Give In to Temptation

Can anyone recommend a custom embroiderer in the northland area. I have a couple of things I would like to have done but I'm looking for a good price.... meaning less than it would cost online. Thanks in advance!

Kicking off my 12 days of cookies with these lovelies!
More at my blog HERE

( Read more... )

My housemates and I take it in turn to cook dinner for everyone each Sunday.
Three of us love meat but the other is a vegetarian, so can anyone suggest any recipes where meat can be easily be included but removed from one portion?
Thankyou!

Kicking off my 12 days of cookies with these lovelies!
More at my blog HERE

I am making a mincemeat pie with real meat in it. There will be vegetarians at the dinner, so I plan on making one for them- but what do I use for meat. Lamb will be in the meat one.

Hello~

I wanted to know if anyone out there has a recipe for pommes frits that requires the use of lard?

Thanks~

This recipe comes from my sister Gabriella, who lives in Boston. Has anyone else heard of this? I couldn't find it on the Interwebs

Pizza Gena
Ingredients
pizza dough sufficient for one pie
1 lb. of various meats and Italian cold cuts, such as: bacon, soppressata, capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, salami, prosciutto, provolone, etc.
2 lbs. ricotta
1 egg

Instructions
While you let your pizza dough rise for about 15 minutes, fry any of the fattier meats to sweat out the fat. Drain them on paper towels. Cut the meats and cheeses into strips or chunks, whichever you prefer. Mix the ricotta and egg well. Roll out the pizza dough to make the bottom crust of the pie. Put in a buttered pie plate or square 9 x 9 dish. Make sure dough hangs over the edges. Put a layer of ricotta mixture down. Cover with a layer of meats. Repeat this until pie is full, ending with a ricotta layer. Pinch dough around edges of the dish to make a pie-crust look. Bake at 350 degrees until crust has desired brownness. Cool and serve at room temperature or cold.

Theory of the Dish
At least in the Boston area, Pizza Gena is only prepared for Easter. I’ve learned that there are as many variations of Pizza Gena as there are Italians in Boston! Some people seal the pie with a top crust. I find it to be too much dough for my taste in the finished product, sort of like a ricotta calzone. If you like the idea, make twice the amount of pizza dough, and simply place the top piece over your filling, pinching top and bottom crusts together. Some people use 2 - 4 eggs for each 2 lbs. of ricotta, which results in a more eggy, quiche-like flavor, and a browner top. Some people use an egg pie crust instead of pizza dough. The combination of meats used is a zealously defended tradition. If you try telling people that you use 1 egg and bacon and soppressata, you’ll immediately get the response “Oh, I use…..” This is a very rich, tasty way to enjoy your favorite meats, especially if you’ve been fasting from meats during Lent!

Well I'm not making any promises. I've caved to the Facebook craze. I also have caved to a lot of other things.
Life has been rough last few years but things hope to get better. Change is hard, and slow so we shall see.
I still play WOW way to much to devote any time to any journal. I don't even post new photos anymore because of lack of taking them.

I do think of you guys often. I hope we can say good buy to this year and hello to next year healthy happy and full of hope.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?ref=name&id=743177198

OKay so i need some help here


So this year i am hosting Christmas dinner. Now, i am cooking the turkey.Well technically I am cooking everything, but the turkey is the one i am most iffy about.Its a 20lber.This is the first time ever that I am cooking the dinner. I am overly excited about this because that means I dont have to deal with his families horrible cooking. It also means however, that if I screw up i will NEVER hear the end of it.

Now I had planed on using the following brine recipe

* 4 quarts water
* 2 cups dark brown sugar
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 cup maple syrup
* 3/4 cup sea salt
* 8-10 whole cloves garlic, peeled
* 6-8 whole bay leaves
* 3 large sprigs of thyme
* 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns

However, the reviews for that recipe state that people using it on their grill. I had planned to cook the Turkey in my Oven. Would this still be okay? Or am i better off finding another brining recipe? Now also if I understand it i should have my turkey completely thawed out before i brine it, yes?

Also for the oven recipe I planned on using the following.

Ingredients for roasting the turkey:

* 1 stick butter cut into 8 pieces
* 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
* 2-4 celery stalks, chopped
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 cup white wine

Directions for roasting the turkey that has been in brine:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse the turkey thoroughly and place on a rack in the roasting pan. (Discard the brine.)
3. Carefully push the pats of butter under the skin (4 on each side) on the breast.
4. Loosely fill the turkey cavity with about half the celery and carrots, one sprig of thyme and one onion.
5. Arrange the remaining vegetables and thyme around the turkey in the pan.
6. Pour the wine over the vegetables in the pan.
7. Cover the turkey with a foil tent to prevent the skin from browning too quickly. Remove the foil thirty minutes before the turkey is done to allow the skin to brown.
8. Allow 15 minutes roasting time per pound of meat. A 16 lb. turkey takes around 4 hours to cook. The bird is done when thigh juices run clear (not pink). Or, test with a meat thermometer: Butterball experts recommend 180 degrees F. when the thermometer is placed deep in the thigh.
9. Allow the turkey to stand for 20 minutes before carving.


However, if you guys have a better one i would most appreciate it. I do not plan on putting the stuffing in the turkey especially since everyone has requested that they hate it so not to bother cooking it. Which is fine by me.

any other tips or tricks or help would be greatly appreciated

So, I want to make dinner for my other half's sort-of elderly aunt, before she goes away for business over the holiday.

She has a number of dietary restrictions, which makes it hard.

1. She has Celiac's disease, so no gluten/wheat.
2. She is deathly allergic to chicken, in all it's forms. We're talking the whole throat-closing-up anaphylaxis shock. So no stock, no nothing. It's some protein in it, and just can't be risked.
3. She is recently vegetarian; due to a medication cocktail she's been on due to reconstructive surgery, she's had a very upset stomach whenever she has eaten meat, so to save her sanity she's given it up. She's not sure what it's reacting to, but she has alot less nausea if she avoids it. So, other meat can cause some distress, but chicken is an absolute no. Not even by-products.


Myself, I'm a diabetic and on a low saturated fat recommended diet, so I tend to cut out alot of carbs and eat lean/low meat anyways, but this is just an extreme that's a bit far even for me.

Anyone have any of their favorites that might suit?

Hey everyone, first time poster xD

I have a major favour to ask of the general public (should you choose to accept it that is).

I am cooking Christmas dinner for five friends (including myself), I wanted an intimate dinner with the people who've I been with longest. The problem is, I have no freaking clue what to cook. Personally I am an extremely fussy eater, and I know what I can cook for myself, but I tried to get them to tell me what they wanted for food, and only one (who is helping me cook-well and her sister so two) of them where any help. The other two were just meh...

What does that even mean?! Stupid teenagers/young adults.

So I need advice. One said something with Turkey, but I don't want to roast a whole turkey just for five of us (or even half or whatever) anyone know anything that tastes good, not overly complex (prefer simple) turkey dish that is good. I'm thinking maybe a turkey casserole but I'm not quite sure yet, give me some suggestions cause i'm stumped for this.

I was also thinking pasta with salad (thinking maybe string-bean salad) and than the turkey thing, that seem nice enough for five people? There will be desert but I have that covered already ^^
Would you eat this (if you knew me) for Christmas dinner??

Three of us are Italian, and two are Latina [from Venezuela], If you want to suggest anything from those backgrounds go for it! Looking forward to all and every suggestion.

Tootles

Are there any tea shops or restaurants/cafes in the metro area that offer tea tastings? (You know, like wine tastings, but with tea.) Have you been to any of them and have any recommendations?

My go-to recipe for pumpkin dessert. This is always a sure-win at holiday parties and dinners. Makes great leftovers, too!

Here it is simplified:

Bread pudding
2 cups half and half
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark OR golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2-inch Brioche* Challah or Hawaiian bread

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend.
Fold in bread cubes.
Transfer mixture to 11x7" OR 9x13" glass baking dish.
Let stand 15 minutes.
Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

NOTES:
Add more pumpkin for custard texture.
Add more bread for thicker texture.
I recommend Brioche (Trader Joe's brand if you can get it)

Maple Caramel Sauce
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring

Combine cream, sugar and syrup in heavy medium saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until caramel colored and reduced to 1 3/4 cups, whisking occasionally, about 35 minutes.
Mix in maple flavoring. Cool slightly.

NOTES: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Re-warm over medium heat, stirring; add 2 tablespoons hot water if necessary to dissolve any crystallized sugar.

Serves (probably) 10-12, depending on how big you cut the pieces and how generous you're feeling.

If you'd like to see the recipe step-by-step with pictures check out my blog.

Enjoy & happy holidays!

Thanks to everyone who pitched in suggestions on the Thanksgiving dressing post I made right before Thanksgiving.

Here is the 'recipe' for the universally loved stuffing dressing that I made on Thanksgiving day. It got rave reviews and a public declaration of love from the other cook who *never* liked dressing before. This is more of a process than a recipe, which is why some of the ingredients don't have amounts; it is an individual taste thing, really.

I'm throwing in the cranberry/fruit relish I took, as well. If anyone wants the recipe for the citrus baked candied yams, let me know and I'll post that as well.

( Rowan's Real Down-Home Dressing )

( Amazing Cranberry Fruit Relish )

Hello!

I made myself a batch of ham and pineapple fried rice (yay leftovers) for dinner last night, and liked it so much that I'd like to make more to portion and freeze. Does anybody have experience freezing fried rice and/or pineapple? The interwebs gave me mixed messages about freezing pineapple.

I'm also planning out my holiday baking/jamming/candymaking, and I'm wondering if cookies freeze well...? I plan on making several types of cookies, and would be delighted to make them ahead of time rather than cramming all of my baking into a few hectic days. Are there types of cookies that you've found to freeze poorly? I'm planning on two types of biscotti and coconut macaroons so far.

I do have a foodsaver vacuum sealer to assist me in my missions...

Thanks!

I made this pie for Thanksgiving instead of the traditional pies because it was what I had on hand. I guess some people could call it more of a tart but anyways, it was good. So, on to the Cherry Cordial Pie:

( Recipe and Pic )

as some of you know, my boyfriend is a russian immigrant who came here as a teenager. while we were visiting his family in orange county this year, his mother made some traditional ukrainian cookies BY HAND with us. god, they are soooo good. they are called oreshki and are made by baking the halves, then filling them with a mixture made of nuts, leftover crumbs from making the cookies (for extra crunch), hazelnut paste, and condensed milk that has been boiled in the can for many hours to make it taffylike.


here is a finished oreshki. look how delicious that looks!

( more this way )