YUM

Husband makes the bread.

I make the soup.

We make a good team!! 

It Wasn’t As Bad As I Anticipated….

So, I finally succumbed and made lentil soup.

Since I’m allowed to have as many lentils as I want….snort….. I looked online for a recipe that didn’t seem too distasteful and proceeded, albeit reluctantly, to conjure up something that would be palatable.

I used my Crockpot and, as usual, I tinkered with it a bit adding some chicken broth as well as the vegetable broth. Other than that I stuck to the ingredient list and just ‘estimated’ the measurements.

You know what? It wasn’t that bad!

It’s not that I object to the taste of the lentils, it's that I have an issue with their texture. I’ve always had a texture issue with food, even as a kid. I liken eating legumes to eating wet sand. They are just so….mealy. But this was quite good and after sitting in the Crockpot all day the lentils were less ‘sandy’ than I remember.

I hope you give it a try! I found it on Chowhound. 

Easy Lentil Soup

by Aida Mollenkamp

Difficulty: Easy |

Total Time: 1 hr |

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium celery stalk, small dice

1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice

1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices

1 1/4 cups lentils (any color except red), rinsed

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

2 ounces spinach leaves (about 1/2 a bunch)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with several generous pinches of salt and pepper.

2.    Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaf, and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering, covered, until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes more.

3.       Taste and season with more salt or pepper as needed, then stir in the vinegar. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. If you prefer a creamier texture, purée half of the soup in a blender and add it back to the pot.

End of the Garden Relish

During the depression my uncle raised and sold chickens. My grandfather was out of work for four years during that time but my mother said she never knew until she was much older. She never felt deprived or poor. There was always food on the table. During the winter months they had what my grandmother had ‘put up’ (i.e. canned) from the garden.

Grandma was famous for her End of the Garden Relish. A sweet relish made from green tomatoes and other stragglers from the garden at the end of the growing season. She gave me the recipe and I’ve made it once or twice but it was never as good as hers. 

 

Grandma's recipe, in her own hand. Give it a try, it's yummy! 

Best Pie EVER

I only make this once in a blue moon. As a matter of fact, the last time I made it was fifteen years ago.

It’s delicious, fattening (not fussy to make) and just plain decadent. Throw your diet and food restrictions out the window and just enjoy!

ANGEL PIE

(for some reason Blogger won't let me change the type color to pink to let you know that's a hot link. But click on ANGEL PIE and it will bring you to the recipe.) 

YOU'RE WELCOME! 

Slow Cooker Update: Getting Better…….

Second recipe in the slow cooker.

I used this: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls as a starting point.

But I ‘tweaked’ it because….well, I’m me and I just can’t leave well enough alone. Plus it tasted kind of flat…..

In the interest of full disclosure my tweaks included: a splash of white vinegar to give it a bit of zip, a can of tomato soup because I over did it with the chopped meat and it was kind of dry and I only bought the one jar of tomato sauce…………

and white rice (Chinese take out) because, low carb be damned!

(Also, I ALWAYS doctor the tomato sauce with a pinch of sugar {or sweetener of your choice} and a dash of cream, because that’s the way I roll!)

I was smart this time and set it on HIGH!

As a review of the new slow cooker I have this to say:

I LOVE that you can do the whole prep in the cooker, sauté the onions and cook the ground beef and not have to mess around with a bunch of pots and pans and utensils.

You can change the temp as needed…or not.

You can even partially steam veggies if you want to cut down on the slow cook time (this detail has nothing to do with this particular recipe….just sayin’.)

The end product was tasty and I’m sure it will ‘develop’ an even better flavor over time.

I have enough leftovers for two more meals for the two of us (which is part of the reason to use a slow cooker to begin with, amiright?) 

And as a note to myself….I will buy some sour cream to either stir into the whole mess or just dollop on top of individual servings. (Leave it to me to take a healthy recipe and turn it into a heart stopping cause of death!)

Total Fail

Well, I finally decided what to make for the first meal in the new slow cooker. 

I Googled, I researched, I poured over recipes and finally decided to try this one: 

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Aaaaaand…..it was a total fail!

Well okay, not a TOTAL fail. We ate what we could. The short ribs were edible, just a bit on the rare side….the vegetables were crunchy and the potatoes had hard centers!

I followed the recipe. 

I went with the low setting for an all day cook.

Big mistake.

BIG.

HUGE! 

Still, it takes a nice picture don't ya' think?

But it begs the question….is my slow cooker defective?

I did everything exactly like the video showed……I even cranked it up to high for the last several hours when it looked like things weren’t going well…..

  

Where did I go wrong?

I see there will be more experimenting in my future, but right now I’m off to rummage around in the kitchen for a snack…....

You're Welcome!

Who knew???? 

These are mine.....they actually get crispy! 

I'm in BIG trouble......

Bologna Roll-Ups

There is a time in your life when all your friends pair up and there seems to be a glut of weddings to go to. You know how it is. It was during this time my then fiancé and I spent a great deal of time at the ‘huge wedding venue’ in our town. It was a gargantuan place catering to all the needs of a bride from the tacky chapel (where they actually had a cloud effect for the bride to enter, complete with dry ice vapor and colored lights!) to crystal chandeliers at every turn.

They had enough rooms to cater multiple receptions at one time. It was a great way to comparison shop, so to speak. We used the cocktail hours to slip from our invited party to crash some of the other receptions, just to see what they had to offer. (I would have liked to have sampled their entrees too but that would have required more duplicitous shenanigans than just mingling with the crowd during the cocktail hour!)

It was during one of these reconnaissance missions that I was introduced to a canapé that was so perfect in its simplicity I immediately knew I needed to reproduce it at home. It was just a slice of salami rolled around a sweet baby gherkin, cushioned by a dab of cream cheese but the juxtaposition of the sweet and salty was perfection!

I tell this story as the prelude to this:

I made them when the boys were little. It was the perfect finger food for little hands. But one day I didn’t have the required ingredients so I improvised and I invented ‘Bologna Roll-ups’! (I’m pretty sure I didn’t really invent them but I’m taking credit anyway!) 

It’s just a slice of bologna rolled around a sliver of cream cheese. It was a hit! They liked them better than the salami version so it became a staple in our lunch repertoire.

And to this day, when I’m feeling nostalgic, (or when I’m just jonesing for some bologna) I still treat myself to a few….

They may not look pretty but they sure taste good!  Right guys? 

Kitchen Hack

I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘kitchen hacks’. Little tips, tricks and shortcuts to make life easier. Most of the time I find they’re not really all that useful or good.

BUT, the other day as I was browsing (aka falling into the abyss that is) Facebook, I came across this little tidbit.

CUP OF CHEESECAKE

Mix 2 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2-4 tbsp sugar in a cup. Microwave for 90 seconds, stopping to stir every 30 seconds.

Then, let it chill until the right consistency.

I added this part……

If you want to add Graham crackers for crust: crush up one or two graham crackers add some melted butter to ‘hold’ them together. Spoon into a separate cup and pour the microwaved ingredients on top to chill.

I don’t even like cheesecake for the most part. But being the good little wife that I am I thought I’d give it a try for Husband’s sake. And because I’m just too damn lazy to make an actual cheesecake even though it’s his favorite dessert. Cuz that’s the kind of girl I am…..always giving (snort!)

OMG!!!! 

It is DELICIOUS!

I doubled the recipe thinking Husband would have a treat for two nights. Then I had a taste as he was enjoying it and I went straight to the fridge and scarfed down the second one! 

I did ‘tweak’ the recipe a bit. I added more lemon juice because we like things tart. 

And we find this recipe is enough for two servings. It is VERY rich.

I strongly suggest you give it a try. Even if you don’t like traditional cheesecake. 

Excuse the lousy pictures but I was so excited to share this with you I just snapped a few quick pics! 

{ignore the condensation droplets.......I don't know why that happened. It was only in Husbands's cup.....}

BigBrother and the Awesome, Satisfying, Superb, Very Excellent Cake

Growing up this was BigBrother’s SPECIAL spice cake recipe.

Only he made it.

I still remember the wonderful aroma that emanated from the kitchen when he was baking.

It still makes my mouth water just remembering……
Feel free to make one for yourself; you won’t be disappointed, I promise!

(PS I think you're right, BigBro, it is your handwriting.)

In Search of the Perfect Homemade Frappuccino

Hello, my name is robin and I’m a Mocha Frappuccino-holic.

It all started with Starbuck’s.

At first it was just the occasional Frap. But then the cravings became more frequent. 

I was going once a week……twice a week…..when the Barista’s saw me coming they had my order ready by the time I got to the counter.

I gained weight, and found out I might be lactose intolerant.

It was either cold turkey or stern reprimand from my Dr. about high cholesterol and sugar levels.

So I gave them up.

There were the usual withdrawal symptoms but I toughed it out and eventually won.

Then one day in Panera……I was offered a free Frozen Mocha.

Well, I couldn’t be rude!

But it weighs in at a whopping 400 calories! Plus it’s loaded with sugar and whipped cream, both of which I should avoid.

So began the search for the perfect homemade Mocha Frappuccino.

I tried brewing espresso and adding cocoa powder and Splenda with ice cubes.

I tried regular coffee with sugar free chocolate syrup and ice cubes.

I even bought sugar free Mocha syrup (Yuck!)

I tried using the Keurig Mocha K-cups…not bad but not quite right either.

I tried freezing concoctions into ice cubes and blending those.

I must have tried dozens of different ways to achieve my desired results.

I failed miserably, AND I broke my Cuisinart blender in the process!

So we bought a Ninja. 

A 2 HP/1500-watt food processor that claims it ‘can do it all’!  

I continued with the frozen brewed concoctions, tinkering and adjusting the recipe. But it was time consuming and you have to wait for it to freeze. (I am not a patient person.)

Then one day while grocery shopping I spotted instant espresso! Who knew?

And Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup Lite (only 6 gm of sugar per 2tbsp serving)

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ Cue the heavenly music ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

Ice cubes, instant espresso, Splenda, chocolate syrup, a splash of skim milk…..pulverize the living daylights out of it in the Ninja and voilà!

Easy peasy!

 No waiting and the best I can calculate it’s about 150 calories!

Cheaper, less calories, you can make it anytime you want (this may be a drawback…..) and you don’t even have to get dressed to have one!

I call that a WIN WIN in my book!

Husband Baked! YAY

Husband baked this weekend! (It was too windy to go fishing so he decided to make his world famous French baguettes.)

I wish you could smell the house! Nothing says ‘home’ like the smell of baking bread!

French Baguettes

5-51/2 cups unbleached bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 package quick-rise yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

Boiling water, as needed

Cornmeal for pans

1 egg white beaten with pinch of salt for glaze

In the bowl of electric stand mixer, combine 4 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast and water. Stir until blended. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is elastic and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. The dough will be very soft. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Form into a ball and place in a clean bowl. Dust lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.

Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Press flat, knead for a few seconds and return to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 20-30 minutes.

Line each of 2 double baguette pans (4 molds total), each 18 inches long and 6 inches wide, with a kitchen towel and sprinkle with flour, lightly rubbing it into the fabric. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface, press flat. Cut into 4 equal pieces, knead into balls and let rest for 5 minutes. Press each ball flat and then fold into thirds. Roll each into a rope 16 inches long with tapered ends. Place in the towel-lined pans. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°

Place a shallow pan of boiling water on the floor of the pre-heated oven. Pull the pans out from under the towels. Grease the pans and sprinkle with cornmeal. One at a time, flip the loaves into the pans, underside up. Brush with glaze. Using a sharp knife, make three ¼ inch long deep diagonal slashes on each loaf. Bake until brown and crusty, 20-25 minutes. 

Transfer the loaves to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature (if you can wait that long, LOL!)

Makes four ½ lb. baguettes

Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library BREADS

Yummy Goodness

Not that I want to rub it in to all of you living in northern climates (sorry!)

But this has become our favorite dessert. I requested it instead of birthday cake this year!

YUM!

Fruit Salad Recipe

Strawberries

Blueberries  

Pineapple

Cut into bite sized pieces (well, except for the blueberries) place in large bowl, mix well.

Pile high into smaller bowl and consume with great enthusiasm! (I was going to say consume with relish but I thought it might make for misunderstandings! LOL)

When bowl is empty, lament woefully and lick the juices from the bottom of your bowl like an unmannered child!

Boredom

I was bored making dinner so decided to draw a sprout. Ho hum

At least they tasted good!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Aprox 1 ½ lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tbsp evoo

Scant ½ tsp sea salt

Cracked black pepper

mix  

spread in single layer on cookie sheet

Roast in 425° oven for aprox 25-30 minutes until fork tender

(shake them around every ten minutes to brown evenly) 

YUM! ENJOY!

Whole Lotta Bakin' Going On

Husband is the baker in the family.

I guess that’s been established already. Lol

He made his famous cornbread last night. 

I’m in heaven!

He said I could share the recipe with you. 

2 tbs butter

¾ cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425°. 

Warm a 9 inch cast-iron skillet over moderate heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to skillet and heat.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, sift the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt.

Stir in the cornmeal. 

Add the milk and eggs and stir lightly. 

Add the melted butter and stir just until blended. 

Scrape the batter into the hot skillet, the butter in the skillet should bubble. 

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the cornbread for about 18-20 minutes, or until the center springs back when gently pressed. 

Turn the cornbread out onto a rack to cool.

Best served with a tall glass of cold milk! YUM!

Enjoy! 

If It Doesn’t Involve Yeast, I Can Do It

I like to bake.

(And as long as it doesn’t involve yeast I’m pretty good at it. LOL)

I wanted to do a tutorial on the best Chocolate Biscotti recipe I’ve ever found, but of course, as soon as I start measuring and mixing, I forget to take the pictures!

So I guess I’ll just share the recipe and pictures of the finished product!

(Too bad they haven’t invented ‘smell-a-blog’, ‘cuz the house smells yummy!)

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position

1 ½ cups melted butter (3 sticks)

1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 ½ cups brown sugar

5 large eggs beaten (Just whip them up in a glass with a fork)

4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup slivered almonds

6 cups flour (not sifted)

Melt butter and mix in the cocoa. Add the brown sugar. Let cool slightly, and then stir in the beaten eggs. Add the soda, salt, vanilla, and slivered almonds. Stir until well blended. Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Spray two cookies sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the dough into five parts, forming each part into a free-form loaf, 1 inch high, 7 to 8 inches long, and 3 to 4 inches wide. Place 2 loaves on one cookie sheet and 3 loaves on the other. Bake the loaves at 350° F for 35 minutes.

Cool the loaves on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, but DON’T TURN OFF THE OVEN. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack and cool for another 5 minutes. Slice them (just like bread) into ¾ inch-thick pieces with a sharp knife. (The end pieces don’t need more baking---save them to dunk into your coffee while the rest are baking.)

Place the slices on their cut sides on the greased cookie sheets. Bake the slices for an additional 5 minutes, flip the over to expose the other cut side, and bake them for an additional 10 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack to complete cooling.

These are great dunking cookies.

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen, depending on cookie size.

**I got this recipe from a mystery novel I once read but I don’t remember the author’s name so I can’t give the correct credit.

cold weather always makes me want to bake

and by cold i mean it’s 41° here in sunny southwest (sub tropical) florida!

and i’m shivering in my many layers of socks and sweatshirts!

but smelling the yumminess of my dh’s favorite coffee cake helps to warm me up. (not to mention the heat radiating from the oven!)

banana sour cream coffee cake

1 ¼ cup sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed bananas (2 bananas)

½ cup sour cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

stir together ¼ cup sugar, pecans & cinnamon; sprinkle ½ mixture in a well greased bundt pan. beat butter at medium speed until creamy. gradually add remaining cup of sugar. beat 5 to 7 minutes until light & fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. add bananas, sour cream & vanilla. beat at low speed just until blended. combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. fold into butter mixture. pour ½ batter into prepared pan. sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. top with remaining batter. bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, 45 min. @ 350°.

enjoy!