Day 20 Blondies and Sausage Stew

Well I have never made a stew before, or Blondie's so decided to give them a try. The stew was super easy. Add 1 can bean and bacon soup, 1/2 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1 peeled and cubed potato, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 6 oz fully cooked sausage. Stir together and simmer 30 min. Very Good!
For the Blondie's I mixed 1 cup brown sugar with 1/3 cup butter over med head until smooth. Add one egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda. Put in an 8x8 greased baking dish. Sprinkle with white choc chips. Cook 25-30 min. Also a YUM!

Day 18-19- baby enchillata stuffed shells, baby back ribs, and german chocolate cake

So yesterday we had jumbo shells stuffed with enchilada stuffing. Very yummy, but there was enough filling for twice the shells. You take 15 jumbo shells and boil them, stuff them with refried beans, and top them with turkey meat cooked in enchilada sauce. bake with cheese. Tonight I cooked baby back ribs with potatoes and baked beans. The ribs were once again too much for two people, but I couldn't find any smaller. You take a rack of ribs and cut into smaller sizes, bake for 60 min at 350...then coat in barbecue sauce for another 30 min. Finally I make a German chocolate cake that came out great! Start with 2 sticks of softened butter and add 2 cups of sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add 4 egg yolks(save whites) one at a time and mix between adding. Combine 2.5 cups flour with 1 tsp baking soda, and half tsp salt. Add to mixture one cup at a time. Add 1 cup buttermilk. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Beat egg whites on high seating until it forms hard peaks. Fold into mixture. Put in 3 greased 9in round cake pans. Bake for 30 min. Meanwhile, take 1 stick butter, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar and 3 egg yolks and combine over med heat in a skillet. Cook until golden brown. remove from heat. Add 4 oz pecans,2 oz walnuts and 1tsp vanilla. Let sit until it thickens. Finally heat 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate with half tsp shortening until blended. pour over sides.YUM!

Day 18- black and bleu salad...minus the bleu

Yesterday I made Black and bleu salad...minus the bleu. This was about the easiest thing I have made yet. A little strip steak with romain lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, and croutons. Quite tasty! Tonight...mexican stuffed shells!

Day 17...Roasted Duck!

Well today I decided to challenge myself with roasted duck with a cherry sauce and wild rice. I took the duck and let it thaw in cold water for two hours. Then I removed the liver, gizzards, and neck(so sad). Then I tied the legs together and put it in a dish, breast side up. Then I cooked it at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Then I steamed some wild rice for a side dish. For the sauce I took a jar of cherry preserves, two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and let them simmer for 10 min. I was super happy with the presentation and the taste. I feel it was a little too much work for every day, but it would be great for a special occasion.

day 16- cheesy noodle bake and peanut butter cupcakes

Well I had a delicious cheesy noodle bake and peanut butter cupcakes today! The cheesy bake only took 25 min to bake. I think a little cheese on top would make it spectacular. I loved, loved, loved the peanut butter cupcakes. YUM!

day 15-orange nut bread

Today is orange nut bread. MMMMM. I have to work at 4:00 in the morning, and thought it might be a good idea to wake up with breakfast already cooked. I may have to snag a slice tonight!

Day 14 Continued-pork chops

So I decided on pork chops with cauliflower...not the best...not the worst. I think that I overcooked the chops, they were a little tough. I also Had issues with the cauliflower, it was rubbery. I will not be making these again. On the upside I made a white chocolate mousse that was yummy. You would think it was hard, but it only took like 10 minutes to make. That one is a keeper!