217. Pumpkin Spice Granola

 

This is my third recipe for granola.  It is so easy to make that I just can't bring myself to buy the stuff in the store ever again.

I had my hand on a box the other day because the front of the packaging looked so enticing.  I shook my head and told myself to go home and make a fresh batch.

 I did.

I am so glad that I tried to make Pumpkin Spice Granola.  I wasn't sure if I had gotten the spice combination correct.  Once it is made, it's made.

I am happy to report that it turned out with a strong flavor of pumpkin pie and had the same crunch that my other two granola's have.

I added pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients and I did not know if this would change the makeup of the maple syrup blend.   I was pleasantly surprised.  It added a depth to the pumpkin flavor and did not affect the texture.

I eat this as cereal with milk or served over a bowl of honey greek yogurt.

In fact, as I am typing this I am dabbing the corner's of my lips with a white napkin….oh it's a keeper!

I was so glad to find clusters in this batch of granola.  They are packed full of pumpkin flavor and have a crunchy texture.

I am a strange eater sometimes.  This is one example.  When I open a bag of potato chips I eat all of the folded, doubled over chips first.  In my opinion, these are just simply the best.  They are crispy and when you bite into the many layers, my mouth and mind work together and send the signal that this is how every chip should be. 

It drives my family crazy.

The granola does not have edges that are folded but the clusters do the same thing to my brain.  With every bite it sends a signal of perfection.  As I bite through each cluster, it falls apart and is very crunchy.

Yes, I did go through the bowl and pick out a few clusters.  

I figure to get more of the clusters in your granola, when mixing the granola, use your hands and squish handfuls together and gently dump on cookie tray.  Try not to over stir the first two times you move the granola around.  You could also reduce the amount of oatmeal by one cup to allow for more of the wet ingredient to "cluster" the granola.

I know this is not rocket science but it is what keeps me up at night…LOL

Tell me what food habits you have that drive your family crazy in the comments below.  

Recipe:  Pumpkin Spice Granola

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup light extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice (recipe below or use store bought)

2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree

5-6 cups of uncooked oatmeal, just plain old oatmeal

1/2 cup of grated or shredded coconut

1/2 cup of blanched almonds

dried cranberries (optional)

1/4 cup of brown sugar (optional)

NOTE:  With granola you can add a variety of seeds or nuts to the process.  I add any dried fruit after it is prepared.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl combine oatmeal, nuts and coconut.  If you are adding seeds add them know too.

Set aside.

In a medium size saucepan, add syrup, oil, vanilla and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin puree.

Immediately pour over oatmeal mixture.  Toss.

Pour granola onto a cookie sheet with rimmed sides.

Every 15 minutes, gently toss granola.  After about 45 you should start to smell the granola and see a change in color.  It will start to darken.  I let my granola bake for 1hour, stirring it every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.  I sprinkled some brown sugar over this batch while still hot and gently mixed.  This is optional but does add a nice look and additional sweetness to the granola.

Cool and store in tightly sealed container.

This can be stored for up to one month.  After that quality of flavors may start to break down.


Recipe:  Pumpkin Spice

I made my own.  It turned out great and taste just like pumpkin pie to me.

1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon of cloves
1/4 teaspoon of ginger

Combine together and use accordingly.

  

216. Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Pink.

This is my daughters favorite color.  This color also represents something else.  It has become the color that symbolizes Breast Cancer.

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  It  is a time for women and men to think about getting mammograms, offer monetary support for the foundations that they support and to bring awareness to everyone that is involved, has been affected by cancer, survivors and those that have past.

Breast cancer is affecting more and more people and the disease is hitting closer and closer to home.  With the technology of modern medicine the doctors are able to diagnosis and treat the cancer sooner.

My own life has been affected by the scare of finding lumps.  Both times it was assessed that they were benign.  Thank goodness I was fortunate to have dodged that bullet.

I can only relate my own thoughts of fear and sadness each time I saw the  technician leave the room to get the doctor as they returned to scan the mammogram.  On my left breast it was determined that the mass was a cyst and was nothing to worry about.

The second time, on my right breast.  It was a different story.  All I can say is to me it looked like someone had shoved a tootsie roll candy deep inside, up against my rib cage.  I could not feel it.  That was frustrating. I wanted to feel it. I wanted to know what was inside my body.

I was scared.  I saw my kids grow up without a mother.  I know that not all lumps are a death sentence but I am human and I thought the worst.  After the fears, comes the calming knowledge that you will do what ever it takes to rid your body of the disease.

This all happened at a time when I was very sick trying to figure out other reasons for me being so sick.  It was soon after this that I learned I had celiac.  We were also about to embark on our year long trip around the US in our motor home with the kids.

The next day I was asked to come in so that they could aspirate the "tootsie roll".  I went in and watched as they entered long needles into my right breast to try and drain it.  Unfortunately my doctor was unable to complete the procedure.

We chatted and he felt assured that what we were dealing with was not of great concern.  He wanted me to wait and get a new mammogram in six months.

Six months later and many miles behind us, we found ourselves in Texas. I had the date written on the calendar and found a specialist in this field. I carried my xrays with me and after being retested and visiting with the doctor she felt that what we were dealing with was another cyst.

For two years, I had to return every 6 months and have a new mammogram to make sure that the "tootsie roll" was not growing or changing.   It never did.

I still need to be aware of this and as I prepare to go to my new doctor next week for my yearly visit, I will be carting my xrays in to her office to monitor any changes.

I learned a lot about myself during the time of waiting. Our minds are powerful cheerleaders when the possibility of the worst is before you.  I was grateful for doctors and modern science that could help me make the decisions that I had been faced with. I was grateful for my family.

I gained a greater sense of living each day to the fullest.  I was one of the lucky ones.  My husband bought me a pink ribbon charm to remind me how fragile life is.  He knew what a mental race I had just endured.  I was one of the lucky ones that received good news.  Others are not so fortunate and for this my heart breaks to those that have lost the battle too soon.

In honor of this month, I wanted to create a pink recipe.  With Thanksgiving right around the corner and cranberries having their roll in our turkey dinner I thought this would be a nice addition to our dinner, Cranberry Vinaiegrette Salad Dressing.

I served this dressing on a  broccoli  and cranberry salad.  It can be tossed together or the salad can be served on a side plate with the dressing available for each guest to pour themselves.

I like the cranberry flavor, thick consistency and twang of the apple cider vinegar.

Please enjoy this recipe and remember to get mammograms early for early detection.

Recipe: Cranberry Broccoli Salad
Makes 6-8 side servings



3 cups of raw broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of crispy bacon, diced
1/4 cup of caramelized pecans
3 tablespoons of red onion, diced small
1/3 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of cranberry vinaigrette (recipe below)

Toss the above ingredients together.

Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Makes about 2.5 cups

2 cups of fresh cranberries, washed
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of white sugar
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 cup of cranberry sauce
Sprinkle of clove, to taste
Sprinkle of cinnamon, to taste
1/2 cup of light olive oil

In a blender combine all of the above ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil.
Blend until small specks of cranberry can be seen.

Once it is blended, turn your blender onto medium speed and slowly add the olive oil.

Taste. If too tart, add a bit more sugar. Cranberries can be extremely tart.

Salad dressing can be used immediately or stored in refrigerator for one week.

 

215. Parker House Rolls

3

Warm rolls on cool days with a big bowl of soup brings a smile to my families faces and warms their heart and spirit.

Can you ever have too many rolls?

This is a recipe that I have used for years making crescent shaped rolls for the holidays. The original recipe makes about 4 dozen rolls.  For large gatherings this is great but when at home with my family of five I know that we won't eat that many.

I decided to cut the recipe in half and reshape them to see if the flavor and texture would still be there.

It was.

Enjoy these at your next gathering or with your friends and neighbors for Sunday Supper.

Recipe: Parker House Rolls

2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of yeast
1 cup of warm water
3-4 cups of flour, the dough should not be dry.  Start with less and gradually add until a ball forms.
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Combine water, sugar and yeast. Let set for 5 minutes until yeast is activated.

In a large bowl or table top mixer, add salt and flour.

Add yeast/water/sugar and eggs to flour and salt.

Mix until dough comes together and pulls away from bowl. Add more flour if dough is too sticky.

Let dough rest for 30 minutes. Cover with a towel.

Preheat oven to 425.

Melt butter in bowl. Find a large circle cookie cutter.

Flour surface and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut dough into circles and dip the whole circle in to the butter so that both sides are coated.

Fold in half and lay next to each other on cookie sheet. 

Let rise 30 minutes.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

 

Pecan Bars

Sometimes I don't want pie.  

I don't want to make the crust and hope it turns out.  I just want something easy that I can take to family parties that will be easy to eat and enjoyed by others.

This dessert is always well received.  I have made both versions (regular and gluten free) for family and friends.  

The one that gets the most praises is the gluten free.  They love the crust.  The almond meal adds another layer of rich flavor and texture.

I like to add extra pecans so that they are the star of the show.  If you don't have enough, then the bars look a bit naked, if you ask me.  See the picture below of the "Naked Pecan Bars"….boring.  When compared to the image above you can see what I mean.  The three cups in the recipe will give you ample pecans but please feel free to add a few more to your liking.

 

I also made these in small ramekins to see if I could do individual portions.  It worked like a charm.  I find that guest like to have their OWN small dish.  I used a knife to go around the outer edge and they popped right out.  They make the perfect mini pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream balanced on top.

 Recipe: Pecan Bars

Makes 9X13 pan

For the crust:

2 sticks of butter, softened

2/3 cups of packed brown sugar

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour (for gluten free substitute, see below)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

*To make this gluten free, use this conversion: 2 cups of almond meal plus 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of brown rice flour for the regular flour.

For the topping:

1/3 cup of butter

1 cup of packed brown sugar

1/3 cup of honey

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

3 cups of chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9X13 pan with parchment paper or spray individual ramekins with Pam. (see picture)

Combine the crust ingredients. Push into 9X13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is cooking, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and cream in a saucepan. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute and add pecans. Stir to combine.

Remove crust from oven and add the topping. Spreading topping to cover all of the crust. If baking individual size portions, scoop enough filling into each cup to cover crust.

Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove bars and let cool completely in pan. Remove bars by lifting parchment paper out of pan. Cut into squares.

Sifting Through Life: Fried Calamari

Sometimes I add a recipe to this segment and sometimes I don't.

Today is your lucky day because here it is: Fried Calamari.

My first experience with calamari was with my dad, many many years ago.  I don't remember the exact location, the year or the occasion. I just know it was squid and my dad had an intrigued kid about to try something new.  He had my full attention.

I remember being with my dad for the first time in a very long time.  My parents were divorced and we rarely saw him because we lived in two different states.  For a long time my parents despised each other with good reason.  Infidelity in a marriage is never easy to digest.  Towards the end of his life they rekindled their friendship and he left this earth while on good terms with my Mom.

I must have been around 8 years old, the oldest of three girls for this first encounter with calamari, squid  or the little squiggly sea creature with long tentacles.  This is how my Dad described it to me on my first try so long ago.

Dad loved seafood and I believe this is where I inherited the taste for fish as well.  I cannot recall a time that I did not enjoy the flavor of the sea.  This all occurred long before the days of Google or smart phones.  Today I would have looked it up on the spot.  I like to know what I am eating.

As the dish arrived I could tell that it had been fried.  Fried is always a good place to start with kids and fish.  The oil and crispy texture hides a bit of the fishiness that comes with the territory of dealing with seafood.

I recall the sauce that was served, it was light yellow with a hint of lemon.  Lemon was good.  I liked sour things and so the twang from the lemon added another layer to mask what I was about to partake of.  I like the taste of seafood but sometimes the aroma is a bit intense.  To an 8 year old nose, scents can make or break the deal.

The rings were easy.  What little girl did not love rings?  Rings of white with a lightly crisp exterior.  It was the other part that took some convincing, tentacles.

EWWWW!

YUCK!

NO WAY!

Those were all of my responses…LOL  It wasn't until I became an adult that I would venture into the area of eating the tentacles.  It actually took the bravery of my daughter to do this for me.  I say bravery because some times certain foods just don't look good or appetizing.   They are creepy.  Our minds are powerful and we over think things.

Imagine swallowing a tentacle and having it suctioned to the inside of your throat…hey, it could happen.

In all honesty I doubt it could, but these are the things that I think of.  That I thought of for many years after my first try with calamari.

My daughter is always level headed and she gave me the look.  You may be familiar with it, the "really Mom…don't be so dramatic."

I don't remember when my kids did not like fish.  They were raised on it.  So eating calamari was not a big deal for them including the tentacles.  I closed my eyes and went for it.

There was no suctioning to the inside of my mouth, throat or tongue.  Although, that would have been hilarious to have been able to stick my tongue out and have this little thing hanging from it.  LOL  I can only imagine the look of horror and shock on my daughters face.

Today, in my 40's,  I love the whole squid…body and tentacle.

Our issue seems to be finding calamari that is perfectly made to how we enjoy this dish.  We know how we enjoy this dish and how we do not.  We do not like calamari that is over battered, over cooked or is too chewy.

Why over batter something that is so good when lightly encrusted is ideal?

It is no secret that we live by the water and have an abundance of seafood within our everyday reach.  I love going to the fish market and seeing the variety that is on display.  Whole fish, filets, scallops, oysters, mussels…you name it, we have it in Annapolis.

I can purchase calamari fresh or frozen.  I only buy it fresh if I am going to prepare it that day otherwise I will buy a frozen package and save it for the upcoming menu.

This is a quick dish.  If you purchase the calamari frozen, thaw and rinse.  Using a sharp knife cut the body into ringlets.  I like mine to be as wide as my index finger, just under a 1/2 inch.  The tentacles don't really need much other than I trim them so they are all the same length.  Every once in a while you get a tentacle that is really long.

I use a combination of brown rice flour and spices to dredge each piece in.  Again, I am not a fan of an overly thick batter but I know lots of people who enjoy it this way.  You can also use corn meal, almond meal and all purpose flour to achieve the same style of calamari.  I season the flour with garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.  This is a personal preference and you can literally add anything you want to based on what your palette prefers.  We like to keep it simple.

The KISS method.  Keep It Simple Sexy.  I don't like the word stupid.

It takes just a few minutes of frying in hot vegetable oil.  The rings and tentacles are tossed in.  The bubbling of the oil starts.  The white squid body rings start to open up and float on the oil like little rafts lost at sea, tossing in the oil.

I use a wire strainer to flip the rings over in the oil.  I like them to each be golden brown.  I remove everything to a paper towel and proceed to cook the rest.

These are usually gone before I can get them to the table.  The kids can smell the scent in their rooms and they slowly make their way down the halls.  They see the paper towel with the golden rings of yumminess and start "sampling".

Each person issues the same comment, " a quality check is needed".  

Calamari, in my opinion, is best on its own.   My family likes it served with a sauce.

The variations are endless.  Here are a few suggestions:

Lemony Mayonnaise:  lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt.
Wicked Awesome Sauce:  Sriarcha sauce, mayonnaise.
Cocktail Sauce:  ketchup, horseradish sauce
Tartar Sauce: diced onion, dill relish, mayonnaise

I don't have a lot of childhood memories of time spent with my Dad.  It was not until I turned 18 that I developed a relationship with him.  He passed away when I was 23 in an airplane crash.  I will always be grateful that I took it upon myself to reach out to him and became friends.  I am also so happy that he was able to meet and approve of my husband.  I am sad that he never met his grandkids, of which, he would have been so happy and proud of.

My thoughts of my Dad this week were sparked by the relationship that I see my own kids having with their Dad.  I missed out on so much and yet I see what an influence he has on their every day life.

I can honestly say that Cory is the best Dad.  He is Isabella's best friend, Drakes mentor and Rye's life coach.  He provides things for the kids that I don't.  I love seeing them in action together as they solve problems, laugh, learn and live.

Dad's have the ability to hold the hearts of their children in the palms of their hands.  I know that so many fall short of this obligation and this is why I am grateful everyday for the man I chose to be the father of our children.

I am thankful for the few memories I do have and I hold them dear to my heart.  Growing up I did not know all of the details of why my family was not whole.  I judged my parents harshly.  I was broken and broken hearted because of the divorce.

Today, I see things and life events through the eyes of an adult.  I see how hard it is.  I know the sacrifice, devotion and endurance that a good marriage takes.  I have forgiven my parents.  I believe they did the best they could given the circumstances of the times they were living in.

Would I have done something different?  I don't know.  I like to live for today and not in the past.

Playing the "what if" game is something I stopped doing long ago.  I know that in the final days of my Dad's life he had regrets about choices he made that affected all of us.  I am glad that my parents were friends before he passed.

Every time I eat seafood I think of my Dad and this experience with the Calamari.  Do you have memories from your childhood that are attached to food?  In my world, food is attached to many memories and good times.

Calamari is a dish that many may not enjoy, but for those of us who do, it is a real treat.

My hope is that you will take the chance to try it and to even make it at home.

Something so delicious and simple is a real gourmet treat for family and friends.

ENJOY!

Creamy Parmesan Corn

I love this side dish.

I have always been a huge fan of corn and this dish is by far my favorite corn dish.  I used to make this without bacon, but then we all know that bacon makes everything taste that much better.

I like this recipe best cooked in a slow cooker for a few hours verses heating it up on the stove top.

In the slow cooker it gets nice and creamy and the corn has a chance to drink in the flavors of the parmesan and cream cheese.

Leftovers, if there are any, are the best.  The parmesan really shines the next day along with the smokiness of the bacon.  I make it a priority to have left overs of this dish.

I have only used canned corn to prepare it, so if you try to use fresh corn please let me know. I would love to hear how that turns out too.

A simple side dish of corn turned into a gourmet treat for your family.

ENJOY!

Recipe:  Creamy Parmesan Corn

3 cans of corn, drained
1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese, soft
1/2 stick of butter, soft
1 cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 pound of bacon, cooked crispy
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a slow cooker add the above ingredients.

Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally or on low for 6 hours.

Serve immediately.

  

211. Pumpkin Pudding

I cannot believe that it is October 1st.  Where does my time go and why does it fly by so fast?

Here we are though.

The leaves are turning red. The morning is cool.  The air fresh.

This morning as I walked Isabella to school I stepped onto my cracked cement steps, filled with my pots of flowers. The last few blooms of red, yellow, orange and pink trying to hold on for one more day.

The air is too crisp for me to not run back inside to fetch a light jacket.  My breath is visible as I run back outside to meet Isabella for our 5 minute walk to the school.

We notice that our neighbors tree has started to turn red.  We see the puddles left over from the rain the night before.  Change is coming.

I love change.  I love the feeling of something new in the air.  I am always reminded of the movie Chocolat and the wind that always signified change.

It's a good thing.

I have been ready for it to be cooler for a month now. Our summer was blazing hot.  Our waters too full of jelly fish to enjoy the beach.  We missed that family tradition and so we were longing for the traditions that follow us into the months of October, November and December.  My favorite time of the year.

This weekend we planned out our month with the kids.  We are heading to the tree house camp to spend 3 days as a family, we will hit the pumpkin patch somewhere close to our home, do a ghost tour of Annapolis and visit our family in VA.

Our month will be busy and it will go by way to fast.  Like last month.

How do we slow it down?  Do I want to?

For me, I plan it out.  If I don't then time goes by and we don't do anything fun, as a family or for ourselves.  It is important to make the time.  All too often I hear the words from my family, "do we have to go", "can't we stay home",  "lets go next week" or , and this is my favorite, "this will be so boring".

We go any way.  I listen to the groans, and words spilled under their breathe.  WHY?

I know.

I know that this might be our last time together.  I know that we always have a good time.  I know that I can't freeze time.  I know that my kids will grow up and be gone before either of us knows what hits us.

I know.

Time is unstoppable and so is our decision to live our lives.  If we don't do the things we talk about or plan then we will be 20+ years into our life and looking back wondering.

I don't ever want to do that.  I want to look back and know that I spent every ounce of my life doing something for good, sharing it with those that I love and spending my time wisely.

This time of year is always reflective because it is where some of my most precious memories reside from my own family growing up.  I travel back in time and think about time spent with cousins, traditions of pumpkin patches, dressing up in costume and laughing.

We can't stop time but we can certainly make the most of it.

I spent some time last week making pumpkin pudding.  Oh is it good!

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe that can be eaten in a dish with a bit of whipped cream or layered in a trifle with gingerbread chocolate cake and caramel.  The pudding is rich, thick and taste like pie.

It's a keeper of a recipe for this time of year.  ENJOY!

Recipe:  Homemade Pumpkin Pudding

2 cups f 2% milk
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup of corn starch or arrowroot starch
2 large eggs
1 cup of pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

Toppings:  whipped cream, sprinkled cocoa powder and chocolate curls

In a sauce pan, add milk, brown sugar and corn starch.  Whisk to combine.  Bring to a boil.

Boil for 3 minutes.  It will start to thicken. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, add eggs. Whisk.

To combine the eggs with the boiled mixture you have to do several things.  You do not want to scramble the eggs so this step is required to slowly integrate the eggs into the milk mixture.

I use a measuring cup and take 1 cup and slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs.  Whisking the whole time.

This brings the eggs up in temperature so that they can easily be added to the remaining milk mixture.

Combine the two, by slowly pouring the egg/milk into the milk/sugar mixture.  Whisking the whole time.

Return to stove and bring to boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.

Pudding should be thick.  Stir in pumpkin, salt and pumpkin spice.

Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled.  For individual portions, add the pudding to the cups before the set.

Serve with whipped cream, chocolate curls and chocolate sprinkled cocoa.