Bastille Day Cookies

Sometimes, when I post these things I wonder when I'll get, "the letter." You know, the letter that reads:

Dear Mrs. Eat The Blog,

We put it to a vote and it was unanimous. We'd like it very much if you'd leave Nebraska now, please.

Cinder Toffee/Honeycomb Ice Cream

If you've ever wondered about the feasibility of making cinder toffee on a hot, humid day-here you go! I thought it would turn out gummy, but the results were good, and I quickly moved it to the fridge to chill before mixing into ice cream. You need to work fast, but that's generally true of most sugar candies. I did let it cook ever so slightly longer to account for the high humidity-but really, watch it as the stuff can go from a nice golden colour to burnt rather quickly.

The ice cream is essentially the caramel ice cream I made HERE with golden syrup replacing the corn syrup. Once you are at the last stir, fold in the chopped bits of cinder toffee. You can of course coat the pieces in chocolate first, but I think that is a bit much for ice cream. I'm sort of amazed any of the candy made it into the ice cream as I have ZERO self control around the stuff. I've eaten quite a few pieces so far, and am considering making a second batch just for nibbling. I'm afraid the Lyle's Golden Syrup is about to become shit, as it has been purchased by an American company. Mr. ETB sarcastically said they'll start making it with corn syrup, and put it in a squeeze bottle, but I fear he may be pretty near the truth on that one. Anyway, eat up if you are at all nostalgic for the stuff.

For the cinder toffee:

5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarb (baking soda)

Melt the sugar and syrup together until liquid. Boil until it has a nice, deep golden colour (watch that it doesn't burn). Remove from heat, quickly whisk in the bicarb, and pour it without stirring onto either parchment, or a sillicone mat. Do not attempt to spread the mixture or it will deflate.

When cooled, break into pieces.

Ginger Beer Day Two

OK, we're bottled. I have no idea if it is supposed to look that cloudy, or if it settles to the bottom after a couple days (anyone?). I left plenty of extra room because I'm not in the mood for a ginger explosion.

Updates as it progresses.

Caramel Apple Pie-Better Homes and Gardens Pies and Cakes 1966

The only change I made to the recipe was using golden syrup in place of dark corn syrup, and using toasted coconut for the topping in place of walnuts.

I always wanted to try a pie crust using cooking oil. This one rolled out easily, and while it isn't as nice as an all-butter pie crust, it isn't bad at all. In fact, for a beginner, it might be a good crust recipe to start with. I don't think it would ever become a favourite, but it does work, and the results are surprisingly good.

For the All-Oil Pie Crust:

2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons cold water (the recipe says 4 or 5, I used 4) or milk
1/2 cup salad oil

Sift together the flour and salt. Add the water or milk to the oil and do not stir. Add all at once to the flour and toss lightly with a fork. Gather into two balls, flatten and roll each out between waxed paper.

For The Caramel Apple Pie:

6-8 tart apples, pared, cored and sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons AP flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup dark corn syrup (I used Golden Syrup)

For topping:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons AP flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup (or golden syrup)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used toasted coconut)

Arrange apples in a lined 9 inch pie plate. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine, sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter and syrup. Mix well and spread over apples. Top with second crust and cut slits in it to vent. Bake 40 minutes or until crust is golden. Place pie plate on a baking sheet to catch drips and combine in a bowl the brown sugar, flour, butter and syrup. Mix well and spread on top of pie crust. Sprinkle with coconut or walnuts and return to the oven 5 more minutes, or until topping is bubbling.

Tuli Kupferberg Dies at 86 Years

Break out yer Fugs records to celebrate Tuli's life.

I don't have time or room to reprint the entire 1001 Ways To beat The Draft, but here are some of the better suggestions:

Grope J. Edgar Hoover in the silent halls of Congress

Castrate yourself

Start to menstruate (better red than dead!)

Replace your feet with wheels

Get muscular dystrophy when you're a kid

Join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade

Stretch yourself on a rack so you become over 61/2 feet tall

Marry Mao Tse tung

Stamp your foot in the ground like Rumplestiltskin and refuse to eat until our boys return home from Vietnam.

Declare war on Germany

Tell the Army psychiatrist if he doesn't let you into the Army, you'll kill him

Wear pants made of jell-O

Tell the draft board you're sending your mother to Vietnam to fight in your place

Learn to talk with your anus

When the doctor tells you to spread your cheeks, let him see the firecracker you placed there beforehand.

Develop bleeding stigmata

Run for Congress on the platform that Red China should be invited to send its surplus population to colonise new York and Arizona.

Develop an otherworldly metaphysical system and live by its precepts.

I See London, I See France...

...I see a mannequin without any pants!

Ah yes, Beatrice, Nebraska. I don't even really need to do a post about it, or explain further-the article captures it so perfectly.

Paper Planes

I think these are pretty impressive. Danny's awfully proud of them, and they fly as well. The book is really detailed, so unless you're a serious paper plane geek, you might want to pass.

Ginger Beer Day One

I'm using Nigel Slater's recipe HERE.

I always get odd look from Danny when I make something like this.

"Is this some sort of ethnic thing your Granny made?"


I've threatened him with boiled meat, and overcooked vegetables so that he can have something legitimate to complain about. The child isn't what I'd describe as a timid eater, but something about drinks he can't readily identify the contents of freaks the boy out. You should have seen his reaction to barley water. I don't know how the child arrived at anything he dislikes, or finds too challenging to eat being labeled "ethnic". I mean, he's fine with curries, spaghetti, Mexican food, and Chinese stir-fry. He doesn't call those ethnic cuisines. I find this really amusing, and probably a positive sign he's accepted non-Western foods as the norm, and traditional Western fare as ethnic.

As far as I know, my Granny never made ginger beer, but she did have a fanatical appreciation for ginger ale, though she also had a fanatical fear of foreign contents showing up in bottled goods, and as a result only purchased light coloured fizzy drinks (true story). She also set the table for the next meal immediately after clearing the dishes. As a result, there was always a perfectly set table of Jadeite dishes whenever you happened to show up. I haven't started doing that, but I rarely buy cola, and I'm awfully fond of Jadeite tableware. I'm probably channeling her. I do match my handbags to my shoes.

I'll keep you posted with the progress over the next few days. I'll probably end up consuming most of it on my own as Mr. ETB is now suspicious of anything I "brew" after having a swig of the rhubarb infused vodka. Something about it tasting like distilled grass clippings...I don't know. That's pretty rich coming from someone that drinks grappa.

Dumpling Factory and Austerity Tips

I made dozens of dumplings today (well, I did can all that plum sauce-we needed dumplings) and have a good supply in the freezer for unanticipated dumpling emergencies. Yeah, like you never have unanticipated dumpling emergencies, right?

I've been doing quite a bit of cooking and freezing (dozens of ready to nuke burritos, curries, etc.) so they boys can help themselves to simple dinners, and lunches. This works out well as I've been kind of busy of late.

Anyway, my big discovery is that you can use what we always called "baby pasta" (the small round dots) in dumplings in place of ramen noodles. Because the noodles are all made in factories where allergens are present, I decided to stop using them at home altogether. The tiny round bits of pasta give a nice bite to the dumplings along with the vegetables and baked tofu-you really don't miss the ramen. I suppose it is marginally healthier if you care about fried noodle calories, though really, how many can you get in a dumpling that you're going to fry anyway? Angel hair pasta works OK too, though you need to break it into pretty short strands first.

Seriously though, I spend about 60 bucks a week on groceries, and they eat pretty well. You can turn carrots and cabbage into all kinds of exotic things (like dumplings, for instance). Keeping the freezer stocked with meals prevents impulse purchases of quick ready-to-serve meals. I mean, if you have homemade dumplings in the freezer, they will probably be better than just about anything you can pick up on your way home.

Repeat after me:
"carrots, cabbage, kale, beans, and rice."

You'd be amazed how many varied meals you can build around them.

Eat Them Up Yum

I played Fish Heads for Danny tonight. I watched him listening to the recording, and saw the smile breaking across his face as he processed the lyrics in his head.

"Rolly, polly fish heads are never seen drinking cappuccino in Italian restaurants with Oriental women, yeah."

Right now, my kid thinks I'm the coolest person alive.

I'm Middle Aged

I stopped colouring my hair about ten years ago, and hadn't really given it much thought. On a whim, I purchased some sort of "conceal your grey" rinse that washes out in a dozen shampoos. I don't know why I purchased it, I have no intention of using it. I thought I might this evening-I took the various items out of the box and examined them before returning them to said box, and replacing it in the bathroom medicine cabinet. I know I'm not going to do it.

I never see women my age with grey hair. I've never really responded to peer pressure, so I guess there's no point in starting now. I don't really think anyone would be fooled into thinking I'm younger by an absence of grey hair-not once they caught sight of my neck or hands. I probably should get a proper haircut though-haven't had one of those in about a decade either (hey, I do just fine hacking away at my hair with a pair of office scissors).

Some people can pull off coloured hair without looking stupid, and get the desired youthful effect. I don't honestly think I could. I'm not even sure I'd want to. That's how you know you're old-when being non-conformist goes from colouring your hair strange colours, to refusing to colour your hair.


Anyone want a box of Natural Instincts golden brown?

That's Mrs. Eat The Blog To You

I've only noticed this happening at one Hy-Vee location (Peony Park), but I now get thanked by name when handed my receipt. I mean, I get thanked by a teenager calling me by the diminutive of my name. My husband isn't permitted to call me that. I really find this first-name basis thing with someone I don't know, terribly offensive. I understand that the management/consultant types have been labouring under the delusion for years that this faux personalisation is going to create shopper loyalty-but it truly is a delusion. I don't blame the poor clerk forced to proceed with this nonsense, and I understand that I'm complaining about something newly occurring in Omaha that has probably been going on for years in more populated locales.

Now Get Off Of My Lawn!

Cinnamon Grape Nuts Ice Cream

The ice cream really needs to sit in the freezer several hours, or overnight until the Grape Nuts soften-otherwise, watch out for your teeth.

I used cinnamon sugar for mine, which is lovely, but you could do this with a really rich vanilla ice cream, which is traditional.

You Will Need:

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light. Heat the milk and cream until steaming. Whisk the milk slowly into the egg mixture. return to the pan and cook, whisking until it reaches 170 degrees F. Strain into a heat-proof bowl through a fine sieve. Stir in vanilla extract. Set in an ice bath until cool, then process in a machine or freezer tray. Right before packing it to ripen and store, stir in the Grape Nuts.

Blood Orange Ice Cream

I planned ahead for this ice cream last winter. Last evening, I raided my last jar of frozen blood orange juice to make a sort of high-end creamsicle ice cream.

You Will Need:

4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup blood orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat cream and milk until steaming. Beat together egg yolks and sugar until light. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to pan and cook, whisking until it reaches 170 degrees F. Strain into a heat-proof bowl through a fine sieve. Add orange juice and extract. Set in an ice bath until cooled. Freeze in a machine or freezer tray. Makes about 2 pints.

Sears Clearance Sale

I purchased these at the Sears in Crossroads mall in Omaha.


I scored great stuff again this year. I'm set for Fall. The clearance items I bought were 50% off the original price, with an additional 40% off. That's how I ended up with six dollar dresses. Sears does not in any way sponsor my posts, I just really love buying end of season clothes for the price of thrift store clothes. I suppose I'm getting kind of middle class in my old age, but sometimes it is nice to have clothes that don't smell like mildew and cat pee.

Anyhoo, here's some of the highlights:

This looks better worn. Most of these dresses looked like sacks on the hanger, but they are flattering. I like the neckline on this sweater dress, and the gauge is very, very light. I also purchased it in a bright redish/orange dayglo-because I was too old for the look in the 80's and now I'm...well now I'm well...older. This is going to look so great with boots.

Again, it looks better on. I've lost enough weight where I can wear a cinched-in waist and not have it spill out in a muffin-top. That's nice. The t-shirt material is heavy and nicely cut so that it swings when I walk. I'm of the mind that all dresses should swing a bit when you walk. This is also shorter in the front with long sides. I can't wait for cooler weather.

I know, that's quite a bit of grey clothing. I did buy navy trousers, and there was that dayglo dress, but yeah, I really do tend to favour a boring colour palette. I also really like cardigans. This cardigan was five bucks. It came in a bright dayglo red as well, but I thought it best to draw the line at dresses.

And in other news, I can wear size six trousers, which just seems wrong at 125 lbs. That ought to be at least a size ten, but the clothing manufacturers think we're a bunch of idiots that don't know what size we really wear. Thankfully, years of thrift store shopping has made me pretty good at holding something up, and knowing if it will fit. I'm usually pretty close-within alteration range. I always buy clothes larger anyway, because cheap fabrics have a tendency to shrink. OK-I also have a tendency to grow-at least around the winter holidays. You don't want to squeeze into a micro-fine gauge sweater dress...or I don't anyway.

So get your butts over to Sears before all the good deals are gone.

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake and Pumpkin Ice Cream

Strange choice for the middle of Summer, I know. I had a lonely tin of pumpkin crying out from the cabinet to be used ("You only love me for pie...booo hooo hooo") and frankly, I was getting somewhat sick of looking at it collect dust. I had about a cup left after the cake recipe, so I made ice cream as well.

I don't want any cake. I don't really want ice cream either. If you wanted pumpkin cake, or ice cream, these would make a perfectly lovely dessert.

The cake recipe comes from Amish and Mennonite Kitchens. The ice cream recipe that follows is my own.

For the cake:

2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup pumpkin (drain it well if using tinned)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
8 egg whites

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add, in the following order: oil, egg yolks, water, and pumpkin. Mix very well until smooth.

In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks. Carefully fold the pumpkin mixture into the egg whites. Pour into an ungreased tube pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for 55 minutes. Then, increase heat to 350 degrees F. and bake 10 minutes longer. Invert and cool.

For the frosting:

4 tablespoons butter
3 ounces cream cheese
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend together until smooth, and frost.

For the ice cream:

4 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Splash of vanilla

In a heat-proof bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar, whisking until smooth. Heat cream and milk until steaming. Slowly whisk into the egg mixture, in a very thin stream. Return to pan and cook, whisking until it reaches 170 degrees F. Strain into a bowl. Add pumpkin, spices, and vanilla. Mix well. Place in an ice bath and cool. Freeze either in an ice cream maker, or as I did, in a freezer tray.

Fried Fresh Peach Turnovers

I modified these slightly by using half apricots, and ginger rather than cinnamon. I also made them larger.

From The New York Times Heritage Cookbook

You Will Need:

2 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar-divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped peaches
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used ginger)
Oil for frying
Confectioner's sugar and water for glaze

Sift flour, salt, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine milk, egg and butter. In another bowl, combine peaches and remaining sugar with cinnamon. Toss well.

Mix milk/egg mixture into dry ingredients to form a soft, not sticky dough, adding more flour if needed. Pat out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut with 2 inch cutters (I did mine larger). Mound a bit of the peach filling in the centre, fold over and seal by pressing with a fork.

Fry in very hot fat, and drain on a rack over a baking sheet. Drizzle with glaze while still hot. Makes 7-14 depending on size.

Comment Feed

I don't know what is going on with Blogger, but I have approved a number of comments that simply are not showing on the blog.

Anyway, didn't want people to think I was ignoring approving their comments.

Whole Wheat Foccacia With Pesto

I had four bunches of fresh basil that needed to get used quickly-I made a large batch of pesto, freezing some for quick pasta dinners later on. The rest, I used on this bread.

I'm not one of these people that feels the need to incorporate whole grains into everything I bake, but I had exactly three cups left in a small bag I wanted to be finished with. Because I used a generous amount of olive oil in the dough, it avoided that toughness people associate with whole grain breads and pizzas. If anything, it turned out quite light.

The pesto is not traditional, but it works well, freezes fantastically, and does not require messing-up my blender. What's not to love? I roast my garlic first, as well as blanch the basil leaves. You can skip both of these steps though the garlic will taste stronger, and the pesto will have a darker hue. Some people insist you should not add the cheese before freezing, but i have never found it to be a problem. I use a hard, sheep's milk cheese in my pesto, so perhaps it holds up better than Parmesan. Again, it really isn't that difficult to shave a bit of cheese into the pesto when you serve it.

For The Pesto:

(About) 1 quart fresh basil leaves
2 heads garlic, roasted and mashed
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated hard cheese to taste
Olive oil to taste

(I know, hardly a recipe at all).

Blanch the basil in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain well again. Blot dry on towels. Chop very well. Combine in a bowl with mashed garlic, spices and olive oil until you have a texture you like. Freeze any excess in plastic bags, or in ice cube trays.

For the dough:

2 cups warm water
3 teaspoons granulated dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons olive oil (more or less to taste)
3 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups bread (strong) flour

Proof the yeast in a large bowl with the water and sugar. Add salt, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour a cup at a time until you have a fairly stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled-about 1 hour. Punch down, stretch onto a greased baking sheet and top with pesto, extra cheese, tomatoes, olives, and whatever you like. Cover lightly and let rise another 30 minutes in a warm place (atop the oven is fine). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place bread in oven and reduce heat immediately to 400 degrees F. Bake until deeply browned and dough is baked-about 30 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before cutting. Makes 1 very large, or two generous foccacia.

Kind of Sad

Actually, really quite sad.

I suppose if you want your toddler to have an iPod touch, then you should give them one-without trying to justify it as an educational tool.

If you're looking for an educational tool that helps children pass the time in a car, or waiting room-try a book. No, no-not one of the fancy Kindle things-you know, paper and print with some sort of binding. Really portable things, books are, particularly the paperback editions.

And now for the obligatory utterance:

Get Offa My Lawn!

Jell-O Sugar Cookies, For Page

I happened upon THIS link, and thought it might be close to what you were looking for. They certainly are colourful.

They do rely on a mix, but if you're already cooking with Jell-O, it isn't like you're afraid of a few artificial flavours and colours.

I've Been Waiting To Bake This Since 1972

Danny thought this would make a swell 4th of July cake, and I think he's correct. The er...recipe, called for a boxed cake, and some frosting mix that probably no longer exists, so I made my own. Fluffy white frosting isn't my favourite, but you can't really get that shiny, white effect with buttercream. I filled the layers with sour cherry preserves, but you probably already figured I would. Both the cake and frosting recipes come from the 1959 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Pies and Cakes.

For the cake:

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk

Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter. Slowly add sugar and beat until light. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients. Add, alternating with milk.

Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until they test done. Cool 10 minutes in pans on rack, then remove from pans and cool completely before filling and frosting.


For the frosting:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash salt
2 unbeaten egg whites
Teaspoon vanilla (I omitted this to keep the frosting very white. Obviously, if you can get clear vanilla, this is a good place to use it)

Combine sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Very slowly, add to the egg whites in a mixing bowl, beating constantly. Keep beating several minutes until it reaches a spreading consistency.

Decorate with peppermint sticks and cherries.

I've Gone Native

You're looking at rye flatbreads with boiled potato, boiled carrots, paprika herring fillets, pickled onions, Havarti cheese, and some parsley-to keep things festive.

The boys loved these.

If I even start wondering aloud about lutefisk, I want someone to punch me. Hard.

Carrot Casserole

Nothing terribly fancy, but easily thrown together with food on hand.

From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens, Pellman and Good

You Will Need:

1/2 cup melted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups whole milk
1/2 lb. cheese, sliced (I used cheddar)
12 large carrots, thinly sliced and boiled until soft
Buttered breadcrumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2 quart casserole.

In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour and spiced. Add onion, then slowly add the milk. Stir, over medium heat until it comes to a boil, and thickens.

Meanwhile:

Layer half the carrots in the casserole. Top with cheese, and layer on the remaining carrots. When sauce is finished, pour over entire casserole and top with breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes.

Wash Your Sister!

I suppose I ought to warn readers that this is a post about tampons.

So yeah, I mindlessly grabbed the least expensive box of tampons off the shelf, because I was away from home, and ran out. I get the damn things open and am nearly overcome by the scent of god...I don't know, it smelled like plastic, and fruit salad, and hairspray. I can't speak for everyone of course, but personally, I don't need my girl bits to smell like plastic, fruit salad, and hairspray. I dunno, maybe some people like that.

Seriously though, why can't the fact that the tampons are scented be prominently displayed on the box? The scent will be prominently stinking up my handbag-so why the big secret?

Years ago, I worked a temp job with someone who sneered after someone, "I don't think she washes her sister." You know what? If you, "wash your sister", the need for plastic/fruit/hairspray scented tampons kind of goes away. Geez, for the two or three times a year I still get a period, I'd like to experience it without thinking, "God, why do I smell fruit cocktail?" every time I pull down my knickers.

Go wash your sister.