Before this recipe i had never made Rice Kripies Treats, can you believe that?  I can’t, they are so simple to make and just delicious.  I was going to a 5 year old birthday party and I was 39 weeks pregnant but still wanted to bring something simple and delicious.  I came across this recipe and it was just perfect.   So easy, no oven involved. Just whip up the ingredients and put in the refrigerator.  Perfect recipe to make with your kids but it could be messy, melted marshmallows are sticky. I really enjoyed these treats a lot and so did everyone else at the birthday party.

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Post tags: chocolate, peanutbutter

Today is my two year blog anniversary!

I can’t believe that is has been two full years already and I have had a blast with this blog.

First I want to say thank you to all of you, I love hearing from you and without you this would not be as fun. 

I also felt that Delishhh.com needed a little refresher so as you can see i have a new look, still doing a few updates but i am really enjoing the new site with a lot new features.  Let me know what you think.

Before we start the celebration here is a summary some of my favorite recipes from last year, one from each month:

• February 2011 – Spaghetti Bolognese
• March 2011 – Apple and Carrot Bran Muffins
• April 2011 –   Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup
• May 2011 – Rhubarb Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• June 2011 – Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread
• July 2011 – Rum Raisin Ice Cream
• August 2011 – Muffin Pan Potato Gratins
• September 2011 – Chicken Pasta Salad
• October 2011 – Apple Cake
• November 2011 – Pumpkin Fritters
• December 2011 – Rugelach
• January 2012 – The Best Ribs

My favorite none-recipe post from 2011 was:

• 20 Reasons Why Cruising is not for me

Here are my favorite recipes from 2010:

• February 2010 – Roasted Vegetables
• March 2010 – Quiche
• April 2010 –   Swedish Brownie ”Kladdkaka”
• May 2010 – Chocolate Mousse Cake
• June 2010 – Bulgogi Korean BBQ
• July 2010 – Pear Coffee Cake
• August 2010 – Summer Watermelon and Tomato Salad
• September 2010 – Honey Ice Cream
• October 2010 – Asparagus Soup with Bacon “Sparrissoppa”
• November 2010 – Turkey Stuffing
• December 2010 – Saffron Buns “Lussekatter”
• January 2011 – Sesame Seed Snaps

My favorite none-recipe post from 2010 was:

• Top 10 Restaurants in Kona, Hawaii the “Big Island”

To celebrate I am giving away a 2-year subscription to Bon Appetit Magazine.

To enter the giveaway you need to do 3 things:

1. Subscribe to Delishhh in an RSS feed or by Email!
2. Become a fan of my Facebook page
3. Leave a comment telling me you did 1 & 2.

For two additional entries:
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me an additional comment you did it with a link
5. Follow me on Pinterest and leave me an additional comment telling me you are following me

The giveaway ends on Friday, 2/24 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Winner will be selected from Random.org.

What’s happening next year?  I would love to hear from you.  What do you want to see more of?

One Year Ago: 2011 Anniversary

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Valentine’s is coming up and we all need a few ideas of what to give to our friends, family and loved ones.  My lists are always related to Food and Kitchen.  Everything on my list(s) are things I truly like and can see myself getting.

Here are my top 10 gifts for Valentine’s, something for everyone in every price range.

1. Heart sprinkles for your cupcakes – $5 – Decorate and enhance your cupcakes with these cute heart sprinkles.
2. Valentine’s Day Wine Tote – $9.95 – Why not deliver your favorite wine in a special Cupid’s wine tote with arrows and the proverbial key to someone’s heart.
3. Beer and Pretzel Treats – $18 – These are infused with Rogue’s Chocolate Stout beer and covered in salted pretzel bits, milk chocolate beer & pretzel truffles, brittle, caramels & marshmallows. Wow!
4. Wiseman House Love Letter Collection Chocolate – $25 – It includes 16 pieces and features two limited edition truffles: First Kiss, a white chocolate truffle with a kiss of peach champagne, and Passion, a dark and white chocolate truffle made with real passion fruit.  It also includes favorites such as Dark Rufus, Apricot Adeline, Wild Woman, and Love Potion.
5. Heart Shaped Spoons – $38 – I love these, so cute and adorable, server your chocolate dessert with these spoons.
6. Silver Heart Cocktail Napkin Box – 42.50 – I need one of these.
7. Inside Out Heart Shape Cup – $39 – How cute are these.  Never seen anything like it before and I think they are adorable.
8. Five of Hearth Waffle Pro Iron – $69.95 – Who doesn’t love waffles?  Why not have a waffle iron that serves hears.
9. Five Finger Fillet Kitchen Knife Holder – $69.99 – This is so cool looking would love to have one of these for my kitchen to hold my knives vs. the boring wood block.
10. Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Heart Shaped – $159.95 – Love Le Creuset pots they are so versatile and a must have in the kitchen.  Why not serve a special something in a heart shaped pot.

Need more?  Here is a link to all my Gift Ideas from previous posts.

Have other great ideas that are related to Food and Kitchen?  I would love to hear about them in the comment section.

One Year Ago: Valentine’s Gift for Foodies 2011

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Haven’t made biscuits in a years and I thought this would be the perfect recipe to double and freeze some for the baby arrival.  Love biscuits but I eat them like a sandwich with butter and deli on them – I am not a fan of the gravy on my biscuits, actually I really hate soggy bread. I changed this recipe from 340 F and to 450F and just made the cooking time shorter.  They turned out great.  I have actually already made a few batches.

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Need a last minute dip idea?  I just tried this Blue Cheese and Bacon dip and love it and it is so simple to make.  Love the blue cheese and bacon flavor together.  I hope everyone will have a great Superbowl Sunday.  The first place i lived in when i moved to the US was Boston, i went to school in Boston, I met my husband in Boston – so that town is special to me and will always be.  The Patriots are who i am cheering for!

Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip

Adapted from: MyRecipes

Yields: 10 | Prep Time: 15 minutes

2 strips of thick bacon (2 oz.) chopped
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook bacon in a frying pan over high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Pulse in a food processor to make fine crumbs and put in a serving bowl.

Mix together yogurt, cheese, 1/2 tsp. rosemary, and pepper in food processor.  Then add the bacon and mix.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. rosemary.  Serve with your favorite vegetables, chips or crackers.

Some of my other favorite Dips:

• White Bean Dip
• Asparagus Dip
• Roquamole
• Guacamole

Other finger food:

• Caramelize Onion and Feta Puffs
• Rosemary and Parmesan Crackers
• Marinated Baby Sweet Peppers
• Quiche Tartlettes

One Year Ago:  Hard Meringues

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Post tags: bacon, cheese

These are my famous ribs.  I make them for special occasions usually Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That is because they take a full day to cook.  I started this tradition years ago and now everyone always requests them.  The secret formula to amazing ribs are long time + slow temperature = delicious.   And I have to add patience, you can not rush these things.  Trust me I have tried to do shortcuts to speed things up and they never turn out as good.

Some of the crazy stuff I have tried is to make them in two days, cook them in the sauce, boil them in water, BBQ them.  Never turned out the same.

But I love ribs so if you have an awesome ribs recipe please let me know, I am ready to try it out.

As far as the pregnancy is going – I have to say I have had it pretty easy, really no complaints.  No pains, no sickness, no nothing.  I was never sick and I usually get a cold during the winter, I have the best skin of my life, my face is baby soft. I have thicker hair and no headaches.  Now if I could only keep these hormones afterward it would be awesome.  The worst part has been that I haven’t been able to run, I miss running, hard to put on your shoes and socks, and sometimes the belly is just in the way.  But I am ready, I am really ready to meet this little person now, I am so curious of what she looks like and her personality.  Can’t wait!

The Best Ribs

Adapted from: Flavour Guy

Yields: 2-4 racks of baby back ribs (or 1 lbs per person) | Prep Time: 24 hours | Cook Time: 10 hours

2-4 racks of baby back ribs (1 lbs per person)

The rub (good for 10 lbs of ribs):
1 bulk of garlic
1 tbsp of Sea salt
1 tsp of cayenne
2 tsp of paprika
2 tsp of black peppar
2 tsp of onion power
2 tsp of thyme
2 tsp of majoram
2 tsp of celery seed
1/3 cup olive oil

The best thing is to make this in a mortar, but if you don’t have a big one then use a food processor, but only a few pulses, you want this to be chunky rub.

Take the bulb of garlic smash each clove with the side of a knife or cleaver, peel them and put a few in a mortar/food process. Mash these to a pulp with the sea salt.

Now add all the seasoning.  The 1 tbsp of each is an estimate, I usually just pour a little of each, just be careful with the cayenne.

If you like other seasons you can add that to but do not add sugar or honey that will make the ribs burn.

Add the oil – enough to make this into a paste. It should be moist but plentiful.

Massage this into the ribs on both sides. Stack them and wrap them loosely. Leave them in the fridge overnight.

Cooking the ribs:
Let the ribs come to room temperature and turn the oven to 250F. Stack the ribs on racks in the oven, fat side up. Leave lots of room for air to circulate. Put a drip pan underneath all the ribs but not directly on the floor of the oven. Turn the oven down to between 180 and 200 F. The ribs will cook for about 10 hours. Remember the formula: long + slow = delicious.

The Mop:
2 tbsp of butter
1 onion chopped
½ cup of water
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
½ cup of apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cups of beef Stock
1 cup of canned tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp of honey

Using a pot melt the butter and add the chopped onion. When the onion is cooked (but not starting to brown), add the water, 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and the Worcestershire sauce. If you want the ribs spicy you can add cayenne pepper here.

Bring this to a boil and leave it on the side of the stove, at just barely a simmer. Add more beef stock (or water or chicken broth or whatever liquid is hanging around, as needed). I usually end up adding about 2 cups of beef stock.  Let the ribs cook for 2 hours. Then start basting the meat with the mopping sauce every half hour or so. Turn the ribs occasionally.

Finally, the sauce in the last hour add the canned tomatoes, a little of the drippings from the ribs. Add extra liquid if needed at this time.  Bring this to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard and honey.

The overall flavor should be a nice mix of sweet and sour. If it needs more sour add apple cider vinegar, if you want spicier add cayenne, if you want sweeter add more honey.  I usually add more drippings before adding more spice.  Now mix this mop in a food blender until it is smooth. Turn up the oven to about 225F and baste the ribs every 10 minutes starting a half hour before serving.

Take the ribs from the oven and leave them on warm platters. Remove as much fat as possible from the dripping pan. Deglaze the pan with a little stock and add this to the mop.  Server the mop on the side as dipping sauce, if the sauce is too chunky you can put it in the food processor again before serving.

Enjoy!

One Year Ago: White Bean Puree

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Post tags: meat, ribs, tomatoes

Babka

Adapted from: LA Times

Yields: 2 loaves | Prep Time: 110 minutes | Bake Time: 60 minutes

Dough
1 ½ cup butter, softened
3 cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cup bread flour
2 packets active dry yeast  (4 tsp)
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup warm water
½ cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extracts
¼ tsp drops lemon extract
¼ tsp drops orange extract
¼ tsp almond extract

Filling
¼ cup butter, softened and cut into bits
1 to 1 ½ cup brown sugar
2 to 3 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cup walnuts , coarsely chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 egg

Dough:
Rub butter into flour until crumbly using dough hook of electric mixer, and set aside.

Combine yeast and warm water (lukewarm) and let sit for 5 minutes.  Then add sugar, salt, milk, sour cream, eggs, yolk, lemon juice, vanilla, citrus extracts, and almond extract. And mix all together.

Then stir in the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Mix to form a soft dough. Knead 5-6 minutes, then place in a greased glass bowl and cover. Let it rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Note: depending on your yeast it can take longer, it has taken me up to 90 minutes to double in size.

Punch down dough. Divide into 2 portions. Roll each portion out onto a floured work surface into 14×10 inch rectangles.

Assembly:
Sprinkle each rectangle equally with soft butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped nuts, and raisins. (Add chocolate chips here if you want). Roll long end up into a jelly roll.

Carefully place each into well-greased bread pan.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Turn oven to 350F.

Mix the egg and brush dough egg and sprinkle with some brown sugar.

Place cake pans on a large baking sheet (this protects bottom) and bake at 350 degrees until done, about 1 hour.  Or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for 20 minutes before you remove from pan. 

This is what my counter looks like when I am making those holiday gifts -

One Year Ago: Roquamole

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Post tags: apricots, chocolate, raisins, walnuts

How was everyone’s weekend? I am on a count down to having a baby girl in 4 weeks and i can’t believe it.  Time is flying by.  But i am ready – the nursary is ready and this past week i got the rest of the things the baby will need for the first few weeks.  Now i am focusing on what will I need the first two weeks.  So i spent the whole weekend cooking and filling up my freezer.  I made a few large batches of chicken stock, lasagna bolognese, Swedish meatballs, chicken piccata and also some batches of these blueberry scones that are my favorite.  I think i should have food for a couple of days now.  I am sure i will make something else, and come up with something else i need.  But now i would like to just sit and relax for the rest of the weeks but i still have to go to work,  but i feel ready.  Hopefully no crazy nesting will kick in.  But then my husband thinks i have been nesting for the last few months.

But i would love to hear from you - did you do any crazy nesting things?  Did you re-organized your closet, wash windows etc?  Would love to hear your stories.

Seattle is getting hit by snow – we got about 4 inches of snow this weekend and are supposed to have a big one arriving tomorrow.  Seattle doesn’t handle snow very well – so if there is one inch on the ground the city pretty much shuts down.  But my dog LOVES the snow.

Blueberry Scones

Adapted from: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Yields: 16 scones | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp lemon zest
2 tsp salt
3/4 pound (3 sticks of butter) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 cups blueberries
1 egg beaten for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tbsp sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the blueberries with 1 tbsp of flour and lemon zest and set them aside.

The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Then put the blueberries in the triangle and fold the top piece over to the long side of the triangle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

One Year Ago: Maple Spice Muffins

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I hope everyone is having a great beginning of the year – I know I am getting ready for the little one arriving in a few weeks.  Can’t believe I only have 5 weeks left.  Time flies.

The other day I was looking through a Bob Appetite magazine and found this Persimmons Bread recipe there.   There are times when you see a recipe and want to try it right away.  Well, this was one of those recipes, especially when it says that you don’t need a lot of sugar because the persimmons are sweet.  The original recipe had 1 cup of sugar in it and I only used 1/2 cup, I think you can even make this recipe without sugar; it was sweet enough with the raisins too.

This bread was delicious, and is a keeper.

Persimmon Bread

Adapted from: Bon Appetite

Yields: 1 loaf pan | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Baking Time: 60 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus more for pan
1/2 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large persimmons
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
½ sugar cup sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9x5x3″ loaf pan. Tap out excess flour.

Combine raisins and 2 tbsp. hot water in a small heatproof bowl. Let steep for 20 minutes to plump raisins (or microwave for 15 seconds).

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Scoop persimmon flesh from skins into a blender. Purée until smooth. Transfer 1 cup purée to a medium bowl (reserve any remaining purée for another use). Whisk in buttermilk and orange zest. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes longer.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until mixture is well combined. Gradually add persimmon mixture; beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, beating just until incorporated. Fold in strained raisins.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let bread cool in pan for 20 minutes. Unmold and let cool completely on a wire rack.

One Year Ago: Chocolate Banana Bread

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Post tags: Persimmon

This is the second year of Delishhh and I have had a blast!  It has been so much fun writing and creating this blog and there is more to come.  But first thank you everyone for being very supportive and giving feedback and comments.  You guys make it fun!  Next year will be a very exciting year for me with a new little girl arriving in February, so much to do and write about.

Here is the “Year in Review” of recipes.

The first ten recipes are the recipes that received the most traffic in 2011 with #1 being the winner.

10. Mango Gazpacho

9. Sesame Seed Snaps

8. Polish Cucumber Salad

7. Garlic Shrimp

6. Chocolate Gelato

5. Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Bread

4. Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

3. French Potato Salad

2. Baked French Toast

And the winner is . . . . .

1. Rosemary and Parmesan Crackers

The second list of the ten below are my favorites recipes of the year that didn’t make the cut of the top 10 list but that were some of my absolute favorites this year, in no particular order:

1. Tomato and Green Bean Salad

2. Ricotta Pound Cake

3. White Bean Puree

4. Strata

5. Apple Cake

6. Rhubarb Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

7. Rum Raisin Ice Cream

8. Lasagna Bolognese

9. Greek Lamb Sliders with Yogurt Sauce

10. Rugelach

I am looking forward to an exciting 2012 filled with some Global Recipes and Tasty Ideas! I am always open to hear what folks would like to read more about.

Happy New Year!

One Year Ago: Best Recipe in 2010

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