Party while you cook!!

Good Morning!!  A couple of weeks ago I had my monthly “Rendezvous”, it is a time when I invite everyone and anyone to my home to see and share new ideas about cooking. Of course, the Demarle products take center stage, but the focus is more on how to make cooking fun and easier! We have novice to experienced cooks and it is great to see everyone sharing ideas, eating food and having fun.

We had a salt tasting, it was interesting that each salt made the food taste different!

Bolivian Rose Sea Salt

The new Mediteranean Balsamic Vinegar, yum!!

Home made Caramel Sauce, oh so delicious!!!

Home made French bread

Dipping oil for bread and veggies

We had some of the Chicken Angeline out of the new cookbook, artichoke hearts and mushrooms with a white wine sauce. VERY good!!

 I love the experience of cooking food, especially with other people. I think that it is an experience, and like food, something to savor and enjoy. My last couple of “Rendezvous” have been very enjoyable for me and many of the guests commented that they had "so much fun, I wish I would have come sooner". Yeah!! That is what I want to do, help people to learn, or remind them, that cooking is meant to be savored and enjoyed!!

 If you live in the area please be sure to stop by one of these months and join us! It is great to exchange ideas, recipes, and experiences. I ALWAYS learn something new and I have met some great new friends (and old ones too). Cooking is something that is meant to be enjoyed, not just a “necessary evil”. I truly believe that EVERYONE can enjoy cooking!
If you still aren’t too sure about that, then please contact me and I would love to help you on your journey to LOVING cooking!!!

This is from December, the Honey Oat bread on the right was Yummy!!

Gathering of Friends Cookbooks

 In our latest catalog on page 28 at the bottom of the page you will see that we have some new cookbooks, The Gathering of Friends, Vol. 1 & 2. It does not talk about them at all in the catalog, but I am here to tell you they are AMAZING!!! They are not just cookbooks, they are inspiring idea books that have delicious recipes included.Today I am going to share with you some of the recipes, ideas, and images that are sure to inspire even the most non- person to want to host a get together.

            Volume 1 is designed to guide you step-by-step through having a party. Most are designed for 10-12 people, but the concepts and recipes can be adapted for larger events as well. It starts with the ‘theme’ if you will; Evening Gathering, A Christmas Celebration, No Bake Baby Shower, and Treats and Tokens, just to name a few. There are ideas for tables scapes and centerpieces. The recipes have simple instructions, beautiful pictures, and use common ingredients. It takes you from appetizer to dessert and everything in between, there is a Shopping List, place where you can make Notes, and a Comments page too. Take a moment to look at the following pictures:

No Bake Baby Shower

A Christmas Celebration, No Bake Baby Shower, and Treats and Tokens, just to name a few. The recipes have simple instructions, beautiful pictures, and use common ingredients. It takes you from appetizer to dessert and everything in between, there is a Shopping List, place where you can make Notes, and a Comments page too. 

     An Enchanted Evening, inspired me for an upcoming Anniversary party we are hosting for my husbands parents. I am a very visual person and the pictures themselves had me drooling and wanting to cook. Too bad it was 11pm!!!

            There are recipes for some amazing salad dressings, yummy salads, and the No Bake Baby Shower would also work well for a Bridal or Wedding shower as well. There is a whole section devoted to cookies. It is devoted to simplicity and ease of preparation. Also, it does not reference Demarle or Demarle products, so it would make a beautiful housewarming, wedding, or birthday present. I do not buy cookbooks anymore, because I have the ones I rely on and the internet. BUT this is one that I did invest in!

             Volume 2 is set up similar to Volume 1, but on a smaller scale. Five weeks of Gatherings, 4 nights, with a shopping list for the week. Again the pictures are exquisite, the recipes easy, and the ideas inspiring! See pictures below:

            Chapter Six is called Effortless Dishes, Chapter seven is Savory Beginnings, Chapter Eight is Wholesome Soups from the Kitchen, Chapter Nine is Garden Fresh Salads, and Chapter Ten is Enchanting Desserts. These books have something for EVERYONE. They are truly inspirational and a must in EVERY kitchen! I DO NOT recommend something that I would not buy myself or have in my kitchen, BUT if you are still not convinced then give me a call so we can set up a time for you to view these books for yourself!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!! It’s a new year and a new beginning. Time to start fresh in our culinary adventures! Last year I did a few posts on the benefits of menu planning and touched a little on budgeting. I would like to finish that out with some background.

            In the past two years I have been on a journey of self discovery regarding my families’ finances. Two year’s ago my husband and myself made a commitment to be a ‘debt free’ family, and to pass on to our children a legacy of ‘debt free’ financing. Our ultimate goal was to not owe money on anything but our house, to have no credit card debt, and to only spend what we make. Sounds easy enough, huh? Well, let me tell you, it’s not!

            So…you are wondering, what does this have to do with FOOD?! Well, when we first started planning how we would spend our money that comes in (budgeting) we had to find places to cut our spending, so…that we could pay off the debt we had at the time. This resulted in a grocery budget of $150 PER MONTH, for two adults and two small children. This grocery budget had to cover food, paper products, AND toiletries. Not an easy task, let me tell you!! But, since I wanted to be ‘debt free’ I vowed to make it work. That is when I started my journey.

            Fast forward to 2011, we are debt free, have money in an ‘emergency fund’, and are working on our retirement. Currently we have a grocery budget that is $300 per month, on average. It may not seem like much but I sure appreciate it a whole lot more than I did before!

            So, what is the moral of my VERY long tale? Sometimes a short term sacrifice leads to a long term reward! I am happy to say that budgeting and menu planning are now a part of my life and probably always will be! I feel it is the best way to keep myself accountable and know were my money is going.  I am telling my money were I want it to go and what I want it to do!

            Here is a pic of my current menu. It is not very hi-tech and it's written in pencil (I will add pics of my grocery list for this menu later). You will notice there are not a lot of pre-made or packaged food items, nor is there cereal or juice. And I stand by that age old adage, "The cheapest way to make food is from scratch!" And it really doesn’t take any longer than making something from a box. That was one of the reasons I started this blog, to help people to understand that you don’t have to be rich to eat healthy! AND that you don’t have to be a gourmet chef to make delicious food!!

            I hope that you will join me as we learn to cook delicious, easy, and healthy food AND not spend more that 1/2 hour a meal doing it!!

The Dinner Table

This post was suppose to have been about Sugar Cookies, BUT I haven't got around to making them yet!! Our plan is to make those tomorrow, as a family. I think it is important to do something as a Family Activity during the Holiday season. As the kids get older they are able to help more. So this year we will be making Sugar Cookies and filling out Christmas cards together!!

 Last night as I was setting our table it got me thinking about how important it is to our family that we eat dinner together. We turn off the tv, we don't answer the phone, and we have some sort of conversation. My husband works some evenings and we have all noticed that when he isn't there, our dinner isn't complete. My children have commented to me how much they miss Dad at dinner time and he has said how he misses dinners with us. It seems so simple, and sometimes we take it for granted but sharing a meal is a very powerful thing. Our meals are simple i.e. cheap, but we all remember the time we spend around the table. Even if it is fighting about eating green beans!! We all have our different jobs during the day, but at dinner we all have the same job, enjoy one anothers company!
Sharing a meal with my children is also an opportunity to teach life lessons; listening skills, sharing, empathy, and social skills, such as how to graciously say "no thank you". As I was preparing this post it also gave me the opportunity to think about the skills that I have had a chance to learn, and practice; patience, tolerance, grace, and love. When you really think about it, this is something we can't afford to miss out on! So, make sure you take the opportunity to share a meal with your family or friends, or both!!

The following recipe is one that my mom made when I was growing up. I have taken some liberties on it, but it is pretty much the same. It is a delicious and fast recipes that EVERYONE in my family LOVES!! So, it receives five *****stars from the Grassman's, which is no small feat!!! Enjoy!!

Grandma Linda's Baked Chicken
Serves 4
2 chicken breasts, butterflied
1 cup bread crumbs (or crushed corn flakes for gluten-free)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt/pepper, to taste
1/2 cup melted butter

 Butterfly the chicken breast, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken breasts in crumb mixture, both sides. Use as much of the mixture as possible, you should use most of it. Put on flexipat or deep flexipat, drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes with Cauliflower
3 potatoes, peeled and cut up
2 cups cauliflower florets
Boil above in enough water to cover them. When potatoes are tender drain water, add 1/2 cup of milk or 1/2 and 1/2, 2 TBLS butter, and salt/pepper to taste. These make delicious mashed potatoes and you get two veggies in one!!

Happy Holidays!!

Sorry that my posts have not been very consistent!! We have had sickies here in our house, and one of them has been me. But, I wanted to share two after Thanksgiving recipes. They are great comfort food on these blah days of winter! Even my picky eaters will eat these!!

Kelly's Turkey Tetrazzini, this is an adaption of tetrazzini and does not include the sherry or wine. And I make it on the stove top, you can put it in the oven. Remember to put cheese in the bottom of the mold or tray you use, so that when you turn it out, it is nice and golden brown on "top". It looks very nice in the Sunflower Mold, or the Twist Mold. It can also be made Gluten Free, and still be delicious. Enjoy!


1/4 cup butter (or I can't believe it's not butter)
1/4 cup all purpose flour (for gluten free use 2 TBLS cornstarch)
1 cup chicken broth (or 2 TBLS Better Than Bouillon and 1 cup water)
1 cup half and half
2 cups cubed, cooked, leftover turkey
2-4 medium size mushrooms, sliced (or 1can, 4oz. sliced mushrooms, drained)

Cook spaghetti as directed on the package, usually 8-10 minutes. If making Gluten Free be sure to use Gluten Free noodles. Melt butter in the Demarle at Home 2 quart sauce pan, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. If you are making Gluten Free combine the cornstarch with 2-3 TBLS of cold water and keep on hand, DO NOT ADD YET! Add the chicken broth and half and half, stir till smooth. Cook till mixture thickens, do not let it boil! If making Gluten Free, add the cornstarch/water mixture to the butter, broth, 1/2 and 1/2 mix, bring to a boil for 1 minute (do not stir), remove pan from burner and stir. At this point add the chopped mushrooms (whether you are making Gluten Free or regular) Stir mushrooms in and let sit for several minutes. I usually drain my noodles and add the turkey to them, tossing till mixed. Pour the sauce mixture over noodles and turkey, stir till well mixed. At this point you can serve it immediately, or bake it in the oven (350 degrees for 15-20 minutes). This also freezes well.


Turkey Enchiladas
1ea 28 oz. can Old El Paso Mild Enchilada sauce
2-3 cups leftover turkey, chopped
2 cups grated Tillamook Cheddar Cheese
12 white corn tortillas
You can use any type of tortilla you would like, I prefer the white corn. You can also add olives, corn, salsa, sour cream, or any other thing you would like. Since I cook for picky eaters, this is how I make them and provide the rest as toppings that can be added. You can also make these beef or chicken. This is also a great make ahead or freezer meal!
Pour enough of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the Deep Flexipat to cover it. Have chopped turkey and grated cheese in bowls nearby. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds (3-4 at a time). Take warm tortilla and place on top of sauce in Flexipat. Add turkey and cheese in the center of the tortilla, roll up. As you roll the tortilla up the outside will be covered in enchilada sauce! Do this until you have filled the Deep Flexipat, pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Top with grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve with toppings, chips and salsa, and Spanish Rice. Yummy!!

Next week I am going to attempt to make sugar cookies. This has never been successful before, but I am confident that my Roul' Pat will help me out!! Till next week, happy cooking.

I am SO excited!!!

I’m changing my format this week because I couldn’t ignore the GREAT specials that Demarle is offering in November. I am REALLY excited about them! There are some amazing deals and if you have been waiting to buy, now is a great time!

The Christmas Tree, Little Chef, Puppy Lovers, and Mini Briochette Trays are all on sale for $44.95! That is a $9.00 Savings on each tray!! Also the Tree Mold is on sale for $26.95 (reg price $33.95).

Then lets talk about the Gathering of Friends Cookbooks. WOW!! They are amazing cookbooks that are not only filled with wonderful, easy recipes but also table scapes, tips and ideas for entertaining. They are truly worth every penny! This month any two are $60.00. Considering these just became available in July, I can hardly believe they already put them on sale. Below are several recipes from them for you to sample. Yummy!

The Holiday Bakers Kit!! My favorite item for sale this month! It include the Mini Tartlet tray with 48 shapes, the beachwood rolling pin, and the Square-Roul’Pat. This is a great opportunity to get these amazing products at a $31.90 savings!!

If you have children or grandchildren that love to cook, then you must buy the Kids Can Cook Too Kit, it includeds the Magnetic Measuring Trio, Beachwood Rolling Pin, and the Mini Roul’Pat. Kids are never too young to start helping out in the kitchen and this gives them their own tools to use!

It’s hard to believe the holidays are almost upon us, but they are here! I am so excited to be able to share all of the wonderful Demarle products with you and so….drum roll please…..I am going to offer a SPECIAL of my own!

I LOVE the set of three spatulas! They are something I think is amazing and I use them ALL THE TIME! I am offering FREE shipping on as many sets as you want to buy! You will not be disappointed and you will want at least two for yourself.

Here is a testimonial from one of my customers, she left this message on my answering machine, “I just wanted to call and tell you how fabulous those utensils are that I have and I am going to need a second set!”

Yes, they really are that great! So, treat yourself and remember they make great stocking stuffers!

P.S. sorry about not having pictures, I am unable to upload them at this time. Please click on the link and you can view a PDF of the flyer or contact me for more info!!

http://www.demarleathome.com/downloads/customer_specials_this_month.pdf

Chicken Pot Pie

The Gathering of Friends, Volume Two (page 105)

By Michelle Huxtable

Yield: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Demarle in the Kitchen Sel Gris Sea Salt (GTS00001)

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons butter, softened

6 ounces cream cheese

3/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons granulated chicken bouillon

1 zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup medium red bell pepper, diced

2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced

3 medium Yukon potatoes, diced

TOOLS:

Flexipan® Texas Muffin Tray (FP001085) or Sunflower Mold (FP000481)

Medium Perforated Baking Sheet (MA435310)

Demarle Difference 11 3/4” Gourmet Fry Pan (DD902834)

Mixing Bowl (TA000120)

Magnetic Measuring Trio (GRP00001)

Demarle Difference Santoku Chef’s Knife (DD800001)

Rectangular Roul’Pat® (RL006040)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place oven rack in center position. Place Flexipan® Tray or Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet.

Heat olive oil in Fry Pan on medium. Sauté lightly salted chicken breasts until tender. Dice chicken, sprinkle with flour, set aside. Cream together softened butter and cream cheese; add pepper and chicken bouillon and fold into cooked chicken. Mix zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and potatoes. Fold into chicken mixture.

Pastry Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

6-7 tablespoons ice water

1 egg white

Pastry for Mold:

Sift flour and salt together; cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle ice water over dough. Gently mix forming two medium size balls of pastry. Turn onto Roul’Pat®, handling as little as possible. Carefully roll out one of the shells and place in Mold, leaving enough pastry to hang over the edge. Fill the pie shell with chicken mixture. Roll out other pastry ball, fold in half. Make small cuts in top, place over mixture and pinch edges. Brush pastry with lightly beaten egg white and finish with salt. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Adjust size when using Texas Muffin Tray.

Pumpkin Surprise

The Gathering of Friends, Volume One (page 145)

By Michelle Huxtable

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 white or yellow cake mix

3/4 cup of cold butter

TOOLS:

Flexipan® Mold of Choice

Medium Perforated Baking Sheet (MA435310)

Mixing Bowl (TA000120)

Magnetic Measuring Trio (GRP00001)

Whisk (TA000112)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and place oven rack in center position. Place Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet and set aside. In Mixing Bowl, combine the first six ingredients and pour into Mold. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top. Slice cold butter and cover the dry cake mix evenly with butter squares.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Fall is upon us!!

These are new things that I came to me one morning at 3am. I couldn’t sleep and I was thinking about food. Go figure! If you know me, you know that food is never far from my mind! I love talking about it, thinking about it, making it, and of course, my favorite part, eating it!

So here are a couple of recipes and some pictures of how I utilized the recipes in my kitchen. I used the mini tartlet tray and the pastry bag to put the filling in the tarts. It work good for the apple, but the pumpkin was a little runny. I think something that had a lip or maybe a liquid measuring cup would have worked better. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Apple Pie Filling for…later

6 lbs apples (tart work best)

4 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 drops yellow food coloring

I used about 20 medium size apples, grade B. Meaning they had bumps, bruises, and blemishes. Since I peeled and sliced them it didn’t really matter! They still tasted delicious!

1.      Sterilize 6 quart jars, if canning, by washing them with soap and water and putting them in the oven at 215 degrees for a minimum of 15 minutes. They can stay in the oven until you are ready to take them out.

2. Peel, core and slice apples. (Leave slices about 1/2 inch thick).
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and salt in large pot.
4. Add water and cook on high heat, stirring frequently at first and then constantly until it boils. Let it boil for about a minute, at this point it should be nice and thick. Watch it very carefully, when it starts to thicken it goes fast!!
5. Stir in lemon juice and food coloring
6. Pack apples in hot jars and fill jars with sauce just to the bottom rung of the mouth of the jar. I use a wooden spoon to push the apples down. DO NOT FILL THEM ANY HIGHER! THEY WILL EXPLODE!
7. Process jars in hot water bath for 20 minutes.
8. If you are freezing them, mix apples and sauce and put in freezer ziplock bags or freezer containers.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 ¾ cups pumpkin (15 oz. can)

1 ½ cups evaporated milk (12 oz. can)

Combine dry ingredients, in a separate bowl slightly beat the eggs. Stir in the pumpkin and the dry ingredients, mix well. Gradually add the evaporated milk, pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes!

I made my own pumpkin puree!! It was SUPER easy and came out tasting delicious. Even the most novice of cooks can do this, it is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen too!

Roasting a Pumpkin

It sounds daunting and scary but what better time of the year to tackle such a culinary task!! Trust me, it’s easy!

Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and “stringy” stuff. Put cut side down on your Flexipat or deep Flexipat, add ¼ cup water and put in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour, or till flesh is “fork tender”. Take out of oven, let cool to touch and then scoop out the flesh. Place flesh in a blender or food processor, process till a smooth consistency is reached. Use in muffins, breads, pies or mousse!

REMEMBER: Roast the pumpkin seeds for a healthy, fibrous snack!

450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or till golden brown