Saving room for dessert

Chocolate Donuts

2013-05-20T04:00:00.000-04:00

If by chance you really need a chocolate donut, these will absolutely, without a doubt, completely and totally satisfy your craving! They are like mini-baked cakes with all the trimmings. Nope ... these donuts are not good breakfast food. Stick with your oatmeal or protein packed smoothie and save these for dessert!

If you're looking for a donut recipe that's not chocolate check out Sue's blog at The View from Great Island. Sue posted Birthday Cake Donuts, Whole Wheat Espresso Glazed Donuts and a beautiful Glazed Buttermilk Donut Muffin. They all look amazing!

I've had donuts on my bucket list for a long, long time and finally broke down and bought a donut pan. They're pretty inexpensive - around $9.95 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. My husband said I could make blueberry donuts next time so I guess I've got the go ahead to make more. I made chocolate icing for some and the others were drizzled with a simple buttermilk & confectioners' sugar glaze. As much as I adore chocolate, the icing was just a little too much chocolate for me. There I said it. I finally met my match. I used to think there was no way you could have too much chocolate on anything.

These remind me of the chocolate cake donuts from Dunkin Donuts. Soft chocolate cake with just a hint of sweet crunch from the glaze on the outside. Yum!

My son, daughter-in-law and their good friend Michael stopped by this afternoon. I made a gift of the donuts and Michael asked me if I was making some sort of reference to cops and donuts. I forgot he is a police officer so this is perfect! It's always good to be nice to the boys in blue.

Chocolate Donuts

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee granules

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup mini-chocolate chips, semisweet

Optional Toppings:

Chocolate glaze, buttermilk glaze, powdered sugar and/or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, espresso granules, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until blended and make a well in the middle. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl lightly beat the egg. Whisk in the milk and then add the melted butter. Quickly add the egg mixture to the flour and cocoa mixture all at once. Stir just until the batter is smooth. Do not over beat. Stir in the mini-chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the sprayed donut pan filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for about 12 minutes for full sized donuts. (If using a mini-donut pan cut the baking time to 8 minutes.)

Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 2-4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before icing. If you want to make powdered sugar donuts, roll the warm donuts in a bowl of confectioners' sugar until coated. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipes made about 16 full size donuts depending on how full you fill the pan.

Chocolate Glaze:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons light-colored syrup or Agave

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 tablespoons hot water

Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in the syrup, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and hot water. Blend until smooth. Iced cooled donuts as desired. Additional water can be added to thin the icing if needed.

Buttermilk Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk (milk or cream will work fine too)

drop of vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Dip a cooled donut into the glaze and turn it over to coat the other side. Allow the excess glaze to drop back into the bowl. Place the glazed donut on a wire rack to dry.

(Adapted from a recipe published in the January 2012 Better Homes and Gardens - Chocolate Special Interest Publication)

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Thanks to everyone who passed along favorite recipes for our upcoming pre-wedding cookout. I love all the ideas and will run them by the bride-to-be. I have my mother-of-the bride dress (on sale! whoohoo!) but still need shoes - don't guess you can help me with that one?!?!

Have a wonderful week and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Greek Salad Sandwich

2013-05-16T19:56:00.001-04:00

With all this hub-bub about Greek diets and the benefits of olive oil floating around, it was only a matter of time before I made something with Feta cheese, Kalamata olives and chickpeas! I am powerless to the onslaught of beautiful pictures, succulent recipes and plain ole inspiration at every magazine rack and on-line recipe website. I am yours, take me Greek Salad Sandwich - take me away to the island of celebrated food and family recipes handed down for generations.

I started to make a Greek salad but that idea became so much more. This layered sandwich is anchored with a mixture of chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and fresh parsley - like a chunky hummus.

Spread the chickpea mixture on half the bread or bread slices.

Add a layer of thinly sliced cucumbers.

Add some juicy red tomato slices - yummmm

Spread the marinated onion mixture on top. Drizzle the remaining onion marinade on the other slice of bread.

Then add the Feta cheese, olive and olive oil mixture to the other slice of bread.

And finally sprinkle a few thinly sliced Pepperoncini on top of the Feta mixture.

Introduce the two sides and make a sandwich! Slice as desired and serve. This lovely small garlic loaf really called out to me but it was difficult to fit in my (big) mouth. You can eat it sideways too. It works either way.

We LOVED this recipe so much I made it again the following weekend and used sliced rustic bread. It was just as good as the other bread and so much easier to eat. This recipe will make four hearty sandwiches or six smaller yummy lunch size sammiches.

I think I'll try this again with a Pita or make a flat bread pizza - oh yeah! Hope you love as much as we do!

Greek Salad Sandwich

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 ounces crumbled Feta

8 sliced rustic bread or 4 pitas

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 tomato, thinly sliced

4 Pepperoncini, thinly sliced, stems removed

10 Kalamata olives, chopped

Add chickpeas, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it forms a chunky paste. Add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil if needed to blend.

In a small bowl combine the sliced onion with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate small bowl combine the Feta, olives and 1 tablespoon olive oil and smash with a fork until blended.

Spread the chickpea mixture on 4 slices of bread. Top with the cucumber, tomato and onion mixture. Drizzle the remaining onion marinade on the other slices of bread then top with the Feta and Pepperoncini peppers. Season with salt and pepper and fold both sides together. Store leftovers in an airtight container - if there is any leftover. We took leftover sandwiches to work the next day and they were still fantastic. This almost gets better the longer it sits.

(adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart)

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Have you ever grown a Clematis? They come in so many colors and varieties but I've always loved the giant saucer size blooms on this vine. This poor plant has been moved, year after year, to a variety of different locations in our yard. I am happy to report it seems happy in it's current home, and so are we. I took some progressive photos over the last week or so, just for fun, and thought I'd share. Lots of flower pods ready to bloom.

It should bloom again in late summer - can't wait!

I hope you have a great weekend! We're in pre-wedding mode again with our daughter taking the plunge in June (our son got married in October). Oh ... people will come Ray, people will most definitely come! (Name that movie) And since we don't have in-town family - people will come and I guess we better get ready.

Oops - just one more thing. We're hosting a get together with all the out-of-town bridal party members and family at our house the night before the wedding. It will be a casual cookout and I'm starting to get a menu in mind. I could really use your help! If you have a favorite buffet / summer cookout recipe you'd like to share, please put a link in the comments. Thanks so much for your suggestions - I'm so excited to see what's your favorite, fool-proof, crowd pleasing, pre-wedding, family yard party dish! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Adventures in Iceland - Part IV

2013-05-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

Finally - this is the last post on our trip to Iceland! Won't you be glad when we go on a boring vacation so you won't have to see 300 pictures? Nahhh - I didn't think so!

Sorry for the lop-sided photo but I want to show you the 5th floor elevator lobby from the hotel. Other than the wonderful view the interesting thing is the display hanging in front of the glass.

How cool is this? It identifies glaciers, volcanoes, mountains and other points of interest.

Another beautiful day so we headed northwest to see more of the country and more waterfalls!

Are you looking at my tail?

Seriously this is actually very interesting. The Icelandic horses were shedding their winter coats and on numerous occasions we saw them nibbling on each others backs pulling out tufts of fur. As you can see both horses have fur in their mouths - it's nice to have good friends.

There's the good side!

While the landscape is just beautiful I thought the ditches were very interesting too. We asked our glacier guide what the deep trenches are for. He said it's to help drain water off the fields, to keep them from flooding and to dry out faster. The opposite of irrigation I guess.

This waterfall is part of several in a row named Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. This water is flowing under a lava field and coming out the side of the ridge.

These waterfalls were just up-river - Barnafoss.

As you travel all over Iceland you will see rock piles. Some look like this and others are single stones piled as high as possible. We spent about 10 hours with our glacier guide so we had the chance to ask him a lot about the country. He said the old rock piles were used as a navigation tool or landmark back in the old days. Now people just make rock piles along trails, etc.. This marker had a sign next to it asking that you not add rocks to the pile.

We headed back to Reykjavik and made reservations for dinner at a nice restaurant downtown. While waiting for our table we went across the street to this wonderful antique shop. I could have stayed in there all day!

This is a bloggers dream come true. I could have spent the whole day browsing.

I told the shop owner that if I lived there we would become very good friends.

We had dinner at The Fish Company and all ordered the "Around Iceland" seasonal theme based menu.

"Join the Chefs at the Fish Company for a trip around Iceland in season based menu. The best and freshest ingredients from all over the island will tantalize your taste buds in a trip sure to live long in your memory."

Our first course was a wonderful fresh salmon but I didn't get the entire description. Yummy indeed!

Next they brought fried Monkfish and Scallops, artichoke puree with pickled green oil with cheesed chicken stock. Wow!

Next we had soft Artic Char sashimi with Roe, horseradish snow and smoke skyr paste, radish with skyr merengue and herb granit.

Such pretty food!

The main course was cured Leg of Lamb & lamb Confit, glazed shallot and noisette powder, lamb juice with berries and cale combo. I think we moaned through the entire meal.

And of course we Saved Room for Dessert! This is a white buttermilk mousse and frozen chocolate mousse, caramel chocolate toffee and berrie parfait with crumble. We were happy, very happy :)

So that's about it - we headed home saying goodbye to Iceland - until we meet again!

Thanks to my husband for so many wonderful photos. I had camera problems but took many with my trusty old iPhone. His are the good ones! Thanks again for stopping by and letting us share this wonderful fun adventure with you. We now resume our regular scheduled program ...

Tricia

Coconut sorbet with rum soaked grilled pineapple and an Izze Float

2013-05-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going to blame this on my friend Mary at Barefeet in the Kitchen. Mary's been posting beautiful pineapple recipes like The best pineapple-jalapeno salsa and Strawberry and Pineapple stuffed crepes. I haven't been able to stop thinking about pineapple and somehow that evolved into coconut sorbet - go figure!

This is such a simple, light refreshing dessert - I highly recommend making it soon. Once you make the sorbet and have it available in the freezer - you can easily whip this dish up with a little coconut, pineapple, rum and brown sugar. People will think you fussed - but no way. This is so not fussy!

Be sure to save this recipe for your next cookout! And, since I'm picking on Mary today, don't miss her Homemade Chocolate Magic Shell recipe made with only two ingredients, chocolate and coconut oil. I can't wait to try it on this coconut sorbet!

Have you ever heard of Izze Sparkling Juice? This is new to me but I absolutely love it. You can search their website to see which stores carry it in your area. I found this Izze Sparkling Clementine Juice at a Super Target and also tried the Blackberry flavor found at our local Wegman's grocery store.

Since I don't usually do a lot of product endorsements (especially since they didn't ask me to ... but I would if they will ... if you know what I mean) I thought I'd explain why I love it: Izze sparkling juice is 70% pure juice with a splash of sparkling water. There is no refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, preservatives or artificial flavors in any of their products.

And do you know what happens when you pour it over this homemade Coconut Sorbet? So glad you asked!

You get an unbelievable treat that's very refreshing and tastes just like a Creamsicle. I may have to try this again just to make sure it was that good. I think you should too!

Coconut Sorbet

2 cans coconut milk, shaken before opening

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (see note #1 below)

1 cup granulated sugar

dash of salt

1 whole vanilla bean, scrapped (see note #2 below)

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, coconut milk, salt, vanilla bean and shredded coconut. Bring the mixture to a light simmer on medium-low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cover the pot with a lid and turn off the heat. Steep the mixture for one hour.

Place a fine mesh sieve over a clean bowl and strain the mixture removing as much liquid as possible. (See note #1 below) Press the coconut with the back of a metal spoon removing all liquid. Make sure the vanilla bean is scraped clean, then remove it and discard (See note #2 below).

Cover and refrigerate the sorbet mixture for several hours or overnight. Process according to your ice cream maker instructions. Store in an airtight container and freeze before serving. Allow the sorbet to sit a room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.

Note #1 - You can use any unsweetened coconut you can find. I had a bag of finely shredded organic unsweetened coconut in the freezer so that's what I used. It has an almost powder like consistency so using a sieve alone would not get the job done. I lined the sieve with a piece of cheesecloth then poured the mixture into the sieve. Once the liquid stopped dripping I twisted the material making a ball to squeeze out the remaining coconut milk. If you use a larger cut coconut you will not have to do this step. But no worries - this was not difficult but you will need a square of cheesecloth.

Note # 2 - I keep old vanilla beans in a jar of sugar to re-use if needed and also to add vanilla flavor to the granulated sugar. I used two previously used vanilla bean halves in this recipe. Once the mixture was steeped and drained, I scraped any remaining beans into the strained sorbet mixture.

(Sorbet recipe adapted from Heather Christo Cooks)

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Rum-Spiked Grilled Pineapple served with Coconut Sorbet

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup dark spiced rum (I used Captain Morgan's)

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, halved lengthwise, and sliced lengthwise into 12 wedges

2 tablespoons coconut, toasted

Coconut sorbet or low-fat vanilla ice cream to serve with the pineapple slices

Combine the brown sugar and rum in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for one minute. Stir and if the brown sugar is not yet dissolved, cook for 30 seconds.

Pour the rum mixture over the pineapple slices and set aside. Heat the grill and brush the grates with oil. If you prefer the pineapple can be grilled inside using a panini pan. If using a non-stick pan there is no need to butter the pan. Grill over medium heat until marks form and the pineapple is heated through. Sprinkle with coconut and serve with the sorbet and drizzle with any remaining rum syrup.

(recipe adapted from a September 2010 Cooking Light Magazine)

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Izze Float
2 scoops coconut sorbet
1 small can or bottle of Izze Sparkling Juice

Place the sorbet in a glass and pour the juice over the top. Serve immediate and enjoy.

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Did you have a nice Mother's Day? We had a lovely day except we didn't get to see our daughter - she had to work :( But our son is back from a vacation to Florida so I got to see him and his wife for a few minutes. I did get to go outside and the day was beautiful. We went kayaking and fishing with our friends (our travel partners to Iceland) and had a wonderful time.

I didn't catch any fish but I will next time. I didn't even care. It was so pretty and peaceful.

Such a peaceful day filled with blessings. I hope yours was too.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Mango Coconut Kiwi Banana & Spinach Smoothie

2013-05-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love smoothies? This new recipe is absolutely delicious even if it is green. It doesn't taste green, it tastes tropical and naturally sweet. Who knew blended spinach could be so fantastic?

Have you tried Kefir the drinkable yogurt? Kefir is a fermented milk product full of healthy probiotics. I love the coconut chia flavor, and the blueberry, and all of them actually. I drink Kefir each and every morning and miss it terribly if I don't! Let's be honest, everybody is happier if their digestion is working its best. Kefir has 12 healthy probiotic cultures, it stimulates digestion, enhances the immune system, and it tastes great!

Fresh frozen mango, frozen bananas, and ripe Kiwi round out the ingredients.

Topped with a few extra chia seeds, this is a totally satisfying healthy snack, breakfast or dessert!

Mango Coconut Kiwi Banana Spinach Smoothie

Mango, Coconut, Kiwi, Banana & Spinach Smoothie:
1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 ripe Mango, chopped and frozen
1 1/2 cups Lifeway Coconut Chia Kefir (or Almond Milk, Greek Yogurt, etc)
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Optional extras: Chia seeds, Coconut, or Protein Powder

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I still have one more post to finish featuring our Iceland Adventure. I hope we haven't bored you too much with our enormous pile of pictures. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we get back in the kitchen, work in the garden and get ready for our daughter's wedding in about 6 weeks! It's been a very busy year. I think I need more smoothies!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

An Adventure in Iceland - Part III

2013-05-07T04:00:00.000-04:00

In Iceland they say you can wait 5 minutes and the weather will change. To say we had four seasons in one day would be very accurate. We awoke one morning to snow on the ground and reservations to go whale watching. By the time we were ready to go the snow had stopped and had started to melt. The seas of the North Atlantic are not always good to those with weak stomachs. It was my least favorite 3 hours of the entire trip and we didn't see any whales. Never again - I get sea sick just thinking about it. Funny how all the women held sea sickness bags in our laps the entire trip and the guys never seemed to be affected or at least didn't show it.

Despite the rocky start, the day it turned out absolutely beautiful and we found fun things to do in Reykjavik. We toured the Hallgrimskirkja Church a popular landmark in Reykjavik and the Country's largest church. It can be seen from almost anywhere in town and offers beautiful views from the top.

I love the colorful rooftops and the mountain views are exceptionally beautiful.

The entire country of Iceland is about the size of Tennessee and about two-thirds of the 300,000 residents live in Reykjavik.

Their largest industry is fishing but in recent years tourism has increased more than 20%. Iceland's economy crashed a few years ago thus the outreach to draw visitors and their dollars to visit.

We were very pleased that most spoke "understandable" English. They generally seemed happy we were eating in the restaurants, renting cars, staying in the hotels and seeing the sites.

The next day we headed east to Jokulsarlon and Skaftafell Park to enjoy the beautiful weather. Everywhere we went there were waterfalls. We must have stopped every 5 miles or so to take pictures.

Icelandic horses are everywhere, just like waterfalls. There are 90,000 Icelandic horses and only 300,000 people so you can tell they love their horses.

Icelandic horses are a hardy and long-lived breed. They may look like a cross between a horse and pony but don't call them ponies! Icelandic law prevents any other breeds from being imported into the County and also prevents exported horses from returning ... ever.

They are the only breed of horse in the Country and are relatively free from disease.

Icelandic horses are used for farm work as well as pleasure riding, racing and showing.

This appears to be another glacier but I didn't get the name!

Then we arrived at my favorite place of the entire trip. Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in southeast Iceland is currently the deepest lake in the country. Four Hollywood movies have been filmed at this location, A View To A Kill, Tomb Raider, Batman Begins and Die Another Day.

The ice sculptures (icebergs) were absolutely beautiful.

Chunks of ice were scattered all over the black volcanic beach.

And there were seals! They are quite fast and hard to photograph but my wonderful husband got this shot. They were everywhere and so fast.

Here's my Traveling Husband doing what he does best - checking out the best shot!

If we didn't have such a long drive back I could have stayed until the sun went down at 11:00 p.m.

There is something so magnificent about this place. The tide was coming in pushing the ice around, crushing the icebergs into one another. It was awesome.

Truly breathtaking!

We headed out to the end of the lagoon where it empties into the North Atlantic.

We were told Killer Whales are often seen hunting seals in the area but we didn't any on this trip.

As we headed back to Reykjavik we stopped to shoot this cloud that almost looked like a burning volcano.

The only things we really wish we could have seen are the puffins, whales and the Northern Lights. We were a little early for the Puffins (birds) and a little late for the lights. The whales just didn't cooperate so I guess we'll just have to go back! Just one more post to come on Iceland - promise!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Chocolate Chip Granola Cookie Wedges

2013-05-06T04:00:00.000-04:00

Hey. How are you?

Have you had a cookie lately?

If you haven't, you could - in a matter of minutes. That's one of things I loved about this simple chocolate chip granola wedge cookie. While it's not a real sweet cookie it's still dessert with just the right amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips, toasted pecans and oat cookie crumble.

Baked in a pie plate then cut into wedges, there's nothing difficult about it. This would be a great recipe to make with a young baker or someone new to the kitchen.

Made with an egg white, oats and only 1 tablespoon of butter, this can't be that bad for you either!

We were so excited about a low fat, low calorie dessert that we were certain there was room for ice cream. And wouldn't you know this granola cookie paired perfectly with our Brown Sugar Bourbon Ice Cream. Funny how things just work out so well.

Chocolate Chip Granola Cookie Wedges
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg white
1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray (I used Pam)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, oil, butter, vanilla, salt, baking soda and egg white. Blend until combined and smooth. Add the flour, oats, pecans and chocolate chips. Stir just until combined.

Press the cookie dough evenly into a 9-inch glass pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake for 13 minutes or until the center is set. Cool on a rack, then cut into 8 wedges.

(Adapted from a recipe published in the April 2013 Cooking Light Magazine)

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I hope you're not tired of our Iceland pictures yet because I have a few more to post :) "Few" is a relative term and it can mean 2 ... or 3 ... or a hundred. Just saying. Even though I love traveling, especially with my husband, it's good to be home too.

Monday rolled around again and it's off to work I go. Hope you have a terrific day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

An Adventure in Iceland - Part II

2013-05-01T21:11:00.000-04:00

Our first day in Iceland was very cold, windy and rainy. Day two we were blessed with perfect weather - a light breeze, some clouds and warm sun. The beautiful weather helped make our guided tour an adventure to remember.

We found a great deal through Icelandair offering a unique and adventurous Volcano Tour, a Glacier Walk, and a guided off-road super Jeep excursion through volcanic landscapes - including the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano that famously erupted two years ago. The tour also included waterfalls and black sand beaches. In addition to the daylong excursion our package included airfare and our stay at the four star Hilton Nordica in Reykjavik.

On the day of the Glacier walk and tour, our guide picked us up at the hotel at 8:00 a.m. and we set out to enjoy the sites.

Waterfalls such as this can be seen all over the island. Many have private homes and farms at the base so they must get pretty tired of the tourists stopping for photos.

I'm not an expert but am pretty sure this is a volcano. If I had to guess I think this is the famous Eyjafjallajokull volcano that disrupted air travel all over Europe in 2010.

We continued on our journey stopping to see glaciers along the way. I believe this is the Gigjokull glacier complete with an ice cave at the bottom.

I love having perspective for landscape photos so look for the tiny people on the bottom left of the photo. One is dressed in red and another in blue. Big glacier, big mountain!

Sometimes pictures just can't fully show the awesome power of nature.

We headed out to the next stop - the Solheimajokull glacier. The Icelandic word for glacier is jökull so if you're not sure if it's a mountain or glacier - check the spelling!

Here's our little tour group getting ready to ford the rivers and head to the glacier.

Our guides let a little air out of the tires to help.

I think we're ready!

They do a great job of giving the tourists a little excitement!

A big splash and we're on our way.

Our guide told us the rivers continue to change all the time - they aren't always sure where to cross :)

At the last volcanic eruption the whole area was underwater from the melting glacier and snow. Several bridges were taken out but nobody died as a result of this eruption.

We arrived at the Solheimajokull glacier and received instruction from the expert. We put crampons on our boots and started hiking up the tongue of the glacier.

We hiked single file not venturing off the designated path. Our guide was full of great information and gave a fascinating history of the area. I also found it very interesting that Icelanders do not pronounce the letter "V" as a "V". They use a "W" instead so a Valley is a Walley and a Viking is a Wiking. It took a few minutes to figure out what a Walley was - but we got it (finally)!!!

Snow will often cover large crevasses so it would be very easy to fall into a deep hole.

Here's our friends Jim and Shannon. We asked what we need to do with the ice axes and they told us it made for good photos. Check out the crampons on their boots.

Look at all these nice Icelandic manly men! They were very nice and passionate about their country and it's natural resources.

We had one extra young man in our vehicle. This is Dave from Australia (on the left.) He is a fourth generation organic cattle rancher in Queensland and spends his days mustering the cows. He was traveling alone in Iceland taking day tours then heading to Belgium for three weeks. What a great guy! He was also staying at our hotel so he had dinner and a few breakfasts with our group. Come visit us in the US anytime Dave!

Dave posing with his ice ax :)

And this was our guide for the day - Asgeir Asgeirsson. Another great guy who spoke perfect English. Asgeir said he started learning English in school when he was about 8 years old. We peppered him all day with questions about the economy, life in Iceland, his family, etc. He was a great sport and didn't seem to mind our fascination with his Country. Asgeir said tourism has increased 20% in the last few years so tours such as this are becoming very popular.

After our glacier hike we were treated to a wonderful lunch at a small farm and hotel named Anna. We enjoyed a traditional Icelandic bowl of meat soup with warm homemade bread and pitchers of their wonderful, clean, cold water. The meat soup is made with lamb and they also offered a tomato based soup for those who may be vegetarian.

Hearty and flavorful, this soup was loaded with parsnips, potatoes, carrots, lamb and barley. Delicious!

Next on the tour were two beautiful waterfalls. This is the Skogarfoss Waterfall complete with a rainbow!

The water is so clean in Iceland you can drink right from the streams.

This enormous waterfall is one of the most famous in Iceland - named Seljalandfoss (Foss in Icelandic means Falls) See the tiny people on the right - they are going to walk behind the falls.

I bet they get wet!

Shot from behind the falls. Absolutely beautiful!

Jim and Shannon got a little wet too :)

After touring the falls we jumped back in the vehicles and headed to the North Atlantic coast.

Here we saw beautiful black volcanic beaches and a roaring surf.

Not exactly the same beaches you see in Florida but unbelievably beautiful.

Our guide offered us a drink of their traditional schnapps - Brenniven (a/k/a black death). He brought out small glasses and a bottle and we toasted our completely awesome day!

If you find yourself in Iceland and would like a tour of waterfalls, glaciers and a black volcanic beach, we highly recommend our guide - Asgeir Asgeirsson. You can find them on Facebook or at www.2iceland.is. Be sure to ask for Asgeir - he was awesome!

Please check back again for more photos of our trip and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

An Adventure in Iceland - Part 1

2013-04-30T21:09:00.000-04:00

As with any great adventure far, far away from home one must start the traveling portion. "Traveling" husband and I set out to Reykjavik, Iceland from Washington DC along with our good friends Shannon and Jim. Between the four of us we had an enormous amount of luggage but amazingly they let us all on the plane anyway. We took off from Dulles International Airport at 8:40 p.m. heading northeast. We flew over Philadelphia and continued north to Canada before taking a right to Iceland.

Iceland is 4 hours ahead of the East Coast and since the flight was only 5 hours we arrived on the cloud covered island at 6:00 a.m. Nothing like two hours of sleep on a crowded plane to get your day started! But who cares when you're on vacation?

We picked up our rental car and checked into the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica hotel and enjoyed a wonderful buffet breakfast. We quickly discovered Skyr and I declared it my new favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product similar in taste to strained yogurt but it's actually a fresh acid-set cheese. Skyr is low in fat, high in protein and has been part of the Icelandic cuisine or over a thousand years. I LOVED it! It tastes a lot like Greek yogurt - delicious!

We set up the Garmin, jumped in the rental car and headed out to see the sights. Yup - I have no idea how to say the name on the screen - good thing most Icelanders speak English!

It was rainy and cold but we all over-packed and came prepared for any kind of weather.

The first stop of the day was the Geysir Hot Springs. This is one of Iceland's most famous tourist attractions, (pronounced GAY-zeer) and is the original hot-water spout after which all other geysers around the world are named.

This geyser is named Stokkur and it erupts every 6-8 minutes. The entire area is covered with smaller colorful springs, bubbling pools with steam vents where geothermally heated water emerges from the ground at 100 degrees.

A short distance from the Geysir is Iceland's most famous waterfall - Gullfoss which means Golden Falls.

Gullfoss has a fascinating history and is absolutely beautiful!

See the tiny people on the bottom left? This is a huge waterfall and very loud. The wind must have been 40 miles an hour that day - very, very cold!

The weather started to clear and we headed up the road to the Kerid Volcanic Crater. There is a tiny person standing on the left of the water. Everything seems so big in Iceland!

We drove back to Reykjavik stopping along the way to gaze at the mountains, glaciers, hot springs and the North Atlantic Ocean.

We had dinner at the Eldsmidjan Pizzeria in downtown Reykjavik.

The pizza was fantastic and did not disappoint. Apparently Icelanders love pizza and hot dogs - so we tried both at the recommendation of a friend who vacationed in Iceland last fall.

During the dead of winter Iceland has only two hours of daylight. So naturally the summer months are quite the opposite with only two hours of dark/night. While we were on the island the sun came up about 4:00 a.m. and didn't go dark until almost 11:00 p.m. This photo looks like it was taken early in the day - but it was this bright at almost 10:00 p.m.!

I had a major camera malfunction early in the trip so most of the photos were taken by my husband. I was sick about my camera but started using my iPhone so stay tuned for more photos from both of us! Day two was beautiful full of fun, sun and adventure with glaciers, waterfalls, black beaches, a traditional Icelandic lunch and new friends. I'll get those photos posted as soon as possible but now I need to drag my jet-lagged, tired old self to bed. Please check back soon for day 2 and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce

2013-04-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes being bad can be oh-so-good! (I'm channeling my inner-southern girl today.) This slippery slope may have been inspired by a recent episode of Paula Dean and Tricia Yearwood frying up hush puppies; maybe it was David Lebovitz posting Hooter's Onion Rings from Paris; or maybe it was the thought of cooking with beer. Whatever it was, we did it, we ate it, and we loved it. I don't often fry but if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right.

I've been collecting onion ring recipes for a long, long time. My husband asked me to make some a year ago so see honey, I didn't forget! He claims to be some sort of onion ring connoisseur having eaten them from coast to coast.

Being an organized recipe hoarder really helps when you're looking for inspiration. I pulled out my pile and researched recipes looking for just the right combination of spices and ingredients. A full flavored beer that is also light and crisp made all the difference.

Don't skimp on the freshly ground pepper - it seals the deal on these flavorful bites of sweet onion. Traveling husband declared these delicious with a nice, slightly spicy beer batter. Well bless your heart and thank ya honey ;)

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Onion Rings

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, divided

1 cup beer (I used Stella Artois, a Belgium imported beer)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 small to medium sweet onions, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch thick rings

1 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce

Peanut oil for cooking the onion rings

Mix 1 cup of flour, black pepper, Cayenne, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the beer and Sriracha sauce and blend until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a large, high sided skillet or saucepan, heat 2 inches of peanut oil until hot - about 350 - 370 degrees.

Add the remaining flour to a large zip lock bag, bowl or plate and toss the sliced onions rings in the flour. Dip the onion rings in the batter and fry in small batches taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until they browned on both sides and remove to a rack lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve immediately.

Special Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight for all the flavors to blend. Serve with rings, burgers, or chicken. Adjust Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce according to taste.

(Onion rings adapted from The Hooters Cookbook via David Lebovitz and the Sauce recipe was slightly adapted from one posted on Allrecipes)

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We're still on our vacation adventure far, far away so please forgive me for not being able to visit your beautiful blogs this week. I'm not sure how easily we'll be able to access the Internet so I promise to catch up next week. I can't wait to share our adventure photos with you!

Have a lovely weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Coconut Tapioca with Lemon Curd

2013-04-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've had tapioca since I was a kid but remember eating it warm with a dollop of whipped cream on top. I also remember how it can become almost like gelatin, springy to the touch. The flavor is mild and the pudding usually served slightly sweet. I had some leftover lemon curd and wanted to add it to a small dessert and coconut tapioca seemed perfect.

What is tapioca anyway? Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root native to Brazil. The plant has since expanded to all of South America. Tapioca puddings are often served with Asian cuisine and is used world-wide as a thickening agent. Add a small amount of Tapioca to thicken fruit pies and you have a naturally gluten free alternative to wheat flour. Don't limit it's use to just desserts and fruit pies, give it a try to thicken soups or other main dish recipes.

Typically made with eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar this small pearl Tapioca was delicious cooked in coconut milk as well. While I serve mine with lemon curd, this would be great on top of macerated fruit or any other flavor of curd. I think mango would be great with the coconut - yum. However you serve the tapioca, be sure to dig the spoon all the way down to the bottom of the glass and get a bite of both. So perfect together!

Coconut Tapioca with Lemon Curd

1/4 cup small pearl organic tapioca
1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
dash of salt
1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Lemon, lime, or orange curd (available in many grocery stores in the jam and jelly section)
I used my homemade Lemon Curd Recipe

Bring the coconut milk, water, salt and tapioca to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes stirring often. Add the sugar and cook another 5 minutes. Fold in the shredded coconut, cover and chill. To serve, spoon the lemon curd in the bottom of a small glass and top with tapioca pudding. Garnish with toasted coconut if desired.

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Try adding a little vanilla or coconut extract too. This is one of those recipes you can't mess up. Explore and enjoy! I would buy the organic version of the small pearl tapioca - I've been hearing things about the tapioca pearls used in bubble tea, etc.

Well we're off on a great big adventure this week! I don't think we'll have Internet access on a regular basis so I'll catch up on my blog reading when we get back. I love vacation! I have another post scheduled for later this week so it will be like I'm still here! Also please check back next week for vacation / adventure photos! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Vegetable Nicoise Salad

2013-04-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

I can see where you'd think I love everything I cook, make, bake, blend, saute, grill or boil. But nothing could be farther from the truth. I have plenty of kitchen flubs, duds and failures ... but this is not one of them. With a little prep work anybody can make this wonderfully fresh and delicious salad. I love looking across the platter trying to pick out those bright morsels to put on my plate. I'll take a few of each please!

A traditional Nicoise salad is filled with tomatoes, green beans, mixed greens, topped with tuna, drizzled with a vinaigrette and is often served with eggs and olives. I served mine with olives too but realized I left them off the platter after we started eating. You'll just have to image those pretty kidney beans are really kalamata olives.

Julia Child tweaked the Nicoise Salad in her own special way to include potatoes, shallots and artichoke hearts and went on to make the salad famous among many home cooks. Think "lightly cooked vegetables dressed with a fresh vinaigrette" and use your imagination. I can't wait until our garden tomatoes are ready and I'll make this again!

This vegetable version of the Nicoise salad is served with kidney beans and eggs for added protein but would also be terrific served with canned or grilled tuna.

Was it good? Nope ... it was a great! A terrific satisfying meal as fresh as springtime.

Vegetable Nicoise Salad

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup olive oil
1//4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the salad:
1 lb small red potatoes, halved
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/2 lb fresh green beans
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large shallot, sliced thin
1 bunch romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn into large pieces
6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and quartered
1 can (15 oz) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Cook the red potatoes in water until tender, about 15 minutes depending on size. Drain and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Toss and set aside.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in the same saucepan used to cook the red potatoes. Add the asparagus and cook for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove the asparagus with tongs and immediately dunk the spears in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and place on a paper towel lined plate to dry.

Bring the water to a boil again and add the green beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove the green beans and dunk in ice water. Drain and add them to the paper towel lined plate to dry with the asparagus

In a small bowl combine the drained and rinsed kidney beans and the sliced shallot. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Set aside.

In another small bowl toss the artichoke hearts with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Toss the asparagus and green beans in 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Toss the lettuce leaves with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and arrange them on a platter or individual serving dishes. Arrange the vegetables, kidney beans, eggs, artichoke hearts and olives over the lettuce. Serve with any left over vinaigrette and enjoy!

(adapted from a recipe in the April / May 2012 Taste of Home Magazine)

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This may seem like a lot of steps but it comes together so quickly you'll be surprised. This is a special meal filled with healthy vegetables and protein. I hope you get the chance to make it soon - you won't be disappointed.

Reminder: Google is retiring their Google Reader program effective July 1, 2013. Be sure to sign up for email notifications for my posts so you don't miss a thing! We have a lot planned this summer and I don't want to do it without you. I know I can't say this enough, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to spend with me. My heart is filled with gratitude and I'm thrilled to call you my blog friends.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Madeleine Cookies

2013-04-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

Madeleines originated in France and have a distinctive shell-like shape. They are sometimes eaten plain, dusted with confectioners' sugar or iced. They're really a small sponge cake made with a genoise cake batter that is very light and delicate. I think they would be great served with a drizzle of liqueur and topped with fruit and whipped cream, but they are terrific all by themselves.

This cake/cookie batter is one of the easiest I've ever made and the recipe comes together in minutes. Using basic pantry ingredients it requires very little effort.

The batter is somewhat thick and fluffy, just like sponge cake.

I found a pan on sale at Macy's for about $10. Since this is a non-stick cookie pan I could have probably skipped the flour dusting but be sure to brush each mold with melted butter before filling.

I experimented with the baking time and found I preferred a softer Madeleine but my husband liked those that were a little more crusty. Something for everybody!

Madeleine Cookies

Madeleine Cookies

(lightly adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine, January 2000)

2 eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 pinch salt

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly plus 1 extra tablespoon for buttering the pan

Confectioners' Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour the madeleine pan and set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar together until a pale ribbon forms. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Add the flour and mix just until blended. Gradually drizzle the cooled melted butter in a steady stream just until blended.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each form in the pan. Bake until puffed and browned - about 8-9 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and repeat the process, buttering and flouring the pan.

Sift confectioners' sugar on top of cooled Madeleines and serve. Makes 24 cookies

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It's amazing how quickly Monday rolls around. Time really flies anymore. We've got a busy week ahead, how about you? Are you doing yard work? Planning a vacation? Planting your summer flower beds? I hope you've had some good weather lately. Be sure to stop back by later this week I have a wonderful vegetable salad recipe you won't want to miss! Have a lovely week and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Wine Poached Chicken, Pear and Walnut Salad

2013-04-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

There are so many wonderful flavors going on in this salad. Have you ever tried something and thought about it many times hoping you have the chance to make it again? This salad is not just a salad, it's a perfect meal. I am smitten, in love, and head over heals with this dish! I'm already a fan of chicken, walnuts, pears and cheese so naturally I will make this again, and again, and maybe again :)

Wine poached chicken is perfect for salads but you can also use it as a topping for pizza, in a panini, mixed in chicken salad or any other dish where you would normally use pre-cooked chicken breasts. I poached several extra chicken breasts to use during the week and was thrilled with the tender, moist texture and rich flavor. Using skinless, boneless chicken breasts makes it easy and low fat. Combined with Bosc pears that are naturally sweet, full of fiber and very filling, this is a totally satisfying surprise.

Dressed simply with red wine vinegar and olive oil this recipe is a keeper! Be careful not to drench the salad in dressing, it just doesn't need it. Sorry to be so effusive but the accolades are well deserved. Delicious indeed!

Wine Poached Chicken, Pear and Walnut Salad

(adapted from a recipe in Whole Living, October 2011)

For the Wine Poached Chicken:

2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I poached 4 reserving two for later use)

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, or coarsely ground pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 cups dry white wine

a few springs of fresh Thyme

a few springs of fresh Rosemary

For the Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

For the salad:

4 large escarole leaves, washed and torn

1 Bosc pear, sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 ounce shaved Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

To poach the chicken combine the wine, herbs, and peppercorns in a high-sided frying pan, braiser or saute pan. Make sure the wine will almost cover the chicken breasts so use a pan that is just about large enough to fit them in one layer. Bring the wine mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Add the chicken breasts and poach (not boil), turning once, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow the chicken to rest in the wine liquid and finish cooking for about 15 more minutes. Remove the chicken, slice or shred as desired and enjoy it warm or refrigerate for later use.

Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Whisk until combined. Drizzle half the vinaigrette over the sliced chicken breasts. Divide the escarole leaves, pear, shallot and walnuts among four plates. Top with the chicken and cheese.

Season with salt and pepper if desired and drizzle lightly with remaining vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4

Note: Chicken breasts may be poached in any flavorful broth instead of wine. Fortify the poaching liquid with left over vegetables and herbs.

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We're working in the garden this week. We've planted seeds, pulled weeds, tilled the raised beds, turned the compost, and we're getting pretty excited! I hope it all grows so I can post another summer of 'Garden to Table posts.' We'll keep you posted on the progress of our herbs, squash, tomatoes, Bok Choy, Arugula and some other fun stuff. Have a lovely weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Warm Black and Blueberry Sauce

2013-04-08T04:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes all you need is a light hint of dessert. It doesn't have to be over-the-top decadent rich or super sweet. That's why this warm black and blueberry sauce is almost perfect. Spoon it over plain Greek yogurt for a tangy protein packed simple dessert, or maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream smothered in this lovely berry deliciousness.

This versatile tart and lightly sweet sauce would be great on Angel food or pound cake. Oh heck this would be great on a biscuit or pancake. I bet you'll find something to put it on!

Greek Yogurt with Warm Black and Blueberry Sauce

Warm Black and Blueberry Sauce
(adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine, July 2011)
2/3 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2/3 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter

In a small saucepan combine the berries, water, sugar and lemon juice. Heat on medium until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Serve warm spooned on plain Greek Yogurt, ice cream, biscuits or pancakes.

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If you love fruit sauces, be sure to check out this easy and delicious Very Blueberry Sauce.

Or this smooth Raspberry Sauce ...

or this lovely Blackberry Sauce!

I don't about you guys but I am loving this sneak peek of spring we enjoyed this weekend. Glorious, gorgeous, warm and breezy - I am in heaven. We worked in the garden and planted some herbs and turned the compost pile. It felt so good to be outside. Yum! I just couldn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen and wanted something fresh and sweet to top off the weekend. Fruit sauces are always a good choice! I hope you'll make one and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Have a terrific week and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Lemon Macarons with Limoncello Buttercream

2013-04-01T20:28:00.001-04:00

I was very excited to make these Lemon Macarons with Limoncello Buttercream filling. I love the thin crisp layer on the outside, the little feet that form around the bottom and the soft, sweet middle characteristic of a good French Macaron. And I love that they're not hard to make but you have to find that happy spot where the batter is not too thin, and not too thick. My previous attempt (Chocolate Macarons) were a little under-mixed and could have used a few more turns of the spatula; these could have used a few less stirs. Third times the charm!

I thought these were really good but had to ~~get them out of the house~~ share or risk my jeans getting that much tighter, and tight jeans on me is not the same as tight jeans on Jillian Michaels. I shared these with some friends and co-workers and the feedback was terrific - "Ohhhh's, ahhhh's, fantastic, a huge hit, super lemony, better than expected, above and beyond good, a surprisingly delicious treat and my favorite - friggin' awesome!" Maybe they were a little overly effusive in hopes the treats keep coming their way, or maybe not! I think these are terrific and there is no doubt I will make them again.

Here's a few tips I found useful when making macarons:

Set the egg whites out in a covered dish and allow them to 'age' at room temperature overnight;
Draw circles using a biscuit or cookie cutter on a piece of parchment paper. Trace the circles with a dark marker and flip the paper over, ink side down. Pipe the batter into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet;
After piping the batter rap the baking sheet hard against the counter or other hard surface to bust the air bubbles;
Allow the piped cookies to rest at room temperature for about an hour before baking. This helps create the crispy top; and
Once you have folded in all the ingredients, take your time in blending the batter. You want a smooth silky texture but not too runny. Spoon a little batter on top of the rest and see if it stays in a lump or if it slowly incorporates back into the rest of the batter. If it smooths out after about 45 - 60 seconds, the batter is perfect. If not, fold it a few more times checking after turn;
As with making any meringue, it is best to make them when the weather is less humid. A bright sunny day is best - no rain!

I did not add food coloring so they may not look very lemony. Even so, they are surprisingly tart, creamy and sweet. You'll never regret learning how to make macarons!

Lemon Macarons with Limoncello Buttercream

(base macaron recipe adapted from Bravetart - check out Stella's step by step instructions - she gives lots of great tips)

For the macarons:

4 ounces almond flour (sift before measuring)
8 ounces confectioners' sugar
5 ounces egg whites, room temperature, aged overnight
2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For the Limoncello Buttercream:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons Limoncello liqueur
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
a drop or two of pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (more or less as needed for desired consistency)

The night before: Separate the egg whites and place in a covered container. Allow them to sit at room temperature overnight. Zest 1 lemon and spread the zest on a paper plate or paper towel. Allow it to dry overnight.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (circles traced for easy piping).

Sift together the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside

In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Turn the mixer to medium (speed 4 on a Kitchen Aid) and whip for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high (speed 7) and beat another 3 minutes. Turn the mixer up to 8 and beat another 3 minutes.

Add the lemon juice (and paste food color if using) and whip for one more minute on high speed. You should now have a very stiff, dry meringue. The whisk attachment will hold a large clump of meringue in the center. If not continue beating for a minute at a time until it does. Remove the meringue from the whisk attachment and set the whisk aside. Add the dry ingredients all at once and fold them in with a rubber spatula. Gently fold until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and you have a shiny smooth batter. If you spoon some out and drop it back into the mix, it should blend back into the remaining batter within about 45-60 seconds. If it remains as a dollop on top, fold the batter a few more times.

Spoon some of the batter into a piping bag fit with a 1/2 inch round tip. Pipe the batter into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet. Stop piping before the circle is filled as it will spread a little on its own.

Rap the baking sheet firmly on the counter or floor to remove any air bubbles. Allow the macarons to sit at room temperature for 60 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until you can peel the parchment paper away cleanly. If you pick up a macaron and the top comes off, it's not done. Remove the parchment paper to a cooling rack and cool completely before filling.

For the buttercream:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy. Add the Limoncello, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend another minute or until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth.

Pipe the Buttercream in mounds onto half the macarons. Top with the other halves and twist to distribute. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow them to rest a room temperature about a hour before serving.

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I hope you'll give them a try soon. They are fun, delicious little cookies. Hope you have a lovely week - thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Lemon Blondies

2013-03-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

I bet you can't believe I'm posting another lemon dessert. Yes I bought too many lemons and won't stop until they're all gone. But seriously - this is a perfect, easy treat to make with those (pesky) extra lemons. The texture is moist but a little more dense than traditional cake. Topped off with an easy, lemony glaze this dessert takes minutes to put together. It will certainly satisfy your lemon cravings without breaking the bank. Double the recipe and you have a pan big enough to share at your next pot luck!

Lemon juice, lemon zest and confectioners' sugar is all you need for the glaze. Whisk and drizzle, that's it. Sounds like a good name for a dessert bar or donut shop - The Whisk and Drizzle. Ohhh I could make lemon glazed donuts! Maybe I should stick with a nice piece of fish and give it a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Perfect with afternoon tea on a cold spring day. Can you believe it's snowing as I type this? We had snow last week too. Spring has not yet arrived in Virginia.

I used my base Blondie recipe adding fresh lemon juice and zest. I've seen Lemon Brownies before but there's nothing "brown" about these. They are light, bright, fresh and oozing with lemon citrus.

Won't they look great on your Easter dessert table? Oh I have another lemon recipe to post next week. I made lemon macarons too. I'm not much into food coloring so you'll have to take my word on this one. They are lemon-licious!

Lemon Blondies

Lemon Blondies
(base recipe adapted from July 2005 edition of Cooks Illustrated)
For the Blondie:
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
(this can be doubled if you prefer more glaze)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a length of parchment paper to fit an 8x8 baking pan allowing the paper to come up to the top of the pan on two opposite sides. Cut to trim the excess above the edge of the pan. Cut another sheet to fix in the opposite direction also trimming at the top of the pan. Set aside.

Whisk 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder and salt together in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a medium medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Blend in the lemon juice and lemon zest just until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients until blended. Do not over-mix.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 22-24 minutes. The edges will start to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.

Lift the cooled Blondies out of the pan using the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over the Blondies and spread until the top is covered. Slice and serve. Store leftovers in a cool location in an airtight container.

Makes 16 Lemon Blondies

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If you're looking for other Blondie or Brownie recipes - you may like these:

Browned Butter Bourbon Blondies
Chocolate Brownies (Gluten Free)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Crab Mac-N-Cheese

2013-03-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Baked Crab Macaroni and Cheese. Not a combination I would have ever come up with, but nevertheless it is amazing. I had macaroni and cheese on my 'culinary bucket list' and began the research for a better than average recipe to get me started. I got a little side tracked when I read the reviews for this recipe - "beyond restaurant quality" and " very impressive" receiving nothing less than five stars from each reviewer.

I was intrigued and decided this was worth a try. Virginia is all about crabs and if you can find yourself a born-and-raised Virginian, they might show you how to cook and eat them like a native. Well thank goodness this recipe uses canned crab meat - so now you can make it too! My son said it was amazing and everybody loved it. It was even great leftover the next day. This recipe is a keeper and absolutely blog-worthy!

Baked Crab Mac-N-Cheese

Crab Mac-N-Cheese

(adapted from a recipe by Jodiemo as posted on Tasty Kitchen)

1/2 pound Macaroni pasta

3 slices loaf bread (I didn't have any bread so I used a small bagel - worked great!)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 3/4 cup milk

1 cup half and half

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

2 cups medium Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 cup Fontina Cheese, grated

2 cans (6 ounces each) Crab Meat, drained

(I used Fancy Lump Crab Meat - found in the aisle near the Tuna Fish in your local grocery store)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions for 5-7 minutes or until it is a little soft but underdone. Drain and rinse the pasta and set aside.

Process the bread in a food processor until it forms small crumbs. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Add the parsley, garlic powder, Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the crumbs and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the milk and cream and set aside. In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and heat until bubbly. Continuing whisking and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk mixture, whisking continuously until smooth. Cook until the milk has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cayenne, Old Bay, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cheese until melted. Check seasonings and add salt if needed.

In a large bowl combine the pasta, cheese sauce and crab meat together taking care not to break up all the crab lumps. Butter or lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Pour the macaroni and cheese into the casserole dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the top is brown and macaroni is bubbly. If the topping browns too quickly cover loosely with foil.

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Yummy stuff. It may be spring in Virginia but they're calling for more snow tonight and Monday. We had just enough time to sneak in this wonderful warm, comforting casserole before the weather changes. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Limoncello Cupcakes

2013-03-18T08:12:00.002-04:00

Limoncello infused cupcakes with a tart, lemon curd filling - the only thing that makes them better is the limoncello buttercream frosting! This is an amazing dessert perfect for your Easter get-together. Do you want to know more? Maybe get the recipe? You'll have to head over to the The Cafe Sucre Farine where I'm guest posting today. Chris has a new baby granddaughter and I was thrilled to be able fill in while she burped, snuggled, ooooogled, coo'd and diapered beautiful little Emery.

I hope you'll stop over and check out Chris's amazing recipes, beautiful photos and terrific stories. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Hot Cross Buns

2013-03-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, my husband finds new recipes fascinating and often asks about it's history or origin. He asked me why these are called Hot Cross Buns and if they had Christian heritage. I thought he was asking about the cross on the buns but what he really wanted to know is why they are called "Hot" Cross Buns. Are they a "hot" commodity meaning hard to find, get 'em while you can? Are they "hot" as in spicy? Or are they served "hot" from the oven?

I tried very hard to find an answer but could not supply him with a definitive reference. So my answer is "they were hot when they came out of the oven" or at least that's the story I'm sticking with.

While researching this recipe I also came across the lyrics to the nursery rhyme dating back to 1798 London.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!

One ha' penny, two ha' penny,

Hot cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons

One ha' penny,

Two ha' penny

Hot Cross buns

In addition to this catchy nursery rhyme (which I vaguely remember from my childhood) I was able to confirm that in many Christian countries buns are traditionally eaten hot during Lent through Good Friday with the cross serving as a reminder and symbol of the Crucifixion.

I love working with yeast and am very fond of this recipe. It's easy and seems to be almost full-proof. By adding yeast to a warm milk and sugar mixture it will activate and "bloom" the yeast. Make sure the milk is not too hot as it will kill the yeast and prevent your dough from rising. An inexpensive instant-read thermometer is a great kitchen tool and perfect for this purpose.

After about 10 minutes the yeast has bloomed and activated and is ready to work.

Brush on an egg wash before baking to give the buns a nice shiny exterior.

Be sure the buns cool completely before icing. I opened the kitchen window to let the cool breeze help speed up the process. I couldn't wait to try one, they smell heavenly.

Pipe on a little simple icing and serve!

I love the orange zest and spice combination. These buns are flavor packed, slightly sweet and an absolute treat. English folklore says that buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or mold during the coming year. I don't know about you but these won't last that long in our house! I guess we'll never know.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns
(adapted from a recipe on Simply Recipes)

Buns:
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm whole milk, divided (about 100 degrees on an instant read thermometer)
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup currants (or any combination of currants, raisins or candied citrus peel)
2 teaspoons finely granted orange zest

Egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole milk or cream

Icing:
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon whole milk or cream

Directions:
In a small bowl add 1/4 cup warm milk. Make sure the milk is about 100-105 degrees using an instant read thermometer. If the milk is not warm enough the yeast will not bloom quickly, if the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast and not rise. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the warm milk and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir slightly. Allow the milk and yeast to rest at room temperature until foamy - about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl for a stand mixer whisk together 3 cups of flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and 1/4 cup of sugar. Create a well in the flour and add the bloomed yeast mixture, butter, eggs, and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Using the paddle attachment mix the dough until well blended. The mixture will be a bit sticky. Add the currants, raisins and orange zest. Mix until blended.

Switch the paddle attachment for a dough hook. Knead the dough on low speed while slowly adding the additional 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead well after each addition until the dough is slightly sticky but does not stick to your fingers.

Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and/or tea towels. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot free from drafts for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Press down the dough gently and form it into a log. Cut the log in half and then each half into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball pulling the sides down to the bottom pinching it together to seal. This will help create a smooth top to each bun. Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise again until the buns have doubled in size - about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the egg wash by lightly whisking the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Brush each bun with the egg wash taking care to completely cover each one evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Remove and allow the buns to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Whisk the confectioners sugar and milk together until smooth. Adjust by adding addition sugar a tablespoon at a time until you have a thick icing that will not run. Pipe the icing on each bun to make a cross. Serve and enjoy!

Makes: 16 Hot Cross Buns

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These were a big hit and will be in our annual rotation from now on. Making Hot Cross Buns is a lovely Easter tradition and sweet reminder of our Lord's sacrifice on the Cross. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Key Lime Pie Gelato

2013-03-10T20:06:00.000-04:00

I'm really getting into this homemade ice cream thing. I love my ice cream maker and have never been disappointed with the end product. I wish I could fully describe the flavor difference between homemade and store bought. Some brands are tremendously better than others - so if you're not going to make it yourself spend the extra bucks and get the good stuff.

Since I love to bake and make desserts, we never have pre-packaged cookies and cakes in our house. I don't think I could go back to mass produced desserts now that I know what a real treat tastes like. If we're going to save room for dessert, I want it to be worth it. And this Gelato? So worth it.

Citrus is still readily available in our grocery stores but soon Key limes and juicy oranges will be harder to find. A big bag of Key limes just happened to jump in my cart the other day and it wasn't difficult to decide what I wanted to make. Key Lime Pie is at the top of our list as a favorite pie but I had never heard of Key lime ice cream or Gelato.

The idea came to me when I made these Graham Crackers and found Key limes in the store. After researching I found several recipes that called for sweetened condensed milk as part of the base. I didn't want to use the exact same ingredients as Key Lime Pie so I went with a vanilla base Gelato and added Key lime juice, zest and a graham cracker swirl. All I can say is wow - I am very fond of this recipe!

This Gelato is creamy, tangy, tart and sweet in each and every bite!

Serve in a glass rimmed with lime juice and sugar for a pretty presentation. Add a little zest on top and enjoy!

Key Lime Pie Gelato

1 tablespoon key lime zest

1 cup vanilla infused granulated sugar, divided

(I keep sugar in a jar with left over vanilla beans. The vanilla beans flavor the sugar in a subtle way that makes it perfect for this recipe. While this is nice - it is not necessary. Granulated sugar is just fine.)

2 cups whole milk
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 to 1/3 cup Key lime juice (about 10 limes - I used 1/3 cup but use less if you prefer a less tart flavor)
1 cup lightly crushed Graham Crackers

Combine 1 tablespoon Key lime zest in a bowl of a food processor with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Process until the zest is very fine. Place the zest and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add 2 cups of whole milk and cook on medium heat until the mixture reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and steep for 30 minutes.

While the milk is steeping, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a non-reactive medium bowl. Whisk until the eggs are foamy and slightly thickened. Set aside.

Put the steeping milk and zest mixture back on medium heat until it reaches 170 degrees stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Temper the eggs by pouring in a slow, steady stream of the hot milk while whisking continuously. Once all the hot milk has been added to the egg yolks, pour the new egg and milk mixture (custard) back in the saucepan. Heat on medium stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula until it reaches 185 degrees or is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Take care not to let the mixture boil. If needed, blend or emulsify the custard if it is not smooth.

In a separate clean, large glass or stainless steel bowl, add the heavy cream. Set the bowl over an ice bath and place a fine-mesh sieve over the cream.

Pour the heated custard through the sieve into the cold cream. Stir occasionally until the mixture is fully cooled. Add the lime juice and stir until combined. Remove the bowl from the ice bath and dry the bottom with a kitchen towel. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Process the Gelato in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer directions. Remove the Gelato from the ice cream maker and gently fold in or layer the crushed graham crackers. Store the Gelato in a sealed plastic container. I also lay a piece of plastic wrap on the Gelato surface to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze until set and ready to serve.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

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This Gelato sounds like something you'd normally have at the beach but Spring (and Spring Break vacation) is just around the corner! We had 6 inches of snow last week, and then it was about 65 degrees today. Fickled weather!

I hope you had a nice weekend and hope you have even a better week! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Graham Crackers

2013-03-04T21:25:00.002-05:00

If I was a new mom I think I'd be "that" mom. You know the one that makes everything from scratch starting with baby food. I would never buy soda and would try to avoid anything with preservatives. I mention soda because that seems to be the only thing I've successfully given up for over 4 years now. There is something about spending money on a completely artificial can of calories with absolutely no nutritive value that makes me crazy. And no ... beer is not the same thing - it's completely different. Don't even try to argue that one with me! It's medicinal. Period. End of discussion.

I made homemade graham crackers - which seems fitting since I'm now a "Gram." That's my new name or at least that's what my grandson will call me when he starts talking. Now that he can eat real food I thought I'd introduce him to graham crackers. He liked it.

The original recipe posted by Alton Brown called for graham flour. After searching three different grocery stores I gave up trying to find Graham Flour and used this whole wheat pastry flour - it worked perfectly.

I cut the crackers in several different designs before deciding I liked this one best. The original recipe mentions baking the crackers in one piece as pictured above. I preferred separating them so each one had a nice crunch on the edges.

The grams have a hint of cinnamon and a lightly sweet taste. They taste just like graham crackers - go figure! They are so easy to make, keep for weeks in an airtight container and are made with no preservatives - and they're delicious!

A glass of milk, a homemade graham cracker with a smear of Nutella - the perfect after school snack. It'll take you back to your childhood. Can I have a nap now?

And I got to use my rolling pin - and you know I love to roll out the dough.

Homemade Graham Crackers

Graham Crackers
(Slightly adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown, 2008, on Foodnetwork)
6 ounces whole wheat stone ground pastry flour (or graham flour)
6 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting rolling surface)
3 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and chilled
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

IN the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the honey, molasses, milk and vanilla. Process until the dough forms a ball. Remove to a large piece of plastic wrap and press into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Seal in the plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off about 1/3 of the refrigerated dough and place on a lightly dusted piece of parchment paper large enough to fit your baking sheet. Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to roll.

Rub AP flour on your rolling pin and roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Dust with additional AP flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Using cookie cutter, a square bar glass or a pastry wheel and a ruler, cut the crackers to a size close to 2 inches by 2 inches. Using a fork press poke holes all over the top of the dough. Separate each cracker on the baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned on the edges, about 10-15 minutes. (Check after 10 minutes as cooking time will vary depending on how thick or thin the dough was rolled.)

Remove to a rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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I used my scale and the weight measurements above instead of converting to cups, etc. I believe the weight is important here as each flour will come up a little different. If you feel the dough is too sticky add a tablespoon or two of AP flour and process again. The dough should be soft but not wet. I did not test with graham flour so you may want to stick with Alton's original measurements if you are able to find the product in your stores. For a sweeter snack sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking. No matter which flour you use - be sure to put these on your list of good things to bake! I've saved a few for another recipe to post next week so stay tuned.

We're supposed to get 10 inches of snow tomorrow night and all day Wednesday. What-up with that? Winter has decided to make one last visit even though spring is just around the corner. Oh well - bring it old man winter - we'll just roast some marshmallows and put them on our grahams! And I guess we'll shovel some snow too :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Bacon, Beet and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese

2013-02-28T18:58:00.001-05:00

This lovely recipe comes from an interesting and wonderfully creative cookbook, The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook. I found it on the clearance rack at our newly opened Barnes & Noble. I was very excited to find it and embrace every opportunity to revisit our family trip to Ireland. Ireland is a beautiful country and the pubs are just fantastic. If you ever get the chance to go - start packing!

The original recipe calls for Cashel Blue cheese which is made near the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland. While this blue cheese may not be readily available in all grocery stores, a traditional farmhouse hard blue cheese such as Maytag Blue is a terrific substitution. Blue cheese + beets = wonderful!

Pick up 10-12 small beets for this recipe. I found these organic beets at a very reasonable price. Clean the beets leaving the root intact. Rub the beets lightly with olive oil and roast in a foil packet until tender.

While the beets are roasting combine the dressing ingredients in a small container and whisk until blended. Set aside.

Bake 6 strips of bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange the spinach on a serving platter or individual plates. Whisk the dressing again and spoon a little over the leaves. Arrange the beets on top and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Top with the blue cheese, chopped bacon and toasted hazelnuts. Finish with a little chopped chives and serve!

Clover near the cliffs on Slae Head Drive near Dingle Ireland

Bacon, Beet & Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese

(adapted from a recipe in The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook)

10-12 small beets, no more than 2 inches in diameter, roasted
6 strips of applewood smoked bacon, cooked until crisp, cut in bite size pieces
4 cups baby spinach
6 ounces Cashel Blue cheese or Maytag Blue, broken into small chunks
1/3 cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Dressing:
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the beets under cool running water. Remove the greens for another use but leave the root intact. Rub the beets with olive oil and wrap in a sealed foil packet. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and roast for 40-60 minutes or until the beets are tender. Allow the beets to cool at least 10 minutes, then gently remove the peel. Slice into fourths, set aside.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. While the beets are cooling bake 6 slices of bacon, turning once until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and blot to remove excess fat. Slice into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small pitcher. Set aside.

Arrange spinach leaves on a serving platter or 4 individual salad plates. Whisk the dressing again and spoon a little over the spinach leaves. Arrange the beets on top and pour the remaining dressing over them. Sprinkle each plate with blue cheese, bacon and nuts. Finish with chopped chives. Serve!

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Some salads are good and others are memorable. This one will become an instant favorite for you as it did for me. I can't wait to make it again! The tangy blue cheese is a crazy good compliment to the sweet beets. Add a little smokey, salty bacon, oh my!

I hope you have a lovely pre-spring weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Thin Mint Cookies

2013-02-25T19:34:00.001-05:00

A long, long time ago, I was a Girl Scout ... and a Brownie before that. And I bet if I got real serious I could find my old badges and sash. Yes I used to sell Girl Scout cookies and yes they've been around for a long, long time. But now I don't know any Girl Scouts and nobody asked me if I wanted to order cookies this year. What to do, what to do?

For almost a year I've seen a post for homemade Thin Mints on Sue's Blog - The View from Great Island. It's one of her most popular posts so it's always there, haunting me and taunting me, each time I pay her a visit. While I didn't use her recipe I was inspired by her beautiful cookies and wonderfully written post.

After researching several popular Thin Mint recipes I found they're all very similar and all look amazing. Deciding which recipe to use can be agonizing - ha ha. I recently made some wonderful Chocolate Wafer Cookies so I thought I'd go down my own path and adapt that recipe by omitting espresso powder. I rolled the cookies very thin to about 1/8 inch and used the Special Dark Cocoa Powder in the mix. If I remember correctly Thin Mints are a very dark chocolate cookie on the inside.

Most of my research found recipes recommending semi-sweet chocolate chips as the coating. But again I was thinking about the dark chocolate on the cookies I remembered. I went with dark chocolate chips for the coating and tested two different brands.

While the taste of the two different dark chocolate chips were very much the same, the dipping texture and final product was a little better with the Toll House Dark Chocolate Chips. The other brand I used was Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips. The Toll House morsels are full size chips and the Hershey's are mini's so I'm not sure if that made the difference in the melting factor.

These make lovely little gifts ready to pop in the freezer. The cookies are better kept in the refrigerator or freezer since the chocolate is not actually tempered to prevent melting on your fingers.

Are you ready for a stack in your freezer?

Be sure to check the peppermint and adjust the amount to your own taste. The recipe as written below seemed just about right to us!

Homemade Thin Mints

(the wafer cookies are based on a recipe by King Arthur Flour)

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Special Dark Chocolate Hershey's Cocoa (unsweetened)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (not spearmint)

2 to 4 cups dark chocolate chips

(Toll House Dark Chocolate Chips worked best for me. Note the wide range in the amount of chocolate chips. You can dip one side of the cookie and use about 2 cups or use 4 cups to cover the entire cookie. Honestly they were great either way.)

In a large mixing bowl beat the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. In a separate small bowl whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat until combined. Transfer the dough to a bag or cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick on a large piece of parchment or wax paper. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut dough into 2 inch rounds. Bake on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes. Since the cookies are a very dark chocolate it may be hard to tell if they are done. If you start to smell chocolate, the cookies are done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a deep 2-cup measuring cup. I always use the microwave melting instructions on the individual bag or label. Melt the chips at 50% power for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat using 50% power at 30 second increments until almost smooth. Stir until all chips are melted and add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Taste the chocolate and increase or decrease the extract depending on your preference. Dip a completely cooled cookie in the chocolate coating both sides. Using a large serving or meat fork, hold the chocolate covered cookie over the melted chocolate tapping gently to remove the excess. Slide the Thin Mint onto wax paper. Cool until the chocolate is set and refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve!

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Since I had an issue with my cat eating our lemon tart last week, I was watching him pretty close as he was sneaking around my photo shoot. Captain Cat is a funny, smart, slightly crazy full blooded Bengal, and he is a pretty big pain in the rear - but he sure is purdy!

He didn't go for the cookies but wanted to be involved in the set up.

It's in the eyes - he has beautiful eyes.

Hope you have a wonderful week - and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

Meyer Lemon Tart

2013-02-18T16:20:00.002-05:00

I am so relieved. I was starting to feel jinxed or not worthy or something equally unreasonable. Finally, after two years of searching my local grocery stores, I found Meyer Lemons. And, once again, I find myself feeling like the last one to the party - but trying to make a grand entrance!

Yes I got giddy (and maybe squealed ever so slightly) when I spied this pretty yellow bag. I clutched these fruits gently and placed them in my shopping cart, up front with me, where I could keep an eye on 'em. I found myself looking down reading those words over and over again - "The Chefs preference for desserts, beverages, main dishes and more!" Finally I will get to taste these magic yellow fruits for myself.

Look at these beautiful lemons! They're still fresh and slightly green at the tip. No blemishes or bruises, just perfect skin and soft juicy insides.

"Dandy Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. This unique fruit blends the traditional flavor of a lemon and the sweetness of an orange creating a refreshingly exceptional taste experience. It's rich, dark and aromatic juice is much sweeter than a conventional lemon making its distinctive flavor a favorite among gourmet cooks and dessert chefs." www.dudafresh.com

The hardest part was trying to decide what to make. I had one shot to make them shine and decided on a lemon tart where the flavor would be enhanced, not hidden. The crust is made with melted butter mixed with finely grated lemon zest, all purpose unbleached flour, a pinch of salt and a little sugar to round out the base ingredients. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown.

Mix the remaining sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch and the last of the lemon peel in a food processor until the zest is finely ground.

Whisk the sugar and zest mixture with the lightly whisked eggs. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Fold in 1/2 cup of whipped heavy cream. So simple! Pour the filling into the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the filing is just set in the middle.

I cut a few pieces for my son to take to work before I shot the photos. He was recently promoted and we're so proud and excited! That's not the only reason I had to cut the tart however. It seems while cooling my lovely Meyer Lemon Tart, our cat decided to sneak up on the counter-top and licked a big hole in the filling. I mean seriously - what kind of cat likes sugar, lemon and eggs? We only figured this out after I held an inquisition accusing everyone in the house of spooning out a taste of our perfectly beautiful dessert. Everyone knows not to eat the blog-able dishes until the pictures are done!

I want to shout out a special thank you to my lovely blog friend who lives out West for this absolutely beautiful, unique and special pie server she sent me as a Christmas gift. I couldn't wait to have the chance to use it - isn't it just gorgeous?

Despite the troubles I've had with Meyer Lemons, they certainly live up to the hype. They are sweet and tart and so fresh, juicy and delicious!

Meyer Lemon Tart

(slighted adapted from Luscious Lemon Desserts via Not So Humble Pie)

For the Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 pinch of salt
1 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar

For the Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1 pinch of salt
6 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 cup fresh Meyer Lemon juice (about 6 lemons, remove zest before juicing)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Confectioners' Sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in the microwave and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Set aside for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined. Add the butter and zest mixture slowly, pulsing until the ingredients are blended.

Pour the crust mixture into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the mixture using your fingertips evenly up the sides and on the bottom of the pan. (Make sure the crust goes to the top of the sides of the pan. The filling with rise to the edge of the top and you don't want it to over flow.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.

Combine 3/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon arrowroot and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest in the bowl of the food processor. Process until the zest is finely ground - about 2 or 3 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and lemon juice and whisk until smooth. In a small bowl beat the 1/2 cup of whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gently whisk the cream into the egg and sugar mixture until blended. Carefully pour the filling into the warm crust and bake for 25 minutes or until the center is just set.

Cool the tart completely and garnish with powdered sugar before serving.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

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I'm looking forward to a normal week. I was really sick last week and it feels great to be up and out again. I just hate being sick - it is the pits! Hope you all have a lovely healthy week and thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia