Don't trust online recipe converters

Converting a recipe from 8 serving to 4 servings should in theory be easy. It worked well until I got ready to make the dough. Instead of asking for 1 cup of chicken stock, my printout said the original 2 cups. Sigh. I wish I had double checked that before. Anyway, the dumplings in the chicken and dumplings were still good, if a bit sticky. Too much dough (used way more than the called for flour) and enough water for 4 servings does not make for a good broth. Oh well. Live and learn. 

I'm going to take another crack at the Chicken and Dumpling recipe Friday. Not for myself, this time for my grandmother, so I have to get it right! I hope my grandmother can tolerate 8 days worth of chicken and dumplings. 

No mention of school just yet.

Since I started this blog, I've struggled with how much of my school exploits I should include. I've decided to make a conscientious effort to include a bit more about it, especially since things are moving along quite nicely, and quicker than I anticipated.

But in the meantime, I made ice cream! Is there not a more perfect food? Ever since I ran off with was given my mother's ice cream maker, I occassionally make ice cream when I find myself in the mood. And today just happened to be one of those days. My favorite ice cream is the cake batter ice cream creation found at Coldstone, but my take on it is just as tasty, and easier on the wallet and ears (Welcome to Coldstone!). So to the appease those you have been asking for it, here is the recipe.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup of 2% milk (You can use whole milk if you prefer.)
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of yellow cake mix (I'm partial to Duncan Heinz)
2 eggs (optional, but I wanted a custardy texture)

1 ice cream maker (this is the one I have)

1. In a large sauce pan on low heat, add the milk and whipping cream.
2. Heat the mixture until hot. (Be careful not to bring it to a boil. It is ready when you can wipe the back of spoon, dipped in the mixture clean with your finger.)
3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
4. Pour half of the heated milk and whipping cream into the bowl containing the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Stir.
5. Pour the contents of the bowl into the sauce pan with the other half of the milk and whipping cream. Stir well on low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Pour the mixture into freezer safe container and then add the cake mix. Stir well.
   
7. Put in freezer for an hour or until the contents are chilled.
8. Following the instructions of your particular ice cream maker, pour the contents of the container into your ice cream maker.
9. Freeze ice cream until it solidifies.
   

   

(I couldn't wait until the ice cream froze completely.)

Note: If you do choose to use eggs, you MUST follow the instructions as followed. However, if choose not to use eggs, you can completely skip the stove portion (Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and put it in your ice cream maker).

The bread experiment, part 2

Anyone who has ever tasted a diet-busting brioche roll from the Corner Bakery, knows the delightful pleasure they are. Unexplicably however, they stopped making them, to my dismay. So off and on (as my short attention span allows), I've tried to recreate the CB brioche roll.

In all honesty, I've had more failures than successes. But just yesterday (more like early this morning because I don't sleep) I tried this recipe specificaly created for bread machine owners in mind. I did not however follow the recipe to a T. Following the modifications of one of the reviews, I formed dinner rolls (which was right in keeping with the CB appearance) after the bread machine worked its magic. I then let the dough rise for an hour, brushed each with butter, and finally put the bread in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I can't say I'm head over heels in love with the result. The brioche failed to achieve the deep golden brown crust, and it really wasn't dense enough for my liking. But all in all, this recipe is a satisfactory substitution for CB brioche for now.

The next brioche recipe on the horizon is from cooking legend, Julia Child. I've read good things about this recipe and book in general, so I'm very excited to try them out. And I'm even more excited because now I have the muscle of a KitchenAid mixer behind me. Woohoo for clearance markdowns!!

The bread experiment

I finally put my bread machine to use, besides using it to make cookie dough. Recently, I've gotten the idea in my head that I can cook, or I should say, I should cook. A person can eat only so much spaghetti sauce on pasta, salads, and sandwiches. So I decided to take a jump off the deep end and try my hand at cooking. And my first big project.......making bread.

I found a simple (made far easier by the bread machine) here. I was pleased with how it came out. Although I must say, my rolling skills need a bit of work. The bread was as tasty as the baguettes you find in the store.

However, I got the idea of stuffing (really it should be called making a sandwich, but I'm going by the recipes I saw online) with a few things I had in my pantry and fridge, which ended up being Italian sausage, canned diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil, pasta sauce, and parsley.

I had the great idea (me and my ideas) to make a paste using the blender. The paste was good, but the color was not very appetizing. So after I hollowed out the bread (cutting it length wise and removing the inside) and put the paste in, I added thin slices of Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, and a bit of parsley. I wrapped it all in foil, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Here's the outcome outcome of my experimentation.

Baked Perch Recipe

Since last month, I've been trying to make a conscientious effort to use all the food in my refrigerator and pantry. Until recently it was not unusual for my garbage can to be loaded with fruits, vegetables, and sometimes meat which had gone bad. Because of this, I've been looking for recipes for the food I now have.

Just today I have stumbled upon a very quick and easy recipe for perch on RecipeZaar.com, which I just so happen to have thanks to my inability to turn down a good deal. Here is the recipe and photo with the few modifications I made. Overall, the finished product was as tasty as it was pretty.

Baked Ocean Perch

Ingredients:
2 pounds of perch fillets
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano (or another flavoring if you prefer, or fresh tomatoes and your choice of spices)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Handful of chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spray a shallow baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
3. Place thawed fillets in baking pan.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Evenly spread diced tomatoes over fish.
6. Lightly sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Sprinkle a handful of chopped parsley on top.
8. Bake fish for 20 minutes or until done (I covered the pan with foil).
9. Enjoy!!