Cranberry Sauce...

I love Thanksgiving; it has to be hands down, my favorite holiday. You get to spend the whole day with family & friends, eating, relaxing and being thankful.  I must say there is nothing better then roasted turkey with all the trimmings.
Now in this house there have been many discussions about canned cranberry sauce vs. fresh cranberry sauce... I stand on the side of fresh .... unlike the rest of my family; which loves the strange "plop" canned cranberry sauce makes when coming out of the can. There is just something about the more sauce like texture of fresh which makes it my favorite.
Oh well that just means I get to eat more of this delicious condiment!

Cranberry Sauce

24 oz fresh cranberries

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c water

Place it all in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5 hours.
Mash to your desired consistency, cool and serve.

Veggies & Rice...

What are you to do with the left over veggies from a veggie and dip platter? Now mind you I had placed them in my kids lunches, but there were still plenty to be eaten.  I opted to make a throw together meal of Veggies and Rice.  I was thinking it would be more like a vegetable soup, but the rice thickened it up so it was more like a mash... I know that sounds totally unappetizing, but man was it good!
Everyone in the family went back for 2nds, even my youngest who said I could make that for her anytime!

Veggies and Rice
In a crock pot place the following:

Chopped - carrots, broccoli, squash, asparagus, celery, mushrooms

10 oz tomato puree

16 oz chicken stock

1 Tb garlic powder

1 Tb Italian seasoning,

Salt and Pepper
1 cup Rice

Cook on low for 3-4 hours - until rice is soft. Mine was on all day because I started with homemade frozen tomato puree and stock. 

Serve with Parmesan cheese.
You could even add cherry tomatoes or cauliflower. I'd recommend not adding the left over cucumbers or radishes. Also do not add any starchy veggie like potatoes as the rice adds that dimension

Butternut Squash Soup...

Fall is here, the weather is going from sunny and warm to cold and drab. There is nothing better than a bowl of soup when the days are becoming dreary.
Since I had nothing handy in my cupboard or today, I had to come up with something warm and soothing to eat for lunch...
In my freezer was a container of pureed Butternut Squash from my winter co-op... Aha! Butternut Squash Soup it is then!

Butternut Squash Soup
16 oz Butternut Squash Soup Puree
7 oz Chicken stock
2/3 c milk
1/8 tsp rubbed sage
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil and enjoy!

Now of course you could switch out the Butternut squash with any sort of root vegetable puree - Sweet Potato, Acorn squash, Hubbard squash... you get the idea.

BBQ Sauce....

I decided to try to make my own BBQ sauce. Now you know me I do not like to do anything "ordinary" when it comes to cooking, throwing in hidden ingredients here and there.  I can then pack in all the extra nutrients where I can!
This recipe begins with dried fruit and ends with a delicious sauce!

BBQ Sauce

6 oz apple Cider Vinegar

2 c applesauce

8 oz dried pineapple

6 oz dried apricots

4 oz tomato paste

1 onion chopped

1 c brown sugar

3 TBS smoked paprika

1 TB garlic powder

1/2 Tb nutmeg
1 Tb cheyenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a crock pot, cook in high for 3 hours then puree till smooth.

Grill Chicken Wings with Super Hot Sauce...

This past weekend a group of us went camping. By the end of the weekend, chicken wings became a necessity for many of us... So Sunday night we opted reconvene after unpacking, showering and resting to have chicken wings.

My daughter and I made this super hot sauce to go on some of the wings which were to be grilled.
Between the spice of the sauce, the charring from the fire and the slight smoke flavor instilled in them, they were absolutely delicious.

Grill Chicken Wings with Super Hot Sauce
Begin grilling Chicken wing pieces about 3/ 4 min on each side. I made about 3-4 lbs with this recipe.

Sauce Recipe
10 oz Hot Sauce
4 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp cheyenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

I like to place my sauce in a squeeze bottle so application is easier.
Cover the wings 3 - 4 times after the initial cooking with the sauce - allowing a bout 1 - 2 min between coatings before turning the wings.


NOTE:  I like to buy fresh chicken wings in bulk and use my cleaver to separate them into the sections - it helps to save in cost and gets my frustrations out as well. I can also then freeze the wing tips to add when making homemade stock.

Watermelon Mint Mojito...

I have to be the first to admit, it's hot. Way to hot to cook. So my impromptu cooking has taken a slight detour into cool refreshing drinks...
Last night friends were coming over for board games and I wanted to make something different then the usual. So in looking around my kitchen, I saw a watermelon, some vodka and my brain started concocting.
Now of course the the first thing I think of with those 2 ingredients is spiked watermelon, but I did not have enough time to get it just right, so I turned to my blender instead. Thank goodness I have a fully stocked herb garden with a plethura of mint just waiting to be picked.

I have to say this would be perfect if you had a chance to freeze the watermelon before creating it, but tasted great last night with ice cubes as well.

Watermelon Mint Mojito

12- 16  fresh mint leaves

6 cups cut up watermelon (if frozen omit next ingredient)

8 ice cubes
2 shots vodka
1 shot grenadine

Blend still smooth and serve.

I was questioning the use of the word Mojito in this recipe, but it does have muddled mint, so I am opting to keep it. Please let me know if you get a chance to try this one. I have to say they went down very smooth and were very refreshing. Not to mention watermelon is one of the best fruits for obtaining water in the summer, and is loaded with lots of various vitamins and minerals... that has to outdo some of the fact it has alcohol in it...Right?

Bloody Mary's...

Many like to start early morning celebrations with Mimosas or Screwdrivers, but I would rather eat an orange than drink it. I do not have a sweet tooth so I do not like frilly, girly drinks. Bloody Mary's are my celebratory morning drink of choice.
In a recent conversation with some friends I was asked to make a good Bloody Mary mix. Not too spicy, not to horseradishy, not to tomatoey etc.... Since I love Bloody Mary's, with Vodka, with Gin, even Virgin... Love, Love, Love!... So I was up for the task!

Cathi's Bloody Mary Mix

1 1/2 Tbs Wasabi Powder

4 oz Lime juice

3 Tb Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups diced Celery
1 Tbs Salt
1Tbs Pepper
4 oz Tomato Juice

Blend the ingredients above in a blender until smooth.
Mix blended ingredients with 60 oz Tomato Juice
(Spice lover? - Add 3 dashes Habenaro Sauce)

To serve - fill a 16 oz glass with ice, top with 1 shot Vodka (or more if you wish) and remaining room in glass with Bloody Mary Mix. Stir and enjoy!


I made this mix to take on our 1st camping trip with our group of friends.  Many folks on the trip tried it and those who enjoy spice liked it. I will warn you this is not for someone who can not deal with spice unless they have a tub of tums next to them. My tummy was happily warm that morning, but some had to run for the water bucket. I did decrease the Wasabi in this recipe after such reactions... I do want to keep my friends around not give them ulcers.

Fresh Salsa....

It's that time of year, the gardens are starting to produce and soon I will have more veggies then I will know what to do with! I did not plant as many tomato plants as I usually do, leaving more room for the Cucumbers, Cantelope and Watermelon I was hoping to have an ample harvest of... alas that is not to be! Some critter has decided to eat one whole side of my garden which included those fruits and veggies as well as my carrots, beats and radishes.... SIGH.
So I think I will get more tomato plants, as now it the time when the stores are starting to discount those plants which no one has yet has opted to give a home...

Fresh Salsa is one of my favorite things to make with summer tomatoes. That and a nice Caprice Salad.... YUM. I created 3 base Salsa recipes in which you can switch in and out the "extras"

Base Fresh Salsa Recipe

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 c diced tomato

1/4 c diced onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Fresh Recipe #1 - Fruit Salsa

Add to the mixture above

2/3 c diced fruit my favorites are pineapple, nectarines or peaches

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Fresh Recipe #2 - Pepper Salsa

Add to the mixture above
1 c diced red, orange and or yellow peppers
3 good shakes of Habenaro Sauce

Fresh Recipe #3 - Bean Salsa
Add to the mixture above
1 8 oz can beans - Ranchero style beans, black beans, kidney beans
Use a masher to smash the beans to make it more dip like.

Now you can of course change the spice of the salsas by increasing or decreasing the cayenne or habenero sauce. Also you can add about 1/2 c chopped cilantro to any and all above. Not everyone is a cilantro fan like I am so I did not include it in the recipes I made this past weekend, and they received rave reviews.

Note: In my photo above, I also have guacamole (that will be another post), but if you keep the pit in the guacamole when serving it is less likely to turn that gross shade of brown. Usually lime or lemon juice is used to do this same task, but I did not use either for the guacamole above, and look how lovely green it is!

Tomato Tart....

An Impromptu party is one thing which inspires me to try out new inventions. We were getting ready to host such this evening, so while looking at what was already in my cupboards I remembered a recipe I saw while traveling and opted to attempt to recreate it with what was in my house....

Tomato Tart
12-14 sheets Phylo Dough
6 oz spreadable Cheese
1 bunch Basil chopped
3 ripe Tomatoes thinly sliced
3 oz shredded Parmesan
Olive Oil to drizzle
Dash of Salt & Pepper on top

Layer the phylo dough with cheese - 2 sheets, cover with cheese, 2 sheets, cheese  repeat....
Spread a thin layer of cheese over the top sheet
Cover with thinly sliced tomatoes, chopped basil and Parmesan
Drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper and bake at 425 for 15 min
Slice when cooled and serve

Spreadable Cheese - Vermont Cheddar Cheese Spread, Laughing Cow Cheese, Goat Cheese, etc.
You can also trade out the phylo dough for puffed pastry - just fork the pastry, spread the cheese on top and away you go.....

I used the spreadable Vermont cheddar for this evening's recipe.

So how did this recipe which I just created, made and am attempting to try out on my friends at this evenings impromptu get together? What where the reviews? I hope they will comment on this post.... as they are about to arrive...Wish me luck!

Fruit Crisp....

In the summer there is nothing like picking your own locally grown fruits. I take my children, and often their friends to help pick, as you can NEVER have enough hands.  We will of course munch along the way, and end up with full belly's and stained fingers from all of our labors.
One of our favorite things to make with those freshly gotten goodies is a Fruit Crisp...

Fruit Crisp

5 cups Fruit (bite sized - chop if needed)

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Flour

1/2 stick softened Butter

3 Tbs Cinnamon

1 tsp Allspice

1 cup Quick Oats

Mix the fruit and sugar and add to a 2 liter baking dish
Mix the remaining ingredients, making sure the butter is well incorporated into the flour and oats.
Place on top of the fruit and bake at 350 for 45 min.
Eat warm either alone or over ice cream. I love to have this in the morning when cooled with Yogurt.

Fruits to be used:
Blueberries
Strawberries
Peaches
Rhubarb
Cherry's
Apples
Raspberries
Blackberries

Feel free to combine fruits as well, just be sure to end with about 5 cups of fruit.

Leftover fruits or those which may begin to turn prior to them being eaten can be frozen and again used in this recipe during the winter months.  When freezing fruits (cut into but sized pieces when needed) and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once solid, then place into Ziploc Baggies. This will help to keep the shape of the fruit.

Come on Blueberry season.....

Ratatouille...

Not only is an adorable children's movie, but it is a delicious dish my family has grown to love. I think that this dish is perfect to be made at the end of the summer, when all the ingredients are readily available from the stores, farmers markets or even your own garden.

I plan on making this for dinner Thursday night, as I saw on Pinterest a recipe where they served it as a sauce over fried polenta and I had to give it a try! YUM.

My Ratatouille Recipe
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 med Fennel Bulb - defronded and sliced
1 med Onion - chopped
2 Celery stalks - chopped
3 Carrots - pealed and chopped
1 med Yellow Pepper - chopped
1 large Zucchini - chopped
1 med Yellow Squash - chopped
1 med Eggplant - chopped and soaked in salt water for 10 min then drained.
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute the 1st 5 ingredients over med high heat, when onion is soft, add the next 4. Saute till pepper is soft. Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 10 min.

For tomorrow night I will make this recipe and then spoon it over Polenta medallions which have been pan fried in butter for 2 min on each side and top with some grated parmigiana. I will also be serving some good crusty bread to help soak up all those awesome juices... Now just to wait until Thursday...and to decide what wine to serve...

Broccoli Salad....

This has to be my most favorite summertime salad. I am sure it came from the 1970's when Betty Crocker was mixing sweet and savory as well as making a multitude of Jello salad creations.  This does not have Jello involved, but defiantly has the sweet and savory.
The original recipe calls for bacon. I know we all LOVE bacon... but my waist line needs some help so I opted to come up with a version which included other savory ingredients.



Broccoli Salad (my FAVORITE version)
3 heads of Broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 oz Sunflower seeds
8 oz dried Cherries
1/2 large red onion diced

Combine following until well blended:
1 cup Mayo
1/3 cup white Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 cup Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper

Mix all ingredients together, chill and serve.

Impromptu Ingredients
For the Sunflower Seeds:
8 oz crumbled bacon or 8 oz sliced almonds or 8 oz pine nuts or 8 oz cooked cooled edaname
For the dried Cherries:
8 oz Golden Raisins or 8 oz diced Apricots
You can replace the red onion with 1/2 cup sliced scallions to tone down the "onionyness"

Rice Pilaf.....

I used to make rice pilaf from a box all the time for my husband and I. Well I did until we started to have kids and what we put into our bodies became more important to me.  I now opt out of many pre-packaged, freeze dried, chemically laden foods as possible. 
I recently bought a box... (oh lord I did say that out loud!)... of rice pilaf. I have never seen my kids be so enthusiastic over their food.... so that got me thinking, there has to be a better way to make rice pilaf then to have to purchase one made out of unnatural or over processed ingredients. So here is my version of it. The base recipe will get you something delicious and there are add ins to play with if you'd like to change it up.

Rice Pilaf
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup broken spaghetti
2 Tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cup chicken stock

1. Saute the rice, pasta and butter till pasta begins to brown over med high heat
2. Add the onions and saute until soft.
3. Stir in the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 15 min.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy

Add-ins:
1/2 cup sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts added at end
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms added with 5 min remaining for simmer
1/2 cup chopped broccoli added with 5 min remaining for simmer, then 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese added at end.

I like this version way better. I already purchase organic basmati rice, whole wheat pasta and veggies so I know they are without chemicals.
I make my own chicken stock, so I know how it is flavored.
And like my veggies to still be crisp and not reconstituted.

Please let me know if you have any other awesome add-ins. I'd love to try them!

Quinoa... what the heck is it?

I started seeing this new item on the shelves at the supermarket and heard friends talk about trying it, so I thought what the heck, let's give it a try.  Now the first thing I had to do was to figure out what exactly it was.....
Quinoa - pronounced keen-wah - is a seed from a species of goosefoot plant. It contains all essential amino acids and it a complete protein. It's high in fiber, potassium, vitamin E, iron, and magnesium to mention a few. There are three varieties - white (mild flavor) red (nutty flavor) and black (not as common-stronger flavor)
Interesting tid-bit: The Incan warriors used to eat it rolled in balls of fat, believing it gave them strength.

I saw a recipe on Pintrest in which they made Quinoa Bites.... I opted to modify the recipe to what I had in my house at that time... mushrooms & cheese. 

Mushroom Quinoa Bites
3 1/2 c cooked red Quinoa (cooled)
3 large eggs - beaten
1 1/2 diced sautéed mushroom (cooled)
1/4 c chopped chives
3 tsp minced garlic
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 Tbs flour

1/4 tsp marjoram

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients

Grease mini muffin tin pan

Fill to the top of each section with the mixture

Bake 15 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees

Serve warm  - makes 48

I made them for card night with friends; I did get some good reviews. They are best when eaten warm.
Happily, the best reviews I got were actually from my girls who devoured as many as they possibly could!
If they like them then it's a keeper for sure!

Although I think I will also try this combination but made as a risotto.... I think that would be delicious too!

Kiwi Bars....

I love lemon bars, the tanginess, crumbly crust and layer of confectionery sugar on the top are like a perfect symphony to me. So, in my attempts to make a convertible citrus bar recipe, where you could switch out the lemon for grapefruit, lime, blood oranges etc., an new creation was born. Although I had a hunkering for a citrus bar, I found I had no citrus in the house that day, but I had plenty of Kiwi. Kiwi can be tangy, so I thought "what the heck" and away I went...

Did you know 2 Kiwi have 250% of your daily Vitamin C?

I have made this recipe twice now, and think I have it down. They are tangy, crumbly, and delicious... if you don't believe me you can ask my friend Steve who seems to love them.

Kiwi Bars

1 c flour

1/2 c softened butter

1/2 c powdered sugar

Cut together until the butter is crumbly and the size of peas

Press into an ungreased 8X8 pan

Cook at 350 for 20 minutes.

3 eggs

1 c sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Kiwi peeled and chopped

Mix together in a blender till Kiwi is all pureed.

Pour over crust which has cooled for 2 min

Back at 350 for 45 min
Once cool cover with powdered sugar
Cut and serve

Couple notes:

1. Be sure you do not let your kids listen for the timer when they are watching Sponge Bob on TV, as in my last round, they were over cooked by 5 min and the edges were crispy.

2. Also be sure to use ripe Kiwi, they are sweeter and easier to blend.

3. If your Kiwi mixture looks a little yellow, add 1-2 drops of green food coloring to make the final product more appealing.

4. I love using my Immersion blender for pureeing. If you do not have one, you should really think about it!

Let me know what you think..... & Enjoy!

Corned Beef....

I really do not remember ever having corned beef when I was younger. I became more aware of the dish when I was in college and met my husband.... his family would have it every year for St Patricks Day.
I have to admit it was kind of a strange concoction for me... meat boiled for hours with the veggies thrown in and I am NOT a fan of mushy veggies. Bleeeccchhhh.

So when my husband and I began throwing our annual parties, I opted to do something about the regular way corned beef was cooked. For St Patricks Day, I seare the Corned Beef and then cook in Guinness... Delicious! I also have been added the veggies at the last possible minute, but alas this still never guaranteed mushless veggies. Recently I made Corned Beef and opted to roast the carrots and cabbage in the oven... they came out magnificently!

Corned Beef with Roasted Veggies

4lb Corned Beef with seasoning packet - rinsed

3 TBS Olive Oil
2 Cans of Guinness (or enough to just cover the beef)

6 Shallots peeled and cut in half with core intact

1. Heat a large pot - I use my large enamel cast iron pot

2. Add olive oil

3. Seare the meat, fat side down till crispy - 4 min
4. Flip meat and add shallots, seasoning packet and beer.
5. Cook covered for 4 hours.

1 large Cabbage head - sliced into 1/2 inch sliced with core intact

8 large carrots peeled and quartered
2 TBS Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Combine all in a bowl, mix till coated
2. Bake at 400 for 25 min - or till at desired veggy crispness.





Now we also host a Oktoberfest Party each year, but the recipe for my Brisket Braised in Porter will just have to wait until closer to then....

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili... with Turkey

What started with just having chili during a party for the Super Bowl, soon became the 1st Annual Super Bowl Chili Cook Off.... due to all the "chili smack talk" between our group of friends.

There were 6 entries (lets see if I can remember them all)
Vension Chili
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Dragon's Breath Chili
Chili Mac
Regular Chili
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

In order to take place in the judging you had to eat a little of each chili.  I think almost every one at the party, even the kids partook in voting. Their were 3 places - best overall, spiciest and better luck next time.
The Venison won best overall, Buffalo Chicken won spiciest and My Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili won "better luck next time".... which I think happened because mine was the only chili with out meat.

So in order to make this chili the hit with family and friends I have opted to add ground turkey... I have to tell you it was delicious with no meat, but the turkey did add a little something extra making it even better.

2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 lbs ground turkey
3 Tsp garlic powder
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS ground cumin
1Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon
1 15.5 once can diced tomatoes
1 15.5 ounce can black beans rinsed
1 15.5 ounce can red kidney beans rinsed
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 large sweet potato peeled and cut into small pieces

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and pepper till soft over med high heat
2. Add the turkey to pan and brown
3. Add all spices to the pan and cook for 3 more min - stirring to blend spices well.
4. Add the tomatoes, beans, stock and sweet potatoes and cook over medium low heat for 1 hour.
5. Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve.

Succotash.....

With the warmer weather now upon us in the northeast, I am turning my thoughts on BBQ leftovers... Recently we grilled with some friends and ended up with an abundance of grilled corn on the cob...

Slowly grill unhusked corn over med heat turning about every 5 min for about 20 - 25 min.... Husk and enjoy! Not only does it taste awesome, it makes it easier to remove the corn silk, since it is steamed off inside the husk.  Just be careful! There is a lot of steam in there so be prepared when you start opening them. (Some people like to soak the corn before hand, but I think that does not give the good charring)

I have done this for parties, 1st wrapping them in aluminum foil then roasting them in my over at 400 for about 30 - 40 min, then placing an a cooler. (The foil helps to keep the cooler clean) The cooler keeps them nice and hot and there is no worrying about kids and boiling water in the middle of a get together.

So back to my point... left over corn on the cob. Of course you can reheat it by placing it into boiling water (with husk removed) and enjoy again off the cob.  I love to cut the left over corn off the cob and freeze it. Then I can bring it out in the winter months and still have that grilled flavor. 

One of my favorite ways to prepare this type of corn is in a succotash.... which to me means "corn and veggies"...
In general for 2 cups of corn you will need 1 cup of 2 other types of veggies.
Some suggestions:
1. Corn, edaname, diced tomatoes
2. Corn, diced peppers, sliced scallions
3. Corn, lima beans, diced onion
4. Corn, diced onion, diced jalapenos (*1 -2 TBSP depending - or heck a cup if you are really risky!)

Saute your aromatic (i.e. peppers, onions) till translucent/soft with 1 tsp olive oil
Add corn and other veggie. Saute until cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.

So simple but yet so delicious! I hope you try out some of these. #4 is my favorite, I'd love to hear which is yours.

Wildtree Products...

The other week I went to a paddle party. It's when you bid for items at a quarter a paddle and if your number is called you win the item which is up for bid.  I had never heard of these before about 5 months ago, when my sister introduced me.  I have to say they are very fun, and my girls enjoyed being able to hold up the paddle and were ecstatic when their number(s) were called. (This last time I spent $30 in bids and came home with over $70 in products.)

So tonight, I opted to make one of the items I won from a company called Wildtree.  If you love Tastefully simple and those other company's which offer ready to make food items, you will love Wildtree. They use grape seed oil, dehydrated spices and herbs instead of chemically made replacements. (I had never heard of this company before but opted to bid on the item just after reading the catalog.)

I "won" the Scampi seasoning Blend and Roasted Garlic infused Grape seed oil.  I followed the recipe on the package (almost verbatim, but I had no white wine so I instead used 3 TBS lemon juice) and it was DELICIOUS. There were NO leftovers. Both my daughters devoured their portions and were looking for more!

I am all for fast and easy meals, and I love the fact these do not have ANY ingredients I can not pronounce.
They do not have hydrogenated fats, preservatives, MSGs, artificial flavors, artificial colors and additives in the packaged food you find in the store.

If you get a chance check out there website - I think you will be very happy if you do:
http://wildtree.com/Home/default.aspx

Who knows maybe I will host a Wildtree party sometime in the future... Anyone want to be on the guest list if I go? Let me know!

A Happy Hubby via Oatmeal Bars

Yeah! I finally got to the store and was able to make my Oatmeal Bars. My husband was very disappinted when I mentioned making them previously and we were out of oatmeal... I will have a happy hubby this evening!

While making them I did realize I did not have raisins, so I substiuted crasins instead. They are still delicious.

 

(work in progress)

I love the way this recipe smells when it is baking and cooling. My whole house just feels warm and inviting.... Of course the worst part is when they are cooling on the counter. I have learned from past attempts to be sure to let them cool fully, as otherwise they do not cut as nicely and you end up with lots of crumbs... which by the way is excellent on top of vanilla ice cream....

(cooling on the counter... oh the anticipation!)

The original recipe for these oatmeal bars is listed under my previous post of "Cathi's Oatmeal Bars"



When does Grapefruit become Kiwi?

Yesterday I opted to attempt my 1st Grapefruit bar recipe. I did not have any grapefruit in the house, so I opted to make a Kiwi bar instead. I tried it out on some unsuspecting friends and received very good reviews and a couple suggestions will make it into the recipe. Once I get it finalized I will happily share it with you.

So you now know when a grapefruit becomes a kiwi... I'm impromptu all the way!.... I also picked up some grapefruit so I am ready to go with the next undertaking in my kitchen.....

Grapefruit bars

I love lemon bars. There is something about that tangy filling with the buttery crust which makes it a perfect cokie to me. I have seen recipes for lime bars as well. I have not tried to make them, but it did get me thinking.....what other citrus could be used in this type of recipe? Grapefruit came to mind.... I was thinking Rubt Red grapefruit would be ideal. I think my next endeavor will be to make a basic recipe for a citrus bar.... Grapefruit, clementine, cuties, lime, and of course good ol' lemon......I bet we could even go further.....Maybe even persimmon, kiwi, pineapple...... Boy my brain is getting geared up.

Well it was a good idea....

I was thinking, boy you know what would make my posts even better.... Photos!
I was planning on making the Oatmeal Squares tonight, and snapping photos along the way... Alas, you can substitute somethings, but you can not substitute the main ingredient... Ironically there is NO oatmeal in my house!    Oh sigh..... I guess I will have to await using this brilliant idea until I can get to the store to purchase enough oats to make these delicious cookie bars...........

Cathi's Oatmeal Squares

As I finally sit down after a long day, including an overly active and noisy Birthday party for a daughters friend, I am now ready to blog.... is that the right term to use here? Blog, discuss, ramble, share, send random thoughts out into the netherworld.... You get the idea.

So, I have been thinking about my premier recipe to share with everyone and decided quickly on my Oatmeal Squares. 
This was the 1st recipe I created, and  I did so for my step mother. She is lactose intolerant and I wanted to come up with a yummy dessert for one of the 1st times they came to dinner when we moved back to good old'Bingo....
After perfecting the 1st recipe, I also branched it out to have other variations... hence the impromptu portion... depending on what was in the cupboard or what craving the day brought on, I now have 5 more versions available.... Tonight I will share with you the original recipe (NOTE: Items hightlighted in BLUE are the base ingredients):

Cathi's Oatmeal Squares
2 c butter flavored shortening
2 c sugar
4 eggs  (or 1 c applesauce if you want to make it vegan)
2 1/2 c flour
2 3/4 c quick oats
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c raisins
1 c diced dried apricots
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice

1. Cream the shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together then slowly add to the wet mixture.
3. Add the dried fruit
4. Spread on a ungreased bar pan (10x15 cookie sheet with sides) I love my pampered chef large stoneware bar pan for this
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min
6. Cool  on the bar pan and cut into squares and enjoy!

NOTE: I have snuck flax seed into this recipe as well with out my family knowing they were getting extra goodness... just decrease the flour to 2 1/4 and add a 1/4 c ground flax seed... just enough with out them knowing it's there...

I have shared this recipe with many co-workers. They have impressed me by actually making them and told me how good they are. I have made this so often in my own home, that I am ashamed at the condition of my recipe page.. dollop of  shortening here, a vanilla stain there... maybe I should print out a new copy... Nahhh this one has character.

So please let me know if you attempt this recipe and what you think of it.... I think I will have to make a batch tomorrow... I seem to have a craving for them... Hmmm wonder why? I will post of a photo of them when I make them, if I can get one taken before they are all devoured.

Side thought: How many times do you think it is ok to read and re-read the blog you are about to post, before actually doing it?  I am sure there will by typos etc... as I am not an English major - lord knows very far from it. ... Ok here it goes....

Here we go....

I am one of those types of self-made cooks who will look at a recipe once and create my own version.  Not everyone has a beautifully stocked pantry as we are told we should, and we need to make substiutions... that is the premise for my basic cooking abilities.

I like to mix and match, trade in & out and create each time I cook.  I began doing this a long time ago.... my poor husband has had many creations (good and bad) which will never be made again because I was not writing them down.  So I started to jot down these created recipes in a small notebook (see below) when they were given the approval of my family and friends.... One day I hope to publish The Impromptu Cook.

But for now, I will share my recipes, gardening ideas, and heck just random ramblings with you here until that time....

Thank you for reading my blog.... Cathi