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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Fall: It's Decorative Gourd Season

By the way, it really is Decorative Gourd Season and we love McSweeney's!

On that note, ever made Roasted Pumpkin Seeds?

While it's not Halloween anymore, we are in the throws of the Autumn Season. That means pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie. I still love to clean out the inerts of a pumpkin - not just for the puree that is needed for all the pumpkin goodies but for the roasted seeds especially.

The following recipe is very easy but you must keep an eye on these guys or they'll burn to crisp.


Ingredients:

The seeds of one large pumpkin (put under the faucet in a strainer to remove all the pumpkin pulp)
2 Tbs Butter, melted
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp. garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste (I like to use Trader Joe's Flower Pepper for these).

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Pat dry the seeds between two clean dish cloths or paper towels.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.
Stir well to coat all seeds with the seasonings and oils. (Fat is used in cooking because it carries flavor)!
Place the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Check the seeds about 5 minutes in and shake the pan around.
Lower the temperature of the oven to 300 and roast for another 15 minutes. You may hear some popping. When you do, go and shake the pan...
When the seeds are the color of brown you like, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Transfer to a pretty bowl and serve.








Saturday, October 18, 2014

Mom's Apple Pie

I love Apple Pie. And I love the fall. Thankfully, they both come at the same time. Now that the apple harvest is happening, I've been getting some great varieties at the farmers market. If you love apple pie, but have never endeavored to make it. It's a snap and I recommend trying it. Plus, it's a great thing to have on hand when the occasional autumn guest shows up! I love a friendly stop by especially once the holidays begin!

I always use Granny Smith apples. They are large and firm and tart. But if like a variety that is equally as firm, you can use those instead.

Ingredients (Pie Filling):

6-8 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter

Directions (Pie Filling):

Put sliced apples in a large bowl and allow to macerate in the sugar cinnamon combination for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pie crust.

Ingredients (Pie Crust):

2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks cold, cubed butter
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup water (roughly)

Directions (Pie Crust and Pie Completion):

Pre-heat oven to 350
Sift flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl
Add the cold cubed butter and mix using your hands until the butter is combined with the flour mixture, resembling oatmeal
Add the water slowly, you may use less than the entire half cup. This is to form the dough.
Create a ball from the dough, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge and begin to roll into two round pie shaped forms...one for the bottom of the pie and one for the top.
Lay the first one in the bottom of the pie plate, add the apples, and dot the apples with the two tables spoons of butter.
Cover the pie filling with the second crust.
Seal the pie crust with your fork. (If you're my mom, you do really fancy stuff with the crust that seems to defy nature)
Poke holes in the crust for the steam to release (or if you want to be fancy, cut little shapes with tiny cookie cutters as I did here).
Place pie on a cookie sheet (in case of spill over)
Bake pie at 350 for 1 hour.
Serve hot or room temperature preferable with ice cream. ;)





My cute neighborhood. Someone got festive in the community garden.




Friday, October 10, 2014

The Cottage Diaries

Molly writes sweetly, her voice and style are down to earth and kind and her photographs are marvelous and her recipes are masterpieces! The Cottage Diaries is a place you can gain tons of inspiration and get all but lost in the images and the happiness there! The photos here are for Lavender Macarons with Honey Earl Grey Buttercream. The cookies themselves are her specialty. Simply delightful. I've included a few of her pics. When I make them, (if I am successful) I'll include my own photos as well.





Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Inspired - A Girl Walked Into a Bar

The Inspired
So, a girl walked into a bar...

This Girl Walks Into a Bar
She wasn't sick until she walked in.
She immediately looked pale and felt thin.
Her health, rapidly declining, made her wonder
It was a little thing to take notice of, to ponder.
"Why did I walk into this bar after all?"
She held on to the greasy tables, trying not to fall.
If she hadn't walked into that place would she healthy be?
What she remembered is how she loves to be free.
But this is a shackle, this illness, the spackle
that it might take to mend before she can bend
the sickness in her chest 
you know, the one in her breast
Her head she inclined and simply sipped 
And waited, patiently, before she was stripped.
Maybe, she thought, I should quit drinking.
This ship, she looked around, is it sinking?




Sunday, September 28, 2014

Visiting Friends

Here are a few blogs that I highly recommend visiting. I enjoy them anyhow...
Perhaps you will too. They always have:
  • A fresh perspective
  • Pretty pictures
  • Clever ideas
  • Good Vibes (which you know I like to proliferate)!
Also, they are portals to dream worlds. It's some good old fashioned escapism!

Hooked on Houses is on my Blogroll because I. LOVE. IT.  Julia's niche, all about awesome realestate, is remarkable. I love to go there and eat my heart out.


Bri Emery is the Founder/Director at Design Love Fest. It's a crisp clean blog and she is so charming. You can't help but become enraptured by her and her view.


Creatively Driven is rad. Loretta is real and wonderful. Down to earth and seems like a person you could have coffee with, during which meeting you'd likely learn all about the world.


Bekuh B. has a simple yet pretty blog full of daily inspiration and creative insight.



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Sun and Soil

A friend told me recently, "You have got to try this new place."
So, Lori picked me up one day for lunch and we went over to Sun and Soil; a little haven of good for you, yummyness. They serve organic, made-from-home, tasting smoothies and juices that are truly delicious and healthful. Plus, drinking there is like visiting an old friend in their well appointed living room. It is bright, airy and clean. It's a progressive spin on the smoothie/organic culture. So refreshing. I do have one tiny criticism, however. Bring a load of cash. Each juice is roughly $9.00 and you have to pay a $2.00 refundable fee for the bottle. $11.00 for a juice is more than a bit dear! The smoothies are more affordable at around $7.00 for a 16 oz. selection. Nevertheless, taking care of our bodies seems worth the splurge.







Lori!




Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding




Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding is a recipe that is not only tasty it is also a snap to make. It's great as dessert but if you sort of mess around with the  ingredients you can create a sweet treat for a lazy Sunday morning too. When you bite into this steaming treat, it should be gooey and custardy and delicious. It's sure to be a crowd-pleaser as it is at my house! Can you think of any variations? Leave your suggestions in the comments!





Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding

Ingredients 
  • 2 Cans peaches in heavy syrup drained, half cup of syrup reserved
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 4 Tbs. butter
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  •  Loaf of Hawaiian Bread, crusts removed
Instructions 
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Cut bread into 1 inch squares.
  3. Drain the peaches and spread on the bottom of an 8x8 pan or 9x9 pan.
  4. Melt the butter with the brown sugar 
  5. Pour over peaches
  6. Sprinkle bread over peaches/brown sugar.
  7. In a blender mix the sugar, half and half, eggs, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
  8. Pour mixture over bread.
  9. Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes.
  10. Variations: instead of peaches cut up apples and instead of sugar use maple syrup for a breakfast treat.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Pickles! Part 2



As you know there has been a big pickle off in our house. The challenge was first set forth by my husband. In Turkey, it is customary to pickle just about anything. On my visits, I have seen floor to ceiling jars of olives in brinepickled peppers, pickled okra, pickled beets and cauliflower, beans, carrots and even citrus fruits. Pickles are served with everything from breakfast to tea. I like them paired with Anatolian Bulgur Stew. In my pickle recipe, there is no cooking and no real waiting. These are also not truly fermented vegetables in a jar. They are simple and quick and delicious but not a true pickle. A true pickle is sour and fermented to help this table mainstay keep and also to provide probiotic nourishment. Bulent's pickles are fermented using garbanzo beans and laid to rest for about 10 days to complete the fermentation process using chick peas.


Pickles!



Ingredients 
  • Several cucumbers (any variety - or any other vegetable of your choice)
  • 2 Cups White Wine Vinegar (grape vinegar)
  • 2 Tbs. Pickling Salt
  • 8 whole cloves of garlic
  • 5-6 dry chick peas also known as garbanzo beans
  • 1 Gallon distilled water
Instructions 
  1. Poke holes in the cucumbers with a pin (this is to absorb the pickling liquid and to ensure fermentation) add them to a jar that closes with an airtight apparatus (see photo)
  2. Mix the vinegar and salt together and add to the cucumbers
  3. Add the garlic
  4. Pour in water (which is boiled then cooled to air temperature)
  5. Cover everything with the bunch of parsley.
  6. Seal lid and place in a cool dark place like the basement or garage for 10 days. Do not put in the refrigerator. The cool air in the fridge will retard the fermentation process.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The Bundt Cake


Granny gave me a beautiful bundt mold (last July) in the shape of a sensational starburst swirl. It's made by Nordic Ware in case you're wondering and I believe it is priceless! Thanks for a great 5 year anniversary present Gran! The mold is so great in fact that it is nothing short of inspiring!


I had peaches that a wonderful lady named Mary dropped by on our porch. Mary and I trade goodies. In the spring she takes some Cala Lillies from our garden and she leaves me Portuguese bread. In the summer she leaves peaches and I give her tomatoes. 

She left such a big batch of peaches that by day three, of them sitting on the kitchen counter, I thought, well, before they turn, perhaps I should do something with them. A new bundt pan and over ripe peaches and a new recipe was born.


This however, is not an easy recipe. If you are to embark on this bundt adventure, be ready to commit some time in the kitchen.  This recipe is heavily adapted from a foodie blog From My Sweet Heart.
The cocoa in her recipe adds depth of flavor to the streusel and her spices do too. However, I thought it was too much a wintery flavor so i changed things up. She also has sour cream in her recipe and it makes for a moist, addictive cake!




Chicken Enchilada Suiza


I made Chicken Enchiladas the other night, It's one of my repertoire recipes that I make to impress guests. But I just had a hankering so I made them to impress the husband. He's not impressed by much. He's like Elvis; cool as a cucumber. But this recipe makes even him swoon!

I served these beauties with blistered Poblano Peppers (we grew them ourselves) and a hardy stout that our friend Brad made called, Mr. Hanky's Russian Imperial."

The Enchiladas are creamy, savory treats that are especially satisfying on a cold winter's night. Paired with this chocolaty, boozy stout (boozy is good by the way - otherwise you'd drink a Bud - I want my stout to be an artisan type of hooch - that means it must include a real spirit vibe!) and the peppers, you are eating like royalty. Hungry?





Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

Ingredients
  • 1 package chicken breasts
  • 1 package soft taco size flour tortillas
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 Tbs. Flour
  • 4 Tbs. Butter
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 can mild diced green chiles
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 package Uncle Ben's Mexican Rice
  • 1 tbs Chili Powder
  • 1 tbs. Cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 large package shredded cheese (I use Mexican Style)
  • 1 small can green salsa
Instructions
  1. In a large sauce pan cook the chicken in the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and 1 tbs butter until cooked through. Let the chicken cool and shred.
  2. Fill 87-8 tortillas with chicken, corn, rice, salsa and a little cheese.
  3. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish.
  4. In a large sauce pan, create a roux with 3 tbs. butter and 3 tbs. flour. Whisk until lightly  browned.
  5. Add sour cream, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup to the roux and whisk until mixed and thickened.
  6. Remove sauce from heat and pour over enchiladas.
  7. Cover enchiladas with the remainder of the cheese.
  8. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
  9. Serve with blistered Poblano Peppers and Mr. Hanky's Russian Imperial Stout.

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars or Billionaire Cookie Bars






Listen, on Christmas Day (2013) my friend Stacyin all her creativity, came to join us for a spotter of the Christmas Bubbly. In so doing, she presented me a treat box full of goodies unmatched. One of the treats in that box was such a hit that later that evening I called her to ask for the recipe. She quite simply denied the sharing of said recipe. In fact she won't even share the recipe with her mother. But wait, there's more! She wouldn't even tell me the name of these rich, delightful morsels! NO NAME!? I have been hunting and experimenting to find a match ever since. I haven't been 100% successful in the search so I've created some that, while not the same, will do until next Christmas! I've used my own nomenclature so I don't have to called them, "Those Yummy Cookie Things That My Friend Gave Me On Christmas Day." For search purposes, I call them Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars but at home I call them Billionaire Cookie Bars because they are priceless!



This is not an "easy to make" dessert bar, but when you taste them you'll realize it's worth every moment of work involved.





Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars or Billionaire Cookie Bars

Ingredients - Shortbread
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup butter (cold) cut up into pieces
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • pinch salt 
Instructions - Shortbread

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In an 8x8 baking pan, create a sling out of parchment. Place one piece of parchment across the pan one way with an overhang and do the same alternateley. If you were to take it out of the pan, it would look like a plus sign...(see photos above for reference).
  3. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough looks like wet sand with little clumps that look like Garbanzo beans.
  4. Press a thin layer of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. (You will have leftover dough. I make a big batch so I can freeze the rest to use in other recipes).
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the shortbread is golden brown. The outer edges of the shortbread will be darker than the center.
Ingredients - Chocolate Caramel
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup, high quality, milk chocolate chips
Instructions - Chocolate Caramel
  1. Pour 1 can (14 oz.)  Sweetened Condensed Milk into medium sauce pan.
  2. Cook Sweetened Condensed Milk over a medium heat stirring constantly. 
  3. When the milk turns a tawny color (the color of caramel, say) add the heavy cream.
  4. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate, heat proof bowl.
  5. Add a bit of the caramel/cream mixture to the eggs and whisk vigorously (you are tempering the eggs so they do not scramble).
  6. Continue adding the caramel to the eggs and the eggs to the caramel until they are combined.
  7. Lower heat and whisk for 1 minute.
  8. Remove the caramel from the heat and add the chocolate chips, whisk until melted.
  9. Once the chocolate chips have melted, pour immediately over the shortbread.
  10. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cool.
  11. After cooled, remove bars from the pan by using the sling you made for the shortbread.
  12. Gingerly cut into mini Twix size bars.
  13. Store in the refrigerator.
  14. NOTE: You can create many variations on this: The Heritage Cook has a similar recipe that is Gluten Free with Dark Chocolate and Gourmet Magazine has a recipe that uses pre-made Dulce De Leche and Dark Chocolate.