cup-a cup-a

Pigs in a Blanket: Many Hands Make Light Work

2012-02-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

Pigs in a Blanket. It doesn't get much easier than this: packages of refrigerated crescent rolls and a package of little smokies cocktail sausages. The only challenge, from my experience, is that no matter how many you make you will run out. It's crazy. If you think, "We have 25 people, let's make 50 so each person can have 2". You will run out. If you think, "We have 12 people, and there are some males in the group, so we'll make 36, and play it safe, alloting 3 per person". You will run out.

This can become expensive.

At our church we have breakfast snacks at the coffee table and I'm on the rotation to bring a goody once a month. My kids LOVE pigs in a blanket and they often request them. And, I love that they love to help make them. The problem is, we can't make enough. And I can't afford to make ENOUGH for our 75 person congregation. One time we served them and some children were eating them by the handful at church! So, the next month when my kids asked me to make them for snack, I told them about my reluctance, and my Lainey, said, "We'll just have to make a sign that tells people there is a limit". I told her that was a little rude, or awkward, at best. But in her 7 year old handwriting, it didn't seem as obnoxious. So there it was. A basket full of golden, savory pigs in blankets, made with thoughtfulness, with a sign attached with a request for restraint.

It worked, kinda. Though we still ran out.

It's great to have a "recipe" that anybody can make. This is helpful and fun. It's sweet to see my kids' little (clean) hands wrapping the dough and placing them on the trays ready to cook. It reminds me of the time that we went on a long weekend mission trip with a group of Middle School students to Atlanta to work with some ministries in the community. My mom ended up going to help with the food for our team, as well as the project. One of our main roles was to prepare and serve a breakfast meal to the homeless and marginalized community through an inner-city church. My mom thought these would be a great food to serve, as they are a crowd pleaser, hearty, easy to transport, and the youth could help prepare them. So that Friday night, there were some students playing board games and cards and freeze tag and my mom got out the huge pans and piles of refrigerated dough and smokies and started recruiting volunteers to help prep. It was so much fun to watch 12 and 13 year old girls and guys making an assembly line of pigs in blankets. And because they are easy to assemble, it went by really fast. As my mom always says in these moments, "many hands make light work".

Some people make these with refrigerated biscuit dough, which is cheaper, but not as tasty. Also, the instructions on how many blankets you can make from one crescent roll varies. I try to cut the dough so that it makes 3 blankets out of each pre-perforated crescent roll.

Asher is usually "quality control"

"ta da! ready for the oven"

In case you want a "recipe" for this, I use a package of little smokey sausages, and 3 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls. (The store brand works just as well as the name brand). Preheat oven to the temperature listed on the can of crescents. Open the cans and unroll the crescents. Cut each perforated triangle into 3 smaller triangles (or trianglish shapes, really).
Wrap the crescent around the smokey. Place with seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet or baking stone. As you can see from the photos, they don't "grow" much in the baking, so you can place them pretty close together on the pan if you need to. Bake until golden. (The meat is already fully-cooked when purchased, it's just a matter of warming and crisping them up and baking the dough). Serve. Watch them disappear!

Anticipating Easter: Lent and Sweet Potato Biscuits

2012-02-19T21:23:00.001-06:00

This wednesday is Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. It marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent, which end with Easter. I didn’t grow up in a denomination that celebrated or honored Lent. We just by-passed all of that and focused on Easter. We bought new, fancy, spring dresses and white shoes (or sandals) to wear on Easter Sunday when people came out of the woodwork to join us at church. During college I became aware of Lent and the season of anticipation of the days leading up to Christ’s trial, death, burial and then resurrection! After college I began attending a church that had a Good Friday service. This was insightful, in that it was a somber (uncomfortably so) service where we pondered – through song and word– the weight of the death of Jesus.

Easter had never felt so anticipated, relieving, and celebratory.

So, when I began to consider participating in Lenten practices, I started with daily readings leading up to Easter and attempting to fast, or "give up something” during these days. I used to say, jokingly, that I would give up smoking…(because I’m not a smoker)! I have had varying success/revelation/failure/struggle throughout the years with “giving up” things for Lent. I have fasted from chocolate, coffee, caffeine, dessert (the hardest by far), and a “words fast” – fasting from gossip, complaining, judging, etc.

Some of the past few years, I have felt like my life has been one big LENTEN FAST- with young children and an intense job, and a household to keep. I feel that my every day life is a sacrifice!

Therefore, it's hard to feel inspired to fast from yet another comfort.

Then I begin to ponder what the point of Lent really is. In my “researching” I have found that the answer to that can really vary. Some people seek, through observing Lent, to align with Christ, who sacrificed his very life. Some people use it as a time to cleanse their lives physically, mentally and spiritually. Some people use it as a time to LEAN on God in a greater way by making sacrifices personally and meditating on Christ's life. Some people use it as a time to meditate and reflect on their own life in relation to Jesus and the gift of His death.

Fredrick Buechner, a favorite author of mine, beautifully explains the season of Lent from his perspective in his book, Whistling in the Dark:

In many cultures there is an ancient custom of giving a tenth of each year’s income to some holy use. For Christians, to observe forty days of Lent is to do the same thing with roughly a tenth of each year’s days. After being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus went off alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.

If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn’t, which side would get your money and why?

When you look at your face in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you most deplore?

If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be in twenty-five words or less?

Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?

Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that, if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?

If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

To hear yourself try to answer questions like these is to begin to hear something not only of who you are but of both what you are becoming and what you are failing to become. It can be a pretty depressing business all in all, but if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.

Last year, I wanted to involve my children in the season of Lent without legalistically requiring them to fast from something, when it’s not their choice. (I really don’t want to turn them off from this sacred season). I contacted my friend Emily, who is always brimming with creative ideas for intentional parenting and celebrating. She immediately sent me photos and reflections from this crown of thorns ritual they practice in their home. We did it last year and it was profound. I expect that the second time around it will be as well. (A little different, but equally stunning).

We placed a styrofoam wreath on the table, to be kept during the 40 days of Lent, with a cup of toothpicks nearby. Each night at dinner, those at the table had the chance to confess sin from the day. When they did so, they placed a toothpick in the wreath, symbolizing the thorns in the crown of Jesus on the cross. It was uncomfortable to do this – on many levels– (being aware of the sin in our hearts, the physical placing of the thorns in the crown, and the admitting of sin out loud).

This is an especially vulnerable feeling when done with guests at the table. (We warned them that we would be sharing and invited them to participate in whatever way they felt most comfortable…we didn’t want to impose this radical ritual on our guests)!

Last year when we did this we found that as the days progressed, we became increasingly more aware of our sin throughout the day and even began to see patterns of our repeated sins.

The glorious part of this ritual is that on Easter morning, before the children awoke, I removed all of the thorns and replaced them with spring flowers! When they came down to breakfast, they found that the thorns of our 40 days of sin had been replaced with beautiful, vibrant flowers!

Lucy was so excited she stuck the wreath on her head as a crown!
At first I told her to take it off, and then I realized that she was
embracing the joy of this beautiful redemption.

Another beautiful gift last Easter was that my friend Blair, introduced these lovely sweet potato biscuits to us, at our Easter feast! We host an Easter dinner/lunch each year for people who are in town and need a place to go. It's a fun and unpredictable event. I will go into the details more in the coming weeks, and share some of our favorite food traditions of Easter! But as I was reflecting on last year's Easter Season, the wreath of toothpick thorns and the sweet potato biscuits are the two new traditions that were introduced, that we are excited to repeat this year.

In case you came here today looking for a recipe, rather than a spiritual guide, here is a winner of a recipe! The recipe is from Blair, via her mom, via Southern Living Magazine (always a good sign).

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 large sweet potato

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp shortening

2 Tbsp butter, cut up

1/3 cup milk

Bake sweet potato at 350 for 1 hour or until tender; cool slightly.

Peel and mash; cool.

Combine flour and sugar in a medium bowl.

Cut shortening and butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or a fork until crumbly; add mashed sweet potato and milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3-4 times.

Pat dough out into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick; cut into 12 pieces, then gently shape them into a circle with your hand, (or cut with a 2 inch round cutter).

Place on a baking stone or a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 1 dozen

This week, the season of Lent begins, and I am excited to have a focus during these days of winter. Communal confession and sweet potato biscuits are part of what I anticipate might make this season special to me. What about you??

It's Valen-Time!

2012-02-12T23:47:00.002-06:00

It's Valentine's Week and I love it. (Or as my little Lucy sometimes calls it, Valen-times). It can be a really fun day: so pink and filled with sugar and love. I know some people can't stand it. They revolt, wearing black and are anti-Valentine's. But I've never felt that way.

And I was even dumped by two different boyfriends on Valentine's Days...how ridiculous is that!? I told my friend this fun-fact about myself the other day and she asked, "Did their mothers not teach them that it is not okay to break up with a girl on Valentine's Day!?" "Evidently not," I replied! My first boyfriend, a long-distance relationship, broke up with me via letter, which included his reason for breaking up, "I just got tired." Well that makes a lot of sense.

But I'm not bitter. It's been a couple of decades.

And I really like Valentine's Day. I really do.

As a child, my mom always made Valentine's a day of friends and love and sweet treats.
I'm not very romantic, so that suits me well! I love a chance to make something beautiful, have a sweet treat and honor people I love.

We are gearing up for the holiday at our house:
My kids have been working on their Valentines for their classmates,

my friend Connie made a fun garland-of-love to hang in my house, and

I made my favorite Sugar Cookies.

Last year I wrote about the Linzer cookies that I think are just delightful. They are a lovely Valentine's treat. But most years I can't resist making my mom's timeless sugar cookie recipe for Valentine's. They are just so pretty when they are heart-shaped!

I remember when my son, Asher, was one or two, I packaged bags of heart-shaped iced sugar cookies with little love notes attached for all of the adults in our life who loved him so well. It was such fun to give "Valentines" as a way to thank friends for being so loving year round to our little boy!

I wrote last year about some of the Valentine's traditions that we enjoy at our house (My husband's clever tackiest Valentine's pursuit, dinners and bingo, etc.).

I'd love to hear of your great celebrations and ideas!

If you're looking for a good sugar cookie recipe, this one is time-tested and adored.

Timeless Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

4 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1½ tsp. butter flavoring (extract)

Blend softened butter with sugar.

Add eggs, then flour, baking powder and salt.

Add vanilla and butter flavoring.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out dough to ¼“ thick.
Dust cutters and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Cut out cookies in desired shapes.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet, (I line with parchment), allowing about 2 inches between cookies (they will spread).
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes (or until edges begin to turn golden).

Remove from cookie sheet immediately.
When cooled, glaze with the following glaze or frosting of your choice.

Glaze for Sugar Cookies

3 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. milk or water (approximately)

1 tsp. almond OR lemon OR vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients until smooth.
If glaze is too runny, add more powdered sugar.
If glaze is too stiff, add more milk.

Some tricks about these cookies that I've learned along the way:

*Mom taught us to sprinkle our cookie cutters, surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar rather than flour. That way it provides the dusting effect without drying out or dulling the dough’s taste.

*Make sure you space these cookies apart a couple of inches because they really grow.

*It takes a while to make the batch of these cookies, as there are several steps and it makes a big batch. I suggest you break down the steps into different sessions if you don't have a big time block. You can mix up the dough and refrigerate it for another day. Or you can make the cookies and let them cool until the next day when you ice them.

*If you don’t want to deal with icing the cookies, you can put sprinkles on them prior to baking so they can stick on by baking OR my mom, when we were young, would sometimes let us “egg paint” the cookies prior to baking them. Mix an egg yolk with some food coloring and a little water and use clean, new paintbrushes and paint the cookies. Then bake and they come out looking glossy and colorful.

*Since being married to a lover-of-soft-cookies-husband (with a dislike of crunchy cookies) I have worked to find the correct amount of cooking time on cookies of all kinds. The timing makes such a difference in the softness of the cookie. Two minutes can make a huge difference. So I remove them from the oven at the sight of the golden edges. It is good to note, however, that glaze added atop a cookie will soften the cookie by the next day.

*I started making the almond glaze when I was inspired by Ham and Goody’s bakery that makes these yummy teacakes and sugar cookies with beautiful, smooth, glossy glaze that I am in love with. I think it is the perfect companion to this great cookie and makes them so beautiful! My friend Karin and I have observed the “marriage” that happens between the cookie and the glaze that makes the cookie soft and sweet and it is just mysteriously beautiful (kinda like marriage). And I use the back-of-the-spoon technique where I blob some glaze on the cookie and then use the back of the spoon to guide my smoothing it all over the cookie.

*These cookies are fun on a stick (I use the paper lolly-pop sticks). They are a great party favor or teacher gift (we have given “bouquets” to teachers and have given “single” flower cookie sticks to teachers).

*Some of our young friends have milk allergies and thankfully there is a margarine that is oil based rather than milk that can be used in this recipe and it works! And tastes great. And they can have a “normal beautiful sugar cookie" just like everyone else! ( Just a good thing to know.)

So, make something yummy and send a little love to someone this week!

P.S. I have the honor, this week, of being featured on (in)courage, for a Bible Study I co-authored, Relate. I have written 3 posts for their blog this week on relationships. CLICK HERE if you want to check it out!

P.P.S.

If you have made your way to my blog via (in)courage, then WELCOME! I'm honored you stopped by. I hope you can look around and find some ideas and inspiration for food and life!

Guest Post - Birthday Wishes

2012-02-09T19:03:00.003-06:00

My wife turns 40 today! I can’t even believe it. And what an amazingly stunning 40 year old she is! When we were in college, she would say that her dream was to be 40, have kids who are school aged and to be wise! She’s living the dream and I’m so thrilled and honored to celebrate her.

So why a guest post on her birthday? Basically because I hacked in to her account and she doesn't know that it's happening! Not really. A guest post today comes as a result of one of the things I love most about her – she’s HUMBLE. She doesn’t like to toot her own horn. She doesn’t want to draw attention to herself. As for this blog, she isn’t trying to get the largest number of followers that she can, she just wants to share the knowledge she’s learned along the way with anyone who wants to learn, and do so in a creative, fun way, as an outlet for this aspect of her life (cooking and such). So on her day, I didn’t want her to have to try to decide whether to let people know it was her birthday, I wanted to be able to do that for her.

Speaking of the cooking aspect of Julie’s life, it has been a skill that has been developed over pretty much 40 years. Sure, she wasn’t cooking when she was a baby, but I’m pretty sure, as soon as she was able to stand on a stool and reach the counter, her mom let her be a part of what was happening in the kitchen. Then even as she grew up and had projects at school, she used cooking as a way to earn a good science fair grade (thus the photo montage of “What’s missing from the Biscuits?”).

"What's missing from the biscuits?"

an early date at a costume party in
college. Julie and I dressed up as
each other!

Our first date was even a date to make cookies together (it was actually a smooth move on my part to invite myself to do that – having no idea I was scoring the kind of points I was). And not only has she been doing it a long time, she’s really good at it.

Part of the reason I think Julie’s so good at cooking is because she has always been, and will always be, a STUDENT. She’s always open to learning new ways a recipe can be done to make it better, or to learning a new technique, or never afraid to ask for the recipe of something she tastes somewhere that is amazing. She’s never too cocky (or insecure) to ask, always wanting to grow. That extends beyond the kitchen and is another reason I’m so in love with her. I also think that’s one of the reasons she’s such a great professor. She models for her students what she expects out of them. And then, amazingly, if they don’t measure up, or are walking through a hard time, she is incredibly generous. Her end goal is not the grade, but it is them growing and learning.

Potentially the source of her sweet tooth!

She is so GENEROUS! Not just to her students, but to everyone she encounters. She gives so much of her time, effort and resources to help others. I think she learned this early on from her mother. If she was ever feeling sorry for herself, her mother would encourage her to do something for someone else, therefore getting her mind off herself. So maybe she’s just constantly feeling sorry for herself? No, she’s learned the value of giving and the rewards that come with it. It has become who she is, not just something she does.

I’m trying to think how I can capture all the great things about Julie in a post without boring you all off the page, and I’m not sure I will succeed. So, I’ll sum it up with this. I’m married to a wonderfully beautiful (inside and out) woman who loves God and people, longs to be better, desires wisdom, lives generously and makes me a better person (sometimes whether I like it or not). I celebrate her today!

stuck to the pan!

Last year I surprised her by making a cake from the blog. This year, we collaborated, but I’m still doing most of the work. Italian Cream Cake. I’ve never made a layer cake. I’ve actually not made much of anything, although I have been doing some of the recipes from Cup-a Cup-a (meatballs, tomato soup, chicken and wild rice soup to name a few). I usually watch most of what’s being made, but this time I’m mostly on my own.

She and I made the cakes last night, and I’m so glad Julie was with me because the layers stuck to the pan. A Mess. But it will be covered with icing right? We did have one layer that didn’t stick and it will for sure be the top.

holy cake

Why Italian Cream Cake? It’s what she asked for. It was always her mother’s favorite, but Julie didn’t love it. Not until she turned 30 or so, that is. Then it became this cake that she began to love. She says it was a matter of growing up in her tastes. Now, it’s one of her favorites. So, it’s her birthday, whatever she wants, I’ll give it a shot. For you, my love - Dave

At lunch on her day!

Italian Cream Cake

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup soft butter

1/2 cup Crisco

5 egg yolks

1 cup butter milk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sweetened coconut

1 cup pecans

5 egg whites

Cream together - sugar, butter and Crisco, then add the egg yolks and mix

folding

In a bowl, mix 1 cup butter milk and 1 tsp baking soda

Add milk mix and flour alternately with creamed butter mixture

Add vanilla and then fold in coconut, pecans and stiffly beaten egg whites

Bake in 3 layers at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Cool on cooling rack, then frost and layer.

first coat

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter

1 8 oz. cream cheese

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

blend together until smooth

(you might want to double this - I ran out after coat 1)

To Substitue or Not to Substitute?

2012-02-04T17:11:00.001-06:00

I am a believer in substituting. I often replace a name brand thing or a fatty thing, with something less costly, caloric or prestigious. In recipes, I love finding cheaper, healthier ingredients to use.
Sometimes substitutions work and other times they just don’t measure up. There are some ingredients for which the generic just aren’t comparable to the brand name, others are equally good. In recipes, it's sometimes trial and error. For example: I think yogurt is a great substitution for butter in muffins, while I think applesauce in cookies alters them too severely.

Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Which reminds me of middle school. Do you remember being a middle schooler? It’s just brutal. No matter who you are or where you are from, it’s just awkward. And kids are mean. And insecure (I now understand). My parents have always been very practical and prudent with their money. This trait is one I admire greatly. I can remember my father talking to me about name brands when I was a growing up. He would challenge me to consider that if the same exact shirt, when store brand, was $10, and yet was $38 if it was Polo brand, then I actually was paying $28 for that little embroidered man riding on a horse. This made sense and I agreed that there wasn’t a difference anyway!

However, when I was in Middle School, I really wanted to get a pair of Docksiders.

Did you ever have Docksiders? They were all the rage back in the 80s when I was a teenager. I really wanted them. I remember shopping with my dad to see if we could find some. Then my Dad found some at J C Pennys that were a knock off. They were significantly less expensive and my dad argued that they were just the same. I tried to agree, but I knew deep down inside that they really weren’t Docksiders. But I wasn’t paying for them, after all. So, to home we went with the knock off docksiderish shoes.

When I wore them to school the next week, my fears were realized. My mean classmates began to make comments about my knock off brand shoes. Flush-faced and devastated, I began to sit cross ankled, so as to hide the labels that were glaring on the outside of each of my shoes. I am not sure how much I ended up wearing those shoes. This was one of those situations, where I have to agree with Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell – Ain't nothing like the Real thing, baby.

So, a few weeks ago, I saw this incredible looking Carmelita Bar on Pinterest. (If you haven’t found pinterest, and you like beautiful things and collecting ideas, you should totally check it out). I pinned it and added it to my “Yum” board. I was needing to make a dessert for our Social Work Chili Supper and was thinking it might fit the requests of my students: yummy, gooey, chocolate and no nuts. So I made it. It was everything and MORE than what I hoped it would be. Carmelitas. Layers of brown sugar/butter/oat bar cookie with thick, melted carmel, and semi-sweet chocolate in-between. YUM!

Carmelita means "little caramel" and though you might cut them in small pieces, there's nothing really "little" about these bars. I am thinking "Carmelgrande" might be a better name for them.

So when my mother was coming to town last week, I wanted to make them for her. I thought I would try substituting my 1% milk for the whipping cream used to liquefy the caramels. I thought, “milk’s milk…and the caramels are so rich it will be okay”. I thought with all of that butter, chocolate and caramel, the heavy cream was perhaps unnecessary.

But I was wrong. It wasn’t the same. It was far thinner and when cooled, it was less rich-tasting. Now, don’t get me wrong, my mom and sister, who tested them, thought they were fabulous, but when Amy and Dave, who had tasted the first batch as well, compared the two, they wholeheartedly agreed that the caramel flavor was diminished with the milk in the second batch.

So, I decided to make them one more time, just to make sure! (I didn’t want to give up too soon) and tried it with half and half. It was much creamier than the milk, but still not as “wow” as the heavy cream. So, I say, if you are trying to be healthy, make them as directed and just eat one – share the rest with your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, but don't compromise on the ingredients. In this case..."to NOT SUBSTITUTE" is the answer!

Lucy and I unwrapped and counted - educational yumminess

Carmelitas

3/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup flour

1 cup oats (old fashion rolled oatmeal)

1 tsp. baking soda
32 caramel squares, unwrapped

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about a cup)

In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of a lightly sprayed 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile...

Unwrap caramels and combine them with cream in a saucepan over low heat (or in a bowl in the microwave). Stir and cook until completely smooth. Set aside.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the warm bars.

Pour melted caramel over chocolate chips.

Crumble the remaining oatmeal batter over
caramel.

Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting. (It's tempting to not wait, but they really need to be cooled! You can put it in the fridge for a few minutes to help speed this up, if you need).

Slice and serve.
(They are very rich, so slice small!)

[I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9 X 13 pan in these photos.]

Orange-Almond Shortbread & a Cup of Tea

2012-01-29T06:11:00.001-06:00

I love coffee.

It is the gift of my mornings when I first wake up.

It is a reward in the evening sometimes for me.

It is a favorite treat to enjoy with a friend. It is comfort on a cold, winter day.

I love the richness, the warmth, the depth, the boost!

And then there is hot tea. I like it. I do.

But I don’t LOVE it. Not like coffee. Though, I am trying to love it.

I am trying, because I know it is good for me.

I know that it is far better to drink hot tea throughout a cold, winter day than coffee.
And on a winter day, I like to have a warm drink in my hand as often as I can.

I guess it's just that I prefer the strong, bold flavor of coffee to a weaker, blander hot tea.

But there are some types that I really enjoy – ones with depth to them. Republic of Tea is my favorite line of teas. Ginger Peach is a winner. And I like Mango and Blackberry. Good Earth Tea is yummy, when I'm in a spicy mood.

And tea parties with my girls help me to love tea.

I mean how could they not?

We had this tea party the other day. It was one of those cold and gray days. We made Peach tea with Honey and a "spot of cream". (My girls really would like spoons full of sugar and honey. I try to tell them that they serve the same purpose in sweetening, but they really want double-sweet). At our tea party, I asked them what they thought we should talk about.

I wondered to myself, "What are you supposed to talk about at a tea party?"

So, I decided to pose the question: "What is your favorite season and why?"

It was a fun conversation. The girls both quickly responded that summer was their favorite because there was a break from school, and they got to swim at the pool, and Lainey loves summer clothing (she likes that she can wear a swim suit or tank top and flip flops everyday). I said my favorite seasons are fall and spring. Fall used to be my favorite, but in the past few years, spring has taken first place. After a bleak winter, the relief of spring, (the sunshine and blooming of flowers, trees and grass) is so very needed that spring wins as the best!

This defense made them rethink their choice. So, they decided they loved spring, and fall, and winter for many different reasons.

Our fun conversation made the tea even tastier.

The other thing that makes me really enjoy hot tea is a nice piece (or 2) of homemade Almond-Orange Shortbread to go along with it!

Butter.

A little salt.

Some powdered sugar.

The zest of an orange.
Almond extract.

Sliced almonds.

Yum. Yum. Yum and yum!

It is easy to mix together and, after freezing, it is simply "slice and bake"! The cookies keep well for a couple of weeks in a container on the counter, to have whenever you put the kettle on for tea.

Also, they are a nice treat for people who don't want a sweet-sweet dessert (like the chocolate sheet cake I posted last week)!

If you aren't so keen on the sliced almonds, you
can omit them or substitute another ingredient in place of them. If you don't
love a hint of orange in your shortbread, you can
omit or substitute that as well. The basic shortbread
recipe is worth making.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart, so you know
it's got to be good!

These also go well with a hot cup of coffee. That is, if you're one of those people.

Almond-Orange Shortbread
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt (use a little less if using unsalted butter)
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup sliced almonds

In mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, extract, and salt until smooth.
Mix on low speed, add flour and zest.
Mix just until dough forms.
With spatula or hands, mix in almonds gently.

Form dough into a rectangular log (12 inches long, by 3 inches wide, and 1 inch thick)
Wrap log in waxed paper.
Freeze until firm (at least an hour and up to 3 months).
If freezing longer than a day, double wrap the log in plastic wrap and a ziploc bag

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. (If it has been in the freezer a long time, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes so it slices without crumbling).

With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Place flat on un-greased baking sheet, or baking stone at least 1 inch apart.
Bake until edges begin to turn golden - 20 minutes or so.
Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

Grandmother Simpson's Texas Sheet Cake

2012-01-20T23:20:00.000-06:00

I have a student, who just got married over Christmas break. She asked me what desserts she should make in her new "married" kitchen, and told me that she is limited in her baking tools at this point. I was trying to decide what to suggest. I thought immediately of Sour Cream Poundcake. You just can't go wrong with it. I also thought of Texas Sheet Cake. It is a great cake. A southern classic. It's not fancy in its presentation, but what it lacks in esthetics, it makes up for in decadence. It is a moist, rich chocolate cake with thick fudge frosting. It's called by different names, but the recipes seem to be pretty much the same. I've always referred to it as Texas Sheet Cake, but some people call it Chocolate Sheet Cake. Maybe it's called Texas because if you make it in a jelly roll pan, it is big...like Texas. (Everything seems to be big in Texas. Even Texans are big about their state pride!)

The only difference in recipes that I have found is that some people add cinnamon to their Texas Sheet Cake, and I just don't agree. I love cinnamon, don't get me wrong. But I just don't think cinnamon and chocolate are meant to be together. It's somehow not fair to the chocolate to interfere with its creamy bold greatness. I love cinnamon in rolls, and pastries and with apples, and raisins, but I would rather not have it with my chocolate cake. I got this recipe from my friend, Suzanne. It was her grandmother's recipe.

I asked Suzanne to tell the story behind the cake and she wrote this beautiful memoir of Grandmother Simpson and chocolate cake:

I got this recipe from my Grandmother Simpson. She and my Grandaddy moved to Oklahoma right before my mother's senior year of high school. So, once my brothers and I came along, we always made the trek 7 hours west to Oklahoma to visit them. My Grandmother always, always, always had this cake frozen in individual pieces in her freezer. I LOVED this cake as a little girl (and still do, for that matter!!). I can still remember defrosting a piece in her microwave and topping it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I can still taste the warm chocolate icing, slightly melted from its time in the microwave, scrumptiously married with the cold ice cream.

A few years ago, I wanted to expand my repertoire of freezable recipes, both desserts and non-desserts. One of my first thoughts was my Grandmother's Texas Sheet Cake! I love heirloom recipes, recipes that are pillars in a family and are passed along from one generation to the next. Not only did I love the idea of being able to make this cake, slice it up individually, and throw it in the freezer for a homemade dessert in a pinch, but I loved the idea of having this particular cake because it's my Grandmother's recipe. By serving this cake to my 3 sons, I'm serving them up a little piece of my childhood, a memory from my Grandmother Simpson, their great-grandmother.

My Grandmother Simpson just celebrated her 80th birthday this month, so this is a special tribute to her! I love my Grandmother and love to hear my mom tell me that I'm like her in some way. Despite being separated by hundreds of miles, I have always felt extremely close to her. This recipe is just another way that makes me feel close to her. With each warm, delicious bite, it takes me back to sitting on my Grandmother's stool devouring her yummy scrumptious Texas Sheet Cake.

Zoe's Kitchen, a favorite restaurant chain, has a nice varied menu of healthy meal options and ONE dessert. They serve this cake, which they call Ya Ya Cake (such a fun name). It's a slab of chocolate sheet cake, packaged in a plastic to-go container, stacked by the register. The only choice about it, is deciding which piece to purchase. So, after ordering my Greek Salad, I sometimes give in and add a piece of YaYa Cake. And of course, I quickly scan the stack and find the biggest piece... to go with my salad.

It is their signature dessert, kinda like it was Grandmother Simpson's.

I love when people’s recipes become “signature recipes”. Sometimes we intentionally purpose these into being and other times they claim us as their own. Ginger Snaps are Lisa’s, Cold Coconut Cake is Gretchen’s, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are my sister’s, Plum Cake is Connie’s, Tea Cakes are Melissa’s, and so on and so on.

So, what’s your signature recipe? Or what do want it to be? Claim it. Perfect it. Own it. Share it...maybe for generations to come.

Texas Sheet Cake

the Cake

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 stick butter

3 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)

1 cup water

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

(or substitute 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tsp. white vinegar)

the Icing

1 stick butter

3 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa

6 tsp. milk

1 lb. powdered sugar (4 cups)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and flour in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter, cocoa, shortening, and water in saucepan. Bring to boil 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cocoa mixture to flour mixture and stir well. Add buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and eggs. Beat well. Coat 11 x 16 (jelly roll pan – cookie sheet with a lip) with cooking spray. Pour cake batter into pan. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

For icing, put butter, cocoa and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts. Mix well. Pour over cake while cake is still warm. Let cake and icing sit until icing begins to harden before serving.

(my mom does the melting in the microwave)

stove top cooking

cooling

This recipe is so interesting. You make both the cake batter and the icing on the stove (I use the same pan twice) and many of the ingredients are the same in both.

frosted

ready to eat

Macaroni & Cheese Comfort

2012-01-13T08:12:00.000-06:00

As I was packing up to leave my office Wednesday I got a message from my kids’ bus driver, Mr. Gary. This was unusual. He was calling to let me know that Asher was visibly upset on the bus that afternoon. They had announced in the last hour of the day that Ms. Barbara, one of office assistants, had died that morning. This came as a great shock to the children and many kids were upset. Lainey said she cried all through P.E. when they told them. Asher, I found out, was “just so emotional that everyone was so emotional”. He had helped his classmate pack her backpack at the end of the day because she was too upset to do so. When he got on the bus, he then began to cry.

I stood in my office so overcome. Overwhelmed at the terrible news that the lovely, young Ms. Barbara, who had been the sunshine in the office and the bright spot in the cafeteria everyday for my kids and for the entire school, was gone. In a moment, gone. I was touched that our public school bus driver would be so attentive to “his kids” (as he lovingly calls all of his riders), that he would get my number and call me. I was sad for my kids at their loss and glad that they had had a lady like Ms. Barbara in their school. I was moved by my children's depth of feeling and compassion. I told my co-workers what happened and all the questions unanswered at that point.

I grabbed my things and pulled my door closed. The sky was gray. The dark was coming. I said goodbye. My dear co-worker, Debbie, who is insightful in these moments asked, “So what's comfort food at your house?” “Hmm.” I said, “I guess Pizza… or homemade Macaroni and Cheese”. She said, “maybe tonight is a Macaroni and Cheese night”. “Maybe so,” I replied.

When I got home, things were hectic. We had a guy coming to give us an estimate about a fence we are planning to have built and a porch that we dream of getting to have built. I was digging around in the kitchen to see if I had everything to make Mac & Cheese or what ingredients we had for dinner. Dave needed me outside and I was trying to fix dinner and keep our newly adopted dog, Scout (who joined our family 2 days ago), from following me outside.

meet our sweet Scout

It was chaos. I found a bag of Orzo and thought, it might end up more like risotto, but there’s nothing more comforting than that! I found ½ a bag of frozen peas and starting making a simple but hopefully comforting dinner.

With bowls of Cheesy Orzo in colorful bowls and lots of petting Scout, I believe the needed comfort was found for my family.

This Mac & Cheese isn’t fancy, it isn’t layered with 3 types of cheeses, breadcrumbs or tomato slices like some (which I love, by the way) but just to warn you: this is like a homemade version of Kraft Shells and Cheese.

I got this recipe when I was in elementary school. I was at my school friend’s house and her mom was working as a sales lady at a microwave store and this was a “microwave recipe”. Yes, you read it right, a microwave STORE. This was when microwaves were first starting to enter people’s home kitchens. They were not yet being sold at Target or department stores. [If you are old enough, you might remember the large boxy appliances with the large dial on front.] And with this new appliance came the need for microwave recipes, to instruct people as to how to use it as an oven, because it was so very different than a stovetop. I remember being at her house and having this macaroni and it was so good that I asked the mom for the recipe. I brought it home and we started making it, and have ever since. I love it. I have tried different cheeses in the recipe to take it up a notch from the processed cheese spread that Velveeta is. (Which bothers me to some degree). But the Velveeta really does melt the smoothest. I like to use Velveeta and Cheddar (or Co-Jack).

Amy D., my former student who is completing a Master's of Social Work program in Colorado asked for some comfort food recipes. Amy… this one’s for you.

Macaroni & Cheese

6 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk (I use 1 % because that's what

we have, but any kind is fine)

16 oz. cheese (Velveeta melts most

smoothly, but I usually use part

Velveeta, part Cheddar or Co-Jack)

1 lb. pasta (shells or macaroni – or any

pasta, really)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook pasta as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large microwave safe bowl.

Stir in flour. Stir in milk.

Cook in microwave until thickened.

Cut cheese into cubes and add to the sauce. Stir until melted. You might need to return bowl to microwave to completely melt cheese.

Pour over cooked pasta noodles.

Season with salt and paper to taste.

(If you are a purist and don't want to use the
microwave, feel free to make this sauce in a pot on the stove. Just be watchful that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.)

**I have included the photos of the process of the traditional Mac & Cheese as well as this week’s Cheesy Orzo.

Depending on the pasta used, you might
have extra sauce. If so, it can be used
for cheese sauce on ANYTHING!

a big bowl of cheesy comfort

Cheesy Orzo

topped with green peas

Tricky Chicken Tenders

2012-01-04T20:49:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! With all the desserts, and cheese, and white chocolate covered-everything, and cheese, and sausage filled, and cream cheese-filled treats that I have consumed over the past month, my body is screaming for Healthy Food! I am telling my kids that their bodies are too (even though they might not hear their bodies screaming as loudly as I hear mine). I adore the notion of sneaking healthy ingredients into foods, for kids and adults alike. However, this pursuit hasn't always been the simplest or most successful with my family. I don't know if it's because my kids are so very sensitive to tastes and textures, or because they are persnickety, OR because they have such discerning palates that they are able to identify the added or altered ingredient. Regardless, they are hard to sneak up on in the kitchen. I will say, I am blessed with good eaters. My Lucy's favorite foods are bell peppers and tomatoes. But anytime I can add some fiber, veggies or umph to a dish, I want to try.

ready to bread

There have been a few books on the market filled with suggestions of how to sneak beans, wheat germ and cauliflower into dishes. One is The Sneaky Chef. The author even uses pureed white beans in her chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are surprisingly chocolate chip cookie-tasting, but the texture is more soft and cakey. It's almost as if they have some healthy ingredient substituting the 2 sticks of butter used in traditional Chocolate Chip cookie recipes! (Imagine that!)

Jessica Seinfeld (wife of Jerry) wrote a cookbook a few years ago, Deceptively Delicious that also catalogs ideas for this tricky pursuit. My friend Melissa brought over some Mac and Cheese that she made from that cookbook, where she snuck in some pureed cauliflower. She thought it was yummy enough that it might pass by my kids without notice. I had a hunch it wouldn't work, as I guessed Asher would sense the difference. And within one bite, Asher said "something is different about this mac and cheese". He noticed a difference in the taste and texture. Urg! How does he do that!? I think his discernment/critical thinking skills are great LIFE SKILLS, but annoying when trying to sneak in some added healthiness.

Dave cutting those nasty cartilage pieces off of the tenderloins

dredging in egg

So when I found this recipe for chicken tenders a few years ago in my Every Day Food Magazine, containing ground wheat germ, flax seed and bran, I wanted to give it a try. However, I had LOW, I'm talking SLIM, expectations of the kids digging them. And to my surprise, and great delight, they loved them. Especially Asher, my meat-eating, not-as-adventurous eater!! He requests them. He calls them Crusty Chicken Tenders, I guess in comparison to my mostly grilled or baked chicken tenders, they are the "crusty" ones at our house.

dredging in crumb mixture

I have tried to come up with a fun name for these that would communicate to adults the healthiness of them and yet communicate to kids the yummy "normalness" of them. It made me think of KIX cereal, whose slogan claims, "Kid Tested, Mother Approved". I thought, what about KIX Chicken? But then that is a little misleading, since they are not rolled in crumbled Kix cereal. Or Healthy spelled backwards: Yhtlaeh Chicken, thinking that would be sneaky, but I couldn't pronounce it. I thought of using Pig Latin. (Are you familiar with Pig Latin, the language? If not, click here to further your education). So I thought of ealthy-hay chicken. But that is hard to pronounce and kinda wierd, and potentially kids would un-code it before parents could pronounce it correctly. So then I thought of simply Tricky Chicky, or Tricky Chicken Tenders, or Tricky Chicken. I asked what my kids thought about all of my name options (albeit without telling them what ingredients were in it, or even revealing how healthy it is). They liked the name Tricky Chicken. So, that's what we are going to call them at our house.

I encourage you to come up with a name that works for your house, if you think this is lame. I think there is power in a name. My friend, David, calls it Marketing.

ready to bake

Oh, and I must say, dipping sauces really enhance these tenders! The recipe originally suggested they be served with BBQ sauce. I think BBQ, Honey Mustard, Ketchup, Ranch...the usuals all are yummy with it. AND, thanks to Brandi, a reader who replied to my request for homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce, back in August, we now have Chick-fil-A Sauce at our house!!! It is the most popular sauce at our table, our "house sauce", if you will.
(Thank you, Brandi!)

Tricky Chicken Tenders

1/2 cup wheat germ

served with my childhood mac and cheese,
(which I'll post soon) and a fruit kebab

1/2 cup unprocessed bran

1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. ground flax seed (meal)

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 ½ tsp. coarse salt

¼ tsp. ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large eggs

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 16)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor, combine wheat germ, bran,
breadcrumbs, flax seed, Parmesan, onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper; pulse to combine.
Add oil; pulse to combine. Transfer crumb mixture to a large bowl. Set a wire rack on a
rimmed baking sheet. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs. Dip chicken in eggs (allowing
excess tro drip off), then dredge in crumb mixture, patting to adhere.
Place on rack, and transfer to oven.
Bake until chicken is cooked throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with your sauce of choice.

**** You can also freeze these, once you have battered them. Then you can pull out and bake as many as you need at a time. (I wouldn't suggest you do this with chicken you bought frozen...the double freeze situation is one I'd avoid).

one of the place cards that Lainey made while I prepared
the meal... evidently it was a special occasion to her

Simple Home-made Chick-fil-A Sauce

Ken’s honey mustard sauce (you must use this brand, not compromising)
Hickory BBQ sauce (any brand, just make sure it’s smoky)

Mix together 2 parts honey mustard to 1 part BBQ, stir until fully combined and tweak as needed to arrive at desired taste. Dip, eat, & refrigerate any leftover sauce.

Pizza Rolls for New Year's Fun!

2011-12-30T23:14:00.000-06:00

I love New Year's Eve! Not because I get dressed up and go out on the town ringing in the new year. (If you know me or my life circumstances, then you know that is not the case. When you have 3 young kids, and are a homebody, this is not what New Year's looks like.) What I love about New Year's is that it is a marker, a rite of passage each year. It is a distinct moment when one year is coming to an end and a new one is beginning.

This weekend is a chance to reflect on the past year, which I like to do. I try to look through a lens of GRATITUDE for all that has happened and the blessings in my life. I also try to STUDY the year gone by– to learn from the past. And then look AHEAD at the new year – a clean page and new box of markers (or freshly sharpened pencils, or nice roller ball pens, whatever you like best) – and envision what could be. I always set goals or hopes for the new year. It helps me set my course.

Another thing I relish about New Year's Eve is food. I love finger foods. I think Tapas (or a dinner comprised of appetizers) is a great meal to have on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, if you have a gathering of friends. These Pizza Rolls are a long-time favorite.

When I was a teenager, someone gave us this recipe for Pizza Rolls. They were such a hit that they became a beloved party food of ours. We have been racking our brains trying to figure out where we learned of them. I called mom and she thought maybe they were from our family friend, Amy. That didn't feel right. I asked my sister and she agreed that she didn't think it came from Amy, but she couldn't remember. So I called Amy and she said, "No, they aren't from me, I thought they were your family's creation. I haven't made them in years, but I might now"! Then I talked to mom again and we thought about our life-long friend, Tim. He might be the one, or at least know the one... his mind is a steel trap! He oftentimes recalls details from my life that I have forgotten. Mom called him and he didn't know, but didn't claim to be the source of the recipe. So, the mystery is not yet solved. We don't their past but we are glad they are in our present! They are easy and tasty!

PIZZA ROLLS

They are made out of frozen roll dough. Rich's or Rhodes are the name-brands that we've used, but you can usually find a store brand in the freezer section that are equally great. If you haven't discovered frozen roll dough, you need to. It is yummy tasting dough, very versatile and inexpensive! My breakfast sticky rolls are made out of them too.

Thaw the dough (according to the instructions on the package).

Press the dough to be a flattened disk.

Sprinkle with pizza cheese (mozzarella, or whatever you like), Italian seasoning, and whatever toppings you like (spinach and sun-dried tomatoes/ pepperoni/ ham/etc.) Fill them as full as you can, so that the bread doesn't dominate them.

Then pinch the dough to form a tight pouch, without any gaps.

Dave and Lu- pinch by example

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

(We drew lines on the paper to indicate what was inside of each section.)

Let rise for a few minutes and bake according to dough package instructions.
Bake until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately with pasta sauce on the side.

notice that some of these were more powerful than the pinch
and they popped open!

We made them for dinner the other night, served with a salad and it was a great, different dinner.

The only time-consuming aspect of these is the thawing and rising, so read the dough package and plan accordingly!

Also, a favorite tradition is Chocolate Fondue for dessert, or as we call it Chocolate Fun-Do! I wrote about it last year- Read HERE for more details and recipe. It's a delicious treat to share with friends.

Happy New Year! I'm thankful for a year of growth, joy, yummy food, rich conversations, good books, great people, teaching and being taught – a year of embracing. And I'm looking forward to a new, fresh year of opportunity that awaits. I am hoping to savor the moments of beauty in this new year. Wishing you a happy, hopeful new year!

Christmas Breakfast & the Love of Traditions

2011-12-23T07:03:00.000-06:00

Sitting by the fire is a favorite Christmas tradition in my house

Christmas is full of all kinds of traditions that people cherish. They are diverse and unique, but can mean so much to the people who hold them.

According to the dictionary a tradition is: a continuing pattern of cultural beliefs or practices; something that is handed down.

I love traditions. As I reflect on childhood, so many of my cherished memories are attached to traditions. As an adult I am seeking to draw upon those and forge my own as well. I find that they are hard to establish, and some that we have established have been difficult to maintain, due to changes in circumstances and life stages. But I love them and want to

work to create and carry on traditions in my home.

I believe these rituals anchor us. They provide security for us in some way. The familiar is comforting, when life is so ever-changing and unpredictable. They are something to anticipate. They cause a break in the mundane. Songs, activities, rituals, books, and of course, food make up many of the holiday traditions I savor.

Knowing that Granddad Williams would come in the house, when they arrived in Knoxville, with his gloves in hand, ready to put them on and carry in the beautifully wrapped packages to place under the tree each year, brought comfort and joy to my childhood world.

And the medley of Christmas songs that he would play on the piano signaled that Christmas was here. (Click on player below to hear a recording of Grandad's Christmas Medley. This was recorded around 2000, when he was in his late 80's.)

The stack of baked goods, made with love from the women in our family, packed in metal tins, labeled with masking tape, is a Christmas tradition that I’ve always loved. The tins are filled with all kinds of treasures: Peanut brittle, sand tarts, divinity, chex mix, thumbprint cookies, white chocolate covered peanut butter crackers, chocolate covered coconut squares, peanut butter balls, and more.

Nativity Scenes set up around the house have always helped me center on Jesus, and the wonder of Emmanuel: God with us. My mom has a thing about Nativity Scenes. She loves them. People give her sets for gifts and she has accumulated quite a collection. They are made out of a variety of materials, hand-made and store-bought, and include various characters in the scene. She leaves some up all year, and at Christmas, we often have a “count the nativity scenes game" at their house.

We have a little Fisher Price Nativity at my house that is one of my favorite decorations. It sits on the coffee table and the kids play with it the whole season, and set the people and animals up in various ways. Sometimes I find shepherds over by the television, “abiding in the fields”, or the wise men in the east, over on the bookshelf. Other times they are all lying down resting from the big event and the long journey. They oftentimes are circling baby Jesus, appropriately focusing their attention on the Christ child.

Christmas breakfast is a time when we want something tasty and crowd pleasing and also easy. There's no time to be standing in the kitchen when there are presents to open and a fire to sit beside! Monkey Bread is something we have made for years on Christmas morning. Not every year, but a lot of years. We have made several varieties throughout the years, some with yeast dough, some with biscuit dough, some with pudding mix, some with brown sugar and spices. A few years ago I discovered Paula Deen’s Gorilla Bread. It’s a ramped up version of Monkey Bread. (She always ramps it up). The recipe says it’s called Gorilla Bread because it “kicks monkey’s butt". Hilarious, that Paula! And she’s right. It is monkey bread (a loaf of cinnamon coated bread) but with a blob of cream cheese hidden inside. She puts pecans layered between the rolls and I put both pecans and dried cranberries. It's pretty and the Craisins add a nice tart element.

The prepping of the biscuits, coated with cinnamon sugar and stuffed with cream cheese, and the measuring out of the remaining ingredients can be done the night before. Then layering it all in the pan in the morning is fast, simple and tidy.

Gorilla Bread (adapted from Paula Deen's recipe)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

4 cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 heaping cup of dried cranberries (Craisins)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small dish. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well (or in a glass bowl in the microwave); set aside.

Cut the cream cheese into 40 cubes/ blobs.

Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts and 1/3 cup of cranberries into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts and 1/3 cup cranberries.

Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts and 1/3 cup cranberries.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and fully baked. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Place a plate on top and invert.

Merry Christmas to you! May you cherish old traditions, enjoy starting new ones and savor the season.

Cranberry-Pear Cake Bars

2011-12-15T22:45:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you can predict how good a recipe is just by taking a look at the list of ingredients.

This recipe, for Cranberry Pear Cake Bars, that I make in December, is case in point.

Just check out some of the ingredients included in the recipe:

butter –always a good sign

cinnamon- festive

light brown sugar- makes everything better

  grated orange zest- zest always adds a zing

pears-  a lovely fruit that melts when it is baked

fresh cranberries - colorful and tangy

Yum, Yum and Yum.

In my opinion, complex baking techniques are not the sign of a quality recipe. Rather, the list of ingredients is the key.

I am a huge fan of the cranberry/pear combination...and I love cranberry/orange too. So to put them all together is a lovely trio! [It's similar in tartness/sweetness/mellowness/color of my favorite summer combination of blueberry/peach.]

This Cranberry-Pear Cake recipe is another one of my favorites from Everyday Foods from several years ago. Not knowing what the texture or flavor would end up being, I made it because the list of ingredients looked so delicious. It was love at first bite.

It is moist, sticky, and kind of like coffee-cake. It is made in a 9 X 13 and isn't frosted. It's not that beautiful, except for the pop of those red cranberries, but it is comforting. I took it a few years ago to the Hunt house for Christmas, thinking it would travel well. It did and was gobbled up.

Cranberry-Pear Cake Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

 2 cups flour 

1 tsp. soda 

1 tsp. cinnamon

 1 tsp. salt 

1 3/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

 2 large eggs

 1 tsp. vanilla 

1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest

 2 firm pears, peeled, halved, cored, and diced

8 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries 

1/2 cup walnut pieces, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13″ pan lightly with cooking spray. Then line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and zest until smooth. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix).

Fold in pears, cranberries, and walnuts. 

the batter is thick and chunky

Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan set on a rack. If using parchment, pull the overhang out to easily cut.

It's tasty topped with whipped cream, or with a side of vanilla ice cream. It's great warm, cold, even for breakfast (I mean, it's basically fruit, right?).

right out of the oven

Christmas on a plate

I've been baking a lot this month and have many things I want to post, but decided on this because not only is it one of my perennial holiday favorites, but it is a recipe I somehow lose every year! When I couldn't find it last week, and couldn't locate it on Everyday Food's Website, I had to email my friend, Melissa to get the recipe. (She also makes this cake and is a regular user of Everyday Food recipes.) I think I misplace it because it is seasonal and because it is an awkward sized, loose recipe in my life. I figured if I write about it here, I will remember where I put it!

I am a fan of these magazines, and recipes from magazines in general, but I have a hard time figuring out a great system for storing them.

What are we to do with recipes from magazines?

I have tried many methods of cataloguing them:

*pasting the clippings in Sketchbooks

*3-hole punching the pages and putting them in a binder

*putting them in plastic sleeves in a binder

*just keeping the magazine in tact, if it's a cooking magazine

*and piling them in a massive stack – which is currently overflowing in baskets under my desk, and the recipes haven't been used, or even looked at for over a year. (Clearly this is the LEAST effective strategy).

I think there are pros and cons to each method.

I like the look and feel of the sketchbooks best – I have an affinity towards spiral bound things, but there is no order to them, and so now I am on book #4 and I find myself going through all of them to find the recipe I'm looking for. If I had had the forethought when I began, I would have made one for main dishes, one for desserts, etc. But instead they are all together. I'm thinking maybe I should create a table of contents at the beginning of each volume. At least that would simplify the search.

Do you have a system that works?

Please share!

And don't forget to buy some cranberries while they are still available (READ HERE if you don't know about the very short season of cranberry availability). While you're there buy a couple of pears and go home and make a cake!

And listen to some Christmas Music while you do it. (Our favorite new Christmas Album of the year is Matt Wertz's Snow Globe).

Double-Digit Birthday Boy Celebrating!

2011-12-10T07:17:00.001-06:00

My son is double digits! His birthday was Friday. It’s hard to believe. I can’t really remember life before Asher, but I certainly can’t believe I have a 10 year old, and that we are fast approaching adolescence! I debated on whether or not to post about his birthday celebrating because I have already written about Strawberry Cake, his cake-of-choice.

But because he is my child who most likes a celebration in our family, I thought it would be fitting to share some of what we did for his day.

Our goal is to try to celebrate in a way that really honors the child, and isn’t too much work and doesn’t cost too much. Intentional and simple is the goal.

We had a few of his friends over and had a scavenger hunt in the city. They set out into the city to FIND THE MISSING MUPPETS! (Asher loves the Muppets and loves adventure so it just made sense)! It was crazy-fun, 10 year old boy style.

Gonzo, one of the "rescued muppets"

And they returned home for pizza, fruit kabobs and strawberry cupcakes (read HERE if you want the history of my son and strawberry cake). This year I attempted to bring the theme into the cupcake by making these little Kermit toppers with an image I found online. It was funny to see 24 little Kermits sticking out of pink cupcakes.

For the past few years, Asher has asked that I make a giant cookie (cookie cake) to take to his class on his day. So, I made the requested giant cookie and we took it to his class to celebrate with his classmates. The children were so fun and cute and excited. One boy said, “truly, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had in my entire life!” “Wow! I’m so glad!”, I replied. It's really the easiest thing to make. I gave that little guy the scoop on how to make one at home.

Do you ever make a giant cookie? They are so great because most everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie. And what could be better than a giant one? Well, I guess that chocolate chip cookie being topped with buttercream frosting!

I use the basic Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that’s printed on the back of the yellow chocolate chip bag. I make one alteration, that originally my friend Melissa B. suggested. Instead of the ¾ brown sugar, ¾ white (granulated) sugar, I usually use 1 cup brown and ½ cup granulated. It just gives it a little more toffee-like flavor.

As I was cutting the cookie in the classroom, I told the kids about the MATH that I was doing, trying to figure out the division of the cookie, to cut enough pieces that were the same size. I asked them to help me think through the math. Then I told them of the math I had used when making the cookie to change the sugar proportions and asked them to solve the fraction problem. It was fun and his teacher was glad for proof that MATH IS USEFUL in life!

Making the cookie is so easy. I made it in a pizza pan. I lined it first with aluminum foil, (main reason being that my pizza pan has holes all through for even-pizza-baking, and I didn’t want gooey cookie dough oozing out of the holes). Of course you can use a rectangular jelly-roll pan instead.

I blob the dough out with my small cookie scoop and wet my hands with water to pat the dough evenly, without it sticking to my hands.

Bake until golden. The edges have to brown in order for the middle to be done enough.

After cooling, frost a design with buttercream frosting, making sure you put enough frosting that every slice gets a little frosting!

Asher loves green (especially lime green) so I colored the frosting lime green. I have to recommend that if you have never used food coloring gels, you need to try them. They now come in squeeze bottles, which are really convenient and not messy. They make all kinds of colors and I got this set last year at Michael’s Craft Store, when I was making the Dia de Los Muertos cookies and needed bright colors! Two drops make a lime green.

We also did a couple of things to start his day that I found through PINTEREST. (If you haven’t discovered Pinterest, I’d love to introduce you to each other). They seemed very "Asher" and he did love them.

We put streamers all across his door, early in the morning, so that he woke to a streamer-web. My thought was that he would bust through in the morning, as a passage of entering into his double digits of life! To my surprise he said, “WOW! This is cool!” and got on the floor and shimmied UNDER the web on his belly, as he didn’t want to mess it up. I didn’t see that coming! And during his party, with boys in and out of his room, they were all crawling their way in under the streamers.

We also made a sign of 10 things we love about him on his 10^th birthday on butcher paper to hang on the hall wall outside his room. (We saw this idea on Pinterest too). It was really fun to make and fortunately, it was not hard at all to come up with 10 qualities that we love about him.

He loves the banner. It was fun to make a list of qualities that we love about him, that we wanted to make sure he knew were big deal qualities that we admire.

We had a couple of adult friends help out with the scavenger hunt. When I asked Will and Rich (who drove and led one of the cars of boys on the hunt) what the highlight of their team was, Rich said, “The Banner.” And he shared that Asher had told the group of guys in the car about the "10 Things We Love About Asher" banner and the guys all responded, “Oh, that’s sweet”, “Oh, that’s great!”, "Oh we did that for our Aunt when she turned 50". Rich and Will expected the guys to make fun of it, to give him a hard time. But rather, they thought it was cool. This is in juxtaposition with the following events, a few minutes later, when they were hanging upside down on the monkey bars reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and drinking coke until they burped. Perhaps this is the beauty of ten-year-old boys, I am learning.

Chili Nights

2011-12-01T23:06:00.001-06:00

It has been chilly here this week, which means it’s time for some Chili! I like chili, especially when it is topped with sour cream and served with chips, grilled cheese or cornbread. There are many opinions about what makes chili, well... chili. And some people passionately defend their definition of chili as the way it is meant to be.

There is Texas Chili, which is typically meaty, with chili peppers and spices added. It is usually thick. It can be made with ground beef or with beef tips – or even with venison.

Then there’s the question of beans and the option of tomatoes: to include or not to include? I think yes on both accounts, but some people disagree.

And there are varieties of soups in the Chili category like Taco Soup, which includes beans, ground beef, as well as corn and tomatoes.

And chicken chili OR white chicken chili (which is white because it has chicken and white beans and no tomatoes, so really I guess it’s the presence of chili peppers that even allows it to be called chili. I'm guessing Texans would call it sacrilege to have chili in its name.)

I like them all! I really like the flavor and heartiness of chili. And since I don’t adore meat and don’t love what beef does to my stomach, I really like vegetable chili. (It is also healthier and less expensive!)

So last winter I decided to try to create a Vegetarian Chili recipe that would be so yummy that meat-lovers wouldn’t even miss the meat. I recall making Barefoot Contessa’s Chicken Chili from her Parties Cookbook, which calls for an unbelievable 8 cups of onion and 8 cups of peppers in the recipe and and it is delicious! So I decided to start with gobs of onions and peppers and improvise from there.

Here is what came of it.

As I was throwing things into the pot, I began scribbling down on a piece of paper the ingredients and measurements that I used, JUST IN CASE it turned out good. [I recommend you do this, when you are experimenting with recipes, so that you don’t forget what you did, in case it was good enough to repeat it.]

Vegetable Chili

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups onion, chopped

3 bell peppers, a variety of colors, chopped

2 tsp. cumin

3 tsp. chili powder

4 tsp. salt

a sprinkle of crushed red pepper

if you want more kick sprinkle enough cayenne pepper to your liking

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup apple juice

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies

4 cans of beans (of your choice) I use black,
kidney, and white

Chop peppers and onions. Drain and rinse beans. Heat olive oil in large pot on stove top.

Add garlic and onions, cooking until onions are translucent.

Add peppers and spices. Stir together and cook for a few minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and juices. Stir together.

Bring to a boil, then return to a simmer for 30 minutes,

or until the flavors meld.

Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, etc.

(It tastes even better day 2!)

I thought about calling it "Vegetarian Chili", but then it seems a little off-putting for meat eaters, like it's a chili for a specific people-group.

So then I thought about calling it:

"You Won’t Miss The Meat Chili"

but maybe that is too declarative...so maybe

"Where’s the Beef? Chili"

and then I quickly realized this would date me and not make sense to many of you.

[For those of you who were born before 1980 will probably remember the funny Wendy's "Where's the Beef" commercials that were popular in the early 80's. ]

This time-lapse seems to be a trend for me this week.

Yesterday in my social work class, we watched a video, after which I asked the students if anyone else thought the man in the video sounded like Michael Douglas. They said, “Who?” I said, you know Michael Douglas! Super star! He's got that amazing, raspy, intense voice. He's been in a ton of movies: The American President, Fatal Attraction, Traffic, etc." A couple of students, two I think, said they knew and tried to help the others to remember. One said, "You know, he's battled cancer." Another said, "He's married to Catherine Zeta-Jones and he was really popular in the 90's." I realized that all of the films I mentioned were in the 90s and my students were born in the 90s! They were probably not seeing Fatal Attraction at age 4! (I would hope not.)

So maybe let's call it: Vegetable Chili

And alongside Chili I recommend fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, or these corn cakes made on the griddle. I like cornbread, especially nice, moist cornbread. I am not the best at getting cornbread cooked properly and without dryness, so corn cakes are great. You can’t mess them up. They are fun individual little cakes, and delicious hot off the griddle.

When I was looking for the recipe the other night to make them, I laughed when I found 3 different handwritten copies of the recipe in various places in my kitchen. All of them were written while calling my mom on the phone for the recipe. It’s a winner and can be altered as you’d like.

Corn Cakes

½ stick butter, melted

2 cups self-rising cornmeal

2 eggs

½ cup onion, finely chopped

1 small can of creamed corn

1 cup sour cream

Melt butter, add other ingredients, stir until blended. Heat a griddle, or skillet on medium high heat. Lightly grease with butter.

Pour blobs of batter onto griddle. When the edges start to come up, and bubbles form on the wet side, flip.

Serve with softened butter and with a bowl of Chili.

I think I might put on a pot of Chili, make some corn cakes and turn on The American President (since it's in my instant queue) and enjoy a little Annette Bening and Michael Douglas on a cold night this week.

Poached Egg-u-cation: Cooking Lab #1

2011-11-25T10:58:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking about poached eggs for a while now. I grew up with limited experience with poached eggs. I remember the old aluminum egg-poaching pan with the 4-egg cups suspended on top that my grandmother would use. I remember Eggs Benedict - (english muffin, hollandaise sauce, and canadian bacon) being a special brunch menu item. And maybe more familiar to me was an Egg McMuffin (the non-classy version of Eggs Benedict). I had not thought about them in a long time.

But I have been on an egg kick lately, as I find they are a great meat substitute in my kitchen and they are cheaper, faster and easier to prepare. And my whole family likes them.

my at-home version of poached egg, toast
and tossed greens

About a year ago I was at Marche´, the lovliest breakfast spot (in my opinion) and saw poached eggs on the menu and then saw them pass by on the plate in the server's hand. They were served either placed on top of toast or over a bed of tossed greens with vinaigrette. [It took me a minute to conceptualize an egg on a bed of lettuce. But I've since tried it and it is tasty! ] After that poached egg encounter, I began to see them different places, on pages of magazines, in cookbooks, on menus. And they weren't the rounded poached egg pan shaped ones, but were more free-form, naturally shaped eggs. They were so pretty. I really wanted to try them.

I began to dig around for the reason of why poached egg? What's so great about it?
This is my conclusion: they are healthy, like boiled eggs, but with the creamy/more liquid center like a fried egg.

my lovely partners

I was curious and interested but thought I'd like some help to face my poached egg fears. [I would always choose to take risks with a partner, rather than brave it alone.] So, I found a couple of willing partners: Blair and Caroline, some scientific-smart-cooking pals. They made it much more fun and their nursing and chemistry backgrounds made discussing the physical properties and reactions much more official.

So we got a bowl of eggs and a hearty loaf of bread from the bakery and The Cooking Lab began. I had done some research via the internet, and The Joy of Cooking, and there were some competing pieces of advice, so we decided to give it a try and see what worked for us. We tried to create independent variables, control groups, etc. We tried 3 pans at the same time. We charted out our plan and which variable we would alter for each pot. We labeled each experiment: B, C, and J– each corresponding with our first initials. As the eggs were poaching Caroline reminded us of the scene in Julie and Julia about egg poaching. I had forgotten about it! So, I ran and got my DVD and we watched that scene, which just added a little more fun to the entire experience. She had a terrible time making them work...much more than we did. Maybe that scene was buried in my subconscious contributing to my fear of this activity.

Round 1 results

Our first round included different techniques, the use of vinegar and not, and varying times of cooking, and the use of the "vortex"- swirling water technique. J lost a good amount of egg white, B looked strange, with a volcano looking top to it, (Dave entered the room and declared that it looked like a SNORK- a cartoon from his childhood, like this -->) and C was the best overall.

We sat with our eggs and whole grain toast and gobbled them up. We assessed the situation, evaluated each egg and made our plan for Round 2. Then we returned to the kitchen. This time we used vinegar in all of the pots and varied times a little, discovering that 5 minutes seems to be the best cooking time. This time all 3 were winners! Hooray for success!

So, here is our tested and approved method of egg poaching:

Poached Eggs

1. Crack an egg into a small prep bowl or ramekin.

2. Fill small pot half-full of water and 1 tsp. vinegar.

Place on High heat until water begins to ALMOST Boil.

If it starts to boil, turn back the heat so that it is not boiling.

3. Carefully pour egg into the water,

as close to the water as you can,

without burning yourself.

4. Using a spoon, moving gently but quickly,

guide the egg white that is floating, back toward

the yolk of the egg.

5. Once the egg is settled, turn off

the burner, place lid on the pan and gently

remove it from the burner.

Set timer for 5 minutes.

6. After 5 minutes, remove lid and

with a slotted spoon, lift egg out

of the pan and onto a plate.

7. Sprinkle with kosher salt and

ground pepper and serve with

some yummy toast.

And it's amazing! Right there in the pan, free-form, and in just a few minutes! They are so tasty and fresh and beautiful and the yolk is gooey and rich.

I have been making them for the past few weeks and my crew is loving them.

I am still working on a few things:

multiple eggs at a time in one pot, and not loosing any egg white in the process.

Happy poaching!

Cheesy Potatoes & Thankfulness

2011-11-17T06:27:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving menus are being planned, emails and phone calls this week are filled with discussions about "What should be on the Thanksgiving table?" and "Who's bringing what?". Our family loves to eat and Thanksgiving is our chance to make a lot of tasty dishes. There are times in life that the saying "less is more" is an appropriate principle, however, the philosophy of Thanksgiving Dinner with my family, is that "more is more". We are thankful that we have a full house coming to the Dinner this year, so that we can justify having multiple starches and salads and a couple of meats and a buffet filled with desserts!

Dave suggested that I post this recipe, to pitch it for your consideration as you are planning your Thanksgiving meal. These are certainly special occasion potatoes (since the main ingredients, other than potatoes, are lots of cheese and heavy cream). We have been making them for Easter dinner for the past few years, but today I share them with you in case you want to make them for your Thanksgiving meal.

These Cheesy Potatoes have just a few ingredients and are simple to layer and put together.
You can slice the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in water until the time of assembly.
You can choose which cheese you want to use, though we have stuck with Havarti because the flavor is so amazing and it melts so nicely.

Cheesy Potatoes

3 ½ pounds baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

3 cups shredded Havarti cheese, divided

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tsp. chicken bouillon granules or chicken base, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray.

Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in the dish.

Peel

Sprinkle with 1 tsp. bouillon and season to taste with freshly ground pepper.

Add 1/3 of the cheese (about 1 cup) and 2 Tbsp. flour.

Continue adding 2 more layers of potatoes, bouillon, pepper, flour and cheese.

In a bowl, combine whipping cream and remaining 2 tsp. of bouillon.

Pour mixture over the potatoes. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender.

Slice thinly with a good knife

Or slice with a food processor

layer potatoes, cheese & dry ingredients

bake until golden and bubbly

Photos do not do this justice...I wish this was a
"scratch and taste" blog!

However, If you already have plans for the potato dish at your table, or if you think that dressing and rolls and sweet potatoes are enough starches for the menu, then you might want to consider one of these favorites:

This cranberry salad is delicious and holiday-worthy. I have been craving it for weeks now! It's sweet and tart and chock full of yumminess. It is a perennial favorite!

[Since my post about this salad last fall, I learned the history of this dish in our family. In 1964, my parents were celebrating their first Thanksgiving as a married couple and were living in Texas, 750 miles from home. My mom was excited to make her first Thanksgiving feast and was determined to do it right. She invited a couple, the Smiths, friends of the family, who didn't have plans for the holiday, to join them for the meal.

This is a copy of mom's recipe,
which she wrote while Mrs. Smith
dictated it over the phone!

Mom committed to make her first turkey and asked Mrs. Smith, a more seasoned cook, to share a good cranberry recipe that Mom might fix. This was the recipe she gave her. And 47 years later, with just a little tweaking over time, it has remained a favorite at our family table.]

And this sweet potato apple scallop is simple and lovely and very verstile.

And in the midst of it all, let us not forget to be thankful. We have a day set aside for Thankfulness! Let's Seize this Day of Gratitude. And though busyness, and football, and cooking, and cleaning (and sometimes complex family dynamics) may dominate this day, hopefully we can practice and pursue gratitude.

At our house we have gathered the branches from the yard and set up our Thankful Tree as a focal point for our thankfulness this week. What are you doing to pursue gratitude? There are so many simple things you can do. Start a list on the fridge of things for which you are thankful and add to it when the thought strikes you, make a thankful tree, write notes of gratitude to people in your life, spend some time in prayers of thanksgiving...and give thanks as you enjoy a tasty feast!

Kitchen Wish List

2011-11-10T11:24:00.001-06:00

This week the Target Holiday Gift catalog came in the mail. You know what that means...the kids started taking turns with pens and post-its to mark their "wishes" in the catalog. I told them, "dream on"! It reminds me of the years in my childhood when my grandmother would pull out the Sears Catalog and would ask us to create our wish lists to offer her. As adults, in our family, we tend to keep running lists of wishes, in the event that someone asks!

I am a kitchen tool junkie. I love them. I have drawers and cabinets full of them. My list of wishes most always includes a new kitchen tool. My mom, sister and I often give each other new kitchen gadgets for Christmas. Some of my tools are used daily, like my kitchen scissors and my 4 Tbsp. measuring cup; while others I use only once in a while. But when I need it, it is extremely useful...like my cherry pitter.

About a year ago a friend asked me for recommendations of kitchen tools that she might collect to better equip her kitchen. What a fun task it was to make a wish list for her. I thought I would share with you, a further expanded list of some of my favorite kitchen tools.

Just in case anyone asks!

I have divided them into categories by cost, and of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but rather one that includes some of my favorites!

Small: ($25 or less)

Cherry Pitter

Cherry Pitter - Check out my story about this gadget.
It is only used for a couple of months
each year when cherries are in season but,
if you love fresh cherries, it will
change your cherry-eating-world!
(I call it a cheap thrill.)

Kitchen Scissors

Kitchen Scissors -
These come in handy when
trimming raw chicken
and cutting parchment paper
and chopping fresh herbs.
They are dishwasher safe
and they come apart for easy
cleaning.

Pampered Chef Spatula

Pampered Chef Spatula -

this is the perfect

getting-cookies-off-of-the-pan

spatula with the sharp thin edge

and nice large surface

Scoops

scoops - various sizes

Scoops - We use scoops all the time when baking cookies and muffins. There are several sizes which are all useful. It decreases the mess and creates more consistent-sized baked goods.

Solid Measure

Solid Measure- This is very helpful in
measuring Crisco, peanut butter,
Coconut oil... any solid, gooey substance.
You simply adjust to your measurement,
spoon in the ingredient, level across the
top, and push out. It all pops out and
none goes to waste.

Mini Spatulas

Just Lucy's Size

Mini Rubber Spatula-
We are super-romantic at our house. For my birthday a couple of years ago, Dave gave me a couple of these spatulas from Williams Sonoma. They are a great little size for cleaning out a measuring cup, and a perfect size to fit in your mouth when scraping batter or cookie dough
out of the bowl.

BBQ Turner

BBQ Turner-

This was a gift from my

sister to Dave from Pampered Chef

and it is the best grill tool

we've ever had.

Dave swears by it - for it's size,

and long handle, sharp edge on

one side and its ability to easily
get under your burger to flip it.

Cake Lifter

Cake/Pizza Lifter- This is one of those
"when you need it, you need it, but you don't need it every day"
kind of a tool. You can lift your
entire cake and move it from a
cooling rack to the serving dish.
It can also lift a Pizza right off the pan.
Amazing!

Favorite Cookbooks

Favorite cookbooks:
Everyday Food magazine (by Martha Stewart)- It is so practical, user-friendly and a great way to inspire new recipes in your kitchen. I've had a subscription for years and some of the "staples" in our kitchen have come from it. I have given it as a gift a few times too. It's only $12 and it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Barefoot Contessa cookbooks- You can't go wrong with these beauties. There are several to choose from and I love all the ones I have. There are beautiful photos of each recipe and great tips. She is a fabulous teacher through her cookbooks.

The Joy of Cooking cookbook- If I were to recommend ONE cookbook for your kitchen, this would be the one! It's my favorite Primer. I call it my kitchen encyclopedia. It has so much information including: varieties of lettuce, to cuts of beef, to temperatures for doneness of meat, to "what is salad nicoise?", to how to make a good graham cracker crust, and 1,000 plus pages of other instructions!

The Chopper

The Chopper- This is loud

and requires some aggression

to use, but it can chop an onion,

or pecans or chocolate like

nobody's business!

(And it can be washed in the

dishwasher, which is a bonus.)

Travel knife- I found these at the check-out at Williams Sonoma (in those glass jars by the register) and thought they were cute. When I got to looking at them, I realized they are more than cute, they are really useful. The knife has a good, sharp blade, but with a sturdy plastic cover.

Kuhn Rikon Paring Knife

the same knife in orange

I bought a couple, one to keep, another to gift, and I have ended up keeping mine at my desk at school to use for lunchtime to slice my apple. I then bring it home for the summer, to put with our picnic gear for our meals at the pool and park. It's a great knife and safe and easy to tote.

4 Tbsp Measuring Cup

4 Tbsp measuring cup- it's adorable and so useful! Do you ever try to measure Tablespoons of vanilla or oil and end up pouring it everywhere when it overflows the measuring spoon? No longer does this happen with this! And the curved design makes it so easy to properly see the measurement. My mom found it and gave one to my sister and me. I have since gifted it to a couple of people because I think it is so useful!

Small Metal Spatula

Small metal spatula- the pampered chef "petite spatula" is the perfect size (though I have had two, and the handle broke off both of them eventually), and now this one (that my sister gave me recently) has been a great substitute. Having a small, metal spatula makes serving gooey bars, brownies, sheet cake, etc. a much easier and prettier task

Lemon Zester

Lemon Zester - You have to have a zester! There are many varieties and styles. I have a little one that creates long strips of zest, but this one, that is more of a zesting plane, makes a finer zest. Mom gave it to me last year and I have loved it. This one fits nicely over a bowl and steadies the tool for the zesting. (Your muffins will thank you!)

Pitcher with plunger

Pampered chef pitcher with plunger- This is great for serving lemonade and fruit tea, especially because the plunger allows you to "stir it up" before each serving. Before I had this, I served my fruit tea with a large, awkward wooden spoon in the pitcher. Though it is plastic, the design is classy enough to serve at a party and not look tacky.

Medium: ($25-50ish)

Kitchen Scale

Kitchen scale- My friend, Gretchen, and I took a cookie-making class last year and learned about the value of this tool. I wrote about it HERE. For Christmas, she gave me one!! It has been so fun to find uses for it. My mom saw it at my house (and since it was the only tool she didn't own) she asked for one and I gave it to her for her birthday! Now she has every tool in the world. This measures in ounces and pounds and is helpful in weighing meat, determining the size of a ball of cookie dough
(and Dave uses it to weigh his CD packages to determine postage when mailing them to people...I recently discovered!)

Baking Stone

Baking stone- I had a pampered chef baking stone in my cabinet for years, un-used, until a friend in my Bible study asked if I had a stone on which we could bake her cranberry crescent rolls. I pulled it out and we put 1/2 of them on it and 1/2 on a cookie sheet. The difference in the baking consistency was remarkable. The rolls cooked on the stone much more evenly and without being overdone on the bottom. It made me a fan. I now use it especially when I am baking scones, shortbread and biscuits.

Cutco knives

Cutco knives- These knives are my VERY FAVORITE. They are expensive, but so worth it. They have a lifetime guarantee and they make food prep much easier. Do you ever find cutting an apple or slicing a cucumber difficult? It's because of the knife you are using. My mom converted us years ago and any time I am able to buy one for someone, I do so. If you only have one, I would purchase the trimmer. Everyone I know that has one, says that it is in constant use in their kitchen.

Large: ($50-100ish)

Waring double waffle iron

Waring double waffle iron -Read Here for the story behind this waffle maker. Basically, if you love a deep-grooved belgium waffle and you like to make a bunch quickly, this appliance should be added to your list. It is cool! You will feel like you are at a Hilton hotel breakfast bar. (And use the Oh Boy Waffle Recipe that won our taste test).

Ice Cream Maker

Ice Cream Maker - This is our newest appliance. I have long loved making homemade ice cream but this is our first indoors-without-rock-salt-and-ice maker. It is a nice 2 quart size, so you can experiment with different creative flavors without investing in a giant batch. It is easy, fast and we have been making some tasty treats in this beauty!

Extravagant: (over $100)

Bunn Coffee Maker

Bunn Coffee Maker - I will be posting soon about making a good cup of coffee, and I must say, when it comes to a cup of brewed drip coffee, nothing compares with a BUNN. The technology is fascinating. There is a reservoir of hot water stored in the tank behind the pot. When you pour water into the coffee maker, DISPLACEMENT occurs as the new cool water pushes out the hot and it SPRAYS over the coffee grounds to produce immediate, hot, fresh, delicious coffee. When our friend Amy lived with us, and our coffee pot died, she encouraged us to buy a BUNN and we have been fans ever since. We gave one to my dad a few years ago and he's become a fan too (as much as he would claim be a "fan" of any inanimate object).

Kitchen Aid Mixer - Many of you have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer in your kitchen and you might be able to vouch for the fact that it is a tremendous asset in the kitchen. It is costly, but it is a work-horse. I love mine. It has served me well. There are several varieties of them and they each come with accessories. I love the dough hook as well as the flat beater. It is stately and beautiful and used at least once a week in my kitchen!

Food Processor- this is worth having, if only to make THIS homemade salsa recipe! It is so great. I don't use it as much as I use my stand mixer, but I use it often enough to justify owning it. For chopping, pureeing and slicing, it is fast and powerful.

Happy Shopping and Wish List Making!

A Tribute to Friendship (and Artisan Bread)

2011-11-03T09:54:00.001-05:00

[Two of my favorite photos of K, one of the 2 of us in around 1994
and the other of K and her husband and my little
Asher when they came to visit around 2004]

Today is my dear friend, Karin’s birthday…
Happy Birthday Kariney!

I have been feeling the need to write a tribute to Karin, as she has had such a large influence on my life. And though we haven’t lived in the same city for years and years, her influence continues to shape and mark me.

It was 20 years ago that we met on Belmont’s campus. She was my next door neighbor. I came from Knoxville, Tennessee and she from California. Having grown up in the south all my life, southern living was all I knew. Karin is pronounced kah-RIN (think Corinne rather than Karen, which makes sense because she is from hip-California after all). Not only did Karin bring an engaging, fun, deep, creative friendship into my life, she also brought a lot of other things …

She taught me the value of 100% cotton sheets, vintage linens, old quilts, black and white photography, Origins products (which had not yet arrived in Nashville at the time), and a café au lait (coffee with steamed milk) –my coffee drink of choice still today.

The next school year we moved off campus together with our friend Teresa. We established a household that was a wonderful haven, as well as my first home apart from my family. Karin’s influence on my cooking really began to take effect in these three years as we shared a kitchen.

My mother is such a wonderful cook, baker and entertainer. She has most certainly been the primary influence in this area of my life. However, Karin became a huge additional influence, with her different angle that she brought to the kitchen counter, coming from California. Also, you have to understand that this was at the dawning of the internet. So, not only was my little life expanding its borders – being in a bigger city, establishing my own household, having a cultured roommate – but also the world was expanding its borders as well, as technology began to make the world more accessible. Recipes, ideas and ingredients were regional, and the recipes I had were limited to the cookbooks I had or the recipes I had handwritten in my box. There were no on-line resources. The way you expanded your horizons was by other people who had other landscapes to offer you. (Are you thinking I sound like I’m speaking of the 1800’s at this point?)

I remember vividly Karin introducing me to balsamic vinegar and olive oil. She taught me about kosher salt and fresh herbs. I didn’t even know basil existed. She introduced me to mango! She taught me how to steam squash (which she did all the time). She even made steamed artichokes with drawn butter and gave us all a tutorial on how to eat a fresh artichoke properly.

And Artisan bread. The first time she came home with a loaf of Pane Bello bread from the then-brand-new Bread and Company bread store, I was in awe. It was a beautiful, artistic loaf of bread, and when she sliced it and served it with our pasta (not spaghetti like I grew up eating, but “pasta”) I was confused. The hard crusty exterior threw me off. I had always had bread that was soft, while maybe a little crispy on the edge, like “French Bread”, with our spaghetti. I had never had bread with a tough crust and a porous, holey crumb. I asked her if it was supposed to be this crusty and hard to eat and she said, “yes!”

Little did I know that Artisan bread (or as my kids call it, “crusty bread”) would become such a love of mine and my family. My favorite sandwiches are made on crusty bread. We made grilled cheese on it this week for Halloween with friends. We dip it in olive oil with herbs when we have a fancy Italian night.

A couple of years ago I began trying to make my own artisan bread. Since I love to bake, and like to try new adventures and am cheap, I really wanted to give it a try. It is astounding to me that you can make beautiful loves of delicious bread with flour, salt, water, yeast and sometimes a little olive oil and/or honey. For pennies! So, I asked my friend, Steve- the bread man- about the best resource and he recommended The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Barenbaum. I bought it and have tried several recipes from it.

My favorite scones are from that book. (You must make them if you haven’t already!)
The artisan bread recipes are quite complicated, and have weight measurements included in the recipes (which is a tip off that it is high level…a little out of my league). I have had some success with the artisan bread recipes in the book but have had a couple of flops as well.

Then, this summer I learned about this book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. I checked it out of the library and made a couple of different recipes and it is crazy-simple and so yummy. In fact, Dave warned me that I couldn’t make a habit of this bread making because our family’s waist-lines can’t handle it. We cannot ration well. So, I am trying to pace myself. I bought the sequel to their book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day, thinking at least whole wheat flour might help out.

Here is a video of the authors demonstrating their technique.

So, in honor of Karin, I made a couple of Boules (Free-form artisan loaves). I wanted to share them with you, readers, to hopefully inspire you to give it a try (click HERE for the recipe and instructions). You can do it!!! Karin has always encouraged me to take risks and has always believed in me when I doubted my abilities.

And, if you have a friend (or friends) who have taught you and influenced you, I encourage you to take a minute to thank them specifically for the things they have given to you.

K's family including their newest addition
who I can't wait to meet!
(I borrowed the photo from facebook)

To Karin: I wish I could run a loaf over to you in Vermont to share with you (and your sweet family) and serve some with butter and jam and a café au lait. You are a loyal, dear friend. We have been through thick and thin together. You have taught me beautiful life lessons: like accountability, and taking risks, and acceptance. You inspire me and have improved my life in countless ways… far beyond the kitchen.

DIY Tortilla Soup

2011-10-29T07:58:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago I went to a Mexican Cantina and ordered their Chicken Tortilla Soup. When the meal arrived, to my surprise, I was served a plate with a bowl that contained rice, beans and chicken in it and a spread of fresh ingredients beside it on the plate including diced tomatoes, avocado slices, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese. The broth was brought in a pitcher and was poured over the ingredients in the bowl at the table-side.

I then topped the soup with the fresh ingredients from the plate. It was so fresh, tasty and fun. I thought it was brilliant! Fresh soup, with fresh ingredients and made to order. I took the idea and thought I would recreate it at home and make DIY Tortilla Soup.

Our small group for church has dinner each week at our home and we decided to do a taco night. In addition to tortillas, we had a pot of broth on the stove. That way, with the same ingredients we could offer soup and tacos. People could choose the ingredients they like, topped with broth rather than wrapped in a tortilla.

It was a hit. You can spice it up with salsa and peppers, make it meatless, or bean-less, or experiment with your favorite combinations. Subsequently, we have embraced it as a new, crowd-pleasing menu at our table.

And it's Do It Yourself - and there is something novel about that.

the Broth (click to print)
4 cans Chicken Broth
juice of 1/2 lime
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients into a large pot.
Let broth simmer for a few minutes on the stove, allowing the flavors to meld.
(You might want to alter the seasoning of this to your liking - add spices, add hot sauce, decrease lime, omit cilantro, etc.)

the Beans
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sprinkle with cumin and salt

Place all ingredients into a small pot.
Heat on the stove.

the Chicken
4 Chicken breasts, cut into medium sized pieces
juice from 1/2 lime
A sprinkle of cumin
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
A pinch of Salt
A dash of Cholula

Place meat in a glass dish and add other ingredients. Toss to coat well.
Grill on stove top grill (or sautee on stove top, or bake in the oven on a baking sheet, or grill on the grill...whatever you choose).

Prepare other toppings:

Rice (you can make a pot of white or brown rice or one of the mexican rice packages found in the grocery store for more seasoned rice)
Diced tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chips slightly broken (which are conveniently located at the bottom of the bag of chips)
Salsa (my favorite salsa recipe is HERE)
Avocado- sliced (I thought I would share with you how I prepare an avocado. It can be intimidating but usually this method works like a charm).

Using a sharp knife, cut a lateral line through the center, cutting around the large center pit

Using a large spoon, insert the spoon as close to the skin as you can and shimmy between the edge of the avocado and the skin.

Repeat the process with the other side.

Place the avocado on the cutting board and slice.

Using a sharp knife,
cut a lateral line through
the center, cutting around the
large center pit

Using a large spoon,
insert the spoon as close
to the skin as you can
and shimmy between the
edge of the avocado
and the skin,

Remove the avocado.
Repeat the process
with the other side
Place the avocado
on the cutting board
and slice

Fall Favorites

2011-10-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

I'm on my second lap. It's year 2 for my blog and I have posted through each season. I like to write about seasonally inspired foods and since I began my blog last August, I posted some of my perennial fall favorites last September and October. In the next couple of weeks, I plan to make some of these recipes at our house.

So I wanted to remind you about them. (Or if you have come to my kitchen recently and haven't read the posts of these time honored traditions at my table, I wanted to share them with you).

Pumpkin Iced Sugar Cookies

My childhood tradition at every holiday. They are beautiful and delicious!

Fresh Apple Cake

It says "fall" to me. It's dense and filled with apples and cinnamony goodness.

Tomato Soup and Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A favorite fall meal and our traditional Halloween dinner fare.

Pumpkin Muffins
Some with pecans, some with chocolate chips, some plain...and my new twist...

a good dollup of cream cheese pressed into the batter and baked in.

Pumpkin Dip and Caramel Toffee Dip with Apples
Fun party food- both dips are so yummy with apples and graham crackers!

Bran Muffins (Dirt & Stick Muffins)

2011-10-07T10:03:00.001-05:00

If I had to choose one baked good to make, it would be muffins. They are so easy, versatile and tasty. Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I love that they are a main-course baked good! I appreciate creative, unique muffins and simple classic ones as well. It's great when you find a quality, basic muffin recipe that you can then add to and tweak depending on your mood. Furthermore, I think muffins are a great treat to share with people:
with my kids' teachers at school to start their day,
with my college students to offer some homemade goodness,
with my neighbors on a saturday morning to celebrate the weekend,
or a new parent who's been up all night,
or struggling friend who needs some kindness and nourishment,
or a child, because they are so fun to eat!

My former student, Amy, who is now in Colorado in grad school, sent me this NPR article about showing compassion through the gift of food. If you have a couple of minutes, you should read it. It's inspiring! Thanks, Amy, for thinking of me!
(Speaking of my college students, my student Becca, surprised our 9:30 class this week with a gift of very special pumpkin cream cheese streusel muffins. They were deliciously fall! I ate one at class and another for lunch. Here's the recipe.)

the Bran. You can find it in the health
food aisle of the grocery

Muffins come in all flavors and sizes. I love a cupcake-like muffin, I mean, how could I not? It's like a license to eat cake for breakfast! But bran muffins are at the top of my list. When I'm reaching for a muffin at a bakery, I usually go for a bran muffin. This bran muffin recipe is my favorite for a hearty, whole grain, rusky muffin. Dave calls them my "dirt and stick muffins" because they have real wheat bran in them and they feel healthy (though still moist and yummy)!

I have some history with bran muffins. My mom raised us on raisin bran muffins, which are really tasty, easy to make, and are perfect for those reluctant-to-eat-bran people. They are fluffy and sweet (lots of sugar in this recipe) and light in their color and texture. If that is the bran muffin that sounds appealing to you, here is the recipe.

If you are more of a hearty, denser, healthier muffin, this one is for you.

In both recipes, the batter is able to be kept in the fridge up to a few weeks, so that you can bake a few of them fresh each day. (The Raisin Bran ones actually require refrigeration for 6 hours prior to baking them – which for me just means that I mix the batter at night and let it refrigerate for the 6 hours I sleep and it's ready when I wake up; the Hearty Bran don't require refrigeration before baking).

I have tried many mix-ins with these: craisins, blueberries, raisins, apples, pears, walnuts, pecans, peaches, you name it. A local favorite coffee shop, The Frothy Monkey, has daily muffins and they usually have a bran of some creative variety – i've had mango pineapple bran, blueberry bran, prune bran, and last week they had apricot almond bran.

[I have posted several muffin recipes on this blog, click on THIS ONE that has my tricks and tips that I have learned along the way to help with your muffin-baking pursuit]

Hearty Bran Muffins

1 cup bran soaking in hot water

the batter

3 cups Unprocessed Wheat Bran

1 cup boiling water

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened (or I sometimes use ¼ cup vanilla yogurt; ¼ cup butter)

2 ½ cups All-purpose flour (or I sometimes use 1 cup whole wheat/ 1 ½ cups white wheat)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups buttermilk

¼ cup honey

Any "mix-ins" you would like (craisins, blueberries, nuts, etc)

Mix 1 cup of wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran.
In a bowl, blend sugar and butter.
Measure and combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Combine the moist bran with the beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar/butter mixture, and the dry ingredient mixture.
Stir until well blended.
Add ¼ cup honey and any “mix-ins” you would like.
Place in refrigerator for future use, OR bake at once - (If you are going to wait to make the muffins until later, I think it is best to omit the mix-ins until the time you are baking them).

batter in the fridge for whenever you want to bake them

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stir batter and scoop into greased muffin tins. I like to sprinkle some turbinado sugar (coarse raw sugar) on top before baking. If I used a "mix-in", I sprinkle some of those ingredients on top to indicate what's inside, and because it's so pretty!
Bake 15 minutes, or until done.

Keep remaining mixture in airtight container for 2 to 4 weeks. Makes about 2 dozen muffins.

Happy Friday muffins for teachers

Ginger Snap Enlightenment

2011-09-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

I'm turning the calendar to October and I couldn't be happier about it. I love fall. What a great season! I have been thinking about fall foods – what I want to make and eat and blog about. My list of things to cook includes: all things pumpkin, ginger, sweet potato, and comfort. I'm wishing for lots of time in the kitchen to make some of these things. I decided Ginger Snaps should start the season because this recipe is so very amazing and I think you should have it now so that you can make it as many times as you can in the next few months. Because when February rolls around, you might be ready to move on to chocolate and valentines.

Now, I have to confess that the idea of Ginger Snaps was never appealing to me. They are one of those foods that I had stereotyped. I am teaching a course this semester called Exploring Human Diversity (I am a professor of social work when I'm not baking, blogging and mothering). We have been discussing stereotypes and seeking to courageously face them in ourselves so that we can dismantle them in our lives and grow beyond them. So, admittedly, one of my stereotypes (albeit inconsequential compared to other more destructive ones I am certain that I harbor) has been against Ginger Snap cookies.
In my mind they have always been a hard, stale, dark molasses cookie that was found in a box on a shelf and really didn't deserve the title of cookie. I mean, cookies are a pretty special category, if you ask me. I thought of them more like molasses disks. I even bought the ones once that were packaged in a cute kraft brown paper sack, since I'm a sucker for packaging and somehow thought they must be homemade-tasting if they were in that fun sack. Not so. This just reinforced my stereotype about Ginger Snaps. So I wrote them off. Not worth the calories. And certainly Dave wouldn't go for them, as he is majorly biased towards soft cookies.

And then, my friend Lisa, brought freshly baked Ginger Snaps to an event and they were so beautiful – like little puffy, intricately cracked, sugar-coated, round treasures. I had to pick one up and hold it in my hand and then I had to taste it. In that moment my stereotype was shattered. I was enlightened! It was incredible. It was chewy and the perfect amount of spicy and salty and sweet. It was unlike any Ginger Snap I had experienced.

In my Diversity course, we have been discussing that the way to undo your stereotypes is to actually encounter people "up-close" and "personal" from the group about which you have made assumptions and generalizations. And indeed this remedy was true for me and my cookie issues. I discovered that not all Ginger Snaps are the same. And that day, this recipe was added to my list of favorite cookies.

So, I encourage you, if you are like me and have some stereotyping baggage associated with hard, store-bought ginger snaps, to try this recipe. This way you can have an "up-close" and "personal" encounter with Lisa's Ginger Snap Cookies and perhaps overcome your bias, all while celebrating the fall season!

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup Crisco (shortening)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt (I use coarse salt)

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Extra sugar for rolling

Cream together shortening and sugar.
Beat in egg and molasses.
Add flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
Roll in small bowl of sugar until completely coated.
Place on baking sheet lined with parchment (or a greased baking sheet).
Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes
(depending on the size of the balls and heat of your oven).

Watch to see that they are browning just a touch on the edges and flattening.

Remove from oven and let sit on pan for a few minutes – cookies will form the beautiful cracks as they cool a little.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

My kids were discussing Snickerdoodles versus Ginger Snaps versus Brown Sugar Cookies (from Joy the Baker that my friend Melissa brought over). Lucy, my 3 year old was discussing the nuances between the 3 cookies with Asher, my 9 year old. Lucy argued that Ginger Snaps were browner, and that Snickerdoodles were whiter and were sour (I think she's right – it's that cream of tartar in Snickerdoodles). Asher asked her how she knew this about cookies, being that she is 3 and all, to which she replied, "I'm an Expert!". I have no idea where she learned the term, "expert", but I think she probably is a cookie expert.

People's Choice

2011-09-23T09:16:00.001-05:00

It was one of those weeks! No fun baking happened here, just trying to make-do and get something on the table to feed my people. We did some cleaning out of the refrigerator and creative meal fixing. We had what we call "People's Choice".

Let me define the term "People's Choice", coined by my mom sometime in my childhood. I must preface this description by saying that I have a very creative mother. She is smart and clever and always in pursuit of making things fun. When I was growing up, she made cleaning the house a race in our home (with estimated times, kitchen timers set, tasks assigned and music playing) and made tasks more bearable with singing and assigning creative names to things. Dave says, "just imagine Maria from The Sound of Music" – playclothes made from old draperies, picnics on the hillside, learning music theory by dancing up steps, overcoming the fear of storms by singing of woolen mittens... you get the picture?

Growing up, a half sandwich (one piece of bread, folded over) was far more fun if called a "foldy"... it still is, actually. A melted ham and cheese sandwich on a bun called a "yumbo" sounded like party food. Mom could take the ordinary and make it memorable. She still can.

One of her mainstays was "People's Choice". Did I also mention that she is also very positive? She's a lemonade-out-of-lemon kind of a lady. (And she doesn't like wasting or throwing things away.) People's Choice is the name my mother coined for leftovers. Rather than "left-over night" being a disappointing, re-heating of seen-before-meals, her people's choice was a free-for-all of the leftovers from the previous days, with the addition of some fresh fruit or salad, at times, to complete the meal. And it worked. It wasn't dreadful. It was actually kinda fun.

People's Choice infers that you have the power to choose. Whatever meal you most enjoyed during the previous days, you can stake your claim on it. It is almost like working a puzzle (which we happen to really like too). This is done with the goal in mind of trying to see if you can clear out all of the containers – or at least some of them – and feed all the people at the table something they would enjoy. This meal requires only 10 to 15 minutes to prep, you are cleaning out the fridge, while simultaneously reducing waste and feeding a household!

So, of course, we carry this tradition on in our home and when the fridge is full of containers of leftovers, and we don't have the time or energy to invent a new meal. We declare that it is People's Choice night! Hip Hip Hooray!

(the photo at the top of the page is a typical People's Choice offering at the Hunt house: 2 bowls of leftover tomato soup, 2 slices of lasagna, a pile of roasted veggies, some pita pizzas thrown in to help bridge the gap for kids and to stretch the quantity ... and of course a little plate of fresh fruit – you know how essential that seems to be at my table!)

(or below: some leftover pasta salad, barley salad, beans – from a home-cooked meal, paired with fajita peppers and onions brought home from a Mexican restaurant, and some bruschetta. Something for everyone!) I know you might be thinking, "you brought home peppers and onions from the restaurant?" Yes! We had eaten most of the meat and the trimmings but had a pile of peppers and onions left, which we paid for, that could make some nice veggie tacos at home.

So remember, when you need to clean out those leftovers in your fridge and you just have a little of this and a little of that and no time or energy to create a new meal ... think People's Choice! And exercise your power to choose!