I simply cannot wait to try this! There was a great article from NPR about some everyday tasks that you might not be doing right… This is incredible! You know how when you hard boil an egg, some shells slip right off and others you can only get little tiny piece by little tiny piece, sometimes not leaving much of the egg… Well you’ve got to watch this video! Tim Ferriss shows how easy it is to remove the shells, they BLOW RIGHT OFF THE EGG. Watch and you’ll see!
A few words from Matt Thompson (NPR):
I prepared my breakfast of hard-boiled eggs a bit differently this morning. I added a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water. When the eggs were done, I cooled each one in ice water, then cracked both ends of the shell, held it in my fist and blew. Each time, the shell shook a bit and whistled, then out popped the egg, shell-less and delicious.
Get. Outta. Here!
Update: I was researching more about Tim Ferriss (the guy that did the video) and he has a blog that this was featured on. His blog is an amazing resource, check it out if you get a chance!
Growing up we had a tradition in our house… Christmas cookies… bake them and decorate. There was nothing better! To top it off they are the tastiest you will ever eat! The frosting sets so they don’t get smushed into each other. You don’t need any special tools (we use zip top storage bags). Make and bake the cookies. Then make the frosting. Scoop some of the “white” into a zip top bag, then divide the frosting into bowls of whatever other colors you like. (Red, green and blue is what we usually did, in addition to white). Add food coloring to each bowl and get it the color you like. A good “grinch” green mix blue and yellow food coloring until you hit that great green… or if you don’t feel adventurous, just use the green food coloring. Next, snip the very corner of the bag, and the frosting will flow through that to decorate. Easy and so much fun. You really see the artsy folks stand out here! Click HEREto print the recipe minus all the photos, etc.
Decorate however you like, neat, messy, in whatever colors you create!
CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES
Sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
In mixer bowl add 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Beat until fluffy and light. Slowly beat in flour mixture. CHILL ONE HOUR.
Flour your work surface and roll out dough. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
YIELD: 4 dozen (IF you don’t eat the dough… good luck to ya!)
FROSTING
Mix 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups (1 box) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup scalded cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Scoop into separate bowls and add food coloring (hint: yellow and blue mixed makes an awesome ‘grinch’ green). Scoop colored frosting into Ziplock bag (doesn’t have to be Ziplock, any zip top is fine, I use freezer quart size bags) and snip a little off the corner. Squeeze onto cookie to decorate! If you need the frosting thinned a bit more, I have great luck just using light cream, add a little at a time until it will easily come out of the bag to decorate.
I have a gorgeous collection of Christmas ornaments that my dad made. I made one, can’t remember which one, I think it turned out too thick for my liking… he really made each one so different, and they look festive displayed in this wooden bowl that he made. He’s a handy kind of guy. If I was in MI I would be learning how to make all this stuff… treasures!
Are you getting everything on your list accomplished? Well, no worries, me either, ha ha! It’s what the holidays are all about! Have a great day!
This recipe has been a family favorite for as far back as I can remember. My mom and dad are both excellent in the kitchen, and this is one of those soup’s you can throw together with whatever sounds good at the time, which is convenient. Add vegetables that take the longest to cook earlier in the recipe, and others that cook quickly (spinach), towards the end. Any spices that you enjoy will work well. I can remember having this with amazing French bread growing up! Hope you enjoy one of my staple recipes… click HERE to print this recipe without photos…
To recap…
Set out your ingredients, wash potatoes, greens, etc. if using…
Brown the short ribs in a little olive oil – use a heavy bottom pan if possible…
Chop, chop, chop… Sometimes I sauté the carrots with the onion/celery, sometimes I don’t… whatever… easy peasy, no worries!
This time I browned the short ribs and got nice crusties on the bottom of the pan, and THEN I sautéed the onion and celery… Last time I did it all together. No rules… do what you like!
Saute veggies…
Add short ribs back to the pot… when this soup is done the meat will fall off the bone… heavenly!
Add that biggee can of tomatoes and juice, as well as at least one big can of water (or more)…
Add the beef consommé…. this gives it a nice rich flavor…
Add the big carton of beef broth… as the soup cooks down add more broth/water…
And any spices you like…
The secret is the center of the celery stalk with the leaves, throw it in whole… this will give the soup an amazing flavor!
Now, take the meat off the bone and fat – toss it back in the pan… yum!
Now… a story about the photo… if that baguette looks frozen, it’s because it is! I made soup yesterday for dinner with a hot, crusty baguette. I took photos along the way, but then we were hungry… so we ate. Once the soup was in the fridge… Dang it! I realized I had forgotten to take a photo… so I just had lunch, and snapped a photo… baguette was frozen to use at a later date, but it looks nice, huh? Hee….
Fruitcake gets poo poo’d, I’m not sure why… I’m pretty sure this one will change your mind! This is a recipe that my Grandma Fidler used to make, and I still remember the wonderful smell of it! Then the recipe magically appeared in a Christmas card from my aunt. What a cool idea to share my grandma’s famous fruitcake recipe with us all! I made it and it was so delicious I cannot tell you! She brushed on brandy (several times) after baking, and wrapped in brown paper. That part isn’t on the recipe, so wing it if you like, or don’t do it at all… it’s good either way! First the recipe… and then the images to show you how easy it really is! Click HERE to print the recipe minus the photos…
Grandma’s Fruit Cake
Ingredients – (Yield: Makes 2- 9” loaves)
1 ½ cups Raisins
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 ½ cups Chopped Dates
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 Cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
2 cups Boiling Water
1 teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Shortening
1 cup Chopped Nuts
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Candied Fruit
2 Eggs
Directions
In a large saucepan add the boiling water and stir in the raisins, chopped dates, sugar and shortening. Bring contents to boil and then let simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place cooked mixture in cool place until thoroughly cooled.
After the boil…
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl add Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves and Salt.
Mix together dry ingredients…
Blend together then add eggs.
Add eggs…
Stir in the cooled mixture adding the chopped nuts and candied fruit last.
Divide into 2 well-greased and floured large loaf pans (9”x3”x3” deep) and bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Use toothpick near end of baking time to check center of loaf. Cooking times vary. (My grandma also had a note on her recipe to put water in a pie dish and place in the oven, this keeps the fruitcake moist by keeping the air moist!)
Ready for the oven!
Do you smell that yummy goodness filling your house? Ahhhh, this is wonderful!
Ta da!
Note: Cooking time varies with size of loaf pan, a medium (8×3”) bakes approximately 1 hour and mini loaf pans (5 ½ x 3”) bake approximately 45 minutes.
I love running across an intriguing recipe and giving it a whirl! I had received an email from Martha Stewart – Everyday Food – with this fabulous “recipe” in it for a Rustic Apple Tart. I say “recipe” because it was a video link, which is great, but there was no recipe… and to remember each step when you haven’t worked with puff pastry much in the past seemed to be a little dangerous to me, ha ha… So here is the “recipe” as well as the link to their video (which is amazing, be sure to watch it first, Sarah Carey did a great job with the quick demo!). There are only a few ingredients, it’s fairly quick to make and it comes out absolutely gorgeous! Tasty, beautiful and very professional looking, thanks to the glaze that goes on top (which doesn’t really add to the taste, just the beauty). Click HERE to print the recipe only.
RUSTIC APPLE TART
Puff Pastry (1 sheet)
3 Granny Smith Apples
1/3 cup sugar (or a little less)
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp water
Defrost puff pastry in refrigerator.
Once defrosted, leave folded and roll out to 8×14 on a lightly floured surface.
TRIM EDGES – need a clean edge, otherwise it won’t puff up, she used a pizza cutter
Place on baking sheet and PUT IN FREEZER 10-15 minutes (this is very important)!
Filling:
Peel and core 3 Granny Smith Apples, cut into 1/4″ slices
Add 1/3 cup sugar (or less) and mix.
In separate bowl, mix 1 large egg YOLK (discard white) and 1 tsp water, set aside.
Dough out of freezer.
Brush on egg wash (don’t let drip down the sides, it could inhibit it from rising)
Create border 3/4″ from edge, cut halfway through dough with a knife.
Arrange apples within border.
Dot the top of the tart with 2 Tablespoons of butter.
Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.
While tart is still warm mix up this glaze…
Glaze
2 Tablespoons of apricot jam or apple jelly
1 Tablespoon water
Mix and heat until warm.
Brush this mixture on the tart while it’s still warm.
This is a fabulous recipe that you may have run across before… it’s on the back of the Ocean Spray Cranberry bag (fresh cranberries in the produce department). This is the perfect time of year to pick up a few bags. Cranberries freeze well and you can make your own cranberry sauce (you will not believe how quick and easy it is – you will never run to the store for it again!)…. and the taste?? SO. MUCH. BETTER. THAN. CANNED.
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.
Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).
To recap:
Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, salt)
Dry ingredients…
Then add the wet ingredients, orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg, once mixed together add the fresh cranberries and chopped nuts and pour into prepared pan…
Ready for the oven!
Pop it into the oven, sit back, have a tea and wait… ooooh, smell that wonderful smell… it’s delicious hot, cold and it freezes well! E N J O Y !
A friend and I were walking one morning and she was telling me about how they made grilled pizza… Grilled pizza? I had heard of it, but dough on a grill? Seems like a sticky nightmare. I’m here to tell you it is LIFE CHANGING! Seriously. It’s so quick and easy and you can change it up with different toppings! I found a website that gave direction on how to grill a pizza (SimplyRecipes.com) – I’m telling you… this is one you want to try! Check out the link I provided for details, but here is what I did:
HOW TO GRILL PIZZA
I bought pizza dough at the grocery store. Many stores now have it in their bakery section. You can also make it yourself, either way works!
Turn your grill on high.
Get your toppings ready, because once the pizza comes off the grill you work swiftly to get it back on, so it’s important to have everything ready to use… The top pizza I used pizza sauce, cheese, fresh mushrooms* and fresh basil. I had posted this photo on Facebook and mentioned that it was beyond fabulous, but the mushrooms made it a little watery, and I received a comment back from a master pizza maker… the secret? Sauté the mushrooms first! Tada! That did the trick!! You can make it traditional with pizza sauce or step out of the box and try just olive oil, cheese, red onion and olives – that was nice too…
Ok… next step… let the dough sit in a olive oil coated (lightly) bowl with a clean towel over it for about 30 minutes.
Then shape the dough, first by flattening with hands, then pick up and let it hang to stretch. I find this approach works best. You can use a light dusting of flour to keep it from sticking to the counter/your hands, etc. I cut the dough in half first and I make two pizzas with one package of pie dough, it seems easier to handle that way.
Shape them how you like, they don’t have to be round… I like my funky shapes… Place them on a rimless baking sheet or an upside down cookie sheet. If the dough seems sticky, dust with a little cornmeal or flour…
Once the grill is hot, oil the grates with olive oil. We used paper towels dipped in olive oil and used tongs…
Slide the crust on to the grill (or sometimes it’s easier to pick it up and plop it on the grill, whatever works for you)…
Then IMMEDIATELY CLOSE THE GRILL… cook approximately 2 minutes, check it if you smell burning. It’s ok for the crust to get charred a bit. You can check it part way through to see if its browning evenly, if not rotate it a bit if you can. Ours has never taken more than 2 minutes.
Now remove the dough from the grill, and place on the rimless baking sheet COOKED SIDE UP.
Make a mad dash to wherever your toppings are located, hopefully nearby… place the toppings on the cooked side of the dough. Add sauce or olive oil, then cheese, veggies, meat, but go lightly on top or it will be soggy and heavy. This one was made with olive oil instead of sauce, asiago cheese (Trader Joe’s!), red onion (next time I would sauté first) and olives.
Time to get it back on the grill!
and… CLOSE. THE. LID. Wait about 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and bottom starts to char.
Then sit back and enjoy! Have you ever tasted crust like that? So heavenly light and crispy… just like it was made with a wood burning oven. Out of this world!!
There is nothing better than the deck party at Crosby’s Seafood… where you can grab a plate of fried shrimp and sit on the dock… its a great time especially around the time of sunset when you can get some amazing photographs! This photo happened to be taken earlier in the day… Crosby’s has fresh shrimp, fish and oysters as well as bait, beer and ice! Check it out if you’re in the area!
Tuna Casserole! Creamy (above) bake with lid, or bake without the lid for less creamy…
Don’t laugh! This is the ultimate in comfort food and sometimes its just what you need! I remember this from when I was a kid and I still love it to this day! One weekend Fred and I were brainstorming what to make for the week for dinner… I said TUNA CASSEROLE… Ick, pew, nasty and a bunch of other words popped out of his mouth… What? That’s when I realized the entire world did not love this as much as I did. How could that be? I looked up recipes for tuna casserole and the majority do not have cheese. Well… ick, pew, nasty comes to mind! NOW I know why people don’t like it… trust me on this… this will make you smile, it is delicious beyond belief… you can add the peas (or not)… I prefer them on the side… Fred likes them all mixed in… so we make it both ways. Its quick, easy and very good… even better heated up the next day… have this and a salad and you will be happy camper!
6 oz. (½ package) Egg Noodles (I use Manischewitz or Publix brand)
1- 10 ¾ oz can Cream of Celery Soup
1 soup can of Milk (I use 2%)
8 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded (I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp 2%)
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 – 7 oz can tuna, drained
Pepper
Baby Peas (optional) – a handful or two
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the egg noodles…
Boil the noodles…
While the water is getting hot…
In a large bowl, add the cream of celery soup, milk, chopped onion, tuna, pepper and peas (optional).
Stir or whisk ingredients together in large bowl…
Once the pasta finishes cooking, drain it in a colander, and then add the noodles to the large bowl with ingredients. Give it a stir.
Add hot noodles to soup/milk mixture…
Add the cheese and stir to mix, reserving a handful or two to sprinkle on top. Sprinkle with pepper and top with the remaining cheese.
Stir together, save a little cheese for the top!
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. I usually keep the lid on because I like mine creamy. If you like a crunchy texture on top, you can bake it without the lid.
I wish I could give credit to whoever snapped this photo, pretty darn cool, huh? EVO Pizzeria Facebook
WHAT A COOL PLACE! If you haven’t been to EVO Pizza (Extra Virgin Oven), you must go! I cannot wait to go back! We went with some friends and had the absolute best pizza and salad ever! Everything was top notch… The Farmer’s salad was so fresh, the roasted corn was delightful and the dressing was out of this world… We split the Margherita pizza and I have to say it’s the best we’ve ever had. Does TO DIE FOR explain how wonderful? I was so excited when the food came that I forgot to take a photo… that’s too sad, but it’s also a good reason to go back! Even the tea was remarkably good… No bitter taste, just pure delight!
We also went to the EVO bakery located behind the restaurant… the best looking breads you’ve ever seen! We bought a loaf of bread and a few chocolate chip cookies that were the best… just like the kind you make without all the mess! That night I made a pot of soup and had a slice of bread… heavenly!! Not expensive… better than any store bought bread could ever be!
Here is a little blip about the restaurant from their website:
About Extra Virgin Oven, LLC:
In 2005, Ricky Hacker and Matt McIntosh wheeled a cart into the Charleston Farmer’s Market, built a fire, assembled an array of ingredients: handmade dough, homemade sauce, hand-pulled mozzarella and the freshest local produce. The result seemed simple enough: Extra Virgin Oven: fresh, honest, uncomplicated Neapolitan pizza. The line in front of the pizza cart grew longer…and longer. What was happening was delicious – and different.
EVO began as a family business in 2005 baking pizzas on a mobile wood-fired oven for farmers’ markets and catering. In 2007, we opened our restaurant in lovely Park Circle to further pursue our passion with fresh, local, house-made, uncomplicated food. We’ve been passionate about supporting local farmers and visiting farms since 2005 and continue to work closely with our local producers.
In addition to pizza, Extra Virgin Oven serves an array of homemade soups, salads, cured meats and paninis on artisan breads, fresh from our wood-fired oven. Artisan beers and distinctive wines are the perfect complement to our honest food.
We make our own quality ingredients in house with the freshest local produce and meat available. We prepare and pull our own mozzarella twice daily, as well as make our pizza dough twice a day; we bake our own breads in our wood-fired oven; we slowly cook our sauces and soups daily; we make our house-made sweet sausage daily; our aioli is hand-made each day; our dressings our house-made, not from a jar. We believe it’s our job to let the essence of each ingredient speak for itself and know you will taste the difference.
Wow… after reading that you see that their food is REAL… it’s homemade and I swear you can tell the difference! EVO is located in the Park Circle area of North Charleston, SC, a very cool spot! – Check out their MENU!
There has been a lot of great press about this restaurant! I’m telling you, if you haven’t been… I would high tail it over there!!
This recipe is too good to be true! A perfect combination of healthy ingredients, chicken sweet Italian sausage, fresh spinach, fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, fresh basil and white wheat pasta… these ingredients together with a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar will make you so happy… W A R N I N G : You may crave this after you’ve made it once. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
Pasta with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil
1 – 12 oz pkg white wheat pasta (like Barilla)
1 pkg Chicken Sweet Italian Sausage (like Al Fresco), skins removed, cut into small pieces
1 container of FRESH Mozarella, cut into fairly small pieces
1 large container (or 2 small) Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
Fresh Basil (to taste)
⅓ – ½ cup Olive Oil
⅛ – ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
Pepper
Spinach
In a large nonstick frying pan add a small amount of olive oil. Cook cut up sausage until browned. Remove from pan and place on a plate that has a few paper towels on it.
Start a large pot of water to boil the pasta, while you’re waiting for it to boil,…
Cut the grape tomatoes in half, set aside.
Wash the basil and chop it up, set aside.
Cut the mozzarella into small bite sized pieces, set aside.
In a large bowl, add the balsamic vinegar. I never measure, I just eyeball it to see what I will need to coat the pasta well, it’s ok if it’s more on the heavy olive oil side, you’re going to put this salad on top of fresh spinach, so you will need it! Slowly whisk in ⅓ – ½ cup of olive oil. If you whisk it slowly it will emulsify (become one where it won’t separate). Add some pepper. Go ahead and toss in your cut up tomatoes into the olive oil/balsamic mixture so they can be absorbing those wonderful flavors!
Once your pasta has finished cooking to the al dente stage (firm to the bite), drain it well, and place it in the large bowl with the oil/vinegar. I give it a quick stir to coat the pasta well and then I cover the grape tomatoes with the hot pasta and let it sit for a few minutes.
After a few minutes add the fresh mozzarella, the cooked sausage and the fresh basil. Stir to coat.
You can eat it like it is, or wait until it’s chilled. I usually will take it out of the fridge for 5-10 minutes so that the olive oil will have a change to un-congeal… Place several large handfuls of fresh spinach and then a few large scoops of pasta salad… it melds together wonderfully! Enjoy!
Ahhh, the Carina… it’s so much more than a grocery store, it’s more of an institution… it’s a place to run into old friends after a year has gone by, a place to catch up like no time has passed. A great place to grab lunch, a snack, or groceries… End of October will be then end of the Carina as we know it… A big thumbs up to Tara Hire for making it as fabulous as she has all these years! She is moving on and following her passion… Monhegan Wellness! So check it out!!
Another thumbs up to Lisa Brackett, who will be running the new store on the island called L. Brackett & Son… A store and a diner… there has been some major fundraising going on, this is a creative, hard working bunch!
We wish them both the best in their new endevours!
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