Cookin' Up Craziness

Who's Mrs. McCabe?

2011-05-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from my mother's box, here is a picture of the crumb cake I made this morning. What a great way to start off the day! I love baking because, although often times the dessert is not low fat, it's preservative, dye, and high fructose free. Anyway, the toppping, which is a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, flour, and butter, definately "makes" the dessert. It complements the simple bread and accentuates the tasty, hard outer crust. A delicious dessert or breakfast item, great to bring to work or savor at home with a steaming cup of joe.

Recipe:

Mrs. McCabe's Crumb Cake

2 tbsp shortening

3 tbsp sugar

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Mix and Sprinkle on top:

2 tbsp. flour

4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp butter (melted)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

chopped nuts (optional)

For next time, I will add bits of apples, a suggestion of my Mom.

Tweaked

2011-01-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been a crazy amount of time since I updated this blog. The good news is that I have been baking and cooking still. Here are some of new dishes and desserts which I have recently made for the first time:
-"Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oreo Truffles" (google "Easy Oreo Truffles")
-"Sweet Potato Casserole" (JetPuff recipe)
-"Homemade Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocho frosting"
-"Herb Potato Wedges"

I'm loving cooking lately and especially enjoy tweaking recipes to improve them or just to try something different thereby using my creativity and making the recipes "mine". Love it! Some recipes I have enjoyed making "as is" and just expanding my cooking repertoire.

I tweaked the "Easy Oreo Truffle" recipe to have 4oz of peanut butter (peanut butter chips melted) and 4 oz of semisweet chocolate instead of 8 oz of semisweet chocolate only. The peanut butter was a great touch! I gave the truffles away for Christmas to co-workers. They loved them! The next thing that I tweaked was the frosting for the cupcakes that I made from scratch, a small feat for me, considering I've only used boxed mixes. The difference was clear with the cupcakes tastefully significantly more moist. As far as the frosting, I decided to add tiramisu marscapone to the homemade dark chocolate frosting that I made, an idea that came to me as I shoveled snow. It was an amazing touch for both texture and flavor, making the frosting mocha flavored.

I followed the recipes for both the "Sweet Potato Casserole" and the "Herb Potato Wedges" and they came out amazing. The casserole tasted exceptionally savory with the spices of Thanksgiving giving it a familiar taste. The "Herb Potato Wedges" were simple to make, using a tablespoon of the spice packet from the store, potatoes cut into 8ths, and a tablespoon of oil. They tasted delicious! So what's next...I want to make homemade tomato sauce and I want to try making coconut shrimp. In fact, I just got a Weight Watchers recipe for coconut shrimp. I guess it's a sign!

A New Art

2010-06-30T18:59:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I came across a recipe for Chili con carne from my mother's collection. I didn't get to try it until last Friday morning when I made it for a wedding shower. It took about 30-45 to get the ingredients assembled and ready to simmer. The directions called for one hour of simmering. It came out pretty good! But when I got home my Dad commented on how he didn't get any of the chili. So I decided, since it was rather easy to prepare, to make it again for this week for my lunches. I set some aside for my Mom and Dad to try. They loved it! I actuallly like it much more than last time because it was less watery and therefore more rich in flavor. Yum! I had it simmer for 1.5 hours and that made all the difference. I used only one can of kidney beans the second time, despite the recipe calling for 3 cans. Way too many kidney beans in my opinion, but there isn't an indication of what size can. I told my co-worker about my success and she said that she would like to try it. So I brought in extra and 3 co-workers tried it and all of them thought it was delicious. I love when I have successes like this! I'm thinking of entering a chili cook off sometime. Chili is somewhat of an art i think with the ways in which you can be creative with it. Also, I am excited to experiment and make it my own. It is great to keep a family recipe alive. Now to think up that secret ingredient...

Here's the recipe after my changes:
Chili Con Carne
Saute: 2 medium onions, 8 cloves of garlic 2-3 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
Add: 1 lb hamburger (cook lightly)
1/2 c. catsup
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsps of chili powder
1 can of kidney beans

Simmer for 1.5 hours stirring periodically and draining excess liquid

Who's Johnny?

2010-05-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I pulled aside a bunch of recipes from my mother's box that I intended to make for the first time. I came across one called "Johnny's Favorite Rice Dish". I have yet to figure out if it is, in fact, a reference to my Uncle John, my mother's brother. So I have technically made the recipe twice; the second time I doubled the recipe since I had twice the amount of meat left over from before. Anyway, the recipe called for raw rice. Weird, huh? So I followed the directions adding a cup of raw rice all the while wondering if the rice would soften. Basically I this dish is like a casserole. It was basically two main components combined, the meatballs and the rice and vegetable combo. I made meatballs out of beef, catsup, and flour. The rice was combined with onion, stewed tomatoes, peppers, and seasoning. I didn't properly cover the pan before placing it in the oven (I didn't have tin foil) and therefore the rice didn't get to steam like it needed to. It wasn't a distaster but the rice was a little more hard than it should have been. The second time I made this dish, I got tin foil to cover it with and I used minute rice. I think I will drain the tomato juice out more next time because the dish was still too wet, but overall it tasted great. I love when I make something yummy! I can certainly see why this dish is Johnny's favorite!

Johnny's Favorie Rice Dish
1 cup raw rice
add salt
1 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper
1/2 cup green pepper
salt and pepper
1 large can tomatoes

In separate dish mix:
1 lb. hamburger
4 tsp. catsup
3 tsp. flour
1 tsp salt and pepper

Make into little balls and put in casserole first. Dot with butter. Add rice, etc. Cover dish. Bake 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Tribute to Mormor

2010-05-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Recently I've tried a few new recipes that are amazing! First, I made a carrot cake for my Mom using the recipe of my friends whose mother/grandmother passed away, a lovely lady nicknamed Mormor which is Swedish for "mother". She had the best stories and was a real "go-getter". A year and a half ago I had the opportunity to go with my friend Kate, her grandaughter, to visit her in Rhode Island. Her house is next to a pretty lake and has a lovely deck outside to take in the scenery. It's quite picturesque. Later that day as we ate dinner I asked her if she had any advice on finding love. I figured one who had been married for over fifty years would have a treasure chest of insight and advice. Well, Mormor proceded to tell me her story with all it's struggles and fond moments. What a beautiful story, really. It felt like I was in a movie, a little like "The Notebook". The main piece of advice she gave to me was to marry your bestfriend. So I look for my partner in crime :) Anyway, this is a tribute to a person who loved God, her family, and life. Here's her recipe:
Carrot Cake:
1 8oz pkg carrots
4 eggs
1.5 c. oil
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. chopped nuts
3 c. flour
2 teas. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook, mash and cool carrots (I just shredded the carrots and put them in raw, which turned out fine). In large bowl, beat eggs and mix with oil, carrots, and chopped nuts (I suggest walnuts). In a separate bowl mix together dray ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Bake in cake pan at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

How did my creation turn out? It was good...I added a medley of spices (orange, cardamon, cinnamon). I think I'll stick to just cinnamon next time. Then for the frosting I cheated and used store bought cream cheese frosting. I think next time I'll make the frosting using a Philadelphia cream cheese recipe that I found on-line. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to share, but I'll be sure to take and post one next time. Adjö´ så lä´nge! (Swedish for "so long")

Time to make the...muffins

2010-04-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have to say I took on homemade muffins and they came out pretty well. Yes! They were actually delicious. I've made muffins now three times, each time tweaking the recipe a little. The second time was the best because I doubled the oil in the recipe. I haven't actually used chocolate chips because I gave up chocolate for Lent. I actually made the recipe more healthy by adding raisins and almonds which gave the muffins more texture, too. Ideally I want my muffins to be very moist, almost like cake. I recommend this recipe and the muffins can be eaten with coffee for breakfast or as a snack. Here's the recipe:

~Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins~

Ingredients
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Ps. 34:4

2010-02-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

Wow! Over two months since I blogged. I became busy and put off blogging which is not good. I did make wonderful Christmas cookies. They were a lot easier than the year before because I learned to use wax paper in between the cookie dough and the dough pin. The dough sticks less this wax. I decided not to use frosting but rather just have icing and green and red granulated sugar to decorate them. They were cute. What else have I do? Hmmm. I made Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies. I'll post the recipe below. They were really good. Kate got me a cookie recipe book which rocks! I have made the almond cluster cookies. They left a little to be desired. I actually ended up adding almonds to the Thumbprint cookies and that was delicious! Also, I made these amazing stuffed dates for a date at Gouveia Vineyard. The recipe remains, but the boyfriend does not :( Life. I'm so glad to have baking and cooking to vent my creativity and fulfill me! I want to try some more of my mother's recipes (the recipes below were all found on-line). I have a Rice Casserole dish that is calling my name as well as a Sweet Potato Casserole to try :)

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Cookies~
Ingredients;
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese~
Ingredients:
1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half
1 pound pitted dates
4 ounces blue cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Baking in the making

2009-12-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Today was a snow day! Love it! I basically took it easy and "slowed down." I thought about baking but I needed to just stay home and take it easy. I think i'll make soup tomorrow, a vegetable soup. We'll see. So let's see what have I done in terms of baking or cooking lately? I made a decent apple pie. I had difficulty with the crust covering the apple filling. I think I just didn't have enough water, which I decided on my like fourth try. I was about to throw the rolling pin at the wall! So the pie tasted good, but the crust left something to be desired. My Dad, whose opinion I sought, said that the crust was not as good as usual. So I will try to make it better. I also used bread flour so maybe that made a difference? It's annoying because I really want to get to the level of baking ability where I can work on the presentation. i know I can make a great tasting pie; I want it to look good as well. Anyway, I'm thinking of making Spicy Apple Twists for Sunday...I'm going to a Christmas musical and then for dessert at the Brown's house. Yeah! I've made this dessert before so it should be fine this time. I already know some changes I want to make to improve it. Green apples and less water will mean less mushy apples. Maybe more cinnamon. I might bring whipped cream too. Anyway, I am also making cookies for Christmas gifts (shhh...don't tell). We'll see how this turns out...I'm making them with Diana and whomever else wants to join me...

Ps. 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

2009-11-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you follow the recipe and it leaves something to be desired. This happened the other day when I baked an almond cake (but more like a bread). It was rather blan. I did decide that next time I will add almond extract. It'll make it take much better! Anyway, I don't have a picture, but here is the recipe:

Cake Squares with Almond Topping
2 eggs (beaten)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup melted margarine
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

I am looking forward to trying some new recipes, both cooking and baking. Here are some that I'm trying:
Apple Dumplings
Potato Cheese Crunch
Ginny's English Toffee Cookies

Upside Down Apple Cake

2009-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Sooo...I have a new baking success to report on: Upside Down Apple Cake

About a month ago when my sister was down for the 1/2 marathon that she completed (I did a 5K) I asked her what she wanted for a cake and she said an Upside Down Apple Cake. Well for someone used to doing the box mix, this certainly presented a challenge. I tried, unsuccessfully to do a few cakes from scratch. I found a recipe on-line that seemed pretty simple so I decided to give it a go. I did notice some comments left by people who had used the recipe and the consensus was that the batter was not "pourable". One person suggested an addition of 1/2 cup of milk; I chose to add a 1/4 cup apple cider and a 1/4 cup apple sauce. With these semi-significant changes I feel that the recipe is mine which is cool. Anyway, so I'm making the recipe and the batter tasted so delicious I felt that it was a good sign. I get anxious when I try new recipes especially if I can't try the finished product before others do. And in this case I couldn't...so the delicious batter was very comforting. Anyway, I brought it up to Virginia, lugging it to her apartment in Somerville was not so fun. I had to carry it on the T and then from the stop in Davis Square up to her apartment which is a 25 minute walk. I'll call this a labor of love :) Well, how did this all turn out, you ask, with baited breath? I brought it to Virginia's work, Skipjack's and she had them heat it up. One of the cooks flipped it which I hadn't done yet and then whip cream was added. We sang to Virginia and she blew out her candlesa. It was a very pretty cake and Virginia liked it, as did her co-workers. Isn't it a good feeling when someone takes seconds? A few did. I'm glad I got to make a few apple recipes this Fall. Hopefully, if there are some more warm days I'll go apple picking. What's the next cooking adventure? Not sure yet. Maybe something with chocolate...I actually would love to find my mother's Zucchini bread recipe which I haven't been able to locate. I tried Zucchini bread with chocolate chips. One word: seconds. So good! We'll see. I kind of want to "test" some Thanksgiving Day dishes. What are you all doing for Thanksgiving in terms of food?

Short cut to Apple Pie

2009-10-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report another baking success :) Actually, I'm pretty excited about my most recent adventure. I baked "Spicy Apple Twists" (see recipe below) and they were sooo good. I brought them to my friend, Sarah's b-day party. They were a hit :) They basically are like little pieces of apple pie, but they are so much easier and quicker to make than pie. It takes me over two hours start to finish to make Apple Pie, but this recipe was no more than an hour and a half. The only thing I would change for next time is to not put as much water around the twists in the hope that the apple pieces will be more crispy. They're rather mushy, but yummy. This is definately something I'll have to do again when I pick apples, which will be in the next couple of weeks.

Spicy Apple Twists
2 lg. apples sliced into 8ths
1.5 cups sifted four
1 tsp. salt
5 tbsps cold water
½ cup melted butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup water

Instructions:
Form dough into ball. Flatten to ½ inch thickness. Roll out on floured surface to 16 by 10 inch rectangle. Cut into 16 by 10 inch by 1 inch strips. Wrap one strip around each apple wedge. Arrange in large glass pan. Brush with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Pour water around pastries. Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.

The history

2009-10-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

How this all began:

A year ago, very close to my birthday, if not actually on my birthday, I discovered my mother's recipes at my sister's Vicki's house in the basement. It was actually what I consider my best "birthday gift" last year. I think I went down cellar to flip on the furnace and saw the boxes of recipes close by. I found two boxes stuffed with recipes..."stuffed" is not an exaggeration for one box considering I can't even close the box. I was thrilled and touched. I felt like it was a gift from her for that particular birthday. Anyway, it was great to have two full boxes. I had been bugging Vicki to get me her Swedish meatballs recipe for a while and now I had not only that recipe, but a few hundred more! Thank God, what a invaluable blessing! So I made the Swedish Meatballs in the next few weeks. They were okay, but as "they" say "practice makes perfect." So, I also made a Raspberry Coconut Crisp, too. By now I think I have made it five times. People always love it! I have tried two recipes recently: Oatmeal Macaroons and Coffee Cake

The macaroons were good but kinda feel apart. The Coffee Cake included corn flakes as part of the topping which made for an interesting cake. I learned after the fact that separating eggs means that you don't include the yolks...oooops. I made a mental note! I think I'll drizzle a buttery brown sugar syrup on top of the cornflakes to make it a little better. We'll see. So, that's it. I have made a total of four of her recipes. My hope is to make a new recipe each week. I will most likely bring it to a dinner I go to every Monday. I figure that way I will have people with whom to share it which is exciting and therefore I will not be the only one eating the deliciousness :) Optimistic...I am. Anyway, So what's next you ask? I am going to bake "Spicy Apple Twists" which basically are apple pieces with cinnamon and sugar on them wrapped in strips of dough and baked. I am going to pick the apples, too :) It should be fun. I hope you enjoy my blog. Feedback is welcome...I'm a rookie :)