Smoothie Time!

We have been on a smoothie kick, so imagine how excited I was to see this tear out in the new Food Network Magazine (so excited I ripped it when removing it from the magazine).  Crazy as it might sound, I had never really made a smoothie until a few months ago.  It certainly seems easy enough to make, toss some fruit, yogurt and maybe milk or ice cubes right?  There is an actual formula and sequence that is necessary to get a nice creamy smoothie and Food Network Magazine gave me some  interesting new mix-in ideas to jazz up my boring, lumpy smoothies.  For the most part though, anything goes in smoothie land, mix and match whatever you like. A creative mind could find an endless number of smoothies to make.  Have fun!

My Perfect Smoothie Formula

1 Cup Ice
1-2 Cups Liquid - Milk, Soy Milk, Juice
1/2 Cup Yogurt - Plain, Greek, Vanilla
1-1.5 Cup Fresh or Frozen Fruit

Optional

• 1-2 Tablespoons Sweet - Sugar, Honey, Vanilla Extract, Lime Juice
• Dash-1 Teaspoon Herbs and Spices - Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Fresh Basil, Ginger
• Protein Powder - I am not a health nut, don't know much about these things, but many people put protein in their smoothies.  Not me.
• Added nutrients - Flax Seed, my sister-in-law puts flax seeds in all the smoothies she makes, something I want to add to mine for healthy family colons.  I suppose you could sneak any added nutrient or vitamin into a smoothie if you need it, go crazy!
• Coffee - Make your own Coolata!

Preparation:  Ice first!  Place the ice cubes in first and hit the Ice Crush bottom on your blender.  Once the ice is crushed to perfect consistency add the rest of the ingredients then blend on high for a minute.  If it gets stuck, add a bit more liquid or mix so the ice is not stuck on the bottom clogging the blender.

Fun Ingredients

• Exotic Fruits: Kiwi, Mango, Papaya, Coconut Milk, Pomegranate 
• Melon:  Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Pumpkin puree, try some of those weird ones in the produce isle you have never heard of.
• Citrus: any kind of citrus could be blended.   Remember lemon and lime juice in small doses add some zing to a smoothie.  A bit of peel or zest would be good too.
• Veggies:  Hide the healthy stuff! Carrots, Spinach
• Coffee
• Obvious Fruits:  Apples, Grapes, Berries, Bananas
• Nuts:  Peanut butter, Nutella
• Dairy:  Yogurts, Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese 
• Not so healthy: Ice cream, cookies, candy, you could go anywhere with this, think DQ Blizzard.

Crazy Cubes
My new favorite thing is coconut milk ice cubes.  Found this little tip in the Food Network pull out, freeze coconut milk in an ice cube tray then you have flavorful ice cubes to add to your smoothie.  Imagine how good those ice cubes will be this summer in a Rum Runner.  Can't wait!

Banana Split Bread

Yucky Bananas = Yummy Bread!

Yucky Bananas

Yummy Bread 

I have never been one who is able to throw out a brown banana.  I use to take the "past due" bananas from the hotels I worked at so I could make banana bread for the staff, it just seems sad to throw them out.  This little personality flaw, if you will, has me always searching for new and different banana bread recipes.  Here is a recipe that sounded a bit sketchy when I first read it, but I happened to have all the ingredients on hand so I figured let's give it a whir.  So glad I tried it, it is great!  I discovered this recipe on one of my new favorite recipe websites:  www.crisco.com.  Dairy-Free!!  Well it has chocolate chips in it so not totally dairy free, but my little guy is starting to handle small amounts of dairy, chocolate chips now seem ok.  His 2nd birthday is in February and I have worked my hopes up way out of line with reality.  I seem to think he will be 100% cured of all allergies and will sleep through the night on the date of his 2nd birthday.  Sooo setting myself up for heartache, I know.

I had to change this recipe up a bit as it called for a banana bread mix.  I took a "from scratch" recipe and altered it slightly to adjust for all the moist fruit in this bread.  It also called for a sugary icing, it is plenty sweet enough with all the fruit and sugar.  I skipped the icing and am glad I did.  The bread is perfect and not at all like a creepy fruit bread.  It also seems like the sort of thing that would have been invented by a home cook for a cooking contest so I will call it practice for the future.

Banana Split Bread 
Source:  Variation on recipe found here:  Crisco Banana Split Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup smashed bananas (or a bit more, I used 3 old bananas)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz can sliced pineapple, then chop it small
1/3 cup diced maraschino cherries
1/3 cup chocolate chips
optional - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray or Crisco/flour.

Cream together the sugar, banana, oil and eggs with electric beater.  In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt.  Slowly sift the flour mixture into the bananas until batter is completely mixed.  Drain the canned pineapple and chop it into small chunks (you could use crushed, but it seems like it would be too wet).  Chop the cherries into quarters so they are decent bites in the bread.  Add pineapple, cherries and chocolate chips to the batter and fold in mixing by hand, add nuts now if you desire.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Loaf French Toast

Is that the most beautiful bread?  Well maybe you could better enjoy it's beauty if the picture was taken with a fancy new camera that I might get for Christmas.  Think we are going to do it.  I need to improve my pictures to make my blog real.

Ok - crazy week ahead!  I hope to blog the crazy as it goes on, bear with me.  We have a kids Christmas party (cookies!), an Argentine Tango Wedding Reception (that I am the wedding coordinator for) and a Cookie Exchange (more cookies!).  Oh and today is my birthday!  Happy Birthday to me.  The wedding is clearly the big event of the week.  A close family friend was married in Spain last month, she is holding a reception in Cambridge this Saturday for 100 people.  I have been her wedding coordinator, organized the whole thing and this week is go time.  There will be a big blog post covering the whole event.

While finishing up the wedding cake order, I saw this loaf of bread waiting to be wrapped up on the counter at the bakery.  This was too good to pass up.  We ate half the loaf just sliced up, then I had to stop the slicing because I got the fabulous idea of making French Toast with what was left.  I love French Toast. I think it is the first thing I ever cooked.  I was quite the French Toast pro as a kid, every weekend I would whip up a batch with the grocery store white bread a few eggs and milk.  Such a simple  recipe and oh so good.  This beautiful braided cinnamon bread made perfect French Toast, no need to add cinnamon.  I used vanilla soy milk this time for my little "dairy" boy, didn't have a problem at all with it.  I also cooked his slices in the soy butter, came out crispy and perfect.

Cinnamon Loaf French Toast 

INGREDIENTS
8 slices of cinnamon bread
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
butter for the grill
powdered sugar for dusting
Maple syrup

Beat the eggs and milk in a shallow dish.  Soak the bread slices in the milk/egg batter, both sides, while the skillet gets hot over medium/high heat.  Melt a big pat of butter on the skillet.  Drop a sopping slice of bread on the skillet.  Cook a few minutes until golden brown.  Flip.  When perfect on both sides, drop the French Toast on a plate and top with Maple syrup.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Perfection!

Contest Entry - Sausage Pecan Bisc-Muffins

Contest:  Jimmy Dean "Crumble Rumble" Contest
Entry:  Sausage Pecan Bisc-Muffin
Source:  Me!

This is a blogger contest and Jimmy Dean Sausage, love both!  You have to enter two original recipes using Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles; one breakfast and one non-breakfast.  The contests is being presented by10 different bloggers, to enter you must claim a blog as your host.   The winner and the blogger mentioned get a free trip to NYC to see the Rachael Ray Show.  My biggest problem was finding the product.  I am guessing New England is not a hot market for Jimmy Dean Country Sausage.  Jimmy Dean has a whole wall at the Wal-Mart by my parent's house in Houston, however here in Massachusetts there is a tiny single row of about 10 packages of sausage crammed in between all the Italian sausages.  I have been to 5 different grocery chains, asked, looked in the fresh meat and freezer department and still have not found the Jimmy Dean Hearty Crumbles.  So sad, but I can make it the good old fashioned way and brown my own Jimmy Dean Sausage to create the crumbles, so that is what I have done.  I predict the crumbles will make their way to our stores soon (especially since I spoke to so many grocery managers) and I'll be first in line to buy them!

Here is the challenge:  How do you create a new breakfast recipe using Jimmy Dean!?!  It feels like everything has been done that could be done with their breakfast sausage.  I was hung up on maple syrup and sausage, maybe a waffle/pancake with sausage combo - done.  How about sausage/egg something - done sooo many ways.  Ugh!  What could be new?  Not sure if my entry is new, but it is new to me.  I used a trick I learned from a Pillsbury finalist to make a muffin out of biscuit dough.  I tried to fit all of the best things about breakfast into this little bisc-muffin.  We'll see if it does the trick.  Hope Jimmy Dean hasn't seen anything too close to this before.

Sausage Pecan Bisc-Muffins
Created by: Stephanie Almeda 

INGREDIENTS
1 can of refrigerated home style biscuits
1/4 Cup Crushed Pecans
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Package of  Jimmy Dean Hearty Sausage Crumbles
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8 spots in a regular muffin tin.  Pop open the can of biscuits, divide the biscuits then cut each one in half horizontally creating 16 different pieces.  Fill each of the 8 muffin cups with 1 teaspoon of crushed pecans and 1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup.  Place 1/2 a biscuit in the muffing cup pressing down firmly to mash the pecans into the dough.  Fold the dough up the sides of the cup slightly.  Place 1 heaping tablespoon of Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles on top of dough.  Top with 1 heaping teaspoon of shredded cheddar.  Place another biscuit half onto of the sausage and cheese.  Press down slightly around the perimeter of the biscuit to seal the dough.  Repeat with all 8 biscuits.  Place in pre-heated oven for 15-18 minutes or until bisc-muffins are golden brown.  Let cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes.  Flip the muffin pan over on a cooling rack so the muffins fall out and the maple syrup and pecans top the muffins like an upside down cake.  Eat while hot!

Served 8

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread is probably the most popular food blog post this month.  Every food blog I read has some kind of recent zucchini bread post.  I hate to be like everyone else, but I just can't pass up the chance to make and share zucchini bread.  Of all the breakfast type breads or muffins, zucchini is my favorite!  I never miss the chance to make it when the zucchinis are cheap, fresh or given to me.  I was intrigued by the variety of breads out there on the blogs.  Lots of chocolate zucchini breads, hmmm.  I went super simple and classic.  This recipe is a combination of many recipes. This bread is non-dairy and no nuts this year for my little allergy boy, I really didn't miss either the bread was still moist and delicious.  Since I had fresh ginger on hand we threw it in, made the bread extra spicy.  The boys loved it!  I used this bread as my bride for the week, this was the "treat" they got for good behavior and it worked!

Zucchini Bread
Combination of several recipes found
Yield: 2 loaves

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2+ cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger root
dash of nutmeg
dash of ground clove
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans.  I use the Bakers Joy spray.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, fresh ginger nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, salt and dashes of nutmeg and clove..
Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
Bake loaves for about 60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and serve warm with butter.  I also love it toasted in the morning with butter.  Yum!!!

 Use a box grater to get perfect pieces of zucchini for your bread.  In the ingredients I list 2+ cups of zucchini.  I like to taste the zucchini in the bread so I fill my Pyrex 2 cupper up to the top, it is probably almost 3 cups.  You can't have too much zucchini in a zucchini bread - that's my opinion.

Baking away!  I sliced into my breads too quickly after they were done to actually get a pretty after shot.  Oops.  We just had to eat it!

Blueberry Muffin Tops

Contest: 44th Pillsbury Bake Off Top 100 Finalist - Entry by Susan Spicko

Top of the Muffin to you! We can't discuss this recipe without a Seinfeld reference. These "muffin cookies," as my son is calling them, are really good. Light and fluffy with a crispy edge much like a muffin top. I have to wonder how Pillsbury feels about recipes like this where they take the cookie dough and make a new batter out of it. I thought that changing the dough into a new dough might be a sort of cheat, but after trying this I can see the value in it. Could it be the cookie dough in the batter that makes the edges crispier than a regular muffin dough would create? I don't think I could ever come up with something like this. Playing with baking recipes intimidates me. Cooking is more creative and like art, open to any and all possibilities than baking. I feel like baking is a true science and certain rules must not be broken. It must be the addition of the baking soda and baking powder that makes the cookie dough turn into a light fluffy muffin. Good stuff! Of the four recipes I have tried from the Top 100, this is my current vote for the million. I can't say it is the best of the 100, but it is the best of my four trials. Good luck Susan - I think you have a pretty good chance!

Blueberry Muffin Tops by Susan Spicko

INGREDIENTS

1	roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 1/4	cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1/4	cup sugar
2	tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
1/2	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon baking soda
1	package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1	EGGLAND’S BEST egg
1/3	cup milk
2	to 3 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4	cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1.	Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the flour, sugar and butter with fork until crumbly; set aside to use for topping. In another small bowl, mix remaining 1 cup flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
2.	In medium bowl, beat dough and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in egg, milk, lemon peel and lemon juice until well blended. Stir in flour mixture just until combined (do not overmix; mixture will be a thick batter). Carefully fold in blueberries. (If using thawed berries, rinse and pat dry with paper towel before adding.)
3.	Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 1 to 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets, using rubber spatula to scrape batter from tablespoon. Bake 3 minutes; remove from oven. Sprinkle each muffin top with about 1 teaspoon crumb topping; immediately return to oven.
4.	Bake 16 to 20 minutes longer or just until edges begin to brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 to 3 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Serve warm or cool. I was worried the blueberries would run and make my muffins purple, but they folded in pretty well. I had to get my pretty roses in the picture, they are just opening and so lovely.

Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins

Contest: 44th Pillsbury Bake Off Top 100 Finalist - Cynthia Bowser

I made this recipe this weekend as another Pillsbury Top 100 Finalist taste test. Makes a great muffin, sort of sophisticated, not too sweet like too many breakfast muffins these days. I had to do some substitutions so it was not the exact recipe entered. I used apricot and cherry preserves in the muffins and I only made a few with almonds, the rest I used graham cracker crumbs (got a nut allergy in the house). This was a great recipe, but not sure if this is the million dollar recipe. Maybe my standards are too high, but I feel if you are going to win a million dollars you have to do something that has never been done with the Pillsbury product. There are many recipes in the Top 100 that are sandwiches or burgers and they use Pillsbury products for the bun/bread. How is that a million dollar idea? Pillsbury dough is meant to be bread. If it has a great burger in it, that is nice, but how is that a Pillsbury original? Just my two cents, which is all I have since I ain't winning a million dollars. These muffins are good, worth making again.

Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins by Cynthia Bowser

INGREDIENTS

4	oz cream cheese (half of 8-oz package), softened
1/2	cup sugar
1/4	teaspoon almond extract
1/4	teaspoon vanilla
1/2	cup Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Blanched Slivered Almonds, finely chopped
1	can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
3	tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Unsalted or Salted Butter, melted
1/4	cup Smucker's® Blueberry Preserves

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 8 regular-size muffin cups (2 3/4x1 1/4 inches) with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2.	In medium bowl, stir cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, almond extract and vanilla until smooth and creamy; set aside.
3.	In medium shallow bowl, mix almonds and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
4.	Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Separate 1 biscuit into 3 layers. Brush 1 layer with melted butter. Firmly press layer, butter side down, into almond mixture, coating evenly. Place layer, almond side down, in bottom and up side of muffin cup. Fill with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture; spread evenly. Top with second biscuit layer; press edges of layers together. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the preserves onto middle of second layer. Brush third biscuit layer with melted butter; firmly press, butter side down, into almond mixture. Place third layer, almond side up, on second layer; press edge of third layer into edge of second layer.
5.	Repeat with remaining biscuits, refrigerating biscuits if dough becomes too soft to separate. Sprinkle any remaining almond mixture onto tops of biscuits.
6.	Bake 17 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes before serving.