Categories
Food

This Weekend’s Recipes, part 1

I gave my mom her Mother’s Day Pioneer Woman Cooks book Friday night. I’d mentioned earlier last week that we might want to try a few things from it this weekend~ I didn’t tell her that it’d be from her own book though!

Nana had already gotten steaks for Saturday night so we planned appetizer & sides based on that. For Saturday, we made PW‘s Hot Artichoke Dip, Burgundy Mushrooms, and Creamy Rosemary Potatoes. We also had salad and homemade peach ice cream! The ice cream maker’s motor kinda broke, so we had a hand turn it… a lot of work but it didn’t seem to be getting thicker, so we gave up. We ate dinner then Pawpaw & I brought it up thinking we’d be having peach milkshakes… instead we think it was on right because somehow it worked! So yummy!
Ok here’s Sat night’s PW recipes:

Hot Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
2 14 oz cans artichokes hearts, drained
8 oz block cream cheese
1 c mayo
cayenne pepper
2 green onions, chopped (We omitted)
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
dash of salt
black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Put cream cheese, mayo & one can of artichokes in a food processor (we used a blender). Puree for just a minute then add the cayenne pepper (& green onions if you want). Pulse the mixture a few times to get the artichokes chopped up and mixed with other ingredients. Add in the cheese and salt and pepper. We put in 9 or 10″ pie plate. Chop the other can of artichokes roughly then add into the dip. Bake for 15-20 minutes. We served with baked Ritz pieces, Wheat Thins & randomly buffalo chips. I liked it best with the Ritz crisps.

Burgundy Mushrooms (we halved this recipe but the mushrooms cook down a lot)
Ingredients
4 pounds white button mushrooms
2 sticks butter
1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1liter Burgundy wine (other dry red wine will work)
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 c boiling water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 beef bouillon cubes (we omitted)
1 t dill seed
1 t garlic powder
2 t salt
Directions
Wash mushrooms and put in large stock pot. Add all remaining ingredients except the salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to low and let simmer. PW recommends simmering covered for 6 hours then uncovered for another 3. We put our mushrooms on around 6 and ate around 8. I think we had more sauce remaining, but we just poured over steaks. Add salt to taste at the end. The mushrooms turned dark and had the best flavor!

Creamy Rosemary Potatoes (this recipes kinda labor intensive but worth it!)
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 c half and half
1 c heavy cream
5-6 medium potatoes (we used 5 large ones)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (we used garlic powder to taste)
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
.5-1 t salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 T minced rosemary leaves
3 green onions (we omitted)
1 c grated parmesan cheese
3 T minced chives (we omitted)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9×13 dish. Combine half & half and cream in large measuring cup. Thinly slice the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with half the cream mixture. In large skillet over medium low heat, melt butter, garlic and onion. Cook until clear stirring occasionally (about 4 minutes). Cut bar of cream cheese in half and add to the skillet. Keep stirring until smooth & cream (about 3 minutes). Add other half of the cream mixture and keep stirring. Add salt & pepper ~ we tasted a few times and added a little more. Add rosemary (yay for Nana’s rosemary plant!) (and green onions if we chose to). Last, add 1/2 c of the parm and stir until mixed. Pour the potatoes into the 9×13 then top with the skillet mixture. Sprinkle the other 1/2 c of parm. Bake for about an hour. PW says until golden brown & bubbly. Ours cooked a little quicker than we were ready so we covered with foil. Delicious that night & made great lunch leftovers!!!

Categories
Food

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks. We had all the ingredients on hand including a bunch of instant oatmeal I’d gotten with Harris Teeter triples a while back. I used a combination of lower sugar cinnamon oatmeal, lower sugar apple & cinnamon, & regular apple & cinnamon instant oatmeal. I believe Stephanie’s made 12 mini muffins, but I don’t have a mini pan. Mine made 6 regular sized muffins that we’re looking forward to enjoying for dessert & breakfast tomorrow!

Ingredients
5 packets of instant oatmeal
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil (she called for canola I only had olive & vegetable so I used vegetable)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl.
Divide mixture into muffin pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy!

Categories
Food

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

I heard about this recipe from Jenny who swears its super yummy even thought its a fairly healthy way to make Spinach Artichoke Dip. I promise to make this for my next party or gathering. She got the recipe from here.

Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 c (8 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 c fat free sour cream

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Categories
Everything Else Food Travel

I met the Pioneer Woman…

and other also awesome internet ladies that are now friends! In case your not familiar with Ree, the Pioneer Woman, you can meet her here. I’ve added a few of my favorite photos from Beth & Alena & Sara! Here’s the links you to Alena’s post of the signing, while we we’re waiting for group C to be called, & group C meeting the PW. Here’s Beth Anne’s take on the event also. I so enjoyed meeting Sara, Alena, Amy, Sally & Kathleen. It was great to see Beth, Beth Anne, Jenny, Meredith (here’s her PW post), Emilee & Sarah again!

I left work Friday afternoon around 1:45p which was a little later than I wanted. I was making good time on 40/85 until I got pretty close to Concord. Then traffic went from 70 to 20 mph & I really started sweating thinking I’d be late!! I called B at her work to let her know that I might be there a little later than we had planned. After 6 miles of stop & go traffic, we passed a clearing accident (on the other side of the road!) and I made it the rest of the way to Charlotte & Beth’s work without problems. We then met up with 9 other ladies who’d been grubbing & drinking a little at California Pizza Kitchen at Southpark. It was about 515 when we headed over to Joseph Beth Booksellers to get ready to meet Ree!
Since Mom doesn’t read, I’ll tell yall that I picked up a book for her for Mother’s Day & Ree was sweet enough to inscribe it to say Happy Mother’s Day (I’ll have to take & post a photo of her signature!). But I’m getting ahead of myself… Thanks to Sara who picked up tickets weeks ago, we were Group C! They passed out blue cards for us to ask Ree questions: our group asked the age old question: Boxers or Briefs! (For those interested, Marlboro Man wears boxers under his tight Wranglers!) Ree then stood upstairs and answered questions (she anwered ours first!), chatted about sweating, her love of spanx, and she even sang a lil! We waited for VIP 1 & 2 as well as Groups A & B, then it was our turn! We squealed with excitement & ran upstairs. Alena went first & the coolest thing ever~ Ree knew her name before she could say it!! Yay for twitter! She was so sweet & pretty & so skinny! We took a ton of photos individually then of the group with her.We left on such a high: she was awesome, so laid back & normal for someone who’s a celeb! We were all a little hungry after the signing so we walked across the mall to Cheesecake Factory. They told us that for our group of 12 (plus 2 babies), it would be close to 2 hours. We said thanks, but no thanks & headed next door to Maggiano’s which was about to seat us after a 45 min wait. Dinner was yummy & full of great conversation with such awesome women!

Beth & I said our goodbyes after dinner & headed uptown to meet up with Kevin & friends out & about. We went first to Dandelion Market which is conveintly at the base of her building. After a few beers, that place was PACKED! So loud & crazy that we escaped to Zink where we could sit at a table outside and actually chat for a bit. We made it back to her condo & we’re in bed by 2. She took me to Green’s for breakfast before we headed back to her work to pick up my car. As I mentioned below, I then said goodbye & thanks to Beth & hung out with Ma from 11-2. My aunt Martha was also in town visiting my grandparents so it was nice to see her & my Papa as well.

I experienced Charlotte’s IKEA for the first time on my way back to Raleigh. I was going through it pretty quickly ~ it’s so big! I definitely want to go back with Jason to look at some furniture. But yesterday I bought a pillow for our couch, new pillows for the guest bed ($6.99 each!), a new watering pail, a green candle, a hot mit & a few other little things.

Categories
Food

Dips!

I went to a dip themed dinner club last night. I realized when I was making mine that I didn’t have the recipe posted.

Pizza Dip

Ingredients
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
approximately 8 oz pizza sauce
1 c shredded part skim mozz cheese
pizza seasonings

Directions
Spread cream cheese on bottom of dish. I use 9″ pie plate. Top with pizza sauce, then seasoning, then cheese.
Bake at 350 until cheese is all melted. Maybe 10 mins.
I serve with sliced French bread which I sprayed with Pam then broiled until crisy.

The below dip Lindsay B brought. It was a huge hit! She just emailed it to us so I thought I’d post (this way I’ll remember & be able to find the recipe!).

Artichoke Dip

one 14 oz. can (water packed) artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 C plain lowfat yogurt
1 C grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 T fresh basil chopped

*I added some chopped fresh spinach as well.

Microwave 3 minutes on high. Stir. Microwave 2 more minutes. Serve
warm with chips, bread or pita bread.