Holiday Baking

Usually around Christmas, I do a lot of baking of sweets and breads. This season has been COOKIE-MANIA in my kitchen. I started by creating a chewy CHOCOLATE, BUTTERSCOTCH CHIP COOKIE that my family loved. Next, I wanted to recreate one of my childhood favorites...ARCHWAY LEMON FROSTED SOFT COOKIES. I used a copycat recipe I found online but after adding more lemon, the cookies turned out perfect. Then I had the grand idea to make COOKIE BASKETS for friends and family (...and teachers) as gifts. The baskets included my CHOCO-SCOTCH COOKIES, LEMON COOKIES, OATMEAL-CRAISIN-WHITE CHOCO CHIP COOKIES AND SUGAR COOKIES WITH SPRINKLES. After using my 9 year old's mathematical gifts, we calculated approximately 400 cookies total. The weekend scheduled (two Saturdays before Christmas) for cookie baking was a disaster because 4 out of the 6 inhabitants of my household contracted THE FLU. Thank goodness, my oldest and I were the 33% that remained healthy (moms NEVER get sick...maybe because we wash our hands properly??). It was difficult, but I created a fine product in my quarantined kitchen. I even made a beautiful COOKIE TRAY for my hunny's job.

Sunday Meal

My hunny decided he wanted something special for dinner on Sunday...PORK CHOPS WITH GRAVY, MASHED POTATOES AND ANY VEG. Well, I had some frozen pork loin chops (boneless) in the freezer, a bag of potatoes (and a new masher..yippeee) and some fresh brocolli crowns...sounded like dinner to me. I didn't make traditional SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS which calls for a light coating of flour on the meat. I simply seared the seasoned meat over onion, bell pepper and fresh garlic. From there, I removed everything from the pan and constructed a simple gravy utilizing a roux. After place the meat and onions, etc back into the newly-forming gravy, I covered the pan and cooked on low heat for an hour. The results were delicious.

Turkey Enchiladas

It's pretty much a universal notion, that when the breast meat is gone from a turkey, the other (dark) meat is reserved for TURKEY STEW, TURKEY GUMBO, TURKEY SALAD, etc. I tend to make TURKEY HASH myself (just like daddy used to make); this dish consists of turkey meat, smothered potatoes and peas served with cornbread. However, this year I was inspired by a Facebook friend/former coworker to prepare TURKEY ENCHILADAS served with my famous SPANISH RICE and SPANISH CORN WITH BLACK BEANS. On the day of prepartion, I had about 2 cups of turkey meat left, half an onion, half a bell pepper and a few sliced mushrooms. I paired those sauteed items  with shredded cheese rolled in corn tortillas topped with a sour cream sauce and it was ¡Muy delicioso! It fed my  family of six for 2 nights.

Pizzas

After nearly four days of eating Thanksgiving leftovers, my 9 year old was begging for something different..PIZZA!!! Usually I prepare my pizza using store-bought refrigerated pizza dough; however, I'm transitioning to where almost everything my family consumes is fresh and homemade. With that being said, it was overdue time for me to make my own pizza dough from scratch. I have tasted homemade pizza dough in the past and realized that it's usually BLAND as all get out; so, I tried my best to avoid that. It was a very simple recipe that I added garlic and onion powders to the batter in order to kick up the flavor. Typically, I would omit the pizza sauce when making my pizzas because I tended to make huge "pizza pockets" or calzones instead of the traditional open-face version;but, I was making a traditional pizza and I needed marinara sauce.  The sauce wasn't very involved, just crushed tomatoes and spices simmering for an hour. I had a huge steamer plate attachment for a extremely large stockpot I possess  (the thing is so big that baby Maelena sits in it and plays); so, I used the plate (it had holes for steaming) covered in foil as my pizza pie plate (it made a large 12" pizza). The pizza turned out very yummy the first night; but, the crust was still slightly bland. The next night, I put more of the garlic and onion plus a few additional spices in the dough mixture; but, once I rolled the dough out on the plate I sprinkled garlic, onion and a pinch of salt on the dough before adding the toppings. The result this time around was truly amazing. The crust was perfectly flavored but not over-powering to the sauce, cheese and toppings. This pizza is definitely making the cookbook...so eat your heart out big pizza chain because I'm coming for you!!

Thanksgiving Miscellaneous

A few small changes occured or were inspired during my prep for the holiday.
  First, my honey purchased me a new, red, non-stick, aluminum pan that I adore soooooo much. I cooked with it several times and the experience was goosebump enducing. I actually got jealous when my honey asked to use it. I think I will call my pan ALBERT, because he is divine.
  Next, my trip to the farmers' market was very productive. I bought some new honey collected a few miles from my home. I was able to taste the product before purchasing and the experience was nearly orgasmic (tee hee...). This honey was light tasting which was a contrast to its dark coloring; but, the mix of berries and flowers intertwined with honey was mind-blowing.  It made my sweet potatos and rolls amazing. We also purchased some fresh strawberries for the house. Peaches are no longer in season, so I had to settle with frozen.
  My two desserts ended up with some additions not previously thought of until the day of conception. As mentioned in my previous post, I added a topping of candied pecans to my sweet potato pie. I used butter, brown sugar, and ALBERT to make the candy so it would be easy to cut through unlike making the candy with corn syrup. I also got the inspiration to put strawberries in with the peaches to make a STRAWBERRY-PEACH COBBLER. The final result got mixed reviews because the filling was not extremely sweet; however, I prefer my fruit pies/cobblers on the tart side just like my daddy used to make.
  Overall, the newly added changes were accepted and great.

Thanksgiving Day

The day before and the day of Thanksgiving were very exciting. I cooked all the dishes that would taste better the next day, I.e. green beans, sweet potatoes and desserts, on the Eve of Thanksgiving. I also rearranged my home to accommodate for entertaining adult guests and not children. I did have a few hiccups during the process. While making my SWEET POTATO PIES, I accidentally put in 1/2 cup of baking soda instead of 1/2 teaspoon; needless to say, my pies looked like a science experiment...but thank goodness for tasting because those pies hit LA BASURA (the trash) as soon as they cooled. I was able to make one more pie using my homemade, flaky crust and the correct measurements of ingredients. I also caramelized some pecans fresh from my friend's tree and drizzled the candied nuts on top of the pie. My final disaster happened while the turkey was roasting. I tend to roast my turkey overnight at a very low heat (250°) while basting every 2 hours. Well four hours in, I awoke to a semi-smoke-filled kitchen. My oven has a glitched (that was supposedly repaired last month) were the temp increases to about (500°) on its own. Thank goodness the temp had only increased for approximately 30 minutes because the turkey was beautifully golden and juicy...the smoke was due to the drippings in the pan burning. So, two burns on my right hand and several hours later, the gathering was a success. My table was exquisitely decorated by yours truly and the guests loved the dishes that my Honey made as well. After Thanksgiving Day ended, I gave my daughters a break and I tackled ALL the dishes; then, I literally hibernated, reading books for 3 days.

PERSIMMONS

Welp...it has definitely been a very BUSY few weeks for me with the Thanksgiving holiday.
  However, after a little over a month after the initial purchase, my family was able participate in the tasting of the ripened fruit known as the PERSIMMON.
  I will describe the experience to the best of my abilities. As mentioned in a previous post, the persimmon started to turn a deep crimson, orange as it ripened. At the time of our tasting, the skin was actually loosened from the flesh, like the skin on a boiled potato. Once I cut slices out, the flesh resembled that of pumpkin without the strings. Also, very similar to a beet. The minimal amounts of juice were VERY sticky to the touch.
   Considering the size of the tiny fruit, there was not much to share amongst four people...not to say that we wanted seconds after the first bite. The fruit was slightly sweet like a juiceless peach/nectarine. It was like eating honeysuckle fresh from the vine with that small hint of sweet honey flavor. The off-putting part of a persimmon is the texture on the pallet of the mouth. With flesh like a beet, you would think a thin slice would go down easy...NO! It was a VERY GRITTY texture in close comparison to licking/eating a raw/uncleaned RUSSET POTATO (I know you have experienced that failure as a child...or adult). There was no way getting around that AWFUL texture. It literally made us run to the sink or trash can to rid ourselves of the horrid taste.
  Overall, I can understand why this fruit called the persimmon is mainly used in marmalades since it does have medicinal qualities and it has a sweet taste. However, I DO NOT believe I could endure eating it in a pie unless cooking it somehow breaks down the texture.  But as a side note...for a fruit that I barely heard of outside of a street or old lady's name, I have stumbled upon this "rare" fruit a lot in the last few weeks. Also, OPRAH used them in her centerpiece for her Thanksgiving table where they were more inviting to view in vases than on my plate.

November 5, 2012 - November 10, 2012

For the past few days, I have been organizing on prep for the upcoming holiday. Also, due to the fall season (my fav cooking season) I cooked beef soup on Wednesday and chili last night. I love making soups because they are easy to prep. Beef soup consists of browned beef, tomato base with veg and stewed tomatoes. I also pair with it either sweet cornbread (like my mom) or cheesy bread. Chili is more time-consuming. I typically soak the beans over night (being careful to remove any rocks or bad beans). In the morning, I drain the water off and add spices, chopped onions and peppers plus fresh water to continue soaking the beans until the hulls (outer covering) of the beans start to open. The starch from the beans thicken the water while cooking plus I add tomato sauce for additional flavoring...but be careful with seasoning by constantly tasting, or your chili can quickly turn to spaghetti sauce with beans. **RANDOM THOUGHT** After the election ended, pretty much ALL the "water cooler" conversation centered around not the President but the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. My question is, will eventually people be able to purchase weed at the local grocers??? Just imagine going through the produce section and there is a bin full of spinach and next to it a bin of BUD..."food" for "thought".

November 4, 2012

Today, I decided to do a picture log of me preparing a meal for dinner. I cooked one of my specialties COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS WITH GREEN BEANS AND SWEET POTATOES. When choosing pork, make sure that the MEAT TO FAT RATIO is 85/15 to 90/10. The fat is what carries the flavor in pork so you don't need to season the meat as much as beef or chicken. Always clean your meat before cooking in cool running water and trim any extremely fatty areas. If you are cooking meats for extended periods of time on a stovetop, make sure it's in a deep pot/skillet that has a lid to prevent drying. Also, sear (brown each side on a higher temp) the meat in order to trap the natural juices in the meat before simmering for long periods of time. When using fresh veg=vegetables, rinse them in cool running water as well. ENJOY THE PICS.

**UPDATE** Can you believe that PERSIMMON I purchased at the market almost a month ago is STILL not ripe? Well, it's getting there. It has shrunken a little and is now turning a vibrant red, orange from a pale yellow, orange. I will keep you posted...I hope it's worth the wait.

November 2, 2012

Today, baby Maelena and I ran errands plus daddy tagged along. We took brother to the bus stop and headed to the college I am currently attending for some supplies. After that we headed to the grocery store for a few items and to our surprise a few guys from NASCAR with their race cars were promoting an upcoming race....which screamed PHOTO-OP!! Next, we visited the farmers' market (by the way, I have visited each week since I first blogged...I'm like a regular now...they now my name like CHEERS). For dinner I prepared HOMEMADE CHICKEN STRIPS USING PANKO BREADING, SMOTHERED POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS...who needs KFC?!?

October 31, 2012

So, today is TRICK OR TREAT DAY and my children are definitely going door-to-door. It's actually a big event for them because my 2 husbands (EX & NEXT) will be going trick or treating with them. I decided the family should eat dinner before heading out so I prepared something quick and easy...BEEF AND BROCCOLI on white rice. Today was my second opportunity to use my wok and I loved it. First I sauteed onions and pepper then I added my beef to brown. After I drained the juices, I added my thickening agent and the broccoli. It was so tasty and it wasn't heavy. Therefore, we were able to walk for what seemed like hours. We made it home around 8:30pm which gave me time to check the candy for openings (any candy that has the slightest opening or not good in appearance, I pitch). I also count the candy and they had over 350 pieces...they will have dessert (candy) for at least 3 months at 2 pieces per day.

October 29, 2012

Hey all!! It's been a few days since I blogged but I've been SUPER busy. This weekend the children and I visited our town's Fire Station Open House. It was really neat to see THE JAWS OF LIFE in action. The kids were able to get in the fire trucks, ambulance and helicopter. They even had a clown show teaching the importance of having an escape route during emergencies. We also visited a SPOOKY CASTLE at a separate event. The children were able to participate in face painting and crafts. So with that being said, I haven't cooked in a few days. I was itching to get in the kitchen today; so, I prepared GROUND TURKEY MEATLOAF, MAC N CHEESE AND CABBAGE (this was cooked by my honey bun). The art of making a good turkey meatloaf is to make sure it's flavorful and moist. I typically add assorted spices and DICED ONIONS, DICED PEPPERS AND FRESH PARSLEY (my TRINITY). For moisture, I add WORCHESTERSHIRE SAUCE and cook at 400° for the first 20 minutes then I drop the temp to 350°...this sears/seels the meat to trap in juices. Once the cooking ends, let the meat rest for about 15 minutes before cutting. It was also nice to have my sweety cooking with me...ladies for added intimacy, let your men assist you in the kitchen by slicing veg or actually preparing a dish.

October 23, 2012

Tonight I was able to use the SWEET BASIL I bought for the first time. I prepared CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH RED SAUCE OVER SPAGHETTI. When using a new spice make sure you add all the usual ingredients then taste the dish. Next add the new ingredient(s) and taste the difference. Typically my red tomato sauce tastes just like RED TOMATO SAUCE with onions, spices and peppers but once the SWEET BASIL was added a new robust, italian sauce was created. Also, for you all who bread meats for pan frying or baking try using PANKO BREADCRUMBS....OMG it's one of my favorite things in the world outside of my children and the Lord himself. The crunchiness alone gives this product 5 STARS in my book. Usually PANKO CRUMBS are plain so you can mix all types of ingredients in...but there are also season blended panko. For italian dishes I mix PANKO WITH REGULAR ITALIAN BREADCRUMBS. ::UPDATE:: The PERSIMMON is still hard as a rock.

October 21, 2012

Today I made cinnamon, honey pancakes with bacon for my children. Here's a great tip for pancakes...cook the pancakes in the bacon grease and rinse plus wipe the skillet/griddle out between pancakes for the best looking pancakes. We also spent the day reading to each other while I slow cooked country-style ribs, cut fresh green beans and peeled sweet potatoes. I also used that time to complete my final recipe for the ribs. I also tried a different technique for cooking the green beans. I hate to admit it but my family prefers the texture of canned green beans vs fresh; so, I sauteed half an onion diced in olive oil with about 3 cups of the cut green beans. I sauteed them for about 10 minutes or until the green beans started to turn a bright emerald color. Once the color changed I added bouillon (typically beef bouillon but today chicken which gave a lighter taste) and spices; then, I added about 5 cups of water and cooked on medium heat for about one hour. The texture was spot on to the canned version and the kiddos loved it. We finished our day by watching THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and this time I cried as always.

October 20, 2012

Today's entry will be about DIET (...and I didn't say diets or dieting). According to Websters, DIET (n) means the food that a person, animal or community habitually consumes. This is important due to a diet being a way of life and a new diet is a change in LIFESTYLE. As a parent, you are told by a doctor that your child is obese, for example. With this diagnosis, you decide to "put your child on a diet". In order for that child to be successful in living a healthier lifestyle the entire family must change and adapt. Never RESTRICT...MODIFY. If you want to cut back on sugar...go from SODAS to JUICE to LIGHT JUICES; and limit the times in  a day he/she can drink sweetened drinks. Juice is allowed only at dinner or lunch..push milk or water during snacks and breakfast. If you want to cut back on CARBS...don't send your child to school with lettuce wrapped sandwiches because bread isn't allowed in the house. MODIFY...instead of a whole sandwich with two slices of bread, make half a sandwich with extra fruits in the lunch and cheese. Or a great alternative for bread are SANDWICH WRAPS/TORTILLAS. Yes these wraps are similar to bread in nutritional value but ONE MEDIUM WRAP replaces TWO SLICES OF BREAD...(plus they come in different flavors...I love spinach wraps and my children love wheat or multigrain best). Replace FRUIT SNACKS with actual FRUIT. Don't put JELLY on that PB/J, just do PB with GRAPES/STRAWBERRIES on the side. Not everyone has the time to prepare things fresh or cook meals from scratch; but, remember when you do, YOU know  EXACTLY what's in YOUR MEAL. For those "DIET FOOD" consumers...BEWARE...if something is SUGAR FREE it's typically full of fat to compensate for flavor; and, if it's FAT FREE it's typically full of sodium/salt. **FUN FACT...when you drink the DIET SODAS that have no sugar, the body still responds by releasing insulin due to the sweet taste; therefore, you become hungry since insulin doesn't have any sugar to counteract with** Remember dieting is a quick fix for weight but when you modify your lifestyle, you are set for life.

October 18, 2012

Hey daily readers, (...did you miss me) I didn't make an entry yesterday since there wasn't much going on. However, I did start reading Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with my 9 year old yesterday after homework time. Today, baby Maelena and I went on an adventure. We went to the local farmer's market and park. At the farmer's market, they had all the produce for the fall season...APPLES, PUMPKINS, GOURDS and SQUASH. They also had local honey from different farms. If you have never had a chance to taste honey from different farms, you should try it. It's similar to tasting wines from different vineyards. Honeybees consume foods from their natural surroundings. For example, if the honey comes from a pumpkin farm then the honey will have a slight pumpkin flavor. I personally have honey from a blackberry farm which has a slight tart taste of black berries which gives some of my dishes an extra dimension. So if you love honey, pay the extra money to experience something glorious. Typical of farmer's markets, there were plenty of JAMS, SAUCES, SPICE BLENDS and SALSAS. SWEET POTATO BUTTER is something that caught my eye...I mean, is it like PEANUT BUTTER or APPLE CINNAMON BUTTER? One day I will purchase it and let you guys know. But true to my personal projects, I did purchase a new vegetable/fruit. I bought a PERSIMMON (...I know, what the heck is a persimmon). Well after talking with one of the owners, he said it's "like" a fruit; his grandmother made PERSIMMON PIES. He also gave me a tip...DO NOT EAT PERSIMMONS UNTIL THE FRUIT HAS RIPENED (...water balloon-like were his words).  I have attached a picture of the fruit, but the skin is similar to a nectarine and the flesh is hard like a baseball. When it ripens in a few days, I will describe the taste. I also bought some SWEET POTATOES, GREEN BEANS and STRAWBERRIES. Strawberries from a farmer's market are sweeter and larger than the strawberries at the large supermarkets. After we left the market, Maelena and I went to the park to play in the fall leaves. At lunch, we ate PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES and FRESH STRAWBERRIES.