Kettle Corn Without the Kettle!

Fall is here! Summer left somewhere after midnight last night and we woke up to fall this morning. I don't know about where you are, but it has come pretty late for us. Not that I'm complaining. Originally a Florida girl myself, I love having a real fall but that just means that winter's coming. And nobody needs winter. Maybe a week's worth to get your hot chocolate in and stuff like that.  

So, in continuation of our fall series and to celebrate this morning's arrival, I am posting a new family favorite in this house. I have been making kettle corn pretty much every evening for the last few weeks. Dentists and gastroenterologists are cringing everywhere. But it's soooo good! And easy! No popcorn popper required. I'm not really sure how healthy it is but compared to what we normally snack on in the evenings, we have to be losing weight. Right? (Maybe that last part is wishful thinking.)

So, time to get out a pot with a lid, popcorn kernels, salt, sugar and oil. I always use sea salt. I don't know why. It just seems like a good idea. I have been trying and re-trying different techniques and I think I have it about perfect now. 

Put a couple tablespoons of canola oil (really any kind of oil) in the bottom of your pot and one popcorn kernel. Heat it on medium-high a few minutes until the kernel pops then throw in 1/3 cup of kernels, 3 teaspoons of sugar (teaspoon as in the kind you use for cereal, in the drawer with the knives and forks- this is all very scientific), several pinches of salt, and stir it up with a spatula then shake it all flat in the pot. That was a really long sentence. 

Then, wait until it starts popping and then give it some shakes. The more it pops, the more you need to shake it to keep the sugar from burning. About halfway through or close to the end I really keep it higher off the heat or turn it off altogether. It's better to have some unpopped than a whole batch of burnt sugar popcorn. Just leave the lid on until it stops popping then pour it in a bowl. It will stick together a bit but just break it up when the sugar cools. Now I will warn you. You will be tempted to eat this straight from the pot, but DO NOT do it! That sugar is HOT. Wait for it to cool. You may still get hit with an errant kernel popping and end up with a popcorn hickey on your neck. I don't know anything about that. I'm just saying it could happen. 

Now you have a lovely bowl of delicious kettle corn you will be forced to share. My suggestion is to make this when no one is around so it's all yours. You will wonder how a whole bowl could just disappear.

It's even easier to make just butter and salted popcorn, so feel free to try different variations. It turns out well when you're not contending with cooking sugar. I know people have suggested throwing Parmesan cheese in there. I have yet to figure out why because so far I have only ended up with flecks of burnt cheese. And really it's not cheesy anyway. I want to know my cheese is there. I have a variation involving ranch dry mix I would like to get to, but I've been having a hard time getting past the kettle corn. 

Enjoy!

-t-

Fall Kickoff

Oh, fall. I always greet this time of year with one part trepidation, one part excitement, and one part just flat out dread. Trepidation because I know that the days are going to start getting cooler, shorter, etc, and my pool days and tan are long gone. I love summer. Excitement because of all the lovely new fall clothes, the beauty of God's creation when all the leaves change, and fall foods (cider, chili, all that good stuff). Dread because I know two inescapable truths about fall - winter comes right after it, and I will be bombarded with recipes for pumpkin everything under the sun. And there are some things that pumpkin should just stay out of. 

Despite my general ambivalence - I actually get pretty excited about fall. So many things I love happen during the fall, and the opportunities to decorate are rivaled only by Christmas (which I love). We hope in the next few weeks to share with you some of our favorite things about fall. I've heard some of the upcoming ideas - you will want to see these. Trust me. 

I'm going to start with two of my favorite, easiest recipes. And yes - the first one is pumpkin. Insert collective groan. I know. We are all pumpkin-ed out. This one is good, though. I make this before I make anything else pumpkin-y. 

It's super easy, and takes very simple ingredients. 

Spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and chocolate chips. We are going to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!!  I think originally this may have been a Weight Watcher recipe, but I'm not sure. Also - this can be switched up for variety - works with a yellow cake mix instead of spice, or apple pie filling instead of the pumpkin and chocolate chips. Use your imagination.... But also use your head. No cherry cake mixes and pumpkin, or anything wacky like that. 

Anyway, I digress. 

Dump cake and pumpkin in a bowl, stir until it is well combined and looks like this:

Dump in chocolate chips. I used about a cup, because that was what was left in my bag. Use more if you'd like. I won't tell. Stir. 

Next, divide between 12 muffin cups. 

Bake at 350 for about 22-25 minutes, until they aren't totally squishy at the top. 

These are usually gone within 24 hours at my house. They are moist and taste like pumpkin pie in a muffin. 

Second recipe - I'm sharing because this time of year, roasts go back on sale at the store, and I love the combo of roasts and my crockpot. I got this recipe from Emily originally, but have tweaked to my own taste. 

Italian Beef

You will need a crockpot, a roast (or two, depending on how many you are feeding - and just buy whatever is cheapest, it all will be amazing after cooking for hours), sliced pepperocini peppers, and two packages of Zesty Italian salad dressing mix. 

This is really the easiest thing ever. 

Put the roast in the bottom of the crockpot, dump the whole jar of pepperocinis - juice and all!!!!!! - on top of the roast. 

Sprinkle the dressing mix on top of it. Then set your crockpot on low, and just let it do its magic. I would say at least 8-10 hours. But I almost always go longer. I made this one for a basket dinner at church - so I cooked it about 10 hours overnight and another 2-3 at church. The longer it cooks, the more tender it is. 

This is what it will look like - and it will smell so good, you'll be sampling it before you put it on the table. I usually shred mine, serve it on crusty bread with a little provolone. But it is also good on its own. I promise if you take it to share with others, you WILL get asked for the recipe. I always do. 

Enjoy your fall!!!

-k-

Confessions of a Snobby Smoothie Girl

Confessions of a Snobby Smoothie Girl

One might ask how you can be snobby about ..........a smoothie? 

Here are my two cents:

Breakfast food is SERIOUS stuff. Although it may be hard to mess up most of the time, it is the butter on the biscuit of comfort food. Breakfast is also one of the most important meals of the day, to jump start your metabolism by boosting your blood sugar and curbing your appetite. 

So, this is not a post about comfort food, per se, because if we all had biscuits and gravy and bacon for breakfast every morning, we may not be around long enough to enjoy the rest of the recipe posts to come. So, in defense of breakfast, I am promoting smoothies as the healthy comfort food. But.....with extreme caution. 

Because...... only about 1/3 of smoothies I have made/ordered/been given/tasted are actually good. 

There are several things that can go wrong with this liquid meal. Either the fruit is too tart, the top is too frothy, the ice is not well blended and dispersed, it isn't sweet enough, or it is made with ice cream or sorbet.... ice cream for breakfast? 

Really.... if I am going for ice cream to start my day, I will just break out the mint chip.

But I am sure you get the point, a good smoothie recipe is hard to come by. Some of you may not be as picky as I am, but in this family we are snobby about ALL the food. You couldn't be caught dead using margarine in place of butter, or show up on a holiday with a store-bought pie (with the exception of a Perkins pie), and you might as well not bother, because barely anyone would eat it with 8 other ones that are homemade. 

So, after much experimentation on the levels of texture, flavor, sweetness and health and many smoothies ending up down the drain.... Here is my snobby smoothie recipe:

Here are my personally preferred ingredients:

- Almond milk

-Vanilla yogurt

-Frozen bananas

-Frozen blueberries

-Frozen blackberries

-Vanilla protein powder (optional) 

Start out with your bananas. Bananas are great for you, and they really bring the sweetness and smooth texture to your smoothie. Have some bananas that are going a little too ripe for eating? Peel them, chunk them, and freeze them in a ziplock. Waste not, want not. For those of us who don't like bananas, or have the misfortune of being allergic, just add some extra of your frozen berries, it may need a little more almond milk, too. 

Equivalent to about a half to 3/4 of a banana is what I use for one serving. 

Then, it's time to add your other favorite fruits. Choosing fruit to add to your smoothie can sometimes be a little tricky. The taste of your smoothie can depend on this important ingredient. I have started to stray away from strawberries unless they are pretty sweet before I freeze them, because they can give it a really tart aftertaste. So, I tend to stick with blueberries and blackberries, however, if you don't have a super powerful blender, you may have to deal with the seeds. And for those of you who are fruit purists, and like to have all fresh fruit.... I will warn you, the texture will be sacrificed. Frozen fruit is so much better than fresh when it comes to smoothies since it allows you to get the frozen beverage without adding any ice. If you do add it, it tends to foam and the ice all raises to the top. 

So, figure out your fruit, and add about a hand full of whatever you decide on. 

Next, you add your protein. Not everyone is a fan of yogurt, and not everyone is a fan of protein powder, but they do make your smoothie pretty nutritious and keep you from getting hungry before lunch. Most of the time, I add both, in which case, I would use a half container of the yogurt, and a half scoop of the powder. However, if you only have one or the other, you can use a full container of yogurt or a full scoop of powder to get about the same amount of protein. 

In this picture below,  you can see what frozen yogurt in the container looks like. It may look a little funny, but I assure you, it adds to the good texture. You can keep tons of them in your freezer. If you are only using half of one, you can zap it for about 15 seconds, then squeeze the sides of the container to break loose what you want and then refreeze. Also, if you get the ones with the foil lids...... keep it, and just fold it back over the lid! 

Now, it's time for the liquid to bring it all together. First of all, I am in no way a vegan/vegetarian. I love my meat. Especially bacon. Mmmmm.... bacon. ( I am sure there will be an upcoming post about bacon, I am starting to wonder with the bacon obsession, how that didn't manage to get into the title of the blog somehow.....) 

But anyway.... the reason I have almond milk, is because it is healthier than cow's milk in a couple of ways, with less fat and less calories. But the most important part, is that it adds natural sweetness to the smoothie that cow's milk doesn't. You don't have to like the way almond milk tastes by itself to like it in a smoothie. You probably wouldn't even be able to tell it was almond milk once it is all blended together. It's pretty good stuff though, just not as much calcium. 

I usually just use enough to almost submerge the other ingredients in the cup (about 3/4 to a cup) but you can add as you like for desired thickness.

Last of all.....the blender. I have had the great fortune of getting every known kitchen appliance on earth (aside from a bread maker) this year for my birthday, and graduation. I love my kitchen aid, and Keurig, I use them TONS. However, my Ninja is the one thing I use consistently on a daily basis. Simply because it is .....awesome. It is very loud, but it is also run by horsepower. The only reason I bring this up is because it blends everything super well, not only for smoothies, but other things as well. I even grind coffee with it, and it's super easy and fast to clean. But the main thing that is important for me, is that it blends the seeds as well as the rest of the ingredients, and the texture is great. So blend away! 

And again, your finished product. The snobbishly perfect smoothie. :) 

And in case you are wondering..... if you measure out all the ingredients and do the calculating like I do, it's always under 300 calories!

Enjoy!! 

~ H

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Last summer, I found myself in need of a good book. Excited by the fact that I ACTUALLY owned a library card (long story), I was itching for a good read that could keep me occupied on an upcoming long plane ride with an even longer layover. I had always enjoyed mysteries and was intrigued by the "Mystery/Suspense" section of the local library. I had previously borrowed a promising book that turned out to be just as cheesy as its title (and premise... a cook who solves mysteries). I hadn't even made it to the third chapter of that one...something about a rare spice that had been smuggled in to the country worth a lot of money... I don't know. I wasn't  on the edge of my seat. I didn't care what happened... With that bad taste in my mouth, I looked for something else to catch my eye. Every time I go to the library, a sing-song voice in my head recites the old adage "You can't judge a book by its cover". Well any of you who have gone into a library, or even picked up a book... you KNOW you do. Unless a book has a lot of publicity, or a known author, you almost HAVE to judge, at least somewhat, by the cover. Whether it is the font, the picture on the cover, or the title... judgement is made. For example, with a title like Secret Seduction and the characters depicted on the cover are missing clothes (or are about to be)... you know what kind of book you're getting into. If you're anything like me.... You'd rather the characters keep their clothes on.... or at least have the main point of the book not be a description of them taking their clothes off.... Is it too much to ask for a PG rated, entertaining, book that IS NOT written on a third grade reading level that does not try to impart some not-so-subtle questionable, fluffy religious agenda? A question I find myself asking often...

So, there I was, wandering through the Mystery/Suspense section, I picked up a pretty lime-y green book (this has to be promising, right?) On the cover was the outline of a dead bird with a postage stamp on its beak. Then I read the title, "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie". Ok.... I'm intrigued. Pies, dead birds, postage stamps... and a whimsical type font. Good start. I then turned to the back and read the description. Words like "summer of 1950", "passion for poison", "both appalled and delighted murder had come to Buckshaw" jumped out at me. It passed the cover test, the synopsis sounds interesting, and the main character is 11 years old? Surely this will be PG rated... and the cover is pretty.... I was still skeptical since I felt the same way about the last let-down I checked out... but I decided to give it a whirl.

I was so glad I did. The reader is introduced to a spunky, smart, 11 year old growing up in provincial England. Miss Flavia de Luce is the youngest of three sisters raised by a widowed, preoccupied father. Left to her own devices, Flavia developed a love for chemistry and in particular, poison. Having her own, working chemistry lab inside her house, her sanctum sanctorum (thanks to a strange uncle), she not only enjoys cooking up her own concoctions, recreating her uncle's experiments, and as any youngest child.... plotting sweet revenge on her cruel, disdainful older sisters. 

I can't word it better than this review- "When Flavia discovers a murdered stranger in the cucumber patch outside her bedroom window early one morning, she decides to leave aside her flasks and Bunsen burners to solve the crime herself, much to the chagrin of the local authorities. But who can blame her? What else does an eleven-year-old science prodigy have to do when left to her own devices?...Flavia takes off on her trusty bicycle Gladys to catch a murderer." --Lauren Nemroff

Ok, so what does this have to do with PIE? The title of the book comes from the following quote:

"Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?" 

 -William King, The Art of Cookery

It got me thinking about how I came across this book, and how many times I've been betrayed by the cover of so many books. Even though I really love pie crust, and will eat it plain... pie isn't really worth it unless the filling is good. The same applies to books. If the story is bland, it doesn't matter what it looks like on the outside. I was pleasantly surprised by this one; it's pretty sweet. 

-E

Hot Fudge Sauce!

I'm afraid I'm going to ruin things for you. Once you try this recipe, you're never going to be able to buy chocolate sauce at the store again. I would apologize but I'm pretty sure you'll thank me for it. I have been looking for things to dunk in mine since I made this yesterday. It's still sitting in the middle of my counter. I need to put it in the fridge so I only see it every time I open the door. Instead of every time I walk into the kitchen. It's a problem. 

You'll notice a considerable amount is gone. Yeah, that was one bowl of ice cream last night. Like I said, I'm afraid I'm going to ruin things for you. 

The cast of characters:

BERNICE’S HOT FUDGE SAUCE

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. water

12 oz. pkg. semi sweet chocolate chips

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 t. vanilla

Combine butter, water & chocolate chips in top of double boiler.  Stir till chips melt.  Add milk & vanilla.  Blend well.  Remove from heat.  Cool. Store, covered, in fridge up to 6 months. (Not that it will still be around by then!) It makes one pint sized jar. 

I will accept additional jars of chocolate sauce as thanks for bringing this little spot of warm chocolatey goodness into your life. :) Enjoy and happy weekend!

-t-

Because there's nothing better than butter

So it started with a conversation. Well, two, actually. One about this ridiculous shirt I saw that had a secret message on it that appeared when you were sweaty, and how that just seemed wrong on so many levels. The first conversation ended up with us talking about things that we really love - really good books, delicious food, cute shoes, crafts, and butter. The second conversation picked up pretty much in the same spot - here are the cute shoes I'm wearing, here is a project I'm sewing, here's some yummy deliciousness that I made today. 

Then it hit us. We should be sharing all this. Why not on a blog? We can take turns and post things we love; namely, the things mentioned above. And who knows what else. We promise - the only sweating happening here will be over a stove or sewing machine - or in the name of fashion. 

So here's a start. We also love to travel - and I'm in one of my favorite food towns ever - Chicago. Random side note - if you ever want fantastic people watching, take the Amtrak. And then sit in the dining car and try to not sing "Snow" from "White Christmas". I'll try to take lots of pics and share all the goodies I find and try. But first - 

This trip is obviously going to be amazing - I brought cute shoes. ;-) 

-k- 

To everything...churn churn churn...

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1