Author: cathysmaha

I am a country girl, born and raised on a farm in Central Iowa. I am the youngest of three children by 9 and 14 years….I was the OOPS! Being younger had its advantages in that I was an Aunt at age 7 and grew up with my niece and nephews. My Father died from a farm injury when I was 12, which forever changed my life and strengthened my bond with my Mother. I tagged along with my Mother to visit older people in our community and learned about their lives in the early 1900s, enjoying the many wonderful traditional foods and family stories. I graduated from a class of 25, which gave me the advantage of being involved in sports and clubs that would not have been possible in a large High School. At that time, Home Ec was still an elective and I loved the cooking lessons (not so hot on the sewing classes). While at the University of Northern Iowa, I began to collect and read cookbooks. Perhaps it was the absence of Mom’s home cooking that drew me to dream about cooking (and eating) wonderful food. After college I moved to St. Joseph, MO and then to Scottsdale, AZ and began to experiment with traditional recipes and discovering those of my own. It was such an adventure to discover new dishes and restaurants in historic St. Joseph, Kansas City, then Scottsdale, Phoenix, San Diego…and the list goes on. In the early ‘80s, I moved to Denver, got married, started my telecommunications sales career and discovered the fabulous restaurants in Denver and Aspen. My career took me to cities never before experienced and the seafood in San Francisco, Cajun fare in New Orleans, Tex-Mex in Dallas, Italian in New Jersey, etc. are experiences I will cherish. In 1986 our first daughter, Megan, was born and then Sarah in 1988. Instead of indulging in dinners out, we were cooking more at home and seeking ways to have good meals with limited time. Dinners went from adult gourmet to more kid friendly meals. Megan’s tastes were more basic while Sarah adopted a gourmet palate at an early age. At age 6 her favorite meal was steamed artichokes and crab legs with drawn butter…still her favorite. Megan’s tastes expanded rapidly when she went to college and started cooking for her roommates and now loves to whip up gourmet dishes. I am blessed to have many gal pals that also share my passion for good food. I love to try new restaurants and look forward to the ‘pot luck’ feasts at our book club meetings and other gatherings. It isn’t just the good food that brings us to together, but the great love and admiration we all have for each other. We are addicted foodies…but we try to remember our 12-step foodie program is needed. God grant me the serenity to only eat the food that I LOVE, the courage to walk away from junk food, and the wisdom to recognize the difference. Oh YEAH!
Breads

Peach Streusal Bread

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Colorado + August = Delicious Palisade Peaches

Once again, I purchased a case of peaches from the local high school and love experimenting with new recipes. Daughter, Megan and I decided to make a peach bread but swapped out the glaze for a streusal topping. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! We added a bit of peach marmalade to the batter to intensify the peach flavor and it was wonderful.

Peach Streusal Bread

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk 4 ounces
  • 1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable or coconut oil)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2.33 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups diced fresh peaches
  • 2 tablespoons heated peach jam or marmalade

Streusal Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons butter very soft
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, milk, oil, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  3. Fold the peaches and jam gently into the batter.
  4. Mix together Streusal ingredients.
  5. Pour the bread batter into a greased 9″x5″ bread pan. Sprinkle Streusal on top.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the bread should come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.Once the bread is cool, llice and serve.
  7. Store the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Bread recipe adapted from tastesoflizzyt.com.

Appetizers · Mexican Dishes · Salads

Cowboy Caviar

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Cowboy Caviar is an old recipe that was created by Helen Corbitt, famed 1950s Neiman Marcus food director, it was first served as “pickled black-eyed peas” on New Year’s Eve at the Houston Country Club. Soon after, it was dubbed “Texas caviar.” I found this tidbit of history interesting. Cowboy Caviar is great served as an appetizer with tortilla chips. My favorite is to serve it with a cheese, or chicken and cheese, quesadilla. It is also a great topper for any green salad. The recipe made quite a bit and I wondered how I would get through it…never fear…I shared it at a party and leftovers with my daughter, who is now a big fan!

Cowboy Caviar

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 Roma tomatoes seeds removed, diced
  • 2 ripe avocados diced
  • ⅓ cup red onion diced
  • 15 oz black beans rinsed and drained
  • 15 oz black eyed peas rinsed and drained
  • 1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn thawed (I just usually toss it in the salad frozen unless I plan on eating it immediately, it thaws quite quickly) (Note: Forklore used fresh cooked sweet corn and it was amazing!)
  • 1 bell pepper diced (I used half a green and half a red, but color doesn’t matter)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed, diced into very small pieces (or substitute for pepper flakes if you don’t have a jalapeno)
  • ⅓ cup Cilantro finely chopped
DRESSING:
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh preferred
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Tortilla chips for serving
Directions:
  • Combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss/stir well so that ingredients are well-combined.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Pour dressing over other ingredients and stir/toss very well.
  • Keep refrigerated. If not serving immediately, be sure to toss/stir well before serving.

Recipe from Spendwithpennies

Breads · Breakfast

Peach Scones

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Oh, the memory of high tea in England with delicious scones, pastries, and tiny sandwiches. The Peach Scone recipe sounded delicious and I had to try it. They were as yummy as I thought they would be and I didn’t even eat with clotted cream and jam (although that would also be delicious).

Peach Scones

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface 
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
  • 1 cup sliced peaches, thawed if frozen (I used fresh)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing on the scones 
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 
  • 1 large egg 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 
  • Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 
  • Pinch sea salt 
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the scones: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grate the frozen butter into a bowl using a box grater. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the peaches and toss in the flour to coat. Add the butter and toss to combine.
  2. Stir together the heavy cream, sour cream, egg, vanilla and almond extracts in a medium bowl. Slowly add the cream mixture to the flour mixture, and mix just until a dough comes together. (Make sure not to overwork).
  3. Turn the dough out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9-inch disc, about 1 inch thick. Score the dough into 8 wedges, using a knife to cut into but not all the way through the dough. Brush the tops of the scones with cream. Bake until the scones are cooked through and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges, then remove to a wire rack to cool until warm. (Note: I had to bake a bit longer until they were golden brown).
  4. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, almond extract and salt in a small bowl. Spoon the glaze over the scones before serving.

Recipe from Food Network Kardea Brown.

Salads

Chile Onion Crunch Cucumbers

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Cucumbers are so delicious but I was looking for a different way to serve them other than the traditional cucumbers and onions. Now that I’ve discovered Chile Crisp, I will be experimenting with other vegetables and dishes. This recipe is simple and the chile crisp was not too hot. I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spice and I tolerated this very well. This would be delicious with an Asian meal.

Chile Onion Crunch Cucumbers

INGREDIENTS:
  • 12 ounces of cucumber, seeded (peeling is optional)
  • 2-4 tablespoons chilie onion crunch (I used Kroger Private Selection Chile Crisp)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Peel, seed and chop cucumbers in 1/2 inch sliced chunks.
  2. Add salt, rice vinegar and maple syrup to the cucumbers. Stir to combine.
  3. Stir the jar of chile onion crunch then add 2-4 tablespoons to the cucumbers.
  4. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from starinfintefood on Instagram (unfortunately I cannot find the link to her recipe with homemade chile crunch!)

Vegetables

Dehydrated Tomatoes in Olive Oil

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Sungold cherry tomatoes are my favorite and they produce for weeks. I often oven roast the tomatoes but I had access to my dear friend’s dehydrator and took advantage of it. The process took several hours and resulted in wonderful dried tomatoes. I followed the directions below to preserve the dried tomatoes with olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, oregano, salt. The result was delicious seasoned, dried tomatoes for pizza, chicken, and other dishes.

Title

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3-4 cups of olive oil depending on the size of canning jar
  • Fresh basil (you’ll need a good amount of leaves to include in each layer, more on this below)
  • 4-5 cloves of minced garlic
  • ½ cup of dried oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • 3-5 pounds of sun dried tomatoes (try and find the imported variety; here’s a link to some organic sun dried tomatoes just in case you can’t get them from Italy) (Note: I used my Sungold tomatoes from my garden)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Note: I used a dehyrator to first dry the Sungold tomatoes from my garden. It took several hours and did a great job.
  2. Start by finding a large, wide mouth, mason jar; pint size is fine, but if you can find larger jars they’ll store more tomatoes. Wash your mason jar very well and you can even go as far as sterilizing the jar. Moreover, it’s vital that your hands and any other tool used for the process are exceptionally clean.
  3. Next, begin layering your unseasoned sun dried tomatoes in the jar in the following order: 1. layer of tomatoes, 2. sprinkle of kosher salt, 3. garlic, 4. pinch of dried oregano, 4. layer of fresh basil leaves
  4. Repeat the above layering process until you’re nearly at the top of the jar (don’t over stuff the jar because your last step includes filling the jar with olive oil).
  5. When you’re finished with each layer push down with a flat object to compress the ingredients.
  6. Finally, fill the jar with olive oil, making sure that the tomatoes are completely submerged (note: the oil will need some time to settle so make sure all of the tomatoes are covered).
  7. Screw on the lid tightly and store the jar in a cool, dark, closet or cupboard.
  8. You’ll need to let the tomatoes sit 6-8 days before consuming them (the oil needs to soften the tomatoes and you also need to let the garlic, basil, and oregano do it’s thing).
  9. Note: I refrigerated the tomatoes to make sure they would not spoil!

Note and Disclaimer (viz a viz Clostridium Botulinum) It’s vital when you cure vegetables in olive oil that you thoroughly clean the jar itself as well as all the ingredients and utensils used in the preparation. My family has been curing and pickling vegetables (as well as tomatoes for tomato sauce) for well over 50 years and we haven’t had any health issues. Although our family has been doing this for many years without incident, there aren’t good studies establishing this practice as safe. Many food safety authorities advise against preserving tomatoes and garlic in oil due the risk of bacterial contamination and proliferation of spores, especially clostridium botulinum, which could be fatal.

Recipe adapted from Scordo.com

Cookies and Bars

Cookies n Creme Cookies

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Daughter, Megan, made the Cookies n Creme Cookies for our June garage as well as the Chocolate Chip Cookies on Steroids that I posted last week. These were also out of this world and sold well, of course who wouldn’t buy from 4 adorable grandchildren who were yelling on the street corner to buy cookies and lemonade!

Cookies n Creme Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup COLD butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 package Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 10-15 Oreo cookies, crushed to consistency of crumbs and chunks
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
  2. Place cold butter and sugars in mixer and beat until smooth.
  3. Add eggs, vanilla and Oreo Cookies and Cream Pudding Mix. Beat until fluffy.
  4. In a separate bowl combine flour, white chocolate chips, baking soda, and Oreo cookies.
  5. Slow mixer and slowly add flour mixture until just combined.
  6. Bake until slightly brown on the top. Let them cool to reach their max potential.
  7. Optional: top with additional crushed Oreo cookies

Recipe from Emily

Cookies and Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookies (on Steroids)

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What’s more American than Chocolate Chip Cookies! Chocolate Chip Cookies doesn’t accurately describe these cookies, so I like to add ‘on Steroids’. They are, by far, the best Chocolate Chip Cookies I have ever had. My older daughter, Megan, made these cookies as well as another cookie, for our June garage sale. My grandkids sold them along with lemonade and they were a big hit.

If you don’t use cold butter, the instructions say to refrigerate the dough prior to baking. Try them…you will not be disappointed!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (on Steroids)

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup COLD butter
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temp is best)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Optional: a little instant coffee to enhance the choclate flavor, about 1 tsp
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine butter and sugars and beat until smooth. (Note: Kitchen Aid mixture works best)
  3. Add eggs and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Slow mixture down and add vanilla.
  4. In a separate bowl, add flour, soda, salt and corn starch. Whisk together.
  5. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture, reserving a bit of the flour mixture to add to the chocolate chips in a separate bowl to coat.
  6. Add chocolate chips to the flour mixture and, with mixture on low, combine with the dough.
  7. Scoop onto silicone baking sheets (or greased cookie sheet) and bake for 9 minutes for a crispy edge and soft middle. If you like them crispier, bake a little longer. If you like them even do a lower temperature for a longer time.
  8. Let them cool until you can’t stand it any more!

Recipe by Emily

Cakes · Czech Heritage and Dishes · Desserts

Cherry Bublanina: Czech Sponge Cake

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Cherry Bublanina is a delightfully light sponge cake with fruit. I used cherries, my favorite but other fruit can be used. This was my first time making this Czech delicacy. It was easy and the results were delicious.

Cherry Bublanina

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 12 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp. yogurt or sour cream
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • lemon zest (I used 1/2 of 1 lemon)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups cherries (I used sour cherries)
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×11″ pan.
  2. Toss the fruit with a spoonful of flour and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
  4. Melt the butter, mix in vanilla, yogurt or sour cream and egg yolks until smooth batter forms.
  5. Whip the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until glossy, stiff peaks form.
  6. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into a baking dish and cover evenly with cherries. Be gentle so you do not deflate the cake too much.
  8. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.
  9. Cool, cut into squares, and dust with powdered sugar.

Attribution

Cakes · Desserts

Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake with Homemade Lemon Curd

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Daughter Megan did it again with this light, delicious no-bake cheesecake with homemade lemon curd and fresh strawberries. We had family in town for a visit and this dessert was a big hit with everyone. I’ll admit I do not care for traditional cheesecake since it so heavy, but not this version. And who makes their own lemon curd? Yes indeed, Megan does. Perhaps she needs to pursue her dream of a bake shop!

Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

INGREDIENTS:
  • Graham Cracker Crust
  • 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
  • 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
  • Cheesecake
  • three 8-ounce blocks (680g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Make the crust: Stir the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan and pack in very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. You can watch me do this in the video above. Freeze for 10–20 minutes as you prepare the filling.
  2. Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
  4. Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
  5. Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
  6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
  7. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
  8. Serve cheesecake with desired toppings. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Homemade Lemon Curd

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 large egg yolks (for thicker lemon curd, see Note on eggs)
  • 2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 6 pieces

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1–2 inches of water. (Or use the DIY double boiler method listed in the notes.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer.
  2. Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk, whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
  3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk the sliced butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. (This prevents a skin from forming on top.) The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed.
  4. Refrigerate the curd for up to about 10 days.

Cheesecake Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Lemon Curd Recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Breakfast · Cakes · Vegetarian

Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

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Rhubarb dishes bring back wonderful memories of my Mother’s baking and cooking. My first harvest of rhubarb inspired me to try new recipes. This breakfast cake is delicious and could easily be made with other fruit as well. After eating the cake, my daughter and I agreed that you could make and skip the fruit..it’s that good!

Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup half and half, cream, or buttermilk
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour, saving out 1 Tbsp to toss with rhubarb
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Set oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9×9 square baking pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging ends so I can easily lift out the cooled cake for cutting. That’s optional.
  2. Stir the lemon juice into the half and half and set aside.
  3. Cream the soft butter and sugar in a stand mixer, or with electric beaters, until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
  4. Take 1 Tbsp of the flour to the rhubarb and toss well.
  5. Whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and blend in. Add all of the half and half, and blend in. Finally add the rest of the flour and blend just until combined, don’t over mix. Fold in the rhubarb. Note: the batter is on the thick side.
  7. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top evenly with a little sugar. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is turning golden and a toothpick in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
  8. Let the cake cool slightly before cutting.

Recipe from theviewatgreatisland.com