11. Pecan Pie
This was my first attempt at baking (and eating) a pecan pie! I found a simple recipe, and no it did not have Bourbon in it, but it was still delicious! I took it to work and it was gone before lunch, so it must have been good! I will be making this again soon!
12. Beer Bread (I used Corona Beer)
I made this recipe after a co-worker told me I should try the beer bread from Tastefully Simple. Since I cannot make box recipes, I made this one myself from scratch and learned another valuable lesson... when you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute 1 cup all purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Saved me a trip to the store!
13. Ranch Popcorn
I made this recipe for my friends when I hosted a movie night at my house. I thought it was pretty tasty (you use a package of ranch dressing mix, not the dressing itself) but I was the only one that ate it. My friends couldn't seem to wrap their head around the idea, probably won't make again.
14. Chicken Lo Mein
What can you do with left over chicken, a carrot, two packages of ramen noodles, and some cabbage? NEVER ORDER TAKE OUT AGAIN!! I tweaked a recipe I found on-line and made this delicious dish that has become a new favorite. Not only was it super cheap, but it was delicious the next day, and very impressive to my friends. Serve with eggrolls and fortune cookies!
15. Jenny's Oven Fries
I made up this recipe as well. I thinly cut up a bunch of potatoes tossed them in olive oil, Lowry's seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic salt, and a dash of cumin. Then I cooked them in the oven at 375, turning when needed until crispy. Served with ketchup mixed with a tiny bit of mustard.
16. Buffalo BBQ Wings
I made these for another football game. I have never made wings before, but found wings on sale, and decided to try them. I tossed about 10 wings in my slow cooker, covered with Sweet Baby Ray's Wing Sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, garlic salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Put on high for 4 hours, and by the time they are done, the meat will fall off the bone dripping with flavor! Serve with ranch dressing, carrots, celery, and Jenny's oven fries.
17. Sour Cream Apple Pie (and mini pies!)
I made this recipe after mom told me about it. The sour cream is in the filling and makes the filling have a sweet creamy flavor. Also, the topping is a crumbly topping with brown sugar, butter, and chopped pecans. I had left over filling and topping than could fit in my crust so I put crescent rolls in muffin tins, topped with filling and crumbly topping, and baked until crescents raised and filling bubbled. Those made for great breakfast muffins, and a good size to take for lunch.
18. Tangy Sloppy Joes
I love eating sloppy joes. We have been eating them in my family for years and it was always one of my favorites. I decided to try making some from scratch with this recipe I found, and they were tangy but savory and give Manwich a run for it's money.
19. Mac & Cheese
I decided that since I was making sloppy joes from scratch I would also make mac & cheese from scratch to serve with it. I liked the recipe I tried, but it was a little bland until I tried adding a little dijon mustard to it.
20. Zucchini Wrapped Pesto Pork Tenderloin
This recipe was also from BHG magazine, and was pretty good. Roasting the pork tenderloin wrapped in zucchini helped it retain moisture, and the pesto gave it a lot of flavor. I passed the recipe on to my Grandma to try, but I am not sure if I will make this one again or not.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Starter for 10... (aka, the first ten recipes I tried)
I started my resolution on the 1st of January, so I am already pretty far in my journey through 365. Here is a list of what I have made so far and a little bit about them. The best ones will get the full recipe posted, and if anyone wants to try one of the recipes that is not put up, I would be more than happy to post it or send the recipe!
1. Stuffed Pasta Shells
This is one of my Dad's infamous recipes. It has been one of our family favorites for years, and this is the first time I ever made it myself. It turned out amazingly, and what I really love about this recipe is that you can freeze portions of it to pop in the oven on a night when you don't feel like cooking.
2. Hamburger Beef Stroganoff
This recipe is one that my Grandma McArtor used to make for my mom and uncle when they were little. It is made up of simple pantry ingredients that most cooks have on hand at all times, and was tasty even as left overs!
3. Applesauce Raisin Cookies
I found this recipe in a cookbook and made it in attempt to use some of my homemade applesauce I am always making, however I was not too impressed with this recipe until I added cream cheese frosting on top... then the soft texture of the cookies and cinnamon raisin flavor were pretty good!
4. Hashbrown Casserole
This is such a great dish that the Hance family almost always has at gatherings and the kids always fight over who gets the last helping. Making it myself was pretty simple and still delicious, but I made way more than I could finish myself!
5. Black Bean Burgers
I found this recipe in a magazine for cheap meals. They were easy to throw together and tasted much better than the Morning Star or Boca Burgers I have eaten in the past, but I still had to load up on all the fixin's like ketchup, pickles, onions, and mustard
6. Brats with Sauerkraut and Apples
I made this recipe to have with a couple beers while watching the Colts play their first playoff game. Thank God the brats were good, because the game was awful, and was the last playoff game they played! I am still not a fan of sauerkraut, but I am glad I tried it, and my crock pot got some good use as well!
7. Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
This was my first epic disaster. I made this recipe because it was the same recipe my grandma Polly used to make my mom (Laura) when she was little. It has a delicious chopped pecan and buttery topping that wound up forming almost a cement-like glue between my beautiful bundt and the pan. The cake was delicious but came out of the pan in about 20 pieces, and lesson learned was to make sure your pan is properly greased and floured!!
8. Sloppy Joe Newton's
These sandwiches I made with my friend Joe. They were super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Joe came up with these sandwiches, and showed me how to make them after hearing about my resolution. I will definitely be making these again!! Spicy, savory, and sloppy... mmmm.
9. Apple Dumplings
This is a recipe I threw together myself. I chopped up two apples, sprinkled with cinnamon, some sugar, and a dash of flour and cornstarch. I mixed it together and spread on some crescent rolls I had. I rolled them up and popped them in the oven at 350 degrees until they were golden brown, then topped with cream cheese frosting when they were cool. Simple and delicious for a quick breakfast!
10. Balsamic Glazed Chicken Tenders
I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and though it looked very impressive I was not super impressed with the taste. It had a lot of flavor, but a little acidic for my taste, and I would have liked the chicken to be more moist and tender. I might tweak this one by cooking it in the oven covered.
1. Stuffed Pasta Shells
This is one of my Dad's infamous recipes. It has been one of our family favorites for years, and this is the first time I ever made it myself. It turned out amazingly, and what I really love about this recipe is that you can freeze portions of it to pop in the oven on a night when you don't feel like cooking.
2. Hamburger Beef Stroganoff
This recipe is one that my Grandma McArtor used to make for my mom and uncle when they were little. It is made up of simple pantry ingredients that most cooks have on hand at all times, and was tasty even as left overs!
3. Applesauce Raisin Cookies
I found this recipe in a cookbook and made it in attempt to use some of my homemade applesauce I am always making, however I was not too impressed with this recipe until I added cream cheese frosting on top... then the soft texture of the cookies and cinnamon raisin flavor were pretty good!
4. Hashbrown Casserole
This is such a great dish that the Hance family almost always has at gatherings and the kids always fight over who gets the last helping. Making it myself was pretty simple and still delicious, but I made way more than I could finish myself!
5. Black Bean Burgers
I found this recipe in a magazine for cheap meals. They were easy to throw together and tasted much better than the Morning Star or Boca Burgers I have eaten in the past, but I still had to load up on all the fixin's like ketchup, pickles, onions, and mustard
6. Brats with Sauerkraut and Apples
I made this recipe to have with a couple beers while watching the Colts play their first playoff game. Thank God the brats were good, because the game was awful, and was the last playoff game they played! I am still not a fan of sauerkraut, but I am glad I tried it, and my crock pot got some good use as well!
7. Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
This was my first epic disaster. I made this recipe because it was the same recipe my grandma Polly used to make my mom (Laura) when she was little. It has a delicious chopped pecan and buttery topping that wound up forming almost a cement-like glue between my beautiful bundt and the pan. The cake was delicious but came out of the pan in about 20 pieces, and lesson learned was to make sure your pan is properly greased and floured!!
8. Sloppy Joe Newton's
These sandwiches I made with my friend Joe. They were super easy to make and absolutely delicious! Joe came up with these sandwiches, and showed me how to make them after hearing about my resolution. I will definitely be making these again!! Spicy, savory, and sloppy... mmmm.
9. Apple Dumplings
This is a recipe I threw together myself. I chopped up two apples, sprinkled with cinnamon, some sugar, and a dash of flour and cornstarch. I mixed it together and spread on some crescent rolls I had. I rolled them up and popped them in the oven at 350 degrees until they were golden brown, then topped with cream cheese frosting when they were cool. Simple and delicious for a quick breakfast!
10. Balsamic Glazed Chicken Tenders
I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and though it looked very impressive I was not super impressed with the taste. It had a lot of flavor, but a little acidic for my taste, and I would have liked the chicken to be more moist and tender. I might tweak this one by cooking it in the oven covered.
Welcome!
Cooking has been an important aspect of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it be sitting at the counter watching my grandma bake donuts and pies in our family's orchard, being taught how to cook spaghetti by my dad, or helping my other grandma bake and frost cupcakes that looked like ice cream cones, I was always fascinated by cooking and it quickly went from a hobby to a passion as I grew older. Now that I am in my own place, cooking is a way for me to relax, relieve stress, and bring together friends and family. I decided that this year, my new year's resolution would be to expand my horizons and cooking chops, and try 365 recipes in 365 days. The recipes can be from anywhere be they family, friends, magazines, cook books, or TV shows, and I can even make them up if I'd like. The rule is, nothing from a box, and nothing that I have made before on my own. I am going to try to keep up as best I can, and keep in shape if that is possible while I do it!
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