For the 4th of July, each year we take the boat out to the lake and get on the water early enough to get a decent spot before the fireworks start. So we did this last night and I made some dinner to take with us as well. It was de-lish
Ingredients :
1/2 cup water
Chicken wings 1 package, around 6 wings
4 tbsp Season Salt
4 tbsp Italian Seasoning (I was not about to do a food run on the 4th, so I used pizza seasoning)
4 tbsp Onion Powder
3 tbsp Ground Red Pepper
1 whole Russet potato, cut into cubes, May use more for a larger family
1 cup carrots
Directions :
I placed the chicken wings in crock pot, then added seasoning
Add 1/2 cup water
Cook for 90 minutes on high
Flip Chicken and Baste with water mixture in bottom of crockpot
Cook for another 90 minutes on high, Re-basting every 30-35 minutes
In a shallow pot of water, boil carrots and cut up potato
After water has completely disappeared, Pour chicken into carrot and potato mixture,
Cook on high until seasoned water is gone.
Cool for 5-10 minutes
Serve.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Homemade Cherry Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust
So, my husband doesn't really like cakes. Or sweets in general. He's gotten better as we've been together for so long and I make lots of cakes, but still he doesn't really like the icing on a cake. Anyway, he LOVES cheesecake. Cherry cheesecake. He actually likes the fake stuff. I've never had it, but he told me one day just how much he liked it. I decided then and there I would eventually make him a REAL cherry cheesecake. And I did.
I really didn't know how to do it. I made a cheesecake my sophomore year in highschool which was AMAZING but we worked in teams, and it wasn't a cherry cheesecake. It was a 5 or 6 layer chocolate cheesecake with oreo crust. It was however AWESOME. Anyway, I had no clue what recipe to follow for this, so I kind of mixed in multiple recipes online and it turned out great. Let me say though, this is time consuming. Takes a total of around 2 hours cook time and 4 hours of refridgeration...
Here it is though,
Ingredients:
For Crust:
2 c Graham Cracker Crumbs, about 1 1/2 pkg if you crush them yourself like I did.
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 c butter
For Cake Mixture:
4 pkgs cream cheese, 32 oz total
1 1/3 c sugar
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
4 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
For Topping :
1 can cherry pie filling
Directions :
For Crust : Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Spray springform pan with vegetable oil spray
I crushed my graham crackers with a pan until they were very fine crumbs. You could use a food processor or rolling pin as well
Place crumbs in small bowl
Melt butter in microwave
Add butter and sugar to your graham cracker mixture.
Press this mixture into the bottom of springform pan and around the sides of the pan as well.
For Cake Mixture :
Place a pan of hot water on bottom rack of your oven.
In a large bowl on medium, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy. May take around 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula as you mix.
Add in sugar, Flour, Vanilla, Almond extract, and salt; mix well.
With the mixer on low, add your eggs and yolk one at a time.
When mixture is creamy and smooth, beat in sour cream until the mixture is lump free and fluffy.
Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake 20 minutes at 325;
Reduce oven temperature to 250°
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is set around edges and almost set in middle.
Turn off oven, leave door closed for 45 minutes-1 hour or until it is at room temperature again.
Remove your cheesecake from oven, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Just prior to serving, spread filling over the top of the cheesecake
I really didn't know how to do it. I made a cheesecake my sophomore year in highschool which was AMAZING but we worked in teams, and it wasn't a cherry cheesecake. It was a 5 or 6 layer chocolate cheesecake with oreo crust. It was however AWESOME. Anyway, I had no clue what recipe to follow for this, so I kind of mixed in multiple recipes online and it turned out great. Let me say though, this is time consuming. Takes a total of around 2 hours cook time and 4 hours of refridgeration...
Here it is though,
Ingredients:
For Crust:
2 c Graham Cracker Crumbs, about 1 1/2 pkg if you crush them yourself like I did.
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 c butter
For Cake Mixture:
4 pkgs cream cheese, 32 oz total
1 1/3 c sugar
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
4 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
For Topping :
1 can cherry pie filling
Directions :
For Crust : Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Spray springform pan with vegetable oil spray
I crushed my graham crackers with a pan until they were very fine crumbs. You could use a food processor or rolling pin as well
Place crumbs in small bowl
Melt butter in microwave
Add butter and sugar to your graham cracker mixture.
Press this mixture into the bottom of springform pan and around the sides of the pan as well.
For Cake Mixture :
Place a pan of hot water on bottom rack of your oven.
In a large bowl on medium, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy. May take around 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula as you mix.
Add in sugar, Flour, Vanilla, Almond extract, and salt; mix well.
With the mixer on low, add your eggs and yolk one at a time.
When mixture is creamy and smooth, beat in sour cream until the mixture is lump free and fluffy.
Pour filling into prepared crust.
Bake 20 minutes at 325;
Reduce oven temperature to 250°
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is set around edges and almost set in middle.
Turn off oven, leave door closed for 45 minutes-1 hour or until it is at room temperature again.
Remove your cheesecake from oven, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Just prior to serving, spread filling over the top of the cheesecake
Monday, July 2, 2012
Cinnamon Roll Mini Apple Pies
While I was preggo this time around, these things were an addiction. And so simple to make. Apple pie is dear to my heart. As much as chocolate chip cookies ;) or homemade ice cream...
I love the Gooeyness of these. This was the only photo i took of some of the first I made.
Ingredients:
For crust you will need:
2 cans cinnamon rolls (16 total, you will have one without crust) flatten all of them with your hands and cut 5 of them in half (The five cut in half will be reserved for the top crust of the apple pies)
For apple pie mixture you will need:
1/4 cup butter
3 apples, chopped into small cubes, I usually use Roma or Red Delicious (I like a sweet apple as opposed to a sour apple)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp apple pie spice
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
I made these mini apple pies with store bought cinnamon rolls. I flattened them and pressed into cupcake cups. Then, I filled them with apple pie mixture. I finally topped with 1/2 flattened cinnamon roll pressed to the edges of the previously placed cinnamon roll baked and then topped with icing for a delicious mini apple pie :)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
With fingers, press each rounded cinnamon roll in the bottom and up the side of lightly greased muffin cup to form the apple pie crust. (except for the 5 previously cut in half)
In large bowl, mix apple pie mixture
Pour filling ingredients into saucepan and saute filling until apples are slightly tender.
Spoon filling into cinnamon roll-lined muffin cups
Use reserved cinnamon rolls to top the muffins, pressing them together around the edges
Bake 15-20 minutes-until top is golden brown and apple pie mixture slightly bubbling out
Cool for 10-15 minutes
Heat the unopened icing packages in microwave or bowl of hot water until warm
Before serving, drizzle icing back and forth on top of pies.
These would even be great with ice cream as well. Going to have to do that next time :)
I love the Gooeyness of these. This was the only photo i took of some of the first I made.
Ingredients:
For crust you will need:
2 cans cinnamon rolls (16 total, you will have one without crust) flatten all of them with your hands and cut 5 of them in half (The five cut in half will be reserved for the top crust of the apple pies)
For apple pie mixture you will need:
1/4 cup butter
3 apples, chopped into small cubes, I usually use Roma or Red Delicious (I like a sweet apple as opposed to a sour apple)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp apple pie spice
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
I made these mini apple pies with store bought cinnamon rolls. I flattened them and pressed into cupcake cups. Then, I filled them with apple pie mixture. I finally topped with 1/2 flattened cinnamon roll pressed to the edges of the previously placed cinnamon roll baked and then topped with icing for a delicious mini apple pie :)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
With fingers, press each rounded cinnamon roll in the bottom and up the side of lightly greased muffin cup to form the apple pie crust. (except for the 5 previously cut in half)
In large bowl, mix apple pie mixture
Pour filling ingredients into saucepan and saute filling until apples are slightly tender.
Spoon filling into cinnamon roll-lined muffin cups
Use reserved cinnamon rolls to top the muffins, pressing them together around the edges
Bake 15-20 minutes-until top is golden brown and apple pie mixture slightly bubbling out
Cool for 10-15 minutes
Heat the unopened icing packages in microwave or bowl of hot water until warm
Before serving, drizzle icing back and forth on top of pies.
These would even be great with ice cream as well. Going to have to do that next time :)
Easy Rotisserie Style Crockpot Chicken
I'm a cook. Well, not professionally, but I love to cook. But then there are some days... say when the boys are keeping me busy with doctors appointments and grocery shopping and playing outside... these days I'm so worn out from working 12 hours the night before I totally have given up by the time josh arrives home during the evening. I think he can tell too because as soon as he walks in, he saves me by occupying at least one of them, if not both to give me a moment to regain sanity.
Anyway on days like this, when I KNOW it is going to be a busy day, I go to my crockpot guide. Something simple. We recently found a GREAT deal at Food Lion. They had whole tyson brand (I think) chickens on sale for $4 each! I bought 3. It's too good of a deal to pass up! I cooked one that day, and the others I put in the deep freezer. Awesome idea. Anyway this is how I made my yummy Crockpot chicken :)
I do not skin my chicken. I suppose you could, but I love that yummyness.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
3 tbsp season salt
3 tbsp onion powder
4 tbsp italian seasoning
3 tbsp paprika
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp butter, cut up in cubes
1/2 cup water
Directions :
Place in crockpot upside down after removing innards
Add half butter and 1/2 cup water to crockpot.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 3 hours.
I then, flip my bird over with 2 sets of tongs and add seasonings & butter to the top of the chicken.
Recover and cook the rest of the time, if on high for 2 more hours or if previously cooked on low, cook for 4 more hours.
As it's cooking, to keep my chicken from drying out, I baste it with the juices that are down and in the crockpot. Not too often, but maybe once an hour I'll completely baste the whole chicken down, then continue with my day.
That's it. Easy. I serve this with broccoli and baked potatoes. We also keep leftovers and put them on toasted burger buns for lunch the next day with some pepperjack cheese. mmmm
Anyway on days like this, when I KNOW it is going to be a busy day, I go to my crockpot guide. Something simple. We recently found a GREAT deal at Food Lion. They had whole tyson brand (I think) chickens on sale for $4 each! I bought 3. It's too good of a deal to pass up! I cooked one that day, and the others I put in the deep freezer. Awesome idea. Anyway this is how I made my yummy Crockpot chicken :)
I do not skin my chicken. I suppose you could, but I love that yummyness.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
3 tbsp season salt
3 tbsp onion powder
4 tbsp italian seasoning
3 tbsp paprika
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp butter, cut up in cubes
1/2 cup water
Directions :
Place in crockpot upside down after removing innards
Add half butter and 1/2 cup water to crockpot.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 3 hours.
I then, flip my bird over with 2 sets of tongs and add seasonings & butter to the top of the chicken.
Recover and cook the rest of the time, if on high for 2 more hours or if previously cooked on low, cook for 4 more hours.
As it's cooking, to keep my chicken from drying out, I baste it with the juices that are down and in the crockpot. Not too often, but maybe once an hour I'll completely baste the whole chicken down, then continue with my day.
That's it. Easy. I serve this with broccoli and baked potatoes. We also keep leftovers and put them on toasted burger buns for lunch the next day with some pepperjack cheese. mmmm
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Homemade Easy Tartar Sauce
If you look back on our Fishing post, You'll see that my husband and the ragin' cajun caught a LOT of fish on their last trip to the river. So we breaded and fried these babies up and prepared some homemade tartar sauce to go with it. Let me just say YUM!
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise (please don't use the fake stuff - you'll thank me later)
1/2 to 3/4 cup relish depending on how sweet you like your tartar sauce. Judge by taste
Dash of pepper
1 tbs red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Stir it all together and that's it!
And it's so tasty! I'd never had tartar sauce before. I know, go on... I'll give you a minute to sigh in disbelief...
Yes. Never. I don't know why. I think as a kid, I never liked toppings that weren't ketchup, so... yeah, as an adult I'm re-trying things that I never tried before to see if I really enjoy them. And I really, really enjoyed this! The ragin' cajun gave me the recipe
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise (please don't use the fake stuff - you'll thank me later)
1/2 to 3/4 cup relish depending on how sweet you like your tartar sauce. Judge by taste
Dash of pepper
1 tbs red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Stir it all together and that's it!
And it's so tasty! I'd never had tartar sauce before. I know, go on... I'll give you a minute to sigh in disbelief...
Yes. Never. I don't know why. I think as a kid, I never liked toppings that weren't ketchup, so... yeah, as an adult I'm re-trying things that I never tried before to see if I really enjoy them. And I really, really enjoyed this! The ragin' cajun gave me the recipe
Fishing, Off Roading, and Having Some Fun
Recently, we went off roading near where I grew up. It's a little hidden treasure in Hilham, TN. So I'm going to be tight lipped about the exact location, as I am sworn to secrecy. But talk about some fun. For
Our initial plan was to go fishing. But then we hopped in the rhino, and since it had recently rained, our plans quickly changed. A little mud slingin' was bound to happen. :) There's just something fun about hopping in a Rhino, and flying down some old dirt (or muddy in our case) roads. Had a blast running through mud puddles (and I dont mean your average size puddles) I mean large enough that something could be hiding in there. Large enough that water's now coming in through the bottom of the door and soaking your feet :) That's the kind of fun we're talking about.
So, we ran through some puddles, I pulled out my camera quite a few times and attempted to video this. I refuse to post the video I shot due to my sissyness caught on camera. ;) And after we finished riding, we decided to start wading the river and fish....
.jpg)
Notice the big rock to the left in this photo? The last time my husband was here, about 2 months ago, the water level was so high after a good rain that the rock was not visible and you couldn't get across the river at this point. We fished this river for 4 hours. I was a little slow keeping up. LOL, But I couldn't wait to filet some fish. Well, I didn't have anything to do with fileting the fish, just the cooking :)
Not bad if we say so :). We had caught 4, but one fell out of the hubby's hand when he was putting it on the stringer. Slippery little fish. It was a wonderful day, and I can't wait to go again :)
My husband actually went again today with his friend. We'll call him the 'Ragin' Cajun' lol. This was their catch today...
These were delicious. There's something about river fish that taste so much better than pond fish. Taste more fresh. I'm going to post a breading recipe & tartar sauce as well :)
Water Safety and CPR
I'm well aware that this is a little off topic. But something happened to us recently that scared me. A lot. And it takes a lot to do that because working as a Respiratory Therapist, I've seen a lot. In the south, during the summer, It gets HOT and HUMID. If you've ever visited during the summer season you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking mid-June, 100 degree weather. It feels like a blowdryer is on high in front of your face when you step outside. Phew. That being said, we've had quite a few of these record breaking scorcher days here lately. We decided to take a little vacation last month before I returned to work from a 16 week maternity leave. Trying to enjoy those last sweet moments with my husband & two boys.
We are a lake family. We currently live maybe 20 or 25 minutes from Center Hill Lake in Cookeville, TN. But we grew up on Dale Hollow Lake in Livingston, TN. Talk about beautiful. Beautiful, clean water. I really am grateful for all of the fun times and great memories we've had on the lake. But on our vacation, I recieved a little scare and it made me skiddish of the lake. Let me start by saying Caleb HATES going under water. Absolutely no matter what kind of reward I have tried, he will not do it. Wouldn't do it for the swimming lessons instructor. Wouldn't do it in the kiddie pool at the local pool. Won't do it at the swimming pool at our house which is only 3 ft deep.
As we sat on the boat enjoying the beautiful scenery that is Dale Hollow Lake on our vacation, Caleb decided he was finished swimming for the moment. My husband was sitting on the swim platform on the back of the boat, dipping his legs into the water. Our son climbed up the ladder, got into the boat and continued to take his life jacket off. We were anchored at this time, so I told him he could only take the life jacket off if he came up front and sat by me in the shade, and could only keep it off until we started moving again. He took the life jacket off and layed it in the floor of the boat. I turned around sitting our youngest son back into his infant carrier, preparing to make more room to sit. All of a sudden, I heard a splash. I frantically spun around seeing no sign of Caleb other than his life jacket laying in the floor.
Let me stop at this point. I am a respiratory therapist. No clue what that is? Basically when someone comes into the hospital with breathing problems, whether it be because they have asthma, or because they have been in a traumatic car wreck, because they have COPD, have had a heart attack, have bronchitis, or because they have drowned, I am called to assist with these emergencies. Depending upon the problem, we help to keep people breathing. We are part of a Rapid Response team. We are trained for these emergency situations and to do our best to keep someone breathing. Whether we have to give a breathing treatment, intubate a patient (sticking a tube down someone's trachea to help them breathe), putting someone on a ventilator... etc. But at that moment, when I saw that my son was NOT in the boat with me... I. Panicked.
He had apparently decided to sit with his daddy on the swim platform. The swim platform was slick from all of the climbing in and out of the boat we had been doing. He slipped and fell in the water, right next to my husband. Thank the Good Lord he was so close. Immediately after hearing the splash, I screamed to my husband, "HE DOESN'T HAVE HIS LIFE JACKET ON!" Talk about scary. He was close enough to Josh that he was able to just reach in and pick him up.
The point of this long and drug out story? I encourage you to learn CPR. I'm confident I would have been able to pull it together and perform CPR as my husband drove us back to the dock. I want everyone to not have to live with the fear of 'what if?' What if your baby fell in without a life jacket? What if you didn't immediately notice? What if they stopped breathing? What if? I also encourage you to follow the law and keep your life jackets on your sweet babies. I don't care how hot of a southern summer we're having, there will be NO MORE taking off the life vests when we are on the lake. PERIOD. One time is all it takes to loose someone.
Learning CPR is KEY to saving the life of someone who is in cardiac arrest, and it's quite possible that you might have the opportunity to save someone you know. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 8 out of every 10 cardiac arrests take place at home. That means that the best chance of survival for someone >YOU care about< lies in YOUR hands. Not the doctors at the nearest hospital, not to knock the doctors. Some are amazing. But once so much time has passed, even the best of doctors cannot bring your loved ones back. To reach the hospital takes time. Time is precious. A critical care physician once told me that every minute of delay reduces chance of survival by 10%. EVERY MINUTE! Meaning if you're located more than 10 minutes from the hospital, or you're out on the lake like we were on this particular day, if you don't immediately perform CPR, the likelyhood of survival is 0. If you can get to a victim fast, and perform well, you may be able to save that person's life.
Are you looking for a general CPR and AED class to prepare you to save the life of a loved one or family member? Call the American Heart Association and let them set up a class for you. It's worth it. You definitely don't want to be in the situation and wish you would've taken the class when its too late. Call AHA today and to locate a course, please call the National Service Center at 1-877-AHA-4CPR.
We are a lake family. We currently live maybe 20 or 25 minutes from Center Hill Lake in Cookeville, TN. But we grew up on Dale Hollow Lake in Livingston, TN. Talk about beautiful. Beautiful, clean water. I really am grateful for all of the fun times and great memories we've had on the lake. But on our vacation, I recieved a little scare and it made me skiddish of the lake. Let me start by saying Caleb HATES going under water. Absolutely no matter what kind of reward I have tried, he will not do it. Wouldn't do it for the swimming lessons instructor. Wouldn't do it in the kiddie pool at the local pool. Won't do it at the swimming pool at our house which is only 3 ft deep.
As we sat on the boat enjoying the beautiful scenery that is Dale Hollow Lake on our vacation, Caleb decided he was finished swimming for the moment. My husband was sitting on the swim platform on the back of the boat, dipping his legs into the water. Our son climbed up the ladder, got into the boat and continued to take his life jacket off. We were anchored at this time, so I told him he could only take the life jacket off if he came up front and sat by me in the shade, and could only keep it off until we started moving again. He took the life jacket off and layed it in the floor of the boat. I turned around sitting our youngest son back into his infant carrier, preparing to make more room to sit. All of a sudden, I heard a splash. I frantically spun around seeing no sign of Caleb other than his life jacket laying in the floor.
Let me stop at this point. I am a respiratory therapist. No clue what that is? Basically when someone comes into the hospital with breathing problems, whether it be because they have asthma, or because they have been in a traumatic car wreck, because they have COPD, have had a heart attack, have bronchitis, or because they have drowned, I am called to assist with these emergencies. Depending upon the problem, we help to keep people breathing. We are part of a Rapid Response team. We are trained for these emergency situations and to do our best to keep someone breathing. Whether we have to give a breathing treatment, intubate a patient (sticking a tube down someone's trachea to help them breathe), putting someone on a ventilator... etc. But at that moment, when I saw that my son was NOT in the boat with me... I. Panicked.
He had apparently decided to sit with his daddy on the swim platform. The swim platform was slick from all of the climbing in and out of the boat we had been doing. He slipped and fell in the water, right next to my husband. Thank the Good Lord he was so close. Immediately after hearing the splash, I screamed to my husband, "HE DOESN'T HAVE HIS LIFE JACKET ON!" Talk about scary. He was close enough to Josh that he was able to just reach in and pick him up.
The point of this long and drug out story? I encourage you to learn CPR. I'm confident I would have been able to pull it together and perform CPR as my husband drove us back to the dock. I want everyone to not have to live with the fear of 'what if?' What if your baby fell in without a life jacket? What if you didn't immediately notice? What if they stopped breathing? What if? I also encourage you to follow the law and keep your life jackets on your sweet babies. I don't care how hot of a southern summer we're having, there will be NO MORE taking off the life vests when we are on the lake. PERIOD. One time is all it takes to loose someone.
Are you looking for a general CPR and AED class to prepare you to save the life of a loved one or family member? Call the American Heart Association and let them set up a class for you. It's worth it. You definitely don't want to be in the situation and wish you would've taken the class when its too late. Call AHA today and to locate a course, please call the National Service Center at 1-877-AHA-4CPR.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)