Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Picture Source

Love it!

Blue and Yellow have always been one of my favorites! 

And this kitchen brings them together perfectly.

This is a small kitchen but you can't tell. I love the combination of the way they 

did some cupboards yellow and some blue. 

So Sweet.

But this feels like Brunch cooking to me...

so how about:

Ham and Egg Strata

From: http://southernfood.about.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus, divided
• 6 cups cubed French bread or sourdough bread, divided
• 1 1/2 cups diced ham
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Blanch asparagus briefly in boiling water; drain well. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the bread cubes into a buttered 2-quart casserole. Scatter half of the asparagus over the bread. Top with another 1 1/2 cups of bread cubes. Cover with the 1 1/2 cups diced ham. Top with another 1 1/2 cups bread cubes then layer remaining asparagus over that. Cover asparagus layer with remaining 1 1/2 cups bread cubes. Whisk together the eggs and milk; season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over the strata. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight to cook and serve the next morning. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Poor over the top:

Spicy Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• hot pepper sauce, to taste

Preparation:

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; stir in flour and mustard until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Do not let mixture brown. Gradually add milk; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened and boiling. Boil 1 minute. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Another great recipe site! I do favor this one...

Where Would You Love to Cook Today/

Don't you just love everything about this kitchen!

I found it at:

http://www.hgtv.com

Look at the detail of the island and the corners of  the cupboards.

The color is so calming. and I think this is going to be a great one to cook in today!

The chandelier brings it all together.

I can smell 

                  French beef stew

From http://laylita.com

Ingredients:

4 lbs beef shank, with or without bones, cut in large chunks

1 ½ large red onions, sliced

3-4 tbs olive oil

10 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 2 cans of diced tomatoes

6-7 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 ½ – 2 cups red wine

1 tbs herbes de Provence, or mix of dried thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary, basil, etc

1 tbs whole anise seeds

Salt and pepper

Serve with – Pastas

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, add the meat chunks and brown them on each side.
2. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside for later.
3. Add the onions slices to the pan and cook until caramelized.
4. Add the browned meat chunks back to the pan with the onions
5. Add the tomatoes, carrots, wine, herbs, anise seeds, salt and pepper.
6. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Serve with warm pastas.

 

 

 

 

 

If you love food with a lot of flavor then stop by this site.

Another one I love to visit when I want something different but wonderful!

There are so many choices you will want to cook everything!

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Oh my gosh ....Wouldn't you just die to have this kitchen.

So cute and look at the top of the island...to cute!

I found this kitchen over at:

http://hookedonhouses.net

I love that site.It is always so fun to see all the homes from the movie sets.

I am so excited to cook here today..

Lets see what should we cook....

I know how about something from Frieda;

www.friedalovesbread.com/

I love her site! it is one of my favorites to go too and you can get to on my side bar too.

She always has the best recipes and they always turn out!

I copied this right from her site so the links will work if you click on them.

Dinner Rolls

I got this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, my most favorite cookbook that I got for my high school graduation as a gift. This is one of the most versatile recipes that I have ever used. If you have ever used Rhodes roll dough, this is it! For me, this is sooooo much better; I don't have to wait to thaw it out.  




Roll Shape Variations here

More Roll Shapes Here!

Dinner Rolls

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

4 1/4 - 4 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 T. active dry yeast
1 T. vital wheat gluten
1 c. milk
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. butter, margarine or shortening
3/4 t. salt
2 beaten eggs, room temperature**

Put 2 c. flour in mixing bowl. Add yeast, gluten and salt. Mix well. **Put UNCRACKED, WHOLE eggs in a drinking glass and fill up with hot tap water; set aside. This will bring the eggs to room temperature.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk, sugar, butter and melt on 1/2 power (50 or 50%) in microwave for 3 minutes or until butter is almost melted. Stir until butter and sugar is dissolved. Drain water from eggs. Crack eggs and add eggs to milk mixture. Pour into flour mixture and mix well. Allow mixture to sit, or "sponge" for 10 minutes.

Add rest of flour, one cup at a time until dough clings to hook and almost cleans the sides. Touch dough lightly. Add more flour if dough sticks to your fingers. Knead for 3-4 minutes. Dough should be soft, smooth, elastic, wet, and not sticky. Scrape down sides of bowl, oil the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise to double in warm, draft free place (in oven with pan of hot tap water underneath) for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 piles. Shape into balls and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes. Shape as desired (into 24 rolls, total) and place on greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to rise for 20-30 minutes.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Variations:
Herb-Onion Dinner Rolls
Add 1 T. dried minced onion and 1/2 t. dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning, crushed to milk mixture.

Rye-Caraway Dinner Rolls
Add 2 t. caraway seed to milk mixture and substitute 1 1/4 c. rye flour for 1 1/4 c. of the all purpose flour that is added in after the sponging process.

Batter Dinner Rolls
Reduce the all purpose flour that is added in after the sponging process to 1-1 1/4 c. Use a total of 3 1/4 c. flour. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling half full. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 30 min). Brush roll tops with milk, and if desired, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seed. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 min. or till golden brown. Makes 18 rolls.

Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
Divide dough into 12 piles. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. For hamburger buns, shape each portion into a circle, tucking edges under. Place on a greased baking sheet. Using your fingers, slightly flatten circles to 4" in diameter.
For Hot dog buns, shape each portion into a roll about 5 1/2" long, tapering ends. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Make Ahead Directions
Cover shaped rolls loosely with plastic wrap, leaving groom for rolls to rise. Chill 2-24 hours.Uncover; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake as directed.

Brown & Serve Directions
After shaped rolls have risen; bake at 250 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool on the pan for 20 minutes. Keep in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bake rolls at 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Where Would You Love To Cook and Sew Today?

So Cozy! Well I have to admit I want to sew not cook here. I want to pull out my sewing machine and work on a few traditional quilt blocks. I found this dining room at:

http://www.countrysampler.com/

So I am going to bring my crock pot and my sewing machine.

Where better to get a great recipe than over at 

A Year of Slow Cooking

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Let see what can go into the Crock pot:

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup Recipe

We all really liked this soup---the kids ate a ton, and we have a bunch leftover. I made a big batch so we'd have leftovers in the freezer. I'd guess this serves 10.

The Ingredients.

--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

This really is a fun blog. She used her Crock pot for 365 days and even has a verdict of weather or not her family liked the recipe or not.

And while this cooked I am going to go over and visit Amy Smart at:

http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/

'Peppermint Pinwheel' Dresden Block

Amy has the best Tutorial at:

http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2012/06/peppermint-pinwheel-dresden-block.html

I can't wait to get sewing and smelling that wonderful Crock Pot recipe.

Where Would You Love To Cook Today?

Isn't this a great kitchen! I don't know where it is from. I pinned it to my board at:

http://pinterest.com/busyDebbie/cozy-kitchens/

If anyone knows what site it came from please let me know.

I am sure it comes from a wonderful site. Just look at how inviting it is.

Just what to cook....

I am think of stopping over at:

http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/

I think it looks like the kitchen of a woman that knows a lot about kitchen tools, such as a pressure cooker.

So lets make: 

Pressure Cooker Minestrone Soup with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3 carrots diced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomato
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
• 2 cups digitali pasta, cooked
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 14.5 ounce cans of kidney beans
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons basil pesto

Directions

1. Select Saute and add the oil to the pressure cooker pot. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery. Keep stirring and cook about 5 more minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves and salt. Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and 5 minutes cook time and start. When timer beeps, turn off pressure cooker and wait 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.
3. Remove the bay leaves. Add the pasta, spinach and beans. Taste and season with pepper and more salt if needed. Set pressure cooker to Keep Warm setting to hold soup until ready to serve. Stir in the pesto just before serving.

Doesn't this look like the best recipe! You have to stop by and see Barbara's site.It really a great site, So make sure if you love to read recipes you have the time. You'll be there a long time.

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

I love this table and chairs, look at those cute chair cushions!

I found this over at:

http://cozycanadiancottage.blogspot.com/

And those cupboards above the canisters are Darling!

To me, it has a joining of old and new feeling and what a nice touch.

Everyone will feel welcome.

I think a traditional meal.

BEEF STEW

From: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/

Cook the meat, onion, garlic, tomatoes and broth in the oven for about 4-5 hours then add the fresh vegetables and cook for another hour on the stove top. Serve with a tossed salad and fresh bread with butter. 

1 lb stew meat (I use lean round cut into small chunks)

1 sweet yellow onion chopped into large pieces

6 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes

1-2 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

6 cups of beef stock

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 cups diced baby red potatoes (skin on)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees (you can also use stove top or crock-pot).

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add stew meat and onion then cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding tomatoes, seasonings and stock. Cover and cook in the oven for at least 4 hours. Remove pot from oven place on stove top over medium low heat.

Add vegetables to the stew and add more beef broth if low. Taste and re-season if needed. Cover and cook for 1 – 1 1/ 2 hours. If you want the stew to be thick, add a slurry of cornstarch and cold beef broth (mixing thoroughly) then pour into stew while it’s boiling, stir then reduce heat to low. Serve and enjoy!

For the Love of Cooking is a great site you won't want to miss.

Always something cooking up over there I want to try.

I Want to Cook At Kirstie Alley House!

I love this Kitchen!

And it belongs to Kirstie Alley!

 I would love to cook in this kitchen and 

I would love it more if Kirstie Alley was there too.

I found this picture over at:

http://prettyoldhouses.blogspot.ca/2011/09/kirstie-alleys-maine-cottage.html

So if you want to see more of her darling home stop by and take a look.

I think I would Have to make:

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting

From: http://www.perrysplate.com/

ingredients:

Frosting:
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c seedless strawberry jam
3/4 c chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake:
3 c cake flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c sugar
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 large eggs
2 T vanilla extract
1 c sour cream
6 T plus 1/3 c seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

directions:

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. You'll probably want to use an electric mixer for this so you don't end up with lumps. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in sugar, then jam. Beat cream in a separate, chilled, bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it's firm enough to spread.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. (You may even want to refrigerate them for a couple of hours to make this next step easier.)

Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate. Spread 2 T of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 3/4 c of the frosting over the jam. Arrange 3/4 c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting. Stir remaining jam to loosen, then spoon teaspoonfuls onto the top and sides of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to swirl jam decoratively into the frosting.

Makes 12 servings.

 Notes:
1. As you can see, I used a 9x13 cake pan and did three layers instead of four. This makes a LOT of cake. (Which seems to justify the pound of butter (between the cake and the frosting) and 7 eggs, no?) It fed well over 20 people at Sophie's party. It does take longer to bake that way. I think I baked it for an hour and 5 minutes or so. Begin the toothpick tests at around 55 minutes, though.
2. Because I decorated her cake, I didn't swirl jam into the frosting.

Perry's Plate is another blog worth stopping by.

 Just reading the above recipe you will want to stop by for more amazing recipes!