YouTube's Laura Vitale on ABC!!

One of my favorite YouTube chefs have landed a spot on ABC's Recipe Rehab, a new show debuting October 6!! Check it out!!

Sharing the Wealth of RECIPE

I love watching YouTube in my share time, looking for recipes, hair care and tutorials, and comedy of course! I stumbled across a KFC channel which gave you access through their Facebook fan page to download The Colonels Recipe Book! Hot biscuits, cobblers, and more all available to you for free!!!

I downloaded mine!! Get yours!!

Juicing Maniac in the making!

Early Saturday morning (more like 2 o' clock A.M.) I was up with Ray watching movies and suddenly got the urge to use my brand new Jack Lalanne juicer he bought for me as an early birthday present. Here's what I used: 

Fresh strawberries, an apple, pear and some spinach

I enjoyed the freshness of the juice, but will have to get used to the green, earthy taste of the leafy veggies I used in my drinks! I am pleased and look forward to concocting some great juices! Ray didn't want to try my "photosynthesis", but I will start him off with strawberry banana the next time! 

Happy juicin'!

Homemade Banana nut muffins! Yum!!

On yesterday, I made some banana nut muffins from scratch. They turned out awesome...moist and delish with a hint of vanilla!! Here's the recipe. It makes 6 muffins!

1 cup all purpose flour. (You may try unbleached, whole flour should taste great, too. I will try unbleached flour next time and will tell you the results!)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 stick of soften butter
1 egg
splash of vanilla extract about a teaspoon
1/4 tablespoon baking powder
dash of baking soda
1 1/2 banana mashed
walnuts (quantity is up to you)

First cream the butter and sugar Add egg, banana and vanilla. After incorporated, in a separated bowl mix the dry ingredients then slowly add into wet mixture. Fold in walnuts. Grease muffin pan and scope your batter into pan half way. Bake for 25 minutes or until fork comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve. Or if you're like Ray, eat it right from the oven! LOL

Mealtime=Family Funtime

Earlier this week, I wanted the kids to experience preparing a meal. I decided the best meal to prepare with them is pizza. I think pizza is a universal meal..it's quick and easy! I found some pizza dough from Pillsbury and I had a few ingredients on hand: sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian sausage. I baked the dough them cooked the sausage. Once the hard work was completed, the kids began to assemble their pizzas. It went well and the clean up was little to none. What a great way to cook and get the babies involved!

Disclaimer: This might not be suitable for adults. Ray and I were messed up after eating this! LOL

Dessert for Breakfast??? Yup...it's possible!

I was browsing at the new videos by a YouTuber named Divascancook. She created this recipe for Red Velvet Pancakes with cream cheese frosting....my my my!! As soon as I get the chance, I will be trying this out. It definitely won't be an everyday thing, but since Christmas is around the corner, I may try this for the morning of New Years Eve. I will let you know if I attempted to recreate this sweet breakfast.

Check out the full how to below:

What's Cooking?!: Thanksgiving Edition

I enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal and by me having a young family, a large turkey and all of the heavy duty spreads will be entirely too much for us and leftovers are a pet peeve of mine so I like to make enough fill us for the day.

On the menu for /thanksgiving, there will be the following:

Stuffed Turkey breast with cornbread stuffing
Honey glazed ham slices
Homemade cranberry sauce
Macaroni and cheese baked
Collared greens
and for dessert, Sweet Potato Pie, 2!

If you are interested in the recipe for the stuffed turkey breast, then keep reading! Now this is a basic recipe so you can add whatever you like to your stuffed turkey...Happy Thanksgiving!!

1 (4-5 lb.) pkg. turkey breast half
2 c stuffing prepared
Salt and pepper for taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse turkey; pat dry. With knife, loosen lining under skin leaving all but one edge attached. Toss stuffing with remaining ingredients in large bowl. Spoon into pocket under loosened skin. Secure opening with poultry skewers or toothpicks. Place, skin side up, in shallow roasting pan. Roast 1 1/2 hours. Baste with pan drippings; cover loosely with foil. Roast an additional 45-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Who knew?...Make your own buttermilk!

I stumbled across this youtube channel and I fell in love! Laura has some amazing recipes that she modified herself and the results are amazing!
I am mostly excited to make the buttermilk because when I want to bake biscuits or some sort of pastry, I never have the buttermilk on hand so this simple recipe helped me solve the problem by....making my own!
If you love to cook and love great recipes, please subscribe to her channel!

Puff Pastry - Recipe Detail - Brownie Pinwheels

Brownie Pinwheel

I am going to try out the recipe as a quick dessert. I will give out the reviews once I make it!
Click the link to get recipe!
Puff Pastry - Recipe Detail - Brownie Pinwheels

Cooking Appliances I can't do without!

Kitchen appliances I can’t live without

I am a novice on fine cuisine but I know that basics of creating an awesome, mouthwatering dish. I enjoy cooking and recreating dishes I see on the Food Network channel. I’ve learned the importance of presentation and creativity to ensure my family gets the best of their meals, I use my key appliances to make that happen…

1. My handy dandy Crock Pot. I love the fact that I can prepare dinner hours ahead and allow it to cook low and slow. I use the crock pot for hearty dishes such as pot roasts and meatloaves. This appliance allows the meat to soak up its juices creating a savory palette that it please to all five senses.

2. My rotisserie oven. For that rotisserie styled Cornish hens and young chickens. I infuse my bird with herbs and complimented spices for an awesome splash of flavor and juiciness.

3. George Foreman Grill. For those awesome Panini’s, turkey burgers, and Monte cristo sandwiches for a quick snack.

These three appliances allow me to feed my family healthy and wholesome meals and snacks without the need of processed fast foods.

Photo courtesy of everydayweekender.com

What's Cooking?!

Coming into marriage, I was familiar with cooking but I was in no way good at it. I prepared simple dishes that appeared as if I knew what I was doing. My first dinner I prepared for my husband was steak, potatoes (flaked and in the box) and California blend vegetables. That was a good start and the compliments came, then I gained enough confidence to try test my skills with fried chicken and rice. Mission FAILED!! Chicken was still raw inside and the rice was undercooked. I was utterly disappointed and I receive harsh criticism. But, you know what, I didn’t give up nor did my husband give up. Actually he motivated me to become a better cook by purchasing new cookware.

After receiving cookware and utensils, I became interested in researching simple recipes that will WOW those being served. Casseroles have a good reputation of being a full meal in one dish. If you like it, you may try it for yourself! This recipe is courtesy of allrecipes.com



Broccoli Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 heads fresh broccoli , boiled and cut into pieces
• 3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken and broccoli in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium saucepan combine cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice. Bring all to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour soup mixture over chicken/broccoli mixture and top with shredded cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Bon appetite!