A way to the heart.

It has been WAY too long since I've updated the "food" blog. Over a year. What a ride we've been on! We've welcomed a precious baby girl into this world. I've been learning as I go and experiencing all the joys of motherhood. I LOVE to cook and bake. It's always been something that I've been passionate about. Once Ady arrived, especially with all the problems she's had, cooking become something put on the back burner (no pun intended). I'm just now getting the hang of this "mom" thing (so now that means something will change since I feel I have a routine, right?). It's hard work being a stay at home mom, especially with a little girl who has been as needy as mine has been. I don't spend all day in front of the tv with a box of bon bons as some may think. It's a race from sun up to sun down. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

This afternoon I tried a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was tired of my original homemade recipe and decided it was time for a change! If you're looking for a new treat to try, you won't be disappointed. They're very moist, chewy, and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (make sure you cut it up into pieces-I think THAT is the key!)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in the butter, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

A way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? I'd say so. Joseph often tells me how wonderful of a cook I am, the best he knows. But, I compare myself to Rachael Ray and feel like I'll never measure up-ha. I know he's happy and loves to share my treats at his work :) Tonight, I felt like something new and it's now a Bischoff favorite! Stuffed Green Peppers. Delicious. I tweaked the recipe a tad (as all cooks do!), and didn't add the tomato soup at the end. I really didn't feel it needed it. The flavor of the meat mixture is to die for! Next time, I'd like to add more veggies, maybe even some cooked pineapple into it for a different flavor. You'll love it!

Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• salt to taste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• water as needed

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.
4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Until next time...Enjoy!

Tis the season for everything sweet :)

Here is the Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cupcake RecipeL

3/4 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (the recipe calls for 5 bakers squares, but I think the chips taste better)
1 pkg Chocolate Cake Mix
1 pkg Jell-o Chocolate Pudding Mix
4 Eggs
1 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Oil
1/2 C Water
6 small crushed candy canes
1 tub cool whip

Heat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil, and water on medium speed. Stir in chocolate chips and 2 tbsp of chopped candy. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake 20-30 minutes. Frost with cool whip. Drizzle remaining candy on cupcakes. ENJOY :)

A Good Ol Southern Meal

To go with the meatloaf I made baked macaroni and cheese. I call this my "Mary Engelbreit Macaroni" only because it's from one of her cookbooks. Those of you who know me well, are laughing at this :)

Cook macaroni noodles in a separate pan.
Melt 1/4 c butter on stove.
Add 1/3 c flour and 3 cups of milk. Simmer 5-10 minutes.
Add 10 oz of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup scallions, 1/2 c parmesean cheese 1/4 tsp black pepper and salt. Let it simmer 5 minutes.
Melt 1 tbsp butter over stove and add 1 cup sliced bread crumbs.
Add cooked macaroni to the dish.
Pour into pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Not Your Mom's Meatloaf

My first attempt at meatloaf. My mother is laughing as she reads this, I'm sure because I hated it as a kid. But, love always wins. It's one of Joseph's favorite dishes. And after almost a year 1/2 of marriage, I thought it's about time. I found a recipe for a base and then added several ingredients of my own just to "play" with. While this is not my own recipe, it's close to it. I'll get there someday. The recipe is very unique and "Not your mom's meatloaf"

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

4 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T seasoned salt
1/2 T oregano

1/2 T black pepper
1 cup diced green peppers
1 cup diced onions

3-4 slices Cooked Bacon

Heat oven to 400°F.

MIX all ingredients except bacon.

Put into loaf in 9x5-inch loaf pan.

BAKE 45 min then add the 3-4 slices of bacon. Cook for about 15 more minutes or until done.

Oh and you MUST dip it into ketchup (that part I got from my mom :)

Godiva?

If your wallet can't handle the Godiva chocolate price of chocolate covered strawberries, try the more economic way! All you need is to buy some strawberries and a container of Baker's chocolate. (Found especially this time of year). They have various containers, but the one I use is a tub that has a lot of "circle" chocolates in it. You put a few in a bowl (for about 8 strawberries, you'll need 5-6 chocolates), microwave 1 minute. Then you stir the chocolate and dip the strawberries in the bowl. Drop them on wax paper and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. What a yummy and inexpensive treat!

Joseph's Birthday

Well...Joseph finally got to have his birthday cake. We had been home 20 minutes from Hilton Head when our puppy, Chloe fell off the bed and began holding up her back leg whining. Needless to say, there was no birthday cake in the emergency room. I made a new cake Peanut Butter Cake and homemade peanut butter icing. It was so yummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix
• 2/3 cup water
• 
  
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Assemble and frost with Peanut Butter Frosting once cool.
4. To Make Peanut Butter Frosting: Combine 1 cup peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough cream to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.

Orange Juice Cake

For a yummy and refreshing treat, try an Orange Juice Cake. I got this recipe from my good friend Tyler. Her grandfather made it a lot when we were in college together and I finally asked for the recipe! 1 Box Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix, 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup oil, 4 eggs. Grease a bundt pan and mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. For the glaze: 1 cup sugar, 1/4 c orange juice, 1 stick butter. Heat butter until melted. Add o.j. and sugar to butter and to mix. Poke holes into cake and pour glaze over. Let sit for 20 minutes.