BBQ Beef Brisket

I'd never made brisket before but thought it couldn't be that hard. I put the brisket in the crock pot on high this morning at 9am so it would be done for when I left for work around 5:30. I added BBQ sauce (I use Bulls Eye Original), pepper, water and some minced garlic.

It was very tender and fell apart when I pulled some out to make some sammiches.

I made a little sammich and some tator tots and some cole slaw. The cole slaw is like a Sandra Lee Cheat. I bought a bag of shredded slaw and a bottle of cole slaw mix. I mixed the sauce in the slaw and left in fridge for 2 hours. It came out nice and creamy and a perfect fit with the bbq brisket. :) MMMM

I added a little more bbq sauce on my bun for extra bbq taste and flavor. I think I did pretty good job....well the crock pot did most of the work. haha :)

Homemade Cinnamon Roll Blob

I wanted something to settle my sweet tooth. I was going to make blueberry muffins but then thought I would try to bake some from scratch cinnamon rolls. I did everything according to the directions. As I got to the final steps my dough was too sticky on the counter and I couldn't roll it up so I smashed it in frustration and had a big blob. I put the blob in the pan and baked it and it still came out very tasty. :)

Here's the recipe and directions for you in case you'd like to give it a shot. :)

Rolls:

2 1/2 cups flour and some extra for counter

2 tbsp sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Cinnamon filling:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (you can use dark or light, I used light)

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a round pan with PAM spray. I used my round pyrex pie dish.

2. Make the filling. Combine ingredients until until mix resembles wet sand. It will smell really good and you'll want to eat it. LOL No, I didn't eat any but the smell was wonderful.

3. Make the dough. Whisk the ingredients in a large bowl. Don't add the melted butter.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk your buttermilk and 2 tbsp melted butter together. Now if you don't have buttermilk like I didn't you can take milk and mix in 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit 5 min then mix together. Works good!

5. Stir buttermilk mix into the flour mix with a wooden spoon until absorbed. About 30 seconds. The dough will look shaggy and it did look very shaggy.

6. Turn the dough out onto well floured counter and knead until smooth. About 1 min. This process was sticky, goopey and messy. LOL

7. Press dough out into a 9 x 12 rectangle using you hands.

8. Brush dough with 2 tbsp melted butter. Then sprinkle dough with Cinnamon filling mix, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.

9. Loosen the dough with a scraper.

10. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly to form a tight log.

11. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 8 even pieces. Tip: For easier slicing of dough, use unflavored dental floss. Slide under rolled dough then cross of the top of roll to cut through.

12. Place slices in greased pan.

13. Brush with remaining 2 tbsp melted butter and bake until edges are golden brown, 20 to 25 min.

14. Use a knife to loosen the buns from pan. Flip the bun s out onto greased wire rack, then turn buns upright and let cool 10 min before frosting. Prepare frosting while rolls are cooling.

My log got stuck while trying to roll up so I rolled as best as I could and then smashed it together, and put in pan. I brushed on the butter and baked it. Once it cooled a few min I frosted it.

For the icing/frosting:

8oz cream cheese (room temp)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups confectioners/powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk

Mix until smooth. Now....funny enough I didn't have 3 cups of confectioners sugar. So, my brother looked online and figured out how to process white sugar into a powdered sugar by blending and adding cornstarch. Came out pretty good. :)

Looks good eh? Yeah, it's very good. :) Too bad it didn't turn out like rolls but it still came out great. :)

MMMM :)

New Things Monday

I didn't use to like bananas when I was little and I hated the word banana b/c I missed that word in my 3rd grade spelling bee and some older kids made fun of me and told me I was going to fail 3rd grade. I hated bananas b/c of that but I eat bananas now and I like them. :) For today's 'New Things Monday', I tried Chick-Fil-A's, Banana Pudding Milkshake. It was ok, and I drank it. I got a small and that was all I could handle. I think a large would have been too much. :)

And just an update on how my giving up sodas is going.....I have not had 1 soda. Yes, I've craved it once or twice but I have not had any. I can do this. :)

Locks of Love

Last year, when I got sick I lost a lot of hair. It was scary but my body just needed time to heal and my hair growth was one of the things affected from my sickness. My hair finally grew back and it grew a lot. Most people don't notice b/c I always wear my hair up but it was pretty long. I found a Great Clips coupon from the newspaper last week for a $5 haircut. I thought, "heck I could use a trim" and that's exactly what I did today. As the stylist was asking how much hair I wanted cut off, I told her to my shoulders. She then measured it and said if we cut it to 'here' that would make it 10 inches and then you can donate it to locks of love. I said sure why not. :)

So, I had it cut. It's just a little above my shoulders. Since I donated my hair I didn't have to pay a dime for the cut. And the best part of all my 'virgin' hair is going to be made into a wig to be given to a sick child. Makes me feel good. :)

Safety First

The other weekend we were cooking on our grill and the bottom of our grill had a small grease fire. Luckily, I bought a fire extinguisher a few years ago just in case we needed it and it sure did come in handy. Nate used it and it put out the fire very quickly. The small one, like I had is only a one time use fire extinguisher. Yesterday, I decided to get a new one b/c well you just never know when you might need it and it's a very good thing to have. I went to bed bath and beyond but they didn't have extinguishers all they had was a spray. So, with my $5 coupon I got this 'fire spray' for $10. Totally worth having in the house.

And the best thing I find about the spray....it's not as scary as a extinguisher. :)

Meaty Cheesy Quiche

Quiche for dinner? Why not? So. that's what I made. haha :)

Ingredients:

Sausage (cooked and crumbled)

bacon (cooked and crumbled)

1 onion

parsley

pepper

1 pkg of shredded cheese

1/8 tsp nutmeg

6 eggs

pie crust (1 shell)

Looks good eh?
MMMMMMMM....top with sour cream if you'd like. :)

New Things Monday

Today, I'm featuring Edy's Thin Mint ice cream. I've managed to not buy any girl scout cookies this year. But one day while at the grocery store I saw this and craved a thin mint cookie. How awesome that it's in the ice cream? It was really good. I loved it. Needless, to say it didn't last too long in the freezer. haha I will def buy this again. :)

Healthy Fruit Salad

I really wanted some fresh fruit so I decided to make a nice healthy fruit salad. You can pretty much use whatever fruits you like. I used:

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, peaches and pineapple. It's so good all mixed together and the best part.....it's good for you. YEY fruit! :)

HAPPY SPRING! Today, marks the first day of Spring. I have a bunch of flowers blooming. Here are some daffodils that my Aunt Karen planted in the fall. :) Can't wait for the tulips, daisies and phlocks to bloom. :)

Scrapbook Workshop

Today, Kristen, Crystal and me went to a Creative Memories Scrapbook Workshop. It was a ton of fun. Crystal had never scrapped before so Kristen and I introduced her. She took off making some awesome pages like a pro who's been scrapping for years. We can't wait to have another scrap day.

All the other ladies scrapping. Some did their scrapping digitally on their laptops. The program sounded complicated. I like to be able to 'feel' my book, not look at it on a computer but that's just me. To each their own I guess. haha

Crystal and Kristen scrappin'. :)

Kristen used a whole table for her things and still didn't have enough room. haha

I made a scrapbook of my Paternal Grandparents. Here's one page.

Here's another page.
I love this picture of my Grandparents. They are watching a DVD that Nate and I put together for everyone.

Crystal working on her 'Mexico' book.

Kristen working on her book 'Cruise' book.....well she's really on her IPHONE.

We all had to bring a food item to share among each other. I made my Chocolate Chip Cookies and named them............... "GO BIG OR GO HOME CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES" LOL :)

Last year at this time....

This week last year we were riding the waves of the ocean to the Bahama's. What an experience that we'll never forget!! Fun times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Kristen, is blogging about what we did each day last year to journal our memories. Read here! :)

Donut Bacon Cheeseburger

Do you remember the donut bacon cheeseburger I talked about last fall? Read here.

Now you can make it in the comfort of your own home. LOL Recipe here.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 6 slices bacon, cooked
• 3 hamburger buns
• 3 English muffins
• 6 glazed donuts

Directions

Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally, with House Seasoning. Form 3 hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Crack 3 eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.

Place burger patties on English muffins or buns, and if desired, on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with 2 pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

New Things Monday

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE V8 fruit juices. I've only tried two of them.....fruit medley and berry blend and they are both delicious!! :)

The World is Bigger Now

If you're looking for a good read then you must read 'The world is bigger now'. You might remember my blog post from last fall. If not read it here. Euna Lee was the other journalist that was detained in North Korea with Laura Ling and this book tells her side of the story. You read about what happens to Euna while she is held captive for 5 long months and you really feel for her. Thank you Euna for telling your story and for finally being able to complete your documentery by writing this book.

Here's Euna with her daughter Hana. GOD Bless you and your family! :)

Homemade Baked Bread

I decided to make some homemade bread for the first time and I will say that I'm really impressed with myself today. haha I used this recipe. :)

In a large bowl whisk 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast, and 1 1/2 tsp salt.

Add 1 1/2 cups room temperature water and fold mixture, scraping up the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl until shaggy ball forms.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours. Note: You might also want to put a DO NOT TOUCH note on top. I did this so Nate wouldn't touch it. haha :)

Lay a sheet of parchment paper inside a pie plate and spray with non stick cooking spray. Also spray your hands with the non stick cooking spray and then transfer dough to a lighly floured surface and knead 10 to 15 times. This will remove the bubbles from the dough. Shape your dough into a ball by pulling edges into the middle and then place dough seam side down on parchment paper in pie plate.

Spray plastic wrap with non stick cooking spray and cover your dough. Let rise for 2 hours. 30 min prior to baking put your pampered chef baker in the oven and heat your oven to 450 degrees. Once dough is ready to be baked, cut a 6 inch slit along the top of the dough. Remove your baker from the oven and place your dough (with the parchment paper) into the baker. Put on the lid and bake for 30 min. After 30 min, remove the lid and let bake for another 15 to 25 min.

Once the bread is done remove from the oven. Check inside temperature of bread to make sure it's above 210 degrees.

Remove the bread from the baker and parchment paper onto a plate and let cool to room temperature.

Once bread is cool, you can slice. :)

The bread was perfect!! So good! I will def make this again. I can't wait for Nate to try it. I def want to make Cinnamon rolls with this recipe. Another good thing....my house smells like fresh baked bread. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! :)

Save the Whoopies

The state of Maine is trying to claim the Whoopie as their own official treat. When I think about Whoopies I think of the Amish. I believe the state of Pennsylvania should be claiming that this delicious treat is theirs and not Maine. I signed the petition and so should you. Maine can stick with Lobsters!

Sign the petition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lent

What are you giving up for Lent? I've decided not to have any SODA/POP. Kristen is doing this with me. I know we can do it. I know we'll feel a lot better without drinking soda and maybe we can lose some weight too. :) If I can give it up for Lent then I know I can give it up all together. Wish me luck! :)

Gnocchi

I love TOP CHEF. It's one of my favorite shows. The Chefs every now and then make Gnocchi. It sounds good and I've been wanting to try it. At Wegmans a few weeks ago I was coming out of an isle and right there on the end cap was packaged Gnocchi. I got a package! For dinner tonight that's what I made. :)

You boil water, then add the Gnocchi. Let the Gnocchi cook for a few minutes and once they are done they will float to the top. EASY! :) I made my meat sauce that I make for Spaghetti. I figured if the Gnocchi was gross then at least I would have Spaghetti sauce. haha

I tasted the Gnocchi plain and they were ok. I added the meat sauce and ate together and I liked it. Something different and easy to make. :) I hope Nate likes it. :)

EDIT: Nate told me that it smelled like play-doh which I have to agree with him and then when he tried it he said he felt like he had a ball of play-doh in his mouth. LOL I told him now that we've tried it we probably won't be having it again. :)

Cleaning the Fridge

One of my biggest pet peeves is a dirty microwave. I just can't stand it. Crusty food cooked on the microwave plate is just.....UGH!! It's gross. If you spill food, then clean it up. It only takes 30 seconds or less. A clean microwave just makes me happy. :) Coming in second would be having a clean fridge. It's just something that I like to have clean.

Something that's annoying.....Spilling something and leaving it there. I know I didn't do it. So when I ask the only other person who lives here and they say "It wasn't me", it just makes me so mad. If I'd made a mess I would have cleaned it up. Look at that shelf. Something was spilled on it and it's just all slimy and gross. ICKY!!! Who knows what kind of bacteria is growing in there. Makes me cringe just thinking about it. BLECH!!!

Blech....gross spill.

I ran some errands earlier today and stopped at Wegmans for a few groceries to last for the week. Once I came home before I put the groceries away I pulled everything out of the fridge and cleaned. I used my green works and just wiped everything down. I let it all dry and then put the food back in. I also organized it the way I like it. If you look at the door, it annoys me that the mayo is on the third shelf and that the mustard is over on the right top. UGH! Condiments used all the time should all be TOGETHER. Am I right or am I right? :P So, I put everything back where it should go to complete my little world. haha

Organized and clean. It took me I think about a half hour. The fridge wasn't really dirty but there were crumbs and then of course that 'spill' that 'no one' did. Now it's nice and clean. What I do find funny.....for someone who doesn't drink any alcohol I sure do look like an alcoholic. haha Yes, that's vodka, and tequila on the bottom of the door, wine and German beer on the door on the second shelf and then there's beer in the bottom basket. LOL Nice clean fridge= happy! :)

New Things Monday

How good does that look? How can you go wrong with chocolate truffles in chocolate ice cream? You can't at least I didn't think so. I was soooooooooooooo disappointed. :( When I got home and started to eat my blizzard the ice cream wasn't even mixed correctly. It was basically vanilla ice cream mixed lazily that the chocolate didn't even get mixed in right. :( The truffle pieces were just like gooey chunks of chocolate that were sorta bland. BLECH! I will not ever get a Midnight truffle blizzard again. :(

Blech

A rumor....McDonalds could be selling the McLobster. DISGUSTING! BLECH!