Sweet Potatoes with Marshmellows ('Candied Yams')

Mmmm, yams. Mmmm, marshmallows.

Enough said for this post? I think so. We're keeping it short and sweet.

I love this dish. It came together quickly (use a can of yams to make it even faster), and is always a favorite at Thanksgiving. If you usually puree your yams, or you don't use marshmallows, I encourage you to try this recipe... delicious.

Wondering about the sad side with no marshmallows? That's Tim's end, he prefers the yams without marshmallow - crazy boy!

Candied Yams
from The Farm Journal Vegetable Cookbook

6 medium to large yams
1/4 cup margarine/butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups mini marshmallows


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Scrub/clean yams under water, then bake until tender - approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool, so you can handle them. Remove skins & slice or cube.

Grease 2 quart casserole (I used 'Pam').

Mix margarine, orange juice, ground cinnamon & yams. Pour into casserole dish.

Top with marshmallows & bake 15-20 min or until yams are hot & marshmallows are lightly browned. (After 20 minutes, my marshmallows weren't browned, but everything was warm. So I turned on the broiler for a couple minutes - done in a jiffy!)

Guten appetit!

Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream

Mama mia, this was good!

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I would like to eat candied yams, dinner rolls (preferably my mom's bran muffins, but homemade potato rolls are also delicious) and pumpkin pie. Hold all other dishes please, I don't need them. I can sufficiently stuff myself silly on these 3 items.

Last year (yes, last year - I obviously made this for Thanksgiving, so it was too tardy to post for last year's Thanksgiving), we were without family for the big meal, but invited some friends over. I made all the usual suspects: mashed potatoes, candied yams, green beans, a vegetable pot pie, and pumpkin pie. Typically, I would have made the same pie my mom makes... Libbys. Straight from the can, no muss, no fuss, always good. But for some reason, I had it in my head that the recipe called for sweetened condensed milk. Wrong. It calls for evaporated milk. Being a thrifty girl, I couldn't throw out the sweetened condensed milk and knew there must be a pumpkin pie recipe that uses it. Google to the rescue!

Yes, I like plenty of whipped cream! The more the better.
After reading the reviews, this was easily the winning recipe. I liked that it had a bit of spice to it, also carried through in the whipped cream. We were not disappointed! It's crazy delicious. Our guests asked us what was in the pie and whipped cream, all wide-eyed and excited after the first bite. They cleaned their plates and wanted the recipe. Yep, a keeper! This is our new family pumpkin pie recipe, I just can't go back. Sorry Libby.

Happy Thanksgiving and pie eating to you and yours!


Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream
from Epicurious/Bon Appetit (Nov. 2003)

1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, pierced all over with fork (frozen is also ok)
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar


Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake crust until browned, pressing bottom and sides of crust occasionally with back of fork, about 14 minutes. Cool crust on rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, sour cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, vanilla, and allspice in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs. Pour into crust (some filling may be left over).

Bake pie until filling is puffed around sides and set in center, about 55 minutes. (Do not fear, the puffiness settles down!)

Cool pie on rack. (Can be made ahead. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours, or cover and chill overnight.)

Beat whipping cream, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in bowl until peaks form. Spoon large dollops around edge of pie and serve.

Guten appetit!

Black Beans and Rice : New Years Good Luck

New Years is on the horizon. Do you have any resolutions for next year? Do you make resolutions? I've mostly given up on resolutions, as I rarely stick with them. Instead, I try to make changes or plans in my life as a situation or need comes up. But I've always liked the idea of new year's resolutions; a new beginning, new adventures and plans.

I also like new year's traditions. My mom always makes black eyed peas on new year's day. She says it brings good luck in the new year for those who eat them.

I fear I am going to have bad luck in Germany trying to find black eyed peas - make that, impossible-never-going-to-happen luck. So, I went out in search of something I can make to bring us luck in 2009.

On a cute little blog, which unfortunately seems now defunct, the chef made Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos). She also tells the history of the recipe: "Black beans and rice is a popular Cuban dish said to bring good luck when eaten on New Year's Day. In Spanish, the dish is called Moros y Cristianos or Christians & Moors, with the black beans representing the dark-skinned Moors and the white rice representing the lighter-skinned Christians." Not sure how that relates to good luck, but as long as it does, I'll go with it.


Turned out quite delicious! And I'm very happy to have my 2009 lucky recipe handy for January 1.

Wishing you all a safe, and happy New Years!


Black Beans and Rice
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, by Sugar Rush

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, peeled if desired, and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups drained cooked or canned black beans
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; don't bother to drain), optional
1 cup bean cooking liquid, or chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or water
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Cooked Rice to serve


Place the oil in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the pepper is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, the beans, the optional tomatoes, the spices and the liquid.

Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the beans are hot and most of the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 20 minutes.

Stir in most of the parsley and remove the bay leaf.

Arrange rice on a platter, in a ring if you like. Spoon the beans over the rice or into the center of the ring, or pass them separately. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

In case you prefer a vegetarian black eyed pea recipe:
- Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, from Gluten-Free Bay
- Creole Black Eyed Peas, from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
- Black Eyed Peas, from Slashfood

Guten appetit!

Rocky Road Granola Clusters - Fun homemade gift

Today is going to be a short post. We have wonderful guests visiting us, and I was able to finish these neighbor holiday gifts just before their arrival. But now that they're here, we want to go out, not be inside on the computer.

This is a tribute to the season, for anyone looking for something wonderful and easy to make homemade, as a low-cost, delicious, made with love gift for family, friends or neighbors during Advent. How delicious are they? Tim liked these so much, he told me I was never allowed to make them again, they're too dangerous to have in the house. I actually thought they were a bit too sweet, but I err on the lower end of the sweet spectrum. For the holidays, I think most people like to indulge.

This would also be a fun project to do with little bakers in the house. All that's required is mixing and spooning the mix onto baking sheets to harden.

My gift to the neighbors...

Rocky Road Granola Clusters
from Safeway

1 (16-oz.) package chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used chocolate chips, and they worked fine. But they do not melt easily in the microwave, and if not watched and strirred, can burn)
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped granola bars
3/4 cup sesame sticks or thin pretzels
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (I forgot to add these, and was still great!)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
12 caramels, chopped


Combine chocolate coating and shortening in a large microwave-safe bowl; cover loosely with heavy-duty plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 11/2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Stir in peanut butter. Let stand 2 minutes. Stir in granola bars, sesame sticks, and almonds. Stir in marshmallows and caramels last so they don't melt. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or wax paper. Let clusters stand until firm.

Easy peasy.

Guten appetit!

Banana Bread

The smell of banana bread reminds me of waking up as a kid to delicious morning smells. I love the way it fills your house. My mom, aka 'Super Mom', made us breakfast every morning (and yes, she had a full-time job too). Waffles, oatmeal, pancakes, blueberry muffins... and banana bread (not all in the same day though!).


This isn't actually my mom's recipe, as I simply haven't asked her for it yet. But it tastes just like it, so my guess is that it will be pretty close. This one came from a friend, and it's HER mother's recipe. Go moms!

Mmm, delicious.

TIPS:
- As you gear up for the holidays, make a double batch and freeze a couple loaves to bring with you to brunches, family gatherings or as a hostess gift. You can freeze the loaves up to 6 months.
- To freeze banana bread, wrap tightly in saran wrap and then tinfoil or a ziploc sack. To eat a frozen loaf, you can thaw/warm it in the microwave or oven.
- Bought too many bananas? You can also freeze the banana's up to 3 months! They will turn dark or black in the freezer. When you are ready to make a batch of banana bread: remove bananas from the freezer and let thaw for 5-10 minutes, then peel them with a knife. You don't want them to go too soft, or they are very hard to peel. I also find that I need an extra banana to fill the cup portions required when using frozen.

Banana Bread

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups banana, sliced into small pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans), toasted or raw *optional


Preheat oven to 350. Grease one 9x13 inch pan, or two 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a medium bowl, mix the flower and salt together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy (approximately 5 minutes). Then add the sugar and mix, eggs (one at a time) and mix, and finally the vanilla. Beat until everything is mixed well (an extra 1-2 minutes).

Then add the heavy cream and baking soda, and mix well. Next add the banana slices and mix until the banana has been mashed and fully integrated.

Add the flour/salt mixture slowly (1/2 cup at a time), while beating on medium speed. Be sure each addition is mixed in well before adding more flour. Mix a little longer past the last flour addition, and done.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Twists on tradition:
- Mocha Banana Bread, from Cooking with Amy
- Chocolate Chip and Sour Cream Banana Bread, from Closet Cooking
- Cherry Coconut Banana Bread, from Treat a Week Recipes

Guten appetit!

Vegetable Pot Pie: Wrap up Thanksgiving with Leftovers!

First rule of any party: don't run out of food or drinks. Never seems to be a problem at Thanksgiving though. Despite the fact that people (read: me) stuff themselves silly, there is always, always a ton of food leftover. I see so many creative recipes that deal with leftover Thanksgiving food, but they are usually focused on turkey.

This Vegetable Pot Pie recipe can use whatever veggies you have. Hooray! It's not a picky recipe, and based on the reviews, I almost completely switched up the veggies. It tasted amazing! I don't even think it matters if your veggies are spiced from the Thanksgiving dinner. Just adds more flavor. Or you can adjust/lessen the recipe spices slightly.


Use leftover carrots, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, brussel sprouts, or sweet potatoes. The only thing I might be weary of, are the sweet potatoes if you typically bake them with marshmallows. I don't see marshmallows as a good addition to pot pies, but maybe that's just me. I suppose, if you were really industrious, you could rinse the marshmallow off the sweet potato slices (assuming you don't whip your sweet potatoes), then add them... Hmmm??

But don't only save this for Thanksgiving leftovers. Would be a great 'clean the fridge out' recipe, or just-because you feel like a warm delicious pot pie (because it's so darn good, I tell you!). Or, use it as your Thanksgiving dinner. It's certainly delicious and impressive enough!

p.s. While I can't categorize this recipe as 'easy', it's by NO means difficult. Everything comes together very quickly, and the two part (crust, then filling) process is nothing to be weary of. I promise! Probably one of the easiest homemade pot pie recipes out there and makes you look like Chef du Jour.

Vegetable Pot Pies
adapted from Ina Garten at the Food Network

Filling:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup sliced yellow onions (1 onion)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white wine
Pinch saffron threads (or substitute marjoram)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/4 cups large-diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced sweet potato/yams
1 1/2 cups broccoli, quartered
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Fresh, ground black pepper


For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After you are done with the pastry, start on the pot pie ingredients.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, approximately 10 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, white wine, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes and yams in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the brussel sprouts and carrots to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes and mixed vegetables to the sauce and mix well.

* If you are using already cooked Thanksgiving/dinner leftovers, you will want to skip some of these cooking steps for the vegetables and simply add directly to the sauce. Great time saver!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls (best to use bowls without a lip, such as a large ramekin).

Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside, top edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top (feel free to be decorative!). Sprinkle with cracked pepper.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.


Guten appetit!

Pumpkin Muffins

Here's another Halloween/pumpkin recipe I tried recently... Pumpkin Muffins. If I could, I would eat muffins all day long, everyday. Really.

Nothing stops me in my tracks while perusing a food blog or recipe book like muffins. While that may seem surprising, as I don't feature a lot of muffin recipes, I should tell you that I make the Morning Glory muffins once every 2 weeks. (sigh) I need to branch out, I know. I have a backlog of new recipes to try though, stay tuned!

This pumpkin recipe is courtesy of Muffin Top, a yummy blog devoted to more than just muffins, who nabbed it from Gourmet magazine.

Our critique: I really liked them, tim was not a fan. He didn't dislike them, but said the pumpkin pie flavor didn't seem right as a muffin. I think he would like them if I adjust the amount of pumpkin and add nuts or other flavor to make them a bit more complex. If you like pumpkin, you will like these. Another important note, they were best the first day. The slightly browned, crunch on top from the sugar became soft and a little moist over the following 1-2 days. I recommend bringing them to work, or a holiday party, where you know they'll all be eaten right away. Otherwise, dont sugar coat all the muffins, and they will keep better.

I will definitely give these little babies another shot, maybe mixing up the recipe a bit for Tim, maybe not. They look so tasty in the picture, it makes me want to reach through the screen and eat one now.

Pumpkin Muffins

originally from Gourmet, November 2006

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can) *christine from Muffin Top said she accidentally put the entire 15 oz. can in, with no ill effects
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1 1/4 cups, plus 1 tablespoon sugar (kept separate)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, WHISK together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Combine cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl/ramekin.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), and sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack. Best eaten same day! Great plain, or try them with a yogurt butter, mmmm.

More delicious pumpkin recipes:
- Cream Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes, from Tammy's Recipe
- Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins, from Farmgirl Fare
- Pumpkin Spice Scones, from Pinch My Salt
- Brown Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Bars, from Karina's Kitchen (gluten free)

Guten appetit!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

As we approach Halloween, we need some festive recipes to get us in the mood. Whether it's creative, spooky, or just seasonally appropriate, share with us your favorite Halloween/October recipe in the comment section! We're all on the look-out for new, yummy recipes.

I don't remember if I've mentioned this yet or not, but lately, I am craving lots, and lots, and LOTS of sweets. I keep telling Tim that this baby is all him - Tim has always had a sweet tooth, whereas I prefer to eat more dinner and skip dessert. Right now though, I could eat a whole bag of snickers Halloween candy in one sitting. Not good.

My sweet cravings are your gain! This was a recipe that spoke to my pregnancy sweet tooth, fit the season, and reminded me a bit of carrot cake with the cream cheese frosting (oh, how I loooove carrot cake!).

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - mmmm, yum.


The cake turned out moist, light and a nice combination of pumpkin/savory and sweet. The frosting really did take the cake! Mmmm, good. All things combined, took me 30 minutes of active work in the kitchen to prepare, then another 30 minutes of baking. For the rewards, very easy and time well spent.

If you're having a family Halloween dinner, maybe a few friends over, or even a cozy twosome night at home handing out candy, this will only add delight to your night! (that little rhyme was unintentional, I swear)

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
from Tammys Recipes

Cake:
16 ounces (2 cups) canned solid-pack pumpkin (I used 1 - 15 oz. can, and worked great)
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups powdered confectioner's sugar
2-4 teaspoons milk
chopped nuts, for topping


Beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add eggs, mixing well.

In another bowl, combine dry cake ingredients and stir to mix. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat well.

Pour batter into greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool on a wire rack (in the pan); cover with a towel after about 15 minutes of cooling.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar, mixing well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired thickness. Frost cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

More pumpkin cake recipes:
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake, from Whipped (this is on my 'must try' list for next year!)
- Pumpkin Cake Pops, from The Recipe Girl
- Pumpkin Cake Roll, from Taste & Tell
- Pumpkin-Orange Breakfast Cake With Fresh Orange Syrup, from Tea Spot

Guten appetit!

Halloween Party Ideas

Do you have fun Halloween plans? I love this time of year. Even us big kids get to dress up and act silly.

Since we'll be traveling over the holiday, I wont have the chance to make some of the recipes I had been looking forward to. But my loss could be your gain! I thought I would list some fun ideas for Halloween parties, or just fun weekend family treats, you could try. If you make any of them, be sure to let me know! I was going to make the spiders and witch cupcakes for Tim's work group, maybe next year.

On a side note, although the pictures look incredibly impressive, I chose and liked all of these recipes because they also seemed fairly easy and VERY do-able. No crazy ingredients, or cooking methods/terms I hadn't heard of. If anything, some required multi-steps, but that's just an issue of time commitment. Hey, if you're going to make something fun for halloween, no one has to know it was actually pretty easy! Get the biggest bang for your effort, right?!

Enjoy my fellow ghosts and goblins! And be safe.

Here is my personal favorite: Ladies Fingers


All I can say is, 'wow, martha!'. Click on the link to see recipe details (they're cookies with almond fingernails).

Great Spider Cupcakes

How cool are these?! And sooo easy.

Spider Cupcakes
from Family Fun Recipes

Chocolate cupcake (body)
Canned chocolate icing
Chocolate sprinkles (hair)
2 pieces of eye-type candy (we used Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts) *
Clean scissors
Ruler
1 package of black string lace licorice (legs)

Frost the cupcake with chocolate icing and cover with sprinkles.

Press the eyes into place.

Use scissors to cut eight 4-inch pieces of licorice for the legs. Holding all of the legs together in a bunch, bend them in half and crease. Push the end of each leg into the cupcake as shown.

* I bet you could find a thick tube-like (rope?) licorice that has a black center/filling. Then you'd just need to cut horizontal slices for the eyes. Cut carefully, as the licorice is likely to 'squish' as you cut it. Use a serrated knife.

Wicked Witch Cupcakes



A very fun cupcake accompaniment to the spiders, or if you happen to have a couple little girls in the house wanting to be witches this Halloween.

Rachel Ray's Gigi Apple Cake



This one is thrown in as a delicious looking cake, more for the low-key adult party you might be throwing. Apples always feel like autumn to me.

And for drinks, the Melted Witch, from All Recipes:

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle lemon-lime sports drink
1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
Combine in a punch bowl and serve over ice.

Happy Halloween to you all.

Guten appetit!

Summertime dessert: Strawberry Shortcake

While my cousin Skye was visiting us a couple weeks ago, I made a yummy summertime favorite... strawberry shortcake. I couldn't help it, it's my go-to summertime dessert and I looooovvvveeee it. If you actually knew what I made on a regular basis during the summer, it might go something like this: asian noodle salad (recipe coming soon!), three bean tacos, strawberry shortcake, blueberry pancakes, simple salad, strawberry shortcake, hummus, twice baked potatoes (recipe coming soon!), strawberry shortcake, and on...

At the time I made these, it was fourth of July weekend. However, the fourth passed without much hoorah over here - funny how the German's don't celebrate our independence day. But, add some blueberries around the plate for garnish, or mix with your strawberries, and you'd have quite the festive dessert.

The thing I love most about this strawberry shortcake recipe (And what makes it the best on the planet! Do I exaggerate, no), is that it uses shortcake/biscuits, not cake. I grew up eating my moms bisquick biscuits for shortcake, and it's so darn good. I really can't imagine serving a strawberry shortcake with angel food cake, or pound cake. It's just not right. However, I know others were brought up with a different shortcake. And let's face it, we really do become our mothers. So if you typically eat cake, I understand.

As we scoot into August though, I urge you not to let the summer slip by without making a delicious strawberry shortcake with sweet, fluffy biscuits at least once.

Pic courtesy of the foodchannel. Mine were lost in the hard drive crash, but this looks strikingly similar (although I add an extra layer of whip cream and strawberries on top, can never have too many!).

Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries:
1/2 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Half pound of strawberries is usually enough for 4 people/shortcake desserts.

Wash, and remove stems. Slice lengthwise, 3-4 times per berry, based on size. Put cut strawberries in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Cover and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Shortcake:

2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix *

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Whip cream - home made or canned works best. Cool whip is a little too powerful.

Preheat oven to 425.

Stir mix, milk, sugar & butter until soft dough forms. Don't knead it very much - just fold gently until it's mixed. The less it's handled, the better (like pie crust).

Place onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and roll 1/2 inch thick & cut with cutter - you can use any kind of cutter you like (round, triangle, flower), but it should be at least 2 inches wide. Honestly, I use a drinking glass as I do not own any cookie cutters.

Place in cake pan (a pie plate works great) to bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Assembly:

Cut bisquit in half, and layer with a dollop (or two) of whip cream and then a scoop of sugared strawberries. Repeat with top layer, and serve.

* If you'd like a biscuit recipe that does not involve bisquick, check out the foodchannel's recipe.

Guten appetit!

2 Year Old Birthday Cake

No, no, the cake wasn't 2 years old. Ew. The cake was for a 2 year old's birthday party! Hooray, what fun.

I used to dream of being an event planner, in particular weddings. But I love the idea of just about any party, and a kids birthday is such fun. You can be imaginative, yet the simple things really wow them. You can act zany and not seem odd, because you're 32 and should be more mature 'than that'. And you can wear jeans and be yourself. It's all about having fun!!

A friend of mine's 2 year old just had his party, and while I couldn't go (we were on a bike tour), I helped her make the cake the day before. We settled on a train theme, and found this fantastic cake online with the step-by-step instructions. The site also has other fun cakes that are not too hard. Other favorites were the snake and checker board.

We searched and found our own recipes for the cake and frosting, and were really happy with our selections.

Moist, simple white cake
from allrecipes

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Frosting
adapted from allrecipes

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, water and vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for a full five minutes. It won't look like Icing at first, but keep the mixer going for a full five minutes, and then you're done!

With the frosting and cake done, here is the start of our train assembly...

TIP: For future, you will save yourself some annoyance by laying the outer edges facing out. Trying to frost the cut side of the cake, created a lot of crumbs in the icing. It was survivable, but would have been easier had I laid the upper layer cut-side down.


TIP: We frosted the cakes on a piece of parchment paper to avoid messes on the tin-foil covered board. Worked out very well. Just be sure to keep a small amount of each icing color to fix the bottom edges that may get pulled while removing the parchment paper.

As you can see from my pictures, the cars are quite large - a regular loaf cake size. So we decided to only make 3 train cars, vs. 4 (in the directions).

And here's our almost complete train cake...


I need to get a final picture of the cake from my friend, as I wasn't at the party. We left the second car undecorated, as she was going to put the candle in it and maybe sprinkle a few candies around it. But she needed to store the cake overnight, so we left that for the next day. She also had to find some wire or something to make the popcorn smoke stack (I left her all the hard jobs!).

But overall, I thought it turned out really well! She said after the kids had eaten all the food, had ice cream and then the cake was brought out, they couldn't eat more than the first train car. The other two train cars were brought to the nursery on Monday to share.

If you have a summer birthdays coming up, I hope you have as much fun creating your birthday party as we did. Happy, happy to you!

Guten appetit!

Birthday Carrot Cake

This week was Tim's birthday. Happy Birthday, sweetie!

Fun fact for the day: When it's your birthday in Deutschland, YOU'RE expected to bring in a cake or treats for all your coworkers. What non-sense is this, you ask? I agree. However, this was the custom in Japan too. Hands down, I prefer the US style of being pampered on your birthday - someone else needs to have the duty of getting you a cake. However, I suppose it does dispose of the uncomfortable co-worker money collection to round up funds for someone's birthday card + cake. And the same person almost always gets shackled with buying everyone's cakes.

Which would you prefer: Everyone responsible for their own birthday cake? Or, coworkers buying each other cakes?

Back to T's birthday... It gave me a good excuse to make a recipe I'd been saving and toting around with us for the last 3 years! Yes, I do this a lot. I have recipes in my folder that look good, so I save, but require the right timing (and motivation). Not everything sounds good all the time, or the ingredients might not be in season, or maybe it's a stew and you are mid-summer, etc. Sometimes the stars don't align to make that particular recipe for a couple years.

Enter, stage left, my cooking light carrot cake recipe.

Not only did this cake look ridiculously good in my May 2005 magazine, making you want to lick the page, but my friend had made it and verified that it was worth keeping. Fast forward to 2008, and T's birthday, and a lack of american baking tools (food coloring, semi-sweet or milk chocolate for baking, corn syrup... and my list goes on, are not readily available here), and we had the perfect timing for a simple, delicious carrot cake birthday!

Since it would be for T's work, I made them into cupcakes. And frankly, I just like cupcakes.

Mmm, cupcakes!

BUT, then I made it a second time on Saturday night, for an impromptu friends dinner and made it sheet cake style. So we had carrot cake twice this week. Yep, we - are - sooo - lucky.

The sheet cake pre-frosting

We both preferred the cupcake version, simply due to frosting. The cupcakes can't hold too much frosting, or it will drip off. There was a nice layer, but nothing compared to the thick layer on the sheet cake. The small pieces of sheet cake I cut, gave us a serious sugar punch in the gut! If you make the sheet cake version (which I preferred for ease, and was very portable for our dinner party), I recommend using only 3/4 of the frosting. But hey, if you are a sugar hound, then go for it.

Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
from Cooking Light

Cake:
Cooking spray
9 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cups finely shredded carrot

Frosting:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tablespoon orange sugar sprinkles (I didn't have these, as I cant find sprinkles or cake deco in Germany - ah!)


Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside. (skip this step if you are making cupcakes)

Place 9 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until pale and fluffy. Beat in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in carrot.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish with sprinkles. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator (no! see note below). Yields 16 servings.

CALORIES 309(30% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 5g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 52mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 358mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50.2g


Also, I feel silly writing this, but in the off chance (not likely), anyone else in the world might think the same thing... I'd like to save you a cake faux-pas. For some odd reason, I was thinking we should refrigerate the leftover carrot cake due to the frosting (what, the butter will go bad?! Bah! Silly, silly me). Even the recipe tells you to do this. Mistake! One overnight in the fridge created a dense, cold cake. While it was still edible and OK, gone was the light, fluffy deliciousness. Leave your cake out in an airtight container, or cover with saran wrap. If you are worried about it, then just be sure to eat it all up on the first night. Yum.

Guten appetit!

Happy Easter!

Oh happy day! Happy, happy Easter (tomorrow).

I usually leave holiday posts to the last minute, so here I am again... posting the cutest and greatest idea for Easter desert, the day before Easter.

Despite my lateness, I still insist on posting. Just discovering these little gems, I haven't even had the time to make them myself. I also doubt the ability to find shredded wheat in Germany. But still, I must share.

Why? Because I like to believe I have procrastinating friends out there. We share a kinship other organized, on-time, early to rise type people don't understand. So, if you are still looking for that easy (with maximum impact) dessert for Easter, then you've come to the right place! This post is for you, my friends.

Since you've procrastinated, you also don't have time to be reading the random ramblings of a hausfrau... Understood.

I ask you, HOW CUTE are these??

Not only are these little birds nest a dessert, they could also double as part of your table decoration! If you'd like to make them a little more contained and smaller (vs. using a plate), I'd put them in a cupcake cup.

If you are in a rush, or childless, this wont apply to you. But the fantastic blog (Angry Chicken) I found these on, recommended them as a good afternoon project for little hands.

Without further delay, the recipe:

Makes 3 big nests
(Personally, I think smaller nests would be OK, & I'd try to get 4 or 5 out of it)

6 big squares shredded wheat, crushed (about 1 1/2 cup or so, crushed, per nest)
1 bag milk chocolate chips, melted (11.5 oz)
2 small packages Cadbury mini-eggs

Pour the melted chocolate over the shredded wheat and mix well. (If you are working with kids, have them do this in a big bowl with a spoon so little hands don't get burnt)

Dump onto waxed paper and build 3 little mounds. Then using the back of a spoon, make an indent. Fill with eggs and let set.

It takes about 1 1/2 hours to firm up. You can just pick them up and eat them when they dry.

Guten appetit!

Valentines Day

I am a lucky girl. With everything going on lately, I just didn't get my act together for valentines day. I don't hold one particular day too dear over others, so I also didn't feel a lot of motivation to make something happen.

I did have a lot of great ideas though (that counts, right?), and had planned to make these delicious looking cupcakes from another food blog (assuming I could find the cocoa and other ingredients here in Deutschland).

But, back to why I'm a lucky girl... Tim made dinner plans for us! It's cute, it's the thought and it was totally unexpected after he has been wrecked with the flu this past week. How could he think through his headaches and fever to Valentines and making a dinner reservation?! When counting the little things in life, this totally rang all my bells... I'm a lucky girl because I'm so in love with my husband, and he loves me back.

Unfortunately for the food blog, I haven't cooked anything I'd like to post for a romantic dinner, so I'm going to leave you with a dessert recipe my friend Sonya made for me a couple years back and I've always wanted to try... yes, it was so fudgy, chocolaty good that I still remember it years later. She also swears to me that the recipe is very simple and quick to make, so if you still don't have that zing planned for your Valentines day dinner, this may be your ticket!

Chocolate Truffle Cakes (from martha stewart)

Makes 6 individual cakes
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for muffin tin
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 6-cup muffin tin. Dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.

2. Put chocolate, butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and let stand until cool and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Process eggs and remaining tablespoon sugar in a food processor until pale and doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Sift flour and salt into egg mixture; pulse to combine. Add chocolate mixture 1/4 cup at a time; pulse each addition until combined, about 10 times. (Batter will be thick.)

4. Spoon mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling cups three-quarters full; swirl tops with back of spoon. Bake until tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Immediately turn out onto wire racks; reinvert, and let cool.

Serve with strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or go with a simple scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Happy Valentines Day to all.