A Blueberry Muffin Fixation

Sometimes I think I have a fixation on blueberry muffins. Whenever I am going through the quick bread and muffin section of any cookbook, I seem to always bookmark the blueberry muffins to try. It could be the big burst of blueberry goodness that happens when you bit into a freshly baked muffin… or possibly because My Mom made them every time I had a sleepover at our house? I’m thinking it’s the latter… but, mostly because she would make them mini muffins and all of us girls would sit down with the tub of butter and slather each little tiny muffin in it before gobbling them up in no time at all.


While My Mom made lots of things from scratch, these muffins were of the boxed variety. Something yummy she could easily get going in the morning before we would decide that we had to actually get up and get moving after a late night of girl-talk and laughter. The smell of the muffins would always make us more willing to get up and greet the day. Those were very good times all those years ago. We are all going to spending a weekend together very soon and I am so looking forward to reliving some old memories and creating new ones with each one of them!

When one of my girlfriends came out to visit after My Oldest was born, I decided to make the muffins we remembered. Unfortunately, I was sleep-deprived having a 2 month old in the house and forgot a couple of ingredients. Oops! Needless to say, I did manage redeem my cooking abilities with other meals I made while she was visiting. At least I can laugh at it now – it’s only 8 years later!

So, after the boxed mix fiasco and getting past a couple years straight of less sleep than anyone should have to suffer through, I started baking and cooking… and searching for recipes again. I’ve made many different recipes for blueberry muffins and some come out better than others. This time, I went with a recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.

These muffins were delicious, but I think the estimate of 12 muffins was a bit off… or my muffin tin was smaller than the assumed “standard” size. They have a moist, yet dense crumb and are worth splurging on a few extra calories to enjoy with a pat of butter. My Oldest and I have been nibbling on them throughout the week for breakfast or a late day snack.

Blueberry Muffins
Source:  The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries, lightly coated with flour (frozen work well if fresh are not available)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, making a well in the center.  Stir in the liquid ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.  Batter may be lumpy.  Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.  Lightly sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of sugar.  Bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly golden or a cake tester inserted into the center of muffin comes out with moist crumbs attached.  Do not overbake.



Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Wordless Wednesday

What I was working on tonight with a few other mom's in preparation for the Teacher Appreciation Day on Friday at our kids elementary school.  Ok... so, it's not completely a Wordless Wednesday! 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Doing It "All" and Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

I make no secret of the fact that I am a mom who works full-time outside of the home.  I don't feel the need to go into the reasons for this choice as that is not what this post is about tonight.  Over the years, I've had other moms look at things that I do and ask me how I do it with a full-time job.  My answer has become "I don't know any different, this is my life."  I really feel that you adapt to what life throws at you, and with the economy taking the turn it has the last few years is that I am thankful that we both have jobs and have been able to weather it pretty well.

What often makes people ask this question is the fact that I have always managed to find time to set-up play dates, participate actively in PTA by helping on committees and still find time to make dinner at home.  All this and more in spite of working a full day for someone else.  I guess the reasoning behind all of these things I do is because I am motivated by how happy these things make My Boys.  There are some times when I can't do it all, so I have to scale back what I commit to... saying "no" is something I do when necessary.  I am fully aware of what I have time to do and what I know I can't manage based on what is currently happening in My Family's life.

Now, all of these activities require me to be somewhat organized.  When it comes to meetings, play dates, game schedules and all that fun stuff... I'm as organized as a person can get.  I am totally hooked on the Cozi on-line calendar.  I've been using it since September of last year and I keep everything on it.  I love that I can download the calendar to the home computer where My Husband can then hook his iPhone up and get the information transferred there as well.  Everyone seems to know where they need ot be and when. 

When we get a day like last Sunday where it's raining and ugly out, I take advantage and try to make some things in the kitchen.  I managed to bake a few different things so that packing snacks and a special cookie treat in the lunch boxes would be easier.  When I have time, I prefer to send something homemade rather than pre-packaged goodies.  I have to rely on those pre-packaged things to a certain degree, but prefer to limit the use when I can.  With all of us having to get ready to be out of the house in the morning by different times getting lunches and snacks made can be a hectic addition to the routine.

I asked My Boys what they would like as their dessert in their lunch this week.  I knew a cookie would be chosen, as I really have no problem sending a homemade cookie as a treat with their lunch.  Everything in moderation, right?  So, My Youngest and I sat down with my copy of Martha Stewart's Cookies because it has a photo with every single cookie.  We settled on the Chocolate Cut-Out cookies, I think he liked that the shape and that there were nonpareils on each cookie.  Can't say no to that reasoning!

Now, I'm not usually a fan of rolled cookies.  They never roll out as nice as I'd like them to.  This time, I tried rolling them out between plastic wrap so I wouldn't have to use additional flour.  This worked out pretty well.  Once again, I must give Martha credit because these cookies were much easier for me to work with, and the chocolate flavor was outstanding!  Nice deep chocolate flavor, but not so rich that kids won't enjoy them.  Everyone in my house has been enjoying them, and I don't mind sending them as a lunchtime treat. 

So, really making homemade cookies is something I figure is worth making time for since it makes my family happy.  It's all about being organized and making sure there is time for the things that makes you and your family happy.  So, you don't help with one committee or don't schedule a play date - in exchange you have some quality time with your family and everyone comes away feeling ready to take on something new the next week.  Or at a minimum there are some treats that you can nibble in between activities!

For the full recipe, head on over HERE. 


Note:  I mention Cozi because I use it and wanted to share it here as something worthwhile.  No one asked me to post about that website.  Also, the link to the Martha Stewart cookbook will take you to Amazon, where you can get additional information on the book and if you choose to purchase via that link I will receive a small referral fee.
Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Bertolli Cooking Session (Recipe: Shrimp Arrabiatta Bites)

Last week, I had a fabulous opportunity to meet and cook with some amazing food bloggers at a Bertolli cooking event featuring their new sauces.  The invitation to be a part of this experience allowed me to invite a friend to be my cooking partner who would also help me create a recipe using one of the sauces they sent to us - 4 Cheese Rosa or Arrabiatta. 

We entered the test kitchen at Unilever, they own Bertolli among many other popular brands, and were greeted by some fabulous people who work in the test kitchen and on the brand itself.  I fell in love with the kitchen... check it out!

We were soon joined by some other food bloggers that I was thrilled to meet - Terry of Seduction Meals, Marc of No Recipes and ZenChef of Zen Can Cook.  Stacy of One Hungry Mama was supposed to be there as well, but was unable to make it.  We missed her, but her dish was still prepared and part of the meal.

Once we had all arrived, we went to our workstations and began cooking!  The test kitchen chefs had done all the prep work and our mise en place was set out for us. 

The recipe my friend, Anya, and I came up with was very simple but full of flavor.  We chose to use the Arrabiatta sauce as we felt it would work well with many different ingredients.  We prepared it as an appetizer, but with larger servings (and more shrimp!) and a nice big salad you could easily make it into a meal. 

We had the pleasure of sampling several other dishes prepared by our new friends as well!  If you are a Facebook fan of Family, Friends and Food I'll be sharing those recipes there later tonight. But, here's a snapshot of the incredible food we enjoyed.

A fabulous meal using very versatile sauces.  I was impressed with the creativity everyone used with these sauces and can't wait to try their recipes again at home. 

Shrimp Arrabbiata Bites

Source:  PatsyK & Anya
Ingreidents
12 oz. tube of Polenta
All-purpose flour (1/2 cup)
Olive oil - 1/2 cup
1/2 jar of Bertolli's Arrabiatta sauce
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons capers
1/3 cup of Kalamata olives
8 jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound.....13-15 count size) – peeled and deveined

Directions:
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet.

Slice polenta into 1/4 to 1/2 inch discs and coat in flour.

Add to pan and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until becoming crispy.

Remove and set aside.

Add a splash more oil as needed if polenta absorbs it. In a saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat; then add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add about ½ a jar of the arrabiatta sauce to the pan.

Heat for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat and take off burner, add capers and olives and give sauce a stir.

While the sauce is heating, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet.

Add the shrimp, turning shrimp regularly and cook until they turn light, roughly 2-3 minutes.

While shrimp is cooking, cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into the pan.

Take off heat when fully cooked.

Place polenta disc on each plate, then drizzle with sauce and add shrimp to the top of each disc.


Disclaimer: Ogilvy Public Relations extended an invitation to the Bertolli Cooking Session on behalf of their client Bertolli. I was not provided monetary compensation nor was I required to post about the event or products upon accepting the invitation. These opinions are my own.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Wordless Wednesday: April 21, 2010

Trying something different today... no recipe to share, just some photos that show what I've been up to and why I don't have a recipe to share today!  So, now for my first Wordless Wednesday post!

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Tasty Tidbits and The Boys of Spring

After the long, cold Winter we had I've been over-the-top happy about the Spring weather we've had recently.  More sunshine and the warmth definitely brightens my mood and inspires me to think I can accomplish more in a day than I do in the colder months.  It helps that we have longer days already, but the simple truth is that there are still the same number of hours in each day. 

Of course, the warmer days bring with them the start of little league baseball again!  Both of Our Boys are playing, which means two team schedules for practices and games.  After last week, I realized that the meal planning I do in the colder months (aka: less busy times) needs to be re-vamped to work with the much busier schedule that we have this time of year.

So, with a slightly less scheduled week coming up I am going to start searching for ideas on things I can make that fall into the "cook once, eat twice" category.  The recipes that allow you to make dinner one night, and the leftovers can turn into something different another night (and very quickly).  Any suggestion for tried-and-true recipes that fall into this category are welcomed!  Please do share!  As I re-vamp my meal planning for these busier times I will share what works and what doesn't - at least for us.

I found some fabulous recipes when I was blog-surfing over the last week... your mouth will be watering once you go visit these sites!

Recipegirl re-vamped a family recipe for Creamy Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas that looks like an excellent make-ahead meal for busy nights.  I just have to remember that on Sunday when I have more time to cook!

Shrimp is a quick cooking protein option for weeknight's and Shelby (AKA: Grumpy's Honeybunch) made a Thai Style Shrimp Pasta that looks so good I imagine there wouldn't be any leftovers!

The Lemon Chicken at Annie's Eats would be a great weekend dish that you could make and reheat or even slice up the leftovers and add into wraps or panini sandwiches on busy nights.

I'd love to hear about your quick meal ideas for those busy nights during the spring! 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Fun Cake Idea (Hot Dog & French Fries - seriously!) and Making Friends

When I first moved to New Jersey just over 13 years ago, it was a time of big changes for me.  I had just gotten married to my best friend and moved to a part of the country where I knew no one other than My Husband and his family.  I was very excited about moving somewhere new, but didn't really consider how hard it would be to essentially "start over" when it came to making friends.  I had never moved as a kid, so I was never the "new kid" in school and pretty much had the same friends throughout my school years.  Those girlfriends are still a part of my life - we are in contact on a pretty regular basis thanks to email!  I'm terrible at making phone calls, but email has enabled me to maintain friendships that I would be very sad to lose. 

Of course, as I got older and started working I made other friends along the way.  While that was not so hard to do back then, because I had my "core" group of friends it was much harder when I relocated.  I found it very hard to connect with the people I first met when I got here.  The impression I got was that everyone had their history here with the people they grew up with and didn't have room for additional people in their lives.  I made peace with that for awhile because I was busy with finishing my degree at night and was a newlywed who wanted to spend time with My Husband.

Not everyone makes friends easily, and I guess I am one of those people.  But, once you have entered my "circle of trust" (those who have seen Meet the Parents will get that), I'm there for you no matter what.  I've been fortunate that I was encouraged to join a group back when My Boys were very young that allowed me to make some fabulous connections that I still have today.  Our lives may be busy, but we do try to make time to at least connect in one way or another in spite of our schedules.  I've read so many articles that talk about how women need relationships with other women for so many reasons.  I must say, I do agree with what I've read.  Without my different groups of friends, I'm sure I'd be a bit of a crazed woman.  It is so nice to be able to vent to a friend and get an objective opinion or share some good news.  Sometimes you just need a friend to chat with that loves you for who you are - "warts and all". 

Now, what does that have to do with anything food related?  Well, as I've mentioned before I play Bunco once a month with a great group of women.  It's the one night a month that is entered on my calendar and no matter what's going on, I make it there!  I think in the many years I've been playing that I may have only missed a couple of times and that was due to me being too sick to go.  Having this one night out each month guarantees that we each get a chance to catch up while sharing a ton of laughs.  The other night, we had a small group due to all of the spring sports - but, that didn't stop those of us who made it from having a lot of fun.  I had a rushed evening between baseball games and practices and getting to the game so I didn't bring any new treats to share.  No worries, though because my neighbor made this fun cake that I can't wait to share with you here!

When I first saw this cake (YES, it is a cake!) on the table it immediately made me smile!  I'm going to have to make it for My Boys sometime as it would completely fake them out!  My neighbor did an AMAZING job putting it together and I told her it should definitely make an appearance at our block party this summer!  If you want to try this one for yourself, you can find the instructions at Family Fun right HERE. 

Weekly Tasty Tidbits will be posted this weekend, so be sure to check back to see what I discovered this past week!

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Review: Secrets of a Skinny Chef

When I first started reading blogs and searching for recipes I came across a site called The Skinny Chef.  I was drawn to it not only because of the name and the old saying "never trust a skinny chef".  I have subscribed to her newsletter for awhile and always appreciate her tips and tricks for enjoying good food without going overboard.

When I was contacted about reviewing Jennifer Iserloh's cookbook, Secrets of a Skinny Chef: 100 Decadent, Guilt-Free Recipes, I was thrilled to have the chance to see how her tips and recipes would translate into a cookbook.  I prefer cookbooks that are geared toward healthy eating to share tips that the average person can easily incorporate into their daily living.  With this cookbook, Jennifer has definitely done this.  With each recipe, she includes "skinny secrets" that are simple things you can do to prepare healthy meals at home and add vegetables to just about anything. 

She doesn't talk down to you about nutrition and things that you probably already know.  What she does is point out that by making small changes a little bit at a time, you can make a difference in what you see on the scale and how your clothes fit.  She is not prescribing a diet plan - she is showing you how to enjoy food again.

The recipes encourage the use of lower fat, but not necessarily fat-free, ingredients.  Whole grains and tons of fresh vegetables are used throughout the entire book.  While there are not a lot of photos of the recipes in the book, the few that do appear are mouth-watering and I have tagged each one to try over the next few months. 

Last weekend, after a stock-up trip to the grocery store I was paging through the book and came across the recipe for Good Lookin' Grilled Cheese.  Now, who doesn't love a grilled cheese?  Seriously, put a couple of slices of American cheese between two buttered slices of good old white bread and cook it up until is nice and melty?  Oh yeah... a favorite from my childhood.  But, this grilled cheese is more grown up.  I'd even say it's more like a panini than a grilled cheese.

This grilled cheese is a bit healthier with tomato, turkey, Dijon mustard, a bit of shredded mozzarella and fresh basil.  So good and it's full of flavor - so it's also satisfying.  Rather than using a thicker sliced whole grain bread, I opted to use the sandwich thins that I have been enjoying lately.  I still get my bread, but with fewer calories.

I found a very similar recipe on the Skinny Chef website that I may be trying next weekend, because it looks THAT good... go check it out HERE. 
Disclosure:  I received a copy of the cookbook for review, but was not told what to say in my review.  I truly do love this cookbook.  The link above to the cookbook will take you to Amazon where you can purchase the book, if you choose to.  I receive a small referral fee if you do.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Greek Sausage with Veggies & Pasta

We have a neighbor who is Greek and when he was heading to The Greek Store in Kenilworth, NJ, he asked if there was anything I wanted him to pick up.  Well, I immediately asked for the Greek Sausage they served to us a few months back.  It has this amazing flavor which is puncuated by the orange peel throughout each bite.  So, very yummy!

So, now I had several packages of this flavorful sausage and needed to decide what to do with them.  So, Friday night after a chilly baseball practice I decided to pull out a few things and see what I could come up with that would make a tasty meal for the family.

I used things I already had in my fridge and pantry and came up with a quick and easy meal.  The sausage is not "spicy" as in "hot", but rather full of flavor and the orange peel adds an extra dimension that is what made me ask my neighbor to pick it up for me.  My Husband made the comment that the sausage was peppery tasting, which made My Boys initially decide that it was too spicy.  After a bit of convincing, I got them to try a few more bites and they realized it wasn't spicy, but actually something they both liked. 

Greek Sausage with Veggies & Pasta
Source: PatsyK Original

Ingredients
3 links of Greek Sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 pound of linquine cooked according to package instructions
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
about 1/2 pound of thin asparagus, sliced on the diagonal into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Greek Seasoning (I use Penzey's blend)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet.  Add mushrooms and cook until the moisture from them has cooked out.  Then, add the asparagus and the lemon juice (more or less depending on how much you get from the lemon).  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.  Drain off about half of the juice.

Add the sliced sausage and chicken broth and partially and cover.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the sausage is heated according to the package instructions. 

Serve immediately over hot linguine.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.

Weekly Tasty Tidbits

This week, I found so many fabulous recipes that I want to bookmark to try!  So much inspiration for this Spring, too!  Check out these blogs and see what inspires you!

Looking for a something lighter with the warm Spring weather?  Then, check out Mom's Cooking Club and her post on Baby Mixed Greens with Pears, Pecans and Feta. What a great flavor combination!

Another NJ blogger, Stacey Snacks, posted an Artichoke and Feta Fritatta that would be perfect for a Spring brunch or bookmark it for Mother's Day!

Paula at Dragon's Kitchen shared an amazing Mushroom and Shrimp Stuffed Sole that is filled with amazing flavor!

Instead of buying the taco seasoning packets, head over to Sarah's Cucina Bella and try her recipe for Mild Taco Seasoning.  Even the kids will like it!

Recipegirl had a fabulous idea to make Sugar Cookies Bars!  As she says, they make everyone happy, so I may just have to make some myself very soon.

That's my round-up of Tasty Tidbits for this week.  Go check out these blogs, they all have some amazing recipes, these are just the one's that caught my eye this week!

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.