Bride of Magazine Challenge: Rocky Road Bars

So.
I made these treats a while ago.  I try and make something most weekends so that we have a treat to eat after dinner to eat most nights.  Those weeks I don't, we seem to go for frosty chocolate milkshakes; especially in summer. But with something like this in an airtight container sitting on the counter, we're a whole lot less likely to go running off.
J tells me he's not big on marshmallows, but these seemed to disappear quickly enough.  I liked them because they mixed up in a pan and were quick to put together.  Most people would like them because of their sweet top layer.  I added them to my list of things checked off for the Magazine Challenge.
I present to you now from the October 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Rocky Road Bars:

Souper Sunday: Wonton Soup

So.

My bank account is running short.  The good thing about this is that I get paid on Wednesday.  The other good thing about this is that I am forced to use up the things that lurk in the back of my freezer from other things I planned to make and didn't quite get around to.  A case in point is this soup. 

According to the package, I froze the small, thinkly sliced pork loin almost a year ago after buying it on special.  My guess is I bought it because I was thinking of making this soup and then didn't have it on the menu so froze the pork.  Likewise, I had the wonton wrappers hiding in the back of the fridge behind the yogurt.  I'm not sure how long they've been there...probably a shorter time than the pork, but who knows?

Scary, isn't it?  Those things you buy and don't get around to using?  We try very hard here to not waste food, but there are times when something gets left too long and isn't safe to eat anymore.  Secondharvest.ca says that Canadians waste $27 billion in food every year, with 51% of that being wasted in the home.  Those are scary numbers, and ones I don't want to contribute to.  This recipe used up some of what had been lingering in my house too long.

I don't suggest waiting as long as I did to make this.  It's delicious.  Looneyspoons recipes always are.  I subbed pork for the chicken, but otherwise made it as is.  J and I both enjoyed it the first night and subsequent days for lunch.  And at the end of the day?  No waste.  It's all good.

I present to you now the Looneyspoons Collection's Obi Wonton Kenobi Soup:

Finally It's Spring! (Pasta)

So.
Have I mentioned how enamoured I am with PC Points?  Probably not.  I know I mentioned them on Facebook one night, and heard from friends who have saved them up as well.  J and I managed to save over $200 this past year in points.  We spent them once at the beginning of the summer to buy our supplies for a big summer kickoff BBQ.  The second time was the week before Christmas; where we stocked the larder with expensive things we don't buy very often as treats for the holidays.
One of the recipes I planned over the Christmas holiday (and I'm finally getting around to sharing) was what we had for brunch Christmas morning.
For Christmas this past year, J and I went to family Christmas with my dad's family Christmas Day, stayed overnight at my mom's, and then brought Mom back with us to the mountain.  We had our actual Christmas on the 27th, with presents and brunch and a big fancy dinner.  It's the advantage to no kids - you can open the presents any day you choose.
When I got my copy of the 2015 Milk calendar this year, I flipped through looking for things that I might like to make.  This was one of the things that caught my eye, which is weird because it has some things in it that I don't make or cook with very often.
I don't buy smoked salmon very often.  Frankly, I think this is the first time I've ever bought it.  My comment was that in this dish it almost tasted like bacon, which would be a good, cheaper option.  I also had the chance to try my hand at making poached eggs, something I'd never done before.  It was a lovely dish - especially in the winter when you're waiting for Spring.  Or now...when it's Spring...and you're waiting for...Spring.
I present to you now from the 2015 Milk Calendar Finally it's Spring Pasta:

Got Milk 5: Lemon Oatmeal Creme Cookies

So.
According to the calendar, it's Spring.  As we determined on Monday, to me, Spring tastes like lemon.  Summer tastes like grilling and gin, but that's beside the point.  But lemon...bright, sassy lemon.  It's one of my favourite dessert flavours in a pie, or a cake, or a cookie.
I think it's the fact that lemon is a palate cleaner.  It's so refreshing after a meal of big flavours.  It doesn't take a lot, but just a little to jazz up chicken soup or give you a little pucker and cut the sugar.  Someday, I'll wax poetic about chocolate.  It's darn tasty too.
But when I saw these cookies on Crumb I knew I had to make them.  Fresh oatmeal cookies stuck together with tart lemon icing?  Yes please!
I present to you now Crumb's Lemon Oatmeal Creme Cookies:

Secret Recipe Club: Lemon Eclairs

So.

It's time again to celebrate Spring with another edition of the Secret Recipe Club.  What's this?  It's a group of bloggers who get together and are assigned a blog in secret, then choose a recipe to make, and all reveal what we've made from each other's blogs at the same time.  Fun, right?  I so enjoy getting the email every month with the blog that I am to stalk and choose something to make for the first Monday of the month.
This month, I was assigned the blog Casa Costello.  Helen is from England, has 3 gorgeous girls, and bakes.  A lot.  She has beautiful cakes.  I considered a wide variety of cupcakes and desserts before settling on these lovelies.  Things like Marshmallow Brownie Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes, or this Walnut and Coffee Battenburg Cake.  Everything looked lovely!  I'll have to come back and make more!!
The nice thing about reveal day is that it's right after Easter.  I volunteered to bring dessert with me to my mom's for Easter - more people to help eat up what I've made!  Lemon always makes me think of Spring, and these are delicately lemon.  Just perfect for a light dessert after too much other good food.
In the tradition of all good SRC recipes, this one took me out of my comfort zone by tackling something I've never made before:  choux paste.  While choux sounds crazy simple, I've never had reason, nor been brave enough to try my hand at making it.  It is dead simple, and worked out lovely.
Helen, I read your recipe, and then turned to You Tube to make sure I got it right.  The recipe is more Tante Marie's, but the filling and ganache are all yours!  Thanks for a lovely Easter dessert!
I present to you now from Casa Costello, Lemon Eclairs:

Breakfast: Baked Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal

So.
I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.  I love that I can organize the interesting things I find and use it to plan for vacations.  I hate that I forget how I've reorganized things when it seems to be getting out of control.  I also hate how much of a master Pinterest is at the art of time suckage.
I can lose myself in pretty food pictures for hours.  I can click and click on home renovations that I don't have the time or the abilities to recreate.  But sometimes, one of my friends pins something that looks delicious, and I don't need to look so hard to find something that I'd like and might be good for me.
Case in point, this recipe.  My friend Lauren pinned it and I thought it looked so good.  I am often on the hunt for new things to make for breakfast that can be made ahead, and that is warm and delicious.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to eat breakfast regularly, and I've become much better about it.  When desperate, I have toast and jam; but I have looked for options that are a little more hot and filling.  About once per week, I do some sort of egg wrap for J and I, and I've frozen pancakes to reheat in the toaster.  I finally decided to make a batch of the baked oatmeal that I'd seen all over but not tried, and when it contained peanut butter, so much the better!
This was perfect and simple.  It also made enough to eat for the whole week.  I portioned it out into reheatable containers and stacked them in a corner of the fridge.  J and I both enjoyed this the first morning and reheated in the microwave with milk as the week progressed.  I definitely need to make more baked oatmeals!
I present to you now Two Peas and Their Pod's Baked Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal:

#15Cheesecakes: Everyday Cheesecake

So.

You know how I entered new territory this year with blog events?  They're way fun, and keep me on track with my cooking.  I've been pleased to be a part of events coordinated by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.  She's always organized and a great person to work with!

When Cam posted that she was celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary with a blog party of 15 cheesecakes, I waffled about whether or not to join.  It's not that it didn't sound fun, it's just what was a going to do with a whole cheesecake?  

J and I have dessert or at least a treat most nights after dinner.  With a dessert that serves 12, we'd be eating it forever, and while cheesecake is good, a little goes a long way.  But my mom was coming for the weekend, so that was 2 servings down, and perhaps I could send some home with her too.

Then I got smart.  I got on Pinterest, and searched "small cheesecake".  not mini cheesecake (which definitely has a place too), but a small one that would be all the beauty of cheesecake without all the servings.  

Enter this recipe.  It takes only 1 package of cream cheese, and comes together fast.  It's great alone, but we all talked about how amazing it would be with a fresh raspberry sauce.  Frankly, it's easy enough for everyday...but you could totally serve it to company too.  And even better?  It makes 6 servings.  Just enough for J, mom and me for 2 meals.  

I present to you now from Rita's Recipes, Everyday Cheesecake:

Souper Sunday: Southwestern Bean Chowder

So.

The good thing about February being hellacold is that that there was lots of opportunity to eat great soups.  Just as well that I got a new soup cookbook for Christmas!  I went looking for something interesting one Sunday afternoon as I discovered how many things I didn't have in my pantry.
Perhaps the good thing about a lack of things that I think I have/can get easily is that I'll try things outside of my comfort zone.  This soup is a case in point.  Normally, I wouldn't think of making a meatless soup, nor one with quite as many beans.  But the picture was pretty, and I had everything to make it.
So on a cold afternoon, I set out to make a soup that would warm us and keep us going in a never-ending winter.
I present to you now Juli Meyers of Hinesville, Georgia's Southwestern Bean Chowder:

Son of Magazine Challenge: March Planning

So.
It's a new month, and I've already made one of the recipes from March's Everyday Food.  Just as well.  We're going to Montreal for a bit during March Break.  While we won't be gone for the entire week, we will be gone for most of it.  Last year, I did a gigantic amount of cooking that week to post.  That won't be the case this year.  Frankly, based on my reading, I will be eating myself into oblivion.  When I haven't been heard from in a while, check the raclette restaurants or the Nordic Spa.
March 2007 featured dinners that should come together in minutes.  There are boil and toss pastas, and a speedy chili.  I came up with 6 things that I'd like to try:

• Chicken, Ham & Cheese Rollups
• Omelette
• Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto
• Cheesy Hash Brown Bake
• Sage Pork Chops
• Parmesan Rice

We've already had the chicken rollups.  They were delicious.  Let's hope everything else this month is as good!

The Secret Recipe Club: Easy Garlic Pinwheels

So.
It's time once again for my reveal in the Secret Recipe Club.  Today, the Group A members will all show what yummy recipes we've made from each other's blogs over the past month.  I always love looking with purpose through someone else's blog for something to make.  I have yet to make anything that hasn't been great.
Once again this month, I was assigned an Australian blog.  I swung by Trisha's blog, My Hobbie Lobbie, looking for something fun.  I considered Hokey Pokey, and loved the looks of her cookies, but finally settled on Cheese Straws until the day of truth when I finally went to make the recipe.  I couldn't find the recipe.  I'm sure it's in the Recipe Index somewhere, but I couldn't find it.  So I chose something else that worked equally as well with soup.
Trisha loves garlic.  So do J and myself.  I found her recipe for Easy Garlic Rolls, and I was sold.  They are easy.  Trust me.  You should make them.  Really.
I present to you now My Hobbie Lobbie's Easy Garlic Rolls: