Food Lush

Peanut Butter Glaze Makes Everything Better

By Kristin

I love to bake. I never bake for myself because I eat all of it. None of it makes it out of my house, unless I am supposed to bring it somewhere.

The fact that I pin ever dessert recipe known to man on my Pinterest boards does not help my WANTING to bake. So for any kind of family gathering, I'm going to bake dessert. And you'll like it.

Which is why at Thanksgiving this year, I made this Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze.

Since the holidays are upon us and there are parties and gatherings for us to attend and be asked to bring baked goods to, I highly recommend you make and bring this. If for nothing but getting to lick the bowl after you make it.

Trust me.

Oven Racks

By Kristin

This post is probably going to get me kicked off Food Lush, seeing as I should know things to be able to write about food, yes?

Here is my admission - I don't know where the racks in the over are supposed to go. Are they supposed to go close to the top? Close to the bottom? Does it depend on what you are cooking? Have I been doing it all wrong my whole adult life?

Does it even matter? Help, oh wise Food Lush readers!

Get Rid Of Food Odors In Your House

By Kristin

One of the down sides of living in a small condo is that when I cook, sometimes the smells linger. It's not as bad in the summer when I have the windows open and can easily get some fresh air in to help take the odors away. But there are some foods (BACON) that just linger and won't go away, no matter how much fresh air and scented candles you burn.

Well, I have found the solution! And it's in your crock pot!

All you need to do is fill your crock pot with water, add some baking soda and then turn it on low, uncovered, and let the odors disappear!

This should come in handy now that the holidays are upon us and our kitchens are going non-stop.

{Photo: via A Year of Slow Cooking}

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Skillet Steak, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions

By Kristin

Most weeks I do my grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday, and I make a big dinner on Sunday to last me the whole week. I live alone and a normal recipe with 4-6 servings will last me the whole week with an added bonus lunch thrown in sometimes. 

I realize most people don’t enjoy eating the same thing six days in a row, but I am not one of those people. 

On the odd weeks, when I don’t have a chance to get my shopping done over the weekend and have to instead go on Mondays after work, I am in a bind to find something quick and healthy that tastes good. 

Enter this Skillet Steak, Mushrooms and Onions dish from Skinny Taste. 

This was SO easy to make and it was also so flavorful. You can serve this on top of rice or noodles, or serve it in a pita or in tortillas. The possibilities are endless! I added peppers for some more bulk and you could really add any kind of veggie to it.

Jalapeno Popper Dip: Make This Now!

By Kristin 

I’ve been meaning to write about this Jalapeno Popper Dip for at least 2 months (since the first time I made it) because it is so awesome. But then, I never remember to photograph the dip when it comes out of the oven because I stuff it all in my piehole.

This is the empty, clean pan that housed the dip. We ate the whole thing this past weekend at my mom’s house, where we were celebrating my Grandma’s birthday. It was a HIT! 

This dip makes a lot, so I usually half it, unless it’s going to be a big party. This was plenty for me and my family. I mean, more would have been better, but then no one would have been able to button their pants. 

You can get the full recipe here. 

And then make it now. TRUST ME.

Rainbow Chip!

By Kristin 

I love cake. And I don’t mean fancy cake, either. I love yellow or white cake, FROM A BOX, with canned frosting. It is seriously one of the greatest treats in all the land. 

I am particular about my cake, too. It can’t have fruit in it. Nothing ruins a good cake like a layer of fruit filling in the middle. Frosting middle? Good. Pudding middle? GOOD. Fruit layer? NOT GOOD! 

My very favorite cake and frosting is the rainbow chip. It’s really the frosting, with those little colored chips in it. I could eat a tub of that in one sitting, no problem. 

This weekend I went up to my brother and sister-in-law’s to babysit my niece and nephew. In honor of my birthday last month, and to thank me for watching the kids, my SIL made me a cake. A RAINBOW CHIP CAKE! 

She said she has a hard time finding it and made a special trip just for me. Seeing as I ate at least half the cake, I would have to say I’m VERY thankful she made that trip. 

Do you have a favorite, store-bought indulgences?

The Healthy Slow Cooker Recipe Review and A GIVEAWAY!

By Kristin

Editor's note: Kristin received a complimentary review copy of The Healthy Slow Cooker direct from the publisher. Food Lush received no compensation for this post.

***

Most Sundays in the fall I spend in a bar watching football. My friends and I have been doing it for years and it’s so much fun! I mean, it’s not fun come Monday morning when I am so hungover I can’t see straight, but other than that, FUN! 

The problem with this is that Sunday is the day I usually do everything. I do the grocery shopping and the meal planning and the cooking. So if I come home at 5 PM drunk as a skunk, this stuff doesn’t happen until Monday. And grocery shopping after work blows. 

So, for the 2011 football season, I needed a change. And that change was to be Crock Pot Sundays! It is the perfect solution to my problem. I don’t have to cook anything on Sundays before I leave, and when I come home, drunk and ravenous, I have food! And dinner for the rest of the week! It’s GENIUS! 

This all means I’m on the hunt for new crock pot recipes so I don’t get bored. So when Jennie asked if I wanted to review a slow cooker cookbook, I jumped at the chance! The book is The Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson. 

Overall, the cookbook is OK. I’m a huge fan of the crock pot when it means no additional cooking. I don’t like prep work. I like to throw it all in the slow cooker, turn it on, and have food ready in 6-8 hours. This book doesn’t have a lot of recipes like that. I looked through to find something to review and it was hard because a lot of things had ingredients I didn’t have or had a lot or prep work. 

I ended up making an altered version of the Pepper Turkey Casserole. I used frozen chicken instead, because that is less work. 

My verdict on the recipe on the day it was made was that it was OK. It was quite bland, which was odd for the amount of peppers in it. But it was filling and it was healthy. It was so much better on day 2 when the flavors had time to blend. And it wasn’t too hard, but there was too much prep and end work for my liking. I think next time I would add some beans, some more salt, and omit the quinoa to just make it a soup/stew. 

Pepper Turkey/Chicken Casserole 

• 1 TBSP Olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes including juice
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken/turkey
• 2 tsp paprika, dissolved in 2 TBSP water
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa

Directions 

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add white wine and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Transfer to slow cooker. Add chicken stock and stir well. Season to taste with salt, if needed.
2. Add chicken and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours, until meat is tender.
3. Add paprika solution, jalapeño, green peppers and roasted red pepper to slow cooker and stir well. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until peppers are tender.
4. Meanwhile, in a pot, cook quinoa according to package directions.
5. When peppers are tender, add cooked quinoa to slow cooker and stir. Serve immediately.

::::::

When I received this cookbook, I also received another one from the publisher – Everyday to Entertaining by Carla Snyder and Marla Deeds. This one looks really good and you’re all lucky my cat puked on the slow cooker one, making my decision as to which one to review an easy choice. 

I have this copy of Everyday to Entertaining to give out to one lucky reader. All you have to do is answer one question – What is your favorite dish to make when you entertain? 

The giveaway will stay live for one week, through Tuesday, October 25 at 11:59 p.m., and the winner will be announced on Wednesday. Only Canadian and U.S. readers, please, and one comment per reader. 

Good luck!

Quick, Easy Mexicali Skillet

By Kristin

I'm a busy single girl living in the city. So sometimes, I get so busy that I don't have time to do my grocery shopping and meal planning over the weekend. This means I have to do it all on Monday, after work, when I'm ready to gnaw my arm off.

In those instances, I like to have an easy, go-to meal that I can easily shop for at the store and make quickly once arriving home so I don't thinking about grilling my cats for dinner.

One of these meals is a Mexicali Skillet recipe I got out of a Weight Watchers cookbook about eight years ago. This cookbook was written for me because all recipes are five or less ingredients and can be made in 15 minutes. Perfect for those of you who don't like grilled cat!

The recipe is so basic and simple, yet so flavorful and so filling! It's a win-win!

Mexicali Skillet

• 5 oz uncooked pasta
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I use Rotel for an extra kick)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 packet taco seasoning

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, brown the meat. Drain and mix in taco seasoning according to package directions.
3. Open cans of beans and tomatoes.
4. Add to meat.
5. Add pasta to meat.
6. ENJOY!!

What are your go-to, easy weeknight meals?

My Favorite Winery – ZD Winery in Napa, California

By Kristin 

This past weekend I was in the Bay Area of San Francisco to attend the wedding of one of my friends. Since I had lived in the area for six years, I decided to make a long weekend of it and spend as much time in wine country as possible. It didn’t hurt that my friend was getting married at a winery. 

I didn’t have a ton of time and I was also making the trip solo, so it meant any winery visitations would be in moderation so I could make the drive back to my hotel. 

I’ve been to Napa and Sonoma many times. It was where I found my love of wine. Without the constant tastings, I would have never realized that red wine is the bomb diggity and I would have been stuck turning my nose up at pinots and zinfandels and cabernets, OH MY! 

The first Pinot Noir I ever loved was on my first wine tasting trip to Napa. We stopped at ZD and I fell in love. The winery and tasting room is beautiful and everyone that works there is so nice. Since that time, about 10 years ago, I never see my beloved ZD on wine menus or in stores. So I decided that on my trip back up to wine country this time, the only place I HAD to go was ZD.

It was worth it. The guy who poured my tasting was really funny and awesome. It helped that I brought Jennster along with me, who makes grass growing and paint drying FUN! I told him my love of ZD and he let me try everything, including the reserve bottle of pinot that I ended up buying even though it’s more than my typical bottle of three-buck Chuck. (I’m hiding it in my closet so that I force myself to drink it on a special occasion, and not like a random Friday.) 

Also good is their Chardonnay. And I don’t like Chardonnay at all. But this didn’t have that normal Chardonnay oaky taste. It tasted like melted butter. And now I’m mad I didn’t buy a bottle of that too. 

Have you been to Napa/Sonoma? Do you have a favorite winery? Do tell!

Best Coffee Cake I’ve Ever Had

By Kristin 

So at the end of last school year, my nephew was selling coffee cakes for a school fundraiser. Being the good auntie that I am, I bought 2. I figured coffee cake was way better than popcorn or wrapping paper. 

Since then, they have been sitting in my mom’s fridge. Because they have to be frozen. And it has been summer and I don’t have AC in my car. I finally picked them up a few weeks ago. 

Now that football season is upon us, it means that I spend every Sunday sitting in a bar and drinking my face off. Since I’m now the ripe old age of 34, I cannot drink all day on an empty stomach and expect to make it into work on Monday. So I’ve learned breakfast is a must! My tummy needs a base of carbs to soak up all the alcohol. 

The last two Sundays I’ve made these coffee cakes for breakfast. They are frozen and yeast-based, so you have to set them out overnight (or for 12 hours) to let them thaw and rise. Which sucks, since once you try them, all patience goes out the window. 

I had the cinnamon and the cream cheese. Both were so good. The cinnamon one was seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It not only provided me nourishment in the morning, it was also my dinner and the perfect thing to shove in my cake hole when coming home drunk from a bar.

The downside to these fabulous cakes? They are only sold through fundraisers. I cannot go online and buy a case of them. Which, probably good for my health, but the heart wants what the heart wants. AND MINE WANTS COFFEE CAKE. 

So who wants to have these as a fundraiser for your kid’s school? I will order them from you! In bulk! Or can I buy them and raise money for “Kristin’s Coffee Cake Fund”? 

{Photo credit: http://www.ritebitefundraising.com/}