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All 100 finalist!

Well, I didn't win BUT I had the time of my life!  It was a wonderful experience, more than I could of imagined.  Christina Verrelli,  won with her recipe Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream. She is really nice person and I'm am so happy for her and her family. She was one of the first finalist I met in Orlando.  Small world as she has a cousin who lives in my town.

Here I am during the Bake Off!

Pumpkin Ravioli and Salted Caramel Whipped Cream

This is Christina (Winner) and myself.  We met the first day that we were in Orlando.

 I want to thank you all for your support and kindness. I will for sure try again next time (2014)  as you can be a finalist three times.  My kids texted me after the show and Michael said, "You're my winner, Mom!" and Megan said, "You're worth more than a million to me!" Life is good : )

SO EXCITED!

The 45 Pillsbury Bake-Off is finally here! My husband and I leave today to go to Orlando Florida. I am excited that the day is finally here as it's been a long but fun journey. I just want to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends for all their support and love. Also thanks to my customers at Mocha Moment for being so excited for me and all the kind words. I can't forget to thank my co-workers who put up with me day in and day out as my excitement got old at times (I'm sure!) And thanks to my cousin (boss) Steve Dean who got me my very own Bill Board. How cool is that! Most importantly thanks to my husband and kids because they are why I love to cook. This has been a dream come true and I'm hoping my dream continues and I win the one million dollars! 

Here my 45th Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe: 

 Caramelized Onion and Peppered Bacon Flatbread

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Black Pepper

1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Cayenne Pepper

8 slices thick-sliced bacon

4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (about 1 lb)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter

1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10-inch pan with sides with aluminum foil. Place cooling rack in pan. 

2 In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, combine brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne; shake to combine. Separate bacon slices and place in bag; shake to coat. Place bacon on rack in pan. 

3 Bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, or until bacon is browned and thoroughly cooked. Cool completely. Chop bacon; set aside. 

4 Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook onions and garlic in butter over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onions are golden brown. Remove from heat; set aside.  

5 Spray15x10-inch pan with sides with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven.  

6 Spread onion mixture over partially baked crust; top with drained tomatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; top with bacon. 

7 Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheeses are melted.  

8 Remove from oven; sprinkle with basil.

Corn Beef Hash

You would think I would be tired of corned beef as I have had a few reuben sandwiches the last few days but I'm not.  After brunch today the corned beef will be all gone.  I'm sad to see it go because I usually only think about making corned beef  once a year on St. Patrick's Day, so it's a treat.  This corned beef hash is easy to make and makes a great breakfast/brunch combined with fried eggs. 

All you need is butter, onions, potatoes, corned beef, parsley and a few eggs to fry up for a great breakfast.

 

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons  butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cups chopped, cooked corned beef

3 cups cubed, cooked Yukon gold potatoes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, until translucent.

2. Add the potatoes and stir lightly so not to smash the potatoes.

3.Once the potatoes are lightly browned, add the corned beef.  Continue to cook until heated through.

4. Remove from heat, stir in the chopped parsley. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Reubens

Being St. Patrick's Day tomorrow  I have to make corned beef  but the only way I like it is made into a Reuben Sandwich.  I cooked the corned beef  in the crockpot all day so these sandwiches will be an easy lunch or dinner!  Toasted rye bread filled with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and corned beef, thousand Island dressing and broiled until golden.  One of my family favorites! 

Butter (or mayo) side down.  Layer with Swiss cheese.

Layer on corned beef.

 

Layer on sauerkraut.

 

Drizzle with Thousand Island dressing.

 

Layer another slice of Swiss cheese.

 

 Top with rye bread butter (or mayo) side up.

 

 Broil or grill until golden brown.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (I use mayo-see note) 

8 slices rye bread

8 slices Swiss cheese

sliced corned beef (see note) 

1 cup sauerkraut, drained 

1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing

Directions:

1.  Preheat a large skillet (medium heat) or broil in oven (see note).

2.  Lightly butter (or mayo) one side of bread slices. On non-buttered bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese,  sliced corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.

3.  Grill or broil sandwiches until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot.

Note:  I like to use mayo instead of butter to spread on bread because butter I have to soften before I use and mayo spreads on easily and grills up beautifully.  It really works great, just use real mayo not miracle whip and just a very thin layer.

Note for cooking corn beef:  Place corned beef in large pot cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef.  Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer, cover and cook for about 50-60 minutes per pound  until very tender.  Or cook in the crockpot 6-8 hours until tender.  Slice meat across the grain.

Note:  When I'm making several sandwiches it's easier to make under the broiler.  Place sandwiches on a cookie sheet and broil (preheat broiler) until golden brown.  Turn and broil other side until golden brown.  Don't take your eyes off these as they will burn just like that!

Mussels in White Wine

My first time making mussels and I have to say they were amazing! These compare to my favorite mussels I have at a Chicago restaurant.  I combined a few recipes I found and came up with this recipe.  Serve with crusty warm bread to sop up all the wine sauce and a nice chilled glass of white wine.  I can't wait to make these again!

          

Ingredients:

2 lbs. FRESH mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 Tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons chopped shallots

1 small bunch Italian fresh parsley, chopped

3-4 roma  tomatoes, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To clean the mussels, place mussels in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Add the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the “beard” from each with your fingers. If they’re dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped shallot and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook until almost tender. Pour in the white wine, and stir in the parsley and butter. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mussels to the pot, stir well then cover and allow to cook until the shells are opened, about 7 minutes. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl, discarding any unopened shells. 

Serves 2