Sunday, February 26, 2012

Creamy Tomato Soup

When I was a kid all i would eat was pizza, chili dogs, and tomato soup with grilled cheese.
The funny thing is that those are still some of my favorite things to eat today, (I do like much more though).
As much as I love tomato soup, it's kind of boring to eat with out grilled cheese because there really isn't a whole lot to it, until now.
Soup and chili are so much fun to make, they aren't hard, pretty much anyone can follow the recipe and the outcome is so delicious, filling, and satisfying.
I got this recipe off of Picky Palate.


Creamy Tomato Soup

1/4 cup white onion, (chopped)
4 gloved garlic, (minced)
2- 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
8oz Mexicorn
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup cooked crumbled bacon

Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add corn, stirring to compine then add salt, pepper and cumin, stirring to combine.
Stir in buttermilk, chicken broth, chicken, and bacon pieces until combined.
Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Red Velvet Blossoms

Valentines Day is my favorite holiday, so I wasn't about to let being single ruin it for me!
My friend and I decided that we would be each others Valentines. I knew right away that I wanted to bake her something delicious for Valentines Day, at first I was going to make red velvet cookie sandwiches, but then I saw these Red Velvet Blossoms on The Galley Gourmet and absolutely had to try them.
The only thing I changed on these were that she used hugs and I used dark chocolate kisses.


Red Velvet Blossoms
makes 3 dozen


1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon liquid red food color
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
36 Hershey's dark chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the oil, brown sugar, and sugar until no brown sugar lumps remain.
Add the egg and mix until creamy.
Mix in the food color, vanilla and vinegar.
Add the flour mixture and mix until completely combined.
Using a 1/2 ounce ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into balls, rolling gently between the palms of your hands making a smooth uniform surface.
Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, bake until puffed and edges are set, about 12 minutes.
Remove the cookies and press a chocolate candy into the center of each cookie.
Let the cookies rest for 1 minute, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Get Ready For A Sugar Rush!

Valentines Day is coming up in a few days and it's not too late to make something delicious for your Valentine, whether it be for your significant other, your child, or like me, your friend.
Even if your single you can celebrate Valentines Day! Don't let not having a significant other ruin the big day for you! Call up a friend and make some plans to see one of the movies out or go for lunch!
If you do end of baking for your Valentine, check out these Cotton Candy Cupcakes, I got the recipe off of  Bakingdom, and I love cotton candy so another perk of making them is you get to eat the left overs!







Cotton Candy Cupcakes
makes 14 cupcakes


For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, (softened)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
.5 (1/2 cup) ounce cotton candy 

For the frosting:
3 teaspoons heavy cream
1 (1 cup) ounce cotton candy
1 stick unsalted butter, (softened)
8 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line muffin pan with your paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Scrape the bowl before stirring in the cotton candy, be careful to not over mix the batter.
Scoop 3 tablespoons into each liner.
Bake 18-22 minuets until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a small bowl pour 1 1/2 teaspoon heavy cream over the cotton candy to melt it.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.
Stir in vanilla and cotton candy.
Beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds.
Add remaining cream if necessary.
Make sure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

Welcome to my first new recipe of 2012!
Working retail during the holiday season is crazy, especially when your parents visit and you're starting to make friends in a new place. But now I'm back and have some great stuff coming for you all, starting with this delicious loaded baked potato grilled cheese sandwich, I know it's a mouthful!

I'm basically a sucker for anything with cheese and bacon, but add potatoes and you have the trifecta.
Seriously, how can you go wrong with potatoes, cheese, and bacon? You know it's going to be good!
And oh it was! I made it for dinner tonight with tomato soup ( I'll post that next), and my grandfather devoured it. They really aren't that hard to make, and the end result is going to be a regular on your table.


I got the recipe from BS in the Kitchen
I used honey wheat bread, turkey bacon, and fat free sour cream to make it a little healthier.

I just got an awesome recipe box to keep all my recipes in. So excited, (it's easy to make me happy), I've been trying to fill it with everything I've posted in the last year.

Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese
1 sandwich


3-4 strips of bacon
1 potato
2 tablespoons of sour cream
2 slices of cheddar cheese
Green Onions 
2 slices of bread
butter
olive oil
garlic powder
pepper


Preheat your frying pan on medium heat and put the olive oil in the pan, enough to lightly cover the bottom.
Cut your potato into even slices, you will need 4-5 sliced for the sandwich, as thick as you would like.
Put the potato slices in the pan, cooking each side until browned and crispy.
While cooking, pepper the potatoes to taste and sprinkle a pinch of the garlic powder.
In another pan, cook your bacon on medium heat, you can either cut and crumble the bacon or leave its at strips.
Butter each side of your bread, and spread some sour cream on the side of the bread that will be on the inside.
Remove the grease from the bacon and potatoes with a paper towel and begin assembling the sandwich.
First put a slice of cheese, then the potatoes, then some more sour cream, (to keep the bacon and green onions on), then the green onions and bacon, then the other slice of cheese and finally the top slice of bread.
Grill the sandwich in a pan or panini maker on medium head on each side until golden brown.
Cut in half and enjoy.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Best of 2011

Happy New Year everyone!
I apologize for it being late but I'm back!
I wanted my first post of 2012 to look back and recap my first year of blogging.
These are my favorites from last year, what were yours? Did you try them?

January: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies


These are one of my favorite cookies. Period. They are so simple to make and so wonderful to eat. I actually had to hide my batch from my grandfather before he ate them all. I'd microwave them for a few seconds and have gooey chocolate  minty goodness.



These cookies are an instant classic. Anything with white chocolate, any chocolate really, and raspberry is my favorite and these cookies are immediately everyones favorite. They're soft and the more raspberry the better!

April: Crispy Italian Panini


I know, my photography skills were bad for this one. But this panini is so good. Super easy to make, but it its sweet and you wont even stop eating it until it's all gone. Seriously.

June: Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes


These cupcakes take forever to make, but they are so worth it. You cant stop eating them, I don't know why it is about raspberry in baked goods, but they are ten times better than everything else.

July: Raspberry Crumb Bars

I think that when i make these again I'll add more raspberry, but they were pretty good as is. They weren't hard to make, I think I had five myself. I already have plans to make these again.

August: Red Velvet Cupcakes

I hadn't had red velvet until this year when a co-worker asked me to make these before I moved. I know know that I was doing my taste buds a huge injustice. Not to mention that the cream cheese frosting on these was beyond my expectations. So good.

September: Cherry Coke Cupcakes

Cherry Coke is my favorite soda, especially when made with grenadine. I think the best way to bake is by making things you'll love. They just add that extra touch.

October: Summer Hash

I know something that looks and tastes this good couldn't be healthy. But it is. This meal is the best of all worlds. Now I'm getting hungry..

November: Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I think the best part of these cupcakes were the frosting, it was so good. The cupcakes were really yummy too.

December: Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies
Again. Raspberry. If i could go on anymore about how in love with it you would be so bored with it. But they were rich and chocolatey and perfect. Make them and you will be in love.


So that's my year.
It was pretty great if I don't say so myself.
28 posts, 1500 views, 10 different countries viewing, 4 followers, 3 comments and now i have a twitter! @learnasyougo_
Here's to 2012, I'm going to work hard to make this blog even better with more experience and delicious food.
Thanks for reading!