Life is interesting. I tell myself those words so often it is amazing. The times I try and be true to a recipe letter and measurement, it falls flat. The best part is with cream puffs or pate choux when it goes south there is no resurrecting the offending product.
It all started with an innocent plea to catch up on a cooking lesson that had been canceled weeks back. Being confident that it was still possible to pull together a lesson in 50 minutes while preparing dinner at my own home was just a lapse in judgment. Despite my best efforts I am not an aspiring witch at Hogwarts who can turn back time and be in two places at once--I did apply to the school though and received a delightful rejection letter in return as I have no magical powers beyond that of the typical womanly wiles. In the end my girls and I whisked, stirred, piped and processed the dough to the exact specifications of the recipe to very meager results. they were the right color taste and shape but seriously lacking and height and airiness. Nonetheless, being a lesson we determined as a group what we had learned, and filled the flattened faux pas for our tasting delight.
So instead of setting forth the failed recipe I am giving you one that is tried and true. Hope you enjoy. Remember when cooking with kids it really is about he journey not the end product. We had a fabulous time making a tidy mess. Cheers to you my favorite girls. Thank you to my sweet angels for bringing my inflated ego back to earth.
In honor of the kids here is my favorite salt dough recipe. I recently used it to create the bases for flower arrangements at our last church party. Simple form the shape you want and stick the fake flower stems in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. The stems hold their shape beautifully for the evening,and the guests have something to play with while they are waiting to be called up to fill their plates. Who knew play dough was the answer to a center piece dilemma?
Salt Dough
2 cups flour
1 c salt- regular table salt
2 cup cold water mixed with food color of choice
1t cream of tartar
1 T vegetable oil.
Mix in sauce pan over medium heat until it leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from pan place on parchment or wax paper. Let cool until you are able to handle it, then knead it for 4 min. Store in air tight container or bag.
PS Don't eat this one.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
YUCK
I have never liked sugar cookies. But the love of my husband has driven me to more insane pursuits than finding the perfect sugar cookie. He is a total Loft House cookie man, but me being me and hating to buy anything in the bakery section that I can make at home have finally found and developed the perfect sugar cookie according to Brian. Pay attention cause I even like this one after having sworn off my least favorite bakery good due to the plethora of poppycock on the market. SO without further adieu here you are. Bake this one 6 min. turn the sheet and then another 2 min for tablespoon size cookies. 8 min with 2 min after the turn for golf ball size cookies and make sure to push them down if you don't roll them out or they won't flatten out. Have Fun!
Reformed Sugar Cookies
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cups white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon orange or almond extract banana extract makes them taste like loft house
• Orange or lemon peel fresh or dried
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Cream the margarine and add the sugar gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.
2. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture, stirring in by hand. Cover and chill dough overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into your favorite shapes. Place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.Or just cookie scoop them and press them down with your fingers a potato masher or a flat clean surface.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie has a golden appearance.
Smile and Savour
Reformed Sugar Cookies
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cups white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon orange or almond extract banana extract makes them taste like loft house
• Orange or lemon peel fresh or dried
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Cream the margarine and add the sugar gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.
2. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture, stirring in by hand. Cover and chill dough overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into your favorite shapes. Place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.Or just cookie scoop them and press them down with your fingers a potato masher or a flat clean surface.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie has a golden appearance.
Smile and Savour
Monday, October 4, 2010
The evolution of a Recipe
Potato Soup- Valerie Brown’s recipe done Rachel’s way
Once again I typically don’t take the time to chop, peel and boil fresh tomatoes, but they are good in this. I have used left over baked potatoes too, however, to make this soup on the fly I can Southern style hash browns in the freezer they are ready to go pre-chopped, and I just make sure to add a little extra chicken stock to allow them time to cook through. I also use the bacon pieces found in the salad area of Costco or Sam’s club because I hate frying bacon and it makes this soup tasty with minimal effort. Once again you can opt to cook and break up your own bacon if you prefer that. Soup at my house is meant to be filling and good with not too much effort so I take shortcuts. I will put down the original recipe-honestly the best scratch potato soup you could hope for. Then I will put my recipe.
Valerie’s impeccable version
8 slices bacon diced and fried crisp- set aside
4 c diced potatoes barely covered with water and cooked over medium heat until just tender
In a separate pan melt ¾ c butter then add ¾ c flour and stir for 30 seconds on the heat. Add 1 qt Half and half and cook until smooth add potatoes with liquid and bacon and heat until desired consistency.
This is a from scratch smile and savour- but also completely satisfied that you didn’t need to open a can for dinner.
My quick version for the cold toes and hungry tummy after a long day.
1 lb frozen southern hash. This is typically ½ the bag. Break up the potatoes, cut open the top and place in microwave for 4 min on defrost- they should not be burning hot, thoroughly warmed.
In sauce pan place ¾ c butter and 1 tsp granulated garlic melt it over medium heat. Then add ¾ c flour and stir with spatula or whisk for 1 min. Add 4 cups milk 2 cups chicken base reconstituted( or homemade stock), and stir like mad. Add potatoes and the salad style REAL bacon shreds to the pot and heat through adding stock or milk to get the consistency that your family likes. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
I serve this with grated cheddar cheese, more bacon, sour cream, and chives for the ultimate “baked” potato soup.
Put your feet up this takes maybe 15-20 min to get into bowls. Put your feet up, and smile while you savour a bowl of fabulous soup that didn’t cost you 4 dollars at the deli.
PS. The leftovers are fantastic!
Once again I typically don’t take the time to chop, peel and boil fresh tomatoes, but they are good in this. I have used left over baked potatoes too, however, to make this soup on the fly I can Southern style hash browns in the freezer they are ready to go pre-chopped, and I just make sure to add a little extra chicken stock to allow them time to cook through. I also use the bacon pieces found in the salad area of Costco or Sam’s club because I hate frying bacon and it makes this soup tasty with minimal effort. Once again you can opt to cook and break up your own bacon if you prefer that. Soup at my house is meant to be filling and good with not too much effort so I take shortcuts. I will put down the original recipe-honestly the best scratch potato soup you could hope for. Then I will put my recipe.
Valerie’s impeccable version
8 slices bacon diced and fried crisp- set aside
4 c diced potatoes barely covered with water and cooked over medium heat until just tender
In a separate pan melt ¾ c butter then add ¾ c flour and stir for 30 seconds on the heat. Add 1 qt Half and half and cook until smooth add potatoes with liquid and bacon and heat until desired consistency.
This is a from scratch smile and savour- but also completely satisfied that you didn’t need to open a can for dinner.
My quick version for the cold toes and hungry tummy after a long day.
1 lb frozen southern hash. This is typically ½ the bag. Break up the potatoes, cut open the top and place in microwave for 4 min on defrost- they should not be burning hot, thoroughly warmed.
In sauce pan place ¾ c butter and 1 tsp granulated garlic melt it over medium heat. Then add ¾ c flour and stir with spatula or whisk for 1 min. Add 4 cups milk 2 cups chicken base reconstituted( or homemade stock), and stir like mad. Add potatoes and the salad style REAL bacon shreds to the pot and heat through adding stock or milk to get the consistency that your family likes. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
I serve this with grated cheddar cheese, more bacon, sour cream, and chives for the ultimate “baked” potato soup.
Put your feet up this takes maybe 15-20 min to get into bowls. Put your feet up, and smile while you savour a bowl of fabulous soup that didn’t cost you 4 dollars at the deli.
PS. The leftovers are fantastic!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Using all those Cans
In our home we practice storing and rotating cans, boxes, and pails of pantry staples. Doing this has been a blessing in our lives for when the weather is bad or the grocery money gets low. I have made a practice of budgeting a small portion of our income each month to buying things that go on sale that are staples in our home. These boxes of cake mix, cans of tomatoes, and barrels of flour are used in turn and restocked as needed to save for a rainy day. In attempt to use these stores up and keep the products fresh I have great go to recipes for home or company that are filling, tasty, and economical. There are no closed off recipes in my home where extras like a bag of frozen corn, or fresh veggies can't be added to. Thus, they are basic and open to interpretation. Your family will eat differently than the way we eat so as always adjust. And maybe next time you are in the store you might consider buying 3 or 4 extra cans of the week's special buy to hold onto for your own rainy day. So here goes.
Enchilada Soup provided by your pantry
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 can pinto or kidney beans drained and rinse
1 or 2 12.5 oz cans of chunked chicken in water- can use leftover chicken or cooke chicken for it but the pantry stuff works great.
½ pkg taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes – or if your family doesn’t like the texture same amount of crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced green chilies
1 clove minced garlic- or 1 tsp dried
½ minced onion or 3 T dried chopped onions
1 carrot halved and cut in ¼ in pieces
Combine all above ingredients in large soup pan or slow cooker depending on your time limits. Bring to a full boil then reduce to a simmer for at least 20 min. If using a slow cooker I recommend 6 hours low or 3 on high setting adding the cheese and rice in for last 30 min.
4 oz processed cheese- cut into large cubes
¼ c rice (optional)- if using add the rice 15 min before serving from a pan to ensure thorough cooking.
Add cheese right before serving and stir in completely.
Top with sour cream, grated cheese or any other favorite taco topping.
Trust me on the processed cheese, I too thought "really", but yes really. This ingredient gives the soup that restaurant like flavor and texture.
and as always
Smile and Savour-- your Brownie
Enchilada Soup provided by your pantry
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 can pinto or kidney beans drained and rinse
1 or 2 12.5 oz cans of chunked chicken in water- can use leftover chicken or cooke chicken for it but the pantry stuff works great.
½ pkg taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes – or if your family doesn’t like the texture same amount of crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced green chilies
1 clove minced garlic- or 1 tsp dried
½ minced onion or 3 T dried chopped onions
1 carrot halved and cut in ¼ in pieces
Combine all above ingredients in large soup pan or slow cooker depending on your time limits. Bring to a full boil then reduce to a simmer for at least 20 min. If using a slow cooker I recommend 6 hours low or 3 on high setting adding the cheese and rice in for last 30 min.
4 oz processed cheese- cut into large cubes
¼ c rice (optional)- if using add the rice 15 min before serving from a pan to ensure thorough cooking.
Add cheese right before serving and stir in completely.
Top with sour cream, grated cheese or any other favorite taco topping.
Trust me on the processed cheese, I too thought "really", but yes really. This ingredient gives the soup that restaurant like flavor and texture.
and as always
Smile and Savour-- your Brownie
Friday, October 1, 2010
Just Right
Sometimes there is no need for stories, build ups, or suspense. Try the recipe. Its great- I like to frost them with a light butter vanilla glaze but I know many prefer cream cheese frosting. Go with your gut cook what you love. This is a slightly wet dough in the stand mixer but the smell of yeast will be strong when the kneading is done.
Live with passion, cook with love, everything tastes better.
Cinnamon Rolls- Mine
Combine: ½ c orange juice, 1/2 c very warm water then add 1 T yeast set aside until foamy
Combine ½ c milk with ¼ c butter and gently melt in microwave stir to help cool.
Add 2 egg yolks plus 1 egg beaten with ½ c sugar to yeast mixture add 1 t salt
Put in stand mixer add 2 cup flour and turn on mixer then add in milk mixture. Then continue adding flour until dough just barely pulls form sides initial 2 cups plus up to 1 cup more.
Allow machine to run for 5-10 min.
Set aside in greased bowl to proof until double or tripled. Roll out in two portions. Spread with melted butter then sprinkle with 1 packed cup brown sugar mixed with 1T cinnamon. Pinch of salt.
Allow to rest for 30 min to 1 hour.
Bake in 350 oven for 21-23 min until golden. Glaze with remaining melted butter mixed with powdered sugar and vanilla.
Smile and Savour
Live with passion, cook with love, everything tastes better.
Cinnamon Rolls- Mine
Combine: ½ c orange juice, 1/2 c very warm water then add 1 T yeast set aside until foamy
Combine ½ c milk with ¼ c butter and gently melt in microwave stir to help cool.
Add 2 egg yolks plus 1 egg beaten with ½ c sugar to yeast mixture add 1 t salt
Put in stand mixer add 2 cup flour and turn on mixer then add in milk mixture. Then continue adding flour until dough just barely pulls form sides initial 2 cups plus up to 1 cup more.
Allow machine to run for 5-10 min.
Set aside in greased bowl to proof until double or tripled. Roll out in two portions. Spread with melted butter then sprinkle with 1 packed cup brown sugar mixed with 1T cinnamon. Pinch of salt.
Allow to rest for 30 min to 1 hour.
Bake in 350 oven for 21-23 min until golden. Glaze with remaining melted butter mixed with powdered sugar and vanilla.
Smile and Savour
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