Week 41

Once again, I'm playing catchup with the blogging. I feel like I need to narrow my focus and really make this blog into something. Or, I could start another page or blog and get all specific. That will be a New Year's project as the holiday season in now in full swing.

Made a mini quilt from my sweetwater box.

Even mitered the border.

Some fun bowls from Tupperware. I  love a good halloween sale 

Took over the dinning room table to make some pillowcases for Texas Flood survivors

Halloween fun!

A few more motifs..

Las Vegas, Tom Petty, hair cut, getting stitches removed, Mexico earthquake 

Hoopview

My helper is sleeping on the job

 Pulled out the old girl for a good lube job, a new LED light and a little piecing.

Made a Christmas blanket. Sweater on one side, fleece on the other

New recipe, Spanish Tortilla. Super yummy

We have a band or two of wild turkeys roaming the 'hood. This is the church parking lot. 

They were not afraid. LOL

Tug of war until they couldn't move.  hahahaha 

Somebody is in heat. Oy. Time for a few more doggie pad holder/chastity belts.

She has a chicken nugget sized tail so I didn't have to worry about a tail hole. 

Although, I would just put in a big, ol' button hole to accommodate one if need be.

I keep tweaking the design. I'll get in perfect about the time she hits dogopause. LOL 

 How is your week 41? Any Christmas projects stated? Finished?

A whole chicken + flavorings + crockpot = yummmmmmmm

Since I am now a work out of the house mom (at least through tax season), I am gone during the dinner mayhem. I still have to get dinner on the table and only one of my kidlettes is helping. The other seems to be gone all. thee. time. So, the crock-pot is becoming my bestest kitchen buddy ever. Last night it was spaghetti sauce, tonight: lemon garlic chicken

There are lots of recipes out there, but this is how I do it....and I've got pictures!! Woo and hoo

Get yourself a whole chicken and make it all clean and pretty. When I was a kid, Grandma Stidham would just say, "Go get me one out back." I find the market so much easier, just sayin...

 Gather your ingredients.

In the case of lemon garlic chicken you need, well, lots of lemon and garlic. 

I also add onions, carrots, salt, pepper and dried and fresh herbs. Herbs de province this go 'round.

Fill the insides with a little bit of all your seasonings

Go ahead, fill 'er up, just not packed real tight.

Now it's time to get all up in your chicken's ''bidness''. Upside and downside.

Salt, pepper, herbs, lemons and butter

To keep this from being a stew, elevate your bird with a few yummy veggies or a rack

No water necessary.

Cover the top with the rest of your fixins 

Oh, I did put the bird in breast side down. Personal preference, don't think it really matters.

Put a lid on it and forget it.

 

 I put this on about 11am, so I am cooking it on high.

If you put it on ealier, use low.

The best kind of crock-pot is one where you can have it start out on high, and then it goes to low. That way you food comes up to temp quickly, and then simmers ever so slowly. 

If I were home, I would turn the drippings into a nice sauce with a little wondra flour or a roux.

It won't look like a rotisserie chicken, all crispy and such, but it will taste scrumdilly-icious. 

Tonight, it will be served with some forbidden black rice and a salad. Use some of the juice to cook your rice.....el yummo!! 

 If I was home, gravy and mashed potatoes. Or steamed red potatoes with butter and herbs. 

Now that you have the basics, make it your own. 

To have it taste all tiki masala-y use ginger, garam masala spice, cilantro and diced tomatoes

A little tex mex, add a jar of your favorite salsa

Italian, diced tomatoes, italian spices, garlic, mushrooms

You get the idea, use what you have in your cupboards. Flavors you already know you and your family like. And yes, you can use a cut up chicken, but it's a little more braised....chicken thighs hold up the best for long cooking times. Try it, you'll like it...honest.

 

Tutorial and Recipe for Caramel Apple Pumpkin Swirl Mini Cheesecakes

 Warning....lots of pics

 I will post full recipe at the bottom of this post.

Okay, here goes.........

Regena Florenti's Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Swirl, Streusel Topped Mini Cheesecakes

 Try and have all ingredients at room temperature.

Pre-heat oven to 350ºf  and fill a cookie sheet 1/3 deep with water

And prepare you muffin tins for filling

The crust: 

in a food processor or heavy duty plastic bag

add 2/3 of a 16 ounce bag of ginger snaps

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick of melted and cooled butter

Pulse the cookies until they look like really coarse cornmeal and all the big chunks are gone.

Add butter and pulse until mixture holds tightly together

Put one heaping tablespoon of crust mixture in each muffin cup.

There will be some leftover to use as part of the topping.

 Compress the crust. I used my rolling pin

The actual amount and the smushed crusts 

set aside. No, I don't precook the crusts

The filling: 

In a mixer (or mixing bowl) 

3 packages (8oz) of cream cheese

3/4 cups of sugar

Mix it until the sugar is all mixed in.

add: 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

mix for a few seconds

Add four eggs and mix well 

( I know you only see three, these pics are from my first testing and it really needed the extra egg)

Take out one cup of the filling and mix with 1/2 to 3/4 cup pumpkin pie filling 

and 1 teaspoon of corn starch . If you use plain pumpkin, add pumpkin pie spice to taste...1/2 to 1 teaspoon should do it.

Divide plain batter evenly between 24 muffin cups

Divide pumpkin batter evenly between 24 muffin cups. you can make them a lot pumkinny or not, your choice. :-)  I did a lot.

Take a skewer or toothpick and swirl the pumpkin

clean the stick a lot

They should look something like this...or better if you are a good swirler.

Topping 1:

1 large or two small tart apples

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

pulse

It's not as pretty as doing a fine chop, but it worked for me. Yes, you can chop them too. I'm lazy. :-)

Put a good amount on each little cheesecake

Topping 2: Streusel

To the leftover gingersnap mixture add:

1/2 to 3/4 stick soft butter

big hand full of quick cooking oats

1/8 cup hard packed brownsugar

2 tablespoons of flour

Mix until it holds together when you give it a little squeeze. If you need to add a bit more butter. Or if it's too sticky, add some more oats and flour a teaspoon at a time.

Cover the apple topping

Not even cooked and they look yummy!

Bake at 350º for 25 to 35 minutes

Drizzle with caramel sauce when partly cooled.

 

Recipes:

Crust:

2/3 of a 1 pound bag of gingersnaps

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick melted and cooled butter

Cheesecake filling:

3 packages (8oz) creamcheese

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 sour cream

4 whole eggs

Into the one cup of plain mix:

1/2 to 2/3 cup pumpkin pie filling

1 tablespoon cornstartch

Topping one:

1 large or two small tart apples finely chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping two:

leftover gingersnap mixture

1/8 cup brown sugar

big ol handful of oats (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

2 to 3 tablespoons of flour

You can use store bought caramel sauce or make your own:

caramel sauce:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional, but a nice tasty finish)

Directions for caramel sauce

put water in heavy sauce pan. tall sides are good.

pour sugar directly into the center of the pan..try to not get any on the sides of the pan

pour corn syrup over sugar mountain

cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on this stuff...it goes really fast!

once it boils, take the lid off and boil until the syrup is a very light golden color (dry straw) and measures 300º on a candy thermometer (or 5-7 minutes)

reduce to medium heat and cook until a dark golden color, like maple syrup

meanwhile, warm the cream and the salt..don't let it boil

Remove syrup from the heat, carefully  add part of the cream. It's gonna go nuts. After is stops bubbling, pour in the rest of the warm cream, vanilla and lemon juice.

whisk until smooth. It will stay hot for quite some time. serve warm or at room temp.