I just saw this article on MSN. I bake a lot of cupcakes so I was immediately drawn to it. I just love cupcakes. I love that they are individually packaged personal cakes that you don't have to share with anyone!
If this doesn't make your mouth water and inspire you to bake something I don't know what will.
The Country's Best Cupcakes
Happy Friday!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Things I Love: Target Reusable Shopping Bag
I have always tried to take reusable shopping bags with me to the grocery store. I always have the best intentions. And I always remember that I need my bags after I’ve already left the house.
Until recently. I was walking into Target and a rack of little red somethings caught my eye. At first glance they appeared to be makeup bags. Then I looked closer and found that they were reusable shopping bags, all zipped up into their own little pouch. And the best part was the price – only $0.99!
I immediately bought one. I started keeping it in my purse at all times (I tend to carry large purses, so this was no problem). Now when I go to the grocery store, or any store really, I already have my reusable shopping bag with me. I just pop it out of my purse, unzip and it’s ready to go. I’ve already used it several times at the grocery store and I also used it this week at Home Depot.
The zipper compartment turns into a little pocket on the outside of the bag for smaller items. It seems pretty sturdy too. I’ve only had it a few weeks so we’ll see how long it lasts. At a cost of only $0.99 it’s certainly not the best reusable shopping bag on the market. But a product is only a great buy if you actually use it and so far I’m using this one quite often.
This bag is perfect for single people who don’t tend to buy a lot of groceries, or for mid-week shopping on the way home from work. The bag holds a lot of groceries – at least two plastic bags worth, maybe three (less bags to carry – yea!). For bigger grocery shopping trips I do need to invest in some bigger, sturdier, flat-bottomed reusable bags. Almost every store carries these nowadays.
Now that I always have my bag with me, there’s no excuse not to use it. Good-bye plastic bags!
Until recently. I was walking into Target and a rack of little red somethings caught my eye. At first glance they appeared to be makeup bags. Then I looked closer and found that they were reusable shopping bags, all zipped up into their own little pouch. And the best part was the price – only $0.99!
I immediately bought one. I started keeping it in my purse at all times (I tend to carry large purses, so this was no problem). Now when I go to the grocery store, or any store really, I already have my reusable shopping bag with me. I just pop it out of my purse, unzip and it’s ready to go. I’ve already used it several times at the grocery store and I also used it this week at Home Depot.
The zipper compartment turns into a little pocket on the outside of the bag for smaller items. It seems pretty sturdy too. I’ve only had it a few weeks so we’ll see how long it lasts. At a cost of only $0.99 it’s certainly not the best reusable shopping bag on the market. But a product is only a great buy if you actually use it and so far I’m using this one quite often.
This bag is perfect for single people who don’t tend to buy a lot of groceries, or for mid-week shopping on the way home from work. The bag holds a lot of groceries – at least two plastic bags worth, maybe three (less bags to carry – yea!). For bigger grocery shopping trips I do need to invest in some bigger, sturdier, flat-bottomed reusable bags. Almost every store carries these nowadays.
Now that I always have my bag with me, there’s no excuse not to use it. Good-bye plastic bags!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Stuffed 'Shrooms
About a month ago my family and I went to a fondue restaurant for my brother and sister’s birthday. If you’ve never been to a fondue restaurant before, you basically cook your main course right there at the table in the fondue pots in the middle. The waiter brings out a big plate of raw meat, a bowl full of veggies and tons of different sauces and batters.
As our waiter was explaining how to cook everything and what sauces go with what, he said that we could also make stuffed mushrooms. He said to stuff the mushrooms with this certain sauce and then batter them and fry them up in the pot. Now I’m not normally a mushroom person. I can stand small mushrooms cooked up in dishes and I’m fine with cream of mushroom soup as a binder in casseroles, but I would never just eat a mushroom. For some reason though I decided to try this whole “stuffed mushroom” thing the waiter had explained. I was feeling adventurous! And you know what? I loved them! They were delicious! I think I ate ten of them that night.
This week I made a pizza for some friends who hit a rough patch in life and took it to them for dinner. I gave them all sorts of toppings to put on their pizza including mushrooms which I would never normally buy or eat. That means I was left with a bunch of mushrooms at home. I HATE wasting food so I was not about to let these mushrooms go bad and get thrown out. Thinking back to my mushroom experience a month ago, I decided to try making stuffed mushrooms at home. I pretty much just used what I had on hand and here’s what I came up with:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms, bigger is better
Chive & onion cream cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse mushrooms and pop stems out. Stir up cream cheese until it’s smooth and spreadable. Spoon a dollop of cream cheese into a mushroom. Dip and roll the mushroom around in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
I made eight stuffed mushrooms this way. After I let them cool awhile I ate four of them. They weren’t too bad! Mostly they tasted like the blob of cream cheese in the middle with a little extra crunchiness on the outside. But that was okay with me – I mean who doesn’t like a big blob of cream cheese?
So was it worth it? These mushrooms took approximately thirty minutes to make from start to finish, including washing the mushrooms. Of course I only made eight of them total. If you were making a large quantity for say a party appetizer, it would take a significant amount of time to stuff them all.
Overall I liked them so they were worth making to me. They were easy and pretty tasty. The next time I make them though I will probably try a different filling. The cream cheese was good, but I think there’s probably something better out there.
As our waiter was explaining how to cook everything and what sauces go with what, he said that we could also make stuffed mushrooms. He said to stuff the mushrooms with this certain sauce and then batter them and fry them up in the pot. Now I’m not normally a mushroom person. I can stand small mushrooms cooked up in dishes and I’m fine with cream of mushroom soup as a binder in casseroles, but I would never just eat a mushroom. For some reason though I decided to try this whole “stuffed mushroom” thing the waiter had explained. I was feeling adventurous! And you know what? I loved them! They were delicious! I think I ate ten of them that night.
This week I made a pizza for some friends who hit a rough patch in life and took it to them for dinner. I gave them all sorts of toppings to put on their pizza including mushrooms which I would never normally buy or eat. That means I was left with a bunch of mushrooms at home. I HATE wasting food so I was not about to let these mushrooms go bad and get thrown out. Thinking back to my mushroom experience a month ago, I decided to try making stuffed mushrooms at home. I pretty much just used what I had on hand and here’s what I came up with:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms, bigger is better
Chive & onion cream cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse mushrooms and pop stems out. Stir up cream cheese until it’s smooth and spreadable. Spoon a dollop of cream cheese into a mushroom. Dip and roll the mushroom around in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
I made eight stuffed mushrooms this way. After I let them cool awhile I ate four of them. They weren’t too bad! Mostly they tasted like the blob of cream cheese in the middle with a little extra crunchiness on the outside. But that was okay with me – I mean who doesn’t like a big blob of cream cheese?
So was it worth it? These mushrooms took approximately thirty minutes to make from start to finish, including washing the mushrooms. Of course I only made eight of them total. If you were making a large quantity for say a party appetizer, it would take a significant amount of time to stuff them all.
Overall I liked them so they were worth making to me. They were easy and pretty tasty. The next time I make them though I will probably try a different filling. The cream cheese was good, but I think there’s probably something better out there.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Cupcake Invasion!
A couple of weeks ago my SIL was married in Las Vegas. Only immediate family and a few close friends flew to Vegas to attend the wedding. Then this past weekend they had a reception here in town to celebrate their wedding and marriage.
As a family we pretty much put together the entire reception ourselves. MIL and my other SIL did all the food and decorations. My mom was the DJ. FIL carried stuff in and out of the reception hall and did whatever MIL told him to do. And I made the cake – cupcakes actually.
About 60-70 people had RSVP-ed “yes” to the invitation so I figured I would make around two cupcakes per person. My SIL wanted me to make both vanilla and chocolate which also factored into this decision. I think when there are multiple flavors of cupcakes people are more likely to eat more than one. I know if I was at a wedding reception and there were two different kinds of cupcakes, I’d want to try them both!
I therefore planned to make 120 cupcakes or five batches at two dozen per batch. I decided to make three batches of vanilla and two batches of chocolate. All cupcakes would have the same vanilla buttercream frosting. I planned to bake all the cupcakes on Friday evening and then frost the cupcakes at the reception site on Saturday afternoon. It is a lot easier to transport unfrosted cupcakes than frosted ones especially since I have a rather small car.
Now I have a confession to make. I used cake mix. Doh! I know, I know! A cake mix? What the heck is that about? Okay! I have a perfectly good explanation for this. First I was under a time crunch here. I had to make 120 cupcakes in one evening in my regular ole kitchen with my regular ole oven. I only have two cupcake pans so I can only bake two pans at a time. And to tell you the truth I haven’t really found a from-scratch vanilla cupcake recipe that I’m super pleased with. I have however made vanilla cupcakes from a mix before (with certain extra additions) that have received rave reviews over and over again. Since it was such an important occasion, I didn’t want to attempt a new recipe and have it turn out awful. So I went with experience.
Both recipes originally came from Cupcakes! from the Cake Mix Doctor. I made a few minor modifications to result in the following:
Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 22-24 cupcakes
1 package (18.25 oz) white cake mix
1 box vanilla pudding (French vanilla, cheesecake and white chocolate would also work)
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12 cup cupcake pans with paper or foil liners (use foil for fancier occasions like weddings). Place cake mix, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed to combine. Add pudding and blend on low speed to combine; scrap down sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon or scoop batter into each cupcake cup, filling two thirds full. Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16-20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire racks. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and add sprinkles or decoration as you wish.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 package (18.25 oz) devil’s food cake mix
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12 cup cupcake pans with paper or foil liners. Place cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed to combine; scrap down sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon or scoop batter into each cupcake cup, filling two thirds full. Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16-20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire racks. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and add sprinkles or decoration as you wish.
It’s a cupcake army!
I decorated the cupcakes with pink and clear sprinkles and placed them on cupcake stands FIL had made. I used gerber daisies as accents. The bride and groom had a small cake on the top tier of the bigger stand. This was the cake they cut together.
So was it worth it? At first I was a little apprehensive about making all these cupcakes and how they would turn out. This is the largest quantity I’ve ever made at one time. It actually was not as crazy as I thought it might be. It took me approximately three hours to mix and bake all the cupcakes. Then it took me another two hours or so to mix up all the frosting and then frost and decorate all the cupcakes as well as arrange them on the cupcake stands.
There were a lot of leftover cupcakes so next time I will reduce the quantity to 1.5 times the number of RSVPs instead of 2 times. My co-workers enjoyed the leftovers this morning though!
The cupcakes tasted wonderful and I received tons of compliments on them, both at the reception and at work today. No one knows my secret though!
I wouldn’t hesitate to make these again though I do promise to practice from-scratch vanilla cupcakes until I find a recipe I’m happy with.
More pictures:
As a family we pretty much put together the entire reception ourselves. MIL and my other SIL did all the food and decorations. My mom was the DJ. FIL carried stuff in and out of the reception hall and did whatever MIL told him to do. And I made the cake – cupcakes actually.
About 60-70 people had RSVP-ed “yes” to the invitation so I figured I would make around two cupcakes per person. My SIL wanted me to make both vanilla and chocolate which also factored into this decision. I think when there are multiple flavors of cupcakes people are more likely to eat more than one. I know if I was at a wedding reception and there were two different kinds of cupcakes, I’d want to try them both!
I therefore planned to make 120 cupcakes or five batches at two dozen per batch. I decided to make three batches of vanilla and two batches of chocolate. All cupcakes would have the same vanilla buttercream frosting. I planned to bake all the cupcakes on Friday evening and then frost the cupcakes at the reception site on Saturday afternoon. It is a lot easier to transport unfrosted cupcakes than frosted ones especially since I have a rather small car.
Now I have a confession to make. I used cake mix. Doh! I know, I know! A cake mix? What the heck is that about? Okay! I have a perfectly good explanation for this. First I was under a time crunch here. I had to make 120 cupcakes in one evening in my regular ole kitchen with my regular ole oven. I only have two cupcake pans so I can only bake two pans at a time. And to tell you the truth I haven’t really found a from-scratch vanilla cupcake recipe that I’m super pleased with. I have however made vanilla cupcakes from a mix before (with certain extra additions) that have received rave reviews over and over again. Since it was such an important occasion, I didn’t want to attempt a new recipe and have it turn out awful. So I went with experience.
Both recipes originally came from Cupcakes! from the Cake Mix Doctor. I made a few minor modifications to result in the following:
Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 22-24 cupcakes
1 package (18.25 oz) white cake mix
1 box vanilla pudding (French vanilla, cheesecake and white chocolate would also work)
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12 cup cupcake pans with paper or foil liners (use foil for fancier occasions like weddings). Place cake mix, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed to combine. Add pudding and blend on low speed to combine; scrap down sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon or scoop batter into each cupcake cup, filling two thirds full. Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16-20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire racks. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and add sprinkles or decoration as you wish.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 package (18.25 oz) devil’s food cake mix
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12 cup cupcake pans with paper or foil liners. Place cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed to combine; scrap down sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon or scoop batter into each cupcake cup, filling two thirds full. Bake cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16-20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and allow cupcakes to cool in pan for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire racks. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and add sprinkles or decoration as you wish.
It’s a cupcake army!
I decorated the cupcakes with pink and clear sprinkles and placed them on cupcake stands FIL had made. I used gerber daisies as accents. The bride and groom had a small cake on the top tier of the bigger stand. This was the cake they cut together.
So was it worth it? At first I was a little apprehensive about making all these cupcakes and how they would turn out. This is the largest quantity I’ve ever made at one time. It actually was not as crazy as I thought it might be. It took me approximately three hours to mix and bake all the cupcakes. Then it took me another two hours or so to mix up all the frosting and then frost and decorate all the cupcakes as well as arrange them on the cupcake stands.
There were a lot of leftover cupcakes so next time I will reduce the quantity to 1.5 times the number of RSVPs instead of 2 times. My co-workers enjoyed the leftovers this morning though!
The cupcakes tasted wonderful and I received tons of compliments on them, both at the reception and at work today. No one knows my secret though!
I wouldn’t hesitate to make these again though I do promise to practice from-scratch vanilla cupcakes until I find a recipe I’m happy with.
More pictures:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
It was unbelievably cold in Kansas today. Ridiculously cold. When I arrived at work it was 4 degrees F. That does not include the wind chill and it was very windy. It was the kind of cold that makes your eyes water and your nose hairs freeze up in only the 1-2 minutes it takes to walk from the building to your car. On any ordinary day I wouldn’t have left my office for my lunch break as it was just too darn cold.
But today I had lunch plans with a buddy at California Pizza Kitchen, known to me as CPK. Despite having to bear the brunt of the freezing weather, it was a particularly nice lunch as I hadn’t seen this buddy in quite some time (since before the new year I think!) and because I really, really enjoyed my food.
I went with the original Barbeque Chicken Pizza with the honey wheat crust. It came out fantastic and I ate 2/3 of it to prove it! As I was eating the pizza I remembered, hey I have made this at home before! I remember making this pizza back in the spring or early summer last year. I got the recipe from my friend Katie who also supplied me with the pizza dough recipe and pizza sauce recipe. And even though I wasn’t blogging back then, I took a picture of the pizza because I was so impressed and happy with the way it turned out. Now I will share with everyone.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Pizza Dough (pre-made or make your own)
2-3 chicken breasts
Barbeque sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded gouda cheese
Red onion, sliced
Cilantro
Notice that I haven’t supplied amounts in the ingredients. That’s so you can personalize your pizza to your own tastes. If you like a lot of chicken, use more. If you like it extra cheesy, use a lot of cheese. If you hate onions, leave them off. And so on and so on.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Begin by cutting up the chicken into bite size pieces and toss with barbeque sauce (any kind you like). Cook in a skillet over medium high heat until browned and cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Next, pat the pizza dough out into a jelly roll pan. If you use the pizza dough recipe I previously posted, one batch of dough will fit a jelly roll pan. You can also make two round pizzas if you desire. I have also made this pizza with a Pillsbury prepared pizza crust in the can when I was lazy and didn’t want to make the crust from scratch. It works fine and tastes good, but the homemade crust tastes WAY better.
Dry bake the pizza crust for five minutes in the oven. That means to bake the pizza crust alone in the pan with nothing on it.
Remove pizza from oven. Spread more barbeque sauce over the top of the crust. Top with cooked chicken, cheeses, red onions and cilantro. Return to oven and bake for 12-15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges of the crust begin to turn golden brown. Voila!
Here’s what it looked like before I baked it the second time. Delicious! I did not take a picture of it after baking, but it looks pretty much the same, only with melted cheese.
So is it worth it? Um, yeah! The pizza I got today cost around $12 I think and it was only six pieces. This monster probably costs the same or less to make and you could feed a family of four! If you are in a money crunch, leave out the gouda and use all mozzarella. But really the gouda adds a wonderful flavor so I think it’s worth it. :)
This pizza is great to serve to guests. It seems fancier than regular pizza so people always seem to be impressed by it. Plus it’s really yummy.
Now I also had the chocolate soufflé cake today at lunch. I’ve never made a chocolate soufflé before so that will have to be the subject of another post….
But today I had lunch plans with a buddy at California Pizza Kitchen, known to me as CPK. Despite having to bear the brunt of the freezing weather, it was a particularly nice lunch as I hadn’t seen this buddy in quite some time (since before the new year I think!) and because I really, really enjoyed my food.
I went with the original Barbeque Chicken Pizza with the honey wheat crust. It came out fantastic and I ate 2/3 of it to prove it! As I was eating the pizza I remembered, hey I have made this at home before! I remember making this pizza back in the spring or early summer last year. I got the recipe from my friend Katie who also supplied me with the pizza dough recipe and pizza sauce recipe. And even though I wasn’t blogging back then, I took a picture of the pizza because I was so impressed and happy with the way it turned out. Now I will share with everyone.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Pizza Dough (pre-made or make your own)
2-3 chicken breasts
Barbeque sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded gouda cheese
Red onion, sliced
Cilantro
Notice that I haven’t supplied amounts in the ingredients. That’s so you can personalize your pizza to your own tastes. If you like a lot of chicken, use more. If you like it extra cheesy, use a lot of cheese. If you hate onions, leave them off. And so on and so on.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Begin by cutting up the chicken into bite size pieces and toss with barbeque sauce (any kind you like). Cook in a skillet over medium high heat until browned and cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Next, pat the pizza dough out into a jelly roll pan. If you use the pizza dough recipe I previously posted, one batch of dough will fit a jelly roll pan. You can also make two round pizzas if you desire. I have also made this pizza with a Pillsbury prepared pizza crust in the can when I was lazy and didn’t want to make the crust from scratch. It works fine and tastes good, but the homemade crust tastes WAY better.
Dry bake the pizza crust for five minutes in the oven. That means to bake the pizza crust alone in the pan with nothing on it.
Remove pizza from oven. Spread more barbeque sauce over the top of the crust. Top with cooked chicken, cheeses, red onions and cilantro. Return to oven and bake for 12-15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges of the crust begin to turn golden brown. Voila!
Here’s what it looked like before I baked it the second time. Delicious! I did not take a picture of it after baking, but it looks pretty much the same, only with melted cheese.
So is it worth it? Um, yeah! The pizza I got today cost around $12 I think and it was only six pieces. This monster probably costs the same or less to make and you could feed a family of four! If you are in a money crunch, leave out the gouda and use all mozzarella. But really the gouda adds a wonderful flavor so I think it’s worth it. :)
This pizza is great to serve to guests. It seems fancier than regular pizza so people always seem to be impressed by it. Plus it’s really yummy.
Now I also had the chocolate soufflé cake today at lunch. I’ve never made a chocolate soufflé before so that will have to be the subject of another post….
Monday, February 18, 2008
Basic Hummus
A couple days ago I got a real craving for hummus. I remember I first heard about hummus when I was in college and my friend Alisha from Alaska was always talking about how much she loved it. I always thought it sounded weird and I don’t think I ever even tried it until I was out of college. What is hummus anyway? Well it’s a Middle Eastern dip or spread composed of chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice and garlic. It’s typically served with warm pita bread, but can also be served with vegetables or eaten as a spread on a sandwich.
I love hummus which is great because it’s really, really good for you! Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a great source of protein and fiber. Tahini paste is made from sesame seeds, which are also a good source of protein and Vitamin E. The nutritional value of hummus can go up or down depending on what you serve it with. White pita bread would not be the best choice (albeit very yummy). Whole wheat pita bread or flat bread would be better, but the best choice would be veggies. I like hummus with baby carrots or sliced bell peppers. That combo makes a great snack. Hummus is also great on a sandwich or in a pita pocket instead of mustard or mayo. Replacing mayo with hummus would greatly improve the nutritional value of your sandwich.
Although prepared hummus can be purchased at almost any grocery store, it is super easy to make at home and takes approximately five minutes. All you need is a can of chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini paste. The first three ingredients can be purchased at any regular grocery store. Tahini paste however is a bit harder to find. I buy it at my local Whole Foods and I’m sure you could find it at any health food store or specialty grocery store.
To make hummus you’ll need a food processor or blender. I use the Magic Bullet. Yes the thing from the infomercial. It actually works really well and I love that I can put all the pieces in the dishwasher. I use it quite frequently!
Basic Hummus
Makes approximately 1 ½ cups
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
¼ cup reserved juice from canned chickpeas, or chicken or veggie broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini paste
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.
Throw all ingredients into your food processor and combine until smooth. Serve with pita bread or veggies. Store in the refrigerator.
I think that homemade hummus tastes better after you leave it in the refrigerator for a day. The flavors really develop more and to me it tastes better when it’s cold. If you are planning to take hummus to a party, definitely make it the day before.
I made this recipe last night and packaged it up into three snack packs so I can take it to work with me for my lunch or an afternoon snack. I love my ½ cup Gladware containers. They are the perfect size for homemade snack packs.
Excuse my lame picture here as my kitchen is destroyed and I have about a two foot wide counter space to work with.
There are a lot of variations of hummus so experiment with flavors to your heart’s content.
So is it worth it? YES! Three words - cheap, easy, healthy. It doesn't get much better.
I love hummus which is great because it’s really, really good for you! Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a great source of protein and fiber. Tahini paste is made from sesame seeds, which are also a good source of protein and Vitamin E. The nutritional value of hummus can go up or down depending on what you serve it with. White pita bread would not be the best choice (albeit very yummy). Whole wheat pita bread or flat bread would be better, but the best choice would be veggies. I like hummus with baby carrots or sliced bell peppers. That combo makes a great snack. Hummus is also great on a sandwich or in a pita pocket instead of mustard or mayo. Replacing mayo with hummus would greatly improve the nutritional value of your sandwich.
Although prepared hummus can be purchased at almost any grocery store, it is super easy to make at home and takes approximately five minutes. All you need is a can of chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini paste. The first three ingredients can be purchased at any regular grocery store. Tahini paste however is a bit harder to find. I buy it at my local Whole Foods and I’m sure you could find it at any health food store or specialty grocery store.
To make hummus you’ll need a food processor or blender. I use the Magic Bullet. Yes the thing from the infomercial. It actually works really well and I love that I can put all the pieces in the dishwasher. I use it quite frequently!
Basic Hummus
Makes approximately 1 ½ cups
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
¼ cup reserved juice from canned chickpeas, or chicken or veggie broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini paste
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.
Throw all ingredients into your food processor and combine until smooth. Serve with pita bread or veggies. Store in the refrigerator.
I think that homemade hummus tastes better after you leave it in the refrigerator for a day. The flavors really develop more and to me it tastes better when it’s cold. If you are planning to take hummus to a party, definitely make it the day before.
I made this recipe last night and packaged it up into three snack packs so I can take it to work with me for my lunch or an afternoon snack. I love my ½ cup Gladware containers. They are the perfect size for homemade snack packs.
Excuse my lame picture here as my kitchen is destroyed and I have about a two foot wide counter space to work with.
There are a lot of variations of hummus so experiment with flavors to your heart’s content.
So is it worth it? YES! Three words - cheap, easy, healthy. It doesn't get much better.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Things I Love: Two Cup Pyrex Bowls (With Lids)
I thought I would start a new group of posts called things I love where I talk about... things I love. I’ve got several tools and gadgets around my home that I love and use all the time and would like to share with whoever wants to read about them!
The first up is my two cup Pyrex bowls with lids. I have seven of these bowls! They are awesome all-purpose bowls. My main use for these bowls is freezing soups and sauces and such. They are just the right size for one serving of soup. After I make a big batch of soup or stew or chili, I take all the leftovers and portion them out into these bowls. Then I snap the plastic lids on and stack them all up in the freezer. When I’m scrambling to get out the door in the morning I can grab one of these out of the freezer to take for lunch. Or when I need something for dinner I can pull one or two out.
Because these bowls are glass they can go straight from the freezer to the microwave. You can also use them in the oven if you so desire (not the lids). I’ve often wanted to make personal size lasagnas or tuna casseroles in them. And supposedly you are not supposed to use plastic in the microwave because it leaches chemicals into your food. Well I don’t know too much about that but with these bowls there are no worries.
I also like the fact that because they are glass they are clear so you can see what’s inside of them when they are stacked up in your freezer.
Plastic tends to wear out over time however glass will last for years. I use my bowls over and over and over again, almost on a daily basis. The first four I received as a gift in a Pyrex set six or seven years ago. They are as good as new today. The next three I just received as a gift this past Christmas. They are actually the Anchor Hocking brand, but it’s pretty much the same thing.
These bowls can be purchased at Target or Walmart and probably a lot of other stores. I think they are an awesome investment and a great tool to use in your kitchen.
Here are mine at work in my freezer containing the Cheesy Chicken Soup:
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Three Grain Pilaf
I love, love, love, love, LOVE this recipe. I originally cut it out of an issue of Oprah’s magazine and it’s been stuck in my recipe book for a long time. I have no idea what issue I cut it out of, but I know it was at least two years ago. I’ve made this recipe many, many times and I think this is the recipe that began my love for dried cranberries.
I love this recipe because it’s simple and wholesome. It’s made from scratch and uses all-natural ingredients. It makes a large amount and is good for leftovers. It’s easily adaptable as well.
Three-Grain Pilaf
Makes 6 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
¾ cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth (canned or make your own)
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
¾ tsp salt
½ cup barley, rinsed and drained
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Pinch freshly ground pepper
A few notes on the ingredients: I buy my rice at barley at my health food store where I can get it out of the bulk bins. That way I can buy just the right amount. I have also made this recipe before without the parsley and I frequently make it without the lemon zest. It’s not quite as flavorful without these ingredients, but I still think it tastes great. Finally I use a teaspoon or two of dried thyme when I don’t have any fresh on hand and that seems to work out just fine.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add wild rice and 3 cups of broth; bring to a boil. Stir in brown rice, thyme, bay leaf, and ¼ tsp salt; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender and broth is absorbed. Add remaining ½ cup broth if needed.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and barley. Reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Stir barley and cranberries into rice; cover and cook 5-10 minutes to plump cranberries. Remove and discard thyme and bay leaf. With a fork, stir in parsley, lemon zest and pepper.
The hardest part about this recipe is the timing. You have to time the barley so that it is done cooking when the rice is ready. You don’t want to overcook the barley because it will get sticky and chewy. You don’t want to overcook the rice because it will get dry. If anything, the barley should be finished cooking first. That way you can drain it and leave it in the strainer in the sink while the rice is finishing up. It will get hot again once you stir it into the rice mixture and by taking it off the heat you won’t overcook it.
So is it worth it? This recipe does take a long time from start to finish, so it’s definitely not something I make weekly. I like to make this on a Saturday or Sunday when I have a bit more time to prepare dinner. The flavor is terrific though and I think that’s what makes it totally worth it. That and it’s pretty healthy too!
I love walnuts and cranberries together and I have added toasted walnuts to this recipe before. To toast walnuts, heat up a small skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon or so of oil or butter. Toss in walnuts and stir around in the oil or melted butter for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the aroma of the toasted walnuts. Stir into the rice with the barley and cranberries.
Pair this rice with baked fish or chicken and a nice green salad and voila! You have dinner! Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
I know I just posted that I haven’t been using my kitchen much lately, but tonight I shuffled my tools and painting supplies around to make room to bake. It’s a coworker’s birthday tomorrow and I signed up to bring the birthday treats. This particular coworker is allergic to eggs so I couldn’t make my regular batch of cupcakes. But I’m always up for a challenge.
My first thought was to look for a vegan cupcake recipe since vegans do not eat eggs. A quick Google search gave me a recipe for Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes on Chow.com. It seemed simple enough so I decided to go for it.
Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with paper liners. I like to spray my liners with non-stick spray for added non-stick protection.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. I used vanilla flavored soy milk. While the mixture is curdling, in a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Personally I hate sifting dry ingredients. I never do it. I put all these ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together until blended.
Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and other extract to the soy milk mixture(I used almond extract for the second extract). Beat until foamy. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).
At this point I noticed that the batter is very runny. Much runnier than other cupcake batters I have made. I poured the batter into a four cup measuring cup with a spout and then poured the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling to approximately ¾ full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I baked my cupcakes for 19 minutes total. Let cupcakes cool in pans for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
I decided to keep the cupcakes vegan from top to bottom so I whipped up a batch of basic buttercream frosting using vegan “butter” in place of regular butter. Vegan “butter” is a natural vegetable oil spread and comes in stick form just like regular butter. I bought the Earth Balance buttery sticks at my local Whole Foods. I also substituted vanilla soy milk for regular milk.
The verdict? I think my biggest downfall with these types of recipes is that I expect it to taste just like the original version. I remember once I bought some vegetarian breakfast “sausage” when I was on a health kick. I imagined it tasting exactly like regular sausage and it would be an easy replacement for the less-healthy meat version. Boy was I wrong. The vegetarian version tasted nothing like the meat version and I hated it.
Well this recipe is not like that. The chocolate vegan cupcakes with vanilla vegan buttercream frosting taste very close to the non-vegan version. I was pleasantly surprised! Especially since I plan on serving these to my coworkers.
One thing I would change is the extracts. The almond extract I used was a little overpowering to me. Next time I will use all vanilla extract or maybe mint extract. Actually these cupcakes would probably be great with mint buttercream. Using the basic buttercream recipe, substitute mint extract for the vanilla extract and add a few drops of green food coloring. After frosting cupcakes, sprinkle tops with mini chocolate chips and you have a mint chocolate chip cupcake.
Although these cupcakes turned out great, I probably won’t make them regularly since I’m not a vegan. I’ll rely on the non-vegan version primarily. But if I ever do need a vegan cupcake again I know these are perfect.
My first thought was to look for a vegan cupcake recipe since vegans do not eat eggs. A quick Google search gave me a recipe for Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes on Chow.com. It seemed simple enough so I decided to go for it.
Basic (Vegan) Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with paper liners. I like to spray my liners with non-stick spray for added non-stick protection.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. I used vanilla flavored soy milk. While the mixture is curdling, in a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Personally I hate sifting dry ingredients. I never do it. I put all these ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk them together until blended.
Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract and other extract to the soy milk mixture(I used almond extract for the second extract). Beat until foamy. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).
At this point I noticed that the batter is very runny. Much runnier than other cupcake batters I have made. I poured the batter into a four cup measuring cup with a spout and then poured the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling to approximately ¾ full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I baked my cupcakes for 19 minutes total. Let cupcakes cool in pans for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
I decided to keep the cupcakes vegan from top to bottom so I whipped up a batch of basic buttercream frosting using vegan “butter” in place of regular butter. Vegan “butter” is a natural vegetable oil spread and comes in stick form just like regular butter. I bought the Earth Balance buttery sticks at my local Whole Foods. I also substituted vanilla soy milk for regular milk.
The verdict? I think my biggest downfall with these types of recipes is that I expect it to taste just like the original version. I remember once I bought some vegetarian breakfast “sausage” when I was on a health kick. I imagined it tasting exactly like regular sausage and it would be an easy replacement for the less-healthy meat version. Boy was I wrong. The vegetarian version tasted nothing like the meat version and I hated it.
Well this recipe is not like that. The chocolate vegan cupcakes with vanilla vegan buttercream frosting taste very close to the non-vegan version. I was pleasantly surprised! Especially since I plan on serving these to my coworkers.
One thing I would change is the extracts. The almond extract I used was a little overpowering to me. Next time I will use all vanilla extract or maybe mint extract. Actually these cupcakes would probably be great with mint buttercream. Using the basic buttercream recipe, substitute mint extract for the vanilla extract and add a few drops of green food coloring. After frosting cupcakes, sprinkle tops with mini chocolate chips and you have a mint chocolate chip cupcake.
Although these cupcakes turned out great, I probably won’t make them regularly since I’m not a vegan. I’ll rely on the non-vegan version primarily. But if I ever do need a vegan cupcake again I know these are perfect.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Back Again!
I can't believe it's been over a month since I've posted! I've got so much going on now but I'm hoping to post again regularly about what I'm doing.
The holidays were great but a whirlwind of course. My company is awesome and closes the office between Christmas and New Year's so I had several days off. I saw almost all my family and got to spend some quality time with my sister which was great! I made another batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes and everyone loved them.
I also started two home improvement projects which is what is part of what has been keeping me so busy lately. A few days before New Year's I decided to start renovating my kitchen. When we moved into our house over three years ago the kichen was mauve everywhere! Mauve wallpaper floor to ceiling, mauve countertops, mauve tinted backsplash tile - YUCK! We immediately took down the wallpaper and painted the walls thinking we would replace the counters shortly thereafter. Well....counters are very expensive it turns out so we never did get around to it. So I have been living with pink counters and orange walls. Not the greatest combination.
Now we have saved up enough money to do the full renovation. This will involve painting the cabinets, walls and trim, replacing all the cabinet hardware, counters and backsplash tile, replacing the floor and replacing the light fixtures. We'll do everything on our own (with FIL's help) except installing the new counters. Whew! I'll be glad when it's finished! Here is the what the kitchen used to look like (please ignore the clutter):
The second project I've started is replacing the floor in the living room, hallway and entryway. It is (was) carpeted. The new floor will be pre-finished red oak. I can't WAIT to have it completed. Currently all the carpet has been torn out and the floor has been purchased. I am not actually installing the floor, but FIL will. I swear he's MacGyver. He can do anything, including saving me thousands of dollars on the installation fees!
In retrospect, I probably should not have started BOTH these projects at the same time. The living room and the kitchen are both barely functional right now. Hopefully I can keep my motivation level high enough to make it to the finish line.
Also one of my SILs is getting married in Vegas this weekend! Wheeeee! The whole family is leaving on Friday to fly to Vegas for the wedding. Only close family is attending the wedding. Then two weeks after we get back there will be a big reception for the rest of the family and friends. It's going to be a great time. Last weekend we had a bridal shower for her and I again made the Red Velvet Cupcakes at her request. Those things are popular!
Since my kitchen is not fully functional, I have not been baking or cooking much lately. So I probably won't be posting many recipes in the near future. I do have a backlog of recipes I've made, but haven't posted yet so I will try to get those up soon. Look forward to home improvement posts as I work through my two projects and also gardening posts as I research and prepare for my first garden.
I'm happy to be back! Happy New Year!
The holidays were great but a whirlwind of course. My company is awesome and closes the office between Christmas and New Year's so I had several days off. I saw almost all my family and got to spend some quality time with my sister which was great! I made another batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes and everyone loved them.
I also started two home improvement projects which is what is part of what has been keeping me so busy lately. A few days before New Year's I decided to start renovating my kitchen. When we moved into our house over three years ago the kichen was mauve everywhere! Mauve wallpaper floor to ceiling, mauve countertops, mauve tinted backsplash tile - YUCK! We immediately took down the wallpaper and painted the walls thinking we would replace the counters shortly thereafter. Well....counters are very expensive it turns out so we never did get around to it. So I have been living with pink counters and orange walls. Not the greatest combination.
Now we have saved up enough money to do the full renovation. This will involve painting the cabinets, walls and trim, replacing all the cabinet hardware, counters and backsplash tile, replacing the floor and replacing the light fixtures. We'll do everything on our own (with FIL's help) except installing the new counters. Whew! I'll be glad when it's finished! Here is the what the kitchen used to look like (please ignore the clutter):
The second project I've started is replacing the floor in the living room, hallway and entryway. It is (was) carpeted. The new floor will be pre-finished red oak. I can't WAIT to have it completed. Currently all the carpet has been torn out and the floor has been purchased. I am not actually installing the floor, but FIL will. I swear he's MacGyver. He can do anything, including saving me thousands of dollars on the installation fees!
In retrospect, I probably should not have started BOTH these projects at the same time. The living room and the kitchen are both barely functional right now. Hopefully I can keep my motivation level high enough to make it to the finish line.
Also one of my SILs is getting married in Vegas this weekend! Wheeeee! The whole family is leaving on Friday to fly to Vegas for the wedding. Only close family is attending the wedding. Then two weeks after we get back there will be a big reception for the rest of the family and friends. It's going to be a great time. Last weekend we had a bridal shower for her and I again made the Red Velvet Cupcakes at her request. Those things are popular!
Since my kitchen is not fully functional, I have not been baking or cooking much lately. So I probably won't be posting many recipes in the near future. I do have a backlog of recipes I've made, but haven't posted yet so I will try to get those up soon. Look forward to home improvement posts as I work through my two projects and also gardening posts as I research and prepare for my first garden.
I'm happy to be back! Happy New Year!
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