Another Year Gone By

Today I am a proud 36 years young - Happy Birthday to Me! I love my birthday and expect to be treated like a Queen on my day & I want to feel like one. Well, I guess this year is an exception because I feel like no Queen. I have fallen ill with a bronchial infection, am on four prescriptions & feel like a croaking toad. Yes, a croaking toad. Knowing I would feel like a non-Queen I knew it would take me a little bit longer to get in the swing this morning so I set that lovely alarm for 5:00 a.m. Guess what? It didn't make a peep! I was awoke by a birthday telephone call at 7:45 a.m. - I HAVE TO BE AT THE OFFICE AT 8:00! I had the perfect outfit picked out to sport my new birthday haircut and had been looking forward to a liesurely morning. Boy, did I have to kick it into high gear and I was forty-five minutes late. Whew! What a birthday greeting. My darling hubby did surprise me at the office with lunch from Panera, knowing I had to work through my day. I just love their French Onion Soup! MMMMMM MMMM! I'm starting to feel a little more Queenlike!

Now for the good stuff...presents, dinner and BIRTHDAY CAKE BABY! Hubby let me pick out my main gift (For some reason he is under the impression that I am picky!), and I selected a gorgeous new watch. Let me just say, I LOVE IT! Boy he has great taste, doesn't he?

My dear sweet niece Ashley gave me the cutest card..about the QUEEN's B-Day and the best gift you could ever receive...a gift certificate to my favorite department store so I can pick out what I want! Hmmm those 800 thread count sheets I saw on sale are calling my name!

To my surprise, my sweet hubby gave me a little something extra, a romance double feature DVD, Must Love Dogs and You've Got Mail. Wow, two of my favorite girly movies on one DVD - what a deal!

Mom surprised me with the most beautiful set of jewelry, jade and sterling silver necklace, earrings and pendant. I had asked for it months ago when we saw it and I had completely forgotten about it. What a nice surprise!

Did I say that I LOVE gifts?!!! I am usually the one giving, giving, giving, so when it's my day, I thoroughly enjoy it! Seeing as how I am so sick, I decided I did not really want to venture out to a restaurant for my birthday dinner so I asked my sweet mama to cook for me. My request - her Southern Fried Chicken (in the cast iron skillet of course), Mashed Potatoes & Cream Gravy, and Green Beans. MMMMM MMMMM so yummy. Remember, y'all, I'm a Texas gal tried and true! My mama's fried chicken is out of this world, finger-lickin' good! I'm so excited! You've got to understand something - she hasn't made fried chicken for us in at least five years because for some strange reason she doesn't think it's healthy! Go figure! Well, tonight all bets were off! I wish you were here but that leaves more for me! This was my delicious dinner, fit for a TEXAS queen!

I was delighted to see the best chocolate cake ever, my mama's Wacky Chocolate Cake, which made its debut after dinner. I request this cake every year and have done so for as long as I can remember. I'm sharing this recipe because you deserve to have the BEST chocolate cake recipe there is! It's wacky alright, just look at the recipe, but it is out of this world delicious, so chocolatey and moist! I'll be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I hope you try it - you will be pleasantly surprised when that first bite slides off the fork. Feast your eyes on the world's best chocolate cake...

Wacky Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:

2 cups unsifted flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups water

3/4 cup oil

2 tbls. vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add the next four ingredients and beat three minutes at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Pour into greased and floured 13x9x2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

We use a chocolate buttercream with two tablespoons of hot coffee in it - makes it even more creamy and delicious! Enjoy!

Christmas Cooking Under Way

This is the beginning of the craziest week of the year for Deb's Delectable Edibles. I make gourmet gift baskets for corporate clients throughout the year, but Christmas is definitely the busiest. Yesterday I completed my shopping for just the perfect packaging (this year it will be a towering delight!) and then I headed off to purchase all of the ingredients for my delicious creations. Suffice it to say...my pantry, counters and tables runneth over! Today I got a head start on my week of baking and candy making and whipped out Texaslicious Pecan Pralines, Double Dipped Peanut Butter Balls, and a big ol' batch of chocolatey Fudge loaded with pecans. Oh what fun, I'm so excited! I'll be posting pics throughout the week as my project comes together.

After a long day of candy making and Christmas card writing, I thought a comfort food dinner was in order and the hubby asked for my Meatball and Potato Dinner. This recipe is one that I remember my mom making through the years, only I have adapted it to be gluten-free and it utilizes ground turkey in place of hamburger. I hope you will try this one, it is so wonderful and is great reheated.

MEATBALL & POTATO DINNER

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast

1 finely chopped medium onion

1 finely chopped bell pepper

1 egg (I used 1 TBLS milled flax seed with 3 TBLS water in place of the egg)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

3-4 large new potatoes, cut in 1" chunks

3/4 cup water

olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients except water and oil in a mixing bowl (it works best to use your hands to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients). Roll into 1-inch meatballs and place in hot skillet coated with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, brown meatballs on all sides. Lower heat to low and slide meatballs to the sides of the pan, making a place in the middle of your skillet for the potatoes. Place potatoes in the middle of the skillet and add the water. Sprinkle potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

This is delicious just by itself but I add a garden salad, steamed broccoli or fresh green beans to round out the meal. Enjoy!

It's a Celebration!

Today is the most wonderful day of the year for me. This is the day that my dearest friend became my sweet husband thirteen years ago. We have been through so much through the past years, my husband’s disability and four-year fight with social security, my PCOS-induced infertility, college, my change of career paths, sickness and family death. Through it all, we have remained side-by-side, united, best of friends and a little more in love with each day that passes. There are those days when my stress and hormones get the best of me and I could just smack him – don’t we all have those days – but I thank God for making this sweet and caring man just for me. Happy Anniversary To Us!

Added Note: My husband took me to the coziest, most wonderful little spot for dinner, The Library. We have several friends who love to relax after a long day in this quiet little spot but we haven't had the opportunity to try it out. Well, tonight was our night. We were greeted by twinkling white Christmas lights, a winding brick walkway, an old wooden porch, and the friendliest hostest & staff you could ever ask for. Although we didn't have a reservation, they took us right in when they found out it was our anniversary, gave us the best table in front of the fireplace complete with drippy candles, lush cushy chairs and the crackling fire. Our dinner was amazing, the best ribeye steak these Texas beef eaters have ever placed in their mouths! And then there was DESSERT!!! Our lovely waitress brought out this beautiful display...Italian Cream Cake, Chocolate Layered Mouse, Coffee Ice Cream Cake. OMG, it was heavenly! This is most certainly our new go-to place to reconnect, unwind and enjoy a quiet evening. Wish you were here!

The Happy Couple at 13 Years & Counting!

Lasagna Soup with Cracked Pepper & Garlic Crostini

Today was a fabulously lazy day at home. I had a much deserved Sunday at home and decided to spend it putting up Christmas decorations and making dinner for my family. After a long day at my second job yesterday, smiling and greeting crazy after Thanksgiving shoppers, I kicked back with my hubby and watched Paula's Party. I just love Paula Deen and what she has made of herself. Her theme last night was Italian night and let me tell you, if it hadn't been almost midnight I would have been in the kitchen cooking. We were so drooling over all of her dishes. So, today I tried my hand at Paula's Taste Almost Like Lasagna Soup. Let me tell you my friends, there are absolutely no words for this one. You will just have to try it for yourself. I can tell you though that it will be a go to comfort food for hubby and I. Here ya go!


Ingredients
1 pound ground chuck (I used ground turkey breast)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles (I use gluten-free)
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic Crostini, recipe follows


Garlic Crostini:1 thin French baguette (or your favorite crusty Gluten-Free bread)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately.

For the garlic crostini:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves.

ENJOY YA'LL!




(My thoughts: I added in 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms with the bell pepper and onion since we like mushrooms in our lasagna sauce. It added a little something extra and more texture to the soup.)

Texas Longhorn Crunch

Some of my favorite memories as an adult were spent living in the Tennessee Valley with my husband. The scenary was absolutely gorgeous and the seasons were long and beautiful. Every Fall, my parents would drive up from Texas and spend a week when the leaves were beginning to change. They loved it so much they would even take the 15 hour drive back in a couple of weeks to spend Thanksgiving week with us. Mom and Dad would come bearing homemade goodies like Daddy's lipsmacking bbq sauce or Mom's CinnaMOMsters, and they always had 20+ pounds of good ol' Texas pecans for cracking. Each Fall visit my Daddy could be found on my back porch cracking pecans for our holiday baking while enjoying the beautiful mountain scenary. Sometimes I wonder if he ate as many of those pecans as he gave...hmmm. Those are my precious memories and I wouldn't change a single one. My Daddy passed away Father's Day weekend 2007. I have no regrets, he knew how very much I loved him. This beautiful Fall weekend, I just had to make one of my Daddy's favorite Fall treats, homemade Caramel Corn. The basic recipe for the caramel corn is my mom's recipe. I hope you will try this recipe and will make many memories with your family popping the corn and waiting with a watering mouth as it roasts away! Enjoy! (Later tonight I will be posting my grand finishing touch to make this my famous Texas Longhorn Much!)

Caramel Corn Ingredients:
1 cup popcorn kernels (popped to make 5 quarts of popped corn)
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups toasted nuts
Pop corn and keep warn in large roasting pan in oven.

Combine remaining ingredients except baking soda and nuts in a large 2-quart heavy pan over medium heat. Stir until brown sugar dissolves and continue to boil to firm ball stage (248 degrees).


Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Pour hot syrup over popped corn and toasted nuts, stirring to combine well.

Return to preheated 250 degree oven for 15 minutes, stir corn and repeat heating and stirring two more times. Cool thoroughly and store in air tight container.

Optional: Texas Longhorn Cruch Version

1 cup semi sweet, milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in bowl in microwave for one minute, stir, and return to microwave for 15 more seconds, stir until smooth. After caramel corn has finished cooking, pour out two to three cups and dip in melted chocolate. Place chocolate dipped caramel corn on wax covered cookie sheet and chill in fridge until set. After set, mix with remaining undipped caramel corn. Delicious!