Chocolate, whipped cream, coffee and liquor. My favorites all rolled into one delicious dessert. Who in their right mind would ever come up with this? That, I'm not sure, but I do know that it is really, really hard for me to say no to Tiramisu. This is one recipe that I got from the foodnetwork.com and I have made my own. I decided to omit eggs, because I'm kinda not a fan of salmonella and I know that I probably wouldn't get it, but I still don't take the risk, so this recipe uses cream cheese instead.
Tiramisu
8 ounces light cream cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whipped cream, divided
1 package ladyfingers
1 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1 tablespoon powdered sugar for topping
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Fold in 1 1/3 cups of whipped cream. Dunk ladyfingers in prepared liqueur. Halve and place layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of tall deep glass bowl/fancy dish. Spoon half of cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining ladyfingers. Spoon remaining whipped cream over top. Sift powdered suger over whipped topping and garnish with chocolate chips.
You can even split the mixture between four tall glasses if you're having a small party or just dinner with friends.
Yum!
PSH
8.20.2007
The Easiest Beef Enchiladas
Ok, so I get cravings for Mexican food a lot! I always crave enchiladas because they're like tacos that you have to eat with a fork. My husband has never had an enchilada before last night (even though I ALWAYS order them at restaurants, especially at La Charreada, yum!). He surprisingly enough, really like them!
Patty's Easy Enchiladas
1/2 lb ground beef
1 12 - 15 oz can black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 fajita size flour tortillas
1 small can of store brand enchilada sauce
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup of grated cheese, any kind is fine
Greased or buttered 9x12 glass baking dish (make more enchiladas if you want to use a larger baking dish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
Saute onions in large non-stick pan over medium heat until clear. Add beef to pan and brown. Drain the can of beans and rinse, pour half the beans into the pan, smash the rest of the beans in the can with a fork. Then pour the rest of the beans into the pan. Add chili powder, cumin, salsa verde, coriander, salt & pepper to the pan. Cook until all is heated through and it is thoroughly mixed.
Fill flour tortillas with even amounts of the beef & bean mixture. Roll them up and put them seam down into the glass baking dish. Pour the can of enchilada sauce (you may need two cans if you're making a HUGE dish of enchiladas) over the tortillas, coating all of them evenly. The sauce will go to the bottom of the pan and bubble up, yum! Top with ALL of the cheese, cover with foil and put into the oven for 20 minutes.
Take off the foil and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Let cool and serve warm.
Patty's suggested toppings: salsa, green onions, lettuce, more cheese, refried beans.
Yummy! Everyone should try this one, it'll give you a good excuse to make some homemade take-out! Fabulous, easy and cheap, just the way that food is supposed to be!
PSH
Patty's Easy Enchiladas
1/2 lb ground beef
1 12 - 15 oz can black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 fajita size flour tortillas
1 small can of store brand enchilada sauce
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup of grated cheese, any kind is fine
Greased or buttered 9x12 glass baking dish (make more enchiladas if you want to use a larger baking dish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
Saute onions in large non-stick pan over medium heat until clear. Add beef to pan and brown. Drain the can of beans and rinse, pour half the beans into the pan, smash the rest of the beans in the can with a fork. Then pour the rest of the beans into the pan. Add chili powder, cumin, salsa verde, coriander, salt & pepper to the pan. Cook until all is heated through and it is thoroughly mixed.
Fill flour tortillas with even amounts of the beef & bean mixture. Roll them up and put them seam down into the glass baking dish. Pour the can of enchilada sauce (you may need two cans if you're making a HUGE dish of enchiladas) over the tortillas, coating all of them evenly. The sauce will go to the bottom of the pan and bubble up, yum! Top with ALL of the cheese, cover with foil and put into the oven for 20 minutes.
Take off the foil and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Let cool and serve warm.
Patty's suggested toppings: salsa, green onions, lettuce, more cheese, refried beans.
Yummy! Everyone should try this one, it'll give you a good excuse to make some homemade take-out! Fabulous, easy and cheap, just the way that food is supposed to be!
PSH
8.17.2007
Special K Bars
So I try and make these spontaneously for people at work or for someone's birthday. Betty's birthday is next Thursday and since she makes the best food ever, I've decided to make the best food for her! So I've decided to make 7 layer dip with tortilla chips and Special K Bars (but I'm not putting the Special K bars IN the 7 layer dip) - I make both of these recipes the best so why not make both???
Special K Bars
½ cup light Karo Syrup
½ cup sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
3 cups Special K cereal
Mix Karo syrup, sugar and peanut butter in a large sauce pan. Heat until boiling around the edges. Mix in Special K cereal. Put in lightly buttered 9x9 inch pan and press until flat. Cool
Top with Chocolate frosting
PSH
Special K Bars
½ cup light Karo Syrup
½ cup sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
3 cups Special K cereal
Mix Karo syrup, sugar and peanut butter in a large sauce pan. Heat until boiling around the edges. Mix in Special K cereal. Put in lightly buttered 9x9 inch pan and press until flat. Cool
Top with Chocolate frosting
PSH
The Bedroom
I have to get it organized and I just don't know how. So it's being manhandled by clothes, too small dressers and our big bed - we need new HUGE dressers to fit all of our stuff but CJ doesn't want ANY new ANYTHING. I think I might just have to go shopping on my own - to IKEA next time we drive by one which is either in Chicago or Minneapolis.
In any case, I feel kinda stupid for doing this but I really need help. I joined the Yahoo Group FlyLady.net - and I have to tell you, I feel like I'm being told to clean by my mom. I'm a naturally messy person, but I thrive when everything is clean. At the moment, I can't sleep because our bedroom is so messy! I need Feng Shui like there's no tomorrow! We have a television in our bedroom and I feel like watching HGTV and cleaning, but I have no clue as to where to start. I'm a bit of a nervous wreck right now trying to even THINK about cleaning and organizing it. The Ferrari flag has come down and I do sleep better knowing that I have pictures on the wall that are calming and sleep inducing, but still! I need some organization!
Tonight I have a plan, I'm going to try and purge some stuff. Then I'm going to decide what CJ & I need to become more organized. Then I'm going to do it.
Slowly but surely.
PSH
In any case, I feel kinda stupid for doing this but I really need help. I joined the Yahoo Group FlyLady.net - and I have to tell you, I feel like I'm being told to clean by my mom. I'm a naturally messy person, but I thrive when everything is clean. At the moment, I can't sleep because our bedroom is so messy! I need Feng Shui like there's no tomorrow! We have a television in our bedroom and I feel like watching HGTV and cleaning, but I have no clue as to where to start. I'm a bit of a nervous wreck right now trying to even THINK about cleaning and organizing it. The Ferrari flag has come down and I do sleep better knowing that I have pictures on the wall that are calming and sleep inducing, but still! I need some organization!
Tonight I have a plan, I'm going to try and purge some stuff. Then I'm going to decide what CJ & I need to become more organized. Then I'm going to do it.
Slowly but surely.
PSH
8.15.2007
Easy Cheesy Stuffed Shells Florentine
Last night I wanted a quick dinner - but I wanted a good vegetarian filling meal. I was glancing on the foodnetwork.com yesterday afternoon for a good menu but I couldn't find one that I wanted. I ended up making stuffed shells florentine - 3 or 4 shells is enough to fill you up too, plus you'll have leftovers for the next day!
1/2 box of large shell pasta - Barilla
1 large jar of marinara sauce
1 small container ricotta cheese
1 small onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 box frozen spinach, thawed or 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 Tbsp olive oil for the pan
Preheat over to 475 degrees.
Bring large pot of water to boil - cook pasta until al dente, or until just before they are done. Salt the water liberally. After finished cooking, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Put onions and garlic in a large shallow saute pan. Saute for about 7 - 8 minutes over medium heat. The onions should be clear and the garlic fragrant. Add the spinach, ricotta, basil, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until ricotta has melted and spinach is warmed through.
Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of shallow glass baking dish.
Stuff shells with ricotta & spinach mixture - put each shell directly into the marinara sauce in baking dish until dish is full. Pour one more cup of marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Top with shredded mozarella cheese and sprinkles of parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until cheese is bubbly and brown. Serve with green salad.
Yum!
1/2 box of large shell pasta - Barilla
1 large jar of marinara sauce
1 small container ricotta cheese
1 small onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 box frozen spinach, thawed or 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 Tbsp olive oil for the pan
Preheat over to 475 degrees.
Bring large pot of water to boil - cook pasta until al dente, or until just before they are done. Salt the water liberally. After finished cooking, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Put onions and garlic in a large shallow saute pan. Saute for about 7 - 8 minutes over medium heat. The onions should be clear and the garlic fragrant. Add the spinach, ricotta, basil, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook until ricotta has melted and spinach is warmed through.
Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of shallow glass baking dish.
Stuff shells with ricotta & spinach mixture - put each shell directly into the marinara sauce in baking dish until dish is full. Pour one more cup of marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Top with shredded mozarella cheese and sprinkles of parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until cheese is bubbly and brown. Serve with green salad.
Yum!
8.14.2007
The Best 7 Layer Dip Ever
Thank you, Rachel Ray. I'm sharing this with everyone - it's the best spicy mexican dip in the whole entire world. You can eat this with blue corn chips, tortilla crisps, any chip ever! Also, it might be good the next day in a regular flour tortilla too - I haven't tried that yet!
Also, this is for a HUGE bowl of dip - if you're only making it for a few people, cut all the ingredients in half!
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm full
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Tortilla chips, buy 2 sacks in 2 different colors/varieties
Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.
Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.
Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.
Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.
Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes.
Also, this is for a HUGE bowl of dip - if you're only making it for a few people, cut all the ingredients in half!
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm full
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Tortilla chips, buy 2 sacks in 2 different colors/varieties
Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.
Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.
Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.
Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.
Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes.
8.13.2007
Black Bean Nacho Dip
I'm trying to get CJ & I to go vegetarian, slowly but surely the change is taking place! (Kind of) We're at least cutting back on meat and so I'm trying new less-meat recipes (note: there is meat in some of the recipes, but not all). Here's my latest:
Black Bean with Less-Beef Nacho Dip
1/3 pound ground beef
1 can Black Beans
1/2 jar Salsa Verde
1/3 jar regular Tomato salsa
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cheese, green onions, lettuce for topping
Brown beef in medium skillet. Add onions & garlic. Cook until onions are clear and garlic is soft, about 6 - 7 minutes. Add chili pepper, cumin, salt & pepper to pan.
Drain black beans. Add half the can of black beans to pan, then smash half the can of black beans with fork - add the smashed black beans. Add the salsa verde and regular salsa to the pan. Cook until warmed through.
Put in serving dish, top with cheese, green onions, lettuce and serve still warm.
This would also be good on tortillas, over tortilla chips. Or you can make into a soup - add 1 can of beef broth and 1 can of diced tomatoes. Yum!
PSH
Black Bean with Less-Beef Nacho Dip
1/3 pound ground beef
1 can Black Beans
1/2 jar Salsa Verde
1/3 jar regular Tomato salsa
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cheese, green onions, lettuce for topping
Brown beef in medium skillet. Add onions & garlic. Cook until onions are clear and garlic is soft, about 6 - 7 minutes. Add chili pepper, cumin, salt & pepper to pan.
Drain black beans. Add half the can of black beans to pan, then smash half the can of black beans with fork - add the smashed black beans. Add the salsa verde and regular salsa to the pan. Cook until warmed through.
Put in serving dish, top with cheese, green onions, lettuce and serve still warm.
This would also be good on tortillas, over tortilla chips. Or you can make into a soup - add 1 can of beef broth and 1 can of diced tomatoes. Yum!
PSH
Mastering the Bathroom
Living in a small, 640 square foot apartment is not fun. Especially where two people have to reside for another year. I've decided to tackle the bathroom - we have no linen closet, barely any storage and have make-up, hair stuff and who knows what to supply us for a whole entire year! I'm not quite as organized yet as I would like to be, but for my next organizational project I am going to add before and after pictures. To the left is the after picture and it still looks disorganized! Can you believe it? Here are my bathroom tips:
- Clean, 5 minutes every day. This may include wiping down the counters and spraying the cool stuff that keeps your shower clean. Or it may include cleaning the toilet. Get a Scrubbing Bubbles toilet scrubber. It saves you time & space by hanging on the side of the toilet. Plus, you flush the cleaning stuff at the end and not the wand. Genius!
- Keep your mirror clean - keep glass cleaning supplies, like Windex close at hand. It makes you feel better knowing that if you have accidental guests, at least they don't see a dirty mirror. Plus, all that toothbrush splash & shaving splashes don't seem very cleanly, do they?
- Get see-thru canisters for your Q-tips & cotton balls. You can easily see when they need a refill. Plus, you'll be more likely to wash your face or paint your toenails if the supplies are in easy view and in pretty containers.
- Buy an undersink organizer. There's a neat one for the kitchen that you can buy at Target in the kitchen organization section. This one is great for the bathroom because it's adjustable. The one I'm talking about can also go between the plumbing pipes too. It creates extra needed space that you would have never thought about before!
- Get a basket for magazines and books. Boys always need these. If you get a good basket, it makes your bathroom look more spa-ish. Bonus on days where you need relaxation!
These are my tips on the bathroom so far - as my bathroom supplies triple throughout the year, I will be adding more and more!
PSH
8.06.2007
What I'd like to be when I grow up
But I'm already grown up, right? So this past week the 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. It's a real tragedy, people died, the infrastucture of our country is collapsing. I probably shouldn't be blogging this but I will because it's my opinion - in countries past, the government collapsed because the infrastructure did. Now, as this country is in war, the gov't has been ignoring the problems at home, and so this is what we get. A collapsed freeway (the only one that goes from Duluth to Texas), more debt and the President is still sending troops to Iraq.
I am sort of in disbelief - his wife spend more time at the site than he did. He's been in Minneapolis before but I guess since he doesn't live there he doesn't realize what a tremendous problem this is going to be. If there are 750 bridges in the United States like the one in Minneapolis and 150 of those are in Ohio - which one falls next?
As I've grown older, I've paid a lot more attention to politics and I've noticed a few things about the United States. We're prosperous, but only if we can make things cheap and charge a lot. We're ignorant, unless something directly affects us. And that's what I've noticed with the bridge collapse. As Americans see the images on television, their minds wander to the bridges nearest them, and then it becomes a problem, but a problem for how long? How long is this going to be on tv? And how long are people going to remember this besides Minnesotans? For days, months or years? I have a feeling it won't be long - for a country this large, if it doesn't happen in your backyard and you're not affected, then why should people pay attention?
The Minneapolis bridge collapse is a symptom of a larger problem that cannot be remedied with only more money. This is a symptom of an economy that needs to realize that cheap labor does not equal quality products. Look at Mattel - there were hundred of toys on that recall list.
Honestly, I'm not sure what will happen in the future, but what I do know is this. I'm stocking up my linen closets and pantry. I will have toilet paper and batteries to last me a few months. I will not take anti-biotics unless I need them and I will ALWAYS vote in my local, state and federal elections. When I grown up, I want to make sure that I'm still here on Earth.
PSH
I am sort of in disbelief - his wife spend more time at the site than he did. He's been in Minneapolis before but I guess since he doesn't live there he doesn't realize what a tremendous problem this is going to be. If there are 750 bridges in the United States like the one in Minneapolis and 150 of those are in Ohio - which one falls next?
As I've grown older, I've paid a lot more attention to politics and I've noticed a few things about the United States. We're prosperous, but only if we can make things cheap and charge a lot. We're ignorant, unless something directly affects us. And that's what I've noticed with the bridge collapse. As Americans see the images on television, their minds wander to the bridges nearest them, and then it becomes a problem, but a problem for how long? How long is this going to be on tv? And how long are people going to remember this besides Minnesotans? For days, months or years? I have a feeling it won't be long - for a country this large, if it doesn't happen in your backyard and you're not affected, then why should people pay attention?
The Minneapolis bridge collapse is a symptom of a larger problem that cannot be remedied with only more money. This is a symptom of an economy that needs to realize that cheap labor does not equal quality products. Look at Mattel - there were hundred of toys on that recall list.
Honestly, I'm not sure what will happen in the future, but what I do know is this. I'm stocking up my linen closets and pantry. I will have toilet paper and batteries to last me a few months. I will not take anti-biotics unless I need them and I will ALWAYS vote in my local, state and federal elections. When I grown up, I want to make sure that I'm still here on Earth.
PSH
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