recipe plug

If you read my blog you'll notice there is a new tab in my banner: recipe rendezvous.  This is my official plug.  Lately I've been trying a lot of new recipes and in an effort to keep track of them for myself and to have a place to review and suggest recipes, I've set up hyperlinks there.  If I made any adjustments to the recipe or have any suggestions, they are included below the recipe under : notes.

All that being said I thought I'd make a quick list of the things I love when it comes to baking or cooking.  To me these things are essential to have on hand to make almost any recipe.

• buttermilk: I never even knew what buttermilk was until about 10 years ago.  I thought it was the name of a pancake or bread recipe.  It is incredible because it is low in fat and high in protein and adds a wonderful tangy flavor to so many recipes.  When you see something that uses milk or cream, do a quick google search and see if it can be replaced by buttermilk or if there is a buttermilk recipe version out there.  It is creamy and thick and will vary your recipes in an awesome way.  Check out my tab for the buttermilk lemon poppy seed muffins or buttermilk waffles recipes.
• lemons/lemon squeezer:  again, growing up we always had lemon juice on hand but it was in that cute little squeeze bottle.  Once a year we would typically buy lemons for our Thanksgiving pie called the Legend which called for fresh lemon juice.  Now I always buy lemons like eggs, milk, butter or other staple items.  There are so many baked goods that are amazing when lemon flavored or have a wonderful more complex and fresh flavor when lemon zest is added.  If you decide to start purchasing lemons on a regular basis, I highly recommend purchasing a lemon squeezer.  They are about $10 or even cheaper at discount stores (like Ross) and will become an essential part of your baking repertoire.
• Cilantro: it is sort of a joke in our household now that whenever I make a recipe that has cilantro in it that my husband asks if I just decided to add that ingredient.  I tell him, "no, it calls for it in the recipe" although I typically add it fairly generously.  In my experience, fresh cilantro really brings out the other flavors in a recipe and enhances them in a really complimentary way.  Cilantro is almost always on my list like lemons and my other staples.  Some of my favorite ways to use cilantro are:
• cilantro-lime chicken recipe (olive oil, lemon, honey, salt, pepper, cilantro and lime)
• on top of Tortilla soup or fresh black bean chile
• in chicken salad on whole wheat bread
• in tacos or pulled pork burritos with whole wheat tortillas and mozzerella cheese
• Plain yogurt: yet another item that has recently become a staple for me.  It is very handy to add to some fresh fruit and milk in the blender with some protein powder for a delicious smoothie/shake.  Low or no fat options again with lots of protein make this a wonderful choice for your breakfast or even afternoon snack.  Top with toasted granola, nuts, cranberries or other fruit for breakfast as well.  The other reason this has started to become a staple for me is because it is often in low-fat recipes for baking.  It is often substituted in place of oils or butter in baking like in muffins.  Sometimes you have to play with the recipe to get the right texture but it is nice to know (for those of us who are sweet tooths) that there are some things you can do to mitigate the effects of eating too many baked goods :)

Healthy pancakes

I have a sweet tooth so I am always looking for ways to eat healthier while I eat what I like! Tried these cottage cheese pancakes today and they were yum. The cheese made them fluffy and rich and when it browned on the edge of a pancake it was crispy and a tad tangy. Now I don't actually like cottage cheese by itself so for anyone who is sceptic am don't worry. It almost felt like I was eating some sort of creamy dessert or cheese blintz. Served with Trader Joes maple real maple syrup and fresh blueberries.

out of order but still giving thanks

Well, it has been a few weeks since Thanksgiving and I am still thankful for the large group of people that ended up filling our house last minute. It was literally a week before Thanksgiving and my husband and I looked at each other and thought, what are we doing for Thanksgiving? One thing lead to another and we ended up inviting 4 different families that didn't have any extended family here over to our house. The total head count was 19, 12 adults and 7 kids. I was extremely thankful for the last minute snow (see "let it snow" below) the morning of. It provided much needed entertainment for both the dogs and the kids that came to our house. We shoved them outside and they ran around and had snowball fights, climbed our trees and made a snowman. This being Aven's first Thanksgiving I was a little concerned about how much I would need to do while still giving her attention and taking care of her. Luckily I had a lot of extra hands and the meal was potluck style. I got away with only making a few things so it wasn't too stressful. I made my traditional Apple Pie (the "Legend"), Ham (thank you Costco), and Challah bread.

The bread is a family tradition in Abe's family. I have honestly always been intimidated about making it since Ilene (Abe's Mom) is SO awesome at it. I decided to give it a try. While I have learned some tips for next time, overall it turned out okay. I got lots of compliments and well, it was my first time so I will give myself some grace. Below is the recipe. It is a sweet bread that is not guilt free but is full of love and amazing taste. You don't have to even eat anything else with it it is so delicious on its own! Good luck if you try it yourself, and enjoy.

Ilene's Challah Recipe:

• 2 Cups luke warm water
• 3 packages yeast
• 8 Cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks butter (1/2 pound)
• 5 eggs, beaten (reserve one)

Mix water & yeast. Add sugar & 3 cups of flour. Mix and let rise for about 1/2 hour. In a separate bowl, combine 5 cups of flour, salt and 1/2 cup of sugar. Add butter & cut into flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal. Add eggs & yeast mixture to flour mixture. You can add up to 2 cups of flour if the dough is still sticky. Let the dough rise for 2 hours, punch and rest. Shape the dough into braided loaves (2 large loaves or 4 small loaves), and let rise again at least 2 hours until the dough about doubles in size. Brush on the reserved egg over the top and bake at 325 for about 30-45 minutes until the top crust is a golden brown. Adjust time for size of loaf and desired texture.

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ENJOY