Pilgrims at Oak Ridge

1. I've mentioned before my favorite salmon recipe . I just made it again tonight, and wow! It was really fantastic. Seriously, you should make this salmon. Soon. 2. I served it with some roasted potatoes I made using a Barefoot Contessa recipe, a new recipe that will be  getting a lot of use. I love recipes that are delicious, easy to make, and use ingredients that I usually have around. In case you want to make extra delicious potatoes, here it is:       2.5 lbs red potatoes (I used white)       2 yellow onions (I used one big vidalia)       3 T. olive oil       2 T. whole grain mustard (I used dijon)       2 t. kosher salt       1/2 t. pepper Chop the onions and the potatoes into chunks and put on baking sheet. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together and pour over potatoes and toss to coat. Bake at 425 for 50 min (I t...

A few recent favorites. 1. S'mores pie . I made this pie once for a church social, and then made two more of them to take to our family reunion. I cannot stress enough how delicious they are: super dense and chocolately with a toasted marshmallow topping. I even used a store bought graham cracker crust, so they probably would be even tastier with homemade. 2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream . My cousin Aaron made this at the same family reunion. This was the perfect chocolate peanut butter ice cream: sweet and chocolate-y with just a hint of saltiness. I always like when I find ice cream recipes that don't involve cooking a custard because that means they are quicker to put together. This will definitely be made again.

I feel like I'm pretty far behind the times, but in the fall I was on a big cupcake baking kick. Jeff got cupcakes for his birthday , then I made them again for Judah's baptism. I realized that I never actually blogged about the cupcakes I made for the baptism. And since I'm still having a hard time coming up with good things to blog about, I decided you can never blog enough dessert. First up: Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Frosting . Now I'm not normally a vanilla-loving girl, but these are not just vanilla cupcakes, they are vanilla bean cupcakes. With vanilla buttercream. And I love that you can make the frosting any color you want, which makes for a more festive party. I'm thinking these might make another appearance at Judah's birthday party. Next Up: Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Ganache frosting Chocolate and raspberries. Need I say more? These were so good I am drooling thinking about them. I used a piping bag and actually piped the ...

I'm now on day 8 of a major cold, and going back to work tomorrow. Hopefully by then I will be feeling better..... As I'm not thinking about much besides my hacking cough, I thought I'd post on some super tasty recipes I've made recently. I'm not big on going all out to celebrate Valentine's Day - It seems silly to spend a lot of money on what feels to me like a manufactured holiday. I do like doing a little something for my valentine, though. Instead of buying chocolates, I have made him candy several times. This year, I did a combination of buckeyes , probably his favorite candy, and some oreo truffles . Both are fairly easy recipes to put together and they make a lot. Next up for some dinner: PW's Spicy Shredded Pork . Hannah put me on this recipe because it's a great one to do with the dutch oven. It makes a ton of delicious shredded pork that you can put into tacos or quesadillas. I could not get over how easy it was to make. Or how delicious. Next ...

For some unexplained reason, I used to think that I preferred brownies made from a box mix to brownies made from scratch. I'm really not sure why I thought this. Maybe I made some brownies in the past that weren't great. But I have since realized that I was woefully mistaken. Homemade brownies are not only delicious; they are also a snap to make and really not much more difficult than boxed brownies. These brownies have a sort of crunchy top that covers a fudgy interior that beats any boxed brownies you could make. Baker's chocolate one bowl brownies 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 3/4 c. butter 2 c. sugar 3 eggs 1 t. vanilla 1 c. flour Melt butter and chocolate in a large bowl in microwave until they are melted and smooth. Stir sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, vanilla, and flour and then pour into 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Eat! (You can also add 1 c. nuts if you like nuts in your brownies, but I prefer my chocolate unadulterated.) You'll never want boxed b...

I really did love this recipe - it makes a very flavorful, moist chicken. I had a good bit of the breading left over, which I'm saving to use on some fish in a few days. By popular request.... 1 c. buttermilk 1 egg 1 c. flour 1 T. salt 1 T. paprika 1/8 t. pepper 1 c. ground pecans 1/4 c. sesame seeds olive oil Combine egg and buttermilk and set aside. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes prior to grinding them in a food processor. Then toast the sesame seeds until they are browned. You have to watch them closely because they can burn quickly. Mix the remaining ingredients and put in a bowl. I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, although the recipe calls for 6 pounds of assorted chicken pieces. Dip in buttermilk, then dredge in flour mixture. The recipe then says to dip in corn oil (gulp) and drain. Then put in a roasting pan. I just couldn't bring myself to do this dipping in oil business. Instead, I did a little drizzle of olive oil over the top. Bake at ...

We've got fun company this week - Dave, Hannah, Jackson, and Ashlyn! We're having fun and staying busy, so here's a quick post so the blog isn't totally neglected. Hopefully I can get some photos up soon - I'm sure Grandma wants pictures of her grandbabies all together! But until then... Some great recipes I've made recently: 1. Shrimp and quinoa salad - This is probably my favorite new recipe I've made recently. I've been wanting to find some good and healthy recipes, and this fit the bill. It uses quinoa, which is this great grain that is really high in fiber and protein. I didn't have asparagus, but did add green onions and fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden. I'm definitely making this one again sometime soon. 2. Cucumber Salad - This was a quick and easy recipe I found to use up some cucumbers from our garden, along with fresh dill. It's basically like a quick pickle, but incredibly fresh and crunchy. I made mine with plenty of the r...

I've been on this homemade Popsicle kick lately. I guess mostly because it's so hot here and a popsicle is just about the best treat at the end of a hot day. First up, I made lemon buttermilk popsicles . I know - it sounds like a strange combo, but the creaminess of the buttermilk was delicious with the tang of the lemon. I put a little extra lemon in these, and they were a little on the tart side. But I still liked them, although next time I'll make sure I don't add the extra. Next, I tried the mocha popsicles . I used really strong coffee and some good cocoa. They are nice and mocha-y, but I don't like to have these late in the day since they do have caffeine in them. But they are tasty and only 2 points on WW, if you use fat free sweetened condensed milk. (For anyone who cares about that.) My absolute favorites, though, are these blackberry and cream popsicles . Blackberries have been on sale here and I used a combo of blackberries and strawberries. I mashed the ...

I experimented today with my favorite banana bread recipe and loved the results. And since it was such a simple change that gave lots of flavor, I thought I'd share it here. My favorite recipe is courtesy of my SIL, Melanie, who gave me one of my favorite wedding/shower gifts we got - a personalized cookbook with all my favorite recipes in it that Melanie or other people in my family make. To kick it up a notch, instead of using regular melted butter, I used brown butter . I'm just now coming to realize that brown butter is way better than regular butter. It adds a deeper, nuttier flavor that is subtle, but really can make a dish stand out. To brown butter, just melt it over medium heat, then let is continue to cook until the solids turn brown. That's it. It doesn't take that much longer than melting the butter, but adds an exceedingly nice flavor. And brown butter is not just for sweet dishes. My current favorite pasta sauce is just brown butter and sage. But that...

I've never been a big fan of coleslaw. To be honest, it always kind of grossed me out - there is nothing appealing about a big pile of white glop on a plate. But I've been experimenting with some different slaw recipes lately - and I gotta say - I'm really starting to love it. Cabbage is so crispy and I can include lots of different ingredients and make a really beautiful salad. I like using both green and purple cabbage, carrots, and whatever other veggies I find in my fridge. Today I had some radishes and some celery, and added some chopped onion, too. One thing I love about slaw is that you can do pretty much the whole thing in the food processor, so it comes together in a flash. A few weeks ago I made this slaw . It is really tasty and has a very nice kick, and is fairly different from the typical slaw. Tonight, along with the BBQ we brought back from Tennessee, I made this recipe . Usually I don't really like creamy slaws, but this dressing is a little more traditi...

I originally posted this over a year ago, but spent part of yesterday afternoon making a big batch of pear butter and was reminded why I love it so much. I had it on some waffles this morning and it was delicious! So here's the recipe. This stuff really does make a great Christmas present - not the typical cookies or cake, relatively inexpensive, and very tasty. Pear Butter works for me. Working in a doctor's office , there are lots of people around who I'd like to give Christmas presents to, like the nurses who work on my pod, the secretaries who order us lunch everyday, our residency coordinator who fills out paperwork for us, etc. But I don't want to spend lots of money, because it starts to add up. This year I decided to make some Pear butter, which just sounded tastier to me than apple butter. I also don't have a food mill so I just used my blender. Pear Butter INGREDIENTS 4 pounds medium pears, quartered and cored 2 cups sugar ...

For some unknown reason, I had it in my head that I really wanted to make pot pie this week. I'm really not sure where this desire came from. It certainly seems like more of a winter dish, and we have been having some really beautiful days lately. I ended up making 4 pot pies - two that I took to some new moms, and two that I kept for us. We ate one this week, and one I froze so Jeff won't starve when I'm in North Carolina next week. They turned out really well, so I thought I'd share the recipe here. Since we got cable and have been watching cooking shows more, I find myself being a little more adventurous with the cooking. They always talk about how some dishes need "texture" and "brightness" - texture I certainly understand, though I don't exactly know how food can be "bright." But I do notice that everyone always add some lemon juice for "brightness," hence its addition here. Chicken Pot Pie For the Filling: 1 whole chicke...

On Good Friday, we got together with some people from our church and had a Christian Seder. It was a neat experience, learning more about the Jewish customs surrounding Passover, and seeing the symbolism that was present at the Last Supper of Christ. I was put in charge of dessert, and wanted to try to make something at least moderately authentic - i.e. no added flour or other leavening agents. Using my favorite new online recipe search engine , (it searches food blogs for recipes so you find some really interesting and creative dishes) I stumbled onto this recipe . This cake was delicious - rich, soft, very chocolately with a nice orange flavor. And it has no flour or added fat. (It is made with ground nuts instead of flour, so the fat in it comes only from the eggs and the nuts.) Flourless Chocolate-Orange Almond Cake 1 1/4 cups whole almonds (6 to 7 ounces) (I actually used hazelnut instead - it was delicious.) 1 cup sugar, divided 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semiswe...

Ha! Caught up at last. A fun residency gathering with about 25 people in our living room. I had three types of soup and made delicious cornbread pudding, using this recipe: 1 box jiffy cornbread mix 1/2 c. butter, soft 1 c. nonfat yogurt 1 can creamed corn 1 can whole corn (I actually used frozen.) Mix together, put in casserole dish, and bake at 350 for about an hour. Easy and delicious!

Working in a doctor's office , there are lots of people around who I'd like to give Christmas presents to, like the nurses who work on my pod, the secretaries who order us lunch everyday, our residency coordinator who fills out paperwork for us, etc. But I don't want to spend lots of money, because it starts to add up. This year I decided to make some Pear butter, which just sounded tastier to me than apple butter. Instead of orange zest and juice, I added lemon juice because that is what I had. I'm sure this would work great in a crock pot. I also don't have a food mill so I just used my blender. Pear Butter INGREDIENTS 4 pounds medium pears, quartered and cored 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 cup orange juice DIRECTIONS Place pears into a large pot over medium heat, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and keep them from sticking, about 1/2 cup. Cook until the pears are soft, about 30 minutes. Press pe...

For as long as Jeff and I have been married, I have made him a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. I'm not really sure why we started this little tradition, but now I always just make this cake for him, without even bothering to ask if he wants it. Because I know he does. (Jeff can back me up here.) It also doesn't hurt that I, too, love this cake. This is the one my grandmother and mom always made growing up. If I remember correctly, mostly this cake was made for Andrew for his birthday. I always got the Texas Sheet Cake (still do, in fact). Austin usually got something strawberry. And I don't remember if Abram had a cake. He and Austin often shared, since their birthdays are only 3 days apart. But he did call this one the "snot cake" - as you can see, it wasn't one of his favorites. (There is no accounting for taste, but he did have a way with words.) Without further ado, here is our not-so-secret family recipe. Not secret because my grandma always use...

I thought I'd post my recipe on here, since Hannah asked and maybe others out there want to know. This recipe is sort of a compilation of several different that I've looked at. And keep in mind that I sort of cook by gut instinct - completely imprecisely, rarely measuring things. 6-7 tomatoes (obviously, you can use less, but with our bounty of tomatoes I wanted to make a big batch.For my batch, I used a bunch of the little ones and maybe 3-4 big ones.) 1 onion 2-3 tsp fresh minced garlic (I like garlic.) 1/2 c. (or so) fresh basil, chopped or torn into small pieces 1/4 c. parmesan cheese (I used a combo of pecorino and parmesan.) 1/4 c. olive oil 2-3 T. balsamic vinegar (I'm guessing here. I just poured some in.) salt and pepper to taste Serve with toasted french bread. And it makes a great dinner. Even for two nights in a row.

I'm a huge fan of easy meals with few ingredients. Mostly it's because my great and tough job keeps me rather busy, so I love to find recipes that are delicious but not complicated. I have already blogged here some great, five-ingredient-or-less, recipes like appetizers , pasta , other tasty dinners , and low-fat cookies . Last night for dinner, Jeff and I ate what we call our Greek Feast. Basically, this consists of chicken grilled with greek seasoning on it, pitas, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, and lettuce. To top it off, we put Tzatziki - the greek yogurt dressing that really makes this meal over the top. I always loved tzatziki at restaurants, but figured it would be too tough to make. It just sounded so exotic. Thankfully, I realized that although it requires a little forethought, it is made with very few ingredients, but is fairly low-fat, and makes a great dressing. So here is my recipe: 32 oz. plain, fat free yogurt. 1/4 c. olive oil. 1/4 c. lemon juice (or...

I've never been a huge fan of regular old, pasta with tomato sauce. But I'm discovering that there are plenty of other pasta dishes that I do love. I've also been trying to use what we have in our kitchen recently, as well as eat more vegetarian dishes since it is cheaper and healthier. With these guidelines in mind, this is what I came up with for dinner last night. Jeff and I had just gotten back from swimming, and I had no idea what we were going to eat. Since I've starting my fun and very busy job , I've had a hard time planning ahead for meals. My dear husband is great at doing this, but he also has been busying working on a paper for class, and he hadn't come up with anything, either. So it was after 7pm, and I needed something quick and good. But here is what I made: Sage and Brown butter tortellini with mushrooms, onions, and peppers Melt 1 to 1.5 sticks butter in a large skillet. Chop several tablespoons of fresh sage and add to pan when butter is m...