Recipe – Page 15 – Backdoor Hospitality

Cardamom Orange Cookies

The other day I heard these words from my very imaginative daughter’s mouth, “Put in some nutmeg, then cinnamon & CarDAmom in the crisp!” She was playing with her kitchen stuff, while replaying the time we made the P.A.C. Crisp together. It was a proud moment as a mama & lover of all things culinary…my almost three year old remembering the key ingredients to make a crisp “pop.”

Not only does she remember these sorts of things, but her delight in food is music to the ears. After baking the Cardamom Orange Cookies with her help, she eagerly awaited their arrival out of the oven (don’t you love how kids are really saying & doing what we as adults restrain). Once it was cool enough to handle, I put some of the citrus glaze on top and asked, “Is there any little girls who would like a Cardamom cookie?” She ran up & volunteered herself for the feat. Upon the cookie entering her mouth (as she is with most food she enjoys), the sounds of satisfaction like, “MMM…OH MY…(another)MMM, this is DElicious!” And so forth.

She has never been shy vocalizing her love for good food. When she nursed she let out big “MMM’s” and her first tastes of solids are equated with Bob Wiley eating Faye’s handschuked corn. I love this about her, which makes baking with her all the more enjoyable. I also love that she knows what cardamom is & how orange zest pairs well with it. So, in honor of cardamom and all things that go, “MMM,” I hope you’ll make these over the holidays to share (but don’t feel too bad if you eat more than you give away).

Cardamom Orange Cookies (printable version)

This recipe is adapted from Epicurious. I chose to take out the roll & cut method and simply rolled them into a log & cut slices from them instead. YUMMY!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom (I used a mortar & pestle to grind the cardamom from the pod)
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Citrus Glaze

juice of one orange
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of orange oil essence (or extract)
2 teaspoons orange zest

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, zest, cardamom, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Put the dough on parchment paper.

Mound the dough together and roll into a log. Once you get a basic log shape, position the dough in the middle of the parchment. Then, take the parchment that’s north of the dough and cover it over the dough. Take a bench scraper and push the edge of it at the base of the parchment covered dough, trying to make a concentric log. Roll the log so the parchment covers the whole thing and twist the edges. Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Remove firm dough. Unroll the parchment so the dough is still sitting on top of the paper. Place on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 1/8 inch. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.

Bake until edges are golden-brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.

Make Icing:

Combine powdered sugar, juice orange, orange zest & splash of orange oil (or orange extract). Glaze atop cookies.

Twist on Tuna Fish Salad

During my dating years with Ben, I at a meager 19 years of age & at times a bit emotionally verbose. Well, that’s the nice way of putting it…I should say, more like you’re average, ‘head in the clouds, idealist romantic teenage girl, somewhat resembling Kelly Kapoor at my low points.’

Now, as I envisioned our relationship in my daydreamer television, a surprise homemade lunch would knock it out of the park. So, as I was working full time gaining Washington residence, while Ben went to school full time, I would typically visit him on a day off. And this day off entailed me making him a surprise lunch. I had just made homemade potato salad, which would accompany a tuna fish sandwich on an ethereal sunny Spring Bellingham day.

I was so proud of my domesticity and resourcefulness of using what was in my kitchen, and Ben was sure to LOVE it. It was an act of service & love…what was not to love about it. I caught the bus to campus and met him at the campus’ main bus shelter, where we walked to a little nook overlooking the bay. We sat down, me beaming to hear words of praise & exultation and begging for seconds.

As I pulled out the sandwiches & potato salad (I’m sure there was something else in there, but what ensued was a bit traumatic for me), I announced what lay wrapped in the wax paper & rubbermaid container to receive a reaction quite contrary to what I envisioned. Rather than being lifted upon his shoulders singing, “For she’s a jolly good lady…,” he gave a look. Yes, a look. The look an infatuated, emotionally volatile 19 year old NEVER wants to see from her boyfriend (God bless him for enduring). The kind of look that has detest written all over it…the crinkled nose, the squinched eyes & turned up brows & mouth, but with a hint of empathy mixed through it all. (I’m sure there was more empathy, but it got clouded)

Ben said, “Umm, I don’t like tuna fish.”

Me stunningly replied, “Oh. Well, I made homemade potato salad!” Hoping that that would cover a multitude, but he replied… with another look. “What!” I said. He simply had the look as if hoping I could read his mind, which I could, but at this point, I wanted him to tell me. Then, I called him on it (with a deep breath), “you don’t like potato salad either?!”

“No, not really,” he replied.

What ensued was not one of my proudest moments. Tears began to teeter, but eventually fell with force down my face and I believe I mumbled out something to the effect, “if you love me you would eat it!” Ben, in his righteousness, ate the sandwich that day, along with the potato salad. He did it without grumbling (for the most part) and satisfied my personal insecurity as a young lady.

I learned two things that day. Not any man would be willing to put up with such emotional displays, unless he himself was infatuated or if he could see something a diamond needing more polishing. And two, never, never will I insist that his love is dependent on what I make (well almost never:) ). But one things for sure, when tuna or albacore is bought in this household I know I could put our whole life savings on him not eating one bit. And in honor of love without reason comes a tuna fish salad for these dreary winter months when you need to be reminded of sunshine spilling on you.

Mise en Place

Albacore Salad (printable recipe)

I had a similar tuna fish salad sandwich while pregnant with my youngest and it forever changed my concept of how it’s made. This is very forgiving, so use more olives if you like, or less artichokes, or whatever. All of these naturally pair well together. And you can serve it on top of a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich.

Ingredients:

1-can water packed albacore, drained

zest of one lemon

juice of half lemon

1/4 of red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon green olives, roughly chopped

4 artichoke whole canned artichoke hearts, sliced in quarters (I use water packed)

3 tablespoons mayo, I use light

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

generous grinds of the pepper mill, or 1/2 teaspoon already ground pepper

Quarter your artichokes, dice your onion, chop your olives, zest lemon and set aside. Put drained tuna or albacore into a bowl. Add all of prepared ingredients, along with juice of half lemon, salt, pepper, & mayo. Mix together and serve it up, but not to someone who doesn’t like tuna fish from a can.

Cranberry-Orange Crostata

It’s been extremely cold outside lately. I took my oldest with me to the grocery store and just walking from the car to the store, I was regretting my decision to leave my gloves at home. But what got me was what I witnessed on our way home. A middle school aged boy walking home with shorts, lightweight sweatshirt & basketball jersey. Seriously?! I checked the temp stat once I got home…31 degrees, but feels like 21.

This makes me happy knowing we have heat in our home, a pot of chicken stock cooking, beds that are “just right” (I’ve been telling a lot of Goldilocks these days) and a family that is in anticipation during this Advent season. I was reminded yesterday about the need to believe again. Believe in the unseen & seen. To believe what continues to turn up empty. So, as Ben is sick in bed and me listening to the rhythm of the dishwasher, I will continue to hope.

And I think part of that hoping is tied up with food. We look forward to events to share life with one another, but also the food involved in the communal feast. This crostata or galette (there pretty much the same thing) is a delightful Holiday feast with the flaky crust, tangy cranberries, zest of orange & cardamom to bring it all together.

Cranberry Crostata or Galette (printable recipe)

I made this for a dear friend after she had her first baby. The crust is one I have used to make mini pecan tartlets, which is from The Pampered Chef. When I made it, I doubled the crust, in order to make another for later.

Ingredients:

Crust

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 beaten egg

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Filling

2 cups frozen cranberries or fresh

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

zest of one orange

juice from one orange

2 tablespoons Triple Sec (or Cointreau)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: Combine all ingredients into a food processor to combine until it forms a ball. You could also beat your butter & cream cheese in a mixer, then add your flour. Separate into two equal disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling: Combine all of the ingredients into a pan over medium heat. Stirring to combine and wait till it starts to bubble. Turn to low heat and allow the cranberries to pop. Some of the cranberries will keep their form, while others will not. It will thicken up a bit, around 15 (if frozen) minutes. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. You still want the sour tang, but not overpowering you that you’re in a constant pucker face. Take off heat.

Assemble: If you have a pizza peel, then you could put some parchment on it and roll out your pastry dough on top. I have a pizza stone in my oven at all times & I simply slide the parchment with galette onto the stone. If you don’t have either of these, then put the parchment paper on a jelly roll sheet or cookie sheet. Roll it to 12 inches. Pour all of the cooked cranberries in the middle of the rolled out dough. You should have about a 2-3 inch circle of dough without cranberries on it. Carefully, fold up one part of the dough onto the cranberries.

Then, going counterclockwise, continue making folds with pleats, until you get to the last fold of dough. Brush your beaten egg over the dough & sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes. OR…till the pastry puffs & is a lovely golden color. Let it cool for around 25 minutes before you slice into it.

Intensely Chocolate Cake

One thing I love about Ben is his grateful attitude. He is truly one of the easiest people to please, especially when it comes to food. After cooking a couple nice meals in a row one week, he said, “Kamille, I appreciate all your effort in making dinner, but you know you don’t have toContinue reading “Intensely Chocolate Cake”

Host as Guests and “Fried” Potatoes with Kale & Onion

I came across the following quote months ago and saved it in a file. As I came across it today it got me thinking…

Good hosts discover the divine mystery in hospitality—
that as they welcome strangers, they are themselves beloved
guests of God’s grace.

Is it really true that hospitality is more for the host than for the guest? While in Ellensburg for Thanksgiving we get free movie passes, which is about the only time we go to the movies ($9.00 for a movie!). We saw “The Blind Side,” which is based upon a true story. Aside from being an exceptionally great film (seriously, it was a mixture of wonderful & horrible–the kind of horrible that makes you realize life isn’t pretty), there were many moments I got choked up & cried. The Blind Side” depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential (synopsis taken from here).

Leigh Anne Touhy, the mom, took Michael in as her own. What she was doing was saving him from the plane crash of a life he would have if he stayed in the projects. However, she realized was Michael was in essence saving her. He as the guest caused her to rethink a family history of racism, status in the elite, and safety living on the right side of the tracks. She needed him maybe more than he needed her. Grace.

It’s too easy to view a stranger or guest as a project. To think that my “love” and “generosity” will change the person & I’ll feel better about myself. Except, what I find in the end is that even in the midst of what seemingly is a “good deed,” ends up becoming a grace revealed. This morning’s breakfast reminds me of a grace revealed as a modest, yet appetizing goodness. It is fit for a king in more of backdoor sort of way.

“Fried” Potatoes with Kale & Onion (printable recipe)

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, cut in thin half moons
3-4 rather big Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into quarters, then thinly sliced
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil/canola oil mixture
1-2 Tablespoons sea salt
5 leaves black Kale, rib cut off & cut leaves into bite-sized pieces
2-4 Tablespoons water

Put 1 Tb of oil into pan over medium heat. Heat oil for about one minute, then add onion slices. Add about 1 teaspoon salt to onions. Cook until the a bit of browning occurs on the onions. Add thinly sliced potatoes, along with 1 more Tb of oil.

Stir occasionally to avoid sticking or burning (if you need to add more oil, do so). Add 2 teaspoons of salt. You’ll cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes.

Add the kale, along with 3 Tablespoons water. Stir around and cook without a lid for 30 seconds. Then, put a lid on top of potatoes & kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so. The lid is creating steam, which will in return steam the kale. My lid goes directly on top of the potatoes as it is smaller than the rim of the pan.

Remove from heat, add salt to taste & pepper. Serve by itself, or it you’re like my daughter…with ketchup.

Thankfulness Squash Galette

It’s almost Thanksgiving and I really should be in bed. However, since I’m at my in-laws house, I know I get to sleep in. I’ve been extremely blessed with loving in-laws who are also amazing grandparents. They have a rule, which is one I affirm wholeheartedly, “Parents get to sleep in while they take care of the grandkids.” I am thankful.

And I know it’s Thanksgiving, to which we are to be grateful for all the many blessings we’ve been given; however, life happens at the most inopportune times and you’re not always handed something to be thankful about. I received some news which is discouraging and causes me to think with a fatalistic fear. I’m not gifted with optimism the majority of the time. And although I would say my glass is half full, this doesn’t equate with walking around thinking I can tackle anything and keep truckin’.

I’m at first glance an optimist fatalist, because I’m an extrovert who is over dramatic. I see the best in the outcome, but I get caught up in the path to get there at times. Ultimately, I need to remember that I am not savior and rely on one who is. Life is hard enough without having a savior complex. What…with being a mom, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, etc., is enough in and of itself. I’m only required to live in this moment and do what I’m called to do. My job is not to be the perfect mom. Or to cook the perfect meals. Or to carry others burdens/issues. I don’t have to live up to expectations that others have set for me or even ones I’ve set for myself.

And in a world where we compare everything and everyone, it can be pretty damn hard. Where our children are compared to one another from day one based on their weight & length. Where mothers ask other mothers what “percentile” their child falls (maybe to feel good that their child is a bit bigger and doing “better”). Where smart is based on knowing your ABC’s, speaking in fluent tongue, or excelling in ‘quantifiable’ means. Where beauty is measured based on waist size & symmetrically aligned faces.

Yet, in the midst of all the reasons aforementioned (and then some), I can take solace in what the prophet Zephaniah spoke to Israel many, many moons ago:

Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.

The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;

never again will you fear any harm.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands hang limp.

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”

I like knowing that I am to “shout…rejoice with all my heart,” because He “delights” in me, he “quiets” my whole being with “his love,” and he “rejoices over me with singing.” It gives me a picture of my daughter happily singing (in and out of tune) with complete abandon through the living room. It brings me joy & I fully delight, or enjoy her…for her. And when she’s upset, or hurt, or even quietly in my lap…I get to shower my songs upon her. And oh my, it brings her peace in the midst of a storm feeling. Thankfulness…it’s knowing that type of peace in eye of the storm, and choosing to see the good in the midst of it. So for that…I am thankful for this day the Lord has made.

If you’re wanting to add some tangible thankfulness to your day (or someone else), then this galette is definitely high on the list. Happy Thanksgiving!

Butternut Squash Galette & Delicata Squash Galette (printable recipe)

This pastry crust is courtesy of Epicurious. I needed to make two Galettes, so I doubled the pastry ingredients below. I also used 3/4 butternut squash for one galette and 1/4 for the other galette. The crust was flaky, savory & sublime. I love these for their versatility and improvisation.

For pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For butternut squash filling:

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch slices (4 cups) **reserve about 1/4 of it for other galette if making it.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium sized shallot
4 ounces soft mild goat cheese
4 ounces soft cream cheese
1 egg

Make dough:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling while dough chills:
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.

Toss squash with sea salt and 1 Tbsp oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast, stirring once halfway through roasting, until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

Meanwhile, saute shallots in 1 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly. Combine goat cheese, cream cheese & egg in a small bowl. Mix to combine.

Make galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spread out cheese filling in center of dough. Dump about 3/4 of butternut squash on top, along with shallots, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Put a few sage leaves on top, drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Delicata-Butternut Squash with Kale Galette: there’s no need to peel the delicata, because it’s skin is tender upon roasting and is easily eaten.

1 delicata squash
olive oil for drizzling delicata
sea salt for sprinkling delicata
1/4 of above cooked butternut squash
1 medium shallot (I cooked 2 shallots and divided them between the two recipes)
3 kale leaves, vein removed & chopped into bite sized pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 ounces goat cheese

Cut ends off of delicata. Scoop out seeds & pulp. Cut into 1/4 inch rings, then cut into half moons. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 450 for roughly 15 minutes. They don’t take that long. Cool.

Meanwhile, saute kale in 1 tablespoon of olive oil till tender. You may need to add more oil or even some water. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. Saute chopped up half moon shallots in 2 teaspoons olive oil for 1 minute or so. Remove to small bowl.

Combine the delicata squash, 1/4 leftover of cooked butternut squash, cooked shallot, & kale together. Roll out your dough following instructions above, drop goat cheese throughout the center of the rolled out galette. Arrange the vegetables on top of the goat cheese lined crust. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

My youngest daughter turned one on Saturday. We had two different celebrations for her to avoid having our house feel like a zoo (small quarters make for a claustrophobic mama). I made some yummy food, because…well, that’s what I do. And since she is only one and cannot talk, I got to pick the menu (that’s both good and bad). It’s good, because it’s pulling out the creative card in the kitchen. It’s bad, because when it comes to picking out a recipe for dessert the sky is literally the limits.

Ben laughs at me saying it takes me three hours to decide what I want to make and then leaving me only an hour to get it all done (too many options isn’t always the best thing in life). I made an apple cake with a cream cheese drizzle frosting for our family gathering. Then, on Sunday I envisioned making a caramel cake with sauteed apples and a salty caramel cream cheese drizzle icing. However, as the clock continued to tick on while I was no where near my kitchen post…I came upon a brown sugar cupcake recipe and then mixed it with an easy breezy Salted Caramel Frosting.

This was our Tayers (not her name) first taste of cake, which she thoroughly enjoyed. And I have to say how much I love this little girl. As I was approaching this weekend (she was born on the 14th), I began reflecting on the 12th (because that’s when my water broke) of what I had been doing a year ago before she graced us with her presence…41 hours later. She fills the house with laughter, cuddles, and squeals of delight when she should be going to bed. Let’s face it…to her life is a party, which is to be enjoyed to the fullest.

I remember thinking after she was born, “what did we do? We had it perfectly with our family of three and now we have this little one who’s going to change everything!” (postpartum moms are allowed to say just about anything, especially when they go through 41 hours of waiting for the baby to be born without drugs, I’m just saying 🙂 ) However, a year later…everything DID change, but it was a good change and she is well worth it.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

(printable recipe)

The cupcake recipe is from Chockylit, which is a fantastic & inspiring cupcake blog. The frosting recipe is adapted from here.

Brown Sugar Butter Cupcakes

24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Sea Salted Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup (one stick) butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4-1/3 cup milk

additional sea salt for sprinkling

Melt butter in saucepan and continue over heat until the butter is brown, but not black.

Remove pan from heat and add lemon juice and brown sugar–stir until smooth.

Return pan to a med-low heat and bring to boil while constantly stirring. Boil mixture for one minute and remove from heat. Then add cream, stir until cream is incorporated.

Return pan to heat and stir until just boiling. Then remove from heat, add salt and let mixture cool to room temperature. When you taste the mixture at this point is may taste very strong and a bit too salty–that’s what you want.

Transfer caramel mixture to mixing bowl and slowly beat in sugar and vanilla until smooth. **my notes: I beat mine in my kitchen aid stand mixer, which mixed it up into a blob similar to playdoh. I then added milk & mixed it again, in order to make it spreadable, which worked. It may have been better if it was mixed by hand.

Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with sea salt. Tastes even better the day after.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

This past Saturday I sold food at a Craft Bazaar. It’s a pretty amazing cause as 5% of the vendor’s profit helps families adopt children. The Adoption Connection sponsors the event, which is a group of families within our church body who have either adopted or are looking to adopt children. I got involved in this four years ago by selling homemade chili and my baked goods. As the years have progressed, so have the Health Department’s operating procedures for permits and what you can and cannot sell at bazaars.

This dials out to me not selling any soup next year, because I could only sell soup from a can. Unless of course, I wanted to pay an $85 dollar permit for a one day event, then I could make soup from scratch. But anyone who’s ever worked in selling food knows that the permit plus cost of food and packaging would not meet the overhead costs. I have done baked goods every year though and my oatmeal carmelitas are a permanent fixture on the menu. People can’t get enough of these and you truly cannot have just one bite.

It’s the gooey goodness of the caramel, the richness & texture of biting into the chocolate chips, and the buttery, salty, crumble of the compacted crust. Yes, it’s seriously that good. I’m salivating just thinking about them. I have realized that food not only has to taste good, but have a wonderful texture to keep me wanting more…especially desserts.

There’s a couple other reasons they’re so gosh darn good.

One they’re not time consuming, but people will think you slaved in the kitchen.
Two, they’re bar cookies (I’m totally a fan of the bar cookie if I know they can taste better than a drop cookie–time saver).
Three, when people eat them, they’re one of those sweet treats that make people’s eyes pop and then the, “OHHH MY Goodness! (with a MMMM added in)”

I implore you to add these to your shopping list, holiday baking, or simply because you need to eat sweet oatmeal love with caramel & chocolate.

Crust mixed together

Bottom crust baked for 10 minutes

The caramel and chocolate chip filling

Top crust and ready to bake for 18-22 minutes.

Oatmeal Carmelitas (printable recipe)

I have been making these for over many, many years now and they’re ALWAYS a hit. The recipe came from a college housemate’s cookbook, but I don’t know the original source. Whoever it was is genius.

Ingredients:

Crust

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

12 ounce caramel ice cream topping

3 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Combine all of the crust ingredients into a large bowl and mix together on low speed until nice and crumbly. It should resemble a fruit crisp topping. Put about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of the mixture into the parchment lined pan. Your pan should have a layer of packed in crust without making it too thick and not ultra thin. Bake this for 10 minutes.

While the bottom crust is cooking, combine the caramel topping with the 3 tablespoons of flour, till no streaks are left. Once the 10 minutes are up and you’ve removed the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the 1 cup of chocolate chips over the half-baked crust. Then, drizzle the caramel syrup as evenly as possible over the chocolate chips. Take the remaining crust mixture, using your hands and crumble over the filling mixture. You want to try and cover all of the caramel and chocolate chips as if you’re sealing them in.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Once cooled, cover and put in refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut into bars as big or small as you’d like and relish the goodness.

**The original recipe uses walnuts or pecans as well in the filling, but I never put them in. I think it’s about a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts if you’d like to add them. You might want to toast them to make them even better.

**I have interchanged rolled oats with quick oats and I think the quick oats produces a better texture. However, it’s not a big deal at all if you only have rolled on hand.

Promise & Spicy Pumpkin Soup

I’m sitting in my living/dining room looking outside to the glorious picture of sunshine pouring down on the golden leaves left on the tree with the faint hue of blue in the sky. The wind is beginning to breathe big breaths upon the leaves and awaken the gray clouds to another stormy afternoon. But in the meantime, I will enjoy what this brief window of sunshine has to offer. With my oldest being sick the past couple days, we’ve been relegated to “operation indoors” (a.k.a. cabin fever). And as I haven’t had much alone time with her being sick and random sleeping times as a result, then you mix in my youngest who is sleeping during the oldest awake hours…well, that equals one exhausted mama.

So yes, I will enjoy this calm before the storm.

I think it’s fitting that I live in the Pacific Northwest in comparison to the way life is and how they correlate with the seasons here. As the wind and the rains pour down, so is our life at many moments. It’s hard to look past the knee high puddles, shivering bodies, and wind blown hair to remember the rainbow after the storms. And as any person living in the PacNW, they would say, “but it storms so much that the sun rarely gives light for a rainbow.” Too true, leaving us feeling a bit hollow inside.

I like what David Bazan from Pedro the Lion says in his song, ‘Promise.’ (this was Ben and my wedding recessional)

for what i’ve seen so far, i can’t believe my eyes
and what a nice surprise
if i look up and the sky’s not there,
is there any reason i should be scared
when a promise, is a promise, i know
if i look up and the sky’s not there,
is there any reason i should be scared
when a promise, is a promise, i know

I like the certainty which comes from Jesus even when we’re walking (or trying to get up) through life’s stormy weather. I have many things to be thankful for in this day…roof over my head, husband with a job, two daughters without major health problems, picturesque view out my window and I am my beloved’s.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup (printable recipe)

This recipe is from my friend Laura and it’s very forgiving as I have changed things here and there, but two things are for sure..1. it’s easy and 2. people will LOVE it. Plus, for vegans & vegetarians, simply substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Ingredients:

1 Tb oil
1 Tb each, minced garlic and chili powder
1-2 tsp ground cumin (I love cumin)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans or 2 cans (15 oz) chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups corn kernels, or 2 cans corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup salsa
salt to taste

In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander & garlic and cook for 1 minute, while constantly stirring. Add broth, increase heat to medium-high, throw everything else in, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.

Your soup will eventually start to thicken and resemble the texture of thin gravy, which is what you want. You can easily have this on the table within 30 minutes. Serve it with cornbread and sour cream. You could even use black beans or some other bean of your choice. I prefer the chickpea, but do what you like–it’s truly forgiving. This has a bit of Indian flavor to it and I typically keep adding in more cumin till it hits the right spot.

On Roasting a Pumpkin

It should be said, that rarely does anyone photograph or capture the essence of mishaps for their blog. My friend said the other day, in reference to the comparison syndrome (you know, feeling like you just don’t seem to measure up), “that’s why I don’t read other mom’s blogs too often, because they only post the wonderful things they do with their kids and it makes you feel like you’re (and I paraphrase) a Loser!” It’s very true, whether it’s a mom blog, a crafty blog, a food blog, etc, you rarely see or read the disasters.

And to let it be known, I for one am definitely not above disaster. It’s a humbling experience all the same, but it’s what I do with the flop and try to get better. That’s what I love about roasting & pureeing my own pumpkin. It falls under the “from scratch” (even more if I had a yard to grow the squash/pumpkin) category and ultimately makes the recipe taste a little better. I wanted to encourage those of you who think buying canned pumpkin is the only option to step into this safe world of roasting your own.
First things first…pick a sugar pie pumpkin or other squash variety, which suits your culinary needs. I have for years baked sweet meat squash for my “pumpkin” baking needs and never had any complaints. My friend Kelli gave me two of her pumpkins from her yard 🙂 Preheat your oven to 450.

Honestly, the most difficult step is roasting your pumpkin would be cutting the pumpkin. You really should have a sharp chef’s knife for the job. You want to cut it down in the middle, with one hand on the handle and the other hand pressing down (gently but with a bit of pressure) on the blade. Squash can be a bit sticky, leaving a residue on your hands, which acts a suction device for you knife. So again, be careful in cutting.

Scoop out all of the seeds and stingage. Place in a bowl to roast the seeds for later. Be sure you DO NOT put the insides into your garbage disposal, as it will get caught and the plumber will have to come. I speak from experience.

Place your pumpkin cut side down on a parchment lined roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Pour in some water onto the pan to aid with steam in the oven, because you really don’t want to brown the cut edges. Put in the oven and bake for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size of your pumpkin. It will be done when you can pierce through the pumpkin with a knife.

Now how it goes from solid to puree is up for discussion, but this is how I do it. Scrape the pumpkin meat out and plop it in a food processor. Don’t overload your processor, but process in batches. Process till smooth and put into containers. From here you can use the canning method or freezing method. I freeze mine, because, well…that’s just what I do. I used to use freezer ziploc bags until I found these handy plastic containers at Cash & Carry. I use the 12 ounce ones and I believe they were $2.75 for 50 of them (lids sold separately).

Hope you take advantage of pureeing your own pumpkin and squash! It’s therapeutic.