Martinelli's & Sparkling Ice

This drink is perfect for summer. My favorite is the Apple Marionberry Martinelli's Sparkling Cider & Black Raspberry Sparkling Ice. I fill a glass with a ton of ice, add 3/4 Martinelli's, and 1/4 Sparkling Ice. I got this idea from Summer Clark. It looked so good, I had to ask her what she'd used. I'm always trying to give up soda so this is a perfect alternative. It's much healthier too!

The Famous Macaroni & Cheese!!!

This recipe is from my mom's 7th grade home ec class. Once anyone tries this, they swear they won't ever make the Kraft boxed macaroni again.

*Cook 1 cup (heap the cup) dry macaroni according to package directions & drain (I like the large elbow pasta)

*Set cooked macaroni aside

*In another pan, make cheese sauce:
-Melt 2 tbsp butter in pan (use stick butter & NOT margarine)
-Stir in 2 tbsp flour, 1/4 teasp salt, & a few shakes pepper
-Mix well
-Stir in 1/2 cup water, stir continually, boil 2 min while stirring
-Stir in 1/2 cup canned milk; heat but try not to boil
-Stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is best)
-Stir in pasta and combine

I always double this recipe for Juan and me so we have leftovers and make peas with it. Juan mixes the macaroni & cheese and peas.

I add a lot of black pepper to mine once it's on my plate. :-)

Enjoy!

The Show Cabernet Sauvignon

Along with 14 Hands Cabernet, this is one of my favorites. Can't go wrong with this one.

Cupcake Chardonnay!

99% of the time I choose red over whit,e but this chardonnay is excellent. I've also had the Cupcake Red Velvet wine and it's great too. With the name "cupcake" you'd think their wines would be really sweet but they're not. I was hesitant to even try them since I am not a fan of the sweeter wines. Another great thing about the chardonnay is that the bottle is cute too. Perfect for a dinner party with friends.

Raspberry Pie-Just the Picture

This pie recipe wasn't worth posting on here. I found it online and would not recommend it. I thought the picture was decent; maybe it will inspire someone to go bake a pie. :-) Next time, I will be using my mom's recipe, which is 100 times better.

Carne Asada Bolgogi Dinner

Sadly, I'm not posting the recipe for the carne asada bolgogi. Juan wants to keep it a secret for now, but I still want to share a picture of the dinner we enjoyed last Sunday. We invited my dad over too. We had zesty bowtie pasta salad, asparagus, raspberries, bread dipped in olive oil/balsalmic vinegar, & Zardetto champagne.

I will post the recipe for the pasta salad soon. I got the recipe from Jeanine Unpingco, Juan's younger sister. Thanks, Jeanine!

Cheeseburger Pie-A Definite Favorite!

This recipe is from my grandma, but it was handed down to me by my mom. I don't remember my mom making this for dinner growing up, but she should have. Everyone loves this dish, plus it's quick and easy. Who doesn't like a good cheeseburger...pie? ;)

Cheeseburger pie is one of my favorites because you can make it a day before guests come and people can reheat the individual slices. I serve it with asparagus or salad, but any vegetable would be good on the side.

Recipe:
Cook 1 empty deep dish pie crust (according to directions on pie crust package)

Cool crust completely

Brown 1 lb. of ground beef in a skillet (I use super lean hamburger so there's minimal fat to drain)

Add 1 jar (16oz) mild or medium salsa to meat & warm (I think Pace medium chunky salsa is the best)

Dump in cooled pie crust

In a small bowl, mix:
*1 egg
*1/4 cup milk
*1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
*Couple shakes of salt & pepper
*2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I always use sharp cheddar)

Fill crust with hamburger mixture
Top with egg/milk mixure

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min

Cool 10-15 minutes & cut into slices

Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes for Marina LeDuc!

This recipe is from Betty Crocker's "The Big Book of Cupcakes." One of my coworkers saw this book on Amazon and couldn't resist getting it for me. Thanks, Cher! She must know I like to bake. ;)

Chai Tea Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 box french vanilla cake mix
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 tbsp chai tea latte powdered mix (I bought mine from Dave at Sweet Retreat-best Chair ever!)

Frosting & Garnish:
4 oz white chocolate baking bars, chopped (I used chips)
1/3 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teasp vanilla
Ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Place paper baking cups in regular-size muffin cups
In a large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients with mixer on low for 30 seconds
Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally
Divide batter evenly among muffing cups, filling each 2/3 full

Bake 18-23 min or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean
Cool 10 min
Remove cupcakes from pans and place on cooling racks

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave baking bars or chips for 30 seconds
If necessary, microwave in 15 seconds intervals & stir until completely melted
Stir in butter until smooth
Add powdered sugar, milk, & vanilla
Stir until well blended

Frost cooled cupcakes
Sprinkle with cinnamon

Best cupcakes I've ever made! Thanks, Betty Crocker. Too bad your name makes you sound so nerdy.

Our New Favorite Dessert~Strawberry Apple Rhubarb Crumble

I made this dessert last weekend mainly because we have rhubarb ready to pick in our backyard. At first I was going to make a strawberry rhubarb pie but didn't feel like dealing with pie crust. So I did what we do when we need an answer; I googled "strawberry rhubarb crumble." This recipe is easy and really good. We added Tillamook Vanilla Bean ice cream and we were instantly hooked. I didn't feel as guilty either because it has fruit in it.

Today, I'm making strawberry rhubarb upside down cake for Juan. That recipe may also end up on here. ;)

Thank you Cooks.com!

3 c. sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
1 c. peeled and cubed apples ( I used almost an entire large apple)
1/2-1 c. sliced strawberries (I used 1 heaping cup of strawberries)
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. quick-cooking oats

Combine rhubarb, apples and strawberries; spoon into a greased 8 inch dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Set aside. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in brown sugar and oats. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or cold with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 6-8 servings.

*Note: I don't know about you but the way we eat dessert, it will only serve 4. :)

Best Champagne Around!

Zardetto is one of the best bottles of champagne I have found. It's "Conegliano Italia" and very reasonably priced. The bottle is simple but sophisticated. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it. ;)

I added guava juice to the champagne in the second picture. It's really good and a pretty color too!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

This past weekend I made these dog cookies for Stretch's brother, Tank. He just turned 1 year old and I thought it would be cute to bring Tank some birthday treats. Plus, I hadn't used my dog bone cookie cutters yet, so why not bake something for our dogs. ;) I knew the recipe would be simple because it only has 4 ingredients.

While making the cookies, Stretch sat at my feet begging for a taste of peanut butter. When the first batch came out of the oven, she sat under the table where they were cooling and stared up at them with anticipation.

The dog treats were a huge hit. I assume the best part of them was the peanut butter since the recipe has an entire cup in it. Because the cookies don't have any perservatives, they don't last nearly as long as the boxed treats you would normally buy at the store. If your dog can't eat all of them within two weeks, you can freeze them in a ziplock bag.

Some people were laughing at me when I told them I made my dog homemade treats. I quickly thought to myself that dogs don't ask for much and they love us unconditionally. They deserve a lot more than homemade cookies. Plus, they're a lot easier to live with than most people.

I found this dog treat recipe online at:
http://www.sugarlaws.com/dog-treats


INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry, and mix well.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20-30 dog treats.

Yukon Gold French Fries

These french fries are easy and healthy! We've eaten them four times in the past couple of weeks with different entrees. Here's how easy they are:

Preheat oven to 425
Spray a cookie sheet witih Pam & set aside

*Cut Yukon Gold Potatoes into finger-sized fries and put in bowl
*Add olive oil to bowl & mix with hands
*Spread fries onto cookie sheet

Fries cook best when placed peel side down

Bake 20 min or so, depending on how crispy you like your fries

Right out of the oven, sprinkle with salt to taste

Note: If fries stick to cookie sheet, they're not done

Out of Commission Lately

I've been on "baking and cooking leave" lately due to a broken finger. It's been hard to not do much, especially cooking. Despite this, it's amazing what all I can do with a hurt finger. I had surgery to repair the break a few weeks ago and now have six screws and a plate in my pinky. The finger is doing a lot better now but it's still supposed to be in a splint most of the day.

Last week, I decided to make homemade french fries with Yukon Gold Potatoes. I was tired of not cooking and decided my hand was ready to handle it. A coworker had told me how easy and good they were. Plus, Juan wanted to BBQ hamburgers so it was perfect. Just as I started cutting the potatoes, I cut a finger on my left hand. I immediately grabbed a papertowel and put pressure on the bleeding fingertip. I looked down and saw that I had taken a huge chunk out of my index finger. Crap! Juan wasn't home from work yet and I knew I'd better get it looked at. I drove to the medical center and the papertowel was now stuck in the wound. Even moving it a centimeter hurt like crazy. This was hurting way more than my broken finger. Weird! The finger was filled with gelfoam to stop the bleeding and wrapped.

Now, I had a badly cut finger on my left hand and a swollen and sore post-surgery pinky on my right hand. I started to think I was a walking accident. So much for using knvies to cut potatoes. ;(

I knew I couldn't not bake or cook for long. Juan helped me make carrot pineapple muffins today and I'm slowly ready to start making food again. I'm just going to be extra careful with the knives...

Red Wine Vinaigrette-Best Dressing I've Ever Had!

This salad dressing is a HUGE hit with my friends and family. One of my friends on the island, Chelsea Foussard, gave me this recipe. I don't know anyone who doesn't like it! ;)

6 oz. red wine vinegar
4 oz canola oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together & store in fridge

Russian Salad Dressing ;)

My mom gave me a great Russian Salad Dressing that reminds me of catalina only better. I'll have to ask her where she got the recipe and add details later. Enjoy this dressing!

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix contents well before pouring on salad

Keep in fridge

Homemade Oat Scones

These oat scones are a classic recipe. Everyone loves them! Growing up, my mom would make them with spaghetti and peas for dinner. We would eat any leftover scones the next morning for breakfast. They are best with butter and honey or butter and jelly.

Heat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl mix:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup Quaker Oats (not instant)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 teasp salt

In a small bowl mix:
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
1 beaten egg

Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture & stir
Shape into a ball & knead until combined
On wax paper, pat dough into a 1/2" tall circle
Cut circle into 8 triangles
Put on ungreased cookie sheet (don't separate triangles)
Bake 25 minutes, until golden brown

Vegetarian Chili Corn Chowder...It's more like a soup

I don't know why this recipe is called a chowder when it's more like a soup. This soup is amazing and healthy. Unless you don't like spice, you will love this soup! It's easy too.

2 Tbsp oil
2 medium potatoes (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 can (16 oz) red kidney beans-drained & rinsed
1 can (15.25 oz) corn
1 can (13.75 oz) vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

*In large pot, heat oil on medium:

Cook potatoes & onion (5 min) & stir constantly
Add chili powder (1 min) & stir
Stir in kidney beans, corn, vegetable broth, tabasco, salt, & water

Heat to boil

Reduce to low, cover, & simmer 15-20 min until potatoes are tender

Makes 6 servings of 1 cup each

Yvonne's Brownies...healthier foods to come ;)

I have always been satisfied with brownies out of a box until I made these. These homemade brownies are different; healthier and not as oily. This recipe is from my mom's good friend, Yvonne VanWinkle. She is an amazing cook and even though we don't get together with the VanWinkle family much anymore, I will never forget her good cookin'.

I made these yesterday and they remind me of the type of homemade brownies you'd get in a restaurant that comes with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. Taking a little extra time to make them from scratch is totally worth it!

As you can tell, a lot of my recipes are dessert. Believe it or not, I have a lot of healthy recipes, mostly dinners, and will be posting those next. ;)

__________________________________________________________________

Preheat oven to 325

1/2 cup butter (I used unsalted)
2-1oz squares unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teasp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teasp baking powder
1/2 teasp salt

Melt butter & chocolate together over very low heat, stir constantly
Cool mixture

In a large bowl, beat eggs & sugar together
Add chocolate mixture
Stir in vanilla

In a small bowl, mix:
Flour
Baking powder
Salt

Add dry ingredients to large bowl & mix well

Bake in greased square 8"x8" pan
30-35 min

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I use Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Recently they came out with milk chocolate & peanut butter morsels "swirled." These work too if you like peanut butter. Okay, here you go:

Preheat oven to 375

2 1/4 cup flour
1 teasp baking soda
1 teasp salt
1 cup oil (a tiny bit less)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teasp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 bag (12oz bag) of chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda, & salt in small bowl
Combine oil, sugar, brown sugar, & vanilla in large bowl
Add eggs to oil mixture
Gradually beat in flour mixture
Mix thoroughly
Stir in chocolate chips

Put tablespoon size drops onto ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 9-11 min until golden brown
Cool on cookie sheet for 2 min
Move cookies onto wire rack

Enjoy with milk!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies You'll Ever Have!

Recipe to come...

Pork Tenderloin...Healthy & Easy!

The picture doesn't do this meal justice. I made a green salad too and we had strawberries on the side. The pork is very easy to bake, and healthy. You can buy a pack of two tenderloins at most any grocery store. I cook one and freeze the other.

Bake at 425
30-35 min

Put tenderloin in rectangle cake pan
Brush with olive oil
Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning
Do not cover
Cook ~30 min
Cut into middle of pork; meat should be white when done (internal temp 160-165 degrees)
Let meat sit on counter 5 min before slicing

Cut into thin slices
I serve the pork with horseradish or hot mustard & sesame seeds
Juan likes to dip his in ketchup, but I think that's boring!

To drink, we each had an ice cold Blue Moon with a slice of orange.

And dinner is done...

Homemade Fried Rice, Juan Style

This is Juan's favorite dish. I generally make fried rice with a packet of Sun Bird seasoning mix, but decided to give Juan's parents recipe a try...or something fairly similar. All the ingredients are approximations. You can use more or less of anything, or even add different vegetables or meat.

*Total time: ~30 min

3 cups white rice (cooked)

4 strips of bacon

1/2 cup green onions (chopped); you can also use yellow onions

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teas black pepper

3 teasp minced garlic

4 scrambled eggs

Cook 3 cups white rice & set aside

Scrabble eggs & set aside

Cut bacon into small squares and fry alone in large frying pan (medium heat)

Drain grease if needed

Add green onion

Cook 4 min (turn heat down to medium)

Add in peas, carrots, celery, etc. (I used frozen peas)

Cook until veggies are warm (~2 min)

Mix soy sauce, pepper, and minced garlic with rice in bowl

Dump rice mixture into frying pan

Add already scrambled eggs to frying pan

Fry on med high heat until all is mixed and hot.

Add more soy sauce, pepper, or garlic to taste.

*I served the rice with pork tenderloin that I baked in the oven while making the rice. The pork tenderloin bakes for about 30 min. Recipe to follow...

Easy Mix Chocolate Cake

Here's my amazing chocolate cake recipe. This cake is very dense. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Preheat oven to 360 degrees (Yes, you read that right). I think the weird temperature has something to do with how old this recipe is. More on the story behind this cake later in the post.

Heat Oven to 360
You will need: 1 square 8"x8" pan

Beat all ingredients until blended:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 teas salt
1/2 cup oil
1 teas baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk (1 Tblsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 cup & fill rest with milk)
1 egg
1 teas vanilla

Add 1/2 cup boiling water & mix

Pour into ungreased pan
Bake approximately 30 min
Done if knife in middle comes out clean

*If you double the ingredients, it makes a huge rectangle cake & some cupcakes, or a 2-layer cake and some cupcakes.

Enjoy!

The story behind the cake:
In my last post, I showed a picture of this cake all frosted and decorated. I also mentioned that the cake was very old. My maternal great grandparents had a friend, Blanche Jordan. Blanche lived in the Okanogan Valley near Brewster, WA. She was a huge woman and obviously loved to bake. LOL! We think she grew up in Coolee Dam,WA. She must have baked this cake for her family in the 1920-30's.

The Okanogan Valley is a place my family loved to take vacations growing up. My mom's parents had a cabin on Alta Lake, about 60 min North of Wenatachee. The cabin was built in the early 1970's and my g'parents owned the property years before that. Instead of taking long expensive family vacations, our family would hop in the car and head up to Alta Lake during the summer. What an amazing place! We would fish, swim, sunbathe, and play outside for hours. Being at "the cabin" is definitely one of my favorite childhood memories.

The cabin is still there to this day and just last year, Juan and I made it up there the end of September. It was quite a bit cooler than mid summer, but we still had a great time. We hope to get there more in the coming years.

Pretty in Pink Birthday Cake

This year, Juan and I hosted a Superbowl party. We invited friends and co-workers, one of who just happened to be turning 60! I wanted to surprise her with a homemade chocolate cake. The cake actually has a 1/2 cup boiling water in the batter, and is VERY dense. I topped the cake with white butter frosting. There's nothing better than cake and frosting made from scratch. The cake recipe is ancient; from my Great Grandparents' friend, Blanche Jordan. Blanche lived near Brewster, possibly growing up in Coulee Dam, WA. I am going to ask my grandma more details on when and where this recipe originated.

I have a lot of recipes that have been handed down in the family, which makes the food I create special. I love how there's a story behind many of the dishes. I will blog as much as I know about each of the recipes. My mom's mom, Lois Grable, is a wonderful cook and much of what I make comes from this side of my family.

I will post the recipe in my next blog...

All About Food!

I love food! Over the last 4 years, cooking and baking has become a huge hobby for me. The idea to start my own food/life blog came to me when I started posting pictures of the food I made on Facebook. People starting asking me for recipes, and I was quickly inspired to do a blog. I'm still learning how to use Blogger and I know my blog will get better and change over time, but for now I am just going to get started

My plan is to take pictures of some of my favorite dishes and write all about them. I will also post recipes. I have a feeling some of my blogs will be about my life too. A lot of my recipes are old and have been handed down in the family. Juan's family is Chamorro (from Guam), so I will also be blogging about the dishes that will take me years to learn.

The food I make now is simple, tasty, easy, and homemade. 99% of the time, I follow a recipe. I'm not very creative with trying new and unusual dishes. I love dessert so watch out. Let me know what you think! Welcome to "Life is Good, Food is Better."