Baby Shower

Last July (2012) my sister in law was given a lovely baby shower.  I was so happy when her mom asked me to bring a baby in a watermelon carriage.  

Now, i have never, ever, cut a watermelon into anything other then sloppy slices meant to be devoured instantaneously.  Naturally i was extremely doubtful i would be able to duplicate this adorable center piece.  

Luckily You Tube has crazy nonsense including step by step instructions on how to crave a baby in a watermelon carriage.   This is the video on how to carve the darn thing. 

 

It did not take long at all.  I suggest watching the video and making a list of all the stuff you will need a couple days before attempting this cutie.

Cookies you will not want to give away.

I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. However, a lot of the recipes i have been using left me with nasty crunchy, hard, burnt edged cookies. I hate that! Such a waste of chocolate. We had Chef At Home playing on the tv the other day. I do enjoy watching him cook, everything looks like it would be tasty. He made these cookies and PROMISED me chewy results. *Rolls up sleeves*

Alright, so they were good fantastic. Chewy, lots of chocolate bits and buttery. Want the recipe? Ok, I'll share, but please drop some off when you make them.

Ingredients:
* 1 stick butter (about 1/2 a cup for those of you who hate to figure that out.)
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon molasses (DO IT. It makes the recipe. Then you store the rest of the container in your cupboard. Not the fridge. Molasses helps to brown the cookie quicker so its not as dried out.)
* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup oats
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

2. Cream the butter, sugar and molasses together in a stand mixer. Beat until well combined and ‘creamy’. If you don’t have a stand mixer beat vigorously by hand in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile whisk the flour, oats, salt, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.

3. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and continue beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mix, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. You may try using ground oats if you prefer a smoother cookie texture.

4. Using a tablespoon scoop out a ball of the dough and drop onto a lightly greased cookie tray.
Flatten slightly. Repeat leaving lots of room in between the balls for the cookies to expand. Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes. Cool for two minutes then remove from the tray and try to eat only one!

Beef Bourguignon

Om nom nom nom. That about sums up this recipe.

Remember those few chilly days we had awhile back? While neither do i. I do remember it was cool enough for me to feel like making a delicious stew. So i leafed through my Barefoot Contessa cookbook "Barefoot in Paris".


I would rate this recipe a pain if you hate cooking, and a JOY if you enjoy it. I like to set up my laptop in the kitchen with a favorite movie (or Pretty Little Liars, if you have been following the series...) usually my hubby is kind enough to take the baby, or i start this once Henry is down for the night. This recipe cannot be finished in the time it takes my dear little one to nap. So get comfy.

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon good olive oil
* 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced (I used regular bacon.)
* 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes (I used boeuf bourguignon cubes, they are just cleaned up nicer then stewing meat which is what i usually buy because its cheaper.)
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
* 2 yellow onions, sliced
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
* 1/2 cup Cognac ( I totally did not use this, i did not have any one hand.)
* 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir (I used a Pinot Noir i already had, that was a homemade wine. Don't ever cook with a wine you would not drink by the glass while sober.)
* 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried) (I used more, like 1tsp or a bit more.)
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 pound frozen whole onions (I did not use these as i cannot find them. I just added extra chopped up onions.)
* 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

* Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions (here i added maybe one small onion extra), 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. (I used half a cup of wine here instead.)

Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus (I just used what was left in the bottle,) enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. (I left mine simmering on the stove top. Just watch that is does not burn, so i stirred it on commericals. I also threw in a bay leaf.)

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

So very, very delicious. I think i would eat it all the time. I am looking forward to fall, and to making it again. It is even better the second day reheated on the stove top.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

I love Mac and Cheese, but sometimes i feel like it takes forever to make. This one i was able to pop into the oven within 30 min. Delish!

Start out by melting butter. I used 1/4 cup.
Add your flour. I add it by the tbsp till i get the desired consistency. (All over med low heat.) Mix mix mix mix mix! Cook and stir till it turns into a lovely light golden color, cause you want to cook off the flour taste.
Add your milk, i added it in about 2 cups, then by eye till the sauce was as thick as i like it. Add in your pepper, and some salt.
Here is where i added in the cheese. Normally i chop up half a block of velveeta into small cubes, then i grate half of a 900g block, throw it all in. I also had half a block of cream cheese i threw in this time, cut up in cubes. (Feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand!)
Stir and stir and stir until all the cheese melts. Then i boiled up some macaroni noodles, (a whole box.) Drain them, and then add them to the cheese sauce. I switched to a wooden spoon at this point to gently fold in the noodles.
Pour it into a baking dish, and cook at 350 degrees until the top is golden and bubbly.
As you can see the finished result was gone before i could get a picture of it. Just imagine the top pic all golden and bubbly. Sometimes i throw more cheese on top, sometimes i throw breadcrumbs. Sometimes i throw in a can of diced tomatoes and cooked ground beef to make a more hearty meal.

Enjoy!