Shortbread Cookies

I love shortbread cookies! They are so buttery and delicious, and they keep for forever! Which is good for me since Jorge does not like them. I think these cookies are a perfect side to a nice cup of tea or coffee. I did not cut them or stamp them like a lot of people do, but I think they taste just the same and look a little less pretentious ;-) and it saved me time! I will give you the original recipe, but I just rolled them out very thick and cut them into circles, but of course that's just me! I also had to really watch them to make sure they did not burn....so maybe it is actually easier to make them into bars....either way...here is the delicious recipe!

You will need:
1 1/3 cups (2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan, and line bottom with parchment paper. (I didn’t butter but just laid the parchment down in a dark non-stick pan.) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until just combined.

Press dough into prepared pan, leveling and smoothing the top. Using a dough scraper or the back of a knife, cut dough lengthwise into nine strips, each slightly less than 1 inch wide. Cut the strips crosswise into thirty-six 3-inch bars. Using the tines of a fork or a wooden skewer, create a decorative pattern on the surface.

Bake shortbread until evenly pale golden, but not browned, 70 to 85 minutes. (With a dark pan, don’t cook for more than 70 minutes.) Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Invert pan, and remove parchment. Turn shortbread over, and carefully break, or cut with a serrated knife, into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Source: Smells Like Home from Martha Stewart

Chili

Sometimes there is a battle in my kitchen and it's not me against the food. We have a bit of a zoo (see them all here) and between them they pick days to torture me in the kitchen. The only place in the whole house the cats are not allowed is the kitchen counters. And knowing that is the only place makes it that much more tempting. Usually after hours of torture from them, I break down and cry and they feel sorry for me and will leave me alone, but while I was making this chili the ante was upped by one open window and one feline named Benny.

VS

You see Benny loves going outside. We actually walk him on a leash and he loves it. He likes to greet all of the neighbors and dogs and he loves to lay in the sun and watch lizards. So when it finally got cooler I opened up the windows in the house and turned off the air conditioner. Not only was it going to save us some money, but the house got aired out and it felt wonderful. So while I was relishing in this cooler weather, I decided to whip up some chili. And even better, cooking would not heat up the kitchen because I could open the big window behind the sink. In hindsight, I should have realized opening the window would instantly attract Benny because he could see everything going on outside while also being able to sit on the forbidden kitchen counters. I then ran to one of my favorite blogs, One Particular Kitchen, to search for a chili recipe. Well I found one and it looked awesome. Being all excited I rushed to the store and picked up the few odds and ends I needed and when I returned home I began prepping the chili. Up until this point no one had bothered me in the kitchen...it was surprisingly and pleasantly animal free...well at least that is what I thought until I went to grab and onion and you will never guess what I found behind that onion...

I know he was chanting "Be the onion. Be the onion. Be the onion. Be the onion. Be the onion." and it was working. He probably was cussing out Erin from One Particular Kitchen since it was her fault that I went and grabbed an onion in the first place. After I found him it really didn't make a difference anymore if he was there, so we decided that he would stay there this time, but it was a special treat.

Speaking of a special treat, this chili was one too! It was great! I loved the flavors and loved it with the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. It really is a wonderful way to celebrate fall.

You will need:

1 lb. breakfast sausage
1 lb. ground chuck
1 medium chopped onion
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can light kidney beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 small can green chiles
1/3 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
Water or beer

Brown the meats and onion together till the meat is cooked through. Add all the cans and all the spices and stir well. Adjust consistency as you like it — add a little beer or water till it looks just right. Transfer to a slow cooker and allow to cook for 8 hours on low or you can simmer it on the stove top in a heavy pan. Serve with cheese, Fritos, or cornbread! Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

IT'S CHILI TIME! Yay! Last weekend it finally got cold enough for me to make and enjoy some chili. Usually I make a box of Jiffy Cornbread and its good and all...but now I don't think there is going to be any turning back! I loved this cornbread! And so did Jorge and my friend Laura. It was perfect! Only thing I will change next time is to add a more jalapeno because I would like a little more spice/flavor from the jalapenos. Next time you make Chili, I really suggest you give this Cornbread a try!


You will need:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1/3 cup chopped scallions, plus extra for garnish (3-4 scallions)
3 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers (2-3 peppers)

Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine the buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Mix in 2 cups of the cheddar, the scallions, and jalapenos and stir until just combined. Do not overmix!

Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350, and grease a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Spread the batter into the baking dish, and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar and scallions.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly and cut into squares to serve.


Source: Found on Pink Parsley adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home




P.S. I served this cornbread with some delicious Chili!

We Have A Winner!

So who won the giveaway?! Drum roll please!



Number 16 did! And who is number 16?




Congratulations Susan!

I have sent you an email letting you know you have won and the link for you to pick which Coupon Organizer you would like!

Alice.com and a Giveaway!

Let me start by saying, no this is not food related. This is me sharing my money saving ways! With the economy in the toilet and people loosing their jobs every day I would like to extend my money saving ways to all of you!

Confession: I am a coupon clipper. I am that lady you see in the store with like 3 coupons for toilet paper seeing which one will get me the best deal. I keep them all in a little holder like this:



It is boring and plain but it serves its purpose! A couple times I have actually saved $40 from coupons! I know what you are thinking, it's a pain in the ass to clip coupons. And yes, it does take a few minutes of my week to do it, but really not as much as you think.

Every Sunday morning my husband goes to the store and gets himself a special coffee, and two newspapers for me. When he gets home with it we sit down and talk and enjoy our Sunday morning and I clip coupons and put them in my organizer by category. It takes me probably around 20-30 minutes total, depending if I am busy talking or actually clipping. Then before I go to the grocery store I sit down and make a list of the things I need for the week and I indicate on my list what I have a coupon for. This takes me close to 45 minutes, but not because the coupon part takes a while, but because it takes me a while to decide on all the recipes I want to make that week and to see what I have already and what we need. Then once I have decided the coupons I will be using that week I pull them out of the binder and place them in the very front pocket. Then while at the store if I want to compare the coupon I have to the generic price I can just whip it out and take a look.

A few tips:
1. Get two newspapers so you can have double the coupons. Because, if you want to buy two of the item you can use both coupons. Even better, when they are by one get one free and then you get to use two coupons...well you can save a lot of money ;-)
2. Organize your coupons!
3. Take the time each week just to plan it out. Yes you have to take the time, but if you take a little over an hour each week and save $15 isn't it worth it? $15 each week times 4 weeks is $60 dollars a month. Which is $720 a year! And $15 is on the low end, I save that guaranteed each week.
4. Don't buy something you will not use even if you have a great coupon. Just buy the things you need. However do be open to a little change. Such as if you usually have Cheez-It's for a snack but you find a coupon for Wheat Thins, then just make the switch for that week and save some money!
5. Carry your coupon's with you! I keep mine in my coupon organizer so its easy to keep it in my purse. That way if you have to make a quick trip to the store you always have them with you!




Now if you are not able to stay organized or "commit" to coupon clipping then I have another option for you. There is a website called Alice (www.Alice.com). Here is the description from alice.com of what alice.com is:

"Alice provides you a better way to manage all of your household essentials online. You tell Alice what you buy—choosing from great deals on 1000’s of products—and Alice goes to work. We organize all of your products, find coupons and deals for you, remind you when you might be running low, and help you order just the items you need so you can avoid that trip to the corner drugstore or the big-box store. And all this convenience comes direct to your door with free shipping included."

So what exactly did it just say? Well it said that you order household items (i.e. dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, razors, baby diapers, and much more) and you look by category at what they have. You then on the left hand side select how you want to search. By the cheapest, or by the biggest coupon. Alice.com applies coupons that are currently out from manufacturers to items to save you money! Now you are thinking, well with what I save in coupons I will spend to have it shipped. NOPE! It is FREE SHIPPING ALWAYS. So you can order things from the convince of your home, without having to clip coupons, at a cheaper price, and have it shipped to you for free. The only "catch" is you have to order 6 items every time, which is no problem if you just plan ahead. You receive your order in 3-4 business days from when you place your order.

I placed an order last Sunday and bought 8 items (laundry detergent, men's and women's razors, 2 bottles of joy dish-washing soap, Oil of Olay body wash, and shampoo/conditioner) for 19 dollars including tax and of course free shipping. The order arrived on Wednesday!




Now for the giveaway... I would like to get at least one of you to start coupon clipping and saving your family some money! So as an incentive...I am giving 1 lucky winner one of these adorable little coupon holders from Austin Artisan!








And this is what they look like on the inside: They are already labeled for you!



You will be able to choose from any of the coupon organizers in her Etsy.com Shop. She has over 5 pages of them! See all of the Coupon Organizers to choose from here. The three I showed here are three of my favorites, but the winner will be able to choose whichever one fits her personal style the best!


To Enter: You can get your name in twice!! :-)

First, leave a comment explaining if you already clip coupons and just want a cute place to keep them or if you would like to start clipping coupons and this would be a great way to begin.

Second, either post about this giveaway on your facebook, twitter, or blog and come back and leave me a comment with a link to your facebook, tweet, or blog post where you posted about this giveaway.


Rules:

The winner will be chosen using random.org. I will not be personally choosing the winner, instead it will all be up to the fates ;-)

This contest is only open to US residents (sorry to my International readers).

Please make sure and leave an email or way for me to contact you if you are the winner so I can send you your Cute Coupon Organizer.

I am doing this out of the goodness of my heart and wallet to help save someone else money, and am not receiving any kickbacks from either company I spoke about here or from the Austin Artisan.

This contest will end on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 12pm EST.

Spicy Black Bean Burger

(I am so sad for the time change! Once dinner is ready, the sun has already gone down! So this lovely picture was taken quickly and in crappy lighting...but you will forgive me right? Because you know it does still look delicious!)

Guess who ate and loved this? My husband! He turned his nose up at my tasty little burgers at first...but once he took a bite he realized how foolish he had been! These are delicious and easy and healthy! The recipe is adapted from this months Cooking Light Magazine. I love getting this magazine each month. The magazine is full of information and great recipes. And right now, on amazon.com you can get a full year subscription for only 5 dollars! Which is an AWESOME deal!

But back to the burgers, these were a great alternative to a regular beef burger. They also are a great budget meal! I believe I spent around 6 dollars for the entire meal. In the future I will serve this with Sweet Potato Fries.

You will need:
1 (2-ounce) hamburger bun, torn into pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Place buns in a food processor; process 4 times or until crumbs measure about 2 cups. Transfer to a bowl. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, jalapeno, onion and beans in processor; pulse 8 times or until beans make a thick paste. Scrape bean mixture into bowl with breadcrumbs. Stir in rind and remaining ingredients. With moistened hands, divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions (about 1/3 cup mixture per portion), shaping each into a 3-inch patty.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes or until bottom edges are browned. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until bottom edges are done.

I topped these patties with regular ketchup, red onion, tomato, swiss cheese, and avocado. I think the avocado really gave it that something extra ;-)

Gingerbread Drop Cookies

Check out that gravity defying cookie!! I know, I am awesome!

You know what happens when you go to Target and have time to walk around...you wander over to the Christmas section. And then you pass that little music station where they preview the cd's and some little kid hits "Jingle Bells" and then it happens...you realize it's only November 5th and if you want to look sane to your neighbors you can not decorate yet! So at this point, depressed that I still have almost a month before I can decorate, I wandered around looking at all the pretty trees and ornaments. I resisted buying anything Christmas related...and then I realized how I can have a little Christmas! Two ways actually! While I was leaving, I stopped at the Starbucks and got a Gingerbread Latte (Hello?! Christmas in a cup!) and I also picked up the ingredients to make these delicious Gingerbread Drop Cookies! These two Christmas-y things might hold me off till Monday before I need another fix. No promises though.

These cookies are delicious! I halved the recipe because I did not need that many cookies around the house! I also make them into mini cookies, but that is just because I think mini things are cuter.



You will need:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
parchment paper




In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until well combined. Beat in molasses, eggs, and milk until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 90.

Make-Ahead Tip: Up to 1 month ahead, make and bake cookies. Cool, place in a freezer container, and freeze. To serve, thaw at room temperature for 1 hour.

Adapted from: Better Home and Gardens