Christmas Cookies OmNomNom

Xmas Cookies 2010, raspberry, mint, & plain chocolate.

I made/invented the cookies on the top last year.  They are chocolate chip cookie cups filled with chocolate raspberry, chocolate mint, and chocolate chocolate filling (the filling being that super smooth creamy melt in your mouth chocolate bliss found inside of chocolate truffle candies).

I made some more of these cookies this year, but one with Mocha Kahlua filling and the others with chocolate mint.  These cookies are insanely delicious.  They are trufcookins or cooktruffins or something like that ;)  Chocolate truffles protected by chocolate chip cookie goodness. YUM! 

Xmas cookies 2011 with liquor & caffeine in some ;)

Well, it's no Kwanzaa Cake

It's that time of year again and you employed white collar people know what time I am talking about:  Office Potluck Party Season.  Tis the season to be awkwardly forced together with food.  I have such an event tomorrow and couldn't decide what to make for it.  I decided early on that I wouldn't be going "all out".  Yes, I love to bake, but the office potluck isn't worth the hassle, especially during this time of year.  There's often too much food, people are on diets or saving their calories for out of office parties, and food is thrown away or left in the hallway for random employees to graze on.  Things like quality chocolate, cream, real white chocolate, and even butter are costly.  I refuse to waste my time & money on something that only a few people might appreciate.

In the spirit of being cranky, stressed out, and not wanting to waste time & money I decided I would bring a mediocre potluck dessert to the event.  My exact wording on the signup sheet:  "A dessert item consisting of fat & sugar that you probably shouldn't eat".  I didn't commit to anything specific because I didn't want to put a lot of thought into it or care about it.

Today as I was thinking up a quick & cheap dessert item I was reminded of Sandra Lee and the awesomely terrible Kwanzaa [train-wreck] Cake.  Don't know what I am talking about?  You *must* watch the video which shows the looney Sandra using a store bought cake, a can of chocolate frosting, cinnamon, popcorn, corn nuts, apple pie filling, and some hideous "hey the power just went out" assortment of giant Kwanzaa theme colored candles.  The cake has been hailed as offensive and racist. There's a hilarious story full of scandals and confessions that explains this cake and some other Sandra "creations".  As I thought of this cake I desperately wanted to use her recipe for the potluck dessert.  If I had the time and motivation to track down the ugly candles at a Wal-Mart and spend money on all of the other ingredients I would have made it.  I'll keep it in the back of my mind for next year... It would be freaking hilarious [other hilarious, but tastier idea:  Schweddy Balls).

I ended up making a plain chocolate Bundt style cake (in honor of the Kwanzaa Cake), with peppermint frosting (consisting of shortening & sugar) and some mint and chocolate chips thrown onto it.  Voila! Quick, easy, and mediocre!

Side view.

Bottom half/Middle layer of filling.

Some extra peppermint flavored fat & sugar on top.

Yes, it is indeed a dessert item consisting of fat & sugar that you probably shouldn't eat and I don't care if you do or don't eat it. Cheers to a cheap thrown together cake! (I'll drink to that).

Peanut Butter Fudge Frosted Brownies - Sold!

Brownies dipped in chocolate & topped w/ peanut butter fudge frosting.

One dozen brownies made to fill an order. :-)

You know you want one. I know you do. Don't deny, don't lie.

People always ask me when I am going to sell the stuff that I bake, so here it is, one dozen brownies: sold! I made these for an office Christmas party that isn't at my office for once. Wow, baked goods for another person's coworkers & I got paid for them, WHAT?! Yeah, I could get used to this.  Feel free to place your order, but remember that my items are exclusive, expensive, and worth it.  No order is too small because no price is too large ;)

Happy Birthday to Me Cupcakes

♪♫ Happy Birthday to Me! ♫♪

Dark chocolate mocha cupcake w/ mini semi-sweet morsels.

Pinnacle Whipped Vodka Vanilla Frosting w/ a Cherry on Top.

Dusted with Dark Chocolate & Ground Espresso Beans.

Mocha Kahlua Truffle Surprise Filling :-D

I made these cupcakes to help celebrate my birthday tomorrow. The cupcake is a dark chocolate mocha with mini semisweet morsels for some extra texture & flavor. The filling is a chocolate mocha Kahlua truffle mixture.  They are topped with a fluffy vanilla frosting made with Pinnacle Whipped Vodka which is dusted with ground dark chocolate & espresso beans. Finally, these "cupcaketails" are topped with a cherry :-D They are super yummy! Om Nom Nom...

I haven't decided what to call them. They are kind of based on a Black Russian (and BTW, a Black Russian with Pinnacle Whipped Vodka which I consider to be my personal invention of deliciousness, rocks!). Perhaps these will be Black & White Russian Cupcakes or Royal Russian or Russian Sundae Cupcakes... or I don't know, I'll figure it out.

Amaretto Chocolate Pecan Pie

Amaretto Chocolate Pecan Pie w/ Chocolate Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream

I had a couple of goals for my Thanksgiving this year which included trying classics like cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, & pecan pie. Being terribly ill & stuck in my apartment the week before Thanksgiving, I watched hours upon hours of television and realized I was missing out on these traditional dishes.

I had one major problem with traditional pecan pie recipes - that layer of super sweet corn syrupy goop between the crust and the pecans.  I'm not a fan of straight up sweet.  Luckily after browsing for recipes I discovered that chocolate pecan pie was another option.  Chocolate & pecans? Yummy!

Tyler Florence has well rated recipe for Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie that I used for my pecan pie. I don't keep bourbon stocked in my bar so I went with Disaronno Amaretto instead (because I love amaretto & chocolate together) and I used twice the amount of unsweetened chocolate (a full 4oz Hershey's Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar).  Honestly, there is so much sugar/corn syrup in this that I think you need the extra unsweetened chocolate to cut through that sweetness (especially if you aren't from the South & used to living on pure sugar, lol). I baked it for about 40-45 minutes and it came out fine, but if I make it again next year I am going with 35-40 minutes so it has a thicker gooey layer like pecan pie should.  Mine had a very thin layer of goo with a thick nearly brownie like layer on top with the pecans. I like chocolate goo, want more :-D

Cranberry Upside Down Bread

Perfect way to use the leftover cranberry sauce, yum!

For Thanksgiving I decided to make cranberry sauce this year. Believe it or not I never tried cranberry sauce and I just couldn't stomach trying the stuff from the can. It's so jiggly & corn syrupy... I saw Claire Robinson make a Spicy Cranberry Chutney on Food Network and used her recipe for my Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.  I cut the ingredients in half to make a smaller batch (and used only a 1/4 of the suggested lime juice amount).  Even with half of the recipe I still had a lot left over after Thanksgiving (small crowd) so I had to figure out what to do with it all.  Using it in an orange cake or muffin seemed like a good idea, but I ended up just putting it on the bottom of a pan, covering it with corn bread batter, baking it, & flipping it upside down like a pineapple upside down cake (which I also have yet to try...).

Cupcakes for a Cause

Cupcakes to raise money for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

I spent Thursday night in my kitchen, barefoot, slaving over cupcakes, & covered in frosting.  I'll allow you a moment to enjoy and digest that sexy visual.  OK, I'll be honest, I was not barefoot & there was no Amish porn involved in the making of these cupcakes ;)

The cupcakes were for a bake-sale in my office on Friday.  My company participates in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk (actually, it's a festival at our local location due to the high level of participation).  I made dark chocolate cupcakes, half of them had cherry frosting with a Maraschino cherry on top and the other half were topped with raspberry frosting and a fresh raspberry. My friend/coworker Ruth made the cupcakes with the adorable mini pink breast cancer awareness ribbons on them (the white frosting, and the pink/white swirled frosting cupcakes). She also took the wonderful photo above to display our delicious & beautiful creations. Two other coworkers made the "stuffed" cupcakes and ribbon shaped cookies (not pictured here). These people all deserve some thanks and recognition for their hard work, baking skills, & donation to the cause.  The baked goods raised almost $400 on Friday :-) The company team is over the $5,000 goal with almost $7,000 (and still counting) raised for the event tomorrow. We kind of rock like that!

Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes. Yeah, they look like that on purpose ;)

The event is especially important to my coworkers because less than a week ago we lost one of our own.  Our payroll manager, Lorena, lost her battle with metastasized breast cancer at the age of 48.  Her funeral was on October 13th which is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Maine.  It is that day in Maine because back in 2008 Lorena contacted the governor of the state to ask that Maine adopt the day.  This day is an important reminder to everyone that breast cancer awareness isn't just a collection of survivor stories, mastectomies, & support groups; it's also about the people who will not survive.  Breast cancer is still a very deadly form of cancer. I know many women who have survived breast cancer (including other coworkers, family, & friends) so I understand that there is a general misconception that as long as it is caught early a person will survive. Lorena's death is a very sad reminder that even when caught during a monthly breast exam (as it happened in her case) breast cancer can still kill you.

Triple Chocolate Surprise Brownies

Layered brownie "cake" with walnut butter, banana slices, & chocolate syrup

Surprise! These brownies have black beans & spinach in them... nothing says ooey, gooey brownie goodness like um, black beans & spinach? I understand the purpose of the beans, they would add density & moisture and perhaps a depth to the chocolate similar to the way coffee would, but not so sure about the purpose of the spinach. Moisture? Texture?

I came across this interesting recipe for Triple Chocolate Surprise Brownies at health.com and they captured my interest.  I decided to make them, but I altered the recipe a bit to make them vegan & gluten-free (basically just for the heck of it and to say it can be done).

I swapped out the eggs in their recipe with ground flax seed & water, replaced butter & olive oil with walnut oil, used walnuts instead of pecans, banana instead of apple, buckwheat flour instead of regular flour, less sugar, & different types of cocoa/chocolate blocks.  OK, so I changed their recipe a lot.

Ingredients

• 1 10 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 cup)
• 4 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1/2 cup thawed and squeezed dry frozen spinach
• 1 ripe banana*
• 2 tablespoons of finely ground flax-seed
• 6 tablespoons of warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar*
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (2 packets of Starbucks VIA ready-brew Colombian)
• 3 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 3oz bar of Endangered Species Tiger chocolate (dark chocolate w espresso beans).
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*I posted what I used, if I made these again I would use two bananas for better texture/moisture and 3/4 cup of sugar to make them a bit sweeter.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°. Put warm water, flax-seed, instant coffee, and vanilla in a bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes to gel up. Put black beans, walnut oil, spinach, banana, flax-seed mix, sugar, & cocoa in a food processor; pulse for 1 minute or until smooth (I used a blender, I don't have a food processor...). Microwave semi sweet chocolate pieces in a glass bowl, stirring every 30 seconds or until smooth; cool for 5 minutes. Transfer blender/processor mix to large bowl, add melted chocolate & salt, and mix. Stir in buckwheat flour and bits of the tiger bar chocolate. Pour into an oiled/greased 9x13-inch pan; top with chopped walnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes; cool for 15 minutes.

The end product wasn't bad; definitely a decent dark chocolate/coffee flavor.  Like I said above, I would use two bananas and a little more sugar if I made these again to give them a more dessert like sweetness & dense brownie moisture.  I might skip the extra sugar and use walnut butter to make a sweet, fluffy walnut frosting for them as well. Yum! I would also consider skipping walnuts altogether and making these with some cinnamon & cayenne to make some spicy Mexican brownies... makes sense with the beans after-all ;)

You can feel good about serving these vegan brownies that also helped endangered species with that "Tiger Chocolate" :)~

Serrano Orange Chicken w/ Jasmine Rice

Recently I saw this recipe for Serrano Orange Chicken with Jasmine Rice in a Hannaford Magazine and decided to try it because I love orange chicken, hot peppers, & Jasmine rice, so why not mix them all together, right? I gave this a try after being outside most of the day on Friday in some unseasonably cold weather which made me look forward to spending time near a warm stove.

Servings: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients: 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 3/4-inch pieces

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 each serrano chili peppers, seeded, veined, and minced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Olive oil, divided

1 cup sliced red and yellow bell pepper

2(8.5 oz.) pkgs precooked microwavable jasmine rice (such as Uncle Ben's)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, coat chicken pieces with cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, honey, serranos, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and soy sauce. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 5 minutes longer. Add orange sauce to the skillet. Toss to coat chicken, and cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers back to the pan and cook just until heated through, about 1minute.

5. Heat rice in microwave according to package instructions, about 1 1/2minutes.

6. To serve, divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with chicken and peppers and serve immediately.

 

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September - October 2011

My finished product of Serrano Orange Chicken

I cooked up some jasmine rice on the stove-top rather than using the microwavable kind. The finished product was OK, but if I made it again I would double the Serrano peppers to add more heat/flavor or perhaps throw some dried japones chiles in there for some serious heat. I realized after making this dish that it was lacking something important: more veggies! It could use some broccoli florets, carrots, & maybe even some baby/mini corn. That would really make it better :) The orange glaze might be improved with some ginger & scallions as well.

Buffalo Chicken Bits & Jasmine Rice

Since I was still craving some heat on Saturday night I used leftover chicken and rice to make a dish of Buffalo chicken with thinly cut strips of celery. Yummy :)

Exploring Nature in Wells, Maine

On Friday I decided to travel to some trails that I had read about in Wells, Maine.  I have my local trails that I love, but sometimes (many times) it is nice to get out and see something new.

First stop was the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.  A chance to see a New England Cottontail in its natural habitat is enough to get me out of bed early on my day off :) Yes, I love bunnies, who doesn't?  No, don't answer that because I would have to hate anyone who disliked bunnies, and that will waste too much  energy that could be used for something better :-D

Carson Trail @ Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

I did see one bunny hopping around, but didn't get a good view because he was well protected under some overgrown brush (good for him being safe!).  It was an easy one mile or so loop around some woods and marsh land with little bridges & scenic outlook posts. Quite charming. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail & I wish I had my dog with me to enjoy it that day. 

After leaving the Rachel Carson park I decided to visit the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm which is close to the Rachel Carson land; across one of those quaint one lane bridges that you find in this area of the country. Quaint because I didn't have to deal with anyone trying to use the bridge at the same time as me.

I walked around the grounds at the Wells Estuary and started to walk down the path to take me to the beach, but I got distracted by the cart path which is narrow boardwalk type of a path through the woods. I'll have to go back another day to check out the other trails on the property and see what the beach views are like there. I'm sad that dogs aren't allowed on this property because I would love to take my dog for a walk along the beach on a cool autumn day.

Carson Trail @ Rachel Carson NWR

Whimsical path on Carson Trail

Cart Path @ Wells Estuary

Historic Laudholm Farm @ Wells Estuary

For more photos see my Wells, Maine set on Flickr.

The Hollow Glow: Drain You

The Hollow Glow performs a cover of Nirvana's "Drain You" on 09.24.2011 (the 20th Anniversary of the Nevermind album).

Bananas Foster French Toast

Amaretto Bananas Foster French Toast

Recipe (1-2 Servings)

Night Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Bread, cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch squares*
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Cream
• 1 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tablespoon of Pure Maple Syrup

1. Grease or spray a small baking pan (6x6) and place the bread chunks in it.
2. Whisk the eggs, cream, vanilla, & maple syrup together.
3. Pour mixture over the bread, trying to moisten as much of the bread as possible.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or about 8 hours).

 Morning Ingredients:

•  1/3 to 1/2 cup of maple syrup
  
• 1 to 2 ounces of Disaronno Amaretto**
• 1 to 2 Bananas, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Uncover dish and bake for 20 minutes, until slightly toasty & dry on top.  Allow to cool/settle for 5 minutes.
3. Heat desired amount of syrup and amaretto in the microwave or on stove-top, mix well.
4. Cover French toast with bananas & pecans, drizzle amaretto maple syrup on top.

*I used Pepperidge Farm Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl bread this time.  It's cut thick and doesn't have raisins.  I dislike raisins.  I would recommend getting a great sweet/cinnamon bread from a bakery which is what I normally use for french toast.
**Typically Bananas Foster would use rum or in this case a rum extract, but I tend to make Bananas Foster with Amaretto because I like it and usually have it around. 

Lemon Artichoke Chicken & Pasta

Lemon Artichoke Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta

If you read my blog from last night you'll know that I made some Chicken Piccata for dinner.  The problem with "cooking for one" is that I have a ton of leftovers (I know, I know, could probably plan for that better, but I get too excited about cooking).  It's OK though; I found a creative way to turn this buttery, garlicky, lemon sauced dish into a similar dish:  Lemon Artichoke Chicken.

I had tossed the pasta from last night in the piccata sauce before putting it away & stored the cooked pieces of chicken separately.  All I had to do tonight was put a pat of butter in a small pan, a couple of tablespoons of cream, a tablespoon of white wine, and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and let it simmer over low heat for about 3-5 minutes.

I put a few pieces of chicken and half a can of artichoke heats into a pie dish, covered them with the sauce, and applied a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese over the chicken and artichokes.  I baked it for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees (until the sauce and cheese was slightly brown/bubbly).  That was served (to me) over some reheated pasta. Yum!

I still have a ton of leftovers so I need to figure out what to do with them :)

Chicken Piccata w/ Angel Hair Pasta

Chicken Piccata over Angel Hair Pasta

I had a major craving for chicken today :)  That resulted in making some Chicken Piccata based on this recipe that I found at MyRecipes.com "Chicken Piccata with Capers".

What I used in my recipe:

• 1.5lbs of chicken breasts, butterflied & halved.
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon light tasting extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup cooking white wine (w/ salt)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (w/ teaspoon of lemon zest)
• 2 tablespoons capers (rinsed)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• freshly ground black pepper
• fresh parsley for garnish & sprinkling on top 
• 1/2 box of Barilla Plus Angel Hair pasta  

1. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken pieces out to about 1/2 inch thick (get them even)
2. Put the flour, cayenne, & some ground black pepper into a plastic bag and shake up.
3. Put the chicken pieces in the bag and shake it up to coat the chicken.
4. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet pan and cook chicken on each side for 3 minutes.  Break into two batches if necessary.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the wine, lemon juice, capers, & garlic to the skillet.  Stir it up (scrape the bottom of the pan) and simmer for 2-4 minutes.
6. Put some cooked angel hair on a plate, cover with chicken pieces, ladle some sauce over it, and garnish with parsley.
7. Enjoy!

YUM!

Cheesy Baked Tomatoes

One of my favorite quick things to make with dinner as it contains a bunch of my favorite ingredients and it is super easy!

Parmesan & Mozzarella Baked Tomatoes

• Tomatoes, sliced in half.
• Sprinkle of black pepper
• Sprinkle of sea salt
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Generous sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• Generous sprinkle of dried oregano
• Teaspoon or two of Parmesan cheese per tomato half
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Mozzarella cheese per tomato half
• Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes
• Top with fresh oregano after baking

You can obviously customize the toppings to include your favorite tomato seasonings which makes this a great recipe to throw together with the ingredients you have on hand.  I normally don't use the mozzarella cheese when I make these, but I had some leftover from the White Pizza that I made the night before, so I indulged :-)

Claire Robinson's Easy White Pizza

I saw Claire Robinson make her "Easy White Pizza" on her 5 Ingredient Fix show on Food Network sometime this summer and kept reminding myself that I wanted to try making it soon.  I was drawn to it as it contains some of my favorite foods:  carbs, cheese, & garlic.  Considering how lazy I felt today it seemed like the perfect time to make my first "5 Ingredient Fix" recipe.

While I was in the dairy aisle of my local supermarket I decided that I would swap the Ricotta cheese out and replace it with provolone.  I'm not always crazy about Ricotta, but I am crazy and I try to avoid cheeses that contain vinegar in the ingredients.  Yes, I kind of have a fear of vinegar and it all stems from a bad string cheese with vinegar incident as a child.

When I started to stretch out the pizza dough at home it occurred to me that I had never actually worked with a ball of pizza dough before and I wasn't really that good at it.  It is a skill that I will need to work on. I followed Claire's instructions for the pizza dough in her video, but my dough didn't stretch so well.  I think my first mistake was not letting it reach room temperature (I was too excited and hungry to wait).

My pizza came out lovely and was almost burning after 20 minutes in the oven (even though the recipe suggested baking for 25-30 minutes).

A yummy slice :-)

This pizza is so cheesy, simple, & yummy.  The fresh oregano adds an awesome depth of flavor.  I also added cayenne pepper to my slice to spice it up a bit.

Banana Bread Waffles

I was really craving pancakes for breakfast this morning, however, I was also feeling quite lazy and didn't want to make a mess for myself.  I was imagining a delicious stack of pancakes, pecan butter, & maple syrup when I thought of my buckwheat banana bread just chillin' in the refrigerator.

I put a couple of slices of the banana bread into my waffle iron and produced a yummy, hassle free breakfast of "banana bread waffles" topped with a scoop of scrumptious walnut butter and a dash of pure maple syrup.

Just as quick, but much tastier & more satisfying than frozen waffles :)

I think I am onto something here :)

Toasted Banana Bread & Walnut Butter

Move over Wheaties, I have created the new breakfast of real champions ;)  That's what I do as an evil food genius.  It's a nutrient dense slice of moist & delicious buckwheat banana bread, toasted, and covered in walnut butter.  It's a great new take on banana nut bread and despite its deliciousness it is quite nutritious. 

Slice of toasted banana bread topped with walnut butter.

This bread is packed with bananas and contains mostly buckwheat (3:1 ratio of buckwheat flour to regular flour), ground flax-seed, and olive oil.  It doesn't contain eggs or butter so it is a heart healthy vegan treat as well.  If you aren't familiar with buckwheat you can read about its many health benefits here.   The walnut butter is made from organic and raw walnuts (no other additives).  Walnuts are also full of health benefits and are an excellent energy source.

Ready for a close up.

The most important thing about this bread is that is creates one seriously delicious & satisfying piece of "toast" :-)  Making banana bread on a whim can be a little difficult because you need to have slightly overripe bananas on hand which can require some planning.  I've overcome this problem by buying a bunch of bananas, allowing them to slightly over-ripen, peeling them, and then storing them in a bag in the freezer.  Just defrost and mash when you are ready to bake.  This also makes an excellent frozen banana supply for smoothies!  The key to a perfect smoothie is in fact a frozen banana.  

Hurricane Irene: Path of Destruction

I'm speechless at the devastation and destruction I found in my office building this morning:

Hurricane Irene:  The Horror

I don't understand how this happened.  Did an overweight squirrel get into the second floor ceiling and break a tile?  Is the squirrel OK? 

Maple Pecan Biscotti & Amish Friendship Bread

A couple of weeks ago I posted about my first experiment with Amish Friendship Bread.  I was having a hard time deciding whether I wanted to make the classic recipe, use a recipe online, or come up with something new on my own.  I ended up going with the last two options (partly because I thought my friends were making the "classic" and I would get a chance to try it, but turns out someone killed her bread through starvation and someone else didn't even get her starter kit, so I have yet to make or try the cinnamon sugar recipe which sounds really good).

The night I made the bread I decided to make Orange Cranberry Bread which was a recipe I found online at the Friendship Bread Kitchen and Maple Pecan Biscotti which was something I came up with since I love maple and really wanted to try making biscotti.

Orange "Craisin" Friendship Bread

I mostly followed their recipe at the Friendship Bread Kitchen, but I used a 6oz bag of Craisins since they were the only "cranberries" I found in the supermarket. That's a bad idea because they're sweetened with sugar and aren't tart.  I love orange cranberry muffins and the orange bread/cake that I make, but this wasn't as good as those and I blame the Craisins.  No one at work actually said that they enjoyed this, so I wouldn't call it quite a success.  I think my birds & squirrels enjoyed the leftovers though! 

Next I made my Maple Pecan Biscotti. 

Recipe

• 1 Cup Amish Friendship Starter 
• 3 Cups of Flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 1 Dash of Salt (perhaps 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 Cup Pecans (finely chopped)
• 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick, salted)
• 1 Egg (large) 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
•  1 Teaspoon Maple Extract

1. Cream the starter mix, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl.  Mix in the egg and extracts.
2. Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl (except for the pecans).
3. Mix small amounts of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture until all of it is in there.
4. Fold in 3/4 cup of the pecans.
5. Split the dough in half, creating two balls of dough.
6. Roll each ball into a log about 10 inches long and flatten until it is about 3 inches wide.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
8. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes and create 1/2" slices.
9. Bake cut side down for another 15-20 minutes.

Step 5

Step 6

Final Product

 I topped the biscotti with a maple glaze and sprinkled them with the remaining pecans.  The topping is maple glaze that I throw together for other goodies like donuts & muffins.  I don't typically measure the ingredients, but it would be about 3 tablespoons of butter melted in a pan with 1-2 tablespoons of water, 1 cup of confectioners sugar, about a teaspoon of maple extract, and a generous splash of pure maple syrup all melted together, slightly cooled, and spooned on to the cooled biscotti.

I thought the biscotti was delicious and it received many compliments from my coworkers so I think this one is a success :)  Now that I've made biscotti I need to come up with a recipe that doesn't include the Amish start mix (for simplicity & ease of making it whenever I feel it).

Just needs a cup of tea :-)

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

"The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating:  A True Story" by Elisabeth Tova Bailey.

I came across this book through my online library and was intrigued by its title.  I had never given any thought to how or what a snail eats let alone what kind of a sound it might make while eating.  Was there actually an entire book about the sound of a wild snail eating?  That wouldn't make sense, so what would such a book truly be about?  It was advertised as a true story about the meaning of life, about one woman's survival and the companionship of the snail that helped her survive. 

Elisabeth shares the story of a severe flu-like illness she contracted in her mid-thirties that turned into a mysterious, almost paralyzing & life-threatening illness that would change her life forever.  While she was bedridden in a studio apartment and away from home, a friend found a wild Maine snail in the woods and brought it to her, placing it with a potted plant by her bed in hopes that she might "enjoy" it.  Elisabeth is perplexed by the snail and finds herself wondering why should she enjoy it and what should she do with it?

Soon, Elisabeth begins to observe the snail and its activities.  She becomes intrigued by it, feels comforted by it, almost lives vicariously through the snail as it lives its life while she herself is stuck there in bed next to it; unable to fully live her own life.  She likens the snail's experience to her own (both trapped in small space, away from home).  She explains how the snail helps her through her own journey and in the process treats the reader to such an unusual wealth of snail knowledge including a description of snail "romance" that can take up to seven hours to complete.  Honestly, snails are far more complex creatures than I had ever imagined, and hopefully if "Snails" or "Mollusks" is a category on Jeopardy or Trivia Night I will now be fully prepared for any snail trivia thrown my way.

The story is about (in my opinion) the survival of our species and other species through adaptation and also just appreciating & understanding the different forms of life around us.  In a more general way it considers where we came from, how we evolved for survival, and what creatures may exist someday based on these evolutions.  It is of course also about the sound of a wild snail eating.  You can hear that sound for yourself in this short Flash presentation given by Elisabeth about her book.

It wasn't the type of book that I would normally read, but I am glad that I gave it a try.  It was definitely worth reading and a welcome change to my world of fiction and technology books!

Amish Friendship Bread

This is the bread that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends!  If you aren't familiar with Amish Friendship Bread I should explain why it is like the chain-mail of bread.  Someone (presumably a friend) gives you a bag of mush.  You take care of that bag of mush for 10 days, mushing the mush together in the zip lock bag, feeding it flour, sugar, and milk halfway through, and finally on the 10th day you add more to it and set 4 cups aside in individual bags to give to friends to start their own bread (the bread that keeps on giving!).  You keep the remaining mix and add the final ingredients to create the bread that you've been preparing for 10 days.  You get to do something that takes a long time and requires no fancy technology, hence appreciating the Amish life?  Well, I don't think that's really the point.

People have tried to give me the starter mix in the past and I have respectfully declined.  I feel like I could get stuck in this bread making chain and possibly be converted to Amish beliefs (ha, I don't really fear that.... really... I don't).  I've declined this starter bread my entire life - until yesterday that is.  I found a message on my Facebook wall from a friend who wanted to know if I would like a starter kit and instead of running away screaming about the vicious cycle of Amish Friendship Bread I accepted the offer.  I'm a baker (not professionally) and I should embrace this bread challenge (not that it should be considered a challenge).  I should find out if it is any good (people rave about it) and I should see what I can do to it to make it unique... shouldn't I?  That's my dilemma.  Do I follow the recipe exactly, try an online variation, or my very own variation?  I think I have some good ideas in mind, but when I have to wait 10 days to find out if they are awesome it becomes a painfully long process.  Should I mess with the classic or switch it up?  I'll probably just end up feeding it to my coworkers anyway (especially if it comes out bad... ha ha!)  It'll be a fun project for me though.  I hope the bread mix survives for 10 days; my potted basil in the windowsill died in my care in half that time ;) 

Also, there's still the issue of the chain bread.  I think I am going to break the chain instead of risking all of the extra carbs that would come my way ;)  I'm an Amish rebel.

My bag o' Amish bread mush

Area Dog Doesn't Want Breakfast

After being woken up by her dog at 5:50 this morning an area woman spent a better part of early Sunday morning trying to convince the dog that he could probably eat his breakfast if he just tried.  The area dog, a German shepherd named Jagger, looked into his bowl, sniffed as though he was repulsed by his usual breakfast, and looked at the owner like she was trying to poison him.

Area dog not interested in breakfast; bored with owner's coaxing to eat.

After a few accusing glances and what appeared to be stifled gags, the dog walked away from his bowl and stared at his exasperated owner as though he could not be any more uninterested in breakfast or any conversations about it.  He was unfazed by statements about dogs in area shelters who would be grateful that someone crawled out of bed just to feed them and how some dogs might even be on the breakfast menu in certain areas of Asia where children and other dogs are starving.

After four hours of refusing to eat, even when a piece of real bacon (because dogs do know the difference!) was tossed into the bowl early on as an incentive, the area dog finally decided that the food was edible.

In Search of the Melano Groundhog

Last week I discovered a black groundhog (woodchuck) at the Maine Audubon Center at Gilsland Farm.  It was the first black groundhog that I had ever seen and I thought he looked like an adorable Tasmanian Devil :)

A black groundhog, also known as a melano groundhog at Gilsland Farm.

 After searching around online I discovered that he (or she) is a rare black woodchuck known as a melano.  Melano is essentially the opposite of albino.  Albinos have a lack of melanin and melanos have an excess amount.  See Wiki on Melanism.  I learned something new from this groundhog!  I had never heard of a melano before looking it up and I suppose since it is less startling than an albino (and lacks red eyes) that people don't really hear about them. The gene that causes it is a dominant one and I think there have been generations of melano groundhogs at Gilsland Farm.  While doing a Google image search for Gilsland Farm I came across this link (Queen of the Woodchucks) about woodchucks being tracked there and there is a picture that appears to be of a melano woodchuck from July 2002.  I didn't see any mention of it being melano so I am not sure if they realize that they found a rare woodchuck in the plethora that they have on the property :-)

I was disappointed that I didn't get a good picture of his face so I went back there to see if I could find him around dusk since all of the groundhogs are out enjoying dinner around then.  I came across 10-15 different woodchucks, but didn't find my melano again :-(

There was this cutie who thought he could hide from me under a shed.

Groundhog version of Peek-a-Boo?

There was this guy who was not at all shy about eating in front of the camera.

Hopefully I will find the melano again this summer.  It'll be a photography win ;)