White Sangria - Have yourself a taco night!

I feel terrible, but there are no pictures of this.

But I don't feel too terrible, because I did get to drink it. And it was scrumptious.

Now, I am a very picky wine drinker. As in, its probably not a good wine, because if I can afford to buy it then it's under $10 a bottle. Also, I tend to like white wine a lot more than red.

So when my friend and I decided to try our hand at sangria, we went straight for the white wine option [I do like traditional sangria, but I really do not like the kinds with massive amounts of cinnamon in it]. So pick yourself up a bottle of really any white wine that you'd like. We went with a chardonnay, although I think a Riesling would be good for this because its a sweeter wine to begin with.

The great part about sangria? You can make it however you want after following very basic guidelines!!

You will need:
1 bottle white wine
Fruit juice
Fresh fruits of your choice [the fruits and juice should complement each other]
Champagne or club soda [for a slightly carbonated effect]

In a pitcher pour the bottle of wine, and then at most an equal portion of juice. After having our sangria [we did equal parts wine and juice] I think I would go less juice to let the delicious wine shine through more. However, the person I was making this with likes sangria, but not wine alone, so we had to take that into effect. Slice and dice your fruits and throw them in, as much as you want. We used green apples, peaches, nectarines, and strawberries. Those are all very common fruits, along with grapes. I also used frozen strawberries because the ones at my store weren't looking too good - they were mushier than the other fruit after a day in the liquid, but I still think they contributed to the flavor.
Let all of that sit in your fridge overnight. Its worth it. Its kind of like cheesecake, you could have some right after you make it, but its going to taste so much better if you exercise some self-control. Ain't that a life lesson...
The next day it will be ready to drink. You can add champagne or club soda after you pour yourself a glass, just to top it all off. And make sure to ladle some fruit into your glass as well. I drank mine without the carbonated additions, and I still liked it, but I do think that will make it taste more like restaurant sangria.

All in all, a tasty beverage for our taco night with friends :)

Snickerdoodles - Say it 5 times fast

As I began to type out this post, I thought to myself: "Why in the world are these cookies called snickerdoodles?"
Because as most of you know, there are no Snickers inside these cookies. And thank goodness for that [no, I will never "Grab a Snickers"].

Good thing there's the internet so we can figure this out. Except the internet doesn't know. Or at least Wikipedia doesn't. And let's face it, if Wikipedia doesn't know then there probably isn't an answer, right? No no no, of course I don't believe that, I am in graduate school, and pride myself with a little more brains than that.

But all this boils down to the fact that I cannot provide you with an answer, and you shall have to suffer through just enjoying the deliciousness of these cookies without knowing the etymology of the name.

Without further ado...

Snickerdoodles [from 1,001 Cupcakes, Cookies, and Other Tempting Treats]
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground or grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
For coating: cinnamon sugar

Beat butter and sugar together, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

My friend Amanda and I had no patience for the recipe's recommendation of letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. But it turns out that it's totally necessary because the dough is extremely sticky and hard to roll. So even though you want to hurry up and make them so you can hurry up and eat them, you have to pause and do something else for about 30 minutes.

Scoop the dough out [I used a melon baller, Amanda used her hands] and form into balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar. Make sure to set them on the pan far enough apart so they have room to spread while baking.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Then let the cookies sit for a few minutes to set up before you take them off the pan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And OH MY GOODNESS. I think 4 of us ate that whole plate in 15 minutes. The best way to describe them is that they were very pillowy, and seemed to almost melt in your mouth.

Note: they were much better right out of the oven and within a few hours than they were the next day. I mean, my boyfriend devoured them no matter what, but in my personal opinion I would recommend that these be eaten the same day as making them.

Also, I'd like to thank my old roommates, Allie and Amy, for providing me with the cookbook from which this recipe was pulled. It was a great Christmas present and will definitely be mentioned here again and again :)

Sweet versus Savory

I think baking is more fun than cooking.

Heck, if I could live on pies and cookies alone, I probably would. I mean, then I'd weigh as much as a school bus and probably have 8 chins, but who cares.

Unfortunately, as I harp to my boyfriend all the time, we have to be somewhat healthy. This means that, as much as he may beg, we cannot have pizza rolls more than 3 nights a week for dinner. I kid, I kid!

I saw a recipe for a whole chicken that I modified for 2 servings of chicken breasts. So I put my big-girl britches on and carried out a meal that even the judges on Top Chef couldn't pick apart. Don't worry, its not fancy by any means, so you can do it too!




Rosemary chicken and potatoes
2 chicken breasts
Red/new potatoes for 2 people, washed and cut into bite-size pieces [I think I did 4]
2 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced [could substitute garlic powder]
1/2 tsp black pepper
olive oil for coating

Mix all the spices and garlic together. Sprinkle over chicken on both sides, reserving spices for the potatoes. Place cut potatoes in gallon sized bag, pouring enough olive oil in to coat them, then the remaining spices. Feel free to sprinkle more in if you want, its not really an exact science. Shake the bag around a bit, then place chicken and potatoes on baking sheet/stone. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken is.

As you can see in the picture, it goes great with a Caesar salad. And a bottle of white wine!

A College Girl Cooks Ethnically

I admit, I baked/cooked a TON over the holidays.

In fact, I held a holiday party in which I made around 10 things from scratch that would have been excellent for posting on the blog [eggnog poundcake, spinach artichoke dip, cranberry nut muffins, etc] but of course I didn't take any pictures of those. I am very sad at myself as well, so feel free to rage at the computer.

But I do have some things that I've made over the past couple weeks that I'd be happy to share.

My family is German. I grew up eating sauerbraten and spaetzle. There is nothing about meat and noodles that changes when you cross border lines. It is still just as delicious.

Now, I caution you. After this post your mouth is going to be filled with drool, and you're instantly going to want some of this pot roast and noodles. But I have a confession: I actually own a spaetzle maker. This is not your typical kitchen item for an adult, much less a girl who will skip a meal to save the money for Starbucks [I know, my mother shuddered at that statement].

Unfortunately you cannot make spaetzle without this ever important tool, shown below.


Mine is actually from Germany, with the recipe in German, but I of course will give you the English version, don't panic folks! And I apologize for the blurry picture of the meal.


Sauerbraten [German for pot roast!]
london broil roast, anywhere from 1-3.5 lbs
Knorr Sauerbraten mix [yes, I used a mix, sue me now]
water as specified on the Knorr box

I do not cook my roast like the instructions on the box list. I did not want to cook on the stovetop because the spaetzle takes up at least 2 burners, and that would have been a lot to handle at once. I used a piece of corningware, but you can also use a dutch oven. Put the roast in, sprinkle the mix and water on top, and voila, you're done with this part! I had a one pound roast, and I cooked it at 300 degrees for about an hour. Honestly, I don't have a cook time, but the meat will taste better if you have a lower temperature and cook it longer.

Spaetzle [my favorite part!]
13 oz flour
2 eggs
1/2 pint water [1 cup]
1 tbsp oil
pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together to make a dough. The dough is then pushed into the square on top of the grater. The whole piece rests on top of a large pot of boiling water. Once the square is full, you rub back and forth over the grate, so that little noodles drop into the water. This batch of spaetzle will feed at least 4 people, and probably 5 with regular appetites.

Once the noodles are done [they will all float at the top and look puffy] you drain the pot. Take 2 large skillets and melt a generous heaping of butter in them each. Divide the noodles and fry them up until they are golden brown.

Note: many Germans eat them without the second step of frying, and they are just as good, but I personally like the kind of crunchy/chewy texture of frying them. I also feel that they hold up to the gravy from the meat a little better.

Recommendations for another side: asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini

An Addictive Candy

I have eaten about 2 bags of Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses since I first laid eyes on them in the store. This is very bad. First of all, I actually do not really enjoy chocolate. So the fact that I literally cannot stop eating these little candies is just astounding to me. Also, I'm not a big candy person. I'd rather snack on some fruit.

However, being as obsessed with these things as I am, I wanted to bake something using them. Being a college student, and having no money, means that I often have a pretty pathetic pantry. Luckily, I always keep baking things on hand [sometimes its just better/cheaper to eat cookies for dinner]. On this particular day, I was running out of baking items, so I turned to store-bought brownie mix. True story, this is a way to make a mix look like its a really fancy treat!


I used my Pampered Chef hand chopper to get the kisses into tiny pieces, and then sprinkled them on top of the brownies. They were good, with just a hint of minty taste here and there. If I made them again, I'd probably put them in the middle of the brownie batter, so they'd be a surprise when you bit it, and hopefully would retain a bit more chocolatey texture.


But hey, you can't go wrong with brownies :)

Fiesta Chicken! Its a party!

Sorry for all the delay over posting again; it has been a very hectic week. I guess that's how we know its finally the holidays. But hey, cooking and baking goes hand in hand with the holidays, and I am very excited to get to start making a lot of delicious things to put on here!

So, as a college student, I am prone to hitting slumps of not wanting to do anything. Sadly, this usually extends to cooking as well. All I want during these times is for someone to bring me food and drop it directly in my lap. This has yet to happen, but it doesn't diminish my hope.

Good thing I have a very hungry boyfriend who makes cute sad faces when he doesn't get food [he's 6'4, and can put away a serious amount of food!]. So I pulled myself out of my lethargy in order to throw a couple things in the Crock Pot and then take a nap. Honestly, that's what I did! That's my favorite thing about this recipe, which I am pretty sure is originally from some cooking posting board, but have absolutely no idea for sure...I doctored it up a little bit too. It's very simple, but filling. I don't often have an opportunity to use black beans [Stephen doesn't like them] but they are extremely good for you: they help lower cholesterol AND are virtually fat-free! Check out http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2 for more health benefits of these great beans.

So if you've hit that same slump as me, don't be concerned, just make the easiest meal ever, take a nap, and feel very productive when people are amazed by the good food you put in front of them. Make sure to tell them that it took a lot of effort. And that they should be on hand for dropping food in your lap should you ever need it :)


Fiesta Chicken [I made this name up, it has no name, but I thought this could be fitting?]

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, mostly drained [but hey, if you want to dice fresh tomatoes, more power to you]
1/3 large onion, chopped into large slices
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp red pepper flakes
Tabasco/hot sauce
Rice

The ingredients listed above are for 2 people. However, it could serve 3 if you put in an extra chicken breast. Any more than 3 people and you will have to add extra of each ingredient. But don't be scared, it really can't go wrong, so you don't have to be exact with measurements.

Place sliced onion in bottom of Crock Pot. Put chicken breasts on top of onion slices [mine weren't even fully thawed!]. Sprinkle spices on top of chicken breasts. Pour tomatoes and black beans over the chicken. Make sure entire chicken breasts are covered, and mix the beans and tomatoes together slightly. Shake in Tabasco or hot sauce, using 1 tsp per chicken breast, unless you like things really hot, in which case go crazy. You can also add extra Tabasco at the very end of cooking, or on the individual plate.

Turn Crock Pot to High for 4.5 hours, or Low for 6 hours, depending on when you want to eat.

Serve over rice.



**The good thing about Crock Pots is that you really can't overcook something. So if you get home later than expected, or forget that you're cooking [unlikely, as the delicious smell of this fills the entire house] then you don't have to be concerned that you ruined dinner.

I don't mess around when it comes to cheesecake

If you're like me, you could eat cheesecake for any meal. I am not ashamed somewhat ashamed to admit that I have indeed eaten cheesecake out of the pan, and for breakfast. Has anyone seen that episode of "Friends" where Rachel and Chandler keep stealing the cheesecakes from outside a woman's apartment? I would be right there with them when they did that, and later I'd grab my fork to eat that cheesecake off the hallway floor.

Just in case you couldn't tell, I'm serious about cheesecake.

I fell in love with food blogging because of Bakerella, and so when I found a cheesecake recipe on her website, I KNEW I had to make it. And [un]luckily for my roommate at the time, I enlisted her help [thanks Allie!].

I bought a hand mixer solely for this purpose. I called my mom up from several hours away and wheedled and whined until she let me borrow her German cheesecake pan [that I later broke, by the way]. I was going all the way. I was going to make the most impressive first cheesecake ever.

And it was. Ok, maybe not the most impressive, but by to my pasta 6 meals out of 7, potato chip snacking, cheap beer drinking self...I was a cheesecake goddess. My favorite thing about this recipe: its not too sweet. It has that rich authentic cheesecake taste that downplays the sugar. Which makes it a great dessert. And also a bad one. Because you end up eating way more than you should, because you convince yourself that its good for you since its really not too sweet.

Please. Go get the ingredients. Now. I know that it seems like an indecent amount of cream cheese, but even a college girl can afford to splurge to buy cheesecake ingredients. And considering this will feed you for like 3 days straight, its honestly a bargain.

*Sidenote: For a quicker, and still pleasing version, I sometimes use a store-bought crust and then just make the filling. That way I can get my fix faster. I mean...


Plain Cheesecake
This is Bakerella's exact recipe. Please feel free to visit her site for much better photography, and no cracks around the edges.

For crust:

2.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

For filling:

4 (8oz.) packages cream cheese
1.5 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
5 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Optional:
Toppings [such as syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit, melted jam, Oreo crumbs, etc]

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
• Stir in melted butter until moistened.
• Pour the mixture into a 9 inch springform pan that is at least 3 inches tall. Press the crumb/butter mixture into the bottom and up 1 inch on the sides
  
• Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature. [You could also substitute this for a cinnamon graham cracker crust, or chocolate graham crackers, or if you're really bold...Oreos!]
  

• To make the cheesecake filling, cream the sugar, cream cheese and flour with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.
• On medium low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
• On low, add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla just until combined. [I would like everyone to know that you can definitely do all this without a mixer, as I do now, ever since my mixer started smoking and lit on fire after making too many desserts...true story]
  
• Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325.
• Make sure to take it out of the oven before the center looks done. It will be kind of wobbly and it will move in one piece. The center will look more shiny than the edges. That’s ok because it will continue to cook a little while it’s in the pan.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely to room temperature.
• Hope that it doesn’t crack. [As you can tell, I did not follow this step. Don't be alarmed, it will taste just as delicious, and you will comfort yourself with the fact that of course nobody will want to eat a cracked cheesecake, and you will be left with no other choice but to eat it yourself.]

• Separate the cheesecake from the sides of the pan. Let it chill overnight for the best flavor. This will of course be the hardest step, so you may allow yourself one slice, but honestly it is infinitely better if you allow it to chill overnight because magical cheesecake fairies come do magical delicious things to it in your fridge or something :)