Fluffy Bites

It is amazing how much a little bit of crafting got me so far behind last week. (And no, I have only watched Twilight once!). I find it hard to believe it is already Wednesday, yet there is still so much to be done still. Although it is mood-lifting to see the yard turning green again, I dread going though winter/spring clothes :P

I really want to share with you all an insanely good recipe I tried this week. It comes from my beloved Family Fun magazine (March 09, page 94). This is the first time I have used puff pastry, and....wow. Imagine fancy, flaky, super-flavorful ham + cheese sandwiches.

Argentian Ham and Cheese Empanadas

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 medium onion, finely chopped

-2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

-8 oz cooked ham, chopped

-2 Tbsp bread crumbs

-8 oz mild Cheddar or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

-2 Tbsp sour cream

-1 large egg, lightly beaten

-pinch black pepper

-1 package of empanada wrappers or 2 packages of Pepperidge Farms frozen puff pastry, thawed

-egg wash made from 1 large egg beaten, combined with 1 Tbsp water

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and parsley and cook until onion is transparent (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to medium-sized bowl, and allow to cool.

Add the ham, bread crumbs, cheese (I used Cheddar Jack), sour cream, egg, and pinch of black pepper to the bowl, and mix well.

(To make the empanada wrapper, I cut each sheet of Pepperidge Farm puff pasty dough into 4 equal squares)

Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in center of wrapper and lightly moisten the edge with the egg wash. Fold the pastry in half and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork dipped in flour and pierce the top with fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with remaining pastry/filling, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375. Brush the empanadas with the remaining egg wash and bake them on a parchment-lined baking seet on the upper oven rack until golden (About 20-25 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Randi's Notes:

• -Although I purchased 2 boxes of the puff pastry as called for in the recipe, I decided to only make half the recipe. One box contains 2 sheets of pastry, and I cut each sheet into 4 squares...therefore, half the recipe yielded 8 empanadas. This was enough to feed my husband, myself, and both girls, with 2 1/2 left over, and we were stuffed!
• -According to the recipe, these can be frozen and baked later. Simply place the unbaked (and un-egg washed) empanadas on wax paper-lined baking sheets and freeze (then stack in sealable bags/containers in freezer). When you are ready to bake them, just egg wash and pop in the oven, increasing the baking time by 15 minutes.
• -Leftover filling is really yummy in omelets or scrambled eggs!!
• -There was so much "mmmm-ing" going on at the table, I couldn't hear anything else. -These would be insanely good for a party, especially since you can make them ahead and they look so darn fancy.

Paula's Chicken Cacciatore

When I didn't think my life could get any nuttier, we go and throw a puppy in the mix! Don't get me wrong, it is a VERY good thing. It has been almost 13 years since Muffin died, and I forgot how nice it is to have a furry, adoring little buddy to cuddle with. Brianna's school, Bella's potty-training, home renovations, and puppy care have me so far behind at home. It is going to take me hours to get this laundry caught up! I wish there were more hours in the day because I have so many pics, etc. to share with you.

On my friend Paula's blog , she posted a really easy and delicious recipe that I would like to share with you all. It is something I had never made before but always intended to. All the ingredients were in my pantry, and it took no time to throw together.

Chicken Cacciatore

3lb chicken pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

28oz stewed tomatoes

28 oz tomato sauce

1/4 cup red wine (I substituted beef stock)

1/4 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

I happened to have 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs in my freezer that needed to be used up, so I only made half a recipe. I seasoned them up with s&p and browned them in a bit of olive oil in my enameled cast iron dutch oven. While the 2nd side was browning, I did go ahead and throw the onion and garlic in so they could carmelize a little bit.

From that point on, you just throw in the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer away! Paula was so right... it smells AMAZING as it cooks.

I served it up they way she suggested, with some roasted potatoes and toasted French bread. I think it would be good on top of rice or noodles, also. There was leftover sauce after we ate all of the chicken, which I saved and tossed with some cooked shell pasta. The girls really loved that for their lunch (and so did I ☺).

Sweet Nothings

Today was the Valentine party at Brianna's preschool. Since Matt is still home with his back (Yes! Another week!), he and Bella went with us. You get 17 four-year-olds, their teachers, parents, and younger siblings in one room full of cupcakes/cookies/candy, and it turns into a madhouse! She had fun, and came home with a big bag of Valentines and goodies.

(In this photo, she is showing me that she chomped the head off of her cute teddy bear ring-pop!)



Yesterday, I received a large box via UPS from ProFlowers.com. That has become my husband's favorite place to order my flowers from. They really do send nice, fresh flowers. I am glad he steered away from roses, and instead gave me a huge bouquet of tulips and iris. The buds were closed tight, but by this morning, they were looking really nice!




Being a sock-monkey enthusiast, I HAD to get this card for him when I saw it at Target the other night. It plays music when you open... somewhat seductive music, I might add. ☺

Tonight, I went and bought a fresh salmon fillet, cut it into steaks, and marinated it in my *special* sauce. I just wing it, mixing together honey, orange juice, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, and any array of Asian sauces I might have on hand. While the fish is out grilling, I strain the marinade, and bring it to a boil; then, I thicken it with a little cornstarch. It makes a really good sauce for the fish! I have to say, tonight's version was the best one to date. Not a flake was left ☺

Lime Melt-Aways

There are tons of nice, ripe avacados at the store right now, just begging to be made into guacamole. I caved and made some (YUM!), and had a couple of limes leftover. I decided to make Martha's lime melt-away cookies , and they were a huge hit among the family.

You can make these with lemons or oranges, if you prefer. They are super-simple. The dough has to be rolled into parchment "logs", refrigerated, then sliced. (I suggest you watch the video, because it is always easier for me to see something being done). I make mine a little bit bigger around than they suggest in the recipe, otherwise they are way tiny!

After they cool a little bit, you roll them around in powdered sugar. Mmmm...they are really flaky and really do "melt" on your tongue. If you are a citrus kind of person, give them a try!

Comforting

After staying up late last night getting these babies ready, I was greeted upon waking to a tall pan of cinnamon rolls, eager to be put into a hot oven. Words cannot describe...they are so soft and sweet and SO not on my diet! Don't blame me, though; that sourdough starter was sitting in my fridge, just going to waste ☺

Today there is still quite the blanket of snow, so it is just a really great day for warm, comfort food. After a cinnamon roll-filled breakfast, the only thing that sounded really good was just a steaming bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese. Nothing fancy, just Campbell's, but I like to jazz it up with shredded cheese and garlic. A few little crouton boats floating on top would have been great, too. A very happy lunch, indeed ☺

My day has been filled with mundane cleaning tasks, trying to get this place in order before Sunday: clearing off all of the artwork and paper clutter from the fridge, cleaning up the toy room, minimizing the amount of coats hanging on the coat rack, mountains of laundry, etc. The highlight of the day was receiving a very anticipated eBay purchase from Hong Kong! More about that later ☺