Banner Day....

Ok, so here is my banner day...
1. Great weekly networking meeting
2. Awesome meeting with my Life Insurance Broker—she aligned her company with a bigger outfit and the services she can offer are extraordinary. I can't wait to see her office next week.
3. Finally made it to the pottery studio to copy the plastic tray of my mom's, so she can have a ceramic version. It has a design to it, but since she reads my blog (thanks, mom), I will not share it now.
4. Got to work on my Personal Productivity workshop—with the aid of Google Docs and voice dictation.
5. Baked dessert for a dinner party Saturday night and made the dough for cookies for brunch on Saturday morning (I already made a batch of different cookies for the brunch).

Now you see why I call it a banner day. Was you day a banner day? If not, try and have one soon.

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.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Banana Walnut Muffins

As easy as peeling a banana....

1 Yellow or Vanilla cake mix
3 medium bananas (very ripe)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Milk
1/4 C. or 1/3 C. chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mash the Bananas and mix all ingredients together, except the walnuts with an electric mixer for 2-3  minutes. Stir in the nuts. Pour into 12 lined muffin cup pan. Bake for 25-25 minutes. Allow to cool. Can serve warm with butter or cream cheese.

Tip: I take very ripe bananas and freeze them. When I have three I defrost them and make these.

In the kitchen on Thursday: Classic sugar cookies

2 C. flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 C. Butter (1 stick), softened
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 C. Milk
1/4 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Cream softened butter and sugar. Mix in the egg. Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Add in the vanilla. Form the dough into a ball and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4 inch and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets 2" apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

(From the Settlement Cookbook originally published in 1903 and last published in 1995.)

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.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Making clouds

Coconut and Almond Meringue Bars

4 large egg whites
1/2 C. Sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 C. ground coconut (or shredded)
1/2 C. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Add salt and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat on high until frothy. Add sugar gradually and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in coconut and almonds. Line a 5" X 9" pan with parchment paper. Pour in egg white batter and spread out in pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut each side in 4, making 16 bars. To store bars, simply cover pan in tinfoil.

(My daughter, mom and husband can vouch that these are sweet "clouds" that should not go to waste.)

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.

Tuesday's Tip: Oil and Honey

If you are cooking or baking with a sugar syrup (i.e. honey, molasses, etc.) measure the oil first or spray the measuring tool with cooking spray so the syrup comes out easier, practically none left in the measuring cup or spoon.

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: Sugar cookies to go with that Champagne

Easy Sugar Cookies

1 stick butter
2/3 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. ground almonds
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2 eggs

Pre heat oven to 325. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the milk and eggs and beat well. Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. You may want to use an electric mixer (I do). Place by teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown. Make 2-3 dozen.

Tip: Sugar busting

I discovered (much too late) the way to bust my sugar habit is to throw it out, something I practiced today with leftover candy corn—to repurpose a famous saying "One small step for my weight loss needs, one giant step for my sugar problem." (I mean no disrespect to the astronauts who landed on the moon in 1969.)

Story of first US landing on the moon—Apollo 11

In the kitchen on Thursday: Seasonal Muffins

After Halloween, I dismantled our display and dissected the pumpkin into seeds for roasting and the pulp for muffins. Making the muffins doubled as mother-daughter bonding.

(Muffins, hot out of the oven)

1 box gingerbread mix
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1/4 C. water
3/4 C. pumpkin pulp pureed (or canned pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Place liners in cupcake tins. Spoon in batter until each is 2/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 10-12. Great with butter, cream cheese or plain.

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.

 



Friday: You might need to switch on the fly

I was standing in the grocery store (the third one) and did not see the chocolate wafers needed for an ice box cake which had been requested by my friend for her BBQ, so I immediately scanned the shelves for the ingredients to the only other icebox cake I know how to make and found them and in the process learned that when one thing doesn't fly, move on to something else right away.

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.