Oatmeal Cookies - Just Like Grandma Made Them

For starters, you know it has been too long since you have last blogged when you log in and the entire interface has changed and you spend five minutes trying to find the "create a new blog" button.  And for that, I apologize....mostly to myself....for not taking over my kitchen for the past couple months.

But on to more important things.  I like cookies....A lot.  And since these are packed full of oatmeal, they are quite healthy (I'm going to continue telling myself that).  They are even suitable for breakfast with a big glass of milk.   A couple weeks ago, I was cleaning and I found the old cookie jar from my grandparents kitchen and, I decided that I needed some oatmeal cookies.  It took a while to make these cookies because hunting down the recipe proved to be a bit of a challenge.  But, I have it now,   and these cookies are just as good as I remember them!


Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe from Grandma F.
1 c. butter softened
2 eggs lightly mixed
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 T. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 c. regular oats
1 c. chopped pecans (one of the few cookies where I leave this part in)

Cream butter.  Add eggs, then sugar and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients together and add to butter.  Add oats and nuts.

Form into two logs and wrap in wax paper.  Chill overnight (or at least for a few hours) until firm. 

Slice thin and bake at 350 for 12 minutes until golden brown.

quiche -- or kwitchy if that's what you want to call it

Prepare yourself for this stupid moment from my childhood.... 

When I was little, I thought "quiche" was pronounced more like "kwitchy" and I have yet to hear the end of it.  It's not really a phonetic word so I still don't think it is that ridiculous, but they certainly think it is funny. 

I really like this meal since you can throw anything you like in with some eggs and it's easy....

Asparagus & Red Pepper Quiche
1 pie crust in a pie pan (I used a pre-made one)
6 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 red pepper chopped
1/2 lb. asparagus chopped
1 c. mozzarella grated
1 c. cheddar grated
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 dash Worcestershire

whisk it all together and pour into pie crust.
Bake at 350 45-50 minutes. Cover crust edges if they start to brown to quickly. 

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake....Sounds funny doesn't it?  But so does carrot cake and zucchini bread when you think about it.

I've been on a liquid diet for the last few days.  P. Fisher had his wisdom teeth taken out (finally) and I've been partaking in the soft foods.  Yesterday I made homemade vanilla pudding, Jell-o ice cream, and beer cheese soup.  Today I decided I was going to make something soft, but solid.  No more liquid or gelatinous textures for me.

A couple weeks ago, I saw Joy the Baker's chocolate beet cake.  I'm sure it was delicious.  But as I've mentioned before, I am incapable of following a recipe.  I don't love chocolate.  (I know that makes me a bit odd.)  But, I do like orange and chocolate together.  I love beets and orange together as well.  So orange chocolate beet cake it is.  And, our grocery store has started carrying golden beets which are a bit sweeter and even more delicious than the traditional red beets, so it all worked out so well.

Chocolate Orange Beet Cake
Adapted some from Joy the Baker.

2 medium beets roasted with a bit of olive oil in the oven for 1 hour.  After cool, peel and grate.

Cake:
1 cup shredded beet for the cake
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest from one orange
Juice squeezed from one orange
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Icing:
1 stick butter, softened
8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
4 powdered sugar
1/4 c. grated beets
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. orange juice
A little bit of milk if needed to get a thinner consistency
pinch of salt



Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans.  Preheat oven to 350.


Mix butter and both sugars.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add beets, orange zest, vanilla, and orange juice and beat on medium speed until fully mixed.

Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  On a low speed mix the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk until just mixed together.  Pour into two 9 inch round pans and bake 26-30 minutes.


For the frosting, mix all ingredients together until you get to that spreadable consistency.  Spread on your cake and enjoy!

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread: Fresh Baked Slice-it-Yourself Bread

I always thought bread was much more difficult than it actually is.  For some reason my sister and I bake the same things at the same time.  One of us just gets around to blogging about it first.  The other day she mentioned that  she acquired the bread machine.  Since she moved my parents bread machine across the country and unfortunately it was not one of our wedding presents, I had to make bread the old-fashioned way.  With my hands.  I don't have any special recipes to share with you today - just wanted to share that it's really easy - and tastes pretty good compared to Wonderbread.

Cake that's good for you: Angel Food

Good for you might be a stretch, but it's mostly egg white.  And if an egg white omelet can be good for you, why can't a cake made of egg white be good for you, too??  That should make you feel better about eating a lot of it all at once.

I'll confess.  I haven't made a lot of cake from scratch.  But I was craving angel food and thought I might try it.  Google led me to Alton Brown's recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted
• 12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).