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