The Tiny Skillet

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2012-01-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

Here is another first for me believe it or not. I have never really made a homemade mac and cheese before this past winter break. When Maranda was little she didn't like homemade mac & cheese so I didn't attempt making it. Then I made it once from a recipe my daughter's friend's mother had made. I didn't care much for it, it didn't have the butter and flour rue to start off with so it tasted pretty much like just cheese and pasta. So I put it off again not making it for awhile.

I don't know what got into me, but I decided to try making it again, and Maranda was going to help me. It was a big hit and she said how easy it was to make. We've had it twice now and she won't eat it premade or from a box again....the same thing happened when I made stove top popcorn (no more microwave popcorn in this house).

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
ingredients:
8 oz elbow macaroni
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 cup milk, warmed
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Gouda cheese
1 cup grated Colby Jack
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon hot sauce or chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Asiago cheese, grated

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, heat butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent about 5 minutes.

Add flour and stir constantly for a minute or two. Turn heat to medium; gradually whisk in milk and cream, cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until thickened. Reduce heat and add in cream cheese, cheddar, Gouda and Colby jack. Once the cheese has melted, add the hot sauce, mustard, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

Add the drained noodles to the cheese sauce, and gently fold into the cheese sauce.

Stir and evenly distribute the mac and cheese into prepared (buttered) baking dish, or dishes.

Grate fresh asiago or pecorino over top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Now for the hard part... Let stand before serving....

...it will only take about 5 minutes...I know you can do it!

Like I mentioned above I've made it twice already. Once I used these small ceramic bowls that I got for Christmas from Lock and Lock. They are perfect to bake and serve it in. Then for leftovers...if there is any leftovers, you can snap the lid on, store in the fridge and bring it for lunch the next day!

and the other time I used my lasagna dish. This is nice because it's non-stick so I don't have to butter it to prepare it for baking.

So you can use a casserole dish, smaller individual dishes or even ramekins. Top with different cheese find one you like. You can even add red pepper flakes, smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder. If you have to you can add bread crumbs to the top, but we like it without.

Now to share one of a few things that we've been up to in January. Staring with the
Thunder By The Bay Motorcycle Festival, an event that took place in Sarasota, Florida on 06-Jan-2012. 2012

Wade was talked into showing his 1981 Kawasaki, but he missed having it entered in the vintage class by one year! Funny though he could an antique licence tag on it.

It was a beautiful day and you could see motorcycles lined up all through the downtown streets. People walking everywhere and dressed up in their biker best. A great place to people watch. I didn't get any pictures of the food booths this year

Meanwhile back at the ranch...err...house my Ti plants are in bloom...

and one of my cactus, I believe it's a prickly pear. Maybe you know what it is...let me know!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2012-01-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it took me this long to get this post up, I've been working on it for some time! Whew! At least it's still soup season!

Over the two weeks had off from work/school I wasn't feeling my best, I had allergies that turned into laryngitis and sinus infection, then the ENT said it was migraines instead of sinus headaches that I suffer from. Anyway I not only baked, but made a lot of comfort food too. I can't believe this is the first time I made Chicken Noodle Soup, and it sure won't be the last. In true form of my style of cooking I really didn't measure anything, just eyeballed it, and the nice thing about making your own soup is you can use what you like...I like the thick egg noodles, and I like the vegetables in a smaller dice, and plenty of herbs (they are full of nutrients too).

Next time I'll use my dad's recipe and make my own noodles, but this turned out pretty good. I used rosemary instead of thyme because that's what I had and I really don't care much for thyme.

Chicken Stock:
1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks, (leaves included)
1 large white onions, quartered
4 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (you could use thyme)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in cold water to cover (about 3 quarts) don't use too much. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, when it comes to a boil lower the heat to a simmer for about 1 hour, until the chicken is done. Carefully remove the chicken and set aside to cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat. Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

For the soup:
shredded cooked chicken (from above)
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup mushrooms sliced (optional, I didn't use them this time)
2 quarts stock (from above)
8 oz or 1 bag egg noodles (depends how noodlely you like it)
1 teaspoon chives, tarragon, Turkish oregano, chervil (since I didn't have any parsley)
or
1 teaspoon Parisien Bonne Herbes
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
fresh parsley chopped and added near the end right before serving.

Heat oil in soup pot and add chopped celery, carrots, shallot and garlic until tender, add herbs. Pour in strained stock and bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Add noodles, and chicken gently cook for 15 minute or until noodles are tender. Adjust the liquid if needed. Salt and pepper and if using fresh parsley add now and remove bay leaf before serving.

It made plenty for a tasty meal and enough left over for the next day or to freeze. You can see all the dried herbs, which are healthy too.

Good to the last drop, and just what the doctor ordered. I only wish I made it sooner. Usually I don't like to make soup because of the large amount it makes, but I now have a freezer full of different soups I can pull out when I want a nice bowl of comfort. I'm feeling better now, and am still wanting a bowl of this!

Living in Florida we get to see many different kinds of birds as they migrate north or south. One morning this is what woke me up early in the morning...a whole flock of some sort of black bird. They all flew around and landed to this one oak tree in our neighbor's yard. When they landed it sounded like we were being bombarded with acorns...with the squawking of the birds and the pelting sound of acorns dropping, you wouldn't believe how loud it was.

Then they all flew of to another tree, then back again...then off again. Good bye...see you later!

Dinner Rolls

2012-01-05T20:05:00.007-05:00

Since I was off for 2 weeks for Christmas break I did get more time to bake. I stocked up on flour, eggs and butter just so we could do so. These dinner rolls are so good and easy to make, a great addition to any meal or sandwich for lunch! I didn't roll them into neat little balls I just cut them with a dough cutter and placed it in a round stoneware baker. Just covered with a clean linen dish cloth to rise, no butter.

Dinner Rolls - recipe from For the Love of Cooking

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 egg (held under warm water)
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast

Add ingredients to your bread machine in order listed
Select the dough cycle and press start. When dough is ready, divide dough into 15 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet, or stoneware pan (like I do) Brush with butter then cover; let rise in a warm place 30 to 4o minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy

Can you believe I made these? Yum!

Thanks to Heather at girlichef for hosting Bake Your Own Bread.

A Great Start - Steel Cut Oats

2012-01-01T16:04:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday with plenty of good food, fun and family! This morning we had a hearty cereal of steel cut oats. I've made them before the over night method, but this worked just as well.

I have a health food store within walking distance from my house so it is easy for me to pick up any grains, flour, rice, etc... they sell many in bulk as well as herbs and spices. So if I need a cup of special flour or a table spoon of a spice I haven't tried before, I can buy just that and try it. So I picked up a couple cups of steel cut oats...

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, add 1 cup steel cut oats and toast for about 2-3 minutes.

Add 3 cups boiling water, stir and reduce to a simmer, gently simmer for 25-30 minutes, stir occasionally.

Stir in 1 cup milk (I didn't have milk so I used coconut milk) and cook for 10 minutes until the milk is almost absorbed stirring 1 or 2 times.

Remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes.

It will keep up to 3 days in refrigerator.

My daughter had a friend over so I let them decide what they wanted on their oatmeal. My daughter like cinnamon and brown sugar. Her friend had coconut milk and honey. I had cardamom, dried Michigan cherries, coconut, coconut milk, sunflower seeds. You can enjoy it with any fruit, nuts, berries, or sweetener...that's the fun of making it your way!

Just a few recent photos to share from my two weeks off... my husband called me outside to see if I could get a photo ot the snail moseying along the cactus...

..close up! It's pretty cool!

We joined some friends at their house for Christmas dinner...

I brought this pork roast...
Gary made a beef roast and potatoes. ..

...they are from South Africa so they don't have family in town at Christmas either.

Maranda, playing with some toys that we get in the Christmas crackers...and that is sparkling cider she's drinking.

Some other goodies that were in the crackers...the kids at school will love them!

Another friend Sarah joined us and she brought her dog too. So we had four dog with us at Christmas...we couldn't leave them home...well 2 belong here and we brought Tucker, and Sarah brought Sadie the Lab was welcome too. They all got along fine and were so well behaved. Jeanne did a good job getting them all together for the photo...with treats in hand!

This time of year my lemons are in full swing...good thing, I used it all week for my ginger, tea with lemon and honey.

I used my new Tervis Tumbler (made right here near us in Florida) I got it for Christmas from my aunt and uncle. It's perfect for keeping drinks warm or cold.

.., another sunset walk on the beach, (ha! caught them off guard). it was a really nice evening...this was Monday the day after Christmas. We've been having perfect weather lately.

The sunset wasn't that spectacular, but we saw some dolphins as soon as we got there. They are so hard for me to catch a good photo of , but they are always so cool to see, I never get tired of it!

Hope you all had a wonderful week! Looking forward to the New Year to come, and visiting you all.
Back to school (work) tomorrow, and here I thought I'd get more done than I did. Will post more soon!

Cranberry Bread

2011-12-29T11:37:00.008-05:00

I am feeling a little better, I went to the doctor and found out I had a sinus infection...which gave me laryngitis. Started out with allergies...and this isn't the worst of the pollen that bothers me. that comes in February.

We had a cold snap come through last night and today we will be lucky if we reach 70. At least it's clear and sunny! :) But my coconut oil is now solid, I've guess I am a lot like coconut oil...I like it when the temperatures are warm enough to keep the coconut oil liquid. I really can't complain mush though because for the last three weeks or so we've been have gorgeous 80 degree plus sunny weather.

Taking advantage of this baking weather I am trying to get as much in as I can...yes it's after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but is still good to use up all those cranberries that you might have left over or tucked away in the freezer!

I used a muffin recipe and I the cranberries whole, because that is the way I like them...

...you can see the bright red cranberries peeking out! I added some cinnamon chips to the recipe just to make it festive! Okay, I love these cinnamon chips, I hope I can still get them at the store, and stock up before they disappear until next year.

Cranberry Muffins or Bread:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg beaten (large)
1 teaspoon orange rind
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups cranberries (whole)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional, I didn't use nuts cinnamon chips instead)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (optional, you can use nuts instead)

Method:
Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder together in a bowl, mix well.
Stir in beaten egg, cranberries, cinnamon chips, orange rind, juice and butter.
Add some of the chips on top before baking for a nice look and a good topping.

For muffins bake at 350° 20-30 minutes.
For bread bake longer 50-60 minutes until pick comes out clean.

I love cranberry bread and it is so easy to make. I like biting into the tangy whole tangy berry in this bread. The addition of the cinnamon chips were very good...not too much, and gave it a little more depth...or something!

It was nice and moist and yummy for breakfast and afternoon tea!

The tree is coming down today...getting ready for the new year!!

Banket (Dutch Pastry with almond filling) family recipe

2011-12-22T21:04:00.012-05:00

This wonderful flaky almond filled pastry is something that I grew up eating every Christmas. As with most food and family recipes...it always brings back such good memories of family and holidays. In Grand Rapids and really most of west Michigan it seems every one who is Dutch (which is many) has their own version or recipe for banket (pronounced bahn-KET) with a flaky buttery crust and almond paste (not marzipan) rolled throughout, not too sweet and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

I have been wanting a chance to make it with my mother and document it for the blog, but she lives in Michigan and with me in Florida for the last 21 years it just never happened. When my parents visit in February she will bring me some almond paste and one year she did show me how to assemble it, but the filling and dough was already made. The one time we did make it back to Michigan for Christmas a couple of years back, of course it was already made and ready to eat.

So I had my sister mail me grandma's banket recipe (my mom could never find hers). I've had it for awhile but was always a bit timid to try making it on my own, besides it makes a lot and we don't usually have many people around for Christmas any more down here in Florida. Not this year I decided to put on my big girl panties and try making it all by myself.

It is such a family tradition, my sister makes it with her daughters-in-law, and makes it her way. I never was interested in making it when my grandmother was alive...I just enjoyed eating all her wonderful baking. She was the best. My mom learned from my dad's mom, both his parents are Dutch. My mom's dad was Dutch, but her mom was Welsh, so she learned how to make it from my grandma Bouwman, my dad's mom.
This was her actual recipe such as it was, like most of her recipes: my input is in blue after calling my mom several times while trying to make it.

Grandma Bouwman's Banket
Crust:
1 pound butter/oleo, soften at room temp (I used cold butter, like you would making pie crust)
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar (optional) I skipped the sugar
3/4 cup milk - make sure it's cold
Mix well until crumbly, add milk. Form into dough using fork, divide into eight balls.
Roll out each ball to form rectangle, put almond filling on crust.

My take on this: I used a pastry cutter like you would when making pie crust, cutting in the butter until you get a crumbly oatmeal-like texture. Use cold butter and cold milk or water so it will be nice and flaky...form into dough try not to over-work the dough. After talking to my mother she said another old recipe she had has you refrigerate the dough and filling overnight. My personal tip would be to form it into the eight balls, and then flatten them first before refrigerating them.

Filling:
1 pound almond paste (2 cups)
2 cups sugar (you could probably use a little less, but I use a scant 2 cups)
3 eggs (I think next time I will us 2 eggs)
Mix well, put in fridge to harden. Add flour to make it less sticky when putting it on crust.
My take on this: I had a block of almond paste that mom brought down from Michigan. They can get it every where up there...if you can't find almond paste, you can make your own almond paste try this one here
My mom told me to beat the eggs and sugar first then add the almond paste after breaking it into crumbles.

Bake 10 minutes at 425° then 15 minutes at 350°
I found I had to bake this longer. If you want to bake it like a pie you can bake it high heat for 15 minutes then turn it down and bake another 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. Make sure your dough is nice and cold. I would brush an egg wash on before baking next time, I didn't on these and they came out fine, but sometimes my grand mother would.

This was the almond paste mixture after it was in the refrigerator overnight.

When I was trying to mix the almond paste my mom suggested to beat the eggs first with a hand mixer, so I did, I think I did it too much and it became a little frothy, then I added the crumbled almond paste and sugar. I think I should of added the sugar with the eggs, then added the almond paste. Mine turned out fine, but it was different from my mother's. I think 2 eggs would work fine in it. I didn't add any extra flour because it was very spreadable this way...maybe because of the three eggs. Maybe I should stick to it this way, my mom would spread it with her hands and flour her fingers, and place little pieces around all over the dough. It was sticky to work with!

I just used a rubber spatula to spread it on. My mom cautioned me not to have too much filling do it won't ooze out on the baking pan. She said she added too much last year and she didn't like the way it turned out.

You are supposed to roll the dough out into rectangles, but I got it as close as I could, and they still turned out even without smooth edges. You can cut and paste it, the dough seems to handle it well.

To keep it a family tradition I got my daughter involved...of course she asked to roll some of her own...so I had to stand back and let her do it!!
And she did great! Of course I have such a small area it's so difficult to have two people in the kitchen at the same time. It was also 80° out and seemed very hot with to oven on, I know my grandma and mom didn't have to deal with weather like that in Michigan at Christmas time! :)

The dough is rolled out thin sorta like a pie dough would be...dusting the work surface and rolling pin with flour as you go. After you roll up the filling inside the logs, seal it with water. Since I used a little more filling than my mother did I made sure it was sealed well and gave it a little pinch too.

I have baked the "logs" that my mom gave me (they freeze really well) at 350° or 375° for 30 - 35 minutes. I didn't know the directions at that time, so I think you can do it that way without having to start out baking it at high heat and turning it down. Just keep any eye on it until its a nice golden brown.

If you don't have a stoneware baking pan or pizza stone, line your cookie sheet with parchment paper so it browns up nicely. I didn't use an egg-wash in this batch.

After the first batch was done baking I had to call my mom again to see how long I had to wait before I can cut into them. I couldn't wait... mmm...so good and reminds me of my mom's...

...they were nice and flaky, the almond filling didn't ooze out (of course I like it oozing out a little when it caramelizes up a little) .

It is so good for breakfast the next morning, not too sweet, delicate flavor.

Even though I kept calling my mom several times throughout the process...and she said "why don't you wait until I get there in February" I think it turned out pretty good.

I do think that it is easier to cut if you can wait until it cools completely. I gave one (log) to my aunt and uncle when we met them for dinner, after all it is his mother's recipe...they are going north for Christmas. She says it's been awhile since she's had it she's never made it...I hope they enjoy it as much as we do.

I hope it make sense to all of you who haven't grown up with this pastry, I just wanted to share it with you. Every time I would bring this anywhere everyone would ask for the recipe...it's been long over due. Please feel free to ask any questions, and have a happy holiday!

Another Cookie revisited and sharing some Christmas

2011-12-20T11:04:00.009-05:00

I first posted these cookies two years ago, I was looking for a gingerbread that used crystallized ginger...just like I had bought when I was up in the Lake District in England years before. I never found that gingerbread recipe or any that came close, but I did find this ginger shortbread that soon became a favorite of mine. I like the buttery flavor of the shortbread, then you get that little gingery kick when you bite into a piece of the candied ginger. I did increase the amount just a touch, you don't want too much or it could over power the buttery shortbread. I make these for Christmas, but have froze one of the logs and pulled it out later to use at another time! Thought I would bring them back and share with my new friends.

These delicate, buttery cookies are nice with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ginger Shortbread cookies
Bon Appétit March 1997
yield: 36 cookies

2 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger (I used a little more about 1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon sugar (for chopping the ginger)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional powdered sugar (optional)

Combine flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl. Combine crystallized ginger and 1 tablespoon sugar on work surface; chop finely.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light. Add lemon peel and extracts. Beat in crystallized ginger mixture. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture in 4 additions.

Transfer dough to floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 6-inch log. Shape each log into 2x1x6-inch-long rectangular log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Cut each dough log into 1/3-inch-thick cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart (cookies will spread slightly during baking). Bake cookies until edges are pale golden, about 24 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 3 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks. Sift additional powdered sugar over warm cookies, if desired. Cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)

I also wanted to share little Christmas with you. I received this card from Mrs Yoder's class. She had emailed everyone at school that was chosen to get a card and handcrafted ornament (I left the ornament hanging at school) from her class explaining that her writing prompt was for everyone to choose a person that they think was helpful and write a letter to them.

Miguel chose me and here is my letter. I just love gifts like these, my favorite and they are always cherished. (But I don't help the kids get hurt, just help when they do...hehe)

Here is a gift I got from a co-worker...I was just wondering...why? I don't wear socks, she has never seen me in socks, and it doesn't even have a Holiday theme going on here. Another co-worker saw it in my mail box and thought is was a joke because the prior nurse I worked with always wore sock that she would crochet on crazy colors and bells and such. It just makes you scratch your head and say WTF? They will be put to good use though...many kids come into the clinic for sock!

I have been trying on some new wings on the shell angels that I make. Here is some nylon tulle instead of the feathers.

and this is the one with some wired sheer ribbon with snowflakes on it. I think I will double it next time.

First attempt on making a character ornament...reminds me of the shell figure my grandma used to get when she lived in Clearwater. I think the slice shells that I used for the antler would make good angel wings too. This was a gift to one of the diabetic students that I see everyday...he helped me decide what to do for the ears. I think he liked it.

a different way to display the sea urchins other than my jellyfish and placing them over the little bulbs.

This was so delicate, some liked it better without the pearl trim.

There you can see the sea urchin over the light.

I dropped my daughter off at Cha Cha Coconuts at St Armand's Circle so she could meet a friend for lunch. Such a fun place to visit and shop...especially around the holidays!

Okay I had to sneak a shot of my favorite owl that I bought at Pier 1 . I gave a few away as gifts, but they all have such personality it was difficult to part with. The rest of the photos are just more of the ornaments that I made, except the snowman...he came with the owl. I sold quite a few this year. So if you just want to skim past them I understand.

I finally caught something, and have been feeling miserable for the last couple of days...I don't get sick!!! I work around sick kids all day, the nurse caught something and so did my husband...I was bound to, but I have not been sick for quite sometime now at least two years...like with a cold or flu that is. I just get allergy related things. Well at least I didn't miss any work...I have two weeks of Christmas break, and I still can't seem to get things done.

Hungarian Poppy Seed Pinwheel Cookies - revisited

2011-12-17T09:40:00.003-05:00

I am bringing back some of my favorite cookies for the cookie baking season! I have revisited this lovely poppy seed spiral cookie for my December post on Our Krazy Kitchen
Poppy Seed Pinwheel Cookies. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened or 1 stick
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 tsp grated lemon peel
-1 large egg
-1 Tbsp sour cream
-1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-1 tsp vanilla (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
-*Poppy seed filling ¾ cup ( I bought mine made at the German Store and used the whole tub)

*You can use canned or make your own, I bought mine at Geier's Sausage Kitchen a German meat market and food store. If you make your own, here are a couple of recipes:
•1/2 cup milk
•1 Tablespoon honey
•1 cup ground poppy seeds
•2 Tablespoons sugar
•1 teaspoon ground allspice
or:
1 cup poppy seed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chopped nuts
Dash of cinnamon

Make the Dough:
With an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, and sour cream in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, salt, cloves (I added a little mace to mine too) and lemon zest to make a soft dough. (The dough may be made ahead and refrigerated covered, for up to two days.) I wanted to say I had to make mine by hand because my electric mixer burned up making my molasses gingerbread cookies. It can be done!

Now go on over to Our Krazy Kitchen to see how to make them. Yum, Yum!

While they are on the rack cooling make sure you have some end pieces so you can get a taste and not have to wait, and save the pretty ones for guests!
:)

Cheers!

Chili Crusted Salmon

2011-12-13T22:00:00.001-05:00

This is another way to make salmon and I made it as tapas so I could use my palm leaf plate. I was having a little fun with some seafood to see what I could come up with. The Holidays are a perfect time to serve tapas when you have a gathering.

For the chili crust I used some ancho chili powder that I had just picked and wanted to try it. I love the dark color and earthy depth of the flavor...you can use your favorite chili powder I'm sure!

The amounts are adjustable depending how mush salmon you use, and how much heat you want.

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (or your favorite)
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
lime or lemon zest
(you can add a little cumin if you like, I didn't)
In a small bowl mix together the ingredients. Squeeze a little lime or lemon juice on the salmon and rub it with oil. Add the chili powder mix and and rub on the salmon or sprinkle it on and pat it down on top.

In a heated fry pan...I used my new cast iron griddle, sear the fish flesh side down for 3-5 minutes, flip and cook the other side about 5 minutes until done.

The sauce: I had some Taco Bell Creamy Jalapeno sauce, I added a little mayo, some sour cream, dill and capers...a short cut, I know, I know, I should of whipped up some fresh sauce for it but,...you can if you like.

This worked! and it was tasty! Just a little spicy, with a nice crust and creamy sauce...squeeze a little more lime...

Now for a little bit more of some local flavor...
A few photos that were taken from my daughter's birthday party boat ride a few weeks back November 27.

It was a beautiful day, in the 80s. and we are having such nice weather now too just the way I like it. This is our time to enjoy our town and get out to the water and beaches before too many tourist come down for the winter.

This is such a casual, laid back, fun place to go by land or sea. Good food, great surroundings, and much to do and see in this area. Many restaurants to go to by boat, we picked one that was easy to get into with a group of girls.

It's hard to get a good shot of the Sarasota sky line when the boat is moving! The Ringling Bridge takes you from the mainland to Bird Key and then out to St Armand's Circle, Lido Beach, and Longboat Key. We have many beaches in Sarasota County and they all offer something different. If you are not a beach person it has much to offer in the way of the Arts, museums, shopping, food and other great stuff. Like I said there is a lot to see and do!

Japanese Sweet Potato Chips

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

A quick post of a yummy snack that I can't seem to get enough of...
My husband like plantain chips and I have to go out and buy the green plantains the day I make them othewise I end up putting it off and before you know it the plantains are ripe and then I have to make a sweet dish with them. Either way they are good!

Anyway the last time I made plantain chips I had Japaneses sweet potato left from another dish...since I already had my mandolin out, I sliced it up and fried the sweet potato too...

...and I liked it better! So now, I often get the Japanese sweet potato just for making.
chips! Boniato - Cuban sweet potato works good in chips too. The texture is drier than an orange regular sweet potato....

...which makes them crisp up nicely. I love crispy potatoes!!

I don't have a deep frier so I use what I do have, a wok and shallow pan fry them.

You have to make them in batches so they won't stick together, then place them on some paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt or season salt. I supposed you could add some cinnamon, but I love them with just a pinch of salt!

A word of caution, BEWARE they are addictive!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares - Martha Mondays

2011-12-05T07:31:00.003-05:00

My choice this week for our Martha Mondays hosted each week by Brette with Martha and Me and let me tell you she participates in each one every week! One time she missed a week because she was sick, and then she apologized for it! She's amazing, and an author of several books, a new one just out The Parchment Paper Cookbook one of her other blogs is No Pot Cooking. Check it out for some good no mess cooking ideas and recipes. If you would like to join us for Martha Mondays just let her know. There is no pressure to do it every week and you get some good feedback and meet some great people.

Oh yeah,...back to my pick...Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares I chose this because of my daughter...she has been wanting me to make her some pumpkin something for her birthday...she loves pumpkin every thing So this was great, Martha had a wonderful pumpkin bar recipe, and what better time to try it...two birds, you know!

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Squares
Martha Stewart Living Special Issues, 2006

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2.With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3.Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4.Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares
Tip: If you can't find pumpkin-pie spice, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and cloves (all ground).

It was a two bowl, (most baking recipes will have you use one bowl for dry and another for the wet ingredients), straight forward recipe.The only different thing I did this time was add a little more cinnamon, and used half chocolate chips and half cinnamon chips.

I sprinkled some extra chips on top of the batter after it was spread out in the pan. I like the looks of them sitting on top like that...maybe more next time!

This is definitely a keeper. It was moist and delicious, the texture was kind of like between a cake and a muffin. The pumpkin held up well to the spices and chocolate was not too much, of course I used half the amount of chocolate, but used cinnamon chips to compete the amount called for in the recipe. I didn't have a 9x13 pan, the pan I used was a little smaller so they came out a little tall. I can't believe I don't have a 9x13 glass baking dish...Christmas wish list!

My family actually finished them all up...I didn't have any to bring in to work.

Edited to add the Tip: after the recipe, for those of you who can't find pumpkin pie spice. This was the first time I had used it, I happened to run across it.

Ginger Lime Seafood Skewers

2011-12-02T06:39:00.009-05:00

Okay a lot has been going on, as with all of you too I'm sure. I just don't handle it as well as you all do. Some fun things...a new teacher (this year) at our school co-owns the magazine Edible Sarasota, and they were throwing a launch party for Edible Sarasota Cook's, all the staff at our school was invited to this closed event for only 250 guests. It was held outside, in front of Whole Foods where they closed off that part of the street. The booths were offered to everyone who advertised in the magazine. It was fun to mingle with co-worker and some foodies in Sarasota. I just wish I could meet Jaden Hair, from Steamy Kitchen, and some new blogger twitter friends The Three Kitcheneers.

There was plenty of good food, from ahi tuna nachos, truffle oil, chocolate truffles, to pesto penne, brisket sliders, vegan brisket, and the best clam chowder! I was too busy trying and tasting everything to get many photos. Now I know what I have to work on before I go to any big food event! I will post the nachos, my favorite later. We all received a gift bag...

these plates were in our gift bag from a company called VerTerra, the plates are made from fallen palm leaves. They come in an assortment of sizes, and at the event that many booth used them to serve their food on, (I wasn't thinking, I should of saved some of those, now I really need to buy some more, I love them). In our gift bag we were given 8 appetizer size. So I had to try them out! Using my new hand crafted glass snowman appetizer skewers, Gulf shrimp and salmon...I made some tapas!

Ingredients:
1 pound mixed seafood, I used salmon and shrimp
1 clove garlic chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice
lime zest
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon black and white toasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste (and red pepper flakes if you like)

Whisk together the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl, except shrimp, salmon, and sesame seeds. Clean and devein the shrimp, and cut the salmon into bite size pieces, you can remove the skin if you like. Add the seafood to the marinade, cover and let marinate for 25-30 minutes in refrigerator.

Thread the shrimp and salmon onto the skewers, if you are using wooden skewers be sure to soak them when the fish are marinating so they won't burn. Sprinkle with salt pepper and sesame seeds.

Grill, broil or use a grill pan, cook for 3 - 6 minutes until done. You can garnish with cilantro and lime or mint. Serve with a dipping sauce, but they were actually good just as they are.

This year for Thanksgiving, I went to my aunt and uncle's, I usually make the pies and a vegetable to bring. One of the students I take care of at school, her mother owns a French bakery, and my daughter and I usually visit there on Saturday mornings or Wednesday evenings when my husband participates in a 5K run held by Mr Beery's a couple of doors down from the bakery. Just look at the beautiful pie that she gave me the night before Thanksgiving...such a good thing to go there at closing time...and knowing the owners!

Of course I had to sneak some beach photos in my post. A few weeks ago they held the second annual Masters Sand sculptor completion at Siesta Beach. I was there early...before the crowds, but got to watch some of the artist at work.

The fine, white, quartz sand is perfect for this kind of thing. They gather piles of the sand in front loaders for each team. After them completion on Monday they let them stand until 5:00 they bulldoze them down. It seems such a shame, almost as bad as when they wash down the streets and sidewalks after the chalk art fair the week before. I guess it disposable art at it's finest!

Oh I made sesame noodles to go with the seafood skewers...Maranda gobbled them up!
More tapas to come....I received some beautiful salt plates too!
See you soon!

French Toast -with Chickpea Flour - no eggs

2011-11-28T17:13:00.010-05:00

I didn't have a chance to post my breakfast post this weekend...a little busy...(I'll get into that later) I made this Saturday immediately after I saw it on Yummy Tummy So excited that I had most of the ingredients already so I was good to go! She is like me ...not liking sweets for breakfast... I used what I had on hand and this, like most of the recipes I make is so versatile to make it the way you like it.

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread
2 tablespoons oil (for the pan, actually butter would be good here)
1 cup chickpea flour (gram flour)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder (make it as spicy as you like...or not)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives
1 shallot chopped
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
water

In a shallow bowl mix the chickpea flour and dry spices...

add the remaining ingredients and slowly add some water and stir it all up until it makes a thin batter.

dip a slice of bread ...just like you would if making French toast...

flip it to coat both sides...

I had the batter too thick at first...it was okay, but I liked it better when I added more water to thin batter.

Heat a griddle with a little oil(oil with butter will work)...I just picked this cast iron griddle at Macy's on Black Friday! My Christmas gift to myself...or I should say to my family, because we all can use it for pancakes, tortillas, burgers, grilled sandwiches...well just about anything! So this is my first try out with my new pan!!!

Toast them like you would making French toast, then flip to the other side.. I added butter on the second batch I made, since that is what I like about making French toast...cooking it in butter.

I thought it was a little bitter so I added a touch of honey...maybe it could use a little lemon or lime juice...or yogurt?

It was a very satisfying breakfast, and my daughter even liked it. She is so good about trying new things!

A little finishing salt on top...I forgot to add salt into the first ones. Mmm, so good and so hearty! I'm sure you can find many other things to add to this savory, egg-less French toast! So I learned a few things along the way, and it was easy to try out a few different things. What you you add?

Blogger friends visit, a weekend in Sarasota

2011-11-25T15:31:00.013-05:00

Okay enough playing around, I've got to get back to work. After a week of quick dinners (I had to squeese some food in) like above of yellow rice with cilantro, steamed carrots and kale, and pork cutlet....not much to write about there. It has almost been a whole week since we had our lunch, where we got to meet up with some fabulous fellow blogger friends of mine. I am sure many of you know Rebecca from Chow and Chatter, she is just as nice in person as she is in all of the videos she posts, and she is every bit herself everywhere you'll see her on facebook , twitter and where ever else she might be. Rebecca and her family are awesome, if you haven't been there please check out her blog...I admire all that she does.

We also met Sam from My Carolina Kitchen, we were so lucky that they were in Florida for the season, and they drove up to Sarasota to join us for lunch at Mattison's City Grille downtown...just as the farmer's market was pulling out for the day. Sam and her husband were such a delight, we all had plenty to talk about. If you want to see some fantastic food and stunning photography, be sure to visit Sam's blog, you won't be disappointed.

Rebecca with her finally napping little guy...cat naps for him on this trip.

Sam and her husband Meakin, never a dull moment...

Daddy helping out so mom can eat...he's got his hands full and he can still eat, now that's talent!

I always have to get and action shot...I don't know how I do it!!! :) sorry!

I was busy working on my shell ornaments and crafts for the season. I wanted to bring them along to share...the glue was drying in the car on the way over...it's a long story...about the wrong glue. I didn't get a photo of those, but you can see one of the shell angels I made on Rececca's blog.

Later, I did work on my sea urchin snowmen, and finally found something that would work for a hat. What do you think? Any other ideas what I could use beside a cheap bead?

They were able to enjoy some beautiful weather, and sunsets. So much fun to have Rebecca walk my beach and enjoy the beauty that is around us and where I live. It was great we ran into them there on the beach. So much more to see and do.

After all the sunsets I post, I wanted to share a sunrise looking out my kitchen window. If any of you are visiting Florida and are near Sarasota, please give me a shout and email me. Would love to meet you!

Lavender Pork Roast

2011-11-16T20:00:00.003-05:00

Ahh...perfect weather for a roasted dinner....well maybe in other parts of the country. Here in south Florida if we waited for cold weather to use our oven it would not get too much use. So I use it all year round. This is actually a better time to use the grill because we can leave the doors open and not worry about the AC being on going in and out to the grill. We had a little bit of cool air for a few days before Halloween and it was in the upper 60's which is unusual to be that cold so early. It didn't take long for us to get back to normal. We are now a perfect 80 - 83 degrees, clear skies, but it seems too dry for me (I like it humid). I know...call me weird everyone else does, but isn't that why we live in Florida? I never complain about the heat either, just the bugs!

After making my lavender syrup and jelly... I had some lavender left over and thought hmmmm... okay maybe not hmmmm, just hmm...I'll bet there are some good savory dishes that I could use the lavender in. I did have a nice lavender dressing when I was in New Zealand, but I'm not big on making salads. Maybe a few...I do have an up and coming post of a chopped salad.

...anyway back to the main dish, Pork roast! I have a nice pork loin roast, a little too lean to cook in the crock pot, so into my Le Creuset French Oven it went!!

I went in the garden...well the rosemary is under the lemon tree and the other herbs are in clay pots on my front porch. Snipped some fresh herbs to go in with the dried lavender that I had left.

I cut it in half and flopped it over to add the chopped garlic, lavender, and fresh chopped herbs of sage and rosemary, and a champagne dijon mustard to hold it all in place. I probably should of cut it so I could roll it up rather than flop it over in place before tying it up....yay and I get to use more of my butcher's twine (you know I have a huge spool of it).

As I was preparing the meal I felt like I was being watched...turned and yes! Our neighbor's cat came over to take a seat on our kitchen window sill. I went out to get a photo, he looked so cute peaking around the corner...but jumped down before I could get a good shot.

... back to the meat! I tied it all up and browned the outsides. Topped with a whole grain mustard before baking...okay now I'm getting ahead of myself, I guess I better back up and give you the recipe:

Lavender Herbed Pork Roast

1 (2-3 lb) boneless pork loin
1 tablespoon or 2 sprigs of fresh minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons culinary dried lavender flowers
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dijon mustard
fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil for browning the meat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, 375 if not browning the meat first.
You can use a pork tenderloin for this too, but the cooking times would be shorter of course.
After placing the herbs and garlic in the center of the pork roll together and tie with cooking string. Brown it first, then add or rub on the whole grain or dijon mustard to the roast. Place pork in a roasting pan and pour the wine in the bottom. Roast the pork for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until pork is done. Remove it from the oven and let the meat rest about 15 minutes before slicing.

I had some fresh mushrooms and potatoes that I added to the roast about halfway through the cooking time so they wouldn't get over cooked....

The meat is done and the potatoes fork tender.

After removing the meat (to let it rest) and potatoes, use the pan drippings. You can add a little more wine and dijon, or stir in a little half and half or cream. Make sure you skim off the fat, I usually do that first, add a little more sage and lavender if you like...
See this is the part that is always hard for me to write down because it all goes by looks and taste to how much of and what to add. I sure hope I am not confusing you at this point. Or better yet just call me (email me) when you make it and I'll talk you through this part. :) okay? :)

There it is just resting, waiting to be cut into...

...a little sloppy, but good.

Pour the yummy juice or gravy over the top just before serving and enjoy.

... don't forget to serve it with the herbed potatoes

It is supposed to be beautiful all through the weekend!

Brunch Arepas - with scrambled eggs and tomatillos

2011-11-13T11:37:00.005-05:00

We love eating arepas on the weekends, we have them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper. It all depends on how you fill it or top it. It is almost like when making fried rice or quiche...let's see what we have in the fridge.

For this one I made the herbed arepas , once you are able to find the masarepa flour you will use it plenty, it's so easy to throw together a batch.
Scramble some eggs while you are cooking the arepa...this is the hardest part, but do-able with two pans. I use my flat quesadilla pan for the arepa (and many other things like flatbreads). I'm sure you all have a favorite pan that you use when making eggs.

This time I topped the arepa instead of stuffing them...topped with the scrambled eggs, fresh diced tomatoes, tomatillo salsa, queso fresco or any Mexican cheese, and cilantro. You can use jarred salsa or make your own tomatillo sauce.
Sliced avocado would be nice with this too.

See how easy it is? So quick and easy I can sit on the lanai with my family and enjoy eating a meal together...after I get the photos that is!

I will share this at Let's Do Brunch!

Sweet Spiced Nuts!!

2011-11-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Dogs just don't understand daylight savings time...how to you explain to them that we change the clock back in the fall. My dog is still getting us up at 5:00AM thinking it's time to get up for work. He used to just make sure we got up on the weekends at 6:ooAM he could not get that it was Saturday either. So funny (well not really it pretty anoying actually) he will stand outside the slider door looking into the bedroom and bark, needing nothing other than for us to get up! Today it was again 5:00am and he was standing there...in front of the open door...after he had already been outisde...and bark, pause, bark, pause, bark, bark...are you up yet? Ahhh...dogs...Sheesh!

Yes Autumn is here and even though we don't really get the typical fall weather here in Florida we are able to turn off the AC (at least in my house we do) open the windows and sliders, and sitting outside and really enjoy the room temperature. Now we can do the baking that we have been wanting to do and the house smells like spices, my favorite.

Spiced Nuts are an easy way to get your house smelling good. I first made these for a chopped salad, and since have made them for a Christmas or house-warming gifts. They are perfect to set out for when company comes, but I warn you...they don't last long, the bowls will be empty before you know it! The recipe is adjustable to what you like...add a little chili powder or cayenne if like some heat!

Ingredients:
1 cup pecans, walnuts, almonds or mixed nuts what ever you have or want
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon or pinch or nutmeg and/or cloves
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons butter, melted

In a bowl mix brown sugar with spices...in a seperate bowl melt the butter. Then dip the nuts in small batches in the metled butter then into the sugar and spice mix...

Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parment paper (for easy clean up) . Walnuts on the left and I used a bag of the pecan pieces on the right ...this is great for salads!

Place in a 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Now I learned the hard way that 8 minutes is about right...
...much more than that and the sugar and spice coating will start to melt off, and end up all over the parchment paper...just keep any eye on them.

Walnuts all sweet and spicy just waiting for you...so good, I like it when the sugar gets a little caramelized.

The smaller pieces I just store in a jar until I am ready to use them in a salad. I usually don't like it too sweet, but this is a nice little touch of sweet and spice to the salad.

Are you on my gift list?

Edited to add photo and I really should wake him up

Cedar Plank Baked Rainbow Trout

2011-11-01T20:01:00.006-04:00

I have had these cedar plank and have been wanting to try using them with salmon for sometime now. They were tucked away somewhere and still wrapped in the plastic wrapper when Wade found them for me. They have a Florida "Gator" carved in the other side...I must of picked them up on clearance after football season.

I ran across these beautiful fresh rainbow trout, and bought some because they looked so good and they just came in. "This would work great for the cedar planks" I said to myself! So when I got home I search for the planks...I looked with my grilling supplies, then in the bin where I keep my cooking twine (I still have a lot of cooking twine if anyone needs any). I found some cookie presses that I will finally use this year (let's hope). I looked in my laundry room (which is where my pantry is). Then My husband finally found them in the garage of all places. He said he didn't know what they were but knew he should keep them because they were wrapped and the Gator symbol was on it! So here we go...it was very easy and I will try it again soon with some salmon.

It really doesn't need any recipe it is very simple, but you do have to plan a little bit ahead to soak the cedar planks for an hour or two. The fish was already cleaned, and ready to go. I made one with fresh rosemary and lemon and the other with fresh sage and lime...that what I had in my garden.

First rinse the fish...or I should say soak the cedar planks first....after the fish are rinsed, rub with a little vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little garlic powder, onion powder, you can use any herbs you like maybe dill, or herbes de provence, then some Old Bay Seasoning or you can use chili powder. I used chipotle chili powder to keep with the smoky flavor going on here. Then like I said I then laid some rosemary on one and fresh sage leaves on the other. Place some lemon slices over the rosemary and lime slices over the sage leaves.

In a hot oven 375 - 400 degree F, place the fish on the planks and then in the oven...you can put a pan or foil under it to catch any drippings. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the fish is done.

The trout held up to the seasoning well I really like the flavor, and it was nice and moist.

I had the one with sage, but I was able to get a taste of the one with rosemary. They were both excellent!

Syrian Bread

2011-10-30T12:59:00.003-04:00

When I was a child growing up in west Michigan we had a neighbor that lived at the end of our street, and she would make Syrian bread. Occasionally she would bring us some and I loved it. I never did get her recipe. When I was young I didn't cook much, and that was mostly due to the fact that my mom was such a good cook. When she did let me help it was usually my job to make the salad....and I hated making salads. I had to tear the lettuce so it wouldn't bruise and it seemed no matter how much I tore at it, the big salad bowl never got full.

Then she would let me brown the ground meat for spaghetti bolognaise or chili or something. She asked me to season it...oh now this was interesting to me. I started to sprinkle the usual salt, pepper and garlic powder. That was good, but I wanted to see what a little of this and a pinch of that might do...over the years when I learned a little more about herbs and spices (which I love and have a passion for) she would call me into the kitchen and would ask if I wouldn't mind seasoning whatever it was that she was making for dinner.

Actually I don't know what that has to do with anything other than that is a bit on how I got started experimenting with different recipes and made them my own. I haven't really thought about Mrs Ansara's Syrian Bread until I ran across this bread on Treat and Trick...and what luck, it was a bread machine recipe!!! Whoo hoo!!

Into the bread machine:
1 1/8 cup warm water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast

Hit the dough cycle.
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
When the cycle is complete punch down dough and divide into 8 and make into balls. Roll each ball out into about a 6" circle, (mine ended up being a little more rectangular),
Brush tops with melted butter and bake (probably will only be able to bake a couple at a time) 8 minutes and then flip and brush other side with the butter and bake for another 5 minutes.

While I baked some I also did what she did and made some on the griddle about five minutes each side. You can tell when they get done with the little golden spots that start to appears. I topped some of them with ...black and white sesame seeds, garlic, and sea salt (I keep this blended and in a jar to use on many things). On a few others I topped with zaatar seasoning (also a blend that I've made), but didn't get a picture of those. I guess they tasted too good hot off the grill to stick around for a photo op!

Some more backyard (well actually this is my front yard) photos. I saw some seed pods or tunas on my cactus. I thought this was a Trichocereus pachanoi ( San Pedro) cactus, but it seems it gets confused with T. peruvianus (Peruvian Torch) one or the other is said to contain mescaline even though in small amounts...and since I am not sure. I will stick to my prickly pear cactus and wait for those to fruit! :)

I have heard that they rarely produce this sweet fruit. One split open yesterday and it looks like the white dragon fruit inside. Still it looks pretty cool against the bright blue sky!

Breakfast Egg and Toast Cups

2011-10-28T17:39:00.001-04:00

If you know me you know that I like to get more savory breakfast ideas. The weekends are when I spend a little more time making breakfast, rather than the whole grain toast with almond butter and ginger jam! The typical breakfast on the run out the door! So here is another one that I happened to catch on Jaden's Steamy Kitchen ...bacon, egg, and toast cups she used muffin tins to make hers. I thought I would change it up a little...(ha! what did you expect?)

I used individual cups for these, I have several different size ramekins, so I used one that would hold the goodies... I didn't have a crowd to feed so I just made three of them.

First cut a out a circle in the slice of bread, use a cookie cutter, tuna can or anything round that would work here. You were supposed to flatten it out slightly, I didn't, but it still worked fine.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly butter 6 standard-sized muffin cups or the individual cups that you plan to use.

Cut each round, then press into each muffin cup, the halves will overlap slightly, but in these ramekins they didn't so I just added some more bread.

Make use of extra bread to patch any gaps, press into place.

Brush the tops of the bread in each muffin cup with melted butter.

Lay in some spinach and sprinkle with some shredded cheese. I used some organic chopped frozen spinach that I always have on hand, you don't have to thaw it first. If you are frying up some bacon and you have the pan out already go ahead and toss some fresh spinach and saute, or chopped tomatoes, even onions if you like then add them to the bottom here.

Crack one egg into each cup and season with salt, pepper and a little herb blend, then bake until the egg whites are just set, about 20 to 25 minutes.

I made one with the egg whole...

...and another with the egg mixed up a little and a dash of cream added.

...sprinkle some grated cheese and fresh chives, and serve while still warm...

..or run a knife around cups to loosen and serve immediately.

So easy and a perfect way to make breakfast a little special!

Split Pea Soup (slow cooker)

2011-10-22T19:11:00.005-04:00

It is rather chilly for Florida this time of year. Usually our summer-like weather lasts through the end of October...I know this because you can never dress a child in a Halloween costume that is long sleeved it is just too warm still. It is nice that we can turn off the AC and open the windows, and actually sit out on the lanai without having to jump into the pool.

The temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees over night, then slowly works it way back up. We are dry and sunny so that helps. The kids at school still come in shorts and short sleeves and I knew I would have to get that box of long sleeves and sweatshirt out from the top shelf in the clinic. That where everyone comes when they need shoes for P.E. because they wore flip-flops, or a pair of shorts because theirs ripped or sweatshirt because their mom didn't check the weather forecast. :D

So Friday I had this boy come in from P.E. complaining about his legs are itchy from the cold weather, and as a matter of fact he was itchy everywhere....so I asked how I could help him...he just wanted some calamine lotion (it's magic you know). The funny part is he asked me if he could get frost bite...I told him not in 70 degree weather so he was pretty safe! :) Ha! Florida kids!

To take the chill off from you... soup is a good start! This is one of my favorite split pea soups, I've made it many times. I found the recipe in Parade magazine years ago, it is for a crock pot or slow cooker. I have made it stove top too, both ways are good, you just have to make it the way that works best for you!

Ingredients:
2 carrots
2 ribs of celery
1 parsnip (I used 2)
1 onion (I used shallots)
1 leek (3 inches of green left on) I think I used 2
1 ripe tomato
1 ham hock (Optional - I never use this I just dice up some smoked sausage or leave it out if you want it vegetarian)
1 3/4 cups dried split peas
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
4 cups defatted chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
4 cups water
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Method:
Cut all of the vegetables into 1/4 inch dice and place them in a crock pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients except salt, pepper and parsley. Cover and cook high for 7 hours. Remove the ham hock and let cool slightly so you can shred any meat from the bone and return the meat to the pot. Season with salt and pepper then stir in the chopped parsley. Make sure you remember to remove the bay leaf before serving.

This time I made it in my dutch oven and with a little oil in the pot I sauteed the onion, celery, carrots, parsnips and leeks for about 5-10 minutes. I like to then add the seasoning, I was a little generous with the measuring and I might of added some marjoram and garlic too. Next add the diced sausage then the tomato. I added 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water, and cooked it for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Then add the salt and pepper and add more water when necessary...make it as soupy as you like it or as thick. Stir in the parsley right before serving.

I just sprinkled the cilantro on top, and I am sure my daughter had sour cream on top of hers...

I like soups with a small dice, the peas are well incorporated into the soup so the veggies stand out. Yum, it just seems to warm you up nicely!

Savory French Toast

2011-10-17T18:47:00.007-04:00

I have always wanted to make a baked French toast...one with some nice fruit on the bottom and cinnamon and spices melding through it. So when it was my turn to choose the recipe for Martha Monday I was searching for that when I came across a Savory French Toast! Perfect! For breakfast...lunch...or dinner! We had it for dinner tonight!! But for me it is great for breakfast too because I don't like things too sweet for breakfast. When I eat French toast I never put syrup on it just butter....so this is a kicked up version of the perfect French Toast!

From Martha Stewart Living, April 2001

Ingredients
5 ounces (about 6 slices) bacon
2 onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
12 ounces button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt
6 slices 1-inch-thick bread, such as sourdough, each cut into 3 long strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
1.Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove bacon with tongs, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Add onions to skillet with bacon drippings; cook, stirring constantly, until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until tender and most of the liquid released has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl to cool. When cool, finely chop half the mixture, and set aside the other half.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, Parmesan, and salt. Stir in the finely chopped vegetable mixture.
3.Place the bread strips in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour egg mixture over bread; soak 10 minutes. Turn strips over, and soak until bread is soaked through, about 10 minutes more.
4.Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry half the bread strips until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire rack; place in oven while cooking remaining bread.
5.Wipe out skillet; repeat with remaining butter, oil, and bread. Keep in oven until ready to serve. Heat remaining onion mixture in a small skillet until warm. Serve French toast warm, topped with reserved onion mixture, crumbled bacon, and Parmesan, if desired.

I cut the recipe in half, because I have a small family, but added more Parmesan cheese. I did follow the recipe pretty close (for me)...except I added my Bonne Herbes to the eggs, cream, Parmesan mixture, and I didn't soak it for 10 minutes on each side. I think I would do that if I was to put it in a baking dish and bake it in the oven. I didn't feel the need to keep it warm in the oven until served...I just served when I was finished browning the toasts strips.
I also dusted it with a little garlic powder...since I like my grilled cheese with Parmesan and garlic powder...so...why not?

The other difference was by mistake...the mushrooms that I had were in the fridge were there too long and I really didn't feel comfortable using them...so I went without...to my daughter's delight...I might add. Mushrooms are not one of her favorites yet (I have been able to sneak them in here and there). So other than the shallots instead of the onions and no mushrooms...

...and the added herbs (also fresh chives from the garden). I didn't use the bacon grease to cook the shallots I used butter and olive oil, then I put some aside and spooned that over the top,I was thinking the onion sauce they spoon over perogies! then the bacon and the fresh grated Parmesan cheese!

Yes...it was a lovely tender, yet crisp on the outside tasty bite! Savory with a little salty flavor from the bacon and cheese.

Maranda had hers without the shallots, but she didn't forget...

the bacon! You can leave out the bacon if you want a vegetarian meal! Great with a salad!

To check out how other's had made their savory French toast be sure to visit
Brette at Martha and Me
Pru from Prefecting Pru
Feel free to join us for Martha Mondays!

Spinach Artichoke Spread

2011-10-16T10:02:00.004-04:00

If you have a jar of artichoke hearts sitting in your cupboard....you know the one that you meant to use but never got a round to it. This is a nice way to use it. It's a spread that I serve cold and is great on those little garlic toasts that you can make or pick up at the deli section of your grocer.

Ingredients:
1 jar (or can) artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
4-6 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1-2 teaspoons roasted garlic or 1 - cloves chopped
1/2 tarragon

Make sure you rinse the artichoke heart when you are draining them, try to use the ones that are packed in water. If not just rinse well and drain.
If you want to use roasted garlic...peel away the outer layer of skin and slice off the top of a head of garlic so you can see some of the cloves, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil or place in a clay garlic roaster or baking pan or muffin tins. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when squeezed. Roasted garlic can be added to so many dishes and gives it a wonderful mild not so sharp garlic flavor.

In a bowl (of course) stir the soft cream cheese until smooth and add the sour cream and mayo. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend together. You can adjust the amounts until it is the right consistence for a spread. You might want to less mayo or more cream cheese if you like a spread rather than a dip.

You can always add mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese, some hot sauce, more garlic and bake it in the oven to have a hot spinach artichoke dish. Or maybe I'll just post that one latter for the holidays! Enjoy!

Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

2011-10-12T17:32:00.005-04:00

Okay here I am, and here is my Martha Monday post...on Wednesday! I made it on Monday though, so I am sure that counts. Pru of Perfecting Pru chose this weeks MM project and her choice was Lighter Chicken Pot Pie. She picked this recipe because she has never made chicken pot pie before. I usually make mine with mashed potatoes and a regular pie crust top and bottom.

I think this is a winner in my book for a lighter chicken pie version, and no potatoes. I did make a couple of little changes though...hey what did you expect? I had some mushrooms and parsnips so I added some of them in there and I totally forgot the peas!

Here is Martha Stewart's Recipe from Martha Stewart Living, January 2006:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1/4 cup melted butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (I used 1 large one)
1 garlic clove, minced (I used more and a little garlic powder)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups reserved stock from Poached Chicken (I used a little less and chicken stock instead)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 medium carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices (also parsnips and a few mushrooms)
3 medium celery stalks, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I used 2)
Poached Chicken
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus about 1/2 cup leaves for crust and sprigs for garnish
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon (I used my dried herb blend that had tarragon in it)
1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen peas (totally forgot the peas)
6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling (optional) (Yes I did this)
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup stock into the flour in a small bowl. Whisk into shallot mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
2.Add carrots and celery. Bring to a boil. Stir in chicken. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and tarragon. Let cool. Stir in peas. Transfer to a 2-quart (8 1/2-by-12-inch) baking dish.
3.Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Sprinkle with parsley leaves. Repeat with remaining phyllo, parsley, and butter; do not sprinkle parsley on final layer. (Keep unbuttered phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel.) Drape crust over cooled filling; tuck in edges. Cut four 4-inch slits in crust for vents. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
4.Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and recut vents. Serve immediately in shallow bowls.

I also used some chicken stock instead of the liquid reserved from the poached chicken, and sprinkled some of my dried herb blend (tarragon, basil, dill, chives, chervil) over this before I place the phyllo on top. I guess I changed it more than I thought....

I am not used to using phyllo dough I usually would use puff pastry here instead, but it turned out pretty good.

...and it actually worked ...pre-slicing in made it easy to cut when it was out of the oven all golden brown and bubbly.

Everyone liked it and ate their fair share...

I had to make sure I grabbed a piece and put it aside so I could enjoy this for my lunch the next day! It sure made a great lunch... even if the phyllo wasn't as crisp as it was the first night. I made people say mmmm....that smells good!

Tuna Anelletti Salad

2011-10-08T10:02:00.000-04:00

A co worker from Albany New York was looking for some ring shaped pasta since she moved to Florida. I guess they used to get it up there all the time and make a tuna salad dish from it. Well I found some at an Italian deli that I like to go to and told her about it. She said it was close to what she would get, but a little larger. So I ended up using it myself.

The ingredients are all subject to taste and I rarely measure when making things like this, but I'll try to give some measurements.
1 can of solid white Albacore tuna
8 oz anelletti (ring shaped pasta)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped olives (or capers) I used black olives
1 shallot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
a few chopped chives, I had some garlic chives too
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley or cilantro chopped

Cook pasta per package directions, and set aside to cool. Prepare ingredients that needs to be chopped and place in a mixing bowl. Open and drain the tuna, then add to the bowl along with all the other ingredients and mix until combined. You can adjust the amount of mayo and yogurt to the way you like it. If you have any fresh herbs here is a great way to use them.

It looks better in person, but it makes a good lunch any time of year.

Add some grape tomatoes or dice up some from you garden...if you are one of those you are lucky enough to get them from the garden. It is nice to serve on a bed of lettuce too. Sometimes I like to add a little curry powder just to change things up.

Lavender Jelly and a visit from the Fairy Hobmother

2011-09-30T17:39:00.009-04:00

Happy Friday friends and fellow bloggers! Before I get on with the tale of my lavender jelly I would love to tell you about my visit from the Fairy Hobmother. I don't know if you are familiar with this mystical visitor who wonders through blogs in the blogosphere...granting wishes...spreading joy.

A few days back after leaving a comment and a wish on Sam's blog My Carolina Kitchen where she blogged about her surprise visit. The Fairy Hobmother who represents an online appliance store granted me a wish with a gift certificate to Amazon.com. Appliances Online who sell dishwashers and other white goods is someplace you should visit.

Thank you Fairy Hobmother (called so because in the UK where Appliences Online is from a cooktop is called a hob)

And guess what? You can be lucky too, and your wish come true. All you have to do is leave a comment and your wish of what you would like the Fairy Hobmother to bring you...and you could get a visit too.

You might remember my lavender syrup that I made instead of jelly. I actually really liked the syrup, so good on those corn pancakes. Well I let the other jars that sealed set and they finally did it! They are now lavender jelly! and the jelly is so good too! Smiles all around!

The recipes out there are pretty basic and I found this one on What's Cooking America I liked it because it was a smaller amount...just in case it didn't turn out :)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lavender flowers (culinary)
Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
1 (1 3/4-ounces) box powdered Pectin or 1 pouch (3-ounces) liquid pectin
4 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over high heat bring water just to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in dried lavender flowers, and let steep for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, strain mixture into a deep kettle or pot, discarding the lavender flowers. Stir in lemon juice and pectin; continue stirring until the pectin is dissolved.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil; add sugar. When the jelly solution returns to a hard rolling boil, let it boil for 2 to 4 minutes (see below), stirring occasionally.

Boil Times:
2 minutes - soft gel
4 minutes - medium gel

Testing for "jell" (thickness - keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency you like, then you know the jelly is ready. If not, mix in a little more pectin (about 1 teaspoon to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute
After boiling, transfer the jelly into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them.

Makes five 1/2 pints.
I also followed the directions that came with the liquid pectin. It also told me in more detail how to fill and seal the jars and re-make the jelly if it doesn't set after two weeks. The recipe was very similar to this one here. I think next time I would cook it a little longer. I wonder if it make a difference that I am at sea level?

You should check out What's Cooking America to see some other great lavender recipes they have.

So now I have making jelly under my belt, maybe I should try some jam! I have some other jam jars that I saved to reuse!

I like it on toast!

My orchid that I though bit the dust...amazed me by popping out some blooms. It was just hanging around (literally) out in my lanai...looking pretty scrawny and boom! It is up against the white wall so I had to create a little contrast.

I know you all are wondering what I will be using my gift card on . Well...just the other day I saw this awesome seafood paella recipe on ADORA'S Box. I had never made paella before and after seeing this I really wanted to try it...but I don't have a paella pan...I even commented that I needed to find a pan...and bingo! Now I can go to Amazon.com and buy one...thanks to Fairy Hobmother.

The Fairy Hobmother is looking to grant wishes so if you leave a wish in the comments it could be granted like mine and other people's wishes were!!! Leave a Comment and good luck!!

Lentil Sausage Soup (it can be spicy)

2011-09-25T18:10:00.006-04:00

Autumn has begun and even though it doesn't feel like it here, we still enjoy eating this hearty soup. It will definitely fill you up and make your tummy happy. With plenty of leftovers for lunch and another quick weeknight supper. You can leave the sausage out and it would be a great vegetarian meal, and you can adjust the red pepper flakes to make as hot as you like it or not! For this soup the sausage I used was a chicken chorizo sausage, which gave it good flavor. You can use Italian sweet or mild instead.

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage (I used less than a pound of a spicy chicken chorizo chopped)
1 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped (I used 2 small ones)
2 leeks chopped (I used leeks in place of the onion)
2 carrots chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
oil to saute the veggies
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
6 cups of broth
2 cups dry lentils (green or French lentils, whatever type you like)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano (I used Turkish, because I just picked some up and wanted to try it)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or chopped chillies or hot pepper sauce (adjust to your taste)

All the seasoning is adjustable I pretty much just "eyeball" it when I add them, and you can add some later after it cooks for a while, taste it and see if you need to add more.

In a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven, I used my Le Creuset French oven that I won from Bo's Bowl saute the carrots, celery, leeks, onions (if using them) in a little oil with the salt and pepper for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, sausage and tomato paste...keep stirring. If you are using bulk Italian sausage you can brown this first and set aside until ready to add to the soup, or add it to the vegetables.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about an hour or so until the lentils are done., and everything is tender. Don't forget to remove the bay leaves before serving, otherwise you'll always get that person...the same one, who seems to always get the dried chili or cherry or olive pit that was left in!

Kale! You know I like to sneak greens in when I can....so while the soup was cooking... I washed some kale and removed the hard ribs...tore it in pieces and then added it to the pot!

None the wiser....it was gobbled up! Okay, maybe their bowls were liked clean, but I was able to get some good leftovers tucked away into the freezer ready to pull out for another great meal.

I added some Italian parsley too...look how big the parsley was!

Top with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese or I think I had some Asiago...

...don't forget the crusty bread so they can get every drop! We do like to eat soup year round here even when it reaches 90 degrees like it did today, but then it rained and cooled it off some. No sunset walk tonight!

EDITED TO ADD: So we decided to go to the beach anyway just to take a walk. Wade needed a break from working on Eric's Ski trying to get it ready for the World Jet Ski Finals in Lake Havasu, AZ in October. We went to the beach and I can't believe that I didn't bring my camera. It was the most beautiful sunset with the clouds being outlined in a bright light, in such an unusual form! All colors of pink, blue sky and purple, orange, beautiful clouds. When we got there every one was looking the other way at the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen, a full rainbow so high in the sky there was no way I would of been able to get a good shot of that! Isn't that the way it goes when you don't bring your camera?

This recipe has been shared with:

and linked to Souper (soup, salad, & sammie) Sundays at Deb's blog Kahakai Kitchen at http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/

This post was shared with Hearth and Soul over at Pemeditated Leftovers.

Amy's Pho Vietnamese Noodles and Subs, and More

2011-09-21T06:08:00.011-04:00

My daughter and I like to check out different regional cuisines many are in little strip malls and would qualify as a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It is fun and interesting and we have found some really good food in Sarasota.

I will share with you where we went the past two Saturdays...first I wanted to try some Vietnamese pho. I checked out how to make it and even a local well known food blogger had a great recipe on her blog The Steamy Kitchen. As with so many things that I wanted to try I thought the only way was to make it myself. Until I spotted Amy's Pho Vietnamese Noodles and Subs one day as I was going to my husband's jet ski repair shop one day. So that Saturday we stopped in...

It is a small restaurant tucked away in a small strip mall on a part of 301 that is a little sketchy, but we are used to the area during the day because the bike shop my husband used to work at and his new shop are just down the street. Anyway we had to try it one day for lunch...

Maranda ordered the Grilled Chicken with Vermicelli, the portions sizes were very large, but that's okay we are used to taking food home for lunch the next day.

She tried the dipping sauce, but just a little. The waiter was very friendly and kept asking how she liked it. Also making sure everything was fine.

I ordered the Pho with rare beef...it arrived steaming hot...

The beef wasn't what I would call rare and I could of done without it, next time I'll order a different one. Or maybe try their Bun Cha which I hear is really good. The pho comes with a large plate of toppings of fresh Thai basil, sprouts, and chilies...

It was very good the broth was excellent you could taste all the flavors that went into it, and I am glad I was able to get such a large bowl of goodness! Later the owner or at least I thought he was the owner came out front and sat at a table near us and asked how everything was. Funny he too was so concerned how my daughter liked hers. He went over to talk to her when I went up to pay, then he smiled when she said she liked it, he told her to tell her friends. We will definitely go back there again, make sure you come hungry because their bowls are really big!

Last Saturday we went to the flea market up in Bradenton, when we were ready to leave we stopped here to pick up some very authentic Mexican food to bring to my husbands shop for lunch...
The women in the back was making the tortillas...pulling off balls from this big pile of masa dough...I had gorditas -beef, chicken and pork and we picked up some quesadillas and these were nothing like the quesadillas that you get at Chili's. Can't wait to go back and get the 4 tacos for $6.00. We ate it all before I remembered to get a picture of it.

Back to my yard and an update on my turmeric...here is the one that I planted in the ground, it is growing nicely...

...and some nice big banana leaves that I hope to use before the wind rips them up, don't they look pretty?

This is the turmeric in the pot, I will have to use this soon too. Now I have to find out how and when to harvest it and what recipe to use the tops in. Thanks for stopping by, and any suggestion on how to use the fresh turmeric pleas let me know!

Corn Pancakes and Lavender Syrup

2011-09-18T17:19:00.008-04:00

I am not a big pancake fan, I am not a big fan of sweets for breakfast ...well unless it's a chocolate croissant ;) If I have waffles or French toast it's usually without syrup. So you are probably wondering where I am going with this....My daughter has been making pancakes for her breakfast (takes after her grandmother) now and then and when we go out for breakfast she always gets one pancake and a side of hash browns. So the other day I was thinking about when I did eat pancakes...when I was a kid and my mom would make us corn pancakes. That's what I grew up eating...corn pancakes made with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix....
The recipe was on the side of the box and that is how we had pancakes. I loved them as a kid and I love using Jiffy to make corn bread. Sometimes you just have to pull out the box. So being the weekend I thought it would be fun to make my mom's Jiffy corn pancakes and see what my daughter thought of them....well they were a big hit...just like when I was a kid!! I was telling my sister that I made mom's corn pancakes and she asked "Did you use Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix?" It sure makes it easy and why mess with it.
>

If you can't get Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix where you live you can always try to make them from scratch:

Ingredients
!/2 to 3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbs. sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. margarine, melted

Mix the dry ingredients then add the wet and stir together, don't over-mix. Make sure your griddle is hot before you pour the batter on it. When you start to see the bubbles, flip them over.

Now for the syrup...I have never made jam or jelly before and I really wanted to try. I do eat jam on toast with almond butter, but I use it sparingly so it's not too sweet. I wanted to try something a little different so I thought it would be fun to make lavender jelly. Well I tried and it didn't set up. Then after reading... it said to wait two weeks because it could take that long before it sets. So that's what I did, as long as it seals it is okay to do this....and it didn't set up. After following the direction on how to remake the jelly and doing a lot of reading, that's what I did. It even said sometimes it just doesn't set up...even for experienced jelly makers...this sometimes will happen. Then you just say you made syrup! So I made Lavender Syrup!

I must say... it was really good! It was so good on the corn pancakes (which is now on our breakfast menu).

I used a jar that really didn't seal so I popped it in the fridge and used it here. After awhile the rest of my jelly did set up some I will let you know if it works on toast!

Lavender Syrup:
3 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dried lavender
1/4 cup juice of 1 lemon
1 pouch of liquid pectin
4 cups sugar
of course if you are making syrup I would leave out the pectin and cook everything with the lemon peels and cook it to the right consistency.

It brought back such good memories. Funny how food can do that.

We didn't have much of a sunset tonight, but it was still a beautiful evening at the beach.

I love watching the clouds over the water...

a perfect evening with a nice breeze...

walking barefoot...wishing you all were here with us...

...the moon even was out. Have a wonderful evening!

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato

2011-09-14T06:28:00.005-04:00

Another idea for tomatoes, basil and mozzarella or other cheese. I don't really have a recipe for this but they are easy to make. Slice the eggplant in 1/4" slices. Salt them and let et for a bit, then press the moisture out of them. If you use a white or Japanese eggplant you could skip this step. Brush with olive oil...here would be a good time to use one of your flavored oils. Cook on the grill or a grill pan for 3-4 minutes per side until the texture is soft or the way you like it.

then sprinkle with a crumbled cheese...maybe a little goat cheese or feta, or maybe blue cheese...

...next a nice juicy tomato slice, a little sea salt a some seasoning....

..oops forgot the basil ... slide that fresh basil in there, or you could use spinach or another green instead or in addition to the basil... or pesto would be nice.

there, all set for the cheese on top...mozzarella or the Italian four cheese blend works well. I have a cast iron grill pan that I use stove-top and I can also put it in the oven.

After you top it with the cheese place the pan in the oven to finish cooking and the cheese is melted. If you do these on the grill just close the lid of the grill after you add the cheese to the top.

You can make these for appetizers or a nice lunch (we had them for dinner).

Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes

2011-09-11T17:00:00.007-04:00

Okay I know all of you up north probably have their fair share of beautiful home grown tomatoes...and I am so jealous! I do miss my mom's grown tomatoes fresh from her garden. I have tried to grow them here in Florida with not much luck...so now I just get them at Yoder's where I know they get them local when they can...But I am able to get fresh mozzarella! Not that I made myself, but fresh none the less...

I can grow a little basil...I just keep replanting when it goes to seed...So a wonderful thing to make with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil is Caprese salad. Thick slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, with some of those basil leaves tucked in between...topped with a drizzle of balsamic (make a reduction for a special treat) and extra virgin olive oil...and a sprinkle of finishing salt (I discovered many finishing salts thanks to Jaden from The Steamy Kitchen), she told me where to go in Sarasota to get the best!

Or make some pizza!
Margherita Pizza is a pizza classic. This style of pizza was originally made for Queen Margherita, the Queen of Italy by a man named Esposito in Naples in 1889. Italy, Queen Margherita.

Simple ingredients make for a wonderful tasting pizza, it always helps to make sure you have the best, fresh ingredients.
I make a quick pizza dough in the dough cycle of my bread machine...

Spread on some fresh tomato sauce or your favorite pizza sauce. Sprinkle some fresh grated Parmesan, slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves from your garden, and slices of your beautiful (wish I had) homegrown tomatoes! Drizzle with a little good olive oil and fresh garlic ....

...bake in a hot oven 425 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes until the crust is golden to perfection and the cheese bubbly!

Need I say more?!

7 Links Challenge - and 2 Years!

2011-09-06T19:16:00.006-04:00

I have totally enjoyed seeing many of the 7 links post, and I myself have been tagged by Elisabeth of Food and Thrift, and Kristy of My Little Space to join in the fun, and with many open offers. Finally I was able to get this post up. It was a lot harder that you might think. Of course I cheated on a couple and gave more than one answer, but it was a lot of fun going back through everything. Also, I discovered that Sept 5 was my 2 year blog anniversary. So I guess it worked out pretty good timing.

1. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL POST

I am not a big baker and don't make a lot of fancy pretty cakes and desserts. I do make pretty bento box lunches, but those beauties are on my The Tiny Bento blog. So I came up with a fussy little dish that I made that not only looked good, but tasted just as good. Butternut Squash and Walnut Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce. I also like to add a lot of beauty to my posts with photos from the Nation's #1 beach and flowers, family and the pretty things that surround me each day.

2. THE MOST POPULAR POST This one was easier to pick I just checked the stats!
With this recipe I was having fun one afternoon playing with my new pancake puff pan and discovered how to make a Savory Aebleskiver. Apparently it was something that many are interested in because it is my most popular post by a big margin. For awhile my Arepas and Cheese were a close second but now they are just back with the pack in second place.

3. THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST

I can't really say that I have a controversial post, this almost went for beauty, but for my Agua de Flora Jamaica (hibiscus Tea) I did get a comment that told me how I should make it.

4. THE MOST HELPFUL POST
I really like to make most of my posts helpful. I do many play-by-play, or step-by-step post to show even the beginning cooks that they don't have to be afraid to try to make anything. Hopefully my photos will help them want to make it. I chose this Brazilian Feijoada as a helpful post because of all the research that I did, and just because it might have some oddball ingredients, you can still make it your way and it tasted so good too... I was very happy with it. I also have to add my Chewy Granola Bars ...because someone actually commented that they have seen many granola bar recipes and this was the first one that showed her how to do it step-by-step. So that made me feel good! Thanks Nami.

5.POST THAT WAS SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL

Like many things I make here is something that I have been wanting to try and may never get the chance to make it to Japan to try it the way the Japanese make it. Okonomiyaki ...it was interesting and I think I need a little more practice to make it as pretty as it should be, but I got such a big response. I will make it again, but different!

6. POST THAT DID NOT GET ATTENTION IT DESERVED
Rhubarb and Plum Crisp...well maybe this post didn't deserve any attention because of the lousy pictures...it was also one of my early posts. But I created this dessert all on my own and the flavors were so good together. It was something that worked and was created out of what I had in the house to work with. Mmm...I would like a nice warm bowl of it right now with a big scoop of ice cream!

7. POST YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF

When I first started my blog it was (of course this time of year) and Kristy was making mooncakes for the up and coming Mooncake Festival in Malaysia where she lives. I must say that mooncakes intrigued me so much and I wanted to make some. It took me almost a year to get up the courage to do so and post it on my blog. I did get the idea from Kristy and adapted my recipe from hers, but with my own little spin on Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Mooncakes.

...But I just had to mention my Hasselbeck Potatoes only because Sunny Anderson from Food Network actually commented on my post. I first saw these famous potatoes when she made them on her show Cooking for Real. So that was kind of exciting for lil' ol' me!

I hope you all enjoyed it and please feel free to join in. I would love to see everyone's seven links!

Savory Meat Pesto Rolls

2011-08-31T18:54:00.007-04:00

I don't buy sausage too often but sometimes a good breakfast dish is just calling me to do so. I have a breakfast casserole with eggs and cheese which is oh so good, but I usually save that for when we have a lot of people over since it makes so much. I saw this savory meat roll featured from the Blue Moon Cafe on Food Networks DDD. This one sounded good and you can have it for dinner instead of breakfast. I used some pizza dough, but I'll bet the biscuit dough they use would be terrific! Kinda like cinnamon rolls, but savory, with meat and vegetables!
Here is a quick way to get that dough ready.
Put all ingredients in the bread machine in order listed:
8 oz water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
set on dough cycle...remove and flatten dough out on well floured surface in a rectangle.

I made it my way ...for this roll I first spread some softened cream cheese, then spread some pesto, sprinkle with the browned sausage. I added some frozen spinach that I always have on hand (had to get some veggies in there)

Next evenly top with the cheese, mozzarella and asiago was used this time...roll it up into a log like you would when you make stromboli. Then cut into 1/2" or so slices, or as many that will fit into your pan like you would cinnamon rolls.

Place onto baking sheet and press tops down, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes...

Oh yeah...I sprinkled a little Parmesan on top first...

maybe I shouldn't have ...it browned a little too much...and I know better too!

There are so many ways you can top these ...I just topped with a little fresh grated Parmesan, but you can use some sauteed vegetables and mushrooms...next time I might follow the recipe a little closer...maybe.

As with many of the things I make I add what I like or what I have on hand.

We still had many leftovers, so we had some for lunches too. Yup, a good yummy bite!

Roxy is one of our "step" dogs that we often have visit and vacation at our house when their adults are on vacation!
She watches every move I make when I am in the kitchen.

Oven-Baked Risotto ~ Martha Monday's

2011-08-29T18:13:00.005-04:00

Another week... another Martha Monday project. This week was my choice and I went with Oven-baked risotto...of course you know me it had to be easy and tasty. The chicken was in the slow cooker and I had everything ready for the risotto so I could pop it in the oven when we got back from the beach. Sunday evenings we like to walk the beach for sunset when we get a chance. This evening the sun was amazing and an awesome color red as we were driving the short distance to Crescent Beach, but when we got there they are working on the access so we drove a little farther down the key to Turtle Beach...

Here is Martha's recipe from Everyday Food:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine, (optional)
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

2.Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.

I caramelized the onions slightly first and added a few dried herbs, my Fine Herbes blend, and a bit more cheese. I think it could of used a little more liquid, but that is easy enough to fix (I know risotto is suppose to spread). I like the size of this recipe, it's perfect for a small family like mine. The baked pumpkin risotto that I've made before was such a large amount, we could never finish it all. That one is good for Thanksgiving or big gatherings.

Mmm...stir in all that goodness when it comes out of the oven...nice and creamy. I think I could use this recipe again and try it with some butternut squash that I have in the freezer, or spinach...

I love how easy this was, so nice I didn't have to stand at the stove and stir, would much rather be walking the beach. I think it really pulled the Sunday supper together nicely.

This evening it was such a wonderful walk on Turtle Beach...with a nice breeze blowing...

...sand between your toes...

It's funny how different the sand is here from Crescent beach's white sand when it's just a mile or so south.

...waves rolling upon the sand...so much funto watch the sandpipers run back and forth with each wave.

Enjoy each day!

Chirashi Sushi - (Scattered Sushi)

2011-08-25T19:07:00.008-04:00

The first week of school is always so busy for us in the clinic, with getting all the meds and paperwork filled, signed and in place...of course all the bug bites and tummy aches taken care of...and much more. I have not been on the computer much...let alone cooking, but I didn't want you to think I didn't care.

Chirashi sushi is a great way to enjoy all the flavors of sushi without the fuss and muss of rolls. (I do enjoy making sushi rolls though) and they are fun to bring to a gathering, but this is a fun way to serve it. Almost like a deconstructed sushi roll...

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sushi rice
1 clove garlic minced
2 green onions (optional)
1 T soy sauce
1 T mirin
1 T sake
1-2 carrots cut in thin strips
8 snow peas
1 egg cooked into an egg sheet and cut in strips
2 T sesame oil
2 shiitake mushrooms
crab, cooked shrimp, nori seaweeds strips or wakame seaweed, avocado, whatever you like
2 T sesame seeds
1 T beni shoga (red ginger) julienned

Soak shiitake mushrooms for an hour, drain and reserve some of the liquid, cut into strips and cook in liquid with soy sauce, mirin, sake, simmer until nicely flavored. Cook carrot strips and snow peas (snow peas look better if cut on the diagonal, I cut them in strips)in water and sake al dente...set aside.

Beat egg with a dash of salt and mirin, cook in a pan with a little sesame oil, swirl pan like you would a crepe, cover and turn off the heat keep covered until cooked and set. Cut into strips.

Serve in a large flat bowl spoon in the sushi rice, keep it light and fluffy, don't push it down. Top with your fixings...

...it is another dish that you can add what you like...I added avocados (with lemon) too, but forgot them for the photos, my husband had the shrimp. I had mine with wasabi and srirachi, my daughter sprinkled hers with furikake. Or make it vegetarian...

Make it colorful! Make it fun! Much of the ingreedients you can find in the grocery store or your Asian market like the pickeld ginger, wakame and furikake.
If you need to know how to make susi rice just email me.

Mushroom Spinach Cheese Omelet - and back to school

2011-08-20T16:24:00.008-04:00

The weekends are a perfect time for a big breakfast...at least in my household. This past week I was busy at school getting the clinic ready for the new school year. You wouldn't believe how much paperwork we have to deal with. We are getting more medically fragile students, a couple more diabetic children and a former student that looks fantastic after she lost over 200 pounds. I am so happy for her, and was so happy to see her she is feeling great and her asthma is so much better. I recognized her right away but her first grade teacher and a few other didn't. It should be a good year despite all the budget cuts...we have such a great staff to work with and you know we are all there because we love kids and want to see them succeed. I heard a great quote during one of our staff meetings - "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"

I forgot how tiring it was to work like that,(you know having the summers off and everything) plus meeting all the parents and excited kids at Meet Your Teacher night. So this weekend we have to build back our strength :D omelets are a perfect way to do that...so easy with fresh ingredients and you can make them the way you like them...

Crisp up the tortilla strips in a bit of oil and place them on a plate with paper towels sprinkle with some sea salt until ready to use...

Queso fresco work well with the tortilla strips.

Whisk 2 eggs with a tablespoon or splash of cream or milk, a dash of herbs...I used my blend of Fine Herbes
which has tarragon, chives, basil, dill and more...great for eggs and veggies.

...add the spinach and mushrooms after they have been sauteed enough to be softened and loose some of the moisture. I used baby bella or shiitake mushrooms, but of course you can use what ever mushrooms you like...I like to have the crunch of the tortilla strips inside the omelet as well as...

...on top!

now off to relax and gear up for Monday!

Have your kids started back to school yet?

The Best Garlic Knots!

2011-08-14T13:09:00.002-04:00

We love garlic knots, and the last time we ordered them from our favorite pizza place they were just awful! They were a hard tiny ball of knotted dough...drenched in garlicky grease... and the dough wasn't even cooked all the way through...yuck! Let me tell you I am not a doughy person. I have issues when my stromboli isn't cooked all the way and you get a doughy segment...so these went in the trash. They did smell good though with all the garlic!

So I decided to make my own...now you can make them using premade pizza dough from the market or a pizza place, but I didn't have any on hand. I searched for an easy recipe...one you can make in the bread machine and I found it! Yum!

I found the dough recipe on Pam's For the Love of Cooking blog, she used her mom' dinner roll recipe, and they turned out so big and fluffy. I will be using this recipe for dinner rolls.

Ingredients: recipe - Pam's Mom"s Dinner Rolls
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 egg (held under warm water)
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast

Add ingredients to your bread machine in order listed. Set to dough cycle, when dough is finished flatten out on a floured surface into a rectangle shape. With a pizza cutter cut into strips and then in half lenghtwise. Keep them well floured so the won't stick. Take each strip and tie into a knot. Place onto silpat sprayed with a little oil or it worked fine on my stoneware baking sheet.

Bake 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

For the topping:

1/2 cup melted butter
2 cloves minced garlic (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon chervil
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients, except the parmesan in a microwave safe bowl and cook until butter is melted. You can use, fresh herbs like basil or Italian seasoning or any herbs that you like.

I brushed a little butter on without the garlic (otherwise it would tend to burn) before baking, but you can just bake them first without.

Once they come out ove the oven brush on the butter mixture... they turned out rather large so I did have to use more butter. Then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. It made around 20 knots, good size knots.

They were so good, and smelled so good too. I couldn't believe how well they turned out, nice and soft inside...and so easy when made in your bread machine. I think easier than going to the store to pick up some pizza dough, and well worth it.

I hope you will give it a try. I now am ready to bring the rolls for Thanksgiving!

Lemon Tahini Orzo with Seafood

2011-08-10T13:35:00.008-04:00

My summer vacation is coming to and end...

...only one week left, before I have to go back to work at the school. Don't want to take much time in the kitchen making dinner...so here's a quick one.

First off these were the only photos I was able to get, and my camera just would not focus (really, it's stuck). Then it was too close to dinner so it was all eaten up! This is another versatile dish you can really add to it what you like or what you have in the fridge.

It was good warm and I'll bet it would be good cold or room temperature if it lasted that long! Great in a bento lunch.

I really didn't want to post this photo, but you can get an idea...next time I make it I'll be sure to change the photos.

Ingredients:
Cooked orzo (I really don't know how much I had, but you can eyeball it, probably 1 cup dry)
1 tablespoon white miso paste
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste - you can find some nice tahini in a middle eastern store if not your grocery store)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 table spoons water
1-2 clove garlic minced
1-2 teaspoons capers
sea salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
a handful cilantro or parsley chopped
1 tablespoon perilla oil (Korean) you can use any nut oil like walnut, hazelnut or even olive oil
Use what you have, any greens or veggies, I had snow peas, broccoli florets, pan grilled shrimp and sage leaves (that wasn't a hit with my husband, I would probably chop them) imitation crab.

Method:

I marinated the shrimp in Makoto's Sesame Ginger dressing for about 30 minutes the cooked them on a grill pan. Near the end of the cooking time of the orzo I tossed in the broccoli flowerettes and the snow peas, cooked and drained with the pasta.

In a medium bowl add the miso, tahini, water, lemon juice...stir to mix it all together and loosen up the miso and tahini paste. Stir in the garlic, capers and set aside. In large bowl or in a pan mix together the cooked orzo, vegetables, cilantro, oil, crab, and shrimp. Salt and pepper to taste, I thought it needed a little something so I added a little garlic powder, and a little soy sauce, but this is optional of course anything is optional.

I have some photos to brighten up my post since my food pics were so bad. Before summer ends we had to again visit the nation's number one beach!

...we do visit it often anyway since it's just minutes from our house, this was at 10:00 AM everyone is already in the water...

...a bright sunny day with clear skies... not like today...

...and filling up fast, even though our peak season is in the winter...good thing it's a large beach!

If you live in the US don't forget to print your coupon for some free Activia Selects! There is still time, just click below.

Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers

2011-08-08T14:20:00.006-04:00

Another meatless meal, not that we are trying to cut down on eating meat, we just enjoy many vegetarian meals. I try to incorporate many grains and veggies in our meals....even if I have to sneak it in there. We didn't eat these as burgers, but you could. Actually I couldn't find my can of organic black beans so I used pinto beans instead. I asked my daughter if she wanted me to make it with garbanzo beans or pinto beans an she chose garbanzo so I used pinto...haha just kidding. She wanted the pinto beans, but I think they were a little too soft for this recipe. They were good and full of flavor, they just might not work on a bun like the black bean patties would. I used Japanese sweet potato which is white flesh and slightly dry, but plenty sweet in my opinion.

Black Bean Patties

ingredients:
1/2 onion (I used shallots) chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
3 shiitake fresh mushrooms chopped (or baby bella)
1 handful fresh basil or cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon savory
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sriracha, or any hot sauce to your liking
1 can of black beans (I used pinto)
1/2 sweet potato diced and cooked (boiled)
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese (optional...I had some I wanted to use)
1/2 green chili (I used serrono chili)
1/2 cup panko bead crumbs (or cooked quinoa and oats)
1 egg slightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

First saute onions mushrooms and garlic, in some olive oil. I used a food processor to make these, but I think it would work just as well...maybe even better if you just mash the potatoes and beans instead of pulsing in the processor.

I pulsed the onion, mushroom, garlic mix with the basil or cilantro, then added the beans...pulse a few times, then the potatoes and ricotta, pulse some more. Try not to over process...you can even leave some beans out if you'd like some left whole.

In a bowl whisk the egg, then mix in the remaining ingredients. Mix it all together and form into patties. If it seems too moist add some more crumbs until it holds together nicely.

Cook 6-7 minutes per side or you could bake them at 375 degree F oven for about 25 minutes until golden or browned the way you like it.
What I like about these is you can add so many different ingredients to adjust them for your family. Like you could add corn, bulgar or other grains, more hot spice or less, flax, sesame or other seeds...a little dijon or curry paste?
I like them a little moist, but then I don't eat them on a bun either...

..but they were good with some chipotle powder mixed with Greek yogurt. My daughter (the sour cream eater) said I really liked this sauce on these! My husband got home late and when I told him what I had made for dinner...he wasn't so sure about them, but he ate his fair share! Next time I will leave a little more texture in there and not use a food processor.

My husband finally brought the tall ladder home...so tall it's a little scary...

..so I could pick some mangoes, all the ones that were lower are already picked. The problem with this variety of mango is they don't change color when they are ripe, you pretty much have to squeeze to tell. Otherwise they sit in a bowl for a few days. Just when I was ready to make the climb...a storm rolled in with thunder....just where I wanted to be when the lightning came.
Funny these both were from that tree, I have quite a few large mangoes and many smaller ones too. I wonder why?

I have to figure out something to make with the mangoes...I usually just eat them! I'm not big on eating fruit with meat, but any ideas what I can do with all these mangoes?...and yes I've given many away and the squirrels are still eating too!

This is linked to My Sweet and Savory Meatless Mondays

Coupon for Free Dannon Activia Selects - Ends Aug 15

2011-08-05T09:20:00.010-04:00

They only have this available to those who live in the U.S. sorry to all my other readers.

If you have not yet tried Activia this is a great opportunity to do so...it's free! What better time when they now offer their "Selects" and "Greek" products! This is a new product that is just starting to be seen in stores. Hurry...it ends August 15th!

Make sure you check out all the flavors and use this coupon for free Dannon Activia Selects. Just click on the link below for a printable coupon to bring to the store for your free Activia Select. I am going to do it right now and will be back to tell you all about it.

Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!

French: Cherry, Pineapple, Mango, Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Blackberry Raspberry

Greek: Blueberry, Strawberry and Vanilla

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This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion.
FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 - 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11.
Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a '$1 off 3 Activia Selects' coupon.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Black Beans and Rice

2011-08-03T12:48:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine who now lives in the Huston area was visiting my family (and hers) in Michigan this summer. She was talking with my sister and said she likes reading my blog but would like to see more gluten free, dairy free recipes. I do have several recipes already that are gluten free, and even dairy free (or easily made dairy free), but I have not labeled as such. I am not that well informed on where you can get gluten except wheat. So with that I believe this could well be a gluten free/dairy free recipe. So here's one for you Kelly!

When I make my black beans I never use a recipe, so I think that's why it took me so long to post them. My daughter loves black beans and would eat black bean soup every other day if she could. The soup is another one I don't really make by a recipe. I do always have black beans on hand whether it's organic canned or organic dry beans. I just bought a pressure cooker so now I can make dried beans fairly quick!

Anyway I tend to make them more the Cuban style black beans, because that is what we are used to around here. Cuban style black beans also work well for my husband (who doesn't like it as spicy as I do) Cuban style doesn't add a lot of heat.

I will do my best to write the recipe for you...I could of sworn that I wrote it down the last time I made these...now where is it? You know I will come across it after I have already posted this!

Black Beans and Rice

ingredients:
2 cans of organic black beans (or 3 cups cooked from dried)
2 tablespoons oil (for sauteing the onions and garlic)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic smashed then chopped
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (I used this instead of sugar)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup red wine (optional) or sherry
water with the cooked dried beans or you can add some broth with the rinsed canned beans
salt and pepper to taste when beans are cooked

directions:
If using dried beans wash and pick through 2 or 3 cups and soak them overnight in 6 cups of water, drain. In a 6 quart pot add water and beans and a little olive oil to keep in from foaming (like you would in a pressure cooker). Cook beans for 1 hour.

In a large enough pot or Dutch oven add some oil and saute the onions with a little salt to draw out the sugar (some like green peppers, but my husband doesn't so I skip them) until tender, add the garlic cook just until fragrant (we don't want to burn the garlic. Add the cumin, oregano, stir cooking for a minute. Add the beans with the water they were cooked in (or if using canned rinse well and add a little water or broth) bay leaves, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, wine or sherry. Sometimes I will add some recaito - cilantro cooking base if I have an open jar in the fridge. Cover and cook for 20 - 30 minutes stirring occasionally, and you can adjust the liquid to your preference. Salt and pepper to taste...remove bay leaves.

Serve it over rice, like my cilantro rice . Garnish with some toppings of choice, like diced tomatoes, onions, or a slice of lime, fresh cilantro, crumbled cheese, or like my daughter does she tops it with...you guessed it...sour cream.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, I hope it was clear enough. Or if you have any additions that you like to use in your beans and rice, please share!

Festive Drink Umbrellas

2011-08-01T18:38:00.006-04:00

For this weeks Martha Mondays we are doing a Martha Stewart craft project, but it's from her entertaining crafts, so it fits in well. Sassy Suppers chose Festive Drink Umbrellas for us all to make and it was perfect for this summer's poolside entertaining.

I have a lot of festive paper that I use for backgrounds when I photograph my bentos. I also had a lot of wooded skewers, and in three sizes (the short ones are also good for bento lunches) so I didn't have to cut the skewer. The only problem I had was I couldn't get to my cute decorative edging craft scissors so I had to use regular craft scissors. We are organizing the laundry room and my card making box in stored away.

It was fun and easy to do and can be done in a flash. Just trace around the size circle you want...I used a Tervis tumble. Then cut out a wedge like a piece of pie, and bring the edges together slightly overlapping so you can glue or back to back tape it. With a dab of glue inside the point that's where the tip of the skewer goes so it will stay in place.

There you have it! A fun festive decorations for your festive drinks! Cheers!!

Pasta with Avocado and Arugula Pesto

2011-07-28T20:50:00.005-04:00

I love avocados and it seems the easiest way to use them are in a guacamole, mostly because you can add the lime juice to keep the color green and not brown. Plus it is easier to add them to sandwiches this way. I love the way a sliced avocado looks on top of a sandwich in all it's plump, green buttery goodness, just glistening there all pretty...but come on, you must admit when you go to take a bite how long does it stay in place? It's a slippery little bugger and ends up on your plate anyway. So I usually serve them on the side, or I have made a chicken and avocado salad to go on an arepa.
When I saw Giada De Laurentiis make this on her show on the Food Network, I thought this is great, and it went to the top of my "must make" list! It has your greens and avocados and lime juice to keep the color! Eat it warm or cold, and perfect for a bento lunch! And pretty healthy too, a plus when the kids will eat it.

You can check out Giada's recipe here - Linguine with Avocado and Arugula Pesto

Pasta with Avocado Arugula Pesto - Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat ditali pasta (you can use what you like)
2 medium avocados, halved, peeled, and seeded (about 12 ounces total)
3 cups baby arugula leaves (3 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or ground black pepper)
1 cup grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped bit
(I also sprinkled on some Japanese seven spice, just on mine!)

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place in a serving bowl.

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place in a food processor. Add the arugula, basil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Pour the pesto over the pasta and toss together. Add the cheese and almonds and toss together until coated, adding the pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce.

The only changes I made besides the pasta, was the lemon with the lime juice (because I had lemons and only one lime) and used chopped almonds instead of sliced. I also used less basil, because I wanted to taste the arugula and avocado. This was so good, the flavors blended well and you could taste the tang of the lemon (I always think it helps cut the bitterness of the arugula) and the Parmesan was a pleasant topper. It was very filling and my family was happy eating this. My daughter wouldn't eat guacamole, but she ate this and liked it! I will definitely make it again, you could use probably any greens you like. It is such a good way to get more greens into your diet - make a pesto out of it!

One of the joys of having a huge San Pedro cactus growing in our yard are seeing the flowers that come out only at night, and each bloom will open only once. If we go out early enough we can catch them while they are still open.

They are well on their way... almost closed., but this morning there were so many bees around them, it was so cool to watch them collect all that pollen.

This one took a tumble, but landed on a soft petal.

Sorry for the poor focus job, I was trying to get as close as I could without bothering the bees.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

2011-07-28T17:55:00.008-04:00

I have this big cookie cookbook, I bought it with the idea of baking some during the holidays, but I didn't figure it would be the summer holiday! I wanted to bake something with Maranda before the summer vacation was over. We kept meaning to, but then something always came up... I made her do most of the work, hehehe

Now to give you an idea how huge this cookbook is, it's called 500 Cookies, Biscuits, & Bakes by Catherine Atkinson, it has tons of cookies, bars, slices, meringues, puffs, scones, biscuits and much more. It is almost like walking into a large home improvement store, a little overwhelming to choose. So I put Maranda to work. She narrowed it down to three: these, Rich Chocolate Cookie Slice, and Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches (which we will probably end up making all three). We decided on these just because I had all the ingredients all ready and we could start as soon as the butter reached room temperature!

The chocolate spread that I had was Cappuccino & Chocolate Israeli Chocolate spread. Yum it was so good on top of these cookies.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies from 500 Cookies, Biscuits, and Bakes

1/2 c unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup (heaping) rolled oats
6 tablespoons chocolate spread

Preheat oven to 350°F lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

In a bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.

Add the egg and beat well. Sift over the flour, cocoa, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add the rolled oats and mix well.

Using your hands roll spoonful of mixture into balls, and place on cookie sheets giving them room to spread. Flatten slightly.

Dip thumb in flour and press into center of each cookie to make an indent. Bake for 10 minutes. Leave for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Spoon chocolate spread into the center of each cookie.

Edited to add: I used a scoop to plop them on the baking sheet, I couldn't see rolling them into balls. (that's why they don't look perfectly round). My husband said they reminded him of the refrigerator cookie that his mom made. I thought the texture was a little too soft and the oats tasted raw (like a refrigerator cookie would taste) I followed the recipe as written, but I think something was missing. I'm not a good enough baker yet to make my own adjustments like I would a savory dish I am cooking!

I was watering my plants the other day and saw the ginger has flowered...it was all tucked away in the backyard.

and here is one of the turmeric plants that I planted in the ground. The one in the pot is the biggest right now. I'll make sure to get a photo of that one next.

Our Anniversary on an Island at The Sandbar

2011-07-25T11:09:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was our 18th wedding anniversary and we spent part of the afternoon on Anna Maria Island. It is only about a 40 minute drive north from us, but it always feels like we went away on vacation. So where do you go when you live in a vacation destination? :D Summertime is nice for us locals who can take advantage of the vacation spots and waterfront restaurants and not have towait to get in.

So funny though right now on the news they are saying northerners are coming down to Florida to beat the heat! What? We are in our normal summer weather of high 80s to low 90s, sometimes afternoon showers to cool us off a bit and we never reach 100 here on the coast!

Our first stop was the Anna Maria City Pier that turned 100 years old this past May. We like to walk out and enjoy the view...looks like he has a pretty good view up there.

We do have to share it with the fishermen...but we liked watching the cormorant and pelicans dive for fish...

...you can see many fish just peaking over the edge....I wonder...is this is 100 year old wood?

nothing fancy here, but they have a little bar here as well, a nice spot to buy a drink and enjoy whats around you.

The island is painted so pretty, reminds me of the Caribbean. I didn't catch a photo of all the pastel and pictures painted on the buildings, just couldn't while we were driving.

We went to the Sandbar Restaurant for an early dinner, we did the same thing a couple of years ago and enjoyed it so much we wanted to do it again.

This was what we had to look at while we ate. I love it! nothing like sitting right on the beach, even if it's in the sun!

start off with a couple of cocktails...the glasses didn't take too long to become all sweaty...

we tried to keep them in the shade...

at this time of day looks like the rest of the deck is catching some sun too.

...on to the the appetizer...
ESCARGOT –Tender Escargot baked in Garlic
Butter

We decided to get salads instead of a big dinner, mine was the salmon salad.

WASABI ENCRUSTED SALMON – Filet of Salmon in a
light coating of Wasabi and Japanese Breadcrumbs, baked
and served over Mixed Greens with Mandarin Oranges,
Grape Tomatoes, Red Onions and our Sesame Ginger
Vinaigrette Dressing

My husband went for the seafood pasta salad.

SANDBAR CRAB PASTA SALAD – An Old Anna Maria
Island Favorite! Chunks of Crab and White Fish tossed
with Seashell Pasta in an Herb Mayo Dressing, served
with Tropical Fruit

I couldn't get over how big the piece of salmon was... mmm...so good too, loved the sesame ginger vinaigrette.

but the best part is eating in a restaurant where you can kick your shoes off and have sand between your toes!

and listening to a little island beach music to go with it...

a nice walk on the beach afterward, the white sand doesn't get hot down here, so you can always go barefoot with out burning your feet on hot sand.

that was our table, the waiter was too tall...had to duck under the umbrella to take our order.

One of the painted courtyards on the walk back to the car, before my memory card was full.

Thanks for coming along with us to Anna Maria, Florida and celebrating with us!

Soba Noodles with Garlic Chives

2011-07-23T14:00:00.001-04:00

I change my blog address to a dot com, so I hope this doesn't mess you up in google reader or however else you might follow my blog! Thanks for sticking with me on this.
I found some of these flowering chives at the Vietnamese store near my husbands work. I like to get the different vegetables that I see there and don't see in the supermarket, and then try them out in a dish. Lately I have seen flowering chives, also called garlic chives on a few different blogs, so I got some ideas and was all set to go. Of course I usually would just end up using most of the with noodles or a stir fry.

From this store they came in a good size bunch, but it does seem to hold up well in the fridge. I like the mild garlic flavor and have been adding them to scrambled eggs, potatoes, and chicken salad so far...
...for this dish I used some cooked chicken and a few other veggies that I had little bits left in the fridge.

Ingredients:
8 oz cooked chicken
a small bunch of garlic chives
2 packets soba noodles cooked
4 oz snow peas
4 oz bok choy or carrots, or whatever other vegetables you might have
1-2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic-chili sauce
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil

Prepare the vegetables, by washing and chopping into uniform sizes..cut the chives in about 2"-3" size pieces...use the buds, but get rid of the tough ends. Remove the strings in the snow peas, you can cut them or leave them whole. If using carrots julienne cut them about the size of the chives.

In a heated wok or skillet add a little oil then toss in the veggies that take the longest to cook first, add a little water if needed to help steam them...add the garlic and chives, then the rest of the seasoning. You could add the garlic first in the heated oil for about 30 seconds, but I'm always afraid it's going to burn...and you know how bad burnt garlic tastes. Since the meat I was using was already cooked you are just...

...heating it through. If you are using greens that are bitter add a splash of Chinese black vinegar or Chinese cooking wine.

Place a serving of the noodles in a bowl (I like to add a little toasted sesame oil to the noodles)...then the chicken veggies on top. You could toss it all together in the pan first if it works better for you.

As with many of the dishes that I make they are so versatile and you can adjust the seasoning and additions to suit your family. I just want you to get out there and try some new-to-you ingredients and have some fun in the kitchen! Then of course those of you who use these all the time can give me some more tips and ideas!!

Spicy Grilled Salmon

2011-07-20T15:49:00.006-04:00

Friends of ours (who travel a lot) have two border collies. Originally from South Africa, (our friends not the dogs), that is often one of their destinations. When they are gone we watch their dogs and they become part of the family for awhile...so much so our friends call them our "step-doggies". They fall right into the routine and it's more like they are on vacation as well as their owners.

...but it does make our house small with three herding dogs around instead of one, they always seem to be under foot, and they like a lot of attention...

... our old dog sometimes just tolerates them, but I think he really enjoys having them around (even though he'd never admit it). Jeanne has a new job that she travels to Germany (used to be Holland) often, so when she gets a chance she likes to get away with her husband. We don't mind watching their dogs because when we need it Tucker gets to stay with them (I know he gets treated like family there as well).

On their last trip to South Africa Jeanne brought back some local seasoning for me that they enjoy in So Africa. Knowing how much I like spices and local cooking....this was the perfect gift for me! She also brought me a Braai cookbook, again, perfect for me since I am the one who does the grilling at our house, I love it. Braai is South Africa's grilling on the barbecue grill.

Grilling salmon is an easy way to cook it, since it has a high fat content it holds up well on the grill. Salmon is also high in omega-3 fatty acids so it is a healthy choice. I usually have it all set to go on a platter with the skin down and pour the marinade over the top and let it marinate while the coals are getting started, don't let it marinate longer than 15 minutes. This time I just used these new spices and thought the salmon could handle these strong flavors if grilled.

Rub a little olive oil over the fish and add the spicy seasoning. You could use any spicy seasoning you like. If you have the Japanese seven spice this would be good here, or old bay seasoning, or a creole seasoning, jerk spices, Cajun, southwestern or red chilies you get the idea. I didn't salt it because the braai and Portuguese blends had salt already in there.

Since I slightly oiled the fish I didn't oil the grill. You can do what works best for you. On a nice med-hot grill put the flesh side down first, the skin will help to hold the fish together. Don't try to move it right away or it will stick, grill for 4-5 minutes on the first side then turn and grill 5-6 minutes on the other side depending on how large your fish is, but try not to overcook it. If it feels squishy it should go a little longer, if it feels slightly firm with a little give it should be done. Like everything it will continue to cook once you take it off the grill.

Oops...I seemed to flip it onto my corn, what good did that huge fish-shaped fish turner do me? !!

Mmmm...so good, nice and flaky. It didn't need any sauce, but feel free to drizzle a sauce if you like. A nice citrus creme fresh would be nice to cool the spices if you can't take the heat!

There is not much of a new recipe here, but I know most of the country likes to get their grill out in the summer months. Here in Florida we like to grill year round, so I get lots of practice. It is nice to get the heat out of the kitchen and out on the grill!

We will get our step-doggies again for two weeks in August, I wonder what they will bring us back from the keys?

Ginger Lemonade

2011-07-18T16:31:00.010-04:00

Summertime just seems to make you think of fresh lemonade. I've seen around lately that the thing to do is add something else to it, like strawberries or raspberries. So many things go so well with lemon, it is sometimes hard to choose. Mint is something you might find you have a lot of this time of year. I have mine in a container, but it just doesn't seem to go wild like it does up north. It gives me just enough for my needs though.

I used up all my fresh lemons, this year I had a small crop but I did get to freeze the extra. You can use store bought ones :D I have been into ginger lately so that is what I have added this time, besides my daughter loves this and keeps asking for it. That's okay I love the ginger-lemon combo!
All the ingredients are adjustable per your taste. I like it a little tart...but I think you'll the idea...

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1/3-1/2 cup raw local honey or organic sugar (or any sweetener you choose)
3-4 slices of fresh ginger (peeled)

Heat in a sauce pan to make the simple syrup and the sugar/honey is dissolved have the ginger steep a little...let cool.

Add to 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups of cold water...mix it all up!

I used a some crystallized ginger for a little garnish, you can use lemons or lime slices. Or if making mint ginger lemonade steep an handful of fresh chopped mint with the ginger...and a little mint for garnish of course!

Or you could add some tea to the mix and have ginger-tea-lemonade!

We went to the farmer's market over the weekend.... I have never seen hairy chayote squash before...

and isn't this the cutest bunch of apple bananas you've ever seen?

Have a happy Mellow Yellow Monday!

Pomegranete Chipotle Wings

2011-07-14T12:09:00.006-04:00

I first heard of pomegranate molasses on Joumana's blog Taste of Beirut, so I picked up a bottle, along with some rose water the next time I was at the Sahara restaurant and market. I love visiting her blog, she has so many good tips and wonderful middle eastern recipes, along with stunning photos. I have tried a few of her recipes now, and just had to get some of the things she had mentioned and see for myself...

I absolutely love this pomegranate molasses. It has a tart sweet taste...I could eat the whole bottle. You can use it in cocktails and sauces. I even add it to my black beans.

While I was out shopping, can't remember where I saw it, but they had a jar of pomegranate chipotle BBQ and dipping sauce. The combination sounded great and I remembered I had this bottle of pomegranate molasses at home...so I thought I would see what I could come up with to make it at home. What better way to try it than on wing!!

Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce:

1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons chipotle with adobo sauce (you can push the chilies through a sieve they're pretty soft out of the can, or fine chop)
2 tablespoons red current jam or jelly
1 tablespoon olive oi
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice

You can heat everything up in a sauce pan until bubbly and well blended. If you want to make it like a sauce and some water, citrus juice or broth and cook it for awhile until it gets the consistency that you like.

I prepared the chicken wings, cut the tip and split the remainder at the joint, salt and pepper and sprayed with a bit of oil. Spread out on a stoneware bar pan lined with parchment paper (for easier clean up), bake at 400 F for 50-60 minutes. Turn them halfway through the baking time and the last 15 minutes brush on the sauce. If you like it more caramelized brush it on sooner, but be careful the sauce doesn't burn. I didn't heat the sauce just mixed it up and brushed it on. Usually when I make wings I'll bake them and then toss with the buffalo sauce, cajun seasoning or teriyaki sauce in a big bowl when the come out of the oven or fryer (if you happen to fry your wings).

Great on the grill too, but I didn't have time to get the charcoal going. I liked how the glaze became nice and caramelized when baked with the wings. I didn't make it too spicy hot for my husband, but you can always adjust the heat. It wasn't too sweet for me, but again you can make it sweeter if you like .

I was lucky to get a couple of photos, everyone was hungry and I got started late. So they aren't the best all laid out and pretty, but at least I remembered to take one!

Talk about the lazy hazy crazy days of summer! That's a big yawn from our neighbor's cat that thinks he lives at our house.

Vietnamese Coffee

2011-07-12T13:48:00.005-04:00

When I was at the Vietnamese market picking up some Thai basil seeds for a friend I happened to remember wanting to try Vietnamese coffee. I had planned on ordering some online, but then I thought...hey I'll just ask them if they carry a Vietnamese style coffee filter (I didn't know it was called a phin filter). Oh yes they had one, then she was excited to show me what coffee to get too...

Cafe Du Monte - a French style coffee with chicory (I think it's popular in New Orleans) I have never had coffee with chicory before so I wasn't sure how it would taste. She said it is the kind that she drinks and her husband likes it. The other brand they had was Trung Nguyen, (now that one sounded Vietnamese) and was $3 more, so I thought I would try that one next time.

It is an individual filter that fits on your cup, it has a lid and inner screw on filter. I should of shown that. First you put some sweetened condensed milk in your cup, then the filter on top. I had two of these cups that came with the little pot to hold the hot water, so that worked well. I think I'll pick up anothe phin filter too since it was only $4 and that way a friend can make their they way they want it at the same time!

Just add the coffee to the filter...the lady who helped me said to add just a teaspoon full of coffee powder, but then her husband spoke up and said to fill it halfway...hehe I guess he likes it strong.

Then screw on the top filter...

...pour in the hot water...

... let it steep into the cup and I keep filling it until the cup was full...

mmm...a nice strong cup of coffee, I'm glad I started out with a smaller amount, but I used less for Maranda who also wanted to try it. Some like to leave the sweetened condensed milk and save it for the end, but I liked to mix mine and I added a little cream to it. You could use a French Press and some French roast coffee instead.

I drank it hot with my muah chee, but I do like it over ice too. Or for a whole new drink it would be good in a blender with ice...oh and some chai spice :P

When you come to visit I'll have the second one ready for you!

Muah Chee - with Chai Spice

2011-07-10T10:39:00.006-04:00

I first saw Muah Chee 麻糍 on Anncoo's Journal and of course as I am with anything new I was curious about it and had to try it. Apparently it is a popular street food found in roadside food stalls in Singapore and Malaysia. A glutinous or sticky rice ball rolled in sugar and crushed peanuts...similar to mochi but with the filling on the outside rather than inside. Then I saw Biren make some and post it on her blog Roti n Rice, apparently she missed having this treat a childhood favorite. I already had some glutinous rice flour in the cupboard (I was going to use it for another recipe) and it didn't take much more ingredients, so I was excited to give it a try for myself. I didn't have peanuts or the fragrant oil, but I could use almonds right? I figured since I have never had the original in the countries known for making it I could use a different nut...would it still be muah chee? :D

Then the next day I saw Jeannie post her muah chee on Baking Diary and she used almonds so I was good to go...but I had to change things up and do a few things different just because that's what I do, but that's why you like me right?Makes you want to see how I would do it...to do things my way of course.heheh...

So I tried the microwave way...

Ingredients for the dough:
li>1 cup of glutinous rice flour (easily found in your Asian market)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cooking oil (normally you use shallot oil, but I didn't have that)

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts I used almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 -2 teaspoons chai spice mix*

*Chai Spice Mix:
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

All spices are in powdered form for this one. Mix all together and store in a spice jar. Add it to tea, coffee, cookies, granola and much more.

For the muah chee mix all the ingredients for the dough mixture in a microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes...I covered mine with a glass plate but I don't think you have to do this.

Remove from microwave and spoon out in bite size pieces. Then drop them into the topping mixture, it was just sticky enough to grab onto some of the nuts, sugar and spice and everything nice...couldn't resist. Some will dip the dough balls in shallot oil first then stick it in the topping mix, but this way worked good for me.

There you have it...muah chee my way :D I still have to make it to Singapore or Malaysia to try it the right way!

I really liked it a lot, I think better than I thought I would, just because of the texture thing...

I enjoyed the cardamom, cinnamony flavors with the nuts. I think toasted, desiccated coconut with peanuts would be good on it too.

The texture was soft, chewy and didn't stick to your teeth...really nice. I enjoyed it with some Vietnamese coffee, it went well together...mmm so good. I had some for breakfast the next morning and it was okay, but I liked it better fresh made.

I will definitely make this again, especially since it was so easy and good! Thanks girls it was a lot of fun!!

Chewy Granola Bars - Make them your way!

2011-07-06T17:39:00.012-04:00

Granola bars are an easy snack and my husband likes to grab one for his drive to work in the morning. It is easy enough to pick up some pre-made granola bars of many flavors and finishes. The nice thing about making your own is...again like I said on making your own granola you can control what goes into them. I use as much organic products as I can...organic sugar, raw local organic sugar, my own homemade vanilla, the oats and spices are as well. I actually like my grandma's granola over any store bought and have not purchased pre-made granola in quite some time now.

As for granola bars I like them chewy rather than hard and crunchy, but I like to toast the ingredients first...

...and that is the only time they will be in the oven. Toast in a med hot oven around 325 degrees F until lightly golden be careful not to burn it. The nuts were done separately...just because it worked better that way.

This is the first recipe that I tried:

adapted from - Joyful Abode

•2 cups oats
•3/4 cup wheat germ
•3/4 cup sunflower seeds
•1/4 cup sliced almonds
•1 cup puffed rice
•2/3 cup brown sugar
•1/2 cup honey
•4 tablespoons butter
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 teaspoon sea salt
•4 oz dried cranberries

Toast the dry ingredients except sugar and dried fruit. After toasted place in a large bowl, add the dried fruit. I didn't add too much fruit because my daughter doesn't like most dried fruits...so I really skimped on it in this batch.

In a sauce pan heat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer...and the brown sugar is dissolved...

Be sure to stir constantly...

...you don't want to get it too thick...you want nice chewy bars.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray. I used a 9x9 and the bars were a little thicker, use the size that will make the bars the size you want.

Mix everything really well... add the fruit at this time, this is what holds the bars together.

Press the mix into the prepared pan

Fold the wax paper over the top and keep pressing...push down good, they held together really good. Let the bars cool before cutting them.

I let them rest all night because I made them late at night, and that was a mistake. The paper stuck some to the bottom and I had to painstakingly peel it off. These came out pretty large.

I wrapped them individually so he could take them with him. They turned out pretty good, but they were too sweet for me. It was good to make them without the high fructose corn syrup, and were pretty much all organic though.

I made another batch and changed it up bit so it wouldn't be as sweet for me... and they were chai spice flavored!!

I added some:

Michigan dried cherries
coconut
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
chopped almonds along with the sunflower seeds
chai spice
I used barely a half cup brown sugar (didn't pack it) used less butter and add a little coconut oil to make up for it you could use canola or any oil you like.

I will add the chai spice mix recipe on an up and coming post soon!

It didn't hold together quite as well as the first ones, but I liked it a lot better!!

all you have to do is just be careful when you cut them...

What would you add to granola bars? Chocolate?

This has been add to:

Sweet as Sugar Cookies'
Sweets for a Saturday link-up!

Bizzy B. Bakes, Bake with Bizzy

Over the Fourth of July weekend we went out to a friends house that had a new born horse or I should say colt...

...she was just 4 days old, and full of personality...a real spite-fire!

her mane was unbelievably soft, and she was so curious about everything! So cute!

We have had some beautiful sunsets with the afternoon clouds that come in.

...it make for a very pleasant evening, with a nice cool breeze...

...and no hot dogs for us thank you very much (not a hot dog fan here)...we had the best pork BBQ on a hot dog bun! Yum!

Fried Rice with Japanese Seven Spice

2011-07-02T17:11:00.004-04:00

If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time...then you know how I like to try different spices. The last time I was visiting my parents I picked up some Sansho Seven Spice Blend. To find out it is known as Japanese Seven Spice, Shichimi togarashi, and it apparently has been around for a long time. There are a a few different versions as do many spice blends, but this one has sansho pepper and poppy seeds in it, along with red chili, seaweed,orange peel, white and black sesame seeds. It is used as a table seasoning to enhance Japanese noodle dishes and grilled fish.

Of course it would be good on rice, and I have used it on chicken. Then I noticed a simple fried rice with Japanese seven spice on Vegan Yum Yum .... you also know how much I love fried rice, and how perfect to try out this spice blend. Now fried rice you don't really need a recipe for, and it is a good way to use up what you have on hand and throw together a great tasting quick meal. I find it's best to use day old or cold cooked rice, so the next time you make rice just throw a little extra in and save the rest for your next meal of fried rice! :D

I love this spice, it has just a nice amount of heat and the orange peel gives it a nice citrus flavor without being too much. I know my daughter loves it because of the seaweed in it...reminds her of furikake on rice.

For this fried rice: adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 tablespoon oil

1 shallot chopped

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon garlic paste or clove of garlic chopped

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Japanese seven spice

shiitake mushrooms

shrimp (I used frozen little ones)

1-2 carrots chopped

1 egg

I have made a few fried rice here on my blog but I will do a quick run down on how to ...In a large pan or wok heat the oil and cook the shallots and carrots until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook around 3 minutes, add ginger, garlic, and shrimp and cook a few more minutes until shrimp are pink. Add the rice, you can hear it sizzle when the cold rice hits the hot pan, cook a bit to warm it through. Separate all the ingredients to add the egg in the middle and scramble it until cooked, add the soy sauce and mix everything up good. Sprinkle it with the Japanese seven spice.

You can vary the ingredients to what you have or what you like...that's the nice thing about fried rice. I will make this again with the Japanese seven spice for sure!! When I run out I might have to figure out how to get the ingredients to make my own!

Edited to add the spice photos...the ingredients listed on the back of the package - red chili, seaweed, sansho pepper, orange peel, poppy seeds, white & black sesame seeds.

Hope this helps!

Nam Manglak with lychees - Thai Basil Seed Drink

2011-06-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

Here is another discovery Thai Basil Seed Drink....a while back I was visiting My Kitchen Snippet where she had a wonderful dessert Grass Jelly, Mango, Lychee with Thai Basil Seeds that was perfect for this hot weather of summer. It made for a lovely photo as well. I had all the ingredients to try it except the basil seeds. I did find them at the Vietnamese market and the lady at the check out said "now these are not the kind of seeds to plant, it's to make a drink" she showed me the canned drink in the cooler that they sold as well. Good, that's what I wanted! Something new to try! The seeds swell up and a gelatinous shell forms around the seed.

She said they drink this to keep cool inside. I guess it is supposed to be very healthy and has many medicinal properties, but I just wanted to try it for fun. This 2 oz packet was only .99 cents, and one tablespoon made an awful lot...

Although Gert's dessert looked so good, and I had most the ingredients I wanted to do something different for the blog. I wasn't sure how I was going to like it because I don't care for tapioca (I have a small texture issue) :P hehe ...

...but I enjoyed it the seeds didn't have a strong flavor just a little crunch when you bit into one. My daughter wasn't so sure, I don't know if it was the ~~frog eggs~~ seeds floating around or the rose water.
You can flavor it any way you like of course, but this is what I did:

1 cup water
ice
3 lychees
1 tablespoon organic raw honey
1 teaspoon rose water
2 tablespoons hibiscus tea mostly for color, and I had some made up in the fridge.

You can add simple syrup if you like it sweeter, or grenadine... or sweet condensed milk...or pomegranate molasses...or anything your heart's desire! Have it your way, but try it it's fun!

Fruit with Honeyed Yogurt

2011-06-26T19:21:00.009-04:00

This weeks Martha Mondays recipe is Melon with Honeyed Yogurt was chosen by Ana from Sweet Almond Tree. With the farmers markets full of fresh ripe fruits and summer heat in full swing this was a great choice. It was nice making something that we would be sure to eat and enjoy...and being so easy to make sure didn't hurt. Ana posted her post yesterday and to find out she picked it because it was one of her father's favorite night-time snack, and it reminded him of his childhood in Greece. Sadly he recently passed, and she made it a fruit platter the way her father liked it so I decided to do the same...one of his favorite things...

I had a lot of fruit already being the season and all...my mint is hanging in there, so fresh picked it is...and I have a few of my mangoes from my tree I was able to get to ripen.

Here is how you can enjoy this simple and delicious snack...

Arrange some of your favorite fruits (or what is in season) on a platter.

2 cups Greek yogurt (2% is good)
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 or 3 tablespoons honey

Place yogurt in a serving bowl, top with mint, and drizzle with honey. Serve melon and fruit with the yogurt.

Even though this is a simple way of enjoying fresh fruit or melon. I was surprised on how good it was...the mint really popped and was so fresh tasting and the slight tang of the yogurt, yum! I used some local, raw, organic honey which was well worth it. When you have few ingredients, it is a good idea to make sure you have the best quality ingredients.

Now for the mangoes....

Each morning when I water the bananas...this is our rainy season and we still haven't gotten much rain....it will rain all around us, but not in our neighborhood. I think we have a blue hole over us (my husband said black hole, but I said then that would mean we had rain). We really need the rain our lawn is crunchy...

...anyway each morning I check to see what is left on the ground from the squirrels. Sometimes if I am out on the lanai and I hear a mango fall I'll run out and get it. My mango tree is ready to pick in July, so to get tree ripe mangoes (which is the best) I want to keep as many on the tree as I can...

At least the squirrels are enjoying them...

...and will usually come back to finish them off.

They look innocent enough but when you turn them over you'll see a bite, except the one in my hand that one's okay and will sit on the counter for a bit. This is a Kent mango and it doesn't show much color when ripe. So I guess we'll just have to go on sharing.

I shared this with.... Just Another Meatless Monday

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake ~ Taste and Create

2011-06-24T09:10:00.000-04:00

This is my first time joining in the fun of Taste & Create where we are paired off with another blog and we make something from each other's blog and post about it! My partner in Taste & Create this month was Bizzy B Bakes, when I checked out her blog she has many different and wonderful things going on there. I wanted to bake something and as you all know about my baking skills, but I wanted to try it. Besides Bizzy B started this blog to increase her baking...I thought it only right. I let my daughter help me choose since she was the one that was going to eat most of it! :D

She wanted to make the lemon poppy seed muffins...okay good choice, but since Bizzy B mostly makes gluten free recipes which this was, which is great, but I didn't have the gluten free flour it called for...so we went for something chocolate! Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake ...

Got all my stuff and ingredients ready to go...

Here is Bizzy B Bakes version of the recipe...

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (adapted from All Recipes)
Ingredients :
1 cup canola oil minus one tablespoon
1 (8 ounce) package Tofutti cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Rice milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method:

In a mixing bowl, cream the oil, cream cheese and 1-1/4 cups of sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9-in. spring form pan. Combine cinnamon, 1 cup chocolate chips and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely before cutting

I like how this recipe didn't have any dairy in it, but I didn't have any rice milk so I use coconut milk that I had. I also used some coconut oil and a little less sugar than it called for and I couldn't fit all the chocolate chips on it...so I had about a quarter cup left.

My daughter chose the color sugar to sprinkle on top...and here I used raw organic sugar in the cake. :) Oops where is the cinnamon...I sprinkled it all over the top before it went in the oven.

The other difference was I didn't have a spring form pan so I made it in an 11 inch stoneware baker that I did have. I was worried about it...

...but it turned out great! I did have to cut back on the baking time, and the toothpick did come out clean.

It was moist and delicious and I loved the texture...I was so surprised! Yay! Still a little sweet for me, but my family loved it. There is still a piece left... anyone?

I bet you can't wait to see what else I might bake up!

Kafta - Lebanese meatballs on a stick!

2011-06-22T13:23:00.009-04:00

Since I made the Lebanese seven spice mix I just had to find something so I could use the spice in. It smelled so good with all the fresh ground spices all mixed together...I couldn't resist. So I decided to make some kafta, you know how good food on a stick is...and meatballs onre y a stick?...what could be better? :D I didn't use the grill this time, but I think next time I will. I've seen them shaped in patties, like footballs, cigars, eggs or hot dogs wrapped around the skewers...anyway you make them I am suou'll like them, so much flavor here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound ground lamb (or you could use half beef)
4 green onions chopped
1 bunch parsley chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped (can you believe I ran out of garlic!.. so I used garlic chili paste instead)
a handful of mint chopped
1 tablespoon Lebanese seven spice or sometimes called mixed spice
1 tablespoon garlic-chili sauce (you can add your own heat preference or not, some like cayenne)
1 egg lightly beaten

Mix it all together (in a bowl of course) and cover and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to get the flavors merging all together nicely and the meatball will form easily. If using wooden skewers soak them for the same 30 minutes so they won't burn on the grill. I don't like to form the meatball too firm so it won't be too dense after cooking...just my preference.

You can grill them or make them on a, grill pan stove-top, I browned them on the grill pan first and transferred the pan to the oven and finished them off. You would grill them like you would burgers, just make sure the meat is cooked no longer pink, but try not to overcook them.

Serve with a warm pita and your favorite chutney, garlic tahini sauce or like I did a cucumber yogurt sauce...

( I almost didn't post this photo, but it was the only one with the sauce)

For the sauce I mixed some1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cucumber shredded or chopped, 1/2 tsp dill more if using fresh, a dash of garlic powder and a squeeze of lemon juice.

They were tasty and so good hot, room temperature or cold, perfect for my bento box lunch.

Here is the bento that I made from the leftovers. I made enough to freeze the extra, but they were so good for lunches!

Plum - Ginger Granita ~

2011-06-20T15:47:00.007-04:00

It was my turn to choose for Martha Mondays I chose granitas, this was something I have always wanted to try, and Martha has many to choose from. The one I decided to make was calling my name right from the start.... Plum Ginger Granita ...we loved it, but now there are many more I would like to try...like the espresso one or some that had the prosecco in it, you can make adult version or kid friendly. My daughter wanted me to make her some ginger lemonade again, and I thought hey I'll make it into a granita!! :D I did cut the recipe in half due to the fact I don't have a glass 9x13 pan so I used a 9x9 glass baker that actually fit in my freezer better. I didn't find it hard to stir the granita every so often, a lot easier than I thought...I don't think I stuck to a tight schedule though.

I didn't have 2 pounds of plums either....I will show you her recipe then let you know what I did a little different...

Here is Martha's recipe...

Ingredients
2 inches peeled fresh ginger
2 pounds ripe red plums, halved, pitted, and coarsely chopped, plus thin wedges for garnish (about 9 plums total)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
1.Pulse ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer ginger to a large saucepan. Add plums, sugar, salt, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and plums have broken down, about 15 minutes.

2.Pour plum mixture through a fine sieve into a 9-by-13-inch shallow nonreactive dish; discard solids. Stir in vanilla. Chill in freezer until edges are frozen, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from freezer; scrape with fork tines, pulling from edges into center. Return to freezer. Repeat process every 30 minutes until mixture is the texture of shaved ice, about 4 1/2hours. Spoon into serving bowls, and garnish with plums

What I did is a rough chop on the plums and put them in a sauce pan then grated the ginger right into it (I really didn't see the need to use a food processor just to chop the ginger) I used less sugar and added a little pomegranate molasses, mmmm... I wanted to make sure it didn't taste like frozen juice, so this had plenty of flavor a good plum with a nice ginger bite. I think granitas are so versatile and a nice refreshing dessert, really good for me because I don't like things too sweet...a perfect summer treat...a lot easier than popsicles (especially since I don't have the molds).

Please be sure to check out the other Martha Monday participants. I will link them when they come available!

Okay so far here is:

Pru's Espresso Granita

Brette's Strawberry Granita

I had planned on making it yesterday, but for Father's Day Wade wanted to go to a Tampa Bay Ray's game! So that's what we did and it was an exciting game against the Florida Marlins....

I am so thankful it is in a domed stadium, because it was plenty hot outside and very comfortable inside!

Johnny Damon has joined an elite group of athletes that has over 500 doubles, 2500 career hits, 100 triples, and 200 home runs. He is one of 11 and the other 10 are in the hall of fame and no longer playing. Wade is into all the stats like that. I had to ask him again, then just write it down and I still hope I got it right. :D

They won and our left fielder Sam Fuld made 2 fantastic diving catches to stop any runs scoring in one inning. I didn't catch a photo of that. I need my new camera with a long zoom! :D

Ooo...maybe I'll make a granita using rose water...so many choices....you should try making one!

Lebanese Mixed Spice

2011-06-17T19:08:00.006-04:00

I really like mixing my own spice blends, again this is a way we can control what goes in what we are eating. I usually buy organic whole spices and grind them myself. I was going to make my Chai spice blend, that I love to use in oatmeal, tea, coffee, cookies...needless to say I love that blend. (I will post it soon) I was going to make it again, and since I put it right in my coffee I found it's better to get the pre-ground organic spices from a nearby health food store. Since I had some extra spices and a lot of the same ones go into this mix I thought I would make this seven spice blend. It is very versatile and can be used in meatballs, with chicken, pork, lamb, beef, it is used in kafta, kibbeh, and many Lebanese dishes.

This was adapted from a recipe I saw on Chowhound. Some will have you use equal parts of all seven, but sometimes cloves, and nutmeg can be a little overpowering. It's nice I can get my spices in little baggies and scoop as much or as little as I want, it's a good way to try spices.

Lebanese Mixed Spice or Lebanese 7 spice mix

1/2 teaspoon powdered allspice

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon spoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

2 teaspoons powdered ginger

Mix them all together and store in a airtight container. It makes a small amount so a spice jar would probably work better, but you can always double it. I like to reuse glass jars, I do it all the time...jam jars or condiments, if it's glass I can't throw it out. Some day I'll show you what I do with them all...or maybe make some jam!

You can use it when making tabouleh too...check out my recipe on Our Krazy Kitchen where it's my Saturday for Cultural Connections.

Since I am out of school (work) for the summer and my husband started his own business we have been able to have more meals together. I am helping him when and where I can. We met for breakfast with a friend who is painting his office. This is an old fashioned diner type drive in, the food is good, but really basic drive in food...

...but it's the atmosphere (all outside) you really go for, it's fun and everyone is so friendly. Many regulars meet for lunch or breakfast.

Do you have a hole-in-the-wall place that you enjoy going to?

Strawberry Shortcake ~ Martha Mondays

2011-06-15T19:47:00.005-04:00

This week was Pru's turn to pick what we all made for Martha Mondays , Pru writes Perfecting Pru and she chose Strawberry Shortcakes. Florida strawberries peak in March, and are about over by the end of April...mmm love the fresh local strawberries, but I was able to pick up some California strawberries, that worked for this recipe.

I am very picky about my shortcake, I don't like it too sweet, or too spongy, but these are just right. They smelled so good while baking with all that butter. For a Martha Stewart recipe it was pretty simple and you only used the food processor and the bowl to hold the strawberries...uh that's unusual for her, but nice.

The only problem I had was I didn't have any whipped cream...and I didn't want to run back to the store to get any...so I had to use sweetened condescend milk (which I usually have in the pantry). Oops I put too much on top you can't see the shortcake.

There I'll put one next to it so you can see it...

Well I must say...this was good, the shortcake reminds me of the ones my dad makes, so they are good to me. The sweetened condensed milk was the light version so it was just right and very tasty. Good choice Pru! My turn to pick next weeks, we a making granita!! Come along and join us, just let Brette know and we'll see you next week!