Vanilla Sugar

There are so many interesting things out there to try. I love to check out a new cookbook and see what I’ve never heard about, or made before-- or get an idea, change it around and make something completely new.  In my travels, I read  about Vanilla Sugar and decided to give it a try.  Some people use it as a table sugar to sprinkle on cereal, herbal teas, warm milk, puddings…whatever. It was suggested to use it in baked goods, but, I don’t know…Vanilla Beans are very pricey…..  What shall I do with it? Oh, what shall I do?  Maybe….in…my Cinnamon Swirl Rolls…….Flambo!!  We’ll find out in a week or so.  Maybe I’ll just open the jar and smell it. 

Vanilla Sugar

Fill your loveliest quart-sized canning jar with white sugar (about 3 -3/4 cups). Snip 2 Vanilla Beans into thirds and arrange them as you desire with the sugar.  I distributed them at various levels. Place the lid on top and after a week, your sugar will have the scent infused throughout.  I’ll report back in a week.

According to “How to Be a Domestic Goddess,” by Nigella Lawson, you can substitute cinnamon sticks, unsprayed rose petals, or dried tangerine peel (which you can find in an Asian Grocery).  She also speaks of Rosemary Sugar (a few sprigs of fresh Rosemary in the jar),  which can be sparingly used to sweeten meat or Tomato sauces.  You can also sprinkle it on the top of Rosemary cake….hmmmm..I think I’ll try that one too….Rosemary Cake is also intriguing. Time to get my Flambo on!!! 

White Chip Ginger Cookies

Oh, Honey Me! Were these ever wonderful. Someone baked these in a novel I recently finished reading, and I just needed to give this a try.   (I think it was a Sarah Addison Allen book.) I looked up a recipe for Ginger cookies in my Pink and White checkered cookbook and Flambo! Here we have something I will make again.
The original recipe calls for making really BIG cookies. I made them smaller, so it makes a BIG batch of cookies. Get your Flambo on and make what suits you.
 
White Chip Ginger Cookies
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 bag white chips
1/2 cup sugar In a large mixing bowl beat shortening for about 30 seconds.  Add sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs and molasses. Mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl with your favorite pink spatula.

Add flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon,cloves and salt, mixing until well combined. 

Add white chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
Roll into 1 inch-ish balls, roll in the remaining sugar and place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. **
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to cooling racks.
** For BIG cookies, roll into 2-inch balls using a 1/4 cup measure.  Roll balls in the sugar.  Place 2 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed.  cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Sun Dried Tomato Bagels

Finally, the moment you all have breathlessly been waiting for….I think I have it.  I found a recipe online for Sun Dried Tomato bagels and used this as my base, but the ingredient amounts left me with flat, wrinkly bagels but incredibly flavorful.

Boiling time is negotiable.  I usually boil a  couple of minutes on each side. Other bagel recipes have you boiling for 7 minutes on each side.  I don’t want to do that.

Sundried Tomatoes can be hard to find.  I found them packed in oil at Wal-Mart (they are next to the mushrooms in the canned tomato aisle) and they are usually out of them.  I found bagged Sun dried tomatoes at Kroger.

My family loves these,with my insatiable son eating 4 in a day sometimes. My directions will be with a Kitchen Aid Mixer so modify as needed…. So, without further ado…Flambo!!

Sun Dried Tomato Bagels
(makes 16 bagels)
oven 375 degrees

7-8 cups unbleached flour
4 tsp yeast
1 Tbl sugar
1/4-ish cup warm water
3 tsp dried basil
2 tsp California-style Garlic Powder
2 tsp Sea salt
2 TBL sugar
2 cups vegetable juice (I use V-8)
2/3 cup snipped sun-dried tomatoes

Proof the yeast in a small bowl, with 1 Tbl sugar and 1/4 cup-ish water. 

Place 6 cups of the flour into the mixing bowl.  Add basil, garlic powder, salt and sugar.  Heat the vegetable juice to lukewarm temperature (I nuke it).  Add proofed yeast and vegetable juice. Turn on the mixer and let it knead, adding another cup of flour after a couple minutes.

Meanwhile, I snip my tomatoes during the kneading process and add when I have enough.  This will make the dough more wet, so you will need to add about 1/2 cup more flour.  Continue kneading and adding flour until the dough is smooth.  You don’t want a wet dough, as bagels will not be strong enough to hold their shape after boiling..

Remove dough from bowl and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Grease 2 baking pans.  (even if they are baking stones)

Cut dough into 16 sections.  Shape each piece into a smooth ball, then poke your finger through the middle to made a hole.  If you like, swirl it around your finger a couple of times to make the hole bigger. Place on greased pans and allow to rise for 30 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, start a large pot of water to boil so it will be ready by the end of the 30 minutes.  I have learned no not allow them to rise much longer than that 30 minutes.

 
Drop 3-4 bagels into the boiling water, top down, then flip after a few seconds to get the bottom started.  After a few more seconds flip again, to top-side down again and allow to boil about 2 minutes (more or less) Flip the bagel top side up and allow to boil a couple of more minutes.   I have learned that boiling completes the rising process and they will not rise any more than this. It took me two tries to keep my bagels from falling, needing more flour—a stiffer dough.  Then a couple more times to keep them from being horribly wrinkled—rising too long. (They will be a little wrinkly from boiling—we’re just trying to keep them from falling flat)

 
With a slotted spoon or skimmer, remove bagels from water, allowing to drain.  Return to greased pan and add the next batch of bagels to the water.


Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes, checking for a nice slightly browned red-orange-y color.  Remove bagels from pans and cool on wire racks.  Best when eaten warm. The texture will be chewy. Freeze them the day you bake them and defrost as desired.

 
Serve as they are, warmed, or as a pizza bagel, as a sandwich, or sliced open with melted mozzarella cheese on top. Be creative!  Flambo!!

Shepherd’s Pie

When I was in my teens, my, then, Steply-Ugmother made this horrible concoction called Shepherd’s Pie.  I swore I would never eat such a toxic waste muck ever again. =:0~~~~@

Luckily, we can repent of our swearings.  I attribute this recipe to a family I go to church with.  I have not yet sought their permission to mention their names here, so I’ll leave it at that for now.  Their family brought this dish to us in the week after my husband died.

The difference is ~*Taco Meat*~ instead of Toxic Meat.

In the following recipe, you may substitute a Taco Seasoning packet in place of the tomato sauce, Rotel and spices in the taco meat.

Oven temp is 400

13X9 inch baking dish

Shepherd’s Pie

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 TBL chopped garlic
1 15-oz-ish can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel (or store brand equivalent)
2 Tbl Chili Powder
1 Tbl Ground Cumin
salt and pepper to taste
a splash or three of Tabasco sauce (opt.)

3 cans cut green beans, drained

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (more if you like)

Enough Mashed Potatoes to serve 8 people.  (I just eyeball everything)  Instant potatoes are fine.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain off excess fat.  Add the onion and garlic, cooking till tender.  Add tomato sauce, Rotel and spices.
Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Pour Taco meat into the 13x9 inch baking pan.  Layer the drained green beans on top, evenly distribute the cheese and top with the mashed potatoes, spread them evenly. 

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Flambo!

Pepperoni Potatoes

 I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago and my family just loved this, often making it for breakfast. If you like texture, this will be quite satisfying with the red bell peppers and corn niblets.

I think I am going to try using Olive oil instead of the butter next time, and I will always use more seasonings!  Flambo!!

Pepperoni Potatoes

3 tbl. Butter
2 tbl. Flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme (I prefer more)
¼ tsp dried basil (I prefer more)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 28-32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (cubed)
¼ c. chopped sweet red pepper
1 can corn, drained
Mozzarella cheese, shredded, to taste
27 slices pepperoni, quartered (more or less. we of course use this:

 

 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the seasonings.

In a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish, layer the potatoes, red pepper and corn. Top with the white sauce, mozzarella cheese to taste and pepperoni. Bake, uncovered at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Link for Un-Soda

My sister, Spike, has a new blog, ”Divine She Cooks.“  I am passing along the link for her post on making Un-Soda that looks like something I want to try.

Un-Soda 

Be sure to use your favorite glass.  It doesn’t have to be pink.

Flambo!!

Cucumber Salsa

Too busy eating to say anything.  Make this and you’ll understand why..Flambo!!




Cucumber Salsa

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium-sized SWEET onion a.k.a Vidalia, chopped
1/2 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (if you want lots of heat, add the whole pepper)
1 ~heaping~ TBL chopped garlic
Zest of fresh lime,careful to only lightly zest the green--the white is bitter (optional)
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1 TBL cilantro, or less if desired (I use dried in a jar)
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in your favorite pink serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips or as a topping in sandwiches or as a topping in fajitas or on a salad…or…Flambo!

Milk-free 7-Layer Dip

 I was shopping with my mother (having taken my re-usable shopping bag with me—the pink one, of course) and decided I needed to make my children cry by making 7-layer dip. I was not successful at drawing tears.

We have milk allergies in our household so we have to do without sour cream, cheese and don’t get me started about store bought mixes.  Okay, I’ll start~Taco seasoning packets give me a headache. We substitute taco meat for the taco mixed sour cream layer. Sometimes I add a layer of salsa, but I forgot today. So, here is our version of 7-Layer Dip. Flambo!

Oh, yeah…look at that.  Can’t even see the plate….

7-Layer Dip

1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
4-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
splash of tabasco
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 15-oz-ish can refried beans
1/3 cup salsa
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup Guacamole

Chopped lettuce, desired amount

1 tomato, chopped, color of choice

1/4 cup chopped onion

Black olives, sliced or chopped
(we used chopped today)

In a small skillet (I use cast iron) brown your ground beef. Add onion and cook until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and seasonings.  Simmer until taco meat blend is cooked through and not runny. (I can’t think of the right word today….Flambo!)

Meanwhile, in another pot, pour your refried beans, salsa, and seasonings. Mix well and heat.

Now we can start building our 7-Layers.

1. On a favorite large plate, preferably pink, spread the Refried Bean mixture. 
2. Next layer,using your favorite pink spatula, spread the Guacamole on the bean layer
3. Next layer, sprinkle the taco meat on the Guacamole layer.
4. Next layer, sprinkle the chopped lettuce
5. Next layer, sprinkle the tomatoes, (we used yellow today)
6. Next layer, sprinkle the chopped onion.
7. Next layer, black olives

Serve with Tortilla chips, or Pita chips, or bread, or vegetables….Just make sure you enjoy the flavors.

You can add more layers of anything as you desire, of course, you just can’t call it 7-layer dip anymore.  Flambo!

Chocolate Cake?! I Think NOT

So my Chocolate Cake was more like….a crumbly, Chocolate flavored Plaster of Paris.  It probably would have been better suited to make a sculpture of Louis Armstrong blowing on his trumpet instead of trying to eat it. Satchmo!!! 

Here is what makes great Chocolate Plaster of Paris:

3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Allspice
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Almond milk

My thanks to Better Homes and Gardens cook book for this recipe.  I shall remember where to turn when I want to sculpt the Jazz greats.  Maybe we’ll do this for a homeschool unit. Hmmm….

We shall try again. FLAMBO!!