Meatball Subs

A few days ago I made some mini french baguettes. They were delicious and crusty, and H. complained that they were too crunchy.

But I forged ahead and made meatball sandwiches anyway. And they were lovely.

The bread recipe is here.

And I used the meatball recipe from my Italian Wedding Soup.

I used pizza sauce over the meatballs, and served them with brussels and bacon.  

Spaghetti Carbonara

 Today I tried out a recipe that I have been wanting to try for a long time.

I love Spaghetti Carbonara…I know, it’s strange for the girl who doesn’t like eggs to choose a dish that requires raw ones, but still.

It’s good.

And not at all like the version I’ve gotten from restaurants.

It is fast and easy and only has 5 ingredients. Yay.

The recipe is here.

Birthday Cake

I made a pretty! And I’m very excited about it!

I made a cake for my sister’s birthday, and it turned out pretty well.  

I used a recipe from here, and added pink and green food coloring instead of red.

I also used cream cheese frosting, but as little as possible while still covering the colors. My sister is very strange and doesn’t much like frosting.  

Banana Bread

The other day when I was making brownie cookies the Directional Driller asked me if I’d left a banana on his desk.  It had been there for a few days and was looking a bit past it’s edible date.  He also had a small collection on the kitchen table that was quickly heading toward “black”. 

When I said that the one on the desk was not mine, he asked if I wanted to use it to make some banana bread.  So after a day or two of putting it off my night hand brought some disposable bread pans and I went to the store for butter.  

Once the bread was done I cut a few pieces for the guys in the trailer and attempted to take some to the Company Man.  I had to fight to get past Dane.  He didn’t want to share any of it.

The top is crispy, so it crumbles less if you turn it
upside down and cut the bottom side first.

Ingredients

4 Ripe Bananas

2/3 c Butter, melted

2 c Sugar

2 Eggs, beaten

2 t Vanilla

2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

3 c Flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Prepare 2 bread pans (4x8 inches).

Mash the bananas with a wooden spoon. When they are the desired texture add the butter and mix.  Then add the sugar, egg and vanilla. 

Add the baking soda, salt and flour and mix together until the dry ingredients are just moist.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. 

Cool slightly and turn out onto a cutting board.  

The bread will crumble a bit when you cut it, but it is best when it is still toasty.

It is also good toasted in the toaster with butter.

Base recipe found at Simply Recipes

Cinnamon Brownie Cookies

I made cookies yesterday. Christmas cookies to go with some gumbo that the mud guy made. It was really good, and the 5 dozen cookies were gone in about 3 hours, maybe 4.

Ingredients:

12 oz. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

4 T Butter

4 Eggs

1 1/2 c Sugar

1 t Vanilla

1/4 t Salt

1 t Cinnamon

1 c All-Purpose Flour

1/2 t Baking Powder

Directions:

*Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare cookie pans with parchment paper, or spread with butter and shake flour over the pan to cover the entire surface.

Combine the chocolate chips and butter. Melt in a microwave safe bowl, cooking for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well and adding time as necessary, until the mixture is smooth. This can also be done in a double boiler. Set aside

Beat the eggs and sugar together, until they begin to turn pale. Add the vanilla and salt.

Mix in the chocolate mixture.  

Add the flour and baking powder and cinnamon and mix until combined. The mix will be quite runny, about like brownie batter.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto prepared cookie pans. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edge and soft in the middle.  

Let sit on the pans for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Marshmallows

I have been making a lot of goodies this week, and wrapping them up to give away as holiday gifts.  I made my gramma’s Caramel Corn, I found a recipe for Muddy Buddies, sometimes known as Puppy Chow. And I made some Cocoa Mix and Marshmallows to go with it. 

Leaning tower of spongy sugar.

I am very excited about the Marshmallows, I have been wanting to make those for a long time.  I knew that they were supposed to be pretty easy, but I was still hesitant.  I don’t know if I was scared of making a mess, or a mistake, or ending up with something that is inedible.  

I did end up making a huge mess, but it wasn’t all Marshmallows, and I did make a mistake and have to double the batch right from the beginning.  But the inedible part didn’t happen.

These Marshmallows are really good.  They taste like store-bought marshmallows, but so much better.  So much better.

I used the recipe from Annie’s Eats - Vanilla Bean Marshmallows.  It is a very good place to start.  She explains steps clearly and talks about her experience with them.  I go to Annie’s Eats for a lot of inspiration.

So, so many left.

Vegan Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I found a recipe for chocolate sugar cookies, or brownie cookies, or chocolate wafer cookies, whatever you want to call them. The recipe comes from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. They looked amazing. Turns out they ARE pretty amazing.

My original plan was to use the cookies to make a pie shell for a chocolate cream pie. 

Naturally plans changed and I never got around to it. So when my sister asked me to go for a bike ride and have dinner with her vegan roommates, I took advantage of my lack of eggs, random can of coconut cream and powdered sugar.

I sandwiched those cookies like crazy.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes, Two Ways

I am a bit addicted to all things chocolate and cherry right now. As long as the cherry part is not actual cherries. I don’t like the mushyness of maraschino cherries or the way pie filling has whole cherries. I spend most of my time with cherry pie eating the goo around the cherries. 

But I love chocolate and cherry shakes, and malts and Blizzards. 

Yum.

I’m adding cupcakes to the list, also.

I used the recipe and instructions from Annie’s Eats for the first set of cupcakes, pie filling.

 I cheated for the frosting. I used store bought because I don’t have a hand mixer at the rig. 

The second batch I swirled some blended pie filling into the cupcake before baking. 

Then I mixed some into the frosting, too.

Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I am getting better at making up recipes. They are closer and closer to what I want them to be on the first try. Which is good because then I forget what I used in them and have to start all over.

However, occasionally I remember to take my notebook into the kitchen and write things down as I add them. Sometimes I even measure as I add ingredients. 

Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe:

1 c Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 c Cocoa Powder

1 sticks Salted Butter, softened

1 c Sugar

1 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 c Milk

1/2 c Peanut Butter

1 1/2 c Old Fashioned Oats

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare cookie pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Add vanilla and milk. 

Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture.

Add the peanut butter and mix well.

Add oats and combine.

Drop by large tablespoon onto the prepared cookie pans. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute on the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

These are quite crumbly, but delicious. 

Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cubes

More strawberry uses. 

I was in the trailer the other day, listening to some show that was left on the TV, and heard this suggestion. Instead of drinking flavored drinks like vitamin water, tea or other sugary drinks, add some fruit to water and let it sit overnight. The water takes the flavor from the fruit and tastes pretty amazing. I was using strawberries with a dash of lemon juice, but this can be done with any fruit: oranges, limes, raspberries, peaches, even cucumbers. 

That made me think of ice cubes, who knows why. But I decided that I needed some strawberry ice cubes for water and lemonade and tea. So I filled a couple trays with strawberries, and when that didn’t seem quite enough, I added a bit of lemonade to fill the spaces. They are pretty delicious and won’t water down your drinks. They make it taste better.

Chocolate Banana Peanutbutter Smoothie

Cupcake has been making smoothies lately, with some oat and chia powder that she stole from me. The little thief. She also stole my jars that fit my blender. 

I finally made some more powder, it is time consuming as I make it in my coffee grinder and can only do about a quarter cup at a time. And since I wanted enough for a few weeks it took a while. 

When I finished grinding I made a few smoothies for practice. I found some inspiration from Monica at The Yummy Life. I made an apple pie smoothie, a couple strawberry ones and a chocolate banana peanutbutter one.

They are all pretty amazing and taste slightly of oats, but if the oat and chia powder is put through a sieve it doesn’t have any awkward lumps. 

Chocolate Banana Peanutbutter Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Banana

1/2 c Greek Yogurt

1/4 c Milk

1 1/2 T Agave Nectar or 2 T Honey

2 T Cocoa Powder

2 T P2B or Peanutbutter

1/4 c Oat and Chia Powder

Directions

Break the banana into chunks and put it into a blender (I put mine into a 2 cup narrow mouth jar, they fit my blender blade). Add the yogurt, milk agave, cocoa, peanutbutter and oat and chia powder.  Blend until smooth.

Pour into a sealable container, or leave in the jar, seal with the lid and put in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight. The chia seeds will soak up much of the moisture, as will the oats, thickening the smoothie. 

Enjoy on the patio, while reading a good book, on the way to work or while doing homework. 

Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

I spent several days coming up with anything I could to use my flat of strawberries before they went bad.  

I did two versions of the Strawberry Preserves in hopes that the second batch wouldn’t be soupy, and had to leave before I found out.  

However I also made some ice cubes, drank a lot of strawberry and lemon water, made some cupcakes and a smoothie or two.

The cupcakes turned out quite well, almost muffin-like. They were not overly sweet like many cakes and cupcakes. 

The recipe is based on the Vanilla Bean Cupcake recipe in The Sweet Little Book of Cupcakes. I just added about half a cup of mashed strawberries. They turned the batter a pretty pink color with little bits of red. Although, it definitely could have taken more. 

I will update this with a recipe the next time I get a chance. 

Promise.

Strawberry Preserves

I got a flat of strawberries grown locally yesterday. I have so many ideas for them, cake, cookies, ice cream, lemonade... 

But the first thing I had to do, after eating as many as I could hold, was make preserves.  I have wanted to make peach preserves for as long as I can remember, and this is a close second.  

I found a basic recipe for preserves on a Southern Food site, and canning directions at Pioneer Woman.

Then I jumped in to hulling and slicing. I have a huller from my adopted aunt and a slicer from my sister than made a 3 hour job last about 30 minutes. And the results are strawberry syrup, so far.  I am hoping that they will thicken, but if not there’s always next time. 

Ranchero Eggs

You’ll never believe it, but I’m actually posting some of the things I cook again! Well, one anyway. 

I took some pictures of some eggs that I made. 

I know, right? 

I cooked eggs.

Without making sure that they were masked by flour, sugar and, most likely, chocolate.

So without further ado and nonsense. Here are the pictures.

I found this recipe at Annie’s Eats, and it is also in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Please make it and enjoy, it’s really not bad, even if you don’t like eggs.

Ew.

Also, I might be trying this again, to get a balance between the beans and tomatoes that is more appealing to me. I will post my recipe when, and if, I do that.

Cheers.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

I have just made some oatmeal cookies. I didn’t have a few things on the recipe I found, so I modified it to fit what I had available and what I actually wanted. I was told that they are “Ridiculous!!!!!”. I think that means that they’re good, I like them at any rate. 

And for the first time in lots of months I am writing down what I did so that maybe, someday, I can re-create them just like they are. Instead of guessing and coming up with something entirely different.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe:

1 1/2 c Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Salt

2 sticks Salted Butter, softened

1 1/2 c Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

1/2 tsp Maple Extract

3 c Old Fashioned Oats

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream the soft butter and the sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. When the mixture is smooth add the almond and maple extracts.

Next, slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. When this is combined add the oats a cup at a time and mix well after each addition.

Drop by large teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie just start to brown. My cookie dough pieces were probably the size of a large bouncy ball and baked for 14 minutes. This results in a soft cookie, bake longer for crunchy cookies.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Almond Strawberry Shortcake

I made a cake yesterday.  

I wanted to make a white cake because I had a bunch of egg whites leftover from making ice cream.  But when I was ready to make the batter I didn’t have my computer with me.  

I decided to forge on anyway.  I used the mini whisk I have here and beat the eggs until they were foamy.  Then I added some sugar, cinnamon and almond extract.  Almond extract smells divine.  It only takes a drop to make the whole trailer stop smelling like dirty boys.

Next I melted some butter and added it slowly to the egg mixture.  Then a bit of buttermilk.  When it was nice and foamy I added some flour and baking powder.  After a touch more buttermilk and it had a consistency that I liked.  

So I spread it into 3 pans and let it cook for a while.  

The cakes are more dense than I’d hoped, but it worked well when I put the strawberry filling between the layers.

Lastly I spread a really thin layer of buttercream frosting over the whole thing, because I only had a little bit of powdered sugar.  

And voila!  My “Strawberry Thing”, as George calls it.

Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

My new friend, Beth, and I made ice cream yesterday.  She had just gotten a new ice cream maker she NEEDED to try.  

So we used the basic recipe that came with the machine.  

It turned out rich and creamy and amazing.

We had to share it, so I made some cookies for sandwiches.  Snickerdoodle cookies.  Then we handed out mini ice cream sandwiches to the roughnecks.  

I think they were a hit.  

• I used 3 t Baking Powder instead of Baking Soda and Cream of Tartar

I found the recipe at Food.com