Monday, December 23, 2013
Taking a little break...will be back Soon!!
I truly miss sharing my love for food and movies with you all and I hope you've missed it too. I sincerely apologize for hardly posting the past few weeks but a hectic schedule made it very difficult to write posts I thought were worthy or sharing with you. I hope you all stuck with me through my dry spell and will check back with me within a week or two when I promise things will get back on schedule. Until then I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Christmas baking
As far as food goes, Cookies are as important to Chtistmas as Turkey is to Thanksgiving. We all have our favorite kinds and the secret family recipes to make them. Here are a few helpful hints to make your cookie making quick, easy, and efficient this holiday season! We all know how much old Saint Nick in particular loves his cookies on Christmas Eve!!
One of the best tools you can buy yourself if you're an avid baker is a cookie scoop. Believe it or not, size does matter when you're baking cookies. Sure you can make them as big or small as you want but where the importance of size comes in is in the baking time. Scooping dough out by hand is a flawed method because it's difficult to get every mound of cookie batter the same size. If you have a tray or mostly larger cookies and one that's a bit smaller, obviously the smaller cookie will be overdone by the time the rest are ready to be taken out of the oven. Use a cookie scoop to ensure equally sized cookies and you'll be able to have a whole tray of cookies that are baked evenly.
A good collection of measuring tools. Sounds simple and obvious enough to most but having the correct meausrements in baking really is vital. I was cooking at a friends house one time and told her I needed a tablespoon of baking soda. Not being an experienced cook, she grabbed a regular spoon and took a scoop of baking soda for the container. Baking is like a science, percession does matter so make sure you have the correct amounts of your ingredients.
Parchment paper is a must have for me when I bake. It add a non stick layer to my baking pan without adding anymore fat. Not only will it ensure your cookies come off your tray in one piece, it'll spare you some clean up when all is said and done and I think it's safe to say we're all thankful for an easy clean up in the kitchen.
Cookie cutters are a great way to make your holiday baking fun and festive. No need to be picky with what kind of cookie cutters your buy, just buy ones that have the shapes you enjoy. These cookie cutters where a gift to me and they're my favorite since they are spring activated! I make countless short bread cookies using these handy little cutters.
A good humble rolling pin goes a long way. I prefer rolling pins like the one I have that doesn't have handles on the sides and a metal rod running through the middle. Perfect for crushing up nuts, candy pieces, and chocolate to go inside cookie batters and ideal for rolling out shortbread or sugar cookie dough. A rolling pin is worth it's weight in gold in the kitchen!
The final essential tool to Christmas baking is Christmas music!!! I'm a traditonalist when it comes to my christmas music! Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Carpenters Christmas Cd are among my favorites. The very first A Very Special Christmas album is also a staple in my holiday playlist since it's one of the albums I grew up listening too. I also love throw in some newer versions of the classics by Michael Buble, Diana Krall, and Faith Hill. Listen to what you love and cook what you love and you'll get the most out of your day baking!!
Happy Holiday Baking Everyone!!
One of the best tools you can buy yourself if you're an avid baker is a cookie scoop. Believe it or not, size does matter when you're baking cookies. Sure you can make them as big or small as you want but where the importance of size comes in is in the baking time. Scooping dough out by hand is a flawed method because it's difficult to get every mound of cookie batter the same size. If you have a tray or mostly larger cookies and one that's a bit smaller, obviously the smaller cookie will be overdone by the time the rest are ready to be taken out of the oven. Use a cookie scoop to ensure equally sized cookies and you'll be able to have a whole tray of cookies that are baked evenly.
A good collection of measuring tools. Sounds simple and obvious enough to most but having the correct meausrements in baking really is vital. I was cooking at a friends house one time and told her I needed a tablespoon of baking soda. Not being an experienced cook, she grabbed a regular spoon and took a scoop of baking soda for the container. Baking is like a science, percession does matter so make sure you have the correct amounts of your ingredients.
Parchment paper is a must have for me when I bake. It add a non stick layer to my baking pan without adding anymore fat. Not only will it ensure your cookies come off your tray in one piece, it'll spare you some clean up when all is said and done and I think it's safe to say we're all thankful for an easy clean up in the kitchen.
Cookie cutters are a great way to make your holiday baking fun and festive. No need to be picky with what kind of cookie cutters your buy, just buy ones that have the shapes you enjoy. These cookie cutters where a gift to me and they're my favorite since they are spring activated! I make countless short bread cookies using these handy little cutters.A good humble rolling pin goes a long way. I prefer rolling pins like the one I have that doesn't have handles on the sides and a metal rod running through the middle. Perfect for crushing up nuts, candy pieces, and chocolate to go inside cookie batters and ideal for rolling out shortbread or sugar cookie dough. A rolling pin is worth it's weight in gold in the kitchen!
The final essential tool to Christmas baking is Christmas music!!! I'm a traditonalist when it comes to my christmas music! Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Carpenters Christmas Cd are among my favorites. The very first A Very Special Christmas album is also a staple in my holiday playlist since it's one of the albums I grew up listening too. I also love throw in some newer versions of the classics by Michael Buble, Diana Krall, and Faith Hill. Listen to what you love and cook what you love and you'll get the most out of your day baking!!
Happy Holiday Baking Everyone!!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Holiday Movie Favorites
I love Christmas for a multitude of reasons. Obviously, the delicious food I'll be fortunate enough to and enjoy this season and also the classic holiday films that never fail to lift my Christmas spirit. From the timeless classics like It's a wonderful life, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street, and Frosty the Snowman to some of the more modern classic Christmas tales like A Christmas Story, National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation, and Will Ferrel's instant Christmas movie staple Elf. Here is my pick for the top 5 Christmas movies I can't go without seeing each year. Please comment on your own list!
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: - The 1966 classic animated tale of the mean old Grinch and his plans ruin Christmas for all the Whos of Whoville. With his heart 3 sizes too small, he comes up with a sneaky plan to dress up his dog Max as a reindeer and himself as old Saint Nicholas and rid the Whos of their precious Christmas once and for all. While I mention this classic version I can't help but touch on the 2000 version from Director Ron Howard and starring Jim Carey. While it can't compare with the original animated, I still thought it was a decent attempt to bring a bit more to the story. This version is far outside my top list but still worth watching if you happen to stumble across it while channel searching.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: - KEVIN!!!!!!!!!! At this day and age I think we all know and love the story of dear old Kevin McCallister and his adventures of being accidentally left by himself while his family flies off on vacation. While enjoying his freedom from his family he never can seem to get along with, his house is target by a duo of outrageous burglars and Kevin has to find a way to stop them from robbing his home all by himself. The Sequel to the film is just as great to me and both films are Christmas classics. You can't help but fall in love with these movies and all the things that make them great.
Elf - "SANTA!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! SANTA HERE???? I know him......I know him!!!" Sorry I couldn't resist doing that. Elf is the new instant Christmas classic about a man named Buddy who grew up in the North Pole and was raised by Santa's Elves. Though Buddy is 6 feet tall and struggles at toy making, he never knows his true identity as a human until he over hears his co-Elves talking. This leads Buddy on a trip from The North Pole all the way to New York City in search of his biological father. The result is a comical Christmas story with a lot of heart, laughter, and Christmas spirit. Can't be Christmas without watching this one!!
A Christmas Story - Let me just say that if I had to pick my all time favorite Christmas movie, I'm not sure if I have a solid answer between A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation (Elf is far behind either). This is widely considered the best Christmas movie ever made and lets face it, there is a reason why this movie runs for 24 hours every year starting on Christmas Eve. The timeless tale of Ralph Parker and his quest to get the ultimate Christmas present this year from Santa, an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! This movie never gets old for me and it's not Christmas without seeing it.
National lampoons Christmas Vacation - Clark W. Griswold Jr. is skipping the vacation this Christmas and has invited the family to the Griswold's in Chicago to have a big fun filled old fashion Griswold family Christmas. This is my Dad's favorite Christmas movie and you can't help but love it. Chevy Chase can make me laugh by doing just about anything and the craziness that always follows his love able character of Clark Griswold is in no short supply in this timeless Christmas tale. The Character of Aunt Bethany is without a doubt my favorite part of the film and every single one of her lines is a hilarious classic that I often find myself quoting through out the year. My personal favorite is the hysterical part of the film where Clark asks his great Aunt to lead the family in saying grace before Christmas dinner.
Can't wait to hear which films you all can't go without watching throughout the Christmas season.
Here are some honorable mentions: Love Actually, The Holiday, Christmas with the Kranks, The Santa Claus, Miracle on 34th Street.
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: - The 1966 classic animated tale of the mean old Grinch and his plans ruin Christmas for all the Whos of Whoville. With his heart 3 sizes too small, he comes up with a sneaky plan to dress up his dog Max as a reindeer and himself as old Saint Nicholas and rid the Whos of their precious Christmas once and for all. While I mention this classic version I can't help but touch on the 2000 version from Director Ron Howard and starring Jim Carey. While it can't compare with the original animated, I still thought it was a decent attempt to bring a bit more to the story. This version is far outside my top list but still worth watching if you happen to stumble across it while channel searching.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: - KEVIN!!!!!!!!!! At this day and age I think we all know and love the story of dear old Kevin McCallister and his adventures of being accidentally left by himself while his family flies off on vacation. While enjoying his freedom from his family he never can seem to get along with, his house is target by a duo of outrageous burglars and Kevin has to find a way to stop them from robbing his home all by himself. The Sequel to the film is just as great to me and both films are Christmas classics. You can't help but fall in love with these movies and all the things that make them great.
Elf - "SANTA!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! SANTA HERE???? I know him......I know him!!!" Sorry I couldn't resist doing that. Elf is the new instant Christmas classic about a man named Buddy who grew up in the North Pole and was raised by Santa's Elves. Though Buddy is 6 feet tall and struggles at toy making, he never knows his true identity as a human until he over hears his co-Elves talking. This leads Buddy on a trip from The North Pole all the way to New York City in search of his biological father. The result is a comical Christmas story with a lot of heart, laughter, and Christmas spirit. Can't be Christmas without watching this one!!
A Christmas Story - Let me just say that if I had to pick my all time favorite Christmas movie, I'm not sure if I have a solid answer between A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation (Elf is far behind either). This is widely considered the best Christmas movie ever made and lets face it, there is a reason why this movie runs for 24 hours every year starting on Christmas Eve. The timeless tale of Ralph Parker and his quest to get the ultimate Christmas present this year from Santa, an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! This movie never gets old for me and it's not Christmas without seeing it.
National lampoons Christmas Vacation - Clark W. Griswold Jr. is skipping the vacation this Christmas and has invited the family to the Griswold's in Chicago to have a big fun filled old fashion Griswold family Christmas. This is my Dad's favorite Christmas movie and you can't help but love it. Chevy Chase can make me laugh by doing just about anything and the craziness that always follows his love able character of Clark Griswold is in no short supply in this timeless Christmas tale. The Character of Aunt Bethany is without a doubt my favorite part of the film and every single one of her lines is a hilarious classic that I often find myself quoting through out the year. My personal favorite is the hysterical part of the film where Clark asks his great Aunt to lead the family in saying grace before Christmas dinner.
Can't wait to hear which films you all can't go without watching throughout the Christmas season.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Turkey Croquettes
2 tablespoon of butter
1 onion finely diced
1 garlic clove minced or grated
2 cups of shredded Turkey or Chicken
1 cup of Mashed potatoes
1/4 cup of flour
1 large egg
Fresh Parsley
2 cups of season Panko bread crumbs
Salt and Black Pepper
Vegetable oil
In a small saute pan, melt the two tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and cooked until translucent and tender. About a minute or two before the onions have cooked, add the minced garlic clove and stir into the cooked onions. Remove from the heat.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked onions with the shredded turkey and the mashed potatoes. Lightly beat the egg and add the to the turkey and potato mixture. Add the flour, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well so that everything is combined. Form the mixture into patties to whatever size you desire.Pour the bread crumbs onto a flat dish and gently place your croquettes into the crumbs and move around so that they become coated. Place the croquettes in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow them to firm up a bit.
Remove from the refrigerator and heat enough vegetable to coat the bottom of your frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, brown the croquettes for about 3 t0 5 minutes on both sides until they're golden brown and crisp. Serve hot with your favorite sides and gravy or some cranberry sauce.
