Thursday, January 31, 2013

Chorizo, Eggs, y Papas






WARNING: This meal will make your kitchen smell amazing. Cook with care.


Chorizo and eggs is something that my Grandma Garcia would always make and then my Mother learned to make. My Mom taught me in high school and since I moved out I make it all the time. It's really easy to make and is my absolute favorite breafast meal. Period. 
A lot a people don't know what chorizo is, It's a spiced pork that you can buy at pretty much at any grocery store. It comes in a plastic tube and is with the sausages typically. 
You can customize this however you want, sometimes I make it without potatoes with potatoes, with or without onions. You can eat it with a tortilla, as a taco or add refried beans and make it a burrito, or in a bowl by itself. It's very versatile. 










Chorizo, Eggs, y Papas

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 a tube chorizo
2 eggs


Chop your onion and potatoes.
Heat up a frying pan on medium heat.
Add the olive oil, potatoes, and onions.
Pepper the potatoes and onions to taste. 
When the potatoes and onions are tender, which will depend on the size of how you cut them, add the chorizo.
Using a wooden spoon, chop the chorizo and let it cook until its slightly crumbly and mix it with the potatoes and onions while its cooking so that the flavor of the chorizo soaks in with the vegetables. 
When the chorizo is about done, add the eggs and scramble them with everything else until the eggs are fully cooked.
Enjoy!






Friday, January 18, 2013

Best of 2012


Can you believe another year has come and gone already?
Well that means it's time to look back and see what my favorite post of last year were!
It wasn't hard to pick my favorites, I must admit. 2012 was such a great year for me friendship wise and career wise, because I was promoted to full-time this year!
Learn As You Go also has a twitter now, (@LearnAsYouGo_) and I've also started using instagram to promote this site.
Okay, enough chit chat. Drumroll please......

Top 10 Posts of 2012

#10 7th Place Award Winning Ribs

I love this recipe for ribs, for a first timer making ribs, it was super easy to follow and the ribs were just bursting with flavor. I must admit, I liked them better when they were cooked on a slow cooker versus in the oven, you really just can't beat the slow cooker. 



These bars were delicious. I took them to work and my co workers devoured them. They were soft, sweet, and perfect for any birthday.


#8 Strawberry White Chocolate Brownies


The perfect switch-up to you normal, every day brownies are these. White Chocolate with strawberries you can't go wrong. They were moist and pretty amazing.


#7 Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese


I loveee paninis, grilled cheese, and mashed potatoes with all the fixings. This literally combines the best of all worlds. Eat them with soup or by themselves either way you will be very happy you made them.


#6 Bears Cookies


These cookies combined two of my posts from 2011, but they turned out so cute and so good; I mean come on how can you not make these every year for football season or for any sport or even. The spiced cookies are perfect to use when sick of the every day sugar cookies and the royal frosting takes your cookies from the norm to bakery quality.

#5 Pecan Pie Cookies


I don't even like pecans. But everyone loved them and I loved how easy they were to make. The cookies were a simple brown sugar thumbprint cookie and the filling had only a few ingredients. Pop them in the oven and you have an easy, original, fall or Thanksgiving treat.


#4 Red Velvet Blossoms 


These are a delicious twist to the typical peanut butter blossoms. How can you go wrong with red velvet? Don't think these are just for Valentines Day! You can make these during the winter holidays or Fourth of July too!


#3 Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream


The star of this post was the raspberry buttercream. Maybe I'm biased because I'm slightly raspberry obsessed but this is the best tasting frosting I've ever made, possibly ever tasted, even. Yes that good. Go, spread the word.


#2 Buffalo Chicken Bites



WHA? Something that isn't a sweet baked-good in the top 5?! Oh yes. These buffalo bites were so much fun to make, (maybe it was just me but making something completely new is the most interesting thing to me), and so worth the time it takes to let the dough rise, unless you use pre made dough. Perfect for tailgating, parties, or anytime you want to make an appetizer that will impress all.


#1 Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies


Ugh, I love these cookies! My favorite post of the year was not hard to pick. In fact, this was the easiest one to pick! The chocolate with the coffee flavor is devine. They require a bit of time, but these grown up cookies are so worth the effort. Just try not to eat them all yourself at once, or indulge and do. ;)


Alright! That's all of them! What did you think? Did you favorite post of last year make the cut? What do you want to try or what have you tried already? I can't wait for another year of delicious blogging and thank you all for reading! Don't forget to follow my page on the sidebar to the right and tell your friends on twitter, pintrest, instagram and facebook if you like my site!


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Raspberry Cinnamon Biscuits




This meal is all things amazing you don't get much better than raspberries, biscuits and cinnamon/sugar. I made these while my parents were here visiting and they loved them. The only comment I would make really is don't be shy with your cinnamon/sugar. You can't have too much! Recipe from Coupon Clipping Cook.
I hope everyone is having an amazing 2013! Look for my best of 2012 post coming soon. What were you favorite posts of last year?

Raspberry Cinnamon Biscuits
serves 6

for the biscuits:
2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

for the filing:
1/2 cup whole raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl.
Add the butter to the sifted ingredients.
Using a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the mixture of dry ingredients.
Add the milk to the well an mix it quickly with a fork until the dough sticks together.
Sprinkle some flour onto a large cutting board.
Add the dough to the cutting board and knead it gently about ten times.
Add a bit of flour to a rolling pin and roll the dough until its about 1/2 inch thick.
Using a biscuit cutter (or the top of a glass),  cut the dough into 6 circles.
Add those circles to an ungreased cookie sheet.
Brush some softened butter on the top of the biscuits.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the top of the buttered biscuits.
Cut the raspberries in half lengthwise.
Top each biscuits with 4 to 6 raspberry halves depending on the size of the berries.
Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on the top of the raspberries.
Roll the remaining dough, and cut it into another 6 circles.
Top each raspberry biscuit with one of the remaining dough circles, like a sandwich.
Spread some softened butter on top of each biscuit.
Then top with more cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until the golden.
Serve warm.



Friday, January 4, 2013

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies





As if these pictures weren't self explanatory let me say that out of the three new cookies I tired this year, I defiantly saved the best for last. They taste just like a caramel apple. I've made 3 carmel apple cookies before, one was with the Jiffy apple muffin mix, there was the Carmel Apple Surprise Cookies, and these. I think that these may be my favorite. I'd never herd of Alpine instant cider before, maybe because up north, at least in Chicago, fall is all about fresh cider. However, after tasting these cookies, it might be something to try.
On my first attempt at putting the carmel in the dough, I put the dough on the cookie sheet and put the carmel on top and tried to fold the dough over but that was way too messy. The best way is to scoop the dough with a tablespoon, but the dough in one hand, and with the other put the carmel in the middle and in your hands seal the caramel with the dough so that its completely covered and then put it on the cookie sheet. It makes more sense when you're making them.
I don't know if this will be a Christmas cookie regular for me but it defiantly will be a new go-to fall cookie.
Recipe from The Six Sisters





Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, nearly melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 7.4 ounce box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix, (not sugar free)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
3 cups flour
1 14 ounce bag Kraft Caramels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder.
Add flour and mix until just combined.
With a standard cookie scoop, scoop the dough scrapping off the excess as you go up the bowl.
Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place caramel in the center.
Work the dough amount the caramel sealing well.
Placing the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter.
Let cool until the are no longer soft but slightly warm.
Twist gently to remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooking rack.