Cooking Tip - Grating Cheese Easily

I am feeling pretty yucky today, still in bed. I
love watching cooking shows always, but watching
comfort food being made just does something good
for the soul!

I was watching Giada at Home on the Food Network.
She shared a tip about grating cheese. If you are
like me, you had never heard of this until today.
Super great tip! Just put your cheese in the freezer
for about 10-15 minutes before grating. It will
firm your cheese up to ensure easy grating.

I hope this helps..happy grating!

My Favorite Apron Creation!

Are you ready to get your COW on??? by brandybock
Many more cooking aprons online at zazzle

The First Apron Design..by Brandy

I MAKE MESSES &MAGIC by brandybock
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Pumpkin Pancakes

My mother in law makes pumpkin pancakes for the holidays almost every year. They are really good and the kids all love them. She uses pancake mix, making the pancakes the way the box says. Then she adds a little all spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. She also adds in about a half of a can of pumpkin for about 8-10 pancakes. She says you get to know the color they should be after making them as long as she has.  So I decided to go on a hunt for a completely homemade recipe. After searching many recipes, this is my favorite. I got this recipe from the Martha Stewart website. Super easy and super tasty, enjoy!

Whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10.

Chicken Marsala Recipe

One of my best friends, Leah, turned 40 and we threw a dinner party for her with an Italian theme.  There were some great dishes there, thank you to all that contributed wonderful food! One of my all time favorite Italian dishes is Chicken Marsala.  So I jumped on the computer to see if I could find a recipe that stood out above the others.  This is the first Emeril Lagasse recipe that I have tried, and I am so happy I chose this one.  It was honestly the best Chicken Marsala I have ever had.  The creole seasoning gives the chicken a little bite, which is extremely tasty!  I had a bit of a hard time finding the Marsala wine, thank you to The Beverage House!  This wonderful lady there pulled down from the shelf a wonderful bottle that she recommended.  She was right on the money, it was fabulous as well as extremely affordable.  I actually doubled the recipe but didn't need to double the creole seasoning recipe, there was plenty.  I also left out the oyster and shiitake mushrooms and substituted baby portabella mushrooms with the cremini's.  Serving thin spaghetti noodles with it is highly recommended as well.  It turned out fabulous. Everyone at the party loved it, and so will you!  This is the recipe you want when you are cooking to impress. Enjoy! 

 Ingredients

·                                 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·                                 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows

·                                 2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and                                  pounded thin

·                                 1 tablespoon olive oil

·                                 4 tablespoons butter

·                                 3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)

·                                 3/4 cup Marsala

·                                 1 cup chicken stock

·                                 Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·                                 Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

·                                 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

·                                 2 tablespoons salt

·                                 2 tablespoons garlic powder

·                                 1 tablespoon black pepper

·                                 1 tablespoon onion powder

·                                 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

·                                 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

·                                 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

"Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.Chicken Marsala Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network

Marmite...a Little Jar With BIG Flavor!

Have you ever heard of Marmite?  Don't worry, I had never heard of it either.  Well, let me introduce you to an unforgettable flavor.  The tagline for Marmite truly is "you either like it or hate it."  It has a very distinct taste that can be very overbearing if used incorrectly.  One of my dearest friends, Maria, introduced me to one of her favorite little English secrets.  Apparently, it is quite popular over in England.  In America, it's a little harder to find.  It is not sold in your "average" grocery store, but don't give up hope because I have found it for you.  I recommend trying it on warm toast after you have slathered the toast in butter.  But don't use too much...use it very sparingly.  I know that yeast extract doesn't sound very appealing, but trust me..I love it!  It almost tastes like it has beef bouillon in it.  A little salty, and packed full of flavor.  I am not a vegetarian, so the fact that it reminds me of beef makes me happy!  But, it is 100% vegetarian and contains B vitamins.  It is also a great source of folic acid.  When Maria introduced me to it she gave me the toast version.  It was delicious and I didn't want to stop with just one piece!  But the great thing about Marmite is that there are many ways to enjoy it.  Maria just came back from a trip to England and she brought me back a little gift.  It was The Little Book of Marmite Tips.  Thank you Maria!  This informative little book gave me some great cooking tips to get started, as well as some quick little recipes that I never would've known about.  Marmite can be used to make broth, gravy (Maria's gravy is most delicious), add flavor to roasted veggies, perk up your dressings...the possibilities are endless!  Again, let me stress that not everyone likes Marmite.  If you look in the wrong places, you will find an awful lot of bad mouthing about it.  But because there are so many uses for it, I think everyone should try it.  Just because you don't like it on toast (I can't even imagine) you may like it in another recipe.  Don't give up on the Marmite!  Paul Hartley, the author of The Little Book of Marmite Tips, throws in the tip to warm your spoon or knife before dipping it in the jar.  It's pretty gooey, so this is a great tip!  I think I could do a whole cooking show about it....hmmmm...

Thank you to Maria for bringing Marmite into my life, and thank you to Mark for bringing Maria into my life!  Get your Marmite NOW!

The Best Idiot's Guide Ever...

This is the best idiot's guide I have seen.  I have always been a fan to the concept, but this is one guide that everyone must have.  Even if it's for the occasional dinner party, it's always great to know how to pick the perfect wine, even if you are an idiot. :-) Go find out for yourself that it is completely affordable and well worth the price.