So, as another way of procrastinating, this blog is brought to you via two finals and six papers and some Koine Greek flashcards.
I find that my cooking and baking is best if there is homework/studying to be done... and of course there is someone there to eat it. I don't want to be the only one adding on a few pounds! The baking is usually done in the evening, and then when I decide that dinner must be first so the appetite is not spoiled, the experimenting kicks in.
I learned from my parents, mostly my step-father, what experimenting is. I don't think he knows what too much is. I on the other hand, like simple yet things you would never think of in a pot, pan, or cast-iron skillet. There might be an occasional phone call to my friend who went through Culinary Arts school burning fingers, towels, and clothing. My first experiment of the year that I had not tried before was a casserole. And let me just say, the only casserole I had made up to this point was lasagna, and that's not a casserole. ;)
I used whatever I could find in the apartment, which was macaroni and cheese, frozen fajita chicken, broccoli, cheddar tillamook cheese, and pretzels.
I cooked the broccoli separate first until it was just getting soft. The macaroni was also cooked before hand with the cheese sauce mixed. I put the fajita chicken in the skillet on the stove to cook it a little before placing the broccoli on it, then pouring the macaroni around it, filling in all the space. Then I realized that casserole's usually have some kind of liquid that cooks into the food, so I poured milk in until I could just see it above the macaroni. After cooking it for maybe half an hour, I put the cheese on top, waited for it to melt, then crushed the pretzels and scattered them on top.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out alright. The Asians were impressed, and I was impressed it didn't taste like mush. The fajita chicken was a little odd, but it added some spice. My first casserole experiment was a success!
There were also some gingerbread cookies baking that night, that lasted for quite a while in the freezer. I found a wonderful recipe online last year for gingerbread that I have yet to lose! Love it! Maybe someday I'll post it.
It might have been the same night or a few nights later, but chocolate chip cookies were a must! And then the idea popped into my head... PAZOOKIE!
I used the toll house recipe and it turned out light and fluffy and super delicious. Four girls devoured this in five minutes with some milk to wash it down! Absolutely wonderful!
Even though there were several successes, there was one major failure to note.
Snickerdoodles.
Let's just say wax paper doesn't do so well in the over... or was it the wax paper? We may never know. PacRim chapel was without Holly's baking due to snickerdoodles that tasted like poison, which is where the name of this blog comes in, Holly in the Casserole.
A holly plant is a plant with pointy leaves (that hurt!) and red berries. The berries look harmless and actually pretty darn cool on top of a mud pie (there were a ton of these made in my grandparents backyard) but don't be misled! The berries are poisonous. My food may look nice and yummy, and the cookies may pop out of the oven at just the right time, yet beware! There may be some Holly in the Casserole!
-Mama Holly
