Baked Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2009

I think part of the problem with the recipe is that the directions aren't clear. It should state that you need to make a roux first. I knew enough to do that, but even then it was basically soup when I poured it into the baking dish. It did thicken up during the cooking, so I was pleased. It had kind of a mealy texture, and I think it would have been pretty flavorless if I hadn't added a shake each of garlic powder, onion powder and dried mustard. It was edible and tasted okay, so I am giving it three stars. I am going to keep looking for a recipe I really like, though, and I will not make it again.

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ALLYSONJANE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Groveland, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage

Reviewed: Aug. 28, 2009

We thought this was a really yummy recipe. (We were pleasantly surprised that it was so flavorful.) I doubled the recipe, and as with many recipes, it didn't need double the salt. I would cut back a little on salt if I double it again. I also added fresh minced sage, but I think I would skip it next time. I think the recipe would be delicious as it's written.

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Kate G.

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Westminster, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Shearers' Mince and Potato Hot Pot

Reviewed: May 12, 2009

Eeewwww! Way to greasy and bland!

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LITHRAI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Krazy Garlic Trout

Reviewed: Apr. 14, 2009

I give this recipe a five because the flavor was absolutely delicious..... at first. The only thing I changed was to add a little rosemary to the inside of the fish. Even though I give this recipe a 5..... Me and my family decided we don't like trout. The fish left a strange after taste in our mouths that we can only conclude came from the fish itself. The three huge fish I cooked were fresh caught that same day so I know it wasn't that the fish were bad. It tasted delicious at first. Everyone in the house said the same thing. "It tastes delicious." The flavor was amazing. Actually I was very proud of myself since this was the first time I ever cooked or even TASTED trout and the same was true for my guests. An hour or two after we ate... we all where saying the same thing again... "what is that funky taste in my mouth?" I didn't even want to try trout, but everything I read on this site said it was the same as any other white fish.... It isn't. It's good at first... but even as I am writing this... I can still taste the aftertaste... and I DON'T LIKE IT. Of course this is coming from someone who never tasted trout before so if you already know what trout tastes like then I'm sure you will love this recipe. As I said earlier... I give this recipe a 5 because the flavor was absolutely wonderful and at first bite I thought I discovered something new that I could add to my recipe box. If you already know what trout tastes like then I am sure this will be true for you. For

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Chocolate Nut Brownies

Reviewed: Apr. 3, 2009

I think these are delicious! after reading the other reviews, i wanted to make up some moisture, so i smashed two small bananas and added that plus 1/4 cup of apple butter. SOOOO TASTY. I think that all good brownies require a glass of milk with them, and these sure hit the spot. thanks for the recipe!

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Mo's_Mum

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Old Town, Maine, USA

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Angel Whispers

Reviewed: Mar. 31, 2009

With some changes these are great! I added 1/2 tsp. vanilla to the batter along with about 2 Tbl. sour cream. I didn't have enough lemon juice/zest for the filling so i used lime! They taste like tiny key lime pies!

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LITHRAI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Twice Baked Cheesy Potatoes

Reviewed: Mar. 26, 2009

I think that these needed an extreme kick to get them going! I baked red potatoes until done(drop the oven temp down to 250), then scooped them out to 1/4-1/2" thick and set the shells aside. The potato insides i put into a big bowl. Then I fried up 3 bacon slices(I cut them up with my kitchen scissors before i cook them), drained them, and sauteed them for a few more minutes with 3 tbspn minced garlic and some chives. I added this to the potato insides in the bowl, then I added 1 1/2 cp shredded cheese(your choice; I use chedder or colby jack), 1/8th cp ranch dressing, 1/8 cp parm cheese, 1/2 cp sour cream, 1/2 package cream cheese, and some pepper and mashed it all to a pulp. I scoop this mixture heaping back into the shells and top with some decorative cheese and chives for looks, and bake until the cheese melts. Once you try it, you'll never go back! My husband has declared it his favorite dish I've ever made!

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Mo's_Mum

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Old Town, Maine, USA

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Banana Banana Bread

Reviewed: Feb. 27, 2009

Heavy! It came out very moist! It is a very good base recipe, a little bland. Next time i will add cinnamon, nutmeg, applesauce and Vanilla? not sure yet. My daughter and I both loved the texture!

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Mo's_Mum

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Old Town, Maine, USA

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Lentil Soup

Reviewed: Feb. 19, 2009

I made this recipe according to the recipe given and it was very good soup. The salt-to-taste is the key here. Using stocks or seasonings that are based on salt do the same thing. This would be great with a vegetable stock, but this recipe gave me the hearty, rich lentil soup I was looking for. Thank you!

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BarryB

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Peanut Butter Vegetable Chicken Soup

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2009

I give this a 3 because I THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME!!! Everyone else that I served dinner to that night did not like it. AT ALL. Seriously. They all hated it. I ended up making grilled chese sandwiches for us all later because everyone was still hungry. I, however, thought it was delish!!! I can't think of anything I could have changed to make it better for my guests. I think they all just really didn't like the peanut butter taste. I never told them what it was, the secret ingredient, but they all hated it. They said it had a "burnt" taste and I assure you I did not burn this soup. Anyway... Personally I would give this a 4 or 5..... I loved it. But, when 5 other people all hated it.... I guess I have to take that into consideration when I give the recipe a score. So 3 it is. Sorry to the orignal poster. I loved it.

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Beef Stew VI

Reviewed: Feb. 11, 2009

I give this 4 stars as written. It's an excellent starter for beef stew but it needs a little more flavor. I read through the reviews and used some of the suggestions and it became a 5 star recipe. I added some ketchup, though next time I might just use tomato paste. I also added some worcestershire sauce and some garlic powder. Also, if you want to stretch this recipe... just add more water and boullion or broth and then add more vegetables. Use my tip below to thicken and you can feed an army from 1 or 2 lbs of beef. I also used flour instead of corn starch because it is what I'm used too and I think it just adds more flavor where cornstarch adds nothing but a thickening agent. Tip to those that have problems making gravy or thickening sauces with flour..... Add flour to cold water in a small container, (my dad taught me to use a baby food jar and that's what I still use today :) Then shake, shake, shake. Then you can pour the flour mixture into whatever it is you are trying to thicken. What I like about this method is that you don't really have to measure the flour and water. Just throw a couple of TBLS of flour in the container. Add enough water to shake it up and make a very thin paste. Then you can add a little bit at a time to your recipe until it gets thick enough to your liking. Then just throw the rest away. Perfect gravy, no lumps, EVERYTIME! Anyway... I know people hate it when you rate a recipe but make lots of changes to it. Just so everyone knows. I made

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Herb Roasted Pork

Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2009

I doubled the spices. Coated roast in evoo and then rubbed. Let it sit for a little while before roasting. Covered loosely until the last half hour then removed foil and basted frequently with glaze. I added balsamic and worcestershire to the glaze and I think a little brown sugar too. Anyway... used a four pound roast and cooked for about 2 hours. Came out PERFECT!. I also made a basic brown gravy with beef stock and after the gravy was done dumped all the pan drippings into the gravy boat and stirred it up. Was delicious!

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Pork Noodle Casserole

Reviewed: Jan. 14, 2009

Delicious!! I made it pretty much as written however I doubled the recipe and didn't have creamed corn. So I used one can of mushroom soup and one can of whole corn, drained and then I covered the corn in the can with milk until it came to almost the top of the can and then added a little sugar. Does that make sense? LOL! Anyway, I figured it would make up for the liquid that would be in the creamed corn and I didn't want to use 2 cans of whole corn because I thought it would be too much corn so I used a can of mushroom soup instead. I browned cubed pork sirloin in EVOO then removed it from the pan and threw in my veggies and sauteed them as well before adding to the mixture. I really thought that this was going to be dry. It didn't look like enough liquid to cook the noodles but after reading the reviews where other people thought the same thing but it came out OK, I decided to go ahead as it was. It came out perfect!!! I doubled the recipe because it was my turn to cook dinner for my husband and a couple of our friends and I didn't think it would be enough for all of us. Once I started putting it together I realized it would have been fine as written, but it was nice to have some leftovers anyway because everybody LOVED it!! My friends asked for the recipe and we will all be making this again! I forgot to mention that in the last few minutes I sprinkled cheese on top and p

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Broccoli Cheese Soup V

Reviewed: Dec. 16, 2008

I used vegetarian vegetable stock instead of chicken broth because I wanted my vegetarian guests to be able to partake. I just wanted to let others know that the recipe is still good with this change. I will make this often, and I will try it with the chicken broth next time.

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ALLYSONJANE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Groveland, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Beer Batter Fish Made Great

Reviewed: Dec. 9, 2008

delicious! i dipped my fish in flour like one of the reviews suggested and it came out great!

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LITHRAI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Pear Pie III

Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2008

i made this following the directions the 1st time and it was good, so i tweaked it a little to make it amazing! I added a pinch of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and about 1/2 cup milk. I cut the pears into slices and arranged them like the picture has. I was so good! even my picky little brother liked it! Make sure your pears are very ripe or they will still be crunchy when your custard is done!

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LITHRAI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Peanut Butter Fudge IV

Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2008

Easy to make yes. Good peanut butter fudge. NO. I followed the recipe to the letter at first, but as I was mixing it. I noticed the color was almost white. What kind of peanut butter fudge is white? I took a quick taste and realized that it barely tasted like peanut butter. It was more like marshmallow with a very slight hint of PB. I ended up addinG ALOT MORE peanut butter just to get the slightest taste of peanut butter in the final product. It WAS quick. It DID set up good and it was not bad for a quick "candy type" treat. Mine was not "taffy like" as others have said but I think it's because I added so much extra peanut butter. It is not creamy, it was more sugary and the color was way off. I have made "quick, no mistake fudge" type fudges before and everytime I make a peanut butter one it actually LOOKS the color of peanut butter and is smooth and creamy. I will not make this again. It was definitely NOT fudge. Candy, yes, FUDGE, no. As a "candy" it's not bad. I should add that it did all get eaten in my house, but everyone who ate it said it's definitely NOT fudge. One reviewer mentioned using evaporated milk instead of regular milk. That would probably definitely help with the smoothness of this candy as most good fudge recipes call for evaporated or condensed milk, even the ones that use fluff. Anyone who has never made real fudge before though would not know this. Anyone looking for a true fudge recipe, this is not it. I give this recipe 3 stars only because it wa

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Chicken Pot Pie IX

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

I made this recipe because it was almost the same as one I usually make. My family loves it, but I decided to look here for something different this year. I guess pot pies are pretty much timeless and the recipes don't change much, so I just went with this one. This isn't really that different from mine ... LOL, so I kinda followed it but used my years of experience to make it more to our liking. :) The things I changed where... I did dice and cook one medium sized potato first. Cooked, drained and then put it aside. I cooked my celery with the onions in the butter. then stirred in the flour (way less than the suggested amount) and then chicken stock. I added about a 1/4 to a 1/2 of poultry seasoning,(Bell's seasoning, actually) to the gravy mixture. I then added the chicken and frozen veggies and simmered just until heated through. I let the mixture cool slightly before pouring into the bottom shell. The biggest complaints I've seen about this recipe is the dryness. In my opinion that's because there is way too much flour being used for the slightly more than 2 cups of liquid. I reduced the flour to about 2 1/2 or 3 TBLS and I had no problem with the recipe coming out dry. I did not have to add extra liquid. I just reduced the flour. Lastly... I made this in a 13x9 pan. I can't say how long it took to cook. I just kept an eye on it. Maybe a 1/2 hour to 45 minutes??? I just cooked it until the crust looked done :)

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KBELLOISE

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA

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Country Style Fried Potatoes

Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2008

Not a bad recipe but its lacked a bit of flavor. I added a onion and cooked it in evoo. All around though a good dish either with breakfast or dinner.

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