Summery Strawberry Salad
Posted: May 14, 2012 Filed under: cooking 1 Comment »got a bit of alliteration going on up there… I was thinking of even saying SWEET summery strawberry salad, or maybe even SIMPLE sweet summery salad but enough is enough. This salad IS sweet though, in both senses, and definitely simple to make, with great payoffs. I am looking forward to making a lots more in the coming months.
I came up with a balsamic dressing, to pair with the nectarious flavor of strawberries:
3 (ish) Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
1 (ish) Tablespoon of Olive Oil
A good squirt of liquid honey ~ 1 1/2 Tablespoons
A small handful of sesame seeds, and a handful of dried cranberries (optional)
I find that honey takes the edge off of vinegar, and so compliments the strawberries nicely. I think that you could really go crazy with this salad – throw in some chopped red onion, candied pecans/ roasted almonds, maybe some cherry tomatos and feta also. Needless to say, strawberries obviously play a vital role too. I just sliver a bunch right through their little cores, in about a 1:5 ratio to some lush red and green lettuce. Cutting them this way makes them look so pretty!
yum!
Chocolatey Pretzel Hearts <3
Posted: March 11, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »
white chocolate pretzels with sprinkles
Hello! Thought I’d post this sweet idea I had for Valentines day – Chocolate Pretzel Hearts! The idea in all of its fullness consists of a bag of pretzels (reduced salt), around 1 or 2 and 1/2 cups of hershey’s chocolate chips (white, dark or milk, your preference), a ziplock bag, a microwave, and about five minutes of your time. = LEGIT 
Then of course it’s always good to let the chocolate harden again (although not necessarily), which can take 1/2 an hour if you put the pretzels in the freezer, or like, 5 HOURS at room temperature. I recommend the former 
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
So, microwave your chocolate chips in short intervals, stir in between, and let up as soon as it starts melting. I totally over did it for one batch, and it turned into this weird fluffy stuff that was not great. So don’t do that. Then, scoop your melted chocolate into a small ziplock bag, snip a hole in a corner, and BOOM – you’ve got a pastry bag.
You can make any kinds of chocolatey designs on the pretzels – I chose hearts for Valentines day. I recommend being a little more generous with the chocolate than the pictures I’ve posted, because the salt from the pretzels can out do the chocolateyness which is kind of lame. More chocolate = better
Cardamom Almond Shortbread
Posted: March 4, 2012 Filed under: baking 2 Comments »
Hello! It’s good to get back to blogging after weeeks of not
I am really excited about this recipe. It was a bit of a gamble and I was very critical of the cookies at first but after so many people loved them I’ve given the recipe (with some adjustments) the seal of approval.
SO- interestingly enough, cardamom is actually medicinal and used to treat anything from bad breath to gall stones, upset stomach, and sore throats. Basically a really good excuse to eat them any time! I did eat A LOT, especially while studying. According to Wikipedia, cardamom has been used in one of Wrigley’s gum recipes “eclipse breeze exotic mint.” Its sultry coolness is reminiscent of mint, but much less sharp, and in this recipe the edge is taken off by the flavor of almond shards. I imagine that almond extract would be a welcome addition to the flavor too, but I’ve left that out because I just really love the subtle cardamom-almond coolness given by the recipe’s proportions, and don’t want to mess with it or overpower it! Enjoy..
- Sift 2 cups of flour with 2 pinches of salt.
- Cream 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 5 1/2 teaspoons of ground cardamom (fresh ideally).
- Stir flour in lightly until well mixed, add 1/2 cup slivered almonds towards the end.
- Drop onto a cookie sheet in well rounded teaspoons (I think it would be best to flatten these with the bottom of a glass)
- Bake at 375, for 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool then enjoy!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
* Cardamom, by Wikipedia
* Cred to “Bergy” from food.com, the original recipe is here
Recipe for a Clothing Exchange
Posted: January 5, 2012 Filed under: Special Occasion Leave a comment »This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Hey! So… last night was pretty fun, I hosted my first clothing exchange! This was after having gone to one hosted by a friend in April that was so much fun I decided it would be pretty sweet to do one as well sometime. That day I recieved some really nice clothes for free and passed on my less-loved clothes to new owners who would appreciate them more. It was just fun hanging out with friends and meeting some new ones. So last night I and a few others set our clothes out in my living room. We browsed through them while enjoying some tea, baking and each other’s company! It was lots of fun, and I definitely recommend it. The left-overs were donated afterwards. Win win win… win!
I served Coconut Macaroons, http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-coconut-macaroons-38510
and Cranberry Scones http://www.food.com/recipe/cranberry-scones-13067
Both were really good and recipes, and I would definitely recommend them if you’re ever wanting to try macaroons or cranberry scones.
Also, if you ever want to host a clothes exchange, here are some ideas:
* Invite friends to bring their gently used & cleaned clothes and friends (or just themselves) a couple weeks in advance.
* Play your favourite music!
* Have a couple designated changerooms, with mirrors.
* Label the areas to help people organize their clothes – ie dresses, pants, sweaters, etc – before you start browsing.
* Have a few bags for friends to take their “new” clothes home in
* Enjoy!
Photos Galore! & Happy New Year
Posted: December 29, 2011 Filed under: baking, Holiday 2 Comments »
Hello! It is December 28th, and I CANNOT believe it. Can you? It’s weird. I mean, this year is nearly over! I am pretty excited for 2012, and all that it will bring. It’s cool to have a fresh start. I will have a fresh batch of new courses to complete this Spring, and it’s kind of funny but I am actually quite looking forward to school! By the end of it I will be in 3rd year!
Anyways, right now I am really enjoying the time I have to relax and do basically nothing except eat, sleep, and hangout with my family, whether that’s a game of Settlers, Diplomacy, or a movie or a chat. I haven’t been outside in a couple days, and I have no strong desire to change that.. But I realize that at the very least I really should post these photos, because A) they are beautiful and fun B) I think you might like them. Enjoy! Wishing you every joy in this holiday season.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
These are the pictures of my holiday gingerbread house adventure. Making the gingerbread house was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to doing it again next year! I would love to try out a different template altogether. Perhaps one resembling a Barn!
Here’s some interesting ideas if you’re feeling inspired. I love the house with the candy-cane pillars: http://www.marthastewart.com/285839/your-best-gingerbread-houses/@center/307034/christmas-workshop. Also I like this idea, it looks pretty and easy. It could also make a sweet gift. http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/gingerbread-facade
Holly Jolly Christmas-time
Posted: December 18, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »Well, I made the cookies! Except for the cardammon ones, which I haven’t had time for, but may do later. My favourite are the macaroons. Coconut is SO good! Also, instead of the mint-white-chocolate oreo bark, I’m doing white chocolate drizzled on some less-salted pretzels. should be good, AND defos less expensive! microwave 2 cups of hershey’s white chocolate chips, drizzle on a cookie sheet of pretzels, cool, enjoy.
A note to the wise: if you plan to do a gingerbread house, make sure you:
1) have a couple of people to help you hold it together when you’re icing it all up
2) don’t adopt ANY perfectionist mantras
3) keep the icing thick
4) have lots of time!!
I completed the house in a total time of about 7 hours. haha! but that includes the batter, baking, piecing it together, icing prep, a couple of encouragement-talks from family-members (I did slightly adopt a perfectionist thingy that I eventually abandoned), and decos.
… it was SOO much fun! I totally recommend it.
For the icing I used
4 1/2 cups icing sugar, 2 egg whites, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (mix) and about 1/4 cup water. It was a PERFECT royal icing. Cred to Martha Stewart and/or her minions!
Christmas Cookies Introduction
Posted: December 14, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »Christmas is really here!! I pushed my face into the tree and smelled it, wrote my last exam, AND I am super excited to devote some time to making some bold and beautiful cookies this week. This year my goal is to construct a gingerbread house from scratch, using the honey/mollases gingerbread cookies recipe from September, and a template from Martha Stewart. http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/swedish-gingerbread-house
And here are the rest of the cookie contenders:
Lemon Currant ‘Cheesecake’ Shortbread, http://www.marthastewart.com/332629/lemon-currant-cookies
Coconut Macaroons, http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-coconut-macaroons-38510
Mint white chocolate oreo bark, http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-christmas-mint-oreo-cookie-bark-336025
and Cardammon Almond shortbread. http://www.food.com/recipe/christmas-cardamom-butter-cookies-13275 Oh my mouth waters…
Wishing you a Happy Christmas.
Love, Mary
Frosty Morning Jam and Cream and Tea Scones
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: baking 1 Comment »I think this was the first recipe I ever adapted myself, and I love it! I haven’t made these in FOREVER– But, I used to make it really often. It was really fun to eat them over a cup of tea with friends or family. They’re also quite easy to make and don’t take much time at all. After practice- they can take about 45 minutes TOTAL. Which is pretty sweet, if you’re the type to get random cravings for tea and scones They’re quite tasty either by themselves, or with jam and/or whipped cream if you really want to spice things up.. They are best eaten fresh though, the day they’re made, unless you don’t mind microwaving a slightly-dried-out scone the day after to soften it.
2 cups flour
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1) Sift the above in a bowl.
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter (margarine or salted butter is still ok)
2) work butter in with a pastry cutter/spoon until the mixture is moist and crumbly.
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
3) whisk milk and egg in a small bowl, gently stir into the above mixture until just moist and holding together
4) pat the dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface, flatten it into a 1 1/2″ high circle.
5) Cut out 8 wedges, bake for 15-18 minutes at 425 F on a greased or covered cookie sheet.
I think it would be interesting to try these with a) some grated lemon rind + sprinkled sugar on top, b) a splash of lemon juice and a 1/4 cup cranberries c) blueberries, and brown sugar on top d) some pumpkin puree and a tsp or two of cinnamon/cloves/ginger. (Although I haven’t tried any of these so don’t take my word for it!! )
Chicken in Red Pepper Sauce
Posted: November 21, 2011 Filed under: cooking, dinner Leave a comment »Hello! I hope you are enjoying this Sunday… I am about to go on a tangent about it. The things I like about winter: Christmas Lights, Leaves lying in piles of vibrant color, frost-lined edges of every plant I see, knowing that each sparkle is geometrically unique. The crisp air that freezes my nose and ears and toes, and knowing that Holidays aren’t far off. Sundays are great though because they’re my once-a-week holiday to enjoy all this in the midst of busy student-life.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Chicken Red Pepper Sauwce! It’s easy, healthy, DELICIOUS, spicy, colorful, copied from my Dad’s ‘Mahur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery.’ Well worth it. The recipe and proportions can be played around with. If you don’t have a couple ingredients that’s ok, it always turns out great if I have the skeleton ingredients. This is one of my favourite dinner recipes of all time
to feed ~8, serve with rice
1 kg chicken parts (I usually use about 8 chicken breasts to feed 8 )
2 onions, peeled, chopped coursely
1″ cube of fresh ginger (or 2 tsp of minced ginger)
3 cloves garlic, peeled (or 1 tsp of minced ginger)
45 g slivered blanched almonds (I leave this out- too much work)
4-6 red sweet-peppers, trimmed, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 T ground cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground (sometimes I leave these out, or just dump in 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/8-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (I’ve settled with 1/4 tsp over time- any less and you can’t really taste it)
2 tsp salt
1) blend the above, excluding the chicken, in a food processor until smooth and paste-like
7 T oil (I usually use about 1/2)
2) Heat oil over medium-high in a pan. Stir and fry the paste for 10-12 minutes.
1 cup water
2 T lemon juice (don’t forget this!! it balances out the other flavors)
ground pepper, ~1/8 tsp
3) Add Chicken, water, lemon juice, and pepper to paste and cook in the sauce-pan covered for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender, stirring a bit.
Apple Crumble
Posted: November 18, 2011 Filed under: dessert, Holiday Leave a comment »Ok… so, I made this a few times with several enthusiastic and fun friends last Christmas… and I was planning to post this recipe SOMETIME around now, cuz it is SO GOOD and so fun to make. The only thing is, it’s an adapation of a Bon Apetit recipe, and I didn’t have the adaptations actually written down, so I’m going by memory here. Accordingly, this post might undergo some modifications once I’ve actually tested it again.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Still, until then, let’s write about apples! They are soo good! So sour, so sweet, so crunchy, so soft, depending on how they’re cooked… This crumble consists of soft sweet apples with a hint of lemony goodness, frozen or fresh cranberries and/or blueberries (for color and adventure) AND some Port, for festivity and richness. It’s best served hot with vanilla icecream and a warm smile, doesn’t take too long to make, and is great for using up apples.
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cups golden brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup butter, chilled
4 lbs granny smith apples, peeled, halved, cored, each half cut into 6 slices
3 T lemon juice (fresh, ideally)
1 T ground cinnamon
3-4 T Port (optional)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries and/or cranberries (also optional)
1. Mix the oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and flour. Rub in the butter until moist clumps form.
2. Mix the apples, and approximately 1/2 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup blueberries. Drizzle with: mixed lemon juice, 3-4 T Port, 1 T cinnamon and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
3. Transfer fruit mixture to 13 x 9 glass dish, sprinkle with topping.
4. Bake at 375 until apples are tender and topping is crisp and browned, ~50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving in bowls with vanilla icecream.
