Red Rover

My first fig…

katherinejune — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:10:11 +0000

How have I lived on the planet for a quarter of a century having never tasted a fig?

As I grumbled through post-workday traffic, my grumbling stomach reminded me to plan my post-workday snack (I am currently calorie counting). Sometimes, I do not plan well. There are too many yummy, calorie-laden snack in my refrigerator right now!

Maple cream cheese frosting left over from the carrot cupcakes I made yesterday. Mmm. Vegan cookie dough dip with graham crackers. Addicting. Homemade waffles from Saturday morning breakfast. So good, toasty warm with sliced strawberries and just a tablespoon of pure maple syrup.

So, maybe it is not that I cannot plan snacks well, but rather, I have no barometer for snacks that are healthy. Such is the life of a Pinterester and blog-lover…too many goodies to try!!

Nonetheless, fresh fruit must triumph over sour cream and onion chips, and today, the figs most certainly won the battle. Such a soft, succulent little sweet I have never tasted! Thank you, Trader Joe’s!

I guiltlessly ate four.

Figs: yummy snack!

Sunday morning: marshmallow musings

katherinejune — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:00:25 +0000

I made these marshmallows! Marshmallow making, while a tad process-driven, was easier than I thought it would be. Interestingly, marshmallows are made very quickly, with a lot of tiny, important steps all happening at once. It is exciting, watching the gelatin bloom and seeing the syrup-gelatin whip up into big, fluffy mallowness. Then, waiting. And some more waiting. When the marshmallows are finally set, cut them up into cute squishy squares of sugar.

I followed the recipe from the Love & Olive Oil blog. In the interest of a successful first batch, I did not make any substitutions. I think I might try honey instead of corn syrup next time, and a half cup less sugar.

Have the pan ready with butter, powdered sugar, and parchment lining

Gelatin blooming in the espresso-laced water

First minute of marshmallow mixing

Whipped til white and warm (not hot!), this marshmallow is ready to spread and set

Not surprisingly, marshmallow is incredibly hard to smooth

These squares are ready to take on an afternoon cup of coffee or hot chocolate

I think I’m going to dip these babies in chocolate and white sprinkles to send to my parents.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to receive homemade espresso edibles in the mail?

Weekend Warrior Whip Up

katherinejune — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:48:54 +0000

Today I am making marshmallows. Thought I should say it plainly, because not many people can truthfully ever say that sentence. But I can!

I’m sure during your blogging travels you’ve seen, at least once or twice, a recipe for a fantabulous-looking marshmallow. I know I have seen plenty of recipes and I got very excited.

First, who knew you could make marshmallows? Not I. Also, who knew you could make so many different flavors of marshmallows? I had no idea! I started pinning all the yummy mallow recipes and I also happened to, ahem, buy a marshmallow making book. Like I said, I get excited about things.

Anyway, I happened upon an espresso marshmallow recipe on the Love & Olive Oil blog. I have the ingredients so I’m off to make a mallow of a mess…hopefully, not a mess of a mallow!

Sunday morning: tea time

katherinejune — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:41:54 +0000

Thank you, Mom, for the tea in my Easter basket!

I keep receiving interesting, wonderful boxes of tea as presents from my family. I love it for two reasons: I get much better tea than I would ever buy myself this way, and the tea-gifting shows that my family really knows me and thinks about me when I’m not around.

Yes, both reasons are a tad narcissistic, but it is a nice thought, thinking of my mom puttering around T. J. Maxx or Target, seeing a random box of tea, and purchasing it for me for the next gift-giving event.

I should really start her Mother’s Day gift. I was thinking of pulling out my scrapbooking supplies. Any ideas?

Breakfast magic

katherinejune — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:45:04 +0000

Weekend mornings are magical times. I believe the magic comes from breakfast. Weekend mornings can be luxurious times when breakfast can come from a colorful box of freshly made doughnuts picked up with the Sunday newspaper. Or the breakfast can be a oh-so-satisfying bowl or two of a guilty pleasure cereal (Cap’n Crunch, anyone?) munched in front of cartoons or chick flick on the TV. If someone in the house is feeling like making a little magic, breakfast can be homemade breads, fruity strudels, powdered sugar and strawberry crepes, or chocolaty pancakes.

You see, weekday mornings have to be hurried and whole-grain and boring. Oatmeal. A bowl of responsible cereal. Toast and peanut butter.

Weekend mornings can be bright and drawn out and sweet. Fruit and chocolate! Is there a better combination for a sunny Saturday or Sunday?

While home, I couldn’t resist making breakfast magic. The magic came in the form of these beautiful smashed raspberry and chocolate chunk pancakes that I found on Pinterest via the Joy the Baker blog.

Smashed Raspberry & Chocolate Chunk Pancakes via Joy the Baker

Unfortunately, I did not take any of my own pictures (it’s almost impossible when making food for family already sitting at the table, waiting for a taste). Even worse, when I came back to our apartment, I made the pancakes for dinner for J one night and STILL neglected to take any pictures. I know.

But now that I have figured out EXACTLY how I want to make these babies, I will be making them again, with all my adjustments. And I promise to take a few moments to snap some shots.

Mmm. They make me hungry just thinking about their chocolatey and tart fruity perfection.

Here’s my version.

Raspberry & Chocolate Chunk Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. all-purpose wheat flour

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. cocoa powder

couple generous sprinkles of cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. buttermilk

4 Tbs. melted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c.-1 c. dark chocolate chunks (semi-sweet morsels or mini-chips would work too)

1 c. raspberries, fresh or frozen (if using frozen, thaw berries first)

Any desired toppings: pure maple syrup, raspberry syrup, powdered sugar, butter, etc.

Butter for skillet

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Mix well, breaking up any brown sugar chunks. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, beat together buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until light and frothy.

3. Carefully mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Beat until just incorporated. Mixture will be chunky. Carefully fold in chocolate, then the raspberries.

4. Heat griddle or skillet. Using enough butter to cover cooking surface, grease griddle over medium-low heat. Use 1/2 c.-1 c. batter for each pancake. Pour batter onto hot skillet, giving each cake enough room to spread out and cook. Carefully flip cake when tiny bubbles form on the top of the cooking batter. Cook till golden brown on each side. Enjoy with either maple or raspberry syrup, or some butter and powdered sugar.

Coming home

katherinejune — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:17:59 +0000

A new year is a great time to come home. My coming home is about getting back to the basics in my life, doing the things that bring joy and fulfillment. Coming home is a recognition of the things that are effortless and true.

I visited my parents’ home in upstate New York last week. The temperature was 3 degrees the entire weekend, so dog-walking and useless trips to the mall were out of the question. We just stayed inside by the fire and talked and watched movies and made food. We squeezed in some Zumba DVDs and one shopping trip so we weren’t complete sloths, but for the most part, we kept it easy.

Coming home is recognition of things that bring effortless happiness. I miss home the moment I drive away; however, in an attempt to keep myself from going crazy, I’m going to create my own feeling of home by bringing a few things back.

More baking. More writing. More scrapbooking. More praying. More list-making and list-tackling. More money-saving. More friendship. More random acts of kindness. More recognition of the fact that I can do anything I set out to accomplish.

Any other revelations that surprised you this new year?

Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies

katherinejune — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:33:28 +0000

In order to receive cookies from the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I had to do my part and send some out. I had the hardest time deciding on a cookie. While I seemingly viewed hundreds on Pinterest, I knew I had to decide on a tough cookie that could withstand some jumping and jostling in the mail. I decided on these lovelies.

Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies

Pinterest did help me find these cookies, in the form of the Shine Project blog. The original recipe can be found here, thanks to the Shine Project’s guest blogger, Hanna, from Bouffe e Bambini.

My version is as follows, doubled from the original recipe I followed.

Peppermint Swirl Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. all-purpose whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. peppermint extract

5-6 Tbs. milk

1 Tbs. red gel food coloring

powdered sugar

white non-pareils or other type of sprinkles

1 c. crushed peppermint

1 c. melted white baking chocolate

Part of the process

Directions

1. Sift together flours, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

2. Next, cream the butter, applesauce, and sugar together in stand mixer or large bowl. Add eggs, extracts, and milk, beating until smooth. While still beating wet ingredients, gently add flour mixture. Beat until fully combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and pat the dough down a little to make it easier to divide in half.

3. Place one half of dough in another *greased* bowl. Add food coloring and mix until color is bright and even. Wrap each color of dough in plastic wrap, patting into a small rectangular patty. Refrigerate for thirty minutes.

4. Use wax paper to roll each half of the dough into large rectangles, 1/4-inch thick. The dough will be sticky; use powdered sugar to help the process.

5. Using an intense amount of patience and equally intense amount of flour and powdered sugar (to combat the stickiness of the dough), slide the red dough rectangle evenly onto the white dough. (I ended up flipping my red dough over onto the white dough, which worked better than sliding.) Trim edges. Roll both doughs together, using the long side of the rectangle, creating a swirled cookie dough log. (Again, be patient with the tearing/sticking of the dough. Most of it is repairable.) Cut log in half.

6. Using a shallow dish or pan, pour in a layer of sprinkles or non-pareils. Roll each log firmly over sprinkles several times until the majority of each log is covered. Wrap them both tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate for two hours.

7. When ready, slice dough logs into 1/2-inch slices. Bake on parchment-lined sheet in a preheated 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes.

8. While cookies are baking, slowly melt white baking chocolate in small saucepan or microwave. Stir constantly. (I used a little canola oil to make the morsels melt a little easier.) Pour crushed peppermint into shallow dish or pan.

9. When cookies have cooled, dip halfway into melted white chocolate and immediately roll in crushed peppermint. Set on cooling rack.

Baked goodies

Overall, these cookies were several times more difficult than I thought they were going to be. Aside from the issues I had with stickiness, I also did not roll the doughs out evenly; as you can see from above, the red is winning! I almost couldn’t call it a swirl cookie! Thirdly, I actually added all the sugar I was supposed to, but I was a little disappointed with the sweetness that resulted. Hence, the white chocolate and crushed peppermint. I wanted the cookies to earn their sugar cookie title.

I sent a dozen of each to Heather of Levavi Spatulas, Monique of Food Snob 2.0, and Kelli of The Corner Kitchen. Hope they made it okay!

Finally, I had a lot of fun. I was surprised by all the packaging options I didn’t think of. I will be more imaginative next time. I cannot wait to do this again next year!

If you are interested in being involved next year, sign up for the mailing list at the Love and Olive Oil blog right here.

Packages in the mail

katherinejune — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:50:39 +0000

Packages in the mail are one of life’s happinesses. Even when my dad would order yet another hat off the internet, it was fun to run to the door, hold the dogs back to protect the UPS delivery guy, and promptly shake the box when he was gone. Even when I know what is inside the box, like the K-cup coffee I order from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, getting the package makes me feel a little special. Free samples that I sent away for weeks ago are also a fun surprise. Perhaps the best way to receive packages, however, is in the form of cookies from friendly bloggers all over the country.

As I wrote about a few weeks ago, I decided to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. From Thursday to Saturday, I received a new box of cookies every day.

The first adorable little box traveled over land and sea to arrive at my home. I was tickled pink that the cookies were from HAWAII. Just ask J. I must have repeated how cool it was to get cookies from Hawaii over half a dozen times.

Kakimochi chocolate chip sweetheart cookies

The cookies themselves also surprised me. You’ll have to visit Catherine Toth’s site to learn all about them, but just let me say that they were made with a super secret Hawaiian ingredient that makes for a unique cookie-munching experience.

The second tiny box I received had to travel about a third of the distance of the first, yet I was still delighted to learn the gift was from Iowa. I have been thinking about moving to Iowa to be closer to my brother, so it’s just nice to know that kind, inventive food bloggers also live there. I am of course talking about the cookies I received from Gabby, which you can find out about on her blog.

Dark brown sugar cinnamon and pomegranate craisin oatmeal cookies

The cookies were yummy, with an ingredient list that included pomegranate and craisins. I’m a sucker for things that attempt to make cookies more nutritional. Again, just ask J. I am forever replacing white flour with wheat, oil with applesauce, and halving the sugar. Hey, when I bake as much as I do, I was bound to try something healthy! Anyway, these cookies had all the comfort of an oatmeal cookie, yet all the tanginess of fruit snack. Love the combo!

The third set of cookies that came to me were in a slightly larger box than the previous two, as they were beautifully packaged in a tall plastic container in packing peanuts (everyone KNOWS packing peanuts make unpacking boxes that much more exciting), coming all the way from Seattle.

Candy cane meringues

J seriously thought they were purchased at a store, these cookies were so gorgeous. Thank you, Heather, for your ideal of perfection that I must now live up to! These meringues were perfectly minty and crunchy and chewy, and you will just have to pop on over to her site to figure them out. I know I will be!

Many thanks for making my days so much sweeter this week!

Enriched Cream of Wheat

katherinejune — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:14:44 +0000

Cream of wheat is a hit-or-miss breakfast. In our family, cold Saturday mornings were for pancakes or cream of wheat. For the latter, Mom made the cream of wheat in one huge batch, then poured it quickly into eight cereal bowls. I would yell upstairs to my brothers, “Breakfast!” not telling them what it was for they would come regardless, as long as it was hot and ready.

Mom had learned the science of cream of wheat. At the time, we all loved getting the lumps in our hot cereal, and fought for the bowls with the most lumps. Mom sweetened the cream of wheat with brown sugar while it was cooking on the stove, but after it was poured into bowls, we individualized our bowls by adding milk and maple syrup.

The only other alterations on Mom’s part came from distractions. A phone call from her sister. Slightly burned cream of wheat. Poring over the newspaper classifieds for neighborhood yard sales. Very lumpy cream of wheat. Forgetting we had no milk in the house, then remembering we had powdered milk. Watery cream of wheat.

These distractions did not happen all the time, or else we would not have come to the table so quickly on Saturday mornings to “get it while it’s hot.” But knowing something could have gone awry always made us appreciate the delicious sweet hot cereal more in its perfect form.

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned making some cream of wheat in a really cool way. Since I cannot make cream of wheat the way it’s supposed to be made (it just doesn’t taste right!), I really took to this recipe that allows for some culinary enrichments that alter the flavor and consistency enough to be completely worth trying.

Originally, this recipe is from Apartment Therapy’s Kitchn website. I tweaked it, of course, for a fuller fall flavor. Try it out one of these chilly mornings because, as Mom always said, it’s a breakfast that “sticks to your bones.” Enjoy.

Pumpkin Enriched Cream of Wheat for Two

Ingredients

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. pumpkin spice creamer

1/2 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. farina

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 egg yolk, beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Ground nutmeg, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring milk, cream, water, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Slowly whisk in farina bit by bit. Keep the heat low to let the ingredients simmer together and thicken for two minutes.

2. While the cream of wheat is cooking on the stovetop, beat the sugar, pumpkin, and egg together in a small bowl. At the end of the two minutes, stir a couple tablespoons of thickened cream of wheat into the egg mixture. This step tempers the egg so it does not cook into solid form in the cream of wheat.

3. Whisk all the egg and farina mixture back into the saucepan. Let cook on low for another two minutes without letting the mixture boil.

4. When ready, stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Serve warm with milk and blueberries, bananas, or apples for more enrichment!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011

katherinejune — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:32:43 +0000

Being a cookie lover and a blogger just got serious. Behold, a cookie-themed blogging event! I just signed up for it!

When I first saw the post on Love & Olive Oil’s blog, I thought, “Oh my, what a great idea!” You love cookies, I love cookies, let’s all get together and throw a ginormous blogging cookie party!

In a nutshell, each blogger who signs up receives the names and addresses of three other bloggers. Then you pick three different cookie recipes that need sharing and bake up a batch of each. Each of the bloggers you got receives a different batch of cookies. And while you are making this magic happen, three other bloggers are baking up three little goodie boxes for you! Yummy!

I cannot wait to get started! I have some ideas in mind, but I require the help and guidance of a little sister with an equally sweet tooth.

Today is the last day to sign up for this project. Consider it!