For Love of Figs

It’s late summer, and that means one thing to me: figs.

Figs are my favorite fresh fruit. Two weekends ago, a friend invited me over to pick figs from her trees, and I happily took her up on her offer. She has no idea what kind they are; she inherited the trees when she bought her house. After a bit of research, I identified them as Celeste figs. They are a small fig but quite sweet when you let them ripen sufficiently.

My favorites – and the sweetest to my palate -- are black mission. I wish I could grow that variety, but they don’t do well here in the American South.

People ask me what I do with figs, and I tend to reply, “Eat them.” Duh. Figs are so seriously good that eating them out of hand is the absolute best way to enjoy their flavor. But you have to wait until they are perfectly ripe, bordering on overripe. Sitting out on the counter, they get that way fairly quickly.

I also enjoy figs for breakfast. A few sliced figs, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, and a swirl of honey creates a bowl full of joy.

I also adore fig preserves. Aforementioned friend and her mother put up several pints of homemade fig preserves, and I was the happy recipient of a jar. Scrumptious on a spoon!

However, in case you are the type to want more options, here’s a link to a Pinterest search page in which I looked for fig recipes. Just for you. http://bit.ly/1EFygIT

Enjoy!

Linking up with:
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken: A Pinterest Success!

I love Pinterest. I pin things all the time, and sometimes I actually try them. I have several recipe boards: Tasty Eats and Sips, I Get to Lick the Beaters!, Small Plates, Why, Yes, I WILL Have Another Glass, and Freezer and Crock Pot Meals. A new suppertime favorite came from Tasty Eats and Sips. I've made it twice and everyone here LOVED it (which is actually a minor miracle).

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken from The Recipe Critic! Here's the link to the recipe.

You should know ahead of time that this recipe is not fast, but it is easy. Also, it's divine! The cornstarch makes a perfect coating, and the sauce is absolutely wonderful. I had all the ingredients on hand, too.

Here are my tips and amendments so you'll know what I did differently:

• I used a whole bag of Tyson frozen chicken breasts. There were eight of them, but they are on the smaller size, as opposed to fresh breasts.
• I didn't bother to measure the cornstarch. I just dumped some into a pie plate and added when necessary.
• The first time I made this, I only needed two eggs. The second time, I needed all three called for. I depends on how many breasts you're using.
• Your fingers are going to get really goopy. You may want to consider putting the cornstarch in a paper bag and shaking the pieces to coat them. I just rinsed my fingers periodically in warm water, but I'm going to try the bag method next time.
• I needed more than the 1/4 cup canola oil. I simply added when necessary.
• I used garlic powder instead of garlic salt in the sauce. We watch our sodium intake around here.
• I served atop Success Boil in Bag jasmine rice and steamed broccoli for a one-dish meal.

If you decide to print the recipe, copy and paste it into Word, and then copy and paste my tips as well. That way, everything will be together.

My entire family gives this recipe five stars. It's would be delicious any time of the year, but Tiny Girl and I ate ours in front of the fire last night. Then we played a fun game of Scrabble, in which I earned a lifetime personal best (so far) of 63 points on one turn!

Enjoy!




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Treasure Hunt Thursday

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Easy Crock Pot Brunswick Stew

We celebrate a BIG Thanksgiving Day at my parents' house with a host of my extended family. At least 60-70 people gather together, and it's my favorite day of the year.

That means we spend Wednesday getting ready! (No, we don't cook all the food. It's potluck -- the best kind of buffet!) So we need something easy for Wednesday night supper. This is when Easy Crock Pot Brunswick Stew shines the brightest.

It also makes a nice dish for Christmas Eve or any other holiday evening when you might be busy, a soup buffet, or a weeknight meal. To make it extra breezy on yourself, put all the ingredients in a gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out the air and freeze flat. It'll be ready to toss in the crock pot any time you want to do without dinnertime drama. (In the morning, put the frozen bag in a sink filled with cold water to loosen the contents enough to dump into your slow cooker.)

I doubled the recipe, hence the two bags.

This is not gourmet fare, but it's simple, hearty, and delicious. It's a perfect time saver, too. That's really a lot for one meal to deliver, but this stew gets the job done.

Easy Crock Pot Brunswick Stew

2 cans creamed corn
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 small can lima beans
2 large cans white chicken
1 can Castleberry's BBQ pork
1 can Castleberry's BBQ beef
1 T onion powder (or a small chopped onion)

Mix all ingredients together and cook all day on low. Serve with saltines and hot sauce on the side for those who like a little spice in their lives.




Linking up with:
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Inspire Me Tuesday

The Perfect Rolls for Your Thanksgiving Feast!

Y'all have got to taste these rolls! They are spectacular. I pinned them several weeks ago and then had a chance to make them last week. The recipe makes 12 rolls, and we had six left over -- Himself is in a bread-eschewing phase (just envision my eye-roll) -- which I popped in the freezer. That evening, my elder daughter, Amelia, availed herself of the stash and ate. Every. Single. The rest of us were shocked and dismayed. She was unrepentant. "They were good." And I suppose that's a good defense where these rolls are concerned.

Aren't they pretty?

 They are THAT good.

I made them again this week and took a few photos to share. The recipe comes from Taste of Home, and it is super quick and easy: no kneading, short rise time, short bake time. With my Red Steel Beauty on the job, they come together really quickly, too. So they are superb for weeknight meals.

Butter makes everything better.

But don't let that fool you. They are equally at home on your Thanksgiving buffet -- or any other special meal. Here's a link to the recipe on my Tasty Eats and Sips board. While you're there, check out my other recipes!




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From My Front Porch to Yours
The Charm of Home

Make-Ahead, Freezer, and Crock Pot Meals

Like most moms I know, I'm always looking to save time, money, and panic when it comes to supper. It's so daily, you know, and everyone expects to be fed. <sigh> I created a new Pinterest board, Freezer and Crock Pot Meals, to help me out. You might find help there, too.

Source: Add a Pinch

Some meals are ones you make ahead and then freeze. Some are simply slow cooker meals. Others are those so-called "dump" meals: dump all (or most) ingredients into a freezer bag; freeze until needed; then dump frozen contents into your slow cooker in the morning and cook all day. I must admit -- those are my favorites for saving time.

It does take a bit of planning to make these happen. But the investment you make at the outset saves gobs of money and time -- not to mention last-minute panic over what to have for dinner -- that it is worth it to protect your sanity.

Do you have any favorite time-saving meals? If so, I'd love to hear about them!




Linking up with:
Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday
Motivational Monday
A Stroll Thru Life's Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style

Peaches in September

Ever since I fell in love with Mary Chapin Carpenter's song, "I Am a Town," the month of September means peaches to me. Have you heard this song? Take a couple of minutes to click below, close your eyes, and soak it up. It's my gift to you today.

http://youtu.be/BlnMmwGoFY8

Isn't that pure perfection?

Last night, I made a quick peach crisp with South Carolina peaches. Yes, I know I live in the "Peach State," but South Carolina actually produces more peaches than Georgia does. Instead of following a recipe, I did this:

I peeled three peaches and sliced them up. I placed them in a small Corningware casserole dish. I sprinkled a bit of sugar over the peaches. Then I mixed rolled oats and flour together at a 3:1 ratio, diced up some butter and "forked" it into the oat/flour, added some brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon, and mixed with my fingers until it was crumbly and yummy. (I tested it to make sure.) I sprinkled this over the peaches. I like lots of topping. Then I baked everything at 350 til the topping was light brown and crunchy.

Perfection.

This was wonderful both warm and cold. No cornstarch, no lemon juice, little sugar, pure flavor.

And if this is your first introduction to Mary Chapin Carpenter, you're welcome.

Salads in Mason Jars

After seeing these babies on Pinterest, I've been wanting to try them. And try them I did, a few weeks back. I was impressed by how fresh the salads kept in the jars. So I made some more today. Here's a Waterlogue of the four I made.

Aren't they pretty?

The beauty of the premise is that you use what you have, like any other salad. There is, of course, a method.

1. Dressing goes in first. The amount is up to you. I often eat my salads sans dressing. Just one of my (many) eccentricities.
2. Protein, such as meat or tofu or beans, is next. I omitted protein from this batch, mainly because I didn't have any on hand.
3. Next come the veggies.This time, I used diced zucchini and cucumber, grated carrot, and halved grape tomatoes.
4. Lastly, pack as much greens in as you can. I used a spring mix as well as a kale and veggie mix, which included chopped broccoli and brussels sprouts.
5. Twist on the lids and refrigerate.

Ta da!

I've found that one jar provided enough side salad for Himself and me at suppertime. One jar alone was more than enough as a lunch entree for me; in fact, I had leftovers.

And since they're salads, there are all sorts of variations on this theme. I thought of using a poppyseed dressing and then packing in fruits, like blueberries and strawberries, chopped apple and pear, and some chopped nuts before packing in the greens. Another idea: a southwestern salad, with a zippy dressing, black beans, corn, tomatoes, green onion, and maybe pico de gallo. . .
My pin came from Cassie at Back to Her Roots. On her original post, she has several recipes for salads-in-a-jar. She's fancier than I am, but you probably are, too. So I bet you'll like her recipes!

A Birthday Cake Worthy of the Man Himself

Earlier this week, I made Himself a birthday cake. Totally homemade, I might add. I've been getting into homemade cakes lately, and I have to tell you, once you do, it's hard to go back to cake mixes. Homemade just tastes better.

Anyway, I had a vision for my beloved's cake and of course the reality fell short, for a variety of reasons. But it was still darn tasty. So I thought I'd share the recipes. Do not judge the cake by its photo. Or its baker's lack of decorating skills.

The cake recipe, which is pinned on my Tasty Eats and Sips board, is one of THE best white cakes I've ever tasted. It would be lovely as the base for a sour cream coconut frosting. Or any other frosting, frankly. It comes from Robyn Stone of Add a Pinch, and she calls it The Best White Cake Recipe {Ever}, which is really throwing down the gauntlet. But after making and eating this cake, I think she's got the right to that name. I'm sending you to her site for the recipe for two reasons: she talks about the recipe and why she made it as she did AND her photos are much better. She also has links to suggested frosting recipes, in case you're at a loss for a frosting idea.

Okay. So that's the cake.

Himself has a fondness for a local bakery's white chocolate raspberry cake, so I thought I'd do something along those lines. Back to Pinterest I went, and I found what seemed to be a nice white chocolate frosting. It's White Chocolate Buttercream, from The Bewitchin' Kitchen.

My idea was to frost the outside of the cake with the buttercream, but to put a raspberry preserves/sweetened whipped cream mixture between the layers (it's a three-layer cake). And I bought fresh raspberries for decoration. Sounds nice, right?

Well, I forgot to buy the raspberry preserves at the grocery. Did I mention I was making the cake on his actual birthday? So I had to improvise.

Strawberry jam or preserves would have been nice, but I didn't have either of those. I DID have apricot jam. But I DID NOT have time to make the whipped cream. Himself was grilling the baby back ribs while the cakes baked. So. I mixed half a jar of the apricot jam with some of the frosting and used that between the layers.

(Meanwhile I was having trouble baking the cakes. My oven is not large, so I had to keep moving the pans around to avoid over-browning any of the layers. I think I'll stick to two layers next time and use the remaining batter for cupcakes.)

When it came time for candles and cutting the cake, we sliced big pieces for us all. And got a surprise: all of us thought the frosting was cloyingly sweet. Interestingly, the girls and I did not think it too sweet when we licked the beaters and scraped the bowl. But on the cake it was. And the cake itself is not an overly sweet cake.

The good news is that the frosting is better at cold temperatures, so now we eat our cake right out of the fridge. Next time, I'll try a different frosting. And there will be a next time; the cake is that good!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!




I'm linking up with:
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Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life
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What We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow Pond

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Cream Drop Scones

Every once in a while, I get a hankering for scones. I just love them. But making them is a bit of a chore, with the whole "cutting in the butter" part. I know it's not difficult, but it is time consuming, whether you use two forks, a pastry blender, or your fingers. And if you use a food processor, you have more dishes to wash. Then there's patting out the dough, cutting out the dough. . . . Yes, I realize these are total first-world problems. But they're also what's stopped me from trying my hand at making my own scones.

Until now. Enter Cream Drop Scones.

I found this quick and easy recipe in Pinterest, and it's pinned to my Tasty Eats and Sips board. (Do you follow me on Pinterest? I certainly hope so!) The original recipe came from Babble.com's Food pages. I made some last night and they are scrumptious! Tiny Girl and I ate them warm from the oven with strawberry preserves. I was fresh out of Devon cream (by a mere five or six years).

Cream Drop Scones are everything a scone should be: rich, velvety, slightly sweet, and light, with a slightly crunchy exterior. But there's no butter involved. Nor patting. Nor cutting.

You can throw these together for breakfast, elevenses, or teatime. I mixed them up in less than three minutes. They were ready to pop into the oven in less than five minutes. Dessert!

So you could think of these as rogue scones with a touch of the unorthodox about them. The reward without all of the work.

A dream come true.

Here's the recipe, just in case you're not a pinner:

Cream Drop Scones

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• coarse sugar, for sprinkling (I used Sugar in the Raw)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the cream and stir just until the dough comes together. Don't over mix or your scones will be tough. Drop by the large spoonful (or use a melon scoop) onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. I used a melon scoop, and this recipe made 15 scones. I also ate about one scone's worth of dough, so maybe 16 would be a truer count.

So good with a cup of tea!

I'm linking up with:
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
The Inspiration Board: Creative Party @ homework
Show Me What Ya Got @ Not Just a Housewife

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Buttermilk Pie (YES!)

photo source

When I made Miss Priss's birthday cake, I had quite a bit of buttermilk left over. I wasn't going to drink the stuff, so I thrashed around about what to do with it. Pouring it down the drain was not an option for me.

I recalled seeing a buttermilk pie recipe in my church's cookbook, but I can't put my hands on that cookbook yet; it's still packed up. Grrr. So a-searching I did go. Online.

And I found this wonderful and highly-rated recipe at allrecipes.com. And I pinned it for future reference. If you like custard, you will enjoy this easy-peasy pie. One change I made: I used cinnamon instead of nutmeg. I had enough ingredients to make two pies, so we ate one and the other I shared with my neighbors.

Also, take care when baking. The top of my first pie browned too early, and when I tried to cover the top with foil, the foil stuck to the top of the pie and then pulled it off when I removed the foil. Grrr again. For the second pie, I lowered the top rack in my oven and then tented a sheet of foil over the top of the pie when I first popped it into the oven. It looked much prettier. That's the one I gave to my neighbors.

This recipe is a keeper. In fact, I see it's time for elevenses. A slice of buttermilk pie and a cup of hot tea sounds perfect about now!

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

Miss Priss's 14th birthday was last month. (I know! Fourteen!) As per our tradition, she and I perused cookbooks looking for the perfect birthday cake for this year. I've made several of her cakes over the years, and some were triumphs, I must admit. (As a mediocre cook, I'll take any triumph I can get.)

Alas, we couldn't seem to find just the right recipe. She wanted a chocolate cake this time, so when our cookbooks and a few cookbooks from the library did not satisfy, I began to search the web. You might ask why I didn't start there in the first place; I actually enjoy thumbing through cookbooks.

I found this recipe; I don't recall exactly how I found it. But I pinned it, so I will always know where it is when I need it in the future!

I didn't have the required number of squares of unsweetened chocolate, which led me to call my chef friend in a panic. As ever, she solved my problem: unsweetened cocoa powder and shortening. It worked like a charm. You can see the Crisco in the photo above.

I also made one other alteration to the recipe: instead of plain water, I used strong coffee. I simply stirred a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee crystals (which I keep around for recipes) into the measured hot water. I like the added depth that coffee provides to chocolate recipes.

For those of you who are culinarily challenged, a caveat: making this cake is a real production! It's not at all difficult, but it takes some time investment. And it IS an investment because the result is SO worth it.

Doesn't the batter look luscious? That's because it is, my friends. It is.

Making the frosting is also quite a production. But it is a major sin to make such a wonderful, perfect cake and then smear it with cloying, chemical-laden canned frosting. I loathe canned frosting.

Here's the recipe for the frosting, by the way. This is one of the best frostings I've ever had the pleasure of eating from a spoon. Which I did. Twice.

Recommendation: If you have a chocolate lover in your house or a big celebration in the future (or both), this is THE cake for you. A+

The Lovely and Useful Tradition of Elevenses

The girls and I recently decided to add that delightful British custom of elevenses to our schedule most days. I say "most days" because one really can't support a break when one has only worked since 9:30 or 10.

A more traditional tea time doesn't work for us because our afternoons are busy with activities and Miss Priss's math lessons at the tutoring center. Even so, I find that a break around 11 AM is best for us. Elevenses allow us to refresh ourselves, refocus our efforts, and reframe our day, if need be.

Refresh
Everyone is ready for a cup of tea and a snack by 11 o'clock. Our blood sugar needs a boost and our minds need a break. But what to nibble, you ask? Traditionally, it's something sweet: a slice of cake, a few cookies, a scone. I rarely have cake in the house and as for scones, well. . . . So we opt for cookies, but we keep a few varieities for elevenses only, such as Biscoff, McVitie's or Burton's rich tea biscuits, Jammie Dodgers (also from the UK but available at my Publix grocery), or a special cookie from Trader Joe's. If you'd like to do a little more, AllRecipes.co.uk has a page of recipes for elevenses. The Squidgy Chocolate Muffins look tasty. And what a great name!

Refocus
During elevenses, we go over our day's schedule and check everyone's progress thus far. If someone is straggling, this is a good time to point out what needs to be done and when. We also lay out a general plan for the rest of the day, including time to visit with friends or enjoy a favorite craft. Often, this spurs a straggler on to complete her work in a timely manner. If the day is nice, one or both of my girls may decide to take her remaining readings en plein air.

Reframe
We may find that circumstances dictate a reframing of our day. A gift of beautiful weather means that Tiny Girl will want to spend more time at the barn. An unexpected invitation leads to an assignment being  postponed until evening. My work schedule may change. We talk about these things at elevenses.

As the girls grow and mature, they will begin to work more independently. A break for elevenses in those years will mean a chance to touch base with one another, to talk about our day's work, to discuss points of interest and points of concern. I look forward to that.

For now, the girls mainly look forward to a break and a snack. And that's wonderful. I can ponder the fine points of elevenses and what they mean to the flow of our days.


Photo credit: H is for Home / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Weekly Happenings: Ancient Egypt and Signs of Spring

This week we got back into the swing of things after two weeks of theater busy-ness. We still aren't up to top speed, but that will come. Next week.

Our inaugural days of participation in Project FeederWatch were Tuesday and Wednesday, our second foray into citizen science (the first being the GBBC). We saw 19 different species but not more than four of each species at a time. I also tried my hand at a chalk pastel rendering of a male bluebird! For tons of pastel inspiration, click the link at the right: A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels.

After lunch today (Friday), I made homemade oatmeal cookies and ate a lot of dough. I still feel slightly sick, but it's worth it.

We read about the Mosaic Map of Madaba and Machaerus, Herod's fortress in present-day Jordan, where John the Baptist was beheaded (website). Above, Miss Priss researches images of Machaerus. She found some neat cutaway and 3D pictures to share. Tiny Girl found us images of the mosaic on her laptop. I love it when the girls' interests are piqued and they conduct extra research on their own! Both links I've made take you to more photos and information.

We also worked on maps of Jordan. The girls have enjoyed our mapping exercises of the Holy Land. I download and print free blackline maps of each country. Then we consult our several atlases for mapping details.

I determined that our study of the ancients needed more of an Egyptian touch than AO Yr 6 scheduled, so I made some additions. Fortunately, the girls agreed (otherwise there would have been pushback -- ugh) since they've read and enjoyed Rick Riordan's Egyptian-themed novels. This week, both girls began Roger Lancelyn Green's Tales of Ancient Egypt, and Tiny Girl read The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, a Newbery Honor book set in ancient Egypt. She gave it a big thumbs up. Miss Priss plans to read The Cat of Bubastes, by G.A. Henty. This title has a free Kindle edition and is also available on LibriVox, if you're looking for something to pass the hours on an upcoming car trip.

Piano recital pieces are coming along nicely. They are also working on other pieces as well. I love listening to them play! We build piano practice into our school day, and the girls' skills are really improving.

Signs of spring are everywhere. My daffodils have come and gone. The earlier azaleas are covered in buds, a few of which have already bloomed. The hydrangeas and rose bushes are leafing out, and the iris by the mailbox has sent out leaves. Ornamental pear trees are blooming everywhere (see my Weekly Happenings title photo) and so are Japanese magnolias. Ornamental cherries are covered in buds. Below are some photos I snapped during the week.

Lenten roses (hellebore) outside the historic sanctuary of my church.

Our tiny red azalea bush.

Flowering cherry trees in bud at a neighbor's house. These trees are glorious when in bloom.

I don't recall what kind of tree this is (at my church). It might be a dogwood. Time will tell.

Those are some glimpses of our week! How was your past week? Full of good stuff, I bet!

Happy weekend!

Link-ups:
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Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Tiny Apple Pies

Many of my culinary successes are totally serendipitous. This is one of them.

If you'll recall, we visited a local apple orchard back in the fall. I sliced, peeled, and froze quite a few of the apples I brought home. If you plan to use them in cooking, this is an excellent method of keeping them.

In December, I attempted to make angel biscuits and failed. I think my yeast was too old because they didn't rise. They tasted pretty good and, since I made a double (failed) batch, I froze at least thirty of them, unbaked.

And then I had an idea.

The dough wasn't good for biscuits, but it might be nice for pastry.

Thank heavens for the muse of culinary inspiration!

I thawed 12 biscuits and five apple slices. I chopped the apples in my Pampered Chef food chopper (love that thing!) and then pressed out the excess water so my little pies wouldn't be soggy. There is very little worse than a soggy pie to ruin one's hopes. Since frozen apples are already soft, there's no need to worry about pre-cooking them.

I flattened each biscuit round into a bit larger circle, spooned some apple (which was like chunky applesauce) onto one side, and then sprinkled the apple with cinnamon sugar. I folded the other biscuit half over the apple, crimped the edges with a fork, and sprinkled a bit more cinnamon sugar on top. Then I baked them at 425 degrees until they were golden brown. Ta da!

I am ridiculously proud of myself. You'd understand if you knew how much I long to be a great cook but seem destined to slog away in mediocrity.

They were really tiny bites of happiness. In the photo above, three tiny pies rest on a Fiesta saucer!

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Busy Day Waffles

I love waffles, but they are a production. Separating the eggs, whipping the whites, folding in everything just so. . . .  Just not feasible for weekdays. At my house, at least.

These busy day waffles are a reasonable and delicious approximation of the real thing. Since my girls only eat two waffles each at a maximum, I save the remaining batter in the fridge for another day. I've never tried, but I bet you could freeze it.

I can hear you now. Why don't you make all the waffles at one time and then freeze the uneaten ones?

I'll tell you why. 1.) My waffle iron only cooks two waffles at a time, so cooking all the batter in one go takes some time. Morning time on a school day, no less. 2.) Miss Priss strongly prefers fresh waffles (as well as fresh pancakes, but we're not talking about pancakes here) and is very vocal about it.

So now you know.

Busy Day Waffles
cooking spray for misting the waffle iron
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 T lemon juice
2 cups baking mix (or use homemade, like I do)
1 large egg
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 t sugar (optional but delish)

Mix together milk and lemon juice and let sit to clabber for five minutes. Mist waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until egg is mixed in well. Bake on waffle iron as our normally would.

Enjoy with butter and syrup or whatever topping you prefer. Nutella would be nice. Okay, nicer than nice.


Photo credit: zebble / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Easy Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt

I pinned this recipe a few weeks ago and then made it last night. Am I glad I did! These are both easy and fantastic! Of course, I doctored the recipe a bit; my adaptation is below. For the original recipe, check out my Pinterest board, "Tasty Eats and Sips."

Here's my version:

Easy Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
sea salt

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. (I buttered the bottom of the pan to hold the parchment paper in place.) Combine first five ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook 6 minutes in the microwave on high, stirring every 2 minutes. After 6 minutes, stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool. When completely cooled, lift out of pan and cut into squares. A pizza cutter works wonders. Cut rectangles of wax paper, making sure you have enough on the ends to twist nicely, and wrap each piece individually. This is a tedious job, so make sure you leave pieces for you to munch while you wrap.

These are a tasty addition to Christmas treat boxes or bags to give to neighbors and friends. And imagine a box full of these morsels. . . . Heavenly!

Weekly Happenings: Christmas-y Things Abound

It's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas around here. We're finished up most of our lessons, but have a few readings to complete. No biggie. But we've spent time doing fun things, too.

The girls and I spent one day Christmas shopping and lunching at one of our favorite restaurants, Sweet Tomatoes. They each had allowance money to spend, which is always a great joy. They have fun choosing gifts for each other and for Daddy. Oh, and for themselves, too.

Himself jetted off to N'Awlins for a quick business trip. He came back with a yummy Kringle Cake and some French Market chicory/coffee grounds for me. I made a small pot, and I have to say I prefer plain coffee. The chicory/coffee required lots of doctoring up to be drinkable. At least for my palate it did. But the Kringle Cake was delicious.

Last week, the girls set up our Christmas village on our family room coffee table. This is not some precious, hands-off collection. No, sir. All the buildings either came from Dollar Tree or are paint-it-yourself ones from Michaels. The girls each add one house each Christmas and then enjoy playing with them all. Note the Matchbox cars.

Last year, we made these really nifty picture frames, which turned out great. (The link gives more detailed instructions, if you're interested in seeing what we did.) So this year, we made some more. Here's Tiny Girl painting the backs of the frames.

And here are four the the finished frames.

Yesterday, I blogged about my Christmas baking adventures. Just so you'll know, the mint chocolate cookies are heavenly. Here is the recipe on my Pinterest board, Tasty Eats and Sips. Go there now and get it. Now.

Today, the girls made more frames, so now we have seven to give as gifts. Then they put on a nativity puppet show with a friend of theirs. The puppets were drawn and cut out and then glued to drinking straws. Luke 2 was the script. The dogs and I were the appreciative audience.

I still need to make -- okay, maybe need isn't the word. Wait a minute. YES, it is -- salted caramel and ganache. Some will go into jars to give as gifts and others will go into jars and into my fridge to eat at my leisure. More on this later. I made both last year, so pop over to those posts for photos and recipes!

How are your Christmas plans coming along?

Confessions of a Mediocre Cook: Christmas Tidbits

Today was the second day of our Christmas break, in which we're not taking a complete break because we have some books to finish up. Be that as it may, I spent a few hours in the kitchen whipping up some goodies for the season. Here's how my kitchen looks:

I figure I'll clean it up later. Like tomorrow, after I finish everything.

Today, I made saltine toffee. Here it is cooling.

I also made two kinds of cookies.

Dark chocolate mint cookies:

And ginger crinkles, which my mother and sisters and I made when I was a child:

I prefer chewy, soft cookies to crunchy ones, and both these are perfect!

I also sipped some of this:

I love salted caramel (in fact, I'm making some tomorrow), and this chai is simply luscious.

So what's cooking at your house?