Out of it...literally

This evening I enjoyed a really tender baked quail over vegetables and brown rice. By tender, I mean juicy. The kitchen smelled so good! Chicken, quail similar meats are fun to cook because they can be tossed with spices; its outcome though is a good kind of contrast than you get with a steak. Still, this isn’t about the quail. It is about what happens after dinner.

Sweets…so much for thinking this can only happen on the weekends.
I was searching for an inspiration on what kind of dessert I could bake. To me, baking is like a helpful assistant, "The only thing you need to do is mix it all up, and it'll do the rest." The only complicated part was deciding on the menu. I had been making many cookies and cakes lately, so I was kind of getting bored of the same routines. One glance at some cookbooks and it came to me! My inspiration!

There was one recipe in Entenmann's Dessert Cookbook that I have wanted to try for quite some time... actually, to be specific since Thanksgiving. I love pumpkin spice. It reminds me of all the things I love: sweet holidays, cinnamon, hot chocolate, good friends and family and some bittersweet nights. It is like reminiscing of a good friend. The pumpkin spice was only partial of the recipe. Along with oats, canned pumpkin all rolled into a loaf, this was sure to be a delectable treat. Just as I was about to get started, I double check all the ingredients making sure I am ready.

Crap.

Yep. I had only about 1/4 cup of butter. The recipe called for more than a half a cup. Normally, I can overcome this sort of problem. I add a bit more milk, or heavy cream, and it comes out perfectly. However, as I mentioned I have been looking forward to this moment. The topper was to smell the aroma of pumpkin loaf in the living room and know it is ready to be pulled out. Sometimes moments like that can't be DIY'd.

The funny part was out of all the things I could be out of butter should be at the bottom of the list. I always stock up on baking supplies...because you never know... And now you see why it is so important because I am stuck in this situation.

I assure you though by the end of the week there will be pictures and a review about this loaf. Just because I am out of butter doesn't mean I am going to wait another 6 months to try again.

You're going down loaf!

Breakfast for Two...and, make it sweet!

 

There is one part of the day that I enjoy the most. It’s breakfast. No, it’s not because it is the most important meal of the day. I use that as an excuse for why I wake up smiling.

Breakfast is my “me time.” Allowing me to sit down and enjoy a bit of peace while the birds chirp outside. The only thing that gets that kind of day started is breakfast… and a cup of coffee.

To help you get started, I am giving you a treat, a breakfast treat.

Enjoy. J

Buttered Pecan Scones for Two (or just more for yourself)

Ingredients

½ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3 tbls sugar

2 ½ tbls butter

¼ cup whole pecans halves

¼ cup cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 then in a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the pecans. Let them toast slowly over low heat about 5 minutes or until fragrant then remove from heat and let cool. Next, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Add the 2 ½ tablespoons of butter (cold) and ix it together with your hands. When the butter is combined well enough add the cream. Stir the mixture together then add the pecan mixture. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it together about five times. If it is still sticky add a bit more flour, but try not to knead the dough too much. I pressed then cut my dough with a butter knife into 3 triangles. You can press it out into whatever shape you like.  Finally place the dough’s onto a baking sheet, bake for 15 minutes or until top is puffy and tan.

Next time try it with different nuts, or if you want to add more, drizzle with some chocolate. Trust me it will be amazing!

All You Need to Marinade.

Look in the fridge, is there pork, chicken or beef? The problem with these meats is sometimes we just don't know what to do with them.Well now you will. A lot of the same ingredients for each of the marinades while having a variety of tastes for all your meats. How easy is that?


Sweet and Sour Chicken:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
salt and pepper to taste


Tender Sweet Pork:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon worchestershire suace
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon brown sugar


BBQ Steak:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (depending on your own taste add less or more)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste


As for preparation and cooking, mix all ingredients together and let meats marinade in the sauces for at least 1 hour. Enjoy.