BIZZY BAKES

I have not added many new recipes in the last week because school started and I found it hard not to think about  my class and what will make it an effective year for them.  I believe strongly in a class personality and that factor determines how I handle the class both in learning and discipline. I am teaching two classes, this year, and when I walked into each one, I felt good.  The boys were normal with no one glaring as a discipline problem.  I know that in one class there is a child who has been difficult over the years.  I made it a point to connect with him immediately.  He behaved and participated.  One day of success.  Now for the days to come. Last year, the class was supposed to be a dream class and from the moment I walked in, I felt a tension, I never felt before in that room.  It remained for at least half the year and never dissipated completely.  It took me months to understand that this class felt entitled. ...

Made today....... Made in April..... This is Catch Up week at EwE, Eating with Ellie.  I look forward to these days and this is only the second one we have which makes me  sillier than I thought I was.  What did I do?  I made this yummy dish for each of the  catch-up days.  You can tell, I was well aware when I missed this the first time around. It is one o'clock in the morning and I am not going to make something, at the last minute.  Perhaps, if I had found out, earlier in the day. Actually, I made this for my youngest granddaughter who has gotten fussy with her eating.  She loves pasta and this was a way to make it healthier.  She does love vegetables but they are not filling enough alone.  For breakfast, she filled herself with broccoli and broccoli and broccoli.  She was so happy eating.  I made eggs which she pushed away.  I even offered her some crackers while I figured out what to do and she pushed tho...

It is those two words that brought this pie into being, GOAT CHEESE.  I really do love it and find reasons to use it, whenever possible. This got me wondering as to how you select recipes to make.  Do you use Cook Books, the Internet, family favorites, cooking magazines or your instincts?  What appeals to you most, a photo, the ingredients, what type of dish it is or any of the many reasons that we all  have? A good photo will sell me but I am more attracted to those magic words like, goat cheese, cauliflower, onion, corn, soup, etc.  If it were up to me, it would cheese, every night. Tomato Goat Cheese Pie Ingredients  1  9-inch pie crust 2  tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon basil 6 ounces goat cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees or temperature on package. Bake crust in according t...

I don't make salads enough.  I really do love them but I just don't bother making them.  It is funny how I don't mind chopping and shredding for hot food but I do mind for salads.  I did make this combination and we liked it.  And.......I don't like olives. Pepper, Olive, and Mozzarella Salad  Ingredients: 24 Cherry Tomatoes, halved 1/2 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper 1/2 Cup pitted Olives Mozzarella Balls (I used small chunks instead.) 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon RiceVinegar with basil and oregano Pinch of ground cumin Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste Method: In a large salad bowl, mix together the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, mozzarella, and basil. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and enjoy! Results: I took my first bite and my mouth was filled with pops of flavor. This is delicious. I would make it again, happily and I will eat olives, from now ...

By now, you must know that I have found only success with the recipes in Joy Bauer's  book and those found on her website.    Although the recipes are online and that means we can and should make them, I believe in supporting those chefs that give my family such pleasure in eating.  Based on that I recommend her book, Slim and Scrumptious .  It is a wonderful addition to your cookbook library and I can always find a recipe that fits my needs and desires. C hicken and Vegetable Curry   adapted from Joy Bauer Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 head cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets, stem discarded or 1 large bag of frozen cauliflower 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, preferably no-salt-added Method...

This was described as a cross between a frittata and a quiche.  I like both.  Despite that, I found this to be eggy and I would cut down to two eggs, next time.  The tomatoes gave life to the dish and it is a wonderful way to use tomatoes when you have a summer crop.  I know, it is winter, but both hubby and I brought home tomatoes and there is a limit to how many I can use. Crustless Tomato Ricotta Pi e  ( adapted from Big Oven ) Ingredients: 15 ounce Ricotta Cheese; part skim  1/4 cup Milk; low-fat 4 large Eggs  1 tablespoon Cornstarch 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated  1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped 1 dash Salt  1 dash Pepper  1 pound Tomato; sliced Method: Preheat over to 375.  In a large bowl, whisk ricotta, eggs,  parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until blended. In measuring cup, stir milk and cornstarch until smooth, then whisk ...

It is freezing in NY.  When I last checked the thermometer, it read 21 degrees and the ground is covered with a light snow.  It is beautiful but I am not happy walking and driving in it. To make it worse, I have a rental car, this week.  I am not sure if I shared that a school bus hit my parked care a few weeks ago.  It is in repair presently so I have to navigate the snow in a strange vehicle....not a happy camper. I will not take my class out to recess today, no matter how much they beg.  Does that make me a mean teacher or a responsible one.  I have one boy who comes with a light sweat shirt, no matter the weather.  I am wondering what he will be wearing today. I was not feeling well when I made this soup so I did not take a photo but I checked my files for another soup and found this roasted tomato soup which looks very much like it without the cheese on top.   Tomato Soup (adapted from All You February 2013) Ingre...

The above would make a lunch worth, sitting down, with a glass of wine, to enjoy.  OK, if you are not a fan of eggplant, maybe this wouldn't work but for the rest of us, this is to enjoy.  It is kind of cute with the yellow patty pan, near the top, of the stack. I have come across, recently, a few people who were cooking with patty pan squash and I decided, just for the cute factor, I had to do something with them.  I had planned to make eggplant Parmesan for dinner and wanted to figure a way to include my little patty pan friends. My great decision was to use a tomato as a buffer between the eggplant and patty pan and top it with cheese.   I was going to use goat cheese but I didn't have enough for all the stacks, so I changed my plan and used mozzarella.   I didn't know what to expect and I am happy to say, I was pleased with the results.  Not only, is this a luncheon dish, it is a good as a side dish.    Patty P...

I am the kind of a person who if I am busy has no interest in food. This means, I usually skip breakfast or lunch and end up having a brunch. This is not so bad because I don't feel badly, if I indulge myself. Today, I took a sun dried tomato wrap and filled it with mashed tuna with a teaspoon of mayo, sliced onions and tomatoes and wonderful herb yogurt melted, gushy cheese, oozing out of the wrap, to my delight. Presently, the herb yogurt is my favorite and I use it whenever I don't have a cheese that matches the dish. It is mild and could never take the place of Monterey Jack but there are many other cheeses that are no stronger. I am sure, this won't last forever but now, this shines bright in my horizon. This is really easy to make and I feel a little silly spelling it out but this is a food blog. Tuna & Sun Dried Tomato Wrap Ingredients: herb yogurt cheese 1 sun dried tortilla 1 can solid white tuna 1 teaspoon mayonnaise 2 slices g...

I planned on making pizza for supper, the other night, and decided eggplant would make an excellent topping.  I looked on the Internet for a recipe using haloumi cheese which I had to use up and eggplant and surprisingly found a few. I already had pizza dough frozen so I defrosted it and hubby did the honors of rolling it while I was at work.  I had cooked the eggplant earlier in the day and only needed to get the remaining ingredients together. I am working different hours, this year, and come home later and so far have found it almost impossible to eat at a decent time, if I don't cook (or at least prep) in the mornings. There is something magical about walking in and having only to put something in the oven or to simply cook pasta to go with meatballs, already  made. Although the pizza was good, I was not happy with the choice of cheese.  Haloumi is a tasty cheese but it did not melt like mozzarella and I do like a melty cheese on pizza. I would certainl...

This brings back memories of the days of our weekly cooking group featuring Ellie's recipes.  I loved those days, making weekly successes and healthier foods.  Out group was made up of dedicated and lovely women and I think, we all looked forward to our special time of the week. This week, I happened upon this recipe by Ellie and I knew, it was time that Ellie and I became reacquainted.  It was a happy meeting with a yummy dinner. Instead of couscous which hubby can't eat, I subbed in quinoa. Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach adapted from Ellie Krieger I ngredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved 8 ounces baby spinach 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice 2 cups rice or quinoa, cooked Method: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and heat.   Add the...

One of my more embarrassing moments.  I can't find my Modern Classics 1 by Donna Hay.  I searched my house and it is no where to be found yet I remember exactly where I put it or at least, I thought I did. This is not the first time, I misplaced it.  One time, I did the house search and finally after two or three days, found it in my son's bedroom, which is now a guest room.  We have a computer in there and evidently, I went in there to check something out with book in hand.  I left without it and forgot completely about taking if from its designated spot. The next time, I misplaced this book, I found it in our den.  I had gone to chat with hubby, again, book in hand and put it down.  Once again, I walked away without Donna's hard work and also found it a few days later. Where did I take it this time?  I will let you know when I locate it. You would think, I didn't like Donna Hay, the way I lose her book so often.  On th...

Before, you tell me how clever, I am and pat me on the back........ Before you throw out all those praises for my creation....... Before there are accolades for this special dish and before you run to emulate me, I must share that this was all unintentional and just seemed to happen. Happenstance!   Easy also...... Tomato season can be overwhelming and it seems that a new past time is cooking tomatoes for sauces, soups and sides. When you have bok choy, in the house, it gets paired with tomatoes as does almost everything.  Bok Choy hails from China and you will find it in stir fries, soups and main dishes. It is a healthy vegetable with lots of Vitamins and few calories. It is from the cabbage family but it doesn't have the strong taste of the green cabbage, we use. The stalk is very much like celery but I like it better than celery. Tonight, after some checking, I decided to cook it in soup with garlic. This is one of the easy recipes that is rewarding. Basically, y...

Have you ever been uninspired and tired but had dinner to make?  That was me and we find it is too hard to get local gluten-free food to bring in so it is ME and the kitchen.  Hubby offered to play sous chef and I happily accepted.  Fortunately, there was little to do for this meal other than the chopping.  With help, it was a pleasure. With the tomato crop in full bloom, it is fun adding tomatoes to many dishes.  This is another of those meal that was based on what was had in the house and those items worked well.  This is a filling but not overpowering meal.  It has a good balance and we like all the components. It means, we don't always have to be inspired to make a good dish. Chicken Strips with Quinoa Plus Ingredients : 1 cup rinsed quinoa 2 cups vegetable broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2  boneless chicken cutlets, cut into chunks 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 zucchini, diced 1 tomato, dic...