What’s Cooking Nesties Blogroll!

After giving my blog a facelift for the 2008 New Year, I’m happy to have all my fave links to other blogs, recipes and resources nicely organized. One thing I did create was the What’s Cooking (WC) Nesties Blogroll.

The Nest is a site with a What’s Cooking forum that I frequent daily. It is one that serves as a great place of commraderie & a friendly cooking/baking resource with married/engaged women. The WC Nesties Blogroll was especially made to highlight all the wonderful blogs the What’s Cooking “Nesties” on the Nest have linked in their signature lines. It also encourages others on the board to create a blog to highlight their love of cooking/baking, regardless of their skill level. Currently, those WC Nesties who have their blog reflected on the “Now That’s What’s Cooking” blog have been added to the blogroll.

The WC Nesties Blogroll is also very similar to another popular food related one, the Foodie Blogroll created by The Leftover Queen. Her idea was also an inspiration for creating the WC Nesties Blogroll.

If you are a WC Nestie who has a blog about food, whether you cook/bake or just like to talk about it and would like to be added and/or would like the code for your blog, read on! The WC Nesties Blogroll is one way to create a community of WC Foodies on our blogs.

How do I participate in the WC Nesties Blogroll?
There are only 2 requirements to participate in the blogroll:

1) You must be registered with TheNest.com and have a food related blog (at least 80 % of posts are food related). Whether you are a frequent poster of the What’s Cooking board or prefer to “lurk,” I’d love to have your blog listed.

2) You must display the blogroll some place on your blog where it can be easily viewed. The blogroll definitely helps keep your blog looking neater by housing the blog links in a simple drop down box.

To join: Contact Me and fill in the fields, making sure you provide the following:
– Nestie name to reference your blog
– Email address to send you the WC Nestie Blogroll code
– Blog URL which you can enter in the subject line

Thanks for joining!

What’s Cooking Nesties Blogroll!

After giving my blog a facelift for the 2008 New Year, I’m happy to have all my fave links to other blogs, recipes and resources nicely organized. One thing I did create was the What’s Cooking (WC) Nesties Blogroll.

The Nest is a site with a What’s Cooking forum that I frequent daily. It is one that serves as a great place of commraderie & a friendly cooking/baking resource with married/engaged women. The WC Nesties Blogroll was especially made to highlight all the wonderful blogs the What’s Cooking “Nesties” on the Nest have linked in their signature lines. It also encourages others on the board to create a blog to highlight their love of cooking/baking, regardless of their skill level. Currently, those WC Nesties who have their blog reflected on the “Now That’s What’s Cooking” blog have been added to the blogroll.

The WC Nesties Blogroll is also very similar to another popular food related one, the Foodie Blogroll created by The Leftover Queen. Her idea was also an inspiration for creating the WC Nesties Blogroll.

If you are a WC Nestie who has a blog about food, whether you cook/bake or just like to talk about it and would like to be added and/or would like the code for your blog, read on! The WC Nesties Blogroll is one way to create a community of WC Foodies on our blogs.

How do I participate in the WC Nesties Blogroll?
There are only 2 requirements to participate in the blogroll:

1) You must be registered with TheNest.com and have a food related blog (at least 80 % of posts are food related). Whether you are a frequent poster of the What’s Cooking board or prefer to “lurk,” I’d love to have your blog listed.

2) You must display the blogroll some place on your blog where it can be easily viewed. The blogroll definitely helps keep your blog looking neater by housing the blog links in a simple drop down box.

To join: Contact Me and fill in the fields, making sure you provide the following:
– Nestie name to reference your blog
– Email address to send you the WC Nestie Blogroll code
– Blog URL which you can enter in the subject line

Thanks for joining!

World of Waffles

After a holiday hiatus from my kitchen, I started the day strong with some prepwork for an upcoming cooking event. Once I got into my “zone,” I decided to play with a new kitchen toy my husband got me – a waffle iron!

I had a lot of fun making a few different varieties, which will all be frozen for quick breakfasts in the coming weeks. They were extremely easy to make and the batter is very verasatile to use as waffles or pancakes.

Here’s the basic recipe for a baking mix I used. To make waffles using this baking mix, I used the following:

2 cups baking mix
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cup french vanilla creamer (which I found made the batter richer and moist.)

When I made my waffles, I used various add ins to use up what I had on hand and to add additional flavor. Here are the variations I made:

Strawberry – sliced strawberries placed on the waffle iron over batter
Banana – mashed 1 ripe banana into 1 1/2 cups of batter
Cranberry orange – mix 3/4 cup cranberry orange relish into 2 cups batter

Apple – mix 3/4 cup homemade apple butter into 2 cups batter

By the time I was done prepping and playing with my waffle iron, it was time for lunch. We hadn’t eaten breakfast so with stacks of waffles staring at me, I whipped up a quick brunch. I’m a big fan of turkey and havarti… so I made an turkey & havarti omelet with a side of freshly made waffles.

World of Waffles

After a holiday hiatus from my kitchen, I started the day strong with some prepwork for an upcoming cooking event. Once I got into my “zone,” I decided to play with a new kitchen toy my husband got me – a waffle iron!

I had a lot of fun making a few different varieties, which will all be frozen for quick breakfasts in the coming weeks. They were extremely easy to make and the batter is very verasatile to use as waffles or pancakes.

Here’s the basic recipe for a baking mix I used. To make waffles using this baking mix, I used the following:

2 cups baking mix
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cup french vanilla creamer (which I found made the batter richer and moist.)

When I made my waffles, I used various add ins to use up what I had on hand and to add additional flavor. Here are the variations I made:

Strawberry – sliced strawberries placed on the waffle iron over batter
Banana – mashed 1 ripe banana into 1 1/2 cups of batter
Cranberry orange – mix 3/4 cup cranberry orange relish into 2 cups batter

Apple – mix 3/4 cup homemade apple butter into 2 cups batter

By the time I was done prepping and playing with my waffle iron, it was time for lunch. We hadn’t eaten breakfast so with stacks of waffles staring at me, I whipped up a quick brunch. I’m a big fan of turkey and havarti… so I made an turkey & havarti omelet with a side of freshly made waffles.

White Chocolate Chip & Espresso Cookies

The following recipe was shared and brought in by my friend Susan for our Annual Holiday party. You can view details of our party HERE.

White Chocolate Chip & Espresso Cookies

4 1/2 c flour
2 tbsp freshly ground espresso (I use the preground instantn
and it works just fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
11/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 c lightly packed brown sugar
1 c sugar
3 lg eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
12 oz white chocolate (in chunks or chips)
5 oz (1 c) wlanuts or pecans, roasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat to 325. Line sheets with parchment paper.

Mix flour, espresso, salt, and soda. Set aside.
In another bowl whisk sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter.
Whisk in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add dry
ingredients until combined. Add chocolate and nuts. May
refrigerate up to 4 days in container. Form dough into balls
(recipe calls for 1/4 cup size, but I use the standard teaspoon
to make more). Bake 15-18 mins until edges are golden, centers
may be soft and puffed up. best eaten immediately.
Can also use these cookies (when made 1/4 c larger size) for
Kahlua ice cream sandwiches dipped in bittersweet chocolate.

White Chocolate Chip & Espresso Cookies

The following recipe was shared and brought in by my friend Susan for our Annual Holiday party. You can view details of our party HERE.

White Chocolate Chip & Espresso Cookies

4 1/2 c flour
2 tbsp freshly ground espresso (I use the preground instantn
and it works just fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
11/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 c lightly packed brown sugar
1 c sugar
3 lg eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
12 oz white chocolate (in chunks or chips)
5 oz (1 c) wlanuts or pecans, roasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat to 325. Line sheets with parchment paper.

Mix flour, espresso, salt, and soda. Set aside.
In another bowl whisk sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter.
Whisk in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add dry
ingredients until combined. Add chocolate and nuts. May
refrigerate up to 4 days in container. Form dough into balls
(recipe calls for 1/4 cup size, but I use the standard teaspoon
to make more). Bake 15-18 mins until edges are golden, centers
may be soft and puffed up. best eaten immediately.
Can also use these cookies (when made 1/4 c larger size) for
Kahlua ice cream sandwiches dipped in bittersweet chocolate.

Holiday Treat Gifts!

Are you looking for a unique gift to give this holiday? Do you know of any other folks that want to get in a baking spirit? Today I had some folks come over to create some edible holiday gifts. We got together and everyone created a bowl gift using dry ingredients for a cranberry white chocolate & oatmeal cookies, perfect for gift giving in a covered glass bowl & wooden spoon. All the gift recipient needs to do is add the wet ingredients, stir and bake! Aside from that, we also made 3 different holiday treats also great for holiday gift giving (or indulging)! Click on the links below for the recipes!

Peppermint Brownie Bites

White Chocolate Cranberry Crunch Bark

Holiday Chocolate Pretzel Wreaths

Holiday Chocolate Pretzel Wreaths

The following recipe was made for my Holiday Food Gifts cooking class. You can read about it and get more holiday food gift ideas HERE.

Holiday Chocolate Pretzel Wreaths

Almond bark or confectionery coating candy melts
Mini pretzels
Sprinkles

Place almond bark or confectionery coating candy melts into a microwave proof bowl; microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth.

Dip rounded bottoms of five miniature pretzels, one at a time, into bark; shake off excess.

Lay pretzels onto Parchment Paper in a circular pattern with sides touching and rounded
sides toward center.

Repeat with five additional pretzels, placing directly on top of first circle in a staggered
circular pattern.

Decorate wreath as desired with sprinkles, nonpareils or colored sugar.
Let stand until set.

Tips: Any color almond bark or confectionery coating candy melts can be used to
create wreaths.

Unlike regular chocolate or chocolate morsels, almond bark and confectionery coating candy melts are made using other fats in place of cocoa butter. This helps the coating melt easily, eliminates the need for tempering and prevents blooming.

Store the wreaths at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week. Do not refrigerate or freeze wreaths or pretzels will lose crispness.

Thread wreath with ribbon to use as an ornament or place card holder, if desired.

White Chocolate Cranberry Crunch Bark

The following recipe was made for my Holiday Food Gifts cooking class. You can read about it and get more holiday food gift ideas HERE.

White Chocolate Cranberry Crunch Bark

8 oz Almond bark or confectionery coating candy melts
1/2 cup Dried cranberries
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Place almond bark or confectionery coating candy melts into a microwave proof bowl; microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth.
Add remaining ingredients until fully coated.
Spread mixture on parchment lined baking sheet.
Let stand until set. Break into random pieces.

Peppermint Brownie Bites

The following recipe was made for my Holiday Food Gifts cooking class. You can read about it and get more holiday food gift ideas HERE.

Peppermint Brownie Bites

1 pkg boxed brownie mix
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, oil and 2 eggs.
Pour about 1 tablespoon of brownie batter in each well of a mini muffin pan.
Bake mini muffin pan in preheated oven for 7 minutes.
Remove from oven – middles should be slightly soft and not completely set.
Using a spoon or tart shaper, press the middles of each mini brownie to create a well.
Fill each well with peppermint chips.