Thanks, Ara Jane

It is so exciting when you discover a recipe like this one.

Ara Jane made this amazing granola for the Atlanta retreat last year. It made for an amazing breakfast paired with yogurt, and I dreamed about it when I got home. But then, of course, I delayed trying it myself. No reason, really, except lack of organization, maybe?

Well, I rectified that earlier this summer, and just made a second batch.

It has so many amazing ingredients, and is really simple to make. All it takes is a little time. This time, I subbed pecans for pistachios, because I have a freezer full of them.

I encourage you to try the recipe for yourself! It makes a heap of granola, which you can share, or just enjoy for several weeks!

Another Tiny Food Party success!

Remember this book? I shared a post about it late last year. Since then, I have tried two other recipes. One never got blogged (because the dish was inhaled before I could photograph), and here is the other:

These are white chocolate cheesecakes! I used less white chocolate than was called for, and I really loved the results. They are not overly sweet, and so super cute. I used my regular muffin pan, with a yield of eleven cakes. The blueberry compote (also included in the book) was also delicious. I expect I'll enjoy some on my yogurt this week!

In another food news, I really love this x-stitch pattern.

Linking up today with Tuesday at the Table!

Although I haven't blogged about every recipe, I managed to try three new ones last month. These cheesecakes are the first for February!

A little bit of baking

So, I know that a few days into a new year is not the time to discuss baked goods, but I wanted to share a baking endeavor from the holidays.

I made an Apricot-Earl Grey Jam Tart with a hazelnut crust.
Impressive, no? The recipe is here in case you're interested (at some later date, of course!).

My favorite part was making the dough, and shaping it in the tart pan. I specifically bought a pan with a removable bottom (as suggested in the recipe), and it made for a much easier removal. You could use essentially any jam you'd like!

One of my goals for the new year is to try three new recipes each month. I think that's a pretty attainable goal, and I've got a new stack of cookbooks I received as gifts. I'll share my progress here!

Winner! Cookies!

My to do list never seems to end, but I'm enjoying the month of December, are you? It is flying by, though.

Let's get this winner announced, first thing!

The winner of this mega box of scraps is sshuttrbugg!

She just responded to my email, so I will be shipping her scraps out asap! Thanks to all of you that entered. I will definitely do another scrap giveaway!

Saturday, we had our third annual cookie day at my mom's. A few friends came, and we made dozens and dozens (and dozens!) of cookies. Each person brought a couple of recipes, and at the end of the day, we went home with a nice variety of tasty treats!

Sadly, I didn't get pictures of all cookies, but my friend Julie made these homemade oreos!

Amy made these candy cane crinkle cookies.

I made this cranberry pecan shortbread. I also made these chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies for the second time.

I'm off to make my fourth (and final, for 2012) tree skirt! Yay for custom orders!

Tiny Food Party!!

I was really excited when a favorite food blog, Spoon Fork Bacon, announced they wrote a book! It's called Tiny Food Party, (authors are Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park) and when the posted a request for reviewers, I jumped at the chance.

I love to cook. And eat.

And who doesn't love tiny food?

The photography in this book is gorgeous, and most of the recipes are very approachable. I'm already thinking of using some of these for my sister's wedding shower next year (oh, did I mention my sweet sister is getting hitched? Yes, she is.)

I decided to make the pint-sized buttermilk biscuits this weekend. I've never made biscuits, for some weird reason. These were simple to make, and delicious. This recipe makes 8, which was perfect for a lazy Sunday. Most recipes in the book make a larger batch, perfect for small gatherings/parties.

I really want to make these:

Candied Bacon Churros

Anything with the word bacon in the title does it for me.

These corn dogs also look so fun!

There's an entire dessert section, as well as a breakfast section with things like mini chicken and waffles, and stuffed french toast!

Plus, there are a few mini cocktails as well!

It's seriously such a cute book. I do want to say that I received a copy of the book for free, but all the opinions I share here are honest ones. This is definitely a cookbook I would purchase for myself or a gift. The book comes out October 9th (next week), in case you're interested!

I plant to try other recipes soon, and I'll share them when I do!

I'm linking up with Debbie's Tuesday at the Table (even though it's not Tuesday).

A few Friday links!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for 5:00 to get here. It's been a hectic work week, and I'm ready for some crafty time!
I wanted to share a few links to kick off the weekend.

I'm pretty sure these cupcakes will be a part of my near future...

I just entered Kaelin's mini quilt in Jennifer's massive mini contest. You should enter, too!

I'm kind of digging these earrings, maybe for the rehearsal dinner?

This looks like hours of nostalgic fun!

March is my month in the Wonky Bee, and we're making Polaroid blocks! I can't wait to see the blocks made!

Happy Friday to you. After a much needed catch-up on sleep and crafting this weekend, I'll have several things to share with you, including my very first sewing tutorial!

I'll leave you with mustached Jacey and Jill. We went to see Anchorman at the Alamo Drafthouse in January.

Linky loos for you

Happy Friday to you! Thanks to you all for the comments on "My Word".

So, I'm excited for the weekend. Tomorrow, there will be (cup)cake tasting and flower picking (or selection, rather. I'm not actually going out in the fields to pick flowers...). Here's a random collection of links for you. I'll be back soon with several knitting FOs, and some sewing, too!

I want to knit this so badly.

I love these hoops by Lucky Jackson. She does one each day. Such a fun project!

I want to make this soup. Yum!

Speaking of food, this is one of my new favorite food blogs.

Still speaking of food, I highly recommend this cookbook. I've already tried a couple of the recipes, and I've always enjoyed her blog. Tasty stuff!

I'm going to be stitching this soon!

I'm in love with Shapemoth's latest creation, for the FTLOS swap. She was my partner last round and made me this:

She's so talented!

Lastly, enjoy this by The Staves (only audio). They opened for the Civil Wars last Friday, and they are fabulous.

Have a great weekend, crafty peeps! I hope you get to do fun things!

Winner!

The winner of the SMS Giveaway day is Amy! Amy is blogless, but did leave an email address, and she's already responded to claim her new pouch and fabric.

I got a little stressed reading all of your comments. We all have a lot of finishing to do! Thank you all for entering.

I've been hard at work on a secret project for a loved one. I'll be able to share after Christmas!

I can share one crafty thing from the weekend.

I made two quick and easy appetizers for the Houston Modern Quilt Guild holiday party. I made cheese straws and mustard puffs. I think "mustard puffs" is a truly hilarious name for a food. Both of these recipes were very easy to make, and the results were delicious!

Our party was a huge success. And I'm excited to say that I'm the historian for our guild this year! Our group is a lot of fun, and I'm excited to be a part of it!

I'm working on a couple of end of year posts, so between that and some finishes, I have lots to talk about!

A few fun things

Here's one of the fun gifts I've gotten for my birthday this month. I actually got two of the same shirt (we're returning one); Elliott and my sister both had the same idea!

I have a new favorite cookie. These were incredible! They are Brown Sugar Cookies.

While I was working on the giveaway pouch, I made these pouches over the weekend for a good friend.

It's been fun playing with the Echino fabrics I've been hoarding saving!

I'm woefully behind on photographing my stash enhancements, but I did manage a photo of this Dear Stella. I just love those stars!

I've been hard at work on a secret project for a certain family member. I'm almost done, though. I'll be sharing it with you after it's opened on Christmas!

Texas State Fair

First things first: I've now closed comments on the giveaway, and I'll be announcing a winner in the next few days!

I visited the Texas State Fair in Dallas this weekend with Elliott and his family, a first for me. It's a festival that pays homage to the deep-fried food, among other things.

I heard they would be serving fried butter, and I was definitely envisioning a whole stick of butter, which is repellant.

However, we discovered these lovely little bundles of dough, with a little pocket of butter inside. We opted for the honey, cinnamon and sugar variety, which tasted like Sopapillas. We also tried fried pizza (an actual slice of pizza, fried-we think there was some ricotta in it; tasty!) and the best dish of the day:

Fried Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. So tasty.

Luckily, I shared these calories with three other people, so I don't feel too guilty.

Beth and I also enjoyed the arts and crafts building. I snapped a few pictures of fun things.

I love these knitted monsters!
I also thought these quilts were nice!

The best part of the fair, though?

Seeing Oliver, of course!

Totally unrelated, but you have to check out the Sewing Summit photos Betty Crocker Ass just posted! So many good ones!!

Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake

I got the itch to bake on Monday, after lots of driving across Texas all weekend. After picking up some beautiful peaches at the grocery store, I came across a recipe in my mammoth resource for desserts by Bon Appetit (a birthday gift from Jenny and Adam) that caught my attention. There was only one ingredient I didn't have on hand: cardamom. I used cloves instead. I used a springform pan, which I think was a mistake.
The gooey topping (or bottom layer) oozed. out. of the. bottom and left a nice sugar glaze on the bottom of my oven, which I will be cleaning tonight (or at least, this weekend).
It was worth it.

Recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts:

6 T. butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 medium peaches (about one pound), pitted and sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 9" cake pan (you could probably use a square brownie pan, too)
Combine flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and honey, and bring to a boil. Let boil for two minutes and immediately take off heat and pour mixture into greased baking dish.
Using hand or stand mixer, beat remaining four tablespoons of butter until fluffy.
Add sugar. Blend.
Add egg. Blend.
Add half of flour mixture.
Add yogurt.
Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Arrange peaches in a single layer over honey/brown sugar layer in dish.
Dollop cake batter over peaches, and then use a spatula to smooth out the layer.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (mine took 35, but the recipe called for 40). Cake should pull away from the pan at the sides. Use the ever-trusty toothpick test to check doneness.
Cool in pan for five minutes.
Using a platter, cover cake pan (don't burn yourself like I did!) and flip over so that the peaches are on top.

Marvel at your skills.
Cut cake and enjoy every bite.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Cauchy got me re-obsessed with The Perfect Scoop. I had big plans to try a lot of flavors this summer, but you know how it goes. Summer gets busy. Before you know it, it's August and you've only made one batch of ice cream.

My sister gave me the perfect opportunity to make up for it, though. She invited Elliott and me over for dinner last night. We grilled a delicious dinner, and I brought dessert.

This deliciousness only consists of six ingredients. I was so proud of myself for being patient and letting this firm up. The last time I made ice cream, it was good, too, but a little soupy.

I heart my sister. Lots. And I heart peanut butter ice cream!

The only thing it might have been missing was a little bit of crumbly peanut butter cup...

Food Friday - On the grill

My mom made these stuffed jalapenos last weekend. She makes them for most family gatherings. I have a hard time not consuming the entire plate. They are so easy to make and always delicious.

Then, last Saturday, Elliott and I made Chicken Souvlaki using this recipe.

It, and the accompanying grilled veggies were perfect for a hot summer day, along with the homemade Tzatziki sauce.

What's your favorite grilling recipe?

Food Friday

Sunday night, I made this seared tilapia for myself. Elliott doesn't really enjoy fish, but when it's just me for dinner, it's a favorite. I added some of my recently made tomato jam to the fish as it finished cooking. I love roasted broccoli, but since I didn't have any fresh, I just used steamed broccoli to go with it, along with some couscous. Man, I love couscous. I grated a little fresh parmesan over everything, because, yeah, why not?

I recommend giving the tomato jam recipe a try. It's the perfect way to use up a giant pile of tomatoes. It's a smoky, sort of sweet thickened sauce, and is also delicious on ciabatta.

I will definitely make more before the summer ends.

Make a pizza (with what you got)

Sorry for the silly title, but I do love me some 30 Rock.

Sometime last year, I discovered the joy of homemade pizza dough. It's so easy when made with active yeast, and it is so satisfying to make, changing the toppings based on my current cravings and pantry selections.

Friday night's pizza included some turkey jalapeno sausage from Green's Sausage House, artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, orange bell peppers, mushrooms, shallots and Kalamata olives.

I modified the regular dough recipe Friday night, and I think I'll be making it this way again:

1 cup a-p flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
Pinch of kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (I buy mine by the jar now, but you can just one packet of this if you don't purchase the jar; dry active yeast eliminates the need for a second rise)
Olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
Several glugs of a good beer (I used an IPA; instead of this, you could use honey or a sprinkle of sugar; you just need to give the yeast something to eat!)

Process:
1) Pour the yeast into the warm water and let sit.
2) Combine flours, salt, a glug of olive oil and the beer in a stand mixer (you can probably do this without a stand mixer, but it will be a lot more work).
3) Once the ingredients are combined, pour in the water/yeast mixture. Let the mixer run on low for a minute or two; you will know the misture is ready when it is combined well and mostly formed into one lump.
4)Coat the mixing bowl (or a new bowl) with a few drizzles of olive oil and roll the ball of dough in it to coat.
5) Cover bowl with a warm damp towel and let sit in a warm place for an hour.
6) Punch down dough, and it's ready to use. You can also let it sit longer at this point, and putting it in the fridge for later use is also a good choice. I find that the dough is even tastier after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.

When I make pizza at home, I prefer olive oil instead of tomato sauce, or sometimes pesto. Really, though, you can make this baby however you like!

How about a Food Friday?

It's been awhile. I was just thinking about my lack of food pictures lately. My kitchen light is sometimes depressing, especially on winter evenings, but I'm trying to make an effort to take food photos when I get a chance.

The other night, I made these yummy roasted vegetables (the photo is pre-oven). Roasting vegetables is so easy, and the flavor you get as they slowly caramelize, well, it's amazing (especially carrots and bell pepper. yum!). I roast them with just olive oil, kosher salt and pepper at a low temperature first (350 degress for about 20 minutes). After stirring (and adding some cremini mushrooms), I turn the heat up to 375 degrees for another twnety-five minutes or so.

I love my new Le Creuset casserole dish. It's so cheery!

Another favorite is chopped broccoli in the toaster oven, sprinkled with lemon juice and parmesan after roasting.

Cheer

I've been running crazy this week. I'm sure most of you have as well, trying to get it all done. I'm looking forward to a few days off work, enjoying the company of family and friends.

Besides the previously mentioned Betty for my grandmother, I managed to do a little more holiday crafting.

I finished four potholders. It was a very good practice for me, especially since I've never done binding, and this is part of what has prevented me from finishing my quilt (but that's on my 2011 goal list!).

I know I'm not alone in this, but I often read/review/follow a craft for so long before trying it, that when I finally get down to business, I find I'm not as skilled as I am in my brain. As in, I had read so many blog entries about quilting, purchased books, sewed (but not actually quilted), that when I actually quilted (on the table runner I started months ago), it wasn't perfect, and I was shocked.

I sometimes forget there is a difference between believing you can do something and actually doing it.

Like I said, though, I've learned a lot about quilting since then, and my quilting has gotten much better. I'm going to tackle the table runner first and then complete my quilt.

I got a little off topic there, but I've been meaning to say that.

In other Christmas news, there was much baking this past weekend. My friends Julie and Rhonda met me at my mom's (she's got a double oven and a much bigger kitchen) for an afternoon of baking.

We made the following delicious things:

Texas Trash (Chex Mix, but with a few extra delicious additions, such as french fried onions and Louisiana hot sauce)

Kahlua Spiked Pecans (recipe here)

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies (no picture available because they were eaten so fast, and I'm only slightly exaggerating)(You should make these immediately. They taste like thin mints or Andes mints. Delicious.)

Almond Cookies - If anyone wants this recipe, let me know. I've got it on an index card from several years back. They're sort of like snickerdoodles with a cinnamon-sugar coating, but with a strong almond flavor.

Enjoy the end of this year with your loved ones.

Cheers!

Gimme S'more

I apologize for the cheesy and Busta Rhymes-reminiscent title of this post, but I couldn't help myself. This cake just got posted on Craft's blog, and well, I NEED this cake.

As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there."

Food Friday: Marmalade Muffins

Jenny and Rhonda came over for brunch a few weeks ago. We were too hungry and "in the moment" for pictures of the food, but we had mimosas (also could be part of the reason for lack of pictures), veggie omelets, fresh fruit, and these:

The recipe is from Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. There's no marmalade in the muffins, despite the name. You zest oranges into the batter, and brown sugar and orange juice makes a syrupy glaze. I lessened the amount of brown sugar in the glaze, and I didn't miss a sweet drop. The muffins come together quickly and are very tasty, moist muffins. They don't taste as good a couple of days after, as they get a little soggy. To avoid this, eat quickly!

Food Friday: It's been a while

A few weeks ago (and then again last weekend), the boyfriend and I made pizza.

I made some homemade whole-wheat dough (from a great resource of recipes-check it out!). I'll definitely make it again. It was super quick (I used rapid active yeast). The dough comes together quickly, especially with the use of the Rapid yeast, because it eliminates the need for the first rise.
Toppings included: fresh mozzarella (sliced; it melts awesome), turkey sausage, salami, leeks, bell pepper, kalamata olives, mushrooms, and pesto for the sauce. I precooked the vegetables and sausage, to minimize the water content. It was divine.

I've said it before, but any recipe where you can use what you've got is a perfect choice in my book.

Happy food Friday!