TheKitchenCookie

Until a few years ago I thought a lemon was a lemon. And then I found out about Meyer Lemons. Curiosity about food always gets the best of me and I had to know what the fuss was all about. So I purchased some and did some experimenting. Yummy! They have more of a mellow lemon flavor, sweeter and less tart. My first recipe was Lemon Curd. I usually just buy this stuff when I need it because I think I'm too busy to make it.   That would be Myth #1. Because it's easy! And not very time consuming at all.   And the end result is a lot fluffier than the more "plastic like" substance you purchase in the cute little jars. I think it's the little jars that attract me to the stuff. Weird, I know.   The first batch I made was a little bit too buttery for me so I made a second batch and reduced the butter. I liked it much better. I used that first batch (ha, what was left of it) in an angel cake roll that was amazing with a raspberr...

    It's almost too pretty to eat but I've been enjoying these flavors together since making my latest Granola (previous post). Blueberries and Blackberries, one fresh one frozen, in this one. But really, any berries would do. Greek Vanilla flavored yogurt is usually my choice for parfaits. Yum!!   Serena doesn't eat it in parfait form but she likes a small dish of it with dark chocolate chips. No milk, just plain. Like I said before, it's like eating candy.   Happy Tuesday everyone! ♥  

 ♥♥♥   A couple of months ago when I made this I made a little discovery which led me to this granola. It was the fact that heating the honey and mixing it with the unsweetened coconut and almonds creates the granola texture I enjoy from commercial granolas. You know, little clumps of chewy goodness in the midst of satisfying crunchiness. And it tastes like candy. The fact that candy is no longer a part of my daily diet made this seem like good news. :) It's also simple and doesn't have an ingredient list as long as my arm. That makes it seem like a bonus too. Preheat oven to 350.   5 cups Rolled Oats 5 cups Organic Brown Rice Cereal 3 cups Unsweetened Coconut 3 cups Sliced Almonds 1½ cups Raw Honey ¼ cup Ground Flax Seeds       On a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper) toast the Oats for about 10 minutes.   Meanwhile combine the coconut and almonds in a bowl. Heat the raw honey till it is melted. Po...

  I had some leftover Grilled Chicken in the fridge and lots of veggies that needed a purpose. It was a cold, windy day and I was in the mood for soup. I didn't have noodles to make the usual  Chicken Noodle Soup  and I didn't have potatoes that I normally use in the soup either. So I thought I'd use the veggies that I had and change it up a bit and make a chowder instead. It ended up with more of a Mexican flair and I served it with plain tortilla chips instead of crackers, because yeah, I was out of those too. I think Black Beans or Brown Rice, Hot Peppers, and Sour Cream would be nice additions yet, don't you? Maybe next time I'll add them to my bowl. :) Lin and I enjoyed the chowder, two of the boys ate it, said it was okay but not their favorite. No reviews from the other two children. :) 2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced 2 shallots, sliced 1½ cups petite carrots ¼-½ of each red, yellow, and green peppers ½ teaspoon minced garlic 3 cups corn, divided ¼ ...

  I've been seeing this hawk skulking about in the trees for the last several days.   Even so, I was surprised when I looked out the window today and saw this guy sitting about 20 yards from the deck where "my" pretty birds (no one, messes with them!) were dining on nuts and seeds and Homemade Suet. While I wasn't going to sit back and let him feast on bluebirds or anything like that, I may have hand fed him a few others... like say, a European Starling or two... or three. And the blackbirds. They come in droves!    My teenage boys, who like to tease, call my Bluebirds, "blue starlings" just to see if they can get a rise out of me. Ha, never works. :)   But really, up close these guys are beautiful. I did what any responsible blogger would do. I picked up my camera and started "shooting". He saw my movements at the window and decided I can't be trusted.   The sun was bright and beautiful today and I'm beginning to f...

  Remember these ? I used one to make a hearty quesadilla recently. I had a bit of avocado in the fridge along with some habenaros that I added for extra heat and some cheddar jack cheese . Put it all on a flour tortilla with a bit of butter and season it with Fiesta Citrus seasoning and Cumin . Served with sour cream and salsa it was delicious!                                                                                                          ...

  We had pancakes for our Sunday Night supper. I was tired of the usual ones that I make and I had just enough buttermilk in the refrigerator to make the right amount from scratch for our family. So I looked around and found some that I decided would do the trick. Thanks to a family friend, Tammy, who shared them in a cookbook compiled by one of my sisters. :) The only thing I changed about the recipe was the addition of buttermilk instead of regular milk and I put blueberries only in the two that I ate. The rest of my family likes their pancakes plain. One of the boys commented that you barely have to chew them they just melt in your mouth. They were delish!   I made sure everyone had enough before I set about making my own. I added blueberries and whipped some heavy cream. Sweeten it a little according to your taste then add fresh pineapple. Sprinkle with Toasted Coconut and drizzle with Maple Syrup. I was out of the real deal so I improvised and made my own 'm...

Some photos of the last week...   Love this little outbuilding on a nearby farm. And the snow a few mornings later was amazing!!         And of course, some of my favorite birds. I think they know I'm crushing on them! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful week!       

  No.1    Gorgeous Roses!   Here at our house we have celebrated Valentine's Day 3 times now in 2013. So much fun! The first time we hosted our boys' youth group here in the basement. We had a lot of fun getting to know some of their friends better and watching everyone enjoy themselves was very rewarding! This was hosted the day after Dad-In-Laws very long (13 hr.) surgery. I could not have pulled it off without the help of my sweet friends. Some volunteered to bring food and one volunteered to help with the decor. Thank You all from the bottom of my heart! You will never know just how much that really meant to me!! All of the youth that were here (except one) invited a friend. This added a lot of fun because the group is pretty small otherwise.     These are our handsome young men with the sweet, beautiful girls they escorted. :)     Andre - Amanda Shawn - Kelsey Dessert!!     ...

A week ago when we were sitting at the hospital through the long surgery that my Father-In-Law had, I kept thinking about a burger like this. I knew that it wouldn't 'go away' until I had made it and tasted it. I'm pleased to tell you that it is delicious and seems a bit spicier the longer it is in the fridge. This recipe makes 5 (¼ lb. each) burger patties and I prepared them all right away knowing that they would keep better that way. Because of the spicy and the black beans no one else here will touch them. They do not know what they're missing! But that only means I get to enjoy them longer. :) ¾-1 lb. ground chicken breast (approximately one whole chicken breast) 1½ cup black beans, drained, rinsed, and chopped ¼ cup red onions, chopped 3 Tablespoons chopped habenaros 1½ teaspoon Perfect Pinch Southwest Seasoning 1½ teaspoon Perfect Pinch Fiesta Citrus Seasoning 1¼ teaspoon lime zest 1/3 teaspoon cumin Combine all ingredients and form patties. B...

    I've been eyeing an Asian Spice blend at the grocery store for a long time and yesterday I decided it's pointless to keep resisting. I knew I would buy it eventually anyway. Just can't seem to resist new flavors.     I also picked up an Organic Roasting Chicken and decided to combine the two for supper. It turned out very tasty, moist, and delicious! And it was so easy!   I started by spatchcocking the chicken, which is really just a fancy name for cutting the backbone out of the chicken with a heavy duty kitchen scissors. I also cut into the breast bone from the top so the chicken would lay very flat. This makes so that you have lots of roasting surface and none of the skin is left soggy. And it seems to cook faster. I like it a lot!     Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   Line a shallow baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up) and spray with non stick spray. Rinse chicken well. Pat dry with paper towels. Then...

I had some spinach and Swiss cheese in the fridge and some grape tomatoes on the counter needing a purpose so I thought I'd put them all together into an omelet for breakfast.    Simple. Satisfying. Delicious!   2 Strips Bacon Red Onion Strings Baby Spinach Grape Tomatoes 1 Thin Sliced Swiss Cheese 2 Eggs 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream Salt Pepper Red Pepper Flakes   The bacon I used was partially cooked so I just cut it into smaller pieces and sauteed it with the veggies and a small amount of butter till the veggies were tender and the bacon fully cooked. Scrape the veggie bacon mixture to the center of the pan and spread out slightly. Beat the eggs and cream in a bowl and pour over the mixture in pan. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or so till the eggs begin to set then fold the edges over the veggies and top with Swiss cheese and bacon crumbles. To avoid over cooking the eggs pour a small amount of w...

Sitting through a long surgery at Mercy in Baltimore. Praying for steady hands for the surgeon and a successful outcome for my Father-In-Law. Happy for him that he gets to have the option for surgery. Inviting you to join in our prayers for healing with us. So to pass the time I'm thinking about food, of course. :) If someone could stop in with a Fiesta Chicken Burger with Pepper Jack, tomato, bacon strips, and guacamole i would certainly not chase you away. I would be happy to meet you at the door :) Something with chocolate would be grand as well. Haha Thanks for taking time to stop in. Hope your day is going well!

I wait to eat breakfast most mornings till I have everyone dressed, fed, lunches packed, and delivered to school. Actually they all dress themselves, but there's one, with long blond hair, that needs lots of encouragement for the motivation process. She's not really grumpy, she's just doesn't move real fast. She gets up and wants to read books right away. :)  Anyone else have one like that?   This morning after I got back from dropping them off I was especially hungry for something warm for breakfast and I had some fresh asparagus and red onions in the refrigerator so I decided to make a yummy frittata. It turned out just right. Not too much of anything and so satisfying! 2 eggs 2 Tablespoons milk 5 asparagus spears 1 thin slice red onion 1 small snacking size red pepper, sliced into rings 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan Romano Cheese 1 Tablespoon bacon bits Salt and Pepper, to taste Grapeseed oil, for sauteing Saute veggies in oi...