Sunday, February 26, 2012

baker's twine shamrock vase {craft room}

anyone up for a quickie?
 this is a simple little craft
using 
bottles
glue
&
baker's twine
 (about 50 yards per bottle)


paint a bit of glue on a clean bottle 
and 
wind green baker's twine
around
and
around
and
around 
until you can't
go around any more

i mostly did mine in one layer, pushing the twine together to eliminate gaps. 
i added a bit of felt for a touch of whimsy
and
to make it
st. paddy's day-ish

if you make one of these...i would love it if you shared your creation on my facebook page

Friday, February 24, 2012

Whole Wheat Honey & Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits {Joy the Baker}

hubster and i keep bees
i know you have heard me brag about it before
i just think it is so cool
and the honey is
a-mazing

when i saw
that part of our 
cookbook spotlight
for
includes a recipe
highlighting  honey
waited until no one was looking
closed myself in the cupboard
opened my secret compartment
and
pulled my "reserve honey"
 honey used only
for special things
like 
tinctures
cocktails
and
spoonfuls

to be truthful
these biscuits are so good
that i ate two
straight from the oven 
which actually
i don't recommend
oh they are good
but 
will burn the roof of your mouth
without regret

i do
 however
 recommend you eat them warm

i schmeared mine with honey
but think
these would make for an amazing
shortcake
with a little more chevre tossed into the strawberries
and maybe
a little black pepper
and perhaps
just a few sprigs of basil

okay
i'll make that 
and let you know

in the meantime
try these
they are good



whole wheat honey & goat cheese drop biscuits
Joy the Baker Cookbook
makes 8-10
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp slat

1/2 stick unsalted butter plus extra for the pan
4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp honey plus more for drizzling


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet into the oven as it preheats.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With your fingers quickly incorporate the goat cheese and butter until it looks like coarse oatmeal.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Whisk together buttermilk and honey, don't worry if it dosen't all blend. Pour into the center of the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork until no dry ingredients are left. Set aside. 

Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl 1 Tbsp of butter around coating all of the pan. Spoon batter into the hot pan by about 1/4 cup amounts leaving about an inch between each biscuit. 
Bake for about 14-16 minutes until golden on top and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Repeat until all of the batter has been used. For a glossy finish brush the biscuits with warm honey. They are best served immediately but will last for up to 3 days well wrapped at room temperature.

my note: **if you do not have a cast iron skillet, these will bake just fine in a sheet pan.  you may need a bit more butter to fill the space...use your judgement.  place the sheet pan in the oven just as you would the skillet.



This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

Sunday, February 19, 2012

warm roasted-radish salad with radish greens & mint dressing

our warm days
and
plunging cold nights
have me craving
a taste of spring
with
warm comfort

a morning visit to the farmer's market
and a
beautiful radish melange
got me thinking
of
warm salad
good books
and
the days to come
warm roasted-radish salad
with
radish greens & mint dressing
(printable recipe)
1-2 bunches of your favorite radish variety
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
preheat the oven to 375F.  wash and dry the radish. remove the leaves and reserve for dressing.  place on a parchment lined sheet pan. dress with olive oil and sea salt, making sure each piece is lightly coated and well seasoned.  * if you have different sizes of radish, cut or leave whole so they are of equal size. this will ensure even cooking. if you don't wish to cut, roast in separate pans. 
roast for 15-20 minutes. 
remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the radishes.  return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, or more if the radish are not yet tender to the touch.
meanwhile prepare the dressing
radish greens & mint dressing
1/4 cup packed--cleaned and dried radish leaves
1/4 cup packed--de-stemmed mint leaves
1" green garlic**--from the bulb end
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
2 tsp white wine or champagne vinegar
pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
about 1/2 cup olive oil
whiz the radish leaves, mint leaves, green garlic, lemon zest , lemon juice, and vinegars in a food processor or blender.  add olive oil in a steady stream until you get the consistency you like. i prefer a loose dressing.  taste and add salt and pepper. (you can add a bit of yogurt if you want to make a nice dipping sauce)
**if you can't find or don't want to fuss over green garlic, a small clove of garlic will work just fine.

pull the radish from the oven and give them a minute to cool slightly.  if you wish to slice them, do so as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  place in a bowl and toss with as much dressing as you like.  adjust seasonings once more.  serve while still warm

Thursday, February 16, 2012

flax seed and cracked pepper crackers {joy the baker}


i'm a little obsessed with flax seed
probably
because i am so thankful
it has replaced
wheat germ
and
cod liver oil
in my diet
yes
i grew up on wheat germ 
brewer's yeast
and
cod liver oil
this is another story--not for today

today
i am here to talk about flax seed
flax seed
crushed and whole
hand turned
into
hearty & wholesome
crackers
a recipe
tucked near the end
of the
sunshiny
by
equally delightful
joy the baker
wait
you didn't know she has a cookbook
well
it isn't really technically "out" yet
it will be soon
i am lucky enough
to get a sneak peak
as part of
a cookbook spotlight
YOU
can enter to win one of your own
(click HERE)
  

flax seed and cracked pepper crackers
makes about 4 dozen

1/4 cup golden flaxseed
1/4 cup groun flaxseed meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt (i used sea-salt)
2 Tbs unsalted butter-cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flax seed, flax seed meal, flours, baking soda and salt. Add the butter, and using your fingers, quickly work the butter into the dry ingredients. Some of the butter will  resemble oatmeal flakes; others will be the size of small pebbles.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.  Add buttermilk, and use a fork to bring all of the ingredients together.  Make sure that every bit of flour is moistened by the buttermilk.  The dough will be shaggy. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead together about 10 times to bring the dough together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 10 minutes.
When chilled, cut dough in half.  On a lightly floured work surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out half of the dough.  Roll just thinner than 1/8" thick.  Use a 1 1/2" round cookie cutter to cut out crackers, or use a pizza cutter to trim the edges and cut the dough into 1 1/2" squares.  Prick each cracker with the tines of a fork and place on baking sheet.  Bake crackers for 15 to 18 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container to store.  Crackers will last, in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 4 days.

*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*



Friday, February 10, 2012

we interrupt this radio silence...

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

ugh
where have i been?
i'm asking you
as much as i am asking myself

i've been
cooking
and
cleaning
working
and
chillin'
just about anything
but blogging
and for that
i do apologize

i tend to blog about
what we are eating
what i am crafting
or
our travels
and 
i just haven't done anything 
blog-worthy lately
honestly
these last couple of days have been consumed 
with
pulled pork 
and 
bbq beans
for a crowd

i'm making dinner for 75
as a fundraiser
for 
our local american legion
hopefully
we will raise
lots of dough
for the uso
hmmm....
perhaps i should have done a bake sale
and named it that
catchy, no?

and today
while making dressing for coleslaw
i thought to myself
"what exactly do poppy seeds taste like?"
let me warn you
they don't taste like
lemon muffins
that is FOR SURE
after my second spoonful
because the first was just a palate cleanser
i began to panic
poppy seeds being classified as an opiate and all
and me being
uptight and repressed

so
if you come by my place
and see
fantasia on the tv
in constant loop
and me
zoned out on the couch
with a bowl of 
small, dark, round seeds 
on my lap
know
it all started
as an innocent
culinary curiosity

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