To Say I Love You

We are all about doing cute things to keep our girls believing in the magic of youth and feeling special. So this is our latest idea. I saw THIS post on Pinterest about Valentine's envelopes and thought, "Why do that just in February?"

 So we installed mailboxes for the girls right outside their bedroom doors.

I found the mailboxes in the dollar section of Target last year around Valentine's day. (On a side note: does anyone love Target's dollar section as much as I do? I always find something fabulous there.) So I bought letter stickers and put the girls' names on the boxes and then mounted them with "L" brackets. We didn't want the pointy ends of screws to be anywhere near the girls so we screwed the brackets into the wall and then hot glued the boxes onto the brackets. Worked wonderfully.

So Sweet and Charming and I now write notes, or do something special for them at least 5 times a week. We shoot for every day, but sometimes life just gets in the way and it just doesn't happen. :/

Any way, the girls just love them. They wake up in the morning and run to their boxes first thing. D even leaves little gifts for K during the day. :)

It also is really helpful on days where the girls....let's go with try our patience. This allows us to sit and really think about them and what they would like. It is really a great way focus on the amazing people they are and forget the silly things that really shouldn't matter.

:)

Christmas Treats (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of this post, you really need to check it out. That toffee is way too good. 

But this peppermint bark? It is pretty amazing itself. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 8 peppermint candy canes
• Peppermint essential oil or extract (the EO is way better, but the extract is OK. It can make the chocolate grainy, though)

What To Do:

1. Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a large Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Use a rolling pin to roll/smash the candy canes until they are very small pieces.
2. Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with smooth aluminum foil and either spraying it with cooking spray or brushing it with canola oil.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals. Stir between heatings to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.  Pour the chocolate onto the prepared cookie sheet and use an offset spatula or knife to spread it to the edges and an even thickness. Once it is smeared around, tap it on the counter to get is even and to get the air bubbles out. Place the tray in the refrigerator, or outside to firm. 
4. While the dark chocolate firms, melt the white chocolate as you did the dark. Once it is done add 5 drops of the peppermint EO or 1 1/2 tsp of the peppermint extract. 
5. Remove the tray from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate in an even layer over the dark chocolate.
6. While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the candy cane pieces over the entire surface evenly. Press down very slightly to ensure they stick. Place the tray back in the refrigerator to firm up for 30 minutes.
7. Once the peppermint bark bark is completely set, break into small, uneven pieces by hand or cut into squares. Make sure that the chocolate is set before you begin cutting. If it is not firm the chocolates with separate. No bueno.

Christmas Treats (Part 1)

I am like probably every other person on Christmas Planet as I make food gifts for my neighbor's and friends during the holidays. 

I usually make a few staple things. Molasses cookies, assorted nuts, and sugar cookies. For my sugar cookies I make the ones from Bee In Our Bonnet. I would talk about them here, but really there's no point.  Ashleigh from Bee In Our Bonnet does such a great job with her pictures and details, that I just couldn't do it justice. Also Her cookie and frosting recipe is divine and probably one of the only recipes I don't mess with. 

Anyway.... This year for treats I decided to do something different. My sister and I teamed up and she made the pecans (because I am allergic) and I did the others. I still did the sugar cookies. Mostly because Christmas isn't Christmas without sugar cookies. I also did biscotti, peppermint bark, and chocolate almond toffee. This post is about the toffee. The peppermint bark will be in Part 2. 

Ingredients

•  2 cup2 (4 sticks) butter, cut up
•  3 cups granulated sugar
•  2 tablespoon light corn syrup
•  1 cup chopped almonds plus 1/4 finely chopped almonds
•  24 ounces (4 cups) dark chocolate chips

What To Do:

1. Line a half-sheet jelly-roll pan or 2 15 x 10 x 1) with foil and either spray it with cooking oil or brush it with canola oil. In a medium saucepan, heat butter, sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium heat to melt butter. Increase heat to medium-high and insert candy thermometer.

2. Cook mixture about 12 minutes until golden brown and temperature reaches 300 degrees F. Do not stir. Remove from heat and remove thermometer. 

(I used a pot that was *almost* too small. Be careful not to make this mistake!)

3. Quickly pour toffee onto prepared pan(s) and spread to edges with an off set spatula. The toffee sets pretty quickly so you will need to work fast. Let stand in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. The wire rack part is pretty important as the bottom of the pan needs to cool as well as the top. 

4. Melt half of the chocolate in microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals. Stir to smooth after each heating. Spread over top of cooled toffee with the offset spatula.  Refrigerate (or put it outside in winter) for 20 minutes until firm.

5. Once firm, flip entire bar over onto waxed paper and remove the foil. Microwave remaining chocolate just as before. Spread over the toffee and sprinkle with almonds. Press the almonds gently on the the chocolate. Refrigerate 20 minutes more. 

6. The chocolate needs to be very firm before breaking. If it is not firm, the chocolate will separate from the toffee. Break into 2-1/2-inch pieces. Store airtight at room temperature. It stays good for about a month. But it never lasts that long. :) 

Vegetable Shepard's Pie

This is a favorite dish of mine. It calls my name as soon as the temperature dips below 60. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
• 1 Tbs + 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 parsnips peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick pieces
• 2 medium fennel bulbs cut into 1/4" dice
• 2 cups brussel sprouts quartered
• 2 garlic cloves grated of pressed
• 2 Tbs chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 16 oz veggie broth (chicken is fine too)
• 3 cups spinach, kale or chard
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 stalks celery sliced 1/4" thick

Put sweet potatoes in just enough water to cover them with 1 Tbs salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (approx 20 mins). 

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add onion and cook for 10 mins. Add parsnips, celery, fennel, brussel sprouts, garlic, parsley, pepper, and remaining salt. Toss. 

Add broth and increase heat. Simmer 15- 20 minutes until veggies are tender. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon transfer veggies to a 9" pie plate/casserole dish. Drain the potatoes , add butter, and mash until smooth. Spread potatoes over the veggies. Broil on high until lightly browned (2-3 minutes). Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve hot. 

I tried to get a picture of this when I made it for some friends, but by the time I got the camera here's what was left. :-/

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

I think every family has a "sick plan". You know, the things that parents do to make their kids feel better. Well growing up my family's sick plan was matzo ball soup. My grandmother would have my grandfather make the soup for us. It was funny actually, because he was never allowed to make any food other than chicken livers and matzo ball soup. And boy how he made them. Now I don't make chicken livers. I leave that up to my Aunt Marcia. And I don't make my matzo ball soup from scratch (boiling the whole chicken and all). I know. I know. Alert the presses! There is something I take a shortcut with!! 

But I just don;t have all day to make up soup especially if I have small people or Sweet and Charming asking to have it for dinner at 3:00 pm. 

So here's my recipe. I call it chicken soup with matzo balls because I since I take a shortcut I can;t bring myself to call it matzo ball soup. 

NOTE: There are 2 types of people in the land matzo balls. There are those that like "sinkers" and those that like "floaters". The difference is just like it sounds. Sinkers are matzo balls that are dense and sink straight to the bottom of the bowl. And floaters are light pillowy balls that...well...float. I am a floater.

The problem is that I always made sinker matzo balls. No matter how hard I tried. Sinkers they were. So last Spring Sweet and Charming and I went to a Passover Seder at the house of a long standing family friend. She has floaters. I picked her brain during dinner and behold!! Floaters. (Yay!!)

At long last, the recipe:

Matzo balls:Ingredients:

• 4-6 eggs 
• Matzo meal
• Few pinches of salt
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 Tbs dried dill

Beat the eggs lightly with a fork in a bowl. Add spices and salt. Then you add matzo meal stirring lightly (think dragging your fork through the mixture, not really "mixing"). Keep adding matzo until it looks like slightly runny oatmeal. I know there is no measurement for the matzo meal. Sorry. But it depends on so much. The size of your eggs, the moisture in the air... So no measurement. Just keep adding in little bits until you get the slightly runny oatmeal. Then toss the bowl in the fridge and let it sit for about 30 mins. During that time it will firm up enough so you can handle it.   

Wet your hands with cold water and form the matzo balls into small walnut size balls. These things plump a LOT when cooked, so be mindful of that when you decide how to big to make them. Then put them in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for at least 40 minutes. 

While the matzo balls are doing the firming and boiling thing make the soup!

Soup:
Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbs olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs (or 4 breasts- thighs taste better) skinned and boned
• 3 carrots, sliced 
• 2 cups (or 1 large) onion
• 4 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano (optional)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb dried egg noodles

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Slat and pepper the thighs. Brown the chicken on all sides, working in batches if necessary. You do not have to cook the chicken all the way thorough, just brown it. It really gives the soup SO much more flavor. (I guess you don't have to brown the meat, but you're missing out.) 

Remove the thighs from the pot and put it on a plate. 

Add the veggies and sweat them for a few minutes. Add the garlic and oregano. Bloom for 30 seconds. Add the white wine and deglaze the pot. Reduce by half. 

Add the stock and chicken pieces. Let simmer for 30-40 mins. 

You can add the noodles and the matzo balls to the soup pot about 10 minutes before serving. I recommend cooking the noodles in a separate pot until they are just shy of al dente. Then add them to the soup pot just before serving.  

The Amazingness of Kale

I love kale. Actually my whole family does. When I go grocery shopping D asks for kale as we go by the produce section. If for some reason we don't need it that visit (which is rare), K will cry and scream. It's a charmed life I live. :) My favorite time of year is at the end of the summer when the bunches of kale are enormous. It makes me happy. 

There are also a lot of times I will be in line at the grocery store and people will ask me "What do you do with all that kale?" Here are my answers:

Side note- You can do all of these with collard greens, turnip greens, or chard. The turnip greens are a little spicier. :)

Kale Salad:

I love salads. Like really really love them. I was at a restaurant in Phoenix and had a baby kale salad with lemon vinaigrette. The following is my recreation of that. It is now one of my favorites. 

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 4 cups chopped fresh baby mixed kale
• 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
• Homemade croutons (optional)

Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. This will make more than you need for your salad. I make mine in glass bottles and keep it in my fridge. 

Mix the kale, Parmesan, and lemon zest. drizzle dressing over and top with croutons. Yum-O!

Kale chips:

• 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and leaves cut into 1.5 inch pieces
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil over the kale and turn to coat. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. They should be crispy but not brown. The single layer part is pretty important. If they are not in a single layer they won't crisp, and no one likes a soggy chip. 

Also- The temperature really depends on your oven. The oven we had at our last house we baked the chips at 300. Here 325. So I would play around with it. Maybe start low and work your way up. 

Kale Pasta:

This is my go to meal for busy nights when I don;t have time to cook. It is done in the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. Dinner in under 15 minutes? Yes please. 

1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
1 a bunch of kale, finely chopped
2 handfuls of baby spinach
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3/4 teaspoon, crushed red pepper flakes

2-4 Tbs white wine

1/4 cup Chicken stock

handful of toasted pine nuts
salt, to taste

Parmesan for sprinkling

Start the water boiling for the penne. While the water heats heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes cook gently for about 30 seconds to let the spices bloom. Add the kale, spinach and salt. Cook until greens are wilted. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Reduce by half. Then add chicken stock and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and let simmer until pasta is done.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta. If the veggie mixture needs more liquid add the pasta water. Add kale mixture to pasta. Sprinkle with pine nuts and Parmesan.

Sour Milk Pancakes

I hear you out there. With your nose wrinkled and a look of "gross". But would I lie to you? Have I EVER lied to you about food? Have I?? No. And I am not lying to you about these. So there. 

These pancakes are amazing. They are light, fluffy, and soft. They are a little labor intensive, but so worth the effort. A little butter. Divine. A little maple syrup. Heaven. 

The bast part is that one batch makes more than my family of 4 can eat. So I use the extra to make half dollar pancakes for the girls to eat on weekday mornings. It's pretty much a win-win. They get tiny pancakes and I can make sure they aren't eating food from a box that has ingredients I can't pronounce. I should thank my sister, who can thank her friend for the recipe. :)

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated

2 cups (scant) milk

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 cups all purpose- flour

1 Tbps sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 stick butter melted

What To Do

Put the 2 tbs of vinegar into a measuring cup. Add milk so it equals 2 cups. Let sit for ten minutes. Beat the egg yolks and add to milk mixture. Mix all dry ingredient together in a bowl. Add milk mixture and mix until dry is just absorbed. Try not to over mix. Add melted butter and mix again. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. 

Now this part is a matter of preference  I put my batter in a old ketchup bottle. It makes it easier to make Mickey Mouse shapes, letters, numbers or half dollar size pancakes. It is all up to you. 

A Twist:

If you are feeling fancy you can add chocolate chips, raspberries, or blueberries (or any combination) to these. Just pour the batter on the griddle and then add pieces of the desired item(s). Then flip them and viola!! A super yummy pancake! My favorite is raspberry chocolate. 

What I do with the extra:

 I put them on a cookie sheet and then stick them in the freezer.

Once they are frozen, I stick them in a bag and pop them back in the freezer. Then on a crazy Tuesday morning all I have to do is microwave them for 30 seconds add butter and maple syrup, and I'm done!!

One for the Road...

I lost my job a few weeks ago. (This is recipe relevant, I swear.)  Every week for the last 6 months or so I brought treats and put them on the end of a table in my cube for people to eat. I brought all sorts of treats: Rice Krispie Treats, Caramel covered shortbread,  cream puffs, molasses cookies, and so many more. And I would always have a funny saying with them on a white board. This last one, the Cherry Almond Biscotti, simply said "One For the Road"

My biscotti is a variation of Anne Burrell's which you can find HERE. On a side note, have you seen her cookbook  Cook Like a Rockstar? If you haven't, it is the greatest. Not a bad recipe in the bunch. If you need a gift for a foodie in your life, buy it. 


Anywho- on with my version of the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 stick room temperature butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup whole toasted sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup dried cherries chopped
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tsp coconut oil

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing thoroughly between additions. Add the vanilla.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until it is combined. Fold in the almonds and cherries.

Divide the dough in half and roll into 2 logs. Roll the logs to the length of a half sheet pan. You either need to place them at least 3 inches apart (it spreads) or bake on 2 different sheet pans. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven let cool for 10 minutes. Move logs to a cutting board and slice with a serrated knife on the bias while warm. If you wait until they cool they will be too crumbly. 

Put the biscotti back on the sheet pan cut side up and return to the oven for another 10 minutes to harden. Cool completely on a rack.

While the biscotti is cooling, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir in coconut oil. Now you have 2 choices in your chocolate approach. You can dunk it in the chocolate if you want a heavy chocolate side. You can smear it with the back of a spoon (time consuming). Or you can drizzle. 

I drizzle. Scoop some in a spoon and go back and forth over the tray of biscotti. This gives you a variety of chocolate covering. Some have a little, some have a lot. If you want to get really fancy, you can  do half white chocolate and half dark. It looks smashing. 

I also have done a blueberry version of these. They are sooooo good. I don't do chocolate on those, though. I brush the logs with egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar before baking. Really the possibilities are endless with these puppies. 

I hope you enjoy them.