Remember the great Sponge V. Dishrag debate of 2009? I have a follow up for all the sponge haters out there. Nate and Cate did a  science project together last month. They went around the house with Q-Tips, swabbing all sorts of surfaces, and then growing bacteria in petri dishes. When they were collecting their “samples,” I had just finished doing the dishes and wiping down the counters with my sponge. We swabbed both sides of the sponge really well to include in the experiment.

Guess what? NOTHING grew in that petri dish. That’s right, Nate’s ear grew more junk than my sponge did. Okay, so this was not the most controlled experiment and we’re pretty sure that Nate’s ear sample was contaminated…but still. Just sayin’. No fungus, bacteria, virus, nothing grew in the sponge’s petri dish.

Let the furor begin! I know the dishrag folks won’t take this lying down. Even though the scientific evidence is indisputable…okay, maybe not indisputable, but whatever. And, for the record (a record that will make the more Type A personalities cringe), the sponge was 1-2 weeks old and I had not run it through the dishwasher or microwave at any point in time. Guess those poor sponges are getting a bad rap for no reason, eh?

(Note: I am not endorsing using sponges for weeks on end, especially if they smell or turn green. Yeah, that one might grow some bacteria. But so will your stinky, green dishrag.)

I have finally found a pumpkin pancake recipe that I like! I’ve tried mixes, I’ve tried making them from scratch…and generally the pancakes come out flat and gooey. Cate’s preschool recently made pumpkin pancakes and shared the recipe they used…and they’re perfect! Yea for preschool teachers!

Pumpkin Pancakes
Adapted by me from a recipe on FoodNetwork.com
- 3 C buttermilk pancake mix (I like Krusteaz the best, Bisquick worked too)
- 2 C cold water
- 2/3 C canned pumpkin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger

In a medium/large bowl, whisk all the ingredients until just blended (batter should have lumps). Spray heavy griddle or skillet with nonstick spray and heat griddle over medium heat. Spoon 2 T (I did 1/4 C) batter unto griddle to form each pancake. Cook until edges are drying and bubbles start to pop, turn and cook a few minutes longer. Serve with lots of butter and maple syrup!

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

Today we have a giveaway – yippee! Matthew Mead will be giving away a set of three of his books – Entertaining Simple, Gifts from Nature and Matthew Mead’s Halloween – to one lucky This Week for Dinner reader!

Simply add a comment to this post by Midnight PT, Sunday November 1 to put your name in the hat! One winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, November 2.

As you know, I’m really enjoying these books. I’m excited to get the chance to share them with you!

Big thank you to Matthew Mead for such a great giveaway. And good luck to everyone!

This morning I threw some pancakes together. After breakfast Nate said, “Wow, those were perfectly fluffy pancakes!” I couldn’t believe he said that because it was the first time I had ever used Bisquick instead of making them from scratch. So much for homemade! Just kidding, I’ll make my pancakes again…however, Nate’s comment did give me something to think about. Hmmmm…

Speaking of pancakes, I’ll have a great pumpkin pancake recipe for you later this week. And a giveaway!

MONDAY:
- Quiche

TUESDAY:
- Orange Chicken and rice
- Veggie

WEDNESDAY:
- Mini burgers and couscous salad

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Rotisserie Chicken (from Costco) with mashed potatoes and veggie

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Bean tacos (a friend was telling me about a recipe that sounded great that I’m going to get from her!)

I am loving all the menus we’re getting every week! They really are so helpful to read through as I plan, and there are so many great ideas. Please keep the menus coming!

Back when I first started this here blog, I mentioned a website that I liked, MatthewMeadStyle.com. This website is chock full of wonderful things. I was delighted to receive an email from Matthew Mead not too long ago asking if I would like to review one of his books. Of course I jumped at the chance and Matthew sent me THREE of his books: Entertaining Simple, Gifts from Nature and Matthew Mead’s Halloween.

I love all the books. Matthew has impeccable taste, is a great writer, and the recipes that are included look divine.

Entertaining Simple is fantastic. So many wonderful entertaining tips, decoration ideas, menus and recipes…it’s really lovely. And Gifts from Nature is a wonderful resource, complete with great ideas for every season of the year.

And if you’re dying to get your hands on Matthew Mead’s Halloween, you’re in luck…it’s on newsstands now. I saw it at Safeway just the other day. I love Halloween and this book did not disappoint. My favorite part of the book is all the pumpkin decorating ideas. CUTE stuff.

I’ve told you before, I only write about products and books that I like. And usually when I like something and write about it…well, it’s good news for you…perhaps I’m seeing a giveaway in your future? You’ll just have to check back to see!

Remember the cookies I showed you on Sunday? I made them last night. They are unbelievably easy. And tasty. They were a huge hit at the baby shower last week, so it’s a nice easy recipe to add to your entertaining repertoire.

Rolo Cookies
From Mindy Nielson (who got the recipe from someone else…)
- 1 box Devils’ Food cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 package Rolo candies

Mix the first three ingredients together (I used my hand mixer) and then roll into little balls with 1 Rolo inside each ball (Mindy tries to make them as small as possible to maximize the Rolo to dough ratio, which is smart). Bake at 350 for 9 minutes. Makes about 30.

Jane sidenote: when I made them, I ended up with 22 cookies…and Mindy is right about the ratio thing, next time I’ll try to make them a little smaller.

Don’t miss my post today over on Make and Takes, The Joys of Meal Planning with Kids. Hope you enjoy it!

When I first wrote about grilling vegetables, someone mentioned asparagus was one of their favorites to grill. I can see why…I tried it, and the asparagus cooked so nicely on the grill, resulting in a really great texture. I still think roasting asparagus in the oven is a great way to do it…but grilling is now my favorite method for this vegetable.

Did I mention the girls INHALED their asparagus? And mine? And Nate’s? I think Nate & I only got to eat a few spears in the end!

Believe it or not, you’re going to have to endure another grilled vegetable post…I ordered a grilling basket and it arrived this week!  My next veggie venture on the grill? Broccoli!

I went to a baby shower brunch yesterday. The food was so good, including these amazing chocolate cookies…I’ll get the recipe for sure!

On to the menu! It’s kind of a combo of the last two weeks’ menus…stuff that I didn’t end up cooking.

MONDAY:
- Leftover lasagna

TUESDAY:
- Orange Chicken and rice
- Veggie

WEDNESDAY:
- Homemade pizza

THURSDAY:
- Beef stew
- Whole wheat crusty bread

FRIDAY:
- Leftovers

SATURDAY:
- Pumpkin pancakes

SUNDAY:
- Eating at friend’s home

Please share your menu for the week! Can’t wait to see all your comments!

I know, I know…another soup recipe! Apparently there is a theme to my cooking lately…an unplanned theme, but a good one nonetheless. Tonight I made cream of mushroom soup. This is one of my favorite kinds of soup, and this recipe was perfect.

Quick note, all of the soups I shared this week can easily be made vegetarian by substituting in vegetable broth.

Anyway, I’m sure you want the recipe, so here goes! I found it on Simply Recipes…Elise is one of my blogging buddies whom I have had the pleasure of actually spending some time with. She’s a gem. And so is her soup.

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Modified from a recipe by Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes – I modified based on what I had in the kitchen tonight, but it was really yummy so wanted to document exactly what I did
- 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced (2/3 of my mushrooms were white, 1/3 were mini portobello)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 finely chopped shallots (the recipe only called for 2 TBSP…I misread it, but the flavor was actually really lovely with two whole shallots, so there you go!)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I only had about 1/4 tsp of thyme left in my shaker, but the soup still tasted great!)
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tsp Wondra (or flour could work) dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice in a food processor.

Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add flour slurry and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

I will share the following delectable soup recipe with you under one condition: You are not allowed to think about the amount of fat present in the soup when you eat it. It is worth every last calorie. That said…I wouldn’t recommend eating this soup every day. Neither would a cardiologist. But, oh my goodness, you’re going to like it.

Without further ado…the best broccoli cheese soup recipe around! Oh wait, a bit more “ado”…it’s easy to make with a short list of ingredients and quite fast. However, there is a lot of standing at the stove and whisking involved. Make sure you have some tunes or an episode of This American Life playing when you start cooking. I even do leg exercises while I whisk away…just a little preemptive strike on the butter, cream and cheese.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
From my friend Elizabeth Paul
- 1/2 C butter
- 1/2 C flour
- 1 Quart Half & Half
- 3 C cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 C broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 pkg frozen broccoli (or 2 small heads fresh broccoli chopped into bite sized pieces)
- 1 tsp salt

Combine broccoli, broth and salt – bring to a boil, simmer until broccoli is cooked.

Melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour gradually, whisking. Simmer and whisk for a few minutes. Add half & half four times, whisking constantly (make sure it gets thick before each addition of half & half).

Add cheese.

Add broccoli/broth/salt mixture and stir.

It is pouring rain today, which means two things. First, I am in heaven. Second, it’s time for a cozy bowl of soup.

I know several of you are chomping at the bit for my Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe. The recipe is coming this week, I promise. I just need to take a picture. Until then, I hope my most favorite soup recipe EVER will suffice.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
From my friend Sarah Covert, with my commentary in italics
Soup:
- 1 large butternut squash, about 3.5 lbs.
- 1 large leek
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 4 tsp. grated fresh ginger (you can use ground ginger – I think about 1 tsp should do it)
- 5-6 cups chicken stock
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper (this last time I used fresh ground black pepper and 2 shakes of cayenne)

I roast the squash, cut in pieces & wrapped in foil, in my oven at 375 for 40-60 mins. That said, here’s what the recipe tells you to do. With a large heavy knife, cut the squash in half through the stem and discard the seeds. Brush the cut sides with olive oil. Grill, cut sides down, indirectly over medium heat until the skin can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the grill and cool… with a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash and discard the skin.

Cut off most of the tough green top from the leek. Cut the leek lengthwise and wash under cold running water to remove any dirt trapped. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add leek and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the looks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and carefully add the squash. Recude the heat to very low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup, in batches in a blender. Return soup to saucepan. If it seems thick, use remain stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with peanuts if desired.

Peanuts
(optional garnish that I never make b/c I don’t like peanuts…but those who do love these spiced peanuts on top)
- 1 1/12 C roasted peanuts (not dry-roasted)
- 2 T peanut oil
- 1 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1 T finely chopped garlic
- 2 t. finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder (in bulk at Henry’s)
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, combine the peanuts, peanut oil, ground ginger, garlic, cilantro, five-spice powder and cayenne. Toss well to coat the peanuts evenly, then transfer to large sheet of aluminum foil. pull the corners of the foil together and close the pouch. place the pouch over indirect medium heat for 5 minutes. Carefully remove pouch and allow to cool.

The Dillon Rogers giveaway is now over…and we have a winner…

Today’s lucky winner is Linsey, who said, “Gorgeous!” Linsey will now officially be as cool as Paris Hilton and ME!

Thanks to everyone who entered! And don’t despair…I have more giveaways up my sleeve, so stay tuned.  Big thanks to Dillon Rogers for a fantastic giveaway!

I LOVE FALL. I know you all know that by now, but seriously, it’s the best season, hands down. We went to Arata’s Pumpkin Farm on Friday and had a blast. We did the giant hay bale maze, which was loads of fun for kids and the parents alike. Sad to say that Michelle (my friend) and I could not figure it out. We gave up and went in through the exit and, believe it or not, it was STILL hard. But seriously, that maze was HUGE, so can you blame us?

I love our little collection of little pumpkins and gourds. Aren’t those stems wonderful?

Okay, my menu has several duplicates from last week’s plan. Nate was gone most of the week, so the girls and I were able to last on leftovers longer. Oh, and we ate out a few times. When Dad’s gone, it’s party time! Now it’s back to being responsible. Phooey.

MONDAY:
- Broccoli Cheese soup

TUESDAY:
- Homemade pizza

WEDNESDAY:
- Pork chops…and this time I’m going to NOT massacre them like last time, so disappointing when you screw up!
- Veggie
- Brown and/or wild rice

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Pumpkin pancakes

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Beef stew

Alrighty, folks…bring on the menus! Big and tall, or really small…we love ‘em all! (I should be a poet, no?)

I couldn’t decide which pumpkin picture to use, so I’m posting both. Hope you don’t mind me indulging my obsession with fall.

I have two yummy recipes to share with you today! One involves chocolate, the other cheese. Hey, I never said they were healthy recipes. Yummy, people, yummy. Carnation recently sent me a $50 gift card for groceries and some free Evaporated Milk to try in a few recipes. The “mission” was to use evaporated milk in one of my own recipes that calls for milk, and to try out a recipe of theirs. I accepted the mission and proceeded to choose the least healthiest recipes possible…and enjoyed every second of it. (Ironic since one of Carnation’s selling points is that there is more nutritional value per ounce in evaporated milk versus regular milk. So much for that!)

First, I tried Carnation’s recipe for Fudge (recipe below). I’ve gotta say, it’s good. And it was EASY. I followed the recipe verbatim…but next time I make it, I’m going to use a higher quality chocolate. Regardless, it was a nice, simple recipe and tasted good.

For my own recipe, I used evaporated milk in Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe below). The mashed potato filling was mighty fine…Cate couldn’t keep her fingers out of the bowl. And I know that cheese has nothing to do with evaporated milk…but that part was pretty darn good too.

So, there you have it! Mission complete. In case you are wondering what evaporated milk is, it is fresh milk that has been carefully cooked to remove half the water content, upping the protein and calcium content per serving, and creating a creamier texture. Click here if you want to read more about it.

And now, the recipes!

Carnation Famous Fudge
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (5-oz can) evaporated milk
- 2 T butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups mini marshmallows (I had big ones, so I broke them up then measured and it came out)
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (I nixed the nuts)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full roiling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours until firm (I just left it on the counter and it got plenty firm). Lift from pan, remove foil and cut.

Twice Baked Potatoes
From Jane Maynard
- 4 baking potatoes
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 4 T evaporated milk (or more if needed)
- shredded cheddar cheese, optional
- chopped green onion, optional

Wash potatoes, poke holes with fork. Bake on rack, unwrapped at 425 degrees 40-60 minutes, or until soft all the way through. Cut lengthwise and scoop out potato (I have to hold the potato with an oven mit while I scoop). Mix potato with all the other ingredients, except the cheese, and mash with a potato masher or pastry blender. Spoon potato back into the potato skins, place in casserole dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 or so minutes, or until lightly browned. Top with shredded cheese and bake a few minutes more.

Every fall I get homesick for the Northeast in a big way. I can’t even hear the word foliage without getting a little sad…and really jealous. And I miss apple picking. Throwing on a cozy sweater and then walking through an orchard, the sun shining and the air cool. Eating apples right off the tree. Collecting the cheaper apples from the ground to make sauce and cobbler. The whole experience just makes me happy. I’m not even a huge apple person, but I’ll eat as many as you want me to if I get to go pick them. I’m a sucker for fall, what can I say?

My sister Anne called last night to inform me that she is drowning in apples. She requested that we do a call for apple recipes, and I thought that was a great idea. After all, if you DO live where there are orchards galore, you need apple recipes right about now.

Please share your best apple recipes! Cobbler, sauce, juice…whatever you’ve got, we want it! I’ll start us off with one of my all time favorites.

Apple Barvarian Torte
From The Pampered Chef
Crust:
- 1/2 C butter
- 1/4 t. vanilla
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1 C flour

Cheese mixture:
- 1 pkg 8 0z. cream cheese
- 1/4 C. sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 t. vanilla

Apple mixture:
- 3 medium apples (sliced thin and peeled) – I used granny smith
- 1/3 C. sugar
- 1/4 t. cinnamon
- 1/4 C. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 450. cream together crust ingredients. Press into flat bottom of a springform pan. Set aside. In medium bowl, blend cheese and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Pour mixture over crust. toss apples in cin/sug mix and layer over top. Bake for 10 min. Reduce heat to 400 and bake 25 min more. Sprinkle with almonds and continue baking until lightly browned. Cool before removing from pan.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

I have a really FUN free, random giveaway today…it has nothing to do with food, but it’s so good I hope you don’t mind!

For SocialLuxe Lounge, Dillon Rogers provided personalized jewelry for our VIP guests (including me!). I received two super cute leather bracelets, so now I’m as cool as Jennifer Aniston and Halle Berry. But my favorite gift from Dillon Rogers was the silver disc necklace. I have worn it every day since I received it. I love the chain, and the lovely hand stamped, hand polished discs are current yet classic. I get compliments on my necklace all the time.

When Dillon Rogers offered to provide a giveaway, of course I took them up on it! And it’s a GOOD one…a $125 gift certificate to Dillon Rogers! Simply add a comment to this post by Midnight, next Monday October 12. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, October 13 (lucky #13!).  Good luck!

Have you met Katie from goodLife {eats}? I have, and she’s lovely. And she has a delicious food blog. Thanks to her I have a new favorite recipe…Butternut Squash Risotto! It was so good Cate told me to make it every day. Coming from a 4-year-old, that says a lot. And in this case, the 4-year-old actually knows what she is talking about.

Chicken & Butternut Squash Risotto
Adapted from Katie Goodman at goodLife {eats}, who in turn adapted it from Racahel Ray
- 1 1/2 cups roasted butternut squash (if you can find a 12 oz can of squash, go ahead and use that!)
- 1 chicken breast, seasoned with salt & pepper, cooked (I sauteed in olive oil) then cut or shredded into bitesized pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (Jane note: I used my garlic press)
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Dash nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Heaping teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 C water (may not need)

Cut up a butternut squash into 8 pieces. Wrap in foil and roast in 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until very soft. Scoop flesh out of the skins. One squash will yield more than 1 1/2 C, so save the rest for another recipe or freeze for later. Have the squash and cooked chicken breast ready to go before proceeding with the next steps.

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low.

In a large skillet, heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. When the oil is rippling, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast (and stir occasionally) for 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 2 ladles of the warm chicken broth to the rice and stir until the liquid evaporates. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take about 20 minutes. (I ended up having to add an additional 1/2 C water at the end to get the rice soft enough. If you need to add much more than 1/2 C, I would use broth as opposed to water to maintain flavor.)

During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the squash; season with nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. During the last minute of cooking, stir in the cheese and butter.

You can leave the chicken out to make a vegetarian dish…it still tastes great!

Yeah, yeah. This week’s picture isn’t of food. But you can’t tell me you’re not eating up those perfectly adorable pigtails.

MONDAY:
- Orange Chicken and rice
- Veggie

TUESDAY:
- Some kind of vegetable-based soup, creamy and warm

WEDNESDAY:
- Baked loaded potatoes
- Salad

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Homemade pizza

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Pork chops…and this time I’m going to NOT massacre them like last time, so disappointing when you screw up!
- Veggie
- Brown and/or wild rice

Your turn! Please share your menu for the week! Organized, unorganized. Fancy, simple. I don’t care what kind of menu it is, I just want to know what you’re eating!

Okay, this is my last BlogHer Food post – promise! And get ready for lots of fabulous links in this post that will be sure to keep you busy!

The actual conference was a lot of fun. I went to a few sessions on photography as well as one about seeking opportunities from your blog. Lots of great info and stories. The best part of the conference, however, was meeting so many other bloggers…many of which I have relationships with online, but haven’t had the chance to meet in person or don’t see very often. Lunch was one of my favorite parts of the day…I skipped out on the conference lunch (rebellious, I know) with Kristen Doyle from Dine & Dish, Katie Goodman from goodLife {eats} and Amy Johnson from She Wears Many Hats (pictured below in that order). We walked next door to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Cafe…the food was fresh and tasty (pictured above – it looks good right?)…definitely a nice lunch spot in the city.

The closing keynote was my favorite session of the day. Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer, moderated a panel with Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), David Lebovitz and Elise Bauer (Simply Recipes). I didn’t take notes so I don’t have any helpful information to share…but it was an informative and entertaining hour, and all three speakers were fantastic! And I immediately went to the lobby to buy David’s new book, The Sweet Life in Paris, which I am thoroughly enjoying.

One last thing…BIG thanks to CHEFS Catalog for the sweetest swag bag ever at the after party. Goodness, so many fun kitchen gadgets and tools. I was most excited about the dishwasher-safe basting brush and the mini spatula. I know, I’m a geek. Oh, I also discovered the KitchenAid with a GLASS bowl at the after party. I am officially in covet mode.