King Cake #3

This is a combination between the more authentic King Cake (that took FOREVER to make), and the Pillsbury one that looks like King Cake but doesn't taste anything like it. 

So, this one tastes yummy but uses a cheat on the dough.

King Cake

Bonifacio Day

No recipe in this post. 

My kids recently learned about Bonifacio Day.  It's a national holiday in the Philippines.  I'm pretty that it's celebrated there, the same way that we celebrate President's Day here.  Schools and banks are closed but no one is having a party or making special food, except us.  :-)

Because our last name is Bonifacio, my kids thought that it would be fun if we started celebrating Bonifacio Day.  Here are some pictures of the food that we made. 

This is pancit:

Here are our egg rolls.  We filled them with ground turkey, potatoes, and green beans

We also made a few fried wontons with a couple of the wrappers.

Here is some info about Bonifacio Day

Pizza stuffed chicken

One of my favorite ways to make chicken, is stuffed.  I usually do a mixture of cream cheese and spinach.  On this day, I couldn't decide between pizza and chicken.

I usually use 2 chicken breasts.  This is an easy way to stretch chicken breasts.  I fillet them and then flatten them a little bit with a meat mallet. 

I put a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a pan, just to keep it from sticking.

I put some sauce, cheese and pepperoni on the chicken.

In a bowl, I had one egg and a little bit of egg.
In another bowl, I had breadcrumbs and grated parm.  I make all of the ends of my bread into breadcrumbs for things like this. 

I rolled the chicken and then dipped them in the egg, then the crumbs.

This is what it looked like before it was baked.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 mins

Pumpkin Pie

I use the same pie dough recipe for all of my pies: Butter Pie Crust

The pie filling that I use is the Eagle Brand recipe, on the can of sweetened condensed milk:

Eagle Brand Perfect Pumpkin Pie

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
• 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

HEAT oven to 425°F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.

BAKE 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1-inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. 

I made a few changes.  I skip the ginger and I use 1 1/2 t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. nutmeg.  I also use 2 cups of fresh pumpkin.  I also bake my crust (empty) for about 10 mins at 400 deg. This helps to avoid a soggy bottom.

This Thanksgiving, I also added a Pecan Praline Topping from Better Homes and Gardens:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 T. butter
3 T. heavy cream
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I used 1/2 cup)

While pie is baking prepare the topping. 
In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt over medium low heat.  Simmer for about 5 mins, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. 
Cool pie for 30 mins before adding the topping.  If the topping hardens too much, heat over low heat until pourable. 
Topping will harden as it cools. 

Cooking Dried Beans

Besides being a lot cheaper, dried beans are alot healthier than canned beans.  Canned beans have sodium and preservatives and some cans contain BPA.  I've also heard that the dried beans create less gas but I have a really hard time believing that one.  :-)

Here is how I cook my dried beans.  I've done a whole bag, used half, and then frozen the other half for later.  Its always worth it to do the whole bag, even if you don't need it right away.

The beans can be split into 2 large yogurt containers.  Each container is the equivalent of 2 cans of beans.  I add some of the liquid to each container for freezing.

PLEASE SEE THE CAUTION ABOUT KIDNEY BEANS!! 

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/12/how-to-cook-dried-beans-in-crockpot.html

This blog has info about dried to canned bean conversions:

http://be-it-ever-so-humble.blogspot.com/2008/11/dried-to-canned-beans-conversion.html

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Almost every year, at the end of produce stand season, I buy a 20 lb box of sweet potatoes.  I thought this would be a fun way to use up a few of our sweet potatoes.  We didn't love them but they were a lot of work so I wanted to share the step by step pictures.  It did make me want to try more cinnamon roll recipes.

This is from It Bakes Me Happy  Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Yeast Rolls

This is a basic yeast roll recipe that I only made one small change to.  It is from Your Homebased Mom
Yeast Rolls

Mix 1 cup and 2 T. warm water, 1/3 c. oil, 2 T. yeast, and 1/4 c. sugar

Rest for 15 mins

Mix in 1 1/2 t. salt, 1 egg, 3 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 t. baking powder (my addition)

Form into 12 balls in a greased pan

Let rest for 10 mins.  Brush with melted butter (also my addition, everything is better with butter)

Bake 10 mins at 400 deg.

Waffle Mix

This is NOT my recipe in anyway and I haven't made any changes because it is perfect the way it is.

This is from Frugal Foodie Mama: Waffle Mix

For the mix:

6 cups of flour (I use half wheat and white, the original recipe says 4 c. white, 2 c. wheat)
4 T. sugar
4 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt

To make 4 belgian waffles:

2 cups of mix
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs.
1 t. vanilla

Yummy baked peaches

This reminds me of summer. 

Cut peaches in half, remove the pit and add 1/2 a teaspoon of butter to each half.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and bake at 350 for 30 mins

YUM!!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

My friend April shared this recipe with me: http://www.instructables.com/id/Cinnamon-Roasted-Almonds/

I made them and put them in small bags for my kids to hand out to resource teachers, bus driver, principals, etc, for Christmas.

It was a huge hit and the P.E. teacher asked me to give him the recipe immediately so that he could make them at home over the break.

The large bag of raw almonds at BJs was just the right amount to double this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound almonds (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat over to 225 (this is a change from the original recipe)

Put one egg white in a large bowl and beat until frothy and then add vanilla. Add almonds and coat.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Coat the almonds in the dry ingredients.

Spread the almonds on cookie sheets.  I use 3 cake pans. 

Bake for an hour, stirring every 15 mins.  If you are using dark pans, reduce the time by about 10 mins

Breakfast Muffins

This is another recipe that I make monthly, and freeze.

Mix wet ingredients:

1/4 soft butter
1/4 c. applesauce (can use another 1/4 c. soft butter instead)
3-5 smushed bananas
1/4 c. veggie puree (this is optional, I usually use carrot and sweet potato)
2 beaten eggs

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients:

1 c. flour (I use half wheat and half white)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. ground oats
1 T. ground flax seed (optional)

Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients

Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

I usually make mini muffins.  This recipe will make 45-48 mini muffins.
Bake 375, 10-15 mins

Sweet potato and butternut squash casserole (or dessert)

This is more of a pie filling than a side dish.  It is easy to prepare ahead of time and bake when you are ready.  I make it for holidays a lot.

Cut a butternut squash, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Place it cut side down in a pan with about an inch of water.

Peel 1-2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and place in another pan.

Bake 400 deg, about 45 mins for the squash and 30 mins for the sweet potatoes.

Scoop the inside of the squash out into a bowl.  Add the sweet potato and smash all of it together with a potato masher or fork.

Add 1/2 c. sugar, 1 1/2 c.  milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 T flour, 2 eggs, 3 T melted butter, sprinkle of cinnamon and mix well.  (I have made this and forgotten the eggs and it is fine, just not as fluffy)

Bake at 425 for 30 mins.

While it is mixing, prepare the topping

Mix about a cup of cracker crumbs (I have used graham crackers and Ritz and both are good), 1/3 c. brown sugar,  and 3 T. melted butter

Add the topping and bake another 15 mins.

Egg Muffins

I try to spend at least one day a month making a whole bunch of breakfast foods to freeze.

This is one of our favorites:

I use silicone muffin cups.  In 12 muffin cups, add whatever meat, cheese, veggies, etc that you would like in your eggs.  We do spinach and feta, ham and cheese, bacon (pre-cooked) and cheese, peppers and tomatoes, etc.

In a large bowl, mix 12 eggs, about 1/2 cup of milk, and salt and pepper, and mix.

Pour the egg and milk mixture into the muffin cups.  Extra cheese can be added to the top.

Then bake them at 350 for 25-30 mins.

I freeze them in the silicone cups, in ziploc bags.  To thaw them, I put them in the fridge the night before we want to eat them.  They can be microwaved for about 30 mins if they are in the fridge, or 2-3 mins from the freezer.

Best Ham EVER!!

Not only did my husband tell me that this was the best ham, he told me that this is the best MEAL that I've made.  I've been cooking for him since 2003!

This is the original recipe: Copy Cat Honey Baked Ham from Lady with the Red Rocker

I skipped ginger and cloves so this is what I used:


1 bone-in spiral sliced pre-cooked ham (un-sliced also works)
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 to 6 Tablespoons water

The original recipe recommended cooking it in a crock pot.  I didn't want to spend all day waiting for it so I baked it in the oven, according to the instructions on the ham.

In a small pan, I mixed the sugar, onion powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and paprika and about 2 tablespoons of water.  I continued adding water until it was the ingredients were well mixed.  Then boil it for 1-2 mins, until it is a syrup.  I stirred it the whole time so it wouldn't burn.  Next, it just needs to be poured all over the ham. 

The original recipe recommends broiling it for 1-3 mins at 500 degrees. 

We used a blow torch just like Honey Baked Ham does.

I'm baaaacccckkkk....

My last post was in May 2013.  I went back to college that month.  I also started a new job in September of 2013.  Not only have I had less time to blog, I've had less time to cook.  I haven't been trying as many new recipes which makes me sad, and bored.  I'm going to do my best to make a whole bunch of posts during my last week of Christmas break.  :-)