Pots and Pins

Note to Self...

I seem to be losing the battle of the bulge once again...and here it is, swimsuit season!  As motivation to keep going with my diet, I went swimsuit shopping today - and I bought one...brought it home...but before I tried it on I knew I would need something to steady my nerves - and to give me energy as I jumped up and down trying to sqeeze into my suit...so, with my best friends (Peanut M&M's) by my side...I snapped a picture of myself in my new suit...

Maybe I should try walking on the treadmill instead of dusting it afterall...

Note to Self...

Need to get my phone back from Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog without having my hand taken off...and then I need to take it into AT&T to to see if they'll give me a new phone due to canine interference...wild beast - he carted my phone off, after it fell to the floor, and he has refused to relinquish it...I don't dare take it away, as I'm quite fond of my fingers...even a piece of brisket didn't persuade him...maybe a Snausage....

Paint Class...

I read in the newspaper this morning that monkeys have been taught to use their brain to get a prosthetic arm to pick up bananas and bring them to the monkey's mouths...So really, if a monkey can just THINK the banana to its mouth then one might assume that painting a tomato would be an easy thing for a thinking human, with naturally attached appendages, to do...paint red circle...done!  Ha!  Not so fast....painting this tomato took over 2 1/2 hours!  It was stinkin' hard! Much harder than I thought - the little 4-inch canvas seemed so fun and cute...but it was a bugger! 

Lori's tomato, on the right, turned out great - it actually looks like a tomato and her masterpiece is not yet finished - she was still thinking about her background...but my tomato looks like a...a....a....tomapple?  Below left is what Diane painted...nice, no?  Michelle, our instructor, painted the one on the right.

I finally bought some real paints and brushes and even a giant canvas - which is currently collecting dust on my dining room table...one day I'll get around to painting something on it unless... 

Michelle made a "trade" with me...she offered to give me private painting lessons if I would shorten the sleeves on a dress she bought...well...after HOURS and HOURS of sewing and altering her sleeves...I'm thinking that maybe Michelle might WANT to paint my canvas for me?!!?   Seems only fair after all of those HOURS and HOURS...and pin-pricked fingers...and strained neck muscles, etc., etc....kidding Michelle...sort of...no, I'm kidding, it took me less than an hour so maybe you could just paint a third of the canvas?!  1/4?  How about just a corner? 

Sweet, Sweet Max...

This says it all....

Triple Delight Peanut Butter Cookies...

Remember the $1 million dollar winning recipe in the Pillsbury Bake-off?  It was called Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies...DOUBLE...well, I've got  Triple Delight Peanut Butter Cookies for you today and they probably aren't worth a million bucks...nope, they're worth TWO million!!  So what if I didn't make up the recipe...I made up the frosting!  That's got to be worth something! 

Reese's has come out with these new mini-peanut butter cups - and they are so good!  So I made two versions of this recipe - one without the Reeses Mini's and one with - because the boy likes his with and the mister likes his without...speaking of the mister, he informed me that his weight loss program has hit a plateau...he couldn't figure out why the scale hasn't budged in a while...I listened, attentively, like I usually do...then walked slowly over to his nightstand - opened the drawer and pulled out not one, not two...but THREE ice cream sandwich wrappers.....and they call us the weaker sex...I at least have enough sense to destroy the evidence!

These cookies have a very peanutty flavor that comes from the peanut butter (1) and from the roasted, salted peanuts (2) that are ground up in a food processor into small bits - and then, I did the IMAGINABLE...I frosted them with peanut butter frosting (3)!  Now read this next part very slowly....the frosted cookies are fantastic! You may be wondering where the frosting is on the cookies pictured above - well, I didn't frost the cookies with the Reese's chips - even I have limitations - I just frosted the cookies without the chips - and they are indescribable....no, wait, let me try to describe them...they are crunchy around the edges, chewy in the center and the frosting melts in your mouth as it swirls around the bits of peanuts...swallowing is something you'll want to postpone - just so the flavors can linger on your tongue...but swallow - too much saliva will ruin the texture!

Let me recap....Peanut butter in the dough, roasted peanuts in the dough, peanut butter frosting...that makes these a TRIPLE whammy of high-octane flavor!  Peanut butter overload?  I think not...sometimes too much of a good thing is just right.   

Triple Delight Peanut Butter Cookies - Adapted from Baking Illustrated Peanut Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, but still cool

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts, ground in a food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 14 pulses

1 package (12 oz.) Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups - optional

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons softened butter

up to 1/4 cup milk

To make the cookies:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with a non-stick cooking spray.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.  Beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, then the eggs, 1 at a time, then the vanilla.  Gently stir the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture.  Add the ground peanuts and stir gently until just incorporated.  If you are going to add the Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups to the entire recipe, do so now; if you want them in only half the recipe, then bake half the cookies and then mix them in the remaining dough.

Working with two teaspoons, scrape up a generous tablespoon of dough, using the other spoon to scrape it off and onto the prepared cooking sheets.  (If you want to make the tradtional cross-hatch pattern on top of the cookies do so with a fork, dipping it into cold water so the dough won't stick.  I skipped this step - I like a "rougher" top.)   Place them 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are puffed and slightly brown around the edges but not on top, about 10 to 12 minutes.  (The cookies will not look like they are fully baked.)  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely - if you try to move them before they've set they will fall apart - I learned this from experience! 

To make the frosting:

In the bowl of the electric mixer, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter.  Mix until blended.  Slowly add about half of the milk, mix well, continue adding the remaining milk until the texture reaches spreading consistency.  If you need to add a little more do so.  When cookies are completely cooled, spread a generous amount of frosting on top of cookies.  Makes about 40 cookies.

"Have you any idea how many kids it takes to turn off one light?  It takes three...one to say, "What light?" and two more to say, "I didn't turn it on!"  Erma Bombeck

Max's Baby Contest....

My sweet, sweet little grandson Max was entered into a baby contest where he lives...of course he was shoe-in for first place - who, in their right mind, would pick any other baby over Max?!?

Well, apparently someone, with extremely poor vision thought my grandson, the aforementioned sweet, sweet Max, was not worthy of 1st place...and he was given 2nd place!!!  The nerve! 

I told my daughter that she is to put a FOR SALE sign in her yard immediately!  They cannot let Max live in a place where he is thought of as 2nd best!  Of course, being the gentleman that he is, he refused comment...but...here, have a look....you be the judge...isn't he the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?!?

Just look at his rosy cheeks, his sparkling blue eyes, the shoes that fit his feet!

Stupid baby contest!

Stupid, stupid, stupid! 

Roman Farro Salad...

A while back I read a guy's blog where he talked about grits - real grits - not the instant kind most grocery stores (outside of the South) sell....he said he ordered them on line from Anson Mills...wish I could remember who he was because he reallly turned me on to a good source for rice, grits and farro...Anson Mills is located in Columbia, South Carolina and those people KNOW their grits!  But, today is not about grits - nope, it's about farro...not Pharoah...farro...as in an heirloom or ancestral variety of spelt...this stuff has been around since before Rome was Rome...and it's now enjoying a little resurgence as more and more people are discovering it's wonderful nutty flavor and it's chewy goodness!

Before you go poo-pooing this because of it's look....hear this....it's really good for you!  It's high in fiber and has all kinds of vitamins and - this is the good part - if you're on a diet then THIS is the food for you!  It will fill you up and it's chewy and so, so good!  I usually make this salad a couple of times during the summer - it lasts about 4 days in the fridge and it's great to eat on a night when it's just too hot to cook - a rare thing around here. 

 

 

 

 

 

About Anson Mills...IF you order from them you won't regret it.  The last order I placed with them came in about 4 days - and their grits are unbelieveably good - they have to cook a lot longer than regular grits - about an hour - because they are stone-ground and very coarse - the particle is rather large which gives them a nice chewy texture and a real corn taste....that was probably more than you wanted to know about grits but there you have it!  They also have polenta, cornmeal, buckwheat and a whole lot of other stuff...check them out!

 

Roman Farro Salad - Pots and Pins

2 cups raw farro (If you don't want to order from Anson Mills, you can pick up farro at Whole Foods Market or any health food store)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large sweet red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 good bunch of Italian parsley (flat-leaf parsley), chopped

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 can sliced black olives (3.8 oz.)

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Turn the farro into a large bowl and cover it with 2 cups of boiling water. Skim off chaff and hulls with a tea strainer. Soak the farro overnight.  Drain the farro and set aside. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed, 2-quart saucepan. Add the farro and salt, stir once, and return to a boil. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender but still chewy, about 25 minutes. Drain through a fine, footed colander and rinse well with cool water.   Pour farro into a large bowl and to this bowl add the tomatoes, red pepper, onion, parsley, Parmesan, olives and chives.  Make the dressing by combining in a small bowl all of the dressing ingredients and whisking together until mixed well.  Pour immediately over the farro mixture and toss to combine.  Will keep in fridge for 4 days.  Serves 6. 

"I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life, in fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table."   Rodney Dangerfield

Sumptuous Southwestern Brisket...

I don't think I'd ever had brisket until my family moved to Kansas City...and then it was everywhere!  I remember my dad saying he could buy it for 99 cents a pound....not anymore!  But it's still a good buy and you just can't beat a brisket sandwich for curing what ails you....normally I cook my brisket with onions, wrapped in foil, in a 275 degree oven for about 8 hours...then I remove the meat, slice it and slather it with BBQ sauce...it's always a hit.  Feeling a bit frisky, I decided to forgo the norm and I turned to Sheila Lukins U.S. A. Cookbook because if there is a great recipe anywhere in the country for anything, it's in this book.  If you don't have it, you should.  Shelila's recipe for Sumptuous Southwestern Brisket was my inspiration for this dish and I would have to say it did turn out very sumptuous.   

Happy Memorial Day to you!  The mister and I will be flying the flag today as a way of honoring those thousands of men and women who fought and died for our country - and for the thousands who continue to do so...The mister loves Memorial Day...really, any day that flies a flag...as he was a Marine....and therefore only the finest fighting machine this country has ever seen!  He plans to spend the majority of this afternoon in front of the TV watching the history channel and saluting...he likes to salute military people on TV.  I plan to spend the day in the kitchen, working on a contest entry...but I'll be sure to offer up an occasional salute or two of my own to the mister...he loves it when I do that...Yes Sir, Master **salute** Your Dinner Is On The Way!  **salute and a bow**...anything to keep the beast at bay....

Sumptuous Southwestern Brisket - Adapted from Shelia Lukins U.S.A. Cookbook

1 3-pound brisket, fat trimmed

Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

1 onion, sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 28-oz. can plum tomatoes

1 cup small pitted green Spanish olives

2 tablespoons drained tiny capers

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 small dried hot chilies

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Sprinkle brisket all over with pepper.  Place half of the sliced onion in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Set brisket on top of onions, add remaining onions to top of brisket.  In a medium size bowl combine tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, olives, capers and brown sugar, mixing well.  Pour this mixture over the brisket.  Add the two dried chilies.  Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven for 8 hours.  Remove from oven, remove brisket from pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes.  Cut the brisket into thin diagonal slices against the grain. Pour the liquid mixture from the pan into a serving dish and pass with the sliced brisket.  (Save this mixture to add to any soups or stews by freezing what isn't eaten.)  Serves 6. 

I LOVED brisket this way...it's moist and practically falls apart - and the sauce is wonderful - the boy picked off the olives and capers and afterward declared it good...the mister was impressed from the get-go...so we'll definitely be having this again.

Cedar-Plank Grilled Salmon with Orange Fig Sauce...

You may or may not know this, depending on where you're from...but salmon is KING when it comes to dining in the Northwest...it's THE thing to eat and to be seen eating....it's served at every wedding dinner, at every cocktail party, at every fund-raiser - you name it - salmon is there...and most Northwesterners don't like it messed with - but, since I've still got a little desert-girl in me I decided to buck tradition and try something a little different.  Have you tried the fig and orange gelato at Whole Foods Market?  It's their top seller - and if you have then you know how those two flavors blend into a tropical dance that melts on the tongue...so I decided it was time for the King to take a walk on the wild side...      

Dried figs, about 15 of them, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes until they were soft, were the base of my sauce.  While the figs soaked, I also soaked my piece of cedar in water on a cookie sheet, weighted down with a glass, for about 20 minutes.  You can buy pieces of cedar at any cooking store or Restoration Hardware has a package of 5 for $10...you can also buy cedar at Home Depot and cut it yourself if you're handy with a saw!

You know how most men like to grill - how they take pride in being Grill Masters?  Well, the mister hates the grill...I think he's afraid of fire myself, as most cavemen are...so he not only has to be talked INTO grilling but then talked through it...until he reaches the point where he's decided that he's done - which is always before whatever is being grilled is done - his doneness is followed by a few choice words - and then I step in to reassure him that FIRE IS GOOD...FIRE NOT HURT MISTER...MISTER GO SEE TV - WIFE COOK FISH...WIFE SERVE MISTER...and all is well, if not well-done.

The cedar gives the salmon a smoky, more Earthy flavor and that combines nicely with the sweetness of the figs and the orange juice...I will definitely make this again - and again - it's a good one!

Cedar-Plank Grilled Salmon with Orange Fig Sauce by Me

2 lbs. salmon (I used steelhead and it was excellent!)

1/4 cup melted butter

15 dried figs, about 1 lb., soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes until soft

3/4 cup orange juice

1 medium shallot, finely diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning while on grill

Cooking spray for grill

In food processor fitted with a metal blade, process softened figs until only small pieces remain, about 10 seconds.  Remove from processor into a medium-sized bowl, adding the orange juice, shallots and melted butter.  Mix well to combine.  Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture to pass with the fish when served.  Pour the remaining mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan and place the salmon on top of fig mixture, skin side up.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Spray grill with cooking spray.  Place cedar plank on grill, about 3-inches from heat.  If you are using a gas grill turn to medium heat.  Scoop some of the fig mixture up and place on cedar plank, then place salmon, skin side up, on top of fig mixture.  Close lid and grill for 8 minutes.  Open lid, carefully lift salmon off cedar plank and place, skin side down onto hot grill, continue to cook until salmon is fully cooked in the center, about another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot with reserved fig mixture.  Serves  4.

"Animal crackers, and cocoa to drink, that is the finest of suppers, I think; When I'm grown up and can have what I please I think I shall always insist upon these."  Christopher Morley

Birthday Apron...

My baby sister has a birthday coming up - she's an excellent cook but rarely gets a chance - instead she and her tribe eat out almost nightly - with two jobs, 4 kids who all play soccer and have various other activities and two ill-mannered dogs, a home-cooked meal is a bi-monthly event - unless you count her Sunday nachos ...anyway, I made this apron for her - so she can at least LOOK the part even if she's just vacuuming....you all wear aprons when you vacuum, right?  And nothing else?  Thought so.....

Miss Virginia volunteered to model it for you...she's lost weight, can you tell?  This gives you an idea of what my sister will look like while she's vacumming...Miss Virginia was too embarrassed to turn around, so you'll have to get a visual all on your own.  My sister's job takes her all over creation - she runs an airline...well, not really, but don't tell her that!  Having a family member work for an airline is a nice little perk and almost makes up for those endless bratty years she put us all through - she was one whinny little kid I'll tell you that right now!  My brother, the dentist, ended up being worth his weight too...nothing like getting a crown done for free!  I suppose I'll now have to forgive him for the swollen lip he gave me when we played King of the Couch years ago...I would have won but he resorted to violence.  My other sister keeps me supplied with hand-made cards and quilting supplies...so all of her past crimes against me have been forgiven as well.  It's times like this when I wish I had more siblings - I could be scoring more goods!  And in return, I make them aprons and useless items they don't really need...the last time I made my brother something he asked me, "Is this a craft?"  And I believe that was the LAST TIME I made him something.  Oh well...I'd still pick them all if I'd had a choice to begin with...probably.

**This apron was adapted from a pattern by Indygo Junction, called Cook's Cover Up #11733 by Kathy Fernholz.  I used some of her embroidery patterns, but also added one of my own and I changed the bottom of the apron and the top...nothin' personal Kathy, but I seem to have a problem following patterns.