Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a safe and happy New Year.
I wish for each of you that the year to come is filled with peace, love,
kindness, smiles, creativity, health, and laughter.

As a side note, I have not neglected posting about our amazing Christmas Day, I have been quite busy this past week, and promise to post about our Christmas and all the incredibly amazing and thoughtful gifts Lola received this coming week.

Then, hopefully the following week, I will finally get to post her Birthday Party which was back in October. I have a bunch of fantastic tutorials, recipes, and party ideas for you.

Best Cookie Ever

These are quite possibly the best cookies I have ever tasted!

My mom made them the other day, following what she thought was 

a recipe, but turns out did't follow the recipe at all and created her own new cookie!! 

They are light, moist, cake-like, not too sweet, and taste almost likea very fluffy shortbread.

Ingredients:

1 package Better Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 stick of butter

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 (8oz)  package room temperature cream cheese

1 egg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients with electric mixer. 

Chill Dough for 2 hours.

Roll walnut size balls of dough in powdered sugar.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350°s for 10-12 minutes.

Dust with powered sugar when cooled.

Pour glass of milk.

Enjoy.

The hardest part about making these cookies is eating only a few!

6 Geese A-Laying

So what to do with all those eggs?
(OK, maybe not goose eggs)

Try an eggnog with anise cocktail!

Ingredients:
Ice
⅔oz Triple Sec
⅓oz Pastis
1⅓oz your favorite alcoholic eggnog recipe
or
substitute 1⅓oz Advocaat for eggnog

Instructions:
Shake with ice & Strain
Serve in glass of your choice
Garnish with a floating star anise

Pastis: an anise-flavored French liqueur that gained popularity with the ban of absinthe,
alcohol-free varieties are also available.
Advocaat: a rich Dutch liqueur made from eggs, sugar, honey, brandy,
and cream smooth and custard-like in flavor.

Milk & Cookies

 Warm up after holiday shopping in New York City with a treat

for yourself at Milk & Cookies in Greenwich Village.

 

Indulge in the design your own cookie option by choosing from five

different base batters including chocolate, sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal.

Then have the artisans add your favorite mix-ins, there are over 25 from

which to chose, from tangerine crunchies to almonds. Served warm in about 20 minutes.

While there are certainly delicious pre-designed and baked treats abound at Milk & Cookies the design your own is truly worth the splurge to both your pocketbook and your waste-line.

Located at 19 Commerce St.

between Bedford St. and Seventh Ave. South

11am–10pm daily  

to get there

• by subway: PATH to Christopher St,; 1 to Christopher St. - Sheridan Sq.; A, B, C, D, E, F, V to W. 4th St.
• by bus: M20 to Bleecker and Barrow Sts. and Seventh Ave. South

http://www.milkandcookiesbakery.com/

Tis the Season

 

Spicy Gingerman

Ingredients:

1 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
2 oz Ginger Beer

Cinnamon stick

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake over ice.
Pour over ice into a rocks glass and garnish with Cinnamon stick.

 I found this along with the other "Days of Christmas Cocktails" here. Try out one of these recipes at your next Holiday get together, or after the little one(s) go(es) to bed and just enjoy the lights on the tree.

Below are a few more cocktails from that same site.

Happy Christmas Party Season!

Candy Cane Lane

Ingredients:

2 1-2 oz Van Gogh Blue vodka
1 oz White crème de menthe
1/2 oz Peppermint schnapps
Cream
Splash of Grenadine
Peppermint candy for garnish

Directions:

Add a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a chilled martini glass and set aside. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into the glass with grenadine to create a “swirl” effect. Garnish with peppermint candy.

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Shot

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) Pumpkin, chilled
3 oz Reduced-fat cream cheese
6 oz Low fat vanilla yogurt
1 Cup low fat milk
1/4 Cup Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon nutmeg
6 Teaspoons graham cracker crumbs, optional

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except graham cracker crumbs) in a blender and blend until silky. Pour into shot glasses and top each serving with a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs.

 

Winter Wonderland Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka
1 oz White crème de cacao
2 oz White chocolate liqueur
1 oz Cream
½ Teaspoon of coconut flakes
1 White chocolate wafer stick

Directions:

Add the vanilla vodka, white chocolate liqueur, crème de cacao and cream into a shaker and shake over ice. Strain martini into a martini glass and add half a teaspoon of coconut flakes. Stir martini gently with white chocolate wafer stick to create a blizzard!

 Kayte and Lauri, it's  time to get a mixin' and a sippin' ladies! I'm especially counting on you to be our guides as to which are the most tasty and most deserving of the holiday calories! :O)

Healthy Halloween

Halloween is loved as much (maybe even more) for candy as it is for gore and
costumes, but we really don't want to expose Lola to sweets for as long as possible. We do however, want her to be able to participate in the festivities. I have some tasty yet gross looking healthy treats to serve at a Halloween party that even big kids will love.

I made these Zombie Eyes from fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.

Variations:

Float  mozzarella eyes in tomato soup

Fresh Mozzarella, olives, and drizzle with tomato juice

Longans with blueberries and drizzle with pomegranate juice

Hard-boiled eggs, with green olives, and drizzle with Tabasco sauce

Here are some other fun and healthy Halloween treats I found on the web
that are great alternatives to candy.

Stuffed Roaches from Divine Dinner Party

1/3 C. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. walnuts, chopped semi-fine
20-30 dates, pitted

Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and nuts til well mixed.

2. Gently fill dates with cream cheese/nut mixture (you may have to split the dates slightly). 

Serve scattered on a fruit and cheese platter. 

 How deliciously disgusting!

 (recipe and image from divinedinnerparty.com)

Melon Brain from Instructables

Seedless watermelon

Peeler

Paring Knife

Large Knife

1. Cut bottom off watermelon so it won't roll

2. Peel green skin off melon

3. Score brain folds in white flesh

4. With a sharp paring knife, carve channels out of melon to resemble cortical folds 

 (recipe and image from instructables.com)

Shrunken Head Cider from Martha Stewart

2 cups lemon juice

2 tablespoons coarse salt

8 large Granny Smith Apples

32 whole cloves

2 gallons apple cider

2 (12 ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

and for the moms and dads cider

2 cups spiced rum (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper: set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice and salt; set aside.

2. Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove the seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.

3. Place apples, face-side up on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let bake until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the "eye" sockets.

4. Combine cider, lemonade, and rum (if using) in a large punchbowl;
float shrunken heads on top.

(recipe and image from marthastewart.com)

Pineapple Flowers

These are flowers cake toppers are made from dried pineapples.

 I had seen this done before, and had to try it for myself. 

I am truly happy with the results!! 

To Make Them

Preheat the oven to 200° 

Slice pineapple into pieces that are as thin as you can get them
(its pretty hard to do by hand...don't worry if they are uneven or if pineapple piece
is not a perfect slice, it actually looks better).

Place as many as you can fit on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven.
(if your slices are not whole round slices, just piece them together by laying them on top of one another, and press in the center, they will dry together)

Allow the slices to begin to dry out checking in after an hour or so, when they are starting to get tacky to the touch flip them over so that the underside can dry out.

Check them again after a a half hour or so...
(this is definitely a trial by error process, so just be patient, I promise that
they will turn out beautifully).

You may have to flip them again a few times....depending on how thin the slices are.

Once your slices are starting to turn more of a rich golden color and the fibers in the center of the pineapple begin to stand up they are ready for the next step, so pull them out of the oven.

For this step you will need cupcake tins. (I found that the flowers turned out best when I used both mini and standard cupcake tins, but if you don't have both it's not a big deal). Take the pieces that you have been drying and center them over the circles where you usually put batter (you have no idea how difficult it was trying to think of how to describe what seems a totally simple thing...not so sure I even nailed it). Press down gently in center and then using your finger press around the edge of the circle at the bottom of the pan. Pop them back in the oven to dry out a bit more. Watch for the rich golden color to appear, the edges may start to brown a little, this is how you will know they are done.

For the final step, assemble them by starting with a piece of dried pineapple that dried flat, or didn't get put in a cupcake tin, dab a tiny bit of cream cheese, or whatever icing you are using in the center to act as glue. Next place the pineapple that dried in the larger cupcake tin in the center and press to secure. Dab a bit of cream cheese in the center, and place the pineapple that dried in the mini muffin tin in the center and voila beautiful yummy, and healthy cupcake toppers. I put them on pineapple upside down cupcakes, and they were a total hit. My brother-in-law Jim would have eaten the toppers alone as a snack if there were enough. (Actually, when we were taking the pictures for this post, he ate part of one of the samples not realizing what we were doing...that is why there are only two layers in these photos....I'm just glad they were a hit).

I would recommend making these a few days before you plan to server them because they are quite time consuming. Just be sure to keep them in the fridge in an air tight container, because moisture will cause them to become gummy and to lose form a bit. 

Sweet Baby Cakes

Many people think that eating well means to eat bland boring tasteless "health" food.
I assure you that does not have to be the case. With a little creativity, fresh (organic when possible) ingredients, and a willingness to experiment, you can turn even the guilty pleasure of indulging in sweets into something that is as good for you as it is delicious. Amy from BabyCakes by Amy knows this, and has created a small business that is changing minds about "healthy food" by the dozen.

Amy bakes her treats with almost all organic ingredients, which is certainly one way to make a healthier choice and something that you can do with very little change to your normal recipes. If you are new to baking from scratch and are feeling a little intimidated, start simply, try using your regular box mix and switching to organic milk and eggs. When you are ready to make things a little more interesting add some dried cranberries, or shredded carrots to your next batter. As your confidence grows, the possibilities are endless!

When you are ready to for a bit of a challenge try reducing the amount of granulated sugar you bake with. But before you do, first you must understand that sugar plays an important role in the chemical reaction that takes place when baking. Don't panic...it's a piece of cake! The sweetener aids in leavening, provides bulk, structure, texture, and moisture see I told you...it's cake.  You should also remember that we use sugar because it's what our moms did. It is possible however, to reduce a great portion of sugar when baking by substituting fruits (fresh, dried, and or purees), naturally sweet vegetables (like carrots, beets, or parsnips), or agave, maple, or molasses all of which are much healthier alternatives without changing the taste or consistency of the cake.

Here are some basic conversions to get you started.
1 cup sugar = ⅓ cup apple sauce + ⅔ cups sugar + 1 cup diced fruit (bananas and peaches work well) + 1 tsp vanilla or cinnamon
1 cup sugar =  ⅔ cup agave + reduce liquids by ¼ cup each
1 cup sugar = 1 cup date sugar (dehydrated ground dates) + maple + bake 25° lower

If you'd like to reduce the sugar in your cakes, but don't want the guess work, or math try this, this, or this recipe.

If you are wondering what tempting treats Amy is cooking up,
she has everything from standard favorites like chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet, to creative and tempting combinations like carrot pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting, and spiced chai cake with spiced chai buttercream, even amaretto, and margarita cupcakes.

For more information about her cupcakes, business, or inspiration for your next sweet craving look her up on facebook here.

photos by BabyCakes by Amy

Sun-Dried Tomato Skyr Dip

 

Continuing with my recent obsession for skyr,
I found this recipe that I wanted to share with you.

Sun-dried tomato skyr dip

1 container plain skyr
2 cloves garlic
1 table spoon of thyme
35 g (21/2 tablespoons) tomato paste
Dash of pepper
Dash of salt
10 to 12 diced sun-dried tomatoes

Combine skyr, garlic, thyme, and tomato paste and blend until smooth
Add sun-dried tomatoes
Add skyr to desired thickness
Add pepper and salt to taste

This recipe is from skyr.is. I have not yet tried their skyr, but will keep an eye out for them at my local market. I do however, love that siggi's has such eco-friendly and beautiful packaging.
(I'm a graphic designer...of course I love the packaging)

You can check out the other recipes using skyr from skyr.is here.

Skyr Delight

Its official, I'm in love with Skyr! 

When I was grocery shopping the other day, I was looking to pick up some
Greek yogurt, and could not take my eyes off of siggi's beautiful packaging, so naturally
I had to add a couple of flavors (orange ginger, and pomegranate passion fruit) to my
cart to try out.  Today at lunch Lola and I had the orange ginger, and I have to admit it was the best yogurt I have ever had. So me being me...had to know everything there is to know about siggi's and skyr, and started researching once Lola was snoozing. As it turns out skyr (pronounced skeer) an Icelandic tradition is actually a cheese, super healthy...high

in protein, low in fat, and absolutely delicious!

siggi's rich and creamy 6oz container fed both me and Lola, and we were both
stuffed, (well I was...and she seemed to be) and the best part...it was only 100 calories!
OK, maybe that was the best part for my diet that I'm not as committed to as I should be.
The REAL best part about siggi's is that it's made from skim milk that comes from
grass fed cows who are not injected with hormones, and is packaged in "a cup
design that uses 40 to 50% less plastic than a  regular yogurt cup and is supported
by a recyclable cardboard sleeve."

Check out all of siggi's flavors and nutritional information here.