Food Friday - King Arthur Flour December Bakealong

from Tracey G

It's King Arthur Flour Bakealong Challenge week again! This month's recipe looked rather daunting due to steps, I was a bit apprehensive. But wow, was I mistaken! It was so easy to do, but yet looks like you fussed over it! This month, the recipe challenge is a Butter Pecan Kringle.

I'm always excited to see what the month's recipe is going to be, but mixed in with that excitement is always a little dread....what if it's too hard for me to do? What if it's something I don't like (granted, that worry is the smallest percentage, lol!)? When I saw this one, I will admit feeling a little "uh oh, what have I gotten myself into?" - I felt a bit of trepidation. And once I started it, that feeling totally vanished and in its place arrived "oh my gosh, this is so easy!". Seriously!

It's done in steps and if you just follow the 3 basic steps, you've got it. First you mix up the base, which is like a sticky pie pastry, lol. If you divide it into 4 pieces, it's really easy to form it into the flat oval ring (about 1.5" wide). Then you make the batter - easy peasy. It sounded harder than it was - it's super easy. Once you get that accomplished, you spread it over the pastry oval. Bake. That's it. Once, it's baked and cooled you add your adornments - in this case it's caramel drizzle (and the directions for getting that made as well are included), then on top of that you add pecan halves (I used chopped because I couldn't find halves) and top it all off with a powdered-sugar icing drizzle. There's also ideas for a raspberry jam and lemon powdered sugar icing, or anything that tickles your fancy. I am going to try using almond flavoring in the batter, and just topping with toasted sliced almonds and an almond flavored powdered sugar icing.  I also envision sweetened cream cheese somehow and cherry pie filling...lots of ideas for this versatile treat!!!

 Do try it, it's so easy and presents beautifully - Jeremy has pretty much eaten the whole thing single-handedly, lol. It goes great with coffee, and I left about a 1/4 of it without the pecans for Harry, it just had the caramel and the icing. I didn't take it one step further with the idea of the chocolate drizzle as the final step of goodness, but it was stated that it would be appreciated next time I make it, lol!!! I do believe I have found another holiday treat tradition!! Thank you King Arthur Flour Bakealong Challenge!

Link to the Butter Pecan Kringle Walk-through


from Kris B.

I am having a hard time getting my head rapped round the fact that Christmas is only ten days away.  It's not that I have any ill feelings about it this year; it just seems like I have had so much going on that Christmas just snuck up on me.  I have finally purchased a few gifts...and even mailed a few...but we have no tree up as of yet.  Making this month's Bakealong recipe has helped to nudge me toward the holiday spirit!

Christmas is all about suspending disbelief.  For me, making the Butter-Pecan Kringle required a little of that as well.  When I first read the recipe, I had a hard time picturing how the whole process was going to come together.  I took my normal approach to most things in life...take it one step at a time.  As Tracey said, if you do this, the Kringle comes together very easily; once you start working, the process is not nearly as daunting as it seems when you are reading through the recipe.

I made one slight error in in my preparation.  I used individual caramel candies melted in the microwave.  I failed to add a little bit of milk to keep the caramel filling super soft.  My husband was perfectly happy with my final product, but I thought the caramel was a bit too hard.  Next time I'll remember to add a little milk or use caramel sauce.  Lol!

The pastry is quite versatile, leaving lots of room for variation in the fillings and toppings.  Tracey is heading towards chocolate and almonds, I want to try a cinnamon and brown sugar filling.  Blueberries with a lemon drizzle also sounds good!  I have plenty of taste testers in my family willing to offer their services with almost any combination of flavors.

The Kringle is a great treat to have on hand for unexpected guests who might stop by to wish you happy holidays.  It would also make your co-workers happy if you leave it in the break room at work.    And of course, having it on hand for your own family holiday celebrations is also a good idea.

Happy baking!

King Arthur Flour Bakealong Challenge!

Link to the Butter Pecan Kringle Walk-through

We wish you peace and joy as you and those you love celebrate any of the many holidays at this time of year.

Food Friday - Cookies!!!

from Kris B.

Cookies!  There are very few kinds of cookies that I don't like.  Like Cookie Monster, having a cookie will always make me happy.  I'm not so sure about this new thing Cookie Monster has going on with cookies now being a "sometimes food."  I think they are most certainly an "anytime" food!

Admittedly, I have no talent for making the fancy iced and decorated cookies.  You'll have to turn to Tracey for help there!  I am more a master of uniform drop cookies, thanks to a handy dandy cookie scoop.  Lol!  But, that said, I really do like pretty cookies, especially as gifts.  I have reconciled my lack of skill and talent for icing with my love of pretty cookies by turning to making stamped cookies.

King Arthur Flour offers this set of three snowflake stamps.  These stamps, made of heavy cast aluminum,  have a solid wood handle that is sturdy and easy to grip, making their $23.95 price tag a little more palatable.  I have worked a lot with terracotta cookie stamps.  I much prefer the aluminum ones.  The "heaviness" of these stamps makes it easy to get an even pattern over the entire cookie.  The Starry Night stamps are also good sized, measuring three inches.  Printed on the box in which the stamps come is a recipe for Starry Night Stamped Gingerbread Cookies.  This recipe varies slightly from the King Arthur Flour recipe for Winter Spice Stamp Cookies that I used.  The primary difference between the two recipes is that the recipe on the stamp box uses a touch of cocoa in addition to the traditional cinnamon, cloves, and ginger found in most spice cookies and The King Arthur Winter Spice Stamp Cookies use the King Arthur Winter Spice Blend (available from King Arthur for $4.99) that is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander, and cardamon.  The Winter Spice Stamp Cookies also use a touch of molasses.

Usually when I make stamped cookies, I roll the dough into balls and use the stamping process to both flatten and imprint the cookies.  Instead of this method, these cookies are rolled out to 1/4" thick, cut out, and then stamped.  This process made for pretty edges on the cookies.  I used a fluted edge round cutter from a set by Ateco to cut my cookies.  The cutter was exactly the same size as the cookie stamps, which made for the pretty edges around the stamped area of the cookie as well as on its edges.  One thing that I did do that was not specified in the instructions was to dip the stamp in sugar before stamping each cookie.  I'm not sure if this helped, but I had no issues with the stamp releasing from the dough.

The Winter Spice Stamp cookies are a crisp cookie, much like a ginger snap.  Generally, I prefer chewy cookies, but these are really good, especially with a hot cup of coffee that I may or may not have used for dipping my cookie.  :-) As one who always prefers crispy cookies, and cookies with NO chocolate, and cookies that go well with coffee, Weber was quite happy with this week's recipe choice as well.  Tracey and I had a good laugh over the fact the we both tend towards chewy cookies and Jeremy, like Weber, likes the crispy ones...just one more way in which our worlds are similar!

If they are not all eaten before you can package them, these are pretty cookies and will make a great Christmas gift.  To make the gift even more special, add some nice coffee or, if you must, tea for a gift that will surely be appreciated...even if the recipient is normally a chewy cookie kind of person.  Lol!

Winter Spice Stamp Cookies




from Tracey G

This time of year I'm gearing up (if not already into full swing) for making my Christmas Food Gifts. Usually it's cookies or treats of some kind. I love making them more than I like eating them (I can't believe that's even possible, but it's true!), so it's always fun for me to get started. My plan of attack is usually the same - one or two really pretty things (more complicated) then fill in with the easier sorts of things that don't require a lot of tedious work or detail etc. I rotate my recipes every year, usually trying to incorporate one or two new ones every season. And the new ones usually involve some sort of EASY to produce cookie (or treat)!

I love thumbprint cookies - they are one of my favorite cookies to eat, and I love making them because they are so easy! Like Kris, I too use a cookie scoop (it's about a tablespoon I believe) for any cookie dough I can, lol. It makes quick work out of getting them on the baking sheet to be sure! So, when I was perusing the King Arthur Flour website  for a cookie recipe this week to try, I ran across this one for Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprints. It's a combination I've never made in this sort of cookie - I've used raspberry jam before in my thumbprints (because it's one of my favorites), but I've never made a lemon-flavored cookie to go under it. I was sold!

The dough was super easy to whip up. The do give you a couple options, as you can make them with the tablespoon sized scoop/spoon or a teaspoon. I went with tablespoon because that's what size my scoop it and I wanted it as easy as possible, lol. After I got them scooped onto the baking sheet, I used a round measuring teaspoon to make the indentations for the jam after they are baked. Once they were baked off and totally cooled, I added the jam. The jam sets up a bit, so they hold up nicely. 

Harry proclaimed that these were the best thing ever, and Jeremy (not to mention myself!) loved them as well. They have earned a spot in "The Book" of keepers for sure! I will make these again, and they will be great in my Christmas Treat Rotation!

Here's a link to the recipe:

Lemon-Raspberry Thumbprints from King Arthur Flour

Food Friday - Dessert Anyone?

from Kris B.

A month into our mindful eating journey and we are doing pretty well.  Yes, we both succumbed to dessert last weekend, but starting on Monday we were right on track.  What we learned from our mutual experience last weekend was that we are never going to be able to do without desserts every now and then.  Call it weakness.  Call it reality.  It is what it is.  Rather than beat ourselves up over our seemingly disparate desires to lose weight and eat desserts, we decided to look for calorie friendly desserts, foods that will satisfy that inevitable sweet tooth, but also satisfy our SparkPeople food logs.  This week's recipes do both as well as passed the taste test with our families.

Keep in mind that we are trying to eat regular everyday foods so no artificial sweeteners, etc.  As with everything else here at Pixels, Plates, and LOLs, it is only the real deal!  Lol!  The key to success is everything in moderation.  I headed to the Internet in search of a cookie, my personal downfall, that tastes like a real cookie, but won't reside on my hips for eternity.  I am very happy with these Cinnamon Pecan Wafers that Eating Well (November/December 2010)  offered.  Sweet, crisp, nutty - this 63 calorie cookie is perfect as dessert or a snack.  I enjoy mine with a nice hot cup of black coffee.  Lol!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup unsalted butter
3/4 Cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 *light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 1/4 Cups *whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 Cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

* The original recipe calls for light brown sugar and whole wheat pastry flour.  I used dark brown sugar and white whole wheat flour.  

1.  Beat the butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in bowl of an electric mixer on medium high until creamy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat well.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt then add to the butter mixture.  I sifted the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.  Beat at low speed until combined.  Stir in pecans by hand.

2.  Divide the dough in half and use lightly floured hands to shape each portion into a 6-inch log.  Wrap each log in wax paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4.  Unwrap the dough and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.  Combine the remaining 1/4 of granulated sugar and the cinnamon on a shallow plate.  Roll the log in the sugar mixture, then slice into 24 1/4' thick cookies.  Place the cookies about 2 1/2' apart on an uncreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake one batch at a time, until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.

The uncooked dough or the cooked cookies may frozen for up to three months.  Store cooked cookies at room temperature in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container for up to five days.

Nutrition information: per cookie; 63 calories; 4g fat; 7g carbohydrates; 1g protein; 1g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 13 potassium


from Tracey G.

In this effort to eat better and more mindfully, I've been in pursuit of some easy alternative recipes for desserts and snacks. I don't always have dessert, but there are times when that "gotta-have-something-sweet" hits and I'd rather not throw away all my hard work over something like that, or I've made a special dinner and would like a special treat - that's reasonable but still yummy - to go along with it.

 A few years ago Taste of Home put out a "Comfort Food Diet" cookbook, where they compiled a bunch of recipes, from snacks through dessert, that are reasonable in calories and so forth. They are all organized according to type of food (snack, breakfast, dinner etc) and then, in that, they are organized by calories. It's a pretty nice set up and all "normal" foods, some light on their own and  some that have been smartly lightened up. They of course have newer incarnations of it now, I just bought myself a couple digital versions recently and am looking forward to using them as much as I've enjoyed using the one I got this recipe from - my original! It's been a great tool in eating healthier without sacrificing a thing and without feeling like I'm dieting - because that is not my goal. I don't want to go on a diet - that's too restrictive sounding and that's where I fail. Tell me I can't have something and it becomes number one on my list to have! 

This cheesecake version comes in at 163 calories as written, I added one more graham cracker and that bumped it up to 172 calories per serving. And the serving size is nice too - not skimpy in the least. I thought that it would be cut into 10 or 12 slices, and I was wrong - it's cut into only 8. A very nice serving! The cherry topping is a light pie filling - and that's another item I had no issues with it tasting "diet" etc. It was a nice addition - and honestly, I liked the cheesecake just as much without the topping. 

This was another surprisingly simple recipe to pull together - I even double checked my recipe thinking that I must have missed something somewhere, but nope, it was just that easy!

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

courtesy of Taste Of Home; can be found here: No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

1 whole reduced fat graham cracker, finely crushed, divided

1 package (.3 oz.) sugar-free lemon gelatin

2/3 cup boiling water

1 package (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

1 cup (8 oz.) 1% cottage cheese

2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping

1 cup reduced-sugar cherry pie filling

1. Coat a 9-in. springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle half of the graham cracker crumbs on the bottom and 1 in up the sides of pan; set aside. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool to room temperature.

2. In a blender, combine the gelatin mixture, cream cheese and cottage cheese; cover and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl; fold in whipped topping. Pour into prepared pan. 

3. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen, then remove sides of pan. Garnish with pie filling. 

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information: 1 piece equals 163 calories; 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat); 17 mg cholesterol; 240 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; .55 g fiber; 7 g protein

Food Friday - High In Goodness, Low In Calories

from Kris B.

We are two and half weeks in to our “weight reduction plan.”  With encouragement from another, both of us are doing pretty well staying within our allowed calorie range each day and not feeling hungry.  There does, however, come a time when we want a sweet snack, not a reward necessarily, but a sweet something that we can eat and enjoy and not feel guilty about having had.  It is from this place that we bring you this week’s recipes.

I like cake, but I am not a big fan of frosting.  Even though I have a powerful sweet tooth, most frosting is even too sweet for me.  I often scrape all but a thin layer of the frosting from cake and cupcakes.  I know.  It sounds like a waste; however, often there is someone nearby that has the exact opposite preferences - they love the frosting but not the cake.  It works out for all involved!  Lol!  When I make cake at home, I don’t go to the trouble of making frosting  unless I have to.

A favorite cake at our house is angel food cake.  No one expects it to have frosting.  Perhaps a dollop of whipped cream, and some kind of fruit and it is perfectly dressed and good to go.  Angel food cake is also low in calories abd fat free!  This recipe weighs in at 146 calories per (naked) slice.  Adding fruit and a little whipped cream ups that at little, but this treat still comes in far below the average for most desserts.

INGREDIENTS

12 eggs, whites only) or 1 1/2 cups egg whites)

1 Cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 TBS lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and half (3/4 cup) of the sugar.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until  foamy..  Add the salt and cream of tartar.  Continue to whisk until soft peaks form.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar a little at a time.  Once stiff peaks have formed, beat in the vanilla, almond extract, and the lemon juice.  

Using a spatula, stir the sifted flour and sugar into the egg white mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all is incorporated.  Evenly spread the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan).

Bake for 50 minutes or until cakes feels slightly springy to the touch and is golden brown.  Remove from oven and invert the pan on a glass bottle to cool.  Once cooled, loosen the cake from the pan with a metal spatula and invert cake onto a plate.

Eat the cake as is, with a little non-dairy whipped cream (if you are watching calories) and fruit.  Or, if you must, drizzle with a glaze or sauce of your choice.

Makes 12 servings

146 calories; 5g protein; 39g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 29g sugar; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 100mg sodium


From Tracey G.

As we come to the end of Week 3 (I've rounded up, lol) in the new Mindful Eating challenge as I like to call it, it's occurred to me that we need some healthy sweets as well occasionally. I'm not a big sweet eater, but sometimes I just gotta have it! Cupcakes, cakes, frosting and so forth. I want to be prepared for such things and have a few healthier alternatives in my bag of tricks. Not that that means I'm not going to enjoy the real deal occasionally, after all there's nothing off limits, it's all about moderation. I would just like a few healthier alternatives to old favorites and some new just-because-they-sound-good healthier things at my disposal.

Recently, I bought myself a subscription to Eating Well magazine, if their magazine is half as informative and helpful as their website, it will be deemed a good move on part! I just got my first issue this past week and this was one of a few recipes in it I decided I was going to try. I did a bit of a hunt around the internet for blueberry pound cake recipes - wanting to see how much this one might differ, and from most of the ones I ran across, this had about half the calories of most, as this comes in at about 303 calories per serving according to the recipe notes. And the 1-inch thick slice - as pictured in my photo, that is considered a serving, is really a pretty good size!

Aside from it being really yummy, it's also a one-bowl recipe - nice! It came together easily, which is always a bonus. I also know it was a hit with my boys - Harry told me that I deserved 63 kisses for it, where he came up with that number as being a good rating is beyond me, but I'll take the kisses and he took a second slice! Hubby asked me if it was easy to put together, which I've come to learn is code for "so, will you make this again because it's really good!"!

I did have to make one major change because I realized I didn't have the ingredient - it calls for 1.5 cups of white whole-wheat flour, I didn't have any, so used unbleached all-purpose. And a minor change was I used frozen blueberries - they aren't the greatest in the stores this time of year fresh, so frozen are always a staple I have on hand. 

Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine and can be found here: Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

8 Servings

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature (see tip below*)

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 tbsp lemon zest

2 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tsp, divided

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 c white whole-wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups fresh blueberries (I used frozen)

2 tbsp packed confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x5-in. loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy**. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in ricotta, lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice and vanilla until just combined. Sprinkle flour on top, then evenly sprinkle baking powder and salt over the flour. With the mixer on low speed, beat until almost combined. Add blueberries and  gently fold into the batter. Transfer to prepared pan.

3. Bake the cake until starting to brown around the edges and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the rack. Carefully turn it right-side up. Let cool completely.

4. Clean the bowl, add confectioner's sugar and whisk in the remaining 1 tsp lemon juice until smooth. Brush the glaze on the cake.

Serves 8: One 1-inch thick slice each

Nutritional information: Calories 303, Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 6g), Cholesterol 96mg, Carbohydrates 45g, Total Sugars 25g (added 21g), Protein 8g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 319 mg, Potassium 124mg

*This is a trick I've used for ages to get eggs right out of the refrigerator to room temperature quickly, that they suggest as well: Place the eggs (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 5 minutes. I usually do that first when I start a recipe that needs room temp eggs, so that by the time I'm ready for them, they are ready for me!

**They do note that for best cake texture to make sure you beat it long enough together to look creamy, and the time it take can vary. I never really did see "creamy", but it still turned out well for me!

Food Friday - Vegan Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

from Kris B.

During my adult life I have gone through periods of eating a vegetarian diet, a vegan diet, and an everything diet.  I have come to the point now of just trying to eat a reasonably healthy diet.  For me, that means eating meat because I have had some issues with severe anemia as a result of having systemic lupus.  That said, some of my very favorite recipes are those that I discovered during my days of more restrictive eating.

I make this recipe from the cookbook Veganomicon The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, whenever I am asked to make a cake for a potluck or anything like that.  Never has anyone realized that it was vegan simply by its taste.  This cake is loaded with chocolate and coffee.  How can it not be delicious??

My oldest daughter, Brooke, proclaimed herself a vegetarian at age three.  I’m not kidding!  And, she knew exactly what she was saying and doing. With the exception of “flat meat” (pepperoni) that should would occasionally eat on pizza at parties during elementary school, she has led a life almost completely free of meat in her diet.  In high school, she became a vegan and also discovered her real passion for cooking. Not only did she have the culinary skills, but she also did the research to make sure that her diet was nutritionally sound.  During this time, she taught me a lot about cooking and introduced me to foods that I had never had and probably never would have tried on my own.  Brooke also did very well at converting standard recipes for baked goods to being vegan friendly.  It is ironic that she gave up her vegan diet when, after graduating from college, she went to culinary school to get her pastry chef certificate and decided that baked goods were just “not right” without real butter!  Lol!

Whether you are an everyday vegan or just like a good, and reasonably healthy, chocolate cake, this one will not disappoint!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups fresh brewed coffee

2/3 cup Dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose white flour

(I have done both.  This time I used white all-purpose flour.)

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp powdered sugar

(I probably used a little more)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 or 10 inch bundt pan.

Bring the coffee to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once it is simmering, turn down the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce and cornstarch until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the extracts.  Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minute minute with a hand mixer or two minutes with a whisk.  

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife inserted through the center comes out clean.  If your pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely.  Once cool, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top and enjoy!

I am going solo here this week because Tracey has a busy week of family birthdays - Harry’s, hers, and her niece’s.  They are lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to grandma and grandpa’s last weekend and the grandparents are coming to them this weekend.  The best gift I could think to give her was time to enjoy her family and not have to worry about squeezing a Friday post in.  I do wish I could share this cake with her.  I sure don’t need to eat it myself, even if it is lower fat!!!  So, if you have a few minutes, send Tracey some belated birthday wishes!  Her birthday was the 24th.

Also, if you are interested in random glimpses into our everyday lives, scroll back to see the first few posts in our new series "Mug Shots."  Yep, they are the real life images of two coffee addicts!

Food Friday - Full Bellies, Full Hearts

from Kris B.

It is Valentine's Day weekend; for many that means that love is in the air.  By the looks of the supermarkets, it appears that many will be receiving  the obligatory flowers and candy.  For others, however,  it is just another day of being hungry and feeling unloved.

Sometimes the “why” of a story is much more important than the “what.”  The “what” of my recipe this week is Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These are undoubtedly one of my favorite cookies because they contain all of my favorite ingredients.  If I can’t decide what kind of cookies I am craving, I will make these because they cover all the bases.  You can’t go wrong with a cookie that has chocolate chips, oatmeal, AND peanut butter!  But, that is not the “why.”

I recently received a note from my youngest daughter that said, in part, “Thank you for showing me what parental love is all about.  Thank you for being willing to take on the hard questions.  Thank you for challenging me and helping me and inspiring me and encouraging me.  Thank you for helping me become me.”  The “me” that she has become is a caring and loving young lady who has made it her mission in life to do anything she can to make the world a better place for those around her.  In her daily life, she goes about this in many big and small ways; those of us that are on the receiving end of her kindness are blessed beyond measure.

This week she set her goals high, taking it upon herself to have a bake sale at work to raise money for the organization NO KID HUNGRY.  This was not your average bake sale with a few dozen slice and bake cookies and a pan of brownies.  Erin went all out, from taking pre-orders for loaves of homemade bread and chocolate dipped strawberries to baking all kinds of individual goodies to be sold today. 

 Last weekend she baked 20 loaves of bread to be delivered to friends and co-workers Monday morning as a kick-off for her fundraising week.  The rest of the baking was done yesterday for the actual bake sale today.  Her boyfriend posted the full tally of her baking efforts on Facebook:

My measly contribution to this massive effort was a few tubs of cookie dough that could be sold as take and bake.  Other than this, she did all of the work by herself with a lot moral support from her boyfriend and some from me.  Hopefully her co-workers will eat up today and she can send a nice check to NO KID HUNGRY.  

Creating a world where all people have full bellies and even fuller hearts is a grand but achievable goal if we all do what we can where we are.  All those small acts do add up to big results!

I am proud of the young lady that Erin is becoming and I am humbled to know that she credits me for even a part of that.  Hang in there all of you with little ones, those days will be over more quickly than you think.  And then comes the time when you look at your kids as they become adults and smile.  But perhaps more importantly, they will also look at you with appreciation and say, “Thank you!”

I am happy to report that Erin's goal for today's bake sale was $300.  She far surpassed this goal by raising  $1500 for No Kid Hungry!  Not only were her co-workers and friends supportive, her company volunteered to match her efforts at 100%!  If you would like to learn more about No Kid Hungry or contribute to this cause, click here.  I am thankful that there are so many people out there willing to help fill the bellies of hungry children.

Thank you, Jeff, for the photos!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter (at room temperature)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 TBS vanilla extract

2 TBS milk

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips

Aside from the fact that these cookies taste awesome, I love this recipe because it doesn’t use every measuring cup that I own!  A cup measure and measuring spoons, that’s it!

In your mixer bowl, cream together the sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and milk.  Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.  

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, oats, baking soda, and chocolate chips.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well.

Chill the dough covered overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Form the dough into 1” balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes on the center oven rack.


from Tracey G.

When Kris was telling me of her bake sale contributions, it got me thinking of bake sales past. Mostly from my grade school days, the bake sales, cake walks and craft shows that my mom always contributed something to. I especially loved the cake walks, yep, definitely a personal favorite! I could win a cake! Yay! Not that I ever ate them, as I didn't care much for cake back then, but I probably enjoyed the chance to win one more than anything! It just brings back a lot of fond memories from 3rd grade all the way through 8th. Good stuff!

All the bake sale memories got me thinking on what would work for a bake sale as far as an item to contribute that everyone in general enjoys. Lots of things came to mind, but the one that stuck out to me was the good old Peanut Butter Cookie. They're so easy to make and you can turn them out pretty fast, (plus it's usually stuff I always have on hand - so if I'm ever in that "mom I need cookies for tomorrow!" bind, these are a good go to recipe), and perfect bake sale criteria! Fast and easy and people like them! Through the years, I've found a few recipes (as usual!), and this one is kind of a combination of a few, that got me to a cookie I really liked.

The recipe is supposed to, in theory (from the combinations of recipes), make 3 dozen, but I got at least 5 dozen out of this batch I made. Go figure. And now my taste testers/cookie eaters are sick and not interested in any cookies. I think this batch will find itself in the freezer!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 375° F

Yield: 3 dozen

1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened (you could use all vegetable shortening if you like)

1/2 c vegetable shortening

1 1/2 c peanut butter

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

2) Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Food Friday - From the Heart

from Tracey G.

I love any month that can carry a holiday theme - it's fun to create treats and meals with a theme. I also love recipes that are versatile enough to be used for any and all!

I have to admit, I have way too much fun running with a theme for treats/food etc. It feels like it's a special kind of permission to make treats you don't normally make and it makes me feel like I have a mission. Valentine's Day! I must make Valentine's Day themed cookies! Cupcakes! Anything edible that can be transformed into any holiday theme - sign me up!

This recipe was my first ever experience with spritz cookies, and once I'd made them, I was hooked. They were so easy and so versatile in that you can make any shape with your press, any flavor (vanilla, almond etc) and they were fast thanks to the cookie press. My friend Kim gave me this recipe at least 8 years ago - could be longer than that, but I know it's at least 8. And every time I make it I'm glad she did. They're called Holiday Shaped Cookies, but they aren't just for holidays!

To decorate this particular batch, AFTER baking, I melted some white chocolate chips in the microwave, dipped or brushed it on the cookies (just half for the ones in the photo), then dipped in my sprinkles and colored sugars of choice! Super easy way to jazz them up. The only problem I've discovered with these cookies is that they are way TOO easy eat!!

Holiday Shaped Cookies

1 c vegetable shortening

3/4 c sugar

2 1/4 c all purpose flour, sifted

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Food coloring

Cream together shortening and sugar. Mix in the eggs & almond extract. Blend in dry ingredients and tint with food coloring of choice, if using. Form cookies into desired shapes using a cookie press on an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate, if desired, with sugars, sprinkles etc. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375° F. Place immediately on a cooling rack. 

from Kris B.

During the year between March of 2014 and March of 2015  when we were making the monthly trips between Dallas and Delaware to be with my during his final illness, we had a choice of our flights connecting in Charlotte, N.C. or Philadelphia.  During these stressful times, it was the simple things that I most looked forward to…snacks in the airport.  When our itinerary took us through Charlotte, it was the gelato in Terminal B, and when we went through Philly, I looked forward to the soft pretzels in the food court in Terminal F.  I don’t miss all the travel, but I do miss the treats, especially the pretzels.  I’m sure that there is someplace in Dallas that makes equally good soft pretzels, but I haven’t found them…probably because I haven’t looked earnestly.  Lol!  I decided that it is just easier to make them myself, especially when my craving for them hits late at night when my mood and my attire are barely suitable to carry the trash to the front curb let alone go out in public to find pretzels, even when that means only going down the frozen food aisle at the grocery store!

The task of making homemade soft pretzels may seem a little daunting because of the shaping and boiling necessary, but they are so worth it!  Well, they are worth it if you are a carb craver like me. :-)  

The recipe that I use is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS butter

2 TBS instant or rapid rise yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBS + 1/2 tsp kosher salt

The dough is easiest to make in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.  In the mixer bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter, yeast, water and half of the flour.  Once well incorporated, add the salt and the remaining flour.  Knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is “smooth and supple.”

Place the dough, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.  (I leave mine in the mixer bowl covered with plastic wrap.) 

When you are ready to bake the pretzels, line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces.  This makes good sized pretzels.  If you’d prefer smaller ones, divide the dough into 16 pieces.  

Shape the pretzels.

To make them heart shaped, roll a rope about 20” in length.  Join the two ends by pinching together to form the bottom point of the heart.  Grab the center opposite this point and twist twice clockwise.  Adjust the shape the sides of the heart if necessary.

Once shaped, place the pretzels on the baking sheets and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Allow them to rest about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare a baking soda bath by bringing a quart of water to a boil then add 1/4 baking soda stirring until it dissolves.  (It will foam when first added.)  Reduce heat.  One at a time, add each pretzel to the soda bath cooking for one minute on each side.  Use a slotted spoon to return the pretzel to the baking sheet once boiled.

For a glossy finish to your pretzels, brush with whisked egg whites.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove to cooling rack and serve immediately.  Fresh pretzels are best.  After more the six hours, these do not seem so exciting anymore. Lol!

• I do not use the egg wash on my pretzels.  I either just make them without, sprinkling the salt directly onto the plain dough, as I did for this batch; or, once cooked, I brush them with melted butter and dredge the pretzels in cinnamon sugar, n as I wish I’d done here. :-)  Cinnamon sugar pretzels are definitely a favorite of mine!

We hope these treats make your hearts, and the hearts of the people that you love and cook for, happy!