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Somehow the stores are gearing up for back to school. Apparently fall is coming? (Someday?) But it’s still 110 degrees in the shade right now and I’m HOT. And so are the kids. Enter: snow cones!
There are a bunch of recipes floating around the interwebs for snow cone syrups so I just picked out the bits that sounded good and came up with this one. You will need:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 packet Kool Aid*
*(Or whatever brand; Kool Aid does not know I exist)
To make:
- Stir the sugar and water together in a saucepan and heat till boiling; boil for one minute and remove from heat, then stir in drink mix
- Let it cool completely then funnel into a bottle (a Wilton-type squeeze bottle or a water bottle with a sports top work brilliantly)
Sadly, I do not own a groovy Snoopy snow cone maker, but I do have one of these spiffy blenders that I used to grind ice into little snow cone cups I picked up at Target — mission accomplished! The kids had a great time getting to pour on the syrup themselves, and eating them on the back patio meant minimal cleanup. Go make some!
These. Are. Amazing. I can say that without bragging because it’s not my recipe; I just made ‘em.
This is a Mark Bittman (I love him) recipe that I scribbled down on a piece of paper without much documentation; I’ll assume it’s either from one of his NYT articles or from How to Cook Everything. These top every single homemade tortilla I’ve ever made or eaten, and they’re quick and easy to boot. NO BRAINER.
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups (7 oz) AP flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp. lard (yes, lard, people — don’t be afraid)
- 1/2 cup warm water
To make:
- Dust off your food processor and dump in the flour, salt and lard; pulse about ten times to cut in the fat
- With the machine running, add the water till the dough kind of all the sudden comes together in a ball
- Dump it on the counter and knead by hand for about one minute, then wrap in plastic wrap to rest for at least 15 minutes, but up to all day at room temperature
- Cut the dough into six pieces and heat a large (cast iron if you have it) skillet for 4-5 minutes on medium; roll out or press the tortillas till they’re quite thin, then cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side, till little browned spots appear. Eat immediately (duh), or keep warm by wrapping in a towel, or cool then keep in the fridge in a large zip top bag.
I used these to make quesadillas with some leftover steak and cheese, but they’re also heavenly for veggie wraps, or slathered in butter and cinnamon sugar and rolled up for breakfast. Enjoy!
*tap tap*
Is this thing on?
I’m so sorry for my absence of late. I’ve been a little pregnant, you see (throws confetti). And while this is awesome and nothing short of a miracle, I’ve been rocking the kind of symptoms that have left me avoiding the kitchen like the plague. But there’s starting to be a teensy light at the end of the tunnel, and this week I actually cooked something. I did not, I’m afraid, take pictures of it. Baby steps. So to speak.
ANYWAY.
These are a knockoff of Olive Garden’s breadsticks; I found the recipe in an old Food Network magazine. They have the yum.
You will need for the dough:
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 1/4 cups AP flour
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
You will need for the topping:
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of dried oregano
To make the dough:
- Mix all ingredients together in stand mixer bowl till dough forms (this will take about five minutes), then knead with the hook attachment for about 2 minutes, or by hand for about three minutes or until very smooth
- Roll into a 2-foot long log, then cut into 16 pieces (just cut the log, then logs in half over and over till you have 16 pieces; measuring is for the birds), and place these 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; cover with a cloth and let them rise until doubled. The original recipe said this would take 45 minutes, but with my A/C cranking it took more like 2 hours, which is fine — just watch for them to get nice and puffy
- Preheat the oven to 400F while you melt the butter for the topping
- Brush the breadsticks with about half the butter then sprinkle on the salt
- Bake until very lightly golden, about 12-15 minutes, while you combine the garlic powder and oregano; pull the breadsticks out and brush them with the butter mixture, then sprinkle on the garlic/oregano mixture
Enjoy!
It’s been at least a week since I posted a recipe with Nutella! What am I thinking? I can stop anytime I want. Ahem.
ANYWAY!
This will shock you, but this is a ridiculously easy recipe; a riff on the also ridiculously easy shortbread two ways.
You will need:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. Nutella
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour (unsifted)
To make:
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Cream the butter until the color lightens, then cream in powdered sugar, then Nutella, then vanilla, then flour
- Knead briefly without adding any flour until dough is smooth (look for it to be a uniform color)
- Scoop dough by the teaspoon onto a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet — they’re fine just left as little rounds, no need to flatten them out
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until very lightly browned, then transfer to a wire rack to cool
- Eat as is, or dust with powdered sugar as below:
These are AWESOME with coffee. Or for breakfast. Or after supper. Or as a snack. Or, um, well you get the idea.
My sweet friend Sarah has a love for Starbucks VIA. When Kiddo and I were getting a college care package together for her last week I was already planning some basic brownies…. and then I saw the VIA in the cabinet. Score! The result? Fudgy, caffeinated, rich chocolaty brownies. I, ahem, may have eaten one before I sent the rest off. Just so I could report back to y’all, obviously.
You will need:
- 1 stick butter
- 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 pack VIA coffee or a Tbsp. or so of espresso powder
To launch yourself into chocolate heaven:
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Spray a 9 inch square pan with nonstick spray, then lay in a piece of parchment paper just wide enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and long enough so the paper hangs off both sides of the pan by a good few inches (you’re making a sling for your brownies). Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray
- Melt the butter with the chocolate chips (I did this in the microwave), then add in sugar and cocoa, mixing well. Add dry ingredients and eggs and mix again
- Spread into your prepared pan and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted halfway between the middle and the edge of the pan comes out clean
- Remove the pan from the oven and wait 5 minutes, then use the sling to pull the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut the brownies with a plastic knife (I don’t know why this works, but it keeps the brownies from getting torn up), then use the sling again to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
As promised, another recipe from The Cousin! May I say that this pairs beautifully with margaritas? 
We made two sheet pans of this to feed the assorted family we had collected at the house that night; The Cousin wrote down the recipe for one sheet pan for a more reasonable size.
You will need:
- 2.5 cups dry polenta
- 9 cups milk
- 2-3 cups Parmesan cheese
- Salt
Four ingredients, people! You know I love that.
To make:
- Brink milk to a boil (it is so, so likely to boil over so don’t walk away), and slowly add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk then a wooden spoon as it gets thicker
- When mixture is starting to thicken stir in Parmesan cheese and salt; continue cooking, stirring fairly often until it is “uber thick” (so sayeth The Cousin)
- Spread onto greased sheet pan and cool uncovered in fridge until firm
- Top at will (see below) and bake at 400F until cheese is melted
Topping ideas:
- The Cousin recommends fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and fresh tomatoes. I totally concur
- Classic toppings like pepperoni, sausage, etc? Also good
- Sun dried tomatoes on pizza rock my world. I highly recommend
- Other than that? Go crazy! Let me know what you come up with
Y’all, I have somehow done it again. AGAIN I have a lovely camera lens that is now in two pieces. I don’t even know how, but I do know that iPhone photos of food aren’t quite the same. Better than nothing, though, right?
This is based on the Honey Roast Orange Chicken recipe from The Minimalist Cooks at Home by Mark Bittman. The Yankee and I both loved it!
You will need:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (lower sodium kind is great)
- 1/2 cup honey
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
To make:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Combine everything but chicken in a bowl and whisk to combine
- Lay chicken breasts in a single layer in a cast iron skillet or baking dish and spoon over about half the sauce
- Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through, turning over halfway through cooking to keep it evenly coated in the sauce
- When chicken is done move it to a plate to rest, then pour remaining sauce into the skillet; cook uncovered on medium high until sauce reduces and thickens
- Slice chicken into strips (against the grain) and serve over rice and vegetables, using thickened sauce to finish it all off. So tasty!
This was so fast and easy. Let me know what you think!
I got a new shortbread pan from King Arthur Flour last week and it included a recipe booklet. I had NO idea shortbread was so easy to make! The Yankee has taken several batches to work already, with more requested. Check this out!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla or maple syrup
- 1 cup flour (unsifted)
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Cream the butter until the color lightens, then cream in powdered sugar, then vanilla, then flour
- Knead briefly without adding any flour until dough is smooth
- Press dough into nonstick sprayed pan and prick surface with a fork
- Bake for about 30 minutes until lightly browned, and cool in the pan for 10 minutes; turn onto a wooden cutting board and cut immediately (if you wait till it cools it will fall apart when you cut it)
For even more easy fun, try out some chocolate shortbread!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour (unsifted)
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Cream the butter until the color lightens, then cream in powdered sugar, then cocoa powder, then vanilla, then flour
- Knead briefly without adding any flour until dough is smooth
- Press dough into nonstick sprayed pan and prick surface with a fork
- Bake for about 30 minutes until lightly browned (make sure the edges do not brown too much), and cool in the pan for 10 minutes; turn onto a wooden cutting board and cut immediately (if you wait till it cools it will fall apart when you cut it)
Enjoy, and happy St. Patrick’s Day!
We had one glorious almost-70-degree day here in Nashville and it made me SO READY for spring rightnowthisinstant. This, of course, made me want a good salad! I found this dressing recipe in Rick & Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures, which I love. The recipe is insanely quick, easy and good, which I also love.
One Particular Kitchen: Bayless Family Caesar Salad
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Pinch salt
• 1 Tbsp. water
Cooking Directions
1. Crush peeled garlic (putting it in the microwave for about 5 seconds first will make this easier) into a 2 cup glass jar with a lid
2. Add all remaining ingredients into the jar, cover tightly and shake
3. Store in jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks
Enjoy, y’all. Spring is coming!
I’ve been making yogurt for about three years now, and no matter how I do it one thing never changes: each and every time I am amazed that it actually turns into yogurt. Amazed.
My method has evolved a bit over the years, and my friend Vanessa pointed out recently that my super lazy method never made it to the blog; I’m here to remedy that. My sweet friend Ginger from Mars Hill (it’s huge; I’m sure you’ve heard of it) taught me this one, and it’s brilliant.
You will need:
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup dry milk powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. starter yogurt (1 Tbsp. of a previous batch, or of any yogurt that says live and active cultures; ideally one that does not have pectin)
Three steps!
- Turn your oven on to 350F for one minute and turn it off, and turn the light on in the oven
- In a heavy saucepan (I use an enameled cast iron one) heat milk to 180F and whisk in remaining ingredients; let it cool to 120F and plop in the tablespoon of starter yogurt
- Put a lid on the saucepan and stick it in the slightly warm oven for 5-8 hours or overnight
THE. END. Do you see what I’m saying? Lazy and easy. Please to enjoy.
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