tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81555287438753445932024-02-19T03:01:42.696-06:00Untwisted: From Garden to DishUntwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-3194883054909442812013-05-08T19:25:00.000-05:002013-05-08T19:25:00.363-05:00Untwisted Garden: Spring Hasn't Quite SprungWe've had one of the coolest Springs on record. Just as our magnolia tree was about to burst, it snowed again. The poor blossoms froze on the tree, then slightly opened and turned brown. They are still just hanging there in brown rotten lumps. Ugh.<br />
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Even though Spring has been cool, we have been getting some rain and some of my herbs from last year are making a comeback.<br />
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Looks like I will have lots of parsley again this year.</div>
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Just before Christmas, I bought myself a new camera. I've been so busy with work that I haven't had much time to play with it. This weekend I decided to take some time off and try photographing some of the birds and other critters in our backyard.</div>
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The poor cardinal has been hanging out in our yard for more than a week. He's looking for a mate and sings and sings. So far, no takers. Maybe the rotten magnolia blossoms are a turnoff. I'm starting to feel sorry for him.</div>
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Maybe he will have more luck in the lilac bushes. They should start blooming soon. </div>
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See him there in the upper left corner? I caught him just as he took off. No doubt on his way back to the magnolia.<br />
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We also have some rabbits. Last weekend there was a mother and two babies. This weekend just one baby. I'm hoping nothing happened to the others and they have intentionally separated. He looks like he is getting pretty big.</div>
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He spends most of his time by our shed or woodpile. If I get too close, he zips into this convenient hole.<br />
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Do you think I can train him to eat the clover and creeping charlie out of the lawn? Despite last year's drought, the lawn actually looks great in the backyard. I think I'll try the corn gluten as a pre-emergent again this year. It won't get rid of the clover and creeping charlie, but maybe it will keep down the crabgrass.<br />
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Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-2727721391040688742013-05-05T16:41:00.001-05:002013-05-05T16:41:59.484-05:00The Cat in the HatsIt's been freaking cold here. We had snow AGAIN last week. I haven't done a thing in the garden, but I'm glad we are getting some much needed moisture.<br />
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I did buy a couple of new hats at Target for summer gardening and an upcoming trip we have to the beach. Guess who decided she had to try them on. . . <br />
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She was convinced that she could curl up in the crown. <br />
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And then she proceeding to kick the crap out of the tan one.<br />
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Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-68256395997153570542012-12-31T18:27:00.000-06:002012-12-31T18:27:00.224-06:00Untwisted Dish: Kringle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband is of Norwegian descent. When I met him, I intrigued by the Scandinavian foods his family typically had at holidays. Things like Lefse and Krumkake. Sadly, his Mom passed away a couple of years after we were married. Some of her recipes just seem to be lost. They aren't in her recipe box. Maybe they were in her head, or maybe she used a recipe from the community cookbook. But which recipe?<br />
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My husband has been telling me about these rolls, called Kringle (pronounced Kringla). They are flavored with anise, and are figure-eight shaped. His Mom used to make them, but I never had the pleasure of trying them. <br />
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The community cookbook has EIGHT different recipes for Kringle. I have a love/hate relationship with this cookbook. It has all sorts of recipes for hotdish and Scandinavian specialties, and great things to take to potlucks. But there are very few instructions. These recipes always assume that you have some basic knowledge of how the dish is put together. Sometimes it's just a list of ingredients, or helpful instructions like "Flour enough so you can roll them in to Kringle shape". What? I don't even know what Kringle shape is. So when picking a recipe, I usually ask my husband, "Do you know Mrs. Suchandsuch?" or "Who is a better cook: Mrs. Blahdeblah or Mrs. Whatsherbutt?" <br />
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The Kringle recipes vary greatly. Some call for yeast. Others use baking powder. Some have buttermilk or sour cream. Some call for anise and others don't. One has nutmeg. How does one choose?<br />
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Because I was getting nowhere with the community cookbook, I started just browsing online. I found this <a href="http://www.heatherwhitney.com/index.php/2009/08/20/norwegian-kringla/">recipe </a>from Heather Whitney that had descent instructions, and photos to boot. Perfect for for Kringle novice. The only problem I found with Heather's recipe is that it doesn't call for salt, and I didn't catch it until it was too late. Perhaps she used salted butter and that was sufficient. I, on the other hand, used unsalted butter. I think a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon added salt is a necessary addition.<br />
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<b>The Ingredients</b><br />
2 packages active dry yeast<br />
1/2 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 F)<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt <br />
1/2 cup softened butter <br />
1 cup half and half<br />
1 tablespoon anise seeds, crushed (just put them in a baggie and use a mallet if you don't have a mortar and pestle.)<br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
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1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let stand about five minutes, until the yeast foams.<br />
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2. Add the rest of the sugar, the butter, salt, half and half, crushed anise seed, and eggs. Beat well.<br />
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3. Add the flour, one cup at a time. Beat well until the mixture is smooth and satiny.<br />
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4. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours (up to 24 hours).<br />
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5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Take globs of dough that are about the size of a large, unshelled walnut. Flour your surface and hands and gently roll into a skinny log, about eight inches long.<br />
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6. Twist the logs into figure-eight shapes, tucking the ends underneath, and place on the baking sheet.<br />
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7. Let the Kringle rise on the baking sheets for one hour.<br />
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8. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.<br />
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9. Brush with melted butter if desired.<br />
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These were really good! My husband didn't think they were quite as anisey as his Mom's. Perhaps she used some anise extract as well. I personally liked the subtle flavor. Served warm, they were soft and doughy. When cooled, the anise flavor seemed to come out even more.<br />
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We hosted my family this Christmas and we devoured these at our pseudo Scandinavian themed Christmas dinner that included Swedish meatballs and Swedish potato sausage. They were a hit with my family too.<br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-72615409439512417382012-12-30T14:09:00.000-06:002012-12-30T14:09:43.404-06:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSw8fDuLMNnG8ULD5ZjcUnT1-x5iGMjKb6Tltr45vT8dg8e8a9dyJbrut5tm076y3MmvqWfOBWoTJa55EF43GqhuQOoI6E3pghYhhD6OATvJynYxKpqb9lAeFpN-N1LZzb-N9EHbXhTY/s1600/DSC_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSw8fDuLMNnG8ULD5ZjcUnT1-x5iGMjKb6Tltr45vT8dg8e8a9dyJbrut5tm076y3MmvqWfOBWoTJa55EF43GqhuQOoI6E3pghYhhD6OATvJynYxKpqb9lAeFpN-N1LZzb-N9EHbXhTY/s1600/DSC_0173.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas breakfast: raspberries and cream, Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs, and <a href="http://untwisteddish.blogspot.com/2011/12/untwisted-dish-christmas-bread.html">Christmas stollen </a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBjPLDbnlQIWMQ3YgXHn1wFEWzAXzy9gE_WtUwew3zZZ51c-625Xle5rIP4elcFt1t26rz9_BeWNR93_QanOAy_H9vAotemDQOHMXZvqgBwF8puY82a_iJ61CYGfZ0Y_jIhHQ-1f6ryU/s1600/DSC_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBjPLDbnlQIWMQ3YgXHn1wFEWzAXzy9gE_WtUwew3zZZ51c-625Xle5rIP4elcFt1t26rz9_BeWNR93_QanOAy_H9vAotemDQOHMXZvqgBwF8puY82a_iJ61CYGfZ0Y_jIhHQ-1f6ryU/s1600/DSC_0115.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gooey filling for the <a href="http://untwisteddish.blogspot.com/2011/12/untwisted-dish-split-levels-aka-best.html">Split Levels</a> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-QZ9ht3DFFNVKWrKjfmfnby605kl1a2iU9wQQCTOMEL4Negt3b7AP0Wy6pYHOeqov9sc3YKXSZWv2rBSh7Vn7HplOgybJTnKsIoAMStakICYm-vl_YWami4wQF1LgxdKt-Gv313vruk/s1600/DSC_0195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-QZ9ht3DFFNVKWrKjfmfnby605kl1a2iU9wQQCTOMEL4Negt3b7AP0Wy6pYHOeqov9sc3YKXSZWv2rBSh7Vn7HplOgybJTnKsIoAMStakICYm-vl_YWami4wQF1LgxdKt-Gv313vruk/s1600/DSC_0195.JPG" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwegian Kringle (recipe will be coming soon)</td></tr>
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Wishing you all many blessings in the New Year!<br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-15570416220023834712012-12-15T20:58:00.000-06:002012-12-15T20:58:30.844-06:00Untwisted Dish:Ottolenghi's Spice Cookies <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's December 15th. I still have Thanksgiving decorations on the table. I don't have a tree up. I haven't sent out cards. As you can tell, I'm waaaaaay behind. But we do have chocolate spice cookies, or we did, and I wish we had more. <br />
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I found this <a href="http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2012/12/ottolenghis-spice-cookies.html">recipe</a> for Ottolenghi's Spice Cookies on Pinterest via The Wednesday Chef, and thought the mix of spice, citrus, and dark chocolate sounded intriguing. This is my first attempt at baking this holiday season, and the only reason I made the time to bake these cookies was because I needed something for a work potluck. Yes, "work" is monopolizing my time.<br />
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The recipe comes from <u>Jerusalem:</u> <u>A Cookbook</u> byYotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, and after tasting these cookies I promptly added it to my Amazon Wish List. Santa, if you're a reader of obscure blogs and are reading this, it would sure make a nice Christmas gift.<br />
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The recipe calls for currents, soaked in brandy. I had neither on hand, so those ingredients were eliminated. I added in some water instead to help bring the dough together. <br />
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I also added a lot more lemon juice to the glaze than the recipe calls for. I think a more tart glaze complimented the cookies well. I also felt that 1 cup of powdered sugar made way too much glaze. I'd recommend starting with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, adding the lemon juice and adjusting the sweetness and citrus to your liking. <br />
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The original recipe also calls for candied citrus peel. I decided to go with candied ginger as this was something I had on hand. I liked the extra zing that the ginger brought to the cookie.<br />
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The recipe also suggests making large 5 ounce cookies. I decided to make smaller balls, so the recipe would go a little farther at my potluck. Big or small, these cookies are tasty!<br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
Scant 2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon <br />
1/2 teaspoon allspice<br />
1/2 teaspoon ginger<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely grated (I used a 86% variety that is extra dark and yummy)<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />2/3 cup sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest<br />1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest<br />1/2 large egg (yes, that's correct only half an egg)<br />
2 tablespoons water <br />small slices of candied ginger<br />
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<strong>Glaze:</strong><br />3 tablespoons lemon juice<br />1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />
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(adjust sugar and lemon juice as needed)<br />
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1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and grated dark chocolate. Note- this takes a lot of grating if you are doing it by hand. You'll get a work-out!<br />
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2. In a mixer, beat the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and orange zest to combine (for about 1 minute). <br />
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3. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg and two tablespoons water (or brandy if you prefer), and mix for about 1 minute. <br />
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4. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until everything starts to come together. Note- this is a really dry dough.<br />
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5. Gently knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it is uniform. Roll the dough into round balls. <br />
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6. Place the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, at least 1" apart. <br />
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7. Place the baking sheets in the fridge for at least 1 hour.<br />
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8. Make the glaze. Add more lemon juice or powdered sugar to your liking. The consistency needs to be runny so it can be easily spooned over the cookies.<br />
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9. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until the tops are firm and crack a little. The centers will still be soft. <br />
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10. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. <br />
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11. Spoon the glaze over the top while the cookies are still warm. Immediately add the candied ginger pieces as the glaze will act as glue. You can spoon a little glaze over the top of the ginger as well.<br />
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Make these now! Santa, or your coworkers, will thank you.<br />
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Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-79590869234675939762012-11-29T13:00:00.000-06:002012-11-29T13:00:06.783-06:00Untwisted Dish: Rosemary Turkey Chowder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, I roasted a whole turkey for two people on Thanksgiving. It was good, and we ate A LOT. But my main motivation for making the turkey was soup. Lots and lots of soup. Winter is coming and you know that means that one of us is going to get sick at some point. The sicky will want soup and the non-sicky will be forced to run to the nearest grocery store (mostly likely the depressing and overpriced Sunmart) to find some hideous canned concoction. It will be sooooo disappointing. <br />
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So, I made soup. Lots of basic turkey noodle with veggies, which suits me just fine. I also decided to try something new, based on this <a href="http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2012/10/rosemary-chicken-chowder-with-white-beans.html">recipe</a> for a rosemary chicken chowder from Goodlife Eats.<br />
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First, I broke down the bird and made a basic stock with celery and carrots (I am off onions at the moment-sad but true). When I announced it was time to "break it down", there was some spontaneous Hammer dancing in the kitchen. Although, we couldn't remember many other words to "Can't Touch This". <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rRK-1iNJ7kUJ4fQyVr0rR7ro01-1Qndyw42vHnZ6KVbJ_8VqPMAzyXIbWvqFCFvSWxVUUItW5rb5IkiYZbgdpxaKlvHJ9IXQNEn14USkyildQ1IaX_QCvjMKNdercl20t-HPg_RU30/s1600/DSC_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rRK-1iNJ7kUJ4fQyVr0rR7ro01-1Qndyw42vHnZ6KVbJ_8VqPMAzyXIbWvqFCFvSWxVUUItW5rb5IkiYZbgdpxaKlvHJ9IXQNEn14USkyildQ1IaX_QCvjMKNdercl20t-HPg_RU30/s320/DSC_0067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm Carcassy</td></tr>
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Once Hammer Time was over and the stock was done, I added some rosemary from the garden, turkey, cannellini beans, spinach and a few other ingredients to create this flavorful twist on turkey soup. <br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
6 cups broth<br />
2 large sprigs of rosemary<br />
2 large potatoes, cut into cubes<br />
1/2 cup celery, chopped<br />
1/2 cup carrots, chopped<br />
2 cups or so of cooked, chopped turkey<br />
1/3 cup flour<br />
2 cups milk<br />
2 to 3 ounces cream cheese<br />
1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br />
salt and pepper or to taste<br />
2 to 3 ounces of chopped spinach<br />
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(onion and garlic would make a nice addition and are included in the original recipe. I omitted them for my own intolerances and added some celery and carrots to hopefully boost up the flavor) <br />
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1. In a large pot, add two sprigs rosemary, and chopped potatoes to 6 cups broth and bring to a boil.<br />
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2. Add the turkey. Turn down the heat, so that it is simmering and cook for about 30 minutes.<br />
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3. Add the flour to the milk, and add the milk concoction to the broth.<br />
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4. Add the beans and cream cheese. Turn the heat up if needed to bring it back to a boil, and then lower the heat so it maintains a simmer.<br />
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5. Cook until the potatoes are tender.<br />
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6. Add the spinach, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes more. <br />
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7. Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving.<br />
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Mission accomplished. Freezer is well stocked. I don't know how long it will stay that way, though. Soup is pretty good. Even when you aren't sick.Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-53229120202435821792012-11-24T19:01:00.000-06:002012-11-24T19:01:01.822-06:00Untwisted Dish: Pulled Turkey Sandwiches with Carrot and Apple Slaw<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB83TloloZQ3Okot7tiNGfKuq3aWp6gO_Gr024xrV6sUJQNl23koLFfQYfBS8RefV8pU7VJr8kUE6mscEefo-P-fDCvW4i7K-3W4RHo-AIaRayJd61Lf4mMDtlFGITrofY3r_EPxJk3GM/s1600/DSC_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB83TloloZQ3Okot7tiNGfKuq3aWp6gO_Gr024xrV6sUJQNl23koLFfQYfBS8RefV8pU7VJr8kUE6mscEefo-P-fDCvW4i7K-3W4RHo-AIaRayJd61Lf4mMDtlFGITrofY3r_EPxJk3GM/s320/DSC_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Turkey day three. Are you ready to mix it up a little? We are. I'm not quite ready to make a massive amount of soup, although that's definitely on tomorrow's To-Do list. I'm also definitely not ready to make a trip to the grocery store, so I'm making do with what we've got in the fridge and pantry: bottled bbq sauce, carrots, apple, lime. Thus, a quick and easy twist on pulled pork sandwiches with slaw was born.<br />
<br />
The slaw was inspired from this <a href="http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Carrot_-Cabbage_-And-Apple-Slaw-With-Cumin-Lime-Dressing-My-Recipes?columns=3http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Carrot_-Cabbage_-And-Apple-Slaw-With-Cumin-Lime-Dressing-My-Recipes?columns=3">recipe</a> and has a cumin-lime marinade. If I'd had some cabbage in the fridge, I would have definitely added that to the mix. I added extra lime, and let everything marinate for a few hours. This made a pretty liquidy concoction, so you'll need to drain it a bit before adding to the sandwiches. This slaw should make enough for at least four sandwiches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvR51JyUbtl2EfCrpkWRBN_nH0WtXa_DpWIKU-ApZVgJ4luy3d9MdJyOLghx4yy01tPa-YXfTwpJfMxDednGAUehVBEnX8iufqYa2c-EGYC1QqvTRvAE8uFVKSou5tkDFWyUKuUTIkDU/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvR51JyUbtl2EfCrpkWRBN_nH0WtXa_DpWIKU-ApZVgJ4luy3d9MdJyOLghx4yy01tPa-YXfTwpJfMxDednGAUehVBEnX8iufqYa2c-EGYC1QqvTRvAE8uFVKSou5tkDFWyUKuUTIkDU/s320/DSC_0025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
1 cup shredded carrots<br />
3/4 cup shredded apple<br />
Juice of 1 lime<br />
1/4 teaspoon cumin<br />
1 tablespoon chopped parsley<br />
Salt <br />
Pepper<br />
<br />
1. Dump everything in a bowl and let marinade. How easy is that!<br />
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2. Simmer shredding turkey with bbq sauce in a small pan until hot and bubbly.<br />
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3. Pile turkey and slaw on crusty rolls.Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-26257910339962856972012-11-23T15:12:00.002-06:002012-11-23T15:12:43.385-06:00Untwisted Dish: Christmas Parfaits<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4g2p7nBCnLRaNt7wJGsj5y3_W9rQjLGDsUl3ocmU7HcktdQc6GRxLlqGWaTTsC986GwCVY0aDVfvqBuH7tfEUz4U7pukZlpwGesjG-k1xj9GEo2f5gaU3ZNcipmkSdehoOS95wGhPZGw/s1600/DSCN0561-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4g2p7nBCnLRaNt7wJGsj5y3_W9rQjLGDsUl3ocmU7HcktdQc6GRxLlqGWaTTsC986GwCVY0aDVfvqBuH7tfEUz4U7pukZlpwGesjG-k1xj9GEo2f5gaU3ZNcipmkSdehoOS95wGhPZGw/s320/DSCN0561-001.JPG" width="301" /></a></div>
My family loves a big Christmas breakfast. Traditionally, it involves <a href="http://untwisteddish.blogspot.com/2011/12/untwisted-dish-christmas-bread.html">Christmas Bread,</a> and maybe some eggs, and Canadian bacon. Last time I hosted my family for the holiday I decided to add something new, a colorful yogurt parfait I found in <a href="http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/desserts/luscious-fruit-parfaits/">Midwest Living</a>. <br />
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This parfait is particularly Christmasy because of the red and green fruit which includes cranberries and kiwi. I added raspberries too, since the family loves raspberries at Christmastime. Traditionally, my Mom or Grammy would freeze raspberries from the garden, and save them Christmas. We'd sprinkle them with sugar and cream, and eat them still slightly frozen. I've never been a huge fan of this eating frozen fruit on a wintery morning, so this was my alternative.<br />
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Go ahead, eat something a little healthy. Then go back to eating Christmas cookies.<br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="ingredientmeasure">1/4 </span><span>cup </span><span>apple juice or water</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">1/4 </span><span>cup </span><span>sugar</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">1/8 </span><span>teaspoon </span><span>ground cinnamon</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">3/4 </span><span>cup </span><span>fresh cranberries</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">3/4 </span><span>cup </span><span>unsweetened applesauce</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">3 </span><span></span><span>ripe kiwifruits, peeled and sliced</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">1 </span><span>cup </span><span>fresh pineapple chunks</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span>11 oz </span><span>can</span><span> mandarin orange sections</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span>Vanilla yogurt [you'll probably need one large carton. Plain yogurt would be good too]</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="ingredientmeasure">1/8 </span><span>teaspoon </span><span>ground cinnamon</span></span></li>
<li>raspberries<span class="ingredient"><span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ol>
<li> <span class="direction-item-content">In saucepan, combine the apple juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. </span></li>
<li><span class="direction-item-content">Add the cranberries. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until berries pop. Remove from heat. </span></li>
<li><span class="direction-item-content">Stir in applesauce. Chill at least 30 minutes. [I did this the day before to make it easy]</span></li>
<li><span class="direction-item-content">Slice, and prepare the rest of the fruit </span></li>
<li><span class="direction-item-content">parfaits can be pre-assembled or you can let guests assemble their own, arranging layers of fruit, cranberry-apple sauce and yogurt to their liking. </span></li>
</ol>
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<span class="instructions"><span class="direction-item-content"></span></span>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-32225329874485653432012-11-19T18:45:00.000-06:002012-11-19T18:45:29.986-06:00Untwisted Dish: Lightened up Chocolate Gingerbread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm on a roll. Two weekends in a row I've found the time to bake. <br />
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I love a lazy weekend morning. Time to bake, time for a couple of cups of coffee, and perhaps time for a little Food Network. This fragrant, spicy little bundle was this Sunday's project.<br />
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The minute I saw this <a href="http://www.laraferroni.com/2010/09/13/chocolate-gingerbread/">recipe</a> by Lara Ferroni on pinterest, I knew I had to try it. Ginger and CHOCOLATE. Two of my favorite flavors. It needed a little untwisting, of course. I substituted banana for the butter, and reduced the brown sugar by half. I opted to go for candied, but uncrystalized ginger. Don't you just love it? I left the chucks fairly large, but I knew it was in there. My husband was a bit taken aback by the intense spicy chunks. Next time I'll probably dice it up a little finer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzEzK2RWi1c5A8FEnu4eLZW3jQw-PhSYVwQTpvSbpV78I4Wg-v4po3MrX6UZDZRET-3Efz13IiVbeISQS19sZJJ_Mym0tJaDHPB1moVxJxlGM3M9vLbPRqvUr6nqT87yW3XRJDwsJDW0/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzEzK2RWi1c5A8FEnu4eLZW3jQw-PhSYVwQTpvSbpV78I4Wg-v4po3MrX6UZDZRET-3Efz13IiVbeISQS19sZJJ_Mym0tJaDHPB1moVxJxlGM3M9vLbPRqvUr6nqT87yW3XRJDwsJDW0/s320/IMG_0050.JPG" width="292" /></a></div>
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This recipe definitely got me into the holiday spirit. The cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg mixture just smells like the holidays. <br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>2 tablespoons cocoa powder</li>
<li>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1 teaspoon ground ginger</li>
<li>a pinch of ground nutmeg </li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/4 cup mashed banana</li>
<li>1/4 cup packed brown sugar</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1/2 cup buttermilk or if you don't have any buttermilk, (like me) you can substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 cup milk</li>
<li>1/3 cup molasses</li>
<li>2 tablespoons flaxseed meal</li>
<li>1/4 cup chopped candied ginger (I'll finely dice next time)</li>
<li>1/2 cup mini chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F<br />
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2. Combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa, spices, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.<br />
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3. In another bowl, cream together the brown sugar and mashed banana. Add the egg. Add the "buttermilk", molasses, and flaxseed meal. <br />
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4. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a smooth batter. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the candied ginger and chocolate chips.<br />
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5. Pour into a greased bread pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
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Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-13866389061163279352012-11-13T19:20:00.000-06:002012-11-13T19:20:31.147-06:00Untwisted Dish: Super Moist Banana Bread Bread with Dried Cherries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't had time to bake, or even cook properly, in ages. Stupid work is really getting in the way of real life. Finally, this past weekend I decided to take a little time off. I put the garden to bed, did a little cleaning around the house (you should have seen the dust bunnies), and decided to cook/bake something for FUN! Yes, for fun. Not just something to quickly gulp down in between marathon sessions at my computer. <br />
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With three brown bananas sitting on the counter, I went looking for a new banana bread recipe. I wanted something lower in sugar and fat than your typical banana bread, and I came across this <a href="http://www.lovefoodeat.com/healthy-banana-bread-whole-wheat-vegan-oil-free-and-sugar-free/">recipe</a> for a vegan banana bread with no added sugar or oil at Love Food Eat. It looked like a good starting point. <br />
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Unfortunately, I was out of whole wheat flour so I used regular all-purpose flour and added in some old fashioned oatmeal. I also discovered that my three bananas were not enough, so I added a half cup of pumpkin. I also substituted dried cherries for the dates. <br />
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I wasn't sure this recipe was going to be any good. The batter was really dry and I had to stir more than I usually would with a quick bread just to get things incorporated correctly. To my surprise, the resulting bread was super moist. It's not overly sweet, but sweet enough due to all the bananas and cherries. It was perfect topped with butter peanut butter. Yes, I do put peanut butter on almost anything. If you're feeling decadent, how about pumpkin cream cheese? I bought some at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago. Ok, so that would counteract the lower sugar thing. They should really call that stuff frosting. Mmmmmm creamy, pumpkiny frosting.<br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup old fashioned oats</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups mashed banana + 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or 2 cups banana- about 4 bananas)</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoons salt</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoons cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 cup chopped dried cherries</li>
<li>2 tablespoons flax seed meal + 6 tablespoons water</li>
<li>1 to 2 tablespoons sesame seeds</li>
</ul>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit<br />
<br />
2. mix the flax meal with the water and sit aside. Note- this is basically your substitute for egg and/or oil.<br />
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3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.<br />
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4. Add the chopped cherries to the dried ingredients.<br />
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5. Add the mashed banana/pumpkin mixture and flax meal mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.<br />
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6. Pour into a greased bread pan.<br />
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7. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.<br />
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8. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is slightly brown.<br />
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Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-60930937627828368652012-08-17T19:56:00.000-05:002012-08-17T19:56:00.766-05:00Untwisted Dish: Ina's Weeknight Bolognese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you haven't figured out by now, I can be pretty lazy when it comes to cooking. Untwisting often means making things more simple because I don't have the time nor the patience. I must admit, I've been known to go for jarred pasta sauce. It's quick and easy and goes so nicely with french bread and red wine.<br />
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On Sunday afternoon, I decided to try Ina Garten's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/weeknight-bolognese-recipe/index.html">Weeknight Bolognese </a>with a little untwisting, of course. It's full of winey goodness and reminded my husband of a cross between a beef burgundy and a typical spaghetti sauce.<br />
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Speaking of wine, this summer we've been hitting up quite a few wineries near our home. It's fun to try what some of our local winemakers are doing, even if they do seem to favor the super sweet varieties. I'm no expert, but I tend to favor something in the middle: not too sweet, but not super dry either.<br />
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Even though it's nice to support the local winemakers, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that our summer house wine is a red wine my husband found at Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens. Agostòn's Grenache/Syrah blend is what we now fondly call "Pig Wine" because of the boar on the label. My husband picked it up on a whim when he was probably looking for chocolate to bring to me during one of my work marathons. It's not very complex, but it's fruity and a little sweet, and can conveniently be purchased within half a mile of our house. <br />
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So our pig wine was added to Ina's bolognese. I wonder if she would be appalled. It was delish even though the pasta stuck together and looked like the little stacked caps in that wonderful Esphyr Slobodkina children's book "Caps for Sale".<br />
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<b>The Ingredients</b><br /><ul class="kv-ingred-list1">
<li class="ingredient">1 pound lean ground round
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 clove minced garlic
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes<a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/red-pepper-flakes/index.html"></a>
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/4 cups dry red wine
</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes (I used unsalted). If using whole tomatoes, chop into bite sized pieces</li>
<li class="ingredient"> Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
</li>
<li class="ingredient">Fresh herbs: I used about 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, one sprig of oregano, and one sprig of rosemary, all chopped.</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup heavy cream. I used milk because that was all I had.
</li>
<li class="ingredient">Grated Parmesan cheese</li>
</ul>
<br /><div class="instructions">
<div class="instruction">
1. Brown the ground round in a large pan/pot. </div>
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<div class="instruction">
2. Stir in
the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. </div>
<div class="instruction">
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<div class="instruction">
3. Pour in the wine, stir to scrape up any
browned bits. </div>
<div class="instruction">
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<div class="instruction">
4. Add the tomatoes<a class="crosslink" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/tomato/index.html"></a>, salt, and pepper. Start with about a teaspoon of salt. Ina suggests a tablespoon, but I like to start small and add as needed. Ina also added some tomato paste. This would have been a great addition, but I didn't have any on hand. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. </div>
<div class="instruction">
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5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon
of salt, and the pasta. Cook according to the
directions on the box.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJBWyf19kflvQqpEH_RIhSWLjGci0TkNYrL1-bSXvqU679HPi2x4bH7hgC0MmLCfbuXu5jXNNF-JZ7NAV4Nt1ezuUotlTuFHBCvFNnpzUJvxEQH4tXSiNJFtfb7fjMFE9KidooJ8EFGM/s1600/IMG_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJBWyf19kflvQqpEH_RIhSWLjGci0TkNYrL1-bSXvqU679HPi2x4bH7hgC0MmLCfbuXu5jXNNF-JZ7NAV4Nt1ezuUotlTuFHBCvFNnpzUJvxEQH4tXSiNJFtfb7fjMFE9KidooJ8EFGM/s320/IMG_1861.JPG" width="320" /></a>6. While the pasta is cooking, add the fresh herbs to the sauce. I used about 1/4 cup of basil, a sprig of oregano, and a sprig of rosemary, all chopped.<br />
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7. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk-which didn't do much for the sauce). Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.<br />
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8. Serve over the cooked noodles, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. <br />
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</div>
Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-78327045917586914752012-08-13T18:58:00.000-05:002012-08-13T18:58:00.137-05:00Untwisted Garden: Let's Talk TomatoesOur drought continues. The voluntary watering ban became mandatory late last week, so now outdoor watering is limited to three days per week. Even before this setback, my garden was already suffering. After many 100 degree days, I'm down to herbs and three tomato plants. I also have one struggling cucumber, one bell pepper, and one tomatillo plant, all of which have yet to produce anything. Oh, and then there's one jalapeno plant that did produce one little pepper.<br />
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I like to try new varieties each year. Sometimes I pick a winner, sometimes I don't. I thought I'd review the three types of tomatoes I grew this year and share my impressions of the most drought tolerant variety in my garden.<br />
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First, there's Principe Borghese.<br />
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I chose this tomato because it's supposed to be good for drying. It's an Italian heirloom tomato with small fruit and a compact plant. My plant has not been extremely productive. It's already turning mostly brown and dying. I can't be sure that this is because of the heat and lack of rain. A virus or disease could also be to blame. I'm not sure that I would try it again. <br />
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Next, there's the good old Roma tomato. I thought I might make some sauce if I was able to get the plant to produce enough. <br />
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I think the Roma has really been affected by the heat. Many of the fruit have suffered from blossom end rot. Since none of the other plants have had this problem, it seems the Roma is more susceptible.<br />
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Finally, there's the Black Cherry. This plant gets an A in my book.<br />
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Even with all the heat, it's been extremely productive The fruit is very flavorful- notice those green shoulders. The plant is continuing to flower, and I anticipate it will continue to produce into the Fall. I've grown this plant in the past and I'll plant it again next year.<br />
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I'd love to hear if other people have favorite varieties that are producing well even during this drought. <br />
<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-83629959734174192292012-08-08T22:13:00.000-05:002012-08-08T22:13:34.856-05:00Untwisted Dish: Marinated Zucchini and Eggplant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After picking all those zucchini and eggplant, I decided to try several different recipes. One was a baba ganoush but the recipe was kind of bland and not worth sharing. I've been told that the key may be lots of garlic, which I will try next time.</div>
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My favorite recipe of the week was roasted and marinated zucchini and eggplant. It was adapted from recipe for <span style="font-size: 130%;">Marinated eggplants à la Ottolenghi </span>on the blog Audrey Needs More Wooden Spoons.<br />
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First, I put a layer of chopped eggplant and zucchini in a medium sized roasting plan. I also added one clove of garlic, still in it's skin. <br />
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Roast the vegetables at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. The garlic probably won't need that long. I took it out after about 15 minutes. Don't let it burn.<br />
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While the veggies are roasting, make the marinade. You will need: <br />
<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
5 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar<br />
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (I used mostly basil & a little oregano)<br />
sea salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper<br />
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After the garlic has roasted, mash it up and add to the marinade.<br />
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Add the marinade to the roasted veggies. The longer they sit in the liquid, the better they taste. <br />
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I ate these veggies as a side dish with a BLP (Bacon, Lettuce, and Grilled Peach) sandwich. They were also tasty on salads and within sandwiches.<br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-59495900481785394972012-08-05T20:29:00.000-05:002012-08-05T20:29:41.797-05:00Untwisted Garden: U-Picking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If your garden isn't producing much, there's always another way. If you're lucky, and live in or near a rural area, the answer may be U-Picking. As I've said before, I came from a U-Pick family. Summer kicked off by picking Oregon strawberries. This was followed by raspberries, and blueberries. As the summer progressed, we might go to the "Valley" and pick or purchase other goodies from a produce stand. Of course, we also scavenged all sorts of "wild" comestibles including Himalayan blackberries, apples, and plums. </div>
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I wouldn't necessarily describe my smallish city of 250,000 as a typical urban area, but even though we are surrounded by agriculture, most people seem out of touch with what is growing around them. This Spring, I'm pretty sure I saw buckets of mulberries falling from trees and rotting along the rural bike trail system. Since I wasn't completely sure that's what they were, I passed them by too, but was determined to figure out what they were. My suspicion was confirmed when I saw someone selling them at a farmer's market.<br />
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Sadly, even though we are surrounded by agriculture, it's mostly corn, and it's not easy to find U-Pick farms. Although the Farmer's Markets are filled with all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies, there's something fun and rewarding about picking your own stuff. Even if it is hot, and you get dirty and sweaty and perhaps slightly sunburned. </div>
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Last weekend I was delighted to hear that an orchard about 45 minutes away had ripe peaches that were ready to be picked. Yes, this included U-Pick! So, I convinced my somewhat reluctant husband to join me picking peaches, and whatever else we could find, which turned out to be plenty. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one of the large fields with peppers and squash.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Our region has been struggling with drought. Although this orchard/farm was doing some irrigating, the plants were struggling. Most of the peppers seemed to be suffering from some type of blossom end rot. It also seemed that perhaps because of the heat, people hadn't been picking much. As a result, some of the stuff seemed a little past it's prime, and once lovely veggies were rotting here and there on the ground. Perhaps this is why they were giving people large fruit boxes that we could fill for only $5. What a deal!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcZb9O8U53CZhGggciFpb1d4IoQZbYdcwlQFmIAcOVw3uyzQE8uPcTH5xgneKEzMkePhQsWyULa5ZsRinlXpGlx0N7EqoNobkx-N0t6Vf9m5AmAj7iXtdpeMcWdMIB0Ob5Et12RZy7Ow/s1600/IMG_1805-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcZb9O8U53CZhGggciFpb1d4IoQZbYdcwlQFmIAcOVw3uyzQE8uPcTH5xgneKEzMkePhQsWyULa5ZsRinlXpGlx0N7EqoNobkx-N0t6Vf9m5AmAj7iXtdpeMcWdMIB0Ob5Et12RZy7Ow/s320/IMG_1805-001.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's what we picked.</td></tr>
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My husband was a real trooper, and carried our heavy produce box as I jumped around gleefully pointing out beauteous round and oblong eggplant and ginormous cucumbers and zucchini.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The apples weren't quite ready, but they will be soon.</td></tr>
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After picking more veggies than we really needed, we finally got to the peaches. In no time, we had picked about 6 pounds, which I enjoyed eating all the next week in various forms, including a rustic peach galettte.<br />
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The orchard also had a vineyard, so after getting our fill of the sun, we ended the day by sampling several kinds of wine, including an apple wine that was heavily flavored with cinnamon.<br />
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Next time I'll tell you more about what I made with all the goodies we picked.Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-55013860663205585572012-07-13T10:39:00.000-05:002012-07-13T10:39:00.720-05:00Untwisted Dish: Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe8RKwEnO_WPVE87BFmmcTcc0aWQHLj5UI9-O4vZq3un0_V623wUmYFUuoM06qySguiv4Mm_1l1ulWI7Pd0q_117vOaLX19Yu_anhwRwR4rvekfLhe7i9gAVnBRO974fwD2nMlw230uo/s1600/IMG_1783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe8RKwEnO_WPVE87BFmmcTcc0aWQHLj5UI9-O4vZq3un0_V623wUmYFUuoM06qySguiv4Mm_1l1ulWI7Pd0q_117vOaLX19Yu_anhwRwR4rvekfLhe7i9gAVnBRO974fwD2nMlw230uo/s320/IMG_1783.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Weekend mornings are all about something warm and sweet.. . and coffee...multiple cups of coffee. Yes, I'm back on the coffee train again. I usually get up much earlier than my husband, which gives me time to tinker in the kitchen. If I'm really lucky, the cat may even jump into my lap for a few minutes. Early in the morning,when there's no alternative lap, is really the only time she pays me any attention. She loves my husband.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ77qTsMaG98VhzEGBQStvpS26UZtagWvLJlCpkraXAQKLAecErjC5XISv8V7ZIvRNNNTTNr9wJ20SR96_dscq9Y7lL3v48nG3G-OlftPfz5T9sz6zFoYWzxMsm_satLSeyZRe9aaOU8/s1600/DSCN0499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQ77qTsMaG98VhzEGBQStvpS26UZtagWvLJlCpkraXAQKLAecErjC5XISv8V7ZIvRNNNTTNr9wJ20SR96_dscq9Y7lL3v48nG3G-OlftPfz5T9sz6zFoYWzxMsm_satLSeyZRe9aaOU8/s320/DSCN0499.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sniglet and my container herb garden, circa 2008</td></tr>
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It's muffin time again. This time I wanted to make something light and lemony. I found a great looking <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/perfect-blueberry-muffins/">Blueberry Muffin recipe </a>at the Smitten Kitchen that uses yogurt, and lemon zest. I figured I could make it a little more lemony by adding in some lemon juice. I also reduced the butter content by adding some mashed banana.<br />
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I also wanted to experiment a bit with liners vs greasing. Does anyone have a preference? I love using ramekins for a large muffin, so those were greased with a little canola oil. I also used paper cupcake liners and then made my own liners with a little square of parchment paper.<br />
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It was impossible for me to get the parchment to really sink properly into the tin. This resulted in a slightly misshapen muffin, but I liked that the parchment doesn't stick to the muffin.<br />
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The commercial cupcake liners stick, which means that you either lose of part of the muffin or must attempt the ungraceful act of biting and licking at the cupcake liner. I think I'll take the misshapen muffin over the commercial liner. Regular old greasing also works well too. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IcwlCOHpgkjmhbi_b4p9HKc5UdI4cVJe6QT35RqUvMvGaK8TkBKb5W2snvlqQ0Ca_NTuWhgZWQnntGooneuZ2u775pgo-57r1LC2u6y3rizFvQa1wHHdXEUacKcrjhcrPCB-SoLEkrc/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IcwlCOHpgkjmhbi_b4p9HKc5UdI4cVJe6QT35RqUvMvGaK8TkBKb5W2snvlqQ0Ca_NTuWhgZWQnntGooneuZ2u775pgo-57r1LC2u6y3rizFvQa1wHHdXEUacKcrjhcrPCB-SoLEkrc/s320/IMG_1786.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: greased ramekin, parchment paper, cupcake liner</td></tr>
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<b>The Ingredients</b> <br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened<br />
3 tablespoons mashed banana<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
Zest and juice of one lemon, plus plain yogurt (a little more than 1/2 cup) to equal 3/4 cup total<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup blueberries (I used fresh)<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners or parchment.<br />
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2. Mash three tablespoons of ripe banana. Add the banana and 2 tablespoons of softened butter to the mixer. Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix until light and fluffy.<br />
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3. Zest your lemon and juice it into a measuring cup. Add plain yogurt to the cup, so that it equals 3/4 cup total.<br />
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4. Add the lemon yogurt mixture and one egg to the mixer and beat well.<br />
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5. On top of the batter, sift half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Sift in the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until the dry ingredients just disappear. Do not over mix.<br />
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6. Gently fold in the blueberries.<br />
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7. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 cup full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Until the tops are just golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
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These cupcakes were light and lemony. They were a little sweeter than the muffins I usually make, but the acid of the lemon helped to balance out the sweetness so it wasn't just sweet.<br />
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This is a dish towel embroidered by my late Mother-in-Law. She gave us a series, of cow themed dish towels, labeled for each day of the week. They are adorable, and I like to think of loved ones while cooking and baking.<br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-40426681549461379032012-07-11T17:16:00.000-05:002012-07-11T17:16:00.459-05:00Untwisted Garden: Weeds and Death of the Peas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We really need some rain. We had an average 105 heat index for about 10 days. It's now cooled down to a chilly 88, but still no rain. Despite my watering, the stuff in my raised beds is taking a beating by the heat. I finally pulled out all the dried-up pea vines. The cucumbers look like they are struggling, and my lettuce has bolted, forming little lettuce trees that might make nice topiaries for a dinner party if I could keep them from wilting. Optimism combined with a little sarcasm is necessary when gardening. <br />
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My seedling hording is coming back to bite me. The beds are looking a little too crowded. After pulling the peas, I moved a couple of pepper plants to the west side of the bed where they would get more sun.<br />
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Of course the weeds were beginning to take over as well. I discovered that the only way to weed in 100 degree heat is to turn the sprinkler on myself. It keeps me cool and waters the plants at the same time. The downside is all the mud and you look like a hillbilly contestant for a wet t-shirt contest in the end.<br />
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If there's one type of plant I'm good at growing it's herbs. They don't need rich soil or much water. Look at the sage & oregano. In addition to the basil, parsley, and rosemary, today I bought peppermint and apple mint plants to add to the garden. I think there may be mojitos in my future. </div>
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So as the spring vegetables meet their end, I am eagerly waiting for the mid-summer vegetables, especially the tomatoes. </div>
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Speaking of tomatoes. There was an interesting <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/06/28/155917345/how-the-taste-of-tomatoes-went-bad-and-kept-on-going?sc=tw">program on NPR</a> about the how the tasteless tomato came to be. We can all blame Fargo. Since my husband went to school in Fargo/Moorhead, and he grew up near there, he's been getting some teasing. Thank goodness some people out there saved the seeds of the heirloom varieties! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNR-aqKVFmnMUb2xKPGf7Xxfdo0_bo8RG-cB_v3AevWOCMg08g-_lsbVLalh2lTIvzvVk8a5kZyxcKrBRnRl6ivDvjazr2Npm7DHyUXpHfp7h5B51a37XdyamycwSJ1aOqQ-EFTCcWwEY/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNR-aqKVFmnMUb2xKPGf7Xxfdo0_bo8RG-cB_v3AevWOCMg08g-_lsbVLalh2lTIvzvVk8a5kZyxcKrBRnRl6ivDvjazr2Npm7DHyUXpHfp7h5B51a37XdyamycwSJ1aOqQ-EFTCcWwEY/s320/IMG_1774.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-27824406262803563682012-07-08T18:32:00.000-05:002012-07-08T18:32:47.170-05:00Untwisted Dish: Watermelon Mojitos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmZrnMkQEF3RM2Ni2Nvwz48YYYyhPtYvwTmq311n6cERcEZvkDY6T5cWoxo0J3rHSp7IWm_BTq_hcjB3-nBLOcj7broQNWQOzUFEZH7WZsq7_mDpzBTGthW4odyPZTyW0Nav0u2mz59Y/s1600/IMG_1790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmZrnMkQEF3RM2Ni2Nvwz48YYYyhPtYvwTmq311n6cERcEZvkDY6T5cWoxo0J3rHSp7IWm_BTq_hcjB3-nBLOcj7broQNWQOzUFEZH7WZsq7_mDpzBTGthW4odyPZTyW0Nav0u2mz59Y/s320/IMG_1790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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July: possibly my favorite month for fruit and vegetables. The first local watermelons, sweet corn, and tomatoes are ready. If you're lucky, you might even find local fruit too. If not, the stuff in the grocery store is a little better than normal this time of year. <br />
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I purchased us a little round watermelon and hollowed out half of it to make a salad bowl. Then, I refilled it with a combination of watermelon, blueberries, nectarines, and cherries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5MDcvaXOQUZa086Anyc3twfWjAY7M8iu1EctNTE2O6z0Drc7QZUk-rSkUS7KLBNBhi22bD9qVLSycoZLIwIhj7ylmv_EW-Q8efVE4lkwqjAEZhvTkMiU7UzsNRdMTsnrTNIdpMpZBTM/s1600/IMG_1787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5MDcvaXOQUZa086Anyc3twfWjAY7M8iu1EctNTE2O6z0Drc7QZUk-rSkUS7KLBNBhi22bD9qVLSycoZLIwIhj7ylmv_EW-Q8efVE4lkwqjAEZhvTkMiU7UzsNRdMTsnrTNIdpMpZBTM/s320/IMG_1787.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The extra watermelon juice gave me an idea and I decided to use it in a mojito, also making good use of the mint plants I just added to the garden.<b> </b>I didn't really measure out all the liquids, so here's the general idea. You can make it to suit your taste. If you like a sweet cocktail, you might add a teaspoon of sugar or a little simple syrup.<br />
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<b>The Ingredients</b><br /> <br />
Watermelon juice<br />
1 lime<br />
1 shot of white rum or more if you want<br />
sprig or two of apple mint<br />
4 or 5 balls of watermelon<br />
lime flavored club soda<br />
1 teaspoon sugar or simple syrup <br />
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1. In the bottom of the glass, muddle a sprig of mint with half a lime, that has been cut into wedges.<br />
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2. Fill about half the glass with watermelon juice. Add 4 or 5 balls of melon.<br />
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3. Add the juice of the other half of the lime. <br />
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4. Add a shot of white rum and fill the rest of the glass with lime flavored club soda.<br />
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5. Add a few ice cubes and another sprig of mint if you want to be fancy. Add some sugar or simple syrup to taste.<br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-71468960249724576682012-07-06T22:05:00.000-05:002012-07-07T10:52:48.324-05:00Untwisted Dish: The Plague of Pinterest and Other Drama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not sure if I'm annoyed with Pinterest, myself, or both. Anyway, I'm definitely annoyed. Is anyone else a annoyed with Pinterest? There are some things I really like about it. If you follow people with similar interests, it can lead you to some great websites and blogs that you might not have otherwise stumbled upon. It's also a fun way to bookmark recipes for future use. Then there are the frustrating parts. It's impossible to search Pinterest itself for anything. Most people rarely describe their pins in any useful way to aid future searching. It's much more about style than substance. Sure, there are some beautiful photos, and don't get me wrong, I love a good photograph (I really wish I had a better camera) but oftentimes there's very little substance behind the pins. Sure, that's a nice whatsit, but where can you buy it? A lot of times, you click on a photo, hoping to find a source and it leads you nothing useful. </div>
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I've also been sucked into a lot of cutesy recipes lately. What I've learned is cutesy doesn't mean tasty. There seems to be Pinter-frenzy of won ton recipes lately, and I got sucked in. I made lasagna cupcakes, and spanakopita cups, and then tried to finish off the package by making a dessert. All of which were blah at best.</div>
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The lasagna cups were the best of the worst. I didn't even bother taking a photo of the spanakopita cups.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZ5X7-ySCqQrjbSv5qXAktEg3NElTb85JU5xMmmxpiZy5tTox9CA6wp3kqOYAfsiIT2ijKG2ZHedO42FUi3B6bexejOe-S45YTw6MogLKzMGonDVZJR0WjYogMsNUubnbamk9imwL-RQ/s1600/IMG_1754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZ5X7-ySCqQrjbSv5qXAktEg3NElTb85JU5xMmmxpiZy5tTox9CA6wp3kqOYAfsiIT2ijKG2ZHedO42FUi3B6bexejOe-S45YTw6MogLKzMGonDVZJR0WjYogMsNUubnbamk9imwL-RQ/s320/IMG_1754.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The dessert won tons were the absolute worst. Even after baking and a heavy sprinkling of powdered sugar, the won ton wrappers still had a raw, blah taste. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Y-Tm6q7KJu6bo0DqoKc4nirlO2cpBpXXH0EcjDjNDGubB1Aj-74nmrKsfbkzZVAPhYOLZyOhid09OoJJBOo-hMMMD8AT8wuiC60IEXmd8rk00v7-_0zgodO0EHAVA6zGvfAixO0350/s1600/IMG_1760-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57Y-Tm6q7KJu6bo0DqoKc4nirlO2cpBpXXH0EcjDjNDGubB1Aj-74nmrKsfbkzZVAPhYOLZyOhid09OoJJBOo-hMMMD8AT8wuiC60IEXmd8rk00v7-_0zgodO0EHAVA6zGvfAixO0350/s320/IMG_1760-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They were bad when warm, and don't even think about saving them for later. They became a disgusting gummy mess.</div>
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Ok- so I can't just blame Pinterest. Part of the problem is my amateur cooking skills and poor choices for substitutions. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJQIJp3pEKYKI58WI9c-wNjreuZQnleTzZphRaGx_SScla7dahHtofsFxiblXynVrU-VgW8P2vlDDwjSySMEmEI45fPpCiJk6vndIYZ8bdzpl2rmY3gR1YxU8QBII7usjBaza1jKSEBQ/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJQIJp3pEKYKI58WI9c-wNjreuZQnleTzZphRaGx_SScla7dahHtofsFxiblXynVrU-VgW8P2vlDDwjSySMEmEI45fPpCiJk6vndIYZ8bdzpl2rmY3gR1YxU8QBII7usjBaza1jKSEBQ/s320/IMG_1778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was supposed to be a 4th of July treat with a brownie on the bottom. Absolutely the worst brownie I've ever had. The fat separated from the rest of the brownie during cooking. I tried to pour some of the fat off in the end, resulting in a flat, dry, flavorless blob. This was only partially salvaged by the fresh fruit & whipped cream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B7gAXOYRM2nfpIVTjoLHEWFKBBOvKIS2dO2DohXiic9ZknUr3lzOXQGwucMCx3GuSEZrWE15TtMmbbEY1nyFjRDiXBuCLQ4M86M5tJxhfxiarY7t-2ECQunX1Xfzal4UbhoVKu0smAw/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B7gAXOYRM2nfpIVTjoLHEWFKBBOvKIS2dO2DohXiic9ZknUr3lzOXQGwucMCx3GuSEZrWE15TtMmbbEY1nyFjRDiXBuCLQ4M86M5tJxhfxiarY7t-2ECQunX1Xfzal4UbhoVKu0smAw/s320/IMG_1749.JPG" width="315" /></a></div>
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In this final installment of "What was I thinking?" we have the fish and veggies in a foil packet. Usually this is easy and pretty tasty, but this was a horrendous flavor combination. There is something about lime and kalamata olives that just seemed wrong. </div>
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If I were in my Mom's kitchen, this is the point where she would go to the fridge, get out an egg, and throw it on the floor. This would lighten the mood. You can always clean up the egg & start over. Everything doesn't have to be so perfect. I think she only did this once or twice, but it's always stuck with me. I need to remember that things don't always need to be perfect and you only learn by trying. Cooking is supposed to be fun, right?</div>
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</div>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-54234668898198253092012-06-27T20:02:00.000-05:002012-06-27T20:08:57.274-05:00Untwisted Dish: Lime Curd Tartelettes, AKA Wee Lime Pies<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcnhEpu6lGGwnNd8vu5shmPwKbHaoajI0p6ebV5Q8fTrgN1ubf_06mlAwbuyDiXc44o4RJ1fie36g-MShfGjTqfrbhMy2beON_UXgUhADB3fQFTRlR9ecd0_1XixVH6iKLvqigDEpHIo/s1600/IMG_1487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcnhEpu6lGGwnNd8vu5shmPwKbHaoajI0p6ebV5Q8fTrgN1ubf_06mlAwbuyDiXc44o4RJ1fie36g-MShfGjTqfrbhMy2beON_UXgUhADB3fQFTRlR9ecd0_1XixVH6iKLvqigDEpHIo/s320/IMG_1487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Holidays are all about food, but I find St. Patrick's Day a little underwhelming. I'm not a big corned beef and cabbage fan and green beer doesn't interest me either. So this year for St. Patrick's day I decided to go the dessert route (of course), and make something green. Well, sort of green. The result were these lime green tartelettes, which I called "Wee Lime Pies" using my best leprechaun accent. I adapted a recipe from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lime-curd-tart-recipe/index.html">the Barefoot Contessa</a>, reducing the sugar by half. They were a little too tart for my husband perhaps, but I think that using the 1 1/2 cups of sugar Ina Garten suggested would be much much too sweet. I also didn't bother with processing the lime zest and sugar in a food processor. I just grated the zest with with a small grater, and called it a day. <br />
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<b> The Ingredients</b><br />
<ul class="kv-ingred-list1">
<li class="ingredient">4 limes at room temperature (you'll need both the juice and zest)</li>
<li class="ingredient">3/4 cup sugar (maybe increase to 1 cup if you don't want them super tart)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature</li>
<li class="ingredient">4 extra-large eggs at room temperature</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/8 teaspoon salt</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions</b><br />
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<div class="instruction">
1. Pre-bake your favorite pie dough in tartlet pans. I only had four pans, but I think I could have gotten at least five considering I had leftover curd.<br />
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2. In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar. Add the lime zest, and then the eggs, one at a time. <br />
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3. Add the lime juice and salt. mix until combined.<br />
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4. Add the mixture to a saucepan, and cook over low heat until, stirring constantly until thickened. <br />
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5. Add the curd to the pre-baked pie shells. Let cool at room temperature. When the curd has set, eat or refrigerate for later.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t5SY8weSFYqXz3P0Ov3ms57v6vRkrr0CFrVp-JY1dbF17qn_6DdrTOFO0690uDy8hFouOkxIRTN0pNOLlqDOoNEBv9VAjLNxvs-0Wb4cF1KeZH57XQhRr9MWzk2zR8JYjqE-I1VK4Qk/s1600/IMG_1484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t5SY8weSFYqXz3P0Ov3ms57v6vRkrr0CFrVp-JY1dbF17qn_6DdrTOFO0690uDy8hFouOkxIRTN0pNOLlqDOoNEBv9VAjLNxvs-0Wb4cF1KeZH57XQhRr9MWzk2zR8JYjqE-I1VK4Qk/s320/IMG_1484.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wee Lime Pies- They're Magically Delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-9144832835440503452012-06-17T16:41:00.000-05:002012-06-17T16:41:56.931-05:00Untwisted Dish: Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnWCKhJ0jxpIu5-seSZJqaJwN419kemE7OEvX5ekHj0kxaDl12lcLnPs24nozQaZkaa2oq7AIXQmiULXAakI4M-6_PVbKryVRIGaPCQtA7YCYSgI15wiJ5_vnz1vRHomaV-e1q_0EBcE/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnWCKhJ0jxpIu5-seSZJqaJwN419kemE7OEvX5ekHj0kxaDl12lcLnPs24nozQaZkaa2oq7AIXQmiULXAakI4M-6_PVbKryVRIGaPCQtA7YCYSgI15wiJ5_vnz1vRHomaV-e1q_0EBcE/s320/IMG_1736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />What began with two raspberry bushes two years ago has grown into a nice little raspberry patch that has been producing a steady bounty the last couple of weeks. Well. . . not exactly a bounty, but it's enough to keep me happy sprinkling berries on everything from cereal to yogurt. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Sawv_YFU69v7eC91Gl3a89PAZszbMPVGkEio5sMyl9Bo-fTIDkpc7LodwrxEmfhWtx5zbZUx6VnrNGHVqWeL0qbknLWg6Vll_C3iFbJGbvQEviSjAvf3JJCjLYekhJr29UD8RYKTsZY/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Sawv_YFU69v7eC91Gl3a89PAZszbMPVGkEio5sMyl9Bo-fTIDkpc7LodwrxEmfhWtx5zbZUx6VnrNGHVqWeL0qbknLWg6Vll_C3iFbJGbvQEviSjAvf3JJCjLYekhJr29UD8RYKTsZY/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've loved raspberries ever since I was a little kid, even though their thorny vines sounded like monsters trying to scratch their way into my bedroom as they blew in the wind. If us girls and the family Golden Retriever didn't scarf them all up, Mom could make them into yummy things like a streusel coffee cake. This was a family favorite on weekend mornings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1B7K8c3ol6D5M1E_WgXrtm8ElicVEUeBuYcfcFxmZ20lN6HH3xa3ODrmYyV5IqQjBdPm9ryUkbTgzloaQlCymxH9JI5Bl9e6e0D6sdKqv_yqAp-Xyd2JWIqQmY-BX2QOJl8yDS8MKmE/s1600/IMG_1665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1B7K8c3ol6D5M1E_WgXrtm8ElicVEUeBuYcfcFxmZ20lN6HH3xa3ODrmYyV5IqQjBdPm9ryUkbTgzloaQlCymxH9JI5Bl9e6e0D6sdKqv_yqAp-Xyd2JWIqQmY-BX2QOJl8yDS8MKmE/s320/IMG_1665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The netting this year has really helped keep the birds and squirrels away!</td></tr>
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Our current mantra whenever we have downtime is "Relax Harder!" This is spoken intensely to one's spouse with clenched fists and furrowed brow. As if one can force relaxation upon one's self. Needless to say, we need to relax a little more. We are trying to do just that today, so while my husband watched this and that on Netflix, I created a raspberry streusel coffee cake with some of the fresh raspberries from the garden.<br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/3 cup white sugar<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 beaten egg<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/4 cup canola oil<br />
3/4 cup fresh raspberries<br />
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<strong>For the Topping</strong><br />
4 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
2 tablespoons flour<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br />
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2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt.<br />
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3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil.<br />
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4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.<br />
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5. Spread the batter into a greased 9 x 9 inch pan.<br />
<br />6.Sprinkle raspberries over the top. I like to do it this way because raspberries are so fragile and I'd rather they stay whole rather than broken up within the cake.<br />
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7. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together for the topping. Cut in the butter until it makes small crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake.<br />
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8. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Best when served warm.<br />
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I like my coffee cake with a less sweet cake, but double the streusel on top. Adjust the sweetness to your liking.<br />
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Adapted from the <em>Better Homes and Gardens </em>Cookbook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqeXqwLRBaxANex5-sKqRC5RhamXHoWIFf8iqTzDq7xYa9qwEPBKLR84jjjBxfeZhdqOINYr9r61MRKcNTpOxRnrAr9eddYXUaKxMrguppe6XsG4bfLK7VDg1K0MBNE-2yR-fuuWPQ7o/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqeXqwLRBaxANex5-sKqRC5RhamXHoWIFf8iqTzDq7xYa9qwEPBKLR84jjjBxfeZhdqOINYr9r61MRKcNTpOxRnrAr9eddYXUaKxMrguppe6XsG4bfLK7VDg1K0MBNE-2yR-fuuWPQ7o/s320/IMG_1738.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-27674192718538840262012-06-11T12:00:00.000-05:002012-06-11T12:00:06.695-05:00Unttwisted Dish: Cherry Rhubarb Crisp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This summer I've made it my mission to try new things at the farmers market. Last week someone was selling pie cherries so I purchased a pound. Who can say "No" to anything involving pie? <br />
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I've always loved cherry stuff. When I was a kid I loved the syrupy sweet canned cherry pie filling, especially on gooey cherry cheesecake. <br />
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My grandmother used to make really good pies, including cherry, but she honestly believed that you would get sick or even die if you consumed milk and cherries at the same time. I never really knew the origin of this belief, but apparently Zachary Taylor died after eating large amounts of cherries and milk. My dad loved to tease her and do it anyway. <br />
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I saw a recipe on <a href="http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2012/05/i-like-big-crumbs-double-ginger-rhubarb.html">Poppytalk</a> recently for a gingered rhubarb crumble. Since I also found some rhubarb at the farmers market, I thought I'd combine the cherries and rhubarb into a crumble or crisp (what is the difference anyway?) This recipe has a lot of butter and I added extra sugar because I thought it was pretty tart. It still was, so the addition of ice cream was a must. I liked the idea of adding fresh ginger, but didn't have any candied ginger on hand. The fresh ginger gave it some nice heat. <br />
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Don't worry! I didn't eat it with milk, but I did have that ice cream. I hope that's ok. <br />
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<strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
6 cups mixture of rhubarb and cherries (one pound of cherries yielded about 2 cups after pitting)<br />
1 cup brown sugar <br />
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup rolled oats<br />
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes<br />
pinch of sea salt<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350F. </div>
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2. Place the chopped rhubarb and pitted cherries into a medium sized pot. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ginger and 1/4 cup water.<br />
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3. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and the rhubarb begins to soften.<br />
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4. Place the hot fruit mixture in a baking dish.<br />
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5. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, 1 tablespoon ginger, salt and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Add the cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix until crumbly.<br />
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6. Place the crumb mixture over the top of the fruit. Bake for about 40 minutes until bubbly, and the top begins to brown.</div>
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-86481157731571116612012-06-09T21:01:00.000-05:002012-06-10T08:55:16.208-05:00Untwisted Garden: How to Make a Lavender Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For several years I've been saying that I want to make a lavender wreath. I'm not really a crafty person, but love lavender for many reasons: it's scent, it's color, and the fact that it seems to thrive in poor quality soil. It doesn't take much attention, or even water.<br />
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I find a lot of floral scents overpowering and I dislike most perfume. Lavender is another story. It's fresh and spicy. <br />
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So this year I decided I had to just go for it and try to make a wreath. My lavender plants are really beautiful, but I really should have done this a few days earlier. Some of the little blossoms were starting to dry up and loose their beautiful color.<br />
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I've never made any sort of wreath before, so I just bought what the craft store had in stock: a wire wreath with several concentric rings. <br />
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It actually worked pretty well and I'm glad I purchased a support with multiple rings. It made it easy to tuck in extra pieces and wire small sections together. I used small gauge floral wire I found at the craft store, which was easy to twist around the stems and thread through the rings. Occasionally, I snipped off some of the long stems so it wouldn't get too bulky.<br />
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In less than an hour, I had my wreath. Not too shabby for my first try. <br />
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<br /></div>Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-20641206092988778592012-06-07T11:35:00.000-05:002012-06-07T11:35:00.250-05:00Untwisted Dish: Roasted Beets with Creamy Horseradish Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend I bought some beets at the farmer's market. The purple beets became pickled beets, but I still needed something to do with the golden beets. I've been eager to try a roasted beet recipe for quite awhile so here it goes. <br />
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What initially drew me to the recipe was the horseradish sauce. My favorite childhood memory of horseradish involves deli ham spread with cream cheese and horseradish sauce. My sister and I called them Ham Roll-ups and they were our New Year's Eve specialty, cut into bite-sized pieces to be skewered with toothpicks. <br />
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Last fall a coworker gave me some fresh horseradish. If you've never seen the fresh stuff, it's a root. I was told it freezes well, so I've had this ugly looking root sitting in my freezer for a few months now. Time to use it up.<br />
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The original recipe from<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-beets-with-horseradish-cream"> Food and Wine </a>called for sour cream and jarred horseradish. In addition to substituting fresh horseradish, I also subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream and threw in some flat leaf parsley from my garden into the sauce instead of sprinkling it directly on the beets. <br />
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The sauce has a kick and would make a nice spicy spread for sandwiches. If you aren't into spicy foods I'd suggest reducing the horseradish to a teaspoon. <br />
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<b>The Ingredients</b><br />
Beets (I used one small bunch) <br />
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt<br />
1 Tablespoon freshly grated horseradish <br />
1 Tablespoon lemon juice<br />
1 or 2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
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1. Scrub the beets and trim off the greens and the hairy bottom end. Throw the beets into a baking pan. Drizzle them with olive oil.<br />
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2. Cover the pan with foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork tender (about 50 minutes to an hour and a half). My beets were small and only took about 50 minutes.<br />
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3. Remove from oven and let them cool until they are cool enough to handle. The peel will easily slide off after roasting.<br />
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4. Slice into smaller pieces or leave whole if they are small enough.<br />
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5. Serve warm with the sauce.<br />
<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-58540021061632168782012-06-02T20:45:00.000-05:002012-06-02T20:45:00.015-05:00Untwisted Dish: Quick Pickled Beets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband loves pickled beets. More specifically, his Mom's pickled beets. Unfortunately, we've never been able to find her recipe, and maybe it was just one of those things that was in her head and she never wrote it down at all. From what he remembers, they were sweet with lots of spice, probably cinnamon and cloves. <br />
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I've never attempted to make pickled beets before, but when I saw these beautiful beets at the farmer's market I decided to give it a try. <br />
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Because everything I do lately that doesn't involve work has to be quick, I decided that a "quick" pickled beet was just the ticket. These beets are not formally canned, but quickly pickled in a spicy vinegar solution. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.<br />
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I found a <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/quick_pickled_beets.html">recipe</a> that sounded pretty close to what my husband describes on the Eating Well website. I decided to go with apple cider vinegar in lieu of red wine vinegar. I also doubled the vinegar and most of the spices, since it didn't seem like it would be enough liquid for my bunch of beets. I also eliminated the onion as there were never any onions in my Mother-in-law's recipe.<br />
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The results were pretty tasty. My husband thinks his Mom's recipe was sweeter. More sugar perhaps. Because her beets were canned in glass jars and sometimes sat for months before eating, the flavors were more intense. Still, for a quick pickle, these beets were fun to try. The flavors get even better after a few days in the fridge.<br />
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For Memorial Day, we grilled sliders and I couldn't resist adding a pickled beet to mine.<br />
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<br /><strong>The Ingredients</strong><br />
1 Cup apple cider vinegar<br />
4 Cloves<br />
1 Cinnamon stick<br />
8 Pepper corns<br />
4 Tablespoons sugar<br />
1 bunch beets<br />
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1. Peel the beats and cut into about 1/2"to 1" thick slices.<br />
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2. Steam over boiled water for about 15 minutes until fork tender.<br />
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3. While the beets are steaming, put the other ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes, allowing the sugar to dissolve. <br />
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4. When the beets are tender, move to a glass storage container and pour the vinegar solution over the top. Refrigerate for up to a week. They'll get better the longer they sit in the solution.Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8155528743875344593.post-51136073212145146002012-05-29T19:21:00.000-05:002012-06-01T14:12:09.308-05:00Untwisted Garden: Ham and Cheese Quiche with Swiss Chard<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhysMp5GOv-pdElWCYxuJBWJfbiw_loipp6YG05nZ_0lz6_7YaOuCAMimHs9lrWyW7b8VHnAjzn2LiSwgPDK47ZTC9p9C5R-MZC2Q-VvU8T_bCsATO1yvq8Of5fb1me9fyz6GsPWlJF8Q/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhysMp5GOv-pdElWCYxuJBWJfbiw_loipp6YG05nZ_0lz6_7YaOuCAMimHs9lrWyW7b8VHnAjzn2LiSwgPDK47ZTC9p9C5R-MZC2Q-VvU8T_bCsATO1yvq8Of5fb1me9fyz6GsPWlJF8Q/s320/IMG_0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiss chard patch before the thinning</td></tr>
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I always plant everything too close together and then have a hard time thinning things out. It's just so hard to toss seedlings away! Maybe I'm a plant hoarder.<br />
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We've had a busy last couple of weeks, so I've kind of let everything just grow without paying much attention. The swiss chard is really taking off, so I decided it really was time to thin the plants out a bit. These discard plants were big enough to make a little meal of some sort, so I decided to saute them up with the lone green onion that appeared in the garden, and add them to a quiche.<br />
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I love quiche! My favorite is Quiche Lorraine, which I was introduced to as a child in a wonderful little restaurant in Newport, Oregon called Canyon Way. Without any bacon on hand, I decided that some leftover ham and Swiss cheese would be a perfect accompaniment to the little bits of chard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwBpqABkYG21SU3oea_B4XEzLK0AdMv5LnP1PcvAXwGgnbJlS1fLj75ZC851eJTqHeJ0br6zt2b1XZ_L90ppESve_OSEmRoUjgmIBxbehcKcAhF8WwmA6HEElw03mXdY8FgGx3-Excwk/s1600/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwBpqABkYG21SU3oea_B4XEzLK0AdMv5LnP1PcvAXwGgnbJlS1fLj75ZC851eJTqHeJ0br6zt2b1XZ_L90ppESve_OSEmRoUjgmIBxbehcKcAhF8WwmA6HEElw03mXdY8FgGx3-Excwk/s320/IMG_1610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Ingredients </b>(Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens <i>Choose-a-Flavor Quiche</i>)<br />
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Pastry for single crust pie<br />
1 1/2 to 2 cups packed swiss chard<br />
1 green onion <br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
3 beaten eggs<br />
1 1/2 cups milk<br />
1/8 teaspoon pepper<br />
3/4 cup ham, chopped<br />
1 cup swiss cheese, shredded or chopped<br />
1 tablespoon all purpose flour<br />
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1. Prepare a single pie crust and pre-bake. <br />
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2. Saute the swiss chard and onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for two minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat.<br />
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3. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, pepper, ham, cheese, and flour. Pour into prepared pie crust.<br />
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4. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (mine took about 10 minutes longer).<br />
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5. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.We couldn't wait that long ;)<br />
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<b>Note: I had extra egg mixture and cooked the surplus in a greased ramekin. To reduce the calories or if you are lazy like I usually am and don't want to make a crust, try it crustless.</b><br />
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<br />Untwistedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01254807172104111226noreply@blogger.com0