Frozen Pizza for Supper

Where has the extra hour gone? Guess we slept it away. We had a few errands to run and a couple of Netflixs (I love The Closer) to catch up on and bam, Sunday has disappeared. I say that as an excuse to say supper tonight was Totino's cheese pizzas. Should I be embarrassed to admit that? Not in the least. Totino's are the only frozen pizzas I eat and they are cheap too. I really don't even dress them up, simply add a few chopped onions and a sprinkle of pepper and call it supper. Ronnie likes to add pickled banana peppers to his at the table.

I did manage to add a fresh apple crisp to the menu. All the beautiful apples in the grocery store called out to me. We like a crisp that doesn't have oatmeal best. Certainly you could sub oats for part of the flour in the recipe and make it a tad healthier to boot. Need I even mention that a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream on top would be perfect? And/or a drizzle of caramel sauce?

Autumn Apple Crisp

6 medium size apples (I used Galas)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice (bottled is fine)
1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

Combine lemon juice and and water in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice apples into the lemon water mixture. Drain well and place apples in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate that has been sprayed with pan release or buttered.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt well in a medium size mixing bowl. Add vanilla and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over apples.
Bake at 375 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

So, Until Tomorrow................,
S~~~

Easiest Most Decadent Dessert of the Year

We ran to Asheville today so no cooking here. We had brunch at Early Girl (http://www.earlygirleatery.com/) so we might not be hungry for a week.

So, I thought this might be a great time to share this incredibly simple, quick and delicious dessert. I hope you enjoy it half as much as we did.

These rolls are so decadent I feel guilty posting, but they are way too good not to share. Maybe you can save them for a day when you are only serving water for supper. Just kidding, but I promise they are worth the calories. If you want to feel better about the splurge just half the recipe, then it will only be half the calories...............

Bavarian Cream Rolls

2 (8 ounce) cans crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg

Leaving dough in roll, cut evenly into 8 rolls from each can, for a total of 16 rolls.
Arrange rolls in oblong pyrex dish (I use an 8x12).
Whisk milk, sugar, and butter, vanilla and nutmeg together well in a 4 cup measuring cup. Pour over rolls.

Bake at 350 until rolls are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

These have infinite possibilities. You could leave out the nutmeg and add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Use apple pie spice and a cup of chopped apples. Cut back on the sugar a tad and add 3 Tbsp. of maple syrup. Peaches could be added for peaches and cream rolls. If I liked blueberries or strawberries (which I don't) I might add a cup. Some chocolate chips over top for chocolate cream rolls. You get the idea......................, share some of yours too.

So, Until Tomorrow..........
S~~~

Picnic Season

Picnic season is my favorite. I love to eat outside, it is amazing how everything tastes better.
This is a recipe that I found torn from a magazine in my Mother's collection. They are the perfect take along dessert for a pic-a-nic (ala Yogi) basket. Rich and moist enough that you don't miss the frosting. Just what a brownie is supposed to be.
Enjoy.

1960s Saucepan Brownies

1/3 cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Place butter and chocolate in a saucepan and melt together over a low heat, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in, in this order: sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt and pecans.
Pour batter into a greased 8 inch x 8 inch x 2 inch baking pan and bake in a moderately hot oven, 375 *, 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Later............
S~~

Food Network Stars

Who is your favorite Food Network Star ?
Hands down for me, it is Ina Gardin (Barefoot Contessa) with Bobby Flay running a close second.

Ina Gardin simply has one show. How rare is that? Most everyone on Food
Network has several going at a time. I love her simplicity. She speaks to me when she decorates her table with flowers of all one kind and color. Remember, I am a clean straight line kind of gal.
Most of all she is an entertaining genius, practically everything she serves her guests is made ahead with the goal of enjoying her company when they arrive. How many have you been running around getting last minute dishes ready, stuck in the kitchen when the party is ready to start? Oh, yeah, me too...... Plus as much as possible on Food Network, she seems real to me. If something is not perfect she is quick to remind you that a party isn't just about the food, it is the people. Real is a breath of fresh air on FN.

I like all of Bobby's shows but Throwdown is the best of the best. Again, he seems more real on this show than contrived. As he says sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses......
I had the opportunity to have dinner at Mesa Grill in New York a year or so ago with Ragan, Lacy and Bashar. The food was wonderful and the restaurant was beautiful but not overdone.

So, today's recipe is one from the Barefoot Contessa herself.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. lemon zest, grated (zest of 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

For the glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp.fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set the lemon syrup aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool before serving.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

So, Until Tomorrow...............
S~~~

Retro Recipes

Don't you just love recipes that remind you of growing up. Today I came across a a cake recipe that reminded me of my aunt Mary so much. She made this cake often when I was young. This got me to thinking about other recipes I associate with people.

Ronnie has a memory of his Grandmother Taylor making something she called "sweet bread". She had passed long before we were married so I never had this dessert, but try as I might to duplicate it I cannot. Apparently she was one of those wonderful cooks who never needed a recipe. From what I can gather from Ronnie and other family members this was a very simple, plain type cake that she baked in a single layer in a cast iron pan. He remembers it being a little crunchy around the edges. My sister in law, Karen, remembers that she sometimes made chocolate sweet bread as well. If by chance you had a grandmother that made "sweet bread" Ronnie would be forever grateful if you could share the recipe.

So, in memory of my Aunt Mary enjoy this wonderful cake.

Pistachio Cake

1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding mix
3 eggs
1 c. club soda
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. chopped nuts

FROSTING:

1 1/2 c. cold milk
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 pkg. pistachio pudding mix

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl. Blend, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and frost.
For the Frosting:
Pour the milk into a deep bowl. Add the Dream Whip and the pistachio pudding mix. Beat slowly to blend. Gradually increase speed until mixture forms peaks. Spread on cake.


So, until tomorrow.................
S~~~

Just Another Rainy Wednesday

Today I sat I at my desk and couldn't help but stare out the window at the rain on the leaves of the trees. My window is high up in the trees and it looks so pretty in the spring and summer when the leaves shadow the window. Its not that a rainy day is unusual right now, we have had our share for sure, its just that the past few years have been so dry, this is such a blessing.

While there are only a few things that I miss about our old house, (mostly just 28 years of really good memories), the covered deck is definitely one thing I still long for. When we were building I loved the idea of having this huge wrap around deck, and thought it would ruin the look of the house if we covered even a part of it. While this may be true I sure miss sitting on the deck in the rain and reading. That, dear friends, is what I consider total relaxation.

No supper here tonight, Ronnie and the guys are practicing downstairs. I thought about making a cake that I have wanted to try for a while, Summertime Lemon Cake. I can't remember where I found the recipe but it sounds like it is worth a try.

Summertime Lemon Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 small package Lemon Jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oil

Glaze
Juice and zested rind of 2 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all cake ingredients well. Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13 pan according to directions on the box. While the cake bakes, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice. When the cake comes out of the oven make holes all over top with a fork. Pour glaze over hot cake.

Sure sounds easy enough.

So, until tomorrow.............
S~~~

Happy Easter

What a beautiful Easter Sunday !!
It was a quiet one here at the Taylor house. I could easily get used to a four day work week. The extra day makes all the difference in the world. Go ahead smack my hand, I know I am fortunate to have a job and shouldn't complain. Truthfully, I know how very blessed I am on this Easter 2009.

Starting tomorrow Monday April 13th we Southerners are free once again to wear white!! You know how it goes, no white after labor day or before Easter. This must mean that warm weather is almost here.

Most everyone I know always looked forward to the ritual of dying Easter eggs with their children. Growing up Mother dyed the eggs and fixed my Easter basket and it was always beautiful. Mother was very talented and creative when it came to crafty things. Something she certainly never passed along to me, by the way. (I am much more likely to be piled up with a book than crafting anything). Anyway, Lacy -Jay and I had some of our worse blowups over Easter eggs. With my lack of skills and her desire for a designer Easter basket it just never turned out like Miss Priss thought it should. Eventually Mother took over Lacy's Easter baskets and all was well. Somehow I think I missed out on something there.

Supper tonight was slightly traditional. This key lime pie is the ultimate summer dessert. Tonight I used a graham cracker crust but in the past I have crushed ginger snaps added a couple tablespoons of sugar and some melted butter for the crust and that just about takes it over the top.

Sugar Glazed Ham (for me)
Beef Tenderloin (for Ronnie)
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Julia's Squash Casserole (posted January 2nd)
Deviled Eggs
Creamy Dreamy Key Lime Pie*

Creamy Dreamy Key Lime Pie
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 9-inch graham cracker crust


Beat softened cream cheese until creamy.
Add sweetened condensed milk and beat to incorporate.
Add egg yolks and beat well.
Add lime juice and beat till combined.
Pour mixture into pie crust and spread with spatula until evenly distributed.
Place on cookie sheet and then into the oven and bake at 350 for 10 min. or
until the filling begins to set.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack at room temp.
Then place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serve with whipped cream.

Post and share your Easter menu. I would love to know what was on your table!!

So, Until Tomorrow (and I promise to try to do better this week)........
S~~~