Cedar Fort Blog Tour: One Dirty Bowl (Review + Recipe + Pictures)

Here's a description of the book from Cedar Fort:

Create delicious desserts without making a mess! One Dirty Bowl indulges your sweet tooth while getting you out of the kitchen in no time. Whip up showstopping desserts like --White Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes --Very Vanilla Brownies --Hazelnut Puffs --3X Chocolate Cookies. From Christina Dymock, author of Young Chefs and The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, this cookbook will impress your guests and satisfy any craving. And these quick, tasty desserts only dirty one bowl, which means more time with your family and friends at the table. Fast desserts, faster cleanup—grab a bowl and get ready to bake!

My Review

One Dirty Bowl...but a wide variety of desserts! I enjoyed browsing through the bright, color-coded sections of this cookbook and peeking at the tasty-looking pictures scattered in between the recipes. The layout is simple and helpful: the ingredients are listed in an easy-to-see fashion, the amount each recipe will make is clearly noted under the dessert titles, and the writing itself is fun and flows well.

Some of the recipes require more ingredients and effort than what I'd probably invest at this particular stage in my life, but they still seem fairly simple, and something to try someday! (Maybe when I visit home and have access to my mom's fridge and dishes? *wink*)

What's missing: Well, I'd love for there to be pictures of all the recipes, and a little conclusion to wrap things up at the end would be nice. Otherwise (having tried one recipe so far, which was super easy and tasty), I think it's great, and there are even helpful measuring equivalents and an index in the back. Sweet!

*With thanks to Cedar Fort for providing me with a PDF copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Now available on Amazon (hard copy and Kindle ebook) and Barnes & Noble (hard copy and Nook ebook)! 

My Cooking Adventure

I decided that in order to give an authentic review of a cookbook, I ought to try one of the recipes (and the author gave me permission to share one with you all). I picked something pretty simple that would be easy on the budget and on my time (not to mention the fact that it's chocolate - that seems like a no-brainer, right?). So here it is, with my comments in blue...

Chocolate Crispy Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 25 large marshmallows
• 4 cups crispy rice cereal

Crisp Rice Cereal from Trader Joe's and chocolate chips and marshmallows from Target

Instructions:

Spray a 9 x 9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Amber: I went with a larger pan. I think it's 13 x 9, but don't quote me on that. The reason I used it? My 8 x 8 still holds some brownies, and I'm working on building up my cooking resources, so I don't have a ton of baking pans just yet.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.

Amber: I can do this! LOL.

Add the chocolate chips and marshmallows and stir well.

Continue stirring until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Amber: I turned up the heat just a bit to speed up the process. I stayed in the medium-low range. It still took a few minutes, but not so bad!

Add the crispy rice cereal and stir to coat.

Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. You can spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray to press the mixture into the pan if needed. Allow to set before cutting.

Amber: I didn't have to spray my hands - the mixture spread without much struggle on my part.

The recipe is supposed to make 9 servings, but I guess I'm getting more (albeit thinner) bars this way. 

And the verdict? Yum! I confess I like how thin these are - I think it makes them easier to eat. Mine didn't turn out super sticky, and they came out of the pan nice and easy. I really like the texture, and - of course - the chocolatey goodness! 

And guess what? Besides the utensils/measuring cups and the baking pan, it only took one dirty bowl. *wink*

About the Author

Christina Dymock graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Public Relations. She has been published in Woman’s World Magazine and several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and she is the author of 101 Things to do With Popcorn. She resides in Central Utah with her husband and four children. You can follow their cooking adventures at teachingyoungchefs.blogspot.com.

Now We're Cooking! - Creamy Chicken and Pasta

I've made it three times so far - and it hasn't let me down yet! Of course, my mom has helped by getting the chicken started (or boiling it for me...or buying an already-cooked chicken). But still, I'm making steps toward becoming more knowledgeable in the kitchen.

So do you want to know what's turned my household upside down? (OK, I'm being over-dramatic, but it is really good!)

From the Taste of Home Best of Simple & Delicious Cookbook, which a college friend and her sweet family gave to me for graduation, comes "Creamy Chicken and Pasta" (p. 15):

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked penne pasta

1 cup sliced green onions
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups cubed cooked chicken

Salt and pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese

[The recipe in the book adds 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms to be sauteed with the green onions, 2 tbsp drained capers to be added with the chicken, and notes that white wine can be used instead of chicken broth. I'm not a mushroom fan, I don't really care about the capers, and I think chicken broth works well - so I omitted those things. The recipe also gives set amounts for the salt and pepper - 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper - but I've learned you kind of have to experiment with the seasonings. These are just my personal changes, but we all have different taste!]

Directions

"Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions [or just the onions] in butter for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add wine or broth and garlic. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Combine the flour and water until smooth; gradually add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.

Drain pasta. Add the past, chicken, capers [or not], salt and pepper to cream sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 5 servings."

That's it! Here are some notes to remember, though:

• Unless you're fantastic at mincing - like Tiana in The Princess and the Frog - it might take a while to chop up all those green onions and cut up the chicken. So you can do those things ahead of time if it helps!

• There are a lot of steps to making the sauce, but it doesn't take too long - you just have to be able to devote your attention to it.

• Be sure to use a big skillet, because even though when you start out it seems like too much room, you'll be adding the pasta and chicken directly to the sauce.

• You might end up with a lot of dishes... But I think it's worth it! My parents and grandparents seem to enjoy this dish, and it's kind of fun to make!

(Pictures are mine from my birthday dinner last Sunday - I just made the pasta; my mom did the rest! I doubled the recipe so there would be enough for my grandparents, parents, and me. And my grandma made a delicious birthday cake for me! The recipe is from the Taste of Home Best of Simple & Delicious Cookbook.)