What in the world...

I subscribe to a lot of magazines.  Maybe too many, but it is kind of an addiction of mine.  In a quest to get rid of clutter, I'm going through old magazines and ripping out recipes and little tricks and hints to pass along to all of you.

So I'm flipping through the March 2010 copy of Every Day with Rachael Ray and read this in the Mess of the Month:

"Every morning I make hard-boiled eggs, and one time I cooked them the night before.  While we were sleeping, the smoke alarm went off: The eggs were burning in a pot with no water.  The entire house smelled!"

Before I continue with my point, I'd like to point out the magazine's response to this particular letter was "Watch us make hard-boiled eggs at rachaelraymag.com/march."  Seriously?  That's what you came up with?  There are so many things wrong with that individual's "mess" that it makes my head spin and yet they used it as a jumping off point to promote their teaching on the website.  By the way, some of their recipes and teaching is a huge point of mockery in their forums. (If you follow the link, make sure you scroll down to read the comments.  You'll get a good chuckle)

My response would have been something more like, "WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!  ARE YOU INSANE?!?!?!"  

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – May 5, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Cooking Light via e-mail on May 3, 2011.

So we continue with the trend of cooking a lot of the same things with another one of my favorites – Mexican chicken casseroles.  I know what attracted me to this dish other than my love of Mexican food.  It is supposed to be a “healthier” version of a creamy chicken casserole.  The ingredient listing had all the right things and the picture looked fantastic, so why not?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Mexican Chicken Casserole

Okay, it looks tasty, but it isn’t what the recipe’s picture looked like.  I can’t figure out why it is so orange looking.  Okay, I can (enchilada sauce), but I used the same amount as specified in the recipe and the same type of cheese.

 

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 19, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Cooking Light

Skeletal Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies

Yield: Serves 40 (serving size: 1 cookie)
Hands On: 39 Minutes

Total: 1 Hour, 51 Minutes

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 18, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Pillsbury

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Prep Time: 25 Min

Total Time: 6 Hr 35 Min

Makes: 8 servings

Thai Noodle Bowl with Shrimp

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – May 4, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray – May 2011

After yesterday’s post, I realized that I have another continuing theme in the dishes I select – curry.  I’m cutting myself a little slack on this one since it is a soup.   

I love a good soup on chilly days and this one intrigued me because of the rice noodles.  I’ve not been able to find them (or bought the wrong ones which is most often the case) so I was on a mission to find them.  I found them in the most surprising of places – tucked away in a grocery store that has one of the tiniest Asian sections ever.  The rest seemed like a perfect dish for me: the sweetness of coconut, saltiness of soy sauce (even if I used a reduced sodium blend), spice of curry, and tasty shrimp.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Thai Noodle Bowl with Shrimp

On one of the first cold days of fall in the Chicago-area, I’m staring at this picture wishing I had a bowl.  It is a spicy and creamy (yet not heavy) soup with color and texture.  It looked perfect and smelled fantastic.

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 17, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Every Day with Rachael Ray

Double Mushroom and Marsala Cream Fettuccine

4 servings

30-minute Meals

Slow Cooker Mushroom Swiss Steak and Gravy

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 28, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Betty Crocker via e-mail on Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Maybe it’s time I tell everyone how I come up with blog posts and dishes. 

I have literally thousands of recipes to choose from.  I try to pick recipes from the most current magazines I have and then will dig through my recipe archives if I can’t find anything that tickles my fancy.  Honestly, I go a lot by what sounds good to me at the moment I’m creating my menu for the week.  I’ve tried to keep track of everything I’ve made recently, but that just adds a lot of time to the process… time I’d rather spend writing and cooking.

When I cook, I follow my rules: clean my cabinets, empty the sink, pull out the ingredients and equipment.  Then I take pictures of everything (and now take pictures of all the nutritional information labels as well) and write down any changes to ingredients and any supplemental equipment I need (or feel I need) for the recipe.  Finally, I break down the recipe on a marker board so I can take notes and pictures while I’m cooking.  When I’m all done, I take pictures of the finished product, write down all of the notes from the marker board and make detailed notes about the mess I’ve created, taste of the dish and what I would change, if anything.

The reason I felt the need to point this out to all of you is because I realized I’ve made this particular dish, I don’t know, probably 5 or 6 times this year.  It is from different sources and the recipes all have their own little tweak, but the Swiss steak / beef stew / creamy beef and noodles seems to be ever present in my cooking rotation.  I sat down and really thought about why and it is probably for the following reasons:

• Slow cooking rules… minimal cooking and perfectly cooked beef.
• Tomatoes and mushrooms are abundant in these recipes and this girl LOVES her tomatoes and mushrooms.
• I can serve it with noodles or potatoes to mix up the leftovers.

I guess it just looks tasty and I get drawn to the stewed beef like a bug to a light.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Slow Cooker Mushroom Swiss Steak and Gravy

I’m torn by my finished product.  On one hand, it is so gravy-licious and you can tell the meat is perfectly cooked (meaning falling apart) but is also looks very messy and like it is missing something.  Of course it is – egg noodles.  One day I will learn to compare the picture with the recipe to the ingredient listing.

Weekend Recipe Round-up for October 15-16, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Betty Crocker

Tuscan-Style Chili

Prep Time: 5 Min

Total Time: 25 Min

Servings: 4

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 14, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Every Day with Rachael Ray

Quick Ribollita

6 servings

30-minute Meals

Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 28, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by myRecipes.com via e-mail on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

My obsession of mushrooms has spread to trying different types.  My Porcini Mushroom Soup was a success, so this time I decided to try shiitake mushrooms.  I tried them once before, but as a blend and in a heavy tomato sauce.  In this dish, there would be no hiding the taste.  This dish is all about the mushrooms.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

So the dish looks okay, but my chicken seems a little bland.  Lucky for me it takes a lot of mushrooms or it may not look appealing at all.  I served it with a chunk of bread, but it just didn’t plate well.  Thank goodness it smelled fantastic or I may have not wanted to eat it based on looks.

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 13, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Betty Crocker

Cornbread-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Prep Time: 30 Min

Total Time: 1 Hr

Servings: 4

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 12, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Pillsbury

Honey Barbecue Pork Roast with Carrots

Prep Time: 5 Min

Total Time: 4 Hr 35 Min

Makes: 2 servings

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 11, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Pillsbury

Carrot-Cake Sandwich Cookies

Prep Time: 45 Min

Total Time: 1 Hr 10 Min

Makes: 1 dozen sandwich cookies

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 17, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by myRecipes.com via e-mail on April 8, 2011.

My husband and I went out to eat one night and he ordered tamales.  Now, I’ve traveled around the country and world, but I’ve never eaten a tamale.  Ever.  Even writing this, it makes me kind of sad.  Well he ate it right away and I didn’t get to try it, so I was left wondering until…

I started searching for tamale recipes and you know what?  They’re not easy to make.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to invest a lot of time in something I won’t want to eat.  When I came across this recipe, I decided to give it a shot.  The writer of the recipe said that she came up with the dish to “satisfy my cravings for the tamales I had at Mexican restaurants when I was growing up in Houston.” I figured someone from Texas would know a good tamale. 

Now, I’m not a fan of cornbread, but my husband is, so I decided to give it a try.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chicken Tamale Casserole

The piece of casserole looks saucy, cheesy and I just want to eat it.  I took that as a very good sign.  It smelled pretty good too, but the cornbread was the most dominant thing in it, and I’m not a fan.

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 10, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Every Day with Rachael Ray

Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples and Cheddar

6 servings

30-minute Meals

Saucy Portobello Pitas

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 14, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Taste of Home – April/May 2011.

There’s nothing I love more than a greasy gyro.  When I lived downtown (Chicago that is), I would walk past this beef joint on my way to and from the EL that had the most delicious gyros ever.  I would have them at least a couple of times a week.  (Don’t judge)  Of course, they aren’t the most healthy things to eat and the older I’ve gotten, the less they agree with me.

I found this recipe and my eyes lit up with excitement.  It was combining my love of mushrooms, gyros and eating healthier in a single dish.  It even included a recipe for Tzatziki sauce.  I couldn’t wait to try it.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Saucy Portobello Pitas

The mushrooms look divine and the “fixins” look scrumptious, but the pita looks kind of weak and thin.  For me, it destroys the look of the dish, but it did smell fantastic.

Weekend Recipe Round-up for October 8 & 9, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Betty Crocker

Zesty Beef Stroganoff

Prep Time: 15 Min

Total Time: 30 Min

Servings: 5

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 6-7, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Betty Crocker

Rolled Italian Meat Loaf

Prep Time: 15 Min

Total Time: 1 Hr 40 Min

Servings: 8

Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops with Black Bean Salad

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 14, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray – May 2011.

It had been a while since I served pork chops.  My husband, out of the blue, announced that he had no issues with pork chops, even though he had once told me he didn’t eat them.  So I found a recipe that blended his love of Cajun spices with pork chops – and it was a hit!  So I’ll admit I went on pork-chop-overload.  We had a good run too until it was mentioned that we were eating a lot of pork chops.

I took that as a hint.

When I found this recipe tucked away neatly in an insert in my May issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray, I knew I’d have to make it.  Along with mushrooms and tomatoes – I’ve gotten addicted to black beans.  Soups, salsas, burgers, I just can’t get enough.  So when I found a chili-spiced (YUM) pork chop (YUM) with a black bean salad (MMMMMM) and grilled avocado (drool goes here)… well let’s just say that I didn’t care who had a problem with pork chops being over-served.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops with Black Bean Salad

Looking at this picture, I want to eat it again.  If I had pork chops in my house, I’d abandon writing this post and starting cooking.  The pork chops look perfect and the black bean salad is screaming “delicious!”  Maybe my avocado doesn’t look perfect, but it doesn’t matter since everything else looks fantastic.

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 5, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Cooking Light

Chicken and Dumplings

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture and 2 dumplings)

Slow-Cooked Praline Apple Crisp

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 14, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Pillsbury via e-mail on Thursday, September 25, 2008.

I love using my slow cooker, but only when I’m at home.  Here is some of my reasoning:

• I hate having food cooking while I’m not at home.  Having 3 dogs, I am terrified of something burning or an appliance catching fire when I’m not there to get my furry babies out of my house.
• One of the best parts of cooking is the smell.  I love going upstairs to get something and coming back down to an intoxicating aroma of my dinner cooking.
• I’m afraid of losing track of time.  I very easily can turn running a simple errand into a several hour excursion.  When I cook, I need to be focused and that includes alarms being set.

But like I said, I do enjoy using my slow cooker.  It gives me the ability to throw something in for dinner and do housework or work on the blog.  
 

When I found this recipe for a slow cooker dessert, I jumped right on it. My husband loves apples and apple crisp, so it was perfect for us.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Slow-Cooked Praline Apple Crisp

This looks really good, but it probably would look “prettier” if I had ice cream or whipped topping on it.  It’s interesting because the ingredient listing says “ice cream optional” but the directions say to “serve it with ice cream.”  There’s no optional about it.  I’m not sure why I didn’t do it, other than to save money and calories/fat/cholesterol.

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 4, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Pillsbury

Mexican Turkey Crescent Bake

Prep Time: 10 Min

Total time: 30 Min

Makes: 6 servings

Daily Recipe Round-up for October 3, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Every Day with Rachael Ray

Grilled Eggplant Subs with Mozzarella and Tomato Jam

4 Servings

Prep 10 min 

Chai

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – March 18, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Taste of Home – Holiday Collection 2008

So I’ve had an interesting week.  Way to many ups and downs, but a decent conclusion to the weekend with tickets to the Chicago Bears game in an executive suite.  Gorgeous day.  Luxury box.  Bears win.  Now I’m back to business!

I have to admit that I settle into a routine very easily and sometimes need someone to drag me kicking and screaming into change.  For example, I was a very traditional coffee drinking kind of gal.  Then I got a job with Starbucks.  Part of your training is making every single drink… and tasting it.  My first day was an eye opening experience of everything I had been missing.  It also lasted about 3 days because I drank enough coffee to keep me awake for a week.

One of my new experiences came with a Chai Tea Latte.  I was expecting to hate it, but fell in love.  So much so that it became a substitute for coffee lattes.  The green tea is good for me and the ginger settled my stomach.  Of course the bad thing about finding my new love is the cost, so when I stumbled across this recipe, I was anxious to give it a try.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Chai

Be honest.  Don’t you just want to drink this?  I was so glad I picked a clear glass to show this drink off.  And yes, it smelled as good as it looked and it was warm and toasty in the mug.

Weekend Recipe Round-up for October 1-2, 2011

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Betty Crocker

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 15 Min

Total Time: 8 Hr 15 Min

Servings: 6

Daily Recipe Round-up for September 28-30, 2011

Sorry I didn’t publish for a couple of days… it’s been CRAZY!  Of course, NOW there are A LOT of recipes to post.

If anyone makes one of these recipes, I’d love for you to let me know, give me your thoughts and even take a picture or two.  I’d LOVE to start posting updates from other cooks, such as myself.  Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.  That’s the point of this blog.

Cooking Light

Ham and Cheddar Bread Pudding

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 bread pudding)

Hands On: 22 Minutes
Total: 42 Minutes