Recession Brownies

I get a lot of pleasure out of baking; I know it’s therapeutic and allows me to reconnect to my nurturing spirit. I know I have a passion for baking and for chocolate and when I combine the two; things are alright in the world again. I’ve decided to add a post today in connection with the economy and the negative effects that it’s having in my life.

I went for, what I thought was my first day of training,” with a bank here in Atlanta through a staffing agency (we won’t divulge their name at this point), I arrived at least 20 minutes early and when I went to get checked in I was advised that the training had been cancelled.

I was in complete shock of this news and at first didn’t quite know how to process it emotionally. Normally, I’m able to shake off negativity after spiritual guidance and speaking with a friend, for some reason this time it just wasn’t quite helping with me processing the events of the negativity I’d experienced at the mercy of the staffing agency.

So, since the first two strategies didn’t help I decided on a third and that is to combine my chocolate passion with my baking passion and mix up some brownies.

I had a box of brownie mix in the cupboard (kept at all times, just for this type of emergency). Having them in the pantry just in case the need comes to sooth the savage beast…lol!!!

I’ve prepared my brownies and just the smell is lifting my spirit.

However, here’s another reason to have brownies on hand:
Why Your Heart Loves Hershey’s

Something about eating chocolate . . . it has such an instant feel-good effect. And it turns out there’s a reason to feel good.

Research suggests that special antioxidants in cocoa may play a role in keeping blood pressure low.

Sweet Truths About Chocolate
Cocoa flavonoids help to widen and relax blood vessels and may activate an enzyme that helps lower blood pressure, too. But remember to be calorie wise: A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. And dark chocolate is best. Just in case you need a few more reasons to eat chocolate, here’s more good stuff:
Chocolate can smooth your skin. Find out how a daily dose of cocoa can make skin better hydrated and less sun sensitive.
Chocolate makes you happy. It’s not just your imagination. Find out what makes chocolate a good-mood food.

Mmmmm…the brownies are calling my name…I’ll see ya!

Cover a cake with Fondant Cake video

In The Kitchen – Fondant Cake
Uploaded by Sacramento_Bee

Mise en place

My goal is for you to have an enriching experience when you visit us at In the Kitchen, Soulfood for Comfort. We like to mix it up to provide a fun, an informed, divers and enriched experience.

As of today, I’m introducing French cuisine on the blog to enhance your cooking experience. While watching the PBS channel, I enjoyed a delicious recipe prepared by Executive Chef: Hilary White. While cooking she a  delicious looking meal she also referred to “ mise en place” , now my French is a bit rusty to say the lease so I went in seach of the meaning which is “to put in place”.

To put in place is to have all ingredients ready before beginning (gathered, clean and chop any vegetables that need it, apportion out your spices, trim and slice any meat, etc.) Have everything measured and ready to be used in separate bowls or cups (or combined if the ingredients are being cooked at the same time).  As she sautéed the chicken she advised not to wait but have preprations finished in advance.

When cooking I find myself feeling overwhelmed and rushed, sometimes even over cooking my meat while I preparing the other ingredients for the meal, this technique of “mise en place” opens up will help to enhance my cooking to be a better cook.

You’ll benefit by “mise en place” when:
Children are helping
Trying a new recipe
Assuring you have all the ingredients
Won’t overcook food
Modifications
Learning for children
When cooking, make sure you give yourself enough time to have meals ready.

This post in honor of President Obama and the First Lady’s visit to France.

Mc Lyte’s Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese

I ran across this delicious recipe and decided to add it to my cookbook collection and share it.

Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese
serving 8-10

1 1b. Macaroni Noodles

1/2 stick of butter
5 med. eggs
1 small carton of heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. sugar
pinch salt
1-16 oz bag, Mesican style cheese (reserve some)

Mix well, layer with cheese

Bake: 350 for 25 min.

Veggie-Muffins

I’m back and excited to be blogging again and have a wonderful recipe to share.

Veggie-Muffins
1 store bought cake mix, prepared according to package directions – but not baked
1 cup pureed vegetables – using one or more of the following:
carrots, squash, peas, green beans
1/2 cup applesauce to batter
option – stir in all ingredients

Mix purees (I use baby food-they have a high content of vitamins) in with the batter.
Transfer the mixture to a muffin pan, filling each cup about two-thirds of the way.

Bake at 375 F for 20 min’s or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overcook, as this will result in dry muffins. Once cooled, these muffins can be frozen to be eaten later.

15 Healthy Indulgences”

As I seek to accomplish my New Years resolution of finding fullfillment in 2009 I need to define what that means for me and my family.

After evaluating my feelings I realize the important and most precious and  valuable commodity for us is peace of mind.

Now with that decision I needed to figure out how to achieve that goal and for me the following list is important.

The 15 are listed below, though not the full text that goes with each. There’s commentary on each one of the 15, so click through to the article (or slideshow, as the case may be) to read more.

1. Nibble a Piece of Dark Chocolate
2. Scent a Room With Lavender
3. Indulge in a Kiss
4. Splurge on a Fresh Tuna Steak
5. Get a Manicure
6. Rent a Funny Movie
7. Put the Kettle On
8. Enjoy a Little After-Work Delight
9. Get a Chair Massage
10. Take Time to Streeeeetch
11. Go Natural
12. Pick Some Exotic Fruit
13. Call a Good Friend
14. Sleep, Baby, Sleep
15. Move It, Move It, Move It!

15 Healthy Indulgences Under $15 (WebMD.com)

Seven-Layer Cookie Bars

Seven-Layer Cookie Bars,Seven-Layer Cookie Bars,Seven-Layer

Cuisine: Dessert Snack

A Baker’s Dozen of Christmas Cookies — Day 1

My daughter needs to earn her cooking badge for Girl Scouts this year, I’m very excited she’s got a head start on her cooking skills but I wanted her to bake something that would require very minimum supervision. I found this recipe at AJC.com, according to the article “these are the easiest bars you’ll ever make.” Let the baking begin. For a change, substitute peanut butter chips and peanuts for the butterscotch chips and pecans.
– Meridith Ford Goldman

Hands on time: 15 minutes  Total time: 2 hours and 20 minutes  Serves: Makes 40 bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) package butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Spray sides of 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Pour butter into pan. Sprinkle crumbs evenly on butter, then pat them down to even out. Sprinkle semisweet, milk chocolate and butterscotch chips evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with coconut, then nuts. Pour milk over layers. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until mixture bubbles and browns on top. Let cool on a rack; cut into squares.

Nutrition:

Per bar: 219 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22 percent), 14 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 2 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 11 milligrams cholesterol, 70 milligrams sodium

More recipes like this:

More recipes of the same cuisine:Dessert Snack

Recipes in the same category:Atlanta recipes

Tips for healthy shopping

Providing our families with nutritious and healthy meals/snacks can be challenging, especially when you’re day is filled with work, household chores, homework etc., if you’re like me it’s important to make sure you’re providing a balanced diet.

I wanted to share these tips I located on a blog at Your Kitchen Magician

If you don’t have an all natural/organic market near you, here are some helpful tips for healthy shopping in your regular supermarket:

Read ingredient labels carefully. Items can be marked ‘all natural’ and still contain amounts of unnatural ingredients

The bulk of your shopping should be from the outer aisles and perimeter of the store. This is where you’ll find your fresh produce, meats, dairy, etc.

Less is more. If you’re buying a ready made dessert like a cake, the ingredient list should not have 20+ items. We all know a basic cake contains milk, eggs, flour, etc. Too many ingredients make it a chemistry experiment, not a cake.

Avoid processed foods. They are high in sodium, sugar, and other additives that you should moderate or avoid completely

If you go to the deli counter do not be afraid to ask about the ingredients used.

Shop for 100% juices, not the juice drinks that contain 3-5% juice and then claim to be natural.

If you can’t find organic, buy locally grown produce.

Avoid products that contain high fructose corn syrup, or have salt and sugar as their top ingredient

Romancing the Pomegranate

Add a liitle spice in your life tonight.

Pomegranate Secrets

Not everyone likes pomegranates. “Like many foods, you either love ’em or you don’t,” says The Professor. “I think those little sweet-tart juicy beads are glorious,” says tatamagouche.

If you don’t like pomegranates, consider the possibility that you’ve never had a good one. Selection is key—an unripe pomegranate can be too tart and dry, and an overripe pomegranate can be mushy and rotten, says madgreek. A perfect pomegranate will be heavy for its size, and firm but slightly spongy to the gentle touch. The larger the pomegranate, the better. And the ideal pomegranate will have a rich pinkish-peach color, says madgreek—not dark crimson red (overripe) or black (rotten).

The edible part of the pomegranate, those juicy seeds, must be carefully separated from the bitter white pith surrounding the seeds. Sra. Swanky recommends an underwater method that many Chowhounds swear by. Cut the pomegranate enough to break the rest with your hands, then hold the pomegranate under water, submerging both pomegranate and hands, and break it open. The seeds will sink, and the white pith will rise. And here’s CHOW’s take on removing the seeds. Or forget about quick preparation, and think of pomegranates as a food to be eaten leisurely. “They’re a good thing to eat when you want to linger and take the time to enjoy yourself, especially if you want to have a romantic evening,” says rweater. “Sipping wine and nibbling on pomegranate seeds, candlelight…etc.”

You can also prepare several pomegranates at once and store the seeds in a container in the fridge, says Pat Hammond. They keep for weeks in the fridge, says madgreek. “They’re wonderful in rice, couscous, and especially lovely on hot cereal like oatmeal,” says Pat Hammond. “I find they add sparkle to all sorts of savory foods, too.”

CHOW

 

 

Chili

I really enjoy cooking in the winter for two reasons it keeps the house warm and the smells are wonderful.  This Chili recipe is a delicious and nutritious meal that’s perfect for the cold months ahead. I found this recipe at the Publix web site.

1 onion (rinsed)
1 1/2 lb ground chuck beef
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes/sweet onions (undrained)
1 (10-ounce) can milder diced tomatoes/green chiles (undrained)
1 (16-ounce) can chili beans in mild sauce (undrained)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (drained)

Steps

 

1. Remove ends and peel from onion; chop onion coarsely and divide in half. Preheat large saucepan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place beef, chili powder, seasoned salt, pepper, and one-half of the onions in pan. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until meat is brown and no pink remains.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, including remaining one-half onions. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors. Serve
   

CALORIES (per 1/8 recipe) 310kcal; FAT 11g; CHOL 50mg;
SODIUM 1160mg; CARB 29g; FIBER 7g; PROTEIN 22g;
VIT A 25%; VIT C 20%; CALC 8%; IRON 20%