New Start in 2011

I've been M.I.A. for some time now, struggling with the direction that Foodie with Little Thyme should take. It's seems that somehow my blog became a recipe/cookbook review and that frustrated me. My life is about easy, quick, healthy, and homemade meals. My kitchen has always been a place for my children and friends to gather and I want to capture that and share it with you. I'm working on finding Foodie with Little Thyme. Please bear with me and join me for the ride.



Crescent rolls filled with chocolate chips.
Baked according to the package directions.
YUM!

Fruit Smoothie!

Anthony TV presents the Fruit Smoothie!

Ingredients:

• 1C Strawberries
• 1 Banana
• 1C Milk
• 1/2 C Plain Yogurt
• 1 TBSP Honey

Directions:

• Throw all the ingredents into the blender and blend until smooth.
• Serve!

Breakfast Muffins

Here is a slightly healthy take on the breakfast Muffin. I love the cheery, wheat and pecan mix in these muffins.

Cherry Pecan Muffins

Recipe adapted from Stoneyfield Farms

Ingredients:

• 1 C flour
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 C frozen cherries, drained
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 C yogurt
  
• 1/4 C butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 C Pecans

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375℉.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flours, sugar, and baking soda.
• Stir in cherries and pecans, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, butter and vanilla.
• Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet.
• Divide batter evenly amongst a 12-cup muffin tin that has been greased or lined with papers.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Cheese Soufflé and Vampire's Morning Cocktail

It’s Barefoot Bloggers time. Barefoot Bloggers are a community of bloggers that get together twice monthly to make, eat and post about Ina Garten’s recipes. Today’s recipe was chosen by Summer of Sexy Apartment. She has Chosen Blue Cheese Soufflé, which can found in Barefoot in Paris. This was my first soufflé and it was not only easy but also beautiful and delicious. My only advice is to make sure you have ALL the ingredients before you get started. I was reading as I was going and half way in realized I was short one egg white. Thank you to our wonderful friends and neighbors for coming to the rescue.


Here is Ina’s recipe.
I did make a few changes, those will be in red.
Ingredients

· 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
· 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 cup scalded milk
· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Pinch cayenne pepper Extra pinches
· Thyme
· Pinch nutmeg
· 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
· 3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped 1C Bergenost
· 5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
· 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.
Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.
Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.


Vampire’s Morning Cocktail

Ingredients:

• Orange juice
• Pineapple Juice
• Cranberry juice (the straight stuff)
• Ginger Ale

Directions:

• Fill a highball glass half full with a 50/50 mix of orange juice and pineapple juice.
• Top the glass off with ginger ale.
• Drip the cranberry juice down into the glass. It’s good for it to drip a bit on the glass for a more bloody effect.

Pear Bread and Breakfast Mummies

My good friend Kerri has been raving about this banana bread that her friend, Kay, has been making and sharing with her. Kay finally shared the recipe with her, either to quiet her or to keep from having to make bread for her weekly, who knows. Anyway, now that Kerri has the recipe and is making it, all I hear is “MMMM this is so good”. I started to feel left out then Kerri shared the recipe with me and now you guys have to hear “MMMM this is so good” from me. I didn’t have any bananas so, Kerri and Kay, I changed your recipe a bit and it is still very yummy!

Banana Bread Adapted from a recipe from Kay who thinks she got it from ALLRecipes. I'll make all my changes in red so that you guys will have both recipes.
Ingredients:
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking soda
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt
4. 1/2 cup butter
5. 3/4 cup brown sugar
6. 2 eggs, beaten
7. 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas Cooked Pears
8. 2 Tbsp Butter
9. 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
10. 1C Chopped Pecans
11. ½ Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Peal, core and slice pears.
3. Boil pears in the butter until they are tender.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. I throw everything in at the same time and mix. To the mix I add the pecans, cinnamon and chocolate chips.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.


Breakfast Mummies

1. Ingredients:
2. 1 can of Crescent rolls
3. Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage Links

Directions:

1. Open and separate rolls.
2. Cut the dough in half length wise.
3. Cut a small piece off to cover the head.
4. Wrap the dough around the majority of the sausage. Leave the top section unwrapped.
5. Wrap the small piece around the top of the sausage leaving a small gap where eyes or a face would be.
6. Bake according to the package directions.
   
7. Mustard can be use to make small eyes.

Both of our boys celebrated their birthdays this week. Since their birthdays are only 3 days apart they usually have a combined birthday party at the park. This year they wanted to take a trip to Arkansas to visit the caves instead. Here is a picture of how we spent our weekend.

Stuffed Eggplant and Spooky Pancakes

Stuffed Eggplant

• Mini Eggplant
• Onion
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Breadcrumbs
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Cut Eggplant in half, lengthwise.
• Scoop out the meat of the eggplant.
• Salt the inside of the eggplant boats and let them rest.
• Sauté the meat, onion and garlic until tender.
• Add salt, pepper, oregano, and breadcrumbs and stir until heated and fully combined.
• Add the cheese and sour cream stir and remove from the heat.
• Wipe the inside of the boats dry with a paper towel and fill them with the meat mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees until the skin is tender.

Sunday Pancakes Turned Spooky

As you guys already know, my children celebrate Pancake Sunday each and every Sunday. This past Sunday my soon to be 5-year-old ate 8 pancakes and still wanted more.
That same little boy will be celebrating his birthday on the 16th of October. When I asked him what he wanted for his special dinner he said “ how about pancakes!”. So in honor of his birthday I’m sharing our pancakes with you guys.

Ingredients

• ½ c Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ c All- Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking soda
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 3 tbsp oil
• ½ C Buttermilk
• ½ 2% Milk

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together, don't over mixPour onto a hot skillet.
• Flip them when they start to bubble.
• The second side cooks much faster than the first.

Cheddar Corn Chowder and Bagel Eyeballs

It’s Barefoot Bloggers day. Jill, of My Next Life, selected today’s recipe. This recipe was fabulous and really hits the spot on cold and rainy days. It’s hard for my children to manage keeping soup on their spoons all the way to their little mouths so I made some fried Chicken breast strips to go with our soup. I was thinking that the kids could use the chowder as a dip. They ended up eating all their chicken then all their chowder. The thick consistency made it much easier for them to manage. Luckily, this recipe makes enough to feed a small army so we have tons in our freezer. I did make a few changes after reading some of the recipe reviews. I used less stock, no butter, more bacon, mashed the potatoes, added nutmeg and thyme. I would make this again exactly the way I did this time. Enjoy.

Ina’s Recipe Cheddar Corn Chowder
Ingredients
· 8 ounces bacon, chopped
· 1/4 cup good olive oil
· 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
· 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
· 1/2 cup flour
· 2 teaspoons kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
· 12 cups chicken stock
· 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
· 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
· 2 cups half-and-half
· 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated


Directions
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.


Bagel Eyes
My family enjoys waking up to these eyes staring at them from their plates.



Ingredents:

• Bagels
• Cream Cheese
• Black Olives
• Gel or icing pens
  

Directions:

• Toast the bagel.
• Spread the cream cheese on top of the bagel.
• Place an olive in the bagel hole.
• Decorate the eye, detail with the gel/icing pens.