Spring Treat: Bird's Nests

This is a perfect kitchen project for moms and kids...

or ladies who just like to act (and eat) like kids. 

: )

They are so yummy.

 Chocolate bird's nests.

We make them every spring - just before Easter.

I suggest you install the same tradition.

Here's the recipe:

Full post HERE.
Pictures taken by Ashley Miller.
Recipe by Mrs. B.

: )

Happy Spring!

Spinach Salad w/ Cranberries & Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the salad:



spinach leaves - washed
dried cranberries
slivered almonds
stinky cheese

When I say "stinky cheese" I mean a pungent cheese like goat cheese or blue cheese.
I'm not a fan of these types of cheeses...too strong for my tastes but I'm sure they would taste lovely on this salad if its your thing.

 For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T. chopped garlic
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar (optional)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil


*the brown sugar is not needed if you have a good quality balsamic vinegar.
I mix all my dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until they are well combined.
Adding more or less of an ingredient to taste.

I promise, once you make your own Balsamic Vinaigrette you will not go back to the store bought varieties if you can help it.
It's so easy to make and the taste is exceptional.


Mrs. B.

Christmas Cut-Out Cookies

I'm pretty convinced that these are the best cut-out cookies you can make.

They aren't sugar cookies, so they don't puff up when you bake them -

creating cookie blobs instead of cookie shapes.

Butter Cut-Out Cookiesfrom Susan Branch

2 cups butter -- softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix well. Sift flour and salt together and beat into butter mixture until well mixed.

Roll dough into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.

When ready to bake, use an ungreased cookie sheet and place cookies 1 inch apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, but do not brown them. Remove cookies from cookie sheet after cooled. Decorate, if you like. Makes 6 to 8 dozen.

For the frosting we just mix confectioners sugar with milk until we get the consistency we want. It takes a whole lot of sugar and just a bit of milk (you can use water instead if you want).
recipe also posted here.

TotallyFeelingTheChrsitmasCookieLove,

Mrs. B.

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

6-8 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 diced potatoes

2 cups boiling water

12 oz corn, frozen, canned or fresh
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook the bacon and remove all grease from pan except about 2 Tbsp. Add onion to the pot and cook in bacon grease until soft. Add potatoes and water, cover and simmer about 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add corn, salt and pepper, milk and bacon. Heat well over low heat.

Makes 6 servings.


So easy and satisfying in the Fall. Especially if its served with a thick slice of this:

xo

Mrs. B.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Massive zucchini.

Throw it together with a little cocoa powder and flour...
a fabulously moist, not-too-sweet chocolate confection.

Oh, yes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan or bundt pan.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!
Mrs. B.

Baking with Blueberries

I've been baking a lot. With blueberries.
Without further ado...the recipes:

Blueberry Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones

1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 lemon, zest finely grated

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Blueberry Pie

3/4 cup white sugar - or less depending on the sweetness of your berries

4-5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a dash of lemon juice

5 cups fresh blueberries

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries.

Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide strips, and make lattice top. Crimp and flute edges.
Put tin foil around edges of crust.Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

SadlyTheBlueberriesDontCancelOutTheButter,

Mrs. B.

My Sister's Hummus

One of my favorite people in the world, my sister, recently posted her recipe for hummus on her blog. We made it during our sleepover this week and it was so. good. So good.

I've been snacking on it with snap peas and naan as much as my little, dieting heart desires. :)

Here ya go!

our sun dried tomato hummus.

Hummus Recipe:

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans -- drained

freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon (approx. 1/3c of lemon juice...or to taste)

1/3 c of tahini

1/3c olive oil (may need more if it's too dry/thick after blending)

3-4 crushed cloves of garlic -- or more, shortly warmed on the stove (w/ olive oil) for extra potency this is the beginning point.

using a food processor, blend all ingredients & then, if lemon & garlic don't do it for you,

get creative with the flavors!

i always add:1tsp cayenne pepper -- give or take a little...usually give :)

lots of pepper

a little mrs. dash

some oregano

1/2 can sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers (which adds a little moisture = less olive oil)sometimes a little more lemon juice

& maybe a little sugar (like...a TINY bit)

blend together to desired consistency --i like it a little gritty, but some do not.i usually let it cool in the refrigerator & eat it on warm naan, on triscuits, with baby carrots, or spread onto a veggie sandwich!

Mmmm...

ChickpeasAreSuperNastyUnlessYouBlendThemUp,

Mrs. B.

Stir-Fried Beef and Asaparagus

This dish has so much flavor for how short the ingredients list is.

1 cup brown rice (I use the boil-in-a-bag variety)
2 t. olive oil1 pound steak, trimmed and cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T. fresh ginger, minced, peeled
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 c. sugar snap peas
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce

Heat a large, deep non-stick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add the beef and stir-fry until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate.

Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus, peas and bell pepper and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes longer. Return the beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Stir-fry until the liquid is reduced, and 3 minutes longer. Serve with cooked rice.


Side note: while I was typing this out, Mr. B. snuck up behind me and read over my shoulder. He tapped the screen and said, "That stuff's good." while he walked out of the room. This, from a man that views "food as fuel" and has no grasp on the term foodie or why I have such an obsession with wonderful meals. Glory.

MyPeeDoesNotSmellAfterEatingAsaparagus,

Mrs. B.

Mayonnaise Alternative

I'm on a quest to lose this baby weight. Which leads to a quest for decent tasting, healthy foods.
Putting together my turkey sandwich (on whole wheat, with spinach) yesterday, I just couldn't bring myself to slather the toasted bread with a dallop of white saturated fat goop (aka. mayo).
I spotted my bowl of avocados. Lightbulb!


I sliced that puppy up and mashed it with a fork. Threw a little salt and pepper on it and put it on my sandwich. It added taste and the mayo texture without all the hydrogenated oils.
Simple (and maybe something you have all done, in which case I'll feel lame for posting this like it's new info) and yummy.

AvocadosJustMightBeTheFoodOfGods,
Mrs. B.

Nutmeg Gnocchi with Spinach

Pasta. The word alone makes you want to climb into an overstuffed chair and...well...over stuff yourself. It's the epitome of comfort food.

I have this fantastic pasta recipe adapted from this handy little cookbook that I made for the first time last night. The kids loved it, the man loved it and I especially loved it. Simple, nutritious and tasty. The trifecta, right?

The pasta we're using is gnocchi. So delicious! It's these plump, little potato (or cheese) dumplings that cook up just like pasta. If you've never cooked with these, you should try them. You might be in love...

Nutmeg Gnocchi with Spinach
(this recipe is made with all Trader Joe's ingredients

but I'm sure you can find them at a regular grocery store.)

1 (17.6 oz) pkg dried potato gnocchi

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 t. crushed garlic or 1 cube frozen Crushed Garlic
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup whole milk
(I actually used Almond Milk to cut down on the dairy so my little man doesn't get an upset tummy.

It tasted great!)

1 (6 oz) bag fresh spinach (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (shaved, shredded, or grated)

Bring water to a boil and prep the gnocchi according to package directions.
In a deep skillet or saucepan, saute onions in 1 T. olive oil until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, nutmeg, salt and walnuts, sauteing over low heat until onions begin to caramelize.

Add drained gnocchi to mixture and stir gently to combine and coat. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over gnocchi and add milk. Heat for an additional minute.
Place spinach on top and place a lid over the pan. It will seem like a lot of spinach, but it will all wilt down. Stir the spinach into the mixture to help it wilt down.
Add Parmesan once the spinach is wilted and stir to combine.

Prep and cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

I love a good cream sauce with nutmeg. The beautiful thing about this pasta dish is that it's not too heavy like an Alfredo sauce (although...a good, creamy Alfredo sauce has it's virtues...) but you still get the feel of decadence.

Mmm...so yummy.

ilovemealittlepasta,

Mrs. B.