How to get your husband to make brownies

As much as I love my husband, he can sometimes be a bit forgetful. And sometimes....rarely....I may take advantage of that :)

At any random point in time, just follow the conversation cues below:
Me: You can go ahead
Husband: I can go ahead and do what?
Me: Earlier, you said you were going to make brownies
Husband: I did?
Me: Yes, you said that earlier while we were (insert recent activity here)
Husband: Oh, ok.

And just like that, the husband goes off into the kitchen to make brownies!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 5/3

Ever make one of those meals that just ends up perfect? It doesn't happen very often, but last night was one of those!

We started off with steaks on the grill; the husband took care of those. On top of the steaks were sauteed mushrooms and onions in a light gravy....YUM! For the veggies, we went with steamed carrots-a favorite in our house. Then some pasta with browned butter and herbs.

What are some of your perfect meals?


Now, it's time to link up some of those great dishes you make from scratch!
Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My only content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

wordless wednesday

Sometimes a glass of wine is all you need for a perfect evening!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/26

We have so many great posts linked up each week, but I'd like to know what your favorites are, so leave a comment on here (and on the blog you love!) telling what you like.
Here are some of my favorites:
PW's Awesome-est Blueberry Muffins from Lana

Heather's Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake

Leah's Almond Poppy Seed Bread

Liz's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ott,A's Peanut Butter Brownie

Now time to link up your stuff!!!   What goodies have you been cooking this week?









Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My only content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.

Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/19

 One of the great things about living in Indiana is the abundance of agriculture. I'm lucky enough to work with and get to know several producers and even luckier to be able to buy great products from them. (Although, chances are if I buy meat at my local grocery store, there's a pretty good chance it came from one of them!) Recently, the husband and I bought a hind quarter of beef. I love buying in bulk! And I really love having a freezer full of beef! When we picked up the meat from the processor, they also gave us a few packages of beef liver. Now, I'm no fan of liver. But the husband loves it. In the nearly 5 years we've been married, I've never cooked liver for him. Well, I guess it's about time I expanded my culinary boundaries. Here goes...

Liver and Onions
I started by soaking the liver in milk for a few hours. After all of my online research, that seemed to be a common method of preparation.
For the onions, I sliced them up and sauteed them in a couple tablespoons of butter.

 When they became translucent, take them out of the pan and onto a plate.
Now for the liver....ewwwww! After soaking, I drained the milk and coated the livers in flour, salt and pepper. Then I put them in the pan the onions were in.

I cooked them for a few minutes on each side, until they were browned. Then place on top of the onions.

I really wish I could get excited about this, but truth be told, I didn't even try it. The husband said it was good! What about you? Does your family eat liver? How do you prepare it?

What have you been making this week?

Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My only content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.
p.s. Does your recipe include Baking Powder? If so, check out Ott,A's Iron Chef Challenge sponsored by Clabber Girl!

Baking with Clabber Girl

 Ott,A is at it again with this month's Iron Chef Challenge! April is sponsored by Clabber Girl.

Baking Powder is something I use all the time. Who hasn't eaten the baking powder biscuits? In my opinion, the recipe on the back of the can makes the best biscuits! But really, baking powder is used in so many sweet and savory recipes, I had a hard time figuring out which recipe to use for the challenge. After a lot of debate (and the husband begging for some kind of cake or sweet treat) I decided to go with something I make all the time in so many varities. I don't know where this recipe originated, but I'm going to guess from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook I have from the late 70's. I've bought the newer ones, but I always keep going back to the first one I owned. I haven't looked at the actual recipe in years because it's so easy to remember! And the recipe is so easy I make it all the time. This is one of those go-to recipes I have when company is going to be coming over; people are always so impressed that I make my own crackers. I never tell anyone how easy they are, but I guess the secret is out now!

Spicy Cheese Crackers

What you'll need:
1/2 c butter (or use olive oil spread for a Mediterranean twist)
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt + salt to sprinkle on top
1 t Clabber Girl Baking Powder
Dash of chili powder (or your favorite seasoning)
Dash of crushed red pepper (again, can substitute for other seasoning)
2 c cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese, just don't use soft cheese like ricotta!)

To begin, put the flour and butter in the food processor and process until it looks like cornmeal.

Next add in the salt and baking powder; process about 2-3 seconds.

Then add your seasonings and cheese. Process until well incorporated.

Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Take out of the refrigerator and shape into log. Cut into slices (just smaller than 1/4") and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and turn crackers over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Let cool and serve!

I made these to go with chili. This is my favorite version of the crackers because of all the flavors it adds!

Other versions and optional ingredients I've used include:
Olive oil spread, oregano, basil, Parmesan and Romano cheese
Colby Jack cheese with peppers
Sun dried tomatoes
jalapeno slices
olives

The possibilities are endless! A big thanks to Ott,A and Clabber Girl for sponsoring this month's Iron Chef Challenge!

Make sure to visit the fantastic blog parties on my sidebar, and of course, link up all your made from scratch recipes on my Tuesday linky-Made From Scratch Tuesday!

Made From Scratch Tuesday 4/12

Pound Cake...It's one of the oldest recipes in the world-a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour, and a pound of eggs. While the recipe has evolved over the years, it's still one of the greatest bases for delicious toppings yet still flavorful enough to stand on its own.My personal favorite is this one from Betty Crocker.

Remember my Fondue for Two? This is the pound cake I used for dipping. With the leftover cake, fondue and strawberries, I made this beautiful dessert.

I love leftovers repurposed! All I had to do was drizzle the fondue over the cake and plate then top with strawberries!

What have you been cooking this week?

Here are the rules:
1. You can link up as many posts as you'd like.
2. My only content rule is it has to be made from scratch.
3. If you want to put my button somewhere, that'd be cool. You can grab the code for the Made From Scratch Tuesday button on the top right of my sidebar.