I realize it has been more than 2 weeks since my last post. I have thought about the blog frequently since then but apparently life took priority over blog. Since I have an extra day this year, I will use it to write for you. Bonus post for Leap Day!
Eating: There was a whole lot of eating out this past weekend, for my birthday which apparently I now celebrate for at least 4 days (a day for each decade?) but I have done a little cooking otherwise. I made a recipe on Friday night which I had forgotten about. Very yummy. I served it with brown rice and a little (very little) sauteed spinach (I forgot how much it shrinks when you cook it). I don't remember where I got the recipe, maybe off the Boursin label?
Almond-Stuffed Chicken
1/4 C slivered almonds, divided
1/3 C light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese (Alouette, Boursin, etc. I actually used regular cream cheese on Friday and it was still super yummy)
3 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T dried)
4 (6 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt, pepper
1 1/2 t butter
Toast almonds in a dry large non-stick skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally. Cook a few minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool and chop coarsely.
Combine cheese, 3 T of the almonds and 2 T parsley in a small bowl and set aside.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest part of each breast to form a pocket. Stuff 1 1/2 T almond/cheese mixture into each pocket; secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat butter in same skillet over medium. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Cover and let stand 2 minutes.
Top chicken evenly with remaining parsley and almonds.
Don't forget the toothpicks are in there...they are fairly inedible. :o)
Reading: I finished False Mermaid in plenty of time for Friday night book club. I liked it pretty well right up to the end, which I disliked. I won't tell you what happened but just that I was disappointed. I hate when I read a whole book and enjoy it but then the end is dumb or lame. Almost ruins the whole thing for me. Other people liked it though, so maybe don't take my word for it. Next up for Friday night book club is The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry. It involves cooking, ghosts and a main character who has Asperger's. I have read the first 2 chapters and so far, so good.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly was the Sunday book club selection. I loved this book! The main character, Callie V. Tate, is an 11 year old girl at the end of the 19th century, the middle child of 7, and the only girl. One of her brother's gives her a notebook and she starts record her observations of nature and to spend time with her grandfather, a cantankerous old man who is also a naturalist. He gives her a copy of Darwin's The Origin of Species to read and they explore together. Calpurnia is such a great female character, curious and thoughtful. I would highly recommend this book for children and adults alike.
Creating: I spent part of the weekend with my mom and sister scrap booking. I worked on E's calendar, mom started her first ever scrap booking project, and my sister made the cutest frog page. It also gave me a chance to get all my scrapbook stuff out and organize it a bit before the retreat coming up the end of March. Fun times and lots of laughter!
Off to make dinner (Pork Chop Bake - watch for recipe later) - I promise not to make you wait so long for the next post.
Until we eat again,
Hallie
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Cream Puffs and Scooby Doo
Eating: We had many tasty dishes at bookclub potluck. We don't do a sign up, as I have insisted it be a "true" potluck. So far, we have always had a good mix of appetizers, salads, entrees, etc. This year, as has happened in other years, a theme arose, purely by "luck of the pot". We ended up with a kind of Mexican theme: tortilla soup, chicken mole, beans and other good food that coordinated well with it. As promised, my cream puff and hot fudge sauce recipes.
Cream Puffs - From Betty Crocker - I always feel like I am cheating because these are so easy to make. It seems like it would be one of those difficult things but it is not. There is a cream filling you can make for them (looks like a pudding recipe to me) but I always fill mine with ice cream, like a French profiterole. You could also fill with a flavored (or plain) whip cream. I like to top mine with hot fudge. You could also just dust with powdered sugar, or spread a little chocolate frosting on top. So many options!
Heat oven to 400. In a 2 1/2 qt. saucepan, heat 1 C water and 1/2 C margarine or butter to a rolling boil. Stir in 1 C flour, reduce heat. Stir vigorously over low about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in 4 eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet (the Pampered Chef large stainless scoop works really well for this).
Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool away from draft. Cut off top 1/3rd of each puff and pull out any filaments of soft dough (discard this - it is just eggy dough, really). Fill with cream filling, whipped cream or wait until serving and fill with a scoop of ice cream. If you are filling with cream, refrigerate until serving.
To make chocolate cream puffs, decrease flour to 3/4 C plus 2 T. Mix 2 T cocoa and 1 T sugar with the flour.
To make the cream filling: Mix 1/3 C sugar, 2 T cornstarch, and 1/8 t salt in 2 qt saucepan. Gradually stir in 2 C milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in at least half of the hot mixture into 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten. Stir into hot mixture in the saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in 2 T margarine or butter and 2 t vanilla. Cool.
World's Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce - Okay, I don't know if this is the easiest recipe in the world but that is the title of it, from Weight Watchers Best Ever Desserts. 2 T of sauce = 2 points under the old system. (114 cal, 7g fat, 4 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 1mg chol, 58 mg sod, 15g carb, 2 g fib, 2 g protein, 29mg Calc),
Combine 1 C fat-free half-and-half, 2 T light corn syrup and a pinch of salt in a heavy medium saucepan, set over med-high heat. Bring just to a boil, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (finely chopped) until melted and smooth. Return mixture to a boil, whisking constantly; boil about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 t vanilla. Use immediately or cool to room temperature. Transfer to a covered container; refrigerate up to one month. Gently reheat before serving.
Reading: I am about half-way through False Mermaid, the latest mystery by Erin Hart. I am enjoying it pretty well, and want to find out whodunit. But as with any mystery, I am just waiting for the "bad guy" to point to Scooby Doo and the gang and say, "And I would have got away with it if it hadn't been for those meddling kids!" Maybe that is what I don't like about mysteries...
Next up, I will start The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. I haven't even looked at it yet to be able to say what it is about but know that it is a children's book and believe it is historical fiction. This is the book for Sunday bookclub this month.
That's all for now. I am off to Mini Medical School at the U of M now. This is a series (2.5 hrs every Monday evening for 5 weeks) offered twice a year, open to the public (for a fee, of course). This time the topics are all brain related - last week it was Traumatic Brain Injuries, and studies related to detecting and treating seizures in dogs (also using the device for humans). This week, ummm... I can't remember what the 2 talks are about, but something brain related. I have attended these in the past about 6-8 times but not in 4 years. It is topics related to work, so is ongoing learning for me, but also something to challenge my brain and I do enjoy it. Last week, they had samples of brains for us to examine (hold and look at). When does the public get a chance to hold a brain in their hands? Fascinating stuff!
Until next time,
Hallie
Cream Puffs - From Betty Crocker - I always feel like I am cheating because these are so easy to make. It seems like it would be one of those difficult things but it is not. There is a cream filling you can make for them (looks like a pudding recipe to me) but I always fill mine with ice cream, like a French profiterole. You could also fill with a flavored (or plain) whip cream. I like to top mine with hot fudge. You could also just dust with powdered sugar, or spread a little chocolate frosting on top. So many options!
Heat oven to 400. In a 2 1/2 qt. saucepan, heat 1 C water and 1/2 C margarine or butter to a rolling boil. Stir in 1 C flour, reduce heat. Stir vigorously over low about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in 4 eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth. Drop dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls about 3" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet (the Pampered Chef large stainless scoop works really well for this).
Bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool away from draft. Cut off top 1/3rd of each puff and pull out any filaments of soft dough (discard this - it is just eggy dough, really). Fill with cream filling, whipped cream or wait until serving and fill with a scoop of ice cream. If you are filling with cream, refrigerate until serving.
To make chocolate cream puffs, decrease flour to 3/4 C plus 2 T. Mix 2 T cocoa and 1 T sugar with the flour.
To make the cream filling: Mix 1/3 C sugar, 2 T cornstarch, and 1/8 t salt in 2 qt saucepan. Gradually stir in 2 C milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in at least half of the hot mixture into 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten. Stir into hot mixture in the saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in 2 T margarine or butter and 2 t vanilla. Cool.
World's Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce - Okay, I don't know if this is the easiest recipe in the world but that is the title of it, from Weight Watchers Best Ever Desserts. 2 T of sauce = 2 points under the old system. (114 cal, 7g fat, 4 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 1mg chol, 58 mg sod, 15g carb, 2 g fib, 2 g protein, 29mg Calc),
Combine 1 C fat-free half-and-half, 2 T light corn syrup and a pinch of salt in a heavy medium saucepan, set over med-high heat. Bring just to a boil, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (finely chopped) until melted and smooth. Return mixture to a boil, whisking constantly; boil about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 t vanilla. Use immediately or cool to room temperature. Transfer to a covered container; refrigerate up to one month. Gently reheat before serving.
Reading: I am about half-way through False Mermaid, the latest mystery by Erin Hart. I am enjoying it pretty well, and want to find out whodunit. But as with any mystery, I am just waiting for the "bad guy" to point to Scooby Doo and the gang and say, "And I would have got away with it if it hadn't been for those meddling kids!" Maybe that is what I don't like about mysteries...
Next up, I will start The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. I haven't even looked at it yet to be able to say what it is about but know that it is a children's book and believe it is historical fiction. This is the book for Sunday bookclub this month.
That's all for now. I am off to Mini Medical School at the U of M now. This is a series (2.5 hrs every Monday evening for 5 weeks) offered twice a year, open to the public (for a fee, of course). This time the topics are all brain related - last week it was Traumatic Brain Injuries, and studies related to detecting and treating seizures in dogs (also using the device for humans). This week, ummm... I can't remember what the 2 talks are about, but something brain related. I have attended these in the past about 6-8 times but not in 4 years. It is topics related to work, so is ongoing learning for me, but also something to challenge my brain and I do enjoy it. Last week, they had samples of brains for us to examine (hold and look at). When does the public get a chance to hold a brain in their hands? Fascinating stuff!
Until next time,
Hallie
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