Fireside Coffee Mix

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Holidays, New Favorite

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Curling up by the fire with a good cup of coffee or hot chocolate is one of the things I look forward to as we approach the holidays and cold, snowy weather.

Last year, my daughter, Megan, introduced me to Fireside Coffee and I was a big fan. I kept a container ready all of last winter and will do the same this year. I made my Fireside Coffee with decafinated coffee so I could enjoy it day or evening.

What a wonderful gift this would be for neighbors and friends.

FIRESIDE COFFEE MIX

2 cups powdered cocoa mix (15 packets of Swiss Miss individual servings)
2 cups powdered coffee creamer
1 cup instant coffee (I used decaffinated)
1.5 cups sugar (I used 1.5 tablespoons of Stevia instead)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix ingredients well. Store in tins, jars, or plastic bags.
Mix 2 heaping tablespoons mix with 2/3 cup very hot water. Stir and enjoy!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans and Dried Cherries

01 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

brussel sprouts, cherries, cinnamon, craisins, honey, pecans, roasted, squash

Autumn brings cooler weather, falling leaves and wonderful vegetables. I’ve become a huge fan of roasted vegetables and loved the idea of combining squash with Brussel sprouts. Adding cherries, nuts and honey were the icing on top of the vegetables.

This is a wonderful dish for a potluck, holiday and just an ordinary night at home.

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

4 cups Brussel Sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaved removed, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

1.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and dubbed into 1 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans or halves
1/2 cup dried cherries (or Craisins)
optional: 2-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (I did not add additional honey)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussel sprouts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt (to taste) and toss. Place on foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning. The cut sides should be nicely browned and partially charred.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a foil-lined baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded), olive oil, honey, and cinnamon. Toss to mix.
Place butternut squash in even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until squash is softened.

NOTE: You can roast both the Brussel sprouts and the butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time .

Assembly

In a large bowl, combine the roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cherries (or cranberries) and mix to combine.

OPTIONAL: For more sweetness, add 2-4 tablespoons or honey or maple syrup…add slowly to desired amount of sweetness.

Adapted from Juliasalbum.com

Cherry Bars

06 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Family, My Roots, New Favorite, New Traditions

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almond, aunt, bars, cherry, dessert, recipe card, tradition

Cherry desserts are one of my favorites and I had to try this Cherry Bars recipe from my late Aunt Joyce’s recipe box. While I don’t recall ever having these, they are wonderful. The combination of almond and cherry…yum!

Leafing through old, handwritten recipe cards is such a treasure…a lost tradition in today’s world.

CHERRY BARS

1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, beat after addition of each egg
3 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease 10×15″ pan.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
Slowly add flour mixture to batter. Then add vanilla and almond extract.
Spread 1/2 of batter into pan. Spool filling on top and spread to cover. Drop the remaining batter by spoonfuls over the top.
Bake for about 40 minutes. Watch it to just golden brown.
Drizzle with glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 4 or more tsp. milk, a few drops of almond extract. Add milk until the drizzle consistency is reached.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

11 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Book Club, New Favorite

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Asian, cashews, chicken, rice, Slow cooker, stir-fry

Our book club met at my home for our March review of Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien. I must admit I did not care for the book and did not finish it. Others had the same difficulty finding it complex and hard to follow, especially in the beginning. However, for those that finished the book, they thoroughly enjoyed it finding the Chinese Cultural Revolution to be similar to world experiences today.

Our potluck cuisine was Asian and my Asian recipe file is devoid of recipes. I found this wonderful Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken recipe online and will definitely make it again and again. Very flavorful and wonderful with rice and stir fry vegetables.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup cashews

Combine cornstarch and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken and shake to coat with cornstarch.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. (Frankly, next time I make it I will skip this step)
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and cashews in small bowl; pour over chicken. (Optional: If you like the cashews to be softer, you can add them during the cooking process. If you like more crunch, add them right before serving.)
Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.
Service over rice. Optional: Garnish with chopped scallions.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe slightly adapated from therecipecritic.com

Chocolate Cake…Vegan and Absolutely Delicious

25 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by cathysmaha in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cake, chocolate, easy, gluten free, vegan, yummy

Who doesn’t like chocolate cake? I wanted to make a chocolate cake for a gathering of friends, two of which are Vegan. We all love to share salads, fruits, pastas, but dessert is always a bit tricky.

This cake was moist, delicious and almost healthy! I would make it again and again whether my guests were Vegan or not. Even one of my Grand Dogs thought it was worthy of his attention!

CHOCOLATE CAKE…VEGAN AND ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS

Cake:

3/4 cup plain flour/GF flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3C unrefined cane sugar/brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

This makes a small amount of frosting as the cake doesn’t need much, but for a full batch

1 1/2 tbsp lite Nuttelex or other dairy free butter/margarine alternative
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F.
Grease and line a small cake tin (or cupcake tins)
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate medium mixing bowl combine applesauce, sugar and vanilla and pour into dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined and pour into cake tin.
Bake for 20-35 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer inserted removes clean. If making cupcakes, cook for ~10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
For the frosting, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a mixer, adding in the cocoa and vanilla and mixing until combined. If needed, add a couple of drops of milk/non dairy milk until your desired consistency is reached

Recipe from Southerininlaw.com

Pumpkin Zucchini Bundt Cake

21 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by cathysmaha in New Favorite

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Bread, cake, Fall, garden, Pumpkin, zucchini

Pumpkin Zucchini Bundt Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup Raisins (I skipped the raisins since the family doesn’t like)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a Bundt or 9 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until
light and fluffy. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Then transfer this batter to the flour mixture and stir until everything is combined. Fold in the raisins.
Pour into the baking pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in
the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
** Please note, cook time for Bundt pan will be around 60 minutes and for the 9 inch loaf pan, around 1 hr 10 minutes. Always check after 1 hr for doneness as all ovens are different.

Slightly adapted from Lovefoodies.com

Yogurt Cake with Pear and Dark Chocolate

09 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by cathysmaha in New Favorite

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cake, chocolate, loaf, moist, Pear, yummy

Fresh, sweet pears have always been a favorite of mine. Rarely have I baked with pears but this recipe sounded too delicious to resist. It has a wonderful texture and so very moist!

Yogurt Cake with Pear and Dark Chocolate

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla Greek yogurt)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large pear, ripe but still firm, cored and cut into small pieces (leave the skin on)
1/2 cup bittersweet (dark) chocolate chunks.

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease an 8 inch loaf pan with butter (I found the recipe made too much for one loaf pan–I made an 8 inch loaf and a small loaf pan).
In a small bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour through salt). In medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, yogurt, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Then, stir in the dry ingredients, a bit at a time, until well blended. Finally, use a rubber scraper to fold the oil into the batter until it is fully incorporated.
Pour about one-third of the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 2/3s of the pear pieces and the chocolate chunks all over the batter. Then, scrape the rest of the batter on top of this and gently spread it smooth. Sprinkle the rest of the pear and chocolate over the top of the loaf and gently press all the pieces down into the batter to partially submerge them.
Bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean – 55-60 minutes or so. Then, take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully turn the cake out of the pan, and then put it upright on a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The cake will keep for several days (refrigerate if it’s more than 2 days), and slices are delicious lightly toasted before eating. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Slightly adapted from FiveandSpice.com

Lemon Yellow Summer Squash Bread

29 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by cathysmaha in Family, Family Favorites, Garden, New Favorite

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bread, garden, glaze, lemon, summer squash, yellow squash

When yellow squash and zucchini are plentiful and you’ve made very possible recipe you can think of, I go to the web and try to find something different to make. This bread was a phenomenal find. I’ve always been fond of lemon cake and this bread is addictive. No, you can’t have just one slice, I guarantee it!

LEMON YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH BREAD

There is no reason you couldn’t substitute zucchini in this recipe; would be pretty with the green zucchini and yellow lemon zest! I did not make the Sweet Roasted Lemon Garnish).

Serves: 2 loaves

1 cup melted butter
2 cups sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups grated summer squash

For the Glaze:

1 Tbsp melted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

For the Sweet Roasted Lemon Garnish (edible and optional!):

1 lemon, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, seeds removed
½ teaspoon sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour 2 regular loaf pans or 4 mini pans.
Mix butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until well blended.
Add eggs one at a time and once all are incorporated beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add squash and stir just to blend.
Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for regular size loaf pans.
Allow the pan to cool; remove the bread and place top down on a serving plate (makes for a nice presentation for the glaze and lemons).

Make the Roasted Lemons:

Cook lemon slices in a medium saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes to remove bitterness. Drain and pat dry.
Gently toss lemon slices with sugar, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until lemons are no longer wet and only slightly colored, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.

Make the Glaze:

Combine the melted butter and powdered sugar and stir until smooth; add the lemon juice and lemon zest and stir to combine.
Add water or milk if necessary to get the right consistency.
Pour the glaze over the top; covering it completely and letting excess dribble down the sides.
Arranged sweet, roasted lemons on top.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from CreativeCulinary.com

Apricot Crumble Cake

15 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by cathysmaha in New Favorite

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

apricot, breakfast, cake, coffee cake, CSA, fresh, oatmeal

Fresh Apricots are tangy yet sweet and not something I purchase on a regular basis. Last year our CSA delivered a large bag of apricots week after week. This recipe was a delicious way to use the fresh apricots and have a chewy, moist dessert or breakfast treat.

FRESH APRICOT BARS

2 lbs ripe Apricots
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or orange juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
Combine the apricots and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the apricots are soft (will vary tremendously depending on the ripeness of the apricots-very ripe apricots will only take minute or two). Stir in the orange liqueur.
Puree the apricots in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set in freezer to chill while you make the crust.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Pinch in the butter pieces into the flour mixture (or cut them into the flour with a pastry cutter), until it resembles coarse sand. Pinch in the oats until well combined.
Press 2/3rds of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the apricot puree over the crust bottom. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top of the apricot puree.

Bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown.

Allow to cool, then slice and serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe Adapted from: WhiteOnRiceCouple.com.

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