Technique Classes

The Williams-Sonoma store in my area stopped offering their cooking classes, but they still have techinque classes that are free on Saturdays at 9:30 AM. The day and time varies by store location. Tomorrow the class is on "Springtime Baking". Since I love to bake I think I might check it out. You don't have to sign up, they said just show up. They are predicting 100% chance snow (yes the last weekend in March), so I'll see how things look in the morning.

Provencal Beef Stew

I made this recipe at the end of last month one day when it was really cold. I mixed it up before work and left it in the crock pot. It was ready to go when I got home. I saw this one in my Cooking Light magazine.


You will need 2 t of olive oil, 1 1.2 lbs of boneless chuck roast cut into cubes, 2 T of all-purpose flour, 2 medium onions, 8 garlic cubes crushed, 1/4 c of dry red wine, 1 C of fat-free, less sodium beef broth, 2 T of tomato paste, 3 bay leaves, 3 fresh thyme springs (i had none so left them out), 1 can of diced tomatoes drained, 3 C of sliced zucchini, AND 2 C of sliced carrots.


First mix the beef together with flour, salt and pepper.


Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium-high heat, and then add beef to pan. Saute for 2 minutes, browning on all sides. Then place the beef in a crock pot.


Add onions and garlic to pan; saute for 5 minutes.


Add the wine and stir, put mixture in the crock pot


Add the broth to the crock pot


Add tomato paste


Add the bay leaves


Add tomatoes and stir it all together


Top with zucchini and carrots. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves and thyme springs before serving.


The final product! This looks pretty gross, BUT it was really tasty!
Click HERE for a printable recipe.

Last minute lasagna

I tried out this recipe from one of my recent real simple magazines.


You need cheese ravioli, frozen spinach, a jar of pasta sauce, mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese.


First put a layer of sauce down


Then ravioli


Then spinach and cheese


Repeat

On the last layer cover the ravioli with sauce, mozzarella, and grated parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes; then uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Here is a printable recipe. This was quick, easy, and good. That being said it wasn't "super delicious" and I'm not sure how often I would remake it. Give it a try and decide for yourself!

Angel Chicken

I have been trying to do one post a week. I got really sick last week, so here is last week's post.
This is another easy crockpot meal. I put it together one day over my lunch break and it was ready to go when I got home.


You need: 8 chicken breasts (I just used three because there are only two of us), 1/4 C of butter, 1 0.7-oz pkg of italian salad dressing mix, 1 can of mushroom soup, 1/2 C of white wine, 1/2 of an 8-.oz tub of cream cheese with chives and onions, and angel-hair pasta


Place your chicken in the crockpot


On the stove melt the butter


Pour in the dry salad dressing mix


Once the butter and dressing are mixed together add in the mushroom soup, white wine, and cream cheese. Stir until combined together.


Pour the mix over the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours, or all day while you work.


Serve with cooked noodles and the sides of your choice.
The recipe above makes 6 servings. Using 3 chicken breasts we had tons and left overs for lunch the next day. This picture doesn't look that appetizing, but my husband said "this is Amazing!"

"Wicked good brownies!"

I made these tonight for a group of people we had over. Super easy, really good!


You need a package of brownies, chocolate chip cookie mix, and chocolate icing. Prepare according to the directions of each the brownies and the cookies.


First spread the brownie mix in a 9X13 pan.


Then by the spoonful drop the chocolate chip cookie mix on top of the brownie mix. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.


After cooling ice with the chocolate icing.


And serve! Easy and delicious! Wish we had some milk!
Click here for a printable recipe from the Betty Crocker website.
I read on the website some people made this with peanut butter cookie mix, I will have to try that! It is sweet enough that you could probably leave off the icing if you wanted. Very good!

Cheese Ravioli with Garlic Sautéed Vegetables

This recipe has been in real simple and looked good:


Ravioli of your choice, yellow squash, green beans, cherry tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese


Heat 2 T of olive oil over medium heat


Saute the green beans for 5 minutes


While you are doing that boil water and cook your pasta


Add the squash to the green beans and cook for 3 minutes


Add 1/2 cup of halved cherry tomatoes (again...why do my pictures turn like this? Anyone know?)


Add 1 T of chopped fresh garlic and cook together for 2 minutes


Add the pasta, stir together for three minutes or until pasta is warm


Serve with fresh cheese


And some yummy bread!

This was quick, easy, and really good.
For a printable recipe click here.

Easy Snacks

I made these easy snacks for the Superbowl party we went to. They don't require many ingredients or difficult cooking, and are tasty!

Easy peanut butter kiss cookies:

My favorite mix are these Betty Crocker mixes. All you do is follow the directions on the mix. You could cook on a cookie sheet, or I made mine in a sheet of mini muffin tins.


Roll the dough into balls and mix in sugar, bake the cookies according to the directions on the package


Take out of the oven and place a hershey kiss point down in the cookie while still warm. You can also use peanut butter cups and any variation of kisses.


Sausage balls:

1 lb of sausage + 2 C of Bisquick + 1/2 C of Milk + 10 oz of cheddar cheese= Delicious!
Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet
Cook in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through.