~ Marbeled Brownies ~

~ Bacon and Brussel Sprouts ~

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of brussel sprouts

1/2 lb bacon

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp thyme

3-4 thinly sliced or minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

* * * * *

Directions: * Wash and trim brussel sprouts, cut tips off and slice in half. * Cut bacon into 1/2 inch strips. * In a large heated frying pan add the olive oil and bacon pieces. Fry bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. * Toast garlic about 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove and set aside. * Add brussel sprouts, thyme and salt (if desired) and pepper to pan. Don’t crowd in pan. Pan roast brussel sprouts about 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. * Add bacon and roasted garlic to the brussel sprouts. Ready to serve.

~ Chef ~

~ National Chiffon Cake Day ~

In the year 1927 Harry Baker, a Los Angeles insurance agent, is said to have invented the original chiffon cake. As word spread of this wonderful airy cake, he was continually asked for the recipe. But for two decades he carefully guarded his secret recipe, making his special cake only for the reigning royalty of the silver screen. Harry Baker sold the cake to Hollywood stars and made it for the famous Brown Derby Restaurant. The secret to Baker's light and airy chiffon cake is that the egg whites are beaten separately from the yolks and it uses vegetable oil instead of butter or conventional shortening. Then in 1947 General Mills bought the recipe from Harry Baker. He agreed to sell the recipe to General Mills so "Betty Crocker could give the secret to the women of the America." In 1948 General Mills released the secret recipe in the May 1948 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and it became a nationwide sensation. The secret ingredient, vegetable oil, was then revealed. Better Homes and Garden Magazine advertised the cake as "The first really new cake in 100 years."

Celebrate 84 years of Chiffon Cakes!

~ Chef ~

~ Chewy Fudgy Brownies ~

Ingredients: 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet) * 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (Hershey’s unsweetened) * 8 tablespoons unsalted butter * 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder * 3 large eggs * 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar * 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1 cup all purpose flour * Walnuts for top (optional)

~ ~ ~

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat pan well with butter. Melt both chocolate and butter together in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring often. Stir in cocoa powder. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour and stir until blended. Pour into pan. If desired, place 9 walnut halves across the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let sit on a wire rack until completely cool.

~ Chef ~

~ Crock Pot Rocky Road Cake ~

Ingredients:
1 (18.25-oz.) package Devil's Food cake mix
1 (3.9-oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups milk (divided 2 cups + 1 1/4 cups)
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Beat cake mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, butter and vanilla at medium speed slowly adding 1 1/4 cups of milk for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. crock pot.

2. Pour remaining 2 cups of milk in a heavy saucepan and simmer over medium heat, slowly adding the chocolate cook and serve pudding mix, stirring constantly. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.

3. Slowly pour the chocolate pudding over the batter already in the crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.

4. Turn off crock pot and sprinkle the marshmallows and chocolate morsels on top. Cover and let stand 15-20 minutes or until the marshmallows are slightly melted.

Let me know what you think?

~ Chef ~

~ Crock Pot Lasagna ~

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 lb jar tomato spaghetti sauce - your favorite flavor
8 oz fresh lasagna sheets (in the cold section)
1lb mozzarella cheese - grated/shredded
1lb ricotta cheese
2 oz parmesan cheese - grated/shredded
¼ cup milk
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 tsp oregano

Directions:
1. Fry the beef, onion and garlic in a frying pan, using a tiny amount of oil.
2. Fry until slightly browned. Pour off any excess oil. Add tomato sauce and heat thoroughly.
3. In a bowl gently combine the ricotta, milk and egg.
4. Mix in the mozzarella and parmesan. Retaining about 1 tablespoon of the parmesan for later.
5. Lightly grease the crock pot with vegetable oil. Very lightly!
6. Spoon in about ¼ of the meat mixture into the crock pot and spread evenly.
7. Top this with a layer of lasagna sheets, cut to size or into strips.
8. Top this with 1/3 of the cheese sauce.
9. Repeat steps 6 (meat), 7 (lasagna sheet) and 8 (cheese).
10. Now repeat step 6 (meat), then 7 (lasagna sheet) and 6 (meat) again.
11. Top with remaining cheese sauce.
12. Sprinkle the retained parmesan on top.
13. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Sit and Serve!

~ Chef ~

~ Not your ordinary Sandwich ~

- 3B'sTC -

Baked Beans, Bacon, Tomato & Cheddar

Start with a homemade bun - a bought bun will do.

Butter it then lightly toast it.

Pile on some homemade baked beans.

Add several slices of crisped cooked bacon.

Slide on a big slice of red-ripe tomato.

Top it off with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.

Place sandwich under the broiler until the cheese has melted and the bacon is bubbly.

Grab a fork and dig in!

~Chef ~

~ Cherry Cream Cheese Creation ~

I'm sure all of you have made this recipe before but you know what they say, "Classics never get old".

Ingredients:
1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust
1 (20 ounce) can cherry pie filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add sweetened condensed milk, blend well.
Add lemon juice and vanilla mix thoroughly.
Pour into pie crust and chill 3 hours, or until firm.
Add cherry filling on top.

ENJOY!

~ Chef ~

--- Chocolate Bourbon Baby Cakes ---

In the mood for cake? This recipe sounds amazing!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1 ¾ cups hot coffee

¼ cup bourbon

5 ozs unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into small pieces

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees (yes, 275). Grease and flour baking tins. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the hot coffee, bourbon, chocolate and butter in large covered metal bowl. Let stand until completely melted. Then whisk together. Now whisk in the sugar and cool. Once cooled whisk in the flour mixture in two batches, then add the eggs and vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to ensure even baking. Cool cakes completely on wire racks.

Bourbon Laced Strawberries

Ingredients:

2 packages sweetened frozen strawberries

1 tablespoon bourbon

Directions:

Defrost strawberries completely. Once defrosted mix in the bourbon. Spoon mixture over the baby cakes and add a dollop of freshly whipped cream, if desired.

This recipe is compliments of Chandra at "Lick The Spoon"

~ Chef ~

~*~*~*~*~ Bennissimo ~*~*~*~*~

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Alfredo

with Roasted Red Peppers Need I say more!

~ Chef ~

~ Happy St. Patrick's Day ~

Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.

Try one of these Irish dishes today:

Corned Beef and Cabbage, Irish Stew, Cottage Pie or Shepherd's Pie

~ Chef ~

~ Garden ~

So how is your garden coming along?

Sunday is the first day of Spring.

It's time to get plowing.

~ Chef ~

~ Bloggers Choice Awards ~

http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/main/login

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 10 >>>>>

~ ~ ~

That's the end of 10 Food Facts.

Hopefully, these were 10 things ...

you may not have known before.

~ ~ ~

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 9 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 8 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 7 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 6 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 5 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 4 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 3 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 2 >>>>>

~ Chef ~

<<<<< 10 Food Facts - Day 1 >>>>>

Over the next 10 "blog" days

I will cover a fun food fact

that will make you think ...

I didn't know that.

- Day 1 -

~ Chef ~