WDW - Mocha Ice Cream Terrine for Valentine's Day

I got this gem of a recipe from Amy Finley, winner of The Next Food Network Star a couple seasons ago. She won, then suddlenly realized that being a Food Network Star sort of interfered with her family life and promptly dropped out. Good for her, but could she not have thought of that before she tried out? In my opinion, she stole Rory's win (my pick), and then threw it away. But hey, I'm not bitter. I managed to catch this recipe the one season her show was aired, so I'd say the air is cleared between Amy and me.

I love this recipe because it's conceptual; you can take the basic idea and do anything you want with it. I really like Amy's choice of ingredients, though, because the flavors she chose are so complimentary to one another, plus she adds another one of my favorite things - chocolate covered espresso beans! If they would only make those little morsels decaf, though.... well I guess it's just as good that I stay away from them. Anyways, this recipe is super easy and presents itself spectacularly. You simply layer and freeze different flavors of ice cream in a loaf pan, and sandwiched in between each layer is a sprinkling of the crushed chocolate espresso beans. When it is finished, you pop it out, and cut into beautiful slices which feature a stripe of every flavor and a yummy crunch and burst of intense chocolate/coffee from the beans. You can simply serve it over a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or use it as an accompaniment to cake.

I am serving this terrine at a Valentine's Day dessert for 8 couples, along with two kinds of cupcakes (Red Velvet and Coconut) and chocolate-dipped strawberries. I love food you can do in advance - it leaves me time on the day of the party to get the house ready and be a relaxed hostess. Tip - I even baked and froze the cupcakes ahead of time so on party day all I need to do is frost them, and dip the strawberries. Easy!

Mocha Ice Cream Terrine
Amy Finley

1 pint premium vanilla ice cream, softened
1 pint premium coffee ice cream, softened
1 pint premium chocolate ice cream, softened
8 ozs. chocolate covered espresso beans, finely chopped

Overlap 2 (18” long) sheets of plastic wrap at their centers, forming a cross. Use the plastic wrap to line the long and short sides of a metal 9 x 5 loaf pan, letting the excess hang over the sides. Empty the softened vanilla ice cream into the loaf pan and smooth into a level layer, using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped espresso beans. Return to the freezer until firm, at least a half hour.

Remove pan from freezer and smooth a layer of coffee ice cream over the vanilla ice cream and espresso beans layer. Return to freezer until firm. Repeat with chocolate ice cream layer and remaining third of espresso beans. Fold over the excess plastic wrap to enclose the terrine and return to the freezer until very firm, at least a couple of hours.

To serve, remove the terrine from the freezer and unmold onto a chilled platter, peeling away and discarding plastic wrap. Cut into slices with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped clean after each slice. Serve over a bed of chocolate sauce, if desired.

WDW - Confetti Salad

This recipe is a breath of freshness in winter! I made a big bowl of this healthy salad this week and it's been great having it in the fridge to munch on. It contains about 250 calories per cup (and I'm counting calories right now), and is chock full of veggies and all healthy ingredients. And hidden in the fresh crunchiness is actually protein, since rice and beans make a complete protein together. So this salad will hold you for awhile. Next time I think I'll make it with brown rice for more healthiness! This salad is super tasty and super good for you. Enjoy.

Confetti Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice, cooled
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced carrots
1 red bell pepper, diced finely
3/4 cups corn kernels
3/4 cups finely chopped tomato
1/3 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 T. finely chopped red onion

Combine all ingredients for salad in a large mixing bowl. Make dressing and pour over salad. Toss to combine. Keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

WDW - Homemade Artisan Bread

My dear friend Carol emailed me recently with this recipe. She is a really good bread maker, so I knew it had to be good. When I found out I could make it in the KitchenAid, I ran to the store and got bread flour so I could try it that very night.

OK, so do you like the La Brea type breads, you know those GORGEOUS artisan-type breads that look like you could never make them? I love them. I usually have a few loaves tucked in my freezer. Well, let me tell you, with this recipe you CAN MAKE them. Really. You can. I don't have a lot of experience with bread making and I found this recipe to be a snap. And, may I say that this bread took as little as 10 minutes of my time. The mixer truly does all the work. And it doesn't put a strain on the mixer at all.

I have never made homemade bread with such ease and such amazing results. The taste and texture are wonderful. It is nice and chewy like a good artisan bread should be. I guarantee you will LOVE this bread and be so proud you made it. I keep looking at the picture of this bread and just keep BEAMING! Maybe I'll post again with variations - I'm thinking I'd like to try 1/2 wheat flour next time or maybe toss in some rosemary.

This bread is great served alongside some really good olive oil for dipping. But plain old butter is quite fine, indeed. I am sure this would make a fabulous garlic bread, too.

Artisan French Loaves

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4-1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. You want the dough to be a little sticky, but not too sticky.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12-in.-long loaves.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet (I used Parchment instead). Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cornmeal.

With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each - 79 calories per slice).

Friday Funnies

You can only WISH that these were YOUR kids.

Sorry, but they're ALL mine.

WDW - My Mom's Beef Vegetable Soup

About this time each year I get a hankering for my mom's Beef Vegetable Soup. My mom didn't have many recipes written down, but this is one I managed to get from her many years ago. There is nothing better than a big pot of this hearty and healthy soup in your fridge; it's the perfect lunch on a cold day. In fact, the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets.

This is a very easy soup to make, even though you create your own broth. But you do need some time to make it. I like to pick a day I will be home all day, and work on it throughout the day. Today was that day for me, and a rainy one, too, which made it extra-perfect.

Here's to you, Mom- I enjoy this soup in sweet memory of you.

Wanda's Beef Vegetable Soup

1 7-bone or chuck roast
2-3 carrots
2-3 ribs celery
1 onion, quartered
3-4 beef boullion cubes (I use "Better than boullion" - near beef boullion cubes in the store)
water to cover

Bring the above ingredients to a boil in a large pot; simmer 4 hours.
Strain, reserving broth. Discard veggies. Cube meat, discarding bones.
Reserve meat.

In same pot, sauté the following until softened:

4 T. olive oil
2 c. diced celery
2 c. diced carrots
1 c. chopped onion
3 cups diced peeled potatoes

Add meat to pot, and the following:
1 can (29 oz.)crushed tomatoes
1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste

Simmer for 1 hour.

Add:
1 can (15 oz.) corn (or you can use frozen)
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans

Simmer 1 hour more. Season with salt and pepper.

WDW - Recipe Organization

I'm on a diet.

You were probably wondering when all of this food was going to catch up with me. Yeah, well it did....and I now need to shed a few of those pounds now. Ten to be exact. And since I'm counting calories (ugh) I'm going to avoid temptation and take this week off for posting a WDW. But, I know it's not fair to punish you for my sin. So, in lieu of a recipe today, I thought I'd feature something else you might find helpful. I'd like to share with you how I keep all my recipes organized.

I used to have a box full of recipe cards, which wasn't exactly too user-friendly in the kitchen. So, several years ago, I began typing out all my favorite recipes and saving them as computer files. Once I saved them, I printed them out, and now I store all my recipes in a 3-ring binder. Each recipe is one full page, and I keep them nice and clean with plastic page protectors that you can get at Office Depot. It is easy to add and subtract recipes as you like. I even bought special pages to make category dividers for easy recipe location. And it's also nice to have them on the computer in case I need to email someone a recipe as well.

So, if you would like to have your recipes nice and organized, consider taking this project on. It can be done a little at a time as you have the opportunity.

And, I'll be working on that 10 pounds while you do that.

Morning Coffee

Are you surprised this is my favorite coffee mug?

WDW - Scalloped Potatoes

Until recently, I had all but given up on making scalloped potatoes. Though I had tried several recipes over the years, none came out the way I hoped - and they were so time consuming to prepare. Then, one fateful day, I was served this recipe at the Thompson's. They were absolutely perfect - tender and perfectly seasoned. I asked Deborah for the recipe and was very pleased to find that they are a snap to make. So, now I possess the ability to make perfect scalloped potatoes, with the added perk that they are super simple to prepare. Happy me.

All you do is toss all the ingredients together in a bowl (no tedious layering) and dump them into a baking dish and top with the cheese. It's that simple. And they taste absolutely amazing - you'll want to try these soon!

Scalloped Potatoes

Thompson Family

8 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 ½ cups whipping cream
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. each: salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups grated swiss cheese

Mix all ingredients (except cheese)together and place in greased 9 x 13 pan.

Top with cheese.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 ½ hours (covered for first hour, uncovered for the last ½ hour). Broil top for a couple minutes for extra browning, if you like.

Celebrating Brady's 6th year with the Lord

It's hard to believe that Brady has been with the Lord for six years already. The time that has passed has helped the loss seem a little easier at times. But, there are still very intense moments where I really miss my boy and would do anything to hold him in my arms and touch him. But the Lord is good to constantly bring my heart to a place of deep gratitude for what He has accomplished in Brady's life. Oh, how I long for the day when we will be reunited!

As is our custom, on each January 5th we do something to celebrate his life in a special way. If you have been following my blog for awhile you may have remembered that Rich gave me a very special gift last year - a stencil of Psalm 103:1-4 for our porch soffit. Well, it has been sitting in its box for some time, so we decided to get it up in time for the anniversary this year! It is just one of those things we neglected to get around to, in the busyness of life.

Here is Rich putting it up. He did a magnificent job! He had the stencil custom made to our soffit. Each side was one big stencil. It came with a sticky back that you press into your spot and paint carefully onto with a small brush. I absolutely love the typeface Rich chose! And the words .... may they always be the most since expression of my heart.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:


Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Psalm 103:1-4

I shall never be able to forget how gracious the LORD was to Brady (and to all of us) when I am regluarly greeted by these words. These may not be the commandments per se, but I am glad that these awesome verses are "written on the doorframes of my house." (Deut. 6)

dimanche matin avec Riche - "Rancho Queso" Huevos Rancheros

Oh my. This past dimanche matin was a taste buds party! Rich has been wanting to put his own twist on Huevos Rancheros - or as he likes to call them, Rancho Queso Huevos Rancheros. We kind of dubbed our home "Rancho Queso" when we moved in. In our neighborhood, people have names for their ranches and Emma's nickname has always been "the Cheese" - hence Rancho Queso (literally, Cheese Ranch). The reason we nicknamed Emma that is a long story.... anyways on with this amazing dish!

This dish is a mix of many wonderful flavors and textures. Each person gets their own little "package." It starts with a corn tortilla "cup" which is nice and crispy on the edges, then tucked inside is flavorful Chorizo sausage (Mexican sausage), fresh cilantro, an egg and a topping of velvety Monterey Jack cheese. It is then finished off with a very fresh "kicked up" Ranchero sauce. Delicious!

Here is the easy step by step in pictures, and then you'll find the recipe below. This dish has a lot of 'wow' factor and is very fun to eat, too.

Huevos Rancheros in Tortilla Cups

Cooking Spray
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 (6 1/2 inch) corn tortillas
3/4 lb. Chorizo sausage, cooked and crumbled (we got ours at Schreiner's)
2/3 cup fresh cilantro (divided)
6 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup purchased fresh salsa (we like Jack's from Costco)
1 can (8 0z) Ranchero Sauce (we used Herdez brand)

Spray six 6-oz. ramekins with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tortillas on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave one minute or until tortillas soften.

Press tortillas into ramekins and place on rimmed baking sheet. Brush each tortilla with olive oil.

Top each ramekin with a couple tablespoons of cooked sausage. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of the cilantro. Crack an egg on top of each. Sprinkle cheese evenly over all ramekins.

While they are baking, prepare Ranchero sauce by combining salsa, Ranchero sauce, and remaining cilantro.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until egg white appears just set. Serve immediately with Ranchero sauce.