tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65525287975835353752024-03-13T09:41:11.335-07:00cooking out of the boxSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-76072285485507046122012-07-14T08:29:00.003-07:002012-07-14T08:29:37.869-07:00Amazing zucchini muffins (with a little bit of lemon)There is a story that says that if you live where people are the salt of the earth, in the middle of summer, you better keep your doors locked. Not because these salt-of-the-earth neighbors are going to rob you, but because they are likely to drop off a big bunch of zucchini on the seat of your car or in your entryway, making eating it all it <i>your</i> problem.<div>
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I would like to think that my neighbors are the salt of the earth, but as of yet I haven't had any wayward zucchini harvests appearing in or on any of my property. (I also haven't been abandoning zucchini on anyone else's doorstep, either, though. The one time I tried to grow it bugs ate the teeny little seedlings down to nothing overnight.). However, it seems that even the farmers need to offload zucchini in great quantities.</div>
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My <a href="http://ahorganics.com/">Abundant Harvest</a> box has been... shall we say... generous in its helpings of zucchini and summer squash for quite a few weeks now. It is,,, shall we say... a challenge to keep up with it all.</div>
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My kids, who aren't the greatest veggie eaters, won't eat zucchini in any form except zucchini bread and zucchini muffins. (I'm not exaggerating. They even turned their noses up at chocolate chips cookies. Okay, <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/07/chocolate-chip-cookies.html">Zucchini Chocolate Chip cookies</a>, but those things are really really good and still they won't eat them).</div>
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So, zucchini muffins it is. Except how many time can I make them without losing my mind?</div>
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So I put a little twist on the muffins this week... lemon. Lemon and zucchini go great together, and that is especially true in muffins. The lemon zest in these gives them a whole new life, and really sets them apart from ordinary zucchini muffins. This is most likely going to be the only way I make them from now on! I really like the lemon addition, so in my opinion, more is better. I used the zest from 1 lemon the first time I made these, and doubled it the send time. It was doubly delicious!</div>
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Zucchini muffins </div>
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3 cups flour</div>
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2 teaspoons baking soda</div>
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1/2 teaspoon salt</div>
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2 teaspoons cinnamon</div>
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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</div>
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2/3 cup butter, melted</div>
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1 1/3 cup sugar</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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2 teaspoons vanilla </div>
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zest from 2 lemons</div>
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3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium-large zucchini)</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350.</div>
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Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and butter. Add the zucchini and then slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.</div>
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Grease your muffin cups with a little bit of butter. Fill the muffin cups pretty much all the way (these muffins grow tall nicely, and don't really spill over the pan... so it's okay to fill the cups all the way). </div>
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until nice and tall and golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean. Let them sit in the muffin pans for a few minutes and then take them out to cool completely.</div>
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The original recipe (from <a href="http://www.stephanieskitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-muffins/">Stephanie's Kitchen</a>) said that it makes 12 muffins, but I got 15 out of it, and they were still nice and tall and full.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-10921894473038893582012-07-06T20:18:00.000-07:002012-07-06T20:18:06.264-07:00Dilly BeansWhat happens when you take a man who loves pickles and introduce him to a woman who loves pickles?<div>
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They get married and have three (adorable) children, and not a single one of those (amazing) children will touch a pickle.</div>
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Which means, of course, more for the man and the woman.</div>
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I like to make dilly beans for lots of reasons.</div>
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1. I get TONS of green beans in my <a href="http://ahorganics.com/">Abundant Harvest box</a> during the summer. Almost too many to eat. And since green beans aren't acidic, preserving them is a little tricky...</div>
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2. Unless you add lots of acidic vinegar.</div>
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3. Dilly beans are delicious pickles that taste great all year long. And that's lucky, cause they last in jars all year long!</div>
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4. If you want to make something that really <i>looks</i> like you are a fabulous homemaker who shirks no duty and leaves no chore undone, these fit the bill. They just look the way canned food should look.</div>
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I'm personally not much of a Bloody Mary gal, but I hear that they are a fabulous addition to a bloody Mary. I believe it.</div>
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They are also a fabulous addition to a salad, or just on their own. I love to eat them nice and cold straight out of the fridge. </div>
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Here is the easy peasy way to make dilly beans and keep your green beans all year long. (I got this recipe form the cookbook "Put 'em Up" by Sherri Brooks Vinton)</div>
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Dilly Beans</div>
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4 pounds of green beans</div>
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5 cloves garlic</div>
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5 sprigs dill (about a cup altogether)</div>
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2 tablespoons dill seed</div>
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1 tablespoon black peppercorns</div>
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4 cups white vinegar</div>
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2 cups water</div>
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1/4 cup sugar</div>
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2 tablespoons salt</div>
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First, trim the beans. You want to take off the tip and the tail, and you want to make them about an inch shorter than your jar. (There needs to be room for the liquid to cover them by a half inch, and leave a half inch of headspace in the jar).</div>
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Put a clove of garlic and a sprig of dill in each jar. Divide the dill seed and peppercorns evenly between all the jars. Pack the trimmed beans tightly into the jars, so they are standing up nice and neat.</div>
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Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a non-reactive pan and bring to a boil. Pour over the the beans to cover them by a half-inch. </div>
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To can the jars, make sure to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean, place the lids, and screw on the bands. Boil for 15 minutes. Let the jars sit int he hot water for 5 minutes, and then let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours. </div>
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These will keep for a year.</div>
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<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-89626828821672896202012-07-02T09:43:00.001-07:002012-07-02T09:43:58.260-07:00chocolate peanut butter barsThere are times when I wish I lived in America's heartland. I would love to have a huge yard and plenty of space around my home. I would have a long driveway and a big swath of lawn in front of my house. The house would be up on a little hill so the view from my big front porch would be beautiful. Maybe I would be overlooking some sort of river or lake.<br />
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My backyard would have lots of trees. In fact, I would like to have a little bit of woods back there. Somewhere the kids could wander and built forts and make tree houses and have adventures. I would also like some space for entertaining. Maybe a little patio surrounded by flowers, and containing a huge ding table and some comfy chairs for lounging and reading.<br />
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Of course, in my dreams, in America's heartland I can have all this for... oh say, the exact same price of the little parcel I have in Southern California. And since there would be actual precipitation (I'll order some summer thunderstorms, please), everything would be lush and green and beautiful.<br />
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However.<br />
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I can't have all that and have the ocean, too, can I?<br />
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So for now, I'll stay right here in sunny (though dry) southern California. I will spend the summer taking my kids to the beach. They wander and build sandcastles and make moats and dig pits and go boogie boarding. They find sea shells and sea glass and dig for sand crabs. They find clams and then watch as the clam sticks that <i>thing </i>(stomach? tongue? Tiny little clam arm?) out and eats the sand crabs they feed it. They poke at sea anemones and squeal over sea slugs. They throw frisbees and footballs and whip each other with towels. They swim out way too far in the cold ocean and then come and lay on the hot sand.<br />
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And then, finally, when they are sun-kissed and worn out; when they are exhausted from running and jumping and swimming and floating; when they have raced against each other in the ocean, and raced together against the ocean that tries to destroy their sand castle faster than they can build; only then can I convince them to come close and sit and take a break.<br />
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I have to make sure, then, that I have a little treat for them.<br />
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These bars taste just like eating a Reese's peanut butter cup. They are rich and to die for. I am warning you now, make sure you have plenty of people to share these with, or you may end up eating the whole pan by yourself!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars</span><br />
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<ul style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 cups graham cracker crumbs</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/4 cup peanut butter, divided</span></li>
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<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">1 1/2 cups chocolate chips</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup peanut butter, melted butter, and powdered sugar. Press it into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Put this in the fridge for at least half an hour. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Melt the chocolate chips on a double boiler (or in the microwave). Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly over the peanut layer and allow to cool.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Cut into bars and enjoy!</span></div>
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-41219027264984428632012-06-30T17:14:00.000-07:002012-06-30T17:14:06.965-07:00Quick Pickles<div>
If you were to ask my grandmother (or my mother -- or myself, for that matter) if she was "making chicken for dinner," she would grin and then reply, "Only chickens can make chickens. I am <i>cooking</i> chicken for dinner, though." The same would go for "making eggs" or "making bacon."</div>
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And so I think it is rather funny and odd that this same grandmother had a recipe for "cucumbers." It would seem to me that a recipe is for something you <i>make, </i>not something you <i>grow</i>. The cucumbers are sliced thinly and pickled ever so slightly in vinegar and sugar. And therefore, as far as I am concerned, by the time you are done, you have <i>taken</i> a cucumber and <i>made</i> something else altogether. </div>
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The other day a friend mentioned that she makes "quick pickles" with her cucumbers, and although I am not sure her process is the same as my grandmother's, I think it is a perfect name and I am stealing it.</div>
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They aren't exactly pickles. But they aren't just cucumbers either. They are just sort of pickly cucumbers. In this recipe, the vinegar is diluted with water, and I think that stops them from pickling all the way. Instead, they get a little limp and a little sweet, and although they are still very recognizable cucumbers, they need a new name.</div>
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When I was young, and my mother would check my forehead to see if I had a fever, I got one of two reports back from her. If I was indeed running a fever, she would say "Oh, you're burning up." Otherwise, she assured me I was "Cool as a cucumber." (Which is either good news or bad, depending on if I was recovering from the flu, or trying to get out of going to school).<div>
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These cucumbers are just like the idiom. Cool. They are refreshing and tasty, especially on a hot summer day, and are great alone as a snack or used as a relish or in a salad. I like to eat them with a sandwich, or a hunk of cheese and some nuts at lunch time.</div>
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<b>Quick Pickles</b></div>
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1 large cucumber, sliced very thin</div>
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1/4 cup water</div>
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Bring the water, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Pour over the cucumber slices and refrigerate for at least a day before eating.</div>
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</div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-50543291897104747122012-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:002012-06-27T09:21:00.245-07:00Happy birthday (and a coffee cake)My daughter turned 11 during the middle of the craziness that is the last week of school. I feel bad for her, having her birthday on June 10. Having my own birthday on June 9, I fully understand how it can get overlooked because the schedule on June 10 is more likely than not to include some sort of end-of-year performance, banquet, awards ceremony, or good-bye party. We happened to add in a family reunion with 40 of my husband's relatives on her birthday.<br />
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That meant that her party was delayed a bit. And so, today, she is having a couple of friends over to spend the night. We are going out to dinner at a Japanese teppan-style restaurant, and to Hollywood to see Brave at the El Capitan theater. She keeps worrying that I am spending too much money and making things too fancy for her birthday. But that's the kind of kid she is. She is thoughtful and modest and just plain old <i>nice.</i><br />
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She is starting to grow up a lot. I'll admit it scares me a bit. She is gaining independence, staying home alone and starting to go places by herself. I know the purpose of raising kids is to give the tools to be great adults, but it just seems like it goes so fast.<br />
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She is extremely intelligent and creative. She loves to write stories... 10-15 pages at a time. She is gifted with descriptions and dialog. Her stories read very smoothly and make you feel like you are right there with the characters.<br />
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She loves to read. As a matter of fact, we have had to severely limit her reading time, since she won't quit on her own. She tends to get melancholy after spending too much time with her nose in a book. Often I think she prefers the fantasy worlds she enters more than this one.<br />
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Above all, she is unique. Almost everything she does is outside the box (for Halloween she made her own costume... a carrot). Her birthday cakes are no exception. Last year instead of a cake she wanted layered jello. This year, a coffee cake. I had to make it somehow birthday-ish, and so I baked it in a cake pan instead of a bundt pan, which allowed me to frost and decorate it.<br />
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This recipe is really good as a bundt cake... the layers of crumble at the bottom and middle give it a little bit of fancy good looks, as well as a delicious twist to each bite. I just put all the crumble in the middle this time, and it turned out great that way as well.<br />
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We are celebrating the beginning of summer vacation.... so even though my little girl really wanted a coffee cake, I couldn't resist the urge to "birthday" it up a bit.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-9341262037193635872012-06-24T12:14:00.004-07:002012-06-24T12:14:29.649-07:00Tandoori Turkey Burgers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Last week, we did Cub Scout camp. For five days, I spent the hours between 8:30 and 5:30 at a campsite, helping boys do crafts, shoot arrows, use slingshots, cook in a cardboard box oven, play football and badminton, and generally just be dirty, busy, loud, active, competitive boys. My two sons participated in camp, and my daughter worked her tail off as a junior volunteer.</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Each night, we came trudging into the house, peeling filthy socks off our feet, dropping the camp t-shirts into a pile, and flopping onto the couch. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Dinner needed to be something simple, and something quick for these kids who had run, climbed, swam, and hiked all day long in the hot sun. They were <b>hungry </b>and tired... not a great combination. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">These turkey burgers did the trick! They are pretty simple to throw together, they can be grilled in just a couple of minutes (while the kids hose the first layer of grime off each other), and they are TASTY. Topped with cilantro, onion, and cucumber, and a delicious yogurt sauce, they are nice and light and flavorful, just perfect for a hot night.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The recipe came from <a href="http://bakedbree.com/tandoori-chicken-burgers">Bake Bree</a>, and I only made a few tweaks. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tandoori Turkey Burgers</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 pounds ground turkey</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">4 green onions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">2 Tablespoons lemon juice</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 Tablespoon paprika</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">2 teaspoons cumin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">salt and pepper to taste</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Pita bread</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">persian cucumber</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">cilantro</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">red onion sliced thinly</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">yogurt sauce:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 small container plain Greek yogurt<br />1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped<br />2 teaspoons cumin<br />1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice<br />salt and pepper</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Using your hands, combine the turkey, green onions, ginger, lemon juice, and spices. Form into 4-5 patties. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. Grill the pita bread for the last couple of minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, stir together all of the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Place a burger patty onto each piece of pita bread. Top with the cucumber, cilantro, and onion. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Drizzle on some sauce, and enjoy!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-67741571209190438642012-06-04T12:31:00.003-07:002012-06-04T12:31:53.114-07:00White Citrus SangriaI have decided that this is going to be the summer of the sangria. Why, you ask?<br />
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I can't think of a single reason why <i>not</i>, so there you have it.<br />
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I have been reading and reading plenty of mouth-watering recipes for Sangrias lately. In order to give some structure to this obsession, I have made an important decision in the name of science. I feel I need to try them all out, and then decide which one is best. But then, I will have to make it several times, in order to be sure that it remains <i>consistently</i> the best. Right?<br />
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Come along as I check out some Sangria options.<br />
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This first one is a white wine, citrus Sangria. It's very light and the addition of fresh squeezed orange juice gives it a great flavor. However, if you are one (like me) who likes to dig in and eat the boozy fruit at the end of the glass, you may be disappointed. The orange slices are to die for, but the lemon slices aren't great snacking material.<br />
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Citrus Sangria<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/05/11/white-sangria-recipe/">Brown Eyed Baker</a><br />
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2 large oranges<br />
1 large lemon<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tablespoons Cointreau<br />
l bottle Chardonnay<br />
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Slice one of the oranges and the lemon into 1/4 inch thick slices. Add them and the sugar to a pitcher. Muddle the fruit and sugar together until the sugar is mostly dissolved, but stop before the fruit is completely mutilated.<br />
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Juice the other orange, and stir in the orange juice, Cointreau, and wine.<br />
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Chill for at least 2 hours, while you think of a great toast for a perfect summer evening.<br />
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This can be poured over ice, if you wish.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-67697284626658012302012-05-31T20:44:00.000-07:002012-05-31T20:44:46.653-07:00Roasted Smashed Potatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh yes. Summer is here. It was 100 degrees today, and the kids only have 2 weeks left of school. I am officially giving over to summer brain. They've been staying up well past bedtime, we have been swimming at least three times a week, and I am letting my kids (completely against my usual policies) madly scramble to use up all the free homework passes their teachers gave them, before it's too late.</div>
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This is the crazy time of year, when there is a performance or banquet or party or ceremony several nights a week. Every group we belong to wants to celebrate the closing of the season. I have signed up to provide refreshments, snacks, equipment, pot luck dishes, and my service in three different classes, for the baseball teams, the cub scouts and the girl scouts, the orchestra and at work. However, I have also tried my darndest to make sure that we are getting a decent dinner, even on nights when we rush from one place to another. That having been said, though, it has been over a week since we sat at the dining table. (And I know this because the mountain of schoolwork that came home from Open House night at school is still sitting there. Nine days later). Instead, we have been eating on the back patio. And eating outside goes best with cooking outside, no?<br />
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Tonight we had sliders for dinner. I am not sure exactly why, but my kids would prefer to eat a few sliders rather than one larger burger any day of the week. So, fine then. Little burgers and yummy sides. And the sides were indeed soooo yummy. I made the <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/search?q=zucchini+carpaccio">zucchini carpaccio</a> that I tried last summer (heaven!!) and I also made these potatoes.<br />
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I found this recipe on the website for <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=26327&incode=M**ASCA00">America's Test Kitchen</a>, and I have to say that I almost decided to pass on a burger of any size, and just eat potatoes for dinner instead. They were so very much the exact way that I like to eat potatoes. Salty and seasoned, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Potato heaven.<br />
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Take some small red potatoes (any number will do... make as many as you can, in my opinion!) and scrub them well. Then, boil them in some salty water just until they can be easily pierced with a fork. You don't want them fall-y apart-y, you just want them crushable.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.<br />
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Then drizzle a pretty decent amount of olive oil on a baking sheet. Think of this: The more oil, the more crispiness, and the less sticking. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, and with the bottom of a glass, crush each one until it is about 1/2 inch thick.<br />
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Next, drizzle more olive oil all over all of the smashed potatoes. Again, remember that the oil will contribute to the crispiness. You will be glad you did. Sprinkle some dried thyme over all of the potatoes, and some salt and pepper. I went heavy on both, and boy was I glad I did!<br />
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Now, place the sheet of potatoes in the oven (even if your husband came home from work and stole one and told you that you can stop there, he loves them the way they are... it's going to be okay. Just roast the rest of them). Let them brown and crisp for about 25-30 minutes, and then pull them out and enjoy! They are good before you roast them. But after? They are <i>excellent</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEqTbrHNPts/T8g5gaYlLGI/AAAAAAAABYY/zgLbz0130Bg/s1600/IMG_0916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEqTbrHNPts/T8g5gaYlLGI/AAAAAAAABYY/zgLbz0130Bg/s320/IMG_0916.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-91727098095743157062012-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:002012-05-24T08:24:23.459-07:00Strawberry Coffee Cake<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I took the kids to Downtown LA, and while we were there, we went to eat lunch at <a href="http://www.langersdeli.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Langer's Deli</span></a>, which is a bit of a local landmark. It's an old-fashioned deli/restaurant that is about to celebrate its 65th anniversary. The adults at the table followed the advice "When in Rome, act like a Roman", and we each ordered the restaurant's specialty: Pastrami, cole slaw, and Swiss cheese on Rye.</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">And now I need to pause and wonder. Does one capitalize Swiss and Cheese? Or just Swiss? Or is it so very far removed from Switzerland that it doesn't need to be capitalized at all? I don't want the entire nation of Switzerland, kind as they are, to go the way of Kleenex Brand Tissues (Reserved).</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway. My kids, in their infinite ability to astonish me, each ordered a meatloaf sandwich. What?! Don't they know that meatloaf is gross? I couldn't believe that any child of mine would voluntarily put meatloaf in his or her mouth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">They gobbled up the sandwiches and assured me that they <b>love</b> meatloaf. Ummm. Okay.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am not really sure how they knew what meatloaf is, or where they had heard of it, or much less <i>tasted</i> it, but there you have it. They knew it, ordered it, and loved it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">They have been asking me to make meatloaf for dinner. And today, I humored them (despite my better judgement). However, since I am going to have to reward <i>myself</i> for eating meatloaf, I also made a yummy dessert. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This recipe was presented as a "buckle." I have always understood a buckle to be more like a Brown Betty, Cobbler, or Crisp. This came out much more like a coffee cake. The bottom layer is very light and fluffy, with a layer of strawberries and a crunchy topping. So I am going to consider it to be a coffee cake. The good news, that it is so very delicious, means it won't stick around for long. It will be eaten long before anyone can have an issue with its name.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Strawberry Coffee Cake</span><br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/898912/rhubarb-buckle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">(adapted from Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Buckle)</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Vegetable-oil cooking spray, for cake pans</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 pint strawberries, sliced </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 cups all-purpose flour, divided</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon coarse salt</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and divided</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 large eggs</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup sour cream</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup light-brown sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 teaspoon coarse salt</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center position. Coat two 9-inch square cake pans with cooking spray, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Slice strawberries and set aside.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Whisk together 2 cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together 1 1/2 sticks of butter, sugar, and the lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Make the crumb topping: Stir together remaining flour, brown sugar, and salt. Melt the remaining butter, and stir into the flour mixture to combine.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Divide batter between pans. Top with sliced strawberries, and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until golden on top and cooked through, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks, then lift cakes from pans using parchment. Remove parchment. Before serving, cut into 2-inch squares.</span></span><br />
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<i>This post is linked to the Improv Challenge hosted by Kristen at <a href="http://www.frugalanticsrecipes.com/">Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker</a>. Check out what everyone else did with strawberries and cream!</i><br />
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</script>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-89274622170729577132012-05-10T20:11:00.000-07:002012-05-10T20:12:04.434-07:00Broccoli Salad with golden raisins and sunflower seedsAlthough there were a few years where I would have never admitted it, my mom is pretty dang hip.<br />
<br />
I mean, for a woman is <strike>in her 40s</strike> <strike>in her 50s</strike> old enough to be my mother, she is athletic and active, perpetually busy, and extremely social. She would probably consider herself to be relatively conservative, but I happen to know that she is very open-minded, willing to live and let live, always interested in learning more, and ever-willing to change her opinion as she gathers more facts.<br />
<br />
And, despite the fact that just the other day, an email from her read "I am trying to use John's iPad...."<br />
<i>(Trying? To use an iPad? They are, by design, easy enough for a toddler to use.)</i>... She is actually pretty modern, forward thinking, and up-to-date.<br />
<br />
Want proof?<br />
<br />
This salad.<br />
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<br />
My mom has been making this salad for quite a while now. It is a totally awesome salad.<br />
<br />
Coming along in her wake, this salad has become suddenly popular. Coincidence? Perhaps. But all of a sudden I see that Costco has a kit to make this salad. And Souplantation now considers it one of their signature salads. And try searching <a href="http://pinterest.com/search/?q=broccoli+salad">"broccoli salad"</a> on Pinterest. Mmm hmm. There it is, all over the place. If Pinterest doesn't convince you that we are standing on the very brink of trendiness, what will?<br />
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<br />
However, until all these places and people start renaming their salad "Katy's Broccoli Salad", you are going to have to just believe me. My mom is awesome.<br />
<br />
(And... she is also not big on attention. Which means that I have to figure out somewhere to hide as soon as I publish this.)<br />
<br />
Broccoli Salad<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
3 tablespoons sugar<br />
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets<br />
1/2 red onion, diced<br />
1/2 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds<br />
1/4 cup golden raisins<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add the remaining ingredients, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SsZNZydnto/T6yCYd33W6I/AAAAAAAABXQ/MtAUGVttZHk/s1600/IMG_0737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--SsZNZydnto/T6yCYd33W6I/AAAAAAAABXQ/MtAUGVttZHk/s320/IMG_0737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-31154887313831241542012-05-02T07:46:00.001-07:002012-05-09T18:17:24.645-07:00Radish Dip from Martha StewartDon't you hate those awkward conversations you have to have once in a while when you are stuck for what feels like an eternity? Say, for example, you are waiting for your son to be released from school, and your good friend sends her husband to school. You've met the guy a few times but you don't really <i>know</i> him, and now you're stuck for 6 minutes staring at a closed classroom door struggling for things to say.<br />
<br />
How 'bout them Dodgers? And the weather's nice, eh?<br />
<br />
Don't think I'm being awkward, but how <b>about</b> that weather? I don't know what it's like for you right now, but lately my little corner of Southern California is not acting at all like Southern California. We are <b>supposed</b> to get 4 inches of rain over the winter, and then a couple months of glorious days in the 70s and 80s and then a hot summer. In precisely that order. We don't flip flop between seasons. We don't go <i>back</i> to rainy days after they are done and spring has come.<br />
<br />
But these days the weather is acting like... like... like the midwest. I love the midwest, I do. Despite growing up in Sunny paradise here, most of my childhood memories (and certainly my best memories) are from my summers in Green Bay. It's just that since small neighborhood houses here sell for close to a million dollars, you ought to get sunshine with your mortgage payment. Every day.<br />
<br />
The past month had been kooky. One day it's raining, the next it's sunny and hot. Then back to overcast and cold. We even had... ugh... <i>humidity</i>. One Friday I was running, with my hood up, through the pouring rain to my daughter's classroom. The next Friday, at the exact same time, I was walking there in a sundress, trying to find ways to distract myself and stay in the sunshine for just a few seconds longer.<br />
<br />
So, we are making the best of it and trying to stay outside every second we can to soak up the sun on the days it is here. Which means that my kindergartner has gotten to go swimming with some of his buddies during the precious hours between kindergarten dismissal at noon and the big kids coming home at 2:30 or more than a couple of occasions. It's good to be the baby of the family, isn't it? And hey, we have to make hay while the sun shines. (Clearly <i>that</i> is an expression written somewhere other than here.)<br />
<br />
Lazy days at the pool mean snacks and drinks and more snacks. Those <strike>kids</strike> parents can work up an appetite while they <strike>swim</strike> watch people swim!<br />
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I found this recipe for radish dip in Martha Stewart Magazine this month. It's yummy and easy to throw together. It tastes even better the day after you make it (when the ingredients have had time to meld). Stir together a batch of dip, and then bring it along with some pita chips or baguette slices to your picnic. Or pool day. Or happy hour party (It's fancy enough for that if you want it to be!). Or, skip the carbs and serve it with fresh snap peas and carrot sticks. After all, you want to look good poolside!<br />
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<br />
Radish Dip<br />
<i>Martha's recipe makes enough to serve quite a crowd. I cut everything in half and still had plenty.</i><br />
<br />
1 pound radishes (about 25), julienned<br />
1 1/4 cups sour cream<br />
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3 cups)<br />
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from two lemons)<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt<br />
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill<br />
<br />
crackers or toast or raw veggies for serving<br />
<br />
Combine all the ingredients and chill until ready to serve.<br />
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<i>This post is linked to <a href="http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/05/tastetastic-thursday-510_09.html">A Little Nosh</a></i>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-59588900827589916722012-05-01T07:51:00.001-07:002012-05-01T07:51:58.129-07:00Mini German Pancake cups<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I might just turn into a breakfast junkie. On weekdays I usually feed the kids some scrambled eggs or cereal and I whip together a protein shake in the blender for myself, and drink it while I ride my bike to work. On weekends, I usually feed the kids some scrambled eggs or cereal and I whip together a protein shake in the blender for myself, and drink it while I do household chores or cheer on little league games. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But then I made these the other day:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wow. These little German Pancakes are really simple to make (throw all of the ingredients in the blender and pour into muffin tins). They aren't actually too horrible for you (okay... flour and sugar are hardly health foods, but there is really not too much sugar and there are lots of eggs). They bake quickly (by the time the blender is dismantled and loaded into the dishwasher and the lunches are packed, the breakfast is done). And they are really delicious! I gave them to the kids as an after-school snack the other day and they begged for more.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I served them with a choice of <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-jar-of-sunshine.html">lemon curd</a>, <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2012/03/apple-butter-in-slow-cooker.html">apple butter</a>, or orange marmalade. They would go well with any kind of jam, or sauce, I think. I got the recipe from <a href="http://realmomkitchen.com/489/mini-german-pancakes/">Laura at Real Mom Kitchen</a>, who served them with a berry sauce. If you wanted to go healthier, I would top them with some fresh berries and a tiny little sprinkling of powdered sugar. Any way you do it, you won't be disappointed. These little guys are fabulous.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kwMteuxTMBk/T5_3P0PKIaI/AAAAAAAABWo/yY7nZTjvsXY/s1600/IMG_0658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kwMteuxTMBk/T5_3P0PKIaI/AAAAAAAABWo/yY7nZTjvsXY/s200/IMG_0658.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omdDCTjZ87Y/T5_3Ov3WOeI/AAAAAAAABWg/s8vn6DJ1zj4/s1600/IMG_0651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omdDCTjZ87Y/T5_3Ov3WOeI/AAAAAAAABWg/s8vn6DJ1zj4/s200/IMG_0651.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w5HKVJ6OckA/T5_3NnNDYDI/AAAAAAAABWY/4yNaQ9Qnbm0/s1600/IMG_0649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w5HKVJ6OckA/T5_3NnNDYDI/AAAAAAAABWY/4yNaQ9Qnbm0/s200/IMG_0649.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They bake up really tall (Laura made 18 out of her batter, she says the recipe she used made 24, and I only got 12. I think that maybe I made mine a little too tall?). But the middle stays a bit low, and as they cool they sink in the middle, which makes them perfect little cups for holding whatever topping you choose. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cute and yummy. What more could you ask for?</span><br />
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/1.5em Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Mini German Pancakes</span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 cup milk<br />6 eggs<br />1 cup flour<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />1/4 cup butter, melted</span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/1.5em Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Preheat oven to 400 and melt the butter first, so it can cool while you work on the rest of the batter. Grease the muffin tins. Blend the milk, eggs, flour salt and vanilla in a blender thoroughly. (Make sure you aren't left with any little clumps of flour). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Blend in the melted butter a little at a time. Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full. (I did them more full, but I think I will make them a bit smaller next time). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top. Serve them with your preferred topping and enjoy!</span></span></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-47028491590967947362012-04-28T13:46:00.002-07:002012-04-28T13:46:44.762-07:00Lemon CakeI had a friend over for breakfast the other day. It was such a nice break! She came and we chatted for a couple of hours. My kids were all at school, her preschooler took advantage of a kids' house with no kids in it (meaning she had full control and never had to wait her turn. Bliss). It was such a wonderful escape from the constant running around that I have done for the past few weeks.<br />
<br />
A little while ago this same friend had served me an amazing breakfast of fresh-baked scones and delicious juice, made in her really, really cool juicer. I mean the juice was amazing. Fresh pears and oranges and I'm not sure what-all went in one side and came out the other side in a delicious concoction that made me feel like I did my body more good in that one glass than I did the rest of the month combined. (Honey? Are you reading this? I'm hinting!!)<br />
<br />
Anyway, I did what I consider to be typical for myself, and I waited way too long to reciprocate the favor. So long that I started to feel so much <i>pressure</i>. Waiting that long could only mean two things. Either I am too lazy and distracted to invite her for breakfast (and I don't really want to admit that), or I am planning something really really special. So that means I totally had to come up with something good, right? But she already set the bar so high! I mean, fresh chocolate scones? How do I top that? And I don't even own a juicer! (hint, hint).<br />
<br />
Plus, her house was spotless. How do I compete with perfection?<br />
<br />
Okay, I'm exaggerating. This is the coolest, most laid-back friend. She totally would never expect that she should be invited back, or that anything should be special in any way. I could invite her over for a bowl of Cheerios and she would probably be just fine with that.<br />
<br />
Still, though, I did want to make a yummy breakfast. I never eat a good breakfast. Most days I get the kids fed and ready for school and then whip up a quick protein shake to down on my way to work. Not exactly leisurely or inspired. Having a friend over forced me to actually think about what I was eating for a change.<br />
<br />
Lo and behold, this week's Abundant Harvest newsletter included a recipe for Lemon Cake. Either the food gods are looking out for me, by continually setting perfect recipes in my lap at just the moment I need them, ... or I'm getting lazy and cooking the first recipe I see. Let's go with I am in the gods' favor. It makes me feel special.<br />
<br />
One of the great things about this cake recipe is that it makes two loaf-sized cakes. That means that we had one with our breakfast (and the kids had the leftovers for an after-school snack) and I sent the other in to my son's teachers as a little recess-time snack, to thank them for their hard work at the school fundraiser the day before. Win-win-win! Everyone's happy!<br />
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The cake is really nice. It is lemony without being overwhelming. It's almost like a pound cake with some lemon added to it. The recipe called to make a syrup that would soak into the cake, (and I'm sure up the lemon-factor). Instead, I thought it would look nicer and taste just as good to make it into a glaze that stayed on top of the cake. By slightly decreasing the amount of lemon juice and using powdered sugar instead of granulated, I thought it made a nice difference.<br />
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This one travels well and goes great with a cup of coffee. Take some to work to share in the staff kitchen!<br />
<br />
Lemon Cake<br />
(From Abundant Harvest Organics)<br />
<br />
2 sticks butter at room temperature<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1/3 cup grated lemon zest<br />
4 eggs<br />
3 cups flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided<br />
3/4 cup buttermilk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans.<br />
<br />
In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on medium speed, add eggs and lemon zest. Add dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine l/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the lemon mixture to the mixer and mix thoroughly. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until is is turning golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.<br />
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When the cakes are cool, remove from their pans. Combine the powdered sugar and the remaining lemon juice (a tiny bit of juice at a time, until the glaze is a good consistency). Pour the glaze over the cakes and serve.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-75303178163434319752012-04-27T07:49:00.000-07:002012-04-28T13:47:59.090-07:00Grilled Chicken Salad from Martha StewartOh my oh my. Martha Stewart. Just when I was ready and set to give up on you. Just when I felt like every recipe in your magazine required the purchase of either (a.) a new specialized baking dish or kitchen utensil or (b.) a farm in New Hampshire, you came through for me.<br />
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In the May issue of the magazine is the feature "Lunch in the Garden," in which Dana Gallagher rewarded several of her friends for helping rescue her weedy garden by serving them a delicious lunch that she made largely with the fruits of their own labor.<br />
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It was another one of those serendipitous moments for me. I was leisurely leafing through the magazine, just about to quit my Martha habit cold turkey, when I spied the recipe for the Grilled Chicken Salad. It listed several ingredients that happened to come in my box again this week (thanks be to seasonal cooking once again! Dana Gallagher's garden and the Abundant Harvest Farms both seem to have produce that understands it should be ripening right now. Those smart little veggies.).<br />
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Lettuce, peas, mint, lemon? I've got that!<br />
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This recipe is really easy to put together, especially considering lots of it can be done ahead of time. If you've been around here for very long at all, you know I love something that can be done ahead. There just isn't time between school and karate class and baseball practice and piano lessons and scout meetings to really dedicate any length of afternoon/evening to the kitchen. This salad let me marinate the chicken in the morning, grill it while I cleaned the veggies and whisked up the dressing at lunch time, and throw the salad together just in time to intercept the starving family as they zipped though my dining room. The chicken can actually be cooked at any time during the day and kept refrigerated until showtime.<br />
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I sat at dinner and ate and ate and ate until I was uncomfortable (which has been pointed out to me, isn't easy to do with a salad). It was just so delicious that I couldn't stop! I didn't know how I was going to feel about mint in my salad, but it was amazing! I am hoping to get more peas right quick so I can make this one again!<br />
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Here is the recipe just how Martha presents it. The only substitution I made was to use Romaine instead of butter lettuce. I think the butter lettuce would have been even better, but Romaine was what I got this week, and so Romaine is what I ate. I also cooked a little less chicken (feeding only five, rather than the 20 or so that seemed to be at the featured garden party). I loved that it called for both legs and breasts. The kids love eating chicken drumsticks!<br />
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Grilled Chicken Salad<br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/898903/grilled-chicken-salad">from Martha Stewart Living May 2012</a><br />
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<ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 or 4 lemons), divided</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic (4 cloves), divided</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (10 to 11 ounces each)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12 chicken drumsticks</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cups shelled fresh peas (from 2 pounds in pods)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 tablespoons minced shallot</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 tablespoons Dijon mustard</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 teaspoon coarse salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, plus 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves (from 2 bunches)</li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 to 2 heads butterhead lettuce such as Bibb or Boston, trimmed and separated into leaves</li>
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Directions</h2>
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Whisk together 1/4 cup oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon garlic. Pour over chicken, and refrigerate 2 hours.</div>
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Cook peas in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, and submerge in ice water to stop the cooking and retain color.</div>
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat or set up grill for indirect heat. Remove chicken from marinade, and grill chicken, turning often, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes for drumsticks and 20 to 25 minutes for breasts. Let cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, cut chicken breasts into thick slices.</div>
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Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon garlic, the shallot, mustard, salt, and chopped mint in a medium bowl. Arrange lettuce, whole mint leaves, and peas on a large serving platter. Toss chicken in dressing, and arrange on salad. Pour remaining dressing over salad.</div>
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</div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-72591357339922963462012-04-24T07:16:00.000-07:002012-04-24T07:16:31.375-07:00Parsnip Muffins (adapted from Alton Brown's recipe)A little over a year ago, I tried a parsnip for the very first time. And then, (new to the whole veggie box, and unsure of how to best get the vegetables out of the kitchen and into my gullet) I attacked the parsnips with gusto.<br />
<br />
And very very quickly <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/03/things-i-never-knew-i-never-knew.html">overdosed on parsnip</a>.<br />
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I was fairly certain that no parsnip should ever pass my lips again. My little brother got married during this past year, and at his wedding the guests were served course after course of absolutely amazing food. Everything was locally sourced and fresh and seasonal and amazing. At the table where I was sitting, everyone raved about the vegetarian pot pie. I dove right in, and came up gasping for air... all I could taste was the parsnip.<br />
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However, the world continues to turn and the seasons to change, and the root vegetables to mature. And lo and behold, again came the parsnip. Out of the earth and into my kitchen.<br />
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I tentatively put one in a batch of vegetables I was roasting. I ate it nervously, and while I could taste it, it didn't leave me gagging.<br />
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This led me to try to give the parsnip another real chance. One relative success I had with them last year was muffins. I couldn't get the kids to eat them at that time, and I was already parsnip-weary, so many of them ended up going to waste. However, as I recalled, they were really pretty nice muffins.<br />
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Wow! Give me a year break from parsnips, and a fabulous muffin recipe, and I am a whole new woman!<br />
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These things are great! They really are nice and light and fluffy. They are sweet and the nutmeg gives them just enough interest. The kids aren't so afraid of my vegetable antics any more, and they gobbled these muffins all up right away. As a matter of fact, I am going to make more this week.<br />
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Parsnip muffins<br />
<i>This is basically Alton Brown's recipe, but I had to convert his measurements from weights into cups, so I thought I would just give it to you the easy way.</i><br />
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2 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3 eggs<br />
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 1/2 cups grated parsnip<br />
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Preheat the oven to 375.<br />
Combine the flour, soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a mixer, combine the eggs, yogurt, oil and sugar until well blended. Add the parsnip and then the dry ingredients.<br />
Mix until just combined.<br />
Pour into greased (or paper-lined) muffin tins.<br />
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Bake for 20 minutes or until they're golden brown and they spring back to the touch.<br />
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Makes 16-18 muffinsSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-3909176732915785522012-04-23T07:35:00.001-07:002012-04-23T07:36:04.238-07:00Really simple broccoli side dishWe are at a bit of a crossroads in my house. My kids like their vegetables to stay plain. They'll eat only a few different veggies, and no sauces or dips or really anything else. They like them just simply steamed. Steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, steamed peas. They don't want any cheese, cream, garlic, or anything else coming near them.<br />
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On the other hand, I want food to be much more complex than that. I want each bite to offer me a few different layers of flavor. Broccoli is good, but it begs to be combined with cream and garlic and thyme. Asparagus is lovely, but asparagus with lemon or cheese is amazing. Carrots are fine. But carrots with ginger or baked into a pot pie or simmering in a thick stew are a whole new vegetable.<br />
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I decided to attack this little "problem" of the warring taste preferences in my house by getting the kids over to my side little by little. I am going to treat their veggies with just the slightest, lightest, mildest sauces, and increase over time until my kids become full-fledged humans, who were born to be omnivores and actually like a variety of foods.<br />
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I know there must be some sort of amazing metaphor for my job as a parent and raising my kids to be independent contributing members of society in there, but right now it's Monday morning and I am just getting into my first cup of coffee. I'll be ready to wax eloquent much later today.<br />
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For now, I'll tell you about the broccoli that the kids ate, somewhat willingly, even with three actual <i>ingredients</i> in the dish.<br />
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It is a nice, light, easy side dish. I made it in the morning and kept it refrigerated all day. I pulled it out of the fridge about an hour before we ate, so it could come back to room temperature. The flavors are mild, but sweet and salty enough to give it some interest. This one will probably grace our table a few more times during the current broccoli season.<br />
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<br />
Sweet Asian-ish Broccoli<br />
<br />
1 or 2 big heads of broccoli<br />
2 tablespoons sesame oil<br />
2 tablespoons rice vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
2 teaspoons brown sugar<br />
3 teaspoons sesame seeds<br />
<br />
Steam the broccoli on the stove or in the microwave.<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the cooked broccoli and toss. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top just before serving.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-23618151967418584862012-04-22T08:56:00.000-07:002012-04-22T08:56:43.886-07:00Asparagus and Radish SaladWell hello there!<br />
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It has been a while, hasn't it?<br />
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When I first started getting <i>the box</i>, and I first started reading more and more about the importance of eating locally and seasonally, all the literature assured me that my tastes and my body would grow to love it. That the zucchini would run out just when I was tired of it, and come back when I was missing it again. I would be thrilled to see the return of the oranges just as the stone fruits went to sleep for the winter, and that the coming of asparagus would be one of the highlights of my spring.<br />
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I have to admit that I wasn't so sure I believed it all. I thought that a year in which avocados were available every day and that beets didn't <i>have </i>a season sounded more like paradise. I'd rather have basil grow all winter long and skip the turnips, thankyouverymuch.<br />
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But once again, as it turns out, the experts know a tad more than I do. This winter I realized that a stew just hits the spot on a rainy day (and that turnips actually are a perfect part of <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-stew.html">a good stew</a>!). And while I was eating hot bowls of <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2012/01/martha-stewarts-creamy-cauliflower-soup.html">creamy cauliflower soup</a> or slow-roasted squash, I never longed for an avocado. (I'm still not sure I will ever last as long as zucchini season does, though).<br />
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But when the days got warmer and longer, it was so nice to see basil come back, along with it's perfect partner, tomatoes. It is paradise to spend a warm afternoon on the patio eating a no-cook appetizer of basil, cheese and tomatoes stacked together, and some avocado on the burgers we are grilling.<br />
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So, because I have spent the spring so happy to see my old friends come around again after months without them, I haven't done much new with them. As I unpack the box every week, I find myself saying things like "Awesome! Asparagus! I am going to make those appetizers I tried last year!" ...or... "Oooh! Lemons! Time for some more lemon curd! And lemon cookies! And lemon bars! And lemon COCKTAILS!" When the snow peas came last week, they didn't stand a chance. I was so excited to see them that I stood and ate them plain and raw as I unpacked the rest of the box.<br />
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But then I ran across a recipe for an asparagus salad that sounded just right. It happened to include no less than six ingredients that were all in my box this week! (See why cooking seasonally is so much fun!?) The salad just basically steamed asparagus and sliced radishes, but it is tossed in the most delicious dressing. I made enough dressing that I had enough for the asparagus salad, and plenty more to store in the fridge. I have used the leftovers for a regular garden salad as well as a dip for raw veggies. Maybe this week's snow peas will at least get dipped before I make quick history of them!<br />
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Anyway, on to the salad:<br />
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Asparagus and Radish Salad with Spring-Herb Dressing<br />
This one came from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/3990_asparagus_radish_salad_with_spring_herb_dressing">Food 52</a>, a site I am looking forward to exploring more!<br />
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<br />
one bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into one-inch pieces<br />
one bunch radishes, thinly sliced<br />
one cup sour cream<br />
1/2 cup buttermilk<br />
2 tablespoons mayonnaise<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
juice of one small lemon<br />
splash of white wine vinegar<br />
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped<br />
4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped<br />
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Steam the asparagus on the stovetop or in the microwave. Slice the radishes thinly.<br />
Place all of the remaining ingredients in a blender and whir until they are well combined.<br />
Toss the vegetables with the dressing, and keep refrigerated until ready to eat!<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-22422376514518481532012-03-29T08:26:00.001-07:002012-03-29T17:22:02.858-07:00Larb (Thai Salad)Oh happy day! I love when I discover that one of my favorite, special occasion, once-in-a-while treats can be made easily and with great results at home!<br />
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Larb has always been one of my favorite things to order at a Thai restaurant, when I am being schmancy and ordering appetizers. It seems like an appetizer to me, that is, but it is usually found under the salad portion of the menu. (maybe because the veggies in it are added at the end and not cooked?) If you have never had it, either make this version or go to a Thai restaurant (tonight!) and order it. You won't regret it. Despite the unfortunate-sounding name (to our western ears) the dish is to. die. for.<br />
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Before I move on, I feel I need to give props to Laos. I discovered, in looking up some different versions of Larb recipes, that it is actually the national dish of Laos. Who knew? I haven't been to a Laotian restaurant (or Laos for that matter), but I know what I will be ordering if I ever do go! (To either a restaurant or the country, that is). I also learned that a portion of Thailand used to be Laos (Again, who knew? I am clearly not up to snuff on my Asian history), and that this dish is common mostly in that part of Thailand. Well. I am glad for that, because that means it made it into some of my favorite restaurants. And if you live in town, go to <a href="http://www.thaipeppernewhall.com/">Thai Pepper</a> on Main Street and order the Larb. It's number 19 under the ... you guessed it... salad portion of the menu. Not only is the food fabulous, but so is the adorable older couple who own the place.<br />
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Ahem. Back to the <strike>appetizer</strike> <strike>salad</strike> recipe at hand. Larb is a mixture of meat (I have seen it made with chicken, beef, turkey, and pork), lime juice, fish sauce, and cilantro and onions. All flavored with garlic and ginger.<br />
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I found this recipe thanks to Rachel at <a href="http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/">De Ma Cuisine</a>, who does the weekly cooking show and meal planner for Abundant Harvest. If you are an AHO subscriber (or just a lover of fresh delicious veggie-loaded food), check her out! She is adorable, her show is fun, and her recipes are yummy. Anyway, Rachel had included this on her weekly plan when we got cabbages in her box. The recipe was listed as <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/thai-beef-cabbage-cups-50400000115823/">Thai Beef Cabbage Cups</a>, which intrigued me. When I saw the subtitle (Larb), I was hooked.<br />
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I followed the recipe more or less, but I added a little fresh basil, and forgot the peanuts (accidentally). It's perfect! I think I will try making it with turkey next time, since the beef tastes still rather beefy, and I think the turkey might take on more of the flavors of the garlic and ginger, but I am not complaining. I am in love!<br />
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Larb<br />
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2 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided<br />
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 pound ground sirloin (or turkey, or chicken, or....)<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce<br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper<br />
1/2 cup vertically sliced onion<br />
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro<br />
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil<br />
8 large cabbage leaves<br />
2 teaspoons finely chopped peanuts<br />
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Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for one minute stirring constantly. Add the meat and cook, stirring to break it up, until it is done all the way through.<br />
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Combine the rest of the sesame oil, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed pepper in a large bowl When the meat is cooked, add it to the bowl along with the cilantro, basil, and onion, and toss well.<br />
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Divide the meat mixture into the cabbage leaves, and serve. (At this point, you may want to go ahead and add the peanuts. I wish I had!)<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-62817419517897220862012-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:002012-03-28T08:38:33.343-07:00Asparagus PestoI have to admit, I am a fool for anything with the name pesto in it. I adore basil (as much as any person can adore an herb), and by the time you add some garlic to it, I am in flavor heaven.<br />
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I also happen to be a fool for asparagus. I was thrilled to see it it my <a href="http://ahorganics.com/">Abundant Harvest Box</a> this week. I have read that there are many cultures who see the first asparagus as the official start to spring, and hold festivals to celebrate its arrival. I totally get it.<br />
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When two worlds collide, and I see a veggie I love and a recipe that intrigues me on the same day, I know the vegetable gods are asking that I make it. Who am I to defy the gods?<br />
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This pesto is everything I hoped for. The salty, garlic-y, basil-y nutty flavors were perfect. It's not a sauce so much as a paste, and it seems perfect for spreading on crackers or crostini for an appetizer, or with chicken, pork, or fish for a delicious main dish. If you wanted to toss it with pasta I would recommend adding a bit more oil, and letting it puree finer. I served it with chicken breasts that I grilled. A big salad and some fresh strawberries and orange slices, and it was a perfect spring dinner.<br />
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Asparagus Pesto<br />
(Adapted from <a href="http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2005/04/day-seven-asparagus-tapenade.html">here</a>)<br />
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one pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1/4 cup cashews<br />
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper<br />
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First, steam the asparagus until tender. I used a microwave steamer that I love for its handiness, but you can do it on the stovetop as well. Set aside to cool.<br />
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In a food processor, whir the garlic cloves until they are chopped pretty finely. (This way no big chunks will be left to overpower any one mouthful). Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until they are all chopped finely and mixed well, but not pureed into a sauce. You want some bite to it.<br />
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That's it! Serve it with your favorite accompaniment!<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-87617071287587624752012-03-27T08:34:00.000-07:002012-03-27T08:34:58.458-07:00loaded baked potato soup (loaded with sshh! Cauliflower!)Well, here in southern California we finally got winter. It happened last Sunday. After <strike>weeks</strike> months of sunshine and tank tops, Sunday was winter. It rained and poured for about half of the day. And now we're back to spring.<br />
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For that one day, though, it seemed like I ought take advantage of the cold and dreary skies outside and make the house seem warm and cozy by heating up the kitchen. I made two batches of strawberry jam (see what I mean about the warm winter lately? Strawberries already at the farm stands!!). And then I made a big pot of hearty potato soup.<br />
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But, since around here the name of the game is to load everything I can with more vegetables (and to make things healthier while I'm at it), I found a recipe that replaces half of the potatoes with cauliflower.<br />
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It turns out nice and creamy and rich, and by the time you top it with bacon and cheese and chives, you are in heaven. Rainy days don't get much better than this!<br />
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Baked Potato Soup<br />
(I got this recipe from <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/baked-potato-soup.html">Skinnytaste.com</a>)<br />
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2 potatoes<br />
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets<br />
1 1/2 cups <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2012/01/simple-chicken-stock-or-vegetable-stock.html">chicken or vegetable stock</a><br />
1 1/2 cups milk<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
shredded sharp cheddar cheese<br />
bacon, cooked and crumbled<br />
6 tablespoons chives, diced<br />
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First, scrub and dry, poke the potatoes all over with a fork, then bake them. You can do it in the microwave or the oven. In the microwave, put them on high for 5 minutes, flip them, and cook them another 5 minutes. In the oven, place them on a rack for about an hour at 400. When they are done, take them out and let them cool.<br />
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While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon. Yum! Try hard not to eat it all before the soup is finished.<br />
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Cut up the cauliflower and steam it. Again, this can be done in the microwave (about 8 minutes on high), or you can do it on the stove.<br />
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When the cauliflower and the potatoes are done, its time to puree them! Peel the potatoes and put them in a blender with about half of the milk. Puree until smooth and pour into a stockpot. Next, put the cauliflower and the remaining milk in tot he blender and puree until smooth again (you may need to do this in batches). Add the pureed cauliflower to the pureed potatoes in the stockpot. Stir in the chicken or vegetable stock and season it all with a little bit of salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer.<br />
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Add the sour cream and about half of the chives. Let it all cook for another 20 minutes on low.<br />
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Ladle into bowls and top each with some more chives, some shredded cheese, and some bacon.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-39074037066374540202012-03-19T07:12:00.001-07:002012-03-19T07:41:15.283-07:00cauliflower pizza crustLast week, I had a big, beautiful cauliflower sitting in my fridge, who just know she was destined for greatness. And as it turns out, she wasn't just an empty dreamer. Greatness, indeed.<br />
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The concept of the cauliflower pizza crust was spreading like wildfire throughout Pinterest a couple of weeks ago, which proved to be excellent timing for the beauty in the crisper drawer.<br />
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Pinterest is now home to several links to different versions of this veggie pizza crust, and with good reason. It happens to be an amazingly good-tasting, solid solution for people who are vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb, or just trying to eat more veggies.<br />
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All of the reviews I read for all of the different versions of the recipe said more or less the same thing: It's delicious! It doesn't taste exactly like a pizza crust, but it doesn't taste like cauliflower, either. And it needs to be eaten with a fork.<br />
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Although I agree with all of these opinions, my kids took umbrage with the last one. It can't be pizza if you need a fork. And so, they went ahead and picked it up and ate from the tip to the crust. Then, they licked their fingers and asked for more. (I'm with my kids on this one... it isn't a dry crust, but it is perfectly lift-able, and I see no reason why those inclined to lift shouldn't).<br />
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success!<br />
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It's really quite easy to make. Some of the recipes I saw said to steam the cauliflower first, then rice it. I found it easier to run it through my food processor first, and then cook it. The cauliflower doesn't need any additional water to cook, so just put it all in a glass bowl and microwave it. After that, stir it with some "glue" ingredients, bake it, top it, and melt the cheese. Then sit back and enjoy perfectly guilt-free pizza. (Well, guilt-free until you add pepperoni. I would have preferred some veggies, but I was determined to get the kids to eat it this first time. We can always go up from here).<br />
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Most recipes I saw, on various blogs, traced back to <a href="http://yourlighterside.com/recipe-the-original-cauliflower-pizza-dough-2/">Your Lighter Side</a> as the originator of the concept.<br />
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<b>cauliflower pizza crust</b><br />
(makes enough for two 14-inch pizzas)<br />
<br />
one medium-large cauliflower<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten<br />
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
1 tablespoon dried oregano<br />
1 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
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Preheat the oven to 450.<br />
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In a food processor, finely chop the cauliflower. (Use the shredding blade). You can also hand-shred this, if you want to be industrious and work out your forearms.<br />
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In a large bowl, cook in the microwave on high for 8-9 minutes. It should be soft, not mushy. Stir together the cooked cauliflower, cheese, egg, and seasonings. Shape it into a disk on an oiled (or non-stick) pizza pan.<br />
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Bake it for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.<br />
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After the crust is done, go ahead and top it any way you like. I did traditional sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni.<br />
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Pop it back in the oven for another few minutes, to melt the cheese.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-45927095025686158702012-03-16T07:16:00.000-07:002012-03-16T07:16:33.527-07:00Spinach Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Once again, I have resorted to hiding vegetables in my kids' food. I'm not proud of it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But the cool thing is that on St. Patrick's Day, my children would never think that there is anything amiss with green food. They are all about leprechauns and rainbows and not at all about what veggies I am cajoling them into eating.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OfCE4ho6nTg/T2NI20OMysI/AAAAAAAABSY/tHUznF4-KQA/s1600/IMG_9978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OfCE4ho6nTg/T2NI20OMysI/AAAAAAAABSY/tHUznF4-KQA/s320/IMG_9978.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Actually, I saw these cupcakes and thought that they were super cute and a fabulous shade of green... prefect for St. Paddy's Day... <i>before</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>I read the part about the green coming from spinach.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It just seemed like a fun snack to make the kids, and has the bonus of a wee little bit more nutrition from the applesauce and spinach than they would get from oil and food coloring.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This recipe comes from Amy at <a href="http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/03/st-patricks-day-green-cupcakes.html">A Little Nosh</a>. They were super easy to make... just puree raw spinach into the applesauce, mix it with some basic dry ingredients, and bake.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The kids were completely fooled. The cupcakes are a little dense, as I have found cakes are when applesauce is substituted for oil. Other than that, though, you would have no idea there was anything different about them. As long as you're color-blind.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And one more thing before I go... a friend from Ireland asks that you not write St. Patty's Day. Patty would be a lass. <b>Paddy</b> is the proper abbreviation for Patrick. (And we don't want to offend the auld bloke). There is a very funny explanation of the dear <b>St</b>. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><strong>Pádraig's </strong>name <a href="http://paddynotpatty.com/">here</a>, if you're interested. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy St. Paddy's Day, folks! I'll be looking for people I can pinch.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Green Spinach Cupcakes</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">2 1/2 cups all purpose flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1/2 cup nonfat dried milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1 cup unsweetened applesauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">4 cups baby spinach</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with 18 cupcake liners.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Puree the applesauce and spinach in a blender. You may need to add the spinach in batches. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Add the spinach mixture and the vanilla to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide evenly into the muffin pan.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Cool completely before frosting.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(I make my buttercream frosting by softening a stick of butter, and then adding powdered sugar and tiny amounts of milk until I have a consistency and an amount that I like. Just keep stirring in more milk and more sugar until you have enough. One of life's great miracles is how one stick of butter can <strike>become enough loaves and fish for the masses</strike> frost anywhere from 12 to 50 cupcakes.)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: 'IM Fell English', serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-11966337400641641862012-03-15T06:00:00.021-07:002012-03-15T06:00:13.783-07:00Irish NachosWhat with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">St. Paddy's Day</span> right around the corner, I decided to combine two of my favorite things: My wee bit of Irish heritage and guacamole.<br />
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I have had Irish nachos in pubs and restaurants, and I've made them at home many times. The concept (if you've never been so lucky as to enjoy the experience) is simple... Take all that is amazing about a plate of fully loaded nachos (sour cream, guacamole, cheese, onions, meat) and put it on potatoes instead of tortilla chips. The potatoes aren't as conveniently scoop able and finger-food-ish as the chips are, but on the other hand they are quite a bit more filling and help to justify using this appetizer-y, snack-y food as a meal.<br />
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Ha! As if I felt a need to justify eating this for dinner! It's damn delicious and much preferable to may other things I've eaten for dinner. That's good enough for me.<br />
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I have seen many recipes and suggestions for how to build your Irish Nachos. I think the best I have seen is Gaby's at <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/">What's Gaby Cooking</a>. I used her recipe, with a few additions (sour cream!), and a couple substitutions (beef instead of turkey... I mean, Irish is Irish!). Really, Gaby is adorable and her recipes are delicious, and her photography is amazing. You should check out her original post and everything else she is cooking. But be prepared to find yourself suddenly <i>starving</i>.<br />
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Here is my version of <a href="http://whatsgabycooking.com/irish-nachos/">Gaby's Irish Nachos</a>:<br />
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2 russet potatoes, skin on<br />
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
1 smallish onion, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
salt and pepper<br />
2 teaspoons paprika<br />
2 teaspoons olive oil<br />
1 cup cheddar cheese<br />
1/2 cup salsa (I used the <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/10/salsa.html">salsa I canned last summer</a>, you can use the kind you love best)<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
<a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-eight-oclock-somewhere.html">guacamole</a> (the more, the better, in my book)<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the potatoes and layer them in a pie plate or similar-sized baking dish. Sprinkle them with one teaspoon of the paprika, salt and pepper. Then drizzle it all with olive oil and bake it for 35 minutes.<br />
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While the potatoes are in the oven, slice the bell peppers and onion. Sauté them in a pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want them to be softened a bit, but still something to bite into. Turn them out onto a plate and then brown the beef in the same pan, with the remaining teaspoon of paprika and some more salt and pepper.</div>
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When the potatoes are done, layer them with the vegetables.</div>
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And then the beef.<br />
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Spread the cheese over all of this, and pop it back in the oven for a few minutes, until the cheese melts.<br />
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Top it with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.<br />
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And enjoy the best thing that ever came out of the old world's <strike>invasion</strike> discovery of the new world. So good, in fact, my husband said "Would you stop taking pictures of that and please let me <i>eat</i> it? I can't wait any longer!" So, I never got the shot I was looking for, but my belly never complained.<br />
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This post is linked to the Improv Challenge hosted by Kristen at <a href="http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/">Frugal Antics of Harried Homemaker</a>. Check out what everyone else did with potatoes and cheese!<br />
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<a href="http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Improv Challenge" border="0" src="http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd492/frugalantics/ImprovChallengeBadge.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-76555974177070081962012-03-13T14:53:00.001-07:002012-03-14T07:45:20.203-07:00apple butter in a slow cookerMy kindergartner's class has a class "pet" in the form of a teddy bear known as Super Bear. Each kid in the class gets to take Super Bear home for the weekend a couple of times during the year. Super Bear comes with his very own journal, where his host's parents <strike>have to</strike> get to write about what adventures Super Bear had with the family. Lucky parents! They even are encouraged to include photos, drawings, ticket stubs or other <strike>crap</strike> very exciting memorabilia.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I actually like it. My son loves having the bear here, and I am happy to photograph and record the things we do over the weekend. I am happy to write about it and glue in the pictures and send it all back to entertain the kiddos.<br />
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It just feels like so much <i>pressure</i>. What if our weekends are more boring than everyone else's? What if I forget to take pictures? What if we forget to bring the bear and the journal back on Monday morning? What if Super Bear gets dirty or torn? <i>What if Super Bear gets lost?</i><br />
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Anyway, my particular little charming kindergartner managed to convince his mom and dad that having Super Bear as a guest at the house was a very. special. occasion. And that the very boring weekend we had on the books would never do. And that the bear... the stuffed bear... really wanted to go to the zoo.<br />
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As it turns out, we really didn't have much planned, and it was a beautiful weekend. A go swimming-go hiking-play baseball-be warm-soak up the sun kind of weekend. And yes, it ended up being a go-to-the-zoo kind of weekend as well.<br />
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I also picked up my <a href="http://ahorganics.com/">Abundant Harvest</a> box of produce this weekend. One of the optional add-on items was a 10-pound bag of really ugly apples for only $3. I'm not just being mean when I call them really ugly. The farmer himself told me so.<br />
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Although truthfully, I didn't think they were all that bad. They weren't ugly as much as lopsided. And some had warts.<br />
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But all told, there was only one bruise on one apple out of the two 10-pound bags I bought. I had gotten them with the idea of making apple butter out of the ugly little guys, but to my pleasant surprise I found that they were perfectly fine to just bite into and enjoy a delicious snack.<br />
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As I was retrieving the photos of the apple butter process, you would think that I had uploaded different cameras from different people all weekend:<br />
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A couple of pool pictures, a crockpot full of raw apples, a picture of the teddy bear at the zoo, a crockpot full of cooked apples, a picture from Bob's Big Boy restaurant, a picture of jars of apple butter sealed, labeled and ready to store.<br />
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Truthfully, although the apple butter requires a decent session of apple peeling and chopping, and a very long cooking process (13 hours in the crockpot, all told), it is very hands-off cooking. Let it slowly turn from apples and sugar and spices into delicious, smooth, silky, sweet apple butter while you go out and have fun!<br />
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First, peel and dice a crockpot full of apples. Mix together some sugar and spice and stir that into the apples.<br />
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Then, go out and enjoy a swim and some relaxation in the sun.<br />
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After an hour, turn the crockpot to low and leave it for 11 more hours. By the time that is done, you will have very soft apple pieces floating in brown, sugary, sweet juice.<br />
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While that is all happening, take a trip to the zoo.<br />
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After the 11 hours are done, take the lid off of the crockpot. Give the apples a big stir and let them cook for another hour with the lid off. Give it a good stir every so often. Or... go out for a hamburger.<br />
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After an hour, the apples should have turned into a lovely brown sauce. If you give it a real good whisking, you will end up with very small lumps. This is fine as it is, but I chose to give mine a whirl in the blender to get it all to a smooth consistency. (I have those dang picky kids who don't like lumpy food.)<br />
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Finally, pour it into jars and process them in boiling water. You now have about 6 or 7 pint-sized, beautifully sealed jars of apple butter than taste like a little bit of heaven and will keep for a year or more! (If you can stand to wait that long).<br />
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Here is the recipe:<br />
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5-9 pounds of apples<br />
4 cups sugar<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon cloves<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
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Peel and chop enough apples to fill your crockpot. You will use anywhere from 5-9 pounds, depending on how small you chop. The larger you chop them (and therefore the fewer apples you use) will mean that you might want to use a little less sugar.<br />
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Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt, and then stir it into the apples.<br />
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Turn the crockpot on high for an hour. Then, turn it to low and let it cook 11 more hours.<br />
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After 11 hours, take the lid off and give the apples a good stirring. Let it cook one more hour with the lid off, stirring occasionally. After an hour, whisk it thoroughly. It should have some very small lumps. If you want, puree it in a blender or food processor to make it smooth.<br />
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Ladle into clean mason jars, and process in boiling water.<br />
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Here is a chart for processing times from <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/apple_butter.html">The National Center for Home Food Preservation</a>:<br />
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<table border="" cellpadding="5" style="caption-side: top;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="5" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6552528797583535375&postID=7655597417707008196" name="tble1">Table 1.</a> </strong>Recommended process time for <strong>Apple Butter</strong> in a boiling-water canner.</td></tr>
<tr align="center" valign="middle"><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"></td><td colspan="3" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Process Time at Altitudes of</strong></td></tr>
<tr align="center" valign="middle"><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Style of Pack</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Jar Size</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>0 - 1,000 ft</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>1,001 - 6,000 ft</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Above 6,000 ft</strong></td></tr>
<tr align="center" valign="middle"><td rowspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">Hot</td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">Half-pints or Pints</td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>5 min</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">10</td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">15</td></tr>
<tr align="center" valign="middle"><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">Quarts</td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>10</strong></td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">15</td><td style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: top;">20</td></tr>
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If you don't know much about canning, <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general.html">here</a> is a great set of instructions and information.</div>
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<br /></div>Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552528797583535375.post-12720609786165396192012-03-12T07:09:00.001-07:002012-03-12T11:50:36.295-07:00Bok Choy Peanut SlawI had never eaten bok choy before I started subscribing to <a href="http://ahroganics.com/">Abundant Harvest</a>, but now I count it as one of my favorite vegetables! Thank you AHO!<br />
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It is equally delicious cooked or raw, and it is a mild enough taste that it goes well with a variety of different flavors. I like to simply wilt it a little with garlic and ginger, or stir-fry it with soy sauce, or put it in mooshu (Spelling!? Help!) with hoisin sauce or plum sauce. This weekend was far too warm and beautiful to spend any time inside cooking, though. It called for easy, cold, ready-to-go meals on the back patio.<br />
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So, I made my bok choy into a slaw. I did <a href="http://vegitationagitation.blogspot.com/2011/10/bok-choy-and-carrot-slaw.html">one before </a> that had soy sauce, ginger, and almonds in it. This one is similar, but I added some peanut butter and peanuts to it to make it a little more Thai-ish. I liked them both!<br />
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Bok Choy Peanut Slaw<br />
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Dressing:<br />
1/4 cup rice vinegar<br />
1 tablespoon sesame oil<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
2 teaspoons prepared mustard<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/3 cup natural peanut butter<br />
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salad:<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
l large head bok choy, very thinly sliced</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
3 carrots, shredded</div>
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3 green onions, sliced</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
1/2 cup peanuts</div>
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In a large bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, until the peanut butter is well incorporated.<br />
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Chop all the vegetables, and toss them, and the peanuts, into the dressing.<br />
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<br />Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04665666987280195539noreply@blogger.com0