A Sugar-Free Cookie Extrordinaire

With my new healthy lifestyle, I try to limit my sweets and desserts to one day a week. And then I try not to pig out all day long that day. But after being good for three or four weeks, I was craving some sweets so badly! So I turned to Pinterest and searched for a sugar-free recipe that looked palatable. Now I wasn't expecting miracles, but was hoping for something that didn't just use a sugar substitute. I bought some Stevia and tried to make my own hot chocolate. Yeah, it was nasty. Still need to try it in something else though - I don't want to judge it on that sole experience.

I found this cookie recipe that is not only sugar-free, but also flour, egg-free too. It is mostly bananas, so if you don't like those you should probably skip this recipe. I don't like to eat bananas on their own, but like them in bread, pancakes, etc. I love the oats in this recipe too! I did add a dash of salt and little Stevia to sweeten things up - just a single serving packet. The batter tasted great on it's own, and I wondered if it was even worth baking the cookies. Out of the oven they were okay, but the next day or the day after they were fabulous - just needed a day to meld I guess. I couldn't help but pass this recipe on. I give full credit to Once a Month Mom. You can find the recipe here. 

The cocoa and oats really satisfied me and kept me out of the real treats that do not help me!

Pancakes, Mmmmm

Pancakes are my favorite food, followed closely by waffles. I do use a mix sometimes, but I will not use any mix that calls for water as the only addition. I like the Bisquick; I grew up on it. Every Sunday morning, or afternoon (depending on church times) my dad would make pancakes. And a couple years ago my friend, Jane, shared her make-a-mix recipe, which uses half wheat flour & is extra delicious. I now keep that mix on hand & am planning to make it in bulk and can it soon.

This morning I tried Pioneer Woman's pancake recipe, freshly posted this week. And it made the most beautiful pancakes I've ever seen! Perfectly fluffy and golden brown. They smelled great, thanks to the 3 teaspoons of vanilla. But they tasted kind of... blah. I hate to say it. Syrup helped. But the 3 tablespoons of baking powder made the taste way too strong for me. My four year old wouldn't even eat them, saying they tasted funny. I need a different leavening agent.

My favorite, tried and true recipe is Martha Stewart's Best Buttermilk Pancakes. It only has 2 tsp. of baking powder and 1 tsp. of baking soda to react with the buttermilk and give you fluffy pancakes. They are moist and a little spongy, but in a delicate way and are great with add-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips. (Photo and recipe from Martha Stewart's website.)




Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes nine 6-inch pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle


Directions:
1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

I'm also a huge fan of this recipe for Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, which I found years ago in a Redbook magazine. I only make them occasionally, because they're a little more work, but so worth it. The recipe in the magazine is listed as coming from Bette's Ocean View Diner - visit their website to buy mixes and view other recipes. (Recipe and photo from January 2004 Redbook)

Banana & Sour Cream Pancakes

Combine:

2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl, beat together:
2 large eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 & 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter

Add wet to dry ingredients and stir in:

1 ripe banana, mashed
1 ripe banana, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Cook on a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with sour cream, sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, and syrup.

If you love pancakes I know you will enjoy these recipes. For more mouth watering recipes visit Randi's Recipe Box Swap. Randi posted about pancakes this month too, and included a delicious looking berry syrup.

Skillet Baked Ziti

I haven't posted a recipe for a while, and the theme for this month's Recipe Box Swap is pasta, and I made this baked ziti this week, and it's super yummy and easy - so, here it is! It came from America's Test Kitchen.

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves , minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
12 ounces ziti (3 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

To complete this recipe in 30 minutes, preheat your oven before assembling your ingredients. If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking. Packaged pre-shredded mozzarella is a real time-saver here. Penne can also be used here.
Serves 4

Making the Minutes Count: Measure the water and the pasta before you begin cooking. Prep the Parmesan and basil while the pasta cooks.

1. Heat Oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Simmer Ziti: Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch, ovensafe nonstick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

3. Add Cheese and Bake: Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Baked: This book was made for me

I heard about this new cookbook when it came out last fall and was intrigued with the title. And when I read more about the bakery I swear I started a little fund to save for that trip to New York I've always wanted to take. Baked in Brooklyn will be one of my first stops.

Until then, I plan to make as many recipes from their cookbook as possible. To start, I needed a cake for my mom's birthday and made the Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake. I'm fond of malt flavor, and apparently so are Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, the proprietors. The cake was soft and heavenly - white cake with subtle malt flavor. The Milk Chocolate Frosting was pretty much the best I've ever had. You make it like a ganache, by pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate. But then you beat in three sticks of butter. Heaven. I used my little bit of leftover to frost some sugar cookies.

Next I tried the first recipe from the breakfast chapter - Sour Lemon Scones. With an abundance of fresh lemons in my yard, it was a good fit. I'm a sucker for any recipe that calls for fresh lemon zest. The book calls the scones "elegant" but I disagree. I'd call them a little slice of heaven - light and airy with sunshiny lemon flavor. They're more like a comfort food to me. My husband was a big fan too. The recipe makes quite a bit, so I refrigerated some of the dough for a few days and baked them fresh later. They turned out great, although these scones reheat fairly well too.

I saved the best for last - Baked's famous Brownies. They were featured as one of Oprah's favorite things, catapulting them to instant stardom. The Baked Brownie was also chosen as the favorite brownie by America's Test Kitchen and The Today Show. And I will add my vote as the best brownie I've ever eaten. Number 30 on my list is to develop the perfect brownie recipe. I'm just going to count that as done. It doesn't get better than these. And when I e-mailed Baked to ask if I could share the recipe I got a nice response from Matt Lewis. Go make them now. And while the brownies are in the oven baking, go online and order yourself the whole book: Baked, New Frontiers in Baking - by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

THE BAKED BROWNIE
Yield: 24 brownies

The Baked brownie is a beautiful thing. It has won the hearts and minds of many people, been featured on the pages of O Magazine as a favorite thing, and won best brownie by the folks at America’s Test Kitchen and the Today Show. Our brownie really owes many kudos to our friend and superstar pastry chef Lesli Heffler-Flick. She created the original ultimate brownie for us. It is dense, chocolatey, and slightly fudgy, and we are forever grateful to her for letting us adapt her recipe.

Baked Note: A great brownie is easy to make, but you have to be aware of several factors. 1. Use a dark cocoa powder, like Valrhona. A pale, light-colored cocoa does not have enough depth. 2. Make sure your eggs are room temperature and do not overbeat them into the batter, and 3. Check your brownies often as they bake. An even slightly overbaked brownie is not a Baked Brownie.


1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped coarsely
8 ounces butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9x13x2 pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.

Configure a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant espresso powder in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.

Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (DO NOT USE A WHISK) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.

Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.

Save a few pennies & trees

I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and my favorite is Martha Stewart Living. I've been saving my issues since 2003 because they are classic. Recipes and home management tips never go out of style, and even the decorating schemes favored by MSL seem to stay fresh and current. It suits my style. Unfortunately, a subscription to MSL runs a little more than other things and this year when it came time to renew, I kept the cash in my pocket. For January, instead of receiving a lovely new issue in the mail, I pulled out the January issues from 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. I could skim through them much faster, since I've read them in the past, so it didn't take any more time than reading a new issue. And I remembered many of the great features, things I had wanted to revisit anyway. Check out some of these great articles.

I'm making these darling pillows for my couch. It just so happens that pillows are the first project for my sewing class (on my list of 32 things to do before 33), which starts this Saturday. I have already purchased some great fabric.

There are plenty of yummy recipes in my old issues, including 12 for a feature, A Year of Cakes! Cakes are my weakness. I've already made this cardamom cake, since I love cardamom. It was not as good as I had hoped. I will try the Meyer lemon cake next. Once all my sick babies get better I would like to make this lasagna bolognese, which I actually made when this issue came out, 5 years ago. It was delicious, but a lot of work - possibly an every 5 years occurrence. Maybe after that I'll try some of these curries.






Also - I believe this is a picture of what my mud room is supposed to look like. You know, if I had a mudroom. Someday I will.

But for now I'm happy to save some money this year by skipping my magazine subscription. I'll put it toward my mudroom. And I'm always happy to save a few trees.

For more tips and tricks, visit Works For Me Wednesday.

Apples Part 2 & Pumpkin Galore

I completed the 2nd installment of my apple process today. I turned the 8 cups of homemade applesauce waiting from last week into apple butter. It's delicious! Now I just have to find time tomorrow to actually can the stuff so I don't have to find room for all of it in my frig & eat it in the next couple months. Not that I couldn't - I totally could, but I need to ration it to last until next fall. My mom's recipe is as follows:

Apple Butter

16 c. thick apple pulp (my homemade applesauce)

1 c. vinegar

8 c. sugar

4 tsp. cinnamon

Cook 1 1/2 hours stirring frequently until thick as desired. Bottle and put in water bath for 10 min. to preserve.

Okay, I only made a half recipe of this, I used apple cider vinegar, and found you need to keep it on pretty low heat. The first pot I tried wasn't very heavy & I burned a ton on the bottom. Not good - I had the heat on medium & apparently needed to stir every couple of minutes. But I poured the whole thing off into a heavier pot and turned the heat down & managed not to ruin the entire batch. Whew!

And speaking of butters, and pumpkin recipes (which I promised) - here's the best recipe of all!

1. Get in your car.

2. Drive to the nearest Trader Joe's.

3. Buy pumpkin butter.

4. Return home and eat it straight out of the jar, or if you can wait, it's fabulous on English muffins, pancakes, waffles, and the like.

Here's my jar, shown with my empty waffle plate last Friday. Hmmm, is it too early to make waffles again?

Okay, so some real pumpkin recipes.

I tried this Pumpkin Bread Pudding last week, from Smitten Kitchen. Oh, it was so fabulous! Rich & creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth - there was barely any left for my husband by the time he got home from work.


Cake is pretty much my favorite dessert - and pumpkin cake is pretty high on the ladder. This is my current best recipe - I found it on FlyLady a couple years ago. You bake it in a bundt pan & it's very dense, like pumpkin bread. You can hold a slice in your hand to eat, no plate or fork required. And cream cheese frosting is great, but not completely necessary with this cake. Here's the link - #6 on the clutter-free gift ideas. Thanks Flybaby in Lexington, KY! She has a great gift idea too.

For my own recipe, I will share my fave pumpkin cookies. These are absolutely the best - fluffy & cake-like, but a little crisp on the outside. It's the shortening. I almost always bake with real butter, but sometimes you gotta go with something else. I can eat an entire dozen of these straight out of the oven, but I try to hold back. They are best hot from the oven though. I don't embellish mine with anything, but you could. I actually just had some scrumptious pumpkin cookies at a church meeting that were flatter shaped and had great cream cheese icing on them. I must ask for the recipe. But try mine - you'll love them! And they're really easy

Pumpkin Cookies

Mix: 1 c. shortening, 2 eggs, 3/4 c. sugar, 1 c. canned pumpkin

Blend in: 2 c. flour, 1/2 t. salt, 2 t. baking powder, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. ginger, nuts if desired

Roll balls in powdered sugar (My dough isn't solid enough to do this, but maybe if it had nuts in it. I drop by the spoonfull onto a greased baking sheet.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 min. Makes 3 dozen. (I only get 2 doz. out of this & have to bake for more like 12 min. What can I say? I like 'em big)


So, what else can I put pumpkin in? I love pumpkin pancakes and have used this recipe from allrecipes.com. Next I want to try this Pumpkin Rice Pudding that Jenny from Picky Palate posted. I'm even making Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup in Coconut Milk this week for dinner. I so love the fall!

DIH: Applesauce

Today's Do It Herself post is not so much a handyman project, but I did use a new tool. I made applesauce, with the help of my two year old son. Honestly, I would never make applesauce just for our general consumption, or to be more healthy, or more thrifty. But I have been craving some homemade apple butter, and it tastes best from homemade applesauce, and my mom gave me a bunch of the apples she had ordered. And loaned me her applesauce making tool - thanks Mom! I couldn't pass up this opportunity.


It turns out applesauce is really easy to make. I got instructions from my mom and a few websites & blogs, but found this site very helpful. Basically I washed my apples and cut them with that cool wedger that cores too - just the basic hand one that you can buy for like $5 anywhere. Then I cooked them in a couple big pots, with about an inch of water in the bottom. So I suppose that's like steaming them. Start the burner on high until the steam is really going, then finish on medium heat. You cook the apples until they are soft all the way through, which took 15-20 minutes for me.

Now comes the fun part, which my kiddo was very interested in. I used my mom's Squeezo, which is a mechanical contraption that you put together from about 20 pieces and when you put your cooked apples in the top and turn the handle, applesauce comes out. It's amazing. Apparently there's a Kitchen Aid attachment that does the same thing. Or you can use a metal sieve, basically anything that will mash the apples and separate the peel & other unsavory parts from the sauce.

It's recommended to use sweet apples, such as Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, or Rome and it's better to use more than one kind to keep the flavor fuller. Or deeper or something - I don't really know these things. But my mom had ordered a box of Granny Smiths to make pie filling & I was happy to use her leftovers for free. All it meant for me was that I needed to add some sugar to make it more palatable. And it really didn't take much - some cinnamon makes it good too. These were added to the batch I was keeping as applesauce, the apple butter needs more fun stuff.


More on making apple butter & some of the most fabulous pumpkin recipes you've ever had coming up soon!

Birthday Cake!

For my husband's birthday in September, I let him choose a cake recipe, that I would then turn into a masterpiece, suitable for framing and eating. I did this once before, his first birthday after we were married, seven years ago. It was time for another. Aaron often accuses me of spending too much time on blogs, but he is known to subscribe to a few (hundred) in his own Google Reader. He shared a recipe with me from Gourmet Mom on the Go.


And I dutifully made the Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake and decorated it to perfection. Well, as best I could since despite asking for cake-decorating lessons the last four Christmases, they have yet to materialize. The recipe was actually quite easy, being based on a cake mix and all. And the peanut butter frosting was easy too, as well as being one of the best frostings I have ever tasted. She lists her own decorating instructions for this cake, which I am leaving out in case you just want to eat this absolutely scrumptious cake without spending an hour decorating it, like I did. I have since been subscribing to Gourmet Mom on the Go & she has tons of delicious recipes and lots of great food ideas & tips for younger kids. (like mine) Please go visit her blog.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 (3 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding
2 C. sour cream
5 eggs
1 C. melted butter
1 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chocolate chips (I recommend ghirardelli)

In a large bowl, beat first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mixture will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into three greased 9” pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. (Keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake). Cool completely. I actually like to pop them in the freezer for easy assembling.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6-8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 2 lb.)

Directions:
Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.
Add peanut butter, milk and vanilla.
Gradually add 6 c. sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add more sugar (or milk) as needed until icing is desired consistency (should be firm enough to hold a shape but still smooth)
Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

For other yummy recipes, visit the Recipe Box Swap at i have to say.

Fall's Harvest (In a Soup Pot)

I love reading BooMama & today she is hosting a Souptacular - a compilation of bloggers' favorite soup recipes. I love soup and only wish it was cool enough to enjoy it more here in Arizona. We're still in the mid-90s all this week. My AC is going overtime. But as soon as it cools off a teensy bit, to like 80, I'll be pulling out this recipe for a hearty chili featuring my favorite gourd - pumpkin. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 dash salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Kids in the Kitchen

My kids love to be with me in the kitchen. They're usually just in the way, but I try to let them help as often as I have patience. Hopefully as they get older, it can turn into a regular gig.

My oldest is in preschool this year, so we have one more year until the start of making school lunches. But we're big fans of the sandwich around here, affectionately called: a samich! Turkey, peanut butter, or more creative - they all taste best on homemade bread.

I have lots of bread recipes that I use for different things: knot rolls, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, loaf bread. But last fall I attended an excellent women's conference at my church and they had a professional chef speak about making time with your children, especially in the kitchen. Chef Brad (who is a legend here in Mesa, AZ) gave us a fabulous, EASY white bread recipe that can be made into lots of things. While he spoke, we women actually made bread. They had stations set up for about 300 women, with bowls, ingredients and all! This talk and session was in the middle of the conference and after everything was over they served a fabulous lunch of Navajo tacos - made from the dough we mixed up there, cooked as fry bread. I am reproducing the recipe exactly as I received it. Even if you have never made bread, this would be a good recipe to try.

Basic White Bread

Bread is the staple of life. It can be nourishing and it is a wonderful comfort food. Fresh baked bread from the oven can bring a family together and create fond food memories that can last forever.

2 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, oil, lard, or Crisco
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast, Saf instant
5 + cups of flour

In a bowl add water, sugar, oil, salt, 2 cups flour. Mix well with a spoon and add yeast and 3 cups of flour. Mix well and then dump out on a floured surface. Start kneading by folding the closest edge to you away from you towards the furthest edge. With the ball of the hand, press the folded edge into the dough turning the dough around as you complete the fold. Keep repeating the process, adding flour as needed, being careful not to add too much flour. After the dough is well kneaded, about 6 to 8 minutes, place in oiled bowl and cover and let rise to double. Punch down and form into loafs, 2, and let rise again until double. Bake in a 350 degree oven until done, about 30 minutes.

For Whole Grain Bread, substitute 3 cups of white flour with fresh ground whole wheat flour and let rise until double, twice, before forming into loafs.

For Cinnamon Bread, before placing in bread pan to bake, roll out each loaf and spread with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up into a loaf and place in oiled pan and let rise until double.

For Cinnamon Rolls, Roll out entire dough after first rising, spread with butter and then with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Sprinkle lightly with water and then roll up tight and cut into rolls. Place in sprayed baking pan and let rise to double. Bake for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven and then drop the temp to 325 degrees and bake for 12 more minutes. top with a sugar glaze and enjoy.

For Fry Bread, divide the dough into small golf ball pieces and roll out on an oiled surface and fry in hot oil, flipping over and cooking both sides. Top with honey or use for Navajo tacos.

Copyright 2004 by Chef Brad Events, Those Wonderful Grains

All rights reserved

www.chefbrad.com

I've made this recipe with the boys help several times since then with great success. And then this week we made Pigs in a Blanket, recipe via my friend Jane at What About Mom. The bread dough recipe there was equally easy, delicious, and appropriate for kids to help with.

This recipe is part of October's Recipe Box Swap at i have to say.

WFMW: Kitchen Organization by Computer

This week's edition of Works For Me Wednesday uses the theme of Kitchen Organization. I spent a few minutes racking my brain to come up with any way that you could call my kitchen organized. It's not the worst, I know where things are and can always find them. But I'm certainly not a model of efficiency and don't know that I could give anyone tips. But I did think of one kitchen-type area that I excel in: menu planning and grocery shopping.

I have always loved to plan menus, choose recipes, make grocery lists, etc. My downfall is the follow-through with shopping, chopping, and cooking. But I can plan with the best of them and always have things organized as to what we're having for dinner and what I need to buy at the grocery store. That way, even if I poop out on making dinner, at least there is a plan and all the ingredients. You know, in case my husband wants to take over. Which he sometimes does.

And to what do I owe my organization? My computer, of course. For my birthday a couple years ago I finally bought some recipe software to help me organize the tangle of 3x5 cards, computer files, torn-out magazine pages, and scrawled notes on scrap paper. There's a lot of software out there for this kind of thing, but after much research (and budget constrictions), I chose Home Cookin.


For only $30 I can keep all my recipes, plan menus by calendar, and keep a grocery list, complete with prices. There are also search features and intuitive navigation. My computer is steps away from my kitchen so I am constantly leaning over to add items to my grocery list. I've organized it to print out in order of the way I walk through my local grocery store. Which is very helpful and cuts down on shopping time. Saving time and being organized in the kitchen Works For Me!

My recent Works For Me Wednesday posts:
Teaching Your Children Through the Scriptures
Secret Ingredient: Cardamom
Belts Can Make an Outfit
Hip Baby or Not
How Many Push Ups Can You Do?

Cookies For Nie Nie

Today is the cookie auction for Nie Nie, put together by Miss Landra Lynn at XO, Miss L2. And you should totally go there now to bid on my fabulous cookies! Go now.

What? You want proof? You want to know why you should bid? I'm here today to pimp out my offerings and drive the bidding up as high as possible.


My Background:
I come from a long line of super-bakers. Seriously. We've got experience. Too bad that's all on my mother's side and my genes came from my father's side. But really my few extra pounds should be further proof to you of my baking expertise. I have taste-tested all these recipes more times than I would care to admit. And they are stinkin' good! For reals.


The Offerings:


Two Batches of Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Martha Stewart recipe)

Martha has never let me down yet with a recipe and this is one of my very favorites. If you love spicy gingerbread (the soft kind) and chocolate - these cookies will be your best friend. They are like little clouds of sugar coated heaven. They always remind me of fall and the holiday season.



Two Batches of Peanut Blossoms

My husband's aunt, Bev, makes the most fabulous peanut blossom cookies, which are those super soft peanut butter cookies with the Hershey's kiss on top. She brings these to every family gathering and they get eaten up lickety-split. So I told her about Nie Nie and asked her to bake a couple dozen. And being the sweet lady that she is - she agreed. I do have the recipe for these, but haven't made them much myself since Aunt Bev's are so delicious and we have a lot of family gatherings. :) You will love these! Please bid.



A Batch of Date Bars

I heart date bars and even wrote about how I was craving them right about my baby was born when I posted the recipe here. I will make a pan of them and send you a dozen big ones. These date bars have an oatmeal crust and topping and include lots of real butter and sugar. They may not make your scale or dentist happy - but they are so delicious and will make your tummy moan in happiness.

The sale starts at 8am AZ time so if you're reading this early, get set to bid. If you're reading this later, you better get your hungry little self over to Landra's blog to check out all the goodies. My cookies are so obviously the best thing there, but I'm sure the other cookies will be great as well so bid on anything that looks good to you. And pass the word along to your best cookie-monster friends. Thanks! And don't forget, all proceeds for the cookie sales go to Stephanie and Christian Nielson. Whom I wrote about here, in case you haven't heard of them. And whom I recently found out live less than a mile from me. Small world.

Secret Ingredient: Cardamom

I love Works for Me Wednesdays! My tip for everyone today is for the kitchen - learn to use cardamom in you baking & cooking. Cardamom can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, although use less because it is stronger. Cardamom also goes very well with cinnamon, like in this recipe for Viking Cookies below, from the author of the Hannah Swensen culinary mystery series. I usually make a few modifications though. They are very sweet, even for me, so I cut each of the sugars by 1/4 cup. I use half white & half semi-sweet chocolate chips - this cuts the sweetness a little too. Viking cookies are also great with a handful of coconut thrown in.

If you love cookies & you love Nie Nie (who doesn't) - click over to Landra Lynn's blog. She is hosting a cookie auction on Monday, Sept. 22nd. You can bake some or buy some.

I also love a sprinkle of cardamom on top of my powdered hot chocolate mix, before I add the water. Check out some recipes featuring cardamom from Allrecipes. After the cookie recipe I added some excerpts about cardamom.

Viking Cookies
Joanne Fluke @ Murder She Baked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (nutmeg will also work, but cardalmom is better!)
4 1/2 cups flour
3 cups white chocolate chips
3 cups quick oats

Melt the butter and let it cool. Mix in the white and brown sugars. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Make sure it's all mixed in thoroughly.
Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition. Then add the chocolate chips and stir thoroughly. Add the oatmeal and mix. the dough will be quite stiff.
Drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.
Yield, 6-10 dozen cookies, depending on size.



Confessions of a Cardamom Addict - a food blog with some fun cardamom recipes on the sidebar

McCormick Enspicelopedia - check out the bottom of McCormick's page for a link to more recipes. Cardamom is used in Danish pastries, Saudi Arabian, North African, Asian, and Indian cooking and in spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, and berbere. Throughout the Arab world, Cardamom is one of the most popular spices, with Cardamom coffee being a symbol of hospitality and prestige. The spice is also very popular in the Scandinavian countries where it is used more extensively than cinnamon.

Wikipedia - Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. Black cardamom has a distinctly more astringent aroma, though not bitter, with a coolness similar to mint, though with a different aroma. It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking, and is often used in baking in Nordic countries, such as in the Finnish sweet-bread pulla. It is one of the most expensive spices by weight, and little is needed to impart the flavor.

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Creamy Zucchini Pasta & a Giveaway

For everyone out there desperately waiting for my Project Runway recap for this week, just hold on another day or two. I have lots going on this week, but thanks to the miracle that is TiVo - the latest episode is holding for my viewing pleasure.

While you're waiting, enter my giveaway and try this recipe for a way to use up all those fresh zucchini from your garden. Or your parents garden. Or your neighbors garden. Or all three. Or if you're like me, you just buy it at the store. I got this recipe from the mother of an old college boyfriend, who still calls me every year or two. What can I say? The moms always loved me, even if the boys didn't. So if anyone from the Redd family is out there reading this - thanks for the recipe! Just like zucchini, this pasta is best fresh - the sauce tends to separate on reheating.

Creamy Zucchini Pasta

1 box (16 oz.) mosticcoli pasta, or ziti, rigatoni, etc.

3 medium or 5 small zucchini, cut in chunks or strips

1 large onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 c. heavy cream

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. chicken, cubed


Cook the pasta according to directions. Saute the zucchini in olive oil until limp and lightly brown and remove to drain on paper towels. Add onions, garlic, and chicken to the pan and saute until golden. Stir in cream, increase heat if necessary, and boil until reduced by one third. Add cooked pasta, zucchini, Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper. Toss until heated through and serve immediately. Top with additional Parmesan.

While you are enjoying this umm, not-so-much low cal pasta - browse through some of my posts and enter my giveaway. I reviewed The One Armed Cook and listed a great recipe for Shrimp Coconut Corn Chowder here (and actually entered it in the recipe box swap). And now the lovely authors, Cynthia & Catherine, have sent me a pristine copy of their book to giveaway! To enter, just comment on this post and tell me how you are a Well-Rounded Woman (or man). If you wonder what I mean, read about it here. The contest is open through next weekend, August 17th. If your profile or blog does NOT have your e-mail address, please leave it in your comment so I can contact you if you win. Thanks for reading!

For more delicous recipes featuring garden-fresh ingredients,
check out the recipe box swap at i have to say.

Recipe & a Giveaway

This giveaway is closed. Find the winner here.

As a follow-up to Mouth-Watering Mysteries, I have a fun prize to giveaway! Joanne Fluke graciously gave permission for me to share a recipe with my readers and donated a couple of her Hannah Swensen books for the giveaway, including the one I reviewed, Carrot Cake Murder. She even autographed them! I can't wait until her next book comes out and she comes on tour here in Arizona - I'm definitely going to meet her. The other book is Key Lime Pie Murder, so if you love key lime pie then enter to win and try out Jo's recipe. (Oh yes, Jo & I are on a first name basis now.) She also included the cutest packet of carrot seeds to plant in your garden. Don't forget to visit her website, Murder She Baked.



To win the books please leave a comment and share your favorite mystery book/series or your favorite thing to make (recipes not necessary in the comments but if you have it posted somewhere please link to it so we can try it!). I will choose a winner on Sunday.

Cocoa Fudge Cake

Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.


2 c. sugar
2 c. flour


1 c. butter
1 c. water
3 Tbs. cocoa powder


1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs, beaten


In a large bowl, stir the sugar and flour together. Set aside.


Put the butter, water, and cocoa powder into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.


Pour the cocoa mixture over the sugar and flour, and mix it all up together.


Whisk the milk, vanilla, baking soda, and eggs together in a small bowl.

Add the egg mixture to the large bowl. Stir it until it's thoroughly incorporated.

Pour the batter into the greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. When the cake begins to shrink away from the sides of the pan, it's done.

Neverfail Fudge Frosting

1/2 c. salted butter
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. cream
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)


Place the butter, sugar, and cream into a medium-size saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for two minutes.


Add the chocolate chips, stir them in until melted, and remove the saucepan from the heat.


Stir in the vanilla and the chopped pecans.


Pour the frosting on the cake and spread it out quickly with a spatula.


If you want this frosting to cool in a big hurry so that you can cut the cake, just slip it in the refrigerator, uncovered, for a half-hour or so.

Mouth-Watering Mysteries

I'm a big fan of the culinary mystery genre. Some are serious, some are light and comical, and some have delicious recipes. I just finished Carrot Cake Mystery, by Joanne Fluke. This is the 10th book in the Hannah Swensen series, which is definitely on the light and comical side. I find it quite comical that Hannah has personally discovered so many dead bodies in the tiny Minnesota town that makes up the quaint setting for the books. But the characters are fun and the plots certainly imaginative, if unrealistic. But come on, if you want realism go read the newspaper. I want to be entertained when I read. Hannah owns and runs a cookie shop and seems to be the go-to girl for every baking event in the town of Lake Eden.

My favorite thing about the Hannah series is the PG rating. It's hard to find modern books that don't contain bad language, way too much sex, and graphic violence. Obviously murder mysteries contain some violence, but Fluke keeps it subtle and far from graphic. And Hannah manages to string along two beaus without doing more than doling out a few good-night kisses.

My next favorite thing about Fluke's books, a very close second, are the delicious recipes packed into every installment of Hannah's sluething career. I have tried one or two recipes from each book and I'd say there has been a 90% success rate for me. Obviously there are a lot of cookie recipes, but plenty of other sweets and a sprinkling of old-fashioned Minnesota potluck recipes. The latest book, Carrot Cake Murder had over twenty recipes and I have already tried three of them, even before my copy is due back to the library. The Viking Cookies were delicious, a new twist on a chocolate chip cookie with some different spices and white chocolate chips. They were a bit sweet for me (gasp! I know) so I would just use a bit less sugar and chips next time. A keeper though. Then there are the Cocoa Fudge Cake and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. I had to throw out everything I knew about cake making and just follow the recipe. Despite the odd mixing instructions, everything turned out divine, or probably because of the different ordering of ingredients. The Fudge Cake especially was very moist and dense, leaning more towards brownies, but definitely still a cake. I'm trying the Scandinavian Almond Cake next and actually have a savory dish of Salmon Cakes on my menu for next week. And there's still the title recipe for Carrot Cake. I think I've been through three pounds of butter already.

I would love to reproduce a recipe here but I imagine it would violate copyright violations. Check out Joanne's website, Murder She Baked, for a featured monthly recipe. Clever title for the site! Or even better, pick up a copy of a Hannah Swensen book and try out seven or eight of the dishes - you won't be disappointed!

**Update**

Check out this post for the Cocoa Fudge Cake recipe and a giveaway of two Hannah Swensen books!

Pasta Salad

I hate to post recipes two days in a row, (well, I don't hate it but I worry my non-recipe loving readers will hate it) but I wanted to participate in the carnival at i have to say. Because the theme is for her July Recipe Box Swap is BBQ-main dishes and sides, I didn't think my Sticky Rice with Mangos from yesterday would work and had to choose a new recipe.

Last week I attended my neice's birthday party and took along the pasta salad I threw together. It got rave reviews, as it usually seems to, and was even mentioned in the comments here on my blog. Personally, pasta salad isn't my favorite - too many vegetables and not enough fat I think, but after numerous requests I'm posting this simple recipe which I got from my Mom. I feel silly calling it a recipe even, since it's just a bunch of stuff thrown in with pasta - but people will love you if you take this salad to a potluck!

Start with pasta, one pound; I like to use tri-color spirals for color. Last time I found a pasta that was actually made with different vegetables, which contributed to the color and taste. Cook according to the package directions then drain, rinse, and add to serving bowl(s). One lb of pasta always makes so much more than I plan and when finished fills 2 Pampered Chef batter bowls, 8 cups each.

Add veggies! Use any you like that will taste good raw, or do a quick saute if you like. A type of onion is a must for me, either white, yellow, red, or green. If I use anything but green I will saute them to soften a bit. Other veggies on my list: button mushrooms (quartered, halved, or sliced), zucchini (chunked or sliced), tomatoes (large dice), black olives (sliced from the can). Don't know if olives are really a veggie.

Cheese - A must for my friends and family. I like crumbled feta but diced cheddar or Monterrey Jack are great too. Feta holds up the longest uner un-refrigerated conditions, like outdoor BBQs!

Seasonings - Add your favorite oil and vinegar based dressing. You need enough to keep everything wet and give it a good marinade and flavor. Basic Italian or a balsalmic work well. I also like to "kick it up a notch" with a few shakes of red pepper flakes. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese adds great flavor too.

Mix everything well, serve, and wait for the compliments to roll in!

Sticky Rice with Mangos

I once promised a recipe for this sweet Thai treat here on my blog but never followed through. A month or so back a friend of mine was watching Iron Chef, with the secret ingredient of rice, when she thought of my promise and IMed me for the recipe. I immediately typed it out and e-mailed to her, since that's the kind of friend I am, but still failed to post. But after finding beautiful fresh mangos at the grocery store this week, I couldn't resist. Sticky rice with coconut sauce is my favorite thing to order at Thai restaurants and I was so glad when I got a recipe in the cooking class I took at my local community college.

I always think of my friend, Jane, when I eat mangos because she is allergic to them. Or just to the oils on the skin or something because she can eat them prepared, she just can't get near a mango during the peeling process. And quite the process it is! If you have never prepared fresh mango, check out this page I found for wonderful tips!

Here is the official recipe but please read to the bottom for my personal tips.

Sticky Rice with Mangos

2 c. sweet rice

2 c. cold water

1 c. Lite Coconut Milk

½ tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

Sauce

1 c. Coconut Milk

3 Tbs. Sugar

2 Ripe Mangos

Soak rice 1 hour. Drain. Combine rice, water, 1 c. coconut milk, salt and sugar together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 15 min. Combine other cup coconut milk and sugar and heat to dissolve. Put cooked rice in a bowl, pour sauce over and top with mangos.

Please note that this is sweet rice, which is an actual kind of rice, but it tends to come out pretty mushy sometimes so I only soak it for 45 minutes and then cook it for 13-15 minutes. I like a stronger coconut flavor so I use a whole can (almost 2 cups) of lite coconut milk with 1 cup of water and the other ingredients to cook the rice. I also like tons of sauce so I double the recipe, which means I use 1 whole can of coconut milk and 6 Tbs. of sugar. I sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top if I have them, because that's what the Thai restaurants do and it's good.

For other recipes with less than five ingredients check out Works For Me Wednesday.

Check out my Beauty on a Budget post from Monday to enter the giveaway!

WFMWrecipesmango

Book Review: The One Armed Cook

I love the premise of this book - mothers with young children only have one arm available to cook because the other is usually holding a baby. Or swatting snuggling a toddler. Or cleaning up a mess. These are all frequent occurences in my house. Authors Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel have a winner here. Check out the website, which includes some free recipes like the Shrimp Coconut Corn Chowder at the end of this post.


My friend recently had shoulder surgery and had to live with the use of only one arm for over a month. So, being the sweet friend I am, I sent her this book, since I had been curious about it anyway. Then I checked it out from the library for myself, so we could compare. I pulled out my sticky notes and marked 20-25 recipes, then had my husband pare it down to a few to try.


The One Armed Cook is organized well, with an introduction of the concept and ideas first, then meal ideas and recipes month by month as your baby gets older, including special occasions. The second half contains all the recipes, arranged by type: appetizer, sides, poultry, dessert, etc. I tried three recipes and liked them all. The black bean soup was quick and easy for lunch, made even better with a few modifications. The beef stroganoff in the crockpot was simple and delicious, much better than other recipes I've tried. I've made it twice in the last month. And I had to try the One Armed Cook's version of Blender Chocolate Souffles. My current favorite is here at allrecipes.com but this one was wonderful too.


Overall I think this cookbook has a great concept and will try several more recipes (that I copied before I returned this to my library). If I like those too, I'm sure I'll just buy a copy for $20. I might even stock up on a few for great baby shower gifts. Pretty cheap for a bounty of quick and easy, family-friendly recipes. It works for me!


For more Works For Me tips, see here. For more yummy recipes, see here.

Shrimp Coconut Corn Chowder

The shrimp, coconut, and cumin, lend traditional corn chowder an exotic flair. Corn and potatoes make this delicious one-pot meal kid-friendly, but you may wish to portion some out for the kids before adding the aromatic spices. Serve it with some crusty bread and a tossed green salad.

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 30 minutes

1 generous swirl of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)

½ teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 (20-ounce) package "Simply Potatoes" diced potatoes and onions

1 (16-ounce) package frozen yellow corn

1 (13 ½-ounce) can coconut milk

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp, fresh or frozen

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes to release the flavor.
Add potatoes and onions, corn, coconut milk, chicken broth, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper, stirring well to mix. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the shrimp, stirring well to mix, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until shrimp turn pink.

© The One-Armed Cook™

Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake

This is Aaron's favorite dessert. He's not usually as big of a chocolate lover as me - but this cake is loved by one and all. It's very easy to make and I usually have everything on hand. And it's so rich and moist it doesn't need any frosting. This was one of the first recipes we ever made from allrecipes.com. Here's the link to the cake.

Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake

· 1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
· 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
· 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
· 3 eggs
· 1/3 cup vegetable oil
· 1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
· 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.
You can substitute ½ c. Hershey’s syrup for the coffee flavored liqueur.

For more yummy dessert recipes check out this recipe swap at The Natural Mommy.