Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween, it's probably my most favorite holiday all year (yes, even better than Christmas and my birthday). I think the main reason I love it so much is that I don't have to worry about getting anyone the "perfect gift" and I rarely have to deal with family like I do during the major holidays. It's usually just me and my husband, sitting at home, watching scary movies, carving pumpkins and handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. And I love it.

My husband and I have this tradition that during the entire month of October, we watch nothing but scary movies. That includes renting as well as buying or watching on television. I have no idea how we came about doing it, we've been married four years, so it's a little blurry. Every year, it gets bigger and bigger, we actually went to three Halloween parties last Saturday night alone! So, needless to say, Halloween is big for us.

My favorite Halloween candy used to be those bite-size Snickers bars. Those were the major candy to get when I was a kid. Every year, on Halloween, after we got home from trick-or-treating, my brothers and I would play "Store". We'd put all of the candies in their respective piles (Snickers, Milky Way, etc in the Chocolate area, Blow Pops and Tootsie Pops in the lollipop area, then Smarties and Sweet Tarts in the Other Candy area) on top of our pillow cases, which were our shops. We'd trade, say, two Tootsie Pops for a Snickers, that sort of thing. So, Snickers had a lot of sway when it came to bartering against my brothers.

Ever since getting my braces on in March, however, I haven't been able to have one Snickers or Milky Way, since nougat is an orthodontic no-no. How depressing. I've now become a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup devotee. They fit perfectly upside down in my mouth, resting against the roof and melting away until there's nothing left. I can make a Reese's peanut butter cup (the wee little ones, not the monster ones) last about 10 minutes if I'm careful. And don't even get me started on Starburst! I know I'm not supposed to have those, but as an experiment one time at the movies, I made a single cherry Starburst last 35 minutes. My tongue was so raw after that!

Anyways, here's to the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Hated by most Australians, and loved by many an American consumer. I tip my hat to you, and reach into my desk drawer for yet another foil wrapped slice of heaven.

Daring Bakers Get Bostini!

Hello ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to another installment of the Daring Bakers Challenge! This month, Mary at Alpineberry chose a Bostini Cream Pie for us to make, and I couldn't wait to make it. But, with a week-long vacation in the middle of the month, combined with my brother moving out, I simply had no time to make it! I did, however, print the recipe and bring it with me everywhere, reading it and re-reading it to make sure I'd have enough ingredients in my house for when I decided to eventually make it.

As it turns out, I waited till the very last possible day to get crackin'! I was in a panic when I woke up on the morning of the 28th and realized I had T-minus 16 hours to bake, stir, whisk, mix, photograph, serve and post this bad boy. I got busy as soon as I rolled outta bed! And let me just add that there are a TON of eggs in this recipe. I bought two of those 18-count cartons, and had just enough (after accidentally breaking a few yolks while I was trying to separate them from the whites). I also had to make a last-minute run to Albertson's to grab some OJ, because my husband and brother in-law drank the stuff I had set aside for this recipe (darn them!). Seriously, they downed a half gallon of OJ in less than two days. I have no idea why, they must have just been really thirsty!

It was worth the troubles, though, and the results came out amazing and delicious. Here's the recipe:

Bostini Cream Pie
(from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala's Bistro)
Makes 8 generous servings
INGREDIENTS:
Custard
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten 9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (or vanilla extract, if that's easier for you to find)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the custard: Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.
To prepare the chiffon cakes: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups. Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter. Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.
To prepare the glaze: Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm. To assemble: Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.

I had a few variations to the recipe, because after waiting so long, I had realized that all the other Daring Bakers had already made theirs the way I was planning on making mine (grrr!). So, I decided to bake my chiffon cake on a baking sheet and then cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters. I used pumpkin and stars, as you can see in the photo below.

I thought they were so stinkin' cute! I plan on taking one with me in my lunch tomorrow, seeing as how the chiffon cake was my favorite part.

And here are a few photos of the finished product.

I served them in little scotch glasses that my husband had, and decorated the pumpkin one with festive lines, and just doused the star one with loads of chocolate. My husband's favorite part was the custard, though, he practically licked it out of the glass!

And here's a festive photo with one of our plug-in pumpkins (safer than jack-o-lanterns, so we can have it indoors).

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I do! Check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to right to see how the other guys and dolls of the Daring Bakers did with this month's Challenge. I gotta tell you, they're pretty amazing!

~Mehgan~

It's Time For Another Royal Foodie Joust!

The lovely Jenn over at the Leftover Queen Forum is the lovely host of a little monthly competition we like to call the Royal Foodie Joust. Brittany The Pie Lady won last month's Joust with her very first entry (congrats!), so she was able to pick this month's ingredients. Up this month, we've got any kind of mushrooms, herbs and cheese. I chose Portobello Mushrooms, Oregano and Sage, and Asiago cheese (one of my very favorites):
For my entry, I had no idea what I wanted to make. For one, I loathe mushrooms. I hate their texture (they feel like slimy little slugs). Two, I'm not big on their flavor. And three, the thought of eating a fungus really does not appeal to me. But, in Royal Foodie manner, I manned up and picked up my first set of mushrooms in God knows how long. I even picked up a jar of mushroom spaghetti sauce. I chose to make ravioli, and just did not feel like making the sauce myself. So, without further delay, here's my entry for Mushroom and Asiago Cheese Stuffed Ravioli.

Ingredients:
-1 portobello mushroom
-1/2 bell pepper
-3 cloves of garlic
-1/4 onion
-1/4 cup Asiago cheese
-1/5 cup olive oil
-1 or 2 sprigs of fresh oregano
-1 or 2 sprigs of fresh sage
-salt and pepper
-1 package of wonton/ravioli wrappers
-1 egg white
-1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Classico)
-1 can of stewed tomatoes

Instructions: Chop up the mushroom, bell pepper, garlic, onion, oregano and sage into 1/8" bits and combine them in a bowl. Chop the herbs and add those to the other ingredients. Add the olive oil and spices and stir well to combine. Mixture should look like this:

Heat in a pan over low heat until the onions turn transparent and the mushrooms turn slightly brown. Heat a stock pot of water to a boil (you may want to add some olive oil to prevent the ravioli from sticking to each other). In another pot, heat the spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes over medium heat and season to taste. Sprinkle a couple baking trays with some corn meal to prevent the ravioli from sticking. Brush the edges of the ravioli wrappers with the egg white, then add a small amount (about the size of a large marble) of the ravioli mixture to the wrapper. Take another wrapper and brush the edges with the egg white, and place over the top of the bottom ravioli. Press the edges to create a nice seal and put on the tray. Repeat until you're out of filling (this should make about 10-12 ravioli). Place the ravioli in the boiling water and allow to soak until the ravioli become slightly transparent (I wish I had taken a picture of this step, because the ravioli somewhat resembled brains!). Once they're done, use a slotted spoon to carefully lift the ravioli out of the water and place on your plate. Pour the spaghetti sauce mixture over the top.
These were pretty good for someone who doesn't like mushrooms. You're looking at my husband's dinner, and he had me heat the leftover mushrooms in some olive oil so he'd have "something meaty" to eat with his ravioli. I felt like there should have been more cheese, or a different cheese, like ricotta, to bind all the ingredients inside the ravioli. Once they were cut open, the ingredients sort of just fell out all over the plate. But they sure were tasty, very flavorful because of the fresh herbs and you could really taste the mushroom. It was a nice combination of flavors, but the texture was just a little bit off. I'd give it a 7 out 10 points.

But, don't fret, for I came up with a tasty dessert to make up for my lackluster dinner!! We had quite a few leftover wonton wrappers, and I was craving chocolate. The only chocolate left in the house was a jar of Nutella, so I stuffed a wonton wrapper with about a half teaspoon of it, folded the wrapper in half and sealed it with some water. Plopped that bad boy in some heated oil for a few seconds (about 30, 15 per side) and tossed it in some powdered sugar when it was done. Heaven. My 2 1/2 year old neice looked at it and asked, "What is it." I said, "It's a Chocolate Dumpling" and she said "Ohhhh" and took a bite. Big grins all around! Success!

Now I'm off to come up with more exciting recipes that involve wonton/ravioli wrappers. That was just too much fun and way too tasty to never do again.

~Mehgan~

P.S. Let me just say how frustrating it is that the sun sets so early now that we're approaching Winter. By the time I get dinner done, there's not enough light left to photograph my little dishes and make them look good. My kitchen flourescents and camera flash will have to do until Spring. How sad!

Save the Ta-Ta's!

Hello, everyone! This post is mostly geared towards the ladies, so gentlemen, cover your eyes or proceed with caution.




I am a big Breast Cancer Research supporter, and was so glad to see that Minko at Couture Cupcakes (like to the left, in the blogroll) is hosting a Pinktober event in support of Breast Cancer Research in which she donates $1 towards Breast Cancer Research for every pink-inspired recipe that gets submitted to her by October 15th (yes, I'm cutting it close here).

While no one in my family has gone through such a trying ordeal as breast cancer (knock on wood) there have been a few scares in my family, and I know a couple of people from work who have gone through it. I do this for them.

Pink being my all-time favorite color, it was only natural that I should participate. I was so excited, I didn't know what I wanted to make that was pink, but also oh-so-girly as well. The pinup girls from Northwest Pinups For Troops had scheduled a group photo shoot at my house with a sleepover theme, so I figured what better chance to bake a girly cupcake than for a girly photo shoot, huh? On top of all that, my pinup character's forte is baking, so I would get featured in a solo shot posing with my beautiful pink cupcakes. What more can a girl ask for? I fired up the Pink Terror (my KitchenAid) and got to work!

So, here's my recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes with a Pink Lemonade Icing:

Vanilla Swirl Cupcake Ingredients (adapted recipe from Martha Stewart):
-1½ cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-½ teaspoon salt
-8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 cup sugar
-3 large eggs
-1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-¾ cup milk
-red food coloring

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide batter evenly between two bowls. In one bowl, add 4-6 drops of red food coloring and mix well. Pour batter into cupcake liners, alternating between the pink and white batter mixture until each cupcake liner is about three-quarters full. (The way I filled mine ended up looking like boobies, I kid you not!) Bake until golden and tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely (about 1 1/2 hrs). Makes 12.

Frosting Ingredients:
-1 cup powdered sugar
-2 tbsp warm water
-1 tbsp lemon extract
-red food coloring
-pink sugar sprinkles

In a small bowl, whisk together first three ingredients (add more powdered sugar if it's too runny for your taste). Add two drops of red food coloring and mix well. Frost cupcakes, then decorate with the pink sugar sprinkles. Gorgeous!

These cupcakes went over really well with the pinups, they received rave reviews from everyone who had one. They loved how the two flavors don't overpower each other, they actually are a really nice compliment to each other. They also loved the swirled cake, they thought it was a nice touch. I loved that they came out so beautiful, enough to get photographed with us in our photo shoot! Gotta love those retro tin cupcake papers!

I'll be sure to post some of the finished shots of us with the cupcakes so you can see how photogenic they are. Until then, you'll just have to enjoy the ones I took in my kitchen!

Aren't they lovely? I think so! Hop on over to Couture Cupcakes and check out the other entries and Save The Ta-Ta's!!!

~Mehgan~

I Miss The Fair Already

I am one of those folks that is lucky enough to live within just a few minutes of the Puyallup Fair when it's in town during the month of September. I am a self-proclaimed Fair-Freak, I love the Fair, I could spend all day there, and still want to come back tomorrow. I love the food, the rides, the exhibits, everything about it.

My good friend Diana introduced me to the Fisher Fair Scones this year (I'm not a big fan of biscuit-y things, but she talked me into it) and I haven't been the same since. I've even gone so far as to try to replicate the recipe on my own, only to end up with dry, brittle little scone-wannabes. Not cool.

So, while perusing the local Safeway today in search for some ingredients for this month's Daring Bakers challenge (which will be fabulous, by the way!) I happend to see this lovely little red and white box perched atop the highest shelf in the baking aisle. I would have been able to spot that plaid label a mile away. Amen, hellelujah! I didn't have to order it online! Yay!

I knew immediately that I wanted to make some plain old-fashioned ones, and some cranberry orange ones (seeing as how it's officially Fall and everything). I couldn't wait to finish cooking dinner in order whip out the Pink Terror (aka my KitchenAid) and get to work on these bad boys. I divided the dough into three sections as directed by the instructions on the box, and made two thirds of them orange & cranberry, and only one third of them plain. The recipe is on the back of the box, and all you need is 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp of water, and presto! You've got yourself some world-famous scones, baby!!

The finished product: delightfully indulgent. A very light crispy outside with a warm, pillowy inside. To make them even better, I whipped some butter with some honey, and used my favorite Knott's Berry Farm Boysenberry jam. So good that I contemplated making these for my birthday, and that's 11 months away!

Istn' she lovely? Oh, how I love them. I bought two boxes, and fully plan on buying more while I still can, so keep your eye out for some Puyallup Fair Scone-redux style postings.

~Mehgan~

Daring Bakers Go All Cinnamon-y!

Yay, my first Daring Bakers Challenge is done, and a wild success! I was so pleased to be accepted into the elite Daring Bakers (Blogroll to the left), and would like to take this time to welcome all of our October newbies, we have quite a few.

September's Challenge was Cinnamon and/or Sticky Buns, and I was oh-so-excited to be able to participate. I've always tried making them on my own, but they always came out either tough and chewy, or lacking flavor. This recipe helped fix BOTH problems, yay!!

First of all, the dough is a dream to work with. Soft and pillowy. I did have some problems getting it to rise, because we keep our house at a relatively low temperature during the day. So, if your house tends to be a little cool like mine, I suggest keeping your oven on a low heat and letting your dough proof near the warmth of the oven.

The Wonderful Dough

Proofing the buns.

Secondly, I didn't make the sticky buns portion of the recipe, but fully intend to during the coming months. The icing for the cinnamon buns has a slightly lemony taste that was good, but I would have much preferred cream cheese icing or just a plain royal icing. Marce, the host for this month, gave us a lot of creative freedom with this recipe in regards to different toppings for the sticky buns, and different seasons for the filling of the buns.

The buns fresh out of the oven.

Here's the recipe (it seems long and complicated, but that's because Peter explains everything in detail):

Cinnamon buns and sticky buns (from Peter Reinhart´s The Bread Baker´s Apprentice)
DAYS TO MAKE: 1
15 minutes mixing; 3 1/2 hours fermentation, shaping and proofing; 20 to 40 minutes baking.
Yield: Makes 8 to 12 large or 12 to 16 smaller cinnamon or sticky buns
Ingredients:
6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter or margarine
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1 teaspoon grated zest of 1 lemon
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast*
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature OR 3 tablespoons powdered milk (DMS) and 1 cup water
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or any other spices you want to use, cardamom, ginger, allspice, etc.)
White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns or caramel glaze for sticky buns (at the end of the recipe.)
Walnuts, pecans, or other nuts (for sticky buns.)
Raisins or other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or dried cherries (for sticky buns, optional.)
*Instant yeast contains about 25% more living cells per spoonful than active dry yeast, regardless of the brand. Instant yeast is also called rapid-rise or fast-rising.
1. Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening or butter on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a large metal spoon and mixing bowl and do it by hand); if you are using powdered milk, cream the milk with the sugar, and add the water with the flour and yeast. Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. You may have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
2. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
3. Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy rather than soft and plump. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon-sugar spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns, or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.
4. For cinnamon buns, line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.
For sticky buns, coat the bottom of 1 or more baking dishes or baking pans with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high with a 1/4 inch layer of the caramel glaze. Sprinkle on the nuts and raisins (if you are using raisins or dried fruit.) You do not need a lot of nuts and raisins, only a sprinkling. Lay the pieces of dough on top of the caramel glaze, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.
5. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the oven rack in the middle shelf for cinnamon buns but on the lowest shelf for sticky buns.
7. Bake the cinnamon buns for 20 to 30 minutes or the sticky buns 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If you are baking sticky buns, remember that they are really upside down (regular cinnamon buns are baked right side up), so the heat has to penetrate through the pan and into the glaze to caramelize it. The tops will become the bottoms, so they may appear dark and done, but the real key is whether the underside is fully baked. It takes practice to know just when to pull the buns out of the oven.
8. For cinnamon buns, cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving. For the sticky buns, cool the buns in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove them by flipping them over into another pan. Carefully scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns with a spatula. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.
White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns
Cinnamon buns are usually topped with a thick white glaze called fondant. There are many ways to make fondant glaze, but here is a delicious and simple version, enlivened by the addition of citrus flavor, either lemon or orange. You can also substitute vanilla extract or rum extract, or simply make the glaze without any flavorings.
Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.
When the buns have cooled but are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops. Or, form the streaks by dipping your fingers in the glaze and letting it drip off as you wave them over the tops of the buns. (Remember to wear latex gloves.)
Caramel glaze for sticky buns
Caramel glaze is essentially some combination of sugar and fat, cooked until it caramelizes. The trick is catching it just when the sugar melts and lightly caramelizes to a golden amber. Then it will cool to a soft, creamy caramel. If you wait too long and the glaze turns dark brown, it will cool to a hard, crack-your-teeth consistency. Most sticky bun glazes contain other ingredients to influence flavor and texture, such as corn syrup to keep the sugar from crystallizing and flavor extracts or oils, such as vanilla or lemon. This version makes the best sticky bun glaze of any I´ve tried. It was developed by my wife, Susan, for Brother Juniper´s Cafe in Forestville, California.NOTE: you can substitute the corn syrup for any neutral flavor syrup, like cane syrup or gold syrup.
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature.
2. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with the paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1 teaspoon lemon, orange or vanilla extract. Continue to cream for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. Use as much of this as you need to cover the bottom of the pan with a 1/4-inch layer. Refrigerate and save any excess for future use; it will keep for months in a sealed container.

I packed up my finished buns for a bake sale I had this month for a group of pinup models that I joined in June of this year. We're called Northwest Pinups 4 Troops (we're on myspace) and we raise money to put together care packages (calendars, letters, goodies, etc) to send overseas to our troops who can't be home at this time. Our goal is to remind our boys that there's still something worth fighting for. Here are a few shots of us at the bake sale (my buns were one of the first things we sold completely out of!)

That's me, Rosie Baker, sitting all prim and proper!

The lovely Miss Sara Beth.

I had so much fun with this challenge, I can't believe how wonderful they turned out, and it only took one try!! My fear of baking with yeast is slowly starting to fade with time and experience (thank goodness!). Thank you, Marce, for a wonderful challenge.

~Mehgan~

It's Royal Foodie Joust Time!

Once again, I am participating in the Royal Foodie Joust at the Leftover Queen Forum! I won last month, so that means I got to choose this month's ingredients: white chocolate, lavendar and pears. Here's what I came up with:

Caramelized Pears with a White Chocolate and Lavender Filling:

Ingredients:
-3 or 4 pears, halved and cored
-1/4 to 1/2 cup white sugar
-4 oz (1/2 package) cream cheese
-3 or 4 oz white chocolate
-1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed lavender

Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring about a 2 cups of water to a simmer. In a glass or metal bowl over the simmering water, melt the white chocolate. Be sure to stir it constantly so as to not burn it. It's also a good idea to wear an oven mitt while holding the bowl so you don't burn your hand. Add the cream cheese and lavendar and mix well. Put the sugar on a plate and then press the inside half of each pear in the sugar, then place the pears face down on a pan over low heat. Pour whatever sugar you have left around the pears. Keep and eye on them and the sugar, because they can burn rather quickly. Once the pears are a light golden brown, transfer them to place and scoop the white chocolate filling onto the pears. Whatever caramel is left in the pan can be used to drizzle the pears with.

I made this for my husband, brother, brother in-law and his girlfriend tonight, and they loved it. They loved how simple the flavors were, and were surprised at how much they liked the flavor of the lavender. I liked that it was so different from the usual cake or ice cream desserts we tend to have when family is over. As my brother in-law said after his first bite, "Mmmm, this is pro." Gotta love those kinds of compliments.

Head on over the Leftover Queen Forum (link to the left, in the Foodie Blogroll) to check out the other fabulous entries from my fellow Foodie Blogrollers.

~Mehgan~

The Rise of the Pink KitchenAid...

Greetings, my friends!! No, I haven't forgotten about you! September tends to be such a busy month for me. As you can see, there has been a gorgeous new addition to my kitchen: my new pink KitchenAid!! It is wonderful and lovely and so girly, I love it!! My hubby and brother got it for my birthday. Now, all I need is to come up with a name for her!!

As you can see, I am drawn to her beauty:

I just can't resist, you see!!

Anyways, enough of the KitchenAid porn, alright?

So, it's been pretty chilly-willy here in Seattle as of late, so I decided to make some warm, hearty chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. I'm trying to stave off any potential cold/flu, since pretty much everyone I know is suffering from some form or another of the Creeping Crud. Here's my recipe for Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup:

Ingredients:

-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-1 medium onion, chopped

-3 to 4 stalks of celery, chopped

-1/3 lb baby carrots, chopped

-3 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

-2 cans of chicken broth

-1/2 bag of egg noodles

-water

-salt and pepper

Instructions: In a crock pot, place all ingredients, plus one can of water (or more if you want a lot of broth). Allow to heat for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and using the two-fork method, separate the chicken breast into thin slices and replace into crock pot. Allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 more hours, or until the veggies are tender. Add the noodles and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve with your favorite bread (the recipe for my favorite bread is listed below).

Soooo yummy, just look at those colors! That says Autumn to me right there! And you can see a tasty slice of my favorite bread is nestled with there next to the bowl. Here's the recipe for Amish White Bread (I got it from AllRecipes.com and halved it to make just one loaf, but you can use the full recipe to make two):

Ingredients:

-2 cups warm water (approx 110F)

-2/3 cup white sugar

-1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-6 cups of bread flour

Instructions: In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar into the warm water. Add the yeast and allow to proof until it gets creamy and frothy. Mix in the salt and oil, then add the flour one cup at a time (I used my handy-dandy KitchenAid to do the mixing for me!). Once well combined, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl and turn it to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Punch dough down then knead for a few minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape into loaves. Place the dough into a well oiled loaf pan and allow to rise for 30 more minutes or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the pan's sides. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until the top turns a light golden brown.

I love love love this bread, it's so simple! I make it pretty much every time I make something in my crock pot, because it goes so well with everything: roast beef, beef stew, chicken noodle soup, etc. My husband and brother love it, as well, they say that it tastes like the bread they ate in the Renaissance, haha! And I like that there's always plenty leftover, too. When I make the full recipe, I usually make the second loaf into cinnamon bread for breakfast. I once even went so far as to use the cinnamon bread to make French toast one morning!

Thanks for bearing with me this crazy-insane month of September! I have a bake sale coming up on the 23rd, so be sure to stop by to see more KitchenAid fun!!

~Mehgan~

A Very Good Birthday Indeed

Another birthday down, I'm 23 now! This birthday was an especially nice one, for multiple reasons: I won the Royal Foodie Joust held at the Leftover Queen Forum (link is to the left in the foodie blogroll), I got accepted into the Daring Bakers (yay!) and my husband put a PINK KitchenAid on order for me (it hasn't arrived yet). I am one happy girl!

My boss' birthday is the day before mine, and I took the day off on my birthday, so I decided to bake him some cupcakes to have on his birthday. I was going to make this cake I saw in a cookbook I just bought, but decided to go with a real crowd-pleaser: the Cuba Libre Cupcake I found on Coconut & Lime's blog (http://craveperfection.blogspot.com/2007/07/tasty-little-treat.html). I love how dense and chocolatey the cake turns out, and the frosting is to-die-for. It reminds me almost of doughnut frosting, but not as gag-me sweet. Instead of using some Appleton White rum, I used Sailor Jerry's instead, since it's a darker rum. I think I liked that a lot better. They went over really well with my co-workers, and they loved joking about how they were "drinking" on the job. Look at how yummy these were!! I had to stop devouring my cupcake long enough to take a picture. Everyone wanted me to be included in the birthday hoopla, so I stuck a candle in my cupcake, too. You can kinda see the hole it left in the frosting.

And my good friend at work knows how much I LOVE cooking and baking, and she knew what my husband planned on getting me for my birthday, so she got me this lovely set of gifts:

From left to right: Three different kinds of pure vanilla (Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico), a bag of super-fine Creme Brulee sugar (can't wait to make some now!), a bottle of Madagascar Pure Vanilla Sugar, and in the back (you can't really see it) is a cookbook stand with a glass reference table for it to sit on. She's the best!!

I just wanted to say a big Thank You to everyone who has made this birthday so special for me. I feel truly spoiled!!

~Mehgan~

If You Can't Wait...

There are a couple of reasons I've been so scarce lately. 1) Super busy. Like, crazy-running-around-like-a-madwoman crazy. 2) My house has no a/c, so I've been avoiding standing over our gas stove for fear of heat exhaustion. I do have some rather exciting news to pass on, but that'll have to wait a while, sorry!

Anyways, if you're like me, you can't wait till "No Reservations" comes out on DVD. When I saw it in theatres, I caught that it was based on a German movie called "Mostly Martha", so once I got home, it was off to blockbuster.com for me! I found it, and shortly after that, it showed up in my mailbox. I was curious. Would it be as good as the American version? I watched it last night, and as it turns out, it was darn near EXACTLY the same. The only thing different, besides the obvoius fact that they were speaking German, is the editing was a bit grainier and the actors were a little less attractive. Even the script sounded the same. But, I gotta admit, when it comes to food porn, "Mostly Martha" has "No Reservations" beat. I'll still get "No Reservations" when it comes out on DVD, though, because I feel that when Catherine Zeta-Jones is talking to her therapist about her cooked pigeons with truffles, she's much more believable of a chef. In the end, "Mostly Martha" is a good thing to have on-hand when you're waiting for "No Reservations" to come out on DVD.

Also, in case you're a crazy Silverchair fan like I am, their new Album "Young Modern" is fan-friggin'-tastic. They've come a LONG way since their first album, it's crazy how "grown up" they sound. I can't stop listening to it. I listen to in the car, at work, at the gym, and yes, even while I'm in the kitchen. They have a good solid beat to their music that just keeps me going. I. Love. Them. I think it's to the point where I hear their songs in my sleep, which is weird, because a good deal of their songs (past and present) are about sleep, or the lack thereof. Anyway, if you like Radiohead or Muse, then you'll LOVE Silverchair. Trust me on this one, ok? Oh, and I promise, my next post will be food-related. ;-)

~Mehgan~

The Good Stuff

I'm so sorry! I've been a BAD blogger!! It's been really crazy-busy at work, and I felt super-guilty about that, but here I am! I'm back!

Anyway, it's been a bit warm lately, and we don't have A/C. Our version of A/C is opening two windows on opposite sides of the house, turning the ceiling fan on and letting the sprinkler run. It actually kinda works! So, since it's been warm, I haven't really been cooking all that much, and I was craving something on the lighter side. I had seen an episode of Everyday Italian on the Food Network where Giada was making dishes in order to get bikini ready. One of her recipes she featured was a whole-wheat linguine with garlic, green beans and tomatoes. Living with the men that I live with, I knew I needed something a bit heartier than that.

I decided to nix the green beans idea, since E and I had some in our lunches today and I didn't want a green bean overload, so I went with zucchini, squash and shrimp, and kept the tomatoes. And instead of linguine, I used fettucine. I also added mozzarella cheese, because... well, I love it! So, here's my adapted recipe.

Whole Wheat Fettucine with Shrimp, Zucchini and Squash

Ingredients:
-3 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 medium zucchini, sliced bite-sized
-1 medium squash, sliced bite-sized
-1/2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined (I used a bag of prepared frozen shrimp)
-1/2 bag of whole wheat fettucine (I got mine from Trader Joe's for $1.99!)
-1/2 tomato, diced
-3/4 cup ricotta cheese
-1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: In a large pot, boil about 3 quarts of water. Add the pasta, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking (I've found that whole wheat pasta tends to take longer to cook). Set aside about 3 ladelfuls of the pasta water, and drain the rest of the noodles. In a small bowl, combine the two cheeses. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to give off an aroma, add the zucchini and squash, cook until slightly tender. Add the pasta water (this is especially important as it will help create the sauce). Once the water starts to simmer, add the cheese mixture and stir until well combined. Add the shrimp and tomatoes, then allow to heat over, about 5 minutes. You don't want to heat it too long, or the shrimp will get gummy, and that's terrible! After that, you're ready for dinner!

My thoughts: This was pretty hearty, it filled me up. What you see here is my plate, and I wasn't able to finish all of it. That's probably due in part to the fact that I also had some salad along with it, but I also don't think I could have finished all of it. It makes for really good leftovers, too, since storing it gives it time for all the flavors to really mix well.

Thanks for stopping by! And sorry I've been so scarce lately, but rest assured that I have read everyone's comments and greatly appreciate each and every one of them. Oh, and don't forget, Royal Foodie Joust is coming up!!

~Mehgan~

It's All About Me(me)

Jennifer at Pie Is The New Toast tagged me recently for a Meme! I'm going to do mine a bit differently, since I recently did a Meme back in July. I'm going to post 8 random facts about myself, followed by a general random fact found here on the greatness that is the worldwide web. But first, here's the rules:

Rules
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

#1 Random Fact About Mehgan: I love to make collages. When I was in high school, I made enough collages to wallpaper my entire walk-in closet. I've made collages for friends' birthdays, too. I have them give me a list of their favorite things (sports, designers, movies, tv shows, colors, etc) and I take the largest part of the newspaper I can find (I'll even use the comics section, just for fun) and clip out the objects from my MANY magazines I have at home. Once I feel I have everything I need, I glue it all together. I've even though about doing this as a little money-maker on the side.

#1 Random Fact on the 'Net: The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

#2 Random Fact About Mehgan: I can dislocate my shoulders anytime I want to (painlessly, of course). When I was in the second grade, I was playing on the rings and I flipped myself completely over and dislocated both of my shoulders. The school nurse was able to pop them back in, but ever since then, I can just pop them out to freak people out at parties.

#2 Random Fact on the 'Net: It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.

#3 Random Fact About Mehgan: I love to snowboard!! Last season was my first season, and according to my husband, I picked it up really fast. By the fourth time I went up to the mountain, I was able to go from the lift to the bottom of the mountain without wiping out. I started in January, and by the end of the season, I was doing S-turns on trails. I just went shopping last night for two new pairs of pants and some mitts because I wore mine out last season!!

#3 Random Fact on the 'Net: The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in jelly.

#4 Random Fact About Mehgan: I am petrified of making candy at home. I've seen it done and I've read all about it in cookbooks and cooking magazines, and they make it look fairly simple, but it just looks so darn tricky! Especially if you're using molds for things like lollipops and such. I think I'll just stick to cookies for my holiday gift-giving.

#4 Random Fact on the 'Net: On average, there are 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun.

#5 Random Fact About Mehgan: I am allergic to metal. Well, let me go into more detail. I can't wear metal earrings (stainless steel, sterling silver, even gold-plated silver doesn't work). My ears get all swollen and tender and it's just gross. I have to wear gold earrings, which isn't easy for my husband during my birthday and holidays. I also can't wear metal watches, and I even with watches that have a leather strap but a metal face, I have to take them off at night or I'll get all itchy. Same goes for necklaces, they have to be gold, too.

#5 Random Fact on the 'Net: A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up anddown continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top. (I so need to try this!)

#6 Random Fact About Mehgan: I have never not lived near the ocean. It's come to the point where I can't imagine not living by it. Every place I consider moving to is always near an ocean. This isn't really a prejudice against those that live in the middle of the continent, I just need the salty air and the sound of the waves.

#6 Random Fact on the 'Net: Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. (Good to know for us foodies who suffer from crying over our onions!)

#7 Random Fact About Mehgan: I can't stand the song "Another Brick In The Wall" by Pink Floyd. When I was 7, I watched "The Wall" at my sister's friend's house, and it must have scarred me or something. Every time that song comes on, my brain shuts down and my fists clench. It's very strange, I don't react that way to anything else.

#7 Random Fact on the 'Net: Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that make them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt. (Now that's cute!)

#8 Randome Fact About Mehgan: My father is adamant about the fact that we are somehow related to the original Uncle Fester from the Addams Family. This would explain why everyone in my dad's side of the family is so WEIRD!!

#8 Random Fact on the 'Net: An ostrich egg would take four hours to hard boil. (I'm pretty sure I would never cool with one, then!)

And there you, another Meme from Mehgan!! I'm not going to tag anyone, because the people I would tag have already done one of these before. But, if you read this and would like to post your own either in my comments or on your own blog and say that I tagged you, be my guest!

~Mehgan~

Royal Foodie Joust-September 2007

Every month, Jenn from the Leftover Queen hosts The Royal Foodie Joust. Each contestant is given three ingredients they must use to create a recipe that is competition-worthy for the title of Royal Foodie Joust Winner. This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients are chipotle, zucchini and buttermilk, as chosen by August 1, 2007's winnder marye from Apron Strings and Simmering Things. I was a bit daunted by this challenge, there were so many possiblities, and I wanted my creation to be creative, different, and most of all, tasty!

I've never cooked with chipotle before, but after this challenge, I feel I'll be adding this to my cooking repertoire for Latin foods from now on. I loved the smoky flavor, with the nice lip-smacking bite it leaves in your mouth.

I decided to go with stuffed chicken breasts, seeing as how I've never tried stuffing chicken breasts before, but thought it would really bring out the zucchini flavors. So, without further ado, here's my recipe for Zucchini Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a Buttermilk Chipotle Sauce:

For the chicken:
-4 skinless chicken breasts, halved
-1 zucchini, sliced thin
-1/2 cup sliced cheddar
-salt and pepper
-toothpicks to hold the breast together, should you need it

For the sauce:
-1 eight oz can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-4 oz. plain yogurt
-salt and pepper

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the ingredients for the sauce. I added about a half tablespoon of lime juice, but you can opt out of that, I'm just a freak about lime. Line a 13" x 9" pan with tin foil. Cut a slit in the center of each chicken breast half and stuff it with your desired amount of cheese and zucchini (I layered mine so I had two pieces each of the zucchini and cheese). I had some extra zucchini leftover, and knew I'd be using toothpicks to hold them together while they cooked, so I topped each breast half with a slice of zucchini and stuck the toothpick through that. Continue until each breast half is complete and place them in the lined pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the breasts are cooked through. Once they're done, pour the chipotle sauce over them.

I thought these turned out really, really well. The chipotle was far too spicy for me, so I ended up scraping the actual pepper pieces off, but kept the red sauce. My husband LOVED them, he's the king of all things spicy-hot. He even said to me, "Look how much you made me sweat... that's a good thing!" My little brother loved how they looked when they were plated, but was not a fan of the chipotle (spicy foods upset his stomach), but he was more than happy with the chicken without the sauce. I was especially happy that these made enough for me to bring for dinner tomorrow night when I stand duty.

I'll be posting the link for you to vote for yours truly after September 1st, which is when voting is available. I hope I get your vote! Thanks!

~Mehgan~

I Can Feel It In The Air...

Fall is coming! I went for a walk after dinner with E and the doggie, and it was cloudy out with a slight breeze, and I could *feel* Autumn in the air. Why I'm posting about Autumn when it's still a month and a half away is beyond me, maybe it's just because I'm really looking forward to it.

Autumn is absolutely my favorite season. I've gathered some photos (from Google images, since I don't have any great examples of my own) to show you exactly what it is about Autumn that I love.

First, the COLORS! Seattle is so gorgeous in the Fall. I'm outside a lot in the Fall because I teach color guard at a local high school, and I love seeing all the different shade of red, orange, yellow and green.

Second, SCHOOL SUPPLIES! Call me a nerd, but I love them. I think it the eternal student in me that just loves all school supplies. The more the better, bring 'em on! I recently dropped $25 at Target on school supplies alone, and I didn't even really need the, I just love them so much.

Next are pears. I used to not be a big fan of pears when I was growing up, but for some reason, I've been so drawn to bake with them. I love the way Meg Ryan describes how pears taste in "City of Angels": sugary sand that melts on my tongue. Yum.

Next, I LOVE going the the pumpkin patch. I'll admit, this is a picture of my neice when we went to the patch last year. The one by our house has a corn maze and hay rides, too, so it's like a little mini-amusement park.

And, lastly, Halloween. This is probably our favorite holiday of all. That's due to the fact that it's not one of the major holidays where our in-laws want us to come visit, and we can dress up and pretend to be someone else. As a tradition, the entire month of October we watch nothing but scary movies, we reserve our regular movies for before or after October.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'm still enjoying Summer immensely (I have a day full of inner-tubing on a river on the 18th), but you can't deny that Fall is slowly creeping up on us. Oh, and sorry there's no food post this time, but rest assured, there will be. I have a potluck on Friday, and I'm going to be trying a new recipe, and there are a few blogging events coming up that I'll be participating in as well.

Also, if anyone wants to do Blogging By Mail (BBM) with me, just let me know! I know the actual event itself is closed (dangit, I missed it!), but I'd still like to do it. I can think of a few pretty awesome Seattle-ish things to throw in a box for someone who wants it.

~Mehgan~

Don't Forget To Vote...

...for Yours Truly in August's Royal Foodie Joust! Go here http://craveperfection.blogspot.com/2007/08/vote-for-me-august-royal-foodie-joust.html for more info on the event. Thanks a ton, everybody!

~Mehgan~

Cupcake Happy Dance

Hey everyone! So, yesterday I got promoted at work, and there was a big ceremony for me and three of my colleagues who also were getting promoted. I wanted to make something sweet and different from the usual coffee & donuts that are usually present at these sorts of functions. I went with my first instinct, and perused the many blogs of the Daring Bakers (handy blogroll to the left) to find just what I was craving.

Seeing as how it's summer, and my favorite cocktail is a Mojito, I went with Ivonne's Mojito Cupcakes she made for SHF#33 from her blog "Cream Puffs In Venice". I wanted to add a personal touch, so I put some shredded white chocolate in both the batter AND the frosting of these bad boys, and it added such a sweet buttery-ness that was almost unnoticeable at first bite, but really came through in the aftertaste. They went over well, and as I mentioned on Ivonne's blog, I went home empty-handed, which is a GOOD sign. One of the office secretaries even asked me for the recipe, so I e-mailed her the URL to Ivonne's blog. So, kudos Ivonne for providing such an awesome recipe! Here's the link to the recipe, in case you want to make them, too: http://creampuffsinvenice.ca/2007/07/22/shf-33-mojito-cupcakes/

Side note: this was my first (albeit, semi-successful) attempt at piping frosting from a bag. Usually, when I use a frosting bag, I end up giving up and just using a spatula to slap the frosting on. I think they turned out pretty nice!! I was doing it pretty late at night, though, so I had a two trays of very different cupcakes: the pretty ones, like the ones above, were frosted pre-10:30pm. The second tray had the aforementioned spatula treatment and were post-10:30pm. Oh, well, at least I made the effort!

I decided to include the above picture from the ceremony. That's me, second from the right! These cupcakes were the PERFECT addition to my special day, I was so happy that they not only went over really well with everyone, but the flavors to me were cupcakegasm-worthy. Yum yum!!

~Mehgan~