Vittles and Bits

Snack Mix Roasted Potatoes

2012-01-27T21:31:00.002-05:00

If you've ever read my post on homemade Chex Mix, you know that I have a very specific method for eating it.

My friend Natalie was the best person for me to share a pre-made bag with because I only like the Chex & pretzels, and her favorite was the bagel chips & breadsticks.

So when my mom started making her own Chex Mix, I saw no reason for her to put in those silly little pale breadsticks & disgusting rye bagel chips.

And seriously - wheat Chex? Please.

For the birds, I say.

But she flat out refused, claiming plain corn Chex & pretzels was far too boring.

There had to be variety.

So.... I just continued to pick out the pieces I liked, and left whatever I didn't want.

(I used to do this with other things too. I was always getting yelled at for picking out all the M&Ms and raisins from a jar of Costco trail mix she kept in our kitchen).

Then my birthday came around.

My mother asked, "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Whatever - something chocolate. But I also want Chex mix - with only corn Chex. Not even pretzels."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't exactly call that a mix, but hey - it's your birthday."

Yep. Chex 'mix' with just corn Chex. She and my stepdad never let me live that one down. (Mr. Vittles eventually joined in on the fun as well, as it became a birthday tradition).

But I ate the entire batch by myself, and loved every second of it.

Only recently did it occur to me that the seasonings of Chex mix would probably transfer well to roasted potatoes.

But these aren't technically a 'mix' either .... I guess if you're feeling crazy you can throw in some bagel chips?

Snack Mix Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. russet or yukon gold potatoes, skinned & cut in 1" dice
2 T. canola oil
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. smoked paprika (or regular, is fine)
1/2 t. seasoned salt
dash cayenne pepper

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Combine oil with Worcestershire and spices in a small bowl or measuring cup. Skin & dice potatoes and place in large bowl. Cover with oil mixture, and toss to coat.

Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet greased with nonstick spray, and bake in preheated oven 45 minutes to one hour, stirring carefully with a heatproof rubber spatula every 15 minutes until done. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve immediately. Serves 3-4

Original Recipe

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

2012-01-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be married to the weirdest man in the world?

Well, let me tell you.

The weirdest man in the world will go on your Facebook account when you leave it open on your computer.

Will he look at your emails?

No way. That's too boring.

Because it's much more fun to post ridiculous status updates like "I love turf equipment," and "I have itchy toes."

And you will not realize that he has posted these things until a very confused person comments, "Why don't you scratch 'em?"

(Sooo happy that my 300 some-odd "friends" were thinking I was suffering from some type of pesky foot fungus.)

The weirdest man in the world will also hijack your phone when you're not looking.

Will he read your texts and inspect your missed & outgoing calls?

No way. That's too boring.

Because it's much more fun to send a text message from 'you' to your sister-in-law that says "I eat boogers."

(And if your sister-in-law happens to have the weirdest man in the world as her brother, then she will simply respond "Me too," and nothing further will need to be said.)

Luckily, I found the one to my dad that said "I LOVE snails" while it was still in Drafts, before I got a concerned phone call asking if I was on drugs or something.

But you know what? That's ok.

Because I can play tricks too.

And for my next trick... I will make whole wheat flour into a pizza crust that tastes mighty fine (thanks to a wonderful blog called Budget Bytes.)

Don't believe me?

You'll just have to try it for yourself.

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

1 C. warm water
2 T. honey
1 pkt. active dry yeast
3 T. olive oil (plus a little more to oil bowl)
1 1/4 t. salt
3/4 C. whole wheat flour
1 ½ - 2 C. all-purpose flour, divided

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if you don’t have a mixer) stir together warm water with yeast and honey. Let sit 3-5 minutes or until frothy on top.

Using paddle attachment in mixer, stir in olive oil and salt, then whole wheat flour. Stir in 1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour until mixed in evenly. Then increase speed to medium (reducing speed to add more all-purpose flour by the tablespoon as necessary) and mix until dough is stretchy & soft but not sticking to anything. (If you do not have a mixer, stir in flour until you can no longer use a spoon, then switch to kneading on a floured surface).

Remove dough and place on lightly floured surface. Oil bowl lightly with olive oil, then replace dough and cover top lightly with more oil. Drape a towel over bowl, and let rise until doubled in size (about 45 mins).

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, and shape into a round of desired size. Transfer to a pizza stone or greased pan covered in corn meal to prevent sticking, and top as desired. Bake in 425 degree oven for 16-18 minutes or until edges are golden. Makes 1 large (about 16-inch) pizza or 2 medium pizzas.

Recipe Adapted from Budget Bytes

Ambrosia Salad

2012-01-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

Both my mother and father grew up in Connecticut. My mother was from Wilton, and my father is from Waterbury. They met in college (Eastern Connecticut State), got married, bought a house in Cheshire, and we lived there until I was about three.

Then they bought a bed & breakfast in Bay Head, New Jersey.

My parents had never run a bed & breakfast before. In fact, my dad had a full-time job in New York City so he was only around on weekends. I'm not sure what possessed them to up & move, and try their hand at something so random, but I'm happy they did.

It makes for a good story.

Most of my memories from the few years they owned the place are pretty fuzzy - but I do recall the house in surprising detail. It was huge (3 floors, with a basement as well) and we lived in part of the first floor.

image from trulia.com

One of my favorite things about the house is that it had not only a main staircase, but also a "secret" one, connecting our kitchen to the 2nd floor.

I can also vaguely remember my mom cooking breakfast in our kitchen, and the guests sitting at a big table in the main room of the first floor. (As a teenager, I worked at a bed & breakfast down the street that had individual tables for their guests, like a restaurant - but in our house, it was family-style).

Sometimes I would walk around and talk to the guests. Most of them thought I was cute. Some of them thought I was annoying. My mother explained to me that some people are just cranky, and I shouldn't take it personally.

my mom, working at the B&B, circa 1988

That was a good life lesson.

About 9 months ago, my dad and stepmom noticed that the old house was up for sale - but not as a bed & breakfast, as an actual house.

We decided to go on a tour during an open house, just to see what it looked like. We never told the real estate agent that we used to own it.

And although they had knocked down walls in our 'apartment', painted some rooms, and closed off my secret staircase, it was mostly the same over 20 years later.

Still 12 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths (!)

Still had the racks my dad built & fastened to the wall of each bedroom.

image from trulia.com

Still had a creepy old basement.

And in the creepy old basement was a sewing table that apparently belonged to my dad's grandmother.

By his reaction to it, it didn't seem like he had meant to leave it at the house. It was covered in dust and clearly not in use by the current owners, but he went on & on about how he remembered his grandmother using it.

We left a little while later but I couldn't help feeling badly about my great-grandmother's table sitting in that basement. It had long since had the sewing machine removed and was painted a few times, but it had sentimental value to my dad - which meant it had sentimental value to me.

So I went back.

You would think that the real estate agent of a house listed for $1.5M would not be overly friendly to someone like myself. But it was a dreary day and she didn't have any other potential buyers, so she listened politely as I told her the story - that we used to live in this house when I was a little girl, and our table was still in the basement, and now I was asking if the current owners would sell it back to me.

She took down all my information and said she would find out. She seemed so nice, but I wondered if I would ever hear back from her.

About a week later, she called and said the table was mine. The owners had no use for it and were happy to simply give it to me. So she met Mr. Vittles and I at the house, and we took it home.

I didn't tell my dad about it, because I wanted him to be surprised. The next time he came over, he walked by it once without noticing. Then he came out of the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wait a minute..." he said, and pointed at the table.

I was smiling ear to ear. "Yep. That's it," I said. "We rescued it from the house."

He was so happy, he took my picture next to it to send to my grandmother (it was her mother's).

He even texted me after he left, saying how much he appreciated that we went back for the table.

And after visiting the house, the strangest thing happened to me - I got a hankering for this ambrosia 'salad' my mom used to make at the bed & breakfast, something that I hadn't thought of since I was a kid.

As an incredibly picky child, I didn't appreciate the delicious things that she cooked & baked for breakfast - this recipe included. But the guests raved about her meals, and although this was a simple but unusual dish for the northeast, ambrosia was among their favorites.

And now I realize why.

Ambrosia Salad

1/2 C. heavy cream
2 t. sugar
1/4 C. sour cream
1 15-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 8-oz. can chunk pineapple, drained
1 C. miniature marshmallows
1 C. shredded sweetened coconut
maraschino cherries & toasted, sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

In a large bowl, beat beat heavy cream and sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (whipped cream). Fold in sour cream to combine well. Add drained oranges & pineapple, marshmallows and shredded coconut. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish bowls with toasted, sliced almonds & maraschino cherries `(if desired). Leftovers can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Family Recipe

“Magic” Peppermint Ice Cream

2012-01-07T09:21:00.005-05:00

The time of year after the holidays can get annoying. Is anyone with me on this?

I hate going back to work after having all this time off (especially in a year like 2011 was, where Christmas & New Years fall on a Sunday and most people get Monday off).

I hate taking down Christmas decorations.

I hate that I always put last year when I write the date.

I hate hearing people's New Year's resolutions, especially when they get all crazy like, "Oh, I resolved not to eat chocolate any more, and run 5 miles a day."

Ummm... good luck with that.

And you know what else I hate (that's actually completely unrelated, but equally annoying)?

When bloggers post incredible-looking recipes that require specialized equipment that I don't own.

And then I have to go out and buy things like a mandoline slicer, an ice cream machine, and a donut pan, and then I can't fit all this #%*& into my kitchen anymore, and HOW DARE YOU brainwash me with these delicious treats?

{sigh}

But I am totally guilty of this myself. Red Velvet Ice Cream. Apple Chips. Mini Baked Apple Cider Donuts. Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream....

...ok ok, I know, sorry!

There's still more that belong on that list - and we all know I probably won't stop there.

Sooo... I will try to make up for it (just a little bit) right now.

This ice cream is magic because you don't need an ice cream maker!

And even if you have an ice cream machine, you may still want to try this because this method is a) way easier and b) pretty cool. The ice cream comes out rich & creamy, and very scoopable even after days in the freezer.

By the way, for all you white-chocolate haters out there, worry not. I'm not entirely sure why there is an ounce of white chocolate in the original recipe ... probably to do with the texture or a slight upgrade in taste? But in no way does this ice cream taste like white chocolate, so don't be deterred by that.

P.S. - the reason why I made peppermint ice cream in the first place is because I saw this 'peppermint punch' on Pinterest and instead of eggnog someone suggested pouring ginger ale and Bailey's over the ice cream! Haven't tried it yet but I am definitely going to :)

“Magic” Peppermint Ice Cream

1/2 C. sweetened condensed milk
1 oz. white chocolate, chopped fine (or you can use white chocolate chips)
1 1/2 t. peppermint extract
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
couple drops of red food coloring (optional)
1/4 C. sour cream
1 1/4 C. cold heavy cream

Microwave sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate in large bowl until chocolate melts, stirring halfway, in 30-second intervals. Let cool. Stir in peppermint, vanilla, salt, red food coloring (if using) and sour cream.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip heavy cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until incorporated. Mixture will be very light & airy.

Place in airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve. Makes about 1 quart.

Recipe Adapted from Cooks Country

Gingerbread Coffee Creamer

2011-12-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

Did everyone have a nice holiday?

I certainly did. It was busy but lots of fun.

Last Friday we went up to visit my aunt Jody and her family. Then Christmas Eve was spent with my dad & stepmom.

We went to her brother's house for Christmas Eve, where Pappy Vittles battled my little cousin Michelle in a vicious game of... tops?

My dad nicknamed his The Wild Weasel.

They also decided to bet on the game, and after so many "double or nothings," Michelle was in the hole about $10K - until she finally managed to beat The Wild Weasel and zero out her debts.

(Thank goodness for that. She might have had to tap into her college fund before the end of the night!)

Then we spent Christmas Day with my in-laws, and ate a delicious roast beef dinner at Nana Vittles' house.

The highlights of my day included receiving The Booty Pop from my brother-in-law (in retaliation for giving him fart-filtering underwear last year) and winning the family beer pong tournament with Mr. Vittles on Christmas night.

You may not recall, but last year's tournament included cat-dancing and wearing fake mustaches... this year we got to wear fake noses also.

I would say a glorious holiday was had by all.

Although, I never thought I would say this, but at this point I'm soooo sick of eating.

My pants are pretty sick of it too. Mr. Vittles may have to roll me to work next week in the event that I don't fit into my car.

But there's still time to enjoy the holiday flavor of gingerbread ... and without having to consume a single cookie.

If you're like me, coffee is a must, so why not make it festive?

Do it while you still can, before you're mentally done with gingerbread until next December.

Happy, healthy 2012 to all!

Gingerbread Coffee Creamer

1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. heavy cream
2 T. molasses
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
1 t. vanilla extract

Whisk together milk, cream, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in medium saucepan over medium heat. When mixture begins to steam, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and store in refrigerator, up to 10 days. Makes about 1 cup.

Adapted from Deliciously Organic

Italian Knot Cookies

2011-12-23T22:06:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite cookies in the whole wide world.

Yaya Vittles, my paternal grandmother, always has these at the holidays. Either she makes them herself, or her friends do and bring them over.

However, trying to get the correct recipe out of my grandmother proved to be quite a task.

Years ago, I asked her for it, and she somehow ended up writing half the correct amount of sugar, and forgot the oven temperature. Needless to say, they came out awful, and I ended up losing the recipe anyway.

Then a few years later, I asked her for it again, and that attempt left out the baking time and the eggs.

Ummm... yeah. Not so helpful.

So then I ended up getting a much more reliable recipe from my mom's side - supposedly this one came from my great-grandmother's family, who was from Italy.

my great-grandmother (who I called 'Gigi')

(But these days you can find similar recipes all over the internet - it's very popular with Italian Americans. My brother-in-law's girlfriend Kristen was making them too today, with her family's recipe.)

In any case, they're similar to the ricotta cookies Mr. Vittles loves, but these have anise extract in them.

Wait, though, before I completely lose you here - let me tell you that I do not typically like anise. Or licorice, or anything like it.

But in this case, it gives these cookies a subtle, anisette-like flavor that (I think) is awesome.

I know it's kind of an acquired taste though, so I'll usually put half anise & half vanilla extract. Feel free to do that if you're unsure.

You can also use all lemon extract, if you like?

Personally, I think they're best with anise, but then again that's how I grew up with them :) Totally up to you!

Italian Knot Cookies

Cookies:

3 C. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 T. baking powder
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter
1/2 C. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. pure anise extract

Icing:

1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
4-5 T. milk (first try 4, then add a little at a time if necessary)
1/2 t. anise extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

In large bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and eggs on medium speed until combined (it's ok to have chunks of butter floating in the egg).

With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, scraping sides as necessary. Increase speed to medium low, and beat until dough forms.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon (for uniformity), scoop balls of dough and roll them into fat ropes. Holding one end in each hand, place on end over the other and press to adhere, forming crescent, knot-like shapes. (Alternatively, you can just roll them into balls).

Place on prepared baking sheet, and bake 8-10 minutes until puffed and bottoms are golden. Leave 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk powdered sugar with milk and anise until smooth. Icing should be somewhat runny. Dip tops of cookies into icing, and then decorate with colored nonpareils if desired. Put back on rack to let icing dry. Store cookies in airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen

Family Recipe

Red Velvet Fudge

2011-12-17T01:46:00.000-05:00

So how is it that the month of December could have 31 days, yet it seems there is not nearly enough time to fit everything in that you want to do?

Ugh.

This seems to happen to me every year.

For my latest trick....I have been up all night baking cookies and cupcakes, and making tomato sauce and meatballs, because we have five people coming over tomorrow night.

Er... make that tonight.

Since it's currently 1:45AM.

Ack!

And between now & 6PM I still have to clean my house, cook a meal, frost cupcakes, make an appetizer, and somehow help my dad do some Christmas shopping.

Oh, AND make myself somewhat presentable for our company.

But you know what the cure is for feeling overwhelmed?

Red Velvet Fudge.

Red Velvet Fudge

1 1/4 C. white chocolate chips
1 T. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 t. baking soda
pinch salt
3/4 C. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. red food coloring
1 t. cocoa powder

Line an 8" rectangular loaf pan with foil, allowing excess to hang over edges. Grease foil with non-stick cooking spray, and set pan aside.

In large, microwave-safe bowl, mix chips with baking soda and salt until evenly distributed. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

Add vanilla, red food coloring, & cocoa and stir well to combine. Quickly pour fudge into prepared pan, and spread in even layer with spatula.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours, until set, and remove fudge from pan using foil. Cut into squares, and store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

Original Recipe

Take 5 Brownies

2011-12-10T14:07:00.002-05:00

Yep, you saw right. Take 5 Brownies.

Right now you're probably wondering.... where have these been all my life?

And also... how many of these can I eat without having to incorporate stretchy pants into my holiday wardrobe?

Or, um, maybe that's just me?

But since Take 5 bars are one of my favorite candies, I've had this idea brewing for a while.

And this is not my first attempt.

Round 1 was largely disappointing. It used cake mix bars instead of brownies, and incorporated peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups. Which you'd think would be better, because let's face it who doesn't love a Reese's cup? But honestly they just got lost in all the mess of caramel and chocolate.

I still brought the bars to Thanksgiving, and overall people seemed to like them, but I was not impressed.

They were sooo much better in my mind than in reality.

(Ugh. HATE that.)

I knew I could do better.

So it was back to the cutting board, if you will - and Round 2 was infinitely times better.

I'm only sad that I made them to take to a party and not to eat the whole pan.

By myself.

In one sitting.

Then again, since Cardiac Arrest was not on my Christmas list this year, perhaps it's all for the best?

Take Five Brownies

1 box (family-sized for 9x13 pan) milk chocolate brownie mix
1 C. crunchy peanut butter
2/3 C. powdered sugar
1 1/2 C. ‘snaps’ or waffle pretzels (approximate- you may need a few more or less)
1 C. milk chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
1/2 C. butter (1 stick)
1/2 C. light brown sugar
6 T. light corn syrup
2 T. heavy cream
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Bake milk chocolate brownies as directed on box in a 9x13 pan. Allow to cool completely, then combine crunchy peanut butter with powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat until combined, then spread evenly over cooled brownies.

Arrange pretzels over top of peanut butter in a single layer. Sprinkle milk chocolate chips over top of pretzels and set aside.

Prepare caramel topping: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir, making sure all sugar is dissolved. Stir 5-10 minutes more, until caramel is thick & bubbly (about 230 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour caramel evenly over brownies. Run the tip of a knife or the back of a spoon over the top in swirl patterns to create a design. Refrigerate pan for about 1 hour to set. Then remove brownies by lifting foil, and cut into bars.

Note: These are rich, so in this case less is more. I’d cut 4 columns down the short end, and 8 rows down the long end to make 32 bars. Also, I like to cut the edges off first – totally optional, but it makes the bars look nicer!

Original Recipe; Caramel Topping recipe adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking

Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls

2011-12-04T16:09:00.001-05:00

I know it's been over a week since my last post, but Mr. Vittles and I have been busy vacationing on the beautiful island of Aruba!

We left Saturday morning after Thanksgiving, and returned on Friday night, spending a total of 6 nights with our friends Vanessa and Eric.

eric & vanessa

Vanessa's parents own a (gorgeous) condo down there, and they were kind enough to invite us to stay in the spare bedroom.

And to top it all off, my dad & stepmom were also vacationing there over the same week - just a block away from us! We even got to see Dan's cousin from Ohio, whose vacation ended the day after ours started.

So in other words... it was a fiesta.

This was our first true vacation since our honeymoon over 2 years ago, so it was nice to get away from work and just relax.

mr. vittles and me

We did a little bit of sightseeing...

me & vanessa at bushiribana gold mill ruins

...but mostly spent our days basking in the sun and our nights stuffing our bellies with delicious food.

mr. vittles

my dad & me

And... we might have thrown in a few cocktails for good measure.

vanessa, me, and my stepmom at shon gecko

Needless to say - it was fabulous.

But I feel like I gained about 10 pounds. Maybe I'll go on a diet?

Maybe... tomorrow.

Because today, it's time for cheesy, buttery pepperoni rolls.

They're my offering to the football gods, in the hopes that my NY Giants can somehow find a way to beat the (unbeatable?) Green Bay Packers this afternoon.

Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls

1 8-oz. can crescent rolls
1/2 C. tomato or pizza sauce
2 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 C. grated mozzarella cheese
12 slices pepperoni
Italian seasoning, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet or line with foil, and set aside.

Remove crescent rolls from packaging, and divide into 2 rectangles - the tube should split in half. Unroll each rectangle onto counter or work surface, and firmly press perforations together. (You don't want your filling falling out between the cracks!)

Spread 1/4 C. sauce evenly on each of the rectangles. Sprinkle each rectangle with 1 T. parmesan cheese, and 1/2 C. mozzarella. Top each with 6 slices of pepperoni.

Then, with the short side of the rectangle facing you, carefully but tightly roll up each rectangle into a tube. You will have two tubes.

Cut one tube in half, and then cut each of the halves in half again so you end up with 4 slices of the tube. Carefully place each slice, cut sides down, onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tube to make 8 slices total. If any of them start to unroll, tighten them up on the baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until puffed & golden. Let cool briefly on sheet, then sprinkle with seasoning if desired. Serve immediately.

Original Recipe, Inspired by What About Pie

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte

2011-11-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with food, family, friends, and fun!

There's not much time left for pumpkin recipes, so I had to get in one last thing.

If you have any leftover canned pumpkin puree from your pies (or pumpkin coconut tapioca!) this is the perfect use for it.

Plus you'll need the caffeine for all your Black Friday shopping! (Or if you're working, like me, then you'll really need caffeine).

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte

1/4 C. white chocolate chips
1/4 C. heavy cream
1 C. milk (any kind is fine)
2 t. pumpkin puree
1/8 t. cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1 - 2 shots espresso (or very strong coffee)

In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat white chocolate chips with heavy cream until melted (heat in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until syrup forms).

In the meantime, heat milk in a medium saucepan with pumpkin and spices over medium-low to medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and whisk in white chocolate mixture. Remove from heat, and add vanilla. Whisk until frothy.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (there may be some pumpkin particles or lumps of white chocolate you want to strain out) and add espresso. Serve immediately, with extra cinnamon on top if desired. Makes two 6-oz. lattes, or one 12-oz latte (amounts are approximate).

Original Recipe

Pumpkin Coconut Tapioca

2011-11-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of pumpkin yet?

Hope not. (After this one, I still have another pumpkin recipe up my sleeve!)

My friend Natalie tried the original recipe for this pudding and loved it. And she knows how much I enjoy coconut, so she was kind enough to share the link.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Vittles didn't like this (he's not a fan of the texture of tapioca), but he was getting quite a kick out of my attempts to photograph it.

I admit, it doesn't look all that appetizing.

But if you enjoy pumpkin and coconut, I'm pretty confident you will love this pudding.

If you are unsure of the spice, feel free to leave the cinnamon out (the original recipe did not have it). I just thought it added a little something... reminds me of rice pudding!

Pumpkin Coconut Tapioca

1 1/2 C. milk
1/3 C. + 1 T. sugar
1/3 C. small pearl tapioca (also called tapioca seeds - not quick-cook)
13.5 oz. can of coconut milk
1/2 C. canned organic pumpkin
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Bring the milk and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tapioca and stir continuously for the first 5 minutes to prevent clumping. (Turn down heat if mixture starts to boil over).

Continue cooking, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the tapioca pearls are almost completely translucent and the mixture is very thick, 10-15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and turn down the heat to low. Continue cooking until the tapioca pearls are completely translucent.

When the tapioca is done, stir in the canned pumpkin, vanilla, and cinnamon. Chill until firm.

Recipe Adapted from Marc Matsumoto, as seen on PBS.org

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-13T16:44:00.001-05:00

The only vegans I actually know are my step-brother & his girlfriend, but nonetheless I have been determined to find a good recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies.

These days you never know when you might need to make some vegan treats.

This recipe is from a really fun blog called Post Punk Kitchen, which professes to be 'the best place in the world for vegan baking & cooking.' And judging by the long list of glowing comments, I thought this recipe could be just what I was looking for.

Now since I'm not vegan myself, and I haven't eaten a heck of a lot of vegan cookies in my day, I feel that I'm not really qualified to say these are 'The Best.'

But I will say this much ... I find it hard to believe that a cookie without butter and eggs could ever taste any better than one of these.

I made vegan cookies over the summer and they were (to put it mildly) god-awful.

My sister-in-law seemed to enjoy them for some odd reason... but Mr. Vittles and I found them almost inedible. Sort of like moistened chalkdust studded with chocolate chips.

These, however, do not taste like they're missing butter and eggs. They do come out a little flat (at least mine did) but they are soft & scrumptious.

And when you take a bite, it's not like "Oh these are good... for being vegan."

You just think "These are good."

They even passed the husband test. To Mr. Vittles, words like organic and vegan mean 'alien.' Especially when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, because he is very particular about them.

Yesterday he ran a Tough Mudder (basically, a 12-mile obstacle course), which he has been training for over the past few months.

And this morning he ate these chocolate chip cookies at breakfast.

That says a lot about a) how good these cookies are, and b) how strange my hubby is.

Not that I've never eaten cookies at breakfast myself, but I feel that's not really 'recovery' food. Guess he's feeling pretty good?

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. white sugar
2/3 C. canola oil
1/4 C. unsweetened coconut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1 T. tapioca flour
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 C. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large light metal baking sheets.

Mix together sugars, oil, milk and tapioca flour in bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium for about 4 minutes, until mixture resembles smooth caramel. (It's important that you don’t get lazy about that step - mix for the full time.) Stir in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda, and salt, and mix until well incorporated. Mix in the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. If dough is stiff, use your hands to work them in.

For three-inch cookies, roll the dough into about ping pong ball size balls. Flatten them out in your hands to about 2 1/2 inches. They will spread just a bit. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – no more than 9 – until they are just a little browned around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

For 24 two-inch cookies, roll dough into walnut sized balls and flatten to about 1 1/2 inches and bake for only six minutes.

You can also use a cookie scoop to place on sheet, then flatten slightly with your fingers. If the dough starts to separate & get oily, beat in a little more flour until consistency improves. Also, if the dough is too sticky when you first finish mixing, you can add a little more flour, mixing after each addition, until consistency gets stiffer.

Makes two dozen two inch cookies or about 16 three inch cookies.

Recipe from Post Punk Kitchen
Note: Wording Changed Slightly, Ingredients Unchanged

Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins

2011-11-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, you would never catch sweet potatoes (in any form) on my plate.

My mom always loved them, though, so I dunno ... maybe it eventually rubbed off on me? But one day I decided they were pretty good, and the attraction has only grown from there.

As an adult, I just love them.

Mr. Vittles... not so much.

So I typically only get to have sweet potatoes when I'm out at restaurants.

But when my mother-in-law recently gave us some of her incredible pumpkin muffins, I got an idea.

Mr. Vittles rarely gets excited about food, however his mom's pumpkin muffins are one of his favorites. (She also makes the recipe in the form of bread, which is a Thanksgiving staple in the family!)

So I was thinking... what if I made sweet potato muffins? They would probably taste similar to the pumpkin, and maybe Mr. V would finally understand my love for sweet potatoes.

Well... you know what they say about best laid plans.

The hubbster would only try one little bite and said "It's ok. For having sweet potatoes in it."

I had to laugh. To me, they tasted almost the same as his mom's. "You can't even taste the sweet potato!" I protested. But he insisted that he could tell.

Ugh.

I'm calling shenanigans.

It's all in his mind.

These are freakin' delicious.

But you let me know what you think.

Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins

1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 t. salt
1 1/4 C. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 C. oil
1/4 C. milk
1 C. cooked sweet potato puree
1 T. molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour through cloves). In a separate medium bowl, whisk eggs with oil, milk, sweet potato, and molasses. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and pour in wet. Mix only until dry ingredients are moistened - do not overmix.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full with batter (you may end up with a little leftover). Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 2-3 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Keeps up to one week in an airtight container.

Note: These are also awesome cut in half and browned in a toaster oven :) Yum!

Original Recipe

Chocolate-Covered Nutella Bites

2011-10-30T20:04:00.004-04:00

Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays growing up.

Dressing up, candy, pumpkins, scary stories & movies... what's not to like?

What's funny though is that it was probably my mother's least favorite holiday.

She hated Halloween.

But she was always a good sport about it.

We always carved pumpkins & decorated the house. She would make me the best costumes, like Raggedy Ann, a bunny, and an Ewok from Star Wars.

She would also watch Garfield's Halloween Adventure with me. Have you ever seen it?

It's amazing.

Ok... maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But watching that movie is one of my favorite Halloween memories as a youngster.

Garfield convinces Odie to go trick or treating on Halloween so he can get double the treats. But things take a wrong turn and they end up at an abandoned old mansion, where they learn from a creepy old man that ghost pirates are set to come that very night to get some treasure they left there 100 years earlier.

Yeah. Ghost pirates. Whoa.

Well they try to escape, but the old man steals their boat & they can't get off the island. They end up getting away from the ghost pirates eventually, but Garfield nearly drowns in the process. Odie saves his life, so Garfield decides to share & gives him half the treats after all.

My mom always used to quote Garfield's catch phrase from that movie - "Candy candy candy!"

(He says it a few times in the movie, but you can see it below around 4:40)

Because let's face it... Halloween is a license to eat as much candy as you possibly can without getting sick.

Sure kids love it, but adults end up buying a bag or two more than what they plan to give out to trick or treaters.

Or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, this year I was feeling bold and decided to try & make a little of my own candy. I was inspired by a recipe I saw on Pinterest from The Whimsical Princess, for making your own Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs at home.

But in honor of the season, I decided to use fall sprinkles and miniature leaf, pumpkin, and acorn cookie cutters to give them an autumn theme.

The good part is, they are very versatile - you could make these with any sprinkles & in any shape (you could even just roll them in balls if you are too lazy to roll out the 'dough') for any occasion.

Or... any time you just feel like some "candy candy candy!"

Chocolate-Covered Nutella Bites

1/2 C. Nutella spread
1/2 C. Oreo cookie crumbs (about 5 whole cookies)
1 C. powdered sugar
2 T. butter, softened
1-2 T. milk
2 C. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 t. shortening
sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Line a large baking sheet with parchment, waxed paper, or non-stick foil and set aside.

In a large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together Nutella, Oreo cookie crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter until well-combined. Add 1 T. milk and mix on medium speed until a cohesive dough starts to form. If necessary, add a little more milk, & blend until the dough holds together well after shaping into a ball. (Dough should be soft & pliable, almost like Play-Doh.)

Place a large piece of waxed paper or parchment over countertop and place ball of dough on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out with desired cookie-cutters, and place shapes on prepared baking sheet. Combine dough scraps back into a ball and re-roll, cutting more shapes until you use all dough.

Place baking sheet with shapes in freezer for about a half hour. Line another baking sheet with waxed paper or nonstick foil & set aside.

Melt chocolate chips with shortening in large microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, in 30 second increments, stirring after each. Using a fork, dip shapes into chocolate, then shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of fork on side of cup or bowl to take off more chocolate from bottom. Place on bare baking sheet, and decorate with sprinkles if desired. (Note: You may need to re-melt chocolate if it starts getting hard. You may also need to place un-dipped shapes back in freezer if they get too soft.)

Once shapes are all coated with chocolate, place in refrigerator 15 minutes to set chocolate. Makes 30-40 1” bites. Store in airtight container – does not require refrigeration, but bites will keep longer in the fridge than at room temp and also be more solid.

Recipe Adapted from The Whimsical Princess

Fun with Fondant

2011-10-27T22:53:00.002-04:00

Decorating with fondant is something I've been wanting to try for a while, but I was kind of intimidated. I didn't know where to begin.

Have you ever felt like that with something? Like just it seemed too overwhelming, so you didn't bother?

Well I got one of those 'daily deal' type of things that we were talking about last week for a 3-hour fondant class at a local bakery, and I knew this was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.

I took the class with my friend Danielle from work, and we learned all sorts of interesting things about this decorative technique from the owner of the bakery, Francesca.

The best part was that we got to try it ourselves, and then take our mini-cake home with us.

Even Mr. Vittles (who knows and cares little about food) was pretty impressed with the final product.

So this is more an informational post than a recipe. I would like to share with you the basics I learned, especially if you are like me and find the whole idea of fondant to be both intriguing and mystifying.

(If you are an old pro at this, stop here. This is my first go-around with fondant so everything seemed interesting to me - but I doubt it will to you.)

When we got to the class, we each had a work station set up with two 7" layers of vanilla cake and a scoop of chocolate buttercream. We also had a toolkit with an offset spatula, a plastic fondant rolling pin, a small round cookie cutter, a small cup of shortening, a pastry wheel-cutter, and a 'puff' made of cheesecloth with cornstarch in it, secured with a rubber band.

Francesca wanted us to use the buttercream (homemade by the bakery) as the filling of the cake, so we spread it on the bottom layer and placed the other layer on top. Then she gave us white buttercream to lightly ice the entire outside of the cake - fondant cannot stick to a dry cake, it needs the layer of buttercream to stay in place.

Once the entire cake was iced (in a very thin, even layer) we got to work on softening the fondant. And here's where everything became foreign to me.

First of all, I always thought people made the fondant before they assembled the cake. And though I'm sure plenty of people do, Francesca actually recommended we purchase the fondant ready-made. As she put it "For your first cake at home, you may want to try to make your own fondant - and then I'm fairly certain you will never make it again."

Hmm. This lady seemed to know her stuff, so fair enough. 'No making of the fondant.' Got it.

She recommended the brand Ballina, which is from somewhere in South America, because she said it is a good consistency for beginners. Not too hard and not too soft. According to her, the South Americans are masters at fondant?

However I was having trouble finding this brand for purchase online, or at least in small quantities. But I believe she said Satin Ice was also good.

In her opinion, the most popular (or at least the most readily-available) brand, Wilton, is not too tasty and also tough to work with (a couple of fondant veterans in the class attested to that as well). So I guess I'll try to stay clear of that.

Anyway, she gave us each a package of white fondant and we had to break the 'brick' in two pieces to make it easier to soften. Unless you're a masseuse or something, this process is pretty tough on your hands. You have to grease up your digits with some vegetable shortening, then knead it into the fondant until it's soft & easy to work with. (If you get a little too shortening-happy, you can always fix a sticky fondant with some cornstarch or confectioners sugar, so no worries).

Once you get your fondant nice & soft, you can color it if you want. (FYI - you may want to wear gloves when working with the gel food coloring. And make sure you grease up the gloves with shortening as well). First we tried for a marble look, where you put little dots of coloring all over the piece you want to color, then twist it & smush it together until the color swirls throughout the fondant.

You can also just keep working the fondant until it becomes a solid color.

Or, if you don't want to bother coloring the fondant yourself, many companies sell it already colored. And if you want a bold color like black or red, Francesca said it's a must to buy the fondant pre-colored. Otherwise you will have to use so much of the gel coloring that it actually degrades the structure of the fondant.

Once we got our fondant colored, it was time to roll it. We dusted our surface area with plenty of cornstarch and placed the fondant in the middle.

Now if you're a baker your first instinct here will be to roll back & forth like you would cookie dough or pie crust.

But no.

This is bad. It weakens your fondant and makes it tear. So you want to place your fondant rolling pin in the middle of the fondant and roll outward - one stroke at a time.

Roll out from the middle, then return to the middle and roll into another direction. Gently and evenly, so the thickness is the same throughout. And if your cake is a circle, you want to roll the fondant into a circular shape that's a little bigger than the diameter of the cake plus twice the height.

(For example, our cakes were 7" in diameter and 3" in height. So we rolled our circles to about 15").

Once we got it rolled, the tricky part was getting it onto the cake. Unfortunately it seemed there is really no good way to do this. Since our cakes were small, I just picked it up and plopped it on the top, which seemed to work fine at that size. But if you have a big sheet of fondant, I would guess you need to roll it loosely around the rolling pin and then unroll it onto the cake.

For any of us whose piece was much bigger than the cake we then had to trim the excess from the bottom - otherwise the fondant will start to get weighed down & tear.

Then we had to smooth it to the top & sides of the cake. Francesca's advice was to get it smoothed on the top, then work around the side by pulling the fondant up & away from the side of the cake (to avoid pleating) and then smoothing it down. (As you work your way around you will get to a point where you have so much extra that you feel like there's no way you can get it to smooth. But you can. Just do it.)

Once the sides were smooth, there was still excess fondant at the bottom, so then we had to take our wheel cutters around the bottom edge to clean things up. You want it to be tight against the cake.

After that, we smoothed the cake more using fondant smoothers. You need two - one to hold the cake in place (on the top), and the other to smooth around the sides. Otherwise you will end up touching the cake with your hands and leaving fingerprints on it! The smoothers are pretty simple, just glide back & forth across the surface. This should smooth out any dings or bumps in the fondant, but for those of us that had serious difficulties we took a little shortening on one fingertip to try & smooth the imperfections out.

Then came the fun part - decorations.

We got to use our leftover pieces of fondant to roll & cut out shapes or sculpt flowers. I decided to make mine simple, with three roses on top, a couple leaves, and some dainty tendrils.

Since I was making flowers that needed hold their shape, I had to turn the fondant into gum paste by kneading in a powder called Gum Tragacanth (sold as CAI Tylose Powder). This made the piece of fondant stiffer and drier.

To attach my shapes to the cake, I used a dab or two of water but Francesca actually recommended using a little vodka - it attaches the fondant to itself well, but evaporates quickly due to the alcohol. (And by hour 2 of working with fondant you may need to take a shot of it as well? Just saying).

Once we got the top and/or sides decorated, we had to finish the bottom edge where we cut the fondant. She suggested either placing small beads or balls at the base (like I did) or rolling pieces of fondant into ropes & braiding them together.

And then... we were done! We placed the cakes in our boxes and headed home to marvel at our creations.

And eat them, of course.

A few tips for fondant storage- if you have any unused fondant left over, you can coat it in a layer of shortening, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and stick it in a ziploc bag. Francesca said it will keep for months like this without drying out.

Also, for the cake itself, when you are choosing your flavor for filling make sure it's not something that needs to be refrigerated (like chocolate mousse, whipped cream, or pudding). Fondant cannot be refrigerated because water is it's worst enemy - you don't want condensation ruining your beautiful masterpiece, now do you?

By the way - if I have any occasions in the near future to make a fondant cake, I will try to add some photos of the process. I didn't take pictures until I got home, so all I can show you is the finished product.

Sorry :(

But tell me ... have any of you worked with fondant in the past? What do you think?

So much fun, or too much work?

I'm really glad I tried it, and I had a great time. But I also don't think I'll be quitting my day job to start making fondant cakes any time soon. Special occasions only!

Candy Corn Crispy Rice Treats

2011-10-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

I seriously debated whether or not to put this one up on the blog.

Not because it's bad, just because I wasn't sure if it would be up your alley.

I asked Mr. Vittles what he thought. His parents were over last night, so I also had them weigh in. And the consensus was to post the recipe.

But I'll be perfectly honest about these. Full disclosure.

The flavor is very similar to the plain marshmallow version, but sweeter & with a subtle candy corn flavor.

The texture is a little more sticky & chewy.

And the color is a little... odd. Almost unappetizing. In fact, you might want to add some orange food coloring so your treats don't end up looking like the color of barfed-up Cheetos.

(Sorry for that visual, but honestly there is just no other way to describe this color).

But they are pretty delicious.

They are pretty festive.

They are pretty fun.

And I don't know what possessed me to melt candy corn, but I've gotta admit - it's a good time. I kinda feel like everyone should try it once in their life.

Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Candy Corn Crispy Rice Treats

2 T. butter
3/4 C. candy corn
2 C. miniature marshmallows
3 C. crisp rice cereal

Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Grease with nonstick spray or butter, and set aside.

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add candy corn and stir until completely melted, about 5 minutes. Use the back of your spoon or spatula to smash any pieces still intact, to speed up melting.

Add marshmallows and stir until entire mixture is melted. (Note: If you do decide to add orange food coloring to deepen the color, now would be the time.)

Add crisp rice cereal and stir well, until cereal is completely coated with marshmallow mixture.

Empty into prepared pan and press evenly using a piece of waxed paper or a buttered spatula. Let cool completely, then lift bars out of pan using foil. Cut into squares. Keeps in airtight container up to 3 days. Makes 9 squares.

Recipe Adapted from Kellogg's Rice Krispies

Review: Macadamia Crunch Truffles by bubo

2011-10-21T11:05:00.000-04:00

Have you been noticing that there are so many sites like Groupon now, that offer a deal of the day?

I have.

And I am probably a member most of them.

Ok, well that may be a slight exaggeration ... but it's true that I'm a total sucker for these sites. I love a good deal, and a site that does the legwork of finding one for you is a bargain-hunter's dream.

Especially when the deal involves delicious foods.

Enter Foodsherpa.

Not only do they find you a deal, they find it on really cool stuff you probably would never find on your own. Like Hot Caramel Ginger Sauce and Pistachio Nut Butter. And in their daily email, they tell you where the product was "born" and why it's awesome.

Can't go wrong with that.

So when they reached out to me and asked me to preview a product that is on sale today, naturally I jumped at the chance.

It's a can of macadamia crunch truffles, imported from a dessert shop in Barcelona.
Spain.

How cool is that?

Let me answer that for you.

It's really cool. Not to mention delicious. These bad boys are macadamia nuts covered in white chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder.

I don't even really like white chocolate and I devoured two of these without blinking an eye.

Apparently Carles Mampel knows his stuff. Guess that's why he's an award-winning pastry chef?

Anyway if you are interested in these, then go get yourself some at Foodsherpa and enjoy!

Note: I did not receive any compensation to write this post, only the product for review. The opinions are entirely my own. However, please also note that as a member of their affiliate program, I do receive a percentage on orders placed at Foodsherpa via links from my blog.

Apple Cider Ginger Punch

2011-10-15T15:59:00.000-04:00

I know I just posted an apple-related recipe, but let's be honest.

Fall is my favorite season, and I have no self control.

I heard a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts' pumpkin products on the radio the other day that made me laugh. This guy goes to order, and finds out the pumpkin flavor is only available for a limited time during fall. So he wants to load up on pumpkin donuts & muffins... in some random lady's purse and also some other guy's briefcase. Plus a dump truck for the coffee.

You kinda have to hear it to find it amusing, but I was thinking OMG, that's so me.

I tend to go a little overboard during fall. I want to make everything pumpkin & apple.

I've been able to restrain myself fairly well thus far, but I can't sit on this drink any longer. It's too good.

If you've never had ginger beer, it's a non-alcoholic beverage that's really just ginger ale with lots of ginger. My dad & my stepmom introduced me to it, apparently it's popular in Bermuda. I found this Jamaican kind in our local grocery store.

I was having trouble deciding if I liked this better with vodka or spiced rum, though. I eventually decided on vodka. But tell me what you think?

Apple Cider Ginger Punch

2 oz. good-quality vodka
2 oz. apple cider
4 oz. ginger beer
club soda (I actually used unsweetened pomegranate seltzer)
apple slices (optional)

Combine vodka, apple cider, and ginger beer. Pour over glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda & apple slices, if desired. Makes one drink.

Adapted from Drinksmixer.com

Apple Crumb Cake

2011-10-11T18:16:00.003-04:00

Crumb cake was always a favorite treat in my mom's family.

My grandparents would get crumb cake sometimes on weekends when I stayed over their house, and we almost always had it when they rented a beach house at the Jersey Shore for a week in the summer.

The best crumb cake in our area is from a bakery called Mueller's. It's not overly big or fancy, but on the rare occasion that I go in there, it still brings back happy childhood memories.

Plus I want to eat everything there.

In one sitting.

Is that wrong?

Another time we always had crumb cake was at my great-grandmother's house (a.k.a. "Gigi"). She and my great-aunt had a favorite bakery where they lived in Lyndhurst NJ, and Aunt Joyce would stock up on all sorts of treats there before our visits.

No matter how many times my mom told her "Don't go crazy," we knew Aunt Joyce would be hitting up Mazur's for some crumb cake at the very least.

Or... half the store, at most.

Honestly, I think Aunt Joyce was perfectly happy to have an excuse to buy loads of goodies at the bakery. (Needless to say, she was pretty much the coolest great-aunt ever.)

In any event, crumb cake is a treat that will always have a place in my heart.

I got to thinking about it recently, but I'm pretty sure I can never make it as good as Mueller's or Mazur's, so I needed to put a twist on it.

We just went apple-picking last weekend and still have loads of apples, so it seemed like a natural combo. I'd never actually had an apple crumb cake before, but really - apples... butter... sugar... what could go wrong?

And while the crumbs are still the best part, at least with this you have something to look forward to in the cake itself.

I might cut down on the sugar a bit if I make this again, as I thought it was a little sweet - but then again Mr. Vittles enjoyed the extra sugar.

Either way, for as easy as this was, it was pretty scrumptious.

I think Aunt Joyce would approve.

Apple Crumb Cake

Cake

3/4 C. sugar
1 C. flour + 2 T.
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 t. vanilla
1 medium apple, peeled, cored & grated (about ½ C.)

Crumb Topping

1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice
2 1/2 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, and nutmeg until evenly distributed. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined and add to dry ingredients. Mix well, then fold in grated apples. Pour into prepared pan and smooth evenly.

Prepare crumb topping: add first 5 crumb ingredients together in bowl, then add small amounts of melted butter, stirring with a fork or your fingers to combine into a crumbly mixture resembling wet sand. Sprinkle crumbs on top of cake batter. Bake 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with only a few dry crumbs attached. Let cool on wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Recipe Adapted from Cooks.com

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

2011-10-04T19:22:00.002-04:00

Mr. Vittles loves cherry & vanilla.

He also loves Cherry Garcia ice cream by Ben & Jerry's.

And he really loves his wife who makes him cakes that combine cherry, vanilla, chocolate, & whipped cream.

Now I already told you his favorite cake is angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream, which is what I made on his birthday.

But his dad and sister both have birthdays have right after his, so we celebrate them all during a family meal.

...where my mother-in-law not only cooks a fabulous meal, but dutifully makes each of their favorite desserts.

This year, I asked her what I could bring, and since she knew Mr. Vittles already got his angel food cake, she suggested an alternate dessert for him.

I knew it was the perfect opportunity to make this cake, which I've been saving in my recipe annals for just such an occasion.

The assembly is a little time consuming, though, so I actually cheated and used a boxed vanilla cake mix.

Just don't tell Mr. Vittles' grandmother. I already got in trouble on Sunday for the angel food cake I made last year that only had two layers and a level of chocolate whipped cream that had her 'concerned.'

(Thank goodness I made three layers this year, because I bet Nana Vittles could sniff out a liar from a mile away.)

Either way, I think it's safe to say my husband is one of the luckiest guys in the world.

Like... really? A grandma who's worried he's not getting enough chocolate whipped cream, and a wife who makes him two birthday cakes?

Hmph. Lucky.

And did I mention he's also pretty special?

'Cause I wouldn't hand-dip maraschino cherries for just anyone :)

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

Cake

1 recipe white cake batter (either a cake mix with all its necessary ingredients, or your favorite recipe)
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

1 1/2 C. chocolate chips (or you can use more of the mini)
1 T. vegetable shortening
1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained and wiped dry

Vanilla Buttercream

3 C. confectioners sugar

1 1/2 C. butter (3 sticks)

1 T. vanilla extract

1 T. heavy cream

4 drops red food coloring

Whipped Cream

1/2 C. heavy cream
1 - 2 T. sugar

Preheat oven to to temperature required for white cake recipe. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans, and set aside.

Drain and rinse cherry pie filling under running water. Press cherries between several layers of paper towels until very dry. Chop cherries fine and reserve 1/2 cup (discard remaining cherries, or reserve for other use).

Make white cake batter per instructions. Gently fold cherries and 1/2 C. mini chips into cake batter, and divide evenly among prepared pans. Bake on middle rack according to directions for your white cake recipe in two 9" pans. (Probably 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven, but check your recipe or cake mix box).

While cake is baking, dip maraschino cherries: Melt remaining 1 1/2 cups chips and shortening in bowl. Holding stems, partially dip dry maraschino cherries into chocolate and place on parchment-lined plate. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 10 minutes.

Once cake has cooled, make buttercream: In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugart; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds.

Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla, heavy cream, and red food coloring, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Place one layer of cake on a cake plate or platter. Using an offset spatula, spread buttercream evenly over layer, and top with second layer of cake. Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake, and smooth out frosting.

Make whipped cream: Place 1/2 C. heavy cream in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add sugar as desired, and whip on on highest speed possible until mixtures stiffens & soft peaks form. Mound whipped cream in center of cake and pile on chocolate-dipped cherries. (If desired, you can pipe whipped cream from a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip). Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Recipe Adapted from Cooks' Country

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

2011-09-30T17:09:00.005-04:00

For all the things that I cook and bake, sadly there are very few dishes that get much of a rise out of Mr. Vittles.

For someone like me... this is kind of a nightmare.

I like feedback!

But if I had a dollar for every time I heard "It's pretty good" from my husband, I'd have a full little piggy bank.

(Luckily, he has other good qualities.)

Nonetheless, every now & again I stumble upon something that gets a reaction.

Pepperjack Bacon Mac & Cheese. Coconut Kona Ice Cream. Ricotta Cookies.

And now... Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf.

I asked him if it would be better with the addition of blue cheese crumbles but he said it was already pretty "solid." However, I will throw that suggestion out there in case you are so inclined. You could also serve it with a side of blue cheese dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

1 lb ground chicken
3 T. ranch dressing
3 T. Frank's Red Hot (or the hot sauce of your choice)
2 T. milk
1 egg
1/2 C. plain bread crumbs
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. celery seed
dash cayenne pepper
1/8 t. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Glaze

2 T. Frank's Red Hot
2 T. ketchup
1 T. honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a shallow Pyrex dish or pie plate with nonstick spray and set aside. (You can also make this in a loaf pan, surprisingly little fat comes out of it).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, hot sauce, garlic & onion powder, celery seed, salt, pepper, cayenne, milk & egg. Add bread crumbs & stir. Add ground chicken and mix thoroughly with your hands until combined.

Form into a loaf and place into prepared dish. Cook 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 T. hot sauce with ketchup and honey. Brush glaze over meatloaf, and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 2-4.

Recipe Adapted from About.com

Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles

2011-09-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

Today is Mr. Vittles' birthday.

His favorite cake is very simple (angel food cake filled with chocolate whipped cream) so I tend to feel guilty if that's the only thing I make for him.

Especially since he also wants to go out to dinner tonight!

So last night we had one of his favorite meals (steak with garlic mashed potatoes) and I decided to make these cookies.

He likes anything pumpkin (one year I made him a Pumpkin Spice cake) so I thought this recipe would be a no-brainer.

When I took the dough out of the refrigerator, I gave him a taste and he said "It's good. I have to say I was a little worried when you said they were going to be pumpkin snickerdoodles."

I guess he thought the taste would be too strong?

Luckily, it's very subtle.

Then about a third of the way through the batch, I had him try just a piece of one of the finished cookies. He tried to take a bite out of the half, but all the caramel came out with it.

I asked him what he thought, and he said "It's ok. The caramel is kind of a pain in the #*$ though."

Really?

I know someone else that's kind of a pain in the @#$.

I'm so sorry that gooey caramel deliciousness was just too much trouble for you, Mr. Vittles.

(We should all have such problems.)

But since it is his birthday, I decided I better make a batch of just plain ones. And for the record, they were also very delicious.

...even though I forgot to put cinnamon in the rolling sugar until the last batch.

Oops!

Anyway, if you think the caramel is too daunting, feel free to leave it out :)

Pumpkin Caramel Snickerdoodles

Dough:

3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour (you can just use all-purpose for all the flour if you prefer)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. allspice
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 C. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. canned pumpkin puree
2 t. vanilla extract
1 large egg
24 soft caramel candies (such as Kraft)

Coating for Rolling:

1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice

Make Dough: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In large bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light & fluffy (2 or 3 minutes). Add pumpkin puree, and beat until well-combined. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.

Scraping down sides as necessary, add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add remaining flour mixture and beat only until no streaks remain. Do not overmix. Cover and chill dough thoroughly, for at least an hour, until consistency is easy to roll without sticking to your hands.

When dough is almost done chilling, unwrap caramels and slice each one in half. Set aside.

Make Coating: Mix sugar with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare baking sheet with parchment or non-stick spray.

Using a large cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, scoop out dough into 6-8 balls (return bowl of unused dough to refrigerator.) Break each ball in half and place caramel piece on one half of dough. Top with other half and shape back into a ball (so the dough completely surrounds the caramel).

Roll each ball in spiced sugar coating and place on prepared sheet (if you're like me & want an extra-crispy coating on the outside, you can re-roll all the balls again before baking.)

Bake 11-13 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 36-48 cookies.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Recipe adapted from DLYN, and Caramel-Center inspiration from The Baker Chick

Chunky Monkey Thighs

2011-09-19T21:39:00.001-04:00

Let me apologize in advance for not having a personal recipe or lengthy post ready for you - but for the past few days, I was down in South Carolina visiting the BFF, Lauren!

And the BFF's handsome-adorable-squeezable-tickletastic-chunkalicious-sweet-as-sugar munchkin... Holt!

Actually, perhaps 'meatball' is a better term... considering his thighs have to be physically jammed into his Bumbo seat in order for them to fit.

Man oh man.

I wish I could have giant thighs and still be the cutest thing the world has ever seen.

Then I could spend my days mowing through these Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from Pass the Sushi:

...with a side of these Dark Chocolate Mint Crackle Cookies from Simply Scratch:

...right after I have this Pizza Nutella from Diethood:

... and this Back to School Cinnamon Bread from Scarletta Bakes:

I mean... is that really too much to ask?

Pumpkin Cornbread

2011-09-11T23:15:00.002-04:00

Today was a very emotional day for many people - not just in this country, but all across the globe.

I stopped by my grandmother's house (my stepdad's mom) for an early birthday celebration, and she has some friends visiting from the Netherlands.

When we arrived a little after noon, they were in the middle of watching the names being read at the ceremony held in New York City for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Her friends had actually insisted on watching it. In fact, her one friend Nelly says she has watched it every year since 2002, from Holland. And a few days ago, they visited New York City to see Ground Zero in person.

My stepdad and I were initially a little surprised to hear this, but they pointed out that the world changed after 9/11... not just America.

That comment really struck me.

Before I left my house, I had been watching the ceremony too - particularly to see my high school friend Mary's sister, who had the honor of reading their father's name.

He was in the South tower when the second plane struck it, and he never came home.

I can't believe that was 10 years ago.

On September 11, 2001, I was a college freshman at the New College of Florida, in my first few weeks of school. I woke up a little early that morning, so I went on the internet before class.

That was the heyday of Instant Messenger, and a friend of mine from home messaged me, asking if I heard about the plane hitting the World Trade Center.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Your class is probably cancelled," he wrote, but I wasn't comprehending the seriousness of the situation.

Wasn't it just an accident? Why would classes be cancelled?

But they were, and this was no accident. I didn't have a television in my dorm room, so I spent the rest of the day either glued to the TV in the student lounge or on my laptop.

I frantically tried to reach my father, who didn't work in the WTC specifically but sometimes had business there. Of course, cell phones weren't working, so it took me a while to find out he and my stepmom (they also had an apartment in NYC) were physically fine.

Emotionally... not so much.

And then I heard about Mary's dad.

At the age of 18, I had little experience with devastating news of this caliber.

My heart went out to her, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to talk to her. I didn't know what to say.

Watching that ceremony this morning, the same awful feeling of helplessness came back to me.

Seeing children pay tribute to mothers and fathers that they never really even knew brought tears to my eyes. And my heart broke again for all the people that lost their family members & friends so suddenly.

I look at Mary now and think how much has changed in 10 years. She finished college, got a good job, and has an amazing husband and an adorable baby boy who's about to be a year old in November.

Her oldest brother is also married, with two kids. Her older sister and other brother are happy and successful.

Why their father had to be taken from them in such a senseless act is beyond me.

But if there is another 'side' or another life out there beyond our understanding (as I like to believe) then I know that he is watching them, smiling, so proud of everything his family has accomplished and become.

Mary & her son Bryce, February 2011

Last week, I promised you the fall-flavored cornbread recipe I made with my slow-cooker chicken chili.

I think it's a good choice for today when we could all use a little 'comfort'.

Pumpkin Cornbread

1 C. whole wheat pastry flour (regular all-purpose is also fine)
1 T. baking powder
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 C. cornmeal
2 eggs
1 C. pumpkin purée
1/4 C. canola oil
1 T. molasses

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8×8″ baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, brown sugar, and cornmeal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, and then stir in the pumpkin, oil, and molasses.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined, and then pour the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top as much as possible.

Bake 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm, with butter if desired.

Recipe Slightly Adapted from Sugarcrafter

Slow-Cooker Summer Chicken Chili

2011-09-05T13:14:00.000-04:00

I know I've been kinda MIA lately, but we made it through Hurricane Irene safe & sound!

The worst that happened was that we lost power until Tuesday night, and also had some flooding in our basement.

Thankfully nothing got ruined except for a few things I unfortunately forgot to take off the floor, and a lot of empty cardboard boxes we were storing for our next move.

But there was a decent bit of cleanup and a decent bit of me being in a really bad mood over the whole thing.

And... a decent bit of Mr. Vittles being in a bad mood because I was in a bad mood.

So I decided that yesterday I needed to make something nice.

I haven't made hardly anything in about 2 weeks, let alone any new recipes, but I saw this recipe for Slow Cooker Summer Chicken Chili on Friday evening and knew I had to try it.

Especially before summer is OVER! Can you believe it's Labor Day already? I have no idea where August went.

Maybe it got washed away in the storm?

(This picture was taken right up the street from my house! As I'm sure you can tell, waves are not supposed to be crashing onto the boardwalk.)

In any case, since the summer to fall transition is nearly upon us, this was actually a dual-season meal - I made a really fun & different fall-flavored cornbread to go with that I think you guys are going to like. But more on that soon!

Until then - enjoy these final days of summer and have a safe & happy Labor Day!

Slow-Cooker Summer Chicken Chili

8 oz. can tomato sauce
15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. frozen corn
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced
1 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, diced
3 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 T. oregano
1 t. brown sugar
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 C. white wine
1/2 C. water
2 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb. total)
optional : shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro for serving

Combine all ingredients except for the chicken breasts in the basin of a large slow cooker. Place chicken breasts on top, and cover slow cooker.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10. Remove chicken 30 minutes before serving, and shred using two forks. Return to chili and stir well. Adjust seasonings if necessary, then continue cooking. Serve chili with sour cream, cheese, and/or chopped cilantro if desired.

Recipe Adapted from Back to Her Roots