Tuesday
24Nov2009

DIY: Tissue Pom Poms

A couple of weeks ago I hosted a birthday party and because I wanted to splurge on the food and flowers I wanted to be frugal when it came to decor so I made these adorable pom poms out of tissue paper. I love them so much Im going to keep them up for Thanksgiving :)

These are extremely simple to assemble and you probably have all of the supplies already! You can buy bulk tissue paper for very cheap (if you live in Seattle get the tissue at Packaging Specialities, they have a small location set up in Pacific Place if you don't feel like going down to SODO) 

 All you need for this fun project:

1. Several sheets of colored tissue paper (the amount depends on how many pom poms you make)

2. Kitchen twine or some other kind of string

3. Clear fishing line to hang from ceiling

4. You will also need some scissors

See how easy it is!!! I made these in one night while sippin' on hot cocoa and listening to old school Amy Grant Christmas albums. You just can't beat that :) So come on ladies, kick off your heals, settle in with some hot tea, crank up those holiday tunes (yes, it is time!) and get crafting! These will make an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving table!

*note: if you want to make different size pom poms keep cutting the paper (before you fold it into an accordion) until you have the desired width.

Monday
23Nov2009

Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

Good day to you all! It's Thanksgiving week....woo hoo! I am so thankful for my wonderful friends! As you know I was feeling very anxious and nervous about hosting turkey day and over the week I've received such great insight and morsels of wisdom from my friends. My beautiful gal pal, Julie, has been so encouraging and helpful. Check out her blog for some great tips for the big day! This is her ELEVENTH year of hosting Thanksgiving so she has it down to an art, literally, her prep work and everything she cooks is a work of art! So thanks to her and many other friends I feel ready to take on the task of hostess! My menu is set and ready to go and my turkey bird is in the fridge. I will keep you posted as things progress :)

How are your plans going? Anyone find a recipe they would like to share? 

Okay, so this little sweet treat is nothing fancy at all but it is so yummy and easy! I think anything smothered in rich, dark chocalate is a winner! Don't you?

Okay, gotta keep things short today! Lots of prep to do and errands to run! I hope you had a great weekend!

Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

This dish is so easy! Buy a bag of gingersnaps, break them in half and lay them on parchment paper. Melt a few bars (or a bag of chips) of fine, dark chocolate (I like Green&Black) in a double broiler, or in a bowl resting in a sauce pan with few inches of water in it. If you do it this way make sure the water in the pan isn't touching the bowl. 

While the choclate is doin its thing, chop the hazelnuts (I gave them a whirl in my food processor). When the chocolate is ready carefully pour it over the gingersnap pieces and quickly sprinkle nuts on top. Place in the fridge for at least an hour and VOILA, you have yourself a tasty treat.

Go on, make these, it's just too easy!

Friday
20Nov2009

Happy Weekend

(photo by Mae Bird)

1. This is cute.

2. This is clever (read intro and then listen).

3. Oh. My. Gosh.

4. No words for this one.

Wow. I obviously like YouTube! Well when you don't have a TV you find entertainment elsewhere :) Okay so Im super excited for this weekend because the hubs and I are going AWAY to a cabin on the olympic pennisula (hopefully we wont run into any vampires:)  

But..... I am shiverin' in me boots about Thanksgiving! Folks, I am hosting! AHHHH, I've never cooked a whole bird in my life let alone a huge holiday feast for lots of peeps. Y'all better give me all your tips and tricks cause I know you have them! Come on, dont be shy, Im desperate for any advice, recipes, and morsels of insight from all you readers out there (mom!)

Leave me a note, send me a text, give me some love! I ain't no Martha Stewart so help a girl out okay?!

THANK YOU!!!!

Have a yummy weekend!

Wednesday
18Nov2009

Apple Butter Hand Pies

Howdy folks, happy Thursday! I know I said I was done with apple recipes but I had to share this last one. You all know by now that I had about 30 lbs of apples to get creative with so after making a pie, a crisp, applesauce, and apple butter I finally had room in my fridge for other fruit :)

So last week I had about two small jars of apple butter left so I thought I would make these cute little hand pies. We were having guests over for dinner and I wanted to make something light and fruity so these little pies were perfect, small enough to not feel quilty about eating dessert and just sweet enough to top off the meal. 

 You could use all sorts of various fruit butters or fillings and you can even mix up the flours in for the crust. I used a mixture of all purpose (made from unbleached winter red wheat), whole wheat flour and spelt. You can of course make the whole thing with AP but I thought I would try mixing things up a bit. In the end they turned out deliciously simple and sweet. 

Apple Butter Hand Pies

(makes 14, you can alwasy cut the recipe in half)

  • 1 stick of butter (8 TBSP)
  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 3 ounces of cream cheese
  • 2 TBSP buttermilk (if you dont have any add two tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of whole milk or cream and let it sit for 5 minutes, viola....you have buttermilk)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all purpose flour (I used a mix of AP, wheat, and spelt)
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups apple butter
  • cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg to the sugar-butter mixture, and beat until just blended.

Add cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt, and add to the cream-cheese mixture. Beat until completely blended. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, and using your hands, press the dough into a 1-inch-thick patty, wrap well, and refrigerate for at least one hour (your dough will seem very wet and sticky, dont worry it will firm up in the fridge). If preparing ahead of time, the dough can be stored at this point for up to one month in the freezer.

Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a floured work surface, roll out one half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness (if your dough is sticking keep adding flour until it is workable). Using a 4 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter (I didnt have one so I just used a glass of this width), cut seven circles out of the rolled dough. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining half of dough.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 2 tablespoons apple butter onto one half of each circle of dough. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, spread out apple butter. Keep apple butter on half the circle, and spread until it is about 1/2 inch from the edge, making sure apple butter is not completely flattened. Quickly brush a little cold water around the circumference of the dough, and fold it in half so the other side comes down over the apple butter, creating a semicircle. Seal the hand pie, and make a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork. Repeat process with remaining dough. Place the hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix some sugar and the cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, and lightly brush with cold water. Sprinkle a generous amount of the cinnamon sugar over the pies, and place pies in the oven to bake. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown and just slightly cracked, about 20 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, and let stand to cool slightly before serving.

Wednesday
18Nov2009

Simple Wednesday Wisdom

Tuck this in your pocket....

Do onion makes you cry? You can wear some goggles of course but an easier way to fight back those tears is to keep your onions in the fridge. The colder temperature slows down the release of sulferic acids which is what reacts to the moisture in your eyes. If you like to keep your onions on the counter or in the cupboard then place the onion in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to chopping. 

Notice how Giada  De Laurentiis is ALWAYS chopping onions for all of her dishes yet she never bats an eyelash?....she uses cold onions!

Monday
16Nov2009

Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Meyer Lemon Curd

Yay! It's meyer lemon season! It is a short one so go out and get'em while you can! I always think of meyer lemons as a summery fruit but they are in fact a winter crop just like other citrus fruits such as grapefruit. ML's are thought to be a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange (which both smell AMAZING). And what makes the meyer lemon so exciting is that it has a much sweeter taste and fragrance than a plain 'ol lemon. 

Soooo, when I saw these perfect fruits at the market I grabbed a sack full and knew I had no choice but to make lemon curd. The great thing about any kind of curd is that it is so versitile. You can use it in cakes, tarts, on top of pancakes, cookies, muffins...the list is endless.

A while back when I made homemade ricotta I stashed away a recipe for ricotta fritters so I thought they would be the perfect accompaniment to the curd. And boy was I right! The fritters turned out light 'n fluffy and delish!

 These fritters are best eaten right after they are cooked otherwise they will get soggy if you put them in the fridge. They cook quickly so when it is time for dessert pop them in the oil and in no time you will have a luscious fall treat.

Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Meyer Lemon Curd

(serves about 8)

       For the Curd ( I made this a day ahead to split up my time in the kitchen)

  • 3-4 medium meyer lemons (about 1lb)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 tsp. and squeeze enough juice to measure ½ cup. Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a metal bowl and add butter. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth and an instant- read thermometer registers 160°F., about 5 or 6 minutes. *Don't worry if it doesn't look like a curd consistency, that will happen when it cools in the fridge* Force curd through a fine sieve set into another bowl (I just poured it through my sieve and used a spatula to force it through the tiny holes). If you are making ahead of time cool in fridge and then slightly warm when you are ready to serve. Otherwise serve warm with the fritters. 

Yield: About 1 2/3 cups  *Curd will keep covered and chilled for about a week

*if you can't find meyer lemons well that's just too bad...just kidding.....you can use regular lemons but you need to increase the sugar to 3/4 cup

       For the Fritters

  • 4 cups vegetable oil for frying ( I used organic, non gmo canola)
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cake or pastry flour (if you dont have this just use more AP flour)
  • 1 TBSP baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs 
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 pound ricotta cheese, drained
  • 2 TBSP finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Make the fritters: Heat oil in a medium saucepan to 350 degrees. Sift flours, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl.

Mix together eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until just combined. Add ricotta, lemon zest, and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add flour mixture, and stir until smooth.

Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, carefully drop a few balls of dough into oil. (Your dough will be very wet. Don't worry, as soon as you drop the dough it will puff up and form into a ball. I just used a spoon, and then using my finger, I carefully and slowly slid the dough off the spoon and into the oil)

Cook, turning 2 to 3 times, until golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain temperature of oil. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough. Place on a plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Transfer curd to a serving bowl, and serve with fritters. Enjoy!

Sunday
15Nov2009

Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Happy Monday everyone! I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend, despite the rain! I don't know what my deal is lately but all I've wanted to do is bake. Something about this cold, dreary weather makes me want to make things that require butter and sugar. Hmmm. Interesting :)

Anyhoo, this cake is sure to knock your galoshes off! It's super moist and the sweet potato adds such a unique flavor. 

 This cake is satisfying even without the glaze but if you want to add an extra blast of yumminess then you must add the icing, and I mean ALL of it. Don't let any go to waste, or I'll bop you on the head with a wooden spoon :)

Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

  • 4 (8 ounce) red skinned sweet potatoes
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur AP made from hard red winter wheat)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups sugar (I only used 1 1/2)
  • 1 cup canola oil (I prefer to use real butter) 
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

       For the Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (I only used 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For cake:
Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, peel and mash sweet potatoes. (I don't like microwaves so I steamed mine until tender)

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then generously butter pan. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Measure enough mashed sweet potatoes to equal 2 cups. Transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and oil (or butter) to sweet potatoes; using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan. The cake will feel very heavy, don't worry it will lighten up in the oven.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.

For icing:
Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Stir brown sugar, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, occasionally stirring and swirling pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar. Whisk icing until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Cool icing until lukewarm and icing falls in heavy ribbon from spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon icing thickly over top of cake, allowing icing to drip down sides of cake. Let stand until icing is firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

Friday
13Nov2009

Happy Weekend

{photo by donna compton}

Weekly Round-Up

1. How cute is this.

2. How sad is this.

3. These will put a smile on your face.

4. How sweet it this.

5. If you liked Food, Inc you must see this!!!

Well folks, the weekend is here, finally! Im so excited to celebrate two dear friends' birthdays this weekend and work on my Thanksgiving menu...eek!

See you Monday!

Thursday
12Nov2009

Honey Do 

I would like to introduce you to the newly designed site, Honey Do! It was (and still is) such a joy to work with Anne, Amber, and Jenna and I just had to tell you about their cute new business! As a personal concierge service they will do everything from daily errands, personal shopping (and let me tell you these ladies have impeccable style!), travel arrangements and they will even help all of you brides out there finish and organize your thank you notes! Their pricing is unbeatable and after working personally with these beautiful and talented women I can assure you they are quick, efficient and great with details. So if you or someone you know just can't seem to find time to get things done call on Honey Do!

Tuesday
10Nov2009

Spiced Apple Butter

I would like to announce that we have successfully gone through thirty pounds of apples....finally! I've got  enough apple butter to last me a year! But that is okay because I love the stuff and enjoy it every morning in my yogurt with some granola or toasted nuts, plus they make excellent gifts!  

This recipe and technique is very similar to making applesauce however you take it a step further and bake the applesauce on low in the oven to make it into a thick, condensed paste that is tart, sweet and full of autumn goodness.

 With this recipe I was able to fill about three 8 ounce mason jars, but you can double, trip quadruple the recipe and make several jars for gifts. I would recommend properly canning (pressure cooker or hot water bath) the apple butter if you are to give as a gift but if you don't want to just tell the recipient that the butter will keep for a couple of weeks. (They will probably eat it all in a day!)

Spiced Apple Butter

(makes about 1 cup)

  • 10 (about 3-3 1/2 pounds) apples, I used Jonagold (don't use green apples)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 small pinch of cloves
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I only used 1/4 cup of Sucanat, or brown sugar, it really depends on how sweet you want it and how sweet your apples are)
  • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Combine apples, apple cider, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place mixture over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring often with a large wooden spoon to prevent scorching, until apples are broken down and saucy, about 1 hour. Mash any large pieces of apple with large wooden spoon (I use a pastry cutter) to help them break down.

Turn heat off. Using a rubber spatula, scrape out apple mixture from pan, and to a food processor or blender and puree.  Return to pot and place in a 250 degree oven (do not put the lid on) leave for about 2 hours or until it is to the consistency you prefer, stirring occasionally. I left mine in there for about 2 1/2 hours because I like mine real thick like a paste. Remove from oven, and let stand to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Enjoy!