked up a recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook for New York Cheesecake. I walked to the local grocery store to get the ingredients we didn’t have at the house, and I embarked on my first real cooking adventure without my mom observing my every move.

An hour later, out came my cheesecake. It was the color of chocolate…yet there was no cocoa in this delicacy. The crust was…crunchy, to put it nicely. When my parents got home, they tried to choke down a piece of my culinary masterpiece, and tried to not completely destroy my cooking esteem. From that point on, I was a little more cautious in my endeavors, and since then, have become fairly confident in my culinary skills. I think the only  cooking failures I had from that point on were the occasional burnt cookie.

Which brings me to this past weekend. Let me set the stage for you: Our church, Brentwood Church (Check it out, it’s amazing!) is about to go multi-site. We’ve maxed out the use of our current facility, and we are starting a 2^nd campus so we can reach the Lynchburg community for Christ. (Jesus win!) Since we’re expanding and regrouping, the church has been having a series of vision nights, based on which serving team people are joining. Teecy, the director of host teams, asked me to bake some treats for her team’s vision night. I was so excited to help. I decided to bless the volunteers with a favorite recipe that my mom and I had made countless times throughout my growing-up years: Double Decker Brownies. I hear the name, and I start to get a sugar rush. They’re delicious…a layer of brownie, a layer of blondie, a thick, creamy chocolate frosting on top.

I baked the brownies Sunday night, and put the finishing touch, aka the chocolate frosting, on them when I got home from work Monday. As I was about to leave the house, I decided to sample them, just to make sure they turned out. Bad choice. As soon as I popped it in my mouth, I wanted to cry. The “brownies” were more of a dry cake. The flavor was fine—the consistency was WAY off. I had approximately 10 minutes to get them to the drop-off place, so making something else was WAY out of the question. I was completely ashamed of them, but I had no other option but to drop them off. As I crumpled, my roommate came to the rescue. She reminded me that no one would realize they were supposed to be the consistency of fudgy brownies. Cake would be fine to them! Although I was reassured for a moment, I couldn’t get over the fact that I had failed at something I loved—something that is a big part of my identity.  Even more than this, I hated that the one time I have a major kitchen flub is the same night I have to serve my baking to hundreds of people. I guess that’s just God’s way of keeping me humble.

I haven’t decided if I’m throwing in the towel on this recipe, but if you want to give it a try, go for it! My memories of it are great…and I think part of it could be my outdated oven in my townhouse…or the fact that I made a double batch…who knows. They were a staple of my childhood, and are now a sign of my humility. Enjoy!

Double Decker Brownies

Brownie Mix

1 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

½ cup chopped walnuts

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Chocolate frosting

¼ cup margarine, melted

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (melted)

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

2 ½ tbsp. milk.

Cream margarine and sugar.  Add eggs, then rest of ingredients, except chocolate.  Divide dough in half.  Add 2 squares melted chocolate to ½ of the batter.  Spread the chocolate batter in greased 9 x 13 pan.  Cover this with the white batter.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, allow to cool to room temperature.

In small bowl, combine margarine, chocolate and vanilla.  Mix well.  Alternately blend in confectioners sugar with milk.  Beat until smooth.  (I usually add more confectioners sugar for a suitable consistency).

Frost with chocolate frosting.

A Party Favorite

This past weekend, my friend hosted an Oscar viewing party, that we affectionately referred to as “The Foscars”. About 20 of us packed around her TV to see which movies would make the cut for 2011. We filled out fake ballots–and even had a “foscar” for the attendee with the highest score at the end of the night. (photos courtesy of Ben Young’s Iphone. Thanks Ben!)

As always, there was a great amount of food to enjoy. A fellow cooking geek brought some divine treats to this party, including this Oscar cake, and cupcakes with popcorn on top. Who thinks of these wonderful things?  

Since I knew she was bringing some treats to fancy my sweet tooth, I decided to go with one of my favorite appetizers of all time–brie en croute, a savory specialty. I really think any time brie shows up at a party, it’s a hit. I’ve taken a twist on the typical puff pastry/jam recipe, and I was told by one friend “This is my favorite thing ever. I want to eat the whole wheel.” I knew she would regret that, so I encouraged her not to do it. There’s a reason I always make this for parties, and not for at home consumption. Let me tell you, you will want to eat all of it, but there is absolutely nothing healthy or redeeming about this, so its best to be shared among friends. Without further ado, here’s my recipe for Brie en Croute.

1/3 c. dried fruit (I prefer dried cranberries)

1/3 c. candied nuts of your choice

¼ c. brown sugar

1 can of extra flaky crescent rolls

1  8 oz round of brie
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Seam the bottom of 4 crescent triangles together so the points are all facing out (kind of star-shaped), and the bottoms are wide enough to cover the bottom of the brie.

Unwrap the brie & place it on top of the crescent dough.

Pour the craisins, then nuts, then brown sugar on top.

Pull up the sides of the crescent dough & overlap at the top. Take the 4 remaining crescent dough triangles and add them on the sides to cover the gaps.

Place on a baking sheet or in a brie baking dish and bake for 12-17 minutes, or until crescents are golden brown.

Serve with fresh fruit and crackers.

Enjoy! Also, I’d like to give a shout out to Dave, our Foscar winner for 2011. He schooled all of us with his knowledge of movies!

Knock-Off:Turkey & Brie Sandwich

When I started writing up these knock off recipes, my friend Erin suggested I write up one for her favorite sandwich at a little cafe and gift shop in Lynchburg. I had actually never had this particular sandwich, so I made a point to head out to this Lynchburg gem to give it a try. The problem is, it consumes my entire lunch break to drive there, pick up  a sandwich, and drive back to work. It was a great thing to do one time…but sadly, I don’t have the time or money to make a habit of it.

I was able to make the knock off for considerably less…so here it is, with my own twist on it.

You’ll need..

Half of a pita (whole wheat, preferably)

2 tsp of fig jam, spread inside the pita

a thin slice or wedge of brie

a handful of spring mix

2 slices of turkey

Put the brie in the pita (half a slice on each side)

Then add the turkey and the spring mix.

If you’re feeling crazy, throw in a couple apple or pear slices.

Cost Breakdown

Fig Jam ($2.79 at Kroger for 32 servings) =$.09

Brie ($3.99 for a wheel, 8 slices per wheel) =$.50

Spring Mix ($3.09 for 8 servings) =$.39

Pita pocket ($2.29 for 10 pockets)=$.23

Turkey ($9.99/lb–I splurged on Boar’s Head. Don’t judge me. 10 servings) =$1.00

The total cost of this sandwich…$2.21. If you buy it at our local restaurant… $6.95. That is a savings of $4.74 per sandwich. Let these money saving tips kick start your 2011 budget!

Thankful.

I’m going to take a break from recipes. With Thanksgiving being tomorrow and all, you know I’ll have some recipes to share next week, but today I want to take a break, and share some of the many things that are pushing me to give thanks this year.

• I’m thankful for my job. Not only am I thankful to have a place of employment, I’m thankful for a director and an assistant director who genuinely want all of our staff to succeed, and are willing to work with us to make us better employees.  After 4  years of being torn down by my boss, this is a beautiful change. Crysty and Melanie, I’m thankful for you and your leadership!
• I’m thankful that I am an American citizen, and that certain freedoms are mine to enjoy and are protected by my government and armed forces. Having friends who are not so fortunate on the other side of the globe has really shown me the value of my freedoms, and I don’t want to take them for granted.
• I’m thankful for my church. Churches in Lynchburg may be a dime a dozen, but Brentwood is a rare gem. Every Sunday, I leave encouraged, challenged, and excited about my faith.
• I’m thankful for my small group. The 5 lovely ladies I share life with are amazing, and I’m constantly blessed by them
• I’m thankful for my roommate. She’s incredibly selfless and is just plain fun! It’s so nice to come home to a peaceful townhouse each night. I love you, Beth!
• I’m thankful for my friends. Not only do we always have a great time, they encourage me and spur me to be a better person.
• I’m thankful for my family, and for being raised in a home where I was brought up in the Christian faith.
• I’m thankful for a cancer-free brother. After 8 months of ups and downs, I am so happy that as of a week from today, he will be declared in remission!
• I’m thankful for the cross. It’s more than just two wooden beams to me…it’s everything. To steal a few lines from one of my favorite hymns: In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
  a wondrous beauty I see, for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,to pardon and sanctify me.

Don’t just eat a lot tomorrow…stop and give thanks…for all you’ve been given, for all you haven’t been given…and maybe tomorrow, let’s make thanksgiving more of a lifestyle than one day out of the year.

A Twist on Tradition!

Friends, this might be the best recipe I’ve come across/modified this year. Ok, maybe not. It is fantastic though. Now, if you’re like me, you’ve been baking pumpkin pies with your mom at Thanksgiving since you were five years old. My mom has made the same, delicious pumpkin pie recipe as long as I can remember. So I’ve always gone with the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto. However, this year, as I’ve expanded my cooking horizons…I just wanted to try something new. My friend Erin, the same cook who is responsible for passing on the amazing pumpkin muffin recipe, passed this twist on a traditional pumpkin pie recipe on to me. It’s for bars—aka, easier to transport, to take to parties, etc. It’s also a yummy twist on a treat that I have enjoyed for years and years, and that is a staple of the fall in my mind.

Now, here’s where things got crazy. This recipe called for bourbon. I’m hardly a connoisseur of liquor. I can count my number of trips to the ABC store on one hand, and the only liquers I know are the ones you put in cheesecakes. So yeah, my knowledge was limited. I made my roommate go with me…this is how our conversation went.

Me- “Rooms, what’s bourbon?”

Beth- “Umm…I don’t know rooms..is that the same thing as Jack Daniels?”

Me- “I thought that was whiskey.”

Beth- “Are they not the same thing?”

Me- “Well…I mean…I don’t know? Why would they have two different names? I don’t understand. This is confusing. My pumpkin bars are going to suck. I’m a baking failure. Everyone at the party is going to hate me because I’m going to screw up these bars.”

Beth- ”Rooms, calm down.  You are being dramatic. Oh wait—this little bottle says bourbon on it. Just get this.”

Still not knowing what I was buying, I got it, hoping it would take my dessert from good to great. I still don’t understand what it is….but that’s ok! Feel free to educate me if you are more in tune with the finer things of life. I now know that it should be a staple in any pumpkin dish..a couple teaspoons bring out an amazing amount of flavor.

So here’s a fantastic recipe for some pumpkin pie bars. Please don’t leave out the bourbon. You can get a little bottle for like $1 at the liquor store, and you’ll be able to make 2-3 batches of pumpkin bars from one bottle. It’s really worth it.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1 1/3 c, flour

3/4 c. granulated sugar, divided

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 c. old fashioned oats

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2-3 eggs (3 if you like it cakey. I don’t, so I use 2)

1 (15 OZ) can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling—they are different.)

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice OR 2 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp (or a few more..) of bourbon (I put in half of the little bottle)

a handful each of butterscotch & chocolate chips

Line a 9×13 pan with foil & preheat your oven to 350.

Mix the butter, flour, brown sugar and 1/4 c of the granulated sugar in a bowl with a pastry cutter, fork, etc. until it’s mixed well and “crumbly”. Add in the oats and walnuts. Reserve about a cup of this mix, then press the rest into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 mins.

While it’s baking…mix the cream cheese, pumpkin, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, remaining sugar, bourbon, and vanilla together.

Take out the crust, pour the pumpkin mixture on top. Top with remaining crust mixture, butterscotch and chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 minutes; take it out, let it cook for 10 mins, then CAREFULLY lift out the foil, and let bars cool the rest of the way.

Cut ‘em up, and make a nice cup of pumpkin spice coffee to accompany these delightful treats!

PS: My friend Brianne taught me that if you sprinkle the top of your coffee grounds with pumpkin pie spice, it tastes just like the expensive pumpkin spice coffee you can buy at the grocery. So…give it a whirl and tell me how you like it!

Happy cooking!

Butternut Squash Adventures

My roommate, Beth, is a lot of things, but two stick out in my mind. 1. She is amazing. 2. She is a vegetarian. When I cook for her, I have to leave out the meat. I am always trying to find new, creative ways to make veg-friendly dishes. One night, I was really feeling the need to make something with butternut squash. After all, it  is fall! I googled a bunch of recipes and found some sweet, some savory…but I wanted both. So, I took a little inspiration from here, a little from there and made this new fall favorite of mine.

My dear friend Gwynne, and her cousin Leighton from Colorado, were both able to join us. Leighton was in town working at an event for Project 7, the super cool non-profit that he’s able to work for. He had some time between the end of the event and his flight at 4 the next morning to hang out.

Now onto the food…

If you’ve read this blog at all, or if you know me at all, you know I have a love affair with goat cheese. If I can insert it into a recipe, I try to do so. I almost always have a log in my refrigerator. Its seriously fantastic. I tried something new with it this particular night. I made medallions. I’ve had them before on salads at fancy restaurants, but I didn’t realize they were incredibly easy to make myself!

Sweet & Savory Fall Pasta

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 lb of fresh cranberries

2 tbsp EVOO

2 tsp rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

1 log of goat cheese

1 egg

breadcrumbs

1 box whole wheat spaghetti or linguini

Toss the EVOO, rosemary, butternut squash, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Pull it out, add cranberries and onion, toss together, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until everything is soft, but not mushy.

Throw the noodles in a pot to cook–you know the drill. Al dente is just great.

In the meantime…Put the goat cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2 in thick rounds, coat in egg, then breadcrumbs, then egg, then breadcrumbs again. Throw in the oven for about 7 minutes, until bubbly.

Plate the pasta, cover with the butternut squash/cranberry/onion mix, then top with a goat cheese medallion or two. yummy.

It’s a perfect balance of sweet, savory, creamy…i just loved it, and so did everyone else! I am sure you could play around with this and make it without the pasta, and serve it alongside your turkey at Thanksgiving as a sassy side dish.

Happy cooking!

So much Fall Fun!

I know I have been absent for so long. I really need to put more priority in blogging. But you see, the thing is, my fall has been chock full of bonfires, picnics, birthdays, Halloween parties, weddings…you name it, I’ve been there, and I’ve done it. It’s been such a fun month of memories with precious friends, both new and old. It’s just been such a wonderful fall, with so much more to come. With all that said, I’ve done a serious amount of cooking. I’m not even sure where to begin…but I think a fall/winter staple is the crockpot. I finally used mine. I loved it. This is a recipe my lovely friend Janette shared with me, it’s a delicious, healthy, white chili with a bit of a Mexican flair. The best part was leaving it all day, and coming home to a ready-to-eat soup.

I made this for my small group. It was the last week of September. It was cold, rainy, and I was stressed to the max. My best friend was getting married that coming Saturday, which meant my family would be in town, my house would be crawling with bridesmaids, I had a million things to do, and yes, go figure, it was my week to cook dinner. I did not have the time or energy to whip out a gourmet meal…but I wanted something filling and delicious. Janette told me about this recipe, and suggested I try it in the crockpot. I did, and it was a win. The only problem was I was recovering from a sinus infection, and I didn’t quite have a fully functioning sense of taste. However, what I could taste was good, and the girls seemed to love it so…it must have been ok Without further ado, Janette’s white bean chicken chili, with a couple Martha twists.

You’ll need a big crockpot (6 qt is good)

1 lg onion, finely chopped

2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp coriander

1 can green chiles

1-2 lbs of chicken, cut into bite size pieces (I used tenderloins, but breasts would be fine too.)

2 cans of Northern Beans

1 can of butter beans

1 can of white kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

Dump all of this in the crockpot, simmer on low for 8 hours. Wait. Hold up. Did you get that? You just dump it in, and let it cook.

Once it’s cooked, serve it up with salsa, sour cream, and shredded or crumbled cheese to put on top.

I served it with Hint of Lime Tostitos chips. They are the most delicious thing EVER. If you’ve never tried this treat for your tastebuds, get a container of fresh salsa, a bag of these, and go to town. It’s fabulous.

I also served this with homemade guacamole. I’m sure you could put the guac on top of the soup, however, I just dipped the chips in it. This recipe comes from my aunt Annette. I love her dearly, and we are very close. She was never fortunate enough to have a daughter of her own (3 sons..poor thing), but she took it in stride and spoiled me instead. You’ll never hear me complain. Anyway, she is a vegetarian, and makes some of the most amazing food you’ll ever eat. Someday, I’ll have to share her recipe for black bean and pineapple enchiladas, but today..we’ll just stick with the guacamole. Disclaimer: any time I have made this, I don’t have any left to take home. It’s a huge hit.

4 avocados

Juice of one lime

1 tsp cumin

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped

2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (and seeded, if you’re a wimp)

Mash the avocados, add the lime juice, then add everything else. Let it sit in the refrigerator for about half an hour so the flavors can saturate the avocado. Serve with Hint of Lime chips, and eat up.

I know that avocados can be a pain in the butt sometimes, however, my mom got me this really nifty gadget at Williams-Sonoma. It’s a 4 in 1 avocado tool that will pit, scoop, slice, and mash an avocado. It gets the job done, and keeps you from being covered in green. It’s available for about $15, and I would have to say it’s well worth the investment.

Go ahead and bust out that crockpot and get to work! Happy fall,and happy cooking!

Knock off #3: Rainy Day + Fall Temperatures= SOUP!

Here’s another one of my knock off recipes. This one is for a delicious black bean soup that is perfect for this week’s fall weather that has finally arrived (insert jump for joy!)

I made this on a rainy night earlier this week. It was delicious. You should make it too.

2 tbsp EVOO
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 lg onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 bay leaf
1 jalapeno pepper, diced

3 cans of black beans (2 drained, 1 undrained & mashed)
2 cups of chicken stock
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp coriander
salt & pepper (a dash of each)
1 can of diced tomatoes (I use the ones w/chilies in them)

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Sautee for 4 minutes, then add everything else.
Cover and simmer for 45 mins-1 hr.

Serve with sour cream & cheese to put on top. Enjoy!

What the heck is quinoa, anyway?

Let me give some history to this post first. I went to my favorite deli in Lynchburg, Magnolia Foods one day for lunch. They have a great deli case that has new items each day. One day, I tried a quinoa salad with roasted veggies. I didn’t know what quinoa was, but it looked good. When I got home, I googled it. Wikipedia taught me the following: Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Sweet. So it tasted really good, and it’s good for me. Score.

Fast forward a few months. I was at Trader Joes, my favorite grocery store. They, of course, have quinoa. I bought a box.

Fast forward like 6 more months. I still haven’t touched my quinoa, because I’m just not quite sure what to make with it. I put out a plea on my twitter for help, and no one seemed to know what it was. Then I started googling recipes. I didn’t want to buy anything new(I had just stocked my fridge with fresh veggies) and none of the recipes sounded that appealing…so I decided to be brave. And experiment.

It turned out really well.  I’ll make it again. You should try it!

Quinoa with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

1 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained

8-10 asparagus spears,

1 shallot, sliced

1/2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp EVOO

Salt & Pepper

Juice of half a lemon

2 oz crumbled goat cheese

Cook quinoa according to directions on package. (usually takes 15-20 minutes.)

While quinoa is cooking, cover asparagus & shallots in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Put them on a cookie sheet, and throw it in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to sizzle.

While it’s in the oven…melt the butter in the microwave & then add the balsamic.

Pull the asparagus & shallots out of the oven, and cover them in the butter/balsamic mixture.

Put it back in the oven for about  5 more minutes.

Cut the asparagus into bite size pieces.

Toss asparagus and shallots with the quinoa.

Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice, and add some more salt & pepper.

Top with crumbled goat cheese.

I know it’s a little out of the box, but it was really good…lots of good flavors, and really healthy too! Enjoy!

Fall has arrived!!

When I was in school, summer was always my favorite season, probably because I did not have to go to school for those three blissful months. However, I graduated from Liberty University in May 2009 and entered what some like to call hell, others refer to it simply as “the workforce.” Summer months quickly lost their appeal. Last fall, I began to appreciate the autumn months–their clear, crisp, cool mornings, the changing leaves  (which in central Virginia is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see), college football(Go Bucks!!) and one of my favorites, cooking with apples, pumpkin, and spices. It’s safe to say I’ll be sharing a lot of my fall favorite recipes on here in the next few months. Today’s recipe came to me by way of my sweet friend, Erin. She is an amazingly talented cook, and I’m sure this won’t be the last of her recipes that I share. This seriously takes 5 minutes to make, 15-20 to bake, and it SCREAMS fall. Also, as I learned this morning, if you want to score some brownie points at work, bring these in, and you will undoubtedly get them. Right now, everyone loves me.

Pumpkin Muffins (Makes 12)

1 box Spice Cake Mix

1 small can of pumpkin

1 egg white

Mix together in a bowl.

You can add chocolate chips if you are a pumpkin chocolate chip fan (like me).

Fill up your muffin tin and bake! These won’t rise when you bake them, so you can fill them up as full as you want. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

In lieu of chocolate chips, you can also mix the following together and add a tablespoon to make cream cheese marbled muffins (This is also delightful.)

1 egg

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Put a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom, then add a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture, and top with more pumpkin, swirl with a toothpick. It’s so good!

Thanks Erin for sharing! Also, these cost less than $3 a batch to make if you make the chocolate chip ones. Not bad…not bad at all! Happy Fall