abreiner99

Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 6

February 22, 2021 abreiner99

Taste of Home – Casseroles, Slow Cookers and Soup

Mom picked a good one this week! Casseroles, slow cooker and soup? The ultimate comfort foods if you ask me. I am more than sure that you will see this cookbook come back up in future posts. When I looked to see if this could be cookbook was available for sale, I could not find the exact cover that my Mom’s photo shows. Which would make me believe that this was most likely, the one published in 2007.

This time around, Mom did a meatless meal…Southwest Vegetarian Bake! She said it was amazing. I cannot wait to try it.

It made a lot, as you can see from the pictures. With the pandemic, 3 separate meals make WAY more sense! It is always a bonus when you can share a meal or freeze a meal for later. Make more, eat more!!!!

This meal is made with rice! My Dad does not eat rice. I believe so she shared one of these with my sister and her husband. Plus, I think she has one more in the freezer. Next time she is going to try orzo to make it Dad friendly but still meatless! He does not like black olives either, we shall see if she also changes that up next time.

Enjoy Peeps! I can not wait to make this one for myself!

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Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 5

February 14, 2021 abreiner99

I promise that Barefoot Contessa and the Pioneer Woman are not the only cookbooks that Mom and I have. However, the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks are my favorite. Ian Garten has some beautiful stories in this book about her and Jeffrey and their relationship. On one of her Food Network shows she said that people always ask her about how the two of them have lasted so long in their relationship. She said something like; “It’s easy! I want Jeffrey to happy and Jeffrey wants me to be happy!” If you think about it, that’s great advice.

Enough of the sappy stuff. Let’s talk about Filet Mignon with Mustard and Mushrooms. I made this last year for Valentine’s Day dinner for my husband and me. It was requested again this year. We added lobster and potatoes for a side.

I screwed up the recipe last year by adding the shallots in with the mushrooms. I winged it and just put both the mushroom portion and the mustard sauce portion together. It was still yummy. I did it again this year. Next year I am promising myself that I will do it exactly to the recipe.

This recipe comes up on the Barefoot Contessa website as Advanced. I somewhat agree, however if you prep and read the recipe before you get started, you will be fine! If you love a good filet, you have got to try this. The sauce is amazing, even the accident concoction I made.

AND do not forget the pretty table setting! Ian would do this if she were cooking. The addition of the lobster and potatoes was perfect. We shared one of the filets and kept the other for leftovers. Since Valentine’s Day is a special romantic time, serve a yummy bottle of wine. Enjoy!

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Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 4

February 14, 2021 abreiner99

The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Food from my Frontier

Mom is still on the Pioneer Woman Cookbooks, but this is one of Ree’s older cookbooks, published in 2012. This is the one that I do not have in my library of cookbooks. From this book she chose the Cauliflower Soup which looks delicious. She did not steer me wrong on the Pork Chop sheet pan supper she made last time, so I will need to try this one!

This soup looks easy to make. I will have to substitute the all-purpose flour for gluten free flour, but it is doable. Sometimes Mom makes the recipes gluten free for me, but she did not with this one, which means I was not able to try the finished product.

Doesn’t this make you feel all warm and cozy, just looking at the beautiful yellow pot with the cream soup inside? I need to go, because now I am hungry for soup! Enjoy!

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Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 3

January 30, 2021 abreiner99

Super Bowl Sunday is coming, and Week 3 of The Cookbook Challenge is perfect for game time. If you are having a crowd…double this recipe. Four of us took this thing down. We did not have other apps, but it was so good!

The Coastal Living Magazine Cookbook was published in 2004. This is an older cookbook, but I love it. First, it has some great recipes and does a section on entertaining menus. Secondly, the pictures in this book are gorgeous. Not just of the food but the coastal snap shots as well. Finally, if you are not comfortable with cooking seafood, there is an entire section there too.

Funny thing is that I picked a non-seafood recipe from this book. Mom and I found it while unpacking my cookbooks. We took a break and pulled out a couple to look at. I had all the stuff to make it. We were not disappointed. Anne’s Hot Sausage Dip is delicious and not at all complicated. You can also make it ahead and pop it in the oven when you are ready to serve. Tortilla chips are perfect with it.

I hope you make this dish for the big game…or soon! I am making it for our Super Bowl party and plan to double it. We have our “bubble friends” coming to watch the game. It is really yummy! ENJOY!

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Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 2

January 27, 2021January 29, 2021 abreiner99

Week 2 of the Cookbook Challenge is from my Mom! She went with the newest
Pioneer Woman Cookbook – The New Frontier! Mom is ahead of me on this one…I
just received this on Tuesday and read it on Thursday night. If you do not have
any of Ree Drummond’s cookbooks; I highly recommend them. In my opinion, she
goes about writing her books like I think most of us would. Very down to earth
and considers of all our busy life’s. She talks about different kitchen tools
and categorizes each of the recipes. Family friendly; good for guests; lower
carbs; etc. This would be great for a newer cook. Recipes are easy.

What recipe did Mom pick…Ranch Pork Chop Sheet Pan Supper! YUM!

Mom said that this was delicious and easy…but VERY MESSY! So, use foil and/or spray. The honey makes it sticky! See below picture of the mess of a sheet pan…she actual threw the sheet pan out!!!!

Here is the pretty picture of the result. She said the potatoes were especially yummy! I am making this recipe for my husband this week. You can basically make it for 2, 3, or 8. Love that part about the recipe! This was just for her and my Dad. She only made what she thought they would eat.

Hope you enjoyed that and plan on trying this quick weeknight meal. See you for next week’s challenge.

Cookbook Challenge

Cookbook Challenge 2021 – Week 1

January 18, 2021 abreiner99

I have so many cookbooks. I love them! My mother also has this same favorite thing. So we decide that we would each cook a recipe from one of our many many cookbooks, every other week. That way, we are doing a cookbook a week between the two of us.

We made a special Christmas dinner on Friday night, while my parents were here, because we missed the big Christmas Eve dinner. For the first time, in 49 year, I wasn’t with my family on Christmas because of COVID-19. My husband and I both had it and I had it severely. We thought it was best that we stayed home. WORST DECEMBER EVER! Mom makes a prime rib, but we couldn’t find one, so we went for a beef tenderloin, as she has never cooked one before. Our REDO menu was Beef Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables (brussels, asparagus and broccoli), Spinach Balls and a wedge salad that we really didn’t need.

When you make an expensive cut of meat, beef tenderloin, you really want to cook it correctly. Not surprising that I chose Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Foolproof. These are truly “recipes you can trust”! Her slow-roasted filet of beef was exactly what we were looking for. You will NOT be disappointed! The only thing I did differently, was used thyme instead of tarragon because that is what I had. I did not make her, from scratch basil parmesan mayo, I just made horseradish mayo to go with it.

There were many recipes out there, that did the high cooking temperature for a shorter amount of time, but this was VERY tender and melt in your mouth delicious!!! Make sure you follow the directions to get the meat to room temperature before cooking…makes a difference.

Unfortunately, we were all starving so I didn’t get a picture after it was cooked.

Some of the other recipes that I want to try out of this cookbook is the italian seafood salad (lunch section); carmalized bacon (cocktail section); and balsamic-roasted brussels sprouts (vegetable section). There are so many good looking recipes in this book. The other think I love, is that she also adds special tips and menus. This book has 12 Foolproof tips for table setting!!! Love a good table setting and Ian is the Queen.

I just got her new book and I can’t wait to read it! See you next week with Mom’s entry from one of her cookbooks. Hope you enjoyed!