Tex-Mex Steak with Pepper Salsa

This recipe is from mylifetime.com under cook yourself thin.

Thursday nights are rushed, I work nights and get home with just enough time to make a quick meal and get Corey fed before he leaves. I wanted to get as much done as possible this morning. I put the steak in the marinade this morning. I also made the salsa this morning. I also partially cooked the potatoes this morning. I knew when I got home all I would need to do is put the potatoes in the oven, and the steak on the grill.

Of course Corey messed up my dinner plans tonight. He was still in the bed when I got home. He slept all day. I handed him a plate with a good meal on it. He was really enjoying it, but had to leave. I felt bad that he didn't have a little more time. Guess I don't have to get up to make breakfast tomorrow, he has an awesome meal waiting on him. This one will for sure be on the menu again in the near future.

Tex-Mex Steak with Pepper Salsa

For the steak:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound flank steak

For the salsa:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 poblano or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
Zest and juice of one lime
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large, sealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients. Add steak, and massage the marinade into the meat. Seal the bag and place on a sheet tray or large plate. Marinate overnight or for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the salsa. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Salsa can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated.)

Once ready to cook, preheat broiler on high for 10 minutes. Remove steak from the marinade, place under broiler for 5 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes per side for well-done. Allow the steak to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing thinly, on the bias, against the grain.

Serve with salsa.

**I used a yellow pepper instead of green.
**I used a few small serano peppers instead of a jalapeno.
**I didn't use a flank steak. The steak I had was a little thick so I cut small slits across the meat so the marinade could soak in more.
**I cooked my steak on the grill.

Firehouse BBQ Grilled Chicken

I'm not sure where I found this recipe. I have made it a few times. Another easy marinated chicken recipe. Corey and I both like it. Even though it is called Firehouse, I don't find it too hot.

Firehouse BBQ Grilled Chicken

6 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Place all in a large zip top bag. Marinate at least one hour. Grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until done.

**I'm not brand loyal, so my hot sauce wasn't Frank's.
**I cut slits down one side of the chicken before putting it into the marinade.

Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing

I signed up for something somewhere along the line and now receive emails from American Family. Most of the time I just click the delete. However, sometimes they have some recipes in the emails. This is one of those recipes.

Neither Corey nor I have ever had pomegranates or Gorgonzola cheese. I tried a taste of the cheese before adding it to the salad. Not for me, I couldn't get it out of my mouth fast enough. However, I sprinkled a tiny bit on Corey's salad, he liked it. We both thought the dressing was excellent. Along with the other salad ingredients there was a nice blend of sweet and tangy with a little kick from the red pepper.

Spiced Chicken and Greens with Pomegranate Dressing

Chicken:

Cooking spray
1 tsp chili powder
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Dressing:

1/3 cup pomegranate juice
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Salad:

1 (5 oz) package gourmet salad greens
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
3/4 cup orange sections (about 2 medium oranges)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup (1 oz) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

To prepare the chicken, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chili powder and salt over chicken. Add chicken to pan, cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet, let stand 3 minutes. Cut across grain into thin slices, set aside.

To prepare dressing, combine juice and next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a small bowl, stir well with whisk.

To prepare salad, place greens on a serving platter, top with onion, orange, cranberries, and chicken slices. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, pour dressing over salad.

**I cooked my chicken on the grill.
**I just used a large bowl and tossed all the salad ingredients in.
**There was enough dressing that it pooled in the bottom of the bowl, so I added more greens and re-tossed.

Hamburger Soup

This recipe was sent to me by my mom. I'm not sure where she found it. It is a simple, throw everything in the pot meal. Corey and I both liked it. It filled my pot to the top, it was the biggest pot I have. Corey has requested a couple changes next time. He wants a little less corn and add some green beans. Since he has been sick for the past few days hopefully a bowl of hot soup will make him better.

Hamburger Soup

1 Lb ground beef
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
6 beef bouillon cubes
6 cups water
15 oz (or close) tomato sauce
32 oz (or close) diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
10 oz frozen corn
1 tsp basil
4 Tbsp ketchup

Brown beef with garlic, drain. Combine with all other ingredients in large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

**I started the water with the bouillon cubes first. I used my Pampered Chef micro cooker to brown the beef. I chopped the vegetables while the meat was cooking.
**Corey doesn't like lots of tomato chunks, so I used my stick blender on the diced tomatoes.
**This would be an easy recipe to cut in half.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This recipe was found at sixsistersstuff.com. It is a very easy recipe. Corey and I both liked it. I used a 9 X 13 pan instead of a 2 quart pan. I also forgot the cooking spray, but it came right out, no problem. I didn't really taste the Dijon, next time I may add a little more.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1 (6 oz) package chicken flavored stuffing mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
6 slices, extra thin Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Mix soup and mustard in a medium bowl, stir in chicken, broccoli and ham. Spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese slices and stuffing. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

**I boiled the chicken before cutting.

Caprese Chicken with Bacon

It's been a while since I have posted. After a little over three years I have finally found a job. After adjusting to Corey's schedule and shift changes I am now having to adjust to having my own schedule again. My new job is in a little restaurant. But for the first time in my life I am in the dinning room instead of the kitchen. I never thought, as I'm sure everyone who knows me, that I would ever be a waitress. I'm really liking the job and all the people are really nice so I'm really hoping it all works out and I can get some more hours.

I have still been searching for new recipes to try. I have found a few that I plan on trying within the next couple weeks. Tonight I made Caprese Chicken with Bacon. It was really good. I will for sure be making it again. Corey has never in the twelve years we have been together liked tomatoes. But recently he has decided to give them another try. Guess what, he likes them. So I made this recipe with the tomatoes and he enjoyed it, said it was really good.

Caprese Chicken with Bacon

8 bacon strips
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese

Place bacon in an ungreased 15 X 10 inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until partially cooked but not crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain. Place chicken in an ungreased 9 X 13 baking pan, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with tomatoes and basil. Wrap each with chicken breast with two bacon strips, in a criss cross. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Top with cheese, bake 1 minute or until melted.

**This recipe is from tasteofhome.com.
**I didn't wrap the bacon around, just draped it over the top.
**I cut the recipe in half.
**For those who don't know, plum tomatoes are sometimes called Roma tomatoes. The area I'm from they are called Roma. When I first saw them called plum I had to look it up to find out what kind of tomato I was looking for.

Worlds Best Chicken

My mom gave this recipe to me, I'm not sure where she found it. Trust me when I say I didn't come up with the name. In my opinion it is not the "Worlds Best Chicken". With the Dijon mustard and syrup as the sweetener, it had a honey mustard vibe. Of course it wasn't as good as a honey mustard chicken. I was a very easy recipe to make, with few ingredients. Corey felt the same way, it was ok, but nothing special.

Worlds Best Chicken

1 Lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
rosemary

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a small bowl mix mustard, syrup, and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chicken. Bake 40 minutes, season with rosemary.

**I would suggest turning half way through the cooking.
**Forty minutes was too long. The chicken was dry and the sauce was starting to turn dark in spots. I would suggest checking for doneness after about 30 minutes.

Yeast Doughnuts

Corey has been going to the Village Pantry beside our apartment on Sunday mornings for a couple doughnuts. Of course with our work/sleep schedule it is more like really, really late Saturday night. Which is cheaper since from 4pm until midnight doughnuts are half price. Anyway, I've been telling him I would look for some doughnut recipes to try. I have tried two within the past couple weeks. One was more like a biscuit, the other was very close to the VP, but not quite. So I guess my search for a recipe that will satisfy Corey continues.

Glazed Yeast Doughnuts

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 Lb butter
3/4 cup boiling water
4 packets yeast
2 beaten eggs
5 1/2 cups flour

Glaze

1 Lb powdered sugar
1 Tbsp flour
hot water

Melt butter in hot water. Add milk, add yeast, add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Pat onto floured pastry cloth in the thickness desired. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter and set on greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place for 1/2 hour. Heat grease to 350 degrees, two inches deep. Fry to golden brown. For glaze, mix powdered sugar and flour. Add water to desired consistency. Dip doughnuts.

**The glaze was good. I used the glaze recipe for the other doughnut recipe I tried.
**This recipe is the one that was more biscuit like. I think they would have been good cut open and smeared with butter. Of course that is just my opinion.

The next recipe was better. I found this recipe at foodandwine.com. If you try this recipe you will need lots of time, so plan ahead. There are two rises of two hours, and then another rise of 20 minutes right before cooking.

Fluffy Doughnuts

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon solid vegetable shortening
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 extra-large yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
About 5 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more sifted flour for dusting
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Chopped nuts, toasted coconut, and sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

In a small saucepan, warm the milk with the shortening over low heat until the shortening is almost melted. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and let stand until foamy, about 3 minutes. Stir the warm milk mixture into the yeast along with the 1/2 cup of sugar and the sour cream, the whole eggs, egg yolk, salt and vanilla. Gradually stir in 4 3/4 cups of the flour until a soft, sticky dough forms. Scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and use a pastry scraper to knead the dough until smooth, adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but smooth and elastic.

Gather the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a sheet of oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 2 hours. Punch down the dough and turn it over in the bowl. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough 1/3 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch doughnut cutter dipped in flour, cut out as many doughnuts as possible and transfer them to a sheet of floured wax paper. The scraps can be rerolled once to cut out more doughnuts. Loosely cover the doughnuts with wax paper and let rise until soft and billowy, about 20 minutes.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 365°. Line a rack with several paper towels. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Check the temperature of the frying oil to make sure it doesn't get too hot or cool. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined rack to drain. Serve warm or let cool before glazing with the Dark Chocolate Glaze or the Vanilla Glaze and decorating with chopped nuts, coconut and sprinkles.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. The finished doughnuts can be made up to 4 hours ahead. NOTES VARIATION: To make jelly doughnuts, cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds of dough with a biscuit cutter. Fry as instructed above. Once the doughnuts are cool, use a piping bag to squeeze jelly into the sides of the doughnuts.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Salt

Place the chopped chocolates in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream with the sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Let the dark chocolate glaze cool until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Vanilla Glaze

5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the milk and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Variation: To make a frosting suitable for piping, stir 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar into the glaze.

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Maple Icing

It's been a long time since I have posted anything. We, well I, have sort of fallen back into a rut. Our schedule has changed twice in the past few months. With each new change comes adjusting meal times. So for awhile it was easier to just eat cheap and fast instead of trying new stuff that involves more time (and money).

Anyway, Corey has been wanting doughnuts (donuts, however you want to spell it) for a long time. He even started going next door to the Village Pantry and getting a couple doughnuts on Sunday mornings. I have been looking for a recipe that would be quick and fairly easy. I found this one on the foodnetwork site. It comes from Paula Deen.

They were really simple. All the ingredients were all pretty basic stuff. The only thing I didn't have on hand was maple extract. So I just a drizzle of maple syrup in its place. I don't think they had much of a sweet potato flavor, but Corey really liked them.

Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Maple Icing

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
oil for frying

Maple Icing

2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp maple extract

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream and sweet potatoes. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Turn out dough on to heavily floured surface. Knead in flour with hands as needed, dough will be sticky. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with a 2 1/4 inch round cutter. Cut out center of doughnuts with a 3/4 inch round cutter. Re-roll as needed. Heat oil over medium heat to 360 degrees. Cook in batches, about 2 minutes per side or until light brown. Drain on a paper towel. Glaze tops.

**She suggests adding chopped pecans to the top.
**I only made a half batch.

Pizza Pull Apart Bread

A couple months ago I posted the recipe for garlic Parmesan pull apart bread,(I have posted it again in this entry). I served it as a side with spaghetti and again with lasagna. Corey said he would like me to make it again but put some pizza stuff inside and have sauce for dipping. So today that is what I did.

I followed the instructions for the bread. Then at the point where I was rolling them to dip in the butter I added a pepperoni and a small cube of mozzarella cheese. Then dipped it into the butter. I also shredded some mozzarella and used it in addition to the Parmesan between the layers. It turned out really good.

Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/3 barely warm water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup all purpose (or bread) flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead 5 to 6 minutes, or until elastic. If doing by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until double in size. In a small bowl combine butter, garlic and parsley, set aside. Punch down dough. Tear off small pieces of dough, coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of bundt pan. Repeat until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. Cover with a clean towel and allow to sit until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.

**Next time I think I will cook it in a 9x13 instead of a bundt pan.
**I just added pepperoni and cheese. You could add some cooked and drained Italian sausage to some pieces and pepperoni to others to give it sort of a combination affect.

Homemade Sherbet

Once again I was browsing Pinterest. A photo of orange flavored sherbet was on the page. Under the photo is said homemade, so of course I had to click. The recipe was from mydailymoment.com. Although it was for orange flavored, I thought maybe some other flavors would be good. There are only three ingredients. It is very easy to prepare. The most time consuming thing is the wait while it is freezing.

The flavor was great, I used tropical punch. Corey enjoyed it also. It was a little sweet, but I think it was because of the flavor I used. Since we are not milk drinkers and I only buy it when I need it for a recipe, this will be a great use of the extra. Now I need to find some Kool-Aid coupons so I can restock and have different flavors for next time.

Orange Flavored Sherbet

1 cup sugar

1 (.13 oz) envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix

3 cups milk

In a bowl, stir all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a shallow freezer container, cover and freeze one hour or until slightly thickened. Transfer to a mixing bowl, beat until smooth. Return to freezer container, cover and freeze until firm. Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving.

**I used a .16 ounce packet of Tropical Punch flavored Kool-Aid.

**I mixed, froze and beat all in the same bowl.

**You definitely want to take it out about 20 minutes before serving.

Sherbet Sandwiches

I have always called it sherbert, but according to my spell check and the dictionary it is sherbet. No matter what I call it, Corey and I both like it. Thank goodness it is fat free cause we can wipe out a container in about two or three days.

A couple weeks ago when I made some homemade ice cream sandwiches, I mentioned trying something similar with sherbet. Corey thought it was a good idea too. So I gave it a try and they turned out pretty good.

I used lemon cake mix. Mix according to package instructions. Cooked them on the waffle iron.Then filled with lime sherbet.Then topped and put into freezer to set.

Homemade Butterfingers (take 2)

The first batch turned out ok. With using milk chocolate they didn't really set hard enough, so although edible they were a little messy. Of course that didn't stop Corey and me, that batch lasted a few days. I told Corey I would get the right chocolate and give them another try. Glad I did. They turned out better this time around.

I let the bars harden at room temperature, not in the fridge this time. I cut them while they were pretty firm but not quite hard. That made them cut much easier this time. I used candy melts for dipping. I got them in the wedding cake/candy section of the craft area at Walmart.

The recipe calls for 16 ounces of the chocolate for dipping. The bag I bought was only 12 ounces and it was plenty for me. I don't have any fancy dipping system. I put a piece on a fork (not like you are eating, but just laying across the top) and then spooned the chocolate over top, letting the excess drip back into the melted chocolate. I helped guide the chocolate to cover the sides. I didn't worry much about how much the bottoms were coated.

This recipe will probably get made a lot around here.

Homemade Butterfingers

1 Lb candy corn
16 oz jar peanut butter
16 oz chocolate candy coating

Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 15 second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Stir in peanut butter. Spread in 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Dip in melted candy coating. Lay on waxed paper to set.

**This recipe was found at chef-in-training.com.

Double Banana Bread

I had some bananas that started going bad. Around here that doesn't happen often. Usually bananas are gone within two days of entering the apartment. I told Corey I would make banana bread with them. He was afraid they were too far gone, I told him they could use another day to make good bread. Yesterday was the day.

I don't remember where I got this recipe. I've had it a long time, just never got around to trying it. But as I said, it's hard to keep bananas long enough to over ripen them. This recipe was very good and really moist. I had to cook it a little longer then called for, it wasn't quite done at the 65 minute mark.

Double Banana Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 1/3 cups mashed over ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until moistened., Bake 60 to 65 minutes.

**Next time I am going to add some walnuts.

Homemade Butterfingers

I'm still telling myself that I am not addicted to pinterest.com. However I find myself browsing the food photos daily. This is one I found while browsing. It comes from chef-in-training.com. Who knew three little ingredients would make something so tasty. They are good. Corey said he likes them. That the texture of the insides isn't quite like a Butterfinger, but still really good.

Homemade Butterfingers

1 Lb candy corn

16 oz jar peanut butter

16 oz chocolate candy coating

Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 15 second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Stir in peanut butter. Spread in an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Dip in melted chocolate candy coating. Lay on waxed paper to set.

**I halved the recipe so 8 ounces of everything.

**I used milk chocolate instead of chocolate candy coating.

**I put mine in the fridge to harden, DON'T. Just let them set on the counter. Mine were too hard so not cutting very easily. So mine are Butterfinger chunks.

**Using milk chocolate doesn't set up as well as candy coating, so next time I will use the candy coating type of chocolate.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

I refuse to admit that I am becoming addicted to Pinterest.com. But I find myself every night browsing through photos of food. There has been lots of photos to catch my eyes. I love to cook and really love to bake. I find myself looking more at dessert type photos.

So I saw a photo of an ice cream sandwich. You could tell it wasn't a cookie cutter, out of a box sandwich. I clicked the link to where the photo was from, cometogetherkids.com. After reading through how she made them, I knew I had to give it a try. It was so easy. Of course the ideas for other versions instantly started coming to mind.

I did a Devil's Food cake with vanilla ice cream this time. But I think a strawberry waffle with chocolate ice cream would be good. Or strawberry waffle with vanilla ice cream with some strawberry slices. Even a Neapolitan style, chocolate waffle on one side, strawberry waffle on the other, vanilla ice cream in the middle. I'm not sure how sherbert would be in one, but was thinking a lemon waffle with lime sherbert. Guess I'll have to try that one sometime.

I am writing this how I did them. If you want the recipe as originally worded, please go to http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2011/07/cake-ice-cream-sandwiches.html

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make your cake mix according to the directions on the box. Heat waffle iron. Cook cake batter on the iron. Let ice cream sit out to soften. My iron makes a nice sized waffle so I cut them in half. Once waffles are cool, spread ice cream over one waffle and top with another waffle.Gently push top waffle into ice cream.

Put in freezer to set.

**I have a FoodSaver, so I am going to vacuum seal them two to a package. If you don't have a vacuum system, I would suggest wrapping them tightly with a plastic wrap.

**Even cutting in half mine seemed a bit big, so I cut them in half again.

**This week I made strawberry sandwiches. I used strawberry cake mix with strawberry ice cream.

Seasoning/spice Blends

My sister posted a link on her Facebook page about making your own taco seasoning. I have been doing this for about a year now. I know my husband and I can tell the difference. I got a really good deal on a triple coupon week for some seasoning packets. I used one and gave the rest to my mom. Went right back to making my own.

I have made a few recipes that call for a certain seasoning/spice blend. None of the stores near me had any that I needed. So I did what I usually do, searched online. I have had to purchase a few of the less common spices, but for the most part, I just have to open the cabinet.

I save the empty spice containers just in case I may need one for a homemade blend. I use labels to put what type of blend it is and the recipe. I have made a few blends that don't get much use. But my taco seasoning gets enough use that I triple the recipe. Don't be afraid to try a new blend. You never know you may like it better then the packets at the store.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red peppers

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Mix everything together. Store in an air tight container.

Paula Deen House Seasoning

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix well. Store in shaker near stove for convenience.

Greek Seasoning

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 garlic powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp beef flavored bouillon granules

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all together. Store in airtight container. Can also freeze up to six months.

5-Spice Powder

1 tsp ground Szechwan pepper (or black pepper)

1 tsp star anise, ground

1 1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/4 tsp ground white pepper (optional)

Blend all. Store in air tight container.

Caribbean seasoning

1/3 cup minced onion

1 Tbsp dry mustard

2 tsp ground all spice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all store in air tight container.

**These are some of the blends I have used since I have started trying new recipes.

Tropical BBQ Chicken

This recipe comes from tasteofhome.com. It was really good. And the smell after just a couple hours was wonderful. By dinner time, combined with the smell I totally forgot to snap a photo. This is a crock pot recipe. I love being able to throw stuff in the crock and have a good meal. This recipe also makes a BBQ sauce with the juices after cooking. The sauce turned out great. There was enough that I still have some in the fridge. Next time I will remember to snap a photo to add.

Tropical BBQ Chicken

6 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tsp minced fresh parsley
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

With sharp knife cut leg quarters at the joints. Place chicken in 4 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl combine ketchup, orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and pepper, pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours or until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. Remove chicken to serving platter, keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices, transfer 2 cups to a small sauce pan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

**I used boneless, skinless breasts.
**After reading an article about canola oil having the same health benefits as olive oil but for way less the cost, I have switched to canola oil.
**I juiced a fresh orange, I didn't get quit enough juice out of it so added water to make up the liquid difference.
**I served it with corn, but I think it would be nice with just a salad on the side.

Wasabi Beef Fajitas

I have never used wasabi, so wasn't sure what to expect. After looking it up and seeing it is called Japanese horseradish, I thought I'd try it. Most of the ingredients I had on hand. Since starting to try new things, I have amassed several items that before I would have considered unusual.

I wasn't sure how Corey would feel about them. I knew he would like the meat/vegetable part, I was worried about having coleslaw on his fajitas. But he took one bite and I heard him say yum. He said he didn't know what it was but it was good. It was good. This is a keeper.

Wasabi Beef Fajitas

1 large sweet red pepper, juilienne
12 green onions with tops, cut in half lengthwise
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Lb beef stir fry strips
2 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp prepared wasabi
2 tsp minced, fresh gingeroot
1 tsp minces garlic
8 (8inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup coleslaw mix

In a large skillet, stir fry red pepper and onions in 1 Tbsp oil for 3 minutes or until tender, remove and set aside. In same skillet, stir fry beef in remaining oil for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and garlic until well blended, pour over beef. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Return red pepper mixture to pan, heat through. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down center of each tortilla, top with 2 Tbsp coleslaw mix. Fold one side of tortilla over filling and roll up.

**Next time I will buy a fresh cabbage and shred it myself.

Pan Fried Salmon with Beurre Rouge

As I mentioned in a previous post I earn points on Swagbucks. I earn most my points by watching videos. The videos are short clips, usually only a couple minutes long. I watch the ones in the food category. The title of the video caught my eye, Pan Fried Salmon with Beurre Rouge. It sounds like a fancy French meal.

I went to the website that the clip came from to look up the recipe. It seemed pretty easy with few ingredients, so I was willing to give it a try. Corey really likes fish but just frying it with a shot of lemon juice has to be getting boring for him. This recipe was not just another piece of boring fish. I didn't use salmon, I just used some Tilapia and cheap red wine. Corey loved it, he said I needed to say it tastes exquisite. He wants it again but with salmon and a better wine. This would be a nice recipe for a quiet dinner for two.

Pan Fried Salmon with Beurre Rouge

1 Tbsp shallots
4 Tbsp red wine
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
salt (to taste)
white or black pepper (to taste)
lemon juice (optional)

Mince the shallots. Measure out the wine and cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces, set aside. Place a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by about two thirds until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Turn heat to the lowest setting and whisk in butter one piece at a time to slowly form the emulsion. Once all the butter has been incorporated season with salt and pepper. You may want to add a few drops of lemon juice to brighten the flavor, if needed. Monitor the sauce while you cook the fish. Keep the sauce warm to the touch and whisk often to keep from splitting. You may need to turn the heat off and on to keep at the correct temperature.

**This recipe comes from rouxbe.com.
**Beurre Rouge means red butter.
**For a Beurre Blanc use white wine instead of red.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple nights ago Corey asks for some sweets. I haven't been keeping my baking cabinet stocked like I used to, so wasn't sure if I had ingredients to make anything. Then I remembered I still have about half a bag of chocolate chips from another recipe I tried last week. So I searched for a chocolate chip cookie recipe.

One of the links on the search page was for allreicpes.com. The title was The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. How could I not try them if they are "the best". I printed out the recipe, and off to the kitchen I went. I wasn't sure if they would really be the best, I mean they were just the basic ingredients you find in pretty much all chocolate chip cookies.

But after reading over the instructions one thing caught my eye. It calls for dissolving the baking soda in hot water. I have never made cookies that say to do this. Could this be the secret to why they are the best?

I cut the recipe in half and made it in my usual big cookie style. Corey waited patiently while they baked. While still warm he ate a piece. I told him they were called "the best". He agreed, he said he thought they were the best he has ever had. So of course I had to taste. I must say that they were great. I didn't have any nuts to add, but will add some next time. And there will for sure be a next time.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 10 minutes until edges are nicely browned.

Creamy Dijon / French Dressing

Corey and I have been trying to eat healthier. Sometimes it is hard. We are not on any diets, just making small changes to better our health. Over the past couple months I have been doing a lot of reading online about food. I have been trying to make better decisions based on what I have learned. So as part of our eating better plan, I have started making our salad dressings. I purchased squeeze bottles to store them in. I only make one or two at a time, so that they don't go bad.

Over the twelve years we have been together occasionally we would have what we called "Big Salad Night". I would prep all the lettuce and toppings. We would have a nice variety of items, carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers, bacon bits, croutons, cauliflower, cheese, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and sometimes spinach. There would be enough that we would have small salads with lunch and dinner the next day. We both love vegetables so this was an extra chance to get an extra helping or two of vegetables. However, this week for our "big salad night", Corey decided it should now be called "Epic Salad Night". So after prepping all our vegetables, I made two dressings. French, which is my favorite. I have made this recipe several times. I also made a Creamy Dijon. This was the first time I made it. It was good, but does have a tang to it.

French dressing

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and white pepper to taste

Put all in blender mix until well blended.

Creamy Dijon

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Put all in blender mix until well blended.

**These are both Rachael Ray recipes.
**After some of my reading I used canola oil instead of olive oil. It is supposed to have the same health and heart benefits, but costs way less.
**In the French, if you don't have white pepper on hand, just use black pepper. I use black and it turns out fine.
**These recipes would be super easy to double or even triple depending on the size of your family.
**As you can see by the ingredients photo, I don't use real mayonnaise, I used the generic version of Miracle Whip.

Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

This is another recipe that I found while browsing Pinterest.com. It caught my eye so of course I had to check it out. It originates from pastryaffair.com. This recipe does take a couple hours. You are making the bread so have a long rise time, then a short rise time right before baking. You will need to plan a little to be sure it will be ready if you are serving it with a meal.

I served mine with some spaghetti. It made the perfect side item. Mine though could have been called fall apart bread. When flipping and removing the pan it broke in a few places. When Corey came to the table I think he pulled off three or four pieces before he even had one bite of the spaghetti. Mine turned out a little dark so next time I will watch it a little better. There will for sure be a next time.

Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/3 barely warm water
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cup all purpose (or bread) flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. Mix in the olive oil, salt and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead 5 to 6 minutes, or until elastic. If doing by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until double in size. In a small bowl combine butter, garlic and parsley, set aside. Punch down dough. Tear off small pieces of dough, coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of bundt pan. Repeat until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. Cover with a clean towel and allow to sit until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.

**After dinner I wrapped the remainder for later. A quick 30 seconds in the microwave, just to warm. Served with a little spaghetti sauce as my evening snack.
**I think I will do this one again next week when I make lasagna.

Coconut Pineapple Clusters

I found this recipe in the All You magazine. In case you're not familiar with All You, it has several recipes, cooking tips, fashion tips, miscellaneous articles I would say mainly geared toward women. The big reason most people I know who get it buy it is for the coupons. It always has several coupons every month. This is not a regular magazine stand purchase, it can only be found at Wal-Mart or through ordering a subscription. Anyway, I have found several recipes over the last several months since I have started receiving the magazine.

Corey has been asking for sweets a lot lately. When I saw this recipe the picture looked good. Reading over the ingredients, I was a little nervous about trying it. I just couldn't imagine rice blending well with the other ingredients. But trust me, it does. I opted to not drizzle but add the chocolate chips before baking. They turned out good. They remind me of a coconut macaroon but with a hint of pineapple.

Coconut Pineapple Clusters

1 1/2 cups Minute White Rice, uncooked
1 package (14 oz) flaked sweetened coconut
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (8oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple, well drained
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool. Combine all except chocolate chips in bowl, mix well. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks. Cool completely. Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make 1/8 inch hole, drizzle chocolate over cookies.
Can use left over rice. If desired, chocolate chips do not need to be melted and drizzled over cookies, can be added to the batter before baking.

**I think next time I make these I will leave out the lemon juice and add some of the pineapple juice in its place.
**Be sure you drain the pineapple really well. I didn't drain enough and the mix was a little runny.
**Don't forget the spray, they are a little sticky.

**After eating on these a couple days I must say, if you are like us and cookies last several days, you may want to cut the recipe in half. On day three the rice has become hard and we have both decided this isn't a cookie for us. The day I made them they were pretty good, but I am now going to be throwing about half of them away.

Classic Belgian Waffles

This is the second waffle recipe I have posted. I made the first recipe and Corey liked it. But I just kept thinking I should look for others to mix it up a little. I decided to search for Belgian waffles. They seemed like a popular choice. I found a couple recipes that didn't seem too difficult. Although they both claimed to be "classic" Belgian waffles, they were slightly different in ingredients.

I decided to try the recipe from foodnetwork.com. It comes from Emeril. Everything it called for I had on hand, well sort of. I don't keep cake flour but the substitution for it is, take your one cup measuring cup, put 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in, then fill the rest of the way with all purpose flour.

This is a three bowl recipe, and as much as I hate doing dishes I was gonna make these this morning. They actually came together pretty quickly. The smell was like an angel food cake. They even had a different look to them then plain waffles. Finally time to taste them. Since I'm not a breakfast eater, especially at 5 am, this job was left up to Corey. He took the first bite and said they were good, but just waffles. I was a little upset. I dirtied three bowls, the mixer, a whisk and a spatula for just waffles. I said, aren't they lighter and airier then other waffles. He took another bite, he seemed to be savoring this bite, not just a quick chew and swallow. Then another bite, to which he said, these are different, much better, please make my waffles this way from now on.

So I guess the time and extra dishes were worth it. Happy Anniversary and Valentines Day, glad you enjoyed your meal.

Classic Belgian Waffles

2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk
non-stick cooking spray

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a second bowl use a wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter and milk to the yolks and whisk to combine. Combine the egg/milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk until blended. Do not over mix. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter. Do not over mix. Coat waffle iron with non-stick spray and pour enough batter in the iron to just cover the grid. Close and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

*I cut this recipe in half.
*I separated the eggs and started beating the whites while I was working on the other ingredients. By time I got to the folding in part of the recipe, they were ready.
*I just served with a little maple syrup. But several of the suggestions were to serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I'm sure by now pretty much everyone knows about Pinterest.com so I won't bore you with the details of it. When I first started hearing people talk about it I just ignored it, thinking it wouldn't be something I would be interested in. When I did decide to check it out I thought it looked like a mess. But then one day I came to my blog and checked my weekly stats. There it was Pinterest.com. My curiosity got the best of me and I clicked it to see why it was on my stats. Someone had "pinned" one of my photos to their board. Then I noticed it had been "repinned" by someone else.

So now I was a little more interested. I guess it was starting to click with me, pin something that catches my eye, someone sees it and repins, and so on. I could look for recipes by seeing photos of the finished item. Although it seemed a mess it was an fairly organized mess. I could search food and see a variety for foods without trying to do random keyword/ingredient searches.

I don't go there everyday but I do check it out a couple times a week. While scrolling through the food pages I found a few that seemed like things Corey and I would like. This recipe is one of them. It comes from RachaelRaymag.com.

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat over to 400 degrees. In a shallow dish, combine cheese with paprika and parsley, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake until fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

**I'm not a fish eater so this meal was for Corey. He hated it and told me to never make it again. He said the Parmesan didn't go well with the fish. All the other comments I saw said it was good. So I guess it's one of those thing either you love it or hate it. If you make it I hope you enjoy it more then Corey did.

Gelatin flavored Cookies

I have tried a recipe before using a bagged cookie mix, adding cherry gelatin and chocolate chips to make chocolate covered cherry cookies. So I was thinking, I could used pretty much whatever flavor gelatin I wanted to make a flavored cookie.

I got several bags of cookie mix a few months ago on sale and on a triple coupon week. I used the oatmeal and chocolate chip bags, but still had a couple bags of sugar cookies in the pantry. I knew I had a couple boxes of gelatin in the cabinet but couldn't remember what flavors. The first box was strawberry banana. I turned the sugar cookies into strawberry banana cookies, and they tasted pretty good.

Fast forward a few days. My Foreman grill arrived and in the recipe booklet it gave instructions for cookies. Of course I had to give it a try. Back to the pantry for that last bag of sugar cookie mix. Open the cabinet to see if there was any more gelatin pushed behind my baking ingredients. One small box of raspberry gelatin, just what I needed.

I turned on the grill and started making the batter. Instead of small cookies, I make a big cookie and cut it. So I was thinking I would do the same thing with the grill. I gently sprayed the baking plate and the upper plate. Poured in the batter and waited. It didn't turn out pretty, guess I didn't get quite enough spray on the upper plate. But it tasted good.

It did overflow a little but not too bad. Since it could only be spread to the sides of the pan and not as flat as I usually spread it was a little thicker then normal. It looked like a little cake but I knew it was a cookie so we were calling it a cakie, cake plus cookie.

Gelatin flavored cookies

1 bag Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1 small package sugar free gelatin (you pick the flavor)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Drop on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees about 8 to 10 minutes.

**On the Foreman, mix ingredients. Drop in heated baking plate of grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on medium.
**If you want a big style cookie, separate into two portions. Spread first half in baking plate. Remove and repeat with second half.


**Warning**The following picture isn't pretty (but it was tasty).

Waffles

It's been a while since I have posted anything. Things have been a little crazy around here. Hopefully things will get better soon and I can get back to trying new recipes. Anyway, I have been participating in a program called Swagbucks**. I earn the points and redeem them for Amazon gift cards. I finally saved up enough to replace my George Foreman grill. I got the one with the waffle plates. The first morning I just used some pancake batter from the day before to make Corey a waffle. He said it was alright but I should look at other recipes.

So of course I searched online for waffle recipes. I just needed the basic recipe. I figure I can add stuff to it if I could just find a good base. I found a pretty simple recipe that called for ingredients that I already had on hand. The following day he loved the waffles.

Waffle batter

1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 beaten egg yolks
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites beaten stiffly

Mix all the dry ingredients. Combine yolks and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in oil and mix. Gently fold in beaten egg whites, do not over mix.

**This recipe made enough batter to last me all week. I just store it in a bowl with a lid in the fridge and stir before each use.

**If you have never heard of Swagbucks and would like any information, I would be glad to help, goldengirl971@yahoo.com. If you are interested in sighing up and would like to use my referral link, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/MDGILL5671

Oster sucks

I know this post isn't about a recipe or food, but about some products. This story begins two years ago. For Christmas in 2009 my parents got me an Oster electric cheese grater for Christmas. The place for the cheese was so small you had to cut the cheese way down to even fit it in. Then when you press the cheese against the shredding barrel the motor wasn't powerful enough to even cut the cheese. So I call Oster they sent a new one to me. Tried it, same thing. I gave up and got a Presto Salad Shooter Pro, LOVE IT!

Christmas 2010 rolls around, I need a microwave. So my parents got us one as our gift. You guessed it an Oster. You guessed it again PIECE OF CRAP. It worked about eight months and then just quit. Everything seemed fine, then one day Corey pushed the start button and it died.

I emailed them and complained about their products (graters and microwave). They sent me a number for the microwave division since they are taken care of in a separate department, fine whatever. They also apologized about the two graters. At this point the graters have become a discontinued item. I would assume since they suck they probably had a million complaints. Anyway, they offer to send me any item from their web page up to $40. I pick an electric skillet. It arrives and it seems really nice. Not as nice as I thought. After only three or four uses the non stick coating over the heating element bubbled and is coming off.

Back to the microwave, I pushed it away because I knew they would ask us to send it back. With our financial situation at the time, I knew that would be impossible. Well, even though our situation hasn't changed, I decided to call and see what I would have to do. Since it was purchased in 2010 they couldn't help me, I would have to pay for any repairs. Even though I have sent several emails to them about various issues, she said they couldn't prove I have contacted them so there was nothing she could do for me.

So just take this post as a warning. If you buy an Oster product be sure you are ready to deal with their customer service, probably more then once. As for me, I WILL NEVER BUY AN OSTER PRODUCT AGAIN.