KitchenOfKy

Today, there was no leaping for me! I am was tiiiiirrrreeeedddd - and for not a very good reason. I stayed late to work, but then, I started to research food processors and waffle irons. Yes, I am overtired today but I was doing market research for kitchen items. By the end of the weekend - I will own both, if not at least one. I feel that a processor is a key. How I've lived this long without one, I am not even sure. So, some very exciting new for me today! I follow this blog: http://www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com/  through Facebook and she had this fantastic post about signing up for a "Food Penpal" Yup! That's right. It's true.  I can't wait, but a little nervous because that means people are going to read this. People that are outside of the "exclusive" membership! But, this is good because it means I have to keep up on this! YAY!  Tonight, I thought I might talk about my weekday food experiences.This week is special, per say because I ...

And it continued.... My grandpa is AWESOME . I seriously love that man. He's been eating Roger's Porridge mix since 1984. I am not kidding you. We discussed this on my last visit. He has been eating this mix everyday since 1984, and he even buys it in bulk and drives it down to Phoenix, AZ with him. I am not exaggerating, and not at all joking. He is 86 years old, still drives, still golfs and still gets goofy. That's proof that breakfast is the most important meal of the day . No effin' around. When I was in Safeway on one of my many shops, I walked by this epic porridge mix and couldn't leave it on the shelf. I took a bag home with me (I paid, don't worry). I've adapted the recipe that was on the back of the bag shown in the picture. These cookies aren't pretty and to be honest - I am not even sure how they taste baked. Side bar - I don't eat my own cooked products unless it's cooking. The baking doesn't interest me. Do I eat the unb...

So, when I posted last night, I thought that my baking for the weekend was over! I was SO wrong. After sitting in a classroom for the last 2 days, I guess I needed some expression of creativity! I cranked the tunes, pulled out the cook books and got down to work! First up! Pumpkin Oat Muffins adapted from  http://sweetandnatural.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/pumpkin-banana-oat-muffins My version: 1 can pumpkin (not the pie filling, we're talking straight up pumpkin) 1 cup of applesauce 1 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup flax meal 2/3 cup agave nectar 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup Rogers Porridge Mix (or oats of any type is fine, this is just what I had) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon (also added nutmeg and cloves) 2 eggs Mix all of your wet ingredients together (I am sure you know the difference between wet and dry). Then, mix all of your dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet on...

This week hasn't been too much for large kitchen experiments but I'll leave you with a few for this weekend.  For some reason, I have become obsessed with popcorn. I don't have an air popper so I have to make it on the stove. Here is how I did it: Stove Top Popcorn: Put a large pot on your stove top, add 2 - 3 tbsp of canola oil, make sure your oil is heated by putting a kernel in it and seeing if it pops. If it does, add 1/3 cup of kernels. I bought the cheap crappy Co-Op brand ones. If you're not cheap like me, you'll probably get better results. I am cheap because I buy food ALL the time. It's a problem - I go to different stores all over the city so people don't recognize me (kidding but I should). Once you've added your kernels, cover the pot and listen to the fun popping sounds! Once the popping slows down, remove from the heat. Also, shake the pot back and forth so it doesn't burn. Once you remove it from the heat, you can make whatever...

On Friday night I bought a huge bag of dates. When I think of dates, I think of seniors for some reason. I don't know why but I do. Anyway, I needed something to do with them, and mentioned this to my beautiful friend Allison, who sent me a recipe tonight. It wasn't her recipe that sucked - it was me.  Date Snowballs 3.5 ounces pitted dates 1.5 tablespoons coconut 0.5 ounces almond flour* sprinkle of cinnamon *I subbed the 15 small almonds for almond flour Throw it all into a food processor and make a mixture. Roll into balls, then roll into coconut. Eat.  My result - I don't have a good food processor (WTF Kyla... I know, I need to get one), so things didn't get pureed very well. I took the mixture out and used a masher on it. Yes, a potato masher. It was ugly. Anyway, the flour made the mixture a little too sticky but I think if I played with amounts I could make it work. I also rolled mine in cocoa to be different, I haven't tried them yet but was t...

I love hosting dinners. Love it! So, after my week of cooking deprivation, I invited my BFF over for dinner! Here is the menu: Stuffed Pork Tenderloin 1 pork tenderloin, butterflied Sundried tomatoes 2 Artichoke hearts Fresh Spinach 1/3 of an onion  2 garlic cloves Nutmeg Lemon juice  Lemon zest Egg Butterfly your pork and set it aside. Dice the onion (I used yellow), chop the sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and press the garlic cloves into a heated frying pan. Make sure to use some oil so things don't stick! Saute everything until the onions are translucent. Add your lemon zest & lemon juice to taste as well as your nutmeg. Set it aside to cool. Once cooled, add the egg to act as a sort of glue. Spread the mixture onto your tenderloin. Close it up with butcher string & bake it at approximately 350 - 375 for about 30 minutes or until tender.  *My apologies for the lack of measurements, I just eyeballed it & tasted it to see how it was...

I've had a crazy week. My week started by hosting my beautiful lady friends for a Sunday brunch. Those girls know how to eat! They brought fruit trifle with strawberry whipped cream, egg/ham cups with little cheese hearts, maple bacon, jam tarts, banana bread, Sunday ceasars with bacon vodka, potato/cheese scramble, crepes complete with nutella & bananas, gluten-free blueberry muffins & I contributed with a gluten-free breakfast pizza. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of it, but it got great reviews & I would certainly make it again! I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust mix - success! I added oregano, basil & thyme to the mix before I baked it. Then I scrambled eggs, cooked turkey sausage, onions, mushrooms & peppers, and added them to the top, grated some cheddar, threw it in the over and VOILA! Anyway - back to the crazy week - I spent the week in camp in Fort McMurray. It's pretty much a second home for me so there was very little for hom...

Seriously, peanut butter & chocolate... How can you go wrong!? You can't. It's impossible. I find myself researching all of the millions of ways that I can incorporate peanut butter into my baking....as well as my other guilty pleasure - Nutella. While this creation has left our friend Nutella out of the equation, it is a form of chocolate that I love to eat with a spoon out of the jar - straight up. Sometimes, I'll even have a spoon of peanut butter & then combine it with Nutella - bliss !! I first made this cake in August, on a whim, when I was bored & feeling creative. I gave the entire thing away but not without enjoying some of the ganache while I was baking it!  I borrowed the recipe from this website  http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2011/08/27/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/  who adapted it from another great site  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-and-Butterfinger-Frosting-231746 . So, wi...

One more to share from this week before I tuck myself in! I am trying to successfully complete the Wild Rose Cleanse this week. It's a no sugar, wheat, dairy & alcohol diet. The first few days were tough but starting to feel great now! Here's a Wild Rose friendly dish! It can be found on  http://www.eatcleandiet.com/the_kitchen_table/recipe/recipe.aspx?id=1912 . Moroccan Quinoa Stew  adpated slightly from the above link 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used the pre minced jar stuff, easier!) 1/2 tsp ground corriander 1/2 tsp caraway seeds (I didn't have, so didn't use any - still delish) 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp salt 1 L (4 cups) chicken stock, reduced sodium preferred 1 cup diced tomatoes, juice & all (I used an entire can) 2 tbsp chili paste (think the bottle with the rooster on it) 2 tbsp tomato paste (I omitted) 1 large cauliflower, florets only 1 cup quinoa 1 cup peas, frozen 2 cups chickpeas (I used one can) ...

For months I've been pouring over food blogs - it's become a borderline obsession of mine. If I find myself surfing the 'net, I will check Facebook, my gmail account, my work email account and between those food blog sites. I have a few "old reliables" if you will, but as I continue to harbor this need for blog sites, I've found that there are more and more and more people just like me (or arguably, I am just like them) that also LOVE food, cooking, baking, their kitchens, their cookbooks, sharing food and also, love food blogs. I've attempted this blog thing once before and ran out of material, but I've decided that rather sit back and envy those who have their very own grown up blog sites - I will try to attempt one myself. God knows I am cooking and baking in the kitchen enough that I do need one. Now, if only I could find a way to make this my day job.  In honor of Valentine's Day, I kicked off my weekend by making my old "go to" S...