Dinner with Friends

Nothing beats ending a long week than having dinner with friends.  We try to get together with our friends, Nikki and Adam pretty regularly.  Sometimes we go out, but lately we have been eating in and taking turns at each others homes.  Nikki and I normally share the meal and trade off on what we bring.  Sometimes though we opt to do it all so the other couple can have a night off.

This last Saturday was just such a night.  Steve and I wanted to treat them to a night off so we planned a very comfort food type meal, with wine and dessert. 

I am always using them as guinea pigs for new recipes and this evening was no different.  I had received an email about Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa's) blog and found this recent recipe for a French Apple Tart.  Nikki and I both love to cook and have our strengths, Pies are definitely Nikki's and not mine, although I am still trying.  So when I saw this tart I thought this was right up my alley.

As a side note, Steve still talks about the Apple Pie and Christine (Nikki's daughter) made maybe 5 years ago as the best he has ever had and compares all others to that one.  Apple Pie is one of his most favorite desserts.

Below is the link to the site and recipe but I have also copied in the recipe.  I stayed pretty true to her recipe but I didn't have the Calvados or Rum, and who wants to use water when Alcohol is an option.  I had some Amaretto on hand and used that with the Apricot Glaze.  Gave it a nice almond flavor, subtle but good.  I think I may try this with other toppings as well.  A keeper for sure!!!

Ina Garten's blog: http://barefootcontessa.com/blog.aspx
and her recipe can be found here: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=387&S=0

French Apple Tart (Serves 6)

Copyright 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Photo: Quentin Bacon

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for the pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
½ cup ice water

for the apples
4 Granny Smith apples
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced
½ cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam (see note)
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full ½ cup sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart’s done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked French Toast

As I was going through the meal I had picked out for that evening and to see what meat I had to take from the freezer I realized I didn't want to make pasta again.  I saw the french bread that was left over from the previous night and the light bulb when off.

Coming up for what to make for dinner can be a chore in itself.  Always trying to make the meals new and interesting for my family it so hard at times. 
I decided to make French Toast.  I remember seeing on a Diner's Drive In and Dives a baked French Toast and thought this would be perfect.

Baked French Toast Recipe

Slice 1" slices of left over French Bread

3 - 4 Eggs, Depends on how much bread.

1c Milk

1t Vanilla

1/4t salt

Plan this the evening before or the at least 4-5 hours before you need to cook it.

In a medium bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla and salt.   (May need to add more eggs/milk depending on how much bread you have.)  I had 1/2 a loaf, 7 1" slices and this was perfect amount.) 

Lay your bread slices in a container, if possible in a single layer or in a Ziploc bag.  Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate.  (Key is to make sure that the bread absorbs all the liquid.)

Heat over to 350-375 degrees.  Place the bread slices in an even layer in a greased baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are lightly browned and the center is slightly firm to the touch.  (May take longer, test 1 to ensure the center is done.)

Meanwhile....  While the French Toast is baking, if you would like to make a sauce to go over the top, now is the time to do it.  I used some fresh strawberries that I had sliced and froze over the summer.  I added them to a sauce pan, added sugar and a little bit of water.  Let that cook down. 

I served with the save and dusted with powdered sugar.  So good. 

A great evening meal for a change.  (For the guys I did also cook some sausage.)  Also, since it is baked a nice coice to have for guests instead of standing over the oven and having some get cold while waiting to cook enough. 

Enjoy!

In Loving Memory, Zoey 7/15/04-10/1/12

Family Fun

A few weeks ago we had family over for a long ago planned rafting trip down the Kern River.  This was one of those Group On deals that was a great buy.  So 7 of us loaded up and headed to Bakersfield. 
http://www.riversendrafting.com/

The river is normally much faster and they say a Cat IV but on the day we went, it was more like a -4 which was fine with us.  They split our group of 7 into 2 boats and we headed out for our 3.5 miles of fun.  

In my boat I had my sister-n-law Debbie and her daughter-n-law Lindsay.  We also were with another family.  The guys, Steve, Elijah, David my brother-n-law and Keith my nephew got their own boat.

Some of the pics give the impression the water was a bit livelier than it was, but we had a great time.  May go back earlier in the season to be able to see a little more action, but all in all a great day that was ended with a nice picnic at the nearby Ming Lake.  Something fun to do within 1 1/2 hours of Valenica.

Tortillas

Last week I mentioned I was going through my Pins and making a few of the recipes.  This is one that I recently pinned that I am pretty happy with.

Homemade Tortillas is one that I pinned while realizing I was having Mexican and forgot to buy flour tortillas.  I also didn't want to make anything with Crisco and came across this easy recipe on Taste of Home.   http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Tortillas#.UEZLQpKOtTw.pinterest

The recipe posted was very simple but I always go over the reviews to see if they have Tips to improve.  I have tried so many recipes to know that many have to be altered in some way or another.   This was no exception.  One of the reviews said to add baking powder and make sure the water is boiling.  I made sure to use those tips and was very happy with the results. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Tortillas Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup water (boil in microwave)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

 

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle. [I rolled them between 2 pieces of parchment paper.  This let me roll them very thin and easily peel off and cook.]
• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. [I cooked them in an iron skillet and didn't use any cooking spray.]  Keep warm. Yield: 8 tortillas.  [I placed the tortillas in a warmer.  After cooking they were a little stiff but after being in the warmer they steamed and became very pliable.]

These came out great and the Steve and Elijah ate them so I think they enjoyed them.  For us, the recipe made plenty, but can easily be doubled.  This one is a keeper.

Pinterest Recipes

This week I decided I was going to use some of my pinned recipes.  I need to start cleaning out my boards as I have accumulated too many and wanted to test a few out.

I made Meatball Bubble Biscuits that are found on this site.  The recipe calls for pre-cooked meatballs which I used, but also did half with cooked Italian Sausage.  (The sausage didn't work as well due to the casings.  I cooked and cut the links into 1" pieces but left the outside on.  Next time will take them off.)

http://kathiecooks.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Here is the recipe from the blog.  I also didn't have string cheese so I used sliced provolone. 

Meatball Bubble BiscuitsSource: Barbie F.

1 can Pillsbury golden layers biscuits - each pulled into 2 layers
10 frozen fully cooked italian style meatballs - thawed and cut in half
2 sticks string cheese - cut each into 10 pieces
1 T. parm cheese
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. marinara sauce

Heat oven to 375. Separate biscuits into 2 layers. Place 1 meatball half and one piece of cheese into each biscuit, wrap dough around it and seal edges. Place seam side down into 9 inch round cake pan. Sprinkle with parm cheese, garlic pwd. and italian seasoning. Bake 18-20 min or until golden brown. Serve warm with warm sauce.

Here is my pic.  I liked them, Steve not so much.  Said the biscuit made it a little sweet and tasted like a meatball wrapped in a biscuit.  I am going to keep this one as it would be a nice one for a party.  You can make them ahead and freeze them, cook them off when needed.   So for the next little while, I will keep this one.  

Time Passes

The title says it all.  I realized I have thought about my blog often, and yet when I looked at it the other day realized it had been since May that I last wrote.

May! 

Initially the delays were due to a trip for Mother's Day weekend up north to visit family.  Then as time clicked by it seemed like I had little to say and then too much time elapsed.

Recently I realized the reason I was writing the blog got lost somewhere and I cared more about what someone thought I was writing about, "Was it interesting?", "Entertaining?", "Important enough?".

It no longer became cathartic.  So I decided to come back and write what I want to.  What is going through my head at the time.  Hoping it will help quiet the voices a little.

For the last several months Steve, my husband, has been looking for work.  Why is there so much sigma associated with that.  He was laid off, nothing to do with his performance, but the same situation that so many people are facing today, corporate changes, etc...blah, blah, blah.  It reminds me of one of my favorite movies. "You've Got Mail"  Where Tom Hanks character is talking about how it "It isn't personal it's business",  and Meg Ryan says, "It's personal to me."  It is sad because I see both sides.  You can't take away someones job and assume it isn't personal for someone but understanding that if they don't make changes, downsizing, whatever, it could affect more than a few people. 

I have struggled with feeling a bit guilty.  I have a job, I have a great job.  Just got a promotion, a raise, and yet to bring attention to that makes me feel like I could be making Steve feel worse.  He knows, I know, it isn't his fault for him not getting that 2nd interview, or not finding that perfect job.  Knowing that and feeling that are so different.

Steve has decided to stop putting fate into someone elses hands and has decided to take his "side" business and make it full time.  I am proud of him for going outside his comfort zone. 

A little less light hearted with this one, but next time I will get back to food and fun.  

This week I made a pinterest recipe which I will share and also trying homemade tortillas on Thursday.  Will have to see how those turn out.

German or Swedish Pancakes

Last weekend I came across this pin from a new blog that I have enjoyed reading through.  Not sure how her pancake cups came out so lovely and didn't shrink down like mine did.  

http://realmomkitchen.com/489/mini-german-pancakes/

                                                

The recipe was just like one Steve got from his mom for Swedish Pancakes, which he has always really enjoyed but we rarely make.  I decided to surprise him Sunday morning with breakfast in bed.  Of course mine didn't look as good as the original pic, but they tasted great.  I opted to make a peach and cinnamon topping vs. the one in the recipe of triple berries since Steve likes that better. 

When these bake, they puff up just like a popover.  Pretty cool to watch. 

Breakfast was a hit!Breakfast was a hit!

Breakfast was a hit!

Heading to a Cinco de Mayo festival tomorrow in town.  Should be some great food.  Next week for Mother's day, and Steve's birthday, (although it is now called, The Day that doesn't get mentioned.) we are going up north to see our moms.  Should hopefully have some good stories to pass along.  

Just in case I don't get back here next week, Happy Mother's Day!!!

A little of this, a little of that

I have come to realize that this blogging thing is certainly something that will not get done daily, or maybe even weekly.  I figure, when I have something to write about or share, I will.  And hopefully it will be worth the read. 

The last few weeks seems to have gone by in a blur.  We have gone on a few mini drives, mainly to beat the heat.  Did a little baking, which less be real, is all I ever do.  Also finally got my garden in but that one is for another day.  (Everything is just starting to grow, for those that started from seeds, or is too small to generate much conversation.)

May is here, school is winding down for my son, and summer is fast approaching.  Starting to think of what will fill the long warm days ahead. April was longer than normal, but here are a few pics of Ojai, a lovely valley in Ventura County.

 I lived there when I was younger, really only a few years, and yet every time I visit, I am struck by such a feeling of comfort and peace.

 Everything is in bloom, and if you have ever been there, the smell of orange blossoms hang in the air as you drive through and you can't help of breath it all in and smile.

After coming home from Ojai we went to a few fruit stands and a tray of fresh strawberries ended up coming home with us.  How dd that happen.  So of course I had to make Fresh Strawberry Pie.  

A bit of background.  Back in November I went through a pie crust phase.  Trying to find the one that would turn out the best for what Steve likes.  (Elijah isn't much of a pie eater.  Steve, absolutely loves Marie Calendar's.) 

I came across this recipe awhile ago for a very close duplicate to a Marie Callender's Pie Crust. Marie Callender's Pie Crust 

This has butter and shortening as well as a mixture of Cake ad All Purpose Flour.  A few more ingredients than others I have come across, but worth the time.

Don't be afraid of the vinegar if you have never used that in a crust before.  I have a few variations on this and the vinegar tends to be a common theme in German styles as well. 

The key for me is chilling and patience!  Chill the ingredients, chill before rolling, chill after rolling and in the pie pan, chill, chill, chill.  Makes all the difference.  Nothing like flash baking your crust and if slumps down and is not useable.

I then made a simple syrup with corn starch and mixed in my fresh berries and topped with whipped cream.  So yummy!  I had left over crust and made Elijah a min Vanilla Pudding pie and Steve a mini Chocolate Pudding pie too.  I went a little crazy, I am secure enough to admit it.

Coming next, Mini German Pancakes.  Stay tuned... 

Staycation

This is the new vacation for so many, including us.  We only had a few days and didn't want to spend the  bulk of it in the car.   We had one of those great happy accidents.  We made plans to go to the Huntington Library but unfortunately it ended up being a free day and there were no more tickets.   We had to make a quick change of plans, and ended up at the Descanso Gardens.

For the 11+ years we have lived in southern California, and the times we have talked about going there, we were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the grounds were and only 30 miles away.  They had lovely Camelia Trees and flowers throughout.   We loved this fountain in the center of the Rose Gardens that we thought would be perfect for my sister-n-law's house.

I love tulips and they had this sea of them in so many colors

I got a up close of this Wisteria Vine that hung over the entrance and was in full bloom.

The next day we had planned to check out the Poppy Fields 45 miles in the opposite direction.  We had a beautiful drive and stumbled on fields of flowers and a Desert State Park that we didn't know existed.   The actual Park where the Poppy Reserve was had none so we drove around until we found a large section on the side of a hill. 

For this post, I didn't have a half done project, thread or oven in site.  As you can see though, there were a few places that we always put off visiting and happy we finally went and took in some amazing places in SoCal.  So it really is like finishing...

Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes

As mentioned previously these were another item brought to the Easter Potluck.  I wanted to do a Carrot Cake style but not the traditional one.  I love it when I can do a "semi" homemade and use a cake box since I had it on hand.  And let's be honest, they have made those pretty fool proof and why not use a box in a pinch.   I always put a box of pudding in the cake mix, just the powder, and it makes the cakes very moist.

I pulled this off the Betty Crocker web site the their picture

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pineapple-carrot-cake/22eae844-444c-4faf-afdc-d76aecbebb72?WT.mc_id=taf_recipe_BC

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe yellow cake mix

1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 to 2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (2 to 3 large)

Frosting 3 cups powdered sugar (I only used 2c since I didn't want it as sweet)
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Toppings:12 chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed, if desired
15 sugared carrot decorations, if desired

I used bunny marshmellows, tinted coconut, sprinkles and MMs
Decorate to match any occassion.
 

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients except carrots with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in carrots. Pour into pan.
• 2 Bake 44 to 50 minutes (46 to 54 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• 3 In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter and the vanilla on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting over cake. With knife tip, score cake into 5 rows by 3 rows (15 squares).
• 4 Decorate with your favorite toppings.  Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Coming soon, pictures of our trip to Descanso Gardens

Potluck Pleaser

This weekend for Easter we went to Nikki and Adam's for a potluck.  I always try to come up with something a little different to try since it is a different group of people and there are such varying tastes.   I was challenged with an appetizer, a salad and a dessert. 

The salad is one that I have been making for about 2 years now and although not new, I haven't made it since last summer.  A wonderful pasta salad that is chocked full of flavor and always a crowd pleaser.  I can't take credit for it as I first had a similar version at another event and have Barbara LaRue to thank for introducing me to this flavorful salad.  I do a few variations and since there wasn't a recipe I made it up as I went. 

I have never been a fan of creamy pasta salads and in California you never know how hot it will be so really like that this is an Italian Dressing base. 

Pasta Salad

1 bag Corkscrew pasta (I use Tri-Color)

1 bottle of Italian Dressing, (use whichever is your favorite, although stay away from a Balsamic based one since it will change the color too much.)

1/2 to 1c Mediterranean Feta Cheese

1 container Fresh Mozzarella, depending on size of balls I make them about 1/2" chunks

1/2 c large grated Parmesan cheese

1c Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 small can sliced olives, roughly chopped

3 scallions, chopped

1/4c chopped fresh parsley, I prefer Italian Flat Leaf, or I use Cilantro, whatever I have on hand

1/2 to 1c Dried Cranberries

1c Candied Slivered Almonds or Pecans (I will normally make my own, but Trader Joe's has great candied Pecans)

Sounds like a lot but it is well worth it.  Most of this can be purchased ready to drop in, little to no prep work. 

For me the flavor comes from cooking the pasta early, 1 day ahead is best.  Cook the pasta

al dente, this is critical since it will continue to cook while it cools and you don't want mush.  When the pasta is done drain and let cool slightly.  Please in a large resealable bag, (I get the 2 gallon size) and pour 1/2 the bottle of dressing over the pasta. 

As the pasta cools it sucks up the dressing and really flavors the pasta.  Makes a huge difference to do this while the pasta is still very warm.  Mix in the bag turning over and over.  Let cool on the counter and then place in the refrigerator over night or until ready to use.     

Prior to serving and this can be several hours, add the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the nuts. Add more dressing depending on flavor but a little goes a long way. (If the nuts are placed to early in the salad they loose their crunch.)

Just before serving add in the nuts. 

Variations:  The mozzarella doesn't add a whole lot of flavor but is a great texture to the salad.  I sometimes omit the tomatoes or olives and it is just as good, really what I have on hand.  The Cranberries and Nuts are a staple and make the salad in my opinion.  Fresh herbs as well make a huge difference, but experiment and have fun. 

I often double the recipe but only use about 1 1/2 bottles of dressing for 2 bags of pasta.  Use less than you think and have some on the side for those that like more. 

Tomorrow I will post the Carrot Pineapple Cupcakes!

Easter Fun

Almost three weeks since I last visited here.  Initially I was busy but didn't have a lot to write except the menu so decided to forgo that for a bit. 

I do have several things to share here but will drag them out a bit over the few week or so to avoid being to long winded. 

I will start with the most recent though I think and work back.  As this is titled "Easter Fun" I thought I would share one of my "80" projects that I started a few years back.  The Easter table Runner. 

Like many craft or projects go, as was the case for my Valentine Wall hanging I was in a store and saw an adorable Easter Table Runner.  The price was crazy and I just knew I could make it cheaper.  So off I went to the fabric store and purchased all these cute springy colors and patterns along with some Easter themed fabric.  Got home and well, nothing.  Easter came and went and no runner.

The next year rolled around and I took it out, cut out some egg and bunny shapes, pined them to the fabric and was tired of it.  Easter came and went and no runner.

Well, as you can imagine, the whole Finishing idea that entered my head a few months back got me excited to pull it all out and start again.  I grabbed the pile of fabric and forgot what I had started and realized I no longer liked what I did prior.   I scrapped the whole thing and started from scratch.  I opted to do a more simplified version and went to town.  I cut all my fabric and went to my sewing machine.   (We are about an hour in so far.)  This is where I normally get sidetracked after doing all the prep work.  Well not this time.

I grabbed my sewing machine to get down to the fun part and OMG my machine was broken.  Seriously!  I was crushed.   I though for sure Easter would come and go again. 

Jump forward 2 days, found a great repair shop, inexpensive and got it serviced to boot.    I finished the runner with a few days to spare.  So happy with the finished product.  Woo Hoo!!!

I did several 2" x 7" strips and sewed them in a 8 rows.  I tried to have them alternate, but once all was put together, as you can see, there were some repetitive sections.  I did a border and back in creme fabric so I can reverse it and use for other occasions.   The pictures don't show the Easter print well but it is there.

For Easter we went to our friends and I made some fun cup cakes.  Here is a sneak peek but will blog that one tomorrow.  Great recipe so come back and see.