MarthaStewart: Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares

// July 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Squares The milk-chocolate topping of these cookies looks like the result of masterful piping, but it’s actually a cinch to make using a mold. Beneath the chocolate hides a layer of peanut butter on top of brown-sugar shortbread, all of them adding up to a treat that’s creamy and crumbly and rich throughout.
Ingredients Makes about 36 squares. Vegetable oil cooking spray 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 12 ounces milk chocolate, melted 1 cup creamy peanut butter	Directions Coat a 9 1/2-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides, and coat parchment with spray. Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Press dough evenly into pan. Cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let shortbread cool in pan on a wire rack. Place a basket-weave mat, trimmed to fit pan, on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread melted chocolate evenly on mat. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Use parchment to unmold shortbread from pan, and trim edges to create a square. Spread peanut butter evenly on shortbread. Carefully center chocolate, mat side up, on top of peanut butter, and gently peel off mat. Cut shortbread into 1 1/2-inch squares. Shortbread will keep, covered, for up to 3 days. First published

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marth Steward BlueberryCorn Muffins

// July 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, china, family, inspiration

Blueberry-Corn Muffins This batter can be baked in jumbo or oversize muffin tins. Frozen blueberries may substitute fresh.
Ingredients Makes 6 large muffins. 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling 3 tablespoons honey 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1 cup blueberries	Directions Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper on a baking sheet; place six 2 3/4-by-2-inch pastry rings on it. Cut parchment paper into six 10-by-3-inch strips; use them to line molds (paper will extend above rims). Place softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs; beat 1 minute more. Whisk flour, cornmeal, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture in mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly pour in milk, beating on low, until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Divide dough among molds (do not pack too firmly; each will take about 1 cup). Brush tops with cold water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each. Bake until tops are browned, centers are set, and a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Tie kitchen twine around muffins to hold parchment. Serve at once. First published

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Angie B. Eating a huge OMEGA Breakfast

// June 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // china, life the universe and everything, personal

Yum.

Ultimate Chocolate Sorbet

// March 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china

POINTS® Value:    4 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  15 min Cooking Time:  3 min Level of Difficulty:  Moderate

To make this sorbet without a food processor, freeze it in a gallon-size sealable plastic bag. Open the bag slightly after 2 to 3 hours to let the air escape, then squish it to break up any lumps. (more…)

Lemon-Ginger Asparagus

// March 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china

POINTS® Value:    0 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  10 min Cooking Time:  8 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

This lemon-ginger marinade is also excellent with broccoli rabe, a bold-tasting member of the broccoli family. Cook it as you would the asparagus. (more…)

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Spiced Blue Cheese Sauce

// March 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, china, personal

POINTS® Value:    10 Servings:  6 Preparation Time:  15 min Cooking Time:  35 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy Tender beef topped with a creamy cheese sauce is the perfect dish to ring in the New Year. Ingredients 2 pound(s) lean sirloin beef 1/3 cup(s) Dijon mustard 1/3 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream 1/3 cup(s) reduced-calorie mayonnaise 1 Tbsp store-bought horseradish 1 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 6 cup(s) green snap beans, steamed Instructions Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat beef evenly with mustard and place in a baking pan lined with aluminum foil; roast for 35 minutes for medium doneness, or longer until desired degree of doneness. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; chill until ready to serve. Slice tenderloin into 1-inch thick slices and drizzle with blue cheese sauce. Yields about 4 ounces of beef, 2 tablespoons of sauce and 1 cup of green beans per serving.

Local Farms and Food (44221: Cuyahoga Falls, OH)

// March 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Ohio, Tiny House Projects, china, personal

Two facts about Silver…

// February 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // Great Grey Beast of February, life the universe and everything

1. It reflects 95% of its own light.

2. It is one of the few precious metals that can be safely eaten in small quantities.

WWII Food Administration had *GOOD* advice

// January 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, inspiration, quote, wisdom

From the DineInDiva

Homemade Butter!?!

// November 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Tiny House Projects

Can we, at the Darrington Tiny House-of-Chaos make our own butter?  I bake bread, but butter too?!?  Oh, heaven:  From Libby at ExoSkeleton Caberet:

Guns…or Butter?

from exoskeleton cabaret by libby

Homemade Butter (with Heirloom Tomato), originally uploaded by exoskeletoncabaret.

(more…)

Holy Hot Pink Hummas, Batman…

// November 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything

From Libby at ExoSkeleton Cabaret:

No, really–not Photoshop. My hummus is that fuchsia. It matches my head.

(more…)

Yummy: Baked Potato Soup

// November 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // family, life the universe and everything, personal

soups POINTS® Value: 5 Servings: 6 Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 70 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate This satisfying soup replicates the great flavor of a baked potato topped with the works—except we’ve used healthier toppings like turkey bacon and reduced-fat versions of sour cream and cheese. Ingredients 1 bulb(s) garlic clove(s), large, 1/4-inch-slice cut off top 3 pound(s) potato(es), rinsed, pierced with a fork (about 6 large baking potatoes) 6 slice(s) uncooked turkey bacon 4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 Tbsp thyme, fresh, chopped 1/2 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground 6 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream 6 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese 6 Tbsp scallion(s), sliced Instructions Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap entire garlic bulb tightly in foil; place garlic and potatoes in oven. (You do not need to put them on a pan; they can go right on an oven rack.) Bake garlic until soft when squeezed, about 45 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Continue baking potatoes until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more; let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Place bacon on paper towels to drain off any fat; chop bacon. Unwrap garlic and squeeze pulp from bulb with hands into a large saucepan. Peel potatoes and add to saucepan; mash with a potato masher until smooth. Gradually stir in broth, thyme, salt and pepper until blended; place saucepan over medium heat and cook until hot, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon about 1 1/3 cups of soup into each of 6 soup bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of cheese, 1 rounded tablespoon of bacon and 1 tablespoon of scallions. Grind fresh pepper over top if desired.

© 2009 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2009 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

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Yummy: Sesame-Ginger Pasta Salad

// November 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // family, life the universe and everything, personal

This pasta salad is packed with fresh crisp vegetables, salty nuts and Asian seasonings. It’s a flavorful side dish that’s easy to prepare. POINTS® Value: 3 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 25 min Cooking Time: 10 min Level of Difficulty: Easy This pasta salad is packed with fresh crisp vegetables, salty nuts and Asian seasonings. It’s a flavorful side dish that’s easy to prepare. Ingredients 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti, or buckwheat soba noodles 1/4 cup(s) water 2 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbsp canola oil 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tsp dark sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp ginger root, freshly grated 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 cup(s) cucumber(s), English-variety, cut into 2-inch long thin sticks, divided 3/4 cup(s) radishes, thinly sliced and then each slice cut in half, divided 3/4 cup(s) carrot(s), thinly sliced diagonally and then each slice cut in half, divided 1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced, divided 3 Tbsp peanuts, chopped, divided 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Instructions Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti; rinse under cold running water and drain again. In a large serving bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, canola oil, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sugar and garlic until blended. Add pasta, 3/4 cup of cucumber, 1/2 cup each of radishes and carrots, 3 tablespoons of scallions and 2 tablespoons of peanuts; toss to mix and coat. Sprinkle salad with remaining cucumber, radishes, carrots, scallions and peanuts; sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

© 2009 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2009 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Seven Uses for Leftover Rice

// October 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos

Everyone who cooks is likely to have faced this dilemma at one time or another: a bowl or pot of rice sitting in the refrigerator without any food to accompany it.

Here are seven ideas so good,you’ll always want to have cooked rice on hand: (more…)

HOC: Ravioli with Herbed Goat Cheese Filling

// October 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, life the universe and everything

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

// October 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, life the universe and everything, personal

Makes 26 to 28 servings

• 26-28 white mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
• 1½ tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
• 1½ to 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (other substitutes include Romano or Asiago cheese)
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs (preferably Italian-style)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (an additional tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil will be used to drizzle the baking sheet with)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats, stem all of the mushrooms.
2. Chop the basil cloves and Italian parsley and peal and mince the garlic cloves. Put these herbs in a mixing bowl.
3. Grate the Parmesan cheese and add it to the mixing bowl.
4. Mix in the dried breadcrumbs and the extra-virgin olive oil by stirring the ingredients together with your hands.
5. Stuff the caps with the breadcrumb mixture until there is a slight dome above the mushroom. Place the stuffed mushroom caps on the baking sheet and pop them into the oven for roughly 25 to 30 minutes, or until the breadcrumb mixture is golden brown.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Basil Brown Butter

// October 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, family, life the universe and everything, personal

The Herb Companion magazine

Flavor First: Sweet Potato Ravioli with Basil Brown Butter

By Linda Shockley

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as an entree (makes about 20 ravioli)

This recipe requires two main steps: First, make the ravioli filling. Then, make the ravioli by placing the filling in wonton skins, and cook. (more…)

Chickpea Croquettes

// October 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // House-of-Chaos, Tiny House Projects, family, life the universe and everything, personal

Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2008   p.59

Quick Info:

Servings
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Vegetarian
Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 144, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 105mg, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Total Fat: 3g, Carbs: 27g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 4g

Exchanges: Vegetable: 1, Fruit: 0.5, Starch: 1, Fat: 0.5

Carb Choices: 2

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Rest Time: 4 h

Total Time: 1 h 10 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cup(s) water
• 1 cup(s) rice, wild
• 1/2 cup(s) barley
• 2 cup(s) pea pods, fresh
• 3/4 cup(s) raisins, golden
• 6 scallion(s) (green onions)
• orange peel
• 2 teaspoon orange peel
• 2/3 cup(s) orange juice
• 2 tablespoon oil, olive
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
• 1/4 cup(s) mint, fresh

Teeeennny Snacks!

// January 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // funny-bone, life the universe and everything, personal

Yes, I’m still hungry.  So I need a snack, right!  A healthy, 100-calorie, portion-controlled snack.  And I like cupcakes!  I like coffee cake cupcakes, so when I see that Hostess has a 100-calorie cupcake snack I snatch it up. 

 I bring the box to work; it’s about 6 inches square.  When I have a hankerin’ for a sweet, I grab the box and realize that it claims to have “6 – 3 cupcake packs” of snacks inside.  So I’m to believe that 18 Hostess  lie in this small’ish box?

I begin to wonder how big these cupcakes are?

 For the record, they are about the size of a nickle.  Kinda taste like one too.  My co-worker claims that when you take out fat and sugar that things taste like the filler products they are made of.  I think he’s right. 

Pass me the carrot sticks, please!

Dieting…

// January 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything, personal

I hate dieting.

I really, really do.  I hate depriving myself of anything.  I’m a hedonist; seek pleasure, avoid pain.  I have taste-buds that like to carol in ecstasy of a rich ganache or a well-grilled piece of beef.  I like food and food likes me.

I’m that girl who never loses her appetite.  I woke up from having a spinal fusion last May and wanted dinner!  I can have to flu and I’ll be in the kitchen making my special “I’m sick” soup. 

But I’m also in my late 30s, have had kids and have a desk job.  Combine all those things and you get a metabolism that rivals the three-toed sloth.  So I ran some numbers; height, weight, BMR, measurement.  The whole nine.  The numbers didn’t look good.  I needed to lose weight. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

So, I found out what my BMR is, and trust me, I’ll spare you the details, but I’m pretty sure my 8 lb. rabbit gets to eat more calories per day.  And that’s just to MAINTAIN my weight.  If I want to improve that BMI number, then I’m going to have to lower that number on the scale.  That mean reducing calorie intake and increasing exercise.

Ugh!

What exactly do I no like about dieting.  First of all I hate being hungry. “Oh, you’re only hungry for about three weeks and then you’ve adjusted to your new eating habits.”  Well I’m in that third week right now and I’m about ready to eat this cardboard box next to me.  I don’t bring money to work, so I’ve avoided the siren song of the vending machines, but I see them over there in the hallway eyeballing me.  Ogling.  Darn them…darn them all to Heck!

Next up; the obsessive disorder that happens when I diet.  Since I have to track EVERY thing that goes into my mouth, and it’s been about ten years since I’ve last done that I have to write down every iota of information on that nutritional panel.  If I’m eating produce I need it weighed and looked up on livestrong.com/thedailyplate.  I track the 2 calories in each 8 oz. cup of coffee. 

Everything.  It’s exhausting!

I’m using the Phone-of-Doom with the “MyPersonalDiet” app to track my meals, measurements, exercise and goals…oh, and weight.  And I guess that in a few months, once I’ve already entered every morsel of food that I ingest once, it’ll be quicker to just pull it up from my created database of foods, but that’s not helping me (and my hunger) right now.

Right now I spend a lot of time entering in nutritional information.

Have I lost any weight.  Yes, I’ve lost close to the recommended two pounds per week for the past three weeks.  Not exactly six pounds, but I’m in the ballpark.  So the neurotic behaviour is working, but I’m not enjoying it.

Not one bit.

There is a saying; “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”  Bollocks.   I know some pretty tasty things!

Weight Watchers Sauteed Shrimp (3 pts.)

// January 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // life the universe and everything, personal

Sauteed Shrimp   Weight Watchers Sauteed Shrimp (3 Points) POINTS® Value: 3 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  10 min Cooking Time:  5 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy   Fresh lemon juice and dried seasonings provide simple yet wonderful flavor for this easy sauté. It’s a tasty way to season many types of fish and seafood. Ingredients     1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray   2 tsp olive oil 1 pound(s) shrimp, large, peeled and deveined   2 tbsp fresh lemon juice   1 tsp Spice Islands No Salt Lemon Herb Seasoning, or other brand   1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste   1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste   2 tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped Instructions Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat; add oil and heat. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add lemon juice, lemon herb seasoning, salt and pepper; stir to coat shrimp. Sauté until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Yields about 3 ounces of shrimp per serving.

Mushroom Cap Pizzas

// January 8th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // life the universe and everything

Good Food and Wristwatch Phones

// January 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // personal, professional

On a personal note, I made those two recipes that I posted yesterday; Roasted Veggies and Mushroom Cap pizzas.  And boy were they good!  Double thumbs up! So if you want some fresh veggies into your meal, that’s the ticket!  And easy to make too!

Next up, my “Techworld Daily” report informed me that LG showcased a 3G Wristwatch Phone yesterday:

LG debuts wrist-watch phone 

Touch Watch Phone announced at CES.

Matt Hamblen (Computerworld (US)) 08/01/2009 06:47:00

LG Electronics announced Wednesday a high-speed wireless wrist-watch phone with video chat and text messaging capabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show. (more…)

Food: Roasted Vegetables

// January 7th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // life the universe and everything

Roasted Vegetables

POINTS® Value: 0
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Serve these delicious roasted vegetables with any main dish. Or chop them up and add to pasta and rice recipes.

Ingredients

• 4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray, divided
• 2 medium sweet red pepper(s), cut into 8 thick strips
• 1 medium green pepper(s), cut into 8 thick strips
• 1 medium summer squash, cut thickly on the diagonal
• 1 medium zucchini, cut thickly on the diagonal
• 1 medium red onion(s), cut into large wedges
• 12 oz canned artichoke hearts, without oil, drained and halved
• 1 tbsp thyme, fresh, minced
• 1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

Arrange peppers, squash, zucchini, onion and artichokes on prepared baking sheets and coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with thyme, salt and black pepper.

Roast until vegetables are tender and golden brown, shaking pan once or twice during cooking, about 25 to 30 minutes. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Notes
If you like your vegetables well-done, broil them on high for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking.