Pinterest Review - Sausage and Cheese Strata

I don't like eggs.  I know…I'm weird, but it's true.  To show how weird I am, I don't like eggs, but I do like breakfast tacos, french toast, a quiche my aunt once made me (I didn't want her to feel bad, so I ate it and loved it), and this cheese strata.

To be fair, when I eat breakfast tacos they have potatoes, bacon, cheese and salsa on them too so it isn't overly eggy (it's a word now…trust me), so when I saw this recipe for Cheese Strata on Pinterest from Cooking Tip Of The Day I figured that I'd be able to enjoy them.

I varied my recipe some, so you might argue that this isn't really a proper review, but it's basically the same.  I opted for the 9x13-inch baking dish that the blogger mentioned could be used mostly because I don't have the deeper dish.  I left out the dry mustard because my husband wouldn't touch it if I used it.  I also screwed up when shopping and purchased a french baguette because I confused this recipe with another and decided to use the baguette anyway.

Now the original recipe had the crusts removed, but this wasn't going to happen.  A baguette is long and skinny and very, very crusty.  No way I was going to remove the crusts…I'd have nothing left!  So I improvised.  I sliced the bread (discarding both ends) and then cubed the slices.  It would have to make due, and I have to say the end result was delicious.

My version is below, but whether you try mine or the original from Cooking Tip Of The Day, you'll be delighted with the result!

Sausage and Cheese Strata

1 french baguette, sliced and cubed
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Colby-Jack mix)
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage
2 cups milk
6 eggs
4 scallions, chopped (mostly just the green tops)

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Slice and cube the baguette and place the cubes into a large bowl.  Sauté the sausage in a large pan, breaking it up as it cooks.  Place the sausage into the large bowl with the bread and 1 cup of the shredded cheese and mix together well.  Spread the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Whisk together the eggs and milk and pour over the top of the bread mixture.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Every 10 minutes or so I would push down on the top pieces of bread to ensure they were getting enough egg in them to soften them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top of the strata and then follow up with the chopped scallions.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  When a knife come out mostly clean it's done.

I hope you enjoy the review (and the strata).  I'd love to share this recipe with the rest of my family.  I know they'd love it, but they've been very silly and sworn off carbs.  Oh well.  More for me!

Pinterest Review - A Gorgeous Shrug

Love my shrug!

I came across this pin about 2 months ago on Cre8tionCrochet and immediately pinned it.  I've got lots of things on my Knitting & Crocheting board on Pinterest, but it seems like there's always time to pin, but rarely time enough to do all the lovely projects that we pin.  This shrug was so absolutely beautiful that I just had to immediately put down everything and get to work.

I used her tutorial for the Foundation Chain Double Crochet (FCDC) stitch mentioned in the post. I'd never done it before and anything that makes the foundation look better, twist less and cause me to swear less is two thumbs up in my book.  She links to the tutorial on her site and it really is an easy stitch and turns out beautifully.  Having said that my only complaint with the tutorial was not telling me what to do at the end of it.  I learned to crochet about 30 years ago.  My sweet neighbor, Hazel Blum, taught my sisters and me, but we did very basic stuff.  Everything else I learned was self-taught and sometimes what is obvious to a crocheting pro is not to me.  So just in case there are others like me out there, allow me to state the obvious…you need to slip stitch into the top and make your shrug into a loop.  Goodness that sounds like a rubbish explanation doesn't it?  Perhaps this is why I don't write my own patterns.

Either way, once you've slip-stitched and made your project into a loop (joined it to the beginning of your work…yes, that sounds better) you begin working on your rows from there.  When you're all done with the shrug you go back and sew up the gap left at the beginning.  So, it would probably be prudent to say that you should leave yourself a nice sized "tail" at the beginning of your work.  This way you won't have to cut a piece of yarn just to sew that little bit at the beginning.

Remember the tail at the beginning so you can close your work

My explanation still rubbish?  This video from Crochet Geek explains and shows you how it's done much better than I can!

Cre8tionCrochet also tells you how to make the shrug bigger.  When I completed 100 of the FCDC I looked at it and said, "Dude…no way this is going to fit" so I did 120 FCDC and worked from there. Yeah…don't do that unless you know you need to.  Your work will stretch when you wear it.  So now I have a shrug that looks great and then falls down too far after it's on me for 5 minutes.  I made a pink one for a friend and now that it's completed and the size looks good I'm going to make another one for myself without any adjustments!

If you've got a few hours to spare and know the basics of crocheting you can knock this shrug out quickly.  This shrug is absolutely gorgeous and easy.  Cre8tionCrochet did a wonderful job with this pattern and was so generous to share it!  Her pictures are so much better than mine too!

Even though the shrug I made for myself is a tad bit big I've gotten numerous compliments on it.  In fact the very first time I wore it to the bus stop one of the ladies there grabbed me and asked me where I bought it!  I was thrilled to be able to say that I made it myself.

Pinterest Review - The "Best" Scones Ever

I quickly opened the toaster oven to get a picture of how it expanded

Oh, Martha...I love what you do, but you thought I would be able to take this "dough" and transfer it to a "lightly" floured work surface, pat into a circle and cut it into wedges and then transfer it again to a parchment lined baking sheet? Been sniffing something?  To be fair, the pinner that I grabbed this from labeled these the "best" scones ever...not Martha.

Wow was this liquidy!  I was going to ignore the whole transfer to a floured surface anyway because that's not how I make my scones, but this dough was so sticky that sticky doesn't even begin to cover it.

You see that picture?  Yeah...that's the scone after baking for less than 5 minutes.  See how big it is?  It oozed like the blob almost 2-inches bigger than it had been when I put it on the sheet.  You think you'd be working with that on a lightly floured surface?  Yeah...me neither.

Now I'm not a scone-making-novice here.  I've been making various scones for more than 20 years, but I'm always willing to try a new recipe.  After all...these are supposedly "the best".

OK.  Enough picking on Martha Stewart (for now)...so why do I lump my scones onto a sheet like this and bake? Well, it was an idea I took from a scone recipe years ago.  With the first recipe I ever used (and used for many, many years because it was so tender and eggy-smelling) I used to roll the scones out and cut them into circles.  This isn't ideal for many reasons....

First - time constraints.  It takes more time to roll and cut which leaves the butter/margarine out longer and could/should result in a less flaky scone.

Second - mess.  When I have to use the counter to work dough, I use it.  I have no problem doing that whatsoever, but I hate the cleanup so if I can avoid doing it I will.

Third - if you cut your scones into little circles, you can't use the remaining dough...unless you're planning on just throwing those leftover schniblets onto a baking sheet and bake them along with your pretty round scones.  If you reworked the leftover dough so you could cut more circles, you would be over-working the dough and your scones would lose that flaky texture you want so badly.

After baking.  Looks pretty good, but no score-lines

Lastly - ease.  What could be easier than spooning the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet?  You could also drop them onto the same baking sheet if you want individual scones.  I don't.  I spoon the whole thing on there and then if I'm going to brush with butter or milk/cream, and sprinkle with sugar I do it.  I then take a knife and press it gently into the dough, scoring it into wedges.  The score-lines stay during baking.  When it's done I transfer it to a cooling rack until I can handle it, then I break the wedges off.  No cutting.  Sweet.

I tried to score Martha Stewart's recipe like that.  Do you see score-lines in either of these pictures.  Didn't think so.   The scones did finish baking and smelled really good.  Even though there's only that one egg in them, the egg smell reminded me of my own scone recipe.

Now, you may be asking if I varied Martha's recipe at all.  To be fair, I did.  I substituted fresh blueberries for the currants and accidentally threw in that extra tablespoon of cream (I used milk) into the batter.  So did that make the dough super liquidy?  I don't think so.  Blueberries certainly have a lot of liquid inside them, but not outside and that 1 tablespoon of liquid shouldn't have done all that much.

The link to Martha's Cream Scones with Currants  recipe can be found here.  The version with my method and substitutions can be found below.

Blueberry Scones

3/4 c milk (I used 1%)
1 egg
2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp margarine
1 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

Combine the milk and egg in a small bowl.  In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and give a mix with a whisk to combine.  Add the margarine in pieces and using your hands incorporate into the flour until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.  Add the blueberries and stir.  Add the milk and stir until just combined.

Pour the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or drop by spoonfuls.  If desired, brush with melted butter or cream/milk and sprinkle with sugar.  With a large knife, score the scones into wedges.

Bake for 18 minutes or until it is golden (make sure the bottom doesn't burn!).  Transfer to a wire rack to cool and then break the scones into wedges.  Serve while warm.  Remember if your batter is as liquid-filled as mine, you'll have to cut because the score lines will not work.

Taste results?  They tasted good.  Not the best scones I've ever had, but very good.  Thumbs up or down?  I'd say somewhere in between.  The taste may get a thumbs up, but the directions give it a big thumbs down.  I can just imagine some poor sod trying to put this on a floured surface and it makes me cringe.  Still it's flavor that you're after.

If you give the recipe a try, let me know if you get another result!

Nutritional information (as given by my LoseIt! app):  Serving size - 2 scones; 397 calories; Total Fat 12.4g; Sat. Fat 4.3g; Cholesterol 49.2mg; Sodium 523.7mg; Carb. 51.2g; Fiber, 2.8g; Sugars 8.1g; Protein 9.7g

Pinterest Review - Chicken Cowboy Bake

I was looking for something fast for dinner and saw this pin.  I had all the ingredients and thought I'd give it a whirl.  The hubby looked at it a little cautiously, but everyone loved it.  It was rich and filling and I could have eaten the whole thing!  (Don't worry...I didn't)

This pin came from Parenting.com (you can see the original recipe here).  I did make minor changes to the recipe.  I added cumin and increased the chili powder.  I also mixed the shredded cheese into the filling rather than sprinkle the top of the casserole with it.

I used a boxed cornbread mix because I had it on-hand (and I haven't found a recipe from scratch that I like yet....suggestions?), but you can use your own homemade recipe if you prefer.  The stuff from the box didn't look like much and it took some coaxing to stretch it over the top of the entire casserole, but it worked perfectly.  I was afraid that it would be too thin, but it rose and was great.

Sorry that there's no picture of it once we all cut into it, but I was being absent-minded.  I'll add one the next time I make it.

Here's the recipe as I altered it...

Chicken Cowboy Bake

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or chopped)
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 c frozen corn
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1 box/recipe cornbread/muffin mix

Prepare the cornbread/muffin mix and leave in bowl to sit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Coat a 9-inch pie pan or casserole dish with cooking spray.  In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and brown, then add the tomatoes, corn, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add the cheese; stir.  Pour into the pie pan/casserole dish and spread evenly with the prepared cornbread/muffin mix.

Bake for 30 minutes or until corn muffin topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

How you can tell the filling is bubbling without poking it open is beyond me, but if your oven is anything like mine, it's going to be bubbling after 30 minutes at 350 degrees!

I don't have a box of the muffin mix I used at home so I can't work out the nutritional information on my handy-dandy app, but the next time I grab a box, I'll run the numbers and update the post. All in all, I'd give this recipe a big Pinterest thumbs up!

Pinterest Review - Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake***

Pinterest is addicting, but I've noticed that I can spend a good portion of my day repinning great ideas from Pinterest and actually do very little of them.  I've gotten better and I've started to try some of the recipes, crafts, etc that I've pinned, but I haven't even scratched the surface really.  So when I actually try something, I'll try to give a little review, because between you and me there's a lot of crap on Pinterest and I've had quite a few failures/disappointments.

Well, this review is most certainly not a disappointment (unless you're on a diet...like I am...).  I pinned this recipe from the blog Elizabeth's Edible Experience and it certainly looked good...and fattening.  We had a guest for dinner this evening so I made a dessert for the occasion and prayed that it would not flop.  I've had quite a few baking and cooking failures since moving to 7000+ feet.  High altitude baking has been a challenge, even with adjustments, but this turned out perfectly.

If I had looked a bit closer at Elizabeth's pin and saw that it was a recipe that originally came from Southern Living I would have realized that it would have been yummy...

...And the fattening part, well, let's just say that the app I'm using to track my calories (that's another post!), tells me that this recipe is 334 calories per serving.  I cut the bundt cake into 16 pieces so they weren't overly big.  You could easily take a 500-600 calorie slice and not bat an eye.  I also substituted margarine for butter and 1/3 fat cream cheese instead of full calorie stuff.  I'm sure my little pieces would have been much worse if I hadn't and I didn't want to spend another 20 minutes on the treadmill (or more) to make sure I didn't bust my calorie allotment today!

Honestly, I thought that cake was rich and absolutely sinful even with the changes I made.  Maybe some Egg Beaters instead of the 6 eggs would reduce it more, but I guess moderation is the key.  Here's the Southern Living recipe:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter (or margarine), softened
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (I used reduced fat), softened
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
3 c flour
6 eggs

Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the sugar and vanilla and mix.  Add the salt and eggs and mix.  Finally, add in the flour a little at a time so you don't have more of it covering your kitchen than in the bowl.

Pour into a prepared (I used flour spray) bundt pan. Bake at 300 degrees (F) for 1 hour and 40 minutes (yes, you read that right).

Allow to cool before inverting to a plate.

We enjoyed our cake with some fresh strawberries.

So I rate this Pinterest pin a great success.  It's a keeper!

***Sorry about the poor picture-taking skills displayed here.  I'm not that bad of a photographer, but food is a challenge to me.  Perhaps I'll get better with age!