Smoky Chicken Spread

This recipe is so EASY and DELICIOUS! I've made it twice in the last week because I love it so much. The smoked almonds completely make this dish.

Smoky Chicken Spread

I think a few variations I will try with this recipe will include cranberries, apples, and grapes for the makings of a kick up chicken salad.

Grilled Pound Cake

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I am intrigued by it. I read it on a Facebook Ad I believe.

Take 2 slices of pound cake and place your favorite candy bar in between the slices. Place the pound cake on the grill and cook long enough for the candy bar to melt. Remove from grill. Serve with your favorite ice cream or top it with whipped cream.

I would assume it's best to cut your candy bar into smaller chunks to aid with the melt process, especially if you use, say a Snickers bar.

Can't wait to try this!

Lemon Pound Cake

My family loves lemon! So in my hunt for a lemon pound cake, I found two recipes worthy of making for the rest of eternity.

The first is a Zesty Lemon Pound Cake made completely from scratch. Not too terribly difficult either, a little time consuming, but worth it if you want to claim it's not from a box. It isn't overly sweet and has a wonderful moist texture. Family members loved the fact that there were real pieces of lemon zest throughout the cake. My mother said it was the best lemon pound cake she had ever eaten.

However, my mother has not tried the Lemonade Cake yet. My husband likes this version of the lemon pound cake better, probably because it was even moister than the Zesty Lemon Cake and a bit sweeter. The Lemonade Cake is a variation of a cake box mix, which makes it super easy for the time challenged individuals in today's world.

Potato Soup

My mom is a huge inspiration to me in the kitchen. There are days like today, overcast and chilly, reminding me of my mom and a huge pot of Potato Soup that she simply throws together with whatever ingredients she finds in the refrigerator.

Here's what generally goes in my Potato Soup:

In a large pot, put about 4-5 cups of water over medium heat. Add 2 vegetable bouillon cubes in and let dissolve. Peel 3 potatoes, slice into bite-sized chunks, and put in the pot. Add 3 sliced stalks of celery, 6 chopped green onions, and as many carrots as you desire. Today I used an Oktoberfest sausage, slicing it length-wise and then into half moon crescents. Bacon or ham can be used instead. Add 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. Simmer over low-heat until the vegetables are at the desired tenderness.

In a separate pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once butter is melted, add 4 tablespoons of flour. Mix until you have a thick paste. Slowly, add 2 cups of half-and-half or cream and 2 cups of broth from your soup pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Add mixture into the soup slowly. Serve soup with shredded cheese and crackers. Makes about 6-8 servings.

Effortless Bruschetta

2 tablespoons dried basil (of fresh chopped basil)

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes w/ garlic, drained (or if you are ambitious, use fresh tomatoes with the seeds removed)

1 baguette, sliced

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

Italian parsley leaves or minced fresh parsley (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, add the basil, 3 tablespoons olive oil (reserve last 2 tablespoons for the bread) and minced garlic. Mash the garlic up as fine as you can. Mix in the salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the Parmesan cheese and tomatoes (make sure you've drained these well). Set aside.

Brush your baguette slices with the reserved olive oil (or use olive oil in a spray can), and place on pan under the broiler until the slices are toasted. Spread cream cheese on each slice, top with basil-tomato mixture. Garnish with parsley. Makes about 24-30 slices.

Terry and I both loved this! The cream cheese tempers the acidic taste of the tomatoes and mellows the spices into a wonderful blend. I could eat an entire plateful and not flinch.

Yeast Doughnuts

Midnight is my hour to make bread. There is something relaxing about the smell of yeast to me. It's quiet and it's just me and the dough. After watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I could not get my mind off of making doughnuts. So off to the internet to scourer possible recipes. I found this recipe by Alton Brown: Yeast Doughnuts.

This recipe is one that needs to be practiced to perfection. I did not end up with light and fluffly doughnuts, but rather thick and heavy doughnuts with some substance to them. I topped them with a chocolate pecan glaze, which was probably my favorite part. My friends seemed to enjoy them, but again, this is a recipe I would have to make a few more times to get the hang of all the little quirks that come with frying dough.

Southwest Corn Spread

I found this tasty little appetizer in the Taste of Home Summer Appetizers July 14, 2009 issue while standing in line at the grocery store. All in all, I think it's a keeper as long as you know your eaters and how hot and spicy they like their food. The cream cheese and lime juice do offer some reprieve to the spiciness that makes your lips tingle. From start to finish, I was in the kitchen less than 10 minutes.

Southwest Corn Spread

Tips: Start with small amounts of the seasoning until you find your optimal spiciness. I know I did not add the full tablespoon of cumin. I used my kitchen scissors to cut the green onions up - saved me from washing a cutting mat. This dish can be consumed once you make it without the 4 hour wait time, although it is slightly better if the spices have a bit of time to mingle.

Alterations: I substituted the Lime Juice with Lemon Juice, and it tasted great. When I made this dish, I realized that I was out of cayenne pepper, so in with the chili powder. I'd recommend no more than a 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, and you should have a nice kick to it. A 7 oz. can of chopped green chilies found their way into the bowl instead of the 4 oz. can., and I upgraded to a 15 oz. can of corn. What can I say? I like corn. The walnuts stayed in the drawer on this one.

Welcome to Trail by Kitchen Fire!

Honestly, I've never had a kitchen fire. The far worst thing I've done is forgotten the toast in the toaster and returned to find a blackened slab of bread that butter could not even save.

Recipes come to me in a variety of ways: old family recipes, friends, cooking shows on television, restaurants, cookbooks, and the internet. I love to take what I see in front of me and improvise from there. My husband is my official taste tester.

I will try to include photos of all of the dishes I make, tips or tricks I've discovered, what I would change the next time, variations of the recipe, and how complicated and time consuming it really is. Recipes that I find on the internet (or from recipe books that have it listed on a website) and that I have not altered drastically enough to claim as my own creation will have the recipe as a link.

I will try to post once a week, depending on how crazy life gets between school, work and home life. Please feel free to comment on anything I've posted.