Pots and Pins

Christmas Advent Banner...

I wanted to make a Christmas banner out of felt and wool, like my Thanksgiving banner...as I was cutting out the pieces I decided to turn the banner into an advent calendar - so I sewed on pockets and hung it up where little hands could reach in and get the surprise!  I started this project about a year ago - only working on it occasionally, and it felt so good to finally finish it!  It's very "rustic"...but I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Felt, felted wool and wool were used - I hand stitched the pieces together and add buttons, beads and whatever other doo-dads I could find.  I didn't worry about colors too much, just red, green and white.  Each pocket measures 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches and was machine-stitched onto a green ribbon (I was sick of hand-stitching at that point!)

It was fun coming up with little ways to decorate the pockets...and I did purchase little buttons and accents to use, like the poinsettia flower on the "H" and the wooden Santa button on the star.  I wanted 24 pockets so I added in extra pockets between the Merry and the Christmas.

There are 24 pockets in all...in the last pocket there is a note that tells where the last gift is hidden...and that last gift will lead Max on a scavenger hunt around the house until he finds it, under the tree on Christmas Eve...probably a Christmas book, I haven't decided yet.   

The banner is hung waist high in our family room, Max will have no trouble reaching in for the gifts - but telling him he can only open one each day  might be another issue!  Below are some of the gifts I put in the pockets:

Just little toys and treats - the good and bad thing about Advent calendars is you are very limited as to what fits!  But I managed to get in a set of marbles and a whoopie cushion!  The mister is going to LOVE that!  And so will Max!  Elsa will love it all, too, probably a little too much - her little hands are always very, very busy!

Cute little mugs, no?  I'm so excited they are coming for Christmas - we are going to have a jolly good time!  Might even break out my own set of antlers!

Max and Elsa won't be here for a few more weeks and I can hardly stand the wait!

Praline-Pecan-Custard Pie...

After the feast, after round two, before the coma:

Me:  Would you like a slice of pie?

Mister:  Do I have to?

Me:  Certainly not! 

Mister:  Okay then, just a small slice.

Me:  With whipped cream?

Mister:  Are you trying to kill me?

Me:  The thought occurred to me...

Mister:  Yes, whipped cream, and not too thin a slice.

Me:  Here you go.

Mister:  Geeze!  That's enough for two!

Me:  Want to trade?

Mister:  No! 

Ten minutes later:

Mister:  Why did you make me eat that?

 

 

The man is enough to drive me to drink!  But I really can't blame him, this pie is e-villll.  Think of the finest pralines you can buy in New Orleans, crispy on the outside, pecan pieces on the inside- all surrounded by a brown sugar elixir that melts into bliss on your tongue - that's the first layer of this pie.

 

 

 

The second layer is a rich, creamy vanilla custard.  Take a minute to think about that!  It's better than you can think, I promise.  I made two pies, both now memories. 

Not a great picture, my apologies, and this is before the pie is decorated with whipped cream...but I wanted you to see the layers...the crust is so light and flaky, the praline-pecan layer is crispy and the custard brings them all together into one fabulous pie...you'll want this one for your holiday party - it's a keeper!  So sorry I didn't get this posted in time for Thanksgiving...but then you would have made it and eaten the entire thing and been up another pound or two on the scales and you would have blamed me...but this pie makes the weight gain worth it.  This makes one 9-inch deep dish pie.

Praline-Pecan-Custard Pie - Adapted From Megan Gee, Custard Adapted From Baking Illustrated

For Pie Crust (makes enough for 2 pies - you can make two pies or freeze half of the dough, it will keep for 30 days in the freezer)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water (use refrigerated or iced water)

For the Praline-Pecan Filling:

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup toasted pecans, broken up

For the Custard Filling:

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Topping:

Fresh Whipped Cream

Make the pie crust:  In a food processor, mix together flour, salt and sugar.  Dice the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, then add to the processor and pulse 5 times ( 1 1/2 seconds teach pulse) until the mixture has pea-sized globules of butter still visible in the flour.  Add the water while quickly pulsing the flour mixture to evenly distribute the water through the butter-flour mixture.  Do not over mix! 

Dump out the mixture onto plastic wrap.  Bring together into a ball. Cut the ball in half and form two separate discs in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.  Roll out one disc of dough and freeze remaining disc of dough for up to one month.  Press dough into 9-inch deep dish pie pan, trimming the edges of the dough so extend about 1/2-inch beyond rim of pan.  Fold the edges under itself and flute the dough into any decorative way you wish.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put crust in freezer for 10 minutes (it helps crust not to shrink.)  Remove from freezer and line crust with a piece of foil and use pie weights or beans, evenly distributed over foil.  Bake for 20, carefully remove foil and weights/beans, and return crust to the oven to finish baking, about 5 or 6 more minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown.

Make the Praline-Pecan Filling:  Turn oven up to 450 degrees.  In a small pan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat until just melted, stirring till combined. Add toasted pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until top is bubbly.   Remove from oven, let cool for about 10 minutes.  While Praline-Pecan filling is cooling, make custard. 

Make the Custard:  Turn oven down to 375 degrees.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and cream until steaming.  In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Whisk some of the steaming milk into the egg mixture, about 2 tablespoons, then add 2 more tablespoons, whisking to temper the eggs.  Add 2 more tablespoons, whisk together, and then pour the egg mixture into the cream mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard begins to thicken and forms a ridge on the tip of the spoon when the bottom of the pan is scraped and the spoon is lifted, about 6 to 8 minutes.  *Pour the custard onto the still hot Praline-Pecan layer and bake in a 375 degree oven until the custard has set around the edges but jiggles slightly in the center when shaken, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before cutting, or refrigerate until pie is cool. 

Top the pie with whipped cream and serve, makes 8 servings.  *You will have some custard left, consider it a cook's bonus and enjoy by yourself!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for and today I want to make sure my family knows they top the list!  Of course, I include my blog friends on that list, too, because without you I wouldn't be resting my dogs right now in front of the computer.  The bird is in the roaster, the rolls and pies are made, and we're on the final countdown to our feast...

I'm also thankful for good health - after being sidelined with a kidney infection I am really thankful for antibiotics and indoor plumbing! 

I'm thankful for electricity and heat and running water and a sewing machine that puts up with my temper tantrums when the bobbin inconveniently runs out of thread!

I'm now thankful I have TWO harvest quilts...much more fun than one - now I can have my own quilt to snuggle in while I watch the Hallmark Channel and the mister can have one, too, so he can be warm and cozy while he snores through the movie - it's win/win!

Today could only be better if my parents were here - and my sisters and brother and their families - and my girl and SIL and my precious grandkids - I miss them all so very much on these "high holy days!"  But I'm easing the pain with my mom's recipes and memories of Thanksgivings pasts...oh yeah, now I know why we don't go to their home for Thanksgiving...it's all coming back to me!

It will just be the four of us around the table today...me, the mister, the boy and his fiance...that's right - the boy is engaged!  (I figured I could mention it because HE put it on Facebook!  But let's keep it a secret just in case I wasn't supposed to say anything!)  I couldn't be happier - I've always wanted more kids, just didn't know I'd have to wait so long to get them!  I adore Jessica because she adores my son and how can one not love someone who loves your kid?!?  (Thanks Shauna Hillstead - I have quoted you often!)  So today, I'm very, very thankful for Jessica!

 

May your rolls not burn and your turkey be moist,

May your football team win with high-fives voiced,

May your hearts swell with love for family and friends,

And may this season of thankfulness never end!

Lemon-Herb Carrot Tarts...

The mister has been in a real funk lately, due to his birthday, as he's one step closer to meeting his twin, the Grim Reaper.  That's how he views birthdays...so it's hard to have balloons, cake, candles, merriment and song, when the birthday boy slogs around waiting for the last nail to be hammered into his coffin.  It didn't help that his birthday began with torrential rain, branches blown from trees all around and nothing in the forecast that was big and yellow.  The mister's mood matched the weather - gloomy with a chance of doom.  But I knew how to fix the mister - one slice of lemon meringue pie before dinner...as an appetizer...it was a miracle cure!  And once released from the birthday chains of death, the mister was able able to drag his knuckles to his birthday dinner with the slightest of smirks on his face...it's the closest he comes to smiling.  He had a very nice dinner, which included Lemon-Herb Carrot Tarts...he downed at least four and said, "Put these into the rotation, they are goo-ood!"      

 

 

 

And they soo-ooo are!  So good that they just might show up again on Thanksgiving!  I'm trying to decide how many side dishes is too many...it's a very hard decision!  These tarts were an unexpected surprise - light, zesty, refreshing - all in a pastry crust making them super easy to pop into one's mouth - one after another!  And they are quick and easy to make.  I used refrigerated pie dough, although you could make your own, but the star here is the filling, not the crust.

 

After eating my fair share, I can say these are dang good.  I'm thinking for T-Day I might even forgo the pastry and just make the carrot puree...decisions!  Decisions!

Lemon-Herb Carrot Tarts - Adapted From The Seattle Times, Alison Ladman, The Associated Press

1 package refrigerated pastry dough

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

zest and juice of 1 small lemon

salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 12 mini-muffin tins with baking spray.  Roll out dough and using a cookie cutter, cut dough into a circle to fit the muffin tin, I cut mine into 4-inch circles.  Re-roll dough as necessary to get 12 circles.  Press circles of dough into muffin tin, allowing for dough to come up a bit past the edges.  Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet and set in the freezer while you make the filling.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the carrots and boil until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Drain the carrots, then transfer to the food processor.  Add the butter and process until smooth.  Stir in thyme, sage and lemon zest and juice.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Allow mixture to cool slightly, then mix in egg yolks.  Spoon carrot mixture into the prepared tart shells and bake, leaving the tarts on the baking sheet, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden color and the filling is set.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes 12 mini-tarts.

If you're looking for more T-day side dishes or if you want the recipe for the best-tasting Thanksgiving turkey and gravy ever...then scroll on down to the categories on the left side bar, click on Thanksgiving and all of our favorite recipes will come up...tried, true and worthy of Thanksgiving!

Stuffing and Corn Souffle...

All this week I've been "auditioning" side dishes for our Thanksgiving feast...most of them have not made the cut...but this one, well, it's moved to the top of the list - thanks to Mrs. Cubbison's! 

With T-Day less than a week away, the clock is ticking on the final menu...of course, we'll have our traditional sides and favorites but I'll also be serving up this Stuffing and Corn Souffle, which the mister, after his 2nd serving declared, "Hits the spot and then some!"  And indeed it does! 

I was asked to create a recipe using Mrs. Cubbison's Corn Bread Stuffing...which, as you know, is like asking me if I want a new piece of jewelry...duh, yes please!  So into the kitchen I flew (visualize a bat outta hell) and after thinking about what to make for all of FIVE minutes...it came to me...I heard voices and there was music...I turned off the TV and went to work...the end result was Stuffing and Corn Souffle, nothing short of Divine Intervention - cue the choir!

 

 

 

 

Did you know Thanksgiving is the 2nd most favorite holiday of the year?  Only Christmas tops it - and most T-Day feasts are made by Moms with stuffing being the favorite side dish and the most passed-down recipe...people love stuffing!  You can read more interesting facts from a Thanksgiving Across America Survey on the Thanksgiving Tips website, where you'll also find some great T-day recipes.  There's one more thing you need to check out, Mrs. Cubbison's Facebook page, go and like it, be Mrs. Cubbison's new friend...and be sure to enter the contest on her page...it would be great to win a $1,500 shopping spree, no?

There are two packages of stuffing mix in the Mrs. Cubbison's box, you will only use one package for this recipe, unless you want to double it, which come to think of it, is a mighty good idea!

 

 

After the stuffing is made, it's put into a baking dish and then a mixture of cream, eggs, cheese and seasonings is poured over top...it's baked to golden perfection...and the aroma will bring the troops running!

Just rest your eyes upon all that goodness...it's like a Bob Ross painting - happy things going on everywhere!  Make this - not to replace your family stuffing recipe - but as a side dish that will enhance everything on your Thanksgiving menu - including Tom himself!

Stuffing and Corn Souffle - Pots and Pins

1 box Mrs. Cubbison's Corn Bread Stuffing (you will only use one package)

2 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 cup cream

2 eggs

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1 stick butter

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon fresh sage

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Butter a baking dish and set aside (I used a 7 x 11 baking dish but a 9 x 13 would work).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large skillet, melt butter and saute celery and onion until translucent, about 7 minutes.  Stir in corn, stock, sage and thyme, bring to a boil.  Stir in stuffing mix, toss gently then cover with a lid, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. 

In a medium bowl whisk together cream and eggs.  Stir in cheese, sugar, salt and pepper.  Spoon stuffing and corn mixture into prepared baking dish.  Pour cream and cheese mixture over top, evenly distributing the cheese, do not stir.  Put baking dish into a larger pan and fill half way up the side with hot tap water.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.

*Disclaimer:  This sponsorship is brought to you by Mrs. Cubbison's who we have partnered with for this promotion. The opinions expressed are my own, as is the recipe, for which I'm mightily proud.  Make this one folks, you won't be sorry. 

Wild Rice Salad...

Wild rice reminds me of Minnesota - it's where I lived the first time I tasted it - and Minnesotans know about a million ways to make wild rice into something palatable.  I wasn't a fan of wild rice the first time I tried it, but grew to love it when it was served in a creamy, cheesy soup or a pilaf, which helped to disguise it's true taste!  It's not really a rice, but a grass, with a very earthy taste. But the earthy taste blends well with everything in this salad - this one will rock your crunch and chew meter, plus it would be a great addition to any Thanksgiving feast.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of grass, not the wild rice kind but the kind that was just made legal in the state of Washington...I'm sure our new law will bring a new tourist industry to the Emerald City so come for a visit, pop into Starbucks and plug in your latest Microsoft device so you can shop on Amazon while Boeing planes soar overhead or get your soy-chai-with-foam to go and head over to Nordstrom for a pair of fingerless gloves before stocking up at Costco for a weekend getaway on Vashon where you can sport your Eddie Bauer flannels while smoking a salmon on your R.E.I. camp stove, smiling smugly because you have a legal packet of weed in your pocket...just don't light up - that's still illegal.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  Oh wait, you can't!  Hahahaha, don't you just love the our lawmakers?!?

 

Celery, onion, water chestnuts, pomegranate arils, dried apricots, fresh oranges all mixed together in a tangy orange dressing and tossed with wild rice...it's dang good my friends, crispy, crunchy, chewy, and here's a shocker...it's healthy, too! 

Wild Rice Salad - Pots and Pins

2 cups wild rice

1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained, and sliced

1/2 cup celery, finely sliced

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup dried apricots or cranberries, finely chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds (it's nice to candy them first, but optional)

2 large oranges

1 large pomegranate, peeled, arils removed

4 tablespoons good olive oil

4 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (from second orange, plus more if needed to make 4 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the wild rice in a medium pot with 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, until the rice is very tender. Drain well and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.  

Zest the orange.  Peel the orange with a sharp knife, cutting down to remove all of the white pith. Cut orange into small pieces.  In a large serving bowl combine celery, onion, apricot pieces, orange pieces, orange zest, and pomegranate arils.  Add in wild rice.  Juice the other orange into a small bowl, if you don't have at least 4 tablespoons of juice, supplement with orange juice, and stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, black pepper and salt; mix well.  Pour dressing over wild rice mixture and toss well to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.  Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.  Serves 8 to 10.

Caramel Cream Cheese Toffee Dip...

Does anyone know the term "Sweater Girl?"  If you Google "Sweater Girl", pictures of old Hollywood actresses will come up, like the one on the left of Patti Page, who along with Lana Turner and Jane Russell, epitomized the "sweater girl" look, popular back in the 1940s and 1950s. Tight fitting sweaters and sweater sets were all the rage back then!  Wikipedia said:  "The Sweater Girl look emphasized the bustline...The look requires the woman to wear a pointed circular stitched conical shape bra, sometimes called a bullet bra, which raises and separates her breasts."   Good to know!  Now, if you Google "Sweater Boy", you won't get anything...no pictures, no legends or lore...which is unfortunate because Sweater Boy does exist!  However, whereas the Sweater Girl look emphasized the bustline, the Sweater Boy look emphasizes the belly...there is no raising or separating, just one big round curvature surrounded in cashmere.  Sweater Boy is also known as the mister...every day for 20 years, the mister has worn a sweater to work at Global Headquarters...V-neck with long sleeves...never a vest or cardigan or a round neck...he has standards!  So Sweater Boy goes through a lot of sweaters...and recently he went on a sweater-buying spree...purchasing a bunch of sweaters at one time, justifying his purchase with, "These should get me through to the coffin."  One could hope.  Sweater Boy has a sweater fetish.  It would be amusing if it weren't so expensive...because of Sweater Boy's sweater fetish, I cannot afford to be a sweater girl...alas, there are no bullet bras in my future!

 

 

 

But let me tell you what IS in my future...and should be in yours, too...Caramel Cream Cheese Toffee Dip.  It is out-of-this-world good...in fact, I'm going to use an out-of-this-world word to describe it...Marom, from the Vulcan language, meaning excellent on every level.  Yes, I speak Vulcan. I had this dip with apples last week (Oh...thank you Denise!) and I could not get it out of my mind.  I was told I'd find a recipe on Pinterest and I found many - like fifty - and all of them had mostly the same ingredients and said to prepare it the same way...put the cream cheese on a plate and pour the caramel sauce on top then sprinkle with toffee bits...well excuse me...but what if I tried to scoop up some dip on my apple and only got cream cheese?  Or what if I only got caramel?  What a shame that would be!  So I combined everything into one big bowl (which is how Denise made it, too) and then my dipping issues disappeared!

 

I'm on my third batch...not something I'm particularly proud of but if they ever hold a Caramel Cream Cheese Toffee Dip Olympics, I'll be ready!  In the first batch I used vanilla extract - it was excellent but on the subsequent two batches I used maple extract, and it just seemed to make everything right with my world... I'm easy like that. 

Caramel Cream Cheese Toffee Dip - Adapted from Many Recipes on Pinterest

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3 Heath Bars, coarsely chopped or 1/2 cup toffee bits or a combination of the two (I prefer Heath Bars because they are coated in chocolate - just an extra bit of yummy-ness!)

1/4 cup caramel topping (I used Smuckers Caramel Topping, found near the ice cream section of the grocery store)

1 teaspoon vanilla or maple extract (I actually prefer the maple extract, but the vanilla is great, too!)

3 to 4 sliced and cored apples - Fuji, Honey Crisp or Granny Smith apples taste great

Combine all ingredients, except apples, in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until blended.  Serve with sliced apples.  Keep any remaining dip refrigerated...hahaha, as if any will be left over!

 

Maple Cakelets...

First things first...Happy Veterans Day to my dad and the mister...Semper-Fi-do-or-die-Hooo-Rah!  The Marine Corp is celebrating it's 237th birthday this year, so we'll join in the celebration with a steaming hot plate of $*#t on a Shingle - to be bring back some cob-webbed memories for the mister.  Three years ago I posted the only pictures we have of the mister on active duty - all four of them...if you want to skip down memory lane, click here.   Thanks to the men and women who serve today...God bless them!

 

 Next, November is ticking along at a rapid pace - which means I've been busy sewing up more turkeys!  These were made for a special friend - I've lost count of how many turkey aprons I've made - but this "mom" apron is a bit different, it's made with waffle-towel fabric so it's the perfect thing for wiping sticky hands on!  My special friend happens to have a fabulous new cookbook - and if you haven't ordered your copy yet - what are you waiting for?!?  This one is a keeper - one you'll use over and over and over...and what a great gift it would make!

 

 

 

Like many of you, I've been a Smitten Kitchen fan for over five years - everything I've ever made from Deb has been absolutely delicious and one of my very favorite recipes is her Butternut Squash and Onion Galette (pic above right)...it is SO easy to make and would have any Foodie licking her plate!  I need to find some time to make her S'mores Cake, pictured above...I'm sure it's life-changing!

Deb stopped in Seattle on her whirl-wind book tour and I was lucky enough to get to see her at The Book Larder in Fremont (many strings were pulled to get me in - thanks so much to those string pullers!!)  The Book Larder is an adorable little shop -  a "Community Cookbook Store" with a full kitchen where they have cooking demonstrations and classes - you can check out their schedule by clicking here.  I already have several dates written on my calendar!  Back to Deb, she is charming, sweet, and every bit as interesting in person as she is on her blog...which is not always the case...some people only write well, some people only speak well...Deb can do both!

 

 

 

 

The very last thing I needed was another specialty bake pan...but I couldn't resist the Acorn Cakelet Pan from Nordic Ware...it spoke to me!  I made the yummiest maple flavored cakelets...every bite tasted like Fall...cinnamon, nutmeg and maple extract swirled into a moist, dense cake...it's kind of a cross between a cake and a muffin with a hint of Maple Bar!  Seriously good -and you don't need a fancy pan to bake these in - you can use a cupcake tin, which I did with half of the batter. 

So cute...but they taste even better than they look!  They are frosted with a maple frosting...because as you know, too much of a good thing is almost enough.  If you are a maple fan, these are for you...if you aren't a maple fan, with one bite you will be.  These get a resounding 5 dangs on the ol' Dang Meter...the are dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good!

Maple Cakelets - Recipe from Nordic Ware, Betty Crocker and Pots and Pins

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

Maple Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

To make cakelets:  Prepare baking pans.  If you're using a specialty pan, like the one I used, coat with grease and flour the pan.  If you're using a mini-cupcake tin, grease and flour or use cupcake liners.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.  In another small bowl, combine milk, maple syrup, vanilla and maple extracts; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed, until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, scraping bowl often.  Reduce speed and blend in flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture; until all ingredients have been incorporated.  Mix until just combined, do not over mix.  Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each of the wells in the prepared baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan.  Invert on cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Makes 36 cakelets (mini-cupcake size) or 24 acorn cakelets (two frosted together to make one.)

To make frosting:  In a medium bowl combine all ingredients on medium speed, adding additional cream and/or powdered sugar as needed until frosting is light and fluffy.  Cover frosting until ready to frost cakelets.

 

 

 

 

Boston Brown Bread...

We've heard rumors for the last year or so that the local Ace Hardware is going to shut down.  This is disturbing to many, but for me, it means the end of any simple home-improvement project.  Ace Hardware is exactly two miles from our home.  The mister, as it turns out, is only capable of driving four miles (return trip included) to get whatever parts he might need for something.  He told me that when Ace Hardware shuts down he will not longer be doing any repairs because he is not about to drive 10 miles to Home Depot (5 miles each way!)  Nope, he is only a four mile guy.  And four-mile-guy went on to say that I'd better pray things don't break because he is done fixing things...I reminded him that everything he has fixed in the past had to be RE-fixed by a paid professional...to which he countered, "Oh yeah?!  Who put in the new bobber-thingy in the toilet?"  His one and only home-improvement project that didn't need an intervention.  The mister is a four-mile-bobber-thingy expert...I'm so proud.

 

 

 

Boston Brown Bread...it's ridiculously delicious...and chewy and it's baked in cans! The original recipe calls for two empty, clean 11 to 13 oz. coffee/vegetable cans...and if you look closely at the pic above you'll see the two cans I used and the two cuts on my hands from where I washed and dried them!  If you have one of those can openers that removes the top of the can, use it...if not, be very careful!

 

 

 

 

As you can see from the pics, there was a bit of a problem with the bread cans...as in they were either too full or the cans were too small or both!  The recipe said to divide the dough equally between the cans and so I filled them to the top...and there was still a little dough left over, which I threw away.  If I had been thinking I would have realized they were too full and I would have used a third can...but who am I to argue with Bon Appetit?!?  So the bread exploded a bit from the can...making for some unusual looking bread!

Once the "exploding" parts were removed, I was left with two small rounds of delicious bread...and while it cooled on the counter I quickly buttered and ate all of the exploded parts!  It was too good to throw away!  Next time, and there will be a next time, I will use THREE cans and divide the dough equally between them...duh!

Moist, dense, chewy - everything you want bread to be but this bread is also infused with the rich flavors of molasses, brown sugar, whole-wheat and rye flour...it's the perfect thing to serve with New England Style Clam Chowder or any harvest soup, stew, casserole or even a nice cuppa tea!  This bread can even qualify for the "Quick Bread Category" because it doesn't require any rising time because there's no yeast in it.  What could be better after a brisk walk on a crisp Autumn day with leaves crunching under your feet than to return home to a piece of Boston Brown Bread slathered with butter?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing. 

Boston Brown Bread - Adapted From Bon Appetit, November 2012

Special equipment:  Three empty, clean 11 to 13 oz. coffee/vegetable cans

1 tablespoons butter plus more for serving, room temperature

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rye flour**

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup raisins (optional)

**You can make this bread without rye flour, just increase whole wheat flour to 1 3/4 cups and the all-purpose flour to 1 1/2 cups.  Rye flour is available to natural food stores and most larger grocery stores.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut three 6-inch squares of foil.  Coat insides of cans and one side of foil squares with 1 tablespoon butter.  Stir milk, molasses, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is just warmed but do not boil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, rye flour (if using) cornmeal, baking soda and baking powder.  Add milk mixture to the flour mixture; whisk until smooth.  Fold in raisins, if using.  Divide batter equally between the three cans.  Smooth tops. 

Cover cans with foil, butter side down.  Secure foil with kitchen twine or rubber bands.  Place cans foil side up in a deep roasting pan or large baking dish.  Transfer pan to oven.  Pour very hot water into pan to come about 3-inches up sides of cans.  Bake until a skewer inserted through foil into the center of each loaf comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool for 10 minutes.   Run a thin knife around edges of cans.  Invert to release loaves onto rack.  (If bread sticks, use a can opener to make a small opening in the bottom of can, that will help release the bread.)  Let cool completely before slicing.  Serve with soft butter.  Store bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature.

Clam Chower - New England Style...

It seems only appropriate I post this recipe the day after the elections...after all, New England contributed greatly to the win last night!  I'll get to the recipe in a bit, but first I must sound off about something...President Obama is our president, like it or not, and I support him and will pray for him because I am an American, and no matter who is president, I will always be a proud American.  I was shocked last night, not by the outcome, but by the hateful things I read on Facebook...several people wrote they were ashamed to be American...I felt so sorry for them...I love my country, and while I don't always love who runs it, I cannot ever imagine a scenario where I would be ashamed to be an American!  I came across this picture a few weeks back while I was visiting my parents, it's of my mom and Orrin Hatch, who last night was re-elected to the U.S. Senate for the state of Utah for the fiftieth (or so it seems) time...living proof that we need term limits!  The signature says, "To my friend Carol, with warm regards, Orrin USS-Utah".  The picture was taken maybe 30 or even 40 years ago?  Congrats to Senator Hatch and to my mom, who looks as great today as she did then...If only SHE was the one who was re-elected!  Then we'd have real hope and change!

I'm done with my soapbox now...so, moving on...there is just nothing more comforting this time of year than a hot, steaming bowl of Clam Chowder!  The boy and I agree on this 100%...he is a seafood lover all the way, which is so odd to me because he grew up on canned tuna!  But I love clam chowder as much as he does and we always order it when we go out to eat.  Living in the Northwest we get great clam chowder in almost any restaurant...almost...so I have resisted making it at home.  When I came across this recipe I knew our days of ordering clam chowder out were numbered - it has everything in it that I love!  The boy and I went to Uwayimaya for fresh clams - they didn't have Cherrystone clams like the recipe called for so we ended up with Manilla clams, as if we would know the difference!  And the boy happily cooked and shelled the clams for me...while his girlfriend looked on in disgust...yes, she's still in the picture, but I've been sworn to secrecy on that score!  Sauteed celery, onion, garlic with potatoes, cream and crispy bacon...mmm-mmm good!

 

By the time the chowder was done we were circling the kitchen like sharks on a surfer...as was recently pointed out to me, when you enter the water you enter the food chain!  If you think you don't like clam chowder - think again...this creamy, hearty soup will cure what ails you and if you don't like clams, just pick them out and pass them to your nearest clam-eating son...it will be a happy compromise!

To go with our chowder, I also made some Boston Brown Bread which proved to be the perfect accompaniment...that recipe will be posted tomorrow - you're going to want it!

Clam Chowder - New England Style - Adapted From Bon Appetit, November 2012

4 lbs. Manilla clams, scrubbed (the original recipe called for 8 lbs. Cherrystone clams - 8 lbs. just seemed like too, too many and we couldn't find Cherrystone so we substituted Manilla clams.

1 tablespoon butter

8 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 celery stalks, minced

1 large onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cups heavy cream

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste, chopped chives and Oyster crackers, optional

Bring clams and 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  Cook until clams just open, 8 to 10 minutes (discard any that do not open).  Using a large slotted spoon, transfer clams to a large rimmed baking sheet; set broth aside.  Let clams cool slightly, then pull meat from shells, discard shells. 

Chop clams into bite-size pieces.  Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl (to remove any bits of sand).  Add water if needed to measure 6 cups.  (Clams and broth can be made one day ahead; cover separately and chill.)

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon begins to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring often until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add reserved broth (or 6 cups bottled clam juice), potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring chowder base to a simmer; cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water into a small bowl to form a slurry. Stir slurry into chowder base; return to a boil to thicken.  (Base can be made one day ahead.  Let cool; cover and chill. Keep clams chilled.  Bring base to a simmer before continuing.)

Remove base from heat;  Discard bay leaf.  Stir in reserved clams (or two 10-oz. cans baby clams) and cream.  Season with salt, if needed ( the brininess of clams can vary), and pepper - we like a lot of pepper!  Divide chowder among bowls.  Garnish with chives and oyster crackers, if desired.  Seves 8.