Scrambled Henfruit

Will You Be My Valentine?

2012-01-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

When you're in second grade, Valentine's Day is wondrous. In the days leading up to it, you thoughtfully decorate your mailbox with hearts and stickers, all the time anticipating what it might hold when the magical day arrives. Red and pink scraps of paper litter the classroom floor, evidence of hastily cut, glued, glittered and lettered missives of friendship that will be surreptitiously slipped into your classmates' expectant receptacles.

In second grade everybody's your friend. You don't have to worry about girlfriends or boyfriends or dating or any of those drama inducing love triangles that will come all too soon and fill your Valentine's Day with more angst than should be allowed.

In second grade, instead of worrying about who's sending you flowers or candy, you can tell jokes. Corny jokes. And riddles that you ask your friends over and over and they will always laugh. When you're in second grade, jokes are always funny. Classics like:

What did the boy bird say to the girl bird? "Let me call you Tweet Heart."

What did the boy bat say to the girl bat? "Let's hang around together."

What did the boy cat say to the girl cat? "We're purrrfect for each other."

The long awaited fourteenth arrives, and all day long eyes are glued to the bulging bags on the classroom counter. Not soon enough, little fingers are busy unearthing and poring over the hidden treasures within; little envelopes with colorful cards and maybe a piece of candy or two. Affirmations of friendships. And hopefully, cookies.

These Iced Spice Cookies have been the "go-to" cookie in my household for years. Simpler to decorate than the last Valentine cookies I posted, they were a breeze to make. I used Sweet Sugarbelle's "Twenty Second" royal icing since the cookies were smallish. I loved that I only had to make two different colors of frosting, but you could make yours as colorful as you like. The hearts on the cookies were made by immediately piping dots of frosting onto each freshly frosted cookie, and then drawing a toothpick through the dots from top to bottom. Do this immediately, before the frosting crusts, and be sure to wipe off the toothpick after every pass to keep your hearts neat!

Make some of these for someone you love. And if you know any second graders, ask them to tell you their favorite joke. Be prepared to listen to their peals of laughter while you secretly groan inside. :)

Iced Spice Cookies
(printable page)

recipe adapted from Patti Paige, Creative Ideas for Living Jan/Feb '89
2/3 cup shortening (I use butter)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (I only use 1)
1 large egg (from a happy hen if you can find one-mine aren't laying right now)
3/4 cup molasses
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:

Cream together the first six ingredients. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the molasses and mix again. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to molasses mixture and mix until dough forms.
Divide the dough into two balls (flattened), wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least three hours. (I chilled it overnight) This dough is hard to work with unless it's chilled.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out one ball of dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. The original recipe calls for rolling the dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or a floured pastry cloth. I didn't have those so I just checked my dough frequently to make sure it wasn't sticking to my surface.
Cut out desired shapes. Gather scraps into a ball and put in the freezer while you repeat with the rest of your dough.
Transfer cookies to parchment covered (or greased) baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure edges don't burn. Cool completely on a rack before frosting. For me this recipe made about 4 dozen small cookies.

Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Parfaits and a Handmade Keepsake Ornament

2011-12-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

Oh yes, I did.

     Those really are Irish Cream dipped chocolate chip cookies nestled snugly between luscious layers of whipped cream. And they're sitting in my refrigerator getting more delicious by the minute. As they mellow, the Irish Cream soaked cookies become almost cake-like, and each spoonful is a bite of creamy goodness studded with crunchy chocolate chips suspended in silky whipped cream.

     Surprisingly enough, the best cookies for this recipe are the crunchy store-bought ones. (Chips Ahoy, if you can get them.) I've included a link in the recipe for a non-alcoholic Irish Cream if you prefer not to go the alcoholic route, but I'm also thinking that any sweet milky coffee-type drink (like a bottled frappuccino) would work.

     My friend Felicia introduced me to this wonderfully quick and easy make-ahead dessert. (Can you believe there are only three ingredients?) She makes hers in a 9x12 dish, but I thought it would also be cute in individual serving jars. But isn't most anything cuter in a Weck jar?

Speaking of cute, here's what has been keeping my attention these last few weeks. Yep, grandson has moved back to VA and we've been having lots of family fun together. (Yay!) Here's a little project that we did together that makes a great keepsake ornament. (Grandmas love these things!) This is one of my favorite ornaments, and I've been making these with my students for years.

This idea came from Little Giraffes, and they have a link to a printable tag here. Instructions: Paint child's palm and fingers white. Have them wrap their hand and fingers around a ball shaped ornament to transfer their handprint. Decorate with paint markers, and don't forget to put your child's name and date! Include a tag with this poem:

These aren't just five snowmen,

As anyone can see.

I made them with my hand

Which is a part of me.

And now each year when you trim the tree

You'll look back and recall,

Christmas of 2011

When my hand was just this small!

I'll be back soon with more holiday goodies- my baking partner is back and we plan to get into lots of cookie trouble together!

Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Parfait Recipe
recipe from Felicia
Ingredients
1 pkg. Chocolate Chip cookies, crunchy ones- not soft (Chips Ahoy work beautifully.)
Whipped cream (made from a pint of heavy cream) or 1 tub Whipped topping
Irish Cream liqueur or non-alcoholic Irish Cream (I'm thinking that even a bottled frappuccino would work here.)

Pour about 1/2 cup of Irish Cream into a bowl. (More if you need it) Dip cookies one at a time into the Irish Cream. I usually let them stay in a few seconds and then turn them over to make sure they're completely covered. Don't leave them in long enough to get soggy- they'll fall apart.
For a 9x12 baking dish: Start with a layer of dipped cookies and then top with a layer of whipped cream. Repeat the layers and finish with a sprinkling of crushed cookies.
For parfait glasses or canning jars: Alternate layers of dipped cookies and whipped cream. End up with whipped cream as the top layer and then sprinkle with some crumbled cookies.
Cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours (can be done a day ahead) before serving so the cookies have a chance to absorb the liqueur and soften.

Split Pea Soup with Celeriac

2011-11-21T00:25:00.001-05:00

The excesses of Thanksgiving are behind me (literally as well as figuratively, I'm afraid), and now simple hearty fare like this split pea soup is what I'm craving. It's a great way to use up the leftovers from your holiday ham or you could opt for a vegetarian version. I love the humble celery root in this recipe. It won't win any beauty contests, but it imparts a subtle celery flavor and adds body and texture to the soup. Some pumpernickel croutons or a nice slice of crusty bread make a perfect accompaniment. Make some for now and freeze some for later- it'll come in handy when you need a quick meal on a cold evening!

Split Pea Soup with Celeriac and Ham
Ingredients
1 ham bone with the fat trimmed off OR 1 Tablespoon Better Than Boullion Ham Base OR a smoked ham hock. For a vegetarian/vegan option, use water or vegetable broth instead.
1 lb. dried split peas
1 small/medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery root, peeled and finely diced
1 leek, thoroughly washed and finely sliced (optional- if you don't use it though, add a bit more onion)
1/2 lb. cubed cooked ham -or however much you like in your soup (optional)
A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions

Rinse split peas in a colander, and go through them to make sure there are no rocks. (Yes, I've found them before in bags of beans!)
Put all ingredients except cubed ham, salt and pepper in large soup pot with 1 1/2-2 qts. water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1-2 hours, or until peas and vegetables are very tender.
Remove ham bone. If you prefer your soup smooth, use a stick blender to puree it. Add cubed ham (and any ham remaining on soup bone) and season to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes more to warm the ham through.
Serve with pumpernickel croutons if desired. This soup will thicken more as it cools. To reheat, you may need to add water.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

2011-11-10T19:13:00.000-05:00

Happy National Bundt Day! This Gingerbread Bundt Cake, made with stout beer and fresh ginger, is a great way to kick off your holiday baking season. The smell of molasses and ginger always makes me feel all warm and cozy, especially when the air is crisp and cool outside. Wouldn't this beautiful bundt would be a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving table? It's spicy, moist with the complex flavors of molasses and stout, and covered with a gingery glaze made with my favorite ginger ale of all time.

Bottled in the Northern Neck since 1926, Northern Neck Ginger Ale is a taste of home for me. I appreciate its crisp, peppery bite that sets it apart from others. It's only sold in cans and plastic bottles now, but I remember the signature green glass bottles with the bubbles on the front!

And if a gingerbread bundt doesn't suit your fancy, head over to The Food Librarian. For the past three years, Mary has celebrated National Bundt Day by baking thirty bundts for each of the thirty days leading up to it! You can find her bevy of beautiful bundts here, and I bet you can find one that you'll want to bake. It's O.K. to celebrate the occasion a little late, especially if it involves eating cake. :)

Stout Gingerbread Bundt Cake
from All-Time Best Holiday Recipes, America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz.) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) sugar
4 teaspoons grated or minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup robust or dark molasses
3/4 cup stout beer (I used Guinness)
Glaze
1 3/4 cups (7 oz.) confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons ginger ale
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in ground spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs, sugar, and fresh ginger in large bowl until light and frothy. Stir in melted butter mixture, molasses, and stout until incorporated. Whisk flour mixture into egg mixture until no lumps remain.
Pour batter into prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack; let cool completely.
Prepare glaze: Whisk all ingredients in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cake.
Enjoy!

Broccoli Ramen Salad

2011-11-10T01:57:00.000-05:00

     Colorful and crunchy, with a tangy yet sweet dressing, this easy salad is great with anything from fried chicken to hot dogs. It's perfect for potlucks, tailgates, fall picnics or to accompany a quick sandwich at home for lunch. It's even still delicious the day after it's prepared, when all of the flavors have melded together and the dressing has soaked into the ramen noodles.

     The hardest (ha!) part of the preparation is chopping the onion and smashing the dry noodles into bits (fun!) which makes this ideal for those times when you need something in a hurry. And who doesn't need fast food now and then?

Broccoli Ramen Salad
1 bag Broccoli Slaw Mix (12 oz.) If you can't find this already bagged, it's just a mixture of julienne broccoli stems, julienne carrots and shredded red cabbage
1 pkg. Ramen Noodles (Beef, Chicken or Oriental flavor)
1/2-1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup oil (Canola or light flavored olive)
1/3 cup sugar (up to 1/2 cup if you prefer a sweeter taste)
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced

Break up the ramen noodles (in the bag) and place them in a large bowl with the broccoli slaw mix, almonds, cranberries and onion.
Mix together oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning packet (optional) from the ramen noodle soup. Pour over the slaw mixture and toss together. If you prefer not to use the seasoning packet, you may want to add some salt. Serve immediately (ultimate crunch!) or refrigerate to serve later.

Brown Sugar Maple Walnut Cut-Outs

2011-11-06T00:31:00.000-04:00

Call me a sentimentalist. I love getting letters. The real ones, I mean, written on paper with a pencil or pen. Some of my favorite notes of recent have been painstakingly drawn with crayons on scraps of crumpled notebook paper. In these days of email and texts, a handwritten note carries with it an air of warmth and care.

Handwritten recipes are like that too. I have a box full of recipes that my friends and family have shared with me, most of them handwritten on recipe cards, notebook paper, index cards- whatever was handy at the time. Going through my recipe box is like a trip down memory lane, recalling special people and special times.

When this handwritten recipe card fluttered to the floor out of a book I was shelving at the thrift store where I volunteer, I knew at once that it had also been special to someone. Lovingly handwritten (by a Grandma, no less),worn and stained, it had all of the earmarks of a well loved recipe- one that would feel right at home in my recipe box.

I changed very little of the recipe, adding some maple flavoring and topping it off with a walnut half and a divine maple glaze. (I had to resist the temptation to eat it by the spoonful.) These brown sugar beauties were perfectly chewy with crisp edges and a rich, buttery maple flavor. I'm pretty sure Stephanie's Grandma would approve.

Brown Sugar Maple Walnut Cut-Outs

"Receipt" adapted from Stephanie's Grandma

Cookies

2 2/3 cups brown sugar, lightly packed (sift to prevent lumps)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 lb. soft butter or oleo

2 eggs, not too small

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Walnut halves or pieces (Toasting the walnuts slightly brings out their flavor.)

Maple Frosting ingredients

1/2 stick butter

2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted, to prevent lumps)

1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

1-2 Tblsp. brewed coffee, hot

Directions for making cookies:

Cream together sugar, salt and butter.
Beat eggs, maple flavor and vanilla extract together. Add to sugar and butter mixture.
Sift dry ingredients together and gradually blend into above mixture.
Chill well. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut with cookie cutters (I used leaf shapes, but a circle would be just as nice) and bake on parchment for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are brown around edges. (Actual baking time will depend on the thickness and diameter of your cookies.)
Cool on wire rack. Yield depends on thickness of dough and size of your cookie cutters.
Use frosting (recipe follows) to attach a walnut half to each cookie. Drizzle frosting over cookie and walnut. (Or frost cookies and scatter chopped walnuts on top.)

Maple frosting:

Melt butter in skillet. Remove from heat.
Whisk in flavoring and confectioners sugar.
Thin with hot coffee. Whisk until smooth and of drizzling consistency. (Thin with more coffee if needed.)

This post is linked to:

Apple-Almond Streusel Pie

2011-10-16T02:31:00.000-04:00

Sweet almond paste sandwiched snugly between layers of flaky crust... Tender apples spiced with warm cinnamon ... Crunchy bits of toasted almond streusel ... So many reasons to love this pie!

The quintessential fall fruit teams up with almonds here to create a treat worthy of any occasion. It's delicious warm or cold, and I say this with authority having made it twice already in the past week. I first saw this pie in the new Pampered Chef catalog, and it sweetly called my name. Hope it calls yours too!

Apple-Almond Streusel Pie
Recipe from Pampered Chef featured in Simply Sweet with my changes noted
You'll need:
For the crust:
two pie crusts (enough for a double crust pie) your favorite homemade or refrigerated
1 8oz. can of almond paste (or 7oz. tube)
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 egg whites, divided (One of these is just for moistening the edges of the pie crusts to keep them together, so I used the white of an extra large egg and saved back a teaspoon of it to brush on the crusts.)
For the filling:
3 to 3 1/2 lbs Granny Smith Apples, peeled (8 cups sliced)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I used 2 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used a bit less than this)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Spice Blend (Pampered Chef has its own blend. I didn't have any so I used my own spice blend, recipe here.)
2 Tablespoons butter
For the Streusel topping:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I used more than this)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 370F or 190C.
Place almond paste, one egg white and cornstarch in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
Roll each of the pie crusts into a 12 inch circle. Spread almond paste onto one pie crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Lightly beat the reserved egg white and brush over the edge of the crust not covered by the almond paste.
Carefully place the second pie crust on top of the first. Pat together gently and press edges together with fingertips. Using a pastry cutter, trim 1/8 inch edge off of the crust to create a decorative border.
Place crust into a deep dish pie pan, pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom and sides. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. (I had to cover the edges to keep them from browning too quickly.) While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
Filling: Pour lemon juice into a large bowl. Peel, core and slice apples into the lemon juice. Add brown sugar and spices; toss to coat.
Melt butter in a skillet. Pour apple mixture into the skillet and cook, covered, over medium high heat until apples are tender. (6-8 minutes)
Strain cooked apples over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat until thickened and amber in color. Toss with apples and pour into crust.
Combine flour, sugar and melted butter; stir until crumbly. Add almonds; toss to combine. Sprinkle topping over pie. Bake 20-25 minutes or until topping is light golden brown.
Serve warm

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White Chicken Chili

2011-10-10T17:28:00.000-04:00

     Who says chili has to be red? Not me. One of my favorite kinds of chili is this white chicken one, which really hits the spot when the weather starts getting cooler. Several years ago I was unable to eat tomatoes in any form, so this chili was the one I turned to. I can eat tomatoes now but I still love this as a change of pace from the beefy tomato based ones usually associated with the name.

     This is a heart healthy recipe, especially if you stick to low sodium chicken broth and beans. If you can only find regular beans, rinsing and draining them helps to remove excess sodium. (Another option would be to use dried beans that you've pre-soaked.) A heart healthy topping would be avocado, one of my favorites with any kind of chili. Spice it up with peppers and salsa, and it'll keep you warm from the inside out!

White Chicken Chili
3 chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs.) cut into small cubes*
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1 qt. chicken broth (homemade or canned)
2 small cans chopped green chiles (I used some Hatch chiles that I'd roasted and frozen- yum!)
1 bag frozen white corn (or canned)
3 cans white beans, drained**
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cayenne or white pepper to taste (I love the spiciness that the white pepper gives it.)
For garnish:
shredded pepper-jack cheese
low fat sour cream
fresh cilantro
chopped avocado
salsa or hot sauce, green or red

Saute chicken, onions and garlic in olive oil and spices.
Add rest of ingredients (except cheese and other garnishes) and simmer on low for about an hour, or until flavors have blended well.
Serve with shredded cheese.
Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa or chopped avocado if desired.

*If you prefer, you can use cooked chopped chicken (a rotisserie would be handy) and add it when you add the beans.
**You can use any combination of beans you like. Great Northern are my favorites for this, but I've also used them in combination with Cannelini, Chickpeas, and even black eyed peas. Hominy is good in this also!

Triple Threat Brownies (Or should I say Triple Treat?)

2011-10-05T23:53:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: These brownies are only sort of homemade. They're homemade in the sense that you make them at home. But they are very easy. You can put them together very quickly. And they are very good. Here's what you'll need:

     Double Stuff Oreos, brownie mix, and refrigerated cookie dough. Yep, that's it. Three things. (If you don't count the extra ingredients that go in the brownie mix, anyway.)

     Here's what you do. First, line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Press that refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cover the dough with a layer of Oreos. Mix your brownies according to the directions on the box and pour the batter right over the top of the Oreos. That's it. Bake it at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, or until the brownie layer is done. Cool completely in the pan, then slice and swoon.

     Since I'm trying to practice moderation in all things sweet, I cut them into small bars. But if you want something a little more festive, you could cut them big enough to hold a scoop of vanilla ice cream with some fudge sauce poured over the top. Visit Kevin and Amanda for their wonderfully decadent "even more homemade" version of these. Just be prepared to drool!

Johnny Appleseed Squares

2011-09-12T00:07:00.000-04:00

"Oh, The Lord's been good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need,

The sun and the rain and the apple seed,

The Lord's been good to me."

(Johnny Appleseed Hymn)

Most school-age children in the United States have heard of Johnny Appleseed, the legendary American frontiersman who planted apple trees over large parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois from seeds recovered from cider mills. From all accounts he was quite an individual! So, while browsing through a copy of Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts, the recipe for these Johnny Appleseed Squares caught my eye. An apple for the teacher? Works for me.

These bars were sweet, spicy, chewy and chunky and tasted like fall, if that's possible, and the thinly sliced apples sandwiched between the layers of spicy, chewy, chunky oatmeal made them wonderfully moist. The cake-like squares were delicious all by themselves, but I can just imagine how they'd taste topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and gooey caramel drizzled over the top.

Maida says that she first tasted these bar type cookies at a "gift shop somewhere along the spectacular Skyline Drive in Virginia" and immediately requested the recipe. Skyline Drive, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has been a fall destination for our family ever since I can remember. The colorful panoramas are breathtaking, and apples are plentiful. Jugs of sweet cider and jars of rich apple butter abound at orchard stands along the route. We haven't made our annual apple pilgrimage yet - we usually time it to coincide with the "peak" leaf color- but cool nights and crisp mornings tell me that I won't have too much longer to wait!

Johnny Appleseed Squares
from Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup dark or light brown sugar, firmly packed (I used dark.)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 firm cooking apples (I used 2 large apples.)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, cut or broken into small/medium size pieces (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with foil, making sure the edges extend over the edges of the pan for easy removal. Butter foil then place the prepared pan in the freezer. (This makes it easier to spread a thin layer of dough in the pan.)
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg or mace. Stir in the oats and sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, egg, and vanilla and mix into the oat mixture.
Press half of the dough (1 cup) into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Place the remaining dough between two 12 inch lengths of wax paper and roll out into a 9-inch square. (It will be very thin.) Slide a flat cookie sheet under the dough and wax paper and transfer it to the freezer for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, peel, quarter and core the apples and cut each quarter lengthwise into 5 or 6 slices. (Not too thick.) Place the apple slices in rows, each slice slightly overlapping another, to cover the bottom layer of dough. Sprinkle with the nuts.
Remove the rolled-out square of dough from the freezer, peel off the top piece of paper, turn the dough over the apples. Remove the remaining paper and press down on the edges of the dough.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cake is done, if the top has not started to brown, raise the rack to a higher position.
Cool in the pan. Lift cake out using the edges of the foil, and cut into squares or bars. (Maida says that chilling the cake makes it easier to cut neatly. She also adds that they freeze well.)

Peach Confetti Salsa, and a Shake, Rattle and Roll!

2011-08-24T01:01:00.003-04:00

An earthquake? Seriously? C'mon now, we're on the east coast! Thankfully, there was not much damage here- some broken china and ceramic chickies- but it was kinda scary while it was happening. Earthquake veterans might be rolling their eyes about now, but I'm new to this. The last significant earthquake in Virginia was back in 1897, before my time, so I haven't had any experience with this sort of thing. I sure hope everyone else is okay!

And this salsa? This salsa is definitely okay. It's made by my sister's recipe, with a rainbow of veggies and fruit from my brother's vegetable stand. The sweet peaches and spicy peppers blend together to make a mouthwatering combination, and make the perfect healthful dip for your chips. (This would also be wonderful on grilled chicken, or even on a hotdog!) I love a snack I can eat without feeling pangs of guilt and regret, don't you?

Peach Confetti Salsa- from my sister's recipe
2 sweet, ripe peaches, diced
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 medium sized Roma tomatoes, diced (I used one red and one yellow)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (very small dice)
1/4 cup sweet pepper, diced (I used a mixture of red and banana pepper.)
1 Tablespoon of sweet onion, diced (I used a little more than this.)
1 teaspoon diced basil (or cilantro if you prefer) (I used a little more of this, too)
2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste (I use less salt than most people would, so I hesitate to put an amount.)
Mix all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Taste for seasoning. If you like your salsa hotter, add a little more jalapeno. (This is a mildly spicy salsa the way it is written.) If you like your salsa sweeter, add more sugar. I found that the addition of the sugar brought out the flavor of the peaches more. If you have really ripe, sweet peaches you might not need as much. Let the salsa sit for at least an hour before serving, to give the flavors a chance to mingle. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator.

This post is linked to These Chicks Cooked link party ,

Crab Cakes- a Family Recipe

2011-08-22T01:09:00.002-04:00

    I am a crab cake snob. There, I said it. As much as I love crab cakes, I seldom order them in restaurants. You see, I don't like a bunch of "stuff" in my crab cake that's not crab. No green peppers. No onions. No parsley. I love the taste of the crab itself, and that's what I like my crab cakes to taste like. I want them to taste like the ones my mom makes. Like the ones that my grandma made when I was a little girl visiting her and my granddaddy in the little fishing village by the "crickshore."

    My grandpa was a waterman, and blue crabs (callinectes sapidus) were plentiful in the summertime. He'd send a bushel basket of them home with us, their claws scrabbling against the wooden slats. We had to be careful because those claws would pinch! We had to cook the crabs alive- that's the part I never liked. Crabs that were blue when they went into the pot came out of the pot a gorgeous orangy-red color, and were ceremoniously placed in the middle of our newspaper-covered table to cool enough to be devoured.

    While everyone else was picking and eating crabs, my mom was usually picking out crabmeat and setting it aside to make crab cakes or deviled crab, another favorite. The following recipe for crab cakes is the one I grew up eating. I made some last week from crabs my brother shared with me, and we enjoyed them with cole slaw, sweet corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes. Summer eating doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Crabcakes
1 lb. fresh crabmeat
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 egg
3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of Worcestershire sauce
pinch of sugar
cayenne pepper to taste (I use about 1/4 teaspoon)
salt to taste- Depending on how they're cooked, some crabs may need more salt than others.We don't eat much salt, so I find that the salt the crabs is cooked with is sufficient and I don't add any extra.
To prepare:
Pick through crab meat to remove any bits of shell.
Hold slices of bread under running water to wet. (Careful- they get mushy quickly!) Gently squeeze slices to remove most of the water. You don't want them dripping with water, but you also don't want to squeeze them into a hard lump.
Put moistened bread into a bowl with the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, baking soda, Worcestershire, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until mushy.
Add crab meat and gently mix until combined. (I like to leave my crab in bigger pieces so I mix it as little as possible.)
Form the crab mixture into cakes. (I use about 1/3 cup per cake.)
Cover the bottom of a frying pan with vegetable oil. Heat oil until hot. Place crab cakes in hot oil, reduce heat to medium and cook until golden brown, turning once.
Remove to paper towel to drain.

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"How I Spent My Summer Vacation"

2011-08-15T23:51:00.000-04:00

Isn't that the requisite "back to school" essay? I went back to school today, and instead of dwelling of things I didn't accomplish this summer (blogging? cleaning the basement?) I'm determined to look back instead on what I have done. So here goes.

Hubby and I replaced our quiet evenings at home in the recliners (laptops included) with quiet evenings on our bikes exploring nearby neighborhoods. We've found some lovely places to ride, and go for miles and miles.

I think I finally picked enough blackberries. I wish you could have joined me! Some went into jam right away, and the rest went into the freezer for later.

My grandson (and his parents) came for a wonderful visit. We played in the sand, saw dinosaur bones and had a Happy Un-birthday party complete with strawberry cupcakes with whipped cream frosting.

I've been frequenting my brother's vegetable stand and enjoying all the bounty of the season. He grows Argent sweet corn, which is the BEST!

When it got too hot, we headed for the hills, hiking trails in Shenandoah National Park. We sat at an overlook at dusk, enjoying this glorious sunset.

But I haven't had my fill of these yet. There's still enough room in summer to squeeze in a few more of these and make some crab cakes from my grandma's recipe! (Coming soon, I promise!)

Heirloom Tomato Pie

2011-07-13T00:00:00.003-04:00

I have a love-hate relationship with tomatoes. I love a beautiful tomato, ripened on the vine. I love to grow it, to look at it, to hold it, even to smell it. I love all of the beautiful colors and shapes of tomatoes, especially the lovely heirlooms with fanciful names like Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter, Kellogg's Breakfast, or Aunt Ruby's German Green. But that's where the love affair takes a turn.

There are those who would take a warm, ripe tomato and take a bite out of it, the juice running down their chins. Here's where I have to make my true confession: I am not one of those. I am not a raw tomato eater. Okay, I'll tolerate them in salsa, or on a sandwich, or sometimes even in a salad, but I really do not ~~like~~ crave tomatoes in their natural state. Cook those tomatoes, however, and I'm there. Stewed, sauced, roasted- I love them!

I saw this tomato pie on the cover of the latest Food Network magazine, and I knew right away that I had to make it. Beautiful (cooked) heirloom tomatoes of all colors and sizes adorn the top of this cheesy pie baked to perfection. It's full of caramelized onions nestled in a crust crunchy with cornmeal and shredded cheese, and it's a beautiful way to savor the quintessential summer fruit. Paired with a salad, a slice of it makes a lovely dinner, and I hope you have a chance to try it while tomatoes are at their very best!

You can find Food Network's recipe for Heirloom Tomato Pie here. I followed the recipe as it was written, except I substituted globe basil for thyme and cut back on the salt in both the crust and the filling. I also spread about a Tablespoonful of Dijon mustard over the bottom of the baked pie shell before I added the fillings. The pie shell was a bit time consuming, so if you're in a pinch for time, try a regular one. If you can't find the Manchego cheese (I had to make a trip to Wegman's for it!) I suggest using Parmesan, Asiago or Romano. If you don't have heirloom tomatoes, any beautiful vine ripened tomatoes will do. Really, how can you go wrong with baked tomatoes and melty cheese?

Very Berry Jam - Make Your Biscuits Smile!

2011-07-07T23:46:00.001-04:00

Blackberries are finally ripe for the picking in our parts, and I didn't waste time getting to my favorite little berry patch to pick some of those deep purple gems. There were a few raspberries left hanging on the canes as well- right next door to the blackberries- and they just happened to find their way into my ~~mouth~~ basket when I wasn't looking. I love picking berries, especially when there are no thorns to contend with. And I love making jam. If you've never had homemade jam, you don't know what you're missing. One taste of this sweet and tart delight on your biscuit or toast will definitely spoil you- you'll never want the store bought kind again.

I picked several quarts and headed home with berry stained fingers and my tooth set for some delicious, berry jam! Jam just makes a biscuit smile, and this jam is the easiest ever. It's really more of a method than a recipe, and you can easily adapt it to whatever (and however many) berries you have. No pectin needed- just berries, lemon juice and sugar. You can make a big batch and can it, or if you just want to make a little bit you can store it in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks- if it lasts that long!

Very Easy Very Berry Jam
Ingredients:
Berries- I used a mixture of Blackberries and Raspberries
Lemon juice- I used 1 Tablespoon for every cup of berry juice/pulp
sugar- I used 1 cup for each cup of juice/pulp.

To make the jam, I used the guidelines for making jam without pectin from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. If you're planning to can your jam, first prepare your jars.

Wash berries and place in a large saucepan. Mash berries and gently heat over low heat (do not boil) to release juice. I heated mine for about five minutes. If you don't want seeds in your jam, you can strain this mixture through a sieve or through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. I like the pulp and a few seeds in my jam so I ran mine through a Foley food mill to remove most- but not all- of the seeds. Measure the juice/pulp and put it into a large pot. (Don't try to cook more than 5-6 cups of juice/pulp in a batch.) Stir in 1 cup of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of juice/pulp.

Bring to a boil and boil rapidly, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Use one of the following methods to determine when your jam is ready.

Boil until the mixture reaches 220F on a candy thermometer. (See this chart for altitudes other than sea level.)
Boil until the mixture falls of the spoon in a "sheet" rather than a stream.
Drop a spoonful of the mixture on a cold plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. Take it out and see whether or not it is thick enough. (The jam will thicken as it cools.)

Remove from heat, skim off foam (if there is any) and pour jam into prepared jars. If you are canning your jam, follow instructions here. If you are not canning your jam, it will keep in your refrigerator for about two weeks.

A Butter and Sugar Hug for Monet- My Mama's Cold Oven Pound Cake

2011-06-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

My Mama has been making this pound cake for as long as I remember, and whenever I make it, it reminds me of home and my family and just wraps me up in a great big butter and sugar hug. I'm re-posting this recipe today for Monet, the sweet and insightful writer of anecdotes and apple cores, who needs some hugs right now. She and her family have been beset by tragedies recently, and Lizzy and Kate came up with the idea of making her a book of comfort food recipes- foods to soothe the soul. I know that food can't solve all of the problems in the world, but it sometimes makes them easier to bear. Here's a hug today Monet, from my mama and me.

My Mama's Cold Oven Pound Cake

My Mama makes the BEST pound cake in the world. Tender crumb on the inside, with a slightly chewy crust...yummmm. Not too sweet, it's as good all by itself with a cold glass of milk as it is dressed up with strawberries and whipped cream. And toasted with a little bit of vanilla ice cream on top? There's nothing better, I'm sure. Mama's cake always has a fine crumb and lovely light texture-never heavy. And it always tastes better when she makes it- it's a buttery slice of home!

Mama's Cold Oven Pound Cake (printable recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
scant 3 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs from happy hens
1 tsp. vanilla (2 if you don't use the butter and nut)
1 tsp. butter and nut flavoring (optional)

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar.
My mama always used a hand mixer for this and her cake always turns out better than mine!
Beat in half of the cake flour, half of the milk, and the salt until combined.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. (Beat each one in until it disappears into the batter- don't over-beat.)
Beat in the rest of the cake flour, milk, and flavorings.

Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Put in a cold oven and set temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour. Increase temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes longer or until cake is done. (cake tester comes out clean)

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

2011-06-06T01:13:00.000-04:00

Two weeks of school left (not that I'm counting,) and end of year preparations have left our teaching staff stressing over assessments, data collection and school improvement plans for next year. The kids, on the other hand, are already making plans for their upcoming weeks of freedom and have visions of bare feet, water parks and lazy summer days dancing in their heads. When patience gets thinner and teacher survival mode kicks in, chocolate can be a girl's best friend.

Luckily I found these Rocky Road Bars on The Sweet Details (formerly Eating in Winnipeg) just in time to make a T.G.I.F. treat for the teacher's lounge. They turned out gooey and decadent, with walnut studded layers of chocolate, cream cheese and marshmallows. Just what the doctor ordered. Every time I passed by them I found myself cutting off just a little sliver of chocolaty deliciousness to help get me through the day.

The chocolate chips and walnuts gave these luscious bars just the right toothsome bite, while the marshmallows and creamy fudge frosting made them gooey and delicious. I hope you try these- they're perfect for calming frazzled nerves and putting a smile on your face. I guarantee. :)

If you're looking for more delicious treats, check out Amanda's new blog, The Sweet Details. You'll find many more recipes there to tempt your taste buds!

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

Recipe from Pillsbury, via Amanda @ The Sweet Details

Printable recipe here

Ingredients

Base:

1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts.)

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, (I used Neufchatel.) softened- Reserve 2 oz. for frosting

1/4 cup (half stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts.)

1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting:

1/4 cup (one half stick) butter or margarine

1/4 cup milk

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Reserved (2 oz.) cream cheese

3 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 13x9 inch pan. (I used non-stick foil.) In a large saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter and one oz. chocolate over very low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in one level cup flour and remaining base ingredients. Mix well and spread in prepared pan.
In small bowl combine 6 oz. softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and one egg; beat one minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Stir in 1/4 cup nuts. Spread over chocolate mixture. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (I baked mine 30 minutes.) Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional two minutes.
While marshmallow layer is baking, in large saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup milk, 1 oz. chopped unsweetened chocolate, and reserved 2 oz. cream cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in confectioner's sugar and vanilla until smooth. Immediately pour hot frosting over puffed marshmallows and lightly swirl with knife to marble. Refrigerate one hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Red, White and Blue Strawberries: Memorial Day Rewind

2011-05-26T23:54:00.001-04:00

Are you picnicking this weekend? Do you need to bring a treat? I don't know about the temperature where you are, but here in VA it's hot, and heating up the kitchen doesn't thrill me. These strawberries, however, do. I posted them last year, but a treat as quick, easy and summery as this one deserves repeating.

I saw these red, white and blue beauties on Baking Bites a while back and immediately thought of all of the occasions they'd be perfect for. Memorial Day? Fourth of July? Any holiday that calls for a festive touch of red, white and blue would benefit from these luscious berries.

Make some to share while strawberries are still in season- I guarantee they'll be appreciated. I hope you all have a lovely weekend- have fun and keep safe!

Red, White and Blue Strawberries
recipe from Baking Bites
You'll need:
Strawberries- As many as you plan to dip
1 pkg.white chocolate chips or white dipping chocolate (bark)- found with baking supplies
Blue sanding sugar or sprinkles (The kind you decorate cookies with)
Directions:

Wash your strawberries and let them dry thoroughly. Pat dry if necessary. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet or tray with wax paper or nonstick foil.
Pour about half of the sanding sugar into a small bowl.
In another small bowl, melt white chocolate according to directions on package. I usually melt it in small increments in the microwave on low power until about 80% of it is melted. I then stir it until it is completely melted. If it is too thick, add about 1/2 teaspoon shortening (like Crisco) and stir until melted and smooth.
Holding a strawberry by the leaves on the stem end, dip into the white chocolate to cover about 2/3 of the berry. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. (If there's a "glob" of chocolate on the end of the berry, scrape it off onto the side of the bowl.)
Dip the bottom third of the chocolate covered berry into the blue sanding sugar.
Carefully place each berry onto the prepared tray or baking sheet to set. (They will set quicker in the refrigerator.) Refrigerate until time to serve. These are best served the same day they are prepared!

Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Sweet Corn Salsa

2011-05-21T17:06:00.004-04:00

Ole! Can you pretend it's Cinco de Mayo? I can if these tasty enchiladas are concerned. They're filled with creamy cheese and black beans, and spiced up with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Nestled in homemade salsa verde made from roast poblanos and tomatillos, they're baked with queso fresco and then topped with sweet corn salsa.

Full of fresh flavor, these enchiladas are simple enough for a family dinner, but impressive enough for company. Pair them with a nice salad and some chips for dipping into either of the two fresh salsas, and you have a feast. Or should I say fiesta?

Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Sweet Corn Salsa
slightly adapted from Cuisine at Home, April 2004
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano (use fresh if you have it)
1 chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce
1 Tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
1/2 cup asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 six-inch corn tortillas
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Salsa Verde (recipe follows)
1/2 cup queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400F. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and saute one minute more.
Puree half of the beans, the chipotle, the adobo sauce and the salt in a food processor.
Combine the onion mixture, the remaining whole beans, the broth and shredded cheese with the bean puree.
Assemble enchiladas: Put one cup of Salsa Verde in the bottom of a casserole dish. Fry tortillas in oil until flexible. Dip one side of each tortilla into the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Fill tortilla (un-dipped side) with a generous 1/3 cup of bean mixture, roll up and place into casserole dish seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
Top filled tortillas with an additional cup of Salsa Verde and the crumbled cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with Sweet Corn Salsa (recipe follows.)

Salsa Verde (This is also great with chips!)
1 lb. tomatillos, husked and halved
2 poblano chiles, halved and seeded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth.)
Place prepared poblano chiles and tomatillos on baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes. The skin of the peppers will blister and blacken. Remove the peppers to a resealable plastic bag immediately after broiling. Let them steam in the bag for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from the bag and peel off the skin.
Meanwhile, saute onions in olive oil for three minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Place tomatillos, peeled poblanos, sauteed onions and garlic into food processor and pulse until chopped. Add herbs, lime juice and salt. Gradually add broth and process until smooth.

Sweet Corn Salsa
1 cup sweet corn kernels (canned, frozen will work fine)
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tsp. jalapeno pepper, minced (Use less if you don't like your salsa spicy!)
1small handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Mix all ingredients, and serve with black bean enchiladas. (It's great with chips too!)

This post is linked to Savory Sunday at Eating in Winnipeg.

Curried Turkey Wraps

2011-05-17T01:09:00.000-04:00

    Are you in a brown bag rut? I admit that I am. Peanut butter and jelly is always a quick and easy option for a workday lunch, but it does get tiresome after a while. I'm always on the lookout for tasty alternatives that are quick and easy to put together, and also satisfying enough to keep hunger pangs away all afternoon.

     I found the recipe for these wraps in an old Cuisine at Home magazine as I was browsing at my favorite thrift store. Thankfully, it turned out to be a delightful change from my usual lunchtime fare. The curried cranberry-apricot cream cheese spread paired with thinly sliced turkey made the perfect sweet-savory combination, while the cucumber and lettuce gave it just the right toothsome crunch. Paired with an apple, it was just enough to keep me on my toes until the three o'clock bell.

      Wraps are definitely one lunchtime option worth further investigation. They're easy to customize according to your tastes, and also to what's in your refrigerator. What's your favorite brown bag lunch? I'm always open to suggestions!

Curried Turkey Wraps
recipe from Cuisine at Home, June 2004
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 Tablespoons apricot jam (I used my habanero gold jam.)
Juice of 1/2 lime
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
6-8 leaves red lettuce
8 oz. deli-style roast turkey, thinly sliced
1 cup cucumber: seeded and thinly sliced (I used an English hothouse cucumber.)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

Combine cream cheese, chopped cranberries, apricot jam and lime juice.
Warm tortillas gently in a dry skillet until soft and pliable.
Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture on one tortilla.
Layer lettuce, turkey, cucumber and cilantro on top of lettuce. (To keep fillings from squeezing out, leave the top edge of the tortilla filling-free, then roll it up from the bottom.)
Roll up tightly, and then cut in half at an angle.
Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Springtime Sugar Cookies

2011-05-07T00:15:00.001-04:00

Maybe a little late for Easter, but just in time for Mother's Day! These simple butter cookies in springtime shapes are a welcome addition to any celebration. My grandson and I made them last week, and they hardly lasted long enough to cool. Decorated simply with colored sugar, they were a snap to make and even easier to eat. A simple sugar cookie with a cup of tea (or a tall glass of cold milk) is a classic treat that never goes out of fashion!

I made these with my go-to sugar cookie recipe from Betty Crocker. The dough is easy to work with and it produces a tender cookie that's flavored with a hint of almond extract. This cookie is not too sweet, and lends itself perfectly to being eaten either plain, frosted, or with a sprinkling of colored sugar. You need to make the dough ahead of time to give it time to chill- I like to do this the night before I make the cookies. This dough freezes well, and is good to keep on hand for cookie emergencies. (You have those sometimes, don't you?)

My grandson and his family have flown the coop and are back in Texas now, so I'll have to do my baking solo for a while. If you can find a willing baking assistant (or even if you can't) I recommend that you whip up a batch of these for your afternoon snack-time enjoyment. You can find the recipe here: Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe from Betty Crocker.

This post is linked to Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Bavarian Peach Torte

2011-05-01T14:11:00.001-04:00

Sigh. Bandwidth issues have been my nemesis for the last couple of weeks. It seems that we exceeded our maximum bandwidth allowance and our internet connection speed got slowed down to a c.r.a.w.l. until the bandwidth police decided we had been without it for a sufficient amount of time.

As I was wondering whether or not I should make a trip into town to find some free WiFi so I could share this luscious torte with you, I got the best birthday surprise ever! My son, daughter in law and grandson drove all the way from Texas to surprise me for my birthday! (Insert tears and an extremely happy Mimi here.) And since they've been here, I have to admit that I haven't missed my computer a bit. We've been spending time together and having loads of fun. I mean, who could miss their internet when they've got Sherlock Jones to hang out with? Seriously.

My little baking assistant and I have been spending time in the kitchen though. We made this luscious torte not once, but twice. Why? Cinnamon and sugar coated peaches nestled in a dreamy cream cheese filling, all wrapped up in a nut filled crust, that's why! This recipe comes from my friend/neighbor/colleague Kathy, who got it from her Aunt Betty, and it's been a birthday favorite in her family for years. It's good the first day, and even better the second. I can't attest to how it is after that, because it never lasted any longer!

My bandwidth has finally been restored so I'll be cautiously catching up with everybody soon. I'm anxious to find out what everyone has been up to!

Bavarian Peach Torte
recipe from Kathy (and her Aunt Betty)

Ingredients for crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped very finely (I bet almonds would be good too!)

Ingredients for filling:
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp. cinnamon
20 oz. can of sliced peaches, drained

Instructions for crust:
In large bowl, beat butter, 1/3 c. sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until well blended. Gradually add flour until well mixed. Stir in nuts. With lightly floured hands, press mixture into bottom and 1" up sides of 10" springform pan.

Instructions for filling:

In small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.
Beat in egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until just blended. Pour into crust.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In large bowl, combine 1 tsp sugar and cinnamon. Add peach slices and toss gently.
Arrange peach slices on top of cream cheese mixture.
Bake 35 minutes, or until cream cheese mixture is set.
Cool torte in pan 20 min, then carefully remove sides. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve cold.

I'm linking this post to Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Bunnies and Carrots and Chicks! Oh My!

2011-04-20T00:21:00.005-04:00

Yippee for spring break! I love having the time to clean my kitchen and then to make a big cookie mess! I have all kinds of productive plans for this week, but I'm probably not going to get around to doing most of them. I guess that means the basement will wait 'til summer. :)

These little cuties won't wait though. They're all ready for Easter, and looking for a basket to hop into! I made them with my favorite Iced Spice Cookie recipe - it's the one that I've been using for years and years. My kids grew up with these cookies, and now I want to make sure my grandson does too! :)

I used a tutorial that Callye from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle posted to help me decorate these cute little guys. If you love cookies and would like to see some fabulous ones, you should visit her blog. And then you should make some cookies. I know you'll want to!

Iced Spice Cookies- Printable recipe here!

This post is linked to Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage,

Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli 'n Son, Sweets For a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, and Dee Dee's Delights: Special Easter Sunday Buffet.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

2011-04-16T23:38:00.001-04:00

It's cold and damp here today, with dark cloudy skies and lots and lots of rain. No working outside, even though the grass needs cutting and I have flowers to plant! For dinner tonight we needed something to eat that was warm and comforting but not too terribly bad for us. Since Ellie's book, The Food You Crave, was still sitting out on my kitchen counter I took a look and found this lightened up macaroni and cheese.

Believe it or not, it's winter squash that gives this dish its creamy texture and gorgeous golden color. I couldn't taste the squash in the finished dish, but I have to admit that I did use more cheese than Ellie recommends. This added more calories to the dish, but it even so it still had a lighter and less greasy feel than a traditional mac and cheese. Reviewers of this recipe on the Food Network site either loved it or hated it. We loved it and didn't think it had a strong squash taste like many reviewers thought. Then again, we like winter squash so I don't think that would have been a bad thing anyway!

Macaroni and Four Cheeses
recipe from Ellie Krieger
You'll need:
Cooking spray
1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni (I used ditalini.)
2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups lowfat milk
1 1/2 cups (4 oz.) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2 1/2 cups.)
2/3 cup (2 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used 1 cup of Italian 3 cheese blend.)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a bit more than this.)
2 Tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs (I used panko.)
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Cook macaroni according to the directions on the package. Drain and pour into the prepared baking dish.
While the macaroni is cooking, place the milk and the frozen squash into a saucepan and cook over low heat until the squash is defrosted. Turn the heat up until the mixture is almost at a simmer.
Remove from heat and add cheddar, Monterey Jack, ricotta, salt, mustard and cayenne. Pour this cheese mixture over the macaroni and combine.
In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. *Note: I doubled the breadcrumbs and Parmesan for my topping.
Bake until cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes. Broil for 3 minutes, or until the top is crisp and browned.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2011-04-12T23:10:00.000-04:00

Need a quick and easy weeknight meal? This baked shrimp dish fits the bill. Looking for a quick dinner using ingredients I already had, I found this recipe in Ellie Kreiger's book The Food You Crave. The only change I made to the recipe was to use Thai basil in place of parsley, which gave it a little different flavor than the parsley would have. I think the next time I make this I'll add some crushed red pepper to spice it up just a bit. Orzo and a nice salad rounded out this healthful meal quite nicely!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
Recipe from Ellie Krieger
(my changes noted)
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced no-salt-added tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup finely minced flat leaf parsley ( I used Thai basil instead)
1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
1 1/4 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (I used frozen shrimp, uncooked.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta (about 3 oz.)

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet. Saute onion until soft, about three minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, taking care not to brown the garlic.
Add tomatoes with juice. (I thought this was a little too watery, so when I make this again I'll leave out some of the juice.) Reduce heat and simmer about five minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley (or basil), dill, shrimp, salt and pepper.
Crumble feta on top of all.Bake for about 12 minutes, or until shrimp are done and cheese is melted. Serve with brown rice or orzo.

Easy Soft Parmesan Breadsticks

2011-04-10T00:49:00.001-04:00

     I bought my bread machine years ago, when they were very much in vogue. I made bread in it a few times, and then it gathered dust. Why? I really wasn't happy with the loaves it made. I didn't like the shape, for one thing, and I also wasn't happy with the crust. I finally put it away and it sat in a cupboard, neglected.

     Last summer, when I was determined to clear my house of things not needed, my bread machine got pulled out of the cupboard and put in the "donate" box. For several days I walked by it and finally I pulled it out, dusted it off, and decided to give it another chance. I discovered that while I didn't love the loaves it made, it was a great dough machine!

     While I do love the therapeutic value of mixing and kneading bread dough by hand, sometimes my life needs the convenience of being able to put my dough ingredients in the bread machine and not worry about it until it's ready to shape. One evening last week I got home late from working at the thrift shop. I had signed up to bring bread to work for a salad luncheon at school, and I also needed to bake muffins to go with a story my class was reading the next day. It was so nice to be able to put ingredients into my bread machine and then make my muffins while my dough was being treated to a lovely massage in a heated spa.

     If you don't have a bread machine, you can still make these breadsticks the traditional way. You just won't have the thumping noise in the background. :) Try them dipped in marinara, a good olive oil, or just enjoy them plain. This dough also makes a great pizza crust!

Soft Parmesan Breadsticks
adapted from this recipe on Allrecipes
Ingredients:
1 1/8 cups of water (70-80 degrees F)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 Tablespoons butter, melted (more if you want to brush some on the breadsticks when they come out of the oven)

Directions:

In the pan of your bread machine, add first seven ingredients (all but melted butter) in the order your bread machine manufacturer suggests. Select dough setting.
When cycle is complete, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 20 pieces, roughly the same size.
Roll each piece into a rope about 12 inches long. Dip rope into melted butter, fold in half lengthwise and twist. Put the twisted rope on a greased baking sheet. Repeat for each piece of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese if desired.
Variation: The original recipe called for adding 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon of fresh minced basil to the bread machine when you are making your dough. I wanted a plain breadstick this time, so I didn't add these. The recipe reviews for these with the added seasonings were very good, though.

Cake Batter Krispie Treats

2011-04-05T20:55:00.001-04:00

      Ever since I saw these cute little squares on How Sweet It Is, they've been on my mind. They may look like your run of the mill crispy rice treats, but these have a little extra "oomph" from the addition of sprinkles and your favorite cake mix. They're easy to put together, a great project to make with kids, and perfect for those times when you find out that somebody needs a treat for a class party or a bake sale and you have exactly thirty minutes (give or take a few) to get it out of the door.

      And what's more, they're just plain fun. Don't sprinkles put a smile on your face? They do mine. (So do cute little chirping chicks wearing bunny ears for that matter.) Cut these little treats into cute shapes if you want to watch the smiles appear!

     And speaking of smiles, here's something else that has put a smile on my face. My sister thinks they look like Shrek feet.

These are what came from my quest to find shoes that don't hurt my feet when I'm working out at the gym. They mimic barefoot walking (or running) and are supposed to:

strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs
improve range of motion in ankles, feet and toes
stimulate neural function important to balance and agility
eliminate heel lift to align the spine and improve posture and
allow the body to move naturally.

We've only gotten a few strange looks so far, and they're great conversation starters. Hubby and I love them so much we've each gotten a second pair. Because when my feet are happy, the world is a happier place!

Cake Batter Krispie Treats
recipe from Jessica at How Sweet It Is

You'll need:
1 (10 oz.) bag of miniature marshmallows
3 Tblsp. butter
6 cups Crispy Rice cereal
1/4 cup dry cake mix (I used yellow)
1 (1.75 oz) jar of sprinkles

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until they began to melt. Add in cake mix one spoonful at a time, stirring until combined. Stir in cereal until it is completely coated with the marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and gently mix. Press into a lightly greased baking dish (I used 9x13) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. Jessica recommends cutting them with a knife sprayed with nonstick spray.

This post is linked to Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Fish Tacos with Creamy Dill Sauce and Pico de Gallo

2011-04-02T12:10:00.000-04:00

Can't think,

Brain numb,

Inspiration

Won't come.

Poor ink,

Bad pen,

That's all,

Amen.

I think I was in the second grade when I got the book A Rocket in My Pocket for Christmas. I read it cover to cover until the covers literally came off. Strangely enough, I can still probably recite every poem in it almost fifty years later. (I didn't just say that did I?) I'm sharing this poem with you from that book both in honor of National Poetry Month, and also because it's a true sentiment this morning!

My mom was gifted with some beautiful fresh Rockfish fillets last week, and she shared some with me. I had earlier bookmarked two similar recipes for fish tacos, one on A Sweet Pea Chef and the other on Allrecipes. I scrambled them both up and came up with this version. I'm not guaranteeing that these are authentic, but they sure tasted good! And besides, they say that fish is brain food- just sayin'.

Fish Tacos with Creamy Dill Sauce and Pico de Gallo
adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef and Allrecipes

You will need:
1-2 lb. of fish fillets (recipe follows)
8-10 corn or flour tortillas
Pico De Gallo (recipe follows)
White Dill Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 small head of cabbage thinly sliced (or cole slaw mix)

Creamy Dill Sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of one lime
1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried dill (or use fresh if you have it)
1/2 tsp. cayenne (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt
In small bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir in the lime juice. Stir in seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pico de Gallo
1/2 lb. grape or small cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
small handful of cilantro (or to taste), chopped
juice of one lime
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Fish
1-2 lb. fish fillets cut into 2-3 oz. portions (I used rockfish, but any mild firm white fish would be a good choice.)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup stone ground corn meal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 egg beaten with 2 Tablespoons water
Peanut or Canola oil for frying
In shallow bowl, mix together flour, corn meal, salt, cayenne and pepper. Dip fish pieces into egg mixture. Lightly coat with flour mixture.
Pour oil into medium skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Place prepared fish into hot oil then reduce temp. to medium-high. Fry until golden brown on both sides. (approximately 5 minutes, depending on the size of your fish chunks)When fish are done, remove to paper towel lined plate to drain.

To assemble tacos:
On heated tortilla, place one or two pieces of fish. Spoon Dill sauce over fish. Top with Pico de Gallo and shredded cabbage.

Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies

2011-03-28T23:13:00.001-04:00

True confession: I'm a thrift store junkie- one thrift store in particular actually. Our community has a wonderful opportunity shop that is sponsored by a local church. All of the merchandise is donated and all of the workers are volunteers. Everything is very reasonably priced, and all of the profits go to charities. It's a winning situation for everyone! I volunteer twice a week to sort and shelve book donations. It feeds my passion for helping to making sure that everyone who needs a book is able to have one (or a dozen.) It does my heart good to see a child poring over a book while his or her parents shop.

As I was dropping an old copy of Everyday Food into the "free magazine" box on Saturday, I saw these cookies on the cover. That magazine came home with me and I had those cookies in the oven within the hour! Verdict? They were delightful! These buttery shortbread cookies would be perfect for the little sweet that you need with your tea or coffee, crunchy with pecans and melt-in-your-mouth tender. They'd also be the perfect choice to make for drop in guests, as the recipe is quick, easy, and only makes a dozen nice sized cookies. (Not so many hanging around for late night kitchen raids.) Me? I had one with a nice cup of Earl Gray tea while I curled up with a good book and watched what was hopefully the last snowfall of the season!

Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, May 2004
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar plus more for coating
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
3/4 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread pecans out onto a cookie sheet. Toast until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Cool, then finely chop. (When I make this again I'll chop mine a little finer- the size of the pecans made them hard to mold into shape.)
Cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light with electric mixer. (about 1 minute)
Beat in vanilla, salt and flour just until dough comes together.
Gently fold in pecans.
Separate dough into 12 pieces and shape into balls. Roll in granulated sugar.
Place sugar coated balls of dough 3 inches apart on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass. Reshape sides if necessary. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes or just until cookies start to slightly brown. (Don't over-bake!) Rotate cookie sheet halfway through baking time for even baking.
After cookies come out of the oven sprinkle with more granulated sugar and cool on wire rack.

This post is linked to Sweets for a Saturday!

Upland Cress- When You Just Need Something Green

2011-03-24T00:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend my mom mentioned to me that the lemons in my previous post were very pretty, but she was a little tired of looking at them. I guess it has been a while since I last posted. Hopefully I'm over my late-winter slump and along with the promise of spring and warmer weather will come bounds of energy and inspiration. One inspiring thing that I did find this weekend were these gorgeous cresses.

     If you're from the south, you're probably no stranger to upland or field cress, sometimes known as "creasy greens." A harbinger of spring, cress is usually one of the first things to appear in the garden. With rosettes of tender green leaves and a peppery flavor, I've always considered them a spring tonic. They are what first comes to mind when I'm craving something fresh and green this time of year! They're chock full of phytonutrients, have three times the vitamin C of oranges and twice as much vitamin A as broccoli!

    I cooked this "mess of greens" the good old southern way, which means I boiled them until tender with a ham hock in enough water to cover them, added a bit of salt and pepper, and served them with cornbread. Since I had nearly a bushel of them, I also cooked some in an omelet, sauteed some with a little garlic and olive oil, and tossed some with some homemade pasta with a creamy ricotta sauce. The raw peppery leaves are also a great flavorful addition to a salad, as long as your cress is fresh and tender.

    I remember when I was young my dad would pick cresses in corn fields where they grew wild. With the advent of weed killers being used in corn fields though, wild cress has almost disappeared. Thankfully the seed is available and easily grown. I raided my brother's field for this beautiful basketful, but if you're not lucky enough to have a brother with a field of cress they will most likely be found in your early spring CSA box or at a local farmer's market. I hope you find some!

   This post is being shared with Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Luscious Meyer Lemon Curd

2011-02-27T21:41:00.001-05:00

Hubby's been craving lemon curd ever since we he finished the jar my sister gave me for Christmas. We haven't had many sweets here lately, and finding these lovely Meyer lemons on our date night in Wegman's last night motivated me to remedy that situation. A bit sweeter than an ordinary lemon, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. (I've been wanting to try them for ages but my local grocery doesn't carry them) I could think of no better way to share their sunshine than with this lovely lemon curd!

And oh, is this lemon curd sweet, tart and delectable- the bright lemon flavor shines! I ate way too much of it just scooped out of the jar with a spoon, but I have plans for whatever is left after my willpower takes effect. I know it's great on English muffins, but I'm thinking of tarts, cupcakes, trifles...the possibilities are endless.

Look at the gorgeous color! That's thanks to my sweet little free range hens and their beautiful eggs. The yolks are such a deep golden color they've spoiled me for run of the mill grocery store eggs.

If you can't find Meyer lemons, just use the regular lemons you can find at your grocery. The curd will still be amazing, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to make it. It's easy to put together, and makes a fabulous versatile spread that's perfect for anything from breakfast to dessert.

Meyer Lemon Curd
adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
juice of 4 Meyer lemons (mine ended up being about 2/3 cup)
6 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
small pinch of salt
1 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

In a heavy bottomed pan, stir together sugar and egg yolks. Add lemon juice and pinch of salt. Cook (medium heat) and stir constantly with wooden spoon until mixture thickens enough to coat your spoon. (This takes about 10 minutes. You don't want to cook it too fast or hot, or the eggs will curdle.) Add butter one chunk at a time,and continue to stir until each piece is melted. Pour mixture through a fine strainer and then stir in the lemon zest. Pour into clean jars and store in the refrigerator. (Keeps two weeks in the refrigerator.)

This post is being shared with:

Chicken and Oat Burgers

2011-02-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not a good juggler. Oh, I manage OK when I have a routine and nothing major happens to get it out of kilter. But when I add something new to to my ever-growing list of things to do, I always end up dropping ~~my blog~~ something. So what's new? Hubby and I joined the local YMCA and have been making use of its many opportunities this week. We've both been working out and coming home feeling great, but exhausted. Eventually I'll figure out how to keep everything up in the air.

I found the recipe for these burgers posted on the bulletin board as I was leaving one evening, and picked up the ingredients on my way home. Quick and easy to put together, we both enjoyed them- and not just because we were both ravenous from working so hard! Instead of being dry like many chicken burgers I've tried, they were juicy and full of flavor. Low fat, heart healthy and delicious, I know I'll make them again. I think the next time I make them though, I'll make half of the recipe into meatballs. They'll be awesome with spaghetti!

Chicken (or Turkey) Oat Burgers
adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey) breast
1 cup regular (not quick) oats
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 egg whites from large eggs, lightly beaten
*Wheat germ (optional) * I added about 1/2 cup because my chicken mixture wasn't firm enough to make patties. (I think it's because I didn't drain my tomatoes enough.)
Directions:
Combine first seven ingredients. If mixture is not firm enough to form into burgers, add wheat germ. Heat grill pan or electric grill (I used a George Foreman) on medium high heat. Coat surface with cooking spray. Divide mixture into 9 or 10 patties. (If the mixture is too wet to make into firm patties, use an ice cream scoop to scoop a patty sized amount onto the grill pan.) Cook patties 6 minutes on each side, or until done. (I cooked mine about 6 minutes in the George Foreman Grill. The time will really depend on the size of your burgers and the heat setting.)
Serve on a whole wheat bun with your choice of toppings. They were really good with spinach, tomato, avocado, provolone cheese and a thin slice of red onion!

Easy Lentil Soup

2011-01-31T22:09:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that the school year is half over? It seems to me that it just started, but our new semester began today. Last Friday was a work day for teachers, and also the day of our second annual Soup Swap/ Luncheon. All morning you could smell simmering goodness coming from crock-pots plugged in throughout the building. It made doing report cards just a little bit easier knowing that the aromas wafting through the halls were previews of what was to come once lunchtime rolled around! While we watched the snow coming down outside, we relaxed and enjoyed a wonderfully diverse assortment of delectable soups, breads and desserts.

My contribution this year was a Hearty Lentil Soup. Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, packing 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber in just one cup! There's less than one gram of fat per serving and absolutely no cholesterol in this heart healthy legume. What I really love about lentils is that they don't need to soak before cooking, which makes them a great choice for dinner when you haven't planned ahead of time. (Not that I'd know anything about that.) Most of your "hands on" time is just a bit of chopping, and then you can sit back and relax while the lentils simmer. Or you could use that time to make some homemade tortillas-a perfect accompaniment to this dish that's as easy on your heart as it is on your pocketbook. :)

Lentil Soup
recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used less than this.)
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed-I used the regular brown lentils for this soup
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes.)
2 quarts broth, vegetable or chicken (I used low sodium)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise- I did not have this spice, but I substituted a mixture of black pepper, cardamom and ginger.
Directions

Heat olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat.
Add onions, carrot, celery and salt and "sweat" until the onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes.
Add spices and cook one more minute, stirring
Add lentils, tomatoes and broth and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 35-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Use a stick blender and puree to desired consistency.

I'm sharing this post with:

French Fridays with Dorie- Chicken B'stilla

2011-01-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

This week's selection for French Fridays with Dorie is chicken b'stilla (or pastilla, as it's sometimes written). A Moroccan dish, it's savory, sweet and full of exotic flavors. Traditionally made with pigeon, Dorie's version is full of chicken, onions, garlic and spices- ginger, cinnamon, coriander and saffron. Honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar give it a slightly sweet edge, and sliced almonds give it a wonderful toothsome texture.

Dorie says that it's meant to be eaten with your hands at the start of a multi-course meal, but it's hearty and delicious enough to be served as a main course, especially if paired with a nice fruity salad. I had a bit of trouble with the filo dough- my crust didn't turn out as flaky as I had hoped it would be- but it was still crispy with the cinnamon sugar on top. To see how others prepared this dish, visit this week's "FFwD Leave Your Link" page and have a wonderful weekend!

English Muffins- Nooks and Crannies Included

2011-01-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

English muffins are one of my favorite breakfast treats. The toppings have all of those nooks and crannies to melt into, making every crunchy bite a tasty treat. They're great toasted, with butter and jam or even peanut butter and jelly. I especially love them with an egg and cheese on top. (Every once in a while I might even sneak a piece of crispy bacon on them.)

I used Alton Brown's super easy recipe for these, but replaced half of the all purpose flour with freshly ground whole wheat. They were tender, tasty and full of those nooks and crannies that make English muffins delicious- I promise! Make sure to split them with a fork instead of slicing them with a knife- that makes them even better in my book.

English Muffins
recipe from Alton Brown
Ingredients
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, divided (I used 3/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon shortening (I used Smart Balance)
1 cup hot water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat) sifted after measuring
Non-stick vegetable spray
Equipment needed: electric griddle, 3 inch metal rings -If you don't have the rings especially made for English muffins, tuna cans with both top and bottom cut out work perfectly. (If you buy the tuna specifically for this, make sure that the brand you choose has a top and bottom that you can remove. Some cans have rounded bottoms.) Or you could use metal cookie cutters- how about hearts?)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the powdered milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, shortening and hot water. Stir until shortening is melted and all other ingredients are dissolved. Cool until just warm.
In another small bowl, combine the yeast and 1/8 teaspoon sugar with the warm water. Let this rest until the yeast has dissolved. Add this to the dry milk mixture and stir.
Add the sifted flour and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

To cook:

Preheat the griddle to 300°F.
Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. (I added only 1/4 tsp.)
Place metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with the vegetable oil spray.
Using an ice cream or cookie scoop that holds about 1/4 cup (I used my largest Pampered Chef cookie scoop) put a scoop of batter into each ring.
Cover the batter filled rings with a cookie sheet that you've sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid and flip the rings using tongs. (I also had to use a spatula, as some of my muffins didn't entirely fill the rings.)
Cover again with the cookie sheet lid and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with fork, toast and serve.
Yields 8 muffins

I'm sending these English muffins to Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Ode to a Pink Sno Ball

2011-01-22T15:06:00.014-05:00

Oh lovely Sno-Ball, your glowing pink coconut beckons. Your silken vanilla creme- a treasure hidden deep within your chocolate deliciousness- concealed under your marshmallow dome. You stole my heart years ago, and I am still hopelessly smitten.

How about you? Do you hold the same affinity for that time honored Hostess treat? Do you watch for the changing colors of Sno Balls like you watch for the changing of the seasons?

One of my students gave me the January Cook's Country magazine for Christmas (Thanks again, M.!) and this Chocolate Snowball Cake was pictured inside the back cover. Being a long time lover of those tasty Hostess treats, I knew I had to pay homage to the Sno Ball I've known and loved, by baking this tasty tribute.

It was absolutely wonderful even though it hasn't replaced the original Sno Ball in my heart of hearts. (It must be something about the preservatives and the crinkly plastic wrapper that keeps bringing me back.) It has, though carved out its own special place in my world, the perfect treat for a birthday or as a special sweet for my Valentine.

No special pan is needed to make your own little bit of nostalgia. You could even use a cake mix if you want. If you're not a chocolate fan, make your cake any flavor you like. It won't be a Sno Ball, but I'm sure it will still be yummy!

For the Sno Ball Cake, you'll need:

Two nine-inch layers of cake- I used Hershey's Black Magic cake (recipe follows) but you could use your favorite.
A two-quart bowl- I used a Pyrex bowl. It is helpful if the bowl is glass so you can see through it when you arrange your cake in it. Mine was opaque though, and it worked fine. (original recipe called for a 1 1/2 quart bowl)
Plastic wrap to line your bowl
One recipe of Marshmallow Frosting (recipe follows)
Two cups of shredded sweetened coconut plus 2 drops of red or pink food color

Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (as in not liquid but really, really soft)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups marshmallow cream (about 9-10 oz)
Directions:
Combine water and gelatin in large bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave until mixture is bubbling around edges and gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. (Mine took at least a minute, but my microwave is small. Your mixture does need to heat and be bubbling around the edges.) Stir in butter, vanilla and salt until combined. Let mixture cool until just warm to touch, about 5 minutes. (Mine did not take this long to cool.) Whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth. I whisked about one third of the marshmallow creme at a time. When you finish, the mixture will be thin. Refrigerate the mixture until it is thick and spreadable, about 30 minutes.

To Assemble Sno Ball Cake:

Prepare Marshmallow Frosting and put in refrigerator to set.
Combine coconut and food coloring (I whirled it together in my food processor)
Line your bowl with plastic wrap, leaving the ends overhanging the edges of the bowl.

Cut one of the cooled cake layers into 8 even wedges. Line the bowl with the cake wedges, packing gently so there are no spaces between wedges. This was where I ran into trouble the first time I made it. I couldn't get them to fit together in the bowl.The second time though, I trimmed the top edge (diagonally) off of each of the three sides of each wedge. After trimming the wedges they fit together nicely. There shouldn't be any gaps on the inside or in the parts touching the bowl. If you have any gaps on the inside, fill them with with parts you trimmed off.

Fill cake lined bowl "cavity" with one cup of the marshmallow frosting.
Top with the remaining nine inch layer cake, trimming it to fit the inside of the bowl.
Pull the edges of the plastic wrap over the cake, and put it in the refrigerator about one hour.
Unwrap the cake and carefully invert it onto serving dish. Remove plastic.

Spread remaining marshmallow mixture evenly over the cake and sprinkle with coconut. (I found the frosting to be difficult to spread evenly, but the coconut covered it nicely.)
Slice, serve and enjoy your little bit of nostalgia! :)

Hershey's Black Magic Cake
Recipe from Hershey's
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F
Grease and flour 2 nine-inch round cake pans.
In your mixer bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Stir in eggs, coffee, oil and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Divide batter evenly between the two pans. (Batter will be thin.)
Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

This post is linked to Ingredient Spotlight: Cocoa @ Eat at Home, Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage, and Sweets for a Saturday at Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf

2011-01-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

Hubs came home the other night with a pound of extra lean ground beef. Do you think maybe it was his way of hinting that he needed a break from the mainly vegetarian fare I've been dishing up lately? While red meat isn't exactly the first thing I think of as being on a heart healthy diet, hubby's cardiologist actually gave it his blessing. Who knew? I found this recipe for meatloaf (in the American Heart Association Cookbook) that I spiced up just a bit to incorporate ingredients I had on hand.

The original recipe makes a meatloaf glazed with barbecue sauce, raspberry spread and crushed red pepper flakes. I substituted my Habañero Gold Jelly for the raspberry spread and pepper flakes, and ended up with a sweet spicy glaze that gave the red pepper and onion studded ground beef just enough zip to make it a treat. It was great hot for dinner, but what I'm looking forward to are the meatloaf sandwiches I can make with the leftovers!

Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf
adapted from The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th edition
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (lowest sodium available)
1/4 cup habanero gold jelly* slightly melted
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
2 egg whites
*the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup all-fruit raspberry spread plus 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and jelly.
In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup barbecue sauce mixture and the remaining ingredients. Shape the mixture into an oval and place on baking sheet.
Spoon the remaining barbecue sauce mixture on the top and sides of the meat loaf.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until the meat loaf registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the meat loaf stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This post has been submitted to the Hearth-n-Soul blog hop at Girlichef.

French Fridays with Dorie- Paris Mushroom Soup

2011-01-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

It seems that soup is what's for dinner! Paris Mushroom Soup is this week's selection for French Fridays with Dorie, and all I have to say is that it's a pot full of mushroom goodness. White mushrooms (I used Crimini), onions, garlic and herbs are simmered and then pureed with a bit of butter, herbs, white wine and chicken stock. A "salad" of thinly sliced mushrooms, scallions, parsley, chives and seasonings in each bowl adds little surprises of flavor and texture to each earthy spoonful. Dorie says to pour the hot soup over the mushroom salad to serve, but it was so much prettier atop the soup that I couldn't resist floating it there. A dab of crème fraîche is optional, but we thoroughly enjoyed the soup even without it.

The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's book Around My French Table. To see more of this delightful winter warmer, check out these links!

Rustic Cabbage Soup and New Year's Intentions

2011-01-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

I've made many New Year's resolutions in my lifetime, all with good intentions. A few I've kept, but most I've unfortunately abandoned before the paint was dry on the brand new year. So this year I've decided to make intentions rather than resolutions. I don't know if they'll stick any better but it certainly won't hurt to try.

A New Year's Intention to use up food that I have in my freezer/ refrigerator/ pantry before I buy more led to this rustic soup. Another New Year's Intention- to eat more vegetables- fueled my search at 101 Cookbooks, a favorite website of one of my sons. I had cabbage that my brother had given me, curiously pink potatoes from the grocery store, and way too many cans of beans in the pantry.

All of these made up into a hearty "peasant" soup loaded with veggies. I topped it with a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (which you could leave off if you'd rather go the vegetarian route.) Some good crusty bread and a green salad rounded out a delectable (if not photogenic) supper for the two of us.

Contrary to what it may look like here recently, I have not totally given up meat. I've just put it on the "back burner" for a while, so to speak. I definitely haven't given up on treats either- just trying to eat my veggies first like my mama always told me. :)

Rustic Cabbage Soup
slightly adapted from this recipe from 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt (I used only a small pinch- feel free to use more if you aren't on a salt restricted diet.)
1/2 to 3/4 lb. potatoes, skins on, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced or chopped
4-5 cups stock (your favorite)
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or a can of white beans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
optional
2-3 dried red chili peppers
good quality olive oil for drizzling over top
grated Parmesan cheese
freshly grated black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat 1 Tblsp. olive oil in a soup pot. Stir in pinch of salt and potatoes. Cook with the lid on until potatoes are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes, stirring every once in a while to keep them from sticking.
Add onions and garlic. Cook another few minutes until onions are translucent.
Add the stock and beans and bring to a simmer. (Add chili peppers if desired.)
Add the cabbage and cook another few minutes until the cabbage is tender.
Adjust the seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Remove hot peppers and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan (if desired.)

This post has been added to the Hearth 'n Soul Blog Hop at girlichef.

Sweet Potato Chili

2010-12-29T22:25:00.003-05:00

It's soup season here in my neck of the woods! We didn't have nearly as much snow as some areas did over the holidays, but we certainly had enough by my standards. With the cold, windy weather and the over-indulgences of holiday fare, I felt that a good healthful soup was in order. I found a recipe in Simple Vegetarian Pleasures that fit the bill nicely- It didn't hurt either that I had all of the ingredients!

I halved the recipe because I wasn't too sure how hubby would like meatless chili, but he gave it a "thumbs up!" The potatoes gave it a subtle sweetness that was perfectly tempered by the savory peppers, onions and spices. Loaded with heart healthy ingredients and beta carotene, it's a dish I'll definitely make again.

This recipe as written is what I would classify as a mild chili. If you're more a fan of hot and spicy, you may want to add more chili powder or even some cayenne to "kick it up" a notch. That's between you and your taste buds though. :)

Sweet Potato Chili
adapted from Simple Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin
Ingredients (recipe is halved from the original)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1scant Tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 scant teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water (1/2 cup more can be added to cover if needed)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 med-large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
chopped cilantro and avocado for garnish if desired
Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Stir in the pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Sprinkle the chili powder and cumin over the pepper and onion and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the cilantro and avocado) and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender. (mine took about 25-30 minutes)
Serve with cilantro and avocado if desired.
Note: The original recipe called for a scant 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but I didn't add it. I also used "no salt added" beans, making the recipe even more heart healthy.
Variation: (I'm going to try this next time.) Add 1/4 cup of quick cooking barley in with the rest of the ingredients.

This post is linked to Cookbook Sundays on Brenda's Canadian Kitchen and Seasonal Sunday at Real Sustenance.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T11:21:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, and abundant blessings in the coming New Year!

~Betty

Hermits- Cookies that Definitely Should Not Keep to Themselves

2010-12-06T19:23:00.001-05:00

Betty Crocker says that Hermits were a favorite cookie back in 1900, and after making these I've decided that it was not without reason. They're soft, spicy, chewy, and loaded with candied ginger and raisin puree. Browned butter makes them soft and cakey, just right for a hearty, satisfying snack. These Hermits are a new twist on an old favorite, and they'd be at home either clutched in a little fist and enjoyed with a cold glass of milk or served on an elegant party tray with a steaming cup of spiced apple cider.

If you haven't started your holiday baking, you should definitely put this recipe on your list. It's from the Holiday Cookies from America's Test Kitchens Holiday 2010 issue. (Yep, it's the one from my giveaway.) You didn't think I could resist buying one for myself too, did you?

Hermit Cookies- Printable recipe here
slightly adapted from Holiday Cookies from America's Test Kitchens (Holiday 2010)
Makes about 2 dozen large cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra if needed for forming rolls of dough)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped fine
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Process raisins and ginger together in food processor or blender. My raisins were very dry and wouldn't process, so I splashed in about a Tablespoon of coffee to soften them. Orange juice or water would work well too, if you have the same problem.
Heat butter in saucepan over medium low heat, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown in color. (about 10 minutes- Watch it carefully. Once it starts to brown, it browns quickly.) Add spices to the butter, and cook until fragrant. (about 15 seconds)
Add the butter mixture to the raisin mixture. Mix together and then cool completely.
Add brown sugar, molasses, and eggs to the raisin/butter mixture. Stir until completely incorporated.
Fold in flour mixture and refrigerate, covered, until firm. (at least 1 1/2 hours- I did mine overnight.)
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into four equal parts. Roll each part into a 10 inch log on a floured surface, then place on prepared baking sheet. My dough was very sticky, so I used flour liberally to make my four rolls. (I'm sure this was because I added extra liquid to soften my raisins.) Put two logs on each cookie sheet, leaving about 3 inches between the rolls. (They will spread.)
Bake until edges are set but center is still soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer parchment to wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat for second two cookie rolls.
Make glaze. Whisk together orange juice and confectioners sugar. Drizzle mixture over cooled logs. Let set until glaze hardens. Cut logs into bars. The original recipe called for making them 2 inches wide, but I made mine a bit smaller.
Variation: Use a maple glaze in place of the orange. Mix together 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of milk or water and a bit of maple flavoring to taste.

Winners!

2010-12-03T21:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry I'm so late getting this winners' post up, but my grandson goes back to Texas tomorrow and we've been trying to squeeze in as much "grandma fun" as possible the last two weeks. To make amends, I had him draw not one, but two names.

And the winners?

Susi, of Susi's Kochen und Backen Adventures

and

Sarah of Baking Serendipity.

If the two of you will email me with your contact information, I'll get your Holiday Cookie books in the mail asap! (There's still plenty of December left for baking!) Thanks so much everyone!

A Giveaway! and Felix K.'s 'Don't even try to say these aren't the best you've ever eaten because they are' Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-11-24T11:02:00.001-05:00

Is there room in your recipe box for another Chocolate Chip Cookie? I have my favorites, but I'm always trying out new recipes just to see if I can find what I consider to be "THE" cookie. My grandson arrived Saturday evening for a two week stay, and one of the first things he requested was to make cookies with his Mimi. And what kind did he want? Chocolate chip, of course.

I came across this recipe earlier this year when Anna at Cookie Madness gave it good reviews. And with a name like Felix K.'s "Don't even try to say these aren't the best you've ever eaten because they are" Chocolate Chip Cookies, I had to try them. (I love a challenge!)

The verdict? Well they're definitely in the running for their lofty title- they really are very good and I'll surely make them again. There's a slightly crisp edge to these cookies giving them a good bite, but the rest of the cookie is good and chewy, just like I like it. They're sturdy cookies, but not dry, and they keep their shape nicely even without chilling the dough before baking. (That's a plus for me because when I really want cookies, waiting for the dough to chill can seem like forever.)

Here's the link to the recipe for Felix K's 'Don't even try to say these aren't the best you've ever eaten because they are' Chocolate Chip Cookies. The only change I made was to use Smart Balance 50/50 blend (sticks) instead of butter. I also made the cookies smaller than the original recipe called for. (Three tablespoons of dough makes a really big cookie!) I used my 2 tablespoon cookie scoop instead, and just slightly flattened the tops before baking.

And in honor of my little grandson's love of cookies, and to thank you all for being such wonderful friends, I'd love to give away a little something for your holiday baking pleasure- a copy of Holiday Cookies from America's Test Kitchens.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. If I can figure out how to work the random number thingy, I'll use it to select a winner. If the non-technological side of my brain wins out, I'll have my grandson pick a number out of a hat (or a cookie jar, which seems more appropriate somehow.) Comments close on Nov. 30th- I want someone to have plenty of time to use these lovely cookie recipes!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored give-away, and I am not being compensated in any way. I just saw this on the magazine rack in the store and thought it would be fun to share!

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

2010-11-18T22:39:00.001-05:00

No French Fridays this week for me. Instead, I'm sharing this recipe for Cranberry Orange Nut Bread. One of my daughters-in-law made this bread for us a couple of Thanksgivings ago. We loved it, and she was sweet enough to share her recipe.

Full of tart cranberries and crunchy nuts, this orange flavored quick bread makes a delightful not-too-sweet afternoon pick-me-up with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Toasted and spread with a bit of cream cheese, it's also a great breakfast treat.The recipe makes two loaves, so enjoy one now and freeze one for later!

Did you know? Cranberries are also called bounce-berries, because the good ones bounce when they're ripe!

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread
recipe from Madeleine
(makes 2 loaves)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup very light flavored olive oil (or canola oil)
2 cups fresh cranberries,cut in half
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tsp. orange zest

In a large bowl, whisk together first four ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Pour into two greased and lightly floured loaf pans.
Bake at 375° F for 55-60 minutes.
Cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Remove loaves from pans and continue to cool completely on a wire rack.

This post has been added to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

French Fridays with Dorie- Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

2010-11-12T00:04:00.000-05:00

Roast chicken is one of those kitchen basics that I've never been able to master. Mine is usually passable, but often dry and flavorless. So Dorie's version, Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux- lazy people- was my choice this week for French Fridays with Dorie. The recipe was incredibly easy, and I'd have to say that it's as perfect for busy people as it is for lazy ones.

The verdict? A keeper! Roast in my trusty cast iron dutch oven- with rosemary, thyme, oregano and garlic- that one little bird made the whole house smell divine. Potatoes and carrots added about halfway through the cooking time were perfectly done. (The carrots were like candy- please don't skip them! Next time I'll add more.) I let my bird rest upside down for a few minutes before serving, and even the breast meat (that I normally eschew) made lovely moist flavorful slices.

This recipe includes what Dorie calls "the bread trick." A thick slice of bread is placed in the dutch oven under the chicken, so that it absorbs the chicken drippings and gets browned and crispy. Many who have reviewed this recipe have loved the bread, but alas I can not count myself in the number. Maybe my palate is not as refined as it should be for this to be considered a treat, as I didn't care for it even spread with the luscious creamy roast garlic or the tasty liver that was tucked inside my lovely organic bird. It was beautifully browned and crisp on the bottom, but soggy where the chicken lay on it. And it just didn't appeal to me. Sorry Dorie.

But the chicken? It was absolutely lovely and I'll definitely make it again exactly as I did this one. Whether lazy or busy, it would be the perfect choice for a dinner that doesn't need to be fussed over. This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's newest book, Around My French Table. To see what others have made this week, visit French Fridays with Dorie!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

2010-11-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

I am not a bossy person by nature. I pretty much go with the flow- I'm a middle child for heaven's sake. But I'm going to tell you to do something. Now. Make these cookies. Make a cup of tea. Perch one of these puppies over your steaming hot tea for just a minute. Then take a bite, close your eyes and swoon over the gooey caramel apple deliciousness that is this cookie. I mean, it is fall. And what screams "Fall" more than caramel and apple cider?

This is another awesome recipe from Laura at The Cooking Photographer. (If you don't' know her blog, you really should make a visit- she has so many lovely recipes and photos!) All you'll need- in addition to what you probably already have in your pantry- is a bag of Kraft Caramels and a box of Alpine Instant Spiced Cider. (Yep, those little packets of powder that you mix with hot water.) These two magical ingredients take an ordinary sugar cookie base and transform it into this perfect tea-time treat.

These cookies are best enjoyed slightly warm, either from sitting atop your tea mug or microwaved for a few seconds. My favorite method? My tea mug of course. (I even used a pair of chopsticks this morning to suspend my cookie, since it was smaller than my big mug.) The warmth of the rising steam from the tea makes the caramel melt ever-so-slightly into a gooey center, surrounded by a crispy sweet-tart apple flavored cookie. Now tell me you can resist that!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

recipe very slightly adapted from The Cooking Photographer

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)
In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)
When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.
Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a Tablespoon.)
Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.
Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.

French Fridays with Dorie- Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan

2010-11-05T22:31:00.001-04:00

Maybe it's because I was feeling a little bit silly.

Maybe it's because I'm a huge fan of Jon Scieszka's sense of humor.

Maybe it's because I spend most of my waking hours with 7 and 8 year olds.

Whatever the reason was, I just couldn't help myself. The entire time I was making these delightful little flans, one thing kept running through my head.

Are you ready?

Run, run, run, as fast as you can!

You can't catch me, I'm the Stinky Cheese Flan!

(I do hope you're familiar with the delightful book, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales- written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith- from which the preceding line was butchered.) If you're not, please take a moment to indulge your inner child here.

Now that that's out of my system, I have to tell you that this was one of Dorie's recipes that I approached with trepidation. Pumpkin and gorgonzola? I wasn't really too sure I'd love the combination, but I'm glad I forged ahead and tried it. It was super simple to put together, and definitely a dish I wouldn't have tried without the commitment to cooking through Dorie's newest book, Around My French Table.

Dorie says to serve it with crème fraîche and a drizzle of honey, but I found that the drizzle of honey by itself was a perfect complement. The creamy pumpkin, crunchy walnuts, savory gorgonzola and sweet honey made for a delightful combination of textures and flavors. Each spoonful begged for a repeat performance!

To see what others have made from Dorie's cookbook this week, look here. You might find this Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan, a Potato Gratin, a Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake, or Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux! Aren't choices wonderful?

French Fridays with Dorie: Marie-Hélène's Apple Cake

2010-10-30T02:52:00.001-04:00

This recipe for French Fridays with Dorie comes from Dorie's friend, Marie-Hélène who, from Dorie's description, keeps her recipes stored in her head- just like my mom. You know the type- they throw in a "dollop" of this or maybe a "handful" of that, and everything they make always turns out perfectly. (I'm still trying to make biscuits as good as the ones my mom makes!) Luckily, Dorie was able to figure out the recipe for this lovely little cake so that even I could put it together without a bit of trouble.

This mouth-watering rustic cake almost seemed more like a pudding to me. Or maybe even a crustless deep dish pie. It was chock full of apples all lightly bound together with a super moist cake batter flavored with vanilla and rum. And SO many apples...I used four different kinds- Cameo, Fortune, Macintosh and Golden Delicious- to give the cake a variety of textures and flavors. I used the Rum specified in the recipe this time, but I think apple brandy would be a great choice the next time I make it.

This cake would be a delightful mid-afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea. (Maybe you could even count it as a serving of fruit!) You can find the recipe in Dorie's new book Around My French Table, or on Epicurious, where Dorie shared the recipe herself. Look here to see what other fabulous bloggers have done with the recipe!

Thanks so much for all of your "Get Well" wishes for my husband. He's doing much better and will soon be home!

Eileen's Best Banana Bread

2010-10-27T22:08:00.003-04:00

When life gives you speckled bananas, there's nothing to do but make some bread. Specifically, some heart healthy banana bread. I haven't been at home very much these last several days and these babies definitely got a bit past the "flecked with brown and have a golden hue" stage. I was needing some comfort food last night, and banana bread fit the bill.

Why heart healthy? I'm blogging from the hospital ICU waiting room these days. I took hubby to the Emergency Room last week (right after the Hachis Parmentier, I might add) where it was determined that he was having a heart attack and would need major intervention. Monday morning he was in surgery having a very talented man- to whom I will forever be thankful- bypass ~~a few~~ five badly blocked coronary arteries. He's all fixed up now, but groggy, sore and anxious to feel better.

No butter or eggs in this banana bread, but still it was tender, moist and delicious. It was just sweet enough and full of chopped walnuts giving each bite a wonderful depth of flavor. I used this Cooking Light recipe containing ground flaxseed which adds heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. I think we'll be eating a lot more of those in the future. :)

Eileen's Best Banana Bread
adapted from Cooking Light (Eileen Solberg) October 2009
Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour (fluff, scoop and level)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large)
1/2 cup plain fat free Greek (or regular) yogurt
3/4 cup sugar (I used a little bit less and it was plenty sweet)
1/4 cup light flavored olive oil (or canola)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F
Coat a 5"x9" loaf pan with cooking spray.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups. Level with a knife. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours with flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine mashed banana, yogurt, sugar, oil, walnuts and vanilla.
Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Check after one hour.)
Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.

French Fridays with Dorie- Hachis Parmentier

2010-10-22T08:07:00.000-04:00

Hachis Parmentier, or Shepherd's Pie, is this week's recipe for French Fridays with Dorie. Meat and potatoes- good hearty comfort foods- are the main ingredients here. Dorie's version calls for beef and sausage, but she does say to use what you have on hand! I had venison, so that's what went in mine. I also added back the carrots and some nice "beefy" portabella mushrooms. (And of course, a splash of red wine for the venison!) If I make it again, I'll probably add a bit of extra cheese on top- mine seemed to get lost into the potatoes without making a nice brown crust.

In retrospect,I think I should have baked mine in a smaller (diameter) dish- my potatoes were a little too thin and the sauce bubbled up through them in several places. (I was too anxious, I suppose, to use my new two dollar copper pan I got from the thrift shop yesterday.) Even so, it did make for a good hearty supper on a chilly evening.

To see what others have done with this delicious recipe from Dorie Greenspan's new book, Around My French Table, look here!

Skeleton Cookies

2010-10-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

Skeleton Parade

The Skeletons are out tonight,

they march about the street

with bony bodies, bony heads and

bony hands and feet.

Bony, bony, bony bones

with nothing in between

Up and down and all around

They march on Hallowe'en!

Jack Prelutsky

Skeleton Cookie Rewind! I could hardly wait for October to roll around so I could make these ~~spooky~~ cute little skeletons again. I posted them last year but I thought their little bones deserved another rattle.

I made these little guys with my favorite Iced Spice Cookie recipe, but your favorite gingerbread man recipe would work just as well. Pipe on their bones and features with some royal icing and you've got yourself some cute little skeletons all ready for a skeleton parade. Are you scared yet?

French Fridays with Dorie- Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-10-15T00:09:00.000-04:00

Today was a lovely, rainy day. A day that was perfect for this soup I've been looking forward to all week. Soup that was Dorie's pick for week three of French Fridays with Dorie. Soup that was probably the best soup I have ever made in my entire life. No kidding!

Dorie describes this spicy soup as a mix-up of two traditional Vietnamese soups- pho ga, a clear chicken broth with noodles, and la sa ga, a curried coconut milk soup. I should probably say that it's a mix up of three different soups, as I added my own twist to the recipe and added shrimp and mushrooms. (My favorite additions to spicy noodle soup!)

The spices were perfectly balanced and made each spoonful of soup a delight. The mint and basil leaves sprinkled on top- surprising little bursts of flavor- added just the right finishing touch! I have to admit that I added a bit too much chili oil to my first bowl which caused a bit of momentary distress. That was short-lived though and I was much more prudent with my next one.

The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's latest book, Around My French Table. I've made three recipes from the book so far, and have loved them all! If you'd like to see what others have done with this recipe, follow this link and enjoy!

Candy Corn Cookie Crunch

2010-10-13T23:23:00.001-04:00

Need a festive snack for Halloween? This sweet and salty one is cute, quick and easy. Just mix together some pretzels, chopped up Oreos, peanuts and candy. Bind the mixture together with some melted white chocolate, break into chunks and enjoy!

This yummy treat would be cute in little bags for your goblin visitors later this month. I found the original recipe on Your Home Based Mom- she has a version for every holiday, I think! Could this snack be the reason for the jack-o-lantern's toothless grin?

Candy Corn Cookie Crunch

adapted slightly from Your Home Based Mom. She has detailed instructions here.

Ingredients

1 lb. almond bark candy coating or white chocolate

14 Oreos, broken into pieces- I used the Halloween ones with orange filling

1 and 1/2 cups pretzels, broken- I used the thin straight ones

1 cup candy corn

1/2 cup peanuts

1/4 cup Reeses Pieces

1/2 cup Peanut M&Ms (fall colors)

Halloween sprinkles

Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil. Spread the broken pretzels, broken cookies, peanuts, and about 3/4 of the candy corn on the prepared cookie sheet. Melt the white chocolate or candy coating until smooth, according to package directions.

Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the pretzel mixture, spreading with a spatula if needed. Before it sets, sprinkle on the remaining candy corn, M&Ms, Reeses Pieces, and sprinkles. Place the tray into the refrigerator until set. Break into pieces and enjoy!

This post is linked to Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum.

Uncle Will's Molasses Cookies

2010-10-11T22:42:00.003-04:00

Uncle Will's Molasses Cookies

Who doesn't love the scent of spicy molasses cookies wafting from the kitchen? They are definitely my favorites, especially at this time of year. There's nothing like a molasses cookie warm from the oven to make you feel all happy and content inside! There are several different versions (here and here) that I like to make, but I'm always open for trying a new recipe. I found these cookies on The Cooking Photographer's blog, and the story she wrote about their background was so compelling they went right to the top of my "must make" list!

In a nutshell, these cookies are from a recipe passed down through family members from a 1930's baker (Uncle Will) in the Rosebush, Michigan area. The recipe has been modified slightly to adjust for modern ingredients, but otherwise is pretty close to the original. I loved this cookie for not only its warm subtle spices, but for its soft, chewy texture. It's a perfect, old fashioned "cookie jar" cookie that tempts you to reach in for one every time you pass by. Thankfully, some things never go out of style!

Uncle Will's Molasses Cookies

Recipe slightly adapted from The Cooking Photographer

Ingredients

1 lb. seedless raisins (about 3 cups) * (see note)

3 cups granulated sugar

1 and 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), softened (original recipe called for lard)

1/2 cup molasses

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon allspice

1 Tablespoon ground cloves

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking soda

6 cups all purpose flour

Directions

Finely chop, puree or grind raisins to a paste.* Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar.
Add raisin puree and molasses. Mix well.
Add eggs, mixing after each addition.
Stir in cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
Add half of flour. Mix well
Add rest of flour. Mix just until everything is combined.
Divide the dough into 4 or 5 portions. Flatten each and refrigerate at least a couple of hours, but preferably overnight for flavors to develop.

When you're ready to bake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Generously flour the surface you are using.
Roll one portion of dough out to about 1/4 inch. (The dough tends to be sticky, so make sure you flour your surface, the surface of the dough, and your rolling pin.)
Cut with round cookie cutter, place rounds about an inch apart on parchment covered baking sheets, and bake for about 12 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes; remove to rack to cool completely.
This recipe makes LOTS. Once baked, the cookies freeze well in an airtight bag. You can also place the well-wrapped portions of unbaked dough in your freezer. ( Let these sit out and thaw a bit before rolling out.)

Alternately: Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment covered baking sheet. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake as directed above.

*The original recipe instructs you to soak your raisins in boiling water before pureeing them. My mom told me that when she was a girl back in the 30's, raisins were much harder (drier) and seedier than they are now, and soaking was necessary when using them in recipes such as this one. Since my raisins were fairly fresh, I skipped the soak that was called for in the original recipe.

This post has been added to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

French Fridays with Dorie: Gérard's Mustard Tart

2010-10-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

Here I am, coming in just under the wire with Gérard's Mustard Tart, this week's offering for French Fridays with Dorie. Truthfuly, these lovely tarts almost didn't get made. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about the recipe because of the predominantly featured mustard. The original recipe also called for leeks and carrots, neither of which I was in the mood for preparing tonight. But then I caught sight of a small basket of tiny grape tomatoes- some of the last of the season- that I picked up at my brother's last week end. Tomatoes that were just the right size for the little tart pans in my cupboard.

I cut the recipe down just a bit to make four small tarts. I already had pastry in my freezer that I had previously made, so I went with that rather than Dorie's. (I was tired tonight, okay?) The combination of Dijon and stone ground mustard really added a lovely flavor- I was surprised that I liked it so much! I will definitely try these again, maybe even with the carrots and leeks next time. (This would be fabulous made in mini muffin tins for appetizers.) I had one of these warm from the oven and another one cold for a snack. They were fabulous both ways! If you'd like the recipe, it can be found in Dorie's newest book, Around My French Table. To see what others did with the recipe, look here and drool!

I'll be back soon with a recipe for some lovely molasses cookies I just made. Can you smell the cloves and ginger? I can, and I can't wait for the last batch to cool!

French Fridays with Dorie- Gougères

2010-10-01T00:18:00.006-04:00

Gougères for French Fridays With Dorie

Today was the first rainy day we've had in a while, and tonight when I got home from work heavenly smells were coming from the kitchen- hubby was putting together some beef and barley soup for supper. And what's better than a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly rainy evening? I can answer that... It's a steaming bowl of soup accompanied by these cheesy little puffs, gougères.

I've been in a culinary rut recently, and when I got the chance to join a group that's baking through Dorie Greenspan's newest book, Around My French Table, I decided to take the plunge and venture a little bit out of my comfort zone. I love Dorie's books- reading one of her recipes is like having a best friend in the kitchen with me. She shares the background of each recipe and also ways that she might change it up in her own kitchen- the photographs alone keep me poring over the pages.

Dorie recommends serving these with champagne, but tonight was was more of a "soup and hot tea" night here. They were great with hubby's soup, but I'm thinking that the possibilities for these savory little puffs are endless. Dorie (sounds like we're on a first name basis here, doesn't it?) says that these freeze well unbaked, so I scooped some of them onto cookie sheets and froze them for later. They'll be great quick appetizers either by themselves or stuffed with chicken salad or even a little bit of herbed cheese.

We've been asked to not share Dorie's recipes, but I found this one for the gougères that Dorie shared herself on NPR a couple of years ago. Enjoy!

Cushaw Squash Pie

2010-09-21T23:43:00.002-04:00

Looks like pumpkin pie, smells like pumpkin pie, but it's NOT your average, run of the mill pumpkin pie. What is it?

It's a Cushaw Squash Pie! The Cushaw (or Kershaw) Squash, sometimes called a Tennessee Sweet Potato, is an heirloom winter squash grown mostly in the southern United States. It's hardy, heat tolerant and resistant to squash borers, which makes it easier to grow without pesticides. If you're careful about where you grow it, the seeds can be saved from one year to the next, ensuring a steady supply of this versatile squash that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes.

Many southern cooks prefer the sweet yellow flesh of the Cushaw for making pumpkin pies. After tasting this pie that I made from a recipe found on Chickens in the Road I'm not surprised. The squash pie had the same warm spices as pumpkin pie, but had a milder taste and silky texture. Actually, you can use Cushaw squash in any recipe that calls for pumpkin. Next up for me? Probably Cushaw Butter, which I've heard is a family tradition in parts of Tennessee.

I really hope you're able to find one of these heirloom treasures at your local farmer's market. I'm saving the seeds from mine so I'll be sure to have more next year!

Prepare the Squash:

Preparing the squash is easy. Wash it, cut it in half, remove the seeds and stringy part, and bake it cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. (350 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork) After scooping out the baked flesh, mash it well or put through a Foley food mill. Proceed as you would with any other pumpkin recipe. (The seeds can be roasted like you would roast pumpkin seeds.)

Spiced Cushaw Pie

recipe adapted from Chickens in the Road

You'll need:

Your favorite pastry for a nine inch pie

2 cups prepared squash (or pumpkin)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 Tablespoon melted butter

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together beaten eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine squash, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Add milk mixture to squash mixture and mix until well combined. Pour into pie pan (9 inch) lined with an uncooked pastry shell . (Use your favorite pie crust recipe.) Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (lower half of oven) for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took a bit longer.) Chill and serve. Keep refrigerated.

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Cushaw Squash

Fresh Apple Cake

2010-09-13T19:35:00.000-04:00

I've been a bad blogger. AWOL. These last two weeks have been a bit crazy and something had to go. So blogging got shoved to the back burner until I got all of my school stuff under control. And all the other "stuff" too. Well maybe not all of it, but enough of it to be able to sit down and maybe think about what's been going on in my kitchen. And to dust off my poor neglected camera.

Thanks to my brother, I've been blessed with several baskets of "just a little bit less than perfect" honey crisp apples. With this wonderful bounty, I've been making applesauce, apple butter and this lovely little apple cake. This is another recipe from my mom, that she got many years ago from someone at church. (There are some really good cooks at our little church. Homecomings with dinner on the grounds are always an occasion to eat way too much good food!) This cake has just the right combination of spices and will fill your kitchen with scents of apple and cinnamon goodness. The apples (and raisins if you choose to add them) make the cake incredibly moist. You could add a caramel glaze if you like, but I found that it didn't really need another thing. And if by chance you have any of this lovely cake left over, it's even better the next day.

Fresh Apple Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups apples, peeled cored and chopped (I chopped mine pretty small)
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup oil (I used canola)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Grease and flour tube or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil.
Add sugars and vanilla and mix well.
Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture.
Stir in apples, nuts and raisins.
Put apple mixture into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes in pan and then invert onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Back to School with Better-for-you-Brownies

2010-08-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it was back to school for me this week. (I apologize for being derelict in my blogging. It's just that I really can't afford to quit my day job.) Back to teacher's meetings and trainings and setting up a classroom to welcome my students next week. Contrary to all of my protests about going back to work, I do like this time of year. It's a new beginning- another New Year- another January so to speak- just without the cold weather. Like a box of crayons the first time you open them, or a newly sharpened pencil. A new class with new faces and new joys and new challenges. A brand spanking new year.

And every New Year should have resolutions, right? Along with my long list of professional resolutions (with which I will not bore you) I have a few personal ones which I'm going to make public just to help myself stay accountable for them. They're not unreasonable- really! They are (in no particular order of importance):

Eat breakfast every morning.
Take time to pack a healthful lunch.
Take a walk every day.

So you're probably wondering where the brownies fit into the scheme of things. I was browsing through the new Woman's Day magazine at the checkout line in the grocery store and saw a bevy of bars that looked absolutely scrumptious. They were all made with whole-wheat flour and offered lower fat and sugar than my traditional recipes. So I bought the magazine to try some of them. Teachers get hungry, you know.

Many of my colleagues are also trying to begin the new year with healthier choices, so I thought that instead of a calorie laden treat in the teacher's lounge I'd bring in these chocolaty bars. They definitely won't entirely replace the traditional gooey fudge brownie in my life, but right now they're an alternative that I can share without all the guilt!

Better-for-you-Brownies

recipe from Woman's Day, September 2010

Ingredients:

1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut up

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 large egg whites

1 cup white whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x13 pan with nonstick foil. (Leave plenty of foil on each edge so you can lift it out later.)
Put the chocolate chips and the butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. (It only took mine one and one-half minutes.)
Whisk in brown sugar, applesauce and egg whites until mixed well. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt just until blended.
Spread into foil lined pan. Sprinkle walnuts on top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Carefully lift the sheet of brownies out by the edges of the foil and place onto a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into four strips, and then cut each strip into 6 pieces.

Per bar: 118 calories, 2 g protein, 17 g car, 1 g fiber, 6 g fat, 5 mg chol, 61 mg sodium

Dinosaur Cookies

2010-08-20T15:23:00.001-04:00

At the end of July, my son and his wife moved to Texas. I know, I know...kids do that. But they took my grandson with them! My only grandchild, who has never lived more than a few minutes away these last 4 years. It has definitely been an adjustment for me.

When he called and asked, "Mimi, would you please send me some dinosaur cookies?" I did what any ~~sensible~~ doting grandma would do. I baked.

I used my favorite cookie recipe to make these. This is the recipe that I always make when I need cut-outs. (As evidenced here, here and here!) It's an old-fashioned flavor of cookie that just makes me feel all good inside. I got the recipe in a Creative Ideas for Living magazine back in 1989, and it's been my go-to recipe ever since. It reminds me of the soft fat ginger cookies with pink frosting that used to be in the big jar on the counter of our little country store when I was young.

Grandson loves them too. If he were here, he'd have been helping for sure! He'll have them soon enough- they went in the mail today, and they're supposed to arrive by Monday. I bet he'll eat the red T-Rex first.

All boxed up and Texas bound!

Iced Spice Cookies
(printable page)

recipe adapted from Patti Paige, Creative Ideas for Living Jan/Feb '89
2/3 cup shortening (I use butter)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (I only use 1)
1 large egg (from a happy hen if you can find one-mine aren't laying right now)
3/4 cup molasses
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:

Cream together the first six ingredients. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the molasses and mix again. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to molasses mixture and mix until dough forms.
Divide the dough into two balls (flattened), wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least three hours. (I chilled it overnight) This dough is hard to work with unless it's chilled.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out one ball of dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. The original recipe calls for rolling the dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or a floured pastry cloth. I didn't have those so I just checked my dough frequently to make sure it wasn't sticking to my surface.
Cut out desired shapes. Gather scraps into a ball and put in the freezer while you repeat with the rest of your dough.
Transfer cookies to parchment covered (or greased) baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure edges don't burn. Cool completely on a rack before frosting. (recipe below) For me this recipe made about 4 dozen small cookies.

Royal Icing
In a large bowl, mix together 1 pound of confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons meringue powder and about 1/2 cup water. (Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the water-wait and see if you need it. Royal frosting is kind of tricky in that it depends on the humidity as to exactly how much water you'll need.) Mix until soft peaks form. (I did mine about 8 minutes.) Use this "stiffer" frosting to outline your shapes in whatever colors you want. (I colored my frosting with gel food color and used a Wilton #3 tip to pipe the frosting around the edges.)

After the edges are set, thin the remaining frosting (a few drops of water at a time) to a pouring consistency. Use this thinner frosting to fill in your outline. You can put this thinned frosting in a freezer baggie with the corner cut off to drizzle onto the outlined cookie. Your set edges will keep the frosting where it should be. For the dinosaurs, I filled in the base color first. While the frosting was still wet I piped on the designs and details with contrasting colors. The thinned frosting sort of "melts" into the background color. Let your frosted cookies dry overnight.

I'm posting this to Foodie Friday, on Designs by Gollum.

Seedless Blackberry Jam

2010-08-15T11:42:00.001-04:00

"Quickberry! Quackberry! Pick me a blackberry!"

Can you name that book? It's Jamberry, by Bruce Degen. I only read it hundreds of times when my boys were small. It sure came back to me yesterday when I saw the rows and rows of loaded blackberry canes stretched out in front of me, loaded with plump ripe berries.

Twelve pounds I picked. One dozen pounds of shiny purple berries. And I had a hard time stopping at that! On my way back to my car I kept seeing berries I had missed, berries that I just couldn't leave on the canes. But I did. Just so there would be some left for you. So you could make this.

I picked my berries with the idea of making jam with no added pectin, but when I got home with my gorgeous haul, I read that slightly under-ripe berries were the ones I needed. Not enough pectin in the fully ripe ones. (I guess I should have researched a little bit before hand, but that would have been too logical.)

Looking further, I found a lovely recipe that uses fully ripe berries but adds a little bit of tart apple to supply enough natural pectin. It set perfectly! Not only scrumptious for your morning toast or scones, it would also be a lovely filling for your favorite layer cake or thumbprint cookie.

Seedless Blackberry Jam (no added pectin) printable recipe here
Recipe from Fancy Pantry by Helen Witty, and found on astray recipes
yield: about 6 half pint jars

Ingredients
6 cups ripe blackberries, washed
2 1/2 cup tart apples, coarsely chopped- include skins and cores (I used small "not quite ripe" apples from our tree) The pectin is found mainly in the skin and the core of the apples.
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I doubled this)
5 cups sugar (approximately)

Directions

Prepare jars and lids (per manufacturer's instructions) for canning- 6 half pints

Put half of the blackberries in a large pot and crush with a potato masher. Add the rest of the berries and crush. Add apple pieces and water to the crushed berries.

Cook mixture over medium heat until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. You may add another 1/2 cup of water if the mixture gets too thick.

Once fruit is very soft, run through a food mill or press through a fine sieve, using a large spoon or spatula. Discard the skins and seeds that are left.

Rinse out your pot. Measure the fruit pulp and put it back into the pot. You should have about 5 cups.

Add enough lemon juice to make the mixture pleasantly tart. Heat over medium high heat, dissolving sugar.

Increase heat and cook rapidly, stirring often. Cook until mixture reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the mixture falls in a sheet off of your spoon. You can also try putting some of the mixture onto a cold dish to see if it is jelling.

Once mixture is ready, remove from heat and ladle into hot prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headroom at the top of each jar. Position lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove from boiling water bath and set aside to cool and seal.

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