Cheesy Garlic Bread

I was wanting some of the whipped garlic spread like they sell in the deli section of Food Lion, but I didn't want to pay $1.99 for something I might not like. So, I read the ingredients & see what I can come up with.
So, I make some based off of the ingredients & low and behold, it was AWESOME. The kids had the regular but I made some with mozzarella cheese. It was great as well. So, here's the recipe for the Whipped Garlic Spread! Cause it's all better with butter!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

There is no pic because I forgot to take one before we ate them! Sorry! But they looked sooooooooooooooooo very good!
Today (May 2nd) I decided to butter up our lunch. Since we got rid of "margaret" (see Cryptic Text ). On this particular blog, it also has the link to show why we don't get margarine in our house an longer.
Anywho, I'd thought I'd share my Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe with you. (If you take it from this blog, please show the credit to MtAoFaSC. Thanks.)
Because without "margaret" it's all butter!

I'm going to attempt.....

BEEF WELLINGTON!

Wheat-free, Dairy-free Beef Wellington, that is.

Our family has recently undergone a dietary change to be Wheat-Free and Dairy-Free (for one month, until Ayden's next doctor's visit) to help alleviate some of his developmental delays. It's all for one and one for all around here at our house. We're doing this together to make it easier on Ayden. I've read a lot on the topic and even his doctor says that changing his diet should make a difference. So, far he's getting frustrated with normal things and not his laid back self. He's also pointing and trying to use words to express himself for the first time. It's progress and I remain hopeful that it's as simple as changing what we eat.

For starters, I cleaned out the pantry, the cabinets, freezers (big and little) and the fridge of all things containing wheat or dairy. That left me eating guacamole and Frito's for dinner that night. And here we are approaching the end of week two...it's been interesting. We haven't starved, but I've gotten really creative in the kitchen. Another plus to this new dietary change, I haven't had any yucky, bloating feeling and lots of energy. (Maybe all that bread expands in your belly, making you feel gross?) Also, that cuts out 98% of eating out (YAY!) there are very few places that Ayden can eat at outside of home and daycare. By the way, his daycare has amazed me with the questions and dedication they have to help me out to figure out if these foods are making Ayden delayed. KUDOS to you Miss Heidi and Miss Ann!

So, I'm adapting a individual Beef Wellington recipe I found online along with MtAoFC Vol. 2 version. (I failed to mention that I purchased a copy of Vol. 2 the day before The "Wheat-Free/Dairy-Free" diet.) Talk about a bummer, Vol. 2 has a wonderful bread section.

So, we have NO BUTTER in our house, just Vegan sticks of a butter substitute...Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. There's NO CHEESE, just Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternatives. And lastly, NO MILK, yep we've done soy milk before, but we've discovered ALMOND MILK! Oh and then the NO WHEAT thing...yeah, wheat's in EVERYTHING!

I had a bare pantry 2 weeks ago, but now it's a nice wheat-free/dairy-free place that I can feel good knowing that I can prepare foods for Ayden that will help him meet his goals and if not, well...there's no harm in continuing this diet. We all know that processed foods contain so many chemicals that aren't found in "nature" nor are they "all-natural".

Do we really know what we're feeding our children?

It's a Deen-Inspired Dinner...

It's a cold snowy evening and I'm wanting some comfort food. I've had a sick boy all day and just need a simple, delicious and quick dinner that will leave me full.

PAULA DEEN to the Rescue!

So, I searched the Internet for recipes all afternoon. I've found a few that I wanted to try, but lacked several key ingredients to make the recipe. Such as Coconut Fried Chicken or Coconut Panko Crusted Tilapia, Pacific Island Fish in Coconut Sauce and Cajun Shrimp Burgers. Notice the coconut theme going on...I had a wonderful Chinese dish called Coconut Chicken off a buffet yesterday and can't stop thinking about it!

However, I was set on having seafood, but something simple. I thought about making Fish Madalene and serving Lemon-Basil Bowties and thawing a Spinach Souffle and stuffed into tomatoes and broiling...but that was too much work.

I ventured out into the Land Of Deen & Butter and came up with Shrimp & Grits and a Baked Rice Pudding for dinner.

The Shrimp & Grits were simple enough, I didn't have all the ingredients, but I used regular bacon, red onion, cherry tomatoes, Cajun seasoning on the shrimp, a dash of Frank's Red Hot in the cream sauce, deglazed the pan with twice the amount of wine, and threw some cheese in the cream sauce to thicken it.

WOW! IT WAS WONDERFUL!

Next time, I'm going to deglaze the pan with a mild beer. The wine made it a bit too sweet, yet still delicious.

Now the Baked Rice Pudding....it was different than what I expected. Maybe, it's better cold or that it failed my expectations following the Shrimp & Grits. It was okay, but I think next time I'll just buy some CozyShack Rice Pudding and call it a day. You know, cause it's all butter!

Put the Chicken in the Pot....

So, I found another really cool blog to follow...Our Best Bites.com

Love it! It's wonderful...it's exciting

and it has to do with food!

I've just discovered their Faux-Rotisserie Chicken...simply amazing. Just cook it for 7-8 hours on low heat in the CrockPot and there you go...Sunday evening dinner and you didn't break a sweat. We enjoyed (or I enjoyed) a 7 layer Salad with the chicken. Just awesome and surprisingly it turned out to be a NO Butter meal. Who would have thought?

NOT LASAGNA!!!!

I did a little detour who the main dish was inspired by-but the butter was there!
Rachel Ray (RR) made her Two Sauce Lasagna Bowls eariler this week on what I am sure was a rerun of 30 Minute Meals. Anyways, I decided to give it a shot.
I use rotini pasta as well as a jar sauce. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. It turned out really well. It actually looks like homemade hamburger helper, but we have decided to call it "Not Lasagna".

The taste is really close to actual lasagna and has landed a place in our menu rotation. One ladle of pasta and one ladle of meat sauce is enough to fill you up.

Emma asked that next time we add a small bowl of Olive Garden's Salad to round out our Not Lasagna and slice of fresh (store bought) Italian Bread. Cause you know, it's all butter!!!

Paula Deen...No You Didn't!

Krispy Kreme Doughnut, egg, bacon, hamburger......heart attack!

Just watch this. (click here)

I'm just in shock!

It's all about Butter Ya'll!

Oven Night

Almost everything I made tonight for dinner was done in the oven. It was NOT done on purpose. I didn't realize it until I had dessert in the oven and I needed to add something else to it. Mom and I made the dinner tonight. It was in the category of awesome. Parmesan Chicken Tenders, PD's Mini Onion Quiches Italian Tomatoes, PD Lady's Cheesy Mac and for dessert, Lady Cream Cheese Brownies. All of the PD recipes came from her first cookbook, and since I had to look them up online because I have alread returned the cookbook, I can not get you the page numbers, but that is where the recipes came from.
Mom raved over the Parmesan Tenders. That is part of a recipe from the Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian collection that Jamey & the kids already like.
The quiches were good room temp, but were better warm when they came from the oven. The mac n' cheese wasn't anything super special as it was a basic mac n' cheese. Nikki suggested that we take the rustic bread topping from MS's crapy mac & try it own what I made tonight. The brownies were the same as I made on Jan 8th, so we knew they were going to be great. I decided on that desert so everyone else could taste them since there wasn't any left from Joey's b-day dinner.
We washed it down with some throwback Mt.Dew, which is oh, so very very good!
OMG - it's ALL BUTTER!!!

Omelets

So, I didn't get to post this last night because I had 2 boys that had not done their spanish homework which was due today. Anyway, so the omelets was a new thing for me. I didn't have the 7 in skillet which Julia calls for in her cookbook but my pampered chef one did the job. The 1st couple were not the best looking but in the end the last ones turned out beautifully. Still all was eaten and everyone had a full tummy. So with a little practice I say they may become one of the family faves.

Garlic Bread

Tonight I wanted some fresh garlic bread to eat with the spaghetti. Jamey got out some White Wheat hotdog buns from the freezer for us to use.
I softened some unsalted butter and mixed in some minced garlic. I brushed the mixture on each half of the bun & put it under the broiler. It turned out okay, but we needed a more butter & garlic flavor going on.
Might have to add some garlic power & brush it again with butter when it comes out of the oven. Cause it's all butter!

Tuesday's Lunch and Dinner

Well today we had Creamy Potato Soup and sandwiches for lunch. It was very yummy. Instead of lettuce my kids like the green leaf spinich leaves...which I think is an exellant choice. I also think there is nothing to warm you up on a cold winters day than a hot steamy bowl of potato soup.

For dinner we had Italian Mac and Cheese. I got the recipe from my sister n law Nikki. It was a big hit at our house and yes everyone ate the mushrooms....shocker there. So we would have a veggie we had sauteed green beans.

Dessert was a 3 minute Chocolate Cake in a large microwave proof coffee mug. It was a pain in the tail fixing 5 cups of this stuff separate, next time Ill just put the batter in one bowl and then pour into mugs. But it was still delish with chocolate icing and whip cream. It was great not having one fussing over who got more because it was all the same portion.

Haven't decided if tomorrow will be FFYSN (Fend for Your Self Night) . We have one or two of these a month depending on how busy the week is going. I love it...it means no clean up for mom!

Rebekah's First Attempt at MtAoFC Vol.1

Thanks to Julie and Julia I have fell in love with french cooking. So last night I made guinea pigs out of my family and we had Fondue De Poulet A' La Creme pg 262 , Concombres Au Beurre pg499, rice because I did not have time to make Risotto, and for dessert Tarte Au Fromage Frais pg 647. In English that is Chicken simmered with cream and onions, baked cucumbers, and cream cheese tart-hot or cold. It was easy to make all done with in 2 hrs. I thought the cucumbers were awesome...tasted like a baked pickle. The cream and onion sauce was the biggest hit , poured over rice...tasty. Can't wait until the next attempt...any ideas?

Birthday Dessert

So, tomorrow is Joey's 14th Birthday. Emma has a VB tourney is in Sparta, so we did his dinner tonight. He chose his menu as each of my kids do for their birthdays. He chose filet migon, bacon potatoes, burnt broccoli and broccoli with cheese sauce. Then for dessert, he wanted marbled brownies.

Well, as for the dinner courses, those were easy, I make them through out the year. The brownies I knew were going to give me a fit since I the last time I tried to make them.

Paul Deen to the rescue! Page 149 & 150 for the Lady Brownies & Cream Cheese Brownies from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. PERFECTION!!! There is no other word for it!

I also made Peanut Butter Bread page 102 from the same cookbook. It was ok. Kinda dry, but maybe that is way it says eat with some homemade jam.

But hey - it's all butter!

A Cooking Lesson

So, in my house I have always encouraged my kids to help me cook. So, last night Emma got a lesson on how to make scalloped potatoes. She is really good at peeling potatoes, so I called on my way home from the office to have her start that and give us a head start on dinner.
As I was grating the cheese Emma asked if she could put it all together. As she was following my directions she was like "This is SO easy! I could SO make this next time!" Now, if you know Emma you know how excited she can become on the most simplest things and can just hear her saying this.
The potatoes turned out wonderfully delish! But you know it's all butter!

Goodbye Martha.......we're re-shelving you!

I have poured over Martha's cookbook and I believe that she cannot redeem herself with any recipe in the cookbook I own. Compared to Child and Deen, Stewart's flavorless recipes and UNLIMITED budget for ingredients has put her back on the shelf. So we’re renaming the blog…..Mastering the Art of French and Southern Cooking. I really hate it for Martha, she did have some nice top-shelf drink recipes, but 2010 is the year of being happy and frugal, not disappointed and broke. I finally was able to doctor the macaroni and cheese that I made the other night and made it edible. It’s called Mrs. Dash and lots of it! I believe I’m still pissed about the $6 worth of cheese, but I’ve ate dinner at a bad restaurant and spent more than that.

I really hate to see her go, but she’s left us no choice. After pouring through recipes titled as “Lobster Rolls” , which in fact is 1 ½ lbs of cooked lobster meat chopped up from a 4 ½ lb lobster, served on a hotdog bun with mayo and spices. Now, as readers, would you want to spend the money for lobster and serve it on a hotdog bun, even if it calls for the fancier “split-top bun”? I don’t think so! What about “Grilled Knockwurst”? I don’t even know what that is! However, if I win the lottery, I’ll be able to afford this extravagant cookbook filled with over-priced ingredients. If there is someone out there who really wants Martha as a part of this, speak now or forever hold your mouth shut! I hate to be so sour about this, but Martha, you made me ill! BTW-I found a neat article on RealSimple.com. Follow the link.

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/kitchen/organizing-recipes-foolproof-methods-10000001558999/index.html

After all it’s all butter!

Sunday Evening

So Sunday evening we had hot dogs, chili, slaw, and fries. I had to pick Emma up from volleyball practice so I decided to stop back by Food Lion to grab the items I didn’t when I was there 2 hours earlier when I bought the groceries for the next 2 weeks. I was really proud that I only spent $99.48 the first trip for groceries, but just so you know, I did have some items on hand plus I bought some pantry items to help restock (i.e. Stove Top Savory Herb & FL Shell’s and Cheese.)
-off topic- the FL brand is less salty & cheaper than Velveeta brand. –back on topic-
When I came home from FL (first trip), I began preparation for dinner. Started the chili and made the slaw. The head of cabbage I bought Thursday was a little larger than what I wanted but there wasn’t a great selection at ugg-Walmart (hey-I was there & the hot dogs were on sale & I had other stuff I had to get). So, I made enough BBQ slaw for the family for dinner and tomorrow leftovers. I still had a VERY large amount of cabbage to use so I made up the rest of it and I will be taking it to the office tomorrow to see if anyone wants it. The chili wasn’t my best, I am not sure why it wasn’t my best, but the kids & Jamey still ate it.
On my way out the door to get Em from practice I grabbed a The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen. I knew I wanted to make a dessert but not sure of what. I had perused the book several times & had noted some recipes I wanted to try. I decided as Em walked out from the gym that I was going to attempt Gooey Butter Cakes (pg 125). I spent another $12.22 at FL. NOTHING was on sale, plus I did purchase 2lbs of butter (1lb unsalted & 1lb salted). Plus I had no cake mixes in the pantry or cream cheese. I cannot find a note in the cookbook that says where to use salted or unsalted butter. So I used the salted tonight.
I made the basic Gooey Butter Cakes recipe. It smelled wonderful coming out of the oven and the filling rose quite high. As it cooled it sank back down.

We “tested” it while it was warm. OMG! It is sooooo good! There is definitely no way to make this healthy…because it’s all butter!

*NOTE-I have learned that since I purchase the imitation vanilla flavoring b/c it is cheap, that if I double the amount called for in a recipe, it does what the really good expensive stuff does in regular amounts.*

If Martha's joining the party, she better step it up a notch.....

So, I started planning my menu for the week on Sunday afternoon. I really wasn't feeling all that well, but had to do it. I flipped and flipped through the cookbooks for a Macaroni & Cheese recipe. I planned on Salmon Patties, Southern Style Greens, Macaroni & Cheese and Deviled Eggs for dinner one night this week.
Scratch that- in lieu of the the greens we had Artichokes with Hollandaise Sauce from MtAoFC. I picked a Mac & Cheese from ole' Martha's cookbook (pg. 227)that had crusty bread torn apart on top, cherry tomatoes and white cheddar cheese. Sounded good and not complicated. Okay, so I made it per the directions with SIX dollars worth of Wisconsin White Cheddar Cheese, one pound of cherry tomatoes, the quart of milk and other ingredients it called for.
Let's just say after enjoying the Hollandaise Sauce (pg. 81) poured over my Salmon Patties and dipping my artichoke petals into, Martha now has her head on the chopping block. She needs to redeem herself and do it quickly. The macaroni was okay, it was missing something. I loved the crusty bread topping and the cherry tomatoes in it, but not loving the flavor of the cheese sauce. It could have been the white cheddar, but not 100% sure on that. Next time I make macaroni and cheese, I'll incorporate the tomatoes and the crusty bread topping into another recipe. The artichokes were good, but A LOT of work for so little. I made them according to the basic directions on page 424. I liked the petals better than the heart, however, this might be a different story when I have a better variety to choose from later this spring.
Back to the YUMMY Hollandaise Sauce-I cheated and did the directions for the blender. It was so easy to make, MtAoFC says that an 8 year old can do it and I agree. Who knew that a stick of butter, a little salt & pepper, lemon juice and egg yolks would be so heavenly? YUM! And to believe that McCormick sells a powder to make the same thing and it probably tastes like dirt compared to what I made. After all, it's all butter!

Choices

So. Choices. So many choices. I have to make a decision on where to begin. I am leaning toward a dessert. Not knowing by who yet, but my sweet tooth is calling.
I picked up two PD & 1 JC book at the library yesterday just to look. I haven't even cracked open the JC book yet. It's not her cookbook, it's like a how to do stuff book. I'll get the name up if I use something out of it.
I did cook some eggs for breakfast this morning. Michael had fried & Emma had an omelet. I had the pan shaking going for the Em's omelet & it was going great. It was loose an' all like JC describes in her book - but I chickened out and slipped half it out of the pan onto her plate and flipped the other half on top. My omelet stuck so I had a super scrambled egg. Still edible, which is what matters the most, right? But hey- it's all butter!

Watch out Food Network....here we come!

Okay, so Mande & I were having a email conversation earlier this week. It went like this:

Mande: From Bleaders...read below.

Lmao!!!!!



Tell her not to forget me when she becomes famous!!!!


I thought it was funny too. I like the way Nikki writes.

Me too……..has she ever tried sending articles to magazines???

Nikki: Oh, sweet Jesus!

Mande: What’s wrong with that?

Nikki: Nothing…just trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I have more fun typing than wiping a$$ all day at the hospital, but I enjoy it all the same. What to do, what to do? Find me a free lance writing job to get my foot in the door…lol

Mande: Hey – you know, someone at Food Network could read the blog & we could get our own show on Food Network!

Nikki: I like that idea lots better! We could call the show “It’s All Butter” a cooking/talk show. Paula would be our first guest and we’d have an obstacle course like on Double Dare (1986) and make her jump into a vat of butter! LOL Or pick a butter booger nose for shrimp or something. LOL Marc Summers could emcee, he already is on Food Network.

Mande: LOL I think she would be a hoot at that! Too funny! We’d have to have a shrine off to the side for JC (Julia Child) & every time we’d do something that came from her, we’d have to bow towards the shrine.

I think we’d have to have Martha on just so we could mock her. She’d probably get pissed. The she & Jules would have to fight with butter sabers…lol

Nikki: Butter Sabers….that’s the best! Food Network, here we come!
How about a shrine of Child made out of butter? BTW-Google butter sculptures...it's so gross with all that butter.

So Paula's been invited...

Per the request of one of my sister's co-workers, it is only fitting that Paula Deen be included in our adventure. I believe that she cooks with 3 times the amount of butter that Child used in her dishes. I believe that you'd all agree with me. Just look at the picture above. So, any ideas of which Deen cookbook we're going to take hostage? BTW-It's all butter!