As a child, my Grandma made me a poppy seed cake every year for my birthday. Sound odd? Well – my birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and who isn’t sugared out by then after all the Christmas cookies and holiday treats?
So this poppy seed cake was always just right – not too sweet – no heavy, sugary icing – just a fun old-fashioned bread-like cake that speaks love to me.
Marty used to make it for me sometimes through the years; but the older we get, the more I just don’t want anything sweet by my birthday. (Red wine, however, is ALWAYS welcome!) 🙂
So I have had a hankering for poppy seed cake lately, and when I passed a package of poppy seeds in the grocery store yesterday, I just threw them in the cart and came home and baked it!
Don’t be surprised if it reminds you more of a sweet bread – more like banana bread or zucchini bread. It is yummy for breakfast with coffee or just as a treat. (And of course it goes well with red wine. What doesn’t?)
Anyone who has followed along here at LifeinBetween.me for any length of time might be wondering what an ole’ Hunky Polish chick that loves baking cookies and cakes and breads and makes halupkis and haluski and pierogies is doing trying her hand at Chinese comfort food….
Well – why not?!
And oh YUMMMM!
Who knew how easy and healthy it could be without buying it from the local Chinese take-out?
And is there anything more versatile?!
The sky is seriously the limit with all the things you can mix into this!
Change up the protein from shrimp to chicken or pork or even beef.
Almost any vegetable works too!
Can’t find Lo Mein Noodles at your local grocery? Spaghetti noodles work just fine!
1 – 1.5 lbs Thin Spaghetti (or Lo Mein noodles) – cooked al dente
1 lb Cooked, Deveined Shrimp, Tails removed (or chicken or pork or beef)
5 cups spinach leaves
1 cup shredded julienne carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup thin asparagus tops
1 cup green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 red peppers, cut into strips
2-3 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp. Olive Oil
Sauce:
5 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Sugar dissolved in 2 Tbsp hot water
1 tsp Salt-Free Asian Spice Seasoning
1 Tbsp freshly minced ginger
1 tsp Siracha Sauce
Directions:
Heat olive oil in large wok or skillet. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rest of vegetables, except spinach (any of the above or any that you like) and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add cooked shrimp (or protein of your choice or simply keep vegetarian). Cook 2-3 more minutes. Add spinach and cook 1-2 more minutes. Stir in noodles and sauce mixture. Gently toss.
My son, Nick declared these Blackberry Blondie Cookie Bars “the best dessert” I’ve made in a long time! (I think he ate four last night – and he usually has extreme self control over sweets) Score! 🙂
Anyway, I have literally been longing to bake something…
I had a big, juicy carton of fresh blackberries in the fridge I bought to eat with my morning cereal, but when I found this recipe for Blackberry Blondies from Nicole Weston at BakingBites.com, I knew this is what I wanted to make. Thanks for sharing Nicole!
Blondies are basically the opposite of brownies in that they are the same idea of a bar-type cookie, but typically vanilla flavored instead of chocolate. Blondies can be plain or they can be the base for many different additions – like these yummy blackberries.
And since this recipe uses fresh, vitamin-packed blackberries (not a sugar-laden preserve or fruit filling) – they are a teensy bit healthy – eh? 🙂
I only had a bite of one, so I could know what they taste like, and it was so worth it! YUM! (And yes – I did go to the gym today)
These remind me of blackberry cobbler in a cookie. How divine is that?!?!
Here is the recipe from Nicole at Baking Bites with just a few small tweaks I made. I was out of vanilla extract (seriously don’t know how that happened!), so I used all almond extract, and you know what? I don’t think I would change it.
Hope you will try, and hope you enjoy. Let me know if you do.
Blackberry Blondies
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a square 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
Whisk together butter and sugar in a large bowl until well combined.
Beat in salt, egg, and almond extract until well combined.
Stir in flour and mix just until fully incorporated.
Gently fold in blackberries.
Transfer dough to prepared pan and spread carefully into an even layer.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until bars are set and golden.
Cool completely in the pan before cutting.
We had a great time this weekend celebrating Chinese New Year! (a couple weeks early – but as our Host “Oh Rob” would say, “Who has more fun than us??!!)
Such yummy food… like these crunchy egg rolls,
the MOST AMAZING homemade dumplings and dipping sauces,
fresh crisp lettuce wraps, oranges (for good luck), and of course fortune cookies,
along with tender tangy teriyaki beef skewers to start of the festivities.
And after our bellies were satisfied with tasty treats and wine and Moscow mules,
and we all received our special hat and learned what animal our birth year represented (I’m a tiger in case you couldn’t have guessed – LOL!)
and we were wished good luck by our happy hostesses (Mimi and Ella) in matching smiles and attire.
We learned a new game that, though we all had heard of, none of us had ever played.
My BFF was coming for dinner one night this week, and I wanted to make one of her favorites. Jill loves creamy potato soup, especially on these cold winter evenings, so I was excited to make it for her to enjoy for dinner with Marty and I since her hubby is out of town. How lucky for me to get to have extra time with her!!!
I found a recipe for Crockpot Potato Soup and thought that would be perfect – I could prep it in the morning, let it cook while I work, then finish it up after work and enjoy the evening with Jill.
So I started peeling and dicing the potatoes. The recipe called for 3 to 3 1/2 lbs, but I decided to double it to assure there would be plenty leftover for Jill to have for the rest of the week to take for lunch or have for dinner at home.
And as a side note: Marty would be so proud that I actually used the vegetable peeler tool to peel all 7 lbs. of potatoes! What a hassle! I usually just use a paring knife to be quicker, but I do waste an awful lot that way… I had a bag of red potatoes and several loose russet and Yukon Golds. I used every single one of them.
Then I chopped two wonderfully large sweet Vidalia onions. I’m not the best chopper/dicer. I just don’t have the patience to “finely” chop or dice. Marty and Jake are so much more precise. I like to refer to my style of chopping as “rustic.” Doesn’t that sound so much more artistic and purposeful than “too lazy to bother?” 🙂
Next the recipe called for chicken broth. I didn’t have any canned or boxed, but I did have chicken base, which makes a wonderful and much less expensive broth.
Since I was doubling the recipe, I needed 10 cups of chicken broth.
Well – I have a pretty large crockpot, but wasn’t thinking straight (Disclaimer: it was like 7:30 am, and I was only on my first cup of coffee), so 7 lbs. of diced potatoes and 10 cups of chicken broth…. well – not happening in the crock pot…. And there was more to add….
The recipe didn’t call for garlic, but c’mon – what savory dish doesn’t taste better with some freshly minced garlic in it? Again – note the “rustic” mincing job I do with my garlic…
And just because I had it – – and because it is yummy – – – I wanted to throw in some fresh “rustically” chopped rosemary and sage. Oh the wonderful aroma!!!!
So before I had a huge mess, I dumped it all in a LARGE pot – way too large – but whatever – it fit – and too big is better than too small (for soup pots)!
Next – the recipe called for a cup of evaporated milk. I had one can. I needed 2 cups (doubling – remember?) One can does NOT equal two cups….
… so I just filled the remaining half cup with Half and Half. I dumped poured it in the pot, then added a dash of salt and pepper.
According to the crockpot recipe, this is all to simmer on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours…. I put a lid on the pot, set the burner to simmer, and it only took about an hour of simmering for the potatoes to be fully cooked and soft. So it just sat there (and the flavors melded) for the day once done.
After work, when I was ready to finish the soup, I melted 2/3 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, I whisked in 2/3 cup flour and cooked for a couple minutes. I then whisked in 4 cups of the potato soup broth.
This was then added to the big pot and cooked for about 10 minutes. While that was cooking, I fried up a pound of sliced bacon, chopped a handlful of green onions, and grated some cheddar cheese.
I stirred half the bacon, onion and cheese into the pot, along with a cup of sour cream…
I reserved the rest of the bacon, green onions and cheese for garnishing on top of the soup.
And because nothing goes better with warm, creamy soup than rustic crusty homemade bread, I made a loaf for dunkin’. (You can find the recipe for this super-easy, no-knead, three ingredient crusty bread here from a previous post.)
We filled and warmed our bellies, and then…… the best part….. my favorite holiday show was on! RUDOLPH the Red-Nosed Reindeer! And I got to watch it with my bestie!
And Jill got to take a big container home to enjoy for the rest of the week. It was a pretty great Tuesday! 🙂
Here is the recipe (the SINGLE recipe that FITS in the crockpot!) as posted by www.CookingClassy.com.
Make it however you like, add whatever spices you like, substitute whatever you need…. That’s the beauty and fun of cooking!
3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 – 9 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
4 green onions, diced
Directions
To a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours (poke potatoes with a fork to check make sure they’re soft).
Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup mixture in crock pot into a liquid measuring cup, set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups liquid in measuring cup into butter mixture (it will thicken quickly). Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend. If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an emulsion blender to puree. Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions (you can just mix in those three remaining ingredients into slow cooker or top individual servings).
Cheers & Warm Hugs,
Jodi
I am submitting this post as part of my #Writing201 Assignment: A How-To How-To – We all have something we can teach others. This week, dig into your bucket of expertise to pen an instructional post.
We had the pleasure of spending an unforgettable Un-Thanksgiving with some of our undeniable favorites this past Saturday.
Now before you get all, “What the heck? Aren’t you thankful? Are you anti-Thanksgiving?” on me…I LOVE Thanksgiving, and I am unbelievably thankful for so many un-deserved blessings in my life.It’s just that it is impossible to be with everyone you want to be with on that one certain day for that one certain meal at that one certain time. Right?So my unparalleled cousins, Nikole and Michael, undertook the task of preparing an unforgettable Un-Thanksgiving feast and family celebration.Unlike your traditional Thanksgiving meal, we had the most unequivocally sumptuous pork roast with an unbearably amazing vinaigrette, roasted potatoes, the most unfathomably incredible roasted brussels sprouts with chorizo and chopped almonds, roasted fresh carrots, and fresh baked bread with oil for dipping.We uncorked unlimited bottles of vino (apparently too many as I certainly did not have my camera focused for this timer-set group shot!)…We laughed unstoppably….We even unleashed our inner Broadway talents while singing and dancing to “Frozen” after unsparingly stuffing our tummys and snuggling on the couch.
The unlimited love unraveled that day was unmistakable.So think about doing something untimely and unexpected like an Un-Thanksgiving or Un-Christmas or Un-Whatever…… You might just unravel some unexpectedly untouchable moments and memories.
Who can resist Sea Salt Caramels mixed with Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks??!!??
And baked into a warm, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside homemade cookie!
I saw these new yummy Brach’s Sea Salt Caramel Royals at the store recently and thought they might make a nice addition to my basic “almost famous” chocolate chip cookies for a little change up.
So I chopped up a bag of these amazing little bites of heaven and substituted them for half of the chocolate chunks in my cookies. The only tricky thing about these is that the melted caramel makes the cookies a bit tricky to remove from you baking sheets (stones), so I recommend letting them cool almost completely on the sheet before removing.
Two thumbs up from the guys in the McKinney house (and if Mikey had an opposable thumb, he’d give one too).
Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Mix together:
1 lb softened butter (YEPPERS – you heard me right – I did say O N E P O U N D – 4 sticks – 2 cups – – – don’t get too shook up – recipe makes A LOT!)
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2-3 tsp vanilla (just pour some in)
4 eggs
Then add:
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Mix well, then fold in:
1 12-oz bag Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks
1 10-oz bag Brach’s Sea Salt Caramel Royals, chopped
Chill for several hours.
Drop by heaping tablespoons on baking stone, and bake at 375 for 9-11 min.
My sweet friend, Janet, brought us over some butternut squash from her garden the other day.
I was excited to try something new with it, and found this amazing recipe from Giada at the Food Network.
I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so Score! A simple (and no meat) dinner last night. I added a big, green tossed salad, and we were set.
(My guys do prefer to have “meat,” but I’ll keep trying with baby steps to slip in alternatives occasionally.)
So seriously – how can you go wrong with…
Penne pasta,
Creamy goat cheese,
Sweet onions and butternut squash roasted to perfection with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper,
Crunchy toasted walnuts,
Fresh, fragrant basil,
and salty grated Parmegiano Reggiano cheese
(well – – – Marty says omit the walnuts and add chicken – – – spoil sport! Might work – but I LOVED it this way!!)
I just love roasting vegetables. The way this process caramelizes and brings out the sugars and flavors of vegetables is so amazing!
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 sweet onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta (or whatever shape you like)
1 1/2 cups goat cheese, crumbled – or how much ever you like
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Arrange the squash and onion together in a single layer on a baking sheet (I always use baking stones). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally making sure to not overbake – or squash will become “mushy” when mixed in with pasta.
While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente – about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Mix the pasta, goat cheese and pasta water together and stir until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.
To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.
A variety of squash is plentiful this time of year.
I love butternut squash, and I love to make it this simple way that I did this week for dinner.
The hardest part is “peeling” the squash.
Here is how I make it:
Roasted Butternut Squash
1 Butternut squash halved, seeded, peeled.
5-6 Tbsp butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Cut butternut squash into cubes and spread onto baking dish/stone. Melt butter, add brown sugar, and mix well. Drizzle over squash cubes. Sprinkle rosemary and salt/pepper over all. Roast in 400 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes, until tender and brown.
One Christmas holiday season about 15 years ago, some dear friends, Jan and Mike, showed up at our front door on a snowy, blustery day with a warm loaf of this amazing Dill Bread.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
After sharing with my family devouring this luscious loaf, I quickly begged for the recipe. Jan sweetly obliged, and I have been making this bread at least once a year ever since.
This bread is so right up my alley of flavor fiestas! Sauteed buttery onion flakes and dill seed baked into this dense, no-knead bread and topped with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. A cup of cottage cheese in the dough makes it moist and dense.
Yesterday was a bit windy and rainy and seemed a perfect day to let an easy loaf of bread raise and bake for dinner to accompany a beef pot roast and caramelized butternut squash. A perfect Fall feast.
Here’s the recipe for “Jan’s Dill Bread”
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp minced onion flakes
2 Tbsp butter
1 c cottage cheese
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 Tbsp dill seed
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 c flour
Soften onion in butter over low heat and let cool.
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add all ingredients except flour, and mix well. Then stir in flour to make stiff dough.
Let rise until doubled (an hour or so). Punch down and place in greased 2 qt casserole or baking stone. Let rise 40 min. Bake for approx. 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until well browned.
Brush top with butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
the creative life in between 