a perfect fall day

Our fall welcome home party went off without a hitch, (despite the fact we were probably over capacity  in every room of the house!) and we were blessed with joyful fellowship and laughter. Some of the images from the event follow. The menu turned out to be perfect for an oversized crowd... We didn't get an official head count but are thinking at lease seventy people came and went over the course of the day's festivities. Thank you all for coming, bringing cards, gifts, smiles and hugs. We were overwhelmed with your love! It was a day for the record books.

fall+friends & family+ food= freakin awesome. 

menu & recipes:
pumpkin maple soup (i believe 6 pumpkins donated their lives for this hearty dish)
proscuitto wrapped pears & blue cheese bites
dark chocolate sea salted caramel krispies (these were addicting!)

Happy Muffins

These muffins are packed with vitamins, protein and are just so healthy but don’t taste it – if you know what I mean. Adapted from a blog here- I added a few more health nut treats. They are packed with flavor, texture even I really want to go back for another (trying to restrain myself)! The kids have no idea how much good protein, vitamins & fiber are packed in these “Cupcake Muffins”. Just don’t forget the happy sprinkles!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of cooked quinoa (I cooked a batch with 1:1 ratio of apple juice and water for sweetness)
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
3/4 cup of a flour (I only use King Arthur)
1/4 cup of wheat germ
1/4 cup of gluten free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill blend)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                   1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tbsp Chia omega oil
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil, at room temperature
1/2 cup of Chobani vanilla or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract                                                                                                                 ¼ cup agave syrup 
2 eggs, room temperature                                                                                                                     ½ cup peanut butter                                                                                                                                1 mashed banana

1/3 cup of old fashioned oats
1 cup of blueberries (frozen or fresh- I used frozen)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your muffin pans with liners or spray with baking spray.  Set aside.

In your stand mixer, paddle attached, mix quinoa, brown sugar, flours, salt and soda – blend.  In a separate bowl, blend the coconut oil, banana, Chia oil, agave, Chobani, vanilla and eggs.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend without over-mixing.  Then add the oats and blend.  By hand, blend in the blueberries gently.

Fill your muffin cups 3/4 of the way, top with happy sprinkles to make the kids think they are a special treat and bake for 20-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool and enjoy!

Can you believe this dry quinoa was made into the delicious  muffins?

Don't forget the sprinkles!

Atlantic Beach Pie

Saw this posted on NPR's Found Recipes this morning and my mouth is watering. Will make this for our next community group dinner. YUM. (wonder what would happen if I added a small amount of cream cheese to the filling? hmmm...)

Recipe: Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie

This is a newer version of a pie that is commonly served at seafood restaurants on the North Carolina coast. Chef Bill Smith has been serving it at Crook's Corner and at special events for about a year. He calls it the easiest recipe in the world.

Makes one pie

For the crust:

1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers

1/3 to 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a mix of the two

Fresh whipped cream and coarse sea salt for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 8 inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust colors a little.

While the crust is cooling (it doesn't need to be cold), beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It is important to completely combine these ingredients. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

mamma said there'd be days like these

have you ever watched someone else's kids and found yourself to be on your best behavior with them AND your own? suddenly you are creative, patient and even cut up carrot sticks just so. If not, this post might still make sense... even though i didn't tell the whole facebook world today what a good mom i am (just telling the whole blogosphere) i did have the urge to update my status during each bonding moment. because today it was if i had a supervisor or other little kids making sure i was on my best "mom game". i didn't have any visitors, but i totally brought it. (if i do say so myself)

pinterest "goo" recipe of cornstarch and dish soap! so great and a "clean" mess!

today i was the mom i always envisioned myself to be. life and sin gets in the way and usually i feel like i am carrying around a 100lb weight of guilt for all the "mommy things" i am not doing. well, someone should have been secretly video recording my day (and this day only) because I was all the things i hope to ever be to my little ones: patient, spontaneous, tickle-loving, hide-and-seek-playing, soccer ball kicking, devotional reading, cookie baking, craft making BOMB!

the reason i write all of this is not to show YOU or myself "see, was that so hard?" and feel the standard and pressure to live up to each day with my children to be super mom, but to remind myself that just like my bad days, i have good ones, too. Lord willing, these memories will outweigh the ones where i let them watch Curious George one too many times, give endless refills of goldfish, or I want to bake (or just simply do anything) alone.

today, God gave me a gift to be present with them and tend to their little hearts. tomorrow, i pray, i will have the same reserves and patience, but i am only human. thank you God, for loving me and speaking to my heart. (today's children's devo in Big Truths for Little Kids was on Samuel and the little boy who heard God's voice. )

P.S. the day still isn't over, so i am totally humble and praying that the other shoe could drop right in my face and all this mojo would be over. if that's the case, i will celebrate the little victories.

Berry Rhubarb Hand Pies

Make Pate Brisee and add fresh rosemary
Mix strawberries & raspberries with 1/4c cornstarch&flour mixture, 1tsp salt, 5tbsp sugar. Roll out dough. Cut into squares with pastry cutter, fill center with mixture, fold over and crimp with fork. Brush with egg wash and sanding sugar. Bake @ 375 until golden.

Enjoy summer's goodness!
( I actually made these to sell at our family's garage sale for buyers to snack on while perusing!)

bakery noveau in west seattle

Bakery Noveau

While their acclaim is widely known via Sunset Magazine, Seattle Magazine, and many more, their delicacies still wow me every time I enter through their narrow doors. There is such an offering of goodies for your eyes to feast on; from pastel colored Macarons, an array of savory & succulent sandwiches, little cakes and tarts fit for a queen or Alice in Wonderland, and lastly, flaky croissants and pastries reminiscent of Paris' specialties. You must go and love it. Even my kids clamor to line up and drool over little treats and they devoured the Niçoise olive tuna sandwich and pizza by the slice.

I am hungry just describing it!

Best Dough Ever

Hello Bakers!
I know the pinnacle of baking season is at its close, but a friend asked me for my version of the *best* piecrust recipe. Since it seems like this is next to the quest for the fountain of youth, I decided to copy my reply email to share with you all. (And also as a one-stop resource for me in the future to remember which one I liked best for the specific pie.) These are just for the basic pie dough. There is one missing and that is the cream cheese crust that you might use for a savory pie, like my husband's favorite Turkey Apple Sausage pie. I can update you later for that one.

There are two(ok 3) piecrust recipies I heavily reccomend:

• #1: Alan's Pie Crust
   The best in my opinion is for a double crust and I love the flavor:

• 
  #2: Baked Shell
  This next one is great for "blind baking"- like when you make a single crust for a custard pie and the small amount of vegetable shortening really helps it hold up during the baking process. Just remember to follow all the directions in regards to freezing the piecrust before baking and placing parchment paper inside with beans or pieweights so it doesn't puff up. It sounds like a lot but its totally worth it.

• #3:Pate Brisee
  Lastly, there is always Julia Childs' and Martha Stewart's pâte brisée, which is a lot of butter and so good if you baby it- ie. cold water, cold butter, very little manipuilation. I used to do this one all the time until I discovered the #1 recipe from BHG where it uses sour cream and vinegar.

Sorry if I gave you too much! I know its a simple question, but it rings dear to my heart as I am always on the lookout for the BEST piecrust, too!

Also, I haven't read it yet, but this might be a great resource for all of our pie needs!

pesto parmesan swirl bread

in anacortes, near my mom's old dress shop, we used to stop at an italian restaurant on the way home to get some ooey gooey pesto parmesan bread to take home. usually only half made it there, but i've never forgotten that savory treat. if you want the recipe, please just ask.

after going through the whole dough making & punching process, slather, i mean SLATHER with basil pesto

then give a hearty blanket of freshly shaved parmesan inside and on top when rolled

voila!

i also made cinnamon, pecan & orange swirl, but that's more conventional:

Crafts for Poor People

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

For someone who cracks me up, yet leaves me wondering just how off her rocker she is, her new book, “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People,”  seems to hit home more than i'd like to admit. She did a little interview on PBS where she is asked what rich people craft like- while she didn't come up with a solid answer, she was full of hokey ideas for "poor people". Although its a little (or lot, you judge) satirical it also has much truth in it. Why else would there be such an inundation of "craft blogs" out there? Well, it resonated with me all too much this Christmas as there is less than a week left before D-Day and I still have 5 projects left to finish. New ones keep popping in my head every minute. (Including making a linen closet door before the guests arrive on Saturday. That brainstorm resulted in a google search: "painting plywood")

My final point on this subject of humble creativity? How do you know you are a poor crafter? Answer: The finished "vintage inspired" result bought at Target is just too expensive.

sugar sugar

we made sugar cookies the other day and decorated with meringue frosting. i had a hard time letting go and relinquishing control to my 3 year old when decorating. but after frosting and sprinking a few, he was more interested in eating rather than the work. yay! we got the best of both worlds- i could add my "finishing touches" and reed was able to be involved without me grabbing the piping bag from him each time.

we made this dough from the martha stewart "cookie" issue for sugar cutouts. recipe here. i am also big into versatile doughs- where you can make many "different" cookies from one dough- hence the addition of thumbprints below.

*just double the sugar cookie batch* roll some into little balls* dip in beaten egg yolk*  roll in chopped pecans* then squish a little chocolate disc or jam into the center... voila!*

 

here's the little treat bag for our friends and neighbors

serenity brownies. its not just about baking.

i sit here still licking the last of the batter off the spoon like i did when i was little. waiting as the windstorm's force is threatening to call off this whole brownie making process and make me sit in the dark with a bowl of half melted chocolate and a belly aching for ooey gooey goodness. but, i think i might be safe. with the brownies in their right place (in a 350 degree oven nestled in a perfect cradle of parchment paper and pyrex) and the smells wafting, i think i accomplished my goal. true, the obvious eventual goal is to indulge a late night craving of double chocolate heaven, but as is the joy of baking for me most of the time is that i was able to... go away. some may call it their "happy place", some refer to it as "me time"... whatever it may be to you, it was a place where bills & budget spreadsheets dared not enter, a place where little fingers were not licking every surface that they may think would be sugar (but they wind up dissapointed, but not detered when they find its only baking soda) and a place where i can just be. my mind thinks about the texture of the pecans, the velvety river, no- placid lake of butter and semisweet baking chips melting into eachother and the beautiful way that dark cocoa powder incorporates with stark white flour. made me think about whipping cream with cocoa powder in it- taking it from plain to rich. "hmmm... i think i will make a double chocolate cream pie- complete with chocolate whipping cream for our church's agape feast..." anyway, back to my serenity brownies. i kept thinking about that during the baking process- what movie is that from: "serenity now."? well, i found it. with the timer due to beep in just a few mins, i finally found what i was looking for at the end of a long day. where i used to pick up a paint brush to a canvas to escape to a thoughtful place, now, my tools are a bit more readily available in short small windows now that i am a mom to two precious little ones. a kitchen aid, some quality baking chocolate and lots and lots of butter (yes, Julia, you are so right) i am free to make a creation even if it won't last till morning.

*here's the recipe. i added pecans instead of walnuts and 1tsp of instant espresso powder to enhance the wonderful cocoa taste. enjoy, and hopefully you can tap into your "happy place" whether in eating them, or making them.

have you ever heard of these things?

hermit bars- supposedly very versatile and good keepers for long voyages way back when. around here, they'll get eaten in a few seconds if my 3 year old has anything to do with it, but its still nice to know that you can tuck some away.

i made some modifications to the recipe below by omitting rasins and ginger and adding 2tsp instant espresso coffee (in ode to my Betty Crocker's recipe using 1/4c. cold coffee), 1/2c.semi sweet choc chips, 1/3c. chopped pecans and 1/3 c. crasins. oh, and decorate with turbinado sugar after molding logs. happy baking!

i call these "fall in a bar"

Hermit Bars

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda


2 teaspoons ground ginger


1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature


1 cup loosely packed light-brown sugar


1 large egg, room temperature


1/4 cup unsulfured molasses


3/4 cup raisins


Directions


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.


2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl once. Add molasses; beat until combined, and scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour mixture and raisins; beat on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator to chill 30 minutes.


3.Remove dough from refrigerator, and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a 12-inch log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart.


4.Place in oven, and bake until logs are golden but still very soft to the touch, 20 to 22 minutes. The logs will flatten out and lengthen as they bake and get slightly puffy in the center. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice logs into 1-inch-wide bars. Hermit bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.