A Present From Kellie...

Ok, so yesterday I recieved a package at my house. I couldn't figure it out... I don't remember ordering anything? Is it a late Xmas present that I ordered long ago and forgot about? Anyway, I quickly open it up and see the greatest apron with a turtle design on it. My own apron! So, I check the invoice to see who it is from... Kellie! (EllyMae58) Thank you so much Kellie, I can't wiat to use it again! Someone took the liberty of taking a picture of me while I was in it... so here I am...
Thanks Kel!

Banana Bread...

The Book...

The Ingredients...

Butter
Sugar
Eggs
Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Soda
Milk
Bananas
Pecans (Optional)


Experiences...

I did well with this one, I enjoy baking and putting all the ingredients together. I know I said I was going to make banana nut bread, but no one here wanted nuts in it, so I just left it out. My only problem that I had was that I forgot to add in the butter until the last minute, I have no idea how I skipped that instruction, but it didn't seem to mess up the bread.



The Outcome...


I just tried the bread and it is good! I'm glad I picked this one out. I never made banana bread before, so I'm happy for the experience. It is a bit crumbly, but its fine.

Rusty-Burgers...

The Book...

Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee

In the translation from on-screen patter to print, most television-inspired cookbooks disappoint. However, this collection by talk-show hosts Philbin and Gifford delivers what it promises: "quick and easy recipes" that are indeed simple to understand and follow, and that faithfully include substitutions for unusual ingredients. Written in the lighthearted, conversational tone one might expect (though not always get) in books issued in the name of on-air stars, each recipe is crowned with often amusing details about the guest chef and his or her culinary creation. While many of the recipes are on the light (low-fat, low-calorie) side, like shrimp and vegetables from Benihana restaurant's Rocky Aoki, yogurt chicken from movie producer Ismail Merchant and smoked oriental seafood from The River Club's Jeff Tunks, equal (if higher-in-calorie) weight is given to some hardier fare, such as Robin Leach's Mediterranean eggplant pie, chef Paul Prudhomme's Indian pudding and Craig Claiborne's Christmas cheesecake. These aren't only recipes of the rich and famous, though: "family favorites" from Gifford (her mother and sister), their producer, Michael Gelman (and his mother), and Philbin's wife, Joy, give this collection a personal touch.

The Ingredients...


Olive Oil

Spanish Onion

Green Bell Pepper

Ground Sirloin

Basil Leaves
Egg

Breadcrumbs



Experiences...


I actually compromised a bit with this recipe. I picked up some ground beef insead of sirloin and used the dry (shaker) kind of basil. I'm sure the little difference usually make a huge difference, but things happen. :-P Anyway, the rest was fine EXCEPT for chopping the onion, that was a "whole-lotta" onion there and was wondering how long I could go before drowning myself in tears. I really like making burgers and trying new things with them, but in reality, I could have just put a slice of onion and pepper on top of the burgers and it would have been fine. Other than this it was good.

The Outcome...

Yum, pretty much sums it up, althought it was little bit more work than I usually put into burgers, I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have thought (believe it or not) of putting basil in/on my burger, I think it adds a little extra needed flavor. I thought everything was tasty! :-)

Baked Apples...

The Book...

Cooking Essentials


Review From Amazon:
This book covers the basic cooking information that anyone at any level would love to have. From how to prepare vegetables to how to stock your cupboards with the essentials, this book has it all. I recommend this book for beginners because it educates them on how to prepare, clean, store, and measure (just to mention a few). Happy Reading!!



The Ingredients...

Large Tart Apples

Light Brown Sugar

Butter

Water

Ice Cream (Optional)




Experiences...

This has been probably the easiest of all the recipes so far, as well as the cleanest. I didn't really have any problems with this one except I really wish I kept some vanilla ice cream around... I think it would have been better with the sauce that chocolate chip. Anyway, I really wanted to make baked apples and its an interesting way to eat.
















The Outcome...

I am very happy with the way this turned out. I love apples, so when I saw this, I didn't want to do anything else, I'm happy with my choice. Once again, with vanilla, I think the ice cream could have made it better. But I would recommend this if anyone enjoys apples. BTW: Sauce is what the water was for, it mixed with the apple juices to make a great topping for ice cream.

Spicy Soup Recipe...

LOL, here's the recipe everyone!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
2 tbsp. Butter
2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
4 c. milk
1 (6 oz.) roll jalapeno cheese
1 tsp. seasoning salt

----------

Cook broccoli by box directions; drain. Sauté onion in butter. Add to broccoli. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over moderate heat until cheese melts.

Spicy Broccoli Soup...

The Book...

Hot & Spicy Recipes

This collection of delicious hot & spicy recipes is sure to please any hot pepper lover! A special introduction provides information about the different peppers available, while the recipes include breakfast, soups, main dishes, sauces and more. A can't miss cookbook for anyone who loves spicy cooking!






Ingredients...


Medium Onion
Butter
Frozen Chopped Broccoli
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Milk
Jalapeno Cheese
Seasoning Salt


Experiences...

I had a good time with this recipe, nearly everything went smoothly and the directions were pretty much clear, however short. The only part I wasn't sure about was what to do with the cheese, so I melted it beforehand and poured it into the soup. It was simple, but very good!
















The Outcome...

Let me just say I was wrong, I was really worried about this recipe, but it really turned out well. I already had a couple of bowls and I can't get enough of it. But, I probably will try to make less of it, because there is a lot of it. This would be something that I would reccomend to others to try for a nice lunch. I'm glad everyone voted for it, nice choice. :-)

Chicken Gumbo...

The Book...

Katie's Kitchen

Intro - The reason I decided to make a cookbook is when we have guests in out home they ask for recipes which takes a while to write them and explain how its done. The Amish were taught to put a dash of this and that, and also the feel of the dough in the crusts and breads, etc. So it took quite a long time to figure things out.

Emanuel (Mannie) and out horse Joe are a big help to me as they go grocery shopping and intercourse nearly every Saturday morning. I also go to Esh's discount store. Kauffman's and wherever. My sister, Anna Mary, did the cover and it's a lot how out farmhouse was with the Range Stove, etc. I had 9 brothers and 3 sisters and I loved the old home place which is about ten miles south of where I live now. Our home is in Bird-in-Hand, close to the farm where Mannie was born and raised. We have eight children -- 4 girls and 4 boys.

May the good Lord bless each one, and I hope you enjoy the recipes and all.

Love, Katie Fisher

The Ingredients...

Bread
Chicken
Butter
Mayonnaise
Eggs
Milk
Chicken Broth
Salt
Cheese
Cream of Celery
Bread Crumbs

Experiences...

My Experiences with this one wasn't as easy as it was with the cookies, for one, there wasn't a temperature that said what the oven should be at. Maybe there is something I should have known? Anyway, that was a bit of a problem, but I guessed about 350.

My only other problem was that I forgot to pick up another can of Cream of Celery, it didn't really make a big difference, but I like to follow the directions exactly.



The Outcome...

The outcome of this one was not exactly what I would have expected. I thought that there was quite a bit (maybe too much) of cheese in this dish. I probably would have also called for more chicken in the recipe. However, it come out well, smelled nice, and ended up tasting rather good. To be honest, I really never had any form of Gumbo before this, so it was an experience for me. I'm glad I tried it!

Keebler Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Ok everyone! Just finished my cookies. And let me just say that the cookies came out great..



The Book...


Top Secret Recipes : Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods



Todd Wilbur has baked, boiled, digested, fried, and tested--all in the name of duplicating some of America's favorite convenience foods. He now shares 41 of these naughty but nice gastronomical delights in Top Secret Recipes. If you've ever craved a McDonald's Big Mac at 3:00 A.M. on a Sunday morning, then Wilbur has just the recipe for satisfying your junk-food desires. Even better, no cordon-bleu expertise is needed for this particular clone--just simple frying and chopping skills! Simplicity is the key to all of Wilbur's replicated recipes--all are composed of rudimentary ingredients available at any store, needing only minimal preparation. These recipes are fun and fast--two dozen Snickers Bars in less than 10 minutes (plus cooling time), a delicious Orange Julius in less than 60 seconds (that's considerably quicker than waiting in line for the real thing)! These culinary creations are organized in alphabetical order by manufacturer or restaurant, and illustrated with simple pencil drawings. Top Secret Recipes is a chatty and informative guide to recreating the burgers, candy bars, and cookies of your strip-mall dreams.


The Ingredients...

• Butter
• 
  
• Eggs
• 
  
• Molasses
• 
  
• Vanilla Extract
• 
  
• Water
• 
  
• Granulated Sugar
• 
  
• Brown Sugar
• 
  

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Salt

Flour

Chocolate Chips

Experiences...


I had a good time with this book, easy to follow. Cookies are pretty straight forward but if I didn't have any clue what cookies involved, I think I would have a good time with it. I think one of my problems with the cookies was now the directions, but the fact I didn't have any pans... I had to go out quickly and buy some.


Hehe... the directions said to make the dough balls about an inch... but I like big cookies. :-P So, needless to say, they were a little bigger than that. LOL.


The Outcome...


I believe that these were some of the best, messy cookies I've had. After I let them cool down, they turned out to be very soft. This book doesn't lie... LOL. After they cooled, I piled them up on a plate and now its ready for the Christmas holiday...

The Final Choices...

The Choices are...

Hot & Spicy Recipes
Spicy Broccoli Soup

Treasured Recipes Cookbook
Banana Nut Bread

Top Secret Recipes : Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods

Keebler Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee

Rusty-Burgers

Cooking Essentials

Baked Apples

Katie's Kitchen

Chicken Gumbo

Encore: Wisconsin

Prarie Corn Chowder

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

Confetti Vegetables

The Choices... So Far...

Ok, I made a few final choices... here they are...

However, some I'm still not sure and time is drawing near to make my final choice, the ones I'm thinking of are on top of the list. Once again, if you have anything to add... something that sounds better... let me know!

Hot & Spicy Recipes
Spicy Broccoli Soup ---------->> Locked: Will be Made (Winner of Votes)

Treasured Recipes Cookbook
Banana Nut Bread ---------->> Locked: Will be Made

Top Secret Recipes : Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods
Keebler Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies ---------->> Locked: Will be Made

Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee
Spiced Apple Napoleon ---------->> In the Lead
Rusty-Burgers Chicken Bundles of Love
Breast of Chicken with Garden Vegetables
Chicken Pilaf

Cooking Essentials
Baked Apples ---------->> Locked: Will be Made

Katie's Kitchen
Chicken Gumbo ---------->> In the Lead
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Caramel Pudding

Encore: Wisconsin
Prarie Corn Chowder ---------->> In the Lead
Lemon Bread
Chocolate Zucchini Nut Bread
Pasta Flans
Grilled Chicken Breast

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
Confetti Vegetables ---------->> Locked: Will be Made

Top Recipes for Each Book...

I'm working on the final recipes that will be made for each book; mainly family requests and I got a couple of books down to a locked choice. So, if you all see a recipe that you find particularly appetizing, let me know and I'll move it up on my list to be considered, or have suggestions, please say something! :-) Or just want to say anything, comments, go for it. This is what I am thinking of thus far...

Hot & Spicy Recipes:
Hot and Spicy Tex-Mex Muffins
Spicy Broccoli Soup
Spicy Chicken Soup
Tomato Soup

Treasured Recipes Cookbook:
Oven Fried Chicken
Potato - Hamburger Casserole
Banana Nut Bread
Feather-y Fudge Cake

Top Secret Recipes : Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods:
Keebler Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies ---------->> Locked: Will be Made...

Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee:
James Darren's Grandmom's Pasta
Rusty-Burgers
Chicken Bundles of Love
Breast of Chicken with Garden Vegetables
Chicken Pilaf
Spiced Apple Napoleon

Cooking Essentials:
Baked Apples ---------->> Locked: Will be Made...

Katie's Kitchen:
Chicken Gumbo
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Caramel Pudding

Encore: Wisconsin:
Lemon Bread
Chocolate Zucchini Nut Bread
Sun Prairie Corn Chowder
Pasta Flans
Grilled Chicken Breast

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook:
Shrimp Curry Crepes
Hearty Manicotti
Chicken Salads
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Creamy Chicken Hash
Stir-Fried Vegetable Mix
Confetti Vegetables

The Books...

Here are the books that will be featured in my experiment... (they may look familiar to some.):


Hot & Spicy Recipes


Treasured Recipes Cookbook


Top Secret Recipes : Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods


Cooking With Regis & Kathie Lee


Cooking Essentials


Katie's Kitchen


Encore: Wisconsin


The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook


***I'll be trying new recipes, and I've got all the books narrowed down, some of them I already know what I'll be doing... :-)

Welcome to my Kitchen!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my kitchen. So, I decided that I would take my Christmas break to show you all my cookbooks at work. I'll be taking 1-2 recipes from each cookbook that I've received from bookcrossers and post pictures, recipes, and descriptions of how the cook went. I figure that this will be a fun venture for me and I'd better start...