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sugar

Sugar cookie recipe

4 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sur cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients. Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and continue to beat. Add sour cream and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Divide into balls and refrigerate before using.

Sugar cookie glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

2 tbsp. water

food coloring if you like but i keep it white

 

Williams favorite are the peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies.

He opens the kisses for me. 

 

Raspberry Vinaigrette

I received this vinaigrette as a christmas present one year. it was a beautiful gift. but it's more of summer recipe than a winter one. i make it when the raspberries ripen.

your gonna love this. serve over romaine, spinach or fruit salads.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

24 oz. of rapsberry jam

1 1/4 cups of sugar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sweet onion minced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. tarragon, dried

1 tbsp. sweet curry powder

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

1 cup olive oil, mild

1 cup fresh raspberries

In a medium pan heat raspberry jam, sugar, water and minced sweet onion. Bring to a boil.

Cool to warm, pour in blender (or use hand blener) and add balsamic vinegar, tarragon, curry powder, white pepper and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Start to blend on very low and pour in olive oil.

Add fresh raspberries after blending to give it depth and flavor.

Makes about 5 cups.

A homemade life

i'm enjoying this book. as i come upon a recipe i put the book down and start gathering the ingredients to make it. the first recipe in the book was Blueberry-Raspberry Pound Cake. a very dangerous thing to have sitting on your counter. 

the next is Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystalized Ginger. it's in the oven right now and i love the way it smells.

recommend this book. she writes so sweet.  and visit her blog too.

 

what's in season is what's for dinner

in my garden lettuce, rhubarb and chives.

trying my best to buy and eat local. why... first of all food that is in season and that is fresh tastes the best. i don't know if you have had a watermelon from the store lately, but they taste terrible.

and we need to stop the petroleum pipeline. read more here.

farming, there may be a future in in after all.

 

 

a northern wisconsin early june in season recipe:

Rhubarb Ginger Crunch

4 cups of rhubarb

1 cup cranberries, pitted cherries, blueberries, strawberries, or apples (which ever you can find locally)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Topping

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup walnuts

4 tablespoons butter

Combine rhubarb and berries with sugar. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing often. Heat oven to 350 degrees; butter a deep dish pie pan. Add honey flour, vanilla and ginger to the fruit; toss well. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make topping. Combine flour, sugar and nuts. Cut in cold butter with pastry cutter or fingers. Refrigerate while rhubarb cooks. When fruit has baked 20 minutes, sprinkle topping over it and continue to bake until bubbly, 30-40 minutes longer.

Serve warm. i added a spoon of greek yogurt. the kids had vanilla ice cream.

cookie love

everyone in my family loved these cookies. the recipe came from a friend. i'm typing it here to share with you and plus if i type it here then i will never loose the recipe. this is one i'll make again and again. i made them in hearts but you can do any shape you like.

Grandma Olson's Trilby Cookies

1 cup of butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups oatmeal, ground up (you don't have to ground it if you don't want but i did)

2 eggs

2  and 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 lb. dates, cut up

and my own little addition was vanilla to the filling. it was just screaming vanilla to me as it was cooking?

Cook filling until soft and thick. Cool. Mix dough and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 2 and 1/2 inch circles. Put two together with the filling in the middle. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until nicley browned.

wishing you lots and lots of love and hugs this valentines day.

orange

seemed like i could find no orange and then suddenly it's everywhere.

 

what's been going on with us?

hens are laying eggs like crazy

saw  "hotel for dogs" with Will tonight. cute movie, especially if you love dogs like we do.

lovin this warm weather

ran the Seroogy's Valentine Run. 

shopping with Claire. buying her pants at American Eagle with holes in them cuz they are cool. 

makin black bean soup. i've adapted this recipe from different ones.

 

Black Bean Soup

4 cans of black beans (rinsed)

1 lb. ham shank or hock

2 bay leaves

64 oz. of chicken broth (no salt added)

4 tbsp. olive oil

salt

2 small onions chopped

2 cups of carrots chopped

4 ribs of celery chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

2  whole dried red chilies (with seeds if you like it hot)

1 can green chili chopped

1 tbsp molasses

Heat olive oil in a large kettle and add onion, celery, garlic, carrots, and salt to your taste. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add chicken broth, cummin, chili powder, red and green chilis, molasses, bay leaves, black beans and ham. simmer for and hour or more. Remove about 4 cups of the soup and puree until smooth. A hand held blender works good here. Return to the pot. Remove ham and cut into small pieces then add back to the soup.

if you like serve with a spoon of sour cream and avocado.

My Will likes it with corn muffins too.

Thanksgiving

Hey there, hope your thanksgiving was a happy one. we have so much to be thankful for don't we?

 

 

i cooked the meal and some of my favorites were

make ahead mashed potatoes these are good and takes away from the last minute stress of getting everything on the table at once.

Cranberry chutney i loved this recipe but i added my own twist. soak the dried cranberries in a 1/2 cup of brandy over night.

Willie Bird organic turkey. very flavorful but i can't say i've perfected my turkey yet. someone told me they cook their's in a nesco? i might try that next time. the turkey is beautiful roasted though.

 

meet Charlie. my brother's dog. found him on the street. he's a real sweet guy.

 

pecan pumpkin pie  - this pie was so yummy. must make this again.

 

Nicoise

The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of the human race than the discovery of a star. - Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

i have always wanted to try to make Nicoise. it is served at room temperature and family style. today i decided was the day to make this French salad.

i know the picture is terrible...but by the time i finished this it was getting dark outside.

i got the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa but tweeked it just a bit. i subtracted the anchovies and added artichokes. anyone else love artichokes? plus i cut it down to 4 servings instead of 8. She grilled her salmon but i couldn't because my grill is broke. baked mine.

Salmon Nicoise

1 pound of salmon (baked or grilled)

1 1/2 cups of green beans blanched

1 pound Yukon gold potaotes cooked and thickly cut

1 tomato cut into wedges

2 hard boiled eggs peeled and cut in half

15 Kalamata olives

1 can artichokes

dressing

3 tsp. vinegar (i used basalmic)

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

10 tsp. olive oil

salt and peper to taste

assemble on a platter. drizzle dressing over fish and vegtables. serve at room temperature. yummy. and it will be even better when the vegtables come out of the garden.

just an FYI... i typed this recipe into weight watchers. this is 4 servings. one servings comes out to be 12 points. ouch and it seems so healthy.

My Restraunt Coleslaw

When I make this coleslaw I always dream about what it would be like to own a restaurant. I'd definitely serve this coleslaw with sandwiches. Then I snap out of that dream and realize that owning a restaurant would be alot of work. Not that I'm afraid of work but I fear it would leave little time for all that other stuff i like to do.

My Dream Restaurant Coleslaw

1/2 head of cabbage chopped

1 vidalia onion chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

1 grated carrot

Combine these in a bowl. Add a little salt and pepper.

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp. powdered buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise (none of that miracle whip nonsense)

1 and 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar

2 and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix together until smooth. Pour over cabbage mixture. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

What's for supper?

We had one of those nights when Will and I could eat whatever we wanted for supper. Claire and Dad gone to basketball practice. Will wanted Lucky Charms.

Me, I made creamed spinach. My favorite favorite favorite thing to eat. 

Find Ree's recipe here.