EeeYikes! December seems more fleeting than usual . . .

... this year.
For some reason the month of December seems so fleeting this year,  more so than us usual.  Does it seem that way to you, too?
Here, blogging and most internet activities have taken a back seat to 'real' life;  keeping up with the critters, the regular household chores, getting ready for Christmas, yummy meals, some minor sprucing up for the kitchen,  as purging the kitchen cupboards of bake and cookware I seldom use. Donations from the closet and attic plus there are a few crafty things going on,  and most importantly keeping the wood stove fire stoked.  I love the cozy wood stove! Here are a few things I captured to share with you ~

I'm normally not a big breakfast eater, but I love winter breakfasts. :)


with cheerful flowers for the table to brighten a gray day.

A steaming cup of fragrant tea and a little bowl of hot oats  (a little undercooked, just the way I like them.) Not gluey and sticky. No.
 Served with brown sugar, cinnamon, berries and half & half (with a small pat of butter buried smack in the middle of the bowl, rising to the surface as it melts) ~ Just the way mama always made it for us. Yum.


And to warm the dark, cold evening ~
An (improvised version) of Shrimp and Halibut Chowder  with Bacon and Thyme from 'Fine Cooking'. Their version is made with haddock or cod, and clams.
I swapped shrimp for the canned clams, halibut for the cod, omitted the jalapeño and used chicken broth for the clam juice,  (no clam juice on hand, but it came out great.)   So comforting on a rainy evening, like a warm hug from the inside out.



In the past couple of weeks there was time to celebrate a birthday...



To make the celebration complete I made a cute little birthday cake.
After looking at 'Google Images' for cake inspiration, It felt like coming home ~Google led me back to a favorite blog:  Once more I fell in love with Alicia's ideas* and her take on cakes ~  It's just what I was looking for. 
Perfect, down to the tall picks (super easy to make ~  glue scraps of fabric, trim, and/or ribbon to the top of  long,  thick, bamboo food skewers.)  A few fresh flowers and greens to add color. The finishing touch; hand-dipped beeswax birthday candles (Etsy.) I love Etsy! I wanted to make a small cake, this one is only six-inches in diameter (but waaay tall!)  A little too tall.   We ended up serving it as one would a tiered wedding cake ~  deconstructed layer by layer.
Lesson learned :) next time I will fill the batter in the pans a little less than 2/3rds full. It did make a dramatic presentation though. ;)  And it was soo scrumptious.
As Alicia suggested you can use this 6 x 3 Inch Round Cake Pan.  If you use the single tall pan, horizontally split the baked cake into  halves or thirds and frost between layers.
I have also used 3 of these:
Round Cake Pan, 6 Inch x 2 Inch 
Which work particularly well; I'm more comfortable with them, especially if you don't like to deal with splitting the one cake. (And as noted, fill them a little less than 2/3rd's full of batter.) These also bake more evenly, imo.
Since most cake recipes make more batter than you will need for a 6-inch layer cake, place a few cupcake liners into your  cupcake pans and bake off after your cake has baked.  Who doesn't like cupcakes??!

*Are you familiar with Alicia's delightful blog and incredible creativity? She is an absolute treasure and she offers such fantastic inspiration,  and is a talented writer as well.
Simply an amazing human being, and now she and her hubby Andy are new parents! Lucky, lucky little Amelia!!



Back to the cake... I used my tried and true chocolate cake recipe from Hershey's  (but I have forever subbed melted, cooled butter for the vegetable oil.)
Alicia's youngest sister is an honest-to-goodness pastry chef,  and recommended THIS- 100% Cacao - Extra Brute  cocoa powder.
Ohmyheavens!    Product of France, it is the richest, finest cocoa powder of all I've tasted.  Bar none. Get yourself some.



For the frosting?    An old-fashioned frosting recipe my mom would make,  I believe it was particularly popular during WWII, (just a wee bit before my time.) A time when food rationing required homemakers to make adjustments.   As much as I loved mom's 7-minute frosting, I always liked this one the best;  it's like buttercream, but better. And with a surprising ingredient . . . flour.  If you didn't know it was there, you might never guess.   I think Joe mentioned you can make it with cornstarch, too.
It's known by several names; Heritage Frosting, Cooked Frosting, Flour Frosting, Thunder Cloud, Faux Buttercream, and others. It is so creamy and decadent, but doesn't have the greasy, synthetic taste that 'Buttercream' frosting does. 
This updated version of Heritage Frosting IS made from real butter  (not solid shortening as so-called 'Buttercream' we know today.) You must try it to taste the difference for yourself. 
 Hop on over to the following link to get the recipe and read more about it  here on Joe Pastry's blog.
Love his blog ~ if you ever have questions about baking, Joe is your man. Period.




And more comfort food for these cozy rainy/foggy/chilly days and nights~ 
My quickie take on Chicken with [Fresh Herbs and Black Pepper] Dumplings.  For this quick version I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks, seasoned with salt and black pepper, tossed in a little flour,  then quickly sautéed in a little oil. I only 'stew' the chicken for a few minutes.  I add the partially cooked chicken to the thickened chicken stock and vegetables  during the last few minutes (while the dumplings are cooking)  to keep the chicken breast pieces tender, juicy and flavorful.
This time I made the dumplings from a baking mix (like Bisquick®)  Mix milk and the mix, add herbs, fresh black pepper and stir. Cook them as usual; spoonfuls added to the hot chicken stew; 10 minutes with the cooking pot uncovered, then place the lid on the pan and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Perfectly light, tender and puffy dumplings. So good and easy.
Of course, you can make dumplings from scratch, or make your own  biscuit mix ahead of time, it keeps in the fridge for several weeks.  I don't do the rolled dumplings, but you could if you prefer.

And finally a little peek at one of the hooky gifts I'm finishing up for Christmas ...



Good old granny squares. :)    I love the primitive, simple repetition of granny squares, I can watch movies  or have a conversation while I make them without being distracted  by a more intricate pattern.
The request was for something bright and happy (and sturdy.)   I just have to finish 1 more row of squares, then the hooky crochet trim. I grabbed these colors from my stash; I'm not so sure about  the colors together, but I think the recipient will.  At least I hope so... and that's what counts.
Each granny is 6"x6", finished it will be about 5 feet square,  a generous throw size, or to fold at the end of the bed to keep  toes snuggy warm. :) 

Yes, December continues to fly by; but I'm not complaining at all ~  so much to be thankful for.
My heart goes out to all those displaced by Sandy,  and all of those away from home and loved ones for other reasons. Prayers to all.

xo ~mari

   

Veggie Rolls with Dipping Sauces ~ & a GIVE-AWAY!!

(For Give Away details, scroll to bottom of post)
Spring or Summer Rolls are a delicious treat any time of year ~ easy to put together, and the fillings are limited only by your imagination. I like to serve them as a light meal, or appetizer.



The dipping sauces are really easy to  stir together ~ each one adds it's own character to the rolls. I LOVE variety!
I like to think of these as a salad in a roll ~ and if you are eating gluten-free, you will be happy to know the wrappers are made of rice flour, not wheat. 
You'll want to have your filling ingredients ready, because once you soak the rice wrappers briefly in a shallow dish of water, you're ready to roll.



I usually use whatever I have on hand for the filling; this time it was baby spinach (cut into 1/4-inch ribbons) julienne carrots (I used them raw, but you can steam them), julienne English cucumber, slivered scallions, steamed shrimp (sliced in half, lengthwise for easy rolling), and slices of avocado.

My new favorite kitchen gadget ~ it makes perfect julienne cuts; great for wraps, sandwiches, garnishes, salads and soups, etc.  You can win one in my give away! (see below)
TIP: If you've ever struggled with rolling rice wrappers tearing, or falling apart as you assemble them, here's a helpful hint:
 Double the wrappers for each roll ~ Working with a pair of wrappers, dip each one in a shallow dish of water one at a time. Lay the first one you dip flat on your work surface upon a clean,  damp kitchen towel (or damp paper towel.) Then dip the second wrapper until pliable and place it directly upon the first wrapper, gently pressing out any air bubbles or excess water, then fill and roll. You'll find the roll won't be as likely to tear.
Need directions for rolling? Here's a good, short youtube video that you may find helpful:



Once assembled, the rolls can be placed in the refrigerator (covered with a damp cloth or paper towel) for a couple of hours. The wrappers become tougher if stored much longer than a few hours.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauces; usually I just make one dipping sauce, but this time I wanted to try two others besides my favorite Lime, Garlic & Red Chili (Spicy-Sweet Red or Green Chili):   Offering a couple of dipping sauces completely changes the flavors of the rolls ~  Incidentally these are really good with pot stickers, as well as  drizzled over grilled or poached chicken, fish, prawns or crab.

From top ~ clockwise; Sesame-Lime, Hoisin-Peanut, Spicy-Sweet Red or Green Chili
You can find printable recipes for these three sauces over on 'Once Upon a Plate ~ Recipes'. *~****~****~****~****~* G I V E   A W A Y!


What? A chance to win one of two OXO Julienne Slicers, my new favorite kitchen gadget.

When? Entries will be accepted until October 26, 2012 at 9:00PM Pacific Time. Winners will be announced October 28th. 
How to enter:
#1. Be a registered follower of my blog (see top, upper right column) and mention it in your comment
#2. And leave a comment on this post  naming one of your favorite condiments/sauces.  (It doesn't have to be an Asian sauce ~anything goes!)
Double your chances!
#3. Follow me on Facebook and 'like' or comment on my post about these rolls. After you've done so, come back here and enter a separate comment and your name will be entered into the drawing twice.
~*~*~*~*~
The sticky details ~
Due to shipping restrictions this contest is open to the continental US only. My apologies to my friends and followers outside of the continental US.
Full Disclosure: This drawing is sponsored and funded by OnceUponaPlate. I have received no reimbursement whatsoever from the folks at OXO. Not feeling so lucky? Don't fret!  You can learn more (and order one if you want) over at amazon.com, just click the image above. There is no obligation to order. Have a wonderful week everyone! Blessings! ~m.

GIVEAWAY!! Come smell the (delicious) coffee . . .

Recently I was asked by a representative from the Aerobie Company to try out and share my opinions of their Aero Press 1 to 4 cup Coffee and Espresso Maker.

I was a little skeptical at first ~ because over the years, like many of you who drink and make your own coffee ~ I've had all kinds of coffee makers; electric coffee makers, French Presses, etc. Then about 5 years ago or so we invested heavily in a completely automatic Italian Saeco espresso machine (it cost a bit under two thousand dollars at the time.) We live miles away from town, out in the country side so taking a quick jaunt to the coffee house is not an option. We wanted GREAT coffee and espresso at home. The Saeco is an impressive machine and works like a champ turning out very good coffee and espresso, we've been very happy with it.
But it is huge and takes up a lot of valuable counter space.

So I was curious by the simplicity and size of the AeroPress® especially after reading the fabulous reviews over on amazon.com.  Over 700 POSITIVE (5 star) reviews ~ those numbers are mind boggling compared to other products on amazon. You can take a look at the reviews HERE.
The AeroPress is THE highest rated coffee maker on the internet.


The good news?

One lucky winner of our drawing will have a chance to win an AeroPress!

The AeroPress arrived in this neat box ~



Look at that ~  simple instructions; and Made in the U.S.A.! (Sadly, you don't see that on many products anymore.)

So here's what comes in the box (everything except the coffee & the background cups/spoons):



There is also a stand included, which I did not picture here . . . oops.


Filter receptacle, filter screen and micro filters.

You'll want the grind of coffee to be anywhere between drip and espresso grind.
You can grind yourself at the grocery store or have your favorite barista at your coffee shop grind it to order for you.


But you know what?
I grind my own at home using this compact Krups® grinder:

Because they are so small, easy to store, and inexpensive I actually have two.*I use the black one for coffee exclusively and the white one 

is used for grinding herbs and spices. 
*This is a  brilliant tip I learned from Julia Child years ago, gotta have two of these! :)

They are workhorses ~ I've had them for years, they do a marvelous job of grinding in just seconds. They can handle whole coffee beans with no problem ~ and if you have regular ground coffee ~you can grind it even finer (espresso grind) by whirring it for a moment in the Krups.

Here is how simple it is to make perfect cup(s) using the AeroPress:

To make from 1 to 4 cups of  American coffee or Italian style espresso ~
Place the filter chamber with filter in place over your cup or mug,add the ground coffee.



Pour boiling water into the chamber . . .and stir with the provided stirrer for a few seconds, if necessary.
We find that simply the process of pouring the water into the chamber aerates the ground coffee really well ~  see what works best for you.




Insert plunger into the chamber and press gently for 20 seconds:



You can add more hot water for American-style coffee,or add milk for a latte.


Our evaluation?
We were both remarkably impressed with the AeroPress ~a quick and easy way to make an amazingly rich, smooth cup of American coffee or  deep, strong espresso style coffee. I recommend it, and can see why it has received over 700 excellent (5-star) reviews on amazon.com


Other reasons to love your AeroPress . . .
 As long as you can boil water you can have an excellent cup of coffee. 
1.) Dependable ~ This is especially important to me as my house is "all electric", power losses are frequent in the winter. Electric coffee makers (including the mammoth Saeco) are useless with no electricity. However I have an inexpensive butane powered, single burner stove for use during those times ~ I can boil water, so we can still have excellent coffee, anytime.
2.) Simple to use, and no mechanical parts. And the units are DURABLE, they will not break like the glass French coffee presses are apt to do.
3.)  Portable ~ For travel, camping, backpacking, etc.
4.)  Economical ~  Save the money you spend at the coffee shop. Makes even bargain brand coffee taste like a million bucks ~ smooth, with no bitterness.
5.) Easy to clean!
6.)  Takes up virtually no countertop "real estate", as most other coffee makers do.

Important note: The questions have been asked an answered ~ the material the from which the AeroPress is made contains no harmful plastics. 

You know what else?  The $$$$ Saeco has been on 'vacation' since the AeroPress arrived at out house about a month ago. That's how good a cup of java the AeroPress produces. I sure would like to have the counter top free of that monster . . . and after using the AeroPress that seems like it could be a real possibility!  Believe me, I'm ready.


Drawing details ~
Entries will be accepted until Saturday, November 26th at 9 PM Pacific time.)
YAY! This contest is open to entrants in the USA as well as our friends in Canada!!

Here are the rules:
1.) Just leave a comment here stating that you'd like a chance to win an AeroPress.
2.) Double your chances by being a Google friend follower (side bar at the top), and say so in your comment.
3.) Be, (or become) a Once Upon a Plate follower on facebook for another chance to win (and please state so in your comment so your name can be entered again.)
Winner will be announced Sunday, November 27th.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Psst . . . If you're not feeling so lucky ~ 
You can secure your own AeroPress right here

I can highly recommend it!

A most excellent cup of coffee ~ I agree with those 700+ 5 star ratings on amazon.com.  AeroPress easily gets 5 stars at my house, too.
*************
Thank you for entering everyone ~ Entries are now closed.
Winner will be announced shortly!  :) 

Healthy No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread and My Grain Mill

Strive as we might, like most families, we sometimes stumble when it comes to eating a 100% healthy diet.

We try to eat food products grown locally when possible, choosing produce that is organic and in season,  whole foods and grains... and we continue to introduce into our diet lacto-fermented foods (those are foods which contain the 'good for your gut bacteria' to help promote a healthy digestive system.) 

To keep on track with healthful eating habits I try to keep in mind the advice which goes something like this~

 "If your great grandmother, or great-great grandmother wouldn't recognize the food, it's probably best to avoid it."

(That kind of leaves cheese puffs, for example, out of the picture. :D)

One thing that I like to do on a regular basis is make whole grain breads usually each week, or every other week. (On the day I make bread I usually set a loaf aside and after it has cooled, I wrap it well and stick it into the freezer so there is always some good, wholesome bread on hand.) 

Here is what I made recently ~

When our son was young I used to bake our favorite whole wheat bread once a week, mixed and kneaded by hand. 

I still find it therapeutic to knead the dough by hand on occasion ~ but I don't always have the time.  That is when the No-Knead (aka Artisan bread in 5-minutes a day)  method is so welcome.

I was very happy when Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois released their follow-up book to their first book ~ 

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day . 

Their second book focuses on teaching us how to make more nutritious breads, and other baked goods using whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free ingredients.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day:

100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

We love the full flavor and wholesome texture of this bread.

Delicious any way it is served; room temperature, warmed up, or toasted.

Several months ago we invested in a grain mill to assure our flour is as fresh as possible; whole grain flour loses nutrients rapidly and goes rancid rather quickly once milled. If ground ahead it should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.  That is why I'm not so keen on buying whole grain flours off the shelf.  

Here is an additional article that may be of interest regarding the shelf life of whole wheat flour ~ also raised is the question of whether the 'whole wheat flour' found in the grocery store actually contains the entire wheat berry, or if the perishable oils have been stripped to make it shelf stable for months.  

Years ago when I used to make whole grain bread every week I was able to buy it from a local health food store. The grains were milled on premises and refrigerated in plastic bags for sale.   I don't find that to be the case near my home now.

That is actually what compelled me to look into grain mills so I could grind my own. There are a number of high quality mills on the market, and after doing a fair amount of research I decided upon the  L'Equip 760200 NutriMill Grain Mill.

I have been using it for a little over six months and am very pleased with its efficiency and ease of operation. 

I buy organic whole grains in bulk from my local health food store, and can have freshly ground flour within just a couple of minutes (it's FAST!) with very little effort on my part.

Here you can see the whole wheat berries and the freshly ground flour. 

We've found that there is a remarkable difference in freshly milled flour when compared to flour from the bag. The whole wheat flour is enticingly aromatic and very sweet smelling when freshly ground.  I noticed a similar pleasing aroma when grinding oat and rye berries, though they each have their own particular fragrance.

The baked things just seem to taste better when the flour is absolutely fresh, it is also very satisfying to bake with flour you have ground yourself only minutes earlier.

I'm participating in Tuesday Twister, hosted by Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS  (please click to learn more.)

Upcoming Soon . . .

Working with homemade Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter.

I'm currently taking another e-course hosted by Wardeh Harmon of GNOWGFLINS ~ this time it's all about Sourdough. I've worked with sourdough starter in the past, but always with store-bought starter, and never with a whole grain starter. 

I urge you to check out Wardeh's blog and the e-courses that are available~ Wardeh is a great teacher and the GNOWGFLINS support forum is wonderful!

~*~*~*~*~

If you are interested in learning more about my grain mill, you can click the image below.

Thank you for stopping by today ~ I love to read your thoughts and comments.

Have a wonderful and healthful week, my friends.