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This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.

Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way too hot to make anything in the oven. So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes. 

I love popsicles. 

But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)

So get it while you can and make these popsicles! 

The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.

Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer. 

Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl. 

Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff is the rhubarb butter.

Place the rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever) if you want and eat with anything and everything  ( I’ve been adding  it to the mr’s yogurt and just eating it with a spoon)

And now add the juice of the lime to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever sweetness to taste.

And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.

When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.

A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You  have the rhubarb butter to eat while you wait for the popsicles to freeze. So smart

Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!

-C

makes 6 4oz popsicles and about a cup of jam

• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 lime
• Anywhere from 4 tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)

Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam

Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours. 

When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.

This past weekend was the annual Stem family reunion and I had signed up to bring a dessert to the circus, (circus being an event with lots of my family)  I went out of my way to get the nieces, sweetest, most delicoius peaches and  was planning on making them into some type of epic peachy peach cake, but being that the weekend turned into a shit storm, I didn’t get a chance to make that epic peach cake. So come Sunday morning, a few hours before we were suppose to leave for the reunion, I was deesertless. 

So I did what anyone that has a bunch of the fruit, little time, and doesn’t want to make a big mess should do. I made a crisp.  

And it was good. Gooey sweet and  cardamon spiced peaches under a slightly sweet, oatie topping. A perfect dessert for a late summer afternoon. Served warm or at room tepature, add a little whipped cream or ice cream and a cup of coffee. Dessert time is perfect. And any left over makes for a fantastic breakfast treat….or just make it for breakfast, it’s totally a breakfast food too. 

 I am almost glad that I didn’t get a chance to make that cake.(although I really wanted to make a cake, just for shits and giggles) I’ll just make one later. But until then.

To the crisp!

The Stuff.  Peaches of course and some old fashion rolled oats and a pinch of salt mixed with gluten free flour*. Some earth balance*, honey*, cardamon and cinnamon and a tiny bit or arrowroot powder 

Notes.. You can totally use regular all purpose flour in place of gluten free. Also can sub regular butter for the earth balance and use maple syrup instead of honey.. 

In a bowl, mix/mush  together the oats, flour, honey, half the cardamon and cinnamon, and earth balance. The mixture is going to be a little gloppy and wet, but that’s how you want it to be.

Toss the other half of the spices into the peaches with a bit of arrowroot powder or corn starch and mix all around. 

If you peaches are not super yummy sweet, you can always drizzle in a little extra honey or maple here too.

Now place the peaches in a well greased oven safe skillet.

Distribute the topping all over. 

And into the oven it goes..

After about 45 minutes, check for doneness. When top is all golden brown and nice… you are there!

. Ooey gooey peaches underneath all that golden crispy goodness….

Nailed it!

Have great day you guys! Crisp away!

-C

For the filling

• 4-5 Large ripe, but firm peaches
• 1 tablespoon corn or arrowroot starch
• 1  teaspoon cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• tablespoon honey or maple (optional if peaches are not really sweet)

For the topping

• 1/3 earth balance or butter plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 1/2  cup old fashion rolled oats
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour or all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cardomon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2  cup honey or maple
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350

Slice peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into pieces and toss into a bowl with the cinnamon, cardamon and starch, In a large oven save skillet, smear or melt 1 tablespoon earth balance and cover bottom and sides of skillet. Add in the peach mixture. In a large mixing bowl, (using your hands if you don’t mind), mix together oats, flour, salt, spices, earth balance and honey. until a combined. Evenly disptuipt to the top of the peaches. Now place skillet into oven to bake. When the top golden brown and all crispy, remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.

Some type of creamy situation  like ice cream or whipped coconut cream would be extra nice here…but not necessary . 

I was informed yesterday that if I was going to make tortilla chips, that I better make some sweet ass dips to go with them.  I kind of agree… tortilla chips need dip… or better yet, two dips. Queso and guacamole. It’s what needed to be done, and so I did it.

Guacamole is amazing… anything avocado is amazing…this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole.  Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip.  And sweet potato anything will make me happy.  Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12,  fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.…. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)

 Here is what you need for a good time:

−These tortilla chips ….Check.

−Some  Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)…..Check

−Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.…Check.

−White Bean Guacamole…Check. 

You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon.  

To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in sautéed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in.  Stick in a bowl.

To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff.  Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered…I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato.  Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in…Stick in a bowl 

Perfect…

To think that both of these dips took about 10 minutes total to make. (I had pre baked the cauliflower and sweet potato)  And for real, I would spend much more time if I had too because both of these dips are so freaking good, I definitely will be making these on the regular.

So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on. 

And he guys…It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!

-C

White Bean Guacamole 

• 2 cups white beans (or 1 can) rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lime
• 1/4  small red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add  the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato. 

Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso

• 1 1/2 cups pre cooked steamed or roasted cauliflower
• 1 medium pre baked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 a small red pepper
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Finely dice the red pepper, jalapeño, onion and garlic and sauté in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon  of water  to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in sautéed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it,  top with scallions and cracked pepper.

Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!

My contribution to last nights dinner at my sisters…. Freshy fresh veggies spring rolls.I had about 30 minutes between work and getting over to my sisters house to throw something together so it needed to be something fast, easy, and something I could make without going to the store. She was making the main course (some teriyaki situation and rice) so I was doing up the veggies.

I had just bought a package of spring roll wrappers…. Bingo! The perfect and logical choice. I grab the wrappers, a variety of veggies and after spending 12 of my 30 minutes trying to scrub the oil based paint off of my face and hands, I still managed to completely prepare, construct, and take pictures of these lovely tasty spring rolls. and get over to my sisters in time for dinner.

Impressed?  

Damn right!

The stuff. Carrot, beet, asparagus, red cabbage, and kohlrabi, which all (except asparagus, which I just cut into thirds) got cut into matchstick sized pieces with my mandoiln. Then there are the rice spring roll wrappers that we need to make the veggies into rolls. Also a bit of red wine vinegar to drizzle onto the veggies for a little extra zing. And lastly, soy, fresh ginger, and a couple cloves of garlic for a spicy salty dipping sauce.Start by having everything set out and ready to assemble. Fill a large shallow dish or baking sheet with really warm water. Working with one at a time,place a rice wrapper into water and let sit for about 10 seconds or until the paper starts to soften. Remove from water and place on a damp surface (just splash a little water on the counter) Take a little bit of everything and and place on the lower middle part of the paper. Fold in the sides first, then tuck and roll the wrapper as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper.

Repeat until you have used up all you veggies.For the dipping sauce. Finely grate ginger and garlic and add to soy sauce. Stir… and it’s done.Freshy, pretty and fantastically delicious. And for real, took about 8 minutes to make. (I even had enough time to wash the dishes before we left!)

I am so awesome!

Hump Day Pow!!!!!

-C

Fresh Veggies Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 but can easily be increased or decreased to desired amount 

• 8-1o rice spring roll papers
• Splash of Red wine or rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• teaspoon  freshly grated ginger
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium beet
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage
• 10 thin fresh asparagus
• 1 small kohlrabi

Note… I used the veggies that I had in the fridge at the moment. If you have a bunch of veggies but not these particular ones, use what you have. Pretty much all veggies taste good inside a spring roll!

Gather your veggies and prep by either using a mandolin, a grater, or some sick knife skills, and julienne, shred, or slice you veggies into thin match sticks. Once all the veggies are prepared, sprinkle a little vinegar over the top.

For the rolls…Grab a large shallow vessel  (a rimmed baking sheet works great) and add in warm water. Working  one at a time, place the wrapper into the water for about 10 seconds or until the wrapper starts to soften. Remove and spread onto a clean, damp work surface. Gather a bit of each veggie that you are adding and place towards the bottom  middle of the wrapper. Now fold the sides in over the pile of veggies. Then with the side closest to you, tuck and roll wrapper away from you, trying to keep it tight, but not to tight that it rips.. (Hopefully that makes since.) Place finished rolls onto a damp surface to keep from sticking and if not serving right away, drape with  a damp towel or paper towel to keep from drying out.

For the soy ginger dipping sauce. Add grated ginger,  minced garlic, and soy into a bowl and mix together.  Serve with spring rolls. 

Eat one, two, or a plateful. It’s nice to share but not a necessity.

When something goes on sale at the grocery store, I tend to buy it. Being that it is Valentines Day this week, all the stores are having specials on all sorts of sexy things… and strawberries are one of them.  Now I am not a huge fan of buying produce that is terribly out of season, but I can’t help myself…a good deal is a good deal and the strawberries were a super good deal. I was just going to make some sweet ass strawberry jam or maybe a lovely strawberry cake with them (and I probably still will), but these strawberries are actually super juicy and full of flavor, and it’s always nice to eat some full flavor freshy strawberries… especially soaked in balsamic vinegar.  And yeah,  I think that this salad is pretty sexy, so it makes for a perfect Valentines day dish.

A handful of ingredients and 5 minutes will get you to a fantastic salad experience.

A bowl of  baby spinach, a few chopped up strawberries*,  half a sliced avocado and a small handful of toasted almonds.. Oh, and don’t forget the balsamic vinegar…. 

*Note.. Strawberries are kind of heart shaped already so if you want, reserve a few slices to fancy up you salad presentation, but chop up the rest into smaller pieces.

Pour the vinegar on the strawberries and let sit for at least 5 minutes. (the longer the strawberries can sit with the vinegar, the better)

 Pile it on..  thinly slice avocado.. rough chopped toasted almonds… It’s pretty much as easy as it can get.And last but not least, toss on the balsamic soaked strawberries and drizzle the remaining vinegar. (if you made hearts, place on top to make pretty) Sprinkle with a pitch of salt and pepper and pow! Fancy, sexy, delicious salad.

Not to shabby for  5 minutes and a handful of ingredients.  Anyone (don’t feed to a person with nut allergies) would be so syked to be fed a salad like this… You yourself should be pretty excited to eat a salad like this. Heck, I am excited to eat a salad like this!

A love salad for everyone and everyday!

YAY for Thursday and Happy meal planning!!!! 

-C

♥ Balsamic Strawberries on Spinach Almond Avocado Salad ♥

Ingredients for 1 large or 2 small salads

• 3-4 ripe strawberries
• handful of roasted almonds (slivers or whole)
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar 
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Pinch of salt and pepper 

Dice strawberries into small pieces (reserve a few whole slices for heart shapes if you want) and toss in a small bowl  with the balsamic vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Rinse and dry spinach. Place in a bowl(s) and top with thinly sliced avocado, chopped almonds and balsamic soaked strawberries. Drizzle the residual vinegar on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Eat with a fork

This year for Christmas my family decided to do a mid day brunch lunch thing. Everyone has their own little families that they do the morning with and then everyone goes their own ways that nigh(Nick and I do our own Christmas celebrating at night)…That leaves a chunk of mid day to hang, talk, play, exchange stockings and then usually someone gets a little pissed and yup, time to go. Its totally cool, we see each other too much anyway. So food wise, it was pretty basic. Eggs, hash browns, a ham, fruit and bagels… The hash browns were store bought, Me and nick did the eggs frittata style and the ham was just stuck in the oven….Not much to do. But then one of my lovely sisters requested gravy…..and so it was made. And a basic brunch was turned into a gravy laden food feast. And so you know, I am not a huge gravy fan, or I never really have the opportunity to eat gravy, its just not in my food rotation..until now. I was really impressed with myself on this one.

We have white mushrooms, kale, red onion, garlic, soy, nutritional yeast(if you don’t have, no worries, you can get away with not using it), sage and thyme and corn starch…

Dice up onion, mushroom and garlic… Into a pan on medium heat with a bit of olive oil…just to soften up

Toss in the spices, nutritional yeast and the soy sauce and let meld together for a minute or 3

Add 2 1/4  water and whisk in a tablespoon of  corn starch….and let it simmer

 Once the gravy gets to that super nice consistency…add in finely chopped kale and let gravy simmer for another 5 minutes or so

Transfer to a nice bowl or gravy boat, stick a ladle or big spoon and get to graying up all your food!!!!!

Everyone was to busy eating for me to get a good picture of the gravy on food, but trust….it was all over everything!

Mushroom Kale Gravy

Ingredients

• 7-8 white or cremini  mushrooms
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2 kale leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy or tamari
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon nurtitional yeast
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 1/4 cups water
• tablespoon corn starch

Dice onion into small bits, slice mushrooms nice and thin and dice garlic into wee little pieces.. Toss into a skillet with a bit of olive oil on medium heat and let mixture soften and smell nice and fragrant. Toss in the dried herbs, nutritional yeast and soy sauce and let cook for another few minutes until the mixture sucks up all the soy sauce and the veggies start to brown.

Add in the water and whisk in the corn starch. Turn heat to low and let simmer until gravy starts to thicken. Finely chop the kale and toss into gravy when its about done.. Simmer for another 5 or so minutes or until you can’t wait any longer….Serve straight from the pan or transfer to a gravy holding device,. Pour gravy on everything!

YUM YUM YUM ENJOY!!!!

How was your week? Was it as straight up nasty humid and gross as mine was? Stupid heat wave.. I was not impressed. 

I will be the first person to admit it, that I am not my best person when the tempature rises and humidity levels get so high that it starts to creep into my soul. I go a little crazy/ crazy bitch and just am not pleasant to be around.  Or maybe it’s that everyone around me is not pleasant to be around. Either way…. just not good. 

And I forget things, like to pick up the  farm share this week. Now I am forced to go grocery shopping to buy most of our veggies (we are still getting a good clip from the garden) until next week. And Let’s not mention the pup.. cause he is just as miserable, if not more then we are.

So to beat the heat, the mr and I found ourselves traveling around, river hopping. He fished, I stuck my feet in the water and read, did some watercoloring, or knitted. It was fantastic and probably saved a few of the lives of the people around me. 

We also took my little brother and sister up to the Bio dome in Montreal for the day, which was pretty cool. And of course we didn’t leave the city without making the manditory stop at Ikea, where I got myself a nice new green jar and my sister ate not 1, but 4!!!! hotdogs, and topped it off with a dessert frozen yogurt. It was the highlight of her summer. and maybe the lowlight as well. Now that I think of it, it makes sense why she was so  quite on the way home. She was in a Ikea hotdog coma.

So yeah, the heat and humidity have finally broke and we are now (hopefully) going to finish off the rest of summer with a delightfully non humid and hot, weather pattern.

And then it will be fall and  we will go APPLE PICKING!!!! 

Some stuff  on the internet this week.

–Is coffee a vitamin? I think so.

-Finally, a fantastic spork. 

-Vermont Farms Grow Some Surprising Fruits

-Pop Tart beer… Where will they stop?

–Do animals blow their noses? Good question. 

-Good to know. Is washing fruit effective in reducing exposure to pesticides?

–I think I want to be a Globe Maker

-This is my house in Sweden (Someday!?!)

-And my house in San Francisco(One more to my collection)

-An NPR Story About Homemade Vegetable Broth 

And pictures from the week.

Ugh. It has been so nasty gross out. A four day heat wave, and no, not just hot hot days, but those gross, hot hot with all the humidity in the world, kind of days. My body has rebelled and turned into a slug and my hair… well let’s not talk about my hair.

Yup, it’s been way to freaking hot to do anything, especially cook. And eating food is’t even especially appealing either (living off raw kale and, yes, lots of tomatoes at the moment) . What we all want is to drink something nice and cold and refreshing (and boozy). And what do I do when I want this, and have a lot of that? I turn that into this. That being tomatoes, and this, being a cold drink. Did that confuse you?

What I am trying to say is that I have a butt load of cherry tomatoes to eat but what I really want is a cold  drink. So I took the tomatoes and make them into a lemonade. And it is amazing. It hits all  the end of summer, super gross heatwave, I don’t want to move, spots that needed to be hit. And just in time for the weekend sow e get to add a little splash or two of something hard, cause we all know that after this past week, we all deserve it.

Think that combination sounds weird? Well don’t cause lemons and tomatoes are perfectly paired together. Tart and tangy, but still with a bit of sweetness from the tomatoes ( especially if using a sweeter variety like the sun-gold). It really is a great, refreshing drink, with or without the booze. A perfect match!

Tomato lemonade here we go!

The stuff. Tomatoes ( I used sun-gold cherry cause I have a buttload, but you can sure use whatever tomato you have to many of), lemons, water, and if your into it vodka.

Note. The mr. and I are not big on sweet drinks, so I didn’t add any sweetener, the tomatoes being sweet enough. But feel free to add a little sugar or honey to yours.

Start by dumping tomatoes into a pot with water. Stick on high heat and bring to boil, then turn heat to medium low,stick a lid on pot, and let tomatoes simmer for a little while. 

About 30 ish minutes later, the tomatoes have reduced to about 1/3 of what you started with and have turned into a a chunky like syrup. 

Strain the juice from the solids into a big pitcher.

Tomato juice! and it’s so pretty bright gold. Now let it cool far a little bit.

And while juice is cooling, juice your lemons

When the tomato juice is cooled off, add the lemon juice to the tomato. 

Add water and stir

Taste, and if you think it need sweetener, by all means, add a drizzle or two of some honey or spoonful of sugar.

A couple of glasses of ice, and if you shall,, a shot of vodka (add the shot to the glass, not the pitcher)

Me being so fancy added a garnish/snack. Basil leaf and cherry tomato skewer looks so nice.

And sit back, put your feet up. and take it all in. 

Weekend here we come! 

-C

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (can use 2 cups of any tomato) 
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
• 1 cup water plus 3 1/2 -4 cups water
• a few basil leaves and extra tomatoes for garnish (optional)

Note. I did not add any sweetener to my lemonade but you could totally add in a few tablespoons honey or sugar. Do what floats your boat.

Dump tomatoes into a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil then cover and turn heat to a medium low heat. Cook tomatoes down for about 30  minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced about 1/3 and is almost sauce like.

Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the tomato mixture into pitcher or jug that you can serve your drinks  from. Use a wood spoon or spatula to scrap the tomato around strainer to really make sure you get all the juicy goodness. Let tomato juice cool.

While cooling, juice lemons until you get a cup of fresh lemon juice. Add lemon juice to cool tomato juice along with 3 1/2 cups water. Mix and taste. If you think it needs a little sweetener, add a little in. If you think it tastes to strong, add in more water.

Good stir, ice in cups, a 2-3oz shot of vodka per 8-12oz cup of lemonade (the ratio is up to you my friend)… and your sitting pretty. Feeling a little fancy, take a basil leaf and wrap around a cherry tomato. Stab it with a tooth pick and garnish your drink. It ames for  anise snack too.

Sit back, sip and enjoy. 

I am not complaining at the least bit, but man, so,so,so  many tomatoes. Everyday more and more are ripe and ready for the picking, some even starting to fall off  the plants.

If you were to come to my house, you will notice that I have bowls and baskets all over the place, just full of not just cherry tomatoes, but big baskets of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes this girl has ever seen. It’s actually causing me a little anxiety. I cannot bare to think of one single tomato going bad. I and am on a mission to eat as many of the heirloom ones as I can ever day. But that still leaves all the sweet little cherry tomatoes, which I do still snack on, (and try and make the mr snack on too) but am having a had time keeping up with eating all of those on top of the other kinds. But again, not a complaint, cause one can never really have too many tomatoes.

So instead of just continuing to make sauces and soups, (I have yet to do a tomato canning day, which is in need of happing asap) I figured I would give the mr a  break and make him something a little different. A big tomato slab tart. And a tart needs some type of cream, so fresh corn and avocado cream happened as well.

Lovely looking, yummy, and pretty easy to make. Uses a good amount of tomatoes (I was fooled.. I used two pints for this tart,  went to garden afterword, got 4 more pints) and is perfect for a lunch situation or a light dinner. Add some greens, maybe some cheese (the mr and his cheese) and you are sitting pretty and ready to go. 

Lets get tarting!

The stuff… For the tart we have flour, slat, a little vinegar, icy cold water, frozen olive oil* and a big bowl of cherry tomatoes. For the avocado and corn cream, well we gots an avocado, a cooked cob of corn,a few cloves of garlic (I forgot in the picture) and a lemon. Salt and pepper for everything.

*Note. I recently read on the food 52 website that freezing the olive oil for crust makes the oil distribute more like butter and  makes the dough super flaky and crispy, which it indeed did. I will forever freeze oil for oil crusts, Thanks food 52 for being so smart. 

Start by making the dough. Whisk together the flour and salt, then dump in the frozen olive oil. Using a fork or a pastry cutter and working as quick as you can, cut the oil into the dough.

When the mixture resembles a course crumb, add in vinegar and mix with fork, then add in water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to comes together. Dump mixture out onto a floured surface and form into ball. Wrap in plastic and stick in the fridge for at least an hour or even over night. 

Chilled dough placed on a lightly floured surface, ready to roll.

You know what to do here.. roll it out and stick it in a baking sheet or, if you don’t have a small baking sheet, use a large casserole dish. You could use a pie plate, but you might have a little extra dough (pie dough cookies?)

And dump in the tomatoes. Don’t forget to remove the little green tops if they have them. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper. and into the oven it goes.

While the tart is baking, make the cream. Scoop fruit of avocado, the corn off the cob, a clove or two of garlic, juice of lemon, and  salt to taste, into a blender (or bowl if using a immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Taste and ass more swooning if needed. and if you want the cream a little thinner, add in a slash of water. 

Cream oh creamy goodness. (So great on tart, but also makes a great dip, toast spread, salad topper, or eaten straight with a spoon.)

The tart has been baking and after about an 45 minutes, it should be done. Remove from oven when the tomatoes have all bursted and are starting to caramelize and the crust is cooked through and golden brown, 

Let cool for a few minutes. I

You got you tart, the cream, and if you are in into it, a nice serving of some freshy greens to some extra heft and color…SOmething on the more bitter side like kale or young chard pairs very well with the sweetness of the tomatoes.

A big slab on greens with cream on slab.

The mr added a little cheese to his… if your a cheese person.(he sure likes his cheese)

Pretty food.. Food so good!

Happy Humpty hump!

-C

For the Tart

• 2 pints of any variety cherry tomatoes. A variety look nice
• 1 3/4  cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil (frozen ahead of time)
• 1 teaspoon salt for crust
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons ice water
• salt and pepper
• 9×11 baking pan* 

For the Corn Avocado Cream

• 1 cooked and cooled  cob of corn
• 1 avocado
• 1 lemon
• salt 
• 2 cloves of garlic

*Note. I used a 9×11 baking sheet, but if you don’t have one, you can use a big glass casserole dish. Or you could even use a pie plate, but you will end up with a little extra dough and you might not need all the tomatoes. 

Start by making your dough. Whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the frozen olive oil into flour with either a pastry cutter or a big fork until it has a crumbly texture. Add in the apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of water at a time until dough starts to come together.(about 3-4)

Dump out onto a surface and fomr into a disk. Wrap with plastic and stick in the fridge for at least  an hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375

Get your chilled dough and, on a lightly floured surface,roll out into a rectangle roughly the size of your baking sheet. Place in sheet pan and make it look pretty. You can use your fingers to lightly press the dough into pan  Dump in your cherry tomatoes. If you want, once the tomatoes are in, slightly fold the edges towards the tomatoes and away form the side of the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the finest drizzle of olive oil.  Stick into the oven for about 45-55 minutes. The Pie is done when the tomatoes   have popped and starting to brown and caramelize and the crust is golden brown.

While the pie  is baking, remove corn from cob. Add to a blender with the avocado, garlic and  and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, slice big slabs of tart and spoon on big globs of the avocado corn cream. If your into it, a bed of fresh greens is very much nice.

Shovel into face. 

Every year, the second weekend in August, the Stem family , siblings,  cousins, even my 94 year old grandmother makes the trip from Easton PA,  come  together at, what we call, “the cabin.” (It’s more a house, but it started out as a cabin) . Its a little crazy, but such a good fun time.

This cabin, oh this place is  magic. The air, the tree’s the streams, the mountains, and of course the people.  It’s all the things that I love about life. Some of my earliest memories are from this place. Hanging out with my siblings, running around the meadow or through the woods. Playing in the swinging holes. My grandfather pulling taffy or making orange juice box houses with my grandmother. The giant rocking chair that my uncle made and all of us kids used to play on.  So many camp fires and s mores. There are just so many memories because it’s been a part of my life, my whole life. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. 

A little background on the place (what I can remember) Sometime in the late 70’s, my uncle and my grandparents bought a big chunk of land on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere Vt.  After doing  some clearing of trees, they went to building a cabin. (my aunt, grandmother, and dad helped a bit too). It was amazing, but quaint. A 2 story situation with a kitchen living area and one door to get in and out. At some point  my grandparent ended up selling their share to my uncle and he took over the entry of the place. Over the years my uncle, (who is a carpenter, furniture designer,design professor,  and all out crazy amazing person), continured to work on the place. He has added on a kitchen, a second floor bathroom, new this, and that, but never has it once felt like a patchworker pieced together place. And now the place is more like a amazing craftsman home, with just the right touches of cabin, but with two running toilets, a beautiful kitchen, electricity and running water ( There is even internet access, which sucks, but still).It is a little gem nestled on a side of a tiny mountain in one the most beautiful places. 

So an awesome cabin in the woods with a bunch of crazy, but awesome people= Stem family reunion. 

Here are some pictures of the shenanigans.. 

Not to much is going on here, just trying to enjoy the last bits of summer, while secretly saying to myself that I am ok for the hot weather to be gone, for summer to pitter out and let the cooler weather roll in.  Bring on the sweaters, apples, and root veggies (and maybe a little more couch cuddling and a new tv show to sink my teeth into while knitting).  And I have already noticed a few trees giving away some colorful leave. Foliage season…  the best time of year (minus all the annoying leaf peepers) But before we get to ahead of ourselves, we have the other time of the year coming up.. Back to school!! I myself am not really effected by this,other then all the littles in my life are going back, which means less babysitting (happy!/Sad)  And let’s not mention all the back to school supplies I am drooling over. Trapper keepers, watercolors and cool new backpacks.  The kiddos are all getting ready with their new sneakers, crisp, empty notebooks,  and a fancy new sweater. Me, I am just being jealous, hoping maybe one of them will give me one of their extra cool new pencils with the removable eraser. Maybe once everything ends up on clearance,  I’ll buy myself a new composition notebook. You know,  the ones where you can color all the white parts in with a bright pink neon marker. A customized badass notebook  Those are my favorite.

So besides all that, here are some eventful things from the my life this week in list form.

• got some husk cherries to make something special. and ate them all. Need to get more (more to eat, and more to make something with to share..maybe)
• Starting knitting the mr his annual new winter hat (going with a grey watch cap)
• Painted a ceiling gold
• scratched my face on a raspberry bush
• went to my family reunion, came home and found 2 white hairs on the top of my head (no joke)
• Had two other awesome websites mention my recipes this week!!! (Food52 and feedfeed)
• made a few jars of pickles 
• Discovered Reading Rainbow is now on Netflix.(my childhood right there)

Yeah, that’s about sums it up. 

But here, have some internet stuff to check out. 

-I think I need this entire bed set to be happy.

-And I want to do this to a set of sheet too!

-Totally into this house, especially the toilet on the door.

Not sure if this is for real, but it’t pretty freaking funny. Lady Gaga Threatening Legal Action Over Breast Milk Ice Cream Flavor ‘Royal Baby Gaga’

– I think I should get me some goats. Goats May Be Unwelcome In Zimbabwe’s Capital, But D.C. Loves Them

-The Duo Coffee Steeper. This might be fantastic.. Someone buy one and let me know how it works.

–Soothing Spaces… I like

-Watch This Hilarious Parody of Artisanal Food Makers

-I love The Purl Bee.  Another project that I have to make.

And some photos from the week.

I probabaly have already told you, but August is for sure my favorite month of the year (well,one of my favorites)

There is bounties of bounties of fresh, sweet and colorful, oh so juicy, crispy crisp, just so f ing  amazing, produce exploding all over the place. I have probably gained like 75 thousand pounds in the past month due to all of the fruits and veggies that I have been consuming. I am starting to consider it a full time job just to keep up with the eating.

 Another reason why I love August so much is becauuse the days are still nice and warm, but the nights are starting to cool which means I get to make so much soup!!!!!. 

This soup is the freshest freshy soup yet. Everything is from the farm and or the garden (except the salt pepper, vinegar and oil), some picked within hours of me making this.

. I am a lucky/spolied veggie brat.

Anyways. This soup. The fresh tomato base gives it a sweet, slightly acidic kick. So super creamy due to the lovely earthy stocks of the chard. Slightly spicy and earthy from the arugula* and chard green green. This soup… it just tastes so fresh and clean, yet hearty and satisfying. A perfect soup for a mid August night, eating outside, watching the sun slide behind the mountains and the temperature dropping just enough that you might want a light sweater. Or you can just eat it from the pot in the kitchen while watching TV. It’s good eating anyway you want. 

*Here in America, it’s called arugula.  Else where , it’s  called rocket. I wish we all called it rocket, although I do like the name arugula, but for like my first born child or maybe a pet goldfish. Anyway, rocket is arugula,  or vice versa.

Soup time!.

The stuff. Some big  fresh tomatoes, a few stalks of chard, and a few handfuls of arugaula (aka rocket). A couple carrots, an onion, some garlic, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.. Oh, and I added some balsamic vinegar, which for some reason didn’t make it into the picture (sorry vinegar)

Start by removing the chard leaves from the stalks. Set aside leave with the arugula. Chop up the carrot, chard stems, onion and garlic and toss into a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of water, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir around and stick o nthe stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften up.

Now chop up the tomatoes into chunks and toss those right into the pot with the other stuff. Add in a few cups water and a few glugs of balazmic vinegar. Bring everything to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and place a lid on pot and let cook at medium heat for another 20 ish minutes, or until the tomatoes are falling apart.

Now that everything is all cooked up, blend it up.

And now take the chard leaves and the aruglula and chop into little pieces….into the pot they go.

Mix it all up.. and take the blender to the soup again….if you want a smaller sized bite.

Soup Into bowls..Then into mouth.

Happy August!!

And hey hey hey.. Have the best weekend!

-C

• 4-5 large fresh tomatoes
• 4 large stalks of rainbow chard
• 2-3 big handfuls of arugula 
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large or 2 small carrots
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 2-3glugs (about 2 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar 
• 3 cups water 
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

To start, remove stalks of chard from leaves and chop stalks, onion, carrot and garlic into chunks and place int a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash or water, and spinkle of salt and pepper. Place on stove on medium low heat sand cooke the veggies down until starting to soften and garlic is becoming fragrant. While that cooking, remove core from tomatoes and dice them up. Toss into pot with the cooked down veggies with the vinegar and water. Place a lid on the pot and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are falling apart. 

When cooked, using with a hand blender or a normal blender, blend the soup until smooth. (if using blender, pour back into pot)

Now take the arugula and chard leaves and chop them into wee little picese and mix into soup. If you want to, blend the greens into the soup.. but not until smooth, unless thats what you want.  Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowl and serve with lots of fresh cracked pepper, maybe a little balsamic drizzle or even some mustard (I at left overs with mustard and it rocked my world)

spoons work eel las eating utencils.

This past weekend was the annual Stem family reunion and I had signed up to bring a dessert to the circus, (circus being an event with lots of my family)  I went out of my way to get the nieces, sweetest, most delicoius peaches and  was planning on making them into some type of epic peachy peach cake, but being that the weekend turned into a shit storm, I didn’t get a chance to make that epic peach cake. So come Sunday morning, a few hours before we were suppose to leave for the reunion, I was deesertless. 

So I did what anyone that has a bunch of the fruit, little time, and doesn’t want to make a big mess should do. I made a crisp.  

And it was good. Gooey sweet and  cardamon spiced peaches under a slightly sweet, oatie topping. A perfect dessert for a late summer afternoon. Served warm or at room tepature, add a little whipped cream or ice cream and a cup of coffee. Dessert time is perfect. And any left over makes for a fantastic breakfast treat….or just make it for breakfast, it’s totally a breakfast food too. 

 I am almost glad that I didn’t get a chance to make that cake.(although I really wanted to make a cake, just for shits and giggles) I’ll just make one later. But until then.

To the crisp!

The Stuff.  Peaches of course and some old fashion rolled oats and a pinch of salt mixed with gluten free flour*. Some earth balance*, honey*, cardamon and cinnamon and a tiny bit or arrowroot powder 

Notes.. You can totally use regular all purpose flour in place of gluten free. Also can sub regular butter for the earth balance and use maple syrup instead of honey.. 

In a bowl, mix/mush  together the oats, flour, honey, half the cardamon and cinnamon, and earth balance. The mixture is going to be a little gloppy and wet, but that’s how you want it to be.

Toss the other half of the spices into the peaches with a bit of arrowroot powder or corn starch and mix all around. 

If you peaches are not super yummy sweet, you can always drizzle in a little extra honey or maple here too.

Now place the peaches in a well greased oven safe skillet.

Distribute the topping all over. 

And into the oven it goes..

After about 45 minutes, check for doneness. When top is all golden brown and nice… you are there!

. Ooey gooey peaches underneath all that golden crispy goodness….

Nailed it!

Have great day you guys! Crisp away!

-C

For the filling

• 4-5 Large ripe, but firm peaches
• 1 tablespoon corn or arrowroot starch
• 1  teaspoon cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• tablespoon honey or maple (optional if peaches are not really sweet)

For the topping

• 1/3 earth balance or butter plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 1/2  cup old fashion rolled oats
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour or all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cardomon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2  cup honey or maple
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350

Slice peaches in half, remove pits, and cut into pieces and toss into a bowl with the cinnamon, cardamon and starch, In a large oven save skillet, smear or melt 1 tablespoon earth balance and cover bottom and sides of skillet. Add in the peach mixture. In a large mixing bowl, (using your hands if you don’t mind), mix together oats, flour, salt, spices, earth balance and honey. until a combined. Evenly disptuipt to the top of the peaches. Now place skillet into oven to bake. When the top golden brown and all crispy, remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.

Some type of creamy situation  like ice cream or whipped coconut cream would be extra nice here…but not necessary . 

There is corn everywhere!!

This past weekend, the mr and I were out and about in the sticks of Vermont and got an eyeful of this very familiar sight of corn fields forever. It’s just part of the landscape.. Blue sky, big lush mountains, little rives and big fields of corn. It is ever so lovely… and so telling. Tall high corn fields just means  two things. 1.We will be eating lots of corn, and, 2. the summer is winding down. So soon we will be talking apples and root veggies, but until then, we will just eat the corn and revel in what I consider one of the best and most beautiful times of the year here in Vermont.

And after seeing all the corn (and we have been getting a bunch in the farmshare) I realized that I need to step up my corn game.

What better why to fancy up some corn then to fancy up the stuff people like to smother on it…. butter. 

Whenever I think about butter, I think about my sister, the one that, as a little kid, used  sneak to the kitchen and eat whole sticks of butter. This (to me) just seemed like a pretty gross option for a snack, but you know, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Bur after making making this coconut butter, I can see the draw, for I would sure love to eat the entire contents of a jar of this butter. (I have been eating a spoonful here and there)

Lime cilantro coconut butter.. Its my new thing…corn or not.

The stuff. We have some lovely, super fresh from the farm, corn on the cob. Then for the coconut butter we have , unsweetended coconut flakes, a lime, som ecilantro and salt.

Dump coconut flakes into a food processor. Turn to on and let it go.

After about 7 minutes… you coconut will start to clump together and look like this. And maybe you are like, “this shit isn’t going to happen”.. well be patent. Scrap the coconut off the sides and keep the processor going.. scraping down the sides whenever you need to. 

And eventually, after another 8-10 minutes,  it will turn into this.. a nice creamy buttery butter. 

Now add in the zest of the lime, the lime juice, a pinch of salt,  and cilantro into the butter. Turn processor back on until combined.

And you got yourself some freak yeah cilantro lime coconut butter… ready to smother your corn with. 

This amount is good for 6-8 corn cobs… Any extra is excitlent on any veggies, bread, cake, or spoon.

And stick that butter in a jar.

I dare you not to eat a spoonful right now. (I licked the bowl down clean)

 So I hope I am not being presumptuous when I think that you know how to cook corn. Or maybe you have a specific way you like to cook your corn. But just in case,  husk corn and stick either in a pot and boil until cooked,(about 8-10 minutes)  or like me, char on the grill, or under the broiler. 

So cook some corn….And smother it with the butter.

And there you have it, some freak yeah amazing lime cilantro coconut butter smothered on some corn.

So good…..so good.

Have a great day!

-C

• 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a 1/4 cup chopped)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
• freshly cooked corn on the cob 

Note. Any extra butter is good on anything and everyhitng!!!

Place coconut into a food prosser and turn to on. Prosse until coconut start to stick to sides. Stop, scrap down bowl, then conuitne to process. Repet this until the coconut has turned into a creamy buttery goodness.  

Add the juice, the zest, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro to the butter. Pulse until combined. If you want to add in a little coconut oil here to make it a little smoother, go for it. 

Scoop into a jar. When your corn is hot and ready, smother butter all over.

And eat. There swill be stuff stuck in your teeth..Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a snack for later.

       TGIF!!!! For reals, because Monday-Thurday were monster days. And now that its friday, I can dig a hole and hide in it until it’s at least 30 degrees with some sunshine. (I might never get to come out.)

A few things I will bring in my hole:

• food (lots of food and coffee, lots of coffee)
• a soft blanket and pillow
• a few books, preferably with pictures, on farming and gardening (think spring!)
• the entire series of the Fresh Prince of Bel-air and a device to watch it on
• toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush my teeth)

But before I leave for my hole in the ground, I made these little cake bites to get my people through the weekend. Sweet little lemony bites of rich dense cake dipped into bittersweet chocolate. (I am just so nice)  They have all the pleasure or cake without the need of a fork and are much easier to give away then a big slice of cake. Plus, they are fun to make. My little sister helped and did most of the chocolate dipping. Then she and another little used their mouths to clean up the chocolate mess. It was an afternoon of chocolate all over the kitchen fun day. 

So make some bites to have and to share. Or if you, like me, are digging a hole to hide in, make a batch of bites to bring with you. That’s the beauty of cake covered in a harden chocolate shell, they travel really well.Simple lemon cake stuff. Flour, baking powder and salt whisked together, Sugar and soft butter in a bowl. An egg, some vanilla, milk, and of course, the lemon. 

To make the batter, cream the soften butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Zest lemon(1 big or 2 small) into bowl with the juice of the lemon(s), the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Now beat in the dry and then the milk. Keep beating for another minute until all mixed. Batter should be light and fluffy.

Batter goes into a greased and floured  9×13 baking sheet and stuck into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes (You can use a 9×9 baking pan. Just bake fir another 10 minutes and you will end up with thicker bites). Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and flip to remove cake from baking sheet. Cut cake into small pieces (I cut 4×6   to get 24 bites) and place bake into sheet and into freezer (I stuck mine outside, it was -2 degrees ) for at least 2 hours. 

Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating… Bittersweet chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil. Melted together all nice and shiny smooth.Now dip and slather those bites in the melted chocolate. 

Oh what a lovely sister I have.. Look at her dunk….. like a boss!Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I  ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes…They harder really fast in there.

And now you have some it, bites of cake covered in chocolate. 1 bite, 2 bites…5 bites. Eat however many you want because its Friday and because there small little bites and just because you can.

Now if you need me, I’ll be in my hole. 

-C

Chocolate Lemon Cake Bite

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large or 2 small lemons
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Add butter  and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium unit light and fluffy. Ass in vanilla egg, the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon. Beat to incorporate. Now beat in the dry and lastly the milk.

Grease and flour either a 9×9 pan or a 9×13 baking sheet. dump batter in and smooth out.  Stick in oven and bake for about 3o minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Remove and let cool  for a few minutes on a  wire rack. Flip cake to remove from pan. Cut cake into bit sized pieces, 4×6 is a good size, and place back on baking sheet and stick into freezer for at least 2 hours.

When cake bites are as good as frozen, get the chocolate ready. Take the chocolate and the coconut oil and either melt in a double boiler or the microwave. Mix until smooth and make sure to full incorporate the oil. Now remove the cake bites from the freezer and dip each bite into chocolate, trying to full coat all sides. Stick onto a wire rack or a parchment lined pan to harden. They can be stuck back into the freezer to harden faster.

Once chocolate has harden, your good to go!

Because it is cold outside. Because I had an hour to kill before I needed to leave the house and because I wanted to make a sweet treat for the mister (who had been dealing with frozen pipes all day) and for the little littles that I was going to hang out with.  My original idea was to just make regular old snickerdoodles, but as  I was riffling around my tea drawer for a mid day tea (it’s usually coffee, but I am trying to cut back on drinking one thousand cups a day) I got hit with a little inspiration. Chai tea spiced snickerdoodles. Yes! a nice black chai, full of flavors or cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, allspice, and pepper. So many good time tastes.  And while I am at it, why not add some chocolate to that mix, because, well just because.

Chai, chocolate, and sugar equals….Bada da da….. awesome Cookies! And who doesn’t want awesome cookies?

The stuff…Flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Cocoa powder, brown and white sugar. Veggie Oil  (you can use butter, or vegan butter instead for a chewier cookie) vanilla, a little vinegar and a nice cup of  chai tea…  Also a little bowl of cinnamon and sugar to doodle the cookies.

    The sugars, oil, tea, vinegar, and vanilla go into a big bowl. Beat for a minute on medium, then add the rest of the stuff and beat some more until fully incorporated…. Simple simple. 

Preheat the oven to 375 and get the cookies all dressed up in a cinnamon sugar suit by taking globs of dough and kind of rolling it into ball (perfection is not necessary) Drop dough balls into the cinnamon sugar and toss around to fully coat. Place on cookie sheet and give a good smoosh to flatten the cookie balls out to about 1/2 inch thick. Now into the oven for about 9-11 minutes to bake. 

Aahhhh…….pulled from the oven and placed on a rack to cool. Fluffy, chewy, pillowy soft and spicy cookies. Oh the smell of so good!Made extra large to make extra little littles happy. The best part? I made each little sing me a song for a second cookie… I am the greatest!

Heres to a Happy Hump Day!

-C

Chocolate Chai Snickerdoodles 

The stuff-

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• Chai teabag steeped in 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil (can substitute butter or vegan butter for a more chewy cookie)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons each of cinnamon and white sugar to coat cookie balls in

Preheat oven to 375

In a cup, steep tea bag in 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Let tea steep for 10 minutes.

In  Large bowl, add sugars, oil, vanilla, vinegar and steeped tea and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients (besides cinnamon and sugar for coating) and beat on low until everything is fully incorporated. 

 Add the cinnamon and sugar to a small bowl and mix together. Take globs of dough and roughly formed  ball then drop into cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Place coated balls on cooke sheet and smoosh down so cookies are about 1/2 inch thick. Place in oven for about 9-11 minutes or until cookies are just barely cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

My suggestion for sharing….If they want one, make them sing and dance for it!

Those are some for real chocolate chip cookies…….for real.

This is probably one of the first recipes that I ever really knew by heart. Some recipes I can bring up in my head, but if I haven’t used it in a while, I usually have to check to make sure I got it right… Not these… Chocolate chip cookie are forever imprinted in my brain.

Chocolate chip may seem like a simple cookie, but trust me, its more complex then one may think. There are so many little factors that really affect the over all cookie: The baking temperature, the exact perfect time to pull the cookies out of the oven. Weather the butter is hand mixed or beaten, softened or melted. The color of the baking sheet and how long you leave the cookie on the sheet before placing on the coloring rack…….This cookie is as much about method as it is about ingredients. ….But don’t let that scare you..you got this. Just don’t think that these are a mindless act of baking. You have to be committed, keeping on the oven the whole time these cookies are baking………….. It’s so worth it.

Full disclosure here…I have been making these cookies the same way for so long so I am not exactly sure, but this might actually be the same recipe as toll house. I haven’t looked….Either way…I have tried out other chocolate chip recipes and this one has always come out on top.

 As usual, I forgot an ingredient in the line up…the  chocolate chips, oh and the pinch of salt.. But rest assure, even though not pictured, there are indeed chocolate chips in these cookies!

Pre heat the oven to 375.

Room temperature butter creamed with both the white and brown sugar. Before  you add the butter to the sugar, smash any of the big chunks of brown sugar. The key to my recipe is not melting butter or using an electric beater, it’s all hand mixin, no electric mixing(you could use a kitchen aid, but I don’t have one so I think you should use a wooden spoon too), plus it’s a good arm work out. Mix mix mix. I find smearing on the side of the bowl helps too. Mix/smear until both sugar and butter is a unified color and consistency, Once that happens, add the two room temperature eggs, the vanilla and mix a little more,

                                          When everything is mixed, add the dry ingredients and mix that until fully incorpaerterd….

Take a minute here and sniff……I love the smell of cookie dough, it’s a happy smell.Now for the chocolate chips. I use only 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips… You want just enough in each cookie, but don’t want to overwhelm it with too much chocolate. The cookie is as much of the star as the chocolate.  See how may cookie sheet is nice and silver and clean? For a long time I used a very dirty and dark baking sheet. I would make cookies and they always seem to come out slightly burnt. Got myself a new baking sheet and……perfect cookies. If your baking sheet is dark, I would recommend using parchment paper.

Your ready to scoop and bake….my suggestion. Make 2-4 cookies for your first batch, or what I call the tester batch. I swear, there is some law of the universe that says the first batch always is overcooked. I have excepted that and  learned to only make a couple for the first batch Scoop mounds of your preferable size(I do a spoonful) and place on sheet with each mound having good amount of spreading space. Place in preheated oven..

Now here is the really important part!!!!Baking time is essential to how your cookie turns out.  If you want a more soft and chewy cookie, bake for about 7-9 minutes or until the cookies are just barely turning  brown…just barely. They might seem a little undercooked, but the cookies will cook a bit more once pulled from the oven  Trust…I know what I am talking about. .Let them cool for about a minute on sheet  before transferring them to rack. If you like more crunchy milk dipping cookie..bake for 9-11 minutes or until they are golden brown.

 Lovely right…

Now you have gone and done it…Made fantastic cookies!!! Maybe you are going to share? No pressure, but it is the holiday season. For real, you can’t go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie, every loves it. and then will in turn love you too.

Get people to like you with Cookies!!!! hahahaha… but you know its true!

 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 white sugar
• 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda

In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, cream together the brown and white sugar with the  room temperature butter. Add eggs and vanilla and stir. Now add the dry ingredients and….. then the chocolate chips.

On a light-colored baking sheet to a parchment line sheet, use a spoon and drop a constant size mound of dough, leaving room for expansion. Place in oven for 7-9 minus until cookie is barely turning brown. Remove and let sit on sheet for another minute before transferring to cooling rack. Keep doing this until all of you dough is gone…

COOKIES!!!!

This past weekend, the mr, the pup, and I grabbed our stuff, chucked it into the back of the car and took of to the wood. 

We ended up in Waterbury, at Little River State Park. Campsite 77 (the last one they had available!!) And from that we think, the best spot in the park. 

First things first, set up camp. which involved the mr. popping up the tent and me making coffee and setting up the table.. Just cause we are in the woods doesn’t mean we can’t have a fruit bowl, right.

Then we spend the afternoon kicking around.. Into the woods we went. This place had so many hiking trails, we just let the pup lead the wayHe usually knows where he is going.

After a long afternoon of hiking and romping, we make our way back to our outdoor home for food. Dinner consisted of potato and sweet potato, squash and onions, kale, salsa and beans.  It couldn’t have been any better. We did forget plates, but no matter, we managed.

Of course we needed to take an after dinner hike to the river and swim the pup. (We think he might be part fish)

He spent about an hour fetching stick and making sure that he couldn’t possibly smell any worse.

Playing with my camera and sticks. Then off to the tent for the three of us. (holy hell did the dog smell like shit)

Another morning hike and some time spent just hanging on the river. The mr fished, the pup swam and I collected rocks.

And then we went home, washed off the filth, and assed out…Then Washer got sick, but that’s a whole other story.

Camping is the best. I could live in a tent all year long. (not really all year long.. I would surely freeze to death)

So if you are thinking of camping, I highly recommend going to Little River State Park.

-C

      I figured now is a good time to get this recipe out there before we get to far into spring and summer recipes because there is going to be a lot of banana ice cream filled recipe coming and I figured its a good idea to have the basic banana ice cream recipe ready for people to refer too.  And because I made so much fantastic naner ice cream, I also made a cookies and cream naner ice cream for my sisters and the mister.

Comments that I got from my sisters and the mister when I made them this ice cream

-Sister one.”I give this my sister seal of approval.. It’s so good.  The first dessert you have made that I liked! (not including all the other desserts that you have made that I liked)”

-Sister two- “Wow.. it looks like ice cream and feels like ice cream and tastes like ice cream.. You should make me this ice cream!” (I was confused too because I was pretty sure I just made her some)

-The mister- “I am so excited for my new fly fishing pole!”

Ok, so the naner ice cream isn’t new to the mister and he IS very much excited for his new fly fish pole. So excited that he forgot to tell me how amazing that I am and to thank me for making him a big bowl of yumminess. (It’s ok, I forgive him)

And yes, this is probably one of the easiest, most delicious, healthy and amazing frozen dessert that you will ever eat. You will probably find yourself buying mass amounts of bananas and stocking the freezer until things just start falling out. (which is also ok because it’s only bananas and you can’t have too many frozen bananas)

   The stuff you need for this ice cream…. Nice and ripe bananas, peeled and then frozen* That’s it.

To make it, place frozen bananas into food processor and hit the on button. Process the crap out of the namers until nice and silky smooth. 

*Note, the smaller the frozen chunks are , the faster and maybe a little easier for the blender to blend the naners into ice cream. So if you think of it, chop bananas into pieces before freezing or even after.

After all blended and smooth, either eat right away or scoop ice cream into a freezer safe container and stick in freezer. That’s the banana ice cream…  And it is amazing and so so so so so addictive. I make a batch, think I am only going to eat a scoop, then find myself eating half of what I have made, but it’s ok cause it’s only bananas. 

Now for the cookies and cream banana ice cream..One batch of banana ice cream, either freshly made, still in food processor or made ahead and placed in a food processor and given a good pulse to smooth it up.

Add cookies in, crushing a bit beforehand and pulse till combined. Now you have cookies and cream naner ice cream…. and everybody is happy.

Scoop into a cup, a bowl, a freezer safe container, or directly into your mouth. Be careful…. You can still get brain freeze from eating naner ice cream too fast!

Keep it real hump day drum bum!

-C

Basic Banana Ice Cream

Makes one batch. Good for 3-4 servings

• 4-5  ripe bananas peeled and frozen

Peel  bananas and stick in a freezer bag or container and freeze. When bananas are completely frozen, break into pieces and stick into a food processor or blender and puree until silky smooth. 

Eat right away or scoop into a freezer safe container for later.

Cookies and Cream Banana Ice Cream

• 1 batch banana ice cream
• 5-10 (depending on your cookie need) cream filled cookies like oreos or Trader Joe’s Joe Joe’s (These are gluten free)

In a food processor, blend banana ice cream with cookies.

Eat right away, with a utensil of choice in a container of choice.

Bowl licking is acceptable. 

Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating.  I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot. 

Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.

So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces. 

This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level.  It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)

The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)

*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t  cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated. 

Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for  people.

Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness. 

Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!

-C

Banana Butternut Granola

• 3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• 1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.

Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.

Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on  baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.

Eat as is, as a cold cereal,  dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.

First day of Spring!! Well kind of I guess. I think it actually starts at like 6:20 tonight, when the temperature is going to dip back done to 10.(Spring my ass) I don’t know about you people out there but here in Vermont, we are really hanging on to winter. I have to keep telling myself…” It will be warmer soon and you’ll be looking forward to this weather in a few months.. so stop bitching!”  I give myself good pep talks.

Anyway, last week at the farm share pick up, there was a nice little surprise. We got a few pounds of some sweet locally grown and milled whole wheat flour. There was a little sign with the information about the wheat and where it came from, but in my haste of gathering all of my other veggies, I failed to take notes and forgot the name of the farm that it came from. But I do know that my farm traded some celeriac for the wheat.  I was really excited because I am really into the idea of using locally grown grains and I don’t know, it just made me really happy, especially because it was a trade.  Food framing and local sharing is stuff that makes me happy.

I wanted to make something to kind of showcase the hearty, nutty flavor of the wheat and I also wanted to make something that my mister would eat for breakfast. Well what better way to do that then with muffins! Banana coconut whole wheat (that just happen to be vegan) Hearty, fruity, and smells like the word lovely and the color yellow. A few to eat and a few to share. Hanging at home, running away or  getting ready for a day of spring cleaning….This is a great weekend to make muffins! 

The stuff… Light, nutty local whole wheat flour, ripe oh ripe bananas and coconut flakes are the stars in this muffin… But we need the other stuff too. Brown sugar, vanilla, coconut oil and a chia egg.  Baking powder, baking soda, and last but not least, salt.

 Yup, that sounds about right   The salt, baking soda, and baking powder are whisked together. The banana and all the rest of the stuff are mixed up… Then mix the wet mixture into the dry. Stir until combined and then add in the coconut flakes,Scoop mixture  into 12 lined muffin cups… A scoop like mine works very nicely. Don’t have one, well I recommend you get yourself one. Until then, use a spoon. Something I always do when baking any muffin is sprinkle the tops of each muffin with a bit of  sugar or brown sugar. It melts and caramelizes and adds a sweet little crunch to the tops. 

Now stick the muffins into the oven. Remove from oven when they look like this, nice and golden brown. Also good idea to check with a tester stuck into the middle. When it comes out clean, they are done.12 happy little muffins cooling on a rack, waiting to be eaten with you mouth. 

Doesn’t the sight of pretty food make you happy, like sing a song happy? Muffins, whoa yah!!  Friday yah yah!!  Spring…What, Yah!!  Yah…Yah Yah!!!

Terrible I know, but at least you were spared hearing my actual voice. 

Have a great weekend. Do lots of springy stuff!

-C

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 4 Ripe bananas
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup melted Coconut Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds + 3 Tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Preheat oven to 350

In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons warm water to the chia seeds and let sit for at least 5 minutes (10 is better) In a large bowl, peel and mash the bananas until they turn into a kind of chunky soupy puree.  Add in brown sugar, chia seed mixture, vanilla extract, and the melted coconut oil (make sure it’s melted or it won’t incorporate into the mixture) Mix together. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix the wet mixture with the dry until combined then mix in the coconut flakes. 

Line a 12 cup muffin tin and fill each cup about 3/4 the way up with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with brown sugar and place in oven on center rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops 0f the muffins are golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Remove muffins from tin and let cool.

Serve as is or maybe with a smudge of coconut butter, or anything you want really.

No need for fork, just use you mouth.

I need a good snack.. Something healthy, hardy, fast, and of course, something tasty.

Rice cakes……..basically a flat somewhat crispy disk of puffed rice. Kind of boring, kind of dull, kind of blah. But Add a little somethin somethin….say like this here rice cake that I smeared with peanut stock, topped with banana, sprinkled with coconut flakes and cinnamon and a few raisins…well thats just freaking fantastic!

And because they are pretty much nothing but air.. there is no need to feel guilty about eating a few. Have a rice cake snack party… spreads of nut butters, bean dips, smashed fruit, avocado, mashed sweet potato, heck…just some mustard or hot sauce would be nice. The list of topping goes on and on. And shelf stable for a long time to boot. I mean, you can keep a bag hanging around for quite a bit of time, just as long as you keep them air tight.

What I am trying to say is…rice cakes are awesome little vessels for all things nice.

HaPPY Snacking!

-C

I don’t know what got into my head today, but I was hell bent on making blondes. I was already committed to make cupcakes with the help of a little little, but, not going to lie, the cake was coming from a box. It wasn’t going to satisfy my baking itch. You see, it’s the misters birthday this week and tonight was the family B-day dinner. My family consists of a whole lot of people, and half of them are 13 and under. So instead of busting my butt baking an amazing 4 tiered strawberry chocolate cream cheese cake for kids who won’t even try it(that was last week, the cake came out fantastic and everyone but the birthday girl ate it. But maybe a 2 year old doesn’t need to like strawberry cake) I decided that I was going boxed and low and behold,  they loved  Hey, sometimes you gots to make the people happy. But I really wanted to do something else, something a little more special, something for the more mature pallet……..banana brown butter blondes…..Oh yea, I did and I did.

Not a heck of a lot of ingredients. Flour, sugar, banana, butter, egg and vanilla. I always forget something in my ingredient line up pics. Today it was the cinnamon, but thats ok, its optional anyway.

         Start with browning the butter… lots of lovely little bits. Smells super nutty.. You want to do it first so it can cool a little before using.Cooled butter mixed with the brown sugar.(I might have jumped the gun a bit and hit was still slightly warm)  Make sure when you add the butter you add all the little flavor bits. Mix or beat it up. then add the vanilla and egg.Now mash up and mix in the nanaers. Swirl it in, just like that. Now is a good time to add a little cinnamon… but don’t add it if your don’t want too. I don’t know how I ended up using like five different mixing instruments for this little batch of brownies, but I did, and I definitely trashed the kitchen. First off, I was at my sisters and I don’t know where she puts all of stuff.(She doesn’t either) Secondly, I was also making cupcakes and garlic bread, pasta, and salad at the same time…so maybe that all made me a little more messy than usual…..Whatever. its ok, I cleaned it up. Anyway, above you see me using an electrical beater to mix in flour. I used the beater for the cupcakes and then started used it in the brownies..It was fine,  I used low speed for just a sec but I would recommend to just stir in the flour..Try not to overwork the batter.

Ready for the pan…..Its a bit thick, which is good.  Your going to have to scoop it more than pout it. Make sure to spread it evenly in pan and not just plop it in and stick it into the oven. Aaaahhh, so darn pretty.And cut into little squares..I love the casserole dish in this picture.… my sister might not ever get it back. To add a little something something, I went and added a small smear of Nutella on half the batch……I think it was a good idea.

Banana Brown Butter  Blondies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick)unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)
• 1 medium mashed banana

Preheat oven to 350

Place butter in a small pot or pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter is completely melted and starting to foam. It will start to smell nutty and turn brown within a few minutes…when its a medium brown, take of heat and let cool.( I stick my in the freezer in a shallow pan to help cool faster.)

Once butter has cooled a bit, cream together with the brown sugar. In a small bowl, mash banana. Add egg, vanilla and banana. mix together, then mix in flour until just incorporated. Scoop batter into a grease 8×8 pan and spread evenly. Place in oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown..It should be cooked all the way through but still a little gooey, moist and brownie like

Let cool and remove from pan….cut and do what you need to do! For a little more decadence..add a drizzle of chocolate or a bit of peanut butter. or do what I did, a smear of Nutella…and serve with the recommendation of a cold glass of milk.

I know your all curious about the cupcake so I’ll show you…I actually made cupcake and a two layered 4 inch cake for the birthday boy. I know, I know…. and the bright pink frosting. It’s actually pretty amazing. That kind of color doesn’t excises in nature.

HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

       TGIF!!!! For reals, because Monday-Thurday were monster days. And now that its friday, I can dig a hole and hide in it until it’s at least 30 degrees with some sunshine. (I might never get to come out.)

A few things I will bring in my hole:

• food (lots of food and coffee, lots of coffee)
• a soft blanket and pillow
• a few books, preferably with pictures, on farming and gardening (think spring!)
• the entire series of the Fresh Prince of Bel-air and a device to watch it on
• toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush my teeth)

But before I leave for my hole in the ground, I made these little cake bites to get my people through the weekend. Sweet little lemony bites of rich dense cake dipped into bittersweet chocolate. (I am just so nice)  They have all the pleasure or cake without the need of a fork and are much easier to give away then a big slice of cake. Plus, they are fun to make. My little sister helped and did most of the chocolate dipping. Then she and another little used their mouths to clean up the chocolate mess. It was an afternoon of chocolate all over the kitchen fun day. 

So make some bites to have and to share. Or if you, like me, are digging a hole to hide in, make a batch of bites to bring with you. That’s the beauty of cake covered in a harden chocolate shell, they travel really well.Simple lemon cake stuff. Flour, baking powder and salt whisked together, Sugar and soft butter in a bowl. An egg, some vanilla, milk, and of course, the lemon. 

To make the batter, cream the soften butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Zest lemon(1 big or 2 small) into bowl with the juice of the lemon(s), the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Now beat in the dry and then the milk. Keep beating for another minute until all mixed. Batter should be light and fluffy.

Batter goes into a greased and floured  9×13 baking sheet and stuck into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes (You can use a 9×9 baking pan. Just bake fir another 10 minutes and you will end up with thicker bites). Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and flip to remove cake from baking sheet. Cut cake into small pieces (I cut 4×6   to get 24 bites) and place bake into sheet and into freezer (I stuck mine outside, it was -2 degrees ) for at least 2 hours. 

Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating… Bittersweet chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil. Melted together all nice and shiny smooth.Now dip and slather those bites in the melted chocolate. 

Oh what a lovely sister I have.. Look at her dunk….. like a boss!Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I  ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes…They harder really fast in there.

And now you have some it, bites of cake covered in chocolate. 1 bite, 2 bites…5 bites. Eat however many you want because its Friday and because there small little bites and just because you can.

Now if you need me, I’ll be in my hole. 

-C

Chocolate Lemon Cake Bite

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large or 2 small lemons
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Add butter  and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium unit light and fluffy. Ass in vanilla egg, the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon. Beat to incorporate. Now beat in the dry and lastly the milk.

Grease and flour either a 9×9 pan or a 9×13 baking sheet. dump batter in and smooth out.  Stick in oven and bake for about 3o minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Remove and let cool  for a few minutes on a  wire rack. Flip cake to remove from pan. Cut cake into bit sized pieces, 4×6 is a good size, and place back on baking sheet and stick into freezer for at least 2 hours.

When cake bites are as good as frozen, get the chocolate ready. Take the chocolate and the coconut oil and either melt in a double boiler or the microwave. Mix until smooth and make sure to full incorporate the oil. Now remove the cake bites from the freezer and dip each bite into chocolate, trying to full coat all sides. Stick onto a wire rack or a parchment lined pan to harden. They can be stuck back into the freezer to harden faster.

Once chocolate has harden, your good to go!