cinnamon & sass

Whole Wheat Banana Breakfast Cake

2010-05-20T19:53:00.001-06:00

I love banana bread and banana cake. This is a lovely whole wheat breakfast version that is super moist and perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning. I'm also thinking these would make delicious muffins.

Whole Wheat Banana Breakfast Cake

2 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey or agave
2 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate large bowl, beat together butter, applesauce, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt and vanilla until smooth (a hand mixer is nice here). Add dry ingredients and mashed bananas and mix by hand until just moistened; do not over mix. Pour in a greased 8x8 cake pan and bake for one hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Sweet Potato Fries

2010-05-12T16:40:00.001-06:00

I've tried to make my own sweet potato fries a million times over; somehow they always turn out just like roasted sweet potatoes...which are good, but not quite the crispy fry-style I'm after! This weekend I tried out a new cooking method that turned out excellent fries; broiling them with the oven door slightly open to release steam.

First, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them them the size of super skinny french fries. Try to get them as uniform as possible (otherwise the smaller pieces burn while the larger ones are cooking). Toss them in a large bowl with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper (we'll salt them after they are cooked). Line a large sheet pan with greased foil and lay them out in a single layer. Too many on the pan and they will steam each other.

Put your oven rack on the second from the top rack. Broil the fries on high, with the oven door slightly cracked, for 15-20 minutes or until done, stirring every few minutes for even cooking. Salt and enjoy!

Part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Whole Wheat and Honey Cornbread

2010-05-06T19:14:00.001-06:00

I have no idea where I got this original cornbread recipe from (it was written on a scrap of paper in my file) but I wanted to make it whole grain. Turned out delicious!

Whole Wheat and Honey Cornbread

1 c. white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
3 T honey
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until moistened; do not over mix. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Part of the Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Rustic Pesto, Shrimp and Veggie Pasta

2010-05-03T14:47:00.000-06:00

Simple pasta with fresh, flavorful ingredients. I like to buy or make a big batch of pesto, then freeze it in ice cube trays and transfer to a freezer bag. Pesto pasta, anytime!

Rustic Pesto, Shrimp and Veggie Pasta

1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (use a garlic press if you have one)
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can whole black olives, cut in half
1/3 - 1/2 cup pesto, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta for 4-6 people, cooked (I used a quinoa/corn pasta, but whole wheat pasta would be delicious here as well)

Saute onion, red pepper and mushrooms in olive oil until they are cooked and just start to turn a little brown. I like to start cooking the pasta while the veggies are cooking. Add the shrimp and garlic, and cook until shrimp just turn pink; add the tomatoes, olives, pesto, pasta, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan!

Buttery Pan Fried Apples

2010-05-02T14:38:00.001-06:00

Easy, delicious, frugal food. I found this Pan Fried Apples recipe at The Nourishing Gourmet and was THRILLED since I had a bunch of apples left over from a Costco trip and was wondering what the heck to do with them. I ate mine by itself but I think it would also be delicious over Greek yogurt with some walnuts! Check out the recipe here.

Red Lentil, Lemon and Cumin Soup

2010-04-26T20:06:00.002-06:00

This lentil soup (or puree) is fresh and a little spicy, and really easy to throw together on a weeknight. Since red lentils basically turn to mush if you cook them past firm, pureeing the soup is a great way to get their lovely subtle flavor without the weird texture you would otherwise get from them if you cooked them in a soup.
P.S. Sorry for the bad pic, it was a leetle too sunny when I was taking it

Red Lentil, Lemon and Cumin Soup
(adapted from all recipes)

4 cups chicken stock (add more if you want the soup thinner)
1 pound red lentils
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin (I add a little extra, because I love the smoky flavor of cumin)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice from two lemons

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly brown. Add garlic and cook just until garlic turns brown.

Put everything except lemon and cilantro in a large soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in a standing blender, or with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before serving.

This recipe is a part of Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Cookbook Review: Simply in Season

2010-04-15T07:30:00.001-06:00

I love, love this cookbook. I actually bought it a long time ago but have only recently started to appreciate its full usefulness now that I am eating a ton more fruits and vegetables. The preface says "Simply in Season is a community cookbook about good food; foods that are fresh, nutritious, tasty and in rhythm with the seasons. Whether they come from a farmers' market, a CSA subscription farm, or your own garden, fresh local foods are good for the earth we share. Ultimately, they nurture our spirits as well as our bodies."

I couldn't agree more. After all, isn't that what we are all looking for? Food that will not only nourish our bodies but satisfy our spirits as well?

Simply in Season starts out with a handy dandy little alphabetical guide to fruits and vegetables, with a description, selection tips, storage and handling, preparation, serving suggestions, comments and nutrients. This is so great for when you want to try out a new vegetable like kale or eggplant but have not the slightest clue what to do with them.

Then follows four sections; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season has an index attached to it so you can quickly find what you are looking for. Recipes like Strawberry Brunch Souffle and Marinated Radish Salad are in the Spring season, Summer brings Greek Fennel Skillet and Summer Garden Ratatouille, Autumn has Butternut Sage Orzo and Cranberry Apple Crisp, and Winter rolls in with Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls and Maple Parsnip Soup. There is a bonus "All Season" sections that houses dairy, dried beans, dried fruits, meats, tofu and whole grains; recipes like Whole Wheat Flax Bread and Pork Apricot Skillet.

You can purchase it here. Nope, this is not a paid review nor do I receive anything if you click and buy it (darn it!).

Whole Wheat Dinner Roll Experiment #1

2010-04-13T07:38:00.001-06:00

I found a dinner roll recipe that I really wanted to convert into a healthier recipe. Here is what the original recipe looks like:

Sweet Dinner Rolls
(from All Recipes)

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

Okay, so while those sound delicious, they are basically white flour and sugar and I wanted them to be whole grain. Here is the modified recipe I tried:
Experiment #1
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
2.5 T coconut oil, melted (read why I'm trying to incorporate coconut oil in my diet here)
2 T raw honey
1 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (a whole grain flour; read about it here)
3 T vital wheat gluten
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

I used the dough cycle on my bread machine, formed them into rolls and let them rise again, and then baked them at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Verdict
Appearance: Awesome! Look just like "regular" dinner rolls!
Taste: Pretty good. Definitely need to double the honey and possibly add another tablespoon of coconut oil. No "bitter" taste at all.
Texture: Needs some work; even though they rose nicely, they were extremely dense and almost "sponge-y" (see pic below).

So, calling all experienced bread bakers! What can I do to improve the texture? Is it the egg that is part of the dense texture problem, and can I leave it out without impacting the dough too negatively? Should I add orange juice instead of milk or water?

Red Lentil Curry

2010-04-12T07:05:00.001-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for frugal, healthy lunches. Lately I've been on a big lentil kick (I like to eat them with just salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese) and I've been looking for new recipes to spice them up a bit. This is one of the most flavorful by far, with a lovely creamy curry flavor.

Red Lentil Curry
(adapted from All Recipes)

2 cups cooked red lentils
1 large onion, chopped
2 T red curry paste
1 T curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp raw honey or honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
1 15 oz can light coconut milk
1 10 oz can tomato puree

I like to cook the lentils while I'm making the rest of the dish. Follow the package directions for "firm" lentils and then drain off any excess water..
Carmelize the chopped onion in oil (I used coconut oil). While those are cooking, combine all the other ingredients except the coconut milk and tomato paste in a small bowl; mix well. When onions are done, add the curry mixture and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and tomato puree until well blended and then add lentils.

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2010-04-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

These mashed sweet potatoes are rich and garlicky and sooo delicious; you'll wonder why you ever put brown sugar on them before! Roasted garlic has a sweet, mellow flavor that is much less intense than fresh garlic and is delicious in and on almost everything.

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes
1 head of Roasted Garlic (recipe to follow)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 T butter, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for the top
freshly ground black pepper to taste ( I like a lot of it)
freshly ground sea salt to taste

Microwave or bake sweet potatoes and scoop out insides. Take a fork and mash the roasted garlic up into a rough paste. Mix all ingredients together just until mixed. Top with a little extra Parmesan for garnish.

Roasted Garlic (super easy)
Slice the top off of one head of garlic. Place in foil cut side up and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake approximately 45 minutes at 400 degrees, or until garlic is soft and golden brown. Let it cool and then push the cloves out of their skin.

Salmon Glaze

2010-04-01T10:33:00.002-06:00

Whew, I have been out of the blogging loop lately! Last weekend was my birthday (!) so we were out of town for the weekend enjoying the Chico Hot Springs here in Montana; it was a beautiful warm weekend of soaking, good food, good beer, trail riding and spending time with my sweetie. Very much needed!

Today I want to share with you a simple and easy glaze for salmon; my boyfriend's sister's boyfriend (got that?) made us some fantastic grilled salmon over the holidays last year, and I had to weasel the recipe out of HER because HE refused to give it up!!

I recommend brushing the salmon with the glaze and grilling it for a bit, since the glaze then caramelizes and tastes especially good; you can always finish the cooking in the oven if you don't want to grill it the entire way.
I've also tried this glaze on grilled chicken, steak and pork chops and it was equally delicious on everything! It's a nice multi-tasker that uses ingredients you probably always have on hand.

Salmon Glaze
(just eyeball it and taste it, I've never measured it and it always turns out great)

ketchup
honey
soy sauce
olive oil
granulated garlic
freshly ground black pepper

Granola Bars

2010-03-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

These granola bars are SO easy and good! I can't wait to take them hiking and camping. The best part about this recipe is it is very adaptable; throw in sunflower seeds, trail mix, white chocolate, macadamia nuts, wheat germ, peanut butter, whatever you feel like!

Easy Granola Bars

(adapted from All Recipes)

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted (or peanut butter)

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a large jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with greased foil.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Take them off the foil and place on a baking rack; cut into rectangles while still warm and then let cool.

Shop!

2010-03-22T09:52:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to introduce you all to cinnamon & sass the Etsy shop! I have not had a lot of time to work on it but I finally got it rolling last week and so far I'm very happy with the overall look. I'm really having a ball making the vintage piece necklaces, they are super unique and one of a kind. Let me hear your feedback and suggestions if you have any!

Chile Verde Enchiladas

2010-03-18T11:47:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to try the Emergency Chile Verde Soup from The Cooking Photographer all week. I whipped it up on Saturday, and when I tasted it I realized two things. #1: It was absolutely delicious #2: I had accidentally grabbed the "Hot" version of everything so it was like liquid fire. I decided to make it into chicken enchiladas to cut some of the heat and they turned out fabulous. So definitely make the soup, and turn it into enchiladas if you like! I'm also thinking some leftover shredded pork would be yummy in this soup as well...so many possibilities!

Emergency Chile Verde Soup
(from The Cooking Photographer)

1 (29 1/2 ounce) can Juanita's Chile Verde Pork & Green Chile Sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies & spices (I used Rotel)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
(I also added a can of corn)

Chile Verde Enchiladas
1 recipe Emergency Chile Verde Soup
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or use rotisserie chicken for fast and easy)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 corn tortillas

Fill each tortilla with chicken, cottage cheese mixture and chile verde soup. Roll them and put the "seam" side down in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with the rest of the cottage cheese mixture, soup, and cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

Sewing Projects

2010-03-17T11:17:00.000-06:00

Other than making some healthy muffins, I spent most of the weekend learning to use my new sewing machine. Sewing is MUCH harder than it looks! I did manage to make two napkins (reversible!) and a pincushion, which was really fun but took me most of the day to accomplish haha! Hopefully my speed will improve along with my sewing skills. The fabric store is now my new favorite place; so many wonderful patterns and colors to put together! I'd love to hear about your sewing projects!

Whole Wheat Spiced Muffins with Walnuts and Banana

2010-03-15T11:58:00.000-06:00

This Saturday I was feeling lazy yet also really craving some wholesome, healthy muffins. I finally gave in and decided to try out a 100% whole wheat recipe; in the past I have not had a lot of luck with all whole wheat muffins, usually ending up with a hard dense little thing. I did a little research on the internet, and found a good base recipe to play with which recommended using whole wheat pastry flour and pureed fruit to give them a lighter texture. I also took out the oil and sugar and replaced it with apple butter, pureed bananas and a little agave (there is some sugar in the apple butter, unless you make your own without sugar). To my surprise, they turned out to be really, really good. For sure they are not the giant blueberry cake monster you will find in your coffee shop, but they make a healthy and filling breakfast or snack.

Whole Wheat Spiced Muffins with Walnuts and Banana
(adapted from The New York Times)

1/2 cup apple butter
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3 T agave syrup or honey (increase to 4 or 5 T if you like a sweeter muffin)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed or pureed ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, walnuts, all spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the apple butter, banana, egg, agave and buttermilk. Fold wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined; DO NOT OVERMIX as this will result in a very tough muffin.

Fill muffin tins to the top ((these do not rise as much as regular muffins, so filling them to the top ensures you get a nice muffin top and shape). I got 10 muffins from this recipe. Bake 25-35 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown.

After going through all this work to make a nice healthy muffin, I discovered they are especially good warm with some butter slathered on top :)

100% Whole Wheat Honey Bread

2010-03-12T08:50:00.001-07:00

I've tried many 100% whole wheat bread recipes, and I've always had great luck with this one. It is delicious, low in fat and totally whole grain. Make sure you don't leave out the vital wheat gluten, it won't rise without it! You can usually find vital wheat gluten in the baking aisle of your grocery store.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

(adapted from All Recipes)

1 1/8 cups water

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon dry milk powder

2 tablespoons butter or oil

1 packet active dry yeast

3 T vital wheat gluten

This is a bread machine recipe; I like to use the dough cycle on my bread machine (I use the basic dough setting, not the whole wheat dough setting), then put the dough in a loaf pan and let it rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes; put a foil tent on the top when it is browned to your liking so the top doesn't burn. Let cool on a baking rack; you can brush the top of the crust with butter when you take it out of the oven for a softer crust.

The Best Chewy Peanut Butter Monster Cookies. Ever.

2010-03-09T08:33:00.002-07:00

These cookies are absolutely irresistible. Chewy, a little melty-chocolatey-gooey, and great peanut butter flavor. This recipes makes a large batch so cut it in half if you like or freeze some cookie dough for later, or give some lovely cookie gifts to your friends :)

Monster Cookies
(adapted from All Recipes)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups peanut butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons baking soda
9 cups rolled oats
1 12 oz bag M&M candies
1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, then stir in the corn syrup and vanilla. Mix in baking soda, oats, M&M's and chocolate chips until well blended. Scoop up spoonfuls of dough and drop on a cookie sheet; I'm not big on making "perfect" round cookies so just do your thing.

Bake for approximately 12 minutes in the preheated oven *Note* Very important! Watch your first batch of cookies carefully and take them out just before they look done, then cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.This will ensure you get a nice chewy cookie that stays chewy; if they turn brown or overcook they will still taste good but they will be more crispy.

honeytree photography

2010-03-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I love this dreamy photography from honeytree on Etsy

She also has a lovely photo blog at http://lupeart.blogspot.com/

Limoncello Cake

2010-03-02T12:06:00.002-07:00

Whew! This has been a crazy work week and I have not had much time to cook or blog, but I did manage to try this lovely Limoncello Cake. I had some leftover homemade Limoncello that I made for Christmas gifts so this was perfect.

Limoncello Cake

(from All Recipes)

1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt

Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, canola oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and 4 tablespoons limoncello in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Glaze:
Stir the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of limoncello together in a small bowl until smooth. Poke small holes all over the top of the still-warm cake with a fork or toothpick. Spoon the glaze over the cake and spread with the back of a spoon. The glaze will seep into the cake.

Tuesday Wishes

2010-02-23T09:15:00.004-07:00

If only I could start my day with a big beautiful bowl of cherries...

and then play with yarn all day...

Tuesday would be perfect

This beautiful photography is by valcox

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

2010-02-22T07:00:00.002-07:00

*The winner of the giveaway of the lovely wooden spoon from Tigerlily Studio (picked by random.org) is Karen A! I just emailed you to let you know Karen, and thanks to everybody else for such a great response!*

Having finally purchased an ice cream maker, I knew I had to make a batch with my favorite dairy product: Greek yogurt! I happened to have some blueberries on hand and decided to make blueberry ice cream; it was simple & fabulous.

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

3 C Greek yogurt
2 C blueberries
1/2 C liquid egg product (like Eggbeaters)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 C sugar

Mix together and put in your ice cream maker according to your machine's instructions.

Note: for anyone who likes to use agave in things (I do) it works great as a substitute here. In fact the ice cream in the pictures was made with agave syrup instead of sugar. Just make sure you use a lot less (1/3-1/2 cup) agave since it is quite a bit sweeter than sugar.

Cocoa Brownies

2010-02-18T08:05:00.001-07:00

After a long night of work at job #2 on Valentine's day, I came home to a lovely surprise:

I have the best guy in the world :) There was wine too but that was long gone before I could take a picture of it...

Now, on to the very best brownies you will ever eat! These brownies are not for the faint of heart; they are as thick as a piece of chocolate cake with the lovely chewy texture of a brownie.
I'm willing to bet you'll never go back to a mix again; I also think these would make a great food gift with the dry ingredients packed in a jar and a recipe attached!

Cocoa Brownies
(from Alton Brown)

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

For the Love of Coffee

2010-02-16T11:10:00.004-07:00

Ever have one of those mornings...where coffee is the only thing making your day bearable? These fabulous Etsy photographers show off the beloved beverage...

creativeapples

Of course you need a lovely little mug...

TinaCrespo

(Tina is having a giveaway for two prints from her shop (!) on her blog)

Maybe some espresso...

Valcox

A good laugh...

ANGELsTIME
Coffee love...

aleciareddick
Chocolate in my coffee? Heck yes!

Foxxysair8

Wooden Spoon Giveaway! Closed

2010-02-14T12:06:00.003-07:00

*Giveaway is now closed*

I have this thing for wooden spoons. I LOVE them. In fact, I've grown to somewhat despise the ugly black plastic kitchen utensils in my drawer; they seem to melt and attract stuck on food pieces each time I use them. There is just something about stirring a big pot of soup or a salted caramel sauce with a wooden spoon that feels really satisfying and homey.

Wooden spoons range from commercially produced to lovingly handmade. *Some* are downright works of art, and folks get ready to see these! While browsing etsy (my favorite place to shop) one day, I came across these fabulous wooden spoons in a shop called Tigerlily Studio and I immediately asked Carrie if she wanted to do a feature here!

I love to see wooden spoons appreciated not just for their functionality but their aesthetic value as well. These would look great in any kitchen and make a perfect gift for the "foodie" in your life.

*Feature*
1.) How on earth did you get started woodburning wooden spoons! What a GREAT idea!

My mother had seen some work done with a wood burning tool when she was in Russia, wooden spoons in particular, so she thought she would try it out for valentines day one year. That was about 10 years ago. I recieved a large woodburned spoon from her that year with my name, the year and a big heart on it. I still use it constantly- it looks pretty for serving and is also functional for stirring pots of chili, chop suey or stew. Whenever I have used it over the years, I think about what a great gift it was! It's personal, functional, and decorative all in one!

Every year I make handmade gifts for my family members for Christmas; it not only saves money to give handmade gifts, but I think the gifts are so much more personal and special. This year as I was making a list of possibilities I spotted my mother's spoon...a few weeks later, I had not only made gifts for family and friends, but also added them to my Etsy shop for sale.

2.) Do you do custom designs? I'm thinking His & Hers spoons if I can ever get my sweetie to pop the question!

I would be happy to do custom designs. I have many ideas, several pages in my sketchbook in fact, for themed spoons. One of those ideas is a custom wedding spoon or salad set. I plan to offer several different designs to choose from along with the bride and grooms names and wedding date. I would also like to make spoons for anniversaries and other special occasions.

Another theme I plan to expand on is the Twilight series. I currently sell a Foods Of Twilight spoon with many of the food related quotes from the movie such as "Let's not play with our food", "I'm on a 'special diet' ", and "what do we eat?". I would love to do some of my favorite romantic quotes from the book and movie as well as create sets including the other three books from the series. Now I just need to figure out how to get more hours in a day, lol!

3.) Tell us a little about yourself and your Etsy shops

I live in Central NH with my wonderful husband of 11 years (we've been together for nearly 20 years now) and our two amazing children. My daughter is 8 on Valentine's Day, and my son is 5. We homeschool and stay very busy between working at home and going to various outside activities including Audobon classes, gymnastics, and music.

I love to read (maybe a little to much), treasure hunt at local thrift shops and estate sales, and enjoy all kinds of fun activities with my kids such as letterboxing around NH, baking, crafts such as valentine making, and our great weekly theme days with another homeschooling family- we learn about a different topic each week such as castles, colors, nutrition, or math games.

I have a BFA degree in fine art and photography from Montserrat College Of Art in Beverly, MA. Though I am very busy with the kids, the house, and my vintage shop on Etsy, I do try to fit in days of creating whether by myself or with my kids to keep me sane and happy!

I have 3 shops on Etsy, two of which are collaborations with my mother Annie of Petticoat Annie Designs. Tigerlily Studio ( http://tigerlilystudio.etsy.com ) includes our creations such as fun themed pillowcases, cards and tags, and woodburned spoons. Tigerlily Studio is where I can play, I never want to lose that inner child!

Violets And Grace ( http://violetsandgrace.etsy.com ) is also a joint endeavor with my mother. With Annie in San Diego, and me in NH, it allows us to stay in touch daily and also to keep up our love of treasure hunting and collecting while making a fairly nice part-time income. We love to Skype each other to share our latest finds!

I also have a third shop, Paper Lantern Patterns ( http://paperlanternpatterns.etsy.com ) in which I sell vintage sewing patterns.

4.) What is your all time favorite recipe?

Hmm, that's tough! I grew up baking with my grandmother and inherited her recipe box which is one of my most prized possesions.

In February of 2008, I was thrilled to find one of my recipes, Maple Oatmeal With Dried Fruit, featured in Simple & Delicious magazine (and then in the 2009 Taste Of Home Quick Cooking Annual Recipes cookbook). They still have the recipe on their website, here is the link: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Maple-Oatmeal-with-Dried-Fruit

I LOVE corn chowder. I don't follow a recipe when I make it, but here are the basics, you can adjust the ingredients to your own taste if you like.

2 15 ounce cans or 1 larger container of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian soup)
1 small to medium onion finely diced
2 pieces of raw bacon (optional)
2 cloves of garlic pressed or diced finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium potatoes diced
2 15 ounce cans corn or 1 bag frozen corn
2 15 ounce cans cream of corn
1 pint light cream
2 cups (or more) milk

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium to medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and bacon and saute stirring frequently. When onions are translucent. Add in chicken or vegetable broth, potatoes, and corn. At this point I usually add a cup or two of water as well. Simmer on medium low for 30 minutes or so until potatoes are soft. Stir in milk and cream, heat and serve.

*Carrie's Blog: http://www.tigerlilystudio.blogspot.com/

*Giveaway*
Carrie is giving away a beautiful wooden spoon of your choice from her shop (up to a $16 value) to one of you lucky people! To enter (and please make sure to put your email in each comment):
1.) Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know you did; this one is *Mandatory* and must be done for all others to count! One entry
2.) Go to Tigerlily Studio or Violets and Grace, find your favorite item and come back and tell me about it! One entry
3.) Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link here! One entry
4.) Blog about this giveaway and leave the link here! Two entries (leave two comments please)
5.) Follow me on Facebook and let me know! One entry

Winner will be randomly chosen on February 22nd, good luck!

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Wooden Spoon Giveaway! *Closed*

Wooden Spoon Giveaway! Closed