Seven Ate Nine

Repost: Compassion International

2012-02-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs to follow is Compassion's. David and I sponsor sweet Thomas, from Uganda, through Compassion and hteir blog is always full of insightful thoughts and tips on communicating with and encouraging Thomas. We probably don't keep in touch with him as much as we should, but learning about him (and sharing his cute pictures!) has been such a blessing to us.

Between our experience with Thomas and the various trips we have taken to impoverished places (Haiti, South Africa, even some parts of America) over the past few years, we have had the opportunity to really see poverty at its worst, and the devastating effects it can have on an individual, a family and an entire culture.

So, this post really hit me this morning and reminded me of the miracle I experience every day when I don't have to worry about not having enough food on my table. In fact, I eat way more than I should and turn down food every day. Check out the article below and consider joining the Compassion team in doing something drastic to remind yourself of the blessings and choices you are given every day

How Would You Define Your Relationship with Food?

- Poverty - http://blog.compassion.com -

Posted By Web Team On February 22, 2012 @ 3:01 am

I love dark chocolate, particularly from Colombia and Ecuador.

I love sitting down with a proper cup of coffee and tasting the way it can be fruity or smokey, depending on the bean and how it was roasted.

I love great food, and nearly missed an international flight once in an attempt to get a slice of pizza from a particular coal-fired oven in Brooklyn.

At the end of a long day, my favorite way to unwind is to toss fresh sweet onions and some garlic into sizzling olive oil, and then decide what to make with it.
Indian food? Italian? Thai? A savory chicken soup?

As I describe food using the word “love,” I’m aware I really should reserve it to talk about the people I’m closest to, but given how much time and attention I devote to what passes my tongue, “love” feels like an accurate descriptor.

And as someone who works professionally to serve the poor, I often wrestle with the tension brought on by my selfish pursuit of gastronomic pleasure.

Don’t get me wrong – I think one of the amazing things about Jesus’ first recorded miracle was the setting. Instead of healing a leper, or feeding thousands of hungry people, He made wine at a wedding feast.

I think God was saying something about celebration, about appropriate extravagance. I think this is an amazing gift to humanity: we are created with the ability to appreciate a decadent dessert or a great party.

But I know that my obsession with food has a serious downside. When most of my day is spent thinking about me — my wants, my desires, my preferences – I quickly lose the ability to care about others.

As Chris Seay writes in his new book A Place At The Table ^[2],

“Certainly, our relationship with food is a unique window into our soul. In the days leading up to a fast I committed to a few years ago, a very simple realization broke my will, pride and eventually my heart. I realized that the joy that food and material possessions bring to me is often substantial, but that far too often I lack any sense of gratitude for it.”

In A Place At The Table, what Seay proposes to a reader like me is that I spend 40 days in a fast with a unique twist: eat what my sponsored child eats.

And in the process, recapture gratitude and a sense of solidarity with the poor.

I have an overwhelming number of options every day, but 9-year-old Billy in Haiti exists on small portions of rice, beans, stewed greens and bananas.

So I am going to do the same.

I haven’t read all of Chris’s book, but it is structured as a 40-day devotional, and has accompanying video and other resources for each day.

How would you define your relationship with food? Could a period of eating simply change your perspective?
Will you join me? ^[3]

Fat Tuesday Cupcakes

2012-02-22T06:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras! Although I've never been to New Orleans, the French-Canadian part of my heritage really wants to celebrate Mardi Gras every year. I'm not Catholic, so I don't do much with the whole Lent thing, but in middle school, I gave up meat for 40 days and didn't eat it again for over 4 years. Thankfully, Chick-Fil-A got the best of me and I caved, eventually.

Big girl things, like work, got in the way of my celebrations this year, but I was able to make some fancy, schmany Mardi Gras inspired cupcakes. I cheated and started with a boxed yellow cake mix, but you could use any cake mix recipe you like to make your own.

Mardi Gras Cupcakes
1 box white or yellow cake mix
Other ingredients listed on box (mine called for 3 eggs, water, and oil)
Yellow, Green, Blue and Red (or Purple) food coloring
Icing
Sprinkles/toppings

1. Mix batter as directed on box. I beat all ingredients together in an electric stand mixer on low for about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Divide batter into 3 medium sized bowls.
3. In each of the bowls, add food coloring, until you are happy with the color. One bowl should be yellow, one green, and one purple. If you are using liquid food coloring, you may want to cut back some of the water in the original recipe.
4. Layer cupcake pans with batter. I did purple, yellow, green.
5. Ice and decorate as desired.

Nick's Red Beans and Rice

2012-01-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

I don't really remember how or where we found this recipe, but I've seen it make its way around the e-world and we make it quite often...for good reason! If you resolved to begin eating healthier this year, this is the recipe for you. It is full of veggies, beans, brown rice and turkey sausage - it's a warm, hearty, filling meal that is easy to throw together, makes awesome leftovers and doesn't taste healthy at all.

It definitely gets a thumbs-up from everyone at our house and always leaves us asking why we don't make it more often.

Nick's Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

5 C chicken stock

2 C brown rice

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz. smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch coins

2 15-oz. cans kidney beans

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions

In a pot, bring stock and rice to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Saute peppers, onions and garlic until softened. Add sausage and saute until brown. Add beans and one cup of bean liquid, diced tomatoes with juice, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with pepper and hot sauce. Add rice to bean mixture. Stir to combine. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Source: SparkRecipes

What's Baking: December - Brownies!

2011-12-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

December is home to more than a few of my favorite things. Between Christmas, my birthday and the end of the year, there is plenty of celebrating to be done. And that means plenty of baking and eating. This December, I was also able to host What's Baking and choose the theme. And, although December is notorious for holidays, many are overlooked by the hustle and bustle of shopping and stress. I vow to bring back these long lost celebrations, beginning with my personal favorite: December 8, or National Brownie Day.

I admit that although I love them, I have never actually made brownies from scratch. I also never really dabble much outside of the typical brownie, so I challenged myself and the other What's Baking ladies to get creative with brownies. They really took the challenge to another level and came up with some amazing twists on a classic favorite.

Yudith from Blissfully Delicious used one of my very favorite ingredients in her 4-Ingredient Nutella Brownies

Jen at Beantown Baker put brownies in cheesecake for the ultimate winter treat in her Peppermint Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks tried a twist on her favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies and declared it a tie. I can't wait to try both and choose for myself!

Melissa of I Was Born to Cook made Cappuccino Brownies to go with her eggnog ice cream. I love the coffee/chocolate combination!

Jade from the Mess Pot made decadent Fudge Brownies complete with rich cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Jaida at Sweet Beginnings got in the holiday spirit with these adorable Santa Hat Brownies

Catherine at Pursuing Domestic Goddess-ness whipped up spicy Cinnamon Brownies

Jey at the Jey of Cooking made fudgy Peppermint Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing

Lindsey from Our Share of the Harvest used local eggs to make Peanut Butter Snickers Brownies, which I will be making. Soon.

Cara at The Boys Made Me Do It made classic, fudgy brownies that may be The Best Ever Brownies

Stephanie from Brownies and Blondies adapted a basic brownie recipe and added hazelnuts, butterscotch and rum to take it up a notch.

Carrie from Carrie's Sweet Life made Cakey Brownies full of chocolate chips. Yum!

And...I made One Bowl Fudgy Brownies, adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The brownies are probably the best I've ever had, and are just as easy as using a boxed mix. I added crushed Oreos to mine and baked them over a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, just for giggles. It was amazing.

If you have been guilty of using boxed mix, I'm here to tell you that it is worth it to try making brownies from scratch. Get started with one of these great recipes!

Congratulations to...

2011-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

Courtney! I'll stick your spatula in the mail soon. Thanks to everyone for being a part of my OXO "Be A Good Cookie" giveaway, and for sharing all of your amazing recipes. If you didn't win, fear not - there is more to come!

I used my spatula to bake up some birthday cookies. Because what's a birthday without funfetti?!

These thick cookies are full of celebratory sprinkles but taste like birthday cake. Plus, the main ingredient is cake mix, so they're insanely easy to make.

Birthday Fun(fetti) Cookies
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Sprinkles

Mix all ingredients together until a stiff dough forms. Form dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheets. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes, or until firm. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown (do not overbake!).

Cool on racks. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Pillsbury

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2011-12-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been busy. I'm working a lot, but it's really no excuse for not blogging. I guess that's the bad. And the ugly. Anyways, I'm back! And there a lot of "good" coming up, so get ready :)

The good is - my first giveaway! My birthday is tomorrow (Another good. And I love presents! Especially samples of goodies. Let me know if you need my address so you can mail all sorts of tasty things to me! shameless plea over.)

So in honor of my birthday, I'm hosting a little giveaway. And it's not just any giveaway, it's a good one. I mean, the prize is good and it's for a good cause. Good x2!

So here's the deal. OXO makes awesome kitchen gadgets. If you're not familiar with them, definitely check them out. They are also the founders of Cookies For Cancer and Bake a Difference.

You can get involved with Bake A Difference here by hosting a bake sale, sending virtual cookies, buying (real!) cookies or....buying a limited edition "Be A Good Cookie" spatula. You can also win one from me :)

The awesome people at OXO sent me two spatulas - one to try and one to send to a lucky reader! I'm baking my own birthday treats with my spatula, and if you leave a comment with your favorite "good cookie" recipe, you can be entered to win your very own "Be A Good Cookie" spatula. Hooray! Since the holidays are right around the corner, you have plenty of chances to cook, so no excuses!

Oh, and did I mention that there are a lot of other exciting things coming up soon? It's true...maybe even another giveaway (shhh!).

Okay - leave a comment by midnight (EST) tomorrow with your favorite holiday/birthday recipe and I'll use a random generator to pick a winner and announce it on Monday. Good luck!

What's Baking November: Cheddar and Cranberry Cookies

2011-11-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

This month's What's Baking was hosted by Jey of The Jey of Cooking, who chose "savory baking" as her topic. Bread seemed like the obvious answer to this carb-lover's question of "what to bake?" but...I just wasn't feeling it. I've done the bread rodeo more than a few times and thought this may be an opportunity to take on something a little different.

Conveniently, I had a chunk of cranberry cheddar cheese (from a Whole Foods detour on the way back to Roanoke from Athens) that needed to be used, and after a little google-ing, decided to try out Lex Culinaria's Cranberry Cheddar Cookies.

I can probably guess what you're thinking. This is a bizarre combination. And "cookie" doesn't quite describe the final product, because it looks like (and has the consistency of) a shortbread, but it isn't really sweet. It's like a Cheddar Bay biscuit from Red Lobster married a Walker's Shortbread cookie. If they had a lovechild, it would be this cookie.

While strange, I actually kind of like these bad boys. The cranberries scream "FALL!" and I'm a big fan of the sweet/salty combination. I added a little orange juice and sprinkled the cookies with sugar before baking to make them just a tad sweeter, and I think it helped.

Cranberry Orange Cheddar Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup toasted pecans (optional - I left these out)
1/3 cup finely chopped cranberries
Orange juice, to taste
Raw sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar together on high in the bowl of an electric stand mixer until fluffy. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder and add to butter mixture. Add nuts and cranberries and continue to mix on high until well combined.

*At this point, my dough was really stiff, so I added orange juice until I had a dough that I could work with. This will probably vary depending on the cheese you use, so add a little at a time until you have a consistency that you're happy with.

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Roll the dough into a log shape and twist the ends to close. Refrigerate for at least an hour (or freeze for later).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F. Unwrap the dough log and slice into rounds. Place rounds on cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from Lex Cuilinaria

Pumpkin Pretzels

2011-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned before that I love pumpkin? Ha.

Soft pretzels were one of the first things I tried out when I discovered my urge for baking, and I quickly realized that homemade pretzels put even Auntie Anne's to shame. And those suckers are good. Throughout the years, we've stuffed pretzel bites with everything from ham and cheese to pepperoni and mozzarella. We've dipped them in all sorts of mustards and covered them in just about every topping from the spice cabinet.

So when I overheard someone mention pumpkin pretzels, there was no question that I'd be making them. Soon. I googled a recipe and came up with this one, from Carrie's Cooking that looked delish. They're different but definitely good. And though tempting, resist the urge to cover these in cinnamon and sugar instead of salt. The salt sounds weird but really brings it together.

The only real change I made was to boil them in the baking soda water, which I've done with every other pretzel I've ever made. I think this is the magic trick to making a crispy pretzel crust with a soft chewy inside, but Carrie left it out of her method and was happy with the results, so you do whatever your heart desires.

Pumpkin Soft Pretzels
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

2/3 cup baking soda
10 cups water

1 egg, beaten
course salt, to taste

Directions:
Measure all ingredients (except egg and course salt) into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle or dough hook. Mix on medium speed until a soft dough is formed.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).

Punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces, rolling each into a rope.

Form into a pretzel shape, or cut into small chunks for pretzel bites.

Preheat oven to 450 and bring baking soda and water to boil in a large stockpot.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water and place on the baking sheet. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in the preheated oven until dark brown, about 12-15 minutes, and allow to cool before serving.

Source: Adapted from Carrie's Cooking

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2011-11-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

I think I am one of the few true lovers of pumpkin in the world. I don't just tolerate it in pie form around Thanksgiving. Or toast the seeds after carving jack-o-laterns on Halloween. Nope, this girl loves pumpkin all. the. time. I stock up on it during this time of year while it's abundantly available in stores, because for some reason, it seems to disappear during the rest of the year.

While I'm eating pumpkin all the time (in/on just about everything. Or just with some cinnamon and a spoon), I know that this time of year is a short window that I can bake pumpkin goodies for everyone else. It also means that I can splurge and share my precious pumpkin supply, something I do not plan on doing when my pumpkin stash gets low later in the year.

Whoopie pies seem to be the new cupcakes, so at David's request I gave Annie's Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipe a whirl. She uses a maple cream cheese filling, but we just made a plain cream cheese filling to make them a little more family-friendly with the picky eaters in his family.

Give them a try while you can still get your hands on canned pumpkin!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

For the Cakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup canola oil

3 cups chilled pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the cookies, preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

Drop the dough by 2 tablespoon spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies just begin to crack on top. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pans for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Filling: Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth.

To assemble, turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling onto the flat side of the cookies. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down lightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat, using all the cookies. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Adam's Birthday Cake: German Chocolate Cheesecake

2011-11-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

My parents invited me to join them on a short trip out to San Diego, and I figured that it would also be a good chance to enjoy a little of Athens and round up some of the winter clothes, wedding presents, etc. that David and I had stuffed in closets and drawers and all sorts of hiding places around their house.

Going to Athens also meant that I could be in town for my brother's 23rd birthday. He told me that his two favorite desserts were German Chocolate cake and cheesecake. So when my mom called the evening before I left to ask if I would be bringing a German Chocolate Cheesecake with me, I almost died. Really? You want me to bake a cake, bake a cheesecake, assemble, frost and then cross my fingers that it survives a 6+ hour car trip? No way, jose.

So ended up making a "better than sex cake" to take along, but his disappointment was noticeable. And I really wanted to conquer this beast. His birthday came and went and the BTSC was good, but I couldn't stop thinking about the stupid cheesecake. So, the night before I was planning to head BACK to Virginia, I rounded up everything I needed and threw together Adam's REAL birthday cake.

I admit, I used store bought cake. But in my experience, it is much, much, easier and much, much more predicable. Plus, did I mention that I was in a major time crunch? True. I also used store bought icing AND bought a new springform pan. There are a lot of great recipes out there for icings and chocolate cakes, though, so feel free to get all Susie Homemaker and use those, if you're so inclined. As for me, I like the stuff from the store.

German Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box store bought German chocolate cake mix

Frosting:

1 tub store bought German chocolate frosting, 1 tub chocolate frosting.

To garnish:

Dry, flaked coconut

Pecan halves

Cheesecake layer:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (I used reduced fat), at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream

Directions:

Prepare cake in 2 9-inch round cake pans, per directions on box. Cool on racks.

To make the cheesecake layer, put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy (about 3 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup of sugar and vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream until just blended, careful not to overmix.

Gently spoon the batter into a springform pan and place it in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees or until the edges are golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer cake to a wire rack and cool in pan for 2 hours. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's completely chilled, about 4 hours. Place in the freezer until you're ready to assemble the cake.

To assemble, place one layer of the german chocolate cake on a cake stand and cover completely with frosting. Place the chilled cheesecake layer on top, and cover with frosting. Finally, add the 2nd layer of cake.

Using a serrated knife, even out the edges of the cake so they sit flush on top of one another. Fill in any gaps with frosting. Place the entire cake in the freezer, frost with a very thin layer of chocolate frosting, and refreeze to create a crumb coat. Just before serving, cover the cake with the remaining chocolate icing.

To garnish, spread a thin layer of the german chocolate icing on the outside of the cake. Top cake with toasted coconut and pecans.

Source: Adapted from Food Network via the Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook

Hungry? Have a Bite of Placenta

2011-11-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of weird food issues out there, but I think that this one may take the cake (no pun intended. Really!). So, as a fair-food blog, I think it's necessary that I share this article, featured on BlogHer today, with you.

What do you think?

Is eating placenta cannibalism? And, what about God?

November 2nd, 2011

One of the common arguments against placentophagia, or consumption of the placenta, is that it is an act of cannibalism. I disagree for the following reasons:

Cannibalism is the eating of human flesh. Flesh is defined as being muscle and fat; placenta is neither.

Cannibalism, by definition, is consumption of the flesh of someone or something that has been recently killed. Placentas, again, do not qualify.

Arguments against placentophagia state that we are not supposed to consume anything that comes from our own body. Except, we feed our infants milk produced from our breasts, which is perfectly designed for that purpose. So is the placenta perfectly designed for consumption by the mother.

Obviously, placentophagia is not cannibalism. But what about the argument that placentophagia goes against God’s will? That one, my friends, is a religious question and I am not a theologian.

However, Anna Marie Zalesak has studied philosophy and Catholic theology, and has written a great argument in support of placentophagia for Catholics. She agreed to let me share her thoughts here, but wanted me to mention that it is a work in progress, and may not be her final thoughts on the matter.

My argument on placentophagia is far from being complete, but I thought I would share my thoughts so far. I have perused the Catechism of the Catholic church looking for the teaching on cannibalism and found nothing. I would like to know if anyone is aware of an official source approved by the Church regarding the morality of cannibalism. Not that I need it proven to me that cannibalism is immoral, but because I would like to see and understand the principles of the argument, to see if the same may be applied to placentophagia.
In my perusal of the Catechism, I read through the article on the 5th commandment, Thou shalt not kill, because I thought that any mention of cannibalism would come under that category. In my reading I saw that all the sins listed against this commandment (murder, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, unjust anger, hatred, vengeance…) have this in common - they entail a fundamental disrespect for the sacredness of human life, even those sins that don’t even involve killing (hatred, anger etc.). It seems to me that cannibalism, the way we generally think of it, ie. killing people for the sake of eating them, is wrong for this same reason - fundamental disrespect for human life. Human personhood, which is a reflection of God, is violated.
Cannibalsim can be divided into to categories - (a) killing a person in order to eat their flesh and (b) eating the flesh of a person who has died on their own. Let us consider (b) in which the person is not maliciously killed, as this more closely pertains to placentophagia. There was the case of the soccer team that crashed in the Andes mountains. The survivors ate the flesh of those who had died either in the crash or b/c of freezing to death. There was no malicious intention, in fact their intention was the preservation of their own lives, which is a moral good. However, since the morality of a human act depends upon three factors: the object (act itself), the intention, and the circumstances (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, line 1755), we cannot say that their cannibalism was perfectly okay. Their intention may have been good, and their circumstances were indeed mitigating, but the intrinsic evil of consuming dead human flesh remains unchanged. The personhood of those who had died was in some way violated because their bodies were not properly respected. We cannot judge the souls of those who ate the flesh, but we can say that the act itself was wrong, even though the circumstances were mitigating.
Let us assume that placentophagia is an instance of the latter kind of cannibalism in which human flesh is eaten but there is no homicide. Let us consider the three factors that will determine the morality or immorality of placenta consumption. First, the object, or act itself, which is consumption of the placenta by the mother of a newborn child. The death of the child is not a necessary component of this act, either by the mother’s hand or natural causes. The organ, which was once vital to the child during gestation, has outgrown its usefulness and is discarded by the child’s body and then the mother’s body. It is no longer part of either human body and therefore cannot be said to be the flesh of a person, although it was human in origin. The placenta is not the flesh of a dead person, and therefore its consumption cannot be called cannibalistic. Placentophagia in no way violates the personhood of a human being made in the image and likeness of God. This makes the object of placenta consumption morally indifferent, and not morally evil.
Proceeding then with the knowledge that the act is morally indifferent, let us examine the other two conditions to see if they contribute to the moral goodness or evil of placentophagia.The intention of the human mother in consuming the placenta is to regain her own health. She takes it as a kind of natural medicine to help her heal from childbirth. The placenta provides her with proteins, vitamins, minerals and hormones that ease her post partum period. Benefits to the mother include decreasing the risk of post partum depression, preventing excessive bleeding, increasing her breastmilk supply, reducing post partum iron deficiency, and improving her quality of sleep. The respect for and preservation of life is a moral good, therefore the mother’s intention works towards making her placentophagia a good act. It is possible, I suppose, for there to be an evil intention in placenta consumption, although I do not know what that could be. But if that were to happen, the act would be made immoral by the evil intention.
Lastly, we shall consider the circumstances of the act of placentophagia. If they are the usual circumstances, ie, a pregnancy reaching its completion at birth with the placenta no longer needed by the child’s body, then there is no harm done to either mother or child. If however, the placenta were to be harvested from the mother’s body while it still played a vital role for the child, that would make it an evil act because the circumstance involves the killing of the child. But in the usual circumstances of placentophagia neither the mother nor the baby are harmed in any way.
In conclusion, placentophagia is not cannibalism because it does not involve killing, nor the consumption of flesh which belongs to a deceased person. It does not present an affront to the dignity of the human person. Nor is placentophagia morally evil as long as the intentions and circumstances are either good or morally indifferent.

What do you think?

What's Baking: Fall Favorites [Chili Pon Pie]

2011-10-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

This month, Angela of The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen hosted What's Baking and chose "Fall Flavors" for the topic. This recipe is a favorite in my family and as soon as it came out of the oven it became a favorite for David's as well. My mom has been baking this for us for as long as I can remember, and it has always been delicious. It's always been known to me as "Chili Pon Pie" but since "pon" isn't a real word (that I know of?) and it's not really a pie at all, I have no idea where the name came from. I think that makes it all the more legit, though.

With spicy (but not hot) chili and taco seasoning, creamy cheese and sweet cornbread, this hot casserole is just begging to hop on your plate on a cool fall evening. Best of all, it's super simple and you probably already have all of the ingredients.

Mom's Chili Pon Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)

1 cup chopped onion

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 15 oz. can Hormel chili, no beans

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 470. Brown hamburger and onion, drain well.

Stir in taco seasoning mix, chili and tomato sauce. Simmer until heated through and pour mixture into a 9x13" glass baking dish.

Top meat mixture with cheese.

Mix muffin mix with milk and egg (add a little sugar if you like extra sweet cornbread). Spoon 8 heaping spoonfuls on top of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cornbread is golden.

Source: Mom

Soup Swap: Chinese Chicken Corn Soup

2011-10-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

This month's swap was for soup/stew, which is perfect for all the fall weather we've been having. I submitted my recipe for Savory White Chicken Chili and was given a recipe for Chinese Chicken Corn Soup by Christine at Christine's Kitchen Chronicles.

Her recipe looks incredible, and I'm sure it is. However, the night we tried to make it, we found out a LITTLE too late that we didn't have the exact ingredients we needed. I tried to adapt it, but if you make this recipe, you should stick to Christine's original - we were out of creamed corn and sesame oil and I think they would have really made it! I still enjoyed it, though - you really can't go wrong with any type of soup this time of year!

Chinese Chicken Corn Soup
Ingredients:
2 (14 oz.) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 (14.75 oz.) cans creamed corn (we used regular corn. You should use creamed!)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (we used EVOO. Go with Christine's suggestion and use sesame!)
2 egg whites
Green onions, sliced

Directions:
In a medium stock pot, combine water, broth and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, shred or cut into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, mix together the corn starch and 1/4 cup of broth until no lumps remain. Add the mixture back to the stockpot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until well-mixed.

Add the creamed corn and chicken pieces to the broth and season with sesame oil.

Reduce heat and slowly add the egg white while swirly the soup with a fork to break the egg pieces apart. The eggs should cook and form strings, similar to egg drop soup.

Serve hot and garnish with green onions.

Source: Christine's Kitchen Chronicles

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread

2011-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that my favorite food group is bread, so when I planned to make soup for dinner a few nights ago, the first thing that crossed my mind was that I wouldn't have enough time to make a yeast bread. In my world, this is reason enough for a panic attack.

Not willing to be outsmarted by a loaf of bread (or lack thereof), I hopped online and found this recipe for Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread. It's dense and thick and the perfect partner to a big bowl of soup. It's also a great base recipe for additions. I subbed part of the whole wheat flour for a little rye and spelt and threw in some Italian seasoning and sharp white cheddar cheese but I think it'd also be great with sweet additions, like dried fruit or cinnamon and sugar.

And the best part? It only takes a few minutes to throw all of the ingredients together, and only bakes for 20. It's also 100% whole grain, so you have no excuse for not having healthy, hot fresh bread at every meal!

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread
(yields one very small loaf - double to bake in a loaf pan)

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil and stir in milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball and place on a silicone baking mat, lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza stone.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Source: All Recipes

----------------------------------------

We also cut some up, biscotti-style, sprinkled a little extra cheese on top and popped them back in the oven for a savory biscotti. They were delicious!

Red Potato and Green Bean Saute

2011-10-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

David is a great cook, but since he knows that I love it, his role is usually just "recipe finder." However, when we moved to Jupiter, he found (and cooked!) an amazing Red Potato and Green Bean Saute recipe that I just couldn't pass up sharing now.

It's a great side dish and a delicious way to get some veggies in your system. It's also a well-known fact that vegetables cancel out cupcakes :)

Red Potato and Green Bean Saute

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a oil. Add potatoes and cook until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add potatoes and beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing to coat vegetables with oil, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Toss in basil and serve.

Source: The Deen Brothers

Apple/Pumpkin Swap: Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

2011-10-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

The latest Nest swap featured two of my favorite fall ingredients - apple and pumpkin. I submitted my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and was given a Caramel Apple Walnut Pie by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking (who is also the swap organizer - thank you!).

I originally planned on making these for Cheryl's birthday but last week got crazy. And she admitted that she doesn't like pie. So I was in for a challenge....

Instead of scrapping the recipe altogether, I decided to adapt it and bake it up today so we can take it to Annapolis for the USNA vs. S. Miss game tomorrow. I toyed with the idea of scones and muffins, but figured that cupcakes would be the safest (and most delicious) route - who doesn't love a cupcake?

To me, this recipe is the best of both worlds: it's easy (using boxed cupcake mix) and delicious. And cooking down the apples gives it a homemade feeling that you just don't get when you buy pre-made apple pie mix. It also makes your kitchen smell amaaaaazing.

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

Yield: 12

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

dash ginger

dash nutmeg

2 apples, diced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 soft caramel candies

caramel syrup (optional)

1 miniature box vanilla cupcake mix (yellow or white)

+ingredients called for in cupcakes

Vanilla frosting

Bake cupcakes according to directions on box.

Melt butter in pan. Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add the apples and cook until soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Add cornstarch, vanilla and caramels and stir until well combined.

Remove the middle of the cupcakes via the cone method. Cut an inverted cone shape from the top of the cupcake, fill with caramel apple mixture, and replace the top of the cupcake.

Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. Drizzle with caramel syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Source: Adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking

Daring Bakers: September (Croissants!)

2011-10-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French cooking, none other than Julia Child!

I'll admit - I was DREADING this challenge. I am not a very experienced baker, and all of the instructions and pictures really intimidated me. And then I started looking at all the beautiful posted pictures on the Daring Bakers forums and knew that this was going to be a disaster.

I didn't have a lot of the tools I needed, so I ended up pounding my butter with an ice cream scooper and guestimating a lot of the dimensions. My dough never looked like the pictures, and I ended up spreading the whole thing out over a few days, letting the dough have a slumber party in the refrigerator more times than I probably should have.

I was so sick of them that I decided to just suck it up and finish them out so I could prove to myself (and everyone here) that I am not a very good baker. I did a crappy job cutting them (and couldn't get them into 5x5 squares...or isosceles triangles) and they looked more like crescent rolls than croissants. I shoved them in the oven and went to add "bake homemade croissants" to the list of things I never want to do again.

BUT...when the timer went off, I was shocked. My croissants looked (and smelled!) like real croissants! They weren't the crusty little crescent rolls I was expecting - they were fluffy and golden brown and moist and buttery. And OH MY CRUMB the insides look like real croissants too! Best of all, they TASTE like real croissants. I am still in shock.

Baking croissants is probably not something I'll do often, since they are pretty labor-intensive (especially when you can buy decent ones at the store for less than $1) BUT I'd love to try them again with fillings or crusts. Some of the Daring Bakers members used chocolate in the dough which is pretty magical :)

Thanks Sarah, for such a fun challenge, and for giving my baking confidence a much-needed boost! I'm looking forward to trying something else fun in October!

Croissants

Preparation time: In total, 12 hours.
Making dough, 10 mins
First rise, 3 hours
Kneading and folding, 5 mins
Second rise, 1.5 hours (or overnight in the fridge)
Rolling in the butter (turns one and two), 15 mins
First rest, 2 hours
Turns three and four, 10 mins
Second rest, 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge)
Forming croissants, 30 mins
Final rise, 1 hour (or longer in the fridge)
Baking, 15 mins

Ingredients
¼ oz of fresh yeast, or 1¼ teaspoon of dry-active yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (less than 100°F/38°C)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups of strong plain flour (I used Kroger all-purpose)
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil (I used vegetable oil)
½ cup chilled, unsalted butter
1 egg, for egg wash

Directions:1. Mix the yeast, warm water, and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Leave aside for the yeast and sugar to dissolve and the yeast to foam up a little.
2. Measure out the other ingredients
3. Heat the milk until tepid (either in the microwave or a saucepan), and dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar
4. Place the flour in a large bowl.
5. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and milk mixture to the flour
6. Mix all the ingredients together using the rubber spatula, just until all the flour is incorporated
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and let it rest a minute while you wash out the bowl
8. Knead the dough eight to ten times only.
9. Place the dough back in the bowl, and place the bowl in the plastic bag
10. Leave the bowl at approximately 75°F/24°C for three hours, or until the dough has tripled in size.
11. After the dough has tripled in size, remove it gently from the bowl, pulling it away from the sides of the bowl with your fingertips.
12. Place the dough on a lightly floured board or countertop, and use your hands to press it out into a rectangle about 8 by 12 inches (20cm by 30cm).
13. Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter (fold the top third down, and then the bottom third up)
14. Place the dough letter back in the bowl, and the bowl back in the plastic bag.
15. Leave the dough to rise for another 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This second rise can be done overnight in the fridge.
16. Place the double-risen dough onto a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the plate in the fridge while you prepare the butter.
17. Once the dough has doubled, it’s time to incorporate the butter
18. Place the block of chilled butter on a chopping board.
19. Using the rolling pin, beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat.
20. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. You want the butter to stay cool, but spread easily.
21. Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured board or counter. Let it rest for a minute or two.
22. Spread the dough using your hands into a rectangle about 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
23. Remove the butter from the board, and place it on the top half of the dough rectangle
24. Spread the butter all across the top two-thirds of the dough rectangle, but keep it ¼ inch (6 mm) across from all the edges.
25. Fold the top third of the dough down, and the bottom third of the dough up.
26. Turn the dough package 90 degrees, so that the top flap is to your right (like a book).
27. Roll out the dough package (gently, so you don’t push the butter out of the dough) until it is again about 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
28. Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up.
29. Wrap the dough package in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
30. After two hours have passed, take the dough out of the fridge and place it again on the lightly floured board or counter.
31. Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it a little
32. Let the dough rest for 8 to 10 minutes
33. Roll the dough package out till it is 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
34. Fold in three, as before
35. Turn 90 degrees, and roll out again to 14 by 8 inches (35 cm by 20 cm).
36. Fold in three for the last time, wrap in plastic, and return the dough package to the fridge for two more hours (or overnight, with something heavy on top to stop it from rising)
37. It’s now time to cut the dough and shape the croissants
38. First, lightly butter your baking sheet so that it is ready
39. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for ten minutes on the lightly floured board or counter
40. Roll the dough out into a 20 by 5 inch rectangle (51 cm by 12½ cm).
41. Cut the dough into two rectangles (each 10 by 5 inches (25½ cm by 12½ cm))
42. Place one of the rectangles in the fridge, to keep the butter cold
43. Roll the second rectangle out until it is 15 by 5 inches (38 cm by 12½ cm).
44. Cut the rectangle into three squares (each 5 by 5 inches (12½ cm by 12½ cm))
45. Place two of the squares in the fridge
46. The remaining square may have shrunk up a little bit in the meantime. Roll it out again till it is nearly square
47. Cut the square diagonally into two triangles.
48. Stretch the triangle out a little, so it is not a right-angle triangle, but more of an isosceles.
49. Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle up towards the point, and curve into a crescent shape.
50. Place the unbaked croissant on the baking sheet
51. Repeat the process with the remaining squares of dough, creating 12 croissants in total.
52. Leave the tray of croissants, covered lightly with plastic wrap, to rise for 1 hour
53. Preheat the oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.
54. Mix the egg with a teaspoon of water
55. Spread the egg wash across the tops of the croissants.
56. Put the croissants in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are browned nicely
57. Take the croissants out of the oven, and place them on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Daring Bakers

What's Baking: September

2011-09-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

This month's "What's Baking" challenge was hosted by Dani at Cloud 8 1/2 who chose "A Family Favorite" as the theme. This was a tough theme, as EVERYTHING seems to be a family favorite!

There are a lot of things my family loves and a lot of things David's family loves, but two universal loves between all of us are chocolate and cookies. Since my parents came up to visit for Labor Day and David's parents and grandparents went to Annapolis for the football game and subsequent tailgate, I went all out on making chocolate cookies and tried two different recipes.

The first was the infamous Jacque Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. David's had this on his Pinterest for awhile, and the pictures are amazing. They're huge...and chocolately...and gooey...and pretty much amazing. They take a little extra time but the two real secrets to the recipe make all the difference: the first is using a good quality chocolate (and a LOT of it!) and the second is letting the dough sit overnight.

I am still pretty obsessed with Dad's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vintage Victuals but with 1.5 POUNDS of chocolate, this definitely takes "chocolate chip cookies" to another level.

The other chocolate cookie I made was a "waffle stomper" - when Brent went off to Plebe Summer at the US Naval Academy, they warned all of the plebes about "waffle stomping," which is well...using the shower drain as a toilet when you're too lazy to go to the real bathroom...and then attempting to stomp it all down the drain. Since David's parents were headed to Annapolis for a football game, I made Brent's favorite double-chocolate cookies and added some waffle-decoration so they'd resemble a real waffle stomper (or at least what I envision in my head...)

Once you get past the disgusting mental image, it's easy to see (and taste!) why these are a family favorite. The cookie itself is deliciously thick and chocolately and the chips really kick it up a notch.

Waffle Stompers
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
1.25 cup sugar
2 large eggs
.25 cup cocoa powder
2.25 cups all-purpose flour
.25 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
.5 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Move to the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly by hand until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Divide the dough and roll each into a ball. Flatten slighlty into a disc with the palm of your hand, and place on prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart.

Bake 12-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Giant Double Chocolate Chip Cookies at Annie's Eats.

Jacque Torres' [Secret!] Chocolate Chip Cookies

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate

Sea salt.

Directions:

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Source: NY Times

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

2011-09-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Since moving back to Roanoke, I've tried out a TON of new recipes but nothing, as a group, has caught on quite as well as biscotti. It turns out that everyone loves it - even Mema, who is pretty skeptical of my cooking (because she doesn't like anything that may be healthy).

We've tried a few different recipes, usually from Annie's Eats, but this time I tried a new one from the Boston Examiner. The main difference is that this doesn't have any butter, which probably makes them a smidge healthier, and results in a crunchier biscotti. I didn't think these were as good as the base recipes that Annie uses, but the mix-ins just screamed "fall!" to me, and they were still gobbled up quickly.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup sweetened-dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add in cranberries and almonds and mix thoroughly. At first the dough will seem dry and crumbly; keep mixing and it will become moist and sticky. Make sure your cookie sheet is well greased and floured.

Divide the batter in half forming two logs across the cookie sheet that measure approximately 1 1/2 inches thick. The batter will spread out in the oven so do leave room between the logs. Bake 30 minutes and cool thoroughly. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Using a very sharp or serrated knife cut the logs into 1/2 inch slices, widthwise. Place cut biscotti on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container, or eat some immediately with your afternoon tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Source: The Boston Examiner

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-09-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

It's official - today is the first day of Autumn, and nothing says "Autumn" better than pumpkin. Actually, pumpkin is one of my favorite year-round foods and I stock up on cans when they're available at the store, because it's just so versatile. I put pumpkin in pancakes, mix it with vanilla protein powder for a post-workout snack, toss it in smoothies (...or milkshakes), and bake it up into just about everything.

I've been on a muffin kick lately, though. I tried (very unsuccessfully) to come up with a nice, healthy pumpkin bran muffin....but it tasted terrible and the texture was even worse - crispy on the outside and mushy in the middle. I knew that if I couldn't get them down, no one else in the house would eat them, so I scrapped healthy and went with a copycat version of Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.

It was probably one of the top 5 decisions I've ever made. These things are seriously good. In fact, they are triple good, thanks to 3 delicious parts:
1. the creamy cheesecake center (especially when warm....oh my!)
2. the moist, just-spicy-enough pumpkin muffin
3. a glorious crunchy streusel topping

And...this was actually the first muffin I've ever made that has actually risen out of the top of the muffin pan to create a real "muffin top." The GOOD muffin top, not the one you get when you wear jeans. The best part is that since this is a muffin and not a cupcake, you can eat it in the morning, while still wearing draw-string pants, and only think about muffin tops covered in cinnamon and sugar.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1.5 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the topping:

1/2 cup sugar

5 tbsp. flour

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

First, make the filling. Combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a stand mixer until well blended and smooth. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Place in the freezer and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with paper lines or spray with nonstick baking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, spices, salt and baking soda, and whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until well blended. Turn the mixer to low speed and add in the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter - just enough to cover the bottom of the pan or liner. Slice the log of cream cheese (I love that phrase. Mmmm!) into 24 equal pieces and place a slice into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing the batter on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving!

Source: Adapted from Annie Eats

Marble Swirl Rye Bread

2011-09-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have a minor major bread addiction. And I don't just like any bread - I like homemade, still warm, melt-in-your-mouth bread. I love the cake-like consistency of homemade bread and I love a good crust that is just ready to be spread with butter, peanut butter or artisan mustard.

So when I saw the recipe for Marble Swirl Rye bread on Vintage Victuals, I knew it would be my next bread-making attempt. It didn't disappoint, and went perfectly with Shrimp Bisque - sturdy enough to soak up every last drop of soup without overpowering the flavors. It also makes a pretty amazing turkey sandwich.

Marble Rye Bread
Yields 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water

1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Directions:

First, make the light rye. Stir together the rye, the bread flour, the salt, and the yeast. Add the molasses, shortening, and water. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.

Next, make the dark rye. Stir together the rye, the bread flour, the salt, and the yeast. Add the molasses, shortening, water, and cocoa powder mixture. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.

Ferment both doughs at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, or until they double in bulk.

Next, turn each of the doughs out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide each color into 4 equal segments. For a spiral shape, take 2 pieces of light rye and 2 pieces of dark. Use a rolling pin to roll them out into rectangles approximately 8″ by 5″ in size. Layer the four rectangles so that the colors alternate, making sure that the light rye is on the bottom. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, fold about 1/3 of the dough towards you, pinching the dough down to form a seam.

Next, take the other long edge of the rectangle, and fold it up and over the rolled-up dough, again pinching the edge to form a seam. The entire outside of the roll should be covered in the white rye, stretched around the inside layers.

Repeat this shaping process with the other 4 pieces of dough so that you have 2 loaves. You can place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or into well-oiled loaf 8×5″ loaf pans.

Mist the loaves with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until the loaves double in bulk.

(Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days before proofing and baking.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the 1 teaspoon of water, and lightly brush the loaves with this egg wash. Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees (you can use a meat thermometer or a fancy bread thermometer for this). Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for 1-2 hours before slicing or serving.

Source: Vintage Victuals

Seafood Swap: Shrimp Bisque

2011-09-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm always up for trying out a new recipe, so when I heard that the current Nest Recipe Swap's theme was "seafood," I dove in (okay, pun intended). The only seafood recipe I've blogged about is my crab dip, so I shared that and was assigned Shrimp Bisque from The Cookaholic Wife, a native Maryland-er and fellow lover of Old Bay. I love shrimp but have never made a bisque before, so this was a fun new task. She originally adapted the recipe from www.allrecipes.com and I stuck to her basic recipe with only a few changes. Most notably, I swapped the half-and-half for nonfat Greek yogurt - we didn't have any half-and-half, but you could use milk, as well. I love the consistency the yogurt gave the bisque, though, and it really amped up the protein.

We also served it with Vintage Victuals' homemade Marble Swirl Rye bread. Amazing!

Shrimp Bisque

Yields: 6 as a starter course, 3-4 as a main course

Ingredients:
~~1 1/2 tbs. olive oil~~ (I just used cooking spray)
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 lb. shrimp
~~2 cups fat free half-and-half~~ (1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt)
1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. Old Bay
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Spray a large pot and add peppers and onion. Saute for 15-20 minutes over low heat, or until soft. Stir occasionally. Add in the shrimp, tomatos, yogurt, hot sauce, Old Bay and salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted.

Pour the mixture into a blender and switch it to pulse. Let it run for 15-20 seconds or until no large pieces remain. (The Cookaholic Wife tried this with an immersion blender and wasn't very happy with the results. Stick to a regular blender!)

Transfer the soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan over the soup and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!

Source: The Cookaholic Wife

Rise to the Occasion

2011-08-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love baking bread. Some people default to chocolate or chips as their "feel good" food, but mine is hands-down bread. I love everything about it and it in just about every form. The purchase of our bread machine has made making homemade bread much, much easier, and even though using it takes away a little of the "homemade" factor, it still makes much better bread than store-bought.

Using a breadmaker also takes out a lot of the guesswork and measuring that comes with baking, and it definitely requires a lot less attention. You just dump everything in, press the start button, and come back in 3 hours to a beautiful loaf of freshly made bread. It's foolproof.

Usually.

A few nights ago, I decided that I really wanted to bake dark rye bread. It was the middle of the night, so I may not have measured everything quite as well as I should have but I thought I did a decent job, and was looking forward to waking up to a giant piece of toast covered in peanut butter.

Instead, the bread machine seemed to have birthed a giant, crusty, half-baked brown blob. My carb-o-licious heart tried to salvage a piece for toast, but it was really beyond anything edible.

So, I did what any other bread-addict would do. I made croutons!

Not only is this an incredibly easy "recipe," it is a great way to use up any old or less than desirable bread. And since you're putting on a salad, it's instantly healthy :)

Oven-Baked Crusty Croutons

Ingredients:
Bread
Olive Oil
Spices (I used onion powder and garlic powder)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Cut or tear bread into 1" cubes.

Place cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with EVOO, to taste.

Sprinkle seasonings over bread and toss.

Bake 20-30 minutes, or until croutons are hard.

What's Baking August: C is for Chocolate Cake

2011-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

This month's theme for "What's Baking" was Celebrate Summer. The end of summer always reminds me of back-to-school, and it has definitely been a theme around our house, as Cheryl is back to work as a teacher, Brent started college, and David will begin subbing again.

Since David has discovered Pinterest, he has been saving images from around the web of "Things I hope my Wife will Make," and this Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake was one of them. Since he will begin subbing again soon, now seemed like the perfect time to make this for him. We took back-to-school to another level by taking the cake that we didn't eat (which wasn't a lot. Oops) to his cousin, Toby, who is starting college nearby.

This cake is seriously the best chocolate cake I've ever had. And I've had a lot. I love chocolate cake, and was pretty sure I wouldn't be a fan of this one, since I don't really like Oreos but boy was I wrong. The combination of the chocolate cake, the cream cheese/oreo filling, and the sickeningly sweet (delicious) chocolate buttercream frosting is a little bit of heaven in your mouth.

I confess to cheating and using a boxed cake mix, but I haven't had very much luck with from-scratch recipes, and I really wanted this to be amazing. There is still plenty of work involved with the filling and the icing, so you can cheat too, if you want. Or if you have a fool-proof chocolate cake recipe, please share it with me!

Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake (adapted from realmomkitchen.com)

Ingredients:

1 package chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food)
Ingredients on box

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups cool whip
12 Oreo cookies,coarsely crushed (we used the kind that have both chocolate AND vanilla cream. Winner!)

Frosting
1/3 cup cocoa powder
6 tbsp butter, softened
4 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5-6 tbsp milk

Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions for 2 9-inch round cakes, and bake according to directions. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Allow cake to cool completely.

Once cakes are completely cooled, prepare the filling by beating the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Fold in the cool whip until almost blended and then fold in the crushed Oreos.

In another bowl, make the frosting by whisking together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Then add the butter, vanilla and milk. Blend until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, to make the frosting spreadable.

If your cakes aren't flat, use a serrated knife to cut off the domed part of each to make them level. Place one round on a serving platter and top with most of the filling mixture. Spread evening and top with the other cake round.

Use the rest of the filling mixture to fill out the sides of the cake so that the filling is even with the edges of the cake.

Cover the top and sides of the cake with chocolate frosting.

Try to have a little self-control and not eat the whole thing in one sitting :) Enjoy!

Source: Real Mom Kitchen

Cereal Killers

2011-08-23T22:11:00.001-07:00

If there is one universal love in the Aldridge household, it's bran flakes. David's mom isn't quite as much of a fan as the rest of us, but the rest of us polish off enormous amounts of cereal. We've tried multiple brands but I think the overall vote goes to Kroger. Walmart's just aren't as crispy, Trader Joe's is too far away, and there isn't a Publix here. Sad. Nobody seems to really like Raisin bran and the name brands are too expensive.

Plus, on the side of the Kroger box, there is a recipe for Honey and Spice Banana muffins. I hate bananas, but I see the recipe every single day and have been thinking about making them for awhile, so I finally just sucked it up and did it.

The verdict? I don't really know because I hate everything about bananas - the way they look, the way they smell, their weird texture, and mostly, their taste. Everyone else seemed to like them, though. The recipe says it makes 12, but they were pretty small - I think next time, I'd just make 8 larger muffins, but at around 75 calories, they are a great snack size and a good bite of relatively healthy sweet goodness - with no added sugar.

Honey and Spice Banana Bran Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup bran flakes cereal
1/4 cup ~~skim milk~~ unsweetened almond milk
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup honey
~~1/4~~ 1/8 cup melted ~~margarine~~ butter
+1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup mashed banana (1 large)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
+1/4 cup pecans

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Soak cereal in milk for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, then add cereal mixture. Beat until well mixed. Spoon into greased muffin pan, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then move to cooling racks. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Kroger Bran Flakes

Dip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

2011-08-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

When we went to Annapolis to visit Brent for Plebe Parents' Weekend (the link goes to David's blog with details about everything we did), his sponsor, "Miss V" wowed us all with her infamous crab dip. Luckily, we were late to the party (surprised?) so everyone else had already eaten and the 6 of us were able to eat almost the whole dish. We have no shame.

The trip ignited our love for seafood, so we had a Low Country Boil last night. I like to say that it was in honor of Brent being done with Plebe summer, but the truth is that I just love, love, love crabs. I also got a little adventurous and did my best to recreate Miss V's dip to serve alongside these guys:

Since we didn't have her exact recipe, I adapted from Pioneer Woman's. I live with a bunch of people who are weenies when it comes to heat, so a little adjusting was necessary. I was worried that there wouldn't be much flavor without the horseradish and hot sauce, but everyone seemed happy with the result. If you make this, feel free to add in hot sauce, horseradish, or anything else that you think would jazz it up.

I think Miss V's dip was probably a little better (probably thanks to better crab meat than what we were able to get at Sam's) but I did one thing she didn't - baked up a couple baguettes, sliced them thin, drizzled them with a little EVOO and made my own homemade crostini. I am such a sucker for homemade bread!

I think these were great just dipped, but if you really wanted to go above and beyond, you could place the dip by spoonfuls onto the bread, cover with a little more cheese, and broil. Either way, you need to make this!

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients:

2 packages 8-oz cream cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

14 oz. crabmeat (we used 16)

4 whole green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons ~~whole~~ milk (all we had was 2%)

~~2 tablespoons horseradish~~

+1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

+1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

~~5 dashes tabasco~~

~~1/4 cup slivered almonds~~

+1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place cream cheese and mayonnaise in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat to combine.

Add remaining ingredients, except parmesan cheese, and beat gently until just combined.

Spread into a heatproof baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly on top. Broil if needed :)

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cooking blogs to follow is Vintage Victuals. Not only is it full of delicious recipes, but each has a unique story behind it that I just love reading about. Most importantly, though, she has a recipe for AMAZING chocolate chip cookies that are famous in her house. They've become famous in ours too, and are our go-to cookie recipe.

These aren't your "typical" chocolate chip cookies - they are thick and fat and full of cookie dough (in fact, they'd be awesome as little balls in a big bowl of ice cream). In fact, they almost resemble a scone more than a cookie. The semantics don't really matter though. What matters is that these babies are incredible. And you should make them. Now.

Dad's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 7/8 cups flour (4 cups minus 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt - set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter, sugars and vanilla. Add the eggs, beating well until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, blending until a very stiff dough forms. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts until evenly distributed.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Cool on racks.

Source: Vintage Victuals

Italian Cream Cake

2011-07-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Last week was Mema's 79th birthday, and the perfect excuse to make a new cake. Her favorite is coconut, but we always have that, so this year I looked for something a little different, and found an Italian Cream Cake that I knew she would love. It has coconut and nuts in frosting, which has a cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar base - could there be a better combination? I think not.

Happy Birthday, Mema!

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1 stick butter
1 cup oil (I used canola)
1 cup sugar
5 whole eggs (separated)
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coconut (I used half sweet, half unsweet)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk (I used whole milk with a splash of white vinegar)

For the Frosting:
2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package (2 lb.) powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut (I used half sweet and half unsweet again)
a tiny splash of lemon juice (to bring out the cream cheese flavor, a la Dorie Greenspan)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (I used 8.5").

Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, then fold in egg whites.

Pour evenly into the three prepared pans, then sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 (at least) tablespoon sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chopped walnuts, lemon juice and flaked coconut. Spread between layers and outside of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

What's Baking? July

2011-07-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

This month's What's Baking Challenge was to use local ingredients. We have a garden that is absolutely overflowing with produce, so this turned out to be the perfect challenge. David's dad has also "hired" us to cook dinner for him every night, in an effort to eat healthier, so I killed two birds with one stone by making a ratatouille.

I'll admit that maybe this wasn't quite as much baking as cooking, but I did finish it off in the oven, and it could easily be adapted to more of a casserole-type dish that would include a lot more oven time.

This challenge was a real reminder of the difference that using fresh, quality ingredients makes - and everything we used was free! In addition to the squash, basil and bell peppers that we've been growing, we were also able to visit the farm that a friend of David's dad owns. It is officially closed for the season, but they have a ton of produce left on the plants that is ready to be picked. We came home with bags absolutely full of tomatoes (large and small), potatoes, peppers, onions and eggplant.

I love that all of the produce we used was not only local, but grown by us or people we know, and that we were able to show David's family a recipe that was both delicious AND nutritious. But best of all, this was one of the easiest recipes I've ever made. We've already been back to the loot the farm so we can make this again!

There is no real recipe, so to speak. I heard someone once say that the magic trick to making ratatouille was using the order EZPOT, so that's basically all I did - Eggplant, Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes.

It's not the world's most photogenic dish but it sure was delicious!

Ratatouille
Olive oil, or cooking spray
Garlic
Eggplant
Zucchini
Peppers (Bell, any color)
Onions (I used sweet Vidalia but any will do)
Tomatos

Heat a large saucepan to medium heat, adding olive oil or cooking spray and garlic, to taste. Simmer until garlic is soft and fragrant.

Chop vegetables and add to saucepan (in EZPOT order) until each is soft.

Roasted Tomato Sauce
Small tomatoes (we used sungolds, but cherry or grape would work too)
garlic
onion
EVOO (optional)
Salt, pepper, sugar, basil and/or Italian seasoning, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 and spread tomatoes, garlic cloves (unpeeled) and chopped onion on a roasting pan. Drizzle with EVOO, if desired.

Roast until tomatoes are soft with wrinkled skin.

Remove from oven and let everything cool. Remove skin from garlic and place everything in a blender. Blend until desired consistency is reached.

Add seasonings and olive oil, to taste. We used chopped fresh basil, a pinch of sugar, some fresh ground salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.

Serve* with pasta and ratatouille.

*Note: We had a LOT of leftover tomato sauce, so we are freezing it for future meals. One easy way to do this is to pour it into icecube trays before freezing so that it can be used in single-serve portions. Just microwave the amount you need!

Crunchies

2011-06-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was really impressed with a lot of things about South Africa - the weather, the people, the amazing accents....I could go on and on. One of the things that I was not impressed with, though, was the baking. I don't know how exactly it happened but it appears that the entire country missed the How to Bake memo. We ate a lot of cake while we were there, and really, none of it was very good.

Then we discovered crunchies.

Crunchies are South Africa's version of...a scone? a granola bar? I'm not exactly sure. They're hard (hence the name crunchie) and full of sugar. They're great with a cup of coffee and because they have oats in them, you kind of feel like they're healthy. They're not. Our friend, Mandy, made an amazing batch for us while we were staying with her, and sent me the recipe when we got back to America.

You've got to give these babies a try.

South African Crunchies

Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups coconut
3 cups oats
405g butter
4 tsps corn syrup
1.5 tsp baking soda
.5 cup raisins
.5 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Mix together all of the dry ingredients, except the baking soda. Boil the butter and syrup, add baking soda and stir. Mix everything together, press into a flat pan (I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pan). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut immediately and let cool.

Source: Mandy

June Challenge: Layer Cake

2011-06-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

June's "What's Baking?" challenge was a layer cake, which proved to be the perfect answer to my ponderings about what to bake for Brent's high school graduation party. I love baking but more than one layer of anything makes me a little nervous, so this definitely was a challenge.

I also really wanted to do something with these adorable Reeses hats, since they're adorable and Brent has a serious weakness for the chocolate/peanut butter combination. When I stumbled upon the Reese's Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake at Annie Eats, I knew this would be the foundation for my cake.

I don't think the pictures really did it justice (we were all racing around to get ready for graduation so there aren't as many pictures as I'd like anyway), because I was pretty proud of myself for getting it to look halfway decent.

Unfortunately, the cake tasted pretty terrible. The consistency was bizarre - almost like a pound cake (you can tell from the picture). I don't know if I did something wrong, or if the recipe just wasn't a chocolate cake that I love (Annie used an adaptation of Dorie Greenspan's chocolate cake). The peanut butter frosting (from Ina Garten) was absolutely incredible, though. We ended up baking mini cupcakes from a box mix and salvaging the frosting.

The real challenge to me was constructing the layers and decorating, so even though most of the cake ended up in the trash, I give myself an A for effort, and am reminded that box mixes sell well for a reason.

Source: Annie's Eats and Ina Garten

What's Baking: April

2011-04-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

This month's "What's Baking" challenge was hosted by Leanne at Food, Fun and Love and the theme was Spring. Of course, I waited until the last minute, but when I saw a recipe online mentioning lavender, I knew that it would be my "secret" ingredient. There are a lot of different recipes with lavender out there, but I wanted something that would actually be eaten, so I went with Lavender Honey Shortbread Cookies.

They're definitely a departure from other cookies I love (which usually involve lots of chocolate and/or peanut butter) but I was really impressed with the springy, floral flavor and buttery consistency. They're not too sweet and would be great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or chai tea. Give these little guys a try!

Lavender Honey Shortbread Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp lavender

6 oz. butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 tbsp honey

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine flour, salt, baking powder and lavender in bowl and stir to combine.

In an electric mixer, cream together butter, honey, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour the mixture onto parchment paper, roll into a log, and place in the refrigerator to chill until set (about an hour). When you're ready to bake, just slice off the cookies you want, sprinkle with sugar, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Strawberry-Coconut Pancakes

2011-04-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite springtime flavors are strawberry and coconut. Something about coconut just screams "TROPICAL!" and reminds me of two years ago, when David and I were lounging around Antigua on our honeymoon, enjoying the beach, eating nonstop (hey, it was all-inclusive!) and learning to sail (okay, we took one lesson).

When I saw these pancakes on Cara's Cravings, I knew they would be a part of my breakfast line-up, since they are both healthy AND delicious! I think next time they'd also be awesome with a few drops of lemon or lime juice, to pump up the tropical feel.

Strawberry-Coconut Pancakes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup fat free liquid egg substitute (or 2 egg whites)
1/4 cup (2 oz.) low or non-fat cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 cup plain oats
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet of Splenda or other sweetener
2 large strawberries, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat a nonstick griddle over medium heat.

Combine all ingredients (except the strawberries and coconut) in a blender and process until smooth.

Spray the griddle with nonstick spray. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, forming 2 large pancakes. Arrange the sliced strawberries and shredded coconut on top of the pancakes. Cook until tops are bubbly and the bottoms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Serve hot and top with cool whip!

Source: Cara's Cravings

March Daring Bakers' Challenge: Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

2011-04-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

The March 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria's Collection and Jamie of Life's a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged the Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. I am obviously really late posting this but enjoyed making the cake. I was worried about how it would turn out, since it was pretty technical but we were all very pleased with the results and had our fair share before sending it to school with David's mom to share with the other teachers.

It didn't turn out as pretty as some of the others I've seen but that's not too important - the whole point is to eat it anyways!

The recipe was definitely worth the effort and could be adjusted to use just about any ingredients or flavors you want. I used Jamie's version (below) but would like to try a savory filling next time - maybe with pizza-like ingredients and Italian seasoning in the dough.

The recipe below makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter. I havlved it to make1 cake, but if you are doing all the work, you may as well make 2!

Filled Meringue Coffee Cake

For the Dough:

4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 package active dried yeast

3/4 cup whole milk *I used 2% without any problems

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the Meringue:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

For the Filling:

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium until warm.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until just blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, or until it is soft, smooth and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towl and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45-60 minutes.

Prepare the filling. In a smal bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:

In a clean mixing bowl (ideally plastic or metal), beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the coffee cakes:

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time, roll out into a 20 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle. Sprinkle half of the filling over the dough.

Roll the dough jellyroll-style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam-side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife, make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch intervals. Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.

Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.

Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder, if desired.

Eat!

Savory White Chicken Chili

2011-03-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

We're in Virginia right now, which is a state that apparently didn't get the message that spring has sprung. It snowed today. SNOW! At the end of March. I find this totally unacceptable, but it was a good excuse to try out (what I hope will be) one last cold-weather recipe.

I got a recipe from Betty Crocker featuring a Savory White Chicken Chili and had visions of serving it alongside hot, fresh, cornbread. I ended up burning the cornbread (and somehow frying an egg in the process) so we just had chili. Thankfully, it was delicious. Don't tell anyone, but this is a super-healthy recipe, too - the beans and corn provide lots of fiber and there is a ton of protein between the beans, chicken and Greek yogurt.

Savory White Chicken Chili

(serves 4)

Cooking spray

4 boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, cut into pieces

1/2 cup yellow onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 can chicken broth

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp chili seasoning mix

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

cayenne pepper, to taste

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can cannellini beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 container (6 oz.) Greek fat free plain yogurt

Spray a large saucepan and cook chicken, onion and garlic over medium heat 5-7 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except cilantro and yogurt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and yogurt.

Source: adapted from Betty Crocker

Buckeyes

2010-12-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Could there possibly be a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter? I am a sucker for anything that is both sweet and salty, and chocolate peanut butter anything seems to be the epitome of that combination. Our friends in Switzerland, however, have been in the dark and had never tried buckeyes (actually some of them have never heard of putting peanut butter and jelly together either - amazing!)

These buckeyes are amazing rich and decadent and delicious on their own, but we had extra chocolate, so we drizzled it over the tops of the balls...because there's no such thing as too much chocolate. I think they'd also be even more awesome with a little sprinkle of sea salt on top. Mmmmm!!

Buckeyes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball and chill in freezer until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth (watch carefully - chocolate becomes bitter when burned!).

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate, using the toothpick as a holder. Place back on cookie sheet, remove toothpicks and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Finder's Keeper's: Homemade Granola Bars

2010-11-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to find the perfect granola bar for months now. I tried a few versions of no-bake chocolate peanut butter protein cookies, but honestly I just wasn't feeling the cold oatmeal. Then I tried a different chocolate hazelnut bar that was better (and decent dipped in coffee) but still not even close to what I really wanted - something both chewy (but not like a NutriGrain bar) and crunchy (but not quite Nature Valley), something I don't have to refrigerate and that feels like substantial food, not a little wedge of undercooked oatmeal. I was also shooting for relatively healthy, without a ton of added sugar and maybe even some fruit and nuts.

Last night I hit the jackpot. After scouring the web and various recipes for weeks, I had an idea of what I wanted and how to make it, so I based my recipe off of this Playgroup Granola Bar recipe. I liked that it had both oats and flour in it, so it'd be more dense than the plain oatmeal-based bars, and it has a simple base.

Ladies and gentlemen, these things are fantastic. I made quite a few modifications to the original recipe but the result is EXACTLY what I was looking for. They are crunchy on the tops and sides but still a little chewy in the middle, and are full of healthy deliciousness. Without further ado, here is the secret recipe to the world's most perfect granola bar. I love the spicy apple flavor of mine - it's perfect for fall - but feel free to swap out anything that you like more.

The Perfect Granola Bar
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar (the original recipe called for 3/4 cup but these are plenty sweet)
1/2 cup wheat bran (original called for wheat germ but we didn't have it)
Spices, to taste - I used cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and a tiny bit of chili powder
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (original used all-purpose but in the name of health, use whole wheat)
dried fruit, to taste (I used dried apples but anything would work)
1/4 cup yogurt (I used Greek - actually quark, to replace the oil from the original recipe)
1 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tbsp almond meal
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (I'd leave this out next time, it's not worth it)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 (or 176.5). Spray pan or line with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat bran, spices, flour, dried fruit and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Mix well with your hats and pat evening into the prepared pan. The batter is thick, so it will stay where you put it. *Note - I had to add a lot of water to get it to a mixable consistency.
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bars become golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow them to cool completely before cutting or they will become too hard to cut.

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

French Toast

2010-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Food Network. I love that there is a whole STATION dedicated to food and cooking, but hate that it is kind of selling out. However, as a Georgia native, I can't help but love Alton Brown and "Good Eats," so when I saw his French Toast episode, I knew I'd have to make it.

It didn't disappoint, either! I think the real trick is using great bread (we used challah) and letting it get nice and stale so it can soak up all the milky deliciousness. Like all good french toasts, this takes a while to prepare and deserves to be enjoyed, so try it out on a lazy weekend morning when you can curl up on the coach and eat it while reading the paper.

French Toast

1 cup half-and-half

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale bread (country loaf, brioche or challah)

4 tablespoons butter

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey and salt. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip bread slices into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack (over a cookie sheet to avoid a huge mess!) and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit or chocolate chips

Source: Alton Brown

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

2010-10-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's starting to get way too cold to exercise here (the high for the past couple days has been in the 30s) so I've done a 180 in my new favorite way to pass the time - baking! Every Tuesday and Thursday, our coffee break features a baked goodie, so last night I jumped in the kitchen and tried out this incredible Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti recipe from Annie's Eats (who got it from Joy the Baker). The cinnamon/sugar combination seemed just right for the cool fall weather and they were perfect dunked in coffee.

I started out with a major problem. The hand mixer doesn't work. Which means I had to mix by hand...and by the way, is that stuff butter? I have no idea but it's close enough.

Pretty sure Tony Horton (founder of P90x) would be proud of the arm workout I got from creaming and beating everything together. Voila - uncooked "logs"

After a whirl in the oven:

Annnddd a second time. "Biscotti" means twice-baked, of course!

I didn't get a chance to take a picture of them in all their serving-tray-glory but they looked adorable and tasted fabulous. Thanks Annie!

Annie's Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti
Yields: 20-24 cookies
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I think I used cake flour but it was all we had and I don't know French)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I may have used a little more. I LOVE cinnamon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C but I guestimated - our oven is not that exact). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (...or just another bowl...), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed (or give your arm a workout) until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the egg and then the egg yolk, beating well (pain is beauty, baby, stir that thang!) after each addition. Blend in the vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed (trust me, your arm will be on LOW speed by this point), blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and a dough is formed.

Divide the dough into two halves. Shape each half into a log 9 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the logs at least 3-4 inches apart. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and stir to blend well. Lightly brush the tops of the logs with the beaten egg, and sprinkle generously with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. remove the pan from the oven but maintain the oven temperature. Once the logs are cool enough to handle, slice on the diagonal (this is easier said than done) into 1 1/2-inch slices (about 10-14 per log). Place biscotti cut side-down on the baking sheet and sprinkle with more of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Source: Annie's Eats