No Need To Order Out Tonight

Margherita Pizza-(Sorry I forgot to take the picture)

When I was younger I use to make garlic bread with Wonder Bread and my family loved it and thought it was genius. I also often made pizza and pretzels from wonder bread...Hey, I did what I had to do for an after school snack. LOL

So Italian bread was on sale the other day, which is rare, it always seems to be $1.79, well I got two loaves for that price. One loaf I made good ole cheesy garlic bread and the other I made a margherita pizza. I wanted to make something fast so I could relax, here’s what I did.

Things You Will Need:

-Fresh Italian Bread(be sure to check the sell by date)
-2 Roma Tomatoes
-Fresh Mozzarella
-2 table spoons of chopped garlic(in oil), (you can also chop a fresh garlic bulb) 2 cloves would be good, finely chopped
-Olive Oil
- basting brush
-fresh basil
-kosher salt and pepper(optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the roma tomatoes. Slice the fresh mozzarella. Slice the Italian bread lengthwise and then crosswise into about 4 pieces. Then brush olive oil on the inside of the bread, don’t drench it, just cover it well. If using garlic in oil, use less olive oil on the bread. Spread garlic on the bread, give or take how much depending on your tastes. Add sliced roma tomatoes, again more or less to taste. Add the cheese and top with fresh basil. You can sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top, if you wish. Keep in mind the mozzarella has salt in it. Bake for 10-12 minutes(some ovens vary, I would check it after 8 minutes)

I served this with an ice cold Cherry Pepsi 


*Also tastes very good on whole wheat pita(4-5 min in the oven)

Oh How I Love Gravy

I have always been a fan a gravy, ever since child hood. You add gravy to it and I will eat it. So today’s post is about making a great gravy for any poultry or beef.

Things you will need:

Stock or broth -poultry or beef canned ( I prefer the juices from whichever meat I am using)
Whisk
Flour or Corn Starch ( I prefer flour, but both work great)
Kitchen Bouquet-browning agent

This is pretty basic and very hard to mess up. Now many people when they are making gravy, make it right in the pan with the meat that they are using, I found that this does not always work well. So here is the trick, if you didn’t know. Depending on the amount of stock or broth that you are using spoon out and separate a little less than half in to a bowl(make sure the liquid is very hot) add in a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch at a time. Whisk swiftly, as you add in more dry ingredients(flour or cornstarch) the gravy will thicken. Remember that you still have liquid left over so you can make it thicker if you wish. Remember to keep whisking, you don’t want the dry ingredients that you added to make your gravy clumpy. After you have reached the desired thickness add a teaspoon of kitchen bouquet(FOR DARKER GRAVIES) , add your liquid back to your meat. Done. I made some chicken breasts with bow tie pasta just last night and cooked the pasta in the chicken gravy, it was just divine. I think I will eat the leftovers for dinner. :-)

Who Needs That Bottled Stuff ???

So I already had some chicken marinating in the fridge that I planned on grilling later on that evening. I'm a big fan of bottled honey barbecue sauce, but I was fresh out. Not wanting to pack the kids in the car or have hubby stop on his way home from work just for BBQ sauce, I decided to whip some up myself. Good idea! It was totally DELISH! All I did was saute some chopped onions and garlic in a splash of olive oil until tender. I then added about a cup and a half of ketchup, a tablespoon of mustard, a 1/4 of a cup of dark brown sugar, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce, a splash of hot sauce, a little garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. I was out of honey, but if it was on hand I would have added it. I let it simmer slowly for about 20 minutes and brushed it on the chicken about 10 minutes before removing it from the grill. My family LOVED it. The kids were licking their fingers, and needless to say, they were looking for 2nd's. It was so good, I'm almost positive you could pour it atop of those buttermilk pancakes and use it as a dipping sauce for those fried apple pies. ;-}

Just Gotta Finish Up That Left Over Buttermilk...

Buttermilk Pancakes 

*(I never follow recipes to the T, something in me just doesn't allow it, I'm defiant in that way, but this one I did and they came out just right)

The Wets

1.5 cups (350ml) buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons (50g) melted butter - use microwave *(I just melted in the pan I cooked the pancakes in)
2 Teaspoons (10ml) Vanilla 

The Drys1 cup (125g) white flour
3 Tbsp (40g) sugar
1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda (make sure it's not 3 years old... ;-)
1/2 tsp (2g) baking powder
1/2 tsp (4g) salt

Put the wet and dry ingredients into separate bowls. Whisk each one lightly. Add roughly half of the dry mix into the wet and whisk smooth, not too long. Add the remainder of the dry mix and barely whisk together. Make sure all of the flour is mixed in. You don't want to beat this too much as it strengthens the gluten in the flour and makes the pancakes tougher. Don't worry, you can't screw this up; just don't put it in an electric mixer and let it run forever.... If possible, let the batter rest for a few minutes to allow the baking soda and baking powder to perform their magic. This will make for airier pancakes.

NOTE: The batter should be fairly thick, not runny. The perfect batter should pour onto the fry pan and not move much; it should only require a few taps of the measuring cup to spread it out. A few UK readers have commented that they get runny batters and this is most likely due to thin buttermilk. If this happens don't worry, just add a bit more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until it thickens up.

Cooking the pancakes

A simple non-stick fry pan is all you need. Heavier is better as it spreads the heat, prevents burning, and browns the pancakes nicely. Heat the pan on the lowest setting on your stove top as it is easy to burn pancakes. If you have an electric skillet, set it to 325°F. By the way, don't try to make it work with a scratched 20 year old camping pan. This has to be a good quality non-stick surface to work well.

TRICK: Usually, it helps to put a few drops of oil on the fry pan and rub it around with a paper towel. Even with a non-stick surface, it helps the batter release easier.

Drop a 1/4 cup scoop of batter onto the pan. You might need to spread it around just a bit if the batter is extra thick.  You should hear a *slight* sizzle when you pour the batter; if it sizzles loudly, or worse, big bubbles form as you pour, the heat is way too high, turn it down.

The most important point is to cook these pancakes slowly. Too fast and you'll burn them, or worse yet, you'll have pancakes with gooey liquid centers. A good rule of thumb is 90-120 seconds per side. If they burn before that, your pan is still too hot. If things are at the right temperature, you'll know it is time to flip, without timing, by the small bubbles forming at the top of the pancake. When it is covered in small holes, the edge of pancake will start to look dry. This is the time to flip.

It is a good idea to get good at 'peeking' under the edge of the pancake with the spatula. This gives you a good idea of how quickly the bottom is browning. Still a bit yellow? Keep it on for a few more seconds. Browning too fast? Flip it and turn down the heat.

Flipping takes a few tries to get the hang of it. If you've got a good thick batter, there will still be plenty of 'goo' there in the center. When you flip, you've got to do it quickly so it doesn't sploosh across the pan. It might take you a few tries at first but it isn't hard, just do it fairly quickly. This is REALLY fun to do with your younger kids, just start off with scant cups of batter to make them even smaller and easier to flip.

TRICK: If you want, substitute Splenda instead of sugar. This makes the batter handle higher temperatures without burning and doesn't affect the texture or flavor much.

The first pancake usually has 'white spots' on the first side. However, after the first one, the following pancakes will have much more uniform color and pattern. If you want 6 bigger pancakes, use a 1/3 cup instead of 1/4 cup. They are harder to flip so make sure you're comfortable with the smaller ones.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Scott Jenson

I Really Want Some Apple Pie

I woke up the other day thinking, I really want some apple pie. So I decided to attempt to make one. After all, how hard could it be, I have had apple pie so many times, so many different ways...I went off to my kitchen to see what I had. Now, I know to caramelize apples, I need butter for sure. So butter...check. I had brown sugar and cinnamon...check and check. And flour...all in my cabinets. I had apples too, so with the McDonald's apple pie in mind, all I needed was a pocket for my ingredients. Last but not least I went to my favorite tool...the Internet, The Food Network. Low and behold I found exactly what I was looking for, now based on what I had in the house, I tweaked it so I would not have to spend extra money, after all I am always on the look out for the cost effective way to do things and this recipe takes 20 minutes. The only thing that I purchased was the pie crust for $3.49 and the Gala Apples for $.69 and the unsalted butter, store brand for $1.29. Total cost. $5.47 for 8 little pies. See recipe below. Hot or Cold, tastes great with ice cream or a cup of coffee. Enjoy!  ❀Yvonne

Fried Apple pie

•4 tablespoons unsalted butter

•1/4 cup light brown sugar (I used dark brown)

•2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

•2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped

•1 tablespoon maple syrup

•1/2 lemon, juiced (I used about a tablespoon)

•2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided

•1/4 teaspoon ground ginger(Didn't have any)

•1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg(Didn't have any)

•1 box ready-made pie crusts (recommended: Pillsbury)

•Peanut oil, for frying

•1/2 cup granulated sugar

•1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Yvonne's Fried Apple Pie

-To a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, and the apples and saute until they are tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle in the maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Continue cooking for 5 minutes more until the apples are completely softened. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool while you prepare the dough.

-Roll out(not with a rolling pin) both pieces of pie dough onto a floured surface. Cut out 8 (6-inch) circles and lay them out onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Put a heaping tablespoon of the apple pie filling into the center of each round Fold the circles in half and seal their edges with the tines of a fork.

-In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough peanut oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.

-Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and reserve.

-Fry the pies, 3 at a time, in the hot peanut oil until they are golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the finished pies to a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Once they are cool, toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

So What Do I Do W/This Left Over Buttermilk ?

…what else but make some Red Velvet Cupcakes…but there's still buttermilk left over and I hate to waste so, Buttermilk Pancakes it is. I found a great recipe for buttermilk pancakes and they were pretty scrumptious. I'll post the recipe on our EveryBuddy Bakes page.

❀Chyna (sheesh, look @ that thumb, gotta do my nails, pretend you don't see that☺)

MM MM MM, Carrott Cupcakes w/a Ginger Spice Cream Cheese Frosting

I love, love, carrot cake, I do...like that's my Birthday cake. I'm not into traditional birthday cakes with butter cream frosting. Even as a little girl I didn't eat birthday cake, not even my own or enjoyed the frosting at all. I prefer cream cheese frosting, I mean I abuse it!! One year, 2002, my husband, then boyfriend bought me a carrot birthday cake from a bakery in New Jersey called Calandra's Bakery. That was the beginning of my love and need for a carrot cake for my birthday every year. The following year, 2003, he decided since he knows I love coffee, he would buy me a Cappuccino cake. Ummm, although the cake was ok, it was not fabulous, and definitely not a carrot cake. Besides I think the best frosting ever, again is a nice cream cheese frosting. Not overly sweet, just enough sweetness where you can still taste the cream cheese, yum! Needless to say, he absolutely knows from that point on that I'll always prefer a carrot birthday cake. Oddly enough, as much as I adore carrot cake and have intentions on making one, I never have. Until last night that is. I'm on a quest to find or at least alter a carrot cake recipe that makes my heart sing. So last night I compared two recipes, sifted through the ingredients I like and made my first carrot cupcakes. It was good, moist, but tasted more like a muffin. Using whole wheat pastry flour due to circumstances beyond my control, (didn't feel like going to the market to pick up white flour, aah it was late), probably contributed highly to the fact of it tasting more like a scrumptious carrot bran muffin. Nice flavor, sweet w/a little spice. Reminiscent of sweet potato pancakes, I had @ Melba's in New York. Anyhoo, I'm going to keep grating carrots until I create the best carrot cupcakes, well best, relatively speaking!

PS Grating carrots have got to be the worse part about making a this cake. It took my two little sisters and I to finely hand grate enough carrots to make only 1 1/2 cups of carrots, thank goodness I opted to make only 12 cupcakes. I can't imagine how long it would have taken if I needed 3 cups. I wonder if they sell a fine grate attachment for my food processor. I have to find out as I attempt another carrot cake recipe! ❀Chyna