emily.marks

Everythings rosy

2012-01-20T23:20:00.000-06:00

My cousin Elly performed in the play "Our Town" tonight. Instead of real flowers I made cupcakes adorned with roses for the young actress. Her performance was wonderful and I look forward to seeing more plays in the future.

It's also been very very cold so made bread pudding with brandy soaked cranberries today.

it's difficult to make bread pudding look pretty

When I went to Target to pick up some groceries I snatched these on my way to the checkout. They are light, crisp, and taste like soy sauce and garlic-Sterling thinks they taste more egg roll than spring roll. . . I don't care though- I think I'm in snack heaven.

Happy eats! And have a great weekend!

Sunday at the conservatory

2012-01-15T19:14:00.001-06:00

Sterling and his huge beard

Sterling and I went to the Como Conservatory today

It was a beautiful day outside and I got to play with my iphone. . .

before we left I made inari sushi (yummers!)

They have an amazing fruit/spice room where we saw a coffee tree with coffee cherries

cacao tree with cacao pods (where chocolate comes from)

I love the fern room

. . . and the beautiful sunken garden

we saw huge Tillandsia (air plants)

and tropical plants of all colors and sizes

It really is one of our favorite places to visit

we ate at Punch after wards and I got artichoke dip

we also went looking for mustache wax (without any luck) and saw nag champa soap!

It smells just like the incense!

Overall it was a pretty wonderful day. We've been cleaning/organizing like mad men and it's starting to show around the apartment finally. Sterling has been working out to prep for the Tough Mudder this spring and started new classes at school. I've been trying to make our home beautiful and attempting to get into shape by doing Bikram Yoga again. We've been busy, but I feel like this is a good start to the new year. I couldn't be any luckier! I hope everyone has a beautiful week!

Party candle holders

2012-01-06T13:22:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful 2011! It's been a very busy season for Sterling and I. We are currently trying to get organized (a long ongoing project), plan birthday celebrations, get fit for the future, and still make time to relax.

I saw this idea for party candles a while ago on the sweetest occasion and put them on my pinboard, I thought it would be a fun and easy project to do.

You'll need:

plastic animals

cake candle holders

drill with a 1/8" drill bit

clamp or pliers

adhesive that will work on plastic (I used tacky glue)

spray paint (I used Rust-Oleum metallic)

cake candles

Secure a flat sitting plastic figurine with a clamp to your work surface, or hold with a pliers.

Carefully drill into the figurine where you want the candle holder to go. Be careful not to go all the way through the figure.

Check that the candle holder fits into the figure. If the candle holder sticks up a bit and does not sit flush, drill a deeper hole or trim the end of the holder with a scissor.

Glue the holders to the figures with adhesive and let dry. Spray paint in a well ventilated area.

Place party candles in holders, use on top of cakes/cupcakes, etc., light and enjoy!

Christmas elves

2011-12-19T21:00:00.001-06:00

Remember the elves I got a few years back? Well, we have an ornament contest going on at work and I was thinking of what to do. I had a bunch of pine cones I collected this summer at the cabin to work with. I decided to try to recreate the vintage elves I had, since I love them so much. Here is my version for submission:

The pine cones got tipped in white craft paint. I made the feet and heads out of the air dry foam type clay and painted them with craft paint. I make the arms, beards, mini trees out of pipe cleaners, and topped the trees with star shaped paper fasteners. The hats are velvet ribbon trimmed with a pipe cleaner and the base is painted egg carton covered in glitter.

Here is a side by side of the replica vs the original vintage elf on the right.

Hope your Christmas week is merry and bright!

Thrifting and gifting

2011-11-30T17:43:00.001-06:00

I had today off instead of Friday. This was good since I woke up at 3 am for no apparent reason. On the up side Sterling and I had a nice relaxed morning before he left for work. After I got the motivation to get moving, I made myself look gansta in my new Betsey Johnson jacket and went out to thrift.

I scored big at salvation army and had to make myself leave. I was going to go to a few places, but I wanted to end on a good note of self restraint. Here are a couple of my finds:

sweet copper colored metal box with compartments

tan vest that fits like a glove

vintage lace night jacket found here for $52!

I also got a couple of belts and total spent $10.64! I almost got a couple of other things, but they weren't needed (I need to clean out my closet first!)

I've also been prepping holiday gifts. Apple caramels, cookies and creme candy, and flavored salts are done.

caramels made with a bit of apple cider liquor and cinnamon

vanilla bark, marshmallows, and double stuff oreos

salt and spices (secret spices)

I think it was a very productive day.
Happy eating!

Fried Chicken

2011-10-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately one of Sterling's favorite things is fried chicken. I say this because he can rarely have it. It's often made with milk/buttermilk. When we lived in Oregon at least some of the grocery store deli's had some made without dairy, but now that we live in Minnesota we have yet to find a reliable place that makes it without.

After dragging my feet a bit, I finally got the patience to make some. I adapted an Everyday Food recipe to suit our non-dairy needs.

Fried Chicken

2 cups soymilk, mixed with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon + 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

couple dashes of hot sauce

1 pack of drumsticks or pieces of chicken of choice.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable oil

Mix the soymilk, hot sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and toss in the chicken drumsticks and marinate in a covered container or plastic resealable bag overnight.

In a large bowl whisk flour, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mix and shake off excess.

Heat oil in a 12" cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet to 350°F. Carefully add chicken in batches and fry about 16 minutes turning chicken over halfway until it's browned and the internal temp reaches 165°F.

Transfer to a rack to drain and season with salt and pepper if desired.

dredged chicken

frying

Happy eating!

Dark Chocolate Cookies

2011-10-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

these cookies are not for the faint of heart

Sterling had a hankering for chocolate this week, so being a good wife I got him some non-dairy peppermint patties (I should really make these but I really don't enjoy enrobing things in chocolate). They were gone in a flash (it was a pint sized container of little guys!). I found this recipe via pinterest and was thinking of trying it out last Friday.

Seeing that I had a hair appointment, worked sat, had a dinner party planned, and a party to attend, I didn't get around to it until today. It was well worth the wait. These suckers are intense- so get ready for a chocolate and sugar coma! They are easy to make with ingredients I had on hand, and they are dairy and flour free (provided the ingredients you use are checked)! The original recipe is posted here on Epicurious, below is my slightly altered version.

ingredients prepped

Dark Chocolate Cookies
makes about 2 dozen

1 1/2 cps bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 oz), divided (I used semi sweet only because the cheaper chocolate chips that are dairy free are semi and not bittersweet which is why I reduced the sugar from the original recipe by 1/2 cup)

3 large egg whites, at room temperature ( I used dehydrated whites and reconstituted with water according to the package to the equivalent of 3 whites)

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was a mix of dutched and regular- Hershey's dark cocoa)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Prep 2 baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Continue beating until mixture holds soft-med peaks. Add vanilla extract.

Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, stir dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff). If the mixture is too gooey or warm, refrigerate for a bit to stiffen it up.

Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly.

Place on prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing about 2 inches apart (12 per sheet pan).

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. (mine didn't really puff). Put baking pans on cooling racks for at least 10 minutes or until cool. Gently peel paper or silpat from the back of the cookie.

before the bake

I underbaked the first batch of these by a couple minutes. They were still tasty, but a bit more fragile than the second batch. These cookies should be firm on the outside but gooey and fudgy on the inside, but not so soft that they fall apart.

Sterling approved

Happy eating and have a happy and safe Halloween!

DIY spice tray

2011-10-28T17:23:00.000-05:00

DIY spice tray

Sterling and I don't really have a designated salt and pepper shaker set for the dining area. This often leads me to go searching for the salt canister or the pepper mill in the middle of cooking. I was searching for some table decor for a dinner party and ran into some small ramekins and such. I wanted to buy a lot of stuff, but I didn't really have a plan for any of it. I remembered how great the spice trays at the Thai restaurants we go to were and I came up with this idea.

I made this from a petri dish and three small ramekins found at ax man. Total cost was about $6.
The petri dish is filled with kosher salt and the small ramekins contain grey salt, black pepper, and red pepper flake. It's sure to be a very welcomed addition to my dining room table!

Happy eating and have a great Halloween weekend!

Kombucha!

2011-10-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

As stated before I was attempting to make my own kombucha starter. It was a success, and I have officially completed my first brewed batch of kombucha tea. I used some know-how from Kombucha Kamp and made 1 gallon of kombucha. This is also a nice pictoral step-by-step on how to make it.

my starter scoby (the white gel layer on top)

You can buy the kombucha starters online, but the idea of buying bacteria from a strange source seemed creepy. As stated previously, I made my own in the last post. The starter is known as a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) which feeds on sugar and ferments the tea. I highly recommend checking out the kombucha kamp site before starting brewing for tips and troubleshooting. Below is what you need to get started:

Kombucha starter and 1-2 cups starter liquid
Clean 1 Gallon Jar
1 cup sugar
purified water
4-6 tea bags
cloth and rubber band to cover the jar

starter, sugar and agave, tea, purified water, clean jar, breathable lid (coffee filter), rubber

brewing the tea

Boil 4 cups of water. Add 4-6 tea bags (black or green, I used oolong) and steep according to tea type.

Add 1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup agave nectar) and stir. Let tea cool to room temperature.

Fill a clean 1 gallon jar with 2 cups starter liquid, tea, and fill with water almost to the top leaving a couple of inches at the top.

Add the SCOBY and cover with a cloth (I used a coffee filter) secured with a rubber band.

Let sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight for about 5-7 days. Taste your kombucha and see if it's too sweet let it sit out another day or so. If it's too tart then it's over brewed and you should check your brewing time earlier for the next batch.

When it's ready pour tea into bottles and lid, reserving a cup or two of tea for the next batch. Your SCOBY should have formed a new layer on top which can be separated from the original and used for another batch of tea or given away.

The tea can be fermented a second time after pouring into clean bottles by leaving out for 24 hours before refrigerating. If you want to flavor your tea, now would be that time. I added some minced ginger to mine. This will make more carbonation so be sure to "burp" the bottles by letting some air out before storing them in the refrigerator. Also use caution when opening the bottles since the carbonation may "erupt" like a bottle of soda.

Extra tips:
I sanitized by jars with lots of hot water and then swished a little apple cider vinegar to get them clean. Soap residue will kill the kombucha culture so make sure that even if you've cleaned your jars int he dishwasher they are re-sanitized to remove soap/chemical residue.

If you see mold or suspect your SCOBY is bad throw it away and start new! (look at mold link for pictures)

Hope you enjoy and happy eating!

Farmers Market and Fermented Foods

2011-09-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

Fall is here and my time to pickle and preserve fresh produce is coming to a close. I first went to check out the Hmong Village since I've heard some great stuff about this place, but I went around 10:30 on a weekday and many of the vendors were just starting to set up for the day. Sterling and I will have to revisit another time. I went to the Minneapolis Farmers Market, which is open everyday, and got a truckload of produce for $21. I got two bunches of dill, two bunches of green onions, pickling cukes, garlic, shallots, onion, green beans, and two heads of nappa cabbage.

On my way home I stopped by Lulu's Deli and got this falafel pita basket to go for only $5. The fries were crispy and seasoned with salt and mint. It was really tasty and cheaper than most fast food value meals. I would definitely eat here again.

I set out to make kimchi, cucumber kimchi, dill pickles, and dilly beans. . . and it was a lot of work, but well worth it! I first brushed up on my canning knowledge with my Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. It had been a year since I've canned anything and it was beneficial to look over the general steps in canning.

washing the cabbage

I've updated my kimchi recipe from previous posts and I think I have a version I'm really happy with. . . at least I hope- last time my batch turned out great, only I didn't write it down. . . Always take notes!

salting the cabbage

I then set out to prep the dilly beans for canning while the cabbage was wilting. . .

pepper and garlic, add the dill, and add the beans

canner, prepped jars, back burner is lids and rings in simmering water, front burner is brine

I canned seven pints of dilly beans and then four pints of pickles (which was pretty much the same process). I hadn't made dill pickles before (other than refrigerator type) so I found this recipe as a guide.

dilly beans

dill pickles

When I finished the dilly beans and pickles my cabbage was ready to go!

salted, wilted cabbage

I rinsed the cabbage in water to remove the salt, let it drain and mixed the kimchi sauce. My new version has sweet rice flour boiled with water to make a pancake batter like paste that is added to the peppers, garlic, onions, and ginger.

The sauce gets mixed in with chopped, drained cabbage. . .

and I was left with about 3 quarts of kimchi!

I let it sit loosley covered overnight and then put it in jars in the refrigerator

jarred kimchi

Then I moved onto cucumber kimchi which I adapted a recipe from Discovering Korean Cuisine. The cucumber ends get trimmed and then they get sliced into quarters, but you don't cut all the way though one end so the cucumber stays together. They get stuffed with sauce and then eat or let sit overnight.

sauce and sliced cucumbers

cucumber kimchi ready to eat

Also, I am trying to make a kombucha starter using this resource, but there won't be any news on that one for about three weeks.

Here are my recipes:

Dilly Beans
In each pint jar place:
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 large head of dill
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake
green beans (about 1/2 pound per pint), trimmed and packed in lengthwise leaving 1/4" headspace

Brine for about 4 pints:
2 cups water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup kosher, pickling, or sea salt

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Ladle brine over packed jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove the airbubbles, wipe jar rims clean with a damp cloth, adjust the caps and rings, and process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Let marinate for at least a month before tasting the pickles.

Dill Pickles
In each pint jar place:
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 large head of dill
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 small bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake
3 black peppercorns

Brine:
3 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/4 cup salt

Process 15 minutes in a water bath canner.

Kimchi
makes about 1.5 quarts
1 head of nappa cabbage
1/3 cup kosher salt

sauce:
1/2 cup of rice paste (see recipe below)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced or grated
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root
1/3 cup Korean pepper flakes or powder
4 green onions, white and light green parts sliced
1 teaspoon honey, or 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Rice paste:
makes 1/2 cup
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup water
Whisk flour and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil whisking constantly, until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.

Wash cabbage and salt each leaf. Let sit in a bowl or colander for 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until the leaves are wilted and bend without snapping. Rinse cabbage in water a couple of times to remove the salt. Chop into bite size pieces (about an inch or two) and dry with a clean towel or spin in a salad spinner. In a large clean bowl or pot mix all of the sauce ingredients. Add the cabbage and mix together. You can taste it here and see if you want to add more of any ingredient (for more traditional kimchi, you can add a couple of tablespoons of fish sauce and ground shrimp). Let sit loosely covered overnight. I taste it at this point, it can sit out for up to 3 days if its in a cool environment, and I usually put it away after 24 hours. It shouldn't have any off smells or mold during the process (I once made kimchi in the middle of summer and it went bad fast!) Then, stir it up and pack it into clean jars. I push down on the kimchi to submerge it in the fermented liquid, if there isn't enough liquid you can add a small amount of water to cover. Refrigerate for up to two months.

Cucumber Kimchi or Oi Kimchi
10 small Kirby or pickling cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt

sauce:
3 green onion, fine chopped
1 oz carrot, fine chopped or grated
1 oz daikon or Korean radish, fine chopped or grated
2 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon miso paste
1 teaspoon honey, or 2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wash cucumbers and trim off the stem end. Quarter each cucumber, leaving one end in tact. Put the cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, let stand for 1 hour. Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stuff the sauce into the cucumbers. Eat right away or let sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours and then refrigerate like traditional kimchi. Will keep for about 1 week.

For my Kombucha SCOOBY I used:
1 bottle of original style organic, raw kombucha
1 clean glass jar- I used a clean wide mouth quart canning jar
1 cup room temperature sweetened tea- I used oolong tea with a couple of teaspoons of honey
clean towel, cheesecloth or something to cover- I used a coffee filter attached with the ring of the jar and no lid

Then put the liquids in the jar, cover so it can breathe and contaminates won't get in, let sit for a couple of weeks until it's about 1/4" thick.

Happy eating and canning!

pasta pancakes

2011-09-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

Last night we had our friend Tara over for dinner. I was trying to use up most of what we had received from our CSA earlier in the week and made a huge dinner for the three of us. I made a salad with fresh greens (with artichoke hearts, black olives, red onion, crimini mushrooms, and tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette) a rustic baguette (from Rustica) with garlic and non-dairy butter, roasted squash, and pasta (with olive oil, garlic, kale, swiss chard, artichoke hearts, crimini mushrooms, and onion).

I had made a rather large load of food that could have easily served 6 people, but no one was around. Sterling made fun of my excessive amount of food, but mostly the pasta. To my defense I said that he usually ate a lot of pasta and usually liked eating the leftovers the next day, and so it really didn't seem like too much. Sterling looked at me skeptically and after we had eaten went on about the mountain of pasta left in the bowl.

I woke up this morning and wanted leftover pasta. I love making pasta frittata, but I wanted something less eggy. I also love savory pancakes, maybe even more so than the sweet versions, so I decided I should make pasta pancakes. A few other savory pancakes to mention are pajeon, latkes, arepas, okonomiyaki, pannekoeken, and crêpes. My recipe is loosely based on Mario Batali's Taglaitelle Pancakes from his book Molto Italiano. This is a great way to use leftovers, and it's also quick and delicious!

Pasta Pancakes
makes 3-4 pancakes, making about 2 servings

2 servings of leftover pasta (mine was olive oil based sauce, but tomato sauced pasta would work just as well)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons bread crumbs (fresh is best, but I used dry and they worked fine)

1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated hard cheese such as parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino romano, or manchego (optional, I didn't have any on hand this time and it's great with or without it)

Place pasta in a large bowl, mix in the egg, bread crumbs, and cheese if using.

In a heavy bottomed skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat until the oil is shimmering and a small piece of bread placed in the pan sizzles immediately. Carefully take small handfuls of the pasta mixture making about a 4" nest of pasta and place them in the oil.

When the bottom of the pasta is golden brown turn them over and cook the other side until golden brown with crispy edges. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

. . .and for the record, we didn't have any pasta leftovers by the end of the day ;) Happy eating!

summer squash quick bread & quick pickles

2011-08-14T14:35:00.000-05:00

Sterling and I joined a CSA this year and while our farm has been hit hard by bad storms, the summer squash and cucumbers have gone wild. I love all veggies and don't mind eating them in countless dishes, but Sterling is not a big fan of the squash or cukes. He does however love his zucchini bread and pickles. I've made them so we can get the most out of our share.

Summer Squash Quick Bread
adapted from one of my mother in laws cookbooks

1 cup oil (or you can use apple sauce or fruit puree to make a lighter version)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated, seeded yellow squash (or zucchini)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (I use aluminum free)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (or nuts)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.

Stir together oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and squash until well mixed.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until a few bits of dry remain. Add the chocolate chips and fold until everything is moistened and evenly mixed.

Divide batter between the 2 loaf pans and bake for 45minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before cutting.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the pickles before they all got devoured. . .

Quick Spicy Pickles
per quart canning jar

brine:

1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
2 teaspoon salt

Put in a glass quart size jar:
1 teaspoon mustard seed
2 clove garlic, smashed
2 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
6 black peppercorns
3-4 stalks of fresh dill (or about 2 teaspoon dry)
1 english or japanese cucumber (or a couple of kirby cucumbers), ends removed and sliced to desired thickness
1 small onion peeled and sliced

Place the brine ingredients in a non reactive pot and bring to a simmer and let the salt and honey completely dissolve. Pour into the jar packed with spices, garlic, onion, and cucumber slices. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. You can eat them once they are cool, but they'll get better over the next couple of days. Keep them refrigerated and store them up to 1 month.

craigslist dresser refinished

2011-07-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

I said I wanted a dresser. Sterling said I had to find a good deal. I didn't want a generic Ikea looking one, although those look good too. I found this on craigslist for around $50, already rough sanded, it was missing a small section at the bottom drawer that we have to still repair. Sterling sanded, painted, and stained it. And now it looks like this and I love it!

Horchata

2011-07-24T09:45:00.000-05:00

I got this idea reading David Lebovitz blog and the comments that followed. I've never tried making my own horchata. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of this before since I do enjoy it, and I often can't have it since it usually contains almonds which I'm allergic to. When I saw how easy the recipe was I knew it was worth a try.

Horchata
2/3 cups rice (I used calrose short grain sushi rice, but any will do)
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups hot water
2 cups cold water (or milk of choice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)
ice and more cinnamon to serve

Toast rice in a small skillet until fragrant, but not beginning to brown. Blend rice, cinnamon, and sugar until rice is broken up in small sandy pieces.

Add the 3 cups of hot water and carefully blend (I use a blender stick, but for a regular blender take off the center of the lid and place a tea towel over it, then blend otherwise the steam will cause the lid to pop off and make a huge mess!). Blend until smooth.

Strain the rice and water mixture into a pitcher and discard the solids left behind. Add the cold water or milk and stir. Serve over ice and sprinkle with cinnamon.

This will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, just stir before enjoying again.

re-cycled $2.50 dress

2011-07-01T15:14:00.000-05:00

I wanted some new dresses for summer. This would be fine except we're cracking down on our budget, and I don't really need new dresses. Sterling and I just completed Financial Peace University a finance class on how to rid of debt and save by Dave Ramsey. We're lowering our debt and saving for Desirae's big day this fall.

We've been really good about staying on track. We've only been buying "need" things, and we're being very selective of our "wants". I could just ignore the fact that I want a new outfit, but while looking for a bridesmaids dress the wanting just intensifies.

My solution was to go thrifting hoping to find something cute and not spend much. I found this dress, and while I liked the print, it definitely wasn't cute. The price tag was tempting though- $2.50 Luckily I have some crude sewing skills from high school and sewing machine to help me out.

thrift store find-shoulder pads and all

After much indecisiveness on what to do with it I came up with this:

I think it will be perfect for summer, and since we've been getting a heat wave around here I could use it! I have another one too, but that might have to wait for another day.

happy weekend!

ranger cookies

2011-06-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day weekend!

It's no surprise that I've always had an interest in sweets. A large part of this comes from growing up around my father. I remember waking up early to eat breakfast with him and read cookbooks, watching cooking shows on PBS like the Frugal Gourmet and Julia Child, going to pick strawberries in the summer and then making jam, and we would bake cookies.

I remember making ranger cookies with my dad. I don't remember exactly what we put in them. . . probably whatever we needed to clear out of the cupboards.

Today I was in the mood for oatmeal cookies, but I wanted something crunchy too. I also wanted Sterling to be able to eat them. I made some impromptu ranger cookies that were non dairy and was fairly pleased with the results. I'm not sure if they live up to my dad's ranger cookies, but I guess I'll find out tomorrow ;) At least Sterling seemed to enjoy the few he snacked in earlier.

Dairy free ranger cookies
adapted from jacques torres chocolate chip cookie recipe
makes about 5 dozen 2" cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake four
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried currants
8 oz oil ( I used 2oz canola, 2 oz coconut, and 4 oz olive, b/c it was running out and it was what I had on hand) or alternatively 10 oz/ 2.5 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in oats, cereal, raisins, and currants, and set aside.

Cream together oil and sugars. Add in eggs and stir until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and form into balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

preserving

2011-06-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

rhubarb from our plant we started last year

Summer is here and I'm trying to make the best of the produce in season. This means breaking out the canning supplies and going over recipes for pickles and jams.

our new airplants

I'm also trying to plan ahead for Christmas. I know it seems a bit early (like 6 months), but it's the perfect time to slowly build up the projects I wait till it's too late to do. I've been slowly knitting, making vanilla extract, planting herbs to dry, and experimenting with rhubarb.

vanilla beans

need patience to wait 6 months before baking with this

What do you do to take advantage of the season or plan early to avoid the holiday rush?

summer rice

2011-06-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of joining up with some friends for dinner. Our friends own an emu farm, so we got to see some new emu hatch lings and their horses out in the country. It was the most beautiful day outside. We sat on their porch relaxing and chatting and soaking in the sunshine.

When it was time for dinner, the hostess Mary brought out grilled meat and veggies, salad, bread, and a ceramic dish of rice. The meal was all delicious, but the rice was the star of my meal that night. It was brown rice with plump, little currants and salty specks of sunflower seeds tossed in. Everyone took a bite while their eyes slowly widened. . . this was really GOOD rice. Thinking Mary had put some magical seasoning in it, we all asked what it was. "Oh I just threw in some currants, sunflower seeds, and a little salt," she said nonchalantly, as if the rice was nothing at all. It was a very wonderful meal, with fabulous friends, a delightful new dish to add to my collection, and the perfect way to start my summer. Enjoy.

Mary's Rice
serves about 4

2 cups brown rice (I used short grain, but use any type you enjoy)
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Cook rice according to directions on the package (I used my rice cooker) with the water, salt, and dried currants. Just before serving toss in the sunflower seeds.

Chocolate cupcakes and cleaning

2011-06-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

This week has been quite warm and sunny around the twin cities. Sterling and I have been taking the Financial Peace University class by Dave Ramsey with some friends and have been changing the way we view and save money. We've been gearing up for a garage sale with the group to declutter and help us pay off our debts faster. We're toying with the idea of pinning on a bake sale to the event so today I baked some test cupcakes.

My requirements were that they were easy and dairy free so Sterling could eat them. Yesterday at work we were talking about chocolate cake and one of my co workers brought up the smitten kitchen recipe. I thought I'd give it a go, but didn't have buttermilk on hand. I decided to ditch the dairy all together and see what would come of it. So here is my adaptation of it.

Easy Chocolate Cup Cakes
makes about 18

3 oz vegetable oil of choice, I used canola
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup soymilk, curdled by adding 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder, I used valhrona
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prep muffin pans with 18 liners.

In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugars and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well, then the buttermilk and vanilla and almond. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt together right into your wet ingredients. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared liners. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on rack. If desired top with icing, powdered sugar, whipped cream, or jam.

These made for a good plain cake that's a bit sweet, but not over the top. I think it would make great black forest cupcakes!

p.s. I made these macarons for a dinner last weekend and filled some with the organic raspberry jam pictured on the above cupcake instead of the ganache. They were divine!

painting cookies and lunch

2011-05-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

The cookie turned out to be a pretty fun edible canvas. Here are a couple spring flowers

I said I was going to try it and I think it went pretty well for my first try. I made basic sugar cookies with white royal icing and then used paste food coloring and clear alcohol (rum or vodka) to paint with. The alcohol evaporates so it shouldn't make your icing too soggy. I used this technique in pastry school in my decorating class, but soon forgot about it.

I made some abstract ones too

You can play with the intensity of the color depending on how much you dilute it with the alcohol.

you can even create layers by letting one dry and gently painting over it later

I also made some rolls for my lunch tomorrow! Sterling already ate all the extras.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

knitting and stuff

2011-05-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

It's been rainy today so I've staying inside most of the day knitting, cooking, and baking. This morning I had breakfast with a friend and then later I made pasta for lunch. I braised some collard greens with onion, garlic, pepper flake, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth. Then I added it to some pasta with manchego cheese and bread crumbs. It was pretty fantastic!

Sterling's still not sure that he likes greens much. I think they are delicious, but he thinks they're very bitter and astringent. I can hardly detect the bitter factor. . .maybe it's like coffee and tea, where you just get accustomed to it.

Last night I was cleaning some stuff and got in my knitting bag. I made two hats from a Rowan pattern book Sterling got me ages ago.

This one I used three strands of thin yarn and made a bow in the back

this one is with super plush wool yarn

I don't think they turned out too bad considering I haven't knit in well over a year. I could use some help sewing up the backs though. . .they were a bit messy. Anyone have good tips on that?

I've also been looking at a lot of beautiful baking artwork lately like cookie boy from Japan and maggie austin. They are so inspiring and make me think I should be using my art more in baking. I'm going to try painting on some sugar cookies later for fun, so we'll see how that goes.

Hope your all enjoying the spring weather!

Stuffed French Toast

2011-05-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

Good Friday to all! I love my days off. . . then again, who doesn’t. I sleep in, catch up on my blogs via google reader, and most importantly have fun in the kitchen. During my lazy days I often forget to eat. This sounds crazy, it’s probably because I’m too focused on making something, or reading about food, or maybe it’s the fact that I’m so lazy that I’m not burning enough calories to actually get hungry. I think it’s probably the latter to be most true.

I often get a text from my darling husband as a reminder, asking if I’ve eaten breakfast yet. . . he knows me too well. Although today he called to see if I would want to go to sushi tonight J- JACKPOT! Besides various Asian cuisines, our next go to is often Mexican food. This was all too convenient when we used to live in Oregon and those two were the predominant choices in restaurant fare.

Way back when, I went to Mazatlan, Mexico on a girls family trip. One of our favorite breakfast spots was a bakery/restaurant called Panama. They had this incredible French toast that was not at all like American French toast, which often comes up in conversations about that trip. It was so long ago that I don’t remember fully what it was like; other than that the bread almost seemed to be enveloped in a crepe, and it was delicious.

This morning I finished reading and organizing my google reader and was actually hungry. I wanted to make something with crème fraiche that I started making last night, but it wasn’t ready yet. . . booo. Then, I really wanted Mexican food of some sort, but didn’t have the focus to come up with anything out of my pantry. Looking around my kitchen in despair, and idea sparked. I had brought home a not so perfect looking loaf of brioche from work that was just asking to be made into French toast.

The last time I made French toast with brioche it got soggy, and I was less than thrilled. I knew I had to try and make it the Panama way (at least of what I could recall). I found a super easy crepe batter recipe via everyday food, sandwiched blueberry-ricotta-honey for the filling, and fried them up. Then I make a simple sauce with plain yogurt, blueberry juice, and a splash of almond liquor. I wasn’t exactly taken back to Panama in Mexico, but I sure enjoyed my breakfast.

Panama Inspired Stuffed French Toast

Serves 2 (or 1 really hungry gal, i.e moi)

4 slices of brioche

oil for pan frying

powdered sugar to serve

Crepe batter:

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

½ cup flour

pinch of salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg

Filling:

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup ricotta

¼ cup blueberries (mine were frozen and thawed)

Sauce:

¼ cup plain greek style yogurt

1 tablespoon blueberry juice

½ teaspoon amaretto liquor or 1/8 teaspoon almond flavoring

Mix together the honey and ricotta filling. Spread the filling on one side of all the slices of brioche. Divide the blueberries evenly by sprinkling on top of the filling of two slices of brioche. Put the other two slices of brioche on top of the blueberries, creating two sandwiches.

Mix together the sauce and set aside.

Make the crepe batter by whisking together the milk and eggs, add the sugar, flour, and spices. Heat a skillet with a couple tablespoons of oil. Dip the sandwiches into the crepe batter, and fry until golden on each side.

Plate French toast and dust with powdered sugar. Spoon sauce over toast and serve immediately.

Happy Eatings!

Pistachio Macarons

2011-05-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable week. We celebrated mother's day early with my family last weekend. I made lots of mini desserts, but my most notable were pistachio macarons. I used this recipe from Cannelle et Vanille, but used all pistachio flour instead of pistachio and almond. Then I filled them with a basic ganache, but used coconut milk instead of cream to make them dairy free.

Pistachio Macarons
180 grams pistachio meal
243 grams powdered sugar
138 grams egg whites
3 grams egg white powder
81 grams granulated sugar*

*I used 40 grams green sprinkles and 41 grams sugar for a greener color, but you could also just use a couple drops of green food coloring, or omit the added color all together

In a stand mixer whisk the egg whites and powder until frothy. Slowly add in the granulated sugar making a meringue until stiff peaks form. Whisk together pistachio meal and powdered sugar. Dump the dry ingredients into the meringue and stir until the mixture looks like molten lava. This step is super important, if the mix is over or under mixed the final product won't be the right texture.

Pipe onto a silpat or parchment lined sheet pan. Tap pan against the counter to knock out any air pockets and let rest for about 15 minutes or until the top of the shell is firm to a gentle touch. I got my ganache ready while I waited. Bake at 325°F for about 16 minutes rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before taking them off the silpat. Pair up similar sized macarons and then fill.

Ganache
12 oz chocolate
6 oz coconut milk

Heat coconut milk until simmering, pour over chips and stir until melted and smooth. Cool until slightly thickened to where it is an easy consistency for piping.

Pipe ganache onto flat side of macaron and sandwich another on top. Refrigerate until ready to eat, but let warm to room temperature before consuming for optimal results.

For troubleshooting tips this post by Not so Humble Pie seems like a good resource.

Happy eating!

Bacon cupcakes

2011-05-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago my sister posted something on facebook about bacon cupcakes. This led to a little more than a hint, hint and a wink, wink to make them by both her and my husband. Easter I got around to making them, but unfortunately my sister arrived to the party late and they had all been eaten.

I was limited on resources when I made my Easter treats. I made tiramisu and had to sub cream cheese for mascarpone. While it was still good, it was not as good as it normally would be. So my experimental non-dairy bacon cupcakes took the prize that day.

I used a chocolate cake recipe I got from Sarabeth's Bakery cookbook listed here, but used coffee instead of hot water to give the cake a bit more flavor. I skipped the ganache and made a non dairy recipe of the cream cheese icing but used tofutti non dairy cream cheese and bacon fat. Then, we got some black forest bacon from Whole Foods which is smoked with cherry wood. I baked it in the oven to crisp and while I would have put brown sugar on it to make candied bacon, I was out. Instead, I made caramel with a pinch of cayenne pepper on the stove and dipped the crisped bacon into the caramel.

I don't really like bacon at all, so I was useless in judging these cakes. These got good reviews, but Sterling said they could perhaps use more bacon. Maybe bits in the cake or in the icing. I think I'll try these again and maybe play with the recipe a bit when I remember to buy bacon so maybe my sister can try them.

Hope you're all enjoying spring! Happy eats!

ultimate brownies

2011-04-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

Ultimate brownies first came about a few years ago when my good friend Christa and I decided to make some jazzed up boxed brownies. I think it involved caramel, chocolate chips, coffee, more flavored chips, maybe some other candies or sprinkles. . . you get the idea. I remember them being just what we needed, but then again I don't remember much after eating them since I was put into a super sugary coma.

ultimate sugar coma

Last week I was supposed to do a small catering gig for my friend, but with my wacky retro oven and some time issues, it all fell to pieces. Unfortunately I had started to do some prep and needed to use the stuff soon. I also needed to decide what to make for Easter dessert. . . I had a half batch of my favorite brownies ready to go. I also had some cream cheese icing for red velvet cupcakes, and I had prepped some of my favorite cookie dough. What was I to do? I set off to make ultimate brownies.

WARNING: These are rich brownies. . . and you can put anything you'd like into them.

First, I prepped a 9" X 13" baking pan with butter with parchment. Second, I mixed up a half batch of red fox brownies and put it in the pan. Third, I mixed equal parts cream cheese icing and peanut butter and put it in a pastry bag (I think I used about 5oz of each). Fourth, I cut up chunks of the cookie dough and squished it into the brownie batter. Fifth, I piped lines of the peanut butter frosting mix on the brownies (I had to push it on after since it was so thick) and made a chevron pattern with a knife. I baked them at 350°F for about 40 minutes, let them cool on a rack, and then cut them and gave as many as I could away so I wouldn't eat them all.

ready for baking

I really liked these, but I think I was hoping for more cream cheese swirl. The frosting mix made a peanut butter cookie like top- this was good, but not the cheesecake like texture I wanted. I also think some Fluff or caramel or both would be great swirled in, but unfortunately I didn't have any on hand.

rich chocolate brownie, cookie dough, and peanut butter cream cheese swirl

I'm not sure I'll make these for Easter or not, I might make tiramisu subbing cream cheese for mascarpone since I already have everything. Otherwise I might test chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese bacon frosting which Sarah asked me about the other day. I don't like bacon, but I think it could be a fun project. Does my family have any dessert requests? I have Easter and a mother's day dinner to make dessert for. Does anyone else have a favorite Easter dessert?

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. Happy eating!

p.s. I often use the search bar on the top right side of my page to look up previous recipes. Has anyone but me found this helpful? or are there better thoughts?

Spring is here again!

2011-04-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

We've finally been having a bout of good weather around here. Sterling and I decided that we must jump start our seedlings for planting. We've already started some herbs, veggies, and edible flowers (marshmallow plant!). We've been getting good tips from the book Sugar Snaps and Strawberries that I got Sterling for his birthday.

cilantro

dill

tomatoes

and my hen and chicks that looked cheery today

hello kitty even watches in amazement

We have been using a florescent grow light and put a shelving system above our radiators to create the perfect nursery for our new plants. I even planted some saved some seeds from last year, and I can't wait to see how the plants will do.

Yesterday I was in the mood for Japchae, a Korean noodle stir fry. Usually it is made with vegetables and beef, but not liking beef I left it out. I went to United Noodles to pick up ingredients and had an amazing dinner (and lunch too)!

Vegetarian Japchae
makes about 4 servings

8oz Korean sweet potato noodles (dang myun), bean starch noodles will work as well, cook according to package directions
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
10 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked according to package and squeezed dry
5 green onions, cleaned and cut onto about 2" pieces
2 eggs, cooked into a thin omlette and cut into strips
sesame seeds (optional)
mix together to make seasoning:
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a tablespoon reserved for the pan
1 large clove of garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions, carrot, mushrooms until softened and just starting to brown. Add the noodles and seasoning tossing to quickly coat the vegetables and noodles with seasoning. Cook for a minute or two, then when most of the liquid is evaporated add in the egg and sesame seed. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Happy eats and Happy spring! Is anyone else planting seedlings for spring?

Oh and p.s. got a wonderful new Honda Fit! My other car was worn out and we needed something that got good mileage since gas is almost $4 a gallon! I'm sure there will be photos to come.

orzo salad with pickled red onion

2011-03-11T12:36:00.000-06:00

I would love it if spring could arrive like right now, but unfortunately I decided to move to the tundra where it's still a couple of months away. To cheer myself up from the winter blues, I made some bright pink pickled red onion and then used it in a colorful orzo salad.

The recipe is super simple even if the thought of making pickled anything terrifies you. And I'm not saying "easy" in the "I'm a professional" way, I mean in the "I can barely boil water" way (that comment was for you Sarah and Sterling!).

Pickled Red Onion
makes about one quart jar

1 1/2 cup white vinegar (i'm sure cider or rice vinegar would work well also)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
spices (feel free to use what suits your taste):
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp coriander seed

1 large red onion skinned, and sliced thinly (I used a mandoline slicer)
1 jar with lid or container that holds about 1 quart

red onions in jar, waiting for the vinegar to come to a boil

Put slices of onion into your jar. In a non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. Bring this mixture to a boil. Pour over onion and make sure all the onion is submurged. Let onions cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. They will keep in refrigerator about a month or so, but taste best when eaten within a week. Great on sandwiches, salads, etc. and so

finished red onions

I made the orzo salad by cooking a half box of orzo pasta then tossed it with italian dressing, pickled red onion, a small can of sliced black olives, chopped cooked broccoli, sliced cucumber, salt, pepper, and a dash of shredded pecorino cheese.

Happy Friday!

lunch

2011-03-04T12:19:00.000-06:00

so maybe this was bad, but it tasted sooooo good. . . .

I took corn tortillas, filled them with a mix of black beans, cheese, leftover roasted veg (mushroom, onion, cabbage, potato), seasoned with salt and pepper, and pan fried them in oil

I had enough filling to make 5, then I made a dip of plain yogurt mixed with spices and black bean salsa

Then I sat and ate. . . and ate them all. . .oops! Time for a nap?

finally a day of rest!

2011-03-04T11:25:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy! My house looks like a tornado blew by, and my poor kitchen is a sea of dirty dishes. . . Thank you day off! I finally get to catch up on my blogroll, clean, and get some rest! I'm not sure if I'll get to baking (but I hope to). Most people wouldn't consider this stuff resting, but when I've been working 50+ hour weeks lately, a day to do as I please is restful. So instead of my baking here are some over indulgent sugar-laden treats to ponder over:

picture from project foodie

This is the Heaven and Hell cake from the All Cakes Considered book

its devil's food cake, peanut butter-cream cheese mousse, and angel food cake, covered in ganache

picture from sweetapolita.com

The Capfire Delight: 6-layer rich chocolate malted and toasted-marshmallow cake from sweetapoliata

image from raspberri cupcakes

Mint chocolate 'Aero' cake topped with lindt truffles

So you're not only indulging in a cake, but a couple of truffles as well

image from i am baker

Chocolate covered cherry oreo cake

this sugar high is cake that is then chocolate covered cherry filled and covered with fudge and coated with oreo cookie crumbs

We'll see how well my baking and cleaning extravaganza goes. . . I'm putting on my ipod and hoping to make some black bean fried tacos to fuel me. Happy eating!

tzatziki

2011-02-20T08:25:00.000-06:00

I've been caving Greek food lately. Not really knowing how to make good Greek food, or knowing of a really good place to get Greek food, I tried to be resourceful with what I had. I remembered buying some spinach and chickpea patties and placing them in my freezer a while back and thought I could make some tzatziki to go with it. I had yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and spices on had; how hard could it be?

While Greek yogurt is now easily available at the grocery store, I had some standard plain yogurt in my fridge that I strained to make it thicker, richer "Greek" style. I also shredded the small Persian cucumber I had on hand, mixed it with salt, and let that strain for about a half hour as well to help remove most of the moisture. Mixed with a small crushed garlic clove, dill, pepper and olive oil to smooth it out, I had tzatziki!

Tzatziki
1 cup greek yogurt
1 small persian cucumber, grated, salted, strained
1 small clove garlic, crushed
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
squeeze fresh lemon juice
pinch of dill

While my calculations are approximate and made only a small amount for myself to eat, here is what looks to be a reliable similar recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. My suggestion after reading this recipe (which I haven't tried yet) would be to use Persian cucumbers or English style to avoid peeling the tough skin and removing large seeds.

happy eating!

happy valentines day!

2011-02-13T21:02:00.000-06:00

There is a song for every holiday. In elementary school we sung songs for valentines and halloween that spell out the names of the holiday. As a result of learning these songs, every time I need to spell out valentines or halloween I must sing the song in my head to spell the word.

my secret valentines box

Anyway, valentines is tomorrow. My work decided to do a secret valentine much like secret santa. I decided that almost anyone would want a box of candy, so I made some boxes and filled them with treats.

sterling's box to bring to work

box to share while making goodies

My sister also wanted to make treats for her co-workers because she likes to be the favorite, and with her treats she will likely succeed. We got together with her friends Brianna and Angie to make chocolate dipped oreos, fortune cookies, pretzel rods, and caramel puff corn.

chocolate cookies

Old Dutch Caramel Puff Corn
1 (10 oz) bag puff corn
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250°F. Melt butter, brown sugar, corn syrup in a large pot. When everything is melted and coming to a boil, remove from heat and add in baking soda, the mixture will foam up. Add the puffcorn and stir to coat. Place puffcorn on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out onto wax paper to cool.

I also got a pumelo and made a tasty drink too!

skinned pumello

pumello segments are such a pretty color

Hope you all have a wonderful valentines!

nuked cake

2011-02-11T14:20:00.000-06:00

My sister posted about these cupcakes and I thought it was a cute idea. I've seen recipe's for cake in a mug before, as well as microwave bundt cake, but never thought of testing such recipes or using silicone cupcake molds to make cupcakes. I was indeed intrigued. While being stranded at home waiting for my car to be repaired, I knew this would be the time to test out this quick recipe.

image from Paula Deen's site

Paula Deen's Chocolate Spice Cupcakes for Two
yields 2 cupcakes (I actually doubled this to make 4)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
(I added a pinch of sea salt, I think a dash of vanilla extract, coffee or liquor would be good as well to help boost the flavor)
4 ½ teaspoons milk (I used soy)
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I used coconut oil)
½ egg, lightly whipped (approximately 2 tablespoons whipped egg)
whipped cream, powdered sugar, or icing as desired for topping

Stir together dry, then add in wet ingredients. Divide into two silicone molds (I used ceramic cupcake molds). Microwave medium heat for 1 minute, microwave 30 seconds more, still on medium heat. Check for center of cake to bounce back when lightly touched or continue cooking until done. Frost if desired or dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

The results- The texture was more like a steamed sponge cake like they make in England. It was very moist and while tasting like chocolate cake, it definitely wasn't the best cake ever. It was cheap, quick, and easy and if I had a craving for chocolate cake and needed a quick fix, I think it would beat out a store bought snack cake.

my cake fresh out of the microwave, not very pretty

a look into the moist interior after the cake is un-molded

Happy eating! What's your favorite quick to make dessert? I'd love to know!

lemon meltaways

2011-02-05T22:54:00.000-06:00

I wanted to do a simple to bring lemon dessert for my mother's birthday this weekend. Last year I made a boston cream pie which is one of her favorite desserts, but this year I decided to do lemon which is another favorite. Lemon meltaway cookies seemed like the perfect fit. A tart cookie with just enough sweetness and melt in your mouth texture. I adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart's lime recipe and Quinn Olson's recipe .

Lemon Meltaways
yields 34 cookies (with a 1 tsp scoop)

1 1/2 sticks (85 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (50 g) confectioners sugar (plus more for coating)
1 large lemon's zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/16 teaspoon citric acid (optional, makes it a bit tarter), mixed with the lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons (35 g) cornstarch
1 3/4 cup (210 g) all purpose flour

Cream the butter, salt, and zest. Slowly add the confectioner sugar and then the vanilla, citric acid, and juice. Mix until light and creamy. Add the cornstarch until well blended, fold in the flour until the dry is incorporated. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and chill for about an hour until firm.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Scoop onto a parchment lined sheet pan. I used my tiny scoop that holds about 1 teaspoon, and fit them on one sheet since they won't spread much. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is browned but the top is still pale in color. Let cool completely. Roll cooled cookies in confectioners sugar until well coated, dust off excess. Store in an airtight container.

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you enjoy your cookies!

fudgy brownies

2011-02-04T13:08:00.000-06:00

I wanted easy fudgy brownies that were virtually no fuss-and I only had cocoa powder. . . so I adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Cocoa Brownies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's adaptation of Alice Mendrich’s Bittersweet
Makes 16

10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter (I subbed half unsweetened apple sauce, half coconut oil)
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (66 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dried cranberries soaked in 2 tablespoons brandy for 20 minutes
1/4 cup roasted cashews (mine were lightly salted which made the brownies salty and sweet-
I like this, but if you prefer go unsalted)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the applesauce, oil, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave for about 40 seconds or until just warmed. It looks gritty at this point, but it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.
Stir in the vanilla and add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for about 40 strokes. Stir in the fruit and nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 30 minutes. If you like crispy edges maybe bake them a few more minutes, they are pretty fudgy and shouldn't dry out easily. Let cool completely on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16.

These suckers are super rich and I definitely needed to drink some milk with them, or whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream to cut through the fudgy-ness.

If I make these again, I might think about adding some cinnamon or instant espresso powder to make them more intense, for lack of a better word. I also think a pinch of cayenne or crystallized ginger to spice them up would be nice.

Happy eatings!

Birthday treats

2011-02-03T21:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Sterling's very happy birthday. I tried my best to be a good wife and spoil him (un-rotten) for his special week. This started with a request for cookies which also lead me to make these tasty buggers from momofuku milk bar. I added potato chips, peanut butter pretzels, craisins, golden raisins, and I can't remember what else. . . they were good.

His friend Cameron came to visit for the weekend and I made him some treats to bring to work. I made some peanut butter, toasted marshmallow cups and black forest cupcakes.

toasted the marshmallow fluff with a blowtorch and stirred, repeat

fluff after much torching and stirring

chocolate cups filled with marshmallow, peanut, and topped with peanut butter filling (pb + powdered sugar+brown sugar)

I used the chocolate cupcake recipe Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, canned pie filling, and canned frosting (! I know, but he can't have dairy and it's been a busy week at work so I cheated).

cupcake, center removed, center filled with pie filling

filled cupcake topped with frosting

I also made some steamed buns. I got the buns from an Asian grocery freezer section. I cooked some baby bok choy, kale, and cabbage. Then I got Sterling lots of pork, fish, turkey. I think it was an overall success.

This weekend is my mother's birthday so I'm sure I'll be making more treats tomorrow on my day off :)

Christmas Gifts and cup-pies

2011-01-21T11:24:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot to post about homemade christmas gifts this year when I saw Kayla's post the other day! This year I baked with friends Tara and Amanda one day and knocked out a bunch of candy and cookies. My contributions were caramels (which got rave reviews from Tara's housemates who ate all of hers) and peanut brittle.

Wrapped Soft Caramels

while it's typically not advised to double or triple candy recipes, this one usually works out fine, just use a larger pan to set caramels in, and be prepared for a long time of wrapping

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coat an 8X8" pan with oil or butter and line the bottom with parchment paper letting it overhang on two of the sides. This will make it easier to get the caramels out of the pan to cut.

In a small saucepan warm the cream, butter, and salt. Keep just warm off to the side while the sugar is getting ready.

In a deep saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water stir until all the sugar is wet and then leave alone, bringing it to a boil over med-high heat. If you notice sugar crystals on the sides of the pan wash them off with a pastry brush dipped in water or a clean spray bottle filled with water. Boil until the sugar is the color of caramel. I usually take a clean spoon or stir stick and dip some caramel out of the pot to check the color against something white like a plate or napkin, my pots are dark and it's hard to see the true color (take it off a little before it's the color you want because it will continue to cook and darken slightly).

When the caramel is the color you desire, stir in the warmed cream mixture a little at a time. Be very careful because the caramel will boil and steam violently. Cook until the caramel reaches 248°F on a candy thermometer. Alternately, you can test the hardness of the candy with a cup of ice water. Drop a small amount of caramel into the ice water to let it cool quickly, then remove the candy and see how hard it is. If the candy is too soft let it boil longer, if it's too hard add some water or cream to make it more pliable. When the caramel is done very carefully pour the hot caramel into the prepped pan.

Let caramel cool to room temperature. If your caramel isn't the desired consistency at room temperature you can at this point return it to the pan and follow the lat part of the cooking process to adjust it, and let it re-cool. Then remove from pan, remove paper, and cut into strips. Cut each strip into bite size portions and wrap in cellophane sheets or wax paper.

Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 cup peanuts (or other nuts)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or grease and set aside.

In a 2 qt saucepan over medium heat bring the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil. Heat until a candy thermometer reaches 300°F, or the candy creates hard thin threads in ice water test.

Remove from heat and add in the peanuts, butter, baking soda, and vanilla stirring quickly as the candy foams up. Immediately pour onto prepped sheet pan and spread out to desired thickness. Let cool and break into pieces.

Sterling's Hot Cocoa Mix (dairy free)
adapted from Alton Brown

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (I prefer dark dutched cocoa or a mix of dutched and regular. I used Cacao Barry Extra Brute or Valrhona)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Whisk together in a large bowl until combined. Put into jars or resealable containers.

To prepare pour 8 oz warm milk of choice over 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix. Stir and enjoy.

I made labels on our home printer and laminated them with tape onto the jars. I just multiplied the recipe for however many gifts I was giving out. Sterling and I drank a lot of this. It is also easy to flavor by adding a pinch of cayenne for kick, or cinnamon, or whatever you can think up. The original recipe had the addition of 2 1/2 cups of powdered milk, which was suggested on a blog that it could be replaced with malted milk thus creating malted milk hot cocoa- yum!

Cocoa & Spice Brown Sugar Scrub

Unfortunately in my procrastination of posting, I misplaced my recipe. Basically it was aprox. 1 cup brown sugar to 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil and some cocoa and cinnamon, ginger, clove added until it smelled good. If I find the original I'll repost. I made the labels on our printer and laminated them onto the jars with packing tape since I had it on hand. I also instructed that this stuff could make your tub slippery if used in the shower.

Granola
5 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups coconut
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 cup untoasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cashews
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins

heat together:
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oven to 325°F.
Mix together everything from top half minus the cranberries and raisins. Pour the syrup over the mix. Bake on a sheet pan until golden brown stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add in the cranberries and raisins. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

I also made these cute MN cookies (I couldn't get the picture to rotate) with the sugar cookie dough I used before. I filled some of the hearts with crushed red candies to make them stained glass, but forgot to take a photo.

I got this recipe from school, so I only have the recipe by weights, not home cooking volume style. Sorry. This makes wonderful buttery toffee though.

Toffee

6oz butter

½ tsp sea salt

1.5 oz water

1/8 tsp lecithin (an emulsifier, but not necessary)

2 oz corn syrup

1.5 oz nuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Bring butter, salt, water, sugar, lecithin, and corn syrup to a boil. Stir constantly until it looks the color of peanut butter (usually 290-320°F, but go by color). Quickly remove from heat, stir in nuts, and spread out onto a silpat or parchment lined sheetpan. Spread out to about ¼” thickness and let cool. Break into pieces and dip in chocolate if desired. Makes about 1# candy.

This was not on my Christmas gift list, but something I made the other day after watching too many episodes of Pushing Dasies. Cup-pies: mini pies with a touch of honey baked right into the crust. The recipe was adapted from my cooking school apple pie recipe.

Flaky pie dough
2 cups (10 oz) flour
7 oz non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter)
3 oz cold water (might take a bit less)
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon sugar

mix the flour, sugar, salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until you have pea sized pieces. Add just enough water to hold the dough together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm. Roll out with a little bit of flour about 1/8" thick. Cut circles the depth and width, plus an inch or so of the cupcake molds for the bottom crust and then circles the width plus an inch or so for the top crust. I made 6 (12 crusts total) and then cut hearts into the top crusts for a vent.

Apple Filling
4 large Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small wedges
1 tablespoon (.4 oz) lemon juice

3/4 cup (6.4 oz) sugar
5 teaspoons (.6 oz) cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

6 oz butter ( I omitted this)

honey thinned slightly with water

Toss the apples in the lemon juice to prevent browning. Stir together the dry ingredients and toss in with the apples. Spray cupcake pan. Place bottom crust gently down into pan. Brush with thinned honey. Fill with apple filling. Top with a sliver of butter if using and lay top crust over. Fold edges together and crimp around the edge. Brush top lightly with honey. Bake 400°F for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and filling is baked. Let cool and carefully remove from pan.

Chuck and her cup-pie via tvfanatic

Friday winter snow flurries

2011-01-14T17:19:00.000-06:00

It is Friday. It is snowing heavily out my window. The other night I had a dream where it was snowing giant white snowflakes! It was incredible! If only everyone could have seen them, Sterling thinks it should be my next art project.

I'm a bit stiff from my amazing massage yesterday (this is only because I'm a baker and needed to get a lot of very serious knots worked out!) I was referred by my chiropractor. If your looking for either I would highly recommend them.

I then spent my morning relaxing and making these:

easy pineapple cake with buttercream

I wasn't overly impressed by this, it was a little dense. I wanted buttercream, a quick cake, and an excuse to try the ruffle frosting technique. Not too bad for a quick cake that filled my sugar void for the day. It wasn't my best work icing a cake, but when I would be the sole person eating it my level of perfection is not too high. I would have re-done the cake only I'm temporarily out of regular flour (only cake, self rising, and bread here at the moment).

Speaking of ruffles I would love to make and wear this ruffled cardigan via Ruffles And Stuff

image via Ruffles And Stuff

I made some mac and cheese as well to round out my lazy day. I will note that I added broccoli, cauliflower, and onions to make it more substantial. I added really dried out Rustica baguette crumbs mixed with herbs and olive oil for the topping.

On another note, I'm completely obsessed with this mascara! Its the Shiseido perfect mascara in defining volume. I'm not usually one to get overly excited about beauty products (yes, I do own a lot. . .but I'm not loyal to many of them). It's a bit expensive, but I think well worth it.

image via Shiseido

1) Sterling thought I was wearing false eyelashes the other day when I had it on

2) My eyelashes stay curled all day (or two when I don't wash it off) which never happens

3) Totally waterproof and smudge-proof (even for Asian eyes!)

The only other beauty product I'm a devotee to is yu-be (which happens to also be Japanese). It's my super moisturizing skin cream that makes my hands super soft by morning. The only downside to this is the slight camphor smell (kind of like carmex lip balm only milder). Secretly I kind of enjoy the smell. . . I find it sort of calming

image via yu-be

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable week! Kick off your weekend with some cake (or something fun and tasty at least). I'm hoping to get some more baking done (cup pies anyone?) and also get some organizing done this weekend-mostly my kitchen pantry and clothing closet. Any tips or tricks?

rehydration

2011-01-07T21:14:00.000-06:00

Sterling has been playing soccer again. This also means he's been buying lots of sports drinks to stay hydrated. Late night games + sugary sport drinks = sugar high + adrenaline high husband. . .He was drinking the cliff brand sport drinks at one point containing these ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Flavors, Real Salt®, Citric Acid, Magnesium Lactate, Potassium Phosphate.

image via cliff website

He once asked me to try and recreate something similar to this. I did, he enjoyed it, and then I promptly forgot I ever made it and lost my notes. When asked again recently, I had to do some more internet research to find out what I did before. I came up with this concoction that has less sugar and a milder flavor, and it was Sterling approved. Here it is so I won't forget again-and so Sterling can make it for himself if he needs to:

Sterling's Sports Drink

1 liter filtered water
4 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon Real Salt® (different from regular salt in that it contains lots of trace minerals including potassium)
(or 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp salt substitute that is all potassium instead of Real Salt®)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime or orange)

Mix together until salt and honey are dissolved. Chill until ready to drink.

oh butterfingers!

2011-01-07T15:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! As we know Fridays mean a) day off, b) baking catch up, and c) tv show/movie catch up. My choosing today is watching Pushing Dasies via Netflix and Sterling's new xbox. Chuck has the best outfits!

image not mine

I had a bit of leftover European butter (the fattier butter) from holiday baking and decided to finally try making Gateau Breton and marmalade with leftover clementines (which I've found myself to be allergic to only after purchasing a case) via Nigella's How To Be A Domestic Goddess .

Clementine Marmalade
adapted from the Nigella grapefruit marmalade recipe

1# 12oz clementines, washed
1 lemon, washed
2# 4oz sugar
4 tbs lemon juice
6 tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp agar agar (optional but helps it gel)
5-8oz jars, sterilized
1 small saucer placed in the freezer

Boil fruit in a large pot of water (enough to let the fruit freely float). Boil for 30-60ish minutes until the fruit is soft. Take the softened fruit out of the water and slice in thin strips. Then roughly chop fruit removing any seeds found. Put the fruit back in the pot with the sugar and juice. Bring the pot to a boil and then add in the agar agar. Cook until the marmalade is thick by testing bits of it on the cold saucer. When it's to the desired thickness, ladle into the sterilized jars and process in a hot water canner for 10 minutes.

Clementines boiling away

Next up was the butter cake. . . . my American adaptation of the book gives the following, but the British original printing is found here and seems different.

Gateau Breton

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
9 oz unsalted butter, room temp
6 large egg yolks
10 inch springform tin, buttered well (I used an 8 inch square buttered and lined in parchment)

Glaze

1 teaspoon of yolk from your 6
1 tablespoon of water

- Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix the glaze and set aside.
- In a bowl stir in the sugar and add butter. When light and fluffy add the yolks.
-Add in the flour until the mixture just comes together.
-Place batter into prepared pan and cover with glaze. Mark with the tines of a fork for decoration.
-Bake for 15 minutes then turn down the oven to 350°F and bake 25 minutes more or until the top is brown and the top is firm to the touch.

bunts and babies!

2011-01-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Birthday (to those who apply), and Happy New Year! I've been pretty busy this holiday season with the bakery, making treats, and going to parties. Sterling was anti-card/newsletter this year, but here is our quick yearly recap of 2010.

Christmas lights make me smile

January- Sterling makes a wonderful light box, recovering from holiday season
February- Sterling turns 25 and Emily starts working at the Bikery
March- working for Larry, eating ramen, hoping winter ends soon
April- Planted our herb garden seedlings, went to Sia & Jonsi concert for Emily's 26th b-day
May- Visited Oregon for Emily's graduation ceremony from Western Cullinary, Sterling starts at Capella
June- Moved into our very own apartment, saw Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
July- Went up north to the cabin
August- Sterling finally gets to experience the MN state fair!
September- Tom visits on his trip across the country. Emily quits the Bikery and starts at Rustica
October- Celebrate our 3 year anniversary and make pizza in our uber hot oven, went to see Sufjan & Mumford
November- Thanksgiving and stuff
December- Blizzard over Sarah's birthday, Sterling's family visits for Christmas, time with family and friends

i found these ice crystals on my kitchen window this morning!

This morning we slept in on accident and I decided to try to make pannekoeken (aka dutch babies) I've never actually made them before, but I followed this recipe by Orangette subbing half and half for non-dairy creamer and butter for half natural vegetable shortening, half non-dairy butter so they were Sterling friendly.

They start to deflate when they come out of the oven so here is me hurrying it to the table

us getting ready to eat


our breakfast table

I also got a bundt pan for Christmas and thought I should put it to use. I made a coffee flavored spice cake that was dairy free from the All Cakes Considered book. I'm not sure it was my favorite, but passable and kind of like a gingerbread with hints of coffee. Sterling preferred the batter which tasted more like Hagen Das coffee ice cream. I have the book, but the recipe is posted here for those who don't. Just be sure not to disturb the cake when it's cooking or the center will sink (not that I would know from experience)

home improvements

2010-12-12T13:08:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of our updated apartment

Before of headboard we found on craigslist

After we painted and added vintage maps

Sterling's side is Oregon and my side is the Twin Cities

They both have a little red heart by our hometown

Any ideas for the center section?

Here is my accessory station Sterling assembled for me. We repainted a shelf my mom had and got hooks from Art & Architecture. Sterling made my jewelery board as a gift.

Door to entryway

This was ugly brown/red I got it at Salvation Army for $3!


After I painted and antiqued it

holiday decorations

made from about 12 cupcake wrappers cut and tied

then poofed and hung up on a sting

Picture frames from a sweet antique sale down the street

We're slowly adding to the frames, Dad and Sarah liked the sideways lady picture on the top row. . .we'll see if they can convince Sterling to keep her.

Here is a map of France with a baguette wrapper

Our tiny dining table decorated for Christmas

My revamped craft space with redone thrifted desk and chair

Sterling made me this fun floating bookshelf

Here is what it looks like before the books go on

(just make sure to use super hefty wall anchors if you're going to do this ours held 80lbs)

And the newest addition to my measuring cup collection. I first saw them at an antique store, but didn't have any money to buy them. I went back later, but they were gone. A couple months later I was at Goodwill and they were wrapped in they're original box, untouched and only about $3! It was meant to be.

Now we're off to get a tree as long as we can get out of our parking lot with all that snow! Can't wait to decorate more for Christmas! It's only a couple weeks away-and I need to get on with making gifts!

Tiramisu and Birthday wishes too!

2010-12-10T11:33:00.000-06:00

First off I'd like to wish my Father a very Happy Birthday today and another Happy Birthday to my sister Sarah (tomorrow). . .and another Happy Birthday to our friend Josh. . . Hope your all having a great start to your birthday weekend!

Dad and Sarah


Josh and his beautiful wife Katie (photo taken from their myspace acct, can't remember who their photographer was)

In honor of my family's birthdays my sister and I are making a Chinese style dinner with an Italian dessert. I made tiramisu this morning so it would be ready for dinner tonight. The dessert is traditionally made with mascarpone cheese, zabaglione (egg, sugar, and liquor cream dessert), cocoa powder, lady finger cookies, and espresso. In Italian it translates to "pick me up" since this dessert is sure to make your day a little brighter. My recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's blue cookbook.

Tiramisu
4 eggs (1 whole, 3 separated)
1 cup sugar (divided in 2)
1/2 tsp vanilla
16 oz mascarpone cheese
12 oz double strength coffee or espresso
1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz dark rum
cocoa powder (dark is preferred, but I didn't have any on hand)
crisp lady finger cookies (mine was a 14oz bag, I used just over half of)

Make a double boiler by simmering water in a small sauce pan. Place a large glass or metal bowl over the steaming pot and add in 1 whole egg, 3 egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and remove from heat. Whisk until thick and creamy, it will lighten in color and look almost as pale as butter. When yolks are thick and creamy and cooled down, add in the mascarpone cheese and vanilla.

In another clean bowl (I used my stand mixer bowl, with whisk attachment wiped out with vinegar to make sure it's extra clean) add in the egg whites and second half of sugar. Place bowl of whites and sugar over the steaming water bath and whisk until all the sugar is dissolved. I feel the whites every once in a while until they no longer feel grainy from the sugar. Whisk the whites until they form firm glossy peaks. Mix a third of the whites into the yolk mixture. Mix the next 1/3 of whites in the yolks, and then the remaining 1/3, this will be the cream base for the tiramisu.

Mix together the coffee, brandy, and rum and set in a dish that you can easily soak the cookies in (I used a pie dish). Gather the coffee mixture, cocoa powder, sifter, cream and cookies. In your serving dish (mine was a pyrex 7.5" x 11" x 2") place about 1/3 of the cream and spread it out evenly (I used a mini offset spatula). Sift cocoa powder over the top of the cream (note in the picture below I forgot this on the first layer-oops). Dip cookies quickly on each side, only1 or 2 at a time, in the coffee and place on top of cocoa covered cream layer. Break cookies if needed to cover the dish with cookies. Repeat layering with cream, cocoa, soaked cookies. Top with the last 1/3 of cream and cover with cocoa. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate (preferably a couple of hours or overnight) until ready to serve. Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired.

layering the dessert

I had a tiny bit of cream left over so I made a "sample" in a stemless glass for me and Sarah to eat as we're prepping dinner today. Can't wait to eat this!

I also made a version for Sterling to eat (non dairy) and made a half batch made with just 2 egg yolks and whites, and 8 oz of vegan cream cheese. I also bumped up the flavor (I don't like the taste of vegan cream cheese) with a little of almond extract in the cream and a dash of chocolate liquor in the coffee. We'll have to see if he likes it. . . Last time I made it for him I think I omitted the cheese and folded in non dairy whipped topping to the zabaglione.

P.S. Sterling just sent me a link a Dark Dark Dark interview/concert on npr that is really good if your interested

No Coast Craft-O-Rama

2010-12-03T19:58:00.000-06:00

Just got back from No Coast. Had a blast. First of all Sterling and I love going to the Midtown Global Market anyway, and when it's filled with crafters it's even better! The only item I purchased was this Worker B cream to replace my current face moisturizer which I conveniently ran out of this morning. It's super moisturizing and the only ingredients are organic olive oil and beeswax. Plus the super nice lady gave me bee stickers too! Added bonus. . . it was $8 at No Coast and the website retails it for $10.50 SCORE!

Other vendors I admired were as follows:

Fantastic Toys

for super cute handmade stuffed toys

Happy Go Lucky Creations

for adorable illustrations

Jeanne McGee

beautiful hand printed lampshades

Orange Peel Enamel

beautiful handmade jewelry by Jenny (Sterling's bus buddy Mark's very talented girlfriend)

and her sister makes beautiful work too at

Adorn Jewelry

Contraband Studios

super sweet pottery

There were so many talented people there from hand printed posters to baby clothes and soap. If your in the area I would recommend checking it out tomorrow it goes from 9-5. There are lots of good eats at the market too! I got one of Manny's Tortas (the veggie one) and Sterling had a dish from Pham's Deli. Then I had Grand Italian Ice's caramel cashew cheesecake frozen custard for dessert! It was the perfect end to a wonderful night. As we were heading out Sterling asked why I didn't have a scarf to keep me warm. My response was, " Why when I have my ice cream to keep me warm!" (It was about 19°F and snowing out) His response was, "Wow you really are from around here."

Hope your having a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday! Nog and Rice to all!

2010-12-03T10:46:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! Hope your getting geared up for the holidays! Sterling and I have been trying to work hard on getting our apartment guest ready. It's a lot of work, but I know it will be amazing in the end.

I have Friday's off from work, which is a great time to get stuff done. . . only fun stuff though. Last night I tried making eggnog for the first time! I was pretty pleased with the results, considering I made it with soy since Sterling is allergic to dairy and I'm lactose intolerant. Silk makes a decent soy nog, but it still is lacking the eggyness since it's vegan. The only downfall to making our own nog was that Sterling and I were the only ones there to enjoy it-very dangerous. I pretty much followed this Alton Brown recipe using pasteurized eggs (which kind of creep me out, I think I'll just stick to yummy tasting organic eggs and risk it next time)

Eggnog

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint soy creamer
1 cup soymilk
(The original calls for 3 ounces bourbon, we did without, but it lacked depth so maybe add some for flavor or use imitation rum extract to give it more umph)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites

In the bowl beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until they are very light in color, like the color of butter. Add the soy milk and cream (liquor if using) and nutmeg and stir to combine. This portion can be made in advance and chilled until ready to drink. Just before serving place the egg whites in the bowl and beat to soft peaks slowly add in the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form, but the whites are still glossy. Whisk the whites into the nog and serve.

Also for today's lunch I made fried rice! I basically used up a ton of leftover veggies I had. Here is a close approximation to what I did:

Fried Rice

2 cups rice + 3 cups water +cooking = about 4 cups or so cooked rice
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
leftover diced mushrooms, carrot, and onion totaling around 2 cups
3 green onions, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 eggs, beaten
a couple pinches dried Korean red pepper shreds
4 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 cup total mixed frozen peas and corn
vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Korean red pepper paste for serving

In a wok or large fry pan heat a tablespoon or two of veg oil. Add the carrot, onion, mushroom, celery, garlic, water chestnut, pepper shreds (any veggie that needs to be cooked a while). Saute until desired doneness. Make a well in the center of pan. Add a touch more oil and add egg. Stir and cook until egg is scrambled. Add any remaining veggies, cooked rice, and sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir until combined, let bottom brown in pan if desired for some added texture. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of red pepper paste if desired. Makes about 5 large servings.

Here is what the pepper shreds and paste look like for those who are not familiar. The ingredients on the paste are listed as pepper, vinegar, cider, sesame, garlic. I got both of them from Asian groceries in the area. Neither are really hot, just sweet and peppery with a light heat.

I'm off to shop downtown with Tara then going with Sterling to the No Coast Craft-O-Rama! What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are hope it's a fun one and happy eating!

Happy belated holiday. . . .

2010-11-29T16:05:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The past couple weeks have been busy. . . I don't quite know where all my time went. Sterling and I have been prepping our house for holiday guests and I've been trying to finalize Christmas gift basket ideas (any ideas are welcome). Of course I have been cooking and baking and trying new recipes, but I haven't been good at documenting it. Here are a couple that worked.

I made some Texas caviar to get some veggies. I usually eat it with chips or on toast. I got this recipe from my aunt Laurie who made it for a family event a couple of years ago where I ate an embarrassing amount of this stuff. I try to use unsalted or low sodium can veggies when possible so I can better control the amount of salt.

Texas Caviar
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn (frozen is fine too), rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted), drained
1 (4 oz) jar diced pimentos, drained
1 cup diced orange bell pepper (red or yellow is fine too)
1 cup diced celery
1 bunch chopped green onion

1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 fresh lime
1/4 cup cilantro, diced
2 tablespoons dill
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the vegetables in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together the rest of the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cover bowl and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving.

Here are some mini whoopie pies made for a girls lunch I had with family two weekends ago. My sister requested pumpkin with cream cheese frosting, and they were a big hit. The recipe was modified from a Martha Stewart one. I've been subbing natural unsweetened apple sauce for vegetable oil in cake recipes lately (one for one substitution, example: 1 cup apple sauce for 1 cup oil) and I really like it. It does make it just a touch sweeter, so I think I might be able to reduce the sugar a bit next time. It worked on my red velvet recipe and I also used it to make the whoopie pies. It makes me feel a little bit better about eating so many sweets ^_^.

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups brown sugar
-------------------
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
3 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together the wet ingredients until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. With a small scoop (mine is close to a tablespoon), spoon batter onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until done (a toothpick will come out clean from the center or the center will be dry and the cake will spring back when gently touched). Let cool and then sandwich two cakes together with cream cheese icing (I used the same recipe that I make for red velvet cake). Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Yesterday I made some waffles with Hello Kitty again. Sterling and I don't get to have breakfast together very often, so I try to make it happen when we can. The picture could have been more appealing, but I was already running late for church and I figured one poor picture is better than no picture. Also I let the mini waffles merge together to make them easier to remove since I was pinched for time. I googled various 'crispy' waffle recipes and conglomerated a few ideas into a new recipe. I didn't have any syrup so I heated up some frozen mixed berries and added a touch of sugar and orange juice to make a berry sauce and topped them with powdered sugar.

Crispy Waffles
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup soymilk mixed with 1 teaspoon cider vinegar (or 1.5 cups buttermilk)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch

Whisk together the eggs and sugar until frothy. Mix the eggs into the vegetable oil and milk. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add the liquid. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened. The mixture will still be a little lumpy. Heat waffle iron and pour batter onto hot iron. Cook until brown and crispy.

If your making a bunch, you can heat your oven to about 200°F and place cooked waffles directly on oven rack (or onto a cooling rack on a sheet pan) to keep waffles warm until ready to eat. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in a toaster oven (I ate them this morning and they were just as tasty).

Hope your all having a wonderful week. It's pretty rainy today, so I've been drinking my fair share of tea. I think it's giving me the jitters. Sterling and I have been working on some projects around the apartment so hopefully I'll share some photos soon!

Christmas wishes

2010-11-15T18:29:00.000-06:00

So this post is mostly for family. Here is my requested Christmas wish list on amazon that I will update every once in a while. Feel free to buy from wherever you choose, not just the stores I listed from. And of course anything hand made or other thoughtful gifts not on the list are welcome. Also, keep in contact with other family or provide gift receipts so there aren't duplicates. Thanks!
Emily's Wish List

Easy Oatmeal for Breakfast

2010-11-14T09:39:00.000-06:00

I enjoy oatmeal for breakfast, but sometimes it seems like too much work. I don't enjoy the too sugary instant flavor packets or the mushy texture. Sometimes I'll make it on the stove top, but I rarely have time in the morning to stand for even a few minutes waiting for the water to boil. If I try to make it in the microwave it always seems to make a giant mess baked on the inside of the oven for me to clean up later.

Welcome the rice cooker method to my repertoire. I thought of it sometime last night and then did some research via google to make sure it would work. Most of the recipes were for steel cut oats which I didn't have in my pantry, and involved the high tech asian style super rice cookers. I figured it was worth a shot with my regular oats and my simple rice cooker. I'm glad I tried it because it was delish and quick. Also, I wanted to try savory oatmeal that I saw somewhere so I fried an egg and topped it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sterling chose to do sweet oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar. Basically I followed the recipe on the back of the oatmeal carton, but in case you buy in bulk or something here it is.

Super Quick Rice Cooker Oatmeal
makes 2 servings

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Something to top your oatmeal with:
Dried/fresh fruits, nuts, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, fried egg, etc.

Place all ingredients in the rice cooker and press down the cook button. Walk away for 15- 20 minutes while the rice cooker works its magic. Top with desired ingredients and enjoy.

One day I dream of flying to work with my oatmeal jet pack (although it looks a bit chilly). Sterling and I often joke about this commercial:

Meatloaf; not the singer

2010-11-07T20:31:00.000-06:00

Hello Marks family blog followers! This is Sarah, guest blogger, sister of Em. I dabble in cooking. Actual real people cooking. Its not the pretty kind of well choreographed gourmet fanciness that Em makes. My cooking is full of mistakes and my kitchen ends up looking like a tornado went through at the end, but sometimes I get lucky and it tastes just as good! My meatloaf is one of those things.

Meatloaf. It's the kind of Midwestern comfort food gold that enters my dream sequences as soon as the leaves start to turn. This one is modified from a Kraft foods recipe I actually got from my mom. The original obviously uses bbq sauce instead of my special makeshift recipe (which I now prefer because the sugar kind of caramelizes on top of the meat and turns it almost into a candy coated kind of goodness. It's the kind of cooking accident legends are made from :P). I got the idea to put bacon on the top from one of my foodnetwork favs, none other than Mr. Guy Fieri. Adding the onion is also a foodnetwork tip, you could also sneak in other veggies if desired. The trick is to cook the veggies first. It will keep your loaf nice and moist :) I love this recipe because it's simple and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup split bbq sauce or "Sarah's special make shift bbq"
1 cup water
1 6oz box of stove top stuffing
2 eggs beaten
5 pieces of bacon

Optional: sauteed diced onions (1 med onion, diced and sauteed with oil/butter) cooled off

Sarah's special makeshift bbq
1/2 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire

Heat oven to 375. Set 1/4 of cup of the sauce aside Mix everything else together. Form into a loaf. (I know it's gross but use your hands to mix. If you can't handle it, put two plastic sandwich bags on your hands and then mix). Top with the remainder of the sauce then lay bacon over the top. Put in the over for about an hour to an hour and 20 min.

Check the temp with a meat thermometer. Make sure it reaches 160 or close. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the juices redistribute. Then cut. serve and enjoy!

Final tip: If by chance...you...ohhhhh...maybe forget to add the water after you've already formed the loaf, never fear. Put loaf back in the bowl, add the water (or other missing ingredient), re mix, and then reform. Good as new! :) If you enjoyed this post and want to know what else I'm up to, you can follow me at www.saraheleanor.blogspot.com.

Caramel Rum Popcorn with nuts

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000-06:00

Today we went out to lunch with friends and then walked around the mall to stretch our legs. I was stuffed from a very satisfying meal, but as we walked by Karmelkorn stand I couldn't resist the temptation of the aroma. I knew when I got home I had to make some caramel corn. Forgetting to check my blog for recipe references I had used before I looked to my notebook that had chicken scratched recipes I've come across.I modified it to better suit my craving and here's my sophisticated take on the sweet treat.

Caramel Rum Popcorn with Nuts

2 tablespoons water
1 cup light brown sugar (I didn't have any so I used 1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
6 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum (or sub rum extract) - this is optional depending on if you like it

10 cups popped popcorn I usually pop my own but plain microwave popcorn would work too.
1/2 cup peanuts
1 cup unsalted cashews

Heat oven to 250°F and prep a baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment. If you don't have either of these a greased baking sheet will work too.

-In a large heatproof bowl that is greased mix together the popcorn, peanuts, and cashews.
-In a medium saucepan heat the water, sugar, corn syrup, butter until it reaches 250°F on a thermometer. (*EDIT* 250°F is for traditional shiny/crunchy caramel coating- I accidentally messed up when I made this and stopped it just past 200°F and then had to bake it a bit longer to 'dry' it out. This made the sugars crystallize and it was more matte coating, that is still crispy, but not 'candy' coated in the same way. Sterling preferred it this way since it didn't stick together in clusters and also didn't stick to his teeth.)
-Remove pan from heat and whisk in the baking soda, salt, vanilla, and rum.
-Pour caramel mixture over bowl of popcorn and nuts. Stir until the popcorn and nuts are coated.
-Spread out popcorn in an even layer on the baking sheet and place in oven.
-Stir popcorn every 10-15 minutes for about 40 minutes or until the popcorn is crunchy. I usually test this by taking a piece or two off the pan and let it cool a bit then taste it to see where it's at.
-To store leftovers (if there are any) let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

quick, quick, quick!

2010-10-29T12:18:00.000-05:00

Fridays are one of my two days off from work. While I usually have a leisurely morning in bed and catch up on emails, I try to get as much done around the apartment and errands run as possible. Today is no exception. The problem I often face here is that I forget to eat. I'm getting stuff done, maybe even baking, but don't spend time making breakfast or lunch. This is bad.

I was almost out the door to run to Target when it hit me. Wanting something cheap and fast that doesn't involve a greasy drive thru is sometimes a challenge. I quickly glanced in my cupboards to see what I could do. Salty ramen. . .no thanks, not today. . . nothing else. . .well, maybe couscous? I did have a box of whole wheat couscous from Trader Joes. That fast. If you've never tried couscous its like little grains of pasta that cook in 5 minutes. It tastes great hot or cold and you can flavor it any way you would pasta or rice. So here is my lunch in 10 minutes or less.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Peas
makes about 3 cups cooked

1 cup vegetable broth (chicken broth, stock, or water work too)
1 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried herbs (I used herbs de provence)
1 cup peas (mine were thawed out frozen)
1 cup whole wheat cous cous
more salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan bring broth, oil, and salt and herbs to a boil. (If using frozen peas I would add them to the boiling broth and wait until it comes back up to a boil, mine were already thawed so I added them in with the cous cous) Turn off heat and add cous cous and peas. Stir and top with a tight fitting lid. Wait 5 minutes. Take off lid and fluff with a fork. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or refrigerate and eat cold.

Hope your all having a happy start to your Halloween weekend. I'm off to get stuff done then watch Mumford and Sons play at First Ave tonight! Yay!

oh brigadeiros! (. . .or how i eat too much sugar)

2010-10-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

Dang, everyone knows I have a bit of a sweet tooth . . . I like buying candy, making candy, eating candy, smelling candy, dreaming about. . . well you get the picture. A couple of weeks ago I finally made it to Sugar Sugar Candy in Minneapolis with my friend Tara. It's a super tiny candy shop, perfectly presented, and chock full of hard to find sweets. I got some chalk sticks (a type of licorice) and some treats for Sterling.

When I was a child one of the things I would have no patience for was my gratification of sweets. . . or anything for that matter. If I wanted candy or a cookie, I would often throw tantrums until my sweet tooth was satisfied (my poor parents!). It's funny how my sweet tooth is still just as demanding today, only my patience has vastly improved (and could keep improving. . .). I can be making candies, and decorating cupcakes and cookies, and not realize I've toiled for hours making something so small and trivial. . . I guess I've just found my passion. And no matter how ridiculous it seems some days, it always brings a smile to someones face. I feel like you need to enjoy the little stuff if your gonna really live. Anyway. . .

What is sweet, chocolaty, chewy, and a true Brazillian treat? BRIGADEIROS! I somehow stumbled upon this recipe through one of the billion foodie blogs I follow, and it was fate. One warning (besides the fact that you'll be tempted to eat a bunch of these and fall into a sugar coma) is that you need to be ready for some heavy duty stirring-DO NOT WALK AWAY from your pot while making these. They take a LOT of stirring and near the end its thick and your arms may get tired. And if you don't stir and stir it will burn and be ruined, and you will be very, very disappointed.

Brigadeiros
adapted from Street Smart Brazil

makes about 20
(I doubled the recipe and got exactly 40 candies)

1- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for hands when rolling
4 tablespoons cocoa, I prefer dutched or dark cocoa but either type will do (the original recipe I found called for 2 tbs, but the milk is sooooo sweet I thought the extra bitterness would help, and I think I'm glad I did)
water
pinch of salt
chocolate sprinkles or colored jimmies
small paper candy cups (Lynn's in MN, or the Decorette in OR are a fun place to get these, otherwise craft stores that carry cake/candy making stuff usually have them)

In a heavy bottomed pot melt the butter. While the butter is melting mix the cocoa powder with a little bit of water at a time, until it forms a smooth paste. This will help the cocoa powder mix better into the sweetened condensed milk. When the butter is melted add the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder paste, and pinch of salt.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat proof silicone spatula. The mixture will boil and just keep stirring until the mixture thickens a lot. It will look kind of like hot fudge (and I'm sure would be amazing on ice cream). This will take about 20-40 minutes and you'll know it's done when you run your spoon through the mixture and it holds the line for a couple of seconds before running back together, or you take a spoon full out of the pot, hold the spoon upside down over the pot and it takes a moment before the candy falls away from the spoon and into the pot. (there is an example of this on the recipe linked video).

When the candy is done, put on a glass plate or in my case a pyrex dish and place in the refrigerator to cool for about a half hour. DO NOT be tempted to lick the spoon of chocolate delights! At least not until its cooled, remember it is molten hot sugar and was just boiling away on your stove top- be careful (i may be warning you from my own experience). When it's cooled, butter your hands and use a spoon to scoop some candy. Then, roll it into small balls. I buttered my small cookie scoop it's about 1 1/2 inches across and made it level. Roll the ball of candy into the chocolate sprinkles to coat (toasted coconut or nuts would work great too). You may need to re-roll it in your hands to get the sprinkles to stick. Place in a small candy cup and refrigerate for another 15 minutes or until you will be serving them.

all done

sugary bars and a salad

2010-10-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

I've been making lots of bars lately since they are easy to make, eat, and take along. This recipe might be one of Sterling and my new favorites since it takes very little time to prep and is so yummy. Its a modified recipe from All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray, it's full of great recipes and is funny to boot. These bars are chewy and not overly sweet. I might think about adding a pinch more salt since I used natural PB and would think I might like them with a bit of toasted coconut or salted peanuts added in for a little extra bite.

Peanut Butter Fingers
1/2 cup coconut oil, or non-dairy margarine, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter (i used a natural one with no added oil or sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9" square pan (I used an 8" pan and it worked fine, just had to bake it about 10 extra minutes because the bars were thicker). Mix together the flour, soda, salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars. Then add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients until well blended, and then add in the oats. Spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes (30-40 if using an 8" pan) until golden around the edges and a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean. let cook for about 10 minutes before unmolding the bars from the pan. I cut mine into 16 small bars.

Next up was this recipe from Martha Stewart Living October 2008 issue. I totally would make these in a larger pan next time or cut them smaller. They are like a crunchy granola bar, sweet and hard, making it difficult to bite into if cut too large. Still they were good to nibble on and made a great sweet snack. I modified the recipe since i didn't have brown sugar and wanted to make them dairy free. Here is my version.

No-Bake Cashew Bars

1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup (5 oz) cashews (i used raw, but the original recipe says 'salted')
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Line a 4 1/2" X 9" loaf pan (I would maybe use a slightly larger pan ) with plastic wrap leaving a 1" overhand on the long sides. Toast the oats and cashews in a large skillet stirring until just starting to turn golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add oil, sugar, spices, molasses, and corn syrup to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is bubbling. Turn off heat and add oats and cashews, stirring to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan and press down into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Remove mixture from pan using plastic, throw away plastic and cut into 1" thick bars.

Last but not least on my bar adventure is a recipe that is easily adaptable and can be partially done in advance. While not done in lightening speed like the two previous recipes this is one of my favorites. I thought I posted this one already, but I couldn't find it so here we go.

The original recipe is found at Smitten Kitchen and I thought that if I used blueberries it would be similar to Starbucks blueberry oat bars they discontinued a couple years ago. I was right, only I think these are better. Almost any fresh or frozen fruit will do, although I would stay away from raw apples (too dry, but cooked and then added might work). I've switched up the spice and added some ginger or a handful of fresh chopped basil is a nice twist. I used to make these all the time when I worked at The Bikery where they would fly out of the case, only I would make a huge batch of the crumb mix, and keep it refrigerated until I wanted to make bars (it would last a couple of weeks).

Fruit and Oat Bars from Smitten Kitchen

For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the fruit filling:
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen blueberries (or any fruit)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter the parchment. Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form. Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside.

Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hans or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the berries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the berries are evenly coated.
Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.
I like to separate each layer of bars with parchment if I'm going to stack them, otherwise they'll stick.

And finally my healthy fix. . . did you think I only ate sugar?! Well, sometimes. . .but then I need some veggies to feel balanced. I made a light salad yesterday to fix my craving for fresh produce. I was feeling a bit under the weather and I'm convinced this helped to make be feel a bit better. If you've never had fennel its tastes faintly of licorice and has a nice crunchy bite. It's also great roasted in the oven.

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

1 large grapefruit, supremed (if you've never done this before here is a video example)
1 small bulb of fennel finely shaved (I used a mandoline), and fronds (frilly parts on the stem) set aside
1 small red onion finely shaved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or a wine vinegar would work too)
1/4 teaspoon country dijon grey poupon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

To make the vinaigrette whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl toss together fennel, onion, grapefruit, and vinaigrette until combined. Top with some fennel fronds and eat. Makes 3-4 small servings. I was the only one eating this so I put the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and it was still just as tasty the next day.

desk update and surprise. . . more desserts

2010-10-17T21:34:00.000-05:00

Here is my updated craft space. Sterling repainted the desk and put new drawer pulls on it. I just have to put up the ribbon on my shelf and organize it some more. It should be a much much better set up than my last one.

I finally got my longed for doughnut pan. I never know if I should spell it 'donut' or 'doughnut' since both seem to show up, but I guess on the actual package it was spelled 'donut'. Oh well. I actually was too lazy to buy this online, but had seen it in stores. Unfortunately, when I got around to actually wanting one I couldn't find one. My friend from school Kristina soon after posted about her experience with baked donuts and then I was even more determined to find pan.

When I was at Lynn's for sprinkles for my halloween cookies I finally made my purchase. I was quick to try it out since Sterling doesn't often get to eat donuts because of his dairy allergy (and living too far from voodoo to get vegan donuts). This is the modified version of what came with my norpro donut pan. The original recipe made 12 donuts, but the pan holds 6 so I modified and halved the recipe and it ended up making 5.

Non-Dairy Spice Donut

1 cup flour

1/4 + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 + 2 tablespoons vanilla soymilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 tablespoon non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening or coconut oil, melted

cinnamon sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly grease donut pan. Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together the soymilk, egg, vanilla, and shortening or oil, add in the dry ingredients until combined. Fill the donut pan 3/4 of the way full and bake for 8-10 minutes, checking if its done like a cake. Roll in cinnamon sugar. Eat.

I guess this isn't technically dessert. It's a sweet/savory mix. I tried this recipe for concord grape focaccia since I had some lying around. I love concords! My first experience with them was on my trip to Korea a few years ago. They ate them by popping them out of the skins and spitting out the seeds. I had only been exposed to seedless grapes before and thought they were some sort of magical Korean grape. To my surprise it was a concord or at least a concord type. They taste like Welches grape juice and are so refreshing in the fall. The recipe is found at Smitten Kitchen. Of course I slightly modified mine. I didn't feel the need to mix the dough as long only about 3-4 minutes. I cut the grapes in half by using this finely toothed serrated knife we have which made it easier, but a pointy, sharp paring knife would work just as well.

playing around the apartment

2010-10-15T17:20:00.000-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy. It's not like I don't have a lot of spare time, I really do. It's just that I spend a lot of my time baking and cooking, which isn't all that bad, but isn't great when I should be getting my apartment ready for entertaining (so I can make more desserts and appetizers for a purpose).

Above is my new desk which we found free on craigslist. It is super hefty and my husband was super nice in refinishing it so it didn't look like a free desk. . . more photos on that to come. I've been trying to organize and beautify my craft/art space so I'll be more inclined to do things other than bake. Especially when I need to get motivated to make gifts this holiday.

Here is my lovely succulent that started blooming a couple of weeks ago, not sure if the blooming is good or bad since it seems pretty rare. Either way its beautiful.

Mini still life I created while organizing craft land

Plastic animals I've been playing with that I got out of the dollar spot at target. I was searching and searching for cheap animals with no luck months before, I had to settle on firemen.

Oatmeal canisters turned into ruler holder for my new crafting area. I used old maps to cover the canisters and adhered it with yes glue its kind of like a wallpaper paste.

These are sample cookies I did for a halloween party that wanted sugar cookies on a stick. I used this cookie and frosting recipe from the decorated cookie, but used amaretto liquor instead of almond extract. I find that if I buy a small bottle of liquor it is much cheaper and just as flavorful for my treats.

I think they turned out pretty cute for a first try, but then I stumbled upon cookie boy. . . dang he's good. The Japanese always do the cute cuter.

Oh and I almost forgot to get a photo of this, well I did. This is Sterling eating his pumpkin custard which he was CRAZY about for days. The recipe is found here at Vegetarian Times, I used fresh pumpkin puree and omitted the crust and baked it in a pie dish.

Here was our romantic dinner for our anniversary last week. Sterling got me a kale bouquet from the farmers market- so great its like food and flowers! We had salad and home made pizza, and drank pinot noir from Oregon, lemon balm infused water.

The dough recipe I usually use is from culinary school and is as follows
300g bread flour
2g instant yeast
3g salt
165g water
6g olive oil
6g honey

Unfortunately my scale isn't working and I keep forgetting to get it fixed. I didn't want to try to convert the recipe so I went with the one below. You can make the one above with the instructions below if desired.

Pizza Crust Recipe from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day
5 1/3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix everything together until well blended. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Mix for 2-3 more minutes for until the dough is smoother and still a bit tacky. Stretch and fold the dough until smooth using olive oil if needed Divide into 5 portions and form into balls. Put in oiled bags/containers and refrigerate over night or until later use (up to 4 days).

About 90 minutes before baking take out dough and place balls on oiled pan loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp. About an hour before baking turn oven as high as it will go with piza stone in oven (WARNING retro ovens get very hot, or at least mine does like 700-800°F take safety precautions! I keep a fire extinguisher in my kitchen and made sure our smoke alarm worked- it maybe went off a couple of times when we were baking these. . .I am not liable for anything that happens) Get toppings ready for your pizza. We had canadian bacon, assorted goat/sheep cheeses, artichokes, onions, roasted garlic, tomatoes, spinach, banana peppers, etc.

When ready to bake take the dough and flour your hands and coat the bottom of the dough ball. Gently stretch dough to about 10-12 inches. Place on floured plate or pizza peel, or if using sheet pans instead of pizza stone place on sheet pan. Top and put in oven and bake for abot 6-10 minutes rotating if needed until the pizza is deep brown and bubbly. This was seriously the best pizza we've made yet.

Here was our dessert, which we barely had room for. Unfortunately I did not make this. It is from The Wedge co-op in Minneapolis. It is the vegan black forest cake. We had it at our wedding as one of the many grooms cakes, so since we missed eating our wedding cake for our first year I think we more than made up for it with this gem.

fro yo, onions, and cookies?

2010-10-15T16:25:00.000-05:00

A while back I decided to try making some tart fro yo. I got some ideas and looked at a bunch of recipes and made some with lavender sugar and plain yogurt. I was all diligent and wrote down what I did, took photos, and then lost them. . . I do this often and then later find the photos and need to remind myself what I did so I can do it again later, which is really the reason for this whole blogging business. Here is the approximation of what I did based on a recipe found in Sunset Magazine

Tart Fro Yo

32 oz Container Plain Yogurt (the less ingredients the better)

3/4 cup Lavender Sugar (or plain sugar)

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Strain yogurt in a fine strainer or in cheesecloth over a bowl and refrigerate overnight until a lot of liquid has been removed as in photo above. (alternately use greek style yogurt)

Stir in lavender scented sugar (it will be subtle in flavor) straining out the lavender buds. If you can't find lavender sugar regular sugar works fine. You can also make your own flavored sugars by adding edible flowers or citrus rinds or herbs to regular sugar. I try to keep a few flavored sugars on hand to spruce up cookies, cakes, etc.

Stir sugar into yogurt and then churn in a ice cream maker according to manufactures instructions. Alternately you can put in a freezer safe container and stir every 15-30 minutes to break up ice crystals until frozen.

I ate mine with a Biscoff cookie and sprinkled a little honey and cinnamon over the top

And onto the onions. . .
A couple of weeks ago I got the urge to make some balsamic onion jam, only I didn't have a recipe so I basically sliced some onions. . .

put them in some olive oil with a little salt and pepper. . .

waited until they caramelized and added some balsamic vinegar. . .

voila! ate it with some potato bread. . . refrigerated the leftovers
. . . and the next day cut up some tomatoes, sauteed them in a pan with salt and pepper, added leftover onion mix and made an awesome hors d'oeuvres with olive oil toasted bread- it was a HUGE hit!

*If your more of a follow the recipe type this looks like a good one from What Kate Ate although I didn't add any sugar (at least from what I can remember. . . )

and onto sandwiches- - - }

Lately I've been trying to make sandwiches to eat at work and such, but this is actually a hacked sandwich from work, not that it's really important. I've just been loving jam on my savory sandwiches. Yes that was JAM and not on peanut butter one either.

This sandwich from Rustica is goat cheese sandwith with greens on multigrain. I added some tomato slices, black raspberry jam and some green tabasco that I proceeded to grill. While this sounds crazy, I love pepper jelly and while I do think I have some unopened, I already had the open jar of jam in my fridge and the tabasco (although next time I think I'll just used mild pickled jalapenos instead. . .which btw I just got Sterling totally addicted to! He almost ate half the jar in one sitting, no joke!)

Soon after I started this I read a note about adding jam to savory sandwiches in the October issue of Martha, so maybe I'm not all that crazy or creative after all.

And last jump to cookies ^_^

It all started with the ginger cookie from Rustica (where I work) when I had their ginger cookie. My goodness! I did not know with my love of all things ginger (including the one I married) that this cookie was possible. It was chewy and crunchy sugar coated and was literally exploding with ginger flavor the spiciness stayed long after the seconds it took me to down the whole thing. . . and so my longing for all things spicy and ginger and sugar and yummy had been summoned. . . I was ruined.

While I do not make the cookies or have recipes, or would even be able to share a recipe if I had one, I had to try to make ginger cookies to satisfy my curiosity. I also wanted Sterling to be able to try them (although his fondness for ginger is lacking) so I was also looking for a recipe that was hopefully dairy free. While not easy, to my surprise I got lucky and the first recipe I checked fit the bill. This is from the Barefoot Contessa at home and I only slightly modified it for what I had on hand. Although I think next time I need to quadrouple the ginger in here seriously. That aside I think they still turned out pretty good for dairy free cookies.

Ultimate Ginger Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (i didn't have ground cloves or nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
4 oz bag of crystallized ginger chopped (original recipe stated 1 1/4 cup or 6oz, I didn't have enough)

Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment or silpat mat.
Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat brown sugar, oil, and molasses for about 5 minutes. Add in egg until well blended. Stir in dry ingredients and then add crystallized ginger. Scoop into small balls and then coat in sanding sugar or regular sugar. press balls down on sheet pan with hand or flat bottomed glass. Bake about 13 minutes they are done when the outside starts to crack. Let cool for a couple minutes on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. The book says their best when eaten the day they are baked. I bet these would make killer ice cream sandwiches. . .

Happy 3 years! . . . 3 years already?!

2010-10-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

Happy 3 year anniversary! I can't believe how fast time has flown by, and I can't imagine sharing life with anyone else. Your an amazing husband and my best friend. Your supper supportive, and silly, and loving, and nice to look at too! Hope you have a wonderful Thursday anniversary with vegan black forest cake that we had at our reception. I love you more than tater tots!

MN State Fair and other food fines

2010-09-24T17:38:00.000-05:00

The Great Minnesota Get Together provided yet another tasty adventure. Sterling is here with his co-worker Jeff eating a nice thick slab of bacon.

Couldn't pass up the roasted corn

Or the jumbo basket of fries with malt vinegar (maybe this was too many)

the princess heads carved in butter

(almost enough butter to send Sterling in an allergic reaction just by watching the event)

the giant pickle on a stick

the obese pumpkins that weighed over 800 lbs!

the pork chop on a stick

my cousin Robyn in a fuzzy hat

the horse building

hot dish on a stick

Super stuffed and smiley self portrait

As summer fades, we're making heartier fare like vegetarian chili:

Vegetarian Chili-

WARNING *this isn't an exact recipe just approximately what I used(I lost my exact measurements)*

based off of this recipe

1 medium Onion, diced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

-Sweat onions and garlic in olive oil in a large pot, add:

3 Tablespoons Chili powder (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon Oregano

1 Tablespoon Cumin

2 Bay Leaves

1 Tablespoon Dark Cocoa Powder

-Add in:

3 small (15 oz) cans beans of choice (I used black, pinto, white)

1 large (28 oz) can Hominy

1 large (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices

1 small (6 oz) can tomato paste

1/2 can of beer (or water) we used Surly Coffee Bender, you could also add a bit of instant coffee or finely ground coffee if using water or another beer.

1/4-1/2 cup TVP (soy protein granules) and if adding these throw in 1/2-1 cup water to hydrate

couple dashes of hot sauce (i used Franks)

-Simmer until everything is nice and hot and tasty- I also threw in about 1Tablespoon of Cocoa Magic Pork (wonderful wonderful spice blend from the place I did my externship at, all their stuff is AMAZING!)
-Top with garnishes of choice: onion, sour cream, cheese, chives, etc

Surly Coffee Bender used in chili

Most amazing find at a Trader Joe's!

This cheese is made from goat cheese (aka Sterling safe) and contains potato skins so it tastes like an au gratin potato. . .GENIUS!!! So supper delish we're making all sorts of stuff with it

Examples include this fried egg sandwich with tomatoes and salt and pepper

or these toast bits with diced tomatoes & garlic chives

Hope your all eating well!

asian food and bentos

2010-09-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

We had a couple of attempts to make Kimchi again, but I think it was too hot out and the fermentation was wack. So we moved onto fresh spring rolls. Above is some bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, green onions, below is the soaked rice noodles and paper with the veggies on top. You could also add cooked chicken or shrimp at this point. then it gets carefully wrapped up (this may take practice) and eaten with a peanut sauce or other sauce of choice.

finished roll

Finished roll with extra veggies made into a salad- tossed them with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and furikake. It was light and delicious, perfect for a hot day. We also made extra that Sterling brought for lunch the next day and he said they were still excellent. Next was rice balls, or in this case triangles:

I have plastic bags on my hands so the rice doesn't stick, but alternately you could just wet your hands with water. I used a medium grain rice that I cooked in my rice cooker. I took some rice in my hand maybe a quarter cup or so, and filled it with some smoked salmon.

Very carefully I mashed the rice into a ball to enclose the salmon. I made a 'V' shape with my fingers to form a triangle flattening the sides as I went.

Then we rolled the edges in furikake and Sterling ate them for dinner. Also very hilarious podcast by one of my former fave bloggers/authors (she isn't bloggin much lately) about rice balls and other stuff.

I'm hoping to make more bento style lunches for him, but it does take some time and planning. When we lived in Portland Uwajimaya carried lots of great bento supplies. In MN, even with all the asian groceries nearby, I can't find much. If I go visit Christa in Seattle maybe I'll stop by a Daiso (the Japanese much superior version of a dollar store), where they also have an abundance of awesomeness. Here is a wonderful bento blog if anyone is actually interested in learning more about this.

food files

2010-09-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

As you know I'm not the best at keeping up with this thing. I've been transitioning jobs and continuing to remodel our place to make it feel more homey. It's been a while since I've documented some of our adventures, but I have been taking pictures along the way. I'll be doing a couple of posts to help remember what happened this summer. I finally got around to putting the pictures on my computer.

Here is one of my favorite treats that I often forget about. . .broiled grapefruit.

Just sprinkle some sugar over half a grapefruit and broil or in my case torch it with my mini kitchen torch. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Here is some seasoned corn Sterling and I made. Its just boiled corn with cilantro butter, manchago cheese and salt and pepper-super delish!

Here is Sterling at the Apple Orchard about to take a snack off a tree ;)

Here is my new addiction- I found this at our local Rainbow Foods. I was going to buy Kraft but I wanted it mostly for the glass jar and they switched to yucky plastic. I saw this gem next door and knew I had an instant winner (I'm a huge sucker for cute packaging). This stuff is amazing especially when torched and stirred until the whole jar tasted like campfire marshmallows! But before I did that I made smores

These guys were covered in peanut butter and dark chocolate chips, covered in Fluff and torched- Sterling didn't even know this much yumminess was possible- a true trip to "flavor town" ^_^

(p.s. on my trip to the same Rainbow a few weeks later, the Kraft brand had totally disappeared from the shelves, guess it wasn't any competition to Fluff- that stuff is legit!)

This was my attempt at dilly beans-I'm still wishing myself good luck cause we can't taste these guys for a couple more weeks until they've matured.

Apartment redo

2010-08-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Here is the freshly painted and partially decorated pictures of our new place. We're still making changes, but its feeling much much cleaner, and much more like home.

from the front door looking into the entry

Kitchen. Was already yellow, we decided to keep it and this was the only room we didn't paint.

more kitchen (we're going to paint over the lettering and put something else over it) Also notice that there is almost more sink than counter space.

more kitchen (notice all the cupboard space!)

Living room (there is a small dining table and my craft area located behind the bookshelf, but it was a huge disaster area and therefore not in pictures) The door on the left is a closet and the door on the right is the second entrance

the other side of the living room. notice all the lovely plants donated by my father

entry way as seen from the bathroom

bathroom

New Home

2010-08-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

Shhh. . . don't tell Sterling I'm not sleeping to post this!

As you may have noticed I've been very absent from blogging. We have been in our apartment since June, and we've been working hard to make it feel like home. It started out verrrry dirty and verrrry rough around the edges. . . but we new it had some charm and after a royal scrubbing and lots of tlc, our new place is coming together. Here are some of the before pictures:

Here is the entry way as seen from the living room. The bathroom is the open door on the left, the bedroom to the right, the front door to the loft of the bathroom (unseen) and the kitchen to the right of the bedroom (unseen)


Here is the very large living room as seen from the entry way. The window on the left, another one to the left of that one, the kitchen window, and the bedroom window overlook the rooftop of the building and is now our "private patio" where we are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs in pots. We have to climb out the windows, but its still nice.

The Kitchen with retro range and all. . .Surprisingly this is the only room we really have left to do, but I do most of my baking at work since its been too hot to bake without an air conditioner

Bathroom

We have scrubbed all the floors and painted every room, but you'll have to wait to see those pictures. . . not because we want you to anticipate the big reveal, but because I don't have space on my computer. I'm still needing to dump stuff on my external drive so I can upload more pictures.

Here are some of my thrifty finds from Goodwill

before $3

after some spray paint (now in our entry way)

before $3

removed cork board and stapled on some fabric

trimmed back and sprayed the frame

after (still figuring out if this should go in kitchen or craft space)

before $4 chair

removed seat, ripped off fabric and cushion, traced with sharpie onto new cushion. was going to just cover, but sterling thought the padding and former fabric was gross. he convinced me to buy new foam and fabric making this the most expensive of my redo projects (but still under $20)

hot glued cushion onto board, stretched new fabric over cushion, and stapled with my new heavy duty stapler (not included in my final cost).

Horribly fuzzy camera picture of the finished chair that is now near my crafting desk

So the initial cost of my finds was $10 after two cans of spray paint, fabric, and chair cushion the grand total was about $32. Not too bad.

Hopefully I'll have more to post soon. . . I need to go to bed its way past my bedtime (I now work nights and sleep during the day so Sterling and I can hang out and do stuff when he gets home from work) more to come when I find the time.

in transition. . . .

2010-07-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

we didn't disappear forever, just in the process of moving in the last month and no real internet. we'll be fixing that thursday hopefully. also i've switched to baking during the night shift and am still adjusting. . . happy fourth of july weekend! we'll be posting new stuff soon!

all things green and delicious!

2010-04-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! Sterling starts his new job next week, and starts playing rec softball tonight! This last weekend we saw two AMAZING concerts! It had been quite a while since we'd been to a show, like over a year! Which if you know us that's a really long time (Sterling is a sound engineer and I worked at a music venue for four years). Saturday night we saw Sia, an Australian born artist who is well known for her song "Breathe Me" and her work with the band Zero 7. Sunday night we saw Jónsi, an Icelandic lead singer from the band Sigur rós. . .this was by far the best performance Sterling and I had ever seen (Sterling even got teary eyed twice!). They hired an amazing theater set design company to do the show. Here's a link to a video from the show if you're interested. If you have the time check them out, they both make beautiful music. The downside to all of these adventures was me not being used to staying up late anymore and being pretty tired the next couple of days. . . I still think it was well worth it though.

In pastry news. . .the other week I made quick lime bars and forgot to post pictures before they all got eaten. . . I remade them yesterday and they're just about gone. I thought I should document these so they don't get forgotten in my mess of recipes.

Easy Lime Bars

adapted from Gooseberry Patch Come on Over

1 1/2 cup, plus 3 Tbs All Purpose Flour, divided

2/3 cup Powdered Sugar

3/4 cup Butter, softened (I used 1/2 dairy free marge, 1/2 shortening for Sterling)

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Lime Juice

zest of two limes *

1/2 tsp salt divided

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9"X13" baking pan.

-Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and butter together. Press mixture into the bottom of pan and bake for 20 minutes or until just turning golden brown.

-Whisk 3 Tbs flour, eggs, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, juice and zest. Pour mixture over hot crust, bake 20 minutes or until just turning golden brown.

-Cool on a rack, dust with powdered sugar if desired and cut into bars.

* I used bottled lime juice and substituted about 1/8 tsp citric acid for the zest to perk it up.

-You can sub lemon for lime juice or go halfsies and make lemon, lemon/lime bars instead

-Recipe noted that baked bars can be frozen up to one month and thawed in the refrigerator

-I used both a glass and metal pan when I've made these and both turned out fine, the metal pan ones did get a bit darker around the edges.

Another recipe I've failed to note because they always disappear too fast is zucchini pancakes. I got so hungry making them that I forgot to take a picture of them. . . both times. I had similar ones while I stayed in Korea, but never tried making them when I got back. I was reminded of them by watching a Barefoot Contessa episode, and I loosely based mine off of Ina's recipe. They are super easy to make and it would be a great excuse to use up the abundance of zucchini that comes every summer.

(*picture not mine, borrowed from delish recipe)

Zucchini Pancakes

makes 10 (3-inch) pancakes

-2 medium zucchini

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

-7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp onion powder, or 2 Tbs fresh diced onion

-1 tsp kosher salt

-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

-vegetable oil, for frying

-Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Stir in the onion and eggs.

-Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper.

-Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. -When the oil is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan.

-Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned.

-Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used.

*you can keep the pancakes warm up to 1/2 hour at 300°F, on a sheet pan

Well I think that's all I got for now. I just checked out a ton of books from the Library so I'm sure I'll be testing new recipes very soon. I'm off to reading and then hopefully getting tired enough to sleep before 8. Hope you all have a wonderful week!

veggie dinner

2010-04-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to try a recipe Sterling and I saw on Giada's show, fried smashed potatoes with lemon. While at the store I also picked up some kale to make the kale chips I've been meaning to make for a very long while. . .here are the results:

Smashed Lemon Potatoes

adapted from Giada

-2 pounds baby red potatoes
-1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed for frying

-3 tbs olive oil
-3 tbs fresh lemon juice
-2 tbs fresh chopped italian flat leaf parsley
-2 lemons zested
-minced garlic
-sea salt and pepper to taste

-Put the potatoes in an large stockpot adn cover with cold water to cover by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil over med heat
-Cook potatoes until tender and drain in a colander, let dry at least 5 min
-Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed

-In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat

-In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes

-Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil, if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes

-In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest

-Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

These guys taste fresh and light, while rich and buttery. . . sterling and i ate a whole big plate together for dinner (it was really just a half batch and we could have eaten more)!

Baked Kale Chips

adapted from bon appetit

-One bunch kale, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half with ribs and stems removed

-1 tbs olive oil

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Preheat oven to 250°F
-Toss kale with oil in large bowl
-Sprinkle with salt and pepper
-Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets (lined with foil for easy clean up)
-Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves they should look dry and crisp
-Transfer leaves onto paper towels to cool

I really liked these! They remind me of the crispy leaves on the outsides of roasted brussel sprouts. Sterling thought they were ok. . . I also saw smitten kitchen used them on popcorn, genius!

Sterling and I found a patchouli plant at Linders the other day. I had never known that the patchouli oil came from a plant (just never really thought about it). They also sell air plants here which is super exciting. We just divided out our one with the flowers, but I want to get another one like the other plant we had that died. Anyway, the plant smells just like the oil (duh) which is good if you like it, or bad if you don't. . .dad and sterling like it so its "a good thing". This is also where we got our herb seeds, and splurged on a rhubarb plant (which won't be ready to harvest for a couple of years!).

...and we're back

2010-04-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter (I'm only two weeks late!). Sterling and I spent it with family and made Easter nests with Chinese noodles, melted chocolate, and jelly beans. We also dyed eggs and made a dessert platter with my dad making cowboy cookies and mini key lime pies.

Cowboy Cookies
adapted from the toll house recipe

2 1/4 c flour
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
11.5 oz package chocolate chips or chunks
1/4 c toasted coconut
1/4 c rice crispy cereal
1/4 c old fashioned oats

-heat oven to 375°F
-cream butter and sugar
-add eggs and vanilla
-add flour, baking soda, salt
-stir in coconut, chips, cereal, oats
-scoop with a #20 scoop (1/4 cup) and squish down slightly
-bake on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets about 15 minutes or until just turning golden
-let cool one minute then transfer onto a cooling rack or onto a paper grocery bag

Mini Key Lime Pies
adapted from mary engelbeit's sweet treats dessert book

1 package (11 full sheets) graham crackers, finely crushed
2 1/2 tbs sugar
5 tbs melted butter

4 large egg yolks
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 lime zested
1/2 cup lime juice (from 3-4 limes), i used bottled lime juice

-heat oven to 350°F
-mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter
-press firmly into bottom and sides of a mini muffin pan
-bake for 5-8 mintutes or until its just turning brown
-let cool on a wire rack, lower oven to 325°F
-whisk egg yolks, milk, and zest in a bowl
-pour into cooled mini muffin pan
-bake for 15-17 minutes or until the custard is set (moves together like jello when shaken)
-cool completely and then refrigerate until chilled (a couple of hours or overnight)
-set bottom of muffin pan in hot water (i used a larger pan filled with hot tap water) for a few seconds
-set the bottom of a baking sheet over the top of the muffin pan, holding the two together flip over the pans so the muffin pan is inverted over the baking sheet.
-carefully lift muffin pan and most or all of the mini pies should be face down on the baking sheet
-carefully lift mini pies and turn over onto a plate or serving tray, if not all came loose, repeat water bath and turn over until they all are loose
-keep refrigerated until serving time
*you can top with whipped cream if desired, but its not necessary

We've been celebrating spring by planting organic herbs and tomatoes

We also celebrated my 26th b-day, and my dad made me a very very rich chocolate cake with white chocolate almond frosting!

it seems i've dropped the ball again. . .

2010-04-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

it's already been a month since my last post! shoot. . . i guess that working lots and making lots and sleeping when i have the spare time has postponed my posting duties. hopefully i will have some pics and whatnot to document soon! we've been baking and planting and learning canning and working and holiday and almost birthday celebrating and i'm needing of rest and sleep and spa day. . . don't give up yet. . .

Breakfast Bars and Butter Bars

2010-03-10T18:40:00.000-06:00

I was finally catching up on my google reader subs the other day and came across some recipes by Smitten Kitchen that I wanted to try. I love the fact that she has a recipe printer function on her site (someday I'll be smart enough and have the time to make my page as beautiful and user friendly as such) so I took full advantage and made St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake and Raspberry Breakfast Bars that I adapted.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Blueberry Raspberry Breakfast Bars

(I subbed 2/3 of the raspberries for wild frozen blueberries and next time I would add another tablespoon flour to the filling)

I received some peeps from my father as a congrats on getting a new job. While I'm warming up to homeade marshmallows and rice crispy treats after quite some time (I was a vegetarian for about 8 years), I don't love the overly sweet sugar crunch exterior (unless of course they are left to dry out and turn chewy). After watching a salty/sweet episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats I got the idea to brulee them and add a touch of sea salt. . . while this was one delish bunny, the sugar overload that followed was more than I could bear. . .next time maybe I should sandwich this guy between some plain grahams *^_^*

This week I got the chance to finally see Where the Wild Things Are and Alice in Wonderland
I really enjoyed both movies. Does anyone remember the movie Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland? gotta love youtube for this very reason. I love old animated movies! I was a big care bear, my little pony, and strawberry shortcake fan.

I have to try to make Mrs. Beans Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps after seeing Fantastic Mr. Fox

What are your childhood favorite movies?

Busy baking at the bikery...

2010-03-10T17:47:00.000-06:00

I've been too busy/tired to blog lately, but not too tired to bake. . . I've started a new job as a baker at The Bikery it's a Begin bakery/coffee shop and bicycle shop. I make baguettes, croissants, and other pastries from scratch every day! This means getting up before the sun rises and standing on my feet long hours to get the job done. I love what I do, but sometimes my feet do not. . . I decided to treat myself by buying new shoes for the occasion. Dansko clogs:

While these probably aren't the cutest shoes I own they are amazing for long days on my feet!

I also treated myself with a trip to the Asian market. We went to Dragon Star without luck (although I did buy some cheap veggies), so Sterling finally got to experience Kim's Market. Its a Korean grocery in Saint Paul, and it's not like I was holding out, it's just small and sometimes hit or miss, and sometimes more expensive than the shadier stores. While not as amazing as H Mart which used to be in Oregon, but looking at there website just now there doesn't seem to be anymore. . . Kim's provides me with my plum candy and kimchi needs:

I made the mistake of trying to buy other "plum" candies at United Noodle this Christmas and stuck out. . . they may be called the same thing, but they are very different. This is the only true plum candy (the melon and grape are wonderful as well).

I decided to try making kimchi again since I didn't love the first documented attempt (the vinegar was odd) I tried a different recipe adapted from Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It. . . that I borrowed from the library. I couldn't find Korean pepper flake anywhere but Kim's. Sterling asked me what the difference in peppers was and all I could say was, "I dunno they're Korean and will have Korean writing on em." Haha, I'm so intelligent. When we got to Kim's they had very large bags of the stuff available with pictures of little red peppers on it. Instantly I was flashed back to my trip to Korea when I picked those peppers. . . I spent a day helping a community farmer pick bushels of peppers for Kimchi! It didn't really click until just then. . . and I can't seem to find pictures of us picking them. Well, here it is:

Kimchi

makes about two quarts

1 head nappa cabbage, cut into 1" pieces

1/3 cup kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2/3" piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated

1/3 cup dried korean pepper flakes (on right side of picture above), can sub regular red pepper flake

3 green onions, sliced

- Toss cabbage and salt in a colander and let drain for 40 minutes.

-Rinse off cabbage and dry with clean towels (or use a salad spinner if you have one)

-In a clean bowl add remaining ingredients. Mix in the cabbage, loosely cover, and let sit overnight, stirring every 12 hours. Taste to see if strong enough (it will become more pungent and peppery over time) and either move to next step or let sit out for up to 3 days.

-Pack into clean jars with enough liquid to cover kimchi mix (if there isn't enough liquid add a touch of water to cover)

-Refrigerate, covered with the brine, for up to two months.

*can substitute daikon radish for cabbage