When the time comes...

As with most people, the dream of owning their own home is a big one.  I have come very close to that dream twice in my life and then have had to start from scratch.  However, I still window shop for things at home that I might like at some point.  This will make it easier for when the time comes to furnish my own home.

Because I cook so much, my dining room is an important area to me.  As you can see on many cooking shows, presenting your meal can add to the overall appeal of what you just cooked. I personally would prefer glass top dining tables as they tend to be easier to clean when it comes to children and some messy relatives.  You do not have to worry about water marks like you do with wood tables as well. 

And by all means I am not saying that I don't enjoy wood tables as I do have many of them.  Again to make it easier because of an accident prone family or even the occasional spill from a serving spoon, I find a vinyl tablecloth valuable to have over your wood tables.  Clean up is easy.  Some of them you can even throw in the washing machine and you don't have to worry about them staining like cloth.

Relaxing on a full belly then becomes a common occurrence in the living room.  Movies and games get played.  Having a dish chair that is moveable, comfortable and of course affordable matters.  The little kids love them and if the chair is big enough, will sit two abreast as they watch or play on the TV.

I am always on the look out for things I would enjoy and like to have in the future.  Shopping for them is half the fun.

Bundling Me

The Author of this post is Velma Baird
When I got my CLEAR TV BUNDLE last year I started watching the Food Network. I don’t even really cook, so I can’t really explain why I like it so much! I think it’s just really soothing to have on in the background and I’ve definitely learned a few kitchen tricks, even though I don’t use them in the kitchen. I’m really into just watching the different presentation styles of the chefs on the shows…they definitely each have their own way of doing things! I don’t know how they can concentrate on so many! things at once since I can barely chew gum and walk at the same time! They’re all so good at what they do and seem so calm and collected while they cook, which is definitely not my style…I’m usually running around the kitchen like something’s on fire! Usually something is! I guess you could say the Food channel is my favorite channel, but who would ever guess that? Especially considering I cook most of my meals in the microwave oven!

Tenderloin in a Red Wine Cream Sauce

I love cream sauces.  I love wine sauces.  The two of them together really is spectacular.  The recipe calls for 4 slices of tenderloin. However if you are cooking for more, you can increase that amount and keep the sauce part just about the same as I find that there tends to enough sauce for twice as much meat.  

Tenderloin in a Red wine Cream Sauce

4 Slice of Veal, Pork, Beef or Venison tenderloin that is cut and pounded to no thicker than ¼ inch.

½ cup seasoned flour (salt and pepper, increase if you increase meat amount)

4 tblsp olive oil (increase if you are doubling the meat)

1 cup diced onion or shallot (I prefer shallot or a mix of the two)

3 cloves garlic diced

2 tsp paprika

½ cup dry red wine

½ cup sour cream or heavy whipping cream (I prefer sour cream)

1 cup chicken stock

1lb of fresh sliced mushrooms

Press loin slices in seasoned flour on both sides and around the edges.  Brown both sides in a heavy frying pan (I like cast iron) over medium heat.  Remove loin slices from frying pan and keep warm while you prepare the sauce.  Add onion/shallot, garlic and paprika to the frying pan and cook until tender (abt 2min). Add mushrooms and cook until tender as well (abt 1 min).  Reduce heat and sprinkle with 2 tblsp seasoned flour.  Add wine, stir and cook for 30 sec.  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer while whisking until smooth (I never use a whisk, just a fork).  Reduce heat and wait 30 seconds, then add sour cream.  Heat just below simmering.  (Do not boil or sour cream will curdle).  Place the loin on a plate and covered in sauce with a dollop of sour cream and chopped parsley to garnish.  (You can mix dried parsley into sour cream if you have no chopped parsley.)  Serve with noodles, dumplings, or my three favorites, spaetzle, mashed potatoes, or rice.  Also great with steamed asparagus or broccoli.

The Rolling Pin

I am thoroughly endorsing a certain type of product here that I find priceless to have in the kitchen and that is my rolling pin.  Yeah your typical rolling pin is wood.  Mine is not typical.  It is made out of marble.  I swear by a marble rolling pin with my bread/dough recipes.  When my mother makes homemade pierogies, she says, “These save my back.”  I would implore any person to spend the few extra bucks in the kitchen for this type pin as it does save time and effort.  You apply less pressure to the dough to flatten it out and the dough sticks less to marble then to wood.  I don’t make dough without it.

Dinner Roll or Crescent Roll Dough

This is a nice little dinner/crescent roll recipe. It is simple and basic. I list it here because it can be used in many bread recipes such as the monkey bread recipe that I listed before and others to come.  I will describe it as crescent rolls and list some filling options as well.

Ingredients:

4 tsp. active dry yeast

¼ warm milk (110 to 115 degrees of Whole or 2% milk)

4 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1tsp. salt

1 cup butter, cubed

½ cup shortening

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs yolks

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast into the milk. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter and the shortening to the large bowl until crumbly. Add the sour cream, egg yolk and yeast mixture and mix well.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough on a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic. (approx. 6 to 8 min.) Place in a greased bow, turning it once to cover the top. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours.

Let dough stand at room temp for one hour.  Punch dough down and then turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide into thirds. Roll each into a circle about 12 inches.

If you want to add a filling this is where you do it. I love raspberry filling personally.  Roll wedges from wide end to points and place on greased baking sheet with points down.  Curve roll into crescent shape.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 18 min or until golden brown.  Remove from pans immediately and let cool.

Pumpkin filling is my second favorite and the recipe for that is

¾ cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup of sugar

1 ½ tsp. pumpkin spice

Mix in a small bowl.  You can add 2 tsp. of grated lemon peel to your dough when you make it if you were to use pumpkin filling.

My family loved this during Thanksgiving.

Monkey Bread

This is definitely one of my favorite recipes my mother made growing up.  It is by far best right out of the oven.  The warmer it is the better.  I have burnt my tongue and fingers because I didn’t want to wait for it to be cooler.  This is also a recipe that you kind of cheat on as you can buy prepackaged dinner rolls to make it instead of making dough.  I know in a later recipe I will have a dough mixture that you can use for this monkey bread, however I will put down the short version here because there is no reason to wait so long to eat this.  This is a sticky enjoyable recipe for all and by all means add raisins to it as suggested.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar (I use my own mix), 1 tsp Cinnamon, 3 packages refrigerator rolls (dinner), 1 stick of butter,

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut biscuits in quarters. Roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Layer in buttered bundt pan.  Pour remaining sugar/cinnamon in 1 cup (measuring cup). Add tsp of cinnamon and enough sugar to fill cup.  Melt butter and stir sugar/cinnamon into it. Spoon over biscuits.

If you wish to add raisins, as you layer quartered biscuits into pan, sprinkle with plumped raisins.

Bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees F.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

This is one of my favorite recipes for the fall. It is great with farm fresh apples. I substitute blueberries for cranberries when I want something different.  I also rarely add the walnuts listed as optional.  Enjoy.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F. In one large bowl combine:

2 Large apples (peeled, cored and sliced), ½ Cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1tbls flour.  Mix the above ingredients and add 1pkg of cranberries.

Mix in a small bowl:

¼ cup of flour minus the table spoon used in the big bowl, 2 tblsp of brown sugar, ¾ cup of rolled oats, OPTIONAL ½ CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS and then add 3 tblsp of melted butter.   I tend to add more butter but it is your call.

Grease a baking dish such as a deep pie dish or anchor hocking dish.  Place large bowl ingredients in the baking dish. Sprinkle small bowl ingredients over the fruit.

Bake in oven for about 40min, though it could be less depending on your oven as I found that this recipe can be temper mental.  So start watching at about 30 min to make sure it doesn’t burn.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Great with vanilla ice cream.