Twenty-Something Home

Thanksgiving Leftover Cooking: Cranberry-Orange Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:10:00 +0000

This recipe is from my great-grandmother. Great-grandmother recipes need no introduction because they are always good. My favorite thing about these muffins, aside from the taste, is that the batter is such a pretty pink!

2 cups flour (gluten free flour should work too!)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 - 3 cups leftover cranberry sauce (puréed) or raw relish. If you have no cranberry sauce or relish, finely chop 4-6 oz cranberries and add 1/2 a cup sugar.
1/4 cup butter, softened
one large egg
1/3 cup sugar (optional, muffins will be nice and tart without it)
orange juice as needed to moisten batter

1) Preheat oven to 350
2) Purée cranberry sauce (if not using a relish)

3) Mix together ingredients, no particular order necessary.
4) Spoon into a greased muffin tin.
5) Bake for 18-20 minutes

Delicious with pumpkin cream cheese!

Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:43:00 +0000

I have never been a huge fan of stuffing, but I really like this version. It's a great, comfortable combination of flavors that was popular with all ages last year.

· 6 T butter

· 1 large loaf of bread (gluten free if necessary), staled or cut into small pieces and baked until crisp

· 1 large onion

· 5 celery stalks

· salt & pepper

· ½ cup dry white wine

· 2 large, tart apples

· 1 cup dried cranberries

· 1 cup toasted pecan pieces

· 1 T thyme leaves

1) Stale your bread if you haven’t already by baking small pieces in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 10 minutes. While you’re at it, toast your pecan pieces (it’s easiest to Cuisinart chop them).

2) Cuisinart-chop your onion and sauté in the butter, salt and pepper until soft, about 10-12 minutes.

3) Cuisinart-chop the celery and hand-cut the apples and add to the pan.

4) Add wine and cook until the celery and apples are tender. Do not cook until dry – be sure there is still some liquid in the pan.

5) Turn off heat and cover.

6) Combine bread, cranberries, pecans and thyme.

7) Mix onion mixture with bread mixture.

8) If inserting into turkey, do so now and bake as directed by turkey recipe.

9) If baking separately, place in a covered dish and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Then remove cover and bake until browned, probably 20 - 30 minutes more.

Easiest Cranberry Sauce Ever (Not From a Can)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:26:00 +0000

My mom has been making this cranberry relish ever since... forever. Before that, my great grandmother made it. It's incredibly delicious. The sweet zing of the orange compliments the cranberries fantastically. And thanks to the wonderful invention of the Cuisinart/blender, it is now the easiest cranberry sauce/relish ever (if you don't include buying it in a can).

Ingredients:

One bag/pound of cranberries
One orange
1.25 cups of sugar

1) Wash and pick through the cranberries and remove the gooey ones.
2) Place the good cranberries in the Cuisinart/blender. Chop until it's about the consistency of hot dog relish.
3) Remove and place in a bowl.
4) Slice an orange and remove the seeds (and sticker if it has one). Add the entire orange, including the peel, to the Cuisinart/blender. Chop just like the cranberries.
5) Stir the cranberries and orange together. Add sugar. You're done!

Cranberry sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of time. It's so acidic, it doesn't go bad very quickly.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

It's that time of year!

Carve your pumpkin and save the seeds.

Separate the seeds from the pulp. This can be done easily with a strainer, or by soaking the seeds for about 10 minutes in warm water.

Spread out on cookie sheet and let dry overnight.

Sprinkle with garlic salt and bake for an hour at 350. Easy! Tasty and a great source of fiber. My preschool students love these!

Pumpkin Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:01:00 +0000

I have half a can of pumpkin in the fridge. What to do?

Recipe courtesy of Tidy Mom.

2 eggs
1-1/4 cups buttermilk or buttermilk substitute
4 TBSP melted butter
5 TBSP canned pumpkin
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
dash of nutmeg

The original recipe calls for food coloring, but I really don't think it needs it! It's pleasantly orange without chemicals.

1) Make your buttermilk substitute:

I used a cup of almond milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. It came out perfectly! I imagine soy and rice milk would do equally well.
You can also use regular milk and vinegar.
Or yogurt and vinegar.
If you have no vinegar, use lemon juice instead.
The idea is that vinegar supplies the tangyness that is so distinguishable in buttermilk recipes.

2) Turn on your griddle and spray non-stick on it.
3) Combine all the ingredients in the order listed, stirring after each addition.
4) Cook away!

Maple syrup is even tastier than usual on these pancakes. Something about the cinnamon just makes it even yummier.

Fruit-Stuffed Pork Loin with Apple Cider Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Okay, this recipe is seriously amazing. Can I say that again? AMAZING. Even though it looks really fancy, a beginning cook could make it and pass for an advanced cook. You know why? Because the recipe is, again, AMAZING. It's also good for any time of year. Fruity enough for summer, savory enough for winter. Amazing.

Thanks to my friend (and employer) Julie for passing this on to me.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork loin, 2 1/2 lb.
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped apple
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots. If you have none, dried apple works too.
1/4 cup raisins, cranberries or both
1/4 tsp. dried thyme -- go light with this!
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups apple juice
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
2 tsp. cornstarch
A few feet of kitchen string (cotton yarn would work, but don't use polyester!)

Directions:

1) Make your apple juice into apple cider by adding a few dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. You can use whole cloves too, if you strain them out after sitting for a while. Stir and let sit while you prepare the stuffing.

2) Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 4 pieces of kitchen string, each about 14 inches long.

3) Warm the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-low heat. Add the apple and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried apricots, raisins and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and boil, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing, about 5 minutes.

4) Cut the pork loin like a hot dog bun, just deep enough so that the loin opens up to lie flat like a book. Some pork loins come already sliced completely in half, and it's workable. Just pretend it's still attached by a hinge and try to keep the stuffing from going everywhere.

5) Place the strings evenly underneath the pork loin. (Two loins shown below.)

6) Spoon the stuffing evenly onto the meat. Close up the loin tightly using the strings. Push in stuffing where you can. Sprinkle the surface LIGHTLY with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the loin in a baking pan and add 1/2 cup of the cider to the pan.

7) Roast the loin for 30 minutes. Baste with the pan juices and add a cup of cider to the pan.

8) Roast for another 15 minutes before basting again. Check temperature of meat. Continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches150°F. That will take between 20 and 45 minutes AFTER the initial basting (when you added the extra cider.)

9) Transfer the loin to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

10) To make gravy: Scrape the pan bottom to dislodge any remaining bits, then pour the pan juices into a measuring pitcher and add additional cider as needed to measure 1 1/2 cups total. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the pan juices and the cornstarch, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then add the remaining pan juices. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Cut the loin into slices and serve the gravy on the side.

Serves 6 - 8.

Heavenly Almond Biscotti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Seriously... so good!

Adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food:

1 1/2 cups whole almonds
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 t aniseed (worth a trip to the store!)
1/4 tsp lemon zest (optional)

1) Heat oven to 375.
2) Toast almonds for 5 minutes.
3) While they are toasting, combine eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a mixer. Beat until smooth.
4) Add flour and baking powder to mixer.
5) When almonds are toasted, Cuisnart them with the aniseed. If you don't have a Cuisinart, chop the almonds and don't worry about chopping the aniseed.
6) Stir almonds, aniseed and cranberries in by hand.
7) Form two loaves on a sheet of parchment paper, like this:

8) Bake for 25-ish minutes.
9) Remove loaves from oven. Turn oven down to 300. Let sit for 10 minutes.
10) Cut loaves into inch-wide strips. Mine were probably too wide.
11) Bake on each side for 10ish minutes.
12) Make another batch because you'll need more than one!

How-To: Belt Loops

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:38:00 +0000

I bought an amazing dress for $10 in the late 90s (maybe 2000?). Back then I was young enough to be OK with rhinestones on my formal wear. I am amazed this dress still fits, because my body has definitely changed since I was thirteen. The rhinestones were not overwhelming, just little clusters around the waistband. Recently I had the idea that scraping them off with a credit card would be the answer. I was wrong. Rhinestone glue leaves residue:

And no, Goo-Gone doesn't work on rhinestone glue.

The only possible solution was to cover the waistband entirely. Or glue on more rhinestones. Kidding.

1) Cut a strip of fabric about an inch and a half wide that matches whatever garment you are attaching belt loops to. Err on the side of making it too long. If you are making two loops, cut the strip long enough to make three. I used black silk, which is super easy to work with.

2) Fold the strip in half and sew as shown:

3) Attached a safety pin to the end of the fabric tube.

4) Tuck the safety pin into the fabric tube and guide along the inside, turning the tube inside out as shown:

5) Press the belt loop you just created. You can use a regular iron, but I find a flatiron (like for your hair) is way less trouble for something this small.

6) Place the belt loop pointing the opposite direction it will be sewn, as shown below. Sew in place with a small zig-zag stitch, encasing the frayed end of the loop.

7) Fold belt loop back toward correct direction and sew a crease into the loop, making the belt loop large than the waistband area. Tacking the ends of the loop down with prevent them from puffing out at your sides.

8) Measure how much more loop you will need and cut off excess. Repeat zig-zag stitching on other side of waist band:

9) Repeat above steps as needed for addition loops.

10) Happy accessorizing!

How-To: Ballerina Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:12:00 +0000


Finished product!

In continuing with the updating of my wardrobe for $0, I decided to make a quick alteration before heading out today. This sweater is a beautiful color and I love the pattern, but the length was super awkward. It was kind of regular length, but not as long as any of my shirts, making my somewhat long torso look stocky. Not cool, sweater.

How-To:
1) Put on the sweater. Look in the mirror and note how much you want to crop.
2) Cut half an inch LESS than you want to trim off (allows for a seam). Err on the side of cutting too little off. You can always make it shorter if the sweater is still an awkward length.

3) Sew a very thin seam along the bottom edge using a ZIG ZAG stitch. This is important so the bottom hem doesn't get stretched out.

4) Try on the sweater. Chances are it's going to look a little funny... too loose around the bottom part. If it does, take in the sides and sew two darts in the back. Make sure to space them evenly:

5) Trim threads, try on, and adjust anything that looks funny.

Quick Wardrobe Fixes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Not my closet. I wish!!!

I've had the urge to update my wardrobe this week. But my bank account does not have that same urge. So last night I did a multi-closet purge. Every closet, cabinet, wardrobe, shelf and drawer. I decided to pitch everything I don't feel GREAT in. Why would I keep clothing that makes me feel too old, too young, or unattractive? Why do I own it in the first place?

Eliminating clothing doesn't really update anything, does it? So here's what I did...

Exhibit A:
Sweater/shirt that screams "preschool teacher!"

Snip, snip, whirrr. Off come the sleeves and hems go into the arm holes. Result:

Now I just need a nice button-down to wear under it.

Exhibit B: Flowy dress that is awkwardly stuck between here and the 70s.

Snip, snip, whirrr. Cut four inches off the oversized ruffle and hem. Welcome to 2011, sundress.

Sparkling Lemon Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:41:00 +0000

My parents have an overachieving lemon tree. Despite it hovering around freezing most nights the past few weeks, this little lemon-tree-that-could has borne over 200 lemons. I kid you not. What the heck am I going to do with 200 lemons? After unloading as many as I could onto friends and coworkers, I had to acknowledge the lemon problem. Get ready, friends. Lemon recipes all over this blog.

It so happens that Cooking Light chose to do a spotlight on meyer lemons this month. Coincidence? I think not.

Taken from their March issue:

1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 rosemary sprig
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice, chilled
1/3 cup chilled vodka
2 cups chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled

The rosemary sprig really is key! Such a wonderful addition to an already awesome cocktail.

Maple Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Sometimes my students get tired of our usual snack rotation. This spontaneous culinary adventure was a big hit with the little ones and the staff members who ate every leftover crumb.

Below I have cut down the sugar from the original recipe, which was so sweet it bordered on cupcakes. Delicious, but I'm hesitant to pump little ones full of sweets.

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (or substitute)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1) Make your buttermilk substitute: one cup yogurt or milk (or almond milk) and one tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2) Line a muffin tin with muffin cups.

3) Combine flour, oats, spices, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

4) Whisk buttermilk, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended.

5) Add to dry ingredients and stir just to incorporate (do not overmix).

6) Divide batter equally among muffin cups.

7) Bake until muffins are a beautiful golden brown and tester inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 28 minutes.

Apple Pancake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:42:00 +0000

I'm back!

I made this easy, delicious dish for friends last weekend. Sharing the wealth!

3 T unsalted butter
2 apples
2 T brown sugar
1 T lemon juice (optional)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners sugar for dusting

1) Preheat over to 400.

2) Slice apples and saute with butter in an oven-safe pan over medium heat.

3) Prepare your pancake batter: milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt.

4) Squeeze lemon juice over apples. Add sugar. Allow to cook for a minute more or so, until apples are tender.

5) Turn off burner and pour pancake batter over apples.

6) Bake in pan at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.

7) Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. Yum!

Deep Clean: The Laundry Room

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Someday I will have a laundry room as awesome as the one above. But until then, I'll be grateful for the closet with a stackable washer-dryer I have.

Weekly and even monthly cleaning plans don't usually include the laundry room. If you're lucky enough to have a laundry room, even a small one, or a closet with a stackable, take good care of it!

The Washer:
Run white vinegar through the washer. This will sanitize the inside and clear away soap scum.

The Dryer:
Empty the lint trap. Wipe off fuzz with a used fabric-softener sheet.
Vacuum the inside of your lint trap area.
Wipe the interior walls of the dryer. Use a cloth dampened with dishwashing liquid and warm water. Scrub any linty residue around the trap opening with an old toothbrush, if necessary.

All Appliances: Wipe down the outside of each appliance. Clean the fronts, sides, and tops using Homemade Natural Cleaning Products.

The Floor:
Run a dust mop underneath the washer and the dryer, if it fits. Airborne lint can get kicked underneath the appliances. Then wipe with cleaning solution.

The Dryer Hose:
Run an extendable duster around the inside of the dryer hose, if you have access to it. Or vacuum it with a crevice attachment. Either method will clear away the lint that accumulates on the walls of the hose.

The Backs of the Washer and Dryer:
Clean behind the appliances. If you have a stackable, I would not attempt to move it. On a low setting, with a brush attachment, vacuum the backs of the washing machine and the dryer and the flooring underneath. To reach behind the units, move the machines using appliance wheels or casters (available at hardware stores). Be careful not to stretch the dryer hose. If the hose looks too short, disconnect it first.

The Vents:
Using a brush attachment, vacuum the vents on a high setting. Wipe the vents’ grates with a damp cloth.

Pattern-less Favorite PJ Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:27:00 +0000

In real life, these pants do not look like they walked out of the 60s. Something about the camera flash makes them look psychedelic purple.

If you're like me, you have a pair of PJ pants that fits just right. You love these PJs, but alas, they are wearing a little thin. You wish you had another pair. Good news! With very basic sewing skills, you can make a pair just like them.

Prep:
A) First, purchase 1.25 yards of comfy, comfy fabric and one yard of 1-inch elastic. Micro-fleece is wonderful, cozy and very forgiving for the novice seamstress. Other fabrics work great too. Try not to get something too stretchy if you're just learning, as that can be difficult to maneuver as you're learning the ropes.

B) Get that favorite pair of PJ pants. Turn one leg inside out, and tuck the other leg inside it so it looks like this:

C) The fabric you bought is probably folded. Fold it into half again, creating 4 layers of fabric.
D) Place your existing pants on the large folded edge of your fabric. Be sure not to place it on the side with raw edges.
E) Cut out two shapes that look just like your pant leg, but leave about 3/4 inch extra down the side, 2.5 inches extra at the top, and 1.5 inches extra at the bottom. This way your new pants won't be too small after you sew the seams. The pieces will look like this:

Now you are ready to sew! Start your machine engine.

1) First, roll a nice 3/4 inch hem at the bottom of each pant leg. Sew it. If you are using fleece, use a wide zig-zag or honeycomb stitch so the fabric is still stretchy at the hems.

2) Sew the inseam of each pant leg up to the crotch, again with zig-zag or honeycomb stitch. Make sure to start sewing from the ankle end, so it looks nice and crisp like this:

3) Place the two pant legs together. Using zigzag or honeycomb stitch, sew them together from the top front through the crotch to the top back. Make sure you are sewing them so the inseam can't be seen when finished! If using fleece, overlap one edge over the other and use a zigzag stitch over top of one raw edge.

Trim off other raw edge if using fleece.
4) Create an elastic casing by making a seem that is 1.5 inches wide. Leave an open hole of at least 2 inches to insert elastic.

5) Wrap the elastic you bought around your belt line so it is snug but comfortable. Add 3/4 of an inch to that measurement and cut.
6) Pin one end of the elastic to the center front. Attach a large safety pin to the other end. Use the closed safety pin to feed elastic through hole and around waist of pants.

7) When elastic has been fed all the way around, overlap edges of elastic and stitch together, reinforcing at least once. Make sure the elastic isn't twisted inside the casing.

8) Sew the hole in the waistband closed.
9) You're done!

Almond Chai Snowball Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Yummy, easy, and gluten-free! You might have to search a little to find cardamom, but it is worth it. It is fragrant and delicious. Recipe originally found here.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour (gluten free baking mix worked wonderfully)
1 cup finely chopped almonds

1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Chop your almonds with a good knife or Cuisinart.
3) Combine butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, extracts, spices and salt. Blend with mixer for 5 minutes.
4) Add flour and almonds and mix until well incorporated.
5) Grease a cookie sheet and place tablespoon-sized rounded dough balls.
6) Bake for 20 minutes. Check. If cookies are golden and firm, they are done.
7) Let cookies cool for five minutes before rolling in remaining powdered sugar. Roll one time to cut down on the sugar and twice if you want to indulge.

Blueberry-Balsamic and Sweet Mustard Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:01:00 +0000

I'm not big on seafood, but I do love me some salmon. Salmon also has many nutritional benefits:

"Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the omega-3 essential fatty acids. As their name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods."

Here's one way to prepare this amazing food:

three medium salmon fillets
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
4 T brown sugar, divided - or you can omit 2 T brown sugar and use honey instead
1 T olive oil
3 T mustard

1) Make sure your fillets are thawed.
2) Combine the vinegar, blueberries, 2 T brown sugar and olive oil in a very small saucepan. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Allow sauce to cool.

3) Place fillets in a plastic bag. Pour in blueberry sauce.
4) Allow to marinate at least 4 hours and up to 4 days.
5) Cook in an oiled skillet over medium heat. Times vary depending on size of fillet.
6) While salmon is cooking, combine remaining brown sugar with mustard in a small prep bowl or cup.
7) When fillets are cooked, spread mustard glaze over top of fillet and serve immediately.

Rainbow Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:04:00 +0000

This is not an original idea. I've seen at least 4 rainbow cakes out in the blogosphere, and even some rainbow cupcakes. But what I discovered in my attempt was that it's actually quite easy to have this cake come out beautifully and exactly like you wanted. Other cakes? Not always.

The cake recipe you use is not really important. I used this one. I wish there had been a little more batter, actually, then I might have had enough to do the purple layer.

2 sticks butter, room temp
2 1/3 c sugar
5 egg whites, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 c cake flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk or almond milk
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue (and purple) food coloring*
buttercream frosting
1 cup coconut

* I suggest using gel food coloring for all colors but the yellow and green; regular grocery store food coloring works fine for yellow and green. Gel food coloring is much more dramatic and vibrant, and the red, orange, blue (and purple) need to be vibrant.

1) Oil and line how ever many 9” cake pans you have. (Guess how many I had? None. I had one 10" springform cheesecake pan. Guess how many hours it took to make this cake? Six. In hindsight, it would have been more efficient to drive to the store and buy cake pans.)

2) Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3) Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the milk and flour mixture.

4) Preheat oven to 350. Divide the batter amongst 5 or 6 bowls.

5) Mixing each bowl individually, add small amounts of food coloring until the desired shade is reached. The bowl you dye red will need a lot of dye; orange, yellow, and green, not very much. I was surprised by how little blue was needed to create that dramatic sky blue. A little gel dye goes a long way!

6) Pour into the pans and bake for 15 minutes each. Now is a good time to start preparing your buttercream frosting.

7) Now the fun begins! After each cake has cooled for a few minutes, turn out onto parchment paper.

8) Layer and frost your cake in rainbow order.

I put a small layer of lemon curd on top of the yellow layer for extra flavor. Yum!

9) Crumb coat the cake.

10) Add coconut and any other decorations

11) Chill until serving.

Kitchen Sink Chicken Noodle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:12:00 +0000

JT had a cold and I was just getting over one. We had no chicken noodle soup and no desire to go to the store. We were also mid-No Shop Challenge. Here is what I came up with:

6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 T olive oil
2 leftover cooked chicken breasts
1 bag penne pasta (use rice for a gluten-free version and add 10 minutes to total time)
1 large potato
1/4 cup minced onion (more if you are more fond of onion than JT)
2 strips pre-cooked bacon
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 t garlic salt
small dash cumin (optional)
large dash Italian seasonings
pepper to taste (optional)
several springs of fresh parsley

Here are other things you can add if you have them:

carrots
celery
sweet potato
corn
pine nuts
rice (instead of or with noodles)

1) Bring chicken broth, water, olive oil, and penne to boil. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
2) Chop and add chicken, bacon, potato and onion first.
3) Reduce heat to medium when soup is bubbling exuberantly. Add remaining ingredients.
4) Cover and boil until timer goes off.
5) Serve with love.

Decadent Chocolate Cake (Baby Shower Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:49:00 +0000

My Cousin "Alice" is having a baby boy in a few months! We're very excited -- this is great-grandchild number two for my grandma, and also the second boy. I guess it will be my job to have the first girl. But I'm in no rush -- I'm going to wait until I'm a licensed therapist to have children.

The composition of this cake was quite a journey. I started by making the gum paste flowers several weeks ahead (during nap time at work, actually). Gum paste flowers make a mediocre cake look great, and a great cake look amazing. If you want to do things the hard way, make them yourself (although I suggest taking a class or REALLY researching how to do them), or you can buy them for way less trouble at many cake supply stores.

Next came the actual cake part, which I made two days ahead. I used an Epicurious recipe. Please note I doubled the recipe from what is listed below because I was using an extra-large cake pan (so my cake is twice as large as the recipe that follows).

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole milk
optional: 3 Heath Bars (toffee) broken and ground into small pieces

1) Mix the chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently.

2) Preheat oven to 350. Cut 2 circles out of parchment paper. Grease 2 cake pans (or one large one). Place parchment paper at bottom and grease again.
3) When chocolate is creamy, remove from heat. Stir occasionally.
4) Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
5) Beat butter until it is smooth and fluffy. Add sugar gradually. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

6) Add the flour mixture gradually, stirring well.
7) Add the milk and chocolate.

8) Pour into cake pans.
9) Bake at 350 until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan, about 35 minutes. Test with knife.

I let the cakes sit (covered) overnight, but you don't have to. They only need to be cool before you ice them, about 2 hours.

10) Prepare your buttercream frosting.

The food coloring is Wilton Sky Blue (just a dab, or it will be too dark). I made half a batch, but I would actually suggest a full batch.

11) Frost the top of the bottom layer of your cake.

12) Break and chop your heath bars, if using. Sprinkle on top of the frosting.

13) Frost the bottom of the top cake layer.
14) Place the top layer of the cake on the bottom. This will "sandwich" the heath bar crumbs in frosting.

15) Crumb coat your cake. Even if you using fondant, cover the whole cake.
16) Decorate as desired. You're done!

Looks like a giant It's-It!

I partially crumb-coating my cake, knowing the fondant would be covering the top. I should have completely crumb-coated the cake, as the fondant would have been smoother. Lesson learned.

Disclaimer: I had never before made or worked with fondant, so it came out a little lumpy, and too sweet in my opinion. Next time I will use half the sugar and substitute fine cake flour for the other half of the sugar. I used cake flour instead of powdered sugar when I was rolling it, and it worked fantastically. I also used almond extract instead of vanilla, to give it a marzipan-like flavor. Here is my fondant recipe, although there are many others out there:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or clear vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar
3 cups cake flour plus a lot extra for rolling
food coloring as desired

1) Combine corn syrup and shortening in a mixer with the dough hook attachment. Blend together, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula. This will be much harder to make without a mixer.
2) Add salt and almond extract.
3) Add sugar and cake flour gradually until a thick dough forms. Thicker than this:

4) If you want to make a little decoration using white fondant (such as the onesie on top of this cake), take a small amount of dough out now.
5) Coat your hands in a small amount of shortening. The shortening prevents the color from soaking into your hands. Nifty, eh? Remove dough from bowl. Add a tiny amount of food coloring and knead with hands. A little goes a long way. Mine was a little more ELECTRIC than I would have liked.

7) Place your fondant on a cake-floured or powdered-sugared surface.

8) Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick.
9) For best results, follow these instructions for applying your fondant.

Cousin "Alice" with her cake. You can't see the baby bump, but it's definitely there! I guess that cake is just enormous.

The To-Do List: January

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:00:00 +0000

1 Happy New Year! Twenty-Something Home is challenging you to include good mental health in your New Year's Resolutions. Plan out a time for self-care at least once every week. This may be a regular Thursday-night bubble bath, a rotation of massages and mani-pedis, or anything else that helps you feel calm and collected. It doesn’t have to break the bank either – sometimes just setting aside a night to sit and read with a cup of tea is more relaxing than the fanciest spa. Here's to your health!

2 Reorganize your gift wrap/trinket storage area

3 Relax! Spend time with friends, pets, and loved ones.

4 Make a repair and cleaning walkthrough list, from floor to ceiling. Are you making the best use of space? Do the walls need to be washed or the lights dusted?

5 Return any objects or clothes left behind by your festive season visitors.

6 Pack away the last remnants of the holidays in an organized, labeled fashion. Imagine yourself next December, easily finding and unpacking the decorations and remarking at how clever you were to be so organized and methodical.

7 Make Valentine’s Day reservations if you’re going out somewhere nice.

8 Do an End-of-Year accounting tally of how much you spent this festive season. Use it to save and prepare for next year's holiday season.

9 Take some time to consider that your value does not come from stuff. Once we let go, we can stop hoarding and start de-cluttering. De-clutter one room including all its closets, cupboards and baskets. When you need something in this room, are you able to find it easily? Label the new homes of objects so that returning them to their designated home is easier, thus making finding them easier.

10 Go through your digital photos. Delete duplicates and organize. Share photos with appropriate people.

11 International Thank You Day. Write a thank you letter to a friend whom you are grateful to have in your life.

12 Are you up to date on your vaccinations? Any other appointments you need to make? (Allergist, optometrist, dentist, gyno…)

13 Organize your sewing supplies.

14 Is it raining today? If so, dust your houseplants by leaving them out in the rain for a few hours.

15 Place a good hand lotion or hand balm* next to your bathroom and kitchen sink.

16. Clean your iron. Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it to a cloth, and wipe down the iron. Circle the holes on the soleplate with cotton swabs.

17 MLK Day (2011) – Give back to those who keep our community support system functioning.

18 Take a look at your bill paying area. Do you have enough stamps, envelopes and pre-labeled envelopes for the next few months? Add these to the shopping list.

19 Make sure your fire extinguisher is properly pressurized. Check the gauge; the needle should be in the green section. If it’s not, the extinguisher should be replaced or serviced. To find a company that will do the job, look under “fire extinguishers” in the yellow pages.

20 Give the car a good wash inside today. Remove all traces of dirt, grime and food crumbs.

21 Sweet potatoes’ vibrant orange hue is a clue to their good nutritional value. Try a new recipe with sweet potatoes this week.

22 “If you can't find something, clean up.” - Gretchen Rubin. You decide where this best applies.

23 Disinfect your bathroom plunger today. When last did you replace your toilet brushes, sponges, etc? If it’s been awhile, add them to your shopping list.

24 Wipe your skirting boards. This is an area is usually not cleaned sufficiently when using an ordinary mop or during the routine vacuum.

25 Make a One-Year Clutter Box. Pack away all the items you feel you can’t bear to part with but haven’t used for at least 6 months. Label the box with today’s date. In January of next year, if you haven’t opened or used an item from this box, consider donating it to charity.

26 Clean your outdoor lights. These are often full of small insects and dust. It’s a grimy task that we leave until the bulb needs to be replaced. Of course this always happens at night. Avoid that by giving the outdoor lights a swift cleaning out today.

27 Are you making the most of your under-bed space? Bags and special bedding roll-away containers give you a little more room. While you’re under there, vacuum.

28 Deep-clean your bathroom. Wipe cobwebs from ceiling corners and dust doorframes, tile ledges, moldings, and shelves. Clean under the sink.

29 National Puzzle Day. Start a puzzle on the dining room table. It could make a great discussion point during dinner and is a wonderful couple’s activity.

30 Place a box of baking soda in your fridge to help eliminate odors.

31 Pack and sort all your shoes into a rack or their cubby boxes. Wet boots and galoshes should have their own special place – try a plastic tray in the entryway.

Good News...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:33:00 +0000

... I got a sewing machine for Christmas/Birthday! Not only a sewing machine, but the Rolls Royce of sewing machines, a Bernina. So far the only thing I am sure it cannot do is time travel. Everything else, I believe, is possible.

So I have many, many projects in the works. Here's a taste: a tiny doll pajama shirt for my classroom.

Pattern available for free here under "Molly."

Balsamic Honey Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:10:00 +0000

This one is tasty, with a hint of sweet. Try for yourself and see!

Balsamic Honey Chicken

Adapted from Honoring Health

3 chicken breasts
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
1 tbsp minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
dash of ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Defrost the chicken breasts (if necessary) by placing in a zip-lock bag and soaking the bag in warm water. This takes at least 45 minutes.
Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, ginger, and a dash of pepper in a large zip-lock bag. Marinate for up to 8 hours, a minimum of 1 hour.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the bag and throw away the leftover marinade. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and add the oil to the hot pan.
When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook on each side for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. The outside will become a little black and charred.
Remove the chicken from the pan and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Homemade Natural Cleaning Products

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:21:00 +0000

It's been awhile since a non-food post. What can I say, I feel helpless without my sewing machine.

I've always loved using essential oils in my home. A few drops in my bath, a few drops instead of perfume, and a few drops in my favorite cleaning solutions. I'm sensitive to many synthetic fragrances, so essential oils are a great substitute. I love supporting EO Products, because they're local and family owned. They've also been very generous to the school I work at.

Two recent concoctions I started using in my home:

All Natural Floor and Surface Cleaner

Combine in a spray bottle:
One cup water
One tablespoon white vinegar
5 drops tea tree oil
15 drops peppermint oil

Use to clean and disinfect floors, counters, tables and what-have-you. It's great for wiping down glass shower doors, too. The disinfecting powers of vinegar are common knowledge, but did you know tea tree oil also has these qualities? And did you know peppermint oil is a natural ant repellent? Next time you have an infestation, try wiping down the area where the ants are swarming with water and peppermint oil.

All Natural Linen and Ironing Spray

Combine in a spray bottle:
One cup water
One tablespoon rose water
5 drops lavender oil

It smells so good to iron now!

Marbled Royal Icing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:46:00 +0000

This beautiful icing technique looks difficult, but was easy enough for my Girl Scout Troop when I was nine. I know you can do it too!

The most important thing is to get your frosting the right consistency. Once you have that down, the creative part begins (also known as the part you can't mess up.)

Use any Royal Icing recipe. Here's the one I used:

2 lbs (1 large bag) powdered sugar

3 T meringue powder

7 T cold water

food coloring as desired

You will need:

a standing or handheld mixer

icing bags or ziplock bags

a butterknife

toothpicks

1) Combine frosting ingredients together and mix for about 5 minutes on medium. At this point, when you lift the beater up, a string of frosting will fall on top of the rest of the icing, remain at the surface momentarily, and then be reabsorbed.

2) Place 2/3 of white frosting in a decorating bag or ziplock.

3) Color remaining icing as desired. As you can see from the pictures below, you need more red food coloring than I had to make red. But pink is pretty too!

4) Prepare your decorating area.

5) Outline each shape with a line of white frosting. Fill it in.

6) Draw thin lines of colored frosting across the cookie.

7) Using a toothpick or something similar, drag lightly perpendicular to the colored frosting lines.

8) Repeat dragging toothpick alternating "up" and "down" strokes. You look like a frosting genius!