Blog Archives

Sunday Morning Breakfast

12/31/2011

I love the feeling of having a big delicious breakfast on the weekends. Probably because on mornings that I work I'm lucky I grab a quick piece of toast! There is something about a homecooked breakfast that wraps me up and makes me feel hugged.
For us, a weekend breakfast is eaten in the nook. The morning sun pours in the window and we can watch the chickens pecking around in the grass. I can wear my pajamas and sit on the padded bench with my legs crossed up with me. So if you have a chance among all the new year celebrations, put on your robe, and whip up a Sunday morning breakfast.
Growing up we always used a boxed pancake mix. My mom would make the pancakes into all these crazy shapes for us. She would draw little faces and things with the batter and my sister and I would sit and wait to see what it looked like when she flipped it over.
I distinctly remember the first time I was married and tried to make a pancake breakfast. I looked in the cupboard and was bummed because we didn't have pancake mix. Then it dawned on me that HELLLOO, you can just make pancakes from scratch! So I found a recipe and was off and running. It is very simple. Now I just have to keep the baking ingredients stocked, pancake mix is never on the shopping list.

I made this recipe last weekend. The pancakes are fluffy and creamy. They kind of give you that eat slowly, melt in your mouth, life is good kind of feeling.
The pancakes are great, but the fun part is all the toppings. Lay out a spread of whatever you can find around the house. Syrup is an obvious choice. I always love some butter and powdered sugar, that was my favorite when I was little. We used some Nutella, or even peanut butter and jelly is fun. Think about cutting up some fresh fruit if you have it. Bananas, berries, and peaches are all great on pancakes. Enjoy your weekend and Happy New Year!

By the way, you can do this on Saturday too!

Pancakes
Ingredients

1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
3-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1-¼ cup Milk
1 whole Egg
3 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

Recipe from Tastykitchen.com by howtosimplify

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter.
(I mixed it in my kitchen aid, because I am lazy and figured, if I have to wash a bowl and a spoon, the machine might as well do the mixing for me)

3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and whisk until smooth.

4. Warm a greased griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour the batter onto the griddle and brown on both sides.
***My mom taught me a little trick of the trade here. When you first pour on your batter little bubble are formed. Continue to cook the pancake until the bubbles pop, that's when it is cooked through and you can flip it. If the side starts to burn before most of the bubbles pop then tun down the burner.

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Paperwhites

12/30/2011

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I looked in a bag of Paperwhites that I had bought and noticed that they were growing! Whoops! It is officially time to plant your Paperwhites (if you haven't already). They are always the first bulb to come up and produce fragrant white flowers. Paperwhites are a little reminder that spring is around the corner, and respite from the grays and browns of winter.
I started by clearing out any remaining dead flowers from fall and those pesky little clovers that grow everywhere. Then I dug a hole that is bigger than you actually need. I try an do this whenever I plant just to loosen up the soil. Place the bulbs tip up about six inches deep and six inches apart. I would recommend planting them in groups of about three so you get some thick green when they come up. Cover the bulbs with dirt. Water a bit the saturate the bulbs. Dust off the gardening gloves and wait for them to make their magic!

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Latkes

12/29/2011

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Just in kase, you don't know, Latkes are a delicious potato pancake. They are traditionally served for Hannukah. In celebration of the END of celebrating holidays, we had friends over for Latkes and cocktails. I know Hannukah is over, but they are crunchy and satisfying and would be a good side dish or light meal any time of the year!
I have tried many different recipes for Latkes and they never tasted quite right, so I started combining them all to get just the right mix of potato and seasoning. Here is my version. They were taste testing by about 15 people and I didn't get a single complaint!

Latkes

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil

6 Russet potatoes
1 1/2 large yellow onions
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flour

On the side:
Sour cream
Apple sauce
Smoked salmon
Chives

Directions:
1) Thoroughly wash all the potatoes and cut in half. Peel the onions and quarter them. Grate both the potatoes and onions, alternating so they are already mixed together. I would recommend using a food processor attached with the grating wheel for this, but if you don't have one doing it by hand works great!

2) Put the grated potatoes and onions in a strainer or cheese cloth, over a large mixing bowl. You want some of the liquid to drain out so the latkes are not soggy. Leave this sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the dry ingredients. The potatoes will oxodize and brown a bit, but you won't be able to tell once they are cooked.
3) In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic and baking powder.
4) Beat eggs.
5) Squish the potatoes to get any last moisture out. Discard the liquid and put potatoes and onions in the mixing bowl. Add in beaten eggs and mix completely.
6) Sprinkle about a third of the dry ingredients in and mix. You want to avoid flour lumps. Continue this until everything is combined.

7) Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a fry pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough it will sizzle and bubble when the potatoes are added.
8) Put a large spoonful of the mixture in the oil and flatten. It takes about 3-4 minutes. The edges will brown and you will see the potatoes turn as they cook. Flip the latke over and fry the second side.
9) Remove to a plate with paper towels to absorb extra greece then serve hot. They should be crispy and cooked through. The middle of the latke will still be squishy. If the outer edges are burning before the middle cooks, turn down the heat. You may have to adjust this throughout the cooking. You will also need to add oil from time to time. Add it a little at a time so you can try and keep the oil temperature as consistent as possible. Also, taste one of the first latkes to see if you would prefer more seasoning.

10) Latkes are traditionally served with apple sauce. You can also serve them with sour cream and chives, or even a little smoked salmon, to add some protein and make it more of a meal! Pile whatever toping you choose and enjoy!

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Rescue Mission

12/28/2011

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Thank goodness for a flower pot and a 4 runner. Yesterday evening I am standing in the kitchen and noticed that Chicken Nugget was standing on top of the spa. This was a little weird, but sometimes she wonders up there to snack on fallen persimmons. Then Barbecue frantically scurried up there and was huddling together with Nugget. So I looked closer and saw a huge opossum lurking around at the base of the spa. He basically looked like a giant rat with a huge tail, eeehk! At this point it is still totally light outside, and opossums are nocturnal. So I yell at Justin to go get him, that the opossum is going to get the chicks!
This opossum has been giving us trouble for weeks! I think he basically made a nice home for himself snacking on chicken feed and gorging himself on anything I am growing in the garden. I find poop in the garden every time I go out there and it takes away that warm, fuzzy, I grew clean vegetables myself feeling. We have a hot tub in the back and every time we have gotten in for the past two weeks it has ended with my husband running around the backyard in the dark in his swimsuit chasing this opossum with a 2x4. Nothing we can do seems to scare him, even when we give him a few nudges with the board.

Back to the story. Just as I send Justin on mission: saving the chickens, our friends Candace and Eddie drop by to give us a Christmas gift. One thing leads to another and we are all out in the backyard. Justin is yelling at me to help, while holding the nearest flower pot and trying to corner the opossum behind the compost bin. Eddie is in nice clothes tromping around the garden (which is full of opossum poop) with a board trying to help Justin. The opossum is hissing at us and showing his nasty teeth, and Candace and I are basically watching and screaming at every move the fat thing made.
The guys get him under the pot, although he is unhappy about it, and pile the top with rocks and stepping stones. I called about 5 animal control numbers but couldn't get any help. The said that because of cut funding nobody would come get the opossum and the private company charged $250 dollars! Instead of doing anything we go inside for a peaceful snack on persimmons and open presents.
The sun sets and when it gets dark we figure we should probably address the little issue we have in the back. So Justin's saws off a piece of particle board so it will fit in the back of the 4 runner (our new, very clean car). We slid it under the pot with opossum very carefully carried it to the front of the house and loaded it in the car. I drove and Justin sat in the back with to make sure he didn't get out and come get us while we were driving!

We took him to the river because we thought he could make a nice little home out there that didn't involve our garden or chickens. We pull up, get our gloves on and give each other a little pep talk. It involved things like, don't put you face too close because if he gets out it could be bad. My brilliant idea was for Justin to sit in the back of the car and hold the pot, then I would drive away, so that we weren't close when the opossum got out. It all got a little dramatic. As we are standing there, looking very creepy, a lady comes by walking her dog, then another man. We just hang out like we are tailgating, with work gloves on and some sort of strange something scratching in this pot.
So, in a less dramatic way, I stood by with a 2X4, Justin crawled in the back of the car, lifted up the top of the pot and out ran the opossum.
The moral of the story is, it made me glad that we live in the city and that the only animals we have to deal with are not that major! Crises everted and we found a nice home for that pesky rodent!

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The Kitchen

12/27/2011

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The kitchen is really the heart and soul of our house. For one it is always the warmest room, due to our old old oven. For two it is full of food. So, people always tend to congregate in there.
Luckily for us, the previous owners did a nice renovation in the kitchen. They modernized some features like the backsplash, counter tops, and hood, but kept some of the great period details like the Wedgewood stove and hard wood. Our stove is still complete with an original timer and little salt and pepper shakers.

I have added a few things that make it more user friendly and give it some character. My mom gave us a pot rack for Christmas, so that was the first addition. This saves so much space in the cupboards!!
The island looks out over the porch and backyard so it is a great place to cook! We shortened and painted the stools so that we could actually sit at the island. Usually these stools are used by guests who are hanging out during cooking.

The walls in the kitchen are still the old plaster and lath, and were riddled with holes and scrapes from years of cooking. This summer I got up on my little ladder, filled in the cracks in the plaster, sanded them down and repainted. This really cleaned things up!
Then I had a whole patch of wall by the sink that was all naked. I decided to put a chalk board, so I could write recipes that I use often. What teacher can refuse a chalkboard! Most of the time the recipe for bread it up so I can quickly pop the ingredients into the bread maker and be done with it.
The chalkboard is fun, and not too complicated. There was of course a mandatory trip to the hardware store where I got a can of chalkboard paint, the molding, and one small piece of wood to hold the actual chalk. I measured and taped off the area where I wanted the board. I actually used saran wrap and painters tape, so that there was a large area covered. Then I put two coats of chalkboard paint up. While these were drying I measured and cut the edging. I then painted it with two coats of white paint we had laying around the basement. When everything was dry I removed the tape. I nailed in the molding, then touched up the paint over the nails. I love the look of it, and it would be great for a kids room!
My neighbor had given me the most adorable measuring cups you have ever seen and I wanted a place to display them. So I went to Target, found those great shelves and put them up. The measuring cups are on the bottom shelf. Those few changes really dressed up the whole area and made it a lot more interesting! One room completed, on to the next! Happy cooking!

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Chocolate Lava Cakes

12/26/2011

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I have to say that Christmas was wonderful. Besides opening all the gifts I was spoiled with, I got to eat good food, and laugh with my family. We spent a lot of the day assembling a 1962 volkswagen lego set. Even Grandma helped with all the teeny tiny pieces. It had 1352 pieces and it was complicated! Anyways, it had all these moving pieces and turned out adorable.
Since I had cooked Christmas Eve dinner, on Christmas I didn't cook a thing, which was very relaxing! I have to share with you my favorite part of the eve dinner, which was oozy, chocolaty, rich, delicious lava cakes. I made little tiny cakes, due to a rich dinner, but you can see the chocolate lava starting to ooze out the side!

The recipe came from TastyKitchen.com and was posted by Brandielle. I had made it before and it was phenomenal, so I could trust it to be good again. However, I did change a few things from how I found the recipe. The tough part about lava cakes, is getting them cooked to the exact right amount. Two minutes in either direction will make it a complete bust, so don't get lost in a glass of wine, or friendly chat while cooking this! The good new is, it cooks quickly and is impressive.

*If you have time to make your own whipped cream, do it. It is SO much better and whoever is eating you lava cake will thank you. I would make it before the cakes and throw it in the fridge so you don't get in a time crunch. The recipe is below.

Recipe: Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour

1) Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.
2) GENEROUSLY butter 4 custard cups. I mean slap it on there, the last thing you want is for your perfect chocolate creation to get ripped apart when it sticks to the custard cup. Place the cups on a cookie sheet. I would suggest one with sides if you have it so they don't go sliding off as you take them in and out of the oven.
3) Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 30 seconds at a time until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate is also melted.
4) Stir in granular sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

5) Divide between cups. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
6) Gently loosen the sides with a butter knife. Invert each cake on a plate and slide/wiggle it out. Be careful not to break it! Quickly top them with whipped cream. For Christmas I then sprinkled on crushed candy cakes which added a nice peppermint flavor and crunch. When you cut into it with a fork the middle should be about the consistency of hot fudge. Serve hot!

In the past I have skipped the whipped cream and made a simple raspberry sauce to pour on to the top. There is a picture at the top of this page. If you want those directions, add a comment.

Whipped Dream, I mean cream
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
(You can add more sugar, I don't like my whipped cream very sweet)

(I am very happily piping whipped cream onto the lava cakes in this picture)

Directions:
1) Put the cream in a bowl and whisk it with an electric mixture on medium to high speed. It should take about ten minutes. Stop periodically to scrape the sides of the bowl, or the sides will be not be as well whipped.
2) When the cream begins to get soft peaks add in the vanilla and powdered sugar. Continue mixing. Give it a taste. I don't like my whipped cream very sweet so you may want to add more sugar than I recommended.
3) Stop when the cream forms stiff peaks and looks whipped creamish. If you mix it too much it will turn to butter!

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'Twas the night before, night before, Christmas

12/23/2011

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Today is the day to wrap it all up! It is time to tie the last beautiful bow the presents, go to the grocery for all the ingredients, and of course clean the house. Tomorrow everyone will be here! The crazy part is, I am only hosting Christmas Eve! We have to pull out the big guns for the real deal (the moms).
The holidays for me are a blatant reminder of how blessed I am. I can't express through a computer how thankful I am for my loving family and friends. I don't know how I would function without you! And of course I am also thankful for the people who bother to read what I write! I am thankful that I'm able to give gifts and have a warm house to share dinners in. I realize that this isn't the case for everyone.

On that note, I have been taking joy in the littlest things this week. Like setting the table! I am also on winter break and haven't been teaching this week, so I have to admit that makes my energy and enjoyment level much higher!
For dinner tomorrow we are making beef wellington. I wrote a post about it two weeks ago if you want to take a look back. I am also attempting a green bean casserole for the first time. Lastly, I am making decadent and delicious mini chocolate lava cakes. On top I am putting a dollop of homemade whipped cream and sprinkling crushed candy canes. My uncle is kind a chocolate fanatic, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make his year! I won't post this recipe until after Christmas, but if you want it before, write a comment and I will put it up.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve, Christmas, Hannukah, and anything else you are celebrating! Enjoy the people you are with and what they bring to the world.

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Ornament Chandelier!

12/22/2011

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As I was decorating our Christmas tree yesterday (I know, very late in the game) I was feeling like I had more ornaments than our little tree could accommodate. Then I looked over, and noticed that our little table was going to be very crowded with ten people coming for dinner. I don't know if you're noticing a trend, but our house is the perfect size for two, meaning, very small. So I thought it would be fun to create a little chandelier out of ornaments. It provides some decoration in the dining room without taking up valuable space. It also gave an opportunity to showcase some of those special ornaments that you love! And it's free.

Decorating Idea:
1) Choose two to three colors to work with. More than that and it will start to look like a hodgepodge. I used gold, silver, and white because I thought they would be subtle and go with the other decorations.

2) Select an odd number of ornaments. It will look more balances and natural to the eye. Try and find ones that are interesting and will reflect the light.

3) Tie the string or ribbon you are using to the ornament. Hold it up to test the length of the string. Then lay it on the table and tie it to the hook. I tried to tie the ornament on while the hook was already hanging and it ended in disaster!

4) Hang the first ornament by the hook and repeat. I was hanging the hooks from our ceiling fan.

5) At first I hung them in a spiral with each ornament hanging a bit shorter than the last. Then I moved them to be a bit more random like the picture above and decided I like that better. The good news is, they aren't attached so you can rearrange to your heart's content! Have fun! I would love to see a picture of how your ornament chandelier looked!

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Noodle Kugle

12/21/2011

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Last night's Hannukah celebration turned out to be quite a feast! This is my friend Meghan in front of all the delicious food. One of the dishes I made was noodle kugle. Noodle Kugle is kind of a noodle casserole (it is the front dish in the picture). It has a unique combination of creamy, sweet, and savory flavors. My husband likes it just the way my mother in law Sue makes it, so this is her recipe! Every year I call her to make sure I am not missing any of the details that make it just right.
Jewish food took me a while to get the hang of. The combinations of flavors are very different and went against my grain at first. After few years of being a Shiksa, I got into the groove of it and found recipes that I really enjoy. This is one of those!

Recipe: Noodle Kugle
Ingredients:
1 of a bag of egg noodles
1 lb container sour cream
1 1/2 lbs of cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk
5 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
apricot preserves
frosted flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring water to a boil and cook the egg noodles for 5 minutes. You do not want them fully cooked.
2. While the noodles are cooking beat the eggs thoroughly. Mix in the sour cream, cottage cheese, and milk.
3. Put the egg mixture in a casserole dish and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon on top. It is nice to get a little burst of cinnamon flavor, so it does not need to be evenly dispersed.
4. Put the pasta into the casserole dish as well. The consistency should be soupy and the noodles should be completely covered. If you need to, add a bit of milk until the noodles are submerged.
5. Add dollops of apricot preserves to the top, and another 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Again, they do not need to be mixed in or evenly distributed.

6. Bake for about 1 hour at 375 degrees F.
7. Open the oven and add a layer of frosted flakes to the top. I know this sounds crazy but it adds a nice crunchy consistency and some sweetness. Bake for about 15-20 more minutes or until the frosted flakes begin to brown.
8. Serve hot. The egg mixture and noodles will have baked into more of a solid, but should still be moist. Enjoy!

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Happy Hannukah!

12/20/2011

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Hannukah starts tonight at sundown, so homemade challah is on the agenda for today! I had a request from my friend Adi for some Jewish recipes. Here you go! These recipes are for all the shiksas out there, or anyone who wants to take a stab at some traditional jewish food. Challah is a delicious, rich, egg bread no matter what time of year it is! I will post new Jewish recipes all this week.
In our house, we get to celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas. How do I do that you might ask? Lots of cooking and presents! Hannukah dinner is a carb loaded feast! In it's roots, Hannukah is a celebration of the oil that lasted for eight days. So oil is the concentration of the meal. As with most holidays, we celebrate by spending time with our friends and family, and giving thanks for all the blessings in our life.
For this year's Hannukah dinner we will be celebrating at our friend's house, so I will be making homemade Challah, and noodle kugle. I am sure some latkes will make it on the table sometime this week as well!

I am using a recipe out of my cuisinart recipe book for my bread maker. I have to admit I totally cheat when I make bread. I make it often, but I always use my bread maker. I will write the recipe so you can make it by hand or with the bread machine.
If you are using a bread machine, put the ingredients in the bread maker in the order they are listed and set your maker to a dough setting. You can pick up the directions at #4. If you are making it by hand, follow the instructions below.

Recipe: Challah - 2 pound loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
-Butter should be at room temperature and cut into roughly 1 tbls pieces
2 eggs
1 egg for the egg wash
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar
3 3/4 cup bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (I recommend bread machine yeast)

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl and sit together. Mix in water, butter and eggs. Mix until well combined.
2. Place the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface but make sure to have a pile of flour sitting nearby. Knead the dough by pushing the palm of your hand deeply into the dough ball, then fold the dough in half, turn a half turn and repeat. Add flour to the counter as needed so the dough doesn't stick. Continue this process for about five minutes until the dough has become elastic.
3. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a clean towel. If the air is dry I sometimes moisten the towel. Place the dough in a warm area and let it rise for one hour.
4. After this time punch down the dough and knead it a bit more, about 5 turns.
5. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. With your hands roll each piece out into a long rope about 12-18 inches long.
6. Pinch one end of the dough together and place it in the corner of your baking dish. Use an air pan if possible. Braid the three strand of dough until you get to end. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the braid a bit.
7. Beat an egg thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of water and baste it over the whole loaf. This will give it a nice shiny appearance when baked.
8. Let the braid rise for 1 hour. During this time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
9. Bake the bread for approximately 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. You can cut it into slices or pull off chunks to serve.

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Sunday Morning Breakfast

Paperwhites

Latkes

Rescue Mission

The Kitchen

Chocolate Lava Cakes

'Twas the night before, night before, Christmas

Ornament Chandelier!

Noodle Kugle

Happy Hannukah!

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