Super Meat Boy Meatloaf

For those of you who don't know what Super Meat Boy is...

Super Meat Boy is a classic platform game that was just released for the Xbox Live Arcade in the fall of 2010 (although it was around long before as a flash game). In the game, you play the role of a skinless square of bloody meat called Meat Boy. Throughout the game, your goal is to save Meat Boy's girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr. Fetus. With each platform, you must make your way through various fatal obstacles of salt, buzz saws, and more in order to stop Dr. Fetus before it is too late.

My husband got this game shortly after it was released for the Xbox, and he played it religiously for the months to follow. I remember watching some of it as I would doze on the couch, exhausted from being in my first trimester. Every now and then I would jump out of my sleepy haze as my husband's gamer tourettes would sound off each time Meat Boy exploded in a disgustingly squishy sound of failure. But as frustrated as the game would make him, he loved it to no end.

Well, in honor of Super Meat Boy, I decided to have a little fun with dinner last night and make a Super Meat Boy Meatloaf! The meatloaf recipe itself takes a little time to prepare, but it's worth it. I particularly like this recipe because, once again, it sneaks in a lot of veggies. Turning the meatloaf into Meat Boy was purely for decoration, so of course you don't have to do that. Unless you're a fellow gamer, then I would gladly invite you to post a picture of your own Meat Boy Meatloaf creation! Otherwise, the basic meatloaf recipe is certainly worth a try!

Super Meat Boy Meatloaf

Ingredients:
2 pound ground pork (or beef)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 carrot, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped spinach
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ketchup
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Sriracha (or any kind of hot sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Set the ground pork out at room temperature to warm slightly.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the carrot, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and spinach in the heated oil until soft; set aside to cool.

Mix together the pork, bread crumbs, eggs, 2 tablespoons ketchup, garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and continue to mix until evenly combined.

Pack the meat mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray.

Prepare the glaze by whisking together the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Brush the glaze over the meatloaf after it has been cooking for 10 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 45-60 minutes; remove to a serving platter and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Croque Madame Sandwich

Croque Madame is a fancy French way of saying: grilled ham and cheese sandwich with an egg on top. It is a simple recipe that takes hardly any time at all, but makes for an awesome meal! Typically it is served as a breakfast dish, but I made it last night for dinner (or as my husband and I call it "brinner"). I was surprised how delicious such a simple dish could be! I have always loved eggs on toast, and of course, who can turn down a grilled cheese sandwich? But to combine the two dishes with the addition of the sweet, salty, smoky taste of ham?! There is no way this dish can go wrong! Traditionally, croque madame is made with Gruyere cheese, but I just used cheddar since it's the only cheese I have on deck right now. It was still fabulous! I look forward to trying it next time with Gruyere cheese just to compare the flavor difference. But honestly; you can use whatever cheese you love that can melt up well in a grilled cheese sandwich.

Croque Madame Sandwich

Ingredients:
butter, room temperature
2 slices of bread
1-2 slices of ham
1-2 slices of thinly sliced cheese
1 egg
4 cups boiling water

Set electric skillet to 250 degrees, or stove top to medium heat.

Butter one side of each bread slice. Layer ham and cheese in between the slices of bread and place bread, butter side facing down, onto the skillet or non-stick pan. Cook each side until golden brown and the cheese has melted.

If you have a tea kettle, fill about half way and turn on high heat until water is hot. If you do not have a tea kettle, boil about 4 cups of water in a pot. Once boiling, turn the temperature to low but keep the pot or tea kettle warm until the egg is done cooking.

In a separate pan, crack the egg into the pan, making sure not to break the yolk. On medium-high heat, cook the egg until the whites are completely white. Remove the pan from the heat. Gently pour the boiling water into the pan (not directly on the egg or it will break the yolk) until the egg is almost completely submerged in the hot water. With a spatula, gently swish the water over the top of the egg until the egg white over the yolk turns slightly opaque. This helps to make sure all the egg white is cooked. (I always hated having any slimy egg whites left on my eggs! For some reason, the thin layer of egg white that covers the yolk almost never gets cooked on a "sunny side up" egg. But I find this technique really helps!) Then, using the same spatula, gently transfer the egg onto the top of the grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serve hot.

Strawberry Banana Nut Muffins & Veggie Scrambled Eggs

I don't really have any fun story to go along with this recipe. It's an adaptation of a recipe I got from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. I had tried the muffin recipe from the cookbook several times before but they always came out super dry and bland in flavor. But the banana bread recipe the cookbook had was delicious! So I took the banana bread recipe, added in a few things here and there, and then cooked it based on the muffin recipe time. The end result: moist, flavorful, delicious muffins! These muffins are great for easy grab-and-go breakfasts, or for making in bulk and freezing for future breakfast events. Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup strawberry yogurt (this is my trick for making really moist muffins! You can use whatever flavor yogurt you prefer. Strawberry is great, but I've also used vanilla before too.)
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs and milk, beating until well blended. Add the yogurt and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and banana alternately to creamed mixture, beating until smooth after each addition. Fold in nuts.

Turn batter into lightly greased or non-stick muffin pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Serve warm, or store in a large Ziploc bag at room temperature. The muffins will become more moist each day. If you want to keep the muffins for long term, store them in the freezer for up to 3-4 weeks.

In the picture above, I also served the muffins with veggie scrambled eggs. They're super easy to make and a very tasty way to sneak in more veggies! This is how my family has always done scrambled eggs. You'll never find plain scrambled eggs in my parent's house!

Veggie Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
eggs
spinach
onion
mushrooms
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a non-stick pan, saute the onions, mushrooms, and spinach in olive oil (about 1-2 Tbl. depending on how much you're making).

In a bowl, whip the eggs until slightly frothy.

When the onions are starting to turn opaque, the mushrooms slightly brown, and the spinach is wilted, add in the whipped eggs.

Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste.

Scramble the eggs and veggies together and serve hot.

*I didn't add any measurements to the ingredients because it all depends on how much you want to make, and your own personal tastes. I usually go a little mushroom heavy just because I like mushrooms, but to each his own.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes has got to be one of my favorite desserts to make. Not only is it extremely easy, but it is a huge hit whenever I make it. Yesterday I made a batch for my husband to take to work, and here are some of the comments they made:

"This is easily one of the 10 best frostings I have ever had!"

"Sweet zombie jebus, that was excellent! The frosting wasn't too sweet and there was a delightful 'almost too much' of it. The cupcake itself was moist and lovely. And the right amount of coconut. NOM!"

"OMG! These cupcakes are delicious!"

I came across this recipe years ago in my high school Spanish class. We were having a fiesta day at the end of the school year. For our final homework assignment, my teacher said we had to choose one of the recipes that she had on her desk, make it, and bring it to the fiesta. Of course it was all highly "Americanized" food including, of course, 7 layer bean dip and beef tacos. But I had my eye on the dessert recipe! The teacher had made about 5 copies of each recipe, so there were bound to be repeats of the same dish. But I didn't mind. That just meant there would be some good old competition amongst classmates. And of course, all the girls gravitated towards making the dessert. I was one of the lucky few who grabbed the pina colada cake recipe just in the nick of time.

That night, I went home and set to work on making the cake. Of course, being my usual self, I couldn't just follow the instructions word for word. I had to make a few of my own adjustments here and there. Since the recipe calls for a normal small box of instant pudding mix, I went with the larger 5.1oz box as opposed to the usual 1oz box. This made for a very moist cake. Also, the recipe called for just a sprinkling of coconut on the top of the cake. But with my love for coconut, I patted flaked coconut all over the cake until it looked like a giant snowball!

The next day when I brought in my cake for the fiesta, I proudly set it on the table amongst the other pina colada cakes the other girls had made. To my own slightly evil satisfaction, I smiled as the other girls loudly started to accuse me of buying my cake from the store. Luckily the teacher just shook her head and gave me a wink of approval. "She didn't buy it." She argued. But the girls pressed on, claiming that it looked "too perfect." What a complimentary insult! I couldn't help but laugh. As the fiesta went on, classmate after classmate came up to me after sampling each cake, deeming mine the "best" out of all the cakes there. It was a real "win" moment for me. Ever since, I have been wowing people with this simple recipe. So now, years later, I pass on my secrets in hopes that you too can have a "win" moment with this cake. And if anything, you can just have a fantastic dessert for yourself! Although I warn you, it's hard to resist going back for seconds!

-The recipe is originally for making a bundt cake, but I have found that making it as cupcakes is all the better!-

Pina Colada Cake

Ingredients for cake:
2/3 cup of rum (or 2/3 cup of water with 2 tsp. of rum flavoring)
4 eggs
1 pkg. (5.1oz box is what I use) instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 box of white or yellow cake mix

Blend all ingredients at medium speed until smooth. Pour into greased bundt pan or cupcake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or 20-25 minutes if making cupcakes. Cool and take out of pan. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:
1  8oz can crushed pineapple with juice (I usually use a a 20oz can but only use about 3/4 of the juice. I find it brings out a stronger pineapple flavor.)
1 tsp. rum (or rum flavoring)
1 pkg. (5.1oz box is what I use) instant vanilla pudding
1  9oz container cool whip
Flaked sweetened coconut

Combine pineapple with juice, rum, and pudding. Beat on high speed. Fold in cool whip and frost the cake or cupcakes. Sprinkle cake or cupcakes with coconut. Or if you're like me and love coconut, pack it on so that it covers the whole cake!

*If you really want to be cute, you can top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry to give it that classic pina colada look.

*Tip: Be sure the cake is thoroughly cooled before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt and drip down the sides. I would sometimes put the cake in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes before frosting to keep the cake from crumbling too much when I frost it. Otherwise, just leave it out at room temperature and make sure it is not warm to the touch at all before frosting.

Crock Pot Meatballs in Peanut Chili Sauce

I am ashamed to say that, in the two years I have owned my crock pot, I have used it maybe a total of five times. I don't know why I haven't used it more considering that it makes for super easy dinners that basically cook themselves. But I just never knew many crock pot recipes. My mom used hers often, so I can't blame it on my parents. Since it was just a matter of filling the crock pot with ingredients and turning it on, I never paid any attention to it. Luckily my husband has a co-worker who is an uprising crock pot king who is an excellent source for delicious crock pot recipes.

One night, I joined my husband at his work for game night.--Since they spend their days testing video games, they like to get together from time to time and play good old fashioned board games.--Like usual, it was done potluck style with a nice sampling of different dishes. But the one that stood out the most was the crock pot of meatballs! It was a delicious steaming mound of juicy meatballs swimming in a creamy pool of peanut chili sauce. The aroma was slightly sweet and spicy, putting all the other neighboring dishes to shame. There was enough for everyone to have two or three meatballs but, honestly, it was hard not to hog them all! Ever since, I've been dying to try out the recipe. Luckily my husband's co-worker was more than willing to share his resources and gave me the link to the website where he first found the recipe.

The original recipe came from: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/03/slow-cooker-meatballs-in-peanut-curry.html The following is my own adaptation of the recipe. Not only was this extremely easy to make, but it goes great on rice or just as is. We ate it without rice, but we used some leftover naan bread to soak up the extra sauce. It was delicious!

Meatballs in Peanut Chili Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup canned coconut milk (If using regular, shake well and include the cream on top)
2 tablespoon red chili paste (I used Sriracha)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1/2 of a large red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups of shredded spinach
20 cooked meatballs (I made some fresh meatballs but frozen ones work just fine. You can also use meatless meatballs for a vegetarian option.)

Mix peanut butter and coconut milk into the crock pot. Add in the red chili paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir as well as you can to combine---it won't be perfect because the peanut butter will still be clumpy. Add in the meatballs (frozen is fine), stirring gently to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Mix in bell pepper and spinach.

Cook on low-medium for 4-6 hours, or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout. Stir on occasion to make sure the meatballs are being evenly coated.

Serve hot as an appetizer or as a meal with rice or bread.

Chicken Curry

The school cafeteria was a large room, its sticky blue and white checkered floor reflecting the dull florescent lights over head. Rows of fold-out tables created the obvious social divisions; a zoo exhibit of jocks, goths, geeks, and freaks. And nearly every day, as I sat down amongst the Wonder Bread sandwiches and Capri Suns, my "exotic" lunches would often turn heads. With my baked acorn squash, or my rice and apple chutney, there was no escaping the questioning stares. But I was proud of my unique lunches. Though I had to start off every lunch with an explanation about my unusual food, my lunches always tasted the best! They were way better than any pathetic little Lunchable with its cardboard crackers, slightly slimy pressed meat, and flavorless limp cheese...if you can even call it cheese. But even my "exotic" lunches seemed normal to me. It's what my family always ate. My idea of "exotic" food was curry!

I honestly can't remember a single time where my family ever made a curry dish. We had some dishes that came close in flavor, such as; Thai peanut soup, or chutney. But never can I recall us making a full on classic curry dish. To me, it was something foreign and alluring, full of color and enticing aromas. I even tried taking a three hour evening class once to learn how to make a curry dish. But it was more of a demonstration than anything else. And with my kinesthetic learning style, the class didn't really help.

Years later, I am proud to say I have finally mastered a curry dish! This recipe was very simple to make, however, it did take a long time to put together. Since the sauce has to simmer for over 20 minutes, it's certainly a dinner you'll want to plan ahead for to give yourself plenty of time to make it. But honestly, it is worth it! Last night, my husband and I enjoyed our dinner of chicken curry on rice, homemade garlic naan bread, and a cool refreshing glass of young coconut water on the side. This recipe may seem intimidating to some, but trust me; if I can make this dish with no other previous curry-making experience, you totally can!

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
7 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste (I added about 1 teaspoon)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves-cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I used 3 teaspoons and it was very spicy! If you don't want it hot, only add 1/2 teaspoon.)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, crushed bay leaf, ground ginger, sugar and salt. Continue to stir for about 2 minutes.--It will create sort of a dry paste--Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring on occasion.

Stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with rice or naan bread.

Camp Dogs

I'm not entirely sure where the name of this recipe came from. We never made it while camping, but it was certainly a childhood favorite. It is extremely easy to make, taking maybe 20 minutes tops from start to finish, and it is very tasty! Any time I tell people about it, they crinkle their nose in disgust at the odd combination. But as soon as I would heat up the left-overs for lunch the next day at work, it never failed to draw in a crowd of people asking me what that "delicious smelling food" was.

My family got the original recipe from our close family friends, the Andersons. For a brief time in life, we all lived in the same house--a two story brick house that acted as a launching point for our new Seattle lives after both families had just moved up from southern California. When it came to the kitchen, there are three things I remember the most about the Andersons: 1-They always had ice tea in the fridge even if it was snowing outside. 2-For snack, they often made cinnamon and sugar popcorn for us kids. 3-Camp Dogs! I can't remember if the original Camp Dog recipe called for plain mashed potatoes. But since my taste buds have grown up, I prefer to make it with garlic herb mashed potatoes.

So if you're looking for a quick, cheap, and easy dinner idea that will satisfy even the youngest of picky eaters, give this recipe a try! I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Camp Dogs

Ingredients:
Hot dogs
Instant Mashed potatoes
Seasoning for potatoes
Thinly sliced (or grated) Cheddar cheese

Boil hot dogs in water according to directions on the package until plump.

Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Place on a cookie sheet and slice each one length wise down the middle and spread open slightly. Do NOT cut all the way through.

Mix instant mashed potatoes according to directions so you have enough to stuff each hot dog. You can season the mashed potatoes any way you like. I prefer to season mine with a little butter, sour cream or a splash of milk (this makes it really creamy), garlic salt, and a little chicken bullion. When it's in season, I also like to add fresh chopped chives.

Spoon mashed potatoes into each of the open hot dogs.

Top each stuffed hot dog with one slice of cheese and bake in 350° F oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Serve with any left-over mashed potatoes or favorite condiments and side dishes (I always like them with ketchup, but my husband loves it with Sriracha).

*I didn't give any specific measurements with the ingredients since it all depends on how many you want to make. If it's just my husband and I, I usually make enough for us to have two each. But if we have guests over, obviously I make more.

Grand Carrot Cupcakes

Years ago I used to work as a barista at this wonderfully bohemian internet cafe. It's old brick walls were littered with local art, each chair and table splattered with different colors of paint, and the small center stage for our open mic nights was decorated with hanging guitars and paper cut-outs of stars. On my days off, I still came in to listen to the music that drifted through the thick aroma of toasted coffee beans. It was my favorite place to be.

One of the many perks of working there, aside from the endless free coffee, was the complete freedom we baristas had over the extra pastries in the back. Our boss was one of the best, allowing us to have one free pastry a day. If it wasn't for the constant caffeine buzz that kept me moving, I'm sure my waistline would have suffered greatly from overindulgence. Out of all the glistening pastries, I had my eye set on one, and one alone: the decadent carrot muffin. But it was more than just a muffin. It was practically carrot cake, moist and rich, filled with toasted walnuts, plump raisins, and a spicy scent that declared: "I will rock your world." Never before or since have I found a muffin or cupcake that tasted as good...until today. After a little experimenting, I have created a recipe for carrot cupcakes that finally meets my satisfaction. It is everything I have been missing from my beloved carrot muffin from so long ago, including a few new twists that are sure to leave you wanting more.

I have to plug in a shout-out to my wonderful husband who helped make this recipe possible. Not only did he buy me a new muffin pan, but he also helped me get the liqueur I needed for the recipe. I was too embarrassed to waddle into the liqueur store with my pregnant belly and basically label myself the worlds worst mom. So thank you Joe for once again being my wonderful provider!

Grand Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup of raisins
2-3 shots of Grand Marnier liqueur
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 ½ cups of grated carrots
3 large eggs
½ cup of butter milk (or add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier liqueur (from liqueur used on raisins)
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Place the raisins in a bowl and pour 2-3 shots of Grand Marnier liqueur over the raisins. Mix the raisins, making sure to cover all raisins in the liqueur. Set aside and let soak until they are needed for the recipe. Stir on occasion to make sure all raisins are soaking up the liqueur evenly.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Rinse the carrots and grate them using a cheese grater or food processor. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, beat together the buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and 1 Tbls. of the Grand Marnier liqueur (get the Tbls. of liqueur from the raisin-liqueur mix). After mixing thoroughly, fold in the grated carrots.

In another bowl, use a large fork to mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.

Fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until all ingredients are moist. Be careful not to over mix. (If you over mix, the cupcakes will come out more dense.) Fold in the toasted walnuts and the liqueur soaked raisins (use a slotted spoon to retrieve the raisins. Set aside the remaining liqueur to be used in the glaze.) into the batter until evenly incorporated.

Scoop into cupcake papers or into a lightly greased cupcake pan. Bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a couple minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Grand Marnier Glaze
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
Remaining liqueur (from soaking the raisins)
1 cup of sugar
On medium-high heat, mix together all ingredients and bring to boil. Boil for about 5 minutes while constantly whisking (to avoid burning). Remove from heat and drizzle onto cooled cupcakes.

You could also use a cream cheese frosting which is classic for carrot cake. But since I didn't have any cream cheese, and I didn't want to make a thick frosting that would over-power the flavors of the cake, I went with a drizzle of glaze. Not to mention the glaze helped to use up the remaining liqueur which I otherwise would've ended up throwing out.

Rosemary Cheddar Puffs & Onion Soup

In honor of my new food blog, I decided to try out a couple new recipes last night. Both of which turned out really good and made for an awesome dinner. Since the weather has still been nothing but cold shades of grey here in Seattle, I figured it was the perfect rainy day to try out a new soup recipe. Last night's soup was what I call Wanna-be French Onion Soup. I based the recipe off of a French Onion Soup recipe I had found, but since I didn't have all of the ingredients it called for, I made a few adjustments here and there and I still ended up with an awesome onion soup! The chicken stock I used with this recipe was a stock I made awhile back. It was my first attempt at making soup stock and I found it to be a little oily (mostly due to the chicken fat), so I added in about half a cup of water to the recipe to dilute it a little. Depending on the soup stock you use, you might not need the added water. Go by what smells and tastes right to you. Here is the recipe that I came up with:

 Wanna-be French Onion Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced.
Olive oil
2 pinches of sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of red wine (the original French soup recipe called for Vermouth or White wine. I only had red wine but it seemed to work just fine.)
1/2 teaspoon of dry crushed bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Garlic salt
Pepper
2 slices of toasted garlic sourdough bread 
1/4 cups of grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

In a medium pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30 minutes. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.

Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add the stock, water, wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the soup into oven proof bowls. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

At first when I tasted the soup, I honestly thought it tasted like hot Italian dressing given that it was made up of spices, oil, and wine. But once I topped it off with the garlic bread and cheese, all the flavors suddenly came together and made for a delicious tasting soup!

The next recipe I tried was Rosemary Cheddar Puffs. These light fluffy balls of deliciousness are definitely going onto my favorite list! Not only were they easy to make, but the recipe can be altered to your liking by using any combination of cheese and herbs that you prefer. I do give you warning though; this recipe will give your arm a major workout!

Rosemary Cheddar Puffs

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
Freshly ground pepper

In a medium sized pot, add the water, butter, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly. It helps to use a wooden or metal spoon to stir as the dough will be rather thick. The mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pot. The dough will be similar to the consistency of playdough. Continue to cook for a couple minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly. You want the dough to be warm but not hot, otherwise the eggs will start to cook. To help speed up the cooling process, I placed the pot of dough into some cold water while I was stirring the dough. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated into the dough. (This is where my arm started to get really tired so I switch over from stirring by hand to using an electric mixer. It saved me from a severe arm cramp!) The dough should become sticky and creamy.

Stir in the grated cheese, rosemary, and a few grinds of pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spoon out small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes at 425°F. Lower the heat to 350°F and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until puffed up and lightly golden.

Best when served warm, but be careful not to poke the tops or they will start to deflate.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Welcome to The Tasty Spoon!

When I was a young girl, I remember giggling at a sign that hung slightly crooked on my great grandmother's mustard-yellow fridge. It read: Everyone brings joy into this room. Some by entering, and some by leaving! Luckily, I grew up in a household where everyone was welcome in the kitchen. Never did my parent's chase my brother and I out with a wooden spoon. Instead they constantly invited us to watch and learn as they would dance about in a cloud of sweet spices, bubbling sauces, and waves of savory heat that wafted out from the mouth of the oven. My parents were masters of spices, always using fresh herbs from the garden. No matter where we lived, apartment or home, my mother always found a way to pop up a little herb garden filled with sage, mint, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Often times my mother would call me into the kitchen, cover my eyes, and make me guess which spice was which just by smell alone. I loved it! It was one of the best techniques my parents ever taught me in the kitchen. So many recipes go by sight and taste, but hardly anyone goes off of smell. When it comes to finding the best and most innovative combinations of herbs and spices, always follow your nose! If the smells goes well together, it almost never fails that the tastes go well together.

One thing I had to learn for myself, however, was sweets. My mom was never a huge fan of sweets, and I can't say that my dad did a lot of baking. They both are amazing cooks, but I gladly took on the role of the baker. Ever since I can remember, I have had a major sweet tooth. I'm embarrassed to say, I was the chubby kid who ate every piece of candy in my Easter basket, including the giant chocolate bunny, before anyone else had even woken up Easter morning. Through the years I spent many nights scouring the house for some kind of sweet treat but was left sadly disappointed. But once I started to bake, all the ingredients that sat idly in the pantry suddenly became the doorway to a world of sugary goodness! So although I enjoy cooking, baking has become my speciality.

I firmly believe that a good cook must have a sense of adventure as well as a good sense of humor in the kitchen. Imagine that the mood you are in when you cook will be the mood people will feel when they eat your creation. If you mope around in the kitchen and serve up a plate full of bland indifference, than the same mood will be reflected in those who consume it. So roll up your sleeves, put on some good music, and try something new! Even the most simplistic of recipes can make the best of meals. And if something doesn't turn out quite right, take it as a learning experience for next time...and then call your local pizza place while you scrape whatever culinary disaster into the garbage can. Mistakes will happen in the kitchen. There is no need to literally cry over spilt milk--or in my case, a burnt batch of garlic bread. And it was going so well too....

So here we go! In my cozy little apartment kitchen, I will be showing you some of my all time favorite recipes, as well as some new ones that I will be trying along the way. I gladly welcome all comments, suggestions, and tips from you as we go and hope that I can help you feel the joy that cooking and baking brings me.

*Cooking tip of the day: When trying to peel the skin off of a clove of garlic, microwave the garlic clove (skin and all) for about 10 seconds on high. The oils in the garlic will surface, allowing to skin to slide right off.