New Orleans Muffelata

Hello Friends..

I used the last loaf of my Artisan Bread and made a favorite sandwich of mine to take to a girlfriends house for lunch. It got rav reviews! Not just the sandwich but she was in love with the bread! I explained how I did it and she was not totally convinced that it could be done as easily as I had described! Here's the picture of my sandwich along with the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

New Orleans Muffelatta:

1/2# sliced baked ham

1/2# hard salami, sliced thin

1/4#provolone cheese, sliced thin

Olive topping (recipe to follow)

10" round loaf of Bread sliced horizontally in half.

Directions:

1. Cut bread horizontally in half.

2. Brush bottom layer with 1T. olive oil

3. Layer half of ham...then half of salami...all of cheese...the rest of ham..the rest of salami.

4. Scoop out some of the bread from the top piece.

5. Add mayo to bread top. Spoon olive topping over mayo.

6. Turn the two halves together to create sandwich.

7. Slice into wedges and enjoy.

NOTE: I usually let sandwich sit for 20 minutes for everything to meld together...then slice.

OLIVE TOPPING:

1/3c. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4t. Black pepper

1t. oregano

4T. fresh parsley,chopped

1 small can chopped black olives

1 10oz jar of salad olives w pimentos,chopped up

Mix all ingredients and put into a container. Cover. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before using. NOTE: Leftovers can be stored in fridge for 2 weeks-then discard.

Enjoy...

Michelle

A Day at the Zoo

Hi everyone. Well, one of my favorite things to do is spend time with my grandson, Randy! I have twittered about him often. He's 5 years old and he is my little helper in the kitchen. Here he is at the Jacksonville Zoo. We had such a ball that day. He loved the monkeys but I loved the giraffes!

Macaroni and Beef

Good Afternoon Everyone...

Well, today I tried Elise's Hamburger and Macaroni recipe http://simplyrecipes.com/ But,I made a few variations. I added some fresh white corn cut off the cob and a small can of tomato sauce. I added alittle extra spices because my husband loves spices and here is my finished dish! He loved it and is taking a big bowl with him back to the hotel Monday to share with some of his buddies on the job. He added some shredded Cheddar cheese to his dish but I didn't because I am trying to watch my calorie intake! I loved the way it looked when Elise twittered about it so I tried it today!! Really, if you aren't on Twitter yet...you should be! The dishes that keep getting posted are fantastic! Thanks for the great recipe...keep them coming!

Dimensional Garden

The original concept for this art quilt was a study in color theory and this was my final result. All the flowers are three dimensional and hand appliqued onto the background fabric. This is one of my best creations,I believe. I love the feeling of a summer garden and everyone that sees it is amazed at the dimension the flowers have. The center is the Lily of the Valley and I included a close up photo so you could see the flowers on the quilt. I enjoy making one-of-a-kind art quilts as much as I enjoy giving quilts to friends. I have never made any two quilts alike...each one is unique.

Quilts and Cakes...the comforts of life!

The quilt is for a new baby about to enter the world,Adyson. Her mom, Tisha, wanted Brown and Pink. That seems to be the going color scheme these days for baby girls so I made this for her. "Quilts are created---blankets are bought." I have uttered this phrase over and over but I believe it to be true. A blanket provided warmth...period. A quilt keeps you cozy, makes you feel loved and just gets softer and softer with use, tears, washings. It'll make you feel better when you're sick or sore or just blue. I love my quilts...just like I love my comfort foods. This cake from twitterfriend, Donna is just that...comfort food! I tried the recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake on her Blog, http://www.waymorehomemaderecipes.blogspot.com/ and it was delicious! Mine got alittle too brown but it still tasted fantastic! (Lesson learned: You shouldn't be on the computer while you are baking!) Next time, I'll set the timer! The directions were good and the results are delicious! Try it. Thanks for the recipe, Donna!

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day

"Yeah,right! Real, fresh,homemade bread in 5 minutes? I don't think so!" I thought to myself. But it seemed Twitter was buzzing about it. Doughmesstic was giving away a copy of the book on her blog. I entered but didn't win. But, the more I read about the book, the more interesting it sounded! Then, much to my surprise,ZoeFrancois tweeted me about it...the coauthor herself!Check her out at http://www.zoebakes.com. She offered help and answered a couple of questions for me and the next thing I knew, I had ordered it from Amazon! When it arrived a few days later, I read thru it, made a list of supplies I needed and off I went! The next morning I pulled out all my ingredients and mixed up my first batch of dough.I put it into a container and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning,I pulled the container out and pinched off enough dough to make my 1st loaf. A couple of hours later I pulled a small loaf that smelled wonderful! You see,I should have pinched off enough dough the size of a grapefruit but I pinched off an orange! Results: small loaf but great tasting! Then I made this loaf, my second one.I was so proud when I puled it out of the oven! It looks as good as the ones at Panera's Breads!! I had done it...and it was easy! This book is a must have item. It has excellent directions and pictures of different steps. It will give anyone the confidence to try the method! I love it and it has so many different breads in it.I will be trying more of these recipes soon! What is really great about this technique is that it is very rewarding for beginners! I am really happy with my results! No more store bought, preservative-laden breads for me...I will be baking my own from now on!

True Friendship

Everyone has someone like her in their lives. She enters your life. Stands quietly in the shadows. Offers words of advice and encouragement without ever laying eyes on you. Yesterday was my Birthday-I turned 51 yrs old and woke up feeling blue. What had I accomplished in my life? I wasn't rich...I wasn't famous...I was just me. Sure I have a loving family, good friends but what had I done to make the world a better place? Nothing came to mind. I was brought up to be a kind person, thoughtful of others,compassionate and giving. All traits I value in others. I believe what goes around, comes around and treat others as you want to be treated. I recited all those motivating words of wisdom to myself but nothing got me up and doing something. So, I went onto Twitter and instantly cheered up. One of my friends @cre8tivekitchen sent me several messages on how to set up a blog. I decided to give it a try and I am glad I did! It motivated me and I got enthusiastic about learning something new. I feel like a child with a new toy! I love it. And I have Brenda to thank for that! Sometimes we don't have enough faith in ourselves but we need to push past the fear and try...if I fall,I fall! But I will get up and try again. Thank you Brenda for having confidence that I could do it. I still have a long way to go to make this blog something I am truly proud of but I will continue on trying and improving with each obstacle I encounter along the way. We all have a "Brenda" in our lives...we just haven't needed her yet. I hope I am someone's "Brenda"on day! Enjoy...