Love & Maple Syrup

Gluten-free Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2012-02-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! My sister-in-law and a few nieces and nephews' diets are gluten-free, and I have been trying for years to make a decent chocolate chip cookie that is gluten-free. Finally, I have found the most delicious, chewy, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe that exists... bar none! Thank you, Alton Brown! I mean, for all those chocolate-chip cookie lovers who are gluten free... you really have to thank Mr. Brown for this recipe. I've tried numerous gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this one is the bomb.

Being that it's Valentine's Day tomorrow, and since they were baking wonderfully, I thought I would try and shape these cookies into hearts. Using my favorite cookie dough scooper (it's actually a melon-baller!), I took a scoop and then shaped it into a small "v" shape before placing it on the parchment paper to bake. Kinda came out cute for chocolate chip cookies!

Because I have Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free baking flour in my cabinet, I didn't follow Mr. Alton Brown's recipe exactly. I used 2 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. of the gluten-free baking mix to substitute for the brown rice flour, corn starch and tapioca flour. I did add 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum. I also added in 1/4 cup of walnuts. Everything else I kept the same for the ingredients. The batter chilled in the refrigerator overnight, as I had run out of parchment paper, and know all too well not to attempt baking gluten-free cookies without parchment paper! This morning, I bought Reynold's Wraps new parchment paper that is foil on one side and parchment on the other. Really like how the paper sits on the baking sheet! The cookies baked in a 350 degree oven on the convection setting for about 6-8 minutes. I let them cool on the sheets for about 2 minutes, after baking, and then transferred the cookies to a cooling rack. This is very important, as they finish cooking, and they take their shape. If you try to transfer them from the cookie sheets too early, they will fall apart (as most gluten-free cookies do!)

Enjoy with your favorite gluten-free friend!

Alton Brown's Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter

11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups

1 1/4 ounces corn starch, approximately 1/4 cup

1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup

10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat.

Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, soft together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and and baking soda. Set aside.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

Love and Maple Syrup's

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie

Edited Ingredient list:

2 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free baking mix

1/8 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup

10 ounces light brown sugar, about 1 1/4 cups

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

See Alton Brown's recipe above for directions.

The only things I changed: (1) chilled the dough overnight, and (2) baked the cookies at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes on convection. I (3) made my cookies a bit smaller than Alton Brown's, but they turned out just fine, heart-shaped or round. I think they're delicious, as do my kids. You can also substitute up to 1/2 of the butter with coconut oil. Keep in mind that you only need to use about a 3/4 equivalent if you do use coconut oil. So, if you substitute half of the butter with coconut oil, you will only have to use about 3/8 cup of coconut oil and one stick of butter. Caution: I did try to pass along these cookies to the hubby... and he thinks they're toxic. Of course, he isn't gluten-free, nor has he tried numerous gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipes that yielded something more like hocky pucks. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder :)

Smile at everyone you see today. It's Valentine's Day!

Kettle Corn

2011-09-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

Happy fall! The kids are back in school, the leaves are changing colors (somewhere in this country; not here!), there's a crisp, coolness in the air (at night), and the holidays are just around the bend... really?

This is the time of year we pull out our popcorn popper and have some FUN. Football game days, homework time munchies, movie nights... We have long since ditched our microwave oven, and have found it much more FUN to pop popcorn with a Whirleypop Popcorn Popper! The kids like it because it's interactive, I think! They load it up with oil and corn, and crank the handle and get to hear the corn POP! They pride themselves on being the "expert" popcorn popper of the family... we'll have to have a taste test some day, but for now, we're just poppin' and having fun (without all the extra calories of microwave popcorn!)

Lately, we've discovered how to make Kettle Corn. (Great things happen when you use your intuition and experiment a little!) We put in the popping corn, oil, a few sprinkles of salt and then threw in a couple teaspoons of Sugar-In-The-Raw to make the lightest, yummiest Kettle Corn this side of the Mississippi!

Keep in mind that you're heating sugar, so you need to watch your burner temperature and how long you're popping. I begin the heat on high, and as soon as I hear popping, I turn it down to medium and throw in the sugar. I DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE POPPING STOPS to remove it from the heat. In fact, I take it down just when I hear the popping start to slow a LITTLE. You do have to sacrifice some kernels here so that you don't burn the sugar. Transfer the popped corn to a large bowl. Taste, and if you prefer some more salt, add it now. When the popcorn has cooled slightly, the sugar will crisp and you're ready to dig in. I know that you can increase the sugar up to 1/4 cup, but why? (This is just the right amount, and is balanced with the saltiness.)
It is not advisable to make this in a large pot, using the old-fashioned shaking method. The Whirleypop keeps the kernels, sugar and oil moving around in the pot, keeping it from quickly burning.

Make a large bowl for a fall gathering, adding extras like candy corn and nuts!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of good, organic coconut oil
1/2 cup popping corn (I like Jiffytime)
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons Sugar-In-The-Raw
fine sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients EXCEPT THE SUGAR in the Whirleypop Popcorn Popper, and heat on high just until kernels begin to pop. Crank the handle constantly. When you hear the first pop, quickly add the sugar and close the lid. Continue turning the crank, just until popping slows a little. Remove from popper and place popped corn in a large bowl. Taste, and sprinkle with fine sea salt, if preferred. Corn should looked popped, but not dark. Let cool slightly, so that sugar hardens and popcorn crisps.

Add nuts and candy corn for special occasions!

Enjoy :)

Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-07-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a new twist on the brownie. After browsing recipes on the internet, I found a cookie dough brownie that was topped with a chocolate chip glaze. Being a big fan of nuts, I decided I would add walnuts and skip the last step of melting the choc. chips into a glaze... and viola! This fun new brownie bar combines cookie dough and brownies and has a crunchy topping sure to please. These are definitely a step up from the brownie, and will leave you satisfied after just one!

Cookie Dough Brownies

For the first layer:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour (you can use 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup vegetable oil (you can use light olive oil)

4 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

For the cookie dough layer:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

Topping:

1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, convection (or 350 regular)

Generously grease a 9x13 pan.

To make the brownie layer, combine sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add oil, eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about three minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Watch carefully in the convection oven. Or bake for about 30 minutes in a regular oven. Remove pan from oven and cool to room temp.

Rinse mixing bowl, and then combine butter with both sugars. Add milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour. This will resemble cookie dough. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownie layer in pan.

Sprinkle chopped nuts and mini chocolate chips over top. Lightly press into the cookie dough layer. You may want to cover and cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more (but not too long!) in order to set the cookie dough and sprinkle layer. Cut into 1 1/2" squares.

Meeting on the Mound Munchie Bars

2011-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's still baseball season here in my family. We have finished regular season and are full swing into summer tournament season. Last night marked the end of our first championship game, losing 11-10 to a dark grey team that I couldn't read the team name on the front, nor the number on the back! They had dark grey jerseys with muted blue numbers! Now, who chooses those colors? It probably wasn't the team mother! Why put numbers on the back that no one can read? Strategy, perhaps?

And why is it that coaches have to stop the game and have a meeting on the mound when there hasn't been any real problems? I can understand when a pitcher is having some kind of trouble... a few too many runs being scored (like last night!), and the coach comes to the mound like they do in the big leagues. Or, if they coaches really need to "coach" the upcoming plays. But killing time? Stopping the game as time is running out? Just play ball and let the kids figure it out.

Now, the recipe... I brought cookie bars to last night's game, thinking it would be fun to have a "celebratory treat" at the end of the game. Between summer school pick-up and the game there wasn't enough time to bake cookies. When you're in a time crunch, cookie bars work great!

So, I took the Nestle Toll House recipe and changed it up a bit and here is what I got. This one's for you, Coach!

Meeting on the Mound Munchie Bars

1 cup oat flour (blend slightly more than 1 cup oats in your blender, until it turns to a flour)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I like Bob's Red Mill)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 Cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli the best!)

1 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, convection setting.

Spread walnuts on a sheet pan, and place in the oven as it's preheating to toast! Keep them in there for 5-10 minutes. Do not let them darken!

Combine flours, soda, salt in small bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in your Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually mix in dry ingredients. Stir in morsels and nuts. Dough should not be too sticky, and should resemble regular cookie dough. If it's really sticky, add 2 Tbsp. flour... up to 1/4 cup, as needed.

Spread into a greased 10x15" jelly roll pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before cutting into bars.

Enjoy them with your Champion!

Almost No-Knead Bread

2011-03-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Somewhat recently, the East Coast has been having some big storms. Anchormen were reporting how grocery stores were running out of bread and milk, and people have been stocking up on the staples before the storm, if they could.

I saw this very funny skit on Saturday Night Live where the character who played Mayor Bloomberg was urging people to stay in their apartments and off of the streets. "Order in! Let the delivery people deliver the goods to you!" is what he suggested. It was very funny! (but I can't repeat everything he said!) I guess people don't really stock up on goods in NYC because they don't have the storage space. I couldn't help but think, "If I were stranded, and couldn't get out to get some staples, surely I could make my own bread!"

How many of us could actually do this? Humans have been making bread for a very long time. There's really no excuse not to. It's easy once you practice a few times, and it's fun to find a good recipe and play with it. This is one of those recipes. Believe me, there are many other recipes that take A LOT more practice, but this isn't one of them. This is almost fool-proof! I know you're not going to believe me until you try it. The only catch here, is that because it's an almost no-knead bread, there is some prep time involved. But it's time that you don't have to DO anything; the dough has to rest.

So, ladies and gentlemen... if you are stranded in the event of a terrible snow storm, here's how you make bread the simple way, thanks to Cooks Illustrated magazine. All you need are a few ingredients, an oven, and a medium to large-sized Dutch Oven. AND... about 12 hours!

Almost No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour (you can also use bread flour)

1 tsp. yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. warm water

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. beer

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

I usually mix up this dough after the kids have gone to bed, but you can also do so first thing in the morning if you're an early riser, and have it in time for dinner.

With a wire whisk, stir the dry ingredients together. Then add in all the wet ingredients and stir until you've incorporated all of the flour. The dough ball looks rather scrappy and unattractive. Cover loosely with a large piece of Saran Wrap. Let the dough sit overnight, or at least 8 hours.

Line a 10" skillet with parchment paper, spray with oil (or rub olive oil all over the top side).

Toss some flour on a work surface, and knead the dough 10-15 times. Form into a pretty round ball, and place on the prepared parchment paper, seams side down. Spray or lightly coat top of dough with olive oil. Cover with Saran Wrap again. Let sit for 2 hours.

30 minutes before baking, preheat a dutch oven with the lid on at 500 for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven very carefully and remove the lid. Picking up the dough by the parchment paper, transfer the dough and paper into the preheated dutch oven. Carefully put the lid back on the pot and and return it to the oven.

Turn the temperature in the oven down to 425, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 min., remove the lid from the dutch oven and let the bread finish baking for another 20 minutes. The top of the bread with turn a golden brown.

Remove bread from oven and take it out of the dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Enjoy the aroma of freshly-baked bread in your home. It's important to let the bread cool completely, as it continues to bake out of the oven. It's very tempting to cut into it after ten minutes or so, but don't! Serve alongside your favorite soup or salad.

City of the Angels

2011-02-21T09:47:00.001-08:00

Can't you just see why LA's early settlers named their town "The city of the Angels"? Legend has it that they traveled over the mountains and came to this beautiful, large valley. They gazed out over the clouds below, and thought surely there must be angels living here.

My girlfriends and I hiked up past the snow line and were rewarded with this breathtaking view of downtown with the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Catalina Island in the distance.

This is why we live here. We are blessed to have each other. We are blessed to look down at the valley below and think, "yes, surely there must be angels living among us!"

Mochi Love

2011-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is that you get to know people of all different nationalities and share in their lifestyles and traditions.

A couple of years ago, a Korean friend entertained a few of us non-Korean girls for a traditional Chinese New Year party. It was lovely. She made ALL kinds of foods and treats and we talked about their traditions, ways, and history. She even showed us a few games they play on New Year's. Very fun! There was everything from a whole cooked fish, to sauteed vegetables with meats and, of course, plenty of rice! This was also the first time I had "mochi." One of my Japanese friends brought her mochi to the party, and it was like nothing I had ever tasted before. And it was beautiful and delicious. Mochi is a soft, sweet rice cake that is traditionally cooked by steam. Since I have a steam oven, I was curious to see if I could make it in my steam oven.

My friend lent me one of her cookbooks and after reading through different recipes, I decided on merging a few to accommodate my steam oven, as she actually bakes her mochi in the oven, and has to compensate for the lack of steam. We figured it would take less water (because of the steam), and so I reduced the liquid and decreased the cooking time.

My kids have become big mochi fans -- at least of this recipe. It's very moist, soft and has just a bit of sweetness to it. I think it's kind of like making Jello Jigglers -- probably has just as much sugar in it as well. My husband is not a fan, but I think it's fun to try different things, and we have had a lot of fun making and trying this recipe!

I've included recipes for both the steam oven and the regular oven. My girlfriend makes her baked mochi using red and green food colors and it's really pretty. Have fun and experiment!

Mochi (Steam Oven)

2 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour)

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's Light Coconut in the green can)

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3 drops red food color

katakuriko (potato starch)

Using a wire whisk, mix all ingredients together except for the food coloring and katakuriko.

Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl, and add 3 drops of red food coloring to it.

Mix thoroughly. Prepare a 7 1/2 x 11 1/2" rectangular, glass baking pan with your

choice of non-stick coatings. Pour the uncolored batter into the cake pan.

Wet a flour sack towel and wring it. Tightly cover the pan and place it in the

steam oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the towel, and pour the pink batter over the steam layer. Again, tightly cover the pan and place it back in the steam oven for

15 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove the towel. Loosely place a dry towel over the mochi, being careful that the towel doesn't touch the mochi, as it is

very sticky. Mochi takes at least 3-4 hours to completely cool. Experts say that it toughens in the refrigerator. But I have placed the cooled mochi in the refrigerator, and

it tastes okay to me! When the mochi has completely cooled, lightly dust the top of the cake with

katakuriko (potato starch), and cut into small squares with a PLASTIC KNIFE. (This is just like cutting brownies!)

Pour about a cup of the katakuriko into a small bowl and roll the cut mochi in the potato starch to dust lightly. (It will be stick if you don't!)

Mochi stores well in tupperware in the refrigerator or on the counter. It will

dry out if you leave it uncovered.

Enjoy!

Taken from Hawaii's Best Mochi Recipes

by Jean Watanabe Hee

Chi Chi Dango (oven baked)

1 lb. mochiko (sweet rice flour)

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups water

1 can coconut milk (12 oz, She uses the Trader Joe's Light)

1 tsp. vanilla

katakuriko (potato starch)

food color

Combine dry ingredients except the katakuriko, in large mixing bowl.

Add liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly with whisk.

Again, you can separate the batter into different layers. If you do make 2 layers,

bake the first layer for 20 minutes, covered. Pour the 2nd layer on top and return to the oven for another 40 minutes.

If only using one color, Pour into greased 9x13" pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Remove foil and cool thoroughly for at least 3-4 hours.

Cut with plastic knife.

Toss in potato starch.

Double Ginger Cookies

2010-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

Happy December! My first Christmas gift this season came in a box... only, not the kind of box one would expect a gift to come in! You see, every so often my mother-in-law credits a butter box for some great food she is serving. This has taught me never to throw away those butter boxes until I've opened the box and peeked at the recipe inside!

So, this Thanksgiving, as I was going through boxes of butter like there's no tomorrow, I remembered to peek inside the boxes to check the recipes... and lo and behold, on the inside of one of the Challenge Butter Boxes was the recipe for Double Ginger Cookies. Yum! And with molasses AND fresh ginger... a keeper, for sure. I was, however, surprised that there wasn't any cinnamon or cloves, so I added those spices to recipe. And the next time I make these, I'll omit some of the white sugar and add more molasses... my daughter and I agreed that we'd like them a little darker. If you're looking for a ginger cookie that doesn't require fresh ginger, I tried one from onceuponachef.com that I really liked. She has other amazing recipes you may want to try!

The relatives have returned home, the kids are back in school, and I've been craving a ginger-molasses cookie since I tried Costco's version a month ago... so I made these cookies last night! They're crispy, with a little bit of a chewy inside. And they made a very tasty mid-afternoon snack with a hot cup of tea!

Double Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup dk. brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixer, cream butter, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and the white and brown sugars. Blend in molasses and egg. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda; blend gradually into the butter mixture. Chill dough slightly if desired for ease of handling and to reduce spread. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar to coat. Then arrange approximately 2 inches apart ona a buttered baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to racks to finish cooling. Store in airtight container.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies... I think! (Just not sure how many were snatched off the cooling rack in the process!)

Enjoy!

Quinoa Cakes

2010-10-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, my grandparents lived in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay. One of my favorite memories with them is going crabbing with my grandpa, and coming home to crack open the crabs and dig into my grandmother's tasty crab cakes. She made the best crab cakes, bar none! People rave about the crab cakes at this restaurant or that restaurant... but I have yet to find one that comes even close to my grandma's.

Until I do, I have found a new kind of cake that is going to have to substitute for my love of crab cakes... because it's in "the plan" right now. Wholesome, healthy, organic and contains no dairy, white flour, sugar or bottom ocean dwelling creatures! It's made of quinoa and veggies, and is so unbelievably delicious that I had to make an entire recipe the next day, because I had to have some more!

This is a great recipe to use with leftover steamed or roasted veggies, if you have them. Otherwise there's a little more prep work involved. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use a variety of veggies. I'm sure any combination of your favorites will work! Here's what I used...

Ingredients:

1 large organic carrot, diced or grated

1 medium zucchini, diced or grated

1/2 small white onion, diced

1/2 small red onion, diced

3 slices of roasted eggplant, diced

about 8 steamed or roasted brussels sprouts, chopped

a pinch of dried thyme

1 egg, whisked

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

pink salt, or sea salt

cracked pepper

olive oil

Cook one cup of your favorite quinoa (which yield 2 cups, cooked). As you are cooking the quinoa, saute onions, carrots, zucchini in some olive oil until are are soft and onions are translucent. Stir in roasted eggplant and brussels sprouts. Sprinkle in dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat. Sprinkle on the whole wheat flour. Stir just until combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees on convection. Generously grease cooking sheet with olive oil.

When quinoa is finished cooking and veggies have cooled, whisk the egg and pour into the quinoa/veggie mixture. Stir. Form large meatball sized balls of the mixture in your hands and place on cooking sheet. CAREFULLY press down into a patty.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the cakes carefully. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets. Serve over a micro greens, broccoli sprouts or your favorite greens. Great to pack into little bags for a quick, to-go lunch or substantial snack!

OMG! Hot Cocoa

2010-10-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

This may look like a decadent cup of hot cocoa. And it is. But it's not what you think! There is no dairy and no white sugar, and it is still "OMG!" decadent. Let me explain.

My daughter's "table" at school received the highest points in the class for the month, so they were able to have a special lunch with their teacher. (Of course, the mothers all brought in the goods.) The girls, however, chose the menu. Normally, this would be a no-brainer, but there was one little provision... one of the girls cannot have white flour, white sugar or dairy.

Originally, I was going to bring smoothies, but it is pouring rain today and quite chilly. My daughter asked if I could bring hot cocoa instead. If she would have asked me this question a year ago, I wouldn't have known what to do. However, I am reaching new heights with my detox and learning all kinds of new things lately, and thought I might be able to pull it off! I'm not eating white flour, white sugar or dairy for right now either, and so I had the ingredients in my house to experiment.

We have been stocking up on almond milk, which I use in smoothies and my daughter uses in her cereal. So, I thought, "why not?" It really tastes quite yummy, and is the perfect treat on a chilly, fall day. Enjoy!

For 2 servings:

2 cups organic unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. organic maple syrup

a dash of cinnamon

Heat the almond milk, cocoa powder, honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan, just before it begins to boil. Whisk and watch carefully -- you can't walk away from this!

Add a few dashes of cinnamon before serving, and stir. Pour into warmed mugs and enjoy over a good conversation with friends and family!

Coconut Popsicles

2010-09-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love coconuts. The meat, the water, the milk... all of it and in any form. It's a good thing that only 2 of us in this house like coconuts, because there's more for each of us!

Right now, I am cleansing. Detoxing and trying to rid my body of all the bad stuff I've gotten into over the last few years is no easy feat. It's quite a challenge coming up with meals and snacks that are pure and cleansing and still give you the energy to keep up with life. But it's forcing me to get creative, not to mention the will-power side of it all!

One of the things I really miss during this cleanse is just a little something sweet and yummy. No white sugar, no white flour, no dairy... what's left??? I also have to keep in mind the importance of good oils and organic produce. The first sweet thing that came to my mind when I thought of something natural and sweet was coconuts! What could I have with coconuts? Hmmmm...

My sister-in-law gave the kids a popsicle maker a few years ago. It's basically a popsicle "mold" that makes eight popsicles. We've made all kinds of popsicles in it... fresh squeezed orange juice, smoothie mix, limeade, lemonade... but I have a new one to add to the list... coconut!

In a blender, mix:

coconut water from 1 young coconut

coconut meat from 1 young coconut

1 can of organic coconut milk, low-fat

Pulse a few times and pour into popsicle molds.

Freeze and enjoy!

Coconut water is one of the purest form of waters. It contains no cholesterol and has more electrolytes than any fruit or vegetable. It contains trace amounts of copper, phosphorous and sulfur. The vitamin C content of the water is enough to meet the daily requirements of the body. It's fat free, low in carbohydrates and calories. It also contains niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, riboflavin, folic acid and thiamin of the Vitamin B group. This is still just about the water... It's health benefits also include boosting the immune system, intestinal health, metabolism, weight loss, balancing body pH, fighting off viruses, detoxifying the blood, etc. It's a great remedy to prevent hypertension. It also controls diabetes, reduces cancer and helps treat kidney stones. And can you believe that's just the water? The meat and the milk have so many other important attributes! You'll have to google it to learn more :)

Tending My Garden

2010-08-31T17:44:00.002-07:00

While corresponding with a former teacher from college who happened to be a priest, he would inquire about my plants from time to time. When I finally asked why he was always interested in my plants, he explained that if one has time to take care of one's plants, one has time to take care of oneself. There is wisdom in this thought. When life gets too frantic and busy, I notice my droopy and neglected plants. When life is in balance, my plants are thriving.

This year, my boys constructed a small raised garden bed for Mother's Day. We planted seeds and seedlings at the end of May. After much traveling this summer, tending to my garden between trips, I am now finally seeing red tomatoes!

How is your garden? Do you spend time there? Do you enjoy all the fruits of your labors? I recommend sitting in your garden today for a few minutes. Just sit in the sunshine, smell the smells, listen to the sounds all around. Enjoy God's creation around you. Thrive.

2010-08-31T17:44:00.001-07:00

Lemony Bars

2010-06-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened at my daughter's softball team party last weekend. One of the moms brought lemon bars to the gathering, and a friend of mine was digging into them exclaiming, "These are soooo good! You gotta try 'em, Michele. They're the real deal. Real lemons. Not the ones like I make from the package!"

I guess it's a little naive of me, but I didn't even know that lemon bars came in packaged form. Lemons from a box? How good could they really be? Not worth the calories in my book. Needless to say, it left me a little perplexed. Maybe it's just that I absolutely LOVE lemons. Or that my mother-in-law has a mature and prolific Eureka lemon tree in her yard that I adore almost as much as my own children. Well, not really. But if they ever move from that house, I will miss that tree dearly!

If you don't like lemons, then read no further. But if you adore them like I do, these will curb that craving when you're making something special. By the way, if you have never tasted a Miss Grace Lemon Cake, then you really ought to. I promise that you will fall in love with this moist, delicious cake that is neither too tart, nor too sweet -- almost as much as you will these. Both are, as they say on the west side of town, "to.... die.... for!"

I stumbled upon this lemon bar recipe in Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa Parties" cookbook, and made a few slight changes. Even though I'm a lemon purist at heart, there is something about mixing lemons and limes together that fancies my taste buds nowadays. Maybe it's hormonal, but I really crave these flavors together. If you haven't mixed the two -- in water, cooking, baking, sauces, whatever -- you must give it a try!

If you favor limes over lemons, switch the amounts of the two in this recipe, and substitute the lime rind for the lemon. You can even add a drop or two of green food coloring to give them a light green tint. Great for Halloween, St. Paddy's Day, or even Christmas!

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs, room temp.

3 cups granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For the crust, cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mixture should be light and fluffy. Combine flour and salt. With mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gently gather into a ball. Flatten dough with floured hands and press it into a 9x13x2" baking sheet, building up a 1/2 edge on all sides. Chill. One thing I've read over and over in cookbooks, is that you have to be gentle and minimal when working with cookie and crust doughs. The less you mix and flatten, and shape and stretch, the flakier and more tender the end result.

Bake crust for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest lemon and lime juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set. If you see the edges darkening and it doesn't appear set, turn your oven temperature down. Once set, let bars cool to room temp.

Dust with confectioner's sugar, and cut into squares or triangles.

Mother's Day Bliss

2010-05-09T10:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Ahhh, the lovely day when mothers all over the world are recognized and appreciated simply for being mothers... It's not just a day for mothers, but for all of those who can fully appreciated everything that goes into being a mother. It's for daughters and sons and husbands and fathers too! But as a mother, I can tell you that I fully enjoy the day and appreciate this wonderful gift of motherhood!

Exactly how all of this came about this morning, I'm not completely sure. But I'd like to think that it was through the grace of God, a little experience and a lot of love! My son has taken to the art of making omelettes and my daughter loves to cut fruit! My husband makes the best lattes west of the Missouri River (I've only had lattes this side of the Missouri, so I'm speaking from experience only and a little bias!) It was a collaborative effort of pure love and genius.

I was awakened with a steaming hot cup of cafe latte, smiles, a newspaper and a few beautifully-wrapped and not-quite-so-beautifully wrapped gifts of complete love. An adorable wooden welcome sign for my front door, hand-painted from my daughter; the frame for a raised garden bed, hand-made by my son (and brought into the bedroom for show and tell!!); and a ceramic pitcher for a set of dishes we are slowly collecting.

My daughter handed me a creatively-designed menu, hot off the press from her tinkering on Pages and Design Pro...

As far as the directions go... you'll have to ask my husband and kids. The pancakes are leftover from the week! (Recipe on the blog.)

Ingredients:

1 studly husband with a big heart

2 wonderful children with creative minds and open hearts

1 excuse for a mom to stay in bed for the morning

Directions:

Mix all together and enjoy!

Cheers to another great year of Motherhood! Enjoy your days, weeks and years ahead. Cherish your gifts. Appreciate the Mother you came from, the Mother you are, and the Mother you have yet to be! I have so many great examples of Motherhood surrounding me, especially my own Mother. Thank you to all the great Mothers out there!

Quintessential Quinoa

2010-04-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe Mother's Day is this weekend ALREADY! (Where have I been?) In hopes that you all are planning something special for the awesome mother in your life, I have something that is sure to please. At least, it pleased my mom when she was out for a quick visit this Spring!

In case you are not familiar with "Quinoa" (pronounced keen-wha), it's a grain that comes to us from Africa and is high in protein. A protein AND a grain all in one. You just can't beat that! I think it's a great complement to so many other foods, that you'll really have to just try it and find out what you like it with best.

This quinoa is great over lettuce for a hearty salad, or served alongside fish such as salmon. I really think the sesame oil and lime juice add great flavor, and with the array of wonderful vegetables in season, this salad is perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups quinoa
1/3 cup raisins
1 pinch salt
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, minced
10 radishes, quartered
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
salt to taste

Directions

Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Pour in quinoa, raisins, and a pinch of salt. Cover, and let simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Toss together the tomatoes, onion, radish, cucumber, and almonds in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled quinoa, then season with mint, parsley, cumin, lime juice, sesame oil, and salt. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Nutritional Information

Tomato-Mint Quinoa Salad

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 346

Total Fat: 11.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 275mg
Total Carbs: 53.3g
Dietary Fiber: 7.1g
Protein: 9.5g

Amount Per Serving Calories: 346 | Total Fat: 11.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Pasta Fagioli Minestrone

2010-02-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

It must be the Italiano in me that loves this soup. It's a cross between a minestrone soup and pasta fagioli, combining Italian sausage, vegetables, beans and pasta... all simmered in chicken stock and topped with Parmesan cheese. Very easy and very satisfying, it's a one-pot/one-bowl dinner. Gotta love that! Serve with a loaf of steaming hot, crunchy artisan bread. Perfect for a chilly evening or when you just feel like making a one-pot dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage (I use mild)

1 small, sweet onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Quart organic chicken broth

1 cup water

2 32-oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 32-oz can canellini beans

thyme

oregano

bay leaf

cheese tortelloni

one bag of fresh, baby spinach

parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Remove casings from sausage (or you can buy the sausage meat without the casings), and place in large pot or Dutch oven. Cook meat until brown. Drain grease, if needed. Add onions, stir and cook until translucent. Add chopped carrots and garlic, stir for about a minute. Add diced tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Add chicken stock, water and bay leaf. Cover, leaving just a small opening. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Add rinsed and drained canellini beans and cover the pot again. At this point, you could transfer to a crock pot set on your lowest setting, and leave for practice, pick-up the kids, etc.

If you're ready to serve, add the tortellini to the soup. They will take about 5-7 minutes to cook. The tortellini are ready when they have floated to the top. Stir in fresh spinach (to cook), or if you prefer to keep the spinach raw, just sprinkle on top along with the Parmesan cheese. I'm trying to eat more "raw" these days, as nutrients are lost when we cook our veggies.

Almond-Oat Chocolate Chippers

2010-01-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

You may have seen a version of this recipe floating around the internet under the guise of the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie. This was ages ago when we were all early surfers of the internet. So, if you're a youngin', you probably won't remember this cookie recipe. But, mark my word, it was quite the hit back in the time!

My husband's cousin put this recipe in a family cookbook we gave to my sister-in-law for a bridal shower gift... as it is a popular cookie among family members. She would always make an extra-large batch and bring them down to visit our much-missed Momma (my husband's grandma). So, that makes these cookies extra special.

They're a great option for those who enjoy a little heartier taste from their cookies. Delicate, they are not! You make an oat flour from oatmeal by blending it in the blender (or food processor), which basically gives the cookie an oat taste with a different consistency and texture than the traditional oatmeal cookie.

The batter is made up of half flour and half home-made oat flour. The last time I made this cookie, I replaced a half-cup of the flour with a half-cup of almond flour. (Anything to cut down on flour!) Needless to say, the almond flour complements this cookie quite nicely.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups ground oatmeal

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees on convection. (350 if not using convection).

Blend butter and sugars in your Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, powder, soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and incorporate. Slowly add oatmeal, almond meal and chocolate chips.

Place rounded teaspoons of cookie dough on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. Leave on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Great for school lunches and road trips!

Don't be a Turkey Burgers

2010-01-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... the kids just don't like them as much as their beef counterpart. But trust me, the kids will catch on, and you'll get to enjoy a healthier burger. You just can't be a turkey when it comes to trying these!

I'm really not a huge fan of Rachael Ray, but I do like some of her recipes. This happens to be one of them. There used to be this restaurant down by the beach where I lived that had really tasty turkey burgers. And they would serve them with lots of lettuce and Dijon mustard, with these incredible fries on the side. Since I've moved away from the beach, every once in a while I get the craving for a great, moist turkey burger. This one is as close to the one I remember!

When my brother and sister-in-law were on the South Beach Diet, my brother made a version of these burgers for my mom and I one evening for dinner, which brought them back into the dinner scene once again in my home. At first, the kids made sour faces. But since they're getting smarter each year, they now know how healthy they are, and so they gladly scarf them down come dinnertime. (Hint: if you serve them after full days when they have basketball practice, they really scarf them down!)

Oroweat makes these new thin burger buns, which hold everything together if you must have bread. They're 100 calories a serving, and have 5 grams of fiber and 1 gram of fat. These burgers are also quite delicious served "Protein Style" like In-N-Out (aka: lettuce wrap). Serve them with tasty, home-made oven fries, and you'll get rave reviews!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey breast

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, stripped and finely chopped

coarse salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 small zucchini, finely chopped

EVO, for drizzling

green leaf or romaine lettuce

ripe tomato (which I didn't have at this time!)

avocado

Dijon mustard

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl and form into 4 large patties.

Brush with EVO and cook 7 minutes each side, over medium high heat.

Serve on split buns with fixings... or wrap in lettuce for a gluten-free option.

To make the oven fries: Preheat oven on convection setting for 375 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (don't skip this step, or you'll be sorry!)

Scrub and clean 3-4 large russet potatoes. Slice into desired lengths and widths,

and soak them in a cold, salt-water bath in a med-large bowl for about 10 minutes.

Drain and return to bowl. Note: I also peel and slice a sweet potato or two because

I like sweet potato fries the best. Now the kids are catching on to how tasty they

are, so I've had to peel 2 sweet potatoes lately!

Drizzle EVO and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix together, coating the potatoes with the

olive oil. Spread in a single layer on the parchment paper. You will need 2 baking

sheets for these potatoes.

Convection bake for about 25-30 minutes, turning them halfway during the bake time.

Enjoy!

Sumptuous Skinny Cheesecake

2010-01-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmm... Can I just tell you how incredible this cheesecake is? It's almost (really, really almost) like eating the real (high-calorie) deal, but I think I actually prefer this one now.

My husband's favorite cake is a cheesecake. So, for his most recent birthday, that's what he got... except he got the skinny version this year! He hit a milestone birthday, and since he's nursing a bad back and really bummed out that he's getting older and feeling older, I thought I would try a "healthier" birthday cake. I was not disappointed in the least, and I don't think he was either! He snacked on it the following day, which is always a good sign!

As I got dinner underway, my awesome sister-in-law made the cheesecake... in the food processor! Neither of us had made this cheesecake before, and so we were perplexed and ooing and ahhhing through it all! You need to have the large-sized Cuisinart to really speed through this cake. But if you have the mid-sized one, it is possible to transfer it all to your Kitchen Aid mixer, once you've processed the cottage cheese to a smooth consistency (which is what we had to do!)

For the gluten-intolerant out there... we actually changed one thin in the recipe because both my awesome sister-in-law and my niece are gluten-intolerant. So, we added 2 Tbsp. of almond meal in place of the flour. I assume this was to thicken the cake, and it was plenty thick enough with almond meal. We also used small-curd cottage cheese, which really didn't need to drain at all. I'm not the cottage cheese expert, but it seems that it's a thicker consistency than the large-curd.

It set-up just in time for the candles, but I have to say that it was much better the following morning! So, make this one a day in advance... and savor every bite!

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 container (32 oz.) low-fat cottage cheese
2 packages (8 oz. each) neufchâtel cheese
1/4 cup flour (or 2 Tbsp. almond meal)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1 cup low-fat (1%) Greek yogurt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1 tbsp. sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drain cottage cheese in a strainer 15 minutes. Whirl cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add neufchâtel and 2 cups sugar and blend until no lumps remain. Then add flour, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, eggs, and egg whites and blend until mixture is smooth, scraping inside of bowl as needed. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake until edges are puffed slightly and center barely jiggles when pan is shaken gently, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake sit in oven another 30 minutes.

4. Mix together yogurt and remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Put cheesecake on a cooling rack. Carefully spread yogurt-sugar mixture over top of cheesecake and let cool completely. Chill, covered with foil, at least 4 hours. Run a thin knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen, remove side of pan, and slice cheesecake with a hot knife.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 281 (33% from fat) -- It's probably even less without the flour!
Protein:: 12g
Fat:: 10g (sat 5.6)
Carbohydrate:: 37g
Fiber:: 0.2g
Sodium:: 393mg
Cholesterol:: 70mg

Chocolate Graham Toffee Bark

2009-12-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

You will most definitely NOT be barking up the wrong tree when you make these delicious toffee candies! A combination of graham crackers, white and dark chocolates, toffee and macadamia nuts make these morsels irresistible, and a welcome addition to the holiday cookie platter. Serve tucked-into a dish of ice cream for a beautiful presentation!

Chocolate Graham Toffee Bark

1 1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 box graham crackers (not the crumbs)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9x13-inch jelly roll pan with foil, and spray with cooking oil. (a jelly roll pan is basically a cookie sheet with short sides on it).

Arrange whole graham crackers to fit the bottom of the pan in a single layer, breaking some into smaller pieces to fit the entire space.

Melt butter over medium heat. Add sugars and stir to combine well. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and let the mixture gently bubble for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour hot sugar mixture over the graham crackers. Spread to cover. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, and let rest for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the top, and wait a minute or two until the chips melt. Using a spatula, gently spread chocolate chips into an even layer. Sprinkle with nuts and white chocolate chips, gently pressing into the dark chocolate. Cool to room temp, and then cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Cut into triangles or break into desired sized pieces.

Brussels Sprouts with Marjoram and Pine Nuts

2009-11-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

This recipe is not just for those who adore brussels sprouts. If you have horrible memories from your childhood of brussels sprouts making their way onto the dinner table, gagging and carrying on... you really ought to grow up and give them another try. I couldn't say it better than the caption on the Epicurious website, "If you think you don't like brussels sprouts, think again!"

My sister-in-law Debbi brought these to our early-bird Thanksgiving dinner this year. Wow, what a treat! These brussels sprouts were also a great compliment to our traditional feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. We didn't do green beans this year, and they weren't even missed, because we had this gourmet addition taken from the November 2001 edition of Bon Appetit.

Brussels Sprouts with Marjoram and Pine Nuts

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts, halved, or 1 1/2 pounds frozen brussels sprouts, thawed, halved
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
2 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/3 cup whipping cream

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add nuts and stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to small bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add sprouts; stir 1 minute. Add broth; cover and simmer until sprouts are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and simmer until broth evaporates, about 5 minutes. Using wooden spoon, push sprouts to sides of skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in center of same skillet. Add shallots; sautuntil tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in marjoram, then cream. Simmer until sprouts are coated with cream, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Stir over medium heat to rewarm.)

Transfer brussels sprouts to serving platter. Mix in half of pine nuts. Sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.

Bon Appétit
November 2001

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-11-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, my side of the family celebrated Thanksgiving early this year. It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon. My mother was in town from the midwest for a couple of weeks to visit with all of us kids, and see all of her grandchildren play their sports. And we actually found an afternoon that we could ALL be together for a few hours to celebrate Thanksgiving as a family.

I bought a 20 lb. organic turkey at Whole Foods, and brined it the day before. Mom made the stuffing and gravy, and my sister-in-laws brought the rest of the food. Everything was so tasty and it was so much fun to all be together. Everyone cooks, so when we all put forth the effort, everything tastes top-notch! I only wish I took the time to take some pictures so that I could include them in this blog. I could always count on my father for taking lots of pictures at family events. As much as we complained... there's boxes of slides that Dad took of our entire lives growing up. A true gift.

Well, our Thanksgiving has come and gone and so has Mom. We miss her already! I thought I would get to see her one last time before saying goodbye, but I guess it was better that I didn't, as it's always difficult saying goodbye! So, we're now managing the leftovers... a few things mom left over here, as well as a few leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner. We had no problem eating turkey sandwiches and leftover stuffing, and Mom's leftover things are in a box ready to ship... but it was that tupperware of leftover canned pumpkin that was throwing me for a loop. I just couldn't bring myself to make another pie.

This past week I went hiking with a girlfriend. Afterward, we had coffee and shared a muffin at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. We had a tasty pumpkin muffin with dark chocolate chunks and walnuts. It was just the inspiration I was looking for!

After researching a few recipes online, I took a couple different recipes and combined them together with a little creativity, and a lot of risk. And with a little bit of luck, they turned out to be quite tasty! If you're planning on making a pumpkin pie, buy the large can and save the leftover pumpkin especially for these.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

2 large eggs

1 1/4 c. canned pumpkin

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. walnut pieces

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions

Mix dry ingredients with a wire whisk, and set aside.

Toast walnuts and set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed in your Kitchen Aid mixer until creamy. Slowly add brown sugar, and eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg and scraping batter from the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add pumpkin and molasses, beating well.

Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, just until combined.

Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into muffin pans lined with foil muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Remove from pans as soon as possible after baking. Cool and drizzle with frosting, if desired.

To make frosting, combine powdered sugar and maple syrup or milk to the desired consistency. Drizzle on top of muffins. Top with a toasted walnut piece.

Pack them up for school lunches!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

2009-11-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is just around the bend... over the river and through the woods. It's one of my favorite times of the year, and one of my favorite meals of the year!

Almost every year around Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law tells the story about how one of her newly-wed daughter-in-laws called to ask for her recipe to make pumpkin pie from scratch. This particular son of hers couldn't believe his new bride was even contemplating using canned pumpkin to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving! (How could she do such a thing? His mother never used canned pumpkin.) Well, this son of hers quickly found out that his mom always made her pumpkin pie from, yes, the can!

And so did mine! In fact, she still uses only Libby's canned pumpkin.

I've made pumpkin pies both ways. They both taste great, but the ones from scratch usually yield an ugly brown color, and most of the times the consistency is a bit more watery. I love baking the pumpkin, and the way it smells in the house. How can you resist taking a scoop out of that cinnamon-doused pumpkin, fresh from the oven? But making pumpkin pie from scratch is just not worth the extra effort! If you must, bake your pumpkin, and just eat it! And for the purists out there, I saw that Whole Foods has their own brand of organic canned pumpkin.

I like pumpkin pies, but my favorite is this Pumpkin Pecan Pie. It's like getting the best of both worlds in one bite! And you must follow this simple recipe exactly as written. No improvising!

One time, I didn't have enough dark corn syrup, so I used 1/2 dark and 1/2 light corn syrup and added molasses. It just didn't turn out right or taste the same. I learned my lesson. A quick trip to the market would have been worthwhile!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup canned Libby's pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 9" unbaked pie shell

1 cup whole pecans

Stir all ingredients together, except for the pecans.

Then, carefully and creatively, place the pecans on top of the filling mixture.

Bake at 350 in the center rack of your oven for about 45 minutes.

If crust browns, but center of pie is still uncooked, place foil pieces around the crust to prevent further browning, and continue baking the pie.

Pumpkin pie is actually a custard pie. It is ready when a toothpick or knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge of the pan comes out clean. If the center jiggles just a tad, it's okay. The pie will continue cooking after you take it out of the oven. Just be sure to let it sit awhile. When it has completely cooled, cover and place in refrigerator.

To serve, slice and enjoy with a heaping spoonful of whipped cream on top. Yum!

No Joke Blondies

2009-10-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, all of you brunettes out there... I have heard them ALL! And the latest and greatest blonde jokes were sent via email from my mother of all people! (As my daughter would say... what-ev-er!)

I still don't know what any of these jokes have to do with being blonde. I guess they have to pick on someone, and it might as well be us!

Which leads us to the latest recipe... blondies! There are brownies and then there are blondies. And these, my friends, are no joke! My daughter tasted something like these that her grandmother made, and has been asking for them ever since. I think I've finally found the recipe, and I can guarantee you that they will be adored by all -- just like us blondes (wink wink)!

I borrowed the recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and it is to. die. for! Toasted walnuts or pecans, brown sugar, and the best of both chocolates. What's there not to love? And you make them in a foil-lined pan, so the serving is easy and the clean up is easier. Plus, you can control the amount of baking by removing them from the pan before they have completely cooled. No overdone edges with gooeyness in the middle.

Bring them to your next get-together. They'll be the life of the party. After all, gentlemen prefer blondes!

Ingredients

1 cup pecans or walnuts

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 tsp. vanilla extract

6 ounces white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips. (I made the former, and it was perfect!)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside.

While nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8" width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together vigorously in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22-25 minutes; DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhand and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 1-2" squares.

Serve and enjoy!

And for your entertainment...

Two brunettes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking, and one brunette says to the other, "Which do you think is further away... Florida or the moon?"

The other brunette turns and says, "Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida from here?"

I'm... cracking... up!

Real Corn Bread

2009-10-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

When you grow up in a home where your mother is an amazing cook, you develop discerning taste buds and become a bit of a food snob. You know how foods can taste, and you expect them to taste that way, well... all the time!

My husband likes to tease me that I'm just like Meg Ryan's character in When Harry Met Sally when she's ordering at a restaurant. (He probably wishes I was more like her character at a different part of the film... "I'll have what she's having!") But, if it's not too much trouble, I'd just like it the way I would like it. So I ask a lot of questions and make special requests. Is that really horrible of me?

Corn bread is one of those foods that can be really good or really bad. If it's too sweet and tastes like cake, chances are it has enough sugar in it to be a cake. And quite frankly, I would rather be eating chocolate or carrot cake than a corn cake! But on the flip side, if it's too heavy and grainy, I don't care for that kind of corn bread either. Something between the two is what I look for in a corn bread.

There are a few different corn breads that I really like to make. This one's the latest. It comes from Cook's Illustrated and has all the right ingredients... real corn, buttermilk, cornmeal, and a tad of brown sugar. Sounds heavenly, doesn't it? I know you're thinking how easy the boxed mixes are... but I'm telling you, go the extra mile and trust me on this one. It has a great corn flavor. It's also very moist; not too heavy, and not too cakey. It's much better for you and really quite simple.

I baked it in a well-seasoned, 11" round iron skillet, and cut it into squares.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (not melted, should still be cold) or olive oil

Directions:

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking poder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

In a food processor, process brown sugar, thawed corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain).

Using a rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened.

Place 2 Tbsp. of unmelted butter in iron skillet and set in oven for a minute or two until butter is melted. Remove from oven and give it a few turns to coat the very heavy pan -- it will take two arms to do the work!

Pour batter into pan, and smooth surface with spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5-10 minutes. Cut into square pieces and serve.

Don't forget the honey bear! In our house, he has the best honey. Papa bear and mama bear prefer the natural, unprocessed honey... but the kid bears still prefer that silly honey bear that squirts honey out of his head! (BTW, one of my daughter's favorite teachers used to collect these for Elmer's glue. Great idea, I thought!)

Rockin' Rice Krispy Treats

2009-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

These Rice Krispy Treats Rock! (Or so, my children say!) It's really fun to take the run-of-the-mill Rice Krispy Treat recipe and rock it... you know, add a few new moves to the mix! These are basically Rice Krispy Treats with a little more kick and a tad more nutrition. The Treats shown in the picture were a slightly different version of this recipe I made for a pumpkin party we attended over the weekend. That's the beauty of this recipe... you can improvise!

We have friends who own a ranch in Ojai and are so gracious to share it with friends! Every year they plant a variety of pumpkins and gourds in an orchard filled with young fruit trees. And every year they invite several friends to an amazing barbecue at the ranch. This year, the invitation read, "The pumpkins are smaller, but the kids are bigger!" Being that we don't see most of these people but once a year, you can really see how the kids grow!

Our hosts, Kris and Jim, serve the most amazing carnitas and sausages, and everyone brings assigned salads, desserts, drinks, etc. The children run around the orchards throwing lemons (hopefully, ones that have actually fallen from the trees!), playing tag, throwing the football, and then are invited to go and pick their pumpkins. Our children really look forward to this every year, as do we! We always meet fun and interesting people, and it's always great to get a change of scenery from LA. It's always beautiful in Ojai!

Here's a picture of most of us. (except for those husbands who didn't make it down to the orchard because they were drinking beer and talking horses with the the other guys who didn't make it down to the orchard.) Oh well!

Rockin' Rice Krispy Treats

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup grape seed oil

1 1/2 bags miniature marshmallows

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

6 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups crushed cookies (Oreos, Nutter Butters, Graham Crackers... one or all!)

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions

Grease 9"x 13" Pyrex pan.

Combine Rice Krispies, oatmeal, crushed cookies, chopped nuts, and coconut in a large bowl. Set aside.

Melt butter, oil and marshmallows together in a very large pot on the stove.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.

Add dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pat mixture into pre-greased pan and let sit until cool.

Note: if you're going to top each square with a candy corn or pumpkin, estimate how large you will be cutting the squares, and press each candy firmly into place. (Also, for this version, as pictures above, I left out the coconut and oats, and used 3 more cups of Rice Krispies.)

Cut into squares and serve.

Take a peaceful walk through the orchard...

or wherever you may be on this fine fall day!

Cilantro Wild Rice Salad

2009-10-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

There are times when a plain chicken salad will just not do. When you want something a little different, but not too different. When you're trying to cut carbs, but need a little something like a carb to go along with your salad... this is the salad for you! It combines chicken, veggies and wild rice with a cilantro dressing. It's a meal in itself and is quite tasty!

It takes a little prep work. If you have leftover grilled chicken, you're halfway there! Keep in mind that cooking wild rice takes about 45 minutes, so chop all the veggies as you steam the rice. Also, be careful not to cook the veggies too much, as the salad takes better and looks prettier if the veggies are steamed al dente, maintaining their crunch and color!

Cilantro Wild Rice Salad

2 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup chopped scallion

2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes

4 cups mixed greens (Romaine)

2 avocados, chopped

1 cup cooked asparagus (1" pieces)

1 cup cooked white corn kernels

4 cups grilled chopped chicken breasts

Dressing

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

2 cloves minced garlic

1 bunch cilantro, large stems removed

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. white pepper

1 cup olive oil

Directions:

Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor. Chill.

When ready to serve, toss all salad ingredients with dressing.

Serve with a side of your favorite corn bread or cup of soup.

Mexican Corn Chowder

2009-10-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Seeing all the sweet stuff on my blog... you'd think that is all I make here!
Au Contraire!

Mealtimes are busy in our house. Getting to school, after school sports... And when it's time to eat dinner, we're all too hungry to stop and take pictures! Plus, I'm new at this food photography stuff, and it's really difficult to capture a decent picture of any of the meals I make. Sweets photograph much better!

The boys were late getting back from football last night, so I had a few moments to try and snap some shots. It's one of my all-time favorite soups - and my family's too! It's "borrowed" from a well used Pasadena Junior League New Heritage Cookbook (1987) of my mother-in-law's... the kind where the pages have separated from the spine and pull apart in sections. It has some great recipes, and this is one of them! Don't be hesitant about using the jalapeno. It adds just the right amount of kick and hasn't even phased my children. It's a meal in itself and perfect for that autumn evening, when there's a little chill in the air.

Mexican Corn Chowder

2 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. flour

2 12-oz cans organic whole kernel corn

1 1/3 cup organic chicken stock

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups half & half

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

Condiments:

1-2 cups shredded cheddar and jack cheese

1 cup fresh diced tomatoes

1-2 avocados, diced

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut in strips

6 slices of bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled

tortilla strips

Directions

Over medium heat, bring 1/2 and 1/2 to a simmer. Turn off heat. (do not boil!)

Saute butter, onions and garlic in a large saucepan over med-high heat until onion looks transparent, about 3-5 minutes. Add flour and stir until coated (3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in chicken stock, half of the corn and all of the parsley.

Using a Cuisinart (or blender), pulse mixture in 2-cup portions. You do not want to puree this mixture -- as it is supposed to look chunky. -- not smooth!

Return mixture to the pan. Add the other can of corn, Half & Half, salt, pepper, oregano, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add jalapenos and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir and simmer about 5 minutes to prevent scorching. Do not bring this to a boil!

Serve chowder with condiments. I like to put them in separate bowls, and let the kids or guests add their own condiments to the chowder. It's more fun!

For all you Nebraskans out there... Mom made it with fresh corn she had stowed away in the freezer. Just add more chicken stock.

Go Huskers!

Orange Poppy Seed Pumpkin Cake

2009-09-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man, bake me a cake as FAST AS YOU CAN!

Everyone should have a Go-To Cake... one that never fails you, is always moist and delicious, and is quick and easy. This Orange Poppy Seed Pumpkin Cake is my Go-To-Cake, especially during the Fall. Another great recipe from my mother (who else?), but I'm telling you... Mother knows best!

So, some friends had invited us to dinner at their home last Saturday night. Saturday had been a very busy, hot day... filled with soccer and football, followed by an afternoon of seven 10-year old boys descending upon our home to swim. My husband, who stayed to watch the football game following our son's, is not answering his cell phone and I have no idea the details for the evening... LIKE THE TIME WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE! I have no other choice but to call and ask the time, as I offer to bring something.

"6:00. Oh, Tom said you were going to bring a dessert."

"Oh, but of course!"

Now, I find all of this information out at 4:30 p.m. THAT DAY! It was now 4:45 p.m., and none of us had yet showered and readied ourselves, as we bid farewell to the clan of boys.

I know that it's going to be a nice evening... and that our friends will have gone to a lot of effort into putting together an amazing Argentinian barbeque dinner for us all. How could I possibly show up with just a couple pints of ice cream? Then I remembered... the G0-To-Cake! THANK YOU MOM! As my husband calls on his way home from the game (at 4:50 p.m.), I ask him to stop by the grocery store and pick up a can of pumpkin, a box of yellow cake-mix, and a gallon of vanilla ice cream. I turn the oven on, ready my bundt pan, hop in the shower, and bark orders to the kids to get ready. By the time I'm out of the shower, my Go-To Man arrives home with the goods, and I mix-up the cake and put it in the oven. A quick sifting of sugar, and a few stirs to make the icing, I transfer it to a Ziploc baggie, and I'm done.

You're going to flip when you see what's in this incredibly delicious gourmet cake!

Orange Poppy Seed Pumpkin Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup orange juice

3 large eggs

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Icing

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 (or whatever setting your boxed cake requires for baking a pundt pan)

Butter and flour the bundt pan.

Mix first three ingredient together in your Kitchen Aid mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each time. Stir in poppy seeds.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer to the bundt pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or for however long the package directions tell you for baking a bundt pan.

The cake is ready when you can insert a toothpick into the cake, and it comes out clean. (If you don't have a toothpick, use a stick of dried spaghetti. Just be careful it doesn't break!) The top of the cake will be golden brown.

Let sit on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a knife, carefully loosen sides and center rims, readying the cake so you can turn it over onto a plate. Put the plate on top of the pan, top-side down. Securing the plate AND the pan, flip the pan side so that it sits on top of the plate. Tap on counter a few times to be sure the cake has been released from the pan. Gently lift the pan from the cake. Voila!

As the cake continues to cool, mix the icing together. When the icing is smooth, drizzle over bundt cake. Let the icing set.

Serve with a side of your favorite ice cream. Vanilla is always good, but chocolate might be a decadent addition and nice autumn look?

Oh, and by the way, we made it to our friends' house a fashionably 20 minutes late. I brought the bundt cake on a platter, grabbed the icing, and put the ice cream in an insulated bag. Everything went in the refrigerator and freezer when we arrived. When it was time to serve the cake, I drizzled the frosting on, pulled out my camera (yes, I brought my camera for my blog!) sliced a piece of cake, plopped a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and took a few pics. The cake was a tasty seasonal complement to a wonderful dinner and evening with friends! Thank you Don & Gabriella!

Did you know that 1 Tbsp. of poppy seeds has 2 g. fiber and 2 g. of protein? Poppy seeds are also a good source of iron, magnesium, thiamin, copper, calcium and manganese. Makes you want to throw in another tablespoon or two in the cake, doesn't it?

Go ahead, I dare you!

Make-It-A-Date Bars

2009-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love dates? Whether they're Medjool dates or a night out with my man, I really do love dates!

When Fall arrives, I especially love to revisit this date bar recipe. It was one of my favorite treats as a kid. I remember mom making these for our lunches or after-school snacks, and I do the same for my kids. I can't get them to eat a date, but if I make these bars, they jump for joy. Go figure! Nevertheless, I try and urge them to just taste one date before I start to make the bars...

Not all kids go wild over these date bars at first. I guess dates are more of an acquired taste and have a different texture than what many kids are used to eating. But I have noticed, that with repeat exposure to these bars, kids soon come to like them... and eventually ask for them at my house! And with the popularity of kids' protein bars packed with fruits, oatmeal and nuts, I think they'll be open to trying these bars. If not, there'll be more for you!

Make-It-A-Date Bars

Crumb mixture:

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup almond meal flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups oats

Date filling:

3 cups chopped dates

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

First, make the date filling by combining chopped dates, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil on med-high heat. Turn heat down and simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you have kids helping out in the kitchen, this in NOT the time to lure them in to help you. The filling will make any child run for cover!) When mixture has thickened, remove from heat to cool.

For the crumb mixture, combine butter and sugar in your Kitchen Aid mixer until fluffy. Stir in flours, soda and salt. Combine until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in rolled oats.

Scoop 1/2 of the mixture (about 2 1/2 cups) into a 13x9x2" pan, and flatten evenly with hands. Spread cooled date filling on top. Add remaining crumb mixture onto the date filling, patting lightly.

Bake 25-30 minutes

Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Wrap individually in waxed paper for school lunches, or for a date night out!

Ginger Chicken Salad

2009-09-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Fall is approaching, but we still have some hot days ahead of us here in Southern California... and salads are a welcome supper on a warm evening. Served with a side of dim sum, hot or chilled soup, and the meal is complete.

This salad is an old family favorite, with a few new twists. You've probably tasted the original recipe before. It's the one that uses two packages of Ramen noodles, and the seasoning packet goes into the dressing. I've tossed a few things out, including the seasoning packet, as it contains MSG. In its place, I mince fresh ginger, which gives it a nice flavor and a little tang. My kids love mandarin oranges, so I've added them in as well. You can chop everything way ahead of schedule and store it in Ziploc bags until you're ready to toss and serve -- including the dressing. It's a great make-ahead salad!

Ginger Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage

1/4 head red cabbage

1-2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

4 green onions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

2 packages of Ramen noodles, crumbled (toss the seasoning packets into the trash!)

1-2 cups mandarin oranges, drained

Dressing:

1/2 cup grape seed oil

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

4 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh, ground pepper

1 Tbsp. minced or finely-grated, fresh ginger (if you can't get fresh ginger, you can find candied ginger in the seasoning aisle)

Combine all dressing ingredients together in a covered jar. Give it a few good shakes, and refrigerate.

Using a frying pan or oven, toast almonds and sesame seeds until light golden. Set aside to cool.

Slice cabbages into shreds. You can use your Cuisinart if you'd like, but if you cut it in half and remove the core, it's easy to slice by hand. Combine all other ingredients (excluding the Ramen noodles and mandarin oranges) and toss.

Just before serving, add Ramen noodles, sesame seeds, almonds and dressing. Toss together. Sprinkle mandarin oranges on top.

Because this is made with cabbage, it will keep well overnight in an air-tight container, refrigerated. I love to have this salad the next day for lunch. Sometimes, I set aside a portion of the Ramen noodles to add crunch to the leftover salad! And it absorbs the dressing as it sits for long periods of time, so save some of the dressing for leftovers as well!

This is an old favorite, but I've updated this recipe to include fresh ginger. Studies have been done that ginger helps to relieve muscle pain. Even if you don't believe that, adding fresh ginger just makes this dressing come alive!

Girlfriend Granola

2009-09-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how birthdays tend to run together in families? My husband's side is rather large, and birthdays clump together in certain months. My side is a little smaller, but they still clump together. Some even fall on exactly the same day! Isn't that strange? Well, speaking of clumping together, yesterday was my mother's birthday, and today is my niece's birthday...

Happy Sweet Sixteen, Sara!

When Sara was young, she always liked to help her grandma in the kitchen... measuring, stirring, baking, etc. She still has an interest in cooking, but I think her schedule's so packed with school and athletics that she hardly has time to mess around in the kitchen! Not that any of us do... but we all have to eat and it should be healthier, so we just try and get the job done with as little effort as possible.

I know that Sara's asked for a bundt cake for her birthday, which shows her maturity and refined taste. Aren't most high school girls still asking for ice cream cakes? Or perhaps a selection of trendy cupcakes? I have several friends who can't resist the latest cupcake fad, but there's nothing that excites me about a cupcake loaded with icky frosting, and topped with a signature dot, especially if it's filled with a bunch of red food coloring! No thanks.

So, I would love to bake a cake right now in honor of the birthday girl, but we still have chocolate brownies in the house. That's enough dessert for this family. Instead, I thought of something more suitable for her on-the-go lifestyle. Something quick, easy and healthy to start her day. Something like, Granola! You might not be a big fan of it now, because the kind you've tried before has a lot of sugar and not a lot of flavor. This granola is the real deal, full of fiber and naturally sweetened with honey and dried fruit. Besides, isn't the granola thing kind of in right now? The recent anniversary celebration of Woodstock... peace, love and tie-dye?

Granola's really quite easy to make -- I was surprised. And it was kind of fun going into Whole Foods and selecting all the ingredients I wanted to use! (Of course I didn't try one of the peanut butter covered pretzels while I was filling the little plastic baggies!)

I hope you'll try making it. This granola is way better than Bear-Naked! (Which, by the way, Sara, you should ONLY be with a guy, when you're married and have a ring on your finger. I just have to add this because it's my godmother duty!)

Girlfriend Granola

1/2 cup coconut, shredded

4 cups organic rolled oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

6 Tbsp. grape seed oil (you can also use canola or melted butter)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup dried pomegranates

Preheat oven to 325 convection bake, or 350 regular bake

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread coconut evenly on one, and toast until lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool. Transfer to another bowl and add the raisins, dried cherries and dried pomegranates. Set aside.

Lower oven temp to 275

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, and cinnamon together.

Slightly warm the grape seed oil in a pan, then remove from heat. Add the honey and stir.

Pour the warm honey mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Diving evenly between the two cookie sheets, pour the mixture onto the parchment paper lined pans. Cooking on convection bake, set the timer for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, stir the granola. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Again, stir and return to oven. Bake approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the oats are golden and mixture appears dry.

Transfer to a wire rack, and let the granola cool in the pans. Granola will harden and dry as it cools. After granola has cooled, add the remaining ingredients.

You can make this ahead of time and store in an air-tight container at room-temp, but it lasts longer if it's stored in the freezer.

Crunch!

Flourless Brownies

2009-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

What would we do without our moms? My mother's birthday is today, and I wish we lived closer to be together to celebrate her! Moms often go unappreciated, but the older we get, the more we appreciate everything, especially our wonderful moms.

Last week, she called me with this hot tip for my blog. She said she'd entertained some guests and made these Flourless Brownies for dessert. "Did you tell them what was in the brownies?" I asked. "Of course not!" she replied, "I topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge and kept my mouth shut," in only the way Mom could pull off. I can just picture her not-so-great-poker face at the table, knowing her little secret, and keeping it all to herself as the compliments rolled off her guests' tongues. Only those who know her well know the face I'm talking about, as we've often seen it through the years! My husband says it's not a good poker face, but that's because he knows her well!

I really have to hand it to Mom. She raised four kids who all received their father's discerning taste buds gene, and managed to pull over some pretty good stuff on us! I think only Houdini could hide eggplant better in a lasagna than she... and get away with it!

Can I tell you more about how amazing my mom really is? Not only can she cook the tastiest, healthiest foods, but she can make them look so appetizing! (Well, most of the time!) If you want to convert a recipe, she always has a good suggestion. Want to make a traditional dish healthier? Just call Mom. And to top off her culinary talents, she is a beautiful, big-hearted, optimistic, hard-working, smart, cute, adventurous, loving, caring, easy-going, thoughtful and fun person. Even through the difficult times in her life, she's managed to stay all these things and more. I'm so proud of her and so proud to be her daughter. Thanks for sharing EVERYTHING, Mom. You always share the best of you. I do love these brownies, but I love you WAY more! Happy Birthday, Mom!

Oh, and one more thing. She's also very resourceful. She found this recipe online at Whole Foods' website (but substituted EVOO for the melted butter!)

Flourless Brownies

No one will ever guess the secret ingredient in this recipe: black beans!

(shhhh... don't tell the kids!)

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed

3 large eggs

1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract (you can use regular, if you're not gluten-intolerant)

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar (I'm sure you could also sweeten them with agave and/or honey)

1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (or regular, again if no food allergies)

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Optional: 1 tsp. instant espresso powder (to be added at the beginning with the beans, etc.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350, on convection bake (or a tad higher on regular bake if you don't have a convection oven)

Butter an 8-inch baking pan.

Place the black beans, EVOO, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and sugar (and optional espresso powder) in the bowl of a food processor and blend until super smooth. This is the most important step. Be sure the black beans are well-blended. Add eggs and pulse 5-6 more times. Remove the blade and carefully stir in half of the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining half of the chocolate chips and walnuts on top. Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes (25-30 min. on non-convection), or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.

Makes 16 brownies.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, covered with hot fudge

or....

With a hot cup of tea!

Hot tips:

If you can find walnut oil in your grocery store. It can also be used in place of the melted butter. Try mixing 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 walnut oil. Very tasty!

My sister-in-law told me about using a plastic knife for cutting brownies. It works much better than your average stainless knife.

Give it a try!

Convection ovens are great for baking. You normally decrease the temperature by about 25 degrees, and set your timer for about 5 minutes short of the suggested bake time. This way, if it cooks too fast, you'll be able to catch it in time. I usually take baked goods out of the oven a little earlier, as they will continue to bake on the sheet or in the pan after they're removed from the heat. When I'm multi-tasking, it's a sure way to prevent over-baking!

Holy Macaroons!

2009-09-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a firm believer in the Silver Lining on dark clouds. If you don't look for it, you don't see it, but if you do... what an incredible sight! One night during the massive Station Fire in our area, the firemen were setting backfires and shooting flares on the mountainside to the north of us. There was this incredible orange glow that permeated throughout the neighborhood, so I grabbed my camera and headed down the street to get a better look.

A block away, a few neighbors were standing outside having a glass of wine and gazing at the mountainside spectacle. They invited me onto their lawn for a better view. After some time talking and exchanging stories about how long we'd lived in the neighborhood, I find out that one of the men had retired from JPL. I told him that my father had worked there years ago. When he found out who my father was, his face lit up as he exclaimed, "no kidding, you're Vic's daughter!" He had worked in the same building as Dad, and had remembered the different projects Dad had worked on. They apparently had some great talks, as he shared what an easy guy he was to talk with, and how much they enjoyed discussing their different projects together. He understood Dad. If you didn't understand him, you wouldn't say that he was an easy-going guy. Some people felt threatened by his intelligence and his constant desire to learn, think, understand and relate. My eyes filled with tears as he inquired about Dad's whereabouts... all I could think of was, "he's right here, somehow telling me that everything's okay." The Silver Lining on the dark cloud.

It was getting late, and one of the women asked if I could email the pictures I had taken. I told them they could find them on my blog. Even though it was a cooking blog, I explained that I was posting pictures for family that lived out of town... including my mother in Nebraska. And would you believe this man who had shared an office floor at JPL with my father was also from Nebraska? He even knew the little town where Mom lives. He grew-up just down the highway from her place. Small world. Silver Lining.

"A cooking blog?" exclaimed one of the other neighbors, "I have the BEST recipe for macaroons!" Now, this wouldn't have fallen under the "silver lining" category, if it hadn't been for the fact that my husband's FAVORITE cookie just happens to be macaroons. I have tried once before to make macaroons, but they never wowed me. I did, however, try this recipe he gave me, and made some adjustments. I tried beating the egg whites separately before adding them to the mixture -- something my mother taught me to make pancakes light and fluffy, but it doesn't do the same for macaroons. This recipe tells you to beat everything together before adding the coconut, and that's exactly what you should do! After they had baked, I sprinkled some with powdered sugar, and dipped some in melted chocolate.

Stirring the ingredients together, I recalled watching that awesome, mesmerizing display of fire, thinking about the creation of the universe... how intense and magnificent the explosions of the Big Bang must have been. Turning the mixer off, I then thought that perhaps creation may have been something very different. More like a gentle breeze, peaceful and quiet.

As I put the macaroons in the oven, I thought about that turbulent week, and how not a home had burned in our neighborhood. La Crescenta had been saved. I shared an incredible evening with neighbors I'd just met. I learned something of Dad's past I never knew before. It was definitely God's grace. Silver Lining. And so I thought a more appropriate name for these cookies would be...

Holy Macaroons!

2/3 cup (5.25 liquid ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 large egg white

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/3 tsp. sea salt

3 1/2 cup (11.25 ounces) flaked or shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, (convection bake)

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Stir together milk, vanilla, and salt and egg until smooth. Stir in sweetened coconut until well blended.

Using a melon-baller, drop a scant tablespoon of dough into 1 1/4 inch mounds, spacing approximately 2" apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Cool and remove from paper.

Options: when cooled, roll macaroons in sifted confectioner's sugar, or dip in 4 oz. melted chocolate.

Store airtight up to 3-4 days, or freeze up to one month.

Share them with a neighbor.

Find out just how small this world really is.

See the Silver Lining.

Enjoy!

Smoked Salvage

2009-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

The best words I've heard reported from a news anchor thus far were "La Crescenta has been saved"! Ash is falling outside from the fires to the east and west of us, so I am sporting the stylish air filter over my nose and mouth, but we are back in our home and the neighborhood still stands! Thank God! And thanks especially to all the firemen that have come from all over the country, risking their lives to save our homes. I know it's their job, but under the conditions we've had this week, their jobs have been strenuous and dangerous. I just read in the L.A. Times this morning that a few Native American crews came over from Montana to help out with the fires. Amazing! I've seen and heard of crews from Alameda County, San Diego, Long Beach, and Vandenberg, just to name a few. We have come together as a state and as a country to fight this fire! It's heart-warming to see how in tragic times we all pull together and work for the greater good. We have met new neighbors and have become closer with the neighbors we already know. Everyone has reached out to one another and helped in their own ways. Just being there for each other has made all the difference at this unsure time. Love abounds.

Now, it's back to work. Everything is covered with soot. My house smells like an ashtray... I need to bake a batch of cookies just to alter the smell! Once again, there's laundry to do, dusting and vacuuming, floors to mop, and walls to wipe-down... and I can't tell you how thankful and appreciative I am to be able to be back into my home doing all these things!

I love this picture that my daughter took while driving down the boulevard last week. Signs like this are always pleasant surprises along our daily tracks. It expresses everyone's gratitude to the men and women that saved our canyon, and so many others' homes. We are grateful.

For more pictures of the damage in the Angeles Crest National Forest, go to:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10843861&postcount=9023

Forest Flambe

2009-08-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'd like to think that I witnessed the last of the Angeles National Forest above our home burn this evening. What an incredible sight! Part of the strategy in putting out the fire on our mountains was to light controlled backfires to finish burning the mountainside of remaining brush before it reached the homes. The fire was explosive and the mountains burned and sizzled with such intense heat! The mountains blazed, while smoke plumed into the night sky. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Neighbors wondered if we were witnessing something like The Big Bang. All I know is that if God was cooking in the kitchen, He would have been making Forest Flambe!

Neighbors were out on their lawns and rooftops witnessing this display of fire that would have had every filmmaker and special effects specialist in complete awe. Hollywood could not compete with this display from Mother Nature. I only wish my camera could have captured what the naked eye saw.

Synchronized with this display of thundering fire on the mountainside, smoke billowing into the star-lit sky, I had the opportunity of meeting a few neighbors, and even talking with one of my father's previous co-workers from JPL. The world becomes more beautiful and majestic, yet smaller all at the same time. It was all such a thrill! I am blessed and filled with awe and gratitude...

All is well with the world as the sun sets once again into the western horizon.

Charred Mountains

2009-08-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's still too hot to cook anything! It's evening and cooling down just a tad. There's barely a breeze that comes and goes. From La Canada, I hear the sound of helicopters and airplanes taking their "treasures" to the hot spots on the mountains. The air has cleared a bit since the morning, and I hear we have some new planes from Canada coming our way to drop water on the fire. Nice neighbors! I just drove up to Cherry Canyon, across the valley from Angeles Crest Hwy. to see the fires from a distance. They still look pretty active!

My friend Kelly, whose cousin is a fire fighter, said that we have the best hot shots in the country -- the crew from Vandenberg -- clearing a fire break in our upper canyon. Thank God! Tom was soooo relieved when I told him the news! He's still going to stay back with the neighbor crew and monitor the canyon from the backyard.

The top picture shows our fire (to the right), and the fire on the next ridge over to the west. It's still going strong, but I know we will be okay.

Thanks for everyone's prayers. I know they are being answered!

BBQ Brush

2009-08-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Nothing is cooking here these last few days but the mountains! We are camping out at my in-laws' house in La Canada, as the air is quite a bit cleaner at the bottom of the mountain. Our fire is the Station Fire, which is burning the Angeles Crest National Forest above La Crescenta, Tujunga and Altadena right now. There's nothing left in La Canada to burn, as you can see from some of the pictures above. The fire chief came to the house at about 4:00 p.m. yesterday asking us to clear the cars from the street, pack up and be ready to evacuate soon. They were expecting the fire to come clear down the ridge it just climbed over.

The ridge across the canyon burned until 4:30 a.m. this morning. We are so lucky that the wind is not an issue right now. It has kept the fire from spreading even more, which is difficult to believe because it has spread so much as it is!

We thought we were out of the woods this morning, until we came back this afternoon to find a new fire to the north of us. The roads leading up to our home are now closed, and the air is very smokey and still. Once again, I leave Tom to watch, wait, and be ready with the pool pump to protect our stretch of the canyon with other neighbors should the firemen need their help. Let's just hope they don't need it!

There are a few evening shots of our roof line and the ridge burning behind, a night-time shot of the burning mountains of La Canada and behind JPL, one of our favorite sites to see -- the orange helicopter that's carrying water to the fire, a shot of the mountains above La Canada where the fire has already burned, a shot of the ridge behind our home that burned last night. The daytime picture of the roofline with the large flame on the ridge in the distance was at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

I pray that everyone stays safe and their homes are protected.

Not Obama's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2009-08-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

As the title implies, these are not Obama's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that he serves up at White House functions. Having never attended a White House function, I can still guarantee that these are WAY BETTER! With the added oat bran and wheat germ, they're so much healthier for you that they should be in the new health care plan! If you're curious about Obama's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, follow the link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/Robert4Obama/gGggLQ

These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are an adaptation from a hip little cafe in Eagle Rock, California known as Auntie Em's Kitchen. The recipe was published in the LA Times, and I've made a few adjustments to it, including the addition of oatbran and an option for the chocoholic -- chocolate chips! What I love about these cookies is that they're crunchy, yet still chewy enough for the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie purist. These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the change you want to see in an oatmeal cookie!

Not Obama's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 1/3 light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

2 cups flour

1/4 cup oatbran

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups golden raisins

For the chocoholics:

1 cup chocolate-chips (I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips)

Heat oven to 350 degrees (Use convection bake if your have this option)

Fit your Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment, and cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. While mixer is running, add the eggs, one at a time, until each is incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together oats, flour wheat germ, oatbran, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the raisins and chocolate-chips.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

If you want large cookies:

Scoop 1/4 cup dough for each cookie and slightly flatten them, leaving 2" between each cookie (they will spread).

If you want smaller cookies:

Use a melon baller tool, and scoop generous-sized balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 1-2" between each cookie. This size cookie does not need to be flattened prior to baking.

Now, for the baking part... My awesome Miele oven allows me to bake 3 cookie sheets at the same time, with even baking. I bake these cookies at 350 degrees on Convection Bake. If you do not have a convection option on your oven, place trays (one at a time) on the center rack and bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly colored and edges are slightly browned. I like to take the cookies out of the oven when they are almost done, leaving them on the cookie sheet to continue cooking for about 5 min.

Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk! Yum!

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna

2009-08-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Zucchini, zucchini, zucchini... Only a few weeks left in the season and I'm still trying to find ways to slip it into dinner without the the kids rolling their eyes! How much zucchini can one family eat? After you've tried this version of an Italian favorite, you'd be surprised!

After grilling burgers one night, I sliced five large zucchinis lengthwise into 1/4" slices, put them in a plastic ziploc bag with olive oil, shook the bag, and then placed each slice on the grill, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Surely something could be done with these! I saw them in a new light, resembling lasagna noodles, and I thought "why not?" And, voila... Zucchini Lasagna!

The family consensus is that this recipe is best when using grilled zucchini. However, if you haven't planned ahead and grilled your zucchini, it could also be made with lightly-sauteed zucchini as well. Grilling is well worth the effort, as it adds sooo much more flavor. Even my toughest critics absolutely LOVED this lasagna with the grilled zucchini!

This is great for those zucchinis that were left 1-2 days longer in the garden before picking, and they're almost giants - yikes! Double the recipe, and put one lasagna in the freezer for later!

Grilled Zucchini Lasagna

3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/4" slices, and grilled

(this will make approx. 12 slices, which will resemble lasagna noodles.

You can also slice yellow or patty pan squash for added variety or color.

10 lasagna noodles

(I use Barilla "Rolled Flat Like Homemade" noodles. They're smaller and don't have the curled edges. You will used 1/2 box for one recipe)

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. grass-fed, hormone-free ground beef (or ground turkey)

3 x-large fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 15 oz. can organic diced tomatoes)

2 cups fresh, sliced mushrooms (can be omitted if the kids "oooo" these!)

1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce

1/3 cup water

2 heaping tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (or 2 tsp. dried, if you don't have fresh)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (part-skim is best)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, draining any fat from the pan. Add onions and saute until transparent (if there is no fat in the pan, drizzle some olive oil to saute the veggies; add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add fresh tomatoes and mushrooms, sprinkle salt on top and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sauce, water (pour the water into the tomato sauce can, swish, and then add to pan), oregano, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook while you prepare the filling.

In a separate bowl, mix the cottage cheese with egg and parsley, and combine well, and set aside. Grate mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and set aside.

Check your sauce. Add salt and more oregano if you desire. Ladle one scoop of sauce (1 cup) into a 9x13" pan. Place 5 of the lasagna noodles over the sauce, covering the bottom of the pan. Place half of the zucchini slices on top of the lasagna noodles. Ladle half of the sauce on top of the noodles. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella on top of that. Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella cheese.

For non-convection ovens:

Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

For convection ovens:

When the oven is preheated, change the temperature to 350 degrees on the convection setting.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until lasagna is bubbling on the sides and cheese is melted. If the cheese is browning too much, and your lasagna is not bubbling on the sides, cover with aluminum foil and bake without the convection (Miele ovens have a "top and bottom" heat setting). All convection ovens are not created equal, so you have to experiment and know how your oven works!

Upon serving, place freshly-grated parmesan in a small dish. The kids will love to sprinkle fresh parmesan on the top!

Mangia!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-08-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's summer in California and the height of the zucchini season. Most of us have more zucchini from the garden than we know what to do with, or that our children WANT us to do something with! Trying to find ways to use the zucchini without our families seeing it in everything we make, is no easy feat. The first time I tried this cake, my mother-in-law had made it for someone's birthday (it's a huge family, forgive me for not remembering whose it was). It was love at first bite... dark chocolate and super moist! It has become a definite "keeper." It rivals the conventional summertime ice cream cake requests for the plethora of summer birthdays in our family, and it's much healthier. If you look very carefully, you may see traces of green, but from more than a few inches away, forget about it! It's so rich and moist that I promise you that your children and guests will NEVER even guess there are 2 cups of shredded zucchini in this delicious chocolate cake! A scoop of Alden's vanilla ice cream on the side is the perfect complement. For something lighter and more gourmet, add a dallop of whipped cream on top or a dusting of powdered sugar. Mmmmmm... Julia Child would be jealous.

Bon Appetit!

Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 3/4 cup cake flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

1 cup light sour cream

2/3 cup oil (you can use a mild olive oil for this!)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 zucchini, FINELY* grated (about 2 cups)

*this is key. use the smallest grating option on your hand grater or on your cuisinart, otherwise you will not pull this one over on your children!

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Set aside. Combine sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixer at low speed. Mix at medium for 2 min. Add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to greased and floured 13x9" pan. Bake at 350 for about 35 min.

For the Glaze

In a small pan, heat together:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup butter

In a food processor, combine 6 oz. chopped sweet chocolate and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Slowly add hot water and melted butter while processor is going. Once combined, add the 1 tsp. of vanilla and a dash of salt. Pour over cake and cool completely.

No Glaze Option

I've also made this cake without the glaze, in a bundt pan (greased and floured), or in two small baking pans (4 1/2" x 8 1/2" pans lined with parchment paper, and sprayed with oil). If you don't use the glaze, I recommend adding 1/2 cup chocolate chips at the time the shredded zucchini is added. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. After it has cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

Maple Syrup

2009-08-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Maple Syrup conjures up childhood memories of my oh-so-culinary mother in the kitchen, making her famous homemade buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup. We were the only family I knew of at the time that used homemade maple syrup on our pancakes!

Little did I know then, that the man I would marry also grew up pouring homemade maple syrup over his pancakes! I don't know if it was out of frugality or the art of culinary expertise that we both experienced this phenomenon. Most likely, a combination of the two! My husband is one of eight children, and I can't imagine his mother keeping a pantry stocked with enough syrup for one pancake breakfast in that household. This recipe isn't "the real deal," using the sap from the maple tree, especially if you're using artificial maple extract. However, you can find real, organic maple extract at specialty stores and combine it with other organic ingredients if you wish. It's a very close imitation. A 12 oz. bottle of good maple syrup can cost well above seven dollars today. It takes less time to make than to run out to the local grocery store and buy a bottle... AND IT'S SO EASY!

Maple Syrup

In a small pan, combine:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup water
3 tbsp. light corn syrup

Bring to a boil, uncovered, over med-high heat; boil for 3 min.

Remove from heat and stir in:

1/2 to 3/4 tsp. maple extract.

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Pour into small, serving pitcher. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Keeps well in refrigerator in a lidded-glass canning jar (or an old glass maple syrup container), so don't hesitate to double the recipe if you have a large family. It can also be made using only white sugar, or only brown sugar. Try the different variations and decide which one you like best!

The consistency is thin while the syrup is hot. It will thicken as it cools.