Going wild with Essential Oils - Clary Sage

Next up on my essential oil adventure: Clary Sage!

*see disclaimer at the bottom of this post, thank you!*

Clary Sage helps with so many hormonal issues, it's been quite a find for me. After reading about the different things it could help with, I ordered some, and have been pleasantly surprised at the issues it has improved for me.

While it was on my list to try, the thing that moved it to the top of the list was finding out that it could help a stalled labor kick into gear and help strengthen contractions. Since my oldest daughter is imminently due with her first child, and stalled labor was a huge problem for me, I thought she might like to have some of this on hand when she went to the hospital. I'll report back on that one, if she decides to use it. (If the baby EVER comes...;)

I have been on a diuretic and hormone supplement for a number of years due to having wild palpitations if I don't take them. I have now been able to cut out the supplement! If I start having any kind of palpitation, I put a little of this on my inner wrist, and they stop immediately. Huh! I'm going to talk to the doc about cutting back on the diuretic to see how I do without that.

I also deal with ovarian cysts. When I had a cyst flare up the other day, I put some Clary Sage on a cotton ball, and swiped it over the painful area. It seemed to help settle things down. 

As if that were not enough, this oil has finally helped me to SLEEP at night! Insomnia is a tricky foe. Just when you think you have it beat, there it is again, keeping you company all night long. Grrr. This oil can be taken internally, and is recommended that way for insomnia. However, I can't stand the taste of it. Blech. I only do that when absolutely necessary. For every day use, I have a spray bottle on my bedside stand (less than $1 at Walmart) that I filled with 1 oz of water, 20 drops of Lavender Oil and 20 drops of Clary Sage Oil. At bed time, I spritz it on my throat and upper chest, and in moments I am peacefully headed off to sleep. I normally can't get my brain to shut off, so this is such a blessed relief!

Here's what doTerra's beginner's guide has to say about Clary Sage.

(Use with caution during pregnancy. Not for babies. May enhance the effect of alcoholic beverages.)
~Helps regulate periods. Eases cramps and backache. Apply to ankles, lower abdomen, and lower back.
~Eases depression, tension, anxiety, boosts self-esteem, confidence, hope. Diffuse or apply to feet.
~Helps increase breast milk supply. Apply to top of breast once a day.
~Helps deal with body odor. Apply to affected area.
~Balances hormones. Apply to abdomen.
~Uterine health.
~Helps insect bites. Apply to affected area.
~Hot flashes. Apply to ankles nightly.
~Insomnia. Place up to 3 drops under tongue at bedtime.

You can do more research on this and other oils at www.eeoils.me. You can search by oils, symptoms or diagnosis. You can order oils at www.mydoterra.com/lenorapdavis.

I'll be back soon with more about our adventures with essential oils.
Blessings from my healthy home to yours!

Leni's disclaimers.

~I am NOT a doctor. 

~I do not have a medical degree of any kind.

~I am not dispensing medical advice. 

~I am a mom with a family that has numerous medical issues.

~My husband and I have been researching alternative medicine for about 17 years. 

~Western medicine failed us, repeatedly, and we had to look elsewhere. 

~Desperate times, desperate measures. Praise God. 

~I am simply sharing what we have experienced, take it or leave it. 

~There are AMAZING alternative practitioners out there. Go find one. Or two. Or five. We have three that we depend on and go to for treatment, advice and training on a regular basis. 

More upfront information.

~Yes, indeed, I sell essential oils. doTERRA Essential Oils, to be exact. Not because I need the money, because I love the oils.

~I suppose, in theory, I can make a profit. I haven't, but I could. I'm ok with that, but it's not my goal.

~If you know anything about me, I don't endorse anything I don't believe in 100%. 

~If the fact that I represent the company bothers you, I apologize, really. But it is what it is. I wouldn't endorse the company if I didn't think it was the best. There may be other great companies out there. I just don't represent them, so I don't know their stuff, therefore I can't endorse them. I don't talk down about other companies. I think it's low-class, and if you have a great product, you don't need to attack anyone else. Just do what you know. It's who I am. ;o)

--

http://lenisrecipebox.blogspot.com/
http://www.mydoterra.com/lenorapdavis/

Twice Baked Potatoes for the Freezer

Here I am, alive and well! I've been working on revamping my techniques for cooking ahead. Somethings, like lasagna, are really good when you freeze and then thaw and bake. But for the most part, I prefer to have things fresh-made. That does not quite fit with my current lifestyle. ;) 

So I have been filling my fridge and freezer with foods that are prepped for fresh cooking. It's a great time saver during the week. My veggies are prepped, my meat is butchered and brined, broth is frozen...you get the idea. 

Today I worked on a side dish. What you see below is one of the trays of twice baked potatoes that I made today. (I made 2 1/2 trays.) It was a lot of work, but I made enough for 6-8 meals, depending on how many are here for dinner. 

Leni's Notes:

~As I was making these, my family came along and put sloppy joes on top of them. Big hit! I'll have to remember that for later.

~I flash freeze them on these trays, then move them to ziplocs for long-term storage.

~The filling is very versatile. Make them with whatever flavors you like. But I recommend always using the cream cheese and sour cream, otherwise the potatoes tend to get kind of gritty when they thaw.

 ~I mashed mine down because I wanted mine level, so we can add toppings  You could mound it up if you want to. (If you make them level, you'll have extra mashed potatoes to enjoy!)

Ingredients:

10# Russet baking potatoes

1 8oz. block cream cheese, softened

1 lg container sour cream 

1 stick butter

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp garlic salt

2 C shredded sharp cheddar

2 -4 Tbls dried chives

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.(If you're eating them that day.)

~Wash the potatoes, and pat dry.

~Prick the skins, and rub skins with oil. 

~Place potatoes on a foil-lined pan. (I fit all of them on two large cookie sheets.)

~Bake until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size.

~Let cool until you can handle them, then scoop the middles out, leaving a small layer of potato in the skin.

~Put the scooped out middled in a large bowl, and put the potato skins back on the trays.

~To the bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, pepper and salts.

~Mash or blend until desired consistency. 

~Mix in cheese and chives.

~Use an ice cream scoop to put filling back into the skins, and mash down. 

~Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze.

~When ready to serve, place desired amount of potatoes in baking dish. (Temp is variable, put them in with whatever you are already making.)

~If putting them in the oven frozen, cover with foil. If thawed, you can leave them open. 

~Bake until heated through and slightly browned. 

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Ahhh, more apples! I'm not sure what I love most about fall, the cooler weather, the return to school routines, or the fresh produce. Specifically the apples. Growing up, my family didn't really garden or put up a lot of food. Mom was (and is) an awesome cook, we just didn't cook ahead much. Except for applesauce. She and dad and I would peel and core them, and mom would cook them down. I still adore the smell of cooking apples. Takes me right back. 

Then I got married, and I have to tell you, my mother-in-law makes the best apple pie ever. She makes one for my birthday every year, and then for my mom's birthday, too. More happy memories. These days, I like making applesauce the easy way, with the Victorio strainer. Even though it speeds up the process, it's still a family event. Lots of fun. And always, that great smell of cooking apples.

Today's recipe is one that's easy to throw together quickly. I call it Crock Pot Apple Crisp, or Oatmeal for People Who Hate the Texture of Oatmeal. Some of us cannot stand that slimy texture of cooked oatmeal. (I would be the only one in my house who feels that way.)

This serves up nicely as a dessert or a breakfast. 

Leni's Notes:

~This one is all about personal tastes. Make it as sweet as you like. More fluid will give you a more traditional oatmeal texture, less will give you more of an apple crisp.I'm going to list it like I made it this time, but I play with the measurements each time I make it.

~This recipe will usually give us dessert for 4 (with a scoop of ice cream) and breakfast for 3 the next morning (with a little more fluid added, and rewarmed.)

~About the Oats. I hate it when I'm making a recipe and need one kind of oats, but only have the other. For this recipe, you can use either. If you use whole oats, give it the longer cooking time, and some extra fluid. If you use quick oats, it will cook faster and you can cut back on the fluid that's added at the very end.

~The amount of sugar you use will depend on how sweet you like your oatmeal and how sweet your apples are. Even if you always use the same type of apple, the sweetness changes with how ripe they are, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients

4 Quart Crock Pot

3 large Cortland apples, peeled, cored and sliced thick

Approximately 2 Cups Whole or cut oats  

Approximately 1 C Raw Sugar

Approximately 1 tsp Cinnamon

1 stick of butter

Approximately 1 C water or apple cider

Instructions

~Grease the inside of the crock.

~Place the slices from one apple into the bottom of the crock.

~Cover with about 1/2 C of oats. 

Seriously, I throw this in by the handful, so I don't measure. It should not completely bury the apples.

~Sprinkle on raw sugar, 1/4 C or less. 

This is where your personal taste really comes in. You can always add more at the end.

~Add a light dusting of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp, give or take.

~Slice 1/3 of a stick of butter into pats, and place on top of the layer.

~Repeat this process for two more layers.

~Add water or cider.

Again, this is to personal taste. For a drier product, add about 1/2 C. For a traditional oatmeal, add about 1 C. You can add more at the end if you like it soupier.

~Cover, cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6.

~For Crisp: Do not stir. When done cooking, remove lid and let cool for 30 mintues before serving.

~For oatmeal, stir towards the end to break up the apples. Serve immediately.

Blessings from my apple-scented home to yours,

Leni

First Pie of Fall 2013

It's here, my friends! The first pie of the season. I don't know if pie is as big a deal in your house as it is in mine, but my husband would take pie over almost any other dessert. Except maybe ice cream. Preferably pie with ice cream. 

Today I finally had time to stay home and get some things done. Lots of cleaning and scrubbing...and a little bit of pie making. I realized I needed to make this a priority when my husband kept bring home bags of Paula Red apples. I think we were up to 5 bags, not including the two bags the kids already ate. Hey, I can take a hint. 

I modified the Frozen Apple Pie Filling recipe just a bit to allow for what I had on hand. That recipe continues to receive more hits than any other on my blog, so why mess with a good thing?

Leni's Notes:

~Original recipe uses Granny Smith, which are very tart, so adjust your sugar measurement for the sweetness of the particular apples you are using. Granny's really are my favorite pie apple, but they are a later fall apple, so I'll have to wait a bit for them.

~I continue my love/hate relationship with pie crust. I need to make peace with it! For this one, I used an oil crust, which always gets rave reviews from hubster. Very flaky crust. Recipe included at the end of the post. 

~If you're doing deep dish pie, add 1/4 to 1/2 extra pie crust. You can always make cinnamon roll-ups with any extra! That was my favorite part of my mom or grandma making pie when I was a kid.

~As you may be able to see from the picture, the pie came out nice and tall. It fell as it cooled. Still wonderful, but if you're looking for an impressive height, I'd suggest sticking to the Granny Smith which hold their shape pretty well. 

~We like deep dish pie, so all of my recipes reflect that. If you're using a regular pie pan, cut way back on the amount of apples you use!

~Don't forget the vanilla ice cream!

Pie Filling Ingredients:

3/4 C raw sugar 

1/4 C flour 

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg 

9 C Paula Red apples, peeled and sliced a bit thick

2 Tbls lemon juice
 2 Tbls butter cut into chunks

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 350.

~Find a bowl with a tight fitting lid. Bowl needs to be just a bit bigger than all the ingredients, so there's room to shake them up.

~Place sugar, flour and spices in bowl.

~Place apple slices in the bowl, cover tightly and shake to coat. Make sure to turn it upside down a couple of times.

~Remove lid carefully, add butter and lemon juice.

~Recover, continue to shake and turn bowl until everything is evenly distributed.

~Remove lid carefully again, there will be liquid on the lid.

~Place filling in prepared pie crust.

~Place top crust on pie, sealing the edges and cutting a vent hold in the top of the pie.

~Place pie on a cookie sheet or pie pan to catch spills.

~Bake at 350 for about one hour. 

~Check for a slightly browned top crust, and if the vent is big enough, you can check to see that the apples are done.

~Remove from oven, and let cool completely before serving.

Oil Pie Crust Ingredients:

2 1/4 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C cooking oil

1/3 C cold milk

Instructions:

~Mix the dry ingredients in bowl.

~Pour the wet ingredients in all at once, mix just until you can form into two balls.

~Divide into two discs, one having 2/3 of the dough, one having 1/3.

~Flatten the larger ball into a disc, and place between two pieces of wax paper.

~Roll out the dough, flipping it over if need be to straighten out the wax paper.

~Peel off top layer, place crust in the pan, and carefully peel off the second layer of wax paper.

~Repeat the process with the smaller ball for the top disk. 

The crust recipe as written was just barely enough for a deep dish pie, and I had to roll it very thin. 

Adjust accordingly.

Blessings from my apple-filled home to yours,

Leni

Happy News

Happy news for our household! Today my daughter and son-in-law announced in church that they are expecting their first baby. *insert wildly goofy grin here* I am going to be a grandma!!!

Back to your regularly scheduled lives...

Filling the Freezer

I admit it, I HATE cooking when it gets hot. I don't even want to eat! Alas, my family insists on eating every single day.

This week I'm working on stocking up the freezer with pre-made meals. That way all I have to do is throw it in a crock pot or the oven and be done.

Here's the lineup:
Meatballs
Twice-baked potatoes
Enchilada Casserole

Today I made 8 1/2 dozen meatballs that are cooking away in my roaster pan. I'll post the recipe later tonight. With only three of us at home this summer (and an occasional drop-in from the newly-weds) these should last us a while.

I also have the VBS closing picnic to put together on Friday. It will be fun to serve everyone. I'm not able to help with VBS during the week this year, so at least I'll get to enjoy the closing program and see what they did all week. My contribution for the week was to make pinatas of their bug mascots. Forgot to take pictures. Whoops. My apologies to those who asked for final results. I'll see if my daughter can get pics before they are destroyed. ;o)

Stay safe in the heat, everyone. This stuff is dangerous.

Cheesecake with Chocolate-Orange Ganache

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated my son-in-law's birthday. He and I share a love for cooking/baking and overall good food. Really good. So given his love for cheesecake, I decided to step it up a notch and not only make the best cheesecake ever, but to try out a new recipe for ganache.

As you can see from the picture, my cheesecake got so tall, I didn't have a lot of room for ganache. I didn't use a spring form pan, so I couldn't take it out and let it run down the sides. Therefore, I had a lot of ganache left over, which was a good problem to have!

This is not an every day cheesecake. (Is there such a thing as and every day cheesecake? There should be.) I'm just saying, you might look at this recipe and start to calculate the calories. STOP! Just enjoy the cheesecake. I promise, it's worth every calorie.

The cheesecake is a modification of an old Amish recipe, the ganache is my own version. I do hope you enjoy it!

Leni's Notes:

~I had a chocolate-orange ganache in mind, so I went looking for ways to accomplish this. In the end, I decided on some premium chocolate with orange peel in it. (Linked below.) The orange peel had a wonderfully crispy crunch to it that went perfectly with the creaminess of the cake.

~I bake mine in a silicone pan, which makes it deeper, so if you use a wider pan, reduce the baking time. It will need at least one hour.

~Save any leftovers of ganache for a quick chocolate pick-me-up or stir into hot milk for cocoa. ;o)

Ingredients:
Crust
12 graham crackers
1/2 C butter, melted

Cheesecake
5 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, room temp
1 3/4 C sugar
3 T flour
1/2 t. vanilla
7 eggs, unbeaten, room temp
1/2 C heavy whipping cream, room temp

Chocolate-Orange Ganache
8 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 (3.2 oz) Chocolove Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate, chopped
1 C heavy whipping cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250. (Not a typo, 250)

~Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until completely reduced to crumbs.
~Drizzle melted butter in, continue to pulse.
~Press mixture into silicone cake pan (on top of a cookie sheet, so you can move it around.)
~Place in fridge until ready to fill.
~In mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla.
You want this to be well combined and smooth, but do not overbeat!!
~Beat in eggs, one at a time.
~Stir in cream.
~Bake in 250 oven for 2 hours, then turn off heat and leave pan in oven for one hour.
~Cool at room temperature.
~Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.
~Heat cream until just about boiling, stirring so it does not scorch.
~Remove from heat, pour over chocolate, and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
~Allow to cool a bit before pouring over cheesecake.
~Pour slowly and allow for puddling of the ganache.
You might not use it all, so don't flood your dish!
~Chill cake before serving.

Blessings from my busy home to yours,
Leni

Catching My Breath

Did you see that big cloud of dust? That was me, skidding across the finish line! Finally, the craziness of the last few months has wrapped up and I can catch my breath. I've been trying out some new recipes as I've had time, so I have some ideas to post for you, though my photographer is off working for the next two months, so you'll have to suffer with my cell phone pics. ;o)

Today I whipped up a crock pot lasagna that the men ate all up before I could get a picture of it. lol. Added some spicy sausage in and let the noodles cook in the meat sauce. So nice to come home to a hot meal. Really trying to save the budget by avoiding having to order out because dinner never got made!

Anyways, I'll be getting some recipes and photos up soon. Hope you're all enjoying the ending of the school year and getting ready for a terrific summer!

Sharing the Work Load

As I've mentioned, incredibly busy these days. Yesterday we had a culinary victory. We pulled off a team effort for dinner!

To be fair, we always cook together, but usually while I'm supervising. But last night, I came home to a great dinner after working late. I was impressed! My husband is a good cook in his own right, but yesterday he was trying to learn some of my techniques, which I was helping him with via text and email.

I got up early and stewed a chicken in the pressure cooker.
While I was gone to work, hubby turned that cooked chicken into shredded chicken and gravy (with carrots!) He had never made a roux before, and did a great job.
Noelle made homemade whole wheat biscuits for the first time...they were perfect.
Seth got home in time to be the clean up crew and put the kitchen back together.

That's the kind of help I could get used to!

In a couple of weeks my schedule will slow considerably, and I plan to get back to blogging. Looking forward to it!

Glory Be, A Day At Home!

Today I had a very rare day at home. I mean completely at home. The kind of day where you only get dressed in case someone comes to the door.

I had a good kitchen day.

Crock pot:
2 pork tenderloins with baked potatoes
8 qts of bean dip (started from dry beans)

Oven/Stovetop:
Double Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
4 pans of taco casserole for the freezer

I intended to make granola, also, but I ran out of steam!

I'm trying to grab pictures here and there to post later, but it's one of those seasons in life where I'm too busy living to take time to write about it. I'm ok with that. ;o)

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp

This weekend I made my husband happy and made some dessert. Time for baking has been scarce lately, so it was fun to have a free afternoon to play around in the kitchen and make a new recipe. Rhubarb is always a hit around here, and I was thrilled to find one more bag in the back of the freezer from our trip to the Public Market. 

Leni's Notes:

~Feel free to use other fruits, but adjust your sugar accordingly. This recipe has a lot because of the rhubarb.

~Wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

~We like a lot of 'crisp' in ours. If you don't, cut the crisp ingredients in half, and put it all on top.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C raw sugar

7 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 (14 oz) cans tart cherries, juice reserved

5 C chopped rhubarb

2 C quick cut oats

2 C brown sugar

1 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C butter

Instructions:

~Preheat oven to 375.

~In dutch oven, mix sugar and corn starch.

~Pour in cherry juice and whisk thoroughly. 

~Heat over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until mixture comes to a gentle boil.

~Remove from heat, stir in fruit, set aside.

~In a medium bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.

~Cut butter in with a pastry blender or two butter knives until mixture is crumbly.

~Grease 13x9 pan,and place half of fruit mixture in pan.

~Evenly sprinkle half of the oat mixture over the top.

~Repeat layers.

~Bake, uncovered, for one hour.

~Let cool for a couple of minutes, and serve with your favorite ice cream.

Blessings from my toasty kitchen to yours,

Leni

Parmesan Cream Casserole

Lately, my life seems to be nothing but racing from one obligation to the next. The dinner table is a good measure of how busy I am, as cooking tends to take a back seat when I get over-scheduled. Recently I was looking for something quick I could make after work when I was determined NOT to put another frozen pizza or tray of chicken strips in the oven.

I decided to pull out an old favorite. We used to use this sauce back in the day when my kids just could not tolerate tomatoes. We used it on everything. Pizza, pasta, veggies, you name it! It is really quick and easy to make, and chances are you have all the ingredients in your kitchen on any given day.

The picture doesn't do it justice. You'd need smell-o-vision for that. It's so intoxicating! All that creamy, cheesy goodness...yum.

Leni's Notes:
~Use whatever type of milk and cream cheese you like. You can go low fat or full fat without changing the consistency.
~I used peas this time, but usually use spinach. Use your favorite veggie, but make sure to time it's addition to the boiling water so that it has enough time to cook thoroughly.
~The sauce is really good for a white pizza. My adults kids still talk about how much they loved that pizza.
~Spirals and bow ties are great for this.
~This is a throw-in dish. Whatever sounds good, go for it.

Ingredients:
1 lb favorite whole wheat pasta
1/2 lb frozen peas
1 1/2 C milk
1 C shredded Parmesan cheese
2 - 4 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tablespoon dry oregano
8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
2 C chunked up leftover chicken or turkey

Instructions:
~Boil pasta in a dutch oven.
~When pasta is almost done, throw in the peas.
~When pasta and peas are done, drain them in a colander and set aside while you make the sauce.
~Place milk, cheese, garlic, oregano, cream cheese and butter in the dutch oven.
~Turn to medium heat and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture starts to thicken.
~Remove from heat and stir in pasta/peas and chunked meat.

Blessings from my hectic kitchen to yours,
Leni

Winding Down the Homeschool Years

Selling curriculum. So. Many. Books. This is what happens when you put off selling your used homeschool curriculum. For years.

Alas, my youngest child is nearing the end of her homeschool years. Next year she'll be pretty much at the community college full time to finish up her senior year. Can't believe I'm nearing the end of this journey. It is the hardest, scariest, most frustrating and rewarding thing I've ever done. At times I thought I was nuts for taking it on. But at the end of the day I am glad I committed these years to my kids. I am glad that my husband and I got to help them work through the struggles and celebrate the victories.

I think I'll start planing my retirement party. So what if it's over a year away? ;o)

Tiramisu, Take Two!

Back in December, I posted about my first attempt at a Tiramisu Inspired Dessert.  It was a hit with my husband and the rest of our friends and family, but I knew even then that I would make some changes when I made it again.

This version uses different ingredient options, and was a bit more expensive to make, but I think it was worth it. I also overcame my Baptist Girl Problems. ;o) I don't think anyone is getting drunk on two tablespoons of rum in a 17x10 pan of tiramisu.

I wouldn't say this version is better or worse, just different. Still have changes I'd make for next time. Dipping the lady fingers is too much moisture, even for how fast I dip them. I'm thinking maybe brush the coffee mixture on, or spritz it on with a spray bottle. I don't know, that's an experiment for another time.

The pan got gobbled, and my hubby was pleased. That was kind of the point, so we call it a success. There's some cooking involved with this version, but don't let that scare you off.

Leni's Notes:
~I like to make this as a two-step process. Getting the individual ingredients ready and then cooled, then come back and assemble later.
~If you don't want to use the rum, try adding some extract. Rum, vanilla, maybe hazelnut?
~I think this would freeze really well for a later date. Nice for a dinner party or holiday.

Ingredients:
2-4 Tablespoons of rum
2 Tablespoons of raw sugar
4 servings of Decaf Espresso or strongly brewed coffee, cooled (you'll have a bunch left over)
6 egg yolks
3/4 C raw sugar
2/3 C milk
2 (8oz) packages marscapone cheese, room temperature
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 packages of Lady Fingers. (you may have up to half a package of leftovers)
Cocoa Powder

Instructions:
~Place rum and 2 Tablespoons of raw sugar in the bottom of the coffee pot.
~Brew coffee into the pot as you normally would.
~Pour coffee into a shallow dish (for dipping later) and let it sit out, uncovered to cool.
~Place egg yolks and 3/4 C raw sugar in a pot, whisk until completely blended.
~Whisk in milk, bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring so that it doesn't scorch.
~When mixture boils, turn down to medium-low, and boil for one minute.
~Remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on surface of custard and let cool.
~Set marscapone out to warm up.
~Place whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into a bowl.
~Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. (Do not overbeat or you will have sweet butter! )

Take a break and go do something else for a while. Like take your daughter to college and run a couple of errands.

~Use the electric mixer to beat together the custard and the marscapone cheese.

~Quickly dip each lady finger in the coffee mixture and lay in pan until the bottom is covered in a single layer of fingers. Dip these VERY quickly, as they saturate instantly. If you're not fast, not only will your product be soggy, but they'll fall apart before you get them to the pan.
~Layer half of the custard mixture over the lady fingers.
~Layer half of the whipped cream over the custard.
~Repeat layers of fingers, custard and cream.
~Dust the top with cocoa powder by placing some in a mesh strainer and tapping the side with a spoon.
~Cover with saran wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors blend and the tiramisu set up.
~This will cut into squares beautifully.
~Serve with coffee.

Blessings from my experimental kitchen to yours,
Leni

Implementing the Kitchen Plan

Since last Fall, I have been working on a plan to overhaul my kitchen, with as little money as possible. This involved a lot of labor-intensive steps. Marrying off my daughter, hauling out her room, moving all of hubby's stuff into his new music room, selling the treadmill, the list goes on and on. My end game is to have a dishwasher in place before my kids all move out. I've got at least a year or so to work on that.

The first step was to turn my buffet (which had been in the kitchen) into an entertainment center. I wanted the living room to have a more polished, put together look. 

Buffet in it's new home.  

The drawers neatly house all of the DVDs, and our oldest dog thinks we put it there just so that he could sleep underneath it. Our front door is just to the right of the buffet, and this opened up the walk way nicely.

My new shelving, where the buffet used to be. Used the money from selling the treadmill to buy the shelves.

I am also putting in new food rotation shelves for my canned goods. If you are looking for a great product for that, contact Janelle Bird at Shelf Reliance. She is a personal friend and was very helpful when I was trying to figure out exactly what I needed. Will be posting pictures of that set up in the future.

MIA

My apologies for my lack of post for this week. I have been battling a nasty stomach bug, and food is the last thing on my mind. With any luck, I'll be back at it by next week.

Blessings from my quiet kitchen to your (hopefully) healthy and hopping kitchen!
Leni

Cream Cheese Coconut Tarts

Ah, a special treat from our past, which I made for hubby for Valentine's Day.  Individual serving tarts with a flaky cream cheese crust, and a sweet, chewy filling. Steve is partial to the coconut filling, but they can also be made with chopped nuts or raisins, or a combination. They make a beautiful presentation, and are fairly easy to make. 

My apologies for the blurry picture, I had to snap a picture quick with my phone before my family ate them all!

Leni's Notes:

~I have no idea where this recipe originated, but we've been making it for years, and they are somewhat fool-proof. OK, nothing is fool-proof, but even when these get messed up a little bit, they still work out. Very forgiving recipe.

~The original recipe calls for corn syrup. I have a moral objection to corn syrup. I used a simple syrup, made by boiling equal amounts of raw sugar and water until everything was dissolved and then cooled. I have also used agave syrup and brown rice syrup in the past, and have thought about trying maple syrup or honey. 

~I used a silicone pan, and did not need to grease the pans. Just make sure you let them cool completely before you try to remove them from the pan.

Ingredients:

Dough:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups flour

1 cup cold butter

Filling:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup simple syrup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 cups chopped nuts, raisins, or shredded coconut

Instructions:

~Place flour and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and blend. 

~Cut in cold butter until crumbly and continue mixing until mixture forms a dough, using hands if necessary.
~Portion dough into 24 small balls.

~Lightly grease muffin tins and place one ball of dough in each cup.

~Press dough up onto cup sides, making a little "bowl" or "cup" shape.

~Put all filling ingredients into a separate bowl and mix until well-blended.

~Spoon filling evenly into the individual cups.

~Bake tins at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until filling is slightly solidified (it will set a little more once out of the oven, but should still be slightly liquid once done).

~Let cool completely before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

Blessings from my Valentine kitchen to yours,

Leni

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Ice Cream cake? In February? In Upstate NY? No, I haven't lost my mind, it was a special request from my daughter.

Yes indeed, this weekend we celebrated my baby girl's sixteenth birthday! 

Isn't she beautiful? More importantly, she's got a beautiful spirit.  My baby is growing up. *sniff, sniff*  To mark the special occasion, I made her a cake I first made over 20 years ago for her big sister's first birthday. Come to think of it, that might have been the last time I made it!

We had planned a day of shopping with the Thrift Store Teen Queen, but the snowy weather kept us from leaving town.  So instead, we stayed home and ate ice cream cake, of course. ;o)

Leni's Notes:
~While my family loved the way I made the peppermint layer, I think if I make it again, I will cut down on the amount of peppermint patties. Only because it makes it kind of chewy when it's frozen. I seemed to be the only one who noticed.
~This will fit into 2 13x9 pans or one larger pan.

Ingredients:
2 containers chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo type)
1 half gallon chocolate or vanilla ice cream
1 regular sized bag of York Peppermint Patties
1/2 - 1 Cup cream
2 T coconut oil (You could use shortening if you need to)
4 C whipped cream

Instructions:
~Crush cookies in a plastic bag, and place into the bottom of the pan, reserving a cup of crumbs.
~Slice or scoop ice cream and put on top of the cookies.
~Let the ice cream melt over the cookies while you make the chocolate sauce. (Not completely to liquid, just til it's soft enough to push down over the crust.)
~In a double boiler, place the candies and oil, and turn on the burner to medium. (I break the candies up a bit.)
~As they start to melt, add in the cream, and stir occasionally.
~When the sauce is smooth, dump the hot water out of the double boiler and set the sauce aside to cool a bit.
~While the ice cream is melting, press it down over the cookies.
~Drizzle peppermint sauce over the ice cream, reserving about half a cup.
~Cover with whipped cream.
~Lightly drizzle with remaining sauce, then sprinkle cookie crumbs over the top.
~Cover with plastic wrap, and place on an even surface in the freezer.

~When ready to serve, remove from the freezer half an hour before cutting.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Sloppy Joes for the Freezer

Currently Mondays are turning out to be the worst possible day for me to post recipes. Or to cook. To be fair, I don't really have a good day to cook, unless I get to it on the weekends. So I've gone back to my old practice for stocking the freezer. Once a week, I pick one meal to make in bulk and I put 3 of them in the freezer. Right now, my deep freeze has a nice stock of lasagna, enchilada casserole, chicken in gravy and sloppy joes.

Thankfully, my family is willing and able to help out. This goes really well, right up until I get distracted while writing down a recipe. My husband got a huge kick out of today's recipe calling for a good measure of black powder. You know, to give it some kick! lol. It would be fair to say my brain is a bit muddled. 

Today's recipe is a crock pot recipe that freezes well. Two of my favorite things. Not a lot of notes on this one, it's simple, yummy, and makes the masses happy. 

Leni's Notes:

~This recipe serves 3 meals for my family, with leftovers for lunches.

~Tater tots are the traditional side dish in our household. 

~Freeze the leftovers quickly, or your family will eat more than you intended and it won't stretch as far!

~This is also a great meal for kid's parties.

Ingredients

6 lbs ground beef, browned and drained

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 T. paprika

1 1/2 T chili powder

3/4 C brown sugar or raw sugar

6 tsp cumin

6 tsp salt

6 tsp corn starch

3 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp pepper (not black powder!)

29 oz can plain tomato sauce

Instructions

~Dump everything in a large crock pot (I used my 8 quart.)

~Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

~Serve over split rolls, with slices of cheddar or colby jack cheese.

~Freeze extras in gallon ziplocs. 

Minor Delay

Hey folks! Been sick as can be for over a week now, so there's been no action in the kitchen. Thankfully, I had freezer meals stashed, and have a husband who can cook, so no one is starving to death. Hoping to be back in the saddle soon. Oy.