Buzzin with All-Recipeeps!

I've noticed a lot of new faces lately! Welcome! Most have "figured out" the workings of The Buzz. Some might still be wandering around lost. This will hopefully be helpful.

If you want to initiate a request on the Buzz, you have two options: Request a Recipe and Ask A Question. Not to harp on an old subject, but PLEASE always use Request a Recipe. You'll be surprised, no matter what the topic, food or OT, someone will find a witty recipe to share with you. 

Here you will word your request. If it's lengthy, just put the "basics" here and add more "inside" the post. Veteran buzzers will barge right in and help, I promise you.

Here is where you answer a recipe request (from the "lobby" of the buzz) or add a comment. Are you noticing the BLUE trend? Blue script is "clickable" and will take you somewhere else.

When answering a recipe request, you can choose a recipe from those you have recently viewed AND (bonus!) leave a comment! 

If you just want to visit inside the post, click on the BLUE recommendations, you can then see what others have recommended and chat with your friends.

Another thing I commonly see is "How Can I Share a Recipe"
Inside your Recipe Box, under the Options tab is an option to add a Personal Recipe. This will give you a form to fill out and many choices as to submission and sharing of the recipe.
I hope this is helpful. 
Welcome to All-Recipes! Jump right in!

About the Book

As you all know, I'm working on making the post for CindyL. into a book to give her. I'd like to share with you my ideas here and ask for your suggestions on a few things.
First, my ideas.
I have a title that I'm  not happy with so if any of you have suggestions, I would be grateful. Let me just say, I will choose a title that I find fitting. I'm not looking for drama. I'm asking for help. Please do not be offended if I don't choose your title. I don't want to hurt anyone, or slight any one. That is definately NOT my intention. (I love you all)
I AM happy with my author, A. R. Friends.
I want RNG's recipe in the front with everyones comments/ratings.
Then, I want the thread, much as we see it without the opening on every page. Just a continuous "conversation".
After that, I want to include the recipes in cookbook form so that she will have a useful cookbook, as well as our silliness and warm wishes.
I have a cousin who is an IT manager at a bank and she will make time for me this weekend to teach me how to convert this to PDF format (crash course) so it can be printed and bound. There is a book publisher online that I hope to use if I hear back from them (free consult). If I don't hear back from them, I may have to take the whole project to a book bindery in my town. At any rate, this will follow AFTER I've converted the whole thing. 
The final expense will depend on how many pages are involved. I'm certain it will be well over $100.00, but I will keep you all informed. I am determined to see this through, even if I have to save up my own money to do it.
Now, here's a sticky wicket. We love our avatars. I know I love my avatar. It would be very helpful for the continuity of the project, if after I start converting, you do not change your avatar. I promise that once I start, I will stay on it until I'm finished and then it won't matter anymore. But, you see, if I start and in the middle you change your avatar, you will appear as two different people in the "conversation". I will not start before next Monday. So, if you want to change it between now and then, that's fine. After that, until the thread is completed, it would be helpful if you kept your avatar the same. I'll let you know when that part is finished.
I expect the recipes will take me longest anyway as I want to "organize" them into cookbook format so that it is easy for Ms. Cindy to use.
You all have been wonderful to help with this! Posting for pictures, etc. It makes me very emotional.
Also, for the cover, I thought one of the pictures of Marley might be nice. Since that is how we "see" her and Marley will be her closest companion and comfort in the days ahead.
I can't thank you all enough.
This isn't "my" project, although I'll be making the final decisions. I didn't (couldn't) have written that conversation. I want very much to be respectful of all of you and hope you understand.
Thanks so much, for being you.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

This was fun. I don't "do" cakes. Oh, I do bundt cakes with wonderful success, and in-the-pan cakes are good too. But fancy decorating? Never been my "thing". I admire beautifully decorated cakes. I've just never had the "yen" to make them. I always ordered birthday cakes from the local bakery. It was part of the birthday tradition.
Yesterday was Hannah's birthday. Since she bought me a Butterfly Cake pan, I assumed she wanted a Butterfly Cake. (Simple deduction skills at work.)
So, I found a cake recipe that I had used before http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Egg-Free-Dairy-Free-Nut-Free-Cake/Detail.aspx, looked up a couple of frosting recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Frosting-VI/Detail.aspx?prop31=2 and http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pudding-Icing/Detail.aspx?prop31=2 and decided to give it a go.

I greased and floured the pan. Suspecting that any "trouble" I might have in removing the cake from the pan would come from the lower wings and body, I concentrated my efforts there.

I sifted all the dry ingredients together.

And since it was a cake, I sifted them again.

Mixed all the wet ingredients in and then stirred in some chocolate chips.

Poured the batter in the pan and put it in the oven. The directions said 30 minutes, well, make that 45 minutes later, the cake was finally finished.

While the cake cooked, I made the Pudding Icing.

It did look funny while it cooked.

But I came out ok in the end.

I made the caramel frosting. And de-panned the cake.

Sadly, the lower wings came out fine, the upper wings. . . not so much. And in my haste to "save" my poor butterfly, I applied the caramel glaze too soon.

Awww, poor thing.

This is as good as it got.

We added candles and celebrated anyway!

Hannah made macaroni and cheese and John made garlic butter shrimp and informed us he wants to go to culinary school. His challenge is finding a culinary school that has a football team.

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Late one night on the RE, I heard the distinct call of the Foodie. It went like this "OMG. . . CINNAMON ROLL CHEESECAKE>>>>>" inside there was a link. Three of us showed up (in short order, I might add) DeborahB (miss you Deb) who said I'd recognize that foodie yell anywhere. Avon who said That sounds like something sexual for your mouth. And me, seldom am I at a lose for words but I only said Saved! Actually, I saved and printed. Let me tell ya, this is the best breakfast I ever had. I feel like a kid who has gotten away with something BAD. Onward to the recipe!

Cinnamon Roll Batter:
2/3 c white sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter (at room temp)
1 egg (at room temp)
1/2 c. half and half
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake filling:
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese (at room temp)
1 c sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 TBSP flour
3 eggs (at room temp)

Cinnamon Filling:
1/3 c butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
3 TBSP cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 oz chream cheese (at room temp)
3 TBLS unsalted butter (at room temp)
2 tsp vanilla
1 c powdered sugar
(1 TBSP lemon juice, optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a 9 inch Springform pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a mixer cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg, half and half and vanilla. Beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl.

Combine the sifted and creamed ingredients. Mix on low speed until throughly combined.



(Big thanks to John for helping with this pic)

Spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. It will be sticky and thick so spray your hands with baking spray and press down. It may be a thin layer, but trust me, it will rise up during baking.

Using a mixer (and a clean bowl) beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 mins on medium high speed. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla and flour and beat for another minute.

Pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the cinnamon roll batter in the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake.

Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of the cheesecake. Once finished, take a knife to swirl the ingredients together. This is hard to do as the batter is pretty thick, just do what you can.

I hope you will forgive me for neglecting to include a picture of the recipe swirled with the knife. I forgot to pick up the camera after I layed down the knife.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, cake will be puffy and lightly browned. Let cool for 20 mins at room temperature and then cover and move to fridge for 4 hours (or so).

Make frosting. Using a mixer (and a clean bowl) beat the cream cheese and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beat to desired consistency. (add lemon juice, if desired).

Here is the Masterpiece unveiled.

This was my Breakfast. . . nomnom!

Texas Egg Rolls

When Baking Nana shared her recipe for Texas Egg Rolls http://allrecipes.com/PersonalRecipe/62300152/Texas-Egg-Rolls/Detail.aspx I got excited. My kind of recipe, few ingredients, fast to prepare. After visiting three stores requesting wonton wrappers with no success, I determined if I was EVER going to get me a Texas Egg Roll, I would have to make my own wonton wrappers. So, using the Wonton Wrappers recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wonton-Wrappers/Detail.aspx I set out to do just that! I read all the reviews, and have been making my own tortillas for four months, whole wheat, flour and corn. I mixed up the wonton dough

and let it "rest" under a damp towel, while I prepared the peppers, cheese and a crab mixture for Hannah.

Jack cheese cut in strips

Then I rolled the wrappers out in a little bit of corn meal

To this size

Then placed the peppers and cheese on it

And rolled it up.

Rollin, rollin, rollin. . .

Here they are just before the oven. I lightly sprayed them with oil.

And here they are after they were baked.

Texas Egg Roll                                                              Cheesy Crab Egg Roll
Holy Guacamole these were good !!

I hope this means Spring is here.

Kitchen Update!

I am including a recipe. I made these today. The inspiration came from a recipe in Light & Tasty,  Dec/Jan 2008, but I have changed it, using all whole wheat flour.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 12 large rolls

1 cup warm water (divided)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
2 Tbls. Sunflower Oil (may use canola)
2 Tbls. toasted wheat germ
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3  3/4 c. whole wheat flour

Filling:
2 Tbls. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon (or to taste, you may prefer less)

Icing:
5 oz. softened cream cheese
2 Tbl. softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Confectioners Sugar

Proof yeast in 1/2 c. warm water with sugar. It will get happy :).
Mix together remaining water, molasses, egg and oil. Add spices and wheat germ. Sprinkle with 1 c. flour and stir in yeast mixture. Add remaining flour 1/2 c. at a time, until it forms a ball. Knead 5-10 minutes, until smooth. Place in greased bowl, turn to cover top with oil, allow to rise until double (about an hour). Punch down dough, and dump on floured counter top down. Sprinkle with flour and smooth over, allow to rest 10 mins. Gently stretch dough into 12 x 12 square. Spread with softened butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. (May also add raisins and/or nuts at this point, to taste). Roll up jelly-roll style, pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 pieces, place in prepared pan. (I used a jelly roll pan, lined with parchment paper. Could use greased 9 x 13 baking dish.) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (30-40 mins.) Bake at 375 degrees 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Icing: Stir together butter, cream cheese and vanilla, add confectioners sugar to desired consistency.
Frost with icing or brush with butter and dust with confectioners sugar, as you wish. Would also be good brushed with honey butter while still warm.

Dough filled, cut, placed in pan and ready for second rise.

Ready for the oven.

A Star Is Born.

These are a few of the things I've crocheted, while I (suffer) through quitting smoking.

I'm working on a purple one right now.

I've given away 6 of them.

I do them when I'm waiting, or watching a movie. Busy hands. :)

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