Some Food Pictures

Don't really have recipes for some. Just threw them together, but they were yummy!!

Shrimp Stir-fry on Noodles

Ribs for Sunday Dinner

Parmesan Baked Fish

4 4oz. fresh or frozen skinless salmon or other firm fish fillets, about 1 inch thick

Nonstick cooking spray

1/4 cup light mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives or sliced green onions

1 teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce (?)(used regular)

Fresh chives (optional)

• Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Coat a 2-quart square or rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

• In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing, Parmesan cheese, snipped chives or green onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the fish fillets; place in the baking dish.

• Bake, uncovered in a 450 degree F. oven for 8 to 12 minutes or just until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. If desired, garnish with whole chives.

Makes 4 servings. 169 calories

Trying Out New Camera

I've been wanting a new camera for quite some time not. Kami came home last night with a Nikon Coolpix s550. I've spent most of the day playing with it!!! hehehe

It's really easy to use and I would have to play with it even more to get better pictures, but I think these are very good compared to my camera! It also takes video with sound and can zoom in and out while you do it!!! Most compact cameras can't do that!!!

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

In my search for healthier meals, I came up with this recipe. I wanted it to be low in fat and sodium, but it definitely needed salt! Or at least more seasonings!

Peppers Stuffed with Turkey

4 large green bell peppers (I used red and yellow also)

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. ground turkey

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce, divided (I used more)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cut out stem ends of bell peppers and discard. Scoop out seeds. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the peppers until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and saute just until it loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Drain fat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the turkey mixture with the rice, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place them in a 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover and bake until peppers are tender and filling is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes.

Butterfly Cake

I made this for a 1st birthday party. The mom loves for her kittle girl to have things purple rather than pink, so I made it really purple. The birthday girl got her own person cake as well. The cake is decorated with fondant ribbon, flowers, and butterflies.

Flip Flop Luau Cake

I made this chocolate cake for 5 year old girl's luau party. They wanted it to be bright, floral, and fun. I made the base of the flip flops a few days ahead of time so it could dry. There are dowels inside to stick into the cake. I thought the bright flowers turned out cute, almost looking like a Hawaiian lai.

Camryn's Birthday Cake

My daughter Camyrn turned 5 on Sunday. We had a princess party on the Wednesday before her birthday. I bought her a Cinderella Barbie doll to go in her cake. I used the wondermold pan to make the bell shape of her dress and made a thin round cake to go under her, because the Barbies are too tall. The cake is strawberry with covered with fondant to make the dress. Camryn had so much fun and loved her cake. The Children's Cake Gallery has a close up picture of the cake.

Boston Tea Party Cake

My youngest brother is a high school senior. His government teacher gave an assignment to do a cake that had something to do with government. Hence, the Boston Tea party cake. We formed the boat and barrels out of Rice Krispy treats, then covered them with marshmallow fondant. I painted the fondant with watered down food coloring to give it a wood grain look. Bo helped quite a bit and said his was the best in the class. A similar boat with a little island that had a treasure chest would be cute for a pirate party.

Zack's Soccer Cake

This is a cake I did for my nephew's soccer party. It is chocolate with an Oreo filling. It is decorated with buttercream frosting. The figure and banner are done in marshmallow fondant.

Hydrangea Wedding

My brother's girlfriend's brother was getting married and they asked me to do the cake. It was a three layered cake that served 150 people. The bottom layer was lemon, the middle was chocolate, and the top was white with strawberry filling. It was frosted in white buttercream with a dot border. The green hydrangeas were silk. Weddings are a lot of pressure and I was happy to hear the bride liked it.

My Grandson, Alec's Birthday

I can't believe my oldest grandson is already 5 years old!!! The kids are growing so fast and Alec and Collin will start school in the fall! I don't know about their parents, but I'm not ready for them to be moving on with the next adventure in their lives!

We had Alec's party at Kami's house (where we always have parties!). Family that was there:

JoMax, Liz and Alec
Kami, Collin and Carlee
Mark
Joe and I

We ate, had cake and opened presents. We all took turns playing on Mark's Wii. I think Alec and Collin had the most fun with it! It was hilarious watching them play together on it!

Alec and Collin. What handsome grandsons!!

Alec looking at his new clothes.

He loved the Squid toy that we bought him!

Alec requested a squid cake. This what I came up with.

Orange Supreme Cake with buttercream.

Low-fat Ricotta/Lemon Pancakes

Last month, when we were at my parents house, I found this recipe in the Mesa Tribune newspaper. I swiped that section of the newspaper and shoved it into my suitcase. I'm so glad I did!!! These were wonderful!

These pancakes would be great for a lighter brunch. They look similar to traditional pancakes but are quite different when you take a bite! You get a double hit of citrus flavor and they contain little fat. And the blueberry sauce is the perfect compliment to the lemony flavor of the pancakes.

Lemon-Lovers' Ricotta Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg white
• 1/2 cups lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon canola oil (divided)

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of oil. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold this mixture together into the dry ingredients to make a thick batter.

Brush a nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil, then heat over medium-low. With a 1/4 cup measure, drop the batter onto the skillet, spreading it slightly. Multiple pancakes can be cooked at once.

Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and cooked at the center, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Brush the skillet with the remaining oil and repeat with the remaining batter.

Servings: 5

Quick Blueberry Sauce

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch, then set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice-cornstarch mixture. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.

Servings: 10

My Cake Student was on Rachael Ray!!!!!

What a thrill it was to see one of my former students on the Rachael Ray Show!!! Aria and her friend Cheryl started my fondant/gum paste class last August, right before Aria was to start her senior year in high school.

Aria has such a talent and knack for cake decorating!! Of course it was a real ego boost for me having a student that is going to make it in the world of cakes and pastry!!! I am so proud and honored to have had a student like Aria!! WAY TO GO!!!

Courtesy of the Rachael Ray show - Rachael Ray, third from left, poses with,

from left, Chloe Langis, Bernie Roles, Rhiannon Wildman, Former President Bill Clinton,

Idaho Falls resident Aria Anastasio, Brett Bush and Iron Chef Michael Symon on April 28 in New York.

Aria Anastasio recounts her experience in New York City with TV celebrity

cook Rachael Ray and the excitement for preparing a meal for former

President Bill Clinton and guests at a benefit fundraiser. She and four other

teenagers will have their story told on the "Rachael Ray" show today at 11 a.m.

Aria Anastasio made this cake for the

wedding of Daisy Caballero and Andy Wise.


This cake caught the eye of Rachael Ray
when Aria met Ray in Florida earlier this year.

Aria Anastasio recounts her experiences in

New York City with celebrity cook Rachael Ray.

(The following is from our local newspaper)

I.F. teen takes the cake
By PAUL MENSER
pmenser@postregister.com


Aria Anastasio has learned that things can happen fast for a 17-year-old foodie from Idaho.

A senior at Skyline High School who has been baking and decorating cakes since she was 12, Aria will appear today on the "Rachael Ray" show, which airs on Channel 3 at 11 a.m.

She was one of five teenage cooks Ray chose to open a special "pop-up" restaurant called Cafe Una Notte for a benefit held April 28 in New York City by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

The $2,500-a-plate benefit was held at Barbuto, a well-known Greenwich Village restaurant, and the 70-person guest list included Carly Simon, Larry King and former President Bill Clinton, who is chairman of the Alliance.

For Aria, the trip to the big city began in February at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami, which she attended with her mother, Ranie Anastasio. She waited for nearly two hours to show Ray her cake portfolio, not taking no for an answer when a "Yum-o!" assistant told her, "No more autographs."

Her real culinary journey dates back, however, to the time she and a family friend signed up for a 12-week cake-decorating course at Michael's, a local craft store. The $80 outlay in supplies ensured their attendance, but as a painter and artist, Aria discovered she enjoyed baking cakes for weddings and parties.

"It's fun, it's rewarding, and it can make you money," she said.

At South Beach, her ploy was to flip through her album in search of a blank page for Ray to sign, providing the chef enough time to look at her work.

By the end of the encounter, Ray was impressed.

To promote her new book, "Yum-o! The Family Cookbook," the chef had been planning an event involving teens since fall 2007.

"When we saw Aria, we thought, 'She'd be perfect for this,'" said Lauren Nowell, Ray's publicity manager.

So Aria was selected to participate.

"She called me back and said, 'Dad, this is huge,'" said her father, Ron Anastasio.

The call went out nationwide for other teen cooks, and four were selected. All were put under the guidance of Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon.

Aria knew she was going to be the baker before she flew to New York on April 26.
She'd sent producer Andrew Kaplan a sketch of her idea -- a three-deck carrot cake in "Yum-o!" orange and yellow -- but wasn't prepared for the freedom she'd be given.

The show features Aria's moment of panic and despair when the bottom layer of her cake and cream cheese icing started breaking up. But there was plenty of support, from Symon and Barbuto owner Jonathan Waxman, who helped her calm down and find a solution.

In the end, the cake was two layers instead of three. The bottom layer was kept in the refrigerator in case they ran out and people still wanted some.

When everything was over, at about 1 a.m., the five learned they had a few hours before they were scheduled to appear on "Good Morning America."

Since returning to Idaho Falls, she's been asked for two autographs ("I'm not going to say no," she says.)

Although she is graduating, she hadn't made any plans for college. That has changed, however, since she received a $10,000 scholarship for appearing on the show.

"I'm definitely thinking about it now," she said.

To see video highlights of the show, go here:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/meet-teenage-chefs/

Joe's Birthday, May 2008!!

Today was Joe's 61st birthday! Holy Cow!!! 61!!!!!



We didn't really get to celebrate much since Joe is on night shift at work this week. I made him some Double Chocolate Chip cookies to take to work. They turned out real yummy! Hope the guys at work like them!!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (2 12-oz pkgs.)


• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened


• 1 cup packed brown sugar


• 1/2 cup granulated sugar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in small, heavy-duty sauce pan over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining 2 cups chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Make about 4 dozen.

Joe requested Shepard's Pie for his birthday dinner.

Shepherd's Pie

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey burger


• 1 small onion, diced


• 1 (12 oz) can tomato soup


• 1 (15 oz) can green beans, drained


• 2-3 cups prepared mashed potatoes


• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Brown hamburger and onion in skillet. Drain off any fat. Mix hamburger mixture, soup and green beans in a round casserole dish.

Spoon potatoes over hamburger. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until potatoes start to brown.

Birthday Boy!!

Joe enjoying his Shepherds Pie!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

• 6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 6 oz. butter (diced, at room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• butter for ramekins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 6 small ramekins or muffin tins. Use butter for best results, and not cooking spray. Set ramekins aside.

Melt the chocolate on low heat in a double boiler or microwave for 1 minute. Stir after 30 seconds, then add butter and melt it again until smooth and creamy. Remember to stir after every 30 seconds so that it doesn't scorch or burn and remains smooth.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in the melted chocolate and then the flour mixture.

Take the buttered individual ramekins and pour in the chocolate batter. Do not fill up to the brim, keeping some room for expansion. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, no longer, at 350 degrees.

Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, Loosen cakes and invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm topped with whipped cream.

Lava Cake with Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream

Close-up of inside. Sorry it's not a very good picture.

Our Cinco de Mayo Food

My family is so into Mexican food, that it get ridiculous sometimes!!! I think we would eat it every other day and not get sick of it. Same goes for our Chinese and Japanese food! Most of the time we always make bean burritos, tostada's, and tacos. This time we made some different things.

When I went to my mom's last month, my Uncle Joe gave all of us a recipe that my grandma Sorenson passed down to him. It was very different but good. I would make it again but in smaller portions. That made a lot!!! We put some in the freezer for later use.

I scanned the recipe in because it is in her own handwriting! If you have trouble reading it, let me know and I will type a another copy and email it.

We also made some chicken enchiladas. YUMMY!!!

Sweet 16 Cake

I made this cake for a girl's Sweet 16 party. The family sent me a picture of a cake from The Pink Cake Box website and asked me to recreate it using a different color scheme. It turned out very young and fun. The bottom layer is chocolate and the top is white cake. Both layers have Oreo filling.

Soccer Party

I made this cake for my daughter's soccer party. Her team is called the Thunderbirds. The little plaque in front is from an image on the team's website. It is a chocolate cake with Oreo filling.