The comeback kid !!

Well...........just when I thought I was going to get it together with my blog, I was involved in a serious car accident.Of course, all is going to be fine but, I am currently healing from a broken neck. Sounds serious right? The worst part is wearing what they refer to as a "Miami Collar"Who named this thing ? It's like having a noose around your neck that reigns you in every time you try to move in a normal direction. So for now, I am limited in my activities. Most of what I considered normal is now a time consuming chore. Hmmm, lets see ..........What kind of trouble can I get into when no one is looking??? Driving is out , therefore I am limited to seeing what lurks in my closets to keep myself occupied......challenging to say the least. Here's what I found this week.
       I've had plenty of time to peruse my favorite blogs and seeing as how I love my kitchen best, I thought that might be a good place to start. Chopping and cutting is still a chore as my visibility is straight ahead.Something easy was going to have to suffice. Smitten Kitchen was touting the need for popsicles for breakfast and that seemed like a great idea. Besides I had all the ingredients in my stash of supplies.http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/05/swirled-berry-yogurt-popsicles/

 I had raspberries calling me from the freezer........that's the only change I made.

Looks like I have to work on getting a clearer picture. What can I say,gave it my best shot. Seems my camera disappeared in the accident and I'm having to use a new one .........all the bells and whistles are not the same, so bear with me. I'm working on it. For now,it is what it is......said the hobbit.

POUTINE TWICE BAKED POTATO.......YUM!

While looking for something a little different to tantalize the taste buds I came upon this recipe in the February edition of Food and Wine.OMG....... I think I just found a family favorite.I can't really call them super easy but, I was able to make a batch and stick them in the freezer before the last bake.

Bake 6 potatoes till tender .......when cool enough to handle, empty out the shells and rice the potato. I didn't have a ricer so I just gave them a good mashing.
MIX TOGETHER:
          6 TBLS OF BUTTER
          1 CUP OF WARM MILK
           1/2 CUP OF SOUR CREAM
           3 OZ GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
           1 TBLS OF DIJON MUSTARD
           1/2 CUP THINLY SLICED CHIVES
And add to mashed potato. Fill your potato shells and make a deep indentation in the potato.Fill this with gravy.

You can use your favorite gravy recipe or use the following
2 TBLS BUTTER
melt butter and add
2 TBLS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
cook till golden brown,add
2 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK
1 TBLS VEAL DEMIGLACE
1/2 TEAS EACH CHOPPED SAGE AND THYME
cook till thickened........about 15 min
 This can be made up to 3 days ahead...Stir in
1 TBLS LEMON JUICE
1 TBLS HEAVY CREAM
 Right about now, it's looking pretty good,but, don't stop there.

 Top the gravy with diced cooked bacon..................

 top that with grated Mozzarella.then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min.

When ready to serve add a dollop of sour cream and fried potato skins that you have saved when you cut the top of the baked potato to empty.Serve with a salad and I assure you it will satisfy any hungry man.
While the potato was baking I cut the skins in bite size pieces and fried them up in a little oil using a heavy skillet........sprinkling them with a little sea salt gave them just the right seasoning. I just stuck them all over the top of the potato and my husband was in awe of homemade potato chips.We put 3 in the freezer to have later...............Is it later  yet?...................said the Hobbit

How do you start the day?

Finally February is over and out. This is the time of year that I get really motivated. The most dreary part is over,and my mind can start planning and dreaming of what comes next. Gardening, fun in the sun, discovering new local people and places, spring cleaning. Well, maybe not so much with the cleaning but, I do manage to tweek at least one area in my home that will help me improve my gardening skills and crafts.It's also when I seem to pay the closest attention to breakfast. With all these plans running around in my head I don't want to run out of gas.

So, this is what gives me the best start for my day. Today I started with several tablespoons of my Apple Spice Butter. I absolutely feel in love with fruit butters this year and since they contain very little sugar they must be healthy.....right. Then I top the butter with Greek Yogurt

Cover it all with a generous handful of my homemade granola.This batch used up the last of my dehydrated apples. Then, I drizzle it all with local honey. Definitely a great way to start the day. What gives you the best start to the day?.............said the hobbit

More attempts at candy

So happy I didn't attempt this before the holidays........I found this recipe HERE

I thought ............how hard can it be to make jelly drops? I got my ingredients together. 

4 SHEETS OR ENVELOPES OF GELATIN

2 CUPS SUGAR

1/2 CUP WATER

JUICE OF A LEMON

 ZEST OF AN ORANGE

2 DROPS YELLOW FOOD COLORING

Sheets of gelatin weren't available at my grocers so I got the envelopes. These had to be bloomed in 1/2 cup water Now this could have be my FIRST mistake. Was this an additional 1/2 cup water? Or was I to use the 1/2 cup in the recipe? After deciding to play it by ear and see if more liquid was needed as I went along I bloomed the gelatin and found it to look like a white hockey puck............pretty solid .

While that was going on I choose a bright orange to zest. This was for color so I found the prettiest one at the market.

Zested away ..............

Stopped for a healthy snack



brought my sugar and additional 1/2 cup water to a boil...added my gelatin and continued to cook an additional 15 minutes ....stirring constantly as suggested.When thickened I added the zest  and lemon juice,poured it into the parchment lined pan and waited for it to cool.Hers was a beautiful shade of yellow.........looking more like gold then the deep dark amber color I got...............where did I go wrong?

She mentioned several times her need for perfection in making these for giving and although I too feel that need...............

A good coating of 10x sugar and a pat on the back for going where I had never gone before quickly erased any self thrashing I might have attempted. So......not very pretty but, 

darn tasty and that's why I like being in the kitchen by myself ...........said the hobbit

Still looking in the pantry

Well it's still January so I'm poking around looking for new ways to be frugal and the pantry is my favorite place to make it happen.We will not talk about the yarn and fabric,tucked away in bins. January will be dedicated to "THE PANTRY"
I have a cookie recipe that calls for brittle and strange as it may seem, I can't always find SKOR brittle bars at my grocers.While lamenting my tale of woe to my daughter Sarah, she decided to find a recipe for me and within a very short time I received THIS recipe. I have no problem attempting most recipes but, candy??? This is out of my comfort zone.

The ingredients were simple enough
  2 sticks of butter
1 cup of sugar
5 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon vanilla
chocolate 
nuts                               I think the secret here is to make this in an iron skillet. She simple says to melt the butter sugar and water till the bubbles start coming up caramel color. So I did ......stirring constantly. Once it started to bubble I watched closely, trying to get just the right color of golden caramel. This took about 10 minutes. I wasn't sure that the chips were going to melt as she said, so, I put a little sample on parchment paper to see if it was for real.......touch of the doubting Thomas,

All looked fine so I proceeded to put my toffee on the parchment ........sprinkle with chopped pecans.I used about a cup. Seemed a bit heavy,,,,,,more like nut frosting than nut sprinkling.Then a
quick covering  with the chocolate chips, gently swirling in order to melt my chocolate in an even layer.

Of course this created a lovely tasting sampler on my spoon that I nibbled at while waiting for my masterpiece to harden. But, you know how it is......a watched pot never boils. It took about 1 hour to firm completely .......fortunately I have a marble slab that helped in the chilling process.

It was pretty easy to break into bit size pieces and I have to admit, this is a winner.

I think I'll be doing this again,but,for now I kind of like just looking at it on the shelf........said the hobbit.

WHAT'S IN THE PANTRY , can save you money

My hubby and I are playing a money saving game,that will give us more than we need for our Christmas shopping. He's not much of a saver but, got real excited about THIS post. Of course.....he's a guy and immediately thought we should make this a competition.So, not having a real income but, having a functioning household budget I have to be a little more creative with my savings.My first thought was to check the pantry and the freezer and see what I can come up with that would keep my from spending my grocery money and having a little extra to tuck away in the fund.This is only week 2 but, he has managed to put away $2 more than I.............Hmmmmmm patience little grasshopper.

My son attended a Christmas party and rescued the turkey carcass. His host was too tired to properly clean and rescue any remaining meat. My son knew I could handle this project and told his host to pop it in a plastic bag and I would be happy to dispose of it for him. My children are well trained to put enormous guilt on their friends when it comes to wasting food,and then offering them my help.After boiling down the carcass for broth I had 4 containers of turkey meat. Also in the freezer was a small bag of homemade cheese tortellini . Can you feel a plan coming together yet?

In the fridge I found carrot onion and celery which I sauteed in a little bacon fat.Once the veggies where tender I put in the turkey chunks and the broth..........took it to a simmer and let it blend for 1/2 hour.

Checked the fridge for a little color and found baby spinach that I added along with the tortellini and thyme for added flavor.

when all was simmered to perfection :-) I had enough for 4 servings.  

Topped with homemade croutons and my husband was most impressed.No,I missed the photo with the croutons you can stop looking for them.Of course, you can do this with any leftovers. I've even simmered a beef bone,added ramen noodles and pea pods with a little onion and bok choy  .Do you make leftover soup? What's your favorite?Well, I have no intention of losing this contest so hubby better not look in the mirror he just might see ........ the hobbit.

quiet cooking

Now that the holidays are over ............my brain is starting to function at a more normal level. Time to do the little things that make our household slow and mellow.

Something we like to have on hand in the pantry are homemade croutons. I KNOW doesn't sound very exciting but,  SO better than store bought and easy peezy to make. These 2 little breads were just the right size to make a batch.I just slice and dice them .Although most recipes will tell you to remove the crust.......it seems like such a waste and my family has yet to complain.

In a large bowl I mix Extra Virgin Olive oil about 1/2 cup 2 teaspoons of a favorite herb. This time it was an Italian mix, a little kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss the breadcrumbs in this till somewhat covered trying to get all the oil worked in.After it looks like the bowl has no dressing left....

I place the breadcrumbs on a parchment covered cookie sheet and sprinkle with a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I'm sure you could  use cheddar or some other hard cheese of your choice.

Now preheat your oven to 395 degrees and bake for about 15 min . Toss them up a bit and back in the oven for about 10 min.If your bread is very dry to begin with you might need to watch the last few minutes a little closer to avoid getting too dark.

When cooled you will have a tasty crouton great for soup or salad or just to nibble on.They keep forever in a storage bag on the pantry shelf.An added benefit is your house will smell like you have been making some really intense cooking but, ..............we all know this will only take a few minutes from start to finish. Now get back to the couch and do a little  reading...........or take a nap.............said the hobbit

YES, I can,can.And YOU?

HAVE YOU EVER PRESERVED PINEAPPLES?  I know, it's not local to New England, but, when I saw the overflow of pineapples in my market this spring I couldn't resist.

From the pantry ..........Cinnamon Raisin and Applesauce Bread.

I keep trying to get back to this blog but, 2013 is busy, full of changes, and crazy weather patterns that are turning my world like a top.Could I possibly have too much I my plate? That is something I will NEVER admit to. So having all this spare time on my hands I decided to try a few new breads. I got this one from a blog call NEVER HOMEMAKER Always on the lookout for something a little more healthy and natural this bread seemed to have it all.

One reason for giving this bread a try was the ingredient flax seed. When I worked at "the barn" we had quite a few customers that were extremely knowledgeable in nutrients  and flax seed was touted as the best protection to guard against several cancers.Click HERE if you would like a little more info.Most important when using flax is to crush with a mortar and pestle and soak for at least 15 min before using in any recipe.It seems the shell is so tough that it will pass through your system before you could get any benefits so do the best you can to break as many of those shells as possible.



Kosher salt and Extra Virgin Olive Oil  also known as EVOO in this house is a good thing so being in this bread was a plus. White and wheat flour ? I'm hearing crunchy granola in my head. Can I take all this good stuff.

Raisins and cinnamon and homemade applesauce with NO extra sugar added..........how healthy is that? I have to say .......I take my hat off to all you homemakers out there who are able to keep up with bread making as a regular chore in their daily lives. The bread was tasty ,looked great, and was enjoyed by all. 

However I just can't seem to find the time to do bread on a regular basis. Fortunately this recipe made 2 loaves so.......hiding one in the freezer will give the impression that I made it again. SHHHH. This will be our secret ..............said the hobbit

RECIPE FOR CINNAMON RAISIN AND APPLESAUCE BREAD

 2 1/4 TEASPOON ACTIVE DRY YEAST
1/2 CUP WARM WATER
1 1/2 CUPS APPLESAUCE
3 CUPS WHITE FLOUR
3 CUPS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL
2 TBLS FLAX GROUND AND SOAKED IN 1/2 CUP HOT WATER
2 TEASPOONS COARSE SALT
1 CUP OF RAISINS
 2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON.

Soak the flax..........then make the applesauce using 4 apples peeled and cored and simmered in an inch of water. Should take about 10 to 20 minutes.
In bowl of your mixer combine the yeast and warm water.allow to get frothy.
Mix cooled applesauce into yeast all to sit 4 to 5 min.
Add the sifted flours, salt, flax with water,EVOO, mix till combined and pulls away from the side of the bowl
Turn onto a flour board and shape into a rectangle. MAKE  2 RECTANGLES if you want 2 loaves.Sprinkle   with the cinnamon and raisins and keep folding till combined. Place in loaves cover and allow to rise 2 hours.
Bake at 410 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or till golden brown.Cool before slicing.

something new......doesn't always have to take all day!

Not everything I make takes forever........once in awhile I like to make something easy peezy and just head out the door to enjoy the day. Of course I still like to be able to say I made this myself.I found this recipe HERE Enjoy the day..........said the hobbit

Resolutions!!

 Did you make any resolutions this year? Well I made a few ........nothing earthshattering but, little things about me  that need improvement.It's been almost 3 months and I think Im starting to get a handle on some of my commitments.The computer has created a monster list of things I want to bake/make/knit/sew you get my drift?If I would live to be 1000 years old and did something new every week........I still can't imagine that I would finish this to do list.So I decided to try and actually make one new item per week,if possible and delete one that I will probably never get to in a million years.

 So far I feel pretty good about this. I can't even remember some of the recipes I have deleted and I don't feel guilty at all.These however will remain a favorite and frequent treat in the cookie jar.

My family is pretty fond of lemon and the minute I saw these I knew I had to try them at least once.This is one of MARTHA'S  recipes and you can find it HERE I followed the recipe most of the way. She has store bought  lemon curd as a filling  and I just couldn't bring myself to buy that. Come on ,making it is far better than anything you can buy,If you have a double boiler here is your chance to use it. I don't so, I did the bowl in a pan thing. In the bowl place 3 EGGS ,1 CUP OF SUGAR,1/3 CUP LEMON JUICE.  I used meyer lemons . That's one of the reasons I chose to make these. Really who can pass up Meyer's this time of year??OK ,back to the recipe.  With your water boiling wisk the ingredients in your bowl till they start to thicken. This took about 7 minutes for me.Remove from the heat and stir in 3 TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER and 2 TEASPOONS LEMON ZEST(OPTIONAL) into your curd.It's best if you cut the butter into smaller pieces.Cool and refridgerate for up to 3 weeks. Let me know if yours last that long.

Seems things disappear when you're not looking. Does that happen in your house?........asked the hobbit

EATING FROM THE PANTRY

Lots of my cooking results from checking out the pantry and deciding that something needs to be made use of before it goes to waste. This weekend bread was on the list.I had been making my own bread for quite some time and then fell into the habit of picking up a loaf from a local baker, but, lately it just hasn't been as tasty as it should. So I looked in my pantry.........found some rye flour and used that as my starting point. I have a huge collections of Martha Stewart Living magazines that I'm not quite ready to part with,because ,after all, I just might need some of her valuable information. Well sure enough January edition 2008 had the perfect recipe for an ARTISINAL MULTIGRAIN BOULE

This recipe is very hands on and instructions are detailed as to how to handle the dough right down to how to flip the dough end over end...........sorry Martha, not willing to use a peel to take the sticky dough off my hands.I used my trusty bucket.You have to do what's right for you.The starter had to be made the night before............

Then the joy of mix and rise and fold like a business envelope and tuck and roll and cuddle and spin !!!! Really , by the time I finished reading the instructions I was already saying......."if I can get this done, it will be the last time I make this bread"

Well as usual Martha knew best. When it was finished I had the most beautiful Boule .......and tasty? Oh my God ...why did I stop making bread.The instructions were for 1 large bread but,after the first rise I split the dough in half and made 2 smaller ones Cooking time was reduced by 20 minutes and now I have extra in my freezer. Believe me, we will be eating every morsel of this bread.

I confess, this recipe was not for the birds .............said the hobbit

The last of the Butternut

It's a sad tale,but, I have finally reach the bottom of my garden treasures. Yes........this is the final butternut squash. I have to say when I cut into the squash it was.......beautiful. Only a garden momma could say such a thing,but, I had to smile at how firm the flesh was and how the little droplets of moisture formed on the fresh cut.So after I gave it what I thought was proper adoration I proceeded to get it ready for EATING !!!!

When I worked at the BARN I would make this recipe and it was so loved that customers would have me call them when I knew that I would be making it. I finally decided to try it out on my family and they made it a must keep for Thanksgiving recipe. Who knew?

1 MEDIUM BUTTERNUT

I cut this in 1/4 and of course seed it. put it in a pot with about 1 inch of water and let it steam till cooked.No need to peel. When cooked pop it in the colander and let it cool. When cool you should be able to just spoon the flesh away from the peel with little effort.Mash as you would potatoes

1/2CUP MAYO

1/2CUP CHOPPED ONIONS

1 EGG

TEASPOON SUGAR 

S&P TO TASTE

Whisk all of these together pour over and mix into the butternut.

GRATED PARMESAN OR ANY CHEESE THAT YOU LOVE

SLIVERS OF BUTTER

Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and dot with butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 min.

Hope you love it as much as we do..........said the hobbit

from the pantry

Corn season is quickly coming to an end............so sad. I've purchased extra for winter chowdah.

A quick 4 minutes in boiling water and an icy bath. Take the kernels off the cob.

Pack in 1 or 2 cup servings and place in a freezer bag.

Don't forget to save the cobs ........lots of flavor and vitamins left in there. I've been known to toss one in my veggie broth.  Put a cob in with your potatoes when you plan on mashing them to top a casserole and your "people" will be stumped as to what that great flavor is.Do you have any secrets to share.......said the hobbit?

Buttermilk biscuits.......a true comfort food.

Not all comfort foods are soups or stews or casseroles dripping in gravy. Buttermilk biscuits definitely fall in this category.It is the perfect addition to any meal and certainly brings back childhood memories of grandmothers house or wherever you were lucky enough to have these biscuits.My first run in with these biscuits happened just a few years ago. We had been visiting friends in South Carolina and on the way home stopped at a Waffle House for a final taste of the south. I know, the Waffle House .......really? Here in New England it is next to impossible to find these restaurants. Sunday morning at this restaurant was a ritual for our Carolina friends.Our friend "Cokes" as he was called had recently passed away and stopping here seem like the right thing to do.It was still quite early and I wasn't ready for the big breakfast that my husband eagerly ordered and the waitress suggested a biscuit with honey...............Oh My God. Why had I never had these before?? When I got home I looked up a recipe for them and they have been a staple ever since.Here's how we make them at home.

 Sift together 2 and 1/4 cups of flour
                    1 tablespoon of baking powder
                     1/2 teaspoon cayenne
stir in             1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
With a pastry blender cut in 1 stick of butter
toss in            1 cup of cheddar cheese
In a separate bowl mix 1 cup on buttermilk with 1 egg

Stir the wet into the dry.........you will have a sticky gooey ball of dough.
Drop it on a VERY well floured cloth or board add more flour to your dough so that you can roll it out to a heavy 1/4of an inch.If you can't roll it try flattening it with your palm.It took me a few tries before the dough didn't stick to the rolling pin. Cut into any size circle. I use the 2 1/4 in biscuit circle but feel free to use anything that serves the purpose. Glass, can , or by eye if you can.

                                              Once I have them all cut out.

                                                I stack them one on top of the other

                                             Bake them about 18 minutes at 395 degrees

Once they have cooled just a touch I split one open..............add a hint of extra butter, drizzle the whole thing with honey and think ,oh yeah........now this is southern comfort....................said the hobbit.