One more pound...

to go that is.  Until I'm to my pre-pregnancy weight.  But I'm never going to get there if I keep baking and eating like this.

I've been baking a lot recently.  It's to fill that need of a little morsel of chocolate at night.  If you know me well, you know that I really love cookie dough.  The actual cookies, I'll eat one or two usually and I've had my fill.  So we go through a batch of cookies every week or so.  Then a few weeks ago Rob handed me the 48 oz bag of chocolate chips we keep on hand.  Because if there are no cookies to be had, a few chips make a lovely late night snack.  But as he was handing me the store brand bag of chips, he saw the recipe on the back of the bag.  PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.  For whatever reason, we often have a can or two of pumpkin pie filling on hand - probably because pumpkin pancakes on a winter weekend are awesome - so we had all of the key ingredients.  Because the recipe calls for a whole can of filling it ends up being a double recipe, making 5 - 6 dozen cookies depending on the size.

I made these on Friday night.  Sunday afternoon they were gone.  I could. not. stop. eating them.  For snacks. For meals. For desert.  They have the texture of muffins and the taste of pumpkin, a breakfast food right?  I didn't post about them before, because there was no picture taken.  But last night I made them again. And they are just as good this time around.  So thank you store brand chocolate chips for giving me my new favorite cookie recipe.  I'm adding the word pie because I imagine that if you wanted a really decadent desert adding some whipped cream or ice cream would make them kind of like pie.  And really you should plan on gifting some of them.  Otherwise you too could eat 5 dozen cookies in two days.

Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies

4.5 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 2 tsp allspice, 1 tsp nutmeg, 0.5 tsp cloves)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Then mix in:
1 16 oz can of pumpkin pie filling (I use Libby's)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Once that's all mixed up stir in 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Or don't, because they are still pretty darn good without. (I had a couple with no chips from scraping the bowl.)

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

The finished product will be a little spongy and soft, like a muffin.

Yum!

What did we do with all of those apples?

Yum!

Meat Grinder

Last year I got the meat grinder attachment for my kitchen aid.  I decided I needed one when all the ecoli outbreaks in ground beef happened last year, or at least that's when I read about them.  It's been nice.  I've used it a few times for leftovers that get ground into taco meat.  But more often I use is to grind raw meat for burgers or chili.  We went to the grocery Sunday night and because they were restocking, there was very little meat options.  But there were some thin steaks on sale.  So I bought a couple.  And sliced them into strips.

The grinder attaches to the front of the mixer with a bowl underneath.

The strips go in the hopper at the top...and comes out all ground up.

 Form and cook.

My meat grinder is cool.

Pizza

Who doesn't love a good pizza.  Occasionally, when I chance it, I shop at Trader Joe's.  I really love the freezer section and the snacks.  Last year on a whim I picked up some of their refrigerator pizza dough.  We made our own pizza.  It was delicious.  Then I wondered if I could MAKE my own pizza dough.  Buying is easy, but have you seen the LINE AT THE 14TH STREET TRADER JOE'S!!!  Ask my sister, it's crazy.  Which is why it is a sometimes place.  So making it has to be easier than the insanity.  I pulled out my favorite trusty cookbook, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Anything seriously, if you don't have this cookbook you should get it.  It really does tell you how to cook EVERYTHING.  So I found the page with pizza dough.  And oh my goodness, I was floored by how easy it is to make your own.  It calls for rapid rise yeast, so you only need a couple of hours lead time instead of a day, like with regular bread.

So here's how to make super delicious homemade pizza. Mix:
1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon or kosher or sea salt (I've used regular salt, but I cut the amount in half)

Then add
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix until smooth.  Slowly add 1 cup of flour (this makes 3 total) until dough is stiff.  knead until the dough is smooth and moist.  Form into a ball.  Then grease a bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and place the dough in the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rise for an 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  (If you didn't plan ahead you can made do with an hour - or if you did, refrigerate for up to 8 hours instead)

I added flax seed and black pepper to my dough, that's what the specks are.  You can also add herbs, garlic, flavored oil (instead of olive) or a number of other things to give the dough a little something extra.  When the dough has doubled in size knead it down and divide it into as many pieces as you like.  Leaving it as one big piece will give it more of a deep dish texture, we usually do two (see above, 2nd photo), but you could make mini pizzas also.  Roll into smaller balls, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for about 20 minutes (this step is important).

When the dough is ready roll into discs.  I have a pizza stone, but since the dough can be hard to transfer, I find it easiest to roll it on the baking sheet, if I use the stone it starts cooking...oops, so I either use an unheated stone or a regular cookie tray.  Now it's time to assemble.  Add tomato sauce (or paste, or a combo)

Fresh basil and chopped tomatoes.  Or pepperoni or sausage or whatever your favorite topping may be.

And top with fresh mozzarella.  Or shredded if that's all you've got.  Or even cheddar if you really forgot to plan.  But in my opinion fresh is best.

To bake I turn the oven on to whatever (usually 350 or 400) let it heat up and bake until cheese is fully melted and dough is crispy on the edges.

Delicious!

**side note:  for this particular pizza I tried using gluten free brown rice flour.  bad idea, it doesn't rise well, and gives the dough a really grainy texture and just doesn't taste as good because it's so heavy.  so don't try and make pizza too healthy - it isn't worth it.  next time, back to regular flour.

an Ode to Velveeta

This one has been waiting in the wings for awhile now.

Oh Velveeta, cheesy goodness.
I finally introduced your brick form to my home.

Melted in with shoestring fries

Cream of chicken soup and sour cream

Topped here with saltines...

Buttered cornflakes are even better.

Oh how I love the French Fry Casserole.

Next winter we shall meet again.

Company's Coming

1 8 pound turkey breast - $17.99*
1 box of stuffing - $2
4 yams - $4
1 bottle of wine - free
homemade bread - $3

Dinner with friends - priceless

Angela came over early to help me cook. Together we made the corn casserole, yams, and stuffing. Turkey is so easy, you just put it in the oven and wait for the button to pop up...
And Rob made his delicious apple pie with cinnamon sugar crumb topping.

Bon apetit!

Auntie's Refrigerator Rolls (from my great-aunt Evalee)

In a large bowl mix
2 cups warm water
2 packets dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
Dissolve yeast in water - 5 to 10 minutes

add the following:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup soft shortning (crisco)
1 egg

Mix in 61/2 -7 cups flour by hand
Knead until elastic and smooth (8-10 minutes)

Form large ball and put in a greased bowl, grease the top of the dough and cover with a hot damp cloth
Refrigerate over night (or until doubled)

When ready for rolls, punch dough down and pull off 2 1/2 inch balls (somwhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball) and place on cookie sheets.
Cover with a dry towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (or longer is fine)

bake at 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes

Enjoy!

*prices are approximated and may or may not be correct (didn't care enough to dig out receipts)

Super Summer Spaghetti Salad

I made the recipe last week when Bill and Jessica came over for dinner. And my mom made this a lot for pot lucks, etc... I'm posting this for you Jess.

Note: Modify as you wish. I change up the veggies based on what I have on hand.

1 lb spaghetti
1/2 bottle of Italian Salad Dressing
McCormacks Salad Supreme Seasoning (I haven't had great luck finding this in NYC and had my mom send me some. The ingredient label says: grated romano cheese, salt, sesame seed, poppy seed, paprika, celery seed, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper. I would use grated cheese - parm if you don't have romano, salt, garlic, paprika, and black and red pepper if you have to make your own)

Chopped Veggies:
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Cucumber
Onion

Mix the veggies, dresssing, and seasoning with cooked spaghetti. Toss and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Twinkie for the first time

So after I read the book "Twinkie Deconstructed" (see review below) there was quite a bit of discussion and debate about it in my office. I recall Twinkies fondly, with a bologna sandwich at my mom-moms house. Someone confirm this is a true memory and not something I imagined. But I was always a little more partial to the HoHo, or the Little Debbie version, the Swiss Cake Roll (aka Drake's Yodel). I never really differentiated the brands until this discussion about the Twinkie, but all the big bakers have essentially the same cakes, with slightly different names, and I am sure ingredients and recipes. But debate about processed foods aside (I think hey in moderation it won't kill me, I've gotten this far, others say you should avoid at all costs) I was astonished at the number of people in the office who had NEVER tasted a Twinkie. WHAT! Maureen is from Taiwan, Arava from Isreal, Robert from Germany, and a couple of deprived Americans. Apparently my love of junk food, and snack cakes like the Twinkie is an American convention. (Side note: Marla has never had a McDonald's hamburger!) So we discuss and debate the virture of processed foods, and how some of these things are in your kitchen, and yeah some are probably just plain bad for you. But then yesterday, arava brought in a box of Twinkies. Determined to understand what all the fuss was about. Robert hated it. Arava was taken aback by the sweetness (she also had a yodel and some other cake to try). And I closed my eyes and took a bite - and it was delicious. I realized I haven't actually eaten a Twinkie in at least 5 years, and althoguh it wasn't quite like I remembered it was so worth it. I still prefer the HoHo though. (Those I had last month, when I was really craving a treat, and Rob surprized me with a box)

What's your favorite snack cake? And how long has it been since you had one?
Leave me a comment, then go relive your childhood.

Book Review "Twinkie Deconstructed"

There is this book out "Twinkie Deconsructed." It is enlightening, although I did not find it life altering. Yes there are some crazy ingredients in industrial baked goods, and yes some of those ingredients are used in things, like rocket fuel, and explosives, and weed killer, but really they won't harm you. I mean anytime you sit and eat a box of something full of sugar it isn't good for you, and there are some things worse for you than others, but indulging in a Twinkie, or in my case a HoHo (they're my favorite), every so often won't kill you.

What I found most surprising in the book is the number of ingredients that are found in your kitchen. Sulferic acid is one of the main ingredients in Ferrous Sulfate, which is used to fortify white flour. I almost always have a five pound bag in my kitchen. They say the acids that make up the ingredients of the ingredients won't hurt you - I choose to not think about it too much. Yes, whole wheat unbleached flour (and yes white flour is bleached with that bleach) would be better, but I've gone this long, I'll take my chances for the time being.

Then there are the crazy sounding names, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium acid pyrophosphate. These rocks and chemicals combined are baking powder. And I find it better than the alternative - people used to use ashes. And we eat salt, that's a rock too.

The only ingredient that really makes me worry a little is the High Fructose Corn Syrup, and that is mostly due to the many articles out, and the heightened awareness made by the first lady. It's not good for you. But the process of actually making the HFCS, that isn't all that different from the numerous other corn and soy products. I do find it amusing though that there are, I think, nine ingredients made from corn on a Twinkie label. Why not just add corn?

So read the book if your interested in knowing what you eat. Don't take it too seriously, and really, sugar and baked goods aren't all that awesome for you, even though I wish they were. Fruits and veggies are the best.

Goddess of Cocoa and Chocolate

Aunt Mary has decided that I should be called the Goddess of Cocoa. Probably because every other sentence out of my mouth was "You know, chocolate / cocoa / sugar _______ would go really great with this. I made candy, pudding, hot cocoa, and cake. We had a bit of chocolate with almost every meal. This won't surprise anyone who knows me and my sweet tooth, but I kind of like the new moniker, Goddess of Cocoa - it suits me. In honor of this title here's my Mom-Mom's candy recipe, which is what started this whole thing. We used to have this always at Christmas - but I'm sure it's delicious anytime of year. This recipe takes patience, and doesn't always turn out right (it didn't set completely in New Mexico) but even the mistakes are delicious.

Mom-Mom's Candy
3 cups sugar
3 heaping teaspoons cocoa
1/8 teaspooons salt
1 1/2 cups milk

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium pot
Stir in milk - heat on low and stir continuously
Let mixture boil (about 20 minutes)
When the mixture begins to thicken (approximately another 15 minutes) Add 1/2 stick a butter

Test every minute with the cold water test:
Use a spoon to drop a drop of the candy mixture into a cup of cold water
When the mixture forms a ball in the water take the mixture off of heat

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter

Pour onto a buttered platter (13 - 18 inch oval or round) one with a vertical lip works best. Let platter sit until candy is hard. (several hours)

If the candy sets correctly it can be cut into squares of a hard sugar like consistency. If it does not set correctly it will be more like taffy and should be eaten with a spoon.

Enjoy!

On the fifth day of Advent

Let's make some cinnamon ornaments! Here is a picture of two I made last year and they still smell great. It's the recipe we always made with mom, I grew up smelling cinnamon.

To do it yourself, Mix and knead:
3/4 c cinnamon
1Tbs allspice
1Tbs nutmeg
2 Tbs cloves
1 c applesauce

Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut with you favorite cookie cutters. Bells and stars worked best for me. (I tried angels but the wings kept falling off) Poke a hole for string with a toothpick and lay out to dry on paper towels. Turn as needed, they take about three days to dry out.

"Haunted" Black Forrest Cake

My cousin Andrew got me this really awesome cookbook as a wedding gift. 100 Best Desserts. So for our Halloween party at work I made the Black Forrest Cake. It was delicious! Thanks Andrew.

Favor Recipes

I've had a couple of requests for the recipe of what was IN the favor jars from our wedding. So I'm going to post how to make the jar mixes here. I found all of the recipes on this website.

For our favors I chose two muffin mixes and two pancake mixes, which are posted below. The website has many more options for pancakes and muffins and a whole host of food items to choose from. They make really nice hostess or christmas gifts too.

Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix

2 cups flour
1 cup BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup GENERAL FOODS INTERNATIONAL COFFEES, any flavor
2-1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Grease or line muffin pan with papers. Beat 1 egg in large bowl; stir in 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted. Empty contents of bag into bowl. Stir just until moistened.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 1 dozen.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins
Because this mixture doesn't quite fill up the quart jar, it isn't necessary to pack the layers down as tightly as usual.

Layer in a clean 1 quart jar the following:
2 c. flour, mixed with 2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (OR macadamia, pecans)

ATTACH RECIPE TO JAR:
To make Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins:

Spoon out walnuts & chocolate chips into small bowl. In a large bowl, empty remaining contents of jar and stir together until well blended. In a third bowl, stir together:

2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted (allow to cool before mixing)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Make a well in center of the dry ingredients. Add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips & walnuts. Spoon batter into either greased or lined muffin cups (about 2/3 full).

Bake 15-20 minutes. Test for
doneness with toothpick. Cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin cups.

Makes 12 muffins.

Gingerbread Pancake Mix

1 C. cake flour
1 C. all purpose flour
7 T. buttermilk powder
4 T. sugar
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 C. white chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients. Transfer to a decorative jar.

Attach a recipe card with these directions to the Gingerbread Pancake Mix:

Place mix in a large bowl. Add:
1 3/4 C. water
6 T. melted butter
1/4 C. molasses
2 eggs

Blend until just combined. Pour batter 1/4 C. at a time, in a hot skillet, to make the pancakes. Cook pancakes, turning once, about 2 minutes.

Yield: 20 pancakes

Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Pancake Mix

3 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Sift all the ingredients together into a container and continue mixing until well blended. Pour into a jar.

Card:
Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Pancakes:
Beat one egg in a medium bowl and add 3/4 cup milk and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add 1-1/4 cup of mix until moistened. The batter will still be lumpy -- do not over mix. Cook on a hot, lightly greased pancake griddle over medium heat.