Morning Drinks

I think that any kind of fruit goes great in a cocktail. The simplest, most elegant drink for a brunch is anything mixed with champagne. I like to smash up fruit and put it at the bottom of a champagne glass and top with champagne...kind of like a Bellini! I smashed up a combination of strawberries, peaches and blueberries (sounds weird) and put a tablespoon in the bottom of my glass. Top it with champagne and it is so refreshing!

The classic mimosa is always fabulous too. Special glasses always brighten up a morning as well! Sundays are the best. Christmas morning always feels like a Sunday to me.

Christmas Lights!

I love, love, love Christmas lights! Or any lights for that matter. I want to add some pictures of the lights around my house to my blog, but I don't have a camera!!! So tomorrow, even though my class will be over and people probably won't see this anymore, I'm going to put up some Christmas lights...on this blog!

Orange Chicken

Christmas always seems to involve oranges to me. Being starving as I got home today, with almost nothing to cook, I whipped up this orange chicken in no time. It was pretty good!

I took two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and placed them in a big plastic bag. I'm only cooking for two but feel free to modify the recipe to fit your diners. (A great place to get chicken is Costco, I get 12 chicken breasts for about $20.) I always like to pound out my chicken so that it is a bit thinner. It cooks so much quicker! I like to just use my regular rolling pin...it gets lots of aggression out too. Pound the chicken out so it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add one table extra virgin olive oil and one tablespoon butter. Let them melt together and then add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides...I'm paranoid so I let it cook for about 7 minutes per side.

Add about half a can of orange juice concentrate. Let this reduce down for several minutes until it becomes thick. Keep pouring the sauce over the chicken to coat it. Add about 1/4 cup of chopped roasted and salted Almonds (Blue Diamond is great). Let everything meld together and serve with some pasta or rice. I made some penne and asparagus to go along with the chicken and it was wonderful! It was a quick and delicious meal!!!

NOTE: I'm going to get a new camera tomorrow, so these entries won't be dull for long!!!!

Holiday Egg Nog

Many people are nervous about eating raw egg, but we all stick our fingers in the cookie dough, right? This egg nog recipe comes from my boyfriend's mother. I'm not sure if it is traditional or not, but it is good!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint of milk...NOT LOWFAT
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart vanilla ice cream...Dreyers is best

Separate the eggs...put the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a small bowl. Beat the yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until it is thick. Beat the whites with the remaining sugar until they are stiff and fold the two together. Blend well. Stir in the cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix together and scoop out chunks of ice cream and add to mixture. Add some brandy to it for a spicy adult beverage! Top the whole thing off with some cinnamon. Yum! Careful...not a slimming drink!

Crazy Cocktail Shakin'

I was just browsing youtube and found this video...this guy is crazy! I almost think that this has to be fake. Just a cool video of a bartender to share with ya'll! Keep those recipes coming on Jottit!

Holiday Martini

In one of my production classes I had to do a martini segment. Since we are near the holidays I chose to make a Midori martini. The color is super festive and it tastes really yummy! It is very simple to make too.

Mix in a martini shaker filled with ice:

2 shots vodka (Grey Goose is my favorite but expensive!)
2 shots Midori
2 shots sweet & sour mix (Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy's is great)

Vigorously shake it all together and pour directly into chilled martini glasses. Enjoy! It makes a pretty picture for parties!

Good Ole Green Beans

Well this is a very corny recipe to me...but it is so classic for Thanksgiving. I think that the green bean casserole must have started in the 70's or something. It seems very true to that era of home cooking. I had to make a quick and simple dish and it sure is one! My mother has this recipe written down, but I think that it comes from the Campbell's soup can. I hope I don't get into trouble! The recipe for 12 is as follows...

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
8 cups of cooked and cut green beans (I like fresh...it is worth the work)
2 cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 can of french fried onions (try French's 6 oz can)
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
pepper to taste
extra french fried onions for the top

Mix everything together (saving the reserve french friend onions) and put into a 9 x 13 greased baking dish. Bake this for about 20 minutes. Then add the reserve onions and sprinkle them on top. Bake for another five minutes. Easy and dummy proof! Very comforting as well. XO

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Well, it is Thanksgiving and I am already full. I have two meals to go to every year (how spoiled am I), and in both sides of the family the food ranges. Each dinner has very traditional dishes though. There is always a huge turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes with marshmellows, two stuffings, green beans, salad, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and always a birthday cake because my birthday falls around Thanksgiving! We have all this and then a fantastic array of appetizers. This year I was in charge of green bean casserole (which I made the super traditional and pure 1970's way), but I'll share that with you later.

At the last minute I felt compelled to make an appetizer that my boyfriend's aunt Nicole shared with me a while back, and it is soooooo good!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Start with a round or wedge of brie cheese. Spread your favorite jam on top generously. I choose a raspberry jam (I find that good old Smuckers works well). Then wrap the entire block of cheese in puff pastry, try a frozen one like Pillsbury. The pie crust works just fine too. Melt some brown sugar and butter together and pour over the top of the cheese/pastry. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and add some extra maple syrup for a super sugar explosion if you like. Finally bake the cheese for about 10 minutes, or until the puff pastry is cooked. Enjoy with some bread slices or crackers...it is yummy!!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and remembered to give thanks. It is hard to remember to do so when being blinded by so much food, family and friends (but I suppose that is what we are mostly thankful for)! Christmas is up next people....

Look out for some pre-Christmas recipes! And thanks for contributing...I love new recipes!

How to Chop an Onion

Since my stupid camera is broken, I wanted to share this YouTube video on how to chop an onion. This demonstration is exactly how I would have done it! Dicing an onion is a fine art that takes practice, but it can be mastered! After a while you won't cry as much either. Happy chopping!

Cornflake Potatoes

This recipe comes from my boyfriend Rick's family. Once again I wish I had a camera to capture this recipe! I'll have to get it fixed because pictures and videos are important in cooking and recipes, and I really want to incorporate that into my blog! I could eat this potato dish all day, every day. It is a real go to kind of meal that is simple to make. WARNING: not figure friendly!

Mix together:
2 bags of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed)
1/2 cup of melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint of sour cream (try Daisy)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Spread mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Melt 1/4 cup of butter. Crush 2 cups of corn flakes and pour butter over them. Spread this over the potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. It is soooooo good!

Peas in a Pan

Okay...it has officially started. The holiday season. I was in Macy's....Christmas music. I was watching TV...Christmas commercials. I was taking a walk...and my neighbor's are putting up decorations...already!!! What about Thanksgiving?! I'm a Thanksgiving baby so the holiday has always been special to me. My family has always morphed the two holidays together, so my birthday dinner has always been Thanksgiving dinner. This year we are doing a collaboration. I am making the dessert (which I will share later), and two sides. One of them is my favorite creamed pea dish. My grandmother has made it for years. My father's side of the family comes from Hungary...they escaped from the Austro-Hungarian war in 1956. Although, I don't think that that has anything to do with this recipe! My grandmother has been making this dish for as long as I can remember.

In a sauté pan melt two tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted add two tablespoons of flour. Mix the two together and cook for one minute until the flour taste cooks out. Slowly add in one cup of whole milk, whisking the entire time. Then add in one cup of chicken stock (I prefer Kitchen Basics). Bring the mixture up to a boil, continuing to whisk everything. You will notice that it will start to thicken. Add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Then add one large bag of frozen peas to the sauce. Stir them in and let them heat through. Once the sauce is thick and the peas and heated, add two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. Taste one more time to see if more salt or pepper is needed...and then enjoy!

I'm so sad that I dropped my camera the other day and it won't work. I just made this side dish with porkchops and apple sauce the other night...Hopefully I'll have a new camera, or mine fixed, by Thanksgiving and I can add shots of my Thanksgiving peas!

Pumpkin Past

Although Halloween is over, there is still time to put some recipes in the book for next year. Or just make this for Thanksgiving! While I am all about cooking from complete scratch usually, every now and then it is tempting to use one of those delicious Betty Crocker cake mixes from the baking isle at the grocery store. I always seem to have a few extra in my pantry for those emergency birthday cake situations. This recipe comes from my boyfriend's grandmother Virginia (or Ammy as we call her). She always has a fantastic idea or creation for us to chow down on. I've made this a few times (even once in July) and it is delicatable...and very fattening! So cut a small slice and enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together...

1 large can of pumpkin (29 oz)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs

Pour the mixture into a 11" x 13" pan

Srinkle 1 package of yellow cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines) over the mixture above.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and pour over cake mix.
Toast 1 cup of diced pecans and then spead over the cake mixture as well.

Bake the pumpkin cake/pie/deliciousness at 350 degrees for one hour. Enjoy!

Welcome to Happy for Holidays!

As we approach the holiday season one thing comes to mind along with family, friends, fun decorations, time off....FOOD! The season may also be known as the "pack on ten to fifteen pounds" season, but I love to celebrate it anyway (despite the fact that I need to lose fifty pounds). While I thought I would contribute some healthy recipes, it just isn't as fun. So, while I will contribute some healthier versions of holiday classics, expect to see a lot of butter, sugar and deliciousness!

I'm going to ask for some help along the way. I would love if everyone would contribute some of their own holiday recipes through Jottit. It is easy for anyone to go in and contribute to the site. Just click on the link above and choose edit. You can create your own page and share your special recipes. Thanks for sharing and happy eating during this wonderful time of year.