Oreo Balls dressed up for Halloween
Recently, my friend, Lisa Cameron, mentioned on Facebook that she was making 150 Oreo Cookie Balls for her daughter’s first brithday (Happy Birthday, Kenna!) and several mutual friends raved about them. My curiosity was peaked and I had to know what these treats were. Always quick to help me out, she sent the following recipe. A simple no bake cookie that can be creatively adapted to different themes just in time for the holidays- SCORE!
Share on FacebookIt is October, the month dedicated to all things spooky. Here’s the scene: the scientist works feverishly adding the DNA of one plant into that of another to create… (cue the triumphant music) the cure to world hunger … or (cue the eerie music) Frankenfood. That scene is no longer something relegated to Syfy channel; it is now reality. Major companies are dedicating huge amounts of resources to research and produce “genetically modified organisms” (GMO’s for short). I am hardly an expert, but if you are unfamiliar with this concept in food production here’s a short primer: Continue reading
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Carrot Bread
Ok, I admit there is only one critic and he is a 3-year old boy. But, if that little boy normally won’t eat vegetables and begged to make more when he found out the first batch was already gone, I’d call that recipe a winner!
Normally, I prefer to link to recipes I get from other places to give them full credit and reward them with a few extra hits on their site. I scoured the Cooking Light site and could not find this carrrot bread recipe anywhere. It was originally submitted by reader Sarah Brinkley. Sarah, if you ever read this and want me to take it down I will, but this recipe was such a success I had to share it!
This seems to be pretty similar to one served at Mimi’s Cafe if you add nuts and raisins, but a whole lot lighter. I am not sure about the actual recipe, but the one in Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 calls for a cup of oil and a cup of sugar plus molasses! eek!
I only made one substitution to the recipe which was plain yogurt and a teaspoon of vanilla for the vanilla yogurt because that is what we had on hand.
The hardest parts about making this with my son were waiting for the carrots to cook and then waiting for the bread to cook and cool before eating! I even cooked the carrots in the microwave to speed it up, but it still wasn’t fast enough for him, haha!
Served with a little bit cream cheese on top we have been enjoying it for snack and breakfast.
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
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English Lavender
I have always loved the smell and taste of lavender. Taste? Yes, those beautiful purple stalks are edible – (provided they are not treated with herbicides or pesticides!). I remember having lavender candy when I was young, they were pastels as I recall, but I haven’t seen them in years. If you have never tasted lavender, they best way to describe the flavor is “it tastes like it smells”. If you don’t like the smell (like my husband!) you probably won’t care for the taste, but if you do like the smell, this blog is for you.
French Lavender
I have three different types of lavender in my garden – English, French and Spanish (or so they were labeled when I bought them) and I have been intending to blog about it for awhile. In one of those “only on Facebook” coincidences, I have had two separate conversations on the subject in the past month so I figured it was about time I got to it. I just planted the Spanish, so I have not actually used it for anything yet, but pretty much all types are interchangeable in my opinion.
Spanish Lavender
Let’s start with ornamental uses. You can strip the flowers off and add it to potpourri, dry the flower stalks (hanging them upside down) and then put them in your linen closet, add some crushed flowers to milled soaps and make lavender wands out of them. I got the last idea from one of my favorite gardening catalogs/online stores: Peaceful Valley - I highly recommend them if you are looking for gardening supplies and seeds (I really want their garlic combo pack this year) or maybe some ornamental California native plants.
Lavender Wand
Cooking-wise I personally have made lavender iced tea, lavender lemonade and strawberry lavender jam.
One day on Facebook, my former classmate, Sam Zabor, mentioned he had purchased some wonderful lavender semi-hard cheese from the Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop in Oakland, CA. Per Sam, ”they have AMAZING cheeses and other stuff too, like honeycomb taken from a fresh comb in the store!” Might have to check that place out on our annual trek to the Bay Area!
Another friend of his commented that she had tried some lavender cookies before. My eyes lit up and my brain started sifting through the possibilities! I did a search and found quite a few recipes that seemed to be just a simple sugar cookie recipe with crushed lavender flowers added. Other ideas I had were to make lavender sugar (store some sugar in a sealed jar with some lavender and let it sit for a few weeks, shaking occasionaly to let the sugar absorb the flavor) and use it instead of cinnamon sugar to make snickerdoodles or to swap lavender for the rosemary in Sunset’s Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Buttons.
In a separate Facebook conversation, my brother and his wife came up with a list of must have spices, vinegars and condiments one should have on hand (I will post it soon, I promise!) and lavender was on the list. What he does with it: light cream sauce on sea bass with a hint of garlic and shallot then finish with white wine and top with an edible flower.
And finally, I have read online about candying the flowers by dipping them in egg whites then in sugar and using to decorate cakes. Not sure my boys would go for that one, but could make a pretty Easter/Mother’s Day dessert.
As always, I’d love to hear if you have other uses for this wonderful little purple flower: audrey@thatrecipe.com.
Until next time, happy eating.
~Audrey
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Angel Food Cupcakes
This Sunday it is time for yet another one of those Retailer Invented Holidays – Grandparents Day! I refuse to buy them anything, especially since I know J’s grandparents treasure homemade cards and gifts.
One thing I won’t be sending them is these Angel Food Cupcakes. Not because they weren’t delicious, but I don’t think they will mail well. Ma’am will get a kick that I made them though because of a story about my grandparents.
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Confession time, I have a few skeletons in my closet. More accurately, I have a few skeletons in my freezer – chicken skeletons that is, and some beef and pork parts too!
With the market on its roller coaster ride and the economy still attempting to recover from the recession that allegedly has already ended some of you may be struggling to stretch a dollar. I have a good friend in Nigeria that neeeds my help in return for millions of dollars, so I do not have such worries…. But, since I care about you, my dear reader, I thought I would write about some of the ways I have found to save a few pennies, and cook healthier and tastier for my family.
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This shirt fits a little differently than it did 25 years (and a baby) ago
It’s time to Eat, Drink and Stink! If you are anywhere near San Francisco’s South Bay Area this weekend you will probably smell the festivities of The Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual fundraiser/food festival dedicated to all things garlic! It features great music, arts and crafts vendors, rides and activities for children, beer and wine tasting and food! Lots and lots of garlicky food including free samples of garlic ice cream. Yes, I have tried it – think vanilla ice cream with lots of garlic powder dumped in it. It was interesting, but I wouldn’t go back for more when there is pesto and garlic fries and an apricot freeze (non-alcoholic apricot smoothie) calling my name instead! It is a fabulous time and I recommend everyone go at least once!
Share on FacebookThe Fourth of July was always a big deal growing up, in part because my Dad loved America and in part because his birthday and my parents anniversary is on the 3rd. And since we had a backyard pool, the party was usually at our place with a BBQ followed by a parade with sparklers and fireworks with John Philip Souza’s Stars and Stripes Forever playing in the background. No matter how many times Michael and I tried to hide the album, cassette or CD, Dad always seemed to find a copy of it (aided in part by his cousin, Barry, who knew what we were up to and supplied him with an extra copy or two).
The following recipes are great for any summer gathering. All can be prepared ahead of time, or thrown on the grill at the last minute:
Beverages
| Anga Soda Cherry-Pineapple Punch Ginger Ale-Sherbet Punch Ginger Ale Syrup and Drink |
Margaritas Micheladas Sangria |
Appetizers and Sides
And since many of us don’t have the time to do all of the cooking and cleaning for a party, here are Ma’am’s tips for potlucks made easy.
Whatever your plans this summer I hope it is a safe and happy one.
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
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My houseguests cooking for me.
This past weekend, my Godpappy (Dad’s cousin) Barry and his lovely and talented wife, Sandy, came to visit. Like any good hostess I wanted them to enjoy themselves and do whatever they wanted. So, on the second day of their trip they kicked me out of my kitchen and prepared a feast for us.
I just sat on a bar stool watching in amazement and occassionally answering the “where is the ___?” questions they had. If you have read any of my previous blogs, or know my family, this really isn’t as strange as it sounds. What can I say? We are a bunch of foodies. In return I sent them home with a branch of bay leaves and some other fresh herbs, which was pretty exciting to them.
Sandy's pasta sauce with Italian Sausage meatballs!
Before they even left on their trip they made us a loaf of her fabulous homemade bread (Matthew’s favorite) and his peanut brittle (my favorite) and some lemon marmalade that was so much easier to make than the one I tried (their recipe’s coming soon, I hope). While they were here they made a fabulous Italian sausage and beef pasta sauce and Nick Stellino’s minestrone. They made so much that I had to borrow a third stock pot from my neighbor to
cook the pasta. 
Even after giving some awayto the neighbor as a thank you for the loan, we still have plenty of leftovers.
And as a final Father’s Day tribute here are links to more recipes from the men in my family:
Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, godfathers, etc.!
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
Share on FacebookForget Cookie Monster, I have a Pancake Monster in the house. Ask him what he wants for breakfast and he will choose pancakes almost every time! Even though I am a stay at home mom, mixing the ingredients (or heaven forbid using a pre made mix) and cooking them every morning would be an ordeal. Instead, I use IQF. No, it has nothing to do with money or impossible missions or measures of intelligence, though I think it is a pretty smart way to serve my son homemade pancakes every day.
Once every week or two I make a batch of pancakes, usually Emeril’s Make ‘Em Pancakes, but a new favorite is the version of IHOP Country Griddle Cakes found in Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2. Then I put all of the leftovers on a cookie sheet in a single layer, pop it in the freezer for an hour or so, take them off the cookie sheet and put in a freezer bag. If you just put them in a bag or other container they will stick together and you will have to defrost ALL of them instead of just a few at a time. This way I reach in and grab 3 (more like 5) and microwave for a few seconds for a quick breakfast.
This week alone, I have used IQF for a wide variety of foods from freshly picked peas to salmon burgers to turkey bacon (stacked two pieces together to pull out a serving or two to go along with the pancakes!). IQF also works well for things like lasagna -make a big batch, then freeze the leftovers on a cookie sheet in single serving pieces that can be reheated later for a quick lunch or dinner.
I use a similar technique for liquids (freshly squeezed lemon juice, homemade chicken stock, brewed coffee) and pureed fruit and vegetables using ice cube trays then putting the cubes in freezer bags. I slip the veggies in various foods, the fruits make great smoothies, and using coffee ice cubes for iced coffee prevents it from getting watered down. Ma’am also suggested freezing leftover tomato paste this way when your recipe only calls for a part of a can.
I detest wasted food and I am not too fond of wasting my energy. By creatively freezing my foods I am able to serve healthier foods to my family with minimal effort and I can tailor meals for my sometimes picky eaters. Plus with the weather heating up, cooking once or twice a week in the morning then reheating at night sounds like a way to beat the heat.
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
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