Yesterday was National Blueberry Pie Day. I love most kinds of pie, and I think blueberry is a great spring and summer dessert. Last summer one of my new neighbors shared a piece of her homemade blueberry pie with me. It was absolutely delicious, so I’ve asked her to share the recipe with me in celebration of National Blueberry Pie Day. I hope mine comes out as good as hers.
Mary Lou’s Blueberry Pie
1 pre-made frozen deep dish pie crust, with roll out top
5 cups of fresh blueberries
3 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch
½ tablespoon of flour
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of sugar
1 ½ tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
½ cup of water
Directions:
Prepare your pie crust as directed; set aside.
In a saucepan, combine 3 cups of blueberries, cornstarch, flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and water. Bring to a boil. Cook until blueberries are tender or pop, and a nice blueberry syrup has formed.
Let cooked blueberries slightly cool so syrup can begin to thicken.
Add remaining 2 cups of uncooked fresh blueberries to prepared pie shell.
Top blueberries in pie shell with cooked blueberry mixture.
Cover pie with roll out pie cover. Be sure to cut slices in top for ventilation.
When you get a Secret Ingredients Keepsake Cookbook, you have the ability to name your creation what ever you’d like to. Of course you can always go with classic cookbook names like “Our Family Cookbook” or “Recipes from the Heart”. But why not step it up a notch and make the name of your cookbook super creative?
You can use the classic titles as a base, and then add your family name to personalize it; “The Davis Family Cookbook” or “Grandma Pat’s Recipes from the Heart” are just a few variations that come to mind. You can always create cookbook titles based on what the cookbook is being used for such as “Christmas with the Harris Family” or “Who’s In the Kitchen?: Dan and Alice are getting married!”. Or take a hint from your favorite cooking show and name your cookbook like a star: “Cooking with Lisa Hollenbeck”, “In the Kitchen with Bob Cole”, or “A Taste of Italy: Angela Manzetti’s Culinary Creations”.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to creative cookbook titles. Pick your brain and see what extra personal touch you can add to your Secret Ingredients Keepsake Cookbook.
In less than a month, we will all take a moment to honor those special ladies in our lives… our Mom’s. Mother’s Day is May 11th.
Breakfast in bed and beautiful flowers are nice presents, but why not go the extra mile for Mom and give her a Secret Ingredients Gift Certificate. With our gift certificates there’s no need to run to a local shopping mall, or pay the extra price for shipping while you anxiously bite your nails wondering if the gift will be delivered on time. It’s the perfect Mother’s Day gift with ease.
We offer gift certificates in any dollar amount. Gift certificates can be used for Heirloom and Keepsake Cookbooks, as well as Cookbook Kits. If you’re having trouble figuring out the best dollar amount, feel free to contact a Secret Ingredients Customer Service representative. We’re available via our Customer Service line at toll free 866-697-3247, or you can email us at info@heirloomcookbook.com. We’ll be happy to help you determine the best gift certificate amount to best suit you and your Mom’s needs. Also, once you place your gift certificate order, you can expect to receive it via email within 12-36 hours.
By now you all know my fiancé does most, if not all, of the cooking at our house. Last weekend he went away to a culinary conference for a week, so I decided to surprise him with a home cooked meal on the table when I picked him up from the airport. That night we dined on my own special version of Chicken Parmesan, served on a bed of spinach linguini, and I even stopped by his favorite restaurant and picked up a slice of Crème Brule Cheesecake for dessert; he absolutely loves it. Of course I could have made dessert for him too since desserts are my specialty, but you’re only going to get one labor of love from me in the kitchen at a time.
The meal turned out great! I was proud of my efforts, and he was too. Here’s the recipe, hope you enjoy it.
AJ’s Chicken Parm
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Poultry seasoning
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
Seasoning salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 package of mozzarella cheese
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of tomato sauce
1 can of diced or sliced tomatoes (drained)
1 jar of Parmesan cheese
1 package of spinach Linguini
Directions:
Place cleaned chicken breast into a casserole dish.
Use seasonings and season chicken breast to your liking. Dollop with butter to add extra element of moisture and tenderness.
Sprinkle enough of the Italian flavored breadcrumbs to cover the top of the chicken breast.
Sporadically cover the top of the coated chicken breast with a few thin slices of mozzarella. Also sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top of mozzarella.
Spoon tomato sauce and diced or sliced tomatoes on top.
Top sauce with larger, thicker slices of mozzarella.
Add another layer of sauce and tomatoes.
Top sauces with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover cheese with Italian seasoning.
Cover casserole dish with foil.
Bake in oven for two hours on 345 degrees.
Remove from oven and cover entire casserole surface with Parmesan cheese. Turn off oven and put casserole dish back in allowing Parmesan to warm, melt, and brown in cooling oven for 15 minutes.
While the Chicken Parm is finishing, boil your spinach linguini noodles.
I like to serve one of the chicken breast, with all that great sauce and gooey cheese, on a bead of the linguini noodles along side a nice crunchy piece of garlic bread. Enjoy!
So in preparation for my wedding, I’ve somewhat adopted a new healthier lifestyle. I’ve become a lot more active; fitness boot camps, aquareobics, outdoor runs, and other various alternative forms of working out. I told myself that I’d watch what I was eating, but not go on an official diet because I love food too much to limit myself. Well it turns out that my more active lifestyle is naturally leading to a healthier diet.
I’ve found that before and after I workout, I don’t have the mindset or appetite to eat the heavier food I normally tend crave. For breakfast, I’m eating a lot more low calorie yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola; and for lunch and dinner I’m starting to lean towards a lot more veggie pastas, salads, and grilled fish. In becoming a more active person, my body is naturally starting to crave healthier food options.
I’ve found that I can even be mindful of healthier food options when I head downtown for a drink with the girls. Check out this cool drink a bartender friend of mine came up with just or me…
AJ’s Skinny Peach
4 oz club soda
2 oz Peach Flavored Vodka
2 oz Sugar Free Peach Flavored Liquor Syrup
1 oz frozen Peach Mango drink mix of your choice
Shake with ice and serve. Less than 80 calories or so, tropical and delicious! Did you know a Pina Colada has more calories than a Big Mac? Crazy!
It seems as if we were so busy enjoying our jellybeans that we almost forgot to wish you all a very Happy Easter.
It’s amazing what happens to family traditions when you grow up. I remember when I was a little girl; I’d always go shopping for a special Easter dress and yes, the proverbial Easter bonnet too. My mom and I would go to church with my grandmother and my two aunts, and then head back home for a huge Easter feast. Every year, my grandmother would make me an Easter basket too complete with Easter eggs, jellybeans, and several other fun treats and small toys.
I miss those days. Now that I’m an adult, and I don’t live anywhere near my grandmother, and a good two hours from my mom, I spent the day in bed all by myself. Not very exciting, but hey, it happens. I imagine that once I get married, my more domestic side will kick in. I envision myself gathering both sides of the family together for church and then hauling everyone back home for a huge Easter Sunday breakfast brunch, buffet style courtesy of me! I think that sounds cool.
In the meantime, enjoy this cute little Easter Bunny ditty that is sure to get your toes hopping.
Recently, I decided that I need to expand my culinary skills! Living in Seattle, a city inspired by Asian culture, has peaked my interest in Asian cuisine, and I want to be able to make these dishes at home. One of my friends is also interested in this, so we have joined forces. We both bought cookbooks that feature beautiful Asian recipes. We decided to start with easier recipes and work our way through the books. Thus far, we’ve tried Green Curry Tofu, Miso Soup, and broccoli and soy bean sprout dishes.
I’m surprised at how well these recipes have turned out! Unlike Secret Ingredients cookbooks, where every recipe is time-tested, I find most cookbooks to only have a limited number of recipes that turn out to my taste. Not true with our new books- thankfully! The biggest challenge has been finding all the ingredients, although both books are pretty good about using more common ingredients and listing substitutions. Luckily, Seattle has an Asian specialty supermarket, Uwajimaya, that has everything we need. It’s fun learning about new ingredients and exploring new recipes!
I’ll keep you updated on our new culinary skills and pass on the best recipes as we go…
Today is Oatmeal Cookie Day, and our girl Ashley has the perfect recipe:
AJ’s Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
-3 cups rolled oats
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 cup softened butter
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 cup brown sugar (packed)
-4 tablespoons of maple syrup
-2 eggs
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon nutmeg
-1 ½ cup raisins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degree.
Mix all dry ingredients together; set aside.
Mix all wet ingredients together. Fold in dry mix.
Drop spoonful sized cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing.
Secret Ingredients offers custom cookbook options perfect for every family. Kate Walling, President and Founder, built her company as a platform through which she explores the importance of food traditions, cooking, and their integral place in the lives of modern families. Check back often for updates on Secret Ingredients products, as well as tips, recipes, inspiration, and ideas!
