Time To Go!

Oh, lordy!! This is what I woke up to this morning! Well, some of it I put out prior to taking this picture, but that's pretty much everything. It was insane!! So, I got crackin'!! The first recipe I started were some Kitchen Sink Muffins. I got the recipe from The Domestic Goddess (once again) and the recipe can be found here: http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/recipes.php?recipe=10028 And while hers turned out a LOT prettier than mine, I hope they taste the same. I substituted raisins and cranberries for the currants, and used Honey Bunches of Oats w/Almonds on top. Here are a couple shots of my results:

Next up was some banana bread. I had some leftover bananas from the muffins, so I decided to use them for some bread. I got the recipe from the card index E's mom gave me after we got married. I think it's a family recipe, so that's why I'm not posting it. Here's how it turned out:

And, lastly, I made an entire batch of Molasses Ginger Cookies for my little brother to enjoy while we're away. Here's the recipe I got from allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crackle-Top-Molasses-Cookies/Detail.aspx. And here's a couple shots of the finished product:

*Yawns* I'm so tired of baking! Which is a good thing, since I won't get the chance to do it for two weeks while we're gone. It's only 8:30pm right now, but I am so ready for bed. Just the thought of waking up at 3am makes me sleepy. Good night, everybody! We'll see you when we get back to the States!! Adios!

~Mehgan~

In Preparation For Our Vacation...

Hello once again! The hubby, E, and I are getting ready to go to Mexico on Sunday. Above you'll see a lovely shot of my passport and its uber-chic blue flowered jacket that I got at Borders.

I also stopped by my local Barnes & Noble today for lunch. I had just gotten done getting my braces tightened (ouch!) and had about 45 minutes before my hair appointment at Gene Juarez. I found a couple baking books on sale that I just HAD to have. Also pictured is the recipe card box that E's mom gave me when we got married. It came with some pre-filled cards with E's favorite recipes his mom made him, which I thought was sooooo sweet! His favorite birthday cake is in there, and his birthday is in November, so I'll definitely be posting on that then.

I don't know about you, but I HATE how much they're charging nowadays for food on flights. It's outrageous. Five bucks for a stale cheeseburger and Lay's potato chips? No thanks! So, I decided to take it upon myself to make up some snacks for us to have on the plane. Since our flight is in the wee early hours (we depart at 6:05am, which means we need to be at the airport no later than 4:30am... it makes me tired just thinking about it). So far, I've decided to make two kinds of muffins and two kinds of cookies. One kind of cookies I'm planning on making is just for my younger brother, because he loved them so much last time, I decided to make him his very own batch in payment for house/dog-sitting while we're away. I started baking tonight, and will finish up tomorrow.

First, I decided to make Peaches & Cream Muffins. I found the recipe via The Domestic Goddess. Let me preface this with saying that this woman is a genius. I want to try every recipe she has on her site. The link for the muffins can be found here: http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/recipes.php?recipe=10103. Here's how they turned out:

I haven't tried them yet, but will definitely let you know when I do. I followed the recipe to a T, but added some powdered sugar on top. I'm of the belief that powdered sugar should be like salt: on top of EVERYTHING! (Can you tell, I have a major sweet tooth?) They made my house smell so wonderfully delicious, I even took it upon myself to lick the bowl!! (With some help from E and my brother, naturally!). These freeze really well, so my brother will have plenty of them to eat while we're gone, too. It's comforting to know that at the very least, he'll have at least one semi-healthy thing to eat while we're gone (he has three pizzas in the freezer... yikes).

Next up came some lemon crinkle cookies. I made these once before for my Italian friend Diana's birthday. I asked her what her favorite flavor is, and she said lemon, so these were a natural choice for her. I'll admit, I cheated a little bit and used lemon cake mix, but they were easy and quick and oh-so-delicious.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe:

-1 (18.25 oz) box of lemon cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)

-2 eggs

-1/3 cup vegetable oil

-1 tsp lemon extract

-1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C).

2. Pour cake mix into large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil and lemon extract (I added a wee bit of lemon zest, just because I love love love lemon, and can't get enough, but that's just me) until well blended. Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours until firm (this way, the dough won't be too sticky to work with later).

3. Scoop dough out by rounded teaspoonfuls (I used my handy-dandy mini ice cream scooper, I love that thing!) into confectioner's sugar and coat well. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2-3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 6-9 minutes. Cookies should have light brown bottoms, that's how you know they're done. They'll be slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

*Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

That's all for now, folks! I'll report back tomorrow on the second round of muffins and cookies for our trip!!

~Mehgan~

Panini's and... Lady Fingers???

Good morning once again! Yesterday, I was on my way home on the bus (yes, I had to take the bus!) and was wondering what to make for dinner. It was on the warm side, so I didn't want to make anything too heavy, and I thought to myself, "What have I never made before?" Well, I've never made panini's, and I did receive a handy-dandy George Foreman Grill for my wedding. Anyways, I didn't have a recipe on-hand for it, so I just decided to wing it. So, here it is, my first original Mehgan recipe for Roast Chicken with Bell Pepper and Tomato panini's:

-1 lb boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-3 to 4 cloves of garlic

-1/2 medium onion, thin sliced

-1 bell pepper, thin sliced

-2 tomatoes, thin sliced

-1 cup of mozzarella cheese

-3 tbsp light mayonnaise

-1 tsp garlic salt

-1tsp Italian seasoning

-sliced bread (I used Milk & Honey bread for it's light color and sweet flavor)

In a medium pot, on low to medium heat, combine olive oil, garlic and onions. Once onions become transparent, add the chicken breasts and season to taste (I used salt, pepper, and a bit of Italian seasoning). Then add the bell peppers on top. Cook chicken thoroughly, keeping aware of the veggies so they won't burn or turn too mushy. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic salt and seasoning. Once the chicken is done, slice the cooked chicken into thin strips. Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture onto the inside of two slices of bread. Layer on the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella cheese) to your desire. (Mine went: mayo, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, bell peppers, onions, more cheese, then the other slice of bread). Place sandwich on grill and close top, cook for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye out so that the sandwich doesnt burn.

I loved these because I could put whatever I wanted on it. When we ran out of chicken, I made my husband one using lunch meat (turkey slices). The mayonnaise wasn't overpowering, which is good, because I'm not a big fan of mayo in the first place, and the cheese was nice and melty and delicious.

For dessert, I had originally intended on trying my hand at making lady fingers. I had seen the ones in the film "Simply Irresistible" and it made me want to have one NOW. The ones I made, however, turned out more like a shortbread cookie. As it turns out, I used the wrong recipe, but the finished product was still tasty. Buttery, sweet and slightly lemony since I used some lemon zest in the batter and lemon extract in the caramel glaze. So, now I just call them Lemon Caramel Shortbread Cookies and they're going over really well with everyone I have try them (especially when paired with that first cup of coffee in the morning).

I adapted this recipe from recipezaar.com: http://www.recipezaar.com/18659, which I think I should have used a different one, but oh well, they're still tasty. Instead of baking them like a cake and then cutting them into lady fingers, I just piped them out of a pastry bag onto a baking sheet. At first, I made them too short, so they were more like Lady Thumbs, but once I got the hang of it, they started to look more long and elegant.

That's all for now folks, thanks for stopping by!

~Mehgan~

Introducing: Me... and My Apron!

Good morning! I figured that since I got my first blog out of the way, I'd show everyone who I am. This photo was taken on Memorial Day when we hosted a potluck at our house. I got the cute green raindrops apron from anthropologie.com, and it was well worth the ungodly amount they had me pay for it. I'm hoping to show it off during the One Off Event that Lucullian Delights is hosting here: http://lucullian.blogspot.com/2007/06/show-us-your-apron.html.

I guess you could say I was feeling... Latina...-ish. I don't know why, since Memorial Day isn't a holiday outside the USA, and I don't have a drop of Latin blood in me whatsoever, but oh well, I was bored and home alone for much of the day. My mom couldn't resist taking this photo of me, she thought I looked like a modern June Cleaver. I had to laugh, my mom is so cute! So, there I am, in the kitchen where all the magic happens. I'd like everyone to imagine that's what I look like when I'm baking, but alas, I'm usually in just a pair of jeans and a Lynyrd Skynyrd tee.

I'm looking forward to posting my first Sugar High Friday next month, so be on the lookout for something sweet!

~Mehgan~

My First Blog Posting!

Hello ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to my first blog posting. First, let me introduce myself so you can get to know me a little better. My name is Mehgan (and yes, it's spelled that way, lol) and I'm from the great Pacific Northwest. I'm currently serving in the U.S. military, but will be getting out next summer to pursue an education in the Culinary Arts. I have a passion for cooking and baking, with baking being my strong suit.

Ever since I can remember, I've had a knack for cooking. As I've told my mother and sister, it is very therapeutic experience for me. All that chopping and stirring and mixing. I love it!

I don't have any pictures from last night with me here at work, but trust me, I did a heckuva lot of cooking last night. I made homemade chicken noodle soup, Amish sweet bread and Molasses cookies. I was literally in my kitchen from the time I got home from work, to the time I went to bed last night. I wasn't able to cook at all on Sunday, so I guess you could say I was making up for lost time. I will post photos later on this evening when I get home from work.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you folks later!

P.S. At the top there's a shot of one of a really tasty fresh fruit tart I made on Memorial Day (it last about four seconds after I pulled it out of the fridge!) The recipe can be found here: http://http//www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32767,00.html?rsrc=search

It turned out divine, even though I had some trouble with the crust, since I wasn't using an "official" tart pan... which is something I need to get.