The excitement was momentary and then fear and self -doubt set in, it is too big a thing to use, I even had nightmares. I knew I had to brush off the fear and start using it. I've been very hesitant to use the camera in manual, but I guess this Mojito has helped me overcome my fear of using it in manual mode.

Picked up sweetlimes instead of oranges ( its nothing unusual for him, everything looks alike) from the fruit shop. Making Mojito was an obvious choice as I already had a bunch of mint ready to be used from my herb garden. (This picture is really not needed, guess, I'm showing off ).

Mojito is a simple drink made of lime and mint, and if you drink alcohol you can of course add white rum to it, to make the virgin pregnant (a joke you would find funnier if you watch Akkara Kazhchakal).

Serves 2 (large glasses)
Preparation Time: 15mins

Ingredients used :

• 5-6 Large sprigs of fresh mint leaves
• 2 Sweet limes
• 1/4cup Sugar
• Soda or Carbonated water

Procedure:

• Remove the mint leaves from the sprigs and cut 5-6 thin round slices from the lime. Make sure to remove the seeds.
• Add the mint leaves and the sweet lime slices in large pitcher and muddle them. I used a wooden spoon as I don't have a muddler.
• Add sugar and squeeze in the lime juice from the rest of the limes and mix well.
• Fill half the pitcher with ice cubes and top it up with carbonated water. And serve immediately, before you loose the fizz.

Note:

• The limes I used weren't that sweet, so adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
• This is not an authentic recipe for Mojito, I just make it this way.
• You would appreciate drinking straws to drink this one.
• Try using sprite instead of soda and sugar.

Health and Nutrition

• Lime contains traces of Vitamin A and Calcium. It is a good source of potassium and a very good source of Vitamin C.
• Mint which is well known for its medicinal use to aid digestion. It also contains a good percentage of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and iron. it also contains traces of essential minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, potassium and calcium.

I love garlic. It is spicy when it is raw and as you cook it, it becomes sweeter. You can use for a lot of things. In my family, we mainly use it on crostini with goat cheese, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers. It is also a great way to get garlic evenly distributed over a pizza, instead of scattered pieces. Depending on what you are using the roasted garlic for, you can individually take the cloves out with a knife. The other option is to simply squeeze it out. Squeezing it out, is probably the easiest way.

Ingredients:
1 medium head of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
Tin foil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the top 1/2 inch off the head of garlic (you want most of the cloves to be exposed). Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap in tin foil.
2. Place the tin foil wrapped head of garlic directly on the oven rack, for 35 to 45 minutes.
3. Remove the garlic from the oven and cool for 10 minutes, still wrapped. After 10 minutes, unwrap it and serve.

One of the things that I enjoy doing to give myself little breaks between during studying or while I'm drinking my coffee in the morning is to peruse around on Pinterest, Foodgawker, or other similar sites.  I have repeatedly come across recipes from a blog called Skinnytaste and I decided to check it out a little more closely.  Turns out this is a really awesome site and I suggest you take a look at it if you have never heard of it.  Gina, the author of the blog, posts low fat recipes complete with nutritional information, weight watchers points, and plenty of flavor!  This chicken and broccoli noodle casserole was the first recipe of hers I've tried, but don't be surprised if I post about more in the future.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (I used whole wheat egg like noodles, or you can use no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz (or about 2 1/2) cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced (I could not find a shallot, so I just used some yellow onion)
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk (I used skim)
• 12 oz (I used 2 chicken breasts) shredded chicken breast*
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• Cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute.  Add broccoli and a little salt, sauté covered for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften.  Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x12 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. (I used my 9x13 pyrex dish.)
4. In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat.  When melted add the shallot and cook until soft 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.
5. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat, making sure to whisk well for about 30 seconds.  Add milk and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thicken, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese.  Mix well until the cheese melts.
6. Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.
7. Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden, being careful not to burn. (I did not do this last part with the broiler.)

Recipe courtesy of Skinnytaste.

*I decided to boil my chicken in water to keep it nice and moist.  This was the first time I had every cooked chicken this way.  I put the chicken breasts in a medium pot and covered them with water.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Let chicken breasts simmer for 7-9 minutes.  Remove a piece and cut a slit in it to check for pinkness.  Cook more if needed.  Drain water and pull apart chicken with two forks.

There are a couple of reasons for this blog post. First, a couple of weekends ago, I tried my first sip of a mojito. My boyfriend had gotten one when we were at Tutto Pasta, which is a local Italian restaurant (that I highly recommend if you're in the Madison area). It was delicious! Second, badger kitchen doesn't have any drink recipes! What better way to break the non-drink trend by featuring mojitos! Lastly, it is March now and all I can think about is springtime and warm weather. So, in the midst of a snow storm, I gathered all the ingredients and my new muddler and made some delicious mojitos.

Traditional Mojitos 

adapted from various recipes, including the one that came with my new muddler, but ultimately I added the ingredients to taste

Ingredients

3 to 4 lime slices

4 to 6 mint leaves

1 to 2 shots white rum 

2 tsp. sugar

club soda or sprite 

Ice

Instructions

1. With a muddler, mash the mint leaves in a glass. Add the lime slices and do the same. 

3. Pour in the sugar and use the muddler to mix.

4. Fill the glass with ice.

5. Add the rum and then add soda to top the glass.

6. Stir and enjoy! 

Muffins are among one of my many favorite baked goods! These ones happen to be on the healthy side, but surprisingly good. If you don't care for things that "taste healthy", I would say these aren't for you. That is not to say they are not good though. Strangely, my dad didn't think they tasted healthy. Normally when something has whole wheat in it he is less than pleased. I know that completely contradicts my feeling that they taste healthy. It is a mystery to me how he doesn't think these taste "healthy", but I guess I shouldn't complain.

The original recipe said they were a bit dry. I added extra applesauce to fix that. I also decided to add some nuts. I would toast them next time, but I made these on a whim and didn't think of it until after the fact. You could add any type of nut that you wanted. There is no sugar added to these. Even with the applesauce and maple syrup, these are just barely sweet. Next time I may add dried apricots or cranberries. Get creative with these and add nuts, dark chocolate or dried fruit. Try serving them with a little butter or cream cheese.

Adapted from Living Lou
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4, scant, teaspoon nutmeg
1/4, scant, teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (2.25 oz bag)
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 real maple syrup
1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a muffin pan with liners or grease with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, oats, bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and walnuts in a bowl, to combine.
3. In a separate bowl combine the apple sauce, milk, syrup and egg.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing to just combined. Be careful not to over mix it!
5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the tops with bran and oats. 
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. These were best fresh out of the oven, just reheat them in the microwave! Try them with a little cream cheese or butter, delicious.

Tuna noodle casserole was one of those meals that was in the regular rotation growing up.  It came up quite frequently during the Lenten season.  The only fish our family ever ate was canned tuna, so Fridays usually alternated between cheese pizza and tuna noodle casserole. (I'm doing my best now to try different kinds of fish and seafood!)

I decided to make this on Ash Wednesday so that I would have leftovers to enjoy on Friday as well.    Mom never really used exact measurements when making this dish, so those I've listed are estimates, feel free to use more or less.  Personally, my favorite part is when you get a piece of green olive in a bite, so I like to add lots of those!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 oz) package whole wheat egg noodles
• 2 (5 oz) cans tuna (or 1 large can)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup green olives, quartered
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

1. Prepare noodles according to directions on package.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a casserole dish (or 9x13 inch Pyrex dish like I use since I don't have a casserole dish) mix together all ingredients except for whole wheat bread crumbs.
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of dish.
5. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until dish is warm throughout.

There was no special occasion for these cupcakes. Everyone thought I was crazy when I told them my only reason for making them was so I could test out my piping set that I got for Christmas (thank you again, parents!). This was the first time I ever piped frosting. It was an adventure. It was fun but also frustrating. I'm sure it will only get easier as I continue to practice.

This was also (surprisingly) the first time I have made cupcakes and frosting from scratch. I enjoyed it so much more than buying a boxed mix and a tub of frosting. I recommend everyone should try it sometime!

White Cupcakes

recipe from Betty Crocker's The Big Book of Cupcakes

Ingredients
2 3/4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp/ salt
1 2/3 c. sugar
5 egg whites
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. shortening or butter (I did 1:1 shortening and butter to total 3/4c.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 24 paper baking cups in a regular-sized muffin pan(s). This recipe yields 24 cupcakes.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat shortening/butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.
4. Add egg whites, one at a time and beat well.
5. Beat in vanilla extract.
6. On a low speed, alternately beat in the flour mixture and milk (adding increments of approximately 1/3c. each time).
7. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full (I found I had more batter left over if I filled them 2/3 full so I filled them closer to the top).
Note: If you only have one 12-cup muffin pan, allow the pan to cool before filling with the batter and cooking the second round.
8. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
9. Enjoy now or frost with the buttercream recipe below when completely cooled.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Savory Sweet Life

Ingredients

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar (I used 1/2 c. in addition to thicken)

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 Tbs. milk

If piping, 1 small spoonful shortening (this will help the frosting maintain shape)

Instructions

1. Cream butter for a few minutes with a hand mixer.

2. Slowly add cocoa powder and powdered sugar until well blended.

3. Add vanilla extract and salt and mix.

4. Slowly add milk and beat for another 3 minutes.

Notes: if the frosting is too thin, add more sugar; if it is too thick, add more milk. The frosting can be refrigerated for a couple of days but allow it to get to room temperature before frosting cakes, cupcakes, etc. 

The first theme for Cheese Club this semester was cheese and chocolate pairings. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to share some of my kitchen creations with a big group of people. They were a huge hit and paired wonderfully with the cheeses. The consensus was that these paired best with the Spanish Mahon compared to the other two cheeses we had.

Caramels are surprisingly easy to make and if you mess up it is not a big deal, just start over. The ingredients are inexpensive and the process isn't complicated or overly time consuming. The most important thing is to not cook them beyond 248F. I would suggest removing the caramel for the heat right before it hits the 248F mark, to be safe.

An alternative method is the cold water test. Prepare a small glass of ice water and as the caramel is about ready, drip a small amount into the cold water. You do not need to let it sit in the cold water for long, reach in and give it a taste for texture.

The caramels are wonderful without chocolate too. I dipped them into chocolate for Cheese Club, but it is tedious work. I got bored and started to dip just the tops or half of the caramels. You could always drizzle chocolate over them too. Have fun with it and get creative!



Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon french grey sea salt or fleur de sel
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 bag chocolate morsels (optional)
Instructions:

1. Spray a 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. 
2. Combine the cream, butter and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then remove from the heat, setting aside.
3. In a 3-quart saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup and water, over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil, without stirring but gently swirling the pan, until the mixture is a light golden to amber color.
4. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Carefully add the cream mixture (it will bubble up) and simmer, over medium-low heat, until the temperature just reaches 248F. DO NOT let it go beyond that or you will get very hard caramels. It will take 10-15 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and cool for 2 hours. If you want to add salt to the tops, wait for them to cool slightly or the salt will dissolve.
5. Once cooled, cut them into the desired size, wrapping them in parchment or wax paper. If keeping them for yourself, its not worth the fuss, just store them in an airtight container. 

Covering them in chocolate:

1. Using the double boiler method, place a glass or metal bowl with your chocolate, over a pan 1/4 to 1/2 full with simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. I chose this over the microwave because I can keep the chocolate warm. While the chocolate melts, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper for the finished chocolate covered caramels.
2. Once the chocolate is melted, dip them one by one into the chocolate, using a fork. Make sure to tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. If you want to add salt to the tops, let them cool slightly first. Let the chocolate set up completely and then store in an airtight container.