French Fries...........

I learned this week that French Fries are cooked twice to get them crispy. 

French Fries

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2 russet potatoes, peeled
2 quarts oil, your favorite for frying
salt Cut the potatoes lengthwise into sticks ½ inch wide and thick. Soak the sticks in cold water and cover for 20 minutes.  I used this to cut the potatoes.  It worked great and made them perfectly shaped, except I wasn't strong enough and Mike had to do it.Drain them in a colander and then dry in a kitchen towel to rid them of most of the liquid. Pat them dry with kitchen towels–not paper towels, which will stick and tear.

At this point you can fry the potatoes ahead of time, and then fry them in hot oil just before serving. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot large enough so that it comes no more than halfway up its sides, and heat to 320˚F, or until a potato stick dropped into the oil sinks to the bottom of the pot and then rises to the surface. Add a handful of the potatoes and fry for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through but not browned. If the potatoes start to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Using a spider or skimmer, remove the potatoes from the oil and put them on a sheet pan, Continue to fry the remaining potatoes, adding as many at once as you can without the oil boiling over.Increase the temperature of the oil to 360˚F. Add a handful of the potatoes–they should stay on the surface rather than sink–and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a spider or skimmer, transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain briefly. Continue to fry the remaining potatoes, adding as many at once as you can without the oil boiling over. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 3

We used this instead of salt, we use to have a great hamburger place called Longboards and they used some kind of spice on their fries and we tried to recreate it. 

They turned out really good.  It is a lot of work though, next time I will plan ahead better and cook them the first time earlier, that way at dinner time it will go faster.

Enjoy!

Denise

xoxo

I found this recipe at Houseboat Eats

Bite Size Soft Pretzels.......

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites 

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1 ½ cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
¾ cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and flour,mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead in your hands, shaping it into a ball adding a little flour as you go until it isn’t sticky anymore.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape.  Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Bring the water to a boil in a pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 25 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching.  Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.  I made two different types of cheese sauce.  The first one I made a roux and added cheese, that was Hailee's favorite.  Then I melted Velveeta and added 1 can diced tomatoes and chili's, that was Mike's favorite.

I found this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod

Have a great Meatless Monday!

Denise

xoxo

 

I didn't make these, but Hailee has been asking for them. *If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar

Hawks On Our Street....…

I live in the city, not a big city actually a very small city, but still our neighborhoods consist of homes to close together.  We see a lot of hawks when you drive along the freeway or go out in the country, it isn't typical to see one on our street.  We do have a few lots that haven't been develop here and there, and this guy was hanging out by one of those lots. He’s playing with a rock. I love this next photo, look at his eyes.    He stayed for few days and now he is gone.  The strange thing was this guy showed up a few days later and stayed for the day.  He looked like a completely different type of hawk. He was keeping a close eye on me.I think he is a little cranky about having his picture taken!  He decides it is time to leave. Have a great weekend!

Denise

xoxo

Nutella Strawberry Dream........

Once upon a time, Hailee thought she wanted to be a chef.  Then she got a job working in a coffee shop that also made breakfast and lunch.  Those dreams went right out the window thanks to rude customers, coming home greasy and smelling like food.  The good news is, we got a couple of great recipes out of it.  First, Hailee's Potatoes and the best crab cakes......Hailee makes.  She hasn't made those in a long time, I'm thinking I need to get her to make them! The best recipe she made up was Nutella Strawberry Dream, even the name is cute!

                 Hailee's Nutella Strawberry Dream               

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1 cup of Nutella, warmed

1 pint of fresh whipping cream

Fresh strawberries, diced

1 package puff pastry dough or pastry shells, cook as directed on package, cut into any shape you want.  We usually use the shells because they are easy, since it was so close to Valentine's Day we went with heart shaped puff pastry.

1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips, melted

powdered sugar for dusting

  Look at the design in a fresh bottle of Nutella.  Warm Nutella in a glass bowl and set aside.Whip cream until it is the right texture, just don’t add sugar you don’t need it the Nutella adds all the flavor you need.Fold the Nutella and strawberries into the whipping cream. Either scoop into the cooked pastry shells or layer in between puff pastry. This is what it looked like when she first started putting it together............

  Put Nutella and strawberry mixture on top of sliced puff pastry and add more strawberries.

Hailee was very generous with the Nutella whipping cream!

Melt dark chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. Then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This is what it looked like when she was done.  It looked like it came from a five-star restaurant.  I thought it looked to pretty to eat, but I got over that really fast after the first bite!  The whipped Nutella is light and oh so good! 

My little chef out did herself on this one!Today is World Nutella Day, please visit the following links for other Nutella recipes.

Bleeding Espresso  

Ms Adventures in Italy  

World Nutella Day

Thanks to Designs by Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday and Happy World Nutella Day!

We Have A Winner!!!!!

We have a winner for our Valentine Meatless Monday giveaway. Please give a giant round of applause to Michele @ It's a dog's life

Thank you very much Michele for participating in our first giveaway. We appreciate you very much and will be mailing your package off as soon as we receive a mailing address.

Happy Valentine's Day from Denise and Jill

Welcome to Karen's Korner

I have a great little place I like to stop by from time to time, Karen's Korner. Karen has a sweet shop located in Largo Florida. The first time I drove up and took one look at all the vintage yard goodies and the giant Adirondack chair, I knew this was my kind of place!

I love all the goodies in the kitchen. I always find just the right vintage touch I'm looking for.

I hope you enjoyed our little trip to Karen's Korner. If you would like to visit in person her address is Corner of West Bay Drive and 5th St. S.W., Largo, Florida,33770

Jill

Hubby's Mac and Cheese

This is a staple in my house. We have this a lot because Hubby likes to take the leftovers for lunch. It's easy to make and inexpensive as well.

 

Ingredients:

1 8 oz pg of Velveeta cheese, cubed ( I use the 2 %)

1 box of pasta noodles ( I use penne, elbow, rotini)

2 tablespoons of butter

2 cups of milk ( I use 2%)

2 tablespoons of flour

1 pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 of reduced fat sour cream

1 pkg of garlic croutons, crushed

Melt the butter in a small saucepan

Slowly whisk in flour

You should have a paste like substance

Follow the package directions for the pasta

I would call this a large pinch of nutmeg

Once the rue or sauce has reached a boil remove from the heat and whisk in cheese slowly

Your sauce should be smooth and thick

Drain cooked pasta well. 

Spray your 9x13

Place pasta in baking dish in an even layer

Pour sauce evenly

Crush your croutons and spread over pasta

 

Yummy, gooey goodness!

 

Pre-heat oven to 350*, Boil pasta following directions on the box. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on low heat. When completely melted add flour one tablespoon at a time and whisk in until incorporated. You should have a paste like substance. Slowly whisk in milk, one cup at a time until there are not lumps and everything is incorporated. Bring to a boil after increasing heat to medium, stirring often. Once you have a boil remove from the heat and add cubed cheese and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep whisking in cheese until you have a thick sauce consistency. Fold in about 1/2 cup of sour cream. Place cooked noodles in a 9x13 sprayed pan. Pour cheese sauce evenly over noodles. Top with crushed croutons and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

 

Calling all Cottage Sisters! Post a "Meatless Monday" recipe by midnight Monday and you will be entered for a chance to  win our first ever giveaway!

Good Luck!

Jill

Ever Changing.....

This blog started out as a decorating blog.  I know what you are thinking......where is the decorating?  Usually, we  both have projects going, since we started the blog we have hardly had any decorating projects.  We thought it would be a good way to see what the other one was up to.  Since we haven't been decorating it has turned into a foodie blog.  Which is really funny because I never really considered myself a cook.  I have been reading nothing, but food blogs for months and I have been having a great time making recipes like jelly rolls or puddle of yum.  I also have been bitten by the photography bug.  I love taking photos the most and recently purchased Photoshop Elements 8.  I found it on sale at Amazon, along with a helpful book to go with it.

                          

So now I have been a stalker on several photo editing blogs.  Here is one that has been a complete life saver.......Coffeeshop.  I had know idea where to begin and I followed a few of her tutorials and have learned a lot of new things.  Also, I know you will love that she gives actions away for free.  Yes, nothing is free, but she does share them with everyone for free!

I am joining the I {Heart} Faces challenge for the first time.  They are asking "What is your most romantic spot?"

Paris, by far is the most romantic place I have ever been.......at least so far!  I thought I would use a picture from Paris and add a few of Coffeeshop's different actions to it.  The first one is the original and then I used some of Coffeeshop's free actions on it. This one is called Vintage News.This is just Hard Light from Photoshop.  Look how much just doing that brightened up the photo.Sorry I can't remember the name of this one, but it is a Coffeeshop action.This one was called Color Tint.This is Daydreamers. This one is called Splendid Black and White.

The OriginalPhotoshop's Hard Light and cropping.This is Bold Pop Butterscotch Vintage Faded Day Dreams.Thanks to I {Heart} Faces for letting this wanna be photographer play along.

Have a great day! 

Denise

xoxo

Salsa Verde Tostadas and a Giveaway......

Before I get to the the Salsa Verde Tostadas, I wanted to remind you Cottage Sisters is having our first ever giveaway this Monday, February 1.  As you know Jill and I are vegetarians and we participate in Meatless Mondays.  Join us on Monday and post a meatless recipe on Mr Linky, by midnight and enter to win the adorable Valentine's pot holder, towel and coffee mug.  It doesn't have to be a new recipe, if you have something that you posted one, two or even three years ago.........it doesn't matter.   We hope you will join us and look forward to seeing you on Monday, please only US residents.  Winners will be announced February 4.......good luck!I think any dish can be altered to become vegetarian. Thanks to this product........ This veggie chicken doesn't have any breading or any seasoning.  I was able to convert this recipe to make it vegetarian.  Here is the meat version from My Kitchen Cafe

Salsa Verde Tostadas                                                Printer-Friendly

5 flour tortillas
½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 box of veggie chicken , Quorn, diced and defrosted
1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, etc.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tortillas, bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In the morning or early afternoon make this part up, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, salsa verde, 1/4 cup cilantro, beans, and cumin (this can marinate all day if you like). This smelled so good.Spoon mixture evenly over the tortillas and bake until heated through about 8 minutes. Top warm tostadas with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream and other toppings as desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with additional green salsa, if desired.
 *Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for marinating chicken mixture. The flavor intensifies as it marinates so you may want to plan an additional 2-3 hours for that (but it isn't absolutely necessary).  I planned ahead the first time I made it, but the second time I forgot about the marinating part.  I ended up just cooking the veggie chicken first and then mixing it together and it worked just as well.

Enjoy!

Denise

xoxo

PS. Hubby said I knocked it out of the park with this one.  I think that means he likes it! :)

Thanks to Designs by Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday!

Whodidily Cupcakes in Montecito, California.......

We had a little break from the rain last weekend and decided to take a road trip.  We ended up in Montecito, we found a little street that was lined with shops.  We decided to get out and walk the street.  Honestly, it was a very charming little place, but there wasn't a lot of what I would call our kind of shops..........except for one!  Whodidily Cupcakes caught our attention right away!

First......check out the cute girls that were working there.  I should have gotten their names, I am bad, I apologize!!!  The little blonde was a seventh grader shadowing because she wants to work as a baker.  The taller dark haired girl runs the bakery and she was so friendly and explained everything to us.  Don't they look cute with their aprons on?  You can get those aprons there too.  She told us they were just featured on Food Network channel for the first time on Cupcake Wars. Here is a look around the little shop. I love you a latte had Hailee's name written all over it!  My little coffee girl. I picked the pink scrumdidily because it had cookie dough in the middle and pink just happens to be my favorite color.  Mike picked the one called Peanut Butter Yumptious.  I didn't get a picture of it in the window, but don't worry I did get pictures of it, before he could gobbled it up! They box them up with a hot pink ribbon.  Look at the sprinkle covered counter. Now for the three we picked!  Mike picked peanut butter yumptious: chocolate cake with peanut butter cup in the center topped with creamy peanut butter frosting.  Is it funny that Mike's favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate too? Take a close up of it........Little miss Hailee picked the I love you a latte: chocolate cupcake with Starbucks coffee cream cheese center topped with vanilla butter cream rolled in coffee sprinkles. Did you know there was such a thing as coffee sprinkles? The last one, I picked the scrumdidily: vanilla cake with a cookie dough center topped with hot pink butter cream frosting sprinkled with pink sparkling sugar.  Perfect for a Princess! They were completely scrumdiddlyumptious!

If you are in Montecito, I highly recommend you stop in and check it out for yourself.  Also, the sign said they ship cupcakes now!  It could just be me because I have tasted them, but I would have them shipped to you..........if you live to far to go there!  Good luck Whodidily Cupcakes in Food Networks cupcake wars.  We heard you visit Pismo Beach a lot......perfect place for a second location!  Just something to think about.

Have a wonderful day!

Denise

xoxo

Cottage Sisters is having our first ever giveaway this Monday, February 1.  As you know Jill and I are vegetarians and we participate in Meatless Mondays.  We haven't found a blog that has a link were you can go and get meatless recipes.  We want to be that blog!  Join us on Monday and post a meatless recipe on Mr Linky, by midnight and enter to win the adorable Valentine's pot holder, towel and coffee mug.  It doesn't have to be a new recipe, if you have something that you posted one, two or even three years ago.........it doesn't matter.   We hope you will join us and look forward to seeing you on Monday, please only US residents.  Winners will be announced February 4.......good luck!

PS......join us tomorrow for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.