Month: January 2012

Daily Thoughts

Joy Riding

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This weekend we decided to take a day trip in our new car. We wanted to adventure to someplace we had never been and also to give us time to “learn” our pretty little car that I have already affectionately named, “Callie” since we bought her in California! So we wake up early, bake some Trader Joe blueberry scones and set out on our first road trip in our new “wheels”….we are both excited to learn about the navigation system which we have never had before and I tell Randy that we have got to come up with just the right name for her, (yes, “her” if it’s a girl car, then the navigation has got to be a her also)…so with great excitement we back out of the garage with the owner’s manual in my lap and a Dr Pepper in my cup holder, just knowing that this is going to be a most exciting day.

We read the manual and insert the town we are headed toward, Solvang, a dutch little community about 130 miles north of LA and already think to ourselves, that was just so easy….this Navigation thing is the best and easiest thing since disposable diapers (yes, for our kids, no, we aren’t in Depends yet)…..so we are headed out, listening to that sweet, nice little voice telling us which way to turn on which highway, when all of a sudden we decide that it would be a great idea to stop at a Starbucks to get a Mocha latte to wash down the scones, so we decide to take a side trip in Santa Barbara looking for a Starbucks. It has taken us about an 1 1/2 hrs to reach Santa Barbara, all the while throwing out names for Navi and finally deciding on Nelli Navi as that just sounded perfect…so now Nelli has been thrown for a loop in the fact that we altered out route……she keeps telling us to “make a u-turn at the next available intersection” but we don’t want to make a u turn…we want to find a Starbucks. So we decide that we can put up with her repeated instructions, after all, she did have our best interests at heart, trying to be sure we get to our destination and we had not yet learned how to turn Nelli off, so we laugh and just ignore her and stop at Starbucks and enjoy our scone and latte.

We now head north towards Solvang and yes, we allow Nelli to get us back on track and we end up at Anderson’s Pea Soup restaurant where Randy downs two huge bowls of Pea Soup….actually I am gagging just thinking about it, but that was one thing he had on his bucket list. Eating at this famous landmark which has been serving Pea soup since 1924…so we check that off our lists and head back to Solvang. We have now turned up the volumn to the CD’s we are playing to  drown out Nelli as she insists that we take the next exit to our “intended destination” that I guess we are not suppose to ever change or take any side stops. Nelli is getting a little obnoxious…..

We find the center of Solvang and are just so excited to be in a town that already is showing us that apparently you are suppose to eat your way through, as it is hard to find anyone walking around that doesn’t have food in their hands…so we are excited now…we park Calli and say goodbye to Nelli for a few hours and begin to go in and out of stores that are packed with salt and pepper shakers of every shape and size……literally, every shape and size. If you are ever in need of salt and pepper shakers, Solvang is the place to go…..plus lace doilies…..I didn’t even know you could buy a lace tablecloth with a picture of your favorite animal right smack in the middle of the lace….Facinating, really, but not quite our style. So instead of buying lace doilies or salt and pepper shakers we decide to just sit awhile and people watch and snack on these cute little pastries that has raspberry sauce and powdered sugar poured over them…Yum…..well, we have now seen as many salt and pepper shakers that we would ever want to see and decide that maybe we will just head home but take a different route, maybe along Highway 1 which takes you right by the water. So we excitedly turn the car on and Randy says, “here let me edit our route home to go down Highway 1” OK, Mr. Smartie Pants, go right ahead and see if you can talk Nelli into taking us a different route…well, Mr. SP couldn’t quite figure out how to edit our original destination, which was Solvang, so for 2 hours, we listen to a now, quite obnoxious and tiresome voice telling us ever few minutes to “turn around at next available intersection.”  We both would try clicking the “off” button thinking that would turn Nelli off, but no such luck….Who installed these stupid navigation systems anyhow? We don’t need her to tell us where to go…..we are hating “Nelli” by now and wishing we wouldn’t have opted for the Premium Package with the Wonderful Navigation System. We were now listening to the CD so loudly that the guys at the stop lights with the boom boxes in their low riders were giving us the thumbs up sign……We couldn’t take it anymore, even though we had eaten our fill of danish pastry and pea soup, we stopped to eat dinner just to have some peace and quiet…..Ah! the sounds of a restaurant were soothing to our ears…..but we have to go, the restaurant is closing, so we decide to make a concentrated effort…together, one for all and all for one…..we can, we must , figure out how to turn this stupid system off and let us go where we want to go without Nelli telling us otherwise…..we once again get the book out and reading it from just the over head light, (it is now 8:30 pm) we decide that we won’t leave the parking lot until we figure out how to turn this awful invention off, never again imputing a destination in….so WE finally (actually I did, but since he is paying for the car, I will give him the credit) learn how to turn that horrible little voice off……

Well,the last 30 minutes of our first day trip in our new car, was ridden in total silence……it was wonderful, no music, no Nelli Navigation trying to tell us where she thought we should be going, just the sound of the flash light turning on to look at the map to see which road we should be on….I’ve had some time to think now, it’s amazing how easy it is to think when you have quietness in the car, no smart alex Navigation screaming at you. Maybe those salt and pepper shakers would make some nice Christmas presents. We might just need to go back there to stock up on frog shakers or poodle shakers, or shakers in the shape of California or shakers in the shapes of Marilyn Monroe or Ted Kennedy……but if we do go back, we are going without Nellie, she can rest her voice and be ready for our next day trip to San Diego! Maybe by then, she will have learned her lesson that we now now how to turn her off and if she doesn’t go our way, we won’t go hers!

Breads

Pimiento Cheese Rolls

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What a great day! First thing this morning, a friend had offered to teach me how to knit, so I took her up on it and went to her house and had my first knitting lesson. It looks so easy, but learning how to hold the needles will take me some time and lots of patience. So in the meantime I am headed back to the kitchen to bake. The day just keeps getting better. My new Southern Living Magazine arrived and in it are some new exciting ways to use Pimiento Cheese which we truly love. Randy is happy if you buy Prices Pimiento Cheese and spread it between two pieces of soft bread with Bread and Butter pickles and some chips. That is one of his favorite Saturday lunches. This magazine has a few pages on new ways to use PC in ways I have never thought about. The one that caught my eye is as follows:

1 (25 oz) package frozen Southern-style biscuits

All purpose flour

2 cups pimiento cheese

Arrange biscuits, with sides touching in 3 rows of 4 biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Let stand 30-45 min or until biscuits are thawed but cool to the touch.

Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle biscuits lightly with flour. Press edges together and pat to form a 10×12 in rectangle of dough; spread dough with pimiento cheese.

Roll up starting at one long end. cut into 12 1″ thick slices. Place 1 slice into each muffin cup of a lightly greased 12 cup muffin pan.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 min or until golden. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 min. Remove from pan and serve hot.

Cakes

FYI

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Hope you are enjoying a great weekend. We have a dinner to go to tomorrow night and I offered to bring dessert as I wanted to bake the vanilla caramel cake that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I changed the frosting to just putting a butter cream instead of the cream cheese and sprinkled crushed up Symphony Bar that has the toffee chips in it….on top of the cake. This caramel cake is so moist and so light, I cannot wait to sink my little pearly whites into it tomorrow night, until then, I will just have to scrape the rest of the frosting out of the bowl. 

Cakes

Teacakes

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These beautiful little cakes are in the new addition of Southern Lady and will be one dessert I will be making for different parties for Valentines!

Not only are they delicious, but they are beautiful and will make a gorgeous centerpiece for your dessert table.

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teas vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teas salt

1 cup whole milk ( I will probably use Evaporated milk using 1/2 cup milk to 1/2 cup water…Gives it a more rich taste)

1/2 cup sour cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 ” baking pan with nonstick spray with flour

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time,m beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder (notice this is a TABLESPOON, not teaspoon),  and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until well combined. Beat in sour cream. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 min or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cake. Cool in pan for 10 min over wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Trim 1/2 ” off each side of cake. Level cake by using a serrated knife to trim off rounded top. Cut cake into 3×2″ pieces. Spoon Cream Cheese frosting on top of each cake piece. Garnish with Sugared Fruit, Mint and Zest, if desired

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Beat in milk

Sugared Fruit

1 egg white

1 tables water

Fresh raspberries

Fresh blueberries

Fresh mint sprigs

Sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg white and water. Using a small paintbrush, brush raspberries, mint leafs  and blueberries with egg white mixture. Sprinkle with sugar, shaking off excess. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper to dry. Use on top of each little cake square.

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Red Velvet Parfaits

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Isn’t it fun to begin searching for just the perfect dessert for Valentines? I love all the pink and red colors of Valentines day, so when I saw this, I took notice. Since Red Velvet cake is one of those desserts that is such a favorite these days, this should be one of the recipes that end up in your little red recipe box.

Make a Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake according to directions on box for the 13×9 in baking pan which you have sprayed with Pam and then dusted with flour.

Makes 12 servings
Cool in pan on a wire rack for while you make the Coconut Mousse

1 (3.4 oz) box coconut cream-flavored instant pudding mix

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 teas coconut extract

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix and cream cheese. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add sour cream and powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add whipping cream and extract. Beat at high or medium speed until stiff peaks form.

Layer cake crumbs in parfait glasses or in a punch bowl, if you would rather do a giant parfait instead of individual glasses. Pour 1/3 of the pudding mix over the top and make two more layers with cake crumbs and pudding mix…Making 3 layers in all, if you are doing the punch bowl. If you are using individual glasses, you will only need to make 2 layers. Top parfaits with toasted coconut and a little of the cake crumbs to add color to the tops.

Breads

Popovers

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These little gems are delicious with butter, syrup or jam. We have them for breakfast and sometimes we have them with pot roast, like they do at Lawry’s Steak House, served with their prime rib with plenty of au jus poured over it… only 4 ingredients and so easy to make.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease either 6 ramekins or 9 muffin tins

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Add 1 cup flour to the beaten eggs and just stir until smooth. Add 1/4 teas salt. Slowly add 1 cup milk to the egg/flour mixture and just stir until smooth. Do not over mix. Pour and divide batter between the tins/ramekins. Bake for 20 min and then decrease oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 17-20 min or until popovers are browned and sound hollow when you tap the top….Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Chicken

Paper Bag Fried Chicken

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Just an FYI today. Talked to a friend of mine today that told me she “fries” her chicken in a paper bag in the oven. She just buys cut up chicken with the skin on and cleans it. Then coats the chicken in flour and places it in a brown paper bag which she has lightly greased the entire inside of the bag with Crisco or Pam and then places the bag on a cookie sheet  before laying the chicken inside. Turn the opening of the bag to where it is closed and place the bag of chicken in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 to 50 min and remove chicken from bag. Be careful as you open the bag because the steam will burn you if you are not careful. She says that it has the taste of fried chicken without all the oil. She said to leave the skin on for extra crunchiness……Not exactly “fat free” or low cal, but certainly better than deep frying chicken in a pot of oil…..I am going to try this probably on Sun night and let you know how it turns out. If you try it before me, please let me know what you think….have a blessed weekend and talk to you Mon……tkchocolate

Casseroles · Vegetables

Gratin of Vegetables

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I am in love with brussels sprouts. I have never really liked them until I ate them at my son, Jason’s house. He had bought them still on the stem and the taste is completely different than buying them frozen. So each time I see a recipe that includes these little precious gems, I look it over. This recipe uses my husbands fav cheese, blue cheese, and makes a great side dish to any juicy steak, baked chicken or fish! Found this in a little $1.79 magazine at the grocery store checking out the other day….

1 lb cabbage

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, outer leaves discarded and halved

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 tables EVVO (extra virgin olive oil) That always drove me crazy when a well known TV chef  would always say, “EVVO, extra virgin olive oil” If she was going to tell you every time what EVVO stood for, why did she bother to always say, “EVVO”?

1/4  teas sea salt, or table salt

1/4 teas pepper

4 oz crumbled blue cheese (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 425. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cut cabbage into thin wedges, leaving them attached at base. Add cabbage and sprouts to pot and bring back to boil. Cook 3 min and then drain and shake dry.

Arrange cabbage and sprouts with red onion in 13,9 baking dish which you have sprayed with Pam. Drizzle veggies with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through cooking time, until veggies are tender, about 25 min. Sprinkle with cheese; return to oven for 3-5 min until cheese melts. Serve immediately while hot.

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Coffee Infused Angel Food Cake with Whipped Frosting

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One of the ladies brought this cake to a dinner we were at and I have to tell you…..it was wonderful. I NEVER go back for seconds in public because I don’t want them to see me doing that and think, “well, now we know why she weighs what she does”  I guess if they don’t see me eating for two, it will make them wonder if I just have a medical condition, ha……but I just had to have a two pieces, plus I ate the topping off of Randy’s plate, because he really doesn’t like sweets as much as I do. One of our sons from Austin was here and when I saw him eating the cake, you could tell he thought it was awesome also. Corky, thanks for sharing this recipe, it really is a great cake and I can’t wait to make it.

One Duncan Hines Angel Food cake mix, baked according to directions, except instead of baking it in a tube pan, make it in 3 9″ layer pans.

Let cool and set aside.

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tables superfine sugar

1/4 cup very strong brewed coffee, which has been cooled to room temp or placed in fridge for a while to cool.

Whip cream until fluffy and add sugar and coffee and continue beating until medium soft peaks form.

To assemble cake (best done just a short time before serving):

frost cake generously with the whipped cream between layers of cakes, along with some smaller coffee crunch pieces (*this recipe will follow) Top with remaining whipped cream mixture and lots of the coffee crunch pieces.

Coffee Crunch Pieces

Unflavored vegetable oil

1 tables baking soda, sifted

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Generously oil a large baking sheet. Sift the baking soda onto a small sheet of wax paper or a small plate (you are setting this aside until ready to use and don’t want to have to measure it at the last minute.) Set nearby.

Combine coffee, sugar and corn syrup in a deep heavy 4 qt saucepan.  Place over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. When the mixture is clear and it begins to boil, increase the heat to medium high and cook until the mixture reaches 290 degrees on a candy thermometer. Toward the end of cooking, around 270 degrees to 280, stir occasionally to prevent mixture from scorching and becoming too foamy. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam up vigorously. While mixture is still foaming, pour it out onto the oiled baking sheet. Do not spread, just let it cool undisturbed for about 1 hour. Break or crush into very small pieces by placing between 2 sheets of wax paper and tapping or rolling with rolling pin. Store in airtight container until ready to use on cake. 

This cake is really worth the effort and time.