dessert

Chocolate-Mint Pudding

April 18, 2016April 16, 2016 RefreshHer6 Comments

Would I normally choose pudding for dessert? No, not when it’s from a box and is kind of rubbery tasting. However, when it’s made from scratch and is silky, smooth, chocolaty and minty, I could eat it every. single. day.

This recipe is from Cooking Light, but in typical fashion, you’d never know it (well, I also topped it with homemade whipping cream which put it over the top!). I couldn’t resist!

This recipe is not difficult to make, it just takes a little patience – unlike the old box of pudding. Trust me, you’ll be glad you put in the effort. This is special enough for a company dinner. Your guests will love you for it!

For the semi-sweet chocolate pieces, I used these Nestle’ Chocolate Mint filled chips. They added a little more minty taste to the pudding, which is super good! But you could use just regular chocolate and it’ll be delicious.

After the pudding is cooked, be sure to lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a film from forming. Then refrigerate the bowl.

Ingredients

3 cups fat-free milk

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves (about 1/2 ounce)

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Mint sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Heat milk over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Remove from heat; add mint. Let stand 15 minutes; strain milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl, reserving milk. Discard solids. Return milk to pan; stir in sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Return pan to medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture thickens.

Place egg yolks in a medium bowl; gradually add half of hot milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add egg mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thick. Remove from heat; add vanilla and chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Pour pudding into a bowl; cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap. Chill. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

I garnished my dishes of pudding with a fresh strawberry. Not only did it add a pretty color, it was delicious dipped in the chocolate!

Any pudding lovers out there? Give this a try even if you’re on the edge. It’s not hard, and it will turn even a night of leftovers into a meal fit for a king!

With love from my country kitchen,

The Real Reason for Supper

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

supper table 1

All this week we’re going to talk about a subject dear to my heart – the Supper table. From the why’s to the who, and the how – we’re going to discuss it all! If you have any questions or comments about things you’d like to hear about, please let me know in a comment here! Let’s get started today with the why of supper!

My husband was gone for a few days last week and I missed him greatly! On the day of his return, I wanted to make a nice supper for him, even though it would be a little later than we normally eat. I knew he wouldn’t have stopped for anything, and he’d be hungry!

I could have just warmed up soup or made sandwiches, but I wanted the meal to communicate something to him – I missed him. I was thinking of him. He was worth the effort it took to prepare a nice meal. Supper is more than just filling our family’s bellies. It’s about letting them know that we care for them. It’s about taking the time to sit at the table and chat. It involves reaching across the table for their heart – not just the bowl of mashed potatoes! So this is why it was important to me to make a nice supper for my husband’s homecoming! I had a message to share!

Here was my menu:

Short Ribs
Wild Rice Mushroom Bake
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Parkerhouse Rolls
Ginger Cookies

I wanted the ribs to be really tender, so I did them in my pressure cooker. It only took 15 minutes – which is incredible! Because I was using my oven for the rice dish, it made it easier for me to cook them this way. I followed these instructions.

We love broccoli, and though I usually just steam it, I thought I’d try roasting it. I used Ina Garten’s recipe with Parmesan Cheese and garlic. Roasting it gives it a different kind of texture – a little crispier than steamed, but it was good!

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

The Rice & Mushroom Bake was a nice change from potatoes. This is an old recipe my mom shared with me years ago. It makes a lot – so I have some in my freezer for another day. It’s creamy and delicious.

Rice bake

Wild Rice Mushroom Bake

Saute one onion and cup of celery in a half stick of butter. Add 2 cups of beef broth, one cup of sliced fresh mushrooms and a box of Uncle Ben’s Rice. Bake 45 minutes @ 350 degrees in covered dish. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

We don’t often have dessert on a weeknight, but you have to make something special for a homecoming meal! The Ginger cookies are his favorite and I’ve shared them here. I bake the large size for 11 minutes and it makes them just soft enough to be perfect with a glass of milk or cup of coffee!

Ginger cookies.jpg

I encourage you to think about what your meals are communicating to your family. No matter if it’s you and your children, you and your husband, or a whole table full of people. Make your supper meal an occasion – not just food. You’re making memories around that table, so make them delicious and special!

With love from my country kitchen,

dessert · Main entree

Something Savory, Something Sweet for Valentine’s Day

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 RefreshHer1 Comment

Salmon 1

It’s February! If you’re thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day and a special dinner for your sweetie, I have a couple suggestions for you! One is a main dish and side, and the other is a dessert. Both would are special, but not complicated and taste like elegant restaurant food! Dessert comes last in the meal, so we’ll look at the entree first.

Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon is a recipe I found in my Southern Living Magazine and pinned onto my Pinterest board. It’s cooked in about 10 minutes and the prep takes about 5!

Here are the ingredients:

Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon and Veggies

4 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 pound fresh medium asparagus

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed – I used just the asparagus

1 small orange, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices – (I just added orange peel instead of the oranges)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt – I found this way too salty! 1/4tsp. would work!

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (5- to 6-oz.) fresh salmon fillets

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Hands-on: 25 Minutes

Total: 25 Minutes

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Whisk together honey and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Place asparagus, green beans, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat.

3. Place salmon in center of a heavy-duty aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Brush salmon with about 2 Tbsp. honey mixture. Spread asparagus mixture around salmon.

4. Broil 4 minutes; remove from oven, and brush salmon with about 2 Tbsp. honey mixture. Return to oven, and broil 4 minutes more. Remove from oven, and brush salmon with remaining honey mixture. Return to oven, and broil 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

salmon 2

You could make this on a busy weeknight and have dinner on the table faster than going out for dinner! This is a healthy meal and absolutely delicious! It won’t make you feel too guilty about eating this dessert. It is from Cooking Light, so that’s another reason you can eat it and enjoy it!

I love, love, love chocolate and raspberries together. When I saw this next recipe in my new cookbook, I couldn’t wait to try it! I made it for our deacons group and it was a hit! These were so yummy that it would have been dangerous to have a whole pan of these lying around. Talk about temptation! There was one left in the pan. =)

Rasp. brownies

Cream Cheese-Raspberry Brownies

Ingredients

FILLING:

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg white

BROWNIES:

Cooking spray

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

3 tablespoons raspberry preserves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the filling, beat the first 5 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended, and set aside.

To prepare the brownies, coat the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray (do not coat the sides of the pan). Lightly spoon 3/4 cup flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup sugar and the next 6 ingredients (1 cup sugar through the 2 egg whites), stirring well with a whisk. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spread two-thirds of batter in bottom of prepared pan. Pour filling over batter, spreading evenly. Carefully drop the remaining batter and preserves by spoonfuls over filling; swirl together using the tip of a knife to marble. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.

These cut much better after being refrigerated, if a clean cut is important to you…and if you can wait that long before ~~tearing into them~~ having a square!

Rasp. brownies 2.jpg

You could win any heart with this meal! Who else is planning a Valentine dinner?

With love from my country kitchen,

dessert

Make-Ahead Chocolate Souffle

December 14, 2015December 17, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

Last Friday was a big baking day with my girls. The day before we got together, I made up three kinds of Christmas cookie dough. A couple of the recipes called for egg yolks, so when I finished, I was left with five egg whites. With eggs the price they are, I had to put them to good use, so I flipped through my Cooking Light Cookbook and found a recipe for Double Chocolate Souffles that you could whip together, then freeze until needed! I knew I needed a dessert for Sunday’s dinner, so it was a blessing to have a dessert that was prepared ahead of time, then all I’d need to do is bake them on Sunday!

These would be a great dessert for a special Christmas dinner. With the ease of preparing them ahead of time, it will make having company a cinch!

Double Chocolate Souffles with Warm Fudge Sauce

SOUFFLE:

Cooking spray

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 large egg whites

SAUCE:

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.

My souffles didn’t puff up as high as the picture in my cookbook, so I may have beaten the egg whites a little too long, but they still tasted wonderful, and that’s the whole point!

Don’t let the word souffle frighten you away – these are really not hard to make, The ease of freezing the batter and popping them in the oven makes them a great do-ahead dessert! They’re delicious!

Anyone else make souffle?

With love from my country kitchen,

8E63C63AC0BC189BF1C68B03C74DBB5F

dessert · Home decor · Husband · Marriage

All Things Sweet

July 29, 2015August 25, 2015 RefreshHer4 Comments

This week seemed to have a theme…it’s called sweet. Come take a peek from my porch to see why I say that…

A couple of friends shared delicious, peaches from their peach trees. Wasn’t that sweet of them? And oh my! They were sweet and yummy!

They were delicious in our morning yogurt, and on ice cream, but my favorite way to use them was to put them IN ice cream! I found a recipe on Cooking Light for Homemade Peach Ice Cream just before the peaches were brought to our door. As Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables would say, it was “Simply providential!” So after a little bit of mixing and freezing this was the result…

This made for a sweet treat on a hot July day!

Then, on Thursday, it was Free Tea Day at McAlister’s Deli. They have really good Sweet Tea, and we had to indulge! We went to Sonic Drive-in (because it was also national Hot Dog Day) and had our lunch for a whopping $2! Gotta love cheap dates!

While I was praying one morning, Liza Jane came and pushed her way between my arm and the chair and then put her paw up on my face!
How sweet is that?!

I have to wonder sometimes if she isn’t an tool of the devil rather than a little angel; she can be very demanding while I’m trying to pray!

I got to spend Monday early afternoon at the beautiful spa in Johnson City, thanks to a bunch of sweet friends who gave me a gift card! The massage was so wonderful! The pedicure afterwards was a lovely indulgence as well!

Before I went to the spa my husband sent me to have lunch at Wellington’s so that “this day could be all mine.” Again, his love and sweet gestures are over the top and I know I am spoiled far more than my furry feline friend!

The restaurant is so beautiful and the food was great! It got me all ready for a couple hours of spa treatment!

On Friday Alli and I worked on painting her kitchen chairs. They were old library chairs that needed a little spritzing up, and she chose a pretty yellow that will add lots of warmth to her kitchen. Thankfully we got more paint on the chairs than we did ourselves, but we were pretty covered in white primer and yellow paint!

Time with my girls is always a sweet blessing! We laughed, talked, ate lunch and got lots of paint on those chairs (and everywhere else!)!

So that was a good bit of the sweetness I enjoyed since last Wednesday! How would you describe your week in one word?

With love from my country porch,