Time to Party

So my darling girl turned FOUR years old last month, and we had a party. It was delightful little event with plenty of Bria's friends running around. I tried to keep the food simple, since life was a little crazy last month, and it turned out just right. We had watermelon and strawberries, chips and salsa, pigs in a blanket, and sandwiches. I made the same ones as last year: cream cheese & cucumber and roast beef with horseradish mayonnaise, with the additional ham with brie this year. And at 10:30pm the night before the party, I decided to scratch the homemade bread and use baguettes from Target: one of the best time-saving decisions I've ever made.

The cake went much better than last year. Bria and I brainstormed the perfect cake, which mostly means she came up with crazy impossible ideas, and I steered her towards something I thought I could pull off. I used a vanilla buttermilk cake recipe (take a look at that thing-- you don't cream the butter and sugar first and then add the eggs. I double and triple and quadruple checked that thing before proceeding very cautiously. but it worked!). Then we layered it with vanilla pudding and macerated strawberries, all topped with a strawberry cream cheese frosting. And it was totally, completely awesome.

Cornucopia

Thanksgiving this year was infinitely better than last year. We ate with Sam's one remaining local brother, and it was the best of both worlds. I made several dishes, but I didn't have to host or clean my house or even clean up my cooking mess immediately after. Though I still dream of making a turkey some day.
Since we spend the holidays at home rather than traveling to visit family, it's important to me to make nostalgic dishes. Stuffing was spoken for on the Thanksgiving menu, so I made my mom's stuffing for Tuesday night dinner to make sure I got my fill. And when brainstorming what I could bring to the feast, I found a perfect balance of recreating McPhie traditional dishes and experimenting with new recipes. One of the new ones was the curried brussels sprouts, which were Bria's favorite side dish-- a new tradition perhaps.
Non-photographed dishes contributed included this McPhie family favorite jello and Martha's incredible green bean casserole. Below you will see the evidence of pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie (the ultimate crowd-pleaser of the night), corn custard, and Martha's curry spiced brussels sprouts.

The Cake

Several weeks ago, I emailed Sam a list of possible cake options for his 4th of July birthday. He took a couple days to decide, but predictably went with The Cake that Shouldn't Be Called Cake-- a white cake with a sweetened sour cream filling and sour whipped cream topping with chocolate shavings.The only difference from this cake and the ones I've made before is I made the actual cake from scratch, rather than from a box-- obviously it only made it more delicious. We had a couple friends over for cake, ice cream, and You Don't Know Jack to help Sam ring in the big 2-9. The gathering was probably more for me than for Sam, but it doesn't feel very practical to make a huge cake for three people (especially when one of those three can't even eat a whole piece).The remaining cake stayed in the fridge for another two days while we sneaked bites here and there until the whipped cream was past its prime. I've really gotta learn how to make things smaller. Throwing away 1/3 of a cake just makes my heart hurt.Also, having a birthday on a holiday means this isn't the only dessert we were eating all weekend. Maybe I just need to learn how to stuff more sugary things in my stomach without passing out. Yes. That is a much better aspiration.

Revenge of the Nerds

First of all, I'm highly suspicious that this is incredibly nerdy. But, I made homemade jam. And homemade bread. And then I made homemade butter. It was, like, this incredibly organic process where I just knew everything that needed to come together. Also, Sam has been working nights, which has led to more than one existential crisis late at night, and I start working in the kitchen when I should be in bed.
The strawberries were purchased on an incredible sale-- too many at once, though-- so jam was the logical solution.

The bread was, well, gone, so I needed to make more. And then the butter. I saw this post on Design*Sponge recently, and it latched onto my brain and kept nudging its way into all my thoughts, both night and day: "homemade butter. homemade butter. homemade butterrrrrr." Very haunting.

I didn't even have very much cream to make the butter, but it was easy and beautiful and enough to fill me with the thrill and joy of kitchen success. I may never go back to store-bought.

Roughest, Toughest Cowgirl Party

I promise to get back to my NYC posts, but first, Bria's party. Bria turned three years old on Monday, so on Saturday we had a little party for her. Let's be honest though, the party was more for me. I have this tendency to Think Big-- just to get overwhelmed and in over my head before settling for something small. For Bria's party, I have to say I am proud of myself for having artistic vision and realistic expectations. All this means I accomplished everything I wanted for the party (except for a banner, but I'm ok with that).
We settled on a cowgirl theme months in advance, so there were games like Pin the Badge on the Sheriff, a Shooting Gallery (bean bags thrown at empty root beer bottles), and an Obstacle Course. Our friends down the street were generous enough to offer their backyard, so there was plenty of room for the kids to run around.
But my pride and glory was the pinata. I have not crafted papier mache since elementary school, so I tapped my inner 10 year-old and set to work every night the week before the party. I used this as my guide, and it turned out perfectly. I estimate about 6 hours of labor, but it was worth it. The kids couldn't whack it open (they could only muster light taps), so our friend Trent had to use his adult muscles to knock it open with the bat. (We at least made him do it sans glasses.)

And then there was the food. Besides the pinata, this was the real labor of love: corn cut from the cob, loaves of homemade bread, Swiss buttercream, ganache, homemade ice cream. Let's just say I am still doing dishes.

I forgot to tell my photographer (Sam) to get pictures of the spread, but just use your imagination. The menu:
PW's fresh corn and avocado salsa
My mom's salsa (recipe coming soon)
Taquitos (from Costco)
PB & Js for the kids
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
Roast beef and horseradish sandwiches
Fresh strawberries (from Hannahwob)

(the aftermath)

I wanted so badly to make this rainbow cake for the party, but Bria was very insistent on having a chocolate cake. So I went with Orangette's Far-From-Disaster Cake layered with ganache and Swiss buttercream. And, you know what? 1 am the night before the party is the bad time to learn you don't like buttercream, but it was too late to change my mind, so I went with it.


Plus buttermilk frozen custard (and a batch with sweetened strawberry puree mixed in) made the perfect birthday party dessert. If you have an ice cream maker, you simply must try this ice cream. It was so full of flavor. That buttermilk adds the perfect slight tang and a depth of flavor often absent from homemade ice cream.
The main reason I cook and bake is to show my love for people in my life, so it follows that I would bake and cook my little heart out to show this girl how much I love her. And it was the perfect way to celebrate her turning THREE.

Consolation Cupcakes

I interrupt the NY posts (all one of them so far) to tell you about some cupcakes. There was a day last week when what were planned to be celebration cupcakes turned into consolation cupcakes. And I tell you, consolation has never tasted so sweet. I used Ina Garten's recipe again (it's just so good!) and then dipped the tops in a simple ganache. It was the perfect balance. The cupcakes are sturdy-- not dense or dry, but they are just substantial. The tops even have a type of crust, and that's actually what I love. They don't crumble or fall apart, yet they are still moist and delicate. (And, as a batter-eater, I can tell you, it is worth licking the beaters.) But because the cupcakes could stand on their own, they don't need copious amounts of intensely sugared frosting. A light coating of ganache is just enough to make them interesting and indulgent. The ganache was easy enough: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and some half and half (leftover from making dutch babies). Fill a little dish with the chips then heat the half and half (or cream or whole milk, but let's be honest, I've even used skim milk in a pinch) in the microwave until it is very hot and very steamy. Then poor it over the chocolate-- just enough to not quite cover all the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two before using a fork or whisk to slowly bring it all together. Dip some freshly baked cupcakes in it, and there you have it: consolation on a dish.

Link Love

My own creativity remains in hibernation. So, try these two borrowed lovelies, which constituted our dinner tonight (it is Meatless Monday, after all):

Bran muffins. I promise they are divine.

Soup. Hearty, tasty, filling soup.

Darth Deer

This weekend was mainly spent celebrating the first days off work Sam has had since Bria and I came home from Utah. And it was also spent scheming and planning for the almost two weeks Sam will have off for Christmas (the latter should explain the former). Also included were things like this:
And this pumpkin bread pudding, which I only remembered to take a picture of after the fact (it was soooo good).

Speaking of pictures, there's a chance I took that picture on my brand-spankin'-new, early-Christmas iphone-- which was FREE. I didn't know I cared about technology, but I do.

We also ate soup with Hannah and Rob, who graced the suburbs with their presence for the day. The story of this soup is that it is a replica of the Zuppa Toscana from Oliva Garden. I used to hate that soup-- like seriously loathe it and gag at the very thought of it. Then, when I was pregnant with Bria, I started craving it. And now I love it.

1 lb ground sausage (regular or spicy-- just make sure it's not maple)
3 large red potatoes, sliced in half and then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 bunch kale, chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. (Do not boil.) Add kale several minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

I've Won Them Over With Sugar

Last week we trekked out to Ashburn to watch Marc and Jenn's kids while they took David out to BYU. Yes, we have a nephew who is 18. Isn't that weird? I'm closer in age to David than I am to five of Sam's six siblings. In fact, Sam's oldest brother is closer in age to my parents than he is to me. So, I'm kind of a baby. Anyway, we've watched Marc and Jenn's kids several times, and I kind of love it because they're like dream children. They are helpful and kind, and they always play with Bria so it makes my job super easy.
We didn't do a whole lot because it's the tail end of summer, they were headed to the beach the next week, and it's kind of hard to find things to entertain three kids ages 7 to 15. We kind of just hung around doing nothing (and Amanda roped me into watching Real Housewives of New Jersey and DC) until the last day when we decided to make cupcakes.
I really wanted to take them to Georgetown Cupcake, but Ashburn is like five years away from DC, so it wasn't the best idea to haul the little kids (Bria and Colin) to Georgetown just for a cupcake.
Another benefit of watching Marc and Jenn's kids is they marvel at all the things I make from scratch. I was craving a quality cake and frosting, so we went with Ina's recipe, and it was scrumptious. Also? From-scratch cake batter is soooo worth the risk of salmonella. Seriously.

And then it was back to our regular routine this week. I did, like, 12 loads of laundry at Marc and Jenn's house (which saved me $36 from our coin-op machines in our building), and it's been a little sad to see how fast those empty baskets filled up this week. Plus Bria's been super bored (and therefore whiny) because I'm just not as entertaining as Colin, Myles, and Amanda. I think this means Bria needs some older siblings, which I'm pretty sure isn't possible at this point. Oh well, looks like she's still stuck with just me.

Homemade Wheat Thins

I saw a recipe for wheat thins the other day and decided to give it a go. I often eat cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack, so this was a great way to try something new, save a little money, and ingest fewer preservatives and chemicals. Perfect!

(pre-bake. you can see it was hard to get all the flour off the dough, but it didn't end up being a problem. also, this batch had several oddly-shaped wheat thins, but that is just one joy of baking at home.)

The dough is simple enough: flour, salt, sugar, butter, milk. (I did follow the suggestions from this follow up post as well, which I think facilitated the process.) It comes together easily, although the rolling and cutting part is slightly tedious. I had to bake the wheat thins in three batches to accommodate all the dough, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend cutting the recipe in half because then you wouldn't get as many crackers at the end.

(post-bake, batch 3. I forgot to poke holes in them, but they turned out just fine-- and pretty!)


Bria thoroughly enjoyed the process (she ate several fistfuls of flour):


The result was that I thought the crackers were way too sweet. I would probably reduce the sugar to just over 1/4 cup and slightly increase the salt. (Speaking of which, sprinkling the thins with salt before you bake them is mandatory.) I used more milk than the recipe called for, and I also highly recommend working in small batches, since the dough (or at least my dough) split, tore, and stuck when I moved it from counter to pan. They were fun to make, and I will probably make them again. And, they are great dipped in cream cheese mixed with a little taco seasoning (thanks for that idea, pauline!).

Snowed In

When it first started snowing, I laughed at all the silly Virginians racing for their emergency preparedness gear. The forecast predicted about a foot of snow. I'm from Colorado and spent the last six years in Utah. I think I can handle a foot of snow. And then, last night, the snow started. And it still hasn't stopped. And when the snow drifts started coming up our windows, we decided Bria needed to experience it. So we bundled her up. She doesn't have snow clothes, so decided a garbage bag would do the trick.
She was in heaven.
And now we are just thinking warm fuzzy thoughts for our snow day tomorrow. Church is canceled, but at least Hannah and Rob live on our street so we'll have some other humans to interact with over dinner.

And if we weren't snowed in, or at least if we weren't out of flour, I might make this warm and fuzzy treat:

That would be monkey bread.

I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman, and I highly recommend it. But the difference is that I made homemade roll dough. And that is what I want to share with you. This recipe comes from my great-great-grandma Venice Bigler (how awesome is the name Venice?). It's perfectly flexible for any kind of roll dough you need: dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and in this case, monkey bread.

1 c milk
3 T butter
1/3 c warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
4 c flour
2 t salt
1/4 c sugar
2 eggs

Heat the butter and milk together in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Set aside to let it cool a bit. In a dish, put the water, yeast, and 1 T of sugar and let it sit for at least 10 minutes until it's foamy. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and 1/4 c sugar. In the the bowl of your mixer, combine 2 eggs, the yeast mixture, and the milk/butter mixture. Once combined, slowly add the flour by 1/2 c increments until it forms a nice dough. The dough should be sticky, but pull clean away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Let the dough rise for one hour (and double in size) before forming it into whatever kind of roll you need. (For the monkey bread, cut it into the little shapes now.) Before baking, let the dough rise one more hour. Unless you're impatient, because I didn't let the monkey bread rise a second time, and it was still delicious. For the most part, these rolls should bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, but the monkey bread recipe is different, so just adjust accordingly.

Cranberry Pear Cake, aka HEAVEN IN CAKE FORM

Several years ago, on a cold December night, my mom went to a party at her neighbor's house. Little did she know the food she would eat there would change her life and the lives of those she loved.
My mom's neighbor Mary introduced my mom to the cranberry pear cake. The cake batter is simple: flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs, fresh cranberries, and an entire can of pears. The cake naturally forms into rough layers as it bakes, the most cake-like parts at the bottom followed by mashed pears, with the cranberries rising to the top. As the cake goes into the oven, the cranberries glisten on top, like floating little jewels. The heat of the oven causes them to burst, shining like rubies, juicy and vibrant from the heat. The crowning glory comes in the form of a sauce. Let me tell you four reasons the sauce will change your life:
1. Butter
2. Cream
3. Sugar
4. Vanilla


Combine those in a pan with some heat, and you might begin to cry from joy. The sauce is so sweet, it balances the tart cranberries, and the smoothness of the sauce covers the weirdness I usually feel from eating mushy, cooked fruit. Indeed, this cake is the one exception I make for cooked fruit. Plus, covered with a hefty dollop of freshly whipped cream-- this cake is truly perfection. I offer a 100% guarantee that this cake will wow your friends' and your own socks right off your feet. It's a perfect holiday party dessert.

this is my work and my glory

Cranberry Pear Cake
from Mary Brinkerhoff
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t baking soda
1 large can pears, with juice, mashed
1 bag cranberries

Combine all ingredients. I like to add everything except the cranberries and then use my hand mixer, which effectively mashes the pears, then stir in the cranberries with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into a greased 9x13. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. (My mom swears hers bakes in 40 minutes, but mine always takes infinitely longer.) Do a toothpick test to be certain it is done.

Sauce:
3/4 c cream
1 c sugar
3/4 c butter
1 t pure vanilla extract

Combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Drizzle (liberally) over individual pieces of cake and top with a hefty dollop of freshly-whipped cream.

You're welcome.

homemade pizookies

I was going to say that I've had a real sweet tooth lately, but the truth is that I always have a sweet tooth. I commonly make brownies and cookies, but I'm always on the lookout for something exciting and new. And back in March, we took a little trip to Arizona to visit Sam's sister, and we had pizookies. What's a pizookie? It's a giant cookie baked in a little tin served hot and gooey with a giant serving of ice cream on top. I was remembering how delish it was and decided to mimic it for our home enjoyment.
I decided I needed to start with a nice, hearty, delicious cookie dough-- because it's served slightly underdone. Also, I was fairly limited on white sugar, so I needed to find something that didn't require very much. I did a little searching and decided on this cookie from Orangette. It was perfect, firstly, because it only calls for 1/4 c white sugar. Secondly, it's perfect, period. I've decided that this oatmeal chocolate chip is hands-down the world's best cookie dough I have ever tasted. And I don't take that very lightly. This is serious stuff.
So I whipped up the cookie dough, made fairly large cookies (and just baked them like regular cookies on a cookie sheet with a silpat), and as soon as they came out of the oven (which was when they were a minute or two from being done), I flopped them into big bowls with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
This dessert hit the spot in so many ways. The cookie dough is so incredibly rich, but the ice cream counters that so you don't have to stop before you want to. And it's so comforting and wonderful-- simultaneously warm and cold, and chocolatey and gooey and chewy and creamy all at once-- it's perfect. I replicated the dessert a couple nights in a row, since we only used enough of the dough for two pizookies a night (plus a couple regular cookies for lunch the next day). If you're in a dessert rut (and hey, even if you're not), I highly recommend this.

Carbo Loading

I think I have something to make up for my lack of posts.

Homemade bread.

Yes? Yes.
I love the idea of bread-baking christening a new home, and I've kind of been putting off the bread-baking until I was ready to call this new apartment home. And it was finally time. I unpacked the third-to-last box the other day (those last two-- I don't know when that will happen. Later, for sure) and so things are feeling more real here. (mostly because there is finally room to walk around in our bedroom. maybe only four inches to walk in, but it's walking space nonetheless.) Anyway, I find the whole bread-baking equals home-making thing terribly romantic. And since I thought it was about time to make this place feel more like home, I finally did it. The recipe I have for homemade bread has been passed down for generations in my family, but . . . I don't really like it. (Gasp! Multiple female ancestors are turning in their graves.) It's too crumbly. So, it's fantastic and wonderful when it's fresh from the oven or if you toast it, but once it's cooled and sliced, it just becomes this crumbly mess. I need bread that can function for all my bread needs. So, I went searching.
Everything I found on the internet was geared towards bread machines. I'm sure I could adapt any bread machine recipe to suit my needs, but I didn't want my work to go into recipe adaptation. So, I pulled out a cookbook I got for my wedding (from Annie's family, actually). Lo and behold! A bread recipe that didn't require a bread machine. So I decided to give it a whirl.
The results were fantastic. The bread was firm and hearty without being dry or stiff. The flavor was light and fresh, with that wonderfully homey and chewy quality. It was delightful for plain old bread (for which I suggest you slice thinly), and it was even more delicious for toast, which I spread with peanut butter and eat every morning for breakfast.
After the first two loaves, I decided I wanted something a little meatier, so I updated the recipe a little to create a honey oat loaf (as opposed to the original plain white). I made this last night and ate this toast for breakfast. I am in love with this loaf. It feels healthier and heartier. I love the substance the oat flour adds to the bread. I'm excited to continue working on this recipe, but here it is for the time being. (P.S. All the pictures are from the white bread, not this honey oat loaf, which looks much more lovely.)

Honey Oat Bread
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook Bridal Edition

6 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 oat flour (made by grinding raw old-fashioned oats in your food processor to a fine meal)
1 package active dry yeast (about 1 T)
2 1/4 c whole milk (I'm sure skim a fine substitute, but why not use whole when you can?)
2 T honey
1 butter
1 1/2 t salt

In the bowl of your mixer (with dough hooks attached), Combine 3/4 c oat flour, 1 3/4 c flour, and yeast.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, honey, butter, and salt. Heat on med-low until warm and the butter nearly melts. In fact, I just noticed that the butter is supposed to nearly melt. I've completely melted it every other time, and it's been just fine. But not melting it completely would certainly save some time. Also, you don't want the milk mixture to be hot, as that would kill the yeast. It should be warm, but not hot, so let it cool a touch if you melt the butter completely.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low for about a minute, stopping in the middle to scrape the sides. Once it's completely incorporated, mix on medium or high for about 3 minutes. Return the mixer to low and start adding the flour gradually. Add as much flour as you can to create a moderately stiff dough. This usually means adding flour just until the dough pulls clean from the sides of the mixing bowl. Don't add too quickly-- you can always add more flour later if you realize it's too wet. Once all the flour is incorporated, turn the mixer to high and knead for 6-8 minutes. In my mom's words, you want to mix the heck out of it.
Kneading is an important process in bread-making because it allows the flours to release their glutens, which is what makes bread bread. It gives bread the right texture and allows it to rise properly. It's nearly impossible to knead the bread too much at this point, so just go to town. You know you're finished when the dough has a smooth, elastic texture. This is much easier to tell by hand, I find. So once I think it's ready, I remove the dough from the mixer and feel it. The dough should stretch without breaking and should feel smooth over the surface, without sticking to your hand. If it's not quite right, knead it with your hands for a couple more minutes. Once the dough has the right texture, form the dough into a ball shape and place it in a lightly greased bowl.
Cover and let it rise in a warm place until double in size (about one hour).

Once dough is double in size, punch the dough down with a single blow of the fist. Use your fingers to pull the edges to the center then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts, then cover and let it rest for ten minutes. At this point, you don't want to work the dough too much or it will become tough. Meanwhile, grease two bread pans. After the dough has rested, shape each dough half into a loaf shape, gently tucking and pinching into the desire shape. Place the loaves into their pans, cover, and let rise a second time in a warm place until double in size (about 40 minutes).

Bake the bread in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes. When it is done, the bread will sound hollow if you lightly tap the top. My bread took about 38 minutes, so don't be afraid to check it early. Immediately remove the bread from their pans and cool on a wire rack.
Be sure to eat at least one slice while it's still warm. I like mine best spread with unsalted butter and honey.


You can make the bread completely by hand or using a mixer. I've adapted the recipe to be made in my Bosch. I think making bread can seem really daunting, and as I typed this out, I realized that it is a very long and detailed and involved process. But, it's not difficult. I think the work is well worth it. Warm bread fresh from the oven is one of the most delicious and comforting things in the world.