Saturday, December 31, 2016

New Years Eve Appeatizers

Happy New Years Eve!!



We are having some family over for a small get together. I'm just throwing together a few appetizers but after all of the holiday food we have been eating, I thought I would try some different choices. Let me know what you think! Have fun and be safe!

Garbage Bread

1 roll of pizza dough
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Sliced pepperoni
Sliced Salami
Sliced Ham

Roll out pizza dough. 
Mix together oil & garlic and brush over dough. 
Add a layer of mozzarella cheese and a layer of pepperoni over dough. 
Fold in ends of dough and then roll. 

Heat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. 

Crab Poppers

1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup corn
3 small mini red bell pepper 
1/4 cup green onion stems, chopped 
16-ounce jumbo lumped crabmeat, drained
3/4 cup mayo
1 farm fresh egg, beaten
1 teaspoon black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Spray mini muffin pan and sprinkle cups with Panko to coat. 
Finely chop bell pepper and onion tops (setting aside 1 teaspoon for garnish). 

Combine corn, bell pepper, remaining onions, crabmeat, 1/2 of mayo, egg, salt, and pepper. 
Mix gently. Sprinkle with remaining Panko. 
Divide mixture into cups of pan. 
Combine lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and remaining mayo. 
Mix well and brush tops of crab cakes with sauce. 
Top with remaining teaspoon of onion. 

Heat oven to 425 and bake 10 minutes. 

Spicy Shrimp

Sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons grated ginger root 
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from 7oz can)
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles)
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Shrimp
1lb uncooked large shrimp (21-30 count), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a saucepan stir brown sugar and water. 
Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. 
Stir in remaining ingredients for the sauce. Save 2 tablespoons. 
Place shrimp in a bowl with remaining sauce and stir to coat. 
Let stand at room temperature to marinate 20 minutes. 
Spray skillet and cook shrimp 4-5 minutes. 
Transfer shrimp to bowl with reserved sauce. 
Sprinkle with salt and the cilantro.

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 extra large white mushrooms, caps and stems separated
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 tablespoon Marsala
3/4 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
3/4 cup scallions, minced white and green parts separated 
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
2/3 cup Panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
5-ounce Italian mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan 
2 teaspoons parsley

Cut all of the mushrooms finely. 
Place in a bowl and mix with olive oil and Marsala. 
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. 
Add in ground sausage to brown, then add in chopped mushroom stems.
Mix in scallions, garlic, salt and pepper and cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Add Panko crumbs and stir to combine. 
Then add mascarpone and cook until it has melted. 
Turn off heat to add Parmesan and parsley. 
Fill each mushroom cap with stuffing and place on the baking dish. 
Heat oven to 350 and bake for 40 minutes. 

Enjoy ~ Eat4Self



Thursday, December 29, 2016

Lasagna and Chicken Parmesan for Pasta Sauce


Yesterday I posted my blog with a great recipe for my Mom's Pasta Sauce. So following that today I thought I would share two great recipes her sauce would compliment. These are definitely two
of my families favorites! 

As Always Enjoy!
~Eat4Self

Lasagna

Cooked Lasagna Noodles
Pasta Sauce (see recipes)
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground sausage
16-ounce bag of Mozzarella cheese, shredded
16 ounces Ricotta cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1 large farm fresh egg

Mix egg, parsley and ricotta cheese. Brown ground beef and ground sausage together in a skillet until browned. In a deep baking dish, begin layering with about 1/3 of meat on the bottom, then one layer lasagna noodles, 1 layer ricotta cheese, top with shredded mozzarella and some Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers until used and top with pasta sauce. 

Heat oven to 375 and bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 25 until cheeses are bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes. 

Chicken Parmesan

2-3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
3-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3-6 farm fresh eggs, beaten
1-2 cups of Italian bread crumbs
1-2 cups tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

Take each breast and put in a ziplock bag one at a time. Pound out chicken with a meat mallet on a cutting board until spread out and 1/2 inch thick. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. In one wide bowl beat eggs and put near skillet, next pour bread crumbs on a plate also near skillet. Add one empty plate to the opposite side of skillet and then you are ready to begin. Take your first piece of chicken and drench it in the egg batter, then lay it on both sides in the bread crumbs (which should stick to the egg), next put chicken directly into hot oil. Let the chicken brown and flip once, brown both sides. Remove chicken and set on an empty plate. Repeat until all chicken has been cooked. Take the chicken and place the pieces in a large baking pan, top with a layer of tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Heat oven to 350 and bake 20-25 minutes.


Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Homemade Pasta Sauce

My mom used to make Pasta Sauce from scratch in a large batch once a year and freeze portioned bags. It was one of those days you can still smell and your mouth waters. I remember my friends and I stealing bread and dipping it in the stockpot when she wasn't looking and always getting caught! A great Sunday recipe when you have the day to enjoy cooking!



Large bowl of fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded (Cut an x on the top and drop into boiling water for 20 seconds, then run under cold water. Skins will peel right off.)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium onions, diced
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon parsley
salt and course black pepper
1 carrot, 1/2 grated and added to sauce (other half added to sauce whole for last 30 minutes then removed)
2 large green bell peppers, diced
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sugar

In a stockpot, add olive oil, onions, garlic, grated carrots and green pepper and sauté until softened. Add tomatoes and seasonings and simmer 2-3 hours at the minimum for flavor. (Sauce is better the longer ingredients simmer) Add piece of carrot for the last 30 minutes to absorb acidity. Remove bay leaves and carrot. Optional add 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese. 
Use fresh, can or freeze.

Serve over favorite pasta with fresh bread!


Enjoy ~ Eat4Self

Monday, December 26, 2016

Hot Toddy


Perfect drink for this cold weather!

Hot Toddy


1 teaspoon honey
2 ounces boiling water
1 1/2 ounces whiskey: Crown Royal, Jameson, Jim Beam, Gentleman Jack or Canadian Club
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 slice lemon
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Pour the honey, boiling water and whiskey into a mug. Spice it with the cloves and cinnamon & put in the slice of lemon. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Then sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg before serving. 

I'm getting one right now ~ Eat4Self

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas Punch



We have served this amazing punch for two years now and it continues to be well received, let's just say we usually go through about 3 double batches! It is the perfect "Merry" punch with just enough kick and without the too much Christmas morning 😁




Enjoy & Always Drink Responsibly

~Eat4Self



Friday, December 23, 2016

Queso Chicken Pasta Bake

We all need a break from the sweets and holiday party meals! This recipe is one of my all time favorites and my kids love it. We do like a bit of zing to our food so keep that in mind when preparing this recipe 😊  It seriously comes together like a fabulous restaurant style pasta dish. It's that good! Enjoy ~ Eat4Self



8 ounces of penne pasta 
2 teaspoons oil
1 cups onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cream cheese
6 ounces Colby jack cheese
1/2 cup drained Ro'Tel tomatoes
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Spicy Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups half & half
1/4 cup red pepper flakes
1 cup feta or Parmesan cheese

Sauté chicken in olive oil with salt and pepper. Add in onions, garlic, and vegetables until cooked. In a separate pan, melt butter and toss in flour for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in half & half. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and allow to simmer. Once the sauce begins to thicken turn off heat and add cheese. Combine sauce and pasta and serve with Italian or Garlic bread. 



Thursday, December 22, 2016

Strawberry Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites



1 1/3 cups Oreos, crushed
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
2 large farm fresh eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup heavy cream 
25 fairly small fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Foil the sides and bottom of an 8"x8" inch baking dish. Brush foil with 1/2 tablespoon melted butter. Add together Oreos and 2 tablespoons butter, press mixture firmly into the bottom of baking dish, set aside. 

Using a mixer, blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla extract.
Microwave 1/3 cup heavy cream and white chocolate chips in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Mix melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture until combined. Pour into crust in baking dish.
Heat oven to 325 and bake for 40 minutes then turn off oven and allow cheesecake to rest in closed oven for 15 minutes. Do not open door. 
Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes then freeze until an hour before serving. 
Using a mixer, whip 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add confectioners sugar and mix until stiff peaks form.
To assemble: cut a flat top off of each strawberry and lay flat side down over the top of cheesecake. Fill a pastry bag (or ziplock bag and cut a small hole in the corner) with sweetened whipped cream and squeeze around strawberry then finish with a small amount over the hat. Serve immediately 

These are a huge holiday hit! Please enjoy ~ Eat4Self





Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Chocolate Peppermint Bark






8 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate (Ghirardelli)
8 ounces of white chocolate (Ghirardelli)
1/4 cup crushed peppermint (smashed all sizes)

Line a cookie sheet with wax (parchment) paper and set aside. Fill two saucepans about 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a low boil. Place a heat safe glass bowl over each saucepan. Be sure bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Place one kind of chocolate in each of the two bowls. This double boiler method is the best way to melt chocolate. Once each chocolate is melted and smooth, you can spoon them onto the cookie sheet until all the chocolate is gone. Take a butter knife and drag it slowly through the two chocolates to make a marbled look. Toss the crushed peppermint over the top. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours then break bark by hand or knife.

Absolutely the best Chocolate bark I've ever tasted! I found this recipe about a year ago before Christmas and this year everyone was asking specifically for it! Try it for your holiday, it's a crowd pleaser ~ Eat4Self

December Newsletter





Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Holiday Cookies

Holiday Cookies

We just had our annual Family Christmas Party and as the hostess this year I baked some great holiday favorite cookies & desserts!


Gingerbread men, Sugar Cookies, Peanut butter Kisses, Peanut butter cup cookies, Fudge Fancies, MnM pudding Cookies, Molasses Cookies, Anise Cookies & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! All were a huge success. And you can't have a party without Cheesecake so I also made a Triple chocolate cheesecake, a blueberry cheesecake & cheesecake minis with strawberry and heavy cream tops! Yum, Happy Holiday ~ Eat4self

Any recipes for the above Cookies or desserts can be found in my recipe book!

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

HOW BOUT THAT CHILI

HOW BOUT THAT CHILI

Along our recipe journey, the very best CHILI recipe was found. I just prepared this for our weekly action packed football Sunday via our living room. There really is no better combination! Where ever you are, who ever you are, thanks from the inside of full stomachs everywhere for this family favorite 👍🏻



Recipe
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) can chili beans drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spice sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice ~ can sub RoTel tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 green chile peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar

Brown ground beef and sausage over medium heat then add all ingredients to large stock pan. Simmer and cover over low heat for at least 2 hours. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. The longer the chili simmers the better it will be. Serve with optional shredded cheddar cheese on top with corn chip or bread.

Enjoy everyone ~ Eat4Self


Monday, December 12, 2016

Holiday Book Sale

Holiday Book Sale

Don't miss out! I'm so excited for the upcoming Holidays & Promoting my recipe book. 

A Digital Copy of Hand Me Down, Recipes from Mom by Delene Pitman will be available until end of December at a Holiday price of $4.99 on Amazon. 
Follow this link https://www.amazon.com/Hand-Me-Down-Delene-Pitman-ebook/dp/B01MG239F8/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1481568958&sr=8-24&keywords=Hand+me+Down 

Happy Holidays ☃️ Eat4Self


Eat4Self Amazon Giveaway

Eat4Self Amazon Giveaway


https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/982c6cc63d71d085

See this #AmazonGiveaway for a chance to win: Hand Me Down (Kindle Edition). https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/982c6cc63d71d085 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends the earlier of Dec 27, 2016 11:59 PM PST, or when all prizes are claimed. See Official Rules http://amzn.to/GArules.


Good Luck & Happy Holidays!!

Friday, December 9, 2016

What are you eating For this Holiday Dinner?


Every year we plan a big prime rib dinner on Christmas Day! 
It is one of the most looked forward to meals of the year!

Our recipe:

Take out and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
Rub roast with butter, kosher salt, coarse pepper & Herbes De Provence mixture.
Set oven for 500 for 15 minutes or 450 for 20 minutes then reduce oven to 325 without opening the oven door.

Meat temperatures:

13-15 minutes per pound for rare 115-120 degrees on meat thermometer
15-17 minutes per pound for medium 125-130 degrees on meat thermometer



We have a lot of great other family favorites for the holidays on our Ebook, Hand me Down on Amazon. A cool recipe book written by myself & my kids.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Welcome!

I am so excited about this blog! There are so many food trends, eating trends & health trends making our meal planning and buying an ever-changing quest for the best products or what we should be doing. It's exhausting. 

I really love food! I love that I am thoroughly obsessed with growing food like my late mother taught me how to do summer after summer (regardless of my lack of enthusiasm). I really love preparing new and old recipes with my man and the time it gives us to share and make something healthy together. I love the endless hours of baking and creating memories with our children that become traditions year after year. I love the faces when a new recipe is tried and has failed miserably! I love the really big holidays with the tables full of food and all of the smiling faces. 

I believe everyone should eat for yourself, your family & what you believe. My goal for this blog is to share the love of FOOD! I do believe in balance and healthy lifestyles. I love the theories of many of the whole food meal plans especially in regards to processed foods but not on such a strict level. Lifestyles have changed from my childhood to now and I I enjoy versions of both. There are always longings of "home made" traditions that weren't written with the thoughts of heart healthy or calorie counting! My kids and I even put together a collection of index cards, clippings from magazines & boxes, notes from friends & family that were in a box in no specific order of my mother's recipes. It was a dedication and a way for us to have them forever at the tip of our fingers. Let me warn you, it was a very basic, simple design made from us into an Ebook

I would love for you to follow, like, comment & share! This is going to be a lot of fun and hopefully a path to some great new relationships!