tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140998442024-03-12T22:21:36.937-04:00Culinary in the DesertLiving here in the desert southwest has been a fun and invigorating experience. We enjoy cooking and baking with some interesting results! Enjoy your stay!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.comBlogger3761125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-33183937010043695192013-08-19T18:51:00.000-04:002013-08-19T18:52:36.923-04:00Market day with camera...Last Saturday, we remembered to bring the camera with when we went to set up at the Albert Lea Farmers' Market with Mom. She hauls a large white beast of a van up to the market twice a week with her homegrown, chemical-free goods from the farm. Fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut flowers and free-range eggs that fly out of her van faster than our hands can hand them out!<br />
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We arrived Saturday around 7:30am for a 9am opening, staying until closing time around Noon to help clean up and pack the truck back up. Here are the snaps!<br />
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Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-57219679868714125052013-08-16T20:45:00.000-04:002013-08-16T20:54:22.376-04:00Around the farm...We've been here two weeks and have been loving our new little rural plot - the quietness is both strange and comforting. We finally have internet hooked up and a little dish pointed to the south brings us way too many channels that we'll never have time to watch.<br />
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What we don't have? Any of our belongings from California. Yep... perhaps the air mattress will be burned after we have the house set up with our goods - I'm that tired of it. The items have at least been loaded on a big truck, yet at last check, said truck was still in CA. Oh joy!<br />
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The pups have been settling in well - they can't get enough of their grassy open range to pounce around in. This was Gus today, having a rest in the grass.<br />
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Dora, on the other hand, was distracted by a squirrel she is desperate to catch, instead of paying any attention to us. Thankfully the squirrel is quite the speedy little devil.<br />
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Mom pointed out the other day that, surprise, we have a special tree in our yard! We've driven and walked passed it several times and just never noticed.<br />
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Sweet! Look at those apples! Not sure what variety they are, but we can't wait to snag one off in a few weeks and see for ourselves.<br />
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There is another tree that is rather intriguing (Green Bean tree anyone?) in our yard...<br />
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I believe it is some variation of <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[a234].[1][4][1]{comment10201103825629355_3139559}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2]"><span data-reactid=".r[a234].[1][4][1]{comment10201103825629355_3139559}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[a234].[1][4][1]{comment10201103825629355_3139559}.[0].[right].[0].[left].[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]">Catalpa, though not certain about that. </span></span></span>I do think this one is going to become our enemy once fall comes and those thousands of long pods turn black, shrivel up and drift to the ground. Fun times!<br />
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I've even managed to get a couple of sweets made and photographed! One was this scratch <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/GermanChocolateCake.html" target="_blank"><b>German Chocolate Cake</b></a> I made for my sister's birthday. I did have to drive over to Mom's place to make it since we have no equiptment here to make anything! This cake was spot on and one we'll make again.<br />
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Then, the other day, we plucked a bunch of blueberries from Mom's farm - with a little elbow grease, I was able to finagle these <a href="http://www.epicureanmom.com/2011/09/lemon-blueberry-cheesecake-bars.html" target="_blank"><b>Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars</b></a> at our house with the help of a sturdy wooden spoon, a large bowl and a foil pan. Fresh blueberries, a lemon-y cheesecake and a sweet graham cracker crust? Can't go wrong there!<br />
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Between working around our place, helping Mom at the farm and at the twice weekly Farmers' Market in town, we have been keeping ourselves busy. My plan is to take a few pictures of both Mom's farm and the Farmers' Market this week to give you another peek into our new life!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-69097110151261077572013-08-02T16:30:00.002-04:002013-08-02T16:30:33.160-04:00Home...After a long three day drive, just under 2000 miles, we've made it to our new home! Unfortunately the rest of our goods won't arrive for quite some time due to the short notice and busy-ness of the current market. We will just make due!<br /><br />Internet and TV are another issue - both were on tap to be installed, but DirecTV decided to back out until we get the rest of our TVs and the wireless internet that was suppose to be available isn't due to line of sight issues with their antenna. I have another plan for internet lined up, but that won't happen until Tuesday.<br /><br />All of that pales in comparison to this though. This is what we woke up to.<br />
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Will write more once we've gotten back on-line!<br />
<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-52642008005829908162013-07-29T12:02:00.000-04:002013-07-29T12:02:03.547-04:00It's that time again...With time escaping us, the movers are due to arrive at any moment to once again transfer our goods to a truck for yet another adventure. Jeff and I will be packing up the car tonight, then head out with the pups early tomorrow morning to start the trek back to Minnesota. We think it will probably take around three days, starting with a long 12 hour drive tomorrow.<br />
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You have seen the house, but here is another view of the new hobby farm.<br />
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Can't you already picture some animals out there grazing? <br />
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On the other side of the property is a small pond. It was almost crystal
clear when we saw it, watching tadpoles darting in every direction as
we walked up. While we are not sure how deep it is or if it will stay
that clear, Jeff and I can't wait to find out! I wonder if Gus and Dora
will want to take a dip? Somehow I doubt it.<br />
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Speaking of those two crazy doggies, they definitely know something is up with the apartment stacked to the gills with moving boxes. Little do they know what kind of a playground we are heading towards! Here they are trying to take a snooze and soak in the sun during the flurry of activity.<br />
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<br />Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-29028420442319303022013-07-17T17:15:00.000-04:002013-07-17T17:15:34.372-04:00Life is never dull...I can not believe what I am going to tell you - I'm not entirely sure it has sunk in 100 percent yet.<br /><br />Yes, with that sentence, I'm sure you know what is happening. We are moving, again. Care to guess where?<br />
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Drum roll...<br />
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Back to Minnesota, again! Crazy, no? I could write several pages worth to explain what all is happening, but I'll save you the time and condense it down. <br />
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I decided not to share it at the time, but Dad passed away back in January. It was pretty unexpected how it all went down and I'm not entirely sure what else to say. Nonetheless, this left Mom by herself on the large family farm. Jeff and I have had discussions over the years on how we would eventually love to go back to our roots, end up on a farm, grow our own food and be more self-sustainable. While we didn't expect it to happen as fast as it has, we are diving head first into that dream!<br /><br />Last weekend, we flew back to Minnesota to see what all was available, property-wise, and have a quick visit with family. We came across a 7-acre hobby farm and fell in love with not only the layout, but the charming 1913 farm house it contained. It does need a little love and updating on the inside, but it has lots of original touches that captivated us and we will work hard to keep those intact. <br />
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<br /> Little did we know, by the time we left, we had us a farm! The place is only about 5 miles away from Mom (bonus points for that alone!), keeping us close enough to run over and help out as needed, along with perhaps throwing us into the mix to try and grow her business a bit! Once we settle ourselves in, we'll be setting up a garden, raising chickens and perhaps a cow or three - exciting and scary all rolled into one big package.<br />
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Just how fast is this happening? Fast. As in less than two weeks we'll be packing up the car and heading out for the long drive, assuming plans fall into place! As Jeff always says "Life is an Adventure!". If only the pups had any idea what they are in for. <br /><br />Care to follow along with us on this journey?Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-69585634918695441762013-05-03T01:05:00.001-04:002013-05-03T01:12:09.947-04:00An outrageously late update...Well folks, I don't know what to tell you. Frankly, time has just taken us by the hand, blinked and it has now been over 5 months since our last post. What the heck is with that?<br />
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First, everything is quite well. Yes, we have moved again... twice in fact. No, no... not what you are thinking - we just shuffled down the street to a new apartment complex. One move was to get us in, the other a month later was to get us into the apartment we have now. Why? Because we wanted this.<br />
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Yes, that is our view outside the windows in the living room. Unbelievable (that would be the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, by the way)! Not only that, our utility bills are no longer upwards of $450/month. You heard that right! We had an electric bill (only electric!) of that much for 1 month - it was a loft apartment, apparently had no insulation and the ridiculously small heater (set to only 60 degrees mind you) would run almost 24/7. Ugh. Oh well, you live and learn I guess!<br />
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This was one of our latest sunsets. Breathtaking!<br />
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It isn't a giant place by any stretch of the imagination, but it has a great flow and we're set for the next 10 months. Phew!<br />
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Meanwhile, in between packing, moving and exploring all the nooks and crannies of the bay area, I've been keeping myself busy in the kitchen. Here's just a snapshot of some of the goodies we've done lately.<br />
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I wish I could give a concrete answer as to whether or not we'll turn this blog around and get back into posting on some sort of a regular schedule, but to be truthful, I'm simply not sure. I can tell you that I miss it!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-27047076882693697862012-10-25T01:18:00.001-04:002012-10-25T01:23:09.937-04:00Brooksters...I had good intentions to share last week's treat with you when we made it, but alas, we're finding so many things to do here it is tough to sit inside when we want to be out exploring our new home.<br />
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While I will get back to those goodies another time, I felt compelled to sit my behind down this evening and talk about these outrageous "<b>Brooksters</b>" I made for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day.<br />
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Think thick chocolate chip cookies, wrapped in a devilishly tight hug of decadent, dark brownies. Yes, beware - this hand-held treat may just blow your mind!<br />
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I made a few changes to the original recipe - it was supposed to be prepared in 6 individual pie tins. I had none of those and didn't feel the urge to run out and find them (though, if I happen to see them while we are out and about, I will pick them up now!), so instead we swapped those out for a regular muffin/cupcake tin. Next, the yield given says 6, with a generous amount of chocolate chip cookie dough leftover to bake off as, well, tasty cookies.<br />
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What I ended up doing was doubling the brownie recipe, then left the cookie dough amount the same - this gave me enough of the dense brownie batter for 28 Brooksters and I still had some leftover dough (HAD is the key word here... Jeff and I couldn't stop snacking on the raw dough, so sadly, it never made it into cookies). I also tossed in a tablespoon of black cocoa powder for an edgier depth to the brownies, but if you don't happen to have that handy, up the unsweetened cocoa powder to two tablespoons.<br />
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I do have one note - don't skimp on the chilling step of the dough and batter - they both need to be cold to give you even baking results. Also, if you only have 1 baking pan and want to keep the yield as-is, follow the recipe, yet keep the leftover brownie batter in the bowl and in the fridge. Allow the baked Brooksters to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove them and wash the pan to both clean it and cool it down. Then fill with brownie batter and the cookie dough - as long as you've kept the leftovers in the fridge while you bake, you can just fill and bake.<br />
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You can end up with two results - if you slightly under-bake these, you'll have a slightly gooey core with a dangerously fudgy brownie barrier holding it all together. Fork worthy, for sure. With a few extra minutes tacked on the total bake time, the two will have married together into an irresistible portable package that can be taken behind closed doors and enjoyed alone. What, like you've never done that?
If you're feeling especially naughty, warm one up slightly, then drop a rounded scoop of your favorite ice cream dead center on top.<br />
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<b>Brooksters</b> (Adapted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients)<br />
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<b>For the cookie dough</b><br />
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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 cup packed dark brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks<br />
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<b>For the brownie batter</b><br />
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 tablespoon black cocoa powder<br />
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (look for a range in the 60 to 70%), coarsely chopped<br />
16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes<br />
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup packed brown sugar<br />
6 large eggs, at room temperature<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
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<b>To prepare the cookie dough</b><br />
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Mix in vanilla.<br />
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Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.
Cover bowl and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.<br />
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<b>To prepare brownie batter</b><br />
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders and salt.<br />
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Melt chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter together in in the bowl of a double boiler set over medium heat, stirring frequently. When melted and smooth, turn the heat off (but leave the bowl set over the steaming water) and whisk in granulated and brown sugars. When combined, remove bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Scatter flour mixture over the top and gently fold the two together - do not overmix at this point. It is ok if a little of the flour mixture remains visible.<br />
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Butter or spray with nonstick spray each well of your muffin tins, then fill each with brownie batter until they are just shy of halfway full. Cover the pans and place into the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours.<br />
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When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Scoop out cookie dough using a generous tablespoon cookie scoop (my dough balls ended up weighing about 38 grams each) and roll each into a ball. Flatten each slightly into a disk - you want each disk to be slightly smaller than the tops of the muffin wells.
Remove one muffin tin containing the chilled brownie batter from the refrigerator and gently press one cookie dough disk into each well.<br />
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Place pan into the oven and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookie part is very golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Around 20 minutes gave us slightly gooey centers, while at 25 minutes, they were just baked through.<br />
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Makes about 28 Brooksters, with some leftover cookie dough.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-70708133700865619332012-10-08T01:09:00.000-04:002012-10-08T01:21:10.472-04:00Good Morning Sunshine Bars...Now that we've had some time to settle in, remove a few trees worth of packing paper from several enormous boxes and gotten to know the neighborhood a bit, I think it is safe to say "Wow, I wish we could have moved here a lot sooner!".<br />
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The weather has been wonderful, the access we have to the different markets, produce and grocery products in general can't be beat and while the dogs may have missed their lovely fenced-in yard the first couple of days, they are sure eating up all the smells, walking trails and doggy parks (right on the water, no less) that they have been exploring! Look at them - all tuckered out after a day of new adventures. (PS - The photos should now be much larger when you click on them, compared to our older posts.)<br />
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I've even managed to get the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day started up at Jeff's new office. We decided to ease in with a fairly fuss-free recipe, making these decadent <b>Good Morning Sunshine Bars</b> out of the next book from the guys behind <a href="http://bakednyc.com/" target="_blank">BakedNYC</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/SGPn25" target="_blank"> Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients</a>. <br />
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This decadent treat is made by tossing a crunchy combo of crispy rice cereal squares (use your favorite brand) and chunky nuggets of salted peanuts around a thick, warm syrup made from dark brown sugar, corn syrup, creamy peanut butter (I used homemade - so, natural style works fine), a generous glug of vanilla and to give additional balance to all that sugar, a couple pinches of coarse salt. If you have an aversion to corn syrup, you could try using Brown Rice Syrup or my favorite substitute for this, Golden Syrup - the burnt-sugar, caramel-esque syrup that I love drizzle over buttered toast or pancakes.<br />
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If you find it difficult to get the cereal and nuts coated evenly enough, don't be afraid to lightly grease your (clean) hands and dig on in - just make sure the syrup isn't too hot. After gently pressing the slightly sticky mess into a rectangular pan (use a light, but firm hand here - you don't want to crush the cereal too much), you'll want to wait until the mixture has solidified and begun to cool off before rushing off to the finale that completely takes these bars over the top.<br />
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Yes, these are drenched in haphazard lines of melted bittersweet chocolate that not only lures in the chocoholics, but adds just enough bite to tone down the inherit sweetness these intensely peanut-y squares have. The original recipe did call for milk chocolate, which I could see appealing to some, but we opted for the darker chocolate because, well, that's just what we like.<br />
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<b>Good Morning Sunshine Bars</b> (Adapted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients) <br />
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6 cups plain rice cereal squares<br />
1 1⁄4 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped<br />
1 cup packed dark brown sugar<br />
1 cup light corn syrup<br />
1 cup creamy peanut butter (homemade or natural works fine)<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla<br />
1 1⁄2 teaspoons coarse salt<br />
5 to 6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted<br />
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In a large bowl, toss together cereal and peanuts.<br />
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In
a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and corn syrup. Over medium
heat, bring the mixture to a full boil - allow mixture to boil for 1
minute. Remove from the heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla and
salt.<br />
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Carefully pour mixture over the cereal and
peanuts, then use a sturdy wooden spoon to toss the ingredients together
until thoroughly coated. Scoop the mixture out into a 9" x 13" baking
pan coated with cooking spray (you can also line the pan with foil or
parchment paper, if desired, to make removal of the bars easier). Using
greased hands, gently press the mixture down until it forms an even
layer, trying not to crush the mixture as you go along.<br />
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Set pan aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Drizzle melted chocolate all over the top, then set aside until the chocolate has just begin to solidify before cutting into bars.<br />
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Makes about 24 servings.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-27870970429246391112012-09-22T16:28:00.000-04:002012-09-22T16:30:33.473-04:00We're here!After a 4 day, 2850 mile drive through areas that were quite striking, very flat and monotonous, distractingly brown and salt-encrusted (with a few white-knuckled moments on crazy curves to keep the blood pumping), we've finally made it to our new place! We're out in the East Bay area of California now, which I've been told is the "last move", but you all know we have heard that before!<br />
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While we made it in one piece, all of our stuff won't be here for another week - ack! So, we're in our apartment with the pups, an air mattress and our computers until the truck comes with our belongings. It is going to be a l-o-n-g week, but we can't complain... the weather out here is gorgeous and we have plenty to do to keep us busy!<br />
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We took the dogs out this morning for their first adventure - I think they are very pleased with the new surroundings!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jQT7pdTqstfEKfMk6LHR7sWYLzw2EqOxrVDGVbpjXeqoGDHkt96Jb6yKk10_eos3fI7oXgRyprqJ4HZ27O1qS1WLPc6Lv2Q2VNWNVbYE1sE73hwHNEdELiR1iecwvhllHCDlcg/s1600/joepups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jQT7pdTqstfEKfMk6LHR7sWYLzw2EqOxrVDGVbpjXeqoGDHkt96Jb6yKk10_eos3fI7oXgRyprqJ4HZ27O1qS1WLPc6Lv2Q2VNWNVbYE1sE73hwHNEdELiR1iecwvhllHCDlcg/s400/joepups.jpg" width="400" /></a>
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Hopefully once we get out things and have settled in, I will get my behind in gear and begin making more regular appearances on here!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-20330110486389067632012-08-28T21:34:00.000-04:002012-08-28T21:38:27.778-04:00Some news to spill...Yikes, it has been several months since I've been able to post. Perhaps after you get done reading this, you'll understand why!<br />
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I don't have much news on the gut issue - the medication they've been toying my intestinal system with has done a little to improve my symptoms, but not as much as we've been hoping. They switched the type of medication once to a similar one that works in a slightly different way, but it hasn't made much of a difference either. They warned me this was the probable out come, but were giving it a chance that it may have a bigger impact. What to do now? Live with it, I guess - at least until we are settled down again.<br />
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Yes, you read that right... "settled down <b>again</b>". Another two plus year stint has left Jeff with a larger scratch that he couldn't itch anymore, leaving us with one option... another move! That would be one of the reasons this place has quieted down so much - we've been getting the house and yard all gussied up to put on the market. The house not only went up on the market a few weeks ago, but we had a solid offer within 6 days - thanks to our ridiculously brilliant Realtor®, <a href="http://melissabrownhomes.com/" target="_blank">Melissa Brown</a>! Craziness! <br />
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Of course, it couldn't be an easy two or three-state-away move, but a complete cross-country trip. So, where are we off to? <br />
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We're heading to the Easy Bay area, just minutes (well several, depending on that crazy California traffic...) away from San Francisco. Hello gorgeous!<br />
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Does this mean I'm closing up shop here? That is still up in the air as we won't know how long this whole process is going to take. We close on this house at the end of September, but we may be leaving earlier if everything works out. With quite the mountain of tasks ahead of us (we will have to downsize quite a bit this time, which is actually a good thing - however, this means we need to sell/donate/deal with quite a few of our household goods), free time will be at a minimum as we wrap and pack anything coming with, prepare the pups for the long haul and finish up any lingering details before we can ship off.<br />
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This is going to be an exciting journey, with several ups and downs I'm sure, but the spectacular location we are headed to this time is sure to light an inspirational spark under my lazy blogging behind. Perhaps we'll be able to fire this thing up again once we have completed this adventure.<br />
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See you soon from the other side of the coast!Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-89845896627087617832012-03-09T08:51:00.004-05:002012-03-09T21:06:38.880-05:00Peanut Butter-Pretzel Shortbread Bars...It's been just over two months since our last post - I think this is the longest delay we've ever had! I wish I had lots of news to share with you, but frankly, life has not been all that exciting. You know I've been dealing with this darn gut issue for a long time, but for whatever reason it had gotten worse last year. I've been through a barrage of tests (one doc called it the million dollar medical spree! Not quite, but it felt like it), food allergy testing and celiac testing, along with several months of heavily restricted diets to look and see if this may be a dietary issue. That is the main reason for the inactivity here - not much to talk about when you can't eat the majority of the food you used to!<br /><br />What do we have to show for this? Sadly, not a whole heck of a lot. After being sent to the gastroenterology specialists at the University of NC, the conclusion so far is that my issue is most likely not dietary related and may be a problem of hypersensitivity of the nerves in my gut and a problem with how the muscles in my abdomen react when food is introduced. Where we go from here is not all that clear - I'm not big on taking medication, but we've decided to give their recommendation a go. It'll take 4-6 weeks to see if it works, but we figured I might as well - I've already done everything else!<br /><br />The dogs have been doing well through all of this though. Here's Gus in his favorite spot - smack dab in the middle of the yard where the sun shines the most.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR2ZmVRjhRU73_sKu888YBzdVF0HDZ8HQvLeNPEYAu2dHE9gfdE6RlolfN7mThec9n6jbPkZrqdo-cy491BHKankm7faM3tbFt4PNKs4hueZKzZw1FObvBqXJxag3q9Bf8KeM8A/s1600/g1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR2ZmVRjhRU73_sKu888YBzdVF0HDZ8HQvLeNPEYAu2dHE9gfdE6RlolfN7mThec9n6jbPkZrqdo-cy491BHKankm7faM3tbFt4PNKs4hueZKzZw1FObvBqXJxag3q9Bf8KeM8A/s400/g1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717730439009507986" border="0" /></a>Dora, on the other hand, would rather explore every nook and cranny the great outdoors holds, rather than be lazy like her pal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWqtJTdMXZ4s4KQzeoKOStFS8QMITbtdP5ZL7LfncCQjlH3amjUems9rYMgscfAflbeuW6hol9yPCW5ffkDjD8jNQmP4iOQCC0KSrxCUW4L9itKK0g2GaGtHZAVGJg_IJNK9BYw/s1600/d1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWqtJTdMXZ4s4KQzeoKOStFS8QMITbtdP5ZL7LfncCQjlH3amjUems9rYMgscfAflbeuW6hol9yPCW5ffkDjD8jNQmP4iOQCC0KSrxCUW4L9itKK0g2GaGtHZAVGJg_IJNK9BYw/s400/d1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717730445544831106" border="0" /></a>I've occasionally taken pictures of foods we've made for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day, which I have diligently continued to keep up. It has been tough not being able to sample the majority of goodies Jeff would bring into the office, but I was still able to enjoy the process of making them! One of those were these killer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peanut Butter-Pretzel Shortbread Bars</span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONNNZchqOzTp09TyZFbfBC1V9frP-xyU-DdJSTvzdNoWMrEQ6WcOJOrfICnrbSqfm4bWQa_Cg19aA4vvDaSzdILbBtaRp2UvDM9OAAw46_lW48lEjypSP5fjzi5yv1r1PHM0dAw/s1600/pbsb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONNNZchqOzTp09TyZFbfBC1V9frP-xyU-DdJSTvzdNoWMrEQ6WcOJOrfICnrbSqfm4bWQa_Cg19aA4vvDaSzdILbBtaRp2UvDM9OAAw46_lW48lEjypSP5fjzi5yv1r1PHM0dAw/s400/pbsb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717889553327419634" border="0" /></a>While the combo sounded astounding, I admit the main reason I wanted to make these was to give my rectangular tart pan some love. The pan is a favorite, but I don't use it nearly enough!<br /><br />Salty-sweet snacks are an irresistible downfall for me and thought it was ridiculous that I kept having to remind myself I wasn't allowed even a nibble. Thankfully, I knew they were transported into the office the next morning and wouldn't be sitting on the counter teasing me for the next few days.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKWVwDCqIbtQXo-QJlKl0BobnV1X4BvVZuTsZ3sdaaWIzx1KAZBYFcB3xZuXo1-hI3UMmS-5XMG4IKJE4JM3zGMXJRe_syk-NFbZbeT98c58Zu48Afwcd5wAoOn7fwCT1uKZhug/s1600/pbbars3-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKWVwDCqIbtQXo-QJlKl0BobnV1X4BvVZuTsZ3sdaaWIzx1KAZBYFcB3xZuXo1-hI3UMmS-5XMG4IKJE4JM3zGMXJRe_syk-NFbZbeT98c58Zu48Afwcd5wAoOn7fwCT1uKZhug/s400/pbbars3-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717894294563705906" border="0" /></a>The crunchy pretzel is introduced in three ways into this buttery shortbread cookie - ground into a pretzel powder to cut the flour-y base, chunky pieces mixed into the stuff dough and a handful pressed onto the top let you know exactly what you'll be diving into. The original recipe did not call for the peanut portion, but I had the refinements of an already opened bag of peanut butter chips languishing in the pantry, last used to make that layered two-toned fudge over Christmas.<br /><br />Jeff nodded in agreement when I asked if I should toss a scoopful into the dough - mainly, I think, because I've caught him more than once sticking pretzel sticks into a jar of peanut butter before dinner! Another change I made was to use half brown sugar and half regular granulated, along with a splash of vanilla for good measure. Use entirely granulated if you like, but I fancy the mellow molasses undertones from brown sugar.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ArwNrU5bZegvRrVY520qAapu7Z8J03LF3LhCiooqtO7s3y3quK9pbEi43gHnBtPllfDaZyvBOtgBEQSCdbzWHO9aSyDMT-jfCLxmh8JwzbJNMS7544ZGULoOMTxUHhfNyFMjSQ/s1600/pbbars2-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ArwNrU5bZegvRrVY520qAapu7Z8J03LF3LhCiooqtO7s3y3quK9pbEi43gHnBtPllfDaZyvBOtgBEQSCdbzWHO9aSyDMT-jfCLxmh8JwzbJNMS7544ZGULoOMTxUHhfNyFMjSQ/s400/pbbars2-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717896033238299522" border="0" /></a>These take about a half hour to bake, rendering them a pale golden around the edges, with the center being firm to the touch, but not hard. You'll be left with cookies that have a crisp perimeter, yet are still melting-ly tender as you munch your way through the groovy individual rectangles. Can you still make this if you don't have this type of pan? Sure - I encourage you to do so because you shouldn't miss these! I would have to guess an 8" square pan would be just about right - you'll just have to watch the total bake time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2012/03/peanut-butter-pretzel-shortbread-bars.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peanut Butter-Pretzel Shortbread Bars</span></a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-40430796758846771222012-01-01T20:35:00.010-05:002012-01-01T22:27:51.285-05:00Looking forward to 2012!Happy New Year! 2012 has rolled in fast and I can't tell you how much Jeff and I are looking forward to clearing out 2011. Some of you may know, Jeff had to have yet another surgery the Wednesday before Christmas - this was on his knee, the same one they operated on this summer. This makes the 4th surgery he's had within a year - his neck, shoulder and twice on the knee.<br /><br />The surgery went fine and he's on the mend, with plenty of physical therapy coming up to get him back in business. It was very last minute and tossed a wrench into our holiday plans, but we are both glad we got it done and out of the way. My on-going issues are not so easy, but there may be a glimmer of hope with an appointment at the Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders at the University of NC. This won't be happening until March, so sadly there are a few more weeks to go. I've mentioned that I've been having to follow dietary restrictions and we've gotten a few e-mails as to what that entails. My doctor has me following something called the "low-FODMAP" diet.<br /><br />You can read more about it <a href="http://shepherdworks.com.au/disease-information/low-fodmap-diet">here</a> if you fancy - this is a diet based from a researcher in Australia that is gaining in popularity here in the US. It can be fairly complicated, convoluted and confusing, especially because many of the websites out there have conflicting information about what you can and cannot eat. The research is constantly changing, based on the details obtained as they test different foods. Many of my most coveted, favorite foods were on the list to avoid and it was difficult to get started, but I've been doing my best to follow it. However I haven't seen much, if any, improvement yet and it has been several weeks. We're looking forward to seeing what the specialists at UNC have to say, though I can't say I will be getting my hopes up.<br /><br />So, here's to 2012 - the year with minimal doctor appointments (hopefully!), answers to those unanswered questions and leading a healthy, happy life!<br /><br />With that news out of the way and you know what we've been up to the past few weeks, I can catch you up on some of the recipes I've been making for Jeff. He is able to enjoy eating a variety of foods and at least I can gain some pleasure by making it - that's something, right? It's the small things in life.<br /><br />This <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta</span> was one dish that I almost cheated with, but I held out with a sad frown and a bowl of rice.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Uz0Qvo1UBAvMDRBDv59FsNiHnJgi7-xmHYnnNuHTjcynuMs7U2RdkWGsilxf59ouV3ChDZZ0l-8AIFLV_ntau0B5zm22WboDmYne8dco1sBKJZOiYzS2JYsvwT4k9AtTEfP6LQ/s1600/IMG_2493-2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYdQS0baJ9lqGnwtensbaZHs2IdxmPG4LzlJfM9VPxijeNNEQVXcTWuMD3HkPlPngF_XurbU9NYLT1lq2PsUOycm9P2ImpHwndjbdKFeRWZCVebi8a5Du4iYBeDiVii5fA1-c4w/s400/fs3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692844326006692162" border="0" /></a>What I liked about this dish was that it can easily hang out at room temperature for awhile without worry - no rush to make certain it is served pipping hot. I used to only be able to find those earthy, lightly nutty grains of farro in either ginormous bags at Costco or tiny ones at a local market marked up ridiculously high in price. Thankfully, one of our favorite shops has started carrying it in the bulk bins, making in a snap to grab just what we need.<br /><br />Cooking time for the farro can vary depending on what you pick up - pearled farro (hull removed) can be done in as little as 20 minutes, where "whole" farro (hull retained) will take closer to 45. While the farro takes its time in a hot bath of bubbly, salted water, it was refreshing to see that the recipe calls for using the entire stalk of broccoli, rather than just the brilliant florets. With the florets cut into bite-sized pieces, the beefy stalk is peeled to remove the fibrous outer layer, revealing its sweet, crisp and under-appreciated stem. Sliced into coins, both the florets and stem are simply tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and fresh ground black pepper, to be roasted in the searing cavern of our oven.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz86VlA9a8-HzXlcr-AU5StYmVoDj4Uk4xekhKeX1G_JY2GmdapyizjROJx_9BqZ6GeYyJA1CReO9Uv1eZemWS8Va7iO2tXYf_qOvjP39MS50M1EFesMPHikcfHR5gHt3AN1kSg/s1600/IMG_2465-2"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDrXc_U9oZuyG-scZAbZr9I8_x5SUW7-8KIoQ5oZdx7X1yLydBtJLzAoydRhDilUEFz_3GuKGIJ3dqkPRFVBRc7OTlcVZw9rEnKrfJvSdKySOlgI42PQqC7YwEhV046YCt4b5NA/s400/fs2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692843895540041138" border="0" /></a>You'll know the broccoli has been cooked enough when there is a slight char and the stem rings give under pressure with a knife. The duo are slid into a large bowl, to be tossed with the plumped, pleasantly chewy farro, creamy nubs of salty feta, sliced scallions, fresh parsley and crushed red pepper for a hint of spice. Salt and fresh ground pepper are sprinkled on to taste (be sure to take a small bite first just to see first before you add anything), along with a drizzle of red wine vinegar for an acidic punch. To give a bit of glisten, and of course, a fruity finish, just a tablespoon more of your favorite virgin olive oil rounds out the dish.<br /><br />Just before you serve, take another greedy taste for yourself - you may want a dash more vinegar as it may have mellowed out as it married with the rest of the ingredients. For variety, think about using half, or even all, cauliflower instead of the broccoli, or go wild and nix it all together for another vegetable like asparagus.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0G6iAqxy7szQRXeNPXSsaLyfS4ey1lAXbLDQjEToqQMM9UGWyOXxGpcn9elmic75SYqIsr2XdLJFy7Lf6ZsIXmxE7uf6se4D3z1Kc47TjIA-Bw-kOGv5DhA2YPzIRS5flI-dqg/s1600/IMG_2493-2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5flQeFADLSDvOn4Bl8pwJN-dtvwcovNc7rkifKleazMrMVNNjE0qq5XdetRW7VGxEPO2ne6ioDt4BKQvK9ii0xs6aqwQrJV3Wc3plVsEujIJ2a5RFagUyaQE6K2MnvZyX2nCMw/s400/fs1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692843901445624930" border="0" /></a>Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/roasted-broccoli-and-farro-salad-with.html">Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-70608986194714034572011-12-06T11:59:00.001-05:002011-12-06T15:48:34.600-05:00Holiday baking ideas for 2011...We're getting into the nitty gritty of our annual Holiday Baking Spree - I can't believe it is that time of the year already! Yes, pounds and pounds of butter, flour and sugar are currently being decimated in the kitchen, being made into a barrage of candy, cookies and treats.<br /><br />I know things have been pretty quiet around here - I've been having to deal with dietary restrictions (a serious bummer - can't even have a nibble of anything I am making!) from our doctor. This makes it tough to want to talk about any of the food I've been preparing (which has been for Jeff and the weekly treat days), but hopefully we'll figure out what's going on soon and I can get myself back to normal!<br /><br />Anyway, I thought it would be an appropriate time put up baking ideas from past recipes we've made. Perhaps you'll find a recipe or two to make and share this holiday season!<br /><br />Will you be making any new treats this year - if so, what tops your list?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbLlxOX3PDjc9l6m-ZvIeh5vlQ5wltdU1QlJM79pjtjpjZ2um3v73jodMid8uyXQRZ5yLRDbqXewnbHV9mhxUVZ9hrG-xtZaNKIxwtYUKe2I3XX5nSnW1lVXmKhH6InFcCFIyrg/s1600/c5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbLlxOX3PDjc9l6m-ZvIeh5vlQ5wltdU1QlJM79pjtjpjZ2um3v73jodMid8uyXQRZ5yLRDbqXewnbHV9mhxUVZ9hrG-xtZaNKIxwtYUKe2I3XX5nSnW1lVXmKhH6InFcCFIyrg/s400/c5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545881862250897298" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/pistachio-moments.html">Pistachio Moments</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiounfKbEAkxb_Z_GAZJccim96OV3SrQBSUUUfJ4hLF8smNGD2S0e1e7O1YmGoM8QZSJRAXp2X37Y2BfSsNGvJKRVtER4rgYMOYYHpzYlfDw7G2PnJGfscZouRd620nV_GaqFcp/s1600-h/13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiounfKbEAkxb_Z_GAZJccim96OV3SrQBSUUUfJ4hLF8smNGD2S0e1e7O1YmGoM8QZSJRAXp2X37Y2BfSsNGvJKRVtER4rgYMOYYHpzYlfDw7G2PnJGfscZouRd620nV_GaqFcp/s400/13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478933483357426" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/essence-of-chocolate-squares.html">Essence of Chocolate Squares</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEZ91veRFa6mCet-0J2XfQhr7lC_cuGd9bI0R9wvP8FUpYLqYEYC64uWIAc-lGY93oMx0HfunlWASAsG_GKq0rbGwwHNuDyN-T1Y_SHpNkLEaDY-pBArhoo0HwNTL6sy96t6f_w/s1600/c8.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEZ91veRFa6mCet-0J2XfQhr7lC_cuGd9bI0R9wvP8FUpYLqYEYC64uWIAc-lGY93oMx0HfunlWASAsG_GKq0rbGwwHNuDyN-T1Y_SHpNkLEaDY-pBArhoo0HwNTL6sy96t6f_w/s400/c8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551367093235458450" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/kahlua-spiked-pecans.html">Kahlua Spiked Pecans</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS74Jy-OLekL7B-kD_8-yYmsGs18-B1QUfBWNQrjASpVyxpfJmfTE3w4aqdnHRHg8eaMJ5gPEMvp0pcy0sc22GGZ4FpN0ZKfO1bdHy9Tgqi7IYE6qHJoLWx-EMp1WwOIfouSN7w/s1600/sf.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS74Jy-OLekL7B-kD_8-yYmsGs18-B1QUfBWNQrjASpVyxpfJmfTE3w4aqdnHRHg8eaMJ5gPEMvp0pcy0sc22GGZ4FpN0ZKfO1bdHy9Tgqi7IYE6qHJoLWx-EMp1WwOIfouSN7w/s400/sf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683119833708275330" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/snickers-fudge.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Snickers Fudge</span></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHHMzyE9TcADI6NULZlQ5ehbAf4wnOgDlQz3Gr6I3-0ZAormbQWgp0VuPNI0QHwLkUIyeC3fUc18_ktcUCXAoy1wMN9Rm3nhuCljUKZbWT-Y8egvyfdhwPQZ0h8d0su6av3lu/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHHMzyE9TcADI6NULZlQ5ehbAf4wnOgDlQz3Gr6I3-0ZAormbQWgp0VuPNI0QHwLkUIyeC3fUc18_ktcUCXAoy1wMN9Rm3nhuCljUKZbWT-Y8egvyfdhwPQZ0h8d0su6av3lu/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478548640508386" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chocolate-peppermint-cheesecake-candy.html">Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDKO5e6RAkYGyAAoaRrWv6Ugvo07WEG1y_-kHZHhHBJXk_6dP13SrL6vyWfG1ifxpzi4frJ_u1c6j2Kwu-K9dvLeAEbDTRN0VPpforFDD8-kQsy4qdcexwErr0APML9RHLG4C7g/s1600/plog.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDKO5e6RAkYGyAAoaRrWv6Ugvo07WEG1y_-kHZHhHBJXk_6dP13SrL6vyWfG1ifxpzi4frJ_u1c6j2Kwu-K9dvLeAEbDTRN0VPpforFDD8-kQsy4qdcexwErr0APML9RHLG4C7g/s400/plog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579242431253307298" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/pecan-logs.html"><span style="" id="search">Pecan Logs</span></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTQQuS0MvUeiusX4EKRg613zHRDvxawIXfRdDpmo-R4Qh8OsuMsbKgjQt_QfE8Ve5GHm9wo662S5gTysdY98RkciLfrbvNhmSzOatvjHWRti-k5BBKRKhDbKvP5cViCtaSXiW/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTQQuS0MvUeiusX4EKRg613zHRDvxawIXfRdDpmo-R4Qh8OsuMsbKgjQt_QfE8Ve5GHm9wo662S5gTysdY98RkciLfrbvNhmSzOatvjHWRti-k5BBKRKhDbKvP5cViCtaSXiW/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478547656161810" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/anise-scented-fig-and-date-swirls.html">Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPP9gGznp5yDJVCJftRWJIT1SHqvGDOwptgPkhAnZiLi8W_fNDWgnYb8N8Gi427ty-xG7OmfMQNiUuVeGkTQ43pvgszFidlScGdiatzDnhlF9r4EvpZQBSy5RGXitYCrxngrz/s1600-h/7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 335px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPP9gGznp5yDJVCJftRWJIT1SHqvGDOwptgPkhAnZiLi8W_fNDWgnYb8N8Gi427ty-xG7OmfMQNiUuVeGkTQ43pvgszFidlScGdiatzDnhlF9r4EvpZQBSy5RGXitYCrxngrz/s400/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478776107352514" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/seven-layer-cookies.html">Seven Layer Cookies</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwlQFVpozm1ADz_sv6pd-gY_c0PkyOBGp-p3eHZcDB_mtJsmk4ofpnV6eXYYpaXHkPftQBaKuAPyk_4-MsvfnvrvZfzchap1hgtWv8Ss1S1spTn5ZqXqE2uMHcugNXEUsZfk1/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwlQFVpozm1ADz_sv6pd-gY_c0PkyOBGp-p3eHZcDB_mtJsmk4ofpnV6eXYYpaXHkPftQBaKuAPyk_4-MsvfnvrvZfzchap1hgtWv8Ss1S1spTn5ZqXqE2uMHcugNXEUsZfk1/s400/9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478782706942322" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chocolate-peppermint-pizzelles.html">Chocolate Peppermint Pizzelles</a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyZne-WFP-vRfQ-gab1Xknk5D34wCbDN_szP35jhdggcCLeIPr5cNupNlf5TgQE3Diz_p0QCkPHjgqYwhjFW9Difk5KaRf_zNwSuywYmGw0u8i6VnE0uXqqQfdhLdKUHxwRzbSg/s1600/c2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyZne-WFP-vRfQ-gab1Xknk5D34wCbDN_szP35jhdggcCLeIPr5cNupNlf5TgQE3Diz_p0QCkPHjgqYwhjFW9Difk5KaRf_zNwSuywYmGw0u8i6VnE0uXqqQfdhLdKUHxwRzbSg/s400/c2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545784723612219474" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/espresso-caramels.html">Espresso Caramels</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ92q-0Qhgw-oomtGTCCcswIcwa133KFZdcgKAZEEgrfsQeTDH7Kf3lmmxXtB1NQyGY1VGjfc3BZXd7tEQHLAAlyNn-znZ2ummhKFBm81a3czyt20ojpPaUVfQ7ncB2XkFHPLW9Q/s1600/c3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ92q-0Qhgw-oomtGTCCcswIcwa133KFZdcgKAZEEgrfsQeTDH7Kf3lmmxXtB1NQyGY1VGjfc3BZXd7tEQHLAAlyNn-znZ2ummhKFBm81a3czyt20ojpPaUVfQ7ncB2XkFHPLW9Q/s400/c3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545784732175954082" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/gingerbread-biscotti.html">Gingerbread Biscotti</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyI6iIYmAl219_O7TX2M6VsDnQyp3h5AAIQd9cyuCAzFgrKx4doidlz0bauADIN6V0BeQLYP_bbM4nq-MitgZaYQ_97Rkff-Z3a0Z-JLG-KoCAaXLb3KX9f4P7aS5USHZpYT7cVA/s1600-h/xm7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 390px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyI6iIYmAl219_O7TX2M6VsDnQyp3h5AAIQd9cyuCAzFgrKx4doidlz0bauADIN6V0BeQLYP_bbM4nq-MitgZaYQ_97Rkff-Z3a0Z-JLG-KoCAaXLb3KX9f4P7aS5USHZpYT7cVA/s400/xm7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415966611108866562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/lemon-scented-ginger-almond-crisps.html">Lemon-Scented Ginger Almond Crisps</a></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2qFyk4dlG3vExjYDVdQ2-aBHgYLROutD9mHXBWTVSHDNYlClyMnSibciwaCBTjrKUbmSZiUhnQ3-5ZaoTLjPC3RVXwgMCXFTiHxtZWkzNLukHUIV_hVBXCuhWotRpk-3SmZM/s1600-h/CrinkleCookies2-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0uDqE3kKgNbpkY0XKi-ezYh_nEfH_owW5WBPpmyOaNwzZE30VMq4fm7wmwOiHhU2JOeAa9QTGu-wMaAkasiqF1_pRHLR9ar__KuziDfyRYekfsSUVRIGwRy4HR08H7b_vPg_/s400/ecrinkle1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284551836782916354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/espresso-crinkles.html">Espresso Crinkles</a><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcZblN_ydZe4FIviaJRVkQAgtg6V5Zpta41AJqtzet5UN2E5QwbbXooHI8nbWaDgVjfjkH2laE6f4Tmlj-r_NsLTOImVfKi0tchYSWckwA1G78iVJy195EJn17JcEyUNpbL7b/s1600-h/WCRaspCheesecake-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bIa357rZYXWLMNSkJEQf-eE2mGfhW6aIE3cFTJGR7-5QOkaXdBjKQ7IB2PGSJD4Q8lCv4dl8AY9t08NvlytWfqi__Mp9O-so1RmsLqDHkOCi9tErqtNtErCVw1yuCWFePF5E/s400/wcrckb1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276759809635664258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/white-chocolate-raspberry-cheesecake.html">White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars</a></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8wD9yczS7akWuAnM715KOCJLrLrNupJb95jxas4dx6C4Tv3azKIhVNy90KKf7VBcRWHqWLrab3SzAsFPuN3FhD4ipjttPNcO1lXwOH4fTKD7klTGEXP_N59MCOPTVDYm3cM92w/s1600/c10.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8wD9yczS7akWuAnM715KOCJLrLrNupJb95jxas4dx6C4Tv3azKIhVNy90KKf7VBcRWHqWLrab3SzAsFPuN3FhD4ipjttPNcO1lXwOH4fTKD7klTGEXP_N59MCOPTVDYm3cM92w/s400/c10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551367232886795474" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/mint-chocolate-sandwich-cookies.html">Mint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjmvSvvaBZ71P8iQ-AFTsdQ5W2KBywOpjH1KiPtxtTCugjtjWidb9BRbZq6bpc2PO6SznvwOZ-tWEIWh21L5MgMn662HqFAdq0JEs0n0u9xWortJeKJgTPC4nzxjrs8YVtZFj/s1600-h/8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjmvSvvaBZ71P8iQ-AFTsdQ5W2KBywOpjH1KiPtxtTCugjtjWidb9BRbZq6bpc2PO6SznvwOZ-tWEIWh21L5MgMn662HqFAdq0JEs0n0u9xWortJeKJgTPC4nzxjrs8YVtZFj/s400/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478786238003506" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/peanut-butter-buckeyes.html">Peanut Butter Buckeyes</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJqdPv89exAU2R2_9Rijf9fnES5ETPqGdtBA82K5fNohwuFHmiW8jb60hkpiZqC63SFAyQzr3V6rQ6ZwIuCgi7iDwExUM9r2mfr5EmTfg081v83P75QULS1SxMLGlI-Vxxznq/s1600-h/Cookies4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dBBcXMmFbYRL3uBrMkvYDYjNbT_XdvP7kH5ucJQBFhStJrS09pDKsYoFDwvkBHXt6N9ffyLONkE2uxGqKgAFfgLwEHW4DYXziBChikZcIwabq_3lTZn0pzgI6tifywamwYKG/s400/ccwcookies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276085570964940946" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/07/cream-cheese-walnut-cookies.html">Cream Cheese Walnut Cookies</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUkwWqwiuJoOI4A6cdpk_RkL5028ngj285UreTxAOuIshlPYsf3A7TMpWVel3Jy4q9q50QupEDgidr9AQH4sN_Qy7mulDsfoxup46FMKaySbzkq4e5jow-KxG3uk2FHGiLWlBMg/s1600/c1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUkwWqwiuJoOI4A6cdpk_RkL5028ngj285UreTxAOuIshlPYsf3A7TMpWVel3Jy4q9q50QupEDgidr9AQH4sN_Qy7mulDsfoxup46FMKaySbzkq4e5jow-KxG3uk2FHGiLWlBMg/s400/c1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545786575903576530" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/gingerbread-people.html">Gingerbread People</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANQuL7HP32TQbCMIcGVzX3Sx8JbrAtH4Nt6mo7XiDbP3wugQ9y9h7gcV4CW8cgKPl9gZ5UNhPW4S4vTcrb9d0HgFpQ0ZKytGeKDF4ikk2sQhpZ6s13tRMlUXLmOAWrc6T6kSI7w/s1600-h/xm1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 393px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANQuL7HP32TQbCMIcGVzX3Sx8JbrAtH4Nt6mo7XiDbP3wugQ9y9h7gcV4CW8cgKPl9gZ5UNhPW4S4vTcrb9d0HgFpQ0ZKytGeKDF4ikk2sQhpZ6s13tRMlUXLmOAWrc6T6kSI7w/s400/xm1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415967294150092866" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/swedish-gingersnaps.html">Swedish Gingersnaps</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PlSkkimtIKcm75lQpUbO2T2k0xeacDiubEPZQXR4CBTAXCte1NQnZFZCTWIqoRh8B5BzBRkVeuwx_7GEqprSMy-NBfWpI3O2HBH-POpzzNSHgUPwKiacB6MOeW3xvWdtSW9Y/s1600-h/CCCookieTruffles-8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 395px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDywFUreOJpzocQtoMIxXhtVS61M6CKRJytS3kiSW0Db7uW1fOI4G1mw8bsaKTva6R8joh7Vl_xc_OF-SGSu11L8hL-efh765BlIhJQojY5LW2qh9OajagyMj9862gTX6rdMK/s400/ccctruffle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285772536753030258" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chocolate-chip-cookie-truffles.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles</span></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6jR_k-kUqBkhbJzRJPnzAfzMvmNqOMxqi6-U-dlUxv7NJTcA4lWiSnaKMkpPpBpANZC2Q2-acKKqcKFOvq1_A_XwzkfbP1p8MlxVgys4_aevADJX043QZ8BQu8jlG2pmwPWLsQ/s1600-h/CranPistBisc-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZimVLB4jn-b5JXz5cM9q2VjdfGAGv1MaoFV_QNjHNiEVnojCTxEAXOg1FhQlZfyy650_JKCvQlswBmXeZd0oB3ShE2TBOhJuJwAgnA0B84z1BEro2TwKhRwdsfFPljdujtWAfnw/s400/cranpist1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258668222179827506" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/cranberry-pistachio-biscotti.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti</span></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt_CRjE-kLC7Umdko0-VKDtIMVNr26BkLttNgQSTTWAQ1aQ7L3OH4Moko7Qlvvj0NJA4bpRBO605jov25QMg8KPtb2J09o7SXVONyjyd2A5JIr6a0ZRJ0UdDGGhL41OZD-m4wqg/s1600/c11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt_CRjE-kLC7Umdko0-VKDtIMVNr26BkLttNgQSTTWAQ1aQ7L3OH4Moko7Qlvvj0NJA4bpRBO605jov25QMg8KPtb2J09o7SXVONyjyd2A5JIr6a0ZRJ0UdDGGhL41OZD-m4wqg/s400/c11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551367229832468082" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chocolate-peppermint-cookies.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies</span></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbRvHhUjTFeaz6Uy2oRLcQ-JocSZqMtcNehlZ0Vnjoc3-2nIXr0t_uki3v9GgQ1QounXAhRNDO9LSt6ksFa3pRwbzVEJE6Vt7RYQfS_nE0_mx_-7JlShG44iCNvzdKdxNCxko/s1600-h/hdg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbRvHhUjTFeaz6Uy2oRLcQ-JocSZqMtcNehlZ0Vnjoc3-2nIXr0t_uki3v9GgQ1QounXAhRNDO9LSt6ksFa3pRwbzVEJE6Vt7RYQfS_nE0_mx_-7JlShG44iCNvzdKdxNCxko/s400/hdg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280584680002179794" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/holiday-doggie-bagels.html">Holiday Doggie Bagels</a> (For the dogs - they need homemade love too!)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDwk1hzytbeaXL0KePvyV3dLYbHyWrcuAzKLriFlN4lwf_WH9DHSmbMQTY8X6Hk8NS9feBqp7DYS2Y0Mc52qrUgOeX-sI49Uri0MOLLtm3FhwZib5DguGg8Iy6Sh38qMmzy44RQ/s1600/c4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDwk1hzytbeaXL0KePvyV3dLYbHyWrcuAzKLriFlN4lwf_WH9DHSmbMQTY8X6Hk8NS9feBqp7DYS2Y0Mc52qrUgOeX-sI49Uri0MOLLtm3FhwZib5DguGg8Iy6Sh38qMmzy44RQ/s400/c4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545784736627343602" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/dark-chocolate-truffles.html">Dark Chocolate Truffles</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0u6G79aiG5orxDYzVMvkcG-O8xjV3Gkxq1iK_bDamYaJbgLVRc7FQZfRibLjNsGqJSKVS8j-WEnQxruLacqFP9AZZj8z3Z5k7DuJOeVtW6VH-PLNXAtxRlv8LsyBRTyckWHa/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0u6G79aiG5orxDYzVMvkcG-O8xjV3Gkxq1iK_bDamYaJbgLVRc7FQZfRibLjNsGqJSKVS8j-WEnQxruLacqFP9AZZj8z3Z5k7DuJOeVtW6VH-PLNXAtxRlv8LsyBRTyckWHa/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280586014400519058" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/eggnog-spiced-spritz-cookies.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eggnog Spiced Spritz Cookies</span></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGIG5OF_nwbtxxoc3PRtCg6bSmF7zz3AI5GC5hNxB1vrXdkZiim9dT2v74jnPR-EOxk5vncQPBL3uEG0ZRS7ZSDXWx1lz85CSpyIjsfPlKyAk5KPU9eIffYPs4JYm1uWLE2kB/s1600-h/psm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGIG5OF_nwbtxxoc3PRtCg6bSmF7zz3AI5GC5hNxB1vrXdkZiim9dT2v74jnPR-EOxk5vncQPBL3uEG0ZRS7ZSDXWx1lz85CSpyIjsfPlKyAk5KPU9eIffYPs4JYm1uWLE2kB/s400/psm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280583870333623394" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/swirled-peppermint-marshmallows.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Swirled Peppermint Marshmallows</span></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAUIvbPFExAiPdV3LfIrnch0h13vQJJie6e8HMxL42HBgJO1nTO1Fb36DN9iI6DGJgAF33-U9si_Qckg-cXy0LT-D4ynEw4vRyaCLhZb-nmRkBsemI9jE1gol4Kp29umXoAzUOw/s1600/c4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAUIvbPFExAiPdV3LfIrnch0h13vQJJie6e8HMxL42HBgJO1nTO1Fb36DN9iI6DGJgAF33-U9si_Qckg-cXy0LT-D4ynEw4vRyaCLhZb-nmRkBsemI9jE1gol4Kp29umXoAzUOw/s400/c4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551366977207521266" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/cranberry-eggnog-twirls.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cranberry-Eggnog Twirls</span></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qxwQ9LrcDR5yYLEQASHBSo-nudsSzmmn37zpI9Qr8zpiF7L8bk-cvJAh1llLjWn9QMQ1E_BS-1bKuZQ1kwDSHxyhi3DGdEpLsharlmHigE4CnAisp0dFJdW3FrUXyhPwHsitJg/s1600-h/MapleThumb-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOjOJy_VhkXf7xBxMV6ZekiFq07TO5xqF9un5hkjGWB-GN1S2TWQbPjGlGt2WSKwL_qOfCzeM-G6lTuKNSC_A7UMqUH30bZhq6-tORJT7lVzMe7Gc5LlLhZhlflATlP8ave6SRw/s400/maplewalnut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251992654312534130" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/maple-walnut-thumbprint-cookies.html">Maple Walnut Thumbprint Cookies</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5hWiFRAWBgLTf40mdonF0JePedNXFssBSOXP_DOKAajwk_4MLQSF6o_v7uA9CMfpRD0aYsvQCNZLH8esab4Bjh0_P98FmhijXxw484uDOxEAS6uwkPLMdrw0WPeQyU2mm7ok/s1600-h/10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5hWiFRAWBgLTf40mdonF0JePedNXFssBSOXP_DOKAajwk_4MLQSF6o_v7uA9CMfpRD0aYsvQCNZLH8esab4Bjh0_P98FmhijXxw484uDOxEAS6uwkPLMdrw0WPeQyU2mm7ok/s400/10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478786760274354" border="0" /></a><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2007/12/candy-cane-biscotti.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candy Cane Biscotti</span></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6czTDMYx6_UMxRab-afTgQhhPgQG84-qbKOTZ90s9X78hprQz16Kue_TQLoyV_zHSDJr2I17ti0DvkVbeHix3scN_zCw7Y2YO0sme7MMyQuUQUMAlIjmtAWKwYqMidCQh6SYC/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6czTDMYx6_UMxRab-afTgQhhPgQG84-qbKOTZ90s9X78hprQz16Kue_TQLoyV_zHSDJr2I17ti0DvkVbeHix3scN_zCw7Y2YO0sme7MMyQuUQUMAlIjmtAWKwYqMidCQh6SYC/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279478553472286418" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/gingerbread-pumpkin-bars.html">Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvb9VhfXWFtqPRw2mn3GR9t-vmwHkPv_UYURlXpiTAzzO4yBCnNkCio5HgzgB7gnbRnb3CxRjV4GyHdafqpfkkAtlAYJ8gFiWW4NbM5XVbYVUKyh74H_OItFspb7-rzwGz1JWFA/s1600-h/xm2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvb9VhfXWFtqPRw2mn3GR9t-vmwHkPv_UYURlXpiTAzzO4yBCnNkCio5HgzgB7gnbRnb3CxRjV4GyHdafqpfkkAtlAYJ8gFiWW4NbM5XVbYVUKyh74H_OItFspb7-rzwGz1JWFA/s400/xm2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415966477951398066" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/smoky-cheddar-coins.html">Smoky Cheddar Coins</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBMYPoZ24O6U1leUgvJ8SuBkUTeRusG0KkoaBigiNypb09kJSPmrB3GeaWEyub-HCUZc33N_BrNCMDYxeqSaBnXhBRHNUGOaN-HTSKo16szfIJI8rRuCm7IK4IKRqSTFE8tOF/s1600-h/14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBMYPoZ24O6U1leUgvJ8SuBkUTeRusG0KkoaBigiNypb09kJSPmrB3GeaWEyub-HCUZc33N_BrNCMDYxeqSaBnXhBRHNUGOaN-HTSKo16szfIJI8rRuCm7IK4IKRqSTFE8tOF/s400/14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279726832083287490" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/07/layered-peppermint-crunch-bark.html">Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4AA7Y-HkTKtYG5Uc34cX7eSSGL-ZBFePMWWt08Wvma8qG4QRplisOeZW65Gy7mCnBlgJj51u3zcXd8dNO1z86BJjA194jQvEfMevoItb-Mr2uYbmqRHfYoddoSX1dQs7OW7W0g/s1600-h/cts1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 345px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4AA7Y-HkTKtYG5Uc34cX7eSSGL-ZBFePMWWt08Wvma8qG4QRplisOeZW65Gy7mCnBlgJj51u3zcXd8dNO1z86BJjA194jQvEfMevoItb-Mr2uYbmqRHfYoddoSX1dQs7OW7W0g/s400/cts1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413417193287236434" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/christmas-tree-squares.html">Christmas Tree Squares</a><br /></div></div></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-18038041580540121032011-11-08T21:03:00.007-05:002011-11-09T06:23:26.261-05:00Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies...We tossed caution to the wind with the Treat Day goodies we made for Jeff's co-workers last week - I mean, who *really* puts raw cookie dough on top of an already baked pan of brownies and then calls it done? Well, in fact, we did just that by making these outrageous <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies</span>.<br /><br />I found the idea for this killer layered sweet from Michelle over at <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/">Brown Eyed Baker</a> - it went directly to the back of my mind and sat there, teasing me, until the perfect time came up to make it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRMChSxQJIj7a3Vzv09uekqJOXi5M5U9PuJIUlAV0Yup9oxqwZan5AgRjaDswLLmF6ef18TGfSecG7QCRu5Ynr-KIEG9ADXiP2HdFRryYw8xdqwBu61tTMW4d8jRnFFpmY_JS2g/s1600/cccb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRMChSxQJIj7a3Vzv09uekqJOXi5M5U9PuJIUlAV0Yup9oxqwZan5AgRjaDswLLmF6ef18TGfSecG7QCRu5Ynr-KIEG9ADXiP2HdFRryYw8xdqwBu61tTMW4d8jRnFFpmY_JS2g/s400/cccb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672821486377274402" border="0" /></a>Underneath that thick layer of cookie dough (and yes, it is egg-free and safe to eat by the handfuls, raw) is a brownie that is neither cake-y nor gooey - it fell somewhere in between, best described as moist and a bit chewy. Rich in brown sugar, to give a slight zing and bump up the chocolate factor, I did toss in a bit of espresso powder into the batter. Hang around the lower amount listed if you don't want too much of a coffee bite, or, if you like, knock it up to the full teaspoon and grab a buzz!<br /><br />While the brownies were off cooling from their short stint in the oven, we had plenty of time to haul out the mixer and get going on the cookie dough topping. You'll find the classic ingredients to chocolate chip cookies - butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt (<span style="font-weight: bold;">don't</span> skimp on this since we call for unsalted butter), plenty of fragrant vanilla and instead of the normal eggs you'd find, a few tablespoons of milk to smooth all the ingredients out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA4gOV6WHFAfYfPtEokHfBoNLsymBRygPIW_FfdNJfdePgtrJXE-SU5IX15xIZgHPGPPDtkI3dbJcfP-B3NuHPipLDWyL7sa026z0jfXHE-tBNwkducb2n24pGWD_YsCdYSN45g/s1600/cccb1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA4gOV6WHFAfYfPtEokHfBoNLsymBRygPIW_FfdNJfdePgtrJXE-SU5IX15xIZgHPGPPDtkI3dbJcfP-B3NuHPipLDWyL7sa026z0jfXHE-tBNwkducb2n24pGWD_YsCdYSN45g/s400/cccb1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672821483004774706" border="0" /></a> I do suggest you give plenty of time to the creaming step - several minutes, with a couple stops every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This should hone down the edge of the graininess you get from the sugars in an unbaked dough. You could use mini chocolate chips if you like, but we're fans of robust bittersweet chocolate here - chop the pieces small, but not to dust. About half the size of your average chocolate chip to keep slicing the treats easy.<br /><br />I don't think they needed it, but if you really wanted to take these over the top (as if they were not already), give them a fancy smear of ganache or, perhaps, a judicious scattering of more chopped bittersweet chocolate. Decidedly rich and decadent, you will want to keep these on the smaller side when cutting - also, give them plenty of time in the refrigerator to chill before taking a knife to them. I wasn't able to have any (more on that on another day... believe me, it nearly killed me not to try them), but Jeff gave his quality control approval by eating two (!) the night before he brought them in!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-brownies.html">Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-7798096742470306532011-10-18T17:33:00.001-04:002011-10-19T17:34:52.255-04:00Severed Finger Cookies...I had such a good time making those funky Chocolate Tarantula cookies last week, and since they went over so well at the office, we decided to keep the Halloween theme going with our Weekly Treat Day by making these wicked <span style="font-weight: bold;">Severed Finger Cookies</span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIEzqENSNLRGtOmX4oPTgfAmCKj6A7vbkRcvas-AHZzoD4l1JREy1mxM0_zh6PFaJOYoLBag-x9qxeKJ52D8FU5GROt-odiav-wHIPoucwvIjW1q5Ssvp-rQc3HFC00guLq5iSw/s1600/IMG_4982-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_paz_Cm7aYIfiNaTSoqtwiGQ-Q-D1DnODDGWVudNZF8hwXkcpnoLGK_iEfw02mxNvryGEBCB5y1JlNGRNXEI2rGXVqrwJk_fv0ZJyjfD5Bo1JOYmJOk-9OIK1_59HKATL-wWiWw/s400/sf1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665259086129884674" border="0" /></a>Yeah, really - we went there! You will need to set aside some time to make these as there are a couple chilling steps and it takes a minute or two per finger (and you'll be making about 38!) to shape them. The not-too-sweet dough only called for vanilla to pump up the flavoring, but I happen to dig a slight almond-y note in the background with these types of butter cookies - a quarter teaspoon of almond extract was just about right, but feel free to leave it aside if you prefer.<br /><br />If you can, only work with 5 or 6 pieces of the firm, yet creamy all-butter chilled dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped up in the icebox. This makes it a snap to work with, keeping the dough from becoming too warm as it sits around while you pass the time forming many finger cookies. It may become a little redundant, but take a seat, turn up some music or have your favorite TV show on and create lots of severed digits!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_43c8odegLC7uAvGqy9yZa-LB9osl11qBPyNTjjRlIjW9agRIgUthHF8TDz0LBYcwiodDftQ9lnQeZK5xPYuHA6pR9HQquonrPLoeimR_w7_O4TLTDgd4W-x6kdpyrVTfxYm6oA/s1600/IMG_4964-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmK-Jlwei0KOY32O9rqFI6EtXsMJk18OtlpEFezS48P7KMD_tL64H2nM7JLSAAyXhMIo0l_lLeTZ8234-6DwLQzd28IgPU6ShqdNK5YqCOiMvCfdRoEfq2AumWZ7HRwslN7unVw/s400/sf2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665259090040594770" border="0" /></a>With all the manhandling of the dough, I do recommend setting the assembled fingers in the freezer for about 20 minutes or so before baking - not only does this allow you to wait to start preheating the oven until you are ready, it will also help them retain most of their shape. Sometimes all-butter doughs tend to spread more than you'd like, especially if they've been at room temperature for awhile. If you give them those extra minutes to firm back up first, they will puff up and out some, which is what you want to help fill out the fingers, but the cookies won't stray far from the intended shape as much as if you were to bake them while soft.<br /><br />Want to up the stakes on these cookies? Think about brushing some red food coloring on the almond "fingernails" or take red gel icing and pipe it around those sickly blonde nails. I also thought about taking some of the smaller broken almonds and sticking them out of the opposite side of the nails, creating a broken bone-like appearance. Perfect with the blood, no? However, we decided against that for now (Jeff thought that might be taking them too far... hee hee!) and will save the idea for another time!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW3S6422z43p3S5odFcIz7D4xxxNqdh76jfFIHgjPGlCS8YylN-0q8c4zS2GmgpfwTJMVXdNWUwaR8GdAMUSZXqB8sSgxrzA2MMX04gsB2cjsiWUnlbssUu81j_Q19lXOrlxG7w/s1600/IMG_5020-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgb8UOwj6y7jbeV_CkumKgjE-GBSqeLI_Kke2vWq1hi47kTDCyCH_l5irKOc8QWObjp7mME-MZL941Mw98mGpJfUNQXcQvzJrQd8I0IVoa6r3rpIsKoxF1Y2owGk6chgZEj1kYw/s400/f3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665319808156713202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/severed-finger-cookies.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Severed Finger Cookies</span></a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-34386407193522331322011-10-12T17:54:00.003-04:002011-10-12T17:59:28.128-04:00Tarantula Cookies...I know it may be a couple weeks early, but since we always make those <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-madness.html">Butterfinger Eyeballs</a> for the Wednesday Treat Day just before Halloween, I thought it might be fun to sneak in an extra themed goodie beforehand. Chocolate spiders anyone?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9BTs0tuE_nLXab22JITPHxkxRIieHWUL4oG8Pw6Nk9oVWxzEhpmo8NyU_Q8xViMGqaRMK4nmLgKqNdxLlO_jZCWBiWi_q64k1GJ4q1oErYloB2_g9A128mGeCdauB57vM1RaHQ/s1600/IMG_4919-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0MukGqGyShACg_0MBeyN2JbaqvTF5VGJp21mtQYmp5mqnJItHBKByM7PRoqvFjLYqmmLNsMd7yEpnQ4SkmVHzA3pJ1P8GNeIEspJrJtQ0dUMYxB92j17bJhWpJFeHSwmoSqmWQ/s400/cs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662725685690787506" border="0" /></a>I couldn't wait to give these cookies a try, but note they are fairly labor intensive, at least in the decorating department. The faintly chocolate (there is only 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder added) cookie dough comes together in a snap and is easily workable without needing to chill the dough first. The original instructions would have you roll the dough into rounds balls, then insert the pretzel legs - however, I found it was a bit tough to fit in eight legs. Shaping the two dozen pieces into rounded rectangles was much easier - think a fat, slightly flattened Tootsie Roll.<br /><br />Instead of using the thin pretzel sticks as they were (perhaps ours were extra long?), I did snap off about 1/4" worth of each on one side. I did this because they seemed a bit too long sticking out of the dough. I'm glad I did this because the weight of the melted chocolate poured on top may have given them a reason to snap off while decorating if I had kept them that long. When these go into the oven, I found the easiest way to check for doneness was to watch for one or two small cracks to form on the top and if you gave them a gentle press in the center, the cookie would spring back. It can be hard to tell since the dough is stained from that dark cocoa powder.<br /><br />When you go to drench the completely cooled cookies in melted bittersweet chocolate, what I found that worked for me was to place the cookie on top of a fork, hold it over the bowl of chocolate and use a small ladle (or spoon) to cover the top of the cookie and pretzel legs entirely. While the original directions asked you to line the baked spiders up on a wire rack and pour the chocolate over (faster to do, yes), I think this would have been more messy and then you'd have to deal with the giant amount of excess chocolate that created a flood below. Also, you would have a bunch of sprinkles mixed into all that chocolate left behind!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BIbso6AZjXi8wPISYgOFlf7m2jvxdTeoJMAMlxNhnLa3-e9D-h8AH9M2TpTiUjRVtC_5iZHkLdQqSEpi7ZqSV99mWgS6j6j4cAHx2C-bYX3fZVj6isEgKVwQCsMt9JQR70rgow/s1600/IMG_4899-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRiDqg3KrMSKM-FuwVwX6POSwd-zbcMEa0RccOmrWBdUATJA8mqI3LD_YsSU-DtZdgU1UR2Yxn3HlHe4MRHDG6iJInNcUeEU69ZPaMTIcphF5ndWUncetKnUJg9WYyh_81-ktuA/s400/cs1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662725685224042130" border="0" /></a>I found that coating three or four cookies at a time, then going back to give them their "hairy coat" with a blizzard of chocolate sprinkles, gave the chocolate enough time to barely begin to set, leaving the tops sticky enough to hold the sprinkles. The first spider I coated I watched in disappointment as some of the sprinkles (and Red Hot eyes!) drooped off. Depending on the temperature, it may take a few hours for them to completely set - I was able to pick up them without touching wet chocolate in about three hours. I did end up with plenty of pretzel sticks and melted chocolate leftover, all which ended up together (perhaps a few Oreo's went in for a dunk too, but I'll deny that) for a salty/sweet snack over the next few days!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/tarantula-cookies.html">Tarantula Cookies</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-58893339762172261122011-09-16T18:22:00.001-04:002011-09-16T19:01:32.584-04:00Way overdue...Can it have really been over 2 months since I've last posted? Yikes! I apologize for the lack of information over the past few weeks - life here is fine for the both of us and the pups, but we've been extraordinarily busy. Sadly, we haven't been on an extended vacation or taken jobs in Disney World (Jeff's dream!).<br /><br />While Dora is being a complete sweetheart around us, she still tends to go a little wacko when it comes to strangers and other dogs (inside or out of the house).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZcUIZZLnODRHxqkGj4ZDn_fMPvFiOWyxbrnIJz4hBp_jyJzEajBDqIsjwFSkSOYOTI30rfRQIPt9QPRrHxlyTbhVmomP4BwGAiY-MgobG11PoSfvONMMmmGKdTXYcblBf-XogQ/s1600/g2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZcUIZZLnODRHxqkGj4ZDn_fMPvFiOWyxbrnIJz4hBp_jyJzEajBDqIsjwFSkSOYOTI30rfRQIPt9QPRrHxlyTbhVmomP4BwGAiY-MgobG11PoSfvONMMmmGKdTXYcblBf-XogQ/s400/g2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697039890296690" border="0" /></a>Our trainer suggested we may have better luck going the route of using a clicker - we have been doing that for only a couple of days now, but we think we've already see improvement in her reactions. What about Gus? He is still his silly, cute self as always - now that is seems to be cooling down outside, he is spending plenty of lounging around in the grass, soaking up the sun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjche9Lf1k4xRtEAh5l_n8ZsHYZ81RaFtdWzI2h33xK2Nuk4vddSEC8PzLXxI3V1B6BGSXRIMN1a0jiImn-zknzlFWY7aqyxx1fxL_FOvvOkF5trqTwBziYpJ9_TSqkB13YWbcw/s1600/d1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjche9Lf1k4xRtEAh5l_n8ZsHYZ81RaFtdWzI2h33xK2Nuk4vddSEC8PzLXxI3V1B6BGSXRIMN1a0jiImn-zknzlFWY7aqyxx1fxL_FOvvOkF5trqTwBziYpJ9_TSqkB13YWbcw/s400/d1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653096074247427154" border="0" /></a>Jeff is finally done with all of his surgeries (3 total in less than a year - neck, knee and shoulder!), along with all of the physical therapy that goes with it, which is a nice relief. It was getting a bit tough shuffling schedules around to make sure he had enough time for all of his appointments. Now that he is Mr. Bionic, hopefully we can make it through the rest of the year with no more surgeries!<br /><br />Where's all the food? I have been pretty firm about setting enough time aside to continue our constant flow of new recipes each week, though maybe not as many as we used to. What I have been lacking is time and energy to snap pictures of said food, along with sitting down and siphoning all my thoughts about the meal into a coherent post. I don't know whether or not this means we're done with this encompassing project we started six years ago back in Phoenix - only time will tell I suppose, but I hope we can manage to settle into a slower groove.Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-86893578803933773852011-07-09T13:42:00.005-04:002011-07-09T17:00:35.989-04:00Six years?I can't believe it sneaked past us... a couple of days ago, the 6th anniversary of this site passed us by. Yikes, boy does time fly! I didn't actually realize it until a reader sent us an e-mail asking if we were going to make anything special for it - oops, guess not! Even though we didn't make a new dish to celebrate, I do have a couple new recipes we've made recently that are worthy of being noted. The first being what we made for this week's Wednesday Treat Day - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mini Cheesecake Tarts</span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRi3MoW5lrJs-DTUgUVDEVrsPfP2kCb_kL_x03oaLYxumeKUSc5ovRIWzR2PfnqAb5v8J7tO0GMLBGEMeKhIVHs_dYL2l9tsl8pHDdx5aaHlG2JHD2mCYNqYxOVxFeTARpSJj0g/s1600/ck.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRi3MoW5lrJs-DTUgUVDEVrsPfP2kCb_kL_x03oaLYxumeKUSc5ovRIWzR2PfnqAb5v8J7tO0GMLBGEMeKhIVHs_dYL2l9tsl8pHDdx5aaHlG2JHD2mCYNqYxOVxFeTARpSJj0g/s400/ck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627409403830489682" border="0" /></a>You will need a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006IW02M?ie=UTF8&tag=culinarinthed-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0006IW02M">fancy pan</a> for these, but I suppose you could always try and use a muffin tin - if you go that route, you would want to line that pan with paper liners to ensure the tarts will pop out. The almond-laced crust is lovely - crisp and nutty, but still tender to cut through with a fork. You can top the individual creamy vanilla tarts with whatever suits your fancy - we went with raspberry jam and three plump fresh raspberries on each. Blueberries are flooding the farmers' market here and I imagine a blueberry compote with some sort of lemon infusion would make a killer topping.<br /><br />I'll link you directly to the site where we found the next recipe - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/22/black-forest-ham-rolls-lepard"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Forest Ham Rolls</span></a>. I have Dan's site loaded into my rss reader and saved this idea aside just as soon as I finished the post.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqg-rZN5GRBYvzMWvZRbad6FkeU1NElwDCtEtsTVu-4sOBVdXyQQfysp5Rys0cEVpy4X-j4q6xeaJ-JwZ9jE7T6lySapGymXff9vAmzg9nDW0LJ5ZIMKDoEq7mMJeb_zCiZHWmQ/s1600/r1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqg-rZN5GRBYvzMWvZRbad6FkeU1NElwDCtEtsTVu-4sOBVdXyQQfysp5Rys0cEVpy4X-j4q6xeaJ-JwZ9jE7T6lySapGymXff9vAmzg9nDW0LJ5ZIMKDoEq7mMJeb_zCiZHWmQ/s400/r1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627409409764834162" border="0" /></a>These cheesy spiral rolls are prepared using a homemade dough made with bread flour and one of Jeff's favorite flours - rye! To boost the flavor in the dough, butter softened onions, seasoned with caraway seeds to toast along the ride, slide into the dough to mix in with the other liquids. When the dough has rested and been stretched out, a solid layer of grainy mustard is slathered on, followed by shreds of Emmental cheese and chopped pieces of Black Forest ham.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNZLpFBu1vB0otR-hVMVZsThap3yu4Eb-N3lgX7JjAqvu1ezalCcjq8I0vN6yDGNPBXW7BwUsVXK6ykrbO3BOfuQh7u9z2qfY2MCNrNvAWPsuT35XPJnLTxvBtMO0zIE1QbYHVw/s1600/r.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNZLpFBu1vB0otR-hVMVZsThap3yu4Eb-N3lgX7JjAqvu1ezalCcjq8I0vN6yDGNPBXW7BwUsVXK6ykrbO3BOfuQh7u9z2qfY2MCNrNvAWPsuT35XPJnLTxvBtMO0zIE1QbYHVw/s400/r.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627409405920270594" border="0" /></a>Rolled up (à la cinnamon roll fashion) and sliced into chunky rounds, you can arrange them on the baking sheet a couple of ways - while we did them single file (about an inch or two away from one another), you could also shingle them together in two lines or a large ring. There are no measurements for the fillings, so we just followed our instincts - you don't want too much of any single ingredient as you may have a hard time rolling the log or keeping them together while slicing. Jeff and I both thought these were exceptional, especially hot out of the oven with the golden gooey cheesy oozing all over - they also reheated well, making for a snazzy lunch the next day!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/mini-cheesecake-tarts.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mini Cheesecake Tarts</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/22/black-forest-ham-rolls-lepard"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Forest Ham Rolls</span></a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-72053582137743630372011-07-04T14:00:00.001-04:002011-07-04T14:13:35.852-04:00Good day to play catch up...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Happy</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Fourth</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">of</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">July</span>!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 130%;"></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-size: 130%;"><br /></span>Jeff, the pups and I decided to just hang around the house today - it's pretty sticky and hot outside, so we decided to grab some movies and keep cool. I did make another batch of those <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/07/root-beer-float-cookies.html">Root Beer Float Cookies</a> to snack on, but only a few - the rest will go into Jeff's PT office tomorrow morning. He's recovering well from his rotator cuff repair, but is still pretty sore with all the stretching he needs to do everyday.<br /><br />I do have a couple recipes to share with you today, but we definitely did not make either of them within the past couple of weeks - the weather has been the same over that time... a blazing heat with plenty of humidity! We prepared them several weeks ago, when there was a cool(er) snap and we had a chance to breathe the fresh air flowing through the open windows. Up first was this hearty dish, a take on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pasta e Fagioli</span>, that Jeff and I both enjoyed for not only its simplicity, but how little we had to do to get it in the pot and going!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTVNWp5N4nOJlCaS_lwFQ2_P83y-5Dn5rypKEgCpjqtK3FwHcgzQLdpr7mbXINN3GmiNbn52SDSnoEm87jTYf1U7V8f6mFV3vY_sQ0ASRw25fZtgVxThPcZWDWl3clkVAMs4jzw/s1600/pf.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTVNWp5N4nOJlCaS_lwFQ2_P83y-5Dn5rypKEgCpjqtK3FwHcgzQLdpr7mbXINN3GmiNbn52SDSnoEm87jTYf1U7V8f6mFV3vY_sQ0ASRw25fZtgVxThPcZWDWl3clkVAMs4jzw/s400/pf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625545209653884866" border="0" /></a>There was a little chopping involved, but only a few celery stalks, a couple carrots, a small red onion and a trio of zippy garlic cloves. Given a chance to weep and soften, to those vegetables went in a fragrant sprig of fresh oregano, a large can of fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth and what I thought was one of the key ingredients, the stocky heel from a salty wedge of Parmesan cheese! Rather than toss those edges away, I stick 'em in a bag kept in the freezer for safe keeping - the cheesy nubbins are always good to drop into all sorts of soups and stews.<br /><br />As soon as the liquid hits the boiling point and begins to thicken, small pasta, ditalini in our case, are stirred in to cook through, followed by a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas to heat through. Now, if chickpeas don't make sense to you in this, by all means do a switch-a-roo with cannellini beans (which is what the original recipe called for). This was really just catering to Jeff as he doesn't much care for the softer, more creamy white bean - he thankfully doesn't have any objections to the firmer garbanzo. This dish is quite thick, but you can just as well thin it out if you like - stir in a bit of extra broth just before serving.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFGf3xkFhZ2sMlO2jncWqn2yHBWawSyu3-GZzqaNnzSHjFPSB5-WC7zUnA8eaPpyk2gwM8uiDuFlJuoFkvT7NSEDVgStYgfrKb1rsorBAVdTygUFpgNXaPobNxFy3IRNrtH_ow/s1600/pf2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFGf3xkFhZ2sMlO2jncWqn2yHBWawSyu3-GZzqaNnzSHjFPSB5-WC7zUnA8eaPpyk2gwM8uiDuFlJuoFkvT7NSEDVgStYgfrKb1rsorBAVdTygUFpgNXaPobNxFy3IRNrtH_ow/s400/pf2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625545219760684114" border="0" /></a>We happily cleaned our bowls the first night, but I wondered how it would hold up overnight for lunch the next day. The noodles were a little softer, as expected, but overall it was still pretty darn tasty as the flavors had a chance mix and mingle. I do plan on making this again, but perhaps later in the year when the temps start to take a nose dive!<br /><br />The next recipe? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ancho-Chipotle Turkey Chili</span>! Yes, another one that probably probably would have been more suited for the fall or winter, but after I read through the ingredient list with Jeff, he gave the thumbs up and said go for it! I guess I'll just close my eyes when the electric bill comes... the AC has definitely been workin' overtime!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E6x8Ccd0lisEVOC2OqtoY5X6vIZZKdKecYHcnstYAe3EhqloCrT-YWQ-N8C1bBpPpfzWbjwReYKjp9SUqweLpcpXyybXpz6ARRyRTPXm0gc42r_V9PrKGbYzLN3peB5pE0ilgQ/s1600/ac.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E6x8Ccd0lisEVOC2OqtoY5X6vIZZKdKecYHcnstYAe3EhqloCrT-YWQ-N8C1bBpPpfzWbjwReYKjp9SUqweLpcpXyybXpz6ARRyRTPXm0gc42r_V9PrKGbYzLN3peB5pE0ilgQ/s400/ac.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625551585769102818" border="0" /></a>What attracted me to this specific recipe was the use of several dried ancho chiles, rehydrated in warm stock until pliable and soft. Not that this is a radical new method, but in the times we have done this as a base enhancer to a stew or chili, we've always been more than pleased with the robust results!<br /><br />Getting down to the nitty gritty of this chili involves browning a few slices of bacon (you know it's going to be good if that's how we start!), then reserving a couple tablespoons of its useful dripping to start cooking a pound of ground turkey. Once crumbled and beginning to take on some color, into the turkey meat went chopped onions, spicy chipotle in adobo, paprika, cumin and coriander. There are also a couple ingredients tossed in that some may turn their nose to - cocoa powder and cinnamon - but I highly suggest you don't leave them out! With several cloves with of minced garlic added, tomato paste joined the party - at this point, be sure to give the paste a solid minute or two to cook, while stirring. This gives it a chance to bloom, bringing the essence of tomato back to life.<br /><br />With the smoky chile puree stirred in, there is one more piece to the puzzle - a bottle of Mexican-style beer! This won't make it taste boozy in the least, but the malt-y undertones make a mild appearance and work to enhance the lingering background notes. If you just don't like, or can't cook with alcohol, that's fine - I see no reason why you couldn't use stock or broth instead.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICJD2mIiRVzY6_Wke5l5Zuw10tTk0iWwB8xCgcdZ6cF7_BzbLxDNRg6ulGRgpoO-0TNHtrvlMWaHloe8nwEYGk5GjWq4cHSAqTLSDlfdaKbqImQL52Z9SXwdCY_oFnrScQZSjKA/s1600/ac1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 390px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICJD2mIiRVzY6_Wke5l5Zuw10tTk0iWwB8xCgcdZ6cF7_BzbLxDNRg6ulGRgpoO-0TNHtrvlMWaHloe8nwEYGk5GjWq4cHSAqTLSDlfdaKbqImQL52Z9SXwdCY_oFnrScQZSjKA/s400/ac1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625551591044159426" border="0" /></a>The bacon that was crispy at one point won't stay that way; rather than being used as a garnish on top, the bits are added right into the pot with the pureed chiles and beer, along with a couple scoops of red kidney beans to simmer and thicken. Not a fan of beans in your chili? Take 'em out and increase the turkey by another pound to fill out the dish. While spicy, this chili wasn't slap-you-in-the-face hot - if you'd like to turn up the fire a bit, don't remove the seeds from the chipotles. To give our tongues a break from the heat that was there, we served each bowl with a droopy dollop of sour cream on top. We left it at that, but feel free to smother the top with your favorite chili toppings!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/pasta-e-fagioli.html"><span>Pasta e Fagioli</span></a><br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/ancho-chipotle-turkey-chili.html"><span>Ancho-Chipotle Turkey Chili</span></a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-33835497033625417672011-06-28T17:37:00.001-04:002011-06-28T19:59:48.020-04:00Ginger-Lemon Bars...Fresh ginger, ground ginger and crystallized ginger - you'll always find these three lurking somewhere in our house, be it in the freezer, the pantry or spice drawer. We're crazy about its zippy bite, used either in savory or sweet dishes - most especially though in that addictive <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/07/gingerbread-popcorn.html">Gingerbread Popcorn</a>. For this week's Wednesday Treat Day, two of those ingredients found a home into these <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ginger-Lemon Bars</span> I made today.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBlNcp6EDL7Kfg9m9kORai0ifYZ17Bwthfa_ZfT1juJ_JsNERHQlQyJhIFPyep4fpBCbUqO1yBL3fO-4ui7L5tFVkbiL0Q8AeM-wehKJQRDwYBZSSjoX8bu1FuCxtRtYTDPhsOA/s1600/gb1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBlNcp6EDL7Kfg9m9kORai0ifYZ17Bwthfa_ZfT1juJ_JsNERHQlQyJhIFPyep4fpBCbUqO1yBL3fO-4ui7L5tFVkbiL0Q8AeM-wehKJQRDwYBZSSjoX8bu1FuCxtRtYTDPhsOA/s400/gb1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623387913313347442" border="0" /></a>The whole process of making these bars is rather intriguing and on the bonus side, you don't even have to haul out the mixer if you don't like (I didn't!). The dough can be prepared using one bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon. Rather than using the traditional method of creaming together softened butter and sugar, you'll be combining all of the dry ingredients (flour, granulated sugar, two full tablespoons of aromatic ground ginger and a bit of baking powder) together, then mixing in a couple sticks worth of melted butter. Once that golden slick is worked in, an egg, a generous scoop of finely chopped crystallized ginger, sticky honey and tiny bits of brilliant lemon zest complete<br /><br />Kind of an odd order, but it does come together! Do note that once you start patting the dough into the pan, you'll start to notice glistening butter oozing out - this is to be expected and will not be a problem. Rest assured, the butter will reabsorb as the bars bake. When the top is golden, the sheet of dough is firm to the touch and your nose perks up as the distinct ginger-y scent seeps from the oven, it's time to pull the pan out from the oven.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv131qN_RyvKF59QUc-ojedyK5M99a3MbQwjlDR8aSLMGD_B5BVu_opoBhEKNbrPaaTYfCl9Fw05khSnqckJA1ey2m6FssrJsGthmcHTHhUR88_URx7XGi27MPvprABIbT9WSYg/s1600/gb2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv131qN_RyvKF59QUc-ojedyK5M99a3MbQwjlDR8aSLMGD_B5BVu_opoBhEKNbrPaaTYfCl9Fw05khSnqckJA1ey2m6FssrJsGthmcHTHhUR88_URx7XGi27MPvprABIbT9WSYg/s400/gb2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623387907866649666" border="0" /></a>Be prepared to work with these right away as they get their shiny, tart topping not when they have cooled, but when they are pipping hot fresh out of the oven! Being very careful, you'll be turning the flat of bars out onto a board, then smearing on a thick, yet runny, glaze made from confectioners' sugar and enough fresh lemon juice to thin. If you are at all worried about the bars sticking, feel free to line the baking pan with parchment paper or foil (and of course, coating with either nonstick spray or butter).<br /><br />These scream to be stacked on a holiday cookie platter - Jeff said they are a strong contender to make the list for our annual Holiday Baking Spree! I think the best way to describe these bars is that they are like a cross between shortbread and thin ginger blondie (minus the brown sugar, of course) - dense and chewy, with this addictive light crispness to them that got my attention. The ginger is definitely up front and center, but both the lemon and the added sweetness balance its spicy, sharp bite. As I mentioned, the bars can be stacked when serving as the icing sets to a firm shell - however, if you are storing them for a length of time stacked, lay sheets of parchment or wax paper between the layers to separate them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AUiu-_x_pw3E5Ry6lEXQQ0wj32nfdzvg1scZPJowApjFToOdt_heyt5Xcn45eQPqpwBTNf-P-GrTXEkqBvv9cD10bBnxol0ir7Kt5ZlXyZZkDegyUIkNTab5I-_WuYBsXWLd4w/s1600/gb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AUiu-_x_pw3E5Ry6lEXQQ0wj32nfdzvg1scZPJowApjFToOdt_heyt5Xcn45eQPqpwBTNf-P-GrTXEkqBvv9cD10bBnxol0ir7Kt5ZlXyZZkDegyUIkNTab5I-_WuYBsXWLd4w/s400/gb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623387910096388514" border="0" /></a>Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/ginger-lemon-bars.html">Ginger-Lemon Bars</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-63830254196208567392011-06-21T16:34:00.001-04:002011-06-21T16:36:52.472-04:00S'Mores Popcorn Balls...I know we just did a S'mores-like work treat with those <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2011/05/smores-cookies.html">snazzy cookies</a> back in May, but I couldn't help myself when I came across these <span style="font-weight: bold;">S'Mores Popcorn Balls</span>. I can't remember the last time I made (let alone eaten!) a popcorn ball, which was more than enough of an excuse to make these now instead of waiting a few more weeks. Already prepared packaged ones never really did it for me - they are usually a bit stale and rough, but fresh on the other hand is a whole other story! I'm sure Jeff's co-workers won't mind when we bring them in tomorrow for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjLlI1_8K5UDxaJgnc7XMQNCkZb2f0rvZnSJdltN5PNQHJoQTkMA0c7b9mizXr2SlpF1DDm5uvvIiawYLzmqpQ3SeyQ32iv8uypJO5cr0GT3twhVmf_rmfjFebW46BDS3iWsOtw/s1600/pb.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjLlI1_8K5UDxaJgnc7XMQNCkZb2f0rvZnSJdltN5PNQHJoQTkMA0c7b9mizXr2SlpF1DDm5uvvIiawYLzmqpQ3SeyQ32iv8uypJO5cr0GT3twhVmf_rmfjFebW46BDS3iWsOtw/s400/pb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620773000503135458" border="0" /></a>You'll need 10 cups of popped popcorn to make these, which we got from using roughly 1/2 cup kernels, popping them the good 'ol fashioned way on the stove. How much oil you use is up to you - I drizzled in about 2 tablespoons, but you could get away with as little as one. You could also use more, but this is what worked for us.<br /><br />Into those airy bites, we tossed in a handful of squishy miniature marshmallows and heaps of broken graham crackers. To be able to keep everything cohesive, make sure the crackers are not too large - think slightly smaller or the same size as the popcorn, about 1/2" in size. Either use a knife and hack away at the sheets (it will take about 8 to 10 rectangles for the amount needed) or use your hands to snap off small chunks. Rather than a bowl, combine the trio of ingredients in a large roasting pan if you have one - this will give you ample room to stir.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXenimfNy_1mkiEcq5uIHygkIJ8ST8m8KLJ7o2ammsFtLXdrMxeO3K-7dJ-dg8m9Cn4TUTgrTLZ4X9lWrH3w39G-vm2h_6pumcr7nsa1jUwJbVEIfQBeC_6NocXJwk7gQeqEIcHQ/s1600/pb2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXenimfNy_1mkiEcq5uIHygkIJ8ST8m8KLJ7o2ammsFtLXdrMxeO3K-7dJ-dg8m9Cn4TUTgrTLZ4X9lWrH3w39G-vm2h_6pumcr7nsa1jUwJbVEIfQBeC_6NocXJwk7gQeqEIcHQ/s400/pb2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620773003983407634" border="0" /></a>What holds the popcorn balls together? Instead of a boiled sugar syrup that you may be more accustomed to, these are made just like Rice Krispie Bars! Butter, marshmallows and a couple pinches of salt, all melted together, are first spiked with vanilla, then poured all over the popcorn concoction. Stirred to coat, leave the mixture be for a couple minutes so you don't burn your fingerprints off. As soon as it was comfortable, scoops of the popcorn were formed into tidy spheres - just be sure to keep your hands coated with cooking spray (or even better, a smear of butter!) to keep any stickiness to a minimum.<br /><br />To fulfill the S'mores aspect, chocolate needs to make an appearance, right? Instead of working chunks or chips of chocolate into the mixture, each crunchy, yet easy-to-eat ball, is showered in a drizzle of melted bittersweet chocolate. If your kitchen is cool enough, you can keep these stored at room temperature for a day or so before they start to loose their crunch. I, however, don't have that ability today - not only is it a scorcher outside today (hurray for a recipe that doesn't heat up the oven!), inside the house isn't much cooler.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUgUCtobB1Jx0vimeEImJj6_QxTMQDMqv4d7taFn7t-RzXC_pP_jbyBxG8OZsFOTVseECXVCoTFXc_isr7IIx3IZj0lSNGrpnqVm-H8Y0emRtG7dIXaWqGmHmkjLTFh0T895NTQ/s1600/pb1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUgUCtobB1Jx0vimeEImJj6_QxTMQDMqv4d7taFn7t-RzXC_pP_jbyBxG8OZsFOTVseECXVCoTFXc_isr7IIx3IZj0lSNGrpnqVm-H8Y0emRtG7dIXaWqGmHmkjLTFh0T895NTQ/s400/pb1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620773005622279058" border="0" /></a>We are having work done on the master bathroom (which means the doors are being left open as they go in and out all day!), so I'll most likely need to keep the balls in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate firm. I also plan on wrapping each individually in either plastic wrap or dropping them into a cellophane bag.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/smores-popcorn-balls.html">S'Mores Popcorn Balls</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-36285328980390260252011-06-15T17:28:00.002-04:002011-06-15T17:31:45.983-04:00Lavender and Cherry Cornmeal Cookies...Garden update time! The plants have been doing pretty well, save for a large aphid attack - those darn tiny green monsters almost got the best of us. We thought about purchasing a sack of ladybugs to see if they would help, but just never got around to it - a good spray with water knocked most of them off, but that didn't do much to stop them from coming back (we're trying to not use any repellents or sprays - even the natural ones can kill good bugs!). Here are a few snaps of our bounty.<br /><br />Our carrots have done quite well - we've been pulling them out for a couple weeks now and still have a good couple dozen brewing in the ground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapwjjGDiChzoh-PsqDYLUPLV2uVPrF2EORV3plexdTjwPFm3hpr6EkLJC3FEVF04T602aACIw5-Zosxh7SkJAgTuzZw51_zj4bGHpM-uG__47DTVe78O4EQAo5naYw_xxw9dxnA/s1600/g1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapwjjGDiChzoh-PsqDYLUPLV2uVPrF2EORV3plexdTjwPFm3hpr6EkLJC3FEVF04T602aACIw5-Zosxh7SkJAgTuzZw51_zj4bGHpM-uG__47DTVe78O4EQAo5naYw_xxw9dxnA/s400/g1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618498522559809490" border="0" /></a>Kale was a slow start for us for whatever reason, but has actually gone a little bonkers! Here's a bowlful before we used it in a recipe a few days ago.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRssYwSKLR1EyelJR4gtuR-LXeM6WUssQoSvHm30xWiszp3wsKaDv2FAR0fLgeRnJzVEKiLaBg2VkpLEFMrIYu7-oEgk1xNUdlfvI-D8BPf1IALShzbNUy0y_mBdj_A5-5tbqfog/s1600/g2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRssYwSKLR1EyelJR4gtuR-LXeM6WUssQoSvHm30xWiszp3wsKaDv2FAR0fLgeRnJzVEKiLaBg2VkpLEFMrIYu7-oEgk1xNUdlfvI-D8BPf1IALShzbNUy0y_mBdj_A5-5tbqfog/s400/g2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618498528538226610" border="0" /></a>We just dug this potato out from the bed the other day - our first one! I haven't actually pulled the plants out yet, but we carefully shifted the dirt away to see what was happening underneath and found this guy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysOPrja_ckcZ2MUE5C-0yH8NEnJLtRrGzZnBckjNpicet-z31Qjne0Jsqd3RqwBHlgplS62AUtkyz-NkgdqkA-BzEb20CgCNx1N2osFxabq2XAL-shnlPArLW4uuJutd9ydAiag/s1600/g3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysOPrja_ckcZ2MUE5C-0yH8NEnJLtRrGzZnBckjNpicet-z31Qjne0Jsqd3RqwBHlgplS62AUtkyz-NkgdqkA-BzEb20CgCNx1N2osFxabq2XAL-shnlPArLW4uuJutd9ydAiag/s400/g3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618498530354087506" border="0" /></a>Finally we have a bounty of Swiss Chard to show you - here's about 6 pounds worth, with plenty still left behind on the plants. I have plans to do a repeat recipe (that <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2007/02/two-new-ways-to-enjoy-macaroons-and.html">Tortilla Lasagna with Swiss Chard</a>) with some of the stalks, and Jeff brought in a big bagful into work to share today - not sure what we'll do with the rest yet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolGt068FFXaCfTOrzN_9gN82pmC_1aNhdfoRQkF5W41MMHUx3mSGP-mcpGX-i0usWmm9gHqTQSFsjhvXFMsQWoHlQIvphvTIlUEm9UNhARM5YjPF63UXH0rd6adX_Z3ope_3t1Q/s1600/g4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolGt068FFXaCfTOrzN_9gN82pmC_1aNhdfoRQkF5W41MMHUx3mSGP-mcpGX-i0usWmm9gHqTQSFsjhvXFMsQWoHlQIvphvTIlUEm9UNhARM5YjPF63UXH0rd6adX_Z3ope_3t1Q/s400/g4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618500540314044978" border="0" /></a>I do also have a new recipe to share with you today - a fun cookie! Let's get to it.<br /><br />Coarse cornmeal can be used for more than just polenta or cornbread... have you ever thought of using the crunchy bits in cookies? In fact, I could have sworn we had already done just that, but for the life of me I couldn't remember exactly what they were. After going searching through our archives on the site, I finally managed to find that post - it was those <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2008/04/elegant-polenta-cookies.html">Italian Polenta Cookies</a> we made all the way back in '08!<br /><br />These <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lavender and Cherry Cornmeal Cookies</span> are quite different, however, in not only taste and texture, but shape too! I came across the original recipe from one of my favorite blog writers and cookbook authors, <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">David Lebovitz</a>, who in turn adapted it from one of Carol Field’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002OKA8Q?ie=UTF8&tag=culinarinthed-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0002OKA8Q">brilliant books</a> (which, incidentally, looks like it is being <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607741067?ie=UTF8&tag=culinarinthed-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1607741067">revised and printed again</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinarinthed-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1607741067" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> with a holiday release date). I didn't make many changes at all to David's version - just two, one being a few drops of extra vanilla and the tiny dried lavender blossoms.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29db0oKZhsapvtQTQmNo0WCf4CnAlewua09ZaIlOcz8u3EfMlGBxgN2iJQxPF6d2eEsPwpdIxfesIbinD8koWUBQL12GM3ZYDn03MryEb_NJjwbGQJ3DC-a1xh3mpT7wcfj1SqQ/s1600/cmc2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29db0oKZhsapvtQTQmNo0WCf4CnAlewua09ZaIlOcz8u3EfMlGBxgN2iJQxPF6d2eEsPwpdIxfesIbinD8koWUBQL12GM3ZYDn03MryEb_NJjwbGQJ3DC-a1xh3mpT7wcfj1SqQ/s400/cmc2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618507151833080994" border="0" /></a>For creating the stiff dough, you'll see I have listed coarse polenta in the ingredients - I went that route as I love the robust crunch the tiny golden pearls add. If you wish for a more sandy (or less gritty for lack of a better word) texture, look for finer dry polenta (think instant) or even regular cornmeal if that's all you have. The dried lavender blossoms can be fairly potent, so I wouldn't suggest using too much - I kept the amount to two teaspoons, which left us with a definite presence, without tasting perfume-y.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3WhLexS9IjrRxhH-dwKveQQcfevDdD1s2eScbUXH_CEmOtw9EsOgZaETBe6Y2v3sQsqbIx9cmRoDymMp_ejjN1PZXu_g3qwm9En3vw19AEYemwuYane7y1337vROHGrPOnSoFQ/s1600/cmc1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3WhLexS9IjrRxhH-dwKveQQcfevDdD1s2eScbUXH_CEmOtw9EsOgZaETBe6Y2v3sQsqbIx9cmRoDymMp_ejjN1PZXu_g3qwm9En3vw19AEYemwuYane7y1337vROHGrPOnSoFQ/s400/cmc1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618507147738081026" border="0" /></a>As David suggested, you can use any sort of dried fruit that you think you'd like in these cookies - I kept with the theme and went with dried cherries. Unless you decide on a tiny dried fruit like currants, finely chop the pieces - if they are too chunky, the dough can become difficult to slice.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMGc_3GTE0DTcSIBc5B82R36bvuOqZJepXT9uVDGQoId_xz4xLbrKfGyhn_IKGeXHfZQmSJzJa9wBsf8cidBenKVT4P0ZAbISBrULctgbe7NWy4y2yG_SHJHDAjALAY1z9o87Hw/s1600/cmc.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMGc_3GTE0DTcSIBc5B82R36bvuOqZJepXT9uVDGQoId_xz4xLbrKfGyhn_IKGeXHfZQmSJzJa9wBsf8cidBenKVT4P0ZAbISBrULctgbe7NWy4y2yG_SHJHDAjALAY1z9o87Hw/s400/cmc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618507158347942370" border="0" /></a>Speaking of slicing, these cookies are cut off well-chilled bricks of dough, making portioning them out a snap. Our method gives you rectangular cookies, but if you'd like round ones, just shape the halved dough into two cylinders instead. Dividing the dough in half first not only makes for more manageable-sized pieces, but it also allows you the freedom to toss one half in the freezer for freshly baked cookies whenever the impulse arises. If you find that the dough starts to crumble at all when slicing it right from the freezer, give it a few minutes at room temperature to soften slightly. We quite enjoyed these as is, but if I were to make any other changes, I think I'd add the zest of a lemon for an extra burst of brightness.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/lavender-and-cherry-cornmeal-cookies.html">Lavender and Cherry Cornmeal Cookies</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-69157645521580126732011-06-09T13:58:00.001-04:002011-06-09T14:12:05.856-04:00Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot RiceYou might be wondering where the Wednesday Treat Day post is - we had to skip it this week as Jeff had another surgery on Tuesday. Not nearly as major as his neck surgery last December, but he had a rotator cuff tear that needed to be repaired, along with a large bone spur (which caused the tear!) that needed to be cleaned away. He is doing well and the surgery went as expected, but he is in a fair amount of pain... and we haven't started the physical therapy yet (tomorrow!).<br /><br />While Jeff was napping and I was in between training sessions with Dora, I did manage to sit down and write about this <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice</span> recipe we made for dinner recently.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHZXi-vbWKfFAqgGFHu4gkOI7NFgLzvE71VQjkpAMptKYikD2HwqnsJNtiUYv7alI3-TXp1Rpmzfm4HR73sHbqfOmgIYv6snyoprntQxYaEa_tZH1T-zFPKFa1U4BzxlTzkn2Qg/s1600/mbr2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHZXi-vbWKfFAqgGFHu4gkOI7NFgLzvE71VQjkpAMptKYikD2HwqnsJNtiUYv7alI3-TXp1Rpmzfm4HR73sHbqfOmgIYv6snyoprntQxYaEa_tZH1T-zFPKFa1U4BzxlTzkn2Qg/s400/mbr2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616272958630086690" border="0" /></a>You'll need a pound and a half of ground turkey for the meatballs - I suggest using a combination of breast and dark meats as we've found that to be a good balance. Meaning, the result will have lightness to it, yet still packs a punch in flavor and moisture. Could you simply just use either one? Sure - you could also use ground pork if you groove on that more than turkey, it just depends on what you like!<br /><br />To push in as much oomph into the meatballs as possible, the meat was gently combined (go easy - think meatloaf... try not to handle the mixture too much!) with the whites of a few scallions, fresh cilantro, pungent fish sauce, a few squirts of rooster sauce (Sriracha, that is), a bit of sugar to balance, and a clove or two or minced garlic. Scooped out and rolled into balls, the meaty spheres are cooked in a heated skillet to give them a crusty, golden exterior, then placed into the oven to finish baking through.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhYGiPLOm6fQrlgl0RhmKi6ynirdNnLrTiox-oYCcZ1J-y656Cs-VXmx1ZkfdITcU34lQI49KcBKN79W5AqsxwtnKpFnoGvVTxrMtVcwauWW-ySoAMTD8nBwiwO3r0bxTzshVAw/s1600/mbr.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhYGiPLOm6fQrlgl0RhmKi6ynirdNnLrTiox-oYCcZ1J-y656Cs-VXmx1ZkfdITcU34lQI49KcBKN79W5AqsxwtnKpFnoGvVTxrMtVcwauWW-ySoAMTD8nBwiwO3r0bxTzshVAw/s400/mbr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616272965424537890" border="0" /></a>You can use white rice as the bed of this dish, but we opted to go the brown rice route and augmented the directions using our favorite <a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2008/07/snow-pea-and-pork-fried-rice.html">no-fuss method</a>. If you'd like to do that, use the same amount of rice to roughly 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of broth (or water if you are so inclined) and cook the rice using the same manner as usually do. When the rice is tender, remove the cooking vessel from the heat, scatter the shredded carrots on top and let the mixture sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes before fluffing and serving.<br /><br />With the tender meatballs tossed on top of the colorful, orange-flecked rice, be sure to serve this dish with a wedge taken from a juicy lime to squeeze on top of each plate. It most likely would have been ok without it, but the extra acidity lifted and complimented the more complex flavors with a fresh brightness that I would have missed if it was left off. If you'd like to take out some of the prep time to make it a snap to prepare on a busy work night, you could knock out the raw meatballs the day or night before. Keep them covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook them - be aware that they may take an extra couple of minutes to bake through.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WGqDim1GEytJkw7BrXXLDjATRA-6XlcyRQ6uraTnYbBC0cWHSPqMjbNxuhc5_dJh7iCUM0f7aWlqKnbeWGxpmmjoVfiEwS5fbXSRq6LqQZtCSYOPz4FJ6k-3L4dH_eKAMSebZw/s1600/mbr1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WGqDim1GEytJkw7BrXXLDjATRA-6XlcyRQ6uraTnYbBC0cWHSPqMjbNxuhc5_dJh7iCUM0f7aWlqKnbeWGxpmmjoVfiEwS5fbXSRq6LqQZtCSYOPz4FJ6k-3L4dH_eKAMSebZw/s400/mbr1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616272969547254994" border="0" /></a>Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/asian-turkey-meatballs-with-carrot-rice.html">Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-47244096872543823532011-06-05T13:13:00.005-04:002011-06-05T13:31:59.747-04:00Savory Chicken Pocket Pies...I can't believe how fast time seems to by slipping through my fingers this spring! Between the new pup, the garden outside and all the other daily happenings around here, I'm ready to hit the sack long before I used to. While I'm still making plenty of new recipes, I'm finding myself less and less inclined to set aside time for pictures and whatnot - there are just too many other things I need to be doing! I did make an exception for these swanky<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Savory Chicken Pocket Pies</span> we made recently though.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nEyW58HVtFaKoHgfYhyphenhyphenNvYUQYAWcPyEa2VwV4F2AoMScChMtrcRHkbnFrbpV7mMHjm51O8xRkl2xzGO12Yz-W0YgD4g8izID8nRlFIU25nVNXAzBUOnUhKVwa1Pbz7r91SoAcw/s1600/cp2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nEyW58HVtFaKoHgfYhyphenhyphenNvYUQYAWcPyEa2VwV4F2AoMScChMtrcRHkbnFrbpV7mMHjm51O8xRkl2xzGO12Yz-W0YgD4g8izID8nRlFIU25nVNXAzBUOnUhKVwa1Pbz7r91SoAcw/s400/cp2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614784620767162082" border="0" /></a>You'll want to prepare the dough for these hand pies ahead of time if you can as it needs to rest in the ice box - a couple hours would be ideal, but you could get away with as little as thirty minutes. The dough definitely isn't your ordinary pastry - butter is cut with tangy cream cheese, and both are used with a softened consistency rather than right-out-of-the-fridge cold. Instead of freezing cold water as the liquid to bring the dough into a cohesive mixture, you'll be mixing in a few tablespoons of heavy cream.<br /><br />While adding richness, the cream plus the cream cheese will make for a forgiving crust to work with - meaning, a snap to roll out, while still having a tender and flaky quality. Great for beginners to the world of pastry dough!<br /><br />A cup of shredded chicken is needed for the filling, taken from cooked chicken you've either made yourself or a snazzy rotisserie bird from the market, which is mixed into a light sauce filled with softened vegetables and seasoned with a fresh grating of salty Parmesan cheese. You can't work with this mixture right out of the skillet because it will warm your pastry and make it a mess to work with. However, if you've already made the pastry dough and are ready to move on with assembly, you can speed up this process by moving it into a bowl and setting it in the refrigerator.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVi6JQaQ9zJmAV5RNIQjz6jscZC9Nk-1VfDQ8yJxaAXPPGfWXj1mclBfyS5MyeEfTUfx3EoKVdK4Y4K7_Gov5CJJFAR6pLAYqV0QdcZmvV7ghH0p1Bys1OMi7Sdr97i4oewFi9g/s1600/cp1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVi6JQaQ9zJmAV5RNIQjz6jscZC9Nk-1VfDQ8yJxaAXPPGfWXj1mclBfyS5MyeEfTUfx3EoKVdK4Y4K7_Gov5CJJFAR6pLAYqV0QdcZmvV7ghH0p1Bys1OMi7Sdr97i4oewFi9g/s400/cp1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614784631722799042" border="0" /></a>With the dough rolled out, we used one of our bowls that we usually fill with snacks to cut out the circles needed for the pies - use a bowl that is about five inches across on top. Don't have a bowl that size? Use a knife and go to town with free-formed rounds! A scoop of the cooled filling, which was done by either leaving it at room temperature or hurried in the refrigerator (we opted for the latter), is dropped slightly off-center on top of each circle. Enclosed by folding the naked side of the dough over the filling, the half-moons are sealed shut with the tines of a fork.<br /><br />With all this manhandling, the pies will need a quick chill once more to firm up the fat in the dough, giving them the best texture after being baked. Just before they go into the oven, we did brush each down with a light egg wash to reinforce a golden brown crust on the outside.<br /><br />If you have extra time one day, you could definitely assemble these ahead of time when you need a dinner-in-a-flash kind of night later in the week. Prepare them up to the point where they are sealed shut, then, instead of chilling them, arrange the pies in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and stick them in the freezer until they are firm. After the stint in the freezer, slide the savory pastries right into a ziploc-type bag for longer storage - you will bake them straight from the freezer, after brushing them with an egg wash, adding just a few extra minutes to the total time in the oven.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK28_xkPVMQ0kqEVKPGykOEQhry0T8G_FcbCUDpIgz5_VNzQl8jxa1PtSfTMpaEaB4Tqn5KvsQy8owNdyOCsdlVbGgKnTaj1mcSkmKW5DeoomW7BxyCWX6hCZAZ4R-mMSQzdJZSQ/s1600/cp3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK28_xkPVMQ0kqEVKPGykOEQhry0T8G_FcbCUDpIgz5_VNzQl8jxa1PtSfTMpaEaB4Tqn5KvsQy8owNdyOCsdlVbGgKnTaj1mcSkmKW5DeoomW7BxyCWX6hCZAZ4R-mMSQzdJZSQ/s400/cp3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614784626618002834" border="0" /></a>We did have leftover dough after all was said and done, but rather than toss it in the trash, we sliced the remainder into scraggly strips, showered them with vanilla sugar and baked them into sweet, pie crust-like cookie treats!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg0NVAkx85v8tGbwG59U_eqtEIjWZyZav7c-iPVT8H1IigxPgn8QdHKEMuKXciK2nW0eEHZvt6UdhcHdNQx5dg57418iyZmdcoE4Tghm2VNeZrw_z-Eslv8ZRbPR06teeEXRL1w/s1600/cp.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYg0NVAkx85v8tGbwG59U_eqtEIjWZyZav7c-iPVT8H1IigxPgn8QdHKEMuKXciK2nW0eEHZvt6UdhcHdNQx5dg57418iyZmdcoE4Tghm2VNeZrw_z-Eslv8ZRbPR06teeEXRL1w/s400/cp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614784614432874706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/savory-chicken-pocket-pies.html">Savory Chicken Pocket Pies</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14099844.post-23280282887004825342011-05-31T17:43:00.001-04:002011-05-31T17:46:05.307-04:00Black Forest Cookies...I was very tempted to scrap the treat day baking when I realized just how hot it was going to get outside today. The average temperature is supposed to be around 80 degrees, but we shot right past that and ended up just under 100. I guess that shouldn't be completely awful, especially after our stint in Phoenix, but it is as thick as mud out there with humidity... it felt like I was opening a heated oven when I let the pups out into the backyard! I decided to keep with tradition though and just put the AC to work to crank out these <span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Forest Cookies</span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZnqK-kwR3yPGkwH5261muO_SMTovFW5bJP4NdceytuLjVjwSULSwCqw6nB4zQHhzAfDoX4Eejje_382qwbAAGBnnY2XDrKHlk-uhr0FEVRsMFcAlmP_PSwmPhBPX2N6RUVbLzg/s1600/c1c3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZnqK-kwR3yPGkwH5261muO_SMTovFW5bJP4NdceytuLjVjwSULSwCqw6nB4zQHhzAfDoX4Eejje_382qwbAAGBnnY2XDrKHlk-uhr0FEVRsMFcAlmP_PSwmPhBPX2N6RUVbLzg/s400/c1c3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612999276228154818" border="0" /></a>The dough for these cookies is decidedly decadent, with a triple threat of chocolate using melted bittersweet, cocoa powder and stocky pieces of semisweet. The recipe didn't call for any, but I did add a splash of vanilla to the dough while mixing - it also didn't specify sweet or tart cherries. We went tart since that's what we have - I'd suggest the same if you make them, although I don't think it would be that big of a deal if you went sweet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnhf8jXDQpaRHyKoCC0ihyUOTAoAq-YRDRUndIKVUajF-V2KmaQiD4oT1UAhqjzEMu4fk7a5nG0aY46I7A1RgOD5yykfcjiWtbe3HrFkhf4louN0gEt-3pXXux7r9VDpdvIlQEQ/s1600/c1c4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnhf8jXDQpaRHyKoCC0ihyUOTAoAq-YRDRUndIKVUajF-V2KmaQiD4oT1UAhqjzEMu4fk7a5nG0aY46I7A1RgOD5yykfcjiWtbe3HrFkhf4louN0gEt-3pXXux7r9VDpdvIlQEQ/s400/c1c4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612999283222666354" border="0" /></a>You should note in the recipe that I don't suggest preheating the oven before you begin the process - once the dough is combined, it will need a good half hour or more rest in the refrigerator to firm up, leaving you plenty of time to warm the oven. There's no point in having it blasting away when it won't be working (especially when its already way over 90 degrees outside!).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoOhu31fnDr-Cr66yoG4nHybvKAAP8gVgK_OIwtWSFho6ITLVGGQS0b-yreb1XUdpig5aqzZdPXTEj3XVMk5MJPUwPfaWZtuRgax1bK8dkdtPYjE5fYEUxpvsJXSqq2LLHYxgxg/s1600/c1c.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoOhu31fnDr-Cr66yoG4nHybvKAAP8gVgK_OIwtWSFho6ITLVGGQS0b-yreb1XUdpig5aqzZdPXTEj3XVMk5MJPUwPfaWZtuRgax1bK8dkdtPYjE5fYEUxpvsJXSqq2LLHYxgxg/s400/c1c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612999277736600162" border="0" /></a>When you pull the cookies out from the oven, don't try to transfer them off the baking sheet for at least 4 or 5 minutes as they are delicate when they are hot. The directions did state to move them after a minute or two, which I did, only to see the sad cookie fall apart through the cooling rack! After leaving the rest to sit for a good 5 minutes before going near them, they held together as one would expect.<br /><br />Close to brownie-like, these thick cookies are dense, moist and chewy, with chunky pieces of tart cherries and an abundance of those semisweet chocolate drops in each one. The baking time is important since you won't want to over-bake these for the best texture (moist vs dried out) - if you're not comfortable with the "until the edges are firm" is as far as doneness, let me suggest baking a test cookie or two to nail down the time before loading up a full tray.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-_ieyStVr_PFO3SxaMXPzGgnFreUjdtqzFEuz-MNqmu3Qrw1ezs9466vQnoma2EW-we5ei6OQob90Q2m7YAye2sZoChbo2z8kuDvwHdVkTelyza4DkaktKg9Vrgxc6jj6-v_vw/s1600/c1c1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-_ieyStVr_PFO3SxaMXPzGgnFreUjdtqzFEuz-MNqmu3Qrw1ezs9466vQnoma2EW-we5ei6OQob90Q2m7YAye2sZoChbo2z8kuDvwHdVkTelyza4DkaktKg9Vrgxc6jj6-v_vw/s400/c1c1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612999284579610994" border="0" /></a>If you touch the edge of the cookie it should be firm, but it shouldn't look like it is darkening more than the rest. The tops will be shiny and look set, but if you were to stick a toothpick in the center, it will look damp and underdone - this is what you want! As noted above, the cookies will finish cooking through the residual heat of the pan before moving them to the wire rack to cool.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6E31Xascy3kedUQ_FBb4DjbaG3wilqskhJv5TY3Wvc5MEr3C8lles7EVga9mpTvpp6ruc46fe6oBLIGhK4JvbHqI7NcTXrt8yq6M3Jat9hRV_cQKRQfUP5_wTdBCbCQLn4edgA/s1600/c1c2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6E31Xascy3kedUQ_FBb4DjbaG3wilqskhJv5TY3Wvc5MEr3C8lles7EVga9mpTvpp6ruc46fe6oBLIGhK4JvbHqI7NcTXrt8yq6M3Jat9hRV_cQKRQfUP5_wTdBCbCQLn4edgA/s400/c1c2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612999285967340178" border="0" /></a>Recipes<br /><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/black-forest-cookies.html">Black Forest Cookies</a><br /></div>Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12900263145684208002noreply@blogger.com15