Bakerlady

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

bakerlady — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:12:20 +0000

I blame Pinterest for many things. Off the top of my head, here are a few. I can never again guiltlessly purchase the little tear apart Valentines and send my children to school with them. Every minor holiday must be celebrated as an over-the-top extravaganza with special breakfast food and remarkably adorable after school snacks. Supplies for more crafts than I ever imagined existed are now cluttering up my house. Let’s be real. The craft supplies are relegated to my closet after I realize post-purchase that I am not now, nor will I ever be crafty. I despise everything in my closet because none of it is perfectly coordinated down to shoes, bag and belt. I obsessively want to work out and try the twelve cleaning tips I found this morning. There are at least ten things I do wrong as a mother every single morning before school (according to all the amazing parenthood books Pinterest has introduced me to). And don’t get me started on the change in my children’s birthday parties since Pinterest took over my life. That being said…. that darn red swirly P holds my heart forever because it gives me recipes like this one.

Perfectly succulent strips of steak swimming together with sweet caramelized onions and rich sautéed mushrooms all stuffed into a gorgeous pepper sandwiched between two gloriously melted pieces of provolone. (food happiness sigh) Look at me from the side. Does this delightfully dripping cheese make me look fat?

You could not stuff more deliciousness into these peppers if you tried. Trust me. I piled them as high as I could with all that amazing flavor.

And they are easy. Oh so easy. You can even make them with deli roast beef like the original (wildly successful) pin says to. I didn’t chop my peppers in half – only sliced a thin piece of each to leave more room in each one for meat and cheese. Because, if there’s anything I’ve learned from Pinterest, it’s that more (of everything and anything) is ALWAYS better. Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
adapted from Peace Love and Low Carb

1 lb Thinly Sliced Sirloin Steak (or you can use deli roast beef)

8 Slices Provolone Cheese

4 Large Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium Sweet Onion

1 pound White Mushrooms

3 Tbs. Butter

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper – to taste

DIRECTIONS

Slice a thin piece off each pepper lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

Slice onions and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat with butter, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized. About 25-30 minutes. Salt and pepper the steak and saute in a little olive oil until just not pink. About 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*

Add steak to the onion/mushroom mixture and stir to combine.

Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese.

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are overflowing.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Chicken With Curried Cream Sauce

bakerlady — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 02:59:15 +0000

This recipe originally called for turkey, which immediately conjured up a quote from Bridget Jones’ Diary in my head. “Once again I found myself on my own going to my mother’s annual turkey curry buffet.” But you have to say “buffet” like Renée Zellweger does…”boo-fey”. I have adored Renée since Jerry Maguire, but am I the only one who thought she seemed a little…um, tipsy during her stint as an Oscar presenter last night? I was thinking about her on stage appearance as I sat to do my menu planning for the week this morning – and this turkey curry recipe leapt off the page at me. I wanted to dress like an old couch when making it. I used chicken instead as I already had some out waiting to be turned into something delicious and bumped up the curry (could have even done more), but left the original recipe otherwise intact. It was delicious and easy but a little out of the ordinary. Yummy.

Start by slicing up a yellow squash and a zucchini.

Then an onion. Nice and thin. Every time I slice an onion thinly, I want to sing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” – just the first line. It’s the only time I wish I had poor eyesight, so I could successfully block the stinging with contacts.

My chicken breasts were enormous, so I only needed these two. Those of you who know me, please refrain from jokes about how ironically different these giant ones are from those attached to the front of me. Yes, I overcompensate by purchasing only the most well endowed chickens. You could also use leftover chicken or turkey for this meal easily. Cut into cubes and cook them up in a frying pan with a little salt and pepper.

While the chicken is cooking, put the rice on to simmer and then we’ll make a curry rue. Butter, flour and curry. I used 1 teaspoon (double the original recipe) and the flavor was still very light. If you like curry at all, I’d bump it to closer to 2 teaspoons. If you aren’t sure if you are a fan of curry, this is a great recipe to try out for your first foray into this gorgeous spice.

Mix in some milk and broth, let it thicken and then set it aside off the heat. I highly recommend tasting the sauce before you set it off the heat. If it has enough spice for you, great – if not, add some more!

The chicken should be done by now and we’ll get started on the veggies. A little oil in a medium hot pan and then in they go.

Cook for just a couple of minutes until they are softened, then add the chicken back to the pan and pour the sauce on top. Isn’t that sauce gorgeous?

Mix it well and zest a little lemon on top to finish it off.

Keep on low heat until your rice is done – should only be a few minutes longer. Unless, you made brown rice (which I cannot stand). I can’t help you for timing out brown rice. It’s just too much of a bother.

Mmmmm. The creamy sauce has just a little spice and beautiful flavor.

A little sprinkle of chopped cashews on top gives a hint of crunch. Very delicious. Even Bridget Jones would approve.

Chicken with Curried Cream Sauce
adapted from Taste of Home

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Hot cooked rice
3 tablespoons chopped cashews

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and curry until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside.
In a large skillet, cook chicken until no longer pink. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the squash, zucchini and onion in oil until tender. Add the turkey, lemon peel and reserved sauce; heat through. Serve with rice. Sprinkle each serving with cashews. Yield: 3 servings.

Better Than Childhood Fruit Punch

bakerlady — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:00:57 +0000

Do you remember Hi C fruit punch? Getting bright red smile lines from the corners of your lips up to your cheeks? Do they even sell that stuff anymore? Probably not with all the sweeteners and dyes I’m sure it was made from. Apparently such things are horrific and we were lucky to survive childhood consuming all those body damaging products. Reward yourself for making it to adulthood unscathed with a drink sure to stir up all kinds of nostalgic taste memories, and provide you with a little kick! Fruit punch taste with the addition of alcohol. Oh yeah!

This drink is made from simple ingredients you probably already have in your liquor cabinet. Vodka and a little coconut rum mix it up with pineapple, orange and grenadine for that bright red hue. Mix them all up and pour into a glass. This drink made me wish there were “juice boxes” for adults.

Better Than Childhood Fruit Punch
a Bakerlady original
makes two cocktails

2 ounces vodka
2 ounces coconut rum
2 ounces grenadine syrup
2 ounces orange juice
2 ounces pineapple juice

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a martini glass.

Beer Battered Shoestring Carrots

bakerlady — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:00:58 +0000

The only people I know who consider carrots a snack food are practically vegetarians. Sure, they are crunchy and pair perfectly with hummus. But really? I’d much rather be noshing on pretzels or chips. Carrots are not my first thought when deciding on a snack. You also probably never thought of them as pub (sorry, there’s my English roots showing) food. But I’m telling you, carrots made with a perfectly seasoned beer batter are both deserving of munching and would totally fit in on your favorite bar counter while you down a few brewskies.

Start with some julienned carrots (or you could shred them).

Get a little batter going with flour and some seasonings.

Then add the beer. Don’t get me started on the Seahawks beer can. It’s painful to talk about. I’m still in mourning over the end of our season. (sob)

Mix it all together until you have thin batter.

Throw your carrots in and smoosh them all around until they are nice and smothered in the batter.

Then fry them up, dropping little clumps in at a time. I used tongs to drain off most of the batter before throwing them in the oil. Fry baby. Fry!

Drain on paper towels and season with a little more garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Glorious. Classic bar food. Do deep fried veggies count towards your five a day of fruits and vegetables?

The batter on these is absolutely perfect. Airy and light, but really flavorful. The cayenne gives you a little spicy kick every few bites. If you are a fan of french (or sweet potato) fries, you will adore these! If you do not care for french fries – visit this site. Perhaps some personal stories of love will help you cross over. Or, a batch of these carrots might. Cause they are life changing.

Beer Battered Shoestring Carrots
adapted from Taste of Home

1 cup self-rising flour
3/4 – 1 cup light beer
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
5 cups shredded carrots (I julienned some baby carrots)
Oil for frying

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, beer, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8
teaspoon cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Stir in carrots.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining salt, cayenne, garlic and
pepper; set aside.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Drop
spoonfuls of carrot mixture, a few at a time, into oil; cook for 3-4
minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Drain on paper
towels; sprinkle with reserved seasoning mixture.

For a cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Oatmeal Lemon Creme Bars

bakerlady — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:00:13 +0000

I love all things lemon. I always have lemony recipes hanging around to try. My plan for this week was to immerse myself in all things yellow happiness fruit baking related. When I went to make two lemon desserts today I found half my lemons had vanished. They were in the fruit basket two days ago and now suddenly they are gone. Then I remembered my husband made honey/brandy/lemon hot water to combat his cold over the weekend. He used my dessert earmarked lemons! The nerve! I was so irate that I was midway thru a strongly worded e-mail to him before I realized what I doing was a huge mistake. Not to mention completely absurd. I mean really, chastising a husband for making himself a remedy instead of just moaning on the couch in a breathy, anguished voice for me to bring him something soothing? That’s just insanity. I decided to appreciate the fact that hubby was feeling better today (and all on his own!) and that I still had enough sunny citrus to make these glorious bars. Crazy lemon loving e-mail deleted. Crisis averted.

These bars really couldn’t be simpler. They are made uber easy by starting with a packet of oatmeal cookie mix. We’ll be using the cookie for the base and crumbly topping and filling the middle with rich tart deliciousness. If you can’t find the mix in your area, I’ve included a link to a “from-scratch” cookie mix in the ingredients list.

First, we mix the cookie packet with some cold cubed butter until it’s mostly crumbly.

Then add most of an egg. I read a lot of comments on Betty’s site that said adding the whole egg made the mixture too wet and hard to work with, so I scrambled my egg in a separate bowl before adding it to the mix. I only used about 2/3 of the egg for the perfect consistency.

You want the base to hold together well, but not be so wet you can’t crumble in for the topping. Press a little more than half into the bottom of a foil sling lined, well greased 8×8 dish. I’d say about 60/40 is just right. You want the crust a little more substantial on the bottom than the crumbly top.

Bake for about 15 minutes. While it’s getting all golden, we’ll put together the filling. First, some sweetened condensed milk. Thick and gooey, sweet and delicious all on its own. Mmmmm.

Add everything we can from two lemons. Zest and juice.

When the crust comes out of the oven, spread the creamy lemon mixture over the top and spread out evenly.

Then sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture on top.

Here’s why I love foil slings. Boom. Pop it out of the pan. PS: I love love love the look on my daughter’s face here. Practically drooling on the countertop.

Peel the foil off and marvel and the gorgeous layers of crunchy oat and creamy tangy goodness.

Cut into bars and enjoy! I always use a pastry scraper for bar cutting. It’s just so simple!

I never would have thought of combining lemon and oatmeal on my own. Betty Crocker sure knows what she’s doing. The sweet crumbly layers of cookie balance out the tart filling perfectly!

Seriously these are absolutely divine.

Oatmeal Lemon Creme Bars
from Betty Crocker

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix — if you can’t find packaged mix, use this recipe for the base, but then don’t mix in an egg & butter

1 egg

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (2 lemons)
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In large bowl, cut butter into cookie mix, using fork or pastry blender. Stir in most of the egg until mixture is crumbly. Press half (or 60%) of cookie mixture into bottom of pan; bake 15 minutes.
In small bowl, stir condensed milk, lemon peel and lemon juice until thick. Spread over baked crust. Crumble remaining cookie mixture over top. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 16 bars

Baked Mashed Potatoes

bakerlady — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:01:16 +0000

Otherwise known as “The Most Awesome Potatoes Ever”. Let me just say that I’ve tried to find a substitute for the gloriousness of potatoes. It just never works out. Kudos to you if roasted cauliflower has found a place in your heart where french fries used to live. I’m in awe of those who think a mashed veggie with just the right seasoning can replace the creamy goodness of softened potatoes mixed with butter and milk. It just isn’t going to happen for me. True love lasts a lifetime, and I truly love potatoes. I’ve made my peace with it. You can too. Come join me on the dark side. A magical place where we embrace the carb-soaked starchy goodness of the potato.

These baked mashed potatoes are the epitome of creamy deliciousness. It’s a potato party with three kinds all being boiled together like traditional mashed potatoes. They are then blended with four kinds of dairy. How can you go wrong there? Cheese, butter, milk and sour cream? Sign me up for that any day of the week! Speaking of things (a week) with seven, three kinds of potatoes plus four kinds of dairy = 7 things. I’ve heard before that seven in its original form is the same word as perfect or completeness. Not sure if that’s true or not, but I’m gonna say it is in this case. Seven equals perfect potatoes. Puuuuuuur-fect. Slap them in a baking dish, sprinkle with a little more cheese and bake. Incredible.

See that little puffy bit on the left? The edge pieces are light and fluffy with all the creamy goodness of mashed potatoes magnified by the oven. The inner parts are even better. See below. Rich potatoey gorgeousness. This will become your absolute favorite way to eat potatoes. I know, like you need another delicious potato recipe. I’m sorry. I told you this was the dark side.

Baked Mashed Potatoes
a Bethany recipe

4 red potatoes
6 Yukon gold potatoes
1 large russet potato
1/4 cup butter
4 T sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. Peel potatoes and boil in large pot of water until tender. Drain potatoes and blend well with butter, sour cream, salt/pepper and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Add as much of the milk as necessary to make the consistency creamy. Transfer potatoes to a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly around the edges.

Devotional – For the Love of Family

bakerlady — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:08:10 +0000

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:14

You’d think that a devotional on this verse would have a lot to do with the thoughts in my head and words of my mouth, and that’s how I’ve always taken this passage. But, this week it became a whole new thing for me as I looked up the word “Redeemer”. Often I forget how many different Hebrew words can translate into English as the same thing. In this case, the author of the Psalm (David) uses the word that means kinsman-redeemer. A very specific term to denote someone who would essentially save a family line by marrying a close relative’s widow. In essence, this verse is extolling the Lord’s saving grace for families. His protection and sacrifice for families in need.

Which got me thinking about how much God LOVES family. I mean, they are the only relationships we don’t have a choice about. We’re just born with them. Families are complicated and messy, even the great ones (which I believe I’m blessed to have). They can be the source of great joy and the cause of tremendous pain. Often our family members are without question the most difficult relationships in our lives. However, in God’s infinite wisdom, He stuck me with the family I have.

I don’t think the Lord does things by accident. Regardless of how insane my family members drive me sometimes, there’s a purpose for their presence in my life. And a reason I’m in theirs. And if God loves families, He wants there to be healthy, well-balanced relationships there. He hasn’t called me to be abused or allow myself to be a doormat. He hasn’t called me to be manipulated or controlled. God doesn’t behave like that towards me, so why do I think He would insist on letting anyone else (even those I love most) treat me that way?

1 John is pretty black and white on this issue. You say you love God? Then you will most certainly love your brother/sister (family). But love doesn’t always mean hugs and feel-good surface conversation. Love is tender, but also practical and stern. Love wants what is best, even when it is hard. Placating and always giving in is not love. Nor is demanding that from others. It’s a complicated thing, I know. It is an enormous struggle to walk the fine line of loving without becoming codependent. I’m so thankful I have the Lord to steer me thru the waters of family dynamic. Otherwise, I’d be up a creek without a paddle.

Lord, please give me wisdom and clarity. Overwhelm my heart with your love for my family. Help me see them with your eyes. Show your love. Not my own shallow attempts at it.

Blue Ballz

bakerlady — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:03:46 +0000

The title of this drink truly irritates me. I hate it when normal words are spelled incorrectly on purpose to make them “interesting”. For me, it only serves to make a word totally annoying. As if the English language isn’t odd enough, I have to explain to my kids why some marketing “genius” decided to mess things all up even more. Dumb. See? Right there. A silent “b” at the end of a word. What’s that all about? Who decided to keep that as part of English? Whoever it was, congrats. Because that alone is plenty to make our language full of intrigue. Wait, and the silent “w”. Those are just wrong.

In addition to being bothered by letters (that makes me sound a little crazy huh?), I’m also highly suspect of flavored vodkas. You’ll notice (by clicking here) that of all the spunky alcoholic beverages I’ve shared, NONE of them contain flavored vodka. It just seems so limiting to me. You end up with random flavors that never get used. I saw jalapeno vodka the other day. What? I stick with regular un-enhanced boring spirits usually. So why am I combining two things I despise in this brilliantly blue beverage? Well, I figure two wrongs make a right. They must, because regardless of the annoying “z” and the vanilla vodka, this delightfully delicious cocktail is most certainly a good thing.

My favorite memory of this frothy light cocktail happened a few years ago on the 4th of July. It was the first time I’d experienced the pineapple-y goodness of these drinks. Someone (I’m not saying who) had a few too many and tried to jump over a camping chair. A double camping chair. Tried. Unsuccessfully. You can imagine how hilarious that was.This same someone didn’t remember the failed jump and could not figure out the whole-body ache he/she had the next day. Yeah, that was a great night. Ah, memories. Anyway, after a few of these, don’t try jumping over a chair. Especially not if it’s sitting on pavement. Blue Ballz are delicious, but will not magically turn you into a high-jumper.

Blue Ballz

1 part vanilla vodka
1 part blue Curacao
1 part pineapple juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake vigorously until chilled and frothy.
Pour into martini glasses and enjoy!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

bakerlady — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:00:22 +0000

If you are familiar with dump cake, you’ll see the genius of this recipe immediately. My mom used to make dump cake when I was a kid. I’ll have to post that “recipe” sometime soon. It’s essentially canned fruit, topped with dry cake mix and smothered with butter. Not really a cake in the traditional sense, but delicious. I saw this pumpkin version and knew it would be ah-mazing. And it was. This is two delightful desserts combined into one. Pumpkin pie on the bottom and pecan pie on top. Custardy spiced goodness covered with crunchy buttery caramelized nut topping. I’m telling you, it’s far too easy for how gorgeous it turns out.

You will love it. People will be amazed and the deliciousness. You can choose whether or not to tell them it only took 5 minutes to throw together. Look at those layers. (happy sigh)

Stir together some pumpkin puree, a can of evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and some spices.

Pour into a casserole dish (I made two 9×9, but you can just do one 13×9 too) and sprinkle the dry cake mix on top.

Chop up some pecans.

Sprinkle them on top and then layer butter over the nuts.

Slice nice and thin and just lay it all over the top. I like to freeze my butter for about 10 minutes first. It makes it easier to cut. For whatever reason, layering butter like this makes this dessert look horribly bad for you. Much more bad (badder?) than drizzled melted butter. But I assure you, this is how you want to do it.

Bake it up and marvel at the golden crunchy topping when it comes out of the oven.

Yum yum yum. I adore pumpkin pie and this is the best (aka: no crust) part of that traditional dessert with amazing pecan pie action on top.

You’ll be a little ashamed at how easy this is after people propose marriage when consuming it. But only a little.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
adapted from The Picky Apple

1 box spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, cut into thin slices

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ pan. Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour mixture into greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans. Layer sliced butter over pecans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

Michael’s Is Evil and Wilton Is Wonderful

bakerlady — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:53:03 +0000

I went in for one thing. One. Thing. Some plastic baggies for my kid’s Valentine’s for school. That’s all I needed. But, alas…Michael’s is evil. So terribly, wonderfully EVIL. Out I came with a bag loaded down with rafia ribbon, chocolate melts and candy molds. I’m weak-minded. It’s true. I’m a marketing and merchandising gold mine. I see things that look fun and suddenly think I’m crafty & I buy them. I suppose I should consider myself (and my bank account) lucky that I didn’t find some uber involved super-craft project to throw myself into. One time, I went into Michael’s with my cousin and came out with about $150 worth of blank canvases, paints, brushes and what-not. I was absolutely sure I’d be the next Picasso with all that crap. I remembered very quickly that I haven’t an artistic bone in my body once I started trying to actually use it. This time wasn’t that bad I guess.

You still have time to brave a trip to Michael’s yourself and pick up the tools needed to make these delicious dunked Oreos. They are quite easy, a fun project to do with the kids for Valentine’s Day, and make plain old Oreos absolutely gorgeous. Just two simple ingredients. Oreos and candy melts.

If you want to do the two-tone, melt one color melts and “paint” the color onto the molds. Allow it to set up before pouring the solid color on top.

Fill the candy molds 2/3 of the way with your main color. I melted the candy melts in a Ziploc bag and snipped the corner for ease.

Then, press an Oreo into the well until it is flush with the top of the candy mold.

Like so.

Pop them into the fridge until firm. Then, turn the mold upside down and twist slightly to release.

Gorgeous!

Perfect for a little treat to deliver to the neighbors on Valentine’s Day! Bonus, Wilton makes these Oreo molds for various occasions, so you aren’t just limited to hearts!

Chocolate Dunked Oreos
inspired by Michael’s – the evil craft store that I love

1 package Oreos
Wilton Candy Melts

Brush colored candy details in the mold, let set, then add more melted candy and position your cookie in the mold. Allow to cool, then twist to remove.