Saturday was a friend's bachelorette day (really, it was a whole day!) - for part of it we went to The Barrel Room in Rancho Bernardo for dinner and some wine. Since we'd had a huge lunch after girling it up at a spa, we just ordered "The Board" which was a perfect compliment to the two wine flights we ordered. For the wine we got the Xamine Your Zinfandel flight and the Filmmaker's Flight (there were only 4 of us and we'd just come from the Orfila Winery in Escondido where we'd also been tasting! The two flights were plenty).
For food/"The Board" we chose the turkey, applewood bacon, and the sopressata for the meats, and dill havarti, smoked gouda, and gorgonzola for the cheeses. Dipping sauces - garlic aioli, honey mustard, and a balsamic vinaigrette. The board also came with crusty bread (they will refill your bread for you). We also ordered the olive plate appetizer as an additional snack.
I highly recommend it if you will be in the north San Diego area!
http://www.thebarrelroomsandiego.com/
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Best.Muffins.Ever
Wow! These are good. While I was making these, I started thinking about all the cherry desserts I love - Cherry Garcia ice cream (my fave!), cherry cobbler, cherry pie, cherries just by themselves... so many good ones!
I got the inspiration for these from Annie on the nest but then I used my own recipe which I just tweaked a bit. Decided it would be better to use ingredients I already had than to run to the grocery store! If the recipe sounds familiar (!) it's because I used the recipe for my double-chocolate banana and double-chocolate strawberry breads; used cherries for the fruit and cut the cooking time to suit the muffin-sized pans.
Here they are. I made 12 good-sized muffins with this recipe.
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil or apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped fresh cherries (the original recipe called for 2/3 cup dried cherries if you'd prefer to use those)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
Method:
1. If you are using fresh cherries, you will want to start by washing and drying them and then chopping them up. It's a bit of a bugger to cut them because of those pesky cherry pits... An easy way to do it is to pretend the cherry is a miniature avocado - take a knife and cut from the top to the bottom of the cherry (cut through to the pit) and all the way around (I would describe it as cutting from the north pole to the south - OK, so I'm an elementary school teacher/I have odd ways of describing things!). Wiggle the two halves of the cherry apart then use your knife (careful!) or a finger to remove the pit. The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn't matter what the cherries look like since you can't see them amongst all the chocolate! Chop the cherries up into whatever sized pieces you'd like.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers or use cooking spray to grease the muffin pan "holes" (can't think of the name of those things!)
3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, and oil at medium speed until mixed. Beat in the vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; beat into the sugar/egg mixture at low speed until it is just combined. Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips. I highly recommend using a wooden spoon or a rubber/silicone spatula to mix in the chips and fruit.
5. Spoon the batter into the lined/greased muffin pan. Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean (I usually test it on the two muffins in the center of the pan). Cool them for 10 minutes in the pan then cool completely on a wire rack.
I'm thinking these would be wonderful with a scoop of Cherry Garcia ice cream.. :) I tried it.. they were wonderful with a scoop of Cherry Garcia. Ok, ok, I confess, I used generic "Cherry Garcia" (!) they were still good. RIP Jerry!!
Reference:
The original recipe can be found at: Annie's Eats.
Where's the Coffee???
Funny story - I've always thought coffee cake would be made with coffee... guess not! I'm making one for a church coffee hour this weekend and had to search for a recipe - can you believe none of my cook books had one?
Here's the recipe I found on allrecipes.com... no coffee, but it does sound tasty and easy to make!
Just pulled this out of the oven - it looks and smells amazing! Photos coming soon!
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt (the original recipe called for sour cream but I realized I didn't have any so I subbed yogurt)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar (yes, in addition to the cup above. You need them separated).
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Method:
1. Place a rack on the lowest level of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch tube or angel-food pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup of sugar and the butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Finally, stir in the water, vanilla, and sour cream or yogurt. ***If you are using a KA/other stand mixer to mix this cake, I do not recommend using it to mix in the water/vanilla/yogurt mix! I did this and it made a huge mess. Instead, mix it in by hand until it's not so runny, then return it to the stand mixer to work out the lumps.***
3. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. I actually split this into two batches - 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon each - this way, I had equal amounts for the center of the cake and the top. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the nut mixture over this layer. Top the nut mixture with the remaining cake batter and sprinkle the top with the remaining nut mixture.
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes on the lowest rack of the oven (50 and it was perfect in my oven) - I checked it with a cake tester for done-ness. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
The cinnamon-sugar and walnut topping was really delicious! I really think it made the whole cake! I wish I had a photo of it after I cut into it... the middle layer "swirled" a bit so it looked almost like a marble cake - very pretty!Reference:
The original recipe was Coffee Cake Supreme which was posted on All Recipes by Allison O'Brien.
Ladies... Start Your Coffee Makers!
Sorry, not a coffee recipe...! It is; however, something wonderful to enjoy with a coffee. The first time I made biscotti I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. I had been "scared" of it for years and finally took the plunge. Very tasty. These recipes are from Nick "God of Cookies" Malgieri's book "Cookies Unlimited."
According to the book, the word biscotti means "twice cooked." Just thought I'd throw in a free Italian lesson for you there!
Please by sure to read "Tips for Biscotti" at the bottom of this post.
***Orange and Almond Biscotti***
Just made this today - they are heavenly. So, I hunted high and low (well, 3 grocery stores *including the "ritzy" one near my parents' house, and my mom's cabinets - she has all kinds of weird baking stuff! - I could not find candied orange peel to save my life. :( Oh well, I decided to just get some chunky marmalade and dig the bits of orange peel out of that.. almost the same thing! We'll see how it works... It works! I ended up using a bit less than 2/3 of a cup with the marmalade - really great!
I bet this would be amazing with a nice iced coffee - nothing fancy; just strong brewed coffee with some milk/cream poured over ice. Nice summery coffee break.
**Probably should have taken that broken one out of the photo! lol... these were so delicious - nice and light and quite tender for a biscotti. The marmalade worked wonderfully!**
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup candied orange peel, cut into 1/4 inch diced pieces (see note above - I subbed 1/3 cup plus about another 1/6 of a cup of orange marmalade. I just did my best at pulling out the pieces of orange peel. Worked really well!)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix.
4. Cut the butter into six or eight pieces and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Reach down to the bottom of the bowl and make sure no dry ingredients "escape" the butter (what is this? Alcatraz?!) Rub and distribute the butter evenly until there are no longer any large pieces of butter and the mixture is cool and powdery.
5. Add the almonds and orange peel to the flour and butter mixture and toss to combine.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and add the dry ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until they form a dough.
7. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and press it together. Shape the dough into a 12-inch cylinder and divide it in half. Roll each half under your hands to re-form it as a thinner 12-inch cylinder. Place the logs on one of the prepared pans, not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the logs.
8. Bake the logs for 25-30 minutes or until they are well-risen, well-coloured, and firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack to cool.
9. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and slice them diagonally every 1/3 inch. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread. Bake the biscotti for 15-20 minutes or until they are well toasted. Cool on the pan on a rack.
10. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Classic Tuscan Biscotti a.k.a. Cantuccini***
This will make 60 biscotti.
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole unblanched almonds
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon; stir well to mix it all together. Stir in the almonds.
4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to stir the eggs into the dry ingredients. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms.
5. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half under the palms of your hands into a cylinder a little shorter than the baking sheet. Place the logs of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double their original size. The logs are done if they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack and let the logs cool completely.
7. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/3 inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread any more. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are well-toasted. Cool the pan on a rack.
8. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Chocolate Chunk Biscotti***
Makes about 60 bisotti
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces milk chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix. Stir in the sugar and chocolates.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla and using a large rubber spatula stir the eggs into the flour mixture to form a dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface, press the dough together - it will be sticky. Flour your hands and the surface lightly, but do not add any more flour to the dough. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log the length of your pan. Place the logs on a pan, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs (use a dry brush to remove excess flour if necessary). Bake for about 30 minutes, until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double in size. The logs are done when they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Cool the logs on the pan.
6. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the baked logs diagonally about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Return the biscotti to the pans, cut side down, and bake in the 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are dry and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Tips for Biscotti***
These were some handy hints and tips I read in the "Cookies Unlimited" book. Useful for those trying biscotti for the first time.
*If the dough seems soft, it is correct. Do not add extra flour to the biscotti doughs or your resulting cookies will be cement-like (not exactly the effect we're shooting for here!)
*If you need to flour the work surface to handle the dough more easily, do so. When the dough is safely on the pan just brush off the excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
*Make sure you bake the biscotti enough the first time around. If the centers of the logs are not baked through, they will compress when you slice them (sink like a souffle) and harden during the second baking (there's those cement cookies again!)
*Use a really sharp knife to slice the biscotti. Cutting with a dull knife will make the log shatter.
*The thinner you slice the biscotti, the more pan room you will need for the second baking. Malgieri suggests one cookie sheet per log of biscotti.
*Watch the biscotti carefully during the second baking. Most biscotti have a fairly high sugar content and will burn easily if left unattended.
*Cool biscotti on their pans - the extra bit of drying time will make them even crisper (this is what you want for a "dunking" cookie).
*Biscotti are the perfect "keeping cookie" - just be sure to store them in airtight containers and away from humidity.
Reference for recipes and "Tips for Biscotti" section:
Malgieri, Nick (2000). Cookies Unlimited. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY.
According to the book, the word biscotti means "twice cooked." Just thought I'd throw in a free Italian lesson for you there!
Please by sure to read "Tips for Biscotti" at the bottom of this post.
***Orange and Almond Biscotti***
Just made this today - they are heavenly. So, I hunted high and low (well, 3 grocery stores *including the "ritzy" one near my parents' house, and my mom's cabinets - she has all kinds of weird baking stuff! - I could not find candied orange peel to save my life. :( Oh well, I decided to just get some chunky marmalade and dig the bits of orange peel out of that.. almost the same thing! We'll see how it works... It works! I ended up using a bit less than 2/3 of a cup with the marmalade - really great!
I bet this would be amazing with a nice iced coffee - nothing fancy; just strong brewed coffee with some milk/cream poured over ice. Nice summery coffee break.
**Probably should have taken that broken one out of the photo! lol... these were so delicious - nice and light and quite tender for a biscotti. The marmalade worked wonderfully!**Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup candied orange peel, cut into 1/4 inch diced pieces (see note above - I subbed 1/3 cup plus about another 1/6 of a cup of orange marmalade. I just did my best at pulling out the pieces of orange peel. Worked really well!)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix.
4. Cut the butter into six or eight pieces and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Reach down to the bottom of the bowl and make sure no dry ingredients "escape" the butter (what is this? Alcatraz?!) Rub and distribute the butter evenly until there are no longer any large pieces of butter and the mixture is cool and powdery.
5. Add the almonds and orange peel to the flour and butter mixture and toss to combine.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and add the dry ingredients. Use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together until they form a dough.
7. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and press it together. Shape the dough into a 12-inch cylinder and divide it in half. Roll each half under your hands to re-form it as a thinner 12-inch cylinder. Place the logs on one of the prepared pans, not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the logs.
8. Bake the logs for 25-30 minutes or until they are well-risen, well-coloured, and firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack to cool.
9. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and slice them diagonally every 1/3 inch. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread. Bake the biscotti for 15-20 minutes or until they are well toasted. Cool on the pan on a rack.
10. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Classic Tuscan Biscotti a.k.a. Cantuccini***
This will make 60 biscotti.
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole unblanched almonds
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon; stir well to mix it all together. Stir in the almonds.
4. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to stir the eggs into the dry ingredients. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms.
5. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half under the palms of your hands into a cylinder a little shorter than the baking sheet. Place the logs of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double their original size. The logs are done if they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Place the pan on a rack and let the logs cool completely.
7. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place each of the cooled logs on a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/3 inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. You don't need to leave space between them - they will not spread any more. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are well-toasted. Cool the pan on a rack.
8. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Chocolate Chunk Biscotti***
Makes about 60 bisotti
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces milk chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
1. Prepare pans by covering 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (or use a silicone baking mat).
2. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix. Stir in the sugar and chocolates.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla and using a large rubber spatula stir the eggs into the flour mixture to form a dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface, press the dough together - it will be sticky. Flour your hands and the surface lightly, but do not add any more flour to the dough. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log the length of your pan. Place the logs on a pan, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. Press down lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs (use a dry brush to remove excess flour if necessary). Bake for about 30 minutes, until the logs are well-risen and have also spread to about double in size. The logs are done when they feel firm when pressed with a fingertip. Cool the logs on the pan.
6. Reset the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the baked logs diagonally about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Return the biscotti to the pans, cut side down, and bake in the 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are dry and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Store the biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
***Tips for Biscotti***
These were some handy hints and tips I read in the "Cookies Unlimited" book. Useful for those trying biscotti for the first time.
*If the dough seems soft, it is correct. Do not add extra flour to the biscotti doughs or your resulting cookies will be cement-like (not exactly the effect we're shooting for here!)
*If you need to flour the work surface to handle the dough more easily, do so. When the dough is safely on the pan just brush off the excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
*Make sure you bake the biscotti enough the first time around. If the centers of the logs are not baked through, they will compress when you slice them (sink like a souffle) and harden during the second baking (there's those cement cookies again!)
*Use a really sharp knife to slice the biscotti. Cutting with a dull knife will make the log shatter.
*The thinner you slice the biscotti, the more pan room you will need for the second baking. Malgieri suggests one cookie sheet per log of biscotti.
*Watch the biscotti carefully during the second baking. Most biscotti have a fairly high sugar content and will burn easily if left unattended.
*Cool biscotti on their pans - the extra bit of drying time will make them even crisper (this is what you want for a "dunking" cookie).
*Biscotti are the perfect "keeping cookie" - just be sure to store them in airtight containers and away from humidity.
Reference for recipes and "Tips for Biscotti" section:
Malgieri, Nick (2000). Cookies Unlimited. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.: New York, NY.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tag! I'm It!
Cara got me! http://carascravings.blogspot.com/
Here are the rules since I'm tagging you now! :)
Each player starts with seven random facts or habits about himself or herself. A tagged player then writes a blog entry with the seven things, as well as these rules. Then the player tags seven others and lists their names on his or her blog. Remember to leave a comment for your newly tagged players, letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog!
Seven random facts/habits about me:
1. I was born and grew up in a rural area of Northern England (The Lake District). Moved to San Diego when I was 13 but I'm still a British citizen...
2. I have never tried gnocchi or polenta... but from what I hear, I am seriously missing out! lol
3. I used to be a vegetarian but my hubbers is a total carnivore (boo!) so I slowly started adding meat back into my diet when we got engaged... I felt so wrong about it for the longest time! I still will not eat red meat, most shellfish (I do love shrimp and crab cakes, though! lol), any pork products, and some other types of fish.
4. DH would tell you I'm a bit "crunchy granola" ;) It's ok, I take it as a compliment! :) Yes, I pull cans and paper out of the trash can after he throws them in.. and he gets "the look" for doing it! hee hee ;)
5. As crunchy granola and green as I may be, I have to confess that I LOVE old American muscle cars... God! I would die if an old 60-something Camaro showed up in my garage - one of the ones with the really loud throaty V8 engine... mmm ;) Heaven on wheels! lol
6. I'm a teacher but I don't "teach"... I have a bit of a weird job! I work for a charter school and my students are homeschooled. I have an elementary school (multiple subject) credential, but because their school work is all "self-contained" I can work with kids in grades K-12. I never thought I would like to work with teenagers, but my high school students are my favourites! Their work is so dynamic and you can actually hold a half-decent conversation with them! :) I love what I do - I get to work one-on-one with the kids and their families and you really get to know them (I have a student who's going in to second grade next year, he's been my student since he was in kinder and I can work with him until he graduates if he stays with the school! How cool is that?!) I do miss a lot of things about the classroom setting (I worked in regular teaching settings for 5 years/been at my current job 3), but there are definitely things I don't miss! :)
7. ooh number 6 was a long one! I was painfully shy when I was a kid... (but for whatever reason, I loved to act and was very involved in theater projects! huh..) Now; however, I love to talk and get up and give speeches. I love debating stuff. I'm not sure when it happened (I think it was around 10th grade), but all of a sudden I just totally gave up caring what people think and turned into this outgoing person. It was so liberating to let other people's snarky crap go! ;)
OK, tag! I am now tagging you - One Tiny Pink Kitchen, Jessy, Elizabeth, Jessica, Tara, Rachel, and Carrie :) Have fun ladies!!
Here are the rules since I'm tagging you now! :)
Each player starts with seven random facts or habits about himself or herself. A tagged player then writes a blog entry with the seven things, as well as these rules. Then the player tags seven others and lists their names on his or her blog. Remember to leave a comment for your newly tagged players, letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog!
Seven random facts/habits about me:
1. I was born and grew up in a rural area of Northern England (The Lake District). Moved to San Diego when I was 13 but I'm still a British citizen...
2. I have never tried gnocchi or polenta... but from what I hear, I am seriously missing out! lol
3. I used to be a vegetarian but my hubbers is a total carnivore (boo!) so I slowly started adding meat back into my diet when we got engaged... I felt so wrong about it for the longest time! I still will not eat red meat, most shellfish (I do love shrimp and crab cakes, though! lol), any pork products, and some other types of fish.
4. DH would tell you I'm a bit "crunchy granola" ;) It's ok, I take it as a compliment! :) Yes, I pull cans and paper out of the trash can after he throws them in.. and he gets "the look" for doing it! hee hee ;)
5. As crunchy granola and green as I may be, I have to confess that I LOVE old American muscle cars... God! I would die if an old 60-something Camaro showed up in my garage - one of the ones with the really loud throaty V8 engine... mmm ;) Heaven on wheels! lol
6. I'm a teacher but I don't "teach"... I have a bit of a weird job! I work for a charter school and my students are homeschooled. I have an elementary school (multiple subject) credential, but because their school work is all "self-contained" I can work with kids in grades K-12. I never thought I would like to work with teenagers, but my high school students are my favourites! Their work is so dynamic and you can actually hold a half-decent conversation with them! :) I love what I do - I get to work one-on-one with the kids and their families and you really get to know them (I have a student who's going in to second grade next year, he's been my student since he was in kinder and I can work with him until he graduates if he stays with the school! How cool is that?!) I do miss a lot of things about the classroom setting (I worked in regular teaching settings for 5 years/been at my current job 3), but there are definitely things I don't miss! :)
7. ooh number 6 was a long one! I was painfully shy when I was a kid... (but for whatever reason, I loved to act and was very involved in theater projects! huh..) Now; however, I love to talk and get up and give speeches. I love debating stuff. I'm not sure when it happened (I think it was around 10th grade), but all of a sudden I just totally gave up caring what people think and turned into this outgoing person. It was so liberating to let other people's snarky crap go! ;)
OK, tag! I am now tagging you - One Tiny Pink Kitchen, Jessy, Elizabeth, Jessica, Tara, Rachel, and Carrie :) Have fun ladies!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
I fell in love with jerk seasoned everything when I was in Jamaica! Here's a recipe to duplicate it at home. Great on any kind of meat (I only eat chicken and fish, but hubby says it's good on pork, too!)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Coat meat with a little olive oil then rub with seasoning. Great on the grill!
Reference:
Pretty sure I found this on AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Coat meat with a little olive oil then rub with seasoning. Great on the grill!
Reference:
Pretty sure I found this on AllRecipes.com
Monday, June 18, 2007
Angel Food Cake
I made my first angel food cake for our Father's Day BBQ on Saturday. Well, everyone ate so much that the cake was forgotten.. oops! Oh well, hubby and I have been enjoying it ;) Angel food is one of my favourite cakes - it's so light and sweet, and the best part - fat free! woohoo!
This will make 12 servings.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups egg whites (I think I used 10 large egg whites)
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or 1 cup minus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
Method:
1. Allow the egg whites to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to starting this recipe.
2. Sift powdered sugar and flour together 3 times; set aside.
3. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla to the egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (the tips will curl at this stage). Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating at medium speed until stiff peaks form (the tips will stand up straight).
4. Sift about 1/4 of the dry mixture (powdered sugar and flour) over the beaten egg whites and fold in gently. To fold in the dry mixture, use a rubber spatula to "cut through" the mixture. Drag the spatula along the bottom of the bowl then bring it back up and across the top. Repeat, folding in dry mixture 1/4 at a time. Pour into an ungreased bundt pan. Gently cut through the batter to remove any air pockets (use a knife or small metal spatula to do this).
5. Back on the lowest rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. The top of the cake will spring back when lightly touched. Immediately turn the cake upside down (leave it in the pan) and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. After cake is cool, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan.
Angel food cake freezes remarkably well! Just place the cooled cake in a freezer baggie or wrap in freezer-proof plastic wrap. It can remain in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Another, not so zoomed, photo. It is excellent with red berries and homemade vanilla ice-cream :) Not so fat-free that way, though! lol
Reference:
The original recipe used came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I've had for years. I like to think of it as Old Faithful :) It's a goodie!
Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen (1996). Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Meredith Publishing Group: Des Moines, IA.
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