EPISODE 19: veggie luhzagnuh!

that's right. you heard me. veggie luhzagnuh. aka: lasagna!!!! plus veggies!!!!

i just made up this recipe and it worked out brilliantly! it will serve at least 5 people and you can customize what veggies you include. i left out mushrooms, but i feel like many people would enjoy this recipe with mushrooms for even more textures. 3 people barely put a dent in the dish, so keep that in mind when thinking of space in the fridge for left-overs. the preparation isn't hard and it's REALLY hearty. served with a small salad and a glass of wine, this would be a beyond-filling meal. so much fun to entertain with! honorary cuties SHANNON ROWAN and ALYSSA MULLEN got to taste fur themselves! OM NOM NOM. we actually washed this down with champagne, but that's cuz it was on sale at the grocery store for 6 bucks a bottle. we're college kids on a budget! which is another great thing--these left-overs are going to last me over a week. YAYYYYYYYY.

you can add meat to this recipe, too, but i couldn't tell you worth a damn how to cook it!...seeing as i don't eat meat n' all.

here's duh way to do it! all homemade, baby. if i had my own cows i'd make my own cheese tooooo.

ingredients:
-12 oz. tub of ricotta cheese
-1 large package of shredded mozzarella (3 cups)
-shredded romano and parmasan cheese to taste
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup of milk
- 2 regular cans of diced tomatoes
-1 small can of tomato paste
-3 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
-1 yellow onion
-1 red pepper
-1 green pepper
-1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles (NOT THE READY-TO-BAKE KIND)
-spices:
     -garlic salt
     -fine ground sea salt
     -crushed red pepper
     -rosemary
     -basil
     -oregano
-13x9 in. baking pan
-1 shallow cooking pan
-1 medium pot for sauce
-1 large pot for boiling large, lasagna noodles
-1 medium-sized mixing bowl
-aluminum foil

recipe: 
SAUCE:
-in a medium pot pour 2 cans of diced tomatoes, unstrained, and bring to a simmer on medium heat.
-add rosemary, garlic salt, basil, crushed red pepper, and oregano to taste.
(a little added olive oil splashed in the sauce helps bring out the flavor also!)
-add can of tomato paste and stir continuously.
-turn heat down to low and let simmer for a while to ensure the tomato chunks get softer.

NOODLES:
-in a large pot, bring enough water to boil to cover a whole package of lasagna noodles
-once boiling, add noodles
-add a couple dashes of salt to boiling water to add flavor to the noodles and prevent noodles from getting sticky later
-cook for 8+ minutes, but do not let the noodles get fully soft. let them be a little underdone. they'll do added cooking/softening once baking. they should be flexible, but not al dente.
-once done, turn burner off and lay a long sheet of aluminum foil out on a countertop.
-strain noodles until dry and lay out each noodle flat on the foil to dry up a bit. if your noodles go into the dish soggy, so will your lasagna be.

VEGGIES:
-finely chop at least half an onion, half a red pepper, and half a green pepper.
-in a shallow cooking pan, pour in 1/4 cup of olive oil and bring to medium heat.
-toss in veggies, stirring frequently in the olive oil.
-once veggies start to soften, turn the burner off. (less than 10 minutes of cooking)

CHEESY INNARDS:
-empty 12 oz. container of ricotta cheese into a medium mixing bowl
-add 1/4 cup of milk
-stir until the ricotta cheese is smooth
-add 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
-mix until the mozzarella is evenly distributed in the ricotta mixture

LASAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGNAAAAAAAAAA:
-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-in 13x9 in. baking pan, lay in one layer of noodles. do not overlap the noodles, but let them touch side-by-side.
-using fingers, scoop up some of the ricotta mixture and spread it across the noodles thinly, but evenly
-lay another identical layer of noodles on top of the ricotta mixture
-spoon some sauce on top of the new layer of noodles, ensuring the sauce is also thin, but even.
-lay down a layer of spinach leaves on the sauce and top off with a thin layer of the olive-oily pepper/onion mix. 
-lay another identical layer of noodles on top of the sauce and veggies
-using fingers, scoop up ricotta mixture and spread out a thin layer
....continue until you reach the top of the baking pan.
-on top of the last layer of noodles, lay down another thin layer of sauce.
-cover pan with aluminum foil.
-bake for 1 hour
-remove pan from oven, but leave oven on.
-take off the foil and spread the final cup of shredded mozzarella on top of the sauce
-top off with some shredded romano and parmesan cheese to taste
-continue baking for 15 minutes, uncovered with foil, or until cheese is fully melted and starting to brown.

ENJOYYYYYYY! love, jules.

 

Episode 18: Vanilla CHAI cupcakes

Work food.

I remember the first time I had chai this season.  Actually, it ends up being the only time but HAY

Free samps, duh.

Not dissin' on the chai at all though.  I just love me some Mystic Mint tea from the Time's Club.  Cutie Xtina likes it for the hand warmers

Just look at that Cookin' Cutie, bein' all cute and stuff

ALRIGHT OKAY I'M GETTING TO IT

Once a year a guy at the SPACE BUILDING that I work for makes Turkey CHILI. And daaang it's good. But DAAAANG so were my cupcakes. 

 Jusssaaaaaayin

AGAIN I GOT THE RECIPE FROM THE INTERNETS:

http://gimmesomeoven.com/vanilla-chai-cupcakes/

FINE, lazy asses:

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes Recipe(Adapted from The Novice Chef Blog)

Ingredients:

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. chai spice mix (recipe below)
• 1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Chai Spice Mix Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• remainder of the chai spice mix
• 1 Tbsp. cold milk, if needed to thin out the buttercream

Method:

Cupcake Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

In a small bowl or plastic bag, combine the chai spice mix ingredients.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and beat in one egg at a time. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the chai spice mix. Fold in the flour and buttermilk alternately and stir until combined, don’t over mix. Mix together the baking soda and vinegar in a separate bowl, then add it to the batter and mix until combined.

Spoon into prepared cupcake tins until 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Buttercream Directions:

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. On low, mix in the vanilla and the rest of the chai spice mix. Carefully beat in the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time.  If the buttercream is too thick add 1-2 tbs of cold milk until the desired consistency is reached.  Then pipe onto cooled cupcakes with your favorite frosting tip.  (I used a 1M Wilton tip.)

This IS NOT plagerism cuz look I cited ma source up there.  It's break-time anyways so whadevvaaafsakl;siaefsi

Spices pictured alone before being stripped of their containers and grouped with other crazy spices that they have never even met!  Imagine that!

ALSO, did you notice the ziplock bag? Did you notice the snowmen? SO stoked when I opened it up.  Didn't even notice in the storez.

New measuring cups from my good pal, Leah.  Space saver little plastic china dolls that have miniature selves.

Go Target for these cupcake holders

oh? OH

Go chug a 4LOKO or chug the rest of the butter milk.Oh, excuse me--LOWFAT Buttermilk.  Still gonna make you fat.  See which fucks you up more.  Maybe do it at the same time.  Invite all your friends.  Puke party!  Die party?

Yes you will notice how I used a different topping but WHO CARES IT IS CHRISTMASTIME

I mean, like, maybe when you make your hmmm i dunno EASTER cupcakes you will use soft colors such as light pink yellow light blue. Keep it paisley. derrr

HE ATE TWO

The important bald guy on the right, yeah, he said that the cupcakes were his favorite.

TRUTH

Episode 17: Butternut squash AND MORE VEGETABLES soup

Another dinner party, dudes.  Had some help from another cooker, DAN
He cooks for his job so you know it's good.

dan. dan the man.
soup soup de whoop
wine wine and dine

---a really awesome poem that spent hours composing

Once again, we found the recipe via www.foodgawker.com which linked us to this blog:
http://idontcookbutmyboyfrienddoes.blogspot.com/2010/10/butternut-squash-roasted-red-pepper.html

there's the recipe!!!!!!!yeeeeee! also, cool name for a foodblog? I guess.

Thank god we had my mini pro food processor (Thanks parents!) and some good cutting knives (And Dan!)

SO here we go-oh-ho ho ho ho ho (In spirit of the holidaze)

No we did not add the beer.
We drank the beer.  I mean you shouldn't drink and drive but you should definitely drink and cook!

Don't say I'm encouraging..

WOW, such a cutter.

Roasting the veggies is VITAL so don't fucking forget mkay okay?!

After the roasting and boiling on the stove, you process.  And you make a process for your process

Then you pick up some randos on the street.

And sit and eat awkwardly with randos! It's cool!  For funsies?

OK OK OK I take it back!  Let's hug it out.

Episode 16: stand-alone, equally-healthy-as-tasty, skin-on sweet potato fries!

for some reason, cold weather makes me crave potatoes of all fashions. today's treat: easy-peezy sweet potato fries. these are cooked to be sort of savory, but their natural sweetness is the perfect hand-holder.

these are SO om-nom-nommy and really good for you. they're baked in olive-oil, and at only around 130 calories per potato, you can eat these guilt-free anyway! similarly, sweet potatos are rich in complex carbohydrates for long lasting energy, SUPER high in fiber (since these are cooked with the skin still on the potato, it even beats oatmeal in fiber content!), and are packed with vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.

plus, prep time and cook time amount to less than 30 minutes. BONUS! and these are always loved at holiday parties.

ingredients:
   -3 or 4 medium/large sweet potatoes
   -1 cup of olive oil
   -1 gallon-size ziploc bag
   -1 or 2 cookie sheets/baking pans
   -spices
          -basil
          -rosemary
          -crushed red pepper
          -salt n pepa

recipe:
    -preheat oven to 400 degrees
    -cut off the ends of each potato and cut each potato down the middle---hot-dog style (the long way)
          -don't forget to LEAVE THE SKIN ON! it's the best part!
    -slice potatoes into thin, wedge-like strips. the thinner they are, the better they usually turn out.
    -load your potato slices in the plastic bag.
    -pour in olive oil and spices to taste.
    -seal up the bag, pushing the air out.
    -smoosh the potatoes around in the olive oil until they are fully coated in the olive oil and spices.   
          -you want them to be totally doused before going in the oven or they won't cook well.
   -dump the potatoes onto a baking pan (it may take 2 to fit them all on)
   -arrange the slices so that the skin of each piece is face-up and the orange inside is face-down.
   -bake for 20 minutes or until you can see the edges of the potatoes starting to appear a crispy blackish/brown color

4 taters will made a large portion--2 cookie trays worth.

cut your taters into thin, wedgy strips

mixin-up the taters, spices, and oil

make sure they're totally saturated!

YUMMMMMMM YAMMMMMM!

Episode 15: Bread & Herb Butter Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Potlucks are great because you not only have the option of eating an absurd amount of bean dip..this is the time to make food look cute. I mean, real cute.  What's cuter than a cherry tomato?! NOTHING

Cutie JULIA held a birthday potluck where lots of food was shared, and drinks drank.  Just wanna let y'all know that shrimp coctail is like ma fave, and whoever brought that lastnight RULES

How was the Thanksgiving?  Did your dad put on the annual dickie?

                                                            This is a real dad. MY DAD, in fact

Recipe for the 'matoez:

Got it from this blog : http://foyupdate.blogspot.com/2010/09/bread-and-herb-butter-stuffed-cherry.html

Check it out.  Give her props

                                            After you scoop out the junk, put some salt on that!

                                                                The stuffing to stuff

                                                                Comfy assembly line

                                                  Pretend like you like each other, already



                                                                      Share :)
                                                                    

Episode 14: PAHDEE PUHTAYTOEZ

this cookin' cutie has had wayyy too much time on her hands. HEROW NEW RECIPEEZ.

and that's right. you heard me...PARTY POTATOES. so easy. so cheezy. so delish. SOOO low cost. and will feed a lot of party-comers!

ingredients:
-1 bag of frozen hashbrowns (30 oz/10 cups)
-1 can of cream-of-whatever soup. i used cream of celery to be vegetarian friendly, but cream of chicken may better satisfy a carnivore's taste buds.
-1/4 cup of milk
-1 onion (diced)
-LOTSA CHEEZ. sharp cheddar and italian blend were used in this recipe. at least 2.5 cups.
-10 oz. of sour cream. i used 'light', just because i didn't want the final product to be a little lighter in texture.
-salt and pepper
-large mixing bowl, stirring/mixing utensil, aluminum foil

recipe:
-preheat oven to 350.

-pull frozen hashbrowns out of the freezer and leave out to thaw a bit. you want them to be still frozen when you begin to combine ingredients, but thawed enough that the shredded taters can separate.

-in a large mixing bowl, combine your diced onion, cheese, and sour cream and stir up.

-toss around your bag of hashbrowns to separate the shreds. pour on top of your mixed ingredients.

-stir up your ingredients some more and then dump in your can of condensed soup. DO NOT ADD WATER TO YOUR SOUP FIRST.

-it should be easier to stir by this point, but pour your milk in anyway.

-season your mixture with salt n pepa.

-spread mix into a 13x9 baking pan or casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.

-bake at 400 for 45 minutes.

-take foil off, top your dish off with some added cheese spread over the top, and continue to bake until cheese is melted and browning.

party potatoes in action!

ENJOY! OM NOM NOM NOM HAPPY DANKSGIVING! love, jules.

Episode 13: PIE & DOUGH (Perfect-O 4 Thanksgiving)---Pecan&Pumpkin

Go to your grandma's to learn how to make a nice and tasty pie crust, they know. Oh, they know.




Before I came over, she made some cranberry sauce (that is waaay good, btw)
and she put it outside to let it sit and get thicker-FASTER. So there's a tip? for you. and you?

                                                                      hehehehehe!
                                                                        
In spirit of Thanksgiving {yEEEEEEEEeeeeeEEEEEEEEeeeee---(spirit) }  my grandma & me hadda pie makin' date.

FOOLPROOF PIE DOUGH:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. table salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c. veg. shortening
1/4 c. cold VODKA, yeah
1/4 c. cold water

USE ONE OF THESE for easy pie crust rollin'

1.  Combine 1/2 c. flour salt & sugar

2.  Add butter and shortening and process w/ a pastry blender until homogeneous, uneven clumps
3.  Add remaining cup of flour, evenly distribute with pastry blender

4.  Divide dough into 2 even balls, flatten slightly and refrigerate at least 45 min. and up to 2 whole days!
5.  When ready, take out of fridge and with rolling pin, roll it going from the center to the outside until evenly distributed all around

Roll it out (now roll it out)
6. Fold in 2 halves, place in pie dish and do and patching up and reconstructing you need so it looks like a crust!hay!
7.  REPEAT STEPS 5&6 for PIE #2! Don't Forget!

NOW...while the pie crust is cooling in the fridge, it would be wise to make the PIES


We made Pumpkin Pie (Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie):

ingredients:

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (16 oz.) LIBBY'S Solid Pack Pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. (12 fl. oz can) undiluted CARNATION Evaporated Mlik

DIRECTIONS:

Combine ingredients in order given, pour in crust! 15 minutes @ 425 degrees and 40-50 min. at 350 degrees (FARENHEEEEIT)



AND THEN we made Pecan Pie:

ingredients:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 stick butter
CREAM them
1 c. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
ADD TO ABOVE, BEAT WELL
3 eggs
ADD ONE AT A TIME, BEAT AFTER EACH!
1 c. pecans
ADD
THEN BAKE!

 IMPORTANT TIP:  Line the pie crust with tin foil so it doesn't burn!

                                                                   &VOILA!

                          
                                               YUM--uuuuuuuh, can't wait for Thanksgiving

Episode 12: Applesauceomeness

TWO POSTS IN ONE WEEKEND! This is nuts.

Okay so I realized I have too many apples from picking them at the orchard over a month ago, so I decided to make applesauce.

I was also inspired by my brother Pat ( HI PAT! ) and his girlfriend Lora ( HI LORA! ), I remember they made a fuckton of applesauce and applebutter last year with their 90-some apples they picked. That's some serious apple fixings!

Recipe from this food blog:  http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/07/28/homemade-applesauce/

Ingredients:

• 4 apples – peeled, cored and chopped (Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or one 3 inch cinnamon stick)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until apples are soft.
2. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher or fork until desired consistency.

----------I didn't peel the apples because I forgot, don't really know how, and because I like the skin so WHATEVER-------------

 my bare hands picked these. from trees. yeah.

one apple

four apples. put in pot. add ingrediants.  easy as pie!

WHICH makes me think that I should make apple pie with the others..mmm 

mash using potato masher or your fave way/utensil to mash. store in fridge. 

there you go, done. don't even need to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on this business.

night, guys

Who wants to buy me a bigger cutting board?COOL

ALSO------I wouldn't waste your time peeling the apples to make this, it really tastes great with the skin!  But if you wanna be a real go getter theeeeeeeeeen
do it.

Episode 11: Pumpkin cupcakes! with homeade frosting! you can do it! hooray!

Hello to all of you foodblog lovers on this fine fine fall day.  It's a cold one..so put on your bakin' shoes and whip up this lil diddy

Who doesn't like cupcakes?  It's like having cake but not because you're having cupcakes.
 

I got the recipe from this kickass cupcake site if anybody's interested: 
http://mingmakescupcakes.yolasite.com/  (this one if Cupcake #15).
I didn't use crystallized ginger because who buys that anyways?
BTW: thankyou Molly for showing me this site. it's soooo great







Also:  a few things I was CONFUSED about.
confectioners sugar=powdered sugar
1/2 lb. of confectioners sugar=2 cups (I don't get why they don't just say that-fools.)

                            Give it up for an amazing Thai restaurant in Chicago--TAC Quick.  This is "Cashew"

hey Dad check out my new apron!!!YES, & thankyou Artifacts.

Okay, cupcakes.

WINE BAKING SHOES SCHOOL!

OKAY  OKAY OKAY, cupcakes.

Set your oven to 350! wassup!

1 can of this makes two batches of these cupcakes! go wild! ALSO: check out the Triscuits.  Product placement.

Throw in some pecans because you're nutty

Fill 'em up.  Also--notice the creamcheese.  Get it out so it's room temp. for the frosting! think ahead! yeah!

OH GOD

While you're letting the cupcakes cool (before you frost them) try doing something constructive! like going to your schools dorm fitness center! and then getting told to leave because you don't live in the dorms! aww yeah.

                                   It's coo because bikes are cooler than fitness centers. WORD.  So are tampons, notice bottem left corner. yay for menstruation!

YO, sis!  It's the big Tits and Bonnie! How bad do you want this?!!?!!?!

Also changed a lightbulb!

OKAY, frosting.

  This was fun because you get to mix it with your hands

Before you whip it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo)

Props to Becca for giving me this legit mixer

ALSO:  put a lil' flour on your hands before you mix with your hands, last time I didn't and it was waaaay too messy.  It's still messy but just not as much! HOORAY

 Now FROST 'EM!

Awwwyeah

Pass 'em out to your friends.  Make them dream of your goods. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtC92pzp5vw)

 ALSO I just realized this post has many shoutouts in them.

HEY MOM thanks for buying me some clothes and lunch today that was real swell of ya