Recent conversation with Kidlet #1 over a breakfast of matzo brei:

Kidlet #1: This is good, what's it made of?

Me: Crushed matzo crackers and egg.

Kidlet #1: What's that?

Me: An unleavened bread. They're like giant crackers. My dad used to buy them for me when I was a kid.  I'd put a ton of margarine on them and eat them for a snack.

Kidlet #1: Cool. Are you going to write about it on your blog?

Me: Maybe.

Kidlet #1: Do you still call us kidlets?

Me: Yeah...but I guess I should change it now that you guys are teenagers. What should I call you? 

Kidlet #2 calls out from the living room: Starlord56! Starlord56!

Ummm, ok.....so I'm NOT going to call them Starlord56 (although I do kind of wonder where the heck he got that idea from?) but I do think they're due for an update. They're hardly "kidlets" anymore at 12 and 15 years old.  Kidlet #1 is taller than me and just started shaving for goodness' sake! So maybe I'll just start referring to them as Teen Z (Kidlet #1) and Teen B (Kidlet #2)?  That should suffice, right? ☺


Anyhow, this weekend try making some matzo brei for breakfast (or a snack), you'll love it.  My favorite recipe is Ruth Reichl's, although I use a little less butter than she recommends (her recipe uses 6 tablespoons).  Reichl once described matzo brei as, "one of life's perfect foods."  I think she's absolutely right, the dish is quite delicious in its simplicity.

Matzo Brei

Ingredients

4 matzos
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Can you believe October is already almost over? It's been a busy, busy month here at the casa. For one thing, I turned 40! Yep, the big 4-0. Gah!  To celebrate Mr. S. whisked me off for a fun, romantic getaway in SF the weekend before. We had a terrific time. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt, poked around Japantown, hit up the CA Academy of Sciences and even saw the Blue Angels zoom by. We also stocked up on a few bags of our favorite coffee from Philz.  Mmm!




On my actual birthday day, I woke up to this awesome scene in the dining room:


Then for dinner, Mr.S. planned a lovely night out at Mulvaney's with our friends, Michelle and Pete, for me. Followed by the most luscious, delicious salted caramel cake from Freeport Bakery. If you haven't tried this cake, get yourself to Freeport Bakery right now! It'll make your toes curl, it's soooo amazing. Seriously, it's like cake heroin. Sweet, sweet cake heroin. Ummmm yeah, so let's just say there were no leftovers from this cake in our house. ☺

On a healthier note, I've been making this baked hummus dish a lot on Sundays.  Mr.S and the kidlets have been immersed in watching the 9 billion football games that are on TV. So while they're watching that, Pepper and I are usually watching, "The League," on Netflix in the other room.  (If you haven't seen this show, check it out. It's absolutely hilarious...and this comes from somebody who equates watching football to going to the gyno. Neither are fun.)



 Regardless of what we're doing, we all seem to love snacking on this dish.


Sunday Funday Baked Hummus (adapted from Iowa Girl Eats 5 Layer Baked Hummus recipe)

Ingredients

10 oz. Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus
3 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausages (removed from casing)
2 medium leeks, white & green parts only (cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice thinly)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon McCormick's onion powder
1 large clove of garlic, minced
6 oz. Trader Joe's Feta with Mediterranean Herbs


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Stir up the hummus so the roasted garlic bits get incorporated into the hummus. Spread the hummus mixture evenly into the bottom of a 10x7 baking dish.

3. In a large pan, brown your turkey sausage.

4. Add in your sliced leeks and garlic. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper and onion powder. Sauté until softened.

5. Take sausage-leek mixture and layer it over the hummus.

6. Sprinkle with feta.

7. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

8. Serve hot with chips or warm pita bread.

Holy moly, we're almost at the end of 2013! Can you believe it? This year went by so fast! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I spent Xmas with Mr.S.'s family. They do a big Christmas dinner at Mr.S.'s, everyone brings a few dishes and his parents make a delicious ham. This year I was in charge of lemon bars, sausage balls and green bean casserole (that last dish wasn't by my choice, it was requested). I was excited about making the sausage balls. I found the recipe last year in a magazine while at the hospital. It was a recipe submitted by the Voltaggio brothers (of Top Chef fame) for a Thanksgiving issue. It sounded intriguing so I took a photo with my phone and looked it up online later on. The recipe is quite easy to make (just a handful of ingredients), can be prepared ahead of time (just pop them in the oven right before guests arrive) and perfect for a holiday party finger food. I found that the sausage balls taste great when paired with a dipping sauce (honey-mustard, sweet chili, or even an aioli goes great with these). Also, the leftovers are fantastic when used in an egg strata the next day (just sub in the sausage balls for the bread and cook as usual). I threw in some leftover ham and cheese from the previous night's dinner when I made ours. Mr.S . and Kidlet #1 loved the sausage ball-strata.

Holiday Sausage Balls (adapted from Redbook Magazine)

Ingredients

3 cups Bisquick pancake mix
1 lb. bulk country or breakfast sausage (not in casing, crumbled)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage


Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper so that the sausage balls don't stick.

3. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and mix everything thoroughly.

4. Use your hands to form 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the parchment paper. Make sure the sausage balls are spaced out evenly.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are puffed and a golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack or platter and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

I recently came back into touch with a friend whom I had not seen or spoken with in several years. One of the first questions she asked me when we hung out last week was, "What new condiments can you recommend?" Now readers, I have to be honest with you...I have a severe condiment problem. I'm a condiment hoarder. I love them, my fridge is full of them and I use them all. It ranges the whole gamut: umeboshi paste to truffle salt to yuzu hot sauce and furikake; it's all in there mixed together with the Sriracha, Korean Gochujang, Maggi Seasoning, and good ol' Heinz Ketchup. It's nice, it's wonderful...it's also taking over my fridge! Anyhow..............I thought long and hard and emailed her back about "Nanami Togarashi." I totally have a spice crush on Nanami Togarashi right now.

Nanami Togarashi typically contains coarsely ground red pepper, ground sansho peppercorns, roasted mandarin peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori. It's spicy (but not crazy-spicy) and has a lovely citrus-centric flavor to it. I love dashing some Nanami Togarashi on my udons, ramens, sneaking it into my dark chocolate desserts and even sprinkling some on pork products (ribs, mmmm!) ; but most of all, I enjoy pairing it with fresh avocado. One of my favorite afternoon snacks is- sliced avocado topped with lime juice, a bit of sea salt and a few shakes of Nanami Togarashi. Mmmmm!  I love how the simple seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the avocado. It's delicious and quite addictive.

If you're interested in trying it, you can purchase Nanami Togarashi at most Asian stores (Oto's carries it here in Sacramento) or you can get it on Amazon. A bottle should run you about $5, but a little goes a long way.

Ninniku Miso-Zuke

Ingredients

handful of  fresh garlic cloves
1 cup miso paste- I prefer to use aka (red) miso, but a sweet shiro (white) or barley miso could be used too
1/4 c mirin
1 clean, dry wide-mouth quart jar

Instructions

1. Separate the garlic cloves. Trim the garlic ends, remove the outer skin and also peel off the thin filmy membrane layer.

2. Blanch garlic cloves for 1-2 minutes in unsalted water. Pull them out and pat dry them with a clean paper towel.

3. In a small bowl mix together your mirin and miso thoroughly.

4. Place a thin layer of miso at the bottom of your jar then make alternating layers of miso and garlic cloves. (Note: You don't want the cloves to touch.) Continue the layering process until you run out of ingredients or reach the top. Finish the top with a miso-mirin mixture layer and make sure all the garlic cloves are covered with miso.

5. Latch your jar and place it in the fridge. Allow it to pickle for at least 1 month. The garlic gets better with age. Keeps good up to 3-4 months.

6. When you're ready to eat the garlic, just pull out the amount you want to eat, rinse off the miso and serve. Use as an accompaniment to a meal or just eat them as a snack. I like to shove a few into the middle of my onigiris or dice it up and mix it with butter when I'm sautéing.

* Tip #1: As you clear each layer of garlic, the miso is still good and can be used in your recipes that call for miso.

* Tip #2: You can buy mirin and aka miso at most Asian speciality stores. For Sacramentans: Otos' Market on Freeport Blvd. carries both.

* Tip #3: Take the time to use fresh garlic in this recipe. The pre-peeled garlic that you can buy in bags at Costco and other grocery stores isn't as fresh and you'll notice a difference in taste.

Eric Ripert. That silver-haired French fox is turning up everywhere these days. He's popped up on "Top Chef," "Treme" and "No Reservations." Not to mention, he's good buddies with Bourdain, hosts his own PBS TV series “Avec Eric," and his restaurant Le Bernardin has garnered three Michelin stars and has upheld a four-star review from The New York Times for over two decades. Holy cow! Is there anything this culinary wizard can't do? Well in addition to making amazing seafood dishes, it turns out he knows his way around an avocado too. I recently came across this tweet of his and decided to give it a go.



There were no measurements listed so I played around with the ingredients in my kitchen. The resulting product- a decadent dish of fresh crab and warm, creamy avocado that only takes a few minutes and a few dollars to throw together. Deee-lish! 



Crab-Stuffed Avocado


Ingredients

6 oz. shredded fresh lump crabmeat

1 fresh avocado, halved and pitted

2 tablespoons Best Foods's mayo

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

fresh ground pepper

2.5 Tablespoons breadcrumbs

lime or lemon wedges (optional)


Instructions

1. Set oven for broil. Slice and pit avocado.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil and place pitted avocado halves on sheet.

3. In a small bowl, combine crabmeat, mayo, mustard, Old Bay seasoning and lemon juice together. Mix well.

4. Divide the crabmeat mixture evenly into two servings. Using a spoon, fill each avocado cavity with a serving of the mixture. Top with some fresh ground pepper (to taste).

5. Sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs.


 6. Place in oven and broil for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on it if your oven's temperamental like mine).

7. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Lime or lemon wedges (optional).

Need a kidlet-friendly treat that you can throw together while your little ghouls and goblins are working on their jack-o'-lanterns? Here's one that you can't go wrong with- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats. It's easy to make and you can keep one eye on the kidlets and pumpkin guts while you stir the ingredients. No oven time required!



Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars

Ingredients

3 T unsalted butter

4 cups mini-marshmallows

1/2 cup + 2 T smooth peanut butter

6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal


Instructions

1. Take a 13x9x2 glass pan and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a big pan, melt your butter. Do it on a low heat so that the butter doesn't brown or burn.

3. Once the butter's melted, add your marshmallows. Keep moving them around until they melt down into a nice marshmallow fluff.

4. Turn off your heat. Add in the peanut butter and combine well.

5. Add in your Rice Krispies a cup at a time, while stirring.

6. Once the cereal is coated, transfer it to the glass pan. Using your fingers or the back of a spatula, press it down so it's even.

7. Let it cool down. Then cut it into squares and serve.

Can you believe just Friday, I was running my air conditioning because the cottage was a tad too warm and here it is just a few days later- Monday and I had to turn on the heater to get rid of the morning chill? I'm quite pleased though. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I love how the air takes on a crisp smell, the leaves turn a rainbow of colors and you get to wear all kinds of cute scarves and boots. On top of it all, the cooler temps open up a whole other world of cooking- cold weather food! Steaming bowls of soup, savory stews and pipin' hot loaves of bread all make their way out of my kitchen. Food that warms your soul (and your tummy)!

Today's rainy day inspired me to make another batch of mini cornbread muffins. I tinkered with an old Martha Stewart recipe and made some for a party recently and they turned out great but I made the mistake of making them ahead of time so by the time guests arrived, settled in and decided to nosh, the muffins had cooled down substantially. It was a bit of a bummer but it also gave me the idea to pair these bite-sized treats with a dish that stays hot. Since it was grey and wet out today I thought it'd be a good opportunity to pull the ol' slow cooker out and make a batch of Southwest Chili. The mini cornbread muffins tasted amazing dipped in the chili sauce and made a great vessel for sopping up the last few bites. I think I may be making these muffins often this season (maybe with a some diced jalapenos thrown in?). You know what? I bet they'd be great with some Crockpot Chorizo and Lentils! What do you think would be a good match?


Mini Cornbread Muffins

makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Lightly grease your mini-muffin tins. I used Pam spray. (Don't skip this step or your mini muffins will stick to the tin.)

3. In a large bowl, mix together your flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together your sour cream, egg and oil.

5. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until combined.

6. Fill each muffin tin about three-quarters full.

7. Pop in the oven and bake for about 10-11 minutes. Muffins are done cooking when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out muffins from tin.

9. Serve with softened butter and your favorite dish.

So it's been about a week since the attempted break-in at my cottage. The police department came by with a photo line up for me to look at and whattaya-know Ms. Junkie-Burglar's mugshot photo was right there. It may sound heartless but I hope it's her third felony offense and they lock her up and throw away the key. In the meantime, my landlord is looking into putting in security gates around the cottages. It's unfortunate that this happened since this is a really nice part of Midtown. I guess it's not as crime-free as I thought though. I asked around and it turns out that another cottage neighbor had a break-in shortly before mine and they got in and stole some stuff including her laptop. Additionally another neighbor across the street has had their car broken into repeatedly. Talk about the suck.

Other than the burglary, it's been a pretty quiet week- I attended a girls' night get together at a buddy's casa, made loads of homemade strawberry jam, hung out with friends and tonight I saw a really cute movie (with Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) called, "Celeste and Jesse Forever," at the Tower Theatre. It had a great line in it that made me do some introspective thinking- "Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?" I'm guilty of choosing the former a lot. I think I need to work on that. The visit to the movie theater also made me think a lot about how the Tower Theatre sucks and is in need of a serious renovation- the seats were so shot in the theatre we were in that I literally had a metal spring digging into my left butt cheek during the entire movie.

Anyhow, to balance out all the strawberry jam I made; I decided to try my hand at homemade peanut butter. Now I could have taken the easier route and bought already roasted/shelled peanuts and gone from there...but oooooh no, not me! That would be too simple. Instead, they happened to have raw, unshelled peanuts at the farmers' market this Sunday so I bought two pounds. The prep took a wee bit more effort but the end result was delish. Kidlet #1 and Mr.S. both gave it the thumbs up.




Peanut Butter From Scratch

Ingredients

2 lbs. raw peanuts, in the shell

Kosher salt

Honey

Canola Oil (or peanut oil)


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Shell peanuts and rub the inner filmy skins off (if you have little ones that like to "help" when cooking , this is a great task to assign to them).

3. Place shelled peanuts on a baking sheet and spread them out evenly in a single layer.

4. Place baking sheet with peanuts in oven, cook for roughly 25 minutes. Toss the peanuts gently with a spatula, midway through the cooking time.

5. Remove baking sheet from oven. Allow peanuts to cool for 10-15 minutes.

6. Place peanuts in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Process mixture for a few minutes.

7. At this point, add salt and honey (to taste).

8. If the peanut butter looks a bit dry, add a bit more Canola oil. Pulse until desired smoothness.

9. Place peanut butter in an airtight container and store in fridge.

Basil, with the warmer temps we've been having, it's growing like mad everywhere. And it's also evidently hiding out in my kitchen freezer, since I just found a giant jar of pesto I made awhile back, lurking behind some cappuccino popsicles. As soon as I discovered it, I was on a mission to make something with it...something great...but what?  Pesto pasta, pesto pizza, pesto salad? After taking a quick inventory of my kitchen goods, I decided to go with a tart. You can never go wrong with a tart.




Pesto Chicken Open Tart

Ingredients

1 skinless chicken breast
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2  tablespoons Herbes de Provence
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed to room temperature (Pillsbury's makes a good one)
3 heaping tablespoons homemade Presto Pesto
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese



Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine - olive oil, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.

3. Slather mixture on chicken breast. Place breast in a oven-safe pan/dish.

3. Cook chicken breast for 30-35 minutes, until juices run clear.

4. Remove chicken from pan, Cube.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

6. Take the puff pastry sheet and place it on a non-stick surface - parchment paper, Silpat, etc. atop a baking sheet.

7. Roll it out slightly. Schmear the pesto in a thin layer onto the dough.

8. Sprinkle the cubed chicken across the dough the season lightly with salt and pepper. (You can customize it too if you want by adding diced tomatoes, bell pepper strips or artichoke heart slices.)

9. Sprinkle cheese on top.

10. Bake 20 minutes, checking to see if the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.

11. Remove from oven, allow to cool. Cut into slices and serve.

After being away for four days on vacation and eating such nutritious snacks as Hostess Ding Dongs, chips-n-onion dip and Slim Jims, my system's in full DEFCON Level 1 mode and revolting against itself. So to appease my angry belly, I decided to make a simple HEALTHY lunch today of avocado bruschetta (pronounced [bru'sket:ta]). I've been making this dish (usually as a midnight snack) for years and never seem to tire of it. Each bite of the smooth, fresh avocado is punctuated by the crispness of the crusty warm bread...mmm, now I'm hungry again, might have to go make more!

Avocado Bruschetta

Ingredients

4 slices of crusty, rustic french bread- sliced (about 1/2 inch thick)

1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

good quality, extra-virgin olive oil

1 large (fresh) garlic clove

red pepper flakes

sea salt and fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Slice the clove of garlic crosswise and rub it on each bread slice.

3. Lightly brush the bread on both sides with olive oil (I like to use a pastry brush to do this).

4. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until golden.

5. Cut the avocado into small cubes and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix gently.

6. Spoon a portion of the chopped avocado onto each bread slice. Season with a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh ground pepper and red pepper flakes.

* Alternatively if you'd like more of a char to your bread, you can grill or broil it.

Triple digits! Can you believe it? That's the rumor for what this weekend's temp is supposed to hit. That's Africa hot! Tarzan couldn't take that kind of hot. Jeebus, it's only been in the low 90's this week and I'm feeling hot and cranky. Well come this weekend, if you're feeling knackered and sweaty and don't want to turn on your oven then try making some of this crisp green apple salsa. It's crunchy, healthy and absolutely delicious and best of all it requires minimal effort. You can pair it with some pita or sweet potato chips and take it to a BBQ or just enjoy it solo in front of the air conditioning. (I won't tell, I promise!)

Crisp Green Apple Tomato (slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples- peeled, cored and chopped

1 yellow bell pepper- chopped

1 saladette tomato- chopped

1/4 medium sweet onion- chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice


Instructions

1. Chop/dice all of the fruits and veggies. (Note: You can opt to not peel the apples if the skin doesn't bother you.) Place in a large bowl.

2.  Add salt, sugar and lime juice. Toss thoroughly.

3. If it's too tart for you, you can add a pinch more of sugar.

4. You're done. Told you this was a quickie. Enjoy!

Lately I've been a bit stressed out and haven't really felt like cooking. At lunchtime I've been mostly nibbling on salads, raw veggies and fresh fruit but today I felt like eating something a bit more substantial so I decided to make a double batch of kinpira gobo. Kinpira gobo is one of my favorite Japanese side dishes and one of my "comfort" foods. It's traditionally served with rice and oftentimes you find it tucked into cute little bentos.

Gobo is the Japanese word for burdock root. Burdock root is high in fiber and potassium and when cooked has a nice earthy taste and crisp texture. Kinpira refers to the cooking style- sauteing then simmering. Everyone has their own way of making kinpira gobo but when I make it I like to add some carrot (but I've seen it made with lotus root as the accompanying ingredient on numerous occasions). The salty-sweet glaze and shichimi togarashi gives it a nice little kick. It's a pretty quick dish to make once the julienning is done and can keep in the fridge for several days.





Kinpira Gobo

Ingredients

One burdock root (~ 3 feet long)
1 carrot
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of canola oil
a few drops of toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
shichimi togarashi (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse the burdock root and remove threadlike roots. Peel skin off with a vegetable peeler.
2. Julienne into thin matchsticks and immediately submerge in a bowl of cold water.
3. Keep the julienned burdock root in the bowl of water for about 10 minutes. The water will turn a brownish color. (Don't worry, it's normal.) Drain the bowl and refill with fresh water. Repeat the process until the water is clear. Leave the burdock root in the water until you’re ready to cook.
*Covering the burdock root in water keeps it from oxidizing and turning black.
4. While you're waiting, julienne your carrots.
6. Heat your canola oil in a wok or large pan.  Add the burdock root and stirfry for about 4-5 minutes on high heat, until it softens slightly.
7. Add your carrots and cook for a another 2-3 minutes
10. Season with a bit of shichimi togarashi (optional). Allow the kinpira gobo to cool to room temperature.

Happy Sunday! What a weekend- there were all kinds of things going on in town...concerts in the Park started Friday night, there was Derby Days to celebrate and Cinco de Mayo to toast to. So if you're too pooped to do any heavy duty cooking today but need some sustenance, try throwing together this thai basil hummus. The cannellini beans give it a wonderfully smooth texture and the peanut butter adds a bit of nutty flavor...perfect for spreading on some raw veggies or toasted pita. It's a nice change from the boring old chickpea hummus.



Thai Basil Hummus (inspired by 28 Cooks)

Ingredients

2 (15 oz.) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

3 fresh cloves of garlic, sliced

juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup of thai basil leaves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

- Combine cannellini beans, peanut butter, grapeseed oil, lime juice and garlic in food processor. Pulse several times.

- Add in thai basil. pepper, salt and cayenne. Process until smooth.

- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

- Cover and chill in fridge for about an hour.

- Serve with your favorite accompaniment.

Wow, readers I hope you were out this weekend enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather and all the wonderful activities Sacramento had to offer! Saturday, Mr. S. and I braved the crowds and cruised up to Camino to Apple Hill to enjoy some delicious apple cider donuts and pick up some treats but on Sunday we had the kidlets (who are at that age where they're "too cool for Apple Hill") so we planned some other fun family activities. We spent the afternoon learning about falcons and snakes at the Naturefest being held at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. While we were there, we even met a "wild turkey" and got to make an abalone necklace to take home.



Afterwards, we came home and carved some pumpkins. They came out pretty cool, no?


Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

3 cups pumpkin seeds, washed & patted dry

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon olive oil

5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic (you can use fresh or dehydrated, I had a little of each on hand so I used both)

1 teaspoon salt (1.5 teaspoons if you like it a little extra salty, like I do)

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

* optional : a sprinkle or two of Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend for a little extra kick.


Instructions

- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

- Combine all ingredients with seeds in large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly then spread evenly on a baking sheet.

- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

"Slicing a warm slab of bacon is a lot like giving a ferret a shave. No matter how careful you are, somebody's going to get hurt."  -Alton Brown


So for those of you have been keeping up with the blog, you probably remember me mentioning in a previous post that I stuffed my face with bacon trail mix at a recent BBQ. C'mon, like you wouldn't! Well, I'll have you know I wasn't the only one scarfing down this delectable treat. Quite honestly, I'm surprised there wasn't a brawl over the stuff. It was damn good.

Anyhow at the persistent urging (ok, ok I didn't need much urging) of Mr. S. and the kidlets, I decided to try and bake a batch of bacon trail mix earlier this week. I learned two valuable lessons in the course of an hour. 1) When you're cooking bacon, everyone wants to be your best friend (even the dog), 2) Keep an eye on the oven, things can burn to a crisp in mere seconds. I made this recipe at Mr. S.'s on Wednesday night and his oven's a bit more fickle then mine. My first batch of bacon trail mix was slightly...just slightly...overdone. The second batch was however was perfect.

So here's the recipe, give it a go. Just be prepared to beat the masses off with a stick.

Bacon Trail Mix (aka 'Tiki Trail Mix' from Food & Wine)

Ingredients

8 thick slices of meaty bacon

3 cups salted roasted peanuts and cashews

4 candied pineapple rings, cut into 1/3-inch triangles

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey (you might want to add just a skosh more if you like your trail mix a bit more "wet")

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt


Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rack set over a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Drain on paper towels and cut into 1/2-inch strips.


2.In a bowl, toss the bacon with the peanuts, pineapple, sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey and cayenne. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once, until the bacon is browned. Season the mix with salt and stir occasionally until cool, then serve.

Makes 4-1/2 cups.

Looking for a healthier alternative to the traditional buttered popcorn while catching up on your Netflix? Or are you just craving something new to nibble on while watching your favorite sports team kick some butt? Try roasted chickpeas. Sounds a bit strange, I know, but these crunchy little bites are high in fiber, filling and most of all - tasty. The cool part is that you can gussy them up with a spice (or spices) of your liking.  Garlic powder, garam masala, curry powder, smoked parika...experiment, be adventurous, go crazy---try them all! For mine, I went with a chili-lime version. They were absolutely addicting. I did have a small (and I do mean small) amount leftover and ended up tossing them on top of a salad for dinner...delicious!

* Just be warned if you've never cooked with cumin before...it's quite odorific and your house could end up smelling like armpit for a day or two. Open some windows before placing your baking sheet in the oven...I learned the hard way.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
(Adapted from Willow Bird Baking's Chile-Lime Roasted Chickpeas recipe)

Yields: about 1.5 cups roasted chickpeas

Ingredients:

2 (15-ounce) cans of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) - drained, rinsed, and blotted dry

3-4 teaspoons chili powder*

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lime juice

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1-2 teaspoons cumin*

*Note: start with the lowest amount of spice, then add more to taste.


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with PAM or mist with olive oil.

3. Combine olive oil, chili powder, lime juice, sea salt, and cumin in a bowl. Mix throughly.

4. Add chickpeas. Stir well.

5. Spread chickpeas out in a single layer onto the foil.

6. Bake chickpeas for 45-50 minutes, flipping every 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them to ensure that they don't burn. Take them out when they’re really crunchy.

7. Eat immediately.

Kids are wily. Last week when I dropped by Mr S.'s abode, I should have known something was up when Kidlet #1 greeted me at the door with a big smile and a compliment. He smoothly transitioned into asking me if I knew how to make fudge. When I replied that I did but that it had been several years since I had made pans of that rich, chocolaty treat (I used to make it at Xmas time); I could see his 11 year old brain tickering away...after a moment or two, he hesitantly inquired whether I'd make some. Being that I'd hate to be the one to trample on a child's dream (and he was looking at me with big, blinky eyes) I acquiesced. Plus fudge is one of the easiest desserts to put together, you don't even need to use an oven. So, Kidlet #1 and I struck a bargain-- if he was good for a week, then I'd make some fudge and bring it over. It's a week later now and guess what I was making in the kitchen this morning? I'll give you a clue, Kidlet #1 was as sweet as fudge all week.  :)

Ingredients

1 t of vanilla extract
2/3 cup evaporated milk (not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk)
1.5 sticks of unsalted butter
3 cups of granulated sugar
16 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream (do not sub with regular marshmallows)
1/4 cup sliced, roasted almonds

Instructions

1. Line a 13"x9"x2" baking pan with foil. Then spray with cooking spray.

2. In a heavy pot, stir together sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a rolling boil.

3. Once it reaches a boil, let it go for 4-5 more minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Turn off the heat, stir in chocolate and marshmallow cream.

5. Mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla then stir some more.

6. Pour into the lined pain.

7. Sprinkle liberally with sliced, roasted almonds.

8. Place pan in the fridge to harden.

When I was a kid, I used to love it when my mom would slip a Fruit Roll-Up (aka "fruit leather") in my lunchbox. There was that satisfying, "Screeeeeeeeech!" as you ripped it off the cellophane and all the possibilities! It was the one time it was ok to play with your food. You could wad it up and shove the whole thing in your mouth, cut out eye-holes and make it into a mask or build unidentifiable creatures out of it. Well, with a bag of apricots languishing on my counter and a sense of nostalgia in my heart I decided to embark on making some homemade apricot fruit leather yesterday.  It turned out to be super easy and the kidlets loved it (as did the adults).

Ingredients:

apricots
lemon juice
sugar (honey can be substituted)

[4 cups of diced fruit yields about 1 large cookie sheet of fruit leather]

Instructions:

1. Rinse the fruit. Set 2-3 apricots to the side (for fiber). Peel the rest. (* see directions at bottom).

2. Remove pits and roughly dice fruit (including the unpeeled apricots).

3. Place the diced apricots in a saucepan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice at a time, to desired level of sweetness. (I made 2 sheets of leather and used about 1/2 cup of bakers sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice).

4. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes more.

5. Remove mixture from stove and puree in food processor/blender.

6. Cover a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Pour the puree evenly onto the plastic wrap to 1/8" thickness. Make sure that none of the plastic wrap is folding over onto the puree.

7. Place on oven rack at lowest setting (ideally 150 degrees, but my oven only went down to 170). Prop oven open a wee bit with a wooden spoon so that air can circulate and dry it out.

8. Bake for 8-12 hours until the mixture dries out. (When the mixture stops being tacky to the touch and feels dry, it's done).

9. Slice leather into strips (I used a pizza cutter).Peel from plastic backing, roll it up in parchment paper and secure with a rubberband. Store in an airtight container.

* How to Peel Apricots Easily

1. Submerge apricots in boiling water for 20-25 seconds.
2. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water for 20-25 seconds
3. Gently slide skin off.