Sorry for the long hiatus. With my house in flux, no appliances, and Christmas, I have not done any cooking and have not felt like blogging. I have been reading you all and I am glad to read that you all had nice holidays. I think I am most envious of Miss Averie’s tropical holiday! And the sweet Deb sent me a great gift package of Roasted Brazil Nut Butter, OMG OMG Chocolate hazelnut Butter and some Mole. Thank you so much Deb!
My floors are done and the appliances come on Wednesday, thank goodness. But in the meantime I have found some creative ways to get some food on the table aside from pizza and subs!
1. You can make zucchini boats with soy crumbles and jarred organic tomato sauce in a toaster oven. It came out great.
2. A little spice cake mix, one egg and some water will make a decent mini cake topped with store bought cream cheese frosting. We were desperate for dessert.
3. Corn bread mix will microwave pretty well to have with chili from the crock pot.
4. Frozen veggies that steam in the bag are a distant second to roasting them in the oven, but we had to get some produce in our bodies.
And a lesson I have learned this week? I pout like a 5 year old when I can’t do things the way I want. I have tried to be creative with a microwave and a toaster but I am in a funk. To the point where I won’t even make a salad because I feel like my kitchen is not functional. Crazy, I know.
Other than the cooking thing, we had a great holiday. The kids were thrilled with their gifts and we had a great time on Christmas Eve eating a bunch of different seafood dishes (that is our Italian coming through…Feast of the Seven Fishes) and on Christmas Day we dined on melt in your mouth beef tenderloin. I contributed some baked brie (baked in my mom’s oven) and crab dip.
And my sisters and I relived our youth playing the new Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. We might have snapped at my kids if they walked in front of the tv and ignored our mom as she pleaded with us to come to the table because the beef was at a perfect temperature…but it was all in the name of sibling bonding.
And my hubs broke our no gifts rule and surprised me with an iTouch. So excited. I have been playing with it constantly and feel like I could be on the commercial when I swipe my finger across the screen. Sill, I know.
So, I am here. Despite debating whether or not to continue blogging, I hope it is just my funk that will lift when I can actually cook again. Hope you are all well.
E
Continuing my theme of traditions as we count down to Christmas, I sadly have no pictures or recipes to show you. We are having hardwood floors installed in our living room and dining room and at the same time having the wood floors in the kitchen refinished. Because I have an issue with wanting everything at the same time, I also am replacing all the 20 year old appliances in my kitchen. So we are eating from our fridge and toaster oven in the hallway. Luckily, cereal is always a winner for dinner in our house!
But I can still tell you about some of our traditions.
Another one we have started since my son’s fascination with trains is watching the Polar Express. He will pick out a train in any movie by sound or sight, spot railroad signs or commuter rail signs from a mile away and loves anything train related.
Three years ago, we watched the Polar Express movie.
Two years ago, we went to see the Polar Express in 3D at an IMAX theatre.
Last year, we went on the Polar Express and journeyed to the North Pole and met Santa. It actually was an amazing trip when looking at it through a child’s eyes. On the train, we all got hot chocolate and when we got to the North Pole, we were greeted by volunteer elves, read the Polar Express story (luckily in a heated tent!) and Santa walked around to everyone to say hello. When he approached Matthew, Matthew looked up at Santa and is a seriously little voice said, “Santa, I believe.” Yes, I teared up!
That is my favorite Christmas tradition. Giving gifts. Little, big, silly, or special. There is nothing like the feeling of giving a great gift to someone.
Easier said than done sometimes. The Polar Express was easy. We knew both kids would love it, as would we.
But for people like my father and father in law, not so easy. They are men of little material interests. My dad loves to read but if you buy him a book, he will say he could have checked it out of the library! Both dads do not like us to spend our hard earned money on them when we could be saving. So what do you give?
Homemade gift baskets of course! I usually start baking a few weeks in advance and load up baskets with homemade cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, wine biscuits, roasted and flavored nuts, etc. Some years I have added a bottle of Port to the basket or specialty beers. A good liquor store can give you advice on what beers pair well with sweets or savory.
This year, the two dads will get IOUs in their baskets. I know they will understand and maybe the goodies a few weeks after the gluttony of the holidays will be even more appreciated.
Apologies for the lack of pictures, recipes and overall point, but these are two traditions I love. And when I get my new appliances on December 30, I will put them to the test with new recipes and share the results!
…Pete Schweddy: Well, there are lots of great treats this time of year – Zucchini Bread, Fruitcake.. but the thing that I most like to bring out this time of year are my Balls.
Teri Rialto: Mmm.. Balls.. Tell us about your Balls, Pete…
Time for my Christmas traditions, second installment. And yes, there will be talk of balls. But not yet.
Although this may not qualify as a tradition, it is still something I love to do even if just for a few minutes. I will never forget being about 6 or 7 and had a little FM/AM radio. I would try and tune it the best I could to the station that played christmas music and struggle to hear the songs through the static. As a side note, how easy to kids have it now? iPods, iTunes… but I digress. So once I found the music, I would lay down on the carpet with my head almost next to the trunk of the christmas tree looking up through the branches. I loved the view from that angle with all the branches, dangling ornaments and sparkling lights. Weird, I know, but I still do it at least once a year!
Any crazy things you do during the holidays?
So on to the Schweddy Balls. Or in our family, Butter Balls. Can you guess why we call them that? It is not because they are made with whole grains and antioxidants!
Butter Balls
- 1 cup butter
- 4 T confectioner’s sugar
Cream together and add:
- 1 t vanilla
Add in:
- 2 cups flour
Then:
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. I round them out a little bit more too.
Bake for 10 minutes at 350.
Immediately from the oven, carefully roll them in more confectioner’s sugar.
Place on a wire rack and continue until all have been for a roll. Work quickly so the sugar sticks to the ball while they are schweddy, I mean hot.
After finishing all of them, give them a second turn in the sugar.
The best way to store this little suckers is in more sugar. Wasteful, yes. Healthy, no. Yummy, hells yes!
So how do you try and counteract this much sugar and butter? Quinoa stuffed portobello mushies.
Talk about simple…
1. Saute onion, celery, peppers, sundried tomatoes and anything else you want in a little olive oil.
2. Once tender, add in some low sodium chicken broth.
3. Add in some quinoa, cover and simmer until cooked.
4. I added about 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs to keep it together, but feel free to omit. I also topped them with a little feta.
5. After cleaning the portobello caps, salt and pepper them. Stuff them with the quinoa and bake until the mush is tender.
So easy and so yummy. Plus the veggies and the protein packed quinoa make you feel okay about eating a butter ball for dessert! Sorry for the lousy picture. And you can see my roasted asparagus trying to squeeze into the shot!
As we get closer to the holidays (can you believe it?) I figured it would be nice to share some traditions. I hope to post a tradition that we have every Tuesday and Thursday until Christmas. I love hearing about things you do and maybe get some ideas to do with my family going forward.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the Nutcracker. I do not go see it performed every year, but I remember way back to about 3rd grade watching it on tv on my parents’ bed. And because it was usually on public television, I would have to exercise every bit of patience as they would take breaks to raise funding for the station. Brutal!
Now, I have started the same tradition with Michaela. This past weekend, my college roommates and I took our daughters to see the performance of the Nutcracker. It was a smaller show, but perfect for younger viewers since the Boston ballet, although amazing, is a little pricey. It was such a good time, despite my immature laughter at the male dancer’s “bits and pieces” in the white tights. Usually things are a little more “Ken doll looking” but for reason I felt like I was getting very personal with this dancer. Hopefully the younger ones did not notice! 
Another tradition we have is making cookies. Stop reading here if you are averse to a lot of butter, white sugar and white flour. Lara asked me once about some recipe and if I have ever substituted whole wheat flour. In some baking, I definitely have used whole wheat or white wheat, but it does yield a heavier dough and final product. I am okay with that for everyday use but for a special occasion, I have no qualms about using the white stuff.
This recipe is one of my favorites. It is similar to a biscotti, but only basked once. A typical biscotti is baked in a log shape, cut into slices and then baked again to get a very crispy, almost dry cookie or biscuit. This cookie starts out similar, baked in logs, but once you cut into slices, that is it. Done. And you get a crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside cookie. Perfect on a dessert tray or with coffee in the morning.
Almond Slices
- 1 cup almonds
Toast in the oven for approx 10 minutes
- 2 eggs
Beat, then add:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
Beat together, add
- 2 t water
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/3 cup oil
In a separate bowl, mix:
- 2.5 cups flour
- 2t cinnamon
- 2 t baking powder
Add into the sugar and butter mixture.
Add in almonds.
Shape into skinny logs on greased baking sheets.
Brush with beaten eggs for a shine.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
See you on Thursday for another tradition!
By the way, did you see Danny win the Biggest Loser? Holy crap, he looks great! They all do really and I so admire them for doing it with the right diet and exercise!
I think I have ESP. Seriously.
The other day, I was cutting a bagel for the kids (I had my green monster) and as I was slicing into my hand, I thought, “my father would tell me not to do this.” The next thing I knew I had sliced my finger. Awesome.
And yesterday, as I was driving out of the same parking garage I drive in and out of five days a week, I took a turn around a cement column. My thought? This is such a tight turn. Next thing I know, thump, scratch, shit. luckily my mom volvo is silver so the scratches are not too noticeable and the little dents (yes, multiple) can only be seen at the right angle.
Now, I am a pretty factual person and prefer the proof of science to faith. Yet, I like to think our ancestors are our angels, but that is another topic. Back to science and my ESP. Was my subconscious trying to warn me? Or is there truth to the whole “think positive” thing. According to some, there is a lot of truth to the power of thought. I recently read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and although it is fiction, it referred a lot to Noetic Science.
Intrigued after my two experiences, I read up on Noetic Science. Love the power of Google! Here is what Ions, a nonprofit organization exploring the frontiers of consciences says about the science:
What are ‘Noetic Sciences’?
Noetic sciences are explorations into the nature and potentials of consciousness using multiple ways of knowing—including intuition, feeling, reason, and the senses. Noetic sciences explore the “inner cosmos” of the mind (consciousness, soul, spirit) and how it relates to the “outer cosmos” of the physical world.
Interesting! I might sign myself up for a study! Not sure what they are proving and how much they have proven it, but between the fact that it is “real” and my experiences, I am going to make sure my thoughts are positive from now on! And part of the science is that one little thought from an individual can be magnified if a larger group of people think the same thought. So as a favor, please think positive thoughts for a friend of mine going through a stressful time in her life. I don’t think it is my place to share details on such a public forum, but send your positive energy to Massachusetts and I will make sure she gets it!
Another positive thing as the days get colder is soup! I try to make soup once a week because it is easy, pretty cheap and comforting. This one is so easy and low in calories.
Chicken Sausage, Spinach and Bean Tomato Soup
(long name, I know)
- chicken sausage (2 links)
- 4-6 cups chicken broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
- 2-3 cups spinach
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 can cannelini beans
- whatever herbs and spices you want to throw in
1. In some olive oil, saute the onion and garlic, be careful not to have the heat up too high
2. Remove the casings from the sausage, roughly chop
3. Add the sausage in and brown
4. Add in the can of tomatoes, spinach, beans (drained and rinsed), broth and seasonings
5. Cook until hot and eat.
I made a soup similar awhile ago with escarole and some pasta, but there is really no need for the pasta. It is filling enough. I bet kale would be good too!
Enjoy! And remember, positive thoughts, you might control more than you realize!
So everyone is always looking for the magic pill to decrease appetite. As someone who can’t take a lot of medication beyond an occasional tylenol, the thought to take a pill as a part of my diet has never crossed my mind. You know, unless I want to become dizzy, nauseous, light headed etc. And I save those feelings for my alcohol!
I know a lot of people who can eat three meals a day or go for a long time between meals. Not me. I remember noticing this fact about me during my first pregnancy. I hated that feeling of being light headed from hunger so I started to eat every 3 hours. Like a certain someone I know, I would carry bars, fruit, snacks around with me everywhere. This habit has stuck and you can still find healthy snacks at my desk at work, my glove compartment and in my purse. It actually comes in handy now that I have kids! And I packed my hubby a care package for his trunk because he would eat lunch early and then head to coach football and not eat again until 7:00. I think he liked having the option of having a bar on the way to the field and he was not ravenous when he got home.
The issue I have now is that I am so programmed I eat without being hungry and don’t realize it! Or I convince myself I am hungry because “it is time”. And the biggest problem? I am not a big eater and so I eat smaller quantities and truly am hungry 2-3 hours after my last meal if not sooner. This is a problem because my pants have been tighter over the last few weeks. Like, the seam is up my arse and the button is leaving an imprint on my stomach tight. Not good!
So I have been counting my calories and making sure I get enough protein and fat into my meals to hold me over a little bit better. I have also been trying to drink more water as I tend to forget. I am not sure I can ever drink a gallon a day like Janetha – I would have to move my cube next to the bathroom! But I sometimes feel like a camel and can go all day without drinking more than a coffee.
So today, I started off my morning with some protein pumpkin oatmeal at 8:00. Although I made 1/4 cup dry, I could only eat half. I brought the other half to work in case I was hungry. But it was not until 11:00 I noticed some pangs. And at that point, I was craving more salty. So I pulled out some marinated veggies I made the night before. Two cups of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. It satisfied my craving and I was not hungry until 2:00! This is unheard of for me!
But I have a questions for all my nutrition wise bloggies. The recipe for my marinated veggies calls for 3 cups of vinegar, 1.5 cups of sugar and ginger powder. How much of the sugar is really in the veggies? The liquid stays pretty much at the same volume so it is not really soaked up. Am I eating a ton of sugar? I hope not! I tried using agave in place of sugar, but the vinegar taste was way too strong still. Not that these are sweet, but the sugar cuts the pucker power of the vinegar. So help a girl out and hopefully I can continue with my marinated veggies because I felt like they were my “magic pill” to control my appetite.
After a scrumptious meal of zucchini pasta with marinara sauce, baked breaded eggplant and salad, I wanted a sweet. So I tried some chocolate chia pudding from my favorite yogi. I even added a tiny bit of almond butter because who doesn’t love chocolate and almond butter!?
I did 45 minutes of MTV’s Power Yoga which was great and then 15 minutes on the ellip to make sure I got some cardio in. I really want to try the Whittle My Middle over at Oh She Glows, but that might have to wait until tomorrow. This chica is tired.
Make sure to check out Averie’s giveaway and Janetha’s giveaway!!
Have a good night!
Being the bad food blogger that I am, I neglected to take pictures of the food at Thanksgiving. But here is the run down of the day in words:
Apps:
- The Salad with Pear vinaigrette
- Butternut Squash Lasagna bites
- Red Pepper and Wine Shrimp
Soup:
- Portuguese Kale Soup (so good and should be healthy with kale and beans, but the chorizo and beef kind of throw things off!)
Entrée:
- Mashed potatoes
- Candied Yams
- Stuffing
- Corn
- Homemade cranberry sauce
- Homemade cinnamon bread
- And of course, Tom, the big guy
Dessert:
- Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Pie
and….
- Pomegranate Cheesecake!
This is what I brought to the dessert table. And I did not have any until later in the weekend, but it was pretty good. Not an overly strong pomegranate flavor so I might up the amount of juice next time. And my pretty ruby red swirl of reduced pomegranate syrup turned faded brown when baked. 
I actually followed this recipe here. And I had the help of an expert decorator!
Key Lime Cheesecake Pomegranate Cheesecake with Walnut Shortbread crust
Lime custard
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice
1 teaspoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel
Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker shortbread cookie crumbs and walnuts processed until smooth
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh Key lime pom juice
1 tablespoon grated Key lime peel or regular lime peel
1 16-ounce container sour cream
Thin lime slices Pomegranate syrup (boil pom juice until thick and reduced) Pomegranate seeds
For lime custard:
Whisk all ingredients in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until custard thickens and boils for 30 seconds, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken).
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap 3 layers of foil around outside of 8- to 8 1/2-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Butter pan. Stir first 3 ingredients to blend in medium bowl. Mix in butter until moistened. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
For filling:
Place cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, eggs, lime pom juice, and lime peel in processor; blend well.
Spoon custard into crust; smooth top. Carefully spoon filling over. Set cheesecake in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to baking pan to come 1 inch up sides of cheesecake pan. Bake until almost set but not puffed and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to blend.
Carefully spoon sour cream mixture over hot cheesecake; smooth top. Bake until topping sets, about 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Cool cheesecake completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Release pan sides from cheesecake; transfer to platter. Garnish with lime slices pom seeds and serve.
And I leave you with some gross but funny pics. Although I eat meat, meat on a bone grosses me out. Or anything that looks like what it once was…The kids wanted to legs but after one bite they both put them back!
And no, that is not wine in Matt’s wine glass. Sparkling cider!
And now to get ready for…
Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! Ours was great. My husband won his football game, the food was great and the company was better. Except that my sister had to leave early for an overnight shift at the hospital.
In my family, holidays consist of many courses. On Thanksgiving, we usually have appetizers, a soup course, the main meal and then dessert. I have read many articles over the years about staying away from the “bad” stuff and filling up on veggies. That does not work for me. I want to try everyone ESPECIALLY the indulgent dishes. I try and stay away from those most of the year, on holidays I want to taste. Now, this does not mean gorging myself.
I have pretty decent self-control when it comes to tasting everything but not overdoing anything. In fact, yesterday, I had enjoyed so much that by the time we got to dessert all I had were some pomegranate seeds. I was perfectly satisfied. A little more stuffed than a usual day, but I did not feel too over loaded.
I will fill you in on more soon, but part of our first course was my salad. Actually, it is Janetha’s salad who got it from EllieMae .
I knew I was going to make a salad with mixed greens, pears, walnuts and pomegranate seeds, but I figured I would whip up some vinaigrette. Maybe with some cranberry juice, maybe pomegranate, maybe apple cider. But when I read this post on Meals & Moves, I knew I had to try it. It was every bit as good as Janetha promised.
Here is the recipe with my changes in parenthesis.
Green Salad with Pear Vinaigrette
Ingredients for the vinaigrette…
1 ripe pear
1/2 cup white wine
1 garlic clove, minced (into the food processor whole)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
for the salad…
a nice combination of lettuces, radicchio, spinach, or other wild greens
thin slices of pear
thin slices of sweet red onion (sautéed lightly because I don’t care for raw onion)
crumbled gorgonzola cheese (feta, we just like it better!)
a handful of toasted hazelnuts (lightly candied walnuts because hazelnuts were nowhere to be found)
Cooking Instructions To make the vinaigrette, peel the pear, cut it into quarters and remove the core. Place the pear pieces in a small pot with the wine. Cook over medium heat, turning the pear pieces to ensure even cooking, until the wine has mostly evaporated and the pear is quite soft. Transfer to a food processor.Add the garlic, mustard, rice wine vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper and blend thoroughly. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil slowly until you achieve a thick, emulsified dressing.In a large mixing bowl, combine the greens with several tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Arrange the greens on a large serving platter. Lay the slices of pear and red onion on the greens in an attractive manner. Top the salad with the cheese and nuts and serve.
Makes about 1 cup of dressing ( I doubled it and glad I did because now I have leftovers!)
I also added pomegranate seeds just because they are so pretty!
This might be one of my favorite and most despised sayings. When the things that happen are good, I love it. When it is something not so good, don’t say it to me. Usually it is heard when something that is not what the person wants occurs and some well-meaning person tries to point out that although not planned, maybe the occurence will set the stage for something positive. It is hard to see that in the moment but looking back, sometimes it is so obvious.
The night before Thanksgiving in 1998, most people home from college or newly graduated were getting ready to go out to the local bar and catch up with old friends. I assume that is not just a New England but correct me if I am wrong. Where I am from, it was a huge night and was always an unplanned high school reunion. But that Wednesday in 1998, we had just come back from my grandfather’s funeral.
I am so lucky that in my 32 years, I have only had three people close to me pass away and all were over 85 and had led very fulfilling lives. But, as anyone knows, it is still hard and this was my first grandparent that I had lost.
My Poppy was a quiet man, and spoke few words, but he was hard-working and proud. When I started to become interested in boys and show him pictures of proms, he would remind me that boys will wait and to focus on school. He would also tell me to write the names and dates of people and events on the back of pictures so I would always be reminded of the people in my life at various times. And one of my strongest memories is how he would say goodbye to his grandchildren. He would put his left arm around our shoulder, kiss us on the cheek and take our hand to shake it and there would always be folded dollar bills in his palm. And then the words would follow, “Put this away, save your money.”
I was crushed by his death and dealing with death was foreign to me even at 21. I remember laying on the couch feeling so drained and getting a phone call from a friend. He wanted me to go with him to a party at an old high school teacher’s house. This teacher had a son who graduated with us and the party would have a lot of old classmates as well as old teachers. I first said no and he pressed saying he would take me home at any point. So I went. And who knew that this was my “everything happens for a reason” moment.
At the party, I was reintroduced with a guy that I had met a few other times. He was currently a guidance counselor at my old high school as well as knowing my sister who was a junior there still. In our previous meetings, there were no sparks and sometimes more of an annoyance. But as we talked that night, he made me laugh. A lot. And he made me forget the morning activities even just for a few hours.
He asked me out that night and although it took us another month before actually going on a date, fate was definitely working. Maybe through my Poppy? Since I had a degree and a job, maybe he approved of my interest at boys at this point in my life?! I like to think our ancestors help us out like that even from ‘above’. The best part of my new relationship was that it was just so natural. Neither of us looked back and a little less than 2 years later, we were married. And 6 months after that I was knocked up, but that is another “everything happens for a reason” story!!! Are you noticing a pattern of not making decisions and just relying on fate? 
I am also a fan of traditions and one of my little ones, is to make some baked goods for my hubs to take along for his coaching staff before the big turkey day game. I take my role as head coach’s wife seriously although you will not find me at any games. It has been proven that I am bad luck. If they are winning and I show up, they start to lose, and as soon as I leave, they will catch up and pass the other team. So, I bake. And for these big (usually ex-football players) I do not healthify anything, so close your eyes if you are afraid of butter!
Sunday Morning (or anytime) Muffins
(makes 1 dozen)
-
3 cups flour
-
1/4 t salt
-
3.5 t baking powder
-
1/2 cup sugar
Mix together, the add:
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Mix all together.
Roll out or press dough out onto a floured surface. You really don’t even need a rolling pin.
Put little indents with your fingers into the dough.
Carefully pour another (yes, I know) 1/2 cup melted butter on top of the dough. It gets messy.
Mix:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 t cinnamon
Sprinkle evenly over the butter soaked dough.
Roll up into a log.
Cut into slices and place sliced into greased muffin tin.
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Then go for a run to burn off the calories!
Happy Turkey Day everyone!
Hello all. Hope you are all having a good week so far. Mine has been pretty good. Except I still have eye issues so I am working from home tomorrow and dragging my bloodshot eyes to the optometrist. Has anyone out there had laser surgery? My mom did and loves it. If this continues, sign me up.
This recipe is a great way to use up some apples and it is perfect for bringing to a brunch, to a potluck and just when a friend is sick.
Apple Cake
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
Beat together. Add:
- 1 cup applesauce
- 0.5 cup OJ
- 2.5 t vanilla
Mix together well and add:
- 3 cups flour
- 3 t baking powder
- 0.5 t salt
Mix until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix:
- 5 apples, peeled and chopped
- 6 T sugar
- 3 T cinnamon
- 0.5 cup nuts
** Tip **
If you let the apple mixture sit and create some juices, when you add it to the batter it makes the cake so moist and distributes the flavors.
Add the batter and the apples together and pour into a greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350 for about 1 – 1.5 hours depending on your oven.
Sorry for the bad picture. My father happened to be at my house and could not wait to tear into the cake. So before he left, I cut him a huge chunk to take home and then snapped a picture of a slice in case I forgot before it was all gone.
In other news, I can’t believe the holiday season starts next week! We go to my parents house for turkey day and my in laws come too. It is nice because we have never had to choose whose family we will spend the holidays with. We just do them together. I love it for totally selfish reasons. I can’t imagine not being with my parents and sisters. What do you all do? Parents? Friends? In-laws?
Every Thanksgiving I usually bring some sort of antipasto for an appetizer. Last year I made a salad of mixed greens, roasted butternut squash, candied pepitas and cranberry vinaigrette. This year I am thinking pears, walnuts, pom seeds and greens. I am also in charge of a dessert. Sure, we do the traditional pumpkin pie, but we like to experiment with new stuff too. So, I am trying to find a good recipe for a pomegranate cheesecake or something. I was thinking of trying to healthify a little without telling the fam. Maybe like a nut based crust instead of cookie crumbs and maybe something with greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Nothing too drastic, I have to ease them into it!!!
What are you guys and gals (or really all gals) making for the holidays? Any recipes or dishes that are a must have? In our house it is the candied yams. Gooey, crispy and so NOT healthy!!! The poor yams, once so nutritious. Now smothered in butter and brown sugar…oh well, Thanksgiving is once a year!
Have a good night everyone!
