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Praising Persimmons

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, tagged , , , , on November 23, 2009| 2 Comments »

Being able to buy almost every kind of fruit year-round in grocery stores is a marvelous thing, but buyer beware, there’s a fruit that’s only available in stores from September through December – and that’s the persimmon. Stock up now on this heavenly fruit!

Not only are persimmons delicious and beautiful, they are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, copper, and lutein. Plus, they contain 6 grams of fiber.

The squat-shaped Fuyu, one of the two most popular types of persimmons, is meant to be eaten while it is firm and crunchy like an apple. Fuyu are great in salsas and salads. Click here for a link to a recipe that includes Fuyu persimmon chunks, mixed in with apples and pomegranate seeds, and is finished off by tossing with mint leaves, lemon juice, and honey.

The other popular variety of persimmon is the acorn-shaped Hachiya. Unlike the Fuyu, these can only be eaten when they are as ripe and squishy as water balloons. Don’t even try to eat these before they’re ready or you’ll regret it! Unripened Hachiyas are loaded with bitter-tasting tannin. To eat the apricot-like flesh of these persimmons just scoop out the soft sweet pulp with a spoon. This pulp can be used in practically any recipe requiring packed pumpkin – pies, cookies, cakes, and quick breads. Sugar levels might have to be adjusted, though, because persimmons are sweeter. Also, persimmon pulp freezes well, so buy now and bake later.

To ripen Hachiya persimmons to perfection just let them sit on your kitchen counter until they’re soft. If you are in a hurry, you can put them in a sealed container with an apple or banana and keep them at room temperature until they are ready. If you are in a super hurry, you can pop them in your freezer overnight and they become soft as they defrost. I learned this last trick from Mr. Struble of Struble Ranch. He said that if there’s a frost while the persimmons are still on the trees, he has to pick them quickly thereafter because of the accelerated ripening. I tried this freezer trick and it worked perfectly.

I made a rich and fruity bread today which my husband thoroughly enjoyed. I’m sure it had something to do with all the whiskey that went into the batter!

Here’s an adaptation of James Beard’s Persimmon Bread:

3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)

1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center, then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.

5. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes two 9-inch loaves.

If you have favorite persimmon recipes you’d like to share, please send them to me at Linnell@WhatAboutThis.biz.

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Friday’s Fresh Five (11/20/09)

Posted in Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Kids, Organization, Parenting, Style and fashion, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

The crisp air and clear blue skies were enough to lure me outside to enjoy the fall weather. This past weekend my husband and I paid visits to two of our favorite local produce haunts. Struble Ranch has just opened for the season with a bumper crop of mandarins and is located on one of the prettiest pieces of property around. Otow’s Orchard grows a multitude of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, but right now is selling fresh persimmons, hoshigaki (their famous dried persimmons), and winter squash. Wherever you live, please support your local growers.

#1 – Mandarin Oranges
According to Peggy Trowbridge Fillippone of About.com:
“Mandarin oranges” is a term that applies to an entire group of citrus fruits. This group, botanically classified as Citrus reticulata, includes such varieties as Satsuma, Clementine, Dancy, Honey, Pixie, and tangerines in general. Most are sweeter than their other citrus cousins (yet there are some tart varieties), have a bright orange skin that is easy to peel, and inner segments that are easily separated. There are seeded and seedless varieties.

Depending on the variety, mandarin oranges are in season from November through June in the Northern hemisphere, with peak season being December and January.

Select fruits that are unblemished and heavy for their size. Avoid those with cuts, soft spots, or mold. Bright color is not necessarily an indication of quality as some are dyed and some naturally have green patches even when fully ripe.

They may be stored in a cool, dark spot for a few days, but ideally should be refrigerated to extend shelf life up to two weeks.

#2 – Identifying Drinking Glasses
My kids are coming home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so the rubber bands are coming out of the kitchen drawer. Years ago I figured out a system to prevent my kids from reaching for new glasses every time they were thirsty. I purchased wide, colorful rubber bands and wrote my children’s names on the rubber bands. As soon as he/she took a glass out of the cabinet, his/her rubber band was slipped onto the glass immediately. This little trick continues to save me a lot of needless dishwashing!

#3 – Wearing Red This Holiday?
Here’s a tip straight from stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, “We love red with silver as opposed to red and gold. The latter combo can look a little too much like a Christmas ornament. An alternative to metallic accessories would be another bright color; accents of violet or light blue look spectacular with a red dress . . . !”

#4 – Consider This
If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men ever know. Thomas Wolfe

#5 – Random Act of Kindness
Each of us must do our part to make the world a better place, so how about carrying out a little random act of kindness this weekend? It could be as simple as giving someone a complement. Here’s something I’ve done before: I’ve wrapped up cookies in cellophane, tied them with a ribbon, included a brief note of thanks and stuck them in my mailbox for my letter carrier to pick up.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and have a great weekend!

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Friday’s Fresh Five (11/13/09)

Posted in In The Kitchen, inspiration, Records, Style and fashion, tagged , , , , , , , on November 13, 2009| 3 Comments »

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#1 – Shop for Less
Shopping in Asian markets is an experience for me. It’s amazing how much cheaper fruits, vegetables, bulk spices, and even meats are in these stores, not to mention the variety of goods available. For example, the Asian market I frequent sells medium-sized frozen prawns by the scoopful for $3.99 a pound everyday! One aisle I am always drawn to houses the home goods. Pots, dish drainers, colanders, cleavers, and more can be had for very reasonable prices. I’ve stocked a few college apartment kitchens with items found here. Dishware can be purchased by the piece, so any size set can easily be put together. Colorful Chinese and Japanese bowls of all sizes and designs appeal to thrifty, yet stylish shoppers.

#2 – Keep It or Toss It
If you need to know how long to safely keep meat, vegetables, and fruit or what the shelf life of herbs and spices are, visit this website. Type in the item in question and search. It also has answers to food safety questions such as, “Are eggs still safe after the expiration date?” Go to www.stilltasty.com.

#3 – Pumpkin Pie Spice
If during this holiday baking season you realize you forgot to buy pumpkin pie spice at the store, don’t worry. Just mix together 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons ground ginger, 1 tablespoon ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg and you’re ready to bake! Combine the ingredients until thoroughly blended. Store in an airtight container.

#4 – Style Tip for Men
Ladies, help your man out by helping him select the right accessories. Here’s a lesson in belt selection. Belts worn with his jeans should not be the same ones he wears with his suits and obviously belts worn with his suits should not be worn with his jeans. Jean belts should be made of a more casual looking leather or of fabric. Suit belts should be made from more refined and polished leather.

#5 – A Quote from Albert Schweitzer
Do something for somebody everyday for which you do not get paid.

My hope is that someone out there in the infinite internet universe is reading and enjoying my blog! Have a good weekend!

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Chinese-Style Puff Pastries with Pork in Hoisin Sauce

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, tagged , , , , on November 10, 2009| 1 Comment »

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Not that I’m a party animal, but in about a week’s time I have made food to take to three different events. Here’s an easy recipe to make and take over to friends or to a potluck that originated from Steamy Kitchen’s Jaden Hair. It’s a spin-off of Chinese steamed pork buns, but uses puff pastry instead. The delicate puff pastry surrounds a savory meat mixture that has a little kick! I always double or triple the recipe, because these pastries don’t last long in my home! The delicious meat mixture would be fabulous, not to mention more healthy, if used in lettuce cups or lettuce wraps, too!

Linnell’s Adaptation of Chinese Pork Pastries
1/2 pound ground or minced pork* (I coarse chop pork butt in a Cuisinart)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Dry sherry works as a substitute)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced canned bamboo shoots
1/4 cup diced Chinese black mushrooms** (first soaked in warm water until softened, and then stems removed)
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1 teaspoon garlic-chili hot sauce
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
One small handful of cilantro, chopped
additional cornstarch + cold water

* Ground chicken or minced chicken could be substituted.
** If you don’t have dried Chinese black mushrooms, feel free to use dried or fresh Shitake mushrooms.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Marinate the ground pork in the soy, wine, sesame oil, cornstarch and sugar for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.

In a wok or large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add regular onion. Fry until onions are softened, about 1 minute. Add the green onions, garlic and ginger. Fry another minute until fragrant. Turn heat to high.

Add the marinated ground meat, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Fry until the meat is almost cooked. Add oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and hot sauce. Stir thoroughly. Adjust seasonings if needed: Add soy or oyster sauce if it needs more salt; if it needs to be more sweet/salty add more hoisin sauce; if you like it with a kick add more chili sauce.

If the sauce needs to be thickened, mix 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of cold water and stir into the meat mixture. You want the sauce to be slightly thick so that it does not run out of the puff pastry. Let meat mixture cool.

Take your thawed puff pastry and place on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut each sheet into 4 squares for full-size puffs. Spoon filling onto one side, brush egg wash on the edges and bring over to fold into a triangle. Pinch to seal tightly, place on baking sheet. Brush egg wash on the tops of the pastry. Repeat with remaining.

Bake 350F degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Note: By reducing the size of the pastry squares and the amount of filling, these pastries could be scaled down to appetizer size.

Enjoy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five (11/6/09)

Posted in Art and Crafts, Community, Creativity, Handcrafted Cards, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Kids, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 6, 2009| 2 Comments »

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#1 – Making Peace, Cards That Is
P1090113_1Being a flower child of the ’70s, I decided to make birthday cards for my sister-in-law and for a friend utilizing paper punches and scraps again, but this time designing them to be in the shape of peace signs. The heart-shaped peace sign was made by stacking large and small, flower-shaped punch-outs from Astrobright paper. The round traditional peace sign consisted of stars punched out of an outdated Hawaiian calender, then color grouped and mounted onto pearlized cream and lustrous aquamarine papers.

#2 – Leftover Halloween Candy Needed
I read an article in my local newspaper about different uses for leftover Halloween candy. The one suggestion that caught my eye was sending the candy to Operation Gratitude. Operation Gratitude will take the candy and put them together with other items to make care packages for American troops. Checking out the website: http://www.OperationGratitude.com, I found that not only did OG need our candy, but it also pleaded, “At this time, our most urgent need is for personal letters, hand-made scarves, Beanie Babies and financial donations to pay for postage.” If you send your candy to OG, why not include a few personal notes? The holidays are coming up for our soldiers, too.

The newspaper article mentions to ship candy by December 5th to:
Operation Gratitude/California
Army National Guard
17330 Victory Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Attn: Charlie Othold

#3 – Bet You Didn’t Know This?
I’m just a fountain of information today, but did you know that Ralph Macchio, the Karate Kid, turned 48 this week! This makes me feel old! My sons used to watch his movies and mimicked his famous “crane” move over and over again. And who could ever forget Mr. Miyagi’s “Wax on, wax off” martial arts lesson? Using that strategy didn’t help me back then, when I tried to get my sons to wash our car!

#4 – Are Store Brands As Good As Name Brands? – Bob’s Market Tip
Most of the time, yes. Generally, the quality is the same, but items are just labeled differently. Store brand items are packed by the same companies that pack major brands and store brands cost less because no promotion is needed and they come directly to the store from a warehouse, therefore requiring no middleman. Do not be afraid to experiment. If you find the product meets your standards, you can save a significant amount of money off of your annual grocery bill. Try performing blind taste tests at home to see if store brands taste better than the name brand products. Even Best Foods Real Mayonnaise is packed by a company that packs for private labels.

#5 – A Peace Quote by Jimi Hendrix

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.

Peace to all this weekend.

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Where’s the Meat?

Posted in Health, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on November 4, 2009| 1 Comment »

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Sitting at the dinner table years ago, my meat-loving youngest son took one bite out of his taco and said, “Where’s the meat?” Trying to cut back on the amount of cholesterol-ladened meat I served my family, I had substituted a spicy Mexican lentil mix for the the ground beef in the taco. It must not have been too bad because he continued to eat his taco that night and many other nights throughout his eighteen years at home!

Being Asian, I’d grown up with little knowledge of lentils. My first exposure was at the home of an elementary school friend who had six or seven siblings and whose parents were both doctors. She’d invited me over for dinner and informed me that they were having lentil stew. The first spoonful of this unfamiliar food brought my senses to attention. The firm texture of the lentils juxtaposed against the softer textures of the carrots and the tomatoes, were battling for a place in my memory against the spicy, yet savory combination of flavors. The lentil stew was delicious and from that moment on I was hooked on lentils.

What my school friend’s parents knew was that lentils were inexpensive, enough so to easily feed their brood of kids, and that lentils were packed with nutrients. The Whole Foods website states, Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. But this is far from all lentils have to offer. Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with virtually no fat. The calorie cost of all this nutrition? Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up–not out.

Lentils are also protein rich. They lack only one protein, methionine. Adding grains, nuts, seeds, meat, dairy products, or eggs will provide a complete protein containing the nine essential amino acids. Often times in the fall and winter I pair up a hearty lentil soup with my homemade cornbread to ensure a protein-balanced meal. Making tacos also works because both the cornmeal from the tortillas and the shredded cheddar cheese add complimentary proteins to the lentils.

Here’s an easy recipe for Spicy Mexican Lentils:
2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
One package dry taco mix

Combine the lentils with the water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. (Note: If you will be using the lentils in a recipe that requires addition cooking time, like a casserole, cook the lentils until they are tender but on the firmer side. Make sure your recipe has enough moisture, like a sauce, so that the lentils do not dry out during baking).

After the lentils are cooked, drain them, making sure to reserve the liquid.

Combine the lentils, taco mix and 1/2 cup of the reserved lentil liquid. Simmer for about 15 minutes. At this point you are ready to use this mixture in any of your favorite Mexican recipes that call for a ground beef base.

Your eyes may say “Where’s the meat?” but your taste buds won’t!

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Friday’s Fresh Five (10/30/09)

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Gardening, Gift Ideas, Helping Others, Recipes, Recycling, Style and fashion, tagged , , , , , , on October 30, 2009| 4 Comments »

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#1 – Spooky Cake My Way!
I have to say that biting into crunchy chocolate bits and creamy pockets of sweetness of the Oreo cookies hidden in this cake, was a spooktacular experience! Even though Maida Heatter’s (Spooky) Oreo Bundt Cake sounded good, I didn’t have all the ingredients for it and I was in a lazy mood. With my sincerest apologies to the great baker Ms. Heatter, I cheated and used a cake mix. Here’s what I did: Preheated oven to 325 degrees. Greased and floured my bundt pan. Took 18 whole Halloween Oreo cookies, broke them into quarters and set them aside. Followed the instructions on the package of Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Yellow cake mix and made the batter. Poured about two cups of plain batter into my bundt pan. Then into the remaining batter, I gently folded in the broken cookies and poured this mixture into the pan. Baked it for 40 minutes and then removed it from the oven to cool. After it cooled, I sprinkled it with a light dusting of powdered sugar and then followed that with a light dusting of cocoa powder. Couldn’t have been easier!

#2 – Reusing Jack
You’re not going to throw away your jack-o’-lantern after Halloween are you? Jack is more than a pretty face! Roast the seeds with your favorite spices and don’t forget that the flesh makes delicious soup or heavenly pies (providing your jack-o’-lantern is still fresh). There are plenty of online sites with recipes for all of the above. After that, the best way to dispose of your pumpkin is by composting. According to Raquel Fagin of Earth911.com, “Both the pumpkin, as well as its seeds, can be composted. In fact, pumpkin seeds themselves are a strong source of nutrients, including zinc, iron and phosphorus. Compost piles rely on a mix of nitrogen-rich greens (which will include pumpkin components) and browns (leaves, paper and other carbon-rich materials). So, Halloween is the perfect time to compost, because you’ll not only have leaves falling before winter, but your pumpkin to also add to the mix.” Or what about this – Give your local zoo a call and check to see if it accepts donations of pumpkins to feed to its animals as a seasonal treat. Give a zoo animal a “Big Jack!”

#3 – OMG – Leggings Are Back!
Here’s what Gill Hart of Suite101.com says, “The fall/winter 2009 trend for belting everything from baggy tops to dresses to cardigans means that leggings are the perfect accessory, no matter what a woman’s age.” He further states, “Metallic-look poly-blend leggings also make an ‘80s-style comeback, along with jeggings and treggings, a strange hybrid, a cross between jeans/trousers and leggings, for those who are not brave enough to go the hole hog”. Say it’s not true, because I thought leggings were hideous in their original incarnations! Maybe it’s just me.

#4 – Flower Vases To Go
When taking flowers to friends or dropping flowers off to a senior home, it’s always nice to have them already arranged in vases for immediate enjoyment. There’s no need to give up one of your own vases or to go out and buy new ones, just look around your pantry. I find that large jars and cans make fabulous vases. You do save empty mayonnaise and spaghetti sauce jars, don’t you? Cover the jar or can with fabric or wrapping paper or even cheesecloth, tie with a ribbon, fill with water, and add flowers. Some cans don’t even need to be covered. An empty can of Le Sueur Sweet Peas makes a cute little flower container all by itself. What to do with the peas? That’s another post!

#5 – A Bit of Mother Teresa Wisdom
It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.

Do something with great love this weekend.

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Doing the Tivo Tango

Posted in About me, Husbands, Recipes, tagged , , , , on October 27, 2009| 2 Comments »

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Every couple of nights my husband and I do the Tivo Tango. It is a well orchestrated dance that consists of fancy footwork, television, and our dog. There are certain evenings of the week were several of our favorite television shows are scheduled for the same time slot. My husband sets the Tivo (digital video recorder) to record the conflicting show on one television set and we sit and watch another show on a different television set. When that show is over, we race upstairs to another room and watch the show that we missed, but was recorded. The neat thing about recording shows is that we can advance right through all of the commercials. On occasion we have been known to run back downstairs to the first television set to watch a third show that was recorded while we were upstairs watching the second show. Confused, yet? The dog doesn’t understand it either, but he follows us from room to room, because he’s just happy to be with us. Doing the Tivo Tango makes it sound like we are television addicts, which we are most certainly not, but being empty nesters now, we finally have complete control of the television remotes, which means we can watch anything we want, any time we want!

Of course, having the stamina to watch all this television requires some fuel. I have been searching for a good kettle corn recipe for some time now and found this one by Scott Hargrove. My husband is the popcorn maker in the family and does not take this title lightly. Just today he went online to buy a crank-type popcorn maker that will make our kettle corn more authentic! I will keep searching for the best kettle corn recipe and after we receive the crank-type popcorn maker, I am going to try a recipe that includes pulverized Heath Bars! It’s got to be good!

Here’s my husband’s adaptation of Scott Hargrove’s kettle corn recipe:
1/4 cup vegetable oil (peanut oil or canola oil works too)
1/2 cup good quality popcorn kernels such as Orville Redenbacher
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 TBS white granulated sugar
1 TBS brown sugar
Coarse salt (to taste)

Large pot with lid

Directions:
1. Place the large pot on stove and turn the heat on high, add the oil to the pot. Heat oil till it gets very hot (not smoking). Ripples will start to appear in the oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add the popcorn kernels then cover with lid.
3. Watch for kernels to pop, once they start popping, turn the heat down to medium.
4. Carefully shake the pot occasionally to shake any unpopped kernels to the bottom of the pot (where they can get hot enough to pop). This also helps prevent the popcorn from scorching.
5. When the popcorn stops popping, remove pot from heat.
6. Carefully remove the lid so you don’t get hit with hot popping popcorn.
7. Pour the powdered sugar over top. Cover with lid and give the pot a shake to distribute the sugar.
8. Remove lid, add the both the brown and white sugars to the popcorn, cover with lid and shake it up again.
9. Put pot on stove again, low heat, to melt the sugar a bit, shake for about 30 seconds.
10. Take off heat and stir gently with spoon to coat the popped kernels with the sugar syrup.
11. Sprinkle with 3-5 pinches of coarse salt or to taste and stir again. At this point you can also add ancho or chipotle chili powder if you like popcorn with a little kick!
12. Pour popcorn into large serving bowl and watch your show.

If you have a great popcorn recipe you’d like to share, I’d love to give it a try!

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Friday’s Fresh Five (10/23/09)

Posted in Art and Crafts, Creativity, Handcrafted Cards, In The Kitchen, Style and fashion, tagged , , , , , on October 23, 2009| 3 Comments »

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#1 – Can You Guess Which Birthday My Husband Just Celebrated?
Using paper punches and glue, I made this simple birthday card for my husband. I layered the hearts on top of the circles to create the symbol of five as they appear on dice. It’s an easy design that could be used with other numeric combinations. By the way, my husband’s older than ten!

#2 – Simple Color Theory
When trying to figure out what the general complementary color of another color is, whether it is for an accessory you’re adding to an outfit or for a piece of furniture you’re selecting for a room, just think about primary colors. Red, yellow, and blue to be precise. Here’s a simple formula: If the primary color you have is A, then B + C = complementary color. For example, if you are wearing a blue sweater and want to select a scarf to wear with it, then combine the two remaining primary colors, red and yellow in this case, and you get orange as the complementary color. The hues will vary, of course, depending on your color selections.

#3 – A Meat Market Tip from Bob
Have you ever had a recipe which called for skirt steak, but all you could find in the market was flank steak? Or have you ever ordered grilled hanger steak in a restaurant and wondered where it came from? What’s the difference between these cuts of meat? In very simple terms, the main difference between flank steaks, hanger steaks, and skirt steaks is a matter of proximate location. All three cuts of beef come from the belly area of the cow – between the forequarter and the hindquarter. Skirt steaks and hanger steaks come from the forequarter and flank steak is cut from the hindquarter of the animal. All are prized for their flavor, but are less tender pieces of meat and must be sliced across the grain. Fajitas and Chinese stir-fry are popular main dishes made with these cuts of meat.

#4 – Keep Your Fingers
To prevent your cutting board from slipping away as you slice and dice, slip a damp paper towel or a damp kitchen towel between the board and the counter surface. Also, you are more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp knife. Keep those knives sharpened to make ease of your kitchen work. Your fingers will thank you!

#5 – A Nice Sentiment Sent By a Friend
Life is beautiful especially with good friends: Good friends are like stars, you don’t always see them, but you know they are there.

Thanks to all of my “stars” and have a great weekend!

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One Month Celebration!

Posted in About me, Recipes, tagged , , , , on October 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »

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What About This? celebrates its one month anniversary today, so in appreciation of all of you who’ve been loyal followers and to those of you who just stopped by for a peek, here’s a bonus post! Your positive feedback and great comments have encouraged my creative spirit. This is my sixteenth post and I can hardly contain all the thoughts and ideas I still have for this blog!

So in celebration of W.A.T.’s one month birthday, I baked cookies! I hadn’t tried this recipe before, but was very pleased with the results. The cookies have a nice crunchy exterior and a soft chewy center – the best of both world’s in my mind! Here are my tweaks to the recipe: I added a half-cup of Heath Bar Bits. I don’t like my cookies overly sweet, so I resisted temptation to add more. I also toasted the pecans ahead of time. Toasting brings out the flavor in nuts. Because I like chunky cookies, I added more coconut than the recipe called for and because I didn’t have a bar of semisweet chocolate to cut into chunks, I used a bag of chocolate chips.

Here’s my adaption of Martha Stewart’s Cowboy Cookies:

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen.

* Vegetable oil cooking spray
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup light-brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup) or chocolate chips
* 3 ounces (3/4 cup) pecan halves, toasted
* 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (more if you like coconut)
* 1/2 cup toffee bits

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
2. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, coconut, and toffee bits until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
5. Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (Cookies can be stored up to 3 days.)

Enjoy this recipe and thanks for your continued support of What About This?

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