Recipes

#CranberryWeek: Tuna Salad with Cranberries

~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

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It’s the final day of #CranberryWeek. #CranberryWeek was hosted by Caroline’s Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week we shared cranberry-inspired creations all in celebration of national cranberry day. You can search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

My final cranberry dish of the week is the most unique. It’s a dish that can be made and enjoyed year round, and is a perfect light lunch after some heavy holiday eating.

Never in my life would I have thought to put dried cranberries in tuna salad. But, there I was, staring at the deli offerings at Whole Foods gathering items for a picnic lunch with my mother-in-law. I tried their tuna salad and immediately ordered a small carton.

Less than two weeks later, there I was ordering some more.

I knew I couldn’t let this love affair continue and found a Copy Cat recipe to make my own for much, much less a hit to my bank account.

I made a double batch when my in-laws were visiting for Treat’s 1st Birthday. There were 6 of us and not a flake of fish was left in the bowl. I think my mother-in-law ate hers on an everything bagel, my brother-in-law’s fiance on a piece of toast with avocado (the photographed serving), and I like mine best with black pepper and salt potato chips.

This recipe is the doubled version and will serve 6-8.

Copy Cat: Whole Foods Tuna Salad with Cranberries

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 C mayonaisse
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 4 cans (5 oz) yellowfin tuna, drained
  • 1/3 C dried cranberries

Steps:

  1. In a bowl, whisk the mayo, lemon juice, and onion powder. Season to taste with S+P.
  2. Flake the tuna and add it to the mayo mixture. Stir in the cranberries.

*This recipe is modified from https://slowburn.org/2013/11/06/whole-foods-cranberry-tuna-salad-my-version/*

Tuna Salad with Cranberries for #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out all the other cranberry recipes being shared today:

Cranberry Apple Sauce from Cooking With Carlee

Cranberry Bliss Bars from Palatable Pastime

Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Cranberry Cheesecake Dream Bars from Life Currents

Cranberry Grains Power Bowl from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Cranberry Streusel Bread from Hostess At Heart

Maple Cranberry Sauce from Cricket’s Confections

Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cranberries from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Roasted Cranberry Bourbon Crush from Take Two Tapas

Savory Cranberry and Cheese Tart from Caroline’s Cooking

#CranberryWeek: Cranberry Oat Smoothie

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

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Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving falls during #CranberryWeek. #CranberryWeek is hosted by Caroline’s Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We’ve been sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day. You can search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

With it being Thanksgiving Day I knew my time was up for sharing specific holiday centered recipes. Hopefully you’re spending your day surrounded by loved ones and don’t have any last minute grocery runs today.

That’s why my cranberry submission involves kitchen staples. Well, fresh cranberries aren’t a year round staple, but for this time of year, I’m going to place my bets. You can put those bags of fresh cranberries in your freezer for year round enjoyment of the tart, red berry. In fact, I’m planning on stocking up on my next grocery trip so I can make this smoothie whenever the mood strikes! I made mine with fresh, not frozen, cranberries. If using frozen cranberries, I’d hold off on adding any ice.

Today’s smoothie is a fantastic way to kick off Turkey Day. It’s a healthy and refreshing beverage that will leave you satisfied yet not worn down.

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This recipe will make one smoothie.

An Original Recipe

Cranberry Oat Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 1 container (6 oz) French vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 C fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 C ice
  • 1/4 C old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 – 1/2 C milk

Steps:

  1. Place ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

Cranberry Oat Smoothie for #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out all the other cranberry recipes being shared today:

Apple-Ginger Cranberry Sauce from Palatable Pastime

Broccoli Salad with Cranberries from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Cranberry Blondies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Cranberry Caipirinha from Caroline’s Cooking

Cranberry Oat Smoothie from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Graavilõhe from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cranberry Walnut Macaron with Orange Buttercream from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Warm Cranberry Spread from Family Around The Table

#CranberryWeek: Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin

~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

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Welcome to #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline’s Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We’ll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day. Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

When I made this glazed pork, I was hoping to find a turkey breast to serve with the cornbread dressing I shared yesterday.

Actually, I had a couple ingredient finding hurdles to overcome.

I’ve been in a grocery store loyalty crisis. Now that Treat is too big for the Baby Bjorn (not impossible, but highly uncomfortable), I prefer to shop with him in the cart. That leaves Firecracker to walk beside me. There isn’t enough magnetic force in the world to keep that kid by myside for more than three minutes! That energetic 2 year old is off running up and down the aisles as soon as I let go of his hand. Or, he’s touching every single item at arms level when he is staying near. My patience with him wanes thin and I have to load him up into the basket. As I try to start each grocery trip with a positive attitude, by the time I “give up” I have a cart full of groceries. And to add to the frustration, Treat has a habit of screaming at an insanely high pitch. He’s not upset or crying, just screaming to scream. It’s a happy and excited sound, but one that deafens ears. Naturally, his older brother follows suit and I’m standing in the grocery store pulling out my hair half laughing half crying and all about yelling at my children.

The solution is to find a grocery store with “car carts” so both of my boys can be buckled into a cart. The bonus of a steering wheel definitely helps. Unfortunately, there aren’t many option for that out here in SoCal.

I do a decent amount of shopping at the commissary on base, particularly for yogurt as it’s about half the price of the local grocery stores. Being tax free means that processed foods end up being a tad cheaper, too. Only problem, is that I don’t quite trust their meat and seafood department, and the fresh produce is hit or miss on quality.

For small trips, I love walking to the local Whole Foods, but I’m limited to the space under the stroller. And while the meat quality is fantastic, it’s a bit pricy.

One Monday morning, I decided to try another store about a mile away. Took the kids on a walk and did some recon. Yogurt was the same marked up cost as the other stores. THe produce department was beautiful, and their bulk foods section to die for. Their meat departement looked fine, but was small; there wasn’t a turkey breast in sight (I assume that changed closer to the holiday?). I settled on a beautiful looking pork loin instead.

Another missing ingredient? Apple cider.

I knew one of the grocery stores I like sells it, but did I really want to get in the car for one item? Nope. Instead, I popped into the local coffee shop and ordered a cup of cider to go. Mission accomplished. I’m sure that 12 oz cup cost the same as a half gallon at a grocery store, but you can’t underestimate the price of my time, energy, and sanity!

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp butter, divided use
  • 1/2 shallot, chopped
  • 1 tsp whole juniper berries
  • 1 C fresh cranberries
  • 2/3 C apple cider
  • 2/3 C maple syrup
  • 1/2 C red currant jelly
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • pork loin, trimmed

Steps:

  1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallot until translucent. Add the juniper berries, and cook one minute. Add cranberries, cider, syrup, jelly, and S+P. Simmer 3-5 minutes, until cranberries burst.
  2. Transfer glaze to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan after passing through a sieve.
  3. Bring glaze to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced to about 1 1/4 C, 10-15 minutes. Keep warm.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. Melt butter in a large oven safe skillet, sear pork abour 2 minutes on all sides. Brush with glaze and put in oven until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached. Brush with glaze every 10 minutes or so. Cook time will depend on thickness of pork loin.
  6. Be sure to bring any extra glaze back to a boil to prevent contamination before serving alongside pork.

*This glaze recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart at http://www.marthastewart.com/261237/cranberry-glaze*

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin for #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out all the other cranberry recipes being shared today:

Braised Short Ribs with Hoisin-Cranberry Sauce and Asian Coleslaw from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cranberry & Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops from Books n’ Cooks

Cranberry Borscht from Palatable Pastime

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart (No Bake, GF) from Caroline’s Cooking

Cranberry London Broil from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Cranberry Mustard from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Cranberry Vanilla Bean Donuts from Hostess At Heart

Grilled Brie with Cranberries from Full Belly Sisters

Honey Roasted Cranberry Ricotta Crostini from Take Two Tapas

Orange Cranberry Turnovers by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Panko Crusted Chicken with Maple Cranberry Sauce from Family Around The Table

Sweet Heat Cranberry Spread from Cooking With Carlee

#CranberryWeek: Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

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Welcome to #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline’s Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We’ll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day. You can search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

I was really excited when I discovered #CranberryWeek was going to be a blogging event this year. I hope it’s one that will become an annual thing as I simply adore cranberries!

I’ll be posting each day this week and offering a variety of courses. Yesterday, I shared a dessert that is guarenteed to please your holiday guests. Today I’ve got a wonderful side dish to cranberrify your dressing/stuffing.

I’m sharing this cranberry cornbread dressing today becuase should you choose to serve it on Thursday you’ve got to get your ingredients today! The cornbread needs to be baked at least a day in advance, and there’s a loaf of white bread that needs to go stale.

There are a fair amount of moving parts in this dressing, but just about all of them can be prepped ahead of time, making your turkey day workload lighter.

  • Pecans can be toasted and chopped ahead of time (or purchased that way if you can find them)
  • Celery and onion cut in advance, even cooked early on, too!
  • Cornbread and white bread cubed up early

If you get all that prep done, all you need to do is mix everything together and pop it in the oven (or stuff it in your bird). This recipe makes enought for two large casserole dishes – so if you’re stuffing the turkey, you’d have to have a huge cavity! Any extra dressing/stuffing could be baked and frozen for a taste of Thanksgiving another time of the year.

When I made this recipe, I had all intentions to freeze one of the casseroles for Thanksgiving enjoyment. But… my post-1 year-doctor’s-visit child was needing my attention. As I picked him up and turned to stir the veggies at the stove, he reached out and knocked one of the bowls of bread to the ground! The bright side was that I hadn’t added the egg or stock to it, so the mess wasn’t too difficult to clean.

We loved this dressing recipe and I’m remaking it and serving it today at my husband’s office Thanksgiving party.

Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 C pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 6 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 9″ skillet cornbread (day old), cubed
  • 1 loaf white bread (stale), cubed
  • 2 C dried cranberries
  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 – 3 eggs, beaten
  • 4 C chicken stock

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and celery, until tender.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  4. In a very large bowl (or two) toss cornbread, white bread, toasted pecans, cranberries, parsley, oregano, S+P. Add eggs – amount of eggs needed will depend on the moisture level of the bread – and chicken stock.
  5. Transfer dressing to two large greased casserole dishes. Bake, covered, 35 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes.

*This recipe is modified from Martha Stewart at http://www.marthastewart.com/317663/cranberry-cornbread-stuffing*

Cranberry Cornbread Dressing for #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out all the other cranberry recipes being shared today:

Baked Pork Chops with Cranberry Thyme Sauce from Hostess At Heart

Cranberry Caipirinha from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Cranberry Chicken Thokku from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cranberry Cornbread Dressing from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Cranberry Oatmeal Sourdough Muffins from Cooking With Carlee

Cranberry-Sage Breakfast Sausage from Palatable Pastime

Jaegerschnitzel with Cranberry-Raspberry Sauce from Caroline’s Cooking

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

#CranberryWeek & SRC: Cranberry Upside Down Cake

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

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Today’s  Secret Recipe Club post comes with a little good-news-bad-news.

Do you want the bad news first?

The bad news as that this post is the final Secret Recipe Club reveal day. I’ve spent 2 1/2 years with this wonderful group of people and I’m sorry to see it come to an end. I’ve made great friends, some even in-person! I know there will be other blogging opportunities that will cross paths with a lot of these wonderful bloggers.

Ready for the good news?

Today’s SRC post helps me kick of #CranberryWeek! Because I don’t want to steal the show from honoring my last SRC assigned blogger, I’ll delve into the brains behind #CranberryWeek tomorrow. (Hope you understand Caroline and Christie), but you can search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

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I had no problem finding a recipe that would be the perfect kick-off to #CranberryWeek from my assigned blog this month. Heather of Join Us, Pull Up a Chair happens to love cranberries about as much as I do and my secret Pinterest board had 4 great contenders (and 11 non-cranberry recipes) saved to it! On the cranberry front I debated between Upside Down Cake, Shortbread Cookies, and Muffins. Heather’s Kung Pao Chickpeas and Hot & Sweet Chicken Thighs tempted my savory pallet.

So who is this Heather behind all of those delicious looking recipes? Heather is busy mom of two with a full time job in marketing as well as running an independent sales consultant gig. She started her blog to help organize her recipe hording lifestyle. I can completely relate as the magazine pages tend to pile up in my home, too. Heather grew up helping her mom in the kitchen and has passed on that love of cooking and baking to her kids. She says having her kids in the kitchen helps them be more adventurous in trying new foods – I hope Firecracker will end up being that way, but at age 2 it’s not quite as successful.

The Cranberry Upside Down Cake I settled on was a huge hit. So popular in fact, I made it twice! And it had nothing to do with the fact that I got pulled away from it and didn’t upend it on time and had a non-photography worthy cake. Instead of getting frustrated, I got excited that I’d be getting to make the cake again! The second time, I didn’t allow the kids to derail me and I flipped that cake when the time went off. A successful endeavor for a dessert I brought to the church to support their ministry of feeding the hungry once a week. (But not before stealing just one more piece for myself. I mean, I did need to do a quality check before serving others!)

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

  • 8 tbsp butter, softened, divided use
  • 1 C sugar, divided use
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 3/4 – 2 C fresh cranberries
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C milk

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread 2 tbsp softened butter along the bottom and sides of an 8″ round or 8×8″ square cake pan.
  3. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 C sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Pour evenly into the prepared cake pan. Arrange the cranberries in an even layer in the cake pan.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer, mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until incorprated. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Let cake cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edges and carefully flip out onto a plate.

*This recipe is adapted from Heather at https://joinuspullupachair.com/2011/11/20/cranberry-upside-down-cake/*

Cranberry Upside Down Cake for Secret Recipe Club and #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the final Secret Recipe Club click here:

But don’t stop your recipe stumbling there! Check out all of these great cranberry recipes to kick of #CranberryWeek:

Cranberry-Apple Sauce from The Chef Next Door

Cranberry Cornbread from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Cranberry Maple Delicata Squash Galette from Caroline’s Cooking

Cranberry Orange Baked Brie from Books n’ Cooks

Cranberry Palmiers from The Bitter Side of Sweet

Cranberry Rosemary Cornbread from Life Currents

Cranberry Snack Cake from Cooking With Carlee

Cranberry Upside Down Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Noreaster from Family Around The Table

Pork Shashlyk and Tkemali from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Slow Cooker Cranberry Brisket from Palatable Pastime

Stuffed Endive with Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Cranberries from Full Belly Sisters

Upside Down Cranberry Cake from Hostess At Heart

#SundaySupper: How to Use Holiday Leftovers

~ lk529 ~ 17 Comments

Thanksgiving is this week.

You guys. Thanksgiving is this week!

When you plan your holiday menu do you plan to intentionally have leftovers? I don’t, but I know there will be and I don’t necessarily try to mitigate them.

What do you do with all your leftover food? My brother’s favorite way to eat them is simply reheated in a skillet with some gravy. That’s really the best method for reheating the turkey and stuffing to make it taste just as good as T-day itself.

I’m a sucker for a cold turkey sandwich with some mayo on rye bread. I also enjoy a grilled cheese style sandwich with the turkey, creamed onions, and thin slice of apple.

But what do you do with the non-turkey items? I’m sure my Sunday Supper friends have some more creative and wonderful ideas on how to use up those holiday leftovers! A big thank you to Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure for hosting today’s event.

wesWhen I had leftover sweet potato casserole last year, I decided to repurpose it into breakfast. (I mean, really, what else would I possibly do?) Waffles! I simply left out the streusel (marshmallow if that’s they way you go) topping and garnished my waffles with fresh pecans.

Just look at that cutie to the right! I can’t believe that was almost a full year ago. He looks so little. I mean, his brother can now wear that shirt! My how much can happen in one year.

Sweet Potato Casserole Waffles

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 C flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 C sweet potato casserole
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C milk
  • 1 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
  • pecans (optional)

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and baking powder.
  2. In another bowl, whisk the casserole, eggs, milk, and yogurt.
  3. Combine wet ingredients into dry.
  4. Drop 1/3  C of waffle batter onto a greased waffle iron and cook until golden.
  5. Garnish with pecans, if desired.

Sweet Potato Casserole for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

#BundtBakers: Pears

~ lk529 ~ 24 Comments

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This month’s edition of #BundtBakers is a little different. No, you won’t notice anything unique about this month compared to any of the previous #BundtBakers events but behind the scenes I’m the one hosting! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I’ve selected a theme of Pears for November 2016. When I told my mom she said, “but you made a pear cake last month.” Yes, yes, I did. I’m that much obsessed with pears this fall.

How did this pear obsession begin?

Friends of ours brought over a fruit salad one evening and there were pears in it. These pears were perfectly ripe and reminded me how delicious a pear can be! I’ve since been buying them when I can get decent ones at the grocery store. Treat loves them, too. They’re such a perfect late night snack.

My favorite pear variety of choice is the boring ole Bartlet. I went rogue and bought a Bosq for a salad (but my husband ate it). We didn’t care for it as much.

The pear cake I’m sharing today varies from the my previous one because the pear is shredded! The shredded pear almost disolves into the cake batter as it’s baking, but you still get that bit of pear texture. I decided to pulse some walnuts instead of using almondmeal and I love the flavor it gives to the cake. Another change I made from the recipe of inspiration was to use honey instead of maple syrup. Pear, honey, and walnuts, are a perfect flavor combination and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It had me thinking of a cheese platter and I decided to use mascarpone cheese in the frosting again, too.

My husband perfers just about every cake to be warmed up in the microwave. I’m the opposite and like my cake at room temperature, even cold for some recipes! For this bundt cake, though, I am 100% on board with warming it up. Yum.

Honey and Walnut Pear Bundt Cake

Ingredients for cake:

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1/2-1/2 C walnuts
  • 1 1/3 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1 pear, shredded

Ingredients for frosting:

  • 4 tbsp mascarpone, softened
  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • milk, as needed
  • pinch of salt, if desired

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at at time, mixing until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and honey.
  3. Put walnuts in a food processor and pulse until fine – should yield 1/4 C.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/4 C of the walnut crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
  5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until combined. Add the milk, mix until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients. Add the shredded pear and mix.
  6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool before unmolding.
  7. Make the frosting: Place mascarpone, butter, honey, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until combined. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add milk as needed a teaspoon at a time. If desired, stir in a pinch of salt. Pipe frosting over cooled cake.

*The cake recipe is modified from Tessa at http://thecakeblog.com/2015/12/maple-pear-cake.html*

Honey and Walnut Pear Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Almond Pear Bread Pudding from Food Lust People Love

Fresh Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze from The Queen of Scones

London Fog & Pear Bundt Cake from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Orange Pear Bundt Cake from Basic N Delicious

Pear and Date Bundt Cake with Caramel Mascarpone Sauce from kidsandchic

Pear and Hazelnut Bundt from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Pear and Port Bundt Cake from Palatable Pasttime

“Pear”fect Rum Raisin Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Pear Pecan Coffee Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake

Pear Spiced Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes

Pear Streusel Crunch Cake from Noshing with the Nolands

Pumpkin Pear Bundt Cake from Making Miracles

Roasted Pear & Walnut Spice Cake Bundt from Brooklyn Homemaker

Salted Caramel Pear Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra

Spiced Pear Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm

This recipe was my personal favorite of November 2016. I’ve added it to An InLinkz Link-up celebrating monthly favorite recipes on Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking. 

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Garbanzo Sweet Potato Mash

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I had so much fun working with OXO Tot on their sippy cup campaign over the summer and was honored when asked to help them promote their newest products: Food Masher, Glass Baby Blocks, and Feeding Spoon Set with Soft Silicone.

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The food masher is a fun, easy to use product. It’s easier to clean than a food processor or blender, and more convenient, too, when working in smaller batches.

Both of my kids are veering away from the pureed food stage (unless we’re talking applesauce pouches) but I knew I could come up with a simple recipe that can be prepared using the food masher. My boys absolutely love beans, so that’s where my inspiration started.

This OXO Tot campaign is  titled “Do The Little Monster Mash with OXO Tot” and we were asked to create a seasonal recipe. It’s fall and that means pumpkin. Unfortunately a pumpkin allergy means no pumpkin. No pumpkin? No problem! I always use sweet potato in place of squash this time of year and it’s perfect.

I mashed some canned garbanzo beans and cooked sweet potato. Mixed them together with salt, pepper, and some paprika pork rub. (I even recruited my 2 year old to help!)

My garbanzo sweet potato mash is easiest to spread when warmed a little bit, and that’s where the glass baby blocks come in handy – perfect portion size all ready for the microwave!

Hands down, my favorite item in the box are the glass food storage cubes. My husband has already claimed he’ll be “stealing” them to pack his lunches for work. These borosilicate glass containers are thermal shock resistant, so unlike your typical glass containers and dishes, there’s no need to bring them up to room temperature from the freezer before heating. For the busy (maybe forgetful?) mom or dad, that’s an incredible life saving feature; no need to worry if you forgot to pull the baby’s food out of the freezer and into the fridge the night before. Come to think of it, it can help prevent food waste, too!

The blocks come with a nice tray for keeping them together, and are also stackable for space efficient storage. They even have measurement lines on them so you never have to guess how much your baby is eating.

One of my favorite features is that the lid doesn’t go into the container meaning you can fill the block all the way to the top! The folks at OXO think of everything.

While my 1 year old tried the mash as is, my 2 year old wasn’t that interested. No problem! How do you get my picky eater to try just about anything? Put it on a “pizza”! I spread the mash onto a tortilla, topped it with leftover barbecue, and cheese. Baked in a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, and lunch is served!

Garbanzo Bean Sweet Potato Mash      

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and loose skins removed
  • 1/2-1 tsp paprika pork seasoning

Steps:

  1. Poke sweet potato with a fork all over. Microwave 5 minutes. Flip. Microwave another 5 minutes. Allow potato to cool enough to touch. Remove the flesh from the skin and mash in the OXO Tot Food Masher, work in two batches if necessary. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
  2. Working in batches, mash the garbanzo beans in the OXO Tot Food Masher, add to the sweet potato.
  3.  Use the masher to help combine the two ingredients. Stir in paprika seasoning and S+P to taste.
  4. Serving options: spread on a toasted bagel, serve in a pita pocket with fresh veggies, or use as a pizza “sauce.”

Garbanzo Sweet Potato Mash | Sew You Think You Can Cook

What’s my next plan for these OXO Tot products? Mashing some fruit for mixing into my son’s morning Greek yogurt! Making my own “fruit on the bottom” yogurt for my guys will definitely helps save money!

Bottom line. Would I recommend these OXO Tot products to my friends? Yes. We were already satisfied OXO Tot customers and I’m happy to report that the love with their products has only increased after reviewing these items.

Disclaimer: I received these items from OXO in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

Autumn Salad

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

After a few weeks of less than healthy eating I was craving a good salad. A salad that would qualify as dinner.

I immediately went to my vegetarian/vegan cookbook,  The Vibrant Table. Most of the recipes I was itching to make were better suited for spring and summer produce, but I found a beautiful autumn salad that caught my eye.

Autumn Salad | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

This salad involved a lot of ingredients that we love – beets, Brussles sprouts, apples and pears. I had to swap the use of squash for sweet potatoes due to my allergy, but it worked perfectly, and also falls under the favorite food category. Persimmons were called for as an optional ingredient for adding to the salad and conveniently I had one sitting on my counter from the farmer’s market.

If you’ve never worked with a persimmon, I suggest you find one while they’re readily available this fall. It’s a fruit (berry, technically) that looks like an orange tomato. I thought it had a taste vaguely similar to a sweet apple but with a texture of a grape without the “pop.”

I was bummed to omit the pear as my husband grabbed the last one for his mid morning snack, but honestly, there was enough going on in this salad that it wasn’t missed.

As mentioned, there’s a lot happening in this salad. It’s not one to be whipped up 15 minutes before you’re hungry.

The night before I cleaned and prepped the Brussels sprouts, toasted the pecans, and roasted the beets.

Day of, I roasted the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and apples. Made the dressing. Warmed up the beets. And assembled the final product on a bed of spinach and arugula.

Autumn Salad

Ingredients for salad:

  • 1/2 C pecan halves
  • 2-3 mini red beets, quartered
  • 4-5 mini candy beets, quartered
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 2 apples, sliced in wedges
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 pear, sliced (optional)
  • 1 persimmon, sliced
  • 3 handfuls baby spinach
  • 2 handful baby arugula

Ingredients for dressing:

  • 1/2 C roasted apples
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  4. Put red beets in a foil pouch, toss with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, S+P. Put candy beets in a separate foil pouch, toss with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, S+P. Roast 35 minutes, until tender.
  5. Place apples in a baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
  6. Toss Brussels sprouts and sweet potato with remaining olive oil, S+P, and paprika. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 10 minutes, flip, roast another 10 minutes, until tender.
  7. Make dressing: Blend 1/2 C roasted apples, molasses, vegetable oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil. If needed, add up to 2 tbsp water to thin the dressing.
  8. Assemble salad: Place roasted veggies and fruit, nuts, and fresh fruit over a bed of spinach and arugula.

*This recipe is modified from The Vibrant Table*

Autumn Salad | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Wing-it Mac & Cheese

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

5.5 weeks just the kids and me.

1 week on vacation.

1 week celebrating my baby’s first birthday.

That’s a lot of days doing very little cooking. It’s no surprise my scheduled posts have petered out and there wasn’t much to pull from the archives to share.

The moment has finally come to share a poorly photographed original recipe.

I made this Mac & Cheese just shy of one year ago. At that point in my life I had a two week old. Daylight Savings Time had ended and the dark Ohio nights were cold. What’s a better pick-me-up than some macaroni?

I decided to save another dish to wash by making my macaroni in a Dutch oven and putting it directly into the oven instead of transferring it to a casserole dish.

An Original Recipe

Wing-it Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb elbow noodles
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 C whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions to al dente.
  3. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute onion until tender. Add minced garlic and saute one minute. Stir in mustard, S+P, and flour.
  4. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a gentle bubble. Add in the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more. Once all the cheese is incorporated, fold in the cooked macaroni noodles.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the panko and Italian seasoning. Spread over the macaroni. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  6. Bake 30 minutes. Allow macaroni to rest 5-10 minutes before digging in.

Wing-it Mac & Cheese for a simple weeknight dinner | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com