Simply Dawn

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 350F.  Coat a 9x5” loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.  (I add a strip of parchment or wax paper to the bottom of the pan.  It ensures a good outcome and no sticking!)  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder in a large bowl; set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine bananas, peanut butter, milk, butter and egg.  Add banana mixture to flour mixture; folding in just until blended…DO NOT OVERMIX!

Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Check at 45 minutes for browning, cover with foil, if necessary to prevent further browning.

Cool 10 minutes in pan.

Remove to cool completely on cooling rack.

We love this with a healthy slathering of cool butter and a tart jam, such as boysenberry or raspberry.  Strawberry is good too, but I personally think the acidity of a tarter fruit makes the bread even better.  And butter, seriously!  How can you go wrong with butter???  This is a very dense bread and is great for breakfast.  It also freezes well, so make extra, only I would just double the batch.  Too large a batch and you will have overmixing which will result in a rubbery texture to the bread.

Lovies,DJ

Jenny’s Potato Salad (revised)

Last year I got to meet a really neat little gal who married my dear friend’s son. The first time we met was at the wedding, and she was a beautiful bride! The next time we met was at my house for dinner. We grilled and she asked what she could bring and I said, “Oh, just a salad, maybe some lemonade and something sweet.” Now, when I said salad, the last thing on my mind was potato salad. I had been potato-saladed out when I was a kid and only ate it at functions if there wasn’t anything else to eat. When Jenny said, “Oh, I will bring potato salad, and some brownies and lemonade fixins,” my excitement waned.

HOWEVER, let me just say that Jenny’s Potato Salad was and is the absolute bomb! Like atomic! It is so super nummy and I brought it to our family reunion in Wisconsin and everyone wanted the recipe. My version is pretty close to hers, but I don’t know if I can match the taste. Maybe it was just something about the way she made it or maybe it was because I got to share it with her.

Hope you all enjoy and sorry it took so long to post Jansen’s!

Jenny’s Potato Salad

5# red potatoes
1 small-medium red onion, chopped
1 doz eggs, hard-cooked, peeled and chopped
2 cups trader joe’s mayonnaise *
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Boil your potatoes with the skins on; don’t overcook or undercook. Drain and peel will still warm. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil while still hot and toss to coat – I use a fair amount…you want the potatoes wet but not dripping…since they are hot they will soak up the oil and this will make the salad stay moist. Season with the salt and pepper now. Add your onion and eggs and mayonnaise, tossing and mixing up well but not breaking your potatoes up. Double check your salt and pepper. You can serve immediately or refrigerate until you need it.

We did add some trader joe’s garlic kosher dills chopped up and that was pretty fabulous, but it’s great without. All ages like this one, and it’s a great lunch all on it’s own!

Enjoy!

Lovies,DJ

Oatmeal-Craisin-Nut Treats

Today I had the chance to clean the stovetop or post this recipe.  It was a hard decision, but my love for my readers trumps the need for a clean cooktop.

So, I found this recipe over at Chocolate Covered Katie.  I thought, meh, why not give it a try, seeing as how I would like to be healthy and all and seeing as how I like oatmeal and raisins, and seeing as how eating my beloved Cream Cheese Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches isn’t going to go a long way towards eating healthy…although they do go a LONG way towards making me happy and giving me a sense that, even if only for a moment, all is right in the world when I enjoy one with a tall, frosty glass of leche.

So, in light of trying to do the right thing and fit into my jeans and run after naked toddlers without getting winded and leap tall buildings in a single bound…
I tried Katie’s recipe and it was tasty, but then I decided to make it my own.

Muwuuuhahahahaha! 

Add all your ingredients to the bowl of your food processor with the blade attachment.

Now, the recipe I am including today has craisins added.

I did the nutritional facts (see graphic after recipe) for JUST adding craisins.

  BUT you should know that you only add 19 more calories to each ball by adding 1/3 cup white chocolate chips.  Only. 19. More. Just sayin’.

Processing…

I have had this Cuisinart since I was 12.  12!  I bought it for my hope chest and dug it out long before I got married.  I just couldn’t wait!  It is such a great work horse!

If you have big chunks, you haven’t processed it enough…

If the bits are uniform in size, and they hold together when compressed you are ready for the next step.

 

Oatmeal-Craisin-Nut Treats

makes 16 servings

1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup raisins
12 Tbsp oats
1 cup walnuts
1/8 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)

1/3 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Put it all in your food processor and pulverize it till it resembles fine bread crumbs.  If you squeeze some into a ball, it will hold its shape.  Then, to get the portions pretty equal, I line an 8x8” pan with plastic wrap and gently press the mixture in, dispersing evenly and leveling.  Using the plastic wrap, gently lift the slab out of the pan.  Then I cut a grid of 16 2” squares, and firmly shape into balls.  I keep them in the fridge, cause I like them cold, with a little glass of milk.

Enjoy!

And They’re Gluten-Free Too!

So today I found out that you don’t need a VitaMix to make rice and oat flours, and that nobody would have known a thing if I could ever learn to keep my big mouth shut!  A new family favorite and it’s healthy too!  I will get the recipe posted tomorrow…no process shots, just a recipe.

Lovies.

Notso Crumbly Cornbread

I had written on my Facebook last week that I was trying out some new cornbread recipes.  I also posted some of those that were inspirational to Pinterest…interesting thing, pinning.

I have been wanting a new cornbread recipe for some time now.  I don’t like crunchy cornbread.  Nor do I like crumbly cornbread…10 people and crumbs is a recipe for disaster no matter how good it tastes.  I got to thinking that the crumbliness has something to do with the coarseness of the ground corn meal, and because I had a bag of Maseca (masa harina) – the meal used to make homemade corn tortillas and tamales and Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, I started searching for recipes with that as the main ingredient.

Anyhow, I read the reviews on the afore mentioned recipes, and such, and found that some weren’t sweet enough or that they tasted like tortillas or the texture was strange.  So I took the best of the recipes I found and came up with the following recipe…which I was very skeptical about, however it is a huge hit with the family as long as they can have their tradition of butter and honey along with it.  I served this along with a failed attempt at crockpot rice and beans (edible, but the rice went all soggy – note to self…add the rice at the last possible moment), which turned into great enchilada stuffing the next night…so a fail, but not epic by any means.

If you try the cornbread, let me know what you think.  Mine is sweet, but not too sweet.  There is a lovely citrus flavor and while it also has the flavor of tortilla, it’s texture is sublime…almost like a spongy, pound cake.  And we just love it with honey and butter…we put the honey on first and then slather with a healthy portion of butter to lock in the honey.  Best of all, not so crumbly…very little on the table and floor…kept it corralled to the plates which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

Anyhow, enough with the chatty.

Enjoy!

Simply Dawn’s Notso Crumbly Cornbread

3 cups masa harina
1 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 orange
1 cup butter
4 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 15oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice

Heat oven to 425F.  Generously grease a 13x9in pan (I used glass, but metal would work fine too.)  In mixing bowl, combine masa harina, flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Combine eggs, honey, milk, and orange juice; add to the butter mixture mixing just to combine…do not over mix.  Pour into greased pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Serve warm with honey and butter.

Easter Treats

So, I would have photos for you, but it is hard to take pictures and feed a baby and take care of everyone else and yourself while trying to shoot the moment, without shooting the moment, if you know what I mean.

So words will have to do.

Our Easter celebration started with the Good Friday service at the Water’s, which I wish I had video of, but don’t.  We had a funeral for Jesus and the service was really neat!  I am not saying that because I got to be a part of it…that was just icing on the cake.

We got to do the traditional dinner at the in laws and I made cupcakes.  I had intended to make this rose cake, however I kept failing.  I tried new homemade cake recipes instead of box cakes…can we just say that I need to practice in this area a bit.  However, I did make homemade chocolate cupcakes with The stuff dreams are made of or to die for frosting swirled in a rose type or maybe more of a soft serve ice cream shape on top.  I may have epic failed at the cake but the cupcakes rocked the house.

Of course we went to church…all of us…it was great.  They had the sanctuary blacked out for worship and my pal was doing some really choice signing (ASL) and the silhouettes were gorgeous…made me wish I knew how to do that kind of photography! 

We decided not to do the traditional dinner, and I for one am glad.   Lot’s less work and way healthier.  I don’t think the rest of the family was too keen on my choice, but sometimes it gets to be about the mom’s likes…and oh, did she like!

Our meal was simple…baked chicken breast, pasta, Arugula Pesto, and fresh salad.  We followed this up with Empty Tombs, which brought me back into good standing, and allowed us to talk some more about why we celebrate Easter (sorry Tami, I meant to get this out here sooner, but at least you have it for next year!)

So that was about it for our Easter.  How about yours?

Lovies,DJ

Arugula Pesto

Arugula Pesto

4 cups packed Arugula (a.k.a. – Rocket)

1 cup fresh grated parmesan

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup toasted walnuts (**nut free option)

1 head garlic

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

In skillet over medium heat, toast garlic in peel until peels are brown.  Remove from the peel and reserve.  In same skillet, toast walnuts.

**Nut Free Option – place garbanzo beans with juice in a saucepan.  Add 1 tsp paprika and bring to a boil.  Drain beans and toast like walnuts.

Place the arugula, parmesan, olive oil, walnuts (or beans), and garlic in a food processor or blender.  Process to desired consistency.  Add zest and juice of lemon, and salt and pepper…adding more or less to taste.  You want it to be slightly saltier and lemon-ier so that when you pair this sauce with your meats or pastas that all the flavors are recognized.  This will keep in the fridge for several days, or you can freeze it.

Shamrock Cookie Sandwiches

I know some of you were wondering what I used that fabulous ganache to fill.  Well, it was these…

That is a 6” saucer that puppy is sitting on!  So this sandwich, paired with a steamin’ cup of joe or hot chocolate could constitute a meal…least wise in my universe it could!

These were pretty simple to make.

I used the Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookie recipe from Bake at 350.  It is my favorite, and I haven’t found one that I like better yet…I will keep you posted if I do.

Note:  Look at the fun crinkly look to the top of these baked cookies.  I am going to attribute that to the new way of rolling out that I learned from my friend Christine.  She had suggested using powdered sugar instead of flour.  It worked like a charm, with the only noticeable differences being the crinkling and no starchy residue.

I used Amanda’s Sugar Cookie Frosting recipe from her blog i am baker.  I didn’t have any lemon juice, concentrate or otherwise, and since it was St. Patrick’s Day and the green and all, I added about 1/4 tsp of Watkin’s peppermint extract.  I also used the heavy whipping cream instead of milk…since it was out…and since it is the GOOD fat…and since it tastes so yummy.

I piped Amanda’s frosting on  to create an outline, and I had a helper, and I was getting tuckered so my lines are wavy.  Plus I used a sandwich baggie and it takes a little getting used to for the pressure to be right to get a “round” bead going…but it’s way cheaper than the other disposable bags, so I am going to get that figured out yet.

I then realized, oh, I want some color!  So I added some leaf green food color to the frosting and thinned it with…you guessed it!  Whipping cream.  I needed it to flood the outlining.  I then used a toothpick to get rid of air bubbles and get it right up to the line.

I have to say one last thing about this frosting of Amanda’s.  I didn’t have ANY waste, not compared to when I make the other frosting.  Plus, Amanda’s tastes fantastic!  I don’t mind royal icing, but I would reach for a good old cream cheese butter cream anyday.  Amanda’s doesn’t leave me feeling that way.  The only thing I didn’t wait for was for drying.  So I can’t truthfully speak to how hardened it gets, because we weren’t shipping or transporting, and I needed them done before dinner.  So why wait for it to dry?

I did sprinkle with some green sugar crystals and it really helped.  Otherwise, some writing or some other layer of detail would have needed to be added.

I only iced half of the cookies and the other half I flipped and loaded with the ganache.  I should have paid more attention as the shamrock stem pointed the other way, but again…these were for us, so why worry.

You can see in the first photo a small crack.  The ganache, even though being whipped made it much, MUCH lighter, was still very thick.  It took a little muscle to get it out of the bag as well as push the cookie down.  The cookies are so tender that they can’t handle the stress on the edges.  Remember?  I didn’t wait for the frosting to dry?  If it had been dry, I could have used my palm across the top.

Anyhow, these are now a favorite and the kids say, “You have to make these NEXT year mom!”

We served these with our “traditional” meal of rueben sandwiches (corned beef and cabbage baby) and potato chips.  What a tasty night!

What do you think?  Inspired?  Let me know what YOU did last night for St. Patrick’s Day!

Lovies!

Ganache, Oh My Gosh!

OMG is right!

Whoever knew that ganache was so simple to make or so tasty!

I will admit that I had to add some sweetener, because…ahem…I used way too dark a chocolate mixture for my application.  I added more cream and some powdered sugar and a little coffee syrup for flavor.

I am sure that true conniuessurs would freak at that…then again maybe not.

If I hadn’t written it down out here, who would be the wiser?  As Julia used to say, “What happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen.”

But y’all know me, I don’t feel right unless I share all!

Okay, so ganache.  Soooooo simple.  Kind of like me!

GANACHE

8oz chocolate, be sure it is good quality REAL chocolate, like ghirradelli or something

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Chop chocolate finely and put in a glass bowl.  In a separate glass bowl, microwave the whipping cream for about 2 minutes, almost to a boil.  Pour over the chocolate and let set for 1 minute or so.  Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and all chocolate is melted.  Refrigerate overnight…or…put in freezer for a couple hours, until firm.  Using whip attachment,

(it was at this point that I added about 1/4 cup more whipping cream and about a cup of powdered sugar, it was super dark tasting and my people don’t like super dark)

whip until light and fluffy…don’t whip too long or it will turn to butter.

Here are the process shots…

1.  Too dark of a chocolate mixture…next time, for my application (which I will post some shots of tomorrow) I will be using milk chocolate.

2.  I broke up the chocolate in the wrappers first, then I proceeded to chop the snot out of it.  Do they put snot in chocolate?  Eeeeww!  Anyhow, the following shot is about half way through the chopping.

3.  I didn’t take a shot of the cream before it went in the nuker…but here is a shot of it after it was heated when I poured it over the chocolate.

4.  This is after it set for a minute, just a minute for mine, and I started to stir.  Can you see the silken goodness?

5.  This is after about 20 seconds of stirring…it really doesn’t take long at all…almost done.

6.  This is now ready for chilling.  It really doesn’t look like it’s going to work as a filling for cakes or cookies…but it just isn’t quite done yet.

7.  This is after freezing for 2 hours, or maybe it was less…today was a blur…all times are approximate…

8.  This is the finished product…whipped ganache sweetened with powdered sugar and french vanilla coffee syrup (most online recipes call for liquors or fruit pastes or spices, but I really wanted it to just be the chocolate, and used what I had on hand).  I put this into a large ziplock baggie piping bag and filled my…(that will be my next post).

I still have a lot of ganache left and I put it in the fridge so I can just squeeze it onto a graham cracker or something and enjoy it in the coming days, when the other items I made run out.  Oh and they are a hit!

This was just for you Rhonda!

Lovies,DJ

Fiesta Dinner Party, Gone Light

I had this fabulous plan!  It was for a Fiesta Dinner Party for a scrapbooking retreat that I was going to attend.  Life intervened, and I wasn’t able to go…but the dinner went without out me!

I am not sure how the ladies served everything and when, and that’s okay because I don’t think you can get this wrong.  But here is what I envisioned…

Start off with fresh fruit and Sangria.  The fruit in the sangria would be nectarines, strawberries, green grapes, limes, and a little white grape juice concentrate to sweeten the deal…the wine would be a Pinot Grigio.  To serve the sangria, chilled sangria fruit would be added to the glass, with the sangria and then top with champagne.

Next we would have the main course of Shrimpo De Gallo, oh my was that good and easy to make…I sampled a bit at home!  I also would serve Trader Joe’s Cuban Black Beans mixed with chicken breast, warmed and perhaps topped with cheese…for those with an aversion or allergy to shellfish.  Both of these would be served in the taster’s choice of lettuce wraps, homemade corn tortilla chips (Nancy you must give the recipe), tortillas and other fixins.  Now truthfully, I forgot the tortillas and other fixins, so the choices were a bit more limited…from what I heard, these items weren’t missed.

Finally, coffee would be served and the dessert…Mini Mexican Cocoa Delights!  A mini french silk pie with a dash of cinnamon, topped with homemade whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.  Being conscience of gluten-free needs, there would be some made with the graham cracker crust and some without.

It seemed like it would have been a perfect light dinner with the heaviest item being the dessert at the end and that, not all that heavy to worry about.  Thus lending to an evening of productive scrapbooking or merry fellowship or a little of both!

I had planned to snap photos of the dinner, but since I wasn’t there, here are a few shots I got of the dessert making process…

graham crusts…not baked, just chilled…

filled with the frech silk and cinnamon filling…the gallon freezer bag made quick work and to make 24 individual delights, it only took one recipe of the french silk…then chill (I chose to freeze)

two cups of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar added, then whipped to very stiff peaks and piped in using the largest star tip I have starting at the outside edge and working in.  Sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips and chill…(I chose to freeze as they needed to travel and I wanted to wrap them…my hope is that they were still pretty when they got to their destination)

I will have to make some more of these, because the portion control is so much better in this instance than in the actual pie.  Although portion control goes out the window when you eat multiples!

Lovies,DJ