Garlic? Garlic!

My girlfriends and I have been having Downton Abbey marathons every Saturday night for the last month and a half or so. We are officially all caught up and have just started season three. It is so good, right? (I know that most of you are watching it!) We have been watching 3-4 episodes a night so I have been making dinner and setting out tea and biscuits and then we all cozy up with blankets and pillows and transport ourselves into England in the early 1900's. 
Last week I made spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. I've been keeping it pretty simple but both of these recipes turned out great. I got the sauce recipe from my friend, Tricia. I tweaked it a bit by adding red wine. Wine really adds good flavor to sauces. I use it all the time. The garlic bread is my mom's recipe, when you read the recipe you will be amazed at how much garlic is in there - five heads! Not five cloves... five heads! That is a lot of garlic! So if you are looking for a nice "comfort food" Italian dinner, look no further, my friends. Here are the recipes:

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 cup red wine (divided in half)

2 Tbs. sugar

1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)

2 Tbs. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (or 2 tsp. dried)

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. oregano

1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

a dash of red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (additional cheese for topping)

1 lb. Spaghetti, cooked Al Dente and tossed with Olive Oil

Directions:

In a large pot, cook sausage and ground beef. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside. Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Add olive oil to the pot and sauté onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Add in the mushroom and cook until they soften and give up their juices. Pour in ½ cup of wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. 

Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and the rest of the wine. Stir in all of the spices. Add drained meat back into the pot. Simmer, covered for 1 ½ hours. After an hour, add the grated Parmesan. Stir to combine, then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaves before serving on top of spaghetti. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Rosemary Garlic Bread (makes 3 loaves)

5 whole garlic bulbs

2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 cup fresh minced rosemary

1 Tbs. chicken broth

9-9 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cups sugar

3 pkg. (6 3/4 tsp.) yeast

3 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup water

3/4 cup butter, divided

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut top off garlic heads, leaving root end intact. Place cut side up in a small baking dish. Brush with oil, sprinkle with rosemary. Cover and bake at 425°F for 30-35 minutes or until soft. Cool for 10 minutes; squeeze softened garlic into bowl. Add broth and mash. In large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk, water and 1/2 cup butter to 120-130°F. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened.

Beat in egg and garlic paste until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto floured surface; knead about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into thirds. Divide each third into 3 pieces; shape and roll each into an 18" rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under.

Repeat with remaining dough. cover and let rise until double; about 30 minutes. Bake 350°F for 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter and garlic salt. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire rack and cool.

Year of the Snake

My Tuesday night Community Group celebrated Chinese New Year with a Chinese pot luck. I know we are a month early but we use any excuse to cook up a feast! Everyone brought their A game and we has tons of delicious food - fried rice, mu shu pork with rice pancakes, honey-cashew chicken, egg drop soup, and veggie stir fry. I made homemade fortune cookies. I have to say, I probably won't ever make them again. Fortune cookies are a pretty mediocre cookie and the homemade version is not any more spectacular. Because you have to fold them when they are hot out of the oven you have to bake the cookies one at a time! Talk about time consuming! They turned out kind of soft so they weren't really like a normal fortune cookie. Everyone liked them though. People suggested folding them in a different shape, such as rolling them into a tube and dipping them into chocolate for a new cookie. I think they would be pretty good that way. Here is the recipe if case you feel ambitious. 

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients: 4 egg whites 1/2 tsp. vanilla ¼ tsp. salt

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture. 

Place 1 spoonful of the batter on a square of parchment paper and place on a cookie sheet. Use the spoon to move the batter into a round shape about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Only make 1 at a time, because the cookies have to be really hot to form them and one they cool it is too late and they will crack. 

Bake for 6 minutes or until the cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking prepare the other. 

Remove from oven and quickly remove the cookie from the parchment. (I tipped the parchment square upside down onto another square of parchment, and then I carefully peeled the parchment off of the cookie. 

Quickly place the fortune on the cookie and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin to hold their shape until firm. 

So, this is the year of the snake. I don't know much about Chinese astrology but I looked up the year of the snake since we were going to be celebrating it and discovered that I was born in the year of the snake - 1977 makes me a Fire Snake. According to the great wisdom of the internet Fire Snakes can be a bit loud, speaking their minds and smothering you with their opinions. This does add a twist to her dynamic and vibrant character, as she is quite the extrovert. These Snakes have a great wisdom. They are intriguing communicators who leave you breathless after a conversation. Fire Snakes can change even the most obstinate mind with their powers of persuasion, convincing you their opinions or ideas are better than yours. This does make them a little self-centered, but you can’t say they aren’t driven for success.

Loud? Opinionated? Extroverted? Obstinate? I am not blind to my faults, but these aren't them! I really can't think of a less accurate description. Oh well, at any rate, this is my year! I have high expectations  Bring it on 2013!

Christmas Craftiness

Well, Christmas is over and the stores are filled with Valentines Day stuff... seriously! It is ridiculous. I am not ready to take my tree down. I love the Christmas lights and decor so much, one month doesn't seem long enough to enjoy it. Boo. Oh well, Christmas was great this year. It was my family's "off" year. It is usually kind of sad for me to spend Christmas in California without the snow and mountains and without my family. This year was actually great though, I think I am getting used to holidays on my own and although it is always better with my family, it is pretty great no matter what. 

Christmas Eve I went to church then my friend, Cheryl and I made cookies and watched the Muppet Christmas Carol. On Christmas morning I woke up and decided to go see Les Miserables. I was going to hold out until Thursday when my friends and I were going to go, but I decided that since I didn't have plans until the afternoon I would take advantage of my lazy plan-free morning and go see it since I had been anxiously awaiting it for months. I was not disappointed  Les Mis was amazing and definitely worth seeing twice! 

Then in the afternoon I went to my friends, the Ochoa's house for dinner. We had a delicious turkey dinner then watched Home Alone and played Harry Potter Scene It. I brought a peppermint bark cheesecake that was DELICIOUS!!! It was the perfect Christmas dessert. You should definitely try it. Here is the recipe:

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Peppermint Bark:

4 oz dark chocolate

4 oz white chocolate 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract, divided about 4-5 crushed candy canes
1 cup sugar
4 oz white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 Tbs. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 eggs
1 batch peppermint bark

Crust:

1 1/2 cups finely ground Oreos

4 Tbs. butter, melted

Cheesecake:

3 8 oz blocks cream cheese, softened

Chocolate Ganache:

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate

½ cup heavy whipping cream

about 2-3 crushed candy canes

Peppermint Bark:

Melt dark chocolate with ½ tsp. vegetable oil and 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract; pour on a sheet of parchment paper. Let set.

Melt white chocolate with ½ tsp. vegetable oil and 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract; pour on top of dark chocolate.

Press chopped up pieces of candy cane into the chocolate. Let set until firm. Cut into ½ inch pieces. Refrigerate until ready to add to cheesecake.

Crust:

Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter until well blended. Press mixture into a 9” spring form pan wrapped in tin foil. Bake at 375°F for 7-8 minutes. Take out and turn the oven down to 325°F.

Cheesecake:

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, and peppermint extract; mix until smooth. Add in the sugar, flour, salt, and heavy cream and blend until smooth. Melt white chocolate on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. Mix into cheesecake batter. Stir the peppermint bark into the cheesecake.

Transfer spring-form pan and cooked crust to a larger pan, such as a large roasting pan. Pour filling into crust. Add enough hot water to reach half way up the sides of your spring-form pan. Carefully place in center of oven. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Turn off the oven. Keeping the door shut, leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 45 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for at least 1 hour before chilling.

Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Chocolate Ganache:

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

Quickly spread a thin layer of chocolate on top of the cheesecake starting at the center and working outward. Sprinkle with crushed peppermints and gently press them into the chocolate. Let set at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Although I didn't go out and do a Pinterest Christmas like I did last year, I still made my nieces presents. I made a little baby doll for my 1 year old niece, Isla. According to Tim and Malee she loves it and cuddles it. Yay - Auntie Tamara for the win!

For my 5 year old niece, Ashton, I made these adorable little Disney Princess dolls I found on Pinterest. I love how they turned out and according to Tony and Jenn, she loves them too. Win again! I love being an aunt, it is so much fun!

Christmas is over but it was a great year. Now time to ring in the new year!