Denial Cupcakes GF DF, and Choc/Cherry Cookies GF

I was reading an article in Health Magazine- April 2013 issue, titled "Clear Your Schedule" with such sub headings as What Weighs You Down and How to Lighten Up.  One bit of advice is to "Stop the auto-yes."  The article goes on, " 'Everyone lives in an optimistic world and thinks that if we say yes we will find the time, but the truth is we are in denial,' says Julie Morgenstern, one fo the top organization and productivity experts in the country." Well, that just hit me BOINK between the eyes.  I mean, Amen, Sister! 

So, then this evening around 5:30 with all the other nightly activities and obligations in full swing, my youngest daughter tells me that tomorrow her math class will be celebrating pi day as they missed it on March 14 and she signed US up for 30 dairy free gluten free cookies.  They need to be like pi, could we do it... PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE?!

I live in that optimistic world and I said the magic word, yes. 

My inspiration:

A card I have had forever.  Cherries and chocolate and round and I need 30.  Cookies.  Yes again.

Cherry Chocolate Ice Box Cookies (adapted from an ancient Hershey's cookbook)
Ingredients and how to:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups GF flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream butter and sugar, add in egg and yolk, then vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients and add in to butter mixture.  This is the base.

Take out about 1 1/4 cups or so of the dough and put into another bowl.  Add in:

1/4 cup chopped cherries
1 1/2 teaspoons cherry extract or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
I added neon pink food coloring.  Mix and set aside.

For the dough remaining:
In a small bowl mix 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa,
                                 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
                                 2 Tablespoons water.
Turns into a glumpy mix.  Add in to the dough and beat until smooth.

Now, we have chocolate dough and cherry dough. 
Divide chocolate dough in half and cherry dough in half.  With one half of the chocolate dough, make a rough roll, place onto parchment paper, cover with parchment paper (I just put it on half of parchment and fold the parchment over) and roll into a rectangle about 4 inches wide, maybe 12 inches long.  With floured hands (remember gluten free flour!) take half of the cherry dough and form a long roll to fit on top of the chocolate dough.  Then roll it all up!

I cut the rolls in half.  Wrap them back into parchment.  If you have the time - ya right - put them in the frige, even over night.  If not, as in my case, pop them in the freezer to firm.

And then, as so frequents my life, that annoying BOINK between the eyes~

NO DAIRY.  My first ingredient is butter.  Dddrrrrrr....  Scroll down for continuation of cookie recipe. Out of time, quick quick.  Livin' in denial~

Denial Cupcakes - dairy free and gluten free and ... quick!

Ingredients and how to:
Oven to 375.  Paper two mini-muffin pans - we're going for at least 30.

1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond milk
AND quick prayer that this works~

Whisk oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla together.  In another bowl whisk dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternating with almond milk to oil mixture, ending with dry ingredients.  Smooth but don't over mix. 

Using small scoop, fill each mini-muffin paper.  Bake for about 14 minutes.  Test with toothpick or wooden skewer, don't let them overbake.

Prayer answered, Very moist and delicious!  No frosting needed. 

Back to my ice box cookies.  Oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Take a roll out, one at a time,  and slice 1/4 inch or so thick or thin or thereabouts and place on prepared baking sheet.

Into center of oven for 7 - 9 minutes.

 

Are they perfect?  No, but they will do for an exact equation:

The number pi is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.

 

 

 

Next time, we're slicing cucumbers~

 

 

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls

For years now, since my oldest daughter was probably 1 year old, I have purchased white daisies, or carnations, or pom-poms three days or so before St. Patrick's day.  I bring them home and add some green food coloring and my daughter, now my kids, watch each day as the flowers absorb more color and turn to green. Even as old as they are now, as old as I am now, it is still a yearly thing to do. Yes, there are green bouquets in the grocers, but this is more fun and very pretty.

Okay, moving on to the 2nd day of corned beef and cabbage.  Really, this has to be done second day too if you have leftover cabbage, because the green stuff will melt down if you wait much longer.  For the second day of corned beef and cabbage we decided to borrow from an idea a local pub had for an appetizer but do our own thing. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls 

Ingredients and how to:

1 package egg roll wrappers.  In cold section of grocery store.  Each package has about 18 wrappers.
leftover corned beef and cabbage but into strips
gruyere cheese grated
paprika

Stuffing and Rolling:

Have a small basting brush and cup of water next to where you are working. Place an egg roll wrapper corner facing yourself onto a plate or cutting board.  Fill with ingredients by layering:  cabbage, corned beef, cheese and sprinkle of paprika.  Do not over fill but egg rolls tend to actually increase in size some when they are frying, so still full.
Tuck corner facing you around filling.  With a small brush and cup of water moisten sides of eggroll wrapper and up to the corner opposite.  Then tuck in each side so they seal and roll straight up.

  These go very quickly.  Place on plate and heat oil for deep frying to 375 or 400.

Drop into fryer, turning them once.  Only about 2 - 3 minutes total time so keep an eye on them.

 

 

 

 

Honey Mustard Sauce for dipping ~

 

Ingredients and how to:

Stone ground mustard - 4 Tablespoons
Honey- 1 Tablespoon
Worcestershire Sauce - 2 teaspoons

Mix and serve. 

Ta da!  Finger food leftovers~ 

Butternut Blue Crab Chowder and GF Bread

As another Lenten Friday rolled over on the calendar I decided to change things up a bit and revisit an old favorite that Paul and I enjoyed "back in the day," and "before kids," - the Blue Crab. 

The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States located between and a part of Maryland and Virginia is known for, among many things,  the Blue Crab.  We lived in southern Virginia, where the Elizabeth River, a tidal estuary approximately six miles long and deep enough to host the Tall Ships branches off to the Lafayette River, also approximately six miles long, not so deep and located entirely in the City of Norfolk. 

It was in the Lafayette, the estuary off the estuary off the Bay estuary, not a tall ship in sight, where we would put in to crab.  We had two crab pots- only amount permitted and to not upset watermen.  Now, a crab pot typically, and the kind we used, is about 2'x2'x2' - weighs maybe 14 or 15 pounds with bait (a turkey neck or chicken leg).  Full of crabs, it weighs a bit more, naturally - heavier the better! -sorry, greed showing there-   Pots are heavier than traps, therefore requiring a bit of physical ability to maneuver. Lowering the pot into the water it is important to try and keep the pot upright- it is attached to a nylon rope long enough to let the pot sit on the bottom, and then marked with a buoy up top.  Watermen have their distinct colored buoys and private crabbers need to be sure not to infringe on the colored markers or you can lose the pot.  Actually, if they are having a bad day, you can lose your pot anyway. Tricky business, crabbing.

~oh,  and our canoe ~ thus explaining why the shallow and calmer waterway!

We'd row out, drop the pots.  Pots need to be checked daily or you need to bring them in until you can check them daily.  We'd row back to our pots next day, sometimes in very early morning, sometimes in dusk to near darkness.  Next to our buoy, Paul would yell "lean," I would lean to one side and Paul would heft the pots in from the other side, empty crabs into the canoe, and we'd row off with the bounty.  Crazy.  But oh so worth it. 

Now, that we are landlocked we dearly miss the days on the water and the fresh seafood and shellfish.  Bringing it back, in a small way,  to our home in the mountains~

Butternut Blue Crab Chowder. 

Ingredients and how to:

1 butternut squash
Old Bay Seasoning
thyme
3 cups chicken broth - homemade best but can be substituted.  Use low sodium.
butter
1 lb crab meat * it takes approximately 12 blue crabs to pick a pound of crab. Lot of work. Canned    runs around $11.*
1/2 cup whole cream or Half and Half- optional
Sherry- optional

I use no salt or pepper except what is in the broth.  Crab has a saltiness to it all on its own and Old Bay gives it the peppery touch.

Dutch oven onto stovetop with a tablespoon butter or olive oil
Peel and chop butternut squash.

 

Toss into Dutch oven, coat with butter and heat through about five minutes.  Add enough water just to cover.  Bring to boil, let simmer with lid on for about 25 minutes to soften squash.  Test to be sure squash is "mash soft."  Turn off heat. Using potato masher go to work if you like a thicker texture, or use an immersion blender for a smoother texture.

 

Place squash back over heat, add in broth, 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay, 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme and 1lb crab meat.  Simmer, not boiling, for about 30 minutes to fuse flavor.

 

 

 

 

While chowder is heating - time for Quick Gluten Free Bread

I simplified this recipe from one I found a year or so ago in "Gluten Free Living"

Ingredients and How to:

Oven to 400

Parchment paper on baking sheet

 

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (not with baking soda in it!)

2 tablespoons ground flax

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or canola or vegetable).

 

Combine dry ingredients - sift with whisk is fine.

Combine wet ingredients

Add wet into dry and mix just until combined. 

 

Rinse hands in cold water.  With wet hands divide dough in half and form in two small loaves placed about four inches or more apart onto parchment paper.  With sharp knife cut cross onto the top. 

 

 

 

Place in oven for about 25 minutes.  Every oven is different. These should be browned and you should be able to tap on them as you would a biscuit for doneness.

 

 

Back to Chowder:

 

About 10 minutes before serving, stir in  1/2 cup of cream and sherry.

these liquid measures are great!

 

Allow chowder to come back to temperature (don't boil) and serve with bread!  Makes six good sized servings and this chowder is very filling.

 

 

Blue crab wineglasses made for us by Creighton's Creations

 

 

Back to the Bay.  When we left the Chesapeake area there were several proposed programs for preserving the Bay and the way of life it provides for watermen and their families.  The Lafayette after we left had some pretty severe pollutant issues.  However, I am happy to report that due to tremendous efforts it is recovering.  Reef Balls, which are large concrete chunks filled with oyster larvae have been dropped and these Reef Balls are homes and potential homes to several species of shellfish.  Another fantastic sign- a good luck omen really - is a seahorse was discovered in the River September 2012.  Now, the Lined Seahorses do call the Chesapeake Bay home, but the great sign here is that Seahorses are choosy in their habitats - they like them clean!

                                                           
                                                                     Always HOPE!

Stuffed Peppers - GF

Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales date far back as a way of teaching a lesson or telling a story in a fun or maybe not so fun way.  Depends on if you go for these sort of things or no?


Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?


Well, now, apparently this question has been much in debate for some time.  First, there are those who wish to have "a peck" defined.  The peck has been a unit of measurement dating back to the early 14th century, used as measurement for flour only.  In Great Britain the peck can be a liquid 57.75 cubic inches or dry measurement 67.2 cubic inches.  In the United States, just the dry peck measure. 

And then there are those who do not believe Peter Piper could pick pickled peppers.  After all, pickled peppers are not grown that way and if he did indeed pick said pickled peppers then it must have been by picking pockets of pickled peppers.  No good. 

What then are pickled peppers?

A quick history run into the the spice trade.  Spices were referrred to by the common name of "peppers." Spices were expensive.  To keep supply low and demand high, the companies controlling the spice trade would rub the seeds with lime before selling them.  Lime prevented the seeds from germinating when planted and the process was called "pickling."


There are those of the mind set that Peter Piper is none other than a French pirate and horticulturist named Pierre Poivre (1719 - 1786).  Anglicized Peter Piper.  I know what you may be thinking- but a pirate can be a horticulturist or a writer or a great many things.  Anyway- back to the narrative:  Pierre was known for raiding spice stores so he could grow them in his garden and have them be more accessible for the average European.  He is remembered in history by most as a "noble French botanist."  On occasion, Pierre the Pirate would have picked a peck of pickled peppers and the rotten luck to not have them germinate. Yes?

PEPPERS - very nearly a super food.  Loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and even the anitoxidant lycopene, as with tomatoes and much in debate as to being a cancer preventative.  A green bell pepper has 200% vitamin C and 11% vitamin A per one raw cup serving and if that doesn't wow you enough, a red pepper rings in at 317% vitamin C and 93% vitamin A.  As I say, very nearly a super food. 

Stuffed Green Peppers are one of those really simple, comforting and naturally gluten free meals.  My grandmother on my mother's side made these.  My mother made these.  I make them the same way and my family loves them.

Ingredients and how to:

Three large peppers halved with seeds and ribs removed.
1 pepper - chopped
1 large onion - chopped
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin.
1/4 lb or more grated cheddar cheese

In Dutch oven brown beef and remove from pan to drain. Chop onions. In same pan drizzle olive oil and add chopped onions and peppers. Salt and pepper to taste.  I like these to soften quite a bit, that is a preference thing.  When they are the consistency preferred, add browned beef back into pan, stir in one cup of rice.  Add the broth.

Place pepper halves cut side down onto mixure.  Bring to boil. 

Seal tightly and let simmer for 25 miinutes. 

Warm oven to 375. Butter a casserole dish or 9x13 pan.  When time is up, remove peppers and invert them into prepared pan.  Stir 2 tablespoons butter into mixure and then spoon into peppers.  I always have some to do in a smaller dish for anyone not fond of so much pepper.  Cover with grated cheese

 and place in oven until melted.  DONE! 

pimientos dulces

bell peppers

Bell peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.  Seeds travelled to Spain in the late 1400's or early 1500's (maybe by route of pirate before Poivre?).  From Spain to all of Europe and into Asia.  Today, China is leading in pepper production with Mexico at a close second. 

A certain young fellow named Beebee

Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe

"But," he said,"I must see

What the minister's fee be

Before Phoebe be Phoebe Beebee." 

AAARRRRRGGGHHH!  We'll not be discussing that one~

Stop Cookbook Abuse

three words:  stop  cookbook  abuse 

Don't let this happen to your cookbooks.  If your stovetop cooking is starting to smell funky, maybe you are cooking the wrong thing, eh?  I confess I did this. 

So, threee words: stop  cookbook  abuse
I know and you may know or not know that there are several uses of the word "stop."  It's a verb in two classes, a noun and an adjective. 

I am not brave enough to look into all the definitions and uses of "abuse".  That must be a scary place.

Yet, "cookbook", according to Merriam-Webster dictionary,a noun first used in 1809 has one meaning - "a book of cooking directions and recipes."  Why I love it so, really. There is no need to be more here.  Merriam-Webster went one more, the dictionary has listed rhymes with cookbook.  Examples are:  checkbook, bankbook, billhook, -hook, - hook, .... oh, and my favorite, Chinook.  WhaaaaT? Stop cookbook abuse.

A cookbook: complicated, mysterious, and beautiful on the inside.  No rhymes.  Keep them off the stove.