Panda le Chef

A Brief Departure

2011-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit quiet around here for a spell. Don't fret! Things should return to some semblance of normalcy in the next short while. Life came knocking on my door and butted its head into my business, reminding me of a few things I needed to focus on. However, I shall have some sort of triumphant return post-NYE, so stay tuned!

And just in case you are wondering what I have been up to, here are a few shots to clue you in. Enjoy!

Spiced Green Tomato Cupcakes

2011-11-22T14:54:00.001-08:00

With the onslaught of darkness and cold, most of us gardeners out there have likely spent the last few weeks turning our gardens from summer wonderlands of bountiful fruit into leaf-covered, compost piles that will yield happy soil come spring. Picking the last of the green tomatoes is always a favorite time of year for me as I use the opportunity to come up with spiffy new recipes for using them up. No wasting around here!

This time around I decided to make a batch of cupcakes with my green tomatoes. Using two recipes as a starting point, I eeked out a delicious cupcake akin to carrot cake. To top things off, I opted for a low-fat cream cheese frosting which made the cupcakes outstanding.

Hands down, these babies have been the most popular baked good I've made all year. As with most of the tasty recipes, I had to gift away as many cupcakes as possible to prevent devouring them all. I think I stopped myself after I had consumed six cupcakes in a row...

Now, I highly encourage all of you to grab those last few green tomatoes laying around the house or yard and make a batch of these for the upcoming holiday. As you sit there, licking your sticky fingers, smiling at the delicious goodness of these cupcakes...you can thank me. Enjoy!

Spiced Green Tomato Cupcakes
Inspired by: Spiced Green Tomato Cake

2 1/2 cups pureed green tomatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Puree the green tomatoes in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Cream together butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes in a mixing bowl, until well incorporated. Add eggs and beat until creamy. Next add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix. Finally, add the pureed tomato mixture and mix.

Sift together flour, spices, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a separate bowl. Then add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, followed by the raisins and walnuts.

Pour the batter evenly into the cupcake pan, using 2/3 of a cookie scooper often works well.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to completely cool before frosting.

Low Fat Cream Cheese Frosting
Inspired by: Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 8-oz package of low fat cream cheese, room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate each cupcake. Refrigerate any leftover frosting for up to 4 days. It tastes especially delicious eaten by the spoon.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pie

2011-11-17T13:30:00.001-08:00

There is talk of snow for the coming weekend. I don't know about you, but I am certainly not ready for snow. The lazy, golden days of summer are still a recent memory for me and I want to revel in them for as long as possible. My first 10k race of the cooler season is this Saturday, with a forecast for freezing rain. Oh Northwest, how you tease and torment me.

To keep warm and happy during these gray days, I am trying to eat as many vegetables as possible. Hearty dishes filled with tasty ingredients and love. This included my version of a Perry's Plate recipe, the Mediterranean Vegetable Pie.

Not being a fan of eggplant, I opted out of that ingredient from the start. I also modified the recipe by using fewer tomatoes, as well as both red and green ones. The farmer's market had fabulous yellow beets the weekend I made this dish, hence how they found their way into the pie. This is definitely a comfort food kind of recipe, perfect for a cold day. Enjoy and stay warm!

Mediterranean Vegetable Pie
Adapted from: Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Pie

2-3 small to medium green tomatoes, halved and cored
1 large red tomato, halved and cored
2 yellow beets, diced
1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 medium-size onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup + 1 T olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T each, chopped fresh parsley, basil, and oregano leaves
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 T rice wine vinegar
4 T butter, melted
8 sheets of phyllo dough (about 14x18 inches each), defrosted if frozen
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish and a large rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan.

Arrange tomatoes, cut-side down, in a single layer in the baking dish. Roast for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes are tender and begin to turn brown in spots.

Meanwhile, toss the beets, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of the heat-safe oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange in a shallow layer in the other prepared pan. (No need to wash the bowl. You'll use it again later.)

Place the roasting pan in the oven with the tomatoes. Roast for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and beginning to turn brown, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If both pans don't fit in the oven together, place the tomatoes on the middle rack and the vegetables on the bottom rack. Rotate them a couple of times for even roasting. When you remove all of the vegetables from the oven, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.

When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, pull the skins off. This should be easy, but don't worry about stubborn parts that stick. Combine the peeled tomatoes and roasted vegetables in the large bowl you used earlier. Add the garlic and fresh herbs. Toss to mix well, then gently mix in the cheese. Season lightly withe salt and pepper (to taste), adding the vinegar, if needed, to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. DO AHEAD: You can make the filling up to two days ahead. Just cover and chill until it's needed.

Combine butter and remaining 1 T of oil. Brush some of the butter on the bottom of a deep 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Center 1 sheet of phyllo in the pie plate, allowing the edges to hang over. Brush the phyllo with a bit of butter. Top with 4 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter before adding the next. (Arrange the sheets so there is excess hanging all around the pie plate instead of in just two places.) Spoon the vegetable and cheese mixture into the pie plate. Fold the edges over, brushing them with a little butter. Layer the remaining 3 sheets of phyllo over the top, brushing each layer with butter and either tucking the edges in the side of the plate or folding them toward the middle.

With a sharp, serrated knife, cut the pie into wedges through the top sheets only. Don't cut all the way through the bottom layer. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. (Maybe a few minutes longer if the filling has been refrigerated.)

Let the pie rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

MyLivingDays

2011-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Many of you wonder what I do with my time besides bake. Funny thing is, I actually do quite a lot that doesn't involve an oven and a taste tester. One of my most recent endeavors has been exploring other areas of writing beyond the foodie realm, specifically submitting work to share on MyLivingDays. A brilliant forum for sharing news, stories, lifestyle tips, foodie exploration, and just about anything else you can dream of, MyLivingDays has become a creative outlet of sorts for me. Easy to use, share, and comment, MyLivingDays coins itself a midlife magazine for those seeking to take a departure from other busy, confusing social media platforms. A close friend is one of the co-founders and has done me the wonderful service of reminding me that there is an entire world of stuff to write about, if I would simply put down the measuring cup for a while. We all have our vices, right?

Here are a couple pieces I recently contributed. Check their website frequently for updates as they are soon to launch a small suite of social tools. Feel free to join and contribute to the voice of the masses!

Family Trumps Oktoberfest
Fall Into Great Food
The Elephant Called Grief
Tips: Navigate Airports Like A Pro

Enjoy!!

Pear Panda Puffs

2011-11-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

After the Mediterranean themed foodie fest from last month, I ended up with leftover phyllo pastry sheets. What is a baker to do? Create a new recipe, of course. And that is exactly what I did with these little bundles.

I call them Panda Puffs due to their adorable size, tasty filling, and the way they leave a smile on your face when you are finished. Finger licking goodness right here.

It's insane how easy it was to make these. After doing one batch and realizing this, I went back to the oven and made a second batch for my pals (primarily because I had eaten my way through the first one).

My changes to the original recipe include adding more spices for a fuller flavor and marinating the pears in Frangelico (a favorite of mine). I even made a little pear Frangelico cocktail with the leftover marinade (uber tasty).

Don't forget to let the phyllo sheets thaw out overnight in the fridge. It makes them much easier to work with. Enjoy!

Pear Panda Puffs
Adapted from: Spiced Pear Phyllo Bundles

16 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
3/4 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar + more for sprinkling over the top
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
4 large pears, cored, sliced & marinated for at least 1 hour in Frangelico
1 egg + 2 tsp water (beaten together for eggwash)

Core and slice pears, then marinate them in a small bath of Frangelico for at least an hour. The longer the better!

Mix together spices and 1/2 cup sugar, then set aside.

Brush a sheet of phyllo pastry with butter and sprinkle the entire surface with about 1 tsp sugar. Top with a second sheet of phyllo pastry. Brush half this sheet with butter and sprinkle with about ½ tsp sugar. Fold the sheet in half to make about a 9x12 inch rectangle which will now have 4 layers of phyllo pastry. Place a pear half in the center of the shorter side of the rectangle and spoon about 2 tsp of the sugar and spice mixture over the pear half. Fold the two longest sides of the pastry to meet at the center of the sheet covering the pear half. Roll up the pear in the phyllo, leaving the seam on the bottom of the pastry covered pear.

Repeat for the other pear halves.

Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired.

Place the pastries, seam side down on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is evenly golden brown. Makes around 8 bundles.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

A very merry Halloween to everyone out there!

And happy Día de los Muertos!

Happy Renewal

2011-10-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit lousy with posting of late, but I have a good excuse. It was my birthday! Yippee! For anyone who knows me, this meant I had another reason to celebrate. And that is exactly what I did this past week! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 2011 Awkward Adult Prom crew. I heart these guys, in a big way.

Another Foodie Fest & Pesto Polenta Bites

2011-10-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yippee! Another foodie fest! Oh the joy in having friends gather together for an afternoon of good eats, tasty spirits, and one foodgasm after another.

Our very sweet hostess, Samba. My ongoing doggie crush. Ssh, don't tell her. It might inflate her adorable ego.

This time around we went with a Mediterranean theme, encouraging any recipe that may come from a Mediterranean country. The turnout of dishes was amazing! Homemade pesto, homemade hummus, cheese and fruit spread, tzatziki, beef gyros, kalamata olive poundcake, a roasted vegetable pie, falafel, dolmas, and many more recipes.

We even had a beer flyer with (some) beers from Mediterranean origins. Plus ouzo, of course. There is always room for ouzo!

One of the world's best pound cakes right here!

One of my offerings this foodie fest were pesto polenta bites. Easy as can be, flavorful to boot with the pesto, and open for a lot of variety in morphing the recipe. Next time you are at the store and see a tube of pre-made polenta, I encourage you to pick some up and try out a recipe. It may surprise you, enjoy!

Pesto Polenta Bites

About 1/4 cup purchased or homemade pesto
24 rounds purchased cooked polenta (sliced from tube works)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Herbs

Place polenta rounds slightly apart on an oiled baking sheet. Spread pesto over the top of each polenta slice, sprinkle with cheese and herbs, and bake for 400 degrees F until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown (usually 10-13 minutes). Let the polenta rounds cool for a few minutes, then transfer with a spatula and serve!

Creamy Pear Pie

2011-10-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Pears. One of the quintessential late summer, early fall fruits. When the pears start dropping, you know harvest is upon us.

Did you know that China, the US, and Italy produce the most pears of any nations in the world? In the US we tend to eat them raw, however elsewhere folks have come up with some tasty alternatives. For instance, a traditional plate of poached or baked pears. Or maybe a dish of crostini with feta and pear-strawberry salsa. Or even some chickpea curry with pears. Seriously, you can't go wrong with pears!

With all of this in mind, I proposed a challenge for myself of late - to make a pear pie that departed from the norm. Sleeves rolled up, goal in mind, I researched a number of pear pies until I settled upon this one as my starting point.

The big changes included using my favorite pre-made vegan pie crust in place of something homemade (pandas have so little time these days), swapping out the sour cream for vanilla non-fat yogurt, adding almond extract, and beefing up the flavor of the topping by adding a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

How many pieces of this beautiful pie do you think I consumed? If you aren't to at least five in your guess, keep trying. Five slices is when I stopped counting. Keeping my hands off of this delicious foodgasm was impossible! In the end I finally started handing out slices to anyone who would take them, just so that I wouldn't finish the pie in one sitting. I call it a pie crush, and this is my current one! Enjoy!

Creamy Pear Pie
Adapted From: Pear Sour Cream Pie

Pie

1 (9 inch) pie crust pastry

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup vanilla non-fat yogurt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

4 large pears - peeled, cored and sliced

Topping

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup white sugar

5 tbsp butter, melted

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Take pre-made pastry out of the freezer.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, sour cream, 1/4 cup flour, egg, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until blended. Fold in the pears. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake the pie for 15 minutes.

While the pie is baking, prepare the topping: mix the 2/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, spices, melted butter, and rolled oats together in a bowl.

Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle with the crumble topping. Return the pie to the oven and bake until the filling is set and the crust is brown, about 20 minutes more. Allow to cool and set before serving.

Farmer's Market

2011-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

When all else fails and life seems too complicated to face, head to the Farmer's Market. Or at least that is one of my life mottos. Honestly, it works. So far it hasn't let me down.

So why the Farmer's Market for a pick-me-up? Well, a lot of it has to do with the ebb and flow of the place. I enjoy people watching, local produce, and any reason to snap off a few shots. These reasons combined with the fresh aromas of whatever is freshly roasting/baking/being assembled are plenty enough for me to spend a few lazy hours wandering around the stalls.

The last time I was at my local Farmer's Market I discovered these beautiful pink pearl mushrooms. Delicious!

Prices are reasonable, if not cheaper than the local grocery store, plus the produce is typically straight from field to table (win!).

My goal is to stock up on everything while I can as our Farmer's Market only runs on a seasonal basis, harvest already upon us. For instance, these lovely melons.

If I'm lucky, I'll have a few moments to put in some fall starts to keep the garden going as long as possible. If nothing else, it'll give my feathered ladies another treat, little spoiled fatties!

Zucchini Cookies with Citrus Icing

2011-09-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Summer is just about over, which means it's time to harvest the last of the warm-weather crops. As always, I'm left with more zucchini than I know what to do with, which isn't necessarily a bad thing yet there is only so much zucchini bread a baker can make.

Gigantic, right?

So I recently made a plan to bake up some zucchini cookies, with inspiration from My Baking Addiction. The original recipe called for baking these in a whoopie pie pan (which I don't own), however I opted for a plain old baking sheet instead. The cookies turned out a bit thinner, but delicious nonetheless. It's all in the combination of tender cookie and delicious icing!

My changes to the recipe included adding almond extract and tweaking the icing glaze by adding some orange juice to it. I would definitely refer to these as muffin top cookies due to their fluffy, near-muffin like appearance and taste.

And again, my taste testers gave these high scores for flavor, uniqueness, and the ability to eat several in a row without realizing it. Enjoy!

Zucchini Cookies with Citrus Icing
Adapted from: My Baking Addiction
Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins

Citrus Icing

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Spray a baking sheet with with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with thepaddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until lightand fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, zucchini, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts.

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, bakingsoda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredientsuntil just combined. Fold in raisins.

Use a medium cookiescoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to drop dough into the center of eachwhoopee pie well or simply drop them directly onto the prepared cookie sheet.If you are using a cookie sheet, be sure to leave a few inches between eachcookie.

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes oruntil lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Make the icing by mixing together the powderedsugar, lemon juice, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Drizzle the icing overcooled cookies.

Spiced Pear Banana Bread

2011-09-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I escaped. No, not from jail. From the monotony of my daily life. And headed for the coast.

Ah yes, the Oregon coast. How I adore thee!

Windy beaches free of crowds, an amazing local aquarium, local breweries - what's not to like?

Of course I had to bring some baked goods for the road. The pear tree out back finally got the message this year and has been producing like crazy! Even after gifting away 10 lbs. of pears, I still found myself with an abundance to use up and fast. So as a treat to myself, I brought along a freshly baked loaf of Spiced Pear Banana Bread.

Try not to drool on the keyboard, which you would be doing if computers had the ability to release scents (omg, did this recipe smell great during the baking process).

Using the pears from the yard, the eggs from our feathered ladies, and a few bananas I had stowed away in the freezer, this was a fairly easy recipe. I adapted it from Banana Bread Recipes, using shredded pears in place of mashed ones and adding almond extract (my secret weapon).

It did brown a bit around the edges, but made for some amazing flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Enjoy!

Spiced Pear Banana Bread
Adapted from: Banana Bread Recipes

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 mashed bananas
2 cups shredded pears
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan and coat with flour to prevent sticking.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

In another mixing bowl, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar and butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure everything is well incorporated.

Mash the bananas in another bowl. Shred the pears into another small bowl.

Stir the banana into the sugar and butter mixture. Then add in the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, stirring well. Next stir in the yogurt, again mixing well. And finally add the shredded pears.

Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring constantly. Mix really throughly until everything is perfectly blended together.

Spoon the mixture into your prepared loaf pan. You can place a few slices of pear on top and sprinkle with a little brown sugar for decoration if you desire.

Place the loaf pan in the center of preheated oven and bake on 350F for 1 hour to an 1 hour 20 mins. Cooking times may vary, so check if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick or knife into the middle of the loaf. As soon as that toothpick comes out clean, take the loaf out! You don't want to overcook it.

Allow the banana bread to cool in the loaf pan for about 10-20 minutes. The cooling is important because the loaf will solidify fully as it cools. Then remove it from the pan and let stand for another 20 minutes or so until it has cooled. Slice and enjoy!

Foodie Ode to J

2011-09-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm sure Mr. Emerson didn't quite mean this quote in the same context I am referring to, however I bet he wouldn't mind much as it is for a good cause. As luck would have it (and I thank my lucky stars each day for such luck), I've had the delightful pleasure of being close friends with my pal, J, for over a decade now. As the years have passed, life has thrown us together in so many unusual and comical situations that I consider her my sister. You know, the kind that you actually want to have around during the holidays. From hiking out of a desert with one shared flip-flop between us to blindly moving to the NW with each other to spending every birthday together for more years than I can count, our adventures never cease to amaze me. She is one of the greatest people I have ever encountered in all of my days.

Now I'm sure you are asking why I'm blathering on about my friend-crush. As life would have it, J is heading out on a walkabout of sorts. To contemplate her navel and find new discoveries. Three cheers for anyone who has the guts to do that! Needless to say I cannot join her on this sort of journey and for the first time in 11 or so years, we will no longer reside in the same great state together. I feel like I am losing my left arm while happily encouraging it to travel away, strange as that sounds. I'll sure miss J while she is wandering around the other side!

In my efforts to send her off with a bang, this post is an ode to some the foods J has either helped me create or fell in love with over the years! I wouldn't be the fantastic foodie I am today if it weren't for her taste tests, subjective criticism, and patience with me as I over-fed her throughout our friendship. If you happen to have the luck to have J in your life, give her a giant squeeze next time you see her! The smile on her face is worth it alone.

First up, cupcakes & muffins! J has sampled quite a few of my creations in her day, however these have been a few of her favs:

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

White Russian Cupcakes

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

And she always loved my bread...

Bananas Foster Bread

Strawberry Lavender Bread

And of course a few more of her favorite dishes...

Homemade Yumm Bowls

Amanda's Baked Ziti

Orange Marmalade Cookies with Orange Zest Icing

If my luck holds out, I'll be cooking again for her soon enough and our crazy adventures will continue onto the next chapter. Sending much love, happy thoughts and good vibes with J on her upcoming journey!

Chicken Update

2011-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, there have been some gigantic changes in my life the last several months. One of those is the pending separation of my two flocks, the mature layers of the original flock and the younger gals adopted earlier this year. I knew this day was coming, although now that it is almost here I am a bit emotional about it. Yes, poke fun at the crazy chicken lady. I'll give you this freebie only once!

The older flock is going to greener pastures while the barely-laying younger gals (above) will stay here in chicken valhalla (how I refer to my backyard). It is all for the best and the departing ladies will be sorely missed!

In the meantime, I am spoiling my feathered friends as much as possible since our time together is limited. It feels strange to have raised a flock from chick over the past few years only to entrust their fate to another person. I hope that their new digs prove fabulous by chicken standards and they spend the remainder of their days happily pecking about. Do expect a few more updates on the departing ladies in the future!

And in other news...all three of the young pullets are laying! Hats off to Athena, LeLu, and Barney!

On Vacation

2011-09-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for the sparse posts of late. It was August, which meant that it was my pseudo vacation month. I firmly believe in the siesta break over some portion of summer, even adults need a summer holiday. Food and recipes are forthcoming, as well as a few other goodies I have up my sleeve. For now, enjoy a few views of the world from the last month...

Happy tomatoes.

The inside of a drum.

A feline companion.

The beautiful Playground Sports cake.

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-08-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Bananas! Zucchini! Chocolate! Oh my, did this recipe turn out well. For some unknown reason, this summer I often find myself with an abundance of these three ingredients (yes, even chocolate) and a hankering to bake. Not too long ago I whipped up a batch of these little tasty muffins for a few pals. And boy were they a hit!

Omitting the oil and using applesauce instead made the muffins a bit less fat heavy, but not too worry...I ate enough of them to make up for it in the end.

Lately, I've been thinking of taking a survey to see what fall goodies folks would like me to make heading into the next season. There have been more than a few requests for another Foodie Fest (which we are long overdue for) and I'm thinking of doing a sweet 'n savory pie foodie fest sometime in October. Thoughts, anyone? And enjoy the recipe!

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 large ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 c zucchini, shredded
1 3/4 c flour
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c applesauce
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper cups.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In another medium bowl, mix together egg and sugar. Next add applesauce, vanilla and almond extracts, and mix well. Add in mashed banana and shredded zucchini. Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well incorporated. Finally, add the chocolate chips.

Bake for 11-15 minutes, depending upon muffin size. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack or the counter.

Mediterranean Quinoa Pasta Salad

2011-08-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Quinoa. Now there is a spiffy plant. It's my understanding that quinoa happens to be one of the few plants found in nature that is a complete protein (for human consumption purposes), or something to that effect.

Whenever possible, I try to sneak quinoa into my food pyramid. This could mean quinoa flakes for cereal, quinoa as a rice substitute, or as in this case, using quinoa pasta. I haven't found a quinoa pasta that I am head over heals for, but I continue to search. My issue is that most quinoa pastas tend to be one of two things - very dry upon reheating or the pasta takes on a strange second day consistency. That being said, I am obviously still a big supporter of quinoa in all forms! Look in the bulk section of your local store or near the pastas.

A few Fridays ago, my lovely housemate and I were holding one of our weekly bbqs in the backyard when I had a hankering for a pasta salad. After some digging around in the cabinets and fridge, this recipe was born! It pairs well with a crisp summer white wine and should be devoured with friends. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Quinoa Pasta Salad

1/2 c cucumber, diced
1/4 c tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/4 c feta cheese
2 1/2 c quinoa pasta, cooked and cooled
1 small can diced black olives
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c sweet onion, diced
2 tbsp leek soup mix
1 clove elephant garlic
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a large bowl. If preferred, mix the olive oil, leek soup mix, garlic, dried herbs, and white wine vinegar together first, then add the remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate the unused portion.

Harvest & Rehoming

2011-08-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is what a fairly typical daily harvest looks like in our backyard. Not too shabby, right? We usually get between 3 and 6 eggs, up to a pint of strawberries, maybe some green beans or garlic, a few tomatoes, and most recently a few beautiful sunflowers.

Yes, I am still gushing over my sunflowers.

Our tomatoes are a tad green still, but a few of the Ukrainian variety are turning a deep shade of purple. Homemade salsa on the menu soon!

In other news, it was recently decided that Tubbers, the newest edition to our urban farm, wasn't enjoying himself here. The fit wasn't quite comfortable for everyone involved and Tubbers was rehomed this past week, now happily spending his days in Eastern Oregon. He's a well traveled kitty. Viva la Porkchop!

Banana Guacamole

2011-08-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, I found myself standing in my kitchen holding a handful of very ripe bananas without a vision in mind as to how to wisely use them. What was a foodie chef to do?? Why get creative, of course! And thus Banana Guacamole was born last week.

Now before you wave around your wand of judgement here, follow my mother's very good advice and try everything once before you say you don't like it. This dip is unbelievably good, especially in the heat of summer! I can easily imagine it on top of a delicious piece of grilled fish (yes, I've been falling off my vegetarian bandwagon of late) or tropical tofu. If you are a spicy lover like myself, adding a hot pepper to it like a jalapeño would likely come out scrumptious!

If anyone is curious as to what my creative process looks like when making new recipes, this is about as dazzling as it gets with my note taking. When drinking is involved, it becomes much harder to read my handwriting the next day (but I leave funnier notes for myself).

Another variation I would love to try one day is to add mango or even papaya to the mix. Mmmm, I'm craving a fruity drink with an umbrella and a pile of tortilla chips to go with this dip. Have fun, play around with the recipe until you find the version you like, and as always - enjoy!

Banana Guacamole

1 very ripe large banana
1 ripe large avocado
2 tbsp sweet onion, diced
1 tbsp elephant garlic, diced
2 tbsp anaheim pepper, diced
1/4 tomato, diced and seeded (saved for the dip)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp hot pepper oil (like sesame)
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste

Mix the first two ingredients together until well mashed and incorporated. Using the back of a spoon or a fork works just as well as a potato masher. Next mix in the remainder of the ingredients, and tweak as desired for personal taste. Let chill for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Double the recipe to make a four-person serving.

Lazy Garden Days

2011-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have produce! With the strange Oregon summer this year, it was nearly the end of July before our garden started popping off. Thankfully, the sunshine finally arrived and the rains are staying away (most of the time) which has left the garden with lots of warmth and room to do some growing. Above is a shot of one of the five varieties of tomatoes we have growing this year, a few are Oregon heirloom varieties.

One of my favorite plants this year - my sunflowers! The fastest way to win my favor (besides baked goods) is by gifting me flowers.

I have no idea how I ended up so lucky as my neighbors on both sides of me have had a terrible time with sunflower gardens this year, yet here they are! Gorgeous, soft yellow sunflowers. I swoon every time I walk by them.

As most of you may have guessed, our garden is strictly organic. No pesticides allowed in here, baby. I have a few homemade recipes in my arsenal to keep pests at bay, but for the most part I try to do companion planting. The blue cabbage head above is a good example of my gardening mantra - the pests can have their small share as long as I get the heart of the plant.

While our cucumbers aren't the happiest of the garden lot, the squash and zucchini are doing fabulously. We already have a few sugar pumpkins, black beauty zucchini, acorn squash, and are waiting on a Japanese hard squash to fruit any day now.

And of course, the feathered ladies are enjoying the extra sunshine! Nosy and inquisitive as ever. The pullets are just about to start laying soon...

Finally, for those of you who haven't met him yet...Tubbers the special needs kitty. I say special needs because the cat has a serious issue with abandonment, as well as with overeating. We are still trying hard to integrate him into our little urban farm, however if he keeps up his late night meowing when he is lonely he may soon find himself sleeping with the chickens!

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

2011-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Finally, summer arrived in Oregon! Well, it did last weekend at least. I spent the weekend with pals bumming around a swim hole, celebrating a close friend's 30th birthday. Beautiful, right? I hope to have many more days like this in the near future.

Back to cooking...the other day I found myself with an abundance of eggs in the house. What does that mean? Why, deviled eggs of course! And not just any deviled eggs, Sriracha Deviled Eggs!

I know there are a few dozen different versions of deviled eggs out there, but this one is the one! Slight sweet, yet spicy. Delicious and filling. Trust me, you will want to make this recipe soon. It's a perfect addition to any BBQ or cookout.

I adapted this recipe from Cook The Book, removing the chives and lime and adding a lot more flavor (at least in my opinion). Don't fret if you are unsure how to hard boil eggs. A post will follow in the coming days with tips on how to make it through a hard boil without losing most of your egg. Now go out and enjoy some summer!

Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Adapted from: Cook The Book

6 hard boiled eggs
1/3 c mayo
4-6 tbsp sriracha
1/2 tsp horseradish
3/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp sweet mustard
1 tsp white wine mustard
1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, mustards, and horseradish. Refrigerate promptly. Split the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the egg yolks. Using a fork, break up the yolks in a mixing bowl. Stir in the Sriracha Mayo, salt, pepper, dill and smoked paprika. Blend well. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or use a ziplock bag with one corner snipped off and pipe the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. Top with a pinch more of smoked paprika, dill, salt and pepper. Serve or cover and refrigerate immediately.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

One can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes, at least not in my book. And this is definitely a good one to add to your collection! This recipe is a good mix of chewy yet chocolaty, delicious yet satisfying. Isn't that apparent by the happiness seen on my face as I shove this cookie in my mouth? Yes, I am a total ham if it means getting a few laughs.

This recipe was discovered over at Bake or Break and is a goody to keep in the recipe box. My changes included adding almond extract, using my farm fresh eggs, trading out the chocolate bar for actual chocolate chips, and omitting the nuts this time around. The trick to the amazing chewiness? Blending the oats in a food processor first! Seriously, try it. The results are both surprising and tasty. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted From: Bake or Break

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Beat butter at medium speed in a heavy-duty mixer until creamy. This can take up to 3 or 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl in between. Gradually add sugars and beat well. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, beating well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, bakings soda, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture and beat well.

Process oats in a food processor until finely ground. Add to butter mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolates and pecans.

Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets. Then, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In Chicken News...

2011-07-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

The weather here in our corner of Oregon has been less than summer like of late. Rain when there should be sunshine, clouds when we should have blue skies on the horizon. It makes for an unhappy garden and testy chickens. Come back soon, sun!!

The flock integration continues, although not with as much success as I had hoped. The older gals still pick on the pullets, sometimes with a streak of meanness, yet the younger ladies are slowly fighting back. The two flocks still maintain separate space for most of the time, however they have formed this habit of hanging out in each others hen houses (trading spaces chicken style?).

Most mornings involve me rushing outside at the sound of an unhappy feathered lady to play mediator in the chicken hierarchy that is my backyard. After some feather flapping and squawking, things calm down until the next incident (hence why I'm so unproductive...well, there may be other reasons too).

With the garden finally producing some crops, they ladies have been getting their usual summer spoiling with fresh veggie treats. They've also witnessed the slow transformation of the garden, with the addition of a new bark mulch (or is it barkamulch) path. The plus side for the chickens - they get to chow down on all the weeds I yanked out of the garden path. Win win for everyone!

LeLu is still the sweetest of all of the feathered ladies. Both her comb and wattle have come in nicely, turning a beautiful color red. Signs of a good layer-to-be! One of my most favorite things to do is to pick her up, take a lazy stroll with her tucked under my arm, and sing to her in a low, melodic voice. Yep, I'm the crazy chicken lady. No fighting it any longer!

Basil Quinoa Salad & Pork Chop!

2011-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

I confess. I have a new love in my life. He's sweet as can be, loves to cuddle, and is very much overweight. Foodie friends, meet Pork Chop! Also known as Gordon, Gordy, Gordo, Tubbers, Chub Chub...he is a cat of many names and faces (chubby ones).

Through a roundabout way, Pork Chop was welcomed into our home recently and is a wonderful addition to the urban homestead. He is an indoor kitty due to being declawed (not my doing, and yes, I agree it is pretty indecent to cut a cat's claws out) and has yet to discovered the chickens. However, he has made friends with our outdoor neighborhood kitty, Sophie, and seems to be settling in just fine.

His favorite hobbies: sleeping, eating, sleeping more, waddling around the house, sleeping in front of the window, waking me up at 6 am. We should get along fabulously! And I haven't told him yet, but he is going to lose some weight if I have my say...he is nearly 20 lbs at the moment.

For the holiday weekend a few weeks ago, friends and neighbors came by to play some lawn sports and have a few beers. In an effort to keep us more or less sober and healthy, I searched high and low for a quinoa salad I hadn't yet tried - something quite difficult as I eat a lot of quinoa!

Randomly, I stumbled across this Care2 recipe and thought it sounded scrumptious for a hot summer day (it never gets THAT hot here in Eugene). After sitting overnight in my fridge, this salad was delicious! It's vegan, can be made with some local ingredients, is fast and easy. All wins in my book!

BBQ goers gave some pretty good feedback on this recipe and I plan to make more of it soon. It has lots of room for personal taste changes, adaptations, etc. and deserves a place at the picnic table. Enjoy and happy summer! If you live in the area, Pork Chop always likes meeting new people. ;)

Basil Quinoa Salad
Adapted from: Summer Basil Quinoa Salad

1 cup Quinoa-rinsed
1/8 c sweet Texas onion, diced
1/8 c red onion, diced
2 whole tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Dijon Mustard - I used a 4 mustard combo from my bridge
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes or until water is fully absorbed. Set aside and let cool.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients except the olive oil. When combined, slowly whisk in olive oil, a little at a time to allow oil and vinegar to mix.

Toss all salad ingredients with dressing and garnish with nuts if available (toasted pine nuts, almonds, or hazelnuts are wonderful).

Carrot Cake Squares, Frosting For The Cause

2011-07-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

*Quick Note: Many thanks to Paula and Frosting for the Cause for allowing me to contribute as well as Janel for letting me take a few moments to share her story! Check out the simultaneous post over at Frosting for the Cause.*

It took me years to discover my health and its importance in my life, even more so that I should take it seriously. One of the catalysts happened to be a work colleague and friend, Janel, whom I frequently crossed paths with at conferences around the country. She was in the most phenomenal shape, getting runs in before conference sessions, eating healthy even while out on the road. Observing her energy and zest for life led me to realize that I wanted to feel the same way too, and shortly thereafter I discovered I was a runner.

Janel (right) enjoying Race For The Cure with her friend Phyllis (left), also a survivor.

When I found out that Janel had been diagnosed with Stage I bilateral breast cancer last year, I had a reality check. How could this be, she was one of the healthiest folks I knew? This wasn't fair! It turned out Janel carried the gene, BRCA2 mutation, which put her at risk for several types of cancer. From the beginning she adopted the mindset that she would overcome the illness and fight, and she never wavered from this view. She opted for a nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy (both sides), with rounds of chemotherapy, and eventually reconstruction surgery earlier this year. It was a long and painful road, but she pushed through her pain and suffering. After being down for 6 months, she was able to go for her first run late this spring.

If you haven’t figured this out yet, I have a huge crush on Janel and consider her one of my heroes these days. Instead of letting her cancer take control of her life, Janel took control of it with grace and style. Her struggle brought her closer to her loving husband and supportive family, it allowed her to have greater empathy for others, especially seniors, and she became a lifelong spokesperson for cancer awareness. Her ‘incredible network of strength’ came from both her strong will to live a long and healthy life as well as her amazing group of friends, family, and loved ones.

If you ask Janel about her battle with cancer, you might be surprised to hear her speak so openly about it. The first lesson she says she walked away from the situation with is to let people help you. Cancer can be quite scary for the individual diagnosed, but it is just as scary for the people that care about that person. By letting others help it allows them the ability to work through the process of acceptance. The second lesson Janel says she learned from her struggle with cancer is how important exercise is in your life. She had always been an active person before cancer, which likely helped play into her solid recovery, however even more so now that she has experienced one of the greatest feats in her life. Being able to get outside for a daily walk during her recovery made all the difference for both her body and her mind.

Once I discovered Frosting for the Cause and its mission, I instantly signed up with Janel in mind. What better way to showcase a delightful person and her strength?! As per her request, a batch of Carrot Cake Squares was delivered to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society here in Eugene this week. Needless to say the office was overjoyed with the unexpected gifts and their hearts deeply touched by Janel’s story. Please feel free to share in our foodie joy by making a batch of these gems for yourself, enjoy!

Carrot Cake Squares

Squares

2 c flour
½ c flaxmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
4 carrots, shredded (roughly 2 cups)
1 – 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
4 eggs
3 tbsp oil
1 ¼ c applesauce
¾ c brown sugar
¾ c white sugar
¼ c raisins
½ c walnuts

Frosting

1 ½ packages of reduced cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ sticks of butter, room temperature
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of one lime

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9"x13" pan.

Sift together the flour, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. If some of the flaxmeal seeds doing get easily sifted, add them back to the mix.

In a separate bowl, mix together the applesauce and eggs. Next add the sugars, and oil, then mix well. Finally, add the pineapple and carrots and mix.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until well incorporated. Then add the walnuts and raisins. When everything is well mixed, add the mix to the floured pan.

Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. It doesn't hurt to check on the pan after about 30 minutes in the oven to ensure consistent cooking. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking. After baking, remove from the oven and let cool for half an hour. When ready, flip the pan over and remove the cake. Continue to let cool.

To prepare the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer. Beat for 3 or 4 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides, until well blended. Then add the powdered sugar, lime and lemon juices, and lime zest. Beat on high for at least a minute, scraping down the sides once. If the frosting is too thick, add a bit more juice. If the frosting is too thing, add more powdered sugar. Once the correct consistency has been reached, spread the frosting over the surface of the cake in one very thick layer. Using a sharp clean knife that gets wiped off in between each cut, cut the cake into small squares. Use paper cupcake liners to hold and present the squares. Decorate as your heart desires!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

2011-06-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, my life has been turned upside down over the past few months. Major changes have affected the course of the future and I have faced my fair share of struggles. First and foremost, a big heartfelt thanks to everyone out there who has lent me their shoulder, ear, and kind words during this transition. I promise to keep bribing you with baked goods!

A few weeks ago I had another foodie order, this time for vanilla cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream frosting for someone's birthday. With this challenge at hand, off I went to dig up something tasty and inevitably put together these goodies using a Martha Stewart recipe for the cupcakes and a Food.com recipe for the frosting. Even thought I didn't receive any feedback from the folks who received the cupcakes, I am fairly confident this is the best vanilla cupcake recipe I've ever made and the peanut butter buttercream frosting was to die for!

On a side note, please be on the lookout soon for a special posting collaboration I'm doing with Frosting For The Cause. It is a wonderful group doing good things to raise awareness of the fight against cancer and am very excited to be able to participate!

Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rice milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated; scrape down sides of bowl, and beat in vanilla.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from: Food.com

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, don't use old-fashioned or natural brand
1 1/8 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 pinches table salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter and peanut butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Bananas Foster Bread

2011-06-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Why yes, this bread is just as delicious as it looks! My new fad - add yummy (alcoholic) flavors to breakfast breads. Someone had already thought of this one, over at Sweetpea's Kitchen, however I still had to try my own take on it.

This is yet another example of why I MUST distribute my baked goods immediately or else I run the risk of being the human vacuum cleaner of food. I think I literally ate half a loaf of one of these bad boys. And it was worth every bite!

I didn't change much with the receipt other than to double it and modify a few ingredient amounts; it honestly didn't need it. And with the leftover rum, I am jumping into a few cupcake ideas which I plan to share with you lovely folk soon. Enjoy! And happy summer!!

Bananas Foster Bread
Adapted from: Sweetpea's Kitchen

2 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
12 tablespoons butter (3/4 cup), melted and divided
1/2 cup dark rum, divided
2/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of two 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine banana, 1 cup brown sugar, 10 tablespoons butter, and 6 tablespoons rum. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; cool. Place banana mixture in stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add yogurt, remaining 1 cup brown sugar, and eggs. Beat at medium speed until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture to banana mixture and beat just until blended. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pans; place on wire rack.

While the bread is cooling, make the glaze by combining remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, remaining 2 tablespoons rum, and powdered sugar; stir until well blended. Drizzle over the warm bread. Try not to eat it all at once!

Whipped Herb Butternut Squash

2011-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Freshly returned from my first camping trip of the year. I'm one happy panda today. And I'm very grateful that we had a day of sunshine before the June rains returned. Yes, I said June. Sitting here warm and snug as a bug on the sofa, there are few things that sound more satisfying on a cloudy day than some homemade whipped herb butternut squash.

I don't know about you, but I am a HUGE fan of baked squash. The various squash plants in my garden are proof of this. One of the easiest and most versatile ways to eat squash is to whip it up like you would mashed potatoes. It's an extremely easy recipe and lends to any flavor matrix of your liking. This time around I made a herb blend with fresh sage and thyme - yummy! I highly encourage you to pick up some of your favorite hard skinned squash and have fun finding your own favorite dish. Enjoy!

Whipped Herb Butternut Squash
Similar to: Allrecipes.com

1-2 butternut squash, halved and seeded
Butter or Earth Balance Spread
Herbs and seasoning of your liking
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place squash halves cut side down in a medium baking dish with an inch or two of water. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Then flip the squash over and bake open face up for another 20-30 minutes or until tender and able to pierce with a fork. Feel free to add butter and/or honey and/or seasonings at this point.

Remove from the oven and let slightly cook. Then scoop squash from skin into a medium bowl, and mix with butter and seasonings. Whip until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Seasoning options (not to be used all at the same time): sage, thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, sour cream or yogurt, the options are endless here!

Big Girls & Flock Integration

2011-06-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

My little feathered ladies aren't so little anymore. And my gosh, are they gorgeous birds! Doesn't Athena look very regal?

In this shot, LeLu is up front and inquisitive as ever, followed by the ever standoffish Barney, and a few tail feathers of the the blonde one of the bunch, Athena. They are definitely in their teens as pullets, but are showing some signs of calming down and leading normal chicken lives.

Over the last few weeks, I've slowly tried to integrate the two flocks (Starbuck seen above from the mature flock). For any chicken owners out there, you know how tricky this can be. Funny as it sounds, there truly is a pecking order within the lives of chickens. At the moment, Starbuck's near-twin Ramona is at the top chicken in the older flock. I don't think the younger ladies quite know much about this chicken hierarchy yet, but they are sure curious!

I admit, I have a sweet spot for this little lady. LeLu (one of the sci-fi named birds) is the sweetest little thing. She let's me carry her around, coo to her, and is the most calm of the pullets. Notice her tiny little crow developing? Yes, I'm becoming that crazy chicken lady (if I wasn't before).

Barney is definitely a wild bird in spirit. She never wants to be held, touched, petted, or have someone come too close to her. Her feathers are finally all coming in, and becoming so dark she is taking on a greenish-hue in the blackest areas (very pretty).

As of now, I have the newer flock's chicken tractor parked in the fenced in area where the older ladies roam. This has allowed the two flocks to observe each other through the safety of the chicken wire that keeps the pullets in their tractor.

Every few days, I let the two groups out together to graze, positioning myself in between the flocks to diffuse any tension. Ramona, being on the top rung, inevitably goes after one of the pullets to show her dominance, however every time we do this exercise it takes her a little longer to show aggression (a good sign). Once the pullets grow a wee bit more, likely another week or two, I will attempt the full on integration. Stay tuned because it will likely involve a few ruffled feathers!

Herb Garden

2011-06-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

No home chef setup is complete without some sort of fresh herb garden. Whether it be a kitchen window garden or containers throughout your yard, fresh herbs go a long way for any dish. Plus there is some intrinsic connection between desiring a specific flavor and returning to the earth to collect it to add to your meal.

Therapy through gardening; enough said.

Over the years, I've added and subtracted from my herb garden. Other than the plants that won't make it more than a season, I keep my herb garden in containers as I tend to lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Being able to move my hardy herbs, like rosemary and oregano, allows me to maintain the ability to have a micro herb garden on the go.

Not too long ago I gifted a friend a bouquet of herbs as a foodie present. It contained a snip or sprig of everything I had to offer. Starting with the purple sage at noon on the plate above, going clockwise the bouquet had some peppermint, lemon balm, more peppermint, rosemary, two types of oregano, lavender, chives, tarragon, and two types of thyme (center). I also have some chamamile, but didn't add it to the gift as it is making its comeback at the moment. In a few weeks, I hope to make an even bigger herb bouquet with the addition of cilantro and basil, my seasonal herbs.

As I may have told you before, I am super blessed in that a neighbor a few streets over runs a full fledged nursery from her large yard. If you're a Eugenian and are on the hunt for some starts for your garden, stop by her facebook page for info/details and pay her a visit. Trust me, it's worth it! She has some of the best starts and plants in town. Happy gardening!

Easy Breezy Cornbread

2011-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

On the fly, on the go - my motto during weeks of travel. And a week of travel awaits me! While I may be wandering off to the edge of the Midwest this next while, my heart and thoughts will be with baking. Sometimes I lay in an anonymous hotel room daydreaming of the next dish I plan to whip up upon my return home or showcase at an upcoming Shire-inspired event (Shire being my pet nickname for Eugene). This batch of cornbread was a very last minute idea, based off of a friend's amazing vegan cornbread recipe utilizing coconut milk and a sale on Bob's Red Mill products as my local grocery store.

What can I say? Yes, it is very much what I call a cheat recipe. Cheating in that the main staple isn't made from scratch, in this case being the cornbread mix. While I am a big supporter of eating the least processed food possible, especially packaged mixes, I trust Bob's Red Mill products to deliver good results. And I was pressed for time (who isn't these days??). The end result was scrumptious! And transformed into perfect cornbread stuffing as an upcycled leftovers dish. Enjoy!

Easy Breezy Cornbread
1 package of Cornbread Mix, such as Bob's Red Mill
1 1/2 c light coconut milk
2 tbsp canned diced green chilis
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 c corn, frozen or fresh

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8"x8" or 9"x9" baking dish.

Loosely following the directions for the cornbread mix, mix eggs, olive oil, coconut milk and green chilis together. Then incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, adding the corn along the way, and stir until mixed.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake as directed by the cornbread mix (usually around 30 minutes) or until a tester comes out clean when tested in the center.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

2011-05-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Holy hell, are these delicious. I literally had to give all of these away so as not to continuously eat them. The reason for their creation? A friend's birthday request for zucchini bread matched with my constant need for dark chocolate.

After some research, I stumbled across the recipe from College Baker Girl. Her online version was the closest match for what I was aiming for in my foodie quest. I tripled her original recipe and of course altered it for my personal tastes: less whole wheat flour with the addition of white flour, added brown sugar and almond extract, replaced the oil with cinnamon applesauce. Imagine fruity, sweet, filling, chocolaty, moist...yum.

Now, stop reading and check out your cupboard, see if you have the ingredients to make these. If not, off to the store with you! You can thank me later. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Adapted From: College Baker Girl

1 1/2 cup white flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp salt
3/8 tsp baking powder
9 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk, rice or almond works as an alternative milk
1 cup applesauce
3 eggs
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
6 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tray.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugars, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and cocoa. Mix thoroughly.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the shredded zucchini and stir. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each cup to the top and sprinkle with dark chocolate chips.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. If making mini-muffins, bake 12-15 minutes.

Local Eats: Red Agave

2011-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Back in the day when I used to reside in Las Vegas, I had a habit of having nights out on the town where with the assistance of kind friends we would seriously indulge in our love of food. Quality was top priority, including the vino, and we had the most deliciously sinful and exquisite dinners. Even though I no longer have the restaurant mecca that is Las Vegas as my foodie ground, getting to know Eugene's local fine dining has been a pleasure and recently with the great company of the Dude. Last night's foodie adventure: Red Agave Restaurant & Cantina. Always a show stopper, in my book. And one of the very few places in town where you can order a Roma (if I'm not mistaken, they invented it!) or a Log Cabin, complete with hunks of bacon as garnish.

We started off our foodie adventure with a few tapas: Ahi Ceviche and Seared Scallops with Dungeoness Crab Hash. If you hadn't picked up on it yet, I fell off of my vegetarian band wagon for this one. I can't tell you the last time I had a scallop, let alone a buttery, heavenly one. It was decadent! On a funny side note, if you look really hard you can see my dinner mate in the spoon's surface (kind of Escher-esque).

And the Ahi Ceviche tasted fresh, complex with the avocado sauce, and definitely is a new favorite of mine.

For dinner the Dude went with the Anderson Ranch Lamb Birria while I jumped into a plate of Poblano Chile Relleno. Both were astoundingly good, although the mole sauce that came with my dish was extra amazing. We paired up the meal with a bottle of tempranillo and had a grand old time of things. My advice: don't miss the opportunity to dine here. Whether it be an early dinner, a birthday celebration, or a late night snack over drinks, Red Agave will delight your taste buds. Enjoy!

The New Garden

2011-05-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit quiet of late around this blogging corner. There has been a big influx of change here on the urban homestead, the first and foremost being this year's garden!

If I haven't been as social these past few weeks, it's likely because I have been tilling earth trying to make something of the yard. So far I have in the ground or in pots strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, peppers, lettuce, chard, garlic, chives, onions, marigolds, peas (above), pole beans, cucumbers, kohlrabi, and cabbage. Not to mention my herb garden, which I added more thyme and lavender to this past weekend.

I'm blessed in that one of my neighbors a few streets over runs a beautiful nursery and garden center of sorts from her home. I picked up quite a few of my new starts from her and can't wait for more. This Anna Russian tomato plant is one...an heirloom variety from a Russian immigrant handed down over generations. How rad is that?!

One of my mantras this year is companion planting. For instance, not planting my tomatoes near my cabbage or using marigolds to deter pests in the garden. Organic gardening is very important on this urban farm, so I try to use alternative methods for keeping pests at bay and encouraging healthy growth of my plants.

My first harvest of the season - radishes! And from two-year old seed. Next up, I'm hoping to harvest a few young potatoes from the potato bins and maybe some garlic. If you live in town, let's be garden trading friends!

Simple Pesto Pizza

2011-05-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

On the road again... yes, that might be my theme song this next while. With all that life has thrown at me of late, I'm finding more solace being out on the road than usual. Seeing old pals, new and familiar places, watching spring blossom across the country. The only down side to work travel is that I have so little time to cook and bake. However, being the planner I am I spent winter and early spring stashing away a few good recipes and treats to keep this little blog going. One of my favorites is this easy breezy Pesto Pizza recipe.

Ok, so maybe it is a wee bit on the easy breezy side of things but it's still food and it's still delicious. And it still gets the job done in satisfying my pizza cravings. I don't know about you, but I firmly believe that pizza making is an art form all of its own and is different for everyone.

For this pizza, it's fairly simple. I used a store-bought rosemary pizza dough from the local market, although when time allows I try to make my own. Assemble your favorite toppings and instead of tomato sauce use some fresh pesto. If you have the chance to make it homemade - go for it! Ah, homemade pesto...what a blissful creation. If you are like me and usually running out of time, most markets make or offer fairly decent fresh pesto (look in the refrigerated pasta section).

Roll out and/or hand toss your dough (I usually do both), add some pesto as a base sauce, then go to town with your toppings. This time around I added onion, artichoke hearts, a few kinds of white cheese, fresh herbs from the garden as well as some dried ones, and mushrooms. Pop that bad boy in the oven and bake until light golden brown. Enjoy!

Simple Pesto Pizza

Pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
Pesto sauce (store bought or homemade)
White cheeses - mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, chevre/goat cheese, etc.
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 cup diced onion
1/8 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4-1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinced
fresh and/or dried herbs - oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil

Preheat your oven to 425 F or whatever the store-bought pizza dough requires.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a large circle. Hand tossing is also encouraged as it adds a wonderful texture to the baked pizza dough. Using a fork, prick the pizza dough throughout. Add a good layer of pesto sauce, then add a layer of the various cheeses on top. Next add the minced garlic, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and dried herbs.

Using either a pizza stone or a baking sheet, place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or as the pizza dough directions specify. Let the pizza cool on the counter for a few minutes, then slice and serve. Tastes delicious for breakfast the next day.

The Move!

2011-05-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the big day arrived. About two weeks ago, actually, and damn me for not posting about it sooner. These little ladies have been enjoying spring from their new home for the past while.

We call it the Mini Coop. A Panda-sized chicken tractor, painted red for kicks. This one is much more portable and transportable that the giant behemoth we have for the first generation flock.

Barney and the wee gals love it. And after some time, they'll get integrated into the larger flock with the more mature ladies. Due to social chicken dynamics, waiting until the younger pullets catch up in size to the full grown hens usually benefits everyone in the end. For now, they will become acquaintances through the fence in a slow and patience process.

Races & Easy Homemade Croutons

2011-05-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Kentucky Derby Day! Err, a few days late. My time keeping has been off this last while, which I partially blame upon races. Races as in which you run, not the other kinds. This past week or two have been filled with several races for me.

First off, the Eugene Half Marathon which I did splendidly in. A giant heartfelt thanks to the stellar friends, fans, and volunteers who made this race the best one of my life. My runner's high lasted me a week, finally crashing this past Sunday.

Riding a week-long high kept me far from doing my usual chores, such as grocery shopping. I suddenly found myself with quite a bit of stale or day-old bread to use up, and quickly. Hence queue the Easy Homemade Croutons. Instead of doing a lot of hardcore baking, I spent the week making croutons and daydreaming of running another race...or two. On my mind are the Butte To Butte race this July and the Eugene Women's Half Marathon in September. I'm still undecided at the moment, however I am really digging the idea of having a solid goal for this summer.

Which then leads me to the final race of this past week - the Kentucky Derby. After spending all of Saturday (race day) at a kickball tournament, a friend came through for me by recording the Derby and airing it post-tourney. Needless to say none of my horses won, or at least not the in any order that would have led to a good payout. However, Animal Kingdom's comeback was pretty impressive!

So after rambling on about races and whatnot, I should spend a few moments talking about these tasty croutons. Making homemade croutons is easy as pie (ha) and saves you from wasting food. Depending upon the salads or planned uses for the croutons, you can alter the flavor matrix to suit your tastes. I tend to like to use a lot of garlic, fresh herbs, maybe a little parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Homemade Croutons

Leftover day-old bread: french, sourdough, sandwich, any works
1/2-1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bread into cubes about 1” square. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, powders and spices. Drizzle olive oil over bread.

Toss bread cubes until evenly coated with seasonings and oil. Place the seasoned bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Cook for 25-30 minutes or until croutons are nicely golden brown. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Store in an airtight container.

Happy Mother's Day & Lavender Coffee Cake

2011-05-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

What would the world do without mothers? It would be a compassionless place, that's for sure.

Mothers bring life into the world, spreading warmth, reassurance, and laughter wherever they go (in most cases). With just the right combo of gentle nudging and tough love, mothers prompt most of us to be better people. I, for one, am very grateful for mine.

In an ode to my mother who happens to be farther away from me than my baked goods can usually safely travel, I made a Lavender Coffee Cake for those folks in my daily life. Discovered and shelved away quite some time ago, this recipe is an oldie but goodie. I opted for the classic bundt cake style, and have had nothing but raving reviews about it.

Exploring this cake in a cupcake format may be in my future. I can't even begin to describe the rich scents coming from the oven while I was baking it. The changes I made in the adaptation were slight: using more dried lavender buds, adding almond extract, and going with non-fat yogurt for the milk base. While I can't even imagine this cake sticking around longer than a few days, I did notice that the first three were the most flavorful. Enjoy!

Lavender Coffee Cake
Adapted From: Joys of Lavender

Topping

1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

Batter

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Other Ingredients

3/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tsp. dried lavender buds (pulse this in blender with 1/2 cup of above sugar)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of non-fat yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the pan size(s) of your choice. If you have extra lavender buds, sprinkle a few on the bottom of the bundt pan to decorate the top of the cake once baked.

Mix together the topping ingredients and set aside.

Next, mix together the batter ingredients and set aside.

Cream the butter. Then add the sugars and then the eggs one at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. Blend in the yogurt and dry ingredients, alternating between the 2. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Put half of the batter into your pan. top with 1/2 of the topping. Swirl it in gently with a fork so it is just lightly blended. Repeat with the remainder of the batter and topping.

I used a bundt pan, which required about 45 minutes. The original recipe calls for the following cooking times:

One 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan 50 to 60 minutes.
One 9-inch springform pan for 60 to 70 minutes.
Two 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch loaf pans for 40 to 50 minutes.
Two 8-inch round or square cake pans for 30 to 35 minutes.

Bake until done. The top will spring back when pressed gently in middle or use toothpick or knife in center of cake, If it comes out clean, remove from heat and cool for 10 minuets before you remove it from your pan.

Jam For Japan

2011-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Something fabulous is happening tonight in the Eug (i.e. Eugene). A wonderfully talented group of people in the community are coming together to raise funds for survivors of the Japanese earthquake from last month. Feel free to join us for an extraordinary evening featuring performances by a variety of local belly dancers, local musicians and a silent auction with goods donated by community members. Stop in, have some fun, and help raise money for a country in need that once helped ours when we needed it most. All proceeds from the collection at the door and the silent auction will be given to the Japanese Red Cross Society and will be directly used to provide aid to victims in need.

Where: Cozmic Pizza, 8th and Charnelton Streets, Eugene, OR
When: Saturday, April 30, 2011, 7:30 to 10:30 pm
Info: Facebook Event Details

If you have enjoyed some of the food and nature photography from this blog, you're in luck! A few of the donated pieces include Panda le Chef photography. Make sure to stick around long enough to make a bid on the silent auction and to catch JAR, one of the city's best jam bands! Hope to catch you there.

Easter Beer Hunt & Cadbury Egg Cupcakes

2011-04-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I am doing this backwards. Most bloggers have their posts coincide with upcoming holidays, not ones that have just passed. Well, call me unconventional because I like to share post-holiday news. Or lazy. Either will work.

Last Sunday marked the 8th annual Easter Beer Hunt at a friend's house. If you have never heard of Easter Beer Hunt, I pity you. Seriously, it's life changing (thanks Charlene for pointing this out). Once you have attended an EBH, you will likely do everything in your power not to miss one in the future.

This year, the gang was coming off of the high of the Arcimoto launch from the evening before (way to go, Arcimoto gang!). Many of EBH hunters were still sore from the festivities the night before and getting to see Nathan Fillion (or in my case, touch him).

Yet I digress. Here are a few of the basic tools for EBH: hammer and nail to make your necklace (imagine flair).

Each year our fearless leaders spend much of Easter morning hiding beers around a very large yard, which close friends and family then spend the remainder of the day searching out for achievement awards.

Remember it's not a competition, it's an exhibition.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, my foodie contribution this year were Cadbury Egg Cupcakes. During my usual weekly hunting, I discovered the recipe from My Baking Addiction. Using a Chocolate Cupcake recipe from Joy of Baking as the base and a Buttercream Frosting recipe from My Baking Addiction, I whipped up two batches of these sweet babies to share with the hunting crew.

Each cupcake held inside of it a mini cadbury egg, adding to the insane amount of sweetness. I had some extra batter left so I made a few small star cupcakes without any hidden treats inside. Next time around, I might use the mini-butterfinger eggs or other flavor to hide inside, changing up the flavor matrix a bit. These are definitely holiday-friendly, easily modified for whichever holiday is coming up next. Enjoy!

Cadbury Egg Cupcakes

From: My Baking Addiction

24 paper cupcake liners
Batter for 24 cupcakes (see recipe below)
48 Mini Cadbury Creme Eggs (24 frozen) You’ll use the frozen ones inside the cupcake batter. Freezing the eggs keeps them from completely vanishing inside the baked cake.
1 batch of buttercream frosting (see recipe below)
yellow dye or gel
Large Round piping tip or snip the end off of a piping bag.

Scoop batter into paper liner ⅔ of the way full. Place one frozen Mini Cadbury Creme Egg into the middle of each cupcake. Use a spatula to spread the batter over the egg.

Bake according to the recipe you are using. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

While your cupcakes are cooking, make your buttercream. My favorite recipe can be found within this Fundamentals Buttercream Frosting Post.

Remove about 1 cup of buttercream from the mixing bowl and dye it yellow.

Assemble your piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe a large circle around the perimeter of the cupcake.

Fill in the center of the circle with the yellow buttercream and top with a Mini Cadbury Cream Egg.

Chocolate Cupcakes
From: Joy of Baking

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup boiling hot water
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16 - 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream Frosting

From: My Baking Addiction

4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.

Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Chick Update - Nearing The Move!

2011-04-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

These gals are definitely ready to move outside. Like yesterday. With the rains and some changes happening on the home front, it is taking a wee longer than anticipated to move the second generation chickens outside to their new home. However, the day is nearly upon us!

Barney (above), LeLu and Athena - my rambunctious, yet oh so sweet, young pullets. What's a pullet? Why it's a young chicken, specifically one that is no longer a chick yet not yet a layer (or a year old, by some definitions).

By far, Athena has turned into the gentle giant of the group (there is always one in a flock). She is kind, sweet, and loves to listen to me sing to her. Ok, having a crazy chicken lady moment here...

One of the most exciting moments still a ways off is when the wee ones begin to lay. Specifically, when they begin to lay chocolate brown as well as blue colored eggs! In a few months time, in addition to the pinkish brown, darker brown, and white eggs our current ladies lay we should see a few more hues and colors. I can't wait! I plan to make some homemade chalk out of egg shells when we get to full laying production (possibly xmas gifts?).

Do expect several more posts about the new brood as their personalities grow and show themselves. For instance, LeLu the ham for pictures.

And not to leave anyone out, here is a parting shot of Blanca running around under the blooming pear tree.

Banana Blackberry Lemon Muffins

2011-04-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had a request for more breakfast muffins as a parting gift for a friend's office, this time without any peanuts or strawberries. After doing some hunting, I came across an old Banana Blueberry Lemon Muffin recipe from Dragon's Kitchen. With some finessing and modifications, I created my own version of Banana Blackberry Lemon Muffins and damn if they aren't delicious!

Light, fairly low fat, and healthy. Next time around - no muffin liners. They had the nasty habit of sticking to the liners, which made for a messy eating experience. And they definitely tasted better the next day. Enjoy!

Banana Blackberry Lemon Muffins
Adapted From: Dragon's Kitchen

1 1/4 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup blackberries, frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease muffin tin and add liners if desired.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the lemon rind.

Beat together bananas, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, lemon juice, almond extract and vanilla extract until blended.

Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Stir in blackberries just until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, dividing batter equally.

For the topping, combine sugar and remaining lemon rind in small dish. Sprinkle evenly over the muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 16 regular muffins.

Running Aids

2011-04-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I am in training for the Eugene Half-Marathon on Sunday, May 2. Eek! It is coming up so soon. A half-marathon equals 13.1 miles, for any non-runners out there. Double that and you have a full marathon (which isn't on my radar anytime soon). If you are in the Eugene area and don't have anywhere else to be at 7 am on a Sunday, feel free to join the crowd and support one of the most popular races in Track Town USA.

In my efforts to be a better runner, I've trained my body to respond well to a little fuel come mile 7 or so of my long runs. I didn't do this the last time I was in training, being younger and more resilient, however this time around I think it has done wonders for keeping me from hitting a wall. A few of the aids have included honey and enhanced honey, Clif Blocks, and Sharkies. I also found a type of electrolyte tab that dissolves in water and helps to replenish a needy body. All have been helpful and I encourage other runners who aren't into the tradition gu-style packets to explore other options. Keep running! Good luck racers!

Sweet Potato Banana Muffins

2011-04-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Muffins are one of my go-to comfort foods. Savory or sweet, they serve up a delicious plate of flavors and reassurance that life is good. Hence why my recipe collection includes quite a few muffin recipes.

Honestly I have no idea how I stumbled across this recipe, but these Sweet Potato Banana Muffins proved both delightful and reasonably healthy.

I made quite a few changes to the recipe in my adaptation. Major ones include using white and brown sugars while using less overall, adding allspice and nutmeg, swapping oil for applesauce, and of course adding bananas. Other additions could include chocolate chips (yum), walnuts, yogurt, cranberries, oats, and just about anything else you can think of. PS - your kitchen will smell AMAZING while these babies are in the oven. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Banana Muffins
Adapted From: This Chick Cooks

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup cold mashed sweet potatoes, plain
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup rice or almond milk
chopped walnuts for topping

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line the muffin pan with liners or grease.

In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients, including the flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.

In an electric mixer, combine sugar, applesauce, eggs, and milk together. Next, mix in the vanilla. Follow with the mashed bananas and sweet potatoes.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, until just barely mixed. Finish mixing by hand, folding gently together until incorporated. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle walnuts over the top. Bake for 12-18 minutes, depending up mini or regular muffin size. Cool on a rack on the counter. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Chick Update & Chicken Tractor Building

2011-04-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

We are nearly into week 7 now for these little rascals. Definitely at the height of the 'they're so ugly, they're cute' stage. And Ms. LeLu here surely knows it.

This one is entitled 'Feathers' for obvious reasons. For the most part they have the beginnings of feathers, however there are still little tufts of soft chick down here and there throughout their bodies.

Their newest trick is to see how high they can jump, which apparently is very nearly close to the height of their moving box brooder. Barney was getting ready to do one of her flighty hops when I snapped this shot off.

I have to be watchful around these little ladies. She looks like she is plotting something, right? Athena is still the largest by far of the new additions, although she is as gentle as can be. I call her Big Bird from time to time.

The Tall One has been steadily working on a new home for these guys: the Panda-sized chicken tractor. As we have fewer birds we're raising from chicks this time around, and because I am so much smaller than the Tall One, we figured having a me-sized chicken tractor will benefit us all.

If you aren't sure as to what a chicken tractor is, well it is just that. A hen house/run combo that is setup in such a fashion that the chickens act as natural tillers, tilling the soil for us gardeners such as a tractor would.

Building a chicken tractor is a fun and creative experience. From the type of structure to the color of paint to where the door placement ends up, the builder gets to decide while meeting the needs of his or her specific flock. For me, building a chicken tractor is the epitome of urban homesteading. People are so into them that there is even a gigantic gallery of different types of chicken tractors.

In the meantime, our little ones will continue to live on with us in their giant moving box brooder. Hopefully they will enjoy their first night out under the stars soon. A few more months until we get eggs!

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

2011-04-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Every so often we all need some comfort food. A little hug from whatever is on your plate. Peanut Butter Jelly Bars are definitely on my comfort food list. I've surely eaten enough of these this week to feel comforted.

As a kid, baking was not part of our household. My mother would lie down if she suddenly had the urge to bake, waiting for the "fever to pass". Holidays usually involved wrangling me into the kitchen to take over cooking whatever my mother had a craving for, but didn't want to labor over. After a while I learned that if I was ever going to get home baked goods, they would have to come from a friend's house. And one of my childhood friend's mother used to make the best Peanut Butter Jelly Bars!

These are fabulously easy to make, very much a tasty treat, and something you should have in your baking arsenal. I didn't make too many changes to the original recipe, other than using walnuts and adding almond extract. There is definitely room to play around here, such as using different mixtures of peanut butter or almond butter as well as an array of different jam/jelly flavors to choose from. I can even foresee using banana slices/chips or even chocolate chips. Play around with the recipe and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars
Adapted From: Lemons and Lavender

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and continue to beat until well combined. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat just to blend. I do the last bit of this by hand. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1-1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly/jam layer. Sprinkle walnuts over.

Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.

Time In The Garden

2011-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Well hello there! At four weeks old, we've officially reached the teenage years for these little ladies. Curious, jumpy, and rowdy as ever. From left to right: the edge of Barney, Athena towards the back, and LeLu up front.

This picture is from today's outdoor play time. Little Barney is in the rear. Oh my, are they growing like weeds!

In between baking and chick rearing, I had a chance to snap off a few shots of the first generation flock. Our sweet layers.

I love this shot; all five of them make an appearance! Left to right: Blanca, Chatty Cathy, Inara peeking from behind, Starbuck, and finally the edge of Ramona.

Over spring break we managed to do some yard work, moving the old chicken tractor, and beginning construction on a new one. Am happy to report the shallots and garlic are springing up.

One of my favorite gifts, an adorable little rose bush, is making a wonderful comeback. It's been amazing to watch everything start to return to life after such a cold winter.

It's definitely time to take a few moments out for the simple pleasures. For instance, working in the soil and earth for a few days.

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

My Favorite Pasty

2011-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

I said pasty...not pastie. There is a difference.

One hides your tender parts and one is a delicious flaky pie filled with goodness. Obviously I think we know which one I'm speaking of.

I've been lucky enough to know the owners of Cousin Jack's Pasty Company since it's infancy (even spent a short while as one of their roommates). And out of all of my favorite local eatery companies, Cousin Jack's just may be my favorite.

Being a vegetarian, I love that Cousin Jack's offers a wide variety of pasty selections: wild mushroom, harvest vegetable, broccoli and cheese...hell there is even a fruit filled one. For the meat lovers they offer pesto lamb, steak and ale (made with Ninkasi brew), and a few other delicious flavors. Currently, I'm in love with the wild mushroom pasty served with a trio of different mustards. Mouth-watering goodness here!

Word out on the street is that a food cart is in the near future for these guys. That means I can get my pasty fix more often!

As it is now, you can order a case directly from them or buy them in your local store by the two-pack (check out their listing of where to buy). If you are out and about in the Whit, stop by their warehouse and pick up a few pasties directly from Dave & Kim. It's easy as pie (hehe). You can thank me later for suggesting it.

Classic Banana Bundt Cake

2011-03-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

The bundt cake. Brilliant invention. The guy who made the bundt pan made millions. Hopefully he was a sweeter man for it (ha, sorry another bad pun).

For me, the bundt cake is the epitome of easy baking. Make the batter, pour in the pan, bake and let cool. Add a topping as desired or take the simple route with a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Or in my case, both. My changes - adding some brown sugar to make the outside ever so slightly crisp, adding almond extract, going with non-fat vanilla yogurt. There is lots of room in this recipe to add your favorite addition like chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, a flavored yogurt, or other tid bits of goodness. Enjoy!

Classic Banana Bundt Cake

Adapted From: Food Librarian

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup vanilla non-fat yogurt

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone Bundt pan there’s no need to butter it). I used a ton of PAM like spray. Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. This takes a few minutes, scrape down the sides as you need. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar.

If you've got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving - it's better the next day. You can also add your favorite icing to this. An easy one - orange juice and powdered sugar.

It's Spring! And My Wish List

2011-03-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi spring, welcome to the neighborhood. I've missed you ever so much.

One of the first places the signs of spring abound is near the waterway that runs through our beautiful town, the Willamette River. Sadly, when I am out on the road I don't get to see much of this taking place.

Being self-employed (outside of the cooking realm) keeps me busier than I would like to admit. Last week was spent traveling and training, followed by a hellish day of attempting to battle airports and the friendly skies. Anyone who flew through SFO last Friday will sympathize here. To kill time and use free wi-fi, I often spend my layover hours browsing current recipe trends. When I am away from the oven, my mind fills with daydreams of baked goods and tasty treats. A few of my current wish list items include:

Lavender Macaroons With Orange Honey Buttercream by Baked Perfection (omg these look amazing)
Sprinkle Bakes version of Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes
Corn Macaroni With Asparagus Fava Beans by Vegalicious
A leftover from the holidays, Eggnog Pound Cake With Crystal Run Glaze by My Baking Addiction
Jamie's Grand Marnier Cupcakes from Three Many Cooks
Chocolate Shavings version of Sun Dried Tomato, Goat Cheese, & Olive Loaf

Be on the look out for my trial runs of any of the above. And my newest concoction - the cocktail cupcakes dozen pack!

Baby Chicks!

2011-03-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Aren't they adorable? Please excuse the funny lighting, they reside in a red heat lamp environment until they get old enough.

It's official, we are now a multi-generational chicken household. Our original flock is about two years old while these little ones are only a few days old.

Meet Barney the barnevelder.

Athena the ameraucana, named after the Battlestar Galactica character.

And LeLu the dominique. Lelu was named after the namesake character from the Fifth Element. That makes four of our extended flock named for sci-fi characters (can you say uber dork?).

For the next few weeks, our make-shift brooder will be their new home. The tall one is in charge of building a smaller chicken tractor/coop until we can merge our two flocks into one, which will likely be a few months as the original flock needs to get used to the idea of the newer ladies.

I had planned to post all sorts of chick-rearing tips in this post, but hell the cuteness factor overtook me. Expect many more postings on the growing little ones soon!

Easy Cilantro Walnut Pesto

2011-03-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Ever have that moment where you are standing in front of your fridge, craving something homemade, yet not wanting to make anything? This happens to me a lot. Especially when things around our little micro-urban farm are busy, work is piling up, etc. About a week ago I found myself in this position, with a bunch of fresh cilantro in hand and a bag of organic walnuts. After a few seconds of blank thoughts, it hit me - Cilantro Walnut Pesto!

Talk about an easy breezy recipe! Take cilantro, pesto, garlic, cheese, and walnuts, then blend in a food processor. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta, in my case a wonderful wheat-alternative paste made of quinoa, and you have yourself an easy meal. Enjoy!

Easy Cilantro Walnut Pesto
Adapted from: Fabulous Cilantro Pesto

1 (16 ounce) package of your favorite pasta
1 bunch fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup walnuts
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.

In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add pepper to flavor. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.

Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss. Add your favorite vegetables, like mushrooms or artichoke hearts, and toss.

Easy Soft Pretzels

2011-03-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

Last weekend marked the second round of the Beer Olympics! Needless to say, I didn't win anything other than a hangover. Boy oh boy, did we have a blast. Check out the scoreboard!

In order to combat the excessive amount of beer drinking, I opted to make soft pretzels for the Olympians. With time running out, I went the cheater's route and used pre-made store dough to make the soft pretzels. Taking a cue from Ms. Martha, I followed her recipe and discovered how simple it is to make homemade soft pretzels.

The hardest part for me was the actual pretzel knot tying. I couldn't follow Martha's instructions for the life of me, so I simply started making an assortment of knots, ties, and bows to see what would work best. Note to self for next time - make sure your knots and ties are solid or else they will come undone during the quick boil process (learned this the hard way).

All in all though, it was a very easy recipe and is going to make a comeback soon! Enjoy!

Easy Soft Pretzels
Adapted from: Soft Pretzels

1-2 bags of pre-made pizza dough from the local store
3-6 tbsp baking soda
oil for baking sheets
Coarse rock salt

Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. Cut dough into 12 pieces (per bag), and roll each into an 18-inch rope. I found that twirling the dough in the air helped.

Form a U shape with 1 rope, and twist ends together twice. Fold twisted portion backward along center of U shape to form a circle, then gently press ends of rope onto dough to seal. Or simply make your own twist/knot/tie. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and repeat. Let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add baking soda. Boil pretzels in batches until puffed and slightly shiny, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to wire racks to drain. Sprinkle with the rock salt while still damp (this will help the salt stick).

Return to baking sheet and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Pretzels will keep, uncovered, at room temperature for up to 12 hours. Rewarm in a 250-degree oven if desired, and serve with mustards.

Homemade Yumm Bowls

2011-03-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

If you live in Oregon, you've likely discovered Cafe Yumm. Therefore, discovering Yumm Sauce. This, my friends, is a little jar of magic. Put it on anything, ANYTHING, and taste the rainbow of flavors.

I literally have friends who have this stuff shipped across the country to eat. And it's worth every penny.

On a rainy day, I bet you most Oregonians contemplate having or making a Yumm bowl. While the restaurants serve delicious bowls, I prefer to make my own with all of my favorite ingredients. The concept is simple. Start with a bed of cooked rice and some type of beans, add your favorite fresh veggies and condiments, top with Yumm Sauce and presto - homemade yumm bowl!! Listed below are the steps for one of my staple meals. Enjoy!

Homemade Yumm Bowls

3 cups cooked white rice (basmati, jasmin)
1 jar Cafe Yumm sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 small can sliced black olives, rinsed
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 container fresh or store-bought salsa
1 container sour cream
1-2 large mushrooms, sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, diced
Shredded cheese of your choice
*nice additions: shredded carrot, cucumber, tortilla chips, field greens, brown rice, quinoa

Start with your rice and beans, adding equal amounts to the bottom of the bowl. Next add the other various items you've selected (veggies, etc.). Finish with your Yumm Sauce, salsa, cheese, etc. Voilà- delicious Yumm bowl!

Chick Season Nearing

2011-02-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

What can I say, I am a sucker for an adorable, fluffy chick. Or in this case a fluffy, cold hen. More snow this past week here in Oregon. Makes for cranky leghorns, in this case a moody Starbuck who had to be lured out for a photo session.

Yesterday we spent part of the afternoon meandering around town surveying the current batch of chicks available at our favorite chicken stores. Backyard Farmer, likely our most favorite chicken store in town, had a fresh batch of several breeds and it took all of my effort not to head home with a shoebox filled with peeping chicks. We're trying to wait for our favorite breeds to come in...ugh, the waiting.

In the meantime, let me spend a few moments gushing about raising chicks. This is what our original flock looked like soon after we brought them all home. During the first few weeks they spend a lot of time eating, sleeping, and seeking warmth. I can't wait to lay in bed and listen to the sound of little chirps from the other room.

After a while they start to resemble chickens with a few feathers coming in here and there. At this point, they become very inquisitive. And typically require moving into a larger box for their living situation as they start to jump about.

In a few months they will have grown large enough to begin living outside. Here are our ladies on their first day of living in the big outdoor world in their newly constructed chicken tractor. I remember how much I fretted the first evening!

This time around, we will spend a few months integrating our original flock and the new additions. This involves having their pens close together, yet not within contact yet. They'll cluck at each other, get used to the new scents, and when the little ones become big enough to hold their own around the original flock we will see how the integration goes. Check back soon for baby chick pics!

Red Velvet Cake & Mini Vacation

2011-02-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

February seems to be my month to slack off on posting. I checked last year's February foodie posts and found the same thing. There appears to be a pattern forming, however I promise to get my baking buns back in the saddle soon.

Last weekend I had the wonderful pleasure of celebrating a friend's birthday on the Oregon Coast. If you haven't visited the Oregon Coast yet, put it on your bucket list. Seriously. It is a magical, wonderful, amazingly beautiful place with far fewer visitors than you think and a plethora of activities for everyone.

I call this the bowling team/gaming crew. Don't we look like a motley, crazy bunch? And yes, we had ridiculous amounts of fun. :)

The birthday boy requested a red velvet cake as his present. Have you ever made a red velvet cake? Do a web search for a recipe and start reading, it will likely intimidate you. This is how I felt embarking upon my red velvet quest.

I ended up going with a Smitten Kitchen recipe for the cake and a cream cheese frosting recipe from Joy of Baking. While I did do some minor tweaking to both recipes, I tried to leave them more or less intact. The one big change is that I added a raspberry whipped cream layer inside the cake (also adapted from a Joy of Baking recipe). The cake was delicious, however a little too dense for my taste (am not sure if this was due to letting the baking soda/vinegar bubble too long). As with all red velvet cakes, it tasted so much better after letting it sit for a day in the fridge.

And sorry for the poor photograph, blame the iphone. This is the only shot I managed to capture of the inside of the cake prior to it being demolished. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake
Adapted from: SmittenKitchen

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups cake flour (sifted)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup strawberry applesauce
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.

Sift together cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl (this is in addition to the pre-sift for the flour).

Place oil, applesauce, and sugars in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla and almond extracts . Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (watch closely as mine tended to overcook). Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting Layer
Adapted from: Joy of Baking

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup slightly sweetened raspberry puree or jam

In a large mixing bowl, place the whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill in the bowl with the wire whisk in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Then add the raspberry puree/jam, a little at a time, and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Taste and fold in more jam or sugar as needed.

Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from: Joy of Baking

1 - 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 - 8 oz tub of mascarpone cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to obtain the right consistency.

Assemble the cake: After the cake layers have cooled, place one of the cake layers on the serving plate as the base layer. Thickly spread the raspberry whipped cream layer over the top of the base cake layer. Place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to let the cake set up. Take the chilled cake out of the freezer and stack the next cake layer on top of the cooled whipped cream layer. Then add a thick layer of the mascarpone cream cheese frosting on top. Again place it in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to set up the frosting. Finally add the top cake layer to the stack, and finish by frosting the top and sides of the cake. I tend to make this fairly heavy and thick. Place the cake back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, then remove and decorate as desired. Refrigerate the cake until nearly ready to serve. Prior to serving, remove the cake from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

Peanut Butter Dark Chocholate Cupcakes

2011-02-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Another round of birthdays this week. Hell, this month. Which is fine by me, as it means more reason to bake. Although I attempted a late-night (drunkish) baking session last night, and promptly remembered why I shouldn't do that. Ha, a story for another time. ;)

This week's menu: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting. Mmmm, super rich and super sinful.

I picked up this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and have had nothing but positive feedback from taste testers. I didn't change anything in the recipe, however next time I think I would change things up a bit. The peanut butter frosting is a little intense; next time maybe the kaluha frosting from the White Russian Cupcakes. Also, I think the dark chocolate cupcake could improve with a little instant coffee for taste. Tinker around with your batch and share what you discover. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
From: Brown Eyed Baker

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1.5 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) lite sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Banana Pudding Pie

2011-02-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is a banana pudding pie. Make sure you have friends around to help you consume it, or you just might eat the entire thing by yourself. Believe me, I nearly did. Even with friends around.

I should have snapped a few more shots of this pie, but honestly the second I tasted it I wanted more. Screw pictures. Pie in mouth, please.

After doing some online research, I came across this recipe from Lick The Bowl Good. Sadly, I didn't have a pie pan handy when making the crust and opted for a round cake pan. Hence I lost a few points on presentation as the slices didn't come out all pretty for picture taking. However, the taste more than made up for it. I didn't change much with the recipe from it's original state, and am glad I didn't as this pie is perfect just the way it is. Enjoy!

Banana Pudding Pie
Adapted from: Lick The Bowl Good

To Assemble the Pie:

Vanilla Wafer Crust (recipe below)
Vanilla Pudding (recipe below)
Whipped Cream (recipe below)
3-4 medium bananas, cut into slices
30 vanilla wafers plus more for decoration

Vanilla Wafer Crust:

2 1/2 cups (about 30) crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup butter, melted

Vanilla Pudding:

3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks
2 cups almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the crust:
In a medium bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.

For the pudding: Whisk together sugar, flour, eggs, yolks and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 10-12 minutes or until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted. It must be thick and slightly bubbly to set up properly!) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic directly on top of the custard so it doesn't get a "skin" on it. Refrigerate til completely cool. (Can be made up to a day in advance.)

Whipped Cream: In a medium bowl, whip cream on medium high speed til soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat til thick and stiff. Don't overbeat or you'll have butter (no good).

Assembly: Arrange half of the banana slices evenly over bottom of cooled crust. Spread 1/3 of cooled pudding over bananas, then layer with 20 vanilla wafers. Spread 1/3 more pudding over vanilla wafers, then add the remainder of the banana slices and cover them with the last of the pudding. Spread the whipped cream over the entire pie and decorate with more vanilla wafers if desired.

The layers from the bottom up should be: vanilla wafer crust, bananas, pudding, vanilla wafers, pudding, bananas, pudding, whipped cream

Refrigerate at least for 4 hours. Overnight is best. Consume within 2 days.

Foodie Fest - Pie & Bread Edition

2011-02-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, I had the joy and pleasure to share food, drink, and warmth with a handful of foodie friends. What a lovely day! If I could do this more often (especially getting paid to do it), I would be the baking hostess of renowned success. :)

On the menu this Foodie Fest - pie and bread. Specifically crafted for a pair of friends, the general gist of the event included showing up ready to assemble/bake/eat a favorite bread or pie (dough) recipe. And of course, enjoy a mimosa or two.

We also sampled a flyer of IPA beer, which was most fun discussing and arguing the subtle taste differences between each label.

One friend brought seed bread (oh so delicious). Two loaves, which we pretty much decimated.

Another made empanadas + potatoes = empotatoes! With gruyère cheese...needless to say I sampled MANY of these little babies.

A local bread baker pal made his first attempt at rye bread with pink himalayan salt dusted on top. Wow, like a little bite of heaven in my mouth.

As for me, I might have made a contribution or two...first up were the pesto pinwheels. These were a cross between my garlic cheese pinwheel rolls and garlic knots made last year. Needless to say they were instantly gone.

My other contribution - banana pudding pie. There is barely a sliver remaining the morning after. Obviously a sign of a smashing hit with the foodies. Click here if you would like the recipe. Easy as pie to make (ha, couldn't help myself) and well worth the wait!

Am currently taking ideas for the next round of Foodie Fest. Feel free to leave me a comment or two with your suggestions. Happy baking!

Life With Chickens & White Russian Cupcakes

2011-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am not going to lie. Life with chickens is well, a little weird. Chickens are definitely their own species. Not quite birds as they don't fly and seem to have an attitude about it. And not quite domesticated pet, say like a dog, however they definitely perform some amazing pet tricks.

With their crowing at odd moments and chicken yoga, feathered ladies follow a hierarchy all of their own. A pecking order is always in place, which seems to change for no reason and is quite dramatic. They are so fascinating!

Chickens rock, plain and simple. Life with chickens is entertaining, in that way where you stand at the kitchen window for spans of time wondering what the hell they are doing now. Go hang out with a friend of yours who has chickens. Or better yet, agree to watch the flock for a few days when your friend heads out of town. You'll get what I mean after observing fowl play for a while...ha! Sorry, always one for a chicken joke.

Now on to the thing I am sure most of you stopped by for - White Russian Cupcakes. Wow, hats off to the person who came up with this one. I discovered this recipe through Baked Perfection. Forewarning, this is definitely an adult cupcake. Maybe it was the white russian I had to drink while making the recipe, but I could definitely taste a wee bit of the alcohol in the cupcake. Personally, I love me any dessert that makes me tipsy if I eat too many!

As for the recipe, I didn't change much. I made sure to sift the dry ingredients together, as cupcakes always come out better that way. Also added a tiny bit of almond extract, although hazelnut would have been even better. One thing I did add to the recipe directions - drink a white russian while baking these lovely treats (it's a must). Enjoy!

White Russian Cupcakes
Adapted from: Baked Perfection

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond or hazelnut extract
1/2 cup almond or rice milk
1/8 cup Vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Get yourself a white russian to drink (strength is up to you, however in my opinion they are served best strong).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a seperate bowl or in a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until combined. Add egg and egg white, one at a time. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts, Vodka, and 1/8 cup of Kahlua. Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, ending with the flour mixture.

Bake 17 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcakes comes out clean. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the tops with the remaining 1/8 cup Kahlua. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Kahlua Buttercream

From: Baked Perfection

1 stick of butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
3 - 4 tablespoons Kahlua

Beat butter until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add Kahlua 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Coconut Muffins

2011-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

Another breakfast muffin, another tool for bribery. Can't blame a girl for using her talents, right?

After the layered coconut cake from a few weeks ago, I had extra shredded coconut leftover and needed to get some baking therapy action going. Hence my newest breakfast nosh was born - Coconut Muffins.

The recipe is similar to an old one from Mr. Breakfast.com, however I did some modifying (can't help myself). I reduced the baking powder, added some baking soda, swapped the oil for applesauce, used coconut milk in place of regular milk, added vanilla and coconut extracts, and some sugar. Wow, I guess I did change a lot of the original recipe. They ended up great! Not too sweet, very tasty, exactly what you want in a breakfast muffin. Enjoy!

Coconut Muffins
Adapted from: Mr Breakfast.com

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is preferred)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1/3 cup applesauce

In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients except coconut (flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt). Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine together egg, milk and applesauce. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and mix. Then add egg mixture at once to dry ingredients.

Stirring mixture only until the dry ingredients are moistened; add shredded coconut. The batter will be lumpy.

Spoon into lightly greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup half to two-thirds full. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown. If using regular or jumbo size muffin tins, bake for a few minutes longer.

Sunday Brunch

2011-01-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sundays are the bomb, hands down. Especially if you fill your Sundays with good company and great food. Lucky for me, that is exactly how I spent this Sunday.

A handful of us came together to create an exquisite menu - Avocado Fries, Tiramisu Pancakes, Oven Potatoes with ample servings of mimosas. Not bad, eh?

All of the dishes were amazing. The Tiramisu Pancakes were deliciously evil, especially with the marscapone cream. The Avocado Fries were the first to disappear, always a sign of a very tasty dish. And the Oven Potatoes were a wonderful savory compliment to the bouquet of flavors. Try one recipe, try them all...but make sure you are very hungry if you attempt this exact menu. ;) Enjoy!

Tiramisu Pancakes
Adapted from: The Ivory Hut

For the pancakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, slightly rounded, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a generous pinch of salt
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons instant coffee

For the glaze:

1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur

For the cream:

4 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Start by preparing the cream and the glaze. For the cream, beat all ingredients together and whip until you have soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. (Tip: this cream tastes amazing, and is what really makes these pancakes. If you like generous amounts of cream on your pancakes, you might want to make a double portion.) The glaze is optional, but very, very (and I mean very) good. Simply combine the ingredients well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.

In a separate bowl, combine both milks and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour. I like to transfer my batter to a measuring cup or something else with a spout, for easier cooking.

Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle. When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired (1/4 cup for regular-sized pancakes) onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate. Spread a small amount of the maple glaze over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.

To serve, dollop a generous amount of the cream in between layers of pancakes. Top with more cream, and then top with shaved chocolate, or a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder.

Serve with extra cream and/or glaze on the side for dipping. A bonus: these pancakes taste amazing even when cold.

Avocado Fries
Adapted from: Circle B Kitchen

Canola oil for frying
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-in. wedges
Sea salt for finishing

Preheat oven to 200°. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 in. oil until it registers 375° on a deep-fry thermometer.

Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/2 tsp. salt in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates.

Sprinkle the avocado slices with the remaining ½ tsp salt. Dip each slice in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, then panko to coat. Set on 2 plates in a single layer.

Fry a quarter of avocado slices at a time until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados. Sprinkle with sea salt to finish.

** PS - the Oven Potato recipe is forthcoming, and it's well worth the wait! **

Quinoa Salad & More Hiking

2011-01-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

Hiking is keeping me going this gray, rainy winter season. Seriously, the blues would have likely taken me long ago if not for these hikes. If you haven't spent at least an hour outdoors in the past week, I urge you to do so... like now. Go. Get off the computer.

We did the South Willamette Trail this week, and while not as awesome as last week's Larison Trail, it was still great. More like a cloud rain forest, with the misty woods and showers passing over.

And now on to the food! A week or two ago I made a long-time favorite and staple - Quinoa Salad. Great for vegetarians and vegans, provides lots of protein, and it is always a wonderful summer dish addition.

The recipe is super simple, and can be modified in a lot of ways. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled (I make mine with vegetable stock and/or Braggs for flavor)
1-2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup cilantro or italian parsley
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
juice of 1 lime
3-4 tbsp lite vinaigrette dressing
splash of peanut oil
splash of rice wine vinegar

Cook the quinoa as directed, and remember you can change the flavor of the quinoa by using vegetable stock, Braggs, or something flavorful. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, add tomatoes, cilantro, and cucumbers together with the cooked quinoa. Toss until well incorporated. If you wish to add herbs, now is the time to do so.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinaigrette dressing, peanut oil, and rice wine vinegar. Add to the quinoa and toss until everything is well coated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours for fuller flavor.

Variations include using medetarrian cheeses and vegetables, tweaking the dressing for flavor preference, or making the flavors more asian inspired.

Layered Coconut Cake

2011-01-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is a layered coconut cake. It rocks. Seriously.

This cake was my first attempt at a layered cake. Before this I stayed away from them due to their intimidation factor.

However it was a pretty special lady's birthday and this was what the sweet tooth fairy had in mind.

What can I say? This cake took a little effort, but was well worth it. My changes - not much, actually. I didn't pour the filling over the top layer, but now that I realize letting it sit for a few days is key for flavor, I will definitely do this the next time I make this recipe. I also added a dash of almond extract. Other than that it is nearly the same as the original. Enjoy!! Make sure you have lots of friends around to help you eat this bad boy.

Layered Coconut Cake
Adapted from: Jamie's Coconut Cake

Cake:

Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake but substitute 1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk for regular milk, recipe follows

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

Frosting:

1 recipe 7-minute Frosting
Flaked, sweetened coconut, for sprinkling

Follow directions for Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake, substituting coconut milk for regular milk. While cake is baking, prepare filling. Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended. Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again. (As I stack layers together I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting).

Prepare 7-Minute Frosting. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides of cakes with additional coconut.

Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and almond extracts and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

7-Minute Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

11 Layer Dip - Go Ducks!

2011-01-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

Well, we didn't have the finish I was hoping for last night. However, the Ducks took us to a whole new level overall for the season. Way to go team! Needless to say the town is a bit somber today in mood. For those Eugenians out there - doesn't this guy look like Frog???

A friend was kind enough to let us overrun his house and have a game day party (thanks buddy, you know who you are). Besides the kickass Watershed IPA keg from another local brewery, Oakshire, we definitely had enough food to last us most of the night.

My contribution - 11 layer dip! Oh my gosh, was it good.

These are the team spirit color deviled eggs my buddy did! Obviously, I fell off the cleanse band wagon.

You know who inspired me to make this my game dish? None other than the witty (hot) man himself, Nathan Fillion. He is one circle away from my social circle, oh so close! Like any good tweet stalker, I follow his tweet feed. And if you are also fan, you would have read his tweets about his own 7 layer dip recipe. Of course I added a few layers, always have to make it Panda-style! If ever so lucky, one day I'll share some of my dip with Nathan. Food that is! Get you're mind out of the gutter, pervs. ;)

11 Layer Dip

1 can of Black Beans (you can refry these yourself at home with a little taco seasoning and chopped onion (1/4 of one)) or 1 can of Refried Beans
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of Green Chilies
Guacamole (homemade tastes best)
1 container or Salsa (homemade tastes best, although store bought fresh works too)
1 container of low-fat Sour Cream
1 package of Shredded Cheese (Mexican style works)
1/2 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1 bunch of Green Onions, chopped
1 small can of Black Olives, sliced
1 small can of Jalapeños, sliced (jarred kind works too)
1 packet of Taco Seasoning

To make refried beans out of a can of black beans - over low-medium heat, add the can of beans to a small sauce pan. Mix in 2 tsp. of taco seasoning, 1/4 chopping onion, and cook for about 20 mins. As you continue to cook, remember to stir often and mash down the beans (wooden spoon works). Taste test and add more flavoring as needed. Remove from heat and spread over the bottom of a casserole dish. Let this cool before adding any other layers (unless you want to melt the cheese, see below).

If using pre-made refried beans, spread over the bottom of a casserole dish.

Next add the layer of diced tomatoes. If the tomatoes are too moist, de-seed prior to dicing.

Next add the small can of diced chilies. I sometimes also use part of this can to make the guacamole and/or refried beans.

Sprinkle a little bit of taco seasoning on top of these layers.

Next add the guacamole in one thick layer. Using the back of a spoon helps to spread the guacamole around.

Use most of the container of salsa to make the next layer.

Follow this up with the sour cream. The easiest way is to put little dollops all over the last layer and gently spread with the back of a spoon.

Sprinkle a tad bit more taco seasoning on top of this layer.

Next add the cheese. Go as crazy as you like. If you are serving the dish immediately and don't have time to cool the beans in step 1, then feel free to add the cheese on top of the beans to melt it.

Next add the chopped cilantro in one green layer.

Follow up with chopped green onions in another layer.

Sprinkle the black olives over everything in the next layer.

Add jalapeños as your personal taste allows (lots in my case) to the top of the dish. And presto - 11 layers!

Warm Artichoke Spinach Dip

2011-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

It is definitely still winter in Oregon! A beautiful hike today proved true of this. Just check out the snow! You can barely see the trail.

Just had to throw in the waterfall shot. :)

Day 6 of my cleanse and I want food. All the time. Lots of it, the greasier the better. Seriously, what the hell was I thinking doing this thing? Note to anyone out there contemplating a cleanse - make sure you are in the right mindset to tackle something like this; and if you are a super active person, watch your calorie intake. Enough said!

Last month for the first round of the Beer Olympics, I made a batch of one of my most favorite appetizers - Artichoke Spinach Dip! Nom, nom, nom. Wow, my stomach is growling now... This is a perfect comfort food dish for winter. If I weren't on this stupid cleanse right now, I would be shoveling this into my mouth by the chip load!

It's a fairly easy recipe, with plenty of room to make modifications. I usually make mine the night before, let things stew, then pop it in the oven to serve. It's chalk full of cheese and other deliciously bad things for you, however you can opt for the low fat route by buying low fat mayo and cheeses. At this point though, I would go full steam!

After mixing all the ingredients together, you throw it in a baking dish.

Add more cheese, and bake until bubbly and scrumptious! Notice you don't see a fully cooked picture of this dish? Yeah, that's my fault. I was so eager to get it over to the Beer Olympics that I forgot to take a final shot! Bad Panda. However, I am sure you can imagine this slightly browned, crispy on top, and chalk full of cheese bubbles. Enjoy!

Artichoke Spinach Dip

1-10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1-14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1/2 cup of mayo, low-fat to reduce calories if desired
1/4 cup of sour cream, low-fat to reduce calories if desired
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (more if you like extra cheesy dip)
1/4 cup grated romano cheese (more if you like extra cheesy dip)
1-3 cloves of minced or pressed garlic
Shredded mozzarella for topping
Red pepper flakes for topping

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish with a lid, mix together everything except the last two ingredients. Lightly sprinkle the mozzarella and red pepper flakes over the top. Lightly salt and pepper to taste (remember the cheeses are fairly salty in flavor).
3. Bake until heated through and bubbly, usually 25-30 minutes. Remove the covering the last 5-10 minutes of baking to crisp the top. Cool for a few minutes and eat while warm! Tortilla chips or crackers good well with this dish.

Breakfast Smoothie

2011-01-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of the cleanse and I am feeling a little...well, frumpy. Tired, can feel the detoxing happening throughout my body, and the newest kicker is my insanely vivid dreaming. Last night I had a dream within a dream, which was more surreal than I can express (yes, it was weird like the movie Inception). Am going to blame it on the cleanse.

While the last few days I have had freshly made juice for breakfast, today I opted for a smoothie due to the large amount of cardio and physical activity I planned on doing. Using Joy the Baker's Kale Spinach and Pear Smoothie recipe as a starting point, I tweaked the recipe a bit and omitted the honey to stay in line with my cleanse. I do have to say, drinking a full glass of my breakfast smoothie was quite filling!

Plus a little shout out to one of my favorite local Eugene breweries, Ninkasi. If I can't drink their tasty brew while on the cleanse, at least I can drink out of one of their pint glasses. :)

Breakfast Smoothie
Adapted from: Kale Spinach and Pear Smoothie

Half a ripe avocado
Half a pear
A handful of fresh spinach
One large leaf of chard (any kind)
One banana (you can freeze the banana if you like a colder style smoothie)
1 to 1 1/2 cups of cold almond milk (hazelnut or rice work too)

Chop of the fruit into large pieces to make the blending easier. Add all items to your blender and process until smooth and bright green. Pour into a glass and enjoy!