how peanut butter is made

in case you were wondering

and a very happy birthday to my friend tony!

i think this is the perfect blog post for you :)

asparagus disguise

i wish i knew how to work with fondant.

i'd totally make this cake.

nobody would want it if they thought it was a giant bunch of asparagus!.

MOAR CAKE FOR ME!

how to dice an onion

saw this video the other day on how to dice an onion.

this is not the method i normally use, but i think i'm gonna give it a try!

Taverna San Marco - How to Dice an Onion from Jensen Hande Studios on Vimeo.

oatmeal raisin cookies

these cookies are the first thing i made with the kitchenaid i got for christmas.

great success!

start by adding butter and sugars to the bowl

cream until light and fluffy

add vanilla and eggs, beat well

sift together flour, baking powder, and salt

gradually add to creamed mixture

blend thoroughly

add oats and raisins, mix well

at this point you'll want to taste test the dough.  just to, you know, make sure it's not poisonous.

drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

bake for 10-12 minutes

cool on a wire rack until ready to devour!

personally, i prefer cookies that have some chocolate in them, but not everyone likes that.  i usually only make oatmeal raisin cookies by request.  if you are one of those freaks who doesn't need chocolate in their cookies, i encourage you to give this recipe a try!

oatmeal raisin cookies.

ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder (not soda!)

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups quick oats

2 cups raisins

method

preheat oven to 350

cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy

add vanilla & eggs, mix well

sift together flower, baking powder, and salt. add to creamed mixture, blending thoroughly.

stir in oats and raisins. mix well.

drop by tablespoonfulls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

bake for 10-12 minutes

cool on wire rack

shrimp and artichokes in tomato cream sauce

 the first time i made this dish was last summer. i fed the leftovers to 6 of my friends after a day at a wine festival.  they loved it and encouraged me to finally start a blog. so here i am, and here's the dish that started it all!

start by mincing some garlic

and dicing an onion

melt equal parts butter and olive oil in a skillet

add garlic and onions, and saute until fragrant

rinse and drain some artichokes

add to the skillet

add a can of stewed tomatoes, juice and all

simmer for about 10 minutes

in the meantime, get some water boiling and add some angel hair pasta

reduce heat to low, add some chicken broth

and heavy cream

stir to combine

add salt and pepper

rinse and drain some frozen shrimp

add to skillet

stir to coat

cover over low heat and cook a few minutes until heated through

when pasta is ready, place in a large serving bowl

sprinkle a genorous amount of parmesan over top

add the contents of the skillet in shifts

tossing between additions

mmm hmmm

this makes a great one dish meal, but feel free to serve with some greens on the side.

devour and enjoy!

 shrimp and artichokes in tomato cream sauce.


ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 whole medium onion, diced (depending on how much you love onions)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes, juice included
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb frozen shrimp, thawed & drained
1 lb angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

method
melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet.
add garlic and onion, saute until fragrant.
add artichoke hearts and tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes.
-in the meantime, boil water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente-
reduce heat to low and add chicken broth, cream, and salt & pepper to taste, stirring gently to combine.
add shrimp and stir gently to coat.
cover and continue cooking on low until heated through.

drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl.
add 1 cup parmesan cheese.
pour contents of pan over top, toss to combine and coat.
add any reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if it's too thick.

serve as a one-dish meal, or with greens on the side.

this is a rich, flavorful dish, but so simple to make.  please give it a try and let me know how you liked it!

supper club

time to play some catch up!

my friends and i gathered for a potluck dinner the first week of january (yes, 8 months ago).  we called it supper club and promised to do it once a month or so.  

we haven't had supper club since.

alas, we are all busy.  if we do it once a year, i'll be happy.  i like to eat, drink, and be merry with my friends!

elizabeth made cheese and garlic muffins with crab dip for an appetizer

 someone made green beans.  and by "someone," i mean "i don't remember who"

greta made a shepherd's pie.  pardon the steam, it was HOT HOT HOT (or cold)*

tony made savory french toast

i made a chicken and rice casserole

jamie made a fresh baby spinach salad with california grape tomatoes, aged parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts; with a balsamic vinaigrette

jorge brought wine (we drank it all, and then some)

here's everyone eating.  this photo is totally not staged, i swear.

the evening ended with mario kart and wine drinking late into the night.

have i mentioned that i love my friends?

*skip to 3:40

things that taste good thursday

free slurpees.

7-11 gave them out on 7/11!