Consonants and Vowels...

As I go on my journey that is my life, I am inclined to write about experiences or feelings, share pics, recipes, ideas, oh just whatever may pop into my cluttered brain. Feel free to read and or share if you so desire...

Monday, January 5, 2009

Full Moon Cakes!!!!

Moon Cakes Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour - not self rising
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup shortening
½ cup milk
1 slightly beaten egg

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in shortning until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk and egg to form a soft dough. Round dough on a lightly floured cloth-covered board. Knead lightly about 30 seconds. Roll or pat out until dough is even ly spread aobut ¼ “ thick. Cut into moon shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.


These go great with a little wine, some fruity beer, or hot cider!!!! ;) Be careful, they burn easily!
I am going to make these this month and have the kids participate in the esbat!

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Monday, December 1, 2008

Traditional Swedish Pepparkakor


INGREDIENTS

* 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup



DIRECTIONS

1. Sift the flour together with the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat the butter together with the white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and corn syrup until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap tightly each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
4. Using 1 portion at a time, work on a floured surface and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered tins.

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Good Eats Roast Turkey - Alton Brown







Ingredients

  • 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 gallon vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
  • 1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
  • 1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:

  • 1 red apple, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 6 leaves sage
  • Canola oil

Directions

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.


** I make this turkey every year and it is absolutely the best turkey I have ever had. Juicy and full of flavor! I LOVE to cook so I will try to find some more really good recipes to share. How do you guys make your turkeys or tofurkeys as it nay be?

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Queen Cheeseball

A few weeks ago, we were talking about cheeseball recipes at work. I mentioned I make a decent one and a girl I work with started talking smack about my cheeseball and said her recipe would kick my recipe's ass... Very mature we are. ha. Anyway, I challenged her to a cheeseball cook off. We work on a dementia unit and I am always trying to find ways to trick my residents into eating so we made it a contest that the residents voted on! They tried both cheeseballs and then voted and then we invited all of the staff to vote as well.... I kicked her ass. I think the final tally was like 22-9... Here is the recipe I used.

Winner Cheeseball

2 bars cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp Cheez Whiz
1/4 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1 pkg Buddig Beef (Chip Beef) Chopped
about 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all together in mixer except pecans. Shape as desired and then cover with nuts... It is really good!

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