scandinavian almond bars

I love almond flavoring and it has been on my mind ever since my friend Julie asked if I've ever had a steamed milk with almond syrup (sugar free syrup of course, for me).  I haven't but I should!  These cookies are great- just ask my family.  They were eaten right up.  I made half with sliced almonds and half without which was a good idea.

scandinavian almond bars (5 star recipe at allrecipes.com)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and almond extract; mix until fluffy.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
Divide dough into 4 pieces; and roll each one into a log about 12 inches long.  Place 2 logs per cookie sheet 4 to 5 inches apart (but not too close to the side of the pan so you can get them out easily after they are baked).  Flatten each roll by hand (I used my palm) until it is about 3 inches wide.  Brush flattened roll with milk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake in a preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.  While the cookies are still warm, cut them crosswise at a diagonal, into slices about 1 inch wide.  When cool, drizzle with almond icing.

almond icing
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup milk

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, almond extract and milk until smooth.  Drizzle over the cookies.

mexican confetti rice

I made diego chicken last night, one of our favorites and needed some rice to go with it so made this and it was fantastic.  Now I have two favorite Mexican rices- cilantro lime and this confetti rice.

mexican confetti rice (pass the peas, please)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dry brown basmati rice (yes basmati- I buy it in bulk so I use it for everything- love the flavor)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup tomato sauce

In a large saucepan with a lid, heat olive oil.  Add onion, bell peppers, tomatoes and carrots until tender.  Add salt, cumin, garlic, rice and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and let simmer until rice is done (depends on the kind of rice you use).  Should you choose to use a different kind of rice, use the amount of rice and water the recipe calls for.  When rice is done, stir in tomato sauce and serve.  It's delicious with a dallop of fat free sour cream on top.

potato cheese soup

No need for me to go looking for a better potato cheese soup recipe- this soup was a hit for lunch today.  I think the best part of winter is how good soup tastes going down.  I was sure glad I doubled this recipe so there's enough for a few more bowls later on in the day.

potato cheese soup ( slightly adapted from allrecipes.com)
4 potatoes, peeled and diced (I used red potatoes)
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, broth and salt to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender.  Do not rinse; mash mixture slightly.  Stir in milk.
In a small mixing bowl, blend butter, flour, parsley and pepper; stir into potato mixture.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Remove from heat; add cheese and stir until cheese is almost melted.  Let soup stand for 5 minutes.

sugar "glue"

Every Christmas season we like to decorate with candy whether it's sugar cone trees, sugar cookies, gingerbread men or houses.  Then we have the tradition of eating the sugary decorations on New Year's Eve...the kids go wild as I watch with a big grin and camera in hand.  My oh my how my kids love candy!  For future reference, I thought I should jot down how to adhere sugar cones to the paper plates (it also works for gingerbread houses).

sugar "glue"
Simply pour any amount of sugar into a pot and cook over medium heat until the sugar melts completely.  Turn the stove off.  Dip the top of the sugar cone into the melted sugar then place on the paper plate.  It dries in minutes.  Once it's on, it's on!

What I have to say-  I used about 3/4 cup sugar to secure about 72 sugar cones this year and had leftover.  I also need to say that when you have used all the sugar glue, rinse it out of your pot right away or it will harden and you'll have to soak your pot overnight to get it out.  I have experience here. : )

braised pork, sweet potato and fennel stew

The last time I made a recipe from Real Simple magazine with fennel I was so impressed I thought I'd try another.  The flavor combinations in this stew are astounding.  My husband remarked, "This is the kind of meal I like.  Real food and fresh."  Since I bought sweet potatoes that ended up being white and not orange (whoops) I added some sliced carrots to the stew for color and I was glad I did.  Delicious.  I made some divine bread sticks to go with our meal.

braised pork, sweet potato and fennel stew (slightly adapted from Real Simple December 2013)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1  pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1 3/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed (I omitted)
1 (14.5 ounce) can sliced carrots
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus leaves for serving (I used 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (you're supposed to use the orange variety)
2 small fennel bulbs, quartered plus 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, for serving
crusty bread or soft bread sticks, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Season the pork with fennel seeds and 1/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper.  Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the broth and thyme and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the pork can be pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, carrots and fennel bulbs.  Cook, covered, until the pork is tender and the vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes more.  Remove the thyme sprigs.
Serve the stew with sprinkled thyme leaves and fennel fronds and with the bread on the side.

What I have to say- if you use a nonstick pot you do not need to use the 2 tablespoons olive oil if you make sure to stir occasionally so the pork doesn't stick to the pan.

Tip from Real Simple- Like most braised dishes, this one tastes even better the day after you make it.  If you have time make it ahead and reheat it over low heat.  The pork will get more tender each time you reheat the stew.

diego chicken

We enjoyed this HALL OF FAME entree last night.  Grilling in severe temperatures isn't ideal but SO worth it.  My husband and I agreed that it was the green chiles that made it hall of fame.  We'll be making this one again and again for sure.

diego chicken (found it in my SIL Heidi's ward cookbook then adapted it)
3 chicken breasts, fileted
2 teaspoons Pappy's garlic and herb seasoning
1 can whole roasted green chiles (my can contained 4)
your favorite salsa or picante sauce
grated cheese (I used Mexican blend)
1 avocado, thinly sliced
fat free sour cream
shredded lettuce, optional for serving

Place the chicken breasts on a preheated grill and sprinkle with Pappy's.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When the chicken is done, place on a cookie sheet with sides and assemble in the following order:  chicken, sprinkle of grated cheese (this will secure the green chile), 1 slice green chile, 2 tablespoons picante sauce, sprinkle of cheese.  Put into the oven until the cheese melts.  Take out of the oven and add the avocado and sour cream.  Place on a bed of shredded lettuce and serve!

What I have to say- we served grilled chicken with melted cheese to our kiddos whom we knew may not enjoy all the good stuff!

nutella mousse

We had crepes with Nutella for breakfast on Sunday so I had Nutella on my mind.  Knowing I wanted to make some chocolate mousse I googled Nutella Mousse and found exactly what I wanted.  Only two ingredients.  It's as delicious as you think!

nutella mousse (the wicked noodle)
1 1/2 cups nutella
3 cups whipping cream

Place nutella in a very large mixing bowl and pour the whipping cream on top.  Use a hand mixer to whip until you get peaks.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

What I have to say- I found when I whipped mine, the ingredients weren't cold enough to get peaks so I re-whipped it after it had chilled and right before I was ready to serve it.