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Tag: Simple

Special Oatmeal Cookies
After writing my post about steel cut oats I couldn’t stop thinking about oatmeal cookies. Do you ever have one of those cravings that just will not go away? I didn’t want another type of cookie, no chocolate chip, no shortbread, no brownies either. I was totally and completely craving special oatmeal cookies! So guess what I did? I made some.

I didn’t have any raisins on hand but I did possess a fresh bag of organic, unsulfured Turkish apricots. These sweet little gems look nothing like the bright golden apricots we are accustomed to finding in the super markets. They are rather the color of molasses and not too pretty, but boy are they tasty. Pecans might be my favorite “go to” nut for cookies so I always keep a bag full on hand. That was all I needed except one more thing – a special spice. My mind kept focusing on Chinese Five Spice. We happen to carry that at the Savory Spice Shop where I work a few hours a week. I swung by and picked up a new bottle of this interesting spice.

If you aren’t familiar with Chinese Five Spice it is a wonderful spice to play with in cooking and baking. Chinese cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, cloves, ginger and black pepper are the stars of this spice blend. All perfect for a batch of special oatmeal cookies. You’ll notice I threw in a little extra cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg too. Spicy, sweet, chewy and exactly what I needed to halt my crazy craving for oatmeal cookies. You might have noticed they don’t appear to be a regular oatmeal cookie – that’s because they are special. They get their lovely toasty brown appearance from the addition of molasses and brown sugar.

Now that that is taken care of, I’m off to visit my oldest daughter LuLu and her hubby in their new home – Napa, California. She is a wine lover like me so I’m thinking we might be obliged to hit a few wineries during my visit. I plan on documenting my travels with my shiny new camera and will share with you upon my return. Be on the lookout for a travel post all about the food and wines of Napa, Cali!

Now go bake some cookies!
Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe Type: cookies

Author: Linda Walbridge

Serves: 3 dozen
Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice

2/3 cup chopped unsulfured apricots

2/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line 2 sturdy baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Chinese Five Spice and stir to combine. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, both sugars, molasses and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and blend until just barely incorporated.

Blend in apricots and pecans by hand until distributed throughout.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies set for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
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January 15, 2015
Steel Cut Oats Pancakes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker. All opinions are mine alone. #MyOatsCreation #CollectiveBias

Steel Cut Oats are not as well known as regular Quaker Oatmeal or even quick cook Oatmeal. The first time I tasted Steel Cut Oats was back in the 70’s while staying with a friend in L.A. She had discovered this delicious, hearty, hot cereal and was serving it for breakfast. I remember being amazed at the preparation – you see they aren’t ready in a matter of minutes, but rather in about half an hour. Just long enough to linger over a cup of hot coffee or tea. She served them in a traditional manner with brown sugar and milk. I’ve liked steel cut oats ever since.

I’m a big believer in eating a good breakfast and 2015 shall be no different. Many days I know finding time to grab lunch might be a challenge and on those days, in particular, I like to eat oatmeal for breakfast. The reason it’s my “go to” breakfast is that it keeps me full and satisfied far longer into my day than anything else I might choose for my morning meal. This alone is a great reason to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal.

When Quaker and #CollectiveBias asked me to create a recipe for #MyOatsCreation I tinkered back and forth with two ideas – sweet or savory. I typically choose sweet toppings for my bowl of oats but the texture of steel cut oats is different than that of regular rolled oats and it seemed they would fit perfectly in a savory breakfast dish. I decided to make them into pancakes, much like one would make a potato pancake. Truth be known, these oat pancakes would make a great dinner meal too!

In Target where I found the oats I found lots of yummy additions for my savory pancakes. Here’s what I chose; avocado, green chilies, bacon, goat cheese, and pine nuts. My man, Dan, who refuses to eat oatmeal was lingering around the kitchen, sipping on hot coffee , when he found out I was frying up a bit of bacon to top my pancakes with. He took me by surprise when he said, “I might even like that!”.

Before I begin with the recipe I want to share a story about Quaker Oats. When we lived in Texas, we of course, had a horse in our pasture. Her name was Fancy and she came to live with us in 1993. Once when we had an emergency and had to leave town rather quickly we enlisted a “city slicker” friend of ours to run out and check on our animals. His duties included feeding Fancy her oats. For some reason he couldn’t find the huge container of horse oats in the barn, but knowing he needed to feed her he went to the store and bought a couple of cartons of Quaker Oats and filled her feed bucket with them. You can imagine how surprised we were when he shared the story with us and even more her surprise with the “oats” she was fed in our absence. We got a great laugh out of his concept of “oats” for a pony! Now for the “recipe” for Steel Cut Oats Pancakes.

Following the directions on the carton; when preparing steel cut oats you first bring your water to a boil, then add the oats, it will look something like this as they sink to the bottom of your pan.
As the oats soak up water they will begin to plump up. Turn down the heat and allow them to simmer – uncovered.
As the oats continue to simmer, they will begin to thicken up after about 20 minutes and start to look like this.After another 5 minutes like this. You can see there is still a bit of liquid at the top but the oats are holding their shape and staying on the spoon.And finally they will be nice and thick like this. Patience here please..I allowed my oats to simmer about 35 minutes total to allow any moisture to be released making them solid and sturdy.After your oats are thick, spray a bit of cooking spray (I prefer coconut oil spray) into a non-stick skillet, heat until hot then spoon out about 1/4 cup of oats into the hot skillet.Again you’ll need patience as it takes about 10 minutes to produce a nice firm pancake. Allow the oats to cook over medium-high heat in the skillet until they are browned on one side, then flip, as you would a pancake, and allow the second side to firm up and brown a bit. This is what the finished pancake will look like. Now you are ready to top it with any savory toppings that appeal to you.
We thoroughly enjoyed our “oat pancakes” and even my man, Dan, ate two with all the toppings. I guess we are never too old to discover liking a food we thought we didn’t like! Quaker Steel Cut Oats can be found on the hot cereal isle in Target stores. You’ll also find an in-store display of “Steel Cut Oats” with some recipe cards for you to take home!When savory breakfast Oat Pancakes just won’t float your boat try adding, berries, pomegranate arils, Greek yogurt, walnuts, chia seeds and drizzle with pure maple syrup. Fruity and refreshing this also makes a great breakfast or midday snack!

January 12, 2015
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
I love cookies! Shortbread cookies are at the top of my favorites list. I find them to be one of the easiest cookies to make and I love the simple ingredients. Remember Lorna Doones? Maybe you still buy them and dunk them in a glass of milk? When I was a kid we ate our share of those packaged cookies, always with a glass of ice-cold milk. My Dad liked them a lot so we had them around often. I admit, back then I liked them a lot too! THEN I discovered I could bake my own shortbread cookies and have never looked back at a store bought package of shortbread cookies!

When I received an invitation to enter an Epicurious Holiday Cookie Contest and saw that Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies were one of the recipes to choose from it was a complete no-brainer for me. This is one of the easiest shortbread recipes ever and I bet you have all the ingredients right in your kitchen! I did, except I didn’t have enough quality chocolate for dipping, sad me. I dipped one snowflake and all of the rectangle cut cookies when my good chocolate ran out, and then you know what I did? I ate some without dipping and I was ok with that because the delicate shortbread is delicious all on it’s own. What I like about the chocolate dipped ones is that you get dark, rich chocolate yumminess and then finish off with the simple goodness of the plain cookie. It’s a win-win!

You can find the recipe here on Epicurious and I’m posting below too!
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Recipe Type: Cookie

Serves: about 3 dozen
Ingredients

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed just until smooth. Add flour and mix at low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 disks.

On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece dough to 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Using fluted pastry wheel or large knife, cut into 2- by 1-inch rectangles. Transfer cookies to baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.

Prick each cookie several times with tines of fork, then chill 10 minutes. Bake until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks and cool completely.

To decorate: Line baking sheet with clean parchment or wax paper. In medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, melt half chocolate. Add remaining chocolate, remove bowl from heat, and stir occasionally until smooth. Pour into small bowl.

Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on baking sheet. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate.)
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January 5, 2015
Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS & BLESSINGS TO ALL!

The Orange Bee will be on “Christmas” vacation until after the first of the year.

December 22, 2014
Mispronounced Food Words

Food words are often mispronounced. I attribute this to the fact that so many of the foods we enjoy are not “American”. We love foods from so many countries here in America that we need lessons in how to correctly pronounce some of these words! How about “Ancho” or “Anise“, “Croissant” or “Boudin” (one of my favs). Wondering how to order “Tzatziki” or a loaf of “Ciabatta”? Having difficulty asking for the “Sommelier” to order that special bottle of wine? Well don’t we all?

I stumbled on this article from Epicurious that clearly instructs on the correct pronunciation of 30 frequently mispronounced food words. In many cases it even gives a couple of options for getting it right! I had fun going through the list and testing my own pronunciation of these words. I thought you might want to test your knowledge too, so click on the link for Epicurious and have a shot at it! Who knows maybe you will score 100, but at best you’ll be able to correctly order “Pho” next time you visit your favorite Vietnamese joint or a “Macaron” from your local French bakery.

Be sure and check out the comments at the bottom of the article – they are amusing and informative too!

photo:courtesy of Epicurious.com

December 19, 2014
Beware of Honey Impostors
With the decline of our precious honeybees the availability of pure, unprocessed honey is becoming limited. Oh yes, jars of golden nectar are evident on the shelves of our local grocery stores, big box stores and even drug stores; some with a remarkably low price tag. The likelihood of an inexpensive bottle of honey being the “real” thing is in a word, unlikely. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news to you fans of the little honey bear who lines the shelves at WalMart.

Honey “producers” will taint honey by adding corn syrup or other sweeteners to a reduced amount of the genuine nectar or without any addition of pure honey. Honey laced with lead, other metals and antibiotics has been making it’s way into our country from China. In other countries this honey is considered unsafe for human consumption.

An article in Organic Health gives a nicely detailed account of how honey is compromised as well as the benefits found in natural, unprocessed honey. If you are consuming honey for it’s health benefits, using it for healing purposes or simply love the taste you should take 3 minutes and read the article. I’ve included a quickie read from another source below but the info in Organic Health is a bit more detailed – also outlining the benefits found in pure, natural, unprocessed honey!

Testing for pollen levels in a jar of honey is one simple way to determine if it’s the real thing or not. A bottle of honey with no traces of pollen is counterfeit honey. In his article “The Honey You Should Never Buy”, Dr. Joseph Mercola writes about a new report by Food Safety News, stating that more than 75 percent of the honey on American supermarket shelves may be ultra-processed—to the point that all inherent medicinal properties are completely gone—and then smuggled into the country by the barrel drum. Nearly all of this fake honey is made in China.

In their investigation, FSN discovered the following:
- 76 percent of honey samples bought at grocery stores (such as TOP Food, Safeway, QFC, Kroger, Harris Teeter, etc.) were absent of pollen
- 77 percent of the honey from big box stores (like Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Target) were absent of pollen
- 100 percent of the honey sampled from drug stores (like Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and CVS Pharmacy) were absent of pollen
So you may be asking, “where should I buy my honey”? The good news is that honey purchased from Trader Joe’s, farmers markets, local bee keepers and co-ops all passed the test. These honeys were found to have the full compliment of pollen. Don’t worry if the honey you bring home crystalizes at some point. It is natural for pure, raw, unfiltered honey to turn to a solid sugar state. The nectar has not “gone bad” or “spoiled”. In fact honey is the only food known to man that does not spoil! If you experience a crystallization of your honey, simply heat a pan of water, remove it from the burner and set your honey in the hot water. I find this works especially well if after the honey begins to warm, I stir it with a spoon, return it to the hot water bath and continue this process until I have liquid gold again.

Support your local beekeeper. Buy his or her honey. If you don’t know any bee keepers search for your local beekeepers association. Usually named for the county you live in. You then will have a list of local people or places to buy honey – the real thing!
December 17, 2014
Orange-Pecan Biscotti – Great FB Cookie Swap
Baking cookies is at the top of my list of favorites. Orange-Pecan Biscotti was my second try at baking biscotti. Warning – this could become a habit. Flavored with orange zest, juice and liqueur they smell divine while baking and are delicious dunked into a cup of hot tea. Well you know I love orange!

Joining the 2014 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is something I look forward to this time of year. I can’t think of a better reason to bake cookies, well maybe to eat them, but to benefit children suffering with cancer. It’s a nasty thing and we all need to help in our own small way to raise money for research to fight this frightful disease.

If you haven’t heard of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, it is a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. We all make a small donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and it’s matched by these companies up to $3000.00. Oxo, Dixie Crystals, California Olive Ranch and Brownie Brittle. To read more about this project go here.

Lindsey from Love & Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen proved to be super brilliant when they came up with this cookie swap idea that also raises money for kids with cancer. Kudos to the two of you!

Each participant is matched with 3 other cookie swap players, we bake 3 dozen cookies and mail one dozen to each of our three matches. My three recipients were Ausra of Vaikai ir Vanile, The Salted Cookie hosted by Becca, and to Kimberly at Rhubarb and Honey. I was fortunate to receive some really tasty cookies too! A Christmas red tin of sweet, soft Spritz Cookies arrived from Meghan at Cake n Knife along with a little extra surprise, a bag full of chocolate peppermint bark…..made me smile! I also received Almond Joy Cookies, full of coconut and chocolate, in a cute and festive box from Melissa at I Was Born To Cook. These are delish with a big glass of milk. The last package I received was filled with Champagne Sugar Cookies, frosted with pale pink frosting and sprinkled with little silver and pale blue dragees…I ate one for breakfast this morning. They are so good! Thank you Sarah from Coders Kitchen.

If you are in need of some new cookie recipes to share or eat during this holiday season be sure and check out the roundups for hundreds of cookie recipes. They can be found on Love & Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen.
Orange-Pecan Biscotti

Recipe Type: cookies

Serves: 60 cookies

Flavored with fresh orange zest, juice and orange liqueur they smell divine as they bake are are delicious dunked in a cup of hot tea.
Ingredients

12 oz. (2 2/3 cups) all – purpose flour;plus more for shaping

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges, about 1/4 cup lightly packed

4 1/2 oz. (! cup) coarsely chopped pecans

3 large eggs, at room temperature

5 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. fresh orange juice

1 Tbs. orange liqueur
Instructions

Position racks in the m idle and top f the oven and heat the oven to 350*F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.

In a large bowl, which the flour with the sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Put a bit of the flour mixture in a small bowl, add the zest and rub the zest into the flour to keep it from clumping. Stir the coated zest and pecans into the rest of the flour mixture.

In a small bowl, which the eggs with the olive oil, orange juice and liqueur until well blended. Pour into the center of the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is blended. It will be very sticky.

Dump the dough onto a heavily floured work surface and portion into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log that’s 12 inches long, dusting with flour to keep from sticking. Set the logs about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and then press to flatten each log so that it’s 1 1/2-2 inches wide.

Bake until the logs are golden and the tops are fairly firm near the center, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets and switching their positions after 10 minutes to ensure even baking. Set the sheets on racks until the logs are cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, saw them on a sharp diagonal into slices 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices on baking sheets, laying them flat with a cut side down. Return the baking sheets to the oven and bake the biscotti for about 6 minutes. Turn the biscotti over, rotate the baking sheets and switch their positions, and bake until the biscotti are golden, another 8-10 minutes.

Let cool on sheets on racks for about 5 minutes before transferring them to racks to cool completely. When finished cooling they will be crisp.

Store at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container, separating the layers with wax paper or parchment.
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December 15, 2014
Turkey Pot Pie
We love pot pie here at The Orange bee. My homemade is our all-time favorite. It’s reminiscent of childhood Sunday evening meals, with a pot pie hot from the oven, in it’s tiny little cardboard cup with Ed Sullivan, black and white on the television set. Once I decided to make these from scratch they became a staple on the menu. As soon as the weather turns cool I start craving these little cups of hearty deliciousness. While deciding how to use that left-over Thanksgiving turkey, pot pie seemed the dish to make.

It was one of those days where I didn’t want to leave the house so I began to see what I had to work with. I had one frozen pie crust, a bag of organic veggies from Trader Joe’s and the left over turkey. Hmmm…one pie crust won’t make one big double crust pot pie, and it must have a double crust. You know, to hold all that sauce. Ha! I remembered I had these fun ramekins that hold about 2 cups each. Individual turkey pot pie it would be. One for him and one for me. For you empty nesters, refrigerate the other two and you’ll have a hearty lunch for later in the week.

I love the way they looked and they filled the bill on that chilly, wintry night. Creamy sauce, good for you veggies, moist turkey chunks and a double crust! I sort of wing it when I make pot pies but you’ll find my recipe below that will make you some lip-smacking pot pies. Add a salad made with mixed greens and some chopped up apple or pear, a handful of toasted pecans and you have dinner. Easy peasy! My husband hates peas…but he’ll eat them in these tasty little pies.
Turkey Pot Pie

Recipe Type: main course

Author: Linda Walbridge

Serves: 4 small or 1 9″ pie
Ingredients

1/2 stick butter

1/4-1/2 cup flour

1-2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

1 cup frozen veggies, (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)

1 or 2 prepared pie crusts

2 cups cubed chicken or turkey, cooked

sea salt

pepper
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray inside of ramekins or pie pan with cooking spray (I prefer coconut oil spray)

Rinse the veggies under running water in a colander and allow to drain.

In a large deep skillet melt the butter. When the butter begins to bubble whisk in the flour a bit at a time until incorporated and like a paste.

Next whisk in the broth slowly, a little at a time until you have a creamy sauce.

Add a generous pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and whisk that into the sauce.

Stir in the veggies and the poultry until well blended.

If making individual pies, roll out the crust and using a glass the size of your ramekin, cut out 8 rounds of dough. Place one round into each of 4 ramekins. Fill with the chicken mixture and place another round of dough on top.

Continue until all 4 ramekins are filled and topped with a round of dough. Cut small slits in the top dough to allow steam to escape.

Decorate with left over dough if desired.

If making one large pie, place bottom crust into pie pan, fill with chicken mixture and top with remaining dough. Cut slits for escaping steam and decorate if desired with leftover dough.

Bake in 350* oven until crusts are browned and inside is bubbly. About 20-30 minutes.

Cover crusts with foil if browning too quickly.
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December 12, 2014
Freedom to be Spontaneous

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TheMoodStrikes #CollectiveBias

KY Liquibeads

I am an empty nester. Now with this comes many mixed feelings, but one that is absolutely on the positive side is the freedom to be spontaneous! Remember the days when an intimate moment or a quick weekend trip was often interrupted by the pitter patter of little feet or the much awaited ballet recital? Along with being an empty nester, as women we frequently face menopause around this time in our lives and all that comes with it. Even the most understanding husband might find it hard to put up with a woman in the middle of menopause and adjusting to a home vacant of kids.

My husband and I have found that the empty nester syndrome isn’t all that bad. Do we miss having our kids around? Sure…. well sometimes! What we don’t miss is all the planning and strategizing that accompanies life with kids. We have flexibility in our own schedules and can be spontaneous in weekend trips, afternoon bike rides, or when #TheMoodStrikes.

We truly enjoy a weekend away to the ocean where one of our favorite pastimes is taking a late night stroll under a moon-lit sky, feeling the sand between our toes. A quick trip to the mountains finds us snuggled under a blanket by a cozy fire sipping velvety red wine and listening to our favorite music. Many times Friday night is our “date night” where we might enjoy a cocktail at home followed by a little dancing before heading out for a relaxing candlelight dinner. All wonderful opportunities for a little intimacy between a husband and wife, embracing being empty nesters.

Conversation about our situation – the empty nester one – comes up from time to time and we agree the freedom to be spontaneous no matter what we have in mind, makes for a happy wife and life! I relish long walks with our two dogs, yoga a few times a week to keep my body supple and feeling good, an occasional massage or mani-pedi keep me feeling attractive and vibrant.

Once on a girls weekend, a group of my friends and I were discussing upcoming trips we’d be taking soon. One friend mentioned her 50th birthday was approaching and her husband would be taking her to New Orleans for a quick getaway, this was before they became empty nesters. Another friend laughingly remarked, “I guess Michael will expect a few passionate nights!”. The birthday girl quickly replied, “yeah, we’ll have to bring the K-Y®”. I’ve never laughed so hard…..Had she known about these K-Y® Liquibeads she could’ve run by her local Target and grabbed a box to carry along. The slender applicator and a bead are all you need every few days. Believe me this product is preferable to the “jelly” she referred to!

Carolyn, a new friend, whom I met at yoga, recently sent her last son off to college. Over a cup of coffee one morning she told me about how she and her husband were intimate 3 times the first day they found themselves “empty nesters”. We cracked up laughing as she told me about how she’d prefer any place besides the bedroom and now that they’d rediscovered each other in this one day, she’d be needing to stay prepared for when #TheMoodStrikes. Luckily this product is meant for anyone not nursing or pregnant, which for me and my friends is definitely the case. Thanks to #CollectiveBias I can now spread the word to all of my girlfriends.

Ladies, welcome your empty nester life. It recalls the simpler times before kids, yet with the closeness and team work that went along with parenting we can rekindle the joy of life with our spouses. So when your kids head off to college and you find time to dance in the kitchen with your hubby or you find yourself on a quickie weekend jaunt be sure you are ready for some romance. K-Y® Liquibeads are easy to use and here’s how they work:
Each package comes with 6 ovule inserts and 6 applicators.
Remove one ovule and insert it into the top of the applicator.
In a relaxed position, insert the ovule just like you would insert a tampon.
If you are pregnant or nursing, make sure to consult a doctor before using.
Oh! and just in case you’d like to try K-Y® Liquibeads here’s a coupon.

Target

K-Y® Liquibeads can be found in the pharmacy area of your local Target stores near the feminine products.

December 8, 2014
Recipe Round-Up – Our Growing Edge

I am honored to host the November 2014 edition of Our Growing Edge-a monthly blogging event that brings bloggers worldwide together to share their recipes. You know what the best part of this is? I’ll be sharing them with you! Get excited…..get VERY excited!

Let’s get started with Andre The Baker. She is 19, a baker, blogger and hails from Hong Kong. This accounting student contributed 4 recipes to our round-up.

Her Peanut Butter and M&M Cookies are made with cinnamon peanut butter – I’ve never heard of it but I’m intrigued. How about you? The other cool thing about this recipe is it’s just enough to make 4 regular sized cookies or two extra large cookies – now that’s a great idea! This girl is into baking with Matcha – the brilliant green powdered tea – she gives us a recipe for very cute 4″ Matcha Tea Chiffon Cakes as well as a Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake which uses almond biscuits for the crust. Sounds heavenly! Last but not least a recipe perfect for the holidays Pumpkin Chiffon Cake, using pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Next meet Cornia at Searching For Spice. Corina has a penchant for experimenting with spices, especially curries and stir fries. Deciding to stray from her normal kitchen preparations she made her first Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham. This has Christmas Dinner written all over it!

We will need some sides to go along with that ham so let’s check out a few. From Suné, a Pretoria-based translator, editor, graphic designer and wannabe writer and painter, we have a recipe for a Biltong and Fig Salad with Halloumi Cheese. In case you didn’t know, Biltong was developed in South Africa, where Suné lives, and consists of strips of cured, air-dried beef or wild game. She calls her blog Add Some Butter and claims that butter makes a world of difference in our recipes. I think she might be on to something.

Jubilee Rice is shared by Genie of Bunny.Eats.Design and will please those on special diets. Jubilee Rice is vegan (vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free) Genie says it’s a great dish to bring to a holiday potluck and most of the ingredients may be staples in your pantry. Simple and easy! We all know Genie, the creator of Our Growing Edge.

Nikki from Everyday Life of a Mother and Wife made a super easy copycat version of LIttle Caesars Breadsticks. Nikki remarks that they disappeared from her family dinner table so fast that she’ll be baking a double batch next time. I can imagine that these would be delicious served along with a piping hot bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with lots of extra sauce for dipping these bread sticks into.

A student from Australia who calls herself The Speeding Turtle writes a blog named Food For Torte and from the looks of her blog is a Hello Kitty fan. Now I don’t know about you, but these steamed buns look so delicate and melt- in- your- mouth good that I might have to give this recipe a try. Mantou-Chinese Steamed Buns sound difficult but she gives step by step instructions and surprisingly they look simple to make.

Tania, another contributor from Australia shares our most interesting recipe for How To Can Dried Beans. Tania is into whole, real and natural foods. We all should be! She has successfully canned chickpeas, cannellini beans, kidneys and pintos. If this is something you’d like to try may I suggest you visit her blog, as she gives detailed set-by-step instructions and makes it sound very easy and rewarding.

I’ll leave with you with two sweet treats – my favorite course.

First Martin and Alice at Nom Nom Cat, who met in college and started a love affair with food and each other whipped up this impressive looking Vanilla Panna Cotta. Sounds like it was so easy that they’ll never pay outrageous restaurant prices for this silky smooth pudding again. They’ve topped it with fresh blueberry compote but suggest that any fresh fruit of your choosing will work.

I’m finishing our round-up with my Chinese Five Spice Carrot Cupcakes. These sweet and spicy cupcakes will be popular on your holiday dessert table. Make them extra delicious and pretty by topping them with a bit of chopped crystalized ginger.

Thank you to all who participated in the November “Our Growing Edge”. Thank you Genie for giving me the opportunity to host. May your holidays be filled with delicious and beautiful food no matter where you celebrate.

December is hosted by Garden Eats.

December 5, 2014