History of Macaroni and Cheese

The macaroni and cheese dish dates back to Medieval Italy and sometime around the 14th century English history. This seems totally awesome to me. It was originally known as Makerouns and was originally a cheese casserole dish. It was an upper class dish in the 18th century.

The recipe started out as butter and cheese mix on top of fresh homemade pasta.

Even Thomas Jefferson served it at a White House dinner...

Nowadays people use it as a "fill-in" dish. It can be made from scratch or pre-made boxes that come in powder form or a package of cheese sauce.

People from all different walks of life eat Macaroni and cheese, because it is YUMMY!!
I love mac n chz. it is the first thing I ever learned to cook.

BON APPETIT!


(info thanks to wikipedia and NPR)

Terrrrrrrrrrrrriifffffffiicccccc Turkey!

So, my turkey turned out awesome. 4 hours of cooking 1 hour of shredding and I had a wonderful homemade Thanksgiving dinner almost a week before Thanksgiving. With the leftovers I made Buffalo Turkey Mac n Chz. I used by buffalo chicken mac n chz recipe and just substituted turkey in the recipe. It turned out pretty well. I also froze some leftovers so my sis could actually eat turkey on Thanksgiving, because my grandma doesn't cook turkey.

Bon Appetit!

more recipes to come...

BUSY BUSY BUSY, but now TURKEY time is here!!!

I have been cooking lately, but with minimal time to actually post anything. School is kicking my ass as finals come charging at me, it seems as thought the semester had just started.

Today I will be roasting a turkey.
I went to Publix super early (8am, which is early for a Saturday) and got what I needed to make the turkey, but Idiot me forgot the garlic. I plan on putting crushed garlic heads in the turkey as a type of stuffing and then possibly injecting garlic butter into the 11 pound bird.

we'll see how this ends up.........

Deep Fried Ribeye Steak Bites

I will always say that everything can be fried and it makes everything delicious!
I really like steak and I really like fried food, why not combine the two?!?!
Well I just happened to do just that!
I bought thin sliced ribeyes from publix grocery store, sliced them up into strips. Ribeyes are best used for this because of their marbling and flavor. I also made a garlic and butter sauce to dip the pieces into.
(2 tbsp of butter, tsp of powdered garlic and a pinch of sea salt)
Instead of milk, I used beer and Worcestershire sauce mixed in with the egg dipping.

Just look how yummy this is!

Heres the recipe!

Ingredients

-all purpose flour and seasoning salt

-2 eggs

-1/3 cup of milk

Directions

Rinse steak

Roll in flour, coat all sides, then dip in egg mixture, then back into the flour.

Place in deep fryer. Or skillet with enough oil to cover the steak.

Fry until golden brown.

Alterations:

You can use beer, steak sauce, or Worcestershire sauce with the eggs for different flavor.


BON APPETIT!

Tweaking recipes, my own kind of art...

When I cook a recipe, like the buffalo mac n chz, I cook it a few times so I can perfect it and add my own twist to the recipe. It adds a little spice to life.
I love it when a recipe comes together, its like a master's work of art when something comes out the way its supposed to.
Cooking is just so much fun and I like it when friends come over and can enjoy the totally yummy food.
Evidently I am doing something right, because they keep coming back for more and more.

I hope that everyone can eventually enjoy my culinary skills :)

Bon Appetit!!!

Angel Food Cake

So I tried to make Angel Food Cake from scratch.... total disaster!!!
They never fluffed up, and all the egg white settled on the bottom.
Totally lame.
I personally think that everyone should just stick to the easy box method.....three key words:
JUST ADD WATER.

I made cupcakes outta the mix. They were yummy :)


BON APPETIT.

Momma's French Toast

My mom always made French Toast for me as a kid and I always loved it so very much.
It is a combination of things people like eat for breakfast all rolled into one: eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, syrup.
A brief history of French Toast: it was most likely created in Spain, not France and It is called Eggy bread in the UK. The recipe dates back to medieval time when it was made with stale bread not fresh. Henry V enjoyed this delicious breakfast and I hope he liked it as much as I do.

I usually follow my mothers recipe, because thats what I like here it is:

For 2-4 slices of French Toast:

2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Thick sliced toast

Mix ingredients (except toast)
Dip toast in egg mixture.
Brown on both sides in a skillet or on griddle.
Serve with syrup, berries or butter to taste.


BON APPETIT!

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Chz

Buffalo chicken is totally yummy, so is macaroni and cheese. Why not put them together?!?! It about time someone (other than me) made something so delectable. My pal Julie first made this recipe with me and it was absolutely fabulous. This dish makes alot so make sure when you make it to have friends over to help you eat it. This time I made it, Richard and Robert helped me devour it, and they totally loved it.

This recipe is totally cheesy! and it contains a decent amount of veggies for something that tastes like it should be very bad for you. This much cheese is not exactly healthy, but I think the more cheese the better :)

Heres the recipe for you to try!

Bon Appetit!!!!

Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

Kosher salt

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

What kind of recipes would you like me to cook???

Anyone willing to share family recipes of things you really like?
I would love to add them to my fantabulous cookbooks that I am putting together.

Anyone want me to blog about certain recipes? Share what you would like me to cook and I will do my best to cook them :)

I'm a child at heart

Everyone is a child at heart! To make any meal more exciting for people of any age add FOOD COLORING to almost anything. From pancakes to eggs to mac n chz changing the color of something makes it complete new. For me it makes everything taste better, even thought the food coloring does nothing to change the flavor.

As you can see in this picture, these pancakes look absolutely fabulous. 

You know what they say about pancakes, you eat on or two and then you're sick of 'em.

The simple addition of food coloring to the mix makes them amazingly desirable!!! 

Anyone else like to add food coloring to anything??? SHARE YOUR IDEAS

Homemade Potato Skins

Ive gotta say these things were FANTASTIC!!!

I made so many, I enjoyed them for an entire meal. and damn were they tasty!!
TGI Fridays frozen potatoes got nothing on these. they practically melt in your mouth.
A little tip for these, forget the paprika, but salt the underside of the potatoes while they are on your plate and you will love them even more.
Cheese (any kind) and bacon are my two favorite foods and when they are put together all the better. I hope you enjoy these :)

Ingredients

         4 large baking potatoes, baked

         3 tablespoons vegetable oil

         1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

         1/4 teaspoon paprika

         1/8 teaspoon pepper

         8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

         1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

         1/2 cup sour cream

         4 green onions, sliced

Directions

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in.

 shell (save pulp for another use).

Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet.

Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins.

Bake at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn.

Bake until crisp, about 7 minutes more.

Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins.

Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Top with sour cream and onions.

Serve immediately.

Baked Bacon

For starters this is a great way to avoid being burned by bacon grease. This is especially good for me because I have the uncanny ability to get burned by anything that can burn me. Total klutz thats me!
Bacon is the food sent directly from heaven and is used in THOUSANDS of recipes.
I love it on pizza, shrimp, mac n chz, and on bacon (lol) some double-teaming of bacon.
Bacon flavor is the best flavor by far!

To cook this you need a deep baking pan lined with aluminum foil.
Lay out bacon
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes
flip bacon and cook another 10 minutes until desired crispiness.

Miss Nancy and I believe you will never ever make bacon in a frying pan again. This bacon is amazing and your house will smell like bacon ALL day, which is totally yummy!


Bon Appetit!!

Croutons are a good snack

Just so you know, croutons are a fantastic snack food. They may make your breath a little stinky, but they are filling and tasty.

The recipes that I use

I get my recipes from everywhere: Foodnetwork.com, allrecipes.com, foodtv.com, and a crapload of others. I apprecite these people posting their recipes so I can make them my own. I am a very picky eater, so I change almost every recipe, that and I am usually only cooking for myself. I have cooked or offered to cook for alot of people and its the best experience when people tell me how much they enjoy the yummy treats I cook them. This holiday season I will even be making (attempting) my own candy canes. lol. we'll see how that ends up.

Just a warning i will be talking your ears off about cooking and the funny mistakes that will probably be happening in my kitchen and I hope to share every burn and mess with you guys.

Shrimp Toast

Some people make French Toast for breakfast, I make Shrimp Toast.

This is just what I do!!
For starters Sesame Oil smells like coffee before it is cooked, how weird is that?!
There is a million and one things to make that involves shrimp, and this is one that I love to get from Won Lee's in Deland, but for the small serving you get it is not worth the $, so I decided to make my own.

It is alot better homemade than from a restaurant!!
For example, I like garlic. This recipe does not call for garlic at all, but I added it for a little extra flavor.
I left out cilantro b/c it is a little strong, and i replaced the yellow onion with green onions because their flavor is not as strong.
After cooking it you should add salt and pepper on top for a lil extra flavor.

This is one messy recipe because of all the egg, but it sure is fun to cook because it is so easy and makes a whole bunch of sandwiches (i only cooked half a recipe) and it is very filling.

Hope you enjoy!!

Bon Appetit!!!!!


Here is the recipe:

Shrimp Toast

Ingredients

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large egg white

2 tablespoons chopped yellow onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, plus 2 tablespoons

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup water

16 slices white bread, crusts removed

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Parsley, for garnish

Directions

Put the shrimp, egg white, onions, cilantro, salt, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times to finely chop. Do not puree. Put the egg yolks, the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil and the water in a shallow bowl and whisk to blend.

Spread equal amounts of the shrimp mixture onto 8 slices of the bread. Top with the remaining slices of the bread. Press together gently but firmly.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Dip 4 of the sandwiches in the egg mixture, coating them evenly on both sides. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and sandwiches.

Slice each sandwich into 4 triangles, place on a serving plate and garnish with parsley.

What this whole thing is about.

I really love to cook!

 I cook so much and have posted so many pictures on facebook that I might as well start this blog so everyone can know just how yummy my cooking is and what goes on in my kitchen. If anyone has any suggestions on what recipes I should try or how I should tweak the recipes I am using please feel free to comment and give me pointers and I will try to post the recipes along with my posts so everyone can try them.

I will be cooking up a storm a few times a week so I hope you enjoy all the yummy stuff I blog about.

This is my first blog so if I screw it up you'll know why.