Adam in his "shape belt" with a rectangle, a square and a triangle.Now that things are slowly settling down I am slowly being able to come up to speed by finishing up this blog with the many ideas that have been floating around in my head, things I want to put into practice, things I am learning about myself and also recipes for the dishes I have cooked lately. Enjoy! Make the most of every day! We have even enjoyed a couple of early sunny days that let us see a glimmer of spring! On one such day Adam and I played out in the cul de sac and he had such fun drawing letters with his sidewalk chalk! I love memorable moments and days like these that can be captured in a photo. I love how proud Adam looks of the word that he wrote! What a wonderful day!
Adam wrote "Hi" on the pavement near our driveway! He loves to write and read small words!Ideas and Things to Accomplish:
The other day as I was chatting with my friend Carol I mentioned how I realized how much I needed to get on a different schedule or go back to the daily routines and schedule I once had. There are so many times that we say "I don't have time" however it may only be that we have not planned our day well enough to fit in things that nourish ourselves.
I was feeling tired and out of sorts after being so busy with so many events and I decided I wanted to carve out some "me time" every day and make myself more of a priority. It is so easy to get caught up in all that we need to accomplish that we tend to lose ourselves and our time in the process.
The past few days I have made an effort to get up a little earlier, get on the elliptical machine, get some exercise and do some reading. Getting exercise and reading a bit were things that I was really missing in my daily routine. I found that I can read magazines and I can read my e-mail digests on the i Pad while exercising! What a winning combination! I love to read "The Daily Love" and "Flylady" digests every morning. They are very inspirational and have some great ideas in them. I make sure that I get a minimum of 10 minutes of exercise and reading time at least 4-5 times a week. This has done wonders for me and makes me more ready to start my day! I am so happy that I changed my schedule and made a bit more time for myself every day that I can. It makes such a huge difference to me!
I now want to make sure to carve out at least 2 hours a week to work on this blog and work on my business plans. I think this is very important because about 2 months ago I was able to make time to make my "life plan" for my business but I have not progressed beyond that. I know that if I make a bit more time available to myself to do that project it will progress much quicker. I can do it! I think that all there is to reaching your dreams is to set out and do it every day and think and know that you can! Hooray for that!
Going out on Feb. 4th for dinner
Since we are very busy parents we rarely go out, but when we do it is a very treasured and special affair! This year we celebrated both Valentine's Day and our 8th anniversary with a lovely dinner at Jake's Grill in downtown Portland. It was so much fun and a well deserved night out for the both of us!
Me with Paul celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary with a special dinner out at Jake's Grill.
A lovely trio of desserts- A Pot de Creme, Creme Brulee and a Berry Cobbler! Yum! Adam’s Art:
I am so amazed at the art that Adam does at his preschool- Creative Children's Center in Beaverton, Oregon. I love how they always have all kinds of materials available to the children and they create some amazing pieces like the heart painting that Adam did for Valentine's Day. He loved this project so much that he ended up painting about 4-5 hearts. He painted these by finger painting on a light table and then pressing the paper heart on top of the paint. Later on I had them laminated so that they would be preserved and we could use them as table decorations. This is a piece of art by Adam that I am always going to treasure!
An amazing heart painting that Adam did at his preschool. Here are the recipes for the dishes that I have prepared in the last month and a half (practically)! Oh how time flies! Enjoy them all!
This is a Cook's Illustrated Recipe that is spectacular. I also made it with croissants and it was so amazing! Our friends served this same French toast using Challah bread and it was also so yummy!
A large plate full of delicious custard-like French toast.
Ingredients:
8 large slices hearty white sandwich bread or good quality challah (or you can use croissants cut in half)
1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed to about 80 degrees in a small saucepan or the microwave
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup
1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300F. Place bread on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking . Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200 degrees. ( I actually didn't have the wire rack on top of the baking sheet, I just used the baking sheet and it worked well)
2. Whisk milk yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
3. Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using a firm slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off, repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter.
4. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. Or, you can use a non-stick electric skillet or griddle on about 300 degrees. When foaming from the butter subsides, use the slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices (or 4-5 slices depending on the size of your electric skillet or griddle and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. If the toast is cooking too quickly, reduce the temperature a bit. Transfer cooked French toast to a baking sheet in the oven. Repeat the process until all of the toast is cooked. Make sure to put more butter in the skillet or griddle each time you cook a piece of toast.
Enjoy!
Chicken Tortilla Soup:
This is a recipe I found online. I made it into more of a main dish soup by adding chunks of chicken. It is fantastic!
Ingredients:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons corn oil plus oil necessary for frying chiles and tortillas
½ onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 ¼ cups tomato puree, fresh or canned
1 quart chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig each thyme and marjoram
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
2 ancho chiles, seeded and cut into short strips and lightly fried in corn oil
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried until crispy in corn oil
6 ounces queso fresco or farmer cheese, cut into strips
chopped fresh epazote (optional)
1 pint Mexican crema or crème fraiche
In a large saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons oil, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the tomato puree and cook until it is bubbling.
Add the broth, herbs and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Place ¼ cup of the fried chile strips and ¾ cup of the fried tortilla strips in a blender with 1 cup of the broth, liquefy and add to the pot. Cook another 5 minutes.
Ladle broth into individual soup bowls, and distribute the remaining chile and tortilla strips and the cheese evenly into the bowls. Sprinkle some chopped epazote onto each serving and accompany with crema, to be added to taste.
Bagels:
I tried an amazing bagel recipe from The Bread Bible. I really enjoyed how chewy these bagels were. I learned that it is difficult to make sweet bagels using a recipe that uses such a high oven temperature (500F). So, next time if I use this recipe again I will try more savory varieties like the sesame bagel below.
One of the sesame bagels I made.
As I experiment more with this bagel recipe I will post it. It is a very long recipe, however if you would like it, please comment on the blog and I will be happy to send it to you.
Roquefort Noodles:
This is a recipe from Southern Living. It can make a lovely main dish along with a salad or a hot vegetable dish. I love how creamy and filling the noodles are!
A plate full of creamy, saucy noodles!
Ingredients:
1 12 ounce package wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon jarred chicken soup base
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup butter
6-8 green onions, sliced
1-6 ounces Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled
1 8 ounce container sour cream
1. Prepare noodles according to package directions, adding chicken soup base and oil to water.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in Roquefort cheese until blended and smooth.
3. Toss together cheese sauce and hot cooked egg noodles. Add seasoned pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Pad Thai Noodles with Shrimp:
This is a recipe I found online and it is my dream- a Pad Thai covered in a rich, creamy peanut sauce! Heaven!
This Pad Thai had everything I was looking for in the sauce and the toppings!
Ingredients:
PEANUT SAUCE
2/3 cup (5 fl. oz. can) Evaporated Milk
1/3 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
PAD THAI
8 ozs. dried, thin rice noodles *
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 fresh lime, cut into wedges, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ozs. small shrimp, peeled, deveined or 1 boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups (about 4 oz.) fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch green onions, sliced (about 3/4 cup), divided
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
Directions:
PLACE evaporated milk, peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger in blender; cover. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Set aside. Makes 1 cup.
SOAK rice noodles for 30 minutes in hot tap water; drain. Noodles will be flexible but not soft.
COMBINE water, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, juice of 1 lime wedge (1 teaspoon) and cayenne pepper in small bowl.
HEAT oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Stir in noodles, stirring quickly to keep from sticking. Pour ketchup mixture over noodles; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce is absorbed, stirring constantly.
PUSH noodles to side of skillet. Add egg to skillet, stirring until cooked. Stir in bean sprouts, 1/2 cup green onions and 1/4 cup peanuts until mixed. Mound mixture on large serving plate. Pour 1/2 cup peanut sauce down center of noodles and sprinkle with remaining green onions and peanuts. Squeeze 2 lime wedges over noodles and garnish with additional wedges. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve Peanut Sauce with grilled chicken satays or chicken fingers.
* NOTE: If rice noodles are not available, 8 ounces dried linguine, prepared according to package directions can be substituted.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
This is another winner of a recipe from Southern Living. I loved the barbecue flavor of this easy to make chicken dish!
A lovely dish that seems like it was barbecued outside!
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 3-3 1/2 pound cut- up whole chicken
1/2 cup cola soft drink
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 lemon, sliced
Directions:
1. Stir together the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken pieces. Place chicken in a single layer in a lightly greased 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Whisk together cola soft drink and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly pour mixture between chicken pieces (to avoid removing spice mix from chicken). Place lemon slices in a single layer on top of chicken.
3. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours (or on low for 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours) or until done.
4. Transfer chicken pieces to a serving platter; discard lemon slices. Skim fat from pan juices in slow cooker. Pour pan juices over chicken and serve.
This is a dish from a cookbook called "The Complete Asian Cookbook" that I got as a gift from my sister in law Kim. I love how I can taste the ginger and coconut milk in this dish. The sauce served alongside is so delicious!
I loved the flavor of this spiced chicken dish.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, chopped
2 red chilies (or a small amount of chili powder)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
** If you are going to thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers soak them first in water 1-2 hours**
1. Cut chicken into small squares.
2. In the container of a blender put seeded and roughly chopped chilies (or 1-2 teaspoons or so chili powder), onions, ginger, lemon juice, salt and soy sauce. Blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and stir in oil and sugar. Save 1 cup or so of this sauce to serve alongside the chicken after it is cooked.
3.Add the chicken to the rest of the marinade and stir until each piece is well coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate for 1 hour. Chicken can be marinated overnight in the refrigerator.
4. You may either thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers or put the chicken pieces onto a lightly oiled broiler pan and broil them over high heat in the oven for a few minutes or until done. You may also grill the skewers outdoors on the barbecue. Brush the skewers or chicken pieces with marinade halfway through the cooking time.
5. Pour remaining marinade (the cup or so that you reserved) into a small saucepan, add the thick coconut milk and simmer slowly over low heat until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Pour into small bowl and serve with the satay. I served the chicken over brown rice.
Enjoy!
-Pepper/Sausage Sandwiches
This is a Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It is very simple but quite tasty and makes a lovely quick meal!
These sandwiches make a quick meal and are so flavorful!
4 uncooked sweet (mild) Italian sausage links (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup green sweet pepper strips (1 medium)
1 cup red sweet pepper strips (1 medium)
1 large onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
4 French style rolls or hoagie buns, split
Mozarella cheese slices (optional)
1. In a large skillet cook sausage links over medium heat, about 5 minutes or until brown, turning frequently. Carefully add water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook sausages, turning frequently until liquid evaporates and sausages are cooked through (160F). Watch carefully so that sausages do not burn. Drain sausages on paper towels.
2. In the same skillet add the oil, green and red sweet peppers (or I used red and yellow ones) and onion. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Return sausage links to the skillet. Combine the salad dressing and mustard. Stir into mixture in skillet. Heat through.
3. To serve, hollow out the bottoms of the rolls or buns. Place sausages on roll bottoms and place sweet pepper mixture on top. If desired you may top each sausage roll with mozzarella cheese and broil the sandwiches in the oven for 1-2 minutes on high.
Enjoy!
Bridal Shower:
The three tiered stand with mini pies I made for my cousin Rachel's bridal shower.
Mom wrapping a wedding present from Aunt Echo.
Snowcaps:
We served these cookies at my cousin Rachel's bridal shower. Kim made them. They are a cookie that we served at our Farmer's Tea booth a while back.
Kim measuring out the snowcap cookies.
Ingredients:
Makes 12 large cookies or 24 + small cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 ounces ricotta (scant 1 cup)
-Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
-Freshly grated nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well-blended. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
3. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together and add half to the butter mixture; blend well. Add ricotta cheese to the butter mixture, and then stir in the remaining flour mixture.
4. Using an ice cream scoop (or a slightly rounded 1/4 cup measure) portion mixture into 2 1/2 to 3 ounce balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are just golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Frost and grate fresh nutmeg on top.
Cream Cheese Icing:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated.
Shortbread Cut Out Cookies- Dipped in Chocolate:
These are cookies that I made for favors at the bridal shower.
A chocolate dipped shortbread cookie with cake sparkles.
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer cream the butter (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 300F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick. (I usually let the dough warm up just a bit or knead it a slight bit so it is easier to roll). Cut into shapes using lightly floured cookie cutters.
5. Place the cookie shapes on the cookie sheets and place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. They will hold their shape better that way. After they have chilled bake them for 20 minutes or until the cookies are dry and not brown. Cool them on a rack. I like to dip part of the cookie in chocolate and then in some sugar or cake sparkle sprinkles as shown in the photo above. These work great for party favors because they last a long time and still taste great!
Enjoy!
Stuffed Mushrooms
This is a recipe that my sister in law Kim found online. She made them using the sun dried tomatoes that came from my mom's garden. They were so delicious!
Ingredients:
1/2 ounce dried tomatoes (about 5, not packed in oil)
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 white mushrooms, stems pulled out and chopped fine and caps reserved
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, washed well, spun dry, and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl soak tomatoes in hot water to cover 5 minutes. Reserving 1 tablespoon soaking liquid, drain tomatoes well and chop fine.*
Lay mushroom caps, stems removed, face down on baking sheet either lightly sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper. Bake them approximately 10 minutes, or until their liquid puddles underneath. Remove from the oven. Carefully pour off liquid that has gathered in the bottom of the pan, and then again, carefully, turn mushroom caps over so they are ready to be filled.
In a small skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook chopped mushrooms stems, shallots and garlic, stirring until shallots are softened. In a bowl stir together mushrooms mixture, bread crumbs, tomatoes, reserved soaking liquid, yolk, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mound stuffing in reserved mushroom caps and arrange caps in a lightly greased shallow baking dish, or the same parchment-lined pan you’ve roasted your mushrooms in. Sprinkle mushrooms with Parmesan and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.
Makes 18 hors d’oeuvres.
Spinach Cheese Tarts:
This is a recipe that I found in one of my afternoon tea books. It is so delicious and easy to make! My mom used the recipe to make them for the bridal shower.
A delicious spinach and cheese tart- perfect for a bridal shower or tea party!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 1/2 c cottage cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
110-ounce pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 c Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp salt
prepared and pre-baked tart shells from pate brisee pie dough
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl,beat eggs. Add the cottage cheese, onion, and garlic and mix well.
2. Press water out of spinach, using a sieve. Add spinach, cheeses, and salt to egg mixture and stir in thoroughly.
3. Fill each baked tart shell with about 2 tablespoons filling.
4. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden on top. Serve hot.
Mac N Cheese:
This is a Southern Living recipe. It is a very cheesy, over the top dish but so great in winter! This is the type of dish that we would only make every once in a while but it is spectacular!
An amazing Mac N Cheese that is like nacho cheese sauce!
1/2 (16 ounce package)cellatini (or other large corksrew pasta)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (8 ounce) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and saute 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles and prepared cheese product; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, and hot cooked pasta until blended.
3. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 10 inch cast iron skillet or a 11x7 inch baking dish; sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Lemon Bundt Cake:
This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe that we made as mini bundt cakes with lemon curd in the middle when we had our Farmer's Tea booth at the farmer's market. It was a huge hit! I love how moist and flavorful this cake is without being too sweet! It is great served with lemon curd.
This is one of my favorite cakes. I love the lemon flavor and how moist it is!
Adam was a great helper making this cake.He loved to use the citrus juicer!
Depending on the size of your bundt pan this can make 1 very large cake or 2 regular size cakes. If you have batter left over, bake it in another pan.
Ingredients:
Cake:
Sift Together:
6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
Combine in a bowl:
Grated zest plus 6 tablespoons juice from 6 lemons- Mince into a fine paste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Whisk together in a small bowl:
6 large eggs plus 2 large yolks, at room temperature
Cream together:
4 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
4 cups sugar
Glaze:
6-7 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons buttermilk
4 cups powdered sugar
-Lemon curd for serving with the cake
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; heat oven to 350F. Brush bundt pans with a mixture of 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mince lemon zest into a fine paste. Combine zest and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside to soften for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Combine lemon juice mixture, vanilla and buttermilk in a medium bowl.
4. In a small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolks to combine.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce to medium speed and add half of eggs, mixing until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs; scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add about one third flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture; mix at medium low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.
6. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Scrape into prepared pan or pans.
7. Bake until the top/s are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with no crumbs attached, 30-45 minutes. It might take slightly longer for a larger bundt cake to bake.
8. FOR THE GLAZE: While cake is baking, whisk lemon juice, buttermilk and powdered sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable (mixture should leave a faint trail across the bottom of a mixing bowl when drizzled from a whisk). Cool cake/s in pan/s on a wire rack set over a baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cakes directly onto the rack. Pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over the top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Pour lemon curd into the center of the cake or serve the lemon curd with the cake.
Enjoy!
Cocoa and Coffee Whole Wheat Bread
This is a recipe that I got a while ago from my friend Sarah. I decided to make it a few days ago because I love the cocoa/coffee flavor. It makes great toast and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Yum!
This is a great bread recipe I got from my friend Sarah.
-Makes 1 small 8x4 loaf
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons or 1 packet yeast
1/4 cup honey or molasses
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup white unbleached bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. If you are using a stand mixer to mix the ingredients you may use a dough hook after you mix in the last of the flour. If you are mixing the dough by hand after you have combined the ingredients together turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for 5-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
3. Let the dough rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Roll it up into a loaf shape and place it in a buttered 8x4 pan. Let the dough rise in the pan for about an hour or until the dough rises above the edges of the pan.
5. Bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes.
Orange Strawberry Ricotta Blintzes
This is a recipe I found online by Chef Tyler Florence. They make a very special weekend breakfast and would be perfect for a brunch party.
These blintzes are a big breakfast treat!
Ingredients:
Crepes:
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more to cook crepes
Cheese Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 orange, zest finely grated
Strawberry Sauce:
- 1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 orange, zest finely grated
- Unsalted butter, melted for sauteing blintzes
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Make the batter: Combine the milk, water, eggs, flour, sugar, and salt in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 15 seconds, until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the blender and pour in the melted butter. Blend it again for a few seconds just to incorporate the butter. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour to let it rest.
Make the filling: In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, egg, confectioners' sugar, and zest and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
Make the sauce: Combine the strawberries, sugar, water, cornstarch, and zest in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir gently until the berries release their natural juices. The consistency should remain a bit chunky, it will thicken up when it cools down.
Make the crepes: Put an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with a little melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom evenly; pour back any excess. Cook until the crepe batter sets and the bottom is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to loosen the crepe and flip it. Cook it on the other side for about 1 minute. Slide them onto a plate and continue making the crepes until all the batter is used. Cover the stack with a towel to keep them from drying out. Makes about 10 crepes.
Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese filling along the lower third of the crepe. Fold the bottom edge away from you to just cover the filling; then fold the 2 sides in to the center. Roll the crepe away from you a couple of times ending with the seam side down. Put an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Pan-fry the blintzes top side down until crisp and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them over, transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for 10 minutes so the cheese mixture sets. Using a spatula, transfer the blintzes to serving plates. Spoon the strawberry sauce on top, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.
Storm Watching Beach Trip:
In the middle of February we took a three day weekend trip to the coast with some friends. It is our annual "storm watching trip" that we take with the same friends every year. It is fun to see how the kids grow up and play together more and more each year. What fun!
Paul and Adam near Pacific City on the Oregon Coast.
Adam playing in the sand on our beach trip.
Adam and Alex sharing a chair to watch "Curious George."
Our friend's daughter Tori playing in the sofa cushions.
A Walk in the Woods:
I love the big ferns near the trail in the woods. 
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