An early's mother's day gift....

This morning at a local farmer's market, I pointed out the mother's day cookies at a bakery stall and my daughter said, "I would by you one, but I know you want to lose weight, so it wouldn't be good."

(Thanks, Sweetie.)

Tuesday's Tip....Leftover Halloween candy

If you still have some, cut up chocolate bars or other chocolate candy is a great addition to cookies, brownies or to sprinkle on top of an iced cupcake or layer cake, so get baking.

(P.S. Pass some of your home baked treat to your favorite veteran as a way to thank him/her for their service, since today is Veteran's day.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Easy Marble Cake

Take one box of yellow or vanilla cake mix and prepare according to package directions. Remove 3/4 C. batter to another bowl and mix with 3 Tbsp. Cocoa powder (I used sweetened powder). Pour 1/2 of "vanilla batter" into a greased Bundt pan. Spoon on the chocolate batter. Pour remaining "vanilla" batter. Using a knife in a back and forth motion, swirl the batter together. Bake at 350 for 35-45 miniutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

Tuesday's Tip: Stuck-on Cake

When baking remember to loosen the sides and bottom of your baked good when still warm, so it easier when cool to loosen it completely.

Wednesday's words the joy of chocolate

Tuesday's tip...Moist sugar

To keep brown sugar moist, drop a chard of a terra cotta planter in the box. (I bought a plant pot saucer and broke it with a hammer.)

Tuesday's tip...Don't forget the flour

To make sure cakes release from the pan don't just grease it, sprinkle in flour and get it on all sides. When cool, slide a knife around the cake edge and invert the pan over a plate and Viola! the cake comes out easy.

In the Kitchen on Saturday, finally....delicious chocolate

Easy Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
3/4 C. Ricotta cheese (or sour cream or softened cream cheese)
3 eggs
1 C. milk

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased Bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool in pan. Remove from pan and store in a cake saver or on plate covered with plastic wrap. Slice and serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

In the kitchen on Thursday: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow brownies

Months ago, I decided (and mentioned publicly) that I wanted to find other uses for hot cocoa powder beyond well, a hot chocolate. My first attempt, hot chocolate pudding, was a bust. My second attempt, hot chocolate and marshmallow brownies were devoured before I could even remember to take a photo.

1 stick butter, melted
3/4 C. hot cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 C. sugar
2/3 C. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into greased 8" square pan. Bale for 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Makes 16. Be advised marshmallows may melt right into the brownie giving it a "caramel" flavor.

In the kitchen on Thursday: The savory and the sweet

"Ceasared" Brussel Sprout Slaw

8-10 large Brussel Sprouts washed, the ends cut off and cut in hlaf. Then cut each half in strips.
Dressing:
2 cloves garlic
2-4 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2  C. Olive Oil
1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese grated.

Mix all ingredients together. Pour half over the Brussel Sprouts and toss until well coated. Save the rest of the dressing for another salad. Makes 3-4 side servings.

Oatmeal Bars

1/2 C. Butter (1 stick)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. White sugar
1/2 C. oat flour
1 1/2 C. oats
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
1/4 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1/4 C. White Chocolate Chips.

Preheat  oven to 350. Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips together with an electric mixer. Mix in chocolate chips with a spoon. Pout into greased 9" X 13" pan and bake for 35-40 minuted. Allow to cool and then cut into bars.

This just in...a cook book for FREE

All the recipes from the blog last year are available in one Pdf, so you can make them throughout the year (healthy waffles, sweet sugar cookies, baked tofu and Bok Choy, etc.) and store on your bookshelf. I have one on my shelf despite it being over crowded with books from my antique cookbook collection (I have one from 1851).

So click the link below.....
http://www.scribd.com/doc/197791528/From-My-Blog-In-the-Kitchen-on-Thursday-Recipes-2013

Happy cooking and eat-up!

In the kitchen on Thursday: For the 3rd grade cook book

BROWNIES

2 Squares unsweetened chocolate

¼ C. Unsalted butter

1 C. Sugar

2 eggs, beaten

A pinch of salt

1 C. flour

½ tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

½ C. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt the chocolate and the butter in the top of a double boiler. Stir in the sugar and the eggs. Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in the flour mixture, a little at a time. Place in a greased 8” square pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares. Makes 16 brownies.

(Original recipe from the James Beard Cook Book, ©1970)

Tuesday's Tip: Healthier baking

In baking, oil can be substituted for melted butter and when the recipe calls for vegetable oil try Sunflower, Safflower or Olive Oil to make it healthier.

Tuesday's Tip: Baking Substitution

If you are out of baking squares you can substitute with cocoa powder.

1 bitterweet baking square = 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp, sugar

I used this substitution recently in baking brownies and the only difference was that the brownies were denser in taste.

In the kitchen: No bake kid-friendly granola bars



 

(This batch was made by daughter with my mom as sous chef)

 

2.5 Cups of Rice Krispies

2 C. Quick Oats

1/2 C. Raisins

1/2 C. Brown sugar

1/2 C. Light corn syrup

1/2 C. creamy Peanut butter

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips.

 

Mix the cereal and the raisins in a bowl. Heat the sugar and the corn syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat and stir constantly. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and stirl in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Pour peanut butter mixture into oat mixture. Stir until dry ingredients is coated. Let stand 10 minutes. Then, stir in chocolate chiips. Press into a 9" X 13" pan and allow to cool. The cut into bars and store  in an air tight containter. Makes 12-18 bars.

 



Tuesday's Tip: In a pinch flour sifter

Place a fine mesh colander in a bowl and pour in your dry ingredients. Shake the colander over the bowl and your dry ingredients are sifted

Baking, stress and weightloss

Today I baked a batch of Betty Crocker brownies and while the act of baking temporarily relieved my stress (always has), the brownies won't do anything for my need to lose another 10 lbs. (I lost 10 lbs. last year) and so I will pawn as many of the brownies off on my husband and daughter to avoid to much weight gain and after sugar guilt.

Family as Community and a Stubborn Mule to complicate things

My daughter has asked to drop out of Gymnastics and her father and I said, "No," and then I spent the rest of the morning explaining that a family is a community and as such we help each other out and it would be a big help if she went to gymnastics today (and didn't argue with the sitter) and the her father, I and she sat down and further discussed it over the weekend and the whole time she kept saying, "No," and therefore it was not a good morning that was rectified with a home made brownie, since I made a batch for her school's bake sale tomorrow at the Spring Fling.

(P.S. I called my daughter a stubborn mule just like my parents called me at age 8.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Awesome chocolate cake (and vegan too)

3 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. salt
2 C. hot water (not boiling)
3/4 C. Oil (Sunflower or Grape Seed)
2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Instant coffee
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8" round cake pans. Mix together all dry ingredients. Stir together all wet ingredients and slowly mix into the dry ingredients. Pour into to cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then invert on to cooling rack to finish. Layer cake with icing. This recipe can be cut in half and done as one 8" round cake.

The cake was no longer vegan with the addition of vanilla ice cream and then I added strawberries. This made for an awesome and tasty cake for my great-uncle's 93rd birthday.

Baking, Making, Baking....

Bread, brownies, more brownies (and thank goodness for the mini loaf of Lemon Poppy Seed Cake in my freezer) and I can't forget making the pear salad—I am glad I love to cook and in a way love my outdated kitchen.