tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69043876168818204412024-03-12T23:52:48.069-04:00Favorites from the Mouse House'The Mouse House' is the name my daughter gave to our tiny house when she was quite young.
This blog began day a good friend called to ask for a copy of a favorite recipe of mine she had lost. Time passed, and I lost interest in keeping up the blog; recently I've thought about re-activating it - and broadening the scope beyond recipes. I've dropped 'recipes' from the title and plan to start writing about other things that interest me.
Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-5384464901598138872011-04-18T15:00:00.007-04:002011-04-18T21:26:42.404-04:00French Toast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzC9EN-yHS8/TazkRevqmcI/AAAAAAAAAFs/oBisfZXsMHo/s1600/P1010550_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzC9EN-yHS8/TazkRevqmcI/AAAAAAAAAFs/oBisfZXsMHo/s200/P1010550_2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>One of the challenges of being part of a two-person household is eating fresh bread before it goes stale - or becomes brick hard. This French toast recipe is a family favorite and the mainstay of our Christmas brunch. <br />
<br />
When there's bread left over after a Saturday night meal or dinner party, it often shows up the next morning in this form. If I don't have a loaf's worth of bread, I cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8" x 8" pan.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 ten ounce loaf French bread, challah, or other fresh bread</div><div class="MsoNormal">8 eggs</div><div class="MsoNormal">3 cups milk</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 tsp sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">¾ tsp salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 Tbsp vanilla</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 Tbsp butter cut into small pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grease a 9” x 13” glass pan; cut bread into 1” slices. Arrange in one layer in pan.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In large bowl, beat eggs with remaining ingredients – except butter. Pour over bread, cover with foil, refrigerate overnight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To bake, uncover pan, dot with butter pieces. Bake 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes until puffy and light brown. Let stand for 5 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Serve with syrup and butter.</div>Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-43068292821865220702011-04-17T20:09:00.000-04:002011-04-17T20:09:56.077-04:00Vegetable Stock: Take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gzh95uHk44Q/TauBH4CXQ-I/AAAAAAAAAFA/M5SEm9myEc8/s1600/P1010736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gzh95uHk44Q/TauBH4CXQ-I/AAAAAAAAAFA/M5SEm9myEc8/s200/P1010736.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;">In honor of Earth Day (April 22), Favorite Recipes from the Mouse House is offering a series of recipes incorporating food that is usually discarded. I'm starting by recycling my recipe for vegetable stock originally published on Saturday, March 6, 2010.<br />
<br />
Vegetable Stock<br />
<br />
1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.<br />
<br />
2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.<br />
<br />
3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.<br />
<br />
3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.<br />
<br />
4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-38425331313367913622011-01-23T22:03:00.000-05:002011-01-23T22:03:43.512-05:00Hermits<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">From the “Friends of the <a href="http://www.hitchingpostgifts.com/Reading.htm">Hitching Post</a> to Benefit <a href="http://www.missionofdeeds.org/">Mission of Deeds</a> Cookbook”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When she was little, Allison would look at the front of our neighbor’s house after a snowstorm and ask, “Where does their snow go?” Without fail, after every storm, their sidewalk, stairs, and walk would be clear – and not a snow pile in sight. Meanwhile, the small yard between the Mouse House and the street would be filled with piles of snow from our driveway, front walk, and sidewalk. (And no, he wasn’t piling his snow in our yard….)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Years later this same neighbor bought a snow blower, and began to clear the Mouse House sidewalk in addition to his own driveway, stairs, and sidewalk. And I began to offer baked goods in exchange as well as flowers from the garden in the spring, summer, and fall. Everyone benefits from this arrangement.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday I planned to make <a href="http://favoriterecipesfromthemousehouse.blogspot.com/search/label/Quick%20Breads">pumpkin bread</a>. The recipe makes three loaves: one for my neighbor, one to bring to my mother today, and one to freeze. Uncharacteristically for me, I decided to be sure I had all the ingredients before starting – only to discover that I had two eggs in the refrigerator, not the three the recipe called for. Time for Plan B. What could I make that was easy to make, made enough to share, and, most important needed no more than two eggs?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The answer? Hermits. Something I love, rarely make, and oh so easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s the recipe; let me know what you think.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TTzrpD60xcI/AAAAAAAAAE4/lPSGce7GaF0/s1600/P1011341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TTzrpD60xcI/AAAAAAAAAE4/lPSGce7GaF0/s200/P1011341.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Ingredients: </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>3 cups flour</li>
<li>1 tsp. cloves</li>
<li>1 tsp. ginger</li>
<li>1 tsp. cinnamon</li>
<li>½ tsp. salt</li>
<li>1 ½ tsp. baking soda</li>
<li>1 ¼ cup sugar</li>
<li>¼ cup molasses</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>½ cup shortening</li>
<li>4 Tbsp. water</li>
<li>1 cup (or more) raisins</li>
<li>Egg for wash</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Directions:</o:p> </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Mix the first six ingredients together in bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Beat together the next five ingredients in a large bowl.</li>
<li>Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat well. Add raisins.</li>
<li>Lightly flour hands, then roll dough into sausage-like strips. Place on greased cookie sheets, three rolls per sheet.</li>
<li>Brush with beaten egg.</li>
<li>Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Dough will look a bit soft when removed from oven. Cool on rack.</li>
<li>Cut strips into slices when slightly cooled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Store in tightly closed container.</li>
</ul><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-83862227159845573932011-01-19T19:11:00.000-05:002011-01-19T19:11:26.101-05:00Chocolate Walnut Fudge<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes what seemed like a good idea at the time can come back and haunt you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TTd9g6qNm1I/AAAAAAAAAE0/Y1pR6juCgSQ/s1600/P1011337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TTd9g6qNm1I/AAAAAAAAAE0/Y1pR6juCgSQ/s200/P1011337.JPG" width="200" /></a>When I was in my 20s I began giving homemade fudge at Christmas. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always from the recipe on the <a href="http://www.marshmallowfluff.com/pages/homepage.html">Marshmallow Fluff</a> jar and loaded with sugar and butter. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the years, Durkee-Mower adapted their recipe for microwave ovens, eliminating the need to stand at the stove and stir – a good thing – except, if you didn’t pay attention, the mixture would bubble up and spill all over the inside of the microwave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, cleaning up that sugary, buttery mess is not fun. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some years I would entertain the idea of substituting cookies, or buying the fudge, only to reminded by my own family it was a ‘tradition’ and I had to make the fudge. Be careful what traditions you start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been over 30 years now and I’m really tired of making fudge…..</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This year I tried a new recipe – with great success. Returned to standing at the stove and stirring – and using a candy thermometer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my surprise the process was not as bad as I recalled. And, I discovered that I prefer the taste of this fudge recipe to the Fluff one. Just don’t tell my friends at Durkee-Mower….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chocolate-Walnut Fudge<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ingredients:</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup granulated sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">¼ cup light corn syrup</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup half and half</div><div class="MsoNormal">1/8 teaspoon salt</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bits</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cups chopped walnuts</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Directions:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lightly butter an 8-inch square pan.</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, half and half, and salt. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Brush down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boil for 2 ½ minutes and then stir in the chocolate until melted and well blended. Continue to boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees F, 7 to 10 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remove from heat and cool until almost room temperature or 110 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the fudge until the color dulls and the fudge is creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the walnuts by hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours. Cut into 2 inch<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pieces.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Makes 16, 2 inch bars.</div><!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-82944372667342227042011-01-09T16:44:00.000-05:002011-01-09T16:44:49.227-05:00Easy Apple Tart<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TR_0SABs2RI/AAAAAAAAAEc/XlFSlSzIiG8/s1600/P1011179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TR_0SABs2RI/AAAAAAAAAEc/XlFSlSzIiG8/s200/P1011179.JPG" width="200" /></a>I love, love, love pies. With a caveat: my mother has to make the crust. Her crust is so good that most others fail in comparison. Including my own. Which is why I’ve come to rely on <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/products/pie/refrigerated-pie-crust">Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust</a>: It is easier than making your own and while nowhere near as good as my mother’s, it bakes into the soft, slightly buttery and chewy crust I prefer. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Torn out of a magazine, this recipe is easily adaptable to whatever fruit I happen to have. It takes less time to make than a 'regular' pie and, without a top crust must have fewer calories per slice.<br />
<br />
My no-longer-secret step? Let the fruit mixture sit for 15 minutes before spooning onto the crust to let the cornstarch mixture absorb excess juice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Easy Apple Tart<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Prep time: 15 minutes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cook time: 20 minutes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Makes 8 servings</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 refrigerated pie crust </div><div class="MsoNormal">¾ cup sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons cornstarch</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tablespoon ground cinnamon</div><div class="MsoNormal">4 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples (4 medium apples)</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 egg white, lightly beaten</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon sugar, for glaze</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Prepare crust as directed on package. Place on baking sheet.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mix ¾ cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Toss with apples. Let sit for 15 minutes. Spoon mixture into center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edges. Fold 2 inch edge of crust over apples, pleating crust as needed. Brush crust with egg white; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bake in preheated 425 degree oven 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool slightly before serving.</div>Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-47130844112271629552011-01-07T22:55:00.000-05:002011-01-07T22:55:07.131-05:00Pumpkin Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSfgAo3W0II/AAAAAAAAAEs/eiufICsCy-8/s1600/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSfgAo3W0II/AAAAAAAAAEs/eiufICsCy-8/s200/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00041.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Tonight I made the last of the quick breads I'm giving as Christmas gifts. I can't remember where I got this recipe; the only memory that comes to mind is my family history with the One Pie canned pumpkin and squash brand. <br />
<br />
I come from a family of cooks and bakers. Everything we ate (except bread) was homemade. In the summer we had a big garden; when I was very young we lived on a farm with chickens, cows, geese, and pigs - all of which contributed to our food supply. Later, after we moved to a suburb of Boston, my father worked as a salesman for a frozen food company, so if the food wasn't fresh, it was frozen. I don't remember eating anything that came from a can (except tuna fish - my school lunch of choice for 12 years - and the One Pie brand pumpkin and squash that my mother used for her pies). I continue that legacy today - One Pie canned pumpkin is my choice for most of my the recipes that include pumpkin. So, for tonight's pumpkin bread, I ignored the two sugar pumpkins that I purchased at the local farm stand and turned to my stash of One Pie pumpkin...<br />
<br />
<b>Pumpkin Bread</b><br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
Makes two standard loafs or eight mini loaves.<br />
<br />
2/3 cup butter<br />
2 2/3 cups sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 can One Pie Pumpkin (16 ounces)<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
3 1/3 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
2/3 cup chopped walnuts<br />
2/3 cup raisins<br />
<br />
Grease 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans or 8 mini loaf pans. <br />
Cream butter and sugar, then stir in eggs, pumpkin, and water.<br />
In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.<br />
Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, mixing well after each addition.<br />
Last stir in nuts and raisins.<br />
Pour into prepared pans. Bake large loaves for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Bake mini loaves for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.<br />
Cool on wire rack for ten minutes, then turn loaves out of pans. Continue to cool.<br />
Wrap tightly. Loaves freeze well.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-85844150056161681612011-01-07T22:53:00.000-05:002011-01-07T22:53:47.869-05:00Vegetarian LasagnaHoly Week begins tomorrow: for my friends who are clergy or lay leaders in their churches, it is one of their busiest weeks of the year. This week the Mouse House will feature easy, make-ahead meals that can be stored in individual or family sized portions and frozen. <br />
<br />
My first choice is vegetarian lasagna. My first memory of eating lasagna was as a young adult. It was in the mid 1970s and my grandmother was making dinner for her extended family. She served lasagna: from a recipe which called for cottage cheese instead of ricotta. What did we know? With our Scottish/English/Irish/Swedish heritage our knowledge of Italian food was spaghetti and meatballs and pizza. We were a meat/vegetables/potatoes kind of family. And dessert. Always dessert.<br />
<br />
A few years later, I was dating and later married a man whose grandparents had all been born in Italy. His mother was a fabulous cook. I learned how to make lasagna, and never again, did it include cottage cheese instead of ricotta.<br />
<br />
Vegetarian Lasagna<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSffmeSUf0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/ZtVtGWwLqwY/s1600/6a00e008d618bb8834010536979c48970b-500wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSffmeSUf0I/AAAAAAAAAEo/ZtVtGWwLqwY/s200/6a00e008d618bb8834010536979c48970b-500wi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
1 pound lasagna noodles<br />
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese<br />
½ cup grated parmesan cheese<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 (26 oz.) jars pasta sauce<br />
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (or fresh)<br />
1 cup shredded carrots<br />
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
Chopped parsley<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350°. <br />
<br />
1. Cook noodles as package directs.<br />
<br />
2. In medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and eggs. Mix well. <br />
<br />
3. Cook frozen or fresh spinach (chop into small pieces if using fresh); press all of the water out of the spinach. Add to cheese and egg mixture.<br />
<br />
4. Grate carrots and add to cheese and egg mixture.<br />
<br />
5. In a 14" by 11" by 2" pan, spread 1 cup pasta sauce. Layer with half each of the lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, pasta sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering. Top with parsley.<br />
<br />
6. Bake lasagna, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />
Lasagne is even better the second day!Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-20355595131945625302011-01-01T21:32:00.000-05:002011-01-01T21:32:30.133-05:00Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The Mouse House is back!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I took what was meant to be a short break this fall - which turned into a four month sabbatical. I’ve been cooking all along – and meaning to share (I have the pictures to prove it) – and instead got caught in a bout of ennui.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TR_iqGtFjQI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/HzczGja0isY/s1600/P1011184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TR_iqGtFjQI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/HzczGja0isY/s200/P1011184.JPG" width="200" /></a>Today’s the beginning of a new year – 1.1.11 – the perfect day to break the cycle. I’m starting with an old favorite: apple sour cream coffee cake. It is a recipe I used to make regularly – it’s one of Allison’s favorites; after she left home for college I stopped making it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I got the urge to make this at Thanksgiving; a perfect time to bake and share. So in honor of breaking my Mouse House sabbatical, I give you Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup finely chopped walnuts</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon cinnamon</div><div class="MsoNormal">Medium cooking apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup butter</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 cups all purpose flour</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 cup sour cream</div><div class="MsoNormal">2 eggs</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon double acting baking powder</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon baking soda</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">About 2 hours ahead or day before:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In small bowl, combine nuts, ½ cup sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Peel, core, and thinly slice apple. Set aside.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grease 9” tube pan.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 1 cup sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat at low speed until blended, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. At medium speed, beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Spread half of batter in pan. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture, then add 1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, then 1/3 of the nut mixture. Spread with remaining batter and nut mixture. Bake 65 to 70 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Makes 8 to 10 servings.</div><!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-42929375696241972472010-08-11T21:19:00.000-04:002010-08-11T21:19:49.914-04:00Lemon ChickenThis is one of the simplest ways I know to cook chicken. I learned to make it many years ago when some friends and I rented a house on Martha's Vineyard. We took turns cooking; on my night to cook, my cooking partner showed me how to make this very simple and very delicious recipe.<br />
<br />
Earlier this week, we were having dinner with family (a mixed grill of steak and chicken, roasted peppers and onions, and corn on the cob). I was asked for a suggestion for cooking boneless chicken breasts. Wanting something easy and quick, and not having an outdoor grill or my recipe collection at hand, I was stumped until this recipe popped into my head. I hadn't made it in years, and found that it still is extremely simple, quick, and melt-in-your mouth delicious.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
<ul><li>One boneless chicken breast per person</li>
<li>Lemon, sliced thin</li>
<li>Mix of dried herbs (optional)</li>
<li>Butter (I generally start with a tablespoon and then add as needed so that pan stays moist)</li>
<li>Small amount of flour</li>
<li>Wax paper </li>
</ul>Directions<br />
<div><ul><li>Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper on cutting board or other solid surface. Using the flat edge of a butcher's knife, or a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts to an even thinness.</li>
<li>Melt butter in cast iron or other heavy frying pan. While butter is melting, lightly coat chicken breasts with flour. Add chicken to frying pan, turn heat to medium, and place lemon slices on top of chicken. Add dried herb mix if desired.</li>
<li>Let chicken cook for a minute or two before turning over. Keep lemon slices on top. Cook until chicken is cooked all the way through, adding butter as needed. The outside of the chicken should have a slight golden color.</li>
<li>While chicken is cooking, take out a plate and then put a smaller plate, upside down, on the larger plate. When chicken is done, place the chicken on the smaller plate and cover with foil. Let sit for approximately two minutes; this helps seal the juices inside of the cooked chicken.</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div></div>Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-984897243656887832010-08-09T12:30:00.001-04:002010-08-09T12:30:42.704-04:00Cooking the perfect steakThe Mouse House is on vacation. In the past three days we slept in Arlington, window shopped in Mississippi, biked in the Providence Bridge Pedal, and had the perfect steak in Portland. Where are we?<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yX1Q3x9Cs4">here</a> to learn how to cook a perfect steak in a cast iron pan.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-73364249569571191072010-07-20T20:21:00.015-04:002010-07-20T20:55:10.539-04:00Black Bean Salsa/Salad<div class="MsoNormal">This is one of my favorite summer recipes. I often make it to take to summer parties as it is easy and it gets better (spicier) the longer it sits.<br />
<br />
The recipe evolved from two sources: a <a href="http://www.goya.com/english/">Goya</a> ad in a magazine and a recipe in a cookbook I use frequently. The cookbook version recommended sauteing the frozen corn and the spices before mixing with other ingredients; what I learned after discovering the Goya recipe is that sauteing didn't enhance the flavor all that much. So, in the interest of simplicity (and keeping the stove off on a hot day), I eliminated that step from my version of this recipe.<br />
<br />
What I like about this recipe is the seasoning; the chili powder and cumin give it a nice heat, which increases the longer the salsa sits. I’m known in my family as the one who makes the ‘spicy’ dishes, even thought I cut back on the cumin and chili powder when I bring this to a family gathering… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a large bowl combine:<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">2 can (about 15 oz) black beans, rinsed<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">3 tbsp chopped jalapeno slices<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">2 tsp minced garlic <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">3 tbsp olive oil <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 tsp <a href="http://www.goya.com/english/product_subcategory/Condiments/Adobo">Adobo</a> with pepper<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 cup diced onion<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">½ cup diced red bell pepper<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 large tomato, diced<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">3 tbsp chopped cilantro<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">3 tbsp lime juice<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">1 tbsp chili powder<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">2 tsp ground cumin<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-81748956762649433842010-07-17T11:23:00.000-04:002010-07-17T11:23:01.435-04:00Easy Chicken SaladChicken salad brings memories of graduation parties and bridal showers; I remember trays of egg, pickled ham, and chicken salad sandwiches on tiny rolls. Not being a pickled ham fan, I always wondered who ate those sandwiches.....<br />
<br />
Having cooked chicken on hand provides a base for a number of easy summer meals. When it is too hot to even think about cooking on the grill, let alone in the oven, I cook my chicken in my crock pot. The recipe book that came with my <a href="http://www.crock-pot.com/Index.aspx">Rival Crock-Pot </a>(which may have been a gift at a bridal shower where chicken salad sandwiches were served....) has the following recipe for roast chicken :<br />
<br />
<b>Roast Chicken or Hen</b><br />
3-4 pound roasting chicken (I often use chicken breasts, either with the bone or boneless, of various weights)<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Parsley<br />
Basil or tarragon (optional)<br />
Butter<br />
<br />
Thoroughly wash chicken and pat dry (patting dry assures good browning). Sprinkle cavity (or pieces) generously with salt, butter, pepper, and parsley. Place in crockpot; dot chicken breast with butter. Sprinkle with parsley and basil or tarragon if using. Cover and cook on High 1 hour then turn to Low for 8-10 hours.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Let chicken cool. Cut into slices (for chicken sandwiches) or chunks (for chicken salad). Store in refrigerator. Chunked chicken can be frozen for use in salad.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Easy Chicken Salad</span><br />
Mix chicken chunks with mayonaise, using the amount your family prefers. (I prefer my chicken salad with only enough mayo to hold everything together.) If desired, mix in:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>celery</li>
<li>grapes</li>
<li>walnuts</li>
<li>dried cranberries</li>
<li>onion</li>
</ul>Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-10006649744002368842010-07-16T16:11:00.000-04:002010-07-16T16:11:55.744-04:00It’s too hot to cook…. Davidge Fruit Frappe<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">When it is hot and humid I don’t want to move, let alone prepare food. Yet, I get grouchy if I don’t eat – and even more grouchy when I am hot and hungry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hot weather strategy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy, prepare ahead items that can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten cold. With another hot week ahead of us, over the next few days The Mouse House will feature several ‘it’s too hot to cook’ recipes.</span></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">This first recipe is from my husband. When we first met, he made this protein shake weekly; all I needed to do was grab a glass and pour. Since we’ve been married, I've become the shake maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the summer I use whatever local fruit I find in my weekly CSA share (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture">community supported agriculture</a><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">) or at the local farmers’ market. Other seasons, I reach for the fruit I’ve cut up and frozen during the local growing season, frozen berries, or the apples, pears, and bananas from the local grocery store.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The best thing about this recipe? You can add or subtract ingredients based on what you have in the house. No banana? Skip it. A pineapple that needs to be used today? Toss it in. Experiment until you find the combinations that you and your family prefer. (I always add cranberries: fresh in the fall and the ones I freeze to have on hand all year.) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Davidge Fruit Frappe<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Mix in blender (in order shown)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Banana<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">3-4 Tbsp. yogurt, any flavor, or plain<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">2 scoops protein powder<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">1 small container yogurt, different flavor or plain<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Assorted fruit (handful of each – fresh or frozen)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Pear (peeled)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Apple (peeled)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Peach (peeled)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Blueberries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Raspberries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Strawberries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Cranberries<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Kiwi<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watermelon or other melon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Or your choice<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">¼ cup flaxseed oil<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">¼ cup wheat germ<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Sprinkle of Quaker Oats oatmeal flakes (regular, not instant)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Orange and/or cranberry juice to fill container<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Keeps for up to one week in refrigerator.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-59160163368383079392010-06-26T11:24:00.000-04:002010-06-26T11:24:43.999-04:00How to peel a bananaDo you know the easiest way to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9iu0SJEUrw">peel a banana</a>?Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-8936711444992800562010-06-16T21:03:00.000-04:002010-06-16T21:03:23.287-04:00Rhubarb<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb">Rhubarb</a>: one of those funny 'old fashioned' fruits/vegetables (in the USA it is a fruit thanks to a New York state court ruling...) that seems to have become popular again with the increase in farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and eating locally/seasonally. I always thought it was a New England plant - maybe native - who knew it is originally from China where it had a medicinal use. According to Wikipedia, the expense of transporting it across Asia caused rhubarb to be very expensive in medieval Europe where it was several times the price of other valuable herbs and spices such as cinnamon, opium, and saffron.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The question I faced earlier this week after making a strawberry rhubarb pie was: What do you do with the rhubarb that is left over? Here are two suggestions from the Mouse House:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1. You can freeze it (who knew?). Cut the rhubarb into small (1/2” to 1” pieces), place in airtight container, and freeze. I like to freeze rhubarb in two cup portions – perfect for the next strawberry rhubarb pie.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. Stewed Rhubarb: enjoy this easy dish over ice cream, plain yogurt, as filling for pies and tarts, or mixed with granola. Here’s what you do:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 bunch rhubarb, washed and trimmed*</div><div class="MsoNormal">½ cup honey</div><div class="MsoNormal">1 Tbsp lemon juice</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cut the rhubarb into ½” slices and place in a saucepan. Drizzle honey over the rhubarb and sprinkle with lemon juice. It is not necessary to add water as the water in the rhubarb will seep out as it cooks.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cover the saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If not using immediately, cool mixture then place in covered container and store in refrigerator for up to one week.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*If I only have one or two pieces of rhubarb, I reduce the amount of honey and lemon juice, usually by ‘eyeballing’ it. I have to resist the temptation to add<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>water as it makes the stewed rhubarb too wet.</div><!--EndFragment-->Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-85396043588730037312010-06-13T22:13:00.012-04:002011-01-07T22:51:40.707-05:00Strawberry Rhubarb Pie <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSffIM9r4xI/AAAAAAAAAEk/BPAGqkenR3s/s1600/P1010648_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSffIM9r4xI/AAAAAAAAAEk/BPAGqkenR3s/s200/P1010648_2.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>To me, June is strawberries and rhubarb. Growing up, June was strawberries and roses: the red ones outside our back door that always bloomed at graduation time and for my sister Ellen’s birthday. The roses were a true red; for years I grew <a href="http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=mr.+lincoln+rose&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=O48VTInYDsaqlAef7amADA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CEEQsAQwBQ">Mr. Lincoln</a> roses at the Mouse House as they were the closest I could find to the rose bush of my childhood. Eventually, my Mr. Lincoln roses gave out: too little pampering on my part and too much winter road salt; today they have been replaced by white rosa rugosa. <br />
<br />
June became strawberries and rhubarb the year I joined the <a href="http://www.farmdirectcoop.org/">Farm Direct Co-op</a>. There were no problems finding uses for the strawberries in my share; the rhubarb was a bit more challenging. I remembered my grandmother making strawberry rhubarb pie; I don’t remember liking it a lot, my preferred strawberry dessert was strawberry shortcake. Not finding a lot of recipes for rhubarb, I made my first pie and found I loved it. Today, strawberry rhubarb pie signals the beginning of the Farm Direct Co-op season as well as our local farmers market.<br />
<br />
<b>Strawberry Rhubarb Pie </b><br />
<br />
I prefer a tart pie so my recipe has less sugar than most.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Dough for a 9” double crust pie (I use the rolled, refrigerated Pillsbury dough)</li>
<li>2 cups unpeeled, diced young rhubarb stalks</li>
<li>2 cups sliced strawberries, tops removed</li>
<li>2 2/3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca</li>
<li>½ cup sugar (add up to 1 cup for sweeter pie)</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Line an 8” or 9” pie plate loosely with pie dough, pressing dough against bottom of pie plate. To keep bottom crust from getting soggy, brush lightly with egg white, melted butter, or a light sprinkling of flour. Do not prick bottom crust.</li>
<li>Combine remaining ingredients, stirring gently until well blended. Let stand for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Turn fruit into pie shell.</li>
<li>Cover pie with lattice crust:</li>
<ul><li>Roll out top crust, then cut into ½” wide strips</li>
<li>To weave, place one strip in center of pie, then lay second strip across center, perpendicular to first strip.</li>
<li>Continue to alternate strips vertically and horizontally, folding back strips as needed to create an under/over weave.</li>
<li>When the whole pie is latticed, loosely attach the strips to the pie edge, moistening ends to make them stick.</li>
<li>Give the pie a decorative edge by rolling the dough hanging over the edge as well as the ends of the lattice pieces up into a ‘rim’ above the edge of the pie plate. Press edge with fork or pinch between fingers to secure edges to each other and to pan.</li>
</ul></ul><br />
Bake in a 450 degree oven 10 minutes. <br />
Reduce heat to 350 degrees, cover edge of crust to prevent over browning (use a pie crust ring or make one from strips of tinfoil) then bake 35 to 40 minutes more or until golden brown.<br />
Cool on rack before serving. <br />
<br />
Strawberry rhubarb pie is really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! (Of course, Coffey ice cream is the best.)Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-11284655741738471892010-06-11T22:07:00.000-04:002010-06-11T22:07:28.371-04:00Spinach Strawberry SaladJune = strawberries + strawberry picking. Sun-ripened fruit, warm to the touch. Small sweet berries, ready to pop in your mouth. Juice dribbling down fingers and onto shirts. Images of my daughter and friends eagerly searching for perfect berries to pluck and put into their cartons or buckets. More recently, my father-in-law, wide brimmed hat on his head, sitting amidst the rows at the <a href="http://www.thompsonfinch.com/index.htm">Thompson-Finch Farm</a> in Ancram, NY, smiling broadly as he picked berry after berry, filling the cardboard tray to overflowing. My husband, Bill, moving randomly from row to row, searching for the smallest of the berries, also the sweetest.<br />
<br />
Abundance. Three 11 x 17" cardboard trays filled with berries. The crazed search for recipes. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry rubarb pie. Strawberry smoothies. Cut up on cereal or vanilla ice cream. Freezing berries on cookie sheets, then storing in bags for later in the season. And, calling my sister Ellen for her spinach strawberry salad recipe. Easy to make. Delicious to eat. <br />
<br />
<b>Spinach Strawberry Salad</b><br />
<br />
Ingredients <br />
2 bunches spinach<br />
4 cups sliced strawberries<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil <br />
1/4 cup white wine vinegar <br />
1/2 cup white sugar <br />
1/4 teaspoon paprika <br />
2 tablespoons sesame seeds <br />
1 tablespoon poppy seeds <br />
<br />
Directions <br />
Rinse spinach and tear into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries. In a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds for dressing. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, just before serving.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-36907175701142905462010-05-26T19:40:00.002-04:002010-05-26T19:47:10.981-04:00Blueberry Strawberry TrifleGreetings from a Mouse House pal! I too enjoy playing in the kitchen and entertaining my friends. I’m always on the lookout for recipes which I can make ahead of time. I like to be with my friends and not holed up in the kitchen..<br />
<br />
Here’s a nice dessert that can be made the day before. Its red, white and blue theme makes it perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July gatherings.<br />
<br />
Submitted by Mara Lynch<br />
Marblehead<br />
<br />
BLUEBERRY STRAWBERRY TRIFLE<br />
Yield 8-10 servings<br />
<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
1 can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1/2 cup cold water<br />
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind<br />
1 3 oz. package vanilla instant pudding<br />
2 cups whipped cream <br />
1 pound cake cut into 1 inch cubes (I use Sara Lee)<br />
1 pint strawberries-sliced<br />
1 pint blueberries<br />
<br />
METHOD<br />
Beat together condensed milk, water, lemon rind and pudding until well blended. Refrigerate until thick (about 15 minutes)<br />
Fold in whipped cream<br />
In a large bowl layer 1/3 of the cake, 1/3 strawberries, 1/3 blueberries. Repeat for two more layers<br />
Pour pudding on top and refrigerate. Garnish with a few strawberries and Enjoy!Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-47825784038010433272010-05-09T20:21:00.002-04:002010-05-09T20:25:58.601-04:00Davidge EggsThis is Bill’s breakfast specialty. When we first met, he would serve me Davidge eggs with fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee. Yum.<br />
<br />
This is often our Sunday morning breakfast. Or brunch, if we have a slow start to our morning. <br />
<br />
Sunday usually begins with coffee and newspapers in bed: Bill has the New York Times, I have Sunday’s Boston Globe and also any editions of the Globe or the Salem Evening News that I didn’t get to during the week. Not sure why I feel that I have to read the newspapers in order or, why I can’t just recycle the old ones without reading… guess I’m afraid I might miss something. Spending two hours daily in the car traveling to and from work, I hear the news and commentary – WBZ in the morning (for the traffic reports) and WBUR/NPR at night – I know what is going on in my community and the world.<br />
<br />
Last week I heard a program on NPR about hoarders. The guest quoted research that suggested people who saved newspapers and magazines were afraid they might miss something - an opportunity or important information – so they keep things, just in case. That resonated with me: I save clippings (not whole issues) of things that interest me. When I go back and look at them, they often go right into the recycling bin: I’ve missed the event or I make a note in my reference notebook, knowing I can retrieve the information on the Internet. <br />
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My take-away from the NPR program? A resolve to read the paper each day and on Sunday evening, toss any unread papers from the previous week into the recycling bin, ready to put on the curb Monday morning. So, once I finish this post, it’s back to my basket of papers: Everything except today’s paper goes in the bin. I’ve heard it takes two weeks to establish a new habit…wish me luck.<br />
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1 ½ eggs per person<br />
½ eggshell full of milk per person, or half and half (cream) for a creamer texture<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
Cheddar cheese, diced<br />
Butter<br />
English muffin, 1 per person<br />
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Heat butter in frying pan over medium heat.<br />
Mix eggs, milk, and pepper in bowl.<br />
Add egg mixture to hot pan; reduce heat to medium-low.<br />
Add diced cheese to eggs once they begin to set.<br />
Scramble with spoon, not fork (Bill Davidge ‘secret’).<br />
Cook to taste.<br />
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Serve with English muffins, on side or as a sandwich.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-30650933076741124462010-04-03T23:38:00.000-04:002010-04-03T23:38:33.348-04:00Deviled EggsLately, my contribution to Easter dinner is deviled eggs. In my extended family deviled eggs are served three times a year without fail: Easter, the 4th of July, and Labor Day. Looking back into my childhood, there have always been deviled eggs. Perhaps I remember this because of the dishes.<br />
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My grandmother, my mother, my aunts, my sisters, and I all have special dishes to serve deviled eggs; usually a round glass or china platter with egg shaped depressions to hold the eggs. Mine is round and glass, discovered years ago by one of my aunts in an antique or second hand store and given to me as a Christmas present. My Aunt Nancy, who makes the eggs for our family 4th of July and Labor Day cookouts, has a Tupperware-type container made especially for deviled eggs.<br />
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My childhood Easters always began with an early morning Easter egg hunt. The first hunts I remember were for jelly beans wrapped in foil that were ‘hidden’ around the house: in our slippers, on our bureaus, on the edges of the bookshelves, and lined up on all the windowsills of the house. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that my parents, most likely my mother, must have wrapped jelly beans in foil before placing them throughout the house. Later, the ‘tin’ foiled jelly beans were replaced with the small foil wrapped chocolate eggs. When my sisters and I were grown with children of our own, the Easter egg hunt moved outdoors, after dinner, with the foil wrapped eggs ‘hidden’ on the car bumpers, in the grass, on the front steps, and on low lying horizontal branches. Kids of all ages, with plastic bags in hand, took part in these hunts.<br />
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Earlier tonight, I made time for two other Easter rituals: first I checked the time for the sunrise service at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead. Bill and I will get up early and walk down to participate in this simple Easter service overlooking the magnificence of Marblehead Harbor and the ocean beyond. Next, I carefully prepared Easter baskets and gifts for Bill, Allison, our houseguest Jen, Al’s boyfriend Shaun, and my two nieces who we will see at Easter dinner. Rituals complete, I finish my writing, post this blog entry, then off to (a short) sleep as sunrise will come early.<br />
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Deviled Eggs: 12 stuffed egg halves<br />
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6 eggs<br />
¼ cup mayonnaise<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
pepper<br />
paprika<br />
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To hard boil eggs:<br />
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Eggs in the shell must be cooked at the right temperature for the correct amount of time. While the recipe is rather simple, the actual cooking of the eggs requires the cook to pay close attention to saucepan of eggs: turn off the heat too soon and the eggs will not be hard boiled; let the eggs come to a full boil and the yolks become hard and turn greenish-grey. For best results, buy eggs for hard-cooking several days ahead, as storage allows the air space at the large end of the egg to expand, making peeling easier.<br />
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1. Place eggs in a saucepan wide enough to accommodate them without crowding and deep enough so that tops of eggs are covered by at least 1” of water.<br />
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2. Over high heat, heat water and eggs just to a full boil.<br />
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3. Immediately remove saucepan from heat and cover tightly. Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.<br />
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4. Pour off hot water and run cold water over the eggs to stop them from cooking. This also makes peeling easier if peeling immediately.<br />
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5. To peel eggs, gently tap entire surface of shell against a flat surface, taking care not to break the egg itself. Under cold running water (or in a large bowl of cold water) peel egg, starting at large end as the air space in the large end makes it easier to start peeling.<br />
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Stuffing:<br />
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1. Slice 6 hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise. <br />
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2. Gently remove yolks and place in small bowl; with fork, crumble yolks into fine pieces.<br />
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3. Stir in ¼ mayonnaise, ¼ tsp. salt, and dash pepper until smooth; with spoon, pile into egg centers. Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.<br />
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4. Before serving, dust yolk mixture with paprika.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-63618859218075616692010-04-02T11:28:00.001-04:002011-01-07T22:49:53.755-05:00Mimi's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSfetkqoU2I/AAAAAAAAAEg/aSmKW-z6shw/s1600/P1010511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HPV9KL86D74/TSfetkqoU2I/AAAAAAAAAEg/aSmKW-z6shw/s200/P1010511.JPG" width="197" /></a></div>This recipe comes from my former mother-in-law who was a fantastic cook. I made this cake for my daughter’s first birthday party: I was into healthy eating long before it was popular and wanted my daughter to only have healthy food until she was at least two years old. Given the amount of sugar and oil in this recipe, I am not convinced this really was a ‘healthy’ choice. It does remain one of my favorite cakes.<br />
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When I presented 1-year old Allison with the cake so she could blow out her first birthday candle, she just looked at the cake, not knowing what was expected of her (after all, it was her first birthday party…). My sister Ellen, who was still young, was disappointed that Allison did not put her fingers into the frosting as she expected. Family history was made when Ellen stuck Allison's fingers into the frosting and made Allison cry… thus creating a family story often repeated at birthday parties.<br />
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<b>Mimi’s Carrot Cake</b><br />
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Pans: three 9” layers or one sheet cake pan<br />
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2 cups flour<br />
2cups sugar<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 ½ cups oil<br />
1 8 ½ ounce can drained crushed pineapple<br />
1 can coconut (6 or 8 ounces?)<br />
½ cup nuts<br />
2 cups grated carrots<br />
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1. Mix all dry ingredients then add wet ones. <br />
2. Pour into greased pans or sheet. <br />
3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes (layers) or 40 minutes for sheet cake.<br />
4. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely.<br />
5. Frost with cream cheese frosting when completely cooled.<br />
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Cream Cheese Frosting<br />
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¾ cup confectioners’ sugar<br />
3 oz cream cheese<br />
1 ½ Tbsp cream or milk<br />
1 ½ tsp grated lemon or orange rind <br />
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1. Sift confectioners’ sugar; set aside<br />
2. Mix cream cheese and milk until soft and fluffy. <br />
3. Gradually beat sugar into mixture of cream cheese and milk.<br />
4. Add lemon or orange rind.<br />
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Makes approximately ¾ cup frosting.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-82648866080804550152010-03-29T08:35:00.000-04:002010-03-29T08:35:30.503-04:00Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat PastaWhen my daughter was little she liked to go to Rinaldo’s, an Italian restaurant in Marblehead on the top level of Village Plaza. Classic red sauce Italian with the red and white checked tablecloths, a garlic cheese spread and packaged crackers on the table as soon as you sat down, and standard dishes like chicken, veal, or eggplant parmigiana. And, spaghetti with butter for children. Allison especially liked their fried mozzarella sticks; when she was sick they were often the only thing she wanted to eat…<br />
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I made this recipe on Palm Sunday for dinner, serving it over whole wheat pasta. I tossed a cup of frozen peas into the Crock Pot about 10 minutes before I added the cheese to make this a one- pot meal. Fed the two of us, with leftovers for lunch or dinner during the week. It was quick and easy and used ingredients I had on hand. A great addition to my selection of easy recipes for Holy Week, or any other busy time of year.<br />
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<b>Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat Pasta</b><br />
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Makes 4 servings.<br />
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Medium Crock Pot<br />
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2 tsp olive oil<br />
4 skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), about 3 oz each<br />
½ of a 26 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce<br />
1 cup frozen peas (optional)<br />
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese<br />
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese<br />
whole wheat pasta for 4 servings<br />
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1. Heat the oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and saute’, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.<br />
2. Combine chicken and tomato sauce in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees, 6 to 8 hours.<br />
3. If using frozen peas, add 25 minutes before you plan to eat.<br />
4. Heat water for pasta, following package directions.<br />
5. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Don’t stir. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.<br />
6. Put pasta on plate and top with chicken parmesan.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-32482853378051037592010-03-28T12:45:00.001-04:002010-03-28T13:11:49.434-04:00Slow Cooker Recipe: Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet PotatoesHere’s the second offering of easy, make ahead meals for Holy Week. I first made this dish the Christmas Bill and I spent with our daughter in New York. Her work schedule precluded traveling for Christmas so we loaded up the Prius with gifts and goodies for holiday meals, including Christmas table clothes and napkins.<br />
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Our Christmas breakfast included our traditional Danish, quiche, and French toast (watch for these recipes in December). For dinner I chose this recipe, preparing the ingredients on Christmas Eve afternoon, refrigerating the Crockpot insert overnight, and then cooking it on Christmas Day. Our plan was to eat dinner around 6:00 pm. Great plan except: I put the insert into the Crockpot, turned it on, and, as I discovered a few hours later, neglected to plug in the Crockpot. On to Plan B: putting everything in a roasting pan in the oven and eating dinner later than originally planned.<br />
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I’ve since made this many times (in the Crock Pot). It is great for dinner with lots of leftovers for lunch during the week.<br />
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Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes<br />
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Makes 8 servings<br />
Prep: 35 minutes<br />
Cook: 7 to 9 hours on low; 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours on high<br />
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Ingredients<br />
2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½” chunks<br />
3 ½ to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast<br />
1 tsp dried tarragon, crushed<br />
1 ½ tsp fennel seed, crushed (if I don’t have this on hand, I omit it)<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 ½ tsp salt<br />
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil)<br />
1 14-oz can chicken broth (or equivalent homemade)<br />
¾ apricot nectar (I use apple juice, or if I don’t have any, I omit this and add equivalent in water)<br />
½ cup dried apricots<br />
4 tsp cornstarch<br />
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1. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. <br />
2. Trim fat from pork roast. <br />
3. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl; rub onto pork roast.<br />
4. In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker.<br />
5. Pour broth and ½ cup of the apricot nectar over all.<br />
6. Cover and cook for on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, adding the dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.<br />
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.<br />
8. Strain cooking liquid into a glass-measuring cup. Skim fat from liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to equal 2 cups).<br />
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook 2 minutes longer. *<br />
10. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes.<br />
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*Omit this step if you are too tired or too busy. The pork, apricots, and sweet potatoes taste fine without it.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-88188506771490807052010-03-06T15:54:00.000-05:002010-03-06T15:54:54.040-05:00Soup Week Continues: Vegetable Stock<b>Let's start with the basics: Nancy’s Vegetable Stock</b><br />
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I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.<br />
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I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.<br />
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Vegetable Stock<br />
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1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.<br />
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2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.<br />
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3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color. <br />
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3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock. <br />
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4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.<br />
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For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe… <br />
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Vegetable Stock<br />
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20 Cups <br />
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time. <br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil <br />
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped <br />
4 medium onions, chopped <br />
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped <br />
3 stalks celery, chopped <br />
1 small bunch parsley stems <br />
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram <br />
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme <br />
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf <br />
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water <br />
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Instructions:<br />
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour. <br />
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander. <br />
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6904387616881820441.post-37354396651133354682010-03-01T20:28:00.000-05:002010-03-28T12:46:44.246-04:00It's Soup Week: Rustic Chicken Stew<b>Rustic Chicken Stew:</b> make it in your crock pot.<br />
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With so many of my friends and co-workers reporting that they are sick, I’m declaring this week ‘Soup Week.’ Chicken soup is a universal remedy for many ailments; unless you live with someone willing to make you homemade soup or make a run to the nearest deli, often your only option is canned soup.<br />
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This week’s soup recipes are simple to make. On Sundays I often make soup, keeping half of it to eat during the week and freezing the other half as individual portions. This habit ‘saves’ me from eating peanut butter and crackers on those nights when I arrive home from work hungry and don’t feel like cooking. It also lets me share my homemade soup with sick friends, new mothers, or others who may not be up for cooking, yet want to eat healthy. Enjoy!<br />
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Makes 8 servings<br />
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2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes<br />
3 medium onions, quartered<br />
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch thick slices<br />
2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes<br />
2 cans (14 ounces each) fat free chicken broth<br />
1 tsp celery seed<br />
1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or powder)<br />
½ tsp black pepper<br />
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Optional: <br />
1 cup frozen corn<br />
1 cup frozen peas<br />
Any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip<br />
1 14-ounce can white beans<br />
8 ounces mushrooms, halved<br />
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1. Combine the chicken, onions, carrots, potatoes, and broth in the crock pot (if using other fresh vegetables, add at this time).<br />
2. Stir in the celery seed, thyme, pepper, mushrooms, and corn.<br />
3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender, 7 to 9 hours or on high, 4 to 6 hours.<br />
4. Stir in the peas and cook until they are done, 15 to 30 minutes.Nancy Cox Davidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12957942231241306193noreply@blogger.com1