These first few meals I’m guessing will probably be easier to put together and better than the ones we eat towards the end of the challenge. Last night’s dinner was so good. It makes me sad I didn’t think about it earlier this summer. With a loaf of crusty bread it would make the easiest summer dinner. This dinner will make a reappearance in our meal line up.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN CAPRESE SALAD
Served 4 as a side or 2 as a meal

2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless (mine were thinner chicken breasts)
2 T butter I am all out of olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, a couple good splashes
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to your taste preferences
water

Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper on both sides. Coat chicken with a couple good splashes of balsamic vinegar. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add butter/oil. Add chicken breasts to the butter and sprinkle the garlic on top of the chicken. Cook about 5 minutes, turn breasts over and cook 4-5 minutes on this side. Stir the garlic so it doesn’t burn. Give the chicken breasts another splash of vinegar and a splash of water then reduce down to a lovely brown glaze. Remove chicken and turn off heat and remove pan. Let chicken sit 4-5 minutes before slicing thinly. Place chicken on assembled salad and pour glaze over top of the chicken.

CAPRESE SALAD
lettuce
4 thin slices of fresh mozzarella (it is soft)
2-3 Roma tomatoes sliced
2 sliced, cooked balsamic chicken breasts
fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste

Place lettuce on a large plate. Top with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes. Salt & pepper according to your taste preferences. Add sliced balsamic chicken and the balsamic garlic glaze. Top the salad with fresh sprigs of basil.

*The tomatoes and basil came from my garden

Let me briefly explain, to me food blogging was starting to seem like a giant popularity contest. Other blogs I would read would occasionally mention all the readers they had or I would see hundreds of comments on each post knowing that I would never have an audience like that. At first that saddened me and I quit writing, I have never been popular before why did I expect popularity through blogging. Basically it was a pity party, I magically wanted a pretty website with hundreds of readers.

This time off has made me realize that I miss sharing my recipes with others. So what if I don’t have legions of readers. Those big food sites deserve all the traffic they get. They have pretty websites with pretty pictures and eloquent words. I am ok with my twenty or so visitors (Hi Grandma!). I have learned a lot about cooking and food photography by doing this site. My site may not have the most eloquent descriptions or the most beautiful photos, but I am learning and that makes me happy. So that’s that. I hope to be back to a regular posting schedule.

OK….

How many times have you opened up the pantry or the refrigerator and while staring at full or semi-full shelves said “there is nothing to eat”? This is something I have said countless times since childhood I am sure. I have been fortunate in my life to never know the true statement of there is nothing to eat, there has always been food to eat. Today I opened up my pantry and thought “there is nothing to eat” and then it dawned on me how much food there actually was in the pantry. Every item in my pantry was bought for a reason even if that reason has long been forgotten.

With two grocery stores less than half a mile a way I have gotten lazy. It is easy to run to the store  (or have my husband stop on the way home from work) to pick up a specific ingredient for a meal instead of getting creative and using what I have on hand. The laziness and disregard for my grocery budget is stopping today. I am challenging myself (and you) to plan meals centered around what you have on hand.

I emptied my pantry shelves onto my dining room table. I was shocked to see that my table was covered with “nothing to eat”. It is embarrassing. I took pictures to show you what my “nothing to eat” looks like. There are no pictures of my refrigerator and freezer, they aren’t filled to the brim, but there is food in there I will use to make meals for my family. In the freezer there are several whole chickens, a pot roast, and shredded cheese which will help round out some of the creative meals.

So without further ado here are the pictures:

Here is everything from my pantry laid out in an embarrassing amount.

There it is all laid out for you. If you empty out your pantry please share your photos with me. The recipes I will post in the next week will be made using these ingredients. We are all out of bread so that is the first from the pantry food item I am going to make. I am really hoping to make it a week or more without having to go to the grocery store (other than for milk, butter/oil, and eggs).

I am looking for any meal suggestions you may have for me after looking at my ingredients. Or if you have any questions about what something might be let me know in the comments and I will get back to you.

LOOK HERE FOR A COLLECTION OF MY PANTRY RECIPES:
Balsamic Chicken Caprese Salad

Last night I harvested the first produce from my square foot garden. There was only enough for each of us to have a small sample. Currently there are tons of green grape tomatoes and tiny little green beans that will soon ripen and be ready to harvest. Last night’s little taste was a wonderful preview to what is ahead. I love that I can walk out to the garden and pick what I need for dinner. Mom and Dad shared some freshly dug potatoes with us over the weekend, which I boiled for dinner last night too. I am jealous of their 5,000 sq ft garden. Some day I hope to have an area where I too can plant an enormous garden.

What have you enjoyed from your garden this year already?

Recently I posted a recipe about pesto I made using basil from my garden. If you are a frequent reader then you already know I love all things pesto. Even though pesto and pasta make a terrific meal I wanted to add something more substantial to the dish. My first thought was to add some garlicky chicken, but alas, all our chicken was frozen. The next best thing was garlicky shrimp, especially since shrimp defrost very quickly under cool running water and cook in a flash. For me it was the perfect last minute solution.

This recipe cooks up in minutes and has minimal ingredients. If you really want to impress your friends with a dish that is delicious but requires very little work shrimp scampi is your winning ticket. Once cooked you could toss with your favorite pasta or serve as is with a nice crust bread to soak up any left over buttery garlic sauce. Your choice! I added it on top of the pesto pasta and my family thought it was perfect.

SHRIMP SCAMPI
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (I like the garlic bigger, feel free to mince if you prefer it smaller)
2T butter
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Over medium heat melt the butter in a saute pan. Add garlic cook for 1 minute making sure not to burn. Add shrimp. Turn the shrimp over once they turn pink. Cook until other side turns pink. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Give everything a good stir then serve.

*If you’re serving this plain with pasta you could add another tablespoon of butter and oil.
*Adding red pepper flake to the shrimp would be a nice spicy addition. I left it out because it is too spicy for my little girls.

OTHER SHRIMP RECIPES:
Shrimp Pasta from My Baking Addiction
Spaghetti with Shrimp, Broccoli, and Basil from Taste Food Blog
Shrimp Scampi from Nook & Pantry
Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Blackened Shrimp from Gimme Some Oven

Recently we went to a friend’s house for a barbecue (I am a huge fan of summertime barbecues). Wonderful food was served including watermelon salsa. I had never had watermelon salsa before and after the first taste, I knew I had to replicate it at home. To some the idea of sweet fruit combined with spicy jalapenos may not sound like a winning combination. Let me stop to remind you that the tomato is actually a fruit so went you are enjoying your favorite salsa you technically are enjoying “fruit” salsa. Right? My Dad and my Grandpa (who I wouldn’t classify as adventurous eaters) tried the salsa and liked it. I think they both said something to the effect of “It is different. Different but good.” as they each scooped up another chip full. If that still doesn’t convince you, I encourage you to follow the advice of my four year old, “Try it. You will like it.”

The watermelon provides a sweet coolness to an otherwise regular tomato salsa. Please make this for your Fourth of July get together or next family barbecue. This is a refreshing snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the coals to heat up, while you are sitting around chit-chatting with friends and family, and/or while you are enjoying a frosty beverage.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

WATERMELON SALSA
inspired by a friend

2 c ripe seedless watermelon, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large red onion, minced
2 jalapenos, minced –remove seeds and membrane if you don’t want it too spicy
handful of cilantro, chopped coarsely
1 lime juiced
season with salt & pepper as needed

Combine all ingredients in serving dish. Stir together. Season accordingly.

Feel free to add more of any ingredient according to your taste preferences. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

OTHER SALSAS:
Fresh Salsa from Jamie’s Recipes
Fresh Fruit Salsa from Guilty Kitchen
Blueberry Salsa from Kitchen Parade
Peach and Peppadew Salsa from Pinch My Salt
Mango Salsa from The Arugula Files

For my Nebraska readers the Belgian waffles at Petrow’s Restaurant in Omaha was the winner. I have never eaten there before so I can’t comment on the quality of the waffles. BUT if you do want my opinion on one of the best breakfast meals I’ve eaten in Omaha it would be the red beans and rice omelet from Dixie Quicks. Dixie Quicks is a small comfort food style restaurant. Their menu is on a giant chalkboard and items get erased when they run out. If you want to try Dixie Quicks reservations are recommended during the week and are required for Sunday brunch.

OK breakfast eaters, do you agree with the results that Food Network Magazine came up with? If you were in charge of writing that article what restaurants/breakfasts would you include? Where is your favorite breakfast served in your city or state? Please share in the comments.

Here are the magazine’s results:

Alabama: Eggs Mauvila at Café 615, Mobile
Alaska: Reindeer Sausage Omelet at Gwennie’s Old Alaska Restaurant
Arizona: The Over Easy at Over Easy
Arkansas: Banana Pancakes at The Pancake Shop
California: Fantastic French Toast at Marston’s Restaurant
Colorado: Breakfast Burrito at King’s Chef Diner
Connecticut: The Portuguese Fisherman at Kitchen Little
Delaware: Sausage Sandwich at Helen’s Famous Sausage House
Florida: Philadelphia Scrapple at Skyway Jack’s
Georgia: HabersHam and Eggs at B. Matthew’s Eatery
Hawaii: Ahi Steak and Eggs at Eggs ‘n Things
Idaho: Oatmeal Soufflé at Red Feather Lounge
Illinois: Vegetarian Scrapple at Ina’s
Indiana: Paxton’s Potatoes at Village Deli
Iowa: Our Famous Pancake at Grove Café
Kansas: Buenos Dias Frittata at The Chef
Kentucky: French Toast at Lynn’s Paradise Café
Louisiana: Got Boudin? Omelet at Café Des Amis
Maine: Fresh Buttermilk Pancakes at Boyton-McKay Food Co.
Maryland: Shirley’s Affair with Oscar at Miss Shirley’s Café
Massachusetts: Doughnut at Craigie on Main
Michigan: The Cowboy Curtis at The Fly Trap: A Finer Diner
Minnesota: Pastrami & Egg at Be’wiched Deli
Mississippi: Beignets at Triplett-Day Drug Company Soda Fountain
Missouri: Rooster Slinger at Rooster
Montana: Haystack at Goode’s Q & Bayou Grill
Nebraska: Belgian Waffle at Petrow’s Restaurant
Nevada: Cowpoke Quiche at Dish Café
New Hampshire: Littleton Buckwheat Pancakes at The Littleton Diner
New Jersey: The Slider at Summit Diner
New Mexico: Atole Piñon Hotcakes at Tecolote Café
New York: Poached Eggs with Curried Lentils, Yoghurt and Cilantro at The Breslin
North Carolina: Fried Chicken Biscuit at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen
North Dakota: Rancher Skillet at Kroll’s Diner
Ohio: Cinnamon Rolls at Omega Artisan Baking
Oklahoma: Steak and Eggs at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse
Oregon: Triple Berry Toast at Green Salmon Coffee House
Pennsylvania: Strawberry Hotcakes at Pamela’s P&G Diner
Rhode Island: Johnnycakes at Jigger’s Diner
South Carolina: Fried Green Tomatoes and Shrimp with Grits at Marina Variety Store Restaurant
South Dakota: Buffalo Steak Tips and Eggs at Blue Bell Lodge at Custer State Park Resort
Tennessee: Tennessee “Jack” Egg Sandwich at The Capitol Grille
Texas: Reggie’s Weekend Special at Torres Taco Haven
Utah: Sill’s Famous Scone at Sill’s Café
Vermont: Penny Cluse at Penny Cluse Café
Virginia: California Huevos Ranchero at Kuba Kuba
Washington: Corned Beef Mash: at The Braeburn Restaurant
Washington DC: Fried Chicken, Eggs and Waffles at Founding Fathers
West Virginia He-Man Breakfast: at The Poky Dot Diner
Wisconsin: Swedish Pancakes at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik
Wyoming: Chicken-Fried Steak, Eggs and Potatoes at Sherri’s Place

Last week my basil was finally big enough to harvest some leaves for my first batch of pesto. When I did my weekly grocery shopping trip I planned to get Parmesan cheese and pine nuts (I always have garlic on hand) for the pesto. Much to my surprise pine nuts were $29.99 per pound at Whole Foods. Eek! I knew they were a costly little seed but I was surprised at the actual price tag. Not wanting to spend that much I was just going to buy walnuts since I’ve used them before when making pesto. As I was reaching for the walnuts I saw the sunflower seeds and recalled I still have a small stash of them at home. So the walnuts went back on the shelf. The sunflower seeds I had were salted and roasted so I skipped adding any extra salt to my pesto. The pesto was quickly made in my food processor and tossed with some fettuccine.  To make the meal a little more substantial I made some shrimp scampi (recipe here) to toss on top.

I think the sunflower seeds worked wonderfully in pesto. They are a really nutty tasting seed and combined with the Parmesan cheese and garlic I thought it was delicious. Have fun with your pesto and switch around which type or nuts or seeds you use. Give the sunflower seed pesto a try, I think you will like it. Do you have a favorite nut or seed you use in your pesto? Let me know in the comments.

BASIL & SUNFLOWER SEED PESTO
2-3 c Basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c roasted sunflower seeds (without the shell)
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
2-3 T olive oil, enough to loosen the mixture

Place everything besides the olive oil in the food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Turn food processor or blender on so it will continuously blend. Slowly stream in olive oil -just until the mixture is loose. Toss with cooked hot pasta. Enjoy!

*I like to reserve 1/4 c or so of the pasta cooking liquid to add to the pesto. This allows for it to coat the pasta easier without adding more oil.

OTHER DISHES WITH PESTO:
Deconstructed Pesto with Beet Greens & Garlic Scapes
Baby Bok Choy Pesto
Sausage and Spinach Lasagna Rolls with Pesto Tomato Sauce
Pesto Couscous
Tuna and Pesto Sandwich
Spaghetti and Meatballs

On Saturday evening we joined a small group of people at a sushi making party. It was so much fun and I can’t wait to have my own sushi making party so I can share pictures and recipes with you. For the party I wanted to make a fun dessert that would compliment the sushi theme. At Whole Foods I found sweet matcha powder and used that to make homemade green tea ice cream. Before making the ice cream I hadn’t tried green tea ice cream before so I wasn’t exactly sure what flavor I was trying to create. The ice cream was smooth, sweet, and creamy with a subtle green tea flavor. Everyone seemed to enjoy it at that party. My daughter’s loved the (natural) green color of the ice cream. I am looking forward to cranking out many delicious ice cream recipes this summer.

GREEN TEA (MATCHA) ICE CREAM
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
4 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
6 large egg yolks

*I used 1/2 c sugar and 3 T sweet matcha powder

Warm milk, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan. Pour cream into a large bowl and whisk in green tea powder. Set mesh strainer on top. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and slowly pour in the warmed milk mixture, you don’t want scrambled eggs so pour slowly and whisk constantly. Pour the contents back into the pan and stir over medium heat with a heatproof spatula. Continue to stir until mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Remove from heat and pour the custard through the strainer, stirring it into the cream. Whisk vigorously to dissolve the green tea powder. Stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

OTHER WONDERFUL ICE CREAM CREATIONS:

Honey lavender ice cream by Homesick Texan
Earl Grey Ice Cream by At the Baker’s Bench
another David Lebovitz recipe: Gianduja Gelato at Two Peas and Their Pod
Cherry Frozen Yogurt by Simply Recipes

Here is my dad hoeing a row for potatoes. As you can see they have a lot more space for a garden than we do.

At the beginning of the year I ordered my seeds from Johnny’s Seeds. The first gardening lesson I’ve learned is that in order for my tomato plants to “bulk up” for planting outside next year I will need to start the seeds much earlier. Since the tomato plants were so little I did purchase plants from Menard’s. My pepper plants still seemed a little scrawny but I planted them with hopes they will still produce. I have plenty of seeds leftover so next year’s garden seeds will be started earlier. I am excited about my garden. Below are pictures of the gardening box and my garden.

Sorry for the poor quality photo, I took it with my cell phone. I built a 4 foot x 4 foot gardening box using 2 – 8 foot long 2×6 cut in half, a 4 ft square piece of 1/2 inch plywood, and some chicken wire left behind by the previous homeowner. If you want to build your own garden box make sure that the wood you use is untreated. On the bottom of the gardening box (the plywood) I drilled drainage holes about every 3 inches. Once the box was built I moved it to a nice sunny spot on part of our driveway. I placed the box on a couple of 2×4 to prop it up to allow for proper drainage. The box was then filled with a combination of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. Along side of the gardening box I have pots with herbs and a couple of boxes for my lettuce.

Basil is on the left side of the photo with Bibb lettuce (which will be turned into a salad tonight) in the boxes.

Starting at the top left to right: Sage, lavender, cilantro (in the green pot), mint, Bibb lettuce, and basil

Starting from top left moving to top right:
Green beans and Burgundy beans in the top 3 squares and grape tomato in the final square
jalapeño pepper/green onions, Roma tomato, mixed colored bell pepper, grape tomato
jalapeño pepper/green onions, Roma tomato, mixed colored bell pepper, grape tomato
jalapeño pepper/green onions, Pink Brandywine tomato, mixed colored pepper, grape tomato

QUESTIONS FOR EXPERIENCED GARDENERS:

I live in Nebraska. When should I start my tomato and pepper seeds?
What is the best way to stake tomatoes in a SFG?

Have any of my readers tried a square foot garden before? I would love to hear your tips, lessons learned, and gardening stories.

In high school I worked at Hy-Vee (a local grocery store) in the produce department. Every Saturday and Sunday I would make dozens of vegetable and fruit pizzas. It was fun getting to make pretty designs using the fruit. I probably made hundreds of each when I was working there, and it has been since high school (nine years ago) since I’ve made one. It seems so silly since it is so easy to make and easily adapt to whatever fruit is in season.

A simple sugar cookie dough, cream cheese frosting, and top with whatever fruit your family likes would make a beautiful fruit pizza for a brunch, picnic, or a barbecue gathering. My two little girls who love to help in the kitchen enjoyed rinsing the berries and pressing the cookie dough into the pan. They enjoy helping any way they can.

Check out your farmers markets for fresh local berries.

FRUIT PIZZA

SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH:
from Pinch My Salt

2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar
1 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In separate bowl mix together flour, soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Slowly and in batches add the flour mixture making sure it is completely mixed together.  Press into a jelly roll pan (17 x 14) making sure to come up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust looks golden. Cool.

CREAM CHEESE BASE:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together all ingredients. Spread over cooled crust.

Top with your favorite fruits. Some fruit topping ideas: kiwi, grapes, berries, orange segments or mandarin oranges, apple slices, bananas, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, plums, shredded coconut, the possibilities are endless. If you want to use apples or bananas give them a squeeze of lime juice to help stop them from browning so quickly. Have fun and be creative! ENJOY!

Forgive me, I haven’t practice Spanish since college, I am a little rusty. What I hope I said is: Happy Cinco de Mayo! I love to celebrate the cultural heritage of Mexico, especially if it is to include Mexican food.

I have posted some of my favorite Mexican recipes time and time again. At 6 months old my uncle was feeding me chips and salsa. Once I got my first taste I couldn’t stop. This is the first salsa recipe I’ve done and truthfully it is more of a method than a recipe. It is easy to make mild or super spicy, in small or large batches, whatever your fiesta requires.

This year I planted a garden which includes tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro so I can make garden fresh salsa. I can hardly wait!

SALSA

*This is for a small-medium batch of more spicy than mild salsa

4-6 Roma tomatoes
3-4 jalapenos (*I left in the seeds for added heat)
1/2 white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of cilantro (no stems)
juice of 1/2 a lime
pinch of salt
tomato juice (enough to make it as liquidy as you want)

Chop tomatoes, peppers, and onions in to small pieces. I like to throw everything into my food processor add garlic and pulse until desired consistency. Add cilantro, lime juice, salt, and tomato juice. Give it a couple more pulses to mix it up. Taste and season accordingly.  ENJOY!

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips and top your tacos or fajitas with it. If you have any leftover it is delicious spooned over scrambled eggs the next morning. Yum!

*If you want a less spicy salsa use fewer jalapenos or remove the seeds and membrane since that is where the heat is.

MORE CINCO DE MAYO RECIPES:

Margarita Cake from Recipe Girl
Grilled Chicken Fajitas from Annie’s Eats
Chunky Guacamole from The Cooking Photographer
Black Bean Guacamole Omelette from Closet Cooking

Almost two months have past and I haven’t shared pictures of Sasha’s birthday cake –oops. Both our families came to help her celebrate. It is always fun having a house full of people since I love to entertain. I made two different kinds of lasagna, Caesar salad with homemade croutons, and garlic bread.

My inspiration for the cake was her current favorite animal. We searched high and low for a seahorse piñata, and after visiting every party store in Omaha we came back empty handed. She was so sad that she wasn’t going to have a seahorse piñata at her party. I wanted to surprise her with a seahorse cake. I made a white sheet cake using a recipe from allrecipes.com. I love the use of almond extract in the cake batter it adds a little something special to a plain cake. The cake tasted good although it was a tad dry which made me sad since I haven’t baked a dry cake since high school. The frosting is vanilla buttercream and colored with AmeriColor gels*. These food gels are now my favorite way to color frosting. The colors are really bright, and I found that I had to use less gel to achieve my desired color. The best part is you don’t get that yucky food coloring aftertaste. I free-handed the seahorse on the cake first, and added everything around it after the seahorse was complete. This method worked best for me instead of frosting the entire cake then adding the design on top.

Sasha did not know what her cake was going to look like, I wanted to keep it a surprise for her. When we went to the craft store I had her pick out the gel colors that she liked. Once we had the colors she liked I had to figure out how to decorate her cake with those colors. I think the colors she picked out worked wonderfully for an under the sea cake. With each birthday cake I make, I realize that I really enjoy the cake decorating part. I wish I was more artistically inclined but if my cake brings a smile to my daughter’s face that is good enough for me.

Happy Birthday Sasha!

*I just want to say that I really liked the AmeriColor gels. I was not paid or compensated to share my opinion.

This is a perfect recipe to get your children involved in the kitchen. Don’t worry if any seeds get into the measuring cup you can always strain them out. While your child/children are busy squeezing lemons you can make the simple syrup. We will be making this lemonade countless times this summer.

Has anyone tried making lemonade using agave syrup instead of sugar? If so please let me know.

LEMONADE
1 c sugar (use more or less depending on your preference)
1 c water
1c fresh squeezed lemon juice* (it took us 6 lemons)
1 qt cold water (less or more depending on flavor preference)

Heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water until sugar is dissolved.Turn off and let cool.

Roll lemons between your palm and the counter top to release the juices or pop them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Squeeze lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice. Strain lemon seeds from the juice.

In a pitcher stir together lemon juice and sugar mixture. Add 1 quart cold water until you achieve a tart/sweet flavor your family enjoys. Serve over ice. ENJOY!

*You could substitute equal parts lime juice for a delicious limeade

Amish friendship bread is the culinary version of a chain letter. If you don’t bake your friendship bread your friendship with the person who gave you the starter is doomed –ok maybe I am exaggerating a little. I don’t think the Amish are that cruel. Actually according to trusty wikipedia Amish friendship bread may not actually have any connection to the Amish people –Shocking!

My sister-in-law is an Amish friendship bread baking master. I am not sure of the actual number of loaves and muffins she has baked, but I would venture to guess over a dozen. She baked a couple of the traditional cinnamon sugar loaves for a family brunch we had last month. That was the first time I had the bread since middle school/high school when my friend Amber had made it and shared her starter with me. With my starter I wanted to make something different than the traditional cinnamon and sugar friendship bread. The combination of lemon and poppy seeds evoke feelings of happiness for me. I knew if I could pull off a lemon poppy seed friendship bread it would be the perfect way to celebrate Spring.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD -LEMON POPPY SEED VARIATION

2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1.25 oz (1 container) poppy seeds
2 (3 oz) boxes sugar free lemon pudding mix
2 tsp lemon extract
1 c starter*
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c no sugar added applesauce
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Mix well. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In another bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.

Pour mix into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing bread from pan and transferring to wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!

*When you remove your 1 cup of starter for this recipe you will have 2 cups of starter left over. Put one cup into a ziplock bag for your friend and the other one cup you will keep for yourself. You can print off directions for how to feed your starter here.

Dinner rolls are not high on my priority list when I am cooking dinner, truth be told they are more likely an after thought. For example, after I set the food on the table I think to myself, hmm some dinner rolls or fresh bread would really round out this meal. Unfortunately if you do not have any of those “heat to serve” dinner rolls sitting around there is no way to enjoy them with your dinner that night. Like most yeast breads dinner rolls need (I really had to resist typing KNEAD –I love a good pun!) to be a forethought since you have to knead, then let double in size, then shape, then let double in size again, and finally you are able to bake them, all which take plenty of time.

Luckily for me and for you since I am sharing it, I found a recipe which allows you to have piping hot dinner rolls on your dinner table in about one hour from start to finish. This recipe is awesome because I just start it a little bit before I would normally start prepping for dinner. For me it was not a huge change in my cooking routine.

I found this recipe months ago from Holly at Phe/MOM/enon (congratulations on the new babe). She adapted a recipe from My Kitchen Cafe and posted about it in November and I marked it as a recipe that I wanted to try. This is a daily habit of mine. I sit down and read my Google Reader and star all the recipes I want to try some day. Currently I have hundreds of “want to try” recipes marked. I have maybe tried a handful (a small handful) of these recipes. It is such a shame. To fix this problem I have decided that a couple times a month I am actually going to try some of these recipes and share them with you. After all, I would like it if people would try my recipes instead of saying “that sounds good, I will have to try that some day” and some day never comes.

That being said, a recipe from the famous Ree at The Pioneer Woman was also starred. She had made some delicious Buttered Rosemary Rolls using frozen bread dough. Well Ree recently posted about these Rosemary Rolls again which jogged my memory and I knew I had to make them soon. First I tried Holly’s recipe a couple weeks ago only I substituted half of the AP flour for whole wheat flour. My family loved the dinner rolls, and I was happy how quickly they came together. They were so light and fluffy. Fast forward to this week, when we were going to have spaghetti for dinner and didn’t have any frozen garlic bread around. The solution was to combine Holly’s recipe with Ree’s recipe and throw in my own touch. My family really enjoyed the soft, subtly garlic herb dinner rolls with our spaghetti. The garlic flavor didn’t come through as much as I hoped it would, next time I make these I will try doubling the garlic amount or adding roasted garlic instead of minced.

PERFECT DINNER ROLLS
I first saw it at Phe/MOM/enon
1 1/2 cups warm water (11o degrees F)
1 T instant yeast
2 T granulated sugar
2 T vegetable oil (I used Olive Oil)
1 tsp sea salt (I used Kosher salt)
4 c AP flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup & leveled off

HERE ARE HOLLY’S INSTRUCTIONS:

In your mixing bowl stir together water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until creamy.

Add oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat on low speed with the paddle attachment. While still on low speed add 1 additional cup of flour stir until incorporated. Switch to dough hook and add the final cup of flour. Mix until dough pulls away from the bowl, then turn speed up to medium and knead for 5 minutes –or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn dough to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place until dough doubles in size –about 20-30 minutes.

Dump dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate and press dough into a rectangle. Cut dough in half vertically, then vertically again into thirds so there are 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip into fourths so there are 24 equal pieces of dough. Pick up each piece and lightly cup it under your palm on a clean surface. Press lightly and rotate and roll the dough quickly so it forms a ball. If you’re really good you can do one with each hand, thus speeding up the process.

Place each dough ball into a greased 9×13 baking pan in rows of 4 (about 1/2 inch apart). Cover the rolls with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap and let double in size while the oven is preheating to 400 degrees F –about 20 minutes. Brush rolls with melted butter before placing in the oven for a nice golden brown color. Bake for 15 minutes.

HERE IS WHAT I DID:
Since I do not have a dough hook for my mixer, I used my bread machine on the dough setting.

In addition to Holly’s ingredient list I added in 1 T minced garlic. Next time I would add more. The garlic flavor wasn’t as strong as I hoped.

Place all ingredients in your bread machine in the order your machine recommends. Turn the machine on the dough setting, but do not walk away. Allow the dough to knead for about 5 minutes after all the ingredients are incorporated. Once the dough is smooth place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and put in a warm area until the dough doubles in size –about 20-30 minutes.

Once the dough has doubled in size, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate while carefully pressing into a rectangle.  I followed the instructions from Holly’s recipe for shaping the rolls. Cut dough in half vertically, then vertically again into thirds so there are 6 equal strips of dough. Cut each strip into fourths so there are 24 equal pieces of dough. Pick up each piece and lightly cup it under your palm on a clean surface. Press lightly and rotate and roll the dough quickly so it forms a ball. If you’re really good you can do one with each hand, thus speeding up the process.

Like the Pioneer Woman’s recipe I greased my cast iron skillet with melted butter and placed six rolls in the pan (the other rolls I baked on a regular baking sheet) cover them with a dish towel and let rise for about 20-30 more minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

While the rolls are rising gather:

2T butter, melted
1-2 tsp dried rosemary
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp dried basil
generous pinch of Kosher salt

Mix together the herbs and salt. Paint the melted butter on each roll. Sprinkle a generous pinch of the herb and salt mixture over every roll.

Bake rolls for about 15 minutes until nice and golden brown. Enjoy!

*Sorry for the funky coloring in my pictures. It was dark outside by the time I finished baking, and I don’t have any of that fancy photo editing software.

My brother-in-law (who works in a restaurant kitchen) probably loves food as much as I do. He made me this soup for lunch a couple weeks ago. It was wonderful. He boiled the potatoes in chicken stock, and once they were tender he added rest of his ingredients. Brilliant! I can’t believe I never thought about boiling cubed potatoes in chicken stock and using that starchy boiled stock in the soup. This is truly a one pot meal. You can make a lot or a little in a short amount of time. This soup is great for those “it is so cold to do anything” type of days, and this winter we have had plenty of those.

POTATO & HAM CHOWDER

4 c chicken stock
4 medium-large Russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 yellow onion, minced (could use leek)
2 cloves garlic, minced
bay leaf
1-2 c ham, cubed (could use bacon)
1 c whipping cream
1 can(fat free) evaporated milk
5 slices of American cheese
salt & pepper
garnish with sliced scallions

In a large pot add potatoes, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Add ham, cream, milk, and cheese. Stirring until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. ENJOY!

On store shelves today you will find so many convenience foods. Jarred spaghetti sauce, canned refried beans, chicken stock in a box, and so on. Now I will admit, I do buy these convenience foods. They make cooking dinner, well, convenient. Convenience is nice but there is something special about making things from scratch. I have made my own spaghetti sauce before (if you follow the link you will see a goofy picture of me when I was about 13), I love making my own “unfried” beans, and in the past I have given half-hearted attempts at making chicken stock.

This time I wanted to do it right. I wanted to make a beautiful golden colored chicken stock. Doing it right to me meant that I would roast a whole chicken, clean the chicken off the bone, and toss the bones in a large pot with all the aromatics and let it do its magic. I am happy to say that I succeeded.

Somewhere a long time ago, possibly on an old episode of The Splendid Table Lynn said the secret to a golden colored chicken stock was tossing in the onions with their peels still on. I am not sure where I heard it for certain but I am glad I did because my stock turned out a beautiful golden color.

CHICKEN STOCK
makes about 2 quarts
1 roasted chicken carcass
1 onion, quartered –peels still attached
4 celery stalks
3 carrots, unpeeled *I used handful of baby carrots
2 garlic cloves sliced
1 bay leaf
a pinch or two of dried rosemary and thyme
3 quarts water

Toss all ingredients into a large pot and bring to boil. Once boiling place lid tightly on the pot and turn burner down so the pot is simmering for 1 1/2 hours. Check the liquid level a couple times during the duration to make sure there is plenty of water in the pot. If you think the liquid level is getting low you can add some more water. After 1 1/2 hours remove the lid, turn the heat back up and boil for 20-30 minutes. Some of the liquid will boil off, which allows the flavors in the stock to concentrate. Add salt & pepper if needed.

Using a fine mesh strainer pour the finished stock into jars. Refrigerate until cooled. A band of fat will form on the top of the stock. You can remove this before using if you’d like. Since this is fresh stock I would use with in a couple days. Or you can freeze it. I recommend pouring stock into ice cube trays, once frozen place stock cubes in a freezer bag. Pull out as many as you need to add flavor to your favorite dishes. Enjoy!

The first time I tried this recipe was last year for Valentine’s Day, and it was my first attempt at making anything gluten free before. We invited friends over (who also have young children) for a Valentine’s dinner party. Being Valentine’s day and all I knew I wanted to make a dessert. I found the recipe on Gluten Free Cooking School’s website.

This year instead of making a whole cake I made little heart shaped cupcakes for my husband to bring to work. I am assuming everyone liked them, because the cake pan came back empty.

You could make this in two round cake pans, and have yourself a beautiful red velvet layer cake. I however, chose to make mine into heart shaped cupcakes. My mom bought me some silicone heart shaped cupcake molds and I was excited to use them for the first time. Needless to say, some of the cupcakes got stuck in the mold. Looks like I am not the only one that has had an unfortunate experience with silicone cupcake molds. There is a whole discussion at The Kitchn about baking with silicone molds –they actually made red velvet cake in theirs too. Maybe it is the cake and not the mold?

GLUTEN FREE RED VELVET (CUP)CAKES
from Gluten Free Cooking School

1 3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten (room temp)
1 c. brown rice flour
3/4 c. sorghum flour
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 c. milk substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. red food coloring (this is one of the McCormick’s bottles) *I used just enough to give the batter a reddish color. Less than 1/4 of the bottle.
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together oil and sugar. Add one egg making sure it is completely mixed in before adding the other egg.

Sift together all the dry ingredients (leaving out the cocoa powder) in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the oil, sugar, and egg mixture in FOUR parts. Alternating the flour and buttermilk. Make sure the last one added is the flour mixture.

Make a paste out of the vanilla, red food coloring, and cocoa powder, and stir into the batter.

Pour batter into two greased and floured (GLUTEN FREE) round cake pans OR fill cupcake molds 2/3 the way full.  Bake for 25 minutes for the cake pans OR about 18 minutes (turning pans about half way through) for the cupcakes. Test the cakes and/or cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness.

Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, room temperature
2-3 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped nuts

In mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the sugar while mixing on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.

You can stir in the chopped nuts or sprinkle the nuts on top of the frosted cupcakes. ENJOY!

OTHER RED VELVET (not gluten free) CREATIONS:
Red Velvet Cupcakes from Rue le Sel
Red Velvet Macaroons from delectable deliciousness
Red Velvet Bundt from Recipe Girl

Goldilocks & Red Riding Hood

It has been awhile since I have shared a sewing post. For Christmas this year I sewed some storybook friends for two of my nieces. I used the pattern for the Black Apple Doll from Martha Stewert’s site. You can download a template here.

The arms using the enlarged template seemed to be too skinny which made them difficult to turn. The dolls I made ended up being bigger than the template. I also wanted my dolls to have the appearance of longer hair, so I cut out two smaller pieces of hair from the felt. I didn’t have any fabric paint, so instead I cut the eye out of felt and hand sewed them on and hand stitched the mouths.

I gave these dolls to my nieces along with the appropriate book featuring the doll (Goldilocks and The Three Bears & Red Riding Hood).  These dolls are truly easy to make. The most difficult part for me was trying to sandwich the stuffed legs and arms in between the body front and body back and sewing it on my machine. If you have some sewing experience you probably can sew one doll from start to finish in a little over an hour.

Have fun sewing!

The temperature here in Omaha has been several degrees below zero for what seems like the past month, with last week finally giving us a must needed reprieve with temperatures near the freezing mark. With all this cold weather I figured no time like the present to try to make this dish. After shoveling snow (and giving myself a fat lip with the shovel handle) I knew that homemade noodles with chicken would be the perfect meal to warm me up.

I am warning you that this isn’t an impulse dish. After the noodles are rolled and cut, they need to dry for two hours, so plan accordingly. I have made homemade egg noodles in the past, using my Great Grandma Dorothy’s recipe. When making the noodles this time I had forgot all about her recipe and used one from an old cookbook (which I will post about later since after googling it I learned it is worth more than the $4 I paid for it at the antique store).

My mother-in-law makes her homemade noodles with chicken using chicken broth to add moisture. I used boneless/skinless chicken breasts, which I thought were slightly dry. I thought the noodles and chicken needed something a little more substantial than broth to bring it together; so I mixed up a little chicken gravy and added it to the dish. It brought it together nicely. This dish was very warm and comforting on cold Nebraska night.

HOMEMADE NOODLES WITH CHICKEN
noodle recipe from Mary Margaret McBride’s Encyclopedia of Cooking

2 c sifted enriched flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 or 3 teaspoons cold water (I had to add a little more water)

Sift flour with salt into mixing bowl or onto a board (I mixed it together on my counter top). Make a “well” in the center.

Drop in eggs and combine with a fork, adding spoonfuls of water as necessary to form a ball of dough that is compact but not hard.

Knead dough until as smooth and elastic as possible, about 5 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured board (I just floured my counter top). Use the rolling pin from the outer edges toward the center, turning the board as necessary for easier rolling.

When the dough is rolled evenly thin, let stand 20 minutes in order to dry so that it will not stick together when rolled up.

Roll up lightly and use a very sharp knife to slice 1/8 inch thick, or 1/4 inch thick for broader noodles.

Toss the noddles lightly to separate them and spread on lightly floured surface. Let dry thoroughly at room temperature, about 2 hours, then store in covered jars. (I used  my noodles immediately)

TO COOK THE NOODLES:
Drop by handfuls into boiling soup or boiling, salted water (I used chicken stock) for 10 minutes. Strain, reserving 2 c chicken stock.

FOR THE CHICKEN:
I used three boneless/skinless chicken breasts which I poached* for about 10 minutes. Using two forks I shredded the chicken.

* Put chicken into pot, add enough water to cover chicken. Bring chicken up to boil. Once boiling put lid on pot, take off heat. Let sit 7-10 minutes before removing the chicken.

FOR THE GRAVY:
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken stock

Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook for a couple minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Simmer until gravy thickens.

Combine shredded chicken and noodles. Pour a little gravy over and toss to combine. You want just enough gravy to coat the noodles and chicken.  Serve as is or with boiled potatoes. (I used boiled purple potatoes) Season with salt & pepper.

Many of you may have plans to attend or host a New Year’s Eve party or a New Year’s Day brunch. Here are some recipes from my archives that may inspire you. I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2010. Thank you for reading, I enjoy your comments and feedback so keep it coming.

See you in twenty-ten!

Jamie

NEW YEAR’S EVE IDEAS:

Boneless Chicken Wings

Olive Penguins

Date and Cheddar Cheeseball

Homemade Irish Cream

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH IDEAS:

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Gluten Free Sticky Rolls

Marbled Chocolate Banana Cake

Breakfast Cups

Egg Bake or Breakfast Casserole

Have faith dear reader, you can make these yourself. You need to be patient and keep a watchful eye on the candy thermometer. Some people (more experienced than I) can do this without the trusty thermometer. If that is you congratulations. The sugar mixture will turn a lovely caramely brown when it is done. Or if you are like me and prone to burning sugar when you try to do it by “eyeing it” it is done when the thermometer reaches 300 degrees F.

These toffee bars should be added to your holiday treat platter. Make them for your family, make them for your friends, make them for your neighbors, and snitch some for yourself. Wrap them up in pretty paper and give them as gifts.

CHOCOLATE COVERED TOFFEE “HEATH BARS”
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2 T water
1/2 c chopped pecans
2 c chocolate chips

Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Lightly grease the foil, and set aside. Melt butter, sugars, and water in a heavy sauce pan over a medium high heat. Using your candy thermometer monitor the sugar temperature. Stir constantly until it becomes a carmely brown color and the temperature reaches 300 degrees F, turn off burner and remove pan, stir in pecans (I forgot this step so I sprinkled them on top once they were covered in chocolate). Pour sugar mixture onto jelly roll pan and spread out. Wait a couple minutes as the sugar cools and the toffee begins to set.

Using a pizza cutter slice toffee into desired size. Let cool completely. (As you can see in the top left corner my daughters and I had to sample the plain toffee. It was amazing )

Once toffee is completely cooled and hard, gently break apart into individual pieces. Put chocolate into a double broiler and melt gently. Drop one piece of toffee in at a time, cover completley with chocolate, shaking excess off, and place onto parchment paper to cool completely and have the chocolate set.

If you want to sprinkle with chopped nuts do so before the chocolate cools. ENJOY!

Becoming a food blogger has caused my children to want to pose with the food. They are some silly girls!

HOMEMADE “BAILEY’S” IRISH CREAM

I made this for the first time in the spring. It was deliciously creamy and would make a wonderful addition to your holiday party.

LOW FAT PUMPKIN BARS

If you aren’t all pumpkind out from Thanksgiving, give these delicious pumpkin bars a try. The cream cheese is swirled into the bar instead of smeered on top. They clock in at just under 70 calories per bar. Not too shabby, concidering all the high sugar and fat filled treats that are tempting us on every holiday table. *I am pretty sure these bars would taste wonderful with the Irish Cream.

APPLE PIE TWO WAYS:

APPLE PIE WITH STRUDLE TOPPING

The studle is made of oats, flour, and sugar. I personally love oats and apples together.

APPLE BRIE PIE

This pie is the first time I made a double crust pie from scratch. I hadn’t realized how easy it was before. The combination of brie and the spiced apples is one of my newest favorite flavor combos. Don’t be afraid, give it a try!

OATMEAL CRANBERRY COOKIES

For me cranberries are a favorite this time of year. These cookies are also lower in calories than your typical Christmas cookie. If you aren’t concerned about calories (lucky you!) you could toss in some white chocolate chips to take them to another level.

EGG BAKE/BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

I love brunch! I think it is a perfect meal/menu for family get togethers or an office party. Eggs are so forgiving, if meat isn’t your thing you can toss in roasted vegetables and this dish is still delectable. This strata/casserole is wonderful hot out of the oven but if you need something to bring to your office potluck it is still delicious served at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite seasonal recipes. Happy eating!

Here are the results from last year.

Happy Eating!

Many months ago I found these adorable penguins when I was gawking at foodgawker. It was love at first sight. I couldn’t wait until my next party so I could make them.  Luckily for me my penguin loving daughter was having a birthday party. These appetizers were a hit, and they sent the cute factor through the roof.

All you need is two different sized pitted olives (I used jumbo and small), soften cream cheese, whole carrots, and toothpicks. With a little time and effort you too can have an appetizer that will be a real ice breaker at your next party. Sorry for the cheesy pun, I couldn’t resist.

OLIVE PENGUIN APPETIZERS
as seen at Once Upon a Plate
Jumbo pitted olives
small pitted olives
soften cream cheese
whole carrots
toothpicks

Drain the juice from your olives. Peel the carrots and slice into coins. Take the jumbo olive and cut out a small wedge. Fill with cream cheese. Cut a small triangle out of the carrot coin. The triangle now becomes the penguin’s beak. Insert the large end of the triangle into the opening of the small olive. Place the small olive on top of the jumbo olive, secure with a toothpick. Place carrot coin on the bottom of the jumbo olive, pushing the toothpick far enough in so it pierces the carrot. Line up the penguins on a platter for an adorable penguin army. Enjoy!

December 2007 I started this web log, and I really had no idea what I was doing. I love cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, and it seemed to me that recording my recipes in my virtual recipe box would be a great way to document my cooking process and save my recipes. This whole process has been a “learn as I go” adventure.

A few areas where I want to improve are the quality of my writing, the quality of my photographs, the frequency of posts, and to create more of a relationship with my readers. Getting feedback from readers helps me to hone my skills. Have you tried any of my recipes before? Did it work? Did you adapt it in any way? Do you make something similar? Let me know! I would love to hear from you. Please share.

Here are the top 5 posts:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls/Sticky Buns
The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Bread Bowls and Broccoli Cheese Soup
Baby Bok Choy
Chicken and White Bean Soup

Here are the top 10 countries that visit:
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Australia
Singapore
New Zealand
Malaysia
Philippines
Ireland

Top States where visitors are located:
California
Nebraska (were I live)
New York
Iowa
Texas

Traffic Sources:
62% Search Engines
31% Referring Sites
8% Direct Traffic

Another interesting tidbit. Most of my spam is written in Russian or comes from a .ru address.

If you want to stay up to date with my postings you can subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the Entires RSS in the far right column under the Meta headline.

Happy Eating!

Jamie

Before you get excited about this Danish breakfast treat, I must let you know that you have to have a special Æbleskiver pan. Æbleskiver pans have several half-circles which you pour in your batter and fry that side first. Then using a skewer or knitting needle you flip them over to fry up the other side. For years I have been wanting a pan, and within 10 months I have been gifted two (thanks Mom & Grandma!). Below are pictures of what my two pans look like.

With Fall in the air and Thanksgiving right around the corner, I have been seeing lots of recipes featuring pumpkin pop up. Nicole from Pinch My Salt made pumpkin cake doughnuts that I could not get out of my mind. I have made yeast doughnuts before, and have always wanted to try my hand at making cake doughnuts. Unfortunately, one needs to plan ahead if one wants cake doughnuts for breakfast. This is where the idea for pumpkin Æbleskivers was born. Æbleskivers don’t require all the time that is required for doughnut making, but taste just as wonderful. Instead of dusting them with powdered sugar, I rolled them in a sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg mixture. I served the pumpkin Æbleskivers with a dollop up whipped cream. I hope my Danish ancestors would be proud of my adaptation.

PUMPKIN ÆBLESKIVER
2 1/4 c AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 T sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
4 T butter, melted
2 c buttermilk
vegetable oil for frying

Whisk together dry ingredients. Stir together egg yolks, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and butter milk. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Beat egg whites together until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites in to the batter.

Over medium-medium high heat preheat your Æbleskiver pan. Pour a little oil into each cup. Add about 1-2 T of the pumpkin batter to each cup. Cook for about 2 minutes, then using a skewer or knitting needle turn each Æbleskiver over. Cook for another 2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Toss with sugar mixture. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. ENJOY!

SUGAR MIXTURE
1/2 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix all together.

WHAT OTHERS ARE COOKING UP:
The Mennonite Girls made Frosted Pumpkin Doughnuts
Food for Thought made traditional Æbleskivers
and of course the inspiration Pinch My Salt’s Pumpkin Doughnuts

I found my recipe on a delicious site called Baking Bites. Head over there to check out what other tasty treats Nichole is baking up.

MARBLED CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE
from Baking Bites
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 ripe, medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream (*I used light mayo)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 12-cup bundt pan (12-inch diameter).
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs one by one, waiting until each has been incorporated to add the next. Beat in vanilla extract and mashed bananas.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mix and stir to combine. Add in the sour cream (or mayo), followed by the remaining flour mixture.
Remove 1 1/2 cups of batter into a small bowl and stir in cocoa powder.
Pour 2/3 of the plain batter into the prepared bundt pan, top with cocoa batter and spoon the rest of the plain batter on top. Run a knife through the batter gently to swirl.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Serve plain, or dusted with powdered sugar.

*Mayo provides a slight tanginess, and can be found in other chocolate cake recipes.

Five Generations: my Mom & Sasha, me & Penelope, Great Grandma Dorothy, and Grandma Bonnie

I recently received a ton of apples that grew on my Great Grandma Dorothy’s tree. Over the years I am sure she has made thousands of pies, crisps, crumbles, and gallons of applesauce and apple butter. As I was peeling and coring apples yesterday I thought about my 89 year old great grandma standing in her kitchen. I began to wonder if she was doing the same thing. Maybe she was, I know she has a lot of apples to use up.

This apple pie was a complete experiment. It was inspired by a baked brie I made for our housewarming party. I sauteed apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnut together until the apples were soft. I then poured them over a wheel of brie and baked it until the brie was soft and gooey. It was wonderful, and a perfect appetizer for fall. I thought to myself “hey people put cheddar cheese in or on their apple pie, maybe brie would be a good substitute.” It was. I am happy I tried it.

This pie triggers a lot of memories. I think about my adorable Great Grandma Dorothy, about my successful baked brie I served at our housewarming party, and it warms my heart in that cozy kind of way that signals the changing of the seasons.

APPLE BRIE PIE
for the crust:
makes enough dough for a double crust pie plus scraps
2 1/2 c AP flour
2 tsp salt
1 c butter, cold and cubed
1/2 c ICE cold water

In a large enough bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in butter with forks or pastry blender until the flour looks coarse and crumbly. Stir in ICE water one tablespoon at a time, until combined and flour clumps together. You may or may not use all the water depending on the humidity level. Dump dough onto plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or at least an hour.

for the filling:
6 medium size apples
lemon juice
1/3 c white sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
3 T corn starch
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
7-8 oz Brie

Peel and corn all the apples. Cut apples into thin slices and toss with a little lemon juice. Stir in sugars, corn starch, and cinnamon. Remove the rind from the brie, and cut into slices. Toss with apple mixture. Set aside while you roll out your dough.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the dough from the refridgerator. Let it rest for about 5 minutes (it makes it easier to roll out). Divide dough in half and roll out each section so it is pretty thin. Transfer one sheet to into your pie dish. Poke holes into the dough with a fork. I did not pre-grease my dish before putting the dough in. I had no problems with the dough sticking to the pan.

Drain off majority of the apple juices. Dump the apple mixture into your pie dish.

Place the second sheet of dough on top of your pie. Crimp the edges to seal.

I used this neat-o pie crust crimper thingy that I got a couple years ago for 10 cents at a thrift store. It is a pretty useful tool.

Slice vents into your crust. I used a leaf shaped cookie cutter and cut out a vent. Beat one egg. With a pastry brush, brush the egg over the entire crust. This makes your crust golden and beautiful.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is a lovely golden brown color. After the first 15-20 minutes of cooking cover the edges of your pie with a pie crust shield. Or you can use foil like I did. Avoid all temptations to cut into your pie as soon as you remove it from the oven. Try to wait at least an hour before digging in. Enjoy!

P.S. Just in case you were curious this pie pairs well with coffee, I tried it out this morning (for research purposes) and it was very good.

Two years ago Penelope was a newborn. She is 24 hours old in that photo. In the last two years she has grown and changed so much. She is a very sweet, loving, funny, opinionated, wonderful toddler. She loves penguins. For Sasha’s birthday we had a fiesta theme, and I thought it would be fun to go with a penguin theme for Penelope. Little did I know that it would be impossible to find penguin party supplies. Who would have thought? I called several large party supply stores in the area, and none of them had any penguin stuff. Happy Feet wasn’t released that long ago, and The Penguins of Madagascar is a popular cartoon so I thought I was going to have to settle for having one of those penguins featured at our party. How wrong I was. So we didn’t have any penguin plates, napkins, or balloons. Instead I made cute little penguin appetizers and a giant penguin cake. Penelope loved them both.

I took the easy way out when it came to Penelope’s cake. I used two cake mixes (devil’s food and funfetti) to make the penguin’s body and wings.

The penguin’s head was baked in a 6 inch round cake pan, and the wings were baked in a 8 inch round cake pan then cut in half. I used the funfetti cake mix to bake a 8 inch round cake for the body, two regular sized cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes which were used for the feet and beak. I actually used 3 mini cupcake per foot and I turned one mini cupcake upside down to make the beak.

I frosted the cake using  vanilla buttercream and chocolate buttercream.

When assembling the penguin’s feet, I found it to be easier to secure the cupcakes together using toothpicks, then frost each foot as one unit.

My penguin loving Penelope had a great second birthday. Thank you to all who helped us celebrate.

One thing that I love about this house is that it is double the space of our previous apartment. Which means we actually have space to entertain, and I love entertaining. A couple weeks ago we had our first of hopefully many cocktail parties. Alex mixed up drinks popular in the 1960s and I made a bunch (too many) appetizers for our guests to enjoy.

One of the appetizers I made was Swedish Meatballs. These particular kind of meatballs are typically served in a creamy brown sauce. You could eat Swedish meatballs as a main course served with mashed potatoes, but they make the perfect appetizer served on a toothpick.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS
from Alton Brown, Good Eats with my own method
2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck (I used 1 pound)
3/4 pound ground pork (I used 1 pound)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

My method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Alton’s method (which I followed here): Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

My method: Scoop up about 2T of the meat mixture. Roll into a ball (should be about the size of a ping-pong ball). Place the meatballs into a 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, turn meatballs, bake another 10 minutes. In order to make the gravy I added some of the drippings from the baking dish into my preheated (medium heat) cast iron skillet. I followed the rest of Alton’s directions for making the gravy.

Alton’s method: Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Enjoy as a tasty dinner with mashed potatoes or rice, or as a fun appetizer!

I love entertaining. Cooking for my family and cooking for others make me happy. I can’t sing, I can’t draw, but I sure can whip up a mean dinner. I like cooking because it is one “creative” thing that I do well. When Alex suggest we throw a little party I was incredibly excited, and the menu planning began immediately. Even though a handful of our guests were unable to attend, I still made too much food. Which meant that I haven’t had to cook much this week (I made vegetable cheese soup with the leftover relish tray and cheese platter). We ate the leftover appetizers for both lunch and dinner on Sunday.

For some reason I did not take any photos of the table full of food or any during the party. Instead I spent my time hovering, making sure we weren’t going to run out of crackers or carrots. Which was silly because we had plenty of both.  I do have a few photos of some of the food I made and over the next few days I will share those recipes with you.

Our house was built in 1962 and the 1960s became our inspiration for some of the food and drinks we served. Alex poured Tom Collins, vodka gimlets, and White Russians and I made a cheeseball, Swedish meatballs, and fondue (just to name a few). I wasn’t around in the 1960s so I did a little googling and found out that a cheeseball was a common appetizer served during that era.

CHEESEBALL
8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used fat free cream cheese)
8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature
1 c dates, pitted and chopped up
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

It is VERY important your cheeses are soft in order for them to combine. Throw everything besides the walnuts into the food processor. Turn it on, and let it spin until the cheeses and dates have combined.

Scrape cheese out on to some Saran wrap. Using the Saran wrap, press the cheese together to form a ball. Place Saran wrapped cheeseball into a bowl and refrigerate until hardened (I did my overnight).

Place chopped walnuts in a round cake pan or shallow dish. Take the cheeseball out of the fridge and remove the Saran wrap. Roll cheeseball in the walnuts until the outside is covered. Serve with crackers or thinly sliced baguette. ENJOY!

I feel sorry for the eggplant. It either is said to taste like dirt, or it is breaded and fried and served with a red sauce. I don’t think eggplant tastes like dirt –however I will say that it does have an earthy flavor to it, and to be honest I have never had eggplant parmigiana. Maybe I should use the cute little eggplant sitting on my counter and try eggplant parmigiana a for the first time. When I bought my first eggplant I wanted to use it in a way that wasn’t breaded and fried. Shaheen from The Purple Foodie came to the rescue. She had just posted a recipe for stuffed eggplant, after reading the recipe I knew that I had to try it. I have recommended this recipe to several people. Please try it just once, it will change your opinion of eggplant.

STUFFED EGGPLANT
from The Purple Foodie

1 lg eggplant
2 T olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ tsp ground coriander
salt & pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (drain the juice)
1 bay leaf
1 c ricotta
1/3 c finely grated Parmesan
1 T fresh cilantro
2 sausages or 2 slices ham, finely diced, or omit this if you’re vegetarian (I have left the meat out every time)
1 egg, beaten
Extra fresh cilantro, chopped (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut eggplant in half, placing in baking dish with cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes. You want the eggplant to be tender (so you can scoop it out). Lower oven to 375 degrees F. Leave eggplant skins in baking dish. They will be filled later.

Scoop out the tender eggplant and mash with a fork. Set aside. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add coriander, cumin, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes -stirring often. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add tomato, bay leaf, and extra salt & pepper if desired. Cook for another 3-4 minutes stirring often. Add the eggplant flesh and cook for 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Remove from stove.

Stir in the cheeses, cilantro, and meat. Once the mixture had cooled slightly stir in the beaten egg. Divide mixture in half, filling each eggplant, drizzle stuffed eggplants with a little olive oil. Place baking dish in 375 degree F oven, and bake for 35 minutes. During last 10 minutes of baking sprinkle on additional Parmesan.  ENJOY!

*I think it would be really good to subsitute the diced tomatoes for a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)

My parents planted buttercup squash in their garden this year, and they brought me a couple when they came to help move us. I wanted to use this squash in a way that was different from roasting it with butter and brown sugar. Although it is delicious that way, I felt the squash deserved something a little more savory.

Sometime I read a recipe somewhere using roasted pumpkin and turning into a creamy sauce to serve over pasta. Unfortunately I don’t recall where I read that but it stuck with me. I thought it was an interesting way to use pumpkin that wasn’t a pie, cheesecake, bars, or bread (all of which I love). Last night when I was looking at that squash and wondering how to use it for dinner I recalled the pumpkin pasta. I figured there is no harm in turning one squash into a sauce to serve with pasta. If it totally sucked I would throw out the sauce and just dump a jar of Prego on top of my pasta. Since my husband was still at work while I was cooking he would never have to know. Well, lucky for me the sauce turned out to be delicious. The girls actually asked for a second helping and thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers today for lunch. YAY! This is a real fall winner dinner.

CREAMY BUTTERCUP SQUASH PASTA
1 buttercup squash
EVOO
salt & pepper
2 T butter
2 c half & half (I used fat free)
1/2 tsp dried sage
scant 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c water
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

your favorite pasta cooked to al dente

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut squash in half, scooping out and disguarding seeds, cut each half in half. Drizzle EVOO over squash pieces and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place flesh side down on jelly roll pan and roast for 40-50 minutes. When you start to smell it, check on it. The squash should be very tender. The squash skin should peel right off. Mash squash flesh and stir in water (don’t add it all) you want it to be wet but not soupy.

Over medium heat melt butter in a large skillet. Add half & half and squash puree. Stir until combined. Stir in sage and cinnamon. Heat until simmering, stirring frequently. Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. If sauce still seems thick stir in additional water or chicken stock.

Toss sauce with pasta and ENJOY!

*If you are going to reheat pasta in the microwave add a little water to it so the sauce becomes creamy again

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE COOKING UP:
Recipe Girl has a delicious sounding Butternut Squash Risotto with Rosemary & Blue Cheese
The Noshery cooked up a tasty looking Roasted Butternut Squash, Pear and Onions with Blue Cheese

We bought a 1962 ranch house, where a lot of the 60s features still remain. For example I have a lovely pink bathroom –you know the kind, with the pink sink, pink toilet, pink tub/shower, and pink tile. I also have some pretty cool lights in my kitchen, and some not so cool asbestos tiles in the basement.

Speaking of the kitchen, I took some photos to give my dear readers a mini tour.

Here is the south wall of the kitchen. You can see the original Nutone exhaust fan. The cabinets are original and have that honey-orange color. The walls are painted a buttery yellow and are that color throughout the living room, dining room and hallways. I thought I always wanted a yellow kitchen but now I can’t wait to change the color. Our oven is a GE space saver. This is my least favorite part of the kitchen. I burned my hand pulling out my 9 x 13 casserole dish, because the oven is so tiny. I have always wanted to host the Thanksgiving day meal, but now I am concerned that I won’t be able to roast a turkey in my pint-sized oven. The stove has 3 small burners and only 1 large burner. This too is a bummer since when I cook I usually use two pans that require the larger burner. I am sure I will adapt. I also have to store my Kitchen-Aid mixer on the counter since it is too tall for any of the cupboard shelves, and too tall to put under the cupboards themselves.

Here is the east wall. The window looks out to our driveway and the street. It is a nice view to have while I am washing dishes. The tear drop shaped light fixture is original to the house. I love it. We found the original hardware for the cupboards in one of the cupboards. I hope to get it cleaned up and back where it belongs.

This is the west wall. On the other side of the wall is our dining room. Alex and I have talked about whether or not we are going to keep this wall. It was suggested that we do a sort of half wall/island with cupboards underneath. I really could use the additional cupboard space. The previous homeowner left us the black and white Formica table with a matching “hutch”.

This is a view of the west and north walls. Trust me the purple has to go! So does the terracotta orange. That same purple is in the master bedroom, along with purple carpet and yellow closet doors. The purple, terracotta, and yellow are repeated throughout the house. Ick! In this photo you really can see the table and matching hutch, and the cool hanging light. The doorway on the right of the photo is our entryway and stairs to the basement.

I hope you have enjoyed a peak into my new kitchen. I can’t wait to start cranking out some delicious family meals. I do have a confession to make, our first family meal was fish sticks. Ack! Hey when your house is full of boxes, your children are hungry, and it is past bedtime you get desperate. Please don’t judge.

Is it Autumn yet? Lately I have been craving food that makes me feel warm and cozy. Usually soups and homemade bread seems “too hot” for August, but lucky for me August in Omaha has yielded some wacky weather. This wacky weather has produced days that top out in the high 90s and other days that top out in the lower 70s. It is on these cooler days that I start yearning for Fall. I like living in the Midwest and enjoy the changing of the seasons. Soon we will say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall. I love Fall. I love wearing flip-flops, jeans, and a hoodie. I love the first bowl of chili. I love turning off the A/C, opening the windows, and cranking on the oven without worrying about over heating my apartment (soon to be house!). I love homemade soup and fresh baked bread.

We have had some thunderstorms roll in the past couple days, and with the rain came cooler temperatures. I have baked six loaves of bread in the last week. I am done buying store bought bread. Before I completely skip the bakery aisle, I need to learn how to make hamburger/hot dog buns and bagels. Earlier this year I made English muffins, which were surprisingly easy. As soon as we get settled into a new house I want to get a sourdough starter going. I am going looking forward to sourdough bread bowls this winter.

Like I said earlier I have baked six loaves of bread in the last week. Three loafs were a dense and delicious white sandwich bread, the other three were a softer honey wheat/flax bread, delicious in its own right. I used both breads for my favorite summer sandwich -the BLT. The white bread recipe came from Susan from A Year in Bread.

EASY BASIC WHITE SANDWICH BREAD
Makes three loaves, about 1 1/2 pounds each

click on the recipe title to go to Susan’s recipe with her more technical directions

4 c AP flour
2 T dry active yeast
2 T white sugar
2 T canola oil
4 c warm milk
6 c bread flour
1 1/2 T salt

Mix together AP flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Make a small well in the middle and pour in oil and milk. Mix in 1 c of bread flour at a time, until about 5 c are added. Once the dough became tough to stir I dusted the counter with flour, and dumped the dough out. I began the process of kneading the rest of the flour into the dough for 6 or 7 minutes.

Place the dough back into the bowl to rise for 20 minutes. Turn the dough back onto the counter top, flatten, and knead in the salt for about 5 minutes or until completely combined.

Sprinkle the bowl with flour and place dough in the bowl. Dust dough with flour and cover with a damp tea towel. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour or so). My favorite place to let dough rise is in the oven with the light on.

When the dough is ready to be divided and shaped, you should be able to stick your finger into the dough and leave an indention.

Turn the dough out onto your counter top once more. I dimpled the dough to get all the air bubbles out.

Divide dough into three equal pieces. Shape into loaves, place into greased bread pan (I used a 8 1/2 inchs x 4 1/2 inches like Susan recommended) and dust with flour.  Cover with damp tea towel and allow to rise for 45-60 minutes.

Bake for 35 minutes in a 375 degree F oven. You want your loaves to be a lovely golden brown. Turn out onto wire racks to cool –bread isn’t done baking once it is removed from the oven –so try to resist the temptation to slice into it immediately, wait until it has come to room temperature. This bread can be put into a freezer bags and frozen for later use. But honestly it is so good, I doubt your family will let any of it go to waste. We turned ours into delicious BLTs.

I like my BLT with a slice of Munster cheese. What a wonderful summer sandwich. Thanks for the great recipe Susan!

As far as the crock pot goes I really don’t have a very diverse crock pot cooking background. I have made pot roast, pulled pork, and hot turkey. My soup experience in the crock pot has been limited to chili, and that is it. As of late I have been using a crock pot that was older than me, I am pretty sure my parents received it as a wedding gift. Unfortunately the crock pot’s electrical components fizzled out this spring, unlike my parent’s love for each other; they will be celebrating their 27th anniversary this fall.

All cheesiness aside, the crock pot can be a very useful kitchen appliance. My husband bought me a new crock pot, however, I opted to get a simple one with the warm, low, and high options. Since I am a SAHM I felt the extra expense of a programmable one was a little silly for me. People have dedicated entire blogs to chronicle the adventures in slow cooking. Using the crock pot could be a way to make healthier meals for your family, meat and vegetables cook wonderfully without the need to add any oil. My husband and I are trying to cut back on refined flours, sugars, and highly processed foods. A meal cooked in the crock pot seemed like a perfect answer.

This soup came to be because it was what I had on hand. I had chicken stock, but you could easily make this vegan friendly by adding vegetable broth, and using more beans instead of chicken. Either way it sounds delicious to me. Serve with a salad and a crusty bread, and you will have yourself a delicious and nutritious meal.

CHICKEN AND WHITE BEAN SOUP
4 c low sodium chicken stock (or enough to cover meat)
4 c fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 c celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fat trimmed)

Put raw chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Make sure the broth covers all the ingredients. Turn crock pot on high and cook for 4 hours. Take chicken breasts out, shred with two forks, and return to pot. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

What others from the blogosphere are doing with Chicken and White Beans:
Joe at My Cooking Quest is making White Bean and Chicken Chili
Kazari at Krissy’s Cooking Blog is making Warm Chicken and White Bean Salad
Kevin at Closet Cooking is making White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

Last night (Tuesday night) he picked two gallons of green beans. I helped him pick at least a gallon worth of green beans on Saturday.

This was the size of the cucumbers two weeks ago. This week they were big enough for Mom to make pickles. I think she made three gallons on Sunday, and Dad said they have enough cucumbers ready to go for a few more gallons –next time I go home, I am bringing my empty gallon jar to get my share of pickles, since they are a hot commodity around there.

We have been enjoying potatoes for the last month or so. This is a favorite activity for the grandkids to help out with. Dad planted 50 pounds of seed potatoes. So far he has harvested about 180 pounds of potatoes, by my estimates he still has about 2/3 left to dig up. My grandpa (red shirt) is in the background, he is digging up the last of the beets. Dad used that “free space” in the garden to plant some more green beans and some Sugar peas. The girls helped dig the rows for the beans and peas.

One of my favorite things about visiting my parent’s garden, is that I am able to introduce my children to the freshest vegetables around. As a child I loved eating a green bean that was still warm from the sun, or biting into a tomato like an apple, or pulling up a radish or carrot, shaking the dirt off, and biting right into it while still standing in the garden. Nothing can beat enjoying food the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

If you don’t have space for a garden, check around for a Farmers Market. Buy Fresh, Buy Local, and enjoy a damn good meal!

In Omaha check out:

Village Point Farmers Market: Sat 8-1 through Oct 3
Old Market Farmers Market: Sat 8-12:30 through Oct 10

Earlier this summer my husband started a new job at What Cheer. One morning the What Cheer crew went into work early, I mean at the office before the birds were chirping early. I knew they were working hard and wanted to make sure they had a breakfast treat to help fuel their morning. I’m a sucker for cinnamon rolls, especially when they are homemade and fresh from the oven. I think I have the best recipe with pudding in the mix. I couldn’t whip up a batch of my cinnamon rolls to share with the What Cheer gang, because they contain gluten.

If I were to deliver a batch of freshly made cinnamon rolls that everyone could eat they would have to be gluten free. Google led me to a gluten free forum that had a promising recipe in one of its discussions.  The recipe is from the cookbook Eating Gluten Free. These cinnamon/sticky buns tasted so wonderful you would never know that they gluten free. JH had lived 27-ish years without ever knowing the joy of tasting a warm cinnamon roll. I was so happy to bring these to What Cheer -still warm from the oven. He asked if this is what “real” cinnamon rolls tasted like, and everyone said “YES!” If you have gluten intolerant friends, I beg you to please make these for them. They are wonderful!

I love my cinnamon rolls smeared in with a cream cheese frosting, and planned to do the same with these rolls. That was until I checked in the fridge and alas there was no cream cheese. I improvised with a brown sugar/honey syrup and chopped walnuts. Lucky for me it worked out.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls/Sticky Buns
Recipe from Eating Gluten Free

1 T yeast
3 T warm water
1 cup Sorghum flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 T Xanthan gum
4 T oil (I used canola)
3 T honey
1/2 cup soy milk (I used regular milk)
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 T cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sorghum flour (reserve this for kneading)

optional additions:
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins

STICKY BUN TOPPING
3 T butter
1/2 c honey
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c chopped walnuts

Combine the yeast and warm (NOT HOT!) water in your mixing bowl. Set aside to let it do its magic. In a separate bowl, combine the 1 c sorghum flour, cornstarch, tapioca and Xanthan, stir to combine. In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey and milk. Stir into the yeast. Add the salt and the egg.

Turn on the mixer, and gradually add the flour mixture. Once it is all added, mix vigorously for 10 seconds. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. It doesn’t rise a whole lot, like with traditional cinnamon rolls, but you should notice some rise in the dough.

Combine your butter, sugar, and cinnamon for the filling. Set aside.

After the dough has risen, dust your work surface, hands and the dough with the reserved sorghum flour. Knead the dough several times until it is all combined. It seems like a lot to be adding, but it really does soak it all up. If the dough is still really sticky, you may need to add more sorghum flour.

Roll dough out into an 8 x 12 rectangle. Spread the reserved butter mixture over the dough. Roll into a long tube. Slice tube into 1 in individual rolls. Place rolls on a parchment lined jelly roll pan. Cover and allow to sit and rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sticky bun topping. In a sauce pan over medium heat melt butter, honey, and sugar until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour topping into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the mixture.

Once cinnamon rolls have risen, place in 9 x 13 pan and bake for 15 minutes. Eat them while they are hot. ENJOY!

*I turned the rolls over on a platter and spooned on any left over walnuts and honey syrup.

Mom and Dad sent me home with a few zucchini fresh from the garden the last time I visited. I chopped them up to add to my scrambled eggs, along with some sauteed onions. I thought the sugar snap peas would be a nice addition, and boy was I right. After quickly gobbling up my veggie scrambled eggs, I wished I had more peas so I could enjoy this dish again the next day for breakfast. I love summer time and all the fresh fruits and vegetables we get to enjoy here in the Midwest.

SUGAR SNAP PEA, ZUCCHINI, AND ONION SCRAMBLE
Serves 2
20 or so Sugar snap pea pods, shelled
1 small -medium zucchini, chopped into half moons
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 T Olive Oil
3 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
salt & pepper to taste
cheese, optional

Heat skillet over medium-medium high heat. Add oil, onion, and zucchini. Cook until zucchini and onion soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour egg mixture over the cooked vegetables. Stir to scramble. Cook until eggs are soft. ENJOY!

My mother-in-law just celebrated a monumental birthday on July 5, she turned 60. For her birthday I wanted to make her her favorite cake, it was no surprise that she requested a chocolate cake with a chocolate fudge frosting. I wanted this cake to be out of this world good. I stumbled across Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” chocolate cake, and I knew this would be the “one”.  After all, Hershey has been doing the chocolate thing for at least a hundred years. The cake was so easy to make, bake, and assemble.

Between the chocolaty layers of cake I used a delicious vanilla butter cream, once assembled I covered the cake with Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” chocolate frosting.

The added decorations are made from vanilla butter cream and a chocolate butter cream. This cake was out of this world good. I can’t wait until I have an excuse to make this cake again.

HERSHEY’S “PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE CAKE
from Hershey.com

BROCCOLI BREAKFAST QUICHE
1 pie crust
4 eggs *
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp onion powder (you could use less)
1 c cheddar cheese
1/2 lb sausage, cooked (or ham, bacon, etc.)
2 c broccoli, steamed (asparagus is good too!)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place pie crust in 9 inch pie tin. Place cooked sausage in bottom of pie crust and top with steamed broccoli. Beat eggs and milk together until thoroughly combined. Add onion powder, salt & pepper and 1/2 c cheese, to egg mixture and stir well.  Pour egg mixture over sausage and broccoli. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c cheese over the “pie”. Lay tomato slices over everything. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until egg mixture is set. ENJOY!

*I used 3 egg whites and 1 egg –just to lighten it up a bit.

OTHER RECIPES USING BLACK SHEEP FARMS PRODUCE:
Beet Greens and Garlic Scapes with Pasta
Tom Thumb Lettuce Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Baby Bok Choy Pesto

ROASTED BROCCOLI
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 T EVOO
salt & pepper
shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss broccoli with oil and salt & pepper. Let broccoli cook for 10-15 minutes, turning half way through. ENJOY!

My mom recommends serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese –I haven’t tried it this way yet, but I am sure it is delicious. The broccoli picks up a delicious nutty flavor when roasted. I am addicted to roasting almost all my veggies.

I wanted to use more than one of the ingredients together in a recipe. That way when you pick up your CSA box or you find them laying together at your favorite farmers market booth, you could use them up on a single recipe. My first recipe for the week I decided to use the baby chioggia beet greens and the garlic scapes together.

Baby chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom variety of beet. When sliced you can see the beautiful alternating red and white rings, because of this chioggia beets are also known as Candy Stripe beet or Bull’s Eye beet. When storing the beets I read it is best to separate the greens from the beet –the greens will draw out moisture causing the beet to shrivel. Cut the green off about 1-2 inches above the beet. You will want to use the greens up right away, as they won’t keep as long as the beets.

Garlic scape is a relativity new vegetable/herb to me. The first time I heard about it was last year when my friend Jessie put garlic scapes on her pizza. Garlic scapes are the stem and flower part of the garlic. When the scape is removed the garlic bulb can focus the energy on growing and maturing a bigger bulb.

The scape reminds me of a curly green onion that is solid like asaparagus. These are delicious! I wish you could find garlic scapes all year round.

When I hear the words “greens” and “garlic” the first thing that I think of is pesto. It is a terrible obsession of mine. I LOVE pesto. I made pesto with the last supply of produce from Black Sheep Farms, so I really didn’t want to toss the beet greens and garlic scapes into the food processor for another pesto recipe. Instead I decided to do a deconstructed pesto –all the elements of pesto but the ingredients remain separate and intact. Is that cheating?

The deconstructed pesto received three out of four stars from our family. My husband thought it tasted a little fishy –I think that was because I was out of olive oil and used canola oil instead. My little girls (ages 3 and 20 months) really like the dish, so that makes it an automatic winner for me. I served this pasta with my Parmesan chicken bites, I think that sauteed sea scallops would go wonderfully with it as well –that is if meat is your thing.

BEET GREENS & GARLIC SCAPE DECONSTRUCTED PESTO
2 c beet greens, chopped into 2 inch pieces
3 or 4 garlic scapes, chopped
1 T EVOO
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts
your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes (once tomatoes are in season I would use chopped Romas)
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium low heat.

Add oil, greens, garlic scapes, salt & pepper. Stir everything around. Cover for 3-5 minutes until everything is wilted. Add in chopped walnuts. Drain pasta. Toss tomatoes and greens with the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve. ENJOY!

Other Recipes using Black Sheep Farms produce:
Tom Thumb lettuce salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Two recipes with Baby Bok Choy

Tom Thumb lettuce is a cute little variety of butterhead lettuce. It forms a loose little head. When I got the lettuce home, I trimmed off the roots and spread the leaves out in my kitchen sink filled with cold water. This helped crisp them up and clean off all the dirt. When I was in high school, I worked in the produce department at Hy-Vee, every morning I would take all the leaf lettuces, broccoli, radishes, and green onions off the shelf and give them a good soak in ice cold water to help crisp them up again. These were the days before they had the fancy sprinkler system built into the shelves in the produce section, but I digress. I would recommend waiting to wash and dry your lettuce right before you are going to use it. Once your lettuce is washed, you could always take it for a spin one of those fancy-schmancy salad spinners, or spread the leaves out on a clean kitchen towel to absorb all the water like I did.

Farm fresh lettuce deserves an equally fresh dressing. I paired this cute Tom Thumb lettuce with a fresh strawberry vinaigrette. Tossed on some walnuts and a little feta cheese, and I was in salad heaven.

Thank you to Black Sheep Farms for providing the produce for me to experiment with!

* My kids (ages 3 and 19 months) loved this salad. The next night at dinner Sasha commented that she didn’t see any salad on the table.

STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
1/2 lb fresh Strawberries, hulled
1-1 1/2 T White wine vinegar
1 T sugar (more or less depending on sweetness of the strawberries)

Place hulled strawberries in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place semi-frozen strawberries in food processor, puree until smooth. With food processor on add vinegar and sugar, stir to combine.

TOM THUMB SALAD
this is for one serving
1 head Tom Thumb lettuce
1 T walnuts
1 T feta cheese
2 T Strawberry Vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients together and ENJOY!

This weekend I prepared the baby bok choy two different ways –keeping it raw in a pesto, and softening it by grilling it. Which one do you think was successful? I saw the people over at Burp! Where Food Happens tossed baby bok choy and radishes with a little oil, and grilled it for a warm spring salad. They said the baby bok choy “grew suspiciously tender (and fabulously sweet).” I was intrigued and needed to try it immediately. While the baby bok choy was grilling, I also tossed a few of the heirloom radishes on the grill. I’ve never heard of grilled radishes before, in fact I think the only way I have ever eaten radishes is raw –with plenty of salt.

As I pulled my produce off the grill, I was growing more and more excited to try my grilled spring salad. Once inside I splashed a little Balsamic Vinaigrette over the veggies, sat down with my fork and knife in hand ready to enjoy my first grilled salad.

Half of the baby bok choy was used in my grilled salad, the other half I wanted to use in a different way. Stir-frying it was out of the question, only because that seems to be a typical way bok choy is used, I was looking for an “outside of the box” way to use this veggie. As I was cleaning the baby bok choy for the grilled salad a few leaves feel off and I tried them raw. They were very green tasting and not bitter like I was expecting them to be. The first thing I thought was PESTO! If you do not know this already, I love pesto –and actually I have been known to eat basil pesto with a spoon. After a quick survey of my cupboards I noticed I had some cashews, and thought an Italy meets Asia pesto would make a great experiment. A while back I had made a meatloaf with an Asian twist, instead of meatloaf I formed them into burgers to grill and serve with my baby bok choy pesto.

Two different recipes using baby bok choy as the main ingredient. One recipe I loved, and the other one I think I screwed up on. For me the baby bok choy pesto was the WINNER. The grilled spring salad wasn’t a complete failure.

I learned that I really liked the warm tenderness of the grilled radishes, and hope that you try them that way. The first bite of the grilled baby bok choy was incredibly bitter. The baby bok choy isn’t entirely to blame, I think a lot of the bitterness came from the prepackaged Balsamic Vinaigrette I used. I should have tried the grilled bok choy BEFORE I doused it in the vinaigrette, I would also make my own vinaigrette instead of relying on a premade mixture purchased at Target. Lesson learned. Please don’t let my mistake stop you from trying this salad. Head over to Burp! Where Food Happens to get the recipe and read about how they call this salad “heavenly”.

BABY BOK CHOY PESTO
serve with Asian pork burgers

2 c Baby bok choy, cleaned and chopped
1/2 c raw cashews
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c Olive Oil
small splash of Toasted Sesame Oil
pinch of salt & pepper

Add all ingredients through Parmesan cheese into blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and combine ingredients. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything becomes one. Scrap down sides of container as needed. Add salt & pepper, and small splash of toasted sesame oil (this has a very strong flavor, so only a little is needed) and pulse until combined. Transfer to a serving dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine. ENJOY!

ASIAN PORK BURGERS
serves 4
1 lb ground pork
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced
6 baby carrots, chopped
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 T soy sauce
1 egg beaten
small splash of toasted sesame oil

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together, being careful not to over mix (you don’t want your meat to get tough). Form into four patties. Grill over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes each side. You want an internal temp of 180 degrees. Place on bun and top with Bok Choy Pesto. ENJOY!!

Have you ever had a chimichanga before? These deep-fried burritos are pronounced CHIMI (rhymes with Jimmy) CHAN (rhymes with JOHN) GA (GAH). Please remember this pronunciation if you ever order one at a restaurant. My husband and I were eating at a restaurant in Columbia, MO when a lady across from us ordered a chimichanga, she managed to pronounced it completely wrong several times during her ordering process, while enunciating every syllable (she said CHIMI-CHANG (rhyming with Jane)-GA). I am sure her Hispanic waiter thought she was some dumb gringa. It made me laugh, and it is something I always think of when I see it on the menu.

At restaurants you can find chimichangas filled with shredded chicken, shredded or ground beef, shredded pork, or beans. At home you can fill them with any kind of meat, beans or rice that you are craving. I filled mine with shredded chicken when I made them for dinner, however, the next day I stuffed my tortilla with leftover chicken, black beans and yellow rice –it was better than the original. This recipe is just a guideline, let your creativity inspire you. Check back for my dessert chimichanga.

CHICKEN CHIMICHANGA
serves 6
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 c canned diced tomatoes)
2 T green chilies, diced (I found these canned)
1 T cumin
salt & pepper to taste
6 large flour tortillas
Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil for frying

Heat enameled Dutch oven over medium heat. Add all ingredients. Give them a quick stir to combine and cover for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, and transfer meat mixture to bowl until mixture has cooled. Shred chicken with two forks.

Heat a couple inches of oil to 375 degrees F. While you are waiting for your oil to heat begin assembling your chimichangas.

Warm both sides of your tortillas on a griddle or for 15 seconds in the microwave. Place about 3/4 c of the mixture in the center of your tortilla.

Fold two sides in over mixture. Fold bottom up over the middle and roll it up.

Place in oil seam side down. (I held my chimichanga down with my spatula to ensure it would not unroll on me) Fry for a couple minutes each side until a beautiful golden brown color is achieved.

Remove from oil and place on paper towels to soak up any extra oil.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Like I said earlier these were delicious when I added some rice and beans to the chicken before frying. Be creative. ENJOY!

Here are some of my other Mexican recipes:
Tortas
Beer & Lime Chicken Fajitas
Delicious ground beef recipe for tacos
Idiot Margaritas

What others are cooking up that you might like:
Beef fajitas on the grill from Chaos in the Kitchen
Burrito Casserole from Something’s Burning…
Yum-Yum Taco Bake from Little Calorie

Dad is planning on eventually putting in Everbearing strawberry and raspberry plants in the beds where the radishes, broccoli, carrots, and lettuce are. I am very excited to watch this garden grow. They have a lot planted, and I hope it all produces a crop.

Some of the vegetables they have planted that haven’t made an appearance include:
Basil -1 package
Dill -1 package
Cauliflower -1 package
Cucumber -3 hills of pickling cucumbers and 1 hill slicing cucumbers
Buttercup Squash -2 hills
Zucchini -2 hills
Giant Pumpkin (25 pounds or larger) -3 hills
Watermelon -2 hills
Muskmelon -2 hills
Carrots -1 bed
Dad called to say he has planted more stuff. Which brings the total to about 30 different things should be coming from their garden. YUM!
Red Bell Pepper -1 package
Sweet Corn -2 varieties (AS AN IOWA GIRL I LOVE SWEET CORN!)
Kohlrabi -1 package
Brussels Sprouts -1 package (VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!)

Here are some of the tomato and pepper plants. Mom and Dad planted 20 tomato plants -12 regular slicing tomatoes and 8 Roma. They also planted four jalapeno plants and four green bell pepper plants.

Red Onions – 80 plants

Red Radish -1 bed

Broccoli -1 bed This is the first time they are growing broccoli. Alex loves broccoli, and this was one of his special requests

Leaf Lettuce -1 bed

Rhubarb

The List and Photos- Part One
Potatoes -460 hills or 50 pounds of seed potatoes

Next to the potatoes are Yellow Onions -60 plants

Green Beans -1 package –it is barely poking through the ground

Red Beets -half a package –they have just broken ground too

Click here for some of the first photos from the garden.

You can follow up on the garden with part two here.

Take note fathers and children, Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. Do you want to serve your mother or wife breakfast in bed? Bless your heart! These breakfast cups take little effort to put together, and they can be personalized to your family’s flavor preferences. In the bottom of my cups I have colby-jack cheese and bacon, you could substitute any meat or cheese you would like. I left my egg whole, but you could lightly beat it and stir in some chopped veggies, which would be delicious. Using crescent rolls from the refrigerated section at your local grocery store make this breakfast a cinch. Have fun coming up with your favorite meat, cheese, veggie combos! I think these would also be cute for a bridal shower or baby shower brunch. Yum!

BREAKFAST CUPS
Serves 4

1 package crescent rolls
4 eggs
2 pieces bacon, cooked
cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 muffin tins. Unroll crescent rolls, pinch together two triangles and fit to muffin tin. Place a little cheese and half a slice to bacon in bottom of crescent-lined muffin tin. Carefully add egg. Cook for 10-15 minutes. You want the crescent roll to become golden brown and the egg to be set. ENJOY!

A quick history about Cinco de Mayo: It is NOT Mexico’s Independence Day (that is Sept 16), but it is a holiday celebrating Mexico’s defeat of a larger and better equiped French army at the Battle of Puebla back in 1862.

Here in the United States Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican culture, with food, drinks and dancing. I think Cinco de Mayo is a day for us Americans to be as Mexican as we are Irish on St. Patrick’s day. I love to eat, drink, and if I’ve had enough to drink you may even catch me dancing; so this is a favorite “holiday” for me.

Here are some of my favorite tried and true Mexican recipes that I hope you will try for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Feliz cinco de Mayo!

MEXICAN TORTAS

BEER AND LIME CHICKEN FAJITAS

Recipe for delicious Mexican ground beef.

A yummy and easy margarita recipe.

As you can see, the land my parent’s purchased is a small section of the corn field behind their house.

Here is my dad, taking a break to pose for the camera. Even though he had a machine to help him till the land, I think it still was pretty hard work. This section of tilled earth was used to plant over 450 potatoes!

My parents have a long list of other vegetables they are planting this spring. I will keep you updated.

Happy Spring!

P.S. If you live in Omaha, the Farmers Market opens May 2!

Primavera is the Italian and Spanish word for Spring. When I think of Spring I think of all things fresh and green. Here in the Midwest, Spring means we can pack up the hats, gloves, and scarves and pull out the flip-flops (then the next week pull out the hats, gloves, and scarves again). In a couple weeks the farmer’s markets will be in full force and full of delicious fruits and veggies –I can’t wait!

I found this recipe in my Parents magazine and knew I had to try it. The article was Dinner Detox, how to healthify your dinners in stages. This dish is considered (by them) to be a really healthy alternative to Mac ‘n’ Cheese. I skipped the “little better” recipe and went straight for the really healthy. My kids like veggies, and they love pasta, so I wasn’t worried that they wouldn’t like it. This is a fun recipe to personalize with your family’s favorite vegetables. I added roasted chicken to our dish to give it a little extra protein, but I think shrimp would be fabulous too.

PASTA PRIMAVERA
(from Parents May 2009 –with my choice of veggies)

1 1/2 c dry multigrain or whole-grain rotini (I used penne rigate)
1 T EVOO (Olive Oil)
1 bundle of asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 chopped yellow pepper
1 c grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 T AP Flour
1/3 c finely shredded Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

*I added 2 packages of Hormel’s Carved Chicken

Cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before your pasta is done, toss in asaragus. Drain pasta and return to pot. While pasta is cooking, sautee yellow pepper, garlic and tomatoes in the olive oil. Toss in chicken and heat through. Add veggie mix to pasta. Whisk milk, broth, and flour. Add to pasta, stirring until thick. Mix in cheese, add salt & pepper to taste. ENJOY!!

This is a great way to use up veggies in your crisper drawer. Some yummy selections might include broccoli, zucchini slices, fresh blanched green beans, sliced yellow squash, fresh basil, roasted cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. Be creative!

Falafel is a tasty, fried bean ball. I made mine with ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but they are also known to be made from ground fava beans or a combination of both. Falafel is a popular street food in the Middle East, and I believe it is the national dish of Israel. (Edit: Falafel actually originated in Egypt, and Israel likes to claim it as their national snack.) The great thing is chickpeas are high in fiber, and are a good source of iron and protein –much need nutrients in a meat-free diet. If you use canned chickpeas this meal comes together pretty fast, with down time during refrigeration. Traditionally falafel are served in a pita, with pickled vegetables or lettuce and tomato. I served mine on a piece of naan smeared in a homemade hummus, topped with shredded red cabbage, and tomato. It was truly delicious.

FALAFEL
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), reserve 1/4 c liquid
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
2 T flour
small handful of fresh parsley
salt & pepper
oil for frying

Place chickpeas in your food processor and pulse until it becomes grainy. Add rest of the ingredients, combine while slowly adding in reserved liquid until mixture is gritty and well combined. Place mixture in fridge for 30 minutes (it helps them hold together when frying). Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. Roll mixture into 6-8 balls. Fry in batches for a couple minutes until golden brown. These are delicious warm. ENJOY!

Yesterday I was cleaning up and organizing my food photos, and noticed that I have many photos that go to recipes that I have not yet published. This is one of them and it was made this past fall. If my memory serves me correctly, it was delicious, and I actually liked it better reheated the next day. The original recipe came from Nicole at Pinch My Salt –I love her website! It was actually the first food blog I read. The night I made this soup, I also made a potato soup with bacon for my husband, instead of wasting that tasty bacon grease I used it to sautee my onions. Serve your soup with a slice of a good crusty bread. How comforting!

*The bacon is completely optional –but it did taste wonderful with the spinach!

CREAMED SPINACH SOUP
Inspired by Pinch My Salt

2 T bacon grease or oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, peel & cubed
3 full cups of fresh baby spinach, chopped
4 c chicken stock
pinch of dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c cream
garnish with crumbled bacon

Over medium heat, sautee onion and pepper in bacon grease until onion is soft. Add garlic and sautee for 1 minute. Add stock and potatoes and boil for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in spinach, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted. Puree in blender until smooth. Return to pot and stir in cream. Serve in bowls, garnish with a splash of cream and some crumbled bacon. ENJOY!

Believe it or not there are times when the last thing I want to do is cook a meal. When this happens, it is nice to have a quick, effortless meal that I can whip up. I love the flavor of roasted Brussels sprouts, and I thought that roasting cabbage would be deliciously nutty too. This dish met all my expectations, and served with left over quinoa, made a wonderful, effortless meal.

ROASTED CABBAGE AND GRAPE TOMATOES
1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1-2 T Olive Oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together, so evenly covered with oil. Spread in a thin layer on a foil lined 9×13 pan. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. You want the cabbage to get brown and crispy, but not burnt. ENJOY!

These chicken bites were a perfect partner with my roasted tomato sauce. This was my adaptation of Chicken Parmagiana. I cut my chicken breasts up into little “chicken nuggets” which were the perfect size for my daughters. Since the chicken is cut into a smaller size, they bake up in a jiffy. This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Parmesan Chicken Bites
3 chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch hunks
2 eggs, beaten
splash of milk
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp granulated garlic
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper flake (optional)
1 T EVOO (Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and lightly grease. Place eggs in a shallow dish add slash of milk to slightly thin eggs. In another shallow dish at cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, salt & pepper, and red pepper flake, stir to combine. Dry off chicken pieces. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then Parmesan mixture. Place chicken pan. Drizzle olive oil over chicken pieces. Bake 10 minutes, turn chicken over to achieve equal browning, bake another 5 minutes. ENJOY!!

WHAT OTHERS ARE COOKIN’ UP
Chicken Parmesan Rigatoni Bake @ Picky Palate
Basil Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta @ Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats
Parmesan Chicken @ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Parmesan Chicken Salad @ Closet Cooking
I must have been channeling this recipe Parmesan Chicken @ Simply Recipes

Monster cookies. What’s not to love? Oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate chips and M&Ms baked into a ginormous thin and chewy cookie, sounds like love in cookie form to me. I made a batch for my friend Michelle’s 25th birthday. I know how much she loves these cookies, and I knew she would love receiving a package of them in the mail. The first time I made them, and the first time Michelle had them was when we were in college. Being the great best friend she is, she gave me a huge ego boost by raving nonstop about how delicious these cookies were.  She asked for the recipe, I had to tell her it was a “family secret” since I used my great grandma Nona’s recipe. She begged and I caved. I wrote down the recipe for her and she tried her hand at baking. I never saw her cookies, but heard that it was a failed attempt.  (I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing this)

This recipe isn’t difficult. I am going to blame Michelle’s failed attempt on the crappy, ancient, unmaintained stove, in the crappy high-priced rented apartment she was living in at the time. Now that she has a nice home of her own, I am sure she can whip up a batch without any problems. This recipe is for you Michelle.

Michelle and I at The Wild Hare in Wrigglyville, Chicago getting ready to see Toots & The Maytals.

MONSTER COOKIES
adapted from Great Grandma Nona’s recipe

3 eggs
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 stick margarine
1 1/2 c peanut butter (I used creamy)
4 c quick cooking oatmeal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c M&Ms.

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate for 1 hr or overnight. Use 1/4 c dough per cookie. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes. ENJOY!!

P.S. These cookies freeze great too, so don’t feel like you have to eat the whole batch immediately. If you do eat them all at once, I won’t judge you, promise.

MORE OF MY COOKIE RECIPES:
Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Bars
Giant Crunchy Choc Chip Pecan Cookies

WHAT OTHERS ARE COOKIN’ UP:
Butterscotch Marble Blondie Drops @Technicolor Kitchen
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies @have cake, will travel
Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate @Kalyn’s Kitchen

Check out Cookie Madness for tons of baked goodies baked daily!

This cake was so much fun to make. It provided two challenges for me, the first being it had to be gluten free, and the second was it had to be cut into a specific shape. I enjoyed taking on both challenges! I found a fabulous recipe on allrecipes.com, and topped it with a yummy butter cream. We sampled a bit of the cake, and I don’t think anyone would ever know it was gluten-free. It was a delicious dense chocolate cake that you could serve to all your friends regardless of their level of gluten tolerance.

This was my first time ever cutting a cake into a specific shape. I have made cakes with shape in the past, but I used an Elmo pan and a heart-shaped pan. I shaped this cake into the Apple logo. I think I was successful in completing the challenges — unless John Henry got sick (I hope not!). John and Denise are both artists and Denise totally rocks at decorating cakes, so I was a little nervous shaping this cake. I am happy how it turned out and hope they really enjoyed it!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE
from: All Recipes
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons xanthan gum
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut parchment paper to fit into two 9 inch round pans. Grease the pans and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the sorghum, tapioca, and rice flours with the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda. In your mixer bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the sugars; whip until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla. On low speed, alternately combine the buttermilk with the flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
1 c Vegetable shortening
1 c butter, softened
8 c powdered sugar, sifted
4 T milk

In your mixer whip together shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly (1 c at a time) add your powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar is added the mixture will look dry. Add milk 1 T at a time until butter cream looks soft, smooth and fluffy. Use right away or store covered in the refrigerator. Set out on counter to soften up a bit before using.

Assembling your cake:

Once the cakes are completely cooled place one cake on a cake board, spread about 3/4 c frosting, top with other cake (placing top side on the frosting so the flat bottom is now the top). Cover your cake and place in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight — it will be much easier to cut. Cut your cake into desired shaped. In order to stabilize the apple leaf I inserted a wooden skewer from the bottom side. Dust off all crumbs with a pastry brush.

Cover the cake with a thin layer of butter cream. (I thinned my butter cream with a splash of milk) This is called the crumb coating, which in theory will provide a foundation for your frosting, so you can finish it smoothly. Refrigerate your cake another 15-20 minutes so the crumb coating can set.

Finally using an offset spatula, evenly spread your butter cream over the top and sides of your cake.  ENJOY!!

Me, my sister and my brother first day of school. Circa 1996. Obviously my brother and I were making silly faces.

When we were kids, my parents always had a bountiful garden. In that garden they grew the fullest, tallest, bushiest tomato plants I have ever seen. These tomato plants were six feet tall at least, that may be a slight exaggeration but as a kid they seemed to tower over me. Even if my parents only planted a few plants we would always have tomatoes coming out our ears. Last summer was no different. In the past my mom would can the surplus tomatoes and over the winter she would use them for chili, goulash, and Spanish rice.  For the first time she made her own tomato sauce at the end of the growing season last fall. She used an Alton Brown recipe. It was delicious. Unfortunately I did not get to take any home with me. This winter my parents purchased some land behind their house, and I was notified that it is ALL going to be turned into a garden this Spring. YEAH!!! I am glad that I only live two hours away, because I will do what it takes to take home some fresh produce grown on my old stomping ground. (I hope to document this garden as it grows. Dad said it is going to be big.)

Homemade tomato sauce is something I have never attempted before, and it is about time I gave it a try. Although in March the only “fresh” tomatoes I can find in Nebraska are the ones they sell at the grocery store. I had some Roma tomatoes sitting on the counter (I was planning to turn into more pico de gallo, but never got to it) and they were approaching over ripe really quickly. A red sauce for spaghetti was the perfect option to use all of them up in one shot.

ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
16 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c EVOO
1/2 white onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
small handful basil, torn into smaller bits
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss tomatoes through Italian seasonings and put into a nonreactive 9×13 pan. Put into oven and roast 30 minutes. Stir and roast another 30 minutes.

Pour roasted tomato mixture into blender, add basil and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until desired consistency. Never buy jarred sauce again ENJOY!!!

I figured a breakfast smoothie was a terrific way to use up the tofu, and combined with fresh pineapple and frozen orange juice it was a refreshing breakfast option.

PINEAPPLE-ORANGE SMOOTHIE
6 oz Silken Tofu, cubed
1 1/2 c ice, crushed
2-3 T frozen orange juice concentrate
1-1 1/2 c pineapple, cubed
1 T honey
splash of vanilla extract

Put all ingredients into blender and pulse until desired consistency. Sit in the warm morning sun and ENJOY!

Other Smoothie recipes:

Diet, Dessert and Dogs: Sweet and Simple Sweet Potato Smoothie
Tongue Ticklers: Papaya Smoothie
Simply Recipes: Mango Lassi

My husband and I like to enjoy an occasional glass of Irish Cream on the rocks. Instead of paying the high price of purchasing a bottle, I knew there had to be a way to make it at home. After flipping through old cookbooks I found a recipe that called for ingredients I had in my pantry. The recipe I used called for Scotch, however I am sure you could swap that for some Jameson. Whip up a batch and enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!

IRISH CREAM
1c Scotch
2 c 1/2 & 1/2
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 tsp vanilla
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Blend well and chill. Keep refrigerated. ENJOY!

* I thought it tasted a little Scotchy, I would recommend using 3/4 c first and add more according to your taste preferences.

Need another St. Patrick’s Day recipe? Check out my Cottage Pie recipe or Low Cal Shepherd’s Pie.

Do you remember Soft Batch cookies from your childhood? These were an essential item at slumber parties when I was a teenager, along with Nacho Cheese Doritos, Pizza Hut stuffed crust pepperoni pizza,(or the Big Foot), Coca-Cola Classic, and peanut butter M&Ms –it is a wonder how I graduated high school weighing 100 lbs soaking wet. I like cookies pretty much any way I can get them, I do not discriminate between soft & chewy, thin & crispy, or dense & cakey. I like them ALL!

I do not have a soft & chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe in my database, and every girl needs a variety of chocolate chip cookie recipes, so my research began. I scaled down this recipe from recipezaar. These cookies were flat, soft and chewy –thanks to all the butter in them.

SOFT & CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
yield: 3 dozen cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
2 eggs
1 T molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T water
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 c AP flour
6 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together butter, eggs, molasses, vanilla and water. In another bowl sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, placing 1 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, keep your eye on them, you do not want to over bake these cookies.

*I baked my first batch 8 minutes and as you can see it wasn’t long enough. Ten minutes seemed to be the perfect time for my oven.

Cool a couple minutes on your cookie sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!

What others are cooking up:

Phe/MOM/enon: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy: Chewy, Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Smitten Kitchen: Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookie Madness: Crunchy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sasha finally arrived after almost 12 hours of labor and over 2 hours of pushing (seriously).

This past Saturday Sasha turned three. I can not believe how the time has just flown by. At times I miss baby Sasha, but watching her grown and learn has been so much fun. Everyday I am impressed with what she has learned or what she has figured out to do. I am slightly biased, but I think she is the smartest little three year old.

Last year Sasha wanted an Elmo cake, and I created an Elmo cake for her. This year she wanted a fiesta. She gave me a theme and I ran with it. We started out with various dips for appetizers. I made pico de gallo, guacamole, black bean & corn salsa, and a layered bean dip. For our main dish I made chicken tamales, Mexican rice and my own “refried” beans. Everything was so delicious (check back for recipes). To a three year old the most important parts are the cake and the presents. Awhile back I saw this AWESOME cake and I knew I had to make this for Sasha’s birthday cake. She loved it, and it was fun hearing the ooo’s and aahh’s when we sliced in to it, no one had a clue what was under that whipped cream frosting. We surprised Sasha with a piñata, something she specifically asked for. It was fun watching her trying with all her might to break it open.

RAINBOW “FIESTA” CAKE
seen on Omnomicon
2 boxes French Vanilla cake mix
2 cans diet Sprite
1 box sugar free White Chocolate pudding
2 8 oz containers Cool Whip
food coloring

I had to bake the cakes separately because Sasha wanted a heart shaped cake and I had only one heart shaped pan (luckily!).

Preheat oven according to directions on box. Mix together 1 can Sprite with one box cake mix. Divide cake mix into three different bowls. Stir in red (we had pink) in one bowl, yellow in another and orange in the last one. Place the red mix down first, then orange and finally yellow. Bake according to directions, I think mine took about 29 minutes. Mix together the other can of Sprite and cake mix. Divide batter into thirds, mix in blue in one, green in another and purple in the last one. Layer green, blue and finally purple. Bake.

Mix together 1 container Cool Whip with pudding mix (save a little if you want to write on the cake). Spread on top of the first cake, stack second cake on top. Cover both cakes with the remaining container of Cool Whip. ENJOY!

As I have said before, I have been cooking a vegan/vegetarian meal once a week.  I really have enjoyed shaking up our dinner entrees. This week’s recipe is for Snobby Joes, which are the meatless version of Sloppy Joes. As I was reading the recipe, I noticed an ingredient that made me raise my eyebrows. Maple syrup. I was extremely unsure about adding it to my joes, however, I went along with the recipe and it tasted great –in fact I did not detect any mapley flavor.  Next time I make these, I will “make them my own” by adapting the recipe for my flavor preferences, I found them to be a little too tomatoey, and I like tomatoes.

SNOBBY JOES
from: Veganomicon

1 c uncooked lentils
4 c water
1 T olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T chile powder
2 t dried oregano
1 t salt
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 c tomato paste
2-3 T maple syrup
1 T yellow mustard

In a small sauce pan over high heat, add the lentils and water. Cover and bring to boil. Once it is boiling lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Once the lentils are soft, drain and set aside.

10 minutes before lentils are finished, preheat a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add oil and saute onion and pepper until soft. Add the garlic and saute for a minute (make sure not to burn your garlic!).

Add lentils, spices, tomato sauce and tomato paste *I rinsed out the sauce can with a little water and added that to the mix, the joes were not sloppy enough looking for me. Also, I would cut the tomato paste back to about 1 T. Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and mustard, turn off the heat and let the flavors blend for about 10 minutes. Serve on buns or on bread open-faced style. ENJOY!

There is something about buttery cinnamon and sugar encased in a warm dough, slathered with cream cheese that makes you say “AHHHH”. The smell of cinnamon evokes a warm homey feeling for me –and I don’t think I am alone here. Romans used to use cinnamon in their love potions, Egyptians in their embalming rituals, and I used it in the World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls.

I have made several different recipes for cinnamon rolls for the years, all were good, but when I made these I knew I found the recipe that I hope to become famous for –at least in my family. My great grandma Dorothy makes a mean cinnamon roll(I don’t have her recipe, yet), but I would totally take this recipe and do a Bobby Flay style throwdown against her. I mixed the dough and let it rise in my bread machine, before I rolled it out and filled it. These cinnamon rolls are as big as your head and incredibly delicious. I looked through the cupboard and realized I was out of vanilla extract, so I added some vanilla instant pudding and skipped the additional sugar.

THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER
1/4 c warm water
1/2 c milk, room temp.
1/2 c half & half, room temp.
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c butter, softened -divided
1/2 tsp salt
4 c AP flour
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 T rapid rise yeast
1 c brown sugar
2 T cinnamon

You may want to look at your owners manual for your breadmachine, but this is how I did it for mine.

Add the ingredients through yeast in the order listed, use 1/4 c of the butter. I used the dough cycle. Once it was done kneading and rising, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 18×30 inch rectangle. Mix together remaining 1/4 c butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread this mix over the rolled out dough. Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up tightly, pinching to seal. Using plain dental floss, slide it under the dough log and slice your rolls every 2 inches.

Line a jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper. Place rolls 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place (the oven with the light on is perfect) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Rolls should be touching each other after rising, if not push them together so they are touching.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c confectioners sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth and well combined.

Spread on warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy immediately! ENJOY!

This cheesecake is something I wanted to make over the Christmas season, but I never got around to it. It was worth the wait! My sister-in-law asked that I post this recipe, so I am breaking the rules and posting without a photo. I am relying on your creative imaginations to visualize this chocolately, minty, cheesecakey delight.

As I was searching for inspiration recipes, I saw that all required 2 1/2 pounds of cream cheese (5- 8 oz packages), I only had four so I cut back on everything else, and it seemed to turn out well. Between my parents and my husband’s family we licked the pan clean. I am so glad that there was none left to bring back home to tempt me. This cheesecake was so rich and creamy that it definitely falls into the “only in moderation and an extremely small slice” category.

ANDES MINT CHEESECAKE
Inspired by ATK New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

2 c Chocolate Teddy Grahams, crushed
5 1/2 T butter, melted
2 lbs (4- 8 oz packages) cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
pinch of salt
1-5 oz package Vanilla instant pudding
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c sour cream
4 eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 package Andes Mints baking chips
1 jar Hot Fudge, warmed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9 inch springform pan with tin foil.  Crush Teddy Grahams in food processor until no large chunks are visable. Mix with butter and press into bottom of pan. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Turn oven to 500 degress F. Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth (a couple minutes). Add salt and sugar (about 1/3 at a time), scrape down bowl between each time. Add pudding, sour cream and lemon juice until combined. Slowly add eggs and yolk, two at a time.  Grease the sides of the springform pan. Pour a thin layer of hot fudge over crust, then add half of cheesecake mixture. Sprinkle half the bag of Andes Mints over the cheesecake mixture, followed by the other half of the cheesecake mixture. Bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees F, turn down temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for 90 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack 5 minutes before you run a knife around the pan -loosening anything that was stuck. Allow cheesecake to completely cool (2-3 hours). Cover the top of the cheesecake with the rest of the hot fudge sauce and Andes Mints. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least 3 hours, overnight is better. ENJOY WITH A LARGE CUP OF DARK COFFEE!

Black Sheep Farms is a local CSA here in Omaha. Black Sheep Farms is a chemically-free family farm just outside of Omaha; operated by Brian Smith and his wife Kelly. They grow heirloom vegetables and specialty cut flowers. This year they are running a CSA at their farm. Space is limited to 15 full shares for $500 a piece or a half share for $250, a full-sized share will feed a family of four. The CSA will run from May 20- September 30, that is 20 weeks of fresh produce equal to $25/week for a full share. In addition to the fresh produce offered at that price, you will receive fresh cut flowers, get a Black Sheep Farms T-shirt, and be able to attend two social events held out at the farm –where you can relax on the farm, meet other like-minded folk and (most importantly) enjoy some good food.

Like I said earlier, you will have to make a small time commitment to your CSA, Black Sheep Farms is requiring a 10 hour “family friendly” time commitment for the season. Now I seriously doubt you are going to have to do any backbreaking, grueling, “hard-time” labor out there, but you may have to pick-up a rake. Not a big deal given the fact that you are contributing to the CSA, and the rewarding feeling of connecting to the land, and knowing what is going on your dinner plate.

You will be able to pick up your share at the farm each Wednesday during the season from 10 am- 7 pm. If for some reason you can not pick up your share, you can send some one in your place, or Black Sheep Farms will donate it to Together, Inc. food pantry on your behalf.

Due to high demand Black Sheep Farms will start taking names in March, and fill shares by a lottery system in early April, in the future they will give preference to past participants. May 3rd they will host an orientation meeting for the lucky 15. Head over to Black Sheep Farms, and fill out the form on the right side, declaring your interest.

You can also catch the Black Sheep Farms’ gang at the Village Pointe Farmer’s Market beginning May 2 from 8am-1pm.

Not from the Omaha area, but are still interested in finding a CSA in your neck of the woods? Local Harvest can help you.

Remember BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL!

Today’s Meatless Monday is the Valentine’s edition. This year’s Valentine’s Day meal was completely meat-free! We enjoyed these peppers so much, we didn’t even miss the meat, however, I think these would be delicious stuffed with some of that fancy chicken sausage. These peppers took center stage at our Valentine’s dinner party. This was my first time (and not the last) eating quinoa.

We had some friends over for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner party. We enjoyed a completely vegan and gluten free dinner. It was so much fun cooking for them, since I had to think outside of my “meat eating, gluten indulging” box. I served these peppers with a variety of roasted vegetables (purple potatoes, brussels sprouts and asparagus), and portobello mushroom caps. We ended our meal with a delicious heart-shaped gluten free Red Velvet cake. Unfortunately I did not think to take pictures of it. Next time, I guess. You can check out Gluten Free [Cooking School] for the recipe. Here is a photo of our entire delicious meal.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
2 c quinoa (uncooked)
5-6 c vegetable stock
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
4 c fresh baby spinach
1 15 0z can diced tomatoes
4  peppers, halved lengthwise (seeds removed) I used red, yellow and orange
salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 2 c quinoa and 4 c stock in pan over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, cover and remove from heat, let set for 15 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and tomatoes. Lightly salt the inside of the peppers. Arrange peppers in a 9×13 baking dish. Fill peppers with quinoa filling. Pour 1-2 c stock over peppers, adding the rest to the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil, and cook for 50-60 minutes. You will want your peppers to be tender when you remove them from the oven. ENJOY!

I am glad you found me. Now I know that if you wanted to know a bit about me you could check out my “about me” page. However for you dear reader I thought I would give you a little bit more information about me than you can find on that page.

I love cooking! I do not know what age I first started cooking, but I do know that my sister and I would help prepare the evening meal when we got home from school. Growing up our family would be considered  “meat and potatoes” eaters. My dad really wasn’t into eating casseroles. Honestly we would have meat, potatoes and either corn or beans with every dinner. I probably have eaten my weight in hamburgers and baked potatoes. In high school I worked in the produce department at Hy-Vee. There I was able to try a variety of fruits and vegetables I may not normally have tried. In college I worked “on the line” at one of the dining centers on campus, making omelets and pancakes for those that were up in time for breakfast. It was there where I realized how much I really liked cooking. My husband was known as a picky eater growing up, but I have changed that. Don’t get me wrong I love meat and potatoes, but I am so glad that Alex is open to my crazy kitchen experiments that I bring to the table.

I like to think of myself as a creative person, and being in the kitchen allows me to express my creativity. I love to try new things, I am constantly reading recipes and thinking about recipes. If I ever won the Powerball, I would take a culinary vacation, eating my way around the world (then hire a personal trainer). Food is important to me, we need it to survive, we have taste buds to enjoy the great flavors and usually I am enjoying it with people whom I deeply love.

I write this blog to document what my family is eating and enjoying, but I also want to share what we have enjoyed with others. I am curious dear reader what brought you here. I know my Grandma reads my blog (she and my grandpa are great in the kitchen) and I know a few of my friends read this, but I am curious as to who else is out there.

** Please leave me a comment telling me who you are, where you’re from, what brought you here, and please tell me if you would like to see any particular recipes. Like I said I like to try new flavors and cooking techniques. Also let me know if you’ve tried something I posted, I would love to hear feedback. So please don’t be shy!

Thank you for reading!

Jamie

As part of my New Year’s resolutions, I wanted to cook one vegan/vegetarian meal a week. This resolution has been so much easier to keep than I thought, thanks to my friend Denise. She was so kind and gave me a copy of one of her favorite cookbooks: Veganomicon. I flipped through this book at least three times when I first got it. The more I familiarized myself with the recipes, the more excited I became. The recipes sound so good, and use real ingredients. Of course some of the recipes have tofu or seitan in them, but many do not contain either. This excited me. I have decided to share our meatless meals with all of you.  Every Monday I will post a meatless recipe. I hope you will give them a try.

The first recipe I tried was the Chickpea Cutlets. Mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand (or so I thought), and because I thought I would serve them covered in gravy (everything is better with gravy, right?) like a chicken-fried steak. For starters, the recipe calls for vital wheat gluten, I misread it and thought I needed wheat germ. I am sure the texture of my cutlets were different than what the recipe would have produced. I just doubled the breadcrumbs instead of adding wheat gluten. I will try this recipe again, once I get some vital wheat gluten. I served these with a baked potato and blanched broccoli. We did such a good job of having a vegetarian dinner until we slammed that glass of ice cold milk. OOPS!

CHICKPEA CUTLETS
from Veganomicon

1 c cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 T Olive Oil (plus more for the pan)
1/2 c vital wheat gluten
1/2 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c vegetable broth or water
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage

*I thought these were a little bland, so I would increase the seasonings next time

Mash together chickpeas and olive oil, until there are no whole peas. Put in mixing bowl, add all the other ingredients and knead for 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. (I don’t know what this looks like, since I did not have the vital wheat gluten.)

Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Divide dough into four equal parts, knead each cutlet in your hand for a few minutes and flatten to a 6 x 4 rectangular cutlet shape. Add a thin layer of olive oil to skillet, cooking cutlets about 6 minutes on each side. Add more oil if needed when you flip them. They should have a nice golden brown color and firm to the touch.

The authors say you can bake these in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Make sure to lightly oil each side of the cutlet.

GRAVY:

2-3 T corn starch
2 c cold vegetable broth

Stir corn starch into the broth. Add broth to skillet, scraping up any cutlet bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (I had some). Whisk gravy until it had thickened. Serve over cutlets. ENJOY!

Scone, apparently the correct pronunciation rhymes with John, is a biscuit like bread served with tea in England. I think most people in the US know what a scone is because they can find them in the pastry case at Starbucks. Accompanied with a hot cup of coffee or tea, scones make a delicious breakfast. However, if you prefer something super sweet with your coffee, you better opt for a muffin instead (or increase the sugar to 1/2 c). Scones are not super sweet, but with the addition of blueberries and almond extract they do pack a lot of flavor. Start brewing your coffee or tea and enjoy a tasty scone for a quick on-the-go breakfast or a nice sit down brunch.

BLUEBERRY SCONES
Yield: 12 scones

2 3/4 c AP Flour
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
8 T cold butter
1 pint blueberries, dusted with flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract(I think lemon would be good too)
2/3 c half & half

Stir together all dry ingredients. With a pastry blender cut in cold butter, it is alright  if some chunks remain. Stir in blueberries. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, being careful not to “pop” any blueberries. On a parchment lined cookie sheet divide dough into two rounds. About 6 inches across, 1 inch thick. Moisten the tops of the rounds with a little brushed on milk, and sprinkle with a little sugar. Using a cold knife cut each round into 6 triangles.  Carefully pull the triangles apart, so there is a 1/2 inch space between each. Put cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, bake scones for 25 minutes, or until baked all the way through.  They are delicious served warm. ENJOY!

Others who are talking about scones:

Pinch My Salt: Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
Karina’s Kitchen: Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Scones (Gluten Free & Vegan)
Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Cranberry Scones
Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy: Apple Cheddar Scones Sounds Yummy!
Vegan Eats!: Hungry Girl’s Snazzy Blueberry Scones
101 Cookbooks: Raspberry Mega Scones

Up until a couple weeks ago, I thought English muffins were a magical bread product that could only be produced in commercial bakerys, that the recipe was a secret and baking them would be an impossible task for the amateur baker. I was extremely happy to find out how wrong I had been. Baking or rather cooking English muffins in your home is an attainable goal. Like me, you may be surprised to learn that you do not bake English muffins, instead you cook them on a griddle. I now have no need to purchase store bought English muffins EVER again.  You mix the dough in your bread machine, roll it and cut out the muffins, allow to rest for 20 minutes, and finally cook for about 10 minutes. Can you believe how easy it is? I found my recipe at the home baker’s Mecca… King Arthur Flour.

I love my English muffins twice toasted with butter and jam, or as a breakfast sandwich with egg, ham (sausage or bacon will do) and cheese, or as Eggs Benedict. Mc Donald’s has nothing on me!

ENGLISH MUFFINS
from King Arthur Flour
Makes about 16 muffins

1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk, warm
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/4 cups (17 to 18 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the “dough” or “manual” setting. After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat. Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook four muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 7 minutes a side. * Warning: the cornmeal can burn, causing your kitchen to get a little smokie. Make sure to use your exhaust fan if you have a highly senstive smoke alarm.

Check after about 3 to 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light; if they seem to be cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle.

When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and proceed with the rest. If you have two frying pans (or a large griddle), you’ll be better able to keep up with your rising

Chicken wings are one of my favorite happy hour appetizers. Once I turned 21, I frequented one of the favorite sports bars in Cedar Falls that had cheap beer and cheap wings during happy hour.  Beer and wings would be my meal. I love the combination of the hot wing sauce, the cool bleu cheese (PLEASE NO RANCH!), and crisp celery; it is finger-lickin’ good. When I was pregnant with Sasha I constantly craved anything labeled “buffalo chicken”, I would still indulge myself knowing that later I would have massive heartburn.

Chicken wings are good but a lot of work and gnawing around bones isn’t ideal for small children; hence the boneless version seen here. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, which I sliced into about 1 inch strips and cut the strips into about 1 inch chucks.

BONELESS CHICKEN “WINGS”
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 egg white
couple splashes of milk
a dash or two of Tabasco
2 c seasoned flour
oil for frying
favorite hot wing sauce
favorite BBQ sauce
2 T honey

SEASONED FLOUR
*use amounts according to your flavor preferences
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a dutch oven to 375 degrees F. Mix in a shallow dish egg white, Tabasco and milk. Put flour into a zip top plastic storage bag. Coat chicken in egg mixture, then toss in the bag with flour. Shake until chicken is thoroughly coated.  Fry in small batches until chicken is golden brown, a couple minutes on each side.  Toss half of chicken in wing sauce and the other half with the honey and BBQ sauce. Serve with a good bleu cheese dip. ENJOY!

Football fan are not words I would use to describe myself.  However, I can never turn down an excuse to make cute food for a party; I love entertaining guests.  I do know which teams are playing in the Superbowl this year, only because my nephew Andrew is a HUGE Steelers fan (I will root for them for Andrew) and because my sister told me the Arizona Cardinals is the other team (I never knew Arizona had a NFL team).  If forced to watch football, I would rather watch college games, the two teams I root for are (of course) my alma mater, GO PANTHERS and the best team in the state of Iowa, GO HAWKS! I haven’t lived in Nebraska long enough to bleed BIG RED.

If you are going to be huddled around the TV watching the big game, you will want easy to eat food. These sliders are perfect, they require only your God-given utensils. These are also easily personalized to your personal flavor preferences.

SUPERBOWL SLIDERS
Yield 8 mini burgers

1 lb ground beef
garlic powder
onion powder
black pepper
salt
cooked bacon
sharp cheddar
8 dinner roll sized buns

Preheat grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Line a large cookie sheet (I used 11×15) with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place ground beef on paper, cover with another sheet of the paper. Using a rolling pin, roll your beef into a large, thin rectangle (about the size of the cookie sheet).  Season your rolled out ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Add a little or a lot. Now take the long sides of the beef and fold it to the middle of the rectangle (you want your seasonings encased in the middle of the ground beef). Place paper over the folded beef and give a light roll to seal it up, you do not want to enlarge your rectangle any more. Take a pizza cutter and slice the ground beef down the middle (so you have two long skinny pieces). Divide these into quarters to equal eight small square burgers. Grill or cook over medium heat until done, turning only once.

Butter buns and toast on grill pan for a minute or so. Top buns with your burgers, bacon and cheddar. Add onion, lettuce, tomato, and any other condiments. ENJOY!

Each time a new year rolls around people make resolutions to lose weight. I’ve done this before, and last year actually had some real success. The secret to losing weight isn’t that difficult, more calories out than in. You don’t have to make huge dramatic changes to your lifestyle. Just get off the couch and do something that is going to elevate your heart rate, and eat less. For many of us that just means eating smaller portions. Also, don’t swear off any food. Eating several slices of pizza everyday isn’t good for you, if you have a slice on a Friday night it won’t derail your weight loss hopes. Sometimes you need to give into your cravings, in a controlled manner of course. For example, if you crave something salty, have some popcorn instead of a whole bag of potato chips.  If you crave something sweet, have one of these delicious cookies.

When I first tasted these cookies I was impressed with myself. You can taste the cranberries and the oats. You also can taste the orange, ginger and a hint of vanilla. All the ingredients stand out and work so well together. These cookies are sweet and delicious, and with only 92 calories per cookie, you won’t have to spend hours in the gym burning off those calories.  If you are concerned about those calories, my friend Jessie has 20 great ways to burn them off.

*If you are not concerned about calorie content, I would recommend adding some white chocolate chips to the dough. I haven’t tried it yet, but when I first took a bite I thought white chocolate chips would be really good in this cookie.

OATMEAL CRANBERRY COOKIES
Yield: 18 cookies

1 1/4 c oats
3/4 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
6 T smart balance, softened
2 egg whites
1/2 c brown sugar
2 T honey
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange peel grated
1/2 T squeezed orange juice
3/4 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a separate bowl mix together oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, set aside. In your mixer cream together Smart Balance and brown sugar until mixed uniformly. Add egg whites,  honey, vanilla, orange peel and orange juice. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Take your bowl off the mixer and stir in the dried cranberries by hand. Drop about 1 1/2 T of cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies look golden and crispy at the edges. ENJOY!

Sneske, one of the contributers to Gastronomic Fight Club put together a local blogroll. If you are interested in what we are writing about and eating in Omaha, check out the blogroll.

I am excited to see what 2009 will bring (hopefully a new house by the end of the year). This new years eve I am celebrating it quietly with my husband and little girls. Today I have been thinking about resolutions, since it is so common to make them this time of year. Last year I wanted to lose weight, and I did really well with that resolution. I lost twenty-five pounds, TWENTY-FIVE lbs in 2008. That was all the baby weight I gained with Penelope. This year I am not going to resolve to lose more weight, although a little bit would be nice. Some of my resolutions include finding a church that will meet the needs of my family, develop and maintain a healthier lifestyle, and learn to cook vegan/vegetarian dishes.

I have been so blessed in 2008 and I look forward to what God has in store for 2009. Have a SAFE New Year!

Last week we had a cookie decorating play date. We had so much fun decorating our gingerbread people and our sugar cookies. Many cookies were “lost” during the decorating process. Our little friend M concentrated so hard on completely covering her Christmas tree cookie in yellow frosting that I don’t think she decorated that many cookies. Sasha and Penelope were more into eating the cookies than worrying about whether or not they were adequately covered in frosting.

I found my sugar cookie recipe on one of my favorite blogs (Pinch My Salt). Nicole made her recipe for Halloween cookies. She uses powdered sugar and a tiny bit of almond extract, which I believe makes these cookies the BEST COOKIES EVER! I will be using this recipe for my Christmas cookies from now on; I may even use them for my Valentine’s day cookies, St. Patrick’s day cookies, April Fool’s day cookies, and every other holiday they are THAT good. Thank-you Nicole, we now have a family favorite that I am sure is going to become a tradition. I am sure her recipe for cream cheese frosting is lovely, however I decided to use a powdered sugar frosting that would harden. You must make these cookies, at least once. ENJOY!

Check out her recipe here.

If you want to read more about our gingerbread people check it out here.

Here are some photos of our decorating.

Here is M concentrating so hard on her yellow Christmas tree.

Sasha enjoying her hard work!

Penelope ate her cookie so fast. I told you these cookies were good!

Here are some of our sugar cookies and gingerbread people.

Here is M’s cookie that she worked so hard on. More sprinkes ended up on the plate than the cookie, oh well.

This year I made real gingerbread people. Last year I made them from a dry mix I bought in a box. The real deal is no comparison, these little cookie people get better each day. The girls and I had some friends over for a cookie decorating extravaganza. I think everyone involved had lots of fun. I told the girls that we were going to “paint” the cookies with frosting, this excited Sasha (2 1/2) and our friend M (almost 2). We used popsicle sticks as our paintbrushes, which worked wonderfully for our needs. The cookies may not win any awards for beautiful design, but I think they are the best looking gingerbread cookies I’ve ever seen.

My girls kept eating the cookies. As you can see Sasha hardly has any frosting on her cookie, just enough to say she frosted it.

I got the recipe from Martha Stewart’s website, and it was delicious. This week I will be making more gingerbread people for our families. We also made cut out sugar cookies, I will post the recipe tomorrow.

Martha’s Gingerbread People

The frosting is a powdered sugar, a tiny splash of vanilla, and a splash of milk. I used Wilton’s Icing Color in red, blue, green and yellow.

Tis the season for stuffing our faces. Sounds pretty doesn’t it? From October 1 until January 1 is when my willpower is tested constantly.  In October I had celebrated  three years of marriage with my husband, two birthdays (next year it will be three), and Halloween. November brought three Thanksgiving dinners (eek!), now December we celebrated my SIL’s 30th birthday, and we will have a Christmas Eve dinner and three Christmas dinners. Now I wish I could say that I did not over indulge; I did however, try to eat consciously. It must have worked because the first time in a long time I am actually losing weight during this long holiday season (WOOP WOOP!).

We currently live in an apartment that does not allow for entertaining the whole family, so until I am able to host my first holiday meal, I will have to bring something to the dinner table that I know will not completely sabotage my waist line. These pumpkin bars are fabulous if I do say so myself, and they are a dessert that isn’t going to ruin your diet.  This recipe was emailed to me from Sparkpeople.com recipe of the day. These bars are delicious and moist, a great alternative to pumpkin pie. No one will know that they only have 67 calories per serving if you don’t tell them! ENJOY!

PUMPKIN BARS
serves: 48

2 cups flour
1-1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light butter or margarine, softened (I used Smart Balance)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
1 cup carrot, finely shredded

Cream cheese topping:
4 oz light cream cheese, softened (I used fat free)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10 jellyroll pan.
Prepare Filling:
In small bowl: combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder & baking soda.
In larger bowl: Beat sugar, butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie mix and carrots. Beat until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.
Prepare Cream Cheese topping:
Mix together cream cheese, sugar and milk until thoroughly blended.
Drop teaspoonfuls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl mixture with a butter knife.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester (inserted in center) comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into 48 squares.

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 67.2
Fat: 0.9 g
Carbohydrates: 13.6 g
Protein: 1.4 g

I knew there had to be a pizza dough recipe that was instant. After all, those dough packets I got at the store called for only a 5-10 minute rise time. I wish I could take credit for developing this recipe that has become my “go-to” when we get the hankering for pizza. Erin from Lee Lou  Ann had the perfect recipe I had been searching for. It takes 10 minutes of knead time and 10 minutes of rise time. This allows you 20 minutes to shred your cheese, brown your meat, mix your sauce, preheat your oven, have a beer or a glass of wine, whatever you need to do to get ready for pizza time.

Easy Pizza Dough
(from Always in Season)
4 to 4 1/2 c. flour
2 envelopes fast-rising dry yeast
1 t. sugar
2 t. olive oil
1 3/4 c. warm water (110 degrees)
1 t. salt

Put water in mixer bowl. Add yeast and sugar, stir with fork and let sit until creamy. Add oil and half flour and mix with kneader hook. Add remaining flour and salt, knead for 8-10 minutes. Let rest, covered with towel for 10 minutes. The dough may be punched down, placed in a resealable plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator for 12 hours or frozen at this point; return to room temperature before proceeding.
Divide the dough into 8 portions for 6″ crusts or 2 portions for large crusts. Top with sauce, cheese and other toppings. Bake on pizza stone or cookie sheet at 450-500 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

TIPS FOR PERFECT PIZZA:
* Roll your crust thin and dock (poke wholes) with fork. Brush lightly with olive oil.
* Crank up the temp on your oven. I preheat my oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees F.
* Par-bake your crust for 5 minutes before topping.
* Limit your toppings to no more than four. Too many toppings will make your dough soggy.
* Use sauce lightly. I like to do cheese down first, then meat and veggies, sprinkle of Parmesan and pizza spices
* Once pizza is topped bake for another 8 minutes, or until cheese is melty and bubbly.

If you follow these tips you will have a delicious crispy crust pizza. My husband thinks that this is the best pizza ever! We are looking forward to giving it a try on my in-laws BGE!

My most recent trip to the library I brought home Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. After flipping through it several times I realized that this is a book I need for Christmas (hint, hint). I made only the Master Recipe, in two different shapes: Boule and Baguette. I have renewed the book several times, because there are so many other recipes I want to try. I know soon I will have to return it, it would be so nice to have a copy of my own (hint, hint).

The bread is truly easy to make. It is a wet dough that you store lightly covered in your refrigerator, you pull off a hunk of dough when you are ready to bake. Last month we went over to a friends house for dinner, when I asked what I could contribute to the dinner, I was asked to bring bread to eat with the chili. It was so easy, I grabbed a couple grapefruit-sized hunks of dough from the fridge, shaped into baguettes, let rise and bake. It really took no effort on my part. How wonderful is that? Homemade bread without all the effort. The authors say that the master recipe can be stored for up to 14 days and it will become more sourdough flavored the longer it sits. I can not tell you if this is true, because the bread is so good, I used up all my dough after two days (actually less than 48 hours).

The Master Recipe: Boule
from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Makes four 1 lb loaves
3 c lukewarm (100 degrees F) water
1 1/2 T granulated yeast (I used dry active)
1 1/2 T kosher salt
6 1/2 c unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, measured with the scoop-and-sweep method

Mixing and Storing the Dough
In a large, resealable food storage container, mix water, yeast and salt. Add in all the flour (no kneading required!). Mix together (I used a strong wooden spoon) until everything is moist. You should be able to mix the dough together relatively quickly. Allow dough to rise in bowl on the counter for 2 hours (up to 5 hours), you could use the dough after this rise if you wanted to. Refrigerated dough is less sticky, so, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Ready to Bake
Cover your pizza peal with cornmeal (I do not own a pizza peal, so instead I use parchment paper). Sprinkle your dough with a little flour. Pull up and pinch off a grapefruit sized (1 lb) blob of dough. Add a little more flour, so the dough won’t stick to your hands. Stretch the dough around to the bottom to make a ball shape, this will take a few seconds to achieve. The end result will be a smooth ball of dough.  Put your ball of dough on the pizza peal to rise for 40 minutes (does not need to be covered).  Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  Place your baking stone in the lower third of your oven, and a empty boiler tray on the top shelf. Once the bread is ready to go into the oven, dust the top with flour and make 1/4 in. slash marks in the top with a bread knife.  Quickly transfer bread to pizza stone, and add 1 c hot water to boiler tray. Quickly close the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until bread looks brown and crusty. Cool completely before slicing.

What’s more American than apple pie? Apple pie is probably one of my favorites pies. There are all sorts of variations of this pie. You can find double crust, lattice top, strudel top, crumble top and so on. I have never made my own pie crust, this is something I want to try and have several recipes bookmarked. For this pie, I used store bought pie crust, the kind you unroll and place in your pie dish. I did however, make my own studel topping. This is a great dish to serve during the holidays.

APPLE PIE WITH STRUDEL TOPPING
1 (9 inch) pie shell
5 cups apples (it is nice to use a variety)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

STRUDEL TOPPING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll pastry shell into pie pan and place in freezer. Place peeled, cored and sliced apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Toss with apples until they are evenly coated. Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell. Cover lightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, do not seal. Bake 10 minutes.

Make Strudel Topping: Combine flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats. Mix thoroughly, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle strudel on top.

Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bake pie 35 to 40 minutes, until strudel is browned. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.

I have a series of apple related posts, after receiving a giant bag of apples from my grandma, I have made tons of applely treats. My daughter Sasha loves pancakes and applesauce, and I thought she would be delighted if I combined the two. Needless to say, she was not disappointed. These are a perfect fall breakfast, we paired our pancakes with a sausage patty.

APPLE PANCAKES
2 c AP Flour
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 single serving container of non sweetened applesauce
1/4 c butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine eggs, milk, applesauce, and butter; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

APPLE TOPPING
2 T butter
3-4 apples, pealed and sliced thinly
1/8 c brown sugar
2 T half and half

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Simmer apples and sugar in butter until apples are soft and carameled colored. Stir in half and half. Serve warm over pancakes. ENJOY!

My other pancake recipes
Banana Walnut Cornmeal Pancakes
Biggest Loser Blueberry Pancakes

My other apple recipes:
Apple Fritters
Apple Pie with Strudel Topping

I have made regular ole glazed doughnuts, which turned out wonderfully. Honestly, there is nothing like eating a doughnut that is still warm. Making yeast doughnuts are not something you can whip-up on a whim however,  you need to wait for them to raise before you can fry them. All the waiting is well worth it, I promise.

The other weekend we were low on grocery supplies, and I was craving something doughnutty. I still have a small surplus of apples from my great grandma’s tree that needed to be used. Like a light bulb going off in my head it came to me, APPLE FRITTERS!

This fall at the farmer’s market  I had an apple fritter that was as large as my head. It was a perfect combination of crispy outside and soft inside. It was delicious. I have never had homemade apple fritters before and wondered how difficult it would be to make at home. I found my recipe at the appropriately named The Picky Apple blog, after searching for a recipe that included chopped apples, not fried apple rings. I did try to make an apple fritter as big as my head, like the ones at the farmer’s market. I failed miserably. The outside was super crunchy (which I like), but the inside was not cooked. I did not have enough oil to adequately fill my dutch oven to fry such a giant fritter. I settled with doughnut hole size fritters, and enjoyed the applely deliciousness. These are so easy to make. You must try this recipe!

Head on over to The Picky Apple get the recipe. ENJOY (I know I did)!

WOW that title is a mouthful, at least it is a tasty one! My husband raved over these little lasagna rolls. In fact, he said if I ever openned a restaurant I would HAVE to have these on the menu. What a great compliment for a dinner I threw together with stuff in the fridge.

Those of you who know me and/or have been following my posts know that I LOVE pesto. I could honestly just eat it right off the spoon (and have). Yum! I hope to someday have a Cuisinart food processor where I can make all sorts of great pestos, right now the jarred-grocery store kind works wonderfully. I had a partially used jar of pesto in the fridge and could not let it go to waste. Pesto was the inspiration for these lasagna rolls. I also had a partial jar of marinara sauce and a couple handfuls of baby spinach in the fridge that needed to be used. A little spicy Italian sausage in the freezer and I had the workings for a tasty sounding lasagna.

Let me just say that adding pesto to your jarred tomato sauce really freshens it up. The garlic and basil really complement the tomatoey flavor of a marinara. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

Sausage and Spinach Lasagna Rolls

1 lb spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
3 c mozzarella cheese
1 10 oz jar Pesto
1 28 oz jar Marinara sauce
couple handfuls Baby Spinach
1 package “boil” Lasagna noodles
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Fill large pot with water, bring to boil. Salt water and add lasagna noodles, cook to package directions. Drain (reserving 1 c liquid), and rinse in cool water. Separate noodles on counter or cookie sheet, so they don’t stick together. Heat skillet over medium heat and brown sausage, breaking up large chunks, drain. Grease 9 x 9 baking dish.

Mix together pesto and marinara. Add 1/2 c sauce to bottom of baking dish. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, 1 c mozzarella, spinach, and reserved noodle liquid.

Assemble rolls:

Spread ricotta mixture on lasagna noodle.

Top with some browned sausage. Roll.

Place seam-side down in pan. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Top with remaining sauce mixture and mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil, bake 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese browns.  ENJOY!

Have you ever heard of a Cottage Pie before? I hadn’t. I have always called this dish Shepherd’s Pie regardless of the meat used. Traditionally Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, something I am not a fan of. I can say “I do not like lamb” because I have given it many tries. I think ground lamb (with spices and herbs mixed in) is tolerable, but the thought of lamb chops or leg or lamb make my stomach turn.

At Easter I ate at a brunch buffet with my in-laws. As I was eyeing all the lovely food options, I saw a man (actually a teenage boy) standing at the carving station with a beautiful piece of meat in front of him. I thought to myself “Wow that looks like some good  prime rib, I will have that for lunch.” I waited in line, and as I held my plate up to him I said “I will take a couple pieces of prime rib.” He slapped the meat on my plate without a word.  I returned to the table and eagerly cut into my “prime rib”.  I took one bite and almost regurgitated it all over the table. I leaned over to my husband and said “DO NOT get the prime rib, I think there is something wrong with it.” He took a bite of mine and agreed it had a funny flavor. After awhile we heard my husband’s uncle and cousin talking about the lamb –my stomach turned even more. That experience has tainted my perception of lamb, because lamb tastes nothing like prime rib.

I digress. Since I do not like lamb I could not called this dish Shepherd’s Pie, it most certainly is a Cottage Pie made with ground beef. It is tasty. I found my recipe on a really cool website called Cooking for Engineers. They lay out their recipes in a unique manner, for those who like to cook and have an analytical mind. Head over there and check out this recipe for Cottage Pie.

Great looking recipes from blogs I read:

Family Pleasin’ Shepherd’s Pie from Picky Palate

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Easy Shepherd’s Pie from Simply Recipes

Cottage Pie from What Geeks Eat

My recipes:

Rachael Ray’s Shepherd’s Pie Redo

I love the fall and winter, cooler temperatures mean I can heat up my house by cooking up a storm in the kitchen. A mug of soup and fresh baked bread are two of my favorite cold weather foods. No meat, no problem. I added boiled potatoes to this soup to make it a little more filling since there wasn’t any meat in the soup. ENJOY!

WHERE’S THE CHICKEN? NOODLE SOUP

2 T Olive Oil
3 Stalks Celery chopped (greens included)
3 Carrots, pealed and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 large potatoes, pealed and cubed
8 c chicken or veggie stock
1 1/2 -2 c Egg Noodles
Pinch of Thyme
Salt to taste

Place potatoes in large pot, cover with cold water, and salt water accordingly. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven, sautee celery, carrots and onion until tender. Add stock and bring to boil. Add egg noodles and boil until tender. Drain potatoes and add to Dutch oven . Salt to taste, add in thyme. Simmer.

Some great looking soup recipes from blogs I read:

Beef Barley Soup from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Turkey Soup from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Vegetarian Lentil Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen

At the end of October my oldest niece O celebrated her 4th birthday. O loves to paint using watercolors, and she is really good at it. I thought I would make her a little art/craft apron to protect her clothes. I did not use a pattern for this apron, and completely improvised everything. For the pocket “flower pot” I ironed on a stabilizer to the back of the yellow fabric, to give it more structure. When making the flowers I did whatever came to me. I attached them to the green fabric by using stitch witchery. I also added a decorative stitch to the flowers. I hope O enjoys her new apron and gets lots of use out of it. It was fun to make and watch it come together.

Here is a link to free patterns and tutorials for making your own apron.

These are links from blogs I currently read that offer apron tutorials:

Retro Cocktail Apron at Craft Stylish

Craft Apron at Creative Little Daisy

A Walk in the Park Apron at Craft Leftovers

I used Michael Chiarello’s Potato Foccacia recipe for the dough, and instead of topping it with potatoes I used dried thyme, rosemary and cheddar cheese. It was great for dunking into our stew.

For the Dough:

1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup lukewarm whole milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, preferably gray salt

Combine the yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest in a warm place for 25 minutes.

Mix in the olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour, until well incorporated. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough adheres to the hook. It should remain soft and slightly sticky. Continue mixing for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Remove from the bowl, shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and put into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour, to let the dough rise until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet.

Lightly flour the dough and punch it down. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches. Brush off any excess flour and transfer to the oiled baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Dimple the dough by poking your fingers into it. Add dried herbs and cheese.

Please don’t lick your fingers until you are completely done dimpling the dough!

Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and the bread is crisp on the bottom. Let cool in the pan to room temperature. Cut into squares, “fingers,” or triangles to serve.

Here Sasha is enjoying all her hard work.

Paula Deen. The Queen of all things delicious. I don’t think I have ever made one of her recipes that I did not love, or see her cook something that did not make my mouth water. Well I take that back, the other day on Paula’s Home Cooking she was making Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge, and my stomach did flip-flops.

I recently made Paula’s Cinnamon Rolls for my husband to take to work, they were a huge success, the pan came back empty. This recipe is a MUST TRY! For me it is a WILL MAKE AGAIN!

Click on the cinnamon roll link to get the recipe.

Tortellini Soup
8 c chicken (veggie) broth/stock
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 package dried tortellini
2 handfuls of torn baby spinach
sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese

Bring stock/broth to boil, add tomatoes and tortellini, cook until tortellini are tender. About 12 minutes. Turn heat off, add spinach and stir. Once soup is dished into bowls add a sprinkle of Parmesan. ENJOY!

This month’s recipe is “Pizza Napoletana” from Peter Reinhart’s “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice”. Included in part of the challenge was capturing yourself tossing the dough. I unfortunately do not have a picture of this, so please check out the Daring Bakers blogroll for wonderful pictures of my fellow bakers who have mastered the toss.  We also had to use both a sauce and toppings, but it was left up to our imagination as to what those included.

I know a couple secrets to great pizza is a HOT, HOT, HOT oven and don’t overload the toppings. This is a recipe I want to try when I am at my in-laws place, because they cook their pizzas on the grill. My father-in-law has a BGE (Big Green Egg) and it makes for some amazing pizza. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. However, this dough can not be whipped up on a whim. You need to plan for it, because it takes needs to rest in the fridge OVERNIGHT.

My pizza toppings include: marinara sauce (very little), cheddar cheese, Canadian bacon (ham), pineapple (that has been blotted dry), dried Italian herbs, and fresh shredded Parmesean cheese.

I do want to make a pizza with apples. I have a whole crisper drawer full in my fridge.

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~
Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
* BOTH GF AND REGULAR INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOW

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled – FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
1 3/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Instant yeast – FOR GF use 2 tsp
1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 Tb sugar – FOR GF use agave syrup
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2.  FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter.  Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them.  Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8.  FOR GF:  On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator.  Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven.  Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10.  FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter – for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter – for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11.  FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12.  FOR GF:  Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13.  FOR GF:  Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food – but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Instructions
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp – I caught a large one once
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi – Maybe at an Indian Restaurant once
15. Hot dog from a street cart - Not a street cart, but a booth at the county fair
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes -Rhubarb wine from Amana Colonies
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans – LOVE THEM!
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters – Fried not raw
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo – I do want to try it, just not a big fan of okra
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects – Chocolate covered ant
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel - Too snakelike for me
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear – Pickled Nopales count?
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin -isn’t this a clay?
64. Currywurst
65. Durian -I would love to try it, especially since Andrew Zimmern turns his nose up at it on Bizarre Foods
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill -Luckily I have not been in a situation that called for a roadkill dinner
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict – One of my favorite things to order at a resturant
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse -I like to ride them, not eat them!
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab -I love crab, but I think I am allergic 
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee -Joffery’s makes a good brew!
100. Snake

43ish out of 100! Not too shabby!

I really am not into eating intestines or internal organs.

October is now here, and in the mid-west that means the thermometer greatly fluctuates from the morning to afternoon. Our weather can be quite silly. As I write this now (in the morning) the thermometer is saying it is a crisp 44 degrees F, but by noon today we are to reach temperatures in the mid 70s. With such changes in temperature my cravings change dramatically too. In the morning I am ready to bake bread and make soup all day, but soon after I have that craving the sun warms everything up and then I don’t feel like turning on the oven and heating up the house. That is where my craving for stew started, in the morning when it was still 67 degrees in my house; I was going to begin my stew after lunch. By lunch time it was a warm 77 degrees in our house and I did not feel like making stew, so I put it off to the next day.I did finally make that beef stew, and it was delicious. It is too bad the leftovers got shoved to the back of the fridge and was forgotten.

I used Paula Dean‘s recipe for Old-Time Beef Stew. I did a few things differently than she did. I chopped up my carrots, celery, onion and 2 pounds potatoes. I drizzled them with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. I roasted them at 425 degrees F for about one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

I have been loving my local library lately; I think I have been there every week since we moved to Omaha. On one of my more recent trips I picked up Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter. This cookbook is filled with 300 low-fat recipes. Danella includes little stories with some of the recipes, and with her yeast roll recipe the story said these were her mom’s yeast rolls and whenever they were invited someplace for dinner her mother’s rolls were always requested. Since these rolls were infamous, I had to try them. They were delicious! I even made some mini yeast rolls for my girls to enjoy.

Yeast Rolls
Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter

1 package active dry yeast
1 T honey
1/4 c warm water
2 c 1% fat milk
2 T butter
4 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 c AP unbleached flour

Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water and set aside for 10 min. Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Add the butter, sugar, and salt, and let the mixture come to room temperature in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Add flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, about 12 min. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large buttered mixing bowl.

Lightly oil the top of the dough, cover with a plate, and let stand in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, or until dough doubles in bulk.

Butter two muffin pans. Punch down the dough with your fist, and knead for 3 minutes. Pinch off 24 pieces about 2 inches in diameter. Place each piece into a muffin cup.

Cover and let sit for 45 minutes, or until rolls have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil the top of each roll. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

We’ve recently moved to a new place. When we first looked at our apartment, I was a little concerned that the kitchen was going to be too small and kind of cramped. It was definatly smaller than my kitchen at our condo. After being here and cooking in it for two weeks, I now realize that I love this kitchen. It is laid out much better than my last kitchen, and it is a better use of space. In fact, I still have cupboards that are empty!

I don’t have fancy equipment. Most of my stuff is hand-me downs, bought second hand or Christmas gifts. Of course if I had all the money in the world there are things I would purchase, but I have made due with what I have quite nicely. Someday thought, I want to have a six burner gas range.

Here are some photos of my kitchen. If you post about your kitchen in your blog, send me a link so I can snoop!

Pantry/Storage Closet

Looking into kitchen from dining room

Standing in dining room looking into kitchen

I have always wanted to try tamales, and to be honest I used to be so intimidated to order them off a menu somewhere because I was unsure if you ate the corn husk too. I certainly know a lot more about tamales now, in fact I have made them a few times from scratch. I got this great low-fat recipe from my friend Jessie over at Little Calorie. She talks about how they are a labor of love, how right she is. Making tamales from scratch are extremely time consuming, especially if you have a 2 1/2 year old and 11 month old who want to “help” you in the kitchen. These are definatly a “plan-ahead” kind of meal; plan to spend the majority of your day making them. But what a sweet, er-savory, reward.  Remember, you DO NOT eat the corn husk!

TIP FOR FREEZING: Once the tamales are done steaming, cool, the place in a zip top bag in the fridge. The next morning take the bag out and place it in the freezer. When tamale fever strikes, reheat (with husk on) in the microwave at half power for 2 minutes, or until warmed through. ENJOY!

The other day I was shopping at Aldi’s, where I picked up a bag of ripe bananas on the cheap. I thought a good use of these bananas would be to take some and make them into pancakes. Sasha loves bananas, so I made these tasty pancakes for her for breakfast. I found the recipe at epicurious.com. It called for pecans, which would have been wonderful, but I only had walnuts in the cupboard. I followed the recipe exactly, except for changing the type of nut. They were quick and easy to make. Give them a try, find the recipe here.

My inspiration for this meal came after we took a trip to the library and I checked out several cookbooks; one was this beautiful book entitled “Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World“. As I flipped through the book (several times) I saw a recipe for Silk Road Non; after reading it over and over I thought I could at least give it a try. What fun it would be to make handmade non (also spelled nan or naan), and a whole middle eastern meal to accompany it. I did a little research and completed my menu with muhammara and shish tawook.

Everything turned out so beautifully, in this case my hard work really paid off.  Alex was presently surprised with a delicious meal when he came home from work, and he requested it becomes part of the meal rotation. So shake up your recipe collection and try something naan-traditional!If you need inspiration, head to your local library. Many libraries are stocked with recipe books from around the world.

Silk Road Non
Makes 12 round breads
From: Home Baking

2 tsp active dry yeast
3 c warm water
7 to 9 c AP Flour (or 2 c whole wheat flour, plus 4-6 c AP flour)
1 T salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 c rendered lamb fat melted, (or 4 T unsalted butter, melted)

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add 3 cups of the flour (if using whole wheat flour, add it and 1 c AP), a cup at a time, stirring well until a smooth batter forms, then stir for another minute, always stirring in the same direction. If you have the time, cover your bowl with plastic wtap and let stand for 30 minutes, or as long as 3 hours, if more convenient.

Sprinkle on 1 T salt and stir in. Add 3 T of the lamb fat or butter and fold in. Continue to add the flour, a cup at a time, stirring and folding it in until dough becomes too stiff to stir.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes.

Place the dough in a clean blow, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until at least doubled in volume, about 2 hours. (For more flavor, set in a cool place to rise for 8 hours, or overnight.)

Place rack in upper third of oven and place a large baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles, if you have them, (or baking sheet) on it. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half and set one half aside, covered. Cut the remaining dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball and then flatten with the floured palm of your hand. With a rolling pin, begin rolling it out into thin rounds about 8 inches in diameter. The dough may resist stretching, so work with 2 rounds at once to give the gluten in the dough time to stretch and relax. Roll out 1 round as far as it will easily go, then work on a second before coming back to the first to roll it out a little more.  As you complete each round, set aside on a lightly floured surface, covered with a towel or with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes before baking.

To shape the breads for baking, warm the remaining 1 T lamb fat or butter until very liquid and place by your work surface, together with a pastry brush and salt. Lightly dust a peel with flour. Place a dough round on the peel, then stamp or prick with center of the round thoroughly and vigorously with a fork, leaving a 1 inch rim. Brush lightly all over with lamb fat or butter, then sprinkle the center with a generous pinch of salt. Transfer to the baking stone, placing it to one side to leave room for another bread. Prepare the next bread, and slide into the over beside the first.

Bake for 5 1/2 – 7 minutes, until well flecked with gold. Place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes or so, then wrap in a cotton cloth to keep warm.

As this post is already incredibly long I will just include links to the other recipes. Mahammara is a red pepper and walnut dip. It is delicious with naan. Mahammara link is here. Also I recommend you roast your own red peppers; I couldn’t believe how easy it was, click here for a how to roast your own peppers tutorial.

Shish Tawook is a marinated and grilled chicken. It is so easy to make and tastes wonderful with muhammara. I used a combination of recipes. The original recipes can be found here and here.

Shish Tawook

1/2 c Plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1/4 c white vinegar
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
2 T ketchup
2 T yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
2-3 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips)

In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Stir in chicken pieces, coating all sides with marinade. Cover bowl, and refrigerate overnight. Skewer chicken onto kabobs, grill until cook through.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Shred onion with a cheese grater. Add EVOO, onion and garlic to the pan, saute for 1-2 minutes. Do not let garlic get brown, it will have a bitter flavor if it does and you must start over. Add wine and allow to reduce to about half. Stir in chicken stock and vinegar. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Add roasted tomatoes, and stir in cream. Remove from heat, stir in basil leaves.

Toss with fettuccini. Top with crumbled bacon or pancetta and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Whenever I am in the kitchen, Sasha always asks me if I am cooking mac ‘n cheese. I am sure most toddlers could eat this meal morning, noon and night; Sasha would be tickled pink if I place a plate of mac ‘n cheese in front of her for breakfast. Although nothing beats homemade mac ‘n cheese, at times it is just easier to use the boxed variety. Now I know that mac ‘n cheese isn’t the healthiest lunch option, but it is quick and easy, and perfect for a mom with lots to do. I’ve tried to healthify (cut some calories) the boxed variety by adding a fraction of the requested butter and using low-fat or non-fat milk.

Awhile back I saw Jessica Seinfeld on Oprah, talking about her new cookbook Deceptively Delicious. I do not own nor have I read her cookbook, but the idea of getting kids to eat healthier foods is something I want my kids to do. Luckily I don’t have to be so deceptive with my cooking right now, my kids are excellent eaters and I hope they remain that way.  Mrs. Seinfeld “sneaks” vegetables into her recipes so her children get the added benefit of extra vitamins and nutrients.  I didn’t have to sneak any vegetables in to my mac ‘n cheese, I just stirred in a can of peas and carrots, and pumped up my mac ‘n cheese with additional Vitamins A, C, and K, along with additional fibre (which we could all use). My girls loved the chunks of veggies in their mac ‘n cheese and I was happy to know they were getting the additional vitamins and nutrients they wouldn’t have had with plain mac ‘n cheese.  So peas have another helping!

Pumped Up Mac & Cheese

1 box Macaroni and Cheese
1 small can peas and carrots (drained and rinsed)
Milk
Butter or MArgarine

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to directions on box. A few minutes before the macaroni is tender stir in peas and carrots. Strain macaroni, peas and carrots. Stir in milk and butter. Enjoy!

August’s Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen by Meeta of What’s for lunch, Honey? and Tony of Olive Juice.  Meeta chose Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs. An éclair is a delicious French pastry, which is made with choux pastry filled with a cream and topped with a glaze. In the United States the closest thing to an eclair in your local bakery may be a cream-filled long john (however long john’s are made with dough pastry).

I have read about choux pastry before and was excited to try my hand at making my own. It was unbelievably easy to make. When I first saw that this month’s challenge was going to be éclairs I was afraid they would be difficult to make. Difficult, no. Time consuming, yes. Many of my daring bakers thought the choux was a little eggy tasting, and I have to agree. After seeing how easy it was to prepare, I look forward to experimenting with the pastry dough, and hopefully will find a less eggy tasting result.

The rules for this month’s challenge were:

1. We had to use the choux recipe provided
2. Had to use at least one chocolate element (either chocolate glaze and/or chocolate pastry cream)

I decided to make an éclair with a chocolate glaze and a whipped cream filling. Other than the egginess of the choux, they were delicious. Unfortunately my choux did not rise as I had expected; so instead of cutting them in half to fill, I put a layer of whipped cream on a whole baked choux, and topped it with another whole baked choux. It worked wonderfully. I also froze my eclairs right after filling and glazing. I did not want to be tempted to finish them in one weekend. They froze wonderfully, and I can take out as many as I need to thaw when I need them. Set them on the counter for 10-15 before you are ready to eat; they will be delicious.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)
Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk
• ½ cup (125g) water
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
hand mixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:
Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately. You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Baking:

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by
positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with
waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. (I did not have a pastry bag, so I used a large zip top bag and cut off a small portion of the bottom corner, it worked well in a pinch!) Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff. The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the
handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the
oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue
baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking
time should be approximately 20 minutes. (After making these I read from other bakers that opening the oven could have caused the choux to deflate. Some people recommended baking for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then dropping the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for 15-20. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR)

Notes:

The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling

Chocolate Glaze
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1 cup or 300g)

• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:
If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly
 in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water. It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104  F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)

• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 g) water
• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly.  Then reduce the heat  to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:
You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or  a double boiler before using. This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Chocolate Pastry Cream
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé

• 2 cups (500g) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted
• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil.  In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.

2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.

3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled.  Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.

4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it  remains smooth.

5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes:
The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.

Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

* I USED THIS WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE*

Whipped Cream
For the filling:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together in a chilled bowl until fluffy.

Assembling the éclairs:

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the
bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40
degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of
the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the
bottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms
with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream
and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:
1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,
stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create
bubbles.

2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Enjoy, these are delicious!

Check out the blogroll and see how my fellow Daring Bakers fared with their eclairs.

Sasha enjoying fresh basil. She liked dunking it in her milk.

Penelope enjoying her first Oreo cookie.

Can you tell she loved the lasagna?

Pesto Couscous made Penelope happy!

Sasha LOVED this Daring Bakers Challenge!

I picked up a pint of blueberry muffins at the Farmer’s Market last week; last night I turned them into the most delicious blueberry muffins. These are the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had; and as a bonus they are low in calories! Truly a delicious breakfast (or snack) without the guilt. Each muffin contains 169 calories, so don’t feel bad about reaching for seconds. I found the original recipe on Cooking Light’s website, but due to the availability of ingredients in the pantry I needed to adapt it to fit my needs. Below is my adaptation. ENJOY!

THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Yield: 16 large muffins
Serving size: 1 muffin
160 calories (45 from fat)

1 2/3 c quick-cooking oats
2/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c AP flour
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 c fat-free sour cream
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 c canola oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large eggs
2 c fresh blueberries
2 T granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place oats in a food processor; pulse until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl, add flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to oats in bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine sour cream and skim milk, stir to thin out sour cream. Add oil add eggs; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in lemon juice. Gently fold in blueberries until just combined.

Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle batter with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Remove from pans immediately. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*If using frozen berries, toss with 2 T flour to coat.

I love summer in Iowa because we have Farmer’s Markets that are full of fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, local meats and eggs, beautiful flowers and various homemade sewn goods. On Saturday morning I headed with the girls to our Farmer’s Market. Each week there are more and more vegetables and fruits to choose from.  My favorite Farmer’s Market finds are tomatoes and sweet corn.  BLTs and sweet corn were a staple of my childhood meals.

Our dinner was a delicious BLT (I switched the lettuce for some local sprouts), sweet corn, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, and pesto couscous.This is a perfect summer meal! ENJOY!

BLT
2 slices cooked bacon
lettuce (or sprouts)
2 slices tomato
2 slices crusty French bread

Preheat oven 425 degrees F. Lay slices of bacon on cookie sheet, cook for about 10 minutes. Once done lay on paper towels to absorb grease.

*This is the best way to cook crispy bacon!

ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO
1 bunch asparagus
5 slices prosciutto

Blanch asparagus. Wrap prosciutto around 6-7 pieces of asparagus. Lightly spray bundles with canola oil. Roast in 425 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes.

STOP! Please don’t turn away, just not yet. If you’ve had a bad brussel sprouts experience, you MUST give them another try. Let me guess, if you’ve had brussel sprouts before they were probably boiled into a unrecognizable greenish sluge. These are not your mom’s brussel sprouts. Cook them this way and your family will rave. My husband is a fairly picky eater, especially when it comes to the veggie group, he tried these brussel sprouts and asked to have them at dinner the next night.

These baby cabbage lookalikes, once roasted have a delicate green, nutty, buttery flavor. Even my 9 month old daughter enjoyed them. I dare you to eat just one. Welcome to vegetable heaven!

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Brussel Sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss halved brussel sprouts in enough oil to evenly coat, season with salt and pepper. Lay sprouts cut side down on shallow baking pan. Roast 15 minutes, flip sprouts and roast 10-15 minutes more. Serve as is. ENJOY!!!!

The Yellowfin was flavored with cajun spices, then grilled. It was set upon a ginger soy butter sauce (YUM!). The tuna was served with a wasabi cream on top of carrot ribbons, and a side of spinach & bok choy (which they neglected to put on my plate). While I was busy poking around the carrot ribbons (looking for my spinach) I picked up a giant fork full of the wasabi cream, boy did that open up my sinuses. The tuna was cooked to perfection, so tender and juicy. As I took my first bite,  I placed the tuna on my tounge and it melted away. MMMMMMMMM! So good! This is something I want try to tackle in my kitchen.

When we arrived, we went to the grocery store and picked up a few snackie foods, something to get me by during the day. We then went to our hotel to check in, much to my surprise, NO MICROWAVE! For breakfast I had Quaker Oatmeal, that I made by heating water in the small coffee pot. It was delicious, except I had to eat it luke warm, because there where no utensils, and I had to use my fingers. Yeah I am roughing it.  Lunch consisted of Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt (eaten with my fingers and for digestive health) and cheese slices with Toasted Wheat Thins chips, not too terrible. I did call the front desk and ask if there was a microwave for their guests to use, well lo and behold they delivered one to my room.

Tonight’s meal is looking more promising; we are going out to eat with my husband’s boss and his wife. Chart House Restaurant was recommended to his boss; I checked out the menu, everything sounds like it is going to be delicious; I just wonder if it will cost both arms and legs to eat.

I was excited when I saw this month’s challenge was the Danish Braid, since I am Danish on my mom’s side of the family. I called my Grandma Bonnie and asked her about traditional Danish fillings. Grandma being the wonderfully resourceful woman she is, went through some of her “Dane Country” cookbooks and emailed me her findings. She said many of the braids were filled with canned pie filling, several had prune or raisin fillings (YUCK!), there was a pecan filling (going to try), and almond paste (going to try). I will include the recipes at the end of my post.

Even though making the dough was really time consuming, I will make this delightful pastry again. The choices of fillings are endless. Check out the Daring Bakers blogroll for some ideas. When I made my braids, I did not allow my dough to proof very long (sorry I was impatient), as a result my dough was not a flaky as it could have been.

Here is the original recipe.

DANISH BRAID

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
¼ cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine  yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice.  Mix well.  Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth.  You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

BUTTER BLOCK
1.    Combine  butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.  Set aside at room temperature.
2.    After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough  into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick.  The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.  Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.  Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.  Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.  The first turn has now been completed.  Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.    Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface.  The open ends should be to your right and left.  Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.  Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third.  No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4.    Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns.  Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.  Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.  The Danish dough is now ready to be used.  If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it.  To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze.  Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.  Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 – 8 minutes.  Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.  If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid.  (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet.  After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.
For the egg wash:  1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1.    Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured  surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again.  Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2.    Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart.  Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3.    Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle.  Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover.  Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling.  This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished.  Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1.    Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.  Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2.    Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.    Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.  The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

HERE IS WHAT I DID:

SAVORY RUNZA DANISH BRAID

1/2 recipe Danish braid (follow recipe)

filling:
1/2 lb browned hamburger
1 c sauerkraut

Follow recipe for cutting, filling, proofing and baking. THIS is amazingly delicious!

* I did not use cardamom or vanilla bean in my dough.

SWEET(ISH) RASPBERRY, BRIE, AND PECAN DANISH BRAID

1/2 recipe Danish braid (follow recipe)

filling:
1 small wheel Brie
1/2 c halved pecans
1 1/2 c sweetened raspberries (recipe below)

Follow recipe for cutting, proofing and baking.
To fill:  slice brie and layer over dough. Add raspberries and pecans.

*This would be delicious with a glaze drizzled over the top.

SWEETENED RASPBERRIES
2 c frozen raspberries, pureed
1/2 c sugar

Mix all in sauce pan and boil until sugar is dissolved and raspberries are thawed.

GRANDMA’S SUGGESTED FILLINGS

Almond Paste Filling—Mix: 1c. almond paste, 1/3 c. butter & 1/3 c. sugar

Pecan Filling:  Cream 1/4 c. oleo and 1/2 c. brouwn sugar, spread on dough and sprinkle with pecans

Raisin:  1/4 c soft butter, 2 c. powdered sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 T. cream.  Beat with mixer and add 1 c. raisins that have been soaked in boiling water until plumped.

June’s challenge was hosted by Kelly from Sass and Veracity and Ben from What’s Cookin’. They chose this recipe from Sherry Yard’s from The Secrets of Baking.

Meanwhile, checkout the other Danish Braid lineup at the Daring Baker’s blogroll.

My husband and father to my children…

Alex gets up before the sun is even shining to get ready for work and comes home in the evening. He works so hard for our family, that I am able to stay home with our daughters; for this I am eternally greatful. He is truly my best friend and I enjoy spending every minute with him. He has such a great sense of humor, and keeps me laughing. Our daughters adore him. As soon as we hear the garage door open Sasha is running around saying “Daddy home!” When he walks through that door both girls have giant smiles on their faces, they are so excited to see him. Alex is such an awesome father, and I am glad we are on this parenting adventure together. Not only is Alex such a great father, but he is such a kind, caring, unselfish, loving husband. He treats me like a queen and makes me feel so beautiful and loved everyday. I love you so much Alex, and wish you the Happiest Father’s Day!

Here is when Alex became a father for the first time, with Sasha.

A proud father smiling with his second daughter, Penelope.

Alex is usually the guy behind the lens, so this photo is a little old. Look how Sasha is so happy to be in his arms!

My dad…

My dad seems to be the guy everyone likes. He is so easy to talk to. My dad also got up early and worked hard so my mom could stay home with us kids. My dad is funny, I think he laughs the hardest at his jokes. There are so many times I can remember when I was a kid that we (my mom, dad, brother and sister) got to laughing so hard we were wiping tears from our eyes. My dad is such a loving man, who has instilled great morals and values in me. I am a better person (wife and mother) because of him. Happy Father’s Day Dad, I love you!

My Dad and Me in 2005 before walking down the aisle

My dad is truly a DIY warrior! Here is is tackling his latest remodeling project. (If I were a 2×4 I would be scared!)

I have joined the group The Daring Bakers. Now The Daring Bakers aren’t a “cook-through” blog; but we are a community of bakers that prepare the same recipe each month. I have been a member of this cooking club for three months now and have enjoyed sharing the same recipe each month with hundreds of other bakers world wide. We have a private forum where we can discuss any problems we are having with the recipe. Having so many people working on the same recipe provides a wealth of information, regarding how to fix problems you may have encountered during your preparation. You post a question on the forum and several people will give you an answer what worked best for them.

If I were choosing recipes by myself, I may not be so daring. I joined Daring Bakers to learn new technique I may not have learned on my own. Many of my favorite bloggers are part of Tuesdays with Dorie. These brave people are baking their way through one of Dorie Greenspan’s cookbooks, posting their recipes every Tuesday.

Are you part of a cooking club, or cooking your way through a cookbook? Why have you joined a particular group? Please tell me about it.

Happy Eating!

The other night Alex and I enjoyed a couple of these refreshing cocktails relaxing on our deck. A great way to cool down on a warm evening.

IDIOT MARGARITAS
1 can limeade concentrate
tequila
beer

Empty 1 can limeade into blender, fill can with tequila and add to blender, fill can with beer and add to blender. Mix briefly to get the beer fizzy. Pour into salt rimmed glasses and ENJOY!

If you don’t want to use that much tequila, fill your can with desired amount of tequila, then top off with club soda.

Remember: 1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, FLOOR. Drink Responsibly.

I have so many memories eating at Lou’s, mainly because we would always go with my family and my grandparents. The adults would order their beers and my sister, brother and I would have to agree on a choice of soda, because we would get to order AN ENTIRE PITCHER OF IT. Occasionally we would get to order a Shirley Temple; my brother drank so many of these (non-alcoholic) cocktails that he threw-up in the parking lot. Since he is not yet 21 we always ask if he wants a Shirley Temple when we are ordering our beers; I don’t think he finds it as funny as I do.

Usually every time Alex and I go back home, we request to eat there with one of our families. The nachos are covered in gooey cheese, the portions are large, the salsa is hot and the beer is cold. Lou’s is now called something different, and it is more of a restaurant than a bar, it is well lit and the smoke is all gone. Going there isn’t the same, something about a cramming a bunch of people into a dark, cigarette smoke-filled room made the food taste so much better; don’t get me wrong the food is still delicious the environment is what changed.

I’ve been ordering the same thing for as long as I can remember; a combination burrito with gravy, adding lettuce, tomatoes, onions and smothering it in sour cream and their hot salsa. YUM! This is a meal that I have always wanted to cook at home. The ground beef in the burrito is so fine, and I was told that is because they boil their meat. Usually when I make tacos I brown my beef, which results in large chunks of browned meat. I searched high and low for authentic Mexican recipes and I came across a great website. The beef recipe is so good and to me it seems authentic. At least it is very similar to the meat they serve at Lou’s.

MEXICAN GROUND BEEF
(from mex-recipes.com)

2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp salt
2 T chili powder
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 T paprika
water to cover meat

1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped

But all ingredients (besides onion and pepper) into a 2 qt sauce pan. Use enough water to cover meat. Bring to a boil. Simmer over medium low heat about an hour. In about 15 minutes take a potato masher break up the meat; don’t want it to cook up in lumps. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times. Also make sure we don’t run dry of water. Add water if needed.

Add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper, continue cooking 20 or 30 more minutes.

To finish:

Remove from stove pour into strainer. Let set for 10 or 15 minutes to make sure all grease was removed. At this point we do want to keep the liquid.  Place liquid in freezer for a few minutes. When grease separates and starts to hardened take spoon and remove. Should have very little liquid left.

1/2 cup would be fine. Place in small pan bring to a boil. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of corn starch in 1/4 cup of cold water add to liquid simmer 4 or 5 minutes. Fold into meat. Now we have a tasty moist taco, grease free.

He didn’t have to tell me he was in pain, I could see it in his face, and read it in his body language. I wanted to do everything in my power to assure he was comfortable. I administered his pain medicine every four hours like clockwork, through all this he wasn’t eating much, and I was worried the pain meds were going to hurt his stomach. In my mind he HAD to get something in his stomach; so I made him my great grandma’s recipe for homemade noodles. He actually ate quite a bit (I knew he was hungry). He now is fully recovered and back to eating whatever he wants.

This is a nonrecipe-recipe; you know the kind. My great grandma has probably made this hundreds of times (at least), and she knows exactly how much of everything to use. To feel rustic, I put on my apron and made my noodles on the counter. I called my grandma for this recipe, this is how she gave it to me (recorded from my great grandma). I hope my grandma doesn’t get mad at me for posting this recipe… I believe that good food should be shared and enjoyed by all, not kept in as a “secret”.

HOMEMADE NOODLES

I started with 2 c flour and salt and made a well for my eggs. I did not have any cream or evaporated milk in my cupboards, so I added plain Greek yogurt (noodles turned out fine) to my well. Slowly I combined all the flour and rolled out into a thin sheet.

Using my pizza cutter, I sliced my skinny noodles.

I sprinkled my cut noodles with a little more flour before I broke them apart.

I would recommend spreading the noodles out and letting them dry for several hours before dropping them into your boiling liquid.

I dropped my noodles into 6 cups of boiling chicken stock.

The noodles boiled for almost 20 minutes before I added poached/shredded chicken and 1 packet of chicken gravy powder. It was delicious!

This month’s Daring Bakers Challenge is Opera Cake. May’s challenge is hosted by Daring Bakers founders Lis and Ivonne, and two newer members Fran and Shea. Before this challenge I’ve never heard of opera cake. Opera cake is a fancy shmancy French dessert, consisting of five different component –leave it to the French to make a complicated dessert. There is a cake (joconde) layer, syrup (to wet/flavor the cake), buttercream, mousse/ganache, and finally a glaze. Traditionally this cake is made with dark chocolate and coffee flavors, but our creative hosts wanted us to make our cakes light in flavor and light in color.

I will be honest with you, I was overwhelmed from the minute I read the recipe, so many different parts to concentrate on. Coffee and dark chocolate combination sounded so delicious, but we were once again forbidden to use dark flavors. Raspberry and lemon were the first to flavors that stuck in my head, it seemed to be a popular choice. My husband called home while I was preparing this cake and asked if I was a daring baker, I replied “No I am a challenged baker!” So true –at least with this challenge.

This cake was delicious, but extremely sweet. I’ve never thought anything was too sweet but this cake is. I ate only a tiny bite and that was enough. Now what am I going to do with all this cake? This was a fun experience, but I don’t think this will make another appearance in our house. Check out all the other flavors my fellow bakers created at the Daring Bakers Blogroll.

ALMOND CAKE (JOCONDE)

* The cake can be made one day ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature.

I could not find almond meal at any of my local grocers, so I had to grind my own. WORD OF WARNING: Buy already blanched almonds… I accidentally did not, and had to blanch my own… a MAJOR pain, and not as easy as it sounded. After I had my almond meal the cake came together very easily.

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds (Note: If you do not want to use almond meal, you can use another nut meal like hazelnut. You can buy almond meal in bulk food stores or health food stores, or you can make it at home by grinding almonds in the food processor with a tablespoon or two of the flour that you would use in the cake. The reason you need the flour is to prevent the almonds from turning oily or pasty in the processor. You will need about 2 cups of blanched almonds to create enough almond meal for this cake.)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).

3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.

5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.

6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

8.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

9.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.

10.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

LEMON SYRUP

* Can be made up to one week ahead and stored covered in the fridge

The cake was moistened and flavored with this simple syrup.

½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
2 tbsp. of lemon extract

1. Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM

*The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.

I thought this buttercream was more buttery than creamy. I’ve never been a huge fan of buttercream, but people seem to “OOOO” and “AAAHHH” over it.

1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) water
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp. strained/seeded raspberry

1.Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) [*Note: Original recipe indicates

a temperature of 255◦F (124◦C), however, when testing the recipe I found that this was too high so we heated to 225◦F and it worked fine] on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!

5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

6.While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

7.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

8.At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

*The ganache can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.

7 ounces white chocolate

1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.) ***I omitted this step***

1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

* It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.

4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)
2 tbsp raspberry extract

1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth, add extract.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake.

ASSEMBLING YOUR OPERA CAKE

*The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
2. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.
3. Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
4. Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.
5. Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
6. Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
7. Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.
8. Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze (at least 30 minutes).

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Roasted garlic. So easy. So simple. So delicious! The first time I enjoyed roasted garlic was when my husband and I were dining in Omaha’s Old Market. We ordered an antipasto appetizer off the menu at Vivace, which came with an assortment of cheeses, salty Italian meats, crusty bread and roasted garlic. Neither one of us had had roasted garlic before, and we were in love after the first bite.

Don’t live near Omaha? That’s all right, you can enjoy roasted garlic in your home, without a lot of fuss. All you need is a couple heads of garlic, and olive oil. Cut the tops off the garlic, drizzle olive oil over the garlic, wrap up in tin foil and roast in a hot oven (400-425 degrees F) for 45-60 minutes. What comes out of the oven is the most delicious way to enjoy garlic. Squeeze out the golden brown cloves, mash into a paste, and enjoy. I love roasted garlic smeared on a piece of crust bread. Yum! Yum! Yum!

SuperCook

This website is the “Intelligent Recipe Search Engine”. Don’t know what to make for dinner? Well with SuperCook you can enter in the ingredients you have in your pantry and it will generate recipes using those ingredients. Pretty cool, huh? I think so. The more ingredients you add the more specific the recipe becomes. The recipes are linked with RecipeZaar.

Cool Think

Craving something? This is the place to go to figure out what you are craving. There is a cloud of tags that appear within different categories. You have four different categories to pick from: ingredient, dish, cuisine, mood. You are allowed to choose eight different words that relate to your craving. Once you have chosen your words, click search and several recipes appear that fit within the criteria you selected. This is a really cool way to try a recipe that maybe you’ve never tried before.

How Stuff Works

This site has so many features… it really is a MUST SEE! I’ve linked you to the “food and recipes” section (my fav). Here there are a few different sections for you to browse. You can look up recipes, or learn how to cook, learn about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, or click the food facts link and learn something new. There is so much information offered on this site, I would need days of uninterrupted internet time to explore it all.

Five Generations
Great Grandma Bonnie, Sasha, Grandma Michelle
Great Great Grandma Dorothy, Penelope, Momma Jamie

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. You may think you have a great mother, but you probably haven’t met my mom. I have the WORLD’S BEST MOM. My mom stayed home to raise her three children. When I was a child she ran a small in home daycare to generate extra income. She sacrificed selflessly to ensure her children were happy, and that we had what we needed. She provided an example of a loving Christian wife and mother. She is my role model. Happy Mother’s Day mom, I love you.

ASIAN MEATLOAF
1 lb ground pork
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, minced
6 baby carrots, chopped
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 T soy sauce
2 T plum sauce, plus some for topping
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together, being careful not to over mix (you don’t want your meat to get tough). Transfer meat to a lightly greased jellyroll pan, and shape meat into a loaf, glaze loaf with plum sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. ENJOY!

Tonight’s dinner was these delicious marinated chicken fajitas. To be honest I did not measure my ingredients for my marinade, this allows you to season according to your flavor preferences. A quick stir-fry for the meat and veggies allows these fajitas to be done in a matter of minutes. I served my fajitas without a tortilla (to save some calories), black beans and yellow rice. It was a very filling meal with less than 245 calories! As a bonus, this entire meal comes together in less than 30 minutes.

BEER AND LIME MARINATED CHICKEN FAJITAS
123 calories per serving (Serves 4)

1 whole chicken boneless skinless chicken breast
cumin
seasoning salt
coriander
onion powder
garlic powder
lime juice
1/2 bottled beer

1 T vegetable oil, divided
1 medium size orange pepper
1/2 medium red onion

Trim chicken breasts of any fat and slice thinly. Put into a dish to marinate. Add seasonings, lime juice and beer. Stir. Allow to marinade 15 minutes. Thinly slice onion and pepper, set aside.

Heat wok over high heat. Add 1/2 T oil to wok, stir-fry onion and pepper for 5 minutes. Remove to separate dish. Add 1/2 T oil to wok, stir-fry chicken for 5 minutes. Discard marinade. Add onions and peppers to chicken and combine for 1-2 minutes. Serve as you wish. ENJOY!

Baking isn’t my strong point, I don’t have a ton of baking experience. To me baking does not provide the freedom that cooking does. Baking is a science, and measurements need to be accurate. The precision involved intrigues me. I decided to spread my wings and give it a try. I contacted the creators of Daring Bakers and asked to be involved with the challenges. I got my request in just the nick of time, and before I know it I was emailed with all the details, including the theme of April’s challenge.

April’s theme is Cheesecake Pops. Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah from Taste and Tell hosted this month’s event. This recipe is an adaptation of one from Jill O’Connor’s book called ”Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.”

I have made only one cheesecake before, it was a recipe from Cooking Pleasures magazine. It turned out wonderfully, so I was really excited to tryout these Cheesecake Pops. I baked my pops at the beginning of the month and experienced some of the same problems as other bakers. The recipe says the cake will bake up in 35-40 minutes, I like most of the bakers had to increase the baking time to 60 minutes. Just keep your eye on it! These pops were so creamy and delicious! I divided my batter into two separate pans, one I flavored with orange extract. I look forward to using this recipe again, and experimenting to make it lower in calories.

I really enjoyed this month’s theme. My family loved these pops, they are a fun treat for Sasha to enjoy. If you want to see more photos of the pops, check out the Daring Baker’s blogroll. I look forward to next month’s theme, check back at the end of May to see what else I’ve dared to bake.

CHEESECAKE POPS
Makes 30 – 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) – Optional

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionery chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Let’s respect God’s creation, and do what we can so our children (or future generations) can enjoy it too.

Haven’t eaten wheat bread in awhile? Why don’t you start simple and have whole wheat pancakes or waffles. Wheat is an excellent source of fiber and iron. These waffles are delicious, in fact, my two year old ate an entire four square waffle herself. The entire time she was eating it she kept saying “Yummy momma, mmmm.” I don’t think I will ever miss waffles made with white flour. I am a changed waffle eater.

Top your waffle with sugar free syrup (extremely low in calories) and you have yourself a low calorie and filling breakfast.

HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT WAFFLES
from RecipeZaar

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c oil
4 eggs
4 c buttermilk
pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon

Whisk together dry ingredients; combine oil and eggs in a measuring cup, add to dry mixture. Pour buttermilk in and whisk till all clumps and lumps are gone. pour 1/2 Cup of batter onto a hot waffle iron (for a 7 inches round), or 1 1/2 cups or ballet on a square iron (8″ by 8″ makes 4″ squares).

I am entering my Whole Wheat Banana Sour Cream Bread into a Banana Bread Bake Off hosted by Not Quite Nigella. Do you have an unbelievable banana recipe? You have until May 12th to enter your recipe. So get baking!

Last month I bought a five pound package of whole wheat flour, and have been wanting to use it for baking. This bread is quite dense, so the thinnest slice is very satisfying. I added a 1/2 c of chocolate chunks for a sweet surprise. Getting chocolate in your slice of bread is like winning the lottery, you may get a slice that has none or you may get the mother load. This bread makes approximately 24 slices per loaf with 148 calories per slice. Not too bad for a satisfying snack. I recommend eating this bread plain, it is so flavorful, butter or jams are not needed.

WHOLE WHEAT BANANA SOUR CREAM BREAD
3 ripe bananas, mushed
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c brown sugar
2/3 c fat free sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c chocolate chips/chunks (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Pour into greased 9×5 loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Bread is cooked completely when a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing (1-1 1/2 hours) ENJOY!

This recipe has been entered into the Banana Bread Bake Off. Wish me luck!

Last night for supper I wanted a high protein, low calorie meal. Immediately I thought of tuna, tuna is a lean protein packed with omega-3 fatty acid (which is great for breastfeeding moms). Alex doesn’t care for tuna; actually he doesn’t like it at all, so I knew this tuna sandwich would be all mine. I was going to make my traditional tuna salad which consists of canned tuna and a little mayonnaise, but when I opened the fridge last night I saw the jar of pesto sitting there staring at me. I’ve never had tuna and pesto together but thought it sounded not too bad. Well I was right, it was better than not too bad, it was frickin’ awesome.

I served my tuna on Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cakes. This makes a nice low calorie snack or meal. I tried to take some pictures of this deliciousness, but the pictures did not do justice to the amazing flavor or this sandwich.

Check out my recipe for Pesto Meatballs if you need any other ideas for integrating pesto into your meals.

OPEN-FACED MEDITERRANEAN TUNA RICE CAKE SANDWICHES
1 can lite chuck tuna packed in water, drained
2 T Classico Basil Pesto
1/2 T lite Mayo
2 Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cakes

Combine tuna, pesto and mayo. Divide between two rice cakes. Eat as an open-faced sandwich. Eat both yourself or share with a friend. Enjoy!

Calories for one open-faced sandwich: 186.5

Other perks of the website include cooking help. There are many topics included from how to cook a roux to how to infuse vodka. There are many other helpful topics that you may enjoy. Check it out soon!

I made these cupcakes yesterday with Sasha; she is really into helping me out.

The cupcakes are really dense, without being dry. I used only the pineapple, and left out the raisins and walnuts. The original recipe can be found here http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/local/carrotcake.html I adapted it with the ingredients that I had on hand. The cake part was delicious, however the frosting was mediocre. I may have added too much pineapple juice to it, because it was a little runnier than I would expect frosting to be. I will most certainly make the cake recipe again, but figure out a new and better recipe for the frosting.

My husband took this photo.

PINEAPPLE CARROT CUPCAKES
(makes 12 cupcakes)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I didn’t have any so I added a dash of ground ginger, ground cloves and ground allspice)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 c crushed pineapple in juice, drained (reserve 3 tablespoons juice for topping)
2 eggs
1/4 cup Wesson vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots (I used minced baby carrots)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray spray 12 cupcake liners with nonstick, vegetable cooking spray, place into muffin-tins. Dust lightly with all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Combine all cake ingredients except carrots in large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer just until combined. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Fold in carrots. Pour batter so liners are 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

LOW CALORIE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
4 oz. American Neufchatel Cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (used a dash of ground ginger, ground cloves and ground allspice)
3 T reserved pineapple juice

In small mixing bowl, combine cheese and sugar. Mix until combined. Slowly add pineapple juice. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until smooth. Spread topping on cooled cake. Sprinkle with additional shredded carrot, if desired.

The original recipe came from my mom. This is something she would make when my dad was gone fishing (he really doesn’t care for it). This isn’t a traditional stir-fry; I thinly sliced the chicken and stir-fried it in order to speed up the cooking time. I have also used rotisserie chicken, which you can pick up in the hot case at your local grocery store. We were out of pasta, so being “oh so resourceful” I used the pasta from a box of Velveeta Shells & Cheese and now the mystery cheese sauce packet is laying in my cupboard (what am I going to do with that?).

This recipe is easy to personalize. Use whatever pasta shape you have on hand. Don’t like chicken? Try turkey or tuna. Use fire-roasted tomatoes; my mom prefers Rotel over regular diced tomatoes. Food is meant to be enjoyed!

ITALIAN CHICKEN STIR-FRY
1-1 1/2 lb chicken breast (I used boneless, skinless)
1 T Vegetable oil
2 c pasta
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, juice drained
4 T Lite Italian salad dressing

Cook your pasta til al dente. Thinly slice chicken breast. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Quickly sti-fry chicken until no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, add tomatoes, pasta and salad dressing. Cook for 3-5 minutes so flavors combine.

Plate your pasta, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

My sister is a super fan of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. She recently purchased The Biggest Loser Cookbook. Check out Amazon, they have tons of Biggest Loser goods. My sister sent me a recipe for better for you blueberry cakes. I omitted the blueberries because I did not have any on hand, the pancakes were still delicious and very filling. I made my pancakes into two 1/4 c cakes instead of four 1/8 c cakes. Two scrambled eggs, half an orange and a glass of V8 juice made a delicious breakfast with less than 350 calories.

BIGGEST LOSER BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

1/2 c reduced fat buttermilk
1/2 c whole grain oat flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! 0 calorie spray
1/2 c fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

Makes 2 (4 pancake) servings

In a small bowl combine the buttermilk, flour, egg white, baking soda, vanilla and salt. Whisk just until blended. Stir in the blueberries. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. Briefly remove the pan from the heat to mist lightly with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! spray. Return the pan to the heat. Pour the batter in 1/8 cup dollops onto the skillet to form 4 pancakes. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the tops and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until browned on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 pancakes total.

Serve immediately with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray and syrup if desired (syrup is additional calories.. I used sugar free low calorie syrup.. just 35 calories per 1/4 cup which is plenty!)

If you only want to make 1 serving at the time, the batter will keep in your refrigerator for up to 3 days

Per serving: 140 calories, 8 g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (less than 1 g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 687 mg sodium

I have found a calorie counter, which allows you to analyze the nutritional value of your recipe. I use this tool as a guideline, it is not completely accurate, but it was the best I could find. Let me know if there is a more accurate tool out there! Hopefully I will be posting several recipes that will be better for you. The nutritional data will not be available with all the recipes, but I will tell you if I think the recipe is better for you.

If you need a midmorning or mid afternoon pick me up, a great snack is a Fiber One bar. With 140-150 calories and 35% of your daily fiber requirement it is a great snack. Oats & Caramel is my favorite flavor, the great caramel flavor tastes like you are cheating. CQ Products has a 100 calorie snack cookbook for a very reasonable price. Make your own snacks for far cheaper than you could buy those snack packs you see at your local market.

*Disclaimer* I am NOT a registered dietitian or nutritionist. I am a regular person who is trying to eat a little healthier. ALWAYS consult your doctor before starting any diet.

I made this turkey burger recipe last night, but did not take any photos, I thought I already had photos saved on my computer. A quick search of my food folder this morning proved me wrong. Sorry there are no photos of this tasty burger. Trust me the appearance of the burger can not capture it’s tastiness. This burger is so moist and delicious, you won’t miss the higher calorie red meat cousin.

TURKEY BURGER

1 lb low fat ground turkey
2-4 celery ribs, chopped finely
1/2 medium sized onion, minced
1 tsp poultry seasoning (I used ground sage)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, add olive oil, celery, and onion to pan. Sautee until vegetables are tender. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Once vegetables are cooled add to ground turkey. Mix well. Form into four patties. In a nonstick skillet, cook your burgers over medium-medium high heat 3-4 minutes on each side. The burgers are done once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

Serving suggestion: Place burger on a whole wheat bun smeared with lite mayo, top burger with a slice of Muenster cheese.

Now I am sure Rachael did not look at my website herself. One of her staffers found my website, but it is still cool someone in the Rachael Ray family read my recipe. I actually thought about sending my recipe to Rachael, letting her know of my tasty redo.

I love Rachael, and have been a fan of hers since I first saw a 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray episode years ago. I know where I live I get to see three 30 Minute Meal episodes a day, unless The Simpsons have a good episode on, then I settle for one 30 Minute Meal. There is still more Rachael to watch, I tune in almost daily to Every Day with Rachael Ray TV show. With all the TV shows Rachael Ray has on the Food Network, I could probably watch her six or seven times a day.

Hey Rachael, if you ever need another person do go on a Tasty Travel with you, or spend $40 a Day, I am your gal.

SHEPHERD’S PIE
(from Every Day with Rachael Ray April 08)
311 Calories/ serving
Serves 8

2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
10 oz cremini mushroom slices
2 carrots, cut into 1 in pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 1 in pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 lb 93 % lean ground beef
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c beef broth
1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
3/4 c 2 % milk
1 1/2 lb baby spinach

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot, cover.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 T olive oil over high heat, add the mushrooms and cook stirring until browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange in a greased 9×13 baking dish in an even layer.

In same skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, parsnips, and onions. Cook until crisp-tender, 6-7 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the beef broth and tomatoes, and simmer, stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Ladle the meat mixture over the mushrooms.

position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400. Add the milk to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

In the reserved skillet, bring 1 c water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook, turning until wilted, about 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a colander, press to extract any liquid.

Arrange the spinach over the meat mixture, then spoon the potatoes over top. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 T olive oil. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

MY TURKEY SHEPHERD’S PIE
242 Calories/ Serving
Serves 8

2 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 c carrots, cut into 1 in pieces
1 c celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 lb 93 % lean ground turkey
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
3/4 c skim milk
1 1/2 lb baby spinach

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot, cover.

In same skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Cook until crisp-tender, 6-7 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the broth and tomatoes, and simmer, stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Ladle the meat mixture into greased 9×13 pan.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400. Add the milk to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes over top. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 T olive oil. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

BARBECUE PORK SANDWICHES
4 Hormel Always Tender Mesquite Barbecue Tenderloin
your favorite barbecue sauce

Grill tenderloins until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Take meat off grill and rest 10-15 minutes, so the juices can redistribute. Thinly slice meat. Place sliced meat in crock pot (slow cooker) on low; cover meat with your favorite sauce, add as much or as little as you like. Heat until warmed through.

I served my tenderloin on whole wheat kaiser rolls.

CHEESY POTATOES
30 oz package of shredded frozen hash browns
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup (any cream soup will work)
1 c sour cream
3 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c corn flakes
salt, pepper, onion flake or powder to taste

Preheat oven t0 350 degrees F. Mix together hash browns, soup, sour cream, 2 c cheese, and seasonings. Put hash brown mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with remaining cheese, corn flakes and melted butter. Bake for 1 hour.

These are delicious!

*I used fat free sour cream and cheese and 98% fat free soup to cut calories, they still tasted great.

ELMO CAKE

1 box of funfetti cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix cake according to package instructions. Pour cake batter into a well greased and floured Elmo cake pan (can be purchased off Wilton’s website).

Bake for about 35 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow pan to cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Turn cake out onto another wire rack and cool completely.

I decorated my cake with dyed buttercream frosting. Instructions for dying your frosting come with the Elmo pan.

Sasha loved her cake, I hope your little one loves it too!

These are my favorite cookies. If I had a giant plate of various cookies in front of me, I would grab the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie first, no questions asked. I used to think of these cookies as a gourmet treat, and thought they would be difficult to prepare. How wrong I was! These cookies are simple to make, with a gourmet taste.

I remember the first time I tried a macadamia nut. I was a young girl, and family friends had returned from a vacation to Hawaii. With them they brought back Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. Yum! I was hooked on the soft buttery flavor. When I found out people mixed the nuts with white chocolate in cookies I was in heaven.

WARNING! Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs, so keep your dog away from these cookies.

I used white chocolate chips in this recipe. They worked well, and satisfied my craving, however, I would recommend using white chocolate chunks.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into
4 pieces (at room temperature)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, halved

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.

Blend butter, sugars, egg and vanilla extract in process until creamed, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of work bowl as you mix. Add flour, baking soda and salt, and mix until just combined. Do not over-process. Stir in chocolate and nuts by hand.

Mound dough by 1/4 c onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. You should have 8-10 large cookies. Bake until light brown around edges, about 14-16 minutes.

Cool on cookie sheets 3 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

Store in airtight container. Store 3 to 4 days at room temperature or freeze up to 3 weeks.

Joffery’s Coffee & Tea company is offering bloggers a chance to sample their new coffee flavor… FOR FREE. 10,000 spots are available to beta test their new flavor. If you love coffee, especially free coffee, go to their website to sign up to participate. As of Monday morning, their are 810 blogs participating, so you should be able to sign up your blog. ENJOY!

Last Saturday morning, I made these doughnuts for breakfast. Everyone loved them. I covered our doughnuts with powdered sugar and others with a chocolate glaze. I never knew making your own doughnuts could be so easy. I do not have a lot of prior experience working with doughs (other than cookie dough). This year I have made more batches of various doughs than I ever have before, and am enjoying working with them.

Making the doughnuts was really fun, it is something that you don’t get to do everyday. Sasha was right there in the kitchen wanting to help. After I rolled out the dough she was already using a glass to cut them out. It was a fun mother-daughter activity! I must apologize, I do not have any photos of the fresh doughnuts, we ate them all. Take the time and try this recipe, it was delicious.

Yeast Doughnuts
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening, approximately 1/3 cup
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
23 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center whole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

* I rolled the doughnuts holes in powdered sugar, immediately after removing them from the oil.

I thought Alton’s doughnuts were so delicious, I used his recipes for Chocolate Doughnut Glaze and Doughnut Glaze. The chocolate was the best. We could hardly wait for the glaze to set before we tasted them.

Chocolate Doughnut Glaze
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Doughnut Glaze
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners’ sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water. Dip doughnuts into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a draining rack placed in a half sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Lately it seems like I have the best intentions of writing, I just never follow through with them. Ugh! My goal is to post something more often. I have so many recipes and photos of different food that I haven’t posted yet. This weekend I was really ambitious, I made homemade doughnuts, that is going to be another post, however.

I made this heart cake for Alex on Valentine’s Day. It was delicious! Target had heart shaped silicone pans on sale for $2.50 after Christmas, so I picked one up and stashed it away until Valentine’s day. I have to apologize, I was going to make a cake from scratch. I was determined to make a beautiful made from scratch heart shaped cake, I even bought cake flour at the store. But… that didn’t happen. I was so busy on Valentine’s day, running around trying to make sure everything was just perfect, that I resorted to the fail-safe boxed cake mix. I did take the time to make my own buttercream frosting!

I baked the cake according to package directions. It was my first time cooking with a silicone pan so I was a little unsure of how long it would take to bake. Heads up –it took 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Once the cake came out of the oven I let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before working with it. Once the cake was completely cooled, I sliced it in half. I then took a generous amount of buttercream frosting and spread it on top of the bottom layer, replaced the lid and completely covered the cake with the remaining frosting. I garnished the cake with chocolate covered strawberries. It was a beautiful and tasty dessert.

I got the buttercream frosting recipe from Wilton.

Buttercream Recipe
(Medium Consistency)
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

YIELD: Makes about 3 cups.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Readers of my blog by now have noticed that my posts are about recipes. Well this IS a recipe, just not an edible one. I suppose you could eat this glue if you wanted to; it contains tummy safe ingredients.

The girls and I have a pretty established routine during the day. After lunch Sasha lays down for a nap. I usually like to wait a little while after lunch before I lay her down, that way she doesn’t go to sleep with a full belly. Lately we have been reading a story, or coloring in the “in between” time. Last week we made a Valentine heart for Alex; Sasha just loved watching me cut out the heart and allowing her to color it. We did another art project today. I cut out three different size circles out of construction paper and stapled them together to assemble a snowman (I could not find the glue). She scribbled on the snowman a little bit and was having a great time, when I suddenly had a great idea. Wouldn’t it be fun to glue cotton balls on the snowman? Scotch tape really didn’t secure the cotton balls. So I whipped up a batch of homemade paste. I hope that someone will find this useful. Sasha LOVED the process of gluing the cotton balls to the snowman. Plus, when she licked her fingers I did not have to worry about what she was digesting.

Homemade Paste

1/2 c flour
1/2 c water

Mix well. This can be made in any amount you would like. Just use equal parts flour and water.

*It may require a splash more water to loosen the flour. The mixture should be goopy not runny.

I realized that I was so focused on reducing fat content that I forgot to add the baking soda. OOPS! The bread did not rise at all and was extremely dense, but still very flavorful.

Banana Nut Bread
1 c flour
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter **I used 1/4c shortening and 1/4c applesauce
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans
3 large bananas mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In your mixer cream sugar and butter **(shortening and applesauce). Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour and soda. Stir nuts and mashed bananas in by hand. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 1 hour, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack before serving.

CABBAGE ROLLS

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F

1 large head cabbage, halved and cored
salt

Boil a large pot of water. Add salt. Drop individual cabbage leaves into the pot and boil 3-5 minutes. You will want the leaves pliable. Drain leaves and set aside.

1 T unsalted butter
1/2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 c yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic)

Sautee first three ingredients over medium heat until onion is soft (8-10 minutes). Add garlic and sautee for 2 minutes. DO NOT allow garlic to brown! Take off heat to cool.

In another pan over medium-low heat sautee the following for 1 minute

2 T EVOO
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic)

Add and simmer 5 minutes
28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Add and simmer the following for another 5 minutes
1 1/ T white wine vinegar
1 T sugar

In a mixing bowl add the following:
1 lb ground beef
1 c cooked white rice
1 egg
2 tsp salt
cooked onion mixture

Combine well.

ASSEMBLY: Pour 1 c tomato mixture in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Lay out cabbage leaf, put 2 heaping spoonfulls of meat mixture on center of leaf.

Roll the leaf around the mixture.

Lay seam side down in pan. Repeat until meat mixture is gone.

Cover with remaining tomato mixture. Cover with foil, bake for 50 minutes.

FRIKADELLER

1 lb ground pork
1/4 tsp onion powder (you could use minced onion)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Rosemary
2 T flour
1 T milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Drop tablespoons of meat into the hot pan. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side (you will want a nice brown crunch).

We enjoyed our frikadeller with cheesy potatoes and green beans.

A co-worker of mine introduced me to this delicious sandwich. Her husband brought it for her to enjoy on break, and she was nice enough to give me a taste. One word. DELICIOSO! The next week Alex and I went to this little Mexican restaurant downtown and had one of our own. I wish we would have gotten enough for seconds. Tonight I attempted to make Torta on my own. It was pretty good, I think my co-worker would have enjoyed it. A torta, is basically a taco on a bun. Thanks for introducing me to something new, Martha!

EL TORTA de JAMIE

2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded (recipe follows)
1 lb chorizo
hamburger buns, or fresh rolls *FRESH BREAD IS A MUST*
lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, jalapeños

POACHED CHICKEN RECIPE
2 chicken breasts seasoned with salt, chili pepper, and cumin.
Put chicken into pot, add enough water to cover chicken. Bring chicken up to boil. Once boiling put lid on pot, take off heat. Let sit 7-10 minutes. Take chicken out, reserve 1 c of cooking liquid.

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shredded it with two forks. Add cooking liquid, chicken, 1 T cumin, and 1 1/2 T chili powder, simmer for 5 minutes.

Take chorizo out of casing, brown in pot until done. Drain grease.

Butter buns and toast in frying pan until brown.

TO ASSEMBLE TORTA
Add meat, and desired toppings to the bun. Enjoy with your favorite Mexican beer!

HINT: Jalapeños are a must for this sandwich! Also it is not necessary to have cheese on the torta, the restaurant did not serve their tortas with cheese.

QUICK TIP: Don’t have time to poach your chicken? Pick up a precooked rotisserie chicken from your local market. Shred the chicken with two forks, add a little canned chicken stock or water and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes. The precooked chicken allows you to have this meal from stove to plate in less than 30 minutes.

It has been awhile since I’ve posted any recipes. This does not mean I have not been cooking. In fact, it is the opposite. I have been very busy in the kitchen. Every night this week we have eaten a meal that is influenced by a different part of the world. Isn’t it wonderful that the United States is such a melting pot(or mosaic)? We are exposed to many different types of cuisine, even here in Iowa! Check in for my recipes for these meals from Mexico, Denmark and Hungary. I encourage you to step out of your hum-drum meal plans and try something completely new. You may find something that you never knew you liked.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 sticks butter, soften
3/4 c dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c white sugar
1 package french vanilla instant pudding
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 c chocolate chips –I used bittersweet baking chips
1 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In mixer beat on medium speed butter, sugars, pudding and vanilla until blended. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour and soda in small batches until all incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans by hand. Press into a well greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into 24 bars and ENJOY!

*** For cookies *** Drop dough onto cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 minutes, or until golden brown in color. Cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

BISCUITS

2 c AP flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T shortening
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c 7-UP
1/2 c butter

Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Melt 1/4 c butter in the bottom of a 9 in round cake pan.

Sift flour, powder and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortening, then sour cream. Add 7-UP and mix until it forms a ball (it will do this quickly). Roll out on a floured surface until 1/2 in. thick. Cut out biscuits, re-rolling and cutting the scraps.

Place biscuits in cake pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Take out, pour 1/4 c butter over top the biscuits and turn over. Bake another 7 minutes. Maked 13 biscuits.

The biscuits were served with creamed chicken over top and a side of roasted asparagus.

I found a recipe for sourdough bread starter at the Food Network’s website, I chose Emeril’s recipe to follow. For my broccoli cheese soup, I adapted a recipe from my great grandma Nona. My grandma worked with my great grandma to type all of her recipes into a cookbook, which we received for a Christmas present in 1997. I have referenced it countless times when I need some inspiration for dinner. I am looking forward to getting a cookbook of my great grandma Dorothy’s recipes… hint, hint.

BASIC SOURDOUGH STARTER
from Emeril

3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit until the yeast becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast does not foam, discard the mixture and begin again with a new yeast.)
Add the flour and stir vigorously to work air into the mixture. Cover with a towel let rest in a warm, draft-free place (an oven with its pilot light or light bulb turned on works well) for 8 to12 hours. (The mixture should become very bubbly.) Use immediately or cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Preserving the Starter: Each time you remove a portion of the starter for a recipe, reserve at least 1/4 cup and replace the amount you have taken out with equal amounts of flour and water.
For example, if you remove 1 cup of starter, you must replace it with 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water. Whisk these ingredients into the starter until blended but not completely smooth, cover loosely, and return to the refrigerator.
Also, the starter must be maintained by feeding it every few days. Refresh by removing 1 cup of the starter (give to a friend or discard it) and adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water. Whisk until blended but not smooth. Cover loosely and return to the refrigerator.
If you plan to be away longer than a week, freeze the starter in a sterilized, airtight freezer container. Thaw the starter 2 days before you plan to bake with it. Refresh as indicated above with 1 cup each of flour and warm water. Cover and leave at room temperature 12 hours or overnight before using.
CAUTION: Never keep your starter tightly closed! The gasses expelled by the yeast will build up pressure and may cause the container (such as a glass jar) to burst!

I left my mixture sit for 8 1/2 hours before I began to work with it.

BASIC SOURDOUGH BREAD
from Emeril

2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups sourdough starter, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon salt

In an electric mixer with the dough hook, combine the flour, starter and salt, and knead until it no longer sticks to the sides or bottom of the mixing bowl.
Place a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour and knead gently, removing any large air bubbles. Knead into a small circle, then shape into a tight ball (for bread bowls, separate dough in half and shape into two tight balls), pinching the seams together underneath. Place on a well-floured board or baking peel, seam-side down. Cover with a kitchen towels and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat a baking stone, if available, on the bottom rack of an oven at 400 degrees F. With a sharp, serrated knife, cut a large “X” or cross-hatch pattern into the top of the dough.

Spray lightly with a mister and transfer to the baking stone (or place on a heavy baking sheet lightly dusted with cornmeal) and bake until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, about 60 minutes. (Sourdough should have a darker crust than other breads, so leave in the oven 5 minutes after you think it is done.)
Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

I brushed my bread bowls with melted butter when they came out of the oven.

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
adapted from great grandma Nona’s recipe

1 bunch broccoli -cut up
1 1/2 c boiling water (I used 1 c chicken stock and the hot water I used to rinse out the soup cans. I filled them 1/4 of the way full and swished them around to get the excess soup out)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c light cream (I had none on hand so I used whole milk)
salt & pepper to taste
8 oz cubed Velveeta
1/2c shredded carrots
1/2 c minced white onion
1 T olive oil

Sautee carrots and onion in olive oil.

Add broccoli, chicken stock, soup(and water), milk, and Velveeta. Simmer on med-lo until broccoli is tender.

Once broccoli is tender, scoop out about 1/2 of the mixture and pulse in a blender a few times. Be careful because the mixture is very hot!

Add back to the pot and stir well. Scoop out the insides of the bread bowl and reserve for dipping. Add the soup to the bread bowl and ENJOY!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

3 carrots, pealed and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 T Olive Oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 hardy pinch of dried thyme
2 – 32 oz boxes Swanson’s chicken broth
3 c cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1 – 32 oz package Reames frozen noodles

Sautee vegetables in the olive oil until softened. Add salt/pepper and thyme. Add chicken and broth. Bring to boil, add noodles and boil for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

I really enjoy my potato soup made with sauteed onions and crumbled bacon. When I made this soup the bacon was frozen. But feel free to add 4-6 slices cooked and crumbled to your soup.

CHUNKY POTATO SOUP

6 Russet potatoes, pealed and cubed
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
salt/pepper
pinch of dried thyme
1 c chicken stock
1 c cheddar cheese
2 c whole milk

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain. Sautee onions in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add salt/pepper and thyme. Add your liquids and the drained potatoes. Simmer until warmed through. Scoop out 1/2 of the soup with chunky potatoes and puree in the blender until smooth. Add to pot and stir in cheese. Simmer until cheese is melted.

Does anyone have any other recipes that feature thyme? Please let me know!

Cheesy Baked Corn

1-15 oz can creamed corn
1-15 oz can whole kernel corn-drained
1/2 c milk
generous pinch of dried thyme
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 sleeve of crushed snack crackers
2 T butter

Preheat oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine both cans of corn , milk, thyme, 1/2 c cheese, 1/2 sleeve of crushed crackers in a bowl. Put into a greased 8×8 pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and crackers. Dot with butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crackers are browned on top.

Michelle and I ran to the grocery store to get the ingredients we needed, while the guys watched the kids and the results of the SC primary. Things were running smoothly, by my calculations, dinner would be ready just in time for the little girls to fill their bellies before heading off to bed. I had browned my meat and was beginning to assemble my lasagna when I realized that I only had FOUR lasagna noodles. FOUR. That was it. So I quickly made the girls peanut butter sandwiches (sorry girls!) and ran back to the store to get more noodles. Things didn’t go according to plan, but everything turned out perfectly in the end. While the lasagna was cooking; Michelle and I gave the girls a bath and put them in bed. This allowed the adults to have dinner in peace and quiet. It was a great weekend. Good food, good friends and a great time.

LASAGNA

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 T olive oil
2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 package Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
4 c mozzarella cheese
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brown beef and sausage in olive oil, until cooked through. Make sure to break meat apart while cooking. Drain off excess fat once meat is cooked through. Combine egg, ricotta, 2c mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and salt/pepper together. Grease a 9×13 in. pan. Pour 1c sauce on bottom. Layer 4 lasagna noodles on bottom. Put 1/3 cheese mixture down on top of noodles. Next place 1/3 meat mixture, followed by 1/2c mozzarella cheese. Cover with 1-1 1/2 c sauce. Repeat process twice. Once you get to the last layer, place 4 lasagna noodles on top, cover with the last of the sauce, followed by last of the mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

It has been extremely cold here in Iowa. We have received about 10 inches or more of snow in the last five days. This morning when I woke up it was -17 and with the wind chill it felt like -30. BRR that is really cold. Needless to say, Marley does not enjoy going outside when it is that cold. When he is outside he does his business and he does it fast. I have been cooking all the comfort foods this week. Including Chicken Noodle Soup and Chunky Potato Soup (I will include those recipes in a separate post).

On Monday I felt like turning on my oven and do some cookie baking. I came across this eggless cookie recipe on Patricia’s website. However she calls her cookies Chocolate Chip Whoppers. You need to use both your hands to eat these cookies! I added crushed pecans to my cookie dough. My cookies came out EXTREMELY crunchy, so I changed the name. I may have accidentally left out a cup of flour, which could have caused the cookies to become so crunchy. I will try to make these cookies again and see if the result is the same. Alex and Sasha love these cookies, and that makes me happy. In fact, Sasha has become a pro at saying “Cookie. Please.”

Giant Crunchy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly–I used salted butter and omitted the tsp salt
1 c sugar
½ c packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T water
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips –I used milk chocolate chips
1 c crushed pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and place rack in the middle of the over. Mix flour, soda and salt together. In separate bowl cream butter and vanilla with sugars. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. The dough will look crumbly. Mix in the water. The dough will become soft and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Using 1/4 c measuring cup, scoop dough onto baking sheet and smoosh until 3/4 in. thick. Place cookies at least 3 in. apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are browned with a few cracks.

Makes about 16 giant cookies.

If you want to check out great food photography visit one of my favorite blogs, www.pinchmysalt.com Nicole does a fabulous job taking photos of her food. Hopefully, I will get the hang of this, and my photos will turn out artsy like hers.

Creamy Parmesan Thyme Polenta

What was left of our chuck roast

The red wine braising liquid

The chuck comes from the upper shoulder/neck area of the cow. It can contain connective tissue and collagen. The collagen provides lots of flavor to this meat as it melts during the cooking process. This cut is typically used for slow cooking, braising, roasting or stewing.

Red Wine-Braised Chuck Roast
3-4 lb chuck roast
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
2 yellow onions (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 c beef stock
2 T tomato sauce
1 750ml red wine (I used a Shiraz)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Pat roast dry, and sprinkle with salt/pepper on all sides. Place roast in pot and brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Place roast on plate.

Add onions and saute until they become a pale golden brown color, about 10 minutes. Add salt/pepper, garlic, thyme, tomato sauce, beef stock and wine. Bring to boil. Return roast to the pot and cover with the lid. Put in oven and roast, after 1 hour turn the roast and continue to cook for another hour to 1 1/2 hours, you want the roast extremely tender. Take roast out of pan and let it rest on a plate for 20-30 minutes. Slice roast on the bias, place some onions on the roast and pour wine sauce over the roast.

While the roast is resting, take this “thyme” to make your polenta.

Creamy Parmesan Thyme Polenta
2 c chicken stock
2 c water
1 c polenta (ground corn meal)
1/2 tsp salt
3 T unsalted butter
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp thyme

Bring chicken stock, water and salt to a boil. Slowly add polenta (corn meal) whisking the entire time. Turn heat down to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn heat off, add butter, thyme and Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

ENJOY!

Last Thursday, January 3rd was caucus night here in Iowa. I think both the Democrats and Republicans did a great job choosing their first place candidates. To celebrate I made Chicken and Broccoli Obama Stir-Fry with Edamame Fried Rice. It was tasty! We enjoyed our dinner while watching the victory speeches. I did not measure my ingredients, so I do not have an exact working recipe. I will give rough estimates below, adjust according to your seasoning preferences. Basmati rice is the rice I chose to use for my fried rice. I enjoy the softness and flavor of Basmati rice. I hope you enjoy my political dinner!

Chicken and Broccoli Obama Stir-Fry

3 large chicken breasts-thinly sliced
Soy Sauce
Sugar
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 heads of broccoli chopped
1 c chicken broth
1 T corn starch
2 T peanut oil

Use frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Set out to thaw for 30 minutes. While chicken is partially frozen, slice into thin strips. Put in dish to continue thawing. Once chicken is fully thawed, pour soy sauce over top of chicken and sprinkle with sugar. This creates a marinade, marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Heat wok over high heat. Pour in 1 T peanut oil. Stir-fry broccoli, garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes, take out and set aside. Add 1 T peanut oil, add chicken and marinade (may need to work in batches) stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add broccoli to chicken mixture. Mix the cornstarch and chicken broth together, pour into wok, and stir until thickened. Serve over rice.

Edamame Fried Rice

1 package pre-shelled edamame
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 c cooked/cooled Basmati rice
1 T soy sauce
2 eggs beaten
2 T peanut oil, plus a slash

Add 1 T oil to hot wok. Add edamame and stir fry until soft 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok. Add 1 T oil to wok, add garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add rice, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice, add a slash of oil and the beaten eggs. Incorporate the egg into the rice mixture. Add soy sauce and edamame and mix well. Remove from wok and enjoy.

Sunday evening Alex, the girls and I started a family tradition (hopefully). ‘Tis the season to stuff ourselves with sugary treats. We put on some Tchaikovsky and let Sasha dance away while we made Christmas treats. Alex dipped pretzels in vanilla almond bark and I whipped up some chocolate creme de menthe cookies.

When I was shopping the other day I saw a package of Ande’s baking chips. They are chopped up Ande’s creme de menthe pieces. I decided to use these baking chips in a chocolate cookie. It has been years since I’ve made chocolate cookies, and I could not remember the recipe I used, so I searched Google for a chocolate cookie recipe. I came across several, and decided to use a recipe from www.extremechocolate.com with my own substitutions. These cookies are minty and delicious. I will upload photos really soon.

Ultra-Chocolate Creme de Menthe Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 package Ande’s creme de menthe baking chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl mix together sugars, butter, eggs, cocoa powder and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in baking chips. Using tablespoons drop cookie dough onto greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute before moving to baking rack. ENJOY!