Iced Tea

2 large cold-brew tea bags
I buy these by the case from Amazon.com
2 scoops Arnold Palmer Half and Half Powder (I buy canisters at BJ's)
2 sprigs mint (grows in my yard, but if not handy, you can skip it).
2 qts water
Combine, mix, and let stand for at least 5 minutes, or up to an hour.
Remove teabags and mint.
Refrigerate.
My family goes through one of these every day in the summer.

Banana Muffins With Caramel Frosting

Banana Muffins with Caramel Frosting
I tried this recipe yesterday, when we bought 8 overripe bananas at the store.  I tripled the recipe, but 8 bananas wasn't quite enough, so I used some ripe banana I had stored in the freezer to make up the difference.  Then I froze some of the muffins and 2 mini loaves for later.  I love this recipe, and want to make it again when we have the cider-pressing party in October.  Allen and Anna should be here then, visiting before they go to do charity veterinary work in Delhi, India for 6-12 months.
This recipe is from Taste of Home, 2007 Annual Recipes, and was submitted by Katherine McClelland from Deep Brook, Nova Scotia.  Katherine made them into jumbo muffins, but I don't have a jumbo muffin tin, so I made regular-sized muffins.  Tripling the recipe made 2 dozen muffins and 3 mini-loaves.
1/4 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 ripe)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Caramel Icing:
2 Tbl butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In electric mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar.  Add egg; beat well.  Add bananas and vanilla; mix well.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, and add to creamed mixture.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 23 - 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
For icing, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil.  Cool slightly.  Whisk in confectioners' sugar.  Use small whisk to drizzle over muffins - hold it straight upright, and the caramel will come out in streams.  Recipe calls for putting icing in a ziplock bag, and cutting a small hole in a corner, but I didn't want to wait that long for it to cool.  The small whisk worked very well.  This icing hardened when cool, and would have been harder to drizzle that way.  But it means the icing stayed on top of the muffins, and wasn't too messy later, which I appreciate.  They tasted great without the icing, but with the icing they became good enough to serve to company.  It's a good thing I froze most of them or

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

pita

• 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Organic 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• plain or herb/spice infused olive oil, to brush on finished pitas
• *Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or a humid climate.

• tips from our bakers

  • Why the addition of orange juice in the pita dough? It helps tame the mildly tannic flavor of whole wheat. Can you leave it out? Of course; simply substitute water.
  • 1) Combine all of the pita ingredients (except the oil for brushing), and mix and knead to make a soft, smooth dough.
    2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's just about doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, start to preheat your oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone on the bottom shelf, if you have one.
    3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover them, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
    4) Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6" circle. If you roll the dough about 7" wide, it'll shrink back to about 6".  Don't roll them too thin, or they won't puff up.
    5) Carefully flop the dough onto the hot pizza stone. If you're not using a pizza stone, put it on an ungreased baking sheet, and put the baking sheet on your oven's bottom rack.
    6) Bake for 4 minutes. The pitas should rise enthusiastically. If they're on a stone, they'll probably puff up like balloons; if they're on a baking sheet, they'll still expand; just not as vigorously.
    7) Turn the pitas over, and bake for an additional 60 seconds.
    8) Remove them from the oven, and brush with your favorite olive oil, plain or flavored. Wrap lightly in a cotton towel, to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
    
    

Mediterranean Pie

I made this on 8/1/12, from our Applehood and Motherpie cookbook.  Irene loved it, and asked me to make it again next week in Maine.  Erika K was visiting, and she loved it too, and requested the recipe.
I usually don't care for eggplant, but this was terrific.

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tsp salt
3/4 c olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch chunks or sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp oregano (I used fresh from the garden, about 1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp basil (I used 3 leaves fresh from the garden)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
9 in. pastry shell, unbaked (extra pie crust dough for lattice top optional)
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 large tomato, seeded ant cut into eighths
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1 Tbl milk

1. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place between paper towels.  Weight down with heavy cutting board for 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet.
3. Cut eggplant slices into cubes.  Add to hot oil, toss..  Cook until tender, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes).  Remove eggplant and set aside.
4. Pour remaining oil into skillet.  Add onion, green pepper, zucchini, and garlic.  Cook just until tender (about 5 minutes).
5. Combine spices and salt.  Set aside.
6. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese.
7. Spoon half the eggplant and half the vegetable mixture into pie shell.  Layer with half of the tomato wedges, half of the spice mixture, and half of the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat these layers.
8. Sprinkle top with all but 1 Tbl of remaining Romano or Parmesan cheese.
If you cook it at this point, the mozarella cheese makes a great browned crust.
Or, you can make a lattice crust with the extra pie crust dough, and then sprinkle it with milk and remaining 1 Tbl Romano or Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

425 degree oven.
Serves 6.

Sex In a Bowl

Ingredients: 
-Double recipe Chocolate Brownies - see my recipe for homemade or buy boxed.  Make ahead.
-2 large pkg  jello chocolate pudding - Cooked tastes much better than instant!  Make ahead and cool.
 - 1 pkg chocolate chip cookie dough - store-bought, not homemade, so there are no raw eggs.
-2 8oz containers of cool whip whipped topping or homemade whipped cream.
-5 heath bar crunch or skors candy bars, chopped into small pieces, or 1 bag toffee bits
- a large deep glass bowl/trifle bowl or  2&1/2qt. glass bowl 

 If whipped cream is frozen, let thaw & set aside. 
 Break up one pan of brownies & place in bottom of glass bowl. 
Spoon one bowl of pudding over top of cake. Spread evenly.
Break up cookie dough into 1/2 tsp-sized chunks and sprinkle half over pudding. 
Layer whipped cream on top of pudding. 
Sprinkle half of the chopped candy bars or toffee bits onto top of whip cream. 
Repeat layers. Once completed, refrigerate until ready to serve. 
To serve use a large spoon with a long handle. Scoop thru all layers & serve in bowls.


Note: Some people use cake instead of brownies.  Sometimes I add fudge sauce as an extra layer.  It's best if made early so the ingredients blend in.  Chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans on the very top is also yummy.  You can skip the cookie dough and add spoonsful of jelly or jam.  Decadent!  We make this every year at the "End of the School Year Bonfire" party.  I serve it in clear plastic drink cups.  You could even make it right in the cups, if you wanted to get fancy.  This is like Trifle or Parfait - everyone loves it.  

Weekly Menu

Hamburgers

bubble meatballs

Quiche w/asparagus + bacon

Venison + Spinach Curry

Grilled Salmon + Foccaccia

Lasagna + French Bread

Make Your Own Pizza Party

Sex in a Bowl

On Sunday Irene is having her annual end of the school year bonfire, and I offered to do make-your-own-pizzas and sex in a bowl (also called brownie supreme).  I hope it doesn't rain!  They like to burn their old school papers and notebooks.  Of course, since this is her Senior year, that will have extra significance.  Plus she'll have a family party on the 23rd of June, and a cohort party on July 24th.  Lots of excuses for me to have fun cooking!

French Cheese Braid

This recipe is from Betty Crocker International Cookbook.  I've made this recipe for almost 30 years.  In French it's called Natte, and it's similar to Challah.
1 Tbl yeast
3/4 c warm water
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 c butter, softened
3 1/2 - 4 c bread flour
1 1/2 c shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Pam spray
1 egg yolk
2 Tbl water

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.  Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.  I put it in the electric mixer with the dough paddle and mix it about 5 minutes on low.
Spray dough with Pam and cover with a cloth.  Let rise 1 - 2 hours, until indentation remains when touched).
Punch down dough; knead in cheese until well-distributed.  Divide into 3 equal parts.  Roll each part into a rope, 15 inches long (as long as your cookie sheet).  Place ropes together on lightly greased cookie sheet (in photo you can see I use my Silpat silicone sheet under the bread, and don't grease it).  Braid ropes gently and loosely; do not stretch.  Pinch ends to fasten; tuck under securely.  Spray with Pam (I use Olive Oil Pam).  Let rise until double, 40 - 50 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 deg.  Beat egg yolk and 2 Tbl water slightly; brush over braid.  Place on oven rack below center of oven.  Bake until braid sounds hollow when tapped, 25 - 30 minutes.  (If braid is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil).
As you can see from the photo, I made a double recipe, as we're bringing one loaf and a batch of cookies to a "Transit of Venus" party tonight (June 5, 2012).  The other loaf will stay home so the family doesn't feel deprived.  Our family loves bread!!
The first picture was taken right after braiding.  This next one is just out of the oven.  Smells so good!

Turnovers

These are awesome!  I made them last night for Bart, Irene and Michael.  Michael asked me to make another batch for him to bring home, and for the recipe to share with his mother.  I did, and showed him how I made them, too.

1 pkg refrigerated pie pastry
1 jar preserves - I used blueberry and apricot.  They also suggest peach.  I would love to try rhubarb strawberry preserves in it.
2 Tbl fat free half and half (orig. recipe calls for milk)
original recipe calls for sprinkling cinnamon sugar on cooked turnovers, but I made frosting.
Frosting:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp lemon flavoring
2-3 Tbl vanilla coffee creamer
Mix sugar and lemon.  Add creamer slowly, until desired consistency is reached.  Keep it thick, but able to drop from a spoon.

Cut each pastry into 4 wedges.  Place preserves in the center of each - orig. recipe calls for 1 Tbl, but Irene prefers more.  Just don't put in so much that it oozes out all over the pan, or it's a pain to clean up, and gives the turnover a little burned flavor.  Moisten edges of pastry with water.  Fold pastry over filling; press edges with fork to seal.
Place turnovers on cookie sheet - orig recipe says "ungreased," but I would suggest aluminum foil over pan, and spray it with butter flavored Pam.  Cut a small slit in the top of each.  Brush with milk (or half and half).  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes until golden brown.

Frost.  Serve warm.  Yield: 8 servings.
The picture is of turnovers Irene and Lizzie made from homemade pie crust, and they added diced apples and chopped pecans, which were delicious!

Savory Beef and Noodles

Quick, easy, and tasty.
1 pkg egg noodles, cooked
1 lb ground beef, cooked over medium heat until no longer pink.  Drain.
1 can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1/2 cup beef gravy
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces
Add soup, gravy and mushrooms to meat.
1 Tbl flour
1 Tbl water
Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Mix flour and cold water.  Add to meat mixture.
Cook and stir 2 minutes, or until thickened.
Serve over hot egg noodles.
4 servings
Served to Bart 5/26/12, who would like to have it as a regular menu item.

Quiche

This can be made with lots of variations.  I made it this morning for Bart and my parents.
6 eggs, well mixed
1 cup milk
1 Tbl Adobo
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated cheese - swiss or cheddar or gruyere, etc.
5 slices bacon, cooked and diced (about 1/2 cup cooked meat of some kind)
3/4 cup asparagus diced and cooked in microwave with 1/4 cup water for 3 minutes
1/4 cup diced mushrooms, fried in bacon grease for 3 minutes
(or any other 1 cup of cooked vegetables in total)
2 Tbl diced chives
1 pie crust

Put pie crust in pie pan.  Mix eggs, milk, and spices.  Add other ingredients and pour into pie pan.
Cook at 350 degrees about 40 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Swirled Raspberry & Chocolate Cheesecake

from Taste of Home Apr/May 2012 p. 66
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c confectioner's sugar
1/3 c butter, melted
1 c fresh raspberries
1/2 t sugar
3 pkg (8 oz ea) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla
4 eggs, separated
1 c semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Additional raspberries

1. Place greased 9-in. springform pan on double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil (18 inches square).  Wrap foil around pan.
2. In bowl, combine cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan.  Place raspberries and sugar in blender; cover and process until smooth.  Strain.
3. In bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in milk and vanilla.  Add egg yolks, beat on low just until combined.  Remove 1 Tbl; stir into raspberry puree.  Remove half of remaining mixture to another bowl; stir in chocolate.  In bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  With spatula, fold half into chocolate mixture until blended.  Pour over crust.
4. Fold remaining egg whites into plain cream cheese mixture; spread over chocolate layer.  Drop raspberry mixture by spoonfuls over top; swirl with knife.
5. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to larger pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes or until center is just set.  Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen from pan with knife.  Cool 1 hour longer.  Refrigerate over night.  Remove rim.  Serve with fresh raspberries.

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but will this summer when my wild raspberries are ripe.  Mom wanted me to write it down so she can use it this fall for a fund raiser for Friends of the Berne Library.

menu for the next week

Wed: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, grilled sausages, rhubarb sauce, green salad
Thurs:Babi Kecap (see Aug blog entry), rice, stir fried veggies, inc. asparagus
Fri: (we have company) Pork Loin with Potatoes - recipe to follow, green beans supreme, Lemon Pound Cake

Sat: (we have company) Beef Wellington (see Feb blog entry), Yorkshire Pudding, scalloped parsnip and potatoes, chocolate cake
Sun: (I'll be at a baby shower all afternoon) leftovers
Mon: egg rolls (see Sept blog entry), stir fry beef and broccoli
Tues: Lasagna(see Nov blog entry), French bread, green salad

Aunt Millie's Applesauce Cake

Millie’s Applesauce Cake (or Rhubarb Cake)

9x13 pan, 350 degrees, 45-60 minutes

Cream together:

¾ cup Crisco

2 cups sugar

2 cups applesauce

2 tsp baking soda

Mix.

Add:

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

½ tsp salt

Mix.

Add:

 3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

Mix.

If you like, add ½ box raisins and/or 1 cup chopped nuts.

Bake in greased and floured 13x9 pan.  Rhubarb sauce can be substituted for applesauce.

This recipe is from Millie McDermott.  Aunt Millie (really a distant cousin) cleaned our house twice a week when Mom was teaching school.  We all loved her, and miss her.

My Mom used to make this often when I was growing up.  It was the stand by dessert for when we didn't have any eggs.  Mom always used home made applesauce, which is so much better than store-bought it's like a completely different food.  I'm making this with rhubarb sauce this weekend.  

Rhubarb Sauce:

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar or brown sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Heat over low heat until the rhubarb is soft.  Sweeten to taste - some rhubarb needs more, some less. This can be canned or frozen, and keeps for a long time in the fridge.

Chicken Taco Bake

2 cups coarsely crushed corn chips
1 can refried beans
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Taco cheese, divided
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tsp Mexican or taco seasoning
1 green onion, sliced
1 tomato, chopped

Place corn chips in a greased 2 qt casserole dish - wider rather than deeper (rectangular or oval is good)
Place the refried beans in a small saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.  Remove from heat and mix in 1 cup cheese and salsa.  Pour over chips.
Toss the chicken and Mexican seasoning; sprinkle over the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with tomato and green onion.
Yield 4 servings
Served 5/8/12 to Bart and Irene, who both loved it.

Rhubarb Raspberry Kuchen

In the 1990s, I was a stay - home Mom, and did daycare in my home.  One of the families - the Boones - gave me a cookbook called The American Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Cookbook, Vol. II.
This is a recipe from that book that I have made almost every year since:
Rhubarb Raspberry Kuchen - from The Washington House Inn in Cedarburg, Wisconsin

1 1/2 c sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/4 cup lard or Crisco
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
2 Tbl milk
1 - 3 oz pkg raspberry gelatin
6 cups 1/2 inch sliced rhubarb
*******
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
6 Tbl butter

Grease a 13x9-inch pan.  In a medium bowl sift together the 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp of sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the 1/4 cup of butter and lard with a pastry blender until the mixture resemble coarse meal.
In a separate bowl blend together the egg yolk and milk; then add to the flour mixture.  Pat the dough into the pan and sprinkle with the dry gelatin.  Arrange the rhubarb on top.
In a small bowl combine the 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 6 Tbl of butter for a streusel topping.  Sprinkle over the dough.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Serves 12

Turkey Green Bean Casserole

This is similar to the green bean casserole everyone makes.  Bart and I loved it, but Irene still would rather use leftover turkey to make Souper Soup.
3-4 cups frozen green beans, microwaved or simmered until just done, or 2 cans french cut green beans.
If the beans are very long, cut them in half or they will be too hard to scoop out of the dish when serving.
2 cups cooked turkey, diced or cut into chunks
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 (16 oz) container sour cream (We use fat free)
1/2 pkg French Onion Soup mix (original recipe calls for the whole package, but I thought it was too much)
1 pkg dry stuffing mix, cooked to pkg directions
optional - shredded cheese (I used Gruyere), and French Fried Onions - both to sprinkle on top

Directions: After cooking beans, spread them in the bottom of a greased 2 qt casserole dish.  Cover with turkey.  Mix soups, sour cream, and onion soup mix and pour over turkey.  Top with prepared stuffing mix.  Sprinkle with optional ing.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes, or until heated through.
Note: I didn't have sour cream, or even plain yogurt to substitute, so I added mayonnaise and milk.  It worked fine, but no doubt wasn't as healthy for us as the fat free sour cream would have been.
Served for family dinner with fresh salad, and chocolate chip rhubarb muffins for dessert, on 5/2/2012 to Bart and Irene.

Rhubarb Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
 1/4 tsp salt
 1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips
 3/4 diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

TOPPING
1/2 cup chopped pecans
 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1Tbl cold butter

 In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. in another bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips and rhubarb. Fill greased muffin tins or paper lined muffin tins two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for five minutes, before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield 18 muffins.