How to Clean your Glass Stovetop

You get in a little closer and see the battle scars from making home made french fries.. Gross right? Yes, I know I probably should have cleaned it up right after the mess happened, but let’s face it – it was too hot to touch and then I forgot about it. Also I’m the queen of boil overs, and there’s no real good stovetop cleaner out there. I’ve heard of different care methods, like using an exacto blade to scrape off carbonized residue, but I was afraid it would scratch up the smooth glass. Not wanting that to happen, I looked into some other alternatives, and the best one is.. Baking Soda!!

Don’t ever assume that it’s easier to clean than the old fashioned coils. I thought that 6 months ago when we got this stove that it would be easier to clean for its smooth surface, but don’t be fooled. Whatever the case,  it’s awful and yucky looking, so I thought it was high time to see how I could get rid of this fossilized grease on my stovetop.

All you need is

1. Bowl & Hot Soapy Water
2. Baking Soda
3. A Cleaning Rag
4. Gloves (I didn’t use any because I thought baking soda wouldnt be harsh on my hands.. but I was wrong, so try to use gloves, you’ll thank me later)

First, you fill a bowl with hot tap water water and mix it with some dish soap. Submerge the rag in the bowl and get it wet.

Apply baking soda in a generous amount all over the affected area.

Now pull out that hot soapy rag out of the bowl and squeeze half the water out. You want it to be soggy, not sopping.

Then wait about 15 minutes…

Then swirl the rag around in circles, using the baking soda paste as a gentle scrub.

The dry up the surface and shine it up with windex. Good as new!!

I repeated these steps 1 time to achieve these results. You may also leave the rag on for longer, depending on how bad it is.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love CrockPots because they simultaneously make my life easier and make it seem like I've put a lot more effort into dinner than I actually did. Anything that can do that is definitely a winner in my book.

Because we're finally experiencing some fall weather around here, I decided to use the trusty CrockPot today to make some chicken tortilla soup, yum! And because it was so easy, so delicious, and I haven't posted a recipe in a long time, I thought I'd share with all of you! :)

Ingredients

2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel (I like the lime & cilantro, but the regular is fine)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder*
1 Tbsp chile powder*
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
1 Tbsp dried cilantro*

tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

*Instead of these spices, you could include a packet of Taco seasoning if you prefer.*

Put chopped onion, cans of beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices in CrockPot and stir to mix. Put chicken breasts on top of mixture and make sure they're at least partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving remove the chicken breasts from soup and shred, if needed, (sometimes they'll just fall apart on their own, but sometimes they need some help). Return chicken to CrockPot, stir to combine.

To serve put a few tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over tortilla chips, top with shredded cheddar cheese, (today I used the Kraft Mexican blend and it was yummy), and a dollop of sour cream, serve with more chips if you like. Enjoy!


Compliments of http://jonandjenmiller.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-chicken-tortilla-soup.html 

Homemade Apple Fritters

Recipe from Seeminglygreek.com  

Homemade Apple Fritters Recipe: Printable Recipe
1 heaping cup AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda OR baking powder
dash salt
1 – 2 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how much you love cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped apple, your favorite kind for eating, peanut sized or smaller

oil for frying
milk and powdered sugar glaze for dipping or just powdered sugar for dusting
(About 1 cup pwd. sugar + 1 T. milk or more) 

Mix all dry ingredients together, slowly add the wet ingredients minus the apple. Carefully mix until well combined but not overly beat,gently fold in apple pieces. The batter should be the consistency of a light cake mix. Once the oil is ready (when a test drop of dough floats to the top of the oil, a drop of water sizzles, or a piece of white bread browns in 60 seconds) then using a cookie scooper or soup spoon, place a 4-5 balls of dough into the oil. Be careful not to overcrowd and watch carefully for the underside to turn golden brown, then gently flip over and continue frying until done. I cooked mine about 35 seconds per side, but they were the size of golf balls – adjust cooking times based on size of fritters and temperature of your oil, ideally around 365° F. It is always a good idea to test one to ensure it comes out like you are expecting.

Pork Sirloin Roast

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (3 pound) sirloin tip roast

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir in the olive oil, and allow the mixture to sit about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Place the roast on the prepared baking sheet, and cover on all sides with the spice mixture.
4. Roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Let sit 15 minutes before slicing.

Super Easy Baba Ghanouj

Baba Gha...what?!?!?!  Baba Ghanouj is pretty much mashed Eggplant.  




13 oz. can of Baba Ghanouj
1 TBL of Tahini Paste, or to taste
2 TBL of water
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Lemon
1/4 Parsley
1/4 tsp of S/P
Olive Oil


In a serving bowl, empty can of Baba Ghanouj. 


On a cutting board, work garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper together with the flat side of a knife, until it forms a paste. Add the garlic-salt mixture to the eggplant. Stir in the parsley, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with more salt, to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.  Drizzle with Olive Oil.

Panera's Stove Top Mac n Cheese

Panera’s Stove Top Mac and Cheesesource: Panera Bread

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Large Sea Shell pasta
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
• 4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces
• 8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce (I used Louisiana)
• Ritz Crackers

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 minute whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove sauce pan from the heat.  By the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more.  Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce.  Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through.  Serve hot in bowls with spoons.  Top with crumbled Ritz Crackers.  Enjoy:)

The Absolute Best Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Like my husband said, "You definitely hit this one out of the park!"  This Saturday I tried something I have never tried before- Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp (about 50 or 60 medium sized)
• 2 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth
• 1 pound andouille, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• Vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• Hot cooked rice

Preparation

• Peel shrimp, reserving shells, and devein, if desired. Set meat aside.

• Combine shrimp shells and chicken broth in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding shells. Set broth aside, and keep warm.
• Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Remove sausage; set aside. Measure drippings, adding enough oil to measure 1/2 cup. Cook oil mixture and flour in Dutch oven over medium-low heat about 35 to 40 minutes, whisking constantly, until roux is chocolate colored.
• Stir in onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often. Gradually stir in warm broth; bring mixture to a boil. Stir in bay leaves and next 4 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in shrimp, sausage, and green onions; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaves. Serve over hot rice.