Rating: A, Yummy classic, Sloppy Joes. We tried ours with ground turkey and ate it in pita bread. No leftovers here! http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sloppy-joes-ii/Detail.aspx

Rating B+, I found the recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine but they try to make you pay for the recipe online so I found the same recipe or you on a free site! This recipe is a bit labor intensive but for a special occasion is feels very special. It simply looks like strawberries with a tanned whip cream, but the complexity of flavors and texture are something unique and yummy! http://www.food.com/recipe/strawberries-with-balsamic-sabayon-375033

Rating A+, I make these every year. They taste like a Girl Scout Cookie, Thin Mint. But the secret ingredient is a Ritz cracker! You will get messy when you make these! http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/mint-thins-107762.aspx

A-, great way to get your veggies. I liked the flavor of the edammame, but the texture was strange. They were kind of starchy like peas. Salted Edammame in the pod is where it's at, but that wouldn't work for this dish. The sun dried tomato added a lot of flavor to the dish. http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/tri-color-vegetable-saute/

Rating B, these Latkes were good and not too difficult to make but they were really spicy! I like latkes though because you can make them with a variety of ingredients. We did ours on an electric skillet. I think they would have gotten crispier on the stove top. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000108357

Here are the final treats that I ran out of time to blog about.  Many were so good I wanted to make sure that I still shared them with you!  Click on the picture of the dish or copy and paste the link in the description to take you to the recipe.

Mr. and Mrs. signing off.

Rating B-, I figure out that I rated them low because I don't like so much mint flavor in my foods. If you like mint you will love this. Otherwise omit the mint and these jump up to a B+ rating! http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/grilled-hoisin-chicken-lettuce-cups.aspx

Rating A+, this was resturant quality bread, moist and insanely good flavor. Serve with a side of Marinara Sauce for dipping. Enjoy! http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Herb-Bubble-Bread

A+, Fresh-Fast-Flavorful. Make this in 10 minutes or less, lots of good fat in the Avocado! We will be making this again. http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Tomato-Salad-Stuffed-Avocados

A+, easy and flavorful! From the Cooking Light Vegetarian Cookbook. I can't find the recipe online for some reason so I will type it here: 1 12'' wheat crust (boboli), Two plum tomatoes sliced, 1/3 cup pesto sauce, 3/4 cup goat cheese, 8 asparagus spears cut in to 2 inch pieces. Cook at 450 degrees 10-12 minutes.

His motive was irrelevant at that point because the decision was already made.  We had started this partner project as a one year resolution to get more acquainted with the kitchen and spend time together bettering ourselves.  Over the last year we did this quite well.  Perfect no, but we had fun.  We’ve cooked plenty of tasty dinners with some  major league duds thrown in there.  But over-all, nobody lost an eye (Mr. almost lost his hand, but that was months ago)!   Our year of rehab was up, and I wanted to go out on top instead of being that show they never canceled (the one where every character has changed actors but the show never dies…Horrible!)  Last night’s supper was a winner, so let’s end there–Kung Pao Chicken and Coconut Jasmine Rice.  (I do plan to add one more post encompassing the photos and recipes that I never got the chance to blog about in 2010.)

We are far from experts, but in the last year many things have changed.  I now eat sushi, regularly.  I can tell you the difference between a shallot, scallion, and scallop–those always used to confuse me.  I know that I’ve tried polenta and mint and I’m not a fan.  I still hate bananas but I’ve learned never to say never, some foods take on new form with the right cooking technique or seasoning–i.e. dates.  And I know that some ingredients make some of the world’s most beautiful combinations, take cilantro and lime.  Superb!

On the other hand, somethings didn’t change a bit.  I am still the world’s messiest cook in the kitchen.  After I cook there is a coating of food, oil, and dishes smattering the room.  And Mr. knows without a shadow of a doubt that he will continue to man the grill but the rest of cooking is no Sports Center  (it’s safe to say he will be hanging  up his apron this year).

I’m not done blogging, nor am I done cooking.  But for now, our cooking will be done in a much more private, and far less self-deprecating, way.  We hope you have enjoyed cooking, laughing, and dining with us.  The recipe below is spicy and sweet leading me to believe that  it should appeal to everyone on your list.  It reminds me of the last year,  if you haven’t  found happiness and humor somewhere between our highs and lows, then I’m not sure if you can be helped:)  But for the rest of you Happy Cooking, our weekly moments together will truly be missed!

Cheers,

Mr. & Mrs.

P.S.  This all could have been avoided had our mothers only cooked for us and taught us the Joy of Cooking.                    

WHAT!!! Who said that?!  Someone’s been editing my posts again!  Sorry Mom, love ya:)

P.P.S.  Who’s got ideas for the next blog???

Recipes and Reviews:

Kung Pao Chicken with Coconut Jasmine Rice:  A+, I had to take this one from my best friend throughout the cooking process..Mr. aside, Cooking Light Magazine!  Thank you Coy family for getting me a years subscription for Christmas, this will ensure that the cooking continues in 2011.  As I mentioned, the Kung Pao Chicken is spicy but the coconut jasmine rice tames the heat with a creamy texture.  Overall the dish was very simple to make.  Chop the veggies, start the rice on the oven, then get to work in the skillet.  My favorite part was how the rice and stir-fry were ready at the same time.  Kitchen success.

Thanksgiving has been a rather interesting holiday for Mr. and I the past few years.  We’ve celebrated at a church down South with rich creole flavors while doing Hurricane Katrina clean-up.  Another year was spent as newly weds and I had to produce my first thanksgiving for the in-laws, at our place.  And last year’s festivities took place in rural Argentina where everything had to be cooked from scratch.  Mr. and I peeled potatoes outside with dull knives while my mom and niece broke walnuts on the large rock in the front yard.  It was about as close as we’ll ever to come to paying homage to our pioneer ancestors.  Mind you, we did not have to hunt down our own meat, but given the chance I think my nephew would have loved the opportunity!

This year was unique in its own right.  It was just me, Mr., and Mr’s Sister and Brother.  The morning started out with the Atlanta Half Marathon, a very hilly 13.1.  The race started from a new location and the logistics were just shy of nonexistent.  At 6:30am we entered a traffic jam to exit the highway.  At 7:10 we were still in it.  The race had a 7:30am start time.  We noticed a few people jump from the passenger seats of their car in an attempt to walk the last mile to the race.  Once we determined this was the only option to possibly make the race, we followed suit.  As we sped-walked the shoulder of the highway, our pack continued to grow with other spandex-ed individuals.  By that point it was all part of the adventure.  We made the starting line less than five minutes before the gun went off for our wave.

The weather was amazing, the hills however were more than we had realized we signed up for!  By the time we crossed the finish line it was time to start thinking about replenishing some of those calories.  (I fully recommend this type of activity to help maintain a guilt-free Thanksgiving:)

Because it was just the four of us, everyone chipped in to help cook, set the table, pour the wine, clean-up…all the important things.  Mr’s Sister had sent me a recipe a few months back for candied bacon.  The entertaining aspect of this was that she works in health and public policy and is usually a very conscience eater in terms of where it comes from and what’s in it.  I guess we all have our weaknesses and her’s was bacon with a sugar crisp coating.  I was more intrigued by the idea that bacon was now a dessert food.  In honor of equal representation to food types, cooking methods, bacon, and sugar, the recipe came to fruition.  The bacon sizzled, spat, and crystallized right before out eyes.  We served it warm, on top of vanilla ice cream, as the grand finale to another unique Thanksgiving.

Though we do not promote fat covered with diabetes, we do promote a ridiculous and tasty treat in moderation.  Just make sure you enjoy the candied bacon after a long run otherwise your likely to be chased by a pack of wild dogs when your sweat smells like bacon.  Happy Holidays!

Recipes and Ratings:

Candied Bacon:  B+, This treat is intense.  Very tasty, but best eaten in small quantities.  At first we hadn’t cooked the bacon long enough, the taste was good but the texture was off.  Make sure the bacon cooks fully so that the sugar can melt and crystallize.   Just eye ball it.  When and doubt, sample the goods during the coking process and keep cooking until it reaches a crisp texture.  I can image this bacon has a wealth of possibilities…crumbled candied bacon atop cupcakes??  The list goes on….

I recently discovered something that most of you learned at the age of three: soup is pretty good.  Sure, I was familiar with the chicken noodle variety made by Campbell’s, but the spoon stopped there.  As I mentioned months ago, I tried tomato soup for my first time, as a grown women!  But, when you don’t eat tomatoes, mushrooms, cooked carrots, onions, zucchini, beans of any kind, and most other foods out there as a child, your soup options meeting the criteria are quite slim.

Mr. wasn’t quite as sheltered, as I was, when it came to eating soup, but he was just as much a virgin to making it.  Our only attempts have been a veggie soup in Week 8 and  a potato soup in Week 31, neither were examples of our finest work.  But, as I slowly realized that there are all these tasty creations that can be made from the ingredients  I disdain, I wanted a third attempt.

Tonight we should have received a medal:  Most Improved Soup Makers.  After our first two rounds with soup, there wasn’t anyone holding their breath, but everything about this chicken tortilla soup was fabulous.  The chicken was moist, the flavor was perfect, and the prep wasn’t too bad.  This was probably the best soup I’ve ever had–at my house or a restaurant (that statement may not hold the clout that I wish it would, after I just shared with you that soup is a new phenomenon for me, but Mr. agreed that it was VERY delicious)!

No joke, you need to try this soup.   However, if you don’t cook, there is help available…if you live in Southern California.  About two weeks after our soup success we traveled to  California for Mr.’s job.  A local took us out to lunch in the artsy, beach community of Laguna, to a place called Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant.  The famous Mama Avila’s Soup caught our eyes and we ordered up two large bowls for slurping.  This soup was (almost) as satisfying as the batch we had prepared and it turns out that there are over ten locations in the area!

I can’t vouch for anything else on the menu, but the soup with a little lime squeezed over the top may just take the silver medal, just under our GOLD.

Recipes and Ratings:

Chicken Tortilla Soup: A+,  This recipe comes from a cookbook called Favorite Brand Name: Mexican Fiesta! I acquired it on a whim, and had no expectations.  I must say though, each time I’ve cooked from it, I’ve been more than impressed.  Here is the recipe for the flavorful, fresh soup from above:

Makes 8 servings, Ingredients:  2 large ripe avacados, halved and pitted, 4 tsp Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, divided, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 (14 1/2 oz) cns chicken broth (we used low sodium), 3 boneless-skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.), 2 tbsp uncooked rice, 1 large tomato (seeded and chopped), 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, and 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese  (I highly recommend adding the juice of 1/2 a lime for that fresh tangy kick).

Directions:  Scoop out the avocado and mash it up in a bowl with a fork.  Add 1 1/2 tsp green pepper sauce  and salt, blend gently but thoroughly-set aside.  Heat chicken broth to boiling on the stove.  Add chicken breast halves, reduce heat and cook chicken until it is opaque.  Remove chicken and cut in to bite size pieces.  Add rice to the broth and cook about 15 minutes.  Return chicken to saucepan.  Just before serving stir in tomato, onion, cilantro, and remaining 2 1/2 tsp. green pepper sauce.  To serve, break small handful of tortilla chips into the bottom of each bowl.  Ladle soup over the tortilla chips.  Top with cheese and 1 rounded tbsp avocado mixture.  Serve immediately with extra green pepper sauce or lime if desired.

(Don’t forget to vote daily, until Dec. 10th, for me to be your next Good Mood Blogger, click the link on the right or click here:  www.sam-e.com/job/entries/108 Thanks! )

Mr. often quotes his father and grandfather by saying,  “Be smarter than what you’re doing.”  Obviously this is usually directed at me, haha.  In honor of this notion, this weekend’s cooking was marked by doing things in a well…smarter manner.  I’ve thrown in some unsolicited advice along the way.

1) Try a recipe that you’ve tried somewhere else–that way you know it’s good (and there’s less of a chance it will be fed your four legged friend…or husband, depending on his meal standards). So, I dusted off a recipe that a friend had emailed me for  a delicious and spicy chicken wing recipe that we had tried at a Super Bowl Party last year.

2) Learn from those around you; sometimes their silly quirks actually are rooted in a grain of wisdom. The same friend that emailed me the chicken recipe suggested that I use rubber gloves while preparing the dish because there are hot peppers used in it.  Many times we had been dining at their home and joked about the infamous rubber gloves that she wore to do everything in the kitchen.

Now, I’ve cut peppers, onions. and garlic before, and I just dealt with the fact that my hands stunk for the next few days and I could barely put my contacts in my eyes with my pepper soaked fingertips.  This time I decided to take her advice and invested in a pair of yellow kitchen gloves (not the really thick rubber ones, but the more pliable gloves that are a step-up from the flimsy medical ones).  Let me tell you, kitchen gloves are actually worth their weight in gold…as silly as they look.

3) You only learn in the kitchen by being hands on. While I was busy preparing the zesty Asian wings in my new found accessory of the season, Mr. was taming the Brussels Sprouts.  I armed him with the recipe and the ingredients on the counter and I let him go to town.  At one point I actually left him alone as I changed  the laundry at the front of our apartment complex.  When I returned the house smelled amazing!  He had figured out the recipe and made the dish start to finish on his own.  The best part wasn’t that he didn’t burn the house down, because I had complete faith in his ability to saute some sprouts, but that he was confident in his new skills.  I’m sure he learned more about cooking in that twenty minutes than he  ever would have learned with me there as a crutch.  Most weeks he simply goes along with my plan and directions.  This week he took it to a new level, though I know he still only cooks with me to keep me happy and eat good food:)

4) Keep a few of your items simple. Trust me, this will make the evening much more enjoyable. Expand your skills by challenging yourself to cook with a new ingredient or cooking method, but be kind to yourself by cooking other recipes that you are either familiar with or use simple ingredients you already know how to manipulate. No one expects you to be Superman in the kitchen, unless you moonlight at a five star restaurant.  As obvious as it sounds, this is a piece of advice that could have been brought to my attention months ago, and thus I am sharing it with you so you don’t have to partake in the same self torture that we did!  Armed with this thinking I chose a simple dessert for the night.  This panini was a throwback to the childhood days of PB saniches.’  I felt fairly confident we could smear bread with almond butter, honey, chocolate,  toast it, and sprinkle it with sea salt.  The simplicity of the dessert didn’t dumb it down a bit.  It was completely satisfying because of the salty- sweet harmony that came together in the layers, and the prep and clean up were a dream.

I’m glad that after all these months as a starter-chef I can pass on a little advice.  I hope this makes dinner a more enjoyable next time you get out the pots and pans.  To those of you experts rolling your eyes at my rudimentary tips, I’ve got another one for you:  5) Make your friend and fellow blog writer dinner to show off your skills. That should keep you busy.

Recipes and Ratings:

Zesty Wing Recipe (not sure of the real recipe name): A+, this recipe was passed on to me by a friend but she said it is from a cook book called Big Flavors of the Hot Sun and you can buy it on Amazon.  Read below for this grilling treasure, oh and don’t forget to wear those good looking kitchen gloves while you prepare it!  You won’t be sorry that you did!

Sesame Ginger Brussels Sprouts: B, It’s not this vegetables fault, but Brussels Sprouts may never make an A on my list.  However, if you’ve never tried Brussels Sprouts before, this is a good place to start.  If you’re a veteran to this green, by all means make a up a batch.  The flavor pairs perfectly with the zesty wings and the aroma will make your house happy!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Panini: B, this dessert is SIMPLE.  It can be dressed up or down to fit the taste buds of both young and old.  We made used Almond Butter because that is what we had on hand, but I think that using the hazelnut spread would make this sandwich drip with flavor.  Try Nutella.  Because we don’t have a panini press we used our George Foreman Grill.  The final touch of sea salt on the top takes this dessert from 2nd grade to the top of it’s class!

It all started out as an innocent afternoon in West Michigan. I was visiting family for a few days and we had scheduled our annual Fall visit to Cranes Apple Orchard. A day at the orchard pretty much defines Fall up north. Changing colors, crisp weather, displays of pumpkins and hay bales that get their five minutes of fame from Oct. 1-31st, it’s my childhood and I love it!

I was excited to share the tradition with my nieces and nephew that were visiting from outside of the States. We stormed the orchard with an enthusiasm that would have made Richard Simmons proud. A woman dressed in her best barn-gear-get-up, offered to let us sample slices of each apple they had in season that week. We aren’t a modest family when it comes to free samples; I think that all six of us asked for a nibble of each variety: Cameo, Empire (a cross b/t a Mac and Red delicious!), Honeycrisp, Jonagolds, Macintosh, Mutsu…… Some of the apples we planned to pick had a prearranged marriage with apple sauce. For that project we chose the Cameo. For extra noshing we chose to pick the Jonagolds and Honeycrisp.

Each of the adults grabbed a wagon and a child laborer, to pair up with. With no further communication , we were off. I should have predicted that things could get out of control. We egged each other on through the rows of apples. “We’re gonna win.” “Ours look the best!” “Our bag is the heaviest!” I think I may have even heard a “You stink!” as someone’s last-resort comeback, you know, typical family encouragement.

By the time we had filled our bushel bags, my mom and I were literally racing down the aisles of the orchard, each with a child and bushel in tow-’Amazing Race Style‘. When all partners made it back to base camp, the kind barn clad woman began weighing our bounty.

It was quite the surprise when it was announced that we had picked over 160 lbs. of apples! In case you’ve considered doing this yourself, it will cost you approx. $80, even at the bargain basement prices found when you pick your own. In my frugal mind I was trying to calculate a clever way to stick some of those apples back on the branches. I had nothing.

What on earth were we going to do with that many apples?!!

One bushel (approx. 42 lbs of apple, some sources say as much as 48 lbs) went to my mother’s friend for her apple sauce recipe; I used another five pounds to make two apple crisps from a Pampered Chef recipe that I’ve been making for years; and the final 115 pounds will be residing at my parent’s house for quite some time.

My nieces and nephew have a new house rule they must follow while staying with their grandparents for the next month: Everyone eats an apple a day. If you misbehave you eat five. This should take care of the ‘ol “apple situation” by Christmas.

Recipes and Reviews:

Quick Apple Crisp: A+, This apple crisp really is simple. ‘Quick’ may be a small exaggeration simply because it takes some time to peel and slice the apples, but the rest of it takes about 3 minutes to put together. There are not too many flavors to overpower the delicious apples, which I like. Enjoy warm with ice cream. Many have said it is the yummiest apple crisp they’ve ever eaten. If you don’t have Granny Smith Apples, try subbing in a different tangy variety that stand-up to the heat.

Why do I need your votes?  I’ve applied to be the next Good Mood Blogger!  This would mean I could entertain you all week long;)  Initially, I wrote a bio on The Good Mood Website explaining why I would be a good candidate:  http://www.sam-e.com/job/entries/108.  I have to stay within the Top 20 candidates to be considered (currently in 21st place-Eeeek!).  Along with the job comes an extravagant writer’s salary for six month and a new laptop.  Click on the link above to vote-do it daily from every internet source you can get your hands on (phone, laptop, desktop).  Then blast the link out to everyone via Twitter, FB, email, sky banner, smoke signal, you get the idea.  I’ve even added a place to click to vote on my blog’s sidebar so you can remember to vote DAILY.  You already read my thoughts via onenightaweek, why not vote for someone you know to win?  If I win you can tell ppl. you know a celebrity. I figure pro blogger counts as celebrity status if Lindsay Lohan counts and she hasn’t done anything productive in years.

Now that you’ve sat through my timeshare presentation, it’s time for your reward; the most divine Fall lunch option I’ve tried in months.  Cooking Light‘s recipe for Brie, Apple, and Arugula Quesadillas, found on myrecipes.com is a lunch fit for a King.  If you’ve never put crisp apples, gooey brie, zesty arugula, and fancy sauce together, you haven’t done your body justice.  From my happy belly to yours, I beg of you to try this recipe.  You can thank me in the form of votes–no flowers please.

What’s the best meal you’ve had recently, either homemade or at a restaurant?  Feel Free to include a link to recipes or restaurants so we can all indulge.Recently for me, it has been the quesadillas for homemade fare and the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich with maple bacon on it from Local in Memphis in the restaurant column.  Your turn.  Oh.  Did you vote yet??  http://www.sam-e.com/job/entries/108

Recipes and Reviews:

Brie. Apple, and Arugula Quesaillas:  A+, these bits of goodness are easy to make (10 minutes!), taste amazing, and will really fill up your guests without them realizing it’s a vegetarian creation.  It’s unique, rich flavor will please all those over twenty-one (I think that’s the time palates begin to refine-once the taste buds grow back).  The sauce is made with apple cider, Dijon mustard, and pepper.  I have to stop talking about it, my stomach is starting to growl.

As I sat with Mr. in the stark room waiting for the doctor, hoping he would  finish-up his game of Connect Four with the two blind mice backstage and call Mr.’s name from his list of one, I indulged in the October issue of Cooking Light.  Every picture in the magazine got me cooing like a school girl head-over-heels in love,  “Oh my goodness, Hmmm, Wow, I want it!”  My mouth moistened while my entire body began to tingle with anticipation, I was officially experiencing a food-gasim.  I’m not purposefully trying to make the 40 and over crowd squirm; I’m simply describing how passionate some of us can be about what touches our lips.  And why shouldn’t we be?  In a lifetime the average American eats 87, 520 slices of bread.   Sounds a little boring if you ask me.

Now, Mr. enjoys a good meal, but its come to my attention that a food magazine is never quite going to “do it” for him like it does me.  After the 5th time I interrupted his read to show him a picture of a tantalizing dinner choice it was apparent that I was the only one food-gasiming here.  The dinner choice was all mine.

After much debate between me, myself, and the recipe photos battling for my attention:  a mushroom patty melt, potato soup, and caramel apple recipe clearly came out on top in honor of Memphis’s first fall-like day.

Two hours later Mr. still had an aching ankle, we had no caramel apples due to two failed attempts, our potato soup’s texture closely resembled whipped potatoes, and we had sandwiches that consisted primarily mushrooms-Opps!  We don’t even like mushrooms!

It was no one’s fault really.  The potato soup and sandwiches actually tasted just fine by normal standards.  But after all we had just been through to get them to our dinner plates, I think we were expecting to bite in to some sort of nirvana.  The truth be told, dinner doesn’t always turn out indicative of my enthusigasim toward food.  But, if you love food, you understand that sometimes half the fun is in the anticipation and surprise.

If you rarely get excited about food, it’s rather difficult for your taste buds to reach the climax of their potential.  Enough said on that topic, some of you have wandering minds….

Recipes and Reviews:

Mushroom and Provolone Patty Melts: B, The provolone Patty Melts were a hearty choice for a cold day.  Neither Mr. or I are big mushroom fans, and I’m not sure if I have ever eaten a patty melt, but the picture got me-so I took a leap of faith.  The rating of a B reflects my personal feelings toward mushrooms, but don’t let this discourage you.  This is defiantly a healthier version then I see on restaurant menus so it’s defiantly a good bet if this is a staple type of sandwich in your world.

Loaded Potato Soup: B, After reading the ingredeint list I had the brilliant idea to add in 30% more red potatoes to get in more of nature’s goodness.  If I would have thought that through I would have realized I was going to be making gloried mashed potatoes.  By the time I was done, there was little liquid consistency left.  It obviously tasted fine, it’s pretty had to mess up a potato beyond repair, but we didn’t succeed at making soup.  This recipe is great in terms of prep. time.  I loved that I didn’t have to peel the potatoes and that the recipe called for red skins.  I thought the soup lacked a little flavor.  I would doctor it up with more spices to get it to a rating of an “A” next time.

Carmel Apples, Not Rated, This recipe never came to fruition.  In the first batch Mr. put all the ingredients in at once and later realized he had to start again.  The next batch was even worse.  The “caramel” that we were making from scratch burned to the bottom of the pan and stunk up the kitchen.  I guess the candy thermometer they suggested was more then a casual tip.  Honestly, this version takes a long time and it’s still made with unhealthy ingredients.  Save yourself the trouble by buying the premade Kraft candy caramels at the grocery store to coat your apples.

Tell me, what is going to happen to grandma’s famous recipe if we never take the extra time and love to make it?  It may not be an every day occurrence, but it’s good to get our nails dirty every once in awhile to ensure that future generations aren’t convinced that Keebler Elves invented the chocolate chip cookie.  They gave it a shelf life and a pretty box, but a warm chocolate chip cookie always wins.  We’re a nation of consumers, that can barely remember the joy of producing.  Some days I do feel like joining the masses on this one, other days I feel bold.

Mr.’s mother was celebrating her monumental ‘half-way to one hundred’ birthday with a fall cook-out in the park and I figured I had a little extra time to do my part with some home cooking.  There was no reason for Mr. and I to fall prey to prepackaged comatose so I volunteered us to bring Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes and Apple Pie Pops.

It may have been a little more ambitious than I realized since neither of us had ever attempted an apple pie before…ah, details!   In hindsight, I completely see the situation for what it was:  an unnecessary, costly, time-consuming, game plan.  Could I have bought chips and dip and would anyone have known any different?  Would it have been cheaper to buy a whole apple pie at the bakery?  Would I have made it to the party on time with a lot less dirty dishes in the sink?  Sure.  But sometimes it comes down to the details and we were about to make all (10 of) those home cookers out there, very proud.

I definitely could have planned the day better in terms of time.  But in the end I don’t regret it.  Everything came out tasting just as I had hoped.  Both of the recipes we brought carved out a little place in my heart and earned a spot in my recipe file.  I look forward to recreating these fall goodies, each year, as the color’s start to change and the weather turns crisp.  Shoot, it’s not everyday that a recipe starts a tradition.

I’m sorry for getting all Hallmark on you, but Mr. and I don’t always have such success in the kitchen.  If we can forget about the messy kitchen, the bickering between an agitated cooking couple, and the cost of today’s supplies–just long enough to take a bite of a warm apple pie, it’s all good again.

Recipes and Ratings:

Apple Pie Pops:  A+, This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens, very yummy and worth the extra work.  I have never been a fan of apple pie but that is because there can be so much sticky, sugary, goo inside-with little trace of an apple.  These pies are the perfect combination of everything good about apple pie.  You get plenty of extra crust and apple with just  a little soft stuff.  This will make a believer out of those who won’t touch a fruit pie.  I ended up using an apple shaped cookie cutter.  Since mine were a little big I never put them on a stick, however, this was even better because I loved the way they fit perfectly in my hand.  A wonderful take along treat for a cookout or football game.  No plate or silverware required.

Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes:  A+, this recipe is easy  and can be enjoyed hot or cold.  I found the recipe on a bag of fingerling potatoes and have made it a few times since.  1) Wash potatoes, 2) you can leave them whole if they are tiny, if not cut them in half.  3) Toss them with olive oil, rosemary, sea salt, cracked pepper, and chives (fresh or dried)-the exact amounts are not crucial (that’s why I like this recipe:).  4) Cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Done!

This week Mr. and I were confronted with a new truth:  If no one is watching, do you still really look like a fool?  We probably should have known that if this were the question in debate, than ‘Yes!’ was most definitely the answer.

A friend of ours (we’ll refer to him as McLovin’) was invited for dinner.  I knew I would be home late that evening so I picked out a few recipes in advance that seemed an easy crowd pleaser, Tortellini, Steak, and Caesar Salad with Molten Chocolate Surprises for dessert.  After running by the store on my way home I returned to find Mr. and McLovin’ lounging around the house.  We all chipped in to toss the groceries into their respective holding spots, and it was time to get dinner ticking.  This is when things started heading south.

So here is the problem with having an uninvolved party around when you are learning:  without meaning to snoop, they become witness to all the ridiculous things that you do in the heat of the moment.  It’s like the first time you drove a car, preformed your first day on the  job, or changed a dirty diaper–you looked like a nut without even trying and you surly didn’t do things in the most efficient manner!  At the time, all you wanted was for all life forms to disappear until you got your junk together.  That, or you only wanted the company of those experiencing the same learning curve that you currently were a part of.

Typically, Mr. and I have the latter-we are like two bulls in a China shop, bumping around, making a big mess.  We typically do embarrassing things with only the witness of each other and the best part is, most of the time, neither one of us even realizes it.  This particular night, however, was especially embarrassing because our kitchen guest had cooked once or twice (that’s all it really takes to outsmart us on an off day) and was enjoying the skeptical that we had become.

First, I started the night by forgetting to season the steak.  I opened the oven that was turned to broil and reached for the pan with the steaks in it, thinking, “Hey, it has only been in there for one minute, it can’t be that hot.”  It was.

Next, our guest pointed out that we should probably move our oven rack up closer to the broiler at the top so that it would cook faster.  Mr. and I used a very unconventional form of team work as we each sported one oven mit to grab the wire rack (with the steak pan still on it), bent it up, slide it out, and slide it up to the highest rung on the oven wall.  McLovin’ held his break, waiting for the great fall.

Then, Mr. was in charge of chopping the Romaine lettuce.  McLovin caught Mr. ripping each leaf apart before hacking them with a knife, instead of the more logical option of leaving all the ruffage huddling together and dicing it that way.  We laughed as he tried to defend this strategy.

Later, Mr. ate from the fork that he was in the middle of cooking with.  Just as he was about to dunk the fork back into that night’s dinner for all, he remembered that he had an audience.  He muttered under his breath, “Probably should grab another fork, huh…” Had our guest not been in the kitchen, I can guarantee that fork would have been right back in there.  Behind closed doors I may have done the same.

And finally, I was working on the dessert which called for lying a cookie face down in a muffin tin, and pouring a homemade chocolate batter on top.  The cookies were too big to fit in the bottom of the muffin tin and I worried that if I just poured the batter in, it would go beneath the cookies.  Instead, I put each paper muffin liner on to a baking sheet, put the cookies in the liners, and poured the batter on top.  There was nothing to help the liners hold their shape and they ballooned out like a Biggest Loser contestant after a cruise ship buffet.  What a hot mess.

I’m pretty sure that we scared our dinner guest at times with our banter and bad kitchen etiquette.  However, it was definitely not boring or uneventful!

With all this evidence at hand, it doesn’t take a Harvard degree to conclude that we may have done one or two things in the past that have made us look like fools in the kitchen.  But hey, when no one else is watching we sure do like to convince ourselves that we’ve got it all together.  Lookin’ good honey!

Recipes and Reviews:

Tortellini, Steak, and Caesar Salad: B, and if prep time and ease of recipe are just as important to you as taste then I would say B+!  It was nice to not have to worry about lighting up the grill for a steak dinner.  Using the broiler is a cleaner, quicker method that works just fine for some meals.  The cheese tortellini was mild, but gave just enough flavor to the dish while giving it a decadent flare.  This dish seemed a little odd-some kind of Greek-Italian hybrid, but it worked.  A filling dinner will be on the table in the next 15 minutes!

Molten Chocolate Surprise:  D,  Sad to say, but nothing went right during the process.  You would think that there is no way you could screw-up chocolate to the point where you wouldn’t eat it, and in fact we DID eat it, however, that was after adding lots of whip cream.  Our version came out more like a spongy cupcake, with no liquid center.   We only baked them for the eight recommended minutes, but I believe the mishap had something to do with the fact that the oven had been set on broil for the 15 minutes prior to using it to cook desert at 425 degrees.  Kraft has never done me wrong with a recipe so i believe it was our fault; at the same time, there are a few things that should have been pointed out in the recipe itself.  You MUST use LARGE muffin tins. The small ones won’t fit the cookies at the bottom.  Also, I would recommend using the FOIL liners and spraying them with Pam.  Following these simple, yet highly effective tidbits should take this dish from barely making the grade to a regular dessert staple.  Most of the reviews on the website were positive, but I am here to give you the truth about how things went down in our kitchen.  Get baking, yours can’t come out any worse then ours!