scones

with honey

with cinnamon & sugar

with powdered sugar

My mom would sometimes make what we called scones. I know the British version of scones and what is sold in bakeries and coffee shops are more what I consider biscuits. Then once again, biscuits to the British are what we call cookies. I know, very confusing! I'm not sure how many other people consider these to be scones, but I do. So I'll stick with it. Another name for my version of scones is Fry Bread or depending on what toppings you put on top, Navajo tacos. I had a couple of Native roommates that made fry bread often and would put taco toppings on top. It was really good. But this is a dessert here folks.

My mom used just any old bread dough recipe to make these. Use a sweet dough if you want to make it sweeter instead of more savoury. My version is much easier and faster than making your own dough and waiting for it to rise. I use frozen Rhode Rolls.

Rhodes Rolls (I usually make 20 in a 9X13 pan, but you can do as many or as little as you desire) vegetable oil for frying
suggested toppings: cinnamon & sugar powdered sugar honey & butter jam

Use the speed method for thawing the rolls. Directions are on the back of the bag. It actually takes at least half of the time recommended, because you don't have to let the rise. As soon as they are soft enough, and beginning to rise, they will be pliable in your hands. Heat the vegetable oil 1-2 inches deep on medium heat in a pot on your stove. When it's ready for frying, take a section of dough (1 roll) and flatten it in your hands until it is flattened relatively thin the same thickness all around, but not see through. Gently drop into hot oil and fry until golden. Flip over using tongs, and fry that side until golden. It takes 1-2 minutes per side depending on how hot your oil is. Remove from oil and place on a plate with paper towels to absorb oil. You can fry 2-3 scones at a time. Serve while still warm.

cold italian pasta

Basic Recipe:
12 oz. box rainbow rotini pasta
1 small can sliced olives
1 cup brocoli, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 cup-1 cup mozzarella cut into little cubes
3/4 cup-1 cup Italian dressing (we use Berensteins Restaurant recipe)

optional add-ins:
green onions
grape or cherry tomatoes
cauliflower bits
sundried tomatoes
chicken
pepperoni
cucumber

Boil pasta according to directions on the package. Drain. Run under cool water. Pour into serving bowl. Add rest of ingredients except for dressing and mix together thoroughly. Once combined, add dressing to taste. Refrigerate. Serve with crusty garlic bread. Or don't.

I like to eat mine before it's been refrigerated. I also like to make this heavy on the vegetables to make it a healthier meal. The whole family loves eating this. It's fast and easy and makes great leftovers. Also a good meal to take to a picnic, bbq, or other gathering. We usually eat it as a main meal, but can be a good side dish too.

4 ingredient pb cookies

Now you see them. . .

Now you don't! (I know, it's like magic)

I love these peanut butter cookies. Simple and very peanut buttery. I like to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven with a fork because they are so soft and melt in your mouth. If you let cool, they stay soft, but won't fall apart when you pick them up. This is another recipe that is easy, fast, and has tasty results.

1 cup peanut butter (we use natural organic creamy)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda (I've left this out before and it still turned out great)
chocolate chips are optional. (We never put them in, but some people can't have one without the other)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) together well in a small bowl. Then stir in chocolate chips. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet in 1 inch balls. Do not flatten! Bake for about 10 minutes or until puffy and golden. They will start to get golden around the edges. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing them or they will fall apart. I remove mine immediately because I like to eat them at this stage.

eggless cookie dough for cookie dough ice cream

We bought a ton of vanilla ice cream for HF's graduation cake. We forgot to serve it, so we've got all kinds of extra ice cream. We aren't big ice cream eaters, but HF's favorite kind of ice cream is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I decided to make my own eggless cookie dough for HF to use as a topping. I looked around online and found quite a few recipes. I sort of combined them all to get a cookie dough I though we would like. Here's some of the recipes I found out there.

• cupcake project
• all recipes
• plain cook

I rolled mine into little balls and then froze on a cookie sheet before storing in an airtight container. Instead of mixing mine into the ice cream, I just sort of used it as a topping. HF liked it better than store bought cookie dough ice cream.

my favorite breakfast

I grew up in a little town called Somis in Southern California. This is a little agricultural community north of Los Angeles and South of Santa Barbara in Ventura County. The perfect location. It was filled with lemon, lime, grapefruit, avocado, and orange trees. There were also many strawberry fields and other produce surrounding this little place. I haven't lived here in years or even visited, but everyone says it has changed so much and what used to be acres of citrus trees is now developed.

We lived way out far from any neighbors on 42 acres of the above mentioned trees. In the mornings my mother would sometimes send one of us kids outside to pick a few grapefruits and avocados. We would often have grapefruit and avocado on toast for breakfast. Some days we picked oranges and made orange juice. This was just everyday normal to me. Now that I don't have that, I realize how much I took that for granted. These are the very items I purchase at the grocery stores and farmer markets.

This is just a food memory post I guess. I miss Somis. I miss California. I miss fresh produce picked directly off the tree.

I don't have the energy to research this, but grapefruit supposedly:

• boosts your metabolism and aids in weight loss
• cures migraines ( i tried it once and it worked, but it could be the "placebo effect")
• lowers cholesterol
• prevents kidney stones
• protects against certain types of cancers

It also just so happens to be my favorite scent. I love grapefruit scented lotions, soaps, lip glosses, perfumes, candles, etc. The Body Shop has some nice grapefruit items. This is my favorite perfume. It doesn't have grapefruit essences in it, but it smells citrusy and grapefruity to me anyway. I've been wearing this since I was 16 or 17. I LOVE it.

What's your typical daily breakfast?

go to meals II: Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

I keep a variety of pasta shapes on hand. The kids love wagon wheels, shells, penne, and these bow ties pictured above. This recipe is Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese. This is easy, fast, and delicious. I remember coming up with it one day when our ingredients in the pantry and the fridge were scarce. And it turned out really good. Then one day, I bought a bottle of shredded parmesan cheese and saw an almost identical recipe printed on the back. So I guess it's not entirely an original recipe. But it is very versatile. To make it a complete meal, I add vegetables and chicken. I keep Costco bags of mixed vegetable on hand for when I'm in a hurry or not in the mood to cook.

1 16 oz. box of favorite pasta
1 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded (the sprinkle kind just won't cut it)
1 cube of butter
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (optional-my kids prefer it without or with a minimum)
grilled chicken (optional)
mixed vegetables (0ptional)

Boil pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is draining in colander, melt butter in pasta pot over low heat until melted but not browned. Add garlic if desired. When butter is melted, add drained pasta back to pot and mix until coated evenly in butter mixture. Add parmesan. Mix well, until evenly coated with the cheese. At this point you can add in your cooked vegetables, and grilled chicken. Serve immediately.

This is a go to meal for me because it really doesn't take much time to prepare and the chicken and vegetables can be prepared in advance. I didn't take a picture of the pasta with the vegies and chicken added because it got gobbled up by hungry people as soon as I added it. Lisa, another police wife, posted another pasta recipe that looks really good.

guy food part II

Here's another recipe from HF. It's not quite as bizarre like the delgado slim, but it's definitely guy food. This is usually done in the guy world with beer, but we had A&W root beer on hand and he used that. Again, in his own words.

Root Beer Brats

I had these at an outdoor event a long time ago. Here's what you need:

Root beer (whatever you brand you like)
Brats (I used the industry standard: Generic Store Brand Brats)
Buns
Stuff to cook it in like a pan
Some kind of heat source (I used a stove top)

So take the Brats out of the packaging and poke holes all over them. I used a combat knife because it's sharp and it's extra manly.

Next, pour some root beer into your pan and turn the stove on. How much root beer? Well I filled the pan half way up.

Now it's time to put the Brats in a pan and turn the stove on to medium heat. I know you're hungry but let the Brats soak up the root beer and cook a little longer. Use the medium heat man.

Okay once you've got the pigs in the pan, cover that thing up. You want to create a meat sauna out of that pan for the Brats. As they cook they'll soak up the root beer, creating a really nice sweet flavor.

Okay so now we wait. Let the Brats soak up the root beer and cook all the way through. How do you know when that's happened? Check them every now and then. Lift off the lid and poke around in there to check the insides. Cut slits in them with a knife to look inside. You want gray not pink. Another trick is to gauge the curl of the Brat. The curlier the more done.

Once you deem them done enough for your taste, remove them from heat and put them in buns. Add your own condiments to taste. I like ketchup, mustard, and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce.

These brats are relatively quick to make and taste delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*I have to add that he will not let anyone put condiments on his hot dogs or brats. He has to do it himself. He usually has 3 dogs. One gets a perfect mustard squiggly, one is only bbq sauce, and the other is a perfect squiggly of mustard and a perfect squiggly of ketchup perfectly symmetrical with the mustard. OCD, I tell you.

sugar & cinnamon tortillas

This is our own mixture of cinnamon and sugar. We filled an empty salt & pepper shaker, or spice jar with a shaker top, after we mixed it to our liking. We usually do about 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon per 1/2 cup of sugar. To figure out your preferred ratio, I would start by adding 1 teaspoon at a time to your 1/2 cup of white sugar. This mixture comes in handy for snickerdoodles, cinnamon toast, as a topping on vanilla ice cream, and of course, this recipe featured here.






I love this treat. I don't know if it's a Californian thing, a Mexican thing, a poor person thing, or if it's an everybody thing, but this is something from my childhood. When my mom had leftover pie crust or extra tortillas, she would make us sugar and cinnamon tortillas. Sometimes she would use cherry pie filling and make a cherry pie quesadilla (minus the cheese, of course). This is so easy and so good. It kind of reminds you of a churro.

Ingredients:
tortillas (any size you want. We like starting with uncooked tortillas)
butter
cinnamon & sugar mixture

Instructions:
Heat a medium to large pan on medium heat. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray. Place tortilla in pan and lightly brown. Flip over. Spread with butter (we do it very lightly, but it's up to you). Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the entire surface of the tortilla. Continue to cook until the bottom has been cooked until lightly brown as well. The longer it's in the pan, the harder, or crunchier your tortilla will be. I prefer mine a little on the crunchy side. Roll up and eat, or you can also cut into little triangles like I did for the kids. (That's my daughter's little fingers in the photo above.)

These can also be baked in the oven for a crunchier texture, or microwaved if you are the impatient type. For the microwave you would spread the butter on one side and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll it up and then microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly hot. Time probably differs per microwave.

This is a tasty and somewhat "healthier" dessert than many. It was also fun for the kids help. It was easy for them to do and it kept their interest.

sweet and sour chicken

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3 eggs

Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 Tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash of garlic powder (I press a couple of cloves)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
chopped green peppers (optional)
1 small can pineapple tidbits (optional)

1. Mix eggs, milk, cornstarch, and flour
2. Dip cut up chicken pieces in egg mixture and deep fry in oil until chicken is cooked and no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. (you don't have to deep fry it, sauteeing it in a little bit of oil works well too)
3. Put all ingredients for sauce in a 9X13 casserole dish, mix, then put chicken on top. (I sometimes add 1 small can of drained pineapple tidbits, you can also add chopped green peppers)
4. Bake at 325 for one hour.

Serve with rice and veggies. We like to do broccoli or fresh whole green beans. If you are in a hurry, you can heat the sauce on the stove until it thickens and then pour on top of already cooked chicken.

baked apples with streusel topping

We had these for breakfast this morning. They were so easy, and tasted like an apple pie, minus the pie crust, of course. I do have a recipe for whole apples, filled in the center with spices and other goodies and then wrapped in pie crust. So it's like an apple pie ball. Those are on my list of things to try.

Baked Apples with Streusel Topping

4 golden delicious apples, cut in half lengthwise
2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
whipping cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Remove core and seeds from each apple half. Place cut-side down in prepared pan. Spray apples with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until apples are partially tender when pierced with a fork. I like mine more tender so I did 15 minutes. While the apples are cooking, combine cereal, sugar, flour and cinnamon in bowl. Cut in butter until mixture forms crumbs. I use a fork and just mash it until the desired consistency. Set aside. Turn apples cut-side up in pan. Divide cereal mixture over apples and pat down gently. Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool 5 minutes in pan on wire rack. Serve warm with whipped topping.

Makes 8 servings. Refrigerate any leftovers.

go to meals I

Chicken Roll Ups, Chicken Filled Stuffing Rolls, Mystery Rolls, Hidden Treasure Rolls. . .

These are called a by a number of names, and there are numberless ways of preparing them. Really, anything goes. I've made them a variety of ways, using crescent rolls, cream of soups, mushrooms, broccoli, cheese, etc., but I shun canned soups now, and I also want things to be as easy and short as possible these days, so this really is the easiest way one can make these. I call them Chicken Stuffed Rolls, and here's what you need:

Frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls (16-20 rolls in a 9X13 pan)
(or if you have time, you can make your favorite roll recipe)
1 Tub Philadelphia Chive and Onion cream cheese
2-3 chicken breasts

If you are using the frozen rolls, follow the speed method for thawing. Plan for about 1-2 hours. You just need the dough to be manageable, or able to be flattened or rolled out. Cook chicken breasts until done, using preferred method; boiling, stove top, or oven. Dice into small bite-size pieces. In a medium bowl, you are going to combine the chicken pieces with the entire tub of cream cheese.

Filling the rolls: Remove one of the thawed sections of dough. You can roll it out flat or pat it back and forth in your hands to flatten. I use my hands. In the center, you are going to place 2 Tablespoons of the mixture in the center. Then you wrap the dough from all sides around the mixture. Pinch the dough together so that it is sealed and place face down in a lightly greased 9X13 baking dish. Continue with the rest of the dough. You will bake the rolls according to the package instructions. I usually do it at 350 for 20-25 minutes, but that is our oven. You will want to make sure that the tops are golden.

We eat them as is, but a lot of people pour some kind of a gravy on top made out of cream of chicken soup. Some people, before placing them in the oven, dip them in butter and then roll them in seasoned breadcrumbs. Like I said, these are very versatile. They can be filled with a number of ingredients. This is how we prefer them. They can also be frozen before or after baking them. Simple, and as easy as it can get. It's one of those meals where I usually have the ingredients on hand. Frozen rolls, chicken, and cream cheese. We are cream cheese fanatics.

dessert in a hurry II

My 3 year old, Luke, showed up with a hungry dinosaur. I love these pictures.

I can't remember the original source where I got this idea, but apparently there's a restaurant that made these famous. They call them Pazookies. It's half baked cookies, taken out early so that they are still gooey inside. They are usually made in a pie tin and then sliced into pie slices and topped with ice cream and fudge or caramel or both.

For this version, I put chocolate chip cookie dough in ramekins and baked them for 10 minutes or so at 350 degrees until the top was turning golden and crispy. We didn't put ice cream or toppings on ours. We just ate it as is. But next time we might try it that way. It would make it look like a fancy dessert that took a lot of time to prepare for sure in these little ramekins. But we had fun eating our fancy cookies with spoons.