Beef Stew

A gluten-free beef stew recipe to warm your bones.

This recipe is a surprise- even to me. Beef stew? You wouldn't expect a Vegetarian Goddess to create and fall in love with a beef stew recipe, but that is precisely what happened this weekend. Shocking? 

Tell me about it.

Just when you think you've got your life all figured out, and your tastes and preferences arranged in a tidy packet of self-identification and veggie piety- all Hades breaks loose. Celiac. Food allergies. Broken hip.

Suddenly, your food-world view is quite literally flipped on its leafy little head. No whole wheat pasta or legumes for protein. No soy. No more savory white bean ragout, and- worst of all- no peanut butter, which means no more African Sweet Potato & Bean Soup.

So, after my orthopedic surgeon's instructions to "eat lots of  animal protein" to support the healing of my hip fracture, my husband and I decided to try our collective hands at making our very first beef stew.

The first beef stew of our marriage.

And what did I do as I spooned the first taste into my nervous, quivering mouth? Gentle Reader, I swooned like a virgin in a bodice ripper. I sighed. I slurped. Oh my! I murmured through one spoonful after another.

Wow, said my partner in crime as he smacked his lips, This is mighty damn tasty.

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First Daring Bakers Challenge - Bostini Cream Pie =D

Bostini Cream Pie

Getting Started!

The hardest part for me was getting started because so many talented people had already submitted some great ideas and my mind kept going blank on how I was going to present this dessert! You know how it is when you think to hard about something. . .I squeezed my imagination to hard and it deflated! Yeesh! So, I jumped in and started making this dessert hoping that when I got to the cake part, it would start coming together as a design. =D

Ingredients for Custard:

3/4 cup whole milk

2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 whole egg, beaten

9 egg yolks, beaten

3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean (EDITED: vanilla extract is okay)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

To Prepare the Custard:

• Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

All those egg yolks looked so pretty sitting in a bowl waiting to get beaten. The egg whites I put syran wrap on for use as cake ingredients, which I did the next morning. This became a Saturday night and Sunday morning project. I was surprised at how quickly the custard came together. Also, I always worry about my eggs curdling when I added a little heat to the yolks first. Even when taking it slow, I have had a little trouble in the past. This time the custard mixed together beautifully. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat! (BIG smile)

The aroma from the custard smelled sooooo good. I made a mistake by keeping the custard on the heat too long because my custard became *really* thick. It did not hurt anything and when I checked for coating on the spoon, well, lets just say I had extra to taste test and I do LOVE vanilla custard. Delish!

I made another mistake here. . .and I knew better. Teaches me not to start cooking something when I am really tired. I put the custard in cute little ramekins and set in the refrigerator without putting any syran wrap on the surface of the custard to keep them from forming skins. The custard was still wonderful though! 8)

Chiffon Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate

8 ounces unsalted butter

Directions for Assembly:

To prepare chiffon cake:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.
• Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.
• Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.
• Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the Glaze:

• Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.

To Assemble:

• Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.

Sunday morning I started on the cake and chocolate sauce part and the dessert was a lot of fun to finish putting together. I found one of my favorite baking pans for making minature cakes and this worked wonderfully. I did have left over cake batter so I put this in large ramekins. The flavor of orange with the chocolate sauce is a great combination. Since I had a couple extra cakes, I tested this hypothesis out. . . a definite winner! BTW, I used bittersweet chocolate for the sauce.

I had company Sunday evening and I wanted to share this dessert so I was limited on time for presentation and believe it or not, my hubby actually chose how this was presented! I know, shocker for me too. He got so into me putting it together that I think I got more tickled watching him get enthused then me actually putting this together.


I would like to thank http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/ (Alpineberry) for this great challenge and the Daring Bakers for presenting the chance for so many people to feel part of something greater! Thank you!!!!! =D

Tea Cup Makes Sipping Tea A Special Moment in Time

I know this probably sounds silly but I was raised as a tomgirl and all I wanted growing up was a tea set. My Mom had a pretty set and we girls were never allowed to touch it. You know, I have a real silver tea pot with the sugar and cream dishes that all set on a beautiful silver tray with floral filigree etched as a design. The set has a tarnished look to it and I want to find out how I can make the whole set look new again. Something I really need to make time for. I am sitting here laughing out loud (probably sound like I have lost my marbles =D) but the thought just crossed my mind that one of my regular cups of tea would fill this little cup about three times. . .and it is really hard not to laugh about it because it would take me a while longer to drink my tea so this will probably be kept as a lovely weekend morning past time.

I had all these great plans to make wonderful Halloween cookies and caramel apples along with some great spiders made out of little sausages wrapped in crescent dough and use potato sticks for legs and mustard for eyes. Then I was going to make a ranch dressing dip and rings of bbq sauce so as to pull a spider web design using a toothpick. It is now Sunday evening and I have not accomplished any of these things. I made a spiderweb dip! Yeppers, that is it! A dip. . .for chips. . .Fritos corn chips. I really should look at the brighter side of this woeful tail. My hubby needed help this weekend on a project of reorganizing the storage and hauling things around that would make his world happier. So, this is what I did. Now, I am sore with no Halloween goodies *but* a happy hubby. I guess it is not a complete loss, yes?


The recipe used cheater ingredients, which I really try not to do when cooking but I really needed a last effort to show something for the season:

1 (16 oz.) jar (about 1 3/4 c) black bean dip

1 (12 oz.) container of guacamole

1/4 c. Sour Cream

1 c. Lettuce

4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 c. chopped tomatoes

Tortilla or Corn Chips

Directions:

Spread bean dip onto center of large platter, leaving 1 to 2 inches around edge of platter. Carefully spread bean dip with guacamole.

Spoon sour cream into resealable plastic food bag. Snip off corner. Pipe sour cream in 4 concentric circles onto guacamole. Drag toothpick or knife through sour cream from center outward to make spider web design.

Layer lettuce, cheese and tomatoes on edge of platter. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

BTW, this was tastey. =D

Peaches - A Fruit A Month Entry - Yum! =D

Peaches - The Fruit Of The Month Entry

The link for this fabulously fun entry is: Fun and Food: Announcing AFAM-October (A Fruit a Month) - Peach/Nectarine

I have had a peach cake recipe that has been under wraps for a long time then I decided to post this wonderful and delicious peach recipe to a cooking group I belong to called grouprecipes.com. Now, I think it is time to make this cake again, much to my hubby's delight, with my newly canned peaches. I feel sooo accomplished (smile).

BUT WAIT, OMG!!! I also have a peach crisp to make you swoon recipe that I want to add. Yeppers, this is the thought I have come up with: Make and post them both! It is only fair. So here goes =D

First the peach cake:

Decadent Fresh Peach Cake (Using My Fresh Canned Peaches =D)

Ingredients:

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
5 T. plus 1 t. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
6 T. (3/4 stick) margarine, softened
6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
9 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
CREAM FILLING:
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
PEACH FILLING:
5 to 6 large peaches
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. sugar

Directions:

• Make the cream filling first. Mix cream, sugar, and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with wax paper. Grease the paper and lightly flour. Set aside.
  Sift the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  
• Cream the margarine, butter, and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the dry mixture in 4 parts, alternating with the milk and ending with the flour. Mix in the vanilla.
  
• Place the beaten egg whites on top of the mixture and fold in with an over-and-under motion. DO NOT beat, but be sure it is well mixed. Pour batter into cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

• Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Let cool completely. The cakes are suppose to be on the thin side.
  
• To assemble cake, dip peaches in hot water for about 10 seconds, then run cold water over them. Slip the skins off and cut each into about a dozen slices; discard pits. Toss peach slices with the lemon juice and sugar. Whip the chilled cream-sugar filling until it is stiff, then mix in the vanilla.
  
• The peaches will have given up a bit of juice by now, so pour some of it over the bottom cake layer, a little at a time, to give it a chance to soak in. (The cakes are dense.) Put a third of the peach slices on this bottom layer and cover with some whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining layers, holding them in place with toothpicks if necessary.
  
• Keep cake refrigerated, very loosely covered with foil or wax paper, until ready to serve. Believe it or not, this cake will stay standing when you slice and serve. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe. I know it takes a little patience to make BUT you will LOVE the results...I hope : D
  

Now for the next recipe:

Peach Crisp to Make You Swoon

Ingredients:

4 c. peaches, peeled and sliced
1/4 t. almond extract
2 T. water
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. unsalted butter (this is not a mis-print)
nutmeg

Directions:

• Oven 350 degrees F.
  
• Combine peaches, almond extract and water. (If peaches aren't totally ripe, add a T. or 2 of white or brown sugar. )
  
• Pour peaches into a 8 x 8-inch or similar sized pan.
  
• Using a food processor (or a bowl and pastry cutter) combine flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and 1/2 c. butter; combine (or cut with pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  
• Sprinkle flour mixture over the top of the peaches in the pan, dot with butter pieces and sprinkle nutmeg lightly over the top to taste.
  
• Bake *covered* at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes, remove cover and continue to bake for 40-45 minutes.
  
• Let crisp stand for about 15 minutes or so before serving. Not possible for me, even if I burn my fingers : D

The final result surprised me the first time because the top crumb layer was flat looking *but* do NOT let this catch you off guard because the flavor is incredible. I mean, totally delish! Yum! I found that if I do not break the crumbs up as small for the top layer then the layer does not turn out this flat looking. . .if you are worried about presentation. . .which I usually am =D

This whole peach dedication month has been a blast! Thank you for letting us know about it.

Shandy

Saturday is for Sleeping In. . . and a Warm Cup of Tea!

First, I have to say I am sooo excited! I went to storage today and found my delicate porcelain teacup and saucer with beautiful little yellow roses and baby green leaves for the pattern. You know, I really enjoy a warm cup of tea but there is something special to be said about sipping this wonderful flavor in a delicate and beautiful cup. Now I just need to clean it so that I can take a proper picture and show everyone my pride and joy.

This post is to my late best friend in the whole world. . .my grandpa! Ever since I was old enough to know what grandpa meant. . .I knew he was amazing. . . and everyday I find something that makes me cherish a warm memory of him and this causes me to smile. With fall here, to me this says soup season. I have to say this out loud and I feel silly for saying it but soup intimates the hell out of me! Yeppers, it's the stock that gets me. I want homemade stock and I do not always have the time to make homemade stock nor the expertise to do this very often. I do try once in a while and when I do, I freeze the extra since I am making it to get the extra. I *always* have to go by a recipe to do this. My grandma used to make fabulous soup with great flavor and she looked like she was throwing whatever into the pot. . .making me wonder if I was going to be stuck eating something terrible. I am telling you. . .this is a true statement. I have seen the woman put candied pineapple into soup before! Grandpa even complained when he saw this and she told him he knew where the peanut butter was and to make good use of it if she heard a negative comment from him again! Grandpa just smiled and winked at me.

The reason this fabulous vegetable soup is to my Grandpa is because of his beautiful vegetable gardens he grew every year. For his tender, foot long green beans, he would start by have 5 poles positioned tee pee style and plant 10 seeds around each pole. Out of these 10 seeds, he would weed 5 of the weakest plants out and keep the other strong and hardy 5 plants. Grandma always had a ton of green beans to use every summer. His other veggies that he grew were just as clever and simple with the vegetables always being a delight to go pick fresh. It is hard not to smile while I type. This all feels so much like just yesterday, you know what I mean?

I found this recipe a while back in a Cuisine Magazine, believe it or not. I had to try it using fresh veggies and now I make this soup several times a month. I get so tickled over making the dumplings. They are cute little fluff balls with tons of flavor!

To start out, I always get all the ingredients together because there is a lot of chopping involved. Do you ever have one of those days where you long to just be in the kitchen listening to good music, sipping a beverage of choice and mindlessly chopping away? . . .relaxing.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

Saute in 2 T. Olive Oil:
1 c. onions, diced
1/2 c. carrots, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
Deglaze with; stir in:
1/2 c. dry white wine
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 c. cauliflower florets
1 c. zucchini, diced
1 bay leaf
Add:
3 c. tomatoes, diced
2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 c. fresh green beans, trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
Herb Dumplings:
Makes 20-25 dumplings and Total time to make:30 minutes
Whisk together and stir in; Melt:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. Parmesan, grated
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 c. chopped fresh chives
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2/3 c. whole milk
3 T. unsalted butter
Heat; Cook dumplings in:
Soup

Directions:

• Saute onion, carrot, and celery in oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.
• Deglaze with wine; simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, corn, beans, salt and pepper. Return to a boil and cook 5 more minutes.

Herb Dumplings Directions:

• After adding the last part of veggies to the soup, start making the dumplings.
  
• Whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper together in a bowl; stir in the herbs. Melt butter in the milk in a saucepan over medium heat, then blend into dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Shape dough into balls the size of a ping pong ball. I use a melon ball scoop to make these with. When the above soup is in the last stage of cooking and you have dropped the heat to a simmer, add the dumpling balls to the top of the soup, cover, and gently simmer 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This soup looks beautiful when served with all the bright colors of the different vegetables and the fluffy dumplings. If I was in the South, I am sure the Southern people would be insulted because dumplings are much flatter. That's okay, I like those too! =D

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vanilla Brownies

Vanilla Brownie? Or Cookie Bar? You decide.

First- thank you all for your kind and compassionate wishes for a speedy recovery from emergency hip surgery. Such fabulous readers you are- every one of you. As our Italian friend, Sandra, once said to us- in her dead gorgeous Tuscan accent-  

I love you too much!

I feel human again. Yesterday (day nine post-surgery) this sticky, prickly goddess got to sit inside the shower (they make these nifty portable shower seats now) and- Aphrodite-blessed relief!- indulge in twenty sexy minutes of hot steamy bliss. Hawaiian shampoo. Rainbath lather. Leg shaving!

One lesson a broken hip teaches you? It's the little things in life that count. The simple luxury of taking a shower shoots to gold star status- the genuine, beyond spectacular highlight of the day. Pulling on a soft clean shirt? Heaven. Sitting upright, freshly shampooed and moisturized with Eternity lotion? Divine. Twirling pasta in olive oil and garlic- in bed- next to your husband? It doesn't get any better than this.

And then there are chocolate chip cookies (that are egg-free and dairy-free- earning them treasured vegan status). They also happen to be gluten-free, wheat-free, bean-free, soy-free and nut-free. Perfect for all those cute-as-a-button multi-allergic tykes out there. Not to mention, gluten-free vegan goddesses.

Last night Steve helped me make these as cookie bars, in the style of my old tried and true favorite chocolate chip cookie bar recipe- and, Babycakes, they were a damn good match. I named them Vanilla Brownies. My trick was a small cheat. A dab of butter flavor extract. I don't usually turn to artificial flavors (in fact, this is a first for me), but when you are allergic to most natural flavors and buckets of other foods and your taste buds crave a buttery sweet treat, this decidedly un-foodie goddess figures--- Why the Hades not? But if it horrifies you to use it, Darling Reader- and just the very thought of it keeps you up at night worrying about the integrity of the cookie universe- leave it out. It's one quarter of a teaspoon. Sub it with vanilla. Do your thing. 

It's all good.

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Lemon Bread

Lemon Bread

I have to admit that I love the strong flavor of lemon and that I am also always on the hunt for the perfect lemon bread. I went to a William Sonoma store and found this bread baking pan that had imprints of lemons in the bottom. How could I resist? The bread has lemon peel in the recipe and after baking this delightful quick bread, you mix together lemon juice and sugar and drizzle over the top. . .Yum!

For the Bread:

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 vanilla bean

12 T. unsalted butter, melted (This is 1 1/2 sticks of butter)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. milk

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the Glaze:

1/4 c. sugar

3 T. fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a lemon bread pan, okay, or a regular bread pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the bread, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Put the sugar in a bowl. Using a paring knife, cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the top of the knife, scrape the seeds into the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar to break up the clumps. Add the butter, eggs, milk and lemon zest and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Tap the pan gently on a work surface to loosen the bread. Set the rack over a baking sheet, invert pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Turn the loaf over and, using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the bread with the glaze. Let cool completely before serving.

Screwed! But Sparky and Esteban Save the Day

Meet Sparky.

He's my new bed and blanket companion. Looking at him makes me smile. After the fall- there's an awful lot of imagery, sensation and emotion refracting inside this more-than-slightly addled post hip surgery brain of mine (this is a thinly veiled mea culpa for any bad writing that follows) but I wanted to send out a heartfelt thanks- lickity split!- to all of you, for your kind notes and sweet messages. I cherish every one.

My world has been whittled down to a queen size bed and some 800 square feet of floor space. I must keep- totally- off my left leg for a minimum of eight weeks to give my fractured femoral neck (screwed back together with three titanium screws) a fighting chance.

If you're a betting soul, here are the odds of me keeping my own hip: 50/50.

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Update...from Alex

Hello everyone --

Late Wednesday night my mother- Karina- fell and broke her hip, fracturing the neck of the femur above the proximal line. Since then, she has been through surgery to repair the damage and is recovering well. With any luck, she and Steve will be making the transition back to the casita to continue her recovery in the comforts of home, and will be back to posting on her blog in a few days. I know she is looking forward to getting in touch with all of her friends, fans and fellow bloggers.

-- Alex

Splashing in the Mud Puddles =D

The rain is beautiful with all the wet grass and leaves shimmering but it is also sad because I have beautiful maple trees lining my yard and driveway. All the rain is causing the leaves to fall faster and now my trees are mostly bare. I have been trying to get pictures of the leaves turning all the beautiful hues of reds, oranges, yellows and browns but now it is almost to late to get anymore pictures.

I am definitely a seasons person. Comfort food for each season is my specialty. No more hot weather to keep me from wanting to bake in the oven. The meatballs that are shown in the picture below are awesome football appetizer food or main dinner entree served over rice. I could not believe the ingredients when I first tried this recipe and now this is one of my main stay meals to fix.

Meatballs with Sauerkraut

The recipe for Meatballs with Sauerkraut is as follows:

2 lbs. hamburger

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 c. bread crumbs

3 eggs beaten

12 (oz.) bottle chili sauce

1 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. brown sugar

16 oz. sauerkraut drained

16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce

Directions:

In a bowl - combine hamburger, soup mix, crumbs and eggs.

Mix well and shape into balls.

Place in baking dish.

In a saucepan combine chili sauce, brown sugar, water, sauerkraut and cranberry sauce.

Mix well while cooking over a low heat until it begins to boil.

Pour over meatballs and cook at 325 for 2 hours.

These meatballs are delicious! =D

I also made my favorite: Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

If I could get away with just eating the cream cheese frosting alone I would BUT the overall cinnamon roll is awesome and moist too. My daughter is Such a picky teenager and actually loves these. Shocking, I know. :D

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients
For the Dough:
PROOF:
1 packet (2 1/4 t.) active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (100-110 degrees)
WARM; ADD:
3/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 T. sugar
2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
5 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 t. kosher salt...okay I am on a kosher kick. Regular salt is fine.
FOR THE FILLING---
SOFTEN AND BLEND:
3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE ICING: (with orange zest)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. orange zest, minced

Directions:
PROOF the yeast for the dough in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes, or until foamy. (You can proof in a regular large bowl to do this recipe if you do not have a stand mixer but your arm will fall off working the dough.)
WARM the milk to 100 degrees in a saucepan over low heat while yeast is proofing. Add warmed milk, buttermilk, 3 T. sugar, 2 T. butter, 3 1/2 cups flour, and salt to the proofed yeast. With a paddle attachment, mix on low speed until combined, then increase speed to high; beat for 2 more minutes.
SWITCH to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium. Mix for 5-7 minutes, or until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (It will still be stuck to the bottom of the bowl, so don't worry.) Cover bowl with plastic and let dough rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Butter two 9" square pans. (I know, 9" is not a regular size that many have but it is better just because they get BIG)
SOFTEN 3/4 cup butter for the filling in a bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds. Use a hand mixer to blend in the sugar and cinnamon; set aside (do not chill).
ONCE the dough has risen, hook your fingers under the edges to release the dough from the bowl. Scrape it onto a well-floured surface, sprinkle flour over the top, and press gently to remove air bubbles. Divide the dough in half and roll one portion into a 10 x 16" rectangle.
SPREAD half of the filling onto the dough, leaving a 1/2" border. Starting at the shortest edge, roll the dough jelly roll-style into a log. Repeat rolling and filling with the second piece of dough. Transfer logs to a baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes. (Shocking I know, but helps with cutting into rolls)
SLICE each log into 6 rolls and arrange them in the prepared pans; cover rolls with a towel and let rise for 1 hour; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover rolls and bake 25-30 minutes, or until browned. Cool rolls in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and frost with Cream Cheese Icing.
CREAM CHEESE ICING:
BEAT all ingredients together with a hand mixer until combined. Top warm rolls generously with icing after they have cooled slightly.
Man, that was a little effort BUT you are going to LOVE the result. =D

You're the hemp in my...

Just so you know? It's two in the afternoon.

And I spent the day- so far- in bed. Snuggled beneath a Pendleton blanket, cruising the information highway on Steve's laptop. Nibbling pieces of smoked salmon. Approving Spicy Comments. Paying bills. Ordering lavender pillows stuffed with rice or buckwheat [not to eat, Darling, to heat- in the microwave- till toasty and warm and soothing; therapy for this sleep-deprived blogger's crooked neck and quirky tummy still not right from her sojourn into public dining in Los Angeles].

In light of a certain individual's recent ranting (and her pondering whether to throw in the towel and head for the nearest smoke shop- conveniently located next to Saints and Sinners) this post will be a simple thank you to Certain Readers- you know who you are- for the suggestion of hemp.

Hemp, as in milk.

Hemp, as in, You're the hemp in my mate... (that's MAH-tay for those of you not familiar with Viggo's preferred caffeine source).

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My Humble Petition

(Parental warning- this post is rated PG 13)

Dear Wise and Merciful Goddess,

There have been so many gruesome failures (or quasi-semi-successes not worth sharing) in my tiny blue tiled cocina of late that I am perilously close to throwing in the towel and crying, WTF? I am spending days (yes, days!) feeling hollow from hunger because I can't find anything in the cruel pantry to eat. Especially for breakfast. And brunch. And snacks.

I can usually rustle up a tasty dinner built around potatoes or rice with a piece of fish or the one sausage I can eat. But truth be told- as you may already know in your omniscient all-knowingness- I am missing eggs and cheese like crazy this week. Dear Divine One, what I wouldn't give for one of my pasta frittatas. Or a sizzling tray of nachos. Or- Oy!- a hot and cozy slice of my roasted vegetable kugel.

With limited sources of protein to pick from- beef, pork and some fish- I am stymied at breakfast. Not to mention mid-day. And late afternoon snacks! I mean, seriously. Who wants to eat fish three times a day as my brisk and steely Nurse Practitioner (transplanted from coastal Maine, duh) advised?

And if might gently and sweetly ask, is it really wise to eat beef every day- even if it's grass fed and organic and roaming the range with Tommy Lee Jones and all that good stuff? I kinda doubt it. Not at my overheated pesky age.

As you well know, I'm no spring chicken.

Which I'm also allergic to. Here's the thing. Without my brown rice and beans, my peanut butter on rice cakes, my grabs of almonds and cashews, protein powder smoothies, and hummus? And those fast and fabulous grilled quesadillas? I am, quite frankly, more than slightly askew. Not to mention, cranky. And some days- like today, for instance? Yours in devotion is frustrated and gloomy and frankly, wicked pissed and hungry.

And I'm not going to lie about it.

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Friday Night and on to the Weekend. . .Wahhhoooo~!

Happy Friday!!!!

Yep! I made dessert tonight. . .and not just one, but two! The Caramel Apple-Brandy Malt and Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake for Ashley. Not bad if I say so myself. =D


I have college homework due tonight and the worse the homework the more I am apt to rush into the kitchen and start cooking. It doesn't help that I have taken several of my favorite cookbooks to work today to peruse for ideas. My grocery list for tonight was made before I was even in the work truck, going home. Seattle traffic and commuting, even in the carpool lane, is disastrous. I think we have some of the craziest and crankiest drivers around. That's okay, I know what I want to cook tonight and nothing really gets to me if I have something planned out. It's when I don't plan ahead that I feel frustrated and cooking instantly becomes a chore. It doesn't help that Ashley, my teenage daughter, is extremely particular about what she likes to eat. I don't know how that child can want things that consist of simple, basic country food and be my daughter. . .(chuckle). She is really going to dislike dinner but I am making a dessert just for her and just maybe (sigh) she will actually really like it. Hhhmm, probably wishful thinking but she does surprise me a lot lately. In a good way. I should add that for later. I got home today, looked around and she had swept and mopped the kitchen floor, put dishes away and made my bed. Something I forgot to get done before leaving this morning. On top of that, she didn't even say anything. She usually doesn't though.

I am back on track. Dinner....I decided that I wanted to try a Mexican meatloaf. I have several recipes that I have concocted in the past but they just feel like they are sooo lacking something lately, so I am taking another direction. I think this recipe will open up a whole new world of ideas now. The meatloaf turned out awesome, the flavor was right on *and* no grease from the hamburger. I was amazed! The only down-side is that I forgot to spray my loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray, such as Pam, and the meatloaf stuck to the pan just a little.

Dinner:

Mexican Meatloaf *with* Salsa and Sour Cream

Red Skinned Potatoes Mashed

Corn with Chopped Red Bell Pepper

Mixed Salad with Pomegranate Sprinkles

Dessert:

Caramel Apple-Brandy Malt (shown above)

Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake

The meatloaf takes a little bit of extra time to prep but after I found out what the end result is. . .well, I think this recipe will become a mainstay for me. I start out with cooking green bell pepper, 3 shallots and garlic with a little vegetable oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes.




After the veggies have cooked, I just let them cool and continue with assembling the rest of the meatloaf. I think the most time-consuming part is cutting up 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas finely and this only took about 5 minutes. Overall assembling time was about 15 minutes. Not to bad.






With everything in the bowl except for the one beaten egg, all I have left is to mix everything to gether, mold and set in loaf pan and bake for an hour. Easy.

Mexican Meatloaf

1 Medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 Shallots, minced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 t. vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef (80 to 85% lean) I like a little fat to the hamburger for flavor
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, finely shopped
3/4 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/2 c. purchased or fresh salsa
1 egg, beaten
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground oregano
1 t. salt
extra salsa
sourcream

**Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bell pepper, shallots and garlic inoil in medium skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Cool.

Gently combine bell pepper mixture and all remaining ingredients except 1/4 c. of the cheese in a large bowl. Place in 8 x 4 inch loaf pan; bake 55 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. cheese during the last 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Add salsa and a medium dollop of sour cream to the top of the meatloaf after setting on plate.

Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes

2 Pounds Red Skinned Potatoes - leave skins on and just clean and quarter
1/2 c. butter (unsalted)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. whipping cream
1/2 t. granulated garlic
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
salt to taste

**Directions:

After potatoes are cooked to fork tender, drain and place back on stove top for 30 to 45 seconds to toss potatoes, making sure the rest of the water is evaporated. Place potatoes in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients listed.

How you prefer to mash potatoes is open to taste. I prefer whipping them using my Kitchen Aide Mixer. My Mom prefers using a potato masher utensil. Either way, the potatoes turn out wonderful.

Mixed Salad with Pomegranate Sprinkles

4 c. torn romaine lettuce

3/4 c. small cauliflower florets

3/4 c. diced zucchini (1/2-inch)

3/4 c. sliced yellow bell pepper

1/4 c. pecan pieces, toasted**

Pomegranate

**Directions:

Arrange lettuce on salad plates and top with all remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing of choice. I choose honey mustard dressing but I have a recipe for Pomegranate-Tarragon Vinaigrette that I plan on trying tomorrow. The flavors would really create a fantastic combination.

**Note**: To toast pecan pieces, place on baking sheet; bake at 375 degrees for 4 to 6 minutes or until pale brown and fragrant. Cool.

Mexican Corn

The mexican corn is sweet corn with bits of chopped red bell pepper added to it and cooked on top of the stove in a medium size sauce pan just till it is hot.

Caramel Apple-Brandy Malt

4 oz. brandy

3 oz. apple cider (not apple juice)

1/4 c. caramel sauce (dulce de leche if available)

2 pints of vanilla ice cream

**Directions:

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Garnish with whipped cream and toasted, chopped pecans. Serves 4 =D

For some reason I am having trouble with formatting tonight so I will have to add the rest tomorrow. Yeesh.

Off and Running - YIKES - No Dessert. . .Bummer!

Weeellllll, I feel terrible! My whole dinner plan started around dessert. I was going to make this awesome Caramel Apple-Brandy Malt for dessert, found the most wonderful caramel that cost about 10 dollars for 1/2 c. worth in a jar, along with my favorite Vanilla Bean Haagan-Daz ice cream. I come up with a menu for Smoked Paprika Roasted Salmon with Wilted Spinach,
a salad of what I had on hand (which turned out awesome . . .uuuhhhmmm, except for the added Goat Brie. . . bad choice. . .way to strong of a flavor) and my oven-crisp potato wedges. Everything was easy and the flavors were going together great. The 2 pound salmon Coho Salmon fillet was from my favorite seafood and butcher section of the local grocery and I was told that the fish was *not* previously frozen. That is huge in my book for flavor! I marinated the salmon in orange juice, olive oil and thyme in one of those food saver dishes where you use the food saver device to suck the air out so that marinating happens in a quarter of the time. It works great! A half-an-hour later, I am ready to go with my spice rub. After putting the seasoning on the Salmon, it bakes for about 13 minutes and wah-laa! Oh yes, I also wilted some baby spinach for two minutes on the stove-top in a little olive oil and made a bed out of it for the salmon to set on.

The salad was just a head of shredded iceberg lettuce, some crab that I had left over from dinner the previous night and still needed to shuck, Muenster cheese cubed, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, cauliflower, Prosciutto that I sliced thinly, garlic and cheese croutons and almond slivers.

While the salmon was marinating in the refrigerator, I was cubing my little red potatoes and tossing them with olive oil, 1 T. of garlic, some ground sea salt, a little ground pepper, oh - and of course a little paprika for color and flavor. Toss all this in a bowl as shown below and wait to bake in the oven the same time that the salmon goes in.

My potatoes get slid onto a jellyroll pan that I have set a sheet of aluminum on and sprayed with a non-stick spray before baking. Easy clean-up is always a good thing, right?

Everything comes together and looks great! Including pictures, the whole process only took me about 45 minutes. Yay! The best part? Hubby did dishes. Double Yay! The bad part? Everyone was too stuffed for dessert! Can you believe it? I have all the makings for an awesome dessert and nobody can even squeak to even want to try a bite. I feel so hurt. Well, there is always tomorrow night :D

Smoked Paprika Roasted Salmon with Wilted Spinach

(This makes about 6 to 8 Servings. . .Depending on how big of eaters your family has)

1/4 c. Orange Juice

2 T. plus 1 t. olive oil, divided

2 t. Thyme Leaves, divided

2 pounds Salmon Fillets

1 T. Brown Sugar

1 T. Smoked Paprika

1 t. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Sea Salt

1 t. Orange Peel

1 bag (about 10 ounces) Baby Spinach Leaves

Mix orange juice, 2 T. of the oil and 1 t. of the thyme in small bowl. Place salmon in large glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well. Cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.

Mix sugar, smoked paprika, cinnamon, orange peel, remaining 1 t. thyme and sea salt in small bowl. Remove salmon from marinade. Place in greased foil-lined baking pan. Discard any remaining marinade. Rub top of salmon evenly with smoked paprika mixture.

Roast salmon in a preheated 400 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 t. olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add spinach; cook and stir 2 minutes or until wilted. Serve salmon over spinach.

Oven-Crisp Potato Wedges

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes

1 T. olive oil

4 t. finely minced garlic

3/4 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. paprika

1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 525 degrees. Quarter potatoes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle ( I love that word) olive oil over potatoes and toss.

Sprinkle garlic, salt paprika and pepper over potatoes; toss to coat well.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with vegetable cooking spray. Arrange potatoes on prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.

Raise heat to broil. Broil potatoes until crisp, watching closely not to over-brown, about 1-2 minutes. Yum! :D

Wenesday Night Dinner

Well, I have to say, even when I get totally busy with life. . . go buy more dishes to inspire cooking ideas! How's that for smart? Yes? Maybe? I am just like a girl with a shoe addiction only I LOVE the serving dishes and with the holidays right around the corner, well, (sigh) need I say more? I go to college, yep, but it is on-line along with working full-time but my thoughts are always about cooking, baking, learning to grill (I just need to keep the grill marks off my skin. . .ouch!) and now I am starting the ol sour dough experience. The dishes shown above are glass leaves I found at Pier 1. They are sooo cute and the serving platters that go with are on order in burgundy. Can't wait! The dishes are showing off the only cheater part of dinner tonight. I decided that I wanted to make my Crab and Corn chowder but when I got to the store, I saw these lovely Portabello mushrooms stuffed with a seafood concoction that I couldn't resist trying. So here they are only I have added baby shrimp and shredded Havarti cheese to the tops of them.

After baking the mushrooms at 350 degrees for 20 minutes I am going to let them cool for just a few while I finish up the crab and corn chowder. I am learning how to take pictures and thought what a great way to learn would be by making a point to post a picture of whatever I am making for that day. A daily picture posting! Hopefully, my digital techniques will become much better as time goes by. Well, off to the chowder:

We start with the lonely but beautiful Sweet Onion. Soon, the onion will be diced finely.

The potatoes join in and will be put in the microwave to be cooked. This will shorten the time for prep work. After they have been cooked in the microwave, I will cut them into large, diced pieces for the chowder.

The crab is the third main ingredient in this wonderfully thick and flavorful chowder. I was going to buy pre-shucked crab but a 1/2 pound cost more then 1 full pound of legs. Ridiculous I say! So I am going to use the ol kitchen shears to cut the prickly legs down the center and get the meat myself. Takes all of 10 minutes. . .no biggie. =D

All the Ingredients are now assembled and I am ready to get started. This may make just a couple extra dirty dishes *but* my assembling and cooking is sooo much more fun when I get to just dump the ingredients in as I go. If I have something left over, well, hhhmmm, then I know I have boo-booed. Anyways, I am off to make the chowder. I have made this chowder several times and re-write how I tweak it for later. I guess I should re-write the whole recipe on a fresh piece of paper before I can't read it any longer. Another sticky note that I'll be making for myself. Yeesh.

The first step is onions, corn and 1/2 of the crab. - -The second half of cooking the chowder.

The finished product! Creamy and full of everything that makes you drool just smelling the wonderful aroma from all the ingredients. The recipe is worth sharing:

Crab and Corn Chowder

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 lrg. onion, finely diced
4 lrg. potatoes, cubed and cooked (I microwave them)
1 c. half and half
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. clam broth
2 cans canned whole Kernel corn (Drained but save the Juice)
1 can Creamed corn
2 t. Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds fresh crabmeat

Directions:
Preheat a 6-quart soup pot on medium heat with butter.

Add onions, whole corn, and half of the crabmeat. Cook until onions are clear. Add Old Bay seasoning and Cook 3 minutes longer.

Add clam broth, liquid from corn, and creamed corn. Bring to boil and add evaporated milk and half and half. Slowly bring chowder to a low simmer, being careful not to boil. Add potatoes. Add the remainder of the crabmeat the next day, just before serving the chowder. I usually end up making and serving this all the same night. I know, I am going against my own rules, but what the heck!

Cool chowder in refrigerator overnight and serve the following day - if you can wait that long. All chowders are always best if made the day before...Warm-up is delicious!