Grandpa's Red Hot Apples

My Grandfather, My Hero. A sense of calm comes over me when i think of him. I am so blessed that at the ripe old age of 94 i still have him around. He is one of the most honorable men i have ever known and man am i proud hes my grampy. My grampy was a notorious homemade apple sauce man. He could make anything from a Jonnathan Apple. When i smell these apples cooking i am overwhelmed with memories of being with my grampy. Memories i will cherish forever. Anytime i need a dose of my grampy an cant make the long trek to PA i just make these... Brings me back to that place every time, that place i always wanna be, 6 years old hugging my grampys leg.

Whatcha need:

Apples of your choosing (I always do Jonathan's if i can find them because they are the old mans fav)
Red Hot candie
water

Whatcha do:

Core your apples and place them in a 9X12 pan

Pour your red hot candies in the opening (where the core use to be in case your confused)

Put a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan ( bout a 1/2 inch)

Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 375 for 30-45 minutes until your apples are soft.

The aroma of these apples will fill your home and bring the warm straight to your heart!

From my grampy to your family, enjoy!

Pickle, Cream Cheese and beef roll's

No, I'm not pregnant, i swear. But let me tell you... This has to be the most wonderful, delicious, treat i have ever had. I first experienced this little bit of heaven at a birthday party for my nephew a few years ago and now i make it mandatory for any family gatherings, My sister in law makes these the best. Maybe its because she puts a whole bunch of cream cheese or the fact that i didn't have to make them, but either way, this is my favorite go to snack. I will make you a believer. I swear! Just try it.

Whatcha need:

Whole Dill Pickles - As many as you want to use (1 makes about 4-5 rounds once cut)
Room Temperature cream cheese
Beef lunch meet ( i use Carl Budding because it tastes so good!)


How to make it:

With paper towels, pat your pickle dry on each side then evenly spread a layer of cream cheese on one side of the your beef.

Place the pickle at one end of the beef slice and roll it up. Slice the pickle into 1-inch slices, lay flat on a plate, and stick a cocktail pick or toothpick in the center of each slice.

 Repeat until you have all you need.

The Unforgettable trifle

This trifle is good. But in a weird way i hate it. A few years ago i was working for a title company and they were promoting their business and what did i get the pleasure of making for about 150 prospective businesses? Oh this trifle. Oh i successfully ruined several outfits for about a week straight. I know this recipe like its my last name and will never forget it. I have forever been branded by it. Is that a good thing? Its a love/ hate relationship....


Whatcha need:

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix OR packaged petite brownies already made

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup water

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy

How ya make it:

brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares. OR crumble your store bought ones

In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain. (kitchen aid comes in handy- trust me)

In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers.

Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish.

Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Strawberry Shortcake

Well who doesn't like Strawberry Shortcake? I like it, don't love it, but enjoy making it. What really irritates me about Strawberry Shortcake is having to make a bazillion of little 'strawberry shortcakes' for all the people i serve it to. I was sure there was a better way... So..... a few years ago i made my own rendition of the shortcake for the 4th of July block party and just made it for memorial day weekend. Its always a hit (even if i am not a raving idiot over it) and their is never any left over.


Whatcha need;


1 box of White cake- Use the egg white recipe ONLY.
1 carton of strawberries- keep a few for pretty garnish on top
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
a few cups of powdered sugar
white sugar- to your sweetness sweetie
a few table spoons of pure vanilla extract


Whatcha need to do is 1st make your cake as directed on back of box. Make sure to follow the egg white only recipe. This will make the cake the right fluffy Constancy


While cakes are a cookin, slice your strawberries into nice thin slices and put in bowl, sprinkle your sugar on them and stir, gently and refrigerate so that yummy syrup begins to come to life


Next once your cakes are cooled you begin the fun part... da da daaaaaaaaaaaa ( bet you didn't know i was a sound expert)


In your kitchen aid ( bowl & mixer if ya have this instead) add the whole container of cream, your vanilla to taste, and mix it on medium speed until it starts to get thick.


Once it begins to get thick, start adding the powdered sugar ( a few tablespoons at a time). The idea of the powdered sugar is to thicken the whipping cream and hold the shape of it with out the cream melting once you stop beating it. Once it gets to hard peaks your done! STOP WHIPPING or you will successfully have really really sweet butter, jus sayin...




Now the assembly:


lay your first  cake on your cake plate and add a few spoon fulls of your sliced strawberries (with syrup, duh) on top of cake


then Add half of your whipped cream


repeat for 2nd layer


and if you make 3 layers (like i do) add your final layer and garnish with your strawberries you left to the side (remember?)


Enjoy!

Chicken Lasagna roll-ups

Well today i was in an italian and instant gratification mood. And with Italian cooking, it usually takes a while, because it for always has to be to perfection! Lasagna takes some time to cook so i decided to cut the baking time in half and make individual portions called the roll-up. Not to be confused with our colorful fruity snack on plastic. So easy, so yummy and worth it all!


Whatcha need:


1 16oz container of non-fat Ricotta Cheese
Fresh italian herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, Basil) need about 3 heaping tablespoons
1lb of ground Chicken (i got this at the grocery store of $0.69- extreme coupon-er i tell ya)
1 box of Lasagna noodles
Fresh Mozarella- to taste (i used about 1/4c)
Fresh Parmasean cheese- to taste (grate yourself, please)
Salt & Pepper- to taste
1 large jar (18-24oz) of your favorite pasta sauce (or make your own)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- EVOO


How to roll it:


First boil your lasagna noodles until they are al dente (dont over cook), the toss in a little bit of EVOO. Just enough to keep the noodles from sticking and let cool


Then brown your chicken completely. Then add in your pasta sauce and  let simmer until you need it. (you can add some of your herbs if you want to)


Next Mix your Ricotta, herbs, Mozarella, salt & pepper in a bowl and set aside

Put about 1/4 or less of sauce on the bottom of your 9X12 baking dish to prevent sticking and beause more is better, right?

Lay your cooked lasagna noodle flat on cutting board or counter and spread a little dollop of the ricotta mixture on the noodle

Then add a little bit of sauce

Roll up your lasagna noodle (gently)


Continue until all your noodles are rolled and in a pan


Place in baking dish.


Add remaining sauce and top with lots of cheese


Cook at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until cheese is all melty (yep thats a word) and brown( brown is better..... thats what she said...)

Chicken salad

Well my friend Raquel makes the absolute best chicken salad my lips have ever touched. And no matter how much i try to recreate it, i fail. Something so easy is so hard. So i leave it up to her. In the mean time i stopped trying to recreate hers and just make other variations to avoid the disappointment of it not tasting like Raquel's. boo, i know. When i make chicken salad, It never seems to come out the same and always gets better each time. Chicken Salad is so easy and can have so many different add-in's that change the flavor each time. So get creative. It wont hurt!

Whatcha Need:

2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked

1/4 cup Real Mayo (i use Dukes)

4 tablespoons Cole slaw dressing

1 teaspoon of Celery Seed or 1 rib of Celery minced

1/4 onion, minced

1/8 teaspoon of sugar

Dash of mustard

salt and pepper to taste

How to do it.

1) Boil Your chicken in Chicken Stock until cooked & cooled then shred

2) In a separate bowl mix together all your other ingredients, Well

3) stir in your chicken, well

4) Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to marinate the flavors together.

Viola!

Serve on bread, crackers or by itself!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I had a craving for some yummy muffins and i happen to have blueberries on hand... So guess what i made? Duh! They are so good. Its a good breakfast to go for you or family or just a nice little snack!

Whatcha Need:

1 cup  milk

2 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup  granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces

2 cups  fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

How to do it:

Preheat oven to 350.  Place rack in middle of oven. Line 16 - 18 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a measuring cup mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.) 

Remove one cup of the mixture and set aside in a separate bowl to make the streusel topping.

To the remaining muffin batter, gently fold in the blueberries and lemon zest.  Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. (Do not over mix this mixture or the muffins will be tough when baked.) 

Fill each muffin cup with the batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Fill any unused muffins cups with water to prevent the pan from warping.

For streusel topping:  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the reserved 1 one cup of streusel topping. Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly and looks like coarse meal. 

Sprinkle a couple of  teaspoons of the streusel over the top of each muffin.

 Place in the oven and bake until very lightly browned and firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 - 22 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

 

Makes 16 - 18 regular-sized muffins.

Meatballs

The Meatball. If you know Italian, you know the meatball. And i know all of us have had some pretty terrible ones. If your going make either a pasta or appetizer meatball, make your own.. Please? Its much more satisfying to be able to brag that you made them and it is so stinking easy. Get off your Tush and cook!


Whatcha need:

2 pounds ground beef (or 3/4 Hamburger & 1/3 ground pork)

 4 garlic cloves, minced * Don't be stingy!

1/2 cup grated Pecorino- Romano cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Making the balls:

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix ingredients thoroughly and form meatballs. Cook meatballs in the oven at 350 degrees until lightly brown about 20 minutes. Let meatballs simmer in your favorite pasta sauce, until ready to serve.

Makes about 2 dozen meatballs.

Chicken Francese

Yep I'm really hitting all my favorite Italian recipes at the moment. I get so excited when cooking Italian that i just cant control it. Any time you get a chance to throw in crusty Italian bread i jump on it! I wold eat pasta every night if my plus 4 would allow it!

Whatcha Need:

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
How to do it:

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving

Chicken Marsala

This is one of those recipes that always brought our family around the table for good food and better conversation. I learned to make this from my wonderul Italian mother. Italian cooking is just so dag on good and so dag on easy. Come on people jump on the boat. Its worth it!

Whatcha Need:

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup presliced mushrooms

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Putting it together:

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add mushrooms, wine, broth, and juice to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat well.

 Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve wih warm Italian Crusty Bread & Italian Butter :)

Baked Tortellini

Here is another Italian dish that my plus 3 wont turn their noses up too. its all about introducing foods at a low key level. Try it. Please?


Whatcha Need:


Olive oil or cooking spray
2 cups marinara sauce, I like to use Rao sauce (or homemade if ya have the time)
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
8 ounces purchased cheese tortellini
6 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound ground turkey or chicken


What comes next


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Lightly oil an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. 


Brown the ground turkey or chicken in a skillet over medium heat, until no longer pink.


Meanwhile, whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend.


Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain. Add the tortellini and browned meat to the sauce and toss to coat.


Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Tomato- Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Pasta

Down to the Italian roots, here is a go to meal that is easy and brings you back to the old country. So simple, so perfect. Try it, you wont be sorry. Kid tested, mother approved

Whatcha need:

1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions (can use any pasta of your liking)
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
about 4 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, preferably small balls (halved) or else cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper

How to:

Prepare spaghetti according to package instructions; drain and set aside. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook until garlic softens and begins to appear translucent, being careful not to brown. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook several minutes, letting tomatoes give off their juices. Add basil, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Toss with the spaghetti noodles and let cool a couple minutes before adding the mozzarella. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Potato Salad

I hate to say it, but yes, potato salad can be messed up. I have had a ton of potato salad's that have to much mayo, too much onion, too much celery and just taste terrible. So i was playing around and came up with  delicious potato salad that is bound to please, no matter who you are. I am not a fan of celery in salads and if you try to leave it out, the whole taste is thrown off... So pull your sleeves up and dig into the best potato salad ever!!


Whatcha need:

2 lbs red bliss,- Do not peel!
6 eggs, cut into eights
1/4 cups green onions, chop 1/8-inch size
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, Not miracle whip!
celery seed to taste
 tbsp. salt to taste

How to mix it together:

Steam your potatoes for 45-1hr & 15min depending on size

Boil you eggs as normal, peel and set aside.

Once potatoes are done, All them to cool and then proceed to cut in bite size pieces

The mix all your other ingredients and add the egg!

Your ready to eat.

Homemade Ice cream in a bag

Every year my plus 4 and i go to the beach. And one particular evening i was with my Best friend and her family down in the Outer banks and the kiddies needed something to do. So why not have them make their own ice cream? So i decided to use some of that unlimited supply of energy they keep daily and put it to use! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as ours did!

Whatcha need:

large ziplock bags (2 per person)
A big canister of salt- Or rock salt
Lots of ice
Pure Vanilla extract- To your taste
heavy whipping cream
and mix-ins of your choice

How to do it:

Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the salt (about 1/4 cup). Seal the bag.

Put cream, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.

Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.

Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.

Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully add your mix-ins. Enjoy!

P.S. The longer you shake the firmer it will be. Will be soft serve :)

Kielbasa & Potatoes

I'm making Turkey Kielbasa for dinner. This was something I ate growing up and have passed on the love to my plus 4. They really enjoy their 'hotdog's'. Its one of those, if they don't know it wont kill them kinda things. I let them think its a hotdog and in return they eat well! Its so easy and very comforting, especially for a Sunday Dinner like tonight.


Whatcha Need:

2 packages of Kielbasa- I used Turkey
1/2 to 1 stick of butter- Use your best judgement
Salt & pepper to taste
6 medium potatoes
1 small onion

What to do first

Melt 1/2 your butter in the pan on medium heat

While butter is melting, cut your kielbasa in 3 sections & then cut them long ways in half

Once butter is all melted, put your kielbasa, casing side up, in the fry pan and allow to brown nice and good

While Kielbasa is browning, chop your onions & peel and thinly slice your potatoes. Set them aside and well get back to them.

Once your kielbasa is all brown, remove from pan and set aside. DO NOT remove juices from pan! Defeats the purpose, Duh!

Now add your potatoes. Let them brown and get all crazy flavor filled. When they begin to get soft add your onions... Here is where you may need to add a little more butter...

Keep a close eye on your potato/ onion mixture so the onions don't burn, unless of course you like really burnt onions.

Keep mixing your onions & potatoes every so often until your onions become translucent.

Turn your heat down to medium/low and once it reaches that temperature, cover and let your potatoes and onions finish cooking. Make sure it has reached a lower temperature or you will successfully burn your food!

Once your potatoes and onions are soft like you like them, return the Kielbasa back to the pan and let the flavors 'marry' for a few minutes.

Your all done and ready to eat!

Hamburger Buns

So i'm making Bacon and Cheese stuffed Hamburgers for dinner and i decided to make my own rolls! Can you say Yum? I think so! They are easy and well worth the time to make. Store bought is so last year. Duh!


Whatcha Need:


1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°F)
2 envelopes Fleischmann's® Active Dry Yeast
3/4 cup warm milk (100° to 110°F)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter OR margarine, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
4-1/4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

How to make um:



Place warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved-- Allow to 'marinate' for 10 minutes until bubbly!

Add warm milk, sugar, butter, salt, eggs and 2 cups flour; beat 2 minutes with electric mixer. 


Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough & Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes.


 Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.  

 Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide into 12 equal pieces.

Form each piece into smooth ball. Place on large greased baking sheet. Flatten balls to 4-inch rounds; cover. Let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.  

Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheet; let cool on wire rack. 

Stuffed Hamburgers

To go with my fresh made hamburger rolls, I made delicious stuffed Hamburgers. I stuffed the little ones hamburgers with cheese & ham and for my Plus 1 and I, I stuffed them with Cheese and Banana Peppers. So easy, so delicious and so perfect. You can stuff with anything you like. The possibilities are endless!

So lets get down and dirty.

Whatcha need:

2lbs of Hamburger
2-3 cloves of minced garlic - fresh please?
Salt & Pepper- to taste
a few dashes of Hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)
Seasoned Salt- to taste
3 tablespoons of dried minced onions

Filling:

Use shredded cheese of your liking

Fill-in ideas:

Crispy bacon, sauteed onions or mushrooms, banana peppers


Putting the patty's together:

Start by gently mixing in all your seasonings to your hamburger in a large bowl. Do not over mix!

Separate meat into 2 equal parts & pat flat to about 1/4 inch thick

Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out equal circles. You should be able to get 6 patties from each lump of hamburger totally 12

Once you have cut your circle patties, place your cheese then topping of choice on one patty.

Place the 2nd patty on top of the filled patty and pinch edges together tightly! Re-shape if necessary

Then grill your little heart out to wellness you prefer.

Serve on your homemade buns!

Monkey Bread

Although I’m almost certain there are no actual monkeys in this recipe ( even though i convinced my plus 3 their was and we had to buy it at Wal-mart), it’s still very good.


And you know the best part about this here Monkey Bread? It’s easy. Hard to mess up, honestly. You’ll be just fine.

Here’s what you need:


3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter
½ cups Brown Sugar

 How ya put the monkey together:

First preheat your oven to 350 because you will need it soon.

* BWOP!! * — That was the sound of the biscuit can popping open. You didn’t know I was a sound effects master, did you? Now open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters

At this time you’ll want to combine the 1 cup of regular sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. I use 3 teaspoons of cinnamon and this gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons. Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Go ahead…all of them. Yes, they’re sticking together right now, but just trust me.

Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag, seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with the cinnamon-sugar. You might have some excess sugar left over and that’s okay.

Spread these nuggets out evenly in your bundt pan. I suppose you might want to grease this pan before doing this, but I’m pretty sure the gallon of butter we are about to add will keep it safe. Un-greased always works for me.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt those two sticks of butter together with 1/2cup of brown sugar. This can be light or dark brown sugar.

Stir together over a medium-high heat until the two become one. Sure, you could do this in the microwave, but it would be way less cool.


Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits. Try to avoid sticking your finger under this heaven-sauce as it’s really, really hot. (*Knows from experience*)

At first…it’s going to look like too much. It’s okay though. Did I mention that this is not a low-calorie snack?
Bake this @ 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep brown on top. It should like like this.

If you have the willpower, allow this to cool for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate. If it doesn’t slide right down onto the plate, give it a few love-taps until it plops. It’ll hold.

The smell is to die for, but the taste is life itself. I would endorse this Monkey Bread as the next presidential candidate.

Now, I’m not completely sure why this stuff is called “Monkey Bread”, but I think it has something to do with the fact that people seem to stand around it making primitive noises, jumping up and down, and picking at it incessantly. Taste it and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Orange Chicken

Chinese take-out (made in). And it was amazing. Chinese food is something that is desired by most and can get very expensive when feeding all your plus 4. So I stumbled across an orange chicken recipe a few years ago and have been making it since. Very filling, very satisfying and gives you the Chinese fill with out spending your entire life savings.

Whatcha Need:

2 lbs boneless chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

pepper 

oil (for frying)

1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup flour 

1 tablespoon ginger root, minced(you can used ginger in a jar)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red hot chili peppers

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon rice wine

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Glaze for Stir Fry

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons water

5 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons white vinegar

1 zest of a medium orange

* I always double sometimes triple the sauce. Cant ever have enough sauce can you?

How to make your take-out

1) Place chicken pieces in large bowl & Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.

2) Stir cornstarch and flour together.

3) Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.

4) Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees.

5) Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.

 (Do not overcook chicken).

***** While Chicken is frying begin to make your Orange glaze*****

Put all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well, Yep that's it

6) Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

7) Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat  then add 1 tablespoon oil.

8) Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds.

9) Add and stir-fry crushed chilies and green onions.

10) Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds.

11) Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil.

12) Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.

13) Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.

14) Heat until sauce is thickened.

15) Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired.

 Serve over rice of your choice, i always do white or brown.

MIX-INS: You can add broccoli, snap peas or baby corns