Cousin Cake

     Last night we had our first family gathering at our house since Wren was born and since our kitchen has been back in business.  It has been such a long time since everyone gathered at our house.  We have had so much to celebrate in the last few weeks, with the birth of Maverick and Wren.  Jaxson and Ace have been very excited to be big brothers and cousins.  When I decided to invite everyone over for dessert, I told Jax and Ace it was a cousin party. 

Butterfinger Brownies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approximately 16 Fun Size bars)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl.
2. Add vanilla and eggs and mix.

3.  On a low speed, add flour, salt and baking soda until just combined.
4. Stir in your chopped Butterfinger.
5. Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is set.
6. Remove from oven and cool completely. 

Butterfinger Buttercream

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger Bars (approximately 4 Fun Size bars)

Method

1. Cream butter and shortening together until smooth.

2. Add the powdered sugar on a low speed.  Increase speed to medium and mix until smooth.

3. Spread the frosting on the butterfinger brownies.  Sprinkle the chopped butterfinger bar on top of the brownies. 

Samoa Bars 

Cookie Base

Ingredients 

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

 1/4 tsp salt

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. 

3. Gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour crumbly dough into the pan and press into an even layer.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping

Ingredients  

3 cups shredded coconut

12 oz. chewy caramels

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp milk

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 300.
1. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes.  Stir every five minutes. stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet and set aside.
2. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
3. Spread the coconut mixture over the cookie base.  Let topping set until cooled.
4. Melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the bars.
5. Use a pizza cutter to cut the bars into squares.

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Zucchini

     Nearly two weeks ago, on August 13th, our baby Wren Teagan Agnes was born.  It's hard to believe she hasn't always been here.  My heart is filled with so much love for this sweet little girl.  Arnauld and I couldn't be happier.  On Wren's one week birthday, Arnauld consulted September issue of Everyday Food for dinner inspiration.  This is what he came up with and it was delicious!  Thanks Arn!

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Zucchini

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
3 medium zucchini, cut into half moons
salt and pepper
1-1.5 lb skirt steak
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Method
1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until the zucchini is tender and browned, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining oil to the skillet.  Season the steak with salt and pepper and cook until browned-about 4-5 minutes per side.  Transfer to a place and loosely cover in foil.
3. Remove the fat from the foil.  Add the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 teaspoons of pepper.  Stir until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
4. Slice the steak and and add any juices on the plate to the skillet.  Stir and then drizzle over the steak.

Arnauld thought rice would be a good addition to this meal.  He has a go to video he likes to watch whenever he makes rice.  His rice always turns out non-sticky and fluffy. Here is a link to the video:

How to Cook Non-Sticky Rice

Wren

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Cups

    This past Tuesday, I had invited my brother and sister over for breakfast.  I planned to make bacon, egg, and cheese cups, a recipe I found online, because my brother is a big fan of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.  I thought we could use a little quality time together.  It turns out that my sister's baby had other plans.  Maverick Timothy Ritchie was born at 11:14 am, weighing in at 8 pounds and 14 ounces and measuring 20 inches long...3 weeks early!  He is a beautiful baby and if we had to cancel breakfast for something, I'm glad it was him.  I just put this recipe on hold until today, Maverick's homecoming. 

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Cups
Recipe adapted from stolenmomentscooking.com

 Ingredients
Biscuit Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Filling
6 eggs
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 package turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter using a pastry blender.  Stir in milk and egg until the dough begins to come together.  Set aside.
2. Whisk eggs in a large bowl.
3. Stir in cream cheese and milk until smooth.
4. Stir in bacon and cheese.
5. Press about 2 teaspoons of biscuit dough into each cup of a lightly greased muffin tin.  The dough should come up about 3/4 of the way to the top of each cup.
6. Bake for 3 minutes and then remove from the oven.
7. Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture to each cup.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs are set and the biscuit dough is browned.

The Taste Test
This recipe was supposed to make 24 egg cups but I think I used too much dough in each cup.  I made 18 but didn't have enough egg mixture to fill each cup.  I ended up beating 3 additional eggs and throwing in some cheese to make some meatless egg cups.  These egg cups were very tasty and I imagine very adaptable.  You could add in any of your favorite omelet ingredients.  The blog that I found this recipe said that you could freeze the pre-made egg cups and defrost them for quick and easy breakfast options. 

Sweet baby Maverick.

Jax and Ace meeting their baby brother for the first time.

Proud mamas.

Ace checking the baby out.

Pretzel Rolls

     Earlier this week, Arnauld sent me an email about the lunch of the day at his cafeteria- roast beef sandwiches on pretzel rolls.  When I first started reading the email, I thought he was going to ask me if I wanted him to bring me one home and I was thinking to myself, "since when do I eat roast beef?"  But as I read more, I found out that he had never heard of a pretzel roll before and he had found a recipe for us to try on the weekend.   I've never actually had a pretzel roll myself, but my friend Heather had suggested them as a good addition for the sweet potato burgers I made a while back. The recipe Arnauld sent was a great surprise since Arnauld doesn't often give suggestions and I like a little help in the idea department.  The blog that the recipe came from, Stresscake, was also amazing.  The pictures were so clear, the dishes were all unique and looked delicious.  A new source for inspiration!
     So this morning we stopped at the grocery store to buy some yeast, the only ingredient we were missing.  While Arnauld mowed the lawn and got stung by at least two bees, I baked pretzel rolls in the 90+ degree weather at nearly 10 months pregnant.  Needless to say, I needed a shower after this adventure.

Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water (I just used hot tap water)
1 tbsp active dry yeast (1 package) – not quick rise yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Poaching and Glazing
1/4 cup baking soda
large saucepan of water
1 egg, lightly beaten
pretzel salt (or coarse Kosher salt)

Method
1. Add yeast and warm water to your mixing bowl.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes and become frothy.  Then add the sugar, salt, flour, and butter.  Mix using a stand mixer and the hook attachment.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl.  Cover with a towel and allow to sit and rise for an hour.
3. Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough, using a pizza cutter, into 15-18 pieces.
4. Create dough balls by pulling up the sides of the dough and pinching.  Repeat this process until you have formed a round ball.  Place the balls on parchment lined baking sheets, one inch apart.  Cover the rolls with a thin towel and allow to sit and rise for 30 minutes.
5. Next, preheat the over to 425 degrees.  Arrange the oven racks on the lowest and middle settings.
6. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a simmer.
7. Drop a few of the rolls into the water at a time for poaching, pinched side down.  After 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to flip the rolls over.  After 30 seconds, remove the rolls and return to baking sheets.
8. After all of the rolls have been poached, use a basting brush to completely coat the rolls with a layer of egg.  Then top each roll off with a pinch of salt.
9. Place trays in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Halfway through baking, rotate and swap the trays for even baking.
10. Remove rolls from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Rolls can be tightly wrapped and frozen.

We made our rolls into sandwiches for dinner.

The Taste Test

     I was definitely a little nervous about making these rolls.  After first reading the steps, I was a bit intimidated, especially by the poaching.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may recall my first attempt at poaching eggs... But everything went a lot smoother than anticipated and the end result was chewy and amazing-just like a real pretzel.

Otis, all groomed and ready for his sister to arrive, hence the pink collar...

Moose is also ready.

Dijon and Maple Chicken

    So Arnauld and I are getting back into the swing of dinners together at home.  I do the cooking and he just gets home early enough to eat.  I guess that's the beauty of not working in the summer.  We'll see how I am able to keep this up in the fall...with a baby, while working.  Somehow I think we'll manage- especially since most of the recipes I attempt are fairly simple and easy to prepare.  Time will tell.

Dijon and Maple Chicken
Recipe from wittyinthecity.com

Ingredients
1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
fresh rosemary

Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
1. Combine mustard, syrup, and vinegar in a small bowl.
2. Place chicken in a foil lined baking dish.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Pour 2/3 of the mustard mixture onto the chicken.  Turn the chicken over to coat the chicken completely.
4. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes.  Halfway through, drizzle additional sauce over the chicken to keep in moist.
5. Remove from over and sprinkle with rosemary.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.


     

Tomato Season

    Well tomato season is about to be in full swing.  My Grandma gave me my first bag of garden goodies a few days ago.  She packed some green beans, lots of grape tomatoes along with what she calls "banana" tomatoes, 2 small cucumbers, and a green squash.  I have used the squash in scrambled eggs, the tomatoes to make our favorite roasted eggplant with tomato and mint.  With just the beans, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers left I went for a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I'm sure there will be plenty of new ideas and recipes inspired by Gram's garden.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad 
Recipe from onceuponacuttingboard.com

  
Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Toss and serve.

No Bake Berry Cheesecake

     This past weekend, my Aunt Louise was in town so my parents had a little picnic to get some of our family together.  I had pinned this cheesecake on Pinterest just because I thought it was pretty and I was itching for a reason to whip it up.  So Sunday morning, Arnauld and I went to the grocery store bright and early and I spent the rest of the morning making a major mess in the kitchen.  With more counter space, you can really spread out and my big sink sure holds a lot of dirty dishes!
    The recipe I was working from did not use conventional US measurements, so I found myself pulling the calculator out to try and convert deciliters and grams into things like cups and tablespoons.  Not everything converted very evenly so I improvised.  Also, when I first made the cheesecake filling based on my calculations, the mixture was very watery, so I added more cream cheese.  The ingredients listed below reflect the changes I made.  Since this is a no bake recipe, I don't think you can really mess it up.  So if you wanted to add more berries or different fruit all together, I'm sure it would all work out fine!
     So the family picnic was a lot of fun.  It was nice catching up with my aunts and uncles and also my cousin Brett and his family.  The kids had a blast playing together and it was a great day for everyone.
    
No Bake Berry Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from blog.jelanieshop.com

Ingredients
Crust
2 rows of Oreo cookies from a 15.5 oz package plus 5-8 additional cookies
1 cup butter, melted
Cheesecake
2 packages cream cheese
7.5 oz ricotta
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
zest of a lemon

8-10 large strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup raspberries

Method
1. Crush 2 rows of cookies in a food processor until finely ground.  Mix in butter.
2. Press cookie mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan (the bottom should be wrapped in plastic wrap or parchment paper.)  Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
3. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine cream cheese, ricotta, heavy cream, sugar, and lemon zest.  Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Puree the strawberries in the food processor.  Mix the strawberries with half of the cheesecake mixture.  Pour on top of the cookie crust you placed in the freezer.  Return to the freezer for 30 minutes.
5. Puree the blueberries and raspberries in the food processor.  Mix with the remaining cheesecake filling.
6. Separate the remaining 5-8 Oreos and place on top of the strawberry layer of the cheesecake.  Then add the blueberry/raspberry filling.
7. Place entire cheesecake in the freezer for about 6 hours.  Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

 The Taste Test
     I thought this cake was delicious.  It needed a little longer than 30 minutes to thaw out, although it tasted good frozen too!

The boys.

My Dad with his big sisters.

The whole gang trying to deflate the pirate pool.