SILPAT WINNER!!!!



And, the WINNER of the Silpat is....




Commenter #12, TRISTEN, who said, "I would love to give this stuff a try also! Thanks for a fun giveaway!"

(winner chosen using random number generator on random.org)




Thanks, everyone for entering! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways in the future!!

Tristen-- if you want to email me at rgjbell@gmail.com with your address, I'll get your Silpat shipped to you right away!

Demarle Rendez-Vous!!!

Demarle Flower Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet

Remember when I told you all about some of my favorite Demarle products? Well, I am going to host a Rendez-Vous (party) at my house for anyone in New Mexico that would like to attend to show you all of my favorite cooking gadgets and explain a little more about the company and their amazing products. They have been used in such restaurants as The Cheesecake Factory, Subway, Ritz-Carlton and many more for years and years and were actually only available for commercial use until recently when they were finally released for use in the home market! Yeah!! Some of my favorite features are:

  • They are completely non-stick, from the Silpat cookie sheet liner, to the trays and molds. You literally just "pop" everything out from muffins to cakes to quiches.
  • They are a cinch to clean- simply rinse in warm, soapy water, shake dry, roll up, and throw in a drawer. No scrubbing needed!
  • They help food retain moisture so everything is sooooo soft and moist!
  • They have a lifetime warranty so you will never buy another loaf, bundt, or muffin pan again!
  • They work in microwaves, freezers, and ovens.
  • They really make simple cooking look like a million bucks- your family and friends will be amazed at the beautiful, fancy food you'll be able to create!
So, you are all invited to my home on Tuesday, February 23rd, from 6-8pm for my first official Demarle Rendez-Vous where we will cook, eat, and of course, have fun!

And, if you can't make it, I would be happy to host a party for you and your friends any time. Also, if you'd like to check them out online and/or place an order (they have a 30-day money back guarantee so you can try and see if you like it) their website is demarleathome.com. (My representative # is 8394 if you want to place an order.) Let me know if you have any questions or just want to know more!

Hot Hoagies





If you're like me, you have a ready-to-go arsenal of yummy, quick, easy, less-than-30-minute meals for those nights when you're either too busy or just not feeling Julia Child-ish. I've made this a few times before, and it is definitely all of those things. Don't skimp on the ingredients (I did that the first time which made for a rather dry sandwich). You can health-ify it by using whole wheat bread.

Hot Hoagies
from My Kitchen Cafe

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (in a pinch, you can use two large cans chicken breast)
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese)
Olives, chopped (0ptional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Announcement: Demarle is Delish!

OK, everyone- I know you've all been waiting desperately for my announcement, right???:) Well, here it is: I am soooo excited to let you all know that I am now a representative for Demarle products! You might have heard of the Silpat, Roulpat, Flexipans, etc., etc. They have incredible cooking products and their products are frequently referenced on some of my favorite cooking blogs, My Kitchen Cafe, The Sister's Cafe, Bakerella, Picky Palate and many more. So, ever since I got my representative starter kit, I've been baking up a storm so that I could show you all a few of my faves. Here goes:

The Silpat. Non-stick as well as moisture-retaining (for example, you can "steam" veggies just by placing them on the Silpat and cooking them in the oven). Martha Stewart said this was the best cookie sheet ever. It's used for so much more than that, but since Martha said it, I'm going to show you cookies.

The Silpat makes the perforated baking sheet non-stick and allows it to cook completely evenly.

Voila! Baked perfection!

The peanut-butter filled centers make these cookies not only a sight to behold, but delight your tastebuds as well.

Magic in the Middle Cookies
from King Arthur Flour Blog

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
5. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
6. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
7. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
8. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
10. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
11. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
12. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.


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One of the other things I'm so excited to show you is the Flexipan straight muffin tray. With this (and anything in the Flexipan line), you'll never have to use non-stick spray again. And, again, on the perforated baking sheet, it cooks completely evenly as well as keeps things soooo moist.


Do you see how the muffin literally pops right out?

The cleanup is a cinch, too. Just rinse in warm, soapy water (No scrubbing needed!).

So, for all of you that want to know more, you can email me, call me, and/or visit the Demarle website and if you want to order something, be sure to enter in my rep i.d. #: 8394 or my name (Rebecca Bell). For all of you that live in New Mexico, I'm going to be hosting a launch party in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!!!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

I made these this weekend because we just love homemade bread around here. I also love blueberries and was really looking forward to finding a great recipe because I absolutely adore the Betty Crocker box mix but am trying to eliminate processed foods from our family's diet. These muffins are just as fluffy and light as the box mix- though not as sweet, which is probably a good thing. I doubled the recipe and it made 3 dozen muffins (I froze the left-overs for quick snacks). Do NOT use your Bosch/Kitchenaid to mix these- the less you mix, the better. I really, really enjoyed these.
picture courtesy of Sisters Cafe
Blueberry Muffins
The Sisters Cafe

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one lemon (optional- I used this, but could not taste it at all)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening (or butter*)
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this makes extra - you can try cutting it down if you want):
(I didn't make this- saved some calories...you don't need it, but I'm sure it tastes great!)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tb lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
1/2 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs, milk and butter/shortening with a hand mixer. Add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine- batter will be lumpy. Fold in blueberries gently. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

*I substitute butter because I love the taste! It works great either way.