Slow Cooker Stuffing

This is another great way to free up your oven on Thanksgiving (or any holiday involving stuffing..... stuffing is great for any occasion!).  You control the moisture level in this stuffing by adding as much, or as little broth as you want.  I've been making this stuffing recipe for a few years and I'm really happy with it.  I know Thanksgiving has already passed... keep this on file for next year!

*Note:  I cut the butter amount in half now and it's just as good.

Slow Cooker Stuffing

adapted from Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
12 cups dry bread cubes (I use a mix of wheat and sourdough)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-3 cups chicken broth, or as needed

1.Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.  Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper.

2.Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Pour in enough broth to just moisten. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.

3.Cook on Low for 4-8 hours, stirring every hour or so (adding more broth if necessary).

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Holiday Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

I know Thanksgiving is over, but these mashed potatoes are good for any holiday.  (They're also great on a regular weekday with roast chicken).  One of the best things about them is that they can be made ahead, saving you precious time when the holiday meal has to be put on the table.  I put this recipe in my small crockpot and keep it warm on low until serving time.  My version of this is heavily adapted from an Allrecipes recipe.  I like to use Neufchatel cream cheese in these, which tastes the same and cuts out 1/3 of the fat. 

Nore:  I made these 9/22/2011 as a Roasted Garlic version.  Just add roasted garlic instead of boiling cloves with the potatoes.  Mix in roasted garlic when mashing.  I used two (small) whole heads.  Use one large or two small heads.  To learn how to roast garlic, here is a good tutorial, from Simply Recipes.  Photo below is of Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 pounds red or yellow potatoes, cut into chunks (peeled, if desired)
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
1 teaspoon Better thn Bouillon
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

1.In a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving some water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper, taste.

2.Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter.
 

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Maple Pecan Pie- Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  We had a great, relaxing day with our little family and a good Portuguese friend.  She brought us delicious homemade flan- it's really yummy.  I need to get the recipe from her.

I made a maple pecan pie, using Vermont maple syrup instead of the traditional corn syrup.  I love maple pecan pie.  I added some extra pecans, too.  I found this recipe from Taste of Home.

Maple Pecan Pie

from Taste of Home

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

1 cup maple syrup

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1- 1/2 cups pecan halves

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

1.  In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Add maple syrup, butter, vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into pastry shell.

2.  Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.
 

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Cranberry-Walnut Tart

This is  more of a pie-shaped blondie with cranberries added!  I LOVE this.  I found the recipe on Allrecipes a few years ago, tried it out on a whim, and have been making it ever since.  I love the flavor of the walnuts, cranberries, and almond extract all together, with the background of the chewy cake/blondie thing. 

I usually make this for one of my Thanksgiving desserts, but it's good anytime.  You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries for this. 

Cranberry-Walnut Tart
from Allrecipes.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch pie pan.

2.Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. If you are using frozen cranberries, the mixture will be very thick. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

3.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Grilled Blue Cheese Sandwich

Here's another easy sandwich; this time for the blue cheese lover.  (It's difficult for me to photograph sandwiches, by the way).  This was my lunch yesterday.  Whenever I buy a package of blue cheese, I have to find ways to incorporate it into foods that only I will be eating (or only one section of a pizza, etc), because I live in a household full of blue-cheese-haters.  I know!  I don't know what's wrong with them, either.  I made this yesterday to use up some of the blue cheese in my fridge, before it goes bad.  (My husband asked "How can you tell if blue cheese has gone bad, anyway?")

I make my "grilled" cheese sandwiches in the oven... this way, you can make many at once, and you don't have to babysit the stove.

Grilled Blue Cheese Sandwich

2 sliced sourdough bread
2 teaspoons butter
1 thin slice sharp cheddar cheese
1-2 thin slices blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Butter one side of one piece of bread; lay it butter-side down on a cookie sheet.  Lay the cheese on the bread, and top with another slice of buttered bread; buttered side facing up this time.  Bake in the oven, about 4-5 minutes each side, until cheese is melted and bread it golden brown.  Makes one sandwich.

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Egg Sandwich

Although I hate McDonald's (and most fast food), I do enjoy their Egg McMuffins.  They probably spray them down with trans-fats at McDonalds, though, just for good measure.  You never know what kind of fat is hiding in fast food.  At home, you can make them easily, and probably a little more healthfully, yourself.  Since I don't have access to McDonald's over here anyway, I decided to finally make a homemade version the other night.  We had these, for dinner, with salad and homemade dressing.  They were so easy, and good!  I used real butter, real sharp cheddar cheese, etc. 

Egg Sandwich

1 English muffin, split and toasted

1 tablespoon butter

1 slice Canadian bacon, warmed in skillet

1 fried egg

1 slice real sharp cheddar cheese

To assemble sandwich: butter hot English muffin.  Lay hot fried egg on one side, then cheese, and then Canadian bacon.  Top with other English muffin half.  If not going to eat immediately, wrap in foil.  Makes one sandwich. 

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White Chocolate Peanut Butter

After hearing about all the "gourmet" flavors of peanut butter, I wanted to try making my own.  (Since I can't really get it over here anyway.... and ordering it online would be costly).  For about $1, I was able to make a little over a cup of White Chocolate Peanut Butter.  I used dry roasted (lightly salted) peanuts, real white chocolate, and a touch of sunflower oil, to help everything incorporate and mix better.  (Start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more if needed).  A food processor is needed for this recipe (or maybe you could use a blender).

I was thinking that this would keep best in the refrigerator, but after being in there a few hours, the peanut butter is completely solid and non-spreadable.  Maybe keep it in the fridge and take it out a while before using?  It might be ok to keep it (in a sealed container) at room temp; I'm not sure.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter

by What A Dish!

1- 1/2 cups dry roasted (lightly salted) peanuts

3- 1/2 ounces (100 grams) white chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon sunflower oil

Place the peanuts in the food processor bowl and process until finely ground.  Add white chocolate and process.  Add oil, 1/2 teaspoon at a time (I only used 1 teaspoon), and keep processing until peanut butter is formed and consistency is as desired. 

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Smoky Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Here is a yummy ranch dressing, using Spanish smoked paprika, and lots of garlic!  I first saw this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens, and then a few of my cooking friends were talking about it.  When Eating, Etc. made it a few months ago, I was reminded of how much I wanted to make it. 

With two raw cloves of garlic, this was almost too strong, garlic-wise, for me and my fam, and I love garlic!  Next time, I'd use just one clove.  It was fun to use my new mortar and pestle for the first time with this recipe!  (It did take a while and a bit of muscle to mash the garlic and salt... I thought it would be easier!)  I used a coarse Portuguese Flor de Sal, for added flavor, and to help the garlic grind down easier. 

Smoky Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise (good-quality)
1/3 cup sour cream (I used light)
2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1) Place minced garlic & salt in mortar bowl & mash together with pestle into a paste.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic paste with remaining ingredients.  (For best results, shake everything together in a jar). 
3) Toss with your fave salad fixings.

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Thanksgiving Fun!

A friend of mine pointed out these adorable Oreo turkeys, and almost a week ago, the whole fam got involved in the project of making some.  They were so cute, and the kids (and husband) just loved making them.  They're not bad to eat, either, like some sugar-laden holiday food decorations can be.  We really enjoyed them.  I won't bother including instructions for these; just go to the orginal recipe for that.  We forgot to buy Whoppers, so we used a few leftover Halloween chocolate balls for some of the heads, and for the rest, we used some mini-Oreos we had on hand.  I also didn't bother making the black frosting, just for the tiny eye-dots.  Instead, we used colored sprinkles for the eyes.  You can see that some of the white frosting is showing, and one of the little guys is in danger of losing his beak; we'll need to make these again for more practice.  The kids asked if we could make these every year!

Monkey Bread

I've been looking for a recipe for "Monkey Bread" forever, but have never been able to find what I'm looking for.  Buttery yeast rolls- baked together in a bundt pan.  There are plenty of recipes out there using refrigerated biscuit dough, and cinnamon/sugar, but I wanted one made from scratch (with yeast) and more buttery than sweet, and I definitely didn't want any cinnamon!  I was searching for a bread like my best friend's mom used to make, back when I was about 5 years old.  That was a while ago, so I may be making up this memory, but I remember coming to my friend's house after school and this hot monkey bread would be waiting for us.  It was delicious, but the biggest thing I remember about it was it's buttery-ness.

I found this recipe right in my own recipe box (well, one of the 5) when I was searching for something else.  It's from Taste of Home, and I had cut it out years ago, but never made it.  It's called "Buttery Bubble Bread" but that name is just awkward.  Luckily, the recipe author calls it "Monkey Bread" in her little blurb before the recipe.  Yay! 

This bread is perfect.  I used all butter and no shortening, and it is a LOT of butter.  I think because of this, it had a hard time rising.  I had to do 1-1/2 hours for the 1st rise.  I also used 1 cup white whole wheat flour in this recipe.  It baked up perfectly; the parts touching the pan were delicious- buttery crisp and golden brown.  The loaf easily pulled apart into individual rolls.  It was fun to see all the different shapes the rolls formed.

I suppose one could use any favorite roll recipes, and use the method of forming balls, dipping them into butter, and letting rise and then bake in a bundt pan, but I was really happy with this particular dough, and I'll definitely make this again, and very, very soon. 

Note: I made this again June 2012 and took new photos.  :)  Still a family favorite!  I also used my specialty Bundt pan and it worked out wonderfully. 

Monkey Bread

adapted from Taste of Home

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter, melted

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, softened butter, egg, salt and white whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.

2.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (I used my Kitchenaid for the mixing & kneading).  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  (I let the dough rise in my oven with the oven light on).

3.  Punch dough down.  Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls, dip balls in the melted butter and arrange evenly in a greased 9-in. fluted tube pan. Drizzle with remaining butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

4.  Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 1 loaf.

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New Life in November

The other day, in a park, we saw these bright-green plants shooting up from under a thick layer of dead, fallen leaves on the ground. They are a from a kind of bulb; I'm not sure what they are. It was so cool to see this new life coming up in the midst of the dead fall leaves.

Artichoke Dip

It seems like everyone has a recipe for Artichoke Dip, but this is the one I like to use. I LOVE the addition of dill and garlic in this one. It's so easy to whip up, and it bakes quickly, too. You don't even have to soften your cream cheese. We have been making this for New Year's Eve for a few years; my kids like it too.  It's good for any holiday, especially fall and winter ones. :)

This is delish served with a variety of things, including corn chips (Fritos Scoops!), tortilla chips, any kind of cracker, baby carrots or other veggies, and my fave- a warmed, crusty baguette. We warm a store-bought baguette in the oven and slice it thinly, then spread this dip onto the slices.

Artichoke Dip

from Allrecipes.com

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).

2. Place the artichoke hearts and garlic in the food processor and process until smooth. Process the cream cheese, parmesan, mayo, and dill weed until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Transfer to a greased baking dish. (I use a small ceramic dish, but a 9-inch pie plate is a good size to use, too).

3. Bake in the preheated oven 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly and light brown.

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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

I've really been in the ice cream mood lately. Even though it's November. Oh well. I thought it'd be fun to make my own cookies and cream flavor of ice cream. I started out with a simple vanilla flavor, froze it in my ice cream maker, and stirred in caorsley chopped Oreos when it came out of the machine. Then I froze it overnight. (I think this helped the Oreos to soften a little; they became one with the ice cream, just like I wanted.)

I used equal parts whole milk and light cream. Since there wasn't as much fat in there as some other ice creams I've made, the texture looks a little icy and crumbly, but once you taste it, you forget all of that. This stuff is good, melting in your mouth and tasting just like Cookies and Cream should. Of course, you could use heavy cream in place of the light cream; making the finished ice cream richer and creamier.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

by What a Dish

2 cups whole milk

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups light cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

20 double-stuffed Oreos, coarsley chopped

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk until hot (not boiling). Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light in color. (I use my Kitchenaid for this). Add about a cup of the hot milk to the egg yolks, whisking well the whole time. Whisk until incorporated, and then add the whole mixture back to the pot of hot milk. Stir well, over medium-low heat, until mixture thickens slightly, reaches at least 160 degrees F, and lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Place a fine-meshed sieve over a clean bowl. Pour the milk mixture through the sieve, into the bowl. Add light cream and vanilla extract, stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, freeze in your ice-cream maker. When the ice cream comes out of the machine, stir in the chopped Oreos, and freeze in the freezer for a few hours, or overnight.

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Spotlight - São Jorge Cheese

There are so many foods available here that I either use regularly or have tried out and loved. I want to take some time every once in a while and "spotlight" one; tell a little more about it and what recipes it can be used for.

I'll start off with Queijo São Jorge, from the (kind-of-nearby) island of São Jorge. This cheese is famous here. Here is some info. Depending on the length of time it has been cured, the firmness varies, but we usually get it when it's quite firm, almost like a block of parmesan. The flavor is spicy and sharp. We had it out as an appetizer last year at our Thanksgiving table. We've put it on pizza, and we've had it in these cheese rolls. (Quite fitting, since the Azores are volcanic islands). It is my 5-year old's favorite kind of cheese, hands down. His classroom is peanut and nut free, so every time he takes a lunch from home, he has a São Jorge Cheese Sandwich. He likes it on a soft little roll, with butter. At the little cafes around here, a popular item is a few slices of Sao Jorge on a buttered mini baguette, for around $1.50.

The cheese of the Azores is said to be better than other cheeses, since the well-cared for cows are often able to graze on sea-side green pasture. Cows get the prime real estate here. (I went through all my pics, looking for a pic of sea-side cows, but wierdly enough, couldn't find any. I did find a pic of cows on a hill, with a beautiful view. I already blogged about that, here.) Also, the cows are not kept in feed lots, but allowed to graze on rich, green, sweet grass. To milk them, the farmers bring in portable milking machines, right to the fields. When all of the grass in a certain pasture is eaten, the cows are moved to another pasture, and they often move them using the main roadways. It's common to be driving and get stuck behind a "cow parade" here.

Interestingly enough, São Jorge cheese is too strong for my husband- he's not a lover of strong cheeses like I am. :)

In the future, I'll include more recipes using this delicious cheese.  I found a kind of "copy-cat" cheese in the US, called St. George cheese, made by an Azorean couple living in the US.  St. George Cheese

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Honey-Cilantro Salmon

The first time I tried this recipe was a few years ago. I remember really liking it, so I made it again last night with some fresh, good-looking salmon steaks I picked up. The original recipe is from Allrecipes, but I have changed it quite a bit. First of all, I don't live on a honey farm, so it's a little silly to be using 2 cups of the stuff for a couple pieces of salmon- you're going to end up tossing (or losing through the grill grates, if you grill it) most of it, anyway. I use about 1/3 or 1/2 cup.... I didn't measure.

We had this for dinner last night with herbed brown rice and steamed broccoli. The kids weren't crazy for the salmon, which was wierd because they usually are. My 3-year old loved it, but the older ones deemed it "too sweet".

Honey-Cilantro Salmon

adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 large salmon steaks (1 -2 pounds)

1/3 - 1/2 cup honey

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

juice of one lime

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and lay salmon steaks in it. In a very small saucepan, heat the honey on low, until it is warm and easily stirred. Remove from heat, and add garlic, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper. Pour this mixture evenly over salmon steaks, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

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Orange Sherbet

This is a favorite of my children; I don't love it, because it's not rich and creamy like ice cream. :) It actually tastes like the frozen form of an orange julius, and I prefer it straight from the ice-cream maker in all of its slushy goodness. Upon freezing, it turns a little hard and icy, but the kids still love it.

The recipe was included in the manual of my ice cream maker. Sadly, when we moved over here, we lost the manual, and I couldn't remember the exact recipe (although it's an easy one!) Thanks to the internet, I found a copy of the manual online, and was able to make this last week. We've only tried it with OJ concentrate, but one can make this with limeade or lemonade concentrate, to make lime or lemon sherbet.

.

Orange Sherbet

from Cuisinart

.

3 cups whole milk

1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2-3 tablespoons sugar

.

Combine ingredients in a large bowl; blend with immersion blender (or just comine in a regular blender, or whisk by hand). Pour into ice cream maker and freeze.

Makes: Eight 1/2 cup servings

.

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Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup

I've had two ham bones in my freezer for a little while- I really needed to use them for something. I was able to use one of them a few days ago, when I made this soup. Now that the fall/winter season is upon us, I'm in full soup-making mode (I make soups all year long, but I really get into it at this time of year). I thought a soup with ham, beans, and carrots sounded good. I soaked some white beans (use navy beans or great northern) overnight, and assembled this soup in the morning, letting my slow cooker do most of the work.

I used a Trader Joe's chicken broth concentrate packet to flavor this, but you could use Better than Bouillon, or a bouillon cube. Salt to taste- I put in 1 teaspoon and it was a little too much. Start with 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon and work your way up from there.

This soup is better the second day; it is thicker, and more flavorful. This recipe makes quite a lot; we were able to have it for two meals, and we gave some away, too.

Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup
by What a Dish!

1 meaty ham bone
1 pound dried white beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic cloved, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 cups water
1 tsp. chicken or ham "Better Than Bouillon" or substitute
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large slow cooker, place the soaked beans, ham bone, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cover with the water. Add the bouillon. Cook for 8-10 hours, or until beans are tender and soup is somewhat thickened. (I cook on High for about 5-6 hours, and then finish on low).  Remove ham bone. Cut any meat off the bone and return the meat to the slow cooker. Discard bone(s). Taste, and add salt, if necessary, and pepper. Just before serving, stir in parsley. Garnish servings with fresh parsley.

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White Chocolate- Peppermint Ice Cream

I always thought it would be fun to make a pink peppermint ice cream at home- it's such a fun flavor. Recently I was "talking" to a blogging friend and she said she's love a recipe for peppermint ice cream, so I decided to finally give it a try! Plus, I found a mysterious container of heavy cream in my fridge, about to expire. I don't remember buying it, but someone had to use it for something! Since I only had one cup of cream, I decided to make this gelato-style (like the Nutella Gelato), using a larger amount of milk than cream.

I love white chocolate, but if you just wanted a pure peppermint ice cream, leave out all of the white chocolate. I'd add maybe 1/2 cup of extra cream, to make up for the lost volume, and 1-2 extra tablespoons sugar, because the white chocolate adds a lot of sweetness. You may also want to add an extra half-teaspoon of peppermint extract. Make sure to use real white chocolate! ;)

This ice cream flavor reminds me of peppermint bark we always make during hte holidays. (I make mine with just white chocolate and candy canes, no dark chocolate.) If you wanted to go for the dark-white-candy cane peppermint bark flavor, add a handful of mini chocolate chips to the ice cream after churning, or drizzle servings with hot fudge sauce. :) This would be a great dessert to eat around Christmas-time.

I had so much fun making up this ice cream!

White Chocolate-Peppermint Ice Cream

by What a Dish!

7 ounces chopped white chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

dash salt

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3-4 drops red food coloring, optional

1/2 cup crushed candy canes

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1. Place the white chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl. Place a fine metal strainer on the bowl, over the white chocolate.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the cream and milk until hot, but not boiling. Meanwhile, beat/whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until light in color. (I use my stand mixer). Add some (about 1 cup) of the hot milk to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. When combined, add this mixture back into the pan over low heat, whisking constantly. Keep cooking and whisking, until mixture thickens slightly, coats the back of a wooden spoon, and reaches 160 degree F.

3. Pour mixture through the fine metal strainer, into the bowl containing the white chocolate. The heat should melt the chocolate completely- stir until this happens. Add the peppermint extract and optional food coloring. Cool, and refrigerate overnight.

4. Pour into your ice-cream maker to freeze. Near the very end, when the ice cream is getting ready, add the finely chopped chocolate, and the crushed candy canes. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for a few hours.

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My Mom's Spaghetti Sauce... With a Twist

Yesterday, I had no idea what to make for dinner, and on those nights, sometimes spaghetti comes to mind. I hadn't made it in forever, and I had everything on hand. I also had some things in the fridge that I needed to use up, so those went in, too. I had half of a smoked sausage (I think about 1/2 pound, but you could throw in more, or less), some fresh basil, and fresh parsley. I really liked the addition of the smoked sausage- I want to make spaghetti again using it. If you don't have fresh basil, use 1 tablespoon dried. We topped our servings with fresh-shredded Parmesan because I had it on hand..

I really like how thick and hearty this recipe is. Simmering for an hour does a lot to the flavor of the sauce. I've been making this for a long time; even before I really knew much about cooking.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce.... With a Twist

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound smoked sausage, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Hot cooked spaghetti noodles

1.  Brown ground beef with onion and garlic in large sauce pan. When beef is half-way done, add smoked sausage. Continue cooking until beef is no longer pink; drain any extra fat. Add tomato sauce along with the rest of ingredients, except spaghetti noodles. Simmer about one hour. (I cover my pan most of the way with a lid.) During the last few minutes of cooking time, add fresh basil and parsley. Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti; garnish with Parmesan.
*Sauce itself is gluten free.

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Roastin' Chestnuts

Yesterday we visited a basket-weaver here, who also happens to own 60-something chestnut trees. He had a tons of chestnuts spread out over the floor of his working hut; we offered to buy some, and he gave us some for free since we only wanted to try "a little" (although, a kilo doesn't seem like "a little" to me!) He told us that it's traditional to eat chestnuts on All Saint's Day... November 1. So, today, as a little snack, we roasted some up. We looked up info online, and found that you need to cut an "X" into each nut before roasting, or they will explode. We roasted them at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes. We weren't sure how long to roast them, this being our first time and all. I think they turned out fine, but I wonder if we should have had them in longer. They had a slightly sweet flavor, and the texture was a little mealy. Our kids loved them; they ate wasy more than I did. They liked salt sprinkled on theirs. Chestnuts are very filling!
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **