new year, new look

i've made a couple small changes to the site. hopefully some more will come tonight...as soon as i figure out how to add tabs. i'm not so good with the html stuff and i'm really not wanting to learn so i've been putting it off. but once i figure out html a little bit better, i'm hoping to add more content to the site besides my pathetic ramblings.

one of the first tabs i'll be adding is a cooking section. i don't get to do much cooking for myself as it isn't much fun to cook or bake for just one, but i get to do a fair bit at work and have come across several great recipes that i use on a regular basis. and i also get a chance to try new recipes whenever i like. my love of cooking and baking goes back to elementary school when i joined 4-H. i spent a lot of time learning to bake, winning a few competitions and earning some scholarship money along the way. in high school, i took a two hour cooking class at another high school every morning. while the first year, i learned nothing as the teacher was never there, the second year i learned a lot and really started to love cooking as well. so much so that i considered skipping traditional college in favor of culinary school. however culinary school scared me when i visited the school at Grand Rapids Community College (way more prestigious than it sounds). i realized i was more of a casual chef than a future restaurant chef.

the addition of recipes to the site will not be something i do often as even now, most of my cooking is for 3 year old, 5 year old and myself. while i love to cook and bake, i rarely want to eat the food i've prepared because my own palette hasn't matured much past elementary school. i still prefer sandwiches, chicken nuggets and the occasional pizza.

but here are a few recipes i love!

chicken chili
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook
serves 6

i love this chili as it doesn't have beans...a food i can't make myself eat. i like to keep it very rustic so i keep the onion and peppers a bit larger than the original recipe called for. and unless you like your tomatoes to be creamy, i don't put them in a food processor before adding them, instead i just give each tomato a good squeeze to break it up a little. as for the spices, amount used is estimated as i just put it in to taste, not actually measure it out. needless to say, my chili tastes slightly different every time.

4 cups chopped yellow onion
olive oil (i use a 3-4 second pour)
4-6 cloves of garlic (i love garlic so i use more than the 4 cloves called for)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 28oz cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained (i prefer san marzano tomatoes)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves (or i use dried basil to taste)
4 chicken breasts

preheat over to 350 degrees.

sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. roast chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. let cool slightly. tear chicken into large bit-sized pieces.

cook onions in oil over medium-low heat until translucent (10-15 minutes). add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne and salt. cook for 1 minute. crush tomatoes by hand and add to pot with basil. bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

add chicken to chili and simmer, uncovered, another 20 minutes. serve with chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar and sour cream. reheats really well.

peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies
also from the Barefoot Contessa

for a nice change of pace i'll change things up a little bit and use half a bag of chocolate chunks and half a bag of butterscotch chips.

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup good smooth peanut butter (i use jif)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 package nestle semisweet chocolate chunks

preheat over to 350 degrees

in the bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (this recipe is a lot easier with an electric mixer or a beater). add the eggs, one at a time. add the vanilla and peanut butter, and mix. sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then add to the batter, only mixing until combined. fold in chocolate chunks.

refrigerate overnight. (makes for WAY better cookies)

drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

this is the point where the barefoot contessa and i disagree. she says to bake for 17 minutes and that the cookies will be slightly underdone. i say if you bake for 17 minutes, you'll have burnt cookies. i bake them for 11-12 minutes and then pull them out. i suppose you should cook them til you feel comfortable with their doneness. do not overbake. remove from the oven, let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

batch makes about 32 cookies depending on size. once they're cooled, i like to freeze them. they last longer (meaning i don't just sit and eat them all right away) and 30 seconds in the microwave makes them perfectly warm and chewy.

if you like your cookies chewy, make sure to throw the dough in the fridge overnight, but if you like them flattened and a bit crunchy, feel free to bake them right away.