Sugar Cookies

Yummmmm...chewy, sweet, with just a hint of crispness at the edges. I love these sugar cookies. We made a batch today while watching the Olympics- Munch is absolutely hooked. She stayed up for the entire Opening Ceremony, reading off all the names of the countries and commenting on their outfits and population statistics as I fought off yawns. I think she'd park herself on the couch munching these sookies for the next several days if I'd let her!

Sugar Cookies
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 c. sugar, plus 1/3 c.
2 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
6 tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and melted butter at medium-low speed until smooth. Add the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, and milk and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll gently into balls. Roll dough balls into additional 1/3 c. sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, press dough balls gently to flatten slightly. Sprinkle with additional sugar and bake until edges start to tan but cookies are still pale and puffy, about 9-10 minutes. Cool on a rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Hello Summer

A gorgeous day in the Bay Area, so we headed out to the Bay Area Discovery Museum with Munch's cousin. At 6 and 7, they are closer to the older side of the kids that visit, but both still had so much fun building, creating, and exploring. When we got home, there was more playtime and bouncing on the trampoline before a delicious dinner of white chicken chili, cornbread, and for dessert, S'mores bars!

S'mores bars- super easy to make!
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
12 oz. chocolate chips (the recipe calls for milk chocolate for authentic s'more flavor, but I prefer bittersweet!
4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix well and reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumbs into a lightly greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle the top of the crust evenly with the chocolate chips, then return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the pan and turn on the broiler. While the broiler heats, spread the chocolate into an even layer over the crust. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the chocolate, pressing them lightly, and then top with the reserved crumb mixture. Broil about 2 inches from the heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Favorite Flashbacks: Who Will Help Me Eat This Bread?

revisiting my favorite past posts...

Who Will Help Me Eat This Bread?

It's Little Red Hen week in my kindergarten, which means we're making bread- lots of it. Every day, I take a small group and we mix up a batch of Irish Soda bread. It's an easy recipe- doesn't require too many ingredients, isn't off-putting to picky eaters (some soda bread recipes call for raisins and caraway seeds), and the measurements for the various ingredients are simple to divide between several kids. I forget how much I like this recipe (it's so good toasted and slathered with jam) until I start baking a loaf every night for a week. Munch is curious about the dough I keep carting home, so we may be making some this weekend for her to taste!


Irish Soda Bread
4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the buttermilk and stir until thoroughly incorporated (no dry crumbles remain) and dough begins to form a ball. Turn dough into a greased pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.

Flashback Favorites: The Icing on the Cake

Revisiting some of my favorite past posts. I LOVE this recipe for all the lighter cakes of spring!

The Icing on the Cake

I like frosting, really I do. When it's just right, it makes a simple cake something truly special. Some people love all kinds, no matter how sugary- even the shortening based ones from the supermarket bakery. They're also usually the ones who as kids, ate all the frosting off their cupcakes and tossed the actual cake in the trash! I know that my very best friend will always want a corner piece of a sheet cake- the one that's essentially half cake, half frosting- if there's a big ol' honking icing rose on the top of it, so much the better. I'm the type that's often hopeful about the frosting, but end up leaving most of it on the plate. I want to like it, but am often disappointed.

My latest challenge has been to find a nice, simple vanilla frosting for when I decide, at the last minute, to whip up a batch of cupcakes or a rectangular cake (you know, the one in the 9x13 pan, that you end up snacking on, one little bit at a time, all weekend?) I haven't been happy with most of the frostings I've tried that use butter and powdered sugar- they're usually too sweet for my tastes. But I'm also too lazy to try anything more involved (meaning, a stovetop as is called for in some frosting recipes). But this weekend, as I rooted through my cupboard, I came across a recipe for white chocolate butter cream frosting on a package of Bakers' white chocolate squares. It turned out to be exactly what I've been searching for- easy, a subtle white chocolate flavor, and more interesting than "plain vanilla", which surprised me because I'm not much of a white chocolate fan. This will definitely be my "go-to" frosting from now on!

White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting (enough for 1-9x13 pan, double the recipe if you're stacking 2 round layers)
3 oz. white chocolate
3-4 tbs. heavy whipping cream
1 stick unsalted butter (mine was still a bit chilled from the fridge, but not rock-hard)-cut into pieces
1/2-3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Break white chocolate into pieces into a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream and heat at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, and heat another 30 seconds. Stir until white chocolate is melted and smooth (heating for a few seconds more at a time as needed). Stir to cool mixture slightly. Combine butter, 1/2 c. powdered sugar, white chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, adding more powdered sugar as needed to make desired consistency.

Navajo Tacos

Dinner tonight was Navajo tacos, a favorite recipe, that I haven't made since the move. It's basically tacos on Indian fry bread. I remember my first taste of fry bread many years ago when a student's parent of Native American descent made it for a cultural heritage day. How could you go wrong with fried dough? Yum! So I was glad to come across a fairly straightforward recipe for fry bread a few years ago. It's delicious plain, as a "shell" for taco fillings, or drizzled with honey, like a sopiapilla. What I am especially loving lately is that Munch is definitely eating like an older kid now. Her serving sizes are more consistent and easier to plan for and she can serve herself in the kitchen (so I can sit down at the table sooner AND stay there even when she wants seconds!)

Indian Fry Bread
3 1/2 c. flour (plus more for rolling dough)
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 c. warm water

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the warm water and mix thoroughly to create a loose, sticky dough. Set dough aside to rest 10-15 minutes. With floured hands, knead the dough a few turns and set aside to rest a few more minutes. Heat about an inch of oil in a frying pan. Meanwhile, divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll out on a floured board. Fry until golden on both sides and drain on a paper towel. Serve these right away! Makes 12 approx 6-inch dia. rounds.

The Icing on the Cake

I like frosting, really I do. When it's just right, it makes a simple cake something truly special. Some people love all kinds, no matter how sugary- even the shortening based ones from the supermarket bakery. They're also usually the ones who as kids, ate all the frosting off their cupcakes and tossed the actual cake in the trash! I know that my very best friend will always want a corner piece of a sheet cake- the one that's essentially half cake, half frosting- if there's a big ol' honking icing rose on the top of it, so much the better. I'm the type that's often hopeful about the frosting, but end up leaving most of it on the plate. I want to like it, but am often disappointed.

My latest challenge has been to find a nice, simple vanilla frosting for when I decide, at the last minute, to whip up a batch of cupcakes or a rectangular cake (you know, the one in the 9x13 pan, that you end up snacking on, one little bit at a time, all weekend?) I haven't been happy with most of the frostings I've tried that use butter and powdered sugar- they're usually too sweet for my tastes. But I'm also too lazy to try anything more involved (meaning, a stovetop as is called for in some frosting recipes). But this weekend, as I rooted through my cupboard, I came across a recipe for white chocolate butter cream frosting on a package of Bakers' white chocolate squares. It turned out to be exactly what I've been searching for- easy, a subtle white chocolate flavor, and more interesting than "plain vanilla", which surprised me because I'm not much of a white chocolate fan. This will definitely be my "go-to" frosting from now on!

White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting (enough for 1-9x13 pan, double the recipe if you're stacking 2 round layers)
3 oz. white chocolate
3-4 tbs. heavy whipping cream
1 stick unsalted butter (mine was still a bit chilled from the fridge, but not rock-hard)-cut into pieces
1/2-3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Break white chocolate into pieces into a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream and heat at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, and heat another 30 seconds. Stir until white chocolate is melted and smooth (heating for a few seconds more at a time as needed). Stir to cool mixture slightly. Combine butter, 1/2 c. powdered sugar, white chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, adding more powdered sugar as needed to make desired consistency.

Family Get-Togethers

I cannot believe it's been 2 weeks since I last posted (sorry!) As I mentioned in a previous post it's report card time, which coincided with my joining the Mom Bloggers Club. I've loved discovering other great mom blogs through this site, but it's sure taking me a while to get around to all the members of the Follow Me group I joined and get through all the posts waiting for me in my reader! It IS fun having some new Followers though- if you're not a Follower yet (and want to be), check out the link to the right!


While we're in catch up mode, I've gotta thank Deb for the Kreativ Blogger award- what a wonderful surprise! (I'm especially relieved to have readers and that I'm not boring anyone to death...) Thank you, thank you Deb! Check out her sweet and funny blog over at Life With Birk. It's one of my new, fave finds!

So the rules of receiving this award are:
List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers you love.
Be sure to tag them and let them know they have won! Copy and paste the award on your site.

7 Things I Love-
1. Of course, my sweet husband and my adorable Munch
2. Lattes- sugar free, soy, but full-caff!
3. Schedules/plans- a structured day is a reassuring day
4. Blogging!
5. A good book- my books-to-read shelf is getting full!
6. Searching for good food
7. My best friend, Gina!

7 Blogs I Love/Can't Miss-
1. Dishing With Debbie (she's a hoot!)
2. Foodie at Fifteen (now 16)(I can totally appreciate the way this kid loves food!)
3. C. Beth Blog (I love reading about her cute kids!)
4. Conversations With a Cupcake (This blog just makes me happy...)
5. Sasha Says (as if I wasn't already a die-hard internet shopper- watch for those GDA's-"good deal alerts")
6.Of Mice and raMen (Veronica finds the most interesting photos!)
7. The Trekking Chelini's (Love ya Liz! How could I not include you on this list?)

So even though I've been lax on posting, I sure haven't missed many good meals! Last weekend we had AudioDad's family over for dinner because his niece, Kristen, was in town. Aunt Lynn sent another fabulous gift (note to self: write thank you letter...)- the biggest hit was a box of neon colored bendy straws-water was never so exciting!

Dinner was a big tray of lasagna along with a batch of beer batter bread, roasted broccoli, and a salad of baby greens, beets, oranges, and goat cheese. AudioDad was thrilled to have his sister Lara's adorable mini cinnamon rolls (makes it easier to justify eating many, many more than one...)

And the next night, since the house was clean and I'd had the fabulous idea of making two trays of lasagna, we had my family over to celebrate my mom's birthday. A dinner re-run, I suppose. For dessert, a strawberry and cream topped cake made with white wine. It's delicious and easy-

Wine Cake
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 c. white wine (whatever is open- I usually use something like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 1/4 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 pint heavy cream, beaten to soft peaks with 2-3 tbsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and mix well. Add the oil, wine, flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat for about a minute then pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Serve slices topped with a generous spoonful of strawberries in syrup and a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

You Can't Go Wrong With Chocolate...

The Munchkin has really been something else these last few days. She's just been so chatty, bubbly, and will not stop dancing and singing EVERYWHERE she goes. Truth be told, it's driving me a little bonkers. Her most recent performance took place in the produce department. So when she woke up this morning and insisted on a chocolate breakfast, I gave her the "you're really pushing it" look. But when she responded brightly with, "But mom, you can't go wrong with chocolate", what could I say? I mean, the girl IS right (even though I have no idea where she comes up with this stuff...) so, after I whisked up a batch of hot chocolate on the stove, I popped a batch of our favorite chocolate chip scones into the oven-


After a few sips and nibbles, she danced off to start her day-


Chocolate Chip Scones
2 c. flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Add the chocolate chips and toss to combine. Add the cream all at once and mix until you have a "shaggy" dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently a few turns until dough is smooth. Pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 12 pieces. Bake at 425 degrees for about 16 minutes until golden brown. Plan to enjoy these all the day they are baked- they get stale quickly.

Hibernating

It's been a while since I last posted. I don't know, there's just something about winter that makes me so LAZY. I don't want to do a thing, and I want to stay in my jammies while I do it (meaning nothing, that is). I work through my piles of magazines and think about all the pots of soup I want to make. What recently caught my eye was a recipe for popovers in Wondertime magazine. (Who remembers that scene in Little Women- the ORIGINAL one- where Amy is feeding the babies bites of popovers? Anyone? Blancmange, on the other hand...) So I made a batch to go with some lentil soup- and now I'm hooked. They're so easy to make (and you don't need a special pan- I just use a muffin tin, although I'm thinking of investing in a popover pan now) and the ingredients are always around. I've made them 3 times this week already! Slathered with blackberry jam, they were quickly devoured!

Now you'd think that with me talking about winter hibernation, it would be chilly and gray out. Well, turns out we've had lovely CA weather (70s to 80s) that AudioDad and Munch made sure to take advantage of. She's making really good progress learning to ride her new bike-

Krispy Peanut Butter Balls

I'm so excited about these, I just had to blog again today! I had already decided that I would be sending Rice Krispie treats to Munch's preschool on her birthday. (As a teacher, I'm not a fan of these huge, frosting laden supermarket cupcakes that kids bring in for celebrations- the aftermath is not pretty. Crumbs everywhere-and they're not easy to sweep/wipe up, frosting everywhere, and usually most of the cupcake gets tossed in the trash.) But I was recently flipping through the December Oprah magazine and saw these yummy looking Rice Krispie balls that had peanut butter and mini chocolate chips mixed in- you know I had to try them! To see the original recipe, click here. It doesn't seem to make many- about 15 golf-ball sized treats. Cute if you're going to package several up for a friend. But for a class treat, I knew I'd need to increase the recipe- this should make enough bigger treats for a class (and don't forget the teacher!)

1/4 c. butter or stick margarine
16 oz. bag marshmallows
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
11 c. Rice Krispies cereal
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips
1 c. Heath toffee bits

Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan (I used my 6 qt. stockpot) over low heat. Add the marshmallows and peanut butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the cereal, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Stir quickly until well combined. Using your hands, shape the mixture into balls (coat your hands with oil first if you need to) about the size of an ice cream scoop. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve (if you don't eat half the batch before then!)

Grocery Finds

I was at the grocery store recently and happened to pass the British foods display. This unfortunate item happened to catch my eye-



Now, maybe it's just me (and the whole "fresh from the farmers' market" mentality here), but yuck! What sounds more unappetizing than canned peas, and smooshy ones at that? Turns out you can use them to make things like green pea fritters, but I think I'll pass.

However, I had forgotten about this other find and recently unearthed it from the corners of my pantry-



From the website, it seems that it's being marketed as a flavor enhancer for water. I found it next to the drink mixes, Crystal Light and such. But the reason I picked it up is that it had the potential to make my lemon snowballs the zingy little treat that I wanted them to be. These citrusy cookies were tucked into my holiday cookie baskets and trays this past Christmas. They're inspired by a delicious lemon cookie that Williams-Sonoma used to sell when I worked there SO long ago- I'm almost positive it was the Nikki's brand. They were basically a lemony shortbread-like, but possibly drier, cookie, dusted in powdered sugar, but with a really lemony zing. I was positive there was powdered lemon mixed into the powdered sugar coating, but it was impossible to find, except for a couple of random people who sold to bakeries. So I shelved the idea of replicating it until I came across the True Lemon at the grocery store.

I adapted a recipe for lemon cookies that was similar to a Mexican wedding cookie or Russian Tea cake. I'm not sure I quite have it just the way I want it, but it's a good start-



Lemon Snowballs
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tbs. lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
additional powdered sugar for rolling cookies (about 1 1/2 c.)
2 packets True Lemon

Combine the butter and 1/3 c. powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy using a mixer at medium speed. Add lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour and salt and mix well. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, leaving about an inch between cookies. Bake for about 15 minutes until set, and lightly golden around edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before rolling in a mixture of powdered sugar and contents of True Lemon packets. Allow cookies to cool completely on a rack before rolling in mixture a second time.

Oh my! Chocolate Cream Pie!

This is all that was left- bits of chocolate crumb crust, whipped cream, and chocolate pudding. Like a lot of recipes, I usually forget to make this until the holidays roll around and I need a sure crowd pleaser. I brought this to my sister-in-laws house on Thanksgiving and poor AudioDad almost didn't get a taste. So, I figured I'd bring two pies when we visited them again this past weekend. We joked that next time I may need to bring three!
It's a great dessert. Who can resist the smooth pudding and the sweet cream? For the crust, I use Nabisco Famous wafers, but couldn't find them this year! Chocolate graham crackers work fine, and I also used Trader Joe's chocolate cat cookies this year- also good results. The recipe may look involved, but it's mostly because of all the components. It's actually pretty straightforward once you've done it a couple of times. When I double the batch, the pudding will fit in a 3 qt. saucepan.

Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate crust
1 3/4 c. chocolate cookie crumbs (see note above)
1 tbs. sugar
7 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate pudding
3 tbs. cornstarch
1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. half and half
1 1/4 c. whole milk
1 c. sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tbs. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped cream topping
2 c. heavy cream
2 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. To make the chocolate wafer crust, place some chocolate cookies in a gallon-size ziplock bag, seal, and crush using a rolling pin or meat mallet. Continue until crumbs are reasonably small (my largest bits are gravel-sized) and you have the amount needed. Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Transfer 1 tbs. of the crumb mixture to a small bowl and set aside to garnish the pie. Scrape the remaining crumb mixture into the prepared pie plate and use your fingers to press it evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake the crust for 8 minutes, or until set. Cool on a rack while you prepare the pudding layer.
To make the chocolate pudding, in a medium bowl, sift together the cornstarch, cocoa powder,and salt. Whisk in about 2 tbs. of the half and half until it is a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining half and half; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and chocolate. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk about 1/2 c. of the hot chocolate mixture into the half and half mixture. Whisk this mixture into the remaining chocolate mixture in the saucepan. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. When the mixture begins to bubble, continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and then the vanilla. Scrape the pudding into the cooled pie shell. Cover and refrigerate the pie until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours.
To make the whipped cream topping, beat the cream on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until the cream forms soft peaks. Scrape the whipped cream over the chilled pie and use a spatula to sweep the cream into swirls. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate crumbs over the cream. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Family Dinners- Lasagna!

It's funny how different meals work their way in and out of the usual dinner rotation. An old favorite somehow drops off the radar for a while, only to be rediscovered months (years?) later. My lasagna is like that- I used to make it frequently back in high school. But it was such a pain! Boiling the noodles (and wrestling those slippery suckers into the dish), mom's sauce that took seemingly forever, ALL those pots to wash! Oh, but was it good! AudioDad loved it, so I made it for him often once we got married- I remember it was even harder in that teeny apartment kitchen that had NO counter space- I had enough space for a dish-drying rack, and a free-standing butcher block that was about one and a half feet square.
Later I found a recipe that uses no-boil noodles. It was SO much easier! And just as good...no, better than my previous recipe. And it seems to come together in a jiffy! Now that it's back in the rotation, I'm making it just about once a week!



Sauce:
1 tbs. olive oil (I just do 1 swirl around the pan)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. heavy cream
28 oz. can tomato puree
28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained (do NOT forget to drain!)

Other ingredients to layer:
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, I like to use a combination of grated and shredded
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil (I just use a heaping pinch of dried)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
9 oz. package Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan (I use a 4 qt.) over medium high heat and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened but not browned, about 2 min. Add the garlic and cook another 2 min. Crumble ground beef into onion mixture and add salt and pepper. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces until meat loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 4 min. Pour in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 min. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and the drained diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently about 5 more minutes, then remove from heat and set sauce aside.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 c. Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Assemble first lasagna layer in a deep 9x13 baking dish, starting with sauce smeared on bottom of dish. Place 4 lasagna noodle sheets on top of sauce, then dollop 3-4 scant tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto the noodles, spread over noodles with spoon, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella (about 2-3 handfuls) and a shake of the grated Parmesan. Ladle 1 1/2 c. meat sauce over cheese layer, then repeat layering of noodles, cheeses, and sauce two more times. Place remaining 4 noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup of mozzarella, then the remaining 1/4 cup or so of Parmesan. Lightly spray a sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 min. then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and bake, uncovered about 25 more minutes until the cheese is beginning to brown and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool 10 min. before serving.



We were in such a hurry to eat that I forgot to take a picture of it before digging in!

When Life Gives You Lemons

I've been on a lemon kick lately. It started with the buttermilk lemon scones at the coffee place around the corner from school. Then came the batches of lemon bars that would appear when various teachers had kitchen duty (yes, we rotate cleaning the kitchen...and our holiday party is potluck- keep that in mind this season when people are bemoaning company cutbacks to the party budget!) Anywho, back to lemons, I thought it was time to share my favorite lemon bar recipe. The biggest difference is in the crust- this one uses powdered sugar instead of regular to create a very tender shortbread base. It also calls for a lot more lemon than other recipes I've tried (I prefer my lemon bars more tart than sweet). Unfortunately, I killed my lemon trees (extreme neglect) so I'm not enjoying fresh lemons from my own trees this winter.
The recipe is from The Bake Sale Cookbook.



Crust:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
pinch salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Place the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to combine. Turn the food processor on and add the butter a little at a time until it is all mixed in and the dough is starting to clump together. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake until light golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside while the filling is prepared:
Combine the eggs, sugar, and flour and mix well. Add the salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix to combine. Pour filling over the crust and bake about 15 to 18 minutes until the filling is just set and a light golden brown. Watch it closely and do not overcook. Cool on a rack to room temperature and then refrigerate at least an hour (I just store them in the refrigerator and pull them out a little before serving so the filling is firmer). Cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

What's On Your Plate?

I was watching an episode of Oprah recently that's stayed on my brain. She had a woman on the show roasting a chicken and talking about the numerous things that you could make from the shredded meat. Viewers were cooking along with her in their kitchens via Skype. What's lingered with me since watching that episode was the tone of amazement from Oprah & some other women that sticking a chicken in the oven was a major deal. And then to make chicken pot pie or enchiladas from it? You'd think we were in Martha Stewart territory here! (Speaking of, have you checked out the show, Whatever, Martha? It's a hoot!)

I've really never considered myself anything more than competent in the kitchen. I know I can feed my family nutritiously and fairly inexpensively. But I certainly have my comfort zone. I stick to the basics- meatloaf, pot pie, roasted chicken (my all-time favorite!), and every so often, a pasta dish (the carbs make my BG levels skyrocket). For the most part, I leave the complicated stuff to the real chefs (for example- REAL story, back in my Williams-Sonoma days, I was mulling over what to make for dinner towards the end of my shift. A co-worker, in all seriousness, suggested ravioli- to be made fresh from hand-made, rolled out sheets of pasta. I think he recommended filling them with crabmeat, which I would also need to cook, clean, and crack. Needless to say, it's a meal I did not prepare.) I cannot stand when a meal takes considerably more hands-on prep time than it does to eat, although Munch's slowness at the table may result in expanding my repertoire. And, other than the occasional REALLY delicious entree from the Trader Joe's freezer, we don't do much prepared food. Fast food? Only when we're on the road on vacation.

But come on, do people really NOT cook anymore? Are the masses really doing the heat & eat, pulling up to the drive-thru thing most nights? It wouldn't seem so from the number of food related blogs & sites on the web. I know I'm one who loves seeing what dishes other people are bold enough to tackle- just see my blogroll! Now, I know these aren't usually your everyday home cooks. So, I'm curious, what are YOU all putting on the table at night? (You ARE sitting down together as a family, aren't you?) Maybe it's time to do a series of posts of basic family favorites...here's what was on our plates tonight-nothing fancy, but certainly simple and satisfying.



Quick Beef Stroganoff-
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped (I buy the package of pre-sliced, then just run my knife through it a couple of times)
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. pepper
garlic salt, to taste
1 can beef broth
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. white wine
1 c. sour cream
1 pkg. egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and the pink is cooked away. Drain the meat if needed, leaving just a tablespoon or so of fat in the pan. (I use a fairly lean ground beef, and don't need to drain out the fat.) Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook until onion is translucent. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring every so often, a few more minutes until mushrooms begin to soften and release their juices. Sprinkle the meat mixture with the flour, pepper, and garlic salt. Stir to coat the meat and cook a couple of minutes. Pour in the broth, milk, and wine. Combine well and cook until the liquid thickens, about 5-8 minutes. Mix in the sour cream and heat through. Add the cooked egg noodles, toss gently to combine, and serve.

What's For Dinner?

My new favorite meal comes from Real Simple (how, I love that magazine!) It has everything my family loves (kinda reminds me of the Peters family in one of my favorite children's' books, The Seven Silly Eaters) so everybody's happy: gnocchi for AudioDad, green beans and pesto for Munch (I told you she adores green food!), and ricotta cheese for me. Now my dish doesn't look nearly as pretty as the one on RS's site because I like to add more ricotta (about 3/4 c.), give it a gentle toss, and heat it briefly so I don't have cold clumps of ricotta in my pasta. Instead, here's some pics of my very adorable sous chef. Her job was to snap all the green beans-



then she helped wash the dishes-



Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

Who Needs Yountville?

Whenever Munch and I are headed to St. Helena, we always make a stop at Bouchon Bakery. I usually get an assortment of macarons, a TKO (the Thomas Keller "Oreo") or two, and more recently, a couple of bouchons. Bouchons are made with the same recipe as the delicious dark chocolate brownies AudioDad & I had at our last ad hoc dinner, which I was determined to have the recipe for. After a little research, I found it reprinted from the Bouchon cookbook on the blog, Sunday Nite Dinner. So, no need to reinvent the wheel (Hooray!), and it was just as easy as mixing up a batch of brownies. I used both a muffin top pan (to approximate the mini-cake like brownies from ad hoc- it has 12 molds) and a mini-muffin tin (kinda like Costco brownie bites, but so much better! It had 24 little cups) to make the treats pictured above.

3/4 c. flour
1 c. dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. plus 3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. unsalted butter, melted
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used the new 72% cacao Ghirardelli chips and chopped them coarsely)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs and sugar and beat on medium speed until light yellow. Mix in the vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add a third of the dry ingredients. Mix then add a third of the melted butter. Continue alternating adding dry ingredients then butter. Scrape bowl and add chopped chocolate. Mix well, then pour into the buttered and floured pan of your choice. Mini muffins took 17 minutes to bake, the muffin top pan took only 15 minutes because of its shallowness. These are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean- but be sure not to overbake! Cool them for a few minutes on a rack before turning them out of the pans to cool completely. Dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.

Kumbaya

After a recent dinner with our very good friends Monica & Chris (during which we gently ribbed AudioDad over his workplace skillfulness in team building), I knew it was a sign for me to try a recipe I've been curious about and that had been all the talk on the Chow message boards- Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies. Basically, they're a dark chocolate cookie with sea salt. People raved about them during the last holiday season as they're a fairly easy slice and bake recipe, great to have on hand in the freezer. While I used sea salt- more commonly available in grocery stores- the recipe actually calls for fleur de sel. And the extra expense ($26 for 7oz. at Dean & DeLuca) of this specialty salt is supposedly worth it (I'll pick some up on my next visit to Williams-Sonoma or Dean & DeLuca to try it.)
As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been fine-tuning this recipe over the last month. The first batch was nice- a sandy-textured, deep chocolate French sable. In my second batch, I decided to add espresso powder and chocolate extract for a more complex flavor. I also added more salt. But unlike the first batch, this one spread more, making a thinner, crisper cookie. In hunting around my piles of recipes, it turns out I had the original Pierre Herme chocolate-chocolate chip cookie recipe tucked away- the one that the World Peace cookie was based upon. So I used it, incorporating the changes I made with the second batch, and now I've got a cookie I really like. It's definitely a cookie for grown-up tastes, but be sure to have a cold glass of milk handy!

Chocolate-Espresso Sables with Sea Salt
2 2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (I used Droste)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (I used a European-style butter, but it didn't seem to make a difference)
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 heaping tbsp. espresso powder
2 tsp. fine sea salt (2 1/2 tsp. if you use fleur de sel)
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used a 9.75 oz. Scharffenberger semisweet bar- using a serrated knife gives you a finer chop with chocolate shavings, so the chilled log will be easier to slice)

Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda into a medium bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter then beat in the sugars, espresso powder, sea salt, and extracts. Mix in the dry ingredients (the dough will be slightly crumbly), then mix in the chocolate. Divide the dough into 3 batches and shape into logs about 1 1/2-inch thick (about the diameter of a small can of tomato paste). I also dust my board with a little bit of cocoa to keep the dough from sticking. Wrap the logs in plastic or waxed paper and chill a couple of hours until firm.
When you're ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the dough logs about 3/8-inch thick (not too thinly, unless you prefer them crisper) and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Since these don't spread much, you can get another row of cookies (20 total) on the sheet. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

It's Fall!

Around here, the first few days of Fall bring 80+ degree temperatures. We stick with our shorts, t-shirts, and sundresses. The air conditioner kicks in when it gets really toasty. So when the weather finally does cool down, it's a welcome change. Anticipating a drop in temperature, overcast skies, and the first showers to start tonight, I dragged out the slow-cooker and got a nice beef stew started. When Munch and I got home, we made a double batch of pumpkin biscuits to go with it- gotta have leftovers to freeze for breakfasts on the go! Now all I need are my flannels and TiVo and we're ready to hibernate! (actually my DVR is no longer TiVo, but my heart still skips a beat when I hear that "boop-boop")

Pumpkin Biscuits (From Cooking Light- my change was to add a little more sugar so they would be more like my favorite pumpkin scone from Starbucks, but not as sweet since we're skipping the glaze/icing. However, Munch & I do gobble them up warm with butter & a drizzle of honey!)

2 c. flour
4 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c. buttermilk, fat-free
1/2 c. canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the butter pieces are small and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the buttermilk and pumpkin together before adding to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined, then turn onto a floured board and knead 5-8 times (just barely not sticky). Pat out until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Use a small (about 2-3 inches) biscuit cutter to make about a dozen biscuits. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 11-15 minutes, until golden.

On the savory side...

Lest anybody think we subsist solely on cookies, cakes, and breakfast treats, I'd better post a recipe for an actual meal. Now, I get a lot of enjoyment from baking, but I really couldn't give a hoot about cooking. The simpler (and quicker) the meal, the better. Especially with the evening time crunch. But it does make me happy to put a good meal on the table for AudioDad and Munch- and tonight's was a good one. I've been working my way through piles and piles of recipes clipped and collected over the years- and I've put a halt to the numerous food mags coming in until I can get a handle on the situation! When the late-summer heirloom tomatoes looked especially interesting at the market, I thought I'd give this recipe a try. It ended up like a soupy stew and was great with my favorite pugliese bread.

Tomato and White Bean Stew
2 1/2 lbs. ripe tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
2 cans drained white beans (I used a can of garbanzos and a can of cannelini)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, drained & cut into 1/2" cubes (not the grate-able kind)
1/2 c. grated parmesan
3 c. cooked brown rice

Core and dice/chop the tomatoes. Combine tomatoes with basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Add beans and stir over medium heat. Cook about 8 minutes, remove from heat, and add cubed mozzarella and parmesan. Stir until mozzarella starts to soften and melt into stringy lumps. Add additional salt if desired. Serve stew spooned over brown rice and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.
Looking forward to leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!

On another topic... we hit the pool again this past weekend. Munch worked on putting her face in the water as she glided from me to AudioDad and back. She is so confident in the water and doesn't quite get that she's not a swimmer... yet.


Using her noodle!