Cranberry Muffins

I decided to buy a thing of cranberries the other day...even though I don't really like them.  They aren't bad...they just aren't my favorite, but they were cheap, and my bananas weren't quite ripe enough for bread making yet, so I figured, what the heck.  So I bought them, then I contemplated what on earth to do with them.  The cranberry sauce was covered for both of the Thanksgivings I was going to and I didn't know what else they were useful for.  Aaron suggested muffins, a genius idea!  So I scoured the Internet looking for  a recipe that didn't require any zests from any citrus fruits and still sounded good.  I found this one over at cooks.com but I made a few modifications, and will modify it again when I make it again...and I will be making this one again!  I hope you enjoy!

Cranberry Muffins


1 Cup cranberries
3/4 Cup sugar
2 Cups flour
4 Teaspoons baking powder
3/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Egg
1 Cup milk
4 Tablespoons melted butter divided
A mixture of Cinnamon and Sugar

Chop up the cranberries (I pulsed them a few times in the food processor) and combine with 1/2 cup sugar.  Set this aside and allow the sugar to do work its magic on the cranberries (about 10 minutes before you start mixing everything else up).

Preheat your oven to 425 F.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a large bowl.

Beat the egg slightly and combine it with the milk and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter.  Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Fold in the cranberries.  Transfer batter to a buttered or lined muffin tin and bake about 25 minutes, or until tops are golden.  When muffins come out, brush with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on top.  Enjoy!

The finished product!  Next time I might add another 1/4 cup of sugar to the batter mixture to make it a little sweeter, but the results were still yummy and gone by the following morning.

A little about me

I realized that I have not said much about myself on this blog yet, and although most everyone who reads this knows me in some way, shape, or form, I figured I should still probably still introduce myself a bit better than I have.

First a little about me.  I grew up with two sisters.  I was the oldest.  I have since added another sister though adoption (she is 2 currently).  I have 2 nephews (6 and 3 months) and one niece (also three months).  I graduated from Heidelberg College (University) in December of 2007 with a degree in Anthropology.  I have done almost nothing with it so far (unfortunately!).  I was working at Burger King when I graduated college and continued to work there until April 2008 when I moved to a hazardous waste company called Veolia.  I worked there for three years as a laboratory technician and a material handler before recently moving on to work for a company that employs people for P&G's labs.  I work there also as a laboratory technician but am focusing on clean material instead of hazardous waste.  I am working my way through college for a second time pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering.  I hope to finish it before I die :).  I own a townhouse that suites me and the family well enough.

Ok enough about me, a little about the family!  First of this cast is my boyfriend Aaron.  We have been together about a year and a half now and have a good strong relationship.  He is a grad student at the University of Dayton working on his degree in Electro-Optical Engineering.  He will hopefully be finished soon, I think we are both looking forward to the end.  He has been a huge factor in my starting this blog and has been very encouraging every step of the way.

Here he is with our dog Roger.

Speaking of Roger, he is next in this tale.  I was got Roger right before he was heading to the shelter.  A sister of a friend of my cousin (I know, kind of confusing) was working as an apartment supervisor and went to go collect rent from a tenant who was late, only to find out they were gone.  When they moved out, they forgot Roger so she took him in for a while.  When she didn't have time for him, she gave him to her sister, who's other dog didn't like him.  Since the other dog was there first, she decided she was going to take him to a shelter to find a better home.  My cousin heard I was looking for another dog, and sent me his information, I fell in love and he has been mine ever since.  Now he is nice and healthy and happy.  And we couldn't be happier to have him in our lives.

Roger and Vincent.

Our next pet acquisition was Vincent.  He was considered a senior cat at Sicsa, a local no-kill animal shelter.  We still don't know how old he is exactly, but he does not act very seniorish to me.  When we got him, he was still very underweight (although he had gained over a pound at the shelter before we got him).  A bag of kitten food, some wet food, and a lot of love and he now has a cute little belly and looks a lot healthier!

Finally we have Meeka.  We got her from a friend of one of my sisters.  She was pretty skinny when we got her (sounds like a theme) but again kitten food and wet food and she has started to bulk up.  She is the most skittish of all three of the pets and thus far will not leave the upstairs part of the house, but we are working on it.  We have only had her about 4 months, so it's slow but steady progress.  She is a doll and wants nothing more than to cuddle.

That's about it for the family (well the ones I live with).  My Mom and my Grandma (or Grammy like all the grandkids call her) have pretty much taught me everything I know as far as the basics of cooking.  I love to experiment with new foods and try out recipes that I never have before.  That's where all of you come in.  I sincerely appreciate your reading and commenting on this experiment of mine, and I hope I can keep it up and running to your expectations.  Finally, I leave you with a picture of my kitchen, where I work my culinary magic and sometimes find misfortune.  It is very "cozy" but I seem to always figure out how to make it work!

Ok now it's time to go feed my kiddos (aka Roger, Vincent, and Meeka)!  Cranberry muffins to be posted soon!

Cilantro Lime Rice bowls (or burritos)

I know I promised this a while back, and although it had not slipped my mind, other things that were tasty have since come up and I have not gotten around to writing this.  As we speak I am heating my oven up for cranberry muffins...I can't wait!  But I digress.  When I made the Cilantro lime rice, I decided that it would be great to take to work and have a warm lunch instead of the traditional sandwich.  I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to top it, but I knew it would be good.  Below is kind of a play by play of my version of homemade Chipotle with chicken.

Ingredients:
1 large can of chicken drained or leftover chicken
Spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, dried red pepper, dried cilantro)
1 teaspoonish lime juice
1 batch Cilantro Lime rice
1 can black or pinto beans (drained) or some peppers and onions cooked until soft
Salsa of your choice
Lettuce
Sour cream
Cheese


In a bowl (size depends on how much chicken you are using) place a drained can or leftover chicken (cooked).  To the bowl add dried cumin, chili powder, garlic, a touch of dried red pepper, and some cilantro (I would start with a teaspoon of all the spices except the red pepper which I would use a 1/4 teaspoon unless you like it hot...which I do...and taste it to see what else it needs.)  Mix spices into chicken, breaking up chunks as you go. Add a teaspoon or so of lime juice, just to moisten and allow the spices to stick to the chicken better.  Set aside.

In your bowl of choice (or burrito)  place a 1/4 cup of rice (or really however much you want) on the bottom for the base.  Add 2 tablespoon of black or pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed or your cooked peppers and onion.  Top with 2 tablespoons chicken mixture.  If you are taking this for lunch at your office, I recommend also adding in the salsa of your choosing now.  Yes it will get hot in the microwave when reheating, however it will also impart a nice flavor during the reheating process.  The choice is yours!  If you are taking this for lunch, that is all I would add to your bowl or Tupperware container otherwise read below for additional ingredients and ideas to add.

In a separate bowl or container, add some shredded lettuce (either romaine or buy a head of lettuce and pull it apart yourself) and a dollop of sour cream.  Sprinkle on some shredded cheese (cheddar is really good) and you are ready for a lunch to be envied by all coworkers you come in contact with!

When you are ready for lunch, reheat the container you have your rice mixture in in the microwave for about 2.5 minutes, or until nice and hot.  Top with container containing your lettuce, sour cream and cheese.  Eat and savor the flavors!

No Bake Mac n' Cheese

This is actually a fairly healthy recipe especially for a mac n' cheese recipe.  I found this recipe originally on Eating Well but modified it quite a bit because, well, I can.  I added mushrooms, but I don't recommend it.  They added a very odd flavor to this.  You could probably add other veggies besides broccoli but I didn't have any around.  Overall this was nice and creamy without being too much.  I hope you enjoy!

No Bake Macaroni and Cheese


Various pieces of chicken (I used chicken breast with a few bullion cubes for flavor) (Optional)
8 ounces elbow macaroni or other smallish pasta
3 small or 1 large head of broccoli (or a bag of frozen broccoli)
1 3/4 cups of low-fat milk, divided (sow or cow)
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground pepper
3/4 Cup Sharp Cheddar cheese (the sharper the better)
1/2 Cup Pepper Jack cheese (or other cheese of your choice or omit this cheese completely and add another 1/8 of a cup of Parmesan)
1/8 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard  (Don't substitute yellow mustard...it just doesn't work!)

Fill up a large pot with water.  Place your chicken pieces (and bullion cubes if using) in the pot and bring to a boil.  Cook until chicken has cooked through (it took mine about 35-40 minutes).  Remove chicken, skim off any fat that is floating, or strain liquid into a heat-proof bowl and then pour remaining liquid back into the pot (my method).

Bring liquid back to a boil and add pasta.  Cook for about 5 minutes (until just soft but not too soft) and add your vegetables.  Continue cooking your pasta (and now your vegetables) until your pasta is cooked to your liking and your veggies are softish), about 5 or so more minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups of milk (soy or cow) to a simmer over medium-high heat.  In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of milk, flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, stirring or whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.  Add your cheeses and the Dijon mustard.  Stir until all cheese is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Drain the pasta and veggies.  Pour pasta and veggies back into pot and add your chicken if using.  Add the cheese mixture and stir to combine.  Return to the burner and heat for about 1 minute or until everything is nice and warm stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and enjoy!  (I know Aaron and I did!)

Cilantro Lime Rice (and the subsequent deliciousness that follows!)

I have tried experimenting with rice for a long time.  Usually it comes out tasting like rice with something on it rather than the rice being infused with the flavor of whatever I was cooking it in.  Then I discovered Two peas and their pod and that all changed!  I saw their posting for Cilantro Lime rice and I had to make it...so I did...twice in the past two weeks in fact.  The rice got me to thinking that if it came out tasting like I was expecting it to, then what would stop me from putting some black beans, chicken, salsa, cheese, sour cream and lettuce on top and making my version of homemade Chipotle.  So I did...and I took it for lunch almost every day for the past week or so.  Needless to say, most of my coworkers were asking a lot of questions as far as what it was that smelled so good.  All those good ideas from rice and Two peas and their pod.  I am going to post the rice recipe first, but I will also let you know how I did the bowls up in a subsequent post.  Pictures will probably follow in the next day or so...if it isn't all gone.  If it is, well that just gives me an excuse to make some more!

Cilantro Lime Rice


1 Cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Teaspoons lime juice (either freshly squeezed or the kind in the plastic lime shaped bottle)
1 14.5 oz. can of chicken or vegetable broth
1 Cup of water
1 Tablespoon lime juice (same as above)
2 Teaspoons sugar
4 Tablespoons Cilantro (or more if you feel the rice needs it)

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, broth of choice, and water.  Bring to a boil, cover and back the heat down (lowish...i usually go for a 2 or 3 on my cook top) and simmer for 15-20 minutes (I averaged about 20 minutes with mine) or until rice is tender.  Remove pot from heat.

During the cooking process, combine 1 tablespoon of lime juice, the sugar, and the cilantro in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Once rice has finished cooking, pour lime juice/cilantro mixture over the rice and mix to combine.  Either serve it right away, or reheat for when you want to serve it.

I took this to work for my lunch (obviously portioned out) for a little over a week (it might have even been twoish weeks).  I did make two batches of it though...I only had about four serving come out of each batch that I made.  The reheated wonderfully in the microwave at my job.  I hope you enjoy!

Mexican Moussaka

I made this strictly out of curiosity.  I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book in the prizewinning recipes section.  It seemed fast, cheap, easy and easy to modify as I saw fit.  It was all of that and tasted good too.  I am not really sure why it is called a Moussaka as, according to Wikipedia, a Moussaka is eggplant based dish of the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East.  This does not have any eggplant in it, nor is it based in any of these regions but it is still quite tasty.  I hope you enjoy it and feel free to play around with this recipe as you see fit!


Mexican Moussaka


1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 hard cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 8.25-ounce can cream-style corn, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Other things as you see fit (a can of corn, a can of diced tomatoes, bell peppers, etc...)


Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large skillet (or cast iron) cook meat and onion (and bell pepper if using) until meat is browned and onion is tender.  Drain off fat, stir in flour, chili powder, cumin (garlic, cayenne pepper, cilantro...other Mexican spices as you see fit...), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper into meat mixture.  Cook and stir for one minute.  Stir in hard-cooked egg, and additional addins minus bell pepper.  Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, or if using a cast iron skillet, turn off heat and move off the burner.  


In a small bowl combine slightly beaten egg, undrained creamed corn, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Spoon over meat mixture.


Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes (mine took about 40 minutes) or until the center is set.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


I served this with left over cornbread from last night.   This dish has an interesting flavor combination, but was really good.  I will be making this again.  


Below is a picture of the finished product.  

Almost Boston Market

Last night, Aaron and I went to Boston Market for dinner.  I haven't eaten there in years (probably not since elementary school) and it was awesome!  We had some left over and brought it home with the intentions of eating it tonight.  When I started unpacking what was left today, I realized there was not going to be enough there for us to get filled up on and it started me thinking...what could I make to add to it.  The first thing that came to mind was to make their potatoes (not the mashed potatoes, but their yummy dill redskin potatoes) and then I decided to make some cornbread to go with it (because seriously you cannot eat Boston Market without some sweet cornbread).  The end products came out amazing!  Below are the recipes for both the potatoes and the cornbread.

Garlic Dill Redskin Potatoes


These were a snap to make, although I think next time I will try a different cooking method for the potatoes as they kind of fell apart as I was chopping them.  No matter how you do it though, they still came out really yummy!

6-7 Large redskin potatoes (I used 6 which would probably be enough for 3-4 people as long as you don't become addicted to them (like me!)
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
Crushed garlic if you have it (about 1/2 tablespoon)
Dill to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a pot 3/4 full of water and bring it to a boil.  Salt your water if you want to.  Put in the potatoes, ensuring there is enough room at the top of the pot so it doesn't boil over.  Cook these until they are done (probably between 30 and 45 minutes).  To test these for doneness try to stick a fork into them.  If it goes in easy, they are probably done.  Dump these into a strainer and allow them to cool enough to handle them.  Cut the potatoes up into chunks (I quartered them and then sliced each quarter into thirds).

In a pot (the same one you cooked your potatoes in if you want to save on dishes), on medium heat, melt the butter.  Turn your burner down to medium-low and add the crushed garlic if you have it (about 1/2 a tablespoon), the garlic powder and the dill.  I don't have specific amounts for these because you can add more as you go.  I would start with a 1/2 a tablespoon of dill and 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder and go from there.  Add your potatoes, and mix...and enjoy the smell....and mix some more.  Enjoy!  Feel free to add more butter if it is not buttery enough for you!

Honey Cornbread


This recipe can be found on Group Recipes.com Moist Honey Cornbread.  It was everything I had hoped for in a cornbread.  A cakier (is that a word?) texture, nice and sweet, and perfect with a little butter spread on top.

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs slightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 400F (if you are using a cast iron skillet, put it in the over now to get those nice crispy edges).  In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl mix together the milk (warm for 1 minute to make mixing the honey with it easier), oil, honey (oiling your measuring cup will let the honey slide out easier), and the eggs.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened.

Pour into a greased cooking container (cast iron skillet, 9x9 pan, etc) and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Keep an eye on it the last few minutes to ensure it doesn't burn!  Keep cooking until a toothpick (or a knife if you are out of toothpicks) comes out clean.

I hope you enjoy and I hope to post some other tasty recipes for you soon!