Happy Birthday Jen!

The first time Jen invited me to her house 13 years ago, it was for a Pampered Chef / volleyball party. I went with the intention of playing volleyball, which I did, but when it came time to talk kitchen tools I found myself ‘all ears‘. Of course, if you’ve ever been to one of these parties, you know that they make the food right in front of you and then you get to eat it! What a great party! A friendship was born that day and our shared appreciation of food has grown right along with our friendship.

We took a Tae Kwon Do class together once. Just fifty dollars a month and you could attend as many as four classes a week – what a deal, right? Yeah, we were the only adults in the class and the “Master” let her 13 year-old black belt student with a goofball attitude run the class. He was a clown on a power trip as he barked orders at us like we were his own personal concubines. When it was time to “spar” with us, he used to run around in circles like a girl because he was too afraid to “fight” us head on – black belt, eh?

One day as I drove up for class, everything inside of me was screaming, “I don’t want to go today!” It seemed that once we had received our yellow belts, the learning suddenly stopped, but the wackiness of the class raged on. Before I knew it, I had driven my car across the street and had parked it in an empty lot, waiting for Jen to show up. When she did, I honked my horn to get her attention and waved her over. We both agreed that going to Happy Hour for wings sounded like more fun, so off we went. After a few “classes” like that, Barry spoke up as the voice of reason and said, “If you don’t want to go anymore, then stop paying and stop going.” So we did.

Then it was Broadway shows, concerts, yoga, fake knitting, beading, biking, ocean vacations, you name it. Whenever I had something I wanted to do, she was always on board. And if I didn’t think of it first – and I usually didn’t – Jen was always planning something fun and exciting and new to do.

Jen is a YES girl. She says Yes! to life every day. She lives life with enthusiasm and zest. She loves to have fun, she wants others to have fun, and when she’s around, others DO have fun!

She is a super freak when it comes to comedy. She can watch The Office, The Jerk, and anything Will Ferrell stars in, 97 times and laugh just as hard every time. She can repeat lines from a comedy she has seen just once and I think that’s because comedy just sticks to her bones naturally.

She regularly invites me to dinner at their house by gushing over the fabulous dessert she is making because she thinks that will get me there. That may say more about me than it does about her, but you get the idea...

She would do anything for anybody. Between her and Barry, they are extremely generous with their time and talents when someone is in need.

She is my sanity checker. When I vent to her about my trials of the day, she is always on my side, rooting me on and taking my side no matter what. Having a friend like Jen support you when life is getting you down is what I’m sure God had in mind when he created friendship.

As a mother, she is loving and creative and childlike. Her children always want to be with her because she makes life fun. She IS a fabulous mother!

I am very blessed to have Jen as my friend and I thank God on a regular basis for sending her into my life. Good, strong, and true friendships are rare and priceless and some people never experience them. I consider myself to be a lucky girl!

Did I mention she can cook?


Happy BirthMonth Jen!

Love,
Sheri



Coming Tomorrow... Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Just For Jen!!! (Award-winning) and then NO more sweets for awhile...

Taste Testing Bread

The Food Tasting Group met for the second time last Sunday, and Karen was our fabulous hostess. She had chosen bread as the food of choice and had many different kinds for us to sample. Patty, the Naturopath contributed to the party by bringing 2 loaves of bread that aren’t available in any of our local health food stores. This ended up being a big teaser in the end, since one of her breads ended up being one of the favorites.

We taste tested ten different breads, mostly from the specialty store Trader Joes. There was a wide variety from Sourdough to Millet to Spelt to Potato to Focaccia to Mock Rye. Some were gluten free and most were high fructose corn syrup free.

There was no obvious winner among the ten, but the one bread that impressed and surprised the most of us was Lori Bakes Gluten Free Millet Bread. Everybody was surprised by the flavor and consistency – some thought it was similar to day old cornbread while others likened it to pound cake. It was very airy and light and crumbled easily. The taste was mild, but pleasant. Patty insisted that not only did it taste better when toasted, it crumbled less, so we decided to put that theory to a taste test and guess what? We all agreed with Patty. Take a look at how much was left by the end of the party...


The millet bread contained water, egg white, millet flour, potato starch, white rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, nonfat instant dry milk, canola oil, sugar, xanthan gum, salt, active dry yeast, distilled white vinegar.

With Patty’s business and connections she is fortunate enough to have access to this bread, but the rest of us are not as lucky since none of the health food stores in our area are carrying it at this time. I think we need to change that.

Trader Joe’s Sourdough bread won the hearts of a few of the testers with it’s minimal ingredients of enriched flour, water, light rye flour, and salt.

Trader Joe’s other Sourdough bread with Asiago and Black Peppercorns caught a few people’s attention as well. I can tell you personally that if you cracked a little peppercorn in your mouth, it would definitely get your attention! The ingredients for this bread favorite were minimal as well – including wheat flour, water, sea salt, asiago cheese, and peppercorn.

There was a Potato Bread by Schwebels with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and other undesirables, and newcomer, Joanne was a big fan of that one. I don’t think the rest of us argued that the taste was pleasant, I just think we all knew from the first bite that there was nothing healthy about the loaf, end of story.

Trader Joe's Spelt bread and Rosemary Focaccia got a nod or two from the crowd, but they were not majority winners.

The Mock Rye by Lori Bakes was definitely not as big of a hit as the Millet bread had been, mostly because there weren’t a lot of rye fans at the table. Patty did mention that she has clients that love rye and typically can’t find gluten free rye, so this is a big bonus for the gluten free rye lovers out there.

So what did we learn today? Lori Bakes is a company that bakes gluten free breads and does it well. There is a much higher demand out there for gluten free foods, so next time you’re in your health food store, look for Lori Bakes products and give them a try. If your store does not carry them, speak up and ask that they do.

Next Food Tasting is Cheese and Wine!! Who wants to Come?!

Perfect Pumpkin-Oat Muffins

You may have noticed that we have a thing for pumpkin. Kind of like the "thing" we have for Matthew McConnaughey, but just a *little* less intense. But seriously, we really like pumpkin! What's not to like, after all? It's high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Beta Carotene. It's slightly sweet, and can be used in a myriad of ways, from cookies, cakes and breads, to ravioli, roasted veggies, and soup! And really, folks, anyone can grow pumpkin plants right in their own yard...and roasting them or pureeing them is really no big deal...and SO worth it!!

These particular muffins are light and tasty, and mildly sweet. They are good for breakfast, or as a mid-day snack! We've even been known to freeze them individually, so we can grab one on the go when there's no time for a full breakfast. And yes, you can definitely use applesauce instead of the oil, but you don't necessarily have to. You may also consider using half oat flour and half white flour, just to increase the health benefits.

Perfect Pumpkin-Oat Muffins

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. pure pumpkin puree
1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. apple juice
2 large eggs
1/4 c. oil
2 tbsp. old fashioned oats

Preheat your oven to 375. Either grease your muffin tins or use some fun paper liners. Combine flour, 1/2 c. oats, nuts, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the pumpkin, honey, apple juice, eggs, and oil. Add to flour mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. oats.

Bake for 23-27 minutes. Take out of pan and cool on cooling rack. Serve warm, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Coming Soon... OUR Birthday month continues as we celebrate Jen's Birthday!

Sheri's Birthday Dessert

By all accounts, Sheri and are a bit gratuitous when celebrating our birthdays. We use our birthdays to justify just about anything we want to do for the entire year, but most especially for the entire month of April. That's just the way we Aries girls roll! LOL!

This year, I made a special dessert for Sheri's birthday, because, well...I didn't want to just make a normal cake. I wanted to make something as unique as Sheri is. And because she loves lemon so much, this luscious recipe had me right away. It's from one of our favorite sources, The Best of Bridge, and although the recipe looks long, I assure you it was very easy to put together! If you have an insatiable love for lemon, you must try this!

Sensational Lemon Roll

Sponge Cake:
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1/3 c. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 confectioners sugar

Lemon Filling:
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. whipping cream
strawberries to garnish

Alrighty then...let's start with making the sponge cake, shall we? Preheat your oven to 375. Line a 10"x15" edged cookie sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Now gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until thick and pale yellow, at least 1 minute.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture. Then, add the orange rind, orange juice, and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined. Spoon into your prepared pan, making sure to push the batter into the corners, and bake for 15 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and springy to the touch. Be careful not to overbake!!! Place a clean tea towel on the counter and dust with confectioners sugar. When the cake is done, loosen from the edges with a knife and invert it over the towel. Remove the parchment paper and trim off the crusty edges. Starting from the short end, roll up cake and towel together; place on a wire rack to cool. Don't worry if it cracks or splits. We don't worry about such things around here...we're not perfectionists!

Now it's time to make the lemon filling. In a double boiler, use a whisk to combine eggs, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool. Whip the cream and then fold into the lemon mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the roll.

When you're ready to put it all together, carefully unroll the cake and remove the towel. Reserve 1/2 cup of lemon mixture for decoration. Spread remaining mixture on the cake and gently roll up cake. Place seam side down on a pretty little serving platter and decorate with reserved filling, strawberries and a sprinkling of confectioners sugar. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.


Coming Soon...Perfect Pumpkin-Oat Muffins!!!

Happy Birthday, Sheri!

Hey everybody...it's Sheri's birthday today!!!

You know, Sheri and I have been friends for years...so many years, in fact, that I'm not sure how many! I'm thinking it's somewhere around 12 or so. I've been lucky enough to have some very good friends in my life, but none quite like her. Sheri sometimes feels like an extension of me...do you know what I mean by that? We finish each other's thoughts, come up with the same ideas at the same time, have a lot of the same opinions...and though we always have each other's back, we will still be there to provide a reality check, if needed.

Sheri is probably the most generous, fun, and creative person I know. She paints, cooks, draws, writes, makes her own cards, takes amazing photos, beads, knits...well, you get the idea. There's not much she can't do! She is my best friend, and I can't imagine my life without her. And I'll tell you what...some lucky guy out there better get his butt in gear and find her, because he doesn't know what he's missing!

Happy Birthday Sheri! Wishing you another wonderful year!


COMING SOON...
Sheri's Birthday Dessert from ME!!!!

Loving Leftovers

Remember These?

Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

If you're like us, who just cut up vegetables and more vegetables with no regard for the exact amount the recipe calls for, you too, might end up with lots of leftover roasted vegetables when all the quesadillas have been made and eaten. This is not a bad thing!

Think of all the things you could do with those savory vegetables, besides the obvious choice - Roasted Veggie Quesadillas tomorrow night! But, if you're looking for something different.....

Roasted Veggies in your morning omelet!

You wake up in the morning and you want a quick and healthy breakfast - what DO You DO? You break a few eggs into a bowl, pour a little milk in for fun, sprinkle in a touch of salt, maybe some pepper - don't go spastic - remember, the veggies are already all spiced up. Pour the eggs in the heated skillet and spoon in some roasted vegetables. When it's almost done, choose a cheese, like Parm or Romano and dust the omelet with it. Voila! Loving leftovers at breakfast!

But what if you only eat oatmeal for breakfast? Well, then save the veggers for dinner. Remember the Portabellas you picked up the other day because you were planning on making the Italian Stuffed Portabellas from the March 19th post? Well, instead of using only the red peppers like the recipe "suggests", go crazy and kick up your veggie intake for the day by dropping a spoonful or two in with those peppers - they won't mind. They probably hate being the only vegetable swimming in the cheese anyway.

See! Loving leftovers for dinner too!


Tomorrow.... Gourmet Minty Mushroom Ice Cream!!!!

Bacon-Wrapped Filets

With the wonderful spring warm-up we've been having around here lately, it's impossible to not want to fire up the grill! Oh, but what to make? As Sheri has already talked about, Barry and I are lucky enough to have a couple of different options as to where we get our beef. And since we usually buy half a cow at a time, we almost always have a freezer full of it. So when we started feeling the pull of the grill, I began looking through my freezer to see what we still needed to use up from last year's beef. Lo and behold, there were 2 packages of filet mignon! How on earth those got missed, I'll never know!! I pulled them out and decided there was no time like the present to get those babies eaten.

Now I'd never grilled filets before, so I did a little internet research before beginning. It seemed that there was one ingredient that you can't do without...BUTTER. No problem there! We love the stuff! So I started there and added some things I think always enhance the flavor of beef...mainly garlic, onion, and bacon.

Sheri and I strapped on those aprons of ours and got to work, preparing side dishes and dessert, while Barry went out to start the grill. Before long, he was back...we were out of gas! Rather than wait for him to run into town to get more, we decided to use the broiler instead...well, because we were hungry - and impatient! But let me tell you, grilled or broiled, these filets were T.A.S.T.Y!!! Try them out - they were super easy!

Bacon-Wrapped Filets

4 filets mignon or beef tenderloin
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
2 cloves garlic, pressed
4 strips bacon

First, wrap a piece of bacon around the outer edge of each filet. Secure with cooking twine or a toothpick. Now, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add in the parsley, onion flakes, and garlic. Brush the tops of the filets with the butter mixture, and be generous! This is the flavor, baby! Place the bacon-wrapped filets on your broiler pan about 4 " under the broiler and broil for about 9-10 minutes on each side for medium. Obviously, broil them less time for those of you who like your meat rare! And don't even think about making them well-done. That completely ruins filets, in our opinion!

Important!! Don't forget to brush the tops periodically with your butter mixture! Keep the flavor going!

Your kitchen will smell soooo good by the time these are finished. Take a big whiff and prepare yourself for the flavor explosion of your first taste!


Coming Soon.... Gourmet Minty Mushroom Ice Cream!!!
But First - Loving Leftovers!

Zucchini Quesadinnis!

My ten year old nephew, Mitchell loved these Quesadinnis! After he had eaten a few slices, he asked, "Is there zucchini in here?"

"Yep!"

"Wow! That's a really smart way to hide zucchini!"

My intent was certainly not to hide the zucchini - I was actually looking to showcase it, but hey, whatever works when it comes to feeding kids vegetables, right? Abby, age eight, really liked them too and Emma, six, was not as crazy about them because they were a little "too spicy" for her. The "too spicy" was my fault because I chose the Raspberry Chitpotle salsa, even though I knew it may be too much for her. The adults at the table, however, loved the salsa's kick, so consider what kind of flavor you want in your quesadinnis!

This is one of those recipes that has so many flavors emerging from every bite, that you find yourself a bit dazed and confused about what it is you're tasting and I love that!

Have you ever seen a Cirque Du Soleil show? Jen and I have, twice! At any given moment, on every corner of the stage, there are unbelievable flips, tricks, and aerobatics being performed and realistically, your two eyes can't take it all in at once. You never know where you should be looking because everywhere you look, something incredible is happening. It's an experience like no other. These Quesadinnis are Cirque Du Soleil on a plate!

Zucchini Quesadinnis

2 Cups Diced Zucchini
One Cup Chopped Leeks
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Ounces Neufchatel Cheese
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Salsa - your choice - choose wisely
6 Nine-Inch Flour Tortillas

Saute' the zucchini and leek in a wok or skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. Saute' until they are softened. Remove from heat and stir in Neufchatel Cheese and Cheddar Cheese.

Heat skillet over medium heat. Drop a little oil in. Place half of tortilla in the heated pan, while holding the other half up. Evenly spread 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1/2 cup of filling over the bottom half. Fold the top over. Top with a lid to keep the heat in. Flip so both sides are grilled.

Move each tortilla to a plate and cut into triangles.

As mentioned above, I used Raspberry Chitpotle Salsa and I think it was a major contributor to the Cirque Du Soleil effect. Between the sauteed leeks bouncing off the raspberry salsa and the olive oil-soaked zucchini bathing in the Neufchatel cheese, you're going to have one circus of a meal! Enjoy!


Coming Soon... Filet Mignon! Need we say more?

"The Clean Fifteen"

Jen and I are both big believers in eating organic foods as much as possible and we consider ourselves lucky that we each have the ability and acreage to grow fruits and vegetables right in our own backyards. Jen has more than enough room to plant for and feed an entire army - me, not so much.

Jen and Barry raise their own chickens to get the best tasting and nutrient-rich eggs and if their chickens go on vacation, I try to score some from my sister or my Dad. My brother-in-law is the "go-to guy" for the organic, free-range chickens. He's the BEST because he knows how I feel about ugly chickens, so he guarantees me the cream of the crop.

Several years ago, my dad found a gentleman willing to sell us premium organic beef for the price of conventional beef, so we're crazy about that guy. He's a good man raising his cattle the right way and letting the rest of us reap the benefits. Also, new good friends have offered up their high-quality beef, so we consider ourselves extremely lucky to have all these resources available to us.

Still, eating organically can get expensive - fast! I know sometimes I get caught up in grabbing organic everything without really thinking about whether everything needs to be bought this way. Author Cindy Burke debates organic versus non organic in her book, "To Buy Or Not To Buy Organic" and in it she has two lists: The Clean Fifteen and The Dirty Dozen.

Today, we're going to address the Clean Fifteen because it's quick and easy. These fifteen foods are the foods that are the least likely to contain pesticide residue, even if they are not organically grown. Sometimes it's just not profitable enough to use pesticides on the crop, or maybe the plant has a weird or bitter taste that bugs just don't like. Of course, there are the natural predators who do the work for the farmer. Whatever the reason, these are the fifteen that year after year have showed little or no pesticide residue.

So, if you're trying to eat more organically, but your wallet's a little light, save what money you do have and spend it on the dirty dozen. The Clean Fifteen is where you can buy conventionally and feel okay doing it.

"The Clean Fifteen"

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kiwi
Mango
Onions
Papaya
Pineapple
Shelling Peas
Sweet Corn
Garlic
Watermelon (domestically grown)

What are you waiting for? Go get yourself some shelling peas!


Coming Soon... Zucchini Quesadinnis!!!

Outstanding Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

Outstanding Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

1 c. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. quick oats

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. sugar or maple syrup
1 c. ripe bananas, sliced

My, oh my, folks...pancakes are royalty around here, and this recipe is the king! This is yet another find from the Moosewood Collective. We just LOVE that book, don't we? The first time we made these pancakes, we were blown away by their mild banana flavor as well as how fast they fill you up. Simple AND quick to throw together, these pancakes will quickly become a breakfast staple in your house, just as they have in ours!

Begin by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a pretty bowl. Well, we guess it doesn't HAVE to be a pretty bowl, but why not? We like pretty dishes!! Now, it should be noted that we usually use more like 1/2 cup of oats, but that is completely optional. And if you don't have quick oats, just pulse your regular oats in a food processor a few times...that will work just fine!

Next, mix your wet ingredients in a separate (but just as pretty) bowl. Don't be afraid to pour that maple syrup right in there...it's GOOOOOOD!! Actually, if you don't mind, we'd like to have a word right now about maple syrup. Please, please, PLEASE do not use Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth's, Hungry Jack, or any of those imposter syrups!!!! This is of utmost importance! Well, maybe not UTMOST importance, but still...it's important to us. Real maple syrup is D.I.V.I.N.E. ...don't mess with perfection! And anyway, those imposters are full of yuckiness, like high-fructose corn syrup and artificial maple flavoring and caramel coloring. YUCK! Trust us on this one, ok? Follow us blindly. Have we earned your trust yet? We certainly hope so!

Now that we've gotten that off our chests and hopefully persuaded you to try REAL MAPLE SYRUP, let's move on. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Now don't get overzealous and mix too much...just enough to moisten everything.

Make sure your griddle or skillet is sufficiently oiled and heated. Test it by flicking some drops of water on it and see if they dance in the oil. If they do, you're ready to go! Spoon out dollops of batter using a measuring cup or ladle and let them cook until they bubble. This means it's time to flip! Now, make sure it's really time by lifting up an edge and checking to make sure they are nice and brown underneath. This is important, because we only want to flip our pancakes ONE TIME. It keeps them nice and fluffy!

When they're done, remove them and quickly top them with butter and REAL MAPLE SYRUP. We like our syrup heated up...try it if that's not how you normally do it. You'll like it! It makes the butter melt and run all over those delicious pancakes...what a way to start out your day! Enjoy!!