Tag: recipes

recipes

Recipe Friday

Well, that just sucks.

I had written what was arguably the best blog post to date.  I saved it, oh, did I save it. I closed the computer and when I came back to upload my pictures, guess what?

*Poof* No more post.

It’s fitting because I was going on and on about what a less than stellar week this has been.

I’m in a total “bah humbug” kind of mood.  It started when we got back from Thanksgiving. The Hubs was already battling a cold and losing, impressively.  He shared said cold with me (so much for my flu shot).  The girls were overtired and in need of a sugar detox.  By the time we were back in our own beds, Thanksgiving was in my rearview mirror and I’m all, “Wait! Was that it?”

We are fully going towards Christmas.  It’s all over the place — on the TV, in the mail, on the radio, in my spam.  It’s in my house, too.

We got our tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  That’s unheard of around here. We usually get our tree like the week before.  I’m start taking down the ornaments around 3:30pm Christmas Day.  So the tree is up, as are the stockings and the wreath on the front door.  The girls keep insisting that we trim the house with lights, set up an inflatable Santa on the front lawn, spray fake snow on the step, and get one of those Elf on a Shelf things.  Elf on a Shelf? Right, because I don’t have enough to do.  I got the Advent calendar up.  I got the Christmas Carol Pandora Station going.  I even made three separate trips to three separate Targets to find the right replacement bulbs for the fake candles I put in the front windows of the house.

Remember how I said that I didn’t really care that my pants didn’t snap after Thanksgiving. Yeah, well I lied.  So I’m trying to be a more responsible eater.  It’s SO hard though, because this is the season where  food and drink are part and parcel of the experience.  I mean, you can practically taste the butter, sugar and peppermint in the air. On those aforementioned trips to Target, I blew my hard earned cash trying to find a more waistline friendly coffee drink.  Here’s a PSA: I’ve eaten brussel sprouts and cauliflower that taste better than Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mocha Lattes and Skinny Caramel Machiattos.  Either save your money or splurge on the fat content. You’ll come out ahead.

I’ve been cooking this week, but it’s been the standard fare: tacos, spaghetti, steak and potatoes.  I made another batch of sausage and andouille soup because that’s good to have on hand for the nights when you’d rather re-heat than fully invest in a meat, starch, and veg.

I even went so far as to make cookies and blondies for the girls, and I didn’t even eat any.  Hold your applause;  I’m not too grown that I didn’t lick the bowl. And the beaters. A couple of times.  Hey, it’s not like I was jamming soft, crumbly baked goods into my pie-hole.

Mmmm. . . .pie. . .

But I’m getting off track here.  I’m just feeling like a big cranky, Grrrrr monster.   If I had to draw a picture of it, it would be a giant scribble with fangs and red eyes.  Surprisingly, it has absolutely nothing to do with my leg.  I went to the doctor this week and was fully prepared for whatever he was ready to tell me.  I didn’t bother to bring my matching sneaker because I knew that boot and I were going out as we came in: together.  Sure enough, I’ve got another two weeks in the boot.  It could be worse.  It could be another two months in the boot.  Of course, two weeks from today, there’s going to be a Bye-Bye Boot Bonfire in the backyard and I’ll be dancing around it holding the boot over my head like “Lord of the Flies” before I pitch it into the flames.  Or, I may just unceremoniously dump it into the trash can.  Either way, it’s a win.

The bottom-line is, I’m in need of some comfort.

I want to eat something warm, soft, and rich.  I want to eat something so good that I close my eyes and forget my name.  I want to eat something that when I bite into it, I should feel like I could crawl deep into its center, wrap myself in its goodness and take a nap.  I want to eat something that tastes as good as a hug feels.  It should be sweet and creamy and buttery and smooth and a little salty and have bacon and sugar and chocolate and of course, be less than 100 calories per serving.  I mean, so long as I’m dreaming, right?

Where to find such a mythical creation? Why, hello, Pinterest.  I’m sure you won’t fail to disappoint me.

Oh, this is so happening. . .

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Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie with Maple Glaze from Penguins and Cupcakes
Originally from   The baker chick
Makes about 2 dozen of cookies
Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb package of bacon strips- cooked until very crispy and cut into small bits.

3/4 cup powdered sugar
pure maple syrup 

Directions
Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions.  Preheat oven 325°.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and 1 cup of the bacon bits.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball.  Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves.  Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.

Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make glaze- in a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the powdered sugar and stir. Add more maple syrup as needed until the glaze is a good, thick drizzling consistency. Sprinkle with remaining bacon bits.

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IN: recipes ON: November 30, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday: A Two-fer

I have no idea where the time is going. I just wake up, hit the floor and the next thing I know, I’m getting back in bed ready to do it all again in 8 hours (sometimes less).  This past week has been no exception to whole “Where has the day/time/week” gone phenomenon.  It was one of those rare weeks when the girls had random days off from school, none that were on the same day, mind you. There were a smattering of doctors appointments, physical therapy, and a mid-week date night.  Suffice it to say, our babysitter made a killing this week and the girls have probably watched more TV than I would care to admit.

Somewhere in all of this, I have been dying to write, but just haven’t had a chance. I got myself a new notebook to keep in my bag, but it remains as pristine as the day it came home from Target.  What kills me is that I have ideas I want to share.  I have sticky notes peppering my car with my weird short-hand for subjects to blog about. I have had several people ask me — in person, no less — what this weeks recipe is going to be and I’ve got several pulled, but just haven’t had a chance to put my fingers on the keyboard.  I know, cue the worlds smaller violin.

This week, the weather has been significantly cooler than it has earlier in the season.  It’s has become soup weather, through and through.  I’m not usually a soup eater; when I go out to restaurants, I cannot be enticed by the soup of the day. I will however, stick my spoon in your soup of the day (by invitation only, of course) and confirm your suspicions that yes, it is 1) delicious 2) just what you wanted or 3) none of the above.  For instance, the hubs ordered the soup of the day the last time we had gone out.  It was a pumpkin and sunflower seed bisque (I mentioned the bisque).  I had ordered a salad, which was delightful, but the bisque was awesome. By the time I was ready for a second spoonful, there was barely enough for me to run my finger around the rim of the bowl.  I didn’t! I didn’t! But I sure did think about it.

Maybe it’s more accurate to say that I like thicker, heartier soups.  Those would be called stews, right? I’m a fan of the crockpot. I’m a groupie of Le Creuset.

 Ohhhh, how I heart my new pot.
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Once I got it in the house, I put it to use right away and made the White Bean and Andouille Sausage with Collards.  Then I made it again a few weeks later.  And again last week.  I’ve started making batches big enough to eat some for a few days and freeze the rest for a later date.  And it only gets better with every incarnation! Except for the time I bought the wrong beans (Great Northern Beans instead of Cannellini) and totally changed the flavor profile. The hubs still liked it, but it just wasn’t working for me.  Clever girl that I am, I strained out all of the Great Northern Beans, put the stock, sausage and collards in a pot and threw in a can (yes, I know) of Cannellini beans.  Bing! Bang! Boom! Good as new.

So, for those of you who missed it the first time, here’s the original blog item and recipe can be found here.  My version is below (and keep reading, because there’s another recipe, you lucky duck!).

 White Bean Soup and Andouille Sausage and Collards Soup
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Ingredients

  • 1  pound dried Cannellini beans  
  • 1/2  pound andouille sausage links 
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 8  cups  low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1  bunch  collard greens, stems discarded and leaves cut into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
  • red wine vinegar
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • french baguette or crusty bread for serving

Directions

  1. Brown sausage links in a frying pan over medium to medium high heat.  Remove sausage from pan and cut in half lengthwise.  Cut each length into bite-sized pieces. 
  2. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker combine the beans, sausage, onion.  Add the broth and stir to combine.
  3. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).
  4. Twenty minutes before serving, add the collard greens, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the vinegar and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
  5. Serve with warm baguette 

Mmmm, so good. And of course, you can’t have a hearty stew like that without a nice beverage pairing, right? I usually pair this with a Cabernet Sauvignon like J.Lohr or Rodney Strong.  Aside from the bread, there isn’t any other “side dish”; the soup can stand alone on it’s own.  Of course, if there is some room left for dessert — and for me, there always is — I’ve been pretty partial to some dark chocolate and a second (okay, third) glass of wine. My friend Claire over at GibsonKing wrote a delightful post about chocolate. I’ve sampled just about all of her recommendations, but my tried and true favorite is the dark chocolate with sea salt by Lindt.  Two squares and I’m good to go.

I don’t really cook with chocolate, aside from dumping it out of the brownie box into the bowl or topping a few pancake cups with chocolate chips.  The recipes that call for melted chocolate conveniently leave out the fact that (to quote my pal KSC), “your kitchen will look like an episode of Dexter when you’re done.”  Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

Seeing as we are all about to be caught up in the maelstrom of the holidays, what better way to cap of this post than a recipe for pie.  For the past few holiday seasons, I’ve had the urge to do this:

Pie in a Jar! Pie. In. A. Jar.

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Uhhhh, I really want to do this, but I always get sidetracked by the rest of the website where I found this idea. Not only do they suggest making pie in a jar, they changing out your cookie cutters to make mini pies for holiday gifts, complete with homemade tags!

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I just want to skip to the end with my single serving of warm pie in a jar and a cup of coffee.

I know I don’t have to go from peeling apples to labeling jars, but part of me feels like, “Hey, if you’re gonna do it, really do it!”  Then I can add it to my “Pinned it. Did it.” board because, you know, I gotta maintain my Pinterest addiction.

But, back to pie.  I’m an apple pie kind of girl, though I have been known to whip up a pumpkin pie from time to time.  Real Simple Magazine just had an article about 10 Easy Pie Recipes for the Holidays, complete with a recipe for the crust itself. Call me old-fashioned, or maybe more like pressed for time, but I’m going with the pre-made shell.  I do peel and chop my own apples, though! The pumpkin is definitely a puree.  In any event, here’s a quick and easy apple pie recipe, courtesy of my dad.

Henry’s Apple Pie
Ingredients
6-8 Braeburn apples, peeled and sliced.
3/4 c sugar
2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 pie shells
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
2. Remove pie crusts from package.  Fill one shell with the apple mixture.
3. Top first shell with second shell.  Wetting your fingertips, seal the two shells together.  Press around the edges with the tines of a fork for flair.  Add four small slits on the top for venting.
4. Brush the pie crust with the beaten egg.

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5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until golden brown
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6. Cool completely before slicing.
7. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of Cool “huh-whip”or just eat it “nekkid”.

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Enjoy, enjoy!  And happy Friday (and Saturday), y’all! 
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IN: recipes ON: November 17, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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recipes

Recipe Friday

Yum, yum, yum.  Yum, yum, yum. 


Sorry, I get a little excited when I’ve got something good going on in my belly. 
 I just had my umpteenth Tall Nonfat Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks.

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It was so good, I’m doing a little dance in my chair here and “Oh, Happy Day!” is spooling in my head. I’m a little more than obsessed with this drink, which is perplexing on so many levels.  I didn’t really start drinking coffee until we were gifted with a Keurig two years ago.  Even then, I was strictly a Donut House Decaf kind of coffee drinker.  After several coffee talks with other moms at Starbucks, I started getting more adventurous.  Enter the Mocha Frappuccino Light.  A delicious cold drink, but once the fall hit and all things pumpkin went into effect, it became the Pumpkin Frappuccino Light.  As the temps dropped, I moved onto something warmer and here we have my current obsession.  I never thought I’d be “one of those people” who trolls around for Starbucks. Alas, here I am.  It’s to the point where this should have been the girls costumes for Halloween.

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Gah! How cute is that?!  Not as cute as Mo, Co and Vivo, but still, pretty close. This year for Halloween, the girls decided early that they wanted to be Cleopatra (Mo) and a Greek Goddess (Co).  They put their heads together with their grandma and came up with some extraordinary designs.  It was all systems go for yet another fashion-tastic Halloween.  The 31st rolled around, but the costumes hadn’t arrived.  My mother-in-law worked diligently on them, late into the night for several nights, I know.  She mailed them overnight express on 29th, but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the box never left the shipping center.  
I had a feeling that with Sandy raging up the coast, things might not work out the way the girls had hoped.  Talk about a teachable moment, trying to explain to the girls how the effects of the hurricane are so far reaching.  We turned on the news and they were able to see the devastation that Sandy wrought on New York and New Jersey.  I haven’t lived in New Jersey in over 15 years, but I felt like I’d been punched in the gut seeing what remained of the shore.  

It was a sobering conversation for sure, but we managed to turn things around because when you have little girls, chances are there is an abundance of dress up clothes lying around.  Sure enough, Mo and Co were able to resurrect some princess costumes, throw on some wigs and a bit of lip gloss to go trick-or-treating.  They had a great time, scored a ton of candy, and even had quite a bit left over after I took out my trick-or-treat tax.  The next day, the postman delivered the box and we had another Halloween celebration. 

Cleopatra

Greek Goddess

Co, Vivo-Bee, and Mo
The costumes are awesome; I really think my mother-in-law needs her own shop on Etsy or something.   I’m thinking that next year, we may have to do a group thing like each of us go as a character from The Wizard of Oz or Scooby Doo or something because I’m kinda thinking that I want to dress up!  

Anyway, earlier this week, I gave you guys a preview of yet another food goodie that I’d whipped up: Pancake cups!  Yes, I have Pinterest to thank for this, although, I do wonder why when I look at the cupcake tin, all I see are cupcakes instead of endless possibilities. Seriously, it’s like I just can’t see past those little paper lined wells.  It’s a cupcake tin! Must make cupcakes!  In truth, there are way more things you can make.  Here’s a smattering of ideas, and I’m doing it off the top of my head (not off of Pinterest, though I’m sure there’s an influence at work).

1. Lasagna cups (which I have made and were delicious)

2. Bacon, egg and toast cups

3. Fruit filled ice cubes — I cut up some lemon slices, some orange slices, and some key lime slices.  I floated the fruit in the wells, added more water and froze them.  Looks good in a glass, though beware of the key lime slices.  They kind of turned a weird shade of green and my mom thought I had put a frozen pickle slice in her iced tea.

4. Macaroni and Cheese cups – me + cheese? nope, but I’d make it for someone else.

5. Mini Turkey Meatloaves –  I did make these and while it worked out well, the recipe for the turkey meatloaf was pretty blech.  Meatloaf need meat, like the moo kind of meat. 

6. Mini chicken pot pies

7. Taco cups

8. Cookie Dough Cups filled with Pudding topped with Sliced Strawberries

9. Ice Cream Balls — so easy and your guests will be very impressed when you whip out these balls (heh!) at dessert time. Buy a gallon of your favorite ice cream and let it soften a bit.  Line your cupcake tin with your decorative liners and then drop a scoop of ice cream into each well.  Pop it in the freezer.  At dessert time, you’ve got single servings of ice cream and you don’t have to wrestle with the scooper and container! 

and one non-food item:

10. Take all the broken down crayons you’ve got lying around. Peel off the wrappers, fill up the cupcake wells part way and melt them down.  When they cool, you’ve got a jumbo, multi-colored crayon! 

Ta-da! So, that pancake cups.  
(can’t get much easier than this)

Pancake Cups (found on here)
1.  Use your favorite mix
2.  Pour into muffin tins
3.  Add fruit, nuts, sausage, bacon… 
4.  Bake 350 for 12-14 min. 

Personally, I like the bacon topped pancake cups because you get a little sweet and a little salty at the same time.  As for the pancake mix, get as fancy as you like. We had Hungry Jack in the pantry and you just add water.  Get your Bisquick, you Aunt Jemima, or whatever.  Get as fancy as you like and add vanilla extract, pumpkin butter, whatever.  Have fun and be sure to save one for me!

Happy Friday, y’all!
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IN: recipes ON: November 2, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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recipes

Recipe Friday

I’m a picky eater. There are so many things that I don’t like to eat, or will only eat if they are prepared a certain way.  Another personality quirk to add to one of my lists, right? Here’s an example: I don’t like cheese. I won’t eat a cheeseburger or a grilled cheese, but I will eat pizza and lasagna. When the hubs and I were dating, rather than tell his mother that I’m a loony tune, he told her that I was allergic to cheese.

Then we had pizza for dinner that night.  Talk about a great foundation on which to build a relationship, right?

When I set my mind to eating more healthily, I try to incorporate more veggies into my meal prep. However, the finicky person that I am, there are only certain vegetables that I want to eat. It’s not that they have to be fried, swimming in butter or dressing (and definitely NOT topped with cheese).  I like my veggies well seasoned, steamed, roasted or raw.   The short list of acceptable veg?

Broccoli/broccolini
Brussel Sprouts
Green beans
Peppers
Asparagus
Celery
Collards
Kale
Carrots
Potatoes
Corn
Tomatoes
Onions

Well, maybe that’s not a short list after all, but when compared to the myriad of vegetables that exist in the world, this is really kind of sad. That coupled with the one or two vegetables that the girls will eat, it can mean some very clever culinary acrobatics to get well rounded dinners on the table.  If Mo had her way, it would be sushi every night. As for Co, she’s a snack-a-holic, so if it involves anything resembling crackers, cookies, or bite sized goodness, she’s all about it.

So how do I get the recommended five a day covered for all of us? Here’s a hint: it starts with “p” and ends with “-interest”.

There are a crap-ton of recipes that I’ve pinned, most of which I’ve tried. As I culled through them, I realized that most of them are for one pot meals that involve few to no vegetables.  The ones that were heavy on produce mostly involved avocado or brussel sprouts, two things that I’ll eat with reckless abandon. The rest of the family? Not so much.  So, I was looking, looking, looking and saw something that looked easy, flavorful, and worth a go.

I give you Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette

Cauliflower? I know, it is an unlikely choice, but with the olive and garlic it was awesome.  Well, at least, I thought so.  The girls gave it a courtesy bite and then kindly moved onto the rest of the food on their plate.  I should have cut it up and speared it with toothpicks.  A little touch of fancy always get things consumed.  As for the hubs, he was wavering between me and the girls with respect to his enthusiasm over it.  I think he couldn’t get past the cauliflower part.  More for me! Even still, the olives and garlic dressing would be great over some roasted asparagus or green beans.  I’m gonna get some greenery into our systems one way or another!

Happy Friday, y’all!

Roasted Cauliflower Slices with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe found here)
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe adapted slightly from a recipe by Melissa Roberts for Gourmet Magazine.)

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower
2 T olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
pinch sea salt
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped kalamata olives

Preheat oven to 450F/200C.

Instructions:

Remove leaves from cauliflower, then use a large knife to cut the cauliflower into slices an even 3/4 inch thick, slicing through the core. Cut core section away from the slices and arrange cauliflower slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle both sides of cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (I used a generous amount of pepper, but not too much salt, since the olives are salty.)

Start cauliflower roasting while you make the vinaigrette, and let it roast 15 minutes without turning.

While cauliflower roasts, mash garlic and sea salt in a mortar and pestle (or use a fork and a bowl), then rinse the garlic and salt mixture into a bowl with the lemon juice. Stir in the olive oil, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in olives and let the vinaigrette ingredients blend while cauliflower continues cooking.

After about 15 minutes, carefully turn cauliflower pieces with a large turner. Put back in oven and roast 10-15 minutes more, or until cauliflower is slightly crisp and nicely browned, and done to your liking. Serve hot, with Kalamata Olive and Garlic Vinaigrette drizzled over cauliflower.

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IN: recipes ON: October 26, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday


So, the other day, I said that I was going to make some pumpkin muffins for me and the girls.  Far be it from me to break a promise.  While I do enjoy cooking, I would much rather consume baked good than make them.  Baking is so scientific. Sure, with cooking you do have to measure out your ingredients so that you have the right quantities, but I’ve found that you really have to be precise when baking.  With cooking, I can eyeball stuff, add a dash of this, a touch of that. If my spaghetti sauces is missing something, I throw in a few pinches of sugar or garlic or a splash of red wine (SN: when does wine not make anything better?).  With baking, you can’t really ad lib once something is cooked. If you make a banana bread and forget the bananas, you can’t really mash up the banana and shove it in the bread.  Or if you bake a pie and feel like it needs more cinnamon/nuts/raisins/whatever, you can’t lift off the crust and toss them in. Well, I guess you could, but I doubt any guests you have would want to sample a pie that looks like someone lifted off the crust, messed with the insides and then put the crust back on.  Maybe if they were really, really, hungry. 

Really, hungry.

In the past, I’ve grumbled that my kitchen was not the twin to the GE Monogram kitchen on Top Chef, but the last few weeks have made me glad of that fact.  The close proximity of the fridge, range, counter and pantry has made it easier for me to navigate. I’ve been able to make Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Potato, White Bean and Andouille Sausage with Collards (hello, crockpot), Chicken Picatta, and my daily standard – egg beaters, bacon, english muffin and coffee.  Girls’ gotta get her three squares, you know.  Despite the ease I’ve relished in being able to be maneuver around the kitchen, I’ve noticed it takes me quite a bit longer to get from stove to table.  By the time I’m done making my breakfast, the kids have finished two helpings of Cheerios, read a Big Nate book and practiced their Gangnam style. In the time it takes me to get from the stove to the table (and keep in mind, I’m not going more than five feet, maximum), they’ve gotten into a fight, made up, fought again, made up, and read another Big Nate book.  They love some Big Nate.  

I’m sure all of this begs the question as to why I don’t ask for help getting my plate to the table.  Have you met Mo & Co?  High energy and the attention span similar of a fruit fly are not good companions for a plate of food.  Let’s just say, I prefer to have my breakfast on the plate, not on the floor. 

So, this two ingredient recipe for pumpkin muffins is all things wonderful. Here’s why:

1. Two ingredients
2. Pumpkin
3. Muffins

I mean, what’s not to love? By the time I got out my two ingredients and my muffin pan, my oven was already pre-heated.  I did try and short shift the recipe by beating the mix by had instead of using a hand mixer (mine is the Model T of hand mixers).  Do not short shift the recipe.  Get out the hand mixer, otherwise, you’ll have clumps of cake mix in the pumpkin puree.  I know of what I speak! 

My muffin tin was greased, lined, and ready for batter.  I got fancy and added a dash of cinnamon sugar and a few chopped pecans to the muffin cups before I put them in the oven.  

Twenty minutes and one cooling rack later, it was muffin time!  The girls fell on those little nuggets of  cupcake lined fall goodness like Honey Boo Boo on some sketti (don’t ask me how I know about Honey Boo Boo and sketti!). 

Success!  I will not be conquered by palate-butchering homemade pumpkin frozen yogurt!  There will be pumpkin infused baked goods this fall and every fall!  And now, to the recipes to see what’s next!

Happy Friday, y’all!



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Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

(Recipe Found here.)

There’s only two ingredients. That’s right, just the cake mix and the pumpkin (15 oz.). No oil, no eggs, no water, nothing else. The end result is an amazing, incredibly moist muffin/cupcake with a hint of pumpkin flavor. 

It felt kind of strange not to add any liquids to the mix but it came together nicely into a thick batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 


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IN: recipes ON: October 19, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Recipe Friday

Another week in the books, another trip to the doctor, another set of instructions on what to do with this busted up ankle.  I have to admit, I was feeling pretty good early on.  My appointment was on Tuesday morning and I had gotten the girls all squared away so that everyone was where they needed to be when they needed to be there.  So confident was I that I was going to get that cast off and just waltz (well maybe crip walk) out of there in just a boot, I went by myself to the office, carrying the boot between two fingers while I crutched my way across the parking deck.

The nurse sawed off the cast and my leg was looking malnourished and very, very hairy.  The incision was, as I had been told, bigger than the original laceration, but my doctor said it was healing nicely.  It was kind of crusty and extremely itchy, though those are good signs of healing. Te doc said I was looking good and  I should wear the boot round the clock, even to sleep.  Sure, I can do that.  Then, he handed me the crutches and said, “I’ll see you in three weeks, but for now, I want you to use these in addition to the boot.”

Uh. . .what? I thought this was going to be a crutch-free situation.

He goes on to assure me that while the boot is fine to use,  I’m not quite ready to put my full weight on my leg.  He demonstrated how to get around with the crutches and walking using minimal weight; sure, it looked easy, but there were still crutches involved.  I was counting getting my hands back. I’ve got stuff to do! I’ve always got stuff to do.  No dice; me and the crutches are in it for the long haul.

I wanted to beat the doc about the head with the crutch, but I refrained.  Truth be told, I wanted to burst into tears, I was so angry.  I felt very Bruce Banner like.  On the inside, I was like this. . .

Somehow, I kept my composure, crutched my way to the car where I had a good old fashioned sob-fest before heading home.  You know how you get some bad news and then nothing else goes right for the rest of the day? It was one of those situations; I get home, I get tangled up in the seat belt and my messenger bag. I get out of the car and I drop my keys.  I get to the gate and I can’t open it. I crutch around to the side door and almost lose my balance on some acorns. I get up the steps, unlock the side door, but can’t open it because the girls slippers are piled up against the doorjamb.  I’m standing there, thinking about all the things that I had planned to do when I tossed the crutches, and yet here I was banging them against the door in a fruitless attempt to dislodge the slippers so I could get in the house. Let’s just say, the bubble burst and the tears caught up with me.

Thankfully, the hubs was home.  I’m sure my intermittent thwacking against the door drew piqued his curiosity.  He helped me into the house, made me a cup of coffee, and let me snot up his shoulder while I filled him in on how the next three weeks, I was going to have my constant companions.  Once the pity party was over, I jumped back into the fray and got busy coordinating and organizing carpools, play dates and babysitters to help me make sure everyone was taken care of.  It really does take a village and I have such an exception support system in my friends, family and neighbors.

I know that one bum ankle doesn’t mean the world is crashing down, but it’s hard for me be so limited.  As I’ve mentioned before, there’s quite a bit of pride involved that needs to be overcome.  Case in point, I was going upstairs the other evening, trying to give my butt a break and use the step-crutch-step method.  It’s very precarious and you really have to think in order do it right without toppling over and hurting anything else.  I made it to the very last step and my brain just shut off.  I mean, I didn’t know how to navigate the last step. So I found myself having an out of body experience as I watched my booted left foot raise up to plant itself (and my weight) on the tread.  My brain clicked on like, “Uh, no, that’s not right!!!” but I couldn’t get my leg to stop. So, in an effort to prevent myself from landing fully on my bad leg, I just let go of the crutches and face planted onto the landing. The crutches went flying as I absorbed the impact with my hands and arms. And the hubs came flying out the girls’ room where he had been tucking them in. I just raised my hand to stop him and said, “I’m fine. I’m fine.  I’m just re-grouping.”  Needless to say, I’m not allowed to go up the stairs like that any more.

In any event, I’m making the best of my situation. I’m still fully engrossed with Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest.  My fondness for pumpkin has finally surfaced, so I’ve been having pumpkin coffee in the afternoons as I thumb through pumpkin recipes that I hope to get to before the season is over.  My dad took Vivi and me grocery shopping yesterday and I was able to throw a few supplies in the cart to make this 4-ingredient pumpkin frozen yogurt.

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It was easy to do, didn’t take very long, but in ended up being quite an epic fail.

On Pinterest, it said “1 C. Greek Yogurt, 1 C. Pumpkin Puree, 1 tbs. Honey, 1 tsp. Cinnamon”, which is what I did.  I don’t have an ice cream maker, but you can still make it by stirring the mixture every 30 minutes.  I did that, too.  Yeah, it tasted like I has scraped the guts out of a pumpkin and waved some honey over it.  Nasty.  Seriously. . .it was gross.

The website, from where the recipe came, says the following (and I would suggest trying that).

Happy Friday, y’all!

Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt
recipe found here.
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, strained
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl until completely combined. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for a few minutes until it is a smooth, cool consistency. Alternatively, place the bowl in the freezer and stir mixture every half hour until it reaches desired consistency.

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IN: recipes ON: October 12, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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recipes

Recipe Friday

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Okay, I’m over it.  I mean, I’m really, really over it.  This week has had more ups and downs than Kirstie Alley’s weight.  I’ve had to deal with some life challenges that have forced me to step back and own up to my role in life — I’m an adult.  For so long I’ve felt like I’ve been playing at it. I’ve been delighted when I’ve been mistaken for a teenager, when people who card me look at the date in disbelief.  The truth is, I haven’t seen my teens in about 15 years.  
Anyway, this week saw the changing of the guard yet again. My mom headed back to her house Tuesday, but my mother-in-law came wasn’t able to come in until Wednesday afternoon.  I called in some more favors and had a neighbor stay with Vivi while I ran carpool in the am.  I totally spaced that Mo had early release that day and finagled a playdate for her that involved the alignment of the planets, consulting Poor Richard’s Almanac, and sacrificing two chickens to get all of that straight.  Co had a full day, and between stints with the sitter, I was home alone on baby duty.  If everything is in arm’s reach, I’m good to go on feeding and changing.  But I forgot to have the sitter take Vivi out of the swing before she left.  I had diapers, wipes, bottles, and no baby.  I won’t get into how I MacGuyver-ed the bouncy seat to the swing, put her in it and got it all back to the command center that is the overstuffed chair and ottoman.  Suffice it to say, we made it without incident, though I’m not anxious to repeat it. 
Because I’m so hard-headed, it absolutely kills me to have to ask for help when I want to do things for myself.  Yes, I know that I’m down to one leg and that both of my hands are constantly full of crutch handles, but I. CAN.DO. IT. MYSELF.  
I really can’t, though.  I’m trying, but I need help.  And you have no idea how hard it is for me to cough up that nugget of truth.  Really, the hardest part of going up the stairs on one knee and down the stairs on my butt is that big lump of pride I have to traverse.  That coupled with the fact that I’m exhausted by the effort (but would die if anyone knew it) is beyond frustrating. 
I have a sorority sister who is dealing with her own recuperation from a slip and fall. She says she’s got her angry days and I told her, she took the words right out of my mouth.  At first there were a few pity parties, but the anger gave way.  One day, the hubs found me lying on the floor of the closet surrounded by a pile of pants that I couldn’t get over my cast.

“Did you fall? Are you okay?” he asked, panic tingeing his voice.

“Yeah,” I sighed.  “I’m alright. I’m just getting dressed.”
When I finally did peel myself off the floor, I had on pants that fit over the cast and over the tummy.  Six weeks with no exercise except bicep curls of the hand-to-mouth variety can have disastrous results.  The pants were on and they fit? Double win.

I feel like Harvey Two-Face about the whole thing.  I’m vacillating between being so.freaking.mad. and so extraordinarily grateful.  I mean, how would you feel seeing all of your laundry clean and folded, but then realizing your mother-in-law folded your thong underwear?  Yeah. Think on that.

I know that I have SO much for which to be grateful:

1. family and friends who have rallied around to help me.
2. good medical care.
3. the fact that my foot is still attached.
4. the cast is coming off in 2 weeks, not 6.
5. the muscles in my upper body, left leg and butt are going to be so well toned
But then, when someone asks me how I’m doing, I feel more like this. . .
SN: about the cast.  When my brother was in high school, he broke his leg playing basketball.  Something going up for a rebound, tripping over a shoelace, yadda, yadda, yadda. . .broken leg.  I was about 9 or 10 at the time and I thought the whole cast/crutches thing was the coolest thing ever.  His friends had decorated his cast and wrote all kinds of messages. He got out of doing chores. In my pre-teen opinion, he’d hit the motherlode.  Now, having had the experience myself, let me tell you, this shiggity ain’t fun at all.  There’s a big difference between having a broken leg in high school, when you live at home with your parents and your biggest responsibility is doing your homework and walking the dog and having a broken leg as a grown woman with a family and a household to run.  When it all went down, when I tripped over the bag and saw the blood. I was like, “Ugh, I don’t have time for this! “.  In my head, I was all. . .

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Don’t get me wrong.  There have been lots of positives. I’ve gotten to have quality time with Vivi, with my mom and with my mother–in-law. I’ve been able to catch up on my writing here on the blog, and on my yet-to-be-made-public microblog.  I’m tumblr addicted and I admit it. 
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I started tweeting. I’ve been insta.gramming. I made several playlists on Spotify. I’ve read books. I’ve organized the girls winter clothes. I cleaned out my bathroom cabinets. I’ve caught up on my correspondence, writing birthday cards, thinking of you cards, condolence cards, and thank you cards.  One day, there were flowers delivered.  A few days later, this was on my doorstep (cue the Hallelujah chorus!).

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Thank you, thank you, cool KC! Those cupcakes were (yes, they’re gone) right on time and delicious.  As to your note about being torn between the cupcakes and chocolate covered bacon? Really, there’s no wrong answer there.  Maybe I need to mashup the two and do french toast maple bacon cupcakes with chocolate shavings. . .mmmm. . .bacon cupcakes.  Must.start.looking.

While I won’t delay this post any longer as I search for the holy grail of baked goods, I will leave you with a fall themed goodie that I really want to make once I can maneuver around the kitchen on both feet.  You know how I feel about pumpkin; I hope I get to indulge the season has passed. And of course, if anyone is feeling ambitious enough to make these and then drop them off at my house for a sampling, I’m more than happy to oblige! I promise to put my huge stick away.  

Happy Friday, y’all!
Update! Found it!  Click here.

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Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Courtesy of Life {Made} SimpleIngredients
1 package (8 oz) Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
½ c. pumpkin puree
¼ c. + 2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. milk
¼ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or allspice)
¹⁄₈ tsp. nutmeg

For the crust:
8 gingersnap cookies
1 graham cracker
1½  tbsp. melted butter
1½ tsp. brown sugar
¼ c. pecans
pinch of salt

For the vanilla bean whipped cream:
1 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Seeds from ¼ a vanilla bean

Pumpkin pie spice for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a mini cheesecake pan with baking spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind all ingredients for crust, except for the melted butter. The mixture should resemble slightly coarse crumbs. Remove mixture and pour melted butter over. Mix until crumbs are wet. Press into the bottom of each hole. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
3. While crust is baking prepare filling beating together cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add spices, vanilla, heavy cream and egg. Mix until just combined.
4. Pour filling over each crust, dividing evenly. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing cheesecakes (yes your cheesecakes will sink a little, this is normal).
5. Remove cheesecakes from pan using the bottom of a wooden spoon. Using a butter knife, remove metal bottoms and place cheesecakes in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
6. While cheesecakes are cooling, prepare vanilla bean whipped cream by fitting a chilled mixing bowl into your stand mixer. Add heavy cream, sugar and scraped vanilla bean seeds. Using the whisk attachment beat on high for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks begin to form. Return to refrigerator until cheesecakes are ready to be served.

7. To assemble, using a mesh sieve, lightly dust cheesecakes with pumpkin pie spice before or after topping with a swirl of whipped cream. Enjoy!
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IN: recipes ON: October 5, 2012 TAGS: , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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