Edinburgh Tea Squares

I love collecting OLD recipes.  This one comes from a newspaper clipping dated June 4th, 1976.  I imagine I got it in some recipe book I got at a yardsale somewhere since I was only 2 then.  lol. 

Even though it has dates in it, its actually pretty good.   What's funny is the clipping says… and I quote “…so good you’ll have to hide em from the men folks.”   hahaha.  Welcome to Kentucky y’all!

Filling:

• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Pastry:

• 1 cup butter ( I use Land O Lakes)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (I use real oats not quick cooking)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

What to do:

For the filling: 
(Im going by memory here, because my clipping has fallen apart and all I have is the ingredients list. LOL)   If you didn’t buy the dates that are already pitted, then you need to cut the pits out.  Then simmer them in the water over low  heat until it gets like pastey/gooey. (abt 30 minutes as best I can remember) Set it to the side.  When it starts to cool add the lemon juice.

then you make the pastry stuff:
Its pretty easy, in a big bowl cream together the butter and sugar.  This is easier if your butter is “softened” ie: room temp.  Add to this the flour, rolled oats, and salt.  This mix should make a doughy type ball in your bowl.   Place half the mix in either a high sided cookie sheet or a cake pan and moosh it out flat.  Should only be like 1/4 inch thick.  Then you are going to smear the filling onto it  Kind of like a lasagna and layers. LOL.  So: dough, filling, dough. 

Bake 30 minutes at 325.  And then remove from heat.  I go ahead and carefully cut mine NOW because its easier to cut THROUGH when its hot, but its also easier to tear it up and make it ugly so be careful if you cut now.    I also refrigerate mine because they taste better cold to me.

Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven

Item: Presto Pizzazz Pizza Plus
Purchase:  available HERE
Price Range: $40 - $60

When I was asked to review this Pizzazz Plus Oven, I was so excited!  I have wanted one of these ever since I saw one at Wal-Mart and just couldn’t make myself spend $60 on something to JUST cook pizza!

I got mine from cookware.com (linked above)

Shipping was fast!  It wasn’t scheduled to be here until the 1st (expected delivery date), but it came yesterday (May 28, 2010).  I was a little concerned because they didn’t “pack” it.  They just shipped it Fed-Ex.  See my shipping label?  As you can see the box is a little beat up too… 

When I opened it I couldn’t help feel excited.  I really love that the manual was right there on top.  No digging to find it!

Tonight, we decided to test it out on the kids FAVORITE Pizza…  Literally.  This stuff gets cooked at least twice a week in my house.

The oven comes in two pieces. The pan and the base.

To put it together you have to put this little groove thing ( below) onto the little peg thing on the base.  Easy enough I reckon.  However, don’t have it plugged in already!  The thing automatically spins if the pan is on it and its plugged in.  There is no way to turn the spinning off except to unplug it.

The cord is about as long as my coffee pots, so there is not a lot of moveability going on.  The base is also pretty deep.  It would not sit on my counter facing front, in front of my coffeepot.  That’s why all these pics are from the side.  Sorry.

Once its all together it looks like this.  As you can see, its a pretty good sized pizza pan on there.

The diagram in the manual looks nothing like the actual oven, but the wording is clear enough you figure it all out.

I don’t like that there are no lights on the top or anything to let you know that its on.  I mean it’s obvious its plugged up because the pan is spinning but there is no indicator that the heating elements are on…

The kids were absolutely fascinated by it and both my 9 yr old and my 13 yr old stood in the kitchen and watched their pizzas cook.

Sis even tried to figure out how it worked.  Why doesn't the pizza just get cold again when its not under the cooker?  hmmmmmmmmm….

Once its been on a few minutes you can see the red glow from the hot hot cooking element.  Don’t touch!

Once the timer dings you take the pan off the base to get the motor to stop spinning.

Perfect crust! (below)  There was also NO STICKING.  I mean I tilted the pan and about dropped the pizza in the floor.

Then we cooked our second pizza.  This one was the plain cheese Totinos plus extra toppings.

Cooked it PERFECT.

Again no sticking, the pizza just slid off the pan. 

Cleaned the pan with a little soap and water and set it aside.

The crust is perfect.  I really like that you can turn the bottom burner or the top burner off.  So if I wanted say DARKER Crust but not to burn my cheese I could turn off the top burner toward the end…

As you can see from the manual, the Pizzazz is actually pretty versatile.  Chicken nuggets, quesadillas, chessesticks.  They aren’t listed but I’m even thinking French fries and chicken breasts.

chocolate chip cookies?!  REALLY?!

I also love that they included a couple of recipes.  Yes, that says pizza DOUGH.  yay!

Before I close, I need to post 2 more cons…

One, the thing took FOR EVER to cool off.  Really!  An hour later and the base was still hot enough to the touch that  I was scared to put it back in the box.

The other downside is storage.  What am I going to do with it?  I don’t have the counter space to leave it out and its too odd shaped to put into any of my cabinets unless I want to rearrange and give it its own cabinet.  That’s not going to happen.   I ended up putting it back in the box and putting it up on top of my pantry next to my expensive punch bowl set.

So for my complete pros and cons list:

I love that:

1. 1. it was pretty fast.
   2. Cleanup was almost non-existent!
   3. pizzas came out perfectly
   4. there was no mess, no pizza stuck to the pan, etc
   5. its open and on the counter so you can WATCH the pizza cook, and take it off as needed.  No more accidently burnt edges!
   6. No preheating oven – cuts down on wait time and how hot the upstairs gets
   7. no bending over repeatedly to check the pizza.  I have a bad back so this is a great perk for me.
   8. the kids were fascinated by it.  Both ate their pizza with NO complaints.  *first time for everything!*

I didn’t love that:

1. 1. very hot to the touch.  No kids unsupervised around this thing
   2. its big and bulky and storage is an issue
   3. the thing got hot and stayed hot for a long time after use
   4. It runs the entire time its plugged in if the pan is on it.  This can't be good for the motor
   5. I also didnt like that you had to remove the pan to put the pizza on and then remove the pan to get the pizza off.  I cooked two pizzas, and nearly dropped BOTH in the floor.  I mean I never thought I would complain that something REALLY WAS non-stick, but the pan needs a lip on it or something.

Would I recommend this item?  Oh my word yes!  I’m mad at myself for not buying one sooner.  Ours is still new but I already know it will be used no less then twice a week in our house.  The easy cleanup alone is enough to make me want to cook supper on it.   LOL

What do YOU think about this cookware?  Knowing my experience with it would you buy it?   Have questions about this product or have something to add?   Feel free to comment below!

BarBQue Cheddar Balls

Tonights recipe is a little concoction I call BarBQ Cheddar Balls. Its basically a standard meatball with cheddar and scallions thrown in, and instead of serving in marinara you simmer then in barbeque sauce.

Now, I should warn you before you read any further..

I have never written down how I make meat balls, I just kind of “wing it”.  I tried following a recipe once and they were so dry I was like “screw it”.  Nobody likes dry balls!  So ever since then I kind of play it by eye, and that is what you should do too. 

The measurements below are a “round about”,  so good luck!

CHEDDAR BALLS

• abt 2 lbs ground beef
• heaping cup of shredded cheddar
• 1 bunch scallions, diced  (chop off the roots and then dice up the rest!)  Should be at LEAST a half-cup
• a few shakes garlic salt
• salt and pepper  ( I wouldn't even know how to measure.  I do abt 2-3 palms of salt and pepper until I think I have done too much. lol..)
• EITHER abt a cup of OATS or abt a cup of bread crumbs (have extra on hand to thicken if needed)
• 3/4 cup milk
• tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• some flour in a bowl.  abt 3/4 cup or so for frying

To make the balls, put your meat in a LARGE BOWL and  mix all the ingredients in there.  (NOT the flour)

Now here is the thing with meat balls.  No matter what measurement I put for oats/crumbs it still might not be right for your balls.  You know, if you did a HEAPING and I didn’t then your’s would be dry, etc..   So when I say a cup, that’s a round about.  What you want is, while you are mixing this stuff up with your hands, like a meatloaf mixture, you want it thick enough to hold a ball shape.  But not a FIRM ball – because that will cook up DRY.  So mix it all up and make a test ball.  If its too gooey to even hold shape then you should add more oats/crumbs…   if it holds shape and doesn’t stick to your hands at ALL then you have added to much crumbs and add a little milk.  You want it a little mooshy but to still hold shape.

Go ahead and make up all your balls and put them in your baking dish and sit them either in the fridge or freezer while you prep everything else.  This will help let the milk expand what ever filler (oats/crumbs) and will make the balls a little more firm and easier to deal with.

In a minute, you will be browning these in a skillet, so you will need to put some oil in a skillet set on HIGH, to brown the balls.  

So go ahead and put some flour in a bowl to roll the balls in, but don't start the skillet yet.  Skip down and make the sauce while your balls are chillin.

THE SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
• 2-3 capfuls of white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire (man, I luv this stuff!)
• 1 cup of ketchup (heaping)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of hot sauce

Mix all this stuff up in a bowl REAL GOOD with a wire whisk.  Stick your finger in a get a taste.  It should be pretty good by the measurements above, but do YOU like it?  You know better what your family will like.  So just give it a taste and see what you think.  The flavor will NOT change a whole lot in the oven so what you have here is what you get…  Need it more sweet then add more brown sugar or a teaspoon of white sugar.  Want it hotter – add more hot sauce.  Want it more husky – add some Imitation hickory flavoring.  We like it SWEET in this house and the above is what I use every time.   If Im really feeling whacky I sneak in a little lemon juice.  Not a lot, just ALMOST a cap full – but it adds a “wang” that is surprisingly YUMMO.

THE PREP

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400 DEGREES at this point.

Once the sauce is made, fire up your skillet with a little oil in it.  I like Olive oil but vegetable oil sure is more affordable.  You don't need TONS, you’re just going to be browning up the balls before baking them.  This helps sear in some of that flavor so that the barbque isn't the ONLY thing you taste when you eat.  

When your oil is hot, dredge your balls in the flour and place them in your skillet.  The goal here is NOT to cook them thru, you’re just wanting a nice browning on the outside.  being pink inside is perfect because that will brown while they are baking and wont turn out all dry.   So brown away.  I put enough in the skillet at once that the skillet is full but they aren’t touching each other.  After a few minutes kind of roll em over to get the other side.  Don't play with them too much though or you’ll knock all the flour off and have a gravy mess going on.   When they are brown put them back in your casserole dish.  And do this over and over until you have done them all.

*TIP:  The first time I made these, I put the balls from the skillet onto a napkin to drain off any grease.  DONT DO IT.  They need that little bit of grease to stay moist in the oven.  If you drain it all off now they will be a crunchy dry mess.  A golf ball dipped in barbque!  I’ll say again… NO ONE likes dry balls!

Once you have all these balls browned, take a big spoon and slather each of them with some of the barbque sauce.   I usually have JUST ENOUGH.

You are going to bake this at 350 for about 40-45 minutes, so lower your oven from the 400 we preheated to, to 350 and pop them in the oven.  Starting out at a higher temp kind of “flash fires” the sauce onto the balls so it doesn't all just “melt off” as the balls cook.

When the timer beeps you will have a yummy GLORIOUS batch of balls!

I usually serve with mashed potatoes and a side salad.

*these babies are AMAZING done in the CROCK POT and left on low simmer all day.  Just be sure to cook on LOW or WARMER, 2 batches of the barbque sauce, and add a little water to the sauce if it starts to dry out.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oven Fried Ranch Chicken

I make this chicken all the time, in one variation or another.  Im happy to say my littlest picky eater lurves it.  :)

Tonights recipe is the ranch version.  You can make it without the ranch dressing packet and it is just as good.

OVEN FRIED RANCH CHICKEN

the ingredients

• one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts (or breast tenderloins)
• 1 packet ranch dressing
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 sleeve Ritz Crackers
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• butter (as needed)

the prep

Preheat oven to 400.

In one bowl combine milk and egg.  Whisk with fork.
  Take the sleeve of ritz crackers and place them in a large baggy, then roll them with a rolling pin.   In another bowl, combine every thing else with your crushed crackers (except chicken.)   I like to use a pie plate.  You can use a large baggy too, but I have found you get a better coating if you use a bowl or pie plate.
Mix it up REAL GOOD.  

Make a little production line.  Egg mix, cracker mix, pan to cook in.  Coat the chicken in your egg mix, then coat it in the cracker mix. Then place it in your baking pan.  You do not want to squish the pieces too close together.  Leave a little room in between each piece.
 

Then you will need to put a dollop of butter in between all the pieces and around the outside.  This keeps the chicken from sticking and help make the Ritz crackers hold on to the chicken.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done.  To check it, I always cut in half the center most piece of chicken.
  If it’s done all the others are too.

Good luck!
~Bunny

Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting

I’ve been craving carrot cake for DAYS.  DAYS I tell ya.  Don’t believe me?  It’s all over my twitter!  LOL!!

I finally drug out my recipes, and WENT TO THE STORE!  All so I could give YOU this, ENJOY!

Gramma Nay’s Scratch Cake

Ingredients for the CAKE:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1.5  tsp cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups grated carrots (2 cups after they are grated, not before)

Ingredients for the ICING:

• 1/2 cup butter (do NOT use spread, its not the same.) {1 stick}
• 1 package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (you CAN use fat free Philly)
• 1 lb (half a large bag) Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 tbs half n half or cream (only if needed)

Prep:

Making this cake is pretty simple.

For the CAKE: 

Preheat oven to 350.  Shred carrots.  You can use a cheese grater, I use my small food processor. 

You need 2 cups after they are shredded.  If you use a small chopper like mine, it takes 2 loads.  :)

In a lrg bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon.

For a lighter fluffier cake, SIFT THEM together.  In a small bowl, mix the eggs and oil.  Gradually mix the egg oil mixture into the dry ingredient mixture beating until well incorporated.  The batter will be pretty thick.  Use a spatula scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix in the carrots.  Spread the mixture into a prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do the toothpick test to see if it’s ready.  Then set aside and let cool before icing.  {while its cooling you can make the icing}

For the Icing:

In a large bowl mix the butter , vanilla, and the Philadelphia Cream Cheese. 

Gradually mix in the sugar (if it’s too thick once all the sugar is added add just a smidge of cream)  Gradually mix in the pecans.  Then ice your yummy cake!

I know this recipe looks like its hard.  What it is, is hard to screw up.  The icing is probably the only “tricky” thing, because you will be tempted to thin it out, and then again.  You dont want RUNNY icing!  Avoid the temptation, YOU CAN DO IT!

Good Luck!
~Bunny