So Much To Do At The Zoo

I went to the zoo this week with my kids and granddaughter. I am blessed to live a short drive from the fabulous Woodland Park Zoo. I've taken my kids there since they were tiny tots and they've loved seeing all the changes that have happened at the zoo.

Since we started going to the zoo, they've made a beautiful African savanna exhibit where the giraffes can wander and nibble on the trees, hippos can wallow in pools, and zebras can strike a pose for the cameras.

The penguin pool has been revamped so that you can see the penguins climb the rocks, dive into the water, swim underwater, and receive their ration of something that smells suspiciously like fish. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's fish. If not, they might want to get their refrigerator checked, because something definitely smells fishy there.

A Northwest trail has been built to showcase wolves, eagles, and other critters from around my neck of the woods. Gorillas now have a large area where they can swing, rolls, play, cuddle, and hang out to groom each other, French braiding their back hair. Otters have their own slip and slide stream. And there is an awesome space for little kids to get in touch with farm animals, seeing how chickens lay eggs, pretend milking a cow, and petting goats and sheep.

The animal exhibits aren't the only thing that's changed at the zoo, though. My daughter pointed out something fascinating. Kids at the zoo have changed.

When my kids were vey little I'd bring along an umbrella stroller (the kind that's lightweight and folds easily), just for them to rest in. But as soon as they were walking, they didn't spend much time in the stroller. They were too eager to run and explore. There were places to climb, things to touch, and, oh yes, animals to see. Why sit still in a stroller when there was all that to experience?

What we saw a ton of at the zoo this week was kids in strollers as big as an SUV. And these kids were strapped in. And they always had snacks in front of them. Once it was pointed out to me, I was shocked. Kids are ALWAYS EATING. Even when they are too big to put in a stroller, they walk with food in their hands.

What are we teaching our children if we take them to the zoo, strapped into what's basically a couch, and put food in front of them? Honestly, you might as well stay at home, put the kids on a real couch, turn on the Discovery channel, let them eat cereal and candy, and save on the gas.

Doing the zoo this way does two things:

1- The kids never engage with the environment. Sure, it's a pain to constantly make sure your kids aren't getting into trouble, but the seemingly easy trade-off for not training your children to obey you is that you get passive, couch potato children. They are not going to be curious, eager learners.

2- They will get fat. No exercise plus food they're not hungry for is a recipe for obese kids. Didn't I hear somewhere that kids these days are getting fatter? Yeah. There might be a reason for that. Parent's are strapping their kids into mobile restraining devices and feeding them unneeded junk. (In my book, even "healthy" whole wheat Cheerios are junk.)

So stroller + snacks = passive and massive. Ugh.

"But," I hear those mothers saying, "my cherub gets so hungry! If I don't bring snacks she whines the whole trip."

Easy solution. Feed that child a nourishing, satisfying, nutrient dense breakfast. Then let them run and play at the zoo. They'll be too busy to even notice that they don't have their snacks in front of them!

Most mornings at my house breakfast is either eggs (fried or scrambled, sometimes with cheese and salsa on top), or smoothies made with bananas, farm eggs (raw), spirulina powder, cacao powder, grass-fed gelatin, homemade raw yogurt and homemade raw milk kefir. On Saturdays, though, I tend to put a little more effort into it.

This is a wonderful coffee cake that I made with freshly picked strawberries. My husband and daughter both asked for scrambled eggs to go with it, as they feared the carb crash that usually follows a coffee cake. Not to worry! Since it has coconut flour and a ton of eggs, it's hearty and satisfying and won't leave you feeling lethargic in a carb coma. Try it and see how much more energy you have for the day!

Strawberry Breakfast Cake

6 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
2 Tbsp raw honey (or maple syrup, if you're not on GAPS)
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk of choice (coconut, almond, raw dairy)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1-1/2 cups strawberries, diced and divided

Topping:

1 cup nuts/seeds of choice (I used soaked and dehydrated almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tbsp raw honey
2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
1 Tbsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with coconut oil.

2- In a large bowl mix together the eggs, oil or butter, honey, milk, and vanilla.

3- Add the coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined.

4- Fold in 1 cup of the diced strawberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

5- Combine all of the topping ingredients in a small bowl.

6- Spoon the mixture over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup strawberries over the top.

7- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the a cake tester poked in the center of the cake comes out clean. If you need to bake longer than 45 minutes and the top is looking browned, cover it with a piece of foil so that the topping doesn't burn.

A Piece of Advice

I'm considering a career change. Sure, being a homeschooling mother and part time lazy blogger is glamorous, but the pay stinks and the hours are horrible. I was thinking about becoming a relationship counselor instead. This would combine two of my favorite things - telling people what to do and listening to other people's problems so that my own problems seem not nearly so bad by comparison.

As a relationship counselor, I could hang out my shingle and people would pay me to listen to them complain about their girlfriend/boyfriend/parent/child/teacher/co-worker/or whoever. This is pretty much what I already do for free. I'm good at it, too. People who paid for my services would get top quality head nodding, concerned and sympathetic smiles, and lots of "tell me more."

Then, when the relationship has been thoroughly examined, the problem extrapolated, and the dynamic explained, I would swing into action and give extraordinary advice. Some people feel that you need letters behind your name before you're qualified to give advice. I disagree. I've got an Mrs. in front of my name and an MOM after it, so I feel supremely qualified to wade into the murky waters of troubled relationships. Plus, I watched a soap opera back in college, so I know exactly what NOT to say.

The easiest clients would involve work relationships. Employee making you nuts? Fire them. Boss making you crazy? Put a laxative in his or her coffee and get a new job. Co-worker driving you round the bend? Watch a few episodes of The Office. I'm sure you'll get some ideas.

I think I might have to go into practice with a partner. Then I would pass off all the parent/child/teacher problems to that person. It's not the I'm not qualified. More like overqualified. I've been there, done that, and have the wrinkles to prove it.

I think my favorite group of clients would be the love-lorn. So easy.

* How do I get a girlfriend (or boyfriend)?
~ You don't. Go make friends, both with boys and girls. Hang out with people whose company you enjoy. Talk to them. Listen to them. Have fun together. Maybe something will come from it. Maybe not. But at least you'll have friends that you can hang out with.

* My boyfriend (or girlfriend) doesn't call me every day. If they really loved me, wouldn't they call every day?
~ Maybe. But more likely not. Unless you're on your honeymoon, you can't expect that other person's thoughts to be on you 24/7. If it's a healthy relationship, that other person has other things going on besides waiting by the phone to talk to you. If they are waiting 24/7, taking the phone in the potty so they don't miss your call (not just to play Angry Birds like normal people do), that's obsessive, unhealthy, and they should get a hobby.

* Where can I find the love of my life?
~ See the first question. When you find a really good friend, you might have found the love of your life. Potentially. So, make friends. Who knows what could come of that great conversation you had on Tumblr when you found out that you weren't the only one who thought a cross-over between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Anne of Green Gables would be the best thing ever? But if you go to a bar looking for the love of your life, you're guaranteed to come home smelling like cigarette smoke and most likely without the love of your life. Unless you've always wanted to be hitched to a drunk.

* My girlfriend (or boyfriend) is super whiny. How do I change her (or him)?
~ You don't. You upgrade to the non-whiny version.

* I want to break up with my boyfriend (or girlfriend). How do I do it without hurting their feelings?
~ Go with the classics. The tried and true "let's just be friends" has stood the test of time. And if you say it nicely enough, it might take him (or her) till you get a new boyfriend (or girlfriend) to figure out that he (or she) has been dumped.

That's just a sampling of the superior advice you'd get when you come to Cookie Baker Counseling services. Interested? Call or email to make an appointment.

Not convinced? Here's a freebie - a solid piece of advice is to try these shakes. They are like everything a GAPS girl or guy wants in a mate: rich, sweet, and satisfying.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Milkshakes
 - adapted from Eat Like A Dinosaur
 serves 4

(Because this recipe calls for chilled and frozen ingredients, you need to plan ahead)

2 dried dates
1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk, chilled (to be GAPS legal, it can't have added thickeners)
1 cup ice
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 ripe banana, frozen
1/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably raw)

1- Place dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 15 minutes.

2- Remove the dates from the water and pat them dry. Remove the pit and place them in a blender.

3- Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender. Purée until smooth.

4- Serve in small glasses with straws.

Cooking Camp - The Sibling Edition

The original invitees to Cooking Camp were Serena, Tall Friend (TF) and Little Friend (LF). The plan was to meet every Friday through the summer and have them learn new kitchen skills and techniques. That plan was derailed when LF had to go out of town for 3 weeks. So the second Cooking Camp was smaller. Which actually was just as well because it involved lots of caffeine. We made coffee ice cream and iced coffee, and the three of them amped up on caffeine might have been more than my kitchen could handle.

This week, to add a little zip to the mixture, we invited the younger siblings. TF's little sister, SF (Short Friend), and Serena's little brother, Samuel, (Samuel) made guest appearances. They were both thrilled to be invited to be part of the cool kid crowd. They were also thrilled that we were making cinnamon rolls. And not just any cinnamon rolls, but monster cinnamon rolls.

We talked about yeast and how to wake it up, we covered gluten and a bit about the different types of flours (why you don't use bread flour for cakes, and vice versa), and they also learned a super cool trick for cutting rolls with dental floss. (Slide a length of floss under the roll, bring the ends of the floss together and cross them to pinch off a perfect circle.)

Also, they learned the importance of not interrupting the teacher when she's counting out loud the number of cups of flour being added to the dough. And the importance of resisting the temptation the chime in with random numbers to "help" the counting. And that "the magic of television" works much better if the dough made the previous day, rising in the refrigerator overnight, gets pulled out an hour ahead of time to come to room temperature. (Oops! Cold dough is really difficult to roll out.)

Then while the rolls baked, they got in a game of Calvin Ball Croquet. So, another successful Cooking Camp in the bag!

Monster Cinnamon Rolls
- makes 24 generous rolls

Dough:
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
1-1/4 tsp salt
7-1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 large eggs
8-1/2 - 9-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 c. butter
3 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Icing:
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
enough milk to make glue-like consistency, about 2 Tbsp.


1- For the dough, heat the butter with the milk, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool. (If you are using raw milk, heat till small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Scalding the milk destroys the enzymes that interfere with the yeast growth.)

2- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, add the remaining tsp sugar, stir, and set aside for 10 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. Add the lukewarm milk mixture and the eggs and beat until well combined.

3- Add the flour a cup at a time, stirring and using enough flour to form a stiff dough. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny, approximately 10 min. (or place in the bowl of an electric mixer and knead with a dough hook until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, approximately 5 min. I have a 5 quart KitchenAid and the dough burbles up and wraps around the dough hook, so I need to scrape it down frequently).

4- Place the dough in a very large buttered bowl, turn to butter the top, and allow to rise, covered loosely with a kitchen towel, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 hour.

5- When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it in half. Roll one half out to a large rectangle, about 12" x 24".

6- Butter two 9 x 13 baking pans. For the filling, melt the butter. Spread 1/2 the butter evenly over the surface of the dough. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle 1/2 of it evenly over the melted butter. Roll up the dough lengthwise, pinching the dough together to form a seam when rolled. Cut the dough log in quarters, and then each quarter in thirds. If you are particular about pretty rolls, trim off the ends. Place the rolls in a buttered 9 x 13" baking pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover the rolls loosely with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

7- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 20-30 minutes or until puffed and browned. Mix the icing ingredients and drizzle over the rolls. Allow to cool to room temperature on racks (if you can).

If you prefer a cream cheese frosting:

Combine 1/2 lb. cream cheese, softened with 1/4 cup whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Add 3-4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted, blending until smooth and soft, not stiff.

Optional:

If you want to "pimp up" your rolls, you can throw raisins, chopped nuts, coconut, or your favorite exotic ingredient into the filling.

strawberry rhubarb crisp

In the 4th grade my teacher asked the class how many of us had grandparents living. I was one of the few in the class to raise my hand for having all four living. (Yes, I know, many people now in the age of blended or redefined families have 16 or so people they call grandparents, but back then, 4 was the normal maximum.) Many of my friends had only 1 or 2 grandparents living and this made gave me a strange impression that grandparents were ephemeral creatures who might at any time disappear without warning.

I decided that since time with the grandparents was obviously fleeting, I'd better invest in the relationships as much as was possible. Given that we all lived in different states, I started a letter writing campaign. I strove to write to my grandparents at least once a week, although it ended up being probably closer to once a month.

I would write long, chatty notes about what I was doing in school, my tough homework assignments, my dance classes, the boys I thought were cute, the onerous camping trips we went on, my bouts of stomach flu, and the funny things the dog did. In return I'd get nice, fulsome letters detailing their gardens.

Their letters would give status updates on the runner beans, how the tomatoes were coming along, and the awful things that late spring cold snap had done to the apricot blossoms. I decided that being an old person meant your life was extremely boring and you had nothing to live for except your garden.

My sister and I shared this view of gardening obsession and nodded knowingly to each other when our father's letters started being mainly garden-related. Yes, he was turning into an old person. Sure he can grow beans, carrots, and tomatoes like nobody's business, but it's kind of sad when you have nothing else to write about.

Then my sister and I were exchanging emails this past week, catching up on our schedules, the weather in our respective states, and how said weather was affecting our....gardens. Yes, it's true. We're old people now, too.

Luckily, I still have challenging, bewildering, frustrating, amazing, frustrating, and wonderful children to give me things to think about besides my garden. I say luckily because I'm a lousy gardener. Anything that goes into the ground is on its own out there. It had better be tough, hardy, and able to withstand unarmed assaults by armies of slugs. (Well, they don't have arms, do they? Just nasty, slimy feet and voracious, munching jaws.)

When my grandchildren write to me, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear back from me the details of how the blueberries, oregano, and rhubarb are doing, because that's all that survive my harsh gardening techniques (plant it and ignore it). Hopefully, they won't even have to have me write about it. If they live close enough, they can come over and pick blueberries to munch, oregano to put on a pizza, and rhubarb to put into a crisp. Because, really, wouldn't you rather eat from a garden than hear about it?

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 Tbsp Stevia Extract (not pure Stevia)*
1-1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1/2 with white whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oats
12 Tbsp (1-1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

*I buy the kind that's cut with lactose for table use. It's available at Trader Joe's. If you can only find pure Stevia, use about 1/4 tsp.

1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in the center of the oven.

2- Toss together the rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, stevia, and the orange zest in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 11-inch baking dish and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch drips, in case the crisp bubbles over.

3- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles.

4- Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

The Hurrier I Go, The Behinder I Get

One of the ways my husband and I complement each other is that he's always early and I'm always late. This averages out to mean that when we're going somewhere together, we get there on time. A little bit frazzled and cross, but on time. When it's just me, though, I am late.

I don't mean to be; I honestly try to be organized so that I can get everything and get out the door with plenty of time to get there. But somehow, something always happens. I underestimate the time it takes to get there, I underestimate how awful traffic is at that time, or there's the last-minute crisis at home that demands that mommy fix it. And, of course, how could I even think of going out the door without hugs and kisses from everyone?

The upshot of this is I'm always the last one puffing into the restaurant (because I couldn't find parking and had to jog seven blocks), the one guiltily sneaking in the side door in class, and the one posting out of season food on my blog. I could be sly and say I'm thinking of my southern hemisphere friends (I've done that before), but the truth is, I forgot about it till now and if I put off posting it for another year, there's no way I'll be able to remember what cookbook that came from!



This recipe is super versatile. You can use a combination of summer fruits like berries, plums, or nectarines. It was heavenly with the peaches and pears which I used because they were sitting on the counter going bad (do you sense that procrastination theme music playing again?). Bookmark the recipe and use it next summer, or, if you're one of those weird, plan-ahead kind of people, pull some of the fruit that you froze or canned out of storage and use it to enjoy this dish all winter long.

Peach-Pear Cobbler
- adapted from Williams-Sonoma Desserts

Filling:
6 cups of sliced peaches and pears
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour*
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
pinch of salt

Topping:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

* If your fruit is especially juicy, you might want to add a bit more flour.

1- Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. Lightly grease a 1-1/2 to 2 quart round or oval baking dish.

2- To make the filling, gently toss the fruit with the rest of the filling ingredients until blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

3- To make the topping, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, fold gently until the flour is moistened and the mixture forms a soft dough.

4- Drop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto the fruit, spacing them evenly over the surface. The topping will not completely cover the fruit, but it will smoosh together during baking. Bake until the topping is browned , the filling is bubbling, and a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

This serves 8 to 10 and is splendid served warm with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. It can also be served at room temperature.

Sweet Dreams

After a tough day, when the kids have been arguing, dinner didn't turn out well, I've got deadlines hanging over my head, and a headache has been following me all day like an evil puppy, I can't wait to get to bed. Sleep is the ultimate escape.

When I switch off my conscious brain, I enter a wonderful world where anything is possible. Sometimes I can fly. Sometimes I can fit in my high school jeans. Sometimes Colin Firth has just emerged dripping wet from a brief dip in the lake and wants to show me his mansion. Sometimes all in the same dream. And it all makes sense.

This dessert is like a dream. Improbably easy, light as a feather, melts away on your tongue, and is lingeringly delicious. It won't help you fit in your high school jeans, make you fly, or give you that encounter with Colin Firth, but it will make a rough day a little sweeter. Go ahead and dream with your eyes wide open.



Lemon Cream Dreams
serves 6

3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice*
4 oz white chocolate, chopped

1- Place a mixing bowl and beaters into the freezer to chill. Heat water in a saucepan to boiling.

2- In a heatproof bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Stir in sugar and the lemon juice.

3- Place the bowl over the pan of boiling water and cook, stirring continuously with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency.

3- Remove the bowl from the heat and add the white chocolate, stirring until it's melted and completely incorporated. Set aside and cool to room temperature. When cool, cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more.

4- Using the chilled bowl and beaters, whip the cream to firm peaks. Gently fold the lemon mixture into the whipped cream. Spoon into beautiful serving dishes. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Garnish, if desired with a twist of lemon peel, a candied violet, or a dollop of whipped cream.

* If Meyer lemons are unavailable, use regular lemons. It will just be a bit more tart.

Daintea Bread

There is a restaurant around here that's quite popular and I just don't get why. Whenever I ask people who've been there what it's like, they always say, "The portions are huge!" OK, but what's the food like? "Well, the portions are huge!" If pressed even further they might admit that the food quality is mediocre at best, but, "you get a lot of it!"

If I don't like it much to begin with, why would I want even more of it?


I'm not impressed by a piece of cake big enough to feed my family. I'd much rather have something dainty and delicious. I'm a fan of small servings that leave me satisfied, not bloated. This delicious tea bread fits the bill perfectly. Made in mini-loaf pans, each slice is moist with lemon glaze, has a soft, but not squishy texture, and is lightly sweet. Perfect for topping off a meal, or rounding out a tea tray. Plus, since you have two loaves, you have an extra one to share with a friend. Isn't that the sweetest way to enjoy your dessert?


Dainty Lemon Tea Bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. with a rack in the center of the oven. Grease two 5-3/4 x 3-inch loaf pans.

2- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

3- In a medium bowl cream the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add egg and lemon zest. Beat well.

4- Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Beat till smooth.

5- Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

6- While the loaves are baking, prepare the glaze. Mix the lemon juice with the confectioners' sugar and stir till smooth.

7 -Cool in the pans for 5 minutes then pour half the glaze over the loaves. Let the loaves cool another 5 minutes, then remove the loaves to a wire rack. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the loaves.

Winter Baking Land

We've had a really weird winter, weatherwise, thus far. Last year we saw more snow than we had in decades and this year, nothing. Not a flake. We're coasting along in the balmy mid-50's (F). It makes me feel just a little guilty when I read about the poor people on the other side of the country who are getting beaten up by storm after storm, dumping tons of snow, to the point that people can't leave their houses. Yikes!

I wish I could send along some of our warmer weather. But since that's not really a feasible plan, I'll turn my oven on in solidarity with my fellow frozen citizens. Warm up the kitchen and bring on the comfort.

There is something immeasurably comforting about warm, messy food. It's not meant to be pretty (and as you can see from my pictures, it's not!), but it is certainly delicious. And just a bit will fend off the horrors of the day and give you hope that everything's going to be OK. Even if you can't dig down deep enough to get to the snow shovel.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
- adapted from Baking Kids Love

1/2 loaf bread (white, challah, or Italian), about 8.5 oz
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1-3/4 cups milk
1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried, sour cherries
Whipped cream, for topping

1- Preheat oven to 325 deg. F with a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan with cooking spray.

2- Cut the crusts off the bread (you can discard or save to feed the birds or make into bread crumbs). Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3- Measure 4 cups of the bread cubes. The remainder can be saved in a plastic bag in the cupboard or freezer for future use.

4- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt until completely blended. Whisk in the milk, cream, and vanilla and blend well. Add the toasted bread cubes to the bowl and stir them into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then remove the bowl from the refrigerator and stir the mixture to make sure the bread soaks up the custard evenly. Return to the refrigerator for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the bread has soaked up most of the custard and looks very soft. (If you turned off the oven after toasting the bread, turn it back on now.)

5- Stir the chopped chocolate and cherries into the mixture. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and press it into an even layer. Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, or until slightly puffed, golden brown, and set in the center.

6- Transfer to the cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream. Leftovers (as if!) should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. REheat in a 325 deg. F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until warmed through.

Thinking of Dessert

Being a food blogger is terrific because it provides me with an excellent excuse to make tons of fabulous desserts. Any whim for cake, brownies, cookies, cupcakes can be indulged, because "I need something to post."

The drawback to this great system of rationale is that when I'm craving something I've already posted, I have no reason to make it again. It feels like a waste to make something that I can't blog.

So what was I to do when I started craving creme brulée? You know how it goes, you have a passing thought. "Hmm, Creme Brulée. I really like Creme Brulée." Then you move on. Then the thought comes back and gently nudges you. "Creme Brulée. Remember? Silky, creamy, sweet with the crunchy crust? Mmmm." But then rational part of the brain comes back and says, "You don't need it. It's not exactly diet food, plus, you've already made it before and (oh, no, trump card!) you've already blogged it, so there's no excuse to make it."

Defeated by my rational self the Thought limped into a corner. Defeated? Not at all. It just changed tactics and started a whisper campaign.

I look in the refrigerator to see what needs to go on my shopping list. "Oh, wow, I've got a lot of eggs." "Creme Brulée," whispers the Thought. "Hmm, I'd better use that heavy cream before it goes bad." Creme Brulée," murmurs the Thought. "Maybe I should make dessert tonight." "Creme Brulée," hints the Thought.

I slam the refrigerator door shut and shout, "Fine, I'll make Creme Brulée!" Startled, my husband looks up and says, "Uh, OK. I like Creme Brulée."



So I made the Creme Brulée, using a different recipe, although I knew I still wouldn't be able to blog it because it would look identical. Oh well, I'd be able to eat it and that's what counts.

But then, while the Creme Brulée was chilling, I leafed through a different cookbook and found, hold the horses, a double decker Creme Brulée! A regular layer and then a chocolate mousse layer. Holy moly - this was it! The pinnacle of creme brulée goodness. And bloggable, too.

It was amazing, of course. My family gobbled up their servings, licking the dishes for every last trace of creamy, dreamy custard. And you wouldn't believe how smug the Thought was. It was very annoying. So hopefully, by posting this, I've exorcised the Thought. But if it shows up in your head, don't blame me. Just make the creme brulée. Trust me, it's easier than listening to that nagging.


Twice As Nice Creme Brulée
- adapted from Baking and The Essence of Chocolate

Layer 1 (I liked that this recipe did away with the pesky water bath which gave me so much trouble last time)

1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1- Preheat the oven to 200 deg. F. with a rack in the center. Put six 4-inch gratin dishes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2- In a small saucepan, bring the cream and milk just to a boil.

3- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until well blended but not airy. Still whisking, slowly pour about a quarter of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Whisking the whole time, slowly pour in the rest of the hot cream and milk.

4- Give the bowl a good rap against the counter to pop any bubbles,, then strain the custard into the baking dishes. Bake the custards for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the centers are set (when you tap the sides of the dishes, the custards should be firm, not jiggly). Remove the dishes to a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature.

5- Cover each custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably longer.

Layer 2

2-1/2 oz. 70% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup dried, ground turbinado or demerra sugar (see Note)

1- In a bowl set over gently simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and let sit in a warm spot until barely warm.

2- In a medium bowl, using a whisk, whisk the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of sugar until a ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted. Fold in the tepid chocolate.

3- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar and continue beating until barely stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

4- Spoon the chocolate mouse over the chilled custards, smoothing the tops with a small offset spatula. Wipe the rims of the dishes with a damp towel to remove any chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.

5- Thirty minute before serving, remove the creme brulée from the refrigerator.

6- Just before serving, sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the top of the mousse. Using a torch, work from one end of the dish to the other, adjusting the flame level as needed to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

Note - The recipe calls for light brown sugar, baked in a 325 deg. F oven till dry, then ground until fine. I had a packet of Demerra sugar on my shelf (purchased a couple of years ago for a recipe I never made), which was quite hard. I ground it up in my mortar and pestle for the topping and it worked quite well.

Turning Over a New Blueberry Recipe

I have a two-sided relationship with Cooking Light. I own many Cooking Light cookbooks and they are my go-to books for salads, main meals, and for when I'm feeling fat. But their dessert sections tend to have weird, fake ingredients like egg substitute, margarine, and non-fat cream cheese. Euwww.

My personal philosophy is that desserts are meant to be enjoyed. Weird, I know, but true. Put in real butter, don't skimp on the quality chocolate, and enjoy that whipped cream on top. That being said, I don't serve very large portions of dessert. If you use great ingredients, you can savor each bite and feel satisfied with a small amount.

When thumbing through my pile of torn-out-of-magazine recipes to find something to do with the abundance of blueberries, my eye was caught by a beautiful picture of an oozing, blueberry turnover. It happened to be from Cooking Light, so I was a bit dubious, but a quick scan of the ingredients showed the only off ingredient was lower fat cream cheese. I could handle that and just substitute real cream cheese.



My turnovers turned out just like the picture. What neither the picture nor the recipe revealed, though, was that in an effort to get the fat statistic below the magical 30%, they apportioned a tiny amount of dough per turnover and it had to be wafer thin. It was sticky, ripped easily, and was a pain in the patoot to work with. Plus, when it came out of the oven, the texture was tough and cardboardy.

It did improve when stored overnight in an airtight container. The dough softened up and the texture improved.

Final verdict? For all the effort, it only yielded 4 turnovers. I'd double the recipe if I made it again. I loved the taste of the filling, but I'd skip this dough and use your favorite pastry dough recipe. Something with a better taste and texture. And if it's got a little more fat? Well, life's short. Splurge once in a while.



Blueberry Turnovers
- adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Crust:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (or regular, if you don't care about counting fats)
1 Tbsp butter
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp ice water

Filling:
2/3 cup blueberries
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 tsp sugar, divided

1- To prepare the crust, place the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, cream cheese, butter and salt in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, add ice water, processing just until combined, but not forming a ball. Empty the mixture onto a sheet of heavy plastic wrap and gently form it into a 3-inch circle. Wrap it tightly and chill for 15 minutes.

2- Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. with a rack in the center of the oven. Prepare a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

3- Divide dough into 4 equal portions; place each portion between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Roll each portion into a 5-inch circle. Place dough in freezer for 5 minutes or until the plastic wrap can be easily removed.

4- To prepare filling, combine blueberries and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Working with 1 dough portion at a time, remove plastic wrap from dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and brush with egg white. Spoon about 2 Tbsp blueberry filling onto half of circle. Fold dough over filling and press the edges together with a fork to seal. Place the turnover on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray turnover with cooking spray (or lightly brush with melted butter) and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sugar. Pierce the turnover with a fork. Repeat procedure to form 3 more turnovers.

5- Bake at 400 deg. F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Yield: 4 turnovers.

Still Singing the Blues

After I did a whole week of blueberry posts, no doubt you thought I was tapped out, all done, and had scraped the bottom of the blueberry barrel. Oh, no, my friends. I've got another week's worth, but I think I'll ease them on you slowly and gently rather than bombing you with a whole week at once.

I realize it's the end of the blueberry season, but I face a dilemma here. Do I post the recipes, perhaps a bit out of season and let you bookmark them to make next year? Or do I save them in my files to post next year when the blueberries are ripe, hoping that I can remember which cookbook / magazine / scrap of paper the recipe was on? I think it's more prudent to opt for the former. I doubt I'll be able to remember next month, let alone next year. Plus, I saw blueberries at Costco on my last trip. So let the blueberries roll!

I found this recipe in a kids magazine. I love kid-friendly recipes that are easy, require only a few ingredients, and make children proud of what they've made. I know my kids would have been proud, except they were off doing other things, coming only to help eat up the results.

Easy Peasy Blueberry Fool
- adapted from Family Fun magazine

1 tbsp butter
2 cups blueberries, stemmed and rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1- Place a large mixing bowl and the beaters from a hand-held electric mixer in the freezer.

2- In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, then stir in the blueberries and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries release their juices, about 10 minutes. Set pan aside to cool.

3- Pour the cooled berries into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate the sauce until it's completely cooled.

4- Pour the heavy cream into the mixing bowl from the freezer. Using the chilled beaters, beat the cream until soft peaks form.

5- Reserve 1/4 cup of the blueberry sauce, then use a spatula to fold the remaining sauce into the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.

6- Spoon the mixture into 6 small parfait glasses. Spoon some of the reserved blueberry sauce around the edges of each serving, then use a knife to swirl the sauce throughout the dessert. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 6 servings

Berry De-Lite

I've been pregnant through 3 summers and I must say that on every hot day I am profoundly grateful that I'm not pregnant now. My first pregnancy I wore a bikini. I was young and cute and could pull it off. My second pregnancy I bought a huge, black maternity bathing suit and a kiddie wading pool. My toddler was excited about the pool, but got a pouty lower lip when he saw that mammoth mommy took up the whole pool.

The last time around I was a pro at keeping cool. Stay in the mall. Lurk near the frozen foods section. And above all else, do not turn on the oven to bake!

Luckily for those who don't enjoy sweltering, as well as a heat wave, summer also brings a bounty of fresh fruit that tastes fabulous without any cooking necessary. This berry dessert was originally intended as a pie filling, but I was not about to turn on the oven to make a pie crust, so it became parfaits. Beautiful parfaits, heady with splash of wine flavor, topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Cool, fruity, and easy. What better summer dessert could you ask for?

Berry De-Lite Parfaits
- adapted from Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried, or frozen unsweetened whole blueberries
2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened whole raspberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dry white wine
2-1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp unflavored gelatine
2 Tbsp creme de cassis
Whipped cream to top
Fresh berries to top

1- In a 1-1/2 quart nonreactive saucepan, combine 1 cup of the blueberries, 1 cup of the raspberries, the sugar, wine, and lemon juice. Set over low heat and cook gently, crushing the fruit with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

2- Pour the water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and allow it to sit for about 3 minutes to soften. Stir the mixture over low heat just until the gelatine dissolves. Do not boil.

3- Stir the dissolved gelatine into the berry mixture, then stir in the remaining berries and the creme de cassis.

4- Transfer the hot berry mixture to a heatproof bowl and set it in a larger pan of ice water. Cool, stirring on and off, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of raw egg whites. Carefully spoon the mixture into parfait glasses. Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours, or overnight.

5- Top the parfaits with whipped cream and fresh berries just before serving.

Tall Man's Waffles

I need to clear something up here. In my last post I didn't specify how tall I am. Some of you might have assumed Me + Heels = Towering Over Date because I'm an Amazon. No, I'm 5'4". My date was maybe 5'5".

It's my daughter that's 5'9". (That's me, my sister, and my daughter.) How did I end up with such a tall girl? Easy - I married a man I could look up to. Literally. He's 6'2". I ended up with ginormous babies and someone who could easily reach the upper shelves of the tall cupboards. That is a plus, unless he's being a sweetheart and tidying up the kitchen for me. Then I end up cursing, I mean blessing him for putting away things where I can't even see them, let alone reach them.

I don't fret too much if it's paper plates or boxes of pasta that get shoved to the back of the upper cupboards, but my husband has learned that I'm far happier if I can see my chocolate stash. If I wasn't able to eyeball it, how would I know what's on hand? And how would I be able to make these fabulous waffles?

The recipe came in my inbox from King Arthur Flour. My husband wanted it so much, we had it for dinner. They were soooooo good! It's not the height of healthy eating, but it's got whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, and homemade chocolate ice cream, so as a very once in a while splurge, it works for me. Really, really well.

Chocolate Malt Waffles
- from King Arthur Flour

Starter

1 cup ripe, bubbly sourdough starter (made with equal weights water and flour)
1 1/4 cups cool water
1 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour

Batter

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips, semisweet or bittersweet; mini chips work especially well


1) To make the starter: Measure 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter into a medium bowl.

2) Stir in the water and whole wheat flour, and mix until thoroughly combined.

3) Cover the bowl and set it aside for several hours, or up to overnight.

4) To make the batter: When you're ready to make the waffles, whisk the dry ingredients in a small bowl; you may need to sift the mixture if your cocoa is lumpy.

5) Add the dry ingredients, plus the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips to the sourdough batter, stirring to combine.

6) To bake the waffles: Drop about ½ cup batter onto a greased, preheated waffle iron. Bake the waffle until steam stops coming out the sides of the iron. The waffles will feel soft and tender coming out of the iron, but will crisp up on standing.

7) Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, if desired. (Well, duh, of course you desire!)

Coming of Age Dessert

One of the factoids about myself that I like to put into those "how well do you know Lynn" quizzes is that I've worked as a bartender. Now, you might be getting a certain mental image with that. Put that image on hold while I tell you that at the time, I was 16. How did I do that? Where can you work as a bartender at sixteen? Well, in a dry state.

One of my first jobs was working at a dinner theater. I had the job of plating salads and desserts (and by plating, I mean slopping them onto a plate - nothing artistic involved), and then putting together set-ups for the patrons' drink orders. The patrons would then have to go buy mini-bottles of liquor, the kind they sell on airplanes, and pour those into their set-ups to make a fully leaded drink.

So for a long time, although I knew how to make a set-up for a greyhound, a screwdriver, or a strawberry margarita, I had no clue what kind of alcohol went into them.



The strawberry margarita was kind of a house speciality. We had buckets of sliced strawberries in sugar syrup and we'd scoop some into the blender along with some ice, blend it to the consistency of a Slurpee, pour it into a tall glass, and add a slice of lime for a garnish. Ta da! Virgin Margarita.

This pie combines two of my skills from that job - drinks + dessert. Or drinks in dessert. And there's definitely booze involved. If you have kids around, they'll want a slice of this cool, creamy dessert. Have some strawberry ice cream on hand to placate them, because this is definitely a dessert for grown-ups only.



You can tell I didn't let it freeze overnight. The center was a bit on the deliciously oozy side. No one minded a bit.

Strawberry Margarita Pie
 
2 c. hulled fresh strawberries
10 tbsp. sugar
1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 c. sweetened condensed milk
7 tbsp. tequila
6 tbsp. Triple Sec
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 c. chilled whipping cream
8 fresh strawberries (opt.)

Butter 9 inch springform pan. You can use a deep pie plate, if a springform pan is unavailable. Toss 2 cups strawberries with 4 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Blend remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, cracker crumbs and butter in processor. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of pan.

Puree strawberries and sugar with milk, tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice in blender or processor. Transfer to large bowl. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of cream into puree. Gently fold in remaining cream. Pour filling into crust. Cover and freeze until firm, preferably overnight.

Run hot sharp knife around pan sides to loosen if necessary. Release pan sides. Cut pie into wedges. Top each wedge with strawberry, if desired.

Au Pear

I find pears tricky. How can you tell when they're ripe? I've bitten into too many crunchy pears to trust my sense of what looks ripe for a pear. And what about when they start to feel soft and maybe have a bruise or two? Then they're over the pear event horizon. Take a bite and it's mealy. Euww. A perfectly ripe, juicy pear is a splendid thing, but a bit of a gamble to find.

When my daughter sent me this recipe and raved about it, I hesitated. Pear soup. Really? Soup seems so...winterish. And pears seem so fallish. So why would I want to make a soup for spring? Well, it's a dessert soup, served cold, and it's really lovely. Lightly sweet, redolent of pear flavor with enough wine flavor to make it interesting. And since the pear is cooked, it doesn't have to be perfect. Zero guesswork involved.

The soup is a snap to put together, so you can make it early in the day and chill it for dinner. For the lazy warm days coming up when you don't want to go to a lot of trouble in the kitchen, grill something easy and then ladle up bowls of this delicious soup for dessert. You'll feel like you hit the jackpot!



Red Wine and Pear Soup

1 cup red wine (use something you like, as you'll taste it)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 lemon
4 fully ripe pears (1 1/2 pounds) peeled, cored, and each cut into quarters
Whipping cream

1- In 2 quart saucepan, heat red wine, sugar, and 1 cup water to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.

2- Meanwhile, with vegetable peeler or small sharp knife, remove two 3 inch strips peel from lemon. Juice the lemon and strain it to remove seeds.

3- Add pears and lemon peel to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until pears are very tender. Remove the pan from the heat and discard lemon peel. Allow mixture to cool for 10 to 20 minutes.

4- In blender at low speed (with center part of lid removed), blend pear mixture in batches until smooth. Transfer to bowl; stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate soup at least four hours, or until very cold.

5- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle cream over the top as a garnish.