Express Yourself!

Steak, Carmalized Onion, & Brie Sandwiches

Steak, Carmalized Onion, & Brie Sandwiches

This is a very simple, loose recipe, so don’t pay too much attention to measurements, just make up your sandwich in however looks good to you!  This is a great way to use up leftover steak, and the mix of flavors are something we especially enjoy in the fall.  Serve these up with some sliced apples, like Honeycrisp – they pair wonderfully with the brie in the sandwich!

• 2 sirloin steaks
• Seasoning salt
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced into ¼ inch rings
• Wedge of brie cheese (how much you use is up to you!)
• 4 nice crusty French bread hoagie-type rolls, or a baguette cut into individual portions
• Dijon Mustard
• (Chris added some Mayo, too....)

1.      If your steaks aren’t already cooked, preheat oven to the broil setting.  Sprinkle them liberally with your favorite seasoning salt on both sides, and set on a broiling pan (line bottom with tin foil for easier clean-up).  Put in top rack in oven and broil 4-6 minutes on each side, or until done to your liking.  Take out of oven just before they are to your liking, as they will continue to cook once they are out.  Set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

2.      Caramelize the onion:  heat butter and oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy sauté pan.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, golden brown, and caramelized.  Reduce heat to medium low if needed to keep from burning.  This will take approximately 25 minutes.  Add a teaspoon or so of sugar at the end of cooking to bring out more of the caramelized flavor.

3.      Cut some thin slices of brie.  Slice steak thinly across the grain.  Assemble sandwiches, spreading on some mustard, then layering some steak slices, a couple tablespoons of onion, and thin slices of brie.  Broil in oven until cheese is melty, just about 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn!

SUPER-yum. Enjoy!

Steak, Carmalized Onion, & Brie Sandwiches

This is a very simple, loose recipe, so don’t pay too much attention to measurements, just make up your sandwich in however looks good to you!  This is a great way to use up leftover steak, and the mix of flavors are something we especially enjoy in the fall.  Serve these up with some sliced apples, like Honeycrisp – they pair wonderfully with the brie in the sandwich!

• 2 sirloin steaks
• Seasoning salt
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced into ¼ inch rings
• Wedge of brie cheese (how much you use is up to you!)
• 4 nice crusty French bread hoagie-type rolls, or a baguette cut into individual portions
• Dijon Mustard
• (Chris added some Mayo, too....)

1.      If your steaks aren’t already cooked, preheat oven to the broil setting.  Sprinkle them liberally with your favorite seasoning salt on both sides, and set on a broiling pan (line bottom with tin foil for easier clean-up).  Put in top rack in oven and broil 4-6 minutes on each side, or until done to your liking.  Take out of oven just before they are to your liking, as they will continue to cook once they are out.  Set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

2.      Caramelize the onion:  heat butter and oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy sauté pan.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, golden brown, and caramelized.  Reduce heat to medium low if needed to keep from burning.  This will take approximately 25 minutes.  Add a teaspoon or so of sugar at the end of cooking to bring out more of the caramelized flavor.

3.      Cut some thin slices of brie.  Slice steak thinly across the grain.  Assemble sandwiches, spreading on some mustard, then layering some steak slices, a couple tablespoons of onion, and thin slices of brie.  Broil in oven until cheese is melty, just about 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn!

SUPER-yum. Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Cake

I made this recipe for my sister’s birthday party, as it not only is as beautiful as it is tasty, it also doesn’t call for any hydrogenated oils (trans fats, like in Cristco), which she is allergic to.  This seems like an elaborate cake, but it really wasn’t, plus the cake can be made a day in advance and you can use purchased lemon curd for the filling in a pinch.  Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Cake

Cake:

·         4 large eggs

·         2 large egg yolks

·         3/4 cup whole milk

·         1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

·         2 cups cake flour

·         1 1/2 cups sugar

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 cup vegetable oil

·         1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

MERINGUE:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1.       Make cake:  Preheat oven to 350.  Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.  Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; butter again.  Whisk eggs, yolks, milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk oil and butter into flour mixture. Add egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic. Let stand at room temperature.)

2.      Make filling:  In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Cool completely.

3.      Make meringue:  In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.  Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on an ovenproof serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer.

4.      Finish cake:  Spread meringue over top and sides. Use your fingers to make even, decorative “flips” with the meringue.  Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool. Store in the refrigerator. 

Yield: 12-14 servings.

Tips:

·         To save time, store-bought lemon curd will work in a pinch for the filling.

·         Anytime you’re going to beat stiff egg whites, remember to chill the whites, the beaters, and the bowl – the whites will stiffen in a flash!  Swirl some ice water and the beaters in the bowl, drain, and dry – or pop them in the freezer for a minute or two.

·         To make a lighter textured cake, sift the dry ingredients several times with a fine sifter.

Homemade French Toast

Fantastic Homemade French Toast

For many of you, school has started up again, and if you are like me, you find yourself rushed to get out the door on time (no matter where you’re going!). Breakfast time often suffers, and although I am not at all a fan of eating on the run, I do concede that eating on the go is better than not eating at all! This week we have been enjoying the very quick and tasty meal of French Toast. Save yourself the expense (not to mention preservatives!) of store-bought frozen waffles or toast, and make your own! You’ll find it surprisingly easy. Here’s what it takes:

Eggs
Milk
Cinnamon
French bread or a loaf Texas Toast

French Toast is very forgiving, and measurements do not need to be perfect. In general, 2 large eggs, about ¼ cup of milk, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon whisked well together will make about a half a loaf of bread’s worth of French Toast. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, and brush on a light layer of vegetable oil. Dredge each slice of bread in the egg mixture (both sides), and place on the skillet. You can cook several at once. Cook for about 2 minutes or until light brown and toasty, then flip. When that side is nice and toasty, remove to a plate. Keep cooking more bread until your egg mixture is all used up.

For freezing, separate the cooked, cooled slices with waxes paper, place in a freezer bag, and put in the freezer. When you need a quick breakfast, simply remove a couple of slices from the freezer and pop in the toaster. We like to spread on a little butter and maple syrup, and place two slices together like a sandwich. Easy to eat on the go!

Thoughtful Friday 8

Did you ever stop to taste a carrot?  Not just eat it, but taste it? You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie. ~Astrid Alauda

Grilled Hamburgers

These are the first hamburgers I ever made. Feel free to vary the ingredients, adding more Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and onion if you like more of a rich meatloaf-like flavor. Yum!

Yummy Grilled Hamburgers (or, as Chris calls them, the Perfect BBQ Burger)

• 3 lb lean ground beef
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ onion, finely minced
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• Salt, about 1 tsp
• Pepper, about ½ tsp
• Seasoned salt
• Sautéed Mushrooms (optional)
• Caramelized Onions (optional – see notes)

1. Mix together the eggs, crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in ground beef until well mixed. I usually use my hands - kinda gross, but really does a great job.
2. Form hamburger mixture into patties - remember that burgers really shrink down on the grill. This recipe will make 8-10 patties.
3. Grill burgers as usual, sprinkling on some seasoning salt on both sides of each patty. While they are grilling, sauté your mushrooms: thickly slice about a pound of mushrooms (button or crimini, or a mixture of both), melt about 1 T button over medium high heat in a non stick pan, and add mushrooms. Stir fry over medium high heat until softened and lightly browned.

Note (optional) : Meanwhile, also caramelize your onions: Slice 1 medium onion (sweet is best - Vidalia or walla walla) into rings about ¼ inch thick. Melt about 2 tsp butter in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Add onions. Cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, just start to color, and look a little slimy. Turn heat down to medium low, and continue to cook until gooey dark brown and totally soft. Some people like to add a pinch of sugar toward the end to encourage that last bit of caramelizing. Process takes about 25 minutes, so they’ll be done when your burgers are done!

Makes about 8-10 burgers. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Pasta

This is a versatile recipe that makes the most of summer's bounty!  Use any fresh, favorite vegetable or herb that is in season.  The closer to your home it is grown, the more tasty and nutritious it will be.  Mess around with this all you want, just adjust the cooking times as necessary.

Summer Vegetable Pasta

10oz Whole wheat or spinach spaghetti or linguine
Cooking spray (or olive oil)
½ Sweet Onion (such as Walla Walla), chopped
1 small Zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped ¼”
½ Red Bell Pepper, chopped
½ Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
¼ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and chopped
2 cups Grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup leftover cooked Chicken, shredded or chopped
¼ cup Kalamata Olives, chopped (optional)
½ cup Cream
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
2 T Fresh Basil, minced
¼ - ½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiano_Reggiano)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid, set aside. Return pasta to pot and set aside.

2. Coat medium sized stir fry pan with cooking spray (can use olive oil instead, if you like), and heat over medium high heat. Add onion, cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).

3. Add zucchini, peppers, and dried tomatoes; stir fry until crisp tender, about 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Add cooked chicken, grape tomatoes, and olives if using. Cook until heated through, about another minute. Add to pasta in pot.

5. Add garlic to stir fry pan (add more spray or oil as needed), cook, stirring, until fragrant, being careful not to brown. Add reserved cooking liquid, cream, basil, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer until reduced by about half. Add cheese to taste, stir until it melts.

6. Return pasta and veggie mixture to stir fry pan, and toss until pasta is coated with sauce. Top each serving with additional cheese.

Feeds 4 or so.  Email or comment if you have any questions.  Enjoy!

Sausage Kale Soup

Chris and I love to eat at Olive Garden restaurant, but the only thing we ever order is soup, salad, and breadsticks.  We only order their Zuppa Toscana.  A few years ago I tried my hand at recreating the recipe.  I just made it again tonight, and this time it tasted virtually the same.  Enjoy!

Read the recipe here...

Chris and I love to eat at Olive Garden restaurant, but the only thing we ever order is soup, salad, and breadsticks.  We only order their Zuppa Toscana.  A few years ago I tried my hand at recreating the recipe.  I just made it again tonight, and this time it tasted virtually the same.  Enjoy!

Read the recipe here...

Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango

Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango

For the marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
Juice of one medium Orange
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 or 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one medium Orange
Juice of one Lime
2 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Dash of salt

Remaining ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ Jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips
1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
½ bag frozen shelled edamame
3 cups torn romaine lettuce
3 cup fresh spinach, trimmed

Chicken: combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, cover and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning chicken once.

Vinaigrette: Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients; slowly pour in oil in a steady stream, while whisking; Set aside until ready to use.

Cook Chicken: Prepare grill. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut into slices or chop.  Set aside.

Edamame: Steam or boil edamame according to package directions.  Rinse briefly with cold water.

Assemble salad: Toss lettuce and spinach together in a large serving bowl with ¾ of the dressing. Arrange chicken on greens in one corner; arrange jicama, mango, and edamame in each of the other corners.  Drizzle remaining dressing over top.

Best served with baked, seasoned corn chips:  spritz corn chips with cooking spray, season to taste with some cumin, chili powder, some lime juice, and a dash of cayenne.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Crush a few on top of salad, serve the rest on the side.

Yield: 6 servings

Bowtie, Chicken, & Cannellini Bean Soup

This cooked up in about 20 minutes, when I thought I had nothing to cook with.  This is a great way to use up any leftover cooked chicken, or even bacon (I had a couple slices left from going out to breakfast earlier).  Enjoy!

(I have photos, but they aren't with me right now, so I'll update the post when I can with a picture for you!)

Bowtie, Chicken, & Cannellini Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ red onion, diced finely
¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp dried or 1 T fresh Basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
4 cups good quality chicken broth
2 cups water
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
8 oz Bowtie pasta
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed & drained
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or minced
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen spinach
½ cup whipping cream

1.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute or until fragrance (careful not to burn).  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add red pepper flakes, basil, and orgegano; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

3.  Add chicken broth and next 6 ingredients (through chicken), bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

4.  Stir in spinach and whipping cream, until heated through (do not boil).  Adjust seasonings, if necessary, the serve in heated bowls with garlic bread.  Yum!

B is for Baking

Cooking all manner of things has become more and more enjoyable to me within the last several years - baking feels among the most artistic forms of creating food, one that I seem to enjoy the most at Christmastime.  I have memories of making sugar cookies as a child with my mom, mixing up the dough, waiting impatiently for it to chill in the fridge, rolling it out on the counter, eating bits of it raw.  Then we'd cut them out, bake them, and mix up different colors of powdered sugar icing and art them up.  We also made peppermint bark, english toffee, fudge, Russian tea cakes, and for Christmas morning, a gooey cinnaman and sugar pull-apart.

Chris has memories of his Grandma's Spritz cookies.  Enjoy the recipe!

Grandma Esther's Spritz Cookies

¼ lb. margarine
¼ lb. butter
½ c. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. almond extract

Cream margarine, butter and sugar.  Add egg yolk and then flour.  Add almond extract.  Put through cookie press.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Makes 6 dozen.

Baking feels like the cooking version of crafts.  Add this and that and the other thing, put it in the oven, and you have something that is sweet, tasty, and pretty.  A few sprinkles here, a dollop of colorful frosting there.  Yum.  I will so enjoy it when my son is old enough to start baking our favorite Christmas recipes with us...

Cooking all manner of things has become more and more enjoyable to me within the last several years - baking feels among the most artistic forms of creating food, one that I seem to enjoy the most at Christmastime.  I have memories of making sugar cookies as a child with my mom, mixing up the dough, waiting impatiently for it to chill in the fridge, rolling it out on the counter, eating bits of it raw.  Then we'd cut them out, bake them, and mix up different colors of powdered sugar icing and art them up.  We also made peppermint bark, english toffee, fudge, Russian tea cakes, and for Christmas morning, a gooey cinnaman and sugar pull-apart.

Chris has memories of his Grandma's Spritz cookies.  Enjoy the recipe!

Grandma Esther's Spritz Cookies

¼ lb. margarine
¼ lb. butter
½ c. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. almond extract

Cream margarine, butter and sugar.  Add egg yolk and then flour.  Add almond extract.  Put through cookie press.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Makes 6 dozen.

Baking feels like the cooking version of crafts.  Add this and that and the other thing, put it in the oven, and you have something that is sweet, tasty, and pretty.  A few sprinkles here, a dollop of colorful frosting there.  Yum.  I will so enjoy it when my son is old enough to start baking our favorite Christmas recipes with us...

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

Serve with slices of fresh baguette, and apple, like Honeycrisp or Braeburn.  Take a trip through the fancy olive bar at your local grocery store, and you've got yourself the perfect appetizer snacks for a party!  Hope you enjoy... 

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" thick rings
1 T Olive Oil
1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
2-3 T dried cranberries
2-3 T dried apricots, roughly chopped
Frozen Phyllo Dough, thawed (about 5-7 sheets)
1-2 T Butter, melted
1 largish wheel of Brie Cheese

1.  Make the filling:  Caramelize the onions by heating the oil in a large pan over medium high heat, then add the onions.  Cook, stirring somewhat frequently, until very soft and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.  Add the nuts and dried fruit and cook for another 10 minutes until mixture is toasty, and fully caramelized.  You may season with some salt and pepper, but I find it tastes wonderful as is.  You might like adding a tad bit of balsamic vinegar.

2.  Prepare the dough:  Slice the wheel of brie horizontally in half; set aside.  Carefully unroll the sheets of phyllo dough, set one sheet on your work surface and immediately cover the rest with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out.  Lightly brush the sheet with melted butter, then lay another sheet on top, angled clockwise from the first sheet.  Smooth together with your hand, then brush with more melted butter.  Keep adding layers, at an angle, with melted butter inbetween, so you have 5-7 layers of dough loosely making a circle. 

3.  Assemble the cheese:  Lay the bottom round of cheese in the center of the dough, rind side down.  Generously pile on some of the filling on top of the cheese.  Lay the remaining half of cheese on top, cut side down, then generously pile on more filling on top.  (You'll have some filling leftover, good to eat with cooked chicken, pork, or beef!)  Bring a corner of the dough up over the cheese, and brush with some melted butter.  Keep bringing up more of the dough, all the way around, brushing with butter, until the cheese is completely and nicely covered with the dough.

4.  Set cheese on a baking sheet, and bake on the middle rack in the oven preheated to 350 for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.  Soooooooo yummy!

C is for Cooking

C is for cooking.  I love to cook.  This is a fairly new thing for me.  I wasn't taught to do much cooking as a kid; my involvement with dinner was relatively limited to setting the table and doing the dishes.  But when I graduated high school and moved to Seattle to go to college, I got on this handmade kick that came out of nowhere.  I wanted to learn to make everything, and from scratch.  I don't really know why, it just felt really good to take piles of stuff and turn them into something.  I learned to make bread (sort of), soap, to crochet, and I started cooking. 

My love affair with food has grown slowly and steadily for the last 10 years.  When I got my first job in Seattle and started going to lunch with my coworkers, I was introduced to even more new foods and new flavors.  This meat-and-potatoes country gal is now cooking fancy-schmansy yummy nummy foods like flank steak, crepes, cheesecake, Vietnamese, Indian, and all sorts of delicious dishes with ingredients like curry, rice noodles, sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, chilies, lime juice, fresh ginger, caramelized onions, and oh....yum.  Fortunately, I have a very understanding and adventurous husband who says he is willing to try anything at least once, and has.  I've only had one flop so far, a broth-based soup with gobs of spinach and not much else.  It was very...green.  It was very yummy when I had it at Beth's house, but in my kitchen it was a flop.

Some of my favorite recipe websites are Cooking Light Magazine's, The Food Network's, and Epicurious.  This weekend we hadn't much food in the house at all, and of course we were very hungry, and I whipped up something that even made Chris say "I could be a vegetarian every now and then if I got to eat food like this."  It was sooooo good.

Roasted Harvest Vegetables

1 Yam or Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1.5" cubes
4 medium Red Potatoes, quartered
1/2 small Pumpkin (like Sugar Pie), peeled and cut into 1.5" cubes
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced 2" thick
1 Zucchini, sliced 2" thick
1 Onion, sliced 1/2" thick
1 Garlic head
2 T Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 loaf of yummy crusty bread

1.  Preheat oven to 425.
2.  Remove outer papery layers of garlic head, and slice off top 1/3 (don't peel the cloves).  Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and wrap with a double thickness of foil.  Set in the middle of a jelly roll pan.
3.  Arrange vegetables in a single layer in the pan around the garlic, placing the slices of onion toward the corners, and any thicker pieces of vegetables toward the middle.
4.  Drizzle with olive oil and chicken broth, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme.  Toss to coat.
5.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until tender, taking out once to turn (and sprinkle with more olive oil, salt, and/or pepper to taste) after about 20 minutes.

Serve the vegetables with crusty bread, cheese, and fruit.  Unwrap the garlic from the foil, squeeze out the cloves, and eat with the vegetables, or spread over the crusty bread.  Experiment with different vegetables if you like, such as rutabega, turnip, parsnip, or different types of onion.  If you have any leftovers, heat them up the next day along with any leftover chicken broth, puree in a blender, add a little milk or cream, and season to taste, and you have a yummy, healthy autumn vegetable soup!

Fall Cupcakes!

Yes, fall is here.  Some of you are groaning because this means that summer is over, but remember this also means that, well....autumn is here!  Time for brisk mornings and hot drinks, good books and cozy fires, nature giving its grand finale in firey red leaves and big crysanthemums, and of course, baking!  This year for my father-in-law's birthday I added to his gifts by whipping up some cupcakes. 

 

I've never made cupcakes before, believe it or not, and I've never made frosting.  We didn't get home until almost 9pm last night and I thought I'd be too tired to get these done, but they went very quickly and easily.  I actually ended up with a little leftover, which I poured into a heart-shaped ramekin for Chris and I to share. 

The long part was the decorating, because it was of course the fun part.  I LOVE baking with pumpkin.  If you do too, you'll love these.  It's based off a recipe from Martha Stewart, which I modified to fit my liking.  Hope you enjoy!

Mike's Birthday Cupcakes (Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting)

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Food coloring or paste, in reds, oranges, browns, yellows
• Candies for decorating, such as chocolate sprinkles, orange sugar crystals, various candy corns, black licorice strings, candy pumpkins, etc.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners (this recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill yours); set aside. Measure flour by lightly spooning it into measuring cups and leveling with a knife.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, 24 drops yellow food coloring, and 16 drops red food coloring.

3.  Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool for 10 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from pan onto wire rack; let cool completely.

4.  Meanwhile, make the frosting:  Place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add butter, and beat until fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and mix to combine.

Now comes the fun part - decorating!  Spoon a little bit of frosting into small bowls and experiement with adding color.  Red and yellow make orange, add a tiny speck of green to red to make an autumny brick red, etc.  Sprinkle orange sugar crystals over white frosting, wind a rope of black licorice in a spiral on orange icing, nestle a candy corn on red icing.

By the way, a note on herbs and spices - this recipe calls for ground allspice, which I did not have on hand.  When I got to the store to pick some up and saw the $9+ price tag, I just about gave up.  I only needed 1/4 tsp!!  Turns out they had a bulk herbs and spices section along with their bulk foods.  I've noticed more and more grocery stores doing this - our QFC when we lived in Northgate had one, and this was the Top Foods in Snohomish.  I bought about a tablespoon of ground allspice and it cost me exactly $0.01.  Needless to say, I may never buy bottled herbs and spices again!

Breakfast in Tub

I had a nice morning today. Well, at first it wasn't so nice - I kinda feel like I'm coming down with something, and I did something rotten to my neck because I can hardly move it. So I took a bath to see if I could loosen it up a bit. Aaaaahhhhhh.... I haven't taken a bath since before I had Ben. (Well, I've bathed, I just haven't taken a bath. So, here I am in this gloriously yummy water, complete with orange and peppermint essential oil, when Chris brings me my favorite tea, then proceeds to make me breakfast and bring it to me in the tub. He hands me this mess of eggs and veggies, which really didn't look all that good, but it was GOOD. Really good. He just brings it in, and says he hopes it tastes good, then "oh, and I took photos for your blog." That was the best part, it cracked me up. Now he's taking photos for my blog. I love it.

It's kind of hard for me to remember to take photographs of my life, which is especially unfortunate as I never seem to remember much of anything unless I have photos to remind me. Blogging has been a wonderful way for me to start taking more photos. So has having a baby.

We've been pretty busy around here, but pleasantly so. We're starting our most difficult and exhausting, but fun time of year - converting the store to fall! Within about two weeks we should have all the fall stuff out, and it is so much fun. I don't know what it is about September and pretty much the rest of the year - it's like a universally loved season. I really enjoyed spring this year. And I am thoroughly enjoying summer. But autumn....oooo, I can't wait...

A Day with Ben

So today was my first day home alone with Ben, just the two of us all morning and afternoon. A successful day, I think - I managed to get dressed and washed before he woke up. Unfortunately, I only got so far as thinking about my breakfast when he was ready for his, but oh well. An hour of feeding, dressing, changing, playing, changing, and feeding later, he was down for a nap. The photo is of His Cuteness sometime between a feeding and changing. I tried to get a shot of his smile, but each time I gave up and snapped a photo, he'd smile, only to stop when I tried to take another shot. Take my word for it, he smiles and is adorable.

It was an interesting day. See, I'm not quite sure how much around the house one can get done during the day when caring for an infant, especially one pretty much too young to entertain itself. It's amazing all the different ways you can multitask, like pumping breastmilk while mixing up a cake, that sort of thing. All Ben has done today is eat! I don't know if it's the heat or he's hitting a growth spurt, but it has been "food - food NOW" all day long.

However, I still managed to get a bunch of this pig sty cleaned up. I have a half finished project started in every room of the house, but hey, at least they're started! I also was able to cook a whole meal for dinner - I made a chicken pita sandwich from this month's issue of Cooking Light, which was very good but you might find a little dry if you are used to mayo on your sandwiches (Chris doesn't bother to eat a sandwich without a inch or two of miracle whip, but he loved this sandwich, so I guess it isn't missing anything). Made the roasted corn relish off the cover of the June magazine too, although I didn't have a grill at the time so I just pan fried the corn, roasted the Anaheim chile on the broiler, then added the tomato, lime juice, cilantro, etc. Very yummy, but Chris thought was a little too spicy for him. We topped it off with fresh peaches and raspberry, and a good 'ol Betty Crocker yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I think I could have made leather sandwiches and cardboard cake and it would have tasted good to us, as we're so desperate for home cooking after being on the road for 4 weeks.

Labels: baby, cooking