Thats our engagement photo from thirteen years ago, and a picture of us today. We were married on August 11, 1993.
Happy Anniversary to us!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Happy Anniversary!
Thats our engagement photo from thirteen years ago, and a picture of us today. We were married on August 11, 1993.
Happy Anniversary to us!
Dylan came home!
My 10 year old son, Dylan, has been staying in Georgia with his grandparents for a while during the summer vacation. He has only been a little homesick. He has uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents to keep him busy. The granparents took him and his cousin on a great trip to HiltonHead. They had loads of fun. They even had a cheese tasting party.
These are two pictures of Dylan. One is before he got his hair cut, and the other is after (obviously!)
Anyway, his twin uncles brought him home last night! We've been missing him, so we are glad to have him back.
I think my 6 year old daughter, Hypatia, thought that she had finally gotten rid of Dylan for good.
Our conversation yesterday:
Me: The twins are going to be here tonight. They are bringing Dylan home.
Her: Why? Is he sick?
Me: He's been gone a long time. Its time for him to come back.
Her: Oh
Me: Did you think that he was going to live there forever?
Her: Yeah
Me: And you were happy about that?
Her: Uh huh
So much for my kids loving their siblings.
Pasta Salad
I was needing something to take to a friends house for a sort of a potluck thing. I thought a pasta salad would be nice. I wasn't really planning on putting it on the blog, so I really didn't measure the ingredients. Of course, once I made it, I figured I could go ahead and take a picture, just in case. Once I had the picture, I thought I might as well post it. So here it is. Nothing fancy, just a quick and easy pasta salad.
This is one of those salads that you just look in your fridge to find your ingredients. A big ripe tomato and some cucumber are definitely needed, but after that, you could add whatever you can find. Some good additions to this salad would be broccoli, cauliflower, fresh spinach, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. I can't give exact measurements for the dressing; I just poured the ingredients right in without measureing. If you must measure, I think that you could find a recipe for basalmic vinegar salad dressing and use that.
If you love garlic, put plenty in. Because it isn't cooked, the flavor will be quite strong, so if you aren't sure you can handle it, start with just one clove. If you know its not a problem for you and your spouse adores garlic breath, then add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. If the pasta sits overnight, the flavors meld and the garlic gets even more potent.
Oh yeah, one more thing. If you are an olive snob, then by all means, use better olives, like kalamata, or some other fancy type. I love good olives, but I didn't have any on hand. They are wonderful, but they cost a lot of money! So I just added a can of plain ol' black olives.
Summer Pasta
About 12 ounces penne pasta, cooked
One whole big juicy ripe tomato, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
black olives
1/2 cucumber, chopped
pecorino romano cheese, grated
a quick pour of olive oil
a glug or two of basalmic vinegar
a squirt of mustard
salt
pepper
Cook the noodles and set aside. In a bowl thats big enough to hold everything, add the rest of the ingrediets. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat.
This is one of those salads that you just look in your fridge to find your ingredients. A big ripe tomato and some cucumber are definitely needed, but after that, you could add whatever you can find. Some good additions to this salad would be broccoli, cauliflower, fresh spinach, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. I can't give exact measurements for the dressing; I just poured the ingredients right in without measureing. If you must measure, I think that you could find a recipe for basalmic vinegar salad dressing and use that.
If you love garlic, put plenty in. Because it isn't cooked, the flavor will be quite strong, so if you aren't sure you can handle it, start with just one clove. If you know its not a problem for you and your spouse adores garlic breath, then add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic. If the pasta sits overnight, the flavors meld and the garlic gets even more potent.
Oh yeah, one more thing. If you are an olive snob, then by all means, use better olives, like kalamata, or some other fancy type. I love good olives, but I didn't have any on hand. They are wonderful, but they cost a lot of money! So I just added a can of plain ol' black olives.
Summer Pasta
About 12 ounces penne pasta, cooked
One whole big juicy ripe tomato, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
black olives
1/2 cucumber, chopped
pecorino romano cheese, grated
a quick pour of olive oil
a glug or two of basalmic vinegar
a squirt of mustard
salt
pepper
Cook the noodles and set aside. In a bowl thats big enough to hold everything, add the rest of the ingrediets. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
My favorite breakfast
I came up with this breakfast over a year ago. I love it and I eat it regularly. I am the only one in my family who eats it, though. Sean and the kids all prefer cheese with their eggs (usually omelette style), and I wanted to avoid adding too many extra calories. This recipe has about 250 calories. If you need more calories, then you can add avocados. Its a fabulous addition!
In the time that I've been making this recipe, it has gone through its own little tomato metamorphosis. Originally, I ate it with RoTel style tomatoes (canned tomatoes and green chilis). When summer hit and I had tons of garden tomatoes, I made it with my freshfromthegarden tomatoes, and I would top it with a little sriracha sauce. After the summer tomatoes were gone, I found that I didn't like the RoTel on it as much as I thought, and I started using the canned petite diced tomatoes, which I actually like a lot. Instead of using the very spicy sriracha sauce, I started adding a light dusting of cayenne pepper, which added just the right amount of spice. So now when I make it, I use either garden tomatoes or canned petite diced tomatoes.
Should I delete that last paragraph? Does anyone really care? LOL! Without tomatoes, this recipe would be nothing. I have to eat it with the tomatoes, or I don't eat it at all.
Oh yeah, one more thing. When I try to cook this like an omelette, it doesn't really stay together well. The finished product turns out somewhere between an omlette and scrambled eggs.
Um, yet one more thing. Theoretically, freshly roasted red peppers would be best to use. If I could get red peppers cheaply, I would use them. Well, that, and if I weren't lazy too. But, I can get a jar of them at our local grocery store for $1. Cheap, and easy! So that's what I use.
Laurie's Breakfast Eggs
2 eggs
about 2 tablespoons minced onion
about 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
tomatoes, chopped
cayenne pepper
Heat a skillet. In a bowl, wisk the eggs. Add the onion, roasted red pepper, salt and pepper. Wisk briefly.
Lightly oil the hot skillet. Pour the eggs onto the hot skillet and cook for a minute or two. fold over like an omelette and then flip over. Cook until desired doneness.
Transfer to plate. Put tomatoes on the side and top with cayenne.
In the time that I've been making this recipe, it has gone through its own little tomato metamorphosis. Originally, I ate it with RoTel style tomatoes (canned tomatoes and green chilis). When summer hit and I had tons of garden tomatoes, I made it with my freshfromthegarden tomatoes, and I would top it with a little sriracha sauce. After the summer tomatoes were gone, I found that I didn't like the RoTel on it as much as I thought, and I started using the canned petite diced tomatoes, which I actually like a lot. Instead of using the very spicy sriracha sauce, I started adding a light dusting of cayenne pepper, which added just the right amount of spice. So now when I make it, I use either garden tomatoes or canned petite diced tomatoes.
Should I delete that last paragraph? Does anyone really care? LOL! Without tomatoes, this recipe would be nothing. I have to eat it with the tomatoes, or I don't eat it at all.
Oh yeah, one more thing. When I try to cook this like an omelette, it doesn't really stay together well. The finished product turns out somewhere between an omlette and scrambled eggs.
Um, yet one more thing. Theoretically, freshly roasted red peppers would be best to use. If I could get red peppers cheaply, I would use them. Well, that, and if I weren't lazy too. But, I can get a jar of them at our local grocery store for $1. Cheap, and easy! So that's what I use.
Laurie's Breakfast Eggs
2 eggs
about 2 tablespoons minced onion
about 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
tomatoes, chopped
cayenne pepper
Heat a skillet. In a bowl, wisk the eggs. Add the onion, roasted red pepper, salt and pepper. Wisk briefly.
Lightly oil the hot skillet. Pour the eggs onto the hot skillet and cook for a minute or two. fold over like an omelette and then flip over. Cook until desired doneness.
Transfer to plate. Put tomatoes on the side and top with cayenne.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
My Weekly Menus
I've decided that I'm going to put my current weekly menu in the sidebar. Each week I plan a flexible menu. I plan 5 or 6 dinner recipes and one desert recipe for the week. Breakfast and lunch pretty much work themselves out, so I don't really write out menus for them. My daily post doesn't coincide with what I'm actually making each day because I'm a week or so ahead of myself. What I'm making today will be posted around the 17th or 18th of August, and what I'm posting today, I made last week.
Here is a sneak peek of the recipes that will be posted next week:
Last week I was writing out my menu and shopping list for this week and Sean came and looked over my shoulder.
"Whatcha doin? Making plans for next weeks pictures?"
Guilty as charged, lol.
Here is a sneak peek of the recipes that will be posted next week:
- My Favorite Egg Breakfast
- Pasta Salad
- Fresh Lemon/Limenade
- Blueberry Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup
- Roasted Garlic Quesadillas
- Teriyaki Chicken with Zucchini and Noodles
Last week I was writing out my menu and shopping list for this week and Sean came and looked over my shoulder.
"Whatcha doin? Making plans for next weeks pictures?"
Guilty as charged, lol.
Cashew Chicken
A Delicious Stir Fry! I got this recipe from a book called Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. The only changes I made were to use fresh garlic and fresh ginger as opposed to powdered. I also used less chicken, so I had plenty of extra sauce. Oh yeah, I forgot, I also added some mushrooms because I had some that needed to be used.
Sean is, for some reason, not a lover of stir fry. He puts up with it, but its best if I don't make it a lot. I think he became jaded towards them when I started cranking them out using the frozen stir fry vegetable mixes. I liked them just fine, but he got sick of them. Now, if I make stir fry, it has to be good. Sean declared this one among the best. I think the fresh ginger is what put this stir fry solidly in that category.
I used something called ultra gel to thicken the sauce. Sean likes a less thick sauce, so if I were to use cornstarch, 3 tablespoons seems like way too much. Personally, I would cut it back to 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Cashew Chicken
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced finely
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced finely
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Some red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup cashews
Directions:
In a bowl, combine juice, honey, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil until it begins to smoke. Stir fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions become fragrant. Set aside and keep warm.
In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil until smoking and stir-fry chicken strips until browned and tender.
Add cooked vegetables, cashews, and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until sauce bubbles and thickens.
Sean is, for some reason, not a lover of stir fry. He puts up with it, but its best if I don't make it a lot. I think he became jaded towards them when I started cranking them out using the frozen stir fry vegetable mixes. I liked them just fine, but he got sick of them. Now, if I make stir fry, it has to be good. Sean declared this one among the best. I think the fresh ginger is what put this stir fry solidly in that category.
I used something called ultra gel to thicken the sauce. Sean likes a less thick sauce, so if I were to use cornstarch, 3 tablespoons seems like way too much. Personally, I would cut it back to 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Cashew Chicken
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced finely
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced finely
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Some red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup cashews
Directions:
In a bowl, combine juice, honey, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil until it begins to smoke. Stir fry vegetables for several minutes until the onions become fragrant. Set aside and keep warm.
In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil until smoking and stir-fry chicken strips until browned and tender.
Add cooked vegetables, cashews, and sauce mixture. Continue cooking until sauce bubbles and thickens.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Navy Bean Soup
I'll be honest. The picture turned out better looking than the actual thing. I really liked the look of the soup before adding the tomatoes, and I seriously considered not adding them. I added the tomatoes anyway and I was right. The soup was more asthetically pleasing without them. I didn't have high hopes of getting a decent picture. Since I am now unable to eat anything that hasn't been immortalized in photo, I had to take a picture anyway. Lo and behold, I think the bean soup photo is now one of my favorites so far. Life is full of suprises!
This recipe is just your basic bean soup fare. Its tasty, but could probably be tastier with the addition of a ham hock, chopped ham, or cooked bacon. Its up to you!
I cooked a pound of Navy Beans in the pressure cooker. You may cook them any way you choose. Oh, heck, you could even use canned beans. I'm not sure how many you would need, maybe 2 or 3 cans?
Navy Bean Soup
about 1/2 to 2/3 pot of a pound of cooked Navy Beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup of carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 bay leaf
1 can petite diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Saute with a bit of oil. When the onions are soft and fragrant, add the chicken broth, sage, and bay leaf. Add about 1/2 of the cooked beans (drained). I think I added more than half of them. More like 2/3 of them. Simmer until the carrots are just like you like them (crunchy or soft, its up to you), stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, and simmer a minute or two more. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe is just your basic bean soup fare. Its tasty, but could probably be tastier with the addition of a ham hock, chopped ham, or cooked bacon. Its up to you!
I cooked a pound of Navy Beans in the pressure cooker. You may cook them any way you choose. Oh, heck, you could even use canned beans. I'm not sure how many you would need, maybe 2 or 3 cans?
Navy Bean Soup
about 1/2 to 2/3 pot of a pound of cooked Navy Beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup of carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 bay leaf
1 can petite diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Saute with a bit of oil. When the onions are soft and fragrant, add the chicken broth, sage, and bay leaf. Add about 1/2 of the cooked beans (drained). I think I added more than half of them. More like 2/3 of them. Simmer until the carrots are just like you like them (crunchy or soft, its up to you), stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, and simmer a minute or two more. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Big Overstuffed Chairs
My brother just moved and is looking for that perfect chair to go in his house. He wrote this, and I thought it was great, so I'm posting it. Its not food related, but the comfort of a big, overstuffed chair rates right up there with the comfort of good food. So I thought it would work here.
I like big, soft chairs. I like the kind of chairs that you can get lost in with a book and a cup of cocoa. The kind that someone might walk past without noticing that you’re in there. The kind in which you could choose any direction to face- forward, left, right, even backward and still not fall out. Have you ever sat in a short little chair and as soon as you sat down you started sliding forward toward the edge of the seat? Yeah that’s not my kind of chair. In my favorite chair you might need climbing gear to get back out once you get in. The kind of chair I could fall asleep in- alone, or with Lori, or with T-Bone-the-dog. A nap chair. An easy chair that doesn’t need a lever on the side because it already is comfortable without any special reclining mechanism. My kind of chair is the reward at the end of a long day. It works great for TV, listening to music, or just staring out the window and day dreaming. It has armrests like giant pillows, that spread out like wings to carry me off to la-la land. I can sit cross-legged or curl my knees up or throw my legs over one side and my arms over the other- if I wanna. I could even put my back on the seat and my legs on the backrest and pretend I’m blasting off in a mercury-atlas rocket into space- if I wanna. I could even bring my wireless laptop and surf the internet and post weird things on MyFamily.com like I’m doing now. In my chair, my favorite chair. Not the kind of chair with stiff sides that rise straight up. Not the kind with squeeky plastic coating, oh no no no. Not that kind of chair.
I haven’t found it yet but I’m still looking. Oh I've sat in chairs that I liked a lot but not the perfect one, not yet. I might need to build a new addition onto my house when I find it. Because I like big chairs.
German Pancakes and Homemade Syrup
My husband's family lived in Germany many years. I don't know if they learned to make German pancakes from the Germans, though. I'll have to ask them. Whether or not this is an authentic recipe, it is fun and exciting to make. Be warned, it is chock full of eggs and, (gasp), plenty of butter. If that is just not something you can bring yourself to eat, well then, just consider your reading of this particular blog entry to be solely academic. No one is forcing you to make this, ok? It does taste good, though!
German Pancakes
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1/3 cup butter
Place a 9x13 pan in a 375 degree oven. Allow to heat. In a blender, combine all ingredients except butter. Blend until smooth. Don't overblend. Once the oven is hot, place the butter in the pan in the oven and allow to melt. As soon as it is melted, pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Growing up, my parents never bought pancake syrup. They always made it. The same was true in Sean's family. I think its a Mormon thing. Anyway. I never buy syrup. I don't like store bought syrup and why buy it when it is so cheap and easy to make your own? Homemade syrup is thinner, especially when its hot (it thickens up a bit when its cooled).
I bought some pancake syrup about a year ago for a camping trip and its still sitting there, in my pantry. We just don't like it. The flavor isn't as good and the thickness is just so fake and off putting.
Just try this. Once you are used to it, you won't want to buy syrup anymore.
Homemade Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small sauce pan, bring the sugars and water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and add the maple flavoring and vanilla extact. Stir to combine. That's it!
German Pancakes
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1/3 cup butter
Place a 9x13 pan in a 375 degree oven. Allow to heat. In a blender, combine all ingredients except butter. Blend until smooth. Don't overblend. Once the oven is hot, place the butter in the pan in the oven and allow to melt. As soon as it is melted, pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Growing up, my parents never bought pancake syrup. They always made it. The same was true in Sean's family. I think its a Mormon thing. Anyway. I never buy syrup. I don't like store bought syrup and why buy it when it is so cheap and easy to make your own? Homemade syrup is thinner, especially when its hot (it thickens up a bit when its cooled).
I bought some pancake syrup about a year ago for a camping trip and its still sitting there, in my pantry. We just don't like it. The flavor isn't as good and the thickness is just so fake and off putting.
Just try this. Once you are used to it, you won't want to buy syrup anymore.
Homemade Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small sauce pan, bring the sugars and water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and add the maple flavoring and vanilla extact. Stir to combine. That's it!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Another Blueberry Banana Bread
I'm not going to give a recipe, because it is the same as this one, minus the things I said I wouldn't do again. So, this time, I put only 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and no molasses. It was perfect. I really like the blueberries in it.
Did I say that I really like the blueberries in it? Because I do.
But its still not perfect because it has no walnuts in it. (I'm still out of walnuts!). When I FINALLY make Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread, I'll let you know!
Did I say that I really like the blueberries in it? Because I do.
But its still not perfect because it has no walnuts in it. (I'm still out of walnuts!). When I FINALLY make Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread, I'll let you know!
Friday, August 04, 2006
The Origins of My Blog
I started blogging about 1 year ago. At the time, the blog was called "My Dumb Blog". I am not a talented writer and I just posted things here and there. I didn't tell anyone about the blog and I really didn't want anyone to read it. I didn't know anything about food blogs and I had never taken pictures of my food before. My blog had no direction.
Then I found a food blog. Then another, and another. This was pretty cool! These talented people take really nice pictures of their food. Not that I could do it, but thats nice that they do. So I would read and enjoy.
One day, a few weeks ago, I made a cake. I took a picture. It was ok. Nothing special. I posted it on my family's message board for fun. A few days later, I took another picture of another cake. It turned out sort of nice. Then I took another picture, and another. And, to my HUGE suprise, the pictures weren't half bad!
I guess I should have started a new blog, but I started adding these food entries to my old blog. Then I decided that I didn't want anyone reading my old entries, so I resaved them all as drafts. But they were still listed in the sidebar! Sigh. Whatever. I have now reposted them and my year's worth of posts are there for you to enjoy. Read them if you want. I don't care. I'm not a talented writer.
Knock yourself out.
Then I found a food blog. Then another, and another. This was pretty cool! These talented people take really nice pictures of their food. Not that I could do it, but thats nice that they do. So I would read and enjoy.
One day, a few weeks ago, I made a cake. I took a picture. It was ok. Nothing special. I posted it on my family's message board for fun. A few days later, I took another picture of another cake. It turned out sort of nice. Then I took another picture, and another. And, to my HUGE suprise, the pictures weren't half bad!
I guess I should have started a new blog, but I started adding these food entries to my old blog. Then I decided that I didn't want anyone reading my old entries, so I resaved them all as drafts. But they were still listed in the sidebar! Sigh. Whatever. I have now reposted them and my year's worth of posts are there for you to enjoy. Read them if you want. I don't care. I'm not a talented writer.
Knock yourself out.
Mushroom Bacon Swiss Meatloaf
I was doing some research on Once A Month Cooking a few days and stumbled across a recipe that looked pretty good. I'm not sure if I'll ever try OAMC (as it is referred to), but I definately wanted to try this. I adapted the recipe a bit, and I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.
When I make meatloaf, I like the fat to drain off as much as possible. So the thought of cooking it in a loaf pan (letting it swim in its own grease) always seemed yucky to me. I eventually came up with my own way of cooking it. I form it into a ring on a broiler pan. The result is something like a meatloaf bundt cake. Then the fats and grease drip into the bottom part of the broiler pan. I had always done this with my ground beef meatloaf recipe with excellent results. I substituted ground turkey this time and the mixture just seemed too fragile for this sort of treatment. I was sure that there was no way it would hold up on its own. In order to avoid having one big flat turkey patty, I cooked it in a loaf pan. The turkey was low fat (97/3) anyway, and so there wasn't much grease.
Mushroom Bacon Swiss Meatloaf
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup crushed crackers
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 button mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup cooked and chopped bacon
1/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
A few squirts of ketchup
If you have just cooked the bacon, remove the grease from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. If not, then add one tablespoon of oil to the pan. Saute the onions and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients except ketchup. Mix thouroughly. Pat into loaf pan. Top with ketchup, and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
When I make meatloaf, I like the fat to drain off as much as possible. So the thought of cooking it in a loaf pan (letting it swim in its own grease) always seemed yucky to me. I eventually came up with my own way of cooking it. I form it into a ring on a broiler pan. The result is something like a meatloaf bundt cake. Then the fats and grease drip into the bottom part of the broiler pan. I had always done this with my ground beef meatloaf recipe with excellent results. I substituted ground turkey this time and the mixture just seemed too fragile for this sort of treatment. I was sure that there was no way it would hold up on its own. In order to avoid having one big flat turkey patty, I cooked it in a loaf pan. The turkey was low fat (97/3) anyway, and so there wasn't much grease.
Mushroom Bacon Swiss Meatloaf
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup crushed crackers
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 button mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup cooked and chopped bacon
1/3 cup shredded swiss cheese
A few squirts of ketchup
If you have just cooked the bacon, remove the grease from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. If not, then add one tablespoon of oil to the pan. Saute the onions and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients except ketchup. Mix thouroughly. Pat into loaf pan. Top with ketchup, and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Thai Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Relish
I was first introduced to Satay shortly after I married my husband. His parents were living in Berlin, Germany at the time, and we were visiting from the states. They took us to a wonderful Thai restaurant that had a very lavender interior. I ordered a yummy peanut chicken. It seemed the oddest thing at the time, but I liked it very much. That was my first exposure to peanuts being eaten as anything other than peanut butter, roasted peanuts, or in candy.
Since then, every time Sean and I go to a Thai restaurant, we always order their Satay. It is usually served as an appetizer with woefully few cucumbers.
I started looking in books for recipes. I ran across a book called Real Thai : The best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancy McDermott, in the local library. The Satay recipe in this book is the one I have used now for years. I haven't made any of the other recipes in the book, but they are probably good too! Her recipe calls for pork (Moo Satay). You can use any meat you want. I have used pork and chicken and both are equally excellent.
I really didn't like the marinade given for the meat, so I use something different (see previous post). Deal with it. Also, this dish is not traditionally served with rice, but when I make it for dinner, we eat it with rice. I make no apologies to the Thai's for this grave error. I like it this way and I'm not going to change.
Oh yeah, a word about Thai Curry Paste. You can make your own or buy pre-made paste in the oriental store. I buy mine. This stuff is very spicy hot. I usually use a little less than a tablespoon in this Satay recipe. Get to know your paste before you commit to 2 full tablespoons.
One more thing. This recipe seems like it has too much liquid and will be really runny. But there is something about the mixture of peanut butter and coconut milk. When its heated, it thickens nicely. Don't overcook it or the oil in the peanut butter will separate out. Just cook it gently until its nice and thick. I have made this sauce with Jiffy style peanut butter, homemade peanut butter (I crushed the peanuts myself) and all natural peanut butter. I prefer it with either homemade or all natural peanut butter.
Now, for the best peanut sauce recipe in the world!
Thai Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
Up to 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I use smooth too. I like it either way)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons Tamarind liquid or lime juice (I've always used lime juice)
3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar (I usually use brown sugar)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (I know it stinks, but put it in anyway! Just do it!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Warm the coconut milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, heat the milk until it reaches a gentle boil and tiny beads of oil glisten on the surface, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste and stir occasionally until it dissolves into the milk and releases its fragrances, about 3 minutes. Add the peanut butter, chicken stock and sugar and cook gently until the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with lime juice, fish sauce and salt. Taste and adjust for a pleasing balance of sweet, sour and salty. Cool to room temperature.
Now on to the relish:
I love this relish! The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons chopped purple onion, but I love the onion so much that I just slice 'em big and put in plenty. Yum! You could easily cut back if you can't stomach that much onion (what's wrong with you!?).
I never worry about the chopped peanuts, to be honest. I never have them on hand and it just isn't a big deal to me, especially since I always eat this with the peanut sauce.
Traditionally, when this is served with the Satay, the relish is always freshly combined. They don't let the cucumbers sit in the vinegar and turn into pickles. I love it both ways. So I make plenty so I have leftovers and I can eat some the next day. By then they have a nice, sweet pickled flavor.
Cucumber Relish
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh hot chili, chopped, or thai chili paste
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lg. hothouse cucumber or 2 regular cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve. Cool to room temperature. Just before serving time, peel cucumbers, slice them crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick. Combine the cucumbers with the vinegar dressing, onion, and chilis. Top with peanuts and cilantro.
Since then, every time Sean and I go to a Thai restaurant, we always order their Satay. It is usually served as an appetizer with woefully few cucumbers.
I started looking in books for recipes. I ran across a book called Real Thai : The best of Thailand's Regional Cooking by Nancy McDermott, in the local library. The Satay recipe in this book is the one I have used now for years. I haven't made any of the other recipes in the book, but they are probably good too! Her recipe calls for pork (Moo Satay). You can use any meat you want. I have used pork and chicken and both are equally excellent.
I really didn't like the marinade given for the meat, so I use something different (see previous post). Deal with it. Also, this dish is not traditionally served with rice, but when I make it for dinner, we eat it with rice. I make no apologies to the Thai's for this grave error. I like it this way and I'm not going to change.
Oh yeah, a word about Thai Curry Paste. You can make your own or buy pre-made paste in the oriental store. I buy mine. This stuff is very spicy hot. I usually use a little less than a tablespoon in this Satay recipe. Get to know your paste before you commit to 2 full tablespoons.
One more thing. This recipe seems like it has too much liquid and will be really runny. But there is something about the mixture of peanut butter and coconut milk. When its heated, it thickens nicely. Don't overcook it or the oil in the peanut butter will separate out. Just cook it gently until its nice and thick. I have made this sauce with Jiffy style peanut butter, homemade peanut butter (I crushed the peanuts myself) and all natural peanut butter. I prefer it with either homemade or all natural peanut butter.
Now, for the best peanut sauce recipe in the world!
Thai Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
Up to 2 tablespoons Red Curry Paste
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I use smooth too. I like it either way)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons Tamarind liquid or lime juice (I've always used lime juice)
3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar (I usually use brown sugar)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (I know it stinks, but put it in anyway! Just do it!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Warm the coconut milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, heat the milk until it reaches a gentle boil and tiny beads of oil glisten on the surface, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste and stir occasionally until it dissolves into the milk and releases its fragrances, about 3 minutes. Add the peanut butter, chicken stock and sugar and cook gently until the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with lime juice, fish sauce and salt. Taste and adjust for a pleasing balance of sweet, sour and salty. Cool to room temperature.
Now on to the relish:
I love this relish! The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons chopped purple onion, but I love the onion so much that I just slice 'em big and put in plenty. Yum! You could easily cut back if you can't stomach that much onion (what's wrong with you!?).
I never worry about the chopped peanuts, to be honest. I never have them on hand and it just isn't a big deal to me, especially since I always eat this with the peanut sauce.
Traditionally, when this is served with the Satay, the relish is always freshly combined. They don't let the cucumbers sit in the vinegar and turn into pickles. I love it both ways. So I make plenty so I have leftovers and I can eat some the next day. By then they have a nice, sweet pickled flavor.
Cucumber Relish
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh hot chili, chopped, or thai chili paste
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lg. hothouse cucumber or 2 regular cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve. Cool to room temperature. Just before serving time, peel cucumbers, slice them crosswise, about 1/4 inch thick. Combine the cucumbers with the vinegar dressing, onion, and chilis. Top with peanuts and cilantro.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Hot Fudge Brownies
I was ready to make banana bread since we needed to use some bananas anyway, but noooo! Everyone else in the family had their hearts set on brownies for some reason. So, of course I ended up making brownies. I still haven't bought any walnuts since making those gorgeous sticky buns, so I had to make walnut free brownies. I'm not sure just how long to bake this recipe. This is one recipe that I just keep an eye on and when it looks right, I take it out of the oven.
I'll tell you the truth. I don't love brownies. I like them, but I just don't love them. I have NEVER liked brownies from a mix. They really turn me off for some reason. This is not a snobbishness that I developed as I got older. I couldn't stand brownies even when I was a kid. It wasn't until I tasted homemade brownies that I decided that they had any redeeming value. Trust me, homemade brownies have PLENTY of redeeming value. With all that chocolate, butter and eggs, how could anyone go wrong? So now, I eat brownies, even if I don't want to marry them.
Brownies
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and add cocoa. Stir until smooth. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until moistened. Add cocoa and butter mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in chopped walnuts. Bake in greased 9 by 13 pan. Its done when the edges are set and the center is only barely set.
Now, about the hot fudge sauce:
I have a couple of hot fudge sauce recipes. I couldn't make the one I originally planned to make because I discovered that I was out of evaporated milk. So I thought I'd make the one that uses chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. I got the idea to tweak it a bit and use squares of unsweetened baking chocolate instead of the chocolate chips. I really liked the result. The sauce turned out to be less sweet, more like a dark chocolate sauce.
I got a little hasty when I melted my chocolate and almost ruined my sauce. I had the heat a bit high. Don't do that! You need to melt it over a nice, even, low heat (a double boiler would be nice). The chocolate was starting to stiffen up over that high heat, so I added some sweetened condensed milk to smooth it out a bit, and I think it caused the chocolate to sieze. Uh Oh. I turned the heat down, added the rest of the milk, and stirred like crazy. Ultimately, the recipe turned out ok, but I thought it was history for a minute there!
Hot Fudge Sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt chocolate in a small sauce pan. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Heat through. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Add water to thin to desired consistency.
I'm sure you don't need directions on how to make hot fudge brownies, but here you go:
Top a square of brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some hot fudge sauce. Eat.
I'll tell you the truth. I don't love brownies. I like them, but I just don't love them. I have NEVER liked brownies from a mix. They really turn me off for some reason. This is not a snobbishness that I developed as I got older. I couldn't stand brownies even when I was a kid. It wasn't until I tasted homemade brownies that I decided that they had any redeeming value. Trust me, homemade brownies have PLENTY of redeeming value. With all that chocolate, butter and eggs, how could anyone go wrong? So now, I eat brownies, even if I don't want to marry them.
Brownies
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and add cocoa. Stir until smooth. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until moistened. Add cocoa and butter mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in chopped walnuts. Bake in greased 9 by 13 pan. Its done when the edges are set and the center is only barely set.
Now, about the hot fudge sauce:
I have a couple of hot fudge sauce recipes. I couldn't make the one I originally planned to make because I discovered that I was out of evaporated milk. So I thought I'd make the one that uses chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. I got the idea to tweak it a bit and use squares of unsweetened baking chocolate instead of the chocolate chips. I really liked the result. The sauce turned out to be less sweet, more like a dark chocolate sauce.
I got a little hasty when I melted my chocolate and almost ruined my sauce. I had the heat a bit high. Don't do that! You need to melt it over a nice, even, low heat (a double boiler would be nice). The chocolate was starting to stiffen up over that high heat, so I added some sweetened condensed milk to smooth it out a bit, and I think it caused the chocolate to sieze. Uh Oh. I turned the heat down, added the rest of the milk, and stirred like crazy. Ultimately, the recipe turned out ok, but I thought it was history for a minute there!
Hot Fudge Sauce
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt chocolate in a small sauce pan. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Heat through. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Add water to thin to desired consistency.
I'm sure you don't need directions on how to make hot fudge brownies, but here you go:
Top a square of brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some hot fudge sauce. Eat.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Thai Marinated Chicken
I love this chicken. This is some awesome stuff! I use this instead of the marinade given in my Satay recipe because I just like it better. I made the Satay recently and I'll give the recipe soon. Mmmm...yummy!!!
This is best when cooked on a grill, but I also cook it under the broiler with good results.
It can also be sauteed in a fry pan, like a stir fry (without the skewers of course!). For a really awesome treat, throw in some fresh basil leaves at the last minute.
For those of you who aren't familiar with fish sauce: It stinks like crazy. But it is essential in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. I could eat Thai food without it, but I wouldn't want to. I always have some on hand
Thai Marinated Chicken
raw boneless skinless chicken, cut into thin srips (I used breasts)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons thai chili paste (Its very spicy hot. You may want to use less.)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
3 or 4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and stir. Add the chicken, and mix well to coat. You can add some water to thin it a bit. Its pretty thick and salty otherwise. Allow to marinate for an hour or more. If you are threading onto bamboo skewers, then make sure they have been soaked in water for a while first. I have these big long metal shish kabab skewers that I used. Cook on your outside grill until done!
This is best when cooked on a grill, but I also cook it under the broiler with good results.
It can also be sauteed in a fry pan, like a stir fry (without the skewers of course!). For a really awesome treat, throw in some fresh basil leaves at the last minute.
For those of you who aren't familiar with fish sauce: It stinks like crazy. But it is essential in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. I could eat Thai food without it, but I wouldn't want to. I always have some on hand
Thai Marinated Chicken
raw boneless skinless chicken, cut into thin srips (I used breasts)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons thai chili paste (Its very spicy hot. You may want to use less.)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
3 or 4 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and stir. Add the chicken, and mix well to coat. You can add some water to thin it a bit. Its pretty thick and salty otherwise. Allow to marinate for an hour or more. If you are threading onto bamboo skewers, then make sure they have been soaked in water for a while first. I have these big long metal shish kabab skewers that I used. Cook on your outside grill until done!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Apple Chicken
Yet another recipe from Leanne Ely's book Saving Dinner. Again, another hit! Dh is totally bored with chicken and sauce recipes, so I'm going to have to lay off them for a while. Sigh. But the kids just loved it! I thought it was very tasty too! Hannah and Hypatia and their friend who ate with us just ate it all up very happily. Of course Hypatia picked off all the apples, but she ate the chicken just fine.
I didn't notice until I was copying the recipe into the blog that it said to cut the chicken into little pieces. I did my typical long strips. Ooops! I didn't use so many apples either. It seemed like too much to me. So, I used only 2 chicken breasts, 1 apple, and since I only had 1/2 cup of wine on hand, I cut all of the sauce ingredients by 1/3. I didn't use cornstarch, either. I used ultra gel instead.
Apple Chicken
1 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add apple slices, saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 the wine and chicken broth, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix remaining wine and broth together with remaining ingredients; add to skillet. cook over medium heat, stirring consstantly until sauce thickens.
I didn't notice until I was copying the recipe into the blog that it said to cut the chicken into little pieces. I did my typical long strips. Ooops! I didn't use so many apples either. It seemed like too much to me. So, I used only 2 chicken breasts, 1 apple, and since I only had 1/2 cup of wine on hand, I cut all of the sauce ingredients by 1/3. I didn't use cornstarch, either. I used ultra gel instead.
Apple Chicken
1 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add apple slices, saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 the wine and chicken broth, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix remaining wine and broth together with remaining ingredients; add to skillet. cook over medium heat, stirring consstantly until sauce thickens.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken
This is another recipe from Leanne Ely's Book Saving Dinner. It was a winner. Sean loved it because it was topped with fresh cilantro. Otherwise, I think he would have thought it was pretty ho-hum. Fresh herbs make such a huge difference! Personally, I thought it was a great recipe, and my children liked it, too. Of course Hypatia picked off the cilantro and onions that topped it.
When a recipe calls for whole chicken breasts, I usually cut the breasts into strips. I find that the whole breasts are too big for one person anyway. I used two large breast halves for this recipe. Other than that,I followed the recipe exactly.
Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
cilantro, chopped
green onions, chopped
In a small bowl, combine honey, orange juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
In a skilllet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat, add chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
Add honey mixture to the skillet and cook, turning to thoroughly coat the chicken. Cook 2 more minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Tp serve, place chicken on plate, spoon sauce over the top and sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.
When a recipe calls for whole chicken breasts, I usually cut the breasts into strips. I find that the whole breasts are too big for one person anyway. I used two large breast halves for this recipe. Other than that,I followed the recipe exactly.
Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
cilantro, chopped
green onions, chopped
In a small bowl, combine honey, orange juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
In a skilllet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat, add chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
Add honey mixture to the skillet and cook, turning to thoroughly coat the chicken. Cook 2 more minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Tp serve, place chicken on plate, spoon sauce over the top and sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Blueberry Banana Bread
We love banana bread and I make it often. Usually I put walnuts in it, but I used up all of our walnuts the other day when I made those glorious sticky buns. So no walnuts today! I considered putting chocolate chips in. Sean and I like it that way, but for some reason, my children don't! LOL! Go figure. I got the idea to put blueberries in the bread. Ding ding, we have a winner! It was great! We buy blueberries in the summer at the farmers market and then bag and freeze them. We mainly do this to maintain Sean's blueberry pancake with blackberry syrup obsession (about which I'll post in a future blog). We always have frozen blueberries on hand. So I made one of the banana bread loaves plain for the kids, and I added blueberries to the other. It was simply wonderful! Yum!
I use the banana cake recipe from an older edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook (around 1986, I think) for my banana bread recipe. I usually add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the recipe. For some crazy reason I added 2 this time. I'll stick to 1 in the future. Also, I got the idea to add some molasses to this recipe too. I didn't like the addition, and I won't be doing that again! Maybe I just put too much in. I think I added somewhere between 1 and 2 tablespoons. I definately tasted it in the finished product. It also gave the bread a much darker color.
Blueberry Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teapoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I didn't really measure)
Grease and lightly flour two loaf pans. In a mixer bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. Add butter and banana; beat on low speed of electric mixer till combined. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Fold in blueberries. Turn batter into prepared pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Romove from pans; cool thoroughly.
I use the banana cake recipe from an older edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook (around 1986, I think) for my banana bread recipe. I usually add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the recipe. For some crazy reason I added 2 this time. I'll stick to 1 in the future. Also, I got the idea to add some molasses to this recipe too. I didn't like the addition, and I won't be doing that again! Maybe I just put too much in. I think I added somewhere between 1 and 2 tablespoons. I definately tasted it in the finished product. It also gave the bread a much darker color.
Blueberry Banana Bread
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teapoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I didn't really measure)
Grease and lightly flour two loaf pans. In a mixer bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. Add butter and banana; beat on low speed of electric mixer till combined. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Fold in blueberries. Turn batter into prepared pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Romove from pans; cool thoroughly.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Lemon Pasta with Simple Sauteed Mushrooms
My in-laws make a lemon pasta similar to this. I just added the ham for something different. The garlic is my addition also.
These mushrooms are just one of my favorite things to make. I learned from my Dad that just about anything is good when sauteed in Worchester Sauce. To quote Hannah when she eats these mushrooms: "Mmmmmm, yum, you made them just how I like them."
This is an easy and quick meal to make.
Lemon Pasta
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup heavy cream, or half and half
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (parmesan would be good, too, but I only had pecorino, so thats what I used)
about 4 oz. ham, chopped into big(ish) chunks
1/2 lb linguini, cooked
salt and pepper, to taste
Boil the water and cook the pasta.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, zest, lemon juice, and garlic. Heat gently to just boiling. Add the Add the cheese and stir. Add the ham, and heat through. Remove from heat. (Be careful not to overheat)
When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and stir to combine.
Simple Sauteed Mushrooms
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, and saute until the mushrooms have released juices. My kids love these! Even Hypatia voluntarily ate some!
These mushrooms are just one of my favorite things to make. I learned from my Dad that just about anything is good when sauteed in Worchester Sauce. To quote Hannah when she eats these mushrooms: "Mmmmmm, yum, you made them just how I like them."
This is an easy and quick meal to make.
Lemon Pasta
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup heavy cream, or half and half
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (parmesan would be good, too, but I only had pecorino, so thats what I used)
about 4 oz. ham, chopped into big(ish) chunks
1/2 lb linguini, cooked
salt and pepper, to taste
Boil the water and cook the pasta.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, zest, lemon juice, and garlic. Heat gently to just boiling. Add the Add the cheese and stir. Add the ham, and heat through. Remove from heat. (Be careful not to overheat)
When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and stir to combine.
Simple Sauteed Mushrooms
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients, and saute until the mushrooms have released juices. My kids love these! Even Hypatia voluntarily ate some!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Romano Turkey Burgers
This next recipe comes from a book called Saving Dinner, by Leanne Ely, who runs a website, also called Saving Dinner. In her book, she plans out dinners by the week, complete with weekly shopping lists. All you have to do is pick a week and use her list. On her website, you can subscribe to her service which provides new menus every week. I don't know if I would ever need pre-planned menus like that, but her book is full of simple dinner ideas. They are all quick and easy to make. I've only made two recipes so far, and they were both good. I'm planning on using many of her recipes during the coming month. I'll let you know how they turn out!
I changed this recipe very little. I used real garlic instead of powder. This is something I almost always do. Call me a garlic snob if you want, but I don't use powder or even those jars of already chopped garlic. Honestly, nothing compares. So, I used 2 or 3 gloves of garlic, and since I broke my garlic press, I had to mince it by hand. Luckily, my dh likes the smell of garlic and has never complained when I'm saturated with it, lol.
Other than that, the recipe was made as is. I used whole wheat rolls instead of buns, but I don't count that as a change. For some reason, I thought my rolls were smaller than a typical bun, so I made the patties rather small. So we had to use 2 patties on each roll.
Sean liked them, I think. Well, he ate two burgers. Hannah stuffed herself silly. Needless to say she loved them. Dylan would have liked them, but he is out of town, visiting grandparents. Hypatia, who is by far my pickiest eater, just pointed at the onions and gave me that look that says "You know I can't eat that!" She ate a bite or two. Wade nibbled at them, but thats pretty typical, too.
I changed this recipe very little. I used real garlic instead of powder. This is something I almost always do. Call me a garlic snob if you want, but I don't use powder or even those jars of already chopped garlic. Honestly, nothing compares. So, I used 2 or 3 gloves of garlic, and since I broke my garlic press, I had to mince it by hand. Luckily, my dh likes the smell of garlic and has never complained when I'm saturated with it, lol.
Other than that, the recipe was made as is. I used whole wheat rolls instead of buns, but I don't count that as a change. For some reason, I thought my rolls were smaller than a typical bun, so I made the patties rather small. So we had to use 2 patties on each roll.
Sean liked them, I think. Well, he ate two burgers. Hannah stuffed herself silly. Needless to say she loved them. Dylan would have liked them, but he is out of town, visiting grandparents. Hypatia, who is by far my pickiest eater, just pointed at the onions and gave me that look that says "You know I can't eat that!" She ate a bite or two. Wade nibbled at them, but thats pretty typical, too.
Romano Turkey Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste 6 whole-wheat hamburger buns
Turn on broiler. In a bowl, mix all ingredients (except hamburger buns) together well and shape into six patties.
Place patties on a broiler pan and broil for 10 minutes, turning once, Patties are done when they are no longer pink in the middle. Serve on warmed hamburger buns.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Laurie's Simple Summer Salad
I was just going to make a simple green salad, but then I remembered my cauliflower just sitting there in my fridge, so I thought I'd make it the base of my salad instead of lettuce. The dressing for this salad is just whatever dressing I had in my fridge, which happened to be one I bought from Big Lots, so I don't know how easy it is to find it normally. Anyway, its Olde Cape Cod brand Lite Blush Wine Vinaigrette. Its a decent dressing. Nothing too special, though. Of course, I could have used olive oil and basalmic vinegar, but, for some reason I didn't.
This salad seems to be lacking in nice bright green color. I guess I shouldn't have peeled my cucumbers. I think that would have helped. Also, fresh herbs would have added color and flavor. I didn't have any on hand, so I used dried, which is very ho hum. If I were going to make this for company, I would definately make these changes.
Over all, this is a nice, fresh salad that will compliment my Romano Turkey Burgers I'm planning for tonight.
Laurie's Easy Summer Salad
1/4 head cauliflower, chopped
1/2 large beefsteak style tomato, diced
1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced
1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced
4 or 5 baby cut carrots, sliced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced finely
1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/4 tsp dried dill (or some fresh)
About 1/4 to 1/2 cup dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. I made this a few hours early to allow the flavors to meld and to soften and marinate the cauliflower.
This salad seems to be lacking in nice bright green color. I guess I shouldn't have peeled my cucumbers. I think that would have helped. Also, fresh herbs would have added color and flavor. I didn't have any on hand, so I used dried, which is very ho hum. If I were going to make this for company, I would definately make these changes.
Over all, this is a nice, fresh salad that will compliment my Romano Turkey Burgers I'm planning for tonight.
Laurie's Easy Summer Salad
1/4 head cauliflower, chopped
1/2 large beefsteak style tomato, diced
1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced
1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced
4 or 5 baby cut carrots, sliced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced finely
1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/4 tsp dried dill (or some fresh)
About 1/4 to 1/2 cup dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. I made this a few hours early to allow the flavors to meld and to soften and marinate the cauliflower.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Walnut Sticky Buns, AKA HEAVEN!!!!
Update: Find the updated version of this recipe at Evolution of the Sticky Bun.
Ok, the results are in. These were a huge success! "Wow!" That's all Sean could say! Just "Wow!" After a while he said "I think I like these better!" He was worried about whether or not these would be as good or better than my usual cinnamon rolls. Well, now I may have to make them this way every time.
Normally I make traditional cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. Sean loves them and usually gives me a sad face whenever I suggest a variation. But today, I'm trying sticky buns! Yes, I know, they are supposed to be made with pecans, but we are out of pecans (I couldn't keep the kids out of them and before I knew it they were gone!), so I am using walnuts. I think that the reason that pecans are always used is because they are a much sweeter nut, compared to walnuts. But I like walnuts in my baking and they never seem too bitter once they are baked, so I figured that this change would work for us.
Sean always asks (begs!) Me to make changes to the filling recipe. He figures that if a little butter is good, then a lot of butter is great, and so on... Basically, I have to double the filling. Then I quadruple the cinnamon. Yes, folks, you read that correctly. It's the way he likes it. So, if you want to make it exactly the way I make it, then the filling ingredients would be: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cinnamon, and 1/2 cup butter.
Also, the topping calls for light corn syrup and I didn't have any on hand, so I used dark corn syrup instead. I can't imagine that this would change the taste dramatically.
Walnut Sticky Buns
Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (the kind that you add to the flour without proofing)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon. salt
4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used 4 cups in the dough)
Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Topping:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
2 tablespoons cream or half and half (optional)
Make the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
In a microwaveable bowl (I use a two cup pyrex measure), melt 1/4 c. butter. Then add the milk and microwave for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Add the liquid mixture into the dry, and mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low speed, slowly incorporate the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding a little more flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. I like to make sure the dough is quite sticky at this point. It makes for a tender dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat with the oil from the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or 2 hours if not in an entirely warm place). It's the middle of summer, so I put the bowl outside.
It was at this point that I decided to take pictures of the process. Deal with it, ok? lol I don't mean to be annoying, honest! I'm just having fun!
Ok, the results are in. These were a huge success! "Wow!" That's all Sean could say! Just "Wow!" After a while he said "I think I like these better!" He was worried about whether or not these would be as good or better than my usual cinnamon rolls. Well, now I may have to make them this way every time.
Normally I make traditional cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. Sean loves them and usually gives me a sad face whenever I suggest a variation. But today, I'm trying sticky buns! Yes, I know, they are supposed to be made with pecans, but we are out of pecans (I couldn't keep the kids out of them and before I knew it they were gone!), so I am using walnuts. I think that the reason that pecans are always used is because they are a much sweeter nut, compared to walnuts. But I like walnuts in my baking and they never seem too bitter once they are baked, so I figured that this change would work for us.
Sean always asks (begs!) Me to make changes to the filling recipe. He figures that if a little butter is good, then a lot of butter is great, and so on... Basically, I have to double the filling. Then I quadruple the cinnamon. Yes, folks, you read that correctly. It's the way he likes it. So, if you want to make it exactly the way I make it, then the filling ingredients would be: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cinnamon, and 1/2 cup butter.
Also, the topping calls for light corn syrup and I didn't have any on hand, so I used dark corn syrup instead. I can't imagine that this would change the taste dramatically.
Walnut Sticky Buns
Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (the kind that you add to the flour without proofing)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon. salt
4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I used 4 cups in the dough)
Filling:
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Topping:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
2 tablespoons cream or half and half (optional)
Make the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
In a microwaveable bowl (I use a two cup pyrex measure), melt 1/4 c. butter. Then add the milk and microwave for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Add the liquid mixture into the dry, and mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low speed, slowly incorporate the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding a little more flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. I like to make sure the dough is quite sticky at this point. It makes for a tender dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat with the oil from the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or 2 hours if not in an entirely warm place). It's the middle of summer, so I put the bowl outside.
It was at this point that I decided to take pictures of the process. Deal with it, ok? lol I don't mean to be annoying, honest! I'm just having fun!
While the dough is rising, I make the filling and the topping.
For the filling, I just melt the butter in a microwaveable bowl and then add the cinnamon and sugar and stir until smooth.
Make the topping. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle pecans (or walnuts) on top.
After the dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes (ok, I don’t usually let it sit, but I think that if you let it rest for a few minutes, the dough will soften up a bit and be a little easier to shape).
Roll dough out into a 12" x 18" rectangle (I never measure and my rectangle is never picture perfect).
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. (My cylinder is always pretty lopsided, but it still works just fine). Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 12 slices. Dental floss is good for this, but I often just use a serrated knife. In the picture, I scored it first, mainly because I like making those little slices into the dough, heh heh.
Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping.
Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 30 to 45 minutes .
Preheat oven to 375̊. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately (and carefully as not to spill hot topping on your toes!) invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. The first picture is right after taking the pan out of the oven and just before inverting it onto my cutting board. The second one is obviously the inverted one.
Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Amazing Tunnel Cake
This recipe comes from a library book which features homemade cake recipes, no mixes. Unfortunately, I returned the book without making note of the title or author, so I can't give credit. I just looked at the library's website, but they don't have pictures (and neither does Amazon), but I think it was this one: Good Old Fashioned Cakes, by Susan Kosoff. The cake turned out just like the book described! Look at the pictures and see what you think. This is the first recipe that I took a picture of and it was immensely satisfying. Then I took pictures of a few more treats that I made. Then I started taking pictures of my dinners. Now I can't stop, lol! I'm addicted!
Amazing Tunnel Cake
This butter cake has a fudgy center. My kids thought this looked really cool. They also thought it tasted great!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Chocolate Syrup (recipe follows)
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Make Chocolate Syrup.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350 degreesF. Grease a 10 by 4 inch tube or a 12 cup bundt pan; dust with flour.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk or stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, and using electric beaters, cream butter until light and smooth. Add sugar in several additions, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly pour in beaten eggs, beating until mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth. Beat in vanilla.
5. Using a large rubber spatula, alternately stir in dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, and blending well after each addittion. Pour two thirds of the batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
6. Add baking soda to Chocolate syrup; stir thoroughly. Pour Chocolate Syrup into remaining batter, blending thoroughly. Pour chocolate batter over vanilla batter, spreading evenly. Do not stir batters together.
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pan to wire rack. Cool 10 minutes before loosening cake from pan with a knife and removing. Finish cooling right side up on rack. If desired, pour warm Chocolate Glaze over the cake, letting it run down the sides, or dust with confectioners' sugar.
Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until completely blended; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature before using.
Glaze:
2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
pinch salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine chocolate, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate and butter melt and sugar dissolves.
2. Combine heavy cream and cornstarch in a measuring cup, stirring until well blended. Pour into chocolate mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool glaze in pan 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, before pouring over cooled cake.
Amazing Tunnel Cake
This butter cake has a fudgy center. My kids thought this looked really cool. They also thought it tasted great!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Chocolate Syrup (recipe follows)
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Make Chocolate Syrup.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350 degreesF. Grease a 10 by 4 inch tube or a 12 cup bundt pan; dust with flour.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk or stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, and using electric beaters, cream butter until light and smooth. Add sugar in several additions, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly pour in beaten eggs, beating until mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth. Beat in vanilla.
5. Using a large rubber spatula, alternately stir in dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, and blending well after each addittion. Pour two thirds of the batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
6. Add baking soda to Chocolate syrup; stir thoroughly. Pour Chocolate Syrup into remaining batter, blending thoroughly. Pour chocolate batter over vanilla batter, spreading evenly. Do not stir batters together.
7. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pan to wire rack. Cool 10 minutes before loosening cake from pan with a knife and removing. Finish cooling right side up on rack. If desired, pour warm Chocolate Glaze over the cake, letting it run down the sides, or dust with confectioners' sugar.
Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until completely blended; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature before using.
Glaze:
2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
pinch salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine chocolate, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate and butter melt and sugar dissolves.
2. Combine heavy cream and cornstarch in a measuring cup, stirring until well blended. Pour into chocolate mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool glaze in pan 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, before pouring over cooled cake.
Blueberry Buckle
This is a recipe that my inlaws make. Until I had theirs, I had only had blueberry buckle only once, when a college roomate made it. I loved it then. I love it still! I think that this recipe is pretty much a classic, because I looked at some online recipe sites and they have this exact recipe listed. That made it easy for me, because I just cut and pasted and I didn't have to type it all out. The only difference in the recipe that I use is that there is a creamy lemon sauce that is poured over the cake. Personally, I don't love the sauce, and I could live without it. But Sean wouldn't deal with it very well, so I make the sauce anyway. Then, Sean insists that I also top it with whipped cream. Always a good addition, although I think I would really like this just as well sans sauce and whipped cream.
Blueberry Buckle
A delicious coffecake style recipe. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
For the cake:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
For the sauce:
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
pinch salt
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan.
2. Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg.
3. In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.
4. To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.
5. Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes. When cooled, serve with sauce.
6. For the sauce: Beat egg yolks, add sugar mixed with cornstarch. Scald milk in top of double boiler, gradually stir in egg mixture. Cook until it coats a silver spoon, 5-6 minutes. Cool and flavor with lemon extract.
If you are married to my husband, you also have to top it with sweetened whipped cream.
Blueberry Buckle
A delicious coffecake style recipe. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
For the cake:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
For the sauce:
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
pinch salt
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan.
2. Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg.
3. In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.
4. To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.
5. Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes. When cooled, serve with sauce.
6. For the sauce: Beat egg yolks, add sugar mixed with cornstarch. Scald milk in top of double boiler, gradually stir in egg mixture. Cook until it coats a silver spoon, 5-6 minutes. Cool and flavor with lemon extract.
If you are married to my husband, you also have to top it with sweetened whipped cream.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Little Things in Life That Are So Wonderful
hummus
hours of unlimited time at a bookstore or library (haven't had that since having children)
sitting outside in the shade with a breeze and its a perfect temperature
softball games (batting, catching, watching). I'm not that good, but I love swinging at the ball and hearing a perfect thunk sound when the ball hits the bat.
fabric, fabric stores, looking in the pattern book, daydreaming about what I might sew.
The final scene of the movie "Green Card".
A clean house (usually I'm visiting someone else)
Singing harmony. I'm good at it and it feels wonderful to blend beautifully with other voices.
A nonfiction book that is about something very interesting that I know very little about. I read the most interesting sections first, and then fill in the gaps by finding parts that I missed. I love it when I think I've read the whole book and then I stumble across a whole section of information that I had missed completely!
Pop songs that I remember loving when I was a kid in the 70's, such as: Captain and Tennille's song, "Love Will Keep Us Together", and "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, and "Here You Come Again", by Dolly Parton.
The sound of babies and toddlers laughing
Sliced avocado, cucumber, and sweet onion on a tortilla
My 2 1/2 year old who is obsessed with blowing strawberries (raspberries or whatever you call it). He can't stop himself. He does it to everyone he knows. He pulls your shirt down and blows on your chest. He pulls your shirt up and blows on your belly. He blows on your legs if you have shorts on. He blows on your cheeks and neck whenever you hold him. And he even does it in the middle of the night when he's half awake and finds an arm near his mouth. PBBBBTHHH!
hours of unlimited time at a bookstore or library (haven't had that since having children)
sitting outside in the shade with a breeze and its a perfect temperature
softball games (batting, catching, watching). I'm not that good, but I love swinging at the ball and hearing a perfect thunk sound when the ball hits the bat.
fabric, fabric stores, looking in the pattern book, daydreaming about what I might sew.
The final scene of the movie "Green Card".
A clean house (usually I'm visiting someone else)
Singing harmony. I'm good at it and it feels wonderful to blend beautifully with other voices.
A nonfiction book that is about something very interesting that I know very little about. I read the most interesting sections first, and then fill in the gaps by finding parts that I missed. I love it when I think I've read the whole book and then I stumble across a whole section of information that I had missed completely!
Pop songs that I remember loving when I was a kid in the 70's, such as: Captain and Tennille's song, "Love Will Keep Us Together", and "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, and "Here You Come Again", by Dolly Parton.
The sound of babies and toddlers laughing
Sliced avocado, cucumber, and sweet onion on a tortilla
My 2 1/2 year old who is obsessed with blowing strawberries (raspberries or whatever you call it). He can't stop himself. He does it to everyone he knows. He pulls your shirt down and blows on your chest. He pulls your shirt up and blows on your belly. He blows on your legs if you have shorts on. He blows on your cheeks and neck whenever you hold him. And he even does it in the middle of the night when he's half awake and finds an arm near his mouth. PBBBBTHHH!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
"That is one damn big hole!"
So said my husband, Sean, as he peered into the Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, I stood far back, in a panic, crying, telling my family to get away from the edge. It was terrifying. It is one damn big hole.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
I should do this more often
My kids came home from school and the first thing they always do is head for the fridge. They are usually starving.
Hannah opened the fridge and gasped..."Wow! Look at this! Cool! What did you do, Mom? Dylan, come here! You've got to see the fridge!"
What did I do that was so awe inspiring?
I cleaned it.
Hannah opened the fridge and gasped..."Wow! Look at this! Cool! What did you do, Mom? Dylan, come here! You've got to see the fridge!"
What did I do that was so awe inspiring?
I cleaned it.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Talent, lack of talent, and a new site meter to prove it.
I said in my last post that I lack talent. Thats because I find other bloggers on the web who are just so good at writing. They make me laugh and they make me cry. Several months ago I posted a poem that I found hidden in an old journal of mine. I had written it when I was about 18. I lamented my lack of talent even then. Why do I want to be something I am not? Sigh.
Some of the blogs I have enjoyed:
Real Live Preacher: This guy is awesome! He is a real live preacher in San Antonio, TX
Ramblings of a Third Grade Mind: This is Real Live Preacher's brother.
Fat Free Vegan: I'm not fat free, nor am I vegan, but I love to cook and she does a great job with her recipes and pictures. I just love reading this blog.
Trixie Update: This guy is (was?) a stay at home Dad to his daughter while his wife was in Residency (or medical school, or something). He started Trixie Update to keep friends and family posted on what was going on. Lately, as Trixie has gotten older (I think she's 3 or so now), I think he has started to work and he doesn't post as much, but its worth it to go back and read the old stuff.
Site Meter
Just so I can depress myself with cold hard facts, I put a site meter on my blog so I can know just how few people actually read this thing.
Ok, just so you know, I lack confidence in my writing (betcha couldn't tell), and I haven't really told more than one or two people about the blog anyway, so, um, no wonder!
Some of the blogs I have enjoyed:
Real Live Preacher: This guy is awesome! He is a real live preacher in San Antonio, TX
Ramblings of a Third Grade Mind: This is Real Live Preacher's brother.
Fat Free Vegan: I'm not fat free, nor am I vegan, but I love to cook and she does a great job with her recipes and pictures. I just love reading this blog.
Trixie Update: This guy is (was?) a stay at home Dad to his daughter while his wife was in Residency (or medical school, or something). He started Trixie Update to keep friends and family posted on what was going on. Lately, as Trixie has gotten older (I think she's 3 or so now), I think he has started to work and he doesn't post as much, but its worth it to go back and read the old stuff.
Site Meter
Just so I can depress myself with cold hard facts, I put a site meter on my blog so I can know just how few people actually read this thing.
Ok, just so you know, I lack confidence in my writing (betcha couldn't tell), and I haven't really told more than one or two people about the blog anyway, so, um, no wonder!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
I wish I had talent. Sigh...
Every once in a while I find a blogger who is extremely gifted at blogging. They can actually write. I'm not one of those people. I keep hoping that I am. But sadly...I am not. Thats why I say in my blog title that this is a dumb blog. It really is dumb. Oh well. It is my life.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Spring Brings Caterpillars!
Caterpillars are everywhere! Why do I know? Because my kids collect them. Everyday at school they find them on the playground and carefully sneak them home (takes talent--Hypatia got caught a couple of times already--she got in trouble, I guess you aren't allowed to bring caterpillers into the classroom). Then the kids get home and find more. They get all my rubbermaid containers and make little homes for them with dirt, sticks, grass and leaves. Then the caterpillars eventually die. I tell them to leave the poor little things alone, but they are so alluring to children. Wade is learning to hold them without squishing them. Sadly, many didn't survive the process.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Wade...is 2
This kid is in his terrible twos! He's a wonderful kid, really, but he just loves to get into things. Hmm...some of his latest adventures?
He dumped a bag of rice out onto the living room carpet.
He started scooping the brown sugar into the Aloe Vera plant we have sitting on the kitchen table. I guess he thought the brown sugar was dirt. He had just seen his father replant it the day before so he knew just what to do.
Once he had the gallon jug of vinegar with the lid open. I saw him and yelled for him to stop. All I got in response was a backwards glance as he took off running. Must...escape...mommy... I caught up with him just as he fell in the living room and the vinegar was glug glugging onto the floor.
He has ruined more rolls of toilet paper than I can count. He loves to toss them right into the toilet or just completely unroll it and then toss it all into the toilet.
None of this is very out of the ordinary for a rambunctious 2 year old, I must admit, but it sure keeps me on my toes.
Yesterday he got into my makeup and tried to put on my mascara. He then proceeded to write all over the floor with it. Luckily, my bathroom has only concrete at the moment until we put new flooring down. No biggie. Wanna see a picture of Wade with mascara? He's got talent! But now I need some new mascara. I can only imagine all the bacteria growing in it now!
When Hannah was injured and home from school for a few days, she got bored and turned to a favorite game of any 8 year old girl with a baby brother. She dressed him up in girl clothes. He was so cute! He had a bad cold though, so his eyes were a bit puffy and gooey.
He dumped a bag of rice out onto the living room carpet.
He started scooping the brown sugar into the Aloe Vera plant we have sitting on the kitchen table. I guess he thought the brown sugar was dirt. He had just seen his father replant it the day before so he knew just what to do.
Once he had the gallon jug of vinegar with the lid open. I saw him and yelled for him to stop. All I got in response was a backwards glance as he took off running. Must...escape...mommy... I caught up with him just as he fell in the living room and the vinegar was glug glugging onto the floor.
He has ruined more rolls of toilet paper than I can count. He loves to toss them right into the toilet or just completely unroll it and then toss it all into the toilet.
None of this is very out of the ordinary for a rambunctious 2 year old, I must admit, but it sure keeps me on my toes.
Yesterday he got into my makeup and tried to put on my mascara. He then proceeded to write all over the floor with it. Luckily, my bathroom has only concrete at the moment until we put new flooring down. No biggie. Wanna see a picture of Wade with mascara? He's got talent! But now I need some new mascara. I can only imagine all the bacteria growing in it now!
When Hannah was injured and home from school for a few days, she got bored and turned to a favorite game of any 8 year old girl with a baby brother. She dressed him up in girl clothes. He was so cute! He had a bad cold though, so his eyes were a bit puffy and gooey.
Spring is here and the dogwoods are blooming
I have many faults, one of which is that I totally neglect the yard. We have only been in our current house now for just under a year. Some past owner of this house must have enjoyed working in the yard, though. Thank goodness! I love springtime! The flowers are everywhere! The Dogwoods are blooming and we even have 3 Tulips blooming at the base of our dogwood! It gives off a sort of zen/Japanese garden sort of feel (can you tell how ignorant I am about that sort of thing? heh heh). Then there are the Wisteria and Azaeleas. Just beautiful!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Conversations with a child
We were going to Murphreesboro to look for diamonds. In the car, on the way, Sean saw some vultures. He pointed them out to the children. The conversation went something like this:
Sean: Look! Turkey vultures! (there were several circling above us).
Hannah: Oh, yeah, we learned about those in school.
Sean: Really? What did you learn?
Hannah: We learned that when their heads turn purple, they are about to puke.
Sean and I just howled with laughter when she said that. It was so unexpected.
Here is my youngest. What a cutie!
Ankle Injury
Ok, so for the first time in my life, I've started lifting weights. I really like it so far. It feels really good when those muscles work like that. I think I've suffered my first injury though. I've hurt my ankle. It happen while I was doing lunges, (or it happened when my 2 year old swung a little stool around and whacked me on the ankle-I'm not sure exactly, lol) Its a bit swollen and sore, although I can walk on it (with a bit of a limp). So now I'm doing cardio 3 days a week and I'm doing strength and resistance 3 days a week. I'm only breaking in with 30 minute sessions. I'm really liking it! I hope to be in shape eventually! :)
Sean: Look! Turkey vultures! (there were several circling above us).
Hannah: Oh, yeah, we learned about those in school.
Sean: Really? What did you learn?
Hannah: We learned that when their heads turn purple, they are about to puke.
Sean and I just howled with laughter when she said that. It was so unexpected.
Here is my youngest. What a cutie!
Ankle Injury
Ok, so for the first time in my life, I've started lifting weights. I really like it so far. It feels really good when those muscles work like that. I think I've suffered my first injury though. I've hurt my ankle. It happen while I was doing lunges, (or it happened when my 2 year old swung a little stool around and whacked me on the ankle-I'm not sure exactly, lol) Its a bit swollen and sore, although I can walk on it (with a bit of a limp). So now I'm doing cardio 3 days a week and I'm doing strength and resistance 3 days a week. I'm only breaking in with 30 minute sessions. I'm really liking it! I hope to be in shape eventually! :)
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Hannah has recovered
Hannah has been off her crutches now for the last couple of weeks. She is back to her normal self. She is playing softbal this season and all is well. Lucky girl. Lucky parents.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
You really DO have to look both ways before you cross the road.
Just ask my daughter. She got careless and...got hit by a car. This happened last Thursday, Feb. 24.
I was in the house when my son came home from school. He walked in the door and went to put his back pack in his room. Suddenly, he screamed the longest, most shrill I'd ever heard him scream. Then came the words..."Hannah got hit by a car!" He saw her through his bedroom window, just after she got hit, laying there in the road.
We live in a rural area that has the mailboxes only on one side of the road. Our mailbox is across the street. I would let her check the mail for me every day. The bus would drop her off, then she would cross the street and check the mail. After checking the mail, she walked a few yards down the road, since the mail box isn't directly in front of our driveway. A car was passing her. The driver saw her and slowed down significantly. She was walking straight ahead and he had no reason to believe that she would suddenly turn into the road. Well, without warning, she turned and walked right in front of the car. He slammed on the brakes, but couln't avoid hitting her.
She was in the hospital for 2 days. She suffered several skull fractures, but no bruising of the brain! That means no concussion! She fractured her hip in several places. One fracture is a weight bearing spot. When she stands, it puts pressure directly on the fracture. So she has been on crutches.
Its been almost 2 weeks and she's almost back to normal, except for the crutches.
The children are not allowed to check the mail anymore.
This was a very serious situation that could have had devastating results. We are grateful. So grateful to have our beautiful girl with us.
Wade's Haircut
Wade cut his own hair.
So I had to cut it. I gave him a mullet, just to be funny.
Of course, the mullet didn't last. Now he just has short hair.
So I had to cut it. I gave him a mullet, just to be funny.
Of course, the mullet didn't last. Now he just has short hair.
Just some ramblings
This post was originally written on Feb. 15 as an email to a friend. Snow in Arkansas
The weather has been chilly lately, but it is warmish today, in the 50's. We got snow on Friday, and Redfield got more than everyone else, so Hypatia got busy making a snow man and then Sean took the kids to a little hill to do some sledding in these plastic disc thingies that he bought when he saw that it was snowing. I made hot chocolate and we got a fire going in the fireplace when they got home. As you know, snow in AR is a bit of a rarity, so we were geared up for fun. It melted the next day, though.
I really need to finish my education. Sigh.
I never graduated from college. And now, I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking about going to work. But I really need an education so I can get a decent job! I started nursing school in 2002, but I quit after one semester. To say I hated it would be an understatement. Just the thought of going back to nursing school is enough to turn me into a pile of mush, crying, with a sick feeling in my stomach. I just don't think nursing is for me, you know? So now I'm leaning toward teaching school. Having kids and teaching school seems like a perfect combination to me. Sean hated teaching, so he really thinks that I would hate it too. I just don't know. My sister teaches kindergarten and younger, and she won't go any older than that. She says to stay away from the older, middle school and high school aged children, that they are just intolerable. I am a notoriously bad disciplinarian (I pretty much let kids do what they want). So maybe I shouldn't be anywhere near a school! Sean is just convinced that if I just get the intestinal fortitude to make it through nursing school, I won't regret it. He may be right, but I just don't know if I can do it. Academically, I could handle it, but I hated being in the hospital, doing all that nursing stuff.
So, to get some idea of what its like to be in a school as a sort of teacher, I just signed up to do student teaching with our local school district. So, any day now, I'll start doing some subbing. They only pay $50/day, and I'll have to pay a babysitter to watch Wade, so really I won't be making much, but its more for the experience anyway.
I don't know where I'm going with all these ramblings I'm just obsessed with getting this all figured out! I want to start school again in the fall, and whatever I do, its my final choice. No more foolin' around! Good grief, I have about 100 credits!!! And I'm not anywhere near a bachelors degree! This sucks! I have practically no job experience beyond minimum wage jobs, and I've been a stay at home mom now for 10 years. I know I've been a good person, and a great mom and all that jazz, but career-wise, I've just gone nowhere! I'm almost 37 years old, but I feel like I just graduated from high school as far as my employability goes. Ok, I'll stop ranting. :)
Valentine's Day
The kids had Valentine's parties at school yesterday and they all came home loaded with candy. I was busy cooking a fancy Valentine's meal so I just wasn't really paying close attention, and by the time Sean came home, there was candy everywhere all over the house. This candy business just escalates first with Halloween, then Christmas, then Valentine's Day, then Easter! The candy just never ends! We've learned to just start throwing it away. When the children know you have their candy stashed somewhere secret in the house, they just wake up every morning asking for sugar!
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