Rutter Sugar Cookies!!!!!

After reading posts, Audrey and I decided not to add as much oil to the mixture. We used like 3/4ths less than what the recipe called for. The cookies turned out tasting good, a little cakey, but good. If I would have pressed them out thinner I think we would have liked them more. I will next time cut the oil in half and see how the cookies turn out. I just can't stand imagine putting that much oil along with the butter in the dough. Guess we will see what happens next time.

New Recipe: Week of 5/15

Okay, let's do Egg-in-the-Hole for this week.  Page 46.  I've actually fixed this several times.  We really like it.

Sheet Cake

This is Nika posting, even if it does say Jacki at the bottom (she is here too though). In the past the sheet cakes I have had are dry and not that impressive. This one, however, was great. I wanted to give this a try, but since we are right in the middle of packing and moving I didn't have enough butter to do the whole thing so I just made half. That was a good choice because its just me and my mom here so we really don't need all that cake. I have been watching my neighbor's two preschool aged kids in the mornings so we had a full house making this one and even then it still turned out fine with all the "help". The cake was easy to make, except part way through I forgot that I was only making half the recipe, but I got back on track and it turned out just fine. I used the "homemade" buttermilk recipe which I always do since I rarely buy buttermilk and made my cocoa powder scoops nice and big. I cooked the cake in a 9x13 pyrex (since it was only half a batch) for 20 minutes and it was perfect. Then I just poured the icing over the top and topped it with chopped walnuts on one half and chopped toasted pinenuts on the other (just to use up what was in my freezer). I LOVED this cake. It cooked up so nicely and was not dry at all. In the picture it may look like its gooey, but that is just the frosting running over the edge of the cake. Even though it is 7:30 in the morning I just tasted a little more to make sure it was still good and don't worry, it was.

Recipe for Week of May 8th

For this week I picked the Chocolate Sheet Cake on pages 218-220. Looks yummy! And I have some buttermilk I need to use up :)

Pot Roast and Oatmeal Crispies

Sorry, I got a bit behind! I actually made the Oatmeal Crispies and Pot Roast the weeks we were supposed to...I just never got around to posting.

The oatmeal crispies were so good! A lot better than I thought they were going to be. I dunno, in the picture on-line I didn't think they looked that great. Anyway, I made the cookies exactly as she said, but in half the dough I added chocolate chips. I loved just being able to slice the cookie dough. I don't have a picture of the cookies, but they were a hit. I don't normally add nuts to cookies because I didn't think I was a fan, but I loved the taste of the pecans in these cookies.

The Pot Roast was also a huge hit all around here. I made it exactly as the recipe says, with the fresh herbs and everything. I loved the carrots and onions. The meat was so tender and moist. And then it made great french dip sandwiches the next day! The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the little pine needles of the rosemary that were all over the vegetables and in the sauce. It looks so pretty, and the flavor was wonderful, but next time I might use dried rosemary instead of fresh.

Sorry this post is so late...

Kim's Brisket

So, I have been pretty behind on the recipes, but we did make this one yesterday and it was DELICIOUS!! I made the sauce exactly how she said but did it in the crock pot instead, it worked better with our church time. It was a major success. My kids were downing it and they are picky eaters. It was juicy, soft, and SO flavorful!! We made mashed potatoes and poured the leftover sauce from the brisket on them, YUM!!! Everyone should make this, it is so easy and worth it.

Leslee’s Brisket, Grits and Sugar Cookies

Tonight we enjoyed the Brisket and Grits for dinner.  They were AMAZING! I am not sure why but I loved them both! I thought the meat was probably some of the best I have ever eaten.  The grits were a fun change from potatoes or rice and also delicious. 

I made a few changes with the meat.  Beef consume has wheat in it so I just decided to use Beef Stock instead.  I probably used 2 or more cups of it, until the brisket was mostly covered.  I added the rest of the ingredients except liquid smoke and marinated the meat overnight in the crockpot dish things.  Today I cooked the brisket all day on low in the crockpot (about 10 hrs).  There was a lot of fat that I scrapped of it but the rest shredded up nicely.  The meat itself was very tender and moist and the juice made it even better.

I made half the recipe for the grits and followed the directions except used less butter.  I sprinkled more sharp cheddar on top after it was baked.

All in all a delicious meal that we all really liked!

When I saw Tarin’s review on the sugar cookies I decided to give them a shot to see if my results were the same.  I just made half a batch which was still plenty! Tarin commented on the amount of wet ingredients there were so I put in probably half the oil with the butter and then added an extra tablespoon or so of flour.  This helped the dough to become a good consistency and then I chilled it for several hours in the fridge. The dough was pretty stiff when I put it on the cookie sheet and seemed to hold up pretty well.  Sean and Knox both liked these cookies. PW did mention that they weren’t typical sugar cookies but they seemed okay. 

Tarin's take on the "Sugar Cookies"

Okay, let me say that I haven't felt completely let down by this cookbook until now. I love sugar cookies. Everyone loves sugar cookies, these were 1) not sugar cookies and 2) I don't think the dough even counted as a cookie dough based on how it mixed up.

I was really surprised to see so much oil added to the wet ingredients, I wasn't really excited by the flavor of the dough, all it tasted like was canola oil and cream of tartar (the dough is supposed to be the best part!), and I was especially concerned when the batter looked like buttercream frosting--even after sitting in the fridge for 2 hours. I'll I could think was that these cookies were going to melt.

Well needless to say my concerns were valid. This is what I pulled out of the oven 13 minutes later.

Since I had only put one batch in I scooped the rest of the dough into the bowl again and added 3/4-1 cup of flour and tried again.

This attempt held together a little bit better, but I was still really disappointed in the whole thing. They tasted okay, but nothing like I thought they would according to her description or picture. In fact all the oils made them pretty greasy. I guess I'll be sticking with my Martha recipe for sugar cookies from now on.

Jacki’s Review of Brisket and Cheese Grits

I was finally able to make these two recipes yesterday for dinner and they were both very tasty.  First the brisket – I bought a small one since there are only two of us here (2.5 lbs).  I wish I would have bought a little bigger brisket for more leftovers!  Anyway, I halved the marinade recipe and let the meat marinate for 24 hrs.  I didn’t have liquid smoke so I used 1 tsp. of smoky paprika instead.  I was tempted to cook it in the crock pot but wanted to test the cooking time so I went ahead and cooked it in the oven.  It took a lot longer than the 40 min. per pound – I ended up cooking it for about 65 minutes per pound.  It was still might tasty before then, it just didn’t wasn’t fork shreddable.  Next time I think I will cook it in the crock pot and see what results I get.  Regardless – the meat had a very good flavor.  Next came the grits.  I followed the recipe as directed except I cut it in half and used Monterey Jack cheese.  I thought they were quite tasty except I wasn’t sure if they were supposed to be porridge like or more solid.  I let them sit for 10 minutes after taking them out of the oven and they did get a little more solid.  Maybe I was supposed to bake them longer – I baked them for 30 minutes.
I have never made grits before so this was a totally new experience for me.  It isn’t something I would automatically think of making as a side dish but I thought these went well with the brisket.  Rich wasn’t a fan though.  Next time I would use a little less garlic and a little more cheese – probably sharp cheddar.

Sorry this is late...

I decided to choose the Angel Sugar cookie recipe from page 236. I just felt like desserts, big suprise!

Rutter Rib-eye steak w/sauce

Well, We did cook the steak and the sauce, but I didn't really stick too closely to the recipe. First thing I did different changing the onions. Doug had picked some wild onions and so we used them. I also....how should I say.....Well.....messed the instructions up. I used way to much butter to start, and it went down hill from there.

We really like our steaks cut thick....If you couldn't tell. LOL!!!!

(Wild Onions!!!)

After sauteing the onions is a "boatload" of butter, I tried to follow the rest of the recipe. Instead of using the whiskey, I used Worcester sauce. I cooked this for a while. But the sauce was never quite right. So I added some flour, then water, and made a sort of gravy like sauce (Pic below).

I wouldn't say it tasted bad, but I don't think I would try making the sauce again unless I followed the recipe completely. Better Luck next time I suppose!!!

A bit of catching up =;)

We were not big fans of the halapenos they were a bit to rich for us!! Easy to make though.

Ok, I'm a terrible baker and this cinnamon rools were fantastic =;) This recipe makes a lot!!!

The comfort meat Balls were very tasty but I baked them instead of frying and I doubled the recipe so I could freeze them and also take some to some to a family in our ward. I didn't make the sauce we ended up eating them with spaguetti sauce.

For the Mac and cheese I ended up using nut meg and a mix of cheeses since that's how I usually make my recipe and everyone loves it. It was delish =;)

Amazing steak dinner

This was a huge hit here with all the carnivores of the house!!! We all loved the Whisky sauce, I used sweet Maui onion for the sauce since I had so much of it. I seasoned the steak with Brazilian BBQ seasonings and sea salt, and grilled it. We served it with Yukon gold potatoes sautéed in olive oil and sea salt and sautéed Cauliflower with cheddar cheese….. very rich meal indeed but loved by all. Definitely a keeper

New recipe picks for April 24th

I chose two recipes, so I hope that won't be too much. Ree suggested that they go well together, so we will give it a try. Also, here in Oklahoma our weather is warming up, so I wanted to cook the brisket, while it isn't too hot outside :)
Let's cook "Braised Beef Brisket" pg. 160 & "Cheese Grits" pg. 164. Happy cooking!!

Jacki’s Beans and Cornbread

I made both of these recipes awhile back.  The cornbread I made several months ago and the beans a few weeks ago but I didn’t take pictures so I will just do a quick review from what I can remember.    I didn’t care for the cornbread because it wasn’t sweet at all but probably more authentic.  I also used a very fine ground cornmeal and I prefer one that is not as fine.  I also just cooked it in the oven in a pyrex pan instead of a skillet.  I will probably try the recipe again and add sugar.  I liked the beans but I made a few additions to the recipe.  I halved the recipe and put the beans in water and brought them to a boil for two minutes then I transferred them to the crockpot for the day.  I used the bacon but also cut up an onion and tossed that in as well as a sprinkle of oregano.  Towards the end of cooking I added some chicken bouillon granules and it was really good – plain and delicious.  I had planned to make both of these recipes again this week and take pictures to post but it just didn’t happen.

Leslee’s Beans and Cornbread

This was the first time I have ever cooked with dry beans before so it was a bit of an adventure.  I decided to use the crockpot so that I didn’t have to watch a simmering pot.  This made it easier and I just put the rinsed beans, water and some spices in and turned it on low for about 8 hours.  I had to add water a few times through out the day and was surprised by how much was absorbed.  I halved the recipe and probably ended up adding a total of about 8 cups of water for the 2 cups of beans. 

The cornbread was easy to make and Summy enjoyed helping me.  I used a medium ground corn meal and some different flour to make it gluten free.  I don’t have a skillet so I covered the rubber handle of my frying pan in tin foil (a trick I learned from Rachel Ray!) and popped that into the oven.  I should mention that I added 1/4 cup of sugar to the recipe because my mom had said it was not sweet at all and when I tasted a little of the batter it wasn’t all that good.  I am sure the sugar made a big difference although it wasn’t super sweet.  I really like the cornbread with a little melted butter on it…DELICIOUS! Next time I would use a finely ground corn meal because the medium effected the texture.  I thought the beans were pretty good too although I had to add a lot of seasoning to make them more flavorful.  This is probably just how it is with beans.  Maybe I added too much water though…any suggestions? Next time I will probably add some of the topping she suggests, that would be good. 

All in all it was a delicious meal that I enjoyed by myself since Sean was not home for dinner and the kids are quite picky.  I packed some for his lunch tomorrow so I will see how he likes it!  Halving the batch made quite a bit so that is something to think about when you try it. 

 

Beans and Cornbread

For the recipe this week I will pick the beans and cornbread on page 100.

Our Rib-Eye Steak

My mom and I made this recipe on Wednesday night for Knox’s birthday since the boy is a big fan of meat.  We chose the thinner cuts of rib-eye steak at the store and opted for the boneless.  Sean grilled the steak on the BBQ and it was seasoned with just salt and pepper.  While he was grilling I made the cream sauce.  I read online that you could substitute vanilla for whisky so we decided to give that a try.  I used a little less than 1/4 cup of it but probably could have put in less.  I really think you could probably use any cooking liquid and would maybe have just added more beef stock and let it cook down.  The sauce was good on top of the steak, although the steak was delicious on its own too! We all liked this dish and it was fun to cook up!

Owens' Pot Roast

I fixed the roast last Thursday.  I meant to fix it on Tuesday when it was a little cooler here in Oklahoma, but I forgot to get it started and in the oven on time.  I followed the recipe as it was written and it tasted good.  I usually do mine like many others do in the crockpot with an onion soup packet & cream of mushroom soup.  this was a nice change but it is so much easier in the crockpot for me.

The onions and carrots browned along with the seared roast.

 All ready to go into the oven.

 Cooked and ready to eat.  I served this with mashed potatoes.  My kids are big fans of cooked carrots, but Kenton and I thought that they had a good flavor.  It was good and I would fix it again!

Back in the kitchen!!!

Ok guys, it's been a crazy couple of months here in the North West. Yes I have been cocking but not very good about posting all the recipes I will try to post everything by this coming weekend! Alright I have decided to make the Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey cream Sauce on page 166! I was told that you can buy a tinny bottle of whiskey at the liquor store....hmmmmmmm that should be interesting Ha-Ha......Let's Cook =;)

Rutter Oatmeal Crisps

Alright, so I completely forgot to take pictures as I went. Sorry!!! Okay, I decided to make these cookies for a fundraiser that is going on where I work. They are raising money for a Japan relief effort by having bake sales, etc. I wanted to lend a hand, so I baked cookies.

When making the cookies, I decided to add fresh blueberries to the mix. I also used walnuts instead of pecans. They turned out tasting GREAT! I did use a few too many blueberries which cause a few of the cookies to fall apart. Over all the majority of the cookies looked awesome. I really like these cookies and will definitely make them in the future.

Me at work.....One of the broken cookies I brought for my lunch.

Taking a Bite.........The baby really wanted to see what the cookies tasted like!!! ;)

Sour Cream Pancakes

I fixed these pancakes when my mom & dad were visiting.  I actually fixed these twice!  I was really surprised at how good these were.  I was a little skeptical at how the sour cream was going to taste; but these were really good!  They didn't seem to make as many as Ree said they would; but they are still very tasty!

Jacki’s Review of Perfect Pot Roast

I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was simply delicious.  I used a boneless chuck roast that was  1.80 pounds since there is only two of us.  I didn’t have regular, unpeeled carrots so I used the baby carrots and I omitted the thyme and rosemary sprigs because I didn’t have any fresh.  I used beef broth instead of the stock.  I didn’t have a Dutch oven type pan that I could do all the browning and then baking in so I just used a skillet to brown and then transferred it all to a glass pyrex dish and covered it tightly with foil.  I let it cook at the 275 degrees for about 4 hours and it was perfect.  I think I would use a little less broth though – didn’t need it all and less would concentrate down a little more although it was very good as it was.  I baked some red potatoes on the side and served it with steamed corn and a tossed green salad.  It was a refreshing change from the standard Lipton onion soup mix I usually always use.  I think the fresh herb sprigs would give it a nice flavor as well – maybe I will try that next time. 

Leslee’s Perfect Pot Roast

We had this for a big lunch/dinner this afternoon.  I was excited to try this pot roast since I usually just cook them in the crockpot.  I used a chuck roast, whole carrots, onions and finger link potatoes.  I thought it was kind of fun to brown them all up before cooking…I felt like quite the cook! The roast was difficult to handle in the pan because it was so heavy.  I roasted everything in my big pot for about 3 1/2 hrs.  I thought the meat would be a little more tender then it was but it was moist and had a good flavor.  Sean made up a gravy with some of the juice from the pan that added some more flavor! I should mention that I forgot to add the spices to the roast so I am sure that would have been good.  The veggies in it were very delicious! I think in the future I will use the browning technique but maybe just cook it in the crockpot since that is easier to do while we are gone at church. 

Overall this made a very delicious meal and was perfect for Sunday!

Sean requested the Oatmeal Crispies again so we are getting some use out of the Pioneer Woman Cookbook over here today!

Recipe for Week of April 3-9

Perfect Pot Roast on Pgs 120-122 is my choice for the recipe of the week.  I am planning on making this for Sunday dinner.  I usually make my pot roast with the onion soup mix so this will be something different to try.