Cake Mix Flare

Sometime I use cake mix.  There I said it. As much as I do prefer a cake made completely by scratch I really feel like in the end, a good "cake mix" cake is indistinguishable form an "all scratch" cake. Yesterday, after being invited to a neighbor's house for dinner I decided to whip up a cake to share. Here's where that handy cake mix comes in. It literally took me five minutes to prep this mix and get it into the oven (well actually it's seven if you count the 2 minutes I spent whimpering after burning my leg on my oven door) but all the same under 10 minutes to get this baby in the oven! Now I am well aware of the 10 gazillion cake recipes here on the internet but with the addition of flax and marmalade, this little beauty was just too good to not share so here we go...

Spiced Pear Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The beauty of this cake is that it is so flexible, You can add as much or as little spice as you want. I almost never use the oil a cake mix calls for, instead I will use either sour cream or yogurt. Sometimes if I am in a particular rush I will just use "Pumpkin Pie spice" in lieu of using all the spices individually. making the cake  a little healthier without the oil always makes me feel a little bit better about piling on the cream cheese frosting, but you could omit the frosting all together as the sliced pears at the bottom of the cake do make their own yummy glaze. Any which way you do it just do it, and enjoy this amazing treat!

For the cake:

1 box spice cake mix

1-2 fresh pears sliced (or) 1 can good quality canned pears

1 1/4 c. apple juice (or) water

1/3 c sour cream (or) greek yogurt

3 eggs

2 tbsp. marmalade 

1/3 c. ground flax

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:

1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/4 c. or half a cube of butter

powdered sugar (I don't measure but somewhere in the 1 1/2-2 c. range)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Begin by prepping your pans and turning your oven to 350 degrees. I lined two 9" round cake pans with parchment paper and said to heck with greasing anything! Next I sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon in the parchment lined pans and arranged my sliced pears on top of the cinnamon sugar mix. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer go the cake mix, spices and ground flax. I like to mix a little to get all the flax incorporated. Add the water, sour cream, vanilla and marmalade and mix it up. You may not be a marmalade fan but I happen to have 8 jars or marmalade that need to be eaten so in it went. The orange does provide a really delicate flavor but feel free to leave it out. I like to add my eggs 1 at a time after all the other wet ingredients and then mix up the whole heavenly scented batter for a minute or two. carefully pour the batter into the 2 pans and bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the middle comes out clean. I chose to make cream cheese frosting which only involves dumping all the frosting ingredients into the mixer and whipping it up, easy peasy! Allow cakes to cool completely before flipping them and peeling off the parchment because those amazing gooey pears are hot! Frost your cakes and enjoy!

& cake for breakfast!

Going Crackers

The last time I was at the store putting a pack of $5 flat bread crackers into my basket I thought to my self, "Self, you know you could make a whole pile of these tasty flatbread crackers for next to nothing!"  So with a sigh I put my delicious albeit spendy crackers back on the shelf and swore to not buy them again until I at least tried to make them at home.  A quick pinterest search turned up a whole lotta cracker recipes but nothing that was really jumping out at me, so as usual I decided to wing it! The first 2 rounds through the oven were too thick and ended up with more of a wheat thin texture despite the fact that I had rolled them to less than an 1/8th of an inch with my rolling pin. With very sore arms (that dough is really tough to roll out!) I turned to my faithful old Atlas Pasta roller and cranked out the rest of the dough on the #6 setting. The resulting cracker was perfectly thin, crispy and my my arms were saved! If you do not have a pasta roller you'll just need a bit more elbow grease to get them to that deliciously thin texture.

Rosemary, Sea salt and Flax Crackers

For crackers: 2 3/4 c. unbleached flour  1/4 c. ground flax seeds 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 4 tbsp olive oil 1/2-3/4 c. water
for topping: 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary finely chopped 1/4 c. sea salt
Preheat oven to 450 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats. Mix flour, flax meal, salt & pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once combined add water and olive oil and mix until dough just stays together. You can do this by hand without a mixer but since the dough is so dry it takes a while. Separate dough into several small balls and roll out either by hand or with pasta bike until desired thickness is reached. Transfer the thin dough sheets to parchment lined cookie sheets and spray lightly with olive oil spray or other cooking spray. Sprinkle chopped rosemary and salt over the top of the crackers and use either a pizza cutter, pasta cutter or just plain old knife to slice into what ever cracker shape strikes your fancy. Bake for approx 10 minutes or until they are brown around the edges. Allow the crackers to cool and enjoy! The delicate little things store best in a zip top bag or something to keep them from going stale.
These tasty snacks can be made in any combination of flavors, next time I'm thinking black pepper & lavender or sun-dried tomato & basil! These go great with a glass of wine and a bit of cheese and some spicy salami or just straight outta the bag while the kids are napping!



& Fancy Crackers!

Chocolate soup for two

A few months ago I announced to Jess that for our anniversary we would be having chocolate soup. Now  if you think for one second that in this home dessert proclamations are not made months in advance, and then eagerly anticipated you'd be wrong, terribly wrong. There are a lot of great recipes out there that call for all sorts of thickening agents such as flour, corn starch or egg yolks but for ours I wanted a simple cream and chocolate mixture. I decided to use flour since I did not want to bother tempering eggs and I was out of corn starch. Feel free to adjust it to your specific needs, or even omit the thickener all together. The result something more than hot chocolate but less than pudding and entirely decadent to the last spoonful. That being said, I'd like to warn you that it probably has about a gazillion calories in it, but you'll savor every last one of them!

Chocolate soup for two4-5 oz.  of good quality chocolate bars of your choice chopped ( I chose a 70% dark and a milk)1/2 c. heavy cream1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk1 1/2c. milk1/4 vanilla bean splitpinch of salt2 tsp. flour or corn starch(optional for thickening)10-20 hazelnuts cracked and toasted for topping
for the hazelnut whipped cream:3/4 c.  very cold heavy whipping cream1 tbsp. powdered sugar1/2 tsp. pure hazelnut extract
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine milk, cream, sweet con milk and vanilla bean split with seeds scraped and added to the milk. Heat over medium flame just until it begins to bubble around the edges (not boiling) Turn off heat, cover and allow to steep for 10-15 min.While the cream mixture is steeping mix up the hazelnut cream by whipping heavy cream and powdered sugar on high. Just as mixture starts to thicken add hazelnut extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. (I prefer to over whip my whipped cream for a stiffer texture). Place whipped cream into the fridge until ready to use.Once the cream mixture has steeped return it to medium-high heat, add flour and stir constantly until it is very hot but not boiling and thicker in texture. turn off heat and add chopped chocolate and stir until well combined.Pour into bowls, top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted hazelnut and grated chocolate.Enjoy!

There are so many variations here. you could add any kind of chopped dried fruit, or nuts or coffee or even a little of your favorite liquor. Maybe the best part of this recipe is that you can freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays and blend the chocolatey cubes with a little milk to make the best milk shake ever! The options are dizzying, I'm out of control, I know!

&  velvety chocolate soup

I wish you love

Romantically speaking I could care less about Valentine's Day, but when it comes to the kiddos it's a whole different story. As a child it was one of my favorites with all the hand made paper doodads and candy. I mean really those are still 2 of my favorite things! 

This year my wee men and I made cookie pops to pass out at school. The perfect little treat for kiddos, this valentine is a little more work than just taping prepackaged candy to a card but I think it's a whole lot cuter too!

all you need is some sandwich cookies, white chocolate, lollipop sticks and some red food coloring or sprinkles!

Never, ever, before have I said this, but please buy real Oreos! I bought the Newman's organic cookies, and those delicate little boogers crumbled in my hands as I tried to put the sticks in them.

poke your lolli stick into the creme filling and lay on a parchment covered cookie sheet

here's all my cookie pops ready to be enrobed

what you can't see here is the 3 or 7 cookies I threw at my wall in a cookie shattering rage

Melt your chocolate (we used white, it's Orion's favorite) in a glass bowl in 30 second increments in the microwave until its smooth and ready for dipping.

Carefully coat the cookies in the chocolate and return to the parchment covered cookie sheet to cool. Top with sprinkles while the chocolate is still melty, my little helpers did all the sprinkling. 

I have no pictures of this since my hands were also coated in chocolate the entire time, oh well you get the idea, right?

Allow pops to cool to room temperature before packaging. We used sandwich bags with the zipper cut of and tied them with some cute red baker's twine. Super easy and super cute!

Enjoy!

I'm off to help out with class parties but before I go I'd like to wish you love and peace and big hugs from your loved ones today and everyday!

 remember you are loved!

Left over, not left out!

We always have leftovers, it's a sickness really because If we do not have leftovers I feels as though I did not prepare enough food. In this house we cook about 3 nights a week and feed off our leftovers the other 4 days. So If we eat all of a meal that means we have nothing for the next few days. Now before you feel sorry for my hubby and kids I suppose I should tell you that I usually remix the leftovers into an entirely new dish, so it's not as they are eating the same thing day after day. Also, much like any good restaurant, I usually have some sort of leftover soup or stew in the fridge for a quick meal. So often on leftover nights you have a choice of a a main dish or soup. Today (rather than fold laundry and finish painting my chest of drawers like I should) I want to talk about 2 very delicious leftovers I have in the fridge Aacheesy bechamel sauce and some whipped acorn squash. The bechamel is left over from some cheesey cauliflower, and the whipped squash is from last night when we had a mini thanksgiving dinner. Tonight I'm going to combine them with some delicious noodles and make Acorn Squash Mac'n Cheese.Now I know what you're thinking, and yes I do have a decided bias towards all foods rich and comforting this time of year. This is the season where I let loose and really enjoy cooking. It's finally cool enough to want to run the oven and I'm gonna make up for those few months when it wasn't!
Savory Whipped Acorn Squash

1 or 2 acorn squash1/2 c. Milk2 Tbsp. Butter1/2 tsp Garlic Salt1/2 tsp Cumin powderSalt & pepper to tasteI'm starting with the whipped squash we had for dinner last night, which is not only tasty but also pretty darn healthy. I bought these locally grown organic squash for $1 each, can't beat that! Slice it in half and remove the seeds. Then you may either wrap the 2 halves tightly in plastic wrap and microwave until soft or place the 2 halves cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until soft. For this I chose to bake my squash as I already had my oven going for the bird. Once the squash is soft scrape it into a bowl  add a little hot milk, cold butter, salt, pepper, and garlic salt and cumin powder beat on high until smooth like mashed potatos.I used about 1/2 milk and 2 tbsp butter. Now enjoy your whipped squash but be sure to save some for the Mac'n Cheese!
Acorn Squash Mac'n Cheese

1 lb.Good quality pasta rigitoni, elbow or penneLeftover whipped Squashbechamel sauceextra cheese to sprinkle on topbread crumbs (optional, but I like panko)
For the cheesy bechamel:3 tbsp.Unbleached flour3 tbsp. Butter2 c. Milk 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped1 clove of garlic chopped finely1/2 c. grated cheese of your choice (I used sharp cheddar)1/4 tsp. smoked paprikaSalt & Pepper to taste

 To make the bechamel you first make a light roux by browning the flour and butter in a sauce pan. It takes only a few minutes to reach a nice golden brown that helps enrich the flavor of the sauce. 

Then toss in the onions and garlic and cook just until they have softened.

 Next add in milk and allow to simmer of a few minutes. 

The flour will cause the sauce to thicken. Add in cheese and spices and stir to combine. 

Lastly add the cooked squash and stir until it is combined. cook the sauce just long enough to get it hot

Remove from heat and pour onto boiled pasta.

 Spoon pasta into baking dish and sprinkle lightly with cheese and bread crumbs. Rather than bake an already cooked and hot pasta dish I like to just put it under the broiler for a few minutes.

Remove from Hot oven and enjoy!

I served my Mac'n cheese with some yummy sauteed kale and the kiddos gobbled it all up! In fact I'm not sure they even knew that there was squash in it at all so this might be good if you have veggie squeamish little ones. What recipes do you enjoy adding autumnal ingredients to? I'd love to try a few of your favorite fall foods, so feel free to share.


& Cheesy Sauce

Italiano Eggs Benedict

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. 

Mine started off kinda rough, my car was broken into by someone while in my driveway, I got in a fight with a complete stranger (thanks blogland!) and I had to make an emergency trip to pick up my youngest from my mom's house a few hours away because he was sick.

Yeah, pretty crappy start to the weekend!

but it got better

and it keeps getting better

I thought I'd share this recipe for my new favorite twist on the classic Benedict.This was a dish My husband and I found at a cute little Italian cafe in Long Beach. As soon as I tried it I knew I would have to make this for our next Saturday Family Breakfast. I am happy to say that it is easier to make than the usual benedict with that temperamental hollandaise.

Italiano Eggs Benedict

Good quality rustic bread (I used a sourdough baguette) but focaccia is good too!

1-2 slices provolone cheese per serving

1-2 slices prosciutto (crisped under the broiler)

2 poached eggs per serving

1/2 tbsp. pesto per serving

Toast bread, layer on cheese and place under broiler until melted. Then place prosciutto and poached eggs top with pesto sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

I hope everyone has a beautiful day,  I'll be at work all day serving breakfast and dancing to the live jazz band!

& crispy prosciutto

Green Beans with Garlic Dill Butter

Lately I have been trying to find new way to prepare our fresh green beans. There are about a million other ways to prepare them and personally I'm a big fan of oven roasted, but oven roasted takes time and makes a mess. Here is a delicious lite mess way to make some pretty fantastic green beans. They come out a delicious mix of crispy and tender and I only wish that I had more green beans so I could make it again tomorrow!

 

Green Beans With Garlic Dill Butter

fresh green beans 

1-2 cloves chopped fresh garlic 

1/4 tsp dried Dill

1-2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

*this is by no means an exact recipe. I love Butter & Garlic so I use lots, use less if you'd like : )

Add butter and green beans to a heavy bottomed skillet. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until the green beans are starting to brown slightly. Toss the green beans around to coat with butter completely and allow to cook for 2-3 more minutes with the lid slightly tilted so some of the steam can escape. add garlic, dried dill, salt and pepper and allow to cook just until the garlic starts to brown.

Remove from heat and Enjoy!

pass the beans!

Wow, it's been a busy few weeks! I apologize for not being around much but first grade is looming just around the corner and I have been trying to pack in as much fun as possible before school starts. When last we left off this momma was checking activities off our summer bucket list like crazy. we have just a few left and after we go camping this weekend will be almost done, and with almost a month to spare! here's a few things that have been going on the last few weeks...

I finally got around to putting chicken wire into this old window frame so the boys have there own place to hang their treasures. There room is slowly coming along, now I'm just looking for dresser.

We need a new dresser because this guy is officially potty trained! I cannnot get over how much easier it is the 2nd time! We no longer need the giant dresser/changing table so I'm looking for something that will fit better. please ignore the slipcoverless sofa and toy strewn living space in the background :)

I have been on a "make it myself " kick and have been making all my own jam, cottage cheese, butter, bread, root beer and so on. I usually prefer to make rather than buy but I've recently attempted things I've never tried before, like butter!

I found this blog called The Italian Dish, where the author has an amazing recipe for really fast, really delicious bread dough with out kneading!  Although skeptical, I decided to give it a chance and can honestly say that it will forever change the way I make my dough. You seriously mix up the dough and put it in the fridge, then just take it out and bake it when you want fresh bread. I have now made everything from beautiful crusty loaves, to pizza, to cinnamon rolls and not one of them took longer than a few minutes! Honestly it almost makes me angry when I think of tall the time I've spent kneading and trying to make a perfect dough when this is sooo easy!

Farmer's market pizza, recipe to follow in a few days

Cranberry pecan cinnamon rolls

Well, I'm off to pack up for our camping trip. 4 days of  tubing, s'mores, swimming, and sleeping under the stars with our very best friends! Hopefully I'll be able to get some good family portraits while we are on the river, fingers crossed!

& Smokey campfires!

Quick fix-Sloppy Flo's

Yep, Flo's as in Florintine! 

While I am a huge fan of the traditional Jo, I made this twist on one of our favorites out of necessity. The spinach  in our yard was overgrown, the burger buns we had left over and needed to be used, the minor amount of spaghetti sauce was too little for pasta and the mushrooms were about to gang up on me.

So whats a girl to do?

toss them all in a pan and cook up some very quick and tasty...

Sloppy Flo's:

15-20 mushrooms quartered

1/3 red bell diced

1/2 yellow or red onion diced

1 clove garlic chopped

Spinach (as much as you want, I used lots!)

2/3 c. Spaghetti sauce

1 tbsp.olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

4 burger buns

Sautee mushrooms in olive oil until lightly browned. Add onions & peppers and cook until soft. add garlic, salt, Italian seasoning & pepper, stir to combine. Add spinach and cover stirring occasionally until spinach is cooked down. Add sauce and Parmesan cook until melty and delicious!

Serve on toasted burger buns, and Enjoy!

& Parmesan nibbles!

Sweet Wine Slushies

I love a good slushy, but the strangely neon corn syrup concoctions that sit mixing perpetually in convenience stores give me the creeps. Plus sometimes a girl wants a more complex flavor than blue suspiciousberry.
That's where my unwavering love for my Cuisinart ice cream maker comes in.
And just in case you do not own an ice cream maker my beloved little churner is on sale with coupon at costco as we speak!

 Yes, my ice cream maker and I shall someday conquer the world, but for now I'm happy being the cool mom that makes homemade frozen treats for the neighborhood kids.

Today, however I made myself a slushy, a decidedly grown-up one with only 2 ingredients.

Nothing is safe from becoming a cold delicious treat in my home, after all I am the one who made bacon cookies a few months ago, mmmm...bacon ice cream

Anyways, today I simply poured a cup and a half of red wine and 1 can of squirt into my ice cream maker and then flipped the switch 

15 minutes later I had a perfect slushified wine cooler!

Luckly my ice cream maker came with 2 crocks so I can make the hubby and I a batch of these and then make a more kid friendly batch for the little ones.

Peace and Brain Freeze!

Spice Glazed Pecans

Today I finally got around to cleaning out the closet in the boy's room.  It was about a year ago when I first painted and switched their room with the guest room. It has seriously taken me the entire year to get all my junk out of their closet.  Today I got up, drank an entire pot of coffee, and tackled the closet. After it was all cleaned out I decided that it needed a fresh coat so I took out my roller and painted it a nice dusty tan. It feels good to finally be finishing the boys room, and I can't wait to share some pics with all of you...soon!

In the meantime I thought I'd share my favorite salad with you. I made a big bowl of this yesterday to take to the BBQ we went to and it was a hit. The combination of Feta, dried cranberries and pecans has to be one of my favorite flavors ever! All the greens in the salad are straight out of our garden and aside from a few strawberries this is the first harvest we had so far...Homegrown organic spring mix? Yes please!

Usually I just lightly toast the chopped pecans in a pan but this time I thought it would be fun to mix it up a bit so while the pecans were toasting I tossed in a few extra ingredients and came up with a simple and delicious recipe for spice glazed pecans. They are not completely candied but do have a lot of extra flavor!

Spice Glazed Pecans

1 1/2 -2 C. Chopped Pecans

1 tbsp butter

1 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

1-2 dashes Cayenne pepper

pinch salt

Add chopped pecans to heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add butter, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice and cook until nuts are toasted and the sugar is bubbly and melted. Spread pecans out on a sheet of parchment and lightly sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper, toss to coat evenly and allow to cool. Store in air tight container and enjoy on salads, in popcorn, or just by the handful.

This recipe seems pretty adaptable so if you want more sugar or less pepper feel free to play around with it. I think it would also be good if you added curry instead of pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!

I like to enjoy this salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette but it is delicious with any dressing!

Peace pass the salad!

Fresh Watermelon lemonade and a Very Happy Birthday

Hello all my lovely friends, I hope you are all having as great of a day as I am.
Today is Orion's birthday, and in our family we like to make birthdays a big event. The day is usually filled with all of the birthee's favorite treats and activities. Here are a few photos from his party we had on Saturday. we had such a blast and having the party at a gymnastics studio really worked out great!

Watermelon Lemonade

 For a special birhtday treat I made up some special Watermelon lemonade to go with our dinner.

1 small seedless watermelon (or half a big one)
3 lemons
Grenadine syrup (optional)
sugar to taste

Remove  watermelon rind and cut into chunks. Place melon in blender and puree.  Add lemon juice and strain into pitcher. Add about 2 tbsp Grenadine and sugar to taste. Serve well chilled over ice or frozen watermelon chunks.

Watermelon cocktails

2 parts Watermelon lemonade
1 part Gin, vodka, or rum (optional)
2 parts soda water
Lemon slice
Mint leaves
Ice

In large pitcher mix Juice, alcohol, and soda water. Stir and over Ice into glasses and garnish with Lemon slice and fresh mint leaves. Enjoy! You can also mash some mint into the lemonade for a Mojito-ish twist!

Peace and smiling children!

Feel Like Bacon Love...

Oh is that not how you sing that song, so it's just me? oh well...

Tonight I am attending a going away party for 2 of my coworkers and I really wanted to bring something to wow them. I have become known for the baked goods I usually bring so I was feeling like I needed to step it up a little...So I made these

A bacony revision of my favorite Saltine cracker toffee treats. Yes bacon, because bacon is the food of the gods and it plays nice with anything. Now don't get me wrong, these can be made minus the pork, but why oh why would you want them that way? (unless of course you are a vegetarian)

Bacon Pecan Toffee

2 packs graham crackers
1 stick butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
8-10 slices of cooked bacon crumbled
1 tsp.  good Vanilla extract
1/4 c reserved bacon drippings (yeah that's not a typo!)
1/4 c. chopped good quality dark chocolate


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lay out graham crackers in a single flat layer. I like to break the crackers in half.
Place butter brown sugar and bacon drippings in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla, peacns and crumbled bacon pieces.
Pour or spoon mixture over crackers and attempt to spread, it's hard to spread so don't get too worried about it.
Place pan in oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until the toffee is bubbly. Remove from oven and carefully slide the parchment off the hot jelly roll pan onto a flat surface to cool. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate and cool.

Once the cookies are cooled you may either cut or break them into individual pieces. Store in the refrigerator and stay away from your scale for a few days. Enjoy

Linking up to Tuesday Night Supper Club over at Fudge Ripple, come on over and join the party too!

Peace and bacon grease!