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food

Food, Savory

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Our oven doesn’t work and I want to eat some baked sweet potato fries.

Yes, you read that correctly. Our oven doesn’t work. Every time we preheat it, the temperature drops 200 degrees the moment you open the oven and then can’t climb back to the optimum temperature for another 30 minutes (if we’re lucky). It’s been driving me crazy. I can’t bake any cookies or cakes.

So when I decided to follow the sweet potato trend, I pulled a Tim Gunn and made it work.

Luckily our broiler works. So I put the broiler on low and let that warm up. I peeled the sweet potatoes and the cut them into half inch pieces. Tossed them in a dash of olive oil, black pepper, sea salt, and garlic powder. I baked them for 12 minute, turned them over, and then baked another 12 minutes until they got a light char on them.

They actually came out crispy, and I’m so glad I made them!

March 17, 2013 by Roni

Food

Strawberry Rice Krispies Treats

Who ever said pink is only for Valentine’s Day? It’s recently been brought to my attention that the color pink is taking over my life. For a not so girly-girl, I laughed it off. Then I looked at my wardrobe, cell phone case, the nail polish I had on (my toes are almost always painted pink), my gym bag, and the fleece I wear when it’s warm out. All pink! Oh geez, guess I better stop saying I don’t like girly things. When I start seeing glitter on all my things, then I’ll really start to worry. Until then, I make Rice Krispies Treats.

Need:
3 tablespoons butter
1 package of marshmallows (10 ounce bag)
1/4 cup of dried strawberries, crushed (leave some big bits though)
Red food coloring
6 cups of Rice Krispies
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows until completely melted. Remove from heat and fold in 1/4 cup of dried strawberries and two to four drops of red food coloring to make it pink.

Add in Rice Krispies, stir until completely mixed in evenly. Press mixture into a buttered pan.

In a small bowl, melt white chocolate in microwave. Heat in 20 second intervals until you can stir it smooth. Add a few drops of red food coloring to make it pink. spread it over the Rice Krispies Treats. When cool, cut and serve. Keep in airtight container and best eaten the same day.

February 28, 2013 by Roni

Food

Fruit Cravings

I was drawn to the berries.

I’ve been dreaming of strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, and grapes. I’d say there is something wrong with me, but honestly, that’s just stating the obvious. Don’t you think? Those daydreamings of a rainbow’d plates of herbivorous goodness are something I’ve decided I need to give into, and fast.

It’s caused me to head straight for the grocery store and scour through the winter produce and see what’s what. Luckily with modern farm technology strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries still line the shelves. And a sale doesn’t hurt at all. Caused me to buy a pound of strawberries and a bag of kiwis, which resulted in the following dinner:

What a wonderful dinner.

Yes, when you look at that plate, there are no carbs. Surprise! The carb-loving queen has been able to make more meals without bread and grains. And it was colorful at that. The strawberries and kiwis are self-explanatory, just washed and cut them up. For that surprise portion on the plate I’m pretty sure you can’t figure out, that’s a beef-veggie … ummm.. not quite a scramble… ummm … tortilla-less tacos?

I took a half a quarter cup of diced onion and a quarter cup of diced green peppers, sauteed them in olive oil. Add a teaspoon of each ground black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne powder. Continue to saute on medium-high until the onions are caramelized Then I added a little less than a quarter pound of diced beef in the pan. When it was cooked almost through, increase the heat to high and add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook off the alcohol and serve.

I have to say, it would taste mighty good in a tortilla with some shredded cheddar. Maybe next time.

February 6, 2013 by Roni

Food, Savory

Crockpot Mac N Cheese

CrockpotMacAndCheese

There is something inadvertently sexy about a crockpot made meal. Perhaps it’s the slow cooking, maybe it’s how it just makes meats fall apart with the poke of a fork, or even maybe… it’s how easy it makes life. Like this recipe, which I made this recipe for the company Christmas party. It was such a big hit that there weren’t any seconds for anyone. And it took little to no effort. Don’t tell them that, they might make me cook all the time.

Next time I better make double the amount, though. I put it down on the table, turned around, and it was almost gone. Crazy delicious, but I think I also want to experiment with some various other ingredients, like bacon, veggies, or even different cheeses. Let’s get crazy!

Crockpot Mac N Cheese

Gather:
2 cups of cooked shell pasta
4 tablespoons of butter
2 1/2 cups of grated Pepper Jack cheese
3 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

In a medium sauce pan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until melted.

In the slow cooker (a.k.a. crockpot), mix the cheese mixture, eggs, soup, sour cream, salt, milk, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the pasta and stir again.

Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

January 14, 2013 by Roni

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