Martina's Cornbread

New cookbooks are fun to browse and explore. Some recipes work, and some - well, they are not put in the repeat category. This new cookbook, by Martina McBride, Around the Table, gives an interesting insight into her family life, her home, her style, and, of course, how she cooks. The focus of the cookbook is on hospitality, on the events and occasions and just-because times she welcomes others into her home. Each section has decorating ideas, music playlists (of course - what else would you expect from a musician?), menus, recipes, gorgeous photos, and practical tips for welcoming others into your home and life. And we have several new recipes that are definite repeats.

Her recipe for cornbread has become a frequent staple here. I cut it in half, this is a party sized batch.

Cornbread With Green Chiles And Pepper Jack Cheese

5 tbsp unsalted, melted butter
2 tbsp butter for greasing the pan
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1 1/2 c milk
4 large eggs
2/3 c vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
3 c all purpose flour
1 c ground yellow cornmeal
2/3 c sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 4oz can diced green chiles
1 c shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a 13 x 9 baking pan with 2 tbsp butter.

Combine the buttermilk, milk, eggs, oil and melted butter in a large bowl. Combine the flour, cornmeal, 2/3 c of sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in the green chiles and the pepper jack cheese. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. (She sprinkles an additional 2 tbsp sugar over the batter - I omit this).

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

We're serving ours tonight with chicken enchiladas, Confetti Rice (also from her book) and salad.




This is my favorite of her songs. I have posted it before, but I think it is worth hearing again. And again. "Do It Anyway." A great theme song.

(Guess this cuts off just before the end - sorry. It's still worth the listen, just keep singing it in your head)

Random Rambles, Part Two

I planted zinnias from seed last spring in the basement. The seeds were saved from our son's yard, collected in the fall. Finally, they are blooming like crazy in pots and in the garden. Bright colors, scattered around the yard, or cut and stuck in a jar in the kitchen, they make a long-lasting arrangement (I stick the flowers in a jar - calling them an arrangement is a very loose term). I remember reading somewhere that zinnias were a favorite for the pioneer women. They would carry the seeds with them, grow the flowers outside their door, nurturing them for their cheerful colors and memories of home, creating a new home where they were.

We are having a blast reading aloud two books I found at the library. The End of the Beginning, and A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End, by Avi. He plays with words, creatively twisting them while he weaves a story about two unlikely characters, "a small snail and an even smaller ant." I love to hear our son giggle when he gets the plays on words. We laugh together, enjoying the light-hearted story.

The ant, Edward, teaches Avon, the snail, a song to sing while they are on their adventure.

 " "One of the better things about it," Edward pointed out, "is the fact that it can be sung from either end. I sing it from the beginning, and my father sings it from the end."
     "Can it be sung from the middle?"
     "Absolutely," said Edward. "That's how my mother always does it. As you can see, we are a family of individuals."
     "Ah, but at least you're all singing the same song," said Avon."
from The End of the Beginning

And, from the end of A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End,
"Avon found a new piece of paper and was about to start writing again when he sighed and said, "I have to admit my thoughts are still in a muddle."
     "Avon!" cried Edward. "That's exactly where a writer should be. After all, creatures generally have nothing to do with their beginnings. And it's not often they consider their ends. But in between there's all that muddle. The writer's job is to write about the muddle."
     "Are you saying," said Avon, "that since I'm always in a muddle..."
     "It proves you are a writer.""

Orange Glazed Carrots
adapted from Fix It and Forget It Lightly, by Phyllis Pelman Good

32 oz. pkg baby carrots (or thickly sliced)
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c orange juice
1 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and water in slow cooker.
Cook on low 4 - 6 hours, or until carrots are done to your liking. For my slow-cooker, I have to turn it to high for a couple of the hours.
In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to carrots, cook a few minutes until sauce thickens.





Here's to our in-the-muddle days!

Random Rambles, Part One

My plants are thriving with the subtle shift to fall weather. Warm days, with cool breezes. They are bursting with one last shout of color and productivity, setting up their seeds, preparing for the winter.

Yup, the zucchini, too. I thought they slowed down, but they, too, seem to be putting forth one last effort. Which means a bunch of zucchini to deal with. My neighbor said she would take some - she was smart enough not to plant them because she knows what happens. Not to say I won't plant any next year. I am sure I will. But, there are moments when it is just too much.

I made a batch of zucchini bread that was dry and bland. That failure helped me remember a recipe from my sister-in-law, Cathy. When we were newly married, we lived near them in the Denver area. Whatever she grew flourished and whatever she cooked was yummy - I learned a lot from her in my early wife days. I dug back through old, stashed recipes and found this, in her own writing. A nostalgia moment. The paper was torn, stains splashed on, obviously a well used recipe.


Zucchini Bread
3 eggs, beaten
1 c cooking oil
2 c sugar (I used a little less)
2 c grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c crushed pineapple

Grease and flour two loaf pans or one cake pan. Beat eggs, add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Beat.
Then add flour, salt, soda, powder and cinnamon. Mix well. Add nuts and pineapple.
Bake, 325 degrees, for one hour.
"This is really moist and freezes well," Cathy added at the end.

Do you ever roast vegetables? It is a yummy, easy way to cook them. Pop them in the oven with some chicken for a simple and quick dinner. Last week I wrote about eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
Roasted Rainbow
Red - red peppers
Orange - carrots
Yellow - summer squash
Green - zucchini
Blue - purple onions
Violet - beets
Potatoes
Cut vegies, any combination of colors, in slices or wedges, spread in 9x11 glass baking pan. Sprinkle with olive oil and Italian seasoning, stir. Bake 350, an hour or a little longer until tender, stirring once to help cook them evenly. I added the zucchini and yellow squash at the halfway point, as they tend to get overcooked.

Have you used a Misto? I used a cooking spray for years, loving the convenience, knowing the chemicals used to make it spray weren't good. I found mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, pump it six or seven times, spray. It needs to be refilled now, a couple of months later. No nasty chemicals, just pure olive oil. With the convenience.

Kale Chips

This may sound like a health-food faddish thing, but they are actually yummy. I showed them to our fourteen year old. He took one look at the dark green leaves and said, "Yuck." I told him they were good, to close his eyes and think about eating a potato chip. He tried it, eyes scrunched tight. He munched and said, "Not bad." From our picky eater, not bad is pretty good.

Kale Chips
Wash a bunch of kale leaves. With scissors, cut out the ribs and cut them into chip size pieces.
Dry them well.
Spread on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Sprinkle one tablespoon olive oil over them, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Toss lightly.
Bake, 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes until edges brown and they are crisp.
The only tricky part is to make sure they are crispy crunchy, not burned.

Fair warning: Check your teeth after eating these, before you give someone a big toothy grin.
You have been warned.


Bettcha can't eat just one!

Cookies for Valentines

We made these heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day (there may not be any left by Thursday).
Our favorite sugar cookie recipe:

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
Blend together shortening, sugar, eggs and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, an hour or two. Roll out on floured surface, cut shapes. Bake 350 degrees, 8 - 10 minutes. Cool.

Have you seen the Gourmet Writing pens - food grade markers? Fun! We bought ours at Hobby Lobby. On the website, it looks like some Sears stores carry them. Amazon has them, also.
We made these cookies a few weeks ago and frosted them with buttercream frosting, but the frosting was too soft for the markers to work well. This time we used a recipe for Royal Icing, a frosting that dries smooth and firm. I looked up recipes on-line and used one that had cream of tartar, egg whites and powdered sugar.


Using small candy hearts as inspiration, we wrote and drew on the cookies.

Wish we could share some cookies with you!

What would you write or draw on your cookies?

My Current Favorite Breakfast

Chocolate Oatmeal, a recipe adapted from the Flat Belly Diet, is my current favorite breakfast. Those of you who know me at all know I am a huge fan of chocolate. What better way to start the day? And fortunately, chocolate is a wise food choice (not in the quantities I would prefer to eat, unfortunately) for its monounsaturated fat.

I don't make it exactly as the book's recipe, but I adapted it, adding a little bit of milk to add creaminess. Usually, I cook it in the microwave for quick-and-easy, but cooked it on the stove top for the photo.

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup 2 % milk
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt

Cook, 1:25 in the microwave. Or simmer on the stove, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Stir in 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips.

The pepper gives it a unique rich flavor, and the chocolate - well, it's chocolate. What more can I say?

Thanksgiving Notebooks

As our grown children began to leave home to join the military, to work away from home, or marry and move away, I wanted a way to send our holiday memories along with them. We compiled all our favorite recipes and our traditional concoctions and decorations into a notebook for each of the older ones. Just reading over our typical menu list brings smells of cinnamon and nutmeg, turkey and sweet potato baking, the sound of the mixer mashing the potatoes and the trays of food being carried out to the patio. Usually, here in Southern California, we can still eat our meal outside, enjoying the crisp, fresh fall air, the leaves drifting down from the trees. Our feast is a together time. Family members sign up for different dishes, everyone playing their part in getting it all on the table, ready to share.

 It took us a couple of weeks to make these notebooks. At that time, living in the Colorado mountains, we didn't have access to copiers or printers, so we hand copied all the recipes, the stencils and the artwork. Some of the kids were still pretty small, but they could color in stencils or add stickers. It was a fun, though lengthy project with colored papers, markers, colored pencils and some old photos used to create a simple record of  the memories we have shared, together.

I pull out my own copy each year for the holidays. With spouses, new places, they are willing to try new versions, new flavors. From home, they want the traditional, the usual, the familiar. Whenever I try to be creative, they remind me that they want the same old foods. That's fine, it keeps things simple for me, and keeps me focused on the family rather than a fancy display.

 I am grateful for that.

There are notes on the pages, doubled for a big crowd, or memories tied to the recipe. Did you notice on the Sally's Dip recipe, the note to not spend all afternoon eating it before Thanksgiving dinner? It is yummy, and the kids snacked so much they could barely touch their feast. After that Thanksgiving, we would use Sally's Dip (named for the aunt who prepared it) as an easy Sunday afternoon lunch, a full meal in itself.

                         Gobble Goodies are our favorite, edible table decoration.

Now, we are too spread out, with various jobs and responsibilities limiting the schedules to have everyone get together for the holidays. I'm grateful we took the time to compile these notebooks, full of memories and fun. I am grateful for the years, for the times together. It's been good.

To my family, I am grateful for each one of you.
To all of you, a happy, blessed Thanksgiving week.

Stuffed French Toast

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
3 oz Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature

Combine the chocolate chips and cheese in a small bowl, mix well.

8 slices Italian bread (or whole wheat sandwich bread)

Spread one fourth of the chocolate mixture on 4 slices of the bread. Top each with a second slice and press lightly to form a sandwich.

4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp trans-free margarine

Beat together eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture.
Melt the margarine in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches, one at a time and cook until golden and cooked through.

Serve hot, topped with 2 cups sliced, fresh strawberries.

4 servings, 416 calories
From the Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook


These are a great way to start a day!

Easy Dessert

When we made s'mores last weekend, this recipe was on the back of the (Honey Maid)Graham Cracker box. We made it yesterday for our daughter's last day of work; leaving on a trip; moving away from home party. Makes for a yummy, very easy, quick dessert for these last hot days of summer.

Chocolate-Banana Graham Refrigerator Cake
1 pkg 3.9oz. Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 c cold milk
1 tub 8 0z. Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 banana chopped
11 Graham Crackers, broken in half (22 squares)

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk, about 2 minutes.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip and chopped bananas.
Spread 1 rounded tablespoon pudding mixture onto each of 20 graham squares. Stack grahams together, then stand on edge on serving platter to make 8 1/2 inch loaf. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Crush remaining graham squares, sprinkle over loaf (I skipped this step).

Refrigerate 4 hours before slicing to serve. (I think it would be better chilled overnight).

slicing in a different direction gives a different look

Or, make ahead and freeze until firm; cover with plastic wrap and store in freezer up to 2 weeks (good luck with that!). Thaw in refrigerator 1 hour before serving.
Makes 10 servings.

Infused Water

Last week I wrote about drinking enough water, enough quantity. Sometimes, plain water seems, well, too plain. A simple, healthy alternative is to prepare infused water. Simply put, it involves soaking fruit or vegetables in the water to give it flavor. Most simply, think a slice of lemon in a glass of water. Infused water has varied possibilities.

• Common infusions are lemon and orange
• Also try strawberries
• raspberries
• melon
• peaches
• cucumber
• mint
• ginger
• frozen fruits can be used, also

The varieties are limited only by your taste preferences. If you go to amazon and plug in water infuser, several different pitchers come up, with perforated channels to contain the fruit.  Of course, you can just dump the fruit or slices in the pitcher, but the separate compartments help contain pulp, seeds or any floaties. I took the container from the blueberries, filled it with cucumber, lemon slices, a blob of ginger (comes fresh in a toothpaste-like tube in the produce cooler section), and immersed it in the pitcher of water.

Kept in the refrigerator, the water makes a cool, refreshing drink (remember, eight cups a day).  The water can be replenished over the same fruit or vegetables for several days as long as it is refrigerated.
Enjoy!

Cupcakes for the Fourth

Our daughter, born on the Fourth of July, has a natural bent toward red, white and blue.  And cupcakes.  When she was little, an older sister made her a birthday flag out of cupcakes.  More cupcakes than any of us wanted to see for a long, long time after frosting all 176.  More than we could eat - they were donated to a men's home supported by our church.

This year, we braved cupcakes again, with a quick, easy, creative decorating idea from the July Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

Simple directions: Frost cupcake with white cream cheese frosting. Using a tube of gel frosting, place a drop in the center, then one, two or three rows of concentric circles.  Draw a toothpick from the center outward, forming a swirly line. Very easy. Fun and pretty.

Fruit Pizza

Do you have an abundance of fresh fruit?  A favorite way to use up lots of good fruit is fruit pizza.
4 cups flour
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
Mix all together until doughy, press on to greased or sprayed pizza pan or large cookie tray.

Spread sliced fruit over the dough.  We use peaches or apricots or plums.

Sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter or margarine
Cut butter in with the brown sugar and flour.  Crumble topping over the fruit.
Bake 375 degrees until bubbly and beginning to brown, 15 - 20 minutes. Slice while still warm, good to eat warm or cold.

plum and peach pizza