Literary Illusions

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs (from Oreo cookies or chocolate wafers)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe follows, whipped but not shaped into balls
6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving

Directions
Use a fork to mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tin with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diameter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you’ll need this overhang to remove the tarts). Use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up to only about 1 1/2 inches. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off, fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Truffles:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored. Spread over the bottom of a baking dish and smooth the top. Refrigerate about 2 hours, until firm.

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl. Use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop to scoop out balls of chocolate; place them on the plate with the cocoa powder and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with the cocoa powder. Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a parchment or waxed lined baking sheet.

Yield: 15 to 20 candies, depending on size
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours
Ease of preparation: Intermediate

The above recipe is credited to Tyler Florence. You can check out this and other recipes at Food Network.

Technorati Tags: Truffle Tarts, Raspberries, Dark Chocolate, Tyler Florence, Recipes, Easter Dinner

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In March I was struck with the most terrible illness that I ever remember having! My doctor calls it post nasal drip, but I think she has gone completely crazy. All I know is that for about three weeks my days were filled with fevers, sweats, shakes, moments where I couldn’t breathe, being unable to eat, feeling weak, and being unable to get out of bed.

I was so sick that I didn’t even touch my computer for about two weeks. The other time I checked email or did little things before I had to lay back down. This illness kicked my butt.

Luckily though I am just now getting back into the groove of things. We have some great reviews coming up, a few contests, and loads of new content in the coming weeks. You can expect several updates per week, too! I am still a little weak, but am well enough to be up and back to work so I am trying to do as much as possible to make sure everyone that visits Ashtyn’s Home Cookin’ walks away with just what they were looking for when they arrived!

Technorati Tags: Illness, Post Nasal Drip, Fever, Chills, Sweats, Weakness, Back to Work, Content, Recipes

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Before I begin this review I have to admit that I approach all health food review opportunities with a weary eye. I like some health food, but unfortunately a lot of it has a bad rap because many health food brands don’t focus on taste. People have learned that some foods just taste better when they are bad for you. Cookies are generally one of those foods.

When you start removing things like sugar and flour cookies don’t have the same luster that they used to. So, when I was offered La Vita All Natural Crunchy Cookies I admit that I took the chance to review them for the mere fact that I was curious.

The health benefits of La Vita Cookies are vast and they would be suitable for an array of people despite any possible health benefits that they might have. Among the list of good reasons that these cookies would work for just about anyone include the fact that these cookies are all of the following:

All Natural
Gluten Free
Wheat Free
Sugar Free
Lactose Free
Cholesterol Free
Prebiotic
Vegan

As you can imagine based on the above list, they are also approved for diabetics. I can see the health benefits in them, but when they were first offered the list was so healthy that it made me wonder what they would end up tasting like.

When they finally arrived what I ended up with was a tightly wrapped box of crumbs. In the past I have heard many a bakery exclaim that Peanut Butter cookies are unable to be shipped because they often arrive as cookie chunks and crumbles rather than full cookies. I hate to blame La Vita completely for this considering most bakeries I have seen don’t recommend shipping peanut butter, though I wouldn’t recommend buying these if you’re having them shipped to you. This was the only flavor that I was sent so I cannot say if other cookies hold up better or worse when they are being delivered.

Other flavors in the La Vita lineup include:

Almond
Raspberry Lemon
Chocolate
Chocolate Chip
Strawberry
Poppy Seed
Cajun

Personally, I was not a fan of the Peanut Butter cookies. Most everyone in the house loves Peanut Butter cookies, but these were not a personal favorite of anyone’s. We all sat around and had some crumbs and the consensus is that the peanut butter cookies are incredibly gritty. They taste more like crushed peanuts as opposed to actual peanut butter. This is likely because they are all natural, which I don’t have a problem with. The problem is that the cookies have no real taste other than the grittiness that isn’t altogether appealing.

These are the type of cookies (at least the peanut butter) that you eat because you have no other option as far as cookies go. They aren’t the type of cookies that you pick up because they are so good you cannot put down.

I would like to be able to recommend them to all people, but I think these will work best for people with specific dietary concerns that normally cannot have cookies like these. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be for us and La Vita, but the cookies ended up crumbled, they were crunchier than we prefer, and the taste wasn’t the age old creamy peanut buttery taste that we enjoy most in our peanut butter cookies. They might be better for you and your family, though I suggest that you approach with caution and skip the shipping if at all possible.

Taste/Flavor: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Packaging: 0 out of 5 stars
Look: 1 out of 5 stars
Kid Friendly: 2 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 1.13 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: La Vita, All Natural, Crunchy Cookies, Peanut Butter, Food Review, Health Food, Kid Friendly, Family Friendly

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French Toast fans will definitely want to check out Paula Deen’s recipe for this delicious looking French Toast Casserole. I wouldn’t think of this as a summer food, but while the mornings are still quite chilly this would be a fabulous breakfast or brunch for the whole family.

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

The above recipe is credited to Paula Deen. You can find more of Paula’s recipes at the Food Network Website.

If you try it out make sure to stop back by and let me know how it was!

Technorati Tags: French Toast Casserole, Paula Deen, Recipe, Breakfast, Brunch

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Ingredients

Marinade:
32 ounces plain yogurt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Lamb:
1 (5 1/2-pound) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pitted brine-cured black olives, such as kalamata
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a large plastic freezer bag. Add the lamb and seal the bag. Shake to evenly distribute the marinade over the lamb. Refrigerate and marinate for 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and wash quickly under running water to remove most of the marinade. Pat dry and season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on all sides. Spread the lamb, smooth side down, on a large baking sheet and set aside.

To make the stuffing, combine the bread crumbs, olives, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the pine nuts, marjoram, mint, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times. Do not puree. Set aside.

To make the basting sauce, combine the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the remaining salt and black pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.

To stuff the lamb, spread the olive mixture evenly over the rough side of the meat. Starting at the long side, roll the lamb up tightly and tie at several places with kitchen twine to hold its shape. Brush the outside of the lamb liberally with the basting sauce; reserve the remainder

Roast the lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Brush occasionally with the remaining basting sauce. Let stand 15 minutes. Slice the lamb and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: The cooking time will vary depending on the cut of the meat. Start checking the temperature at 1 hour and don’t forget that the meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven (as it rests). Also, don’t forget those tasty bits on the baking sheet. These can be spooned over individual slices of lamb as a tasty sauce.

The above recipe is credited to Emeril Lagasse. You can find more of Emeril’s recipes over at Food Network.

If you consider making the above recipe I highly recommend purchasing the lamb from Lava Lake Lamb. It’s the best lamb you will find!

Technorati Tags: Olive Stuffed, Leg of Lamb, Recipe, Easter, Lava Lake Lamb, Roast Lamb, Delicious

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Mario Batali’s Fresh Strawberry Bellini

Ingredients
1 bottle prosecco*
2 cups pureed and strained fresh strawberries
Special equipment: Blender, strainer, iced champagne flutes, pitcher and tall “swizzle stirrer” (for the pitcher)

Directions
Place 8 Champagne flutes in the freezer for 20 minutes. Open the prosecco and let it stand in an ice bucket for 5 minutes.

Into a pitcher, pour the 2 cups pureed strawberries. Gently pour in the bottle of prosecco and stir gently to combine. Divide among Champagne flutes and serve.

*For Kid Bellinis, substitute sparkling water for the prosecco

-The above recipe is available via the top link and is credited to Mario Batali.

Giada’s Easter Blissini

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Prosecco, chilled
1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, chilled
Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions
Combine the Prosecco, orange juice, and pomegranate juice and pour into 4 Champagne glasses. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

-The above recipe is available through the above link and is credited to Giada De Laurentiis.

Technorati Tags: Blissini, Strawberry Bellini, Drinks, Easter, Dinner, Recipe, Celebration

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When you join The Mixer online (IT’S FREE!) you will learn the ins and
outs of cooking and baking, while interacting with Betty Crocker
Kitchens experts LIVE during a class and connecting with an entire
community of people just like you. What’s great is that you can do it in
the comfort of your own kitchen whenever it best fits your schedule.

For complete details on each of the classes simply go to
www.bettycrocker.com/themixer and register to become a member.

Technorati Tags: Betty Crocker, Online Cooking Site, The Mixer, Online, Live, Cooking Classes, Community

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If you’re looking for something new and tasty to bring in Spring the following drink recipes might be right up your alley. Courtesy of the Gerber Group, these drinks sound fabulous. If you’re in Atlanta I highly recommend heading over to test one of these out. However, if you’re one of the unfortunate ones (like me) you can take advantage of these recipes and have your own party at home!

If you try them out make sure to stop back by and let me know how you liked them!

“Local” Manhattan
1 ½ oz. (ri)1 whiskey
1 oz. Raspberry liqueur
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method:
Shake ingredients over ice and let stand for 15-20 seconds
Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh lemon twist

Papaya Daiquiri
½ oz. Papaya puree (thawed)
2 ½ oz. bacardi light rum
½ oz. Fresh lime juice
¼ oz. Simple syrup
3 Fresh basil leaves (torn)

Method:
Shake ingredients vigorously over ice and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a fresh basil leaf

Raspberry Mangorita
1 ¼ oz. Finlandia mango
½ oz. Triple sec
3 oz. Fresh sour mix
5 Frozen raspberries

Method:
Salt the rim of cocktail glass
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake vigorously and strain into a glass filled with ice
Garnish with a lime slice and mango slice

VeeV-a-la Green:
Muddle in Shaker:
3 Basil Leaves
2 Cucumber Slices
¾ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup

Add Ice and:
2 oz. VeeV
Served in a Martini Glass
Garnish with a floating Cucumber

Technorati Tags: Spring Drinks, Recipes, Gerber Bar, Atlanta, Gerber Group, VeeV-a-la Green, Raspberry Mangorita, Papaya Daiquiri, Local Manhattan

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I’ve decided to do a meme. It’s about food, so it fits in with the theme of this site. If you copy this meme, please link back to here, then post your URL to your meme in a comment on this post. We can pass back and forth the link love!

Directions: Bold the Foods/Beverage Items you’ve tried. Feel free to explain if you have a good story about one of the items.

1. New York pizza–Does New York style pizza in another location (not New York) count?
2. Hoppin’ John–never heard of it?
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso–no but I’ve been curious to try it thanks to Emeril
6. Whole Maine lobster–Never whole, just part!
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs–love them – better than any other style of BBQ ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme–I prefer cream filled though
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds–I LOVE cheese and cheese curds
12. Key lime pie (Florida!)–No! I’ve heard it’s an acquired taste though
13. Philly cheesesteak
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich–had pork BBQ sandwiches, but never from Memphis – I’m not a big Carolina sauce fan
15. Lowcountry Boil
16. Huckleberry pie–where is this from? I’m from MI!
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo (Bison) burger–no but LOVE Buffalo steak
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye–could live on this
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup–not a big syrup fan
24. bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints–LOVE
26. Frito pie–nope, but I’ve had the Frito burrito from Sonic, though!
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey–not sure?
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes–OMG they are good!
34. Candied yams–Wouldn’t be a holiday without them
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball-prefer it in Blue
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed more
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso’s Chicken-mmmmm w/ the Broccoli
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dogs–Finally, something MI created!!!!
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese–must be homemade Bleu Cheese
45. Spam musubi
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread–people eat that seriously?
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon-mmm love smell of bacon
51. Baked beans–non-traditional – like mine sweet
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes–homemade made by me!
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits–not together though
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell–prefer butterscotch shell
65. Pecan pie–love it
66. Catfish supper at a church or firestation
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game–never been to a ball game, but love Cracker Jacks
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po’Boy with many napkins
77. Green bean casserole with French’s fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken

80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin’
87. California rolls
88. Burgou
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese–Love it homemade
100. Root Beer Float

Technorati Tags: Food, Meme, regional food, southern cuisine, seafood, dessert, beverages, delicious, coney dogs, eat

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ENTRY RULES:
Ashtyn’s Home Cookin is proud to be giving away a Dole Fleece. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one.

COMMENTS ARE MODERATED to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible.

GET AN EXTRA ENTRY:
Want an extra entry? Twitter about this contest!

You can use the following message to Twitter about this contest:

Visit Ashtyn’s Home Cookin and enter to win a Dole Fleece in Large or XL

You can post the URL to your Tweet in your initial comment for this contest, or you can send it to:

@dominickevans
@ashtynevans

You can also get extra entries into our contest by:

-Posting on your blog/website about out contest with a link back to LI Kids (please let us know where to find said link so we can give you an extra entry)
-Digging or Stumbling this post (list your Digg/Stumble username in your comment)

*******Please only leave ONE comment – If you Twitter, Digg, Blog about, or Stumble this contest you can post all relevant information in that comment. We will make sure to add extra entries for each extra thing you’ve done when we randomly pick winners.

CLAIMING YOUR PRIZE:
Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
We will begin emailing winners for this the week of April 6, 2009, which means you have until April 5, 2009 at 11:59 to enter.

FROM THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
It’s shocking to think that people waste one third of the food they buy at the grocery store, but according to recent studies that’s true. With grocery prices on the rise, the last thing anyone needs is to be spending money on things they will be throwing away. That’s why we are giving you the chance to win a Dole Fleece in Large or XL. While you can’t eat it – you can use the coupons we will be handing out to plenty of other winners to get some Dole Frozen Fruits. These awesome bags of fruit will last you much longer than fresh fruit and they cost a lot less all year round.

To Enter just leave a comment with the size you want for the fleece and we will pick a winner when the time comes. We’ll also pick about 20 winners for some Dole coupons for good measure!

Technorati Tags: Dole, Frozen Fruit, Fleece, Contest, Giveaway, Grocery, Coupon

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