Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #2 Pizzelles



Pizzelles (recipe adjusted for high altitude)

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 TBSP vanilla
4 c. flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs, adding in sugar.  Mix in cooled and melted butter along with vanilla.  Add in baking powder and flour and mix until smooth.  Mixture will be a bit thick and sticky.

Bake in Pizzelle iron.


Monday, March 20, 2017

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #1 Vanilla Crescents


Cookie #1 Vanilla Crescents  These were just a simple nut shortbread rolled twice in powdered sugar after they baked.  They were actually a little better over baked to give them more of a biscotti-like crunchy and dry texture that went well with hot cocoa.

My co-workers seemed to like the Christmas cookies that I made this year.  I don't have the recipes readily available for all of them but I'll try to include some of the recipes I do have. The recipe will follow the name of the cookie if I have a recipe to share.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Sunday Randomness #490 : Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Star Wars Sugar Cookies

The librarians at one of the branches of our local library system made this Star Wars cookie cutter set for me with their 3D printer and then I made cookies to share with them!  Here's the cookie recipe that I used:

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 plus 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream sugar, shortening, and butter and then add in eggs, milk, and vanilla, mixing well.  Add in baking powder, salt, and 3 cups flour until all ingredients are combined.  Add more flour if dough is really sticky, it should be a slightly tacky consistency.    Shape into a ball and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight or stick in the freezer for a half hour until dough is easy to hand.  Grease cookies sheets lightly or use parchment paper.  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into shapes.  Reroll trimmings and cut until dough is used up,  Try not to work in too much flour.  Bake at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until edges start to turn light brown.  Remove to a rack to cool.


Look for more cookie posts this week and the next!


Sunday, February 19, 2017

Sunday Randomness #78: Pictures from Portland from fall 2016

 Mama Leo's Caribbean.  Absolutely fantastic! http://www.mamaleosrestaurant.com/

Don't remember all of this other than it was an appetizer sampler with things like fried yucca and arrepitas (sp?) and the bollos pelones (corn meal balls).


 Voodoo Doughnuts http://voodoodoughnut.com/
 Powell's city of Books http://www.powells.com/

 Street mural



 PMOA (see link below)
 Portland Museum of Art


Where we got a great grilled cheese for lunch. http://grilledcheesegrill.com/

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Sunday Randomness #41: Ramen Bar and latest reading stacks


 http://jinya-ramenbar.com/locations/detail/saltlakecity   Mica and I got the Jinya Bun (above) which was pork with house sauce and baby greens on steamed bun.  Yummy.  It was $3.95 for one back in mid-December 2016.

We also got the Spicy Chicken Ramen 11.25 with chicken broth, chicken chashu, spinach, spicy bean sprouts, green onion and served with thin noodles.  We got a side order of mushrooms (picture just shows a few of them   There was a separate bowl with about a half a cup of sauteed mushrooms) for an additional $1.50.


Just a few of the books Mica has checked out lately.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Authors #161 and #162 : From New Year's Peas to a New Year's Resolution (Piernas-Davenport and Miller)

 Gail Piernas-Davenport with illustrator Marion Eldridge shares a story of sharing in Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas and there's even a recipe for Grandma Louise's Hoppin John at the end.  Shante shares the new year with her neighbors in her quest for black-eyed peas.

 Ingredients for Hoppin' John include broth, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, blackeye peas, ham, and oil and cooked rice (not pictured)
Finished Hoppin' John over rice.  It was good with a definite southern flavor.

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution with pictures by Kathi Ember and text by Pat Miller gives us a look at squirrel who wants to make a resolution but isn't sure how to do so.  She helps her friends and finds the answer to her question as she goes through her day. See more of  Pat Miller's books at: http://www.patmillerbooks.com/books.html