Back in the Saddle with White Chocolate Confetti Corn

Well, Danny told me that mac.com is changing how they're doing everything so I think we're getting rid of our .com that we have.  Another thing is that a lot of times I post something on Facebook people ask if I've put it on my blog!  So I guess I should start back up, huh?  I'll figure out how to use this blogger to it's full potential.  I'm planning on pictures and all that fun stuff.  (I always say that, don't I?!).  Anyway, here's the white chocolate confetti corn that my dear friend Carrie gave me the recipe for!  Enjoy!

White Chocolate Confetti Corn

2 batches of air popped corn - close to 24 cups popped
1 package white chocolate almond bark
1 bag Fritos
4-8 crushed candy canes or sucker sticks in desired flavor - cherry, rootbeer, peppermint, etc.

Crush the candy canes and set aside.  Cover countertop with foil or waxed paper.

Pop the corn and place in a large roasting pan.  Crush the bag of Fritos and pour over the popcorn, tossing to mix lightly.  Put the almond bark in a medium to large bowl and melt in the microwave according to package directions.  When completely melted, pour the almond bark over the popcorn/Fritos mixture and mix to coat.  Spread the coated mixture out on a countertop that has been covered with foil or waxed paper.  Sprinkle with the crushed candies and allow to dry!

Easy and super yummy!  Thanks, Carrie!

My Caramel Corn

Well, I must say that Caramel Corn is my downfall - one of my MANY downfalls when it comes to sweets.  I took the liberty of customizing and ENLARGING a regular recipe to make this one.  I figure, make it once and make it BIG. :)

I'm getting ready to start my holiday baking/cooking/craziness, so I thought I'd start blogging again with this oldie but goodie.  It's probably one of my most signature "Libby" things I make.  Friends, tell me if I'm wrong.  Here you all go!  Make it and tell me what you think!

Oh, and HOPEFULLY, don't quote me on this, but my goal is to start getting some pictures up on here too.  Can you believe it?  Actually looking all professional and stuff.  I guess we'll have to just wait and see, won't we?

Caramel Corn

2/3 C popcorn, popped
9 T light corn syrup (1/2 C plus 1 T)
2 1/4 C packed brown sugar
18 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 300.  Place the popped corn in a large roasting pan.  In a medium saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup and brown sugar.  Cook and stir on medium to medium-high heat until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil.  When it comes to a boil, turn down to medium-low and boil WITHOUT stirring for 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes is up, remove from the heat and stir in extracts and soda.  Stir to combine.  Careful, it bubbles up and gets really foamy.  Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir to completely coat.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Stir caramel corn and then continue baking for 5 more minutes.

After the last 5 minutes, check a piece to see if it's got the crunchiness you're looking for.  If not, bake a few more minutes and check again!  Remove from oven and pour onto a counter covered with waxed paper, foil or parchment and allow to cool.  Break apart and enjoy!

You can make this a salted caramel by adding some fleur de sal or sea salt with the extracts and soda, and then by putting a small amout on the corn after you pour it on the counter to cool.

Ham and Lentil Stew

Okay, so I know this is the second post in a day, but I'm trying to make up for lost time.  This was our dinner tonight, and dare I say it was a HUGE HIT with the munchkins!  My kids always turn their nose up at soup for dinner.  I think it's genetic because their dad is the same way - unless it's accompanied by a nice big meaty sandwich.  My kids think this is just "ham and lentils", which is just fine with me.  It's like how we call every meat "Steak" or "Chicken", and every vegetable they may not like is a "different colored carrot".  Whoops, my train of thought has been derailed.  Back to the task at hand - here's my recipe!  Super yummy!

Ham and Lentil Stew

2 C small diced ham
1 C water
32 oz beef broth
8 oz dried lentils (this is by weight, not measurement)
1 C cut carrots
1/2 C diced bell peppers
1 small bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 small bag frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 C shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot and stir to combine well.  Turn the crock pot on High and cook 3 1/2 to 4 hrs.

Place a small handful of cheese in the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup on top.  YUM!

Herb Focaccia

So, I was talking to one of my best friends from childhood, Shannon, and she was talking to me about her new love of baking!  How exciting is THAT?!  One more thing to bond over!  Anyway, I told her that I'd get my focaccia recipe on here and, like the great friend I am, it's taken me over a week to get it on here!  Whoops.  I hate it when life gets in the way of things you want to do.  Am I right?

Anyway, this is a great, easy focaccia recipe that takes just over an hour, start to finish.  I love it!  Nothing makes a house smell better than fresh baked bread, either.  This can make two small loaves or one large one.  Put whatever type of herbs on it you want.  YUM!  And Shannon, you've got to let me know how it turns out!

Herb Focaccia

3 1/2 C flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 pkg fast-acting yeast
1 C water
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg
3-4 T olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary or basil leaves, crushed (I like a little garlic too)

Grease a cookie sheet.  I a large bowl, combine 1 C of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast; mix well.  In a small saucepan, heat the water and oil until very warm, 120-130 degrees.  Add warm liquid and the egg to the flour mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed.  By hand, stir in an additional 1 3/4 C flour until dough pulls away from the sides of a bowl.  On a floured surface, knead in 3/4 C flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Cover with large bowl (or your mixing bowl) and let rest for 5 minutes. (You can also do the "by hand and kneading" part with the dough hook on your mixer)

Place dough on greased cookie sheet.  Roll or press to a 12-inch circle.  Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and a cloth towel.  Let rise in warm place (80-85 degrees) until light and doubled in size, about 30 minutes.  You can also proof it in the oven by placing a small metal bowl with water down in the bottom my the element, turning your oven onto the lowest setting, then, after it reaches temp, turning it off and letting the bread rise in there.

Heat the oven to 400.  Uncover the dough.  With fingers or handle of wooden spoon, poke holes in dough at 1 inch intervals.  Drizzle 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of dough.  Sprinkle evenly with rosemary.

Bake at 400 for 17-27 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack.  If you're making 2 smaller 8-inch loaves, bake for 10-20 minutes.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Okay friends.  So I've decided to venture into the world of fancy schmancy (yes, I said it) biscotti!  This one, I know, is not the most gourmet of flavors, but it certainly is yummy!  Any of you who usually get big plates of cookies or bags of my Christmas cookies may be getting all sorts of scrumptious biscotti this year. Here's the recipe for one of my favorite flavors - Pumpkin!  Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Biscotti

2 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat an oven to 350.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and the spices - including the salt.  Sift together or mix very well to combine.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture.  Give it as good a stir as you can to generally incorporate the ingredients.  This will be a very dry, crumbly dough.

Flour your hands and lightly knead the dough.  You can do this in the bowl, or on a lightly floured surface.  Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment.  Form the dough into ONE large log, roughly 15-20 inches long, 6 inches wide, but only 1/2 inch thick.  Bake 22-30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.  Mine took about 26 minutes.

Remove from oven and let biscotti cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.  Remove from the sheet and place on a cutting board.  Cut loaves into 1/2 inch slices.

Turn oven to 300 and return the sliced biscotti to the baking sheet.  Bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  Cool completely.

I like to dip these into white chocolate or melted cinnamon chips.  Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice

So I had EVERY intention of making this for dinner tonight, until I realized that I had no canned red beans.  I'm kind of a canned food addict, and LOVE buying things for the pantry - black beans being a staple.  Unfortunately, I'm always thinking I'm out of black beans, so I buy those, completely forgetting those wonderful little red beans.  I have them all dried in my huge pantry as well, but those don't lend themselves to last minute preparation, which I find myself doing all too often.

This is a tried and tested family favorite recipe here at our house.  I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

Red Beans and Rice

2 tsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 c)
1 T flour
1-15oz can red beans, rinsed and drained
1-8oz can tomato sauce
4 oz low fat sausage patties or links, cooked, drained and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp Tabasco (optional)
3 c hot cooked rice (or more like we do!)
1/4 c sour cream (optional)

Melt butter in a skillet until sizzling.  Add onion.  Cook over medium heat until onion is softened, 2-3 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, sprinkle flour over onion; stir to mix well.  Continue to cook another minute to get rid of the "flour" taste.

Stir in beans, tomato sauce, sausage, bay leaf, pepper, and Tabasco if desired.  Cover and continue to cook until heated through and the flavors are blended, usually 10-15 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.

Serve the bean mixture over the rice, topping with the sour cream if you'd like.

Pork Chop Casserole

I LOVE casseroles!  There's something so homey and warm and inviting about an "all in one" meal, especially this time of year.  My friend Jen and I were baking biscotti and scones yesterday and I was already planning on making this casserole for dinner.  It's easy, tastes great and has those canned fried onions in it, so it's BOUND to be a winner!

I've made it a couple times before, and we've always loved it.  Jen said that I had to post it on my blog because, and I'm quoting of course, "I want this recipe and I'm too lazy to write it down.  Will you post it for me?"  What a good friend I am!  I'm totally posting this for you, my lazy friend Jen. :)

Pork Chops O'Brien

6-1/2 to 3/4 inch thick pork chops
1 T oil
1- 24 oz bag O'Brien hash browned potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 1/3 c fried onions from the can
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a frying pan, brown the pork chops in the oil on both sides and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, milk, pepper and seasoned salt.  Stir in the thawed potatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1 cup of the fried onions.  Make sure it's completely mixed.

Spread the potato mixture in a lightly greased 9x13 pan.  Lay the browned pork chops on top of the potato mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and top with the remaining cheese and fried onions.  Bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove from the oven and enjoy all the gooey, cheesy, potatoey goodness!