Corn Meal Biscuits

Lately, I've been on a cornmeal kick. There's something about the gritty texture it brings to baked goods that I just love! Today's recipe is a cornmeal biscuit, a recipe from Joy the Baker that I tweaked a bit to incorporate the corn meal. We loved the result!

The dough was surprisingly easy to work with, the biscuits rose beautifully, and they tasted reeeeally good fresh out of the oven with butter and honey. I think these would also be delicious with the addition of green chiles to serve alongside a soup or stew....I'm looking forward to trying that out this fall!




Sweet Corn Cornmeal Biscuits

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 cup fresh corn kernels (I used frozen sweet corn, completely thawed)
heavy cream or melted butter for topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter. With your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients. Rub into the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Some butter pieces will be the size of small peas, other will be the size of oat flakes. Toss in corn kernels. Stir to incorporate.

Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture. Add buttermilk all at once. With a fork, quickly bring together the wet and dry ingredients. Should the dough remain wet and sticky, add a tiny bit of additional flour as needed to dry out the dough. At this point, the dough will be broken and coarse, but don't worry, it will come together! Dump out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough about 10 times, bringing it together into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight. Don't skip this step, as the dough needs time to relax and is much easier to work with after chilling.

When ready to bake, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out biscuit dough into a 3/4 or 1-inch thickness. Use a 1 1/2 to 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits (I just use a wide-mouth drinking glass). If it gets sticky between cuts, dip the cutter in a bit of flour. Place biscuits about two inches apart on prepared sheet. Reshape and reroll to make more biscuits.

Brush biscuit tops with a bit of heavy cream or butter, if desired. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until biscuits are cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Best served warm.


source: Joy the Baker

A New Look...

Well. This will probably qualify as the most impractical and embarassing post I've written, but, write it I must.

As some of you know, I'm an "employee" of various survey companies. I take their surveys, and in return, I'm awarded cash or points which can be redeemed for paypal cash or credit for an online retailer. The hourly wage can be quite good at times, and other times, it's fairly pitiful. But, the way I see it, if I'm home anyway and have the opportunity, I may as well, because every little bit counts for us!

One of the most lucrative (and fun!) areas of the survey work is the product tests. We've been able to sample a wide variety of products, some before they hit the market, and other current products that the manufacturer is looking to change in some way. We've sampled diapers, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, cologne, perfume, juice, coffee creamer, and more! In addition to the free (full-sized) products, I'm awarded additional points for completing a follow-up survey, so these are easily my most longed-for survey opportunities.

Until this one.

I've been asked to sample a hair coloring product. Of course, it's a non-permanent that washes out within 28 washes, and because I wash my hair daily, it will only last me about a month. But still. I'm a little leery of a box dye, and I'm even more leery of posting the before and after pictures for you all to see! They've asked me to review it on my personal blog if I have one (which, evidently, I do), as well as complete my review for their company.

Now, the choice of color is up to me, but they've requested that it actually be a change, so I can most accurately assess how it worked. This particular dye is ammonia-free, so going lighter won't work too well. That really only leaves me with red or brown. Of course, they have a number of shades within those ranges for me to select.

I've not yet chosen the shade. I plan to wait until after my family gathering this Labor Day weekend. That way, in case it's dreadful, I won't have to see any of you until it washes out! Haha! But, I will keep you updated here on the blog.

All I can say is that the points for my follow-up better be big! Stay tuned!

The Doctor "Check-Out"

When the doctor entered the room, Abe approached her and said, "Are you here for my check-out?"

She laughed, and the rest of the visit was full of laughter from there on out! Abe was quite talkative and excited to show her all sorts of tricks and skills. Together, they jumped on one foot, hopped up and down, walked on their tip-toes, sang their ABC's, and turned the lights on and off. He had so much fun, he's excited to go again, even with his unexpected shot!

I had explained to Abe that we were going to the doctor for a check-up and that he and Charlie were both going to have appointments this time. He asked if Charlie would have to get any shots, and I said, "Yes, but you won't have to!" He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and just looked forward to the visit.

Well, I didn't anticipate two things: 1. the flu vaccine would be available this early, and 2. the Prevnar (I think?) immunization has changed since Abe received his last dose, so he needed a bit extra to make up the difference. I explained this to Abe, and he told me he was okay with going ahead with them.

SO, both boys ended up with shots this time (though Abe did get the flu vaccine in his nose), but they both did well! Abe received 6 stickers and a red plastic ring for being such a brave patient! Charlie was very good during his portion of the appointment too.

Here are their stats:

Abe at 3 Years-
Height: 37.7 inches (50%)
Weight: 31.5 lbs. (50%)

Charlie at 6 Months-
Height:27 inches (75-85%)
Weight: 18 lbs. (50-75%)
Head Circ.: 43.5 cm (50-75%)

Though I hadn't expected to have any problems regarding their health, it's always reassuring to see a physician and be told that they're healthy and growing well...certainly something I don't want to take for granted! I'm so thankful for our two sweet boys!

I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for ICE CREAM!

This past spring, when temperatures started climbing, I got out the bowl of my ice cream maker and put it in the freezer. You see, the bowl has to freeze for at least 24 hours before use, and in the past when I've had a hankering for homemade ice cream (and happened to have the ingredients on hand), I was sorely disappointed to find that I'd have to wait an entire 24 hours before enjoying any! So, I set out to always have the bowl frozen and ready for all the delicious ice cream treats I would undoubtedly make this summer.

Sadly, my ice cream bowl sat frozen and ready, and very neglected, all summer long. With summer approaching its finale, I needed to change that! Here are our creations...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

I adored this. It was dark, rich, and creamy. Ryan thought it was too dark (he's more of a milk chocolate kind of guy...), but I wasn't too disappointed, because I got to eat most of it!



2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder*
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
½ cup creamy peanut butter

*Regular cocoa powder can be substituted, though the chocolate taste will be stronger and darker.

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer container and allow to ripen several hours.

Delicious! This stayed creamy and wonderful for a few days after making it.



Lime Sherbet:

We all loved this. I think next time I'll try revving up the tang by adding a the juice of a few more limes, but the zest gave it a wonderfully fresh, lime-y taste! Because of the acidity, it tends to get a bit icy after the first day of preparation. Still tasty, but not as good as the first day!



1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 4-5 limes)
zest of 3 limes
2 1/2 cups half and half
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved.

Assemble your ice cream maker and freeze the sherbet according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sherbet to an airtight plastic container and freeze at least two hours before serving.



Sources: Chocolate Peanut Butter: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, Ten Speed Press, 2007. ; Lime Sherbet: my own imagination, just playing with what we had on hand :)

ENJOY!

3 Days In...

So, here we are, 3 days in to Ryan's second year of medical school. So far, so good! He's really excited about his classes this year, and he said that as soon as he was back, it seemed as though he had never left at all. After his first class, he made his way to a proverbial "Nerd Room" (a section of in-high-demand private study rooms) and felt right at home!

MCW recently renovated a large part of the building, and we were able to tour it last week. It's truly stunning. The anatomy lab, in particular, is fabulous, like out of a movie or something. Ryan said it almost made him want to repeat the course....almost.

We're trying a new schedule this year. Remember last year when we had our time for Abe and Daddy play time, family time, and "Us" time? Ryan felt that he might like it better to spend a longer chunk of time studying at school, rather than have his evenings so broken up. For me, I won't be spending my evenings caring for the boys largely solo, which can get long at times.

As it stands, Ryan leaves home at 7:30. He doesn't start class until 9, so after his 20 minute bike ride in, he's left with about an hour of prep time before class. He then spends the day at school in class/studying until 6PM. He gets home around 6:30 for dinner, and then the rest of the evening is completely open. He'll head into school on Saturdays as well for the same time frame, though he won't have class on those days. The days themselves are longer, yes, but somehow it seems so much better to not have him behind our closed bedroom door for much of the evening!

So far, it's going well, but we've only just begun. We'll see where it goes from here.

In other, unrelated, news, Abe went to Sunday School for the first time this past Sunday! We didn't give him a whole lot of preparation, because it didn't occur to us until we were getting ready for church that the 3-year-olds have a class! I would have liked to make a big deal out of it for about a week prior, but I guess 3 hours is better than nothing! He was hesitant at first (which I completely expected), but he loved it. He's been jabbering on and on about it all week so far, and he said he's excited to go back!

Well, I hear Charlie rousing, so I should close. He has his 6 month check-up Friday (WHAT??? How can he possibly be half a year old already?!?!), and Abe has his 3-year, so I'll update on that on Friday afternoon! And of course, I'll post another recipe on Friday as well, ice cream this time!

Thanks for reading!

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

As I started typing the ingredient list for this dish, it occurred to me that out of the 4 recipes I've posted thus far, this would make half of them a mexican-seasoned dish with black beans! I almost changed my post to different recipe instead but decided against it--this recipe is too delicious to not share it right away!

Did you know that egg roll wrappers are essentially a pasta-like dough made of whole wheat flour, egg, water, vinegar, cornstarch, and a few other ingredients? I didn't! I found them very easy (and fun!) to work with.

Now if any of you are already put off by the "egg roll" title (ahem, Mom!), don't be! These taste nothing like their Asian inspired counterparts (though I quite enjoy those, myself). We enjoyed them with a fresh restaurant-style salsa. You must try these! They really are phenomenal.



Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend.

Lay an egg roll wrapper diagonally on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you.

Place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water lightly rub on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed.

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

**After squeezing the spinach dry, it was quite clumped together, so I had to "shred" it back apart in order to obtain a nice, homogenous mixture of ingredients.

**I found my filling to only fill 20 wrappers.


Fresh Salsa

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and very coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, halved
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 (28 0z.) can diced tomatoes (drained or not, depending on how much liquid you want in your salsa)
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the jalapenos and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add all other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in very brief pulses until the vegetables have reached the size you desire (it doesn't take many pulses, so go easy).

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

**I don't have a large food processor, so I did it bit by bit in my mini chopper and stirred it together at the end.


Source: Annie's Eats

Since We've Been Home...

Things have been very busy around here since we've returned to Wisconsin! Still, we've been able to really savor our remaining days together before Ryan begins classes (on MONDAY!). I'm sad and excited, all at the same time, for him to begin again.

The boys adjusted quite well to being back home, despite the decrease in attention without so many people around. However, Charlie continued to struggle at night, waking quite frequently. Given his age and weight, we know it isn't a matter of needing to eat, rather a matter of wanting food (and Mommy!!). With Ryan starting school soon, we decided it was now or never--we've had him cry it out over this past week. We had to use the same technique with Abe in order for him to sleep through the night too. Though it isn't ideal, our pediatrician warned that the older they get, the harder to break those poor sleep patterns. The first two nights were pretty bad, but after that, he only cried for brief periods once each night. And last night, PRAISE THE LORD!!! He slept from 8PM to 5:40AM!!! Oh how I hope and pray it continues!

Charlie also starting eating solids, and he is LOVING it! A little too much, in fact...he's pretty demanding and can eat quite a lot for a little guy!



Yet another accomplishment--he's sitting all by himself for extended periods of time without toppling over! It's been fun to see the boys interact more now that Charlie can do more than just lie around.



Abe is becoming quite proficient at playing baseball and is making great strides in riding his tricycle! Each time we go out, he needs less of a "boost" to start moving, and he can steer quite well now too.

One evening, we headed out to "Tosa's Night Out". I am so disappointed that I don't have pictures to show of this event--it was so much fun! The idea is to promote a safe community, so there were police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks for the children to explore. Abe had his first (and hopefully only) ride in the back of a police car! He was a little nervous to go inside the ambulance, but he thought the fire truck was really neat. There were also inflatable bouncy houses and slides and free ice cream (which I think Ryan enjoyed a little more than Abe!). The evening ended with a flashlight walk and a fireworks show, but we didn't stick around, as we were in the process of getting Abe back to his normal bedtime (since he stayed up super late on our IL trip!).

Ryan has been helping out at school quite a bit with the M1 Orientation--it's hard to believe that it's already been a year since that was us! I was also able to participate in the Spouses Panel during orientation week. While I wouldn't classify myself as a flowing fountain of wisdom on the topic, having only been through the first year, it did feel good to sit on the other side of the table and share a bit of how we successfully navigated our first year of medical school. If not for the grace of God, it would have been a loss!

We've been continuing with our running, and dare I say that I'm actually beginning to enjoy it?!?! It's becoming easier each time we go too, and while I've got a long way to go if I ever really want to run a marathon, I'm excited at the progress we've made so far!

A few CMA meetings and the kick off event this weekend have kept us busy as well.

To end it up, per Abe's request, another photo of the boys together:



Thanks for reading!

Food on Friday!

With the heat this summer, the crockpot has become a good friend of mine! During the summer months, we enjoy a lot of sandwich/salad combos, and this pulled pork recipe was a winner. If you aren't a fan of vinegar, you may not like this, but for me, it offered a nice departure from the traditional smokey or BBQ based sauces that often accompany pulled pork. Just a drizzle of Sweet Baby Ray's on top was the perfect amount of BBQ flavor!


Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless pork butt or shoulder
¾ cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoons dry mustard
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place onions in crock-pot. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Rub mixture all over roast and place the roast on top of the onions.

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. Drizzle about 1/3 of vinegar mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.

Cover crockpot; cook on low for 10-12 hours. Drizzle about 1/3 of reserved vinegar mixture over roast during last ½ hour of cooking. (***My crockpot tends to cook quickly, so it only took 8 hours for the pork to be cooked and tender).

Remove meat and onions; drain. Chop or shred meat and onions. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture or your favorite barbeque sauce.

Enjoy!


Source: MyBakingAddiction.Com

P.S. Can anyone help me hyperlink my sources? I'd like to provide the direct link back to the original source, but it doesn't seem to be working for me!

Trip to Illinois

We spent the past two weeks in our hometown, Peoria, Illinois, spending a week each at Ryan's parents' home and my parents' home. It was a crazy, busy-yet-relaxing, sometimes-stressful, wonderful, and blessed time! We were able to see many of our family and friends, which was so special! Perhaps my favorite part, however, was just being able to observe Ryan interact with Abe and Charlie. He spent time just lying on the floor next to Charlie, talking to him, tickling him, holding him. He and Abe played hide and seek, found hide-outs, went fishing, and played baseball. As a mother, it was heart-warming to see!

Because there is simply too much that happened over the course of the 15-day stay to write much detail, I think a photo diary will best share our trip. Sadly, I was quite neglectful of my camera, so there aren't too many photos to share. I really wish we had more pictures of the people we got to see... Anyway, here's what we got:

Charlie reading, learning to sit by himself! Oh, he is so sweet--I don't think I'll ever be able to give him enough kisses!



Abe blowing out his birthday candles:



Opening one of his birthday gifts--apparently it was the year to get him involved in sports! He received a football, soccer ball, playground ball, and t-ball set. We've been having tons of fun with all of them!



Gia and Charlie:



Oliver and Abe playing the sprinkler:



Abe at Splashdown:



Family picture in the pool, and Charlie's first time swimming! He loved it!



On the way home, we made a pit-stop. While I stayed in the car to feed Charlie, Ryan and Abe went in to go to the restroom and get some water. Ryan said Abe kept starring at the slushie machine. Then he walked back over to Ryan (who was analyzing the water bottles, deciding which to get), and then he walked back over to the slushie machine, then back again. After Ryan selected the water, they had to walk past the slushie machine again to get to the cash register. Again, Abe stopped and starred longingly. Ryan said, "Abe, would you like one of those?!" Abe's face lit up and he said, "Why, yes I would, Daddy!" (Yes, our son does say phrases like that, thanks to our strange example, I suppose!!!). So, here is Abe enjoying his slushie. He and Ryan shared it, and it was still sugar overload!



We had a great two weeks. As like many trips, it was wonderful while it lasted, but it's also good to be home again. We're adjusting to being back in Wisconsin and enjoying our remaining time before Ryan starts school again, in just one more week! Coming soon, an update on life since we've been home...

Food on Friday

Time for another recipe!




Mexican Black Beans

This is a yummy, inexpensive, and healthful vegetarian meal that we enjoy regularly. It's easy to prepare, and the bean mixture freezes very well too!

1 lb. dry black beans (or 4-5 cans, drained and rinsed)
1 c. water
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder, to taste
2 1/4 tsp. cumin, or to taste
2 1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
few shakes cayenne, optional

Soak beans according to package directions. Cook until tender, then drain. Add water, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Simmer until onion is tender.

Serve on a bed of brown rice and top with your choice of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, chopped onions, black olives, corn chips, salsa, sour cream, cheese sauce, etc.

Yields 6-8 servings

source: Renee's Recipe Collection