Mid week, I was doing a little pantry cleaning/ inventorying of what I had and needed when I came upon not one, not two, or even three. No, six. SIX, jars of jam. And there are 2 that are already opened in the fridge. I don%u2019t know why, but knowing that there was that much jam in the house made me a little uneasy. Six unopened jars is about 3 jars past my comfort zone. Sure there are so many things you can do with a jar of jam (jelly, preserves, and marmalade included) and now that I am thinking about it, is one of the reasons why I bought a few jars a while back. Then there was Christmas and I think we got at least two jars as gifts so it%u2019s not all my fault, but still, that is just too many jars of jam. Right there I needed to get rid of at least one jar. So muffins. Jam muffins, with poppyseed crust because it%u2019s pretty and nobody ever complains about poppy seeds, or at least they don%u2019t until after they eat them and have poppy seeds stuck in their teeth all day. But that is just our mouths way of saving a little for later, am I right? HA
Anyway, a quick and simple muffin recipe for all of you people out there that might have a jar or two too many of jam in the fridge or pantry%u00a0(I used apricot but any flavor(s) would work) and could use yourself a tasty little muffin situation. I mean who doesn%u2019t want a tasty muffin?
To the muffins.
The stuff. In the bowl is white and white whole wheat flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Also have apricot jam, oil, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and orange, and some poppy seeds.
Grab a zester and zest the orange into the bowl with all the dry stuff. Whisk to combine.
Jam, oil, milk, and vinegar. All on top of dry. Whisk that up until just combined. No over mixing. You will get tough (not in a good way) muffins.
Scoop into well greased muffins tins then cover the tops with poppy seeds.
And out of the oven, looking all pretty like.
Pop those muffins out of the tins and cool on a wire rack for a bit. And by all means, don%u2019t wait until they are completely cool.
Now eat you a warm muffin and if they are mini, grab a few. You can%u2019t just eat one mini muffin, that is just crazy.
-C
Make 12 normal size muffins or 24 mini muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plant milk
1/3 cup neutral oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
zest of an orange
1 heaping cup apricot jam or preserves (can sub in any flavor you like)
1/3 cup poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, and the zest of the orange. Add in the oil, milk, jam, and vinegar and whisk until just incorporated. Scoop batter into well grease muffin pans (12 regular or 24 mini) then cover the tops with poppy seeds. Pop into hot oven and bake until risen and a tester comes out clean when one is poked. For mini muffins, check after 13 minutes, for normal muffins, after 16 minutes.
Once baked, remove from oven and pop out of pans when cool enough to handle. Place on a wire rack to cool completely or just start eating them warm.
Store left over muffins in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. They also freeze well.
I don%u2019t think I can ever eat potatoes any other way ever again.
It started with me, doing my weekly pantry cleaning, you know, when I wipe down ever surface, count all the beans and lentils in the jars to make sure I am not running low, and inspect every squash for soft spots. I was just going about my thing when I looked over at my waffle iron. Poor, sad, underused. And it hit me. When was the last time I waffled anything? I remember how excited I was when I found it a few years back at a thrift store. Such a cutie little iron. When I brought it home, I used it a bunch of times for maybe a week or two. And then it was put away and I think I have busted it out like 3 times in the past 2 years. So not cool.
I also noticed I had a shit load of potatoes left from thanksgiving.
And there I had it, a reason to use the waffle iron and a way to use up the potatoes. And now, now I am a potato on the waffle iron addict, which is weird because I am not a overly potatoy person in general. But now with this new waffled hash brown thing, well I might just be eating potatoes all day, every day. (At least until I get sick of them or I run out of potatoes.) They come out soft and fluffy inside, super crispy in ever little nook and cranny, outside. Evenly, perfectly cooked. It%u2019s hard to explain, but they are just, ugh, so good, especially dipped in mustard for a fantastic hash brown snack. (Yes mustard, no not ketchup. Let me do me, you do you.) Or smothered in refried black beans topped with salsa and avocado (that was the dinner version). These hash browns. Just make some and you will see.
And no matter what happens with my hash brown phase, I will be damned if I ever let the waffle iron go so long without use. It deserves better then that.
To the best hash browns EVER!
The stuff. Potatoes, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Shred potatoes. Simple, easy.
Place the shredded potatoes into a clean dish towel (avoid paper towels because paper towels are the devil) and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can.
Dump the squeezed out shredded taters back into the bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix it around.
Oil your hot iron and pile on the potatoes. Then close it and press it down. It%u2019s a bit dependent on your iron how long they will need to cook fully, mine took about 9 minutes on high. But maybe just stand close by and check yours after 7ish minutes but expect maybe 10 or so.
Deep golden brown and crispy all over.
I mean, really look. Every surface browned and crispy. It is freaking perfection!
And then like any good waffled food, you plate it, and eat it. Me, with horseradish mustard and a big stupid smile.
Thank you waffle iron. You done good.
-C
makes 2-3 servings
2-3 small to medium sized starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
couple teaspoons olive oil
teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Preheat your waffle iron to high
Shred potatoes on a box grater. Once shredded, gather in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the liquid as you can from the potatoes. Place potatoes back into bowl and add in about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper and mix around.
Open iron and brush with oil. Place shredded potatoes on the iron, kind of pack together, and close. If it locks, lock it shut, if it doesn%u2019t push it down. And let cook, for about 10 minutes, checking after 7ish (you iron might have more power the mine does). Once the potatoes are a deep golden crispy brown, remove from iron.
Then eat. Any way you want. Plain, with mustard or ketchup. Next to some scramble something or another. Piled high with some black beans and salsa. Whatever. Just eat them and be happy for the waffle iron.
I eat so much hummus. Everyday, all day. Homemade, store bought. If there is hummus, I will be consuming it. But the thing is, I usually don%u2019t eat more then a little at a time. (A little being like 1/2 a cup). And sure, sometimes that is just fine and enough, but other times, what I really want to do is garb a spoon and a bag of carrots and eat it all. And then I do.
But there is that little voice in the back of my head telling me that if someone where to catch me eating mounds of hummus, they would liken my eating behavior to that of someone eating a jar of mustard (Not going to lie, it happens sometimes) or of a bottle of ketchup (but I don%u2019t eat ketchup) and that have a problem and shouldn%u2019t being eating it like that. Because hummus, for some reason, has been put into the condiment category. It%u2019s treated like a dip or a spread and that is fine and dandy to eat it as such, but hummus is so much more. It can, and should be treated more like a main component to a dish. So let us step outside of that box and eat it how we really want to eat it.
Hummus by the bowlful. I know right! It just makes so much sense to me. And now to you too. We need to stop stopping ourselves from just a scoop or two because really, that is just not enough. Nope, this is for real. A bowl, full of hummus, topped with roasted veggies because that is just more deliciousness. And we get to eat it all.
Life can be pretty great sometime, you know. HA
Now to the bowl of hummus!
The stuff. We got chickpeas, tahini, a lemon, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. And Veggies. Brussel Sprouts, broccoli, onion, Swiss chard, and kale.
Chop up the broccoli, the onion and half or quarter the Brussel sprouts. And separately, chop up the kale and chard.
Toss the chopped Brussels, broccoli and onion into a baking sheet or oven safe skillet and season with salt and pepper. IF you want to toss in a little oil, go for it. Then pop the veggies into a hot oven to roast away.
Once the veggies are just about done to your liking, grab the chopped kale and chard and off to the veggies. Toss and roast for a few more minutes.
Hummus. Chickpeas with liquid, garlic, tahini, juice of lemon, and blend. Creamy smooth and delicious.
Dump that hummus into bowls.
And top with roasted veggies.
Would you look at that. Now all you need to to is dig in. Serve with extra lemon and black pepper. Grab your utensil of choice and eat.
-C
makes 2 servings if eating as a meal
3 cups cooked chickpeas in liquid
A lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
salt and pepper
10 or so Brussel sprouts
A small head of broccoli
A small onion
5-6 kale and or Swiss chard leaves
Note. Use whatever veggies you want. Fresh or already prepared. All and any leftovers would be great.
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut Brussel sprouts in half, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut up the broccoli and toss onto a baking sheet or an oven safe skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stick into the oven to roast for about 20 ish minutes or until nice and roasted. Feel free to toss the veggies in a little oil if you want. Chop up the kale and chard into smaller pieces. Once veggies are just a few minutes from being cooked to you liking, remove from oven, and toss in the greens. Cook for another 5 or so minutes until those are nice and wilted. Remove veggies from oven.
While veggies are roasting, make hummus. Place chick peas with liquid, the juice of the lemon, vinegar, garlic, and tahini into a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Dump into a bowls.
And when you have hummus make and veggies roasted, its time to compile. Dump the hummus into 2 bowls. Dump half of the roasted veggies into each bowl.. Squeeze more lemon juice onto both then grab a fork.
Eat. And yes, lick bowl clean. No shame.
Summertime is in full swing. Hot ass days, garden fresh veggies, zucchinis as big as whales, and did I mention that hot ass heat? If you have been around here before, you know how well I handle the heat. (NOT WELL AT ALL!)
I think we are all hot these days. But really, lets just focus on the good things, like fresh summa veggies!
This sandwich is all about summertime and not having to turn on a single flame or heat source and takes all of 5 minutes to make. Zucchini because it is everywhere, beans for more substance and they are delicious, all mixed up in a creamy bean and tahini sauce. Super fast, fresh and oh so delicious. I made a big batch for sandwiches but also I was just eating it with a fork. It%u2019s a tasty one that will be on the summer rotation for sure for the next few months, or until the zucchini runs out and I dare to turn the oven on again. (Ok, I am being a whine ass. It%u2019s not THAT bad and I did turn the oven on, early morning, to bake bread. So yeah.) But for real. This is a great, super fast, throw together, fresh, light but filling, sandwich situation for any and all of your summertime eating needs. What more do we need? The mr said all he needed with the sandwich were chips. Chips and a nice cold drink.
Done sir. Done.
Now to the sandwich!
The stuff. White beans, a zucchini, and a fresh spring onion. Also some tahini, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, a little vinegar and water, and salt and pepper. And to serve as a sandwich you need bread. lettuce, and tomato. Well you only need the bread, but you get what I am saying.
Fist off. Half the white beans go into blender or jar with the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, vinegar and a splash of water. Blended unit nice and creamy smooth. And yes, it is basically hummus but whatever.
Julienne the zucchini and chop up the onion.
Note. You don%u2019t have a mandolin or done%u2019t want to julienne with a knife, well just chop the zucchini into small little chunks.
Bean, onion, and zucchini in a bowl. Add in the bean tahini mixture and mix. And ta da, all done. All of 5 minutes and no heat. Good for us.
Now here is the thing. This salad is ready to eat now. You can continue onto the sandwich path or just eat it like it is with a fork. What I really liked to do is scoop spoonfuls into lettuce cups with a slice of tomato and a squirt or mustard. So yes sandwich, but also whatever else you want it to be.
But as a sandwich%u2026. Bread. And lettuce and tomato and heck, whatever else you want to throw on there. (Again, mustard is A+)
Now stop. Sandwich time.
Stay cool!
-C
makes 3-4 sandwiches
1 medium sized zucchini
2 1/2 cups cooked and strained white beans (a can will do)
1 spring onion (or a small white or red onion)
3 tablespoons tahini
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 lemon
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons warm water
salt and pepper
And to serve as a sandwich
bread or wrap of your choice
tomato slices
lettuce
anything else you want
Place half of the beans, tahini, garlic, juice of the lemon, and the vinegar into a jar and use a immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until creamy smooth. Add in a tablespoon at a time of water until the consistency is just slightly thinner then hummus.
Grab zucchini and using a mandolin or a knife and julienne it. (You can also just cut into small little cubes.) Dice the onion up into small pieces and toss with zucchini, onion, and the other half of beans into a big bowl. Dump the bean tahini mixture all over and veggies bean mixture and toss around. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make it a sandwich%u2026 Place a scoop onto a bread situation, add some lettuce and tomato and whatever else you want, and eat it.
I feel like this salad is kind of a summery salad, or better yet, a salad that highlights all the best of what summer has to bring. All the fresh tender dill that is still growing (but not for long) , all the brightly colored and amazing veggies that are being harvested and are nearing the end (bye fresh cucumbers.) This salad might just be my little last hurrah of summer cooking before it is all root veggies and dried herbs and hot and hearty food. And not going to lie and say that I am sad to see summer go because I am so so ready for it to be over, but I will miss all the fresh fresh produce. And I will especially miss all the fresh dill because fresh dill is seriously the best.
Eat up what is left of summer now before it%u2019s too late!
The stuff. Quinoa, a bunch of dill, a cucumber, a pepper, an onion, and some cherry tomatoes. Also a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Mince the garlic, chop the onion, mince the pepper and the cucumber, half the tomatoes, and last but noblest, rough chop the dill.
All that goodness goes into. big bow, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the vinegar Tossed around and left to meld.
Uncooked quinoa with water turns to cooked quinoa
Quinoa meets the bowl of veggies
And after a good mix, viola!
You got yourself a yummers fresh dill and veggie quinoa salad.
-C
serves 3-5 as a side or 2 as a meal
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
I bunch fresh dill (like a 1/3 cup chopped%u2026 But use as much as you want)
1/2 a small red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small Persian cucumer
1/2 of a sweet red or yellow pepper
handful or two of cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Start by cooking the quinoa. Place the water and the uncooked quinoa into a medium sized pot. Place on high heat until sorts to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and place lid on the pot. Let cook for about 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes, to see if all the water has absorbed. When it has, remove from heat and let sit for a few more minutes then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa id cooking, mince the garlic and chop all the veggies into small little pieces. Place into a big bowl. Chop up the fresh dill and toss into bowl too, along with the vinegar and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix it all around and let sit on the counter for a little so the veggies get nice and vinegary. Once quinoa is cooked and fluffed, dump into the bowl and mix around. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Eat warm or refrigerate and eat cold. It%u2019s defiantly one of those salads that taste great right away but tastes even better the next day.
I walk into the house,%u00a0 have about 45 minutes to wash up my paint covered body, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, and get back out the door. That has been the way of things around here lately. Lots to do, very little time. I miss hanging out in my kitchen all day, making bread and cakes and dishes that take some time. But soon, so soon I will have a nice new big kitchen to hang in and make all the crap I want!. Until then, what I have been cooking (o not cooking) has been things that I can whip up fast and with what I always have in my house. (there is always carrots and always tahini, and always hot sauce)
This is my new go to for the really busy night. Crispy, crunchy carrots covered inspicy nuttiness of sriracha and tahini. For sure some pretty freaky tasty stuff.%u00a0 Easy as hell to make,%u00a0 keeps nicely (if you make a big batch and save some for later) and takes all of 2-4 minutes toss together Can be eaten as a side dish (goes really well with lentils and rice) or as a big salad all to your face.
What more can you ask for?
The stuff. A few (like 4 or five) big carrots, a hunk of cabbage, anda few scallions. Also need tahini, Braggs amnios or soy sauce red wine vinegar, sriracha, a couple cloves or garlic, and pepper. Not shown but I used sesame seeds (if you don’t have them, no biggy)
Mince garlic super fine and toss into a big bowl with tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and liquid aminos or soy. Mix it all up.
Half where there. Now is a good time to taste the sauce. You might find that you want a little more vinegar or more sriracha. Add more of whatever to please your mouth.
Julianne the carrots and finely slice the cabbage.
Into the bowl it all goes. And cut up those scallions and get those into the bowl two.
Toss it all around Then sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and lots of cracked pepper.
See, super easy.
Now eat it.
-C
makes enough for one to eat alone or 2 as a side
4-5 large carrots
chunk of cabbage
a few scallions (green and white part)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy or Braggs liquid aminos
2 tablespoons sriracha
1-2 cloves garlic
pepper
sesame seeds (optional)
Finely mince garlic and toss into a large bowl with the tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and braggs or say, Mix it all together. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to you liking (add more sriracha or tahini if you want). Grab carrots ans julianne (you could also just shred) and finely slice up cabbage. Toss into bowl with sauce. Chop up scallions, the white and green part) and those go into bowl too. Toss it all around in sauce until everything is all coated then sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with lots or pepper.
Eat and enjoy.
I bought a tub of ricotta cheese about a month ago to make the mr his birthday lasagna, and for some reason, I can’t seem to get rid of it. I have been adding spoonfuls of the stuff into his food every now and then, but I still have not managed to go through it. I am starting to think that I bought a magic container that will never empty. And if that is that case, is there a never ending tub of hummus I can buy?
Yesterday I cleaned out the fridge.%u00a0 The cleaning that involves defrosting, washing the shelves, removing the stuck on crap that has so steadily hung on for the past few months and using any food that needs to be used up. To be honest, there isn’t much in the fridge at the moment(which is why I am cleaning the it) but there is the freaking tub of ricotta, ans I want it gone, it is taking up to much space. (for real,. my fridge is tiny) And because we all know that I am the worlds greatest girlfriend lady person in all the land, I decided to, once ans for all, get rid of the ricotta and make the mr some biscuits.
Off topic here but… It’s SNOWING!! And not just a tiny bit, we are going to have a couple of inches of white stuff. I am so excited! I must get my winter boots out (I have to find them first)
But the biscuits. These biscuits are super freaking easy. Just a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes and you got yourself home made goodness to make your people(or yourself) happy. They would make a great breakfast thing, made for a brunch situation, or even made with the help of the littles that may or may not be hove from school and eaten as a afternoon snack.%u00a0 As for me, I am just thrilled to have the space back in the fridge and an empty container that may or may not be magical.
The stuff. A bowl of self rising flour, ricotta cheese, a little bit of honey, and an orange.
Dump the ricotta, a few couple tablespoons of honey, and the zest of the orange into the flour.
And say hi to my new amazing bowl! (Hi bowl, you are so pretty!)
Juice the zested orange and add in 1/2 a cup of the juice.
Now mix everything together until just incorporated.
Scoop dough onto a baking sheet in 12 similar sized balls. Brush the tops with any remaining orange juice you have (if you don’t have any, use water) and stick those puppies into the oven (not actual puppies please)
After a quick 9-10 minutes, the biscuit cooking is complete! Golden brown and smelling all biscuit like.
Bust one open, maybe a smear of honey or jam…
And so the things you do with biscuits.. Eat them. I served the first one up tothe mr with a little drizzle of honey (cause I am sweet like that)
Keep on people!
-C
makes 12respectable sized biscuits
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 navel orange (1/2 cup juice and 2 teaspoon zest)
2 tablespoon honey
1 cup ricotta cheese
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, honey and ricotta. Zest in the rind of the oragne (about 2 teaspoons) then juice the orange and hopefully get at least 1/2 a cup of juice. Add in the 1/ 2 cup of juice and mix until everything is just combined. Scoop out dough into 12 similar sized blobs and place onto a baking sheet. Brush tops of biscuits with any remainingorange juice or water if you don;t have it
Place in oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the insides are completely baked.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool for a few minutes.
Bust one open and either eat as is or slather with honey, butter, jam, or all three.
Any left overs can be stored in airtight container for 2-3 days. Can be frozen.
My family is big. And my family is crazy. This makes for interesting gift giving.Over the years as we have all gotten older and started having littles, our gift giving has evolved. We use to buy each other presents, but then that got a little to intense and expensive. Then we started coming up withweird gift games where we had to buy 10 things made out of wood or glass and did a kind of white elephant things, which was fun, but we all ended up with wooden spoons and shot glasses.%u00a0 Or the stockings. We did stockings for a few years where we all stuffed something into each of the stockings, but that got kinda lame when everyone started stuffing packs of gum into them….It was getting to be kinda ridiculous. So this year we decided to give secret Santa a try. The deal is that the 9 older siblings drew names and then the 9 cousins drew names, all with a spending limit of $25. It works out for the best because the littles get to have a little fun and participate, and the adults don’t have to go and blow stupid money for kinda stupid shit.%u00a0 Everyone is responsible for one persons gift of happiness….. And they better make it good!
But one of the things that I love about Christmas is making all the little something. One year I made them each a veggie shaped pillow, and another they each got a hand made box. (I love to give handmade gifts.)So this year I still wanted to give each of the littles a little something too. And not anything to crazy, just something small. And now that we are not stuffing stockings with gum, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give them each a little candy.%u00a0 They all like chocolate so chocolate it was.%u00a0 And to zaz it up a little, I popped some quinoa to add some crunch and dear I say, a bit of healthy protein, to the candy. ( sneaky sneaky)
And bonus. this bark can be made in like 5 minutes (1/2 hour to cool) . Wrapped into little wax paper packages with a cute little string, its a super simple, easy, but sweet gift that almost anyone would enjoy (even if you make it and give it to yourself)%u00a0 And no, you don’t have to make it specifically for the holidays, this is just a great little bit of chocolate snack that can be made whenever you damn well please to make it!
The stuff. Chocolate chips (milk, semi sweet, dark, or a mixture) and uncooked quinoa.
Popped quinoa. Fun stuff. Working in small batched,%u00a0 all you need to do is stick the a layer of uncooked quinoa into a heavy bottom pot, turn heat onto high, grab a spoon and mix the quinoa constantly until it starts to pop. (The seeds will pop up, but as long as you pot is big, they should stay inside) When it starts popping, turn heat down to medium low and continue to stir until the quinoa is golden brown and stops popping as frequently. Don’t over pop it our else you will burn it!
Dump the popped quinoa into a holding vessel and pop some more.
Now melt the chocolate. I used the double boiler method (pot of simmering water and a glass bowl) but if you have a microwave, go ahead ans use it.(chocolate in a glass bowl, microwave for 30 second intervals until melted)
Either way you choose, just melt down the chocolate until nice and silky smooth.
Mix the popped quinoa into the melted chocolate…
Then scrap onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and spread out to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Place in the fridge to set up
Once the chocolate has harden, break that shit apart! Big pieces, little pieces. All up to you.
And do what your going to do with it. (wrapped in wax paper with a sting looks so nice if you giving it as a gift)
So simple, so good, so the perfect heartfelt, maybe a little last minutes, gift. Or just a nice little sweet snack with a healthy little kick to it.
And I probably won’t be posting until after the holiday so…
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, blah!!!!!
Bye!
-C
makes 3 cups of bark
2 cups chocolate chips (any kind you like)
1 cup dried quinoa
To pop quinoa, add enough quinoa to cover the bottom of a heavy bottom pot. Turn heat on high and slowly stir the quinoa until it starts to pop. Once it’s popping, turn down to low and continue to stir until all the quinoa is nice and golden brown and the popping isn’t as frequent. Dump the quinoa into a bowl ans continue on until you have popped all of it.
To melt chocolate, either use a double boiler (glass boil on top a low boiling pot of water. Add chocolate to bowl and mix until melted) Or use the microwave. (Heat in glass bowl at 30 second intervals until melted)
Combine the popped quinoa to the melted chocolate, mix until combined then pour out onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Spread the chocolate to about 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch thick with a spatula and place in he fridge to set.
Once chocolate is hard, remove from fridge and break into chunks.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
January 27, 2020 by maximios • Blog
Mid week, I was doing a little pantry cleaning/ inventorying of what I had and needed when I came upon not one, not two, or even three. No, six. SIX, jars of jam. And there are 2 that are already opened in the fridge. I don%u2019t know why, but knowing that there was that much jam in the house made me a little uneasy. Six unopened jars is about 3 jars past my comfort zone. Sure there are so many things you can do with a jar of jam (jelly, preserves, and marmalade included) and now that I am thinking about it, is one of the reasons why I bought a few jars a while back. Then there was Christmas and I think we got at least two jars as gifts so it%u2019s not all my fault, but still, that is just too many jars of jam. Right there I needed to get rid of at least one jar. So muffins. Jam muffins, with poppyseed crust because it%u2019s pretty and nobody ever complains about poppy seeds, or at least they don%u2019t until after they eat them and have poppy seeds stuck in their teeth all day. But that is just our mouths way of saving a little for later, am I right? HA
Anyway, a quick and simple muffin recipe for all of you people out there that might have a jar or two too many of jam in the fridge or pantry%u00a0(I used apricot but any flavor(s) would work) and could use yourself a tasty little muffin situation. I mean who doesn%u2019t want a tasty muffin?
To the muffins.
The stuff. In the bowl is white and white whole wheat flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Also have apricot jam, oil, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and orange, and some poppy seeds.
Grab a zester and zest the orange into the bowl with all the dry stuff. Whisk to combine.
Jam, oil, milk, and vinegar. All on top of dry. Whisk that up until just combined. No over mixing. You will get tough (not in a good way) muffins.
Scoop into well greased muffins tins then cover the tops with poppy seeds.
And out of the oven, looking all pretty like.
Pop those muffins out of the tins and cool on a wire rack for a bit. And by all means, don%u2019t wait until they are completely cool.
Now eat you a warm muffin and if they are mini, grab a few. You can%u2019t just eat one mini muffin, that is just crazy.
-C
Make 12 normal size muffins or 24 mini muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plant milk
1/3 cup neutral oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
zest of an orange
1 heaping cup apricot jam or preserves (can sub in any flavor you like)
1/3 cup poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, and the zest of the orange. Add in the oil, milk, jam, and vinegar and whisk until just incorporated. Scoop batter into well grease muffin pans (12 regular or 24 mini) then cover the tops with poppy seeds. Pop into hot oven and bake until risen and a tester comes out clean when one is poked. For mini muffins, check after 13 minutes, for normal muffins, after 16 minutes.
Once baked, remove from oven and pop out of pans when cool enough to handle. Place on a wire rack to cool completely or just start eating them warm.
Store left over muffins in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. They also freeze well.
I don%u2019t think I can ever eat potatoes any other way ever again.
It started with me, doing my weekly pantry cleaning, you know, when I wipe down ever surface, count all the beans and lentils in the jars to make sure I am not running low, and inspect every squash for soft spots. I was just going about my thing when I looked over at my waffle iron. Poor, sad, underused. And it hit me. When was the last time I waffled anything? I remember how excited I was when I found it a few years back at a thrift store. Such a cutie little iron. When I brought it home, I used it a bunch of times for maybe a week or two. And then it was put away and I think I have busted it out like 3 times in the past 2 years. So not cool.
I also noticed I had a shit load of potatoes left from thanksgiving.
And there I had it, a reason to use the waffle iron and a way to use up the potatoes. And now, now I am a potato on the waffle iron addict, which is weird because I am not a overly potatoy person in general. But now with this new waffled hash brown thing, well I might just be eating potatoes all day, every day. (At least until I get sick of them or I run out of potatoes.) They come out soft and fluffy inside, super crispy in ever little nook and cranny, outside. Evenly, perfectly cooked. It%u2019s hard to explain, but they are just, ugh, so good, especially dipped in mustard for a fantastic hash brown snack. (Yes mustard, no not ketchup. Let me do me, you do you.) Or smothered in refried black beans topped with salsa and avocado (that was the dinner version). These hash browns. Just make some and you will see.
And no matter what happens with my hash brown phase, I will be damned if I ever let the waffle iron go so long without use. It deserves better then that.
To the best hash browns EVER!
The stuff. Potatoes, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Shred potatoes. Simple, easy.
Place the shredded potatoes into a clean dish towel (avoid paper towels because paper towels are the devil) and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can.
Dump the squeezed out shredded taters back into the bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix it around.
Oil your hot iron and pile on the potatoes. Then close it and press it down. It%u2019s a bit dependent on your iron how long they will need to cook fully, mine took about 9 minutes on high. But maybe just stand close by and check yours after 7ish minutes but expect maybe 10 or so.
Deep golden brown and crispy all over.
I mean, really look. Every surface browned and crispy. It is freaking perfection!
And then like any good waffled food, you plate it, and eat it. Me, with horseradish mustard and a big stupid smile.
Thank you waffle iron. You done good.
-C
makes 2-3 servings
2-3 small to medium sized starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
couple teaspoons olive oil
teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Preheat your waffle iron to high
Shred potatoes on a box grater. Once shredded, gather in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the liquid as you can from the potatoes. Place potatoes back into bowl and add in about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper and mix around.
Open iron and brush with oil. Place shredded potatoes on the iron, kind of pack together, and close. If it locks, lock it shut, if it doesn%u2019t push it down. And let cook, for about 10 minutes, checking after 7ish (you iron might have more power the mine does). Once the potatoes are a deep golden crispy brown, remove from iron.
Then eat. Any way you want. Plain, with mustard or ketchup. Next to some scramble something or another. Piled high with some black beans and salsa. Whatever. Just eat them and be happy for the waffle iron.
I eat so much hummus. Everyday, all day. Homemade, store bought. If there is hummus, I will be consuming it. But the thing is, I usually don%u2019t eat more then a little at a time. (A little being like 1/2 a cup). And sure, sometimes that is just fine and enough, but other times, what I really want to do is garb a spoon and a bag of carrots and eat it all. And then I do.
But there is that little voice in the back of my head telling me that if someone where to catch me eating mounds of hummus, they would liken my eating behavior to that of someone eating a jar of mustard (Not going to lie, it happens sometimes) or of a bottle of ketchup (but I don%u2019t eat ketchup) and that have a problem and shouldn%u2019t being eating it like that. Because hummus, for some reason, has been put into the condiment category. It%u2019s treated like a dip or a spread and that is fine and dandy to eat it as such, but hummus is so much more. It can, and should be treated more like a main component to a dish. So let us step outside of that box and eat it how we really want to eat it.
Hummus by the bowlful. I know right! It just makes so much sense to me. And now to you too. We need to stop stopping ourselves from just a scoop or two because really, that is just not enough. Nope, this is for real. A bowl, full of hummus, topped with roasted veggies because that is just more deliciousness. And we get to eat it all.
Life can be pretty great sometime, you know. HA
Now to the bowl of hummus!
The stuff. We got chickpeas, tahini, a lemon, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. And Veggies. Brussel Sprouts, broccoli, onion, Swiss chard, and kale.
Chop up the broccoli, the onion and half or quarter the Brussel sprouts. And separately, chop up the kale and chard.
Toss the chopped Brussels, broccoli and onion into a baking sheet or oven safe skillet and season with salt and pepper. IF you want to toss in a little oil, go for it. Then pop the veggies into a hot oven to roast away.
Once the veggies are just about done to your liking, grab the chopped kale and chard and off to the veggies. Toss and roast for a few more minutes.
Hummus. Chickpeas with liquid, garlic, tahini, juice of lemon, and blend. Creamy smooth and delicious.
Dump that hummus into bowls.
And top with roasted veggies.
Would you look at that. Now all you need to to is dig in. Serve with extra lemon and black pepper. Grab your utensil of choice and eat.
-C
makes 2 servings if eating as a meal
3 cups cooked chickpeas in liquid
A lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
salt and pepper
10 or so Brussel sprouts
A small head of broccoli
A small onion
5-6 kale and or Swiss chard leaves
Note. Use whatever veggies you want. Fresh or already prepared. All and any leftovers would be great.
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut Brussel sprouts in half, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut up the broccoli and toss onto a baking sheet or an oven safe skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stick into the oven to roast for about 20 ish minutes or until nice and roasted. Feel free to toss the veggies in a little oil if you want. Chop up the kale and chard into smaller pieces. Once veggies are just a few minutes from being cooked to you liking, remove from oven, and toss in the greens. Cook for another 5 or so minutes until those are nice and wilted. Remove veggies from oven.
While veggies are roasting, make hummus. Place chick peas with liquid, the juice of the lemon, vinegar, garlic, and tahini into a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Dump into a bowls.
And when you have hummus make and veggies roasted, its time to compile. Dump the hummus into 2 bowls. Dump half of the roasted veggies into each bowl.. Squeeze more lemon juice onto both then grab a fork.
Eat. And yes, lick bowl clean. No shame.
Summertime is in full swing. Hot ass days, garden fresh veggies, zucchinis as big as whales, and did I mention that hot ass heat? If you have been around here before, you know how well I handle the heat. (NOT WELL AT ALL!)
I think we are all hot these days. But really, lets just focus on the good things, like fresh summa veggies!
This sandwich is all about summertime and not having to turn on a single flame or heat source and takes all of 5 minutes to make. Zucchini because it is everywhere, beans for more substance and they are delicious, all mixed up in a creamy bean and tahini sauce. Super fast, fresh and oh so delicious. I made a big batch for sandwiches but also I was just eating it with a fork. It%u2019s a tasty one that will be on the summer rotation for sure for the next few months, or until the zucchini runs out and I dare to turn the oven on again. (Ok, I am being a whine ass. It%u2019s not THAT bad and I did turn the oven on, early morning, to bake bread. So yeah.) But for real. This is a great, super fast, throw together, fresh, light but filling, sandwich situation for any and all of your summertime eating needs. What more do we need? The mr said all he needed with the sandwich were chips. Chips and a nice cold drink.
Done sir. Done.
Now to the sandwich!
The stuff. White beans, a zucchini, and a fresh spring onion. Also some tahini, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, a little vinegar and water, and salt and pepper. And to serve as a sandwich you need bread. lettuce, and tomato. Well you only need the bread, but you get what I am saying.
Fist off. Half the white beans go into blender or jar with the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, vinegar and a splash of water. Blended unit nice and creamy smooth. And yes, it is basically hummus but whatever.
Julienne the zucchini and chop up the onion.
Note. You don%u2019t have a mandolin or done%u2019t want to julienne with a knife, well just chop the zucchini into small little chunks.
Bean, onion, and zucchini in a bowl. Add in the bean tahini mixture and mix. And ta da, all done. All of 5 minutes and no heat. Good for us.
Now here is the thing. This salad is ready to eat now. You can continue onto the sandwich path or just eat it like it is with a fork. What I really liked to do is scoop spoonfuls into lettuce cups with a slice of tomato and a squirt or mustard. So yes sandwich, but also whatever else you want it to be.
But as a sandwich%u2026. Bread. And lettuce and tomato and heck, whatever else you want to throw on there. (Again, mustard is A+)
Now stop. Sandwich time.
Stay cool!
-C
makes 3-4 sandwiches
1 medium sized zucchini
2 1/2 cups cooked and strained white beans (a can will do)
1 spring onion (or a small white or red onion)
3 tablespoons tahini
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 lemon
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons warm water
salt and pepper
And to serve as a sandwich
bread or wrap of your choice
tomato slices
lettuce
anything else you want
Place half of the beans, tahini, garlic, juice of the lemon, and the vinegar into a jar and use a immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until creamy smooth. Add in a tablespoon at a time of water until the consistency is just slightly thinner then hummus.
Grab zucchini and using a mandolin or a knife and julienne it. (You can also just cut into small little cubes.) Dice the onion up into small pieces and toss with zucchini, onion, and the other half of beans into a big bowl. Dump the bean tahini mixture all over and veggies bean mixture and toss around. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make it a sandwich%u2026 Place a scoop onto a bread situation, add some lettuce and tomato and whatever else you want, and eat it.
I feel like this salad is kind of a summery salad, or better yet, a salad that highlights all the best of what summer has to bring. All the fresh tender dill that is still growing (but not for long) , all the brightly colored and amazing veggies that are being harvested and are nearing the end (bye fresh cucumbers.) This salad might just be my little last hurrah of summer cooking before it is all root veggies and dried herbs and hot and hearty food. And not going to lie and say that I am sad to see summer go because I am so so ready for it to be over, but I will miss all the fresh fresh produce. And I will especially miss all the fresh dill because fresh dill is seriously the best.
Eat up what is left of summer now before it%u2019s too late!
The stuff. Quinoa, a bunch of dill, a cucumber, a pepper, an onion, and some cherry tomatoes. Also a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Mince the garlic, chop the onion, mince the pepper and the cucumber, half the tomatoes, and last but noblest, rough chop the dill.
All that goodness goes into. big bow, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the vinegar Tossed around and left to meld.
Uncooked quinoa with water turns to cooked quinoa
Quinoa meets the bowl of veggies
And after a good mix, viola!
You got yourself a yummers fresh dill and veggie quinoa salad.
-C
serves 3-5 as a side or 2 as a meal
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
I bunch fresh dill (like a 1/3 cup chopped%u2026 But use as much as you want)
1/2 a small red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small Persian cucumer
1/2 of a sweet red or yellow pepper
handful or two of cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Start by cooking the quinoa. Place the water and the uncooked quinoa into a medium sized pot. Place on high heat until sorts to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and place lid on the pot. Let cook for about 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes, to see if all the water has absorbed. When it has, remove from heat and let sit for a few more minutes then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa id cooking, mince the garlic and chop all the veggies into small little pieces. Place into a big bowl. Chop up the fresh dill and toss into bowl too, along with the vinegar and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix it all around and let sit on the counter for a little so the veggies get nice and vinegary. Once quinoa is cooked and fluffed, dump into the bowl and mix around. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Eat warm or refrigerate and eat cold. It%u2019s defiantly one of those salads that taste great right away but tastes even better the next day.
I walk into the house,%u00a0 have about 45 minutes to wash up my paint covered body, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, and get back out the door. That has been the way of things around here lately. Lots to do, very little time. I miss hanging out in my kitchen all day, making bread and cakes and dishes that take some time. But soon, so soon I will have a nice new big kitchen to hang in and make all the crap I want!. Until then, what I have been cooking (o not cooking) has been things that I can whip up fast and with what I always have in my house. (there is always carrots and always tahini, and always hot sauce)
This is my new go to for the really busy night. Crispy, crunchy carrots covered inspicy nuttiness of sriracha and tahini. For sure some pretty freaky tasty stuff.%u00a0 Easy as hell to make,%u00a0 keeps nicely (if you make a big batch and save some for later) and takes all of 2-4 minutes toss together Can be eaten as a side dish (goes really well with lentils and rice) or as a big salad all to your face.
What more can you ask for?
The stuff. A few (like 4 or five) big carrots, a hunk of cabbage, anda few scallions. Also need tahini, Braggs amnios or soy sauce red wine vinegar, sriracha, a couple cloves or garlic, and pepper. Not shown but I used sesame seeds (if you don’t have them, no biggy)
Mince garlic super fine and toss into a big bowl with tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and liquid aminos or soy. Mix it all up.
Half where there. Now is a good time to taste the sauce. You might find that you want a little more vinegar or more sriracha. Add more of whatever to please your mouth.
Julianne the carrots and finely slice the cabbage.
Into the bowl it all goes. And cut up those scallions and get those into the bowl two.
Toss it all around Then sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and lots of cracked pepper.
See, super easy.
Now eat it.
-C
makes enough for one to eat alone or 2 as a side
Finely mince garlic and toss into a large bowl with the tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and braggs or say, Mix it all together. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to you liking (add more sriracha or tahini if you want). Grab carrots ans julianne (you could also just shred) and finely slice up cabbage. Toss into bowl with sauce. Chop up scallions, the white and green part) and those go into bowl too. Toss it all around in sauce until everything is all coated then sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with lots or pepper.
Eat and enjoy.
I bought a tub of ricotta cheese about a month ago to make the mr his birthday lasagna, and for some reason, I can’t seem to get rid of it. I have been adding spoonfuls of the stuff into his food every now and then, but I still have not managed to go through it. I am starting to think that I bought a magic container that will never empty. And if that is that case, is there a never ending tub of hummus I can buy?
Yesterday I cleaned out the fridge.%u00a0 The cleaning that involves defrosting, washing the shelves, removing the stuck on crap that has so steadily hung on for the past few months and using any food that needs to be used up. To be honest, there isn’t much in the fridge at the moment(which is why I am cleaning the it) but there is the freaking tub of ricotta, ans I want it gone, it is taking up to much space. (for real,. my fridge is tiny) And because we all know that I am the worlds greatest girlfriend lady person in all the land, I decided to, once ans for all, get rid of the ricotta and make the mr some biscuits.
Off topic here but… It’s SNOWING!! And not just a tiny bit, we are going to have a couple of inches of white stuff. I am so excited! I must get my winter boots out (I have to find them first)
But the biscuits. These biscuits are super freaking easy. Just a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes and you got yourself home made goodness to make your people(or yourself) happy. They would make a great breakfast thing, made for a brunch situation, or even made with the help of the littles that may or may not be hove from school and eaten as a afternoon snack.%u00a0 As for me, I am just thrilled to have the space back in the fridge and an empty container that may or may not be magical.
The stuff. A bowl of self rising flour, ricotta cheese, a little bit of honey, and an orange.
Dump the ricotta, a few couple tablespoons of honey, and the zest of the orange into the flour.
And say hi to my new amazing bowl! (Hi bowl, you are so pretty!)
Juice the zested orange and add in 1/2 a cup of the juice.
Now mix everything together until just incorporated.
Scoop dough onto a baking sheet in 12 similar sized balls. Brush the tops with any remaining orange juice you have (if you don’t have any, use water) and stick those puppies into the oven (not actual puppies please)
After a quick 9-10 minutes, the biscuit cooking is complete! Golden brown and smelling all biscuit like.
Bust one open, maybe a smear of honey or jam…
And so the things you do with biscuits.. Eat them. I served the first one up tothe mr with a little drizzle of honey (cause I am sweet like that)
Keep on people!
-C
makes 12respectable sized biscuits
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, honey and ricotta. Zest in the rind of the oragne (about 2 teaspoons) then juice the orange and hopefully get at least 1/2 a cup of juice. Add in the 1/ 2 cup of juice and mix until everything is just combined. Scoop out dough into 12 similar sized blobs and place onto a baking sheet. Brush tops of biscuits with any remainingorange juice or water if you don;t have it
Place in oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the insides are completely baked.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool for a few minutes.
Bust one open and either eat as is or slather with honey, butter, jam, or all three.
Any left overs can be stored in airtight container for 2-3 days. Can be frozen.
My family is big. And my family is crazy. This makes for interesting gift giving.Over the years as we have all gotten older and started having littles, our gift giving has evolved. We use to buy each other presents, but then that got a little to intense and expensive. Then we started coming up withweird gift games where we had to buy 10 things made out of wood or glass and did a kind of white elephant things, which was fun, but we all ended up with wooden spoons and shot glasses.%u00a0 Or the stockings. We did stockings for a few years where we all stuffed something into each of the stockings, but that got kinda lame when everyone started stuffing packs of gum into them….It was getting to be kinda ridiculous. So this year we decided to give secret Santa a try. The deal is that the 9 older siblings drew names and then the 9 cousins drew names, all with a spending limit of $25. It works out for the best because the littles get to have a little fun and participate, and the adults don’t have to go and blow stupid money for kinda stupid shit.%u00a0 Everyone is responsible for one persons gift of happiness….. And they better make it good!
But one of the things that I love about Christmas is making all the little something. One year I made them each a veggie shaped pillow, and another they each got a hand made box. (I love to give handmade gifts.)So this year I still wanted to give each of the littles a little something too. And not anything to crazy, just something small. And now that we are not stuffing stockings with gum, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give them each a little candy.%u00a0 They all like chocolate so chocolate it was.%u00a0 And to zaz it up a little, I popped some quinoa to add some crunch and dear I say, a bit of healthy protein, to the candy. ( sneaky sneaky)
And bonus. this bark can be made in like 5 minutes (1/2 hour to cool) . Wrapped into little wax paper packages with a cute little string, its a super simple, easy, but sweet gift that almost anyone would enjoy (even if you make it and give it to yourself)%u00a0 And no, you don’t have to make it specifically for the holidays, this is just a great little bit of chocolate snack that can be made whenever you damn well please to make it!
The stuff. Chocolate chips (milk, semi sweet, dark, or a mixture) and uncooked quinoa.
Popped quinoa. Fun stuff. Working in small batched,%u00a0 all you need to do is stick the a layer of uncooked quinoa into a heavy bottom pot, turn heat onto high, grab a spoon and mix the quinoa constantly until it starts to pop. (The seeds will pop up, but as long as you pot is big, they should stay inside) When it starts popping, turn heat down to medium low and continue to stir until the quinoa is golden brown and stops popping as frequently. Don’t over pop it our else you will burn it!
Dump the popped quinoa into a holding vessel and pop some more.
Now melt the chocolate. I used the double boiler method (pot of simmering water and a glass bowl) but if you have a microwave, go ahead ans use it.(chocolate in a glass bowl, microwave for 30 second intervals until melted)
Either way you choose, just melt down the chocolate until nice and silky smooth.
Mix the popped quinoa into the melted chocolate…
Then scrap onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and spread out to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Place in the fridge to set up
Once the chocolate has harden, break that shit apart! Big pieces, little pieces. All up to you.
And do what your going to do with it. (wrapped in wax paper with a sting looks so nice if you giving it as a gift)
So simple, so good, so the perfect heartfelt, maybe a little last minutes, gift. Or just a nice little sweet snack with a healthy little kick to it.
And I probably won’t be posting until after the holiday so…
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, blah!!!!!
Bye!
-C
makes 3 cups of bark
To pop quinoa, add enough quinoa to cover the bottom of a heavy bottom pot. Turn heat on high and slowly stir the quinoa until it starts to pop. Once it’s popping, turn down to low and continue to stir until all the quinoa is nice and golden brown and the popping isn’t as frequent. Dump the quinoa into a bowl ans continue on until you have popped all of it.
To melt chocolate, either use a double boiler (glass boil on top a low boiling pot of water. Add chocolate to bowl and mix until melted) Or use the microwave. (Heat in glass bowl at 30 second intervals until melted)
Combine the popped quinoa to the melted chocolate, mix until combined then pour out onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Spread the chocolate to about 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch thick with a spatula and place in he fridge to set.
Once chocolate is hard, remove from fridge and break into chunks.
And eat, share, and save a little for later.
Store whatever uneaten candy away from heat.