Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes w/Bacon & Goat Cheese

by Irene Lindvall

Yesterday we had a lunch and a coffee date and also left the house at 7pm without dinner. My intention was to make this yesterday for a late dinner, but when we got home around 10:45pm and I noticed it was gong to take 1.5hrs to cook it just wasn't going to happen. Cue the big sigh...I pushed it off until lunch today and decided to make it a three recipe day today.

I knew after the first bite it wasn't going to be a big hit with Eric. He really doesn't care for sweet potatoes and really doesn't like goat cheese. I believe his quote was, "It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be." I actually thought the goat cheese made it a little too rich tasting. I think a different cheese would've been a little more to my liking - maybe feta? Other than that, I really enjoyed them, and the crispy bacon was delicious. I think one half of the potato would be perfect for a larger appetizer.

Things I learned from this recipe:

Scooping at the potatoes was easy, but the skins tore very easily.

I wish my chives were still alive because they actually had a taste in comparison to these store bought ones that basically just added color.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Sure

The recipe

Espresso Brownies

by Irene Lindvall

It's "Bake Anything Tuesday" or in another words, I'm bowling and want to bring something to share with the other ladies. After many years of making brownies from a box, I can say without a doubt these are the most moist brownies I've ever tasted in my life. Everyone else also noted how moist they were, and also how very little espresso taste there was. I think the addition of the instant espresso (plus water to dilute) was what made them moist, but I was also surprised how there was no coffee flavor. I don't think I can ever go back to boxed brownies. I did end up cooking them 41 minutes (I think) because the center kept coming out slightly liquid-y on the toothpick. I lost track of the time around 41 minutes and ended up just checking it every minute to see if the center looked done. 

Side note: the parchment paper made it easy to take the brownie out of the pan and I think it probably would've been impossible to get it out nicely because they were so moist, but as you can see in the photo, it's not the prettiest. The problem was easily solved by cutting off the edges, eating them, and cutting the rest of the brownie into nice squares.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I probably didn't need to eat one of these right before bed...

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe

Seared Scallops W/Butternut Squash

by Irene Lindvall

After many recent days of cooking from the Best-Ever Cooking for Two magazine I've finally made something that was just ho-hum. I'm sad to report that the scallops did not cook as well as I would've liked them to and the butternut squash was just okay. I did like the addition of cayenne pepper to them - the extra little kick really did change it, but just not enough. Eric wasn't a huge fan of the dish - mostly because of the butternut squash.

Side note: The recipe wanted the scallops cooked in non-stick pan and I'm guessing because I didn't do that along with not having enough oil and the pan probably not being hot enough, the scallops didn't come out perfectly. The seared portion basically fell off and was left in the pan which was disappointing. I don't have a non-stick pan, but I probably should've known by now to make the adjustment (higher heat & more oil), but didn't think about it until it was too late.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I served this with a side of green beans because I had extra that I hadn't cooked from Friday. I think it was necessary to add a little veggie and color to this dish.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Probably not

The recipe - It's from my favorite recipe magazine.

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

by Irene Lindvall

We had a weird day today and I ended up making this coffee cake for a late lunch. I now realize that this can be made and eaten at any time of day - it is that good. I'm thankful to have used buttermilk for recipes over the holiday and am getting a lot of use out of the leftover carton. Other than that, all of the ingredients are things I usually have around the house so I can see making this often, especially since Eric was disappointed that I had the last slice for a snack instead of saving it for him for breakfast the next day. I think we both agreed the cake was delicious without be overwhelming in the cinnamon taste. It also wasn't overly sugary tasting and was incredibly moist - even the next day. 

I should note I was able to cut the cake into six small but generous portions. 

Things I learned from this recipe:

A 6 inch round cake pan is really hard to find. I ended up getting one at JoAnn Fabrics.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe - I'm keeping it easy. It's my favorite cooking magazine.

Buttermilk Pancakes

by Irene Lindvall

I decided over a week ago that today I would be making pancakes. I purposely decided on pancakes knowing that I wanted something easy to make, and that I wanted to treat us to a nice breakfast after so much dinner planning and cooking. I should admit, it has been years since I've made pancakes. So many years that I don't recall when it was. I'm not sure why this is, but it probably has something to do with having a waffle iron and it being a lot less effort. Regardless, I was excited to try this recipe out. I made three batches of two, each one being a little big bigger than the last. I thought they would spread out to be more flat like a traditional looking pancakes, but it didn't happen. I think I could've mixed the batter a little more, but the instructions were very warning of not over mixing so I followed the directions. I have no idea if this is the reason they didn't spread out, but it is my speculation. I tried to spread out the batter during the second and third batches, but it didn't really help. Regardless of that, they tasted excellent. Eric, who loves most breakfast items and really loves pancakes, thought they tasted like "restaurant pancakes" which is a compliment in case you were wondering. He really did think they tasted great, and thought the tidbit in the recipe about adding sour cream creating a "tang" was interesting because it is that "tang" he really enjoys.

Things I learned from this recipe:

I thought medium heat was just a touch too hot. In the recipe description they talk about making sure the pan is not too hot because that burns the pancake. Obviously all ranges vary, but I think next time I'll keep it just under 6 on my range.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Definitely

The recipe - Now that Thanksgiving is over I'm back to my favorite cooking magazine.