Cookies on a stick.

This recipe originally came from the Martha Stewart web site. Albin and I made cookies on a stick in halloween splendor. Albie suggested Ghosts, Pumpkins and Mummies. We plan to share them with his play group at our annual Halloween bash! I can't wait!

These not only look cute, but the cookie tastes amazing!

Cookies on a stick:

2 3/4 c flour

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c butter

1 c sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

bowl of sugar for rolling

popcicle sticks or lollypop sticks

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. In separate bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended (not too much). Roll balls from about 1 1/2 Tblsp of dough. Roll in sugar and place a stick securely into the dough ball. Lay out on ungrease cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a bottom of a glass. Bake 350 fo 20-22 minutes, until golden. Frost when cooled if desired.

Green tomato pear crisp.

My grandmother went to play cards at a friend's home and was served a wonderful fruit crisp. When she inquired for the recipe she found it was a green tomato crisp! I had never heard of such a thing and neither had she. I altered the recipe slightly, as I'm allergic to some of the original ingredients, but it still came out amazing! I highly recommend this for using those frost-bitten green tomatoes we all have from the onset of fall!

Green Tomato Pear Crisp:

(recipe to follow)

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt~~

Albie and I wanted to make a FUN cake for our very fun uncle, Matt! Matt just moved into town and decided to have a birthday. He's a funny, childlike, silly guy who needed a cake that reflected that. We decided to make a monster cake. Albin helped a lot by putting in teeth and eyes and gummy worm hair.

We also managed to make a few cupcakes for pre-birthday consumption.

Fried Green Tomatoes aren't just a movie!

The fall has set in with a vengance around here. I awoke to below-freezing temps yesterday and some very dead tomato plants laden with green tomatoes. Out we went as a family to pick our weight worth of unripe tomatoes. I found this recipe for fried green tomatoes and tried it out. It's not terrible, but I would suggest you add your own favorite spices to the flour, because it's a bit bland.

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 medium firm green tomatoes

1/2 c flour

1/4 c milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 c olive oil for frying

salt and pepper

Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle very libereally with salt and pepper. Let toatoes stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs and bread crumbs in seperate shallow dishes.

Heat oil in skillet on medium. Dip tomatoes in mikl, then flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. In skillet, fry 4- minutes per side until brown. Season to taste. (I suggest seasoning flour to taste beforehand!)

Making Muffins

Today Albin and I made muffins for our neighbors who had a baby boy. Albie, as most toddlers would, requested sweetness and I wanted to ring in the fall weather so we decided to make PUMPKIN MUFFINS!

They turned out extra wonderful and I really suggest you try them if you aren't adverse to lots of sweetness and not much else!

Pumpkin Muffins:

2/3 c butter

3/4 c brown sugar

1/3 c molasses

1 c cooked or canned pureed pumpkin

1 egg

2 3/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t ginger

Cream butter, sugar and molasses together until fluffy. Mix in egg and pumpkin until well blended. Sift together all dry ingredients and then add to wet, mixing until incorperated, but not too much! Put in muffin pan w/ liners. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.

CAKES!

It's been months since I posted, but I have been cooking! Here are some cakes I've made recently!


My mom turned 50! She's a Chocolate fan, so here is one of the richest chocolate cakes ever. We served it with a choc. mousse.

Uncle and Aunt Williams celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. The cake was so pretty, but was stored in the cellar where it was very damp, so the colors from the frosting bled a bit. Sad!
Albie turned 3! We had two birthday parties, one w/ cupcakes and another with cakes.

We also had a going away party for a girl from work. She is an amazing paerson, so I wanted to make her a great cake in her fav. colors!

Father's Day foods

I know that father's day has come and gone, but still I have to tell you all about how we celebrated my husband and father of my kids! We celebrated with FOOD!

We woke up to a yummy breakfast of crepes with choice of cooked pear fruit filling or fresh peach filling and topped with sweet whipped cream.

This was more of a brunch, so no lunch was served. At dinner my husband wanted to order out some greasy pizza and we picnicked in the park. We came home and finished out the day with a cherry pie a la my husband's mother's recipe (or as close as I could guess her recipe!).
All in all it was a good day of eating.

No Bake Cookies

Chocolate No Bake Cookies are always a big hit... especially when you want something quick that won't heat up your house. My mother started making these after her younger brother was in college and used to eat them straight out of cooking pot. It became a great wheat-fee treat in my childhood home of no wheat or dairy. I used milk and butter in my recipe, but one can use water and vegi marg. just as easily to get dairy free!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups instant

Directions:
Lay out wax paper BEFORE you make the cookies. Combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a heavy boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal; stir well to mix up all the ingredients and make spoon sized amounts onto foil or wax paper. Let cool then serve.

Nacho Dinner

There is nothing like going out to a bar on a hot summer night and having Nachos and a cool drink. I decided to bring the experience home so we could enjoy it with our two year old. A pitcher of limeade and these easy nachos later and we were ready for dinner in the back yard!

Nachos:
Your favorite tortilla chips
2c grated mozzarella cheese
2c grated cheddar
1/2 c diced fine onion
can of black beans

Place a layer of tortilla chips in a Pyrex dish. layer with 1/2 of each type of cheese, 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the can of beans. Repeat with another layer of chips and toppings. Place in oven and bake on 400 for 12 minutes, or until bubbly and warm through, but not tough.

Remove from oven and top with your choice of the following:
Olives
diced green peppers
diced fresh tomatoes
sour cream
guacamole
salsa
hot sauce

Serve with small plates and lots of napkins!

Happy Birthday

Christy from the office asked me to make two cakes for her mom's birthday. Her mother likes German Chocolate cake and her other guests aren't crazy about coconut, so she wanted a cherry-chip cake.

Shortbread Cookies

Cookies again. I found a very simple short bread recipe that tastes great! Albin helped me mold the cookies into rough "natural looking" circles. It was all very cookie boutique of me, but I had to give it a go. They came out tasting great and we dipped our final product in chocolate. YUM!

Shortbread Cookies:

3/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c sugar

1t vanilla

2c flour

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add flour. Mix well. Roll dough and cut out with cookie cutters or mould into forms and turn out onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

I'm Back!

I took a month off due to some deep anti-food issues I was having. I love food! Sadly, for a short time food was not loving me. We had a talk... we worked things out. We've reached a compromise. So, I'm BACK!

To kick off this May I thought I would talk about the amazing thing that is the bread pudding made at a restaurant here in Boise called the 8th Street Grill. My husband and I ran a very difficult mountain race and as a surprise congrats my wonderful Aunt and Uncle decided to treat us to a sweet experience. They wanted to take us out for the bread pudding but our schedules never permitted, so it was brought to us. It was better in home anyhow, so that we could loudly ooooo and awwwe!

For eight dollars they make a huge brick of bread filled with everything you could think to put in bread.... chocolate, raisins, banana, nuts and all drizzled over with a rich caramel hard sauce. Yum! If ever in Boise I suggest this. This dessert is seasonal so it is on it's way out. Hopefully it will be back next fall!

Banana Bread

We used to eat a lot of bananas. I think we are going through a lull in this fruit. The product of this lull was 3 very mushy brown bananas in the fruit drawer that had to be acted upon quickly! We made banana bread! It was very moist and sweet. The texture of banana bread is a favorite of mine. I love the heavy moistness and the graininess of the blacked fruit fibers. I don't know of another fruit that does that when baked!

Banana Bread

1 c sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c bananas, very very ripe, mashed

1/2 c milk

1 t vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Move oven rack to the bottom position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of two loaf pans. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until incorporated. Stir in banana, milk, vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in flour, soda and salt until moistened. Stir in nuts if using. Divide batter between pans. Bake about 1 hour. Cool for 10 min in pan then plate and cool for 2 hours before cutting.

Bana

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Albin wanted muffins and I wanted a sweet treat so we made chocolate chip muffins. Albie spent the rest of the morning picking out the chocolate chips from his muffins and eating them first, then finishing with the pastry part of the muffin. That kid is a nut!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 c Milk

1/4 c butter, melted

1 large egg

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c walnuts or pecans (optional)

1/3 c packed brown sugar

2 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line pan with muffin liners. Beat mile , butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yellow Curry Chicken

I saw a picture of Yellow Curry Dinner on MSN today while web-surfing and I was inspired. I happened to have everything one needs for a yellow curry hanging around. The curry came out a bit mild. I could have gone for a bit more spice. Oh well.... next time!

Yellow Curry Chicken
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 large carrots, pealed and cut into large pieces
1/2 head of shredded red cabbage
1 large broccoli head, cut into florets
1 c raisins
3 T yellow curry
2t cumin
2t turmeric
1t chili pepper
1 can coconut milk

Place all of your ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve over rice or couscous.

Sweet Easter Tradition

Easter is finally almost here. I am making my traditional sticky pull-apart bread. I've heard it called monkey bread before. It should be a lot of fun. My son, Albie, got to pour all of the dry ingredients into the bowl. He also got to crack his first eggs. He was very good at it. Only one of the eggs made it half in and half out of the bowl.

This recipe is an adaptation of a James McNair Favorite. He uses currants and I use golden raisins or a mixture of dried apricots and golden raisins. I also use a dark corn syrup for more of a molasses flavor to my sauce. It's a good treat to take to a gathering or to put on a pretty cake pedestal as your brunch centerpiece. I've done both and it's just a good tradition no matter where you are headed or what the circumstances of your Easter meal.

St Patrick's Day Food

This St. Patrick's Day went by with out much fuss or effort. I did a few things though:

For breakfast we had green eggs w/ basil and bagel with green cream cheese.

I also tried out making corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes. I boiled it per instructions and hated it. SO then I tried it a different way, which was much better: I baked it in a roaster with some mustard seed and some vegis. Carrots and Zucchini, yum! It care out much better, but I realize that the secret to a good corned beef is the same as anything else, get a good cut of meat!!! I guess in Ireland they traditionally eat salt cured pork. It was the American Irish immigrant that adopted Jewish salted beef and created the corned beef we all think of as Irish. I guess we learn something every day.

Also... I learned that I am not a huge fan of corned beef. I do, however, love red cabbage!

Yaki Soba Chicken

Low fat and yummy. Slow cooker food is on my mind and in my belly.

Chicken:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T sesame seeds

Soba noodles and vegis:
Boil noodles for 4 minutes. Remove from water and fry with mushrooms, zucchini and onion in a pan with 1T vegetable oil. Toss with a few splashes of soy sauce and fry for 1-2 more minutes.

Serve chicken breast over the Soba noodles and vegetables. Drizzle on the left over sauce from the chicken over the top of all and serve.

Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos

A long time ago I was a child with a single working mother. She had a trusted crock pot that got plenty of use and I'm sure helped her to make the best use of time. Long after my mom had met the man of her dreams, my dad for most of my life, we were still eating crock pot concoctions. Actually, I think my dad may have brought this kitchen gadget to an art form with amazing slow cooked turkey legs and smokey flavored pork chops floating in the vapors of my childhood memories.

I have long forgotten the slow cooker in my cooking and I don't know why! So today I found a cook book in the depths of my cupboards that is full of slow-cooker recipes. I recommend this book Fix-it and Forget-it Lightly by Phyllis Pellman Good.

I chose to try out the Chicken Soft Tacos. It was very simple. It may have been one of the quickest meals I've made since I had a family. I want to share it with those of you who may not always have the time for home cooking or adding all fresh ingredients. This recipe calls for canned tomatoes with chilies and pre-mixed taco seasoning. It just can't get easier than this. It's a true shout to the era of the convenience cooking, but with a healthier take.

Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos:

1-1 1/2 lbs. frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

14 1/2 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 envelope low-sodium taco seasoning

Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker. Mix tomatoes and taco seasoning. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in warmed soft tortillas. Top with salsa, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, guacamole and fresh tomatoes.

I am not a huge fan of pre-mixed powders and spices, so if you would like to make your own taco seasonings here is what I do:

Taco Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate chocolate chocolate!

It's another birthday in the family. My aunt Kathleen is turning 65 and we are getting together to celebrate. I make Kathleen a stately cake with just enough whimsy, much like her own personality. I've been getting in to trying to design a cake around a person lately.

For Kathleen we (Albie and I) did a dark chocolate sour cream cake with ganache and cream cheese filling between the two thick layers. I frosted it by myslef as I lost my dear helper to a nap time. I used dark chocolate ganache and a bit of the cream ches filling for a contrast on top. Then I used the "dusted letter" trick that I picked up some months ago from working on a Christy's cake. This time I dusted with dark choc. shavings. It looks pretty enough to eat!

World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Well, it's time I let the cat out of the bag... and let the world know the secret recipe for the WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!! It's no joke. I've looked. I've tried. I've baked, and finally I have found the best ever recipe! They are always plump and soft and chewy without being raw-ish and with just enough crunch to still call them cookies. These are true art. Your friends and family probably won't know how good they have it, or that they could have been eating a crunchy yucky cookie or a mushy mess.... but indeed they will be eating perfection!
I made the dough with my little helper (as usual) and this time he got to roll the cookies onto the sheet all by himself. The result was a cookie sheet full of various sized cookies. I have to admit that my two year old has a great idea here! There are big cookies for a big cookie need and little cookies for dieting mommies and medium cookies for two year old hands. I think I'll make a variety of sizes myself next time!
This recipe is from Betty Crocker, and is truly the most amazing in the history of C.C. Cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°
Mix the sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg until well blended and creamy.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together. (You can do it right on top of the wet ingredients, mixing the soda and salt into the flour a little with a dry spoon before mixing the flour into the wet ingredients.)
Stir wet and dry ingredients together until well blended. The dough is very dry and stiff, and it may seem as though it is too dry to combine, but it will come together.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Put rounded spoonfuls of dough on a cool cookie sheet a few inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown. For best results, use one cookie sheet at a time in the center of the oven.
Cool 2 to 3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Baked Salmon dinner.

Dinner for two, plus baby, can be easier than you think! I tried to cook kid-friendly yet elegant food. I think it worked out, because before we knew it, my husband and I had slipped into a joviality that hasn't graced our dinner table since pre-toddler days! I think for at least ten minutes straight no one even told our son to sit all the way down in his chair... we were that busy talking grown-up speak!

I highly recommend this kind of cooking to all young families out there! It's relaxing, tasty, and comes with it's own rewards for any effort. My dinner, however, was simple and quick: Salmon fillet, baked sweet potatoes and green salad with poppy seed dressing. I really recommend the poppy seed dressing with salmon. It's the perfect compliment!

Salmon with oranges:
Fillet of wild Alaska Salmon
Juicy Orange
salt and pepper
1/4 c fresh orange juice

Slice oranges into pretty circles. Set salmon skin-side down on roasting pan. Pour half of orange juice over salmon fillet. Salt and pepper to taste, then lay on the orange slices to cover the fish. No need to wrap the salmon with foil... the orange slices will act as a heat buffer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and pour on the rest of the orange juice. Bake for 3-5 more minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. The salmon should just be pink through, and lose it's dark pink/ red color. Plate and serve.

Baked sweet potato:
Wrap sweet potato in foil and bake on 375 for 55 minutes or more depending on thickness of the potato. After removing I like to let mine rest in the foil for 15-20 minutes more. Then I serve it warm with brown sugar on top. YUM!

Squash Soup

Squash is a subtle reminder for all gardeners out there that it's time to start digging out of the snow and planning for the growing season. Crocuses and Daffodils are poking out of the ground and life is beginning again.
I decided to make an acorn squash soup with a more vibrant and summery flavor than the traditional fall spices. I used ginger, but tempered it with fresh basil. It came out nicely and was a bright and fruity taste to welcome the spring!



Squash Soup:
2 Acorn Squashes, Peeled and sliced
3 1/2 c chicken broth
1T minced fresh ginger
1/4 c coconut milk
3 T minced fresh basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steam the squash until soft throughout. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to a soup pot. Add chicken broth and ginger. Bring temperature up and let the simmer at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper and fresh basil. Cook 5 more minutes and then serve with a basil leaf on top.

Chicken Cheese Pasta with Peas

It is what it says it is: Chicken, Peas and Linguine with Cheese Sauce over the top.

The guys liked it. I tried to "lighten" it up by using asiago gratings instead of the cheddar sauce for my portion. Mine was healthier but definitely less flavorful. It was a bit bland, but a fine meal anyhow.

Chicken Cheese Pasta with Peas
2 boneless chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized pieces
1-2 T olive oil
16 oz frozen peas
2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dry oregano
ground pepper to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c cream
1T flour
linguini - cooked al denti

Cook your chicken pieces in a skillet using the olive oil. Add the peas , oregano and pepper to the fully cooked chicken. In a separate sauce pan place your grated cheddar, cream and flour. Whisk together as you cook over low heat until smooth.
Plate your linguine, then top with the chicken and peas mixture and pour cheese sauce over the top. Enjoy!

Banana, The wonder food!

It's time for me to get back to that "perpetual diet" I like to remember I'm on from time to time. That being said, let's talk about a miracle food: Bananas!

At this moment there are five different types of bananas common on the market:
Red bananas: have a green/red peel and pink fruit flesh. They taste the same like yellow bananas. The redder a fruit, the more carotene it contains, so maybe they are healthier than their yellow colleagues;
Fruit-bananas: are the normal, yellow bananas, 15-30 cm.
Apple-bananas: are smaller, 8-10 cm., and ripen faster. They are also yellow;
The baby-banana (pisang susa): is yellow as well and measures 6-8 cm. It is the sweetest of the banana family;
Baking bananas: are 30 to 40 cm. large and are green, yellow or red-like. They cannot be eaten raw. They fulfill the role of the potato in the tropical countries.

Aside from there being lots of types of bananas to chose from , there are many wonderful nutritional benefits to eating them: they prevent cancer (http://www.nrjournal.com/article/S0271-5317(03)00090-3/abstract) , they are very close to a completely balanced meal all in one, and they are full of vitamins that help us in many ways!

So... if you are bored and want to bake, as I am RIGHT NOW, try cutting up a banana in fun shapes and then eating it. Maybe we can all get healthier together? Who knows? Or... we could bake banana bread :).

Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Easter Candy Ideas

Easter is coming and I'm starting to get ready. The first order of business... CANDY! Since we eat so much citrus around here I decided to put our garden waste to some use. The easter bunny will be bringning candied citrus peel this year. I'm starting to notice a theme in my posts: citrus. The time of year solicits the vibrancy of such sunny fruits. I imagine that when fall comes around everything will be squashes and potatoes again. Until then let's enjoy my recent rash of lemons and oranges.


I candied lemons and tangerines for this batch. I'll keep up this effort for a couple of weeks until I have enough peel to satisfy friends and family.

How does one candy peel?

CANDIES PEEL:

Peel your citrus with a peeler or a knife. Use a fillet knife to cut away the pith (White meaty stuff). Once you have a bunch of peel put on a pot of water to boil. When the water is boiling Blanch all of your peel in the water for 1 minute. Remove. Dump out blanching water then in the pot add 2 cups fresh water and 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil. Add blanched peel and boil in sugar syrup for 30-40 minutes. Remove and place on a plate that has been dusted with granulated sugar (Prevents sticking to plate). Roll further in sugar and set to dry for 3-4 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Are you BRAVE or CHICKEN?

Our local meat market had a chicken extraveganza that was awe-inspiring. Chicken is not the most exciting meat so I decided to raid the cupboards and get creative. I found some fresh orange juice and some not-so-fresh cabernet. A few additives and we were in business! So here is my newest concoction:

SWEET ORANGE CHICKEN:

(measurements are approximations)

3 cups fresh Orange juice

2 cups red wine

1/4 c molasses

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

4 medium boneless chicken breasts

In a large skillet reduce 2 cups of OJ, 1 1/2 c red wine, molasses and vinegar until thick and saucey, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and brush onto chicken breasts. Cook chicken in oven on roaster pan at 450 degrees. After 15-17 minutes brush with sauce again and return to oven. Let finish cooking for 8-10 minutes more or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, add remaining Orange juice and wine to sauce and reduce again. Serve chicken with sauce over rice or with a rich pilaf on the side.