Can You Feel Spring Coming?

I woke up this morning and there was frost on the lawn and ice on the windshield! It is April 30th for Pete Sakes. I just planted a couple of flowers, finally, in some of my window boxes and now the little flowers have a droop to them. So, what happens to the little hummingbirds when the weather behaves badly? I have always wondered where they sleep. I can not believe how much those cute little birds can eat. Ravenous at times. Definitely not scared of me anymore. Then there are the squirrels. I found one in the glass bird feeder, balancing with his big ol' wide load behind hanging off the edge of the dish. . .eating like he has never seen food before. One of the biggest squirrels I've seen yet!

To day was a long day so I thought I would come home and try working some more on my little sewing project. . .the ever awaited APRON! Isn't it cute? Bright and cheery with lots of little flowers. Do you know how many bolts of material I laid out all over JoAnn's Fabric store to find this material? There was many eyes a twitching until I reassured everyone that I was going to put all 40 or 50 bolts back when I was done. I had WAY to much fun! Anyways, I didn't get to sew tonight. Bummer. There were strawberries calling out to me that needed to be made into something quickly so that I didn't lose them. All 4 cups worth. Since they were not absolutely, perfectly fresh, I decided to make a custard and add pureed strawberries (I left a few strawberry chunks) to be made later into ice cream. That and dinner. Where do you go for a great ice cream recipe? I figured I would get a great one from Food Network and Emeril Lagasse. Yep and Nope! Found a recipe and the recipe was not even close to being correct and this was noticed BEFORE I even started. Can you imagine a recipe telling you that a custard will thickened within 4 to 6 minutes on simmer? What super custard ingredients was he using? Oh yes, and the recipe asks for 1/2 of a vanilla bean in the ingredients but says nothing about it in the directions. I thought that the overall recipe was a good base to go off of and that is just what I did. I have the custard chilling with Saran wrap on the surface so there will be no skin. Tomorrow I will process it. I have to admit that the custard turned out great and the pureed strawberries with 1/2 c. of sugar tasted fresh and delicious. All together, the flavor is wonderful!


Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream (Kind of From Emeril Lagasse)
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered
1/2 c. granulated sugar
(His recipe called for 1 1/2 cups, which I thought was way to much)
4 c. half-n-half
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped
(I scraped the seeds out and then added the bean itself)
6 egg yolks

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, combine the strawberries and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Process until smooth. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the half-n-half, vanilla bean seeds, pod, and sugar. Bring to a simmer. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hot liquid to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan of liquid and whisk until incorporated. Bring the liquid back to simmer and continue to cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove the Vanilla Bean from the custard. Remove from the heat and stir in the strawberries. Whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture. This will prevent a skin from forming while cooking. Cool the mixture completely. Process the mixture according to the ice cream machine instructions.

The making of a racehorse

My sweet dad asked me to make some cookies for a charity event he is involved with again this year. Southwest Ambucs hosts Derby Days every year as their big fundraiser, you can read more about it here. It sounds like a wonderful event...hopefully one of these days, we'll be able to attend.

So, here are the horses outlined and ready for filling with the flood icing. I prop up the tray I am working with on a stool so it's more comfortable...less hunching over the table. :)

The brown icing has dried for several hours and the purple for a little over an hour. You can see that is looks wet in the picture. It's dry enough to pipe on top of it, though. I used a #2 tip for all of the outlining and piping.

And, here they are ready to be boxed and shipped to Amarillo! Hope they make it a-ok, Dad! (I know you won't eat one since they're not oatmeal raisin!!!) Thanks again!

Spiced Yogurt Poundcake

My friend makes "the" most rich, moist, and delicious spiced yogurt poundcake EVER! This cake does not need any frosting even though I did mix a cup of powdered sugar with a little milk and 1/4 t. almond extract to drizzle over the surface. I just love the flavor of almond extract, especially when I am making my favorite peach crisp. Delicious! There is nothing fancy about this cake and I wish I had gussied up the picture before putting it into the blog but I just had to share. I make this cake about once a month, it is that good. I like using Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt but I think the taste is phenomenal no matter which one you use. The spices really come through but are not overpowering. 3 days later, if the cake lasts that long, this piece of heaven will still be moist.

Spiced Yogurt Poundcake

Ingredients:

2 c. white sugar

1 c. butter, softened

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. allspice

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, salt, and baking soda. Mix until combined then beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack.

Green Chile Tortilla Bake Recipe

A gluten-free tortilla casserole with cream cheese and green chiles. Si.

Planted on the coast of Cape Cod for many years (forever, it seemed on gloomy January days) I daydreamed about fire roasted chiles. The smoky pepper sweetness that flirted with your senses as you walked in Santa Fe. The luxury of buying bags of freshly roasted chiles by the roadside- still warm,  soft as butter, and charred. In fact, I may have moved here for the chiles alone.

That's entirely possible.

I may have been so drop dead in love with chiles when we bought this casita that I didn't notice I'd be stuck out in the desert with so few neighbors. No bookstore, no cafe- no movie theater. What was I thinking? Only my analyst knows for sure (if she remembers me; it's been years since Jungian analysis).

Along with dreaming of Val Kilmer (not the rock scrambling Thunderheart Val, the expanding, voluptuous new Mega Val- and why he showed up in my dream, I've no clue- better ask my analyst) I've been craving green chile this month like mad as we approach our second anniversary of moving to New Mexico. And wouldn't you know it! I'm out of last year's roadside bags of chiles. They're long gone (my freezer is annoyingly, shall we say, petite). Until roasting season starts I have to settle with buying frozen Bueno chiles. And they're not bad, exactly. They are pretty dang good.

Yet, as I sit and crave and daydream, the big question becomes: Do I really still want to be here in August when chile roasting begins? Is my chile love a devoted, true love, or simply an infatuation? A passing fancy? Will your intrepid dusty goddess remain here in the coyote hills of O'Keeffe country or soon be walking Venice Beach in her Rocket Dogs?

I tell myself, just breathe. There are Bueno chiles to defrost.

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Daring Baker Challenge: Cheesecake Balls. . .YUM!

Elle from Feeding My Enthusiam and Deborah from Taste and Tell picked our Daring Baker Challenge for the month of April: Cheesecake Pops! Cheesecake is one of those showstoppers that is easy to make AND gives that WOW! factor. This Daring Baker Challenge definitely added several extra layers to the WOW! The batter itself was delicious. The leftover batter in the mixer bowl had finger marks from licking the bowl clean. I had already bought 10-inch cake pans for my 4-layer carrot cake so I was set for baking. When the cake came out of the oven, I was shocked that there was not even a HINT of a crack in the top. The one time that it doesn't matter if I had a crater in the top and the cheesecake comes out perfect. I started this project 2 days in advance so I just took my time and had fun. The problem was with everyone else trying to take (little) tastes out of my cheesecake. . .before I could get the balls made and into the freezer. I was scared about the tempering of chocolate so I wanted to get everything else done right away. That way I could take my time with the melting and decorating. Previously, I had these grand ideas of learning to temper chocolate and bought 10 pound slabs of callebaut chocolate in different flavors out of the Chocolatier Magazine. The sheer size of the slab intimidated the hell out of me! So there it sat, air sealed in plastic, waiting for me to get my nerve up. The funny part is that my hands were shaking when I started melting the chocolate over simmering water. I had no idea how long it would take the chocolate to start to harden on the cheesecake balls before I could put sprinkles on the outside without them falling off. I knew with the balls of cheesecake being frozen that my window would probably be small. It was! At first, my sprinkles either fell off in clumps of melted chocolate or I had beautiful sprinkles on one side and hard, cold chocolate coating on the other with me individually pressing sprinkles softly into the side, hoping they would stay. My other problem is that after I had finished about 10 cheesecake balls, my melted chocolate started looking grainy. Several Daring Bakers suggested that I was keeping my chocolate to warm. I think they were right because I didn't think to take the chocolate off the simmering water after it was melted. I thought the chocolate would harden again. I'm still not quite sure how I should be handling this melted chocolate. Any input would really be appreciated =).

Because this cheesecake recipe makes so many cute little balls, my daughter and I decided to share some of them with our Bethel Animal Hospital. Our family took in this cute little kitten, now called Fluffy, and the wonderful people at this vet wouldn't let us pay for Fluffy staying the night when she was getting spayed and her return visits were the cost of the shots only. The atmosphere at this vetinarian place is so warm and caring that all I have been think ing about lately is taking them something baked out of our kitchen to show how much we appreciate their concern. When we took Fluffy in, she was abandoned and starving. Just a baby. Now, she has the cutest, roly pink tummy. These little cheesecake balls were the perfect way of saying thank you!

Deb and Elle, thank you both, too! You widened my horizons in the kitchen and now I can't wait to start on my next new project that involves melted chocolate. I actually thought that this might be something out of my league, and I learned that cooking is all a state of mind. . .a "can do" state of mind. Huge hugs to both of you and what a fantastic challenge! =D

Cheesecake Pops
Makes 30 – 40 Pops
5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Directions:
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.
When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.
Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.
Elle – Feeding my Enthusiams– and Deborah at Taste and Tell

Bacon and Eggs Pie

I am in shock! We are still getting freezing temperatures and it was just a little over a week ago that we were still getting Snow! Our poor fruit trees =(. I have two hummingbird feeders in front of my kitchen window and there is an ornamental cherry tree also out in view. If you look closely, you will see one of my visiting hummingbirds sitting on the top branch. The sun was out all day today and this has been the first time that I have been able to even think about digging in my dirt and planting a few flowers in my window boxes. Usually by now I have already started my veggie garden. I get no veggie garden this year. I am a little sad but I think I am going to spend this season doing an overhaul. . .since my garden is raised. I think red and black swirled cottage stone around the one side and capped off with black 1 x 2 caps will look great. I ordered two pallets to be delivered in the next week. I just love new projects!

Breakfast this morning was a breeze thanks to 80 Breakfasts! She posted a Bacon and Eggs Pie that originally came from Donna Hay's Modern Classics I, page 158. I just had to try it!
Her version looked so much more inviting. My dish was a little on the small side and the bacon just wasn't going to cooperate. The Puff Pastry was trimmed to fit with kitchen scissors but I over trimmed. At the base, under the eggs and bacon is a coating of wholegrain mustard and Parmesan cheese. After frying the bacon seperately, the overall baking of this easy breakfast took 16 minutes and the flavor was delicious! I will make this again, if not just to use tame bacon and better fitting puff pastry so that I can get a better picture. Did I mention that this breakfast tastes delicious?

Thank you 80 Breakfasts for inspiring a new breakfast treat to be tried and loved!

Bacon and Egg Pies(adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics I, page 158)
1 sheet ready-made puff pastry (mine is 9.5 x 9.5 inches, you will have some scraps left over…so use this!)
6 strips of bacon (Donna rationed 2 rashers per person, but I felt we deserved 3 each)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (Donna used cheddar)
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
4 eggs

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).- Place bacon on a baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven for about 8-10 minutes. You just want to get the edges a bit crisp. Remember you are going to be baking it again with the tart! When done, drain on paper towels.- Thaw pastry (in my kitchen this takes two seconds so I make sure everything is ready before taking it out of the freezer) and cut to fit two 1-cup capacity pie dishes (I just used whatever I thought would fit).- Spread mustard on the pastry bases and sprinkle with the cheese.- Top this with three pieces of bacon for each pie. I like to curve them around so they will cradle the eggs.- Break two eggs over each pie.- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the eggs have set to your liking. Serve immediately.- Serves two.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones- Gluten-Free Recipe

Easy gluten-free scone deliciousness.

Today was a good day. A strawberry and chocolate laced crusty on the outside tender on the inside kind of day. That's right. I got sconed. And the best part (aside from the fresh organic berry goodness, that is)? These golden biscuity morsels are vegan. That's right. No eggs. No milk. No butter (sorry, moo-cow fans).

On a whim yesterday (I am often prone to whims Dear Reader, especially after a sun dappled picnic on the Santa Fe plaza, perched on a bench beneath a flowering cherry tree across from a red robed Buddhist monk eating Chinese take-out. We devoured pesto slathered smoked turkey rolled in brown rice tortillas and I didn't drip a single green drop of cilantro infused olive oil on my ironed boot cut jeans) I picked up a Gluten-Free Pantry Muffin and Scone Mix at Whole Foods (long time readers know I miss my old favorite Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix, and I've yet to find an all-purpose replacement mix that's half as good).

I was in such an expansive mood post my double espresso at the nearby Starbucks that I thought I might try baking something fun and slightly indulgent for the weekend. The organic strawberries smelled beyond heavenly in their ripe and ruby lusciousness. Yes, I smell all my fruit and veggies before I buy. Don't you? The woman with the amber handled cane you see standing in the Whole Foods produce aisle sniffing tomatoes and berries and anything else she can get her one free hand on, Darling?

That would be me.

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Crab Tacos

My family loves crab meat for crab cakes, tacos, seafood lasagna, cocktail appetizers, stuffed in mushrooms, and so many other varieties of dishes. I decided to try a new crab taco with ready-made shells. The salsa and the crab meat has a little bit of kick with the addition of jalapenos but once put together, you can not taste the heat unless you literally bury the food in salsa. I was perusing the Sunset Magazine for garden ideas and ran across this recipe. The only piece of advice that I can give you is to make sure that you use fresh crab meat because you will be able to taste the difference. I love the addition of avocado slices and wish that I had thought of this a long time ago.

Crab Tacos
Ingredients:
4 Toma tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded, and sliced, divided
1/2 c. fresh cilantro leaves, divided
3 T. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 t. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
8 oz. shelled cooked crab
8 taco shells or soft tortillas
1 c. Iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
1 c. shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/4 c. chopped green onion

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put tomatoes, garlic, half of the jalapeno, 1/4 c. cilantro, and the lime juice in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set salsa aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and remaining jalapeno until soft, 4 minutes. Add crab and cook just until crab is warm, about 2 minutes.
Put taco shells or tortillas on a baking pan and warm in oven, about 3 minutes. Arrange on a platter and fill with crab mixture, dividing evenly. Top crab with lettuce, cheese, and avocado. Sprinkle tacos with green onion and remaining 1/4 c. cilantro. Serve immediately, with salsa on the side or on top.

White Lightening Sangria

I thought I would share a sangria that is not too strong and can be adapted to any white wine of choice. I thought I was being clever and invited my daughter's boyfriend over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to see if they spent too much time together. . .well, that they may get on each other's nerves and nobody would be as hurt if things didn't mutually continue? How is that for politcally correct? It didn't work. I thought I would have Ashley and Devin cook lunch (spaghetti and meatsauce with garlic bread) and they did great. I am bumming because Ashley is not quite 17 (1 1/2 months to go) and Devin is 21. I am not sure how there meeting happened but Ashley goes no where without me either being in the vicinity or knowing exactly what is going on and for how long they will be at this specific place. Anotherwords, I am scared out of my skin. Devin has been respectful, thoughtful, and has not tried being overly mushy with Ashley. This does not mean that I am not running up the stairs everytime the house gets overly quiet ~ for longer then 5 minutes =). I can't even concentrate to blog and I miss blogging but now I have college finals again and my eye is twitching. I actually ended up thinking that Devin has a few positive points in his favor by the time this weekend was over. . .begrudgingly. . .and that was NOT the intension at all. I also felt bad because he does seem to feel comfortable and happy when he is over at our house, which makes me wonder about his own home life. I now know that he absolutely adores peanut butter cookies and rootbeer floats. The fact that he also likes to cook isn't bad either since Ashley likes top ramen out of the package (uhmmm, not cooked) and bagel bites, FF's, pot stickers, and chocolate milk. Of course, nothing homemade. . .that would be just terrible. Okay, I may have shown a few of those traits growing up since I came from the same background of everything homemade and next-to-nothing store bought. . .including bread. I just wish the age difference wasn't so HUGE. When they are this young, the age does make a big difference. Okay, I am going to stop this whole conversation but this is how the white lightening sangria came into my kitchen this weekend. . .stress. I wanted something to relax me and this sangria was fun, fruity, and delicious. Because I made this twice this weekend, I would also like to state that the second time I doubled the recipe and for some reason the sangria was WAY TO STRONG! Add more juice and the full amount of sugar or just make as stated in the recipe. Having fruit in the wine glass, okay. . .I love mandarin oranges, pineapple, and grapes. . .was a nice touch that added color. I will make this again when I think I need to destress a little =D.
White Lightening Sangria
1 bottle (750) white wine what ever you like Riesling, Chablis, ect
1/2 cup Vodka
1/2 cup white grage juice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cupsliced white grapes (seedless)
1 tangerine sliced
1/2 pineapple sliced
1 cup club soda or citrus soda

Directions:
1. Pour wine and vodka in the pitcher and add sliced grapes, tangerine, and pineapple. Next add sugar and stir gently. Chill mixture for at least one hour.Add club soda or citrus soda just before serving.

Gluten-Free Salad Dressing Recipes: Or 3 Ways To Dress A Naked Salad

Three easy gluten-free salad dressings.

Let us take a moment and appreciate the humble green salad. The crisp crunchy greenness. The tender bites of bitter and sweet. The whole feel-good shiver you get when you chow down a plate of bunny food.

Bunny food rocks, my friend.

But how to dress a naked green? That is the question. Bottled stuff simply won't do. Too many additives and stabilizers and gums you can't pronounce. Or the ubiquitous evil soybean oil. Ick. (Did I just write Ick? Well, I meant it. I loathe soybean oil.) I offer you, instead, three simple dressings- three recipes you can whip up in a New Mexico minute, adapted from my first cookbook, Recipes from a Vegetarian Goddess. Toss them with love.

Basil Citrus Vinaigrette

This a perfect dressing for a brunch salad- especially if you're serving Mimosas.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon organic agave nectar

A pinch of sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a glass dish or cup. I use a fork for this. Drizzle over fresh greens. Toss. Munch. Be happy.

Serves 4.

Ginger Dressing

The Asian flavors in this include soy sauce- if you're allergic to soy try substituting molasses.

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon light olive oil

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons wheat-free soy sauce

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon organic agave nectar

Mix all of the ingredients in a glass dish or cup. I use a fork for this. Taste test and adjust seasonings.

Pour over an Asian-inspired mix of spring greens, matchstick carrots, sliced water chestnuts, mung bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, red onion and cashews. Toss. Smile.

Serves 4.

Greek Salad Dressing

Greek salad makes an easy weeknight supper. Pair it with a hearty bread like my Sweet Potato Cornbread. Add in some hard boiled eggs, sardines or tuna if you like.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon organic agave nectar

A pinch of sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a glass dish or cup. I use a fork for this. Taste test and adjust seasonings.

Drizzle over a Greek salad that includes cucumbers, red onion, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, grape tomatoes and feta cheese. Toss. Devour. Dance. Smash a few plates.

Serves 4.

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A Taste of Yellow : Yellow Rose Sugar Cookies

Winos and Foodies is sponsoring A Taste of Yellow event to benefit the LiveSTRONG, the Lance Armstrong foundation. Those yellow bracelets....that's it. I first heard about the event through Tartelette, one of my favorite blogs ever. I just love this idea of raising awareness of the foundation and paying tribute to a loved one with food!

Cancer, bleeeeccch!...I HATE that word...hate it more than any other, I think. If I see it in an article, on TV, on the radio...the magazine is shut, channel changed, radio turned off. My plan from now on is, when I hear the word cancer, immediately think, "Lance Armstrong."

One of my favorite pictures of my mom!

These cookies are a tribute to my mom who we lost to cancer eight years ago. They were her favorite flower and yellow her favorite color, so I think this event would have been right up her alley. This is honestly the first time I've cried making cookies.

If I let myself go, I'll have a page and a half blog post, so I'll just say, I had a good mom. She was a redhead, drank beer, made homemade cinnamon rolls and really loved life. She and my dad were married 32 years. My mom wasn't ready to leave us, but when I find a random penny or a cardinal flies across my path, I know she hasn't really.

My mom & I in all of our 1970's glory!

So, these roses are for Gayle (mom), for my friend Laura who has been battling brain cancer for NINE years now, for Kelly, for big Jack, for my Uncle Ben, for my papa who used to call me "ol' yellow hair" when I was a kid (and would now have to call me "ol' reddish-brown-with-highlights-and-a-few-sprigs-of-gray" hair), for Raquel, and for Kenny who I didn't know, but so many people I love miss him, so I know he must have been incredible.

The cookies.....I made this rose template from a file folder, (I like open roses rather than the buds.) and cut them with a paring knife.
Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
 2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
 1 egg
 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling (video on University of Cookie).

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

For the Royal Icing...follow the recipe here for my favorite royal icing. When the icing is beginning to reach a stiff peak, add a drop or two of almond extract and beat until still peaks form.

Transfer icing to two separate containers and color (3/4 AmeriColor Egg Yellow, 1/4 AmeriColor Leaf Green). Press plastic wrap down onto the icing.

Using a #2 tip, pipe the outline of the rose in yellow.

Using a #2 tip, pipe the outline of the leaf in green.

Thin both containers of icing with water until they reach the consistency of syrup, cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir the yellow icing gently with a rubber spatula to break any bubbles on the surface and transfer to a squeeze bottle. Fill in the rose with the thinned, flood icing.

Repeat with the green icing, filling in the leaf.

Let dry at least one hour, then using the same #2 tips, pipe the detail on the rose. Let dry completely.

On a final note...if you've read down this far, I have 3 extra LiveSTRONG bracelets, if you would like one, let me know in a comment and I'll send one to you.

Hi, Mom...and thanks!

What I miss? My Blue Corn Chip Frittata

Frittata- an easy, gluten-free supper.

Finding out I have an egg allergy was a serious whap upside the head. I'd been gluten-free for almost six years. And soy-free. I was so good, Dear Reader. I read my labels. I did my homework. I complied. Yet in spite of all my earnest efforts and focus and just plain stubbornness to get well, I was still dogged by weird symptoms that would play hide and seek. A sinus headache after a glass of wine (but only some wines- not every wine). Odd roving pain that was difficult to trace. Hives. You get the picture.


For a cookbook author who loves food- and eating- as much as the next person, it felt like I was dropped down a culinary rabbit hole. Nothing made sense. There was scant consistency. My head kept thinking: random contamination. But I knew in the still small voice of my private tiny girl heart hidden gluten was not the culprit. I was too careful a gluten-free cook. So I kept food diaries. I began to track every bite (are we having fun yet?). But it only teased me deeper down the ever slippery rabbit hole.

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Individual Baked Omelets

Well, I am back! I feel terrible because I haven't had to stay away from blogging this long since I learned how to blog! I miss checking everyone's cooking/baking adventures out but you know? I have learned that this is what I really enjoy. . .my outlet for just a little while in the early evening. Taking care of family takes precedence and now the crisis seems to have subsided a little.

Well, I have been looking for an apron for the last 6 months, easy, and they are just so expensive for your basic no-frills plain apron. The cheapest I found was 20 dollars. Then I go to Sur La Table for the first time and get bowled over with just how many amazing cooking and serving toys this store has (drool marks from one end of store to the other). I found this apron that has a plain floral print, nothing fancy, and they wanted 30 dollars! I couldn't believe it! So guess what? I went to JoAnns Fabric and did some shopping. I came home with enough fabric to make 3 aprons. Oh yes, the honesty thing. . .uhmmm, I also found that JoAnns' was having a sale on all flannel fabric and they had over 100 prints at $2.00/yard so I bought 6 yards for 2 different prints. Now the clincher. . .I don't know how to sew very well but I have been practicing this weekend =). Today, I did 2 whole pockets for the apron. Lace and all. I am still admiring them. It's okay to chuckle, I understand. But people have to start somewhere, right?

For breakfast I wanted something new so I went to my faithful Pastry Queen cookbook and made Rebecca's Individual Baked Omelets. They were delicious and the options for mixing flavors up are endless! I am so trying mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients next time! I just found this Polish Deli in Seattle where they make their own aged bacon. I think they have over 20 varieties. Delicious with the most amazing aroma! I don't even know how to put into words the feeling of euphoria when walking into this wonderful place.

For the omelets I used the Texas size cupcake pan with liners for easier clean-up. Huge flavor packed in a little package!

Individual Baked Omelets

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter

1 Medium russet or red-skinned potato, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 t. salt

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces

1 fresh tomato, seeded and finely chopped

6 large eggs

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream or half-n-half

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Dash of hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 6 Texas-size muffin cups of line them with muffin wrappers. Melt the butter in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the potato, onion, and 1/2 t. of the salt; saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper and saute for 15 minutes longer, continuing to stir occasionally. Taste to make sure the potato is cooked through; if not, cook for a few minutes longer, until the potato is fully cooked but not mushy. Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat and stir in the bacon and tomato.

Whisk the eggs, cream, remaining 1/2 t. salt, the pepper, and hot sauce together in a large bowl. Stir in the vegetable mixture. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the muffin cups. (The egg mixture may almost reach the top, which is okay.) Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Lightly shake the pan; if the omelets look or feel runny in the middle, bake for 5 minutes longer, until firm. Serve warm.

Gluten-Free Tomato Soup

A yummy tomato soup with a secret.

A old school family favorite- tomato soup. Right? Here's an easy kid-friendly recipe. With a secret. When I was a little girl cabbage was a stinky word. Cabbage was something you wrinkled your nose at. The mere mention of the word conjured the smell of my grandmother's house- which was, in truth, an olfactory bouquet of Lucky Strikes, boiled eggs and kielbasa. Cabbage was only the top note. And how I hated it.

In those golden culinary days of the 1950's and '60's, the favored method of cooking cabbage was to boil it to death. Often, with potatoes. And apparently without opening the windows. Come to think of it- I don't ever remember seeing an open window in my grandmother's house. I have no images of curtains sailing upward in a gusty cool spring breeze. No sense memories of distant humming lawnmowers to distract from the television. No conjuring of fresh air. Was this lock-down by some unseen divine plan? Or maybe a generalized exercise in denial? Who knows?

All I knew was that the end result of the boiling-cabbage-to-death method was rather like eating swampy unidentified mush. Not exactly tantalizing for a texture and fragrance sensitive child. Why would anyone eat this? my tiny girl heart would question. Because it's good for you, was the inevitable answer.

Turns out, of course (and you knew this was coming), cabbage is, indeed, very good for you. Especially for those of us healing from the ravages of celiac disease. Cabbage, it turns out, heals the gut. So, what if your childhood included smelly bowls of boiled cabbage and you simply can't make yourself- or someone you love with all of your buoyant and hopeful heart- eat the damn stuff? Bubela. 

Have I got a soup for you.

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Pueblo Bread Recipe with green chiles

 Rustic gluten-free bread- easy and delicious.

This is the easiest yeasted bread you'll ever make. Well, from a scratch recipe, I mean. You'll have to whisk together some gluten-free flours and proof a little yeast in warm (not too hot!) water, but you can handle that, right? Once it's stirred together, you smooth it into a cake pan, let it rise in a warm and cozy oven, then bake it. If you want an easier bread making experience than this, Darling, buy any gluten-free mix, dump it into a bread machine and press Start.

I'm calling it Pueblo Bread because a certain savvy friend of mine (you know the one- my pal Joey, who makes the best damn guacamole recipe this side of the Mississippi) who knows from Nuevo Native American cuisine, called it (and my quote could be slightly inaccurate, Gentle Reader, due to consuming two tall and chilly glasses of Champagne and literal fistfuls of organic hand-popped popcorn to quell the mind-numbing boredom of enduring two and half hours of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Tasty and authentic, and not unlike the local Pueblo style breads.

As for the movie choice? My bad. Maybe the sheer Shakespearean brilliance of Deadwood has spoiled me forever (it's possible). Or maybe it was the casting (though Casey Affleck shone).

Next time I'm picking something with Sigourney Weaver or Frances McDormand. The men will just have to deal.

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