Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Easy Cheesy Artichoke Bread

I know I have used artichoke a lot lately but they are really good especially when you add the cheese.  This bread is really good and a nice addition to a dinner.  We were talking and said if you added a can of chicken to the mixture it could be dinner.  That might be a nice way to try this recipe too. Make a nice lunch or game day treat.
I wish I had found a larger, softer loaf of bread.  This one was okay but not ideal.
Drain your artichoke pieces and then chop them.
Add one cup of mayo to the artichokes and then add 1 cup parmesan cheese.  You can add a clove of garlic as well.
Mix it all up well.
Slice the bread in half.
Then spread the mixture on the sides.
Both sides covered.  Place in a preheated 350 oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.  I turned the oven on broil for about the last few minutes so that it would get nice and bubbly.
Fresh from the oven.  Slice and enjoy.

Easy Cheesy Artichoke Bread Recipe

1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 c mayo
1 c grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 loaf French or Italian bread halved lengthwise

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Caramel Apple Bread

This bread is very good but I found that it wouldn't come out of the pan because of all the good caramel.  I think I will use paper holders next time.
Looks like a lot of ingredients but it is so worth it.
Start with two sticks of butter that are room temperature.  To that add 1/2 c sugar.
Cream butter and sugar
Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 Tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.  This will cause a chemical reaction.  That is normal do not be alarmed.  It's actually fun to watch.
The reaction is starting.
Get all the baking soda dissolved.
Then add to the sugar mixture.
Next add two eggs.
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Mix well.
Add 2 cups of plain flour
Mix well and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Then add 2 cups of chopped apples.  These are Golden Delicious.  You will need to add those by hand.
Now for the topping.  Little brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon
4Tablespoon of flour
4 Tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Toss that around a little and break up the brown sugar clumps.
Slice up 4 Tablespoons of cold butter.
Use a pastry cutter or fork to mix the butter into the rest of the ingredients.  There will be coarse crumbs.
If you are using small pans it will make 3.  I think it only makes one large loaf.  Put a layer of dough in the bottom of the pans that have been sprayed.
Sprinkle with some of the crumb topping.
Then pour some of the caramel topping on top.
Top with more dough.
Add more topping and caramel. Put in a preheated 375 oven for about 30 minutes for the small loaves.  60 minutes for a large loaf.
Put a cookie sheet under the loaves because they will spill over.  They smell so good baking.  Reminds me of the cinnamon nuts that you can get at the mall.
I couldn't get mine to cut into pieces at least on the first piece.  But it was good so it didn't matter what it looks like.

Caramel Apple Bread Recipe.

1 cut butter room temp
1/2 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 T lemon or lime juice
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
2 cups coarsely chopped apples you can peel or not peel
caramel sundae sauce

Crumb topping
1 t cinnamon
4 T flour
4 T brown sugar
4 T cold butter

Monday, October 29, 2012

Spaghetti Lover's Soup

I found this recipe from Christy Jordan over at the Southern Plate.  It caught my attention because it was different.  I hope you will like it too.
Sort of the makings for chili except you start with some leftover spaghetti sauce.
You will need about 2 cups leftover spaghetti sauce.  Put it in your pan.
Add 2 cans diced tomatoes.  I think next time I might use crushed because I don't like large hunks of tomato floating around.  Whichever you prefer.
The recipe calls for 2 cans of kidney beans but I added three.  I like lots of beans and a thicker soup.  I did not drain them before adding.  I went back and looked and could not find anywhere about drain or not drain so I didn't drain them.
After all the beans were added.  Usually I have light and dark kidney beans to use a mixture but I didn't have but the light kidney beans this time.
Add 2 cups water.
Add 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning.  If you put a lot of seasoning in your sauce you might cut back on this some.
The recipe calls for 2 carrots chopped.  I have only baby carrots so I just eyeballed it.  My husband said the carrots made the soup a little strange because they didn't seem to belong.  Add them or don't it won't matter.  The recipe called for 2 stalks of celery chopped too and I didn't have any.  It's another thing you can add or don't add.
Let this cook for a little while for the carrots to cook.
Then add some spaghetti noodles.  I did not use angel hair pasta like I normally use with spaghetti I used thin noodles.  Break them into small pieces and lett cook.
It is ready to eat once the spaghetti noodles are done.
The recipe did not call for garnishing it with Italian or mozarella cheese but I just couldn't resist.
Fixed me a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it too.

Spaghetti Lover's Soup Recipe

2 c leftover spaghetti sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
2 c water
1 T Italian seasoning



Friday, October 26, 2012

Mocha-Mint Cappuccino

Once you make this at home you won't want to buy one of those high priced coffeehouse drinks again. I am not a big coffee fan but I love this.
You really only need three things, coffee, York peppermint patty, and water.  I just throw the whipped cream because it makes it even better.
Chop the candy.
Put it in the bottom of the cup.
The recipe calls for the Taster's choice instant coffee but you could make a cup of your favorite coffee.
Pour it on top.
Pour in the one cup of hot water from the microwave.
Now stir, stir, stir until all the chocolate is melted in the bottom.
Here comes the good part the whipped cream.
Doesn't that look good?  Now take your coffee and the paper and go out on the patio and watch the birds in the morning.

Mocha-Mint Cappuccino Recipe

1 York peppermint patty chopped
1 c water
1 packet instant coffee, Nescafe Taster's choice
whipped topping