Smoochin' in the Kitchen!

Teriyaki Pork Roast

2012-02-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering right now as it's simmering along in my lovely slow cooker. Yup, it's what's for dinner tonight. This is one of our family's faves and seeing as pork loins are on sale this week, it was definitely put on the menu.

Yes, I meal plan. And yes, it's an absolute lifesaver. I've been doing it since we got married and I can't imagine not having one. I might not be as organized as I'd like to be in other areas of my life, but in this area, I try really hard to keep on top of it. If you have any questions about how I do it, I'd love to answer them as well as I'm able.

In the mean time, here we go with teriyaki pork roast...

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 T. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. vinegar
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. pepper
3 lb. boneless pork loin
2 1/2 T. cornstarch
3 T. cold water

Directions:

- Combine apple juice, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, and pepper in a greased slow cooker.

- Add roast. Turn to coat.

- Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. Remove roast and keep warm.

- In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir in juices from roast. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with roast.

*It's as easy as that! This is a great and easy recipe to toss into the slow cooker in the morning and have it simmer all day long. We serve it over brown rice with the sauce and it's. so. yummy. I always try to serve a vegetable to balance out the starchy rice, so we're trying a new asparagus recipe tonight from Gooseberry Patch. I'll get back to you on that one. Hopefully, it's a hit! It's always good to have veggie recipes everyone likes.

Until next time, here's to more smooches in the kitchen!

Linking up to Permanent Posie's Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits.

Fresh Peach Crisp

2012-02-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

I know that it's not summer yet, but who cares? This past summer, when the peaches were ripe and luscious and oh, so peachy, I froze some knowing that come February I would be so in love with myself if I did, just for this this recipe.

It's warm, it's cinnamon-y, it's awesome in it's own peachy awesomeness. It's peach crisp.

I totally know you're drooling.

Ready?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2-1 cup packed brown sugar (I always do 1 full cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed
2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2-1 cup white sugar
1 T. cinnamon

Directions:

Combine oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add butter and mix with a fork, blending the butter in until small clumps are formed.

Arrange peaches in a 9x9 baking dish.

Top with 1/2-1 cup white sugar.

Sprinkle crumb mixture over sugared peaches.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for forty minutes.

(sorry, bad lighting. my kitchen is awful for lighting.)

Then you get to dig in!

*** Because my peaches were frozen, they held a ton of moisture. Next time, I'll pat them with a paper towel first. Also, make sure your butter is chilled. It will hold the crumb mixture together better. If it isn't mixing well with a fork or pastry blender, you can use my personal favorite utensil... your hands.

PS This will smell so yummy as it's baking that you're sure to have some company in the kitchen, sniffing away, asking when it will be done. Make sure you smile that nice smile of yours and say, "It will be done when it's done. Now SCAT!" Husbands and children are especially bad about this.

Garlic Hoagie Rolls

2012-01-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

I've recently remembered an old love... my bread machine. It's true love, I assure you. Last week we were having French Dip sandwiches when I remembered this recipe I had tucked away and really, really, really wanted to share.

SUCCESS!! The meat was so-so, but the hoagie rolls were so yummy.

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients

1/2 cup water (70° to 80°)
1/2 cup warm 2% milk (70° to 80°)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T. sugar
1 T. butter, softened
1 T. minced chives
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic salt
3-1/4 cups bread flour
3 t. active dry yeast

Directions

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer (liquids always first, then dry, then yeast). Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into nine pieces. Shape each into a 4-1/2-in. x 1-1/2-in. roll. Place 4 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 20-30 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Try to refrain from munching on them before dinner is own the table. It's harder than you think.

Yield: 9 rolls.

Holy cow, these were so amazing! I'm really loving using my bread machine right now because I don't have to spend extra on fancy-er breads. And while I do love making my own bread from scratch, most days there is barely time to run to the potty let alone do anything extra in the meal prep.

What would you put on these? I'm thinkin' you could do just about anything! Let me know what you try!

Cranberry Streusel Pie

2012-01-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Pie, oh pie. How do I love thee, let me count the ways. One, two, three... infinity.

Pie is my all-time favorite dessert. Always has been, always will be. So when I heard that yesterday was National Pie Day, I was all over it. Who declared it to be so? Well, I don't know. Does it matter? I think not. I would be thrilled if every day was National Pie Day. I'd also be about the size of a barn, but that's not what's important here.

After I realized that it was NPD, I remembered a recipe that I had found around November of last year and had been wanting to try. Added bonus is that I had everything I needed in the pantry and fridge so you had to know I was going to be putting thing together to enjoy. Because of the cranberries, I guess most would consider it a Thanksgiving or Christmas recipe, but with all the red from the berries and the streusel topping, I contend that it's a fantastic winter recipe!

Cranberry Streusel Pie

(sorry, not a good quality pic)

Ingredients

1 pound fresh cranberries
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon shortening
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Directions

Smash berries. Stir in sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Pour filling into pie crust.
Smash walnuts into small pieces. Stir in brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and shortening with a pastry blender. The mixture should be crumbly. Sprinkle over pie.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until done.

Even though I made this yesterday, we weren't able to feast on it last night, so we're saving it tonight. I did, however, sample it, just for you, dear reader, to make sure it's yummy and worthy of "Smoochin' in the Kitchen". Because it's cranberry, it's a little more tart than I usually like, but I know there's a certain hubby here who loves that kind of taste, so he'll be happy. Next time, I'd probably add more white sugar, maybe do a full cup and then top it with ice cream. I also don't know what kind of terrific glaze they have on there, (there's no directions for that), but I'm thinking milk and powdered sugar mixed. Might have to try that next time.

Until next time, my dears, here's to more smooches in the kitchen!

Linking up to Permanent Posies Tasty Tidbit Tuesday!

Hamburger Buns in the Bread Machine

2012-01-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

Ack! It's been so long since I've been over here! I kept thinking that it would slow down after Christmas. I should have known better. Life is never slow when you have five kids running around.

I promise I'll do better, though. {I think}

Even though we haven't been around here much lately, that doesn't mean we haven't been busy in the kitchen because we have! I have a ton of new recipes to show y'all, but time just keeps slipping away.

But I've got one quick one for ya today:

Hamburger Buns in the Bread Machine! I found this recipe over at New Nostalgia when I googled "hamburger buns in the bread machine".

Oh, my goodness! These were so easy and incredibly yummy. One of my kids wanted to forego the actual hamburger and just eat the bun. Plus, no preservatives in them, so that's always a plus in my book!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 T. honey
1 egg, room temperature
4 1/2 cups flour (I used a mixture of bread flour and unbleached all purpose)
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 1/4 t. salt

Directions:

-Pour milk, water, melted butter and honey into a glass bowl. Microwave until warm, just to take the chill off. Add the egg.
-Pour into bread machine. Add flour on top of wet ingredients. Make a little well in flour, then add yeast and salt. Set machine to dough cycle.
-When finished, take dough out, knead for a few turns, then divide into 12 balls. Roll into balls, place onto greased cookie sheet (I used Stoneware, so I didn't need to grease it). Flatten tops a bit, cover with a cloth and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled.
-Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

These were so quick and easy and terribly, terribly yummy. We will definitely be making these again!

So, until next time (which will be soon, I hope), bon apetit and may you have many smooches in the kitchen.

Linking up to Permenant Posies' Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits!

Almost a Candy Bar

2012-01-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

What we are about to show you is dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Prepare yourself for...

Almost a Candy Bar.

This is what the picture of the finished product looks like in the magazine and online:

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

This is the picture of it at our house:

(photo courtesy of me. no need to thank me)

No, seriously.

But how did I make such amazing goodness, you ask. Well, pull up your computer chair and listen up.

Here we go.
Ingredients:

1 tube (16.5 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
4 nutty s'mores trail mix bars, chopped
1 package (11 oz) butterscotch chips
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups miniature pretzels
1 package (10 oz) peanut butter chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 package (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Let dough stand at room temp for 5-10 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, combine the dough and trail mix bars. Press into a 9x13 pan (I very lightly greased mine). Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and marshmallows (all the while slapping away your husband's grabby hands reaching for the butterscotch chips. good grief.). Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Commence drooling, but don't sample yet. Oh no, no, no. All the good stuff is still to come. Plus, it's hot, silly. Sprinkle then with walnuts; arrange pretzels over the top. In a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter chips, corn syrup and butter; spoon over marshmallow mixture.
Wait! You're not done yet! In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. (I go in thirty-second intervals, stirring after each. Should only take two or three intervals.) Stir until smooth.

**Originally, the recipe said to transfer said chocolate into a baggie, snip the corner, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill. What the recipe doesn't tell you is that if you do indeed attempt this, you will be covered in chocolate from the tip of your finger all the way up to your elbow. You will then have to fight off chocolate-crazed hubby and children from licking your arms. Ugh. That's what happened the first time. The second time, I just poured it directly onto the candy-bar mixture and spread it with a spoon. It was much better. I wasn't being chased down by my crazy family. Sweet relief. However, it might have just been me. I might be a little handicapped in the chocolate drizzling department.

After drizzling or pouring or whatever, put this heavenly yumminess into the refrigerator to firm up for about an hour.

THEN, go face down. And your life will never be the same.

{sigh}

You can thank me now. Oh, and you would like to send me a gift as a gesture of appreciation for changing your life in such a positive manner? Oh, you shouldn't. Stop. You're embarrassing me. (psst, I love diamonds and gift cards to Amazon.)

Paco's Primo Pizza Sauce

2012-01-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!!

New Year's would not be New Year's at our house without pizza in some way, shape or form. We absolutely love it, Paco especially.

We make our own pizza dough in the bread machine (easy, peasy lemon squeezy) using the recipe that came with the machine. I always add a few extra (wink, wink) ingredients though, to give it a extra dose of Smoochin' in the Kitchen goodness. I add garlic powder, rosemary, italian seasoning and herbs d' provence (my especial favorite). All of this is to taste, so play around with it.

Speaking of "to taste", we wanted to share Paco's pizza sauce with you and there are like, no measurements. You just have to sample over and over. (so sad, right?)

So here's Paco's Primo Pizza Sauce:

can of tomato sauce
spoonful of tomato paste (if you like thicker sauce)
about 2 T. olive oil
2 t. of granulated garlic
1/2 t. onion powder
1 T. italian seasoning
2 t. pepper
oregano to taste
basil to taste
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of wifey (hee, hee)
1 t. crushed red pepper (if you like it a wee bit spicy, like we do)

**Again, these are all approximations. Just play with it. Also, when making the dough, use the garlic powder because it's finer. But, when making the sauce, use granulated garlic because if you use the powder it clumps too easily.

Got all that? This just gives you a rough idea of what he put's in our sauce here in our kitchen. Really, it's one of the big reasons I fell in love with him. The Kitchen-Aid Standing Mixer just sealed the deal all those years ago.

If you do something special to your sauce that you just love, will you share it with us? Or if you try this, let us know!

Here's to many smooches in the kitchen for you in 2012!

Christmas Recipes

2011-12-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness. The last several weeks have been such a blur of kitchen goodness and I haven't been able to get here to share with you! I've wanted to, gotten so close to the keyboard a couple of times and have been dragged away as I'm screaming out But. I. Must. Blog. About. This!

Now I have some serious making up to do.

I have been cooking and baking and baking and cooking and now I just want to wallow around in all of the leftovers, making everyone else eat all the fudge and cookies so that I can still fit into my pants.

Here are some of the recipes we tried in the month of December:

Baking

Almost a Candy Bar
Chocolate Raspberry Bars
Double Chocolate Biscotti
Cranberry Orange Scones

Cooking

Vegetable Lasagna - Christmas dinner
Sausage and Peppers Lasagna - Christmas dinner
Pasta e Fagioli soup - Christmas Eve dinner

I'll share these recipes later, but if you don't want to wait, just click on the link and they'll take you right to where you need to go. Most of them are Taste of Home Recipes (again, one of my favorite recipe sources), so they're almost guaranteed to be awesomely delicious.

But my absolute, hands-down favorite thing we made for Christmas dinner was the Caprese Skewers that I found on Pinterest. Oh. My. Stinkin'. Gosh. Seriously, the easiest thing I've ever made and they were perfect Christmas colors.

You must try these. You must. No seriously, do it. You don't even need a freakin' recipe!!

I will be back in a while and fill you in on the rest of the recipes if you don't want to click on the links up there.

Enjoy the rest of your day and don't forget to smooch in the kitchen!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2011-12-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

We love Italian food. (If only you knew how much of an understatement that is...) It ranks up there with Jesus, each other, our children and chocolate. Do not underestimate the love of Italian food in this house. Give us pasta, garlic, olive oil and just about any kind of sauce and we are happy people. We have garlic breath, but we're happy. At least it's only Paco and Jamie smoochin' each other in the kitchen. No one else would want to!

When we were first married and I was learning more about cooking, I knew I wanted to find a good homemade spaghetti sauce recipe. I found one pretty early on and have made it about a million times over the years. Okay, maybe not a million, but a ton anyways. This recipe will make enough sauce for two meals, although I have a feeling with three boys growing up here, it won't stay that way for much longer.

Here we go...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 t. dried basil
1 1/2 t. pepper
2 t. salt
1 T. sugar
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
1 T. olive oil

Directions:

Brown beef in a skillet, drain and transfer into large pot. Combine peppers, onions, celery in pot. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients; add to beef mixture. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally (swatting hubby with the wooden spoon for sampling before it's ready and then kiss him, hoping that will hold him over). Remove bay leaves. Serve over cooked pasta. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes: You can always add mushrooms if you'd like. Paco is a major fan of fungus, Jamie is (for some strange reason) not. Also, be sure to remove the bay leaves! The bay leaves absorb all the acid produced in the sauce and if they're eaten, they could produce major upset stomach yuckiness. And nobody wants that. The garlic breath is enough to contend with.

Set the table in romantic kind of way for seven, complete with plastic plates and sippy cups. Look at each other lovingly as five children are happily slurping up spaghetti a la Lady and the Tramp. Wait. Maybe that's just our house. Okay, technically only four kids are eating spaghetti. Baby Jack will be joining them in no time, though. Better start doubling this batch.

As always, if you try this let us know what you think!

PS This freezes beautifully in Ziploc gallon bags. When you freeze it, make sure you lay it flat in the freezer so it doesn't freeze into sharp angles, causing the bag to get holes. As it's defrosting, I always put it in a bowl in the sink to catch any drips.

Easy-Peasy Sugar Cookies

2011-12-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

I love baking. I think I may have said this before... once or twice. I especially love holiday baking. Except sugar cookies. And wouldn't you know, my kids beg for sugar cookies every year. Every year. I love to eat sugar cookies. I just despise making them. It's messy, it requires patience and tons of cleaning up and when I let my kids decorate them, well, let's just say I'm not interested in eating cookies that have been dropped on the floor and then frosted the finger-painting method.

Call me a bad mama if you want, I won't care.

However, a fragile compromise was reached tonight. We found a recipe that required no refrigerator time for the dough, no rolling out, and definitely no finger-painting of frosting. In fact, no frosting at all! Can I get an "Amen, sis-tah?"

And let me tell you, I can promise that these are terribly fun to do with kids and they're wicked tasty. Definitely win-win. Look at that smile. Doesn't he look like he's having fun?

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Yup, that's it. Seriously easy.

Directions:

Beat together eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar; add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

Drop by heaping teaaspoon (approx. 3" apart) on ungreased cookie sheet.

Flatten with bottom of glass moistened with water and dipped in sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes or just until lightly golden.

Eat while watching White Christmas and dream of beautiful Edith Head dresses.

Stop eating when you realize you really, really don't want your kids to ask how many cookies you've eaten.

Not that I would know about that or anything.

The End.

linked up to Skip To My Lou for Made by You Monday!

Thanksgiving Menu and the Amazing Bread Machine Cinnamon Roll Recipe

2011-11-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but we're just emerging from a turkey-induced coma over here. We've been wanting to post, but as soon as we'd get near the computer, our eyes would glaze over and the drooling would begin again in earnest.

I thought I'd give you a run-down on what was put out on our enormous farm-house dining room table this year. Our table was literally groaning with food. Even our kids looked at the spread and said, "That's a lot of food." If they say that, then you know that you'd better have elastic waist pants on.

For Breakfast:

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

We got the party started early! I made cinnamon roll dough in the bread machine and then made them the usual way the day before. I'll share the recipe in just a sec.

For Dinner:

(by Paco and Jamie)

The turkey... (angels are singing)
Mashed potatoes
Homemade stuffing
Baked Apples
Pumpkin Roll (shared on Jamie's "mama-blog" last fall)
Two Pumpkin Pies

(by Rosie, Paco's amazing mamacita)

Corn souffle (must. get. this. recipe.)
Green salad with blueberries, mushrooms, walnuts and a vinaigrette
Cranberry jello
Peach Pie

Can you see why we haven't posted in a while?

Paco had been planning the turkey for weeks now. He was drooling over the Food Network magazine and researching on-line how to make "his" turkey.

He's about as bad as the dad on the movie "A Christmas Story."

Seriously.

He debated grilling, roasting, brining, or smoking it. In the end, the poor, poor turkey was injected with fluid and smoked on the grill. My heart went out to that turkey. I can't imagine how bloated it felt. Um, actually, I can.

In the end, is was perfectly delicious. That turkey's death was not in vain.

Now, for the cinnamon roll recipe... Ready?

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 t. vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

6 T. sugar

1/4 cup softened butter

1 t. salt

2 T. milk

1 1/2 t. yeast

*Filling*

1/4 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup brown sugar, mixed with 2 t. cinnamon

*Icing*

3 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

3 T. hot water

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions

In bread machine, add ingredients according to manufacturer's suggested order (dry ingredients first, liquid second, yeast last) and set on dough cycle.

Turn onto lightly floured board. Roll out to a rectangle about 10 x 18 inches. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-brown sugar mixture.

Starting at long end, carefully roll up, pinching seams together. Measure and cut 1-inch slices. Place cut side up on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a slightly dampened towel and let rise in a warm place for 45-1 hour (or until doubled in size).

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.

For the icing, melt butter in a medium saucepan; add hot water and vanilla. Remove from heat then stir in confectioner's sugar. Add more hot water, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls.

(Makes 12)

Loosen your belt, sit back and thank the good Lord for cinnamon rolls.

Then it's time to start thinking about the Christmas menu.

I'm linking up over at Skip to My Lou and Permanent Posies today. If you're hopping over from there, let me know. We're just getting started blogging over here so we love visitors! You can always become a follower or join our email list. Thanks for stopping by!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake...Drool, Drool

2011-11-21T08:06:00.000-08:00

My (Jamie) dad, Tony, does not have a sweet tooth. In fact, he loves to brag about how he detests chocolate and peanut butter just to see people's jaws drop whenever it's brought up. How in the world could I come from such a man?

I don't know. I just shake my head and mutter to myself.

He does like, however, fruit-y kinds of desserts. Sometimes. Kinda.

But Superman's daughter has found his Kryptonite. Oh yeah, baby! His birthday was last weekend (happy birthday, daddy!) and I wanted to find something that would make him forget all about his previous prejudices against dessert. And this is what did it:

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home recipes)

Spiced Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups butter, softened, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple slices, drained
10 to 12 maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a saucepan, melt 2/3 cup of butter; stir in brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an ungreased heavy 12-in skillet or a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Arrange pineapple in a single layer over sugar mixture; place a cherry in the center of each slice. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside. Sneak a smooch in there.
In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add alternately to batter with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Carefully pour over the pineapple. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes for skillet (50-60 minutes for baking pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 12 servings.

Notes*** I didn't use the nutmeg or pecans. Again, Dad isn't a fan (silly dad). I greased the sides of the pan so that the cake would come out easily and it was fine. Also, when I added the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, I started and finished with the dry ingredients. It mixes better that way.

Everyone loved this cake! Both Tony and Paco (not a huge fan of pineapple upside-down cake) ate it until they felt like they were about to pop.

Now, THAT's the mark of a successful dessert.

(recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

Our First Post (and A Confession of Love For Paula Deen's Chicken Pot Pie)

2011-11-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, hi, HI!!

Welcome to Smootchin' in the Kitchen! This is our very first post and we're really excited to be here sharing with you.

Paco and I (Jamie) are newlyweds (okay, not really, but we still feel like it) who love to cook together. Actually even though we both like cooking, he's better at it than I am but I manage to hold my own in the baking department. We are guilty of dancing and smootchin' in the kitchen (hence the title of the blog) much to our children's delighted "Ewwww, gross" comments. I'll be setting up an "About Us" page soon, but we really wanted to get to sharing our recipes with you.

So for today.... Drum roll please!!

It's our favorite:

Paula Deen's Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

If you'd like, you can watch this video telling you how to put it all together, but it's so easy you really don't have to watch it. If you are, however, a massive fan of Paula Deen and her adorable accent, watch away and giggle to yourself as she says carrots.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots, cooked
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper, optional
1 1/2 cups instant biscuit mix (Bisquick)
1 cup milk
1 stick melted butter (of couse a whole stick. It IS a Paula Deen recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, layer the chicken, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Stop for a minute and smooch your sweetheart. (That wasn't in Paula's directions, but still a good idea, yes?) Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

***Note: I don't add the boiled eggs like she does. Ugh, just couldn't stomach the thought of it, but if you do try it that way let me know. It also takes longer in my oven to cook. You may need to play with the time and your oven.

I've been making this recipes for many, many moons now and it's one of my kiddos favorites. In fact, our son Sam always makes this his dinner choice for his birthday.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you. After all, it is a Paula Deen recipe so it has to be good, right?

I'll be posting some of my favorite baking recipes soon, so make sure you come back and check 'em out!