Mary's Birthday Carrot Cake

I made this for my co-worker Mary for her Birthday. I had planned to put carrots on the top in a starburst but when I took them out of the package . . . they were to big to do that so I put them on the sides and then just decorated the top for fun.   Cream cheese frosting and I dyed the coconut in a baggie with food safe food dye.  Happy Spring to one and all.

Fridays Fun Food

 Bacon Delights

So these were a new discovery for us this Christmas.  Every  Christmas Eve 24th we have a gathering of family and friends late afternoon before church full of appetizers, light foods , warm candle light  and lots of love.   These are very simple to make and can be done way ahead frozen then reheated and serve.  My boys particularly thought they were the bomb as they like to say but then again any thing is better with bacon. 

So you need Club Crackers or something similar- they are a light butter cracker.  

Grated Parmesan Cheese  3/4 cup

Bacon  - any type will work, about 1 pound makes one sleeve of crackers

Brown Sugar  3/4 cup

Baking sheet, (Parchment, foil or silipat mat will make cleanup easier), Cooking rack

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
2. Set up your baking sheet with cooling rack and surface to collect grease.
3. get all your crackers out
4. Cut your Bacon in 1/2 so the strips are short
5. Having grated cheese in shallow dish with a small teaspoon is handy
6. Same for Brown sugar
7. Grab a cracker and put either brown sugar or cheese on it, then wrap if with the slice of bacon and place it on your cooling rack.
8. Repeat until all are done.
9. Put in the 250 degree oven for 2 hours.
10.  I then froze them in double plastic bags to use whenever I want or need to.

Yes that is a long time but with the bacon cooking slowly all the ingredients in the middle  does not cook out.  the bacon shrinks around the cracker.  It works out really well.

*** Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has  this in her  cook book Pioneer Woman cooks for the Holidays. 

Weekend Best Shots . . .

This was a beautiful fall weather weekend . . . warm sunny days with beautiful cerulean skies.  The Trees here in Western NY are just starting to change colors in some of the hills and valleys.   We did a lot of around the house work most of the weekend.  The boys participated in Xylems I Solved Water Program and won first place for Water Quality which came with a 1000K prize for the Robotic team.  I  made a road trip to nearby Fingerlakes town for a Grape Sundae and Crumb Top Grape pie as requested by the family.  Some Spring Bulb planting and moving perennials around- adding a few things by our new Pond but mostly planting that will wait for the spring time.  Spinach salad, Kale chips, Roasted veggies, fresh green salad and a few last fresh green beans.  So much yumminess this time of year.  Today is another drop dead gorgeous day but most of my work is inside- having a hard time with that.

Mud Creek Farm CSA

Pick your Own Flowers!

In front of me

Behind me . . .

Ground Cherries- in the Tomatotillo family - sweet/sour - new for us

Fresh basil - making lots of Pesto!

So we joined a CSA- Community Supported Agriculture.  Every week we go to the farm to pick up our share. There are pre-picked things that we go through a line and collect and then there is pick your own out in the fields- so like flowers, Basil, Beans Ground cherries are Pick your own.   As with any growing things we are at the mercy of Nature for how much we get. Will it be hot, Cold, rainy, sunny.  We have had a lot of Swiss Chard, Kale, Kohlrabi.  I would love Beans and squash every week right now- but not really happening. I love the concept, not sure if this is the right place for us or not- need to do more research.  Meanwhile trying to stay on top of eating Fresh from the Farm to our table.

This last week that I went out after work, it had been a heavy rain- torrential downpours of like 2-3 inches in less than an hour.  The  Fields lived up to the name of the farm Mud Creek. While out picking flowers my feet got stuck on more than one occasion and when you are slipping on the mud- it can catch a bad back just off guard and ouch!  The bAsil has been brilliant this year and my freezer if filling with Basil for those winter moments when you just need a little more summer.

Cinnamon Pizza

I guess you could say this is a Chestnut Hill Original.  After a variety of trails it all comes down to this very simple thing.   Pizza dough- store-bought or homemade.  The King Arthur Cinnamon Filling from King Arthur online.   Lastly Cinnamon Sugar.    My kids love this and requested it special this week.. It is vacation week this week and due to circumstances beyond our control we could not travel any where so spent the week at home.  For me it was a lot of cooking, cleaning and laundry as always. I keep thinking I will get those moments to paint, sew, quilt of read but then another crisis  needing to be put out arises. I have however made some of the kids favorite things.

             Cinnamon pizza being one of them.   I spread the dough out in a prepared pan- ( olive oil and some corn meal to prevent sticking)  Then I usually mix 1/2 cup of the cinnamon filling dry with 2 Tablespoons of water and spread it all over the dough.  Them simply top it with cinnamon sugar - like you would put on toast.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 min, cut, serve and watch it disappear.
         

        So no this is not garden related but we did eat it outside.  Yes I have missed posting but we did cut through the internet cable to the house on a Pond project so we were off the grid so to speak for several days.  Get out and enjoy the remaining Summer days - they are fleeting.

Growing Food . . . .

When we grow our food, we participate

 more fully in nature's cycles and form a 

closer bond with Mother Earth.  Knowing 

how to grow your own food allows for a 

sense of freedom and pride that you can 

feed and provide for yourself, one of the

 most basic necessities.

~Author Unkown

What do you grow for yourself?  We joined a CSA and go to the farm weekly to pick up our share, do pick your own  . . . We also have both tomatoes and green beans planted here at Chestnut Hill. It definitely keeps you closer to your food source and to the growing cycle of life.  The lack of rain or abundance of rain influences what we get on our share.  Cheers!  Head on out to your local farmers market.  

This is a Blog that I enjoy  Six Burner Sue  She is Author to several fantastic cookbooks for vegetables and lives and raises those Veggies on Marthas Vineyard in the great Atlantic!

Thanksgiving 2014

So many things to be thankful . . . . good food, family, warm house, health, jobs, college kids at home. . . . Winter weather, feeding chickadees by hand.  . . . .  especially glad for wood cook stove- 2nd oven for pie baking . . . . Hoping to be present on this here ole blog more in December . . . and hoping that every one had a Happy Thanksgiving.  Blessings to all.

Making a Fritatta - for my kids . . . .on Friday!

So for my out of town kiddo that wants to cook . . . here is a simple thing you can do - that most always turns out great. Vary what you put in it. If you do not have cast iron then use a casserole and just bake it from the start. Good luck and enjoy!

Cast Iron works best because it can safely go in the oven too, saute up whatever veggies you want to put in it.

This is like 6 eggs but the amount can vary on how many people are eating it. I did not use any milk but you can.  I did use some salt and generous pepper. Pour the egg over the filling. ( could add cheese here)  Besides veggies and meat you can put in rice or other as well. Pretty much any thing goes. Heat it on the stovetop until the edges set.

Put into the oven 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes until you can see that the whole thing is set.

Cut, serve and enjoy!!! Two will never be the same most likely.  Leftover Fritatta - is also good warmed up .

Strawberry Time . . .

               Right on the cusp of the Strawberry Moon . . .the Strawberries were ready to be picked in the field. I don't think I will ever grow tired of fresh strawberries picked right from the field. I can remember back as far as I can, going to the fields and picking Berries.  First with my mom, then single, then pregnant with a friend from NYC who had never done that before.  Then with babes by my sides and on my back and now with a teen or 2 or even with my 85 year old Dad who still goes out to pick.  Eating them fresh is my personal favorite but also like them in a smoothie, strawberry glazed pie, Chocolate covered, with biscuits, with angel Food cake and made into jam.  Fresh on Pancakes or waffles or Crepes, is there any way not to eat a strawberry?  Whats your favorite way?

Maple Weekend Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast

ScouterDan

Well it has been busy times here at Chestnut Hill.  Last weekend was Pancake Breakfast fundraiser Sat. / Sunday I worked 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM both days.  This is one of our major Fundraisers for the Troop and a lot of work.  We had good success despite the snowstorm on Sunday that dropped 10 inches and made roads very difficult to travel.  I work in the kitchen keeping the pancake batter mixed, sausages to be ready to bake and general clean up  . . .  My husband flips the flapjacks and boys usually work the serving line or are runners with food from kitchen to line.  Many Hands make light work and that is what makes this work.

Friday's Food . . . Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread . . . .

So this is simply made with a sweet yeast risen dough.  Any favorite recipe will do. When a yeast dough is sweet it usually has sugar, eggs, and butter in it. Often Milk and sometimes vanilla.  So, my favorite recipe is out of the Fanny Farmer Baking cookbook that my Maid of Honor gave me when  I got married.  You make the base dough and turn it into sticky buns, kuchen, Cinnamon rolls etc.... or in this case Cinnamon Pull apart Bread.

• Make the dough , after the first rise, roll it out in to a rectangle. 
•  Rub butter all over the surface or brush on melted butter,  then sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.  
• Next using your Pizza cutter cut your rectangle into 2-2.5 inch strips vertically then make similar cuts horizontally until you have squares or rectangles.
• Pick up 4 and stack them and place in your well greased Bread pan, into 2 rows. 
• Set pan in a warm place and let it rise again.
• Bake as directed by your base dough,  usually 30-35 min at 350 degrees or until golden brown.
• Remove from pan and enjoy while warm

A couple of basic Yeast Sweet Dough recipes are as follows:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basic-sweet-roll-dough-recipe.html

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-sweet-dough/print

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7h7bg4fx/basic-sweet-yeast-dough.html   - this one makes a lot of dough- probably 2 of these.  Amount of flour tells you how much you are making, this one has 8-10 cups of Flour, standard is closer to 4-6 cups.

Comfort Foods . . .

            Back in January we had a discussion at the table about what our comfort foods were. . . . . Those foods that wrap you in a hug and tell you that everything is going to be ok.  Those foods that you make after a long day, long week or bad news. Here is what we came up with here at Chestnut Hill . . .  What are your comfort foods?


Toasted Cheese and Tomato Soup
French Toast
Pizza
Homemade Oatmeal with Milk
Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Scrambled Eggs and Toast
Roasted Corn ( on the campfire)
Cheese and crackers - any kind of either will do
Crusty Bread with butter
Grilled Hamburger
Crisp Apples
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk

Oatmeal with Maple Syrup

Brie Bites for Friday's Food . . . .

Well these are as simple as can be and were introduced to me by my friend Vicki.  Start with Filo Shells from the freezer section. Next cut off small pieces of your favorite Brie, put the cheese in the shell top with Jam- I used Peach but you could use a variety of flavors . . . then add a Pecan half - Bake at like 400-425 for 5-7 min - until cheese starts to melt.  Remove and drizzle with a little bit of honey . . . pop in  your mouth for untold goodness. I served them recently when a friend came for lunch and again at a family Birthday gathering that we hosted.

    If you have not used Filo shells before - they are very versatile, dessert filled with pudding or fruit and many savory options. . . .