Chai Sugar Cookies

Remember I told you about my new love, cardamom?  We had a date today.  Well, it was more like a cardamom-palooza than just a date ... but let's stick with calling it a date. 

Mark had to work today, and it's always dangerous to leave me by myself on a Saturday.  Out came the to-be-tried recipe lists, and when all was said-and-done, I had put three cardamom cookie recipes through the ringer - Chai Sugar Cookies, Chai Shortbread (naked and chocolate-dipped ... the chocolate-dipped was my own brain-child), and Sparkling Cardamom Cocoa Drops.  But I don't want to overwhelm you with my new love, so I'll introduce you to it slowly - starting with the Chai Sugar Cookies.  (Side note:  My unofficial "official" tasters need to prepare themselves for a tasting care package - you know who you are!)

For the Chai Sugar Cookies, you start with the same-ol'-same-ol' stuff you'd think of for a sugar cookie - butter, sugar, eggs, flour, - but then you add this wonderful combination of spices that makes chai chai:

The chai line-up ... vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, & black pepper.

Chill your dough for a bit.  Then roll it into little balls, dip the balls in sugar ...

Yummy little chai sugar balls.

... bake 'em up, and enjoy! ... perhaps with a cup of chai tea.

Aren't those crackled tops pretty?

Chai Sugar Cookies
Source:  Adapted from McCormick Gourmet

Ingredients 2 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper (I used 20 cranks of freshly ground pepper from my pepper mill)

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Additional granulated sugar for rolling

Directions
1.  Mix first 8 ingredients (flour through black pepper) in a medium bowl; set aside.

2.  Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture, on low speed of mixer, until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, or until dough is firm and easy to handle.

3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional sugar.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets 1 minutes.  Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Remember I told you about my new love, cardamom?  We had a date today.  Well, it was more like a cardamom-palooza than just a date ... but let's stick with calling it a date. 

Mark had to work today, and it's always dangerous to leave me by myself on a Saturday.  Out came the to-be-tried recipe lists, and when all was said-and-done, I had put three cardamom cookie recipes through the ringer - Chai Sugar Cookies, Chai Shortbread (naked and chocolate-dipped ... the chocolate-dipped was my own brain-child), and Sparkling Cardamom Cocoa Drops.  But I don't want to overwhelm you with my new love, so I'll introduce you to it slowly - starting with the Chai Sugar Cookies.  (Side note:  My unofficial "official" tasters need to prepare themselves for a tasting care package - you know who you are!)

For the Chai Sugar Cookies, you start with the same-ol'-same-ol' stuff you'd think of for a sugar cookie - butter, sugar, eggs, flour, - but then you add this wonderful combination of spices that makes chai chai:

The chai line-up ... vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, & black pepper.

Chill your dough for a bit.  Then roll it into little balls, dip the balls in sugar ...

Yummy little chai sugar balls.

... bake 'em up, and enjoy! ... perhaps with a cup of chai tea.

Aren't those crackled tops pretty?

Chai Sugar Cookies
Source:  Adapted from McCormick Gourmet

Ingredients 2 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper (I used 20 cranks of freshly ground pepper from my pepper mill)

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Additional granulated sugar for rolling

Directions
1.  Mix first 8 ingredients (flour through black pepper) in a medium bowl; set aside.

2.  Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture, on low speed of mixer, until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, or until dough is firm and easy to handle.

3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional sugar.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheets 1 minutes.  Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Enjoy!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Grandma's Echo Cakes - a simple pleasure

Echo Cakes are simple, in every sense of the word.  Simple flavors.  Simple ingredients.  Simple to put together.  And they are one of my all-time favorite sweet treats.  Not only do they taste simply divine, they also hold very wonderful childhood memories for me.  My Mom used to make them for my brother and me all the time, and my Grandmother used to make them for my Mom and her two sisters all the time before that.  I remember having them frequently as an after-school snack.  Now that we're adults, Mom usually makes them for us as a treat at Christmas time.  I still love them as much as I did as a kid!

Echo Cakes are quite simply a strawberry-jam-filled cupcake, with a pie crust bottom and one-egg cake top, dusted with powdered sugar.  That's it.  They're sweet, but not too sweet - just perfectly sweet, in my opinion.  My Mom and I aren't sure where the name Echo Cakes comes from, but we think they're named for the Echo brand muffin tins they were originally made in.

I just made these myself for the first time.  Being the recipe tinker-er that I am, I wanted to make a few with different flavors of jam filling just to see how they'd be.  When I called my Mom to ask her about other jam flavors, she said "Oh, I don't know how they'd be - I've only ever made them with strawberry."

Really, Mom?  You've been making these for over 40 years and have never tried another jam flavor?  Where's your sense of cooking adventure??

And so, there was even more incentive for me to tinker.  Here's the flavor report:

Fig - NOT good, and I had such high hopes

Apricot - okay, but not wonderful

Raspberry - okay

Blackberry - really good!

If you make these, I recommend sticking with the original strawberry jam filling, or going with blackberry.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Echo Cakes

Source:  My Grandmother

Ingredients
Pie crust

Strawberry jam

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

One-Egg Cake:

4 T. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 egg

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Make the One-Egg Cake: 
Cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg, and beat.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternately with milk, beating after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

Assemble the Echo Cakes: 
Cut circles from the pie crust.  My Mom figured out that a plastic stadium cup like you get at sporting events is the perfect size to use as a cutter.  (We use a Carolina cup - go Heels!)  Fit pie crust circles into the bottom and sides of muffin tin cups.  Put in about 1 tsp. of strawberry jam (not too much, or it will spill out when cooking).  Then, top with one-egg cake mixture - just plop some on the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool.  Sprinkle tops with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking and Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters.

Echo Cakes are simple, in every sense of the word.  Simple flavors.  Simple ingredients.  Simple to put together.  And they are one of my all-time favorite sweet treats.  Not only do they taste simply divine, they also hold very wonderful childhood memories for me.  My Mom used to make them for my brother and me all the time, and my Grandmother used to make them for my Mom and her two sisters all the time before that.  I remember having them frequently as an after-school snack.  Now that we're adults, Mom usually makes them for us as a treat at Christmas time.  I still love them as much as I did as a kid!

Echo Cakes are quite simply a strawberry-jam-filled cupcake, with a pie crust bottom and one-egg cake top, dusted with powdered sugar.  That's it.  They're sweet, but not too sweet - just perfectly sweet, in my opinion.  My Mom and I aren't sure where the name Echo Cakes comes from, but we think they're named for the Echo brand muffin tins they were originally made in.

I just made these myself for the first time.  Being the recipe tinker-er that I am, I wanted to make a few with different flavors of jam filling just to see how they'd be.  When I called my Mom to ask her about other jam flavors, she said "Oh, I don't know how they'd be - I've only ever made them with strawberry."

Really, Mom?  You've been making these for over 40 years and have never tried another jam flavor?  Where's your sense of cooking adventure??

And so, there was even more incentive for me to tinker.  Here's the flavor report:

Fig - NOT good, and I had such high hopes

Apricot - okay, but not wonderful

Raspberry - okay

Blackberry - really good!

If you make these, I recommend sticking with the original strawberry jam filling, or going with blackberry.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Echo Cakes

Source:  My Grandmother

Ingredients
Pie crust

Strawberry jam

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

One-Egg Cake:

4 T. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 egg

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Make the One-Egg Cake: 
Cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg, and beat.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternately with milk, beating after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

Assemble the Echo Cakes: 
Cut circles from the pie crust.  My Mom figured out that a plastic stadium cup like you get at sporting events is the perfect size to use as a cutter.  (We use a Carolina cup - go Heels!)  Fit pie crust circles into the bottom and sides of muffin tin cups.  Put in about 1 tsp. of strawberry jam (not too much, or it will spill out when cooking).  Then, top with one-egg cake mixture - just plop some on the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool.  Sprinkle tops with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking and Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Oma's Super Healthy Salad Dressing

This is one of those recipes that you're probably going to think "That's strange!  Really, that's good?"  Honestly, that's what I thought when I was first told about this salad dressing.  But, I promise, this is all you need to make super tasty and amazingly healthy Oma's Salad Dressing:

Oma's Salad Dressing ingredients - tomato juice, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, & sugar

First, some background on this recipe.  Oma is Mark's grandmother.  She lived with Mark's family when Mark was growing up, and apparently she made this salad dressing all the time.  When I decided to create a family cookbook last year, this is one of the recipes that Mark put on his "must include" list.  So, I went to work finding out from Mark's mom how to make this.  When she told me about it, I thought to myself, "Oh, that just doesn't sound good."  But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it truly is very good!  And healthy.  And another plus - it's super fast.

Here's all you do.  Measure out your ingredients into a small bowl.

Whisk them together with a fork.  That's it.  You're done.

Pour the dressing over your salad.  There will be a lot of liquid in the bottom of the salad bowl - like this:

But that's okay, it's supposed to be that way.  When individual servings are scooped out, make sure to get some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl for each one.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how flavorful this is!

Oma's Super Healthy Salad Dressing
Source:  Mark's Grandmother (Oma)

Ingredients
3/4 c. tomato juice
2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk together with a fork.  Pour over tossed salad.

A couple of notes:

• I buy the little cans of tomato juice and keep them on-hand in the pantry.  That way, I have the ingredients I need for this pretty much all the time - and I don't end up wasting a bunch of tomato juice from the huge cans.
• The black pepper controls the spiciness of the dressing.  The full 1/2 tsp. makes it quite spicy.
• You can add extra cider vinegar, too taste. 

This is one of those recipes that you're probably going to think "That's strange!  Really, that's good?"  Honestly, that's what I thought when I was first told about this salad dressing.  But, I promise, this is all you need to make super tasty and amazingly healthy Oma's Salad Dressing:

Oma's Salad Dressing ingredients - tomato juice, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, & sugar

First, some background on this recipe.  Oma is Mark's grandmother.  She lived with Mark's family when Mark was growing up, and apparently she made this salad dressing all the time.  When I decided to create a family cookbook last year, this is one of the recipes that Mark put on his "must include" list.  So, I went to work finding out from Mark's mom how to make this.  When she told me about it, I thought to myself, "Oh, that just doesn't sound good."  But I was pleasantly surprised to find that it truly is very good!  And healthy.  And another plus - it's super fast.

Here's all you do.  Measure out your ingredients into a small bowl.

Whisk them together with a fork.  That's it.  You're done.

Pour the dressing over your salad.  There will be a lot of liquid in the bottom of the salad bowl - like this:

But that's okay, it's supposed to be that way.  When individual servings are scooped out, make sure to get some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl for each one.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how flavorful this is!

Oma's Super Healthy Salad Dressing
Source:  Mark's Grandmother (Oma)

Ingredients
3/4 c. tomato juice
2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk together with a fork.  Pour over tossed salad.

A couple of notes:

• I buy the little cans of tomato juice and keep them on-hand in the pantry.  That way, I have the ingredients I need for this pretty much all the time - and I don't end up wasting a bunch of tomato juice from the huge cans.
• The black pepper controls the spiciness of the dressing.  The full 1/2 tsp. makes it quite spicy.
• You can add extra cider vinegar, too taste. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Blueberry Gingerbread

What?  Blueberry gingerbread?  Yes, blueberry gingerbread - and oh my it's tasty!  This is one of those recipes I found out in the blogosphere and thought, hmmmm, that could be really wonderful or a complete flop.  So I put it on my "50 Recipes for 2011" list so it would be in queue to be tried.  It turned out to be really wonderful!

You start with some beautiful, fresh blueberries.  I had a lot of blueberries I had picked this summer in the freezer, but decided I should buy actual never-been-frozen ones since I was trying this recipe for the first time.  So, I spent way too much to get these out-of-season beauties!  But I'm impatient once I've decided to try something, and wasn't going to wait until blueberry season to give this a go.

Gorgeous fresh blueberries.

Some of those really nice big, plump ones you see didn't make it to the gingerbread.  Somehow, my tummy convinced me to gobble them up just like this.

Then, you mix up some gingerbread batter.  You know, most recipes (just as this one did) say to sift together the dry ingredients.  Well, here's my really fancy-schmancy way to sift.  Get all the dry ingredients together - you can use a bowl, but I usually just leave them in the measuring cup - like this:

Then give the dry stuff a little stir with your measuring spoon so it ends up looking like this:

Sifted ... Tracey-style.

And there you have it!  "Sifted!"  I'm sure I just made hard-core bakers all over the world cringe.  But, I've been baking this way for years, and my stuff seems to come out just fine.  I guess I just don't believe in sifting.

Back to the blueberry gingerbread ...  Mix up your gingerbread batter and then fold in the blueberries, which have been dusted with flour.  That's the flour-dusted berries to the side in the pictures above and below.  This helps keep them from all just sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Bake it all up, top a slice with some whipped cream, and enjoy the blueberry-studded deliciousness!  Think I may go enjoy a slice right now - there's still a little bit left.

Good for my tummy.

Blueberry Gingerbread
Source:  Timeless Gourmet

Ingredients
1 c. sugar

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. molasses

1 egg

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. fresh blueberries

1 c. buttermilk

Directions
1.  Spray a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Dust the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour, sifting off any excess. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat the sugar, oil, salt and molasses thoroughly. Add the egg and mix again until combined.

3.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, spices and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, a third at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Combine thoroughly after each addition.

4.  Gently stir in the blueberries, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

(NOTE:  I did try this again with the frozen blueberries I had in the freezer.  It worked.  I just made sure to thaw them thoroughly, pat them dry, and still dusted them with flour.  Not sure I would attempt it with frozen blueberries from the grocer's freezer section, as those tend to get really juicy when you thaw them.  If anyone does try that, let me know how it turns out.)

This post is linked with Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, and Flash-Back Friday hosted by Cookin' for My Captain, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

What?  Blueberry gingerbread?  Yes, blueberry gingerbread - and oh my it's tasty!  This is one of those recipes I found out in the blogosphere and thought, hmmmm, that could be really wonderful or a complete flop.  So I put it on my "50 Recipes for 2011" list so it would be in queue to be tried.  It turned out to be really wonderful!

You start with some beautiful, fresh blueberries.  I had a lot of blueberries I had picked this summer in the freezer, but decided I should buy actual never-been-frozen ones since I was trying this recipe for the first time.  So, I spent way too much to get these out-of-season beauties!  But I'm impatient once I've decided to try something, and wasn't going to wait until blueberry season to give this a go.

Gorgeous fresh blueberries.

Some of those really nice big, plump ones you see didn't make it to the gingerbread.  Somehow, my tummy convinced me to gobble them up just like this.

Then, you mix up some gingerbread batter.  You know, most recipes (just as this one did) say to sift together the dry ingredients.  Well, here's my really fancy-schmancy way to sift.  Get all the dry ingredients together - you can use a bowl, but I usually just leave them in the measuring cup - like this:

Then give the dry stuff a little stir with your measuring spoon so it ends up looking like this:

Sifted ... Tracey-style.

And there you have it!  "Sifted!"  I'm sure I just made hard-core bakers all over the world cringe.  But, I've been baking this way for years, and my stuff seems to come out just fine.  I guess I just don't believe in sifting.

Back to the blueberry gingerbread ...  Mix up your gingerbread batter and then fold in the blueberries, which have been dusted with flour.  That's the flour-dusted berries to the side in the pictures above and below.  This helps keep them from all just sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Bake it all up, top a slice with some whipped cream, and enjoy the blueberry-studded deliciousness!  Think I may go enjoy a slice right now - there's still a little bit left.

Good for my tummy.

Blueberry Gingerbread
Source:  Timeless Gourmet

Ingredients
1 c. sugar

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. molasses

1 egg

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. fresh blueberries

1 c. buttermilk

Directions
1.  Spray a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Dust the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour, sifting off any excess. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat the sugar, oil, salt and molasses thoroughly. Add the egg and mix again until combined.

3.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, spices and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, a third at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Combine thoroughly after each addition.

4.  Gently stir in the blueberries, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

(NOTE:  I did try this again with the frozen blueberries I had in the freezer.  It worked.  I just made sure to thaw them thoroughly, pat them dry, and still dusted them with flour.  Not sure I would attempt it with frozen blueberries from the grocer's freezer section, as those tend to get really juicy when you thaw them.  If anyone does try that, let me know how it turns out.)

This post is linked with Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, and Flash-Back Friday hosted by Cookin' for My Captain, A Themed Baker's Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

I tried gizzards

My husband loves gizzards.  Seriously.  Loves them.  He makes them for himself as a treat quite often.  Every time, he asks me - "Would you like some gizzards?"  My reply - "No thank you, I don't like gizzards."  Of course, he's called my bluff repeatedly and asked me if I've ever tried them.  No, I haven't.  What am I, six years old??  You truly have no right to say you don't like something if you've never tried it!  Well, I didn't want to try gizzards.  They look nasty.  They smell nasty.  The thought of them is nasty.  Surely, then, they taste nasty.

I don't know exactly what happened, but one day I committed to Mark that I would try gizzards.  I wanted him to do something, and he said he would do it if the next time he made gizzards, I would try them.  I don't recall what the "something" was, but I must have wanted it done really badly, because I agreed!  So, that's how I got roped into trying gizzards.

Well, the day arrived that Mark decided to make himself a gizzard treat.  Oh crud.  I was committed.  He got them ready in his pressure cooker ... that's how he cooks them ... and, I must admit, things actually looked promising.  He puts fresh rosemary, bacon, onion, and jalepenos in with them.  "The pot" actually looked kind of pretty.

Getting the gizzard pot ready - it doesn't look sooooooo bad.

After a short bit, the gizzards were ready.  It was time.  I could avoid it no longer. 

Ummmm ... not looking quite so appetizing now.

So, I put my big-girl pants on and cut myself off a bite.  Just a bite - let's not get crazy here!  Well, my suspicions were confirmed - I absolutely don't like gizzards.  And now I have every right to say it.

My husband loves gizzards.  Seriously.  Loves them.  He makes them for himself as a treat quite often.  Every time, he asks me - "Would you like some gizzards?"  My reply - "No thank you, I don't like gizzards."  Of course, he's called my bluff repeatedly and asked me if I've ever tried them.  No, I haven't.  What am I, six years old??  You truly have no right to say you don't like something if you've never tried it!  Well, I didn't want to try gizzards.  They look nasty.  They smell nasty.  The thought of them is nasty.  Surely, then, they taste nasty.

I don't know exactly what happened, but one day I committed to Mark that I would try gizzards.  I wanted him to do something, and he said he would do it if the next time he made gizzards, I would try them.  I don't recall what the "something" was, but I must have wanted it done really badly, because I agreed!  So, that's how I got roped into trying gizzards.

Well, the day arrived that Mark decided to make himself a gizzard treat.  Oh crud.  I was committed.  He got them ready in his pressure cooker ... that's how he cooks them ... and, I must admit, things actually looked promising.  He puts fresh rosemary, bacon, onion, and jalepenos in with them.  "The pot" actually looked kind of pretty.

Getting the gizzard pot ready - it doesn't look sooooooo bad.

After a short bit, the gizzards were ready.  It was time.  I could avoid it no longer. 

Ummmm ... not looking quite so appetizing now.

So, I put my big-girl pants on and cut myself off a bite.  Just a bite - let's not get crazy here!  Well, my suspicions were confirmed - I absolutely don't like gizzards.  And now I have every right to say it.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Update on my "50 Recipes for 2011" Project

I've made a little progress on my "50 Recipes for 2011" project ... I've got 8 done!  Out of the 8, there have been 5 successes and 3 failures.  Hmmmmmm ... that's only a 62.5% success rate ... a D- in report card terms!!  But I'm having a lot of fun experimenting, so that's all that really matters - right?

As I try recipes on the list, I'm making updates in red in the original post.  Click here to view that post and check out which ones made the success list, and which were failures.

I think I'm going to try either #23 Blueberry Gingerbread or #27 Coconut Pie this weekend.  Let's hope whichever I choose turns out to be a success!  Oh, and I'm still toying with tweaking the Chipotle Mac & Cheese ... I'm having a hard time letting the concept go ... I think I can make it work ... I think I can, I think I can ...  (UPDATE:  I did indeed try the Chipotle Mac & Cheese again using my "vision" ... still not great.  Gotta give up on this one.)

I've made a little progress on my "50 Recipes for 2011" project ... I've got 8 done!  Out of the 8, there have been 5 successes and 3 failures.  Hmmmmmm ... that's only a 62.5% success rate ... a D- in report card terms!!  But I'm having a lot of fun experimenting, so that's all that really matters - right?

As I try recipes on the list, I'm making updates in red in the original post.  Click here to view that post and check out which ones made the success list, and which were failures.

I think I'm going to try either #23 Blueberry Gingerbread or #27 Coconut Pie this weekend.  Let's hope whichever I choose turns out to be a success!  Oh, and I'm still toying with tweaking the Chipotle Mac & Cheese ... I'm having a hard time letting the concept go ... I think I can make it work ... I think I can, I think I can ...  (UPDATE:  I did indeed try the Chipotle Mac & Cheese again using my "vision" ... still not great.  Gotta give up on this one.)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Contest Website

My sister and her husband have just launched a really cool website that lists out pretty much all of the cooking contests out there for people to enter.  There are fun food-related contests for amateurs, professionals, children, etc....not all of them require a recipe, some are just looking for a fun picture!

You don't have to become a member of the site to see all the contests, but there are a few perks for signing up.
Quote from the website:

"While the site is open and free to anyone, there are a few benefits that are only available to registered members of the site. Only members will be able to comment in the forums. Members will have the option to sign up for periodic emails with updates on new contests and site news. We are also developing a feature that will allow Members to save the contests that interest them in a “My Contests” folder, making it easy to review and focus on only the contests that are pertinent".

I don't think there are any other completely free sites like this out there.  My sister used to pay a $25 yearly fee to have access to a website that does just what hers is doing for free.

I'm excited about it because there is just NO way I could keep up with all the possibilities out there on my own, but they put them all together so I can take a quick look through and see if anything is worth my time or interest.
 
And some of the prizes are pretty incredible....my sister herself won over $10,000 once for a recipe she submitted to a contest by Kraft and Publix.  How awesome is that?  I haven't been so lucky yet, but maybe someday!  And maybe you could be too!

So check it out!
http://onlinecookingcontests.com/

My sister and her husband have just launched a really cool website that lists out pretty much all of the cooking contests out there for people to enter.  There are fun food-related contests for amateurs, professionals, children, etc....not all of them require a recipe, some are just looking for a fun picture!

You don't have to become a member of the site to see all the contests, but there are a few perks for signing up.
Quote from the website:

"While the site is open and free to anyone, there are a few benefits that are only available to registered members of the site. Only members will be able to comment in the forums. Members will have the option to sign up for periodic emails with updates on new contests and site news. We are also developing a feature that will allow Members to save the contests that interest them in a “My Contests” folder, making it easy to review and focus on only the contests that are pertinent".

I don't think there are any other completely free sites like this out there.  My sister used to pay a $25 yearly fee to have access to a website that does just what hers is doing for free.

I'm excited about it because there is just NO way I could keep up with all the possibilities out there on my own, but they put them all together so I can take a quick look through and see if anything is worth my time or interest.
 
And some of the prizes are pretty incredible....my sister herself won over $10,000 once for a recipe she submitted to a contest by Kraft and Publix.  How awesome is that?  I haven't been so lucky yet, but maybe someday!  And maybe you could be too!

So check it out!
http://onlinecookingcontests.com/

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Would you like a cup of tea? - Chai Tea, that is

My love of Chai Tea began back in my Corporate America days.  Before becoming a 1st grade teacher, I spent 13 years working in the corporate grind.  Especially as I progressed in my career, I always seemed to be having morning "coffee meetings."  At least once a week, someone would say, "Let's meet for coffee to discuss that."  The problem - I don't drink coffee.  Never have, doubt I ever will.  I've tried to acquire a taste for coffee, but to no avail.  I just don't like it.  What was I to do?  I couldn't very well sit for hours-on-end at Starbuck's or Caribou and drink water, could I?  That seemed silly.  And that's how I discovered Chai Tea Lattes, with their wonderful mix of ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spicy yumminess.

I absolutely love chai!  So, of course, I eventually had to figure out how to make my own at home.  You can buy mixes at the grocery store, and I've tried them all.  They're actually pretty good.  But this past summer I put all the grocery store mixes to the test against a mix recipe I made myself.  I went to the grocery store and bought every mix they had, both powder and liquid ... $40 later, I had a testing line-up set up on my kitchen counter.  Guess what won, at least in my mind?  Yep ... my own powder mix.  And I'm going to share that recipe with you.  If you like chai, I think you'll love this mix.

Now, the "secret" ingredient is cardamom.  I adore cardamom - click here to read more about that.  Cardamom is pricey for a spice - I actually read somewhere that it is the most expensive spice by weight.  A bottle will run you about $10 at the grocery store.  But believe me, it's worth it.  It makes all the difference in this chai mix, and is the ingredient that puts it over the top from a taste perspective.  So I encourage you to splurge!!  And I encourage you to enjoy a delicious cup of chai.

We invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, bloglovin', or Feedburner.  We'd love to have you back soon!  Want to promote your website, business, or Etsy shop with us?  Visit our advertise page for details.

Chai Tea Latte Mix
Source:  Adapted from a friend

Ingredients
1 c. nonfat dry milk powder

1 c. powdered nondairy creamer

1 c. French vanilla powdered nondairy creamer
1 ½  c. sugar
1 ½ c. unsweetened instant tea
2  tsp. ground ginger
2 ¼  tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/8  tsp. ground cardamom
1 1/8  tsp. ground cloves

Directions
In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until powdery. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

To prepare 1 serving:  Dissolve 3 T. of mix in 1 c. boiling water; stir well.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Flash-Back Friday hosted by Cookin' for My Captain and Cure for the Common Monday {Flashback Edition} hosted by Lines Across My Face.

My love of Chai Tea began back in my Corporate America days.  Before becoming a 1st grade teacher, I spent 13 years working in the corporate grind.  Especially as I progressed in my career, I always seemed to be having morning "coffee meetings."  At least once a week, someone would say, "Let's meet for coffee to discuss that."  The problem - I don't drink coffee.  Never have, doubt I ever will.  I've tried to acquire a taste for coffee, but to no avail.  I just don't like it.  What was I to do?  I couldn't very well sit for hours-on-end at Starbuck's or Caribou and drink water, could I?  That seemed silly.  And that's how I discovered Chai Tea Lattes, with their wonderful mix of ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spicy yumminess.

I absolutely love chai!  So, of course, I eventually had to figure out how to make my own at home.  You can buy mixes at the grocery store, and I've tried them all.  They're actually pretty good.  But this past summer I put all the grocery store mixes to the test against a mix recipe I made myself.  I went to the grocery store and bought every mix they had, both powder and liquid ... $40 later, I had a testing line-up set up on my kitchen counter.  Guess what won, at least in my mind?  Yep ... my own powder mix.  And I'm going to share that recipe with you.  If you like chai, I think you'll love this mix.

Now, the "secret" ingredient is cardamom.  I adore cardamom - click here to read more about that.  Cardamom is pricey for a spice - I actually read somewhere that it is the most expensive spice by weight.  A bottle will run you about $10 at the grocery store.  But believe me, it's worth it.  It makes all the difference in this chai mix, and is the ingredient that puts it over the top from a taste perspective.  So I encourage you to splurge!!  And I encourage you to enjoy a delicious cup of chai.

We invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, bloglovin', or Feedburner.  We'd love to have you back soon!  Want to promote your website, business, or Etsy shop with us?  Visit our advertise page for details.

Chai Tea Latte Mix
Source:  Adapted from a friend

Ingredients
1 c. nonfat dry milk powder

1 c. powdered nondairy creamer

1 c. French vanilla powdered nondairy creamer
1 ½  c. sugar
1 ½ c. unsweetened instant tea
2  tsp. ground ginger
2 ¼  tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/8  tsp. ground cardamom
1 1/8  tsp. ground cloves

Directions
In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until powdery. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

To prepare 1 serving:  Dissolve 3 T. of mix in 1 c. boiling water; stir well.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Flash-Back Friday hosted by Cookin' for My Captain and Cure for the Common Monday {Flashback Edition} hosted by Lines Across My Face.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Wonderful, Fabulous, Exciting News......and the not so great news.

Good things first, shall we?

We're going to have a baby! 

Baby number 5 is scheduled to arrive on October 9 (which will make three October babies for us, along with a September and a November.  We like our fall season to be busy.  Hahaha.)

We are super excited and the kids are ecstatic, with Corban (7) at once demanding that "It had better be a boy!" and Marissa (5) constantly whispering, "I hope it's a girl!" and Annika (3) declaring very matter of factly, "I think it will be a boy OR a girl."  Case closed.

Truth be told, Corban has admitted that since he adores Ellia (1) so much, he'll really be okay if the new baby is a girl, and Marissa has similarly concluded that a boy will be just fine. 

There are few things in life I love more than babies, and even fewer things that I love more than my own babies.  However.  This brings me to the not so great news.

Pregnancy is not my best friend. You know those women who rave about being pregnant and say it's just the best thing ever?  Yeah, I'm not one of those.  I consider pregnancy a great blessing and a privilege, and surely worth going through, but it is not something I relish or even remotely enjoy. 

To start out with, my first trimester is traditionally....how shall I put it.....miserable.

In the past, I have had severe morning all day sickness with frequent vomitting, IV fluids for dehydration, the inability to stand practically any smell, and the loss of 8-10 lbs. with each of my pregnancies, my girl pregnancies being worse.  And that's with every medication doctors will prescribe for pregnant women for nausea. Add complete exhaustion and fatigue on top of it and it makes for just no fun.

The second trimester brings relief from that, thank God, and any other physical complaint is trivial compared to the stomach issues.....but goodness, when you've thrown up over 600 times during 4 pregnancies, it's a bit hard to forget.   

I have to say, this pregnancy has started off better than the past.  I am 6 weeks and 1 day along, and have yet to throw up.  I think that's a record for me.  There are a lot of people praying for me, and I'm trying a few different things this time.
I went to see a friend who owns a food/herbs store with lots of natural remedies.  She hooked me up with catnip and fennel extract, which I mix into water and drink a couple of times a day.  It tastes like black licorice.  It's supposed to calm the stomach.  I'm also taking a good quality probiotic, using eucalypus oil on my feet, eating blackstrap molasses, and drinking red raspberry leaf tea.  

I have been nauseous, and I am extremely sleepy/tired/fatigued often, but I'm hanging in there and actually still functioning like a human being for the most part.  :)

My mom will be coming to help out in a week, and she's staying for 3 weeks!  We can't wait to see her and I'm so thankful that she's doing this again.  (She came out while I was sick with Ellia's pregnancy also.)

All this to say, my food preparation is minimal these days and I'm not attempting anything new.  The blog will likely be void of new recipes and goodies (unless my mom makes some) until my second trimester (7-8 weeks away). 

The day after we found out we're expecting, the kids and I went to Sam's Club and stocked up on lots of chicken breasts and ground turkey.  I cooked it all (baked the chicken with salt and pepper, browned the turkey with onions and garlic salt) and froze in recipe sized portions.  It has been wonderfully easy to just grab a package of cooked meat out of the freezer and add it to something simple to make dinner.
 
The sight and smells of raw and cooking meat are usually some of the worst things for nausea, so I avoid that.....and what a great time saver as well.

Last pregnancy I had made a few meals for the freezer ahead of time, one in particular was a triple batch of meat, beans and rice burritos.  A great recipe, one I loved.  After eating it for the first time and throwing it up, I couldn't bear to eat it or even think about it for the rest of the pregnancy (or the year following). So I had 2 whole batches worth that ended up getting thrown away.   
I didn't want to waste like that again, so I just cooked the meat this time.  That way I can use it in different recipes and not be tied down to one that I don't feel like eating.  Smart, huh? 

Hopefully I'll be up and running again (that's figurative.....not planning on running during pregnancy, we'll save that for the postpartum weight loss plan) before too long.  I still plan to post family stories and stuff as I feel like it.....and maybe we'll get lucky and get a recipe or giveaway in there somewhere!  We'll just have to see how it goes!

Good things first, shall we?

We're going to have a baby! 

Baby number 5 is scheduled to arrive on October 9 (which will make three October babies for us, along with a September and a November.  We like our fall season to be busy.  Hahaha.)

We are super excited and the kids are ecstatic, with Corban (7) at once demanding that "It had better be a boy!" and Marissa (5) constantly whispering, "I hope it's a girl!" and Annika (3) declaring very matter of factly, "I think it will be a boy OR a girl."  Case closed.

Truth be told, Corban has admitted that since he adores Ellia (1) so much, he'll really be okay if the new baby is a girl, and Marissa has similarly concluded that a boy will be just fine. 

There are few things in life I love more than babies, and even fewer things that I love more than my own babies.  However.  This brings me to the not so great news.

Pregnancy is not my best friend. You know those women who rave about being pregnant and say it's just the best thing ever?  Yeah, I'm not one of those.  I consider pregnancy a great blessing and a privilege, and surely worth going through, but it is not something I relish or even remotely enjoy. 

To start out with, my first trimester is traditionally....how shall I put it.....miserable.

In the past, I have had severe morning all day sickness with frequent vomitting, IV fluids for dehydration, the inability to stand practically any smell, and the loss of 8-10 lbs. with each of my pregnancies, my girl pregnancies being worse.  And that's with every medication doctors will prescribe for pregnant women for nausea. Add complete exhaustion and fatigue on top of it and it makes for just no fun.

The second trimester brings relief from that, thank God, and any other physical complaint is trivial compared to the stomach issues.....but goodness, when you've thrown up over 600 times during 4 pregnancies, it's a bit hard to forget.   

I have to say, this pregnancy has started off better than the past.  I am 6 weeks and 1 day along, and have yet to throw up.  I think that's a record for me.  There are a lot of people praying for me, and I'm trying a few different things this time.
I went to see a friend who owns a food/herbs store with lots of natural remedies.  She hooked me up with catnip and fennel extract, which I mix into water and drink a couple of times a day.  It tastes like black licorice.  It's supposed to calm the stomach.  I'm also taking a good quality probiotic, using eucalypus oil on my feet, eating blackstrap molasses, and drinking red raspberry leaf tea.  

I have been nauseous, and I am extremely sleepy/tired/fatigued often, but I'm hanging in there and actually still functioning like a human being for the most part.  :)

My mom will be coming to help out in a week, and she's staying for 3 weeks!  We can't wait to see her and I'm so thankful that she's doing this again.  (She came out while I was sick with Ellia's pregnancy also.)

All this to say, my food preparation is minimal these days and I'm not attempting anything new.  The blog will likely be void of new recipes and goodies (unless my mom makes some) until my second trimester (7-8 weeks away). 

The day after we found out we're expecting, the kids and I went to Sam's Club and stocked up on lots of chicken breasts and ground turkey.  I cooked it all (baked the chicken with salt and pepper, browned the turkey with onions and garlic salt) and froze in recipe sized portions.  It has been wonderfully easy to just grab a package of cooked meat out of the freezer and add it to something simple to make dinner.
 
The sight and smells of raw and cooking meat are usually some of the worst things for nausea, so I avoid that.....and what a great time saver as well.

Last pregnancy I had made a few meals for the freezer ahead of time, one in particular was a triple batch of meat, beans and rice burritos.  A great recipe, one I loved.  After eating it for the first time and throwing it up, I couldn't bear to eat it or even think about it for the rest of the pregnancy (or the year following). So I had 2 whole batches worth that ended up getting thrown away.   
I didn't want to waste like that again, so I just cooked the meat this time.  That way I can use it in different recipes and not be tied down to one that I don't feel like eating.  Smart, huh? 

Hopefully I'll be up and running again (that's figurative.....not planning on running during pregnancy, we'll save that for the postpartum weight loss plan) before too long.  I still plan to post family stories and stuff as I feel like it.....and maybe we'll get lucky and get a recipe or giveaway in there somewhere!  We'll just have to see how it goes!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping

Now just look at those homemade sweet potato chips.  Don't they look good? Well, they weren't.



Homemade sweet potato chips with homemade blue cheese dressing for dipping

  At least not as good as I expected them to be.  And they were quite "fussy" to make (read that "tedious!") ... the amount of effort required was not worth the result.  Though Mark just said from the kitchen, as I'm typing this post, "I like the sweet potatoes pretty good."  The flavor was decent, so maybe I'll try to re-work the spicing from this recipe into a roasted sweet potato side dish.  Maybe...

Anway, both recipes (the sweet potato chips and the blue cheese dressing) are from my "50 Recipes for 2011" list  (click here to see the list).  The potato chips have a combination of chili powder, cumin, and paprika on them.  Hmmmm, I thought to myself - if we dip buffalo hot wings in blue cheese, might it be tasty to dip these spicy sweet potato chips in blue cheese??  And that's how today's cooking adventure was born.  So, I went to work making sweet potato chips and blue cheese dressing. 

I'm happy to say that the blue cheese dressing is fabulous!  The recipe is from my friend Jennie, and I can say with confidence that, as of today, it will be a rare day when I buy pre-fabbed blue cheese dressing.  I'm now a homemade convert.  So, let's begin there.

First, put all your blue cheese dressing ingredients - minus the blue cheese - in a bowl.

Give it a good stir to get everything all cozy together.

I actually tasted it at this point, before adding the blue cheese.  It was already yummy!
Now put in your blue cheese crumbles, and gently fold those in. 

You don't want to over-work it and break up all those nice, big hunks of blue cheese.  You want it to be all lumpy-bumpy.

With phase 1 of the adventure done, it was time to move on to the sweet potato chips.  Unfortunately, phase 2 didn't go so well.  The first challenge was to get the sweet potatos sliced thinly - about 1/8" thick.  My food processor isn't able to slice that thinly, and I don't own a mandoline (and would be afraid I'd cut my fingers off if I did!  I'm a clutz.), so I tried the slicing side of my 6-sided box grater.  No luck.  This left me with only the option of slicing by hand.  Do you know how hard it is to evenly slice by hand?  "Fussiness" #1.

Next, toss the potato slices in a canola oil-and-spice mix to coat, and lay in a single layer on baking sheets.  Oil coated potato slices stick together and are not that easy to separate.  "Fussiness" #2.  Then bake, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn.  Remember that trouble I had slicing them evenly?  Well ... here's what happens when some of the slices are thinner than others ... they end up like these guys -- "Fussiness" #3.




Thin potato slices ... a *bit* crisp ... not so good

Oh, and did I mention that half-way through cooking you turn the potato slices over?  I started this process using tongs, but it was hard to grab the slices because they were so thin.  So I ended up just using my fingers ... on potato slices that were baking in a 400 degree oven.  Yes, it did hurt.  Thank you for asking.  "Fussiness" #4.

The final result - sweet potato chips that were very unevenly cooked - sometimes burnt, sometimes just right, and - more often than not - soggy and flimsy.  While the flavor was good, I was severely disappointed with the end product.


So ... the very fabulous, absolutely yummy, amazingly wonderful homemade blue cheese dressing ended up being enjoyed like this.  Yum.



Good ol' veggie sticks with blue cheese

Blue Cheese Dressing
Source:  A Friend

Ingredients
3/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt (I used nonfat plain Greek yogurt)
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (I used just a small slice from a regular onion, and grated it)
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Directions
In a bowl, combine all dressing ingredients except the blue cheese.  Crumble in the blue cheese and fold together gently.  (NOTE:  Don't use finely crumbled blue cheese - you want it chunky.)  Store covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Now just look at those homemade sweet potato chips.  Don't they look good? Well, they weren't.



Homemade sweet potato chips with homemade blue cheese dressing for dipping

  At least not as good as I expected them to be.  And they were quite "fussy" to make (read that "tedious!") ... the amount of effort required was not worth the result.  Though Mark just said from the kitchen, as I'm typing this post, "I like the sweet potatoes pretty good."  The flavor was decent, so maybe I'll try to re-work the spicing from this recipe into a roasted sweet potato side dish.  Maybe...

Anway, both recipes (the sweet potato chips and the blue cheese dressing) are from my "50 Recipes for 2011" list  (click here to see the list).  The potato chips have a combination of chili powder, cumin, and paprika on them.  Hmmmm, I thought to myself - if we dip buffalo hot wings in blue cheese, might it be tasty to dip these spicy sweet potato chips in blue cheese??  And that's how today's cooking adventure was born.  So, I went to work making sweet potato chips and blue cheese dressing. 

I'm happy to say that the blue cheese dressing is fabulous!  The recipe is from my friend Jennie, and I can say with confidence that, as of today, it will be a rare day when I buy pre-fabbed blue cheese dressing.  I'm now a homemade convert.  So, let's begin there.

First, put all your blue cheese dressing ingredients - minus the blue cheese - in a bowl.

Give it a good stir to get everything all cozy together.

I actually tasted it at this point, before adding the blue cheese.  It was already yummy!
Now put in your blue cheese crumbles, and gently fold those in. 

You don't want to over-work it and break up all those nice, big hunks of blue cheese.  You want it to be all lumpy-bumpy.

With phase 1 of the adventure done, it was time to move on to the sweet potato chips.  Unfortunately, phase 2 didn't go so well.  The first challenge was to get the sweet potatos sliced thinly - about 1/8" thick.  My food processor isn't able to slice that thinly, and I don't own a mandoline (and would be afraid I'd cut my fingers off if I did!  I'm a clutz.), so I tried the slicing side of my 6-sided box grater.  No luck.  This left me with only the option of slicing by hand.  Do you know how hard it is to evenly slice by hand?  "Fussiness" #1.

Next, toss the potato slices in a canola oil-and-spice mix to coat, and lay in a single layer on baking sheets.  Oil coated potato slices stick together and are not that easy to separate.  "Fussiness" #2.  Then bake, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn.  Remember that trouble I had slicing them evenly?  Well ... here's what happens when some of the slices are thinner than others ... they end up like these guys -- "Fussiness" #3.




Thin potato slices ... a *bit* crisp ... not so good

Oh, and did I mention that half-way through cooking you turn the potato slices over?  I started this process using tongs, but it was hard to grab the slices because they were so thin.  So I ended up just using my fingers ... on potato slices that were baking in a 400 degree oven.  Yes, it did hurt.  Thank you for asking.  "Fussiness" #4.

The final result - sweet potato chips that were very unevenly cooked - sometimes burnt, sometimes just right, and - more often than not - soggy and flimsy.  While the flavor was good, I was severely disappointed with the end product.


So ... the very fabulous, absolutely yummy, amazingly wonderful homemade blue cheese dressing ended up being enjoyed like this.  Yum.



Good ol' veggie sticks with blue cheese

Blue Cheese Dressing
Source:  A Friend

Ingredients
3/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt (I used nonfat plain Greek yogurt)
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (I used just a small slice from a regular onion, and grated it)
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

Directions
In a bowl, combine all dressing ingredients except the blue cheese.  Crumble in the blue cheese and fold together gently.  (NOTE:  Don't use finely crumbled blue cheese - you want it chunky.)  Store covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Cardamom - My new love!

I have a new love - cardamom!  I don't know how it has taken me soooooo long to discover this wonderful spice, but I'm so glad I have now.  Actually, I guess I've loved it for a long time - I just didn't know it.  It's a key ingredient in Chai Tea, and I absolutely LOVE Chai Tea.  I just had no idea that the wonderfully intoxicating flavor in Chai was cardamom.  (Side note - I've worked on a recipe for Chai Tea mix for a while, and have it tinkered to my liking ... but I'll save that for a future post.  Stay tuned!)

Cardamom, to me, has a fabulous and very unique, intense flavor.  Descriptions I've read of it describe it as having "eucalyptus tones," but to me it's like a very florally peppery taste.  I don't think there are any words to do it's flavor justice, honestly.  I think you just have to experience it for yourself.

Oh, I'm very much looking forward to getting to know my new love better.  Here are a few of the cardamom recipes I've found that pique my interest:

Strawberry Cardamom Shortcake
Cardamom Roasted Almonds
Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart (oh, my!)
Chai Shortbread (Hmmmm ... maybe with a cup of Chai Tea???)
Cardamom Vanilla Poundcake
Chocolate Cardamom Truffles
Cardamom Creme Brulee (can't wait ...)

It'll take me a while to work through these, but rest assured I plan on trying each one!  And, rest assured, I'll let you in on the results.  Cupid's cardamom arrow has definitely struck me!

I have a new love - cardamom!  I don't know how it has taken me soooooo long to discover this wonderful spice, but I'm so glad I have now.  Actually, I guess I've loved it for a long time - I just didn't know it.  It's a key ingredient in Chai Tea, and I absolutely LOVE Chai Tea.  I just had no idea that the wonderfully intoxicating flavor in Chai was cardamom.  (Side note - I've worked on a recipe for Chai Tea mix for a while, and have it tinkered to my liking ... but I'll save that for a future post.  Stay tuned!)

Cardamom, to me, has a fabulous and very unique, intense flavor.  Descriptions I've read of it describe it as having "eucalyptus tones," but to me it's like a very florally peppery taste.  I don't think there are any words to do it's flavor justice, honestly.  I think you just have to experience it for yourself.

Oh, I'm very much looking forward to getting to know my new love better.  Here are a few of the cardamom recipes I've found that pique my interest:

Strawberry Cardamom Shortcake
Cardamom Roasted Almonds
Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart (oh, my!)
Chai Shortbread (Hmmmm ... maybe with a cup of Chai Tea???)
Cardamom Vanilla Poundcake
Chocolate Cardamom Truffles
Cardamom Creme Brulee (can't wait ...)

It'll take me a while to work through these, but rest assured I plan on trying each one!  And, rest assured, I'll let you in on the results.  Cupid's cardamom arrow has definitely struck me!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Soft Molasses Cookies

I'm trying to increase the iron in my diet, as I tend to be slightly anemic, and blackstrap molasses is an excellent natural source of iron.  I thought there could be no better way to eat molasses than in cookies!

I gave Corban (7) the assignment this morning to make these by himself.  He was slightly shocked and quite excited by the prospect, as he has never made something independently before.  I did supervise the measuring of a few things and taking the cookies out of the oven, but he did most of everything alone.  He was so proud!

These are slightly spicy, very soft, darkly sweet (if that makes any sense), and just a delight to eat.  My kids love them, I love them, and I think I'll just have to keep some around on a regular basis.

Note:  You don't have to use blackstrap molasses - regular would result in a lighter, sweeter cookie.  Blackstrap molasses is very strong and dark and can be a little bitter - it may be an acquired taste.  I just used it because it is much higher in nutrients (due to less refining, from what I understand) than regular molasses. And I rather like the taste.


Recipe: (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 egg
3/4 c. molasses (I used blackstrap)
3 cups flour (I used 1 c. all purpose, 2 c. white whole wheat)
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4-1/2 c. granulated sugar (for rolling, optional)

Cream butter, sucanat, and egg together until well blended.  Add molasses and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.  Gradually add to molasses mixture until completely incorporated.
Cover and chill dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or use your medium cookie scoop!), roll in sugar if desired, and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  I found 8 minutes to be perfect in my oven.
Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Somebody obviously enjoyed licking the beater.  

I'm trying to increase the iron in my diet, as I tend to be slightly anemic, and blackstrap molasses is an excellent natural source of iron.  I thought there could be no better way to eat molasses than in cookies!

I gave Corban (7) the assignment this morning to make these by himself.  He was slightly shocked and quite excited by the prospect, as he has never made something independently before.  I did supervise the measuring of a few things and taking the cookies out of the oven, but he did most of everything alone.  He was so proud!

These are slightly spicy, very soft, darkly sweet (if that makes any sense), and just a delight to eat.  My kids love them, I love them, and I think I'll just have to keep some around on a regular basis.

Note:  You don't have to use blackstrap molasses - regular would result in a lighter, sweeter cookie.  Blackstrap molasses is very strong and dark and can be a little bitter - it may be an acquired taste.  I just used it because it is much higher in nutrients (due to less refining, from what I understand) than regular molasses. And I rather like the taste.


Recipe: (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 egg
3/4 c. molasses (I used blackstrap)
3 cups flour (I used 1 c. all purpose, 2 c. white whole wheat)
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4-1/2 c. granulated sugar (for rolling, optional)

Cream butter, sucanat, and egg together until well blended.  Add molasses and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.  Gradually add to molasses mixture until completely incorporated.
Cover and chill dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or use your medium cookie scoop!), roll in sugar if desired, and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  I found 8 minutes to be perfect in my oven.
Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Somebody obviously enjoyed licking the beater.  

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies - and the great ganache debate

I love chocolate chip cookies.  I love brownies.  So, when I found this idea for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, how could I resist?  The combination had to be tried.  Well, they are indeed quite tasty!  You mix up a batch of brownie batter, put it in the pan, and then drop spoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough all over the top so it looks kind of like this:

Mmmmm ... cookie dough in brownie batter.  I could scoop it up just like this!

Are you ready for your close-up?

Bake it all up until the brownie part is all cooked up, and the cookie part is golden brown.  You want something like this:

Golden brown and yummy looking.

Now, the only problem with this recipe is that it has caused "The Great Ganache Debate" in our household.  The original recipe calls for topping the brownie yumminess with a layer of ganache.  I had never made ganache before, and had always thought it was difficult.  I was sooooo wrong!  It's way easy.  And apparently, ganache is a new word to Mark.  He thinks it sounds funny, and will now go around the house just randomly saying the word ganache.  I hope this is a phase that passess quickly.

Anyway - the first batch I made, I followed the original recipe and put on the ganache topping.  Don't get me wrong - it's very good this way!  But me being me always tinkering with recipes, I wondered how it would be without the ganache topping.  Both my husband and I found the topping to be a bit overpowering - kind of taking over the whole taste of the brownie. We decided I should make another batch without the ganache topping.  So, I did.  Which led to "The Great Ganache Debate" that is still going on at this very moment - Mark is literally still taste-comparing right now as I type this post.  The verdict --- I'm undecided.  Sometimes I think I like the non-ganache ("naked") ones best; sometimes I think I like the ganache-topped ones best.  Mark is 100% behind the naked ones.  If you try these, I'll be interested to hear what you think!

Ganache-topped vs. Naked

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Source:  Adapted from Bakerella

Ingredients
Brownies:
1 box of brownie mix + ingredients listed on the box.  (Or, a batch of your favorite brownie batter.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
I found that a 1/2 batch of standard chocolate chip cookie dough batter was the perfect amount.  Here are the measurements for a 1/2 batch of dough.

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. sugar
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/8 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
6 T. butter



Directions
Prepare the Brownie Batter:
1.  Prepare the brownie batter, according to the package directions (or according to your favorite brownie's recipe).  Place brownie batter in a greased 9x13" pan.

Prepare the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
2.  In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla;  beat until creamy.  Beat in egg.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.

3.  Drop by spoonfuls onto the brownie batter.  Using the palm of your hand, push the cookie dough down into the brownie batter just a little bit.

Bake:
4.  Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. When they’re done, take them out and let them cool completely (for about an hour).

Prepare the Chocolate Ganache:  (skip this step for the naked version)
5.  In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.  Pour over the chocolate chips.  Let sit for about 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  I found that whisking the mixture with a fork worked great to get the chocolate chips melted and the ganache smooth. 

6.  Pour ganache over the brownies and let set before cutting.

Enjoy!

I love chocolate chip cookies.  I love brownies.  So, when I found this idea for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, how could I resist?  The combination had to be tried.  Well, they are indeed quite tasty!  You mix up a batch of brownie batter, put it in the pan, and then drop spoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough all over the top so it looks kind of like this:

Mmmmm ... cookie dough in brownie batter.  I could scoop it up just like this!

Are you ready for your close-up?

Bake it all up until the brownie part is all cooked up, and the cookie part is golden brown.  You want something like this:

Golden brown and yummy looking.

Now, the only problem with this recipe is that it has caused "The Great Ganache Debate" in our household.  The original recipe calls for topping the brownie yumminess with a layer of ganache.  I had never made ganache before, and had always thought it was difficult.  I was sooooo wrong!  It's way easy.  And apparently, ganache is a new word to Mark.  He thinks it sounds funny, and will now go around the house just randomly saying the word ganache.  I hope this is a phase that passess quickly.

Anyway - the first batch I made, I followed the original recipe and put on the ganache topping.  Don't get me wrong - it's very good this way!  But me being me always tinkering with recipes, I wondered how it would be without the ganache topping.  Both my husband and I found the topping to be a bit overpowering - kind of taking over the whole taste of the brownie. We decided I should make another batch without the ganache topping.  So, I did.  Which led to "The Great Ganache Debate" that is still going on at this very moment - Mark is literally still taste-comparing right now as I type this post.  The verdict --- I'm undecided.  Sometimes I think I like the non-ganache ("naked") ones best; sometimes I think I like the ganache-topped ones best.  Mark is 100% behind the naked ones.  If you try these, I'll be interested to hear what you think!

Ganache-topped vs. Naked

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Source:  Adapted from Bakerella

Ingredients
Brownies:
1 box of brownie mix + ingredients listed on the box.  (Or, a batch of your favorite brownie batter.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
I found that a 1/2 batch of standard chocolate chip cookie dough batter was the perfect amount.  Here are the measurements for a 1/2 batch of dough.

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. sugar
1/4 c. + 1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/8 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Ganache:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
6 T. butter



Directions
Prepare the Brownie Batter:
1.  Prepare the brownie batter, according to the package directions (or according to your favorite brownie's recipe).  Place brownie batter in a greased 9x13" pan.

Prepare the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
2.  In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla;  beat until creamy.  Beat in egg.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.

3.  Drop by spoonfuls onto the brownie batter.  Using the palm of your hand, push the cookie dough down into the brownie batter just a little bit.

Bake:
4.  Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. When they’re done, take them out and let them cool completely (for about an hour).

Prepare the Chocolate Ganache:  (skip this step for the naked version)
5.  In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.  Pour over the chocolate chips.  Let sit for about 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  I found that whisking the mixture with a fork worked great to get the chocolate chips melted and the ganache smooth. 

6.  Pour ganache over the brownies and let set before cutting.

Enjoy!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Monster Truck Cake



I realized a couple of days ago that I had neglected to post about how I made Corban's Monster Truck Cake for his 5th birthday.  So here it is.  This has to be the easiest and lowest stress cake I've done, and it was so much fun!  It was a huge hit with his little friends. 

What you need:

• 2 13 x 9" cakes, baked
• Buttercream frosting (I used my usual recipe of 1 c. shortening, 1 c. butter  - beat together for 10 minutes, then gradually add 8 cups of powdered sugar, 1 T. vanilla extract, and 1/4-1/2 c. cream, to desired consistency).
• 2 Brown Sugar Poptarts
• Graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs 
• Various Monster Trucks and small cars
• Little flags, if desired
• Wilton Grass Tip

First, I stacked two 13 x 9" cakes (one chocolate, one yellow, in case you're wondering), with frosting in the middle. 

I carved out a little section the width of a poptart on one side for the ramp and put the removed cake on top for the top ramp. 

Then I covered the whole thing with a nice layer of buttercream frosting, getting the sides as smooth as I could. 

I covered the top with crushed graham crackers, made a border around the top and bottom edge using the grass tip, and put the poptarts in place.  That grass tip is a blast to use....totally worth having around. 

Stick in a couple of flags, carefully place the trucks and cars as you wish, and you're good to go! 



The blue truck on top was the Predator, a surprise gift for Corban.  He was especially delighted about it because we had gotten to see the real one earlier that year in a parking lot getting some maintenance done before a rally and stopped to take some pictures.  



I realized a couple of days ago that I had neglected to post about how I made Corban's Monster Truck Cake for his 5th birthday.  So here it is.  This has to be the easiest and lowest stress cake I've done, and it was so much fun!  It was a huge hit with his little friends. 

What you need:

• 2 13 x 9" cakes, baked
• Buttercream frosting (I used my usual recipe of 1 c. shortening, 1 c. butter  - beat together for 10 minutes, then gradually add 8 cups of powdered sugar, 1 T. vanilla extract, and 1/4-1/2 c. cream, to desired consistency).
• 2 Brown Sugar Poptarts
• Graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs 
• Various Monster Trucks and small cars
• Little flags, if desired
• Wilton Grass Tip

First, I stacked two 13 x 9" cakes (one chocolate, one yellow, in case you're wondering), with frosting in the middle. 

I carved out a little section the width of a poptart on one side for the ramp and put the removed cake on top for the top ramp. 

Then I covered the whole thing with a nice layer of buttercream frosting, getting the sides as smooth as I could. 

I covered the top with crushed graham crackers, made a border around the top and bottom edge using the grass tip, and put the poptarts in place.  That grass tip is a blast to use....totally worth having around. 

Stick in a couple of flags, carefully place the trucks and cars as you wish, and you're good to go! 



The blue truck on top was the Predator, a surprise gift for Corban.  He was especially delighted about it because we had gotten to see the real one earlier that year in a parking lot getting some maintenance done before a rally and stopped to take some pictures.  

reade more... Résuméabuiyad