Happy Birthday, Dan

I wrote last year (click here) about our Angel Food cake tradition for Dan's birthday. This year, I thought it would be wise to have Dayna learn the fine art of making her dad's cake.

We started by separating the eggs.
Then we added the sugar and flour that had been sifted (six times!)
Then we bake it, put it on a pretty cake plate, and have Dayna pose in her Cindy Lou Who pajamas.
Homemade angel food cake = one happy Dad!

Crock Pot Girls

I discovered my new favorite web site of the day:

www.crockpotgirls.com

They set up their Facebook page on the 19th of August. Within ten days, they have 219 thousand followers (and counting...probably 220k by the time I publish this post.)

If you're looking for a great site to save time, check out Crock Pot Girls (or find them on Facebook.)

Update: 24 hours later, they have 565 thousand fans...over a half million in 11 days!!! Why didn't I think of this?

Crock Pot Pie

Okay, I was skeptical at first when a friend posted this link. Then I was intrigued...

So I made my own crock pot rhubarb pie today.

I made my own crust (I just really, really, really have an aversion to frozen pie crusts). I placed that on the bottom of my crock pot, with the edges going up at least one inch on all sides. I let that cook for 1 1/2 hours on high.

It was surprisingly golden brown. Not soggy like I expected.

Then I found the rhubarb pie recipe in my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook. I mixed 6 cups of rhubarb, 2 cups of sugar and 2/3 cups of flour. I poured the filling into the cooked pie crust and allowed it to continue cooking for another 1 1/2 hours on low.

It worked! Really well. The crust was flaky, the filling was a bit runny (but not soupy; you win some and lose some with fruit pies.) Scoop some vanilla ice cream on top, and it was absolutely perfect.

I've had 2 pieces today already!

So...the next time it's just too hot to crank up the oven and make a pie, this might just be a winner for you as well.

Heaven and Cheesy Bliss

It seems odd to label a post "faith" and "cooking", but here we are...

The other day, Dan was lamenting the fact that there will be no sun or moon in heaven (Isaiah 60:19), which may likely point to no more weather patterns. Now, Dan LOVES weather. Particularly severe weather (though not as severe as our nation has seen in the past week or so). As our conversation continued, I tried to find a way to show him that God has it all under control. If there is something we love here on earth, He will have something even better to take its place in the New Earth.

So I thought of macaroni and cheese.

Now, the blue box is good. It's comfort food. It's quick, easy, and completely unhealthy. We could spend our lives eating mac and cheese from the blue box, and be happy. If I told you that you could never eat it again, you might even get teary eyed.

That is, until you experience the real stuff. You know what I'm talking about...gooey, cheesy, baked until there's a nice little crust on top (and still probably quite unhealthy). Once you eat the really good stuff, do you really want to go back to the blue box?

I think heaven will be kind of like macaroni and cheese (only it will be good for us!) What we have now is good, but it's just a little taste (pun intended) of what God has in store for us.

So, here's where the cooking part comes in. After this conversation, I got really, really, really hungry for some good macaroni and cheese. I found a recipe online that looked like a winner, but it was bland and had a weird texture. If you have a tried and true macaroni and cheese recipe that's smooth and gooey, but not too gummy...please, let me know!

Yummy Soup!

What to do on a snowy day?

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/chicken-tortilla-soup/


I *heart* Pioneer Woman!

Homemade *kosher* Marshmallows

Alaina's idiosyncracy #436: I don't eat pork. I don't eat food cooked in the same pan as pork grease. I don't eat anything with pork byproducts (i.e. lard, gelatin, etc.)

Did you know that cheap, store-brands of frosting are filled with lard? And gelatin...let's, see...most brands of yogurt, many candies, and yes....marshmallows. Do you know what this does to my camping-loving soul? How miserable I am watching and smelling everyone's marshmallows toasting and oozing out from that tasty little graham cracker sandwich while I sit and munch on a plain old graham cracker and bar of chocolate...

Well...no longer! I made my first batch of marshmallows last night...I can't believe I've gone this long in life without the joy of homemade marshmallows. I made sure that the unflavored gelatin I used was kosher (our local store brand is...I also believe Jell-o makes an unflavored gelatin. All Jell-o products are kosher as well.) I even made a huge mistake (omitted an ingredient during the boiling process...I just added it quickly when I was mixing everything together.) I also used twice the vanilla it called for...definitely adds to the flavor.

Try them...you'll fall in love. You may never buy regular marshmallows again.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/candyrecipes/r/bldes60.htm

Almost Instant Dessert....Thanks, Joy (I think)

Last week, my dear friend Joy (and her family) hosted my family in their home for a few days. She introduced me to the most dangerous dessert...let me tell you about it:

1/4 cup cake mix (definitely chocolate)
2 Tbsp. water (mix with cake mix)
1 coffee mug
1 minute in the microwave

Stir a little caramel or chocolate sauce in for kicks.

I guess on the flip side, it's a great way to do portion control (unless, like me, you sometimes splurge and double the amounts in a LARGE coffee mug.)

These taste like the "Warm Delights" desserts you pay an arm and a leg for at the grocery store, only much cheaper, and they take approximately 75 seconds to prepare.

Hope you don't mind me sharing your secret, Joy :)

It's Recipe Time Again! Creamy Italian Chicken

While visiting my friend in Oklahoma last week, I was turned on to the Pioneer Woman's website.

I found this recipe and decided to try it tonight. Dayna took one bite, sighed happily and said, "Okay, Mom, you win!"

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/creamy-italian-chicken/#respond

Disclaimer: I opened the wrong can of soup and used cream of mushroom instead of cream of chicken. I did add the mushrooms, and used whole wheat penne. I do believe this is my new favorite crock pot recipe. I think it would be uber-delish with fresh Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Amazingly Easy Cake Doughnuts

Old-Time Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
3 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup 2% milk
Oil for deep-fat frying


Directions
In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Turn onto a heavily floured surface; pat dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°.
Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon; roll warm doughnuts in mixture. Yield: about 2 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 doughnut equals 198 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 112 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home Feb/March 2010 p. 67

Getting Tired of Soup

After two weeks of being pretty much snowed in, we're getting tired of soup at our house. Here are some recent recipes that are new family favorites. Good home cooking on a cold winter day!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chicken-and-Dumplings-Like-Cracker-Barrels-5000

http://www.recipezaar.com/Rustic-Italian-Bread-95086

Stop and Lick the Beaters

I've found in my year of watching my food and keeping up on my exercise, that I haven't taken time to stop and bake with my daughter. It's one of those rites of passage for a little girl to put on a too-big apron, stand on a kitchen chair, and pick egg shells out of the batter. No, cookies don't need to be made on a daily, or even weekly, basis. But, what's the harm of occasionally whipping up a batch of something tasty, consuming it in moderation (or better yet, sharing it with others)?
And so, on yet another snowy day, home from school and daycare, Dayna and I just made a batch of Devil's food mini-cupcakes. She got a "kids cook" set from my sister for Christmas and has been asking and asking to bake with me.

She's also one marble away from filling her marble jar and earning a surprise. I'm thinking I can find a way for her to get that last marble this afternoon, and tonight we can have a party. (Since we can't get out of the house, anyway.) The cupcakes are already made, and I'm sure we can fit in some party games like Wii Bowling or Wii Fit to burn off those extra sprinkles.

I guess it all comes down to...take time to stop and lick the beaters once in awhile. The time spent together is more precious than any bite-size cupcake, or even pride in another low calorie day.

No Flour Cookies

I'm sitting at home on a snow day before Valentine's Day, and my daughter really wants me to make some cookies. What to do after being so good for so long? I ran across this recipe from my best friend and adapted it a little. Yummy!

No Flour Cookies

1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar (I used Splenda)
1 egg
1/4 c. chocolate chips or raisins

Mix together, drop by (small) spoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool one minute before transferring to a wire rack. This made 16 cookies that are a little smaller than a walnut.

Low-carb, small batch, tiny cookies...a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth while on a diet!

Apple Pie

My mom always said I was born in the wrong generation. I enjoy the satisfaction of creating something, often without the help of shortcuts. Whether it's quilting, crocheting, cooking or baking. One of my favorite things to bake is any kind of pie. I laugh at the year I had to enter a pie in the State Fair using a refrigerated pie crust...not one week after telling my mother-in-law "I would NEVER use a refrigerated pie crust." Ah...the lessons learned and the pride that stings.

Anyway, this year I'm trying something new for Christmas. Instead of taking cookie plates to my neighbors (a noble thing...I love getting cookies from others; however, do we really need more cookies at Christmas?), I bought 40 pounds of apples in Nebraska City this year. I'm canning apple pie filling to take to them. We'll see how it goes...



I found this recipe online. I'll have to post later to let you know how everything worked.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1837,158189-230194,00.html