tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84275367640801213102024-02-02T01:22:52.156-08:00First Time HomemakersFirst Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-53055907351274061532011-08-12T14:10:00.000-07:002011-08-12T14:10:00.418-07:00Book Review: Voltaire's CandideI picked this up from one of our bookshelves, it's been sitting around the house for a while and Boy said he liked it. It was also short which is certainly a point in it's favor. I found it surprisingly entertaining. I was also surprised to have one of my coworkers claim it to be their favorite book when he spotted me reading it. While I wouldn't claim it to be a favorite, it is a good book and brings up a lot of things to think about. I found myself fortunate to have copy with explanatory notes as many of the references are few centuries out of date. <br />
<a name='more'></a>My copy also came with discussion questions in the back. I have selected a few that interested me.<br />
1. How, exactly, does Voltaire make this list of horrors add up to comedy? What kind of laughter does this comedy produce? What are the good or bad things about being able to laugh at horror?<br />
- I think that the source of the comedy is the manner in which the characters present their tragedies, over and over again, the characters challenge each other to either come up with a more tragic story to to determine which among them has the most tragic story, almost like they are proud or pleased with the excess of the tragedy for in this tale it gives them a kind of bragging rights. This produces an odd effect after one list of tragic events another character will state something to the effect "that is not so bad listen to this it is worse" which lessens the tragic elements of the story to mere contest and makes them humorous. Another element of the writing that causes the humor is that Voltaire does not make any of the characters very sympathetic, they are not fully developed, and they ar<span style="background-color: white;">e so satirical t</span>hat we cannot relate to them and empathize with them effectively and so the horrors seem to be less for we are not attached to the characters the events are happening to. The laughter is not quite cathartic, but it is ironic almost slapstick humor and one thing after another befalls Candide and his company. Being able to laugh at horror is at once both bad and good because it desensitizes us to it. This makes us better able to cope with it and recover from it but it may also make us less empathetic towards those dealing with their own horrors. But it is also simply a part of growing up. Anyone who has dealt with toddler knows that what constitutes horror for that age group is amazing minor, anything from vegetables to falling down could be considered a great tragedy, but as we grow up we have to deal with greater and greater tragedies and we show our strength when we can recover from them and learn from them without falling into despair. As grownups we have bigger problems to deal with, death, poverty, hunger, unemployment, car accidents, late fees, bad grades. Learning to laugh at past and even current tragedies helps us to see them for what they really are: events that in the moment may seem insurmountable but that we will overcome and later find still greater tragedies that are still insignificant in the big picture of our lives, of world events, etc. Few of our tragedies truly turn out to shape our lives or the world around us in the long run and laughter helps us move towards that long run.<br />
<br />
2. In response to his experiences, Candide recommends that we "tend our gardens." What do you think he means by this? Is it a metaphor or a literal recommendation? Is it a road to happiness, or something else? What is your version of "tending your garden"?<br />
<br />
- I think this instruction is literal, "go back to work" in all of Candide's philosophical rambling, none of it seems to have brought him any happiness, except simply the process of debating among friends. I think Voltaire is telling the reader to not put such blind faith in any particular philosophy. Instead, he urges us to do something productive and that productivity will make us happy. Literally gardening has been shown to be good for you both mentally and physically and it would be a productivity to throw yourself into. It would also keep you at home out of all the trouble Candide got himself into with traveling. But really, I think this ending was meant to mean something different to each reader, everyone will discover for themselves what the advice is and it will work for them because it will be adapted slightly to be a combination of what they got from the story and what would make them happy. My version of "tending your garden" is definitely taking care of my family and home and I believe over time this will yield rich rewards in happiness and personal relationships.First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-82388462357076187092011-08-07T13:57:00.000-07:002011-08-07T13:57:00.900-07:00Book Review: Jean M. Auel's The Land of Painted CavesI was so thrilled so see this book coming out this year and was eager to read it. Although it is quite lengthy it is a fairly quick read due to a fast pace and easily understandable sentence structure. The last in the series, I was a bit disappointed it seemed as though that author sort of ran out of steam. Much of the first part of the book I found difficult to plod through as the exploration and description of cave after cave I found not exciting enough to maintain my attention. After the first part the book is significantly more interesting. Unfortunately the author continued to focus heavily on her main character and many of the other characters that seemed interesting suffered from lack of character development. I would loved to see the main character's daughter come into her own as a character and source of plot development, but the daughter often seemed to be an after thought. The main character's impressive list of accomplishments became increasingly difficult to believe. I think it would have been sufficient for the character to be present for many of these historical events as an observer rather than an active and often key participant. This final book was not quite as good as the first few in this series but that may be in part now that I am old enough to notice the repetitive plot elements and be bored by them.First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-1943195786237125402011-08-02T13:57:00.000-07:002011-08-02T13:57:18.164-07:00Book Review: Thomas Steinbeck's In the Shadow of the CypressAs part of not having to go to school this summer I chose to indulge myself in reading for pleasure. Ah, books I have missed you! This one was recommended to me by my grandmother. It was very engaging and enjoyable. At less than 250 pages I thought it would be a quick read, but this is a bit more than fluff! The plot is complex and the author enjoys showing off an impressive vocabulary. I had to look up a lot of words from this book and there were a few that even dictionary.com couldn't explain to me. The story focuses in on one generation then skips a generation before surrendering the answers to questions the plot's twists and turns poise. Overall I found this to be an above average historical novel that was enjoyable and stimulating given the high reading level.First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-14648689431399374862011-06-01T15:47:00.000-07:002011-06-01T15:47:00.154-07:00Lemon Poppyseed Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzGc-v4mz3LjzltMGD1etezZa6QIqmzC_6kpraEIjQKYsNQuFdtGefFAlXZ_sku6RqEZF47W1nBMyHMvtHiU_9Nm-uswiP0FybESeg7smm7fcuGtPPEmXPnBUOa3xR0T97POH67zXjgE/s1600/DSCF1892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzGc-v4mz3LjzltMGD1etezZa6QIqmzC_6kpraEIjQKYsNQuFdtGefFAlXZ_sku6RqEZF47W1nBMyHMvtHiU_9Nm-uswiP0FybESeg7smm7fcuGtPPEmXPnBUOa3xR0T97POH67zXjgE/s400/DSCF1892.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In trying to be healthier I've been playing around with whole wheat flour, so far it's going pretty well and these scones were scrumptious and according the online calorie counter I used only 310 calories a piece. They made great breakfasts with tea or coffee while they lasted. <br />
<a name='more'></a>I followed the basic proportions of simply recipes' ginger scones just changing the flavors. I also made these scones slightly larger her recipe makes 12 I only made eight and they barely fit on my baking sheet!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/ginger_scones/">http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/ginger_scones/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYI-yzR-ywLHBnVZYzOz62_Fl1aOOOvinGTh_9yZgob-5WdcnsXTqxRPfwA_q7sQAVrjrxPiZVhu7ReRMTm6i4M_3dmdQeZ7RWRj_x9HDulPSvMwbPwGgkXURjblUkC66U6vvHGsuUCM/s1600/DSCF1887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYI-yzR-ywLHBnVZYzOz62_Fl1aOOOvinGTh_9yZgob-5WdcnsXTqxRPfwA_q7sQAVrjrxPiZVhu7ReRMTm6i4M_3dmdQeZ7RWRj_x9HDulPSvMwbPwGgkXURjblUkC66U6vvHGsuUCM/s400/DSCF1887.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li> 1 ½ cups all purpose flour </li>
<li> <div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ½ cups whole wheat flour </div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tsp baking soda</div><div class="MsoNormal">¾ cup sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ tsp baking powder</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ tsp salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ½ Tbsp poppy seeds</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 Tbsp or roughly the zest of one lemon</div><div class="MsoNormal">¾ cup butter milk (I used all the juice of one Meyer lemon added to just shy of this amount of 2% milk) about 2 Tbsp</div><div class="MsoNormal">10 Tbsp unsalted butter melted</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 Tbsp coarse sugar (like Sugar in the Raw) for sprinkling on top if desired</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Instructions:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><ol><li>Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Include your poppy seeds and lemon zest to the flavors are well distrubuted in the final dough.</li>
<li>Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add butter and buttermilk. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. </li>
<li>Turn out on a well floured surface and pat into a round, slice into even portions to make lovely triangular scones. Transfer scones to the baking sheet trying to give them some room about an inch should be fine. Sprinkle on the coarse sugar if you would like. </li>
<li>Bake at 400F for 18 to 20 minutes. Your house will smell amazing! Elise from Simply Recipes suggests waiting five minutes for them to cool before eating but they are pretty amazing no matter how long you wait! they keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge but they are best the first day!</li>
</ol></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div></li>
</ul>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-18508260369989339142011-05-29T15:36:00.000-07:002011-05-29T15:36:00.702-07:00Stray CatsSo around the time I left off posting this winter, one my neighbors was forced to move and asked me to find homes for her three outdoor cats, after several months in my yard I am pleased to tell you I finally found a no-kill shelter that could take them and these sweeties have all been adopted out! Just sharing their pics with you now though really I should have posted earlier to see if they could find a home that way!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhecxKQhZ8TYfOv7N4SFII_5ZBQ2wpP8JluSOkrxBj1HVewqMSqwNP1DCCyVljyukbWO8J8_VDUdn4UCsuXxECbKIdMRtDMqrM4HXGhKnww8xjxOrsWLRL_83gIyaEjZyr0LsLdSkZQMg/s1600/DSCF1883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhecxKQhZ8TYfOv7N4SFII_5ZBQ2wpP8JluSOkrxBj1HVewqMSqwNP1DCCyVljyukbWO8J8_VDUdn4UCsuXxECbKIdMRtDMqrM4HXGhKnww8xjxOrsWLRL_83gIyaEjZyr0LsLdSkZQMg/s400/DSCF1883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is Tommy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc2rE-W2s4c7_4z89MtedSLwJsZMCfcJdfC_objjyu13t_EG2gn2sgwdjYJEami8Kc3xccreZAmZvKHIPmueYG9Hjx-96RjQ583gIOIkyFre-aZe9b3sbZW4CcCz0aMUzClqMhigg3Lo/s1600/DSCF1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuc2rE-W2s4c7_4z89MtedSLwJsZMCfcJdfC_objjyu13t_EG2gn2sgwdjYJEami8Kc3xccreZAmZvKHIPmueYG9Hjx-96RjQ583gIOIkyFre-aZe9b3sbZW4CcCz0aMUzClqMhigg3Lo/s400/DSCF1886.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> This black and white one is Baby, she is really hard to get a picture of because she wants to be held!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNoKzRiglI8ol8oAua7pPs_ATGM5mp2dl3wz40oF1y_Ru6qx42QH7p9jiADdSACoy4DuxkCCCP12blcbVprkunufmfyhVKZjrHubKcjH0tfYuSr9A2CWpkABAYsBmGMQbKML-EVks-eg/s1600/DSCF1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNoKzRiglI8ol8oAua7pPs_ATGM5mp2dl3wz40oF1y_Ru6qx42QH7p9jiADdSACoy4DuxkCCCP12blcbVprkunufmfyhVKZjrHubKcjH0tfYuSr9A2CWpkABAYsBmGMQbKML-EVks-eg/s400/DSCF1876.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-89132123612253758612011-05-27T15:36:00.000-07:002011-05-27T15:36:43.185-07:00Butternut Squash Bread PuddingWow! well it certainly has been a while! No excuse I suppose but we've been busy just trying to keep up with expenses like everyone else these days.<br />
This was a fun recipe I got to try while Boy was out of town so I only had to cook once for the week! And I got to use my pretty baking dishes! This recipe is from myrecipes.com http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-parmesan-bread-pudding-10000000701119/ . I really enjoyed adding a little fresh sage from the garden though I found processing the squash to be s little more time consuming than I expected.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMJsjVRgbeqAEvxZZEBvLm9d81pgvp2sOtH9M_CZwAfptRiJ8YECLSHTsjqYmT42z0sP6479iQ3pxBzb6i6-lUxgouVd5GweVjKOIo5Fbt6Whs4fUGFLCMF_U609R4XZVll-u9R1UcAg/s1600/DSCF1873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMJsjVRgbeqAEvxZZEBvLm9d81pgvp2sOtH9M_CZwAfptRiJ8YECLSHTsjqYmT42z0sP6479iQ3pxBzb6i6-lUxgouVd5GweVjKOIo5Fbt6Whs4fUGFLCMF_U609R4XZVll-u9R1UcAg/s400/DSCF1873.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><ul><li>3 cups cubed butternut squash</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt divided </li>
<li> cooking spray for the pan</li>
<li>1 tsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 cup chopped onion</li>
<li>1 garlic clove minced</li>
<li>2 cups 1% milk ( I used 2%)</li>
<li>1 cup fresh grated Parmesan ( I subbed the green can terrible I know but cheaper!)</li>
<li>1/4 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>1/8 tsp ground nutmeg</li>
<li>3 large eggs</li>
<li>2 egg whites</li>
<li>8oz cubed stale french bread or about 9 cups</li>
</ul>Directions:<br />
<ol><li> Arrange squash on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray sprinkle lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and roast at 400F for 12 minutes or until tender. When you take this out of the oven lower the oven temperature to 350F.</li>
<li>Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until it softens, add the garlic and saute for one more minute. Remove from heat. Allow to cool while you prep the next step.</li>
<li>Combine in a large bowl, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, milk 1/2 cup cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture. Add bread and stir lightly to combine. Let soak for 10 minutes, then place in a 2 quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. </li>
</ol>Notes: This was good but personally I love a little more intense of flavors so I think I would double or triple the garlic, pepper and nutmeg next time. I suggest this if you like intense flavors but then again, maybe I'm just weird! Enjoy! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-54410623654867978192011-01-11T20:34:00.000-08:002011-01-11T20:34:01.081-08:00Fried Breakfast Potatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvEjJwY0TwcJpuWCQpH5raB_04fF5GzcmI9UShk3uVibFK_LtNaQKO_BPpwxuz-drZ6JhyHtsohOGGvKi03g50EUjfF4OZMRSzNtiWYRlOo13j9cJ-_7uKRHvh3I4mAfj3ytSqcLPtqA/s1600/DSCF1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvEjJwY0TwcJpuWCQpH5raB_04fF5GzcmI9UShk3uVibFK_LtNaQKO_BPpwxuz-drZ6JhyHtsohOGGvKi03g50EUjfF4OZMRSzNtiWYRlOo13j9cJ-_7uKRHvh3I4mAfj3ytSqcLPtqA/s400/DSCF1824.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Happy quintuple 1! Just thought I'd point out today's date: 1/11/11, got to notice it now since it's gonna be a long while until 2/22/22!<br />
These are the fried potatoes that went with the frittata, pretty simple and easy, just a few steps, more time consuming than the frittata though so if want these with that you should start a bit earlier.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a> No recipe to reference this time, I sort of went with an idea of what I wanted and took it from there.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients: </u><br />
<ul><li>Russet potatoes about 2 lbs</li>
<li>1/8 cup olive oil</li>
<li>1 small onion, diced</li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste</li>
</ul><u>Instructions: </u><br />
<ol><li>Scrub the potatoes, then boil them whole in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes or until easily skewered with a toothpick or knife. Half these lengthwise. Then slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Careful these are still going to be really hot!</li>
<li>In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add diced onion, saute about 2-3 minutes, and the boiled and sliced potatoes and stir occasionally. Season as you like. Fry the potatoes until crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes, do not over stir or the potatoes will start to crumble.</li>
<li>Serve to hungry diners!</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOk760Q_-aXKrFpP_6zskgqynGL637oHOTPT7uqAfSSiT9wVWFU_IeV1jiHzYcRl_N065uAmCIwtvcFzasGF07RrR8bDFmQL7hjO8N6LRqv2SQrLqy9ObLai7Iih_skn56jb8NLAaHvY/s1600/DSCF1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOk760Q_-aXKrFpP_6zskgqynGL637oHOTPT7uqAfSSiT9wVWFU_IeV1jiHzYcRl_N065uAmCIwtvcFzasGF07RrR8bDFmQL7hjO8N6LRqv2SQrLqy9ObLai7Iih_skn56jb8NLAaHvY/s400/DSCF1826.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-6955431647645953802011-01-10T19:44:00.000-08:002011-01-10T19:44:00.288-08:00Mushroom and Spinach Frittata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZ27WR0BLUjytefdLEPg9LsEGeZ3aLkqKN62CP5dWEJVtZXnWL1Dg3LOz2YK2kAwywBcu_eW8oS8Y2tcaua_BFZgC4Ek-r0YEOxiICgQFSbDACSRy4OcIZMYCzsSYmZeqIg27-8Acq4E/s1600/DSCF1828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZ27WR0BLUjytefdLEPg9LsEGeZ3aLkqKN62CP5dWEJVtZXnWL1Dg3LOz2YK2kAwywBcu_eW8oS8Y2tcaua_BFZgC4Ek-r0YEOxiICgQFSbDACSRy4OcIZMYCzsSYmZeqIg27-8Acq4E/s400/DSCF1828.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This was part of my attempt to eat healthier, lots of veggies and not too high on the calories.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I picked the recipe up from Cooking Light's website, and made a few changes. The original is <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001589358">here</a>. Unfortunately, this tasted a little too healthy for me, but with enough hot sauce it was filling. Made a good companion for my fried potatoes though. Next time I think I would add more eggs, I prefer more egg to veggie ratio in my frittata. <br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<ul><li> 2 teaspoons olive oil</li>
<li> 1/3 cup chopped Vidalia onion</li>
<li> 2 cups sliced mushrooms</li>
<li> 4 cups packed baby spinach leaves or torn Swiss chard (I used a package of frozen spinach)</li>
<li> 2 large eggs </li>
<li> 4 large egg whites (instead of separating eggs I used 4 whole eggs)</li>
<li> 1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided (I used Swiss since I had it on hand)</li>
<li> 1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li> 1/4 teaspoon pepper</li>
<li> Cooking spray</li>
</ul><u>Instructions: </u><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350F.</li>
<li>In the olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet, saute the onion on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms saute 4 more minutes or until tender. Add the spinach until it is wilted.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl combine eggs, egg whites, 1/4 of the cheese, salt and pepper. When well mixed add in the mushroom spinach mixture, pour into a greased 8 inch round pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until eggs are set.</li>
<li>Serves four. I recommend some hot sauce or salsa to go with it.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs600Jg52RIQ2optC8AT4thM2zgk-8moT_pq6i6B-iOLMCjNtNIUILXSHYeVEVtHLJbaxHCO0ObPT9dSzyp4yreHjPcKTCIWcKC43maiwO8gPO9_nD6ce2KCc7hAzctO-Y55k94CaZfwc/s1600/DSCF1830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs600Jg52RIQ2optC8AT4thM2zgk-8moT_pq6i6B-iOLMCjNtNIUILXSHYeVEVtHLJbaxHCO0ObPT9dSzyp4yreHjPcKTCIWcKC43maiwO8gPO9_nD6ce2KCc7hAzctO-Y55k94CaZfwc/s400/DSCF1830.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-50072563582766464862011-01-09T22:15:00.000-08:002011-01-09T22:15:00.421-08:00Silver and his Box<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9MIDKKCqJco4TaAeNl4BvL2ye6G2mhP-c7O9Mx0JYMYITRgykpJEpiyCac6KQ-TsJIxe9M54YwThJ0FZKgnHBPC5nDVlYb8TEy1jwR4RsGveCVuNwXWqI80Z1NddKhu_Neo_8d9PCZY/s1600/DSCF1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9MIDKKCqJco4TaAeNl4BvL2ye6G2mhP-c7O9Mx0JYMYITRgykpJEpiyCac6KQ-TsJIxe9M54YwThJ0FZKgnHBPC5nDVlYb8TEy1jwR4RsGveCVuNwXWqI80Z1NddKhu_Neo_8d9PCZY/s400/DSCF1847.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver in his box, intently staring at...well I don't really know, but clearly not the camera! <br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>You might not know this, but cats really like boxes. Well, at least mine do! So I thought I would share some fun photos of Silver enjoying the box to our new space heater.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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I took these over the course of about 5 minutes and yes I found him this way, these are the non blurry ones anyway, cats can be unpredictable moving targets! Lighting was also a challenge as he picked a spot away from lamps. Oddly enough he only plays with the ladybug toy while he is playing with this box.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNf4GHJ_1kyF35UBaTBFQGWV5Yf9pvxNE8J9ylwWu4OAXzKoBacE3ciGoUYH9_YfAbGtUiSA4YZf2suA8mac-BW8webQtTlFDvW64Ntpy2W7P9pY2w90gy8J6G6Kb8ya2leZmE46dRh0/s1600/DSCF1848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNf4GHJ_1kyF35UBaTBFQGWV5Yf9pvxNE8J9ylwWu4OAXzKoBacE3ciGoUYH9_YfAbGtUiSA4YZf2suA8mac-BW8webQtTlFDvW64Ntpy2W7P9pY2w90gy8J6G6Kb8ya2leZmE46dRh0/s400/DSCF1848.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudRhQPL67qJYq9cVRZvjIKvz_qpjO7FGuQFERRxagV_CYr9yJM-WW2eiyAlpt062dFRDxCUhXcod2Axm7BPODSZzwVfvjzlXVeW-1JvpRR1SKVKMoEuvHD88InRdHLEpewgvqJdzkSHk/s1600/DSCF1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudRhQPL67qJYq9cVRZvjIKvz_qpjO7FGuQFERRxagV_CYr9yJM-WW2eiyAlpt062dFRDxCUhXcod2Axm7BPODSZzwVfvjzlXVeW-1JvpRR1SKVKMoEuvHD88InRdHLEpewgvqJdzkSHk/s400/DSCF1849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So I'm in a box, cuddling with my ladybug toy, so what?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudRhQPL67qJYq9cVRZvjIKvz_qpjO7FGuQFERRxagV_CYr9yJM-WW2eiyAlpt062dFRDxCUhXcod2Axm7BPODSZzwVfvjzlXVeW-1JvpRR1SKVKMoEuvHD88InRdHLEpewgvqJdzkSHk/s1600/DSCF1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudRhQPL67qJYq9cVRZvjIKvz_qpjO7FGuQFERRxagV_CYr9yJM-WW2eiyAlpt062dFRDxCUhXcod2Axm7BPODSZzwVfvjzlXVeW-1JvpRR1SKVKMoEuvHD88InRdHLEpewgvqJdzkSHk/s400/DSCF1849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have to talk to you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKEMRQOD9no6Ku_o_A1ntAO8Bb-6NUD_R2d2FJ33a6BxIF7gIITxCGWn8wgIg2S0ELRunM8XqqPuhrY9CqhUlPO6TXRDcd_M69E9D7nebmTGtzejA8yA2mo1oOgP3yo-7GXD72n8VUfI/s1600/DSCF1851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKEMRQOD9no6Ku_o_A1ntAO8Bb-6NUD_R2d2FJ33a6BxIF7gIITxCGWn8wgIg2S0ELRunM8XqqPuhrY9CqhUlPO6TXRDcd_M69E9D7nebmTGtzejA8yA2mo1oOgP3yo-7GXD72n8VUfI/s400/DSCF1851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talk to the paw lady!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEbGx6OKfGhx8w2yYWIqnad9ZtXBq6M3bpJ67LJp-tf5-673r4mr1rKLa51_qp6d158sVvN0h-4kYSdLyd_Ur166TzEj9IWdS2_FmCqA7Jc6C427tLXx_6flok38brNayraC0R4YCAbs/s1600/DSCF1853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEbGx6OKfGhx8w2yYWIqnad9ZtXBq6M3bpJ67LJp-tf5-673r4mr1rKLa51_qp6d158sVvN0h-4kYSdLyd_Ur166TzEj9IWdS2_FmCqA7Jc6C427tLXx_6flok38brNayraC0R4YCAbs/s400/DSCF1853.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I eat all of that cardboard?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeMWoJoO2xevn5hiwffQAnZues2yjDhxl5RUJ9JcBa9s-fHQy51gI4kDeWhBGUX7zJZDzmJE5SWzBA1kI94559ARP9g1A10ZgJwTE9UO10P4Vjy2iYUe_F42w5wwz3txYOvHbTVQk1IY/s1600/DSCF1854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeMWoJoO2xevn5hiwffQAnZues2yjDhxl5RUJ9JcBa9s-fHQy51gI4kDeWhBGUX7zJZDzmJE5SWzBA1kI94559ARP9g1A10ZgJwTE9UO10P4Vjy2iYUe_F42w5wwz3txYOvHbTVQk1IY/s400/DSCF1854.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I just needed some extra fiber in my diet, doesn't everyone eat cardboard for breakfast?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZt7Kd3IHHD-8Ex6QYAVRkt5H6zJ54rxuWkaL6DUMyXnzncUCSk3wQabO0lOek9hKFKJdnTpCJJdK5XldwtS7uNTZ9GF3W3mm5-7FHrbG9_pKqf5DhBfPxsZE9Vkjf1DT9tOlnloeOxw/s1600/DSCF1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZt7Kd3IHHD-8Ex6QYAVRkt5H6zJ54rxuWkaL6DUMyXnzncUCSk3wQabO0lOek9hKFKJdnTpCJJdK5XldwtS7uNTZ9GF3W3mm5-7FHrbG9_pKqf5DhBfPxsZE9Vkjf1DT9tOlnloeOxw/s400/DSCF1855.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse me! I am going to pounce!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUZ3AxXlqM2ZF5xQk-_aD64imcr9e9ZWV9klKjWgerQcWciMbrEDUBUYDoGG_rYTH_p-PH6NZYuEFNWXIqA4viaFCd7Crqpq_O5CKiCEwLdaSrCs08YkIqnG5dAzRwpXo7xeCFWwUBhI/s1600/DSCF1857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUZ3AxXlqM2ZF5xQk-_aD64imcr9e9ZWV9klKjWgerQcWciMbrEDUBUYDoGG_rYTH_p-PH6NZYuEFNWXIqA4viaFCd7Crqpq_O5CKiCEwLdaSrCs08YkIqnG5dAzRwpXo7xeCFWwUBhI/s400/DSCF1857.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or not, you scared away the shadow I was gonna catch! You annoy me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxExUOl3SRFz-dry9FtCrPniwRWuKp_n023DxzDzF4DMWLyJzMPnYtl55lXXOv91xj0SdgYflewAU6EASv02tYez9FXNTpi53QxYIOPEOGzHxE-62Jw25D1_EkPQoQHpQGLBcezfqmJ0/s1600/DSCF1858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxExUOl3SRFz-dry9FtCrPniwRWuKp_n023DxzDzF4DMWLyJzMPnYtl55lXXOv91xj0SdgYflewAU6EASv02tYez9FXNTpi53QxYIOPEOGzHxE-62Jw25D1_EkPQoQHpQGLBcezfqmJ0/s400/DSCF1858.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Returning to base!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Yes, my cat does in fact appear to eat cardboard. Hopefully this isn't too bad for his health. Although I am not sure how much they actually eat versus the amount they shred and drag all over my carpet to force me to vacuum! And in case anyone was wondering, the space heater is lovely!First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-24283400374967635322011-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:002011-01-07T13:33:00.101-08:00Pioneer Woman's Nantucket Cranberry Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyUlwr315UYJaFTUwHOkn0wpg1XcdPJGeqRnqubCDe4NDPSZK-zkcQwPLxTVWnif9Z6cbxcI2Tk3wAQm53qJNLKbQ2pw0S8bhNYwVmwA1CwqlJzxdpPki5J4sb7HLCJC7KmmnXOigALU/s1600/DSCF1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyUlwr315UYJaFTUwHOkn0wpg1XcdPJGeqRnqubCDe4NDPSZK-zkcQwPLxTVWnif9Z6cbxcI2Tk3wAQm53qJNLKbQ2pw0S8bhNYwVmwA1CwqlJzxdpPki5J4sb7HLCJC7KmmnXOigALU/s400/DSCF1667.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>When I saw <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/nantucket-cranberry-pie/">this recipe</a> on Pioneer Woman's website I knew I had to make it, after all I had all the ingredients but cranberries and those are actually in season right now. So I of course darted off to the store to stock up on cranberries, the rest sit in my freezer awaiting my next urge to make a cranberry recipe. And I nearly forgot to take a picture for blogging so this is the only picture I have, of the last tasty piece. We had a birthday party to go to so I had an instant excuse to bake!<br />
<a name='more'></a>This cake, pie or cobbler, doesn't fit nicely into my normal categories for dessert, and so it might as well be called a pie. It was amazing so what does it matter what you call it? Easy to make, delicious and definitely fattening! But that's ok because we aren't going to eat it every day right? I did mess with this recipe just a little, I used the stevia equivalent for 1/3 of a cup of sugar to replace some of the sugar, because nearly two cups in one cake was a little too much for me. I think if you wanted you could probably substitute another sweetener for up to half of the sugar in this but that is of course up to your preferences.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Nantucket Cranberry Pie Recipe:</u><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li> Butter, For Greasing</li>
<li>2 cups (heaping) Cranberries</li>
<li>¾ cups Pecans, Chopped (measure, Then Chop)</li>
<li>⅔ cups Sugar</li>
<li>1 cup Flour</li>
<li>1 cup Sugar</li>
<li>1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted</li>
<li>2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten</li>
<li>1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract</li>
<li>¼ teaspoons Salt</li>
<li>1 Tablespoon Sugar For Sprinkling</li>
</ul>Instructions:<br />
<ol><li> Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a cake or pie pan, you don't want the sticky fruit and sugar stuck to the bottom of your pan!</li>
<li>Add the cranberries directly to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle on the chopped pecans and then the first 2/3 cup of sugar.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients from the flour through the salt. Stir these gently to combine.</li>
<li>Pour gently to evenly get the batter over the top of the fruit mixture, spread the batter if you have to but it works best if you don't have to spread too much.</li>
<li>Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Five minutes before taking it out of the oven sprinkle on the last tablespoon of sugar. Don't skip that tablespoon it makes it crunchy, sparkly and festive!</li>
<li>Serve with vanilla ice cream for oohs and aahs!</li>
</ol>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-44160600185088602052011-01-04T13:30:00.000-08:002011-01-04T13:30:04.872-08:00New Years Resolutions and Blueberry Molasses Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgQOV7eAHcJU1PhuOTbN9BeH7xRnOMksqmXwXstSBuUTHQSrbfzUagu3ms1lJzvB2yw337VXcpJM9NZmOTCDZbLx2gw6lxrB-5q0-2X0muCwPqSHlVwjtdeZZ0ky1sdgO4LHmk9PjjpY/s1600/DSCF1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgQOV7eAHcJU1PhuOTbN9BeH7xRnOMksqmXwXstSBuUTHQSrbfzUagu3ms1lJzvB2yw337VXcpJM9NZmOTCDZbLx2gw6lxrB-5q0-2X0muCwPqSHlVwjtdeZZ0ky1sdgO4LHmk9PjjpY/s400/DSCF1360.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>So wow! I haven't posted in forever! Sorry while I have been thinking about blogging I haven't been very good at sitting down and assembling the posts lately. So in 2011, which seems really strange to type still, one of my resolutions is to blog more consistently and to get off on the right foot here is a tasty cake! This was made from a recipe I found on 101 Cookbooks for <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/oldfashioned-blueberry-cake-recipe.html">Old Fashioned Blueberry Cake</a>, this wasn't the first time I had made the cake. I really enjoy having something sweet for breakfast and this is not too sweet and feels sort of healthy as a dessert, at least to me. <br />
<a name='more'></a>All of the rich dark color of this cake is from the molasses, and if you don't like the taste of molasses I should warn you that you probably will not like this cake. I pretty much left this recipe as is, just substituting about a quarter of the flour for whole wheat and since I was out of powdered sugar I used powdered stevia to garnish the top of this. This is delicious served with either powdered sugar or whipped cream on top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgVOS48Zm-EZdhs1VKFyDJl-4ovZFhrJrtuciTqEvmavViOxH6qiu-PPSh17qB3pP3NnaTTrKTLCpMTuY-m5VcS8smj32joCPg9xtwN_pfozXTgFbp_JvFk65hvBqBRi3ficjkLYYnZ0/s1600/DSCF1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgVOS48Zm-EZdhs1VKFyDJl-4ovZFhrJrtuciTqEvmavViOxH6qiu-PPSh17qB3pP3NnaTTrKTLCpMTuY-m5VcS8smj32joCPg9xtwN_pfozXTgFbp_JvFk65hvBqBRi3ficjkLYYnZ0/s400/DSCF1337.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh out of the oven!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And of course this little guy supervised the kitchen!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sFCBiwLEaL4BgL_OcwQlI4J7i8rqP2QJAak9yjC-MDDSrDB8K24QMKu4wVdw5YceqVp4XVtglutPOrT5kRS4LESBAYa6eIPmerIG4XnHESG_qtLlXFMfP4c_c6JiQd-Oq85ypZg_ySQ/s1600/DSCF1346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sFCBiwLEaL4BgL_OcwQlI4J7i8rqP2QJAak9yjC-MDDSrDB8K24QMKu4wVdw5YceqVp4XVtglutPOrT5kRS4LESBAYa6eIPmerIG4XnHESG_qtLlXFMfP4c_c6JiQd-Oq85ypZg_ySQ/s400/DSCF1346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver watches us cook</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u>Old Fashioned Blueberry Cake Recipe</u><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt (I used normal table salt because it's what I had)</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar</li>
<li>1/2 cup unsulphered molasses</li>
<li>2 large eggs, lightly beaten</li>
<li>5 tablespoons milk (divided)</li>
<li>3 tablespoons unsalted butter, barely melted</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups blueberries, frozen</li>
<li>1 teaspoon flour</li>
</ul>Instructions:<br />
<ol><li> Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan.</li>
<li>In a large bowl sift to combine the first four dry ingredients.</li>
<li>In a small bowl whisk together the cider vinegar and 3 Tbsp of milk, in another small bowl whisk molasses with 2 Tbsp milk, then combine these two mixtures. Whisk in the eggs.</li>
<li>Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stir briefly and gently to just barely combine. Stir in the butter. Toss the blueberries with 1 tsp of flour and stir into the batter.</li>
<li>Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. </li>
<li>Allow to cool a few minutes and serve!</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cFm3J1EczNfyjFlcKz-iQZOq-_JYNfNJfjsrgdiBizf4Q_a6b4rrsKDzpeN444zyZ5fZM9BFDiv30e0yoLP_Vv9rywprkCjikKjvMLrvWppgTPDWsqufDxP8YfD8vHtz1qX3_L1bN1U/s1600/DSCF1352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cFm3J1EczNfyjFlcKz-iQZOq-_JYNfNJfjsrgdiBizf4Q_a6b4rrsKDzpeN444zyZ5fZM9BFDiv30e0yoLP_Vv9rywprkCjikKjvMLrvWppgTPDWsqufDxP8YfD8vHtz1qX3_L1bN1U/s400/DSCF1352.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-4946193611635076932010-11-29T14:42:00.000-08:002010-11-29T14:42:17.205-08:00Four Cheese Ziti or Homemade Mac an' Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkr71q1cY9UK689-0fPKu2bqqEbpjI8FwuRP6TWSQASLFf18VYnWbiWH0MNCbWSzDSw61w0Oh6t8MnJ2Ra_2kSO49Q2koKpJmeWuuXIxD2OQ8a7Luoqkm4bV-hxku_XPbv4gc67C5yM6U/s1600/DSCF1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkr71q1cY9UK689-0fPKu2bqqEbpjI8FwuRP6TWSQASLFf18VYnWbiWH0MNCbWSzDSw61w0Oh6t8MnJ2Ra_2kSO49Q2koKpJmeWuuXIxD2OQ8a7Luoqkm4bV-hxku_XPbv4gc67C5yM6U/s400/DSCF1299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The official title for this recipe from Cuisine at Home was Ziti with Four Cheeses but it is so easy to make and that sounds much too fancy, to me it felt a lot like mac and cheese just with different cheeses. This dish is amazing, kind of like something you would expect to get at a restaurant, but easy to make on your on stove at home.<br />
<a name='more'></a> My weekend house-guests were quite impressed when I served this for lunch. It's not very photogenic so this is the only good picture I ended up with. The hardest part is getting all the cheese diced so this is definitely on our list of things to make again! According to both my experience with this recipe and the information included with this recipe this recipe takes only about 30 minutes to make. I found this to be no more time consuming than any other pasta dish I would usually make for a quick dinner. <br />
<br />
<br />
Recipe for Ziti with Four Cheeses from Cuisine at Home October issue 2006<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 Tbsp unsalted butter</li>
<li> 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs</li>
<li>1 lb dry ziti or other medium sized pasta</li>
<li>1/2 stick unsalted butter</li>
<li>1/2 cup fontina cheese, diced</li>
<li>1/2 cup Asiago cheese, diced</li>
<li>1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, diced</li>
<li>1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (or Kraft works fine too)</li>
<li>1/2 cup heavy cream </li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
</ul>Instructions:<br />
<ol><li>Toast the crumbs in the first tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat until golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.</li>
<li> Prepare ziti according to package directions; drain and return it to the pot. Stir in the remaining butter until the pasta is well coated.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the cheeses other than the Parmigiano onto the hot pasta. Cover and warm over low heat for 1-2 minutes, then stir vigorously to melt the cheeses.</li>
<li>Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream, nutmeg and salt.</li>
<li>Garnish each serving with the breadcrumbs.</li>
<li>Dig in!</li>
</ol>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-13266387131576062112010-10-30T10:39:00.000-07:002010-10-30T10:39:00.194-07:00Ricotta Cheesecake with Caramel Apple Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkILoWVHNe64ULWTQ-Mll53WtyPJ7ZDyKoAsGGBprf3CuHN8ARTY6JH-O4q_yKDn8qhpY7wP76zQqYcwMdNEgDznbKruBb7q0XiUZ8-rjRS4G9svmUrpoO_OQ_Q7crCM4pdQ2_yHqz2Cg/s1600/DSCF1315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkILoWVHNe64ULWTQ-Mll53WtyPJ7ZDyKoAsGGBprf3CuHN8ARTY6JH-O4q_yKDn8qhpY7wP76zQqYcwMdNEgDznbKruBb7q0XiUZ8-rjRS4G9svmUrpoO_OQ_Q7crCM4pdQ2_yHqz2Cg/s400/DSCF1315.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Boy has been asking me to learn to make cheesecake for a long time now; so when I spotted this recipe browsing through Cuisine at Home I knew it would end up on our table pretty quickly. This recipe is amazing, and even if you don't like cheesecake you must try this caramel sauce poured over something, it really is to die for! <br />
<a name='more'></a>One word of caution, the ricotta contributes to a slightly different texture than commercial cheescakes that usually are only made with cream cheese, it's lighter with a slightly grainy mouthfeel which might throw you off at first if you are not expecting it. Also it is difficult to avoid cracks in the surface as you can see below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayX-yMVHxIlp_xl2R5t4fHteFx7xgw-sbjF9LhTzvoHgM0A3x39jBZZhfeKudKH4-C3bFggeUocMpmfUzW5KiACr_v9HB74XPdC2rxqe0XbLXjtmrfDGd15VgwRXDfVxi-1SzLPsieBc/s1600/DSCF1308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayX-yMVHxIlp_xl2R5t4fHteFx7xgw-sbjF9LhTzvoHgM0A3x39jBZZhfeKudKH4-C3bFggeUocMpmfUzW5KiACr_v9HB74XPdC2rxqe0XbLXjtmrfDGd15VgwRXDfVxi-1SzLPsieBc/s400/DSCF1308.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Ricotta Cheesecake from 2005 Sep/Oct Cuisine at Home magazine</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">For the crust:</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup graham cracker crumbs</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup toasted, ground hazelnuts (I substituted almond meal)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup sugar</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">For the filling:</div><ul><li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 8 oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature (can substitute lowfat here if you want)</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2/3 cup sugar</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">15 oz. (1 package) whole milk ricotta</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">3 egg yolks</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 eggs</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup fresh lemon juice</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">3 tbsp all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tbsp lemon zest (We used the zest of one whole lemon)</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp kosher salt</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGDZH0U74S5aTNSMLel-7GlVLbNensYZq_llsd4yCqBIFZzgnkIVPAr8nus1NMqyLB9wd5wht6ypzyhdK20lI0juhyQoaJ3wUOMBl8xnmmNHllCytmuAR1oZ28qGw6QWisJzSZ-Keuh0/s1600/DSCF1313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGDZH0U74S5aTNSMLel-7GlVLbNensYZq_llsd4yCqBIFZzgnkIVPAr8nus1NMqyLB9wd5wht6ypzyhdK20lI0juhyQoaJ3wUOMBl8xnmmNHllCytmuAR1oZ28qGw6QWisJzSZ-Keuh0/s400/DSCF1313.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Instructions:</div><ol><li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray.</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Combine crust ingredients in a bowl until moist press into the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool completely while you make the filling. Reduce the oen temperature to 300F.</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Blend cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on low until fluffy, scrape down the bowl as necessary, mix in ricotta. Add yols and eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Add the rest of the ingredients and scrape down the bowl if necessary.</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Pour batter into the cooled crust and bake 1 hour, the center should still be jiggly at this point, turn the oven off and crack the oven open held with a wooden spoon in the door (plastic would melt). Leave the cake in the oven for another hour, then remove the cake to your counter and allow it to cool fully to rom temperature before moving it to the fridge to cool overnight. Keep it covered with a clean towel to absorb any condensation. </li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Remove the sides of the pan and slice into edges to serve. Serve with generous spoonfuls of the Caramel Apple Sauce over each slice.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChdaygAgIuwpIjfvefEZOwFpKNCiNqJ1tbpZli1lfAS6YykLAj7ru-QKYesafJx36R9tptOc3oglzj6092Z_kEV3aRjDPYYSuZtlD1xOL_4AnvlX5GwE417zAP2ZAc1jLd4ig99aeck4/s1600/DSCF1321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChdaygAgIuwpIjfvefEZOwFpKNCiNqJ1tbpZli1lfAS6YykLAj7ru-QKYesafJx36R9tptOc3oglzj6092Z_kEV3aRjDPYYSuZtlD1xOL_4AnvlX5GwE417zAP2ZAc1jLd4ig99aeck4/s400/DSCF1321.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">All right, now we are going to make this amazing caramel sauce!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup sugar</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup water</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">pinch of salt</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup heavy cream</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup brown sugar</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apple diced</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tsp vanilla extract</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> Instructions:</div><ol><li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Bring sugar, water, salt and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan, when bubble form cover and boil for 3 minutes. Then uncover and continue boiling until the mixture is about the color of iced tea, this should take 5-6 minutes.</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Whisk in the cream and brown sugar carefully it may spltter or steam. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.</li>
<li class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Stir in the apples and vanilla right before serving. Enjoy! Store any leftover sauce in the fridge.</li>
</ol>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-84886560675032625522010-10-29T10:29:00.000-07:002010-10-29T10:30:11.060-07:00Meatballs from Cuisine at Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdju80Y9IFWK26sSifgE1fxadTbVzRNStKUqkEaV5bF-VG73VQWBW4NSNV2v7Tp-xgGv_V-CBXUU7V4yI7KnLXCOXVTPjtFas-2n2e2dJcMokw7ejXonFzlrjamayaXRO5PxEY7dt4S3g/s1600/DSCF1275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdju80Y9IFWK26sSifgE1fxadTbVzRNStKUqkEaV5bF-VG73VQWBW4NSNV2v7Tp-xgGv_V-CBXUU7V4yI7KnLXCOXVTPjtFas-2n2e2dJcMokw7ejXonFzlrjamayaXRO5PxEY7dt4S3g/s400/DSCF1275.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These are a family favorite, and the good news is they are not challenging to make, it's a lot like making cookies! This recipe can be easily scaled up to fit your crowd, or your freezer, because they freeze quite nicely too! Nothing like homemade meatballs in your freezer ready to be pulled for any weeknight dinner! My experiment with this recipe was substituting wheat bran for 1/3 of the bread crumbs and nonfat milk rather than whole. Result: no impact on flavor, but I'm guessing there must be some improvement on the nutritional information. These are great with pasta, in submarine sandwiches and in soups!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Recipe for basic meatballs from the 2002 Sep/Oct issue of Cusine at Home <br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs</li>
<li>3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated</li>
<li>1/2 cup whole milk</li>
<li>1/2 cup low sodium beef broth</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley</li>
<li>3 eggs, beaten</li>
<li>2 tbsp dried oregano</li>
<li>1 tbsp garlic minced</li>
<li>1 tbsp kosher salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp ground black pepper</li>
<li>2 tsp dried basil</li>
<li>1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes</li>
<li>pinch nutmeg</li>
<li>2 lb. ground chuck</li>
<li>1 cup low sodium beef broth</li>
</ul>Instructions<br />
<ol><li>Stir together all ingredients through the nutmeg, in a big mixing bowl (really big if you double the recipe!)</li>
<li>Add in the ground chuck and mix gently but thoroughly. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray, shape meatballs either with your hands (a little water on your hands helps to keep the mixture from sticking to you) or two spoons, although you can make these any size you want try to make them uniform, the recipe recommends a 2 inch diameter. Don't crowd these on the tray.</li>
<li>Cover the bottom of the pan with some beef broth, if you have a large enough pan for the whole batch the 1 cup at the end is for this, I had three baking trays worth and just a little so it covers the bottom of the pan works as well.Bake for 25 minutes or until they are cooked through. </li>
<li>The juices leftover in the pan taste great in your spagetti sauce, and if you are interested in freezing the extras, allow thm to cool a few minutes then place the whole tray in your freezer for 10-15 minutes until they are firm and chilled before relocating them to containers or Ziplocs in the freezer!</li>
</ol>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-53984778827923358492010-10-27T17:06:00.000-07:002010-10-27T17:06:00.191-07:00Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Butter and Sausage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEC2Nz0BnouypIfNq0fr8mDVxMpjn7eGA3WfbrxtFhMHvzfMZfc-xeVpCGC2tBRfDjS4awtzpHpJuhn5yVedXlHh_QWR-NOR38aJBAMpoddRQyaV2w0gh_1oIpojrHp24kqzHEOXjMPw/s1600/DSCF1230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEC2Nz0BnouypIfNq0fr8mDVxMpjn7eGA3WfbrxtFhMHvzfMZfc-xeVpCGC2tBRfDjS4awtzpHpJuhn5yVedXlHh_QWR-NOR38aJBAMpoddRQyaV2w0gh_1oIpojrHp24kqzHEOXjMPw/s400/DSCF1230.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Yes this recipe is a spinoff off last time's recipe. Again this is adapted from the year 2000 Sep/Oct issue of Cuisine at Home magazine. While we were eating this the first time, with no sausage or modifcations, Boy expressed that while he was willing to eat the recipe again he wasn't excited about eating the recipe again. So of course I asked what he thought would have made it tastier, he responded that bacon or sausage would improve it. So I turned right around and added some sausage to it! The following recipe is what I came up with, I used a chicken apple chardonnay sausage from Trader Joe's but fell free to use any mild chicken sausage you like. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Unless you have a really big pan, you're going to need to use a pot to combine the ingredients. This makes a very hearty main dish and got a "very good" rating from Boy and would probably serve 4-6 adults depending on how hungry everyone is. <br />
<br />
Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Butter and Sausage<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>2 Tbsp. olive oil</li>
<li>1 large head of caulifower (3 lbs) trimmed into florets</li>
<li>1 lb red skinned potatoes halved and cut into bite size pieces</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>1 12oz. package chicken sausage sliced into bite-size pieces</li>
<li>8 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened</li>
<li>4 Tbsp. whole grain mustard</li>
<li>4 tsp prepared horseradish</li>
<li>2 tsp honey</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley</li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Instructions:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1. Preheat oven to 450F. Toss cauliflower florets and potatoes with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2. Place the vegetables in a single layer on two baking trays and roast one in the lower half of your oven, and one in the upper half, switching them after 10 minutes. Continue roasting for 10 more minutes, testing with a knife for doneness, if your vegetables can be easily pierced they are done.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. While you are patiently waiting for your vegetables to roast, saute the sausage slices in a pot in the butter, towards the end of the roasting time add all remaining ingredients except the parsley to your pot and stir to mix. When the vegetables are finished add them to this pot and toss to coat, add the parsley and toss again. Serve immediately.</div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-83085939203388761792010-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:002010-10-24T17:22:43.407-07:00Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUh3uNSHV9JPSMLyUgU_ub-BPm1PHnUEUZgmup3KbOaLRIGAFyl81g8UEFeEZupBZqyDDj9apKUVOOY2lqKtJiO8HVU_uOjcykmHtvJDeVgr6sJ8EEJGXLxcXuLgCuhkngz-mMGkfk3YM/s1600/DSCF1220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUh3uNSHV9JPSMLyUgU_ub-BPm1PHnUEUZgmup3KbOaLRIGAFyl81g8UEFeEZupBZqyDDj9apKUVOOY2lqKtJiO8HVU_uOjcykmHtvJDeVgr6sJ8EEJGXLxcXuLgCuhkngz-mMGkfk3YM/s400/DSCF1220.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Today I am introducing you to my absolute most favorite cooking magazine, from which this recipe comes. This is from the 2000 Sep/Oct issue of Cuisine at Home. I love this magazine, the recipes are great, the pictures are both beautiful and informative as they often demonstrate at least a few steps of the recipe; and the articles that preface recipes are engaging. It is a joy to read, even when the recipe they are discussing is something I would never normally eat or make. As a result I own all of their issues for the first 12 years of publication and greatly enjoy going through them as the seasons change looking for seasonal recipes and new inspiration. Their roasted cauliflower with mustard butter recipe is a delicious side dish, but we used it as a filling vegetarian meal and loved it, although Boy thought it would be better with some meat in it as a main dish.</div><br />
<a name='more'></a>While I enjoyed this recipe as written I do think that doubling the recipe for the mustard butter improves it, as this is where there is really a big punch of flavor. I also recommend making sure all pieces of vegetable are comfortably bite-sized before roasting them to ensure that the largest pieces are all the way cooked through and no one ends up biting into a raw potato. And for those who are not fans of cauliflower, I contend that neither am I, I was the stubborn child who would refuse to eat it, but if you like mustard and butter, I assure you that cauliflower is mild enough to be tasty with sauce! My version below already has doubled mustard butter, cut in half if you would prefer a lighter version. <br />
<br />
Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Butter<br />
(the published version of this recipe claims to make 6 cups of results but I had more like 10 though my cauliflower didn't have much in the way of stems to dispose of?) We found that it would serve 3-4 adults as a main dish.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>2 Tbsp. olive oil</li>
<li>1 large head of caulifower (3 lbs) trimmed into florets</li>
<li>1 lb red skinned potatoes halved and cut into bite size pieces</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>8 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened</li>
<li>4 Tbsp. whole grain mustard</li>
<li>4 tsp prepared horseradish</li>
<li>2 tsp honey</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley</li>
</ul>Here's a picture of the page from the magazine:<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduKfCm_J9ZGZhyphenhyphenpE2CWJbaHu0fjU7L0i9i0u1ig1TNMZDudv8P8Ij3d192ib_zKXLlFExtvmvFA3jOsPj5H2bRTdu4xCWsMfth4BITIzu32jRksQ0LnknSlhIIUshQZukEOqXzP8uMjA/s1600/DSCF1216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduKfCm_J9ZGZhyphenhyphenpE2CWJbaHu0fjU7L0i9i0u1ig1TNMZDudv8P8Ij3d192ib_zKXLlFExtvmvFA3jOsPj5H2bRTdu4xCWsMfth4BITIzu32jRksQ0LnknSlhIIUshQZukEOqXzP8uMjA/s400/DSCF1216.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Instructions:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Preheat oven to 450F. Toss cauliflower florets and potatoes with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Place the vegetables in a single layer on two baking trays and roast one in the lower half of your oven, and one in the upper half, switching them after 10 minutes. Continue roasting for 10 more minutes, testing with a knife for doneness, if your vegetables can be easily pierced they are done. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">3. While you are patiently waiting for your vegetables to roast, make the mustard butter by combining the butter, mustard, horseradish and honey in a large mixing bowl. When the vegetables are finished add them to this bowl and toss to coat, add the parsely and toss again. Serve immediately.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8WXa4Tl5EDttLkNbxeJ5QgVgS9NuKQQlnJ8-kShWYXhp_W4DR4rVPGPV5rzTLEJ0eYtWcejLhrF_nWqkMZy9Ey3-LS9z4OlehYSErKh8_aOzHhTT6Zhyphenhyphend9GmbIrGN36z0_GB7wOHLwI/s1600/DSCF1218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8WXa4Tl5EDttLkNbxeJ5QgVgS9NuKQQlnJ8-kShWYXhp_W4DR4rVPGPV5rzTLEJ0eYtWcejLhrF_nWqkMZy9Ey3-LS9z4OlehYSErKh8_aOzHhTT6Zhyphenhyphend9GmbIrGN36z0_GB7wOHLwI/s400/DSCF1218.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-81010504845651862702010-10-21T12:03:00.000-07:002010-10-21T12:03:53.561-07:00Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon Book ReviewI found this book as an awesome bargain book at Dollar Tree, they had messed up on cutting the pages so couldn't sell it for full price I suppose but I could read it just fine. I really enjoyed this book as a pleasure reading book,<br />
<a name='more'></a>I really enjoyed this book as a pleasure reading book, while it is a good book it just isn't a piece of complicated literature and I found it to be a light enjoyable read, a pleasant break from the assigned reading that comes from being a college student. The plot moves quickly and is packs with action scenes and witty humor. This would be a book for adults only in my opinion. It's not something I would hand to a youngster or a teenager, certainly not without checking it yourself to see if you think your child is mature enough for sexual scenes and occasionally gory violence scenes. Overall I would recommend this for a pleasant afternoon of reading curled up in a comfy armchair next to the fireplace this fall, perhaps with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-71417377984428651342010-10-19T16:56:00.000-07:002010-10-19T16:56:00.485-07:00Honey Vanilla Pear Cake<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxicxGl3XlQZ1T_r1Gm6FHHeWUKR3fl5CxhMajjBj7mwGPR90HdJOwNN3i_uTjm1UUXx23F_x9nXkpWxCBtSjDM-qaDYRMWTQZrwQwsSsKwimggR-QYf15YD-szHRX5FwDxK4qapSrWY/s1600/DSCF1191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxicxGl3XlQZ1T_r1Gm6FHHeWUKR3fl5CxhMajjBj7mwGPR90HdJOwNN3i_uTjm1UUXx23F_x9nXkpWxCBtSjDM-qaDYRMWTQZrwQwsSsKwimggR-QYf15YD-szHRX5FwDxK4qapSrWY/s400/DSCF1191.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Have you ever bought pears from the grocery store? Then you’ll understand how you can completely forget about them ripening <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forever</i> on your counter until suddenly they need to be used <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now</i>. Well using <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/nectarine-brown-butter-buckle/">smitten kitchen's nectarine brown butter buckle</a> as a starting point and with modifications from <u>The Flavor Bible</u> I ended up with this cake,</div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStTBvqIb9OHODnNafR9CGcc6_6PD925eFWyHDqpDnrTztkw0HZly0BxqOu9eaEemmCeFXttyz2tCyi6fpWrqPANp95Epkp2oS4oPkvOwNeimKGV3BEo_GhrNDbxOD6oXCG6NKi6A-olA/s1600/DSCF1190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStTBvqIb9OHODnNafR9CGcc6_6PD925eFWyHDqpDnrTztkw0HZly0BxqOu9eaEemmCeFXttyz2tCyi6fpWrqPANp95Epkp2oS4oPkvOwNeimKGV3BEo_GhrNDbxOD6oXCG6NKi6A-olA/s400/DSCF1190.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>delicious, sort of ugly and not really resembling the starting point as much as I had intended (substituting honey for sugar doesn’t work to make a streusel topping! should have thought that one through!). Whatever the not streusel topping really is, it was delicious and this ended up a delightfully rich cake.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Makes 8-10 servings</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ingredients:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Cake:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 cup all purpose flour</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">½ cup whole wheat flour</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">2 tsp. baking powder</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">¾ tsp. salt</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 tsp ground ginger (you may want to double this if you want the flavor to come through it ended up a light undertone)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">½ cup softened unsalted butter</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 cup honey (used a mix of cheap clover and expensive wildflower honey)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">2 large eggs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">2/3 cup milk (I used nonfat anything will work)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">2 Tbsp. vanilla extract</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 tbsp lemon juice</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">2 ripe pears cut into wedges</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Not Streusel Topping</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">¼ cup softened butter</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">½ cup honey (or sugar if you want real streusel)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">½ cup all purpose flour</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">½ tsp ginger</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Pinch of salt</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Instructions</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9 inch round cake pan.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Blend flour, salt, baking powder and ginger in a medium bowl.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Combine butter, honey and eggs in large bowl, add milk.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Add dry ingredients to wet mix until just combined spread in your prepared pan.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Toss wedges of pear in the lemon juice, arrange in single layer on the cake, you probably don’t need to worry about how artistic it looks as they seem to have sunk to the middle/bottom of the cake because of the wet batter.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Make topping in a medium to small bowl, sprinkle or spread on top of your cake and bake for 40-50 min. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">Let cool and enjoy!</li>
</ol></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXtnwcMCUSqVPvYyAU8rREtxnpmbo512LBoo1yKDGYu4IaDyIV6d9UdpUJCKXnXpvqoE6tCsCM8Avi4mHA2aEeEYofxTkuYlDQWJH1ktOa1SF8v48MzRpY9aPqfBhdpn_mK-MEa8odVo/s1600/DSCF1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXtnwcMCUSqVPvYyAU8rREtxnpmbo512LBoo1yKDGYu4IaDyIV6d9UdpUJCKXnXpvqoE6tCsCM8Avi4mHA2aEeEYofxTkuYlDQWJH1ktOa1SF8v48MzRpY9aPqfBhdpn_mK-MEa8odVo/s400/DSCF1193.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-24645391951500010542010-10-16T10:51:00.000-07:002010-10-16T10:51:00.502-07:00Chocolate Zucchini Muffins from Closet Cooking’s recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_U8haUadgj8XlchoO8my6J7drOyxkSL1OZiUGCBBCIsR-ojUV4gLTeATC6rcspt6mfuOmIrRN8SMW9nFSBumLSLN1iGUblaaM_mCsTNyb_4liuQZnZvT_msi3OcTtrksIuj4KxW4B9M/s1600/DSCF1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_U8haUadgj8XlchoO8my6J7drOyxkSL1OZiUGCBBCIsR-ojUV4gLTeATC6rcspt6mfuOmIrRN8SMW9nFSBumLSLN1iGUblaaM_mCsTNyb_4liuQZnZvT_msi3OcTtrksIuj4KxW4B9M/s640/DSCF1207.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I wasn't kidding about the giant zucchini last time, I used this recipe to use up the other half of the monster. Boy is big on all things chocolate and told a guest that they were brownies, so yes these are delicious! I again borrowed from Closet Cooking's solid recipe. <br />
<a name='more'></a>These ones froze very well in a Pyrex container and made for quick and delightful breakfasts! I am really looking forward to planting my own zucchini plants in the spring with these two winning recipes already approved of and having passed the challenge that comes with cooking for two: how long will it last and how can I store it? these are best either slightly cooled after baking or rejuvenated in the microwave for a few seconds so the chocolate chips start to melt a little. Mmm!<br />
<h4 class="recipe_title fn">Chocolate Zucchini Bread</h4><div class="recipe_title fn">This made 12 standard sized muffins, doesn't rise very much so don't worry too much about overfilling.</div><div class="ingredient">Ingredients:<br />
1 1/2 cups zucchini (grated, squeezed and drained)<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup oil<br />
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I used an entire 6oz single serving cup)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)<br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips</div><br />
<br />
<div class="instructions">Directions:<br />
1. Mix the zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt and egg in a bowl.<br />
2. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a bowl.<br />
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.<br />
4. Mix in the nuts and chocolate chips.<br />
5. Pour the batter into a greased muffin pan.<br />
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes.</div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-36453387812782505232010-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:002010-10-15T11:05:15.894-07:00Blueberry Zucchini Muffins from Closet Cooking recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp13rx2dDGLXOKOeN8yON9djdIZycGF9dnU8azRW0KlenC473ZqxSUQgd6fw8q9cctHFvbecBs6n6iiQp8jMNnnVnmJrMdS3ib-CepYQGQbsvKDIhwNOmG5nadhHBOmR4J6GOmoHCoxs/s1600/DSCF1098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp13rx2dDGLXOKOeN8yON9djdIZycGF9dnU8azRW0KlenC473ZqxSUQgd6fw8q9cctHFvbecBs6n6iiQp8jMNnnVnmJrMdS3ib-CepYQGQbsvKDIhwNOmG5nadhHBOmR4J6GOmoHCoxs/s640/DSCF1098.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">A coworker gifted me with a lovely homegrown zucchini from his garden, which was just a bit too big for eating straight in my opinion. So, I of course went looking for zucchini bread recipes and found this one on Closet Cooking. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a>It looked tasty and colorful, and I happened to have blueberries sitting my freezer just waiting to be used. This turned out to be delicious! I adapted the recipe to make muffins instead of a loaf since I was in a hurry to get to class, I didn’t have time to wait a whole hour for my project to cook. They came out well after about 45 minutes of baking. They were very moist, in fact I refrigerated them in fear that they would mold on my countertop; they kept very well in the fridge for the few days they lasted. They even withstood freezing decently though they were better from the fridge, so I would recommend eating them right away if you can.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPcUW70c2sOxnwaSMB9NtdJ8ICbgixYL6XbXWMS_aMs29yruUBVH6EWBcB_peXS-xUctWIAyfyn1T_t1D1AA42miwR2IfwNXNZAHqcH3TtUjuhsXTPRr-e-kmgObFvMQVxaaz3_6E_eA/s1600/DSCF1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPcUW70c2sOxnwaSMB9NtdJ8ICbgixYL6XbXWMS_aMs29yruUBVH6EWBcB_peXS-xUctWIAyfyn1T_t1D1AA42miwR2IfwNXNZAHqcH3TtUjuhsXTPRr-e-kmgObFvMQVxaaz3_6E_eA/s400/DSCF1096.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ended up cracking my own walnuts as it turned out I didn't have already processed ones on hand!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Made 12 muffins in a standard muffin pan for me.</div><div class="ingredient">Ingredients:<br />
1 1/2 cups zucchini (grated, squeezed and drained)<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup oil<br />
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (rather than measure I threw in a whole 6oz. single serve cup)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1 cup blueberries<br />
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped) original called for pecans</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="instructions">Directions:<br />
1. Mix the zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt and egg in a bowl.<br />
2. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.<br />
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.<br />
4. Mix in the blueberries and walnuts.<br />
5. Pour the batter into a greased muffin pan.<br />
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. <br />
7. Eat and enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToM0oN6tRb5Q8pEQ9SJSKfV16WfFzCMcA5ZY9OJu5wqElSA4ikRV_Ebm33qOA4_-iYqdC-esWtRbg1VcrM_JZrcBL39oRDmP62Awqr9xPpm-SBdvH8ux7lOb5fskZzlIefYpiDU86_fM/s1600/DSCF1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToM0oN6tRb5Q8pEQ9SJSKfV16WfFzCMcA5ZY9OJu5wqElSA4ikRV_Ebm33qOA4_-iYqdC-esWtRbg1VcrM_JZrcBL39oRDmP62Awqr9xPpm-SBdvH8ux7lOb5fskZzlIefYpiDU86_fM/s400/DSCF1103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-3754175214582215262010-09-23T13:22:00.001-07:002010-09-24T16:02:32.756-07:00Today’s Yard work Project - Planting Citrus Trees in Really Big Pots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQmhTHuk-e_7KfnlafsMG34Uw3czaGyjOZFI9yX3RxcJae04VoyBBOrW2-Uy4EmObh8vy4SXyKJNyjdf-WOVm00YIksjZ_AgQewnI-pSnmWvaQHd8k35iW3dknSr9q0_v4WFG8e2Z1IE/s1600/DSCF1158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQmhTHuk-e_7KfnlafsMG34Uw3czaGyjOZFI9yX3RxcJae04VoyBBOrW2-Uy4EmObh8vy4SXyKJNyjdf-WOVm00YIksjZ_AgQewnI-pSnmWvaQHd8k35iW3dknSr9q0_v4WFG8e2Z1IE/s400/DSCF1158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I’ve had this crazy idea in my head for a while, that it would be really cool to have my very own fruit trees in my yard. Our backyard is not all that big and not much was done with it when we moved in; as in it’s mostly weeds. Perusing the gardening aisle at Home Depot I found these darling dwarf citrus trees. </div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Right now they are small, each is only about two feet high, but according to the tag they can get from 6-10’ tall. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN8Zd05WSeiHvySfZ9OTO64tMzjC_PeZWXivAN8JQy6GRcQmj5c5ik4hPtSs6QnavJmHDpRovLn-I-9IMYgMmaT2wRallu8bJeZF1nj_T7zcABaYHCafmwHVdb6pL-x-8-M3dEmutGmo/s1600/DSCF1157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN8Zd05WSeiHvySfZ9OTO64tMzjC_PeZWXivAN8JQy6GRcQmj5c5ik4hPtSs6QnavJmHDpRovLn-I-9IMYgMmaT2wRallu8bJeZF1nj_T7zcABaYHCafmwHVdb6pL-x-8-M3dEmutGmo/s400/DSCF1157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Having already done a little bit of research on the kinds of trees that do well in containers, I knew these were good candidates. The challenge though was finding pots that were both big enough for the trees and small enough for my wallet. After analyzing both the tree section and the pots section I found pots that I thought looked nice enough, deep enough for trees, and because they are square on the sides should also be easier to move inside when/if temperatures go below freezing during winter nights. Also they had three that matched, and I found three trees we liked. We ended up bringing home: a Meyer Lemon, a Pink Variegated Lemon, and a Clementine Mandarin. The mandarin already has a little green fruit on it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSgHYP3PR8zTuo9SV7dThw8lZwd84KqtlpWBis_FSTjKwJDykuT0dgIHj19bMS3B0nBWo1UdDkR9ypMBGx0apyIpwpULHCZ3oRY_tuhNdoTiINLIBIPEpybLFyB2YdlsY8eRkJM2G3rA/s1600/DSCF1173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSgHYP3PR8zTuo9SV7dThw8lZwd84KqtlpWBis_FSTjKwJDykuT0dgIHj19bMS3B0nBWo1UdDkR9ypMBGx0apyIpwpULHCZ3oRY_tuhNdoTiINLIBIPEpybLFyB2YdlsY8eRkJM2G3rA/s400/DSCF1173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our yard was a pretty sad and dull looking place as you can see. But these trees really brought some life to it!</div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShQw0WSlVENNoneKoz9Wt8rOiWZZ4JBM9gNEy2lNtN5a5HAPQBRjetUTEbySqiIVgHK1A9LJbMpKk1EDHrieWtN4h-_FX8Yr1O6diMxBcWGEb9Dyp6OpxUFYVm_oBJrnrTxanslNB8qA/s1600/DSCF1159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShQw0WSlVENNoneKoz9Wt8rOiWZZ4JBM9gNEy2lNtN5a5HAPQBRjetUTEbySqiIVgHK1A9LJbMpKk1EDHrieWtN4h-_FX8Yr1O6diMxBcWGEb9Dyp6OpxUFYVm_oBJrnrTxanslNB8qA/s200/DSCF1159.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxPw3-BuMYiXTgISMHsszN489LN9VQB0zDFRRtpIXV99fR8sWOud4O12qd-GuJY6eYwIFAxtmInzqBjATtTciqCcvgF6duyWeKGRgsRs7EySIBYydYOG4qXvEwdi-tB3AzkXih6xwwrI/s1600/DSCF1181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxPw3-BuMYiXTgISMHsszN489LN9VQB0zDFRRtpIXV99fR8sWOud4O12qd-GuJY6eYwIFAxtmInzqBjATtTciqCcvgF6duyWeKGRgsRs7EySIBYydYOG4qXvEwdi-tB3AzkXih6xwwrI/s200/DSCF1181.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After<br />
<div align="center"></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7htbTjh64asi8VzX0ltoAQ5xW7L05zm-SCEgsGDvBlNsmOcNir9PsDmsC-DPT6P8JOQduaDYOFHWdYJ23-lONA2XoqjoIZD_VAWjJNeLqGIpySGfOVnDtbEPGtqEhKqGq0Poqr7fbiZQ/s1600/DSCF1161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7htbTjh64asi8VzX0ltoAQ5xW7L05zm-SCEgsGDvBlNsmOcNir9PsDmsC-DPT6P8JOQduaDYOFHWdYJ23-lONA2XoqjoIZD_VAWjJNeLqGIpySGfOVnDtbEPGtqEhKqGq0Poqr7fbiZQ/s400/DSCF1161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 1 dirt in the pot and put the tree in</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Planting the trees was quite a bit of work and ended up taking us the whole afternoon. We had fun with it though. And even put together a step by step series of photos!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHg_QL5lmKUKFkUJsLWbI3oeUL0BJvS_WhPoQG1R1mztuDapLHKDlIYjJgJEijSmHfOy42issxKVoKAbPUnWPGhTohG4i3tV9_HgNVAxxmbA7bHaiKkHIKBfv6MpzAyLtn4Rfqdj9JB4/s1600/DSCF1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHg_QL5lmKUKFkUJsLWbI3oeUL0BJvS_WhPoQG1R1mztuDapLHKDlIYjJgJEijSmHfOy42issxKVoKAbPUnWPGhTohG4i3tV9_HgNVAxxmbA7bHaiKkHIKBfv6MpzAyLtn4Rfqdj9JB4/s400/DSCF1165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmws8ED3bI0umPESLaWy_0esBM5agLeQXkHUOaWJMMSiuqcWMmPxFVY-svIqK73bsClKNOq3ZcWgXQMZoktipFhQmoA-RR8sGRiEH9URtcFnFNgm000zL0rSsQ7b8WAunP4yqTQQXd0/s1600/DSCF1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmws8ED3bI0umPESLaWy_0esBM5agLeQXkHUOaWJMMSiuqcWMmPxFVY-svIqK73bsClKNOq3ZcWgXQMZoktipFhQmoA-RR8sGRiEH9URtcFnFNgm000zL0rSsQ7b8WAunP4yqTQQXd0/s320/DSCF1189.JPG" /></a>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s1600/DSCF1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s320/DSCF1185.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s1600/DSCF1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s320/DSCF1185.JPG" /></a></div></><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once tree is placed fill in area around it with more soil</td></div></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s1600/DSCF1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yVXtwbB5TsCwmW4E0yRUwqX-pf96UNtMBqrPK5BiuMnjrZ4Dy7dpwRLjBTUXfGVmTpJmkTAUN7KleQzf1JEFsi-gi5P32DjdaWLlYaBCxJRh2vFDowQAK8Fg-fciRcjaJyJc9BkjpLA/s400/DSCF1185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add a mulch top layer to each pot<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK7M4VqUHSMwgMyrrO78ngP7cd_KdWbGqaIj6NvgXszyzazgCGhkfbT4-8wL9oC7FAi4VS2vp4XMORDNBu9Z-BEXTwy_iIlbPNzEII_wfJKd-EADvcdZxZO3Eot_-DExWSAMIdGMeyz4/s1600/DSCF1168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK7M4VqUHSMwgMyrrO78ngP7cd_KdWbGqaIj6NvgXszyzazgCGhkfbT4-8wL9oC7FAi4VS2vp4XMORDNBu9Z-BEXTwy_iIlbPNzEII_wfJKd-EADvcdZxZO3Eot_-DExWSAMIdGMeyz4/s400/DSCF1168.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course Skippy thought we were crazy "What are you doing out there?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmws8ED3bI0umPESLaWy_0esBM5agLeQXkHUOaWJMMSiuqcWMmPxFVY-svIqK73bsClKNOq3ZcWgXQMZoktipFhQmoA-RR8sGRiEH9URtcFnFNgm000zL0rSsQ7b8WAunP4yqTQQXd0/s1600/DSCF1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmws8ED3bI0umPESLaWy_0esBM5agLeQXkHUOaWJMMSiuqcWMmPxFVY-svIqK73bsClKNOq3ZcWgXQMZoktipFhQmoA-RR8sGRiEH9URtcFnFNgm000zL0rSsQ7b8WAunP4yqTQQXd0/s400/DSCF1189.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally tamp down mulch and your tree is ready to go!<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-54670122566391117912010-09-22T17:31:00.000-07:002010-09-22T17:31:44.839-07:00Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Pasta Salad<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1OeD8ro5QH8gftbYTWTw_25yEbtgwYVSj6IGPickM8vabx0TCdIgCv29Yjut1sENev4mVenDbmhP68DK4JLTgw2HOErw199m2ma6fzCdYUwvGiSzyC2ExR6TA_SNfG3YRfyUqZ1CKSQ/s1600/DSCF1095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1OeD8ro5QH8gftbYTWTw_25yEbtgwYVSj6IGPickM8vabx0TCdIgCv29Yjut1sENev4mVenDbmhP68DK4JLTgw2HOErw199m2ma6fzCdYUwvGiSzyC2ExR6TA_SNfG3YRfyUqZ1CKSQ/s400/DSCF1095.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>For me dinner is often a combination of two challenges: 1. what in my fridge is perishable and in danger of not getting used? 2. How can I prepare a healthy dinner containing ingredients that won’t require an extra trip to the store? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This served quite well on achieved the objectives. The perishables involved were heirloom tomatoes from </div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyfuAnA9_3HzO09wPZy6jEa0gbZ37ioNMCmmy48SvDG5iOadHoWcU_kHWULqu62Ap_qtEhnh8LMjXXQSa5OvqiTTuGafPssASrmS3f42q43m_xKn3gxs8w7She9WsOtrmkIHRPAlRJxA/s1600/DSCF1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyfuAnA9_3HzO09wPZy6jEa0gbZ37ioNMCmmy48SvDG5iOadHoWcU_kHWULqu62Ap_qtEhnh8LMjXXQSa5OvqiTTuGafPssASrmS3f42q43m_xKn3gxs8w7She9WsOtrmkIHRPAlRJxA/s320/DSCF1091.JPG" /></a></div>our surprise CSA box and an opened package of mozzarella cheese (does anyone know how long that should last in the fridge? Cause I have no clue!). Long shelf life items pesto, olive oil and dry pasta (of which I have about twenty pounds in my house, such a sucker for fun shapes!) came to my rescue. Lucky for us we have enough of the ingredients to make it for dinner again tomorrow! (I may use more pesto concentrate, it was not as green as I would have liked.) Another pleasant surprise is Boy’s approval on the recipe, considering he considers tomatoes to be “eeh” which grunt I take to mean neither gross nor delicious. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ingredients:</div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">1 ½ cups dry pasta (a small shape works well, I used wheels)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">~¼ lb mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">~1lb tomatoes diced (I used one small and one large heirloom from our CSA box)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">¼ cup olive oil</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">4 Tsp GIA pesto concentrate</li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Note: Whatever pesto you have on hand should work all right, this is what we had.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Instructions:</div><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Cook pasta as instructed on the package.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">While your pasta cooks, dice tomatoes and mozzarella combine in a medium bowl.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Combine pesto concentrate with oil, pour over, tomatoes and cheese (if using premixed pesto just scoop it in).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Add drained pasta to bowl and stir to combine. I let it sit stirring occasionally to combine the flavors and bring the pasta down to room temperature, because it was warm and I didn’t want hot pasta. ;)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Makes three cereal bowls of pasta, which fed two of us. (Boy was hungry!)</li>
</ol>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-53484605910293787322010-09-19T21:58:00.000-07:002010-09-19T21:58:41.820-07:00Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel Book Review:<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">While I found this in the historical fiction section, it felt more like a biography. My guess it that this is because the primary reference documents were letters, parts of which are printed directly into the text and so </div><a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the author makes some extrapolations as to Galileo’s actual thoughts and some other details. The letters are unfortunately only from his daughter to him, as those he wrote to her were destroyed after the daughter’s death by the abbess of her nunnery due to the possible heresy of Galileo’s work. I found this book to be well written and fascinating. It moves very quickly and provides or hypothesizes into the details of the relationships in Galileo’s life. It also provides a glimpse into the period he lived in which seems so dramatically different than the way the world works today. Though it was in the fiction section of my bookstore I felt that it was very well researched. While it moves quickly the plot is not dialogue based, it makes a lot of sense as that would really shift it to the really fictional historical fiction and the author has enough material to make it interesting without the dialogue. Some of the letter excerpts do kind of serve like dialogue as for most of their lives this is the primary mode of communication between Galileo and his daughter because of their sometimes very great physical separation. Their relationship is still very close and mention is made of near daily writing and of gifts and projects moving back and forth between them. Sadly they were both afflicted with poor health and she passed on shortly after him, in this book it seems that she put so much energy into helping him in addition to aiding her nunnery above and beyond her required duties that she didn’t have much left after his death having neglected herself. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the period and anyone who is interested in getting an idea of what Galileo’s personal life might have been like beyond his work. It also illuminates Galileo’s relationship with the Church that condemned and banned his work from publishing.</div>First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-40887881293420519952010-09-13T13:17:00.000-07:002010-09-13T13:17:38.736-07:00World War Z by Max Brooks Book ReviewWhen I first read the back of the book cover, I thought this would be a really scary book to read, you know, the kind that gives you nightmares?<br />
<a name='more'></a> (so far only one zombie nightmare, not bad!) Horror is not usually a genre I enjoy, but this book was very engaging. It the story of a worldwide zombie problem, how it occurred and how it was dealt with. The author writes this as a series of vignettes, personal stories of survivors and their experiences at different points. It ends up flowing nicely though some suspension of disbelief is required, it ends up raising some interesting questions about the way the world works today and how could we and would we come together to solve a problem that threatened us all. I couldn’t put it down much to my surprise! Definitely an interesting horror/comedy/action mix here. I would recommend this for any teenage to young adult male you’d like to get reading instead of just playing video games, it seems like it could be right up their alley!First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8427536764080121310.post-55847970751211385272010-09-09T15:53:00.000-07:002010-09-09T15:53:05.012-07:00Plum Cobbler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZsBb0TsegozZOKNyE_EiTMJDfVCKKTzTaFs195tFhdxaBT05jbXVkbtKdBbHLNW7TwdaDH-gvuK20QTAF-d8Esv2wx2kxcTDtvly-imVFW_ZqD6yzTroSoH1X9B-eEYKyPb3v3o6xNo/s1600/DSCF1069+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZsBb0TsegozZOKNyE_EiTMJDfVCKKTzTaFs195tFhdxaBT05jbXVkbtKdBbHLNW7TwdaDH-gvuK20QTAF-d8Esv2wx2kxcTDtvly-imVFW_ZqD6yzTroSoH1X9B-eEYKyPb3v3o6xNo/s400/DSCF1069+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>After a surprise CSA box showed up at our house (I had suspended delivery for a few months and forgotten it was going to show up), I suddenly had a lot of produce to work through including 2 pounds of small mystery plums. And so I searched the internet for ideas on what to do with these and found a recipe for plum cobbler on Simply Recipes: <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/plum_cobbler/">http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/plum_cobbler/</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> After a trip to the store for milk and cornstarch I was ready to go! (By the way why do they insist on gluing a seal on the jar of cornstarch? It ended up all over me and the counter when I tried to open it!) Of course I made some changes as I went along, substituting honey for the white sugar, increasing the cinnamon, adding some ginger, a pinch of cinnamon in the topping and mixing some almond meal and vanilla extract into the biscuit. The plum, honey and spice mixture smelled divine on my countertop while I mixed the biscuit topping.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0QvC-sehLD_flJAlMOuHEqZ99npvbQObJulxbRjrilIkTHB2ygDaBZyzVa_pd7KovMwzuE1LhpdzLE8ztggR8-3IoSAZU9ybvKiIas1nDgBbVFwiVLFkxJcCWEvuSpX0nSyfEzKAWfY/s1600/DSCF1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0QvC-sehLD_flJAlMOuHEqZ99npvbQObJulxbRjrilIkTHB2ygDaBZyzVa_pd7KovMwzuE1LhpdzLE8ztggR8-3IoSAZU9ybvKiIas1nDgBbVFwiVLFkxJcCWEvuSpX0nSyfEzKAWfY/s400/DSCF1065.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Plum mixture, Yum!</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX6q4md2xZ9C-nTevWiTLTZ6pI4z7nm8LHcaaUCjMuT6u-VxZnT3aru8HcNSpssPn4sL10qWD9-DUMP2vXAcP87muvl78pgPMI6JEeHhZHuYQqpwbCGgp09b_zcWJ65Y5TV7g_jIwNX0/s1600/DSCF1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX6q4md2xZ9C-nTevWiTLTZ6pI4z7nm8LHcaaUCjMuT6u-VxZnT3aru8HcNSpssPn4sL10qWD9-DUMP2vXAcP87muvl78pgPMI6JEeHhZHuYQqpwbCGgp09b_zcWJ65Y5TV7g_jIwNX0/s400/DSCF1067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here it is before going into the oven to bake.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The result was delicious! Even Boy liked it despite his suspicious comments "What is it? What's in it?"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Below is the recipe I ended up with:</div><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp clover honey<br />
<br />
• ~2lbs. fresh plums, seeds and stems removed and sliced and diced<br />
<br />
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
<br />
• ½ Tsp plus a pinch of ground cinnamon<br />
<br />
• ¼ Tsp ground ginger<br />
<br />
• 1 cup all purpose flour<br />
<br />
• 1 ½ Tbsp almond meal<br />
<br />
• 1 ½ Tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
• ¼ tsp salt<br />
<br />
• ¼ cup butter<br />
<br />
• ¼ cup milk<br />
<br />
• 1 egg slightly beaten<br />
<br />
• 1 Tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Instructions:<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350F<br />
<br />
2. In a large bowl stir together plums, cornstarch, ¾ cup honey, ½ tsp of cinnamon, ginger until combined. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish (I used a 9 inch circular cake pan and it turned out fine, so what ever you have on hand that won’t overflow is probably fine.)<br />
<br />
3. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, almond meal, pinch of cinnamon, baking powder and salt (I forgot the salt, don’t do that! It works but the biscuit would be better with salt). Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. (This is easier if your butter is slightly softer than fresh out of the fridge.) Stir in milk, vanilla and egg until batter is moistened. <br />
<br />
4. Drop batter over the fruit. Try to spread it out over the majority of the fruit. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.<br />
<br />
5. Take out of oven and dig in! Good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwa8YvmCnGBHdPeEK9nb8q4lpEi5IBAXpIIyWpC-3DI0jfz-bDZ5DlWT7SLc97LqpyL-cSiTYU4SCh35ox7Sox_Yzce4ztXkwk3lvitWiT4LQgRaAbBOeAif4avgXR1erY3hsKnObOM-c/s1600/DSCF1075+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwa8YvmCnGBHdPeEK9nb8q4lpEi5IBAXpIIyWpC-3DI0jfz-bDZ5DlWT7SLc97LqpyL-cSiTYU4SCh35ox7Sox_Yzce4ztXkwk3lvitWiT4LQgRaAbBOeAif4avgXR1erY3hsKnObOM-c/s400/DSCF1075+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
6. Serves 6 depending on how hungry you are. We were hungry as you can see!First Time Homemakershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520975007530165228noreply@blogger.com0