My weekend went much like expected and there was many things to smile at. On Saturday my boutique sale ended up being a pay to get in event so I headed to the Rack in hopes of finding some fabulous pieces to fill my shopping void. You never know when that perfect Diane Von Furstenberg dress for you can be found at discount. One can hope. When I headed home against the crazy abnormal but fun wind, that felt like a tunnel of spin, I had a bright blue Nordstrom Rack bag filled with stacked pointed black patent heels (A new little known house brand called StarLing- worn and refurbished), stacked red patent round toe shoes with a cork heel (you don't want to know who they are buy- she sings country now and her shoes are a guilty pleasure), and silver bullet looking Nikes to encourage my new workout groove. Mission accomplished! Being that I was in downtown Seattle, I thought a quick lunch in the market would be great but was met with lines of tourists, and headed back to my car empty handed. A emergency stop off at Metropolitan Foods for sushi happened on the way home because of my faint head. Sometime between starting my day at the gym and lounging watching a UFC match with a favorite new fight(Forrest) on Saturday, I also stopped by Archie McPhee in Ballard, and was a little disappointed. I couldn't really pinpoint what I expected the Seattle landmark store to be but was let down all the same. So much hype! I did discover that it would be a handy place for adding randoms to a Halloween costume. I am all sorts of excited about Halloween this year. I even kicked off my weekend with a quick trip to Target where I purchased a silver and black cobweb table runner that now serves as the center to my Halloween table scape. When you grow up not really celebrating Halloween it is fun to participate as an adult.
On Sundays I am usually always found at one time or another wandering the Ballard Market. On this weekend's trip, with Pumpkin Ravioli recipe in hand, I was lucky enough to find Sage at the only booth in the market offering it. Score*I also picked up a Pear from a small fruit stand from Cashmere. It had one smiling person working at it and it was fun to interact with him. I purchased the Pear to fulfill my lunch of pancakes with pears and an egg attempt. I came with the idea in the car after mentally combing my cupboard for lunch ideas without much needed purchase. As I anticipated, the pears were a perfect addition to my heart healthy pancakes and my egg was overcooked. I attempted to make an egg over easy and got egg over hard. Next time I will let it only be on the flipped side for 1 minute vs. 2-3 minutes. On a bright note the sage I picked up was the perfect addition to my sauce for the raviolis. I quartered the sauce so to only have as much as I needed, and found that it kept its consistency and was able to be reheated without solidifying or burning. I also added more peas then called for and found they paired nicely with the other taste elements. Fyi* I started the sauce about 3/4th of the way though cooking the raviolis since the recipe called for them to be cooked individually. I made 6 raviolis in totally for dinner that night and felt very full on that portion. The remainder of the filling I stored in Tupperware for version two this week. Upon seeing the results I decided that version two would be triangle style ravioli with a reduction in filling and only one won ton per pasta piece.
I also must note that on Sunday before my Pumpkin Ravioli dinner, I also browsed shops along Ballard Ave. when I stopped by the market. I love the vibe of Ballard on Sundays and it seemed like the perfect time to pop into little shops that are somewhat intimidation when there are not lots of people and business around. I was pleasantly surprised. I found-
Damslfly- a cute shop with clothing, baby items, purses, and knick-knacks
Camelion Design- an interiors store with great candles and ideas
There were a few others, but I was having so much fun smelling new candles for a me scent and looking at housewares to write their names down.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Fashion Sale and Fall Pumpkin Baking Weekend~
I have discovered a lot of fun new blogs lately and they continue to inspire and enhance what I do. Daily Candy comes straight to my email. This week it had a fun mailer for happenings this weekend in Seattle and I found this Ballard event-
SHOP! Boutique Warehouse Sale & Bazaar
What: Dozens of local boutiques including Lambs Ear, Les Amis, Impulse, Clutch, and Blackbird offer at least 50 percent off attire and accessories.
Why: How bazaar.
When: Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St. (206-789-5707).
*Les Amis was one of my favorite shops to browse in when I lived in Fremont- I am excited for this fun Saturday Ballard event. For some reason I find myself going to Ballard more and more- it has great food- Senor Moose- La Isla- Carta de Oaxaca, a wonderful farmer's market, and lots of places to plant at for a while.
This weekend I also plan on starting my yearly pumpkin recipes overload. Pumpkin is on of my favorite flavors. Pumpkin ice cream, muffins, cookies, breads, desserts, candy, butter, etc. I hate pumpkin lattes though- I blame Starbucks. Megan's Munchies, a great blog, has been loading a lot of inventive and tasty pumpkin recipes for a while. I am curious about her pumpkin ravioli recipe and plan on making it. The recipe cuts back on the calories which makes me happy.
Pumpkin Raviolis
won ton wrappers (square or circle)1 cup skim ricotta cheese1/2 cup pumpkin puree1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix cheeses, pumpkin and nutmeg in a bowl. For each ravioli, put one tablespoon mixture in the middle of a wrapper. Moisten edges and places another wrapper on top. Press down on edges to seal. Cook one at a time in boiling water for 2-3 minutes each. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat for all raviolis. This recipe makes about 18 raviolis.
Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese2 teaspoons sage
2 cups skim milk6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked peas
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and sage stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and peas. Remove from heat when sauce is the consistency you desire.
SHOP! Boutique Warehouse Sale & Bazaar
What: Dozens of local boutiques including Lambs Ear, Les Amis, Impulse, Clutch, and Blackbird offer at least 50 percent off attire and accessories.
Why: How bazaar.
When: Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St. (206-789-5707).
*Les Amis was one of my favorite shops to browse in when I lived in Fremont- I am excited for this fun Saturday Ballard event. For some reason I find myself going to Ballard more and more- it has great food- Senor Moose- La Isla- Carta de Oaxaca, a wonderful farmer's market, and lots of places to plant at for a while.
This weekend I also plan on starting my yearly pumpkin recipes overload. Pumpkin is on of my favorite flavors. Pumpkin ice cream, muffins, cookies, breads, desserts, candy, butter, etc. I hate pumpkin lattes though- I blame Starbucks. Megan's Munchies, a great blog, has been loading a lot of inventive and tasty pumpkin recipes for a while. I am curious about her pumpkin ravioli recipe and plan on making it. The recipe cuts back on the calories which makes me happy.
Pumpkin Raviolis
won ton wrappers (square or circle)1 cup skim ricotta cheese1/2 cup pumpkin puree1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix cheeses, pumpkin and nutmeg in a bowl. For each ravioli, put one tablespoon mixture in the middle of a wrapper. Moisten edges and places another wrapper on top. Press down on edges to seal. Cook one at a time in boiling water for 2-3 minutes each. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat for all raviolis. This recipe makes about 18 raviolis.
Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese2 teaspoons sage
2 cups skim milk6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked peas
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and sage stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and peas. Remove from heat when sauce is the consistency you desire.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Baking Groove~
In the last few weeks I have been baking more. My cornbread experience was just the start! It feels so good to be in the kitchen again with flour and a mixing bowl- knowing that unlike cooking- baking is about exacts and tweaking to get results that make you swoon. These are the recipes that were successful and will be added to the notebook I keep full of stained and destroyed printed out recipes. I am constantly touching my recipes with my baking hands all throughout the process and have come to cherish those stains and smile at them as evidence of the experience.
Sugar High Friday- Black-Bottom Cupcakes
Every Day with Rachael Ray
February 2007
MAKES TWO DOZEN
Prep Time: 35 min Cook Time: 25 min
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
Salt
1 large egg
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the baking soda and cocoa powder. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.
* I added 2 tsp. of orange extract to jazz up the recipe and it resulted in a slight fun flavor. Maybe next time less vanilla and more orange? Also, I used Ghauridelli milk chocolate chips that I found at Cost Plus World Market- these are a little larger in size but the taste and quality is great for cooking. These are the cupcakes that I made for the blog event Sugar High Friday on Sept. 26th. My first attempt at homemade cupcakes and it was not more difficult then making cupcakes out of the box. The texture was definitely a little different but the result was very tasty.
Zucchini Bread
Yield2 loaves, 28 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Cooking Light, APRIL 1996
INGREDIENTS
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegetable cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place zucchini on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towel. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Set aside.
Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through baking powder) in a large bowl, and stir well; make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, applesauce, egg substitute, oil, and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Divide batter evenly between 2 (7 1/2 x 3-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 128 (20% from fat)
Fat: 2.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 1.9g
Carbohydrate: 23.9g
Fiber: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.8mg
Sodium: 136mg
Calcium: 9mg
* I used 3 cups of zucchini in this recipe which was one LARGE zucchini from my mothers garden. I added about a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice to help the bread. My applesauce was made from pureed spiced apples that I purchase jarred at Trader Joe's. I found that the cup measurements before hand were about the same as after I processed the spiced apples in my mini food processor. Also, I used 2 8x5 pans instead so the time was about 45 minutes. The bread gets softer left overnight in saran wrap. It is great for breakfast and is a more heartier stiff bread vs. the moist moist Starbucks style kind.
Almost No Fat Banana Bread
Allrecipes.com
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 55 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 5 Min
Original recipe yield 1 - 8x4 inch loaf I
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 cup banana, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add egg whites, bananas and applesauce; stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.
*This bread is amazing. It is more than moist. I used 3 bananas and the same technique for the applesauce as I did with my zucchini bread. I also used 1/2 cup egg substitute instead of 2 egg whites. I have brought this bread for breakfast everyday this week and enjoyed my post workout cubicle snack. Watch out it is a little addicting. I have made this recipe in a 13x9 a couple years ago and remember it being very tasty in bar form- I am not sure of the the baking time I used though.
Cream Cheese Squares
Kraft Foods
INGREDIENTS
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll 1 of the cans of crescent dough. Press onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan to form crust, firmly pressing seams together to seal.
Beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread onto crust.
Unroll remaining can of crescent dough onto large sheet of wax paper. Pat out dough to form 13x9-inch rectangle, pressing seams together to seal. Invert over cream cheese mixture to form top crust; discard wax paper.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until golden brown. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over squares before cutting.
*I used reduced fat crescent rolls and 1/3 less fat cream cheese. I had a little trouble transferring the top layer and it got tangled in the cream cheese as it was placed- but the finished product turned out as expected. I was a little disappointed with the over browning. I baked it exactly 30 minutes and it was a little more deeply browned then I wanted. I made these cream cheese squares because my work is having a potluck and I did not have the time to be really consumed with making a dish. This recipe has been successful for me before so I thought to try it again. I will just have to wait and see what the feedback is this time.
Sugar High Friday- Black-Bottom Cupcakes
Every Day with Rachael Ray
February 2007
MAKES TWO DOZEN
Prep Time: 35 min Cook Time: 25 min
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
Salt
1 large egg
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the baking soda and cocoa powder. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.
* I added 2 tsp. of orange extract to jazz up the recipe and it resulted in a slight fun flavor. Maybe next time less vanilla and more orange? Also, I used Ghauridelli milk chocolate chips that I found at Cost Plus World Market- these are a little larger in size but the taste and quality is great for cooking. These are the cupcakes that I made for the blog event Sugar High Friday on Sept. 26th. My first attempt at homemade cupcakes and it was not more difficult then making cupcakes out of the box. The texture was definitely a little different but the result was very tasty.
Zucchini Bread
Yield2 loaves, 28 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Cooking Light, APRIL 1996
INGREDIENTS
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegetable cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place zucchini on several layers of paper towels, and cover with additional paper towel. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Set aside.
Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through baking powder) in a large bowl, and stir well; make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, applesauce, egg substitute, oil, and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Divide batter evenly between 2 (7 1/2 x 3-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 128 (20% from fat)
Fat: 2.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 1.9g
Carbohydrate: 23.9g
Fiber: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.8mg
Sodium: 136mg
Calcium: 9mg
* I used 3 cups of zucchini in this recipe which was one LARGE zucchini from my mothers garden. I added about a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice to help the bread. My applesauce was made from pureed spiced apples that I purchase jarred at Trader Joe's. I found that the cup measurements before hand were about the same as after I processed the spiced apples in my mini food processor. Also, I used 2 8x5 pans instead so the time was about 45 minutes. The bread gets softer left overnight in saran wrap. It is great for breakfast and is a more heartier stiff bread vs. the moist moist Starbucks style kind.
Almost No Fat Banana Bread
Allrecipes.com
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 55 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 5 Min
Original recipe yield 1 - 8x4 inch loaf I
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 cup banana, mashed
1/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add egg whites, bananas and applesauce; stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.
*This bread is amazing. It is more than moist. I used 3 bananas and the same technique for the applesauce as I did with my zucchini bread. I also used 1/2 cup egg substitute instead of 2 egg whites. I have brought this bread for breakfast everyday this week and enjoyed my post workout cubicle snack. Watch out it is a little addicting. I have made this recipe in a 13x9 a couple years ago and remember it being very tasty in bar form- I am not sure of the the baking time I used though.
Cream Cheese Squares
Kraft Foods
INGREDIENTS
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll 1 of the cans of crescent dough. Press onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan to form crust, firmly pressing seams together to seal.
Beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread onto crust.
Unroll remaining can of crescent dough onto large sheet of wax paper. Pat out dough to form 13x9-inch rectangle, pressing seams together to seal. Invert over cream cheese mixture to form top crust; discard wax paper.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until golden brown. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over squares before cutting.
*I used reduced fat crescent rolls and 1/3 less fat cream cheese. I had a little trouble transferring the top layer and it got tangled in the cream cheese as it was placed- but the finished product turned out as expected. I was a little disappointed with the over browning. I baked it exactly 30 minutes and it was a little more deeply browned then I wanted. I made these cream cheese squares because my work is having a potluck and I did not have the time to be really consumed with making a dish. This recipe has been successful for me before so I thought to try it again. I will just have to wait and see what the feedback is this time.
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