For The Pantry - Merlot Wine Jelly

As embarrassing as it may be, I seriously enjoy browsing the shelves of the grocery store and I get excited when I see something new for the kitchen. Even if it is something I would not use for myself, I'm interested none the less. Catalogs like Williams-Sonoma and Stonewall Kitchen also get me very (probably overly) happy. Perusing through those pages of cooking equipment, tools, specialty food, and other kitchen items is similar to a 10-year old in a toy store; including the "oooooh I like this! This too!".

As far as specialty, gourmet, or just plain tasty pantry items, I will post the ones I have actually used or that I think is worth actually sharing (for good or bad reasons). If I were to do this for all that catches my eye in the kitchen department, I would probably get carpal tunnel from typing nonstop.

Let's start with this; Merlot Wine Jelly. Ironically, I actually can't take credit for finding this one. My mother got these off a QVC presentation by Colorado Mountain Jam and knew it was something we would like to try. I love fruit preserves, so I was happy to try it. Being a jelly, it is rather sweet and would be great as a warm dessert sauce, but can also be used as an ingredient with savory dishes too. For chicken or meat for instance, you can add it to the sauce you are making to accompany it with. I tried it with some herb chicken and it was great. As I said though, it is sweet, so using it as is on a savory item by itself is not something I would recommend. For the chicken I blended it with red wine vinegar (balsamic is great too), low sodium chicken broth, and shallots. If you would rather use it on beef simply swap out the chicken broth for beef. Red wine is probably used in more dishes with red meat than any other, but since I don't eat red meat I went with a chicken breast. If the rest of the family is hankering for a roast or braised beef any time soon, I will use it in there too.

All in all its a pretty unique product it made some darn good chicken. I can only imagine what it tastes like warmed over cold vanilla frozen yogurt. The company has many varieties of jam but if it is the wine that has you interested, they also have Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Curious for more? Here is where we purchased it from : QVC-Colorado Mountain Jams

Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

There is something about roasting that seems to really intensify and bring out the flavor of vegetables. This pasta bake is a great way to use them for more than just a side dish. If I have the time and ingredients, I like to use homemade sauce for this recipe. Other times, I reach for a good quality jarred tomato sauce and there is not much of a difference; especially if you had an extra handful of fresh basil to it.  It's delicious made as is, but if your family would miss the meat too much you can add some in there. Though I made this a few days ago, I will certainly make this once we get our garden going but considering it was in the 20's the other day I don't think that will be any time soon. Luckily, I am usually able to find quality fresh produce in during winter that work just fine.

For a change you could turn it into a "Veggie Pizza Pasta Bake" by omitting the squash and using mushrooms. Then simply sprinkle black olives on top with the cheese. It is a pretty versatile dish and you can add or take out vegetables to suit your taste.

Please note: I halved the recipe and baked it in a smaller dish when this photo was taken. If you follow the recipe as is, you will have more.

Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

1 Medium green bell pepper
1 Medium orange, red, or yellow sweet bell pepper (doesn't matter the color)
1 onion
2 medium zucchini or yellow squash
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBSP Olive oil
Dash of salt to taste (remember the tomato sauce and other ingredients add a lot of flavor, so a pinch will do)
1 16-oz box ziti (penne will work too)
2 (24-oz) Jars tomato sauce; or homemade if you have the time
1 1/2 to 2 Cups reduced fat or regular shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded parmesan cheese
2 TBSP Minced fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (you will reduce the temperature later; this is just to cook the vegetables).Chop the vegetables into about 1-inch chunks, making sure they are all relatively the same size. Place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a dash of salt if using. Gently toss to coat. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring once, or until the vegetables are cooked but NOT overly soft. Its fine if they have a bite to them as they will continue to cook with the rest of the dish.

Reduce oven heat to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente" pasta. You do not want to overcook here or you will end up with mushy pasta once it is baked. Drain pasta; stir in the vegetables and all but 1 cup or so of the tomato sauce.

Transfer half of the pasta mixture to a baking dish (9-in by 13-in will work) coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Repeat layers and sprinkle the basil over top. Cover with foil; bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted dish is bubbly. If desired, remove foil and increase oven heat to brown the top. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

"Loaded" Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

From what I can gather from pictures and weather reports, if you are in the northeast region of the U.S. and are able to access the internet or use electricity, you did alright. Luckily, Maryland was not in the path of the massive snowstorm like we were a few years back. In 2010, we had two snowstorms back to back. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, but if it keeps me in the house for over a day that is when I have a problem. Hopefully, if you were hit by the blizzard, everyone in your house is safe and (maybe) with electricity. Then, if you have the ingredients, you can also bake these cookies!

The recipe for these started off as a basic oatmeal raisin cookie. After a few adds-ins and modifications, a whole new cookie came out of it. These are a favorite of my dads but I have shared them with many others who would gladly grab handful (or two) of these.

As I'm sure you can determine from the title, these cookies are brimming with dried, sweet-tart cranberries. That's a pretty good cookie on its own, but the addition of white chocolate chucks, orange peel, and a bit of milled (ground) flax seed is what makes them "loaded". No, there is not enough of the flax in there for one to notice and as with the other add-ins you can leave it out; but remember its good for ya!

You can make these cookies as big (or little) as you want but remember that if you do not go by what I have put in the recipe, you will need to keep an extra eye on them during baking.

Like how they turned out? Try this. Omit the orange peel, swap the craisins with dried cherries, and use dark chocolate chucks. Those will probably get a thumbs up too.

"Loaded" Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Yields about 2 dozen medium cookies

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 Cup packed brown sugar

2/3 Cup granulated sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 TBSP grated orange peel/zest

1 Cup quick oats

1 Cup old fashioned oats

2 Cups flour

1 TBSP Ground/milled flaxseed

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg 

1 1/2 Cups dried cranberries

1 4-oz White chocolate baking bar (I use Ghirardelli), chopped or broken into small chunks

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and orange zest. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gradually add to creamed mixture until well combined. Mix in cranberries and white chocolate.

Drop by heaping Tablespoons (about 2 inches apart) onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Let cool for a minute or two before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

I Remember These!

Being in my 20's, I can't say that a majority of my childhood foods would be considered nostalgic yet; many of them are still around today, but they bring back memories. Sometimes I will see things while perusing the grocery store or internet and will think "HEY! I remember getting those!". Its actually a lot of fun to look back on toys, food, and other trends that were popular in the mid 90's and early millennium. No, its really not that long ago, but its a "grocery flashback" to my childhood. Maybe in 15 years or so I can say something like "back in the day" but when I do that now I just get cold stares from my elders.

Its interesting to see how products can change over a decade or two and with them so have my food preferences; much of this stuff I can't say I would find appetizing now but at some point they got my brother and I excited.

Some of these are still being sold and available in grocery stores while a few are only a thing of the past.

String Thing

Luckily, I was able to find a picture here because my description would probably confuse you without it. String Thing's were a "fruit roll up" and "Pull and Peel" type snack. The chewy fruit snack was placed on a flat piece of cardboard in a variety of patterns and designs. 

Danimal's Drinkable Yogurt

I happen to love yogurt but before I was dipping my spoon into Yoplait Light or Dannon Light and Fit, there was a time when Danimal's were quite the novelty. It is part of what started the yogurt smoothie craze that you can find much of in the dairy section of your supermarket. Take a few steps over to the kids yogurt area and these should still be there. Probably along side the Go-Gurt that we often froze to eat as a popsicle (or I guess a "yosicle"?).

CapriSun

CapriSun was (and still is) borderline annoying thanks to the packaging but these juice drinks somehow made it big. I guess you could say it was a new take on the juice box. I remember them being a popular refreshment on the beach or after playing outside during the summertime. Most of us got used to getting the straw in successfully but I am really not sure why they were initially made that way. It seemed to be all too tempting for some individuals not to give the package a squeeze and send juice erupting out the top. Manufacturers clearly did not want to stop with the "juice pouch" as you can now find apple sauce and other snacks in pouches too. Maybe as a kid that would have intrigued me but for now I will take my apple sauce with a spoon, thanks.

Bagel Bites

With a little help from YouTube I could probably recite the chorus to the jingle that appeared in the commercial for Bagel Bites. Despite the "pizza anytime" motto they had going there for a while we never had these for breakfast, but they sure did make for a fun lunch as a kid. That is, as long as you let them cool long enough to not burn the hell out of your mouth.

Push Up Pops

Whether at school or in your freezer, these were a real treat to get your hands on. I believe they may have came out with other flavors at some point, but the orange sherbet is what I remember. Oh what a bummer it was when you got to the end. You can still find similar treats in the grocery store but they will never replace the classic. 

Flintstones Vitamins

While we are on the subject of Flintstones themed products, I will turn next to the ever popular Flintstones Vitamins. No, being a dietary supplement this is obviously not considered a "food" item, but it brings back memories none the less. They were before the whole gummy vitamin trend that is now popular with kids and adults alike.   

Candy Necklace

Over the years, the candy necklace has evolved into bras and underwear, but its the necklaces that I remember getting excited about. The flavor of the candy itself was actually not so great (if you ask me) but the novelty of it being on that stretchy string and worn as a necklace was enough to make them popular for a while. Looking back though, when it came to eating them they were a bit messy, complicated, and left a sticky ring around your neck. Bet the parents were thrilled...

DunkAroos

I liked these for a short time until I ate them shortly before coming down with the flu. After that I lost much interest in them. That was probably a good thing as they were not what you would consider healthy, but for a dessert they were fun. Though the frosting was what got most people hooked, I liked the grahams just as much. I can't remember the last time I had one, but I do remember that crazy kangaroo on the box.

This is obviously only some of them. Look for a "part two" post sometime in the future.