Alphabet Soup

I ran across a post today, that I found through Twitter (I've become addicted!) called Retake Homemade .  What does that mean?  Well, here's a little quote: I am proposing that we start a movement, people! To teach people that good food does not have to be complicated or come from a box. That you can put a meal using fresh, healthy ingredients on the table in the same amount or less time than it takes to open those boxes and cans and microwave dinners :shudder: To show them that it doesn’t have to be complicated or creepy... That's it.  Simple.  Basic.  What I want to do!  You can read more about it here on Pots and Plots by Kait Nolan.  So, what does all this mean to me?  I try my best to serve good meals to my family.  I'm not going to lie, we have definitely had our ups and downs when it comes to eating.  We fall prey to the call of fast food.  If I'm lucky, I get to go out for lunch with my best friend on a weekly basis....

I was hoping to be able to post about some yummy sticky pecan rolls, but I'm still tweaking the recipe just a bit.  Instead, I want to share some (a ton!) of pictures and explain what it's like having a two-year-old in the kitchen.  Or at least, my two-year-old in my kitchen.  :) These days, whenever Sprout even thinks I'm going to be cooking something, he comes running into the kitchen saying he wants to help.  He then proceeds to haul out one of the step stools and drag it to wherever he thinks he needs to be.  So, how do you cook with a two-year-old?  And what can they help with?  Good questions. Well, step one is to find the closest two-year-old.  This one looks like he might be up to something.  And apparently, if mama is wearing an apron, he requires one as well. Next, he might climb on the counter you just very carefully cleaned.  It's okay.  He's just after the magnets on the refrigerator.  After he gets t...

You may remember that a while back I made some  baked doughnut bites .  They were good, but upon further review they need some tweaking.  I'm working on that. However, I've been tossing around these chocolate doughnut muffins around in my head for a while.  What does it say about you when you're thinking about recipes and ingredient proportions while you're driving down the highway??  Anyway, these are oh-so-good.  I baked them in mini muffin pans again, to try to get the impression that they are more like doughnut holes.  (By the way, do you prefer "doughnut" or "donut"? and a funny quote about it all.)  They were then dipped in a chocolate glaze.  Do they truly taste like chocolate cake doughnuts?  Not exactly . But the chocolate glaze?  It tastes just like the glaze you would get at a doughnut shop.  For "research" purposes, I even stopped at a doughnut shop and got a chocolate cake doughnut with choc...

Okra.  You either love it, or you hate it.  Or at least it seems that way.  I've noticed that people tend to have very strong opinions when it comes to okra.  I, personally, love it.  Apparently so does Sprout.  He's eaten it fried, raw, and even pickled.  He hasn't had the chance to eat it boiled yet.  I like it all of those ways.  So, when I saw some at the grocery store, I decided to make okra fritters with it! This is a pretty simple recipe and quick to whip together.  I pan fry my fritters instead of deep frying.  Although, if you don't deep fry it, would it still be considered a fritter?  Either way, these are good!  D's response was "surprisingly good".  I'm not sure how to take that... I realize the picture I am using is not the greatest -- it was one of those snapped super quickly while a crowd of hungry people were hovering, waiting to eat supper! Okra Fritters adapted from Everyday Fo...

Mmmm...Oatmeal Breakfast Bread.  It just sounds all warm and yummy, doesn't it?  Natalie of Oven Love chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  This is a quick bread and I loved how, well, quick it was to put together.  I know, welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department.  :)  Anyway, with oatmeal, raisins and applesauce in the bread, and brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans for the topping, it makes a great treat for the morning...or the afternoon.  My loaf turned out super moist.  It almost reminded me of a bread pudding.  It was tough, but I let it cool as much as I could stand before cutting a slice.  It was definitely easier to slice once it cooled completely.  The Munchkin wouldn't try it, but Sprout and I loved it.  I sent a few slices to my parents, and they both enjoyed it as well.  I can definitely see myself making this again.  If you'd like the recipe, hop on over to read Natalie's ...

Chocolate.  Ganache.  Ice.  Cream.  I'll just get right down to business.  This stuff is amazing!! Katrina of Baking and Boys! chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  She has my wholehearted gratitude.  ;)  Chocolate ice cream is probably my favorite when it comes down to it.  Or really good chocolate ice cream, that is.  This particular recipe starts out by making ganache, which is a French term for a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream.  I have to confess, I'd never actually made ganache before trying this recipe.  I can say, it's super easy!  You put your chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate).  Next you bring some heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate.  After letting it sit for a couple of minutes, you start stirring and are rewarded with a beautiful, glossy, bowl of chocolate bliss.  Not that I stuck my {clean} finger in...