Unsolicited Gadget Endorsement: Pampered Chef Herb Infuser

The Pampered Chef Herb Infuser is one of my favorite new additions to my kitchen.  It is inexpensive ($9.95) and SUPER easy to use.  Pack it with herbs, cap it off, and drop it into any liquid you want to infuse with flavor.  No more fishing around for loose bay leaves or thyme stems.  It withstands high heat and is dishwasher safe.  I know I sound like an infomercial, but I really do love this thing.

I have used this for herbs in soups, but most recently, I had leftover mint leaves from a recipe.  I stuffed them into the infuser and dropped it into the iced tea I was brewing with the tea bags. When I removed the tea bags I also took out the infuser.  Perfect mint tea! This product is a great one to keep in mind if you are invited to a Pamper Chef party and don't have a lot of money to spend.   

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Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Toffee Popcorn

I know I'm horrible about posting, and heaven knows I don't have time for this today, but you must know about Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Toffee Popcorn. Seriously. I can't stop eating it. If you have Trader Joe's, go buy some now. If not, I'm truly sorry to burden you with the knowledge of a divine product out of your reach.

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Neiman Marcus Cookies

Our church is having an event tomorrow, and I have to bring 3 dozen cookies.  My husband immediately suggested Neiman Marcus cookes - with no hopes of getting extras for himself, I'm sure.  When having lunch at Neimans last year I ordered the cookies for my dessert, and it came with the recipe.  I made them tonight and WOW.  They really are good.  If you need a chocolate chip cookie recipe, try this one!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds).
Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.
Using a 1-ounce scoop or a 2-tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Recipe courtesy Neiman Marcus.

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Best Pickles for Tuna Salad

This one is going to be short and sweet and most people will be like, "What? Who cares." But, these pickles really make the best tuna salad. What makes it great is chopping up some of the other veggies in the jar with the pickles (except the cloves of garlic. That's a little too intense for us)

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Unsolicited Product Endorsement: Buttermilk Powder

Buttermilk powder. Have you tried the stuff? It changed my baking life. How many times have you skipped a recipe or used a questionable milk/vinegar concoction because you didn't have buttermilk or didn't want to buy a half gallon for two tablespoons?

Buttermilk powder is available on almost any baking aisle and goes in the fridge after you open it, so you use what you need and keep the rest for your next recipe. The can tells you how much powder to mix with water. This stuff is pretty cheap and, I won't lie to you, I keep it in my fridge for months with good results (Disclaimer: the FDA probably doesn't condone my cavalier attitude towards shelf-life...). So, next time you come across a recipe that calls for buttermilk, don't be afraid to go for the powder. You'll be glad you did when future buttermilk-requiring recipes come along.

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Valentine's Dinner with The Pioneer Woman

Last weekend Anthony and I were watching the Pioneer Woman's show on FoodNetwork when we saw her recipe for Fancy Mac and Cheese. We looked at each other and immediately decided we were having THAT for our Valentine's dinner. Anthony found that it and a recipe for bananas foster were in her latest cookbook. So, with a salad on the side, we had our menu complete.

 

The mac and cheese requires some special cheeses, so it is definitely a special occasion dish. I knew the cost would add up, so I compared prices at Kroger, Trader Joe's and Central Market. Trader Joe's won by a landslide. PW uses 3 separate skillets/pots for the onions, bacon, and cheese sauce, but I just made them all in my trusty large cast iron Dutch oven, draining the fat after the bacon. It worked perfectly! This recipe is to die for and not as heavy as one might think.

For dessert, we made PW's Bananas Foster. It was easy and tasty, although I would have liked the sauce to be a little thicker. I think that was my fault for not cooking the butter and brown sugar long enough, for fear of burning it.

All-in-all, a success! I never cease to be amazed by the Pioneer Woman. I have not found any other source for recipes that i can count on 100% of the time to not only work, but taste fantastic. If you haven't checked her out, you must!

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Valentine Pretzel Buttons

I found this idea for Valentine Pretzel Buttons on Pinterest and thought they would make a great treat for my niece and nephew. It couldn't have been easier. You could really do these for any holiday. My grocery store was out of regular M&Ms, so I used the cherry ones they had for Valentine's. They were perfect! I'll be keeping this idea for when Eleanor is older because kids could definitely help with it.

Original post: http://griffithsrated.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-prezel-buttons.html?m=1

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