yummy cheese log

I had this at a party last week, and got the recipe, as it was soooo good that a friend and I could not stop eating it!

1 scallion, the green part only- sliced (or use kitchen scissors to snip into rounds)
1 block of cream cheese (neufchatel), room temp
2 Tbsp crushed pineapple
1/3 cup pecans, chopped - to mix into the cheese
2/3 cup pecans, chopped - to roll the log in afterwards
1 box of Wheat Thins. MUST be wheat Thins!!! this makes a huge difference. trust me.

chop the scallions (with a knife or with kitchen scissors)

mix just the green part with cream cheese and pineapple

mix all together

chop 1/3 cup pecans

mix into the cream cheese mixture

mix well

blob onto  2/3 cup chopped pecans

and sprinkle some on top also

put your hand inside a sandwich baggie and carefully roll in the pecans

Blueberry Pie

From the Wilson Farm Cookbook. The absolute best blueberry pie recipe!

1 qt. blueberries, (4-5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 pie crust- for top and bottom

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Mix berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Spoon into bottom pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and seal carefully. Cut vents.
4. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until top is brown and juice starts to bubble through vents. Serve warm.

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

from The Whole Scoop. This ice cream is sooo damned good!!!! it is an incredibly rich ice cream with a little bit of tanginess to it from the sour cream. It would make fabulous ice cream sandwiches on cinnamon graham crakers, as those would be like the crust of the cheesecake!!!

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup light cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 heaping cup blueberries, mashed

in a mixer, beat the eggs. Then add the sugar and beat until stiff.

Mix together the sour cream, light cream, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. Then add this mixture into the egg/sugar mixture.

stir in the mashed blueberries, and pour into an ice cream maker.

YUM!!
Enjoy!!
Makes about a quart, but hard to tell, since we snitch it while it is churning!

chicken that is so good!

I've been thinking about this recipe lately, and need to make it sometime soon. I've made it for many years, and it is always good. I even used to make it in my dorm room in college using an electric wok, and making the rice in a hot pot!


Chicken Dijon

3 Tbsp butter
4 split chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth (or boullion)
1/2 cup light cream
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1. Melt butter in a large skillet, add chicken breasts and cook until done and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a warm serving plate.
2. Stir flour into drippings in the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken broth and cream. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
4. Stir in the mustard.
5. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover and heat for about 10 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes, and serve with rice.

great pie

While the dinner in the restaurant at my parents new place was surprisingly good, the desserts were horrid. They seemed like they came from a huge industrial box, which I am sure they did. The menu at the restaurant was inspired, and it was a disappointing finish to have bad dessert. Bummer.

So I needed to make one of my thanksgiving standards that weekend.
Sour Cream Apple Pie with a Cider Cinnamon Crust. So damned good, and worth making! This pie is a little different, and everyone seems to love it!

Sour Cream Apple Pie with a Cider Cinnamon Crust

from The Silver Palate. I’ve changed it a little bit, but not much. It is really good! The crust is really tasty and really easy if you mix it in the food processor.
Crust: 2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
4 Tbsp shortening
4-6 Tbsp. apple cider (or apple juice)
Filling: 2/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
5-7 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Topping: 3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1.Mix together dry ingredients for crust in food processor. Add butter and shortening. Pulse until it resembles fine oatmeal. Add cider 1 Tbsp at a time with machine running, just until it all holds together. Then take it out and chill it in the fridge in a baggie for at least 2 hours.
2. Mix together the first 5 ingedients for the filling. Add the apples and toss well.
3. Using about 2/3 of the dough, roll it out and put it into a pie plate. Fill with the apple filling. Mix topping together and sprinkle evenly over apples.
4. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut small decorative shapes (leaves, apples, whatever) and place on top of pie. (There will probably still be extra.)
5. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes.

Best blueberry pie

Luz Zulema, my little niece, decided she was going to be my helper to make a killer yummy blueberry pie for dessert. She became my constant sidekick from then on, and was so cute! She chose the pattern we cut for the top of the pie.

It's the best damn blueberry pie.... not too sweet... just right, and fabulous with fresh whipped cream.

Blueberry Pie
From the Wilson Farm Cookbook. The absolute best blueberry pie recipe!

1 qt. blueberries, (4-5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 pie crust- for top and bottom

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Mix berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Spoon into bottom pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and seal carefully. Cut vents.
4. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until top is brown and juice starts to bubble through vents. Serve warm.

A reuben to remember....

I started thinking about a reuben about a week ago. Then, I started obsessing about having one. Having a really good one is just worth the time and effort to find all of the right ingredients. You need to have just the right... everything.. to make it really memorable. I don't eat them very often, but when I do, I want it to be a kick butt sandwich. Grilled just right, on good rye, with good homemade Thousand Island dressing, and tasty ingredients.

So, I set about it yesterday, and I must say, it hit the spot. At the deli, I got good corned beef, and some great tasting swiss cheese. I like it on well-made seedless rye with just enough sauerkraut.

I like to put swiss on both sides of the bread, spread one side with some dressing, then layer a few slices of corned beef, the sauerkraut and then another slice of swiss. Put the sandwich in a cast iron frying pan, and slowly cook it until the bread is just toasted, the cheese is melted and the meat is warm. Serve it with some extra dressing to dip, and yum! It is best with some warm potato salad. I didn't have the time to do that yesterday, so I guess I will be having another in a few days.

Reuben Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 slices rye bread (I use seedless)
butter
swiss cheese (sliced)
corned beef (sliced)
sauerkraut (drained)
Thousand Island dressing (see recipe below)

1. Lightly butter the bread.
2. Place the swiss cheese on one slice of bread. Spread some dressing on it, then lay some slices of corned beef on top of that. Follow this with some sauerkraut, another slice of swiss cheese, and the second slice of bread.
3. Grill the sandwich in a pan until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
4. Serve with additional dressing on the side.

Thousand Island dressing:
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 tsp relish
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Swiss Easter Cake

in a shop window

at the Schweizerhof Hotel cafe in Lucerne

my easter cake

I want to make this fabulous easter cake again. I made it a few years ago when I got back from visiting friends in Switzerland. These 'cakes' (more like tarts) were ubiquitous and only available at Easter. I indulged in them several times in the week that I was there. Always a good experience. I made sure to get the recipe from my friend there.

Here is the recipe from her mom with measures in both metric and US

Swiss Easter Cake
Elsbeth's recipe book identifies the following under the title:
"Osterkuchen"-"Gâteau de Pâques"

SWEET DOUGH (like for fruit pies):
250 gr flour
100-150gr butter
to be blended by hand until smooth
add:

60 gr sugar
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
1-2 spoons of water
to be stored at cool temperature and rolled out to line the cake tin (mold)

FILLING:
60 gr semolina or 100 gr rice (1/4 c. semolina or 1/2 c. rice)
0.6 liters of milk ( 2 1/3 cups)
1 pinch of salt
to be cooked over low heat until soft, then to let cool down

prepare seperately:
50-80 gr butter (5 Tbsp)
70 gr sugar (1/3 cup)
1/2 peel of lemon
3 egg-yolks
to be beaten to become light and foamy, and then mixed with the cold semolina- or rice-mush

add to this mixture:
50 gr sultana(golden) raisins (1/3 cup)
50 gr minced or sliced almonds (1/3 cup)

add and mix-in:
3 egg-whites beaten until stiff

bake with good lower heat (325-ish) about 30 minutes to become golden-yellow.
After it has cooled, use powder-sugar to cover the top.
(and try powdering it with a cutout of a bunny on it, as is the custom!)

PS: 1 gr (gram) is equivalent to .035 ounces/ 1 liter is 1.057 quarts

dirt cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for emmett's birthday snack at school:



They came out great, and were not hard.....
frost with chocolate frosting,
sprinkle the top with finely smashed (crushed completely) Oreos,
stick in gummy worms (I cut them in half and pushed them in with a toothpick)

The way the kids eyes grew when they saw them this morning was priceless. Made me happy.

I scream for......

Butterscotch Ice Cream!!!


man is it good! it's been hot and been a good time to make homemade ice cream. This recipe is so good, and deserving of the time.
We made it and mixed in some Butterfingers at the very end. It freezes perfectly in the freezer too, as it comes out not too hard to scoop, but rather just right! mmmm

Butterscotch Ice Cream

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup water.
1 egg yolk, well beaten
1 1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a skillet, heat sugar and butter together. Stir until sugar melts.
Slowly add water.
Stirring, simmer for 5 minutes.

Slowly stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolk to raise the temperature, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in the pan.
Continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens.

Cool and add cream, milk and vanilla.
Chill and stir freeze in an ice cream machine.

fabulous coffee cookies

These cookies are great for something that is just a little different. They are scrumptious!

I just made a batch to bring up to Maine with us. We will be having supper tomorrow night with friends after we drop off Eli at camp. I offered to bring something and when they said chocolate chip cookies, I suggested these. I was glad they said yes, as I haven't made them in a while, and they really are good.


Coffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe is from an old Yankee magazine “book”- although I tweaked it a little bit. They are really good, even though kids aren't so crazy about them.
When I make these, I usually try to save at least a few spoonfuls worth, scoop them into balls, and freeze them, to be able to have just a few another time.

1/4 c. instant coffee powder
2 T boiling water
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 c ( 1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 pkg (11oz) semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 1/2 c chopped hazelnuts (optional but good)

preheat oven to 350*
1. Mix coffee with boiling water, let stand 15 minutes.
2. Mix flour and baking soda, set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in coffee, egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Add chocolate and nuts. Stir until evenly distributed.
4. Chill.
5. Drop large spoonfuls (very mounded Tablespoons) 2” apart onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Smoosh each mound, then bake at 350° for 16 minutes*.

makes 2 dozen large cookies

*340° for 12 minutes for freshly made (not chilled, but room temp)
*340° for 16 minutes for cold from the fridge

organic blue eggs

just started eating these fabulous eggs. they look so cool too... since there are eggs from different kinds of chickens including the arauncana ones which are blue!
I am lucky enough to have made a connection with a woman in the next town who has free range chickens and pasteurizes the eggs. She even delivers them (!) to my house on Tuesdays. and to boot, she only charges $2 a dozen!

They are much lower in cholesterol, and have significantly more Omega 3 's and vitamin A. They have all sorts of things that are good for you, and are so healthy. Not going back to the other kind if I can help it.

This wonderful woman even hooked me up with someone who organizes orders for grass fed organic beef and free range organic chickens too! I may be able to eat meat again from a source I trust. I did just get my cholesterol checked again to have a baseline to check against after I start eating all of these things again.


When I first got the eggs, I had just gotten home, and was so hungry. I whipped up this fabulous omelet:

Cheese and Tomato Omelet

1 free range egg
sea salt
4-5 cherry tomatoes, cut up a bit
fresh basil, chopped just a bit
goat cheese (I use herbed from Trader Joe's) or Fontina

Use a fork to scramble the egg, add the sea salt, then put it in a small pan and let it cook for a few minutes until almost set.
add the other things on top and fold one side of the egg over the other.
Let it sit for a minute in the pan to meld it all together.

killer salad

Ginger Spinch Salad

This salad is one of those yummy things that, when you make it, you need to give out the recipe with it.
I first had it in Maine at the annual 4th of July picnic near Four Winds, with Four Winds people. It was so damn good that I had to ask for the recipe (and now am subjected to such treatment every time I make it) It is great to go with the lobster picnic we always have there, but fared well also along with BBQ chicken and grilled portabello mushrooms.

Ginger Spinach Salad
This makes plenty for 4 bags of baby spinach..... which you may need- we ate that much with 6 adults and plenty of other food available. People would have eaten more if I had it! Be prepared to give out the recipe....

Spinach
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese – Grated
Red Onion – Chopped

Dressing:

3”-4” piece of fresh Ginger – peeled and minced
1/2 cup Soy sauce
4T Honey
Juice of 1 Lime
1/3 –1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 tsp minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper

Mince garlic and ginger. Put all dressing ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Toss spinach with cheese and onion and pour on dressing.

lots of noodles

Peanut butter noodles, aka sesame noodles, have been devoured in our house for years....
People ask me for this recipe all the time, as it really is yummy.


Cold Peanut Butter Noodles

This is a combination of several recipes that I have used and have fine tuned to get the best sauce. Serve over cold pasta (as in Cold Sesame Noodles from a chinese food place) but I like shape, instead of the long strands. Good garnishes are thin strips of cucumber, and / or carrot, and sesame seeds.

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I use a natural one, with no sugar added)
3 Tbsp sesame oil
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced

Mix everything together (add 1 thing at a time and mix well) and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve over cold noodles (cook then rinse in cold water to remove starches). Long strands, like linguini, are good, but shapes are easier for kids to manage.

Top with strips of veggies- cucumber, carrots, red pepper, etc. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Keeps in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.
Makes enough for about 1 pound of pasta.

picnic cookies

Emmett's school picnic was fun. The weather was fabulous, and the kids played for ages in the sun. Everyone seemed to want the recipe for the cookies I brought. These lemonade cookies are yummy and have a taste reminiscent of lemon squares. (recipe below)

Lemonade cookies

Lemonade Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cups powdered sweetened lemonade (ie: Country Time or similar)
an additional 1/4 - 1/2 cup lemonade mix to roll the dough balls
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and 3/4 cup lemonade mix until fluffy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and grated lemon rind.
In a seperate bowl, stir together the flour and the baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, beating until thoroughly combined.
Pour about 1/4 + cup of lemonade mix in a shallow dish.
Form the dough into 1-inch balls (I use a measuring teaspoon to scoop) and roll them in the lemonade mix, then place them 2 inches apart on a foil lined cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies until the edges just begin to brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the foil before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen + cookies

emmett and friends

he dumped water on his head, then spiked his hair as much as he could, and loved it!

buttercrunch

making batches and batches of this........


damn it's good!!! and easy, and everyone loves it.
will be sending out bags of it for gifts.

Chocolate Buttercrunch
(alot less sweet than traditional buttercrunch)


saltine crackers (1 sleeve)
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 sticks butter
1 (12oz.) bag semisweet choc. chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans


1. Line a jelly roll pan with foil (12x15), leaving a 2 inch cuff. Line bottom with a single layer of saltines.
2. Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan until it bubbles, stirring well. Once it bubbles, turn the heat to low for 2 mins., stirring occasionally.
3. Pour butter mixture over crackers & spread evenly.
4. Bake at 350 for 13 mins.
5. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle choc. chips over crackers, allow to sit for 40 seconds.
6. Spread choc. evenly and sprinkle with nuts.
7. Refrigerate overnight (or somewhere cold until it is chilled) and break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

fondue night

So cold here! only 14 degrees this morning and a cold bitter wind all day.

Tonight we have friends coming for dinner and we will share fondue with them. It is a perfect night for it! We have a fabulous fondue pot that was given as a wedding gift from our friends in Switzerland... a beautiful blue pot with a garlic clove as the handle for the lid. We will have a fire going by the time they arrive, and candles will be lit. The boys will be ready for bed, and we will eat and drink and be merry. Chocolate lava cakes, and maybe some good port to finish...

yum......

Pesto Fondue

This stuff is truly incredible. If you like fondue and you like pesto, it is a definite must. The recipe is from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. I just swirl in pesto at the last minute.

1 clove garlic, halved
1 cup Italian dry white wine
1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese (at least 3/4 lb)
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss or Emmentaler cheese (at least 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 -3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pesto

1. Rub fondue pot with the garlic. Pour in the wine and heat over medium low until hot.
2. Toss the cheeses with the flour to coat. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, to the wine, stirring constantly and waiting until each addition melts before adding the next. Check the consistancy and add more cheese or more wine if needed.
3. Just before serving, swirl in the pesto over the top of the fondue. Serve with cubes of french bread, cubes of sweet italian sausage, and cherry tomatoes.


6 -8 portions

Hors D'oeuvres galore....

Avocado and Feta Salsa

This was probably the biggest hit at Jenny's Party. It was the biggest catering job I have done to date. A huge learning experience, and I loved doing it!


Avocado and Feta Salsa
Have a fork on hand to get the last of it- you won’t want any to go to waste!!

2 cloves of garlic – minced
2 Tbs (or more) of fresh parsley – chopped
1/2 tsp of oregano
1 Tbs of olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 plum tomatoes - chopped
1/4 cup of red onion – chopped (or more if using Vidalia)
4 oz crumbled feta
2 avocados – cut in chunks (put in last, right before serving, to avoid browning)

mix and serve with nacho chips and/or quartered, toasted pita pockets

Vietnamese spring rolls

These spring rolls are wonderful, light and refreshing. A good mix of flavors, with shrimp, and bean sprouts, rice vermicelli noodles, scallions and a touch of mint, all wrapped in rice paper. Then you dip it in a sauce similar to hoisin. I finally figured out how to make these as I really love them!
I made a dozen last week for a picnic with some friends. The three of us take turns bringing lunch. We go to pick up our kids from school, where they have just had their lunch. Then we meet at either one of our houses, or a playground, and the three boys play while we get to have a 'grown-up' lunch and enjoy each other's company. We do it once a week, and have been at it for a few weeks now. It's good for the kids, and for the moms! As it was my week, I made these on a hot day that we would want something cold and easy to munch at the playground.