Perfect Popcorn

Popcorn is literally (and I mean literally) one of my favorite foods in the whole world. I'm one of those people who takes the popcorn bag home from the theater rather than waste a single precious piece of popcorn.

I've always really loved homemade popcorn as well, but it usually required some kind of bulky, frivolous contraption. Then I discovered a super easy way to make the most delicious popcorn ever. While this hasn't helped my popcorn addiction at all, it has helped me make some new friends – not to mention the cupboard space it has freed up.

Perfect Popcorn

½ c popcorn kernels

¼ c canola oil

2-3 tbsp. butter

salt, to taste

Large (6 qt) pot, with lid

Put kernels, oil, and butter in the pot & place on the stove. Turn temperature to high, and shake the pot back and forth continually while oil heats up & butter melts. Once the kernels start to pop, make sure to continue shaking the pot as the rest of the kernels pop. You will know the popcorn is done when the pot is nearly full and the popping begins to slow down. Remove from heat and let sit until kernels have stopped popping. Remove lid & pour popcorn into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with a spoon. Taste & add more salt until desired saltiness is achieved (I usually do 2-3 rounds of salt). 

Just for the record – I can eat this much popcorn by myself. You may want to make at least two batches if you're sharing.  

Adapted from original recipe here

Carmelitas

This recipe is simply a no brainer. Easy [check]. Scrumptious [check]. Aesthetically pleasing [check]. Foolproof [check]. If you're looking for an easy way to impress your dinner party guests, handsome next-door neighbor, or your visiting-from-out-of-town relatives, look no further.

Carmelitas
32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 c heavy cream
3/4 c butter, melted
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 c flour
1 c rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda until thoroughly combined. Pat 1/2 of the mixture into a greased 8x8 pan, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

2. While the crust is baking, combine caramels & heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until completely smooth. Remove from heat.

3. Pull crust out of the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips, and crumble the rest of the oatmeal mixture over the top. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting (you can put it in the fridge if you need to serve quickly).

*To make a 9x13 pan, double ingredients.

Original recipe from Lulu The Baker

[Grandma's] Deviled Eggs

This is Part I of my Deviled Eggs series… stay tuned for some serious fun (think bacon, curry, hot sauce).

However, before I share any non-traditional recipes, I have to share the recipe that is near and dear to my heart. Some people like pickles in their deviled eggs. Some like olives. In my family, we like sugar. My grandma is notorious for this - she used to add sugar to the sugar-free Kool-Aid mixes (and let me tell you, that's a real rush).

Grandma's Deviled Eggs

8 eggs, hard boiled*
1/2 cup Miracle Whip (if you're doing it Grandma's way, you won't use mayo)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp pepper
Paprika

Peel eggs & cut in half. Scoop yolks into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix until smooth. Scoop or pipe into eggs, and sprinkle with paprika.

*There are a lot of articles with very specific and complicated ways to boil eggs, but I just do it my mom's way: put eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, take off heat & submerge in cold water. Once cool, you can peel them (you can put them in the fridge to help with the cooling process).

German Chocolate Pie [Happy Pi Day]

Math. It's never been my favorite (in fact, I'm pretty sure I suffer from math anxiety). However, there is one mathematically-related holiday that has never disappointed me: pi day. (If you are a normal person who celebrates normal non-math-related-holidays, read more about "pi day" here. And start celebrating now.)

This year to celebrate, I'm sharing one of my all-time favorite pie recipes: German Chocolate Pie. This rich coconut-y concoction was shared with me by a lady who baked pies her whole life for a local restaurant. Needless to say, it was a best seller. 

German Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

-3 c. sugar

-6-7 tbsp cocoa

-1 13-oz can evaporated milk

-4 eggs, beaten

-1/2 c. melted butter, cooled

-1 tbsp. vanilla

-3 c. shredded coconut

-1 c. chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds this time, but walnuts are good too)

-2 pie crusts (this recipe makes two pies… you're welcome)

Combine sugar and cocoa. Add evaporated milk, butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the coconut and nuts. Pour in half in each crust. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until set (sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes longer). 

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

So, I know this post features a fairly lofty title, but these cookies turned out perfectly. I've been searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I know will work - every time. And here it is. If you're a person who doesn't like chewy-in-the-middle, melt-in-your-mouth, pee-your-pants-a-little-because-you're-so-happy cookies, then you probably won't like these. The rest of you will.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

(adapted from recipe at food.com)

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup white sugar

-1 cup brown sugar

-1 cup butter, room temperature

-1 tbsp vanilla (use the real stuff)

-2 eggs

-3 cups flour

-3/4 tsp baking soda

-3/4 tsp salt

-1 bag milk chocolate chocolate chips (the best are the Guittard brand - they are HUGE chunks of
chocolatey goodness)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter & sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

2. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, beating thoroughly after each addition.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Add gradually to creamed mixture while mixing.

4. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes & move onto cooling rack.

Eat warm, cold, in the rain, in the sunshine, in bed late at night, standing up, sitting down - you're not going to want to stop.

Wild Mushroom Bisque

One of my absolute favorite places to eat is Zupa's - especially when I'm in the mood for soup. They have a wonderful selection of soups, but I always tend to order the same thing - their Wild Mushroom Bisque. Sadly, I have moved outside of the radius of any Zupa's locations… so I had to come up with my own replacement. I used Season with Spice's Homemade Mushroom Soup recipe as a base, and I have to say, it turned out quite splendidly. It is definitely helping with my Zupa's separation anxiety.

Wild Mushroom Bisque

Ingredients:
-1 lb mushrooms (I used Cremini) - I diced half of the mushrooms, then cut the rest in half (I like my soup chunky)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3-4 cloves fresh garlic, diced
-1 tbsp butter
-1/2 tsp thyme
-2 bay leaves
-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-3 cups chicken stock
-3 tbsp flour dissolved in 4 tbsp water
-1/2 pint whipping cream
-dash of nutmeg
-salt & pepper to taste
-green onions or fresh parsley to garnish

1. Heat olive oil in pan - add butter & garlic and sauté over medium heat (be careful not to burn).
2. Add mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce to pan. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock & let boil - then turn down heat to simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk in diluted flour, and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Add cream, bring back to a simmer, then remove from heat.
5. Serve warm & garnish with green onions or fresh parsley. Enjoy!

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip cookies? I know I'm not that person. Really, I love pumpkin ANYthing... but there's something about the delicious combo of semisweet chocolate and gooey pumpkin that I simply can't resist. I wanted to make some the other day, and realized I didn't have flour. Bummer. But, I had cake mix. I thought, "Surely there's a way to make these cookies with cake mix!" And you better believe, friends, there's a way. You can make these delicious cookies with the following ingredients:

Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box cake mix (Preferably spice cake mix, but I used yellow and it was still delicIOUS)
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Okay, here it goes... Mix the cake mix & pumpkin puree. Since I used yellow cake mix, I did add a few extra ingredients to spice it up (but I'm sure these cookies would be delicious either way) - 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice. Add the chocolate chips (I used about 2/3 of the bag, and there were plenty). Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (don't even worry about making them look pretty). Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Easy Peasy Peach Cobbler

Growing up, whenever my mom would ask us what we wanted for dessert, the answer was always, always, peach cobbler. We didn't waste time on no apple crisp or brownies. I was pretty sure my mom put crack in it, until I started making it myself. There's no crack... but this stuff is pretty dang good. And it's easy. Oh yeah, and did I mention delicious?

I made it this time with fresh peaches, and it was delicious! I swear,
though, the canned peaches are just as delicious. Probably all that
sugary syrup. Or nostalgia...

You should probably buy a ridiculously huge vat
of baking powder, because you're going to want to
be making this recipe a LOT.

Easy Peasy Peach Cobbler

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large cans peaches (or 6-8 fresh peaches)

Mix sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Add melted butter to mixture. Drain fruit and pour in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. If you use fresh peaches, sweeten them with sugar before adding to the pan. Pour batter over the top of peaches (it's okay if they're not all covered).
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

White Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

Here's the story: I love lasagna. I love white sauce. I love chicken... I love spinach. So, pretty much, this lasagna is the perfect combination. I combined a few different recipes in search of the perfect recipe... and I think it turned out pretty fantastic.

White Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
2 tsp. olive oil
1 pkg. lasagna noodles
1/2 c. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan
3 tsp. fresh basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2+ cups chicken meat (I used rotisserie chicken, because it's easy and delicious)
1-lb. bag spinach
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and add lasagna noodles. Add a little bit of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking together. Drain, rinse with cold water, and add a bit of olive oil again. You really don't want these noodles sticking together.

The original recipe called for frozen spinach, but I say fresh is ALWAYS better. 

While the noodles are boiling, rinse and dry the spinach. Remove stems from spinach leaves. Add 2 tsp. olive oil to a large saucepan, and cook spinach until bright green & tender. (For a good tutorial on cooking spinach, go here.) Add salt to taste.

The last part you will need to make before putting the lasagna together is the white sauce. This sauce is GOOD. You could definitely just eat it out of the pan. Start by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion & garlic in the butter until tender. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, and ground black pepper (keep a bit of the fresh basil to sprinkle on top of the lasagna). Add more salt to taste, if desired. Remove from heat. Set aside about 1 cup of the sauce (enough for the top of the lasagna), then add the chicken to the rest.

Be liberal with the noodles and cheese for best results.

You may layer however you want. I prefer to be especially liberal on the NOODLES and CHEESE. This is about how I ended up layering: put a tiny bit of the chicken-less sauce on the bottom to keep from sticking, then start with a layer of noodles. Add ricotta, chicken sauce, spinach, cheese, noodles - and repeat until your pan is full. Finish with a layer of noodles, topped with the rest of the chicken-less sauce, and a hefty portion of mozzarella & parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil & parsley. Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven. This lasagna was especially tasty with these parmesan knots on the side. Enjoy!

Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup [with HOMEMADE noodles]

There's nothing like good ol' homemade chicken noodle soup on a cold fall day. The homemade noodles in this recipe are my grandma's recipe... and they are what really bring this soup home. They are also surprisingly easy to make!

[Scroll to bottom for complete recipe.]

I have the recipe in my grandma's handwriting... doesn't get more authentic than that!



Using a rotisserie chicken is also the secret to this recipe... the meat is just so yummy!



Chicken Noodle Soup 
Soup
Carcass & meat of 1 rotisserie chicken
(You can also use a whole uncooked chicken)
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 pinch dried thyme
1 pinch dried basil
1 pinch dried parsley
Poultry seasoning, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
flour

Start with the soup portion of the recipe. If you are cooking the whole chicken, put it in a pot of boiling water (enough to cover the chicken), turn down heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through--about 30-40 minutes. If you are using rotisserie chicken (which I recommend), remove the meat from the carcass and put the chicken carcass in the pot of water. You will want to cook the carcass for about 30 minutes as well to start the chicken base. Remove the carcass, and add the broth, celery, carrots, seasonings, and chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.



To make the noodles, mix the eggs, salt, and milk together in a medium mixing bowl. Add flour until the dough is thick enough to roll out (you will want it to not be sticky any more). Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut the noodles lengthwise. They don't have to be perfect--it gives them more character that way. Add the noodles to the soup and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until noodles are cooked through. Yum!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Okay, this is the BEST tomato soup I have ever had - and that includes Zupa's, Paradise Bakery, etc. It is just REALLY delicious, and it is actually a SUPER easy recipe. 

[Scroll to bottom for complete recipe]

Start with the onions - dice them well!

Sautee the onions until they are translucent.

The sherry is optional... but I think it makes the soup extra delicious.

It's not a good soup without cream!

Use fresh parsley & basil - much better than dried! 

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup*

• 6 T butter
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 1 bottle (64 oz.) tomato juice 
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (or more to taste)
• 3 T sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 pinch salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup cooking sherry (optional)
• 1-1/2 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley, chopped
• fresh basil, chopped

Sautee onions in the butter until they are translucent. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, chicken bouillon, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a slight boil, and then turn down low to simmer. You can add the cream, basil, & parsley at this point and serve it - or, if you are adding the sherry, cook for another 30 minutes without adding the cream, basil, or parsley. For best results, cook for 2 hours. I like to let it simmer while I'm watching a movie or something - it just gets better the longer it simmers. Once you are satisfied with the amount of time the soup has cooked, add the cream, basil, parsley, & serve. You will never need another recipe for tomato soup, I promise!

*This recipe is a slightly modified version of The Pioneer Woman's Sherried Tomato Soup.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

So... I made these for Christmas because I wanted to kill two birds with one stone.

We always make fudge, we always make caramels, we never make shortbread... but shortbread is delicious... so why not?


Ingredients:
Shortbread Layer (make first):
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar

Caramel Layer (second):
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Layer (last):
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. light corn syrup
½ cup butter, cut into pieces
Sea salt, for sprinkling



Directions:
Start with the shortbread layer. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In one bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk. In another bowl (with an electric hand mixer or in a Kitchen Aid), cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Put the mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined. Press the dough into the baking pan. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Let dry completely on a wire cooling rack.

Next start the caramel layer. Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and make sure to stir constantly (it will burn very easily at this stage if you do not stir). You will continue to cook the caramel until it is an amber color and reaches a soft ball stage (if dropped into water, it should form a soft ball). Pour this mixture over the shortbread layer, and smooth the top. Allow to cool completely before the last step (you can use a fridge to make it go faster).

Last, the chocolate layer. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water, and bring to a boil on the stove. Turn the water down until it's simmering. Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan, and place the smaller saucepan in the water (to create a double boiler effect). Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Pour over the caramel layer and smooth out with a rubber spatula. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and sprinkle sea salt over the top. Allow to cool completely before cutting... and enjoy! These are seriously amazing!!!!!



This recipe was borrowed from Annie's Eats

Grandma's Pumpkin Bread

Maybe I haven't tasted all the pumpkin bread in the world... but I'm pretty sure this is the best.

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 med. can pumpkin
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Bake in either a bundt pan or two loaf pans, greased & floured, for 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before serving. HINT... If you use loaf pans, don't cook both loaves at the same time :)

Lasagna (not the frozen kind.)

So, two weeks ago I got the chance to go to an Italian cooking class. It was pretty much a dream come true... I mean, I love cooking, and I love Italian food... I was in heaven. We learned how to make REAL Italian lasagna from Jessie (check out her Facebook page for more info. on her classes. She's awesome!)



Anyway... the title of this post comes from a conversation we had right after the class. I told Jessie that I had never made lasagna. I told her that, in fact, I had only made frozen lasagna. I thought she might keel over and die from shock when I said that... needless to say, I think I had reached a point in my life when I needed to make lasagna from scratch. For reals.

This recipe, then, is an Italian recipe. It is a little different from what I was used to (no ricotta or cottage cheese, for example), but it was AMAZING.

There are three things that really make this lasagna work. First, the bolognese sauce (also known as the red or meat sauce). Jessie taught us that this is the KEY to a good lasagna. If you get the bolognese sauce down, you will be fine.

Second, the besciamella, or white sauce. Yes, this lasagna has red AND white sauce in it. Get excited.

Last (at least in my opinion), CHEESE. Don't skimp on it. You're making lasagna. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is going to be a healthy meal. You will use around 2 cups per lasagna.





Bolognese Sauce
The biggest thing with the bolognese sauce is letting it cook... forever. The longer, the better. Jessie's recipe said 1-3 hours, but she said you could cook it pretty much all day and it just keeps getting more and more delicious.

I made it on a Sunday, so I decided to do an experiment with the crock pot while I was at church. I took three 28 oz. cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes, pureed two of them, and poured them all into a large pot. I then added the spices - 1 tbsp. oregano, 1 tbsp. basil, 1 tbsp garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground pepper, and 2 bay leaves. I added more of the seasonings to taste, but those were good amounts to start with.



I also threw in two fresh tomatoes...



I then added the wine. This was the first time I've used wine in cooking, and it won't be the last. Jessie told us she likes to use white wine in her red sauces even though people usually use red wine... so I tried it out and was not disappointed. After adding the wine (1/2 cup white cooking wine), I brought it to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes without a lid, to let some of the alcohol cook out. Then I poured it all into the crock pot and let it cook on low for another half hour without the lid, to let any additional alcohol cook out. We didn't seem too crazy after eating it, so I think we were good. At least we weren't any more crazy than usual. After a half hour, I put the lid on the pot and left for church, leaving my delicious sauce to simmer for a good three hours.



When I got home from church, I finished up the red sauce. I decided to use Italian sausage mixed with ground beef. Some random guy in the store told me it was amazing, so I trusted him. It ended up being a good choice.

Before cooking the meat, I had to make the soffritto. This is a basic seasoning for your sauce that is used in a lot of Italian cooking. It is made up of the "holy trinity" - onions, celery, and carrots. First, you sautee one large white onion, diced, in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.



Can we take a moment of silence to contemplate how wonderful olive oil is? I truly love it.



Moving on...

Cook the onion for a few minutes alone, and then add 2 medium carrots and 2 stalks of celery, chopped. You will cook this combination until the onions are translucent and the celery and carrots are soft (about 5 min). I also added Italian spices to this mixture (the same ones I added to the sauce) as well as some crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick. Once that was cooked, I added 1 lb. each of ground beef and Italian sausage, and then cooked until browned.



I added the meat to the sauce, and moved it all to a pot on the stove (set to low). I let the bolognese sauce cook for another 2 hours, covered, while I finished the rest of the ingredients. Like I said... the longer the red sauce cooks, the better.

Besciamella
Now for the besciamella. First, you bring 4 cups whole milk (don't use skim or 1%... you can maybe get away with 2%) to simmer in a saucepan and cook until a very thin skin forms on the top. Make sure it's barely simmering, so as not to scald the milk. In another pan, melt 8 tablespoons of butter until it is just barely brown. Make sure not to burn the butter. You will then slowly add 6-8 tablespoons of flour to the butter, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once this mixture (the rue) is formed, you will add it slowly to the milk, whisking constantly. The heat should be lowered slightly at this point, and you will mix it until it is thick. Add salt and NUTMEG to taste. (Nutmeg? Those Italians are geniuses.)



When the mixture starts to stick to the whisk, it is ready. I also added some parmesan cheese to the sauce... you can never have too much cheese.

Last, you will cook the lasagna sheets. You will use around one box per lasagna. Follow the package directions--but make sure the pasta is cooked al dente. This means it is soft, but still has a little bit of "bite" to it. No one likes mushy pasta.

To finish off the lasagna, you will do the different layers. I started out the pan with just a little bit of besciamella to keep the pasta from sticking. Then I did the pasta sheets, the bolognese sauce, the besciamella, and a mozzarella/parmesan cheese mixture. Keep layering until your heart is content (or until the pan is full). I found it was extra delicious when I was generous with the pasta and cheese. Go figure...



This recipe makes two pans, which seems like a lot... but, somehow, I had no problems getting rid of the extra.

Finish it off with a LOT of cheese. Think pizza.



Stick the lasagna in the oven (375 degrees) for 45 minutes to an hour, until all the cheese is melted and slightly browned on the top. Delizioso!!