Culinarily Courtney

Court's Clicks: 3/9/12

2012-03-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

What a week! As the above photos show, it has been quite a whirlwind for me. My computer crashed (see Blue Screen of Death above) and this put me into a tizzy thinking that it had lost all of the research I had done for my term paper (thankfully not--phew!). The other photo I took ten minutes before an interview for an internship. Can you tell I was a little nervous?

Despite this snafu of a week, I made it through by the grace of God. I got the internship, and I've reconciled myself to giving in and getting a Mac.

Hip Hip Hooray!

To celebrate this turn of events, I bring you some of my favorite links of the week:

This recipe gives instructions on how to make fool-proof rice on the stove top. While I've tried my hand at making Spanish Style Brown Rice in the past, I will let you in on a little secret--I think I may have overcooked it (although I adjusted the recipe for this mistake). Maybe I'll finally be able to get it right!

Another tutorial that I find intriguing is this one for DIY Greek Yogurt. It didn't even occur to me that Greek Yogurt could even be made at home. Well, I conquered bread--maybe I'll have to add this one to the list of battles to attempt.

Finally, Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls. Need I say more?

Happy Friday.

Whole Wheat Bread

2012-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Certain Doom. The Apocalypse. Yeast and Rise.

These are the words that first come to mind when I think about making bread from scratch.

It's frightening.

Actually, it's not that bad.

I made my first loaf of REAL bread last week--and by real I mean something that does not have bananas or a cup of sugar as its base--and I survived to tell you all about it.

The hardest part about making bread is waiting patiently for the dough to rise. I released my building impatience by kneading the dough as if I were giving an enemy a deep tissue massage (in what world would I being doing that?).

After a second rise (and increasing impatience) I painted a beautiful golden egg across the top of the unbaked loaf and sprinkled it with roasted sunflower kernels. Whole wheat bread was in need of a make-over.

After baking this bread my apartment smelled homey and comforting and I bathed my face in a stream of hot steam coming off of the warm loaf.

Pure delight.

Then I slathered butter on it--the bread, not my face (in case you were wondering).

The loaf turned out a bit denser than I expected, but that's all right with me. When toasted it is the perfect accompaniment to a nice dinner salad or a bowl of soup, or, of course, a stick of butter.

Whole Wheat Bread

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Yields: 1 regular sized loaf

Ingredients:

2 TB brown sugar

1 TB active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1 TB vegetable oil

Drizzle of olive oil (to rub over dough)

1 cup all purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

Roasted sunflower seed kernels

Directions:

Dissolve brown sugar and yeast in a bowl with the warm water until mixture is creamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add yeast mixture to all purpose flour, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, milk, vegetable oil, and salt. Beat or stir well. Add the rest of the flour, a little at a time, and continue to stir. Once dough has formed a ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, move dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until dough feels smooth and elastic.

Drizzle olive oil in a large mixing bowl and rub oil up sides of bowl. Place ball of dough in bowl and turn until dough is well coated with the olive oil.

Cover bowl with a warm damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours until dough has doubled in size. It works well to place the bowl inside an oven turned OFF as there is no draft there. Dough is ready when an indentation pressed 1 to 2 inches into dough with a finger remains.

Grease a regular size loaf pan and set aside. Punch dough in the center to deflate it. Place the dough in the loaf pan and cover it again with a warm damp towel and leave it to rise for another 40 minutes to an hour until the dough has again doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.

Brush the top of the loaf with a beaten egg and roasted sunflower kernels or other chopped nuts or seeds if desired.

Bake loaf for about 30 minutes. Bread is done baking when tapping on the bottom of the loaf pan produces a hollow sound.

After baking, allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then remove from pan.

Court's Clicks 3/3/12

2012-03-03T12:13:00.003-08:00

Definitely a frustration picture right there. When you are feeling upset, just knead some bread dough, and you will soon feel better. I'll bring you the recipe for that next week, but first I'm going to vent a little (and on a lighter note, give you some tasty links).

I've been feeling overwhelmed--maybe that's why I made that bread. I just needed to punch something. The end of the quarter is fast approaching, and with it, two 10 page term papers, a French midterm, and lots of things to be reading. So, please forgive me if I'm a little late in posting on the blog, as was the case with this weeks Court's Clicks. I haven't forgotten about you though, dear readers, and I hope you won't forget about me either if I become buried beneath a pile of papers and exams!

Now, on to the links and a deep sigh of relief:

I eat a lot of bananas, but as one person, I can never eat a whole bunch fast enough before at least one or two turn spotty. So, I often gravitate toward banana recipes. These Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies are a nice change from your usual quick bread, and I have fond memories of eating a similar Chocolate Banana Cream Pie in my university's dining commons last year (one of the few things I actually miss).

Cake batter everywhere! From Pancakes to Muddy Buddies. Sprinkles promised.

And again, because I am banana obsessed at the moment: Banana Split Pie.

Did I mention that I had a banana smoothie for breakfast this morning too? It tasted something like this.

Until next week! :)

5 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter "Ice Cream"

2012-02-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that it's healthy too?

Let's face it. Sometimes there are mornings when all I want to do is eat ice cream for breakfast. This recipe makes that desire acceptable.

One of the perks of being "grown-up" is that you really can eat whatever you want for breakfast, and mom or dad or whoever isn't there to raise an eyebrow and wag a finger at you as you sit shamefully at the kitchen table.

Still, I like to think that my mom raised me well, and so that's why I eat ice cream made of bananas for breakfast instead. The bananas add all of the sweetness and creaminess needed to make it taste just like ice cream.

5 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter "Ice Cream"
Inspired by The World's Healthiest Ice Cream

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, sliced
1 TB peanut butter
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Slice banana into small chunks and freeze over night.

Add banana slices, peanut butter, and cocoa powder to a food processor. Blend until creamy. You may have to scrape the sides of the food processor once or twice.

Serve and eat as is like soft serve, or chill in freezer until "ice cream" reaches desired texture.

Court's Clicks: 2/24/12

2012-02-24T12:28:00.001-08:00

Sometimes life propels us forward just too quickly.

There I was, rushing to chop my vegetables so that I could eat my dinner salad really fast, and then get back to the homework I needed to finish and then--

And then I looked out my kitchen window, and I saw that. The sun was in a hurry too. In a matter of minutes it descended beyond the rooftop, leaving a beautiful orange pink glow touching the soft clouds.

I stood there and watched the light descend, until the sky turned dark blue. Taking a deep breath, I realized something. It's good to slow down, and sometimes God places before us sights like this that stop us in our tracks.

This week I invite you to slow down for a few minutes too, and find the beautiful in the everyday. I've been doing this more and more lately, and so I only bring you two links (thank me later for wasting less of your time).

1) Candy, crunch, chocolate and peanut butter. Yes, please: Butterfinger Rice Krispie Treats.

2) A piece of "good news" for once. Click here for a heartwarming story about twins separated at birth who miraculously found each other as adults.

Happy Friday.

Everyday

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

It may come as somewhat of a surprise to you that I, a girl with a blog about cooking and baking, eats the same thing for breakfast and lunch nearly everyday.

But, it's true.

Everyday (not nearly, but truly EVERYDAY) I eat a Granny Smith apple. I am relatively healthy, too, so maybe they do keep the doctor away? Anyway, according to my mom, she ate a lot of Granny Smith apples when she was pregnant with me. So, maybe that it why I am addicted to their crisp, tart, and slightly sweet deliciousness.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

For breakfast, I keep it simple.

Cheerios. Banana. Milk. It's like an equation. Although, sometimes I do allow myself a little creativity, and add some cinnamon and brown sugar to the mix. It's tasty and satisfying and gets my day going right.

Lunch. My favorite meal of the day, and I eat that meal--the same food for lunch--nearly everyday.

Cheese. Crackers. An apple (Granny Smith, of course). Honey mustard.

I like to dip my apple in honey mustard. I know you are probably grimacing at the thought of that, but trust me, it tastes good!

This plate appeals to me for several reasons: it is aesthetically pleasing, it is compartmentalized, it is balanced and it is refreshing.

So, there you go. A behind the scenes look at Culinarily Courtney. Sorry to disappoint you, but I really don't eat extravagant desserts and meals popping with flavor everyday. I am a "Plain Jane," and proud of it.

What are your "everyday" kind of meals?

Court's Clicks: 2/17/12

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Look at that guy jumping in the corner!

This past week I went to my first collegiate volleyball and basketball games.

I have never been much of a sports fan, but I really enjoyed learning the rules of the games, and watching the fans of all ages release their inner warrior in chanting for our team.

In the end, we lost the volleyball game on Friday, but we made up for it by winning the basket ball game on Saturday.

While I enjoyed the games, I was quite distracted. The whole of the basket ball game, my friends and I were sitting in the bleachers directly over the concessions stand. Buttery, sugary, and meaty smells wafted up to us, enticing our senses.

So, for this week I bring you links centered around the theme of reinterpreted concession food.

Popcorn is definitely a sporting event favorite (the evidence is in the trampled bits of popcorn strewn around the bleachers after any game). How about classing it up a bit with this Lemon-Herb Seasoned Popcorn?

Fried food can usually be found at any sporting event. While I'm not sure if one typically finds donuts there, they are still a fried food, and I am going to use that weak transition to plug this naughty, but I'm sure very delicious recipe for Glazed Donut Hole Brownies. Sorry.

To me, the most tempting smell of all floating up from that concession stand was that of the soft-serve ice cream. While probably not the most figure-friendly treat one could buy there, this week, I found a recipe claiming to be The World's Healthiest Ice Cream. Made with only one ingredient, frozen bananas, it seems like a quick and easy, healthy, sweet fix.

So, from a budding sports fan: have a wonderful weekend, and go team!

Chocolate Raspberry Tartelettes

2012-02-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

Do you love yourself?

Certainly, Valentine's Day is all about sharing your love with others, telling them why you value them, and perhaps expressing this with a bright bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, or a colorful card.

This year, how about expressing some of that love to yourself?

We can only love so much. As we give out more and more of our time, energy, and care, there comes a point when we need to refuel.

Consider Valentine's Day your time to do just that.

So--Courtney, because I love you, I made you these adorable chocolate raspberry tartelettes. When you bite into them they provoke day dreams of Parisian patisseries. Oh, and you don't even have to share them. Happy Valentine's Day.

Love always,

Courtney

Chocolate Raspberry Tartelettes

Ingredients:

1 pastry recipe (same used for mini chicken pot pies: scroll to bottom of link)

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Raspberry curd or other jam/preserves

Sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Lightly spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray,

On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled pastry dough until about 1/8" thick. Cut out circles using a 2" circular cookie cutter (mine had fluted edges, hence the decorative creasing of the dough).

Press pastry rounds into bottom of mini muffin pan and up sides. Prick each pastry round in the pan once or twice with a fork. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes, and remove from oven. Place about 5 chocolate chips in each tartelette. Return pan to oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chocolate has softened and pastry appears golden.

Allow to cool. Top with a tablespoon of your favorite jam, and decorate with an additional chocolate chip.

Court's Clicks: 2/10/12

2012-02-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Time to make some cards.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. While I'm not typically one to celebrate, I appreciate the day nevertheless.

Any holiday that provides an excuse to indulge in desserts, especially chocolate, is all right with me.

While I will be posting a recipe for a special Valentine's Day sweet treat on Monday, today I bring you my favorite Valentine's Day recipes from the web:

What could be better than an edible Valentine's Day card? It's "green," tasty, and expresses love all the way to the stomach. Check out these easy to make Little Love Letter Cookies.

Red roses are nice, but I'd be just as happy if somebody gave me a Flower Pot Cupcake.

Finally, one of the most inventive recipes I've seen for the holiday combines the eye-popping beauty of a red velvet cake, with the ease of a classic snack food: Red Velvet Popcorn.

Now, this year I don't have a Valentine, in the traditional sense--but, that's OK.

Maybe you are like me, and both relish and deplore your single-hood. If that's the case, let me just say, I love you--I really do, and I thank you for reading this blog, my humble little share of the World Wide Web. :)

Citrus Bread

2012-02-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

Citrus bread is like human society.

Hear me out.

It seems to me that human beings show the most variation among any species. And there are a lot of us, almost 7 billion, in fact. Yet, according to Wikipedia, we're crammed together on just 510,072,000 square kilometers of Earth.

Alright, so enough with this nerdiness, and back to the simile.

Citrus fruit comes in a number of varieties, and this bread only highlights three citrus "populations." Yet, despite their differences in color, flavor, and size, these fruits cohabitate perfectly in two small loaf pans.

Lemon tries to be the Loaf Leader of Loaf-land, but Lime quickly becomes a contender in the race for Loaf Domination.

Orange silently sits back and watches as Lemon and Lime work to compromise, conferencing in the oven. But, in the end, Orange doesn't refrain from signing its flavor signature as witness upon their Loaf Treaty.

In the end, Lemon, Lime, and Orange produce two pound cake-like loaves: zesty and sweet, perfect for enjoying with a cup of tea.

Citrus Loaf

Inspired by Kathy Scott's Lemon Bread Recipe

Yields: 2 5.75"x3" mini loaves

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

2 eggs

2 TB lemon juice

1 TB orange juice

1 TB lime juice

1 TB lemon zest

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp lime zest

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup + 1 TB milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease two 5.75"x3" mini loaf pans. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

Beat in eggs, juice, and zest.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate pouring this mixture and the milk into the liquid mixture.

Bake at 350 deg. F. for 30 minutes. Allow loaves to cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes.

Court's Clicks: 2/3/2012

2012-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

This week, the web has been all abuzz about Sunday's Superbowl. Please don't be angry with me, but I must confess that I don't even know where the Superbowl is, or which teams are playing this year, or even who the half-time performer will be.

Does this make me a bad American? (Maybe).

Rest assured, though. While many Americans will be channeling their inner warrior to root for their team in a return to primal emotions, I will be facing my own Superbowl.

A Superbowl of Homework. The Team of Me versus the Team of the legal memo I have to write, and the French midterm I need to study for, and the Shakespeare tragedy I need to read.

A Superbowl is a Superbowl, when all is said and done, however, and every Superbowl party needs delicious appetizers. So, this week, I bring you links of some snacks I think would be great for building up your stamina, whether you exhaust yourself by cheering from the couch, or as a student, by joining me in the battle against homework assignments.

First, these Spinach Gruyere Puff Pastry Pinwheels combine the necessary pop-in-your-mouth ease of any appetizer with a little class, not normally found amidst the Superbowl snack table of chips and meat on toothpicks.

"Taste the rainbow" not with artificial, multicolored fruit candy, but with this idea for rainbow fruit kabobs, both colorful and refreshing.

Return to some classic Superbowl fare with this clever and easy idea for Mini Corn Dog Muffins.

End your snack crawl with something sweet! Keeping with the appetizer theme, I suggest this Peanut Butter "Cheese" Ball paired with cookies or graham crackers for dipping.

May your weekend be filled with numerous touch downs and good eats :)

Spanish Style Brown Rice

2012-01-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

No regrets, right?

Well, sometimes it's hard not to have a few. I've been thinking about that more lately as my junior year of college is reaching the half-way point. It's amazing/scary/exciting/mind-boggling to think that I only have a year and a half left in college...and maybe in any school. Ever.

One regret I have is not studying abroad this year. When the time came to apply to go abroad, I simply wasn't ready. I was just warming up to the idea of moving into an apartment and out of the dorms for Pete's sake. Another country? I don't think so!

I probably should have gone though. I'll make it overseas at some point. I owe it to myself to get there after all the years I've sat in class conjugating French verbs.

Until then, I can be transported by my taste buds. So, this week they take me somewhere warm, somewhere next to the Mediterranean, somewhere where they speak Spanish. Buen provecho :)

As we're on the subject of dreams, what's your dream destination?

Spanish Style Brown Rice

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain brown rice

1 and 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup diced tomatoes in juice

1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup corn niblets

Directions:

Combine uncooked rice in a pot with water, diced tomatoes, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Turn heat down low to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add remaining spices and stir. Allow rice to continue simmering until all moisture has been absorbed (about 5 to 10 minutes more).

Stir in corn niblets.

Serve as is, or with a squeeze of lime, or with fresh cilantro.

*Note: for softer rice use more water. The recipe listed above yields a somewhat firmer texture.

**Also, use as much or as little of the spices above as you wish. I tend to go heavy on the paprika because it's my favorite, but if you like heat, consider adding a little cayenne, or more chili powder. The possibilities are endless!

Court's Clicks: 1/27/12

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

It rained this week. The last time this happened, I was soaked to my torso because I had decided to ride my bike to school, not thinking that the wind draft created by my pedaling would blow my poncho up over my legs, exposing me to the cold and merciless falling drops and splashing puddles.

This time, I walked in my trusty, water resistant boots. I enjoyed standing in the middle of lakes of rain drops that formed within the valleys of uneven pavement. Students rushed around me while I stood as an island, enjoying the scent of fresh rainwater absorbed by concrete.

So, what's the point to all these flowery musings? Well, cold weather makes me want decadent food, namely, chocolate and peanut butter. Also, since National Peanut Butter Day fell during this week, it only seems proper to show reverence to one of the foremost food gods in the pantheon of American cupboard staples. Indulge:

This Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Cookie Pie is everything a dessert should be: rich, gooey, and rich.

Everyone knows the saying, "Life's short, eat dessert first." Well, I suggest starting your day off with dessert: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes.

Lastly, dangerously armed with all of the ingredients for this recipe, I very well may be making this Single-Girl Melty Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake sometime this weekend.

OK. It's time to be honest with you...wanting to eat decadent chocolate and peanut butter food has nothing to do with cold weather. The sun returned by Wednesday. Today is Friday.

Well, maybe I will just celebrate its reappearance with a little special occasion sweetness.

Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash

2012-01-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

Seeing is believing. This has become somewhat of a cliched expression. In most cases, I would agree with the sentiment. If I saw a pig fly, then I would believe that pigs fly. However, in the case of this recipe, the cliche does not hold true.

That roasted squash in the picture looks tasty. Warm, soft, sweet, buttery, and laced with cinnamon. Did it taste like that? No.

However, it is time that my blog lives up to its tag line: "A chronicle of the cooking and baking successes (and disasters) of a very, very amateur chef.

The other title I considered for this post was "Don't Eat Your Thanksgiving Centerpiece." Yet, when I returned from winter break and saw that little squash still sitting upon my dining table accumulating dust, I felt sorry for it, and decided I would give it new life by baking it to death in my oven.

I mean, really, how can something so intricate and colorful--beautiful, even--taste so bad?

Nevertheless, I have decided to share the recipe with you. Perhaps it is a matter of perception. I thought that this squash would taste better than it actually did. For example, if this squash were something disgusting to eat--say, a dirt clod, I wouldn't expect its flavor to be mind-blowing delicious, and so wouldn't be disappointed when it turned out to taste disgusting.

Give the sweet dumpling squash a chance if you dare. Maybe you will like it if you are fond of squash in general, and are used to the woody texture that turned me off of this autumn table decoration.

At any rate, squash for breakfast was somewhat better (although, that may have been because of the tastier adornments of yogurt, raisins, walnuts, and maple syrup).

Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 sweet dumpling squash

1 tsp butter

1 heaping TB brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Rinse squash in water. Slice squash evenly in half. Prick skin of squash several times with a fork. Place squash halves flesh side up in a baking dish filled with 1 inch of water.

Dab flesh of squash with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Bake squash for about 45 minutes, or until flesh easily pulls away from squash skin with a fork.

Court's Clicks: 1/20/12

2012-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

With a mere twenty minutes walk, I can have a view like this. Inspiring, isn't it?

Believe it or not, even when I seem to be surrounded by a world of muses, this week I have been feeling less than inspired. Maybe its the French paper on Descartes that is looming over my head, or the apartment hunt and find (among other things) that has been sapping me of my artsy flair (HA! As if).

Because, even when I have tried to do something creative this past week, it just hasn't turned out all that well (as my upcoming post on turning your Thanksgiving centerpiece into a meal will show).

Yet, even if I may be experiencing the creativity blahs, that doesn't mean I can't share some truly inspirational finds on the web:

This Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa Stuffed Puff Pastry recipe is pretty much the inspiration for this post. I haven't seen such an original recipe as this in a while. Wow, and yum!

I love creamy soups, but let's be honest, no one loves all of the fat (although I do like butter...) Anyway, this white bean soup is a mark of pure genius: creamy texture, lots of taste, but no cream.

A pizza made with a cauliflower crust that doesn't taste like cauliflower? Now, that's innovative, and happily deceptive.

Finally, we need to talk about something very important to getting out of this creativity funk: Pinterest. I've been on this site for a while, but was definitely under-utilizing it. If you like what you see, be my friend by clicking here and we can share pins and be inspired. This is where a dream of an OCD person like me has become a reality. Happy pinning!

Country Potatoes

2012-01-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Just a short post today.

Because sometimes all you eat during a crazy week are lunch meat sandwiches and left over mini chicken pot pies (which re-heat really well in the oven, by the way!)

These potatoes are the invention of a moment where I am stuck with half of a peeled potato from a different recipe that is quickly starting to rust and needs to be cooked, ASAP.

Chop, chop, chop into uniform chunks. Toss in your favorite spices. Saute in butter. And, voila: you're good to go. Just add ketchup and a side of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or, my personal favorite, breakfast-for-dinner.

Country Potatoes

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 peeled baking potato, cubed

1 tsp dried chives

1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt

Pepper to taste

1 tsp butter and/or cooking spray.

Directions:

Spray pan lightly with cooking spray and/or melt 1 tsp butter over medium heat (I added butter more for flavor, than for crisping the potatoes).

Place cubed potato in buttered pan and season with spices. Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring once or twice.

Court's Clicks: 1/13/2011

2012-01-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

Rubber ducky found near the lagoon of my university on Monday.

All I really want to do right now is whine about how much I want to be back on vacation. To save you that, I will entertain myself with sharing these links instead.

Just reading this Creamy Avocado Pasta recipe makes me feel healthy. I love avocados on chips, in salads, on sandwiches, and I don't see why it wouldn't taste good make into a creamy yet cream-less sauce for pasta.

Living in a place where it is sunny most days of the year (today it was 76 degrees...in January!), I try to wear sunscreen a lot. Please take a few minutes to watch this life-saving video to learn why you should too.

Wanting to end this post on a more positive note, I bring you the cake of all cakes: Chocolate Cheesecake Cake.

Hope you are having a LUCKY Friday the 13th.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

2012-01-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

Comfort food. Sometimes a spoonful of food can work miracles upon the soul.

That's why this week I decided to make these Mini Chicken Pot Pies using the adorable set of ramekins I received for Christmas.

Why do I need comforting?

Well, I'm back to school now, and the quarter doesn't promise to be easy. More than that, though, the long vacation home made it just that much harder to leave. Home in itself isn't that significant, but rather the people there. Mom, that means you.

Not only is comfort food therapeutic to eat, but it is therapeutic to make. The aromatics of sauteing vegetables instantly puts the mind at ease. The gentle stirring of a cream sauce erases anxiety. The rolling out of pie dough smooths out the cracks of a broken heart just as it does for those of the delicate pastry.

Indulge and let go. Be at peace and eat.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Yields: 4 small (3-4 inch) ramekins

Ingredients:

For Filling:

1/3 yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1-2 tsp olive oil

1 Tb butter

1/2 potato, peeled and diced

1 and 3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup milk

2-3 Tb flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

For Pastry:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup shortening, chilled and cut up

1/3 cup ice water, added by tablespoons

Directions:

For Filling:

Season chicken breast lightly with salt and pepper. Cook all the way through and until the outside is nicely browned. Dice and set aside.

Saute onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil. Set aside.

Saute diced potato in 1 Tb butter for about five minutes. Add chicken stock to potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk and add flour by tablespoons until desired thickness is reached. Note: adding all the flour at once will result in a sauce with chunks of flour in it. Stir in spices. Add chicken and peas.

Fill four ramekins with filling mixture.

Pastry:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.

Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut shortening into flour mixture until pieces are the size of peas.

Sprinkle ice water over dough 1 tablespoon at a time and toss it lightly with a fork or knife. Move wet pastry to the edges of the bowl, and continue moistening until the majority of flour has been incorporated. Knead mixture lightly into a ball.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured board or counter until about 1/8" thick. Cut out pastry circles to the desired diameter (about 1/8" larger than the ramekins).

Gently lay pastry across the top of the ramekins and push down on sides to secure pastry to the rim of the dish. Slice an X in the center of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking. Brush tops with milk.

Bake on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Court's Clicks: 1/6/12

2012-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

My view yesterday.

I am going to miss vacation so much. But, it had to come to an end at some point. I'm going to miss being with my family, staying in pajamas until 11am, reading and writing for fun, cooking in a kitchen with a dishwasher, and so much more.

But, enough about me. Here are some great things I found this week that I want to share with you:

Remember those big and fat grocery store bakery soft sugar cookies with the neon icing you used to eat as a kid? Well these are those.

After eating those cookies, erase your guilt by finishing with these healthy Chicken Gyros. Oh, how I wish I were Greek.

Keeping with that Greek theme, let's clash cultures with Mexican food and eat some Greek Quesadillas.

See what I did there? I went from childhood sweets to Greek food to Mexican food. Link success!

Broccoli and Bacon Strata

2012-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year everyone starts eating salads. Vegetables. Green stuff.

You will be bored of that by the end of the month, trust me.

I love salads, but I also love convenience. In fact, as I enter my fourth and final week of winter vacation, I have reached the peak of laziness. So, give me something to eat that is easy to make, wholesome, and tasty.

Give me this strata.

Don't toss out that bread getting stale in the cupboard, cut it up and mix it with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Bake, eat, and enjoy the leftovers.

Broccoli and Bacon Strata

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

4-5 slices of dry bread

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 large crown of broccoli

1/4 cup sliced green onions

2 strips of bacon, crumbled

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dry ground mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

a few drops of hot sauce

Directions:

Grease a 9"x9" baking pan.

Chop broccoli into small pieces. Cook by steaming until tender. Drain well and set aside.

Slice bread into cubes and place in pan. Sprinkle half of cheese over bread. Next, layer crumbled bacon, green onions and broccoli over bread.

Whisk eggs, milk, and spices. Pour mixture over bread in pan. Top with remaining cheese.

Allow pan to sit in refrigerator covered for 3 hours or overnight. Remove from fridge and allow pan to air for 30 minutes before baking.

Bake at 350 deg. F for 50 to 55 minutes, until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

*This reheats well! Pop a portion in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Great for breakfast the next morning.

Culinarily Courtney: Best of 2011

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

What a year. It certainly was tiring (my little buddy above knows), but it was full of rewarding developments in my life too.

My first apartment. Turning 20 and leaving childhood behind. Starting my novel. Learning to be at peace.

For my Friday post this week I've rounded up my favorite recipes from the blog this year. A timeline of my best times spent in the kitchen in 2011.

Spinach and Feta Cheese Quiche

Knock-off Razzleberry Pie

My Favorite Granola

New and Improved Lemon Bars

And, my most popular post this year, perfect to warm up the cold start of the year in January...

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

I wish you all a Happy New Year! Come back next year (haha) for a new recipe :)

Spice Cake Box Mix: Fancified

2011-12-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Did Santa do your list justice this year? He did mine.

Lots of girly baubles and pretty things were to be found beneath my tree: nail polish, hair stuff, fashion tights, and jewelry.

Mrs. Claus made the baker in me happy: ramekins, mini-loaf pans, cookie-scoops, a tart pan, and a potato scrubber brush (complete with googly eyes).

After the morning of festivities, a wonderful service at church, and a relaxing afternoon, Mom and I each ate a piece of this cake. We justified our slightly larger than average slices and scoops of ice cream with the rationale that it was Jesus' birthday cake, after all, and that merited celebrating.

Who says you have to slave in the kitchen to make a delicious dessert? Embrace the box mix.

This cake starts with a spice cake box mix. I added 1/2 tsp of ground cloves, and 1/2 tsp of extra cinnamon to make it festive for Christmas, and baked it in two 9" round cake pans.

After cooling, I spread the top of one layer with this Pecan Pumpkin Butter found at Williams and Sonoma that I was fortunate enough to win in a give-away hosted by Lindsey of Gingerbread Bagels (thanks again!)

About 2/3 of the jar should do.

I frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting, and bedazzled it with chopped pecans, toasted in an oven at 350 deg. F for about 5-7 minutes.

What's your favorite way to dress up a box mix dessert?

Bites and Sites 12/23/11

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

Fridays I usually compile a list of my favorite links and call it "Court's Clicks: (insert date here)." Truth be told, I wasn't on the computer looking at recipes much this week.

Shocking, I know. I guess this is because I usually web surf when I am procrastinating about school work, and now that I am on vacation, I don't really need to procrastinate about watching yet another TV show.

So, this week I bring you a few words and a few pictures to round out the week.

On Tuesday I day-tripped to San Francisco with my Mom. We enjoyed being city girls while we were there, shopping at the biggest Macy's I've ever seen, eating at Mel's Diner (bring on the chocolate milkshake!), and seeing the Christmas tree at Union Square, and City Hall lit up with the colors of the season. The only bad thing about this trip is that it has confirmed in my mind that I ~~want~~ need to live in some metropolitan area when I am out of college. I have contracted the city bug.

Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a little cookie decorating. Yesterday, I made gingerbread men and terriers with my Mom.

Being the nerd that I am, I made a Harry Potter:

A Frenchman:

A somewhat frazzled looking Gandalf or Santa, depending on how you look at him:

And several representations of my crazy Norwich Terrier, Crumpet: (you can see he tried to steal Gandalf's thunder in the bottom left corner above, too).

Merry Christmas!

Fig Turnovers

2011-12-22T15:42:00.000-08:00

Family Recipes: heritage, tradition, honor, prestige. And let us not forget: stains of butter and spilled vanilla extract, and of course, your grandmother's illegible cursive.

All of this combines into a cookie that is both exciting and daunting to bake, as if you are exhuming something long buried in the past that may or may not respond favorably to your waking it from its decades of resting.

These cute and dainty fig turnover cookies stir up nostalgic feelings for the simpler time of the 1950s, originating from my grandmother's 1953 Betty Crocker Cookbook. Over the years, Gma made several additions and changes to the recipe that she marked in the margins of this recipe and eventually tore out from its binding to preserve in a plastic page protector.

That is how important this cookie is.

I revived it from its 30 year slumber in a recipe box to add to this year's plate of Christmas cookies. But, by the way it turned out, I think it would have preferred to stay sleeping.

I forgot the orange zest in the filling; the dough was one of those clingy boyfriend types that just didn't know how to let go; the figs left sticky gum all over my knife; the turnovers were too crispy after being baked; they spread like pancakes all over the pan.

Still, with age they improved. Surprisingly, after a day or two of sitting in a cookie tin, the dough became softer, and the filling a bit more vibrant.

Yet, I can't help thinking how much easier it would have been to just buy a package of Fig Newtons. Gma probably didn't have that option 60 years ago though.

I imagine her cooking down the dried figs, sugar, and water in a pan over her retro stove. I wonder if non-stick pans even existed then?

She would carefully roll out the dough (maybe after stealing a bite of the fig filling with a big silver spoon), and place a generous amount on her cutouts, pinching them closed with the tines of a fork.

She would seal them in a decorative Christmas tin, flowing with wax paper, ready to share with her family, or sneak one out for a midnight snack.

Eating a slightly tastier Fig Newton cannot compare to baking and eating the same cookie my grandmother first made nearly 60 years ago from one of her first cookbooks. And even with all of the recipe mishaps, as my Mom says, "I still like them."

Fig Turnovers

Recipe adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook (1953)

Yield: about 54 cookies

Ingredients:

Dough:

3/4 cup Crisco

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 Tb heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Filling:

2 cups dried figs, finely chopped

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

grated orange peel, to taste

Directions:

Cream together Crisco, and sugar. Add eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla extract to mixture.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Combine with first mixture and chill dough in a covered bowl for about an hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, combine all filling ingredients in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Allow filling to cool completely.

Roll dough about 1/8" to 1/16" thick and cut into 2" to 3" circles, placing 1" apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If dough is too wet, add more flour until it reaches a good rolling consistency. The more flour that is added, the less the cookies will spread out when baked.

Place filling on one side of each cutout. Fold and seal the dough with the tines of a fork dipped in flour.

Brush tops of turnovers with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 deg. F. for 8-10 minutes or until tops of turnovers are lightly golden. Remove immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Court's Clicks: 12/16/11

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

I've been home from college for about a week now, and I must say, it is glorious. Days and nights have been filled with Christmas cheer: watching "A Christmas Carol" at my alma mater high school; decorated the tree and house with my Mom while singing along to the Elvis Christmas album; and have done a little bit of holiday baking (with more to come!)

Laziness is setting in though, and most days I'm not out of my pajamas until 11:00am. But, this is vacation after all, and every day I'm feeling a little bit less guilty about relaxing after being high strung and having to swim my way to the surface of an ocean of papers and exams during last quarter.

How have I been relaxing? Well, just sitting on the couch and surfing the web by the light of the Christmas tree has been one welcome diversion.

Let me show you what I found!

I feel like snow-men are one of the underrepresented shapes in holiday baking, but these Nutter Butter Snowmen are quick to make and would look adorable on any cookie plate.

So-simple Santa Hat Cookies made with a sugar cookie, a strawberry, and a little frosting...why didn't I think of that?

After making some Mint Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge earlier this week, I was interested in finding some other non-traditional fudge recipes, and oh, did I find one. Turn your eyes towards this chocolate fudge made with Velveeta.

Just a little over a week until Christmas! Who's excited? Please excuse me while I go finish my Christmas shopping. Our tree is beautiful, but things are looking a little sparse underneath it.

Ta-da!

Mint Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge

2011-12-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

A few years ago my grandmother (aka "Gma) broke her tooth by biting into a candy cane.

Being the humorous octogenarian that she is, she took the tooth, placed it in a jewelry box, wrapped it up in festive Christmas wrapping paper, and sent it to her son as a gift along with a few candy canes. He loved it and found it hilarious.

This is the family from which I come. Oh, dear.

Love of candy canes exists in my blood too, although I prefer using them in baking, or swirling them in a cup of coffee or hot cocoa. This creamy fudge proves the perfect vehicle to carry the minty taste of candy canes associated with Christmastime, but with small enough chunks that you won't be visiting the dentist after consuming it (hopefully).

Luckily for Gma, she was scheduled to have her teeth replaced with dental implants in the coming weeks, so she crunched her way through several boxes of the candy canes while watching episodes of "Hoarders," nary a care if she lost another tooth in the process. And, with a sweet tooth like she has (after all, she was the one who requested I make this fudge), it is probably for the best as she can now eat as much sugar as she likes without giving a thought to cavities.

Go ahead and make some, only 4 ingredients required!

Lay some foil in an 8x8 pan (it helps to fold it first), and get some grease lightnin' action in there.

Smash 18 candy canes to smithereens. (I used Hershey's chocolate mint candy canes)

Smithereens should be pea-sized, but it's OK if you get some finer fairy dust bits, they add sparkle.

Sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips. Can I dig in now?

Melt into a smooth and creamy lake of fudge fixings; stir in some peppermint extract.

Stir in your candy cane smithereens. Reserve some bits to sprinkle on the top. Pop it in the fridge for 2 hours to set.

Cut into squares and devour, preferably whilst surrounded by Christmas decorations.

Mint Chocolate Candy Cane Fudge

Yield: 56 squares

Ingredients:

20 oz white chocolate baking chips

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

18 crushed Hershey's mint chocolate candy canes

Directions:

Line an 8"x8" baking pan with foil. Grease the foil.

Melt white chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from pan heat and stir in peppermint extract and most of the candy cane bits.

Spread mixture into the bottom of the lined and greased 8"x8" pan. Sprinkle remaining candy cane bits over the top.

Chill pan in refrigerator for 2 hours, and then cut into 1" squares.

Court's Clicks: 12/9/11

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I went to a Roaring 20s Christmas Banquet. There was gingerbread house making. Would you live here? I would eat it, but...

Well, this week I bring you more Christmas cheer with some fancy holiday cookie recipes I found across the web this week.

First, these Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies incorporate the idea of holiday gift wrap by hiding a present of cheesecake in the middle of red velvet cookie dough. Merry Christmas, indeed.

I am a coconut fiend, and I love this idea of turning a coconut macaroon into a Christmas Tree!

You know those prepackaged cookie doughs with Christmas colors in them that you find by the mini crescent rolls at the grocery store? Well, stay home and make these Swirl Sugar Cookies instead. They're rolled in sprinkles and thus probably a bazillion times tastier.

After the party, our house was trashed.
Good thing clean-up meant picking up and placing in mouth.

New and Improved Lemon Bars

2011-12-08T16:26:00.001-08:00

I am radiantly happy. I just finished finals and now I have four golden weeks of winter vacation! Can I get a Hallelujah?

Sure, everyone is eating gingerbread, nutmeg, and peppermint at this time of year (hopefully not together...), but it has been sunny and 65 degrees where I live everyday for the past week, and I'm in a cheery mood. Lemon seems more appropriate.

These tasty lemon bars burst in your mouth with brightness, a perfect mixture of tart and sweet, smooth from the filling, crispy from the crumble that forms the crust and adorns the easy-to-make lemon cream.

So, please excuse my joy if you are snowed in, working, and suffering. Perhaps you could live vicariously through me by making and eating these bars? Put some sunshine in your mouth and reminisce about summer while you wait for presents--the next cause for joy on the horizon--and the celebration of Jesus' birthday, of course :)

My go-to recipe for lemon bars has always been the 1980s Betty Crocker cookbook my Mom owns, but I thought I'd try something new. With a bag of lemons from home, I scoured the Net and found a tempting recipe from the Pioneer Woman for these Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares. Please visit her site for the recipe, and while you're there, click around to her other pages. I love reading about her life baking on the ranch, her cowboy husband, and her Basset Hound, Charlie.

Gather your ingredients for this easy but rewarding recipe.

Make sure you sift your flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a mountain, it's fun!

After mixing this into your brown sugar, butter, and oats, press it all into your 9"x13" pan.

Pour your mixture of lemon juice, lemon zest, and sweetened condensed milk over the crust.

Swirly time.

Sprinkle the other half of the crumble mixture over the top.

Two layers of streusel. Now, aren't you lucky?

After baking, allow to cool and set a little and then cut into bars. (Note, they are supposed to be gooey. Bring on the goo).

Ms. PW suggests serving the bars chilled from the fridge, but I like them room temperature and more gooey. However you choose to eat them, the forecast is bound to be sunny.

And in case you missed it above, find the recipe here.

Court's Clicks: 12/2/11

2011-12-02T12:53:00.001-08:00

"Corner of Good Cheer" designated area of my apartment

It's that time of year again. I am helplessly adding nutmeg and sugar to my milk to make it taste like eggnog because I'm too lazy to go to the store. I am hearing sappy holiday tunes on the radio. By the end of this week I will have gone to three Christmas parties. I couldn't be happier.

Despite the fact that people are still wearing shorts and flip-flops around campus, Christmas is just around the corner!

Like a present, I give you my favorite links of the week:

Getting in the holiday spirit? Well, those peppermint Hershey's kisses are already addicting enough, so let's hide them in a sugar cookie!

While I don't mind chugging down a small glass of eggnog, some people have qualms about drinking their calories. Solution: cinnamon-eggnog scones.

Stick one of the above baked goods in your mouth to keep yourself from drooling over this next present in which history and hotness collide.

Now, go light a fire (or a candle, in my case), have some cookies and milk, and listen to Elvis belt out "Blue Christmas." That's what I'll be doing!

Carrot Zucchini Bread

2011-11-29T15:34:00.001-08:00

I hope you enjoyed your Carbs-giving. I certainly enjoyed mine. Mashed taters, praline yams, crescent rolls, stuffing. Leftovers. Wash and repeat.

Apparently the turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving table, but you wouldn't know it by the way I load up my plate. A thin slice of white meat turkey drowns below a spoonful of cranberry sauce, like a purply-red watering hole in the middle of my starchy desert.

After last week, I have been trying to eat more vegetables, and this bread has been making it a whole lot easier. I've made a few salads since last Thursday, but coming off my bread-high, I've been having withdrawals with every bite I take of shredded cabbage doused in vinaigrette, even though I usually find veggies delicious.

With this bread you can mask the necessary nutrients in sugar and flour and still feel healthy while eating it.

It's basically like the drugs given to addicts to get them off of the drug to which they're addicted.

How do you mask your vegetables?

Carrot Zucchini Bread

Yield: 1 9"x5"x3" loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 each of coarsely shredded zucchini and carrot
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.

Mix flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Set aside.

Mix egg, sugars, shredded zucchini and carrot, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add this wet mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in raisins.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (not wet). Cool loaf in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack completely. Store for up to a week wrapped tightly in aluminium foil.

Court's Clicks: 11/25/11

2011-11-25T09:49:00.001-08:00

Just a short post this Friday, coming off of the food coma that is Thanksgiving, I have been extra sleepy and have not scoured the internet at my usual pace this week.

A few of my favorites:

In case you didn't have enough butter yesterday on your mashed potatoes, rolls, and everything carby in-between, consider making this super easy Butterfinger Pie.

As we transition into the Christmas baking season, start your morning off right with these Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

And, for my fellow art-history buffs, a non-yummy but still interesting site: photographic remakes of famous paintings. My favorite has to be the new American Gothic, with skateboard replacing pitchfork. Scroll through the novel designs here.

I leave you with a picture of autumn on campus:

So-Easy Sugar Cookies

2011-11-19T17:06:00.001-08:00

I am the notorious stressed-out girl. Sometimes I wish I could just take a deep breath and relax. I'm starting to learn how to do that, and these cookies sure help.

It's that time of the quarter where midterms have just finished and finals aren't for three weeks, so I can breathe a little bit now.

The week I made these cookies though, I was in a pulling out my hair/crying in a fetal position/eating lots of chocolate sort of mood. I had two papers to write, a big test to study for, and I was turning twenty and feeling like I have no plans for my future after I graduate. Gahhhh!

As I left my teen years and childhood behind, I realized their was one part of my youth I needed to reincorporate if I were to maintain my sanity.

Do you remember when you were a kid, and your mom would serve you milk and cookies or some other after-school snack when you came home from class? You would talk about your day: the kid that stuck the pencil up his nose; your 100% on the spelling test; the nasty scrape you got from falling off the twirling bars at recess. That half-hour would help your mind to recoup from the exciting, disappointing, and commonplace events of the day and transition you into the evening (and hold you over till dinner).

Look, Grown-ups--we need this too. Make yourself some coffee or some tea, and these cookies. Take a deep breath, and a big bite, and just relax.

These ingredients will help.

Put them in a big bowl.

Pour the batter out onto your pan, and bake until golden brown.

Cut into ~~bars~~ whatever shape you like. (eat a few--it's a laborious job cutting cookies, after all)

Now, wasn't that easy?

What do you do to relax? (I need tips!)

So-Easy Sugar Cookies

Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup softened butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 TB milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 TB sugar (for the top)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Beat sugar, butter, oil, milk, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until well-blended.

Spread mixture evenly on an ungreased 15x10x1 inch baking pan (like a jelly roll size). Sprinkle with 1 TB of sugar (or more...).

Bake at 375 deg. F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and cut into cookies.

Court's Clicks: 11/18/11

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I somehow had a lot of time on my hands. This week, not so much. I finished one paper, but still have another to go, plus some reading, and a film to watch. Can it be Thanksgiving yet?

All the same, I managed to waste a little time and find some yummy links (or rather links to yummy recipes, that would be weird if I could actually eat links).

These Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookie Caramel Brownies look like a delicious dessert to drown my homework sorrows in with a big tumbler of cold milk.

To make up for that indulgence, I should probably eat some vegetables. Would you believe that my favorite vegetable is a Brussels sprout? I think if you ate them this way you would like them too.

I'm going to make the link list short this week, but I leave you with a final fun and frilly website. One of my new favorite things to do to relax is paint my nails and listen to some music or a podcast. Please excuse the name, but here is some great inspiration.

Expect a new recipe from me next week. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the delicious breakfast of Eggs Benedict that I ate last weekend for my birthday.

Even the sky gave me a present for my 20th birthday. Best. Weekend. Ever.

Hasselback Baked Potato

2011-11-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

I am so indecisive. Part of the problem is that I don't really plan ahead, or if I do, I don't stick to my plan.

After a long day of classes or studying I'll come home to my cozy apartment and find myself faced with the dreaded question: What should I fix for dinner?

I thought only stay at home moms had to deal with that dilemma. And no offense to SAHM's out there--what you do makes marathon running look like a walk in the park--but, I can remember the days when my dear Momma would turn her eyes to the heavens (i.e. the white kitchen ceiling bordered with a flowery wall paper) and groan, "What should I make? What should I make?!"

But no, college students face this problem too.

That's when I begin to miss the dining hall of the previous two years of my college eating experience...that salad bar of freshly washed, chopped, organic veggies; the freshly baked bread; the never ending fount of fro-yo. Simply imagine the Hometown Buffet, except with fewer desserts, and no french fries to mix into your mac n' cheese, and you have that dining hall.

Truth be told, the cupboards had been looking pretty bare around here lately.

So, I take stock. Eggs, bread, salad, peanut butter, Kraft mac n' cheese, canned soup.

Sigh.

Usually, I end up eating a PB&J sandwich with a bowl of salad. It's not that I don't like PB&Js, in fact, they are one of my favorite foods. But, a PB&J definitely doesn't satisfy my meat and potatoes craving after a hard day.

I guess I could buy a Hungry Man frozen dinner. One problem: I'm a lady.

And so, friends, I present you with my solution.

What do you make when the cupboards start to look dark and dusty?

Hasselback Potato

Recipe adapted from Seasaltwithfood

Yield: 1 serving (but you can double, triple, whatever for more)

Ingredients:

1 medium sized baking potato with skin on

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 Tb. butter

1-2 tsp. olive oil

Salt

Coarse ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F.

Slice potato from one end to the other, almost all the way through (about 1/2 centimeter from slicing all the way through).

Insert minced garlic between slits. Dab butter along slits and on outside of potato. Drizzle potato with a little olive oil, and top with a few dashes of salt and pepper, or any other spices you like.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until inside flesh feels soft and the outside is crispy

Court's Clicks: 11/11/11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

11/11/11 at 11:11 am! I will admit that I purposefully set my post to schedule for then, heheh.

Since I've set a goal to post at least two times a week (but hopefully more!) on here, I thought I'd add a little fun Friday post in which I will share with you my favorite blog posts, recipes, and laugh-inducing/girly/cat things I discover on my quest around the web throughout the week.

Basically, anything that I would bookmark or email to a girlfriend or my lovely Momma may find its way on to here.

And so, friend, I present you with my very first Court's Clicks. Enjoy!

This gal is pretty much the reason why I even wanted to start this blog in the first place, and this post is the encouragement that I needed to hear to get back into it.

My 20th birthday is this Saturday, and I sure would love it if RecipeGirl sent me this cake.

As I enter a new decade and leave my childhood behind me (though I can't deny I'll always be a kid at heart), these peanut butter cup fluffernutter blondies remind me of one of my favorite sandwiches I had as a kid that my mom would sometimes make for me as a special lunch-time treat.

So, if you didn't already gather that I am an abnormal college student from the fact that I like spending my weekend nights blogging about recipes, the fact that I am now exposing myself as a cat-lady-at-heart with this thing I check almost daily for laughs will surely do the trick.

Case in point: my favorite pillow sitting atop my bed.

Now that you have the evidence of my procrastination at your fingertips, I invite you to waste time with me by checking them out.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Time for some honesty: I am a liar. But I vow that in this post you will find nothing but truth!

I don't lie to other people, save for maybe the little white lie every now and then.

Friend: "Would you like to come to such-and-such event tonight and hang out with such-and-such people?"

Me: "You know, I am realllllllllllllly tired. And I have A LOT of homework and studying to do." (In case you didn't know, those are the top two lies for college students to get out of things.)

In reality, I just want to wear sweat-pants around my apartment and watch horrible (yet irresistible) Lifetime movies online while eating chocolate and peanut-butter. These are my fall-back excuses.

So what does this have to do with soup? Well this Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup, a favorite family recipe, is a liar just like me. But, as my friends and family still love me (I hope) despite my little fudges, you will still love this soup despite it's lie:

"Hey! Look at me! I'm a pretty, hearty, made-from-scratch soup that's delicious and nutritious!"

The little white lie: This soup starts with condensed soup to make the process a whole lot easier for you, and the best part is, nobody needs to know.

Grab some condensed cheddar cheese soup and your other creamy condensed soup of choice (cream of chicken, cream of potato, cream of broccoli--whichever you ~~lie~~ like.

But first, cook up some chicken and try not to be grossed out by raw chicken flesh like I was. *This was the first time I ever cooked chicken. Does the gag-reflex of cutting through that pink, slimy skin get any easier? Please say YES!*

Next, chop up some veggies. I like zucchini, carrots, onion, and celery.

Make the house smell like Thanksgiving stuffing by sauteing in butter till tender.

All that's left is to add in your ~~lies~~ condensed soup, some tomato juice or watered down tomato sauce, a can or so of water, and a shake of hot sauce.

Easily freezable in an airtight container, and easily reheated, you know, for those nights when you need to tell a little lie and stay warm in bed and eat soup. Crusty bread accompaniment recommended.

So, what's your fall-back little white lie? Share in comments.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Yield: 6-7 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced zucchini

1 cup sliced carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 small onion, sliced

1 tsp. oregano

2 Tb. butter

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 can condensed cream soup (cream of chicken, cream of potato, etc.)

1 to 1 1/2 cans of water

3/4 cup tomato juice (or tomato sauce diluted with a little water)

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked white meat chicken

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (or if you don't feel like buying a whole bottle like me, add in a little vinegar and cayenne pepper or chili powder)

Directions

In a large covered pan cook zucchini, carrot, celery, onion, and oregano in butter until tender.

Add in remaining ingredients. Heat, stirring frequently.

Serve immediately, or store in air-tight container in fridge or freezer. To reheat from the fridge, microwave in a covered bowl for 2-4 minutes, stirring once.

Cornbread and Chili Bake

2011-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

"Bake" is such a nicer word than "casserole." Yet, I must admit, that's probably what your grandma would have called this dish had she been cooking it up for her family of four in the 1950s, in high heels, no doubt.

"Bake" makes me think of flavors melding together and sending their spices floating through the warm kitchen air.

"Casserole" makes me thinks of cream, and Campbell's soup, and noodles, and coagulation. You won't find those things in here, but you will find a tasty, easy, quick and nutritious meal.

As a college student cooking on a budget of both limited money and time, I tweaked a somewhat fancy recipe to the essentials, but kept all of the taste.

Now that's something 1950s grandma could appreciate!

Cornbread and Chili Bake
Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 15th Edition, Three Bean Tamale Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cans of chili (I like Stag's Vegetarian Chili)
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 4 oz can diced green chile peppers with juices
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 8 1/2 oz package corn muffin mix
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Grease a 13x9 baking dish.

In a skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili, stewed tomatoes, diced green chile peppers, ground mustard, and paprika. Stir together and heat all the way through. Pour mixture into baking dish.

Prepare cornbread mix according to package. Stir cilantro into batter. Spoon corn muffin mixture evenly over chili mixture. Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese. I had some extra corn nibblets that I sprinkled over the top too for some nice texture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cornbread mixture is golden brown. Top with salsa, sour cream, or for the adventurous--hot sauce.

This re-heats really well! Just cut into portions and freeze individually in Tupperware. Re-heat in microwave for 2-4 minutes.

Double Chocolate Banana Mini Muffins

2011-11-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

I buy bananas. I buy them, and then I don't eat them fast enough. There is only so much banana bread one girl can eat though. I had 2 bananas sitting in my freezer for a month, and finally I got sick of opening the door and seeing their disgusting brown, mottled skins.

Banana bread is good, but banana bread with chocolate is even better. And, who can deny the fact that mini muffins are just darn good (and easily poppable into the mouth)?
This is a basic banana bread recipe (but my favorite) with a little tweaking because of the extra cocoa powder and muffin size.

Double Chocolate Banana Mini Muffins
Adapted from rachelray.com

Yield: About a pan and a half.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hersheys, or the store brand)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2-3 bananas, mashed
1 cup chocolate chips (I suspect that peanut butter chips would be tasty too!)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. F.

Grease and flour your mini-muffin baking tin.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together beaten eggs, bananas, and oil. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir it up! Stir in chocolate chips, but be careful not to overmix the batter (it should be fully wet, but stop immediately once you don't see dry bits anymore). Spoon batter into muffin tin about 2/3 of the way up the side.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, shake the pan a bit, and then carefully take muffins out and allow to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Serve warm with a generous dollop of peanut butter, or plain with some milky tea!

9B6QWMWENDBY

Baked French Fries

2011-09-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Fridays have become Carnival Food Night for me over the past few weeks. I must make my apartment neighbors envious once I turn the overhead fan on, and the smell of french fries wafts from my studio window into their homes.

Alas, I am not skilled enough in the culinary arts to make my own corn dogs, but I do not hesitate to allow my dear friend, Trader Joe, to do that for me (TJ's soy corn dogs are better than the meaty equivalent in my opinion)

Ketchup, which is made from a vegetable (or fruit, I suppose) creates a balanced meal. Snicker, snicker. Well, don't feel too bad--the fries ARE baked, but they're not any less tasty because of it.

Baked French Fries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato, scrubbed clean of dirt (unless you like earthiness, than by all means...)

1 TB vegetable oil or olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste, Lawry's seasoning salt is nice too, or garlic salt if you're a proud single lady like me

Cut potato into thin slices like so,

Cut slices into thin strips,

Place fries-to-be in a large mixing bowl, pour oil over, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, yumminess, etc. Roll up your sleeves, and get your hands dirty, coating potato bits in the oil and seasoning.

Place fries on a roasting pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping fries over halfway between baking time.

This recipe makes about two servings, but the other half can be frozen in a Ziploc bag, and crisped in the oven again when your next Carnival Food Night comes to town.

Courtney's Favorite Granola

2011-09-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

There's something about crunch. Is it the sound? The satisfaction we get from chomping down with our teeth into the armor of a crispy little nugget of goodness? I can't say for sure, but I can say that this granola sates my otherwise endless craving for crunchiness. Oh, and like all good things, it's sweet!

From a little Internet researching, a little cookbook sleuthing, I came up with this recipe, pretty much the first recipe I have ever created "on my own." It can easily become "your favorite granola" simply by customizing it: keep the ratios of the liquids and dry ingredients the same and you really can't go wrong. One word of caution: watch this stuff like a hawk in about the last ten minutes of baking, because that's when it tends to get moody, and say, "I'm going to burn if I want to, and you can't stop me." Otherwise, smooth sailing, and happy mouths.

Courtney's Favorite Granola
Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Mix dry ingredients:
3 cups oats
1 cup of walnuts (or almonds, or any other nut you like)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Mix wet ingredients and spices
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 TB vegetable oil
2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 each of cinnamon and nutmeg for a Christmas-y feel)
1 tsp vanilla, almond, or maple extract
1/2 c applesauce (I use sugar-free)
2-4 TB brown sugar

Incorporate mixed wet ingredients into mixed dry ingredients. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. Spread mixture on a greased jelly roll/roasting pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring after about 20 minutes. After baking, allow granola to rest in pan for about 5 minutes to finish baking completely. Spread granola onto a sheet of foil paper or a different pan to finish cooling completely. Mix in dried fruit if desired (I like dried cranberries, dried apple slices, or raisins). Store in airtight container for about a week, or in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to a month or two (not sure how long it lasts to be honest, because I eat it pretty quickly, but this seems to be the general consensus among other granola bakers).

Better Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Everyone says that their chocolate chip recipe is the best. I'm not saying this, because this recipe isn't mine. Still, I think it is the best. If you like crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside chocolate chip cookies, then this one is for you.

I love bing able to make up a batch of this dough, bake a few cookies and freeze the rest. Company coming over? Bake them some fresh cookies. You're home will smell delicious, your neighbors will be jealous, and you will be toted as the hostess of the century.

*A note about the recipe: it calls for dissoliving the baking soda in hot water. I'm not really sure what this does to the cookies. Next time I might just skip this step and see how they turn out. Still, with the batch I made, I did do this quirky step and they turned out great. Maybe that's the trick?

**For freezing: wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge for 3-5 hours before baking. Interestingly enough, chilled dough produces chewier cookies because the fats are not melted.

As always, nuts are optional. I left them out (mainly because I wanted to add in extra chocolate chips heheh!)

Knock-off Razzleberry Pie

2011-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in middle school, it seemed that every girl and her mother owned a Louis Vuitton purse. Ah, well, that's what it seemed. Upon closer inspection, one would realize that those little LV's and fancy symbols were actually, LU's paired with smiley faces or some other ridiculous circular motif.

Well, I'm not going to try and dupe you with this recipe. It kind of looks like Marie Callendar's flaky double-crust pie with dark berry filling. Yet, with scrutiny the filling is a little too red, a little too Razzly. But it tastes darn good, just like how those knock-off Louis, in the end, were purses too.

So don't judge, and try it. Preferably warm with vanilla ice cream.

Knock-off Razzleberry Pie adapted from Better Homes & Garden's New Cookbook 15th Edition

Double-Crust Pie Pastry

3 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture looks like peas. Sprinkle ice water 1 TB at a time, and toss flour mixture with a fork, working in sections until the entire mixture is moist but not sticky. Divide mixture in half.

Take one half and on a lightly floured surface, roll until about 12 inches in diameter. Fit into bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Trim edges.

Roll out other ball and leave aside.

Berry Mixture

3 cups of frozen mixed berries

2 cups of frozen raspberries

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup AP flour

Berries should be icy, but not frozen solid. Let fruit stand for 45 minutes if solidly frozen. Mix everything together, until berries are well coated, and mixture is thickened. Spoon mixture into crust-lined 9-inch pie plate. Cover with second pie crust. Fold top crust beneath the edges of the bottom crust. Cut several slits in the top crust to allow for air to escape. Decorate edge.

Brush milk or egg wash onto top of pie and sprinkle with sugar (sanding sugar is very pretty) for a fancy schmancy look (it goes with the knock-off theme). Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent it from browning too much.

Place a cookie sheet below pie in oven to catch any fruit juices that escape. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (40 to 50 if fruit was frozen). Remove foil. Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes until filling is bubbling, or fruit is softened. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Top with ice cream or whipped cream. Take that Marie Callendar.

First Meals

2011-07-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

June 17th I moved into my own very first place (financed by parents and student loans, of course). It is an exciting and scary time. I have had to learn to feed myself, and not rely on the glorious salad bar from the dormitory dining hall: O how I miss thee, fair selection of organic and local produce, and the occasional oddity like miniature corn.
It has been pretty warm here, so I haven't wanted to turn on the oven too much. I have, however, made copious amounts of granola...

Tried my hand at mashed potatoes...

Made Trader Joe's Multi-grain Pancakes from a wholesome and tasty box mix (farewell Bisquick)...

And Made Mom's Pasta Salad, all on my own...

When I'm not eating leftovers, it's mostly salads, quesadillas, and sandwiches. Easy, but satisfying.

Which reminds me, I recently saw an interview with Anderson Cooper where he said that he goes through phases where he "rediscovers" food. Three of his favorites are protein shakes, egg whites, and PB&J sandwiches. I think Anderson and I would get along pretty well.

Spinach and Feta Quiche

2011-07-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

J'adore la quiche. Hey, I took 6 years of French, and I can at least say that (and enough to muddle through a French Club pique-nique for Bastille Day). I made this quiche for the get-together, and I think it was well-enjoyed, as I was only left with 2 slices. Delicieuse.

I had made the same recipe sans tomates a week before for my Mom's first visit to my nouvelle apartement. The first one was good, but the second one was definitely a charm.

Faux pas: do NOT buy any other spinach than frozen, CHOPPED spinach. I made the mistake on the first quiche of not buying chopped, and it was very stringy, and grass clod unappetizing looking. Green is good, but not this much green.

Case in point: Green onions=good green, especially with nice white cheeses

Also, I am becoming a bit pie obsessed. I could literally eat pie crust with every meal of the day. More pie crusts to come. Decorating is fun!

If you are a ~~lazy~~ busy college student like me, then I have a tip for you: after you've eaten as much quiche as you can handle the first day of making this, freeze individual slices. Pop a slice in the microwave for a minute in and a half in the microwave, and voila! Dinner! Sure the crust will not be quite as crumbly, but good eggy, cheesy, oniony, spinachy deliciousness will still be there.

Spinach & Feta Quiche from Sunset: Vegetarian Cooking

1 pie crust recipe (below)

1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen CHOPPED spinach

6 ounces feta cheese (if you can find the one already seasoned with Mediterranean spices, buy it, it really adds flavor)

6 green onions sliced

1 TB olive oil

1 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2-1 tomato sliced for top

Pastry for 9 inch pie from Better Homes & Garden New Cookbook 15th Edition

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water

Beginning with pastry, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces resemble peas. Sprinkle water over flour mixture 1 TB spoon at a time over small sections and toss with a fork. Repeat until all of mixture is moistened (but not sticky). Make a ball with the flour mixture and knead until it holds together.

Lightly flour your rolling surface, and flatten pastry a little with your hands; roll until about 12 inches in diameter. Fold or roll pastry into a 9-inch pie plate; careful not too stretch it too much.

Trim pastry around edge, and decorate however you like. Check your silverware for neat patterns, that's what I pressed into mine.

Prick bottom of pastry several times with a fork. Brush on milk or light egg wash for color if you want. Bake in an 400 deg. oven for 10 minutes. Let it cool, and...

Begin working on la quiche:

Squeeze out liquid from the spinach, I like the roll in a towel technique. Take a clean dish cloth and plop the defrosted spinach in the center. Sealing up the ends, wring out the towel until little or no more moisture seeps out. Set aside.

In a blender, food processor, or mixer mix cheeses, onions, oil, basil, pepper and garlic salt until creamy. Add eggs and milk, and mix until smooth. Add spinach and pulse. Pour mixture into partially baked pastry shell. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes for some color and a burst of sweetness.

Bake la quiche for 20 minutes at 400 deg. Cover crust with foil if it is becoming too brown. Reduce to 350 deg. and bake for 15 or 20 more minutes. It is done when a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool on a wire rack completely if you are going to put it in the fridge, otherwise 10 minutes should be cool enough to eat.

Chocolate Revel Bars

2011-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Although I've made both chocolate chip banana bread, and granola since making this indulgently tasty, yet ridiculously easy cookie, I won't bore you with my old favorites. While I love banana bread, I seem to have fallen into a banana rut. I blame my Grandmother, who purposefully leaves out bananas to become overripe so that when I come home I will bake with them: banana bread, banana muffins, banana... The granola I own up to though. There is nothing like crunchy, sweetly spiced oats.

I love oats. Wholesome alone. Hearty for breakfast. Comforting as a cookie. Plus, it's a whole grain, so let's just forget the sugar bomb of sweetened condensed milk that goes into this recipe for now.

From Better Homes and Gardens' New Cook Book 15th Edition (another old favorite).

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

3/4 cups chocolate chips

7 oz sweetened condensed milk (half of the standard 14 oz can)

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Save 2 TB of butter for filling. Cream rest of butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats.

Filling: in a saucepan combine 2 TB butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and stir in nuts and vanilla.

Press 2/3 of oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 pan. Spread out filling over oats. Dot rest of oats onto top of filling (play around with fun shapes!)

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until oats are lightly brown. Cool on wire rack.

Banana Nut Muffins

2011-04-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am going to be completely honest here, because I think the truth is a good thing, and I don't want to be called a liar. These muffins are healthy. On their own they aren't very tasty. BUT, (and isn't there always a but?) they are a perfect vessel for streusel topping.

Streusel. I would eat it on pretty much anything.

Brown sugar, melted butter, chopped pecans. Is there really anything better? I think there was a bit of flour in the mix too, but I left that out of the list of deliciousness because nobody thinks flour is good on its own.

BUT, (there it is again!) flour mixed with mashed bananas, nuts, sugar, an egg or twothat is baked in the oven for less than a half hour produces a nice, sweet package that can pass for either breakfast or dessert.

In the world of baked goods, versatility is a virtue.

Sweet Petite Cherry Pie

2011-04-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

Cherry pie is one of my favorite pies. Buttery pie crust and tart yet sweet, juicy fruit filling. I was lucky enough to have just enough pie crust left over in the freezer from the butter tarts of January, that the laborious process of pulsing shortening into flour until the size of peas was not even an issue. Much to my pleasant surprise, the flavor of the crust was not sacrificed with this short-cut, and to me seemed even flakier!

Using a greased cookie sheet I was able to make three individual cherry pies for each of the lovely ladies in my home. I was able to practice lattice-crust making, which is actually a lot easier than it appears, but also a bit more messy.

As a sparkling finishing touch I added egg wash and some coarse granulated sugar.

These were perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Baked at 425 F for about 22-23 minutes.

The Ultimate Brownie

2011-02-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

My Grandmother is a chocoholic. Chocolate crumbs are often found on her recliner, as are See's candy wrappers in the pocket of her robe. But I love her for it. I suppose, if you have to be addicted to something, chocolate isn't necessarily a bad choice.

When I finally had a 3-day weekend of which to take advantage of and go home, I instantly knew what I wanted to make. Not these.

No, I had dreamt of individual cherry pies for months. The butter tarts and pumpkin pie still left me hankering for more flaky pie dough...Mmmm. So, when my grandmother batted her long lashes at me and asked, "So, Courtney...are you going to bake anything while you're home? Maybe something chocolate? Brownies?" my initial response was:

"Well, I wanted to try something new..."

How can you resist an octogenarian? You can't, especially once you realize that it is very possible that the dessert you make could very well be the last desert they EVER eat. Sorry to sound morbid, but it's true, and maybe I secretly wanted these brownies too.

This is the same recipe as the one here, although the "surprise" has been replaced by chopped walnuts (what is called for in the original recipe). One can't go wrong with Ghirardelli, and the crunch of the nuts is an even lovelier surprise.

A side note: I have upgraded to using the camera on my new iPhone, and I am loving the results!

Butter Tarts

2011-01-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that picture looks pretty gross; but that just goes to show that it is what is on the inside that matters.

My favorite food is raisins. They are nature's candy, and they become (candy)^2 when combined with butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in this lovely family recipe (which, sorry, but I won't share).

The crust is a basic pie pastry (something I have certainly improved in making since the pumpkin pies of Thanksgiving and Christmas), both buttery and flaky.

On my last day at home during winter vacation my best friend (aka Mom) and I made these together. Not once did I attempt to commandeer the baking process (another improvement), and the tarts tasted all the better for it, I'm sure.

I won't bake again until I go home for the 3-day weekend in February, but I see much baking in my future. Why, you ask?

Today I found out that my application has been approved and I will have my own studio apartment in June! I will be able to bake, cook, and blog to my heart's content with reckless abandon, without fear of the countless germs that loom in the dorm kitchen but will be recognized enemies in my pristine studio.

Truly home, sweet home (away from home).

(only remembered to take a plated photo after I had taken a few bites, oops)

Italian Almond Macaroons

2011-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is a classy cookie. It is the kind of cookie I imagine eating as I sit in a cafe in some little Italian town while sipping at my white china cup of espresso. Please ignore the lack of class in the photo exhibited by the Gadware container these cookies sit in. They were popular with company, and it wasn't until evening that I noticed they were almost gone. I could waste no more time!

These cookies are unique, using no flour whatsoever, but almond flour (ground up almonds). This adds even more to the almond flavor that comes from the almond extract in the batter and crushed almonds on top.

Even though this cookie was popular with others, I didn't particularly like them. The recipe (which I won't bother pasting here) was a bit bizarre. It claimed it would make 24 cookies, and instead made 50! Also, almond flour is very temperamental to work with--it literally sweats in your hands! Who needs hand lotion? The texture was what bothered me the most though, they were hard upon first bite, and instead of being crumbly, felt like a stale cracker on the tongue.

They are tasty dipped in coffee, but I'd save myself hours of work and buy a biscotti from the store any day.

Mint Brownies

2010-12-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

In returning home for Christmas I was so looking forward to doing some holiday baking and documenting my tasty adventures on this here blog. It simply wasn't meant to be, however, as just a few days after arriving home my computer did not want to cooperate, the screen broke, and I was without it for three weeks. This may have stopped the planned blogging, but not the baking. Thankfully the oven didn't break too.

The first dessert I baked was this pan of mint brownies to satisfy my grandmother's chocolate craving. "Forget See's!" she said as she finished the first brownie. This along with my grandmother's prediction that I will become a "great baker" were two of the nicest compliments I've received since I've been busying myself in the kitchen.

There really isn't much to this recipe; but, simplicity can be delicious. Bake up your favorite brownie recipe (mine comes from the back of the can of Ghirardelli cocoa powder can), and after the pan comes out of the oven, just cover the top with Ande's mints (creme de menthe candies). The heat on the brownies will help to melt the chocolates; swirl until covered, and place in fridge until top is hard.

Is there anything better than melted chocolate?

Pumpkin Pie

2010-12-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Until about a week and a half ago I had not baked anything, or at least completely baked anything on my own! I am fortunate to have a friend at college who lives in an apartment, and during this quarter I helped her to bake a cake, but using a box mix just ain't the same.

You can imagine, then, my excitement to go home for Thanksgiving. This was my first attempt at making pumpkin pie. It was my first attempt at making any pie not made with a Jell-O mix! I am pleased with the results, and I must say, for a beginning baker, the Betty Crocker Cookbook is practically the Bible.

The pie crust was a challenge. I think I may have "overpulsed" it in the the food processor, causing it to tear when I tried to unfold it into the pie plate. However, I think I have answered the great debate of what makes a pie crust flaky: shortening! Betty's recipe called for shortening, and this was a delicious, crumbly crust.

Admittedly, I used canned pumpkin, so perhaps this wasn't completely from scratch, but who really cares when it tastes great?

Coconutty Pumpkin Snack Cake

2010-09-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Even the deliciousness of this cake cannot erase the sadness I must share. I have baked my last this summer, and in one day I must return to college. To ring in the new school year I decided to make something reminiscent of autumn and all its warm flavors, yet I wanted something easy and with as little mess as possible. Snack cake!

I suppose it is called snack cake because you can throw it together, like a snack; but this cake really sticks to your bones, so don't let the name fool you. For a little extra decadence I added a broiled coconut and almond topping.

The cake is prepared in the pan, leaving you with barely any clean up and more time to enjoy your dessert!

Cake adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook; & "Broiled Coconut Topping" from the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook

Cake ingredients:

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices with fork in an ungreased square pan, 8x8x12". Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking prepare broiled coconut topping: beat 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons softened butter until combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 cup flaked coconut and 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds because that was all I had). Immediately spread mixture on top of cake when it comes out of oven. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes about 4 inches from heat until golden brown.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

Serve warm.

For even more decadence, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Baked Banana Splits

2010-09-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Craving the symbol of old-timey ice cream parlors but missing a key ingredient, ice cream? Well, even if you aren't, you should make this and eat it anyways. It is yummy, easy, and fast to make. Don't let the garish black peel scare you off, obviously you don't eat that. The peel is simply the vessel in which warm, gooey, sugar heaven is preserved until reaching your mouth via spoon.

Ingredients:

Ripe bananna

(everything that follows is optionable, tweakable, etc. The flavor combinations are only limited to what you find in the cupboard)

Cinnamon

Sweetened shredded coconut

Peanut butter chips

Chocolate chips

Mini-marshmallows

(other fillings: butter and brown sugar, dried fruit, candy pieces, nuts...)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350-375 deg. F (depending on how firm/mushy you want the banana). Cut off banana stem. Slit peel at base of banana (where stem would be) and slit lengthwise cutting into fruit, but not through the peel on the other side. Fill center with anything that pleases your fancy. My only suggestion would be, if you are using marshmallows, save that for the very top, as that creates a nice crunchy crust that is fun to crack into, and that also helps to keep everything below from melting out.

Prop bananas up on an upside down donut or muffin pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes. You can tell when the bananas are done because the skin will have turned black, and the bottom of the banana should be soft to touch. If you are worried about the marshmallows burning, drape tin foil over top in last 2 minutes of baking. Serve warm.

Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-09-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, my mom and I were invited to a Pampered Chef party. If you have never been to one, you are truly missing out, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to eat, or the kind of person who likes kitchen gadgets (very inclusive, you see).

After an hour of munching away on snacks, oohing and awing over the power of a special kitchen chopper, and socializing, it was time to buy something. Mom insisted that I pick something out as a souvenir type thing. I went with the miniature cookie cutters. After waiting for five weeks for the little tin of cutters to arrive, I couldn't wait to use them. Naturally, sugar cookies seemed logical, but I was in the mood for something a bit more decadent.

Recipe(s) adapted from Gold Medal No. 42: Cookies & Bars,

"Peanut Butter Spring Baby Cookies with Vanilla Frosting":

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla and/or Chocolate Frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Beat sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and egg in bowl on medium speed until creamy. Stir in baking powder and salt.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half of dough about 1/4" thick on lightly floured surface with a flour dusted rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 6-7 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove from sheet and cool completely on wire rack before frosting (about 30 minutes).

Vanilla (Chocolate) Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

(for chocolate, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder)

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Rocky Road Cake

2010-08-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

In my pantry I have a box filled with magic. While others may call it "cheating," I prefer the phrase "taking a short cut." In the end, what matters is that it tastes good (which this cake does). Using Bisquick I made a cake that is fluffy, not doughy like one would expect when using a biscuit/pancake mix. Mixed with some brown sugar and binders for a few minutes you get a perfect cake base with which to top with almost anything. In this case, I followed the recipe, covering the cake surface with everything that a good ice cream sundae of Rocky Road ice cream should have. Those of you who like the "ice cream" parallelism will appreciate my mother's slice in the background of the photo, topped with a dollop of whipped topping.

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Bisquick Makes it Easy!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix (I used the HeartSmart variety)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg (or 1/4 cup EggBeaters - Say No to Salmonella! and lick the bowl of raw batter)

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease and flour round pan, 9x1-1/2". Beat baking mix, brown sugar, water, shortening, vanilla and egg in bowl on low speed for about 30 seconds; scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes; scraping bowl occasionally. Pour mixture into pan. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

These are such an American classic. I would go so far as to argue that chocolate chip cookies are more American than apple pie. Sure, the chocolate is grown in South America, and the sugar comes from somewhere in the Caribbean, but I would guess that more servings of chocolate chip cookies are eaten by Americans per year than servings of apple pie.

I made these on the same day as the ratatouille, and several days later they are even better. They are easy to make, the dough is delicious, and they even facilitate aroma therapy. Could you ask for more of such a humble dessert? I think not.

I used Better Homes and Garden's recipe which calls for a little more brown sugar than the classic toll house version. I like a carmel flavor in my cookie, and these had just that. This recipe makes the perfect milk dunkable cookie: crispy edges, chewy middle.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips (1 12 oz. package)
(I added a few dashes of salt)

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, beat shortening and butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds. Add sugars, salt and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can (my mixer was pretty strong and could take it all on!); stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 F oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

White Bean Ratatouille

2010-08-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

This meal is kind of special. It is the first dinner meal (not heated up in a microwave, mind you) that I have ever made with zero assistance from my sous chef, Mom.

Last Thursday everyone was out of the house, and I fully took advantage of this time to cook and bake (be watching for a cookie posting!) It took me an obscene amount of time to chop the vegetables, particularly to figure out how to cut up garlic and how to peel eggplant. I have never cooked eggplant before. In fact, I'm not even sure if eggplant has ever been cooked in my house even by someone who isn't me. The kitchen has been christened.

Another reason why this meal is special? It has a (minor) connection to the exciting news I am about to share. Several times I have eaten the "white bean ratatouille" served up in the dining halls at my university, which is where I got the inspiration to add the delicious little beans to this recipe. Come fall quarter I will be working in the dining hall! First real job! This may not seem exciting to those of you who understand "dining hall" to be code language for "cafeteria," but hey, I'd rather work around vegetables and desserts that I love than filing cabinets and office phones that I detest. Think about that, and in the meantime, feast your eyes.

White Bean Ratatouille adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book"

BH&G says that this recipe is "Mediterranean," but anyone who has ever seen that movie with the rat knows this is a bunch of bologna.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

5-6 cups cubed, peeled eggplant

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 14 oz can sliced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup chopped bell pepper (I like green)

3 tablespoons water

Salt

Pepper

Basil

In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until soft. Mix in eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender. Uncover and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil.

This recipe serves about three people. If you only have two people, that's better because in my opinion the leftovers were better, especially eaten cold!

Granola

2010-08-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

I think that of all the textures of food, crunch would be my favorite. So, ever since recovering from the whole popcorn/gum fiasco, I have been craving crunchy food. Crusty bread, cereal, crackers...nothing could quench the desire until yesterday, when I made my own granola. That's right, I didn't pay $4 for a box of oats covered in partially hydrogenated soy bean oil and sugar. What I made was much more delicious.

I did my research on the Internet. Most granola recipes that came up from Google had several things in common: oil, butter, sugar, molasses (i.e. more sugar). Why was this necessary? Granola has become synonymous with "health freak" in our society, but could it be that this was a misnomer? I mean, surely any "health benefits" one garnered from eating the good oats and nuts would be negated by the fat and sugar.

So I did some more research, and after tweaking a few recipes, I came up with a recipe for granola that does not use oil whatsoever. Eureka!

Recipe adapted from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/10/dining/101mrex.html?_r=1>

Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup size)
Ingredients:

3 cups of rolled oats (I had no problem using quick cooking, though some people don't advise it, and feel free to substitute some other grains if you don't have enough; for example, I used about a 1/2 cup of Grape Nuts cereal for added crunch with 2-1/2 cups of oats)
1 cup of mixed nuts and seeds (basically whatever I had around, some pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds)
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
1/2 cup of dry shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
Dash of salt
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of maple syrup (I used sugar free syrup, plus a few packets of Splenda to taste. Using sugar free syrup surprisingly still resulted in a crunchy granola, so have no fear!)
1/2 cup dried fruit (I prefer raisins and craisins)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients except dried fruit. Place on a sheet pan in center rack of oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so to prevent burning.
2) Remove pan and add dried fruit. Allow pan to cool on a rack, stirring occasionally until granola reaches room temperature. Keep in sealed container in fridge; it will last forever this way.

Popcorn, Peach Sorbet, and Deformed Lemon

2010-08-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been doing much baking, even though I have had access to a kitchen and a lot of time on my hands. I guess that is the result of summer laziness.

An outrageous occurrence in early June left me in a sad state of eating mush. A bowl of popcorn is was my favorite night time snack when mixed with a handful of raisins. Yet, in indulging one night a popcorn hull became lodged between my tooth and gum tissue and enjoyed itself wreaking havoc with my white blood cells. Two treatments of antibiotics, a taste-bud altering mouthwash, approximately 10 injections of anesthetic, and a laser procedure to pull back the flap of my gum, and finally I am healed! I was put on a "soft foods diet" for a week after all that fun. Yay. Not.

Thankfully, adversity breeds creativity. Tired of eating pudding, soup, and ravioli, one night I decided to make a refreshing, fruit dessert.

I decided on Peach Sorbet. Out came the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker!

First I blended:
1 C fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 C frozen diced peaches
3 TB lemon juice, mixed with 1 TB water

After about 10 minutes in the ice cream maker, I put the good stuff in a container in the freezer for about 3 hours. When I came back to enjoy, I was disappointed with how hard it had become. Perhaps this was the result of not enough fat, or too much liquid? The freezing also took away some of the sweetness, so next time I might add a little sugar or *gasp of horror* Splenda. The mixture itself, however, would make a great smoothie, especially for those who like them a little sour with that splash of lemon in there.

Before I close, a note about lemons:
I have a lemon tree in my back yard (yes, I am very lucky, I know). The lemons are always delicious, even though one that I used in the dessert isn't what one would call "classically beautiful."

Case in point:

(A lemon that wanted to be a chili)

Cross sectioned:

Believe it or not, this little guy actually tasted good. I guess this is mother nature also trying to tell us that it is what is on the inside that matters...haha, cliches.

Bananna Bread

2010-06-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

First let me say, I am horrible at spelling the word "banana." I always want to spell it like this :
"bananna."
So, to make it easy on myself, I am going to spell it the way I want to.

An extra "n" doesn't make a recipe any less delicious. Although this one was a little dry upon first eating it. It tasted much better after sitting, wrapped up in plastic overnight. Yes, maybe the recipe did instruct to wait and slice the loaf the next day, but who could wait when it is warm out of the oven and looks like that?

I used the recipe from the "Better Homes & Garden Cookbook." The topping is a streusel-nut crumble made from flour, brown sugar, butter, and chopped walnuts. In all honesty, the bread would only be O.K., not good, if it weren't for this stuff. Next time I may try Betty Crocker's recipe as I was dissatisfied with the dryness of the bananna bread considering the 1/2 cup of butter that went into the batter. Well, at least there are people in my house to eat it. I'll just eat the top.

Also, I can't get this annoying highlighting off of the preceding text; apologies.

Lemon Jelly Roll

2010-06-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

A jelly roll cake is daunting. Delicious, dainty, but daunting. I decided to take a leap of faith last weekend when I was home for Memorial day and make a lemon filled jelly roll cake as the lemon dessert I had promised. Let me give a big shout out to my Mom who served as sous-chef on this one, especially when it came to the lemon filling (the first batch of which flopped, because the sauce pan I used to make it in was too big. How was I supposed to know this would affect the chemistry of the whole thing? I am a literature major, not a sciency person, thank you).

The cake is only about 1/4 of an inch thin, and is spongy, allowing it to be rolled up in a powder sugar covered towel after coming out of the oven, unrolled, and then rolled up again after being filled with lemony goodness.

Although I couldn't resist having two slices in one night, you will notice that there is only one slice on the plate (don't let convention stop you from eating the whole thing though!) It was paired lovely with some freshly made whipped cream with a topping of lemon zest. Oh, the recipe also called for two drops of yellow food coloring in the lemon filling (which is very much like a lemon curd), but I thought that was kind of gross. So maybe it looks like you're eating Vaseline; I think what matters most is that it doesn't taste like Vaseline.

For both the lemon filling and cake I used recipes from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Gotta' love Betty.

Lemons!

2010-05-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Going home for Memorial Day weekend and planning to make something with lemons off the tree in the back yard. What will it be? Lemon bars? Lemon bread? Lemon cake? Only time will tell; but it will taste like summer, that I know.

Survival Cooking

2010-04-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Some RAs from my building just put on a program for us helpless little college students to teach us how to cook easy meals for when we go out on our own in the years to come. I appreciated the event, but I couldn't help but notice that there were only about 5 residents at the program while the food was being made (that would be the important part, the instruction, you see); yet, as the smell of food wafted down the hall, our kitchen/lounge area became flooded with college students. Therefore, I watched, I ate, and I left.

Unfortunately I didn't have a chace to take pictures, but the RAs made some delicicous (and EASY) bagel concoctions.

Ingredients:

Mini bagels, cut in half
Cream cheese
Pesto
Tomato, sliced
Grated cheese blend (like a bag of Kraft)

Directions:
Lay out bagel halves on a cookie sheet. Spread with 1 T of cream cheese. Then spread with 1 T of pesto. Cover with a slice of tomato. Sprinkle each bagel with a little cheese. Place sheet in the oven on low heat (300F-350F) until cheese on top melts.

I was happy with the taste and texture of the little appetizer. However, I think this is one of those meals that could benefit from being "healthified." I think if I made it, I might substitue whole wheat mini bagels, low fat cream cheese, and low fat 1% grated cheese. Even the pesto could be substituted for some lemon pepper, as one of the cooks said. If anything, the substitutions might make the dish even more delicious.

Banana Experiment

2010-04-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

I had a banana. I had a mini-fridge with a freezer compartment. I had to try it. The results looked kind of disgusting, and it was very hard to peel, but it tasted a bit like a banana smoothie...that you have to eat with a fork (?)

Don't think I'd "make" it again, just because the clean-up is more than my laziness will permit.

Delicious Dinner

2010-04-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

I may not have a kitchen, but I do have a salad bar.

It was good. Spinach, croutons, parmasean cheese, mandarin oranges, red onions, red cabbage, chickpeas, and a little balsamic vinaigrette. Now, if only that unsightly blotch of vinegar on the edge of that white plate wasn't staring me in the face and laughing.

Deprivation

2010-04-10T16:18:00.001-07:00

I want a suitable kitchen, dagnabit! I wish that my school would explode so I could just go home, and among other things do some baking!

Giant Ginger Cookies

2010-03-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of my favorite Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season cookie. However, it is almost Easter, so why did I just make them? Because they are good all freakin' year round! Oh, and my Grandma was craving them. So, with my mother working as my assistant (ha) we produced a delicious batch and the house was left smelling wonderfully like holiday spices.

From the "Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook"

Giant Ginger Cookies

Makes: about 25 cookies

Ingredients:

4-1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 c shortening
2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses
3/4 c coarse sugar or granulated sugar

Directions:
In a bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
In another bowl bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low for about 30 seconds to soften. Slowly add the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, and scrape sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.
Shape dough into 2-inch balls (about 1/4 cup dough). Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar. Place about 2-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Ghirardelli Brownies with a Surprise

2010-03-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

It was finally time for me to make something sweet during this vacation. What would it be? Coconut cake? Oatmeal raisin cookies? I was really at a lost until my mother suggested making brownies. Of course, only the best recipe would do, and without a doubt that would the Ghiradelli brownie recipe. Upon taking the first bite my grandmother said that she had never eaten a brownie that good and "You just can't get a box mix that good."

The recipe calls for walnuts, but since I am not nuts for, well, nuts I substituted in a surprise. It ended up adding a welcome bit of tanginess to the otherwise overwhelmingly (but good) chocolatey brownies. These brownies will simply melt in your mouth, surprise or not.

Reproduced from the back of the Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa can

Makes: 16-20 brownies

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c butter or margarine, melted
3/4 c Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa
2/3 c unsifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c of walnuts (original recipe, but my SURPRISE substitutes in dried cranberries, like Craisins!)
1 c 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (the can of cocoa says "optional," but I say "essential)

Directions:
"Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a spoon, stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter. Sift Sweet Ground Chocolate with flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into egg mixture; add nuts (or surprise). Stir in chips. Spread into a greased 8" or 9" square pan. Bake 20-30 minutes (or if your oven sucks, like mine, 35 minutes). For extra chewy brownies, use 8" pan and less baking time. For cake-like brownies, use 9" pan and longer baking time. Cut into squares."

Surprise!

Pasta Salad

2010-03-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

This is another one of my favorite meals, so it simply had to be made for my week home. I ended up having pasta salad two dinners in a row, because it is just SO good. In my opinion, the dish is almost better the second day as the dressing really soaks into the broccoli and croutons...mmmm, yes. I almost begin to salivate as I write this. Good thing there is a pan of fresh brownies sitting just feet away from my keyboard. No. Restraint, have a little self-control. Anyways, pasta salad. The original recipe was called "pizza salad," but as I don't make it with the pepperoni, I felt the snazzy name would be a bit ridiculous. I guess that just goes to prove, as my good friend Willy says, "A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet," or in modernspeak "this recipe is delicious no matter what you call it.

Pasta Salad

Serves: 16

Ingredients:

1 lb spiral colored macaroni; cooked and drained
1-3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4-1/2 lb cheddar cheese cubed
1/2 bunch slice green onions
3 oz pepperoni (or salami, or NEITHER)
3 crowns of broccoli

Dressing (combine in a small bowl):

1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
2/3 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Mix salad and dressing well, refrigerate several hours. Top with croutons before serving.

Suggestions:

Looking for a little spice? Make Southwestern Pasta Salad! This is my mother's fabulous variation on the original recipe. In place of the usual vinaigrette use a mixture of 1-1.5 C ranch dressing, 1/2 c green taco sauce, and 3 Tb dry taco seasoning mix. Then, substitute 1 can of black beans, and 1 can of corn, pepper jack cheese, and crushed tortilla chips for broccoli, cheddar, and croutons. Other nice add-ins to the original recipe: kidney beans, and black olives (not to my taste, but some like them).