At Harvest Moon Farm

Summer Berry Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwiches

2011-07-14T16:24:00.003-04:00

Where has the time gone... Summer is really busy here. Horse shows and outside chores are keeping us really busy. Of course summer is the best time for fresh produce, and it's berry season! It's always fun to come up with new recipes to use fresh berries in. Muffins are great, but sometimes you want something a little different.

My fresh herb plants are doing great this summer, and I never miss an opportunity to use them in cooking. Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh, just use 1/8 tsp. Any hearty bread will work. I chose a multi grain. This recipe is for one sandwich, but it can be easily multiplied to make as many as you would like.

Summer Berry Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches

2 thick slices of crusty bread
1 tsp butter, plus extra to butter bread
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Butter bread slices on one side, set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tsp butter. Add chopped herbs, honey and berries. Simmer and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

Spray a non stick skillet with cooking spray. Put one slice of bread, butter side down, into skillet. Place crumbled goat cheese on bread, then spoon berry mixture on top. Top with remaining slice of bread, butter side out. Push down slightly.

Brown each side over low heat until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Approx 4 minutes each side (will depend on exact heat of skillet and thickness of bread)

Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

2011-02-05T16:20:00.005-05:00

Just in time for the Superbowl - Red Hot Ranch Meatballs. I suggest using pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks to serve these as appetizers, so that your guests don't have to worry about what to do with the toothpicks. These are hot! Serve a side of ranch for dipping.

Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
.4 oz packet of ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Form into equal sized meatballs. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with celery sticks and ranch dressing for dipping.

Strawberry Snowflake Cupcakes

2011-01-31T19:13:00.004-05:00

Red and white for Valentines Day. Strawberries and snow! These light and fluffy cupcakes are very simple to make. I started with a cake mix to make them even simpler. Don't be intimidated by the meringue icing. If you have a stand mixer, it's a breeze. A hand mixer would also work.

Strawberry Snowflake Cupcakes

18.25 ox box of white cake mix
1 can lemon lime soda
2 cups chopped strawberries (divided)
1 1/2 cups seedless strawberry jelly

Frosting:
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350. line 2, 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and soda. Mix until just combined. Fold in one cup of chopped strawberries.

Bake cupcakes for 25-30 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

When cupcakes are cool, fill a pastry bag with a tip withe the strawberry jelly. Using a paring knife, cut a small hole in the cucake. Press the pastry tip into the cupcake and squeeze in a small amount of jelly. Note - If you don’t want to do this step, you can wait until after you frost the cupcakes. Make a small indentation in the frosting, and put a tsp or so of jelly under the chopped strawberry garnish.

To make the frosting -Put afew inches of water in a saucepan the right size to hold the bowl of your electric mixer slightly above the water. Bring the water to a boil. Combine the frosting ingredients in the mixer bowl and set it over the boiling water. Whisk it constantly until the sugar is totally dissolved, mixture is smooth and it feels hot to the touch. About 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to the standing mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat on medium high speed until the meringue is shiny and will hold stiff peaks. About 5-7 minutes.

Spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a spoon or spatula. Use the back of the spoon to make it “spiky”. Garnish with remaining chopped strawberries.

Mini Strawberry Cannoli Cream Puffs

2011-01-28T13:38:00.001-05:00

Mini Strawberry Cannoli Creampuffs

Puffs:
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs

Combine water and butter in saucepan, bring to a boil. Add the salt and flour at the same time, stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat, beat in 1 egg at a time, beating well until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for one hour. Place in teaspoon size balls on lightly greased cookie sheet.. Bake 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes until brown (they will sound hollow when you tap them with a spoon). Cool, cut off tops, fill with filling, then replace tops. Dust with powdered sugar

Filling:
1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus 1/4 cup for garnish)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup diced strawberries

The Late Spring Garden

2010-05-20T11:49:00.002-04:00

Late spring is one of the best times in my flower garden. Irises and peonies, my favorites. I went to the plant nursery this morning to buy vegetable plants for the vegetable garden. Picked up afew perennials, then came home and weeded the flower gardens all morning. Very therapeutic.

Rhododendrons

Red Rhododendron. Very pretty flowers, but this plant has never grown very large.

Spiderwort. Just planted this today

White iris

Variegated Weigela

The first peonies

Lavender Iris

Pineapple Confetti Cake

2010-05-11T16:42:00.003-04:00

I enjoy making cakes from scratch, but every once in awhile I need to make something faster, or I feel lazy, and a box comes in handy. This cake is a lazy example. I could have shaved the top layer to make it flatter, but that would have been far too much effort!

Pineapple Confetti Cake

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (press into strainer and retain juice)
pinch salt
pinch nutmeg

Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water
retained pineapple juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup colored sprinkles

1 can white frosting (or 2 cups homemade buttercream frosting)
1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all filling ingredients in medium saucepan. Simmer and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and no longer looks cloudy (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Spray 2 9” round baking pans with baking spray. Combine cake ingredients in mixer (or by hand) and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour equal amounts batter into pans, smooth out with a spatula. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and pick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool, remove from pans. If desired, trim layers to make them more flat and even. Spread thin layer of frosting on top of first layer. Spread pineapple filling on frosting. Place second cake layer on top.
Frost cake and sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Blue

2010-05-09T09:49:00.002-04:00

Blue is one of my favorites, but it's rather difficult to find true blue in nature, other than in birds. Most things that are "blue" seem to be more purple than truly blue.

Obviously, there is the blue sky

I want a peacock. One of these days I may get one, although I know that they are extremely noisy and tend to be unfriendly!

Our blue point Ragdoll cat Iris has beautiful blue eyes.

After the ice storm. I wish that the camera would have captured how beautiful everything looked when the sun came out after this ice storm. It looked as if the trees had been sprayed with liquid diamonds.

I have mixed feelings towards large marine mammals in captivity. They should NEVER be taken from the wild unless it is to rehabilitate them from an injury. However, I also see an educational value in keeping some captive born/can't return to the wild marine mammals in situations (non performing situations in which they can be properly cared for) where the public can view them. Seeing an animal up close does raise awareness, and can spur more donations to charities that help wild populations to survive.

Yellow

2010-05-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

Yellow

I have to admit that yellow isn’t normally one of my favorite colors. I painted my laundry room yellow and ever since then I’ve been trying to figure out what color would work better for me in that room. However, I do like yellow outdoors, especially in the spring and fall. It’s nice to see that first pop of yellow daffodils after months of snow.

Still life in yellow

I’m not sure what this plant is. Looks like a cactus, but this photo was taken on Assateague Island in June.

Sunflowers are fun. Easy to grow, and a big statement in the garden for very little expended effort

The humble dandelion. I find dandelions to be very pretty. When we lived in town, I’m sure the neighbors cringed because we had dandelions in the yard every spring. The rest of the street doused their lawns in chemicals. Living in the country, nobody cares about dandelions

Sunshine on a fall day

Mediterranean Garden Spaghetti

2010-05-05T18:08:00.003-04:00

With summer quickly approaching, it's time to come up with some lighter meals. Between kid activities like 4H getting into full swing and summer maintenance on the farm, quick meals are also a priority. This meatless dish is both light and easy!

1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dente per package instructions
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and flaked
1 cup feta cheese

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large skillet. Sautee garlic, scallions, basil and tomatoes over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Put spaghetti in large serving bowl. Pour sauteed tomato mixture over spaghetti, add remaining olive oil, salt, pepper, avocado and feta cheese and toss together.

The bees have arrived

2010-05-01T16:26:00.005-04:00

This morning we welcomed 10,000 or so new members to our family. At 6 am the phone rang. It was the local post office informing us that our bees had arrived. They seemed rather eager for us to get there as soon as possible to remove them from the post office.
My husband had set up the hive last weekend in preparation for their arrival. After reading several books about beekeeping, he'd decided that he didn't really need any protective equipment other than the bee hood (bees will attempt to crawl into your nose and ears). Plus we'd seen a really good movie called Ulee's Gold, starring Peter Fonda as a beekeeper. Peter Fonda walked freely amongst the bees ( which were probably computer generated) sans gloves or any other protective gear. My husband was going to be the Bee Whisperer.
The bees arrived in the wooden and mesh cage pictured above. Several were loose and clinging to the cage, so the person at the post office happily gave us the plastic USPS tote that the cage was in and sent us on our way.
Our next door neighbors had bees for several years, so they had all of the gear. When it came time to put the bees in the hive, I suggested to hubby that he go next door to borrow additional safety gear. "No, I don't need that stuff. It's all about remaining calm. They won't sting you if you stay calm". Ooookay. For protective gear, he opted for a fishing raincoat and the bee hood.
The queen bee is in a separate little box. The box is corked, and after you remove the cork she is still kept in there with a piece of sugar "candy". Within several days, the worker bees will eat the candy, releasing the queen. Hopefully by then they will have decided that they like her, and will take care of her. If not... we have to get a new queen. After she is placed in the hive, it's time to install the rest of the bees.

When it comes time to release the bees into the hive, you basically kind of bang the cage until they come out and go into the hive. Turns out bees don't really like being banged around. The Bee Whisperer ending up running and getting stung once. I was 40 feet away, and one bee ended up stuck in my hair, which involved running and flailing.

In the end, the bees were safely transferred to their new home. Our neighbors kindly brought over their unused bee equipment, including a full safety suit which will be used from now on, or until we learn the art of remaining zen calm with bees crawling on us.

Orange

2010-04-30T09:24:00.003-04:00

Halloween, pumpkins, sunsets, autumn, bonfires.... Orange is good

Can’t think of anything better for orange than this sweet orange kitten!

Cold, rainy day at the pumpkin farm

I do envy some of the beautiful tropical plants that friends in warmer climates can grow. Took this on my visit to Los Angeles last year.

I would absolutely love to have a koi pond. The maintenance doesn’t look like that much fun though, and we’d struggle daily to keep our golden retriever out of it.

Beautiful fall day

Summer bonfire at my brother in law’s house

Rainbow/Red

2010-04-29T11:24:00.004-04:00

I got the idea for a Rainbow photo project from my friend Susan at her blog http://darlingpetunia.blogspot.com/2010/04/quilty-cat.html. I am always looking for "assignments" to foster creativity, I love color (no beige walls and beige carpet here!) and the idea of doing a photo series for each color of the rainbow sounded like fun.
Today's color is RED.

This rooster is "Platinum". He was hatched here at our farm last summer. He is actually very friendly, and will probably be shown at the county fair this year. His father "Silver" attacks me every time I go into the barn. I am the one who feeds him most of the time, so I can only discern that Silver isn't too bright.

These 3 day old piggies are keeping warm under the red light.

I can never get enough of the beautiful fall foliage here in Ohio.

Red dahlias in my garden last summer. Dahlias are a flower that I love, but I don't grow more of them because they have to be lifted in the winter here in northeast Ohio. The bulbs are generally fairly expensive to buy, and although I start with the best of intentions, I never get around to digging them up in the fall.

Avocado Coconut Pound Cake

2010-04-24T12:00:00.002-04:00

More fun with avocado! When I open up an avocado, one of the first things that comes to mind is the buttery texture. I love to bake, and I was curious to see how well avocado would substitute for butter in a cake recipe. Pound cake seemed to be the perfect buttery cake to experiment with. It worked wonderfully. The result was a very moist cake with a beautiful color and great flavor. I paired it with coconut and lime flavors, which were very complimentary.
I used a fancy bundt pan, because I have one, but any bundt pan will do. Mine is non stick, but I still sprayed it liberally with baking spray. If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch for each cup of cake flour.

Avocado Coconut Pound Cake

2 avocados, peeled and mashed
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups cakes flour
1 tsp baking powder
zest 1 lime (reserve a tsp for glaze)
1 cup sweetened flake coconut (plus a little extra for garnish)

Glaze :
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
reserved lime zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Thoroughly spray standard size bundt pan with baking spray. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the avocado and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, lime juice, sour cream, lime zest and coconut. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto another plate.
Combine garnish ingredients and drizzle on warm cake. Sprinkle with coconut.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T13:30:00.002-04:00

The environment is one of my passions. My approach is "every little bit helps". No one person can change the world, but if everyone did just afew little things, it could make a big difference. It's not an all or nothing propsition, either living in a tent and eating grass clippings or driving a Hummer (which thankfully aren't made anymore, yea!) to the end of the driveway to pick up the mail. Lots of space in between to make good things happen.
Here are just afew of the little things that we do around our home. There are others, and every day I look for new things to add to make the world a better place.
1. No chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. With horses and chickens, composted fertilizer is never tough to come by. Weeds get pulled by hand, and we like the way that the dandelions look in the grass. Besides, they really only last in full force for a month or so anyway. We rarely have disease/pest issues with our plants. On the rare occasion we do, I look to a source like Gardens Alive for a natural solution.
2. Limit cleaning chemicals. I clean almost everything with water, vinegar, and a little mild dish soap. I usually scour with baking soda, though I do keep a can of comet and some bleach around in case of really tough rust water stains. But both of those things last a looong time, and are used as sparingly as possible. Makes cleaning supplies a lot cheaper too!
3. Reusable cloth grocery bags. It was such a relief to be free from the tangle of plastic bags that was always breeding in the cabinet under the sink.
4. Combine trips. As a compulsive list maker, this one was easy for me. I try to avoid running out for just one or 2 things. If I have to go somewhere, I try find other errands I can tackle along the way in the same trip to save on gas and emissions.
5. Laundry - Afew years ago we got a high efficiency front load washer/dryer set, and it made a huge difference in our electric bill (electric dryer). They use a lot less water too (though we have a well, so it's hard to track exact water use). Most loads are washed in cold water. Maybe this summer I will tackle a clothesline.
6. CFL bulbs. We replaced almost all of the bulbs in our house as they burned out with CFLs. All of our high use bulbs are now compact flourescents. We started using them about 8 years ago, and we JUST had our first one burn out. With regular bulbs, there were some fixtures that seemed to always have a burned out bulb.

Balsamic Chicken Avocado Manicotti

2010-04-21T18:56:00.002-04:00

I grew up being lukewarm towards avocados, mainly because having been raised in Ohio, I'd only ever experienced them in mediocre, chain restaurant guacamole. Then I moved to southern California and got to experience what can be done with avocados, and how delicious they are! I've been a convert ever since. I'd mainly used them in Mexican dishes, so I thought I'd change things up and see how they work with Italian. I was very pleased with the results.
I find that the best way to stuff filling into manicotti noodles is with a baby spoon.

Balsamic Chicken Avocado Manicotti

1 8 oz box manicotti shells, cooked per package directions
1 lb Chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil

Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp garlic, 1 small onion (finely diced), 1/2 cup fresh basil (finely chopped), 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/3 cup red wine, 1 tsp brown sugar.

Filling:
15 container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 avocado, peeled and mashed with fork

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken cubes in large baking dish. Cover with balsamic vinegar, stir with minced garlic. Cover with plastic and marinate in refrigerator while preparing sauce and filling (this step can also be done earlier in the day).
Sauce - In a large stockpot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Saute 3 minutes over medium. Add basil, sautee 2 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Prepare filling. Combine all filling ingredients in order in a large bowl. Mix just until combined.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Remove chicken from marinade and place in pan. Cook until chicken pieces are about 3/4 of the way cooked through (about 2 1/2 minutes on each side). Remove from pan.
Fill manicotti noodles with filling. Place in large baking dish. Top with chicken, then sauce. Cover with foil and heat in oven for 20 minutes, until heated through and chicken is fully cooked.

Apple Walnut Skillet Muffin

2010-04-20T14:51:00.004-04:00

Normally I make muffins from scratch, but I had some muffin mix in the pantry that I wanted to use up, and I thought I'd do something different with it. Different flavors of muffin mix would work too, and you can use a pan that is a little smaller (it just might have to bake longer). As always, real maple syrup, no fake stuff!

2 7 oz packets Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Spray an 11" cast iron pan with baking spray. Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, combine muffin mix, milk and 1/2 cup syrup. Mix until just combined, pour into prepared pan.
In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Spread on top of batter.
Bake approx 25 minutes or until golden brown.
1 tsp cinnamon

Growing Seeds

2010-04-14T13:25:00.003-04:00

We have a large garden every year, bu other than sunflowers and pumpkins we don't generally do a lot from seed. In the past when I've tried seeds, I tend to lose interest and forget about them, so normally I buy plants from local nurseries right before planting.
Several weeks ago we had a beautiful warm Sunday and I was itching to plant something. Garden planting season here isn't until after Mother's Day, so I decided to go to Lowes and pick up afew packets of seeds. While I was there, I ended up buying 2 cherry trees and 2 bare root roses, so a trip to buy $10 worth of seeds quickly turned a lot more expensive!
I put the planted seeds in our sunroom and was somewhat surprised to see that most of them are actually growing. It probably would have been better had I bothered to label which seeds I planted where, but I guess I'll figure it out.
The larger pot is an "Italian Herb Garden" mix with fennel, oregano and basil. I also planted summer squash, broccoli, brussel sprouts, artichokes, and I think some lettuce.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-04-05T13:48:00.003-04:00

I am enjoying the new show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution", although parts of it make me feel very frustrated. The premise of the show is that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver goes to a town in Wes t Virginia (chosen because it is the "unhealthiest city in America"), and tries to educate the people there about eating real food.
One family had a week's worth of the food that they ate laid out in front of them. Not a green thing on that table. All brown fried, or beige. Their entire freezer was full of cheap frozen pizzas. After a trip to the Dr where the whole family learned that they were very unhealthy, they vowed to change their habits. When Jamie went back afew weeks later, they claimed that there were eating healthy, but there were an awful lot of fast food cups laying around the house.
The main focus is on healthier school lunches, which Jamie has done a lot of work with in the UK. It's sad how resistant some people are to the idea, and how some people seem to truly have no idea. The schools don't have the funding to server fresh food, because the government subsidizes processed junk. The cafeteria workers in the show don't want to do the extra work involved with fresh food. Much easier just to slice open the plastic bag of chicken nuggets and dump them on the tray to bake.
I only allow our kids to buy lunch at school once a week, because it's all processed and canned junk. They don't offer as many sugary desserts as they did when I was a child, but a typical fruit serving is canned peaches in heavy syrup. French fries are considered a vegetable, according to USDA guidelines.
Hopefully this show will stir up more interest in healthier school lunch fare, and educate people that fresh food is better for you than things that come out of a box from the freezer, with a mile long ingredient list containing items that one would need a chemistry degree to decipher.

Eager to start gardening

2010-03-21T17:08:00.002-04:00

It's been warm (50s and 60s) for the past week, and the sun has been shining! I"m feeling the urge to garden, but it's still almost 2 month away from being safe to do any real planting of vegetables and flowers. Mother's Day is usually the benchmark, though we had frost after Mother's Day last year.
I decided to go to Lowe's and buy afew seeds to start indoors. Once I got there I also decided that I needed some pots, some bare root roses, some cherry trees.... $7 worth of seeds turned into $120, but that's the way it goes sometimes I guess!
The cherry trees are pretty big and look healthy. We've tried planting cherry trees before with dismal results, but I think the place we tried them just isn't a good spot. These will go on the other side of the property, near my $10 Big Lots dwarf pear tree that has flourished despite being almost completely neglected.
I got some little peat moss, plastic covered "greenhouses" and planted broccoli, spinach, artichokes, romaine, squash and some sunflowers, plus basil, fennel, and oregano in another pot. We'll see what happens. I tend to lose interest in seeds as time goes by. I usually buy most of our vegetable plants as established seedlings At Pettitti Garden Centers in Tallmadge Ohio (http://www.petittigardencenter.com). They always have a nice selection of vegetable plants.
Last year a persistent groundhog decimated all of our cruciferous veggies and lettuce, so we have to re fence the garden this year before planting.

Sweet Potato Citrus Cupcakes

2010-03-12T18:17:00.005-05:00

2 leftover baked sweet potatoes and a box of lemon cake mix were my inspiration for these light and airy cupcakes. You can frost them as much or as little as you would like. I prefer just a little because I don't think that they need much, but the frosting recipe makes enough that you can add more if you wish. Without frosting, they would be great as breakfast/brunch muffins.
Simple to make, the sweet potato makes them moist enough that you don't even need to use any oil.

1 18.25 oz box lemon cake mix
1 1/3 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups baked sweet potatoes, mashed (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
3 eggs

Frosting:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
5 cups confectioners sugar

2 tbsp orange zest (optional for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Combine cake mix, orange juice, sweet potatoes and eggs in mixer bowl. Beat for 30 seconds on low, then 2 minutes on medium.
Spoon equal amounts batter into muffin cups.Bake for 18-22 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes then frost as desired.
To make frosting - combine cream cheese and sugar in mixer bowl, beat on low until combined.

Ready for Spring

2010-02-25T08:43:00.003-05:00

I am not one of those people who lives in Ohio and complains incessantly about winter. I love the change of seasons, but at the end of every season, I start to get antsy for the next one. I've reached that point with winter. The seed/plant catalogs are arriving in droves and I'm deciding what I want to order and plant. Cant' wait for the flowers to start blooming, and we are going to try our hand at beekeeping this year. For today, I need a little color!

Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Soup

2010-02-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

I wanted to do a different twist on a baked potato soup. Sweet potatoes pack a great nutritional punch, so I'm always looking for new ways to fit them into the family menu. Use REAL maple syrup for this, not "pancake syrup". Meat lovers will want to use pork bacon, but I use turkey bacon and it works just fine.

Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Soup

12 strips bacon (plus extra for optional garnish if desired)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped sweet onion
5 cups peeled sweet potatoes, chopped in 1” cubes
2 14 oz cans Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup maple syrup (plus extra for garnish if desired)
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Fry bacon until crisp, drain, crumble in small pieces and set aside.
Melt butter in a large stick pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and Swanson broth. Bring to a boil, then Simmer on low for approx 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
Carefully transfer portions of the mixture to a blender and puree. When all batches are pureed, return them to the pot. Add the bacon, liquid smoke, maple syrup, evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Stir over medium until heated through.
Ladle into individual bowls. If desired, garnish with a spiral of drizzled maple syrup and sprinkle of crumbled bacon.

Tangy Lemon Pepper Crab Salad Dip with Tortilla Crisps

2010-02-07T09:47:00.002-05:00

A foot of snow this weekend has me thinking towards summer. We met the little guy above on Assateague Island several years ago.
This summery recipe was a Dannon yogurt contest winner for me awhile back.

2 cups canned or fresh crab, drained and cartilage removed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles
1 cup Dannon plain yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, divided
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
6 Burrito size flour tortillas
4 tbsp butter

In a large bowl, combine crab, onion, pickles, yogurt, sour cream, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, old bay & 1 tsp garlic powder. Combine thoroughly and refrigerate.
In microwave safe bowl, melt butter in microwave (30-45 seconds). Add remaining tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper & 1/2 tsp garlic. Mix. Brush tortillas with butter mix. Cut tortillas into wedges with a pizza cutter, and Bake in 400 degree preheated until they reach desired crispness (approx 10 minutes).

Easy Focaccia Bread

2010-01-31T18:34:00.005-05:00

This is one of those recipes that tastes/looks like you put a whole lot more effort into it than you actually did. You can use either homemade pizza dough (my favorite crust recipe is listed under pizza in the label section) or refrigerated dough. I never have any leftovers when I make this!

Fresh or refrigerated pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a pizza stone with the olive oil. Spread the dough on the stone, and made indentations in it with the tip of a wooden spoon. Pour on the dressing and spread it over the crust. Sprinkle with italian seasoning, then the grated cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve.

Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini / Dei Fratelli Tomatoes

2010-01-29T13:23:00.003-05:00

Afew months ago I was a winner in a Dei Fratelli Tomatoes contest for my recipe for Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini. Spicy and easy to prepare, I make this all the time. The less mess I have to make, the better sometimes, and only 2 pots are needed for this one.
My prize from the contest was a box of Dei Fratelli products every month for a year, and I just got my first one yesterday. There were other items in the box (like salsas) that were spirited off by my family before I could take a photo, but I will definitely make use of every item. This brand is one of my favorites as they use real food ingredients. No high fructose corn syrup, no need for a chemistry degree to decipher the label.

http://www.deifratelli.com/recipes/recipes_contest09.php

Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Olive oil 1 cup White onion, sliced thin 1 cup Red bell peppers, sliced 2 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced 1/4 cup Fresh basil, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. Oregano 1 Tbsp. Rosemary 1 tsp. Salt	1/2 tsp. Black pepper 3/4 cup Mushrooms, sliced 1 14.5 oz. can Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes 1 1/2 pounds Fresh large shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tail on (can substitute thawed frozen cooked shrimp) 1 pound Linguini, cooked al dente per package instructions
Preparation: Heat oil in large pot with lid. Add onion, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Sautée over medium heat 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp is pink and hot (if using frozen cooked shrimp, approx 5 minutes to heat through). Toss with cooked pasta

Baked Potato Crab Cake Appetizers

2010-01-27T09:05:00.003-05:00

This recipe was a recent runner up winner for me in a contest sponsored by Wisconsin Potatoes (the photo is from their website). Doing some experimenting, I discovered that baked potatoes are a great way to stretch expensive crab meat, the mild potato flavor combines well with the crab and seasonings, and it really helps to hold the crabcakes together.
Serve with lemon slices, tartar sauce and cocktail sauce if you like.

http://www.winwithwisconsinpotatoes.com/rbook/recipe/view/2768

3/4 cup	finely diced sweet onion
1 tbsp	minced garlic
2 tbsp	olive oil (divided)
3 cups	crabmeat (canned or fresh)
2	large baked potatoes, peeled & mashed with fork
2 tbsp	dill pickle relish
1 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	pepper
2 tbsp Old Bay	seafood seasoning
1/2 cup	mayonaise

Preheat oven to 375
In med. skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil, sautee onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Approx. 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine crab, potato, relish,old bay, mayo , salt/pepper, & onion/garlic mix.
Form into 24 crabcakes
Place on nonstick or lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Bake approx. 15 minutes until they are lightly brown.

Herbed Chicken with Ginger Stone Fruit

2010-01-25T10:29:00.003-05:00

Another recent contest win was a contest sponsored by Genji Marinades. This contest had a nice prize (gift certificate to Whole Foods), plus the added bonus that they used my own photo of the dish on the website when they published the recipe.
I like to combine fruit and herbs to create sweet and savory dishes. If you can't get the marinade, balsamic vinegar or another Asian ginger type dressing can be substituted.

http://www.genjiweb.com/genji/dressitup_recipebook.html?id=27

Herbed Chicken with Ginger Stone Fruit

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches
1 cup sweet pitted cherries, halved
1/4 cup diced shallots
3 pounds bone in chicken pieces (legs, breasts, thighs)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped sage
2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tbsp fresh chopped marjoram
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
4 tbsp butter, chopped in cubes

Glaze - 3/4 cup Ginger Miso Dressing, 1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Combine peaches and cherries. Arrange on the bottom of a 5 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with shallots. Arrange chicken on top of carrots. Season chicken with salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, marjoram and thyme. Top chicken pieces with butter cubes.
In a medium bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350 approx 1 hour or until chicken is golden brown.

Lemon Dill Scallops over Linguini

2010-01-24T09:53:00.003-05:00

I've had afew recent recipe contest wins, which is always exciting (even if the prize is small). This recipe for Lemon Dill Scallops over Linguini was a runner up in a contest sponsored by Food and Water Watch. The requirements were to create a dinner for 4, under $25, using a sustainable seafood item. The environment is a passion of mine, so it was fun for me to be included in their online cookbook. The site/cookbook is a bit hard to navigate, but if you can find the cookbook, my page is #17.
I love sea scallops, but don't get to use them nearly as often as I would like due to their expense. Especially since I will only use diver caught scallops that do not come from an Asian country. Asian origin seafood (especially from China) is bad news from both a health and environmental standpoint. Unsound practices and scary chemicals.
Diver caught scallops are collected with minimal disturbance to the rest of the environment. They are generally a "day boat" operation, which means that the boats return to the port every night, they don't stay out for days. This makes it unnecessary to use chemical preservatives on board to keep them fresh.

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/fish/seafood/frugal-fish/fish-tips-2013-the-frugal-fish-edition

Lemon-Dill Scallop Linguini

1 1/2 lb sea scallops (rinsed and lightly patted partially dry)
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil

2 sticks butter, melted
4 tbsp white wine
1 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dill (dried or fresh, chopped fine)
1/2 lb cooked linguini

Combine bread crumbs and lemon pepper seasoning in a large bowl. Roll scallops in mixture until lightly coated. Place on barbecue or stovetop grill on medium heat, and drizzle with olive oil. Cook until opaque and slightly brown. Approx 6 minutes, flipping halfway through.
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, wine, lemon juice, garlic and dill. Stir over medium until heated through. Toss with cooked linguini, top with scallops.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

2010-01-23T09:01:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

This is a delicious pie, another Martha Stewart recipe. Good for pumpkin and chocolate lovers, but not too “pumpkiny” for people who don’t really care much for pumpkin. If you don’t tell those people, they probably won’t even know there is pumpkin in it.
As with most Martha recipes, I simplified the steps a little. Melting chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave works just fine. No need for a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
This is supposed to be a triple chocolate pie, but I ran out of time to do the final step of drizzling the milk chocolate. I was taking it somewhere, so I couldn't cut it up and get a photo of it sliced like I would have preferred

* FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
* 2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
* 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), finely chopped
* FOR THE FILLING
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 55 percent cacao), chopped
* 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
* 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
* 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Ground cloves
* 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2-inch pie dish. Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
3. Make the filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 pumpkin mixture into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.
5. Transfer pie dish to a rimmed baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferably overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.

Goodbye and hello

2010-01-22T13:38:00.002-05:00

In early November, on a warm sunny day, we said goodbye to an old friend.

Dallas was my first horse, and he’d been with us for 12 years. He was a race horse when he was young. We know nothing about his racing history as his registration papers were long lost. Like all race horses, he had a lip tattoo, but it had become illegible.
After his racing career he was taken to a horse auction, and probably would have ended up going to slaughter had he not been rescued. He was then retrained as a riding horse. He taught me a lot about horses and being a horse owner.
He was 24, which is fairly young for some horses, but old for a thoroughbred who has been raced. I am very glad that we were able to make his later years pleasant and easy.

As sad as losing Dallas was, we were happy to welcome a new addition to the family.

Twilight is a 4 year old palomino quarter horse. Only 14.2 hands, which is small for a horse. Almost large pony size. But perfect for kids, and not too small for an average sized adult to ride. He is very sweet and gentle, and amazingly calm for a 4 year old horse. He will be my 9 year old daughter’s 4H project this summer.

Back to blogging....

2010-01-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

I have not been a good blogger at all! Months since my last post. Fall has come and gone here in northeast Ohio. Beautiful September, rainy October, but it stayed pretty warm for a long time.

Lots of late blooming things in the garden this year due to the mild summer. Raspberries are usually long gone by fall, we had raspberries in late September.

We grew a pear in a bottle, just for fun

Honeybee on fall asters. I love these wildflowers. We plan to add a beehive to the farm this spring. The honeybees are in trouble, and they need all the help they can get

Apple-Honey Challah Bread

2009-09-22T13:59:00.003-04:00

I've been going through my Martha Stewart magazines (not to get rid of them, for that would be blasphemy, just to move them to a different place) and I found this recipe. I knew that I was going to be home all day doing housework, and I had all of the ingredients, so it seemed a good day to try it.
I do find some of Martha's recipes to be arranged strangely, and a bit hard to follow, as well as overly complicated at times. I didn't butter my plastic wrap, and I was too lazy to go downstairs to get a cake pan, so I just baked it on a pizza stone. Worked fine.
A more appropriate name might be "House Arrest Bread", because it is very time consuming due to all of the risings. IIt was a big hit with the family, something I will definitely make again. On another gloomy day where I don't plan to leave the house.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch round loaf

* 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter or nondairy margarine, plus more for bowl, pan, and plastic
* 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for surface
* 3/4 cup warm water (100 degrees)
* 2/3 cup honey
* 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
* 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
* 2 teaspoons coarse salt
* 1 1/2 tart green apples, preferably Granny Smith, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)

Directions

1. Butter a large bowl, and melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; let cool. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, the flour, water, 1/3 cup honey, the eggs and yolks, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer dough to buttered bowl, and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover with plastic. Let rise in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into an 8 1/2-by-14-inch rectangle. Top with apples; knead to incorporate. Return to bowl. Brush with remaining tablespoon melted butter; cover. Let rise again in a warm place until dough almost doubles in volume, about 1 hour more.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Roll dough into a rope (about 24 inches) on a floured surface. Coil into a circle, and transfer to pan. Butter plastic wrap, and cover dough. Let rise again until dough almost doubles in volume, about 45 minutes more.
5. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Brush dough with half the honey-butter. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 35 minutes.
6. Brush challah with the remaining honey-butter. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn out loaf from pan, and let cool.

From Martha Stewart Living, September 2009

Blueberry Chai Quick Bread

2009-07-26T17:04:00.002-04:00

2 green tea bags
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350, Spray a 5”x9” loaf pan with baking spray. Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for at least 10 minutes, until the tea is very strong. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. In a small bowl. combine the sugar, applesauce, sour cream, and egg. Add brewed tea.
Gradually add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to combine. Fold in the berries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake approx 30 minutes of until pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Blueberry Lemonade Glazed Cupcakes

2009-06-17T18:37:00.003-04:00

Blueberry season is here. I used fresh blueberries for these cupcakes, but frozen work just as well.

Blueberry Lemonade Glazed Cupcakes

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Lemonade Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 cups confectioners sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate

Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper liners.
In bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, beat. Add vanilla, sour cream, milk and lemonade concentrate. Beat to combine.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture a little at a time. Beat just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake approx 25 minutes, or until pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Frosting - In bowl of electric mixer, combine all ingredients (sugar can be added gradually). Beat at medium speed until thoroughly combined and creamy.
Glaze cupcakes when cool.. Garnish each cupcake with a fresh blueberries if desired

The Garden is blooming

2009-06-02T09:54:00.004-04:00

Almost summer, our flower beds are starting to bloom. Rhododendrons are at their peak. The peonies are almost ready, looks like they are going to be really nice this year.

We replanted some new roses after losing 4 last winter, due to my negligence. The vegetable garden is in, now if we can just keep up on the weeds! We don't use any weed killers, so that makes it a lot harder. Some of those weeds seem to able to grow 2 feet in a day.

Akron Zoo

2009-05-23T18:35:00.003-04:00

First trip of the year to the Akron Zoo. This is a small zoo, not a lot of large foreign species like elephants or giraffes, but it's a nice afternoon outing. They just opened a new jellyfish exhibit, which is amazingly beautiful and interesting. I can appreciate the beauty of jellyfish a lot more if they aren't brushing up against my leg in the ocean!

Waldorf Turkey Burger Sliders

2009-05-19T15:41:00.002-04:00

Waldorf Turkey Burger Sliders

Patties:
2 lb ground turkey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped granny smith apples
2 tbsp dijon mustard

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp salt

Garnish- 2 cups Romaine lettuce
12 small Italian buns

Combine all patty ingredients in a large bowl. Mix just until combined. Form into 12 patties. Grill to desired doneness, approx 5-6 minutes for medium.

In medium bowl, combine topping ingredients.Stir until combined.
Place finished burgers on buns. Top with apple topping and garnish with romaine lettuce.

Hartville Flea Market

2009-05-18T15:20:00.003-04:00

If anyone ever ends up in Northeast Ohio on a nice day, the flea market in Hartville is a fun place to visit. The biggest days are Monday and Thursday, but it's also open on Friday and Saturday. They have an indoor building, but I usually don't even go into the building because it's mostly new junk. I like vintage junk! You never know what the vendors outside might have on any given day, so it's a treasure hunt. They also have great prices on produce.
Today I bought vintage cookbooks, cherries, melons, and some new baking sheets. We'll probably head back on Memorial Day if it's nice. Holidays bring out acres and acres of vendors.

Stan Hywet Hall

2009-05-18T14:36:00.003-04:00

Last week I went on a 4th grade field trip to Stan Hywet Hall in West Akron. This historic mansion was built by the Seiberling family, who started the rubber industry in Akron. Unfortunately no photos are allowed inside. I would have loved to get some shots of the crystal/amber/amethyst chandeliers and the stained glass windows.
The gardens and grounds are beautiful. Made me want to get working on my own english garden.

Lilacs

2009-05-09T18:12:00.003-04:00

The lilacs are blooming, late spring is here (I hope)! I'd love to bring a vase inside, but the cats would just tear them to pieces.

More chicks!

2009-04-28T15:25:00.006-04:00

Our son had really wanted a specific breed of chicken for the fair this year. The breed is Polish, and as adults they look like they are wearing hair metal wigs.

The feed mill where I purchased our other chicks didn't have any available. We decided that we would try to hatch some eggs in an incubator. I bought 6 eggs from ebay, had them delivered. All 6 eggs arrived intact. For the 3 week incubation period, we carefully turned them 3 times a day, and made sure that the temperature and humidity stayed correct. All 6 eggs were duds. Absolutely nothing developed in them at all.
Back to the drawing board. Most hatcheries only sell batches of 25 chicks. We did NOT want 25 more chicks. I found a hatchery that would sell us just 4. $12 worth of chicks costs $46 with shipping.
This morning the phone rang at 6:30 am. The post office telling us that the chicks had arrived. I went to pick them up after the kids went to school. As soon as I walked into the building I could hear them peeping. All 4 were healthy and happy. They ship them in a box with straw type material and a heat pack to keep them warm.
At first the older chicks were afraid of the babies when I put them together, but they seem to be getting over it. The others are 2 weeks old now, and have doubled in size. Fluff is being replaced by feathers.

Grape Jelly Turkey Meatballs

2009-04-22T10:49:00.004-04:00

Some version of this recipe can be found in almost every church/local organization cookbook from the late 60s and early 70s. Unlike many of the icky sounding recipes in some of those books, these actually taste a lot better than they sound.
I make them for parties all the time, because it's something that everyone (especially kids) seems to eat, and there are rarely leftovers. Most people probably have no idea that the recipe contains grape jelly. You can also use ground beef, but I don't eat/cook red meat so I use turkey.

3 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
32 oz jar grape jelly
2 12 oz jars chili sauce

Combine turkey, bread crumbs and garlic powder. From into 1" meatballs and place on nonstick baking trays. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the jelly and chili sauce in a crockpot (or a large pot on the stove). When meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce mixture and simmer on low for at least 20 minutes.

Chick Day!

2009-04-16T15:04:00.003-04:00

Our 9 year old son raises "fancy" chickens for 4H, to show at the fair in August. We have 7 older chickens from last year, and we just added 7 babies on Tuesday. We special ordered several different breeds from a feed mill about an hour away, and picked them up on Tuesday. Fancy chickens are breeds that are considered more or less "ornamental". Not used for meat or known for producing lots of eggs, though they do lay some eggs. Pets basically.
All of ours are bantam breeds, which are about half the size of most other chickens. This year we got one Araucana, 3 Buff Brahmas, 2 Mille Fleurs, and one blue Silkie. We also have 6 Polish breed chicken (they look like they are wearing Tina Turner wigs as adults) eggs in an incubator which should hatch, or not, in afew days.
Baby chicks are cute, but it is quite a lot of work to care for them. They tend to be quite messy, especially once they get a little older and have sawdust in their cage. Which is a baby swimming pool in our laundry room. They can't go out to the barn until they are fully feathered, which will be about 6 weeks. I'm hoping that in 2 weeks or so we'll be able to put them in the garage with a heat lamp.
I put a marshmallow peep in with them to show how small they are. Not much bigger than a marshmallow peep with legs! I also learned that real chicks are afraid of marshmallow chicks.

Lemon Bars

2009-04-13T23:18:00.004-04:00

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's "Baking" book. Many great recipes in that book, although sometimes things can be a little overly complicated. I melt chocolate in the microwave with no problem, where Martha would call for a double boiler. I highly recommend the book though, haven't found a dud recipe in it yet. This is the best lemon bar recipe I've ever had, although the crust is a little involved. You can mix it by hand with a pastry blender, but it would take forever. A food processor is really a must. You can use the lime called for in the recipe, or substitute with more lemon juice/zest.
I won a blue ribbon for these at the county fair (they don't care about the recipe, just the final result). These are real artery cloggers, so I don't make them very often!

FOR THE CRUST
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
FOR THE FILLING
8 large eggs
4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon salt

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, confectioners' sugar, and salt. Add butter, and cut in using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas.
Press evenly into a 12 1/2-by-17 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together, eggs, sugar, and flour. Add lemon and lime juice, lemon and lime zest, and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour over cooled crust.
Bake until center is set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 2 days.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

2009-04-13T18:42:00.004-04:00

I've had carrot cake cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory, and wanted to try to make it myself. I found a copycat recipe online at CD Kitchen, so I didn't have to come up with my own from scratch. This is a bit of a lengthy recipe to prepare, and I made afew minor changes such as adding more spices. I used reduced fat cream cheese, even though the original recipe said not to, and it turned out fine. I frosted the cooled cake, and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight prior to cutting and serving. Below is the recipe with my changes.

**Cheesecake:***
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs

***Carrot Cake:***
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 1/2 ounces can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

***Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:***
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake:

In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients; mixing well. Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1/2 carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9- or 9 1/2" springform pan. Pour cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter . Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Do not marble with a knife. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for approx 60 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Glitter Eggs

2009-04-11T11:58:00.003-04:00

I love glitter. The more sparkly, the better. I decided to make some glitter easter eggs this year. I used Martha Stewart glitter, it's much more fine textured than the usual craft supply glitter, and it works better. Just hardboil the eggs, let them cool, brush one side with elmer's glue, sprinkle with glitter. Wait until that side dries thoroughly before handling the eggs and doing the other side.

Today's Rainbow

2009-03-29T17:10:00.001-04:00

From our front porch, this afternoon

Sweet Potato Apple Muffins

2009-03-29T16:52:00.003-04:00

Apples and sweet potatoes are a great flavor combination. These muffins use no oil, so they are low in fat. I prefer to use skim milk and unsweetened applesauce, so as not to add any unneeded fat or sugar. Granny Smith or Fuji apples both work great, depending on whether you want more tartness, or sweeter muffins.

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup milk
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg
1 cup peeled apple, chopped in small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda,baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sweet potato, milk, brown sugar, applesauce and egg. Blend until combined. Add in flour mixture and blend just until combined. Do not overbeat. Fold in apples with a spoon.
Spoon into muffin liners, bake 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Dessert Ravioli with Pineapple Sauce

2009-03-17T18:22:00.003-04:00

Sweet potatoes are a food item I'm always looking to incorporate into different dishes, because they are so nutritious and versatile. For this dish, I just bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave until they are soft, let them cool, and the skins easily peel off.

Sweet Potato Dessert Ravioli with Pineapple Sauce

2 refrigerated roll out pie crusts
2 cups cooked sweet potato (peeled and mashed)
4 oz cream cheese (half a brick)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg

4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Pineapple Sauce:
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 8 oz can of juice packed crushed pineapple
1 1/2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll the pie crusts. Using a 2 1/2 round biscuit cutter, cut as many circles as possible out of each pie crust. About 14 per crust. Place half of the circles on a large, nonstick baking sheet. Set other half aside.
In a large bowl, thoroughly combine sweet potatoes, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, ginger and nutmeg. Place approx 1 tbsp of sweet potato filling on each pastry circle. There will be some filling left over, but if you re-roll the pastry scraps you can make enough additional circles to use it up.
Place the remaining pastry circles on top of the filling. Using your fingers or a fork, seal the edges of the circles. Poke the top of each “ravioli” with a fork. Lightly brush each ravioli with milk, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake approx 25 minutes until golden.
Prepare pineapple sauce - In a medium saucepan, combine salt, cornstarch, sugar and pineapple (including juice). Stir over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat slightly and stir for 5 minutes, or until the filling has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter until combined. Serve hot or cold with Sweet Potato Dessert Raviolis.

Easter is Coming...

2009-03-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

Easter is almost here parents, so you'd better order soon. No one wants their children to be disappointed on Easer morning when they discover that the Easter Bunny hasn't left their traditional "Plush Long Arm Religious Gorilla"

Mushroom White Wine Chicken

2009-02-23T18:35:00.004-05:00

This recipe was inspired by some open white wine in the refrigerator, and some mushrooms that needed to be used up sooner than later. It's basically a chicken marsala, but I think I used a chardonnay. Pretty much any white wine will work.

Pan Fried Mushroom White Wine Chicken

Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp flour

Chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 tbsp canola oil

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium sized sautee pan. Add mushrooms, green onions, lemon juice and garlic. Sautee over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add wine, salt, pepper and flour. Stir. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer while you make the chicken, stirring occasionally.
Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, coating thoroughly. Then dip in beaten egg to coat. Dip in bread crumbs. Put the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook over medium low approx 5 minutes on each side. Length of cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken.
Drain cooked chicken breasts and serve with sauce.

Cannoli Cookies

2009-02-21T18:10:00.003-05:00

Inspired by cannoli filling, these chocolate chip cookies contain ricotta cheese as a twist, for something a little different.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder & salt in bowl, set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, combine sugar and butter. Beat at medium until fluffy. Add ricotta, vanilla and eggs (one at a time). Beat until combined.
Reduce speed to low. Add orange zest. Add flour mixture a little at a time and mix until dough forms. With spoon, mix chips into dough.
Drop by level tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake approx 15 minutes until edges are golden. Makes approx. 3 dozen.

Kahlua and Cream Brownies

2009-02-18T12:40:00.007-05:00

This recipe was my first national recipe contest win, for Better Homes & Gardens magazine. It is soooo easy to make. People always seem to think it involves a lot more effort than it really does. I do variations on it all the time when I need to take treats to school or another function. This recipe has afew add ins, but you can make "brookies" using any refrigerated cookie dough, and any brownie mix you like. Just make prepare the brownies as directed on the package, pour over the cookie dough "crust" and bake. They usually take a little bit longer to bake than what is listed on the brownie instructions.

Kahlua & Cream Brownies
1 16.5-18 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 19.5 oz package milk chocolate brownie mix
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/3 cup kahlua
1 cup semi sweet or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray. Crumble the sugar cookie dough and press it into the pan to form a crust.
In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, eggs, oil and Kahlua. Spread the batter over the cookie crumb crust, sprinkle with chips.
Bake approx. 40 minutes or until edges are set. Cool and cut into bars. Makes approx. 24 brownies.

7-up Cupcakes

2009-02-13T12:22:00.004-05:00

I had to make cupcakes for school Valentine parties today. I wanted to make them at LEAST a little bit less unhealthy for the kids, and I didn't feel like baking them from scratch today since I had quite afew other things to do for the parties (plus the kids just inhale them anyway).
To make simple, not-quite-as-bad-for-you cupcakes - Just take a box of white cake mix, a can of diet 7-Up or Sprite, and one egg white. Mix together, pour batter into liners, bake about 20 minutes. They do seem to to take afew more minutes to bake than if using the regular box instructions. The egg white is optional, but I find that they hold together better. I also try to go easy on the frosting. Other flavors of cake mix and soda will work too.

Good Old Uncle Jimmy...

2009-02-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

Uncle Jimmy always was the life of the party, and never afraid of horses. Minty fresh too!

Pizza Crust Recipe

2009-02-12T12:30:00.003-05:00

My favorite easy pizza crust. I make this all the time with various toppings. Only takes afew minutes to put together, then about an hour to rise. I lightly sautee my vegetable toppings before putting them on the pizza, and I also like to prebake the crust for about 4 minutes prior to adding the toppings. Dry yeast is extremely cheap at Sam's club, and it lasts forever when kept in the freezer. I don't use a thermometer to check the water temperature. When it's hot enough that it feels like the right temperature for a bath, that's when I add it to the yeast.

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm water
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra)
Approx 4 cups AP flour (another variation is to use half AP flour and half whole wheat)

In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and honey. Let stand approximately 10 minutes, until the yeast looks "foamy". Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 cups of the flour. Combine. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and gradually start adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl with a little olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a dish towel, and place in a warm place until dough has doubled in size. Punch down, spread on lightly oiled pizza stone or pan, top as desired, bake approximately 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Sounds yummy

2009-02-06T18:28:00.004-05:00

Today at the grocery store I spotted the display below. Does Cadbury really not have a marketing team savvy enough that someone didn't say "Hey guys, this is probably a delicious cookie, but maybe we could come up with a more appealing name..."

Cherries Jubilee Chicken

2009-02-04T14:57:00.005-05:00

This recipe was a winner in a Weight Watchers Smart Ones contest to use fruit to create a sweet and savory entree. It calls for grilling the chicken, but the chicken can also be baked. It's really all about the sauce, which can also be used on pork. Fresh, frozen or canned cherries all work well. Frozen cherries should be thawed, and canned cherries drained.

Cherries Jubilee Grilled Chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

2 shallots, chopped thin
1 tsp fresh choppd rosemary
1 tsp fresh chopped sage
1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
2 cups bing cherries, cut in half (thawed if using frozen, drained if canned)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Rub chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place chicken on medium hot grill, turning once during cooking time. Grill until cooked through (depending on thickness of chicken breasts).
Heat remaining oil in medium skillet. Add shallots, rosemary, sage, thyme. Sautee over medium for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cherries, vinegar, honey, lemon juice and nutmeg. Heat and stir 5 minutes.
Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with fresh rosemary sprig if desired.

Lowfat Banana Blueberry Muffins

2009-02-03T17:41:00.003-05:00

These muffins are a great way to use up ripe bananas. Blueberries are optional, but I really like the way they combine with the banana flavor, and they add an extra nutritional punch. Baking tip - lightly dust the berries with flour before added them to the batter, and it will keep them from sinking to the bottom.

Lowfat Banana Berry Muffins

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with baking spray or line with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, combine bananas, sugar, egg and applesauce. Ad in flour mixture and stir just until ingredients are combined. Don’t overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries with a baking spatula or spoon.
Bake approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Easy Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2009-01-31T16:41:00.007-05:00

Back in my waitressing days, Red Lobster was one of the dozen or so restaurants under my waitressing belt. These are basically the exact same biscuits they serve, made pretty much the same way. Our kids love them, and they are so easy to make. Great complement to seafood or soup.

Easy Garlic Cheese Biscuits

3 cups biscuit mix
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 tbsp garlic powder
Italian seasoning or parsley flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large baking sheet with baking spray. Combine biscuit mix, water and cheese in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake approx 14 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.
Combine melted butter and garlic in a small bowl. Brush on hot biscuits. Sprinkle with italian seasoning or parsley flakes if desired. Makes about 14.

Crabcake Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Recipe

2009-01-30T13:55:00.005-05:00

This recipe earned me an honorable mention and publication in Country Woman magazine. It can be adapted for smaller mushrooms, and the filling would fill approximately 2 12 0z packages of regular sized mushrooms. The other directions would remain the same.

Crabcake Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

3/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided, divided
2 cups canned lump crabmeat
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg
1 cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 large portobello mushroom caps

Preheat oven to 400. In small skillet, sautee onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft.
In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except portobello caps. Add sauteed onions and combine. Stuff portobello caps with filling mixture. Top with paprika, grated parmesan and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake on nonstick or lightly sprayed cookie sheet for approx 14 minutes until lightly browned. Serves 6.

All That Glitters

2009-01-28T15:29:00.004-05:00

I am fairly sure that in another life I was a raccoon or a crow. If it sparkles, my eye is drawn to it. I find myself drifting towards it in a zombie-like trance. "Shiny thing.... must touch..." When it comes to clothing, I have to remain very alert to this tendency and use great care, lest I end up dressed like Mike Meyers "Linda Richman" character on Saturday Night Live.

Luckily, I do not feel compulsively drawn to holiday themed sweaters with big, glittery snowmen/Santas/Christmas trees/ pumpkins on them. I think that is a whole different affliction, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffer from it.
Years ago, my husband and I started attending estate auctions and tag sales as a hobby. First just to buy things for ourselves and home, then later to sell on ebay. I did really well selling vintage glass and collectibles on ebay for quite a long time. Until ebay changed and pretty much went down the toilet. So now it's back to just buying things for us when I go.
I started collecting vintage costume jewelry and evening bags that I would find at auctions/sales. I am a bargain hunter, so I've never paid a lot for any of it. Lots of sparklies for few dollars! Sometimes to get to the jewelry at an estate sale one does have to fight through the very aggressive jewelry dealers, many of whom are 300 pound man who have no qualms about body slamming a woman out of the way if they both have their eye on the same bracelet.
I missed out on a legendary fight one day between a very flambouyant male jewelry dealer (it takes a confident man to sport full eye makeup and rhinestone chandelier earrings as daywear in Akron Ohio) and a female who wanted the same Bakelite bracelet. The way it was told to me, there were many ugly things said, and a threat of face scratching (by him) as they played tug of war with that bracelet.
Feeling totally non productive on this snow day, I decided to take out some of my vintage glittery things, and take afew pictures of my favorites.

I do wear some of these things on occasion, though I generally limit myself to one piece at a time.

Whenever I take the sparklies out, my daughters ask if they can have them. I tell them "Absolutely. When I'm dead, you can split them". They both seem amenable to that.

I could go to a fancy gown event every night for quite awhile with all of my shiny purses. I don't go to that many fancy events, but I find reasons to use some of them relatively often. The white, box type purse is made of Lucite and is from the 1950s. I use that one quite a lot actually, since it's not flashy. Just unique.

The silver bag on the top left is also quite versatile.

With these one can go from demure,

to disco...

The one with the purple and black stripes IS a 70s disco bag

These 2 are my favorites. The tiny beadwork on the blue one is so intricate and well done. The other is mostly rhinestones.

For everyday life, I tend to prefer an enormous purse that I can fill with stuff until it weighs 20 pounds.

Another snowstorm 1/28/09

2009-01-28T12:23:00.008-05:00

Once again we are snowed in. Steady snow started falling sometime last night, and is expected to continue throughout the afternoon. The whole family is home today, so it's kind of cozy.
A lot of people in Ohio complain about the snow all the time. Although I'm not a big fan of driving in it, I actually like it otherwise. Snow is beautiful. Winter does get tedious after awhile, but so does everything else. When I lived in southern California, the sameness of the weather got really old. I would get excited on those rain occasions when we got a nice drenching of fragrant acid rain. Just for something different. I'm just a 4 seasons type of woman I guess.
Our neighbor plows our driveway for us, and pushes all of the snow into one big "mountain" for the kids to play on. They had an awesome snow fort going last week. The horses have thick, furry coats and getting covered with snow doesn't seem to bother them one bit. The dogs are in and out all day, rolling around and playing.

Winter can seem long at the time, but time always flies. Especially the older I get! Before long, it will be spring. With seasons, there is always something new to look forward to.

Poor St. Francis. He is pretty well buried. We have to have a St. Francis statue, because we love animals, and because my husband is Italian. He said that as he got older, he felt a genetic pull towards lawn statuary.