TheKitchenCookie

  ...and as you can see there is bacon involved.   Win Win!   ...and they're here just in time for the July 4th grocery list!   A while ago I bought a jalapeno pepper for another purpose, then forgot to use it, and I had this cream cheese languishing in the fridge along with everything else for these beauties.   It's been a really long time since I've felt anything close to creative in the kitchen, I've been in something more akin to survival mode but I'm happy to say I think maybe that dismal period is ending! :) At least I hope so!   Anyway. Moving on to the good stuff.   These are easy and tastier than all get out and so much more pleasing with a little bit of zip in them thanks to the pepper versus a plain hunk of cream cheese in the mushroom, but, maybe that's just me. If that's how you prefer them, by all means, enjoy! :)   7 lg. white stuffing mushrooms 7 bacon pieces 4 oz. cream cheese, room t...

  She's my 'right hand lady' these days and she is learning to enjoy it. Laundry, cleaning, baking, helping outside, etc. She told me the other day "I bet you were so relieved when you had a girl! Haha I was indeed, but what she didn't think about was that the 3 boys before her did their fair share of these chores as well. :) And I distinctly remember them being relieved that we finally had a girl :) but I had to explain to them that they're stint of housework, etc will probably be traded for real jobs before she can take over. :)     She adores her pony.     ...and keeps him sharp with the 'tricks' his former owners taught him. I declare he smiles when she rides him. I think it makes him happy too!                                        ...

  Or just simply "Chocolate 'Covered' Strawberry Pie". Either way it's delicious! Even the big guy that hates tasting new/different food gave a thumbs up! :) When I told him what I was planning to make this he said, "Oh don't! Why would you ruin a good thing?!" But he loves chocolate covered strawberries so this was an easy thing to get him to taste.   It's a really quick way to dress up a classic, and the Ganache is super yummy!   ¾ cup strawberry danish dry mix  2 cups water   fresh strawberries, washed, hulled 1 teaspoon butter Combine dry mix and water in a saucepan and and stir with a wire whisk over medium high heat until it comes to a boil and is thickened. Add the butter and whisk it in. This gives it a smooth silky texture. Allow to cool completely. For the Ganache use your favorite recipe or try the one that I used. I don't always add the Karo and vanilla. It is yummy either way. 4-8 oz. milk chocolate chips 1 T...

 I had a nifty kitchen gadget to try out and was hungry for roasted mushrooms and asparagus so I combined them all into a yummy lunch today. I'm not usually keen on zucchini but I enjoy it like this and the cream sauce was lovely. :)       1 medium sized zucchini 1 Tablespoon butter   Saute till tender, drain away the liquid. Toss with cream sauce just before ready to serve.   3 Cheese Cream Sauce: ½ cup heavy cream 1/3 cup each finely shredded Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan cheeses Freshly ground black pepper   Heat the cream until bubbly around the edges. Gradually add the cheeses and whisk until melted. Add the pepper.   Roasted Veggies: asparagus lg. mushrooms Vidalia onion slices olive oil sea salt grated Parmesan cheese   Cut desired amount of vegetables and toss with oil, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese. Spread onto a non stick sprayed cookie sheet in a single layer. Roast at 40...

It's been a beautiful day! The weather was perfect and we  had a relaxing Father's Day. The boys were busy doing there things tonight  and Serena spent the evening at Bible School so Lin and I chose a spot to watch the sunset. :)   . ♥♥♥

Grilling season is here and I thought it would be nice to grill up some of the yummy grass fed steaks we had handy. It's simple but tasty and goes perfectly with a salad and fresh strawberry lemonade.   1 cup water ¼ cup white vinegar 2 Tablespoons olive oil 6 turns of dried garlic and sea salt crystals ½teaspoon each of cumin and chipotle chili powder 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg dash of stevia 2¼ lb. London Broil   Combine ingredients for the marinade and place into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. With a fork poke holes in both sides of the steak and place into bag with marinade. Refrigerate several hours turning a few times to make sure both sides absorb flavor. Allow to come to room temperature before grilling.   Grill over high heat until both sides are seared then reduce heat until internal temperature is (this one was around 140) remove from the grill and cover with foil for about five minutes. Enjoy!        ...

  "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."   ♥♥♥