Guacamole

Do you or some of your family like guacamole? Then try out this tried and tasty recipe!

3 Avocados

1 Tbl. Fresh Lime Juice

1/2 Jalapeño minced

1 clove of Garlic minced

1/2 Onion minced

2 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped

1 Tbl. Cilantro chopped

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Cayenne

1/2 tsp. Cumin 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mash avocado with potato masher till smooth but with some chunks. Soak in lime juice.

Drain but save lime juice for later use. 

Add rest of ingredients then add salt, cayenne, and cumin. 

Cover and let sit on counter for 1 hour then add salt and pepper and more lime to taste. 

Cover and place in fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Mango Avocado Salsa

This Salsa recipe was a big hit at a bridal shower this last month so I thought everyone would enjoy adding this one to they're recipe book.

1 Mango diced (make sure it's ripe)

1 Avocado diced

4 med. Tomatoes diced

1 Jalapeño minced

1/2 c.  Cilantro chopped

3 Garlic cloves minced

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbl. Lime juice

1/4 c. Red Onion chopped

3 Tbl. Olive oil

Stir together first 6 ingredients then add the rest. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour  before serving.

Red Salsa Fresco

This is an all-time favorite in our house and many others have wanted the recipe, so I thought I'd post it for all to share! It's not hot but if you like to have a bit more kick just add an extra half to whole Jalapeño and more pepper.  

It's gluten free, dairy free, egg free, preservative free, but not taste free! Enjoy!

2 lg. Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 lg. Onion minced

1/2 tsp. Garlic minced (you can add more I've found 3 medium cloves does well)

1 Jalapeño, seeded and minced

1/4 cup Cilantro chopped

1-1/2 Tbl. Fresh Lime juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Stir together. Cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Shortbread cookies 1-2-3

Another article I read that was good. No I have not read the book yet but I want to, tell me if you do or have....

Food writer Michael Ruhlman's book, Ratio, might just free you from cookbooks forever. Instead of relying on recipes, Ruhlman breaks down cooking into easy-to-understand ratios of ingredients, a method he says allows for more creativity in the kitchen. "When you know a ratio, you don't know a single recipe, you know a thousand," he says. Once you've mastered the basics, you're free to start experimenting by adding or subtracting flavors.
1-2-3 SHORTBREAD COOKIE RATIO: 1 part fat: 2 parts sugar: 3 parts flour

If you're ready to dive into the world of baking ratios, Ruhlman's 1-2-3 cookie dough is the logical place to start. "The dough is easy to remember, easy to make, and allows you to make one cookie or three dozen " he says. In fact, he calls this product of this dough "the essence-of-a-cookie" cookie: "One you know this dough, you really see how cookies work."

On its own, the combination of one part fat, two parts sugar, and three parts flour bakes up into a crisp, buttery shortbread with just a hint of sweetness. It's the kind of cookie that's perfect with tea, or as an after-dinner treat for an adult crowd who appreciates its sophistication. But the real genius of this dough is its simplicity: Because the flavors are so basic, the cookie can be endlessly modified. Doing one of three things-changing the flavor, swapping an ingredient or altering the proportion of flour-will net a different result, giving you literally hundreds of different cookies options.

Where to begin? Add almond or vanilla extract. Try brown sugar in place of white. Swirl in a dollop of peanut butter. Throw in nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. Sprinkle in some cinnamon or nutmeg. Experiment with eggs and baking powder-they'll give the cookie a lighter crumb. Don't be afraid to try new combinations, Ruhlman says.

But if you're going to stick close to the original ratio, he advises would-be bakers to pay attention to the quality of your ingredients, especially the butter. "If you want to splurge on Plugra, it's going to be a better cookie, " he says, "but I think the most important part is to use fresh butter. Butter has a tendency to pick up odors from the refrigerator, so you want a clean, fresh-tasting butter."

After that, whipping up these cookies is as simple as one, two, three.

Samantha

Cooking Without Measuring

An article I read that I thought was really good.....

Cooking Without Measuring

Several years ago I was following a James Beard recipe for cornbread that called for two tablespoons of salt, which, even to me, a salt fiend, seemed like too much. But this was James Beard on cornbread, practically the master and his muse, and so I did what the recipe told me to, despite my qualms.

Guess what? It was too salty, way too salty, even for me. I assume it was a typo. The inedible cornbread, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise: It gave me the confidence to question and modify recipes. In time, this led to eyeballing measurements and relying more on common sense, instinct, and tasting than on slavish direction following. Last Thanksgiving I went so far as to cook the entire meal, appetizer to dessert, without measuring or closely following any recipes. It was the most relaxing holiday meal I have ever made.

Cooking without measuring (or even using a recipe) is as old as cooking itself. Grandmothers did it for centuries, but somehow we of recent generations have lacked the kitchen confidence or culinary know-how to pull it off. Of course, this kind of learning happened more naturally when kids grew up watching their mothers and grandmothers in the kitchen improvising. The last decade or two of celebrity chefs as gods and cookbooks as their bibles have, in some ways, made home cooks more dependent on recipes and measuring rather than less.

"A lot of people measure and expect it to be perfect at the end. They're afraid to taste and trust what they're tasting. But it's all up to your taste buds, so you have to taste as you go and trust your own taste," says Diane Forley, the former chef-owner of the two-star Manhattan restaurant Verbena, and now the chef/baker/co-owner (along with her chef husband Michael Otsuka) of Flourish Baking Company. "If you like it, then it's good."

Forley says she almost never measures when she cooks for her family (but then she is a trained chef). What she does, however, any of us can do, which is to eyeball her ingredients and the cooking vessel they're going into and visualize amounts and ratios of one ingredient to another according to flavor. "So if I'm making a vegetable soup in a big pot I'll lay out my ingredients and know that I need two or three carrots, onions, zucchini, maybe rutabagas, Jerusalem artichokes, but only one or two parsnips because they're a much stronger flavor."

With seasoning, of course, a tablespoon versus a teaspoon makes a big difference (as I learned), so adding less and tasting to see if it needs more is the way to go. "For something like a chili or stew, you have to trust that the dish will evolve and flavors will develop, so tasting at the end to add whatever seasoning it needs is important." How do you know what it needs? By believing in your taste buds and cultivating your taste memory-in other words, remembering flavors you've liked. Forley feels she owes a lot of her taste memory to her mother, a natural and inventive cook.

"All I need are the ingredients," says 80-year-old Ruth Forley. "Sometimes I start off doing one dish and I end up doing another because I am spontaneous and I am able to taste it in my mind." The elder Forley's cooking draws as much on her international, multi-cultural background as it does on sheer time spent in the kitchen. Her mother was born at the turn of the (last) century in India and then lived in Israel and Egypt, where she met Ruth's father. Ruth was born in Guatemala and was raised there in a Sephardic Jewish community, doing the rest of her growing up in Ecuador. "Each place has contributed to what I am. I am not a person of one place, I'm a mixture of everything."

And therefore so is her cooking. Like her chef daughter, Ruth eyeballs her ingredients in bunches and pinches, instead of in cupfuls or teaspoonfuls. "It's more creative this way, no? You're able to make something that is your own concoction."

Samantha

How to make a Flower Pie Crust

Tired of lattice pie crusts? Try this easy-to-make decorative pie crust.

~To make this pretty flower pie:
~Using a paring knife, cut pie dough into strips of various size. A 2 or 3 inch round cookie cutter will make the center of the flower.
~Lay the strips on top of the pie, sporadically overlapping the strips. Top with round center in the middle.
~Adhere strips together by dabbing with water, or brush egg wash over the finished pie.
~Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake.

Samantha

Attention: Writers of this blog

Hello Pilgrim Ladies (writers for this blog): please vote for the blog button of your choice. If you do not choose any of the ones below, please comment and tell your idea(s) for what you would rather have. When you comment, be sure to identify the button by number (each number corresponds to the button below it).

#1

#2

#3

#4
#5

#6

Please vote only if you are a contributor for this blog, by leaving a comment! Thank you.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Before you all read this and think I am totally crazy I will tell you I did not do a study on this myself, I was looking up Irish Soda Bread recipe for St. Patricks Day and happens on this web site http://www.sodabread.info/index.htm , Irish Soda Bread alone. :) So I thought I would share this bite of Irish food history. There is a recipe here you just have to go done a ways. Enjoy.......

Oldest published Irish Soda Bread recipe found to date (July,
1837 Journal of the Franklin Institute.... p.71) referencing Irish newspaper in
County Down.
A correspondent of the Newry Telegraph gives the following
receipt for making " soda bread," stating that "there is no bread to be had
equal to it for invigorating the body, promoting digestion, strengthening the
stomach, and improving the state of the bowels." He says, "put a pound and a
half of good wheaten meal into a large bowl, mix with it two teaspoonfuls of
finely-powdered salt, then take a large teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda,%
dissolve it in half a teacupful of cold water, and add it to the meal; rub up
all intimately together, then pour into the bowl as much very sour buttermilk as
will make the whole into soft dough (it should be as soft as could possibly be
handled, and the softer the better,) form it into a cake of about an inch
thickness, and put it into a flat Dutch oven or frying-pan, with some metallic
cover, such as an oven-lid or griddle, apply a moderate heat underneath for
twenty minutes, then lay some clear live coals upon the lid, and keep it so for
half an hour longer (the under heat being allowed to fall off gradually for the
last fifteen minutes,) taking off the cover occasionally to see that it does not
burn.

In researching historic publications for this site
(see History section) the above recipe is highlited as something "new" to the
area.

The Un-Bread

If your "soda bread" has raisins,
it's not "soda bread! It's called "Spotted Dog" or "Railway Cake"!
If it contains raisins, eggs, baking powder, sugar or shortening, it's called
"cake", not "bread." All are tasty, but not traditional Irish Soda
Bread!

Read on to find out about soda bread history and background info on
Traditional Irish Soda bread. Click on any of the links on the left to
explore and learn more!

Traditional Irish Soda
Bread

If one searches the internet using the term "Traditional Irish Soda
Bread" about 63,500 sites are listed. 98% of them aren't even close to being
traditional. Google "Irish Soda Bread" and you will find 126,000
sites.

Would "French Bread" (15th century) still be "French Bread" if whiskey,
raisins, or other random ingredients were added to the mix? Would
Jewish Matzo (unleavened bread) used to remember the passage of the Israelites
out of Egypt still be Matzo if we add raisins, butter, sugar, eggs, and even
orange zest? So why is traditional "Irish Soda Bread" (19th century)
turned into a dessert and labeled "Traditional Irish Soda Bread?" OK,
maybe you don't like the analogy, but you get the point!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Look up a few definitions in the Dictionary and you find:

"Tradition"

1: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of
mouth or by example from one generation to another.
2: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

There are two kinds of traditions: 1) The cultural one that can
be traced back through an ethnic group's history and 2) family traditions that
can be traced back to an individual family member.

Irish Soda Bread is an example of the first. Grandma (insert name
here)'s Irish bread is the other. The cultural one came first and was
adapted and modified by the second into a family tradition. Both
traditions are sacred.


"Bread"

a usually baked and leavened food made of a mixture of
whose basic constituent is flour or meal.

"Cake"

a sweet baked food made from a dough or thick batter usually containing
flour and sugar and often shortening, eggs, and a raising agent (as baking
powder)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It shocks some people to learn that St. Patrick wasn't holding a slice
of Irish Soda Bread in one hand while he drove the snakes out of Ireland with
the other. Soda bread came long after St. Patrick in the mid 1840's when
bicarbonate of soda (Bread Soda) as a leavening agent was used in Ireland to
work with the "soft" wheat grown there.

The other shock to Irish-Americans is that their Irish ancestors who
left Ireland during the Famine years did not bring a recipe for Irish Soda Bread
with them. Irish soda bread became popular in Ireland after the Famine
years. If your Irish ancestors had the good sense to leave Ireland for
America during the Famine years, they never learned about making soda bread in
Ireland. Check out Google's public domain book collection and the
phrase "Irish Soda Bread" doesn't show up in their collection until the
1930s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The basic soda bread is made with flour, baking soda, salt, and
soured milk (or buttermilk). That's it!

One on-line recipe claiming to be "traditional" included
"orange zest" as an ingredient. As if our poverty-stricken ancestors even
knew what orange zest was. Even in the mid-1950's an orange was a special
treat during Christmas, not a common item in the kitchen like it is today.
Another recipe has chocolate in it and another calls for sugar glaze over the
"bread." Tasty, Yes! Traditional Irish Soda Bread, No! Year
after year these exotic bread recipes are advertised as "traditional" irish soda
bread.

You'll find site recipes for "traditional Irish Soda Bread" that call
for yeast to be used. The whole reason bread soda was used in the first
place was to replace yeast as the rising agent.

There are even commercial sites selling "Irish Soda Bread" with YEAST
as an ingredient. And right before St. Patrick's Day your local
supermarket chain will probably have "Irish Soda Bread" for sale with yeast,
sugar, and who knows what on the listed ingredients. But stores mostly
will add raisins and dried fruit to their "soda bread." Most look like a
fruitcake recipe repackaged from the Christmas holidays. The same recipe
usually shows up as "Easter Bread" a few weeks later. For the most part
they taste fair to great but are mislabeled as "Irish Soda Bread."

While we are certainly at liberty to modify recipes to our heart's
content, it is incorrect to claim that these modern sugary recipes are the same
as used by our great-great grandmothers in Ireland, a poor country at the time,
to feed their families in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th
century. It was often the only bread available to most Irish
families. Can you imaging the woman in this photo even knowing what a
"zester" is?

In today's world, soda bread has become a dessert cake and the
three-leaf shamrock has turned into a four-leaf clover.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This site is here to encourage modern bakers to get in touch with their
Irish roots and use the traditional ingredients/recipes when making "traditional
Irish soda bread." Sure, make the fancy desserts for St. Patrick's Day,
but save a spot on the table for Irish soda bread to remember how far the Irish
have come from the days when it was the only thing on the table to today when or
tables are filled with good things to eat and thought of the Famine years are
long forgotten.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visit the Soda Bread Book Section and pick up a copy of Irish
Traditional Cooking for an excellent reference on traditional Irish
cooking.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few absolutes: Traditional Irish Soda Bread does not
contain

~"zest", orange or any other kind

~Irish Whiskey. (talk about stereotyping!!!)

~Honey (substitute for sugar)

~Sugar (see definition of "cake")

~eggs (see definition of "cake")

~Garlic (not common in English/Irish dishes)

~Shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil - Crisco introduced to the US in
1911. Not in the 19th century)

~Heavy Cream (British term for whipping cream bu a little thicker. Not
much chance irish peasants would be using this.)

~Sour Cream (traditional in Eastern European dishes. Became popular in
the US and European kitchens during the past 50 years, not 150 years ago. see http://www.ochef.com/516.htm

~Yogurt (prior to 1900 a staple in Central Europe and Asia. Introduced
to the US after WWII by Isaac Carasso who started Dannon in NY City. Not a
19th century Irish baking item.)

~Chocolate

~Chiles/Jalapenos (Right! Ireland is well known for using these in its
traditional food!! por favor!

~Fruit (Only in Christmas/Easter cakes and other special occasions._

and just about anything else one can think of. all of the above
ingredients can be found in "Irish soda bread" recipes somewhere on the
web. Interesting, but definitely not Traditional Irish Soda Bread.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soda bread was baked daily from simple ingredients. The Irish would not
have added whiskey to their daily bread any more than a Frenchman would have
added it to his baguette or a Jew to Matzo.

In America and other parts of the world we tend to forget that this is a
basic "quick bread" served with meals and not a "dessert dish."

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipes

All recipes for traditional soda bread contain flour, baking soda, sour milk
(buttermilk) and salt. That's it!!!

This was a daily bread that didn't keep long and had to be baked every few
days. It was not a festive "cake" and did not contain whisky, candied
fruit, caraway seeds, raisins (add raisins and it becomes "spotted dog" not to
be confused with the pudding made with suet of the same name), or any other
ingredient.

There are recipes for those types of cakes but they are not the traditional
soda bread eaten by the Irish daily since the mid 19th century.

Here are a few basic recipe. Note that measurements below are in
American standards. (An Irish teaspoon is not the same as an American teaspoon
measurement.)

Note for New Bakers: a fluid cup contains 8 ounces of liquid. A dry
ingredient cup contains around 4 ounces by weight. Don't use a liquid
measuring cup for dry ingredients. Tsp means Teaspoon.

Of course our great grandmothers just grabbed a handful of this and a pinch
of that to make their bread. We modern bakers need help since we don't do
it every day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The best flour to use is "soft wheat" which is called "pastry flour" or "cake
flour" today in the US. If you want to try using Irish flour, may I
suggest Odlums.

In 1845, about the time that soda bread baking was taking off in Ireland,
William Odlum opened a four mill in Portlaoise and his descendants expanded the
business over the years until 1988 when it was purchased by a corporation that
continues production today. They produce not only the white and wheat
flours, but for the modern Irish family, a soda bread mix flour and brown bread
mix flour that only needs water added to create a soda bread dough.

The latter mixes are similar to what I create using Saco Cultured buttermilk,
flour, baking soda, and salt to create my own "add water" mix for camping
trips.

If you want to try using Odlums flour, you can purchase it by clicking on this link. Your purchase helps keep this web
site up and running and you will be baking with real Irish flour. for what
we are attempting to create here, avoid the self-Raising flour and not that
"cream flour" means just regular white flour. No baking soda or baking
powder added to it.

Check out the Dutch Oven Link for more cooking hints.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brown Bread
3 cups (12 oz) of
wheat flour

1 cup

(4 oz) of white flour (do not use self-rising as it already contains baking
powder and salt)

14 ounces of buttermilk (pour in a bit at a time until the dough is
moist)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. (baking soda)

2 ounces of butter if you want to deviate a bit.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees. Lightly grease and flour
a cake pan. In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients. Rub
in the butter until the flour is crumbly.

Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and
lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)

Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top
of the dough.

Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the
bastible pot). Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped to show it is
done.

Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to
keep the bread moist.

Let cool and you are ready to have a buttered slice with a nice cup of tea or
coffee.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

White Soda Bread

4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

14 oz of buttermilk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
degrees. Lightly crease and flour a cake pan.

In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.

Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and
lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)

Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top
of the dough.

Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the
bastible pot). Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is
done.

Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to
keep the bread moist.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of my favorite Irish cookbooks is by Monica Sheridan, the Julia Child of
Irish Television, called "The Art of Irish Cooking" published in 1965. It
has been long out-of-print but if you get a chance to grab a copy, do
so. She talks about traditional cooking without any of the "spicing up"
that we see in modern interpretations of Irish baking although she does
experiment a bit with recipes. Here is her recipe for "Brown Bread" (note
from Samantha~if any one finds this I would love to get it)

4 cups Stone Ground Whole wheat flour

2 cups White flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 cups Buttermilk

Preparation:
Mix the whole wheat flour thoroughly with the white flour,
salt, and baking
soda.
Make a well in the center and gradually mix in the liquid. Stir with a wooden
spoon. You may need less, or more liquid - it depends on the absorbent quality
of the flour.

The dough should be soft but manageable. Knead the dough into a ball in the
mixing bowl with your floured hands. Put on a lightly floured baking sheet and
with the palm of your hand flatten out in a circle 1 1/2 inches thick.

With a knife dipped in flour, make a cross through the center of the bread so
that it will easily break into quarters when it is baked. Bake at 425 degrees
for 25 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake a further 15 minutes. If
the crust seems too hard, wrap the baked bread in a damp tea cloth. Leave the
loaf standing upright until it is cool. The bread should not be cut until it has
set - about 6 hours after it comes out of the oven. (personally, I can't
wait 6 hours to eat fresh soda bread

http://www.sodabread.info/index.htm

Samantha

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

This is a perfect dessert for those who love cranberries and even for those that aren't too keen of them!

Not very hard to make and beautiful to serve.

2 T. - Butter, melted

1/2 c. - Brown sugar

1/4 c. Pecans, chopped and toasted

1 (12 oz. pk) - Fresh Cranberries

1 1/3 c. - Flour

1 1/2 t. - Baking powder

1/8 t. - Salt

3/4 c. - Sugar

3 T. - Butter, softened

2 lg. egg yolks

1 1/2 t. - Vanilla extract

1/2 c. - Milk

2 lg egg whites

Preheat oven 350. Coat 8x8" pan with cooking spray. Pour melted butter into pan then evenly sprinkle brown sugar over butter. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven, top with pecans then cranberries.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer until well blended. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mix and milk alternately. Start with flour and end with flour. Mix after each addition.

In a separate bowl (small) beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Be sure to clean and dry beater before doing the egg whites. Fold into batter. Spread batter over cranberries evenly. Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on wire rake for 5 min. Loosen edges of cake with knife. Place a plate upside down on top of cake. Then turn cake with plate on top over with the plate on the table, tap on bottom of cake pan to drop on to the plate.

Serves 9

Train Wreck

Need something simple for a last minute appetizer? Try this one out!

1 (8 oz. pk) Cream Cheese

1 (8-16 oz.) chunky salsa

1 c. chopped, cooked shrimp

Crackers of choice

Place cream cheese on a serving plate. Take salsa mixed with shrimp and pour over cream cheese.

Place a serving knife on the plate and your ready to serve!

chocolate Heaven Cream Pie

Chocolate Heaven Cream Pie

¼ c Dutch-Processed Cocoa

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2/3 c granulated sugar

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

¼ tsp salt

3 cups milk

2 eggs

Topping:

1 c heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder1 prebaked pie shell

In a medium-heavy gauge saucepan mix together the cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and milk. Over medium heat bring mixture to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Add ¼ cup of the hot cocoa mixture to eggs, mix together, and add back into the saucepan. Cook until mixture returns to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolates, butter, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer. Pour into the prepared pie shell and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate.Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla. Spoon over the cooled chocolate filling. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings or cocoa over the whipped cream.

Makes 1 9-inch pie.

http://faithfulnessfarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/chocolate-heaven-pie-tools-of-pie-trade.html

I just got this off a blog I found. It looks so good. :)

Samantha

Soft Pretzels

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tb)
1 Tb sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. Let float for a minute then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 minutes; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough in to 12 pieces and roll each piece into a long rope or "snake". Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet. Make an egg wash with one egg and a Tb of water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*Soft pretzels just aren't the same the next day. They are still good but not as soft and fresh tasting. I'll tell you a secret though... brush them with melted butter, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and toss them under the broiler for a minute and you have a delicious cheesy pretzel snack! Yum!!

I got this recipe off of this blog. Nice recipe blog.

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/

Samantha

Hot Winter Drinks

I got this off a blog I know. It sounds really good so I thought I would share.

Warm Cinnamon-Orange Cider

1/2 bottle (64-ounce size) apple cider
2 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons red cinnamon candies
1 1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons honey

or you can try:

The Hot Spiced Cider Recipe

6 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks

Samantha

Pumpkin Spice SugarCookies~

I have not try it yet, but it sound's really good. If any dose try it, let me know how it turns out and I will do the same.
2-3/4 c. flour
1t baking soda
1c butter, softened
1-1/2c powdered sugar
2t pumpkin pie spice
1t vanilla
1 egg

Combine flour and baking soda; set aside. Blend butter and powdered sugar together; add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg. Mix in flour mixture. Cover dough and refrigerate for 2 hours. Roll out and cut into desired shapes or drop them with a regular cookie dropper and flatten them a little with a cup. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen~

Samantha

The Best Pie Crust in the World!

Perfect Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 4 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Method

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5 Add filling to the pie.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

I have found this recipe to be the best out there! It is simple and easy and tastes wonderful!

Enjoy!

~Sarah Beth

Berry Smoothies

1/2 - 1 cup milk
1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 cup plain yogurt
1-2 scoops vanilla icecream

Put all the ingredients in a blender, milk first. Blend until the berries are in tiny bits, and the whole thing is mixed thoroughly. You can blend it, then turn the blender down to the stir option to let the stuff on top settle down to the bottom, then blend again to blend up what was on top before.

-Carrie

P.S. This is my dad's recipe.

Carrot Puddin'

I know that sounds really weired but it is like a very good bread pudding. I got it out of this cute book called, 'The Giant Carrot: (By) Barry Root'

Combine and blend until smooth:

1 cup peeled and grated carrots
1/2 cup milk
2 whole eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I used a lot more then that)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (with this one too)
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup honey (or 1 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup water)

When smooth, stir in gently:

4 slices bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Pour into greased baking dish.
Bake for one hour at 350 degree.
Serve hot or cold in coffee cups.
Delicious with ice cream too, or cream cheese icing.

It is pretty good.
Samantha

Chocolate Marquise ( pronounced, mär-ˈkēz)

For Father's Day I made my Dad three chocolate desserts. This one is my favorite. It is soft and cream, a gentle chocolate flavor and easy to make. Also it would be good with coffee flavor I think but as I have only made it two times I have not tried it that way. And how, here is the recipe.......


7 oz dark/milk chocolate (I used milk both times)
generous 1/3 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp (or more :) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1: Break the chocolate into pieces (I used chocolate chips) . Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until melted and well combined. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2: Place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl with sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Using an electric whisk running on low speed, slowly whisk in the cool chocolate mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.

3: Whip the cream until just holding its shape. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into 6 custard pots (as you see in the picture, you do not have to do that), or individual metal molds. Chill the desserts for at least 2 hours.

4: To serve, turn out the desserts onto individual serving dishes. If you have difficulty turning them out, dip the pots or molds into a bowl of warm water for a few seconds (like two.. more it is WAY to soft) to help the marquise to slid out. Serve with chocolate-dipped fruit and dust with cocoa. Or server in dish, and not have any side.

Samantha

Mother's Day at the Holston's Home

Hello Everyone!

We Holston children prepared gluten-free waffles for our mother and topped the waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream!

The waffles were a first time try for anything gluten-free in our home. So here is a gluten-free waffle recipe for you all:

Gluten-free Waffles

1 c of brown rice or rice flour
1 tspn of sugar
1 1/2 c of buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 c of oil
2 tspn of baking powder
1 tspn of salt
2 eggs
1/4 c of tapioca flour
1/2 c of potato starch
Directions:
Start whisking everything together
If it's to runny then add more flour but if you have it to thick then add a little more milk.
After you have found the right consistancy then pour it into the waffle iron and have your breakfast.....That is after you top them with berries and whipped cream!

Thank you Mothers! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

~Sarah Holston

Mothers Day

Here is an idea...as everyone seem to have no ideas as to what to put on this blog.
The idea is: What are you making your mom for Mothers Day?
The whole meal, dessert, special breakfast, and lunch. All the recipes, and pictures if you can.
And I would very much like it if everyone did it.
I will put mine on here the day after Mothers Day, with pictures. Let's see if any of you can get your's on here first. :) :P :-D
Samantha