We all need to connect

Happy Papa's Day to everyone out there who takes their parenting job seriously. There are a lot of deadbeat dads out there but I'd say most are trying to do their best. I salute you. My dad was a good dad when I was growing up, he cared and was a good listener, and he often offered solid advice. He was not perfect by any means. He was a writer who always had a cigarette in his hand and life often beat him down. That's him above with 3-year-old Tristan in the Grand Canyon. 

My husband is a caring, funny father because he likes to entertain his three children and loves to tell stories. Groovy Girl is off to work today at the water park and Kaylee is out there in Brooklyn living her cool life. She sent a lovely handwritten letter that he opened this morning. Tristan surprised Greg by showing up in person. He works a lot and Sunday is his one major day to rest and recuperate yet he made the hour drive to show up. Luckily I had a heads-up that he might show up and I whipped together this potato breakfast scramble so we could eat together. This is a recipe I found a year ago on Instagram from vegan influencer Tabitha Brown and I love that she seemingly throws easy, on-hand ingredients together to make comfort food. She has a calm spirit and a sense of humor just like my yoga guide Adriene. 

There is so much good stuff out there and even though I miss my dad I have lots of other dad-like influencers that I have come to rely on. My dad's friend Marv, my friend Mike W., Rocky P. and Steve T. who died just a few months ago are all people who are just a bit older and have that dad wisdom that we all could use now and again. My brother, even though he is younger, is someone I can rely on for help. We all need people to care about us, to listen, and offer free good advice. Be a dad to someone. 

I also made a non-vegan breakfast that we scarfed up earlier, that should have been served to friends but the timing just didn't work out. It was delicious; like having your eggs and toast in one. I loved that I could put it altogether last night and then bake it this morning. I sprinkled bacon on half of it instead of using sausage so that the vegetarian (me) in the house could enjoy it. And the father in this house loves the bacon! And I shook up two Bloody Mary's too. Oh, yeah, summertime brunch. 

Enjoy. Hug all your people.

Ah summer! Cheers to Brunch.

I've relaxed into my first full week of summer. I've done an equal share of cleaning, reading, and organizing so far. Oh and a little napping tossed in. I've had lunch with a few friends, celebrated two birthdays, had a pedicure, and started each day with yoga.

One major accomplishment was hosting a brunch last weekend.  We have a group of theatre friends and colleagues that we like to get together with to talk about all things theatre and beyond. I like the idea of people sitting around our large kitchen table having interesting conversations about the world. All I needed to do was pick easy yet delicious recipes that I could put together the night before and in the morning. I didn't want to be in the kitchen while guests were arriving or at the table. Sometimes I seek out recipes online but this time I went straight to a a cookbook that I love from The Cottage in La Jolla, CA. I've shared this cookbook before in a post about the amazing Buttermilk Coffee Cake (recipe included) and another post about Blueberry Muffins (recipe also included).  If you love brunch this is the perfect cookbook for you.

I made the coffee cake, Carmel Brunch, an egg dish, and their roasted potatoes and I pre-prepped the egg dish the night before so I had one less thing to mix up in the morning. I put my husband in charge of one dish for the gathering (he is the theatre person in our house after all + he loves jicama!) and I found that recipe, Jicama, Avocado, and Mango Salad in Friendsgiving by Alexandra Shytsman.

Everything turned out well and people ate heartily around the table. One friend brought warm french bread with Wild Blueberry Jam and warm blueberry muffins as well. One friend tried his first Bloody Mary ever and that was a hit. I do love brunch and this was a perfect way to bring friends together.  If you need me to share any of the recipes I used please let me know. Enjoy! Salud!

Weekly Recipes; Food for thought

I haven't posted any weekly recipe posts for quite awhile because I feel like I haven't been cooking. Of course we've still eaten dinner but with my husband gone every night for rehearsals - Rocky Horror Show - right now so dinner is usually something I can quickly pull together before we head to dance. Making pasta, soup, or the occasional grilled cheese for Groovy Girl allows me to eat dinner how I like which is a small plate of crackers, cheese, and some fruit/veggie or blue chips and homemade salsa.  I tend to be hungry right after school depending on what I had for lunch and I feel better when I eat mini-meals. My husband, the athlete, always-on-the-go, needs a full meal.

That said this morning I was inspired to whip up some waffles.  I have a recipe I've used for years but this morning my head was foggy and I could not recall exactly which recipe book it was in.  In order to not waste precious time I googled for a recipe.  Several links down I spotted Ree Drummond's signature site and clicked to see what she had to say about waffles. Sometimes I just click there to be amused and then move on to different site for another recipe but today hers seemed doable and interesting.  My arm hurts now from whipping up the egg whites but I definitely would make this again and soon with holiday season just a week away.

From Ree's site:

RECIPE

Waffles

February 18, 2014 554

PREP TIME:

10 Minutes

DIFFICULTY:

Easy

COOK TIME:

10 Minutes

SERVINGS:

8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Milk
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon (additional) Vanilla Extract
• 1 stick (1/2 Cup) Salted Butter, Melted
• 4 whole Egg Whites

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the waffle iron to the regular setting.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, 2 egg yolks, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and very gently stir until halfway combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue mixing very gently until combined.

In a separate bowl (or using a mixer), beat the egg whites with a whisk until stiff. Slowly fold them into the batter, stopping short of mixing them all the way through.

Scoop the batter into your waffle iron in batches and cook according to its directions (lean toward being a little deep golden and crisp!) Remove and serve immediately with softened butter and warm syrup.

I know it seems labor intensive with the whole egg white thing but I do think it made ours fluffier.  The two teenage girls on sleeping on the sofa complained about my kitchen activity until I told them I was making waffles.  They wrapped themselves in blankets and moved on over to the table as soon as I plated up pretty waffles. I would have taken a photo before they dug in but I've somehow managed to lose my phone somewhere in the house. Enjoy! 

P.S. I made this recipe exactly as it says except I used almond milk.

P.P.S. I have one last assignment to turn in for my Google class which has been difficult. I'll be glad once again to not have to think about homework.

Weekly Recipes 15; I love September!

{Grit Cakes w/ shrimp}

It's my second favorite month. School starts, the weather is amazing. I love what we've always called "Indian Summer"; warm weather with a September breeze.

I'm in my second week of school and it's been a very smooth transition. Groovy Girl is settling into her freshman year; top dog in her junior high. She's already busy with football cheer and soon dance will begin. Then we'll be a whirlwind of crazy.

{G.G. 2nd from the L.}

Today there was a little football activity happening at our kitchen table with my two favorite men. Husband and son were busy drafting their fantasy football teams and I loved listening to them banter back and forth together and with the other online football friends.  Knowing this annual event was taking place and that the 21-year-old headed to our house to draft with his dad like old times I offered to make them brunch. I know, my gifts abound...

At Early Girl in Asheville this summer my husband ordered grit cakes; it was like biscuits and gravy but with cakes made from grits. I took that as my inspiration for today's menu. I googled, looking at a variety of different recipes, and settled on one from Epicurious. It was Shrimp and Grit Cakes though and my handsome husband is allergic to shellfish.  I did have a lovely piece of good farm-raised steak from a local meat locker so I transformed the recipe just a bit.  The grit cakes were so very easy to make and delicious! I need to host a brunch for friends just so I can make this again.

I sliced the steak into bite-sized pieces and created the same sauce the recipe calls for except I didn't add the flour.  I also had three ears of sweet corn calling my name from the vegetable drawer and I cut the kernels from the cob and added that and it blended like it belonged.  On a small plate I plated two grit cakes with the steak, juices, and corn/pepper mix on top and a handful of blue chips tucked on the side. A little Parmesan over the top and it was ready to be eaten! As usual I failed to take a photo before they dug in. The plates looked award-winning and the they were licked clean so I guess I did good.

The recipe made enough that I have leftovers that we can eat for breakfast tomorrow. Tonight I will be whisked away for an anniversary dinner out on the town. Dressing up + no dishes to do = win/win

I'm working on finishing Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam. I have about 6 short fiction books to read for Iowa Children's Choice that I need to finish before my final ratings.

Have a great l-o-n-g weekend.

Weekly Recipes 11; Brunch!

We love brunch; making it, eating it, sharing with friends.  I made a lovely meal on Sunday for all five of us plus a friend.

{bloody mary ingredients rounded up; somehow the
pickles refused to be in the shot}

Again we started with Bloody Mary's (homemade is the way to go).  The over 21 crew each had one while I was finished cooking.  We chatted with Heather who came bearing gifts of champagne and orange juice.  Second favorite brunch drink! What a great day.

For eats I made homemade crepes and since elder daughter and I couldn't decide on either savory or sweet we went all out with both; just in less quantity.

I used two great recipes for both; savory chicken (this filling was wonderful) from Food Network and sweet from Natasha's Kitchen. I made a double batch of crepes from Natasha's recipe, leaving out the sugar. They are so easy to make no one should have to purchase them unless you're cooking for a huge crew or are seriously pressed for time.  Just swirl, flip, and save between sheets of parchment. I made them the night before and stored them in the refrigerator.  I followed the sweet recipe for the greek yogurt/cream cheese but created my own fruit sauce using frozen wild blueberries, the favorite fruit of the kids here.  

My son pointed out as we were menu planning for this brunch that I haven't made crepes for a while. Now that I've done it again I promise to put it in my regular meal rotation.  

We played several rounds of Beyond Balderdash after the plates were cleared.  A good game is as important as the food/drink served!  

Weekend Cooking; Mother's Day menu

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and many mothers will be taken out to brunch, lunch, or dinner to be celebrated.  Yahoo.  It is a wonderful day to show our mother's how much we appreciate all that they do.

Now that I have a family of my own I don't always get to spend the day with my own mother.  I did send her a pretty e-card, my way of saving a tree.  I know in my childhood my brothers and I gave her our fair share of handmade cards,  bright floral arrangements (dandelions), and burnt breakfast foods all arranged on a tray.  I know my mother appreciated what we pulled together for her as I appreciate what my kids have done for me on this sacred Sunday but what I think matters most is the everyday celebrations that we can share together.

I often call my mother in the morning as I'm driving to work.  I have a peaceful drive to work with no chaos or traffic.  I love how her voice reflects joy in my simple phone call.  "How are you?'  What are you doing today?'  and we chat about the day ahead of us.  When I'm making dinner I often call my mother with cooking questions especially as I get used to cooking meat which I did not do for years.  "At what temperature is the chicken done at?"

Mother's Day can even be celebrated at the end of summer as my mom and I put together our salsa using all her late harvest tomatoes.  We cook and talk and reminisce about my grandmother, her mother.  She loved to cook also, her specialty was jam and pies.  Mother's Day can be a year round celebration as we toast those who raised us and did their best.  Whether you take them out for a meal, buy them a fancy bouquet, or just spend time with them the important element is thoughtfulness   Think about what your mother truly wants; does she need another knick-knack from the drugstore or would she prefer just your time?  Could you bake her muffins?  Could you take her for a walk?

If my mom were coming to town I would make her this big crumb coffee cake if I had rhubarb in my freezer.  If I could fly us both somewhere for breakfast I would fly us to La Jolla to eat at The Cottage~we've both always wanted to try it. I might also take her for pie at this little joint right here in Iowa.  There are so many great ideas out there that go beyond-try and find one that includes food and time.  Enjoy your mother.  Seek her out on a regular basis though; not just on the second Sunday in May.

I predict my daughter will serve this to me come Sunday morning:

Mother's Day Menu:

1 bowl of cereal light on the milk
1 piece of sourdough toast
1 glass of orange juice
with a flower or plant of some sort on the side

all brought to me in bed on a bamboo tray.
Sounds yummy, I know.  Lucky me.

She has not yet mastered cleaning the kitchen up after this cooking extravaganza.

Here are a few sites to learn more about the origins of Mother's Day as a holiday.

Mother's Day History
Wiki article

This year my husband and Groovy Girl already gave me one surprise; an manicure and a pedicure so my toes would be sandal ready for the wedding we are attending this evening in Iowa City.

{my toes in purple}

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme.  Click her link to find more recipes and food-related posts.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Cooking; The true meaning of brunch...

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We love breakfast at this house and because we are like passing ships on weekday mornings it is great when we can gather for brunch on the weekends. Brunch has such wonderful memories for me; I remember as I child huge meals that my dad would make either on Saturday or Sunday after church, My dad loved making huge skillets of scrambled eggs.  He sauteed the onions in butter first while he whisked the eggs together using a fork and then he'd pour the cool egg mix into the hot cast iron creating a sizable sizzle.  I remember that sound like it was yesterday but I don't think it has anything to do with why I love brunch today.

In my 20's brunch meant meeting friends for food and beverages at classic little joints from Minneapolis and St Paul to Denver and Boulder, Colorado.  These gatherings could take the better part of your day but what an excellent way to relax and enjoy your friends before husbands and children came along.  Bloody Mary bars, crispy hash browns fresh off someone else's griddle, patio dining, and laughing all come to mind when I think of those shared brunches around big round tables.  We were free with our time and you only had to pay for what you ate and drank.

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Now as a family it is not only much harder to take the family out for brunch price-wise but also what we can create at home often tastes much better.  Our local nature center hosts a maple syrup festival this weekend and I had my heart set on going though but with the snowy week we had I didn't make it over there until Friday to pick up tickets and once I parked my car and trekked the long winding path to the lodge I was not happy to find the door locked.  Searching the assortment of signs I saw they had closed 10 minutes ago.  "Aaargh" is how I felt.  I told myself it was okay I didn't really want to go anyway and now I really didn't plan to go!  I got in my car to drive away and 5 beautiful mama deer (does) ran right in front of me through the snowy park path and my mental balance was completely restored.  When I got home and explained how I'd screwed up getting the tickets, and the deer running in front of me, my husband and I decided what was most important was the maple syrup after all.  For the price of the tickets I would be better off with a big bottle of their syrup anyway..  I broke the news to the kids by telling them I would be hosting my own maple syrup festival in the morning around 10 am.  We ate pancakes, fried eggs, pineapple and cups of steaming homemade hot chocolate. There was laughter and good food, which is really all it takes. Bliss.

A new tradition is born; The Holt Family Maple Syrup Festival: to be held any Saturday morning we can all get together.

I followed Katie Workman's pancake recipe but it is quite similar to this one from the recipe girl. I use whole wheat flour and I don't add sugar.  I couldn't find Katie's recipe online and if I keep copying her recipes to my blog they'll be some kind of copyright issue I'm just sure...You'll have to buy the book as I've done.

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekly Cooking meme.  Click her link to find many other marvelous food-related posts and lots of lovely conversations.

 Have a peaceful Saturday.

Weekend Cooking; Katie Workman's Lazy Oven French Toast

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As she points out though it's the cook that's lazy not the oven.  I love this recipe.  French toast is easier to make than waffles or pancakes truly and this recipe makes it easier to enjoy all together at the table, especially if you have guests.  It is assembled the night before so the bread soaks up all the egg while you are sleeping. I served it for breakfast for the five of us on New Year's Day and it would be excellent and easy for a brunch.

Lazy Oven French Toast
Serves 6-8
Vegetarian

Butter or oil spray
4 cups milk
6 large eggs
2 T granulated sugar
2 T maple syrup, plus more for serving (optional)(to which I say really, optional?, I don't think so)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher or coarse salt
1 large loaf challah bread, preferably slightly stale, sliced 3/4 to 1 inch thick
3/4 cup whole raisins, chopped dried fruit, or chopped nuts (optional)

Fresh fruit such as berries, sliced peaches or pears, and/or confectioner's sugar, for serving.

1. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with butter or spray.
2. Place the milk, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to mix well.  Set aside.
3. Arrange half of the bread slices in the prepared baking dish, cutting the bread so that it fits in a solid layer. Pour half of the milk mixture over the top, then evenly distribute half the dried fruit or nuts, if using, over the top.
4. Repeat, creating a second layer of bread and then pouring the rest of the milk mixture on top and distributing rest of the fruit or nuts over the bread.  Lightly press the bread down into the liquid.

5. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap (luckily my pan has a cover so I'm able to skip this step) and refrigerate over night.  The bread will have absorbed almost all of the milk mixture.  Uncover the baking dish and if there are dryer looking pieces on top, take them off and carefully tuck them underneath the bread on the bottom so that the more milk-soaked pieces are now on top (this is messy but it all works out in the baking).  Note that any dried fruit sitting on top of the French toast will get pretty chewy when baked and nuts on top will get toasty; the fruit and nuts tucked into the French toast will be softer, so disperse the fruit and nuts as you see fit.

6. Preheat the oven to 425*F.
7. Bake the French toast, uncovered, until it is puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
8. Let the French toast sit for 5 minutes to firm up a bit, then cut into squares and serve it hot with your choice of maple syrup, fresh fruit, and/or a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

On the side notes Katie adds perfectly helpful hints as to what the kids can do to help but since I created this at about 11:00 on New Year's Eve Groovy Girl was too busy being silly with her older siblings to help me pour and squish.  It was her first late night NY's Eve and I can't blame her.

I made this exactly as the recipe states EXCEPT since my kids are not fans of either nuts or dried fruit I did a cranberry twist.  I made a compote out of one bag of cranberries, a little orange juice, local honey, and some lemon zest and let it simmer on medium heat while I prepared the French toast.  I poured this in-between layers and on top.  The cranberries were a pretty addition against the yellow/white bread/egg mixture plus they were tart and perfect with our real maple syrup.

This post is connected to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking meme.  Click her link to find many other food-related posts.  Happy Saturday.  I know have to cart Groovy Girl to a drama class and an art class.  I plan to take my laptop so I can do some writing and a book-I am just about finished with Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

Everyday Food; A reason to make brunch...

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This recipe for Walnut-Chocolate Sticky Buns is a perfect reason to invite a few friends over for a late morning meal.  I love this small recipe magazine from the Martha Stewart publishing company.  It fits easily in my bag so I can take it to the store with me and each edition has a wide variety of recipes.

While writing this post though I could not locate the recipe on their website-frustrating-as I wanted to use the photo from the mag.  It also has a side note that says I can find a video for this recipe using my iPad-I couldn't find that either.  Once I make them I'll share my own photo.  For now, enjoy...

Walnut-Chocolate Sticky Buns
Makes 9
(I'm going to make a double batch, of course)

2/3 cup heavy cream, divided
1 1/3 plus 2 T. packed light-brown sugar, divided
1 packet (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups unbleached (spooned and leveled), divided,
plus more for work surface
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus m ore for bowl and pan
fine salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (I think pecans would be great also)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat 1/3 cup each cream and water and 2 T. sugar until liquid registers 110* - 115*.  Add yeast.  Let sit until foamy (my favorite part), 10 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and add 1 cup flour.  Using mixer, beat on medium to smooth.  Melt 2 T. butter; add to bowl, along with 1 tsp salt and egg, and beat until combined.  Beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour until combined.  Transfer to a buttered bowl; cover with plastic top. Let sit in a warm place until doubled, 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350*.  Butter a 9-inch round baking pan (2 inches deep).   In a pot, bring 3 T. butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 T. water, and 1/2 tsp salt to a simmer over medium.  Cook until sugar is dissolved; whisk in remaining 1/3 cup cream.  Pour into pan.

3. On a floured surface, stretch or roll dough into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle.  Spread remaining 3 T. butter on dough, leaving a 1-in border on long sides.  Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, and  1/4 tsp salt.  Starting with one long side, roll dough into a log.  Cut crosswise into 9 pieces.  Arrange over sauce.  Bake until sauce is bubbling and rolls are golden, 30-35 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Run a knife around edge before inverting onto a platter.  Serve warm.

Is your mouth watering?  Mine is.

Weekend Cooking is a delicious meme hosted by Candace at Beth Fish Reads.  Click on her link to find many interesting food-related posts.