Tummy Treasure

Time For Another Feed Update!

2008-09-29T09:15:00.002-05:00

Apparently there's still a handful of you waiting on baited breath for something to appear here on the blog. You're missing out! I moved many moons ago to my own domain- change your bookmarks and links to http://tummytreasure.com/blog. Don't miss another day!

Tummy Treasure Readers

2008-06-23T08:52:00.002-05:00

Don't miss out! You've got the wrong address! If you're coming here from a blog-link, please let the blog author know that I've moved! It's been nearly six months now, and I hate for anyone to be missing out on some great seasonal comfort.

Change your links and browsers to www.tummytreasure.com/blog!

I've moved!

2008-03-03T13:20:00.004-06:00

I'm having problems with the Blogger forwarding, so I'll just leave this out here!

Tummy Treasure has moved!

The new address is http://www.tummytreasure.com

Change your bookmarks and links please!

Busy-Day Relief

2008-02-20T07:11:00.002-06:00

It's Wednesday here at Tummy Treasure, so that means a few things this morning. First, it means that it's time for my weekly article up at Kids Cuisine, so be sure and check that out. My kids seem to get more involved in the kitchen every day, and recently we found a new way for them to help out. Wednesday also means that there is a new post up at Menu Planning 101- it's time for the weekly menu plan to be up, so that's going on over there.

As for here at Tummy Treasure, I do have a recipe for you today. I was hesitant about sharing it, to be honest. It's actually another one of my "Default Dinners", and incredibly simple. So simple, that I wondered if I should even share it because it does use a much-maligned convenience product. But share it, I will, because one of the very things that I used to butcher was an old-fashioned Pot Roast. Oh my, I would dry them out every time I tried to make one, or it wouldn't be cooked long enough and it would be tough and stringy and chewy. Every time Andy would come home and see pot roast he would get so excited...and then be subsequently disappointed by my offering. Cooking large cuts of meat just didn't come naturally to me.

I finally found a recipe that worked wonderfully for cooking from one of my favorite cookbooks Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. I love that book, and her recipe for Mom's Pot Roast did not disappoint. It produced a succulent cut of meat and it was simply wonderful. I had two problems with it though. One was that it was fairly involved at first, it wasn't the easiest recipe to get together. And secondly, I just don't care for pot roast vegetables. What can I say, I never have. I just don't care for that beefy flavor being cooked into the potatoes and carrots. Blech. But the Mom's Pot Roast was a revelation, and do check out the recipe for that if you're looking for something company worthy and wonderful.

But then one day I had a chuck roast in the fridge that needed to be cooked, and I was short a few of the ingredients for Mom's Pot Roast, and what was I going to do? I was also short of hands on time, so I needed a quick fix. I did what any harried and huried person would do, I reached deep (deep I tell you!) into the pantry and pulled out...a can of condensed French Onion soup. I looked at the roast, looked at the soup, and decided it would do. The roast went into a roasting pan with a lid, followed by a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I popped the top on the soup, poured it over the roast, added the lid to the pot, and shoved it into the oven to be forgotten about for 2 or more hours. And I'll tell you, a short while later the house smelled heavenly, and I had hope for this meal-in-a-hurry.

Not only did it turn out, but we thought the roast was fantastic. It needed nothing else except some roasted vegetables to accompany. Maybe some bread or mashed potatoes to swipe up the gravy with, but really, that lone can of soup made magic in that pot. I did take the extra step to thicken the juices and drippings with some flour when it came out of the oven, but even that needed nothing more than a little more fresh pepper to season it. If you wanted to dress it up, you could maybe add a few pinches of dried thyme when you add the can of soup, but otherwise, it's perfect just as it is. I have also used this recipe in the crock-pot on low for 6-8 hours (which depends on which crock I am using that day), and that worked out great as well. Sometimes, you just can't beat convenience, and with the ease with which this came together, it's something we repeat quite often.

*Don't forget! Tomorrow is Thursday! I promise, you won't want to miss tomorrow here at Tummy Treasure- so be sure and drop in. It will be well worth your time to see what's new and exciting here! (And no Mom, I'm not pregnant!)

Foolproof Pot Roast

1 (3 lb) chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 can condensed French Onion soup
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
additional pepper as needed

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Season the roast lightly with salt and pepper, and place in a dutch oven or other roasting pan with a lid.

Pour the condensed soup over the roast (do not add water). Put the lid on the pot and slide in the oven.

Do not disturb for 2 hours. Smaller size roasts will be done around 2 hours- larger roasts may take longer. Check to see that the meat is falling apart- when it does that, it's ready. If it doesn't fall apart, it needs more time- give it 20 minutes increments until done.

Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes- leave the lid on!

Transfer the roast to a serving platter. Pour the juices left behind into a saucepan over medium-high heat.

Combine the flour and water, whisking until combined. Add to the pan juices, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and check for seasonings- I usually find it needs added pepper, but not salt.

Once the mixture has come to a boil, it's done. Pour over the roast and serve immediately.

Serves 4

It's Tag Time!

2008-02-19T07:06:00.002-06:00

I'm really excited today! Do you know why? Because it's only two days to Thursday- and I can't wait to share something exciting! make sure you come back on Thursday to find out what has me jumping for joy this week!

It's been a long while since I've been tagged for anything, and in just over a week I've been tagged three times! Today I'll take care of two of the tags, but I still have to figure out what I'm doing for the third tag- it's a little more involved than sharing a little bit about me. Today I've been tagged for the "Sevens Meme" by Elisabeth from Cooking From Cathedral Hill, and I've also been tagged for a "Five Little Bits Meme" by Michelle from Cooking The Books. I thought I'd combine the two and see how I do with Twelve random little bits and truths about me.

1. If you don't know me IRL, I have insanely long hair. It's all the way down to my backside- and curly. I've always wanted my hair this long, but never had the guts to grow it so long. Now that I've grown it so long, part of me wants to cut it, but now I'm afraid to do so. I'm in a state of catch-22 with my hair right now.

2. I play the drums. Specifically right now I play the congas and other percussion, but I can tackle a drum set if needed.

3. I hate grape Jello. In fact, just the smell makes me nauseated.

4. My favorite breakfast is cake. If we have cake in the house, I'll eat it for breakfast with a cup of coffee. (Hey, it's not THAT different from a pastry.)

5. My favorite color is Red. Someday, we will live in a house with a red living room. I don't even care if it's an out of date color. I love red, it's so warming and energizing. I love it!

6. One of my absolute favorite TV shows is Project Runway on Bravo. I have a hidden passion for fashion, and every time I watch that show I feel like I can pull out my sewing machine and just whip something together. They sure do make it look easy!

7. Speaking of fashion, I was once offered a scholorship to Johnson & Wales for Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing. It was a small scholorship compared to the cost of schooling there...but it was unexpected and generous nonetheless.

8. I still pull out my old Little House on The Prairie books and read them over and over. Growing up I wanted to be Laura in the worst way... if you're ever looking for a great foodie read, The Farmer's Boy is chock full of old-fashioned nibbles and delights.

9. I don't enter a lot of food contests because I'm afraid of being selected to compete. I just don't know how well I'd do with all those cameras following me around and watching my every move. The two times I've been involved in filming a TV show I just couldn't get my tongue to work like I wanted it to- so embarassing!

10. I love chai. I could drink it every day of my life and I'd be a happy person. In fact, you could take away my coffee, and as long as I had chai around I would be content.

11. I don't like peanuts with my ice cream. I have no idea why, I love any kind of nuts in my ice cream or on my ice cream- just not peanuts. (And normally, I like peanuts!)

12. I love, love, love the new 3 Musketeers Mint bars with dark chocolate. Oh, my, gosh, those are amazing! And I'm not even the biggest fan of mint and chocolate together. But there's something about these candy bars that they call to me every time I see one on the shelf.

So there's 12 bits about me that you may have known, or you may not have known. So...on to the tags... if I tag you and you don't feel like doing so, well, that's okay. But I'm going to dish out the tags to either new bloggers, or bloggers who are new to me. I combined two tags, so feel free to pick either the Sevens ot the Fives. I was feeling a little ambitious this morning.

First up is Mandy from A Serving Of Life. Mandy is a local girl- hailing from Oshkosh, and I've been reading her blog on and off for a while. She's a fun sounding girl, and one of the reasons I'm tagging her is because she's part of a site-traffic competition right now. And if she wins- she's going to take the prize money and elope! How fun is that! So stop by her blog if you get a chance to help her out.

Next up, a former swap partner, April from Cookworm. I love checking out what April's been up to. Her photos of her triumphs are definitely drool-worthy

Next is Emily from Happy Vegetable. Emily is a vegan with a brand-new look for her blog. Emily is eating raw right now for 40 days on top of following her vegan diet, and she seems to be doing a great job with it!

Deborah from What's In My Kitchen hasn't been blogging for very long, but everything she cooks and posts about is something I would love to dive into.

And finally, I want to tag Sullicom. His blogging is fun to read, and he seems to be taking a bit of a break to think about where he wants to take his blogging. Maybe a meme or two will inspire a bit.

A Default Dinner

2008-02-18T07:56:00.003-06:00

I could have sworn that I've posted this recipe before. Yet when I look through my blogs, I don't see it anywhere, except in mention. That's a shame, because this truly is what my friend over at Talk Of Tomatoes calls a Default Dinner. This is one of those recipes that I make without thinking about it anymore, and it's a staple in our home. What I love best about it is that it's a great way to use leftover ham, and I'm always looking for new ways to use bits of ham. Ham is one of those ultimate budget stretchers because you get so much out of it! It also freezes great so you can cook up a ham, eat some, and then freeze it in portions to use at a later time.

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham is really a basic adaptation of macaroni and cheese. It came from Cooking Light magazine several years ago, and it's been a hit since we've first tried it. It comes together quickly and serves up maximum flavor with little effort. It's also basically a complete meal in a bowl. We rounded off the meal with a salad, but it really does stand on its own nicely. It's a hit all around the table, but it's especially noteworthy because Zander gobbles it up and then asks for more. He never does that. We had this for dinner on Saturday, and Sunday night he was busy telling me that we should have "those noodles" again soon. The only problem we had with it was that I used rainbow rotini, and my silly son just could not bring himself to even taste the green noodles. Silly boy.

Before I post the recipe though, I just have to squeeze this little tidbit in here. You'll see me mention it all week this week, because it's really, really exciting. But to find out exactly what is so exciting here at Tummy Treasure, you have to come back on Thursday to find out all about it.

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

Serving Size : 6

4 quarts water
2 cups rotini -- about 8 ozs. pasta
1 package frozen chopped broccoli -- (10-ounce)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups 2% Milk Velveeta -- (6 ounces) cubed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup ham -- reduced fat, chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is done; drain.

While pasta cooks, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients (cheese through pepper). Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham.

Head On Over...

2008-02-16T10:15:00.002-06:00

As I spend this weekend trying to finally rid myself of this horrible cold that just won't go away, I'll be taking another break here. But don't worry! I do happen to have a new post up on Menu Planning 101 this morning on cookbook organization. In addition to sharing what I have though, I'd love to know your thoughts. What do you do to organize your cookbooks? Or the recipes within? I'd love to hear it!

A Burst Of Sunshine!

2008-02-15T10:59:00.003-06:00

I was in the mood to bake something, and decided to take a walk through my pantry and see what was in there that I could bake with- that would produce something a little different than normal. My gaze fell upon a large can of crushed pineapple and an unopened package of shredded coconut. As the snow continues to pile up outside and the frigid temperatures just keep getting colder, I knew a taste of summer was exactly what I needed to make.

Yet, I couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I had a bar cookie in mind, something akin to a lemon bar, only made with pineapple and sporting a lovely coconut layer on top. After finding several similar recipes that didn't quite fit the bill, I did a bit of tweaking and came up with my own Piña-Colada Bar.

I began with the crust- shortbread would be fine, except that using brown sugar would offer a caramel note to the crust, so I used brown sugar instead of white. I also opted to use a portion of whole wheat pastry flour. For the filling I simply made a sort of pineapple curd with the crushed pineapple. When I tasted it though, I thought the tartness of the pineapple didn't come through, so a shot of lemon juice helped perk that up a bit. It was the topping though that gave me the most trouble. I didn't want to just sprinkle coconut, and I didn't want to make an icing or glaze. So I made a sort of coconut batter that reminded me of making coconut macaroons and spread that on top. The whole think baked until golden brown, and then I had to wait for it to cool.

I didn't wait long enough. The more these bars cooled, the better they tasted. I was disappointed with the first taste, and wondered what I was going to do with all these bars! But after letting them set completely and then chilling, they turned out to be exactly what I was shooting for. Start to finish these bars took about an hour- well worth it for the glimpse of summer it provided during the winter of never-ending snow and cold.

Piña-Colada Bars
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold butter
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
7 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almon extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Combine all-purpose flour, pastry flour, brown sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until the butter is well incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.

Press into the 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, cornstarch, crushed pineapple with juice, and egg yolks in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice.

Pour pineapple mixture over the hot crust, spreading gently with the back of a spoon.

In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining sugar, coconut, flour, salt, egg whites, egg, and extracts. Mix well.

Using a combination of fork and your fingers, dollop coconut mixture all over the pineapple mixture, trying your best to cover all of the pineapple with the coconut evenly.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the coconut is beginning to turn golden brown and the bars seem to be set.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. They taste best after being chilled for awhile as well.

Yield: About 30 bars

It Will Be Okay...

2008-02-15T09:06:00.002-06:00

I should have known better than to mess with the blog. I liked it the way it was... but I just was ready for a change. I found a few templates I liked, and tested them on a test blog and then decided to take a deep breath and take the plunge.

Except that once installed, they turned out to not be configured so well, and I was having a tough time with the editing mechanism. I went back and forth on whether or not to just go back to my Shire look...I really spent a lot of time tailoring my identity to fit the blogs look. But, as usual, I got bored with it, so in the end, I've decided to use this basic Blogger look, which is clean and crisp, and hopefully in the near future I'll really have the look I want.

Much better to have a basic blog look than a bad one...and that frantic feeling of the world not being right just wasn't pleasant.

So I'm sure I've missed a few things- specifically I'm concerned about the blogroll. If you notice a blog missing from my sidebar, please let me know- even if it's your own and you're worried about shameless self-promotion, I want to know so I can fix it.

Otherwise, please let me know about any other problems... I'll be back later with a recipe, but for now I think I need a break from the computer screen. It doesn't help that I thought I was feeling much better, and probably tackled too much. Both last night and today I'm feeling not-so-hot again. Please bear with me. Tummy Treasure will be back to it's normal self soon.

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot, Shoot....

2008-02-14T15:40:00.002-06:00

GAH!

Now I've gone and done it.

And I don't like the end result.

Please be patient with me over the next day or so while I right a wrong.

Stupid blog.

It'll have to do for now. It will be a while, and then I'll have all my links back up. Please bear with me.

What To Do With Leftover Yogurt...

2008-02-14T06:57:00.003-06:00

I was trying to decide if I should do a Valentine's post today. In the end, I didn't think too hard about it. I looked back in the archives and found that two years ago I didn't post about Valentine's Day, instead I was entirely too buys preparing to cater my sister's wedding. Last year I had the audacity to eschew Valentine's Day in favor of a post about losing weight...I'm so glad that since then I've placed a moratorium on insane ramblings about how to shed a few pounds.

So instead, today I'm going to share with you a fantastic use for that last cup of yogurt you have sitting around. I've been making homemade yogurt lately. It's extremely easy to do, and anyone can do it. I happen to use a yogurt maker, and normally I use milk, dry milk, and a bit of plain yogurt as my starter. This time though, I was out of the powdered milk and wondered how yogurt would turn out without it. So this time it was simply fat free milk and a few tablespoons of plain cultured yogurt to start it. Worked great actually! Without the powdered milk though, the yogurt comes out pretty runny, so I needed to thicken it by scooping it into a strainer to drain. I lined my metal seive with coffee filters and then scooped the yogurt into it. I had meant to let this sit for an hour or so, but before I knew it, several hours had gone by and I had luscious thick and creamy yogurt.

I thought about drizzling it with honey and eating it just like that, but then I noticed that it had an almost cream-cheese like consistency, and I knew it was calling for something special.

I took small bits of red bell pepper, onion, fennel, baby carrot, and radish and chopped them up finely. Total I had about a cup of finely chopped vegetables. I put this into a baking dish, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and then drizzled with heart-healthy olive oil. They then roasted in a 450º oven for about 20 minutes, or until nice and brown on the edges and extremely fragrant. Then I had to let this cool a bit. Once cooled, I simply combined my drained, thickened yogurt with my vegetables, and then added another pinch of salt and pepper. Back into the fridge to chill and meld they went, and later at dinner time I was rewarded with an amazing roasted vegetable dip. Using fat-free yogurt, no less. The only fat in this thing is the bit of olive oil, which actually increases the good cholesterol, so for us, we'll keep it in.

I served it up with whole wheat crackers to accompany some soup for dinner, but it would be awesome with crudite as well. In fact, It would also make an excellent dip for just about anything, and if you wanted, you could also give the vegetables a whiz around the food processor to make this more of a spread for tortilla roll-ups or for sandwiches. It would make an excellent spread for a smoked turkey or ham sandwich. I may just have that for lunch today, actually. So here's my Valentine's Day gift to you, a fantastic Roasted Vegetable Dip that you can enjoy with no guilt. It's truly delicious. The only thing I didn't add that I should have would be a clove of garlic to the roasting vegetables. I think I would slice it thinly so that it didn't burn before the rest of the vegetables were done. And of course, herbs could only make this better. Play with it as you will, and enjoy. I know we are!

Roasted Vegetable Dip

1/4 cup red bell pepper -- finely chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion -- finely chopped
1/4 cup fennel bulb -- finely chopped
1/8 cup baby carrots -- finely chopped
1/8 cup radishes -- finely chopped
1 clove garlic -- thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup nonfat yogurt -- drained for several hours

Preheat oven to 450º.

Combine chopped vegetables and garlic in a small oven safe dish. Drizzle with olive oil, some of the salt, and some of the pepper.

Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Allow vegetables to cool.

Combine with drained yogurt, adding remaining salt and pepper if needed.

Chill for about 1 hour to allow the yogurt to firm back up and the flavors to meld together.

Serve with crackers or vegetables.

More from Mr. Bittman

2008-02-13T07:23:00.005-06:00

It's official. How To Cook Everything Vegetarian is an official reference source for my kitchen. Often times I'll buy a cookbook and cook with it when it's brand new, but then it sits on my shelf and waits patiently for me to be in the mood to cook with it again. Hence my, ahem, Cookbook Challenge that needs some serious attention. I've managed to weed my cookbooks with that challenge, and actually, just buying this massive Bittman book I had to weed again. I have literally maxed out my cookbook shelves. I either need to figure out another place to store them if I want more, or I need to continue weeding. So far, weeding seems to work, but I so hate to lose a cookbook...

Anyway. The other day I had some homemade yogurt sitting around needing to be used. I'm the only one here who likes to eat plain yogurt- unless it's in tzatziki or a raita. Since there's no Indian or Greek on the menu anytime soon, I decided to drain it a bit and do...something with it. The idea came to me to use it as a filling for some Crêpes. The idea was cemented when on a shopping trip, Zander pointed to a lovely carton of blackberries and told me he wanted them. They were beautiful and plump and reasonably priced, so they came home with us, and I needed to feature them. I was going to fold them with my drained yogurt and honey to fill some crêpes, but then I decided that would be a waste of great blackberries, and instead, they'd be a garnish.

Instead, I sliced some apples and caramelized them with some butter,brown sugar and cinnamon, and then folded that into the drained yogurt. That would have been awesome to eat just like that! But I forged ahead and made my crêpes.

I love making crêpes, and don't do so near often enough. Every time I make them I am instantly transported back to eighth grade where I had my first crêpe experience in my foreign language class. Madame was really French, I remember that about her, she spoke with a beautiful accent, and while she appeared to be tough, she really just wanted to convey her passion for speaking other languages. She did her best to immerse us into the languages and cultures as best as possible, and the day we made crêpes I remember her lovingly pulling that tiny bottle of orange flower water out of her cupboard and treating it like liquid gold. Those crêpes were amazing, and I've never had them quite the same again. Even the crêperie can't compare.

But these crêpes were suitable, and they were very simple to make. They were fantastic stuffed with yogurt and caramelized apples, and the blackberries scattered about on the plate made this offering elegant as well.

**As an added note this morning, I also have a new weekly menu plan up over at Menu Planning 101- it has some repeats from last week, but be sure and check that out. Also, let me know how you like the new look over there!

Crêpes
from Mark Bittman's
How To Cook Everything Vegetarian

1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 1/4 cups milk, plus more if needed
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, plus more for cooking

1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the butter for cooking until smooth; you can do this in a blender. If the mixture isn't quite pourable, add a little more milk. If the time allows, let the batter rest in the refrigerator for an hour or up to 24 hours.

2. Put an 8 or 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and wait a couple of minutes; add a small pat of butter. Stir the batter and use a large spoon or ladle to pour a couple of tablespoons of the batter into the skillet. Swirl it around so that it forms a thin layer on the bottom of the pan.

3. When the top of the crêpe is dry, after about a minute, turn and cook the other side for 15 to 30 seconds. (The crêpe should brown only very slightly and not become crisp at all.) Bear in mind that the first crêpe almost never works, even for professionals, so discard it if necessary, there is plenty of batter.

4. Stack the crêpes on a plate as you make them, and keep them warm in a low oven while you make the remaining crêpes. Even better, fill each crêpe while it's still in the pan, putting the filling in the center of the bottom third of the crêpe. If you want your filling warmed, keep the pan over low heat for a few minutes. Either roll the crêpe starting at the end with the filling or fold the bottom third over the filling, fold in the sides, then fold the crêpe from the bottom up. Slide it onto a plate and serve. Repeat the process, adding butter to the skillet and adjusting the heat as needed, until all the batter is used up.

These Were So Worth The Wait!

2008-02-12T11:52:00.001-06:00

Yes, you are looking at two loaves of CHOCOLATE bread. To be specific, two loaves of Chocolate Braids from the current issue of Taste of Home magazine. The second I looked through this issue, these jumped off the page and yelled at me "Make me! Make me!" Well, I was sidelined for a few days, but they were definitely worth waiting for. It was a light bulb moment for me today as I kneaded chocolate dough. Cocoa powder in bread? Think of the possibilities! And then adding the cream cheese filling this way- think of those possibilities! Think of a savory rosemary dough filled with a sun-dried tomato flavored cream cheese! My goodness, there are so many possibilities here.

I only have a few things to mention about this specific recipe. First, when it calls for 1/3 cup of honey- use 1/3 cup of honey. I was about 2 tablespoons short, so I used sugar...I should have gone with my instincts and used corn syrup, but as a result, I ended up needing far less flour- it worked out okay, but there would have been more bread had I been able to add the correct amount of flour. Secondly, I think next time I would cut the topping in half. That ended up being a lot of topping, and there was no way I could get it all on in the first place- much of it ended up on the pan next to the loaves. Half would suffice, and while the original recipe called for macadamia nuts, I chose the more budget-friendly walnut.

And finally, a note about cutting the dough. I had to read this through a few times before I understood completely what it was saying. Read the recipe completely before just going ahead and cutting the rolled dough. Note that it says to cut in half lengthwise. It seemed strange to do so at first, and note that you also do not cut all the way through both ends. Stop about one inch shy of one end, so your loaves have a point that holds together. But the result is stunning to look at, not to mention absolutely delicious. (The photos above are before the topping went on.) Chocolate bread. Who knew? By the way, I don't see any reason why this couldn't be made vegan by eliminating the butter and using a vegan friendly buttery-spread instead (or for that matter, using oil in the bread dough itself and a buttery spread for the topping), as well as using a plant-based milk in the drizzle at the end.

Chocolate Braids

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup honey -- divided
6 tablespoons butter -- softened
1 egg
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour -- to 3 cups
Cream Cheese Filling:
4 Ounces cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter -- cold
1/4 cup chopped nuts
Icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 2 teaspoons honey; let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the butter, egg, cocoa, salt, 1 1/2 cups bread flour, and remaining honey. Beat for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one portion into a 12x7 rectangle.

In a small mixing bowl, beat together the filling ingredients until smooth. Spread half of the filling over the dough to within 1-inch of the edges. Roll up jelly roll style, starting with the long side; pinch the seams to seal.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. With a sharp knife, carefully cut roll in half lengthwise, not cutting all the way through one end. Carefully, turn cut sides up. Loosely twist strips around each other, keeping cut sides up. Pinch ends to seal.

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Add nuts, and sprinkle over risen loaves.

Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over loaves.

Source:
"Taste of Home"
Copyright:
"Feb/Mar 2008"
Yield:
"2 loaves"

Whew!

2008-02-12T07:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I think I'm mostly well. I'm still a little lightheaded, but for the most part, I think I'll be able to function normally today. Yikes. And this was just a cold! I sure hope the flu stays away this year... speaking of colds this morning, if you consider yourself a praying person, please think of my little niece this morning. She is not quite 4 months old and is in the hospital being observed for RSV and is pretty miserable. So say a few prayers for Cori to be well enough to go home please!

Anyway, watch this space! Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I'm hoping to get around to baking up something that I've been meaning to bake up for a few days now... I'm going to try my hardest to get at that today after I do a little sterilizing of the home here... so stay tuned!

Still Not Functioning...

2008-02-11T07:20:00.001-06:00

Apparently my children have much better constitutions than I. I've spent the last two days alternating between bed and the couch. Thank goodness it was the weekend and both Andy and Abigail were around. I think Andy got a good taste of being Mom and is happy to return to Dad duty this morning. I still feel like I've been put through a wringer-washing machine. However, with a busy 4 year old around, I will hardly be able to nap when I feel like it. It's going to be a very long day.

To pass the time though, I have pulled a chicken carcass from the freezer and I'll be making a pot of this soup today. Simple and basic, but terribly delicious, and it may be just what I need to try and kick this cold to the curb. My only change will be to use homemade chicken stock instead of the canned broth.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 teaspoons butter
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 small potato -- diced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 cans chicken broth -- (14 ounce)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
4 ounces egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken

Melt butter in large pot.

Saute the celery, carrot and onion for 2 minutes.

Add potato, thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth and boullion.

Bring to a boil.

Add noodles and chicken and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Germs, Germs Go Away

2008-02-08T16:05:00.000-06:00

I didn't post this morning with the intention of making something delicious today and posting about it fresh out of the oven.

Well, around noon today I took a break from my housework for the day, and haven't been able to find my energy ever since. It's like I've hit a bit of a wall, and now I'm totally regretting not getting more accomplished this morning before taking that lunch break.

So some chamomile tea and honey are soothing a sudden sore throat, and I can only hope that the tiny sniffles my children have had this week are all that awaits me.

But the benefits of menu planning! I don't even have to think about dinner tonight-it's already done for me, and who can't pop pizza into the oven? I guess I'll be taking a break for the weekend here- do check out Menu Planning 101 Saturday if you get a chance. I'll be putting the finishing touches on a post about recipe organization (I hope) and I'll have that up tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone-and stay warm!

Soup Of The Week: Tortilla Soup

2008-02-07T06:29:00.000-06:00

Last night's soup was a new one for us. I've made variations of tortilla soup before, adding this and that to a pot, then stirring in some tortillas or chips and calling it tortilla soup. I've never actually followed a recipe for tortilla soup, though. Until yesterday. I was looking through my soup recipes, really looking for one that used all on-hand ingredients, but also looking for something my kids would eat. I'd originally planned to make a homemade chicken and stars, but that just wasn't sounding great to me. I passed by the tortilla soups a few times, assuming they'd be spicy, but then I went back to them, and I was surprised to find I had everything on hand for one of the recipes.

This tortilla soup is fondly known to the folks at the CLBB as RebeccaT's Tortilla Soup. She was the one who first shared it, and ever since then, so many people have made it and added it to their soup repertoirs. It was about time I did the same. I made one major change to the soup, and that was that I didn't use the chicken called for. Instead, I slowly braised some pork I had in the freezer until it was fork tender, and added that to the soup. In addition, I added a can of corn to the pot to appeal to the kids, and then I added a squeeze of lime at the table.

Can I just say that this soup was a real wow for me! It was delicious and hearty without being overly so. It was perfect with some homemade bread and I can't believe I haven't made it sooner. I have to say though, that I cannot imagine this soup being as good with chicken as it was with pork. The pork melded with the cilantro and spices so beautifully, that I'll probably never try it with the chicken. On a side note, to make this a vegetarian soup you could use a vegetable broth, and instead of the meat, I think I would use navy beans- something white anyway. A leafy green like spinach could stand up to the soup as well, and I would consider that addition as well.

Tortilla Soup

6 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas -- chopped
6 garlic cloves -- minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 can diced tomatoes -- (28 oz) undrained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cooked chicken breast halves -- shredded (about 2 cups) (Or cooked and shredded pork)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat.

Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips and a squeeze of lime

Baked Oatmeal for Breakfast

2008-02-06T07:28:00.000-06:00

I love oatmeal. My husband loves oatmeal. My kids think it's okay, but it's not their favorite. They'd rather have cold cereal any day. Usually though, if Andy wants oatmeal for breakfast before he heads to work he uses those microwave packets. Not all of them are bad- but not all of them are good, and since he is a big guy, he needs at least two packets to give him sustenance. He doesn't care to take the time to cook up a bowl of oatmeal on the stove- and who can blame him! At 4:30 in the morning, I don't want to be cooking up oatmeal either!

So this week I made up a big pan of Baked Oatmeal for him to eat all week. I love making baked oatmeal. I doubled the batch and baked it in a 9x13 pan, and he's able to lob off chunks of it all week and heat it up in the microwave before work. It works beautifully. He gets homemade, whole grain oatmeal with fruit and no preservatives, for the same amount of work as an instant packet.

In menu planning news this morning, I have a one-week dinner plan up at Menu Planning 101, so be sure and check that out if that interests you this morning.

Also, a big Happy Birthday to "The Mom"! I'll stop by later with some prune juice for you!

Baked Oatmeal
3 cups milk, plus more for serving if desired
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or other berries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine milk, brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, apple, cranberries, and nuts. Add the hot milk mixture and stir well to combine.

Spray a 9x9 square baking dish with cooking spray. Pour oatmeal into the baking dish and bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate and heat up individual portions in the microwave.

A Bit of A Disappointment To Me

2008-02-05T07:32:00.000-06:00

I love my Cooking Light annuals. They have to be some of my favorite cookbooks, because I'm always using them. You never know when your tastes are going to change, and something you passed up a year ago now sounds great to you. Recently I made the Cheddar Chicken Chowder again, and just as every time I make it, I pull out the book, and on the same page is a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge Cups. And every time I look at that, I think I should make them sometime. They seemed easy enough, so I finally decided to break them out and make them up for Super Bowl Sunday.

They were a little time-consuming, but not overly so- just a few steps. First I made the Peanut Butter cookie base and pressed that into my mini-muffin tin. Then I cooked up the chocolate filling, which took just a few minutes to thicken. Then the chocolate went into the cookie crust, and then into the oven. They baked up into some impressive looking gems, and I was looking forward to trying them. And when I did...well, I was disappointed.

I thought the chocolate filling was nice- it was deep and chocolatey without being too sweet. The peanut butter crust though...really didn't taste like much, and I also didn't care for the soft texture too much. The peanut butter was there, it just wasn't impressive like I'd hoped. If I were to make these again, I would use creamy peanut butter, first of all. And secondly, I think I would add a pinch of baking soda to the peanut butter cookie part to try and get it to crisp up a bit. I may make them again and play with them- I thought they were pretty and I did like the chocolate filling, so we'll see. And I also have to say that company thought they were great- so the "meh" may just be from me.

Peanut Butter Fudge Cups
from Cooking Light Annual, 2002

Serving Size : 24

Crust:
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilled butter -- cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold water
Cooking spray
Filling:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour and salt to peanut butter mixture; cut in flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle surface with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time; toss with a fork until combined.

Shape mixture into 24 balls. Place 1 ball in each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of muffin cups.

To prepare filling, combine 2/3 cup brown sugar and the next 4 ingredients (2/3 cup brown sugar through milk) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons flour and egg until well blended. Divide chocolate mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned; cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Run a knife around outside edges of cups. Remove cups from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Bittman's Empanada Dough

2008-02-04T08:09:00.000-06:00

Every year my Super Bowl menu is dictated by the host city. That tends to keep the menu varied as it moves from city to city, plus it can be challenge to come up with foods that match the host city- Detroit anyone? We love Super Bowl Sunday- it definitely ranks right up there as a food event for us, and since it's technically the first real food event of the year, we like to put out quite the spread. This year, since the Super Bowl was in Arizona, the theme was easily Southwestern. We had another friend offer to make Rick Bayless's Smoky Pork Tacos, as well as a salad, so I needed to come up with something different. At first I was thinking of enchiladas, but we've been having those quite a bit, so I wanted to do something different.

I was already making a layered taco dip, Drunken Beans, desserts, and some hot wings, but I needed something that fit with the Southwestern theme, and in the end Mr. Bittman came to my rescue with his recipe for Bean and Cheese empanadas. Only I didn't want to stuff them with beans and cheese. I had it in my mind to make a chicken, corn and chipotle filling, so I started with that. The chicken was easy. I had a large roasting chicken that I cooked up for the previous night's dinner, so there was a lot of chicken leftover. I dug a chipotle chili out of the freezer, and opened up a can of corn. It was that easy. The chipotle I chopped finely, and then mixed with some tomato paste and a few ladle-fulls of freshly made chicken stock. Then I chopped the chicken finely and mixed in the corn and the tomato-chipotle mixture. Quick and tasty!

The empanada dough came together in a snap as well. I followed Mark Bittman's recipe and was mostly pleased with the results. I was out of shortening, so I opted to use the oil he suggested...I have to say, I think the shortening would have made a better result. The empanada dough made with the oil was greasy to work with- it still turned out fine, but I'd like to try it with the shortening to see how they compare. I also opted to make my empanadas smaller- I probably got about 20 out of one batch of dough. The flavor was great, and the only real changes I made to them was that I pricked them with a fork before baking, and I left off the milk at the end. They still turned out gorgeous and delicious.

So will I make them again? Oh yes, they are great, and the sky's the limit as far as the fillings are concerned. I really want to do a pork and chili verde filling, with lots of cilantro and queso fresco, they would be amazing! But I have to say this, it takes a bit of time to roll, fill, and bake 60 empanadas. It was a lot of work, so make sure you have the time available before tackling them.

Bean and Cheese Empanadas
from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more
1/2 cup masa harina, fine cornmeal or more all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups cooked and well-seasoned beans
2 cups grated or crumbled queso fresco, Monterey Jack, or coltija cheese
1/2 cup milk

1. Mix the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt together in the food processor and process for about 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup shortening and process for 10 seconds. Then, with the machine running, add about 1/2 cup cold water, just enough for the dough to form a ball. Don't add more water than necessary; the dough should be fairly dry. Knead by hand until smooth, just a minute or so.

2. Divide into 12 pieces, roll into balls, and wrap in plastic or cover with a damp towel and let rest for at elast 20 minutes. (You can refrigerate the dough overnight; be sure to let it come to room temperature before proceeding.) On a well-floured surface, rolle ach piece into a 6-inch circle, adding flour as necessary.

3. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place a couple of tablespoons of the beans in the center of each circle of dough, followed by a sprinkling of cheese, then fold each circle overl seal the seam with a few drops of water and press with the tines of a fork to close. Put on an ungreased baking sheet and brush lightly with milk. Bake until the dough is golden brown and hot, and about 20 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

**The sky is the limit with these empanadas, they will take well to any filling, as long as the filling isn't too wet.

After Careful Thought and Consideration...

2008-02-02T08:49:00.000-06:00

And even though I know everyone voted and agreed that Menu Planning 101 should happen here on Tummy Treasure, I've decided against that. The menu planning posts are getting quite long, and it also seems to me that they would be most effective compiled into one spot. So I've started up Menu Planning 101, a blog specifically for that purpose. I will update it on occasion with the next post, and then announce it here every single time for those interested. Sometimes, maybe I will do a cross-post or an exerpt as well. I just think this is going to be a better way to do it.

So this morning you will find a post about my pantry basics- what do I try to keep on hand at all times? The list actually surprised me a bit when I saw how long it was. You can find it here at Menu Planning 101.

If you're not interested in Menu Planning, perhaps you are searching for something new to add to your Super Bowl menu? Check out this recipe for Buffalo Pierogi, it's fun and tasty, and would be a great alternative for the vegetarians at your party who always gaze longingly at the hot wings. You can really use any pierogi you'd like- frozen or homemade will work just fine.

Buffalo Pierogies

4 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 package frozen Mrs. T's pierogies potato and roasted garlic
blue cheese salad dressing

Preheat oven to 400.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. COmbine hot sauce, oil, and chili powder. Add pierogies and toss to coat. Arrange on baking sheet.

Bake about 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Surprise!

2008-02-01T07:21:00.000-06:00

This whole week has been kind of haphazard when it comes to dinner. Despite my recent focus on menu planning, would you believe I haven't been in the mood for it this week! But I have been determined to spend some time going through my freezers and using some things that have been in there a while. That happened yesterday. I was looking through the herbs in my freezer when I spied a small Gladware bowl that was purple on the inside. Despite the layer of frost on it, I determined that this was some frozen mixed berries, and instantly I thought of how much Zander loves berries. So I pulled them out to thaw, thinking that if they tasted okay, they would make a fantastic topping for some pancakes for an easy dinner.

Then I was in the other freezer, and I saw 10 frozen zipper bags of onions from a very long time ago. I guess those need to be used too- so I pulled one package out and tried to think of what I could do with it for dinner to go with pancakes. It wasn't long before I settled on the idea of making a fritatta to accompany those pancakes. I carmalized the onions low and slow on the stove while beating some eggs, half & half, salt, pepper, and some beautiful Irish Cheddar cheese. By this time, the berries had thawed, and were perfect for topping pancakes. I warmed them up with a little cornstarch to thicken.

The real surprise came at dinner time last night. See, I never make eggs or fritatta for dinner, because for the most part, my kids don't like eggs. Abigail will eat them hard-boiled or scrambled, some of the time. Zander will eat the egg yolks from hard-boiled, but he says he really doesn't like eggs. So I put a very tiny wedge of this fritatta on their plates, thinking they would simply ignore the eggs in favor of the fruity pancakes. I certainly didn't tell them there were onions in the eggs. Abigail went right for them! She took a bite and told me she really likes eggs that taste that good, and then proceeded to eat two pieces of fritatta. Zander followed suit and finished his piece, telling me that he really likes eggs with his favorite white cheese in them. I simply cannot convey here on this blog, with this keyboard, how shocked I was with my children last night! They enjoyed the pancakes and berries as well, but they inhaled those eggs! My egg-haters enjoyed that fritatta and then told me I needed to make that again for dinner sometime.

I guess the lesson learned here is that you just have to keep on trying. Your children may be the pickiest kids on the planet, but you never know when they're going to deside that strange food on their plate is going to look good to them, and they're going to take a bite and enjoy it. And I'm thrilled, because now I can add eggs more often to dinner, and I don't have to worry about my children starving. Here's the fritatta we had- I was tempted to add some bell pepper, but I gotta tell you, less is more here, especially if you have good cheese. Anything on hand will make a fine substitute.

Quick Fritatta

6 eggs
1/4 cup half & half
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1 cup diced onions, carmalized slowly in 1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup shredded Irish cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Beat the eggs and half and half together with a whisk- beating well until creamy and full of bubbles. Beat in seasoning and stir in the onions. Place the shredded cheese in the bottom of the pie plate, and then pour the egg mixture on top of it.

Bake in a 350º oven for about 20 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the edges begin to brown. Serve immediately.

Oh How I Love A Good Curry!

2008-01-31T07:13:00.000-06:00

As soon as it was suggested to me the other day to make a curry with my languishing vegetables, I truly had no choice. I was consumed with the idea of making a vegetable curry, and I spent quite a bit of time looking for the perfect recipe. I couldn't find what I was looking for, believe it or not! With most of the recipes I found, I was missing a vital ingredient or two, and I just didn't want to head out and hunt down random ingredients.

I started with a recipe from the recent Eating Well, but in the end, I treated it more like guidelines and completely changed it up to what I was looking for. It worked very well, and it made a great curry. I served it with basmati rice, plain yogurt, my cranberry chutney, and some homemade pita bread. It ended up being quite spicy, so the kids had something different, but Andy and I thoroughly enjoyed the curry, and it made plenty, so I can eat it for lunch the rest of the week.

My recipe for Vegetable Curry looks very long and daunting- don't be afraid! You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and it will turn out great. Many of the ingredients are also spices, so it's just a matter of measuring and dumping. Overall, it takes about the same amount of time to cook a pot of rice, so while it looks complicated, it really is quick and very delicious.

Vegetable Curry
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 jalapenos, stems removed, coarsely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
1 onion- 1/2 chopped, 1/2 sliced thinly and reserved for later
2 tsps oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups prepared from dried)
1 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash
1 cup fresh green beans, snapped (or 1 cup frozen)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fennel
1/2 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 handfuls baby spinach
To serve:
Basmati rice
plain yogurt or raita
assorted chutneys

In a large pot or dutch oven heat the 1 tsp of oil over medium high heat. Add the raisins and almonds and saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Combine the can of diced tomatoes, jalapenos, and chopped onion in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the 2 teaspoons of oil to the pot. Add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods and bay leaves, and saute for about 1 minute, or until nice and fragrant. Add the thinly sliced onion to the pot, and cook for about 3 minutes- or until onion begins to turn golden, stir very frequently ro prevent burning.

Carefully, add the tomato mixture to the pot, as well as the Garam masala, cinnamon, salt, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, and add the vegetables all at once. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes- or until the vegetables are tender.

Serve with your choice of accompaniments, sprinkling the top with the raisins and almonds.

Menu Planning 101: Part 1

2008-01-30T09:47:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to think of the best plan of attack for menu planning...there are so many avenues that can be gone. But I think what we'll do is just forge straight ahead down one way, one method of doing so, and then we'll come back and try a second method. And maybe a third method or a fourth method, as far as it will take us.

Today we are going to walk through planning a menu for two days. It may not sound like much to begin with. But we're going to connect the two days together through common ingredients, to keep waste at a bare minimum. To me, that has been one of the toughest parts of menu planning. You plan a dinner, and buy the right ingredients, but then you have all this miscellaneous left over, and it goes bad before you can get around to using it.

The first step, is to decide what is going to guide your planning decisions this week. Do you already have something in the fridge that needs to be used up? We should start with that. Are you on a slim budget this week? We should pull from the freezer and pantry then. Maybe you have a craving for a particular cuisine, let that be your starting point then. Another method would be to just begin with one recipe- one that you've been wanting to try, pull it out of your pile and let that be day one and we'll go from there. Or maybe it's -40º outside and you're thinking a hearty soup will be perfect for dinner- then that would be your starting point. That's how it's going to be for me today. Today, It truly is -40º with the wind chills, so I am going to menu plan day one with soup. Specifically, a recipe from Cooking Light for Cheddar Chicken Chowder. Let's look at the ingredient list, shall we?

2 bacon slices
Cooking spray
1 pound skinned and boned chicken breast -- cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves -- minced
4 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 3/4 cups diced peeled red potatoes
2 1/4 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese -- (3 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

First, we write down on Day 1: Cheddar Chicken Chowder, and we always include the source of the recipe in our notation, so we know where to find it when it comes time to actually make it. So my entry will look like this in my notebook:

Day One: Cheddar Chicken Chowder, CL Annual 2002 pg. 340

Next I will make a list underneath that entry of ingredients in the soup that are not always on hand. So in my case, I need to write down Bacon, Chicken breast, red bell pepper, red potatoes, and cheddar cheese. The onion, garlic, chicken broth, corn, salt and pepper I have on hand at almost all times. The other things I don't always have on hand, so they will likely go on my shopping list. So now my notebook entry looks like this:

Day One: Cheddar Chicken Chowder, CL Annual 2002 pg, 340
Bacon
Chicken Breast
Red Bell Pepper
Red Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese

Now we need to find a recipe for our second day. The key to the second day is to find a recipe that may use one or two of the more perishable ingredients on your list. In this case, the perfect recipe will have red bell pepper, cheddar cheese, or red potatoes in it. Bonus pounts if it uses the bacon and chicken breast (which extras of freeze nicely if we don't use them all). I score by looking through my recipes and deciding to make Herb Roasted Mushroom, Chicken and Vegetables. Here's that ingredient list:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-1/2 inch pieces
1 pound fresh white mushrooms, halved (about 6 cups)
1 pound small red potatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
3 medium onions, cut in wedges (about 3 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
6 large garlic cloves, peeled

My next entry is going to be much smaller, and it will be underneath the Cheddar Chicken Chowder.

Day Two: Herb Roasted Mushrooms, Chicken & Vegetables, Mastercook
Mushrooms
Dried Rosemary (check this one)

Everything else in the recipe, I will already have from the Chowder, or will be on hand. I make a note to double check and make sure that I have dried rosemary as well, 3 teaspoons is a lot, and I'm not sure I'll have enough. So let's look at my new list, and then I am ready to make my shopping list, and I also have a few more thoughts about these two days and how they will automatically turn into four!

Day One: Cheddar Chicken Chowder, CL Annual 2002, pg 340
Bacon
Chicken Breast
Red Bell Pepper
Red Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese

Day Two: Herb Roasted Mushrooms, Chicken & Vegetables, Mastercook
Mushrooms
Dried Rosemary (check this one)

My shopping list will look like this:

Bacon
2 pounds of Chicken Breasts
2 Red Bell Peppers (3 if on sale)
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 block of medium cheddar cheese
2 large packages of mushrooms
Dried Rosemary
Flour tortillas
Sour Cream

You'll notice the two additions at the end. I've decided that since I have all these ingredients already in the house, that it will only take some tortillas and sour cream to turn these into quesadillas with some salsa I already have in the pantry. Leftover roasted chicken and vegetables will make wonderful quesadillas, so now I have a third day planned that I hadn't intended to. And finally, that fourth bonus day? The Cheddar Chicken Chowder makes plenty- more than enough for my family to eat out of the pot twice. For us, the trick is to not eat the same thing two days in a row, so my week will end up looking like this:

Day One: Cheddar Chicken Chowder, CL Annual 2002, pg 340
Bacon
Chicken Breast
Red Bell Pepper
Red Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese

Day Two: Herb Roasted Mushrooms, Chicken & Vegetables, Mastercook
Mushrooms
Dried Rosemary (check this one)

Day Three: Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

Day Four: Cheddar Chicken Chowder Repeat

Just like that, we've got four days menu-planned, and we'd only intended to really do two. One of the things that I've found really helpful with menu planning is to think of the leftovers, and most often, how they can be transformed into something completely different. The roasted chicken and veggies will be delicious the first night- the second night I'll want different flavors. So by adding the cheese we already have, the salsa, sour cream and tortillas, we've given it a whole new flavor from south of the border. The chowder is served three days apart, so no one will mind eating it twice- especially if accompanied by homemade bread.

And look at how small our grocery list is too! Part of that comes from having a well-stocked pantry, and that does take some time to get to the well-stocked point. My pantry staples will be a part of a future post here with Menu Planning 101. I have two posts in mind for the week ahead- one will be planning out a whole week at one time. The second post will be devoted to attempting an organization method for recipes. (Of course, on second thought, maybe that will take more than one post.) As a reminder, Menu Planning 101 will take place on Wednesdays and Saturday's for now.

So What Did I Make?

2008-01-29T07:14:00.000-06:00

I went back and forth on this all day...sort of. I just wasn't in the mood to think about it, really. And as dinner would draw closer, I would tell myself to think of something for dinner, and then I wouldn't. So dinner was inspired by leftovers anyway, because I waited until the last minute.

I went with Josie's first idea- and made a fried rice. And let me just say right here and now, that fried rice is not a specialty of mine. I've never had it turn out well, and Andy can attest that when I say I'm making fried rice, he's secretly dreading whatever comes out of that pot. I've just never done it right, I guess. So I chopped a shallot, red bell pepper, a piece of the fennel, a carrot, some squash, and my sugar snap peas and got them nice and soft in my wok. Then I added the nicely cold rice and fried for awhile before adding some soy sauce and seasoning, followed by an egg that I'd scrambled up earlier. And actually, it turned out quite well! The kids still didn't want to eat it, but at least it tasted good to Andy and I. My kids just don't like rice, I guess. Now I'm really thinking about the curry suggestion from Lia...I still have plenty leftover from my photo, and still have a ton of rice, so that may be tonight's dinner.

The leftovers that inspired dinner were actually some Filipino Spring Rolls leftover from Sunday Company Dinner. Aunt Lita's Lumpia are one of my favorite things to make for friends and company because they are so good, and they are truly crowd pleasing. And every single time I find myself rolling them up and deep frying them, I can't help but think of my Aunt Lita and my cousins. Growing up we spent many a summer weekend in their backyard, playing and exploring, and feasting on mountains of Aunt Lita's delightful Lumpia.

This time, for the first time ever, I changed up the recipe a touch. I left out the onion called for, due to an allergy, and instead I added half a bulb of fennel, and about 2 cups of haricot verts-or green beans. I chopped up the fennel and the beans finely in my food processor so they blended right in with the ground carrots, celery, and ground beef. The extra vegetables were a great addition, as usual, no one thing stuck out, other than the ground beef. For the most part, all the children at the table enjoyed them as well- so they are most definitely kid friendly. These are much easier to make than it seems- you simply grind vegetables, mix with beef, seasoning, and eggs, and then roll into spring roll wrappers. While they could be baked, you're really going to get the best flavor if you brave the deep-fat fryer-and it's so, so worth it! Definitely feel free to play with the combination of vegetables- just try and keep the same proportions going.

Aunt Lita's Lumpia
2 pounds ground beef
4 stalks celery
3 medium carrots
1 onion
4 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers

Grind celery, carrots, and onion in a food processor, or chop finely. Mix with the hamburger, 3 beaten eggs, and seasonings.

Beat remaining egg and put on a shallow plate

Place egg roll wrapper on table and put meat mixture in a long narrow row. Roll up, sealing with the egg.

Heat oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to 400º. Fry until golden brown

Let's Play A Game Shall We?

2008-01-28T12:38:00.000-06:00

These are the things languishing in my fridge. In the photo below, I have 2 handfuls baby spinach, about 2 cups cubed butternut squash, 2 red bell peppers, half a bulb of fennel, 2 jalapenos, 1 pound of haricot verts, and about 2 cups of sugar snap peas.

Not pictured, I have about 12 cups of cooked basmati rice that I need to find a use for. My pantry and fridge are fairly well stocked with the staples, and I have many odds-n-ends as well, but these are the things that are on the verge of expiring. Any ideas? I have a few, but nothing really exciting.

A Really Delicious Cake

2008-01-28T07:16:00.000-06:00

Zander requested both cupcakes and cake for his birthday this year, chocolate of course. I debated making a small layer cake to decorate for him, and then having the cupcakes on the side, but then I saw an instance where someone had used fondant to cover a layer of cupcakes, and then decorated like a regular cake. I thought it was brilliant, but I've never worked with fondant myself, and I also don't care to eat it, so I thought I'd play with making my own "cupcake cake".

I baked and cooled the cupcakes, and then I placed them on a platter and snugged them up to each other as much as I possibly could. I decided to do two layers of frosting so the first one would be thicker and serve as a base for decorating the rest. So my first batch of frosting was a little thicker than normal. Usually, my frosting is butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk, mixed together to a consistency I like. In this case, I used less milk so it was a really thick frosting, and I smeared that first layer on the cupcakes. There were spots where the cupcakes weren't quite touching that there just was a really thick gob of frosting- but it worked perfectly. After my first frosting had set up a bit, I mixed up a second batch, tinted it into green and blue, and then a tiny bit had cocoa added to it for the train track, and I went to town.

I simply used an offset spatula to spread the colored frosting around, and then grabbed a piping bag to do the train track. The horses, rocks, fence and train are not edible- they were just toys that I'd washed, but they served their purpose perfectly. The cupcake cake was a huge hit- and it was effortless to pull the cupcakes apart for eating. I did end up cutting off some of the thicker portions of frosting with a knife, but for the most part, I was thrilled with the cupcake cake.

I used this recipe for Devil's Food cake from King Arthur Flour. I did sub in some margarine for the butter, and rice milk for the liquid, as we were having company that has an allergy to dairy. It was my first time baking with the rice milk and it worked beautifully. I did the same for the frosting, and you'd never know- they were incredibly moist and delicious cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2008-01-27T08:35:00.001-06:00

May four years old be wonderful for you!

Menu Planning 101: An Intro

2008-01-26T08:35:00.001-06:00

Why Menu Planning? Well, I'll tell you, it has really been an asset to me, and I really think that anyone can benefit from even the smallest bit of menu planning. Planning out what you're going to eat during any given period of time is a benefit in so many ways. First of all, it's a money saver- you're not heading to the store every day of the week and buying much more than what you need. Secondly, it's far healthier for you. How many times do we look in the fridge, decide we don't feel like cooking, and either order in or head out for dinner. I'm not against dining out, but it's a quick way to drain a budget doing it over and over, and it's also almost a less healthier version than what you can make at home.

I am far from perfect at it, and there are still nights where I decide I don't want what I have planned for that night, but then I also know what else I have on hand, and I can decide accordingly. What I am going to try and do with this blog series is present menu-planning in a not-so scary light. Sometimes, it can be really overwhelming. I remember when I really first started doing it, being daunted by the empty calendar in front of me. And then further on, being daunted by the sheer volume of groceries and ingredients. I promise, I can help make it much easier. I've also decided to do this for now on this blog. However, if it takes off, and I end up with a volume of posts and eventually the interaction I'm thinking of, then I'll move it all over to a new blog specifically designed for it. Right now, though, it's a bit of an experiment.

So...the very first step in menu planning is to decide how long you would like to plan for at a time. This is a decision for what fits you best. For someone brand new to menu planning, perhaps starting small with just one or two days would be progress. Maybe you'd like to plan according to a pay day, resulting in planning for one week or maybe two. I know some people who get paid monthly and plan ahead for an entire month at a time. Personally, I range between one week and ten days. I plan for a week at a time according to when Andy gets paid, so for me, I plan for Friday through Thursday. And then, because life happens, and I never really know if I'll get to do my shopping when I want to, I often like to plan a cushion of an extra three days. But for this purpose, for Menu Planning 101, I'll stick with planning for a week to make it easier. Whatever you decide, make absolute certain it's manageable for you at this point. I would hate for someone to get overly ambitious and then give up before even getting started.

I should also mention, that when I do my menu planning, I don't do a full day at a time. We always have an assortment of breakfast foods and lunch foods on hand, plus leftovers for lunch on occasion, so also for Menu Planning 101, we'll be planning the dinner menu only- with occasional suggestions for leftover lunch or breakfast uses. You will also find that I'll be adding the Menu Planning 101 label to my postings. This way you'll have a handy way to reference all the wonderful tips we're going to explore together.

I think we'll do Menu Planning 101 twice a week for now- on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We'll do it one step at a time, and take our time as well. My goal is that by the end of this series, anyone will be able to go through the series step by step and learn how to menu plan. And as always, comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome.

So step one is actually a two-piece step. First, you need to choose your time frame for planning. And second, you need to choose your format for planning. I like to use a notebook myself, but maybe you'd prefer an electronic means. What I like about the notebook is that I can use the same notebook week after week and then look back at past weeks when I need inspiration. You could also use a calendar and write on each day if you prefer, or maybe a white board hung on your fridge or in the kitchen somewhere. You could use a day planner, or your blackberry, Microsoft Word, or maybe even start your own menu-planning blog. If you already blog- that would make an excellent weekly post. Maybe you could share your preferred format here in the comment section.

Be sure to come back next time with a manageable time frame in mind, as well as your preferred format. And then we'll start tackling the menu planning process.

I Love My Son

2008-01-25T11:09:00.000-06:00

So this morning we made a quick dash to Sam's Club to pick up a few odds-n-ends for Zander's birthday celebration this weekend. Our number one goal was to find some nice kiwi for his birthday fruit salad, and while I was putting that in the cart, he spied something from a ways away, and told me we should get that too for a snack. What was it?

Green Beans. :-)

And then just a few seconds later, after the beans were in the cart, he pointed yet again, and told me just how much he loved those beans with the peas inside.

So we also picked up a bag of Sugar Snap Peas.

And now he is home and happily munching on a bowl of raw beans and snap peas. I must be doing something right. :-) And I can't believe he's turning four this weekend...

An Excellent Fish Dish!

2008-01-25T07:22:00.000-06:00

Last night's dinner was the second success out of the latest issue of Eating Well. So many recipes caught my eye this time, and I'm thrilled that many of them use pantry staples to get dinner on the table! Last night's was another one of those. The only thing I needed to pick up was the fish, as I had everything else on hand already. And while I switched out the fish for a different white fish, the Baked Cod with Chorizo and Beans was a great treatment for fish.

I used the kielbasa called for in the recipe instead of the chorizo, because the only chorizo I have on hand is Mexican, and that one is not smoked. I knew I wanted a smokey flavor, so I opted for the kielbasa instead. The "sauce" came together very quickly, as shallots, sausage and thyme were sauteed together, and then halved grape tomatoes and white beans were added with broth to finish the sauce. I'm just not a fan of wine in my cooking, so I used chicken broth instead of the white wine. I prefer to drink my wine- I don't care for it much in my food. I put the fish fillets in a baking dish, added the bean mixture, and then it baked for a few minutes. Quick, easy, and very tasty!

In fact, I am thinking that the bean sauce in general was delightful with just a touch of smokey sausage in it. I could see it used in many other applications- or even by itself as a side dish. Honestly, I think it would also be very nice with shrimp instead of the fish, and Andy and I are thinking that this would be an excellent candidate for packet cooking as well. We'll be playing with that, as we're always looking for a camping alternative.

Sorry, I didn't snap a picture. I had someplace to be after dinner last night, so it was kind of a dine-n-dash night, and I just didn't think of the camera. You can check out the recipe at the Eating Well website for a great picture if you feel so inclined. Be sure and come on back tomorrow for the first edition of Menu Planning 101.

Baked Cod with Chorizo and White Beans

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 ounces Spanish chorizo or turkey kielbasa, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided (I used chicken stock)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds Pacific cod, cut into 4 pieces
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot, chorizo (or kielbasa) and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and the wine is almost evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt and remove from the heat.

3. Sprinkle fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; place in the prepared baking dish. Top each piece of fish with equal amounts of the tomato mixture (about 1/2 cup per fillet). Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the pan and cover the pan with foil. Bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top.

Soup of The Week: Can't Win 'Em All

2008-01-24T07:25:00.001-06:00

This week's soup was another one that I've had on my radar for forever. See, I use the computer program Mastercook to organize a lot of my recipes. I put a lot of them into the program, but mostly I use it to import recipes I see online that pique my interest. And then, of course, I tend to forget about them. Not so with my new soup revolution, slowly we're making our way through the pile, and this week's was something a little different for us.

Autumn Harvest Red Lentil Soup caught my eye initially because of the red lentils. I've never cooked with them, but I've wanted to. The combination of vegetables also intrigued me, and I couldn't recollect having a similar soup before. I picked up the red lentils on a recent shopping trip, and since I had everything else on hand, this was the soup of the week. As I started putting the soup together, I was faced with a few minor decisions, and also a wonderful aroma from the stove.

My first decision came with the second ingredient, 5 1/2 cups of water. Water? I wanted this soup to be full of flavor, and while I'm sure the creator knew what she was doing, I have a beautiful veggie stock in the freezer, and I decided to use that instead. I ended up using 4 cups of veggie stock and 2 cups of water, since the stock was a little concentrated. The soup began with cooking the lentils in water-or in my case, the stock. Oh how disappointed I was to check on the lentils later only to discover they'd lost their beautiful red color! Meanwhile, a second pot had been readied for simmering the vegetables to soften. When I added the cumin and coriander, a fabulous scent wafted up and totally permeated the entire house. I thought briefly of using whole seeds and toasting them, but then decided to just use the ground spices. In retrospect, I really wonder how that toasting would enhance the flavor of the soup.

The lentils were then pureed with my immersion blender. As I continued adding vegetables to the simmering pot, I found that I did not have the parsnip called for. So instead I added an extra carrot, and then, when digging for that carrot, I found a few lonely radishes, and decided they would match that turnip texture wise, and flavor wise since they were on the sweet side. So those went in as well. Once the vegetables were softened, I added them to the pureed lentils and gave them a few minutes to combine flavors. A little seasoning went in, as well as a splash of lemon juice and a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves.

The soup was lovely, the color was fantastic, and I thought it tasted great- like no soup we'd had before, and I loved that. I portioned out about half of the soup to send to my parents for dinner- they'd been travelling home in less that stellar conditions, and thought they'd appreciate a pot of warm soup when they arrived home. (They certainly did.) I was excited for dinner that night, and as my family gazed into their bowls, I knew this was going to tank. The kids took a bite or two, and then spent the rest of the meal dunking crackers in and nibbling on their muffins. Andy didn't finish his bowl either- he thought the soup was much too sweet for his tastes. And it was sweet- that butternut squash I'd used was so sweet! But I loved the soup! Sadly, I will probably not be making it again, unless Andy goes out of town sometime and I have a hankering.

One note on the ingredients. Don't skimp on the coriander. Leave things in and out according to your tastes, but the coriander really was the essential ingredient. It added a floral-citrusy note that even the lemon juice could not match. In fact, my parents called later on to ask what the dominant spice was, because it really made the soup what it was.

Autumn Harvest Red Lentil Soup
Recipe By The Healthy Hedonist, Myra Kornfeld

1 cup red lentils -- sorted and rinsed
5 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions -- cut into small dice (2 cups)
4 garlic cloves -- minced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger -- minced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 pound butternut squash -- cut into 1/2-inch dice (2 cups)
1 parsnip -- cut into 1/2-inch dice (1/2 cup)
2 carrots -- cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound spinach -- stemmed, washed, and torn into bite-size pieces or one 5-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed
Cayenne pepper

Combine the lentils, 4 cups of the water, the bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

Discard the bay leaf, and purée the lentils with an immersion blender or in a standing blender. (If you want a little texture, you can simply whisk the lentils until creamy.) Set the lentils aside.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, and coriander, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the squash, parsnips, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Stir the lemon juice and spinach into the lentils. The heat will immediately wilt the spinach. Add the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Season with a generous pinch of cayenne. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Quick Muffins

2008-01-23T07:23:00.000-06:00

After the success of that Olive Oil Salt bread, I flipped a page or two and came upon a few recipes for muffins as well. I am a sucker for a good muffin. I hope no one's going to get sick of the recipes from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, but by golly, these are great so far! And if I turn a few more pages, there are a few Indian flat breads too! They need to be eaten freshly made, but still!

Anyway, back to the muffins. What struck me right away was that these muffins used oil, and not much of it. It did say in the recipe that you could use melted butter, but I wanted to use a heart healthy oil, so I went with olive oil. The first muffins I made I added a chopped banana too, and then sprinkled the top with cinnamon sugar before baking. Yesterday was another batch with chopped cranberries and some grated orange zest. (Those needed a pinch of nutmeg- I must make a note of that.) You literally can mix anything you want into these muffins and they come out delicious and lightly sweet. You can sweeten them more if you'd like with some extra sugar, but they're very nice, just the way they are. The only problem with them, if you consider it a problem, is that they don't puff up and crown beautifully. They're rustic looking, but terribly delicious and addictive. They are best fresh, but a quick pop in a warm oven will refresh them for a short while. I won't post the many variations here that Bittman gives, just use your imagination and add it to the batter.

Muffins, Infinite Ways
from HTCEV by Mark Bittman

3 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil, plus a little fat for the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk, plus more if needed

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with muffin cups.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Beat together the egg, milk and melted butter or oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, combine the ingredients swiftly, stirring and folding rather than beating and stopping as soon as all the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter should be lumpy, not smooth, and thick, but quite moist; add a little more milk or other liquid if necessary.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full and handling the batter as little as possible. (If you prefer bigger muffins, fill the cups almost to the top. Pour 1/4 cup water into those cups left empty.) Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the muffins are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tin. Serve warm.

Olive Oil Bread?

2008-01-22T07:18:00.000-06:00

But first, yesterday I briefly mentioned my latest brain-child. I've had soooo many people ask me lately about menu planning, or tell me how they've been doing with it. It's taken me a long time to get it down to where I can do it well, and I thought it would be a very worthwhile thing to share. What I can't decide is where I want to do it. This is where you come in- there is a poll up on the sidebar today asking if you have a preference. Should I focus several of my posts here at Tummy Treasure on menu planning? Maybe do a series one or two days a week? It would take place of some of the actual recipes though most likely. Or, do I set up a completely new blog that would be focused solely on menu planning. How to do it, tips on tweaking it just so, suggestions for recipes to use up leftover bits, and actual menu plans are some of the things I plan to cover. Let me know what you think. I'm also thinking about making it completely interactive and allowing whomever wants to, the ability post their attempts at menu planning. Please let me know your preference, this could be a bit of work, and I want to make sure it's going to be worth my time.

On to the recipe today! This is one that I think I would have seen 100 times in a cookbook and never made myself if it hadn't come so highly recommended. It also happens to be the first recipe I actually cooked out of my new book, "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman. Thanks to a duplicate Christmas gift, I had a gift card to use at the bookstore and brought this puppy home last week. It is quite the book! It was not written to convince people to eat a vegetarian diet, but it was written to give everyone more vegetarian options. Many of the recipes are also vegan, or at least suggest a vegan alternative. It's a wonderful addition to my cookbook library and I expect it will get a lot of use.

This Olive Oil Salt Bread is the perfect addition to a meal where you want a bread or a biscuit with it. Soup or stew is a perfect accompaniment. Very few ingredients, very little work, the result is a rustic loaf of bread that is reminiscent of a biscuit in texture, but almost tastes like a soft pretzel. You can bake it in the oven, which is what I did, or you can also griddle it on the stovetop. And while we had it plain with some butter and preserves, this bread is screaming for some mix-ins. Whether it be herbs and spices, cheese, caramelized onions, raisins, whatever, it's the perfect base to mix a few things in and truly make it special. I happen to be dreaming about a cheddar-apple-bacon combo myself. Try it- you gotta see it and taste it to believe it.

Olive Oil Salt Bread
from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, preferably coarse or sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and 8-inch skillet or square baking pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor and turn the machine on. Pour through the feed tube first the 1/3 cup of olive oil, then most of 1 cup of warm water. Process for about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be a well-defined, barely sticky, easy to handle ball. If it is too dry, add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 to 10 seconds after each addition. If it is too wet, which is unlikely, add a tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly.

Put the dough into the prepared pan and press until it fits to the edges. Flip it over and press again. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes; then remove the foil, sprinkle the top with a little coarse salt, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and springs back a bit when touched gently. Cool in the pan a bit, then cut into wedges or squares and serve.

Griddled Variation: Instead of preheating the oven, heat a griddle or set a heavy pan over medium heat. Have the extra olive oil handy for greasing. In step 2, divide the dough into 8 to 12 pieces and pat them into patties between your hands until they're about 1/2 inch thick. When the griddle or pan is hot, use enough olive oil to film the bottom and put in as many breads as will fit comfortably without crowding (you will probably have to work in batches). Cook, undisturbed, until they begin to brown around the edges and the tops bubble a bit, about 5 minutes. Then turn and cook the other side until crisp and golden.

Serves 4 to 6

Coming Soon!

2008-01-21T13:10:00.000-06:00

Menu Planning 101. Watch for it...

Are You Sick of Squash Yet?

2008-01-21T07:23:00.000-06:00

Apparently I'm on a bit of a squash kick. Whether it's pumpkin or squash, I've really been enjoying discovering them over the last month or so. I've discovered versatility that I didn't know was there before- or rather, versatility that I was afraid to try. So when I saw a recipe in the latest issue of Eating Well magazine, it called to me, and I knew I had to make it.

Squash Topped Cottage Pies looked really simple to put together. Essentially, a shepherd's pie, except it was topped with smashed squash instead of potatoes, and I guess technically, shepherd's pie must be made with lamb, while cottage pie is made with beef. This was cottage pie, and I just wasn't sure it was going to work out, I had my doubts, but I plugged ahead anyways.

I started with my squash. The recipe called for frozen squash, but I had fresh, so I needed to prepare it. I peeled and cut my butternut squash into cubes and put in a pan with water, and simply boiled until tender, then drained and mashed, and set it aside.

Next, came the beef mixture. I drifted a bit from the directions for this one. First of all, it called for garlic powder, and I opted to use a clove of fresh garlic instead. And secondly, I had these gorgeous red bell peppers in the fridge, I decided to add about 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper as well. I sweated the onions a bit, then added the garlic and bell pepper, and then added the beef to brown. Once all browned, I added the flour and tomato paste, followed by the beef broth and some seasonings. After it thickened, I added several good handfuls of chopped baby spinach and salt and pepper. I didn't use as much spinach as called for, because Abigail doesn't like spinach cooked-loves it raw in a salad, but I wonder if it's a texture thing for her cooked.

Anyway, next I went to get my ramekins out, and only then did I remember that I'd broken one a while back, so I only had three instead of four, and then sine I also figured the kids wouldn't eat that much, I decided to make one big cottage pie instead of several little ones. I cooked it a little longer than called for then, but overall, it was still a fairly quick dish to put together. Had I started with frozen or already-cooked squash, it would have been much faster. Since I had plenty of time, I certainly didn't mind.

Overall, I loved these. I thought the beef mixture was nicely flavored- but not overwhelming, and it really played off the sweetness of the squash nicely. I would most definitely add the bell pepper and the garlic again just the way I did. I should mention though that Andy was ambivalent about the squash as the topping. He didn't think it added to it, but he also didn't think it took away from it. He really liked the beef filling though, but to him, he ate the squash portion because it was there. Zander liked the beef filling, but was careful to remove any traces of other vegetables. Abigail was freaked out by the spinach and basically didn't care for it. I thought it was a great way to use squash, and so much healthier than other versions of cottage pie. I can't quite figure out a good way to make this vegetarian, but I suppose if you like TVP or soy crumbles you could substitute accordingly.

Squash-Topped Cottage Pies
from Eating Well magazine

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
6 ounces baby spinach, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
2 12-ounce packages frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in beef, tomato paste and flour, and cook, stirring, until the beef is mostly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth is the consistency of thick gravy, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

3. Place squash in a fine-mesh sieve and gently press on it to extract excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Divide the meat mixture among four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the squash. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until it is just melted, about 3 minutes more.

Grocery Budget Tools: The Price Book

2008-01-19T09:12:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd share more on the grocery budget this week for my Weekend Extra posting. I received a very nice e-mail after my last budget post, sharing a tool that I thought was definitely worth mentioning. I also found that people seem to appreciate any tips on saving a few dollars, so I'll be continuing with my occasional frugal postings.

So, the Price Book. I've read about this many times on different sites about trying to save money, and I've read about it in other books as well. I had been thinking that I never did a price book myself, only as it turns out, I sort of do a reverse price book. Here is how a price book works.

Essentially, you begin with a notebook, or a spreadsheet and a computer if you prefer. On the far left side of a page, you list the grocery items you buy the most (including the correct size, and brand preferred) and then you list in columns, the price of that item at different grocery stores. Here's an example:

Item Mike's Grocery Food Emporium Lilly's Organics

Stewed tomatoes-28 oz $1.09 .89 $1.79
2 pounds carrots $2.29 $2.49 $3.49
1 pound ground beef $2.29 $1.99 $2.99

The idea is then that when it's time for you to do your grocery shopping, you can make your list, dividing it up by store. Obviously, this only works if you live somewhere with grocery shopping options. You also use the sales flyers at this time as well. You can look and see who has the best sales on something, and also, you can check your price book and see if it's a better price than a regular price somewhere else. The person who originally e-mailed me about price books told me that she saved between 30-50% on her groceries by using a price book. That's incredible savings, and right there tells me it's worth trying out!

Obviously, with gas prices being what they are, using a price book is a great way to see if the great deals on the other side of town are worth the gas usage to get there. Lilly's Organics above is an excellent example of this. One or two items on sale certainly wouldn't be worth a 10 minute drive out of the way. But say they're having a super sale, plus you have a few coupons to use as well, you may very well save more money buying more of your groceries there that week. This would also be a great way to take advantage of store savings cards. Several stores around me have member cards where you get an extra discount on some items- occasionally I'll save a lot of money shopping via club cards.

So what did I mean when I say I do a Price Book in reverse? Well, after several trials at different stores, I found the store where I could do my weekly shopping in one store for the least amount of money. So for a long time, when I came home from grocery shopping, I would sit with the receipt and put all the prices into a program I have on my computer for recipe and meal planning. (Mastercook for anyone interested.) I found this was the best way that I could pre-plan a shopping trip and try to keep within my budget. Then, as each week came along, and sales flyers were around, I could check other stores and see if they had a better price on anything, and occasionally I would find it worth a trip to go to a different store to purchase the sale items that week. I've been doing this for so long, that so many things I can just tell you the price. I can look at, say, Wal-Mart at the canned tomatoes and know that the price there is easily 20 cents more than where I shop. It really helps me save money. Of course, this also means that I've definitely noticed that over the last six months literally everything has increased in price. And some things, like cereal boxes, are going up in price, while coming down in size.

I think I need to do a real price book for myself. The spreadsheet is appealing to me because I love to use my computer to organize things like that. But at the same time, I'm a paper person. I love writing in a notebook, and I easily have a dozen different notebooks floating around holding old shopping lists, menu plans, recipes, and random notes and bits. So I think that I would like to do one in a notebook. This way, my list is also portable. I can physically take it with me when I grocery shop, so when something unexpected is on sale, I can check my book and see if it truly is a good deal. I'll have to try giving this a whirl. Maybe in a few months I'll post an update and see how we do. Anyone else have thoughts on a price book? I'd love to hear it!

Cooking For Pleasure

2008-01-18T07:23:00.000-06:00

I get asked quite often why I cook and how I became interested in cooking. I could say that for us cooking is a necessity- there's no way we could afford to eat out all the time or get convenience food. I could also say that I simply enjoy cooking, it's a hobby, and I enjoy doing it. But ultimately to me, cooking is all about the pleasure it brings to other people. Seeing others be nourished by what I have prepared is the ultimate reason for me to cook, whether that be family, or a guest in our home.

Food and eating is a vital part of life. We must eat, or we literally will shrivel up and die. Yet we are not cattle. We do not belly up to the trough and eat with no thought to what goes in our mouths. We eat because we enjoy eating, eating is full sensual experience. We see, touch, smell, taste, and sometimes hear what we eat as well. There are few things in life more satisfying than putting something truly delicious into our mouths. Yet because food is vital, so often we find ourselves eating just because we need to. We call meat and eggs by it's food group- protein. Doesn't that sound tasty? Here, have a plate of protein for lunch. We lose something when we view food as an energy source and fuel. Instead, I choose to view food as a pleasure.

I cook to bring pleasure to those around me. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing my family at the dinner table enjoying what I've prepared for them. Sometimes it's a simple bowl of soup or stew, sometimes it's an elaborate creation, but it's always something I think they'll enjoy. And I extend this. Anytime I cook, anytime someone is coming to my house to eat, or I take a dish somewhere else, I cook for those people as if I were cooking for myself. Nothing makes me happier than having company and feeding them well while they are with us. I try very hard to keep in mind people's dislikes and likes when they eat with us. We have a group of friends that we get together with regularly, and I do my best every time we get together to adjust for their tastes. Someone doesn't like broccoli? I seldom cook with it when they're here, and if I do, I make an alternative that doesn't have the broccoli. Someone has troubles eating mango? That's okay, I can use something else instead. If someone is following a diet, I do my best, although everything may not be a wise choice for them, I do put some effort into meeting the needs of the dieter.

Recently, I encountered a new one for me with food allergies. I've had people over who are picky eaters or exclaim their dislike for this or that, but the food allergies was a new one for me. It was a scary thought- that one bite of food with this item in it could literally kill this person. This wasn't an intolerance, or something that could cause discomfort- this was something absolutely vital. I took on this challenge with relish! I found it very easy to cook without the offending ingredients. I had to take the extra effort to read all the labels of everything I used, and I made sure that I used fresh cutting boards that hadn't had the offensive ingredients on them recently. And let me tell you, I never enjoyed cooking more. It really and truly gave me great pleasure to know that the bread I was kneading with my hands would be enjoyed by everyone- including the allergy sufferer.

Let's think for a minute on the opposite. Imagine a new friend coming to your home for dinner. You work very hard at making a nice dinner- let's say a multi layered lasagna, a spinach salad with homemade croutons and some gorgeous crusty bread on the side. You've chosen a few wines to accompany, and made a decadent chocolate layer cake for dessert. Then your guest arrives, and upon seeing your feast laid before them, they become apologetic and explain that they have an allergy to wheat. They can't eat a thing on the table. First, they're embarrassed, because they can't eat the wonderful food you've prepared. Secondly, you're horribly embarrassed, because there isn't a thing they can eat, and the evening ends with mortification on both sides.

When we invite someone into our home for a meal, I am going to make certain that the meal I make is number one, something the guest can eat. And two, something they enjoy eating. If someone coming to my home eats a vegan diet, I am going to try my hardest to make sure that the food I'm preparing meets their needs, while being something that everyone can enjoy. There's no hard and fast rule that we need to have meat and dairy at every meal. If a guest in our home doesn't eat them, I can make the main course something they can eat, and perhaps I'll roast a chicken on the side for the meat eaters. Nothing will bring me greater pleasure than seeing a guest in our home truly enjoying what I have made for them. To me this tells our guest that they are welcome in our home, and it also tells them that we care. And often times, there will be the wonderful side effect of finding something new that we enjoy as well!

I guess my point is that to me, there is no point in cooking if it's not going to be enjoyed by whomever I'm cooking for. Think about a football player. When they are getting ready for the big game, they bring their best game to the field. There's no point in them showing up if they aren't going to play their best. When I cook, I always bring my best game to the kitchen. As I cook, I imagine the pleasure my family is going to get from what I'm making, and that can really complete the whole experience. Say I'm browning some beef for a stew, as it's sizzling away noisily and giving off this incredible aroma, I can think of those who will eat it and take the experience of cooking to a whole new level. Cooking is for pleasure. And yes, anyone can do it, but it takes time and practice to take it to that next level. It's definitely worth reaching for.

Soup of The Week Times Two

2008-01-17T07:24:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday for Sunday Company Dinner we had a soup night. It was really fun to do, each person brought a pot of soup, and I made some homemade bread to accompany. I, of course, had to make two pots of soup because I like to overdo it. Overall though we ended up with five pots of very different soup. We had a ham and bean soup, a beer-cheese soup, tomato and white bean, cheeseburger, and a chicken and rice with apples in it. Each one was very good, and I made sure I sampled each and every one, as I am always looking for a new variation on soup.

I went back and forth on what I was going to make. I knew I was going to make a tomato soup of some kind. One of our guests has food allergies, so number one I needed to make something they could eat, and the tomato fit the bill perfectly. Then I also needed a soup that I thought the kids would go for, so I decided on a cheeseburger soup.

For the tomato soup I ended up choosing a Cooking Light recipe for Tomato a nd White Bean soup, and found a surprising new favorite for the kids. They actually chose the tomato soup over the cheeseburger, so that's definitely going in the tried and true files. It is a very nice, clean tomato soup. It also reheated wonderfully and we enjoyed it just as much last night with some quesadillas on the side.

For the cheeseburger soup, I normally just throw things into the pot I'm afraid. I do have one version in the Recipe Trove that I make when I have leftover Cheddar Meat Loaves. I really like that one, but was missing many of the ingredients. So I went searching through my Mastercook cookbooks and found one that I'd pasted in some time ago. I had all the ingredients, and it looked easy enough to double- which I needed to do. As it turns out, this recipe was from fellow blogger Sweetnicks, and boy, does she make a mean cheeseburger soup! It was excellent, creamy and cheesy and full of flavor. This was a huge hit and is also going into the files as Another Cheeseburger Soup. Definitely a repeater here, this soup was perfect with a chunk of nice crusty bread to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Yum!

I'll post both soups below, because they are both just so good! On tap for tomorrow is a post I've been thinking of doing for some time. It's a post from the heart about the pleasures of cooking, and why I do it, so come back for that, and maybe another recipe or two.

Another Cheeseburger Soup
recipe shared by Sweetnicks

1/2 lb browned ground beef
4 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup shredded carrots
8 oz Velveeta
3/4 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream

Saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 T butter for about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and hamburger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt about 3 T butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, for about 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup. Bring to boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Tomato And White Bean Soup
from Cooking Light Magazine, October, 1997

Serving Size : 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves -- crushed
2 cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes -- (14.5-ounce) undrained and chopped
2 cans white beans -- (16-ounce) drained
1 can fat-free chicken broth -- (14 1/2-ounce)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and next 5 ingredients (tomatoes through pepper), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

Apparently It's Mark Bittman Week Here

2008-01-16T07:08:00.000-06:00

Without intending to, I made two Mark Bittman recipes this week, where previously, I don't know that I'd really made any before. Both recipes were extremely simple to put together and took very little effort on my part. Yesterday I shared the squash pancakes, but a few days ago I found a forgotten package of short ribs in the freezer. Short ribs! It was not quite 1 1/2 pounds, so it was something that needed to be slow cooked and combined with something else. There certainly wasn't enough short rib to just cook and nibble on. After looking through several recipes, I settled on one that I had in my Mastercook program. I assumed I found it while perusing the CLBB ages ago, and since it used all on-hand ingredients, I was game to give it a whirl.

It could not have come together easier. First I browned the short ribs in a bit of oil, then I added canned tomatoes, cinnamon, clove, salt and pepper, and that was it. I turned the pot on to simmer and walked away. I came back to stir every once in a while, but that was it. It took about 4 hours for my short ribs to tenderize and fall off the bones. Then I removed the bones and just like that I had a short rib pasta sauce. I tossed it with some pasta, and that was that. That sauce was so flavorful! Short ribs are packed with beefy flavor, and the cinnamon and clove really gave the sauce a wonderful depth and flavor. The kids didn't care too much for the shreds of beef, but the gobbled up the pasta anyways.

According to Andy, this is a sauce that should be made ahead of time. He finished off the leftovers for lunch and said that the flavors really came together after an overnight or two in the fridge. So if you do make this and have the time, make it and pop it in the fridge overnight. Not only will the flavors marry and tenderize further, but you'll be able to scrape a good layer of beef fat off the top of the beef- always a bonus. Mark Bittman's Pasta Sauce with Beef Ribs and Cinnamon was excellent! It's a fantastic way to use short ribs, and as long as you have the time to really let it simmer until tender, it's practically foolproof. Tomorrow I'll be sharing two soups for soup of the week- so be sure to come back for those!

Pasta Sauce with Beef Ribs and Cinnamon
Recipe By :Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds meaty short ribs of beef
salt and pepper -- to taste
2 cans whole plum tomatoes -- undrained
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or casserole over medium-high heat; a minute later, brown the meat on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon and cloves, reduce heat to low, and cover, with the lid slightly ajar.

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 1/2 hours, until the meat falls off the bone; if the sauce begins to get too thick, add a little water and continue to cook.

When the meat is tender and fallen from the bone, remove the bones from the sauce and break the meat up with a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.

A New Leftover Re-Invention

2008-01-15T06:41:00.000-06:00

After last weeks wonderful black bean and pumpkin enchiladas, I had a lone cup of pumpkin puree sitting in the fridge waiting to be used. Part of me wanted to make muffins with it, but part of me was holding out for something more unique- and maybe savory.

Well, I did end up with something different, but not in the savory sense. While visiting with the fine folks at the CLBB the other day, I saw a thread about squash pancakes. Squash pancakes? I love pancakes... but squash? I was intrigued, clicked, and found my lunch.

Full credit for the recipe goes to the minimalist himself, Mark Bittman, and I believe that this recipe comes from his latest tome, How To Cook Everything Vegetarian (which I really have to purchase sometime!) If you're familiar at all with Bittman recipes, they offer a basic idea, and then several variations. This one was in that fashion, so the recipe ends up being what you make of it. Here are the notes from the CLBB.

The formula is simple.

Combine:

1 cup vegetable puree
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
a sprinkle of salt

Beat in 1 egg, then add liquid of choice to get a proper consistency. I used low fat milk, but other suggestions are ricotta and sour cream.

For other quantities, just add the same quantities of everything. Got 2 cups? Add 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 2 eggs, etc.

Cook the usual way.

I also added 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to my batter. At the very last minute, I diced up half a pear and threw that in as well. I cooked these up just like regular pancakes- waiting for the tell-tale bubbles before flipping, and then serving up with butter and syrup. They were excellent, and they really were the bright shade of orange you see in the photo above! They had a very nice moist and dense texture, while still lightening up a bit from the baking powder. They were also quite healthy as far as pancakes go, what with the antioxidant loaded pumpkin and pears making an appearance. I used pumpkin puree because that's what I have, but I'm already eyeing this recipe up for the next time I have butternut squash lying around needing to be used. I suspect you could up the ante on nutrition by using wheat or white whole wheat flour. And because you can use whatever liquid you'd like, soy milk, almond milk or rice milk would be excellent here as well.

Since these pancakes lean towards the side of healthy, I thought they'd be a perfect addition to the weekly ARF/5-A-Day round-up over at Sweetnicks. It's been awhile since I participated, and I really need to remember to do so more often. It's a great way to remember to eat more healthy, and pay attention to those foods that really do our bodies good. Be sure to head on over to Sweetnick's later on for this week's complete round up.

Let's Kick Off The Week With A Brownie

2008-01-14T07:14:00.000-06:00

A Peanut Butter brownie to be exact.

When I first saw this recipe on the CLBB I was very intrigued. It called for demerera sugar to be in the brownie, and to me, that sounded strange. I use demerera (or washed, raw) sugar for rolling cookies in or topping something because it's pretty, and it has a nice clean, sweet flavor as well. It's also a large-grained sugar, so using it in a brownie...well, it intrigued me. I filed it away for another day, but then recently I've been seeing it pop up in a few other places. Since I had a bag of Sugar In The Raw just sitting around waiting to be used, I decided to go ahead and try these brownies.

The only problem I had baking these brownies up came because I didn't have as much of the raw sugar as I had thought. I had just over a cup of the raw sugar, and since I already had my butter and peanut butter blended together, I needed to improvise. My first thought had been to use straight up granulated sugar, but when I went to grab it, the brown sugar caught my eye instead, and I decided that adding a little caramel flavor to the brownies couldn't be a bad thing. S0 my 2 1/2 cups demerera sugar became 1 cup demerera sugar, 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar. I did use the extra demerera to sprinkle on top too.

I had to bake my brownies about 10 minutes longer,but I am sure that was because adding brown sugar added more moisture to them. And let me tell you, I had a very hard time waiting to cut into these brownies! It did not help that Zander kept checking on them too- "Are they cool yet?" We didn't quite wait for them to chill all the way, but one bite into these peanut butter brownies, and we were besotted. Thick, chewy, caramelly, peanut-buttery, and crunchy from the raw sugar, these peanut butter brownies are all that AND the bag of chips. My little family of four managed to polish off an entire 9 x 13 pan in just three days...we literally could not stay away from them. These Demerera Topped Peanut Butter Brownies are definitely company worthy and swoon worthy. Don't let the demerera sugar scare you either. If you have it, use it. But you could also use turbinado sugar if that's what you have on hand, and I had great success using half brown sugar as well. I think you'd lose something if you used all brown sugar though, so make sure you use a sugar with some crunch. I need to make these again soon!

Demerera Topped Peanut Butter Brownies
1 cup peanut butter -- not natural PB
1/2 cup butter -- at room temperature
2 1/2 cup Demerera Washed Raw Sugar (I used Sugar In The Raw)
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks, to taste
4 tablespoons Demerera Washed Raw Sugar -- for topping

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a 9x13 pan with release foil or grease the pan.

Cream peanut butter, butter, and sugar until light in color. Add eggs and blend to combine. Add vanilla and blend well.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, soda, and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture and blend until just combined. Stir in chips, if using.

Scoop batter into prepared pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons demerera over the top. Bake 28-30 minutes. Brownies will sink slightly in the center while cooling. Cool completely before cutting.

**watch the bake time, I had to give mine an extra 10 minutes

Penzey's Blends- My Favorites

2008-01-12T09:16:00.000-06:00

Someone recently asked my what Penzey spice blends I could recommend. I thought it was a good question, and I admit that my first thought was that it was Penzeys, how could any of them be bad? I told this person a few of my favorites, but then later on I thought of a few more that I really like. Today I thought I'd talk a little about Penzeys and my favorite blends that they make. I'm lucky enough to have a Penzeys store nearby in Appleton, so I have the luxury of being able to dash in anytime I need a new spice or I've run out of something. If you aren't so lucky, have no fear, Penzeys has an online store where you can fill your cart to your heart's content. I do find that their shipping tends to be on the side of high, but it is extremely prompt, and they always throw in a sample. There's always a free small jar of something tucked inside, and I always appreciate that extra thought.

My first favorite spice blend isn't really a spice at all, rather a salt. Penzeys 4/s Seasoning Salt, to be specific. I use this on just about everything, and it sees use about 50% of the time, the other 50% I opt to use straight up sea salt (also from Penzeys, but not a blend.) This seasoning salt is especially excellent on chicken and pork. The ingredients on the label are coarse sea salt, sugar, ESB black pepper, paprika, onion, turmeric, garlic, spice extractives (including oleoresin of paprika, black pepper, celery, rosemary, thyme)

Next we have Fox Point. It took me a while to get around to try Fox Point. First of all, it's one of the more pricey blends that Penzey's carries, and I was worried that the price wouldn't reflect the flavor inside the jar. Oh, was I mistaken. Fox Point contains salt, shallots, chives, garlic, onion and green peppercorns. It's particularly excellent for eggs in my opinion, as well as chicken and fish. A nice fillet of tilapia needs nothing more than a sprinkling of Fox Point and some lemon juice to be really tasty. I also add Fox Point to a lot of creamy soups where you want just a touch more flavor. Baked potato soup would be glue without Fox Point, and for that matter, anything potato is great with a little Fox Point added to it. I keep meaning to try some oven fries using Fox Point as my seasoning.

One all-purpose seasoning for me is Penzeys Northwoods seasoning. It's simply an all-purpose seasoning that's really good on just about anything. In particular, I think it's excellent on all things pork, and it also adds fantastic flavor to a simple grilled steak. Northwoods Fire is similar, but packs a little heat from some extra chipotle chili. It's also good, but I don't use it as much. Northwoods contains salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic and chipotle. It is also excellent for seasoning fish and chicken, and I've used it with great success on grilled vegetables.

A pepper blend that I've recently discovered is their California Seasoned Pepper. Now this is a great pepper blend. It contains black pepper, red and green bell peppers, granulated garlic, and onion. This is excellent sprinkled on any vegetables, or in scrambled eggs, or sprinkled on a roasted chicken. The added seasonings gives plain old pepper a bit of pep, and really works great in tomato based soups as well.

My favorite classic herb blend that Penzeys carries is their Herbes de Provence. Herbes de Provence is a classic French spice blend that has been used for centuries. I've tried many other blends, and since each one is a bit different, they're not quite the same. I love Penzeys version. Theirs contains French rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, savory, fennel, lavender, and marjoram. It's in the perfect proportions, and I absolutely love the slightest hint of lavender I get when I use this. Herbes de Provence is particularly good on chicken, and in places you wouldn't expect, like macaroni and cheese. I also typically use Herbes de Provence any time I make a chicken pot pie.

My new favorite herb blend is their new Tuscan Sunset. This is a salt free blend that is like adding a dash of sunshine to any dish. Tuscan Sunset contains basil, oregano, Aleppo pepper, garlic, thyme, fennel, black pepper and anise. This is good on just about anything. It's awesome for vegetable dishes- in particular, I like it with roasted vegetables. It also adds great flavor to chicken, pork, and while I have yet to try it on fish, I suspect it would be excellent on a firm white fish. I've also added this to meatloaf with great success. As an added bonus, it is salt free, so if you're watching your sodium, it's an excellent choice. If you're not watching your sodium, a pinch of grey salt really makes this blend sing.

To be honest, I have yet to try a blend from Penzeys that I don't care for. Even their basic Italian Herb blend or the Pasta Sprinkle are excellent at times. The Pasta Sprinkle makes a quick pizza sauce when added to crushed tomatoes. The Chicago Steak seasoning has smoke flavor added to it, so that when you like to make a steak in the middle of winter, it has that grilled smokey flavor added to it. The Indian spices I've tried, like Garam Masala and Sweet Curry have served me well when a curry craving strikes. Their chili powders and taco seasonings are pretty good, and I love that they are divided by heat. Their Cajun Seasoning is excellent for when grilling season rolls around, or for adding just a different flavor to a vegetable soup. Overall, you just really can't go wrong with Penzey's spices. Give them a try if you haven't. You won't be disappointed.

A Dish Worthy of a Wow

2008-01-11T07:18:00.000-06:00

Last night's dinner was a recipe that has been on my radar for...well, at least 3 years. It originally was featured in Everyday Food magazine, but was brought to my attention, and adapted by a gentleman on the CLBB. I know I've mentioned Bob before on this blog- he is responsible for my Cranberry Chutney, the Lentil and Potato Stew we love, among many other fabulous recipe. And I daresay he is at least partially to blame for my love of beans. This particular recipe has been in my Mastercook program for 3 years now, and I am so glad we finally got around to trying it.

I was going through my files, looking for recipes that used a lot of on-hand ingredients. When I got to the enchiladas, I realized I would need only a jalapeno, everything else I had on hand. I also would need corn tortillas, but if I didn't get anywhere to pick those up, I could always make my own. I put them on the menu plan for the week, and yesterday I decided it was enchilada day.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce came together easily enough. It did dirty up both the blender and the food processor, but since they take 30 minutes to bake, I had plenty of time to wash them up before dinner. First of all, let me tell you, I loved the filling. I didn't quite use it all for the enchiladas, and Andy and I sat and scraped the bowl clean with tortilla chips and decided that it would make an excellent bean dip with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of cilantro added. The black beans, sour cream, and chipotle created magic together, and I just knew the enchiladas were going to be good. The sauce itself came together just as quickly with the push of a blender button, and before we knew it, we were waiting anxiously for our first bite of enchilada.

We were not disappointed. The enchiladas really melded together, and the pumpkin sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the black bean filling. The corn tortillas themselves were pronounced in flavor, and I really don't think flour tortillas would be used to good effect here. Our only problem was that they packed some heat. Certainly not enough to bother the grown-ups at the table, it was a pleasant heat. But it was definitely too much for the little palates. That was a shame, because Abigail liked the flavor of the enchiladas, she took two bites, but couldn't take anymore. Once Zander heard they "made Abigail's tongue spicy", the game was over for him, he wouldn't even try them. Next time though, I will make a few without the chipotle chili in the filling and they will be just fine. There will be a next time. These are completely vegetarian, yet you'd never know. They were very filling and satisfying, and no meat was necessary.

Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce
a recipe adapted from Every Food magazine by Bob on the CLBB

Serving Size : 4

1 can pumpkin puree -- (15 ounce)
2 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves -- peeled and coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno -- quartered, seeds removed, if desired
1 tsp. chili powder
8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 cups black beans, cooked -- or canned, well drained and rinsed
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo -- chopped
2 scallions -- chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425.

In a blender, puree pumpkin, water, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and chili powder until smooth. (Hold blender top firmly as blender will be quite full.) Pour 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of an 8 inch square or other shallow baking dish.

In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the black beans, sour cream, and chipotle chili. Pulse until well pureed. Stir in remaining cup of black beans and scallions.

One at a time, dip tortillas in simmering water to soften (don't let tortillas sit in water). Roll tortillas with filling; mound on half of the tortilla and roll up; place seam side down in baking dish.

Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 425º oven until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool five minutes before serving.

Soup of The Week: Simple Clam Chowder

2008-01-10T07:22:00.000-06:00

Last week after grocery shopping by myself, I arrived home to find two children who were very willing to help me unpack groceries. They were very willing helpers, scrutinizing everything and putting things where they belonged. It was very comical though when they removed the cans of clams and the bottles of clam juice from the bag. Instantly the kids were horrified. Clam juice? Ew! Canned Clams? Yucky! I hope you're not going to make us eat those! So I tucked them into the pantry, waiting for another soup day to come into being.

Yesterday was the day. I got Zander busy with a computer game and headed to the kitchen myself to make a pot of Simple Clam Chowder. I was trying to do it covertly so that he didn't see the clam products on the counter. I'd had a head start from the day before. We had bacon with our waffles, and I saved a few strips of bacon, plus some of the grease for using for the chowder. Even if I'd had to brown the bacon though, this would have been a very quick chowder to put together. There were a few minutes of inactive time, and all I could do was hope that this chowder turned out. I'd only ever made clam chowder once, and that one was a crock-pot recipe, and used cans of cream of potato soup. I wasted no time in tasting it the second I thought it was done.

It was very good! I admit that a part of me was surprised at that. This was a Cooking Light recipe, and while Cooking Light is a source that I can usually count on, I really didn't expect this chowder to be that good. I expected it was going to need a few pinches of something to perk up the flavor. It didn't it was excellent on it's own, and was going to make a fantastic dinner. I dumped it into my crock pot to keep it warm until we got back from dance class, and when we got home, a fabulous aroma greeted us. Andy and I were very careful to call this just chowder to the kids. Any mention of the word clam, and they would have gone running, scared. Abigail dropped a few oyster crackers into her chowder, took a tentative taste, and then went to town. This girl inhaled her clam chowder! Zander, on the other hand, couldn't be swayed to take more than one bite. I was okay with that. Clam chowder is very distinctive, and if he didn't like it, no amount of persuading was going to get him to change his mind.

I'm thrilled with this recipe. Andy and I found last night that it really didn't need the crumbled bacon on top, it really stood on it's own two feet nicely. My only problem was that I had inadvertently picked up minced clams instead of chopped clams, and as a result, I missed some real bites of clam. The minced worked okay, but next time I think I'd like to use chopped. I'm looking forward to leftover Simple Clam Chowder for lunch, and I can gladly add another soup to my repertoire.

Simple Clam Chowder
from Cooking Light magazine.

2 bacon slices
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 cups chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves -- minced
6 cans chopped clams -- (6 1/2-ounce) undrained
5 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
4 bottles clam juice -- (8-ounce)
1 bay leaf
3 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, salt, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Drain clams, reserving liquid. Add clam liquid, potato, clam juice, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add clams; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon.

Serves 12

This One Is Clean-Your-Plate Good!

2008-01-09T07:32:00.000-06:00

Just ask Zander! My son never, ever cleans his plate at dinner time. He eats until he's full, and no more- sometimes less, but no more. Last night, he literally wiped his plate clean after polishing off two Spiced Pumpkin Waffles with homemade pear butter. In fact, he's waiting patiently for Abigail to head off to school this morning so that he can have leftovers for breakfast. He loves these waffles! I am inclined to agree with him. The spices, while they may look like a lot, come together perfectly to just give the waffles a delightful pumpkin pie-like flavor. And of course, with the pumpkin puree, these are a waffle you can feel better about serving to your children.

I've been working a little bit on this recipe to tweak it a little, but so far am coming up a little short. I think these waffles would work best on a Belgian waffle iron, but since I have a regular iron, they come out just a touch on the soft side. I've been playing with the baking soda-baking powder ratio to try and come up with a waffle that is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I think I have the perfect ratio now- only for a Belgian waffle maker which makes nice deep pockets for holding plenty of pear butter or warm maple syrup. It's still a work in progress, but so far, this is my favorite incarnation, and definitely worth sharing.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 (15 oz) can evaporated milk
4 Tbs butter, melted and cooled slightly

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the two eggs together. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree and evaporated milk, and mix well. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, stirring to incorporate.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Cook waffles on waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. The batter will work for both Belgian and standard waffle irons.

Don't You Hate It When...

2008-01-08T14:15:00.000-06:00

You have an ingredient in your fridge that you know was on your most recent shopping list for a reason, and for the life of you cannot remember what it was?

Why on earth did I buy jalapenos? All I recall is that the recipe called for one, and that I had everything else on hand already except the jalapeno.

This is driving me mad. I've been going over magazines, cookbooks, and websites trying to figure out exactly what recipe I wanted to make. I just know that I'll remember what it is AFTER the jalapenos have gone south.

Reusable Bag Alert!

2008-01-08T07:33:00.000-06:00

I don't have a food post today... I have been cooking a few standbys, but I do have something in mind for tomorrow, so stay tuned.In the meantime though, for those of you checking in here who are near to me, I'm thrilled with this recent development! Woodman's markets in Wisconsin now have reusable bags available! They are available at the store for 4 for $3.00, and they're really quite sturdy. I bought four the last time I was in, and I was amazed with how much could be packed in them! The handles are comfortable, and while they say do not put in the dryer, I imagine if something spilled on them they could be washed and hung up to dry. I figure the next shopping trip I'll pick up four more, and then I'll be set for grocery shopping. It would be really nice to not come home every time with a mountain of plastic bags that need to be disposed of. It took nothing to unpack my groceries and then pop the bags back into my van for the next shopping trip. I'm very excited to see this development in my neck of the woods.

How To Serve A Trifle

2008-01-07T07:38:00.000-06:00

Last night at Sunday Company Dinner we had a bit of a debate. :-) One of our friends was bringing dessert, and decided on a trifle. The problem ensued when the search for a serving bowl came about. You could layer the contents of a trifle in anything- but if you put it in a vessel that's opaque and you can't see the layers, aren't you kind of defeating one of the purposes of a trifle? Part of the appeal of a trifle is seeing all those luscious layers- it's a very visual dessert! So our friend took the time to search out the perfect trifle dish, and it completely made the dessert.

What do you think?
It was stunning. We all were devouring it with our eyes before we even thought to sample it. It was a beautiful dessert and tasted fantastic as well! A lesson was learned too. Trifle really does deserve a special dish.

Weekend Extra: Eating Well on a Budget

2008-01-05T07:49:00.000-06:00

I have been asked several questions in the real world that I thought would make interesting post topics sometime. A few of them ask about some of my favorite things, or a cooking technique, but today I thought I'd address the often-asked question of how I manage to feed my family in those times when there just isn't enough cash to go around. I certainly am not an expert, and I don't have all the answers, but maybe someone can use what I've learned- or perhaps I'll need to look back on this post and remind myself what I did and what works best. This could get a little long today.

The first thing I have to say is that a lot of what we eat has been based on having a well-stocked pantry. And that takes time to do. Andy's always been in seasonal work, and it may have taken a few years to get used to the cyclical nature of it, but at least now I know. I know that when he is working and bringing home a paycheck, I need to take a tiny measurement of my grocery budget and buy something for the pantry. Even if it's just one extra can of tomatoes,or one small bag of dried beans, every little bit will help in the lean times to come. When I stock the pantry, I also mean the freezer. Something that has also taken me a long time to learn is about the quantity of meat we eat as a family. I would buy a family pack of pork chops, cook them all up, and then the leftovers would sit in the fridge until they started to smell. Now, I am more precise. I know that I'll eat one chop, the kids will split a chop, and Andy may have two. When a family pack is 8, that should be a no-brainer. I take four out of the package to cook, and the other four get wrapped in foil, and placed in a freezer bag for another time. Always label things that go in your freezer!

When I am often looking for new tips for shopping on a grocery budget, I always come across people who say things like how much they shop at a warehouse store like Sam's to save money, and also do some of their shopping at places like a dollar store. To each their own I guess, but those places don't always save me money. You really have to be careful. The number one thing to avoid at a Warehouse when shopping with a budget is the prepared food. I know- it can be so tempting! But the prepared foods are never as healthy for you as they could be for one, and secondly, you can always make a homemade version much cheaper than the store bought version. When I go to Sam's, I go to check out the fresh fruits and vegetables, and I also buy a few pantry goods like pasta or canned corn. Sometimes I'll pick up meat there and then when I get home I'll separate it out into smaller packages for freezing. It would be very easy to spend an entire week's budget at a warehouse club in one shopping trip, so when I go there, it's always with a list. You can get some good deals at Sam's, but there are some dangers. For example, you can look at that jumbo bag of salad mix and know that is a very good price for it, but look at it's size! You will never be able to eat it all before it goes bad. And secondly, it really is cheaper to buy your own heads of lettuce and make your own salad. It takes mere seconds to chop lettuce, and it tastes better. The same goes for all the vegetables you can buy prepared for you. Bell pepper strips, cauliflower florets, celery sticks (to name a few) are far more expensive in their cut-up-and-ready-to-eat stage than if you'd bought the original creature.

The Dollar stores have their own peril. I know so many people who swear by buying their home goods there- things like laundry detergent and paper goods. It seems like a good deal. But the problem is that it really isn't. That box of laundry detergent may have a lower price, but did you look at the box? It's much smaller than your normal box that you buy elsewhere for just a little more. And then there's the paper goods. I actually did my own experiment on this one. I bought a 3-pack of the cheap Family Dollar brand of paper towels for cleaning the church I clean once a week. I have a lot of windows to wash each week. I would go through one roll of that paper towel in 2 or 3 weeks. The towels were of a cheap quality, and I would have to tear off fresh ones for each window or door I washed. I went through the whole 3 pack in less than 2 months time. Then I went and bought a single roll of Brawny paper towels from the grocery store. I paid more per roll for the Brawny, but let me tell you! That one roll of Brawny lasted me almost six months of window washing! I could tear off two towels from the roll and use them to clean almost all the windows before they started shredding and falling to pieces. Quality makes a huge difference, and in the long run, you end up saving money. This is a very small example, but the idea is there. For one year's worth of the cheap paper towels I would spend $6.00. For one year's worth of Brawny, I would pay less than $3.00. It's the initial outlay that's more, and that can be hard to get over sometimes. Sometimes you do need to make the choice to choose quality over quantity, and when you're pinching pennies, it's easy to get trapped with choosing quantity.

Now let's talk about that shopping list. You do make one- don't you? I make mine for about 10 days at a time. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but I always plan out ten days and shop accordingly. You have to make a list to save money- and you have to stick to it. I have developed my method for times of financial peril. First, I make my menu plans, and then I make my list, leaving off things that I have in the freezer or the pantry. Then I go back through the list and assign each item a dollar amount. Most things I do know what the price is- or should be. Then at the end, I total it all up. If it's over my budget amount, I know I need to go back and thin the list out. If it's under, I'm doing great.

Next, I stop at the bank to take out the cash I need to go shopping. Yes, cash in hand. Using cash to pay is a great way to keep myself from plunking extra into the cart- there's nothing worse than having to put back groceries because you don't have enough money on hand. Once at the store, I take out the list and make my way around. I will pay attention to my list and the prices on it. If something seems inordinately high to me, I'll not buy it and choose something else. Red bell pepper comes to mind. Sometimes I can get them for 69 cents a piece, but sometimes their $1.99 a piece. I'll budget for the 69 cents, but if they're more expensive, I'll choose the green bells instead, or leave them off entirely. It takes time, but I do keep track of what I'm spending while I'm in the store. That way, if I find a great deal on something, I'll know if I have an extra dollar or two to put that in my cart as well. Again too, you have to keep in mind quality and what you're buying. Did you know that baby carrots are just large carrots that have been spun on a lathe to become baby shaped? So why are you spending twice the price on "spun carrots"? When you're in a budget crunch, you need to really think about your purchases. Fresh herbs would be wonderful- but you get this tiny clamshell for about $3.00, or you could make your way over to the dried spices and buy plenty for less than $1.00- it won't be as stellar or wonderful as fresh, but it will still be delicious and you don't have to worry about using those dried herbs up-they'll keep in your pantry nicely. If you love fresh herbs as much as I do, consider an herb garden next spring, they grow in pots very nicely.

I could really go on and give more tips and suggestions, and ideas from my experiences, but I think I'll stop there for today and maybe to another post down the road. You'll notice I didn't even get into things like shopping sales flyers or couponing. And seasonal eating! That really helps me stay within my budget. I'd also like to do a post on "alternative" uses for pantry staples. So watch for more to come on the weekend extra posts. Next week though, I think I'll be talking about the spice cabinet, and what my favorite spices and spice blends are. Stay tuned!

A Nice Sturdy Cake

2008-01-04T07:51:00.000-06:00

Despite all the recent treat-indulging over the holidays, I had determined that I wanted to make a cake for New Years. We didn't have any special plans, but I thought Abigail especially would enjoy marking the occasion with at least a little something. I had a box of unsweetened chocolate leftover from the Christmas baking spree, so I determined the cake was going to be chocolate. Yet, when I leafed through all of my tried and true cookbooks, there wasn't a single cake that used unsweetened chocolate. Undaunted, I turned to the internet, and found my cake in the form of a Wellesley Fudge Cake, a cake that was apparently all the rage in the 1960's.

It took no time to come together, and no time to bake. My two layers were done baking in just 30 minutes, and they cooled quickly. I had planned on making a chocolate buttercream frosting, but the kids requested vanilla, so vanilla it was. The result was a nice, sturdy cake with a nice chocolate flavor. It wasn't spectacular, it wasn't omg good, but it was nice. It wasn't overly rich or over-indulgent, it was just what you want when you want a little slice of cake that isn't too heavy. It definitely would have been better with a chocolate frosting, but I couldn't do anything about that one. I will definitely be making this cake again, it was simple enough to be an everyday sort of cake, although after about the second day it loses it's staying power, so I recommend freezing individual slices if you want it last longer. Keep an eye on the cook time for this Wellesley Fudge Cake- my layers were done at 30 minutes, and had I let them go to 35-40 they would have been dry as a bone.

Wellesley Fudge Cake

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together 3 times and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat water, chocolate and 1/2 cup sugar, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg. Add half of flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add milk and remaining flour mixture alternately in 2 parts. Beat smooth after each addition. Add vanilla and chocolate mixture. Blend well.
Divide batter into two 9 inch pans. Bake at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Soup of The Week: French Lentil and Vegetable

2008-01-03T06:51:00.000-06:00

I have had this recipe from Ina Garten in my "to try" pile for...hmm, well, at least two years. When I first printed it out it was getting raves on a bulletin board I spend time visiting. What kept me from making it was having all the ingredients on hand, and every time I would pull it out, I would find something missing. This week, I managed to remember it and look it over before I went and did my shopping.

The only thing I had problems with was the lentils themselves. The recipe specifically states that "small French green lentils are preferred over the brown ones. To my knowledge, I've never seen green lentils. But I spent a good 20 minutes going through each and every aisle last weekend looking for those green lentils. At the store where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping, there are at least four places in the store where a dried legume could be hiding, so I had to hit each and every one. I even had a standoff with am elderly chap at one of the bean displays. Apparently I was taking too long for his taste, and since it was a busy Sunday afternoon, my extra-wide cart was taking up precious real estate.

Anyway, I could not find these green lentils! I checked the regular dried beans, the cereal aisle, the Hispanic and Asian sections to no avail. Then I remembered the natural foods section, and there, in a tiny package on the top row was a bag with the label "French green lentils", I grabbed it, despite the very hefty price tag, and gave it a look-over. It didn't take long for me to make my way back to the bean aisle, pick up a bag of plain "lentils" and compare the two. They were identical, and brown, with a bit of a pinkish-greenish-orangish tinge to them. I wasn't going to pay "box-of-premium-cereal-price" simply because the label told me these were special lentils. I don't know if there really is such a thing as green lentils, because I made this soup with regular old brown lentils, and found myself immersed in a bowl of gorgeous soupy-goodness.

It was Andy who looked at me and asked if the soup would be considered flexitarian. When I informed him that there was no meat in this soup, he was surprised. I was surprised, actually, because there was this fruity smokiness within the soup that is usually reserved for soups with a bit of sausage or bacon in it. In short, we were hooked. We each had two bowls of this beautiful lentil soup, it was that good. It was delicious and full of depth, and definitely worth the trouble to make sure I had all the ingredients on hand. My only deviations were to use double concentrate tomato paste, and I completely left off the splash of red wine and Parmesan at the end. It totally didn't need it- it was wonderful just as it was with a wedge of soft whole-wheat bread. This French Lentil and Vegetable Soup is a star, and will most certainly be repeated- and it's most definitely company worthy. The picture above is of Zander helping me weigh the right amount of lentils, and I also should mention that I think you could use a roasted vegetable or mushroom broth to good effect as well.

French Lentil and Vegetable Soup

by Ina Garten
Serving Size : 12

16 ounces lentils -- Small French green lentils are preferred over the larger brown ones.
boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large onions -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2 large leeks -- white and tender green parts only, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 whole celery ribs -- chopped
6 medium carrots -- diced into 1/2" pieces
3 quarts chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry red wine -- or red wine vinegar

In a large heatproof bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot (at least 5 quart size). Add onions, garlic, leeks, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery and cook until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, lentils, and tomato paste to the pot. Increase the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are very tender (about 1 hour).

Stir in red wine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil if desired, and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

Why Is It...

2008-01-02T12:58:00.001-06:00

This is a new year. It's a great time to start over and re-focus and maybe try something new. For many, it's a great time to refocus their eating habits and perhaps lose an extra pound or two. That is fantastic- there really isn't a better time to do so, the new year is all about fresh starts and new beginnings. It just drives me a little batty that when someone mentions "I'm going on a diet" or "I'm watching what I eat to lose a few pounds", that hoards of people jump on that person and say "diets don't work" or "don't try reducing sugar- it doesn't work." Or "The key to good health is exercise, not watching what you eat." What is that? Way to be supportive and encouraging people. Come on.

I've seen this at least half-a-dozen times today already in different places online. And while I will be the first to say that a "diet" per se isn't the answer for me, it may very well be the answer for others. Maybe more people should make the resolution to be nice and supportive, not condescending and all-knowing. Just saying is all.

I used to hate these...

2008-01-02T07:28:00.000-06:00

Literally.

I would smell my mom cooking potato pancakes from my bedroom, and literally start gagging. Oh, how much I hated potato pancakes! I don't know what it was about them, maybe simply because they were called pancakes, and in my mind pancakes were sweet and meant to be eaten with syrup. Maybe it was the onions, I didn't think they belonged there either. Or maybe, it was the fact that they were the very last thing eaten on my plate, so they were stone cold by the time I got to them. No matter what the reason, I used to loathe potato pancakes.

But somewhere, that all changed. I don't know exactly what, but in my adult life, I love potato pancakes. The only problem being that I never think to make them! I need to correct that, and did just that the other day. I know that Andy loves potato pancakes, so as I was mixing them together and thawing some homemade applesauce, I was thinking about how well this simple dinner was going to be received. Then the kids came to mind, and I just knew that they were going to hate these potato pancakes. I mean, I did when I was young. I contemplated making plain pancakes for them, but then Abigail walked into the kitchen.

She asked what I was doing, and I told her. She lit up- they make these at school and they're really good! I was confused- they make potato pancakes at school? I seriously doubt that. But then she went on to describe what I determined was a hash brown square- not quite the same. Either way though, she was open to trying them, so dinner progressed without regular pancakes. With a dollop of homemade applesauce, the potato pancakes were approved by all. Both Zander and Abigail enjoyed theirs- surprising me to no end. Just when I think I have my kids figured out, they go out and surprise me. If you want to hear about a surprising conversation Zander and I had about vegetables, you'll need to head over to Kids Cuisine this morning to check out my article there. I promise- it's worth the click.

Here's the recipe I used for Potato Pancakes. Very easy, and very delicious, I couldn't decide if they were better with sour cream or with applesauce, but either way, they made a great economical dinner.

Potato Pancakes
adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

4 medium potatoes
4 large eggs, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for cooking

Wash, peel, and shred potatoes. Place them in a colander and rinse them off. Pat dry.

Mix potatoes, eggs, onions, flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or griddle.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Flatten and spread out with a spatula if necessary to evenly distribute the pancakes.

Cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200º oven while cooking the remaining pancakes. Serve warm with butter, sour cream, and applesauce.

Makes about 16 pancakes.

Ending 2007 On A High Note!

2008-01-01T08:36:00.000-06:00

Andy asked for potstickers the other day. As soon as he mentioned it, I started craving them myself. If there was one Chinese food that I love above all and could eat every day, it would be a potsticker. The delicious ground pork filling wrapped in a won ton skin and then both fried and steamed...served with a delicious soy dipping sauce. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Yet I've never made them. I guess I thought the process would be difficult and daunting. But then Andy mentioned them, and that craving just wouldn't go away. Since ordering takeout was definitely not in the budget, I needed to buck up and make them myself. I had a recipe that I've been holding for a very long time. I'm not even sure where the recipe is from, but I do have an idea that it might be from Ming Tsai, from way back when he was on The Food Network. It may not actually be his recipe, but that's the best guess I have.

I picked up the ingredients and assembled my helpers, for this was a perfect task for little hands. In the end, I decided to cut the recipe in half, since there was just the four of us. Together the kids and I mixed and measured and then it came time to stuff the dumplings. Zander made one, but didn't like getting his hands dirty, so then he took the supervisory position. Abigail, on the other hand, was a great helper, stuffing dumpling after dumpling with me. It really didn't take us long to get them all filled and lined up on a baking sheet.

I had to wing the cooking. The recipe I had written down didn't have any cooking instructions, so I decided to fry first, then add water to steam. This worked perfectly! I fried the dumplings in a non-stick pot, and after they were a gorgeous golden brown on the bottom, I poured in about 1/2 cup of water, and added the lid. They steamed away, and when I pulled them out a few minutes later, I just couldn't wait. I got the second batch going in the frying pan, and then cut a dumpling in half- first to check to make sure it was done. But secondly, to give it a taste. Abigail walked in and I gave her a taste. She'd never had a potsticker before, and her eyes grew wide with the delight in her mouth. She was hooked. So I took a second dumpling and cut that in half as well- giving one piece to Andy, and one to Zander. Zander as well, enjoyed that first bite, promptly following me to the kitchen to wait for dinner to be done so he could have his fill.

I served the potstickers with some peanutty noodles (which apparently I haven't shared before, I'll do that soon), and we ended 2007 on a very high note. The kids both gobbled down as many potstickers as they could, although they both preferred dunking theirs in ketchup over the soy-ginger dipping sauce. The Asian Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Sauce were a huge hit for my family. And since I now know how easy they are to make, we'll be making them again very soon.

Asian Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Sauce
Dumplings:
1 pound ground pork
1 cup scallions
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely chopped napa cabbage (green cabbage is acceptable)
Won-ton wrappers
water for sealing wrappers

Soy-Ginger Sauce:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
2 Tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 or 3 drops sesame oil

Mix meat, scallions, soy sauce, ginger, and black pepper together. Add cabbage and mix well. Lay out 2 or 3 won ton wrappers. Add a scant tablespoon to the center of each won ton. Brush water around the edges, and carefully fold over the won ton wrappers, keeping the meat mixture in the center, and sealing all the edges. Pleat and fold as desired to desired shape. Set aside on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour while making remaining dumplings.

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan. Gently set dumplings in the pan. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Working quickly, add 1/2 cup water to the pan and quickly put on the lid. This will steam the dumplings and complete the cooking. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to keep the dumplings from sticking. Remove from the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Serve with dipping sauce.

*Alternately, the dumplings can be completely steamed in a steamer pot to avoid the frying process.

2008 Food Goals

2007-12-31T06:51:00.000-06:00

Well, here is this next year's list. We'll see how we do. Some I plan to concentrate on more than others, and I admit that I had a difficult time coming up with 10 specific goals, but we'll see how I do.

1. Focus more on Flexitarian eating. What do I mean by that? I mean that instead of cooking a meat or protein as the focus of my meals, and then planning around that, I want to focus more on the vegetables and the whole grains. I want the meat part of the meal to become the side dish, and the vegetables, grains, and fruits to be the stars. I have several posts in mind for the near future to explore this further.

2. Continue learning about Indian food. I am so in love with Indian food. But I would love to go deeper and explore the different regions of India and the different types of cuisine to go with.

3. Source my meat locally. Although I want to take the focus off the meat at the dinner table, the meat we do have I want it to be top-notch and local. We have several options here in the area, and I hope to give each one a try and then share that information for those of you reading from nearby. Maybe we can do this one together!

4. Make homemade Angel food cake. I never have. I don't even have the right pan to do so, but there is nothing like homemade angel food cake, and it's about time I learned how to do it.

5. Garden, Garden, Garden! My garden should be featured more prominently come garden season. This year I plan to try many new-to-me vegetables and varieties. I literally cannot wait, as the seed catalogs have begun pouring in and it's going to be very difficult to pick just a few things to put in my tiny garden space. Hopefully we can find a few new vegetables that we enjoy as well as learn how best to grow and preserve them.

6. Use the grill more in warmer weather. I don't know what happened last year. It seems to me that we didn't use the grill as much last year, and that's a shame. I hope to get a little more ambitious with fish and veggies on the grill this year.

7. Explore some new grains and seeds. There are many that I haven't tried yet. Each time I do try a new one I enjoy it, so I need to spend some time exploring and trying out some new grains. Specifically ones that I am thinking of would be bulgur, amaranth, millet, and wheat berries.

8. Continue working my way through my cookbooks. I will be updating my database soon and seeing where I sit.

9. Break out of my comfort zone for weekly soup day. Wednesday's have become soup day at our house since that's the day we have ballet class. Soup holds nicely in a crock pot, and accompanied by homemade bread makes the perfect after-dance meal. But I gotta try some new ones! I seem to be in a rut, and I must break free. Also look for a semi-regular post on Thursday's featuring my soup of the week.

10. And finally, master my new wok. I want to explore the different Asian foods that can be made in a wok, and Andy wants me to make an entire dim sum feast. That sounds like a fun goal, as well as a delicious one.

That Barefoot Contessa Is Trouble!

2007-12-29T08:39:00.001-06:00

Because this was seriously one of the best eggs I have ever eaten. Andy is going to be all sorts of sad when he sees this post and sees what he missed out on, but hey, a girl's got to eat sometimes.

This started as an egg moment. I reached into the fridge and grabbed an egg. I had been intending to hard boil it, when I spotted a mostly-empty carton of cream. I seldom have real cream in the fridge, but this was leftover from the holiday baking spree, and I grabbed it to toss, actually. Then I opened it and gave it a sniff. It smelled fine, so I tasted it, and it tasted fine, and in an instant, I recalled an episode of Barefoot Contessa where she made eggs baked in cream and herbs. I knew I needed to make this now.

Instead of looking for a recipe, I kind of made it up as I went. I started with buttering my dish. Then I added a healthy glug or two of cream (that's a scientific word-glug). Total it was probably about 3 tablespoons. Then I cracked my extra-large egg onto the cream. On top of this I sprinkled some sea salt, some freshly cracked black pepper, and then, since I knew there was supposed to be a mountain of fresh herbs, I added a very healthy shaking of Penzey's Tuscan Sunset- my current favorite herb blend. I baked this in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes or so- basically until the egg was set.

I overcooked it just a tad, because the yolk was cooked through- still soft and creamy, but not runny like I preferred. But that egg. That egg was heaven. I truly cannot even begin to describe to you the magic that baking the egg in cream resulted in. I can tell you right now that this is going to be made when the herb garden is going crazy because I know the fresh herbs would have taken this egg into nirvana-land. It was decadent and creamy and completely sinful, but for a once-in-a-while treat, this egg is going to the top of the list for a special occasion breakfast. Here's Ina's recipe, and a not-so-great picture of my egg. What do you want? It was a white egg in white cream and served on a white dish.

Herbed Baked Eggs

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

A Very Simple Supper

2007-12-28T08:46:00.000-06:00

Yet one the whole family enjoyed. The dinner idea began with a package of chicken wings. Everyone in the family enjoys chicken wings. They're fun to eat, and there are countless ways to prepare them. Last night, it was simply baked. I'd sprinkled them liberally with seasoning salt, pepper, and an herb blend and popped them in a 375ºF oven for 45 minutes. For a while though, I was stumped on what to have with it. I was thinking in terms of rice or potatoes, but I wasn't in the mood for potatoes, and we'd had rice a few times in the last couple of days. Since the kids aren't big on rice, I thought I needed something different.

Then I spied the butternut squash and decided to cook that instead. I baked it in a 350ºF oven for about an hour, covered with foil. I'd split it in half, scooped out the seeds, and then placed the halves cut-side down in a baking dish. I poked the skin with holes, covered with foil, and popped it in. When it came out, I scooped the soft flesh into a bowl with a smidge of butter, salt, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Then I set it aside while the chicken cooked and pondered a vegetable or a salad to accompany.

When I popped open the produce drawers on the fridge, a fresh bunch of celery caught my eye, as well as a few apples that had a spot or two on them, and thus had been deemed inedible by my children. In mere seconds, I'd chopped two apples and two celery stalks. I added a handful of Craisins and then whipped up a honey-mustard vinaigrette. The salad was fresh and light and a perfect counterpoint to the last week of holiday indulging. I only wished that I'd had a bit of red onion to thinly slice into it.

The result was a dinner that made everyone happy, and was beyond simple to put together. There was very little active work time, mostly just waiting for it to finish in the oven. This is definitely a meal worthy of company, and I really need to remember this apple and celery salad. It's been a long while since I'd made it, and it's just so bright and delightful. I love it when a quick dinner comes out better than expected, and I hope to do the same thing tonight.

So How Did I Do?

2007-12-27T08:37:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be fun to look back at my food goals for 2007 and see how badly I did. :-) When I made this list last December, I expected normal life for most of the year. What actually happened was that I spent a majority of the year with a tiny food budget, so I had little extra to try and meet some of my goals. That's okay. These were just some things that I had been thinking about, and this year, some of them will make the list again, and some will be bumped off with a giggle and replaced with something else. Here's the condensed version of my Food Goals 2007, with my notes following in red.

1. Attempt to make homemade sausage. This sounded fun at the time. Seriously though, when I can buy amazing sausage, why would I go to the expense of buying the cuts of meat and spices and make my own. Sausage is inexpensive in sausage form, and I do have some great sources.

2. Explore Moroccan Cuisine. Hey- I think I did make two recipes last year. They both were excellent, and I'd love to learn more from that whole region- I don't know about specifically Moroccan though.

3. Be less afraid of greens. Okay, I didn't conquer this one a bit. However, I did get my kids into it! They both discovered that they love baby beet greens in salad. That's a great thing to have learned, and just the other day Abigail asked when we can have them again. Too bad they take so long to grow! This year I plan to tackle chard.

4. Make one recipe from every cookbook I own. Well, finances affected this one I'm afraid. I think I made my way through about 30 of them-that's definitely better than none, but then I added a bunch of cookbooks, so this next year I'll be updating my list and continuing on with it. I'm okay with that.

5. Experiment more with vegetarian cooking. This is my number one goal for this next year. I think I did okay with this, but I definitely want to do better. This is going to go hand-in-hand with gardening this year and shopping at the farmer's markets more often. I love vegetarian food, and I'd like to see us move more towards flexitarian eating. There will be a post coming soon about this.

6. Prepare duck. Do you know how much duck costs? Maybe in 2008

7. Incorporate more fish into our meals. While we haven't done much fish lately, this was an excellent year for eating fish for us. We were eating it once or twice a week for a while and discovered the kids like fish too- either basic fried, or more meaty fish like salmon or swordfish. Hooray for this one.

8. Eat breakfast daily/be more adventurous with breakfast. I do eat breakfast daily now, but I haven't felt much like playing with it I'm afraid.

9. Incorporate more beans into our diets. Another goal I think I can get a star for. While the kids still don't care for beans, I've found that I love beans. I've also found, for those who are wondering, that if you eat beans more often, the, uh, after-effects eventually taper and go away. Your diet does get used to them, and then it's not an issue. I love beans. Watch for more beans here.

10. And finally, I want to learn more about whole-grain baking. I did so-so with this. I have to admit the few cookies, cakes, and breads I made that were whole grain were only okay in my book. Except for the devil's food cupcakes- those were excellent, and you couldn't tell they were made with whole grains. So it didn't take me long to lose my fascination with the whole grain baking. I need to try more though, there have to be more recipes out there that are excellent.

Well, I guess that's not as bad as I thought. In the next day or so I'll be sharing a new top 10 list for 2008. We'll see how we do next year.

What to Cook, What to Cook...?

2007-12-26T10:12:00.001-06:00

Pretty fun looking huh? I have been pining for this wok for a long time. Steamed Dumplings anyone? To go with this gorgeous piece of kitchen equipment, a very nice cookbook that has me drooling for some Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian, as well as all the other cuisines well-represented. I just need to figure out what to make first...

And then some pictures of the kids. Abigail discovered Guitar Hero this past weekend. She did very well, and really enjoyed it. She reminded me a lot of the kids in the band on School of Rock. Very cute, and fun to watch.Here's Zander having a snack break with cousin Kara.

I promise I'll be back soon posting some real food and some real stuff. I just need to get back into the groove is all. :-)

Merry Christmas from Tummy Treasure!

2007-12-24T08:47:00.000-06:00

A Very Merry Christmas from my family to yours! We'll be busy celebrating the wonderful holiday over the next few days. I'll be back soon with an analysis of this year's food resolutions, a look ahead to next year, and of course, plenty of new recipes to fill your tummies with comfort. May your Christmas be wonderful and blessed!

Last Minute Gift Idea?

2007-12-22T08:21:00.000-06:00

Try this one. Sorry I forgot to snap a picture, but everyone who's had it has enjoyed it completely. I would have never thought of peanut brittle as a great gift- but apparently it works great because I have to keep buying peanuts to make more! You can certainly use any kind of nut you want-cashews are another particular favorite to me.

I still remember the very first time I made a nut brittle. I used a recipe from Joy of Cooking, and thought I would be both fancy and clever and use macadamia nuts. Do you know how much macadamia's cost in this part of the country? It's between 6-8 bucks for a tiny jar. It took three jars for one batch of brittle. I followed the directions to a tee and basically ended up with an inedible pile of macadamia nut...stuff. It took me awhile before I got brave enough to try again.

This recipe below I have yet to turn out wrong, and I've been making it for several years. Just one note on preparing it. The temperature of 295 is your window. The brittle will be fine from 295-300, so work quickly to add the baking soda and pour it out. I line my baking sheets with Reynold's Release, so I don't have to use butter and make the brittle greasy. I imagine a silpat would work as well.

Nut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups raw peanuts -- or other coarsely chopped nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda -- sifted

Butter two large baking sheets; set aside. Butter sides of a heavy 3 qt suacepan. In pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and water. Cook and stir over medium high heat to boiling. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat to 275F, soft crack stage (about 30 minutes). Add nuts; cook and stir to 295F, hard crack stage (a5 to 20 minutes more). Remove saucepan from heat, remove thermometer.

Quickly sprinkle baking soda over mixture, stirring constantly. Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheets. Cool; break into pieces. Store tightly covered. Makes about 2 1/4 pounds.

Hot off the Presses!

2007-12-20T12:05:00.000-06:00

Trust me on this one. When I say you NEED the newest issue of Eating Well magazine, you need to pay attention and go pick it up at the bookstore. As soon as you possibly can. Today I found the February 2008 issue in my mailbox and while Eating Well has clearly become my favorite magazine, this issue is something beyond special. Features in this issue include Indian cuisine(!) slow-cooker cooking, healthy eating with beef, pineapple, winter greens, and some fantastic options for cooking cauliflower. I want to make most of the recipes in this issue- and that's just the recipes. There's great articles this month on changing the way we view food, as well as a good look at artificial sweeteners and how they taste and perform.

Definitely recommended reading- just don't ask to borrow mine, cause I ain't letting it go. :-)

A Pretty Cookie

2007-12-20T06:52:00.000-06:00

This last Saturday at the cookie party I went to there was a cookie disaster. One of the ladies had found a recipe in her local paper for a chocolate covered cherry cookie. It had actually won a contest and was the featured recipe for the contest. They looked really pretty in the picture, and I could easily see why she wanted to make this cookie. But when mixing the dough together- following the directions precisely from the paper, something was amiss. The ratio of wet to dry ingredients was way off, and there was no way the dough, as written in the paper, was going to come together to make cookies of any kind. So a few of us made suggestions to salvage, and by adding more butter, another egg, and some milk, she had a dough to work with. The cookies turned out well, and I filed away the idea to research the cookie further at a later date and find out exactly what went wrong.

Yesterday after the kids went to bed, I curled up with a cup of tea and a new-to-me magazine, Home Cooking. Imagine how surprised I was to find the exact recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies on the pages of a brand new issue of a magazine! I pulled out the recipe that we'd used on Saturday and compared the two, to find that the difference between them was 1/2 cup of cocoa. The one in the paper called for a full cup- the one in the magazine called for 1/2 a cup. That made sense to me, and scanning the ingredients, I knew I'd be trying this one soon to compare.

So here it is. I thought the flavor was pretty good, but that the almond flavor really didn't come through as much as it could. So to make up for that, I whipped up a quick glaze with some powdered sugar, maraschino cherry juice, and food coloring to make a pretty drizzle for the cookies. The drizzle is what took them over the top. They will definitely be on my cookie trays this year- if only because they are stunning to look at. The flavor is good too- but I think it could use a little added oomph. I like them enough to try playing with them in the near future, but in the meantime, these babies are very pretty and will add a lot to any cookie platter over the next week or so. I've re-named them Cherry Cordial Cookies just because I like the name better.

Cherry Cordial Cookies
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 jar maraschino cherries,whole -- drained, juice reserved
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until well combined. Mix in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Gently mix in until combined.

Roll bits of dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press down in the center of each ball with your thumb to make a small indentation.

Place one drained cherry in each of the indentations.

In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly until well blended.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the chocolate sauce over each of the cherries.

Bake cookies in a 350ºF oven for 12-13 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.

If desired, drizzle cookies with a glaze made from powdered sugar, cherry juice, and red food coloring.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Cookie Days

2007-12-19T07:13:00.000-06:00

Up to now I've really only made a few cookies for Christmas. I've been making candy to give as gifts, and to nibble on, but for the most part the cookies have waited. I'm a bit of a freshness nut, so I like to make my cookies as close to putting them on the platter as possible. Then this past Saturday I went to a cookie making party and the cookie bug bit. Big time. So since most of the candy has been made and given away, it's time to focus on the cookies.

Yesterday I managed to make three varieties of cookie before my son insisted I call it quits and spend some time with him. I made my favorite Choco-Marshmallow Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and a new drop cookie, White Chocolate Apricot Cookies. I had never made the peanut butter blossoms before, but they turned out really well. You can head over to Kids Cuisine for the recipe for those this morning. The White Chocolate Apricot cookies I'm still on the fence about. I do like them- the flavor is excellent, but I'm just not sure they're Christmas Cookie worthy. As they sit they develop more flavor, and I really like the combination of white chocolate, apricots, and pecans in a caramel flavored cookie dough, but they just don't scream something special to me. But they are definitely good enough to repeat and be an everyday cookie.

Today I hope to make my Greek Honey-Nut Wedges, a Chocolate-Cherry cookie if I have enough cherries, and then maybe, just maybe, I'll get myself worked up enough to work on my truffles. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I want to do them this year, but I figure at least one batch should go on the books for the year.

White Chocolate-Apricot Cookies

1 cup butter -- at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar -- packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried apricots -- chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate
3/4 cup pecans -- chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl until smoothly blended.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring the mixture into a smooth dough.

Add the apricots and white chocolate, stirring until the pieces are thoroughly dispersed.

Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

Let the cookies set on the sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring them with a spatula to wire racks to cool.

A New Use for Zucchini

2007-12-18T08:12:00.000-06:00

After completely overdoing the zucchini this past summer, I am finally to the point where I can begin to eat it again. Really, I'd had enough of it for a long while, and learned my lesson well for next year. I was looking for a different appetizer to serve this past Sunday and I found a recipe for zucchini squares. It was a savory recipe, and used shredded zucchini. At first I glanced past it, too much zucchini still strong in my brain, but then I went back to it, really looked it over, and decided it couldn't hurt to try it out. I pulled two packages of zucchini out of the freezer to thaw. I had previously shredded them and froze them in 2-cup packages, the amount I need for a batch of zucchini bread, so I was kind of excited to find another use for them!

The rest of the ingredients were simple. Eggs, seasonings, oil, cheese, and biscuit mix. I still have that box of Bisquick Heart Smart lurking around, so I was happy to find another use for that as well. I looked at the oil called for, and decided it was way too much and reduced that to 1/3 of a cup from 1/2, and I suspect that it could be reduced further to 1/4 cup yet. I had to eliminate the onions because a guest who was coming was allergic, so I also left out the seasoning salt called for (who knew onions lurked in so many things!). Instead, I used grey sea salt and some Penzey's Tuscan Sunset- a fabulous salt-free blend that really perks up anything I use it in. When it came time to add the zucchini I decided to squeeze the liquid out of most of it and use all four cups. I poured the delicious smelling mixture into the pan and baked it up, and in no time I had a savory little appetizer begging to be cut into squares and eaten.

I've decided that I like this one. I honestly wasn't sure if I would like it, but all the flavors came through, and I thought the only thing missing was some marinara to dunk them in. Altogether we ate about half the pan, so I have the remainder in the freezer to be pulled out for Christmas- this time with the marinara. I think I'm also going to cut them into fingers to be easier to dunk. This is a great way to use up some frozen zucchini, and a nice no-fuss appetizer to serve to guests. They freeze beautifully, a quick run through the oven and they perk right back up, so these Zucchini Squares would be excellent to have around for unexpected drop-ins.

Zucchini Squares

4 large eggs -- beaten until smooth
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian spice blend (I used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset)
1/2 teaspoon grey salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquick Heart Smart)
4 cups zucchini -- grated and squeezed to remove excess moisture
1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- grated (or mozzarella)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce -- for dipping

To the eggs add, parsley, spice blend, salt, garlic powder, oil & biscuit mix.

Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients, stir until mixed.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake 350f oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden.

Cut into squares.

Serve warm or cool with marinara sauce for dunking in.

Havin' A Party!

2007-12-17T06:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a Christmas party for our regular Sunday Company Dinner folks and a few other friends. It was a blast. We all had a great time visiting and eating, and really getting into the holiday spirit with each other. I have a couple of recipes to share with you yet this week from things made at the party, but first today a few photos, and one recipe that is not one that I made.

First, here is a picture of my party helper. I decided to make some festive Snickerdoodles to add to my cookie plate for the party, and as I was rolling the dough into balls, Abigail walked into the kitchen. She lit up, asked what I was doing and then asked if she could help. Hot dog, I had plenty of other things to do to get ready for the party, so I handed her the dough balls and the bowl of sugar and told her to go to town. She really enjoys being involved, and the best part was that after she was done helping me, she was in helper mode and went and helped Andy with some cleaning.

Usually when we have Sunday Company Dinner, the kids all eat at the dining room table, and we grown-ups snag the living room, or a piece of floor, or a piece of counter to eat at. But this week since it was more of a celebratory occasion, we put in Frosty The Snowman on in our bedroom TV and let the kids all take their plates upstairs to watch while they ate. They were so excited! What was insanely cute was that none of them actually wanted to sit on the floor to eat, and all by themselves they started setting up the little chairs and stools in the house and they sat in a little line with plates of food on their laps. Well, all except Zander, who sensed the impending disaster should a plate of food actually be on his lap, so I wisely set his plate on the floor and would bend over to grab a bite. I had to take a picture of the kids...they were just so cute!And finally, the recipe for the day. This is one of those ones that I have eyed up since the day I saw it. It just looked really good to me, but I have yet to try and make them. I guess it doesn't come to mind very often when I'm looking for something to make. Until yesterday, that is. We had a family join us for Sunday Company Dinner who had never come before (and I sure hope they consider a regular appearance!) and they brought Oreo Balls. So simple, so pretty to look at, and by golly if they weren't delicious! They thoughtfully left the plate of them here and I haven't been able to stay away from them. I'm eyeing them up even now, wondering how one would be with my coffee! Or two or three or...So now, thanks to all the wonderful company we had yesterday, now I am officially "in the mood." It's the holiday season and time to celebrate! This year we'll be celebrating very simply, staying close to home and spending time with family. How are you celebrating this year? Any must-have traditions? Forging your own new tradition this year? Do tell, I'd love to hear it!

Oreo Balls

1 package regular size Oreo cookies -- crushed
1 package cream cheese -- (8 ounce) softened
1 package white almond bark

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together.

Roll into walnut size balls.

Chill for an hour.

Melt the package of white almond bark.

Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark.

Allow to harden on wax paper, sprinkling with colored sugars or non-pareils before setting if desired.

Thinking of Others: Menu For Hope 4

2007-12-14T07:01:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year where we spend time giving gifts and receiving gifts, and celebrating the wonders of the season with those we love. This time of year also means that my thoughts often turn towards those who are less fortunate. While we sit in our snug home, eating at each meal, with snacks often in between, there are people all over the world who don't even know where their next meal is coming from, or if it will even come in time...

Here in the United States, those who have school-aged children are fortunate to have school lunch programs available. Those families who have very little or no money, can often be assured that their little ones will at least have a hot meal during the school day. In other countries, children are not so fortunate.

That's one of the many reasons why this year's Menu For Hope is so important, and so dear to me. This year's proceeds from A Menu For Hope will be used by The World Food Programme to help support the school lunch program in the country of Lesotho. The very generous Chez Pim is once again spearheading and hosting the Menu For Hope campaign this year. One of the many things she has done this year includes getting some photos taken from the country of Lesotho. You can click here to see those photos- it's truly amazing to see just how little these people have.

Here's where you come in. Last year food bloggers helped raise over $62,000 for the UN World Food Programme, and we want to beat it this year! When so many people have so little, surely you can find an extra $10 in your pocket to contribute to the cause- I know I did. And here's the best part. By contributing just $10, you can also enter a chance to win some truly amazing prizes. There are so many to pick from- you can see the complete list here. The prizes run the gamut, from signed cookbooks, homemade sweets, and complimentary dinners to some truly amazing culinary experiences with premiere chefs around the country. The process is simple. Scroll down the prize offerings to find what you like, and then click over to the Firstgiving site to make your donation. You enter your prize codes in the comments section of your donation, and just like that, you've been entered into some very generous prize raffles. You can choose one prize per $10 you donate, so the more you donate, the more chances you have to win the prizes you want the most.

Please consider giving to this oh-so-worthy cause. And thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart.

A Slightly Savory Cookie

2007-12-13T07:33:00.000-06:00

This is a cookie that is slightly different, depending how you look at it. I was looking through my cookie magazines, and there was one that caught my eye that was just a touch different. It used fennel in it. At first I discarded the notion, but then I came back to it. We've become very fond of fennel, using it in everything, how would it be in a cookie? Then I thought about gingersnaps, and pfefferneuse, and peanut butter cookies, and thought about all the savory ingredients I already use in cookies, how could fennel be bad?

I adapted the recipe quite a bit though. It called for lemon, which I didn't have, but I did have an orange. And I thought orange and fennel would be a brilliant combination of flavors. It also called for crushed fennel seeds, but it struck me that toasting the seeds first would add something great, so I did that as well. I crushed my fennel with a mortar and pestle, but if you don't have one, just put your seeds in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. What? You don't have fennel seeds? You should! They are a pantry staple for me- I buy them in bulk at Penzey's, you should have fennel seeds on hand at all times!

Anyway, back to the cookies. The recipe also suggested a curd filling, like a thumbprint, but I decided that a curd filling would completely overwhelm the delicate flavor of the fennel. Instead, I opted for a very simple drizzle, combining powdered sugar, milk, and a lone drop of orange oil. The result is a rather stellar cookie. The orange flavor is bright and vibrant, and the fennel seed adds a prominent flavor without overwhelming. They are a delicious cookie! Which, in all honesty, kind of surprised me. These are slightly on the savory side, meaning they aren't as sweet as a traditional cookie. I think they would go excellently with tea or even with some bright crisp wine- Riesling perhaps? These Orange-Fennel Cookies surpassed my expectations, and I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Orange-Fennel Cookies
1 orange
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
2 cups all-purpose flour
turbinado sugar
Simple glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 drop orange oil
2 teaspoons milk

Remove the zest from the orange using a zester. Measure 2 teaspoons of orange peel. Juice the orange and measure 2 tablespoons of juice.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until well combined. Add the orange juice, zest, eggs, vanilla, and the fennel seeds. Stir in the flour. Wrap the dough well in plastic and refrigerate for several hours, or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Shape the dough into 3/4 inch balls. Roll the balls in the turbinado sugar to coat and place on an ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press down on them slightly with a glass to flatten a bit. Bake in a preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Combine the simple glaze ingredients, adding more milk if necessary to get a good consistency. Lightly drizzle the cookies with the glaze and allow to set completely.

To store, layer in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

English Toffee

2007-12-12T07:19:00.000-06:00

I tried a new recipe for toffee the other day. I think. The problem came when I was looking for a toffee recipe and I found this one in my Mastercook program in my candy cookbook. I thought I'd only put tried and trues in there- yet here was a recipe that I was sure I'd never made before. It sounded simple enough though, and I really wanted a standard English toffee to accompany my almond toffee.

What was crazy to me about this recipe was it's method. The ingredients are first combined and cooked over high heat- stirring the whole while. Then the heat is reduced to low, a candy thermometer added, and no stirring is allowed. None. I found that really difficult to adhere to! And even worse was the fact that it cooked on low. Do you have any idea how long the toffee took to get up to temperature!? I would say about 45 minutes. It was sooooo tempting to turn up the heat, but I didn't. After a long, long while, the temperature started creeping up, and finally, the moment came where I could pour out the toffee. The only error I think I made is that I scraped the bottom of the pan. I wanted all that toffee-goodness, but the stuff on the bottom of the pan had started to darken just a bit. Next time I will pour it out and leave the leavings behind.

And there will be a next time. Without the crazy mad-stirring and all that, I was worried this toffee wasn't going to turn out, but it's delightful. It's a very delicious toffee. It snaps just like toffee should, and it has a wonderful browned butter-caramel flavor. It's fantastic! I had halved the recipe and poured it into a 9 x 13 pan, and that worked very well. The very center is a little too thick though, so next time I will use a larger sheet pan to pour it on and try and get it a little thinner. Overall, I'm thrilled with it. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from, but I sure am loving it! This English Toffee is nothing short of spectacular- follow the directions and you won't be sorry. And if you're still looking for a new cookie or two to add to your cookie trays these years, you'll also want to check out my Kids Cuisine post today. Zander and I made a cherry-walnut snowball that I think is really pretty and tasty too!

English Toffee
4 cups pecans -- finely chopped
1 pound butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 pound milk chocolate

Butter a 12x18 baking sheet; cover with pecans and set aside. In a heavy 3 qt saucepan, combine butter, water, corn syrup, and sugar. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low; remove wooden spoon.

Clip on candy thermometer. Cook syrup to 290F or soft crack stage. Remove from heat immediately and pour over pecans. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

Melt chocolate. Spread over the top of the toffee. Sprinkle warm chocolate with nuts if desired- pressing lightly so they adhere.

Allow to stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Break into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes 4-5 pounds- or around 150 pieces.

The Lessons are Neverending

2007-12-11T07:22:00.000-06:00

Just when you think you've made all the errors you possibly can this baking season...another one leaps out from the oven.

Yesterday I spent some time testing some new cookies. One of my challenges this year is to take the ingredients I have and use existing pantry ingredients only in my baking and candy-making. Due to the generosity of a few family members, I have a nicely stocked baking pantry right now. I have all different kinds of sugars and chips and nuts and things to use in my holiday baking. So as I'm looking for a new cookie to try here and there, I'm keeping in mind what I have in my pantry. It's kind of fun, actually, like a treasure hunt. It's been nice flipping through all my cookie magazines, looking for new ones that catch my eye, and then checking out the ingredients and directions. I've found several new ones to try- and yesterday I tried two new cookies and one toffee. I also created a new rule- only make a half-batch if possible, so if disaster strikes, I'm only wasting half the ingredients.

And I learned a new lesson about white chocolate. White chocolate chips and white baking chocolate are not interchangeable. I made a white chocolate peppermint cookie that called for white baking chocolate to be melted and folded in the dough. I simply thought I could use chips, and I did. Well, the chips tightened the dough up too much, and the resulting cookies were not what they were intended to be. These were drop cookies, so they were supposed to spread and bake up like a regular cookie. Instead, the cookies that I'd scooped with my cookie scoop stayed scoop-shaped. I was annoyed with myself. Then I tasted the cookies and found a very delicious cookie. I love the flavors- the white chocolate and peppermint are an amazing combination. SO while my cookies are not perfect, the flavor is there. So I will be nibbling on my half-batch myself and then when I get some white baking chocolate, I'll be making these again for my cookie trays.

They really are excellent. I used some Ande's candy cane baking chips that I'd found in the pantry, but the original recipe called for crushed candy-canes. The Ande's chips worked perfectly, but next time I think I'm going to use the Guittard mint chips I'd found. Try them if you like white chocolate- just pay attention to the white chocolate you use. White Chocolate-Peppermint Drops are an excellent cookie.

White Chocolate Peppermint Drops
8 ounces *white chocolate baking squares (with cocoa butter)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup peppermint chips (such as Andes or Guittard)
(or sub in 2/3 cup crushed peppermint candy canes)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Chop 4 ounces of the white chocolate, set aside. In a small saucepan, cook and stir the remaining 4 ounces white chocolate over low heat until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the baking powder and salt, mix well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Beat in about half of the flour. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining flour until combined, and then fold in the chopped white chocolate and peppermint chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 375ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Makes about 50 cookies.

*Be sure to use a good quality white chocolate for the melting chocolate. White chocolate chips will not work in the dough for melting. However, chips would be a fine substitute for chopping the remaining white chocolate.

The Problem With An Anonymous Gift...

2007-12-10T12:26:00.001-06:00

Is that I don't know who to express my gratitude towards! So in the off-chance that my mysterious benefactor reads my blog... Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. What a delightful surprise- and thank you for making Christmas that much brighter! Bless you and your generous heart.

A Lesson In Leavening

2007-12-10T06:54:00.001-06:00

You would think that the candy failure would have taught me a lesson. Yet here I was trying to do too much at once, and then Andy mentioned gingersnaps. I had forgotten to add them to my list of cookies to make, and once he mentioned them, I had to make them. I dug out the recipe for Ginger Spice Cookies and looked it over. The only thing missing was the crystallized ginger. While that addition does create a spectacular ginger cookie, I was certain I could make them without- there were plenty of spices for the cookie to stand on it's own two feet. So I mixed up the dough and set it in the fridge to chill.

Then I was distracted for a short while before returning to bake my cookies. I rolled the first batch into small balls and rolled them in turbinado sugar. Twelve minutes later I popped open the oven door to pull them out, eager for my first glimpse of the sparkling spice cookies...wait, this isn't right. These haven't changed since I put them on the pan. $%^*#$ cookies. This is supposed to be fun, and first that awful candy and now this...Surely I'm missing something. I double check the recipe, making sure I wrote everything down, when one ingredient gives me pause. I don't remember adding that. And it calls for 2 teaspoons, surely I would remember dipping in the box twice.That has to be it. I forgot the leavening. I looked at the ball of dough, and looked at the box, and decided that it couldn't hurt to try and mix in some baking soda. It was either attempt to mix it in now, or throw out the whole batch of dough and be really mad at myself. I kneaded in the baking soda, let it sit for a few minutes and then tried again.
That's much better.

And lesson learned. Don't be distracted when making your Christmas treats, and definitely don't forget the leavening. Oh, and these are just fine without the crystallized ginger- they're still a delicious spicy cookie.

Ginger Spice Cookies (a.k.a. the best ginger cookies evah) adapted from Epicurious.com

makes about 30 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup crystallized ginger
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

Turbinado sugar

Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Chop the crystallized ginger finely; mix into dry ingredients. (To keep the ginger from clumping together, sprinkle pieces across the top of the flour mixture, then fold in.) With an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter baking sheet. Pour turbinado sugar into a thick layer on a small plate. (Regular granulated sugar will work for this, too, though the larger crystals of the turbinado add an extra crunch to the cookie.) Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. (I made my balls more like 1-inch, and ended up with about 48 cookies.)

Bake cookies until tops are cracked but still soft to the touch, 11-12 minutes. Cool on sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to racks and cool. Store in airtight container to maintain outer shell’s crunch… if they last that long.

A Plea For The Local Readership

2007-12-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

This is going to sound like a crazy post, I am sure, but I'm hoping that one or two of the locals who read this blog will be able to help me out here.

Last Christmas, we bought Abigail a fish tank. Over the last year, we've really come to enjoy the fish in the house. Sometime this last fall we decided we enjoy it so much, we needed to upgrade Abigail's tank to a larger one. A faulty filter pump sped that process up, and we upgraded her to a larger tank. I managed to repair the filter pump after the fact and decided to set up her old small tank in the living room for more fish. I kept putting it off and putting it off, and then a week before Thanksgiving, I set it up and bought some new fish- 3 black Mollies to be exact. These were my "beta" fish, designed to get my tank to cycle, knowing full well that the starter fish could very well not last long.

So imagine my surprise, when these fish seem to be languishing, and then one day we discover something new in the tank. And then another something, and then, oh dear, about 25 new somethings! One of my fish was pregnant when I bought her! At first we simply enjoyed the fish and the experience, fully expecting that the majority of these baby fish would in fact, be eaten by the adult fish in the tank. It happens. Well, it's been two more weeks, and every single one of my babies are still intact and thriving. In fact, the increase in fish enabled my tank to cycle in half the amount of time. I've moved six of the babies into Abigail's already crowded tank, but that leaves twenty-some in the tank. (Hey, they move around and are difficult to count.) I did lose my one male adult before the tank cycled, but I suspect he did his duty on at least one of the ladies before his final swim.

Which brings me to the crux of this post. I need a home for my fish! The condition is that they need to go to an established fresh-water tank. These are baby fish, so they won't do for a brand new set up, and I can't even guarantee that they'll live. But if there's anyone in my area who would like these fish, or knows someone who would like some fish- please send me an e-mail at tummytreasureATgmailDOTcom. You can have 2, 3, 4, 8, as many as your tank will hold. I just can't flush them, and we're not in a position to upgrade to the big tank that I really want for my fish, so I'll just have to give them away. They're all black mollies- but some of them seem to have a hint of silver on their bellies. Should be interesting to see how they grow.

I Hate Candy Failure!

2007-12-07T10:57:00.000-06:00

There's nothing more disappointing to me. I tried a new recipe this morning for a peanut butter candy. The recipe was from a really reliable source, so I went ahead with it, expecting a peanut butter treasure. Instead, about 40 degrees before it was even where it was supposed to be, I began smelling burned sugar. I thought about halting there, but no....I had to continue on and of course I was rewarded with a pan of burnt peanut butter...something. Not even remotely edible. I hate wasting ingredients, and this one used a full cup of peanut butter. I won't be trying again. Had it been an old recipe that I was just having problems with, I would give it another go, but I don't want to try this one again.

Luckily, before this one, I made a quick batch of almond toffee- and that worked out beautifully! So I was able to break off a tiny sliver of that and console myself with it. I love this almond toffee. Anna, from Cookie Madness is entirely responsible for my obsession with it. And my whole family's obsession with it. And pretty much everyone I know who has ever had a taste. It's the best almond toffee I've ever had, and her latest variation of the recipe is even easier than it was before. I'll direct you to her post for the recipe-it's well worth giving a try.

I also have a tip this morning for making that almond toffee- and any other candy for that matter. But in order to check out that tip, I'm going to have to redirect you to my latest article at The Cook's Kitchen.

That's about it for today. I hope I'll be able to get a few more candy posts going in the next week or so. It's really much easier to make than you would think. (Despite today's disaster, I suppose.) TGIF!

In Search of A New Job

2007-12-06T07:30:00.000-06:00

Anyone? Picture this. Tuesday and Wednesday the big snowstorm passed through the area where Andy is working. Snowstorms mean icy slippery roads, hazardous driving conditions, etc. The National Weather Service tells people to stay off the roads as much as possible. Yet where is my husband? Working. On the side of the road. Does that sound like a safety minded company to you? I think not. So seriously. If anyone reading this has any connections... Andy works construction, and all that entails. And if you're not connected, could you maybe send a prayer or two in his direction while he's working on the side of the slippery road and looking for a new job? Sheesh. Like I really needed something else to worry about! And he's not even being compensated for being in harm's way!!!

Okay. Enough venting. Today Abigail's class at school is wrapping up a social studies unit on world geography, and they are celebrating with a "trip around the world". Abigail asked if I could make something from another country to bring in. She chose the country of Mexico and asked to bring chips and salsa. Chips and salsa? I didn't make homemade salsa this year, and I wasn't about to make homemade chips. I thought I could do better and sought out a Mexican cookie. Would you believe there aren't many? I didn't think the kids in class would appreciate Mexican Wedding Cakes- plus I think I wouldn't be appreciated for the powdered sugar mess from that. So I thought about Mexican ingredients, like cinnamon and decided to play with the Mexican theme. I used my Snickerdoodle recipe, only I put the cinnamon in the cookie instead of on the cookie. And then I carefully dipped each end in colored sugar, one red and one green. The end result? Mexican Flag Cookies. Abigail is very excited to share them today.And then you have to check out these chips. Last night we stopped at Cost Plus: World Market while Abigail was in ballet class. I wanted to see if they had any bulk chocolate for dipping truffles in, which of course, they didn't. But they had a ton of other neat things for holiday baking. These mint chips from Guittard ended up in my basket. I have no idea what I'll be doing with them, but they're a vibrant minty green and very tasty. Texture wise they're on the melty side, pretty decadent little chips actually.

Finally, I have to share, Andy was home last night because of the weather, so he had a chance to try yesterday's Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup. He loved it too, so it's definitely going to be a regular here.

Snickerdoodles
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together with a mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix well to combine. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Roll the cookie dough into small 3/4 inch balls. Roll each ball of dough well in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 45 cookies.

Thanks Cookworm!

2007-12-05T06:34:00.000-06:00

Since Andy is out of town this week, I'm making a lot of kid-friendly fare here. In my mind, there is just no point experimenting on my monsters when he's gone- it's so much easier to just make what they like and be done with it. Yet that's not always appealing to myself. I enjoy mac and cheese as much as the next guy, but by golly, it's winter here! And that means soup. I love soup, adore soup, I'd eat it every day if I could. My kids, not so much. They'll pick at it, and they are always willing to try, but big soup-eaters, they are not.

I planned to make soup. But since it was just for me, this was my opportunity to experiment and try a completely new soup- maybe find one to put into regular rotation (if there really is such a thing I guess). Looking in my freezer I found an insane amount of pork, and contemplated some kind of posole or something, but since I lack any of the other basic ingredients, I decided to pass for now. Then I found the frozen tube of Mexican Chorizo-ah ha! I found one part to my soup. A trip to the pantry found about 2 1/2 cups of dried black beans. Black beans? Chorizo? Surely there is a soup out there that combines these two. Only, not really. I did find one at Epicurious that looked promising, and a chili in last month's Cooking Light (but that included beef as well, and not really what I was looking for).

I resigned myself to making the epicurious one, I pulled the chorizo out of the fridge to thaw overnight, and cooked up the black beans to have them at the ready the next morning. Then, yesterday morning I decided to do some checking up on a few blogs I've been neglecting, and right there, front and center was a Black Bean and Pumpkin Stew. With Chorizo. My old swap buddy April of Cookworm had just posted a rather interesting looking stew. And I had every single ingredient on her list. It was fate. I pulled the pumpkin out of the freezer to thaw, and then the vegetable broth as well. (See, a well stocked freezer comes in super handy!) I put the stew together after lunch, but then I decided I really was more in the mood for soup and I doubled the veggie broth to make it soup instead of stew. Here's where I have a confession: I had serious doubts about this soup. While I was previously gung-ho about the project, I just wasn't sure about the pumpkin. I love pumpkin and squash, but I have yet to have a positive experience with them in something savory. I just prefer them sweet- even when mashed- they get a pat of butter and some brown sugar. That's just the way I am.

But something magical happened in that soup pot. The pumpkin shared it's sweetness, the chorizo it's spiciness, the black beans their earthiness, the garlic and onions shared all their flavor, and that final shot of vinegar at the end just took it over the top. This was one amazing soup! I crushed up a few tortilla chips to add to my serving, and a scattering of parsley. I had planned on eating this soup all week, but I am already thinking about it this early in the morning, and I'm thinking of how wonderful it would be for lunch. One thing is for sure. This soup is going into the repertoire, and I will be making this again for Andy. This is also very economical- for me it was literally free, but Mexican chorizo I tend to find very inexpensively, and beans and pumpkin are also really low in price. Thank you so much April! Be sure to head over to Cookworm to check out her original version of the recipe. My version of Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup has been customized to accommodate my changes.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup
adapted from a recipe by April at Cookworm

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 4 cups cooked black beans)
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squashed, cooked, cooled, and mashed (or 1 15-oz can)
1/2 lb Mexican chorizo, crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, ground
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla chips and parsley to garnish

Heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook until onions are translucent. Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stir for a few seconds, then add the beans, pumpkin, and stock. Cover and cook on medium-low for 30 to 40 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and parsley.

Makes about 4 servings

Easy, Delicious, and Multi-Functional

2007-12-04T06:58:00.000-06:00

I forgot to share this recipe last week! Something that I struggle with every year is the day after Thanksgiving. I mean, what do you eat for dinner that day? The last two years we have had company, so I've also felt that trotting out a redux of The Great Feast just isn't the most thoughtful thing for my guests. And after a few days of cooking, I still wanted something fairly easy. Last year we made Indian food, which was a huge hit for post-turkey day. But this year, I was stumped. Until Andy mentioned tacos. I had a beef roast in the freezer that was on the tough side, but with the right method of cooking (read:braising) it would tenderize and become delicious.

So I pulled out a recipe that I've been meaning to try for ages for Beef Carnitas. Carnitas is simply a word for an all-purpose shredded meat mixture. I already make a Pork Carnitas from Cooking Light that we simply love, but have had yet to try the beef version. I assembled the ingredients a full week ahead of time. This was going to be made and then tucked into the freezer. It was perfect. It was mild in flavor- with just a touch of heat from some crushed red pepper flake. I went back and forth on using the orange wedge, but I ended up doing so, and I'm so glad I did. It sounds strange, but it really did make the dish! Ultimately, the beef was served up with tortillas, guacamole, and tomatillo salsa, and it was very good. I had leftovers in a quesadilla with some beans and I enjoyed it even more. The only thing I regret is that I didn't take the time to make my own corn crepes- the Beef Carnitas would have sung.

The Beef Carnitas comes together with very little hands-on time, and can be used for just about anything. Tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, empanadas, anyway you decide to use the beef- you'll love it's versatility. The cumin seeds are my addition- and I loved what they added, so do consider them for your version. You can also add any other seasonings that you would like- maybe chili powder or a chipotle chili for a smoky version. Anyway you do it- it's worth the small effort.

Beef Carnitas
from Cooking Light Magazine

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves -- crushed
2 pounds beef stew meat -- trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large unpeeled orange wedge

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray

. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes or until beef is browned on all sides. Add cumin seeds and saute for another 2 minutes, or until cumin is nice and fragrant.

Stir in broth, sugar, salt, and pepper; nestle orange section into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove and discard orange. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Yield:
"4 Cups"

Warning: Slow Moving Vehicle

2007-12-03T09:37:00.001-06:00

Well, after the excitement of the last week, this week is going to be the exact opposite. Not much going on in the kitchen though, I'm afraid. Andy is working out of town, so I likely won't be cooking much this week. I do happen to have some fresh bread dough rising as I write this, and I have an idea for a soup this week, but other than that, it looks to be a slow week.

Lately I've spent a lot of time looking up specifics on frugal cookery. Andy's new job is not bringing home the proverbial bacon as it was supposed to be, so pantry cooking has become my mantra. (I'm just glad I have a well-stocked pantry to do so with.) It's not always very exciting cooking, but with a full spice cabinet and a stocked freezer, I am able to change things up so they suit our family nicely. My big challenge right now is to get my son to eat beans. With all the experimentation I've been doing with beans, I've really fallen in love with them and could eat a simple bowl of cooked dried beans any day of the week. Abigail will eat them on occasion, but not all the time. Imagine the possibilities if they came around!

There are a few sites out there that address cooking on a budget, and a few have caught my eye, so I thought I'd share. The first one is Hillbilly Housewife. This site is full of interesting tips to help save a buck, and also includes recipes, and weekly menu plans for someone on a budget. While not all the recipes appeal to me, that may to someone else.

I've also found a few recipes on Frugal Cooking which interest me.

And you wouldn't think it, but someone sent me a link to the USDA website, Food Stamp Nutrition Connect. There are many recipes on there which surprised me, and it's great to see a step in the right direction regarding food stamps and nutrition. Now if only the people who utilized the food stamp program had Internet access and computers...

And finally, it wasn't that long ago that I realized that my favorite recipe-finding site, Recipezaar had a community and forums. The people there are so friendly, that I just love reading how others save money in the kitchen. The Cooking On A Budget forum is great for tips and once-a-month-cooking ideas.

I know I ask for tips every once in a while for cooking on a budget, and I even have a label dedicated to it in budget friendly ideas. But are there any new tips out there? Suggestions? Recipes? I'd love to see them and have them for future reference.

My Little Nutcracker

2007-12-02T07:55:00.001-06:00

I've never seen my little girl so excited, enamored, and just plain thrilled. She completely enjoyed her Nutcracker experience, and can't wait for next year. Last night she told me she was sad that it was all over, and I can't say that I blame her. It was wonderful, and she was wonderful. Here are some pictures of her in her battle mouse costume, and then one of her in her Chinese costume with her Auntie Lizzie.

And then her she is at the end of a very long day yesterday. She got a trophy for all her hard work. She is very proud of that trophy and it already has a place of honor in her bedroom. This morning she was listening to her Nutcracker CD, naming all the dances and thinking of them in her head. The whole experience made quite the impression on both our kids, and I suspect there will be many, many more Nutcrackers to come for this household.

Bits and Pieces Today

2007-11-30T06:06:00.000-06:00

I have to start today by bragging about my daughter. It seems like she can never find enough ways to amaze me. This weekend is her Nutcracker debut. She has spent the last two evenings at hours-long dress rehearsals, and just can't seem to get enough! Despite the late hours she has been waking chipper and ready to head to school, because once she's at school, that means she's that much closer to going back to Nutcracker activities. Tonight is her first performance, and we're all so excited for her- and she is equally excited. She just lights up when she's on stage, I cannot wait to see her dance her little heart out. She has two roles- the first being a battle mouse and the second being a Chinese dancer. She's been practicing her dances at recess all week, and The Nutcracker has taken over our home- every time we watch or listen, she drops what she's doing to dance her part. She truly is amazing and passionate about her dancing, as well as watching her colleagues on stage. She's really shown a maturity this week that, frankly, I'm not ready for. :-)

So the last two days there really hasn't been much cooking, nor is there going to be today or tomorrow much. We've had to have dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon,because it's just too late by the time we all get home to eat before bed. That's really flipping early. But I've manged. The first day it was the Oatmeal Pancakes we had on Halloween, and last night it was grilled cheese with Zesty Oven Baked Fries. It felt really strange to be making fries at 2:00 in the afternoon. But, they were a new recipe to me, and I'm rather pleased with them. The only error I made was that I double the potatoes, but didn't double the seasonings- I was worried about them being too zesty for my kids. As it was, they were tasty, but I could see where double the seasonings would have had me really excited about sharing them today. You can click on the link for them above to see the recipe on Recipezaar.

With all the excitement of having a daughter performing on stage, I've decided that I've felt a little left out. So I'm playing Oprah, and I've made up an Amazon store of some of Tummy Treasure's favorite things. I get asked quite often for ideas for gifts for people, so I took my favorite things and made a few lists. Most everything in my Amazon store is tried and true for me, and if it's not, well, then it's something I really, really want, and I know the foodie in your life will love it. Check it out! There's also a link in my sidebar if you'd rather.

I also wanted to mention today that I did finally get around to making The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. They are ridiculously easy to make- no kneading required. We had them Thanksgiving morning for company,and they were a huge hit all around. I had made them ahead of time and froze them without the icing, and then perked them up in the oven for 20 minutes before icing and serving. I think I'll be making them again for us to have Christmas morning. They're definitely dangerous, and I could see them becoming a staple in the freezer. I did cut the recipe in half, and I have it posted in my Recipe Trove as a half batch. Be sure and check out Pioneer Woman's take on them though to see exactly how it's done, and to see the recipe as a whole. Wonderful, wonderful cinnamon rolls.

That's about it for today. There likely won't be a weekend post here from me, as we'll be spending all day tomorrow at Kaukauna High School for three performances of The Nutcracker, and Sunday we'll be spending the day painting a set for next weekend's Christmas program at our church. Sigh. After that, we are free to be un-busy for the remainder of the holiday season. Knock on wood. I'll leave you with this picture of my handsome little man sampling one of Mommy's green apple lollipops.

Candy Season Has Begun!

2007-11-27T19:16:00.000-06:00

As I was surveying my sprinkle collection the other day, my eye caught a small package of sucker sticks. I was excited! I didn't realize I had any of those left, and the wheels started turning. It wasn't long before I pulled out my sucker molds, fitted them with sticks, and started a candy-making session. I decided on a half batch, since I wasn't sure how many suckers a full batch would make. Plus I was thinking that a second batch in a different flavor might be fun for another day as well.

Believe me when I say that I made homemade lollipops in about 15 minutes, and completely delighted my children. I started with corn syrup, sugar and water, and cooked it, stirring occasionally, to 300ºF on my candy thermometer. I added a few drops of strawberry candy flavoring and color and then drizzled the scalding hot syrup into the molds. By the time Zander and I arrived back home from picking up Abigail, they'd cooled completely, and the kids were beyond excited. I'm not particularly thrilled with this strawberry flavoring, but overall, I love being reminded how simple something is. These homemade lollipops took very little time and ingredients. If you wanted to try making these without the molds, you could drop circles of hot sugar syrup onto a well-greased cookie sheet (or use Reynold's Release Foil and no grease) and then press a sucker stick into each circle. Remember to work oh-so carefully with hot sugar syrup. It will melt your skin like butter. Homemade Lollipops

1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

Combine ingredients in a sturdy saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Carefully clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook the sugar syrup mixture to 300ºF- or hard crack stage. Remove from heat. Carefully stir in flavorings* and colorings.

Fill sucker molds with hot sugar syrup, or carefully pour hot syrup into little circles on a well-greased baking sheet. Set sucker sticks into each circle. Allow to cool completely before handling.

Makes about 20 lollipops.

*You can purchase specialty confectionery flavorings at some craft stores, candy supply stores, or at my favorite online store Country Kitchen Sweet Art. For most flavorings you want to use 1/8 teaspoon of flavoring per batch of lollipops. For added tartness you can also add a pinch of citric acid, also available at a specialty store.

Taking Care of a Curry Craving

2007-11-27T19:05:00.000-06:00

I've been craving those Indian flavor again- ever since Thanksgiving. I had it in my mind to try a turkey curry of sorts with some leftovers, but never got around to it. Then yesterday morning I was peering in the fridge, looking for something to nosh on when I saw the unopened bag of spinach. With a best by date of yesterday. At the same time, my mind replayed seeing a can of chickpeas in the kitchen annex, and I also recalled seeing a recipe somewhere with those exact ingredients. Sure enough. I found just such a recipe in one of my Cooking Light Annuals- the one from October 2002 to be exact.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry was more than what I was looking for. Not only did it use on-hand ingredients, but it was a 10 minute dinner. I gave some basmati rice a head start, and before I could blink I had a simple curry dish begging for a dollop of chutney. I did tweak the recipe a tiny bit. First, I added a clove of garlic to the onions and ginger. I've never made an Indian recipe without it, I wasn't about to start. I also used a curry paste instead of the original curry powder called for, since I had a jar in the fridge. And my final tweak was a tiny sprinkling of Garam Masala at the very end. I just love the flavor that adds to my curries, and I wouldn't want to eat one without it. I scooped the curry onto some basmati rice, and then topped the whole thing with a scoop of plain yogurt and my pear chutney. I couldn't have asked for better. I got everything I wanted for dinner, including leftovers for tonight. And honestly and truly- it was a 10 minute dinner if you don't include the rice. Adding the time for the rice takes it to 20 minutes. Not bad in the least to satisfy a craving and make a nutritious dinner in one fell stroke.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry
adapted from Cooking Light, October 2002

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste (I like Pataks)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

Combine onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until minced.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture, sugar, and curry to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, water, salt, and Garam Masala; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

Serve over basmati rice with plain yogurt and chutney.

Makes about 3 servings.

Really Good Pecan Pie

2007-11-27T06:15:00.000-06:00

I realize that just seeing the words pecan pie may be causing you to shudder. To think back to the past several days and the holiday feasting that ensued. But stick with me, this pie is totally worth it. I love pecan pie. We never had it growing up. I don't know why, since it's one of my mom's favorites too. I remember when I told her I was going to attempt pecan pie for the first time, her warning me that it was tricky, so maybe that's the reason she never made it. Apparantly it can be made incorrectly, and the filling curdles and turns into something ugly. I don't know about that. My Joy of Cooking tells me it is possible to completely ruin a pecan pie, but I've never had one turn out bad.

Every year I try something just a little bit different. Last year it was a variation that included cranberries. That was good, but the cranberries were supposed to reign in the sweetness, and instead they kind of disappeared, so this year I thought we'd try a bittersweet chocolate. Once upon a time I had a chocolate chip pie that was a lot like a pecan pie. It was so good, but incredibly rich and gooey, and I've never tried recreating it. But adding bittersweet chocolate chips to a caramel-like pecan pie sounded so natural, that I couldn't help myself, and Pecan Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate was born.

I made up my standard pecan pie recipe, using Karo brown sugar syrup instead of the light corn syrup I usually favor. Then I reduced the pecans by about half a cup and added a full cup of Ghirardelli's 60% cacao chocolate chips to the filling mixture. This baked up in no time and I literally couldn't wait to try this baby out. I was not to be disappointed, and while it may have been a little rich for the post-Thanksgiving pie fest, it's been delightful to nibble on the past few days, and I'm sad to see it gone. The balance of bittersweet chocolate, pecans, and creamy caramel filling is nothing short of perfection. The dollop of whipped cream is completely optional in this case- it was fantastic either way.

Pecan Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (try Judy's Flaky Pie Crust for a no-fail recipe)
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup (I like Karo's brown sugar syrup)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (use good quality 60% cacao chips)

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place the pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate. Brush with egg yolk, if desired. Set aside for a minute.

Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely toasted, but not burnt.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Stir in the toasted nuts and chocolate chips.

Place the empty pie shell in the oven for just a minute to warm the pie crust. It should be hot to the touch. Pour the filling in, and bake in a 375ºF oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The edges will be firm, but the center will still seem quivery, almost like gelatin. Let cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Spinach Dip Today!

2007-11-26T06:52:00.001-06:00

So where did that weekend go? Gosh, it's been a few days since I've blogged...my apologies to those of you checking in, waiting on baited breath for my next post. But you know, it is nice to take a break from time to time. I didn't really want to blog while company was here, since that strikes me as kind of rude. I also didn't blog the last two days because we're slowly making our way through leftovers, and that's not very exciting to blog about either. I haven't done anything fancy with the leftovers that's really eye-opening or exciting. Saturday night I took the leftover gravy, mixed in some of the ton of turkey and poured it over bread slices for open-faced sandwiches. So good, but certainly not mind-boggling. Yesterday it was soup day, I wasn't feeling well, slight sore throat, congestion, tired, and it took everything I had to chuck a few vegetables into a soup pot.

I'm feeling a little better today, but I suspect Zander and I will do a bit of movie watching today. I also have to meander through the remaining leftovers and either use it or freeze it. (Today's use it or lose it day in my house!) One leftover that I will be enjoying later on is a Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip that I made for our Thanksgiving appetizer. I was thrilled with how it turned out. I started with a recipe in the November issue of Cooking Light as my inspiration, but then I changed so many things that it really doesn't resemble itself anymore. I have a friend who makes an amazing spinach dip quite often. It's always good, and I suspect always a little bit different, as she just chucks things in the bowl. One consistent though is the Gruyere cheese, which normally, I'm not a big fan of. It's okay, and I like it in things, like salad and dips, but by itself, not so much. I knew though that if I made my dip without the Gruyere, I'd be wanting my friend's dip and missing that flavor it adds, so I picked up a tiny wedge of it and added it to the dip.

The dip was spot on, and a huge hit with everyone here. The only change I would make in the future would be...um, well, I guess I don't have a change. I could see adding some crushed red pepper flakes for an addition of heat, but that's about it. Serve it up with some garlic toasts and you'll have yourself a little addiction. This serves a lot, and can be reheated a few times before it loses all resemblance to spinach dip.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 cup mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8 oz) packages Neufchatel cheese (less fat cream cheese), softened
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 or 4 ozs. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Place mayo, garlic, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until well-combined. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 3 minutes. Stir well. Heat for another 2 minutes, stir, and continue the process until the dip is hot and gooey and well-combined. Serve hot with sliced baguettes, veggies, or chips.

Can also be heated in a 350ºF oven for about 25 minutes.

In the week ahead I'll be sharing my recipe for Pecan Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate, as requested by someone. I'll also be sharing a fantastic all-purpose beef carnitas recipe- so simple and so delicious. I'm not sure what else... this week Andy is out of town working until Wednesday and then Abigail is performing in The Nutcracker this weekend, so it's a busy week with dress rehearsals and performances. Hopefully I can kick this bug asap! Happy Monday morning!

Wonderful, Wonderful

2007-11-23T08:58:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was great! Everything turned out great, and we really had a great time. I think Abigail summed it up best when I tucked her in at the late hour of 10:30. Tears filled her eyes and she said she didn't want Thanksgiving to end. :-)And would you believe there is an entire pie that we didn't even try last night? We'll be remedying that shortly.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T08:30:00.000-06:00

I have lots to attend to this morning, so I'm afraid that I don't have much to post about this morning. I could go on about how two days out from Thanksgiving I've changed my mind on one of my pies and I've decided to create a new one. Or I could go on about how horrible the baguettes looked at the store yesterday and how I've decided to make my own. Today. Or I could go on about how wonderful my Mom is to let us borrow the mattress from her camper so that Andy and I will have a comfy place to sleep while family is here visiting.

But I won't. I have a lot of cooking to do, a guest room to ready, and a wee bit of cleaning to get done yet. So instead, I will direct you to this week's Kids Cuisine article, and Abigail's take on the important aspects of the meal. That girl is a wonder I tell you. Any day now she'll be writing her own articles.

I will try and get back later today or tomorrow to wish everyone a proper happy holiday. But since life happens, and my best intentions may fall through, I pray that each and every one of you has a most blessed Thanksgiving day. Know that I cherish each and every one of you and you are in my thoughts and prayers during this holiday season. I enjoy having you all at my virtual table, and look forward to the fun season ahead for us! Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Going To Be Picked On For This...

2007-11-20T08:02:00.000-06:00

;-)

Last year at Thanksgiving, my Dad walked into the kitchen and found my stack of serving dishes with post-it notes in them. There was no end to the ribbing for that one. I had wanted to make sure I had enough serving dishes, and I also didn't want to forget anything that had to go on the table. It was funny, it gave Dad something to laugh about and pick on me for. So this year I decided to ramp up the persnickety-ness and take it a step further.

Last night I completely set the table for Thursday's Dinner. Well, almost. When I opened up my table completely, I found I didn't have a tablecloth to fit. A call in to Mom fixed that and I'll pick that up later on today. But I wanted to set the table for a couple of reasons. One being that I wanted a visual of how many people we were having, and I did need to know how far we were going to have to open the table. It has two leaves, and using both of them fills the whole room end to end. I did end up putting in both leaves, but it gives everyone plenty of room. If we needed to we could squish in a few more, but as it is it's perfect. I had to stretch the table corner to corner, and it made for a tight squeeze on one end, but by setting a bench in that spot, and checking to see if the kids would be okay there, I managed to ease my thoughts about dinner and where we'd all sit.

I also wanted to check on the serving dishes. I knew I had enough but I also wanted to see if they would all fit on the table. Last year we had to put three dishes on the counter behind us. That made for awkward passing, and with a new table this year, I wanted to check it out. Everything fit perfectly. Each dish got a label, so nothing was forgotten, and I even managed two platters for turkey. Then I rearranged so that all the green veggies weren't together at one end, and all the potatoes weren't together. I think it looked rather nice. I also learned that my wine glasses need to be washed, so I'm very glad I got them out as well.
Overall, it was exciting to see it all set up! I wanted to just leave it up until Thursday! It looked so festive and ready for a party. But since my house is small and cozy, that was a bad idea if I wanted my wine glasses to be intact come Thursday. I also found out exactly how many chairs we need to round up from somewhere. Unless we get surprise company...

So with that, I have work to do. Now I need to figure out where I'm going to put six pies, and I have a few things that I can get done today, not to mention some cleaning. I hope everyone out there's having as great of a week as I am! Abigail has off the rest of the week, and her and Zander are just loving spending time together already. Knock on wood that that keeps up today!

A Snack During A Busy Week

2007-11-19T07:54:00.001-06:00

It's going to be a busy week ahead! I hope I'll have the time to do a few postings,but I'll apologize in advance if I miss a day or two. In addition to being busy preparing for company, it's mostly a week of eating repeats, and not very exciting ones at that. And I figure that most people already have their Thanksgiving menus set, so suggesting this side or that side may seem a little redundant, given that's what a lot of websites and magazines are suggesting this time of year.

What I did want to mention today is a simple snack that you may want to consider including in the busy week ahead. And that would be homemade Caramel Popcorn. Do you know that it is much easier to make than you would think? A few weeks ago I was looking for something special to make for a munchie on a Saturday afternoon. My eyes fell upon my hot air popcorn popper, and my initial thought had been simply popcorn. But I'd also made a batch of caramels lately, and that ran through my head, and before I knew it, I was getting out the ingredients to make some Caramel Corn. The popcorn popped up quickly, and the caramel syrup came together in less than 5 minutes. The only time this snack takes up is inactive cooking time, as it must bake up in the oven for a while. But since you are free to do other things during this time, it literally makes this treat a 5 minute snack.

Hard to beat, we all enjoyed munching away on the caramel flavored crunchy popcorn. For an added bonus, you could always include some nuts of your choice, or for extra star treatment, you could add a drizzle of chocolate. I did that one year for a few Christmas gifts, I added a dark chocolate drizzle and some festive colored non-pareils for a really delicious, really fun little gift in a tin. Homemade Caramel Popcorn is way better than store bought, really easy to make, and would also make a great hostess gift if invited to someone else's Thanksgiving dinner.

Caramel Popcorn
8 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Sort through the popped corn to remove any unpopped kernels. Place the popcorn in a large roasting pan or other deep pan, place in the oven to keep warm while you make the caramel.

Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a heavy saucepot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir to boiling. Carefully clip on a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Continue to cook and stir to 255º, or hard-ball stage. This should take about 4 minutes.

Remove saucepot from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir gently to coat the kernels.

Bake in a 300ºF oven for 15 minutes. Stir gently, return to oven, and bake for 5 more minutes.

Transfer popcorn to a large piece of foil or sheet pans to cool completely. Break up into clusters. Store tightly covered.

For Nutty Caramel Corn prepare as above, except add 1 1/2 cups peanuts, walnut halves, cashews, or pecan halves to the caramel coated corn before baking. Toss gently.

Nailing Down The Turkey Dinner

2007-11-17T08:48:00.000-06:00

Well, I bought my turkey yesterday! It's just over 22 pounds...think that will be enough for 12 people? I couldn't resist. Andy's employer sent us a gift check for a turkey, so I used that and ended up paying a whole $2.00 out of pocket for the bird- that's not too bad for a girl on a budget!

Anyway, here is how dinner is shaping up so far. I'm still on the fence about the salad. I was going to do a fennel and orange salad which is awesome with turkey dinner, but I really wanted to be able to include the pears I canned this year, and the best place for them is in a salad. So the salad will instead be a spinach-walnut-pear salad with an orange vinaigrette. Not quite the same, but it will do- I think. We actually kind of have a theme this year when planning out the meal. As much as possible, I want to use food that I've frozen or preserved or canned somehow. It just feels right to do so. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what we have, and in the spirit of being thankful for a bountiful harvest, how could I not use what I've been putting by. I'll have to buy a few things, but my grocery list is surprisingly small when I include what I have on hand already. So without further ado, here's my dinner:

Appetizer: Hot spinach-artichoke dip with crostini

Dinner: Apple-Cider Brined and Glazed Turkey (a new recipe this year!)
Make Ahead Gravy
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Streuseled Sweet Potatoes
Balsamic Glazed Baby carrots and Brussels sprouts
Autumn Harvest Succotash
Pear/Walnut/Spinach salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce
Mom's Stuffing (which she's bringing)
Pickles and Hot Pepper Rings

Dessert: Pecan Pie
Cranberry-Meringue Pie
Apple Pie (Mom's bringing)
Pumpkin Pie (Mom's Bringing)
Cherry Pie (Mom's Bringing)

The Gewurztraminer will be flowing during dinner, and I'm not sure what will be flowing before dinner yet. If I can find a Shiraz-Grenache yet, it will be that, and for sure a bottle or two of Riesling. Coffee will come with dessert. I'm actually thinking about setting the table up in the next day or two to make sure I have room for everything. I also need to figure out where I'm going to stage the appetizers in the living room. It should be a fun next couple of days.

You CAN make them yourself!

2007-11-16T08:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a breakfast-for-dinner sort of day, but I wanted to try something different. We kind of rotate our breakfast options through pancakes, waffles, french toast, and eggs, and usually we do breakfast once a week. First of all, breakfast is very easy on the budget, so I appreciate that. But secondly, breakfast for us is usually cereal or quick breads, so if we didn't have breakfast for dinner, we'd never get some of our favorites. Last night though, it was time to recreate a new favorite. French Toast Sticks. You know you love them! We love them, but the french toast sticks we buy are clearly not healthy in the least. Usually they consist of a white bread that's been coated in some kind of batter and then fried before they are flash frozen. I would be surprised if there were actual eggs in the frozen variety. I've always wondered if they could be recreated in the home kitchen, and last night was the day to try.

I began with a loaf of homemade white whole wheat bread, which I then sliced into thick 1-inch slices. The slices got sliced again into thirds, so I had sticks of bread awaiting their bath. I made a simple egg mixture with eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, and flavorings and set about dunking the sticks in the eggs. Thus far, it was similar in preparation to normal french toast. The trick was going to be baking these guys. Would it work? I put them on a greased baking sheet, popped them in the oven and walked away for a few minutes. About fifteen minutes later I flipped them over and gave them another 15 minutes. What do you know, they came out looking a lot like french toast sticks.

The true test came when I sat them in front of my children. They eyed them skeptically, but gave them a whirl. Their silence as they ate was very telling. These tasted remarkably like store-bought frozen french toast sticks, but way better for you nutritionally. Just using the homemade whole wheat bread was a huge improvement! They really were very good, and we all enjoyed them a lot. The kids preferred their dunked in homemade applesauce, and I can't complain about that, so these get 5 stars from us. You could probably reduce the sugar in the recipe a bit if you like, but I liked the sweetness, and since we did end up using homemade applesauce instead of syrup, I think the balance was just fine. I don't see why these wouldn't be freezable, so make a big batch of them and freeze extra for quick breakfasts throughout the week. Homemade French Toast Sticks-who knew it could be done?!

French Toast Sticks
8 to 10 slices thick-cut bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cut the thick bread slices into thirds so you have 2 sticks per slice of bread.

Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, beat well to combine.

Dip bread sticks into the egg mixture one at a time, and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake in a 350º oven for about 30 minutes. Flip the sticks over halfway through baking time to crisp both sides.

**To freeze, allow to cool completely before wrapping well in a freezer bag. To reheat, pop in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes to refresh. Alternatively, they can be reheated in a microwave for a minute or two, but they will lose their crispness.

Brownie Attack!

2007-11-15T08:12:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, you just want a brownie. I have found myself all too-often in the midst of a brownie craving, and rather than whip a batch together, I grab a box and make that instead. And I'm always disappointed. Every single time. Yet I still grab that box every once in a while. Why do I do that!?

Well, yesterday Zander and I were at the store, in the baking aisle, and it was his turn to discover the lure of the brownie. He pointed to the brownie mixes and begged for one. I reached out to grab one, when that alarm went off in the back of my head. It was as if a red light was flashing saying "disappointment! disappointment!" I had a true battle with myself there in the baking aisle. Those brownie mixes looked good I tell you- and as an added bonus- they were on sale! For less than two bucks I could have a pan of brownies. So I grabbed the box that most appealed to me and flipped it over. Huh. I still needed to add eggs, oil, and water. So that works out to more cost-wise for that box of disappointment. That was all that I needed to see. I put the brownie mix back, walked across the aisle, and picked up a can of cocoa. I assured Zander that we would make brownies as soon as we got home, and he was good with that.

He was very excited to make the brownies. And in fact, he did make the brownies. I had to help a little with the stirring, and chopping the walnuts, but otherwise, these were his brownies. He told me he thought they needed chocolate chips, but when I went to the pantry, I found I was out. However,there was a package of peanut butter chips, and he was thrilled with that option. So in they went and the brownies went in the oven. They couldn't cool fast enough for us, but once we finally cut into them we were rewarded with a great brownie. Full of chocolate flavor, and a truly great brownie. The peanut butter chips were a nice touch actually. Although I was informed by my son that next time they need peanut butter chips AND chocolate chips. That's my son. And these are My Mom's Brownies. They are my standard brownie, and couldn't be easier. The cocoa and oil don't seem like they would work, but really, they work for an excellent brownie experience.

Mom's Brownies

1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º

Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. To this, add the flour, baking powder, and cocoa- mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts as desired. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes- or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For more fudgy brownies, take the brownies out of the oven about 5 minutes early. Chill completely before cutting.

Utilizing A Pantry Find

2007-11-14T07:15:00.000-06:00

Back in March, (was it that long ago already!) I participated in a blogging event honoring the humble baking mix. I bought myself a box of Heart Smart Bisquick for the occasion, and being a girl who doesn't waste anything these days, have been slowly coming up with ways to use this box of mix. I've used it to make coffeecake and muffins, but the most interesting has find has been Bisquick's own Impossible Pies. They are called impossible pies because you basically mix everything together, pour it in a baking dish, and some time later you have a pie with distinct layers. It's something truly different.

I'd made a savory impossible pie a few months back. That was interesting. Not really a repeater to me, but I hadn't tried a sweet pie yet. Then I was looking for a recipe for something completely different when I stumbled on the idea for an Impossible Coconut Pie. That just sung to me instantly. Coconut pie! Even better was the fact that this pie used all on hand ingredients and it was beyond simple to put together-put the ingredients in a blender and push the button. I did take it a step further and toasted the coconut for the pie, so I guess that added a step, but it was a worthy addition. We tried this pie warm out of the oven, and thought it okay. But then we tried it the next day, well-chilled, and thought it perfect. The Bisquick combined with something to sink to the bottom of the pie and create a sort of crust. While the eggs and milk and flavorings combined to form a sort of coconut custard. It's truly unlike any pie I've ever had, probably more like a coconut flan in a crust than anything else.

Overall though, I rather like it. I love anything with custard, and I love anything with coconut. I can't identify the Bisquick in the least, and I love how simple this is. Anyone could make this pie. If you took the trouble to top it with whipped cream, and then sprinkle on additional toasted coconut flakes it would be a rather fancy addition to a dinner party. And only you would know it started with a box of baking mix and a blender.

Impossible Coconut Pie
2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes- not toasted

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 10" pie plate or a deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.

Combine milk, butter, eggs, brown sugar, Bisquick, salt and vanilla in a blender. Blend together for about 20 seconds. Add the toasted coconut and pulse to combine.

Pour the blended mixture into the pie plate. Sprinkle the top with the un-toasted coconut flakes. Bake in a 350ºF oven for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Chill before serving for best flavor.

Leftover Re-Invention

2007-11-13T07:18:00.000-06:00

One of the challenges to me over the last year while I've been watching my grocery budget is the dreaded leftovers. I've said it before and I'll probably be saying it until the end of time, I don't like leftovers. We don't like leftovers as a family. I don't know if it's simply a love of variety, but I really can't stand eating the same thing more than once in several days. That can be challenge when you have a tiny grocery budget, usually that leads to forced eating of leftovers. Or does it. Hence the re-invention- taking a leftover and using it in a completely different way than how it was first used. Take baked potatoes for example. Leftovers used to get tossed in the fridge whole, and then they'd get stared at for a few days before they got thrown out. Now, I take those leftover potatoes and do one of two things to them- I shred them for the best hashbrowns ever, or I cut them in half for twice baked potatoes (which can be frozen).

Another challenge for me with leftovers is freshness. I am a freshness nut. Leftovers must be used within 2 or 3 days or frozen, or they get tossed. Any longer than 3 days and I just can't eat it or serve it to anyone. Even cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. After 3 days they lose their freshness, so they go into the freezer if I want to keep them. What can I say- once upon a time I worked in a few grocery store delis, and that is where I learned to be freshness-phobic. (I dare not go into details, much too scary!)

So last night's reinvention was a bit of a challenge for me. We'd had spaghetti and meatballs a few days ago, and yesterday was the use or lose day. I had quite a bit of pasta leftover, and that's one thing I'm not very creative about reusing. I'll toss it into chili or soup or toss it with a different kind of sauce, but really. How many ways can you re-use spaghetti? Last night I tried something new to us. I took the spaghetti and tossed it with an egg, herbs, melted butter and some cheddar cheese (okay, a lot of cheddar cheese), and then put this mixture into a baking dish. Then I added some fresh marinara to my leftover meatballs and sauce and poured this over the pasta. A sprinkling of Parmesan finished the layering and it went into the oven.

30 minutes later I had Spaghetti Pie. A baked spaghetti casserole like dish that takes on a completely different flavor than the original spaghetti and meatballs. We all really enjoyed it and thought it was a great way to use up that pasta. The possibilities are endless, really. You could add whatever odds and ends you have sitting around that need to get used up. I strongly suspect that this dish could also be assembled and then frozen for a make-ahead meal. I will be trying that next time with it so that we're not having pasta twice in a few days. I'll apologize in advance for the photo you are about to see...I just couldn't get a good one last night. Sorry.

Spaghetti Pie
6 cups leftover cooked spaghetti (or other pasta)
1 egg
1 teaspoon Italian Herb seasoning
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, egg, herb seasoning, cheddar cheese and butter. Mix well.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray, put spaghetti mixture into the pan and spread evenly.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, brown ground beef and onions together until nicely browned. Drain any grease. Spread ground beef and onions over the top of the pasta mixture in the pan.

Pour the bottled marinara sauce over the ground beef mixture, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbling nicely.

A Mish-Mosh Equals Yum!

2007-11-12T07:16:00.000-06:00

Saturday night I had planned to bake up some chicken leg quarters. Originally, it was going to be a devilled chicken, with a breading of sorts. But then I was digging through the pantry looking for something when I stumbled on half a package of Cranberry Beans. They had my attention for a moment, because I couldn't remember when we'd first had them, and I also had no idea how long they'd been in the pantry. I decided I needed to use them somehow for dinner, but at that moment, I had no idea how these beans were going to go with chicken. I also found that one of my butternut squashes in the basement had the tiniest of spots on it, so I needed to cook that up and use it before it infected the other squash. I still was unsure of dinner, but I set the squash to baking and the beans to simmering and softening, and then I headed out to the garden to debate on the turnips and beets.

While gazing at the turnips and beets, wondering if I should pull them or let them be yet, I glanced over at the remaining brussels sprouts stalks. These stalks I'd just left because there were very few sprouts on them, and what was there was the size of marbles. Teeny-tiny brussels sprouts. But as I eyed these tiny round orbs, I was overwhelmed by a need to try them, and wouldn't you know, even the tiniest sprouts were sweet and wonderful. So I grabbed a bowl and a knife and removed the last handful of minuscule sprouts from the garden, and a plan began forming in my head.

I was baking chicken, and once upon a time, I read somewhere about someone roasting brussels sprouts with chicken. I was certain that would be great, and filed it away for another moment. This was going to be that moment. I washed the sprouts and placed them in my baking dish. I drained my softened beans and added them to the brussels sprouts. Then I grabbed a carrot, diced that up and added it, as well as a stalk of celery and half an onion. Salt, pepper, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil completed the melange, and then I grabbed the chicken.

I seasoned the chicken lightly with seasoning salt, pepper, and some fennel spice rub, and laid it on top of the vegetables. Oh yes. My vegetables were going to bake while lovingly being bathed in chicken fat. The butternut squash would be served on the side, and we were going to have an incredible fall dish.

The end result was exactly what I what I had been craving. It was earthy and comforting and packed with flavor. I was reminded how wonderful cranberry beans are, and if you have a chance, do try some, they have to be the best dried bean I've ever had. They are so creamy, with a flavor that's unlike other beans. Paired with the brussels sprouts and aromatics, and then cooked with the chicken, the vegetables were clearly the star of the show, and the chicken almost an afterthought. There are only two changes I would make to this in the future. The first would be to add some chopped fennel to the vegetables. The second would be a squirt of fresh lemon juice just before serving to heighten and highlight the earthy flavors. Definitely delicious, the leftovers are going to make a great lunch today!

Thanksgiving is getting really close!

2007-11-09T07:22:00.000-06:00

How did that happen? One minute it's October and I'm thinking that I have plenty of time to think about Thanksgiving, and the next thing I know it's almost here, and I'm afraid I haven't given it much thought. Yet.

I did think about it a little yesterday. I finally plucked the Brussels Sprouts stalks out of the garden. I cut off all the little green globes, blanched them, and froze them. Oh. My. Goodness. These are the sweetest Brussels Sprouts! Even raw they tasted great! I have three quarts in the freezer, and as I looked over my mountain of little green orbs, I wondered if anyone else at my Thanksgiving table likes Brussels Sprouts as much as I do. Or would it be a waste of their great goodness to dish them up at a dinner with so many other options? I'm not sure on that one yet.

The only certainty is going to be The Turkey. Oh, and Mom's Stuffing. I suspect there will also be the requisite mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, and plenty of pies. It's everything else that I'm on the fence about. I do want to use as many of the things that I've put by or preserved this year as possible. It just seems fitting for the holiday that the sweet corn I froze in July becomes a part of the Thanksgiving feast. Or that somehow I figure out a way to integrate some of those wonderful canned pears. And do I serve rolls of some kind? That just seems like excessive filler to me. I could certainly make some delicious ones, but is that just too much?

*Sigh*

So maybe you could help me out today! Come on out of lurkdom and tell me, if there is one thing that you want most at your Thanksgiving dinner, what is it? What one thing would you truly miss if it wasn't on the table somewhere? Is there a particular pie? Or conversely, is there one thing that you always eat out of obligation, but you'd be perfectly okay if it vanished forever? Do share, I'm so indecisive these days.