Secret's in the Sauce

My "homemade" marinara sauce recipe comes from my mom, who got it from one of the many kitschy cookbooks in her cupboard that she received for her wedding in 1971. Maybe Make-a-Mix Cookery? I'm honestly not entirely sure, but I will say that I L-O-V-E this sauce. It's really easy to throw together and super cheap if you get the canned ingredients on sale. Plus, it's tasty. Dang, is it tasty! I've gotten to the point where I literally can't handle the pasta sauce you buy in jars at the store. Blech. Choose to make this sauce instead, my child. It's worth it. :)

Marinara Sauce

1 T. dried minced onion
1 T. parsley
1 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
3/4 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 tomato sauce can of water

Combine sauce, paste, and water in a small pot. Add all other ingredients, and stir well. Cover and heat over medium-low for thirty minutes to let the flavors become friendly with each other, stirring occasionally.

Believe me when I say you need to cover it; this stuff splatters a lot, so if you don't use a lid you will have a red-spotted kitchen.

You can certainly sub in fresh onion/garlic/parsley for the dried if you choose, and you can add any other ingredient that suits your fancy: ground beef or sausage, chicken, mushrooms, peppers, etc. You can also puree veggies and mix them in, and your kids will never know what hit them. Surreptitious nutrition! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

I love to use this sauce on pasta, but it's also a great on pizza, meatball subs, parmesan chicken, and added into soup (I came up with my minestrone recipe while trying to use up leftovers of this sauce). It freezes well for later use, too. The possibilities are endless. And delicious!

Scotcheroos

I told a friend of mine the other day that I was going to make some scotcheroos. She gave me a blank look and I realized, to my horror, that she had never heard of these treats, let alone eaten one! So Ang, this post is dedicated to you (do you even read this blog?) and to anyone else who lives in the cold, dark world where scotcheroos don't exist.

These are just one of the many sugary delights I have made since having my baby a month ago. It's so wonderful to be able to eat this kind of junk and still lose almost all of my pregnancy weight. I've got to enjoy it while I can, too, because once I hit the six-week mark and can exercise again, I will probably try to eat more healthily and lose the weight from my first pregnancy! Maybe. We'll see. :)

Scotcheroos

1 c. corn syrup
1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. rice crispies
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips

(Isn't that a lovely, simple recipe full of...um...wholesome...ingredients? No wonder these taste awesome!)

Heat corn syrup and sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and mix in peanut butter. Pour mixture over rice crispies in a large bowl and stir together. Press into a greased 9x13 pan.

Melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch together, and spread over the cereal mixture. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Try not to eat all of them before you can take a few samples to Angie. I'm not entirely sure that last step is going to happen for me.

Sugar Coma

I haven't felt much inclined to post anything here since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes just before Thanksgiving. To me, the holidays are all about baking, which I really can't do much of if I want to keep my blood sugar level steady. That whole "bake for other people idea"? Yeah, doesn't work for me. :) Can it be March yet? I need me some sugar!

My grandma's annual Christmas party, however, gave me an opportunity to bake! I was told to bring a dozen cupcakes for the cupcake exchange. Here are my little beauties:



And okay, yes, I cheated a little and ate a couple of these. I can't be good all the time! Wouldn't you have done the same?



We all ate cupcakes to our heart's content, and then everyone got to take home a box of whatever was left (I was good here...no leftover cupcakes for me!)

I got the recipe for mine from Kraft Kitchens, which is always kind of hit-and-miss for me. Some of their stuff becomes a household necessity, others tend to be a waste of ingredients. These fell into the former category, fortunately! I thought that putting some of the crushed candy canes into the batter itself was a weird idea, but it turned out to be genius! Instead of remaining crunchy, they melt and impart a slightly minty flavor to the cupcake itself. Yum! These were also super-moist, a must for me on any cupcake. I used chocolate chips instead of chocolate squares because that's what I had on hand. And real buttercream frosting instead of Cool Whip. Sorry, Cool Whip. You have your place, but it is not here.

Chocolate-Candy Cane Cupcakes

5 squares semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. water
6 small candy canes, crushed, divided
1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed


Heat oven to 350°F. Chop 4 chocolate squares; set aside. Beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water with mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Stir in chopped chocolate and 2 Tbsp. candy. Spoon into 30 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 23 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frost cupcakes with Cool Whip. Melt remaining chocolate; drizzle over cupcakes. Top with remaining candy.

Dinner Party

Recently I had a dinner party with two of my dear friends and their husbands. I was in charge of appetizers, drinks, and dessert, while my friend Erin cooked our main dish and side (chicken and asparagus alfredo pasta with acorn squash...oh so heavenly! I hope she'll post the recipe soon, hint hint Erin).

For the drink, we mixed equal parts cherry juice (actually cherry grape, since I couldn't find it pure) and ginger ale and popped in frozen cherries as a garnish. Quick, refreshing, and delicious!

For the appetizer, we had Prosciutto Pinwheels, which I found here after browsing my beloved foodgawker for ideas.



So easy! Puff pastry, dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, and prosciutto (or thinly sliced deli ham in my case, since there was no prosciutto to be found that day). I assembled them at home and took them to our Angie's (our hostess's) house to bake. And maybe it's just because I'm pregnant and weird, but I seriously had a hard time not shoving them in raw on the way over in the car. Even unbaked they smelled divine!

I followed the instructions exactly, except they took longer to bake than it said they would. And even with the 3 or 4 extra minutes I added, they still could've used a bit longer to crisp up even more; the pastry puff dough was slightly raw in places. Though no one complained. We were too busy gobbling them up! :)

Finally, for dessert we had the very simple but oh-so-yummy Blushing Apples, a long-time favorite of mine from Kraft Kitchens. We sliced the apples so they would be easier to cut into and take less time to cook, and used real whipped cream instead of cool whip. Mmmmm. Angie put the leftover jell-o in a dish in her fridge for her family to eat later, and she tells me her daughter especially loved it.

It was so fun to have a dinner with several courses and such good company. We'll have to do it again soon, girls!

Corn Dogs

If that doesn't establish my non-food-snobbery, nothing will. Corn dogs, people. I made homemade corn dogs. Well, I didn't make the dogs themselves, of course. But you know what I mean. And oh my, were they DEE-licious! Even if they were kind of misshapen.



And you see that little bit sticking off near the top? After I took the photo, I ate it! So there!

I love these little suckers anyway, but this variety have now captured my heart above any other kind of corn dog. They were so delightfully crispy on the outside and just a teeny bit soft (not soggy) on the inside.

Thanks to my friend Julie, who submitted this recipe to our ward cookbook a few years ago! I didn't have a fondue pot that would work for this purpose, so I just filled a deep saucepan with oil and turned the corn dogs halfway through cooking. Very easy! I also only made a third of the recipe, since only the hubs and I would be eating them (please don't ask me to explain how I thirded an egg. Thank you). :)

12 hot dogs
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 egg

Mix all ingredients except hot dogs. Cut the hot dogs into half pieces if desired, and dry on paper towels. Heat oil in fondue pot to 350. Dip hot dogs in batter until covered. Fry until golden brown.



They look kinda like twinkies, don't they?

I didn't add the sticks (which were actually kabob skewers, all I had on hand) until the end, since they wouldn't fit in the frying pan that way. And frankly, if you don't mind getting a little grease on your fingers, you really don't need them.

If you are a lover of fried things, please make these for dinner sometime. And serve them with tots, so I won't be the only extremely gourmet one around here. :)

Cheese Slicer

"A whole post dedicated to a cheese slicer?" you ask. Oh yes. Oh yes indeedy do. Firstly, for those who don't know, I recently moved and have not had a lot of time to photograph recipes and post them here. They will be coming soon. Our summer veggie meal is still (probably) in the works. Secondly, and most importantly, I think I'm in love with my cheese slicer. I'm afraid I may wax rhapsodic....and long-winded. :)

To fully appreciate my feelings, we have to go back several years to when I first moved out of my parents' home. They had a cheese slicer that worked wonderfully, but they wouldn't allow me to take it to college. Misers. :) Thus began my quest to find one of my own.

You'd think this would be a simple task. After all, cheese slicers abound in this world of ours. I tried several of the cheaper ones and kept being disappointed. They cut the cheese too thin, or they wouldn't stay in the cheese and sliced my fingers instead. It was incredibly frustrating. Why couldn't any of these stupid tools do what they were supposed to? It was so simple!

Finally, a couple of years ago, my mom took pity on me and bought me a more expensive fancy-shmancy adjustable-thickness cheese plane from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I was thrilled! This thing had a dial, and a soft handle, plus it was relatively pricey, so it had to work, right? WRONG. I encountered all of the same problems that I had before, plus the dial that adjusts the thickness broke on its third use.

I had given up, and resolved to cut my cheese with a paring knife until the end of my days. And then, something beautiful happened. They opened up an Ikea store a mere half hour from my home. I went to investigate the new store and loved it, of course. As we were walking through the kitchen section, I happened to notice a cheese slicer. There was nothing to mark it as impressive, but, more out of habit than anything, I grabbed it and tossed it in my cart. The name on it was "Smaka," which was about what I felt like doing to my head at this point in my cheese slicer quest, so I thought it fitting. :)

When we got home, I pulled out the cheese and tried out my new slicer. And...and...I couldn't believe it, but it worked! It had to be a fluke. I tried again. Another perfect slice! I was finally triumphant! And the thing had only been five bucks! Impossible!

I'm sure this story doesn't rock your world quite as much as it did mine, but I am a cheese person, okay? I would pick a chunk of cheddar over a cupcake any time. My cheese slicer gets used every single dang day. And that is probably why I have love handles. :)



Click here if you could use a few more perfect slices of cheese in your life.

I love you, cheese slicer. Never ever leave me!

Chicken Taco Pie

Okay, I know that's not the greatest photo, but it's all you're getting. Because when I made this dish, I was hungry. I couldn't take time to be bothered with details when I was busy shoving this in as quickly as possible! :)

Despite it's disguise as a boring cheese-topped casserole, this stuff is awesome! My mom made this for us all the time as kids. It goes over wonderfully with picky eaters (I'm sorry, mom. I've changed, I promise) and even normal people too! Tasty, easy, and pleasing. What more could you ask for?

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (this was about 7-8 breast tenders for me)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. dried onion
2 t. taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 small corn tortillas
jack or cheddar cheese

Mix seasonings, soup, and sour cream in a small saucepan. Heat until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Add chicken. Spray 2-quart baking dish, then cover the bottom with torn-up pieces of tortilla. Spread the chicken mixture over this. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly (about 20 minutes). Sprinkle crushed corn chips on top of individual servings, or use whole corn chips to scoop it up.

My mom likes to serve it on a bed of shredded lettuce to add some veggies, but I will have my salad on the side, thank you. :) This recipe is also adapted to my small family. My mom will usually triple the recipe and put it in a 9x13, making several layers of torn tortillas and the chicken stuff. Great for a crowd!

Also, for those of you still waiting for the summer veggie meal, just know that it had to be postponed. I was out of town the Saturday before it was supposed to happen and didn't make it to the farmer's market. And now I'm moving to a new apartment, so it will be further postponed. But don't worry, we'll get it up here eventually!