Lover-ly Thoughts in the Kitchen

Spaghetti was such an easy comfortable dinner on this chilly and slightly breezy winter evening. It was delightful to have quantity of pre-made spaghetti sauce that just needed to be reheated while the vermicelli was boiling and, voila, dinner was served.  It wasn't quite as good as having someone else make dinner for me, but it'll do.

That got me thinking about all the delicious foods that we reserve for the cold seasons and would never think of making during the summer. Or am I the only one that switches menus just as though they were some seasonal decor that is packed away until the next holiday rolls around?

Last week we had Vietnamese Chicken Curry (a Pinterest discovery).  It was good, but somehow didn't live up to our memories of the first time we cooked it and declared it yummy as written.  We'll be fine tuning it for future use. 

Roasted Red Pepper Crab Soup is in our future as soon as we shop for three red bell peppers.  It's a winter classic at our house and my mouth is watering even as I type.  We have plenty of extra crab because we just made sushi for our Sunday night family dinner--and sushi is definitely a summer treat in my book since it doesn't heat up the kitchen.  But since I got lucky and tthe kids made it, I'm not quarreling with their choice and I'm delighted with the crab windfall! 

There's a second tri-tip from Costco that needs barbecuing and I'm hoping this one yields some leftovers too because it's been awhile since I've made French Dip Sandwiches, with sourdough naturally.

Truth to tell, I'd rather be crafting right now.   I'm slowly finishing a reupholstering project that was just waiting for the after-Christmas lull.   The sewing machine has been busy as I magically transform some of my older quilted wallhangings into a warm and cozy throw:  I'm this close to finishing it.

However, dinner happens every night no matter what I'd rather be doing.  Cooking seems like an imposition but simmering odds and ends from the pantry into Scotch Broth, or Curried Chicken Noodle, or Chicken Potato Soup makes me pretty darned happy.  Why is that?

On the other hand, baking never counts as cooking--maybe because it doesn't put demands on me night after night after night.  I have a special dessert project that just needs a couple fancy-free hours this week...Lemon Meringue Pie.  I think we all need some delicious lemon-y goodness to get us through this cold spell and make us dream of warm, tropical days instead

I gave my sweetie a "subscription" to the Pie of the Month Club for Christmas.  He gets to choose a pie, any pie...and I get to make it.  Every month.  What fun!  I love to spoil him, she said with a big grin

Enough rambling on as I plan some upcoming menus for frosty February--back to the sewing machine. Over and out.

Be (INSPIRE)d,
 

Fluffy Whole Wheat Rolls

Putting "Fluffy" and "Whole Wheat" in the same title seemed like false advertising when I grabbed this recipe out of Winco's bulk aisle.

I guess Hope Springs Eternal because I was intrigued enough to try it anyway, and darned if it didn't actually turn out to be a wonderful fluffy-in-spite-of-being-whole-wheat recipe!

Fluffy Whole Wheat Rolls

2 T. dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. honey

3 eggs (at room temperature)

1-1/2 t. salt

4 c. whole wheat flour

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and honey (or put it in the microwave and nuke it until the butter melts).  
3. Add eggs and beat well.  
4. Add yeast mixture.  
5. Mix in salt and flour to form a soft dough.  Let rise until double--please notice that it does NOT say to knead, just rise!  
6. Once it's doubled then knead. 
7. Let rest for 3 minutes before shaping rolls on a greased pan or cookie sheet. 
8. Let rise till doubled and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Makes from 12 to 16 rolls, depending on how big or small you make them.

I make bread so frequently that I've developed a shorthand in my recipes that might be less obvious to anyone who's not a baker.  It drives my kids, who do bake, nuts.  I'll spare you that...

• c=cup.  t=teaspoon. T=tablespoon.
• Warm water means water that's somewhere between hot and warm--if you can't keep a finger comfortably in it, then it's a bit too hot.  Sometimes I'll put the too-hot water in the bowl and wait a minute while the bowl cools it off.  Too cool though and the yeast will start to shiver.
• I always proof my yeast before putting it in a recipe. My yeast is almost always fresh since I use it so often but I still proof it just in case.  That means adding yeast to warm water (with a smidge of sugar) and letting it sit there till it starts to get all foamy and bubbly--"proof" that it's active.  
• I'm fortunate enough to have a fabulous canvas square that I knead my bread on (and roll out my pie crusts), but you can knead on any smooth surface too--table top, counter top, cutting board--just make sure you have enough flour on it so that your dough doesn't stick while you're kneading it.  Your surface should be low enough that you can press down easily with the palm of your hand otherwise you'll get pretty tired.  Kneading is one of my favorite things in the whole world (besides ironing).  Crazy, I know.  I just love the feeling when the dough suddenly tightens up and I know it's ready.
• Grease your pan with butter, oil, shortening, whatever.  Just don't miss any spots or getting your bread out will be impossible.
• My rolls doubled enough that they began touching each other.  Unlike siblings in the back seat, they didn't complain.

The rolls didn't last long enough for me to take a photo, alas.  You'll understand when you make them.

Nothin' Says Loving Like Pumpkin Gingerbread in the Oven!

I just hafta share this seasonally delicious treat with you! In fact, I'm surprised you didn't call me up and ask about that irresistible spicy aroma floating out of the cottage and permeating the neighborhood.

I started with the basic five-star recipe from Allrecipes.com which you can check out here.  Then I started to make changes as suggested in the reviews and according to the current meager contents of my cupboard. Without further fanfare (although it deserves all the fanfare it can get), here is my (kinda healthier) version of

Frosty's Pumpkin Gingerbread

Oh yeah, the usual stuff:  grease the pans or spray with Pam and only fill halfway. I made a 9 x 5 loaf, two mini loaves about 5 x 3 plus ten muffins from this recipe. Bake 45 min. for the little loaves, 25 or so for the muffins. All were received with delight and glee by neighbors and family!

I got to use up eggs from the Bombshells (they're still laying up a storm and we can hardly eat them fast enough) and more of my jack o'lantern pumpkin puree (there's a limit to how much pumpkin soup my family will eat without protest in a month's time).


Yummily,

Kharma Cookies

When my brother was in first grade, my parents had just begun running a donut shop. Up to then, my dad had operated a gas station, and before that kept the books at a car dealership. Now my dad got up at 3 a.m. and made donuts and we were discovering the world of old-fashioned, French, plain, raised, jelly and bar donuts. This was a new and delicious adventure for our family.

Mrs. Columbus, the first grade teacher, asked each child for his or her favorite recipe and assembled them into a mini-cookbook. Choosing a recipe was a chore for my brother because he was (and still is) a very picky eater. I sat on him one summer afternoon, assisted by my sister and the Zink brothers, forced a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth, and held him until it had disappeared. The general feeling was that being choosy was every kid's God-given right, but that saying you didn't like ice cream was carrying the whole thing too far.

Well, my brother eventually chose a cookie recipe called Crunchy Nut Cookies. When the cookbook arrived home, we discovered that Mrs. Columbus had added a little preface to each child's selection. I remember how thrilled my mom was to read that these cookies were "from Mr. Baker himself". I guess we were new in town and it was nice to be recognized as the family who ran the donut shop. These cookies became a family favorite for all of us.

One downside of this cookie is that, if not stored immediately into an airtight container, they morph into a hardness rivalling that of a two-by-four. They still look delicious, but anyone gnawing on them risks a broken tooth. Oddly, if you leave them out for a day or so, they revert back to the chewy quotient of the perfect cookie. Also, the batter is very crumbly and so they aren't drop cookies, they are more of a scoop-it-on-the-pan-and-moosh-it-together cookie. And then too, they are called Crunchy Nut and we have never made it with nuts and never will.

My children also love this cookie, and since they travel well we've taken them (cookies and kids both) camping and on road trips. We've tried to keep them(cookies, not kids) in ziplocs and when we forget we've suffered through the hard stage(cookies and kids) knowing they are worth the wait. I've taken to tinkering with the recipe a bit, adding a bit more shortening or another egg--anything that might help keep it moist--without success.

I made them recently as a thank-you present for our neighbor who has dropped by daily to let Kharma out and play during the new little puppy stage. I have no idea what possessed me to make the changes I did, but the cookies turned out wonderfully and were the exact color of our new pup. So may I present the improved and renamed (flourish of trumpets, please)...

KHARMA COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream 1/2 cup softened butter. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar and mix well. Beat in 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Add 1 cup of flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Gradually add water until the batter is not crumbly (not more than 1/4 cup). Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

(With only 1/2 cup of butter and 2 cups of whole wheat flour, you can pretend they are good for you, too!) Enjoy with someone you love.