Nigella’s Chocolate Peanut Granola

I’m a pretty big Nigella Lawson fan. I love how practical and imperfect her cooking is. I love how round she is. I love how she literally flirts with you from the beginning of her show to the end. I’m a little concerned with her midnight eating habits, though.

Normal people don’t raid their fridges in the middle of the night for the sweetest most fattening foods with such a proud look on their face. If normal people do graze their fridge after everyone is long asleep, surely the expression on their face is that of great shame. You should be ashamed Nigella… of the midnight binging, not for this awesome granola recipe.

This is the first granola I’ve ever made. Once you get past the gazillion ingredients, it really is a tasty snack worthy treat. Jeff eats this every morning with yogurt for breakfast.

A few tips. I  found the brown rice syrup in a health food store. It wasn’t super cheap (about $7) but it’s lasted a good 5 batches with some still left. Also, if you’ve never made granola before, when you pull this out of the oven, it will still be soft – not crunchy. Like cookies, it will harden as it cools. Keep an eye on this, as it will burn quickly. Also, this is my version of Nigella’s Granola, it is not the exact recipe (it’s better, ahem). Follow the link below to follow her exact words.

Hug a tree!

Chocolate Peanut Granola

Adapted from The Food Network

1/2 cup best quality cocoa
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup coarse ground flax seed
3/4 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup brown rice syrup or rice malt syrup
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 2/3 cups raw peanuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons flavorless oil (I used almond oil)

Preheat oven to 310 degrees F.

Mix everything together very well in a large mixing bowl. Spread the mixture evenly in 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, turning over half-way through baking. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. With a spatula loosen the granola from the pan and break up any large chunks. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container. Will keep for at least a week.

Honey & Cardamom Cut-Out Cookies

You haven’t made your Christmas cookies yet, have you?

No?

Perfect, because you definitely should try this recipe this year in place of your old boring sugar cookie recipe.

These cookies are easy to make. Easy to roll. Easy to manipulate. And the flavor couldn’t be any more interesting, addictive, sweet – but not too sweet, subtle yet memorable. Seriously, they’re good.

This is my third year using this recipe and I shall never make any other cut-out cookies as long as I live!

I iced my cookies using royal icing. If you’d like to do the same but aren’t quite sure how to do that, I recommend you visit Annie’s blog and follow her tutorial and recipe. Don’t compare my cookies to hers. Hers are stunning and mine are boring and far from perfect, but meet my typical standard of “good enough”. Anyway, I don’t want you to look at them, I want you EAT them. Num num…

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Honey & Cardamom Cut-Out Cookies

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
8 oz. (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until well blended.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Scrape down the bowl and the beater. Add the honey, egg, and vanilla. Continue mixing on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough is well blended and comes together in moist clumps, 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Divide the dough roughly in half. On a piece of plastic wrap, shape each dough half into a smooth 5-inch disk. Wrap well in the plastic. Refrigerate until chilled and firm enough to roll out, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
6. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line two or more cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.
7. Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough on a floured work surface to about 3/16 inch thick. Dust with additional flour as needed. Choose one or more cookie cutters of any shape that are about 2-1/2 inches wide and cut out shapes.
8. Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart on the lined cookie sheets. Gather the scraps and gently press together. Re-roll and cut. Repeat with the remaining dough.
9. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies’ edges develop a 1/4-inchwide light-brown rim, 11 to 13 minutes (rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even browning). I have a hot oven and only needed 10 minutes for perfectly baked cookies.
10. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Yarn Wrapped Letters & Paper Garlands

If I felt euphemistic, I would call my husband a minimalist. But I’m not feeling very euphemistic today. So I’ll just call it what it is: my husband could care less about decorating.

Yeah, I know I’m not alone on that one. However, most women don’t let this paralyze their homemaking efforts. Most women have a healthy self-esteem which translates into some sort of “eff you dear, we’re hanging this g-damn picture right here” and most husbands know well enough to reply “I couldn’t have picked a better place. You really are keener than Martha Stewart.”

Instead in our house, we leave framed artwork leaning against the wall 4 or 5  deep for years. Dust bunnies penetrate the small spaces between the frames, forming a lovely organic insulation. Our walls are naked, and not even an interesting color, but varying shades of gray or beige. I fantasize about wall collages a la Young House Love. But the fantasy is quickly squelched when my husband grumbles about the pains of hanging anything on 80 year old plaster walls, let alone perfecting the placement of 16 different objects. So I’m left to dream up lightweight decor that the hubster won’t get all grumpy about how “sturdy” or “safe” it will be when attached to our plaster.

Enter this project which consists of mostly paper and thread and rests nicely on a lightweight picture ledge from IKEA. Also, if IKEA is involved it should  be assumed (correctly) that this project is extremely inexpensive. It cost me less than $40 in tools and materials.

Yarn Wrapped Letters

What you will need:

Paper mache letters (any craft store will carry them)
Yarn (I used a medium weight acrylic)
Hot glue gun
Patience and perseverance

I discovered this idea on Sarah Ortega’s blog and recommend following the link to her tutorial. If your name is “Lee” or “Elle”, you should totally do this project as I found it extremely easy to achieve a pleasing outcome on the letters “L” and “E” . However,  the more complex or rounded letters are extremely frustrating and my overall feeling of the outcome is a solid “meh.” I thought for sure I could do this project in a couple nights. It took me one night of about 2 hours of work per letter. Just a warning. I’m not trying to steer you away from this project, just trying to keep it real yo.

Paper Garlands

What you will need:

Large circle hole punch (I used a Fiskar’s 2″ punch)
Card stock or other sturdy paper
Standard all-purpose thread
Sewing machine

These garlands are all over the crafting world wide web. I’ve admired them for months and was determined to make them for my new baby’s room. They really couldn’t be simpler. It helps if you have a machine that has a pedal-free start/stop button feature, though it’s not necessary. Here’s the how to:

1. Punch circles out of card stock.

2. Wind bobbin and thread sewing machine.

3.  Using a straight stitch, sewing straight through the center of the first circle. You can either position the second circle immediately after the first with no space, or continue to run the machine while pulling gently at the first circle to create a gap and then continue to feed the next circle.  Continue until desired length is achieved.

Simple right?

After my husband hung the  picture ledge, I suspended the garlands from the bottom using simple scotch tape.

I love that the final look has a kind of party vibe to it. The garlands also have great movement and provide something interesting for Lennon to look at while she’s getting her diaper changed. This is a wonderfully versatile project as you can make it as gender specific or gender neutral as you want depending on the color scheme you choose. Also, it’s a great space hog for those big empty walls and requires just a few nails which should make every husband or designated household picture hanger happy.

Happy Birthday Daddio!

When I was a teenager, I never got grounded. This was not because I didn’t get into plenty of trouble, but because my parents had an even better method of discipline: car rides with my dad where I got “a talking to”.

It’s genius actually. My dad would stuff me in the car and we would drive around Findlay for hours while he lectured me about the bad choices I made generally involving lying and boys. I couldn’t escape – we were moving 55 mph on US 224 half way to Fostoria. There was nothing else to distract me. No television. No phone. No computer. Just me and my dad having an awkward conversation.

I hated and loved these car rides at the same time. I hated the confrontation. I hated having to admit to lying, to doing something really stupid and getting caught. I hated these words “I’m so disappointed in you.”He would always spin the situation so I had to look at myself from another’s perspective. “Is that the kind of girl you want to be, Em?” he would ask me.

No I don’t want to be a sleazy slut, dad.I want you to be proud of me.

But other than the grueling hours of forced self examination, I generally loved the attention. For 2 hours I got to talk about… me. What a teenage girl’s dream! Who cares if this all started out with my getting caught with cigarettes in my purse! My dad isn’t paying attention to anyone but me right now! So simple, yet so effective. Soon I actually thought about my actions and what kind of person my behavior made me instead of just doing what felt fun and right at the time.

You got through to me at 16, Dad. You are a magician!

You have also given me loads of invaluable nuggets of wisdom.

18 of a Gazillion Things My Dad Taught Me

1. When driving, brake before the curve, accelerate through it if you want to drive like an F1 pro, which of course I do. (This is also great advice when playing racing video games, including Mario Kart.)
2. How to name that tune in 5 notes or less. “Who’s on the radio – quick quick before they start singing.” “Kris Kristofferson!”
3. You don’t have to read a non-fiction book in order. Chapter 16 seem like a good place to start? Why not?
4. Everyone in the world is just engaging in various forms and magnitudes of sucking up.
5. Listen to the lyrics.
6. Don’t peak too soon.

7. A conspiracy is just a group of people working together – therefore, it’s always a conspiracy.
8. Want to know what’s really going on? Follow the money trail.
9. There are few things in life that you have to do. Don’t get caught up and stressed out by meaningless things you think are obligations.
10. You don’t have to smile for photos. It’s perfectly fine to look absolutely dreadful even while wearing the sweetest sweatshirt of all time.

11. Find happiness somewhere. A good place to start is probably your family.
12. French toast is a perfectly acceptable dinner to make for your kids.
13. We’re all just programmed. You can’t escape your genetics.
14. It’s really not a big deal. Really.
15. “The easiest thing in the world to do is die.” What’s there to be afraid of?
16. It goes by fast.
17. Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get more liberal the older you get.
18. How to start a fire, though I never learned how to make a perfect boy scout fire:

             

Thanks for being an incredible dad, and an even better Papa.Happy 59th!

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

Looking out my front window at my neighborhood shaded by large mature trees, it’s without question autumn. Look a little closer though and you’ll see trees still sporting green leaves like they didn’t get the memo.

It’s November 8th and it’s 70 degrees today.

Good thing a jacket is not required to make this soup. Just a food processor.

This recipe calls for a 2 lb. butternut squash. That is actually quite a petite squash. The ones generally found at the supermarket can be practically twice that size. I adapt the seasoning measurements to accommodate a larger squash simply by just “heaping” the measurements instead of using level measures. Highly precise, I know. You can also adjust this recipe to be as spicy or mild as you prefer. I, as always, recommend going spicy.

Because of the inconsistency of squash sizes at the market, achieving the perfect soup texture with this recipe can also be considered a substantial victory. There is no exact magic amount of stock that results in the perfect soup texture. I buy a 4 cup box and always have enough. You want to avoid the too thick baby food puree texture but you also don’t exactly want squash juice. I add stock little by little and test frequently by spilling a spoonful of soup back into the pot. Look for a slow but fluid stream, no plops.

I recommend serving with a few toasted slices of Trader Joe’s Asiago Peppercorn Tuscan Pane Italian Bread.

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Soup

Adapted from Slice of Feist

2 Pound Butternut Squash (see above)

1 1/2 – 3 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock

1 head of garlic, top 1/4 inch sliced off

Spray olive oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 Yellow Or Red Onion Chopped

2 Tablespoons butter (or other preferred fat)

1 Tablespoon or more Ground Cumin

3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 or 2 Tablespoons Honey

Lots of salt and pepper to taste (I use at least 1 Tsp of kosher salt)

Cut your squash in half lengthwise. The easiest way to accomplish this without losing an appendage is to slice off the top and the bottom, set the squash upright on its bottom and slice down from the top upon a sturdy non-slip cutting board. Scoop out the seeds (grapefruit spoon is great for this). Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil. Place squash halves flesh down on baking sheet and spray skin with olive oil. Stab it a few times with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes…or until it is super easy to insert a fork into it. Right after you place the squash in the oven, envelope the head of garlic in a square of foil, cut side up. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, and close foil around the head. Set in the oven with the squash to roast. Pull th e squash and garlic out of the oven at the same time.

While allowing the squash and garlic to cool a bit, saute your chopped onion in butter until translucent, about 10 minutes on medium low.

Scrape the flesh of the squash from the skin into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the cloves of garlic from their head into the processor. Puree the squash, onion, and roasted garlic, spices, honey and about a half cup of stock until smooth.  Add puree to a pot. Slowly add stock until desired texture is achieved. Heat it up to simmering for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Serve hot! Like most soups, this tastes even better the next day.

And A Year Later…

What? People still stumble across my blog…and read it? And PIN it?! (Thank you Garlic Lime Chicken).

Maybe I should start doing this again. After all, summer’s over. I guess I can just sit inside and craft and cook and complain all day long.

Let’s recap what can happen in a year. Gather round.

This sweet little bedheaded pumpkin:

Turned into this bedheaded monster:

Oh, and this also happened:

No, Marlo didn’t become the world’s youngest mother. That would be Lennon Isabelle, Marlo’s little sister.

She’s a good kid and already 4 months old.

I’ve banked quite a selection of delicious vegetarian fare over the past year to share with you – not to mention pent-up rants, raves and other musings. Let’s do this again, shall we?

Silly Rabbit! Tricks (and Treats) are For Kids!

Last night I handed out candy to Trick-or-Treaters for the first time since I was in high school. This is an important point to make: when I was in high school, I was at home handing out candy and not trick-or-treating. I was shocked and appalled by the number of teenagers and ADULTS who came to my door asking for candy. Some of them weren’t even in costume, unless their costume was “cold college student”.

What has happened in this world where adults and young adults find it appropriate to parade around with children and essentially steal a child’s share of the annual treats? People run out of candy in my neighborhood, or so I hear. We did not, but I can imagine how fuming I’d be if I had run out of candy standing before a precious little girl in a Minnie Mouse costume after a woman old enough to be that little girl’s GRANDMOTHER (not even joking) approached me for candy an hour before.

Yes, I understand that I am under no obligation to give candy to any of these people. I, however, do not trust that an adult immature enough to go door to door peddling for candy wouldn’t be immature enough to in some way vandalize my property for laughing in their face. So, I handed over the Jolly Rancher, but I hoped they read the “Are you freaking kidding me?” in my facial expression.

I remember the last year I went trick-or-treating. I was 12. Even then, I remember being afraid of being “caught”. Yes, in my hometown, the police had so little to do that they would stop teenagers and adults trying to trick-or-treat. I really think there was a set age limit in the town. It might have been 12, probably more like 13. It is possible this was all in my head, but I hope not as it really makes sense.

Think about it. There is a reason why you don’t want teenagers and adults trick-or-treating on Halloween. Would you like your grandmother opening up her door after dark to a man in a mask carrying a plastic jack-o-lantern? Do you want your children running around your neighborhood next to some adult with a Jason mask on? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fear monger. I don’t believe in the stupid candy myths. I think those who hand out candy do it because they love children and the fun and spirit of the holiday. Those who don’t, close their curtains, turn off their porch light and sit in the back room watching the tube for a few hours. They don’t spend all afternoon dipping Tootsie Pops in cyanide and sliding razor blades into Milky Ways. But there certainly could be crazy people out there who would take opportunity in an evening where people open their doors to people with masks on.

And really, even for the adults who aren’t serial killers, molesters and rapists. What in the heck are you doing? You should be ashamed of yourself. Go home! You shouldn’t be eating candy anyway. It’ll go straight to your ass.

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts

Growing up in Ohio, we had an electric range in my kitchen. I knew of nothing else and was comfortable with the four red-hot coils.

Moving to Chicago, an electric range in your kitchen meant your apartment was owned by someone from Ohio. It was unheard of. I don’t think I saw a single one the four years I lived there. Every kitchen in Chicago has a gas range. At first, they scared the bejeezus out of me. A flame! An actual flame in my kitchen?! But I eventually warmed up to the turning of the dial, the clicking and the small explosion of fire that consumed my pan. I learned to cook over a gas flame. I loved the control, the speed, and the consistency. But I was afraid of the broiler drawer.

Then I moved to Indiana: Home of the Electric Range II. Suddenly, all the dishes I could cook with my eyes closed were burning. Chicken breasts had a black skin. My Calpholon pans – branded with a spiral. I HATED ELECTRIC RANGES!! The only thing good about them is the storage drawer under the oven and in-oven easy broiling. I had a broiler revolution my first year here. I was toasting bread, roasting red peppers, and cooking fish. I had mastered the broiler!

Then we moved into our new house and I INSISTED on a gas range. I didn’t read the owner’s manual, I just dove right in. I feel like an old pro sauteing over my easily adjustable gas flame. I can scramble an egg in the time it takes an electric burner to just heat up.  I am in heeaavennnn. Then I came across this recipe. Broiling required. Oh crap. I got down on my knees and literally stuck my head in the oven. “I have a storage drawer,” I thought, “So where the heck do I broil?” I turned on the broiler (after I removed my head) and voila! Furious flames shot across the ceiling of my oven. Modern cooking technology has embraced me! I can have the best of both worlds! Then I promptly made this dish which took almost no time at all.

Portobello, Broccoli and Red Pepper Melts
Adapted from Annie’s Eats. Originally from Everyday Food, March 2008.

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), cleaned and sliced ½-inch thick
2 red bell peppers (or as you can see, I used yellow), seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
1/4 cup store-bought pesto
4 thick slices country or italian bread
2-4 oz. provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat broiler (I used the high setting. In retrospect, I should have used the low setting) and place rack 4 inches from the heat source.

Line a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil. Add broccoli to the pan, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss around to make sure the broccoli is coated evenly. Broil for 3-4 minutes and remove pan from oven.

Add mushrooms and peppers to the pan, drizzle with remaining olive oil and season again with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Broil for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times, remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, spread about a tablespoon of pesto on each slice of bread and top with 1 slice of provolone. Divide broiled vegetables on top of each slice of bread and top with a half slice of provolone.

Remove old aluminum foil from baking pan and reline with fresh foil. Place assembled sandwiches on baking sheet and broil for 2-4 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Caramelized Onion Pizza

This is snobby pizza, but don’t get me wrong here – I am not a pizza snob. Sure, I’ve lived in Chicago and had some of the absolute best pizza in the country, but I’ll still gladly polish off a pie from Pizza Hut. I freaking love pizza.

Something I’m not that crazy about – pizza sauce. I hate hot red sauce oozing out from the skin of cheese on my pizza. Ever since I was a kid I preferred pretty much no red sauce on my pizza. Then, one day when I grew up and left the cornfields, I realized there is a whole style of pizza that purposefully has no sauce. My life got a lot better that day, a whole lot better.

This is one of those pizzas. Some places call them “White Pizzas”, and I’ve also seen them called “Olive Oil Pizzas”, whatever you please, there is no red sauce. It would probably be opposite day if you ever saw a recipe on this blog for a pizza with red sauce.

This pizza is light, because there’s no meat (duh), but actually pretty rich and definitely sophisticated. Eat it!

Caramelized Onion Pizza

2 medium/large onions (I recommend sweet or red), sliced thin
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
splash of white wine

Pizza Dough (whatever you like – store bought, Boboli, homemade. I use Trader Joe’s 99 cent pizza dough.)
2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella*
1 cup shredded fontina*
1/3 cup shredded asiago*
*OR you can just use the best bagged pizza cheese ever from Trader Joes – a mix of fontina, mozzarella, provolone and asiago
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems, stems discarded and leaves roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves chopped

Preheat your oven according to your dough’s specifications. This is generally around 400 degrees.

1. To caramelize the onions, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat in large pan. Add onions and season with a few pinches of salt and the dried thyme. Cover and revisit often to stir and ensure that the onions are browning not burning. You may need to lower the heat and that’s okay. Onions should reduce in volume by half, become thick and syrupy like marmalade, and be a rich dark brown color. This can take about 30 minutes.
2. Once the onions are perfectly caramelized, add a nice glug of white wine to the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer the wine for a few minutes until it’s reduced to a syrupy consistency. This step may be completely unnecessary and optional. I just like doing it because it cleans my pan.
3. Roll out pizza dough on sheet of parchment paper and brush all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Sprinkle cheese over dough leaving about a 1/2 inch of dough on the outside edge for a crust.
5. Using 2 forks, spread caramelized onions evenly over the cheese covered dough.
6. Evenly sprinkle rosemary and garlic over onions.
7 . Bake pizza on parchment paper, directly on the rack according to the crust directions. Anywhere from 10-16 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Books I Must Read, Volume 1

I’d like to share a few serious disorders I suffer from. Both are curiously related to reading, and each disorder annoyingly complicates the other. I am addicted to placing books on hold at the library. This is only a problem because I also suffer from reading narcolepsy where I find it impossible to read more than 10 pages without falling asleep. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, how interesting the book is or if I already just woke up from a long refreshing sleep; my eyes scan over about 1000 words and I’m out cold.

So I’m in this inevitable situation where I have a stack of 5 or 6 books and 4 weeks to read them. At 10-20 pages a day, I can’t cover a lot of ground. I need to hire someone to read books for me, and then tell me about all the interesting points. If you’re up for the job, send me your information. I can’t pay you very much, okay, I can’t pay you anything. But you should find joy in further informing yourself and someone else, as I pretty much only read non-fiction. Here’s your first reading assignment.

White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine by Carl Elliott

Because I love a good scandal, and this country’s health care industry is my favorite scape goat.

The Hidden Brain by Shankar Vendantam

Yes, please explain to me why people do such stupid things (oh me included, seriously).

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham

Because it seems no one cooks in America, and I think it’s making us less human and more like a giant walking, sick fat cell.

Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash by Susan Strasser

Because I’ll read the history of anything, including garbage.

Mary Tudor: princess, bastard, queen by Anna Whitelock

Because I’m obsessed with the Tudors (not the Showtime series, that actually royally sucks).

God is Not One: the eight rival religions the run the world – and why their differences matter by Stephen Prothero

Because no matter what you believe, more information leads to understanding and more understanding leads to tolerance and more tolerance leads to less wars and less wars leads to a lower freaking deficit.