Category: Food

Posted on

Carrot Patch Cupcakes

While everyone is out planting their real gardens around here, I must confess that I’ve been working on a few “seedlings” of my own. Heh, heh, heh. Aren’t these the cutest little garden cupcakes you’ve ever seen? And such a painless way to get a few more–ahem–vegetables into your system. Baaaa!

Start with fruity Mike and Ikes. I picked several kinds to make sure I had plenty of orange ones.

Plus all the leftovers didn’t hurt my feelings any either.  :}

I’d never seen Rips Whips before, and I tore them out of the bag before getting a picture. Essentially, they are skinny, little multicolored licorice strings. You’ll be using the green ones–so go ahead and eat the rest.

First just take a paring knife and make a tiny cut clear through the top of each little orange candy.

Now, cut the green licorice into one inch pieces. Then with scissors or a knife cut through the top of the licorice about half way down the piece so it looks like greenery.

Next, gently pinch the sides of the orange candy to open the cut up just a bit. Don’t get too rambunctious with this step or you’ll crack the outsides and make them ugly. Then, well, you’ll have to eat them.

Now poke the green stems into the top of your carrot. I used the tip of a knife to set it in–that worked the best for me.

Carefully squeeze your carrot closed a bit around the green top.

Oh, just look at your little harvest! Aren’t they adorable?!

All that’s left to do now is to “plant” your little candy carrots into your favorite patch…I mean batch of chocolate cupcakes. These sweet things–along with a tall glass of ice water–will make a fine reward for all those little backyard farmers coming in from a long day with the rototiller. Wouldn’t you say?

Oh, I do so love Spring!

Posted on

Wicked Buttermilk Syrup

Last week, in the French Toast post, I casually mentioned “…serve with Buttermilk Syrup.”

I assumed that there were others on the earth, like me, that would actually lick the plate clean of every last drop of this glorious, syrup of the gods. And that’s only because I haven’t figured out how to hook it up intravenously. Little did I know that apparently everyone doesn’t have Buttermilk Syrup sitting around in a jeweled flask–oh, the shame.

In fact, some folks have never even heard of it. Yikes.

That will be corrected this very minute.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp corn syrup

2 tsp baking soda

1 -1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

*Note: You will need a large pot for this recipe–bigger than you think. The baking soda will cause it to foam more than twice it’s original volume…so be ready.

In a large pot combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and add baking soda and allow it to bubble up. Add the vanilla and stir. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Serve on pancakes, waffles, French Toast or scones.

Or just hook up an IV.

Either way.

5.0 from 3 reviews
Wicked Buttermilk Syrup
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp corn syrup
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 -1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. In a large pot combine butter, sugar, buttermilk and corn syrup and bring to a boil.
  2. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add baking soda and allow it to bubble up.
  4. Add the vanilla and stir.
  5. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
  6. Serve on pancakes, waffles, French Toast or scones.
Notes
*Note: You will need a large pot for this recipe--bigger than you think. The baking soda will cause it to foam more than twice it's original volume...so be ready.
Posted on

Luscious Cinnamon French Toast

When I was a kid, we didn’t do a lot of sleepovers–mostly because we lived in a shady part of town and nobody actually wanted to drive through it, never mind sleep in it. But now and then, we would spend the night with a close friend or relative. Sadly, I earned the reputation of being a runaway and never really lasting the evening without either calling for my mom to pick me up or running home after everyone else fell asleep.

Yeah, I was a pain.

Some of my anxiety came from being a home-body and getting genuinely homesick, but a lot of it came from worrying about…

breakfast.

I’d had a couple of near-death experiences with some dear friends whose moms made gooey French Toast, eggs over easy or sunny-side up,—which in my vocabulary all meant…raw. We never ate them that way at home and it would always totally freak me out. Oh, I wasn’t a jerk about it or anything, but I was so afraid that I’d betray the fact that uncooked eggs made me gag, and in a sincere desire to not be offensive, I’d lay awake long after everyone else was asleep worrying about it. Then, sometime in the wee hours, I’d claw my way home…figuratively speaking. With that set up—

Over the years, it’s been fun to find and tweak some of the best egg recipes in the universe so that they fit the persnickety egg tastes of my little family. Yes…yes, I passed my raw-ish egg phobia lovingly on to my children. I couldn’t help it. Anyway, we’re particularly proud of our luscious, moist-but-totally-not-raw-or-gooey-inside Cinnamon French Toast. A big key to it’s loveliness lies is the fact that it’s made with 100% whole wheat bread–the rest is probably just, you know, magic.

Heh, heh.

Cinnamon French Toast

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
dash salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cinnamon

12 slices whole wheat bread

Directions:

Whirl everything–except the bread–in the blender until frothy–about 15 seconds. Pour into a low, squatty bowl. Heat griddle and coat with a thin layer of butter.

Place bread slices, one at a time, into the egg mixture for about 2 seconds, then turn the bread over to lightly soak the other side–for 2 seconds.

Remove bread and heat slowly on griddle, until bottom is golden brown, then turn and brown the other side. Remove and stagger-stack on a paper plate–which helps it not “sweat” while waiting to be served. Butter each cooked slice while the new batch is on the griddle. Serve with Buttermilk Syrup to an adoring family.

Store any leftovers in a ziploc bag and reheat in the toaster.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Luscious Cinnamon French Toast
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • dash salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cinnamon
  • 12 slices whole wheat bread
Instructions
  1. Whirl everything--except the bread--in the blender until frothy--about 15 seconds.
  2. Pour into a low, squatty bowl.
  3. Heat griddle and coat with a thin layer of butter.
  4. Place bread slices, one at a time, into the egg mixture for about 2 seconds, then turn the bread over to lightly soak the other side--for 2 seconds.
  5. Remove bread and heat slowly on griddle, until bottom is golden brown, then turn and brown the other side.
  6. Remove and stagger-stack on a paper plate--which helps it not "sweat" while waiting to be served.
  7. Butter each cooked slice while the new batch is on the griddle. Serve with Buttermilk Syrup.
  8. Store any leftovers in a ziploc bag and reheat in the toaster.
Posted on

Strawberry Crepes

For years now–I have mercilessly taunted you with our Conference crepes without posting the recipe. Sincerely, the only reason for it is that every single time we’ve made them, everybody was so wrapped up in eating them, that we never got a decent picture. Well, not one without strawberry sauce and whipped cream flying all over the place, that is.

Dignity friends…dignity.

This year I was committed to holding the camera steady and snapping BEFORE I allowed myself to touch them. Luckily, the first shot worked cause that was the only chance we got. Then the feeding frenzy began…

Basic Crepes

Ingredients:

2 eggs–beaten

1-1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and beat on medium until well blended. Heat a lightly greased skillet. Spoon a scant 1/4 cup batter into pan and remove from heat. Tilt pan to spread batter evenly into a circle. Return to heat and brown on one side only. Allow to cool on paper towel or plate. Continue on with the rest of the batter.

Fruit Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, peaches, raspberries or blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

If using frozen fruit, thaw it out and do not drain. Whirl 1/2 of the fruit in a blender.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add whole fruit and blended fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Allow to boil about 2 minutes more. Cool.

While fruit sauce cools, spread about 1-2 Tbsps cream cheese down the middle of each crepe. Add about 3 Tbsps fruit mixture down the middle of crepe and roll. Serve with a few generous spoonfuls of sauce poured over the top and garnish with whipped cream…if you want.

But that goes without saying.

Strawberry Crepes
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs--beaten
  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients and beat on medium until well blended.
  2. Heat a lightly greased skillet.
  3. Spoon a scant ¼ cup batter into pan and remove from heat.
  4. Tilt pan to spread batter evenly into a circle.
  5. Return to heat and brown on one side only.
  6. Allow to cool on paper towel or plate.
  7. Continue on with the rest of the batter.
  8. Make fruit sauce.
  9. While fruit sauce cools, spread about 1-2 Tbsps cream cheese down the middle of each crepe.
  10. Add about 3 Tbsps fruit mixture down the middle of crepe and roll. Serve with a few generous spoonfuls of sauce poured over the top and garnish with whipped cream.
Notes
Fruit Sauce Ingredients: 3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, peaches, raspberries or blueberries ⅓ cup sugar 1 tsp cornstarch Directions: If using frozen fruit, thaw it out and do not drain. Whirl ½ of the fruit in a blender. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add fruit and blended fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Allow to boil about 2 minutes more. Cool.

Posted on

Cheese Ball Carrots

Around here there are a ton of people that we love to give things too–especially if there’s a reason to do it…you know, like a holiday or something. Friends, neighbors, daughters, sons, sweet little grand-babies–they’re all in desperate need of some cute little Cheeto Carrot love–don’t-cha think? I so agree.

I could have used the carrot shaped cello bags that are kicking around now, but I worried that they’d be too small to hold a decent amount of Cheetos. One should NOT be stingy with Cheetos, after all. So, I used 12″ disposable icing bags instead. We’ll have a million left, but I’m sure they’ll be used for another noble cause. Heh…

They were the perfect size.

Had a small struggle finding actual Cheeto Balls. Heaven knows there are every other shape in the world right now, just not round. We found these at Wal-mart–finally, finally.

Again I say they were…perfect!

Last of all we used two strands of green curly ribbon for the carrot tops. As you can see, they are fabulous. Just waiting for a sweet little Easter tag and off they’ll go to their new homes to spread joy and happiness…

as only a Cheeto can.

Baaa-hahaha!