How Could I Not Pin These

My weekend mornings normally are over whelmed with my 7 year olds flag foot ball. Saturdays my husband takes him to practice and then Sundays are game days. A few weeks ago my son asked me if we could skip a weekend of football cause he wanted me to make him a full breakfast. With football there just isn't time.

This weekend he had an afternoon game....woot that means family breakfast time.

The Mornings Pin: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Pin Link: http://pinterest.com/pin/406156820/
Recipe:
cinnamon roll pancakes
Yield: 4 servings (4 pancakes)
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 10 min
An absolutely decadent morning treat...

Ingredients:
PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.
3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.
4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

I didn't change anything with this recipe....I know that never happens. I did double the batter for the pancakes but nothing else. They were a lot of prep work which I am not the biggest fan of doing. But really worth it. They smelled amazing while cooking. And tasted just as they smelled... My oldest was even talking about them at dinner time about how awesome they were. "best pancakes I've eaten in my whole life!!"

Our families first home run of our football sunday was this pin!

A Pinned Success

Tonight I scored with my dinner choice. And with the ingredients I was skeptical and so was the Husband...... Well it turned out amazing. I repined this one from my favorite body double with bigger boobs and Wonder woman arms. Ok well maybe not body double but I love her all the same.

Tonight's Pin: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Pin Link: http://pinterest.com/pin/395884818/

Recipe:
CHEESY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef ( lean)
1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 flour or corn tortillas (8 inches)
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)
3/4 cup sour cream *Note: I used 1/2 cup
2 cups (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend or your favorite cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

*Note: I added 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro to the meat mixture instead.
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, corn, dressing, sour cream, taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

The Outcome and Changes:

My husbands first words when I pulled it out of the oven "Ok what did you change cause you never follow a recipe" 

I added about 2 table spoons of green chilies to the meat as it cooked. 

And the toppings I did guacamole, sour cream, cilantro and green onions.
Also I used a lasagna pan rather than a 2 qt dish.  I recommend a bigger dish for sure. 

Turned out amazing I fully recommend this pin 100%. I'm going to try it with chicken next time. And the guacamole is a must great compliment to this dish.  Even my 7 year old pickiest eater ever loved it and cleaned his plate for the first time in days.  My husband even  told me to make sure I saved the left overs.....He never touches left overs.... 

Success!!!

Pinning + Nutella = Trouble

Nutella!!! The magic words.... I have a major weakness for Nutella. Its the best stuff on earth. So I invited a friend that I know has a love of baking over for coffee and baking. We enjoyed our hazelnut coffee and chatted it up a bit then jumped into baking.


Todays Pin: Peanut Butter and Nutella Swirl Cookies

Pin Link: http://pinterest.com/pin/388041859/
The Recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Approx. 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Add flour, baking soda and salt. Drizzle Nutella on top of the dough then swirl it through the dough with a butter knife.

Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll into balls by hand. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Using a fork, press down the balls to flatten slightly. Bake until edges are very lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes).

Allow to rest 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.




My Low down on these cookies:

Well the dough was thick and the recipe says to drizzle well you cant really drizzle so we just added it then cut the nutella in. We also added about 1/3 of a cup instead of 1/4. The dough was crumbly but rolled up well enough. The cookies don't really rise or spread out so they end up small little bits which is good I like the bite size cookies. But the nutella is lost in it. I could barely taste it. Gave a bit of a chocolate flavor but the hazelnut is overwhelmed by the peanut butter. I do enjoy peanut butter cookies so trust me they will be eaten but I'm disappointed. I wanted more Nutella!!! This recipe may need some adjustments if try it again.


Thats two Pins in a row I've been disappointed in so lets hope tonight's dinner pin turns out better

I Pin for Happy Hour

Decided to re organize my food broad and I took out all the cocktails and put them in to  "Cocktails to Try" which if you search for pins under cocktails  oh boy trouble with 2646 cocktail pins that pop up. 


So tonight's drink special : The Seductive Swan
inspired by the movie Black Swan
Pin Link: http://pinterest.com/pin/376331361/


I prefer something that's simple that I don't have to take a lot of extra steps such a cooking up a simple syrup  or making a puree. I want a cocktail I want something quick and since I don't have a fully stocked bar or a prep cook to whip those things up bring on simple. And if the drink looks like I paid 12 bucks for it in some fancy martini bar even better. 


The Recipe
The Seductive Swan 


1.5 oz Russian Standard Vodka
5 blackberries 
3 oz Lemon aid 
Muddle four blackberries in the bottom of a tumbler add ice
Vodka and lemon aid 
garnish with remaining blackberry


Ok now the drink would have never looked like the websites picture I had followed those directions. I wanted it to at least look like the picture for my blog picture. So I muddled my blackberries in the glass with the end of my wooden juice reamer which now is stained but I didn't have a cocktail muddle. Then after I muddle the blackberries I added ice then the lemon aid then the vodka. Then the pretty touch the garnish. Well lets face it if I had then drank it with out stirring it would have just been vodka sitting on the top. Yeah no thanks so I mixed it but not before getting the above picture.  

I know your dying to find out how it was... to die for... yeah not so much.  Don't get me wrong it was good-drink able. The lemon aid was really sour and bitter almost. I just got simple minute maid lemon aid in the refrigerated juice section. I figured it you wouldn't want to sweet of lemon aid.  And I don't typically like super sweet cocktails. Also the muddled blackberries at the bottom were the worst to much although the flavor of the berries were good just not all the texture. 
Also the amount of vodka needed to be a bit more. 


So round two.... I did it in the tumbler... muddled then added  the lemon aid and then a little bit more of the vodka than the first round then strained it over ice. Much better all around.... 


Well I never went back for  round 3 and moved on to a beer. 
I'm sure there will be no redo here either 

Since It Finally Feels Like Fall

Soups for dinner
Tonight's Menu: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice
Link to the Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/376717248/
Recipe:


Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup diced celery

Directions:

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes. 


What a perfect fall day to make soup. And the slow cooker made it even better and so much less work. 
This recipe was really simple. And sure made my house smell amazing but that I'm pretty sure was the changes I made to it. Cause well if you know me garlic and onions are a staple in my kitchen. And unless there really flavor wise is no need for it I add it if its not there.

So things I added
about 1 Tbls of minced garlic 
1/2 of a cup of diced onions 
and 2 Tbls of fresh rosemary 

I love that you need next to nothing while cooking in a slow cooker. Although I miss out on cooking with wine...or enjoying a glass when the recipe doesn't call for it....

As You can see I still enjoyed my wine while making my roux. 


The Outcome....
I personally loved the flavors and am so happy I added what I did decide to add. It was great and the rosemary was perfect complement to the flavors that were already in the recipe. But I felt I needed more veggies even if it was just a bit more carrots. Also the BIG thing that bugged me was the rice. It was over cooked after 6 hours in the slow cooker. A big disappointment and it was kind of lost in the soup.
I would defiantly cook this again just based on the flavors.  One of my monsters devoured it while the other one wouldn't touch it strictly cause he said he didn't eat soup...oh that's my kids for you.... but the fact that one cleaned his bowl its a win for me.... As far as the Hubby goes he took his bowl to go and to share with a friend.  I will get that feedback later. 
So IMO try this but...add some flavors to it. 

Don't be Afraid of a Roux "roo"

Well the last two dinner "pins" Ive cooked called for a Roux, the first didn't even really let you that you were making a roux just had the steps. I remember when I learned how to do a roux. For anyone that doesn't know its a roux is a way to thicken a sauce. My mom always taught me to just do some flour and water mix it up and add a bit at a time. I never knew there was any other way. And then I learned about a roux while I was going to culinary school. And I remembered it seemed complicated but all made since. It keeps the flour from clumping and takes away from the raw flour flavor that just simply adding flour in would do. 
I'm not going to do step by step instructions but I do have some tips.
Your supposed to use a whisk so many house hold uses the non stick I realize these have come up in the world and the boxes claim you can use metal on them well I wouldn't risk it. I own this one. Its amazing you can also use a flat whisk I like my flat one for this job but I  have these pans . But the one I own is metal so while you can use it on the pan I have here you cant on a non stick pan.  

Next medium heat which for the sake of your pan you should be cooking on any ways. 
You can use any form of fat. I use olive oil. Unless a recipe calls for something else. 
The other day my recipe called for bacon so I used the bacon fat. The key is equal parts fat to flour.  
Then keep stirring the whole time almost. 
I personal only do it until it becomes a light caramel color almost the colors of my counter in the picture above.  
Then I add some liquid in the pan before adding it to soups or sauces.  This makes it much easier. So like tonight I will add cream to the pan before adding the cream to the soup. 




So if something calls for a Roux don't worry it will most likely give you the steps or you can always google that's what I do. What did my mom ever do with out google..... oh yeah she used raw flour. 




Stay tuned dinners at 7....

Starting Out

Well with the new craze of Pinning and my love of cooking. This stay at home momma has decided to blog about it.  So from my "food that looks amazing" board on Pinterest.com and in to my families bellies.  I'm going to try out some of the yummy recipes on my board.  Then tell you all how it worked out. What I changed along the way and what worked and didn't and of coarse was it as amazing as it looked.


So Tonight menu.. Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice 
http://pinterest.com/pin/376717248/