If my day job ever fails ...

If my day job ever fails, I now know I can go into the catering business. Well, maybe not, but I had good practice this weekend. 

Sunday was a special day for our sixth grade students and as a result, we had a luncheon for friends and family afterward. Landon decided that this year, for consistency, we would make the food ourselves, rather than having several people make one recipe at home and bring it to the church. So, on Saturday morning, he and I headed to the church to make six casseroles for our 60-person luncheon.

We had decided to make chicken spaghetti, a recipe my co-worker and friend Susan had given me. It makes a large batch that serves 12, so it is a good recipe for crowds. 

The recipe calls for a whole chicken, de-boned. So Landon cooked all the chickens on Friday at church so that they were ready to be de-boned on Saturday morning. Since that's a messy job, he gave that task to me.

While I did that, Landon's job was to cook a box of noodle, chop and saute onions and green peppers, and then mix all that together along with a can of cream of chicken, a can of cream of mushroom, 4 ounces of pimentos and a little chicken broth (saved from the cooked chickens). 

We actually had it timed so well that by the time I got done picking off all the chicken, he had one batch done. Then, we topped that with cheese and moved onto the next one. 

We did six all together, which took about two and a half hours. Then, we had to clean up our mess. By the time we got home, we crashed on the couch, but not before I made two Kentucky Derby Pies for a church missions bake sale. Oh, and I tried modifying the recipe I told you about to use one cup flour and one cup each of chocolate chips and pecans. The batter seemed much thicker, which I think helped with the consistency, but since I sold the pies and didn't eat them myself, I don't know for sure! I guess I'll have to try it again to see how they are! 

I had three amazing ladies who helped me cook the casseroles on Sunday morning as well as getting the salad and rolls ready. I don't have any pics of the end product, but I can tell you it was great. And, Landon did great on planning portions, because we didn't have that many leftovers. We had one roll, 15 cupcakes, a bag of salad and half a pan of chicken spaghetti. Not too bad, if I say so myself.

That said, one lesson I did learn, catering is hard work. I don't think I'll be taking it up anytime soon.

Super Bowl Sunday Par-tay

It's Super Bowl Sunday and you know what that means, right?!? Good food and funny commercials! (You thought I was going to say football, didn't you?)

Our friends, Susan and Ernie, invited our family over to watch the Super Bowl. By "our family" I mean Landon, me, and our two dogs, Bug and Mitsu. 

Susan and Ernie have two dogs, too, and Bug and Mitsu love them. Matter of fact, every time we go to their house, I don't think Bug and Mitsu want to leave!

Well, in order to get ready for the party, I spent time yesterday making some food. Ernie is part of a group at his church called the "Holy Smokers." They smoke various meats and sell them to help fund missions. They recently cooked some ribs and pork, which we are going to get to enjoy tonight! Susan asked me to bring an appetizer and a side dish to go along with it, so I chose to make Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Potato Salad.

The Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe is one my mom gave me. It's very easy and so good. Here's what you need:

Two 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese

One can of artichoke hearts, chopped

One package of frozen spinach

One stick of butter
Half a package of Parmesan cheese
garlic powder

Cook the spinach according to the package. Add the chopped up artichokes to the spinach while it is cooking. In a separate pan, melt the butter. Add the cream cheese, spinach, artichokes and a cup of Parmesan. Add garlic powder to taste. Place in a baking dish and cover with more Parmesan cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

The dip is good with tortilla chips, bagels chips and even veggies. Here's a pic of mine before it went in the oven. It looks even better once it's all hot and gooey, but I'll be finishing it up tonight right before the party.

On top of all of my party cooking, I also decided to make homemade Red Beans and Rice from my newest cookbook for dinner last night. It was about a two-and-a-half hour process but so worth it! Doesn't it look good?!?

Mmmm ... I can't wait to chow down tonight! What are your plans for the big game?

My Cookbook Fetish

I'm beginning to think I have a cookbook fetish! Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but I do love to buy new cookbooks. The other night, I picked up one of my favorites at Whole Foods (I was picking up Whole Foods' awesome Three-Cheese Focaccia bread ... I don't buy much at Whole Foods, but their bread is so good!).

It's really more of a magazine than a cookbook. If you haven't discovered "America's Test Kitchen," then you are missing out! I first learned of "America's Test Kitchen" when we moved to Texas last year. We have chosen to be a family without cable, which means there aren't a lot of shows worth watching on a Saturday morning. One Saturday, while on the search for our morning entertainment, we stumbled upon PBS and the "America's Test Kitchen" TV show. I fell in love immediately.

I come from a long line of amazing cooks. If you have ever been privileged enough to have a meal at my Mema's house, then you know what I mean. My mom is also a fabulous cook. I can definitely follow a recipe, but I don't have the knowledge and instinct that my mom and Mema have ... but I wish I did.

Well, that's why I love "America's Test Kitchen." It's a product of "Cook's Illustrated." Not only do the "America's Test Kitchen" books have amazing recipes, but with each one, they tell you the techniques used, why certain techniques and ingredients work better than others and step-by-step instructions. They identify what brands are best and why they stand up to others. The concept is that they have "tested" each recipe to perfection. 

I have made lots of their recipes, and I can tell you that I haven't found any yet that I don't like from mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, pan fried pork chops and Italian-style meatloaves. Some take a lot of time, so I reserve them for Saturdays. And, they also usually have some different type of ingredients that I don't typically keep at home, so you have to prepare, but the prep work is worth it.

I now have three different "America's Test Kitchen" books - 30-Minute Suppers (Summer 2010), Best of 2010 and now the Best of 2011. Here is a sampling of what's in the 2011 book, taken from the "America's Test Kitchen" website:

"The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2011 features a wide range of recipes from starters to desserts, from meat and pasta to vegetarian dishes and desserts, including Hot Crab Dip (from our cookbook Best Potluck Recipes), Grilled Vegetable and Bread Salad ( from the Healthy Family Cookbook), Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili (from Cook’s Country magazine), Steak Tips with Mushroom Gravy (from Cook’s Illustrated magazine), Black Bean Burgers ( from our cookbook Light and Healthy 2010), and Individual Fallen Chocolate Cakes for Two (from our Cooking for Two cookbook)."

The Wall Street Journal reviewed it and said:

"While the skilled team at America's Test Kitchen doesn't shy away from the occasional elaborate recipe—their six-layer Strawberry Stack Cake requires 15 ingredients and a lot of patience—most of the 175 recipes in this compilation concentrate on mastering the basics and turning out delicious home cooking with a minimum of wasted time ... If, like frontiersman Kit Carson on his deathbed, you've ever wished that you had 'time for just one more bowl of chili,' this one is for you."

That's exactly how I feel with their recipes! I get excited every time I plan a dinner from one of these books, because I know it is going to be so good. Mmmm ....  I can't wait to try out some of these new recipes!

Do you have any cookbooks that you just love? If so, let me know!