Easter Candy

Dark chocolate-dipped Strawberry Marshmallows... Mmm...

Anniversario Felice A Noi!

Happy Anniversary to us (in Italian)! Northern Italian cuisine at its best — Café Juanita dinner… always wonderful, and a great way to celebrate turning 13! Plus we found a new favorite red wine. So very smooth and delicious – now to find a source for said wine…

On the menu tonight:

Aperitivi: Hendriks Gin and Q Tonic with Rising C Citrus and Fried Rabbit Livers
Clear Creek Pear Brandy Cocktail with Prosciutto Wrapped Grissini

Starters: Papparadelle pasta with Goose Sugo (sauce)
Zuppa della Sera - Parmigiano Brodo with Wagyu New York Beef and Nettles (delicious soup, like the Pho of Italy, but in a small bowl)

Fish & Game: Saddle of Oregon Lamb with Anchoiade Gratin, Warm Olive Vinaigrette and Toasted Rosemary
Seared Sushi-grade Jack Yellowtail with creamed Parmigiano Fingerling potatoes, Spring greens and Meyer lemon

Dessert: Pear Rhubarb crisp and Dark Chocolate heaven (truffle-like creamy dessert with vanilla sauce) 2/3 of the choc thing came home because it was SO rich and Grammy and the kids had it. Grammy savored – the kids inhaled it like ravenous hungry wolves and licked up every last bit… I swear they were growling while eating it.

One of our fave salads from Café Juanita is one the we have the recipe for, but Joel’s made so often, and so well, that neither of us could see ordering it there…

Pear Salad
(Chef Holly Smith)

2 large pears
1/3-1/2 c toasted pine nuts
1–2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Parmigiano Reggiano, peeled with vegetable peeler into thin strips
2 oz. white truffle oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt, to taste

Slice pears 1/8-inch thick and place in mixing bowl with pine nuts, thyme and cheese. Dress with truffle oil, lemon juice and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary with salt or lemon. Place on four chilled plates, garnish with fresh curls of cheese and drizzle with truffle oil.

A Taste of Ireland

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! We love Ireland. Love it. And, now we could technically fly there at a moments notice with the kids (only took 11 days for them to be official). Crazy thought, right? Is it crazy? Can we take the kids in the pub there? Oh, no. I have the travel bug again. I suppose it has been almost five years...

Anyway, instead of making green stuff today, I whipped up a real taste of Ireland — brown bread. We ate this everywhere there... in seaside pottery cafes near Dingle, in all the B&B's we enjoyed "full Irish Breakfast" at, at the Guinness Brewery... you get the picture. Make this (you get four wee loaves), drink some Guinness (it makes you strong and smart), and enjoy your bread with your stout and some corned beef and cabbage (roasted in more stout) today. Mmm... Happy Day O'Green!!!

Irish Brown Bread

4 c whole wheat flour
1 c bread flour
1/3 c rolled oats
2 heaping tsp wheat germ (this makes it taste like the real stuff!)
1 heaping tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, stir together flours, wheat germ, oats, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the buttermilk until a soft dough forms. Knead lightly. Divide dough into four and form into round, flat loaves. Cut an 'X' in the top of each loaf and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Cherry and Shepherd's Pies for Pi Day

Mmm... Toasty!

I've been itching to make these for months, and finally road-tested them this past weekend around the campfire. They were delicious, but for roasting they could stand to "set up" a bit more (get harder so leave them out uncovered for a day or so) so that they are not as volatile when molten.

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows (adapted from recipe posted here on Brownie Points)

2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin softened in 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. water and 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (in the bowl of your mixer)

Combine in deep, heavy sauce pan and bring to boil with lid on: 1 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. water, 1/2 c. plus 2 T. corn syrup, and 1/4 tsp. salt

While waiting, line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with oil.

Once hot mixture is boiling, remove lid and clip candy thermometer in pan. Cook without stirring until it reaches soft-ball stage (235-240-degrees F). Remove from heat, and very carefully and slowly, pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture while mixer is on medium-low speed. Once all is added, turn mixer on high and beat for a good eight minutes until light , fluffy and thick. Pour marshmallow fluff into prepared 8x8 pan and let set up for at least 10 hours. Dust with powdered sugar or mix of 1/2 pwd. sugar and 1/2 rice flour and cut with a pizza cutter into 32 squares (or you could make them smaller) . Dip all cut sides in sugar/flour or shake in gallon Ziploc with mixture.

The Brownie Points blog also has variations with flavored marshmallows, etc.

Ker-plink!

The best "toys" are simple (and especially fascinating if technically involving potential choking hazards)... got this idea from my mom who put together a similar activity for her Montessori class with paper clips.

I cut a slit in the top of an empty coffee can from Trader Joe's and gave Erik five large buttons to pop through the top. He loved it, and was at it for quite awhile. And, when he got them all in each time, the can made a nice percussion instrument too.

Sam I Am!

My version of Green Eggs and Ham, in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday today... without running to the store. My poor kids—wouldn't I be the mom who is out of food coloring, but happens to have organic Italian kale and dried dill on hand for "green" eggs. Hmm... if only I'd had some pesto... maybe next year. Madeline pointed out to me that they are "green and yellow eggs, Mama..." and of course the "ham" is seedless watermelon. Add some breakfast reading, and I think we're close enough.

I made muffins too since one of M's other fave books right now is If You Give A Moose A Muffin, so there you have our very literary breakfast.

Family "Recipes"...

The Recipe For Katrina

3 parts Poise 2 parts Vigor 1 part Uniqueness Splash of Whimsy Shake vigorously and sip slowly on the beach

The Recipe For Joel

3 parts Originality 2 parts Fun 1 part Daring Splash of Allure Limit yourself to one serving. This cocktail is strong!

The Recipe For Madeline

3 parts Savvy 2 parts Laughter 1 part Mischief Splash of Intellect Finish off with a little umbrella and straw

The Recipe For Erik

3 parts Playfulness 2 parts Charm 1 part Tolerance Splash of Savvy Finish off with an olive

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Spring Tea

Spring is officially here when we can have a tea party outside! Yippee!! Veggie and Laughing Cow Cheese sammies, Muenster lettuce wraps w/blood orange wedges, fruit skewers, Angel food cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese "frosting" flowers, Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal cookies and some store-bought mini lemon tart wedges and Madeleine's... Delish!

Special Delivery

The magic of these cookies is that they are so flexible. They can be Butterscotch Chip Oatmeal, or Cowboy Cookies or Oatmeal Raisin... the possibilities are endless.

I did Date Cherry Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal for Lisa and Lubo—some love and cookies sent their way to celebrate Anna's arrival.

Magic Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. butter-flavored Crisco
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 c. of add-ins (chopped nuts and/or dried fruit, chocolate or other chips, coconut, etc.)
Sprinkles of whatever spice goes with your add-ins

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs and vanilla, then oats. Stir in all additional dry ingredients until combined, then stir in add-ins. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 mins. at 375-degrees F.

Thanks Jen!

Madeline's been loving the colored stringing pasta that Jen gave her last week. I let her string it on some laces that came with a set of giant lacing beads I bought for last summer (but had to put away because she wasn't quite ready for lacing yet). Now she jumped right in and can't get enough... she was even "fixing" my string for me.

Jen says you can use yarn for lacing too , with tape wrapped around the end or dip the ends in glue and dry overnight for easier lacing. Or you could use old shoe laces (or pick up some new ones at the store). Wow, you could even dye your laces while dying the pasta...

Colored Pasta (for stringing or artwork)

2 c. or 16 oz. (per color) pasta of different shapes and sizes
Food color (about 5 drops per color batch)
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol per color
Several glass bowls

Pour rubbing alcohol into each bowl. Add 5 or so drops of food coloring into each bowl, one bowl for each color. Drop the pasta into the bowl and stir gently for a few seconds. Let sit for a bit and stir again, then pour onto paper plates to dry for several hours. The colors will brighten as the pasta dries.

Nature's Rainbow

Mmm... looking forward to all the great things I can create with this gorgeous palate! Blood oranges, criminis, fresh beets, Italian kale and more — oh, the possibilities!

Cookwitch Sandwich... by Shel Silverstein

What Type of Fruit Are You?

You Are an Orange

You have a zest for life, especially for anything colorful, wild, or dramatic. You have a unique take on the world, and you're not afraid to be a little funky. You are a bit reserved toward people who don't know you well. You have a thick skin, which can protect you from anything that goes wrong in your life. Once someone does get to know you, they totally get and appreciate you. Your friends see you as a bright person with a refreshing take on life.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Hot Dates...

Another brilliant naming scheme from the Brits, Sticky Toffee Pudding is really Steamed Date Cake (pudding or pud being what they call dessert). Anyway, it's a nice little moist cake drizzled with toffee sauce and (preferably) Bird's brand custard (you can make in your microwave). After realizing that the recipe I was going to try this weekend used three sticks of butter and 2 cups of heavy cream, I tracked down a new one through Cooking Light that only used 2/3 a stick and 3/4 c of cream. It got rave reviews from everyone:

Sticky Toffee Pudding

1 c. chopped pitted organic dates (I buy them whole in the produce section)
1 t. baking soda
2 T. butter, at room temperature
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter and flour six 8-ounce ramekins (or use muffin tin for smaller servings - we divided ours anyway). In a small bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over dates and baking soda and stir.

In Kitchenaid set on medium-high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and eggs until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Slowly blend in flour, baking powder, salt, and date mixture just until combined. Pour mixture evenly into ramekins and set on a baking sheet or into muffin tins.

Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed in the center, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with toffee sauce and Bird's custard (from your local British foods store, or QFC sometimes carries it).

Super Quick & Easy Toffee Sauce

In a 2-quart pan over medium-high heat, bring 3/4 cup whipping cream, 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.