Here's a cute picture of my ferret Bandit to get you by.
I'm just a college girl with a love for food and cooking.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I promise I haven't died!
Life has just been so crazy lately! I haven't even had time to cook, let alone photograph it. I'll try to get something up soon.
Here's a cute picture of my ferret Bandit to get you by.
Here's a cute picture of my ferret Bandit to get you by.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Chicken and Potato Braise for a Lazy Day
I can't believe it's January and it has yet to have snow. Sure it's flurried a few times but nothing sticks for more than a few hours. I was hoping to have a picturesque kind of winter, with billowy snowdrifts and shining icesicles. Alas, it it raining and flooding the yard instead. Ah well.
With weather like this, I just want to light some candles and bundle up on the couch with a good book. Add a bowl of this steaming hot chicken stew and we've got a date.
This recipe comes adapted from Cooks Country Magazine. If you need a belated Christmas gift (Valentines Day is coming up too!) for the foodie in your life, I highly recommend this magazine. I have yet to have a recipe be a total flop (though the cookies I just made were kinda flat and migrated together into one large pancake...serving size= 1 cookie. Whole pan eaten without guilt.)
The recipes are endlessly tested and each is accompanied with an explaination of what the cook tried and why it did or didn't work. Brilliant. *this is not an advertisement*
On to the food!
Chicken Bon Femme
serves 2-3
1 1/2lbs skinless chicken thighs
3 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and halved
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp white wine vinegar (originally called for white wine, use 1/4 cup or so)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp dried parsely
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Chop up the bacon. I use scissors for this and it's a lot easier than trying to cut it with a knife. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat until crisp then set aside.
Those big pieces in the back were for me :-)
Crank the heat to about medium high and then add the chicken. Cook it until well browned then remove to a plate. If you used thighs with the skin, remove it and discard.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and use this to brown the potatoes, cut side down. It'll take about ten to 15 minutes but will smell awesome. Once the potatoes are brown, stir in the onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another minute. Stir in the broth, vinegar, most of the bacon bits (save some for garnish), and hot sauce. Bring this to a boil and add the chicken pieces to the pot, pouring in the delicious juices. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and reserved bacon. Serve and enjoy.
With weather like this, I just want to light some candles and bundle up on the couch with a good book. Add a bowl of this steaming hot chicken stew and we've got a date.
This recipe comes adapted from Cooks Country Magazine. If you need a belated Christmas gift (Valentines Day is coming up too!) for the foodie in your life, I highly recommend this magazine. I have yet to have a recipe be a total flop (though the cookies I just made were kinda flat and migrated together into one large pancake...serving size= 1 cookie. Whole pan eaten without guilt.)
The recipes are endlessly tested and each is accompanied with an explaination of what the cook tried and why it did or didn't work. Brilliant. *this is not an advertisement*
On to the food!
Chicken Bon Femme
serves 2-3
1 1/2lbs skinless chicken thighs
3 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and halved
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp white wine vinegar (originally called for white wine, use 1/4 cup or so)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp dried parsely
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Chop up the bacon. I use scissors for this and it's a lot easier than trying to cut it with a knife. Cook the bacon in a dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat until crisp then set aside.
Those big pieces in the back were for me :-)
Crank the heat to about medium high and then add the chicken. Cook it until well browned then remove to a plate. If you used thighs with the skin, remove it and discard.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and use this to brown the potatoes, cut side down. It'll take about ten to 15 minutes but will smell awesome. Once the potatoes are brown, stir in the onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another minute. Stir in the broth, vinegar, most of the bacon bits (save some for garnish), and hot sauce. Bring this to a boil and add the chicken pieces to the pot, pouring in the delicious juices. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and reserved bacon. Serve and enjoy.
Happy Belated Christmas from Wesley the ferret!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Fall Apple Cake
Where has fall gone? More importantly, where has time gone? The leaves have almost completely fallen off of the trees and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Time has flown since September and summer seems like a far off notion. Lately my thoughts have been filled with apple cider, pumpkin pie, and warm cinnamon confections. Even though winter is trying to rear his head early this year (We had snow!! I almost fell down the steps...) I'm determined to make fall last.
This cake is a perfect way to savor the fruits of fall. A lightly spiced cake studded with crunchy pecans and soft baked apples, all cloaked in an amazing brown sugar glaze. (Wow that sounded poetic)
No process pictures here today, just enjoy a picture of the final product. Which, by the way, I'm devouring as I type this.
Recipe from Lick the Bowl Good
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs until light and foamy then beat in the oil and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Dump in the apples and pecans and lightly stir. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Place the pan onto a rack to cool.
Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven, make the sauce. I made mine in the microwave and it turned out fine. Combine everthing in a glass 2 cup measure and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until the brown sugar dissolves. My microwave is not very powerful so check often!
Pour the glaze all over the hot cake and let it soak in. If you want to be like me, immediately cut a slice and devour. If not, let cool completely and then devour.
Enjoy!
This cake is a perfect way to savor the fruits of fall. A lightly spiced cake studded with crunchy pecans and soft baked apples, all cloaked in an amazing brown sugar glaze. (Wow that sounded poetic)
No process pictures here today, just enjoy a picture of the final product. Which, by the way, I'm devouring as I type this.
Recipe from Lick the Bowl Good
Apple Cake, slightly changed from original
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples, I left mine unpeeled
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs until light and foamy then beat in the oil and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Dump in the apples and pecans and lightly stir. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Place the pan onto a rack to cool.
Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven, make the sauce. I made mine in the microwave and it turned out fine. Combine everthing in a glass 2 cup measure and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until the brown sugar dissolves. My microwave is not very powerful so check often!
Pour the glaze all over the hot cake and let it soak in. If you want to be like me, immediately cut a slice and devour. If not, let cool completely and then devour.
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Picture for you.
I realised I did not share a picture of my finished and cut Crock Pot soap. Here it is. I renamed it North Woods Cedar because cedar is what it primarily smells like. Though in a good way. Reminds me of when I went to New Hampshire all the balsam trees there.
I was testing out my new light reflectors. A bit of a challenge when the sun isn't out to provide light!
I was testing out my new light reflectors. A bit of a challenge when the sun isn't out to provide light!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Crock Pot Soap, part two.
Now that you've read up on soapmaking, here's how I made my soap!
I found my recipe online but checked it in a lye calulator to make sure it was accurate. Note: do not use an online recipe without first running it through a lye calulator. Do not substitute oils in a recipe without using a lye calculator.
My preferred calculators are Soap Calc and the one from Majestic Mountain Sage.
Once you've completed your recipe, time to get down to business! Gather up your gear.
This includes: oils and fats, lye, water (distilled is preferred), fragrance, a container to mix the lye solution, a container to weigh the lye in, a bowl to weigh the oils in, lye mixing spatula/ spoon, oil/soap spatula, accurate scale (which at least measures in ounces, I use grams) stick blender, crock pot, and molds. If you want to do a swirl you need additional containers. It sounds like a lot, but a lot of these things I found free or cheap from thrift stores and from family who were getting rid of some things.
With hot process, you can use almost anything for a mold. I used a Pringles can and an old cardboard butter box. No need to line them. (Though my soap stuck like a beast to the chip can)
I apologize in advance for the lack of prep pictures but I did not want to get too distracted while handling the lye and make a mistake.
Step One:
Prepare all of your supplies in your soaping area and don your protective gear. I wear long pants, long sleeves, and heavy gloves for washing dishes. My gloves like to slip so I put bands around them.
I found my recipe online but checked it in a lye calulator to make sure it was accurate. Note: do not use an online recipe without first running it through a lye calulator. Do not substitute oils in a recipe without using a lye calculator.
My preferred calculators are Soap Calc and the one from Majestic Mountain Sage.
Once you've completed your recipe, time to get down to business! Gather up your gear.
This includes: oils and fats, lye, water (distilled is preferred), fragrance, a container to mix the lye solution, a container to weigh the lye in, a bowl to weigh the oils in, lye mixing spatula/ spoon, oil/soap spatula, accurate scale (which at least measures in ounces, I use grams) stick blender, crock pot, and molds. If you want to do a swirl you need additional containers. It sounds like a lot, but a lot of these things I found free or cheap from thrift stores and from family who were getting rid of some things.
With hot process, you can use almost anything for a mold. I used a Pringles can and an old cardboard butter box. No need to line them. (Though my soap stuck like a beast to the chip can)
I apologize in advance for the lack of prep pictures but I did not want to get too distracted while handling the lye and make a mistake.
Step One:
Prepare all of your supplies in your soaping area and don your protective gear. I wear long pants, long sleeves, and heavy gloves for washing dishes. My gloves like to slip so I put bands around them.
I think I paid a dollar for them.
I would also recomment eye protection/goggles and a face mask if you are sensitive to fumes. I like to protect my work counter with a plastic tablecloth as well, just in case the lye spills.
I would also recomment eye protection/goggles and a face mask if you are sensitive to fumes. I like to protect my work counter with a plastic tablecloth as well, just in case the lye spills.
Step Two: Take your designated oil-weighing bowl and weigh your liquid oils. Add them to the slow cooker. Be sure to scrape out the bowl really well (I had the cooker off at this point, warm would be okay too).
Step Three: Measure or weigh out your water. I weigh since I like to use a mixture of ice cubes and regular water. Note that water is the only thing that you can use fluid measures for!
Step Four: Place your lye bowl on the scale (don't forget to zero/tare the scale!!) and measure out the lye. Then, slowly pour the lye into the water, stirring constantly. Always pour lye into water, not the other way around or it may cause a very serious reaction. I like to think "the snow falls on the lake."
Step Six: In your oil bowl, measure out all of your hard fats. At this point you can add them to the slow cooker to melt or melt them in the microwave. I let them melt in the cooker but that took a long time and I would use the microwave next time. Once melted (if using the microwave) add the the cooker. Here are my oils melting
Step Seven: Slowly pour the lye water solution into the oils. You'll start to see the oils become more opaque. This is the lye reacting with the oils. This is good. Now we get to blend!
Step Eight: I first like to stir with my blender, without it running, just to distribute everything evenly. Stir around a few times and then, with the blender completely submerged, mix with the blender on. I like to run it about 10 to 15 seconds then stir, then move to a new part, then blend again. Doing this prevents the stick blender from heating up to much and lets me see what my soap batter is doing. We're looking for the batter to achieve "trace" which is when you can see trails left on the top of the soap. Trace can be light- like a thin sauce, or it can be thick- like pudding. I blended to about a medium trace, mostly because the lighting in my kitchen is not good and I could not see a light trace.
This is about the consistency of cooked pudding before it has been cooled. See the lines left by the blender?
Once trace has been achieved, you can begin cooking! If you were doing CP soap, this is where your would scent it and the soap put into the mold. In HP, the soap is not scented until after it cooks. Cooking the soap is speeding up the saponification process for us.
Step Nine: Put the lid on the cooker and turn it to low. I use low because I didn't want my mixture to heat up too quickly. Note:There is actually not much of a temperature difference between the "low" and "high" settings on a slow cooker. The difference is how quickly the cooker reaches its maximum temperature. Low takes longer while high is faster.
Step Ten: After about 30 minutes you'll notice the soap starting to "cook", or turning translucent at the edges. This is a good sign. Sometimes there will be beaded liquid on top. This didn't happen to me but if it does, it is simply just the glycerin being produced. Put the lid back on and continue to cook.
Here is my soap psumani
You can choose to stir up your soap if you wish or let the "psunami" contine. I did not stir. Cover and let cook some more. Eventually, after another 30 to 60 minutes, the soap will look like Vaseline and be clear-ish and shiny. Mine had the consistancy of mashed potatoes. At this point, do stir the soap. If you see any light or white colored bits left, the soap is not done cooking and needs to go longer. It all depends on your cooker and recipe. Once it all looks clear, then your are good to go to the next step!
Step Eleven: It is okay to turn the cooker off at this point. Now you can add your fragrance and any colorant, if using. I used about an ounce (weight) of Sage Sweetgrass and Cedar fragrance from Sweet Cakes for my 2 pound recipe. I also added about a half cup of ground oatmeal to the whole batch then removed about 2 cups and colored it with a bit of turmeric for a yellow swirl.
Step Twelve: Once all of your additives have been stirred in, scoop your soap into your desired molds. Try to work quickly before everything cools down. Once the molds are filled, set aside and let cool and harden. I let mine rest overnight.
Soap in the molds
Step Thirteen: Once your soap has cooled, take it out of the mold and cut into your desired thickness. I didn't measure my bars so they don't look as nice as they could. Also, I had a heck of a time peeling of the Pringles can; my soap kept wanting to stick. Your mileage may vary. Once cut you can either use right away or, if you want longer lasting soap, let them dry on a rack. I have some that I am using now and the rest are drying in a cardboard box lid. When drying, be sure to turn the soap every few days.
Step Fourteen: Do all those dishes!! It actually isn't too difficult since the residue in the cooker is soap. Because of this, I have no problem with using it to cook in. Actually, I made dinner in it the next day! As long as it's washed out well, there is no problem. However, I would not use my stickblender for food. It comes in contact with raw (with the lye still active) soap and has too many small nooks on the bottom for me to feel comfortable using them for food. I also have separate dishes, bowls, and spatulas for soap making.
My recipe bubbles really well and isn't drying to the skin! I do hope you'll reasearch soap making and give it a try!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Adventures with the Crock Pot
I had originally planned on sharing an awesome chicken braise recipe today but then I decided to share something a little different.
Soap
Crock Pot Soap.
Really.
I recently started making soap after a good friend of mine agreed to teach me. She soaps with the Cold Process (CP) method and she creates amazing soaps. After some careful bribery, she showed me how and I've been hooked ever since. It's so much fun to choose what scents I want to use and the I love the satisfaction of knowing I've made something from scratch.
Soap making seems to be a lost art, I think because of they many myths that surround it
A few common misconceptions about home soap making are:
Lye is dangerous- Yes, when handled incorrectly, lye can be very harmful to one's health. If handled correctly and if a person takes all necessary precautions, lye can be used safely.
Lye doesn't have to be used to make soap- No lye=no soap. If soap is made correctly then there should be no excess lye. Lye combines with fats/oils to create soap; it is a chemical reaction, like hydrogen and oxygen to make water.
There's lard/oil/fat in your soap and I don't want to wash with fats- See above. Lye reacts with these oils to create soap and glycerin (a natural byproduct), nothing more.
I prefer *brand name commercial soap*- I did too until I used homemade soap. It's the only soap I can wash with without breaking out in dry patches and itching. Plus, after doing some research, I found out what was in commercial soaps: detergents with synthetic chemicals to enhance lather. Not exactly what I want to be washing with. Commercial soaps are often stripped of the natual glycerin, which is then sold for profit to other companies for use in other applications.
Please note that I encourage all readers to read up on safe soap making procedures before attempting to make soap. Also, it is important to wear protective clothing when handling lye and making soap.
Also, note that there any many different website that can provide a much more in depth look at soap making than I have here.
Since soap making can be so in-depth, check back tomorrow for Part Two of Crock Pot Soap. In the meantime, I highly recommend that the beginner soapmaker check out these helpful links.http://chickensintheroad.com/house/archives/soaps/
http://www.millersoap.com/
http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/hot-process.html HP tutorialhttp://www.mommamuse.com/2006/02/17/instructions-for-making-crock-pot-handmade-soap/
http://www.orthogonalthought.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/homemade-natural-soap-basic-recipe/ Very in-depth and thorough explaination on how to make CP soap. There is a link at the bottom for a very excellent HP tutorial as well
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/ an excellent soap making community.
Soap
Crock Pot Soap.
Really.
I recently started making soap after a good friend of mine agreed to teach me. She soaps with the Cold Process (CP) method and she creates amazing soaps. After some careful bribery, she showed me how and I've been hooked ever since. It's so much fun to choose what scents I want to use and the I love the satisfaction of knowing I've made something from scratch.
Soap making seems to be a lost art, I think because of they many myths that surround it
A few common misconceptions about home soap making are:
Lye is dangerous- Yes, when handled incorrectly, lye can be very harmful to one's health. If handled correctly and if a person takes all necessary precautions, lye can be used safely.
Lye doesn't have to be used to make soap- No lye=no soap. If soap is made correctly then there should be no excess lye. Lye combines with fats/oils to create soap; it is a chemical reaction, like hydrogen and oxygen to make water.
There's lard/oil/fat in your soap and I don't want to wash with fats- See above. Lye reacts with these oils to create soap and glycerin (a natural byproduct), nothing more.
I prefer *brand name commercial soap*- I did too until I used homemade soap. It's the only soap I can wash with without breaking out in dry patches and itching. Plus, after doing some research, I found out what was in commercial soaps: detergents with synthetic chemicals to enhance lather. Not exactly what I want to be washing with. Commercial soaps are often stripped of the natual glycerin, which is then sold for profit to other companies for use in other applications.
Please note that I encourage all readers to read up on safe soap making procedures before attempting to make soap. Also, it is important to wear protective clothing when handling lye and making soap.
Also, note that there any many different website that can provide a much more in depth look at soap making than I have here.
Since soap making can be so in-depth, check back tomorrow for Part Two of Crock Pot Soap. In the meantime, I highly recommend that the beginner soapmaker check out these helpful links.http://chickensintheroad.com/house/archives/soaps/
http://www.millersoap.com/
http://www.soap-making-essentials.com/hot-process.html HP tutorialhttp://www.mommamuse.com/2006/02/17/instructions-for-making-crock-pot-handmade-soap/
http://www.orthogonalthought.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/homemade-natural-soap-basic-recipe/ Very in-depth and thorough explaination on how to make CP soap. There is a link at the bottom for a very excellent HP tutorial as well
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/ an excellent soap making community.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Sweet Treats to Share
Last week I mentioned how I have a full college schedule and often get home late. One of my classes is a Low Incidence Disability Support class on Tuesdays from 5pm to 8pm. Paying attention is often difficult because around 7 o'clock my stomach starts grumbling. I decided last week that I wanted to bring in some snacks for the rest of my table after we all discussed how we'd love to order a pizza and put it in the middle of the table. (No desks, just a few round tables) I decided chocolate chip cookies would be perfect and I even had a recipe I'd been itching to try out. The Cooks Illustrated Best Chocolate Chip Cookies are my current favorite but I've read some good things about Alton Brown's "The Chewy" and decided to give those a whirl. Unfortunately, the natural light was really bad that day, I think it was storming, so the photos are limited. I need to get a light box or something.
I didn't change the recipe at all so I won't write it all out here.
Here's the dough all mixed up. It was really soft. I think I would add more flour next time because the cookies turned out flat. (See below) Very good to eat though, I love raw cookie dough.
The cookies baked at 350 for 12 minutes though the recipe called for 15. I'm glad I checked them because they would have burned.
Surprisingly, even though they were really brown, they were still quite chewy and delicious. The flavor is not as deep and "caramelly" as the Cooks Illustrated and I'll probably stick with that recipe. Sadly, the class ended of being cancelled for the week but that meant I could eat them all myself! Oh and I gave a few to DB.
DB liked them. Mostly because...well...they're cookies and how could he turn them down? He also loves cookie dough. I let him lick the bowl.
He was giving me the evil eye because I took his picture. Yeah...we're kind of strange sometimes.
I didn't change the recipe at all so I won't write it all out here.
Here's the dough all mixed up. It was really soft. I think I would add more flour next time because the cookies turned out flat. (See below) Very good to eat though, I love raw cookie dough.
The cookies baked at 350 for 12 minutes though the recipe called for 15. I'm glad I checked them because they would have burned.
Surprisingly, even though they were really brown, they were still quite chewy and delicious. The flavor is not as deep and "caramelly" as the Cooks Illustrated and I'll probably stick with that recipe. Sadly, the class ended of being cancelled for the week but that meant I could eat them all myself! Oh and I gave a few to DB.
DB liked them. Mostly because...well...they're cookies and how could he turn them down? He also loves cookie dough. I let him lick the bowl.
He was giving me the evil eye because I took his picture. Yeah...we're kind of strange sometimes.
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