A weekend of baking, running and thoughts.

So, I was pretty busy this weekend. First, I made all of the drop cookies I make for Christmas. My Christmas cookies take several rounds, each seeming to progress in difficulty leading up to Christmas. So I made 5 different types - chocolate chip, peanut butter chip in a chocolate batter, mint chip in a chocolate batter, white chocolate macadamia nut and cinnamon oatmeal chip. I made a batch of oatmeal with cranberries and white chocolate chips the end of last week too, so I guess technically I made 6 batches. And then, to top it off, I made 2 loaves of bread and a banana nut loaf. The mixer and the oven were really working overtime! But I love baking. There is something comforting about the continual process of mixing, baking, cooling, tasting and then, ultimately, giving that is rewarding to the soul. I know my neighbors and friends appreciate the effort! And it's so much more personal than giving a bought gift because I feel like a part of me is in each package I give.

In the midst of all this baking, I took a break yesterday morning to take a run. It was a beautiful morning here and I was excited to have long sleeves on but was still able to wear shorts. I set out at a nice pace, enjoying the brisk wind around me and settling in to a faster pace as I warmed up. The park where I ran was pretty crowded but it was still spaced out enough to not feel cramped. Just feeling that wind on my face and legs but the warmth of the sun on my back was exhilarating . I felt alive. And I usually spend my longer runs thinking and thinking and then just to be sure, thinking some more. But not this run. This was a run of release. Letting go of the craziness of the upcoming holidays, the uncertainty of how to deal with my daughter being an adult and being on her own, the sadness for my son not making the basketball team, the weight on my shoulders of all of this stress and more that seems to land on me more often than not these days. I just let it all go for that 4 miles. And I felt good. I went home, took a shower and then tackled the rest of my weekend with a peaceful, and maybe just a bit more hopeful, heart.

Shrimp Tacos & My New Cornbread Creation

Ever since I tried the Shrimp Taco's at Chili's I've been working on recreating it, and trying to make it healthier in the process! I think I finally got it! I let the peeled shrimp soak in a marinade of buttermilk, some taco seasonings and then added in a bit of garlic for about 15 minutes or so. Then I gently sauteed until it was just pink. Perfection! I also tweaked my slaw recipe - no exact measurements to share but I used shredded cabbage and carrots, tossed in some diced jalapeno, sliced some tomatoes thinly, and coarsely chopped a bit of avocado. I tossed it in a bit of light ranch dressing and with a dash of cumin, salt, pepper and garlic powder and it was just right. I layered the slaw on top of the shrimp on a white corn tortilla and it was heavenly!! All of the flavors just popped in my mouth and I am just hoping I can recreate it the next time!

But the real showstopper tonight was the mini cornbread muffins I made...I had some time on my hands while my husband, Troy, was in the garage tinkering with his Jeep and thought I'd like to make some cornbread to accompany the tacos on tap for the evening.

And here is what I made...aren't they adorable? And yummy too! It's a basic cornbread recipe but with sugar in the raw instead of sugar, and just a touch more of it, buttermilk replacing the milk, and then on half of them I put a slice of jalapeno with just a pinch or two of cheese on top. The other half just got cheese because honestly, I'm a wimp when it comes to spices but my husband thinks the hotter the better! So, this is my compromise. Enjoy!!

Baking Mood

I don't know what it is about rainy days but they always make want to bake! So, with the daycare kids settled in having a movie morning - Princess and the Frog is a big hit! So this morning I decided to make a Blueberry Cream Cheese Tart.

First, I made a basic cookie tart with:
1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat but any kind would work)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup softened butter
1 egg

I pressed it into a 9 inch pie plate and then baked it at 400F for about 10 minutes.


Then I softened 3 oz of cream cheese and mixed 2 T of sugar. I folded in about 1/4 cup of whipped cream into the mix.

After the crust cooled, I poured the cream cheese mixture into the crust and put in the refrigerator.






While it was cooling, I made the blueberry pie filling:

4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 c. water

Mix dry ingredients in saucepan. Add water gradually. Bring to a boil, add blueberries and cook 3 or 4 minutes until clear and thickened, stirring constantly but carefully to prevent berries from crushing. Remove from heat, cool (Recipe adapted from Cooks.com)

After the blueberry pie filling cooled, I poured it on top of the cream cheese inthe crust. Doesn't that look yummy!!

Bread, and more Bread

Today was bread making day for the week and of course my first batch of whole wheat just fell flat. I have been struggling with the freshly milled wheat flour and today was not an exception. I tried a new recipe and was so excited when I saw the first rise really rise. But, my excitement was short lived as it fell flat. I think it overproofed, but it still smelled heavenly!
Either way, we still needed bread for the week and I had to make another batch. This worked out better but it was a mix of whole wheat and bread flour and I used a tried and true Betty Crocker recipe to ensure we had bread to eat!! It was a perfectly browned loaf so I had to snap a pic.

My goal this week is to make some artisan bread - just need to find the right recipe. Enjoy the bread pic!

New Burger Bun Recipe

Hamburger buns have been my nemesis since I started making all of our bread from scratch. Yesterday, I tried yet another recipe and I was pleasantly surprised to find the texture good, not chewy and the browning was just about perfect! Here is the recipe I found, Burger Buns Recipe and I am so thankful!

I wish I had taken a picture but I've been under the weather a bit and the effort to make the buns was about all I could muster! Next time, I promise.

The buns were a perfect complement to our green chile turkey burgers and fiesta salad. Almost made me feel better!

Enjoy the day everyone!