Colie's Kitchen

Feb 5, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Relaxing

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

The sauce for this recipe is incredibly good. As a matter of fact I can’t wait to use this sauce to cook chicken in… it’s delicious! People were gathering around the kitchen to see what smelled so good while these meatballs were cooking.

My only issue with how this turned out was the actual meatballs themselves which were no one’s fault but my own. They were frozen and has a weird pork flavor something I am not a fan of. In the future I will follow the original recipe for this and make my own homemade meatballs.

I can’t say enough about the sauce. Despite the flavor of the meatballs the sauce was delicious and really made the meatballs awesome! I can’t wait to make this recipe again. To say it’s awesome is an understatement. Easy, delicious, and the best ever!

Ingredients

2 Pounds Frozen Pre-made Meatballs

Sauce:

½ Tablespoon butter
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup honey
¾ cup ketchup
3 Tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

In a medium pot or large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for about 5 min.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for about 7 min or until the meatballs are cooked through and nice and hot.

Original Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Maple Bourbon Little Smokies #SuperBowlSunday

This is one of those recipes that is a no brainer with no science or hard work to make it a success. Normally for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and for Super Bowl Sunday we will have this little bundles of sausage heaven.

They are super easy to throw in a pot and let the heat do all the work. Normally I put them in a crock pot but that’s up to you. I like to keep them warm so that everyone can snack on them all night long. These also make a nice little side dish or a main course.

The flavor is incredible and they are kind of cute too!

Ingredients:

2- Packages Hillshire Farms Little Smokies
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
3 tbsp. Jim Beam Maple Bourbon

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a crock pot or on the stove top on low and heat.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Serve when heated through.

*The alcohol from the bourbon will evaporate so you don’t have to worry about a heavy bourbon flavor.*

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

(Not Quite) Raising Cane's Dipping Sauce

I love … love… love Raising Canes chicken strip dipping sauce. I was so excited when I found this recipe because I thought for sure it should have been the real deal but it’s not.

I think to get this recipe right you would have to add more Worcestershire sauce and more garlic powder. This recipe is great it really is but it’s not right on the money and so to me it’s not what I am looking for, but it is great and is a great French fry dipping sauce. I don’t want to discourage you from making it.

Give it a try to see what you think.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Add additional pepper if desired.
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.

Original Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

(Not So...) Wordless Wednesday: 2 Tablespoons

If you see a 2 tablespoon measuring spoon like this buy one even better buy two. I love this measuring spoon so much! I thought it was weird the first time I saw it in a new set of spoons because I had never seen one before.

Now I must tell you this is my favorite measuring spoon! I use it all the time. I never realized how many recipes I have that call for two tablespoons. Although it’s not a huge times saver I just love it. It’s quick, easy, and in my opinion very unique. Unique because I have never seen another one!

Yep, it might not be anything exciting to anyone else, but it is to me!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Nana's Garlic Herb Cheese ball

When I was a kid my Nana would make this each year to go on the Christmas Eve table for our family Christmas Eve party. This was my favorite cheese ball. In my head I can still see the plate that my Nana would put it on it was shaped like a green holly leaf with an elf’s face on the side. It was a ceramic plate that my Nana made herself.

This Christmas my aunt made it for the very first time in probably 20 years. I can’t even believe I just wrote 20 years. That was the last Christmas my Nana was alive. This cheese ball is my favorite one. I love it because of all the spices they meld so well together and the is just perfect for anything. It would be great on crackers, bagels, or just about anything.

Although my pictures don’t show this recipe in ball form it’s actually a cheese ball. In order to make this recipe into a cheese ball you will have to double the recipe below.

The original recipe does not call for fat free cream cheese. Adjust to what makes you happy!!

Ingredients:

11 ounces Fat Free Cream Cheese (1 block + 3 ounces) (room temperature)
2 cloves minced garlic
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Marjoram
1/8 teaspoon Thyme
1/8 teaspoon Summer Savory
¼ cup Parsley or nuts to cover cheese ball

Directions:

*If you are wanting to make this recipe into a cheese ball you will need to double the ingredients above*

In a small bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer add all the ingredients (except parsley or nuts) and mix well at a medium speed. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and cover. Refrigerator overnight.
Take cheese ball out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature
Place fresh parsley or nuts on a sheet of wax paper to coat cheese ball

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Homemade Confectioners Sugar

Is it possible to make your own confectioners’ sugar? You bet your hot cross buns you can! I got in a pinch the other day when I realized we didn’t have any powdered sugar and I needed it right away. I remembered seeing online that you could easily make your own just using granulated sugar and a blender.

Was it just that easy? YES! Just take some sugar, maybe one cup at a time, and blend. You keep adding more sugar as needed. I have to stress that it has to blend a long time to get the smooth texture all the way around. I noticed that my blender was getting super-hot by the end of the process.

I would probably never make this again unless I was in a pinch. Sadly it’s just as easy to buy it as it is to make your own, but it sure is nice to know you can if you need it. Also, it didn’t seem to matter how long I blended the sugar I could never get it perfectly smooth. Most of it was smooth, but not all.

So what did that mean for me? My chocolate frosting was grainy and ruined! Ugh! I was disappointed but it was fun seeing the results. I am sure if you waited long enough your sugar would be perfect!

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Corn starch

Directions:

Blend well in a blender until a nice smooth powder forms.
Check for graininess and keep blending if needed.

Original Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Summer Savory Spice ... Who Knew?

When I was a kid my Nana would make a cheeseball at Christmas time that I always loved. Recently I decided I was going to make the recipe myself. I added the ingredients to my shopping list which were your common cheeseball ingredients, then I came to this… Summer Savory!

I had never heard of this spice in my life. I had never even seen a recipe that required it. I did my homework online only to find out it wasn’t a combination of spices but an actual spice called summer savory and apparently there is a winter savory too.

After a little digging the only brand I could find was Spice Islands that even mentioned having it. Then after 3 different grocery stores I found it and yep it was Spice Island, but wow the price! I paid almost $6.00 for this small bottle!

It’s probably a good thing I don’t have any other recipes that require it. It’s a bit too pricey for me, but as my husband put it, you only use 1/8 a teaspoon in the recipe so it should last awhile.

Have you ever used it in a recipe?

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

(Not So...) Wordless Wednesday: Easter Candy in January?

I started putting Christmas away a few weeks ago and somehow putting Christmas away turned into early spring cleaning. The Christmas wasn’t put away but somehow the house was turned upside down and everything was a mess.

While cleaning I found the ultimate find … chocolate Easter candy still in the Easter Eggs… Ewww! I have no idea how that happened.

My friend asked me what I did with the candy… umm… the trash right away! LOL thank you Mr. Easter Bunny!

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Mifgash Mushrooms

This is a really interesting recipe. I wasn’t the biggest fan, but it wasn’t bad either. It has a unique flavor and a nice consistency. In the future I think I would use this recipe more as a gravy than a side dish. I think it would be wonderful over steak or a nice grilled chicken breast.

From what I read online the word Mifgash means encounter in Hebrew so I guess you could call this encounter mushrooms! Interesting!! I love learning new things.

My family loves mushrooms so no one was complaining about a big pot of them. They gobbled them down in no time, as for me I found them to be a bit salty and nothing special at least as a side dish. Like I said this would rock as a gravy or base to slow cook chicken in.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil, for frying
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 can button mushroom, rinsed
1 tablespoon soup mix
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely grated
water

Directions:

Fry the onion in the oil until golden.
Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the soup mix, the black pepper and the paprika.
Add enough water to make a sauce.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has reached the desired thickness.

Original Recipe Source

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com