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 Stacy, in 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.

The Mysterious Barmbrack from Valentine's Day 2014

 Valentin Rekunenko

I love quick breads - banana, hummingbird, soda -whatever really, but none so much as the Barmbrack.

I first had Barmbrack (a sturdy quick bread meant to be eaten or used as a weapon for it's density) in Ireland years and years ago. A friend made it for me and she served it with a good knob of butter and a cup of strong Earl Grey tea. In the picture above I've generously topped it with Mascarpone - a nod to the Italian liqueur that's in it.

It's traditionally served for the celebration of Samhain (Halloween - to you and me) and some cooks add wrapped treasures - coins, rings, keys etc. The name is Gaelic - Bairin Breac - speckled bread. I made it for the St. Valentine celebration.

I can't think of anything more comforting actually. Except perhaps, on a cold winter's day like today, a sunny beach in Hawaii.

With that said, this bread is not as sweet as banana bread but it's hardier than most quick breads save for the soda bread. It's excellent for breakfast. And the recipe could not be easier...

Barmbrack (Sometimes also called Brack, Barnbrac, Samhain Cake) Adapted from Edible Ireland.

Ingredients - Makes 1 Loaf

• 3/4 cup dark raisins
• 3/4 cup white raisins
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dates
• 1/4 cup chipped dried apricots
• 1/4 cup Frangelico
• 1 cup hot, very strong Earl Grey Tea
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 1/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon all spice

Instructions

1. Pre heat oven to 350.
2. Brew the tea.
3. Mix all fruits together in large bowl which at the end will accommodate the other ingredients too.
4. Add hot tea and Frangelico to the fruit. Let fruit sit for at least 30 minutes, although overnight is best.
5. Spray only the bottom of the loaf pan with baking spray.
6. After the fruit has soaked, add all the rest of the ingredients. Stir until the dry ingredients are just combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and bake for roughly an hour and a half or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on a wire rack before turning it out to slice.
9. NOTE: This recipe literally takes 5 minutes to make after the fruit finishes the soak.

P&P is Getting Updated!

Hi guys!
It was brought to my attention yesterday (Thanks Chicken!) that I have not posted anything since Detox Week. I thought I should explain...
While I have taken other hiatus,' this one is different because it is not that I have not been writing. Coming soon are posts about Bulent's pickles, a fashion app for organizing your closet (That's for you, Joanie!) and really creative and talented friends. Plus a new place for something healthy (Sun and Soil) and a Frabjous Find (Amsterdam Woodworks) which I haven't written about in a really, really long time. And a new music mix on the horizon "Hero Rock!"
So, I have been a busy bee.
But I have also been busy updating the appearance of Poppies and Paperbacks. I love what I have going on right now, but I like a tweak here and there in love and in life; keeps things fresh and interesting. So check back in a week or so for new surprises like a great recipe for homemade mac and cheese!

Detox Week at Poppies and Paperbacks in 10 Easy Steps

Sometimes life gets a little crazy which in turn, makes us a little crazy, too. Instead of following a wholesome lifestyle which would help keep the crazies at bay, we tend to turn to junk food and adult beverages and get completely lazed on exercise. When things settle down we then wonder why we are tired, bloated and irritable. We wonder why our BM's are irregular (I know gross - but true) and we wonder why we aren't sleeping well.

Last week was a crazy one for me in fact. Work was nuts, my house was a mess and I was just coming off the nutty birthday week. I ate cake, cookies and a whole box of sees candies. I think I might've exercised twice to my usual everyday. I wasn't keeping myself accountable in any way, shape or form. And when I woke up yesterday morning, I knew I had to visit a detox plan.

Listen this is my own plan. I am not a nutritionist but I do read regularly about health and I have several doctors and nurses that I consult. This plan is in no way to be used to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. But it does help me trim down and get back on track with healthy!

Every morning I make a green drink:
1 Tbs. honey, Juice of 1 lemon, 6 oz. water, Wheat Grass powder.
Add all ingredients to a drink shaker and pour into a glass.

I sort of do a clean eating plan.  But I alter it to suit my needs. for instance, I drink 16 oz. of coffee everyday. I do not eat any dairy (no milk, yogurt or cheese) on the recommendation of Jackie Warner. Plus I only allow myself brown rice (a whole grain) and quinoa (a seed). And I also allow myself apple cider vinegar and a touch of soy sauce.  A typical day looks like this:

1. Make a green drink. (Directions above). I think this gives me some get up. It's also light on the stomach.
2. After I finish that, during my morning ablutions, I sip a protein coffee. I mix 2 scoops of the plant based protein powder with my coffee and some stevia, then blend. As a grown woman I should be getting roughly 60 grams of lean protein a day. While I do not reach that goal, with a double scoop of this stuff, I am at least packing 30 grams into the start of my day. It keeps me from getting hungry, builds lean muscle and increases my metabolism!
3. When I get to work, I turn on my computer and go straight to the kitchen to brew some Roasted Dandelion Root Tea. I love this tea! It aids in digestion and cleanses my liver and kidneys, plus it de-bloats like a boss and, bonus, it tastes yummy!
4. While I sip my tea I gear up to take a battery of vitamins: Magnesium (with calcium and zinc), Oregano Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Biotin, Vitamin D, Sublingual Vitamin B12, CLA Tonalin, Acidophilus pearls, and the almighty multi.
5. At around 11am I start to feel hungry. When I get hungry it is no joke. I start to panic if I let it go too far. When this happens, I ordinarily reach for something unsavory to put in my mouth...like a Twinkie. But since I am detoxing/clean eating, I peel and cut up a peach.
6. For lunch, I will have roughly 1 cup of brown rice (seasoned with salt and pepper), one cup of quinoa (seasoned with a teaspoon full of walnut oil and balsamic vinegar) or three organic egg whites (seasoned with salt and pepper) or a green smoothie called the Iron Giant at Sun and Soil (a coming blog post). I will also eat a cut up cucumber.
7. For a snack, at around 3:30pm, I'll cut up a pear and dig into some fresh peanut butter or almond butter. I like to watch anything with  the word 'butter' attached, though, because I do not care how healthy any fat is - fat is fat. At 4.5 grams of fat per teaspoon and 40 calories, my word that can pack a pretty caloric punch! So sometimes I'll ditch the nut butter and eat a good wholesome piece of fruit.
8. For dinner, I will steam a four oz. Tilapia filet with olive oil, crushed garlic, sliced green onions and a tsp of soy sauce and white pepper. I serve the fish with my Kale Salad with Pine Nuts:  One head of organic kale - chopped, put in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tbs. water and cook for 1 minute 40 secs. remove from steaming bowl and transfer to another bowl, add 1 tbs chili powder, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbs olive oil and 3 tbs pine nuts. Toss altogether and serve. This meal is light, high in protein, high in phyto-nutrients and tastes delicious. Also, it's easy to cook. Anything that takes the pain in the ass out of being domestic is a great deal in my book.
9. Finally we get to the snack part of my evening. I'm a terrible night eater unless I have something really special that has the power to hold me back from my terrible hand to mouth compulsion. I can eat a lot of watermelon and at only 45 calories a cup, my word, you could wolf down an entire melon and still have only spent about 300 calories. But if I am feeling really dessert-ish, I will make a mock Dole Whip (a recipe from my Dirtay -she's the one that introduced me to the wicked THUG KITCHEN!!!)  1 Cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 - 1 Cup almond milk and 1 Tbs honey or agave, whir it up in the blender serve in a tall glass and enjoy!
10. Some final notes: you can vary this in limitless ways: scramble your egg whites in the morning, eat a giant salad of mustard greens with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Clean your intestines with a fruit fast but the two most important things are DRINK PLENTY OF WATER and EXERCISE. Do I really need to delineate the benefits of these things?

The Inspired - Measurement

Measurement

 Is one person bad because another person takes their expression in a negative way? Am I not an artist if I do not create everyday? Am I not a mother if I do not have a living child? Am I not rich if I have no money in the bank? Can I not be afraid in the plain light of day? Must we all carry shame with us? Do we need to be shaped by our regrets? If we are questioning are we also adversarial? Is there no cure for being human?