JB's Panda-monium BD

Birthdays are a VERY big deal around our house. Although gifts are optional, the singing and eating are not. Here's what happened in our kitchen yesterday --

I found this book while doing some grocery shopping last week at Sam's Club. I couldn't get over the photography, and even in frugal times, decided it was worth buying. Babydoll and I stood for probably 10 minutes marveling over each creation.

Everyone helped (except JB) with the making of some Panda cupcakes. I think the making of the cupcakes may have been exceptionally more fun than the eating of them! Malene, our Danish student, proved herself quite the expert at icing. Babydoll swiped her cheeks with icing warpaint, and GB tried to help without being too much of a perfectionist. My philosophy? Hey, it's food -- it's going to be eaten, so just do the best you can.

I highly recommend this book simply because of the fun we had doing it. And check out the Hello Cupcake blog, too -- it's worth it!

Lighting the pandas, who hold black and white candles

The guest of honor as she gets ready to blow them out

Our beloved Malene, Asbjorn, and Sun, Danish exchange-students who did a lot of the work

"This is the best birthday cake yet, Mom."

A reluctantly photographed Marco Polo





GB, who put aside his OCD to help add the ears and arms of the pandas

"Look, Ma, a panda"

Barbie: "OMG, I just ate a panda's head. Does this make me pandaniverous?"

GB has no qualms about definitely being pandaniverous, and babydoll shows off her icing war-paint.


A fabulous time was had by all. I think the best of life happens in the kitchen.

xoxox

Roast Beast

This is your typical Roast Beast. I always do it in a crock pot -- there are as many recipes for it as there are chili or chicken soup. But if you're new to cooking, here's an easy one to remember.

ROAST BEAST

One beef roast, any type -- rump, sirloin, etc. Any old big hunk o' beast.

2-3 onions, quartered

3-4 baking potatoes, quartered

1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed with your hand under a knife and skins removed

a small bag of mini carrots, or about half a bag of carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

salt

pepper

worcestershire sauce, a couple of good shakes around the pot

red wine, any type, enough to get it good and wet

Put all this into a crock pot and turn on for about 8 hours. If your beef is frozen, you'll need about 12 hours.

If you like gravy, you can take the drippings from the roast, put them in a sauce pan, add about a tablespoon of cornstarch to some water or beef broth (canned), and pour into the saucepan. Simmer until it thickens. Make sure your cornstarch is dissolved in the liquid before adding it to the saucepan.

Jen's notes:

1. I always make this for after church on Sunday, and Hunk O Man loves it.

2. Serve with rolls -- ready-to-serve, or a tube of crescent rolls do nicely.

3. Have the leftover beef on a sandwich the next day with a little mayo. Yummy!

rating: 4 stars. Loved by all.

Oven Fried Chicken

I know, I know -- I've been on a chicken roll lately. But this is some really good stuff, and easy to freeze -- lighter on the calories than regular fried chicken, too --

CRISPY COUNTRY CHICKEN

About 1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 zipper-top bag full of crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

chicken pieces, enough for your family

Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the cornflakes so everything is in the zipper-top bag.

Take your chicken pieces, and brush with Miracle Whip. Use your hands or a clean paintbrush.

Drop the "painted" piece of chicken into the bag of cornflake mixture and coat.

Place coated chicken pieces into a 13" x 9" baking dish, or on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 45-60 minutes.

Jen's notes:

1. I usually use boneless chicken breast or breast tenders for this recipe, since I always have them on hand.

2. You can roll your pieces in a bowl of the cornflake mix if that's easier for you.

3. Mayonnaise also works for this recipe. It makes the chicken very juicy inside.

4. Feel free to add other seasonings to the cornflake mixture as you like --

rating: 4 stars. Everybody likes this unless we've had nothing but chicken all week.

Chicken Crescents

Barbie requests these specifically once in awhile, and if Rose doesn't get one, she's seriously upset. These are a favourite --

CHICKEN CRESCENTS

1 package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon chopped onion or minced dried onion flakes

1 tablespoon pimento

1 package of refrigerator crescent rolls

Preheat the oven to 350.

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, chicken, salt, pepper, milk, onion, and pimento to form a pasty filling.

Unroll the crescent roll dough and divide into four squares. Pinch the perforations together. Place a fourth of the chicken filling into each square of dough. Pinch the corners together so that it encloses the chicken mixture.

Bake 20 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until dough is golden. Serves 4.

Jen's notes:

1. I always use at least two and sometimes three cans of dough for this recipe.

2. I usually use far more than two cups of chicken, too. This is a great recipe for whatever cooked chicken you have leftover from another recipe, no matter how it's flavoured.

3. You can omit the pimento if you don't have it around.

4. I generally add about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the filling before pinching up the dough corners.

rating: five stars. A Wesner Family fav.