Category: Food

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Watermelon Granita

Oooohh–if you didn’t love us before today, it’s gonna happen now. Here is our lovely first attempt at Italian Ice, and what better flavor to start with than watermelon.

Dang.

The official name for this sweet thing is Watermelon Granita, and I must say–it’s positively the perfect thing for those hot August days, while gliding on a porch swing, or floating in the hammock…

either way.

Positively blissful I tell you.

You may even decide to throw a garden party…just because you can.

And so you should.

Watermelon Granita

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups water
6 cups cubed watermelon

Directions:

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Set it aside while you work on the melon. This part is fun. Cut the middle out of a watermelon unless that will make someone really mad. In that case–just cut out enough chunks to measure about 6 cups. Now, drop about 1/3 of the pieces in the blender at a time and pulse on low. We don’t want to grind up any seeds.

Pour it into a strainer and press out the juice. Discard all the pulp and seeds. Once you’ve finished you should have about 3 cups of beautiful, sparkling watermelon juice. Now, transfer it into an 8-in. square dish and stir in the hot sugar syrup. Let it cool to about room temperature then set it in the freezer for about an hour. Take it out and stir it into pieces with a fork. Now re-freeze for about 2-3 hours longer or until completely frozen, stirring every 30 minutes or so with a fork or metal spatula. Stir again just before spooning into dessert dishes. It should make about 8 luscious servings.

Make this…you’ll thank me.

I swear.

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Bruschetta

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a pretty little Italian appetizer that whips together in about 5 minutes tops and tastes all marvelous and fancy like you’re channeling Julia Child or something. And it’s quite likely you have the ingredients right there in your kitchen this very minute.

Lucky you…

Ingredients:

1 baguette French bread, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

——–
5 or 6 ripe Roma tomatoes diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tsp. dried, minced onion

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped–or 1/4 tsp dried Basil instead

3/4 cup  Mozzarella cheese, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Brush baguette slices with olive oil and toast in the oven on 350 for about 6-8 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients gently,  in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes. Serve on toasted bread.

Close your eyes and pretend you are in a beautiful Italian villa with someone you love…

who is very handsome.

Works for me.

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Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

If you have a glorious weakness for chocolate, and if you love the creamy flavor of malt, AND if you have any respect whatsoever for that fact that it is National Milk Chocolate Day…and how could you not?…then, my friends, these sweet little morsels are liable to just flip you around backwards in all their chocolaty loveliness. Pretty sure I ate them…all…by…myself. I suppose I should be ashamed. I’ll work on that…soon.

Milk Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1- 1/2    cups Bisquick® mix
3/4    cup sugar
1/3    cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4    c malted milk powder–plain or chocolate
2/3    cup milk
1/4    cup vegetable oil
1    teaspoon vanilla
2    eggs

Frosting
2    tablespoons malted milk powder–plain or chocolate
2    tablespoons milk
2    cups powdered sugar
1    tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4    cup butter, softened

1.    Heat oven to 357 F. Line 16 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spoon evenly into muffin cups.
2.    Bake about 15 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3.    In medium bowl, stir together malted milk powder and milk; let stand 5 minutes. Add remaining frosting ingredients; beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread frosting over cupcakes.

Happy National Milk Chocolate Day!
Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
 
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Ingredients
  • 1- ½ cups Bisquick® mix
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • ¼ c malted milk powder--plain or chocolate
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 357 F. Line 16 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spoon evenly into muffin cups.
  2. Bake about 15 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  3. In medium bowl, stir together malted milk powder and milk; let stand 5 minutes. Add remaining frosting ingredients; beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Spread frosting over cupcakes.
Notes
Frosting 2 tablespoons malted milk powder--plain or chocolate 2 tablespoons milk 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa ¼ cup butter, softened
 
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Muddy Buddies

I’ve recently been informed–by the male population of this household–that the Gracious Rain Recipe tab is highly deficient–in that it does not contain a certain recipe apparently most essential to the happiness, health and well being of said male population. duh.

Anything for you my darlings…

Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:

9    cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex
1    cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2    cup peanut butter
1/4    cup butter or margarine
1    teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2    cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
In 1-quart pan, slowly melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on low heat. stir until melted and mixed thoroughly and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake the wits out of it until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator–or just pour it in a bowl and watch the wolves converge. Ours lasted about an hour.

Seriously.

 

Muddy Buddies
 
Print
:
Ingredients
  • 9    cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex
  • 1    cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½    cup peanut butter
  • ¼    cup butter or margarine
  • 1    teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-1/2    cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
  2. In 1-quart pan, slowly melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on low heat. stir until melted and mixed thoroughly and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
  3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake the wits out of it until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

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Peanut Butter & Jelly “Sushi”

Tell the truth…

Have you ever, in your whole life–seen a kiddie snack this adorable?

No. I’m sure you certainly have not.

Come with me. I’ll show you how to make them yourself.

Start with the basics:

Bread

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Cream cheese

Squish the bread flat. This step gave me the perfect chance to use my cute little roller again.

Load 3 pastry bags with jelly, cream cheese, and peanut butter. That should keep things tidy.

Somewhere along the way, trim off one edge of the bread—I found that this really helps when you are pinching it all closed, at the end. As you’ll see in the pictures, I didn’t do it for some and it was harder to seal.

Pipe in a line of peanut butter…

and fold the bread down over it.

Now pipe a line of jelly…

and fold it over again.

Lastly, pipe a line of cream cheese and fold over one final time.

Be sure to pinch the “seam” together so that it will hold is cute little sushi shape. Cut in 3/4 to 1 inch segments with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. You may need to plump the little dears back into shape–but it will work.

Feel free to try other fillings, if you like. We tried a strawberry cream and look how adorable!!

They were a huge hit with the hobbits…

huge.

And just think…

you didn’t believe your kids would ever eat sushi!