teacher by day - chef by night
A few years ago my aunt gave me Death by Chocolate Cakes – and wow is there good stuff in there (great cookbook for those chocolate addicts – get it, seriously), so I knew thats where I had to go to find this cake (which I had sticky-noted immediately after receiving the book).
YUM! This soup is perfect for all seasons and beyond delicious (and easily adaptable!) I first found this recipe on Keep it Simple Foods a few months ago labeled as “Hummus Soup” and decided to wait to make it until I saw my grandmother who …
We keep on getting stuff called amaranth from our co-op. It is not a bad thing (actually pretty good) and it actually tastes a lot like spinach (with a slightly more bitter & fuzzy-ness to them) The major problem is that we are getting tired of it and we are also avoiding using the oven all the time during these summer months!
With our last crop of Amaranth I decided I wanted to do some sort of Spinach Pie & this recipe looked like it would hit the spot (which it did)! This got huge thumbs up from us & my parents (served with a big salad and some grilled garlic chicken to satisfy dad’s need for protein with every meal). The flavors in this were right on and in many ways it reminded me of my Spinach Feta Pie, (which I guess I never blogged, and am now craving as well)! Veggie Pies are an awesome way to get some tasty flavors into your diet (although “diet” is a rough word to use here with the 3+ cups of cheeses in the pie). So just ENJOY!
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion in the butter until very soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Mix in the thawed, squeezed spinach.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach/onion mixture and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Transfer filling to prepared pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving & ENJOY
And I leave you with today’s Question… what is your favorite “health food” – whether it is a true or fake health food?
I tasted these a day later and they were good enough to eat, but resisted temptation and let them sit another week or so and they were worth the wait! These are nice and crunchy still with all the taste you would expect from something pickled. So get your harvest of peas (or go ahead and make this with the green beans that are currently in abundance) and make up a jar of these to enjoy in a few days – YUM!
These S’mores Bar Cookies are a mix between a Blondie & a Chocolate Chip Bar Cookie. The flavors are right on, the cinnamon in the batter is perfect & they are nice any chewy (even a week later – I stored them in the fridge and then just let them come to room temperature).
This post is a few weeks later than I wanted it to be – SORRY
I started making some Jello Jiggler Shots early this year with ‘Beer Jigglers’ for New Years and then some Margarita Jigglers around Memorial Day (never photographed – Ill re-make and re-do those). Every time I make Jigglers they are a big hit & so much fun. Rich “hates” Jello & Jigglers but gets excited every time that I make these because as they say “there is always room for Jello”!
I have been enjoying my new Jiggler experiments and wanted to bring something fun & festive to our neighbor’s July 4th party and thought these Red, White & Blue Jigglers were just perfect 
(I also made Mudslide Jigglers – but those all went to my family, although I do need to make them again for the next time we get together with friends since they were so good)
All recipe direction are about the same, but I’ll write them out since they vary slightly. They should all be made in either a 9 x 9 pan or a loaf pan (the short square ones are easier to cut). You can also use silicone molds with a little cooking spray before to allow for easy release. Recipes in this post are from (or adapted along the same lines of) the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen Cookbook.
Place the wine in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
Place the milk in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
* I used 99 bananas liqueur and this was WAY too strong for my taste – please cut it down to 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup more milk if you try this OR use a different liqueur!
Place the pineapple juice, vodka, & lemon juice in a small saucepan & sprinkle the gelatin on top – let set for a minute or two. Turn the heat on very low and slowly dissolve the gelatin until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is dissolved and mixed through. Pour into a small (9×9) square container or a loaf pan. Lets set in the refrigerator several hours or overnight (it needs at least 4 hours).
And I leave you with this question… What classic color OR drink combinations would be fun to make for your next gathering!?