11.24.2014

cook it: french toast and berry butter

We have had a busy schedule since we moved to Oklahoma.  And by busy, I mean really busy.  And by really busy, I mean ridiculous.  We have decided to really celebrate our Saturday mornings as a family.  We stay in our PJs and cook a giant smorgasboard of what we all love: chocolate chip pancakes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, and french toast.  It's like a giant carb-lovers buffet.

Hands-down the star has been the french toast.  This 'Cooks Illustrated' inspired recipe is a must-try for your weekend!

photo cred: cook's illustrated


ingredients:
1 egg
2T butter, melted (plus more for frying)
3/4 cup milk
2t vanilla extract
1/3 cup flour (all-purpose is fine)
1/4t salt
thick sliced bread (preferably day-old)

directions:
1) mix egg, butter, milk and vanilla
2) sift four into mixture and then add salt
3) submerge bread into mixture; coat well, but be sure not to leave it in too long--it'll get soggy
4) pour a little melted butter onto frying pan (we use electric griddle) and then add bread.  cook two minutes per side.

**serving suggestions** we've been known to top our french toast with: fresh whipped cream, maple syrup, fresh berries and cheerios (lately Mills is adding them to everything)

photo credit: the pioneer woman blog

this is a little premature, but the kids and I just watched an episode of The Pioneer Woman (they are obsessed with her show) and Ree made this beautiful berry butter.  I've got my butter softening as we speak and I cannot wait to test this out!

ingredients:
1/2lb butter softened
1/2 cup blackberries/raspberries
foil

direcitons:
1) whip butter in mixer with whisk attachment
2) swap out for paddle attachment and incorporate berries and mix, but don't let berries get mushy
3) mold butter into a log-type shape on foil, wrap like a burrito
4) put in freezer for 30 minutes and then transfer to fridge

11.18.2014

introducing Harvest: Small Batch Granola

I just started my own business y'all!
     Cooking with my family is one of the earliest and fondest memories from my childhood.  I've baked and sold a variety of goods over the years, from the basic box-mix-based cake to the complicated multi-course dinner party.  I love learning new techniques and trying different ingredients, but what I treasure the most is the face of a truly delighted customer.

     I've been making granola for the past three years.  I first started making granola for my husband and then quickly thereafter for my friends (and then their friends too.)  I would go to grab a cup for breakfast, only to find a few measly crumbs in the jar.  I began to toy with the idea of turning my granola-hobby into a real business.

     When we moved across the country this past summer I was excited (and honestly, a little daunted) about the opportunity for a "what-would-you-do-if-you-could-do-anything" type change.  It seemed like it might be just the right time to start my granola business.  I spent the next few months researching legal guidelines, recipes and branding.  Y'all, it turns out there is a lot more to running a business than knowing how to throw some ingredients together.
   
     After a lot of patience and prayer, Harvest: Small Batch Granola was born.  These recipes are dear to my heart and it's my hope to provide my customers with something they'd be proud to serve to their family and friends.  Each batch is crafted in my own kitchen, where it is lovingly sniffed by two toddlers and packaged with care before we sample it to smithereens.




      I'm currently selling: Original Recipe, Pecan Crunch, Fall Spice and Quinoa Crunch.  I can hand-deliver them if you live in the Stillwater, OK area, but if you aren't around town then you can check me out at: www.HarvestSmallBatchGranola.com


   

11.17.2014

cook it: baked ziti

Elliot: Mom, what's for dinner?
Me: Baked Ziti
Elliot: What's Ziti?
Me: uhm...it's like spaghetti's more sophisticated older cousin
Elliot:  [blank stare]


     Did you parents ever describe food as a "cousin" to another food?  I can vividly remember my parents describing lasagna as a "cousin" to spaghetti.  As in, "eat the lasagna Blair, it's just like spaghetti's cousin and you love spaghetti so eat.it.already." 

     This is another one of our "use what you got" type recipes.  I wanted ziti, but the penne noodles were on sale.  And half our ingredients are from Aldi, which you know is a plus for me!  These humble ingredients transform into a hearty dish everyone in your family will love.  





Ingredients:
1 lb ziti or similar pasta (penne is a bit easier for our toddlers to wrangle)
15 oz ricotta
1.5 c mozzarella
0.5c grated parmesan ("sprinkle cheese")
1 egg
2 jars marinara sauce

directions:
1) cook noodles to al dente---you don't want them to be too cooked because they will get soggy when added to dish later
2) while noodles are cooking mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan and egg.  be careful not to over mix, it's fine if there's a few clumps
3) drain noodels and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process
4) add rinsed noodles to the cheese mixture
5) layer 1-1.5 cups of marinara sauce on the bottom of 9x13 dish.  layer noodle cheese mixture, then marinara, again with noodle mixture, top again with marinara and remaining mozzarella   (it's kinda like a lasagna with all the layering)
6) bake in 350degree oven for 45 minutes

notes:
-this makes a pretty full 9x13 pan, so we actually assemble in two 8x8 pans at our house.  we bake for 35-40 min
-you want to make sure you fully cover top layer of noodles or they will get a bit crispy in the baking process


*sidenote* i have no "after" picture of this meal because we ate it so fast.  so, just picture a beautifully prepared ziti masterpiece right about.....here.   ;)



11.10.2014

freezer cooking

 
     We have yet to sell our house in NC, so we are living in the midst of mortgage + rent.  Y'all, it is not exciting.  I'm trying to convince myself that we have a "second home" in the vacation sense of the word, but the reality is a lot less thrilling.  So, keeping a strict food budget is one way I am attempting responsibility in the middle of our growing financial strain.   
     The easiest thing to do would be to announce to my family that we're eating "cheap and easy" things like spaghetti or beans and rice.  But if y'all have met my husband Josh then you know that kind of talk wouldn't be well received!  In addition to the financial stress, we have a wild ministry schedule.  Several nights a week Josh will only be home for an hour or two before he has an evening meeting at the high school or college.  I'd prefer to spend that time with him and our kids and not simply toss my kids at him while I cook dinner.
     The current circumstances (frugality + picky eaters + limited time) has led us to freezer cooking.  Freezer cooking?  (How the heck do you cook with a freezer??)  Basically, I plan out our dinners, divide them into family portions and then spend one day prepping/cooking/freezing our dinners for the month.  We pull the meals out and thaw/cook/bake as directed.  It takes a lot of organization and brain power beforehand, but then very little effort afterward.  The challenge is to:     
a) be cheap
b) find meals that freeze/reheat well
c) find recipes that have little 'day of' prep required
d) stick to the plan
     The first thing that I do is print out a calendar for the month.  I fill in all our nighttime obligations so that I know how much actual cook time I have each evening.  
     The next step is to write out what you will eat each evening.  Y'all, this is the tortuous part.  You need to know how many portions you need for your family for each night.  We have four people in our family, but its more like three adult portions for the meal and then seven for the bread (am i right?!)  For example, I know that baked ziti will feed our family for two meals, but that my family doesn't want to eat it back-to-back.  So, I'll make one baked ziti recipe, but divide it up into two separate dishes and then freeze---and then cook each one fresh on the day we've put it on the calendar.  Some recipes, like enchiladas, will make more that our family will eat in one month.  We use these recipes for having friends over for dinner or to help us out with menu planning for the next month.
     I check out pantry and spice cabinet, then compile a giant grocery list of all the ingredients that we need.  Then it's time for a Duggar-style trip to Aldi, Walmart and the natural food store.
     Then I will spend the next hours chopping, dicing, cooking, portioning, freezing and finally cleaning up.  I store soup in individual portions in freezer zipper bags, casseroles go in aluminum or glass trays and mason jars.

tips for first time freezer chefs:

1) take a deep breath!  this isn't nearly as hard as it seems
2) make a list of all your family favorite recipes.   And don't forget about seasonal favorites!  Who says Grandma's sweet potato soufflĂ© can't be enjoyed all fall long?? 
3) use a free printable calendar from somewhere like this, I've just found it so much easier to make adjustments on paper than my iPhone
4) make notes about which meals are a hit and which ones are a miss, it'll help you when you plan your next month
5) some items, like roasted vegetable burritos, that are great for dinner also make great "homemade lean cuisine" type lunches.  i'll portion a few out and wrap individually to have for a quick, filling lunch.

11.04.2014

cook it: tomato soup



Y'all, we just got a serious cold front coming through and it is time for a big bowl of soup.  With the Indian Summer that we've had going on out here in Oklahoma I thought that this day might never come!

I indulged in two bowls of this tomato basil soup today and thought y'all might want to make some for yourself!  It only makes around 6 servings, so you'll want to go ahead and grab your stock pot so you can double this recipe.  It's around 100 calories per bowl, so you're fine to grab a second helping!

I love how this recipe transforms totally average ingredients into out-of-this world deliciousness:

seriously, just grab store brand ingredients y'all





ingredients: 
can of crushed tomatoes (24 oz)
3 cups water
2T tomato paste
2t sugar
1.5t sea salt
bunch of fresh basil (chopped)
0.5t fresh pepper
1c heavy cream

directions:
1) combine tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar, salt and basil in a pot
2) bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes
3) stir in pepper and cream, simmer for 2 minutes

serve alone or with salad, grilled cheese, crusty bread....the possibilities are endless. 


nom nom nom

 
Images by Freepik