Finally, the Cross-stitch Part 17

Ah! Finally, I started to finish up the part 17 of cross-stitch. I know it had been a while. I had to put on hold because I was in school and nearly had no time to do the cross-stitch. So now, I am on winter break for three weeks. I have decided to take the opportunity to finish it up. It was only little part and easier to do to get it finish. I have start this part 17 on September 29 and it was put on hold on October 4th. However I started a little because I was on Thanksgiving break, so I started on November 19th and then again I put on hold to finish up the last three week of school. I put on hold on November 24th and start again on December 12, 2012. As now I have finish today with all of the cross-stitch part 17.

Here is the part 17 of it...

Here is the whole thing of the bottom before I will rejoin the rest of it.

But right now, I have one more part that will be add. I have the feeling that it could be finish in a week or so. Just keep eye for the final result of the cross-stitch.

Oh Yummy! Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Tired of old same pumpkin pie? Just want the pumpkin pie to taste different but still like the pumpkin pie? Here is the idea of Pumpkin Cheesecake pie...

Before the Thanksgiving came, I was doing research on many different things. I want to do something different for this pumpkin pie. I do love the traditional pie but I decided to do something different this year with little of new kind. I came across to this recipe that I found on this website "Taste of the Home", after I read it and it sound really good. I know that this recipe is required a lot of cream cheese. I thought that they were nut to have that many of cream cheese. But lucky in the store, they were on sale so I took the chance of that. Here is the website for this recipe... Deluxe Pumpkin Cheesecake

So I just go ahead and write it down for you because I did it little different way but it is mostly same things.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• Two graham ready pie crust
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time until smooth. Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Add 4 eggs; beat on low speed just until combine. (If you don't have mixer, you can use by hand mixer, I suggest you to use whisk and act like machine)
2. Place 2 cups filling in a small bowl; stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove ¾ cup pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling over crust; top with remaining plain filling. Cut through the knife to swirl. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonful over cheesecake; cut through with a knife to swirl.
3. Place the pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 350 degree F for 55 to 65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove the pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge to pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. 

You can add chocolate syrup or whipping cream, or anything on the top of the pie of your taste. Enjoy it!

My Thanksgiving Story

Let me tell you the story of My Thanksgiving Dinner. This is my very first time to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the family since I started at Culinary Arts school to become Chef. Also I have asked my mom for several year to let me cook Thanksgiving dinner as the whole things. I did cook some on Thanksgiving dinner but it was only like one side of it. Right now, I cooked the whole dinner. It was good experience for me and I would like to do it more. Let my story begin...

At 9:00 am, I woke up because I really want to start cooking the dinner and plus I couldn't sleep anymore. So I started to prep at 9:15 am which is the rolls, because it take 2 to 4 hours to rise.

Then I started on the turkey, because it take time to cook than the rolls. I started to prep the seasoning for the turkey. I used brown sugar and butter to smear on it, as before I started to bake it.

I began to prep the glazed for the turkey. I used brown sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon  and rum. It take a while to cook to become syrup-like.

After that, I began to prep the appetizers because the dinner won't be ready for another two hours. So I decided to prepare the appetizer, I made Tomato bruschetta with baked bread with mozzarella cheese on top of it. We began to eat the appetizer at 11:30 am, as while the turkey is cooking and I kept baste it.

After, I began to become crazy because at 12:15 pm, the turkey was finished. I have not started the sides yet. So I had to rush everything in 30 minutes. I began to prep the green bean casserole, rolls, and stuffing ball and put on the oven at once.

Stuffing Ball

 Rolls

Green Bean Casserole

While they were cooking in the oven, I began to prep the mashed potatoes and after it was finished simmer. Then I had to mashed them. However, I totally forgot to cook the bacon. I quickly took it out and put in the oven for 10 minutes. It is faster that way than the stove or microwave. As the results that it came out really good. 

So the feast begin with this beautiful setting of the table with wonderful family.

After the great feast, I begin to clean up the kitchen and dining room. It just took forever to do that it because I was being to slow and take my time. After I finished all of them, I began to make the dessert. I was making the pumpkin cheesecake for the very first time. I put in the oven and cook for almost an hour. Here is the result of pumpkin cheesecake...

I finished my cooking and cleaning at 4:30 pm. It had been long time for me to do everything but it was good experience for me. Now, I am tired but I would love to do it again. 

(Keep eye for tomorrow because I will post the Pumpkin cheesecake recipe for anyone who is interesting)

My infamous Chili

You know when it is really cold outside or cold inside that you really want to turn on the heat but really want to save it for later on. Also it was snow outside all weekend and now it is stop. I don't like the snow very much. It is not my favorite thing of all. Yes, I know it is pretty but I dislike to drive in it. Anyway, this cold weather made me want to bring out my most favorite soup which is Chili. There are so many different kind of chili that you could make. I decided to make my own chili with my little inspire of my invention for this. I called this Black Bean Chili. For some reason, I just love black bean so I decided to make this. Here is my recipe that I want to share with you. It is very easy and simple that is not required a lot of time. Because you are going to cook it in crock pot. Here is my recipe:

Black Bean Chili (Yield: 4 servings)
Ingredients:

• 1 can of black bean
• 1 can of chili-ready bean
• 1 onion, 1/4 inch dice
• 1 small can of tomato sauce
• 2 small can of tomato paste
• 1 can of tomato, diced (I recommend fire-roast tomato)
• 1 lb of ground beef/turkey/ or any
• chili powder for tasting
• to taste = salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the ground beef first to brown it. Remove the ground beef as drain the fat. Saute the onions until soft or little of brown in little bit of fat. Add the ground beef and then add tomato paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 
2. Add the black bean, chili-ready bean, tomato sauce, tomato diced in the crock pot. Mix well. Then add the ground beef/onion/tomato mixture in the crock pot. Cook in low heat and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Add the chili powder, salt, and pepper to correct the flavor in chili.

You can add the cheese to it or making the cornbread. It is all up to you. Enjoy!

Most Declioius cake ever!

I came to craving for pumpkin since it is fall season. I always love pumpkin. I could make everything with it. But I know that I have my limit because it only come once a year from October to November. As right now, I want to make something different. I often make pumpkin cookie and pumpkin bread. I just want to make something different. I came across to this recipe called "Pumpkin Crumb Cake". It sound good, but I don't want to add the nuts on the top. Here is the recipe if you like the nuts with it. Here it is: Pumpkin Crumb Cake . So I created a little bit of my own without the nuts and I have add with crumb topping on it. It end really good. So it is almost like Pumpkin Coffee Cake but just a little. Because I add little bit something different in the topping. So here is my recipe for it....

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Ingredients
- 1 box of yellow cake
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice (I add both of them)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter

Directions
1. Preheat oven at 350 degree. Grease the 9 x 13 pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt. Mixed well, and spread into prepared pan. In small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and butter with fork and mix well to become crumble
3. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture and pat down. Sprinkle the toppings evenly over the cake mix.
4. Bake for 60 minutes or until done. (I know that it is long time, but it will make your house smell really good)

So enjoy it as much as you can! (I know that my picture doesn't look good)

At Last...Cross-stitch Part 16

At last...that I finished the cross-stitch part 16. I mean I started this part on August 2nd. I was sewing it up as much as I could. Then I put on hold because I was going back to school. So I put my cross-stitch part 16 on hold on August 20th. I did not start again until September 21. That is a month, because I was in school for five weeks. I barely have time to do the cross-stitch. Because I had so many homework to do. Also big plus, I had job where I work with my clients. That include as no time for the cross-stitch. Lucky enough, I was on break from school for a week as Fall break. I tried enough to finish it up. Now, I finally finished my cross-stitch part 16 today. It is not completely yet, because I have two more part to go. So it look like it won't be finish until the end of the year or until February or March, but who know.

Here is the cross-stitch part 16

 

 

Again, for refresh your mind what it will look like when I am completely with two more parts.

 

 

 

 

 

I know this is third blog already...I mean I haven't blog for a month. That mean I won't be able to blog for a while because I will be in school for 11 weeks with little crazy schedule...



Pumpkin stuffed shells

Craving for Pumpkin?

Me too!

Soon in the first week of October, I have to start to buy the pumpkin, not the canned. Fresh pumpkin, because I just want the seeds. I truly love to eat seeds that only when you roasted it. Right now, I am thinking of a way by what to do with pumpkin. I just want to combine something for dinner. Most of time I only eat pumpkin was for dessert. Now I have this idea that I have explored around a lot. I came up with this idea called Pumpkin Stuffed Shells.

Here is the recipe for Pumpkin Stuffed Shells:

Ingredients
- tomato sauce (it can be anything, you can do homemade tomato sauce, or using your creative. I used cheat tomato sauce because it make it easier for me)
- 15 oz of canned pumpkin
- 15 oz of ricotta cheese
- 8 oz of mozzarella cheese
- fresh mushroom (sliced)
- onion (use half and chopped)
- tomato (use whole and chopped)
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- parsley (dried or fresh)
- box of jumbo shell pasta (it will hold 42 shell so it should be enough for your big family)
- 4 tablespoon of butter

Direction
1. Cook the jumbo shell pasta (follow the box direction), because it will take a while to cook and let it cool too.
2. While the jumbo shell pasta are cooking. Saute the mushroom with 4 TBS of butter (I know it is a lot of butter but when you add vegetable, it will be reduced), then add onion and continued to saute for 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and the juice from tomato will be release so let it boil and then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. While pasta cooked and the vegetables are simmering. Use medium bowl, add ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and parsley, mixed well all together. When the vegetables are done, separate the mushrooms from onion and tomatoes. Don't use all of the mushroom, only need some of it. Then add the mushrooms in filling and mix well. Then add 1/2 cup of pumpkin in the filling and again mixing well. Save the remaining of pumpkin for later if you want to make cookie or bread or whatever you feel like.
4. When the pasta are done, just drain the water out and let it cool down. Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Using any casserole pan, I used 9x13 inch pan because I have big family. Spray with the can to prevent stick, then add the tomato sauce. Then add the vegetable that you save before and not use all of it.
5. For the shell pasta, add the filling inside. It is a lot of work to do, so if you are ready to get little messy. Be sure that your hands are clean before you add the filling in shell pasta. When you add the filling in the shell pasta and put in pasta. Make sure the open shell, not upside down because it will spread when you put in oven.
6. Add all of the tomato sauce on the top and spread it around. Then add the mozzarella cheese on the top, I ended up use all of it. Then add the remaining of vegetable on the top.
7. Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool for a while.
8. Just enjoy of the every taste you bite, :)

     

I know the picture on the right are terrible. I had to use my cellphone camera because my digital camera were dying. I had to recharge. It just not enough time for it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe when you cook in the future.