Hey Everyone! Come on over and visit me at The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen on my new site! I have all sorts of new features coming! This newest recipe Dan Dan Noodles and Cucumber Salad has printable recipe cards! Please come over and join the party! Let me know if you have resigned up for email updates on the new website!
Thank you for your support and good cooking!

Thank you to all my wonderful followers for being so patient with me while I had to take a break from Blogging over the Holiday's!!!  As you know working in Retail Management does not allow me to have a Holiday Season of my own, and I am so super glad that it is over!!  I now have time to cook, and blog and make everything fun again!!

I also have a new website!! All the same great recipes and info just at new web address. www.pandpkitchen.com I am still The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen, I am just self hosting myself now.  It is a work in progress but in time I will be able to offer better options and an overall better blogging experience for all of you! If you have signed up to follow me with email updates, I apologize but you need to re sign up on the new site. I am sorry for the inconvenience but I hope that you will like the new changes that are coming!!! I am very excited to share with you all of the new changes that I will be making in my blog and in my life in this year!

2012 is going to be the year that I take my life back!! First of all I am back in the blogging world.  I missed this so much! (How crazy was I to take a break from such a great joy in my life?)
Second I am stepping down from my management position at the end of the month. (Can you say Yippee!!!)   It was supposed to be the 6th of January, but they begged me to stay til the 28th.  No one can say that I am not a team player!
Thirdly along with the food blog I am going to start my own crafting business and see where it all takes me!
I am hoping that 2012 is the best year yet for all of us!!! I wish all of you a year of health, love and success!!!
Thank you  and I hope to see you at the all new The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

As you know we went apple picking recently and I am just now getting around to posting the recipes that I made with those yummy apples! This compote is amazing over vanilla bean ice cream, fantastic over Belgian waffles, scrumptious over pancakes, or just divine on it's own.  In short it is G. O. O. D. Good!

6 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
2 snack packages of raisins
hand full of red hots (cinnamon flavored candy)
2 tbs butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and turn on low.  Go out do your christmas shopping, get a massage, have lunch with the girls, do what ever you like! When you get home 5 to 6 hrs later this is what you will have waiting for you.

Then when you serve up over vanilla bean ice cream you will have this...

You will be sooo happy when you eat this!

Steven celebrated his 19th Birthday in style this weekend!  We were able to pull off a GREAT surprise birthday party for him!! For my next few posts I don't have the pictures for each step like I normally do. I was trying to work as covertly as possible all week.
This cake is super easy and anyone can make it.  You can even use a box cake if you like.

1 Chocolate Cake baked in 9 in pans
1 batch butter cream frosting tinted black (or a tub of vanilla frosting and add the black food coloring, I said it was easy)
Halloween sprinkles
1 package Halloween Oreo's

In a food processor blend the cookies to make the "grave yard dirt".  I liked the orange filling ones better I think it has an ethereal look to the "dirt". 
Level the tops of your cakes so they will stack flat.  Spread a layer of frosting on top of one cake and sprinkle the Halloween sprinkles on top.  Place the second layer of cake on top and spread a layer of frosting on top.  Don't frost the sides.  Spread the "dirt" on the top of the cake.  Place the tombstone cookies and ghost cookies on top. Halloween Sugar Cookies  Spread the rest of the "dirt" around the bottom edge of the cake.  Viola you have a Spooktacular Cake!

With the days getting cooler and the nights are actually cold now, a glass of a rich red wine and a hot  cheesy soup just seem perfect for dinner!  I make this soup every fall and sometimes in late winter.  The rich beef stock and sweet onions and creamy cheese are just perfect!

4 sweet onions diced
1/2 stick of butter
2 tbs flour
salt and pepper
1 tbs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
2 bay leaves
1 cup red wine such as Cabernet or Merlot
4 cups Beef Stock
slices of stale french bread
slices of Swiss cheese

Melt the half stick of butter in a dutch oven and add the diced onions and a pinch of salt to help release the juices in the onions.  Cook for approx 30 min stirring every now and then.  Half way through the cooking add the 2 tbs flour and cook thoroughly through.  This will thicken the onions and ultimately the whole soup.  When done they will look like this.

Nice and caramelized! Add the cup of wine and bring to a boil for 5 min. Then add the beef stock, salt and pepper and thyme and bay leaves.

Cover and reduce to a simmer for 1 hr.  If you really want a great punch of flavor chill overnight and serve the next day. Just like spaghetti this soup taste better the next day after all the flavors have really blended together.
Toast the stale french bread slices in the oven.  They need to be nice and crisp so they do not turn to mush in the soup.  If you have chilled the soup over night place back on the stove and heat back up.
ladle the soup into oven proof bowls.  Float a slice of cheese on top and then layer the Swiss cheese so it drapes over both sides a bit.

Place the bowls on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler till the cheese is melted and bubbly!

Enjoy!

Now anyone who knows me really well, knows I am not a fan of any green vegetable (especially such a pungent one).  Spinach is my only exception.  My Husband says of all the veggies to like you like the one most people hate.  Hee Hee that is me!  The boys love love asparagus so I make it quite often and I never taste it I just serve it.  I make it for them, for family, for guests, and I even have an asparagus appetizer that people love.  And I had never tasted ONE bite of any of them!!!  I know what you are thinking, how can a cook serve something that she has not tasted?  Well I make it the same way each time with rave reviews so it must be good! I have 3 ways I make it. This is my quick stove top version. 

1 bunch fresh or frozen asparagus
olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 of one lemon

In a saute pan over med high heat drizzle olive oil and add asparagus.  Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle a bit more olive oil. Saute approx 3-5 min.

Add the juice of half the lemon and toss the rind in the pan.  The heat will help release some of the essential oils and raise the citrus flavor.  Cook about 1-2 min more and then serve immediately.
I actually had a bite of this one.  I still don't like it..........

First things first, I am glad to be back in the world of food blogging! After Two weeks of crazy, busy, crazy, no time to think. I have things back under control and am posting again, and having time to read my e-mails, and look at all your wonderful recipes! I missed all of this! Blogging although very time consuming is my personal little getaway and my way to reach out and enrich myself in the world. I love the community and the great friends that I have made.
Although my picture is not that great. White Rice is not exactly the most stunning of subjects, this dish really is a great modern twist on the classic Chicken and Rice.  The fresh flavors of orange marmalade and the hearty rich almond cream sauce really hold together well.

4 Skinless boneless chicken breasts
3tbs butter divided
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tbs orange marmalade
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 small pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups cooked white rice

Toast Almonds in a pan over medium high heat till golden brown.

Salt and Pepper both sides of the chicken breast.  Melt 2 tbs of the butter and brown both sides of the chicken approx 5 min per side. (depending on the thickness of the chicken) Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the sauce pan bring the heavy cream, marmalade, mustard, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Add the chicken and the almonds to the pan and cook till heated through.  Plate the chicken on top of the cooked hot rice and serve. I also made Asparagus as an accompaniment.

This asparagus is shown with my Chicken and Apples. A recipe coming soon so make sure to check back!!!! I post on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's!