Who slipped crack in my coffee?!

Because I must be high...

My girlfriend, Cris, challenged me to join her in the Warrior Dash (http://www.warriordash.com/) in July, so I've been working out and cutting back on some of the more fattening foods (that could be why I haven't posted in awhile...)  The last two weeks I've made some even crackier changes (for me.)  I took on a 21 day challenge the day after Easter to go "junk food free."  That means no chocolate, no refined sugar, no fast food, no white bread and no junk.  I've already cut a lot of that out, but this meant James and I could no longer have a bowl of ice cream in bed or munch on chocolate chips after Max went to bed.

Then, last weekend, James cousin and her husband (she also happens to be one of my nearest and dearest friends) relocated up here from California, and since she's gluten free and they're staying with us right now, we're ALL gluten free.  At least mostly.  CRACK HEAD.  Believe it or not, I'm actually pretty excited about it!  I'm learning all sorts of new tricks and yummy recipes.  I've been so bad at capturing the food porn lately, but I will give you some of the husband and child approved recipes we recently tried and I promise to post more frequently!  :)

Crockpot Chicken and Gluten Free Dumplings


Let's talk about how I get the broth and meat for this.  I roast a whole chicken for dinner one night (super easy... clean the chicken, place in a roasting pan, sprinkle with salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice on the inside and outside, add cold pats of butter [I usually use about 6-8 tbsp] on the inside and outside, stuff a chopped celery stalk in the cavity and put in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes, uncovered, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.  Make sure you baste it with the drippings every 15 minutes.  Cover with foil if it starts to get too dark for your liking.  Be sure to let rest about a half hour before serving.  YUM.)  Whatever meat doesn't get eaten, I reserve and freeze until I'm ready to make this soup.  I also freeze the chicken carcass.  For the broth, set the carcass and 6-7 cups of water on the low setting of your crockpot overnight.  Strain and reserve broth.  Don't forget to get all the extra meat off those bones!!  I have a family of three and this usually makes enough to fill all our bellies AND for me to freeze up enough for another meal on a lazy night.  So, if you've got a larger family than I do, you may want to roast up some chicken breasts to add... or just roast the whole chicken specifically for this reason.  :)


-7 cups homemade chicken broth
-sliced carrots or baby carrots (I use 3 large carrots or half a bag of the babies)
-sliced celery stalks (3-4... depending on your preference)
-one medium onion, diced
-two diced garlic cloves

Dumplings:
1 cup gluten free pancake mix (yes, I was anxious about using this, but it worked like a charm!)
4 tbsp cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup milk

Add the butter to the mix and mash with your fingers until you have a cornmeal like texture.  This step is imperative.  Slowly add milk until the dough comes together.  You want it to be sticky, but not too wet and not too dry.

When you're ready, add the dumpling mixture to your soup by heaping spoonfuls, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  These dumplings are much more crumbly than regular flour dumplings, but they really make the soup nice and creamy.  Everyone in the house (and there were six of us,) raved about it!  :)

And we made an AWESOME Shepherd's Pie that was meat free and mostly gluten free.... I had a lot of requests for that recipe, so here it is http://www.food.com/recipe/meat-eating-husbands-love-this-shepherds-pie-249049 !  I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!  Another delicious dinner for my Meat Free Monday's!  :)

*sorry for the lack of photos this week... I'll be better!  ;)

Football and Guinness Cupcakes. A match made in heaven!

Happy Superbowl! I'm a football girl, so even though my team (the Seahawks) didn't make it, I'm looking forward to the game... and hopefully the Giants will humiliate Tom Brady. I'm holding out hope. ;)

So, in honor of today's game, I decided to try out a new cupcake recipe. Tell me, what event could possibly be more deserving of Guinness laced cupcakes with Irish Cream buttercream?! I'm thinking this is by far the most appropriate time for these bad boys, especially since we'll have plenty of company to help us devour them!

Since I've still got a ton of stuff to do, I'm keeping this sweet (literally) and short. I'm thinking if you need a good excuse to make these, now that football is over, St. Patty's Day is RIGHT around the corner! (hint, hint!)

Guinness Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting- makes approx. 24 cupcakes

(adapted from recipe at Food Network)

1 1/2 cups stout beer (obviously, I chose to go with Guinness here.)

4 oz butter (1 stick... I prefer to use salted butter.)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 cups brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

2. Cut butter into pieces and place in large saucepan with beer. Whisk over medium heat until butter melts.

3. Sift cocoa and sugar into beer and whisk well.

4. Combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. The original recipe says to add this entire mixture to the saucepan and warns that it may be lumpy. I decided to temper the eggs first by adding about half of the beer mixture to the eggs one ladleful at a time. Once you've tempered, add the mixture back to the saucepan and whisk well. I didn't see any lumps after doing this.

5. Sift flour and baking soda into saucepan and whisk until smooth and evenly colored.

6. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.

7. Bake 24-27 minutes. Once the cake springs back from your touch, they're done. They don't rise as much as most other cupcakes, so don't worry...

8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to baking rack.

Irish Cream Buttercream

1 cup softened butter (I also use salted butter here)

1 lb. box confectioners sugar (4 cups)

4 tbsp Irish Cream

splash of half and half (or milk)

1. Whip butter until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer.

2. Slowly add sifted confectioners sugar. Once all is combined, whip on high speed until fluffy.

3. Add Irish cream and mix until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too stiff, add more Irish Cream (or if there are going to be kids enjoying these, too, use half and half, like me. A tablespoon at a time.)

If you really want to make them special, shave or grate some dark chocolate over the top and Voila! Cupcakes for even the burliest football fans! Enjoy!!

Dutch What?!

That's usually the reaction I get...

Dutch BABIES... That's what!

Since I discovered this lovely (and delicious... and easy) alternative to pancakes about a year ago, I make them quite often. This morning, I decided it was time to finally blog about our new favorite breakfast food!

If you don't know what a dutch baby is, don't worry... there are no babies used in the recipe, they don't taste like babies and they don't look like babies. They've also been called German pancakes and have been compared to Yorkshire pudding. You can whip one up in a matter of minutes with just a few ingredients that almost everyone has on hand at all times. They are eggier than pancakes (almost like a crepe batter) and they puff up beautifully (they will shrink back down once removed from the oven.)

Surprisingly, I came to find out that (according to Sunset magazine) Dutch Babies were introduced in the first half of the 1900s at a cafe in Seattle! The owners daughter apparently came up with the moniker "Dutch Babies" and the Manca Cafe trademarked the name in 1942 (although, they closed in 1950.) I'm a little shocked that more people in the region don't know what they are now!

Dutch Babies are traditionally served with powdered sugar and lemon juice and that's how I do it in this house. However, there are many recipes out there that incorporate other ingredients, like apples on the bottom. I keep telling myself that someday I'll give that one a try, but it's hard to break from the tried and true sometimes!

I promise, this is one of the most easy, straight forward and hard to screw up recipes you'll ever make. Traditionally, Dutch Babies are made in cast iron skillets that you stick in the oven, but since I don't have one of those yet (I know, shame on me,) I just use a glass pie plate... and it's worked out perfectly fine for me. You must give these a try!

DUTCH BABIES

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

2 tbsp butter

lemon juice

confectioner's (powdered) sugar

*you can really experiment with these babies... I've added vanilla extract and cinnamon, which add a nice depth of flavor. Add your favorite spices and fruits... don't be scared! ;)

1. Place pie plate (or skillet) in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees.

2. Whisk eggs until light. Whisk in milk. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients.

3. When oven is preheated, remove the plate or skillet and melt the butter in it. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Pour the batter into the plate and return it to the oven.

4. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.

5. Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Blogger Challenge!

This is not a food post, but rest assured. I'll be posting quite a few of those over the next month... I've joined a Pinterest challenge, so I should be making one new recipe every day. I'm going to work really hard at making it happen. :)

Today I've been challenged by my friend Sarah over at Little Love to do the Blogger Challenge! So, here's how it works:

The Rules:

1. You must post the rules (and link up with who tagged you)

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Facts About Me

1. I'm a Libra and I fit each personality description to a tee. (I'm going to copy Sarah on this one, because it's true for me, too!)

2. My husband and I got married in my parent's backyard on our 3 year anniversary.

3. 3 happens to be my favorite number. I was born on the 3rd.

4. I'm a HUGE Beatles fan. I've seen Macca (Paul) in concert, my husband and I walked down the aisle "When I'm 64," my son is named after a Beatles song (and so will any other children,) and his first concert on his first birthday was Ringo Starr.

5. I hate doing dishes. I'd rather fold and iron laundry and scrub the toilets.

6. I love my mother in law. Most people can't (or won't) say that. I'm very lucky to have a mother in law and a mother that just get me.

7. My husband and I are planning a partially self sustainable "commune" with family members in the future.

8. I had a natural, unmedicated birth with my son... who was 8 days overdue.

9. I karaoke with my son every night before bed... and I started before he was born! I used to be a voice major, so...

10. I'm a conspiracy theorist. Partially because it's fun, partially because we've become a civilization that no longer cares about the well being of our fellow man... most people only care about their own lives and wallets.

11. I want to homeschool my child(ren) and let them gain social skills from teams sports and activities.

(I'm realizing that I sound like quite the "hippie" after that... lol.)

Questions asked by Sarah:

1. Where did you grow up? Describe your first home.

Bothell, WA. In fact, I was the first person of the third generation to graduate from Bothell High. When I was born, my parents owned a little mobile home right across the street from her parents. A few years later, they moved into a home about three miles away. Five years later, when I was 7, we moved to the home they still reside in today (about 4 miles away.) I don't think they'll ever leave, which is the way I want it. ;)

2. What is your family like?

My parents have been married for 34 years, together for 38. I'm the oldest child and the oldest grandchild on both sides. All four of my grandparents are still living and still married. I have a sister who is two years younger (she's married and she has a 5 year old daughter) and a brother who is four years younger (will be married this year.) We have definitely had our ups and downs, but I love them all dearly. I have a father in law, two sisters in law (19 and 16 years old,) a mother in law, stepfather in law and an 11 year old brother in law.

3. What is one thing you cannot live without?

If I'm being serious, I'd say my son. If I'm being not so serious, but SERIOUS, I'd say coffee.

4. What is your favorite movie/film?

Right now, I'd have to say "Bridesmaids." I'm a big comedy fan.

5. What is your biggest inspiration in life?

My mom. I've always aspired to be as amazing a mother as she is.

6. What has been your biggest challenge in life?

Being myself. In an extremely conservative family, I've often found it hard to stand up for myself. I've allowed others to cut me down rather than believing in myself and being who I am, no apologies. I really work hard now to instill the importance of self esteem in my sisters in law.

7. If you could change any aspect of your life, what would it be?

Where we live. I hate apartment living and can't wait until we can buy our own home! I have dreams of having my own yard again!

8. Give us your favorite recipe.

This banana bread is AMAZING and the only one I use. I do one loaf with walnuts and one without. On the walnut loaf, I sprinkle walnuts on top before baking and on the plain one I sprinkle sanding sugar for extra crunch. Those final steps really add something special! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-bread-iv/detail.aspx

9. Who would win in a fight - Mighty Mouse or Underdog?

Underdog. I always root for the underdog. :)

10. What is one thing you need to do before you die?

Skydive. Funny, you will never catch me near a bunjee jump, but I'll jump out of a plane. I don't get it either.

11. What do you think happens when we die?

Honestly, I really do not know what I think happens. I've been pondering this question a lot over the last year. I'm in a bit of a religious transition... I was raised Catholic, but now I'm finding that I feel more spiritual than religious, so I'm finding that the answers I used to have regarding death, heaven and hell are changing. I WANT to believe in heaven, so it's not like I can abandon that idea completely. Part of me believes in reincarnation, but I've never had any firsthand experience with it, so it's hard to wrap my head around it. Part of me wonders if we just cease to exist. Part of me wonders about alternate universes. All I know is that when I die, I don't want to decompose in a tiny box six feet under (I'm claustrophobic.) I want to be set free somewhere, hopefully with my love. Likely the Columbia River, since it has so much meaning for us both. Then we can sail the world together, like we've always wanted to do. <3

Questions for my blogging friends! I don't have any I can tag yet, but if you're not a blogger, you're welcome to answer these questions in a comment! Have fun!

1. What is your dream vacation?

2. What is your favorite cheese and why? (If you don't like cheese, what is your favorite dessert and why?)

3. What was the favorite gift you've ever received? Given?

4. What would most people be surprised to learn about you?

5. What's the best concert you've ever attended? Why?

6. What are your feelings on Barney, the purple dinosaur?

7. What is your favorite childhood memory?

8. If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?

9. If you could meet anyone (dead or alive,) who would it be and why?

10. What is your favorite season and why?

11. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

These are a few of my favorite things:

I really am a sun baby. I live in a suburb of Seattle, so this presents a problem. However, maybe my locale has actually created (and sustained) this monster? Because I don't see the sun as much as I'd really like, I appreciate it that much more. Anyway, there's nothing I love more than feeling the sun beat down on my face, wearing my oversized sunglasses and cruising with the windows down. Except snow. I LOVE SNOW. Not the slushy stuff... the really fluffy, GOOD snow. Yet another elusive sight in the Emerald City. I have no explanation as to why I live in the land of one season (rain,) except that I love it.

So, since we FINALLY got some snow around these here parts (!!!) I did not stay indoors to cook and bake... and blog, of course! My husband took full advantage of the fluffy stuff and stayed home with us all week and we played harder than I've played in years... yes, I'm paying for it now. We need to invest in some snowmobiles or something, because I think my two year old snow bunny is turning my husband and I to the dark side! (he's a pro at the snowball thing, you can see.)

Yesterday, the "big thaw" started to happen, so I was stuck inside. Perfect day to bake something. I was hoping it would be sourdough, but I failed miserably on my starter (I'm going to try again next week and I hope to share my success story with you,) so I decided to get rid of the box of Cherry Chip cake mix in my pantry and pair it with my own homemade Chocolate Buttercream. I really wanted to try out a new decorating technique (thanks to Pinterest,) so I got to work!

Before I started frosting (and you'll notice I do not have a proper cake stand,) I cut a piece of parchment paper into four and put them under the cake, so when you're done frosting, you can just pull it out and remove all the mess! Voila!

I sliced each cake into two cakes, so I had four layers. I really love lots and lots of layers in cake. I usually give the top of each cake a nice soaking of simple syrup (it keeps things nice and moist,) but I really spaced it this time. Oh well... the buttercream was sweet enough and I ended up adding a little surprise to the center layer (a sprinkling of sanding sugar over the frosting... yum!) There's nothing better than a sugary crunch in the midst of all that pillowy softness!

Once I filled my piping bag with frosting (which I think could have benefited from being a little thinner, but not much,) I realized I didn't have a big enough star tip to create the rosette effect I was going for, so this is what I ended up with. Hmm. I kinda like it, but I'm not so sure I like it with the chocolate frosting... I can't decide. Regardless, it was a fun experiment!

Chocolate Buttercream

(this will make enough to fill, crumb coat and decorate a two layer [or four, if you slice both layers] 9in round cake.)

1 cup softened butter (I use salted. If you use unsalted, you may want to add a 1/2 tsp of salt.)

8 cups confectioners sugar

6 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup half and half (or milk) *add by tablespoon until desired consistency

Whip softened butter until light. Gradually add sugar and cocoa powder and whip until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and half and half. If frosting is too firm, add more half and half. If too thin, add more sugar. Quick, easy, yummy. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

I need to be better at posting. I've always had this problem when blogging, so I think (yet another) New Year's Resolution will be to try one new recipe AND post about it every week. Also on my ever growing list of resolutions are: to keep losing weight, quit smoking (for the fifteen millionth time,) spend more time being a kid with my son, learn to knit (done!) and get out of the house more.

This Christmas I tried my hand at a few new recipes, mostly sweets. Those of you who know me, know I have a serious sweet tooth, and the holiday season gives me a really good excuse to make tons of yummy treats! I made fudge (a semi sweet/white mix, a pumpkin fudge {a little too sweet for even my taste... I'll have to try it again someday,} and a semi sweet/ white MINT fudge... that one was my absolute favorite!) I made cake balls (with homemade buttercream... none of that premade, oily, plastic stuff.) I made cookies... and cookies... and cookies. I made pumpkin chocolate chip bread for all our neighbors. Whew!

This year, I want to focus on sustainability and seasonal availability... which means, I need to step out of my comfort zone (as does my husband) and use ingredients that are foreign to me. I may have heard of bok choy, parsnips, jicama and beets, but I've never cooked with them! It's time to expand our palates!

I wish all of my friends, family and the few readers out there a wonderful 2012... filled with all good things, and, of course, lots of goat cheese (and other goodies!)

A new Halloween morning tradition!

I picked up a few (okay, four, to be exact) cans of pumpkin at the grocer last week, so I've been looking for new and exciting ways to utilize it, other than the typical pumpkin pie application. The day before Halloween, my sister in law called to see if she could come visit. What a lovely surprise! We don't get to see her nearly as often as we'd like.

(Max waking Auntie up on Halloween morning to wish her a happy birthday!)

Halloween also happens to be her birthday, so I was delighted when she agreed to stay over for the night and spend the morning of Halloween with Max and I! What a perfect excuse for pumpkin pancakes, I thought. I've never attempted to make them before and I've never tried them, but I kept thinking to myself, "How could they POSSIBLY be anything but delicious?!"

(my attempt at a heart shaped pumpkin pancake for my sister's birthday... I'll keep working on that... )

And, wow. I couldn't have been more pleased with the final product! They had the taste of pumpkin pie (although, not nearly as sweet) and the consistency of them was heaven. Not as light and fluffy as your typical pancake, but still light and fluffy. And creamy. Amazingly creamy. It was almost like eating a pumpkin pie, minus the crust! I was going to make an accompanying cider syrup, but I just didn't have the time. Butter, real maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar finished the pancakes off beautifully!

(yes, I tried to make it look like a jack-o-lantern... tried is the operative word here.)

You really must try this recipe... We'll be using it every Halloween from here on out, and I'll probably even make them the morning of Thanksgiving. What a special fall treat!

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1 cup flour

1 tbsp brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)

2 tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil probably would work great, also!)

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients well. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs and add remaining wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well (there may be a few lumps left, that's okay.) I used a ladle to pour out the pancake batter, but whatever works best for you. Cook on both sides until golden brown and enjoy warm! I hope you love them as much as we did!