I watched with a grumbling stomach as the owner of the Clinton St Baking Company made his pancakes for Martha on a recent episode. I have to say I am pretty committed to my own pancake recipe (which was also my mom’s) and to my oatmeal pancake recipe, which I love. However, these pancakes looked great. And apparently people line up in the street to get them, so I had to try them! The main difference is that you whip the egg whites for this recipe, which is supposed to make them fluffy and light.

Honestly, I didn’t really think these were much fluffier than the kind I usually make. I think the trick to truly fluffy pancakes is a professional griddle, which I don’t have. However, the pancakes were good. Everyone enjoyed them, Dude Martha especially, since there is vanilla in them and he likes that flavor a lot. I’m glad I tried them, but will probably stick with my own recipes for pancakes.

For a really fun, and EASY breakfast recipe, check out my crescent roll and egg muffin tin recipe on No Pot Cooking.

I watched with a grumbling stomach as the owner of the Clinton St Baking Company made his pancakes for Martha on a recent episode. I have to say I am pretty committed to my own pancake recipe (which was also my mom’s) and to my oatmeal pancake recipe, which I love. However, these pancakes looked … Read more →

This week I’m giving away 10 separate Martha Stewart Holidays treat boxes kits. Each package contains 6  matchbox style boxes, 6 sheets of tissue paper, 6 self-adhesive labels and 6 ribbons.  Dimensions aren’t given but they seem to be 6 inches wide by about 8 1/2 inches long and about 3 inches tall each. I used Martha Stewart treat boxes last year and they are fantastic. I gave away lots of cookies using these. It’s perfect to have the tissue paper, labels and ribbons all provided for you. I also found the boxes to be of high quality. They held together, kept their shape, and could hold as many cookies as I could fit. MSLO is providing the prizes and sent me a sample to try as well.

Here’s how to win. Leave a comment on this post, then visit the NoPotCooking fan page on Facebook and “like” it before Saturday, November 27, 2010. I’ll randomly and blindly select ten winners by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of subscription time). Sorry, offer limited to U.S. addresses only and entrants age 18 and up only. One entry per person. Winners notified by email given when entering, not responsible for email transmission problems. You are responsible for notifying me of your correct  address if you are selected as a winner. Contest closes at midnight Eastern time on 11/26/10. Prize is nontransferable and may not be redeemed for cash. MarthaAndMe reserves the right to announce the name of the winner on the blog. Prizes will be sent by MSLO to winner.

This week I’m giving away 10 separate Martha Stewart Holidays treat boxes kits. Each package contains 6  matchbox style boxes, 6 sheets of tissue paper, 6 self-adhesive labels and 6 ribbons.  Dimensions aren’t given but they seem to be 6 inches wide by about 8 1/2 inches long and about 3 inches tall each. I … Read more →

Well, as you can see, I didn’t exactly end up with cheese straws! Thanks to Megan at Megan’s Cookin for choosing this one. This was really easy to make – dump it all in a food processor and away you go. I couldn’t get the dough to come together though. I tried pressing it with my hands, but I could not get it to make logs which I could roll out. So I ended up making little crackers instead, which worked out fine. I really, really liked the way these tasted, but next time I would to make them thinner. These would be great at a party. I’m keeping this recipe!

Well, as you can see, I didn’t exactly end up with cheese straws! Thanks to Megan at Megan’s Cookin for choosing this one. This was really easy to make – dump it all in a food processor and away you go. I couldn’t get the dough to come together though. I tried pressing it with … Read more →

John Barriceli, I heart you. John is occasionally on Martha’s show and is one of the hosts of Everyday Food. I’ve got his new cookbook, Sono Baking book and so far I’ve had 3 good recipes and one terrible one.

My latest is cheddar chive scones. Oh yes, a savory scone. Super, super simple to make. I didn’t roll and cut mine out and instead just made hand-formed rounds. They worked perfectly. I did not taste the chives as much as I expected to, but other than that, this was great. I doubled the recipe and froze some for another night.

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 chopped chives

1 cup grated cheddar

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and chives. Stir in cheese with a fork. Add 1 cup of cream and fold with a rubber scraper or your hands until just absorbed. Continue adding cream, 1 tbsp at a time until it just comes together and there are no dry patches.

Press the dough with your hands into a 3 x 10 rectangle and cut into 8 triangles. Refrigerate on the baking sheet for 1 hour. Then brush with 1/4 cup additional cream and sprinkle each with a pinch of cheese. Bake at 400 for 16-20, rotating halfway through.

John Barriceli, I heart you. John is occasionally on Martha’s show and is one of the hosts of Everyday Food. I’ve got his new cookbook, Sono Baking book and so far I’ve had 3 good recipes and one terrible one. My latest is cheddar chive scones. Oh yes, a savory scone. Super, super simple to … Read more →

Thanks to Karen at Karen and Charlie’s Kitchen for choosing this week’s pick-your-own project  – Thanksgiving tablescapes. I liked the one where you make a small pumpkin into a candleholder, so I did a trial run with that, which looks sort of lame since it’s crooked. I guess you need a straighter pumpkin to get it to work! I just hacked away at it with a knife to make the hole, then pushed the candle in. I like this idea a lot, even if mine wasn’t the greatest in execution!

Here’s a photo of a centerpiece I bought a few years ago (I think I got it at the grocery store to be honest!) and which I really still love a lot.

Thanks to Karen at Karen and Charlie’s Kitchen for choosing this week’s pick-your-own project  – Thanksgiving tablescapes. I liked the one where you make a small pumpkin into a candleholder, so I did a trial run with that, which looks sort of lame since it’s crooked. I guess you need a straighter pumpkin to get … Read more →

I totally love puff pastry. A few years ago my mom bought a ton of it from a bakery supply place and it was SO much better than the Pepperidge Farms stuff I get at the grocery store. That’s long gone though and I’m back to Pepperidge Farms, oh well.

This tart sounded so good to me – puff pastry with ham and cheese inside. It was easy to make, once you get the puff pastry to defrost. Roll the two sheets out to 10 x 13 size. Put one on the baking sheet. Cover with 6 slices of ham, 1 cup Gruyere and a cream sauce made with 1 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 tbsp flour (melt butter then cook with flour till golden) and a pinch of nutmeg with 1 cup milk (whisk it in and cook until thickened). Cover with the top sheet of puff pastry, brush with egg, and cut some vents. Bake at 400. The recipe says 30 min but mine was done in 20 min.

This was good, but it desperately needed mustard. If I ever made this again I would either mix some Dijon into the cream sauce or maybe just slather a thin layer on the pastry. Other than that it was good. It smelled good, looked good and tasted good, if a bit bland. We had it for dinner with salad and soup.

I totally love puff pastry. A few years ago my mom bought a ton of it from a bakery supply place and it was SO much better than the Pepperidge Farms stuff I get at the grocery store. That’s long gone though and I’m back to Pepperidge Farms, oh well. This tart sounded so good … Read more →

This recipe is from November Everyday Food. I made the alternate version of the recipe (described on p. 101) which replaces broccolini with broccoli and feta with goat cheese. I also used a store bought pie crust. You put your crust on a baking sheet, spread the goat cheese on it (I used 2 oz – I should have used more), place some parboiled broccoli on top and sprinkle with parmesan. Fold the edges of the crust up and brush with egg. Bake at 400 for about half an hour.

This was good, but not fantastic. It was a different way to eat broccoli at least, which shows up on our dinner table at least once a week.

This recipe is from November Everyday Food. I made the alternate version of the recipe (described on p. 101) which replaces broccolini with broccoli and feta with goat cheese. I also used a store bought pie crust. You put your crust on a baking sheet, spread the goat cheese on it (I used 2 oz … Read more →

Martha has this recipe in November Living as a breakfast idea, but I like to serve quiche for dinner with a salad. I was excited about this because Swiss chard and mushrooms are high up on my list.

I started with a store bought pie crust (sorry Martha) and cut the recipe in half to make it in a pie pan instead of on a baking sheet as the recipe says. Here are the proportions I used:
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
6 oz Swiss chard, stems removed washed and coarsely chopped
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar

I baked my pie crust ahead, but wish I hadn’t since it got too brown, so I would say skip that. Melt half the butter in a skillet and cook mushrooms until tender about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove. Then add the rest of the butter and cook the garlic about 1 minute. Add chard and salt and pepper. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes. Raise the heat and cook off the liquid. Mix with mushrooms. Whisk eggs and half and half with salt. Sprinkle half the cheese on the bottom of the pie crust, then top with the vegetables and the rest of the cheese. Pour egg mixture over it. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

The result? Blech!!! Horrible. There’s too much half and half in this. It was practically white inside and tasted like flavorless cottage cheese. I did not care for it at all. I picked the veggies out and ate those and crust. The leftovers went in the trash. Really, really bad.

Martha has this recipe in November Living as a breakfast idea, but I like to serve quiche for dinner with a salad. I was excited about this because Swiss chard and mushrooms are high up on my list. I started with a store bought pie crust (sorry Martha) and cut the recipe in half to … Read more →

I recently posted my list of Martha’s best recipes. I have done some Martha crafts (more in the first year of the blog, but I still do some from time to time). I’m not a big crafter and so I didn’t think I would have any craft greatest hits, but in looking back through the blog, there were a couple that really stood out for me as being beautiful and easy to do, so I want to share the craft version of Martha’s Greatest Hits with you!

Map Coasters I still love the concept of this

Scarf Dyed Eggs Possibly the best craft EVER

Nut Wreath I still get a lot of comments on this post from last fall. The wreath hangs in my kitchen in fall and is gorgeous!

Glitter Eggs As frustrating as they were to make, they did turn out pretty well and are very impressive looking.

Fish Print This was one of my more controversial posts. The prints I made hang at the family lake house and are gorgeous.

Do you have any favorite Martha crafts?

I recently posted my list of Martha’s best recipes. I have done some Martha crafts (more in the first year of the blog, but I still do some from time to time). I’m not a big crafter and so I didn’t think I would have any craft greatest hits, but in looking back through the … Read more →

This week’s project was chosen by yours truly:Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Crunch and Caramel Sauce. This cake is from the Oct issue of Living and is a 20 bowl, 30 hour project. Ok, not really, but it did sound that way when I read it, but I found it didn’t take as much time as I thought it would. And for two weeks running, I completely screwed up my Martha Mondays project. This is supposed to taste like a 100 Grand candy bar, one of my childhood favorites. Mine didn’t quite work out as planned!

You start by baking a chocolate cake. I thought it had too much salt in it. Then you make Rice Krispie and chocolate candies. To anyone considering making this recipe – buy Nestle crunch bars instead! It would be much quicker and would come out much better.

Then you make the caramel which goes between the layers with the candies. This is where my disaster ensued. Mine got too hot. I took it off at the right temp, but it just got too hard. I couldn’t spread it. I was able to drizzle it but it hardened. We couldn’t even chew it and ended up picking it out of the cake. I’m sure this would have been good if it was edible. I was really upset about it.

Then you make a chocolate frosting. You do a crumb coat, refrigerate then do another layer.

The cake looked nice. We had a hard time cutting it since the caramel got so hard. The Rice Krispie candies got mushy, so the rice was no longer crunchy, which is why using candy bars would be a much better answer.

I think if I hadn’t completely ruined the caramel this would have been pretty good. I’m so disappointed in myself. Oh well. Onward and upward. Did anyone else make this?

This week’s project was chosen by yours truly:Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Crunch and Caramel Sauce. This cake is from the Oct issue of Living and is a 20 bowl, 30 hour project. Ok, not really, but it did sound that way when I read it, but I found it didn’t take as much time … Read more →