Hot Damn! I got an award!

I'm so excited I can't stand it! I got a blog award from Meg at Megan's Munchies! WHOOHOO!!!

This really is an honor. I started blogging to have something to look forward to after a long commute to and from work. Blogging started out for my entertainment and I am stoked to have found a community of 'Foodies' to who I totally relate. SWEET!!!!!!

Here are the instructions I was given and are now being passed on:

** Please find at least 10 more blogs, of any kind that you love to read. Write a post about the blogs you picked, linking back to me and to them. Once you’ve posted, return here to let me know your post is done and be sure to let them know too!!! (If you don't come up with 10, that's fine too!)

So now I am turning around and passing it on...per my direction, but since Meg only did four, I'm going to follow the trend. :)

I bestow this award on Annie of Annie's Eats. Annie makes the yummiest recipes. I am still trying to get my hands on the pumpkin kisses so I can make her killer Pumpkin Spice Kiss Chocolate Brownies. She is so creative!

Next I pass this award to Tarts and Calories. This is a fun and unique blog that keeps it healthy with a lot of diversity in dishes. I am always excited to see what she will post next. I was highly impressed by her posting for Pushing Poop which introduces us to a recipe for a veggie burger. She totally cracks me up.

Now on to Two Novice Chefs, One Tiny Kitchen. She uses recipes from Real Simple a lot and I LOVE IT. I stole her recipe for Smoky Chicken Corn Cakes. for one of my posts. It was AWESOME!!!!

Last I send the love to Natasha @ Healthy and Gourmet. I was hooked when I saw the Raspberry Cakes she made a month or two ago. YUM! It was a perfect summer delicacy!

Thanks again, Meg!

Crab Cream Cheese Wontons

Alex says I am the only person he knows that can make a meal out of wine and cheese. It's true. I love to get three or four kinds of cheese, a good bottle of wine and munch on crackers. That is what I do when he goes out of town. Tonight I had a hankering for Crab Cream Cheese Wontons. And yes, I made a meal out of them. :)

I scored a SWEET recipe for Crab Cream Cheese Wontons from a co-worker a couple of years ago and it is my FAVORITE. Unfortunately, it calls to fry up the wontons. I am always looking for ways to make my favorite food (appetizers) healthy and happened to stumble on a blog that suggested baking wontons. For the life of me I can't remember which blog I saw it on so I could give them some love.

I will never fry up wontons EVER again.

Crab Cream Cheese Wontons:

Canned Crab

8 oz. cream cheese

Seeded jalapeno, diced - I used a serrano with seeds...it was SPICY!!!

2 green onions, chopped

Ginger, diced

Heat over to 375 F. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until combined well. Dollop a teaspoon of crab mix in the center of wonton wrapper.Wet the edges of wonton fold over and seal. I keep a little dish of water handy and dip my finer in the water, outlining the edge of the wonton wrapper.You can push the edges up in the shape of a traditional wonton, or you can make whatever shape you care for. When you leave the edges out, they get nice and crispy in the oven. Brush a little olive oil over the tops of the stuffed wonton wrappers and cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve with Dipping Sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

Small can crushed pineapple

1 teaspoon chili garlic oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Mix all ingredients and simmer until thick.
I HIGHLY recommend using the canned crab you get at Costco, Crowned Price Crab meat. This stuff is the BEST canned crab. They store it in water and it is wrapped up in paper and it really maintains its freshness. I'm not sure what the paper does to keep in the freshness, whatever it is...it works!

These babies ROCKED!!!! I am stoked to have found a healthy way to enjoy one of my favorite appetizers as a main course!

Not sure what to think...

I bought a 'Sweet Dumpling' squash at the grocery store this week out of excitement for fall coming on and in the spirit of trying something new. The sticker on the squash said the flesh was orangy and sweet. I was EXCITED to get my choppers on this veggie. I scored a recipe from my friend Ben for a mustard crusted pork tenderloin and thought the two would make a great combination. I can't confidently say that they were a great combination.

First off, I think pork tenderloin hates me. Six years ago I offered to cater a work Christmas party and I cooked an herb stuffed pork tenderloin. Well, I TRIED to cook a pork tenderloin. The instructions I had for the pork tenderloin didn't have a long enough cook time and I ended up MICROWAVING the tenderloin because everyone was freaking out about it being pink inside...How embarrassing. Hmmm....funny that I should be plagued with the same issue this evening. So I started off under cooking and then over cooked it. There is nothing worse than a nice pork roast that has been over cooked. It doesn't matter how yummy the 'crust' is.

Here is the recipe as my friend Ben gave it to me:

Mustard Crusted Pork Tenderloin:

3 tablespoons of grainy mustard (I used the kind with the actual mustard seeds)

4 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons Jack Daniels or other bourbon or sourmash whisky.

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Mix the wet stuff and the dry stuff separately. Coat the tenderloins with the wet stuff, then the dry stuff. Cook for about 30 min at 375. This is where I usually screw up the roasts. Since the tenderloin is shaped funny the long pointy end cooks first, so that time may vary depending on the thickness of the roast. - Ben...this is where I screw it up too!

I didn't follow a recipe for the 'Sweet Dumpling' squash...I just cut it in half, salt and peppered with a little olive oil and cooked it for 30 minutes at 375 F. Hello, FLAVORLESS! How is that possible when you use salt and pepper? Who came up with this false name? This wasn't sweet. It wasn't miserable, but it wasn't hot damn yummy! It was so bland.

Heath Bar Cheesecake....mmmmmmmmmhhhh.

On a recent visit to New York I visited a KICK ASS restaurant in Brooklyn called, Junior's. Now when I visited this place, I figured it was a fun neighborhood restaurant. I can't say it was a small restaurant because it's not...it's HUGE! These guys have the BEST cheesecake EVER! Serious! While at Junior's I had a carrot cake cheesecake that is a carrot cake with a cheesecake in the center...HOLY FANTASTIC!!!!! I love to purchase cookbooks from the cities I visit to remind me of the wonderful time I had. While at Junior's I bought their Cheesecake cookbook which has 50 recipes of New York style cheesecake. Good Lord! They have every cheese cake imaginable in this book.

I let Alex choose the first cheesecake I would cook and he opted for the Heath Bar Cheesecake. It's not surprising that he would select the heath bar cheesecake since his favorite cookies have chocolate and toffee crunch in them.

Heath Bar Cheesecake:

Juniors Shortbread Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 extra-large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350 F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

Mix the flour, cornstarch and salt together. In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high until creamy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until blended. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture just until it disappears and a dough forms. Work the dough with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Chill about 30 minutes if you have time. (I highly recommend - it makes it easier to play with.)

Flour your hands, then place the dough in the center of the pan and begin pressing with the heels of your hands from the center outward toward the edges, working in a circular motion around the pan and up the sides. Prick the crust in several places with a dinner fork.

Bake the crust just until it is set and golden (do not over bake), about 15 minutes. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.

Heath Bar Cheesecake:

One 8 oz Hershey's milk chocolate bar

Four 8 oz packages cream cheese (use only full fat), at room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

Eight 1.4 oz Heath milk chocolate English toffee candy bars

While the crust above is cooling, chop 3 Heath bars with a chef's knife into small chunks and sprinkle over the cooled crust.Melt the Hershey's bar and set aside to cool. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until cream, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Blend in the melted chocolate, then the cream, beating just until completely blended. Don't over mix! Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes up about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges look baked and the top of the cake appears set, about 1 1/4 hours Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away - don't move it.) Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours. Transfer to the freezer for 1 hour. Roughly chop remaining Heath bars and sprinkle over top.

I have to tell you, I am impressed as all get out with this cookbook. Every time I have made cheesecake in the past, I have ended up with a crack in the top the size of the Grand Canyon. I am pleased to say that the top of this cheesecake was perfect and smooth...even though I had the excuse of putting Heath bar on top. That alone made me love this recipe!

But HOLY YUMMINESS!!!! This cake was so yummy! I have learned a funny think since I have been cooking so much. I don't follow directions very well. :) I made this cake the day I was planning on serving it and neglected to see the whole last part where it says to let the cake set for 5+ hours after it is done cooking. I served this 2 1/2 hours after I took it out of the oven. As a result, the innards were wet and custardy. But it didn't matter...it was still amazing!

TRY THIS CHEESECAKE!!!!

Biscuits and Gravy for my Sweetie!

I made my Sweetie's favorite breakfast today with a healthy twist. Alex LOVES biscuits and gravy. There is a joint near our house that makes killer B&G, but they use the fat from cooked sausage to make the gravy. It is yummy, but it is REALLY decadent and the thought make you want to wash your face afterwards. I want my Sweetie to live forever, so I opted for a healthier version of his favorite breakfast...well, kind of.

To make this dish, I pulled a Sandra Lee. I hate that chick, but she has something when it comes to using pre-made items. I used a gravy mix packet and refrigerated biscuits (this part destroys the healthy factor of the gravy mix) to create these little guys. Normally I would mix up some Bisquick and form my own biscuits, but I'm making a big dessert tonight and wanted to save my efforts.

The gravy packet was pure easy, which is why I love the packet versus real gravy.

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.

Add gravy packet to 1/2 cup cold water and whisk until all the lumps are gone.

Add mix concoction to the boiling water and remove from heat. It will thicken immediately. Serve immediately over Biscuits because there is no good way to keep the gravy warm without getting lumpy. :)

Make biscuits according to package directions...this part is really easy too. I love that the only clean up is throwing the package away.

Now you can't have biscuits and gravy without sausage and eggs...uhm, did I say this was healthy? HAHA...HAHA.

This post is really called, 'Look what I made my Sweetie for breakfast'. It is a tiny bit healthier than if I had used the fat from the sausage to make the gravy, but not really...and my Sweetie LOVED it! O.K., so I can't help sharing all my yummy meals with my blogging friends. I have to take pictures of everything I eat these days. LOL!

Let's talk about things that don't go well together...

And the reason why I should stick to straight up recipes instead of creating my own.

I spent a good 2 1/2 hours today searching for those elusive Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses to no avail. I returned home empty handed, chapped and hungry. I considered stopping at a fast food joint on my way home, but decided I needed something healthy. I opened my pantry door and saw the pine nuts...hmmmmm....pine nuts. Hey look, whole wheat pasta...that's healthy. What's in the refrigerator? Tomatoes, lemon...hey wait...I have fresh basil...I'm going to throw it all into a pot with some olive oil and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top. That's going to be good...right?

Uhm...the first bite was pretty dang good. Next bite...let's make sure to get some tomatoes, pine nuts, pasta....hmmmmm....yeah, not so good. Where I got the idea that two acidy foods like lemon and tomatoes belonged together is beyond me. I scrapped all the tomatoes to the side of the dish and ate the pasta, pine nuts with lemon and parmesan cheese. Not AMAZING, but not as bad as it was with tomatoes.

I blame Hershey's for my laps in judgement. :) Truly, if anyone can tell me where to find those delectable bites, I would be forever in your debt. And just in case you are wondering...the following stores did NOT have the Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses: Target (two of them), Walmart, Neighborhood Walmart, Walgreen's, Albertson's, Rite Aide, KMART, Harmon's and the BX and Commissary on the neighborhood military base. I need to get me some of these babies! I did find them online...$15 for a 30 ounce bag. I'm not that desperate...yet.

Thank you Holiday Inn!

I go to New York on occasion for work and I always stay at the Hampton Inn by the JFK airport. The neighborhood is so shady, the hotel has menus for local restaurant that will deliver dinner, unfortunately most of those restaurants aren't too good. Fortunately the Holiday Inn next door has a pretty decent bar/restaurant that is the motivation for this recipe. The bar serves a caprese sandwich that is served on flat bread and cooked like a pannini.

I had a hankering for this sandwich tonight and decided to use a tortillas instead of flat bread. What a GREAT idea! But how can you go wrong when you are dealing with cheese?

Caprese Quesadilla:
Grated mozzarella
Finely chopped basil
Chopped tomato

Bruschetta:
Chopped tomato
2 tablespoons diced red tomato
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

The bruschetta was my 'salsa' if you will...and it ROCKED!!! I was going to drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the quesadilla, but thought it would be better with a bruschetta. What a fun idea! This was so yummy! Now I don't have to head off to New York for a yummy caprese.