Yummy for Your Tummy

There has been a breakfast treat I've been dying to make for years.  Yes, years.  Never let it be said that I don't work out all the angles before I tackle something.  HA!  I wish!

Honestly I bought these little red bowls about 4 or 5 years ago, just to make this dish....and today was the first time I actually made it.

So....are you curious?  Do you want to know what took me so long to work up the nerve to make?

Oatmeal Brulee! ( I have no idea how to put the accent in there on blogger.)

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Start of by making your oatmeal. 

Honestly, I just cleaned that stove top!  No, really!  What? You have your doubts?  Well please keep them to yourself! 

(And we make the cooked kind, c'mon, it only takes about 5 minutes of cooking - it's really fast and so much tastier.  You can go here to read more about my oatmeal obsession. )

Then because everybody likes a little something different on their oatmeal, I pulled out the dried fruit and nut basket from the pantry, some spices, and maple syrup.

Worker Bee wanted maple syrup.

Baby Bee wanted raisins and cinnamon.

Baby Bee's BFF (we came up with a nickname for her --- Strawberry Bee!) wanted cinnamon and brown sugar.  

And I, Sweet Bee, wanted a dried berry medley (and of course, Trader Joe's has just such a blend).

After cooking the oatmeal, I added everything each person wanted and stirred it up.

Then, I spread brown sugar all over the top of the oatmeal.

Now you could use a kitchen torch, but do I have one of those?  No, of course not (although I've thought about buying one many times), but I do have a broiler (on my oven, of course).

Popped those cute red bowls in the oven and broiled the heck out of that brown sugar.

Smelled so good!!!

I pulled them out and....well......we mostly had that nice crunchy top on our oatmeal.  I have to confess, it was not a complete and total success.

I think next time I would smooth the top of the oatmeal and then spread the brown sugar more evenly on top.  (Also Worker Bee's maple syrup made it a little runny and he never did get a crackling top.)

And guess what?  I'm making it again tomorrow morning!  Definitely worth the effort to achieve perfection on this simple dish.

Have I convinced you?  Are you going to try it?  

It's been a treat to see you! (Sort of like how Oatmeal Brulee is a treat!)

All of us at Sweet Bee Cottage love to read your comments and thank you for your visit!

Hope you're enjoying getting ready for your Thanksgiving!

And, of course, I've got to link up for Rednesday 

with the delightful Sue!

Soup Day

It rained here this weekend, so Baby Bee and I decided to make soup.  And by make soup, I mean we made batches and batches of soup.  (Technically, I should say batch, batch, batch, batch, and batch.  But doesn't batches and batches sound better?)

We started off with an easy one and doubled it!  We made Cheddar Broccoli Soup from this cookbook....

It's so easy and yummy!  But, having this tool makes it so much easier to make.  

After cooking the broccoli, I just plug this little red hot baby in and it purees all of the broccoli.  (Baby Bee took charge of this job and frankly, she did a better job than I usually do.  I think she enjoyed it so much because it was almost like playing!)

Then we tackled Italian Vegetable Soup from one of my prettiest cookbooks.

The photographs in this one are so inviting.  I love it's "twin" cookbook too - Gooseberry Patch Get Togethers.

In fact, we're having that one for dinner tonight along with some French bread I'm sprinkling fresh grated Parmesan cheese on and then broiling it.  

So yummy!

After that, we made Baby Bee's Favorite Soup - Clam Chowder.  It's also from my Williams-Sonoma Soups cookbook.  

I've had to adapt the original recipe to use canned clams (please don't let Chuck Williams know - he might not ever let me shop in his stores again).  I promise to share that recipe with you soon.  But, I didn't take pictures so it will have to wait for another day.

The next on our list was the Chicken Tortilla Soup from my latest cookbook.  

We followed the recipe exactly and this moved up into Baby Bee's Top 5 soup recipes!  Another easy and delicious recipe!

And finally, we tackled Susan Branch's Corn Chowder recipe again.  

Soooooooooo yummy!  

Now you might be asking, what are those Sweet Bee's going to do with all those batches of soup?

Well, we're going to save them for a rainy day - literally!  (Or more likely for a busy weeknight when I don't have time to cook, but Worker Bee or Baby Bee could heat the soups up on the stove.)  

Thank you Deep Freezie!  

Ummm.....this is NOT a picture of our freezer - just in case you were wondering.  Ours is filled with muffins and croissants from Costco and - drum roll - frozen soup!

You help keep us supplied with nutritious and delicious homemade meals! 

(Should I be admitting in a public forum that I nickname everything?  Including my appliances???)

Now.....which soup would you like to enjoy with us?  

I'm pretty sure we could fit another bowl on the table for you.

Thanks so much for buzzing by and for your kind comments.  It's such a delight to see you've dropped in for a visit!

A Giveaway Winner! And Susan Branch! And I Actually Made Something from Pinterest!

Winner! Winner!  Winner!

Thanks to Random Number Generator, comment #31 from Amy of UTryIt is the winner of my Amazon and Starbucks card giveaway!

Amy is a food blogger and she has awesome recipes and features.  Please go check her out.  You won't be disappointed (unless you don't like food)!

And, in honor of a food blogger winning, I thought I would share my version of Susan Branch's Corn Chowder!  Not really cold here anymore (but at least it's not hot) and I bought the ingredients to make this last Wednesday, but I ended up working until 7:30 that night and there just wasn't time to get this done, so I made it today.

(My bowls aren't as lovely as Susan's, but they still look pretty good!)

And oh my was it ever YUMPTIOUS!!!

Want a closer look?

This is really, really good and easy to make, but you MUST INCLUDE THE BACON!  

Vegetarian? 

 Then use tofu bacon or whatever it takes, because the BACON takes this soup to divine!

And.....you'll be so proud of me.....

I made something I found on Pinterest!  

Yes I did!

I made these....

Better than Jim and Nick's Cheesy Biscuits from Plain Chicken. 

that I found here!

Then we had leftover chocolate croissant bread pudding with homemade whipped cream for dessert tonight!  (Worker Bee's birthday was Friday, but we couldn't celebrate until Saturday night.)

Definitely not a night for the cows to take off!

Thank you so much for your support and entering my giveaway!  Your visits mean so much to me (and even Worker Bee and Baby Bee, they delight in your visits too).

I hope you know you're invited for dinner any time!  I love to make soup and I would love to have you come on over!  There's always room for one more!

My Creative Urges...

For some reason this summer I have not been very crafty.  Now that summer is winding down for me (I go back to school on Aug. 15) I'm feeling the itch to get crafty but I am also feeling like I frittered some of my summer away.  I probably shouldn't be so hard on myself, but my closets are a mess and I just don't want to get started working on them right now.  I at least tackled Baby Bee's closet and we went through ALL of her clothes to see what fit and what didn't.  (She's grown a few inches since last year!)

So, where has my creativity taken me?

To the kitchen!

('Cause you know that creative buzzy bee has to get out somehow.)

Can you tell I have a thing for red and blue dishes?

I've made homemade syrups for drinks.  I've made interesting sandwiches - turkey, cream cheese, and balsamic onion jam on toast was a delicious combination.  Last week I made a salad for us for dinner that we all loved - spring mix, chunked up Granny Smith apples, gorgonzola cheese, pistachios and homemade champagne vinaigrette dressing.  Worker Bee went on and on about how delicious it was.

Baby Bee thought we needed an action shot.

Tonight we're having maple brined pork chops, sweet potato fries, green salad and - get this - homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream.  Of course we mixed up some Skip & Go Nakeds and for a little appetizer I took a bit of cream cheese, a large dollop of Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (from Costco) and we spread this on some crackers.  (Of course I took pictures!)

She also thought we needed a "finished product" shot.

I can't begin to tell you how delicious this was.  It's from the latest issue of Cooking Light.  You brine the pork chops for 8 hours in a maple syrup, salt, spice mixture and then grill the pork chops.

To top it you halve some peaches and plums, put maple butter on them, salt and pepper and grill them too.  Sewing Bee was over for dinner and we all talked about how we had never had grilled fruit and how absolutely delicious it was.  I also sprinkled green onions over the top for some crunchy contrast.

And I slightly burned the sweet potato fries.  We love these fried and they just don't crisp up in the oven like we enjoy.  But we're trying to be healthier so I've started putting a little bit of oil (1-2 tsp) over the top of the frozen fries, tossing them gently and then cooking them slightly longer than the package recommends.  They get that crispy texture (or overly crispy if you forget to take them out in a timely manner) without as much oil.  Yumptious!

I've become way hooked on Pinterest in the past couple weeks and I found this recipe for chocolate peanut butter ice cream there.  I am telling you it is so wicked (and I do mean kind of wicked because you might give up everything else in your life to have this ice cream again) good and it's not even completely frozen yet.  (We sampled the paddle, spatula, measuring cup, and ice cream maker container to ensure quality control.  We wouldn't want anyone to not feel their bowl of ice cream was not top notch ;)

Now this is what it's supposed to look like...

I found the recipe at Bake at 350.

Hmmmm......mine looks soft serve, not give yourself tendonitis trying to scoop it out and into the bowl.

I wonder what went wrong?  Could it be I didn't let it freeze in the freezer long enough?  Do I have a bad ice cream freezer?  

Any thoughts out there?  Please?  

I really want mine to look like this!

I've only used this ice cream maker once a very long time ago.  I have since put it in the deep freeze and maybe then it will get nice and temporarily solid.  

But don't think soft ice cream stopped us from devouring every little morsel!

*****updated to let you know after a night and day in the deep freeze my ice cream looked just like it was supposed to - sadly it was consumed before any pictures could be taken although the thought of taking a picture did cross my mind but then the spoon crossed my lips and all was lost****

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I set the table for you again!

Used my trusty burlap tablecloth that the More Creative Bee made for one of our county fair tables several years ago.

The dishes are called Memory Lane and I picked those up on ebay about 4 years ago.

The flatware was from Home Goods and I wish I bought more now.

I love these glasses!  They are TAG and the Sewing Bee found them for me.

I knew it would be evening when we ate so I brought out this candle holder I picked up at Pottery Barn for a simple center piece.  I used a red quilted runner for some contrast.  I think it was from Home Goods too.

So, am I turning into a foodie blog?  I don't think so.  This is just where my creativity is leading me right now, but I hear a low buzzing sound coming from my craft studio.  That buzz can't be ignored for too long or horrible things might happen......

Thanks for your visit today!  

I always enjoy spending some time with you.

And I promise to make you a delicious dinner when you come over.

You will come, won't you?

Oh!  And only a few more days until my giveaway ends.   

Click here to leave a comment on my giveaway post!

Yummmmm......Oatmeal!

Let's see, yesterday our low temperature was 39 degrees and our high was 41 degrees, with more of the same today.

I know, not cold compared to my friends in other parts of the country, but still chilly!  And that fog is really damp and that doesn't help you feel warm at all.

So what is better on a cold morning than a warm bowl of oatmeal!

We love oatmeal at Sweet Bee Cottage!  No, not the instant kind, but good old fashioned Quaker Oats!  It doesn't take that long and it's so much better - and probably better for you too!

I keep this tag in the oatmeal jar so I don't forget the proportions.

Now what makes it really tasty and unique is that we add our own preferences to the mix.

I like dried cranberries and a touch of nutmeg.

Baby Bee likes dried cranberries too, but she likes to add cinnamon.

Worker Bee wants nothing to do with dried fruit in his oatmeal, but he likes cinnamon, nutmeg, and a splash of maple syrup.

We all put dark brown sugar and a splash of milk - or if we're really feeling decadent - half and half.  

So, how do you like your oatmeal?

Oh yeah!  I love it in my chocolate chip cookies too!

Have you tried the Family Circle Macaroni and Cheese recipe?

This recipe was on the cover of Family Circle this fall.  They claimed this was the best Mac and Cheese recipe ever.

Oh really?

I've made my fair share of Mac'n'Cheese and those were all pretty good recipes.  So I took Family Circle on! 

And......it WAS the best Mac'n'Cheese I've ever made!  Yummmmm! 

Here's what you need -

1 box (1 pound) penne rigate
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 Tbl. unsalted butter
3 Tbl. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. cayenne pepper

Now, this could get pretty pricey if you go to the regular grocery store. Sorry all of you who are not near a Trader Joe's, but boy do they have phenomenal cheese prices.  Gruyere was $9.50 a pound at my local store.  It was $5.00 a pound at Trader Joe's.  I'll let you do the math.

This is what happens when you ask Worker Bee to shred the cheese for you.  Do you see the heart in this pile of shredded cheese?  He has his own quirky romantic notions - but I like it.

Here's what you need to do -

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray.  Bring large pot of water to boiling.

2.  Add penne to the pot of boiling water and cook 6 minutes and then drain.  In large bowl toss together the three cheeses and set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, melt butter in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk the flour in until smooth and bubbly.  In a thin stream, whisk in the milk.  Stir in onion powder, salt, and cayenne.  Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.

4.  In the pasta pot, stir together the cooled penne and the cheese sauce.  Pour half into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with a heaping cup of the cheese mixture.  Spoon the remaining penne into the dish and top with the remaining cheese.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to broil and cook 3 minutes until the top is lightly browned.  Let the dish cool slightly before serving.

This was so delicious that I forgot to take pictures until after we already ate 1/3 of it.  This is the third time I've made this recipe and it's been great every time.  And you have to understand - I'm always trying new recipes - so for me to make something three times must mean it is REALLY good.  

Hope you try this recipe.  Let me know how it turned out for you.

Thanks for stopping by!  I've got some leftovers in the freezer.....

Yummmmmmmm.....

Just had to share how absolutely delicious Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon was (and will be----leftovers, yeah)......

It was worth the effort.