30 Sep
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Posted by Michelle as Soups, Stews and Chili | 13 Comments
Again, I’m sorry, I’m such a bad hostess. I chose this recipe and then couldn’t even get it in by the deadline of last Thursday. My deepest apologies to Ina and all of the Barefoot Bloggers. However, I am SO glad that I made the time to whip this up. This soup is absolutely fabulous! It did take a little bit of time from start to finish (probably about 2 hours), but it was well worth it. This soup is so full of flavor and so much better than any canned soup you might buy.
24 Sep
Chicken Pot Pie
Posted by Michelle as Savory Pies and Tarts | 24 Comments
The extent of my experience with chicken pot pie had only been a recipe that my grandmother shared with me a few years ago. It was really good. Really, really good. It also included about half a box of Bisquick. I kid you not. Now that fall has arrived, I began craving your typical comfort foods, including chicken pot pie. Not really wanting to use so much Bisquick, I went out in search of a more authentic version of this classic recipe. I seemed to hit the jackpot with this version from Williams Sonoma and although an authentic recipe would include a traditional pie crust, puff pastry is seriously one of the best things ever.
15 Sep
Chocolate Biscotti
Posted by Michelle as Cookies | 17 Comments
I made these biscotti as part of the package I put together for Operation Baking GALS (sorry it’s taken me a while to get this post up!), which also included plain vanilla biscotti and chocolate chip biscotti. These biscotti come courtesy of Dorie Greenspan and were actually the second-ever Daring Baker challenge, back in December of 2006. Since I’ve been wanting to tackle all of the old DB challenges as part of My 100 list, and given that I had already decided to do a biscotti theme for my package, I thought throwing in these biscotti only made sense. I wouldn’t be a good baker if I didn’t taste test what I was shipping off (*wink*), so I made sure to give these a try. I thought they were absolutely fabulous and plan on adding them to my list of things that will go in my Christmas packages this year.
10 Sep
Grown Up Mac and Cheese
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 45 Comments
This installment of Barefoot Bloggers was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl, and I could just give her a big hug for picking macaroni and cheese. I mean, really, who DOESN’T love macaroni and cheese?! And what are the odds that Ina Garten would create a mac n’ cheese that wasn’t freaking fantabulous? I have been making the same baked macaroni and cheese recipe for the past year or so, and this version wasn’t too terribly different, but it introduced some “grown up” flavor in terms of the types of cheeses used and the addition of bacon. This really was a fabulous recipe, it certainly lived up to the hype!
05 Sep
Operation Baking GALS: Biscotti
Posted by Michelle as Cookies | 16 Comments
I have seen posts about Operation Baking GALS for the last month or so, and finally emailed Susan at She’s Becoming DoughMessTic and wanted to find out how to get involved. As a bit of background, Operation Baking GALS has hosts that have a personal connection to a military personnel overseas and coordinates groups of bakers to send these guys as many tastes of home as possible, in an effort to lift morale and let them know they are appreciated and thought about. I really commend Susan for this huge coordination, as I know it has meant so much to the troops who have already received packages in the last round.
I was assigned to Susan’s group this round and shipped off my package to Christopher, who is currently overseeing a group of young soldiers. After thinking long and hard about what I wanted to send over, I decided I wanted to send a little piece of who I am. And what most represents me when it comes to food (aside from chocolate)? My Italian-ness, of course! To that end, I decided to send an assortment of biscotti, as well as some drink mixes to enjoy the biscotti with. Not only are they very Italian, but they keep pretty much forever! Here is everything, getting ready to get packed up and shipped off:
- Plain vanilla biscotti
- Chocolate chip biscotti
- Chocolate biscotti (recipe will follow in a separate post – it’s up! CLICK HERE to go to that post)
- Tea and individual coffee, cappuccino, and hot cocoa mixes
I actually got a little choked up taking this package to the post office, thinking about these troops, and hoping to brighten their day. I can’t even fathom the sacrifices they make and the horrible things they see, all so the rest of us can rest safely in our beds at night. A big THANK YOU to all serving in the military, and to all of their families, as they make huge sacrifices as well. If you’re interested in taking part in the next round of Operation Baking GALS, check out the link above for all of the information!
