Coffee Time: Oh the thought of Chocolate.....

For some reason today my thoughts went to chocolate! Perhaps it was the commercial I saw that led me to a New Blog site. Not without Salt, she had a photo of Chocolate bars. I remember the one Mom use to make. The memories flooded back, times of my childhood and the time at home. The smell of Chocolate seems to bring back happy thoughts.

Mom seem to be the one to introduce the wonderful flavor to all us kids. She gave my Daughter her first taste in a DingDong. That started the love of chocolate for her. Then about 7 years ago Mom introduce chocolate to Critter and he was hooked. It was in a Hershey bar. He continued to warm up to her just to have another taste. We all laughed and then realized what was being created, a chocoholic!

Chocolate is an addicting food, but oh the Delight in it is great! I have since switched to Dark chocolate. However, once in a while I crave the Milk chocolate. What is your favorite chocolate?

Oktoberfest time- Warm Potato salad

Oktoberfest is a time of food, fun and dance. Originally started in the 1800. It was a wedding feast for a Bavarian princess. Has continued since. I love this time of year and the two weeks of Oktoberfest. the fall smells are in the air. It reminds me of my time in Germany, a wonderful memory. I thought I would as usual, post German theme recipes these next few weeks. We will be eating German base meal in the home and out. I will be inspired to make new versions or these wonderful dishes. Here is one for your family to try, Hope you enjoy.



OktoberFest Warm Potato Salad

6 slices of smoked hickory bacon, cut up.
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup apple vinegar
8 oz of Chicken stock
7 medium russets potatoes.

Wash and pierce the potatoes, Place pierce side up in microwave, bake according to your microwave instructions. cut in half and then cube.( leave skin on)

While potatoes are cooking, heat the bacon in a large frying pan. Cook on medium high heat until bacon is softly cooked and the bacon fat is rendered. Add onions and continue to cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and dry mustard and stir well.
Add vinegar and stir and scrape bottom of pan. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally .

Add the Hot cooked and prepared potatoes to the vinegar mixture. Fold in the potatoes. remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, I use a potato masher and give them a quick mash, still leaving some chunks. Serve warm.

Copyright 2011 by "AuntieE Cookbook/M Dubros"

Walnut and Banana Steel-Cut oatmeal.

Oatmeal is a great Low Gylcemic Index(LGI) food. I tried a Steel Cut oatmeal and found that they were very good. The one thing about LGI food is they are slow digestive foods. That will help the Glucose level to remain level. Creating no sugar spikes, which tends to led to cravings.

Foods great for this is bananas, Agave Syrups and Oatmeal. Walnuts have great omega 3 oils, which are also a good source of stable oil for your body. Combining these will help in the weight control life. A hardy breakfast is a great start to your day. Eating a LGI one will give you more energy and wake the body up from the night time fast in a better way.

Here is my Steel oatmeal recipe.

1 1/2 cups of cold water
1 Tablespoon Maple Agave syrup
1/4 cup of Steel-Cut oatmeal
2 Tablespoons ( 1/8 cup) of chopped Walnuts
1 small banana, chopped

In a small sauce pan bring water and Agave syrup to boil.
Stir in Steel-Cut oats and reduce to Low heat, Simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove from heat add walnut and Banana.
Serves 1 or 2 if you wish.


copyright 2011 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"

**try visiting the Gylcemic Index Foundation for more on LGI foods. (the Logo is a link also.)

New Gadget= Mini Donuts

These are perfect for everyone. I find when I have a sweet tooth, one of these can solve it.
Made chocolate minis yesterday with chocolate glaze. They were so easy, used Dark cocoa( 100%cocoa). The best for use loaded with antioxidants.

This machine was so easy to use and takes no time. The Machine " Baby Cakes Donut" make 6 at one time and takes 4 minutes cooking time. I do not have to use oil at all on the device. Its' nonstick surface works very well. The Machine is small, making it easy to store. Colorful for on the counter if you wish. I like the fact that you are in control of the ingredients. This makes them much healthier.

I will be adding a category to my index just on recipes for this gadget. There are so much ideas floating in my head. Thinking seasonal recipes would be a great one.

The New Gadget.....

The donuts size.....
these are one made with the recipe included with booklet
I put powder sugar and cinnamon sugar on them.
The are the Sour Cream Donuts.

My chocolate recipe.
Dark Chocolate Donuts

You will need a hand mixer or stand mixer.

The Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup dark cocoa
1+1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine Raw sugar.
1 Tablespoon Baking powder

• shift dry ingredients together.

Wet ingredients:

1 egg (you can use 2 eggs white only)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

• Mix wet ingredient in mixer til blended.
• Add dry ingredients and mix well.
• scoop 2 teaspooons into Babycakes Donut maker ( I use a small Metal scoop)
• cook for 4 minutes, remove from maker, place on cooling rack.

Chocolate Glaze.

3/4 cup powder sugar
2 Tablespoon regular cocoa
2 Tablespoon non-fat Half and Half
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract.

• mix together with small whisk til smooth.
• Drip donut tops in glaze and place on a cool rack. I put a piece of Foil under the rack to catch the drips.

copyright 2011 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"

Kitchen Gadget- Ice Cream anyone?

I purchased a new ice cream maker. It is a Cuisinart 1-1/2 Quart Ice Cream Maker. It is so easy to use and one can have ice cream in 20 minutes. I like to put it in the freezer for one hour to get to a consistency I like. There is nothing like home made ice cream. I have a great recipe that I created.









Ovaltine Reece's Ice cream

mix together:
3/4 cups Rich Chocolate Ovaltine powder.
1 cup Half n Half
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Stir well and then refrigerate for about 1 hour.( you can make this a keep in refrigerator overnight)

Prepare ice cream maker.

Pour mixture into running ice cream maker.(the bowl should be well frozen).
It well take about 15 to 20 minutes until thicken.

In the meantime chop up a 4 oz. package of Reece's pieces.

Add the the mixture and continue mixing for 5 more minutes.

Remove ice cream and put into a freezer container with a sealed top. Freeze for 1 to two hours.)
remove for freezer at least 15 minutes before serving.(if you freeze longer than 2 hours.

copyright 2011 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"

French Breakfast Bake

I love Breakfast Casseroles. They are so easy to make and a great time saver for the weekend morning. Blueberries are one of the most common fruit used in cooking. I had some Croissants that were a few days old and hard. I had stored them in the refrigerator, to keep them from molding. So I thought I would use them in a casserole. I think it turn out good and the family loved it, they ate it all up! Hope you will try it out.

Blueberry Breakfast Casserole

about 6 croissants cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries, frozen
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoon Baker Nut dessert filling
8 eggs beaten well
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
buttered casserole dish( 1.5 qt)
Preheated oven ,350 degrees Fahrenheit

1. Put cube croissants in casserole dish. Mix in blueberries.

2. Add brown sugar and nut filling together, Drop by spoon fulls into casserole dish.

3. Mix eggs and milk and vanilla in bowl, Pour over bread mixture. Cover refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top and center is cooked.

copyright 2011 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"

Coffee Time with Auntie E-"I Can't"......

I am enjoying a cup of Black Silk by Folgers. I take mine with Cream and sugar. I have been using a sugar called Sun Crystals. It is a blend of Stevia and Pure sugar cane. I like it because I use less sugar and yet it does not affect my metabolism. My creamer today is called Italian cream.

Today my daughter is out with her driving instructor. This is her first time driving with some one other than us. It is for a two hour session. I know she will do fine. Teens can sometime be challenging. At the age of 17 they want to make their own decisions however they still need the guidance. I thought I would blog about it here since she rearly comes to this blog.

I am having a hard time with her on the "I can't" phrase. I read in the book "The Best Advice I ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives" by Katie Couric, of a person that wasn't allow to say that phrase growing up. Oh, I should have that information a long time ago! Matthew McConaughey, an actor and director stated he father would never accept that phrase. Instead the phrase must be said" I am just having Trouble with" I really liked that solution to the problem.

I was thinking as I spoke with a friend yesterday, that I do not remember ever saying I can't in life. I am one of those folks that will find a way to do what ever. Nothing was impossible to me! If someone told me a couldn't, I would prove them wrong. I think that is the difference between my daughter and me. Never really thought I would the mother of this type of thinking. The kind that lives in the "I can't" part of life.

Would love to change her mindset however, I just do not know how. Teen years are tricky and one must tread lightly. This is so we do not loose the relationship we have with our children.

Well that is the just of my life today. How do you feel about this "I can't" subject? What would you do?

Turkey 'N Noodles

We eat turkey breast meat a lot here. available at the market, packaged like chicken. I really like the Butterball brand ones. However there are many companies now packaging it. Use it as you would chicken. It is Leaner than chicken in some ways. Use it with out the skin and the fat is nearly zero. The only fat is that which is added in the cooking. The other day I made this Turkey N Noodles dish. I love mushrooms, however some times the fresh one aren't available at the time I need them. Finding a Mushroom Salt, at my favorite store, thought I would try it out this way. I add a can of sliced mushroom to the recipe.

Here is an easy recipe. cooks in less than 30 minutes.

Turkey 'N Noodles

You will need:

One package turkey tenders
one can cream of celery soup
one can Sliced mushroom and pieces
Extra Virgin Oil oil.
Wild Porcini Sea Salt( from spice collection of Williams and Sonamas, can be ordered one line)
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
a skillet with a top.
cooked wide egg noodles
steamed peas ( about 1 cup)

• slice tenders length wise into 1/8 inch pieces
• sprinkle with Porcini salt
• Put olive oil in skillet and heat on medium high heat until it just begins to smoke, it only take a couple minutes. So do not leave the stove!
• Add turkey slices and brown on both sides. (this will only take a couple minutes)
• Add soup and mushrooms, 1/8 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika. cook for about 5 minutes covered. stir and then cook for about 5 minutes more.

Serve with egg noodles and top with peas.

You will enjoy this recipe.

copyright 2011 by "Auntie E Cookbook/M Dubros"

Coffee Time with Auntie E- changes in store...

It seems that the Thursday's PotLuck Club is not that popular at the present time. So, for now I will table it. Maybe during the summer I will start it up again.

Trying to get back to the recipe days, I will start again digging up vintage recipes and making them healthier. With today's knowledge we can revamp them to be better for the body. Replacing somethings with a healthier choice. However trying to keep that vintage taste.

I love the old comfort foods and the vintage parties of old. The food items were so great and are reminiscent of a more easy living days. Days of Picnics and outdoor cooking, family and friends together for fun times. I remember my Mother in the kitchen cooking weekly meals. We always sat down at the table as a family every evening. I miss that in these fast pace days. Everything seems to have to be done in Thirty minutes or less and we eat so fast the average sit down time is less than 20 minutes, sometimes even faster. In some instants it eating on the road to the next stop! Oh boy that is a challenging meal. No wonder we have health issues here in the USA. We tend to eat on the fly.... No time to slow down and taste the food.

My goal is to post meals that can be cooked in crackpot or prepared in a short time. So that the cook time is manageable. Creating a great sit down family dinner time. Have some Great ideas. Even some that will have the kids help, if you are a work outside the home cook.

This is a New year for this blog. All of my Recipes are still available in the index. Most of them are easy to prepare. As well as Favorites of the family. Hope you will stick around and explore My Kitchen Blog.

If ever you have any questions you can leave a comment. I will answer it here in the Kitchen blog.

So now I will ask a question of you. What is you Most Favorite Meal?

Thursday's the PotLuck Club- Romantic Dinners

We all love the romantic dinners. It February and all those commericals and adds are promoting the romantic dinners. With the economy it is getting harder to go out to enjoy that expensive treat. Why not have one at home.

let's start with a nice appetizer. Some thing light and easy.

Steamed Artichokes with herb garlic butter.
Paired with a glass of white wine or white grape nonalcoholic wine. One can even make a spritzer .
Next on to the dinner. A special salad.
Grab a bag of spring mix and add Raspberries and almonds. Make a raspberry Vinaigrette.
On to the main dish. Roasted Maple Salmon.
For dessert a piece of Cheese cake topped with cherries and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

My recipe for you ;
Roasted Maple Salmon

3 tablespoon Maple syrup
2 tablespoon Low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger( or you can use 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
about four pieces of Salmon( 6 0z each)
green onion thinly sliced.

• Preheat oven to 475F
• Add first five ingredients in small mixing bowl and whisk together.
• In a small shallow casserole dish, place salmon skin side down
• Pour glaze over Salmon
• Roast for 15 minutes. At the 7 minute point baste salmon with glaze.
• remove from oven , place on serving dish and sprinkle with sliced green onion

Each serving has about 340 Calories, 32 grams protein, 12 carbohydrates, 18 gram total fat( 4 grams of that are saturated) and 89 mg cholestestrol. The sodium is down if you use low sodium soy sauce, If not it would be 580mg.

This is a great fast recipe. can be prepared early and then placed in the oven during the appetizer. It is our favorite meal here.


Now it's your turn link up your recipes for that Romantic Dinner.

Coffee time with Auntie E-Ready, Get set, Cook...

We are in full swing of the new year. Recipes are turning up as well as some old favorites being reborn.
I thought for the rest of February we would think romance. My hubby love steak and artichokes. I am not a steak eater , my favorites are Lamb and garlic potatoes. For the next two weeks for Thursday PotLuck Club, I would love to see some ideas for some romantic meals. Come on let's get those recipes out and link them up.

I am having my cup of Latta, vanilla made with my Beville frother. I really do love that tool, it make prefect froth for the latta.

Hope to see you tomorrow on the link.

Thursday's the PotLuck Club- Cincinnati Chili

We are back......Yes after a break over the holidays, it is time again for the Thursday's the PotLuck Club. If you are new to this club, this is how it works. On Thursday you post a dish that you love to make for the family gatherings. It can be just for the Sunday crew or a pot luck function.
We like the easy ones the best. Crock pots are great, even the night before-day of ovens ones are great. I have been thinking about some that are freeze and cook later ones. Anything that is easy to do and a time saver are truly the desired ones. In these days of multitasking, we all need to be able to do things fast and still impress our family and friends. Now once you have posted your recipe on your site, Link the recipe Html address to the link below. You can use a photo of the recipe or your widget. The great thing about this is there will be a category just for the Thursday PotLuck dishes. Once you have posted the recipe link, add my Thursday PotLuck Club icon to your sidebar. If you click and copy the HTML it will be link back to my Kitchen blog. It must link back to this sight. Now let's began this year 2011 with some winter recipes.

Today's recipe from me ti share will be a chili type spaghetti sauce. It love Coney dogs. I long for that taste again. Most of the time the chili is referred as Cincinnati Chili. Now the difference is chocolate is used in the recipe and there is another secret. I lived in Cincinnati Ohio as a small child. I remember the chili, we use to have it on Spaghetti. So here is a my version of the official recipe.

Cincinnati Chili a la Auntie E

First set of ingredients :

• 1 pound lean ground beef ( I like to use 90% and above).
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon mild chili powder
• 1 teaspoon each of; cumin,ground allspice, ground *Saigon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic,
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 cup water

You will also need:
2 to 4 Tablespoon of tomato paste

Now this is the secret. Do not brown the beef!
If you can regrind the beef to be very fine. This process with make the beef tender and cook even. you can do this in the processor or a fine grinder attachment for your mixer.
This is how to make it;

Combine the first set of ingredients in to a 3 quart stock pot. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to still have a soft boil. Cover and Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring often, add more water if needed. { You can cook longer for a more intense flavor, however after 30 minutes reduce the heat to a simmer. I would not go longer than two hours, and be sure to add water as need so not to burn the meat.}

Now remove the top add two Tablespoon of tomato paste. stir well til tickened. Continue adding tomato past 1 Tablespoon at a time until the thickness you like.

copyright 2011 by "Auntie E's CookBook/M Dubros"

Serve this over thin Spaghetti, top it with Shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions.
* Saigon cinnamon can be found at Williams Somona.It really does make a difference in the taste

A French Toast Day!

Two years ago we went out west on a trip. We called the Trip "Go West my Friend". We had a great time seeing the Grand Canyon region, Painted Desert, Colorado, California, Las Vegas and then to Minnesota. You can click on the "Go west my Friend" Link at the bottom of this post to see some photos and learn about that trip.
While staying at a Bed and Breakfast of a friend, she made this Recipe. Thought I would share it today. The weather is icy and cold here. A perfect day for French Toast.

Meals at Legacies Bed and Breakfast

Blue Ridge Orange Pecan Toast

Ingredients:
8 oz. loaf of 1-inch sliced French bread
1/3 C butter
1/2 C chopped pecans.
Whisk together:
4 eggs
2/3 C orange juice
1/3 C milk
1/4 C orange liqueur (Triple Sec)
1/4 C sugar
1 tablespoon grated, orange rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Directions:
Place bread in large pan. Pour whisked mixture over it and refrigerate overnight, turn once. In morning, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into Teflon jelly roll pan. Place soaked bread on the pan and sprinkle chopped pecans over bread. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup. Serves four.

Links:
"Go West my Friend"
Legacies Bed and Breakfast

Weekend Kitchen Gadget- Frothed milk anyone?

The holidays has made the kitchen very busy. Daughter has been making cookies and I have been cooking, as usual. This Christmas a got a gift card, from my SIL and with it I purchase a Breville Milk Cafe( it is a Frother).

Now it works very nicely, has two Disk. One for Creaming milk, used in making Latte's. And a Frothing one, used for Cappuccinos and Hot Cocoa. You just measure the cold milk and put it in the Cafe. Dial the temperature you what and press the button. It dose all the work, heating the milk to the perfect temp and frothing the milk.

I have had a latte and Hot Cocoa. Both where very good. it is so easy to use to make my daughter Hot cocoa to take to the bus stop in the frigid morning temps. it takes about 2 to 7 minutes to make. Depending on the amount of milk used.

Now I have a Espresso machine and it has a air frothing mechanism . I also despised that thing. It was always hard to get the cream just right. Now I use it only to make the espresso.
You can be sure I will be looking for another one soon. But for now the old espresso machine will have to do.

I would recommend this gadget for that hard to buy person, who is into Latte's and Cappuccino's. They will find their use it a lot for Hot cocoa . It will stay out on the counter, ours does. It is costly but a very good investment.

Coffee time with Auntie E- And The Winner is......

Thank you all for linking your Holiday recipes during the Holiday Flare contest.
The voting was not a success, Only had one vote on a couple of them. However what I did was go to each recipe site with one vote and check on the Rules compliance. If they did not follow the rules for entering the contest, then they were disqualified.

Well I have a winner. Only one so she will get the top prize. A $50 Visa Gift Card.

Now the Winner is........

Cranberry sauce with Ruby Port and Cinnamon
entered by Stacy Uncorked.

Now if you would like to view the recipes entered you can follow this link...
Holiday Flare

Congratulations to Stacy.