Friday, May 8, 2015

Little Dipper Southwestern Salsa Dip


Day 261.

yay, a Little Dipper recipe! I love this Little Dipper because its so gosh darn cute, but Im having a hard time coming up with mini-sized dips or sauces to cook in it.

I made up this dip. I kind of wish I had something else to post in its place, but I dont. There is nothing wrong with it---it just tastes a bit different. I cant decide if the different is good or bad. Just different. The kids ate a few chips dipped in it, then asked for a slice of cheddar cheese. Adam came home, I threw a chip in his mouth covered in dip, and he said "huh. thats different."

I love that man.

So. If you have a favorite warm dip and think I can make it in a Little Dipper, please let me know.

cuz I obviously could use some help.

The Ingredients.

--2 cups of prepared salsa
--1 package of dried Ranch salad dressing/dip mix
--1/2 cup shredded white cheese (I had Monterey Jack in the house)

The Directions.

The Little Dipper says that it only holds 1 cup. I started with 2/3 of a cup of salsa, and stirred in the Ranch dressing packet. It was so tangy and weird, I added another 2/3 of a cup. That gave me 1 1/3 cups inside. And it still tasted weird. So I added another 2/3 of salsa. And Im pretty sure that gives me 2 whole cups.

So the Little Dipper can hold 2 cups. I did stir in the cheese, but it mostly melted away (except that I used Kraft because it was on sale and its coated with some weird anti-stick coating so it doesnt melt as nicely as other shredded cheese or cheese that you shred yourself. I should know this. But I still get sucked in to the buy-one-get-one deals at Safeway.)

Cover and cook for about 2 hours (there is no heat setting on a Little Dipper). Since the Dipper is so full, it will take longer than normal.

The Verdict.

Its not offensive, but its not very good. Ranch may taste good with teriyaki sauce, but it doesnt go well with salsa.
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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Sweet Mustard Roast beef or pork Slow Cooker Recipe


I made this roast over a month ago, but Im just now posting it. AGH!

I used a frozen beef roast for the meat, but when I shared the recipe over the phone with a friend, she made it a few days later and loved how it turned out. We really liked the beef version, so this is a double-decker recipe.

or something like that which makes better sense.

I think the baby might be sucking out all my brain cells.

The Ingredients.
serves 4


3 pounds beef or pork roast (mine was still frozen when I put it in)
1/3 cup molasses (this looks so much like melted ear wax to me) (that was kind of gross.) (sorry.)
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons white vinegar (apple cider vinegar would work well, too)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. If you have a larger model, thats fine, but you wont need to cook it as long---Id check after 5 hours on low.

Dump meat into cooker. Top with molasses, dijon, and vinegar. Toss in the garlic powder. Using tongs, flip the meat over a few times to coat it nicely with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4.
The meat will be more tender if you cook it on low for a longish time.

The Verdict.

I served this meat the night we got our Christmas tree. I have video of the kids eating the meat and making yummy noises while we were trying to untangle the lights. It was a fun night, and the meal was successful. I served mashed potatoes and green beans for sides, and they were a nice compliment.
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Monday, March 23, 2015

Aromatherapy Candles

Aromatherapy candles are the answer to our constant desire for peace and tranquility in this fast paced life. It satisfies our thirst for balance and harmony in our very existence and brings about a warm change to the mundane environment we live in. Play some music of your choice along with it and there is nowhere else that you would want to be at that moment.
The world witnessed its first scented candles in the year 1928; candles have since changed in form, shape, size and color and created all together different space for itself in our life. It is no longer used just for light and has become a reflection of art and science which brought forth the ancient knowledge of our sense of smell and amalgamates the knowledge to create a scent which transports our soul to different world altogether. The manner with which it changes the mood of our entire living space is an experience in itself. It is this control over what mood we desire to have in our rooms that makes the experience all the more wonderful.

Vanilla, Rose, Lavender, Cinnamon, Ginger, Citrus scents and many other different varieties of Aromatherapy candles adorn the market shelves today, so we have to determine which suits our lifestyle and our mood. It’s important for us to first understand the uses of Aromatherapy scents and then decide on what reflects our need the best. It is this control over what mood we desire to have in our rooms that makes the experience all the more wonderful. When in need to relax your body and soul, Lavender is your choice and the choice of thousands of massage and meditation professionals around the globe and is known to be a powerful sleep aid. When searching for a boosting our Energy levels we can choose to envelope ourselves with the fruitiness of Orange and Grapefruit or the sweet reflection of Vanilla, rose or Peppermint. Combine vanilla with floral scents of your choice and see your room transform into the most cheerful and comforting spaces to spend your time. Bring focus to your thoughts with Orange or Sage and feel better when suffering from headache or nausea with a Eucalyptus candle lit around you. Nothing relieves you like the aroma of Eucalyptus. When holidaying try the cinnamon or ginger especially if you are traveling to colder destinations. Cinnamon helps you calm your nerves and relive you of your exhaustion making you more aware of your surrounding and bring about a more relaxing period. Combine it with ginger and experience the soul cleansing effects of Ginger.

Aromatherapy candles are a fantastic solution to many of your troubles. Light a candle to create a pleasant and cheerful mood to your entire room anytime during the day. No matter what the occasion is, alone or with company, engrossed in an intimate conversation or a private bubble bath or even a holiday, Aromatherapy candles will just transform everything around you and give you a space of your own which you rightfully own with the choicest of scents.
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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Brain Health Research Brain Image Processing Brain Visual Memory

Brain is one of the most complex structures of our body and scientists are researching continuously to understand its structure and working pattern. Researchers at University of California, Berkeley (UCB) found some interesting facts about brain’s working on images.

Visual Memory covers a large part of brain. 20% of our brain contains images and it store images in a well mannered manner. These images are stored in an overlapping pattern, which help us in face recognition and other day-to-day work. Their research is about the storage pattern of these images and how we can extract that information. All this study might be useful in making fast image processors in future computers. Image processing is a very fast process of brain that no computer can match.

Our brain can store thousands of faces and their names and we rarely forget those faces. Sometimes it take time remember the name but it has 99% accuracy. And this is count of faces only. We also remember places, roads, objects and a lot more things. According to a research our brain can store more than 3 times of information stored in Britannica Encyclopaedia. It’s just an average; some people with higher IQ have much more capability.

A healthy body needs a healthy brain. And researches are going on around the globe to find an answer to complexity of brain and its functions. We should hope that these researches will lead to a more healthy life.
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A Feast For The Eyes Oreo Cupcake

Sometimes, looking is enough.
And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.

Friday Food Porn

To feed your inner voyeur, please visit the lovely Shannonmarie at Rawdorable for this raw vegan Oreo Cupcake and other sexy recipes.

Live a little. Its the weekend.

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Slow Cooker Chocolate Pot de Creme with ganache! Recipe



 

YUM. Chocolate.

Ive got a root canal (or two) scheduled in the very near future (you can read about my teeth here. and here. in case youre interested. which you probably shouldnt be, because thats kind of weird. but whatever. you might be a weird person, and thats okay with me. I dont judge.) and so Ive decided that I might as well just eat huge bowlfuls of sugar.

and enjoy myself.

Because life is short and modern dentistry is *wonderful*!!

Im fascinated at how the crockpot can make a delicate dessert when its used as a bain marie, or water bath. Its both fancy and easy at the same time. Easy Fancy.

that should be a magazine.

The Ingredients.
serves 8
 
5 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup bakers sugar (I like how fine the granules are in bakers sugar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (not a typo. a whole tablespoon!)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

ganache topping:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream


The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted oven-safe dish that fits all the way inside your stoneware. (I use a 1 1/2 quart oval Corningware dish. ) Add water around the dish until reaching the halfway point on the side (about 1/2 to 1 cup of water).

In a mixing bowl, whip together the yolks, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Pour this mixture into your inserted dish. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours. Your custard should be set in the center and not too jiggly. Touch it lightly with your finger---you shouldnt get a bunch of gook on your finger.

Unplug your cooker and let it cool for an hour or so, or until you can safely remove the inserted dish. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until fully cool. 

To make the ganache (this is optional, but its so good and so easy, you really should just make it and impress yourself):  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (not long---30 seconds or so, then add a few at a time--dont scorch the chocolate!), and whisk in the heavy cream until its fully incorporated. Pour evenly over the top. Return to the refrigerator for ANOTHER 2-3 hours (this is the hard part) before serving.

The Verdict.

Sometimes I feel stupid writing these verdicts. This is chocolate cream mousse with an additional layer of chocolate frosting.
HOW COULD IT NOT BE GOOD?!

seriously.


you should also make these yummy crockpot creations:
creme brulee (if you havent made crockpot creme brulee yet, you really should. really. its fool-proof)
cheesecake
pumpkin cheesecake
chocolate mousse
frito candy
tapioca pudding
turtle pudding (no turtles involved)
apple dumplings
peanutbutter fudge cake
peanut clusters (these make fantastic Holiday gifts!)

Ive got a few contests running over on Totally Together Reviews---good luck!

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CrockPot Whole Turkey Recipe

Day 324.

I did it. A whole turkey in the crock.

I am officially turkeyed out.


I was able to fit a 9.5 lb turkey into a 6.5 quart crockpot. It was a tight squeeze, and this is the absolute largest turkey you should attempt to cook----even if you have a 7 quart crockpot. The meat needs to reach 140 degrees after 3 hours of cooking on high to keep it in the "safe zone" for consumption.

"hey Steph, howd you learn that?"

I was hoping youd ask! I learned this by participating in a live webchat hosted by Butterball, and their trained Turkey-Talk Bloggers. Chris Jordan, from Notes from the Trenches, and Susan Wagner, from Friday Playdate are fresh out of Turkey U. and are eager to help families with their burning (simmering) turkey questions.

You can ask anything turkey. Chris only slightly snickered when I asked where the thigh is. (guess what? its not on the drumstick at all---its the part where the drumstick connects to the bird. huh.) There is another chat scheduled for November 25, or you can call 1-800-BUTTERBALL.

The Ingredients.

--turkey (9.5 lbs is the MAXIMUM to fit in a 6.5 quart crockpot)
--olive oil

--salt
--pepper

--garlic powder
--dried parsley
--onion

--apple (I used yellow)

--meat thermometer (necessity, not a luxury. go get one if you need it)

The Directions.


Your turkey must be completely and totally thawed. Seriously. Call the Butterball hotline if you dont know how to do this safely.

I took a lot of the skin off. You dont have to, the skin seems to magically brown a bit in the crock, but I have weird skin issues.

Remove the neck and the bag of stuff they put inside the turkey. If youre going to use it to make stuffing or something, do that, but please dont tell me.


Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry it off. Rub a handful of olive oil all over the bird, inside and out. Sprinkle salt, pepper, dried parsley, and garlic powder all over and in it, and rub it around. If you have a secret family concoction of herbs, by all means, use it.

Peel an onion, quarter it, and shove inside. Core an apple and do the same.

Lower the bird into your crockpot. I wanted to put it in breast-side down, but Chris and Mary (from Butterball) said not to. So I put it right-side up.

Cover. Cook on high for 3 hours, then check the internal temperature. You need the turkey to register at least 140 degrees.


Cover again and cook on high for another few hours. I needed to leave the house, and this turkey cooked on high for a bit over 5 hours. Check the internal temp again in a few places. It should be 170 degrees or higher. You can certainly cook it longer if needed, or keep it on warm until you are ready to carve.

CAREFULLY remove turkey from crockpot. The edges will have browned nicely. If youd like, you can broil the top for a few minutes in the oven--put the turkey in a roasting pan, dont use the crock. I tried this, and was pleased with how the turkey looked afterwards. I broiled for about 7 minutes.

Let sit for 15-20 minutes before carving.


The Verdict.


Im so happy this worked. I feel.... relieved. Like my shoulders have lost a lot of tension, which is weird, but I must have been worrying about this sub-consciously for a while or something.

My kids didnt eat it. They had no interest. I gave them frozen corn and barbecued beans from a can.

My parents ate a bunch, and so did Adam.

I had a turkey sandwich around 9pm.

CrockPot Turkey Breast Recipe
CrockPot Creamed Corn
CrockPot Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
CrockPot Cornbread Stuffing
CrockPot Traditional Stuffing
lots more CrockPot Holiday(ish) Food
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