Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies!

It's not only been easy, but pretty unfortunate that I have been so caught up in my "everyday routine". Wake up, rush out the door to class, scarf down lunch, go back to class, race home to eat more food, study. Repeat. That's my the life. I haven't talked to some friends in a few days or even checked in with my family. I find myself just going through the motions. Worrying about things instead of enjoying the adventure. I know it's not a switch I can turn, but a process that I have to change. Approaching each day with a better mind set and reflecting on the opportunity that I do have will hopefully allow me to make the most of each day.

It's the night before my first medical school exam. I should probably be learning more about the heart and nervous system and where all the blood vessels drain into God only knows what. But I am not. I decided to take a little break from it all to hopefully calm me down a bit. I think my CCL group will appreciate it :)

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
1 TSP baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 375. cream the butter and sugar together. add in the vanilla and eggs. stir in the flour and baking powder. then add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

use a spoon to make semi-even sized cookies. bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes depending on how large the size. I like mine a bit softer so did not cook them too long!

let them cool and enjoy with a refreshing cold glass of milk...or be a good team player and wait to enjoy tomorrow with your classmate to celebrate anxiety of test one disappearing!

It's not that I haven't been doing my best or working hard. But I think that I have been losing sight of some pretty important things. I am hoping to get back to a better balance and remember that I am a person, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and classmate. I am looking forward to enjoying a fun weekend and making the most of it!!

Peach Cobbler!

After a busy, but fun week of orientation, I had a great time celebrating with my classmates last night! It was fun to get dressed up, not talk about classes or assignments, and go out and get my dance on! A super great way to officially get things started! I am excited for the road ahead!

I told myself that I was going to take it easy and relax this weekend. This morning that started with setting off the house alarm bright and early. I was cleaning up from last night and hit a glass bottle against a glass shelf and apparently my alarm took that to mean someone was smashing in my front window! Luckily, the cops did not come, but the blaring alarm at 9 AM was less than pleasant!

Summer and peach cobbler are pretty much synonyms and I have been waiting way too many months to finally utilize some sweet Georgia peaches! Morning brunch conversing about the happenings of last night was filled with plenty of delicious eats and great laughs!

Peach Cobbler
5 large peaches, super ripe 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
3 tablespoons butter (can use shortening)
1/2 cup milk 
1 cup flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 


wash and cut ripe peaches into about one inch pieces. place in a bowl with brown sugar. preheat oven.

cut peaches!

in a separate bowl, cut butter and add in milk. mix in flour, baking powder and cinnamon and stir until evenly mixed. pour the peaches into a baking dish and spread the flour mixture on top. bake in the over at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

golden delicious!

If there is a way to bake my way through medical school, someone should let me know. ASAP. I am thinking maybe I will sell powerbars in the morning to help us with anatomy...

Coconut Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

Living Alone Lesson 2: Hosting is fun work.

In college I always said "I am going to have parties all the time when I get my own place." I lived in the dorms all four years and was a RA so "partying" in my little abode was difficult to say the least. Although I still don't really have my own place (yet), I think I can still host. And for the next week or two I get to pretend the house is mine! :)

The awful 30-40 degree rain we had ALL last week made me want to stay in bed and drink tea al day, but yesterday and today's glorious weather made up for it! I have had spring fever for probably a month now and am definitely ready for the beach weekends and hot runs to start up again! To prepare others for the greatness, I decided to have a themed din din party. I think it is safe to say it was Hawaiian-themed. Pineapple dominated and, as we all learned, it pairs well with lots of things!

I originally wanted to host a bake-off, but I realized that most people eat normal foods and don't run off baked goods like I do. My main dish was Hawaiian Chicken served over rice (post to follow), but as the host, it is only proper to have a dessert option too just in case someone else doesn't bring one right...? Coconut and rum are both pretty tropical!

Coconut Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp

2 cups sugar

1/2 tablespoon coconut extract

4 eggs

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1/4 cup Captain Morgan

1 cup sugar

Preheat over to 350. Cream the butter and sugar together until nice and smooth. Add in the coconut extract and beat together with the eggs until light and fluffy. Combine the flour and baking powder together. Slowly add in the flour mixture, one cup at a time, with the milk, a little bit at a time. Do not over mix the batter. Once everything is incorporated, pour into a well-greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for about 60 minutes, checking with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked all the way through. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

the masterpiece!!
(I feel like there should be a flower or plant in the middle)

For the glaze, add the rum and sugar to a small sauce pan on low heat. Bring to a slow boil and stir. Let it boil for about one minute or until the sugar completely dissolves. Slowly pour the glaze onto the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides. When it cools it will crystallize and make a pretty pattern!

the inside was nice and moist!

My (baking) services are up for auction. Tonight I was offered a basement bedroom with a private bath. Even the non-loving coconut fans in the house thoroughly enjoyed the cake, which pretty much made my night!


I am kind of glad I didn't host parties in college. I couldn't deal with mopping up beer from the floor, picking up millions of solo cups all over the place, or finding other fun random messes in the morning. I still had a bit of work to do when everyone left and I didn't even throw a rager! I will say that the best thing about going to someone else's party is that you get to go home to a clean(er) house! :) No matter how well I vacuumed and cleaned the counters before people came, I did it all over again! 


Totally worth it! It was great to have people over and share yummy dishes! Can't wait for the next one!!

I know some people that are always happy, optimistic and smiling. Definitely have some close pals that are not so cheery all the time. I'd like to think I am somewhere in between the two extremes. Most of the time.

It's still a work in progress, but I am slowly learning that you cannot change others' attitudes or behaviors. No matter how much you love spending time with someone, they will start to get on your nerves. Some smart woman once told me, "Relationships are about compromise." Not just between couples, but among friends, family members and complete strangers.

This past week was action packed. Jeanie's defense, birthday, St. Patty's Day, parents visiting, sister's in-laws, and the month I have been waiting for! I had plenty to do and prepare for to keep semi-busy, but also found my mind constantly racing. I tried my best to please everyone and do the in-between thing. But I feel like maybe I would have been better off if I was just myself and didn't try so hard.

I was super excited to make an awesome cake for my sister's defense celebration/St. Patty's Day/birthday partay. Not going to lie, I started thinking about it a few months ago. She is not a fan of baked goods/sweets, but when I saw her two favorite ingredients combined in one cake, I figured it had to work...

Chocolate Avocado Cake

from Joy the Baker

3 cups flour

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soft avocado (1 medium avocado)

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

preheat oven to 350. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda. 

mash the ripe avocado in a separate bowl. stir in oil, water, vinegar and vanilla. add in the sugar. 

mix wet ingredients with dry until incorporated. add batter to two greased, round cake pans.
bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked all the way through. let the cake completely cool on wire racks.

Avocado Frosting

2 ripe avocados (brown parts removed)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar  

using super ripe avocados, whisk together with lemon juice and vanilla until it becomes smooth. slowly add in powdered sugar.

*the color of the frosting will lighten as you add more sugar. my frosting was Shrek-green because I did not want a super sweet cake*

I had to remind Jeanie how old she is!

The cake was super moist and tasty! Vegans know how to bake too I guess! I think if I make it again, I would try to enhance the avocado flavor, or use a white cake since chocolate isn't my thing. But it was a fun experiment and definitely a unique cake!

Now that things have settled a bit, it is more clear that you can really only impact yourself. I am the only one that can control my mood, how crabby pants I want to be or the way I treat others. The people around me may enhance my mood or make me want to run away, but at the end of the day, it is my life and my choice.

Carrot Cake

Online shopping is so easy and convenient. You can compare lots of prices and products without traveling to millions of stores. No waiting in line or dealing with crazy crowds. Once you make up your mind, you just click and it's shipped right to your doorstep! Or so I thought...

Lately I have been having some issues. I ordered my mom and sis the same Vday gift (I know I am cool). Mom gets hers in three days. Perfect! Jeanie's never comes. At all. Long story short, company says something stupid about it being a seasonal item and not having anymore so they can't replace it. So no Vday gift for the sis. Fail!

Ordered some weight lifting gloves a few months ago. A week after I ordered them, I get an email with some stupid response about how the company cannot fill my order. Two months later, I decide to re-order from a different company. They came in late last week. Semi-fail!

Now I am getting smarter after all these fails. SO I order my friend Michelle's birthday gift two weeks before she is leaving for her hot getaway to Vegas. For sure in two weeks it will be here, right? I track it every day online. Feb 16 it is in Raleigh. Feb 17 USPS says it is delivered in Durham. Feb 19 it is in Indianapolis. hmmmmmmm? I politely tell the company that I have been tracking this thing and I need it here. They respond and say yea they guarantee delivery by the 24th so if it is not there by then to let them know. Sure enough, just like I predicted, no package on Feb 24. Enraged, I email them, not so politely this time, and say that not only should they have done something about it last week when I emailed, but now I won't have the gift for my friend's birthday party.

I guess the birthday cake I built her was better than nothing...

Carrot Cake
fresh squeezed orange juice from 2 medium oranges (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium sized carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts

preheat oven to 350. beat together juice, oil, and eggs. mix dry ingredients together. add in the wet ingredients. fold in carrots and nuts. pour into cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Frosting
8 oz Neufchâtel cheese, room temp
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

while the cake is cooling, whip ingredients with hand or stand mixer. make sure the cheese is warm before starting. i recommend taking it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before starting to make the cake. when the cake is completely cooled, frost the cake! I added some grated carrots on top!

happy birthday Michelle!!

It's usually the little things in life that make a big difference. Packages that don't arrive on time make me incredibly angry. A simple "thank you" makes me feel warm and fuzzy. People that use the wrong door and walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk drive me nuts! Little notes and cards mean the world to me. Seeing someone smile from ear to ear while cutting into her birthday cake is priceless! 

A smart ass man once told me, "seems like things never go quite as you plan." It ended up being a fantastic birthday party, even without the gift I ordered and I knew we would celebrate after the trip! Tonight we had din din plans tonight to catch up, celebrate birthmonths/days and hear about the hot Vegas trip. That did not go quite as planned either. But the girly, heart to heart chat was way better! Gift was exchanged. Dessert was still consumed. And necessary chatting was completed! :)

Cappuccino Biscotti

When you can't run, bake. Sounds pretty legit to me.

It's a co-workers bday tomorrow and I wanted to make him something tasty. He's not a big sweets fan. SO... my usual make a big bday cake, take it to work to let people ooo and ahhh over it plan kinda went out the window. Then I was thinking maybe cookies. Or muffins. Or a loaf of bread?

Finally, it hit me! He LOVES coffee. And what goes better with coffee than Biscotti? I'm not going to lie, I've never made the fancy treat before. It's 9:30 at night and the only secret family recipe I have is almond biscotti. So there I had it.

As I was running out the door (ok, hurrying not running) because I only had two eggs in the fridge, I suddenly remembered: nuts = a NO-GO. He's allergic. That pretty much wipes out 99.9999999999999% of the things I make. I found this new gem of a recipe that combines coffee and biscotti. Sounds like it could be a winner winner!

Cappuccino Biscotti
from Joy of Baking

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee
1 tablespoon milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

*original recipe calls for 3/4 cup hazelnuts, but I obviously did not add them*

preheat oven to 350. whisk together the COOLED coffee, egg, milk and vanilla in small bowl.
mix flour, sugar, soda, powder, cinnamon and cloves. add the wet ingredients until incorporated. add chocolate chips.
with flour on your hands, divide the batter into two. using extra flour, roll the half into a log (about 10 inches long by 2 inches wide). bake for 25-30 minutes at 350.

let the logs cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. cut the logs into pieces and place back into the oven at 300 for another 15 minutes until golden brown.

They are a bit sweet for my liking and I would def add some nuts for an extra crunch if I make them again! I hope the birthday boy enjoys them!!

Brownies!

Happy Feb 16th! SURVIVOR PREMIERE NIGHT!!!

I am not completely against celebrating Vday. Buying over-priced flowers that will die the next day and dealing with the 8913789 other lovebirds that flock to restaurants for a fixed menu does seem a bit outrageous to me though. I am not really a fan of chocolate either. I'll take shoes.

This Valentine's Day I did share a special bonding moment cleaning the house from floor to ceiling. It needed a major face lift and many toxic chemicals were involved in the process. Bleach works magic! I did get to enjoy awesome salmon cakes, edamame, a salad and some rosemary pasta. And even managed to catch a few precious minutes of the drama-filled Bachelor...quite a glorious day I will admit!

With that being said, I am still waiting on a company to mail the Vday gift that I ordered (back in Jan). So I have decided that I will just "celebrate" whenever I feel like it. I needed a little help to get through this hump day and to make the bestest show ever a little more exciting! What better way than to bake. Bake brownies that is!

Brownies

from a box

1 box o greatest

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup water

walnuts

caramel bits!

I know. I cheated and used a box. But Dukie was playing ball. And Jeff Probst was airing. I was rushed...

I did get a bit creative and used some extra fixings and a cute pan! Brownie points? Dukie dominated. Survivor was great. Milk + gooey brownie = awesome hump day on my clean, germ-free couch!! Looking forward to a warm weekend!!

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Walnut Cookies

Cake? Bars? Cookies? 

Chocolate Chip? Peanut Butter? Oatmeal Raisin? Nuts?

Yea I get a little carried away sometimes. And overwhelmed by all the possibilities cause I want to create the best thing possible. Especially when I haven't baked in a while. But I was having difficulties coming up with something this time. 

I weighed the pros and cons. Multiple times. Back and forth like a yo-yo. 

Most people like cakes for their birthdays. And I have a pretty famous Layered Chocolate Raspberry Cake. But I don't really like cake. At least the traditional, frosting-loaded type. And I made that a time or six before...

Cookies always please me. But is that enough to make someone feel special on their birthday? It's not my birthday.

Bars are a bit more unique. Maybe fancier than a simple cookie?

Ever feel like you get so worked up about the dumbest things? Things that should be fun, enjoyable, or not so stressful? Yea, I found myself falling into this category...again...

So finally I decided to put down the computer. Stopped looking at cookbooks. Started throwing around ingredients... 

Awesomeness. 

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Walnut Cookies

something I created

1 stick butter 

1/2 cup oil 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 - 2 cups flour

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

beat butter, oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla together. mix in baking soda, powder, cinnamon, rosemary. fold in oatmeal, flour, cranberries, chips and nuts. 

use a teaspoon to place onto cookie sheet. *or press into a baking dish to form bars*

bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.


I like my cookies a bit softer so I watched the timer very closely and did not overcook them. 

yummo!!

 *I clearly could not decide on bars or cookies so I did both! :)

the bars!

I will place a candle in the cookie bars and present it to the birthday queen in just a short bit. Hopefully they will not be overcooked and will be soft, chewy and moist!


At the end of the day, I think it's best to go with you gut. Trust yourself to make good decisions. It's ok to be cautious, but sometimes it's ok to not over-think everything. Once you make a decision, stick with it. Confidence is key. You learn with each mistake. And decision.

Happy 2011!!

Happy 2011!! I am still in denial that another year passed, but 2010 brought lots of new things.

I enjoyed a fun graduation celebration for lil bro and a great Christmas in Iowa last week. It was awesome baking dozens upon dozens of cookies and other treats with Mom, trying to beat Dad in Backgammon, catching up with the besties, and, yes I’ll admit it, shoveling and sledding! I guess a little bit of the white stuff isn’t too bad every now and again…

I also think it is safe to assume, we may have altered an old family tradition. I have fond memories sneaking out of my room to partake in Monopoly matches. It started as a fun and friendly way to pass time so we could stay up late enough to witness the Times Square magic. Family friends started joining the party, the snacks got a bit more sophisticated, and I eventually toasted bubbly at midnight. I treasure the Monopoly bragging rights and it didn’t seem right if we did not play at least one game.

This year, Dad got Monopoly Deal as a gift. (I do need to sincerely thank my din din date pals for introducing me to the most addicting card game!) Needless to say, my week in Iowa was filled with many, many cut-throat matches of Monopoly Deal. I think the transition from board game to card dealing was well received by all despite my awesome wins! J We stayed up nearly every night together battling it out!

While I accepted the small change in the family game, I could not move on without the guest star New Year’s treat. It’s no New Year without the shinny silver coin buried in the cake and bread. 2011 marked the first year I ventured to create my first New Year’s cake.

New Year’s Cake (Vasilopeta)

a Greek family secret!

½ lb butter

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

6 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup warm milk

½ teaspoon baking soda

juice of ½ lemon

chopped walnuts and sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and stir until it is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time beating after adding each one. Stir the baking powder into the warm milk and add into the batter. Mix the baking soda and lemon juice together and stir in. Mix well and pour into a greased 10 inch cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and sugar mixture on top after 20 minutes. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until the cake is done all the way through.

my lovely new blue platter!!

Mom would wrap a quarter in tin foil and plop it in the cake batter, and also with the New Year’s bread, before baking. Dad would carve our initial on top of one piece and we would search for the shinny piece. The person that got the coin would have good luck for the entire year!

no silver...

I have a 50/50 chance this year as my sister and I are searching for the lucky piece! I am looking forward to a fun filled 2011 and know that more changes are coming, but this Greek family tradition is here to stay! 

Apple Pear Cranberry Awesomeness!

I like fall. And fruit. And impressing people with little effort.

My apple crisp is pretty legit so I figured adding more fall flavor could only make it better.

Apple Pear Cranberry Crisp
3 apples (I used a mixture of Granny Smiths and Jonagolds)
2 ripe pears
2 cups fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 375.
wash and chop apples and pears. rinse and sort cranberries, picking out the wrinkly ones. place fruit into a deep baking dish.

cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. mix in flour, cinnamon and oats until even. 

sprinkle mixture on top of fruit. add nuts on top of oats. 

bake at 375 for 30-45 min. until golden brown on top!

you can eat it right out of the oven. or the next morning for breakfast! 

This is a super easy throw together dessert that is mostly fruit. I made it as a healthier option for the turkey feast! But had it in addition to my pie! :)

Apple Cranberry Bolster

Dinner dates with friends make me :) It had been a long time since our last one, but I think it was worth the wait. We quickly planned a delish din din menu:

Edamame. Lightly sea salted.
Mixed Field Greens with fresh Pear, Pomegranate, Goat Cheese, and Pecans.
Steamed Carrots.
Mashed Rosemary Red Bliss Potatoes.
Pork topped with blackberry sauce.

No one mentioned a dessert. If the oven is being turned on, doesn't it make sense to bake? So I got the wheels turning and ditched on helping with din din to make a secret dessert instead!
Apple Cranberry Bolster
idea from butter, sugar, flour, eggs
2 Granny Smith apples

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almonds
3 sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed
3 tablespoons melted butter

preheat the oven to 375. wash, core and chop the apples. I leave the peel on for added fiber and nutrients. plus, I think it tastes better with the peel! toss with the lemon juice, zest and vanilla.

wash and sort cranberries. add to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. add in sugar and briefly mix.

finely chop the almonds. or buy them already chopped if you're smart/lazy.

this is mid-chop. they should be smaller than this...

now the fun part! place one sheet of phyllo dough on a greased pan. **if you have not worked with phyllo before, be prepared. make sure that it is fully thawed before using. it dries quickly so once you take it from the fridge, keep it under a towel or work fast. it also tears easily, so be gentle!** lightly butter the sheet. sprinkle the chopped almonds on the top. you can also add some extra sugar...

butter sheet #1

lay another sheet on top of the almonds. lightly butter the top. sprinkle more almonds. lay the final sheet. lightly butter. add the chopped apple and cranberry mixture to the final layer leaving about one inch on the ends.

starting at one end, roll the pastry into a log. lightly butter the top of the log and add the remaining almonds on top. bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

let it cool for 15 minutes. cut carefully into sections and serve with some tea!

Merriam-Webster believes a bolster is:
- a long pillow or cushion
- a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing

I think it's a great fall treat that is not too sweet.

Apple Pie

I'm stubborn. 

It's always an experiment in my kitchen. I rarely follow a recipe exactly. I like to think that I know exactly what I am doing. "This recipe does not need all that butter...Or sugar..."

I'm scared.
Baking is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one side, no matter how you alter the recipe, it still tastes good and people eat it. On the other side, experiment too much, and you'll end up with a rock hard product that breaks your tooth or has some weird, gross me out texture.

I'm a social butterfly.
I met some new people and some friends got together for turkey day celebration #1. Every one brought something and I, of course, did dessert. I wanted to bring something exciting, awesome and delicious. After thinking about millions of possibilities all week long, I finally settled on the classic. I mean, let's be honest, what is more satisfying that a delish, warm, right out of the oven piece of apple pie after all that turkey?

I'm efficient. Or try to be. 
We were getting together after work Friday night, so I formed my two dough balls for the crust, and sliced the apples to soak in the fridge over night. Thinking it would be super easy and quick to come home, change clothes, roll the dough, throw the apples in and run out the door, I attempted just that when I got home.

I'm not super patient.
My dough. Rock hard. Unbelievably solid. I did not understand how a dough so flaky and awesome last night could be such a mess 14 hours later. It is now 6:21. Dinner is being served at 7. I hate being late.

I'm a venter.
Thank God my professional baker (mama bear) was able to knock some sense into me. She knows how worked up I get when things fail. And how I want everything to be perfect, especially when serving others. (I think my sis was afraid that the rock solid dough ball was going to be thrown at her face if she entered the kitchen so she stayed far far away.) After yelling into the phone for a good five minutes, I settled down and realized that I have to figure this out. Like a big girl. What happens to butter when you let it sit in cold temperatures for long periods of time? Well, it gets rock hard.

I'm resourceful.
Every recipe I referenced noted how the dough should be ice cold and not over-worked to keep it nice and flaky. But, I didn't have hours to let the dough warm up in order to roll it out and I was scared to mess with the dough too much because that would make it tough. Since the rolling pin wasn't working for me, I used my hands and start pounding...I managed to be "fashionably late" with a pretty decent looking pie.

Pie Crust
2 ½ cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 sticks butter, cold, cut into chucks
4 tablespoons ice water
2 egg yolks

add flour and sugar into food processor. pulse. add butter. pulse until crumbly. add water and egg yolks. do NOT over process once the liquids have been added. it will make your dough tough instead of flaky. roll dough with hands into a tight forming ball. wrap tight in plastic wrap and set in fridge until ready to roll. you can split into two smaller dough balls if storing overnight.

I know. I used butter. It's pie though.

Apple Filling

6-8 Granny Smith apples

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1-2 tablespoons cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar

can add nutmeg, cloves, and/or ginger if you like additional spice

wash apples and cut into small pieces. add lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and spices. mix together. if preparing the night before, transfer apples to a plastic Ziploc bag to prevent exposure to air.

pre-heat oven to 425. roll dough into a 9 inch circle and transfer to pie dish. crimp the edge of the crust. 

add the apples on top. roll the other dough ball into a 9 inch circle. lay over the top. make sure to slit the top layer of dough to let the air escape during baking. you can make designs like leaves on top!

place the pie in the lower third of the oven. check on the pie after 35-40 minutes to make sure the crust is not too baked. cover with tin foil if the crust is getting too brown.

Not going to lie, I decided on a lattice design because I had trouble rolling the second ball into a nice cirlce...

it should take about an hour for the apples to cook down. remove from the oven and let sit/cool before cutting and serving.

I'm a learner.
It was my first pie making experience. And I am crazy to think that it would be a picture perfect pie. I am afraid of letting others down. No one spit apple pie across the kitchen, so I take that as a good sign. The dough was pretty flaky, but I should have covered it with foil a bit earlier while it was baking (I was busy stuffing my face with turkey and sweet potatoes).

It's about taking risks. Putting yourself out there. Facing your fears. And learning from your mistakes.

Pumpkin and Pineapple Muffins

There's nothing better than a homemade baked good. Especially if you're not feeling well or if you're needing a pick me up. 

I heard the ingredients to this recipe and thought "Pumpkin and Pineapple? Together?" After much consideration, I remembered, "It's the thought that counts."

Pumpkin and Pineapple Muffins

from mama!

2/3 cups oil

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

16 oz can pumpkin (2 cups)

16 oz can pineapple tidbits

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups white flour

1 ½ whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

preheat oven to 400. beat liquid ingredients together with pumpkin and pineapple. add dry ingredients to liquid mixture. make sure to break up all baking powder clumps before adding. mix just to combine. DO NOT over mix. transfer batter to greased or lined muffin tins. sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. 

mixed batter

You could probably add some walnuts for a bit of a crunch. I was making these for other people and get worried about nut allergies. The pumpkin cinnamon combo is pretty awesome and the pineapple adds a nice sweet touch!

I will admit, the combination of pumpkin and pineapple sounds a bit weird. Give it a try though. It's pretty nutritious and delicious! And a great treat to share with friends!

My First Attempt

So I've decided to start documenting the things I make, maybe to motivate me to change it up a bit or maybe to work on my presentation skills. My friend told me I have to include "normal" foods as well as baked goods, so we will see how this goes. My mom is the one that inspired me to bake. I can remember her in the kitchen baking tasty treats for our family as a kid and I look forward to my favorite home-cooked meals when I go home. I guess moving out and being on my own, I realized I have to work on my domestication skills. I kinda got hooked on baking...Now, I call Mom and ask her to share her secret recipes and figure out what ingredients she uses. Little did I know that most of what she does is on the fly and she RARELY follows a recipe. At times, it is hard for me to duplicate what she makes, but it made me realize that baking is an art and you gotta figure it out for yourself. Hence, I have started reading, experimenting, and learning on my own.

I'm not a big cake eater (literally or figuratively), but I do bake cakes for friends' birthday celebrations. My sister is helping me come up with 5 flavors for them to chose from. This week, I did a yellow layered cake with strawberries and a buttercream frosting. Although I did not use as much sugar as the recipe called for, I got some feedback that it was a bit too sweet. I think it was the combo of strawberry preserves in between the layers, fresh strawberries, and rich frosting. Now I know...

In addition to the cake, I made my big bro some cranberry pistachio granola. Made with oats, flax seed, honey, maple syrup, dried cranberries and roasted pistachios. He's not a big nut fan, so it was hard for me to come up with something that doesn't have nuts (or that I could resist adding nuts to). He does like pistachios however. I like this recipe because the granola is salty, crunchy and a little sweet. Once again, I did not add the extra sugar. The honey and maple syrup combo is plenty.

I also experimented with a peanut butter banana bread and apple cake. I HEART PEANUT BUTTER. and APPLES! Bananas...welp let's just say the texture and smell sound be hidden at ALL TIMES. Got these ideas from a Cooking Light mag and altered them just a bit to make it a little more figure friendly: less butter and sugar, whole wheat flower, oats and flax seed. Cakes are difficult to mess with and still get a decent texture, but I managed to sneak in a few changes. Caramelizing the apples was a task and def need to get better at doing that...it was a first time making a sugar syrup and hopefully next time it will look a bit better/more caramel colored. Still tasted good (I think)

Off to plan next week's treats! :)