Tuscan Rose

I'll bring the dessert

wishing everyone an almond JOYOUS cheesecake HOLIDAY

Almond Joy Cheesecake recipe link

 

Do you waffle?

Without a doubt my favorite kitchen item is my antique waffle iron.

A well seasoned cast iron is a thing of beauty and the cute chicken on the lid doesn't hurt either.
 

I use my waffle iron so much it sits permanetly on my stove.
 

Dinner tonight is a Dill Halvarti, pickled jalapeno on white bread.
Comfort food.

I have a pinterest board dedicated to waffling

Waffle is a verb in my house.
I am declaring the coming new year the Year of The Waffle, expect to see more wafflizing as I waffle my way through 2014.

canning - it's that time again

up early this morning and started canning

Do Chua - Pickled Vietnamese Vegetables
I used this recipe. It's quite simple and makes a lot.
In addition to using in traditional vietnamese dishes, I like it on BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
recipe here - I didn't use mint for this batch of jelly and used cranberries in place of the mint. Both versions are wonderful but my mint has not fully grown back after I cut it to make plain mint jelly. 
This is my favorite jelly and I typically can about 45 jars of it every year.
My list of ways that I love jalapeno jelly

Watermelon Rind Pickles
I used this recipe

sweet, crunchy, cinnamon and spicey - I haven't made these in years.
You may find me late tonight, huddled over a jar of these with a fork in my hand eating right out of the jar. You just might.

Tomato Basil Jam

4 pounds tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
3 Tablespoons powdered fruit pectin for low sugar

Remove skins from tomatoes, core and finely chop. Place in large pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Stir in lemon juice and basil, bring to boil. Add supar and pectin, bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 2 mintues.

Spoon into hot sterlized jars and process in hot bath for 10 minutes.

Makes approx. 6 half pints.

 

I love tomato basil jamon grilled havarti cheese sandwiches. It is also great with
grilled chicken breasts
nice topping for crostini
top on brie for a with crostini or crackers
grilled pizza
on fresh bread
and also right out of the jar on a spoon

***a big thanks to all the nice emails of concern and well wishes about the dog bite incident

eat a lot of peaches

who would have thought that two peach trees could produce so many peaches
I have been canning and freezing but the tree is making more fruit that I can keep up with
the neighbors are sick of peaches
so far, I have:
peach jam
peach pies
peach cobbler
peaches on the grill
a freezer full of peaches and
the trees are still loaded

today, I have been making peach liqueur
I don't have a specific recipe when I make fruit liqueurs
I keep it simple

fresh fruit
sugar
spice
vodka

You can make a simple syrup but I just put the sugar in the jar on top of the fruit. Let set a couple of days in the refrig and then add the vodka. It takes a few months to brew,I shake the jar once a week and then strain and filter into clean jars.
It's that easy.
It's also that good.

new (old) patterns

Last week, I found a box of uncut patterns at the thrift store and a few found on etsy.
When it comes to vintage patterns, I don't consider the size of the pattern.
I mostly look for interesting style, uncut and in good condition.
there is a ton of information online about resizing vintage patterns
If I have a choice, I like to stay around a size 14 to size 16 and it's easier to take it up or down in size.
here is one that I like but there are many others
this one is good also

Right now, I am interested in vests.

Max the cat photobombing.
A blouse I made this past winter from fabric that I repurposed from a thrift store skirt.
Picture from December, before I lost a lot of weight.


I was happy yesterday to cut all the padding off my dress form.
Several layers had to be added as I gained weight over the winter.
After having my thryoid removed last year, I had gained about 30 pounds. 
Once I found a doctor who was able to figure out my thryoid replacement medication, the weight came off in a few weeks time.

Best of all, I can swim again.

the good salad

I will be eating this salad a lot this year, it is so good.

The Good Salad
1 1/4 cup Israeli Couscous
2 oranges, peeled and segments chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup pomegranate arils
1 cup black beans
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 bottle Kraft Greek Vinaigrette

Cook the Israeli couscous according to package directions, drain well.

I use my own precooked black beans in this salad, the kind that come in the dry form. I soak the beans overnight and cook them in the crock pot. I then freeze the beans in one cup amounts. They freeze well  and have less sodium than canned black beans. If you use canned beans, drain the beans well.

I used blood oranges because that is what is currently in season in my garden but any type of orange would work well. My blood oranges are small, so if you use a navel type orange, I would probably only use one. Next time, I might try a Satsuma tangerine in place of the orange.

You could use regular couscous but I prefer the Israeli couscous as it gives more substance to the salad.

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.

I love the Kraft brand of Greek Vinaigrette. The flavor is better balanced than the other brands. I think I used about half the bottle on this salad but adjust to your own taste.

------------
The pomegranate was so good in this salad that I am currently researching to see if I can add a pomegranate tree to my garden. The summer may be too tropical but I think I am going to give it a try.

Has anyone tried growing a pomegranate with high humidity summers?

Happy New Year

The desert that was made for the New Year but didn't make it into 2013

every crumb was devoured before the sun set on this day

so I will have to make more

if you are bored, Google the history behind this desert that is named after the ballerina Anna Pavlova

I love deserts with a interesting history

Pavlova is so very tasty and easy to make, especially with a stand mixer and perfect if you find yourself with a few egg whites

Pavlova Recipe
4 large egg whites
1 cup super fine sugar (I process regular sugar in a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat over to 250. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixer bowl, whisk the egg whites on medium until they hold a soft peak. Gradually add the sugar, spoonfuls at a time, while beating on high spead. Continue beating until the meringue holds a stiff peak and is glossy. Make sure the sugar is dissolved. To check, feel the meringue between your finger and it should feel silky smooth with no sugar grit.

Beat in the vanilla. Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and gently fold in by hand with a spatula.

Spread the meringue on the parchment paper making a 7 inch circle, smooth out the edges.

Bake 60 minutes until the outside is dry and a pale cream color. Turn the oven off and cool completly in the oven. The Pavlova will crack as it cools.

Serve with lemon curd, berrries, and whipped topping. The lemon curd is optional as the Pavlova is good served with frest fruit of choice.

a fool for lemons

That is what I am - a fool for lemons

Fortunate for me, I had a large harvest of lemons.
Determined not to waste a single lemon, I have been busy canning and preserving lemons for the last couple of days.

Both savory and sweet, I love it all. 
It used to be that I preferred sweet lemons with walnuts for my tea but it seems now that I can't get enough of the savory lemon with it's salty goodness. (Not in tea thought, I use the savory in cooking.)

I use the salty lemon in tagines, moroccan recipes, and on roast chicken. It's also perfect in a dressing and in a marinade.
Click here for a savory preserved lemon recipe, the only thing I do different is I add thyme to mine and I add quite a bit more cardomen as I love cardomen.

The savory lemon is good in lemon pasta.

The sweet preserved lemon, is not only good in tea but soothing for a sore throat.
It is so good, I have been know to sneak into the kitchen at night and secretly enjoy it right out of the jar.

Here is a recipe for a basic Lemon Suck recipe because I am too lazy to type one out and I have lemon curd cooking nearly ready to can. 

I add cardomen to the sweet preserved lemon because not only am I a fool for lemon but an even bigger fool for cardomen.

sticky buns

Sticky buns made from the brioche recipe from Ciril Hitz "Baking Artisan Bread".

As I bake my way through Ciril Hitz book, I return to several of the bread formulas, the brioche is one of my favorites.  This weekend I used the brioche dough to make these incredible sticky buns.

So good and easy.  The brioche dough was made ahead of time and since it has to go in the freezer to rest, then sit in the refrig overnight, this made it easy to make up a small pan of sticky buns in the morning.

The only recipe I used with Ciril's brioche dough that I rolled out like a jelly roll, sprinkled cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans and dotted with cold butter. Rolled, sliced and placed into a 8 inch cake pan that had the sticky on the bottom.  The "sticky" that goes on the bottom of the pan is a mix of honey, corn syrup, brown sugar and pecans that I brought to a boil, then poured into the cake pan.

Baked at 350 for around 23 minutes.

easy and tasty

Next time around, I may leave the lemon out of the brioche dough and divide the dough in quarters, that way I can make just a small pan of sticky buns for two. You just know that these are too good to not gobble up the entire pan.

And I am thinking about some not so sticky sweet variations that may include apples or figs, if I can still outwit the squirrels this coming week.

There is a "Baking Artisan Pastries" by Ciril Hitz but I am trying my best to ignore the existence of that book due to waistline concerns. Bread and pastries are my weak point.

 

pain de mie

Formula Seven: Pain de Mie

While not perfectly shaped, I am more than happy with my first attempt at Pain de Mie. Nest time, I will shape it without dividing the dough (twisting the two halves together) and I will increase the time on the final proof.

My new pullman pan is a 16" and the pan size called for in Baking Artisan Bread is a 13", so I had to increase the recipe. Sometimes, that doesn't work but today it did. I have never used a pullman pan before, so I was guessing with the math. My new pan arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to try it out. I will be making this bread in place of my standard white loaf, the results were that great.

This is the pullman pan that I purchased and I am pleased with it's quality and recommend it.  I ordered the 16" but they come in a couple of smaller sizes.

***for some odd reason, pullman pans are sold without the lid. The lid has to be purchased separately. Many companies will show the pan with a lid but it is often not included. Odd, because a pullman pan isn't anything without a lid***

Next up Bagels, as I bake my way through the book Baking Artisan Bread.

 

a favorite cookie

not a cookie for everyone but it is one of my favorites
this cookie freezes well and just one cookie will satisfy a chocolate craving

Chocolate Cayenne Cookie

3 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 light corn syrup
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix butter,sugar, corn syrup, applesauce and vanilla. Mix the rest in a bowl and then add to butter sugar mixture.

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

other additions:
toasted coconut
peanut butter chips