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!

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Doesn't this look like a very fun place to be for Halloween!

I found it at:

http://www.interiordesigninspiration.net/

and thought it was a great place to cook today!

You could just sit on the porch and watch all the "Trick or Treaters".

So what would be good to serve...

Eyeball Ice Ring

From over at:

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/sweet-halloween-drinks

• 
  

  Guests will feel like they're being watched when helping themselves to a glass of this punch -- a creepy eyeball ice ring floats inside. But with fruity ingredients, the eye will add a chill -- and flavor -- to your Halloween punch.

  
  
  
  
  Round-bottom bowl or round lettuce-crisper lid
• Flat-bottom bowl
• Kiwi fruit
• Black olive
• Chunk-style pineapple
• Red lace candy
• Dark-red punch or soft drink
  
  
  Balance the round bottom bowl or lettuce crisper lid inside another bowl with a flat bottom. Slice kiwi fruit horizontally about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out the white center of the fruit; discard. Place the kiwi in the center of the bowl.
  
  
  Cut a 3/8-inch-thick slice off the end of a pitted black olive. Place olive slice in the center opening of the kiwi with the rounded tip touching the bowl. Place chunk pineapple pieces along the edge of the kiwi to create the iris of the eye.
  
  
  Cut random lengths of red lace candy, leaving them long enough to extend over the edges of the bowl. Carefully place the red lace candy along the sides of bowl, touching the pineapple at the bottom and extending over the edges of the bowl at the top.
  
  
  Place the stacked bowls on the freezer shelf. Very slowly pour water into the bowl until the bowl is one-third full. Freeze for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until ice forms a firm layer and begins to turn white on the edges.
  
  
  Add additional water to fill the bowl to within 1-1/2 inches from the top. Freeze 4 to 6 more hours or overnight.
  
  
  Dip the bottom of the ice-ring bowl into a sink of warm water. Then slip the ice ring out of the bowl and place it in the punch.
  
  
  Better Homes ans Garden always has the best ideas!
  
  

  
  

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

Don't you just love all the colors! I thought, at first, Naw this isn't where I want to cook today...

but then it grabbed me and welcomed me in.

I love the blue cupboards and the yellow island. I decided this a kitchen someone

very creative would have.

I found this picture over at:

http://hometren.com/

So I am thinking I am thinking I better start surfing to some really creative cook's blogs...

And I stopped when I saw the recipe for :

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Doesn't this look wonderful! 

And no bake!

WOW!

serves 8 to 12

2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed
3 1/4 cups whipping cream, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
4 sleeves (about 19 ounces, or 24 to 28 whole crackers) graham crackers
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set them aside for the garnish. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and rosewater(if using) and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a similarly-sized platter. Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

I got this recipe at:

http://www.thekitchn.com/

You can find the most amazing blogs if you just start clicking!

Where Would You Love to Cook Today?

I couldn't believe it when I saw this kitchen, just how cute and cozy it is.

I want this kitchen it is so darling. When I found it there was just one picture of the kitchen

and I knew this would be a blog I would need a cup of tea for.

I was right so fun to read. But the story of this kitchen is worth the stop by it shows 

before and after pictures.

So cozy! You have to stop by:

http://judyatgoldcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-progression-of-kitchen.html

No lets get cooking....

With the weather starting to change I am really in the canning mood 

and I was over at:

Stone Gable

If you haven't been to this blog you are missing out.

I love the layout it is a fun read and she always has beautiful pictures.

She has a bit of everything from recipes to home and garden.

 Stone Gable Strawberry Jam

5 cups crushed strawberries

7 cups sugar

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp butter

12-8oz. canning jars with lids and rims ( this recipe will use about 8-9)

* Do not double recipe. I made 3 seperate batches

Heat water in a large stockpot  or canner. Clean 8 oz. canning jars with warm sudsy water. Rinse thoroughly. *Only clean jars, set lids and rings aside. Put jars into the pot and make sure they are covered with water by 2 inches. Gently boil water. Jars must be sterilized. Do not take them out of the water. Keep canner gently boiling.

Heat water in a small sauce pan to a slow simmer. This will be used to warm up the lids. Keep water slowly simmering. Do not put lids in yet!

Rinse and hull strawberries.

Mash 1 cup of strawberries at a time to equal 5 cups. I use a potato masher.

In a seperate bowl measure 7 cups of sugar and set aside.

Put strawberries in a large pot and add 1 package of Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin, zest of a lemon, lemon juice and butter ( butter keep the foam to a minimum). Heat over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring strawberries to a rolling boil.

Add sugar all at once. Stirring constantly bring the mixture back to a boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

Put lids (not rims) in the small saucepan and take off heat.

Take 1 jar out of simmering water at a time CAREFULLY. Skim off any foam that has formed on the top of the jam. Ladel jam into jars. Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean damp paper towel.

Take lid out of hot water with tongs and place on jar. Screw on rims.

Put jars back in canner and process for 10 minutes. Take out of canner and put on a doubled kitchen towel.

Listen for that little"click" of the lids that tells you that they are sealed.

Let cool. Check that each lid has sealed by pressing the center of the lid. If it clicks or you can push the center down, refrigerate or freeze this jar because it has not sealed properly.

This is the recommended way to safely preserve jam. I always use Sure Jell. The directions are very thorough, percise and easy to understand.

At the end of the day, I am tired, sticky but very satisfied! My pantry looks beautiful with 26 jars of strawberry jam, 8 jars of raspberry jam and 6 jars of sour cherry jam. And my whole house smells like jam!

See I told you Stone Gable has beautiful pictures! 

This blog is one you will want to add to your blog roll for sure.