Baking Bacon!

I am horrible at frying bacon. Everytime I try to fry bacon I burn it, but when I bake bacon it always turns out great. Here is the recipe below.

Oven Baked Bacon:

6 strips of thick sliced high quality bacon 

broiler pan or a cookie sheet with a wire baking wrack on top

preheat oven to 400 degrees 

place bacon on broiler pan make sure it is not over laping eachother they need to be evenly spaced.

Bake in oven for 20mins. Time may need to be adjusted if you are using a thinner sliced bacon.

This is a great fool proof method I hope you all enjoy! 

My mother in love's Dutch Babies!

Dutch Babies are a beautiful breakfast dish. I love them mostly because it looks like I slaved away in the kitchen making something incredibly difficult but really they are super easy and super yummy! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

Dutch Babies:
(single batch)              (double batch)

4 eggs                            9 eggs
1 cup flour                      2 cups flour
1 cup milk                       2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter                  2/3 cup butter
 8x8 glass pan                  13x9 glass pan
preheat oven to 425 degrees and melt butter in glass pan. while you are melting the butter mix ingredients in bowl with electric hand mixer until smooth no lumps! once the butter is bubbling add the egg mixture and bake for 20mins or until the sides have puffed up and turned golden brown.
top with powdered sugar, jam, berries, or syrup!

homemade pizza pockets

Hi readers i know it's been a while since i last posted things have been pretty busy at my house. I have been trying to come up with easy meals that are healthy and kid friendly! My first one is homemade pizza pockets.

1lb ground beef

1\4 cup tomato paste

one 14.5 oz can of Italian style stewed tomatoes 

garlic salt to taste

1\2 sweet onion

salt and pepper to taste

mozzarella cheese 

double batch of bisquick dough

First brown ground beef and add seasonings. While that is cooking puree tomatoes, tomato paste and one can of water use the large can. once the beef is cooked add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 mins stirring occasionally. While that is cooking make the double batch of dough, preheat oven according to package directions. divide in half and roll till 1/4 of an inch thick and let sit for 5 ish minuets. make circles out of the dough, fill with sauce and top with cheese and fold over into half moon shape, crimp edges closed. sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. bake according to dough package directions. serve with extra sauce for dipping. enjoy!

Easy Mac and Cheese

I love mac and cheese it is my favorite go to easy comfort food.  I first made this recipe after getting sick of the blue box claiming its creamy and coming out runny and having wimpy noodles. After you make my recipe you will never buy the blue box again. 

Easy Mac and Cheese

1 12-16 oz curvy noodles (choosing a noodle with nooks and crannies will make the sauce stick to the noodles better) 

2 cups grated cheddar cheese 

1 cup whole milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

sea salt to taste

black pepper taste

dash of garlic salt

Use a large pot and fill with water bring to boil add pasta and season with salt. The salt adds flavor to the pasta.  while the pasta is cooking start the cheese sauce.  In a sauce pan on med heat melt the butter. when it is starting to get foamy mix in flour with wire whisk. Then when it's all mixed whisk in milk. If you follow these directions your sauce will be smooth not lumpy. add the salt, pepper and garlic salt and keep whisking slowly. Don't leave the pan stay with it because milk can burn very quickly if it is not watched! The sauce should start to thicken in about 3-5 mins or less. When it is getting thick stir in the cheese. Keep stirring till melted completely. when the pasta is done drain in a colander and stir the pasta in the colander to get out any water that is hiding in the crannies of the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. serve and enjoy! 

*For a heartier version many times i add ground beef or broccoli and cauliflower 

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does! 

Hearty French Onion soup

This is my own version there are many variations out there but thru trial and error i found my favorite way to make it. i hope you enjoy!

For a more traditional soup you can leave out the beef. I added the beef on request of my husband for a more hearty filling version.


1/2 lb beef stew meat

2 lbs sweet onions

3 cloves garlic or 2-3 tbsp garlic salt

6 cups beef broth

2 tbsp butter

extra virgin olive oil

1/8-1/4 cup good aged balsamic vinegar
*the vinegar is a key ingredient to the flavor Do Not Leave Out!

Swiss cheese

loaf of crusty bread

dutch oven or stew pot

mandolin slicer (optional it just makes slicing the onions much faster.)

Makes 4 - 6 servings

First brown stew meat in olive oil on med heat, remove from pot set aside.
next add the butter and onions into the pan. don't drain any of the juice from the meat it all adds flavor.   When you add the onions it will look like you have way too much but it will cook down. this part takes time and patience don't rush it. you must caramelize the onions by cooking on med to med low heat stirring occasionally.

*Tool tip*

How to use a mandolin slicer:

they are all different some have a built in adjustable blade some like mine made by Zyliss has different width plates you put in. I love using the mandolin slicer for this recipe because the onions get super thin and all have a uniform size. And like I mentioned in my previous post don't get a poor quality one this is one thing you want to get quality on. mine has a great hand shield so you don't chop any fingers, because the blades on these things are super sharp. My Zyliss mandolin retails for $50 but i got it at a discount store like ross for $20 so shop around you can find them for a good price.


now back to the soup... once the onions are caramelized add the beef, broth, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. bring to boil, let boil for 10- 15mins or until the beef is tender. once the beef is tender shred and let simmer for 10 more mins.

slice bread about inch thick and spread on butter, broil till golden and toasty.

ladle soup into bowls and place slice of bread on top of soup then cheese and enjoy!  If you have oven proof bowls you can put it in the oven to get the cheese nice and crispy.

I hope you enjoy!

Kitchen utensils: the basics

Hi readers thanks for reading my first official post! I am so excited to share what I believe are the basic utensils you should have in your kitchen, and how much you need to spend. Because I have found that good cookware is so important and if it looks cheap it is cheap. But you don't always have to spend a lot of money to get a great product. Shopping at discount stores and clearance shelves can save you tons of money and get you the best brands! Some of my favorite places to get kitchen items are Ross like stores they often cary high end cookware and utensils for a small fraction of what they would normally cost. And all you have to put up with is maybe a damaged box or it is there because of a big surplus or the packaging has been redesigned or something small like that.

So here is my list of favorites and basics of cookware and utensils.

First of all you need a good set of pots and pans  but you don't need a big set nor do you need to spend a lot of money. You can chose between stainless steel or non stick here are two examples.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-12-Piece-Gourmet-Tri-Ply-Base-Cookware-Set-Stainless-Steel/23080037

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rachael-Ray-10-Piece-Porcelain-Enamel-Non-Stick-Cookware-Set/23262948

what you want to look for is a pan that is heavy bottomed and that has a handle that is screwed onto the pan. These features will ensure first of all a pan that will not warp and that is sturdy when you are picking it up.  

Now on to utensils and knives. 

http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Professional-Stamped-Stainless-25-Piece/dp/B003DA4RH6/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1382900596&sr=8-35&keywords=farberware+chef+knife

These knives from Farberware are very similar to my set.  I prefer these knives because they have a good weight, they are very sturdy and stay sharp. My set is 3 or 4 years old and are still as sharp as the day I bought them. When looking for knives you want the blade to go down through the handle. Make sure the set includes at least a paring knife, utility knife, Santoku knife (this is your go to all purpose knife a MUST HAVE), a slicer this can have a serrated edge or a straight edge which ever you prefer, and a set of steak knives.  The set I posted a link to is a very reasonable price around $50. That is the same amount I paid for mine and they have stood the test of time. But I highly suggest that you go in to a store and inspect the knives for yourself. 

Now utensils. I know we all have so many in our kitchen drawers that we don't even know what half of them do. But I am going to show you the estentials that will keep your drawers neat and clutter free and make cooking easier. 

The first item is Tongs these are so important for serving, mixing, flipping over food; they are a all purpose tool. here are some similar ones to the ones i have I got mine at Ross for much cheaper but this is a good example. and again if they look cheap they  probably preform cheaply.

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-12-Inch-Stainless-Steel-Locking/dp/B00004OCK1/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1382901535&sr=1-1

The second item is a set of wooden spoons or metal ones I don't like using plastic on heat unless it is silicone because the plastic will tend to melt off and get in your food. And make sure if you have non-stick pans that you don't use metal utensils as it will scratch them. I have a similar set to the ones I have posted below and I love them. Bamboo kitchen tools are great they are long lasting and make wonderful cutting boards for veggies. I cover cutting boards later on.

http://www.amazon.com/Lipper-International-826-Bamboo-Kitchen/dp/B0037NZ5ES/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382901830&sr=1-3&keywords=wooden+spoons

A good wisk is essential for turning out smooth sauces and gravies. This is an area where you want to go professional like these in the link below are exactly what I use. They will last forever and are a good investment and don't cost a fortune.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Balloon/dp/B00005EBH9/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1382902012&sr=1-11

I love big pancake turners. They work great for burgers too. This one in the link below is very similar to mine it is silicone and very durable.

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Silicone-Flexible-Pancake-Turner/dp/B000ND5CBG/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1382902012&sr=1-9

And of course a ladle a must have for soups, stews and sauces. Don't go home with out one of these. And again, silicone or steel both work great.

http://www.amazon.com/Adcraft-LIPC-8-Stainless-Steel-Deluxe/dp/B004NG9EWW/ref=sr_1_54?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1382902087&sr=1-54

Now the last thing I am going to talk about is cutting boards. It is very important to have two, one for meats and one for veggies. This is the best way to avoid cross contamination. I like bamboo for veggies and a non-porus plastic for meats. And these always get washed in hot soapy water. But don't let any wooden cutting boards soak in water as it will ruin them.

And again neither of these are expensive and can be found even cheaper at stores like Ross or walmart.

http://www.amazon.com/Totally-Bamboo-20-7930-3-Piece-Cutting/dp/B002M782UO/ref=sr_1_13?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382902586&sr=1-13&keywords=cutting+boards

http://www.amazon.com/Microban-Antimicrobial-Cutting-Board-Green/dp/B00BM9939C/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1382902586&sr=1-20&keywords=cutting+boards

I hope you enjoy my first post all about kitchen tools! I love questions so please comment! Thanks!

Welcome to my kitchen!

Hi readers and welcome to my kitchen. I have always loved to cook it has been a passion of mine ever since I was a small child. My mom taught me how to cook and I continued gathering knowledge as a I grew older.

With each post I  plan to share a recipe with step by step instructions. I want to show that even the most inexperienced can cook a great meal. I will also share the basics of cooking and how having the right tools in your kitchen can make cooking easier and so much fun.

I love to cook and still have so much I want to learn. I hope  you enjoy my posts and please comment and share your own recipes too!