German Pancakes

This morning I got up ready to make something super Yummy for breakfast. 

German pancakes had been on my mind.

And they were DELICIOUS! 

I used This recipe.

For the sauce I just cooked 1 cup frozen berries with about 1 TBSP sugar, then I whipped the cream.

AMAZING! 

Malted Milk Cupcakes

For my little girls Birthday I made some delicious Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Malt frosting.

They were pretty much amazing. 

Malt Cupcakes
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup malt milk powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/34 cups whole milk
3 eggs (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350. add all dry ingredients together, using your hands to make sure everything is mixed well. Melt the chocolate and butter. once melted remove from heat and add oil until uniform.  scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and one cup milk, blend with paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute. stop and mix in the rest of the milk, eggs, vanilla. Mix until well combined

pour batter into cupcake pan and bake until firm on top, about 20-25 minutes.

Cool and frost.


Malt Frosting 12 oz milk chocolate
1 cup malt milk powder
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature.

put chocolate into mixing bowl.  Put malted milk powder in small saucepan and mix in cream slowly to avoid lumps. put over medium heat until cream begins to bubble. Pour cream over chocolate, place plastic wrap (I used a plate) over bowl for 5 minutes. begin to whisk the mixture until smooth and glossy. put in the fridge for 2 hours.  After 2 hours remove and beat the butter into the frosting, once all the butter has been added mix until thick and creamy.

Seriously they are AMAZING!

Vanilla Ice Cream

One of my favorite things to make is Ice Cream.

Mostly because when I take a bite I am brought back to my childhood or making it at my Grandparents house in the summer.

Back then we had to use the hand crank machine.

Ice and Rock Salt, and you had to mix it for what felt like forever.

But it was probably only about 30 minutes.

Such happy memories of perfect Summers in Oregon.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk (I recommend whole milk, with no substitues)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups Heavy Cream (we usually use half and half. DO NOT GET the fat free half and half, it will be a huge let down)
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla
For extra goodness add 1 tsp Lemon extract.


In a medium bowl mix the ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
Put in your ice cream machine for about 30 minutes.


This is not the recipe from my childhood, I seem to have lost that. But it is more complex with heating things and raw eggs. When I find it I will be sure to share it.

Cinnamon Rolls

These might of been the best Cinnamon Rolls I have ever made.

They were Amazing!

I am so sad that I only made half a batch and gave them all away...

This recipe comes from the fabulous Ree Drummond.  It is in her first cookbook.
Seriously amazing rolls!


Preheat oven to 375
What you need (half a recipe, which makes plenty)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet (or 2 1/4 teaspoon) yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Some butter and cinnamon and sugar.

Heat the milk, oil, and sugar until hot, but not boiling.  Turn off and let cool to lukewarm. Then add the yeast and let sit for 1 minute.  then mix 3 1/2 cups flour just until mixed. Then let sit in a warm place for one hour.
(I put mine in front of the fireplace)
Then add the remaining cup of flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt..
Take half the dough and roll out in a rectangle, slather on some butter and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar.  Roll it hotdog style and slice it.  Put some more butter on the bottom and side of your pan (I used two round 9 in pans. One I used butter and the other I used coconut oil spray from Trader Joes)
Fill the pans with your rolls and let sit for 20 minutes. I then added my own touch. I put some more butter and cinnamon and sugar on top..
Bake from 13-15 minutes or until the tops are just turning golden brown.

The Icing is milk and powdered sugar and a little vanilla flavoring to the consistency you want.
I like mine a little runny.

Warning!!!! Start with a little milk, like 1 Tablespoon or less.  You will probably end up mixing in almost a cup of powder sugar to that.

Drizzle the Icing on when they are still warm.
Then they will melt in your mouth. MMmmmm.....

ps. I accidentally forgot the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and they still turned out AMAZING! I am stressing out a little that I did that (mostly because I gave them away), but they tasted good. And that is all that matters. :)

Brushetta

You will need

One french sourdough baguette (I got mine at Trader Joes)

Fresh mozzarella cheese

olive oil

balsamic vinaigrette

fresh pepper

tomatoes

fresh basil  

Preheat your oven to 350
slice your baguette into semi thin slices
drizzle with olive oil
bake in the oven until crisp (about 15 minutes, but test it to see)
I then put my tomatoes in a skillet with olive oil and cooked them about 15 minutes or until most of the juices are gone
once the bread is crisp take out of the oven the put in your mozzarella, pepper, and tomatoes.
put back in the oven until the cheese is melted
take out of the oven and garnish with fresh basil, balsamic vinaigrette and Parmesan (or Romano) cheese


We had ours with a chicken salad. Seriously delicious!

Enjoy!    

Taco Tuesday

We don't really have tacos every Tuesday but this past week we did. My husband will always eat his on a Whole Wheat tortilla, I don't always want to.  And currently I can't really bite into anything so I opted for a "bean taco salad"
At about 2:00 I put the chicken in the crock-pot with some taco seasoning and some fresh lime juice. By 5 it was ready to pull apart. I then heated up a can of black beans, made some home made Pico de gallo, guacamole, and cut up some mango (really you should try the mango, it is delicious!) and that was dinner. Easy and yummy! You can also have lettuce, but we didn't have any.

Pico

1 tomato

1/4 cup onion (or less if you don't like onion)

a handful of chopped cilantro

some salt (like 1/4 teaspoon)

some fresh lime juice

(you can also make the same recipe and put it in your blender for salsa)

I like to let mine sit for about an hour

Guacamole 

two avocados

half a tomato

one slice onion

small handful of cilantro

some salt (like 1/4 teaspoon)

some fresh lime juice

I make mine right before we eat.

Enjoy!

berry smoothie

One of our favorites here is a berry smoothie

 I find it best to add the ingredients in the order listed.

 frozen berries

a hand full of spinach

milk 

vanilla yogurt (I like Greek)

1 banana 

if it is to tart then I add some orange juice

blend and enjoy

I like mine thick, like ice cream.

For some added protein I will add one scoop vanilla protein powder. 

Dill Tilapia

Preheat oven to 400
Spray your pan with olive oil
Take your thawed filet and place on pan
sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, course salt, and dill.
add some fresh garlic and some lemon slices
add one Tbsp of lemon juice to the bottom of the pan
place in the preheated oven and let cook for approximately 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 145

It is delicious with rice, quinoa,or potatos
I enjoy mine with some grilled mushrooms, or fresh strawberries.

Welcome

Hi, I am Valerie and Welcome to my food blog!

I love to cook and I love to create my own things.

I use recipes more so for a guideline, but I hardly ever use one exactly they way it says, unless I am baking then it is a MUST!.

I hope you enjoy my recipes with my own touch.  

A few things to note,

I hate cooking meat, so if I do 90% of the time it will  be done in the crock-pot (it really is your best friend).

Most the time I will leave cooking meat to my stud of a Husband. 

Every once in a while I force my husband to eat fish.

My 3 year old was born a vegetarian, no matter how much we try she will not eat meat and if she does she throws it up. 

My 1 year old on the other hand eats EVERYTHING.
I don't use a lot of measurements (sorry) 

I hate doing the dishes, but they must be done.

Writing is not my thing, so forgive me.