CEiMB: Sweet and Sour Brisket

For this weeks edition of Craving Ellie in My Belly, Natalie of What's For Supper, picked Sweet and Sour Brisket.

Living in Texas, you eat a lot of brisket. Or at least in my family you do. Its the standard go to food (along with ribs and sausage...ie BBQ) for any type of event...even when you request/demand snow crab for your high school/college graduation (bitter? not me! lol). Anyway, its an easy way to feed a crowd and all it takes is some low and slow heat.

Brisket is also easy to convert into other meals. You usually end up with lots of leftovers so its not hard to use it for sandwiches and burritos among other things. This is perfect for someone like me who is single and it can be a pain to cook food that won't go to waste.

I was slightly nervous starting out with this challenge because I have never made brisket myself. Its always my dad or my mom who fix it. But it seemed easy enough from the recipe so I wasn't that nervous. Because it can be pricey, I went to Sam's Club to get the meat. That is were my parents usually get theirs so I knew it would be good. I was worried I would have to get one of the big slabs but they had perfect 3-4 lb portions available. Perfect! I'll definitely be getting more from them in the future.

Having never made brisket myself before, I didn't realize how much of a pain it was to remove the excess fat. That was the hardest part about the whole thing! It did not want to come off! Grrrr...

After the excess fat was finally removed, I seared the meat and made the sauce to pour over it. The tomato/raisin combo seemed strange and it seemed even stranger when I replaced the raisins with dried cranberries. Oh well. Into the oven and let the 3 hour wait begin!!

The brisket was quite tasty. I didn't really get the sweet and sour bit but it was still juicy and tender. The sauce wasn't very tomatoey and the dried cranberries were very good with the brisket. The tomato/dried cranberry combo was actually tasty. I paired it with sour cream smashed potatoes and cheesy cornbread. A nice, filling Sunday evening dinner! And plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week!

Ingredients

* 1 (3-pound) beef brisket, first-cut or flat-half cut, trimmed of any excess fat
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 medium onion, cut in 1/2, then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
* One 15- oz. can tomato sauce, preferably no salt added
* 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
* 3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
* 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
* 1/3 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries)
* 5 black peppercorns
* 1 allspice berry

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or braising pot. Sear the brisket until it is browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the vinegar, the raisins, peppercorns, and allspice and stir to combine well. Bring mixture to a boil, return brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes or, if serving later, cover and refrigerate the meat and sauce for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4- inch thick slices. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar into the warm sauce. Return the sliced brisket to the sauce until heated through, then serve.

Yield: 10 servings, serving size: 4-ounces brisket plus 3 tablespoons of sauce

Adapted from The Foods You Crave. Also available here.

Daring Bakers October 08 Challenge - Pizza

I had to miss last month's Daring Bakers Challenge so I was determined to participate this month. When I found out that we were making our own pizza dough, I was really excited. While I've made pizza at home before, it was always with pre-made crusts.

Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums our host for this month. Originally, she was to co-host with Sher of What Did You Eat? and Glenna A Fridge Full of Food but sadly, Sher passed away in July. In honor of her friend, Rosa chose to go ahead with the recipe Sher had chosen for October. I think it is a fitting tribute to a wonderful baker. I did not know of Sher unfortunately until after her passing but I can tell she meant a lot to so many of the Daring Bakers. This month my Daring Bakers is dedicated to Sher.

I'm not sure why I've never made my pizza dough before now. While there is a bit of time involved in getting it done, its really not that difficult. The only thing that is hard is having to wait overnight to bake this pizza!

I went with my favorite type of pizza, margherita. Simple and delicious. I made a quick tomato sauce using some plain canned tomato sauce, chopped garlic, and a pizza seasoning blend. The topping was just fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and some diced tomato. Note to self: seed tomatoes before putting on pizza. They get kind of soupy while cooking.

I had not planned on purchasing a pizza stone to bake the pizza on (Alton Brown suggests using a special tile instead) but I found one at Bed Bath and Beyond that came with a pizza peel and carrying rack for under $15. I will never bake a pizza without one again. The crust was unbelievably good, very crispy. I think that is what made me love making the pizza crust so much. It was quick and the stone made it taste like it was made in a professional kitchen.

We were supposed to try and toss the dough as well as take a picture of it. I tried and almost dropped it so I rolled it out instead. I also did not have anyone to take a picture of the attempt so I missed that part of the challenge. But there were lots of DBers that were able to toss and get pictures, I'm so jealous!

I put a little too much cheese on the pizza (I couldn't help it, I love cheese) and it melted over onto the pizza stone. It wasn't bad, I just scrapped it up and flopped it back onto the pizza.

Overall the pizza was delicious. The crust crisp and the toppings fresh and full of flavor. I'm sure this crust would be great with just about any topping you could come up with. I'm eager to try some different kinds with the few balls of dough I have left in the freezer!

To see more pizza, checkout the Daring Bakers Blogroll!

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled - FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8. FOR GF: On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

RECIPE SOURCE: “The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread” by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Copyright 2001. ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

TWD: Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

Continuing with recipes for Tuesdays with Dorie that aren't taxing to my baking mojo, Clara of I♥food4thought chose Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes. Seriously Clara...do you hate my hips? Really???

Despite my best intentions to start getting myself back into exercise (i.e. Wii Fit) and eating better (i.e. not eating cupcakes), it was a major FAIL for me this week. Whether it was the donuts or the cupcakes, I can't saw which tiped the scale more. Next week...next week I will take more of this to work! Well, to be honest, most of the cupcakes went to work but a few were sacrificed in the attempted icing.

The cupcakes themselves went just fine. I read the P&Q section at Tuesdays with Dorie and many seemed to dry cupcakes and/or cupcakes that didn't rise as much as expected. Some also said they weren't very chocolatey. To get better chocolate flavor, I did a mixture of milk and semisweet melted chocolate as well as adding in a handful of semisweet chips to the batter. To help combat the dryness more, I pulled them out at 20 minutes instead of going to 22 as suggested. Voila! The cupcakes were super moist!

Now on to the icing. I wanted to decorate these for Halloween so I went with white chocolate for the ganache and tinted it orange. For once, my white chocolate seemed to cooperate. It was the cupcakes that didn't want to cooperate. As soon as I tried to dip and swirl, the tops of the cupcakes fell off. After two such attempts, I said forget it. The cupcakes alone were very tasty and the guys at work would like them no matter if there was no icing (they're not really picky). Plus, I stuck some candy corn into the center of a few before baking and on top. The one I tried was delicious. Perhaps I should have done all that way? hmmm...

I did put a little on one of the broken cupcakes so you could see that I did make it but the picture is blurry obviously. The icing does look like a ghost/demon thing doesn't it? Kinda creepy.

I think these cupcakes would be good with icing/frosting/ganache whatever you want to call it. Some day I might come back and try it but for now...my hips say no more!!!

To see this weeks recipe, buy the book for yourself! Or...check out Clara's blog! For more cupcakes (some decorated for Halloween), head to the TWD blogroll here!

Come back next week for some rugelach. I've never made or had rugelach before so I am eager to try it. See you then!

Oh and for those who wondered where Charlie was this week, I tried to be a good mommy and not flaunt the chocolate in front of him but he pushed his way next to me so he could get a look at the cupcake mommy was so happy about. Don't worry...he didn't get a bite!

You Want Pies With That? Fashion Challenge

As a big Project Runway fan, when the challenge for this month's You Want Pies With That? was announced, I knew immediately what I was going to use as inspiration. When I think of Fashion, I think of the designers on Project Runway. During the Season 5 Drag Queen episode, Tim Gunn told Blayne the following about his design.

"It looks like it's a terradactyl out of a gay Jurassic Park." - Tim Gunn

I don't know why but that was the funniest thing I had ever heard. Especially coming from someone like Tim. Of course, when you look at the design, Tim was totally spot on.

See? Totally gay Jurassic Park terradactyl!

Blayne was by no means my favorite designer this season. But he definitely was extremely interesting, if not a little annoying. So you maybe wondering why on earth would I choose one of his designs as the inspiration for my pie. Well, look at it! It just screams crazy, colorful, over the top fashion...drag queen fashion...but its still fashion!

For those that didn't watch this past season, Blayne was known for adding -licious to just about everything he said. While it was annoying after awhile, it definitely was amusing. So when thinking about what pie I wanted to make, I kept thinking about the drag queen challenge and the pink as well as the -liciousness. Then it hit me. Pink Lemonade Pie. Simple but its just like Blayne and this design. Pink, tart, and it hits the spot when you need something light and fruity.



So I give you...Pinkalicious Raspberry Lemonade Pie!

Pinkalicious Raspberry Lemonade Pie

1/2 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6-oz.) can frozen pink raspberry lemonade concentrate, partially thawed
1 (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6-oz.) ready-made prepared graham cracker crust

1. Mix together first 2 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

2. Pour into crust then freeze at least 4 hours or until the pie is firm.

Source: Well...someone in my family. Not sure who!

Eggs Benedict with Mock Hollandaise Sauce

A few nights ago, I was looking though my copy of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I received for Christmas a few years ago. I wasn't really looking with any set purpose in mind, just checking out all the recipes again. But I came across a recipe for eggs benedict. I've never had eggs benedict before but I've always wanted to try it. This recipe looked easy enough and it had two options for the hollandaise sauce.

I've made traditional hollandaise for another recipe but I felt is was just a little too fussy for just me on a Sunday morning. The mock hollandaise looked to be a quick alternative that sounded tasty too.

The only problem I could forsee with this dish was going to be the poached egg. I attempted the poached egg in the past and it took many tries to get a semi-successful one. But I just received my copy of Martha Stewart's Cooking School that just happened to have a section on eggs and poaching in particular. With Martha's teachings in mind I set to work on the egg. 3 minutes later I had a nice poached egg that didn't stick to the bottom of the pan! Woo hoo!

The mock hollandaise sauce took hardly any time at all. Because you don't have to worry about the raw egg in the sauce, this is perfect for anyone who is uncomfortable with the raw egg or for those who should not eat anything containing the raw egg. While it doesn't taste exactly like traditional hollandaise, it is delicious on its own. I made a small batch but I still had a tiny bit leftover that may find its home on a sandwich later!

I had just purchased some whole wheat english muffins (a 2fer deal at Sam's with some cinnamon raisin ones) and some canadian bacon so all the components were ready to assemble the eggs benedict. My happiness with the poached egg increased tenfold when I saw that the yolk was still runny, just like I love my eggs! The yummy yolky goodness mixed with the sauce, bacon, and muffin to make such a delicious breakfast. My first attempt at eggs benedict was a success and I'm definitely going to be putting this on the roster for future breakfasts. It is so easy and delicious not to have again.

In other news, since I received my copy of Martha's new book, I'm going to attempt to pick and cook a recipe from the book each week. I'm not starting a new group or anything (goodness knows I'm in enough of those!). This is just going to be an attempt for me to learn and explore basic cooking techniques. Should be fun!

Eggs Benedict
Adapted from BHG 75th Anniversary Cookbook. Also available here.

Ingredients

* 4 eggs
* 1 recipe Mock Hollandaise Sauce*
* 2 English muffins, split
* 4 slices Canadian-style bacon

Directions

1. If desired, lightly grease a 10-inch saute pan or skillet with cooking oil or shortening. Half-fill the skillet with water. Bring the water to boiling; reduce heat to simmering (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Break one of the eggs into a small dish or a measuring cup with a handle. Carefully slide egg into the simmering water, holding the lip of the cup as close to the water as possible (just about the same tips that Martha gives). Add remaining eggs, one at a time.

2. Simmer eggs, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place them in a large pan of warm water to keep them warm. Prepare Mock Hollandaise Sauce.

3. Place muffin halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until toasted. Top muffin halves with Canadian-style bacon. Broil about 1 minute more or until bacon is heated.

4. To serve, top each bacon-topped muffin half with an egg. Spoon Mock Hollandaise Sauce over eggs. Makes 4 servings.

5. *Mock Hollandaise Sauce: In a 1- to 1-1/2-quart saucepan combine 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (I also added a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce). Cook and stir over medium-low heat until warm. If desired, stir in a little milk to thin. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Friday night, I was in the mood to cook with pumpkin. I have a ton of different pumpkin recipes saved on my computer and they were all so tempting. Finally I narrowed it down to two. Pumpkin Swirl Brownies or Pumpkin Pie Pudding. Both sounded equally delicious but the determining factor came down to time. The brownies were going to take to long to make and bake for a Friday night (and I am not so patient sometimes) so I went with the pudding. And I am so glad that I did.

I found this recipe on My Recipes.com. I love this site, it has so many good recipes from some of my favorite food mags! This is a very quick recipe. I had it made and chilling in the fridge in about 5 minutes.

If you like pumpkin pie (and I loooove pumpkin pie, don't I, Mom?), you'll love this pudding. With a dollop of whipped cream on top, its just like dipping into a pumpkin pie. I was tempted to eat the pudding still hot and forgo the chill in the fridge but the texture and taste improves so much more after the chill. It becomes even more creamy and smooth. Very delicious! Charlie also gave it his seal of approval, he licked the bowl clean!

If the brownies sounded tasty too, don't worry. They'll be on the menu soon. ;)

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Ingredients

* 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk (I used fat free)
* 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

Preparation

Whisk milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, whisking constantly (Mine thickened here in 1 minute). Beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. Gradually add half the hot milk mixture to the beaten eggs. Return milk-egg mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, or until thick, whisking constantly (Since it was already thickened, I only put it back on for a minute to cook the egg).

Remove from heat; stir in pumpkin, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice. Spoon evenly into 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Let cool, and chill for about 30 minutes, or until pudding is set.

Adapted from Pumpkin Pie Pudding, Health November 2003 via My Recipes.com

You know you want to give me some of that right?

Barefoot Bloggers: Vegetable Pot Pie

This weeks Barefoot Blogger recipe was Ina's Vegetable Pot Pie chosen by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. I love pot pie and was very happy with this choice. It was perfect for this week when it was starting to cool down.

The recipe calls for Pernod, which I had no clue what it was until I looked it up. As it didn't seem like something I would use very often, I left it out. I also left out the saffron, still too $$$!

This was a very out of order recipe. The crust calls for resting in the fridge for 30 minutes but it is listed at the end after making the filling. Now I know a smart person would have switched it but I didn't read the recipe completely until I started to make it so I was rushing around trying to get it all done. Because of my craziness, I forgot to add in the peas I was planning to use in place of the asaparagus. So I just had potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots in the filling.

I wasn't very impressed with the flavor. It was kind of blah. Nothing special. I'm sure it would have had more if I had used the Pernod and saffron but I'm not sure I would like it even then. I think the craziness kind of threw me off. By the time it was done, I was over it. Perhaps I'll give it a try again later but for now, Veggie Pot Pie is a no go.

For more Vegetable Pot Pie, check out the Barefoot Bloggers here!

You can find the recipe, Vegetable Pot Pie, at Food Network.com

CEiMB: Banana Cream Pie

Week 3 of the great Ellie Slim Down was my choice for the recipe. I was ready for a good for you dessert so I picked Ellie's Banana Cream Pie (pg 276). I love regular full fat and calorie banana cream pie so I was hoping this healthier version would be able to fill my pie cravings.

See? I poked it to see if it would hold together. Nope. I did make a yum addition to a chocolate banana pie smoothie though.

I attempted to follow the recipe and make the graham cracker crust from scratch. But when it came out of the oven, it was way to thin and I knew it wouldn't hold up to the pie. So I cheated a tiny bit and used a pre-made crust. I was going to buy the reduced fat version but Tom Thumb only had 1 and it was cracked and crumbly. But seeing as the regular version only had a few more grams of fat, I didn't really worry about it.

I got a little banana happy and ended up putting too many bananas in the pie. Normally this wouldn't bother me since I love bananas, but the pudding to banana ratio was too much for the pie and it overfilled a little.

At first, I wasn't that impressed by the pie. It was just mediocre banana pudding in a graham cracker crust. It was good but wasn't that good. The next day however, omg! It was so delicious! The flavors had mingled and the pudding was set even more. I can definitely see me making this again. After the overnight sit, it was a close second to the original. Delicious!

Someone looks a little put out that he's not eating the pie.

Next week will be Sweet And Sour Brisket (pg. 18). I love brisket so this should be good!

To see more form the Ellie crew, check out CEiMB!

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

One muffin, one dog. A match made in the kitchen.

I know I've mentioned it before but I love pumpkin. So I was very happy when Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp chose Pumpkin Muffins (pg 13). Like banana bread, I'm always on the look out for a good pumpkin bread/muffin recipe. And once again, Dorie did not disappoint.

I did leave some things out of the recipe, mainly because I didn't have them stocked in the pantry and also because Dorie tends to stick a lot of extra stuff in her recipes. While sometimes raisins, seeds, and nuts can be good, I felt that they would be out of place in this muffin, at least for my tastes.

Nothing like a big pat of butter to make any muffin taste infinitely better.

I went with a plain muffin with just a sprinkling of toasted pecans on top. They were very good! I took them to work and they were gone in minutes! I'm glad I left out the extras, they would have overwhelmed the pumpkin. Next time, I would add a little bit more pumpkin to up the pumpkin flavor. Some of the guys at work disagreed. They thought that it had just the right amount of pumpkin. Even though I left out the other extras, I think dried cranberries would be a welcome addition to the muffin.

I call this beauty, egg a la counter.

I did have an itty, bitty accident this week. While attempting to be cool and all professional, I tried to crack an egg with one hand. You know the way the chefs do on tv? Yeah...well...apparently I am not talented enough for that. Nope. Instead of cracking cleanly and sliding into the bowl...mine crumbled and slid right down the edge of the bowl then puddling on the countertop. Nice huh?

For more pumpkin muffin madness, visit the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers here. You can find the recipe at Kelly's blog or buy a copy of the book!

Next week will be Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes just in time for Halloween! Clara of I♥food4thought is the host for next week and she has offered the great suggestion to decorate them for Halloween. hmmm....no promises that they'll be cute!

Its pictures like these, that make me understand Paula Deen's obsession with butter. Understand and approve.

My own domain!

After much deliberation, I decided to take the plunge and register my own domain name. My new blog address is www.randomosityandthegirl.com. Because it is still through Google/Blogger, any hits to the blogspot address, will automatically transfer you to the new address. It is still in transition so for some it may not show up for a few more days but the blogspot address is still active. I thought I would let everyone know of the change just in case you wanted to change your bookmark (if you even have one! lol).

CEiMB: Steak Tacos With Avocado-Tomato Salsa

Welcome to week two of Craving Ellie in My Belly! Do you feel lighter yet? No...me either but then again Heather...its only WEEK TWO!! hehe...I wondered if I should have weighed myself before just to see if it does work.

This week, CB of I♥food4thought chose Steak Tacos With Cucumber-Avocado Salsa (pg. 184-185). Naturally, being a native Texan, I love me some steak, tacos, and avocado. Especially the avocado. I swear I could eat them by themselves by the pound. There is nothing better than a fresh, ripe avocado so creamy and smooth. yum!!!!

The only problem with this delicious meal was the cucumber. I despise...no that's to strong. I dislike cucumbers. Unless they are pickled, then they are fine. Fresh and raw...not happening. Because of my avocado love and my cucumber hate, I decided to forgo the cucumber and use tomato instead. I fixed my favorite version of guacamole. Chunky avocado, tomato, some salt, and a healthy squeeze of lime. Delicious!

Unfortunately, the grocery store I went to (Wal-Mart) only had smooshy over ripe Hass Avocados. Ugh...not cool. The only non mushy variety they had were a kind called Brooks Avocado. Not sure if that is the grower or actual kind. I wasn't sure of it at first since it was completely green. But according to the sign, it was perfectly ripe. The flavor wasn't as creamy and smooth as I like but it was still quite tasty.

I didn't have any trouble getting the seed out. It was very loose, no whacking required!

I had a difficult time at the meat section. Ellie calls for top sirloin steak for the tacos and it was about $4.98 a pound. Now I'm on a budget (I've mentioned it before I think ;) ) so extra meats is usually out of the question. But this week, after looking at the selection before me, nothing looked all that great. Except for the top sirloin naturally. I decided to splurge and get it. I froze half of the package for later.

I was surprised to see that cinnamon was listed as an ingredient. I know its used alot in savory dishes but I haven't used it much outside of baking. I must say that it was a delicious addition to the rub. It took on a more spicy flavor than sweet. I'll definitely be trying it again on other meats.

I always love the pictures in magazines and books where beef is sliced thin and medium rare. But I am not a medium rare type person so I rarely have anything under medium well. This time though, I wanted that beautiful color so I went with 5 minutes a side. I almost panicked however when the second side was 4 minutes in and it looked a little to black. I took it off and let it rest so all of the juices would redistribute. I sliced into it (and actually got THIN slices!!!) and it was WAY to rare for my liking. I tossed the slices back into the pan for a quick cook. Then it was perfect.

To keep somewhat with the recipe, I used the corn tortillas. I usually go with flour but I know corn is better for you. I'm still not a fan of them after this taco. The first taco was fine but the second completely fell apart when I was eating it. I had a fork handy so not all was lost. Still delicious.

I cheated a tiny bit and added some low fat sour cream (as Ellie suggests! Not non fat!). No cheese though which was hard but since I allowed the sour cream, it was okay. I really enjoyed these tacos. In a flour tortilla, they would have been perfect. Next time...next time. And the extra squirt of fresh lime right before I ate them was sooooo yummy!

Next week is my pick!!! I decided to go with the Banana Cream Pie (pg 276). I love banana cream pie so I'm excited to try a healthier version. See you next week!

For more Steak Tacos, check out the CEiMB site for our member list.

Steak Tacos With Avocado-Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* A pinch cayenne pepper
* 1 1/4 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
* 12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
* 3 cups shredded red cabbage
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
* 1 lime, cut into wedges
* 2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows

Directions

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Or place 6 tortillas at a time between 2 moist paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. Wrap in cloth napkin or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm.

Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Avocado Lime Salsa:

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

2 avocados, cut into chunks

1/2 red onion, diced

2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)

Salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste

Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Yield: 2 cups (1 serving is 1/3 cup)

Source: Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It is also available at Food Network.com