Covet

I am officially obsessed with Williams Sonoma Goldtouch bake pans and want them all! Well all the ones I use frequently at least. I want to buy nothing else because I am sosososo amazed by them. Must find a way to buy them now;) Time to start a bakesale or something considering it would only be 300 bucks to buy all the baking pans I want bahahah. So if you are in the mood for some good baking pans check those babies out!

A Few Favorite Treats

My sister in law is having a baby soon, but after that we have been planning to start a fun food blog together, hence my lack of posts. But in the mean time, I thought I would share a few favorite treats.
Hot Cocoa is a must have now that we have already had 2 big snow storms. I love this recipe because it is all natural, I have everything I need on hand and it's very easy to tweek for flavor.

1/3 cup cocoa-our favorite to use is scharffenberger, but you have to look hard to find it affordably!!!

3/4 C sugar

4 C milk

splash of vanilla

pinch of salt

Mix 1st three ingredients and put over low heat until smooth and hot. Add last 2 ingredients and enjoy. If serving for kiddos add a little extra milk to cool it and make it not so strong. We also like to add a spoonful of caramel sauce for fun. You could add a drop of mint instead of vanilla or a spoonful of seedless raspberry preserves too!
Doughnuts

Chocolate Glaze
Apple Challah Bread
Cheesecake recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan topped with a basic ganache, whipped cream and strawberries.

Corn Chowder

Couldn't find a recipe that had everything I wanted, so I combined a few and it turned out pretty good. So for a little lighter corn chowder, here we go:

3 large onions(sweet ones are my favorite), chopped

2 T olive oil

4 T butter

3 cloves garlic

8 T flour

1 heaping tsp dried thyme

1 heaping tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

12 C chicken broth

2 C whole milk(half and half or cream if you feel the need)

12 ears of corn cut off cob, or 2 lbs frozen corn(fresh makes a huge difference)

10 slices bacon, cooked and strained

Saute onion until it starts to become translucent. Add garlic and butter and saute for a few more minutes. Add flour and spices and cook for one more minute. Add broth and milk, bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add corn and bring back to a boil then add bacon and turn off heat. Serve with cheese, chives and bread.

Black and White Brownies

I have an addiction. If I see a new kind of chocolate at the grocery store, I have to buy it. If I see an old favorite at the store, I must buy it. It's addicting I tell you, sales and chocolate. One day at target I took a stroll down the candy isle only to find Lindt bars two bucks a piece. One dark chocolate sea salt and one white chocolate coconut bar later I strolled away with a smile. After my white chocolate experience I decided I needed more so while in Atlanta I purchased myself a bar of Trader Joe's new white chocolate with 45% coco butter.

Then the white chocolate recipe search began and this recipe is what I found. Yum, yum, I could not stop eating these things. Neither could Jacob, he kept telling me what colors he wanting, thinking I would be so impressed I would keep giving him some....it worked, for two brownies at least.

Although irrelevant to the matter of chocolate, I kinda love my babies. They are beautiful inside and out. So since I look at them in the mirror all day, I feel beautiful. It's almost as though I feel I am looking at myself because I see them more than myself.

White Chocolate Brownies

adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

3 ounces white chocolate
1 stick butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 C white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over opposite sides of pan. Repeat with second piece of foil in opposite direction. Butter foil.

Melt white chocolate and butter together in a large bowl over a simmering pot of water (or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each), remove from heat and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and salt together, stirring until just combined. Add chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Chocolate Brownies

adapted from Hershey's

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Melt butter over stove or in microwave. Add sugar and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla. Slowly mix in cocoa be sure it doesn't make a mess. In a separate bowl combine flour, powder, and salt. Mix with wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

When both brownies are done, cool in pan on a rack until room temperature(I threw mine straight in the freezer). Once cooled put in freezer until brownies are slightly stiff. Cut into two inch squares. Using whatever shape you have cut the middles out of each brownie and perform a switcharoo.

Strawberry Crumb Cake

In hopes of finding high calorie foods I can pretend are not dessert, I came across this wonderful recipe. Coffee cake with strawberries in it, how unheard of, so I bolted to the grocery store. The early AM excursion was definitely worth it. Minus the part where I showed up home late and my very pregnant friend was waiting at my door. Did I mention she carried in my groceries, then held my baby while I made this cake? Bet you're just dying to be my friend now...

I'm sure the butter in this cake could be cut back by using applesauce in the actual cake part and possibly creating a smaller crumb layer. But you see nursing a child seems to make me a hungry monster(see above not of how I treat my friends when I'm hungry).

Strawberry Crumb Cake

1 C flour-I use white wheat, white is okay too

1/2 C white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C milk

1 egg

2 T butter, melted

1 pint of strawberries, washed and sliced

4 T cold butter

1/2 C white flour

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375

Mix the first four(dry) ingredients. Add the milk, butter and egg and mix until just combines. Layer in a 8*8 square or a 9 inch springform(my preference for looks and convenience). Layer strawberries on top of the batter. Cut butter into the other 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C flour, a food processor works great here. Add pecans to butter mixture. Layer on top of strawberries*. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crumb is lightly brown.

*When I make crumb topping I like it to be cruncy, so I will grab a handful of the mixture and squeeze it into a ball before I sprinkle it on top, that way there are chunks;)

Sweets

I recently made a few cakes, with the help of my two year old for a charity fund raiser. My cakes seem to always place, but I think the judges are biased cuz my cakes taste good, cuz they aint always perty!
Both cakes are fabulously moist and fairly simple. The chocolate frosting is insanely rich, so you can only eat a small slice!

Italian Wedding Cake

source-Sandra Lee

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup sweetened flake coconut, divided in half
2 cups chopped pecans, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly coat 2 (8-inch) cake pans with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, buttermilk, egg whites, and extracts. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in crushed pineapple, coconut, and 1 cup pecans-to decorate like mine only add 2/3 cup. Divide batter into 2 prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out on to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1-(2/3 to decorate like mine) cup pecans and frosting. Frost the top of each layer stack on top of the next layer. Use remaining frosting to frost the entire outside of cake.

*To decorate cake toast the remaining 2/3 cup pecans(in their whole form) in a pan over medium until fragrant. Toast coconut in the same fashion until lightly brown. Bake a border on the top and fill middle with coconut.

*For my frosting I cream 8 oz softened cream cheese with a stick of butter. Then I added 2-4 cups powdered sugar, depending on the consistancy you like. Last, I added about half a teaspoon of vanilla.

Chocolate Cake

adapted from the blog Simply Recipes

3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup + 2 Tbsp water
1 cup + 2 Tbsp canola oil
5 large or 4 extra large
¾ cup water
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and cocoa.
Add 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of water and 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Mix for 1 minute. Add eggs, 3/4 cup of water, vanilla. Mix 5-6 minutes with a whisk, 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer, or 2 minutes with a KitchenAid mixer.
Pour into three 9" cake pans, bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Test by placing and removing a toothpick through the center at 22 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, loosen from pans cool on rack until almost cool. Once almost cool, wrap in plastic wrap, put back in pans(to hold shape) and freeze for an hour before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

adapted from annies-eats.com

14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped-I used ghiridelli chocolate chips

9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. You can also use the microwave on a low setting, stopping in intervals to mix. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

*To make the frosting raspberry, add 1/2 or seedless raspberry jam, or more to taste.

*This stores well in the fridge if covered tightly, but it takes time to come back to room temp.

Why Hello!

So I pretty much quite blogging for a while. I feel like I am finally caught up in life again. Not too sick(spent the first 27 weeks of pregnancy feeling horrible), no more school, and life is just going busy as it should. I am dying for a nap, but wanted to share some fall soup recipes I have had requests to share. Sorry, I have not taken pictures, but maybe that will be my next step if I get on this blog again in the near future. So here ya go!

A couple quick things, I have a weak stomache, and my husband enjoys his girly figure so if you want a richer soup, use more butter/cream, etc. Also, I always use turkey sausage, but you can use the pork stuff. Almost anywhere has turkey sausage by the breakfast food or ground meat. Walmart actually has my favorite for 2 bucks a pound frozen. Also, if you use dry herbs when something calls for fresh, use way less, like 65 percent less depending on the herb. Oh and feel free to use fresh, I am just too poor to always do that;)

Herbed Potato Soup
adapted from allrecipes.com

3 good sized potatoes
3 cups chicken broth
½ onion
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs butter
3 tbs flour
¼ tsp thyme
¼ chives
¼ tsp parsley
¼ tsp oregano
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups milk
Bacon, gr onions,

Peel and chop potatoes and throw in water to boil. Cook onions and garlic in butter until soft. Add flour and seasonings. Then add milk until thickens. Add milk mixture to potatoes. Simmer for like 20 minutes. Blend if desired and serve with parmesan.

Potato Leek Soup

2 T butter
2 leeks, clean and cut, white and light green
3 cloves garlic, minced
6-7 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Enough chicken stock to cover potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
3 T flour
1 cup canned milk, I like skim
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat pan with butter and cook leeks until they begin to look clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper and parsley. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste. Also, if you have a hand blender you can just use it a little and you will get a creamy, still chunky soup. Do not over mix or soup will be starchy/pasty!

Serve with cheese and bacon on top if your feeling naughty.

Minestrone
adapted from a recipe Mal got from her sis-in-law

1 lb. turkey sausage
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
2-3 stalks diced celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 chopped onion
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup pasta (macaroni, rotini, shells, etc.)
1 can kidney beans
2 small diced zucchini (totally optional)


Brown sausage in large pan; drain. Saute carrot, onion and celery. Add Zucchini , garlic basil, salt, pepper and bay leaf and cook until zucchini is soft. Add broth, tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for five minutes. Add beans and sausage and cook for five more. Serve With Parmesan cheese.


Squash soup
adapted from rookie-cookie.blogspot.com because my little belly cannot handle the fat in it. Although if yours can I recommend checking her recipe out for a more velvety texture.

2 medium butternut squash, about 4 lbs
1 green apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
5 parsnips, peeled and chopped-this is a pound for me
Kosher salt and ground pepper
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 c half and half or evaporated milk

Peel squash and apple, cut in half, and de-seed. Roast at 425 for about 45 minutes or until squash is fork tender. Chop the squash. Set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and parsnips. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened.
Add the roasted butternut squash and the apple. Pour in the chicken stock. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend soup in batches, but leave room for air to escape from blender. Or use hand blender. Pour all soup back into the soup pot and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin, paprika and milk. Serve soup with a small pat of butter on top-optional.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

6 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs butter and 2 tbs flour, melt butter add flour to make roué
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 rib celery, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
Desired spices-I like thyme, sometimes basil, parsley, sometiems marjoram
16 oz gnocchi
2 cups frozen peas or 5 oz fresh spinach
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan

Add butter, onion, carrots and celery to a large stockpot. Cook until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add flour and cook another minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
Cook for about 5 more minutes until veggies are soft.
Season with parsley and other Italian seasonings. Bring to a boil again and stir in gnocchi and, cooking until the gnocchi are al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in frozen peas/spinache and chicken, cook for 1-2 minutes and turn off heat. Take into consideration that Parmesan cheese is salty, and a generous amount of pepper, to taste. Ladle the soup into warmed shallow bowls and shower each with freshly grated cheese.

Italian Wedding Soup
recipe courtesy of Ina Garten-this is a crowd pleaser, men and women!

meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken/turkey- i use the whole pound
1/2 pound chicken/turkey sausage, casings removed -again I use the whole pound
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots, about 2
3/4 cup diced celery, usually 2
10-11 cups chicken stock
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini
1/4 cup minced fresh dill - you can add a teaspoon or two of dried and it tastes great
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. Drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.


Pasta e Fagioli
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

1 lb turkey sausage
1 T butter or EVOO
1/2 large (or 1 medium) onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
6-8cups . reduced-sodium broth (depending on how much liquid you would like)
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
4 oz. small dry pasta -macaroni or tubilini are my favorites

Put sausage in large stockpot and bread up as you cook. Once the sausage is browned, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and discard any excess grease.
Melt the tablespoon of butter in the pot. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and saute over medium heat until vegetables are soft, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Return the sausage to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes with juices, stir briefly, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, beef broth and tomato sauce to the pot. Add in all of the seasonings, stir well, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes.
Add the dry pasta and continue to simmer on low for another 10-25 minutes.

Lentil Soup

1 lb ground turkey, beef, or turkey sausage- browned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion chopped
1 cup carrott, sliced
2 stalks celery(optional)
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb lentils rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes(optional)
Parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil. Saute onions, carrots, and garlic over low heat (do not brown garlic), until tender, approximately 10-15 minutes. Add the lentils (and meat if using it) and mix with vegetables.
Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves and pepper. (no salt until later).
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 45-60 minutes until the lentils are very tender. May need a bit more chicken stock, if too thick.
Remove bay leaf, taste and add salt if needed.
At this point you may want to puree half of the soup to create more of a creamy texture. I prefer to keep them the way they are. If you want a little more texture and flavor add some cooked ground beef half way through.

Cream of Celery-this is great to sub for canned, or just eat by itself
adapted from allrecipes.com

4 teaspoons butter
4 cups diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 tsp chicken base
4 teaspoons flour
2 cups milk, whatever fat you choose, I go skim
½ tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic
pepper

In a large saucepan,heat butter til bubbly,add celery,onion and stock cubes and stir til well combined. Reduce heat and cover,and let simmer for 10 minutes til veggies are tender. Sprinkle flour over veggie mixture stirring constantly,until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree 1/2 the mixture then return to pan,rewarm stirring til well combined.

Split Pea Soup
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (14 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water or chicken stock

Layer ingredients in crockpot. Pour in water, so don't stir. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. Remove Bay leaf.

Cream of Brocolli
source:allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste
¼ tsp garlic powder

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

You can add cheese to the milk mixture or even on top.