Fruit Skewers

We had flurries this morning!  A few here and there, but still!  Kind of makes me miss Maine.  The snowfalls were so beautiful.  It's just the cleanup that was a pain in the you know what :)  I remember one year we had mounds and mounds of snow in every parking lot imaginable because there was no where else to put it.  What a problem to have, right?!

So this snack reminded me of the freezing mornings and icy roads after a snowfall up north.  Frosty and chilly, these frozen grape and banana skewers with chocolate drizzle are sure to give you the shivers while leaving a smile on your face (chocolate has that effect on kids I've found).  Click here for the how-to on this colorful, fun, healthy snack.   

Candied Ginger, Carrot and Avocado Muffins

Healthy, hearty and delicious.  These are the muffins you should make today!

Candied Ginger, Carrot and Avocado Muffins
Source: Runnin Sri Lankan

1/2 C almond meal
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
half an avocado
1 egg
2 t vanilla
1 carrot grated
2 pieces of candied ginger, chopped
1/2 C almond milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mash the avocado well.
Then mix in the egg, vanilla, carrot, candied ginger and half cup of milk.
Add in the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and mix until well incorporated.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Let muffins reach room temperature and enjoy with honey or peanut butter.
Makes 6 muffins.

Buttermilk Pie

The last addition in the buttermilk project: buttermilk pie.  If you like flan or custard, this is the pie for you.  Simple to make with only six ingredients, this silky smooth dessert comes together in six minutes!

I'm so glad I sampled buttermilk in breads, pancakes, cake and pie because at the completion of this project, I have a new found respect for this sour milk.  It might smell funny, but the way it softens baked goods is no joke.  It will always be occupying a shelf in our refrigerator.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Print

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Print

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick®

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in center of oven for 45-50 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

- See more at: http://holiday.bedbathandbeyond.com/recipes/buttermilk-pie#sthash.s5ygB6eV.baxkWZvz.dpuf

Oatmeal Mondays

Chi, Chi, Chia!  For today's breakfast, I jumped headfirst into the world of chia seeds.  My mother-in-law bought me a packet of organic black chia seeds for my birthday so I gave them a try.  Here is the recipe for my breakfast this AM:

1/2 C oats
1 T chia seeds
1 banana, sliced
water to cover

Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Mix well, being sure to break up the banana chunks.  Enjoy :)

Verdict: Excellent crunch and texture, with tons of fiber and heart healthy fats.

I will certainly make these wonder seeds a daily addition to my bowl of oatmeal.  Yum!     

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Making pumpkin pie spice at home is easier than you think.  I finally made it the other day and wish I had done it sooner.  What you can buy at the store is fine, but making it yourself let's you control the amounts of spices.  I LOVE cinnamon so I knew that would be the bulk of the mix.  I also wanted to include nutmeg, ginger, allspice AND cloves (a lot of recipes leave it out) so I searched for a recipe that had all of these components.  Now I have it sitting pretty in the pantry, ready to mix into any baked good!

1 t cinnamon
1/4 t each nutmeg, ginger, allspice
18/ t cloves

Mix and store in airtight container.  Feel free to customize it to your liking.  Enjoy :)    

My Birthday Wish

For my birthday this year, I requested banana, walnut and chocolate cookie cake.  I mean really, does it get any better than that?!

Bananas and walnuts = winning combination

Giant dark chocolate chunk, cinnamon cookie baked in a skillet = brilliant

 

For my 34th birthday, I wish I could take a bite out of this cookie cake right now, sleep in until 5, and have all of my favorite people together in one room for one day.  Here's to hoping at least one of those wishes comes true :)

In the meantime, here is the recipe for this ingenious dessert:

Banana, walnut and chocolate cookie cake
Source: Joy the Baker

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ripe banana (mashed)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark chocolate chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in an 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.  Stir in sugar  and vanilla extract and remove from heat.  Whisk until thoroughly combined.  Allow mixture to stand and cool for about 5 minutes.  The mixture should not be super hot when the egg goes in, or the egg will cook.

When the sugar and butter mixture has cooled slightly it will look a bit clumpy, greasy, and broken. The egg will bring it all together.

Add the egg and whisk together until smooth.  The mixture will be glossy and no longer greasy.  Add banana and cinnamon and stir to combine.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir carefully until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the chocolate and walnuts and fold together.

Spread mixture across the pan creating a somewhat smooth top.  Place in the oven.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until mixture is dry on top, but still slightly soft in the center. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 

      

  

Cake Fridays

Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Fourth installment in the buttermilk project (I haven't forgotten to use up that liquid gold) and maybe my favorite recipe thus far.  

I've tasted many crumb cakes in my day.  Chocolate, vanilla, marble, blueberry, and the list goes on and on.  I've had crumb cakes with a light dusting of buttery cinnamon and sugar (like this one) and I've had crumb cakes with cinnamon and sugar encrusted buttery boulders that are so big you have to pick them off with your fingers.

At first, I wasn't sure if this cake's topping was too dusty, but as the days wore on, the butter started to settle, thus forming layers:

the base is your moist buttermilk cake sweetened with brown sugar and vanilla, flecks of cinnamon running throughout

3/4 of the way up is where you'll find the rich, almost wet butter layer

and then what catches everyone's eye is the soft, sandy topper

This settling made the granular topping so moist and pleasing to the palate.  It's a simple, delicate cake with balance and structure.  It's not too rich (1/4 C butter is just right), it's not too sweet (2/3 C brown sugar, 1 t vanilla, and 3/4 t cinnamon is perfect), and when frozen or reheated, it keeps its shape beautifully.  I think my Irish tea cake has some serious competition!

Cinnamon Crumb Cake

1 1/4 C flour
2/3 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1/4 C chilled stick of butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C buttermilk
1 t vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with non stick spray.  Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup, level with a knife.  Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Reserve 1/2 cup of flour mixture for topping; set aside.  Combine remaining flour mixture, baking powder and baking soda; add the buttermilk, vanilla and egg to flour mixture.  Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well blended (I mixed the batter by hand).  Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan.  Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles.  Sprinkle reserved 1/2 C flour mixture over batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.  Cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy.