Today's Fox 10 Segment: Convenience Meals in a Jar

I always have an amazing time with my friends down at Fox 10 and today was no exception! We laughed so hard before they started taping that it almost kept me from being able to start talking!  What an epic team of good people who welcome me with smiling happy faces every time. I'm so thankful for all they do!  At any rate, here is today's segment on how to make homemade convenience meals in a jar.
 The recipes  are here! The original post that started it all is here. I do many free public service classes to help educate folks on basic cooking skills. For more on my upcoming classes go here.

Convenience Meal Planning In A Jar: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

There you go! Oh...and don't forget to share these ideas with your friends and family! 


My sister Emily did some wonderful pdf's for this tutorial and method, including an estimated price list, shopping list and recipe cards. Again, if you print or share these, you are required to include my contact information and website information. Thank you!

52 jar shopping list needs (1).pdf

52 jar meals recipe cards, 4 to a page (1).pdf


 Tutorial, 52 meals in a jar, EAB edits 2 (1) (1).pdf

52 jar meals prices and amounts.xls (2) (1).pdf

We Reached out 200$ Goal! WOW! That was fast!

Thursday I posted that I was going to be Walking For Auntie Em in the Step out against Diabetes Walk. It was for and in behalf of my darling sister Emily who has battled type one diabetes  for quite a few years! Well...it only took a little over 24 hours to reach our goal to raise 200$!! I'm so excited, thankful, and honored that I have such remarkable friends and support! You all are amazing! I'll keep going with the donations for the ADA and will move forward with the walk on Oct. 1st! If we raise 500$ I'll give away a free 25$ gas card to one of my donating friends...and I think if we reach 1000$ I'll do a free one cooking class for one of my local friends and 5 of their closest friends in their home (randomly picked). How's that?! Can we keep it going?! I think so! Thank you all for what you've done and I hope to only build on that! If you want to get involved...Donate Here . Together we ARE making a difference! I'm so proud to call you my friends! 


Your friend,
Chef Tess

Auntie Em's Birthday...Random Thoughts

Oh my Sunshine Twin Auntie Em had a birthday today. Yes, the girl who always got luscious strawberry shortcake for her birthday. April. It must be nice to have had berries in season. My birthday in November usually meant...spaghetti. I'm not complaining, it's still my favorite meal. It's just not this...

So, to her glorious credit, after a lifetime of being my sister, I can still call her my best friend. Even after those brutal 80's. Gosh what was with the frizzy hair? Or my brother the professor looking more like a surfer than a dorky-smartie-pants-know-it-all? Not that he was...everyday. This post is about Em though...who I shared a room with, fought over sweaters with, cried with...and survived. Happy Birthday. Life wouldn't be tolerable without you sis'ta.

That's all I have to say about that. Oh...and my mom is the same age in this picture as I am now. No comment.

The Book is Out!

Have you ever opened a gift that you could tell took so much love to make for you, that you felt your heart would burst at the gesture? That incredible moment when you realize that someone has taken their precious commodity of time and poured it into a gift beyond measure is absolutely priceless. I opened one of those gifts. It was an early Christmas gift from my sister, Auntie Em. The night of my dad's 60th birthday she could take it no longer, and had to have me open it right then. So I did, and my eyes brimmed with tears of joy. Dear sweet Em. Three months in her spare time had meticulously and in a very detailed manner compiled all my best recipes from Chef Tess Bakeresse and my Chef Tess.com websites. She had cut and paste document after document. Carefully she labeled and preserved my zany personality. Now it is all in one place for me to enjoy...and pass on to my children. She has in her own right, put into solid form, what I have tried to do this entire year...preserve my cooking for my children. I will never be able to thank her enough. I will also have to read it with a box of tissue just thinking of her sweet hands typing and organizing. It's unbelievable. Really.

If having the cookbook wasn't enough for any woman on earth...this made me sigh with awe. All the recipes on recipe cards...right on hand. I shall never be able to repay this gift. Ever.

All my love and greatest thanks. Once again, Em, you are the wind beneath my wings. My angel sister. I'm so glad you are a wonderful and intricate part of my life.

As a random end note...I visited a book store today and the owner said that if I got this book published, she would absolutely host a book signing. So...maybe, just maybe, that would be in the near future. Right now though...the book is out...here. Right here on my lap it's being adored. Thank you Auntie Em...the best editor money couldn't buy. Priceless.

My Birthday

As a matter of random thought...Sunday was my birthday. One of those epic old birthdays I don't want to talk about. Well, it's not too old yet...but it's peeking that direction and totally freaking me out. Yet with all the love I've felt I can't help but talk...

I didn't get a new puppy...despite my children looking as totally pathetic and cute as possible. In the early part of the weekend I was able to make pecan pie with my dear friend Gena (who's dog had puppies). Even with all the whining...no puppy. We did take home a pecan pie. Seems they don't leave pecan pellets on the carpet...unlike said "pathetically-cute" puppy.
I didn't get to see my sister, Auntie Em in person or go on a long rambling walk through the snow...but I did get to finally see her smiling face on Face book. Look at this face. What's not to love?! Smooooches. Big slobbery ones. She doesn't leave pellets on the carpet either.

I didn't have to bake a cake...but I did finally get those left handed bakers tips...and a new bag. There was also a 5 lb block of carmel and a 10 lb block of imported chocolate. My hips say..."Thanks mom". Jiggle jiggle...

I didn't get a new Sourdough starter(old ones are better anyway)...but I did get a new crock to put my 250 year old magic sourdough starter of joy and love in. Much nicer, I might add, than the old plastic container that used to hold the flax seed and I was to lazy to even take the label off. Thanks King Arthur. (Oh...and Mom again). Sniff deeply...that's love right there baby.

I didn't get a big party...but I did get...
Aunt Jen's amazing walnut brittle...no pellets here either.

Black and White fudge cake...feel free to bask in the chocolate glow. Yes, I did have it for breakfast. I will also be doing a full Zumba session this afternoon.

Today I had breakfast with Sally, my dear friend since I was 15 years old. This same Sally has the exact same birthday as I do, on the exact same year. No, I'm not telling how old I am. A woman who would tell that can't be trusted. She couldn't keep any secrets. Okay. Sally however, is 35.

One big "finally"... a pedicure. This my friends, represents the first in my life. Yes, this is the first real-from-the-salon-pedicure I have ever had. It was so wonderful to have Sally there to share the experience.

Birthdays are good for a lot of things. Most importantly for a sweet reminder that life is good, God is great, and I have been blessed beyond my ability to every pay it back. Thank the Lord for the greatest gift of all...His Son. Amen. There you go.

Chocolate Chip Cookies of Love.

It's been done before. I know. Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was talking to another food blogger about this phenomenon. It's the "BEST EVER"--syndrome.

It may be a wonderful recipe, the best I have ever used. Later, however, I may find one to top it. Not to mention that there is no accounting for taste and that though I may prefer a crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside cookie with a lot of substance, others may prefer one crispy and a lot flatter. It's like anything in life. I can love my husband, adore him without restraint, and yet if someone else was dating him, they may not feel the same way. For the record, if someone else WAS dating him, it better be a WAS. I've thankfully never once had to doubt his fidelity. He's one of those. Which may be one of the reasons I have total respect for the man.

Life, love, the spot on the dial. Whatever it is, right now this is the beginning and end of chocolate chip cookies...for ME. I hope you will agree, but then again, I won't die if you don't.

This is another Ace entry. I decided these cookies are a man's cookie. Needing to be pictured with a race helmet (He actually uses it when he works with Nascar teams), plaid and a grenade (yea, it's a toy so don't get your pantyhose is a knot). The TP is definitely a man thing. He doesn't care what is on the counter with the cookies...as long as there are cookies. I have to double the chocolate chips too, because every time I make them, Ace walks in the kitchen and wants to eat chips...


This is the girlie picture. See, the ladies can still eat them too.

The kicker is that half way through baking I turned around and Ace was eating the dough right off the pan. I made him stop so I could take the picture for "State's" evidence. Yup. I have proof. He eats right off the pan.

One of my favorite things to do is to top my cookies with a little coconut. If you don't like coconut, don't use it. Ace loves it...

The Chocolate chip cookie. A great American tradition.

My Sister, Auntie Em, sent me this recipe about a year ago. Ever since I have never returned to my older recipes. I know there are a million food blogs with similar entries. What would make anyone put another chocolate chip cookie posting? Well, I am posting one. My husband can't keep his hands off them. It's called Mrs Fields Cookies (but I've never seen them on any other Mrs. Fields knock-off website postings). Lets see if I can remember these from my brain....

or Em's brain. This is her recipe.

1 cup butter (I melt it a little so it makes a Carmel like cookie)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips (my family loves Guitard semi sweet )

1 tsp vanilla (I double the vanilla and also add a 1/2 tsp almond extract.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla.

Combine the flour mixture with the creamed butter mixture, just until combined. Add the chocolate chips. Scoop by rounded Tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper.

In preheated 350 degree oven bake until lightly golden, about 10-13 minutes. Remove these fluffy bits of goodness from baking sheet and allow to cool on dish cloth or foil on the counter top

Can you tell me what it is about these cookies that have such a power over me? Like my husband, they are irresistible.

There must be a scientific reason for my addiction! These are also good frozen. Form into balls using cookie scooper and freeze. Dump into freezer bag. To cook, pull from freezer desired amount to cook. Bake from frozen at 375 for 15 minutes, or allow to warm to room temperature and bake as directed above.

Variations:

Add 2T orange zest to batter.

Add 1 Cup chopped nuts of your choice (so awesome with hazelnuts or almonds, but pecans and walnuts are traditional)

Add raisins for the "Raisinette"

(which is the nickname I had for Auntie Em in High school but for a totally different reason...)

Whatever you add, be sure to watch your back, these seem to disappear without explanation!

Auntie Em's Low Carb Flourless Chocolate Diva Cups

Auntie Em's Low Carb Flourless Chocolate Diva Cups...

In the Evil Think Tank again Today with Tara, we had a special mission. If you've never seen the master minds working together, it is an unholy rift in the forces of darkness. I went to culinary school with Tara the Evil genius . I must say, if we weren't such nice people, one would think it was really wrong how we use kitchen alchemy. Evil only in ways to indulge. Really wrong. This special assignment came under very beautiful circumstances. Tara's friend is getting married soon and was in need of a gorgeous, yet low carb dessert to serve. This friend has lost an amazing amount of weight. I think she deserves to eat something delicious on her wedding day!! See, I am nice.
Since the gal was going to be the queen for the day, I thought I would take another trip to Oz. I put on my shimmering fluffy pink gown and tiara. I am the good witch!! Really!! ...Actually,my sister Auntie Em is diabetic. Em gave me a recipe several years back for low carb flourless cake that uses apricot jam in the mix, which adds a light fruit flavor as well as enough pectin from the fruit to help the cake set. The eggs and other traditional ingredients in flourless chocolate cake where there as well, but we wanted this to be extra special. So we topped it with sugar free chocolate mousse. Ending result. Inside it looks like this. Not bad for 11 carbs each. Crazy huh?

Piled High with chocolate mousse...

Get your stuff together...you'll need :
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs, separated,
6T butter,
1/3 cup sugar free apricot jam
1 1/2 cup splenda spoonful
2 tsp espresso powder (or pero for you Mormon folk)
2 tsp vanilla

Melt your butter and chocolate just until barely hot. For goodness sake, don't cook it too long or it will scorch and taste sooo nasty!!
Cool slightly, add the yolks
jam, splenda, espresso, and vanilla. Mix well.

Whip egg whites until firm peaks form.


Combine the chocolate mixture and the whipped whites









Don't mix too much, just lightly until combined

Pour into 7 free standing baking cups or silicone baking cups.

Bake 350 degrees 18-20 minutes, until just baked. Cool completely.

For Chocolate Diva Tiaras, put design paper under parchment paper:

Carefully follow the design with melted white chocolate.

Dust with culinary gold if desired.

Now we had to taste this just to be sure it was okay to serve to company. The coffee flavor masked the aftertaste of the Splenda. What we had was master genius. I think the Queen will be pleased. All hail!! So, hats off to Evil Tara. We had a blast today and got to make sure a friend didn't break her diet, even on her wedding day! It must be LOVE!!

Lyon-style Sun Bread...

The region around Lyon in eastern France that is known for this style of bread probably doesn't see a lot of cactus growth. So, this is the Arizona version. It's got poppy seed added, which for some reason reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. Giant flowers, poppies...the only thing missing are my ruby slippers. I am, of course, the good witch. I painted this bread with my magic wand and am sure there is a little munchkin giggling behind me. Hey, they even have an auntie Em. Now that is a random thought. Enjoy the picture anyway!