PYREX

Yellow Egg Beaters -

I've never seen egg beaters like this before with paddles. Because of the color I would guess 1950's or 1960's so collectible. But not really sure. I thought they were interesting enough to purchase for $2.00 I've searched online but I've had no luck in finding anything that resembled these egg beaters and no markings to indicate manufacturer. But still I think an interesting find. 

Banana Nut Muffins

I baked some fragrant moist and tender muffins today.
1/3 c. oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. mashed banana
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
3 c. Bisquick
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. toasted walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of loaf pan or use muffin pans with liners. Beat all ingredients vigorously with spoon for 30 seconds. Bake 55 to 65 minutes for loaf pan; 15 minutes for mini muffins; 20 minutes for regular muffins. Cool 5 minutes.Next time I will add some chocolate chips or blueberries or even some ginger.

What I like about this recipe is that I can make muffins or just tea bread.

Pasta with Vegetable Ragu

So easy just mushrooms, yellow, red and green peppers, shredded zucchini, fresh garlic, olives, fresh basil, italian seasonings, freshly grated pepper a good hand full of parmesan cheese and a good bottled sauce. Cook all the vegetables until tender then add the sauce and cheese it thickens up the sauce. In a separate pot boil up some water with a little olive oil and a dash of salt and cook some pasta I used penne but you could use any that you might have on hand. I combined the pasta and sauce together and layered the pasta with yellow and 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese and then another layer of pasta and the final top layer just cheese. Heat until warmed thru and bubbly. Just for a little added crunch how about some italian bread crumbs on top. Serve with a salad and bread sticks. DINNER

Grand Marnier French Toast

3 large eggs

milk
vanilla
cinnamon
nutmeg
butter
Grand Marnier
4 Slices of French Bread 


Mix all ingredients together until combined I use a pie plate place bread into liquid when half of liquid is absorbed turn over. Get a skillet nice and hot add butter place your bread into skillet and cook until side 1 is nicely browned. Turn over until other side is nicely browned. Place on a plate pour warmed maple syrup and you choice of toppings I used whipped cream and a little cinnamon sugar. And I can say it was so very delicious. The hint of the Grand Marnier and cinnamon and nutmeg was out of this world. 

Grilled Scallops Garnished with Fresh Chives •

will post recipe later

Sunday Dinner

The appetizer was to die for it was oh so yummy!!! Potato salad was out of this world and will be better today and the Chicken as always was just perfect grilled on the Santa Maria Style BBQ over oak here here to warm sunny days...

Sunday Dinner

Appetizer: Goat Cheese sprinkled with Pistachios sliced dried Apricots drizzled with Mesquite Honey with Crackers • Brinks Red Potato Salad • Grilled Chicken equals Sunday Dinner

Heavenly smells coming from the Kitchen

Pot Roast in an Herb - Wine Bath

1 roast
1 onion
3 carrots
2 potatoes
garlic lots of garlic
dried or fresh rosemary
dried or fresh thyme
fresh black pepper
a little sea salt
olive oil
good red wine 
did I mention garlic
I always wash my meat in cold water pat dry and season I use garlic powder minus and salt and black pepper. I add sliced garlic into meat for added flavor. Place in a large baking dish. Add seasoned vegetables.
1. Wash potatoes leave skin on or if you like peel them that goes for the carrots also.. slice on the diagonal place in a large bowl add chopped garlic and herbs with a sprinkle of sea salt and olive oil toss until mixed. I then place around roast. 
2. Peel onion and chop into large chunks and slice carrots into large chucks also. Toss the vegetables until coated with garlic oil mixture same mixture that the potatoes were mixed in. 
3. Place on top of roast
4. A last grind of some  fresh pepper and some good red wine "bath" 
5. Cover with foil and place in a 350 oven for 1 hour. 
Enjoy

Pot Roast in an Herb Bath

As I type my beautiful pot roast is in the oven cooking away. I will post pictures and recipe in a bit.
Happy tuesday to everyone.

Roasted Chicken with Stuffing

Ingredients:
I use Mrs. Cubbisons and I love it...I used the Classic Seasoned Dressing this time
Green Onions 1 bunch
Celery 2 cups
Onion 1 cup or 1 small onion
Stock 1 1/2 cups
1 stick butter for sauteing onions and celery
plus 2-3 tablespoons for basting hen
2-3 tablespoons butter for extra stuffing
handfull of chopped nuts
handfull cranberries
herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme
and one very plumb hen...

Chop the onions and celery saute in butter add nuts and cranberries cook until soft. Pour the stuffing packages into a large bowl. Add the onion and celery mixture and moisten with stock I use organic chicken stock or homemade chicken stock which ever I have on hand.
Wash you chicken and pat dry place, in a oven proof dish. I always add some fresh rosemary to the bottom of my dish and place the chicken of top it just looks pretty and smells Oh so good. Stuff you hen with the stuffing. Melt additional butter and baste chicken I now season with pepper and some fresh or dried herbs what ever I have on hand.
For the extra stuffing place in a buttered casserole dish and cover.

Place your hen in a 375 oven for about 2 hours. Place some foil on top of your hen for the first hour. Take off and let hen brown until done the last hour.
Place your extra stuffing in the oven for 30-45 minutes make sure the internal temperature reached 196 degrees.
And you have a fantastic dinner add a vegetable or salad or your favorite side dish...Enjoy
and maybe some gravy just a thought...
Some great recipe ideas for different types of stuffings.
mrscubbisons.com/

New Fan Page

Hello Everyone check out my new fan page....
http://www.facebook.com/pages/That-Girl-Cooks-2/358562424159209

Yummy Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

8 oz. crab meat

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup french bread, crusts removed and crumbled

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

freshly cracked black pepper

butter for frying

Mix bread, mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, pepper and egg in a large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in crab meat. Shape into 4 patties. I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup and packed crab mixture into it and turned it over onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in refrigerator for about one hour until they are well set up. Sprinkle with a little Old Bay.
In a heavy skillet, fry crab cakes in butter about 5 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Makes 4 crab cakes.

This is the first time I've ever made crab cakes and I must say they were vert yummy. Next time I might add some diced red pepper and drizzle a light lemon sauce on top of the crab cakes. But with just a squeeze of lemon they were fantastic!!

You can also use paprika and celery salt for seasoning...

Brie and Asparagus Omelette

This is for an individual omelette

Ingredients:
2 eggs I use cage free eggs
a splash of milk or cream
a pinch of herbs: I used thyme and marjoram you can use any dried or fresh herbs you have handy
french brie
asparagus I used about 6 very thin stems
butter

Wash and cut asparagus blanche in boiling water for just a few minutes you want your asparagus to be a bright green color and to still have a little crunch.
Whip up the eggs with the milk and herbs
Place pats of butter in you pan when melted pour egg mixture and begin to cook when firm flip over and place brie and blanched asparagus on one side of omelette fold over add some brie on top of folded omelette and place a lid on the pan to melt the brie.
Before serving add asparagus on top of omelette for a garnish.
Serve
This makes a wonderful meal for breakfast, brunch or a light lunch or supper.

Russian Teacakes

1 Cup Sifted Flour
1/2 Cup sifted Confectioners Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix throughly
2 1/4 Cups Sifted Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sift together and add to creamed mixture
3/4 Cup of finely chopped nuts either (Walnuts • Hazelnuts • Pecans)
Mix into mixture


Chill dough. Roll into 1inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet (cookies will not spread)
Bake at 400 degrees until set about 10-12 minutes.
While still warm, roll in Confectioners Sugar. Cool roll in sugar again. I usually roll just once I like mine to look like little snowballs... 


I make this cookie every year for Christmas it always looks so festive. I reminds me of snowballs and snow....

Baking

Today is baking day for Christmas Cookies, Russian Teacakes, Snickerdoodles, Gingerbread Men and Macaroons....OH and peanut butter biscuits for the 3 Chihuahua's.. If you like stop by and take a look at there fan page.
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/3-Chihuahuas-Fan-Page/117449615025783.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Nothing better than biscuits and gravy on a cold Sunday morning.

Breakfast Potatoes

1 large baking potato peeled
onion diced
half a small or quarter of a large onion or to your taste
1/2 cup sharp yellow cheese
1/2 cup salsa I used pace picante sauce
season potatoes with pepper, salt and I used celery salt....oh so fab delicious......

Dice potato place in a bowl with a little water and cover and cook in the microwave until almost done. Drain
In skillet pour some olive oil and heat, add onions cook until transparent add potatoes and cook until done. Add about 1/2 a cup of salsa and stir until potatoes and onions are covered and then add cheese cook until cheese is melted.

These breakfast potatoes were delicious with some fried eggs a great and easy breakfast.
Wish I had taken a picture but OH Well.....next time.

Chicken and Rice - Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients:

Chicken

I used chicken breasts with ribs attached but you can easily used boneless chicken breast or a whole chicken cut up 

Tomatoes or 1 can of tomato sauce

Garlic as many as you like 

Onion

Green Pepper

Celery

Freshly Cracked Pepper

Directions:

Chop all your vegetables

Chopped Onion, Tomatoes, Green Pepper and Garlic

add to stock pot with chicken add enough water to cover chicken

and vegetables season with pepper

Simmer until chicken is done 

 take out chicken and cool

 strain chicken broth and set aside

Heat Oil in a stock pot I use my Le Creuset dutch oven

add garlic and saute I always season with fresh pepper

Add the rice and gently brown so it has a nice warm color

 The rice, onions and garlic are nicely browned 

Time to add tomatoes if you don't have fresh tomatoes

you can use a can of tomato sauce

Add either fresh or dried parsley or cilantro

Add green peppers

Add chicken broth give a good stir and cook rice

When rice is almost done I place the chicken that I cooked earlier

on top of rice mixture and give a little stir.

 And I finish cooking the rice.

I usually add a little more freshly chopped tomatoes

at the end for some texture and color

as most of the tomatoes have already cooked down into the broth. 

You could also finish this dish in the oven and maybe add a little cheddar cheese for something a little different. with some chopped green onions..