My Kitchen Disasters & Mess-Ups

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Not everything I make comes out according to plan.  As a matter of fact, some of the recipes I cook and bake do not even resemble the pictures that they are "supposed" to look like. 

When things like this happen, I realize that I have two choices. 

Choice #1-Sulk, have a pity party for myself, and let it ruin my mood for the whole day or evening

Or

Choice #2-Laugh it off, learn from it, share it with you all, and move on......

Incase you are wondering, I have chosen to go with the latter ;)

So....my friends...here is a list of all the recipe mishaps, screw-ups, and mess-ups I have had since starting this blog.  And remember while you are reading these, it's ok to laugh...because I am laughing too ;)

Chicken Vegetable Stew

Aunt Ruthie's Buttermilk Pie

Stuffed Baked French Toast

Chicken Vegetable Stew-My Mess Up

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I'm starting a new category titled, My Mess Ups...which is self explanatory. This means I will be brutally honest with some of the dishes I make that do not turn out right...or do not look like they would be edible. Afterall, isn't cooking about trial and error? Not every dish or dessert I make is going to be edible or come out looking like it's supposed to....so I plan on sharing my mishaps...the good, the bad, and the ugly....with you...my wonderful and loyal readers :)

With that being said, let's get down to business!

This is another recipe from my city's recipe swapping group. Just by looking at the picture, you would think it came out wonderful and great. NOT!

A couple of hours before I took the picture above, it looked like this:



Yeah. Ummmmmm....does that even look edible??? Survey says....NO!!

The dish was supposed to be made in the crockpot and it was....at first. Of course, if I had followed the recipe word by word and not have tried to improvise...it may have turned out completely different. It called for 8 chicken thighs and crazy me decided just to use boneless chicken breasts. What was I thinking?? It also said to make a roux. For those who don't know, a roux is used to thicken up sauces and gravies. It can be the gravy itself. You make it with fats...such as vegetable oil. Being that it was my first time making this *roux* I totally messed up.

With all this being said, I decided to place everything in the crockpot anyway and cook it on high for 5 hours. About 30 minutes into the cooking time, I realized that since I didn't make the roux like it was supposed to be made, there wasn't enough *liquid* for the dish to cook in. Naturally my mind turns to water and I add about 2 cups worth to the crockpot. Feeling satisfied, I left my kitchen to get in some playtime with my kids and finish up other household duties.

About an hour later, I was curious to see how this chicken stew was coming along, so I head over to the crockpot and to my surprise, it looked horrible. Hence the last picture above.

It was around that time that my sister had called me on the phone. She kept going on and on and on about her new adventures in Colorado...while all the while I am thinking to myself, "what the heck am I going to do about this chicken stew??"

Finally, it dawned on me that the ingredients (except for the roux part) all resembled the same ingredients I use for this chicken soup that I make on the stove. So...I said goodbye to my sister, transferred everything in the crockpot into a soup pot, and went to town on boiling it. While it was boiling, I added spices such as parsley, garlic, and thyme.

The result........



Dinner was saved!!! However...I will not be making this dish again...at least not until I perfect my *roux* making skills ;)

Kid Friendly Recipes

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Being a mother of two young children has blessed me with the opportunity to test out some child friendly recipes that I come across on a weekly basis.  My children are very picky eaters so when they eat something that I have made, I save that recipe and file it in a special recipe book specifically set aside for them.  I have compiled a list of kid-friendly recipes, tested and approved by my little ones to share with all of you :) 

If you have any of your own you would like to share, please feel free to post them in the comment section below ;)

Monkey Munch

Butter Cookies

Flaky Biscuit Pizza Snacks

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix

Pigs In A Blanket

Jello Fruit Cocktail Dessert

Whop Em' Doughnuts

Easy French Toast Sticks

Contact Me

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Just like any other blogger, I enjoy hearing from my readers.  If you have tried a recipe, I'd love to hear about it...good and bad.  If you have a suggestion about a recipe that has been posted or about this blog in general, please feel free to e-mail me.  Just want to say hi, shoot me a note ;)  E-mails are always welcome :)

OliviaS@cookingwithlibby.com

Beer Braised BBQ Pulled Pork

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4 years ago, a couple of Military Wives from my area decided to get together and form a Cooking Club. It was one of the best experiences I have had since moving here in 2002. Unfortunately the club has since dissapeared, but the recipes I have taken from that group still live on. This recipe is one of them.

Since we were all Military related, we decided that the theme for one of our meetings would be *cook a dish that your state is famous for.* One lady made buttermilk pie since she was from the north (New England area), another lady made jambalya since she was from Louisiana. And since I am from North Carolina, and since NC is famous for it's barbque, I made this recipe. The bbq from the Carolina's has a tangy and sweet taste. The bbq in this recipe has more of a savory-beer taste to it. Afterall, it is made with 12 oz. of beer :)

This recipe is compliments of the Food Network so I cannot take credit for it. I remember the very first time I made this, I was nervous as all get out! Cooking any kind of meat that required doing major time in the oven was not my forte'. Even on Thanksgiving, my husband is the one in charge of cooking the turkey! Casseroles...I was able to do. Pasta dishes...I was able to do. But roasting and braising pork?? It soooo wasn't me. BUT...for the sake of the cooking club and because I love a cooking challenge...I pressed on and the result was great success! Now, this is a HUGE favorite in our house so I figured I'd share it with my wonderful readers :)


Ingredients:
For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
About 40 grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground mustard seed
12 ounces good ale or dark beer, such as Bass
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 5-pound pork butt (shoulder of the animal)

Directions:
Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and as long as overnight.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Unwrap pork and place in a roasting pan with sides about 2 inches high. Cook 45 minutes until dark browned and even blackening in places. Remove from oven. Lower oven to 325 degrees F. Pour beer over the top and add chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil or twice with regular foil. Poke about 10 holes all over the top of the foil. Cook pork butt 2 1/2 hours longer until so tender that it comes away very easily from center bone.

Place the meat on a plate and pour the pan juice (there will be plenty) into a saucepan. To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Bring to a simmer until reduced by half and thick, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is boiling down, pull apart the pork with 2 forks. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork and work through until fully absorbed.

~This freezes very well so if you have any left overs, place them in a gallon, freezer friendly zip lock bag and freeze away. To defrost, just place in the microwave and it's ready to eat :)
~Make this with Homemade Mac and Cheese and round out the dinner with some baked beans.

Zesty Tilapia With Mushrooms

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Finally I am able to post this recipe! I tried to make it two weeks ago and the fish went bad before I even started cooking it. Cooking fish is a tricky thing and something that I am still trying to *master.* My husband and I were never seafood lovers until we started hearing about all the health benefits from it. We decided to try making it one day and we've been hooked since then :) I love cooking with tilapia. I love it so much that I am trying to gear myself away from cooking recipes with just talapia in them and trying to branch out into making other yummy seafood recipes :) This recipe is super easy and can be made in 30 minutes flat!


Ingredients:
2 (4 oz) Tilapia fillets (you can find these in the freezer section of your grocery store or check with the seafood section)
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons of butter
Kosher salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

Directions:
Wash mushrooms and pat dry. Place aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place tilapia in the skillet and season with kosher salt and pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon of the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice over the fillets. Cook for 5 minutes.

Flip the fillets over. Repeat as stated above.

Melt the last tablespoon of butter and mix with the green onions and mushrooms. Pour over the fillets and cook for 5 more minutes or until fillets start easily flaking with a fork.

**We like to eat ours with rice and vegetables on the side.**

Rotisserie Shortcut

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If you are pressed for time in cooking a chicken dish, why not run to the store and purchase an already made rotisserie chicken? These lovely birds are cooked, ready to eat, and also jammed packed with flavor! All you would have to do is bring it home, open and pull apart, shred the amount of chicken you need, and you are ready to make your favorite chicken dishes. I have made homemade chicken soup and plenty of chicken casseroles with these babies and saved so much time in the process :)

My Girl, Paula~Blackberry Muffins

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This week for *My Girl, Paula,* we made her Blackberry Muffins. My original plan was to make the muffins with some left over strawberries we had in the fridge. However, when I went to wash and chop them, I discovered that they were very, very ripe. I didn't want to run to the grocery store just for blackberries, so I frantically scoured my cupboards to see what else I was able to use (I'm all about improvising...especially when it comes to cooking). My search resulted in one of two things, chocolate chips or canned peaches. I chose the peach route. I am glad I did because as soon as these came out of the oven, they reminded of a peach cobbler, except in muffin form :) I will definitely be adding this to my list of Paula favorites. I plan on freezing these later so we won't eat the whole entire batch!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups, plus 4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries, thawed and drained (I used one can of whole peaches...chopped. I am sure you can use any kind of fruit for this)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease eighteen 2 and 1/2 inch muffin tins or line them with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, stir together the butter, milk, and eggs. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar, the baking powder, and the salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture all at once; stir until blended. The batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix.

Fold in the berries/or fruit. Divide the batter among the prepared cups and sprinkle the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar over the batter. Bake at 25 minutes or until golden brown.

To join in on all the Paula Deen fun, click here: My Girl, Paula

Parmesan & Mozzarella Chicken

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Ok...so..if there is something you all need to know about me, if you haven't guessed it already, is that I absolutely LOVE collecting cookbooks. My favorites to collect are ones from every state I have ever lived in and every city I have ever visited. The basic recipe for this chicken came from the cookbook below:

Sweet Pickin's: A Collection of Favorite Recipes From The Junior League of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Inc.

Yes...Fayetteville, North Carolina is where I am from :) It's not where I live now, but it's where I consider home. It's where I spent the latter part of my growing up years. It's where I attended and graduated college. It's where I met my dear husband and where we were married. It's where the U.S. Army houses millions of troops per year at Fort Bragg. It's my home :) Can ya tell I miss it?? :)

And every time I make this chicken recipe, it reminds me of being back there. Of course, I have added ingredients along the way....but the basic recipe still remains.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 egg whites, beaten or 4 tbsp. of melted butter---we used butter in the picture above...but obviously egg whites would be the healthier choice ;)

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, and pepper in a bowl.

Dip the chicken in the egg whites or butter and coat evenly in the bread crumb mixture.

Spread the whole jar of spaghetti/marinara sauce in a casserole dish.

Arrange the breaded chicken on top of the casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender.

**Serve with spaghetti noodles. Goes really well with a veggie dish on the side.***

Summer Squash Casserole

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This is a new recipe that I received from my city's recipe group.
It's a great recipe for those who just love their veggies! I could not find summer squash so I ended up using the regular yellow and green kind. Since this was new, I wasn't sure if I was making it right at first. I was concerned that things would not be edible. After all, everything looked *mushy* when I started stirring it together. However, since it called for one egg, this gave it more definition and by the time it was done, it all looked seriously delicious! It has a very light and summery flavor, thus reminding me of how summer is still alive and kicking. My husband, who is a veggie lover, enjoyed this recipe :) I think it's a keeper :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. summer squash or yellow/green squash, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1 Tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnainse
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Boil the sliced squash until tender, and drain well.

In a mixing bowl, mash the squash with 3 Tbsp. of butter. Add bell pepper, sugar, onion, egg, mayo, salt & pepper, and cheese into the mixture.

Transfer to a 2 qt. casserole dish. Top w/ bread crumbs and dot with the
reserved butter. Bake @ 350 for 35-40 min.

Sour Cream Apple Pie & Another Award!

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Today, I found 3 apples that needed to be used as soon as possible because they were one step away from being thrown out. I went to allrecipes.com and typed in the ingredients I had on hand and it came up with this recipe. Of course, in Libby fashion and based on the suggestions of other readers, I tweaked the recipe. I've made many apple pies since I have been married and in the process of doing so, I discovered a homemade pie crust that my husband just loves. So I used that pie crust with this recipe. My 3 year old isn't a pie lover, but she absolutely LOVED this one. And who can blame her? It is d-e-l-i-s-h!


Sour Cream Apple Pie

Ingredients:

For the pie itself:
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust...can use the recipe I use (listed below) or a pre-made one or your own recipe.
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3 apples, peeled and chopped

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
A dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled butter, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray and press pie crust into the pie plate until it covers the bottom and the side.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and salt. Mix in the sour cream, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add apples, and stir to coat. Scrape the mixture into the pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 30 minutes more.

While the pie is baking, prepare the topping in a medium bowl. Stir together 1/3 cup of flour, 1/3 cup sugar, dash of nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

After the 30 minute bake time has passed, cover the top of the pie with the crumb topping, and continue to bake for 15 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned and apples are tender. Allow the pie to cool, then refrigerate until chilled before serving.

Libby's Homemade Pie Crust:
1 and 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tbsp. cold water
little bowl of milk

Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add oil and mix with fork until it's the size of peas. Add water 1 tbsp. at a time, stirring each time. Divide the dough into two halves. Roll out one of the halves into the size of the pie plate and place in the plate. Freeze and safe the other half for another time.

***Award News***



I received another award from Chaya over at Sweet and Savory Says It All. If any of you get a chance, swing by her blog :) It's full of really great recipes that are not only healthy, but gluten free as well :) Her creativity shines in every post she makes :) Thanks for the award Chaya!

The rule is to choose 10 other bloggers and pass it down to them. Picking 10 isn't easy for me because I enjoy reading everyone's blog. But these are the 10 I have chosen:

1. Queen of The Castle Recipes-Lynn

2. Stirring The Pot-Kim

3. Tide and Thyme(dot)Com-Laura

4. Something New Is Cooking-Michelle

5. My Tasty Treasures-Donna

6. Daily Blue Plate Special-Caroline

7. Alwayz Bakin'-Michele

8. Full Bellies, Happy Kids-Sandra

9. Mommy's Kitchen-Tina

10. The Sister's Cafe

Whew! If any of you get a chance, please go check out every one of these blogs! I promise, you won't regret it :)

Cooking & Organizing Tips

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 Cooking and baking is an art.  And along with this art, comes an abundance of knowledge and information. Everyone knows when it comes to cooking, learning something new everyday can be the difference between a puffed up and pretty souffle' or a burnt roast. 

Decluttering and organizing things around your house, especially in the kitchen, should become part of your weekly (or monthly) routine. Since most of us spend 80% of our time there when we are home, it is important to keep this space and area in the house organized and in tip top shape. 

Below, you will find the links to some of my favorite decluttering and organizing tips, as well as some cooking and food tips that I have learned over the years. 

So pull up a chair and have fun reading and if you have a tip you would like to share, please feel free post it :)

Organizing & Decluttering Tips

Cutting Down On Recipe Clutter

Cookbook Storage and Organization


How To Make Your Own Coffe/Tea Station

Cooking & Food Tips

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Freezing Buttermilk

Rotisserie Shortcut

What To Do With Left Over Chicken Nuggets

What To Do With Refrigerated/Frozen Biscuits

Giveaways & Product Reviews

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Below is a list of Product Reviews and Giveaways that Cooking With Libby has had the pleasure to be a part of:

**POM Wonderful Product Review**

**Faith Deployed:  Daily Encouragement for Military Wives Book Review and Giveaway**

**Tate's Bakeshop Cookie/Cookbook Review and Giveaway**

**Frigidaire Product Review**

**Eggland's Best Eggs Plate Date Review and Giveaway**

**Menu Planning 101 E-Book Review and Giveaway**

**Perdue's "America's Best Chicken Dishes" Contest and Giveaway**

**Eggland's Best Eggs/Susan G. Komen "Part of Being The Best Is Doing Good" Giveaway**

**Tate's Bakeshop "National Cookie Month" Review and Giveaway**


**Sister Schubert's Homemade Rolls/Mini-Baguettes and Soft Pretzel Rolls Review and Giveaway**


**Sugar, Sugar Cookbook Review and Giveaway**


**Solae Brunch Soyree' and Giveaway**




Cooking With Libby's Disclosure Policy:
This policy is valid from 11 March 2011
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.


This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.


The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.


This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.


To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org/


To consider Cooking With Libby for your next product review/giveaway, contact us at:


olivias(at)cookingwithlibby(dot)com

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

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This recipe is hands down, the easiest and simplest recipe we have tried when it comes to making chicken enchiladas.  I have tried other recipes in the past, and all though they tasted awesome, they were just to time consuming to make.

I can't take credit for this though.  The inspiration for it came partly from my Aunt, and the other part from the back of the Old Elpaso box.

My kids LOVE these because of the ooey gooey cheese.  This is a great way to get your children to eat chicken if they aren't chicken lovers :)

Husband Man likes his enchiladas on the plain side.  However, you can add as many 'fillers' as you like to it. Black beans, refried beans, sour cream, Spanish rice, etc..the sky is the limit.  We eat ours with just chicken and cheese :)

Try it out and see for yourself!

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2-4 cups of shredded chicken (depending on how much you want)

2 (19 oz.) cans of Enchilada Sauce (the only one we use is Old Elpaso)

10 count package of Flour Tortillas (8 or 10 inches in diameter)

2 and 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (4.5 oz.) can of chopped green chilies (optional)

Other ingredients for the filling (black beans, refried beans, Spanish rice, sour cream, etc...)...all optional as well

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a skillet heated over medium high heat, combine your chicken, one can of Enchilada sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and chilies.  Stir and heat until melted.

2.  Lightly spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  Place 2-4 spoon fulls of chicken in the center of each flour tortilla.  Fill with other ingredients if need be.  Roll each one up and place them in the casserole dish, with the open side down.  

3.  Pour the second can of Enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

4.  Top with the rest of the shredded cheese and mozzarella cheese.

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Garnish with sprinkled parsley if desired.  

***Libby's Notes:  These also freeze well.  Just assemble, omitting the enchilada sauce on the top and the cheese. When it comes time to cook, defrost them in the fridge, add the sauce and cheese to the top, and cook normally.
Recipe Source:  My Aunt and the people over at Old Elpaso :)

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