Forget You Tube -- Come Watch Fru Tube!

Here is our first attempt at adding video to our media empire:
Directions for making Robin's Garlic Parmesan Dressing

Bread Pudding Obsession

I Know last week I pulled the Grape-Nut Custard out of the pantry for giggles and it was a hit.

But the obsession continues..

I still have a limited budget, but as always I have staples in the pantry( for now anyway), sugar, eggs, and I always have the cream on hand just in case...right..

And I love custard, all kinds of soft sweet delightful creamy treats. This is a problem for my waistline for sure. However for my budget and mega Mom points it is a good thing.

So I will continue to try and perfect the custard,

So here is my attempt to turn this frozen stale french bread in to a masterpiece

Bread Pudding

2 loaves stale french bread ( I save mine in the freezer just for these occasions)

12 eggs

1 quart of light cream, (substitutions fine)

2tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

assemble ingredients

pre-heat oven to 350

Grease well a large oven proof casserole dishin a large bowl open all eggs

beat slightly

slowly add cream, sugar and vanilla

Cut bread into medium size pieces and place in casserole dish


pour the egg mixture over bread, make sure to push bread in to mixture to absorb the liquid

let set for about 30 minutes

while waiting for the pudding to set

prepare a pan with 1-2 inch of hot water large enough to set the casserole dish in
set this in the oven then place casserole in the pan

let cook for 1 hour until top springs back slightly when tapped



Try this you might like it, for minimal effort you can create a lovely dessert that is sure to get some great reviews at your home.

We are all about making the you know what shine

it is what we do were Mom's



Serve warm with vanilla Ice cream

Sweet Treats: Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake

If you are anything like me, this is the perfect dessert for this time of year.

It's the first week of February and every time I step outside I shiver with delight at the winter wonderland of sparkling snow and am thrilled anew by my frosty puffs of breath as I sit in my car in my pjs waiting for my children. All the holiday bills were paid before the first toy broke and I am five pounds below my goal weight.

OK this is actually the perfect dessert to snarf after waking up from that dream. And what a dream it is. Because February is just the worst: it's cold, I'm crabby, I'm fat and I'm broke (and fat) and as a bonus, the kids get the last week of the month off. Yaaaay!

So seriously, if you are anything like me, this is the perfect dessert. Put on your yoga pants, grab a fork and turn on Bravo. Spring will be here in just 3 months.

Julie's Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake

adapted from The Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hanson and Liv Hanson
because I'm not crazy enough to make peanut butter cookies from scratch just to blitz them to bits to use for a crust

Serves at least 8, maybe 10 or more, depending on level of serotonin....

For the crust:

2 packages Archway peanut butter cookies
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

Reduce the cookies to crumbs in a food processor. Pour in the melted butter and blitz briefly until crumbs look moist and packable

Pour into a 10 inch spring form pan and press firmly onto the bottom and about 1/3rd the way up the sides of the pan.

For the filling:

2 pounds cream cheese at warm room temp (4 8 ounce packages)
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 large eggs
8 ounces chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and start a full kettle on to boil

Beat the creamcheese in a stand mixer until smooth, scraping down the bowl often. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Slowly add the sugar and beat until all is smooth and creamy.

On low speed add the heavy cream and the vanilla and scrape down the bowl to make sure all is well combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.

Transfer half the batter to another bowl and stir in the melted chocolate until smooth and uniform in color.

Spoon the batter into the crust, alternating chocolate and peanut butter. Use a small knife to swirl a pattern into the top, making sure not to disturb the crust.

Place a baking pan larger than the spring form pan on the middle rack of the oven and place the filled spring form pan in the baking pan. Pour water from the boiling kettle carefully into the larger pan (not into the pan with the cheesecake batter, please!) and gently close the oven.

Bake for about 70 minutes until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the center. Let the cheese cake sit at room temperature for another hour or two before attempting to unmold: run a very thin, straight knife along the edge and then release the spring form.

Serve in small slices. To get a good looking slice, wipe the knife with a hot wet dish towel between each cut.

Full House

It is true I have not blogged for a bit and I ask your forgiveness

It's just some weeks at the camp Broadbent are a bit over the top

House guests and Mid-winter Birthday celebrations took center stage last week

But we did eat and although I was trapped in my lovely circa 1970's kitchen

the food was a plenty

I used a few recipes from the blog which made planning and shopping a snap

The meals were easy and delicious and I could get all the other little things done while a few of the meals cooked by themselves all day, the crock is one of my best friends.

For the birthday celebration is was French Onion Soup along with a salad and garlic bread although t his an easy meal to prepare making it for 16 is a bit challenging, lots of hot bowls

I also attempted the chocolate cake Suzanne recently posted, I am no fancy cake maker let me tell you, however this recipe was divine . I made cream cheese frosting and as a little surprise, I added seedless raspberry jam to a portion of the frosting and used it for the layering it was wonderful.

The next meal was not a crock pot specialty,however it was a freezer specialty, from the last chicken pie- a-thon I just popped it in the 350 oven for an hour with a side of cranberry sauce and we fed 13 easy as pie :)



Of course the all time favorite pulled pork made with ginger-ale a crock pot masterpiece. I used over 8lbs of pork and it was gone by 11:00 pm, I served it with crusty french bread and a side salad. The remains of this meal were no where in sight when I came down in the morning..these people eat 24/7 around here.

I also did the crock pot, pot roast recipe from my dear friend Ellie, the meat browns nicely and served with the standard pot roast veggies or as served here with garlic mashed potatoes and sliced tomatoes.

Not a crumb left of this one, either.

So I have been busy maintaining the fort, It is cold outside, but the days are getting longer and the mid-winter guests and birthday celebration helped to make the long days of winter fly right by.

Fill the house with friends, family, good old fashioned budget friendly meals and all is well.

Wedding Update

Eight Months to go and Counting

My number one girl will say I do I was thinking all of the above.

1950's

Love it

Stay tuned