Who needs Cinna-you know what..when you can make these!

ohhh....don't you just love the smell of cinnamon in your kitchen? ...and the smell of fresh baked goods wafting throughout??
These to me are still homemade because you get a quality dough versus using things that came out of can...
just say NO!

If you like Cinnamon Buns, Rolls or just goeey stuff..I got just the thing for you!
Here is what you need:
Frozen white bread loaves (such as Bridgeford or Rhodes)
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar
3 teaspoons of Cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of salt
1 stick of butter (melted)

Frosting:
2 oz. of Cream Cheese (1/4 pack)
1/2 stick of butter
2 teaspoons of REAL vanilla
about one cup of 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of milk or half & half

Notes:
 Spray loaf with a light coat of cooking spray and wrap with plastic wrap. Thaw out one loaf of bread in the fridge overnight.

Unwrap your thawed dough. Use a 9" inch round pan and cover bottom with parchment paper. I let the parchment paper hang over until the rolls have been place inside my dish, then I cut the remaining overhanging paper off.

Roll out dough onto parchment paper as thin as you can get it.

With a pastry brush or spoon cover the dough from edge to edge with melted butter. Add 80 percen of your sugar mixture on top spreading it just shy of the edge..and add almost all of the butter over it. Do not spread the sugar mixture all the way to the edge...trust me...it will leak anyway.
Start rolling the dough to form a log - you want to work from the widest, roll away from you...and gently pinch the edge together when done.
Use a metal scraper (one of the items I believe is a must have in any kitchen) or a very sharp knife (serregated will be best) and cut the log into pieces. About two inches for each roll. You should end up with about seven or eight. If you like your rolls bigger..then cut bigger chunks..three or four inches.
Start out by adding your first roll in the middle, then make a ring around the center. Rolls should not touch, they will expand. Gently push on the top to flatten out the rolls to have them even in height...and the rest of sugar on top and then the melted butter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. This gives the rolls a chance to sit a bit longer before going into the oven.
Once oven is heated up, bake rolls for about 15-20 minutes.  DO NOT OVER BAKE.

While the rolls are baking in the oven, make the frosting by creaming your Cream Cheese, Butter and Vanilla together. Add 1 tsp of milk..and slowly add powdered sugar....add more milk if you need to make the frosting a bit smoother and creamier. Mix frosting for about five minutes - this helps eliminate the sugar taste and will be absorbed into the other ingredients.

When rolls come out you can ice them with the Cream Cheese Frosting immediately.

They are ready to eat if you can either pick them up...or put a bite into your mouth without burning yourself.
Store at room tempurate for no longer than two days. Heat in microwave if necessary.
This dish is not for those that are diet consious...this desert is meant for those that want some gooey goodness. Just don't eat the entire thing!! Call your friends..or neighbors to save you if you are tempted to be a little piggy...and make them smile..!


BON APPETIT!

Cooking & Baking Must Have's - Metal Dough Scraper

I am a HUGS Alton Brown fan! He only confims what my grandmother always told me...FIND A TOOL THAT CAN MULTI TASK IN YOUR KITCHEN.
One of the things I can NOT do without is a metal 6" Dough Scraper. This tool helps me work with dough, cut dough and scrap dough off the counter. It also is an excellent garlic crusher! I love cooking with garlic and when I have to peel more than one clove I will use my scraper and cover the clover and well...hit it..smash it...whatever you want to call it! A lot of people will use a knife..hmmm..however, I prefer not to up the chance in cutting myself. The garlic clove will be open and I can gently peel the outter layer off...
plus...the flat blade of the scraper allows me to hit it gently if I only want to smoosh it a little bit..or hit it hard to get it nice and broken up.
The one I use has a ruler on it as well...perfect...because when I am trying to cut the same size I am good to go and don't have to roll out a measuring tape as some will do.
I can go on and on and on about this...for an investment of about five bucks, it is one of the greatest items I own for baking.

Chicken Panang (Curry) - my crack in a pan!

Let me talk to you about Thai food..hmm ...well...let me say let's talk about PANANG Curry. Curries, even though original from India have made their way around many cultures, as many foods have. THANK GOODNESS. Can you imagine not having coffee or chocolate? phew....I can't even think about that!

Panang can be made at home, but why I say? If you can find a good brand...especially if you have a international store near you...I say BUY IT.
Panang is made from red chilies (usually dried), Shallots and Garlic, Lemongrass, Kaffier leave, Suger, Salt and spices..such as Bay leave, Cumin, Cardoman...however..each panang may have been made with just a few other spices...soooooooo
the one I LOVE???  Is a Panang Curry Paste by MAESRI. Authentic and NO PRESERVATIVES or MSG. Yes it is IMPORTED. But you won't believe the price ...a four ounce can is usually about three bucks. But I say...go buy the big can ...14 oz. of love in a can! And hey...we paid six bucks for it...
I will use half of it for my recipes and yes...I got a half can left for the next time I make Panang.
I am crazy about Panang Curry...and I will choose it every single time over a red or green curry. And especially yellow curry (those can just be overpowering to my palate). I like layers upon layers when I am eating a dish. And Panang gives me just that! There is that simmering heat that isn't overwhelming...and ohhh gosh...a touch of sweet comes along....mmmmmmmmm....
You get a creamy texture from the coconut milk and peanut butter...and then this wonderful crips crunch from your veggies.
Before I go into sharing the recipe, let me give you a few of my hmmm tips....
If I have it on hand...I will add lemon grass to the onion and curry paste. And when I am done I will add slivers of Kaffier Leaves along with Basil leaves. It just gives another layer to this wonderful dish.
My other thing about Panang is...I only want to get a HINT of Peanut Butter in my sauce. I prefer my sauce to be towards the coconut with the unmistakalbe hint of Lemongrass...rather than a coconut Peanut Butter taste. However..isn't that the wonderful thing about a recipe? You can adjust as you need to...and even delete or add...
You can use any veggie you like to add to most Thai Curry Dishes. I like it simple. I usually only add red pepper strips and Broccoli florets. The list of veggies are endless of course...but please...don't make me eat baby corn....(yuck..yuck and YUCK!!).
now...I have finished cooking...I have had my bowl of Panang Curry...ohhhhhhhh...and...
please please please...serve this dish with JASMINE RICE. Do not use Basmati! And if you have to use ordinary white grain rice....use COMET Rice. If you are however like me....and moved away from NC..... You may or may not be able to find it in your local grocery stores. I can find it usually at Food Lion and will grab several boxes.
Last but not least..the smell...ohhh THE SMELL...I love the aromas of this dish in the air...not just in my kitchen but my house! I think I would wear this as a perfume! *grin
Enough babbling...let's get to the recipe.
BON APPETIT!!!

Panang Curry Chicken

For every two to three people you need:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/3- 1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced thin
1 large chicken breast, sliced in 1/4 inch thick strips
1 can of coconut milk (brand: Chaokoh)
 4 oz of panang curry paste (brand: Maesri) or to taste. (I usually use about 7 ounces)
1 Tbsp peanut butter (if I double my recipe I do not add more peanut butter)
1 Tbsp sugar (adjust for taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar (adjust to taste)
1 tsp salt (adjust for taste)
1 cup of frozen broccoli florets
1 red Pepper julienned (or green or a mixture of red/green)
1/4 cup Carrots sliced or julienned or any other veggies you like - the choice is yours
Basil (fresh! a dozen leaves or so)

Multiply for total number of people you need to serve for larger amounts.

Heat a wok or sauce pan to medium heat. Add oil. Saute onions for 3 min.

Add curry paste and cook until you can smell the curry releasing it's oil.
Add peanut butter and mix with curry paste.

Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and heat until bubbling. 

Add chicken.
Lower heat to simmer and leave until chicken is cooked.

Add sugar and salt.
Add second 1/2 of coconut milk.
Increase to medium heat and bring to bubble.
Heat until sauce is thickened. Add veggies and let simmer for about five more minutes.

When vegetables are cooked (slightly crispy), add basil and serve over rice.

NOTES: Both regular Basil or Thai Basil works well with this dish. This dish also is wonderful with a ton of veggies and no meat!
If your sauce gets to thick you can thin it by adding a little water.

And this is what you are going to end up with....and yesss....I have left overs...! Freezes well for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let sauce thaw in fridge and then gently heat up. Voila.

Love me some CHILI! This one with Adobe Chilies and Chocolate --- YUMMY

Chili! Perfect cold weather food and so many ways to make it. Even though I am cooking for two, I like to make extra so I can freeze meals and be ready. I have to plan ahead because Tommy (dear hubby) has to take his lunch with him and I want to make sure he has great tasting food and as healthy as I can make it.
Tommy likes heat in his food, almost a slap-me-in-the-face-and-I-don't-mind-sweating kind. Me...not so much! I prefer a slow...lingering...heat...something that will tingle on my lips, but not make me cry!
With all of that said, when cooking with chilies or chili powders you need to be careful.....you can always add to make it spicier, it is very hard to tone it down.

This recipe can be used with or without meat....ground beef or ground turkey. I love love love beans...soooo my ratio is heavy on beans....
The fun of cooking...well..you can experiment with your recipe to find out what you like best.
This particular recipe I make mostly in a crock pot to let the flavors have time to permeate through out....
Four hours on high. Shut if off. Portion out. Freeze any portions up to six months.

RECIPE:

• 2  cups  diced onion (about 1 large)
•   2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• 1  pounds  ground turkey or ground beef
• 3  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons  ancho chile powder
• 1  tablespoon  unsweetened cocoa (you know...Hershey's...the stuff we all make cookies with!)
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Beans: 1 large can of light red Kidney Beans, 1 sm. can of Black Beans, 2 sm. cans of Cannelli Beans
• 1 lg can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• 2 cups of chicken stock or yes...water
• 2  chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced
• 2  ounces  unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I use Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate baking chips)
• 1/2  cup  (light) sour cream

Add drained beans into your crock pot.

Add spices on top of your bean mixture. In a pan saute your meat, once done add it to your beans.

Saute onions and garlic over low heat until translucent. Add the chopped/minced chipolte chiles into the mixture. Add your tomatoes. And finally...add your chocolate chips and stir until they are melted.
Then pour over your mixture in the crock pot.
Stir throughly and after four hours on high heat..voila...you have a delicous meal.

Top with sour cream before serving...or shredded cheese. Sour Cream of course will let you cool down your heat ....
I recommend if you are not into spicy food, just use half of the chili powder and half o the chipolte chilies.
Do not  add any extra salt until your Chili has finished cooking.
BON APPETIT!!! I hope you will enjoy this fantastic and fairly healthy meal.
My crock pot will give me approximately 8 servings. If you used ground Turkey a bowl would be about 300 calories.

Savory Egg Strata

Savory Egg Strata is easy to make. Strata a term for layering, layer upon layer. Often bread is used in these dishes which I did not use in this one.
This morning I felt like making a breakfast dish that I can serve later on this evening. And it stores easily and heats up in the microwave without destroying the integrity of the dish. I made one plain (just cheese and eggs) and one I added Basil and Tomato before putting into the oven. The basic recipe allows you to add items such as bacon and sausage if you prefer a little heavier breakfast (just please!!!..make sure you cook your bacon or sausage PRIOR to adding it into this dish).
RECIPE:
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese (or use a combination of anything you like)
1/4 stick of butter
1 cup of light cream (feel free to use any milk you want - I used 2 percent Milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. of Dijon Mustard (don't fret...experiment with this - my dish this morning had Horseradish Mustard in it)
12 eggs slightly beaten

You can use a 13x9x2 baking dish (glass is preferred) or as I did two pie plates.
Spread your cheese on the bottom of the dish. Dot with butter.

After combining your milk, salt, pepper and mustard, pour 1/2 of the mixture onto the dishes reserving the other 1/2. Pour your eggs into the baking dish and top with your remaining cream mixture.

Bake in 325 degree.
40 minutes for the 13x9x2 dish
30 minutes for the smaller baking dishes

LOOK AT THIS!! Not only is it beautiful to look at, the Basil and Tomatoes fill your kitchen with a wonderful aroma and it is ohhhhhhhhhhhhh SOOOoooooooooo Yummy!!!!

If you try it...let me know if you like it...!
Let stand for ten minutes and serve
Once cooled off store in fridge

Fahrvergnuegen

I love me a hearty "Pellekuchen" - a slang term meaning Potato Cake aka a potato omelet. This is comfort food for me. Everyone I have ever made this for has come back for seconds. And a few have walked away with my recipe. It is truly a simple but delightful dish and can be enjoyed anytime of the day.
My grandmother used to make this for me and often leftovers were added into the egg mixture; sausage, cheese, lox etc.
I am not saying all of it at one time, but you can add one or ten items - if you like it....go ahead and make it!
My friend Cheryl left me a message on Facebook reminding me how much she likes this dish and now shares it with her kids. She has lovingly renamed it Fahrvergnuegen.
Cheryl and I share a love of food. Many of times have we sat at the kitchen table and humming softly while we are eating. If you have never hummed or wiggled while eating, you have not found food that completely delights you! Psstt....we do it out in public too. Which has always embarrassed my daughter! Score! Bonus Points!

I like starting my Pellekuchen from raw potatoes, but many start this with boiled potatoes. I also like my potatoes with skin on. Of course this again is a personal choice. Go ahead and peel yours if your prefer naked spuds.
Cooking time is cut if you already have leftover boiled potatoes. Experiment and see what you like to use best!
Since the star of this meal is the potato - selecting the right variety is important. I prefer the golden Yukon but I like red potatoes as well. The only ones you want to stay away from are Russets. They will make your dish too dry. Save your russets for a baked potato or French Fries.

Ingredients:

Golden Yukon Potatoes (2 per person)
Eggs (2 per person)
small onion
Vegetable Oil
(Bacon or Sausage Grease)
Splash of Milk
Salt
Pepper
FRESH Chives and/or Parsley
Pat of butter

I love love love to make this dish in a cast iron skillet. Heat it up on Med High. Add your vegetable oil so your pan is covered. I add two table spoons of bacon and/or sausage drippings, which I usually collect.
Slice your potatoes in even strips. You can dice them if you like. You simply want to ensure even cooking.

Add potatoes to HOT pan. Let them sit for ten minutes and turn potatoes over. Fine dice your onion.

After another five minutes of cooking add the onions on top of your potatoes.

While this is cooking make your liquid for your omelet.

Crack your eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk, some pepper and salt and whip it up until bubbles have formed on top. I add fresh herbs at this point. Chives and Parsley are always fabulous with potatoes.


Turn potatoes - you want to get them brown on all sides. Once the potatoes are done, turn down heat, add a pat or two of butter.... and slowly add your egg mixture on top of your potatoes.

This now has to sit so the eggs can harden and bind. I will loosen the sides with a spatula and slowly shake my pan back and forth to get the eggs to cook.
Once you see it set, take a bowl or a lid and slide the omelet onto it and flip it over in the pan.
Make sure your eggs are cooked through. Cut into portions and serve while warm.

I add chives and parsley (yes..yes FRESH!) on top.
This entire dish will take about 30 minutes or less depending on how many potatoes you are making, and if you have chosen to make it with raw potatoes or already cooked potatoes.
One of my favorite versions is adding crispy bacon and some shredded cheese to the egg mixture...ohhh gosh..absolutely YUMMY.
....ohhh and one more thing...SHOULD you have leftovers, they will store just fine and eating them cold is great, or reheat.

GUTEN APPETIT!!!

I am just going to jump in with both feet and blog. Food is a funny thing - we all eat it - and we all need it to survive. Some of us however really get food. Do you like to smell your food? Do you hum and even wiggle while consuming food? Do you get excited when you know you are about to try something new for the very first time?
I DO! I DO!
Will you order the same dish in different restaurant just to taste the difference? Is there a dish you make often because people ask you to prepare it? Check and Check!

I used to really fuss when I had to help my Grandmother in the kitchen...now I am eternally grateful that she shared her knowledge with me. I lived with my grandmother for ten years in Germany. She had taught young girls how to cook and even at one point owned a restaurant. I am happy ...that I was one of those girls she taught.
However, I do not consider myself a FOODIE (which the dictionary defines as a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking). And don't ask me to put a label on myself....not happening!

Recently I because very nostalgic about my past and as I was cleaning up my kitchen (YIKES!!)...I came across my grandmothers and mothers cooking books. In German of course. Two of them are hand written recipes passed on by family members and friends. Some of the recipes I can prepare from without ever having to look at a page because I make it A LOT!
Thumbing through some of the pages, I realized how much I missed the German cuisine I grown to love. Talk about comfort foods...we Germans love us some potatoes and noodles. And we certainly aren't shy about eating meat. Except those that are catholic and skip meat on Friday's and opt for either vegetarian or fish. I don't have that issue...so I eat what I feel like it at any given time.

"Fat Girl gotta eat" - a phrase I hear my friend Connie mutter quite often and I simply nod my head. It is a silent understanding that we are on the same wave length. At least when it comes to food. Let's face it....none of us want to face the possibility of having a plain bowl of oatmeal three times a day, seven times a week.
The wonderful thing about food is, it never has to be boring...and just like our tastes in music...we are allowed to have different tastes from someone else.
Before I share the dish I prepared today - let me tell you that my day will always start with a GREAT cup of coffee. For this I can promise you....I am TOTALLY ADDICTED to coffee and the experiment of finding the next wonderful bean to have in my cup (after my husband has turned it from a green bean into a wonderful roast).

As I was thumbing through the cookbooks my eye fell on "Bratklops". Loosely translated as baked or friend meatballs. However - I have always added my own touch or changed a recipe slightly to accommodate my taste and this is what you are going to get.
Should you chose to make the dishes as I share recipes, please feel free to leave me a note and tell me how it turned out. I would love to know if you got as excited as I did, or if it fell flat for you after making it.

Now let me share Bratkloepse with you and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. I opted for a lighter version in my mixture of beefs, choosing turkey over ground pork. But you may combine any two meats you feel like, or just use one. I also opted for the leaner versions. Just be careful, less fat and you could dry out the meatballs.

One pound of Ground Beef (80/20)
One pound of lean Turkey (90/10)
1/2 cup of unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 egg
Salt
Pepper
and about one cup of flour

Mix your meats, bread crumbs, onion, egg and add some salt and pepper. Don't overmix this tends to make the mixture tougher. Form Meatballs (I use an ice cream scoop to get consistent size balls about 2 inches round)into balls. I like mine bigger, but you certainly can make them small. Then roll each one in flour. I season my flour with salt, pepper and garlic.

Arrange on a foil lined baking pan. I bake them at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Even if they are still medium or medium well inside, they will continue to cook when you add them into the gravy.
If you like a caramelized version of this meatball, fry them in a pan. Use canola oil and if you have it add a little bacon fat to the pan.


Take meatballs out of the oven and set aside. Use the drippings from the pan to make a roux adding butter and white flour. Again, adding some bacon fat only gives it more taste, but I am presently opting for a little bit of a lighter version. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I add about one teaspoon of fresh cut parsley and fresh cut chives. This also gives you a little color for the dish.

While you are working on the roux, boil your egg noodles (and don't over cook your noodles, it has to be one of the worst things one can do to food!)in some salt water.
When the gravy has thickened to your liking add the meatballs back into the pan to warm them up.

When noodles are done and drained, add a cup of noodles to a plate. Cover in gravy add some meatballs and sprinkle a touch of parsley and chives on top.
VOILA! you are ready to eat "Bratkloepse".

Let the past be the past (ummm rrrright)

Just sharing....from the top of my head (be glad I did have two cups of coffee!).

I know we all have a past. Looking back as we all will eventually can bring hysterical giggles from yourself and old friends...wondering how in the hell did you ever pull that hairdo off? In my yearbook we have girls with bangs standing straight up and I doubt even the weakest of tornadoes would have moved on hair out of place. Or when Bo Derek inadvertently set off a trend where girls everywhere added beads into their hair and of course were whipping their heads around just to show off, and ooopss...sorry.....hitting the closest person near with a rope of hair you felt like had several golf balls attached. Often landing the hits directly onto the bridge of a nose, and luckily avoiding poking someones eye out. Perms that looked like you put your finger in an electric socket and the famous do of short hair on top...with a nice long layer at the bottom, most often touching the top of your shoulders...YOU KNOW...the Mullet. Billy Ray had his hair talked about as much as his music...
....and worst....girls (including myself) wore their hair in the gawd awful mullet. But what did we know at the time? right? we were styling! Of course we were.
I am extremely proud to say I have never worn bell bottoms! Gosh, I thought they were the ugliest thing EVER. I chose corduroys, mostly in black - as long as the ridges were close together, the wides ones were awful.
Things I do shake my head over and can't for the life of me figure out why I ever wanted these particular items and actually showed myself in public - Cowboy boots! what was I thinking?
A poncho - I don't know anyone that this is attractive on. Period. End of discussion.
A jeans jump suit with zippers from top to bottom. And yes, I wore them with cowboy boots! The ones with the square toe. I was just so fashionable. Rrriight...
Did I mention these are items I got from my mother who was living in North Carolina and I was living in Germany with my grandmother. I begged for these items to be sent to me. *sighing
I never have claimed that I make excellent decisions at all times, after all...hmmm...I can blame it on being a teenager! And that is my story..and I am sticking to it.
And the banana clip....wow...that sure made from some cascading funky pony tail. Ohh how much fun it was when they popped open and your hair just spilled everywhere, of course, while you were out for dinner. Luckily the other guest ducked when the clip came flying and it did not fall into anyone's plate either. Phew!
Now...let's see...what do I want to talk about? I have to get back with you!