Coconut Ice

January 28, 2013 by

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I remember as a kid going to the grocery store with my dad.  Occasionally he would get us a treat, one of my favorites was these.  I haven’t seen them in forever, when I was a kid they came wrapped in a plastic liner, in the bulk candy section.  After some digging around online, I finally discovered their name.  I played around with it a bit until I came up with these, the closest I could get to those candies.

I love the Neapolitan layers, but I’ve also made them with just 2 layers, vanilla and strawberry, for a “pink tea” for my daughters.  That would also work well for a Valentine’s day treat.  To package for a gift, just put each square in a mini cupcake liner or candy cup in a box.
COCONUT ICE
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups coconut (unsweetened desiccated, or macaroon coconut, if possible)
1/4 cup melted semi sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips
1/8 tsp strawberry candy flavoring
pink food coloring

If you aren’t able to find the desiccated coconut, you can make it with the more common coconut flakes.  Just pulse it in a food processor until fine in texture.

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Put the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and coconut in a medium bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Divide into 3 equal sections.
In one bowl, add the melted semi sweet chocolate, the second add the vanilla or melted white chocolate (Or both if you like), and the strawberry flavoring and pink coloring in the last.

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Press the chocolate dough into a 9 by 13 pan lined with wax paper (You can cover it with wax paper or plastic wrap to press out easier. )  If you warm it in the microwave, this will also make it easier to spread.

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Evenly cover the chocolate section with the vanilla.

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Lastly, cover the white with the strawberry layer.

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Cover surface and chill thoroughly before removing from pan and cutting in small squares.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a few weeks.

 

Filed Under: Candy / Confections

DIY Canadian Bacon

January 23, 2013 by

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I have this obsession.  It can get a little out of hand at times.
If you can buy it, odds are I’ve thought “can I make that?”  Doesn’t really matter what it is… I’ve thought that. 🙂
One of my favorite cookbooks is Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing.  I read it like some people read a magazine.
I have gone so far as to buy a meat grinder and have made my own sausages.
Anyways, I usually buy Canadian Bacon from our butcher, Butcher Boys.  (Who are so cool they don’t even have a website.) 🙂
They make it there and it’s amazing.  If you’ve only had the fake canadian bacon (you know, those round slices of compressed “meat”), you don’t know what you’re missing.
But one day I came across a recipe in Charcuterie for none other than Canadian Bacon and it was like a light bulb went off in my head.  How have I not thought to make it myself before?!
I used the technique in Charcuterie but made my own brine recipe.  It turned out absolutely amazing and I will never buy it again!
EDIT: I’ve added a printable recipe card using Tenderquick instead of pink salt.  It is more readily available and reliable.  Pink salt can be very dangerous if used in incorrect amounts and when purchasing online it is not always clear what you’re buying and how to properly use it.  Tenderquick is pretty straight forward, you use 1 Tablespoon per pound of meat.

DIY CANADIAN BACON

4 lbs boneless pork loin

For the brine:
1 gallon(16 cups) water
5 garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
8 tsp pink salt (or another curing salt- I get it from my butcher)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
2 tsp peppercorns

Place all the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
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Refrigerate until cold, then place the pork loin in a large container and add brine to cover.  Weigh pork down with a plate if needed to keep it submerged.
Refrigerate for 48 hours.
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Remove loin from brine and place on a rack over a tray and chill, uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
(This will develop the pellicle, the tacky surface that allows the smoke to adhere.)
Hot smoke the pork to 160 degrees, which should take 2-3 hours.*
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(the canadian bacon is on the right, I smoked a ham with it.)
Cool before wrapping.  Refrigerate up to 10 days.
Easier to slice after fully cooled as well.

I sliced mine thinly and wrapped in packages of 4 oz in butcher paper and froze.

*Oven directions: Instead of smoking it, bake at 200 degrees until meat is 160 degrees.  I haven’t tested this, but it will definitely be missing the smoke flavor, which really does add alot to this.

 

Filed Under: DIY / How to..., Grilling / Smoking

Bookcase Style Dollhouse

January 18, 2013 by

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I still remember the Christmas when I was around 5 years old.  My Dad had built a dollhouse.  It is still one of the most precious memories I have of my childhood.

I’ve been wanting to make one for my girls, and since my youngest is 5 I figured it’s about time.  I can’t believe I got it finished before Christmas!
There were a few glitches along the way, because of course I couldn’t follow a pattern any better than a recipe 🙂   For some reason I had to change it.
I used the dollhouse bookcase plan from Ana White and made these changes:

-Used a 15 degree angle for the roof, instead of 30 degrees
(This was a bit of a pain, trying to figure out the roof line, but I’m glad I did it this was so the top floor has more room.)

-Used a laminated pine for the roof
I’m not sure how necessary this was, but I really wanted the roof to overhang on both the front and back side.

-Added corner trim to hide plywood edge
I just have a thing about exposed plywood edges.  And I hate using that edge banding.  It just never looks how I want, or chips later on.

-Placed windows and door on backside instead of the sides.
I really wanted the backside to be more like the front of the house.

 

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Besides the paint I bought for the house and roof, I just used odds and ends I had to paint the rooms different colors.  I used a Rust Oleum spray primer, then a Rust Oleum white spray paint for all floors, ceilings, and trim.
Then I brush painted the colors, then finished with a spray clear coat.

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I plan on adding a few things later on, like window boxes under the windows, some shutters, etc.  But this beyond ecstatic face on Christmas morning?
Worth every minute of work.

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She wasted no time setting up one of top rooms as an “animal shelter” 🙂

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I did buy some wooden furniture to paint, but I’m going to do that with her sometime.  The furniture I found at a second hand children’s store.  It was the Fisher Price Loving Family Grand Dollhouse with a bunch of furniture.
I had a coupon for 20% off in the store as well, so I spent around $40, then sold the dollhouse on Craigslist without the furniture for about the same amount!
It worked out well, and luckily someone was looking for the dollhouse without furniture.  Otherwise, it still would have been a good deal for just the furniture alone anyways.

Filed Under: Woodworking

Corn Dogs and Cheese on a Stick

January 14, 2013 by

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Want to earn a zillion “cool mom” points?  Make homemade corn dogs and cheese on a stick.
Guaranteed.  Well, maybe not guaranteed… but it’s a good possibility. 🙂
I’ve seen this or a version of this recipe all around online, I’m not sure exactly where it originated but quite a few of the recipes mentioned Corn Dog 7, which I guess is a corn dog chain or something, which we don’t have here so I’m not familiar with them.  We do however have Hot Dog On A Stick, and these tasted surprising similar to theirs.  I also scaled it down, since you probably won’t be feeding a couple dozen people either 🙂
See bottom of the recipe for notes on freezing, and also making mini corn dogs as well.

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CORN DOGS AND CHEESE ON A STICK
For batter:
3 cups Krusteaz Pancake Mix
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg
2 1/2 cups water

Flour for dredging
Hot Dogs
Cheese (Cut into 1/2 inch by 3 inch sticks)
Oil for frying
Chopsticks

Stir together the pancake mix and cornmeal in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs and water, adding more water if needed to make a slightly thick batter.
Place batter in a tall glass (or something taller than the hot dogs).
Heat a couple inches of oil over medium high heat and insert chopsticks into hot dogs and cheese sticks, about 2/3rds of the way through.
(I cut my chopsticks in half, and also cut the hot dogs in half, since they were longer bun length hot dogs.  Or cut into smaller pieces and leave out sticks for mini corndogs and cheese bites.)
Dredge corn dogs and cheese sticks in flour, shaking off any excess.  Then dredge in the batter and immediately place in the oil.
Fry a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Fry for a couple minutes per side, until golden brown.  Watch the cheese closely, it will go quickly from gooey goodness to leaking out into the oil.

This makes enough batter to make around 3-4 dozen pieces, either corn dogs or cheese sticks.
Or will make about 2-3 packages of hot dogs into mini corn dogs. (I cut each hot dog into 4 pieces.)
You can flash freeze leftovers by placing in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight or until frozen, then place in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  Reheat in oven or microwave.

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks

Bacon Cornbread

January 8, 2013 by

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My hubby isn’t the biggest cornbread fan, but it seemed fitting to make some with this chili.  So  I decided to try making some with bacon… and it worked 🙂

I took a skillet cornbread recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks and added some bacon and also cracked black pepper.  The cast iron skillet really gives the cornbread a great crust. Since there is no flour, just cornmeal, this is a more crumbly, less cakey cornbread, but we thought it was very flavorful and went well with the chili.

BACON CORNBREAD
1/2 lb bacon
1 c yellow cornmeal
2 sp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 c boiling water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Cook bacon until crisp, then chop.  Reserve bacon drippings, measure out 4 tsp of drippings.  (Add oil to make this amount if needed.)
Place the bacon drippings in an 8 inch cast iron skillet and place in a 450 degree oven.
In a small bowl whisk together 2/3 cup of the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, and baking soda together.
Place the remaining 1/3 cup cornmeal in another medium bowl and pour the boiling water over it.  Stir until well combined.
Whisk in the buttermilk until smooth, then add the egg.  When the iron skillet is hot, fold the dry ingredients into the wet and pour the hot drippings into the batter and stir to combine.
Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for about 20 minutes or golden brown.
Flip the cornbread out onto a wire rack and cool for a couple minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from The Americas Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

January 2, 2013 by

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This isn’t a traditional chili, and while I can’t see it taking the place of our favorite chili, I will definitely be making it again.  I changed up the original recipe a bit, adding more paprika and less chili powder, less meat, and we completely left out peppers since we just don’t like them that much and used celery instead.  The original recipe contained 1-2 jalapenos as well, which I would leave in if you like spicy chili.

We loved the “sauce” flavors, with all the spices and pumpkin and it was even better with a little sour cream on top.

This makes a big batch, about 4 quarts, but freezes well if you won’t get through that much.

BLACK BEAN AND SWEET POTATO TURKEY CHILI
1 tsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (or 2 stalks celery)
1 lb ground turkey
8 oz mushrooms, minced (just over 2 cups)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 T paprika
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 cups beef broth
15 oz can pumpkin puree (I used my homemade in the freezer)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T cocoa powder

For serving: Avocados, sour cream, cilantro, fresh lime juice
(We found sour cream, a little cilantro, and a lime wedge just perfect).

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and saute until softened.  Put in a slow cooker.

Using the same skillet, cook the turkey and mushrooms with the cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili, and paprika over medium high heat until turkey is done.  Add to slow cooker.

Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 4 to 6 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Let cook on high uncovered the last 30 to 60 minutes to thicken.*

*The original recipe stated to leave uncovered for just 10-15 minutes to thicken, but I found it took longer.  That may be in part because I used 1 lb of ground turkey instead of the 20 oz the original recipe used.

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Slow Cooker, Soups / Stews

Sugar Plums

December 21, 2012 by

Have you ever wondered what “visions of sugarplums” were?
Sugarplums are an old fashioned (I mean really old, like 1600’s) “candy”.
You are basically combining dried fruit with nuts and honey and rolling the mixture into balls.  You can also add spices, or change the type of fruit and nuts used as well.  I made some with dried cherries as well, replacing half of the figs and dates.  Honestly, you couldn’t taste it as much because the figs and dates really have the stronger flavor.  So if you want to have another fruit be the main flavor, just make sure to completely omit or just about the dates and figs.

SUGAR PLUMS
1/4 cup pistachios
1/2 cup almonds
1 cup dried figs
1 cup dried dates
1/2 cup apricots
2 T honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

Finely chop the nuts in a food processor, then set aside.
Process the fruit with the honey in the food processor until it is well chopped and starts to clump.  Add the nuts and vanilla and process until it comes together.  Shape into small balls and roll in the sugar.

If you want sugarplums with spice, just add 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, allspice, cardamom to the sugar for rolling.

Recipe adapted slightly from Sweet Confections by Nina Wanat 

Filed Under: Candy / Confections

Cake Batter Fudge

December 19, 2012 by

I had to try this recipe when I saw it.  It involves sprinkles, so I knew my girls would enjoy making it with me 😉
I know this last week before Christmas can seem hectic, so this is a great last minute Christmas treat to make, it comes together so fast.  I’m not sure where it originally came from, I’ve seen it around the web quite a bit.  I adapted the recipe to use a full cake mix so there isn’t any waste.  I was shocked how much this tastes like cake batter.  I added it to our candy boxes this year that we give out to family and a few friends, I think the kids especially will like it.

CAKE BATTER FUDGE
1 box white cake mix (should be about 3 1/2 cups, mine was 16.25 oz)
3 cups powdered sugar
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
6 T milk
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sprinkles (I used rainbow jimmies, but you could really use whatever you like)

Mix the cake mix and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.
Add milk and butter but don’t mix in.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes then immediately mix everything together until well combined with a wooden spoon.
Fold in the white chocolate chips and sprinkles gently.
Spread in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan, smoothing the top.  Sprinkle some additional sprinkles on the top, pressing slightly to adhere.
Chill for at least a couple of hours in the fridge, then cut in squares.
Store well wrapped in the fridge.

Filed Under: Candy / Confections

Angela’s Gingerbread Houses

December 18, 2012 by

What’s better than a great friend?  How about one that shares their great recipes? 🙂
My dear friend Angela makes the most beautiful gingerbread houses and she was nice enough to share her recipe with me.  My previous recipe didn’t come out very well, the dough usually spread during baking too much, but this one always turns out wonderful.  The picture is of one Angela gave our family last Christmas, since our houses are still in pieces until we decorate them tomorrow night, and besides, I can guarantee ours won’t be as pretty as hers. 😉

I’m sure there will be a flurry of frosting and sprinkles and candy and the dog will be covered in frosting by the end, but all the more fun. 🙂

Gingerbread:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 T baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup molasses
1 egg

Royal Icing:
1 lb powdered sugar
3 egg whites (you can substitute 2 T meringue powder and 6 T water alternatively)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Make the gingerbread:
Mix everything together well in a mixer.
Divide dough into half and roll out to 1/4 inch thick directly on a lightly floured silicone mat or parchment paper.


Cut out desired shapes, and lift off excess.


Slide onto a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes.
If your silicone mat curls a little during baking, right away slide it onto a counter while warm and make sure everything dries flat.
Let cool.  Makes enough for 2 small or 1 large houses, about 2 large cookie sheets.

Make royal icing:
Mix all icing ingredients together until stiff peaks form when the beater is pulled out.  Decorate as desired!

PS. I bought some gingerbread house cookie cutters, LOVE them!  Makes it so much easier!

Filed Under: Christmas / Winter

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts

December 14, 2012 by

Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables.  I usually roast them, and sometimes I slice thinly and saute with some Canadian bacon.  Either way, I love them.  While this recipe takes a little more effort (like 5 minutes maybe) it’s totally worth it.  I ate 3 helpings of this dish and ignored everything else on the table.  🙂  I think this is my new holiday side dish I liked it so much!

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND WALNUTS

2 T cider vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T olive oil
1/2 lb bacon, thick sliced
1 T unsalted butter
1 pound brussels sprouts (about 1 stalk)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook bacon until crisp, reserving 1 T bacon drippings.
Chop bacon and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, and oil.  Set aside.
Heat the bacon drippings with the tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium high heat.  Thinly slice brussels sprouts and add to pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender.  Add bacon, walnuts, and dressing off the heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe source: very slightly adapted from Pinch My Salt



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Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes