#AppleWeek: Apple Pie Bread

September 29, 2017October 1, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

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Welcome to the final day of #AppleWeek hosted by Carlee of Cooking with Carleee! Over 2 dozen bloggers have been celebrating the humble apple and elevating it into over 80 sensational recipes.

For my final offering of the week, I went with a dessert. While, the recipe title says “bread,” there’s no fooling. This “bread” is a cake. It starts by creaming together butter and sugar. Don’t be fooled by the loaf pan, you’re having cake for breakfast and it’s fantastic.

Apple Pie Bread

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, at room temperature
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cardamom
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 C milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9″ loaf pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add in the flour and baking powder, mixing until combined. Add the milk until the batter is smooth.
In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with half of the brown sugar mixture and half of the chopped apple. Repeat with the remaining batter, brown sugar, and apple.
Bake 40 – 45 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Ashely at https://wishesndishes.com/cinnamon-apple-pie-bread/*

Apple Pie Bread for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

When I received the Sandwich Hero knife from Chicago Cutlery for #AppleWeek I knew my final recipe just had to be a bread (okay, cake) of some kind. This knife has all sorts of hidden special talents and can handle most any task in the kitchen. For the use of cutting this bread/cake, it handled the mission wonderfully. I could cut through the sweet treat without crushing it or mashing the apples into the crumb.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a knife block from Chicago Cutlery, and check out some great apple recipes:

Apfelstrudel Recipe (Apple Strudel from Scratch) from House of Nash Eats
Apple and Onion Cornbread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Apple Butter Cheesecake from The Redhead Baker
Apple Chicken Stew from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Apple Cider Dark & Stormy from The Crumby Kitchen
Apple Mincemeat Pie from Palatable Pastime
Apple Pie Bread from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Apple Pie Pancakes from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Apple Praline Bread from Family Around the Table
Apple Stuffing Crusted Pork Chops from Caroline’s Cooking
Battered Chocolate Caramel Apple Slices from The Freshman Cook
Caramel Apple Pull Apart Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Apple Crack Slaw Eggrolls from Dad What’s 4 Dinner
Cinnamon Apple Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
Diminutive Caramel Apples from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Easy Caramel Apple Butter from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Fast and Easy Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip from Cooking With Carlee
Mom’s Apple Cake from Books n’ Cooks
Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples from Simple and Savory
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples from Feeding Big
Savory Apple Turkey Brie Galette from Bear & Bug Eats
Swiss Vegetarian Autumn Lasagna With Apples & Squash from All That’s Jas

Disclaimer: Thank you to #AppleWeek Sponsors: Rodelle, Dreamfarm, Casabella, Flahavan’s Irish Oatmeal, Pryex, Chicago Cutlery, Rainier Fruit, and Veggie Wash for providing prizes for #AppleWeek free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #AppleWeek. All opinions are my own.

#AppleWeek: Apple Cinnamon Rolls

September 26, 2017September 27, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

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It’s the second day of #AppleWeek and time for my first recipe! I will be sharing three recipes throughout the week and decided to break them into a breakfast dish, a savory dish, and a dessert.

I’ve already done a German apple pancake this year, so naturally the next logical step is cinnamon rolls.

We love cinnamon rolls and when I make them from scratch the weekend just seems that much better. Instead of going with my typical Christmas morning cinnamon roll dough, I opted for a more busy morning friendly recipe – one hour cinnamon rolls.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients for Rolls:

1 C warm milk (105-110 deg F)
4 1/2 tsp instant yeast (I used Red Star Platinum)
1/2 C sugar, divided use (I used Dixie Crystals)
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 C vegetable oil
4-4 1/2 C flour
1/3 C butter, at room temperature
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and finely diced

Ingredients for Icing:

1/4 C butter, at room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/4 C powdered sugar

Steps:

Dissolve yeast and 1 tbsp sugar into the warm milk. Let proof 5 – 10 minutes.
Place 4 C flour, remaining sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast mixture and stir on low. Add the egg and oil. Once the dough starts to come together switch the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead 5 minutes. Add flour 2 tbsp at a time, as needed. Let rest 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Roll dough out on a floured surface into an 18″ x 24″ rectangle. Spread the dough with the softened butter. Distribute the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly, pressing lightly. Add the diced apple.
Roll the dough lengthwise and gently pinch the seam closed. Cut into 1 1/2″ cinnamon rolls. Place cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 – 25 minutes, until lightly golden.
Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, whip together the butter and cream cheese using a hand mixer. Add in the corn syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Allow cinnamon rolls to cool slightly before frosting.

*This recipe is adapted from Lauren at https://www.laurenslatest.com/1-hour-cinnabon-cinnamon-rolls-best/*

Apple Cinnamon Rolls for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Dreamfarm provided #AppleWeek bloggers with a set of their Levups and a set of Levoons and my kids instantly became obsessed with them (see!). Firecracker can’t wait to help with baking even more than usual when I pull out these helpful gadgets.

Dreamfarm

When it comes to baking, precision in measurements is key to achieving that perfect cake or bread. These products help make that possible. They have a leveling scraper that you can pinch across the top of your measuring cup/spoon. It’s pretty fun. (Check out my Instagram video of the Levups in action here!)

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for your own set of Levups and set of Levoons, and check out some great apple recipes:
Apple Almond Butter Manchego Grilled Cheese from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Apple Almond Chicken Salad from Books n’ Cooks
Apple Bacon Jam from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Apple Fritter Pie from Dad What’s 4 Dinner
Apple Nachos from Simple and Savory
Apple Pecan Chicken Salad from The Chef Next Door
Apple Turnovers from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Applesauce Cake with Soft Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting from Cooking With Carlee
Autumn Apple Sipper from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Bavarian Apple Oatmeal Streusel Cheesecake from All That’s Jas
Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Grilled Apple Tossed Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Mini Apple Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel Topping from Family Around the Table
Nutmeg Apple Conserve from Feeding Big
Red Cabbage with Apple from Palatable Pastime
Roasted Apple and White Cheddar Soup from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Sauerkraut & Sausage with Apples from House of Nash Eats

Blackberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies #DarkRecipes #SolarEclipse

August 21, 2017August 22, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

Are you in the path of totality for the solar eclipse today? If you are, I am so incredibly jealous!

The pastor of our church actually headed out of town back to her home state of Nebraska where her family farm will experience the magic and wonder. I’m kind of wondering why we didn’t think to make a vacation out of the once-in-a-lifetime event.

I’ve been nervous though about protecting my children.

the boys

I know the approved solar eclipse glasses are not exactly kid approved – definitely not toddler approved! My children don’t exactly keep things on their faces anyway.

My mom shared some great pinhole projector ideas, one of which involves making one of out a box large enough to stick your head into. That definitely seems like the safest bet for my rascals – just stuff their head in a box and that should protect their eyes!

The local library has an event going on and I was super pumped to go to it. But the more I thought about it, the more I figured it probably wouldn’t be the safest idea. Could I really keep an eye on my two high-energy boys amidst a sea of over 100 people and get a chance to view the eclipse through glasses? I have to go with the non-selfish vote of “no.”

Our balcony doesn’t get sunlight in the morning, when the partial eclipse is supposed to happen for us in SoCal, so using a colander to project the shadows onto the ground isn’t going to work well, either.

We might be able to go to the playground. It’s not like my children look up at the sun on a regular basis anyway. And they are so young that they’re not going to understand the beauty of the event. Only problem for me is that I won’t have glasses (I was counting on using those provided by the library!).

Watch it be cloudy anyway and all my fretting is for nothing.

If you haven’t caught the eclipse frenzy you can fake it with some dark recipes. Kind of like that big football game you pretend to care about just for the food. Thanks to Sue of Palatable Pastime for coming up with and hosting this event!

Blackberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp chocolate extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
milk, if needed
blackberry jam

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, chocolate extract, and salt until smooth.
Add in the flour and cocoa powder and beat until the dough comes together. If it is too dry, add in a tablespoon or two of milk.
Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on a prepared baking sheet, flatten slightly, and press your thumb (or a small spoon) in the center.
Bake 15-17 minutes, until set. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Once cool, fill thumbprints with blackberry jam.

*This recipe is adapted from Grishma and Vikas at http://www.feastie.com/recipe/zaika-zabardast/blackforest-thumbprints*

Blackberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies for #DarkRecipes #SolarEclipse

Be sure to check out these other Dark Recipes for the Solar Eclipse:

Chinese Mooncakes (Snow Skin Mooncakes) by Caroline’s Cooking

Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies by Palatable Pastime

Eclipse Pizza by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Homemade Moon Pies by Family Around the Table

Ramen and a Martini from the Abyss by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Sweet Dark Cherry Crepes by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Triple Chocolate Cookies by The Freshman Cook

#BundtBakers: Strawberry Bundts

August 17, 2017August 18, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 11 Comments

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I have been sitting on this cake for months! And that is not an exaggeration. Tammy of Living the Gourmet is hosting and announced the theme of “Strawberry Bundts” back in spring and I baked this beauty in early June.

#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.

We eat strawberries by the pound here. They’ve been my kids’ favorite food/fruit for well over a year now. With a weekly Farmers Market across the street dishing out California fresh berries year round, we’re never without these red beauties.

And yes, this is my fourth strawberry recipe since my “break“. Told you we like strawberries around here!

boys want cake

When I think of using strawberries in a creative way I immediately go to balsamic vinegar. So, is that really creative? Meh. It’s a delicious combination either way.

This cake has a lot of moving parts. Cake. Frosting. Drizzle. Berries. And is it all worth it? Yes! Will I do it all again? Yes! I have some of the frosting in the freezer and Firecracker can’t stop talking about baking a strawberry cake with Tilly when she comes to visit. (Update: He forgot all about baking anything once she was here. We kept busy creating his Homeschooling corner, hanging artwork that’s been leaning against the wall for the past 16 months, going to the beach and the tide pools, and even sewing!)

Strawberry Balsamic Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Strawberry Balsamic Bundt Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 C dark brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
3 C cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 C buttermilk

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 lb fresh strawberries, chopped
1 C + 6 tbsp sugar, divided use
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 egg whites
3 sticks butter, softened

Ingredients for the garnish:

1 lb fresh strawberries, finely diced
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the drizzle:

1/2 C balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a bundt pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, alternating with the buttermilk. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out cleanly.
For the frosting, put the chopped strawberries, 2 tbsp sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are soft, 5-8 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring to a blender to puree until smooth. Chill.
Also for the frosting, whisk the egg whites and the remaining sugar in a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk consistently until a thermometer measures 160 degrees F and the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 8 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and add in the softened butter 2 tbsp at a time, until fully incorporated, and frosting is thick and smooth (it will most likely curdle during the process, just keep going and keep trusting!). Add in the cooled strawberry puree until fully incorporated.
Make the garnish: Stir together the diced strawberries, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla in a bowl. Let macerate 20-30 minutes.
For the drizzle: Reduce the balsamic and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat down to 4 tbsp. Set aside.

*This recipe is adapted from Annie at http://www.annies-eats.com/2013/06/07/strawberry-balsamic-cupcakes/*

Strawberry Balsamic 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 created this month:

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Poke Bundt by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Freeze Dried Strawberry Bundt with Cream Cheese Glaze by Sweet Sensations

Jam Strawberry Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando

Lemon Strawberry Poke Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Neapolitan Zebra Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Strawberry Balsamic Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Strawberry & Cream Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cakes

Strawberry Crunch Bundt Cake by Cookaholic Wife

Strawberry Bundt Mousse Cake by Sneha’s Recipe

Strawberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache by The Queen of Scones

Strawberries & Cream Naked Bundt Cake by Living the Gourmet

Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bundt by The Crumby Kitchen

Strawberry Orange Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

Fresh Strawberry Pie

August 3, 2017August 4, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

Here it is, the third and final recipe made with the 8 quarts of strawberries we picked while staying with my parents in Wisconsin in June.

kids berry picking

1 quart was turned into Strawberry Honey Sorbet. 1 quart was turned into No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream. Almost 2 quarts became this incredible deep dish strawberry pie. The remaining half of the strawberries were gobbled up by mostly my kids.

My mom really wanted to make pie with the strawberries. I’m not the biggest pie fan. I have a thing against warm fruit. But I’m getting better, I’ll at least give it a go on occasion. But, of course, I had to try the stunning pie I watched her make with her grandsons!

pie filling

These strawberries were quite different than those I get from the Farmers Market here in California. They’re different from the Florida Strawberries you can find in the winter months (depending on where you live). These berries were small, dark, and slightly tart. They also let off a lot of juice. My mom likes her pies to be a little on the “runny” side compared to the average pie eater and we ended up having to take the boy’s {clean} Tylenol syringe to syphon off some juice.

berry picking

The recipe for the pie dough was handed down from my grandmother and it’s my mom’s all time favorite crust. Unlike myself, my mom opts to make her dough over buying one from the freezer section. After watching her make the crust in a matter of minutes, I really don’t see why I couldn’t do that from now on, too.

pie dough

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients for the crust:

2 C flour
pinch of salt
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C milk

Ingredients for the filling:

7 C sliced strawberries
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 – 3/4 C brown sugar
1 tbsp butter, cubed

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Make dough: Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and oil. Pour into the flour and mix until combined. Form into two balls. Roll one of the pieces of dough between two sheets of wax paper into a large circle. Place in the bottom of a pie pan, patch up any tears.
Make the filling: Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Adjust sugar to taste depending on the sweetness level of your strawberries. Spoon the filling into the pie pan, leaving excess juice behind. Dot with butter.
Roll the remaining pie dough between two sheets of wax paper. Option to cut out stars for topping the pie, or simply lay the top crust on top with a couple of slits in the center.
Bake 40 minutes, covered with foil. Bake another 30-33 minutes, uncovered, until golden and bubbly.

Fresh Strawberry Pie | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

We had a lot of fun with photography while the boys were playing in the backyard, going “old school” and putting the pie in the literal window to cool. Trust me, had the kids been inside, that pie would’ve been placed on top of the counter out of reach.

cell phone photos

And seriously, my all-time favorite photo of this pie is the one taken on my iPhone through the Instagram app. Check it out here! And if you don’t already, give me a little follow to keep up with our crazy life in between blog posts.

#FantasticalFoodFight: Ice Cream

July 19, 2017July 13, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

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Fantastical Food Fight has done it again, a food fight worthy of returning to my blog.

I’m laughing a little bit because my uncle teased me for blogging so much after declaring I was taking a break. (Thanks for being a true fan, Uncle Lar!)

The kids and I spent the end of June at Lake Geneva with my parents while my husband was doing a two week stint at the Pentagon. While on our trip, we went strawberry picking in Bristol. A lot of strawberries! We used those strawberries to make pie, sorbet, and no-churn ice cream.

Because I was at my mom’s house, sans ice cream maker, I had to go with a no-churn method for ice cream making. Luckily this food fight allows no-churn varieties of ice cream!

No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 qt frozen strawberries
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pt heavy cream

Steps:

Place a metal pan in the freezer to chill (we used a bundt pan!).
Thaw strawberries 10-20 minutes.
Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until pea-sized. Add the condensed milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until combined.
Using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed.
Fold 1 C of the whipped cream into the ice cream base then pour that into the remaining whipped cream until blended.
Pour into the chilled pan and freeze 2-5 hours.

*This recipe is adapted from Food Network at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/no-churn-strawberry-ice-cream-3364490*

No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream for #FantasticalFoodFight from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To check out these other Fantastical Ice Creams click here:

If you would like to join our Fantastical Food Fight, you can learn more on our informational page.

#IceCreamSocial: Strawberry Honey Sorbet

July 1, 2017July 11, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 21 Comments

Hello, Summer. You’ve been here 10 days and it’s high time we’ve had an Ice Cream Social to celebrate your arrival. After all, July is National Ice Cream Month.

The Festive Foodie Events Planning Group (formerly Holiday Fun with our Blogging Friends) is having said Ice Cream Social with all treats frozen. We’re talking ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, sorbets, ices, affogatos, malts and shakes, ice cream cakes, ice cream pies, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, popsicles, etc. If it’s frozen and it’s a treat, bring it on to the party! Thank you Sue of Palatable Pastime for hosting!

19399035_10104959073808201_7818881682960017989_n The boys and I went strawberry picking with my mom the Thursday before last and brought back 8 quarts of strawberries! That’s a lot of strawberries. Particularly when they’re super tiny. These Wisconsin strawberries are half the size of those I get from the Farmer’s Market back in California.

Using about 7 cups of strawberries, Mom (with a little help from Treat) baked a beautiful pie. We filled two freezer quart bags to be used in both an ice cream and a sorbet. And there was a 48 oz container remaining for our daily Vitamin C intake.

On a beautiful (and only slightly chilly) Monday morning, Firecracker woke up asking to make ice cream. I checked my potential blogging opportunities and decided to tackle the sorbet first.

There’s a slight chance we busted my mom’s little blender, so I’m not sure if the no-churn ice cream we want to make will end up happening. I’ll need to get on that quite soon before we head back to sunny SoCal!

After lunch the sun came out and outside play called for some Strawberry Honey Sorbet. This treat melts quickly, especially in the sun, but it’s quite refreshing! Sweetened only with honey, I didn’t feel too guilty about letting the boys dig in!

Strawberry Honey Sorbet (kids) | Sew You Think You Can Cook

The three ingredient recipe was inspired by a Facebook Video my mom found.

I encourage you to have a taste of summer by whizzing up your own, three-ingredient sorbet.

Strawberry Honey Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 qt frozen strawberries
1/2 C water
1/2 C honey

Steps:

Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Transfer to a freezer friendly dish, cover, and freeze at least an hour.

*This recipe is modified from Pierce at https://www.buzzfeed.com/pierceabernathy/3-ingredient-mango-sorbet?bffbtasty&ref=bffbtasty&utm_term=.fmrJbAWaw#.kpa9N6Edq*

Be sure to check out these other frozen treats for your next Ice Cream Social:

Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cowtipper Shake by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Easy Nutella Popsicles by All That’s Jas

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

No Churn Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Old Fashioned Cola Float by Family Around the Table

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip No Churn Ice Cream by Cooking with Carlee

Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream by Red Cottage Chronicles

Sour Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt by Palatable Pastime

Strawberry Honey Sorbet by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Strawberry Peaches & Cream Popsicles with Gingersnap Crumbles by Tip Garden

#BrunchWeek: Biscuit Bar with Flavored Sugars

May 12, 2017May 15, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Happy Friday, everyone!

While there’s one more day left of #BrunchWeek, today’s my last posting of the event. I hope you’ve enjoyed all of our brunch recipes and are ready for celebrating Mother’s Day this weekend.

I don’t think #BrunchWeek could be complete without biscuits. At least not a good southern brunch anyway.

In 2015 I made Cheddar Biscuits for breakfast sandwiches during #BrunchWeek, so it was time to go in a sweeter direction.

A biscuit bar with flavored sugars.

If you’re having a brunch party, a biscuit bar is the perfect way to go. You can use any biscuit recipe you like! Offer some classic biscuits, sweet biscuits, and savory biscuits. Offer honey, softened butter, and jams. And offer flavored sugars. (Those sugars can also be turned into party favors!)

Flavored Sugars for a Biscuit Bar for #BrunchWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

For my first foray into flavored sugar making I went with Lavender, Blood Orange, and for a little something different, Chile Lime.

These sugars are great on more than just buttered biscuits. They’re lovely on English muffins and French toast.

I actually used the chili lime sugar the last time I made my favorite black bean and corn salsa for tacos in place of agave.

Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 C flour
3 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 C cold milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Pulse. Add in the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add in the milk and mix until just combined.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll to 1″ thickness. Cut out biscuits using a biscuit cutter and place on a silicone mat lined cookie sheet.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Damaris at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/damaris-phillips/spiced-biscuits*

Lavender Sugar

Ingredients:

1 C Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh lavender

Steps:

Place sugar and lavender in a small food processor and pulse.
Store in an air tight container.

*This recipe is adapted from Rita at http://www.food.com/recipe/lavender-sugar-with-vanilla-101039*

Blood Orange Sugar

Ingredients:

1 C Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
zest 1 blood orange

Steps:

Place sugar and orange zest in a small food processor and pulse.
Spread sugar onto a rimmed baking sheet and let dry.
Store in an air tight container.

*This recipe is adapted from Gabrielle at https://www.designmom.com/diy-flavored-sugar-valentines/*

Chile Lime Sugar

Ingredients:

1 C Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Steps:

Place ingredients in a small food processor and pulse.
Spread sugar onto a rimmed baking sheet and let dry.
Store in an air tight container.

*This recipe is adapted from Sommer at http://www.aspicyperspective.com/flavored-sugar-recipes/2/*

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out these other great brunch recipes:

BrunchWeek Beverages:

Blackberry Mint Bellinis from Sweet Beginnings
Cardamom Rose Cocktail from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Lemon & Blueberry Mocktail from Girl Abroad
Mango Pina Colada from The Spiffy Cookie
Sparkling Mojito Lime Rickies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:

Cheesy Asparagus Bacon Quiche from The Nifty Foodie
Creamed Asparagus Omelet from Wholistic Woman
Eggs in Hell from kimchi MOM
Asparagus and Cheddar Frittata from My Catholic Kitchen
Spring Veggie Quiche from A Day in the Life on the Farm

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:

Apple Cheddar Cream Cheese Danish from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Apple Cinnamon Bread from It Bakes Me Happy
Gluten Free Apple Waffles from Gluten Free Crumbley
Banana Bread Buttermilk Pancakes from Love and Confections
Blackberry Cream Cheese Sweet Rolls from Pink Cake Plate
Brown Sugar Poptarts from Big Bear’s Wife
Creme Brulee French Toast from The Barbee Housewife
Cherry Almond Coffee Cake from The Chef Next Door
Cheddar Dinner Rolls from Family Around the Table
Cinnamon Apple Danish from Nik Snacks
Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Bread from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake from Books n’ Cooks
Mocha Eclairs from The Redhead Baker
Sweet Apple Hand Pies with Cheddar Shortcrust from An Edible Mosaic

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:

Country Ham Biscuits with Peach Mustard from Palatable Pastime
Ham, Apple and Cheddar Melts from Cookaholic Wife
Ham, Egg, and Asparagus Breakfast Pizza Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Shaved Asparagus, Herb Cream Cheese, and Smoked Salmon Pizza from Sarcastic Cooking
Yumbo Sliders from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:

Rhubarb Crunch from Cooking with Carlee
Biscuit Bar with Flavored Sugars from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Low-Fat Apple Coffee Cake from Hardly A Goddess

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Nielsen-Massey, Rainier Fruit, and Michigan Asparagus for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social channel mentioned in the #Brunchweek posts or entry.

Burnt Honey Ice Cream

May 3, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

There are some days being a military family is just plain hard.

Burnt Honey Ice Cream | Sew You Think You Can Cook (1)

And really, we haven’t dealt with the hardest of experiences as my husband hasn’t deployed in his 7 years active duty. But comparing experiences and hardships doesn’t help anybody.

Not having been “in theater” is something my husband thinks about quite often. There’s a pull in him to serve and protect, and yet I know he’s thankful not to have missed out on any of our children’s milestones to date. But there’s an almost guilt he feels when someone, seeing him in uniform, thanks him for his service.

This past year, my Facebook world has been teeming with families separated due to deployments. And I, too, feel that pull. The guilt when I complain that life might be just a little too hard, that my husband has to travel 3-4 days a month. But it’s not fair to me to belittle my experiences either. Everyone is dealing with something and that something, no matter how “small or insignificant” it may seem to an outsider doesn’t mean it’s not the world to the person in the moment.

The hardest part that just about every military family can relate to is being far from family and friends.

We just had a fabulous week with my in-laws who came all the way out to California from Alabama to spend their vacation time. My husband even took the week off to make it an incredible “stay-cation.” We went to Disneyland for the first time, checked out the Aquarium of the Pacific, and went to an LA Galaxy game. Of course Tilly brought some crafts to do with the boys and we set up a garden! Our front step is now the home to some beautiful orange and blue flowers, and my balcony is a pot garden with strawberries, tomatoes, and herbs. Here’s to hoping I don’t kill everything!

With every move we have to say goodbye to friends we made at that duty station. Those goodbyes are hardest when the friends we’ve made are civilians who aren’t moving somewhere new, too.

I think there’s an understand among military friends that, yep, we’re moving again, but the military is small, we’ll see each other again.

Today’s post is about one of those friends. I’ve talked, countless times, about Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table. I’ve known Tara for almost 8 years. Our husbands attended ROTC together and we were stationed in the FL panhandle together. We’re godparents to each others children and constantly keep in touch even though we moved to OH and they moved to DC in 2014. Then we came to CA and they should hopefully be joining us next year. Trust me, these next 12 months are going to be a combination of excitement and fear my hopes coming down crashing.

The recipe I’m sharing today is one that Tara made when we were visiting two years ago over Memorial weekend. It was so intriguing, I just had to make it myself. The burnt honey flavor is strong and a great compliment to a baked apple dish. I suggest using a sweet honey, and one that you like.

Burnt Honey Ice Cream | Sew You Think You Can Cook (2)

Burnt Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 C honey
2 C heavy cream
1 C whole milk
9 egg yolks
1/4 C sugar
1 C cold crème fraiche
1 tsp Kosher salt

Steps:

Heat honey in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the foam that forms reduces and the honey becomes amber in color, about 5-7 minutes.
In another saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk over medium heat until warmed through; do not boil. Slowly add the cream to the darkened honey 1/2 C at a time, whisking continuously. When it comes back to a simmer, remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the honey mixture into the eggs 1/4 C at a time, whisking continuously. When the egg mixture is warmed through and thin, slowly pour it back into the saucepan, still whisking continuously. Heat the ice cream base over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour the ice cream base through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Stir in the crème fraiche and salt. Place the bowl into an ice bath, being careful not to let any ice water into the ice cream. When the mixture reaches room temperature, cover, and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours.
Pour chilled ice cream base into an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

*This recipe is adapted from Tara at http://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/mourad-new-moroccan-cookbook-review-and-burnt-honey-ice-cream/*

Burnt Honey Ice Cream | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

Carrot Cake Energy Balls #EasterRecipes

April 13, 2017April 17, 2017 ~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

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Today is my last post as part of the Easter Week with “Holiday Fun with our Blogging Friends.” This week, 13 bloggers are sharing 46 recipes and tips to help you serve up deliciousness this Easter. Follow #EasterRecipes on social media to see what we’re serving up! I’ll be taking the Holy Weekend off from my computer and spending it with my family and friends.

Our brunch menu consists of those Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls I shared with you yesterday, eggs, and bacon. Our dinner menu will be my Parmesan Pork Tenderloin, a corn and green bean casserole from one of my cookbooks, and some crescent rolls on the side. For dessert, as is tradition, I’ll be making my grandmother’s Easter Pound Cake in her lamb mold.

To round out my carrot cake related offerings this week I provide you with a healthy option. These energy balls even qualify as raw vegan (assuming you leave off the drizzle of cream cheese icing)!

If you love carrot cake, you absolutely must stop everything you’re doing and make these energy balls. You won’t feel guilty in the slightest indulging in a couple.

Firecracker helped me make them – aka he dumped ingredients into and pushed the buttons on the food processor – so he knew there were a bunch of carrots in these treats. Even if I called it a cookie he wouldn’t actually try a bite.

Treat on the other hand, inhaled two of them with his lunch! He had two more of the bunch later in the week, too.

I brought them to Bible study, as I knew one of the moms follows a raw vegan diet. I brought that Caramel Apple Dip as planned, but as we’d made these carrot cake bites the day before, the lightbulb went off and I knew I had to leave cream cheese icing off half of them. They were greatly approved and appreciated.

You can customize these balls to suit your tastes, too. Use any nut you like and any nut or seed butter in your pantry. I actually used a honey sunflower butter!

Carrot Cake Energy Balls

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 Medjool dates, pitted and halved
1/2 C pecans
1 tbsp sunflower butter
1 C quick oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt
cream cheese icing (optional)

Steps:

Pulse carrots in a food processor until finely shredded. Remove and set aside.
Place the dates and pecans in the food processor and pulse until combined. Return the carrots to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Pulse until the mixture starts to come together.
Form into balls. If the mixture is too thin, add a little more oats; if it’s too dry, add a little extra sunflower butter.
Optional: Thin out the icing with milk. Drizzle over the energy balls.
Store in refrigerator up to a week.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.superhealthykids.com/no-bake-carrot-cake-bites/*

Carrot Cake Energy Balls | Sew You Think You Can Cook | #EasterRecipes