Chocolate Carmel Cookies

My husband is home from Afghanistan and I couldn't be happier. One thing that makes me happiest is baking. I went on hiatus while he was gone since he wasn't around to enjoy my baking. The first thing that I made for him were chocolate caramel cookies. I had such an enjoyable time making them ( and picking at the cookie dough). Here is the recipe which can easily be halved.



Ingredients:

1 C butter

1 C sugar

1 C br sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/4 C flour

3/4 C cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1 C chopped pecans

1 TB sugar

1 9 oz Rollos

Beat butter at med speed till creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs beating well after each egg. Combine flour, cocoa, soda, add to butter mixture Mix well Sir in vanilla and 1/2 C chopped pecans. Cover dough and refrigerate 1 hr.

Combine remaining 1/2 C pecans and 1 TB sugar, set aside Gently press 1 TB cookie dough around 1 candy forming a ball dip 1 side of cookie in pecan mix. Place pecan side up, 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet Bake at 275 for 8 minutes. They will look soft. Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet.

Remove to wire rack to cool.

Throw my net into the Sea

Grilled Tuna Steak Baja

4 tuna fillets

2 tbs olive oil

minced garlic

1 tbs shallot or red onion

1 jalapeno

1 lime with juice and zest

1/4 tsp ground cumin

black pepper

Let marinate for a few hours and grill or cook in a frying pan.

One of my favorites songs I learned when living in Hawaii is the Hukilau Song.

If you don't know it , here it is ... if you ever want me to sing it to you, I can guarantee the catchy tune will stick in your head. I always think of it when I go fishing as i seems to draw the fish to me or when I preparing it for some odd reason.

Oh, we're going to a hukilau. A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau. Ev'rybody loves a hukilau. Where the lau lau is the kau kau at the big luau. We throw our nets out into the sea, and all the `ama`ama come a-swimming to me. Oh, we're going to a Hukilau. Huki, huki, huki, huki, Hukilau

Cheap, Healthy, Filling Soup

Carrot Ginger Habanero Soup

I was fortunate enough to spend the holidays with my wonderful sister and equally fabulous brother in law ( who is an amazing cook).

Before we had fondue for our Christmas Eve dinner, Luke prepared Carrot Ginger Habanero soup.

I loved it and have been thinking about for months. The other day, I finally got inspired to give it a try.

I made it super healthy. I used no oil, butter, or fat of any kind. It is amazing because it still comes out rich, creamy, and delicious.

This is a great soup for anyone on a diet but is also a good way to impress your guests.

Luke and Stephanie eat this warm in the winter but also serve it cold in the summer. I had a bowl of it cold for a snack today and it refreshing and so filling.

Not only is it filling, easy to make, but it is also cheap!

Here is what my receipt from City Market reads for some of my ingredients:

Pound of carrots was $.39

The ginger root was $. 20

The habanero was $.08

I already had an onion, few cloves of garlic, and some chicken stock at home so this soup is easily less than $ 5.00 for a big patch.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion ( diced)

Few cloves of garlic ( diced)

3 TBS of fresh grated ginger

1 habernero pepper ( de-seeded and diced)

Saute these veggies together in a large pot ( this will be the same pot you cook the soup in)

If you want you can add oil but I did not.

Then, add :

1 lb of carrots ( peeled and chopped)

4 cups of chicken broth

Let this simmer for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Let it cool and puree it in the blender a few cups at a time.

You are ready to serve it. I served mine with some fresh ground pepper and a dab of plain yogurt ( or sour cream).

Here is my final product!

Acorn Squash Casserole

I keep this casserole in the fridge at all times. It's great in the morning for breakfast, for a snack during the afternoon or as a side dish for dinner.

It can be eaten hot or cold. It fills you up and it's really healthy!

Acorn squash is very high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, folate, Vitamin B complex, omega 3 fatty acids, copper and tryptophan.

This recipe is fun because you can play around with the vegetables that you put in the casserole.

For a Mexican version, add jalapenos, tomatoes, green chilies and canned corn.



Ingredients:

2 Large Acorn Squash
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 green pepper
1/2 c red pepper
2 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup feta
salt, pepper, sunflower seeds


Cut squash in half and discard the seeds. Place squash cut side down on a greased pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or till tender. Let it cool and scoop out the squash, place in a bowl and mash.

In a skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and peppers.


In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yogurt until blended.

Stir in the squash, onion mixture, feta, salt and peper.

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Cook at 375 degrees for about an hour.

I like to cook it until it is gold brown.

Mangia, mangia!

For those of you who do not know, Taralli, is an Italian biscuit.

I have searched for a great Taralli recipe and so far this is the best one I have found. I like to eat it with fennel seed but it is also really good with red pepper. I have not ventured into the sweet versions of Taralli as of yet.

I love the unique taste of munching on these little treats. While the ingredients are quite simple, the trick to make them taste really good is to get the dough cooked thoroughly so that they are crunchy.

Here is my recipe:

1/2 cup olive oil,
1 cup white dry wine
flour
1/3 tsp salt
and add a tablespoon of whatever spice you like...
Fennel is by far my favorite but get creative!
Rosemary, garlic, black pepper, sea salt..

Knead until the dough is dry.

I have noticed that sticky dough makes it harder to roll out.

Roll out the dough. You want it to be pretty thin. You can have fun and make them any design you want.

Put them in boiling water (10 at a time). When they are cooked they rise to the top. Drain
the excess water off and let them try on a towel.

Bake them in the oven at 400 degrees until they are golden brown. Enjoy them in the morning
with a cup of coffee or at night with a glass of wine and cheese.

Eat Meat

Hunting season has come and gone. My fluorescent orange hat has been tucked away under the bed until next fall when I will once again bring it out of hibernation.

Every year, our family waves goodbye to my father hoping that he comes back with a beautiful elk. Aside from his bow hunting days, we have had a freezer full of Colorado elk every year.

Now, I could insert pictures of people holding their prized elk heads, showing off the points on the antlers but for me hunting is not about the sport but about the meat. My dad carefully butchers his own elk and the end result is nothing less than spectacular. Here are some recipes I would like to share with you.

One tip with elk is to first soak it in milk for a few hours. This tenderizes it. Then, I like to pound my meat out with a meat pounder and get it nice and thin before cooking it.

Grilled Elk:

The easiest elk recipe is to get fillets of elk, add some salt and pepper, wrap in bacon and throw on the grill.

Elk Piccata:

1 lb elk
salt, pepper, flour ( all mixed together for batter)
3 tbs Butter
1 tbs Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 sliced mushrooms
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 dry white wine
2 tsp caper plus 1 Tsp caper juice
3 tbs minced parsley


Sprinkle elk with the flour mixture. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add elk and brown on both sides. Remove elk from skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms to pan and cook for one minutes. Return elk to pan. Add lemon juice, white wine, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add capers and garnish with parsley.

Elk Marsala

salt, pepper, flour ( all mixed together for batter
2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs butter
1 lb elk
1/2 c dry Marsala
1/2 heavy cream

Heat oil and butter in skillet. Dredge elk in flour and brown elk quickly on each side and remove from skillet.

Add Marsala to skillet, make sure to stir and scrape the skillet to loosen the residue from the pan. When Marsala has begun to boil add cream and stir constantly over high heat until cream is mixed in with juices and creates a thick dark sauce. Add elk and simmer for a few minutes.

Elk Green Chile

1/2 c. oil
1 lb elk ( roast)
6 garlic cloves
1/2 c. flour
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 30oz de-thawed green chiles (look for them in the International section at the grocery store in the frozen food aisle)
3 cups of Chicken broth

Instructions:

Heat oil in pot, add elk and cook, lower heat and add minced garlic, cook 5 minutes, add flour and slightly brown, add tomatoes, green chiles and simmer for about 15 minutes, add chicken broth ( just to make it less thick so not too much or it will turn out soupy).

Fresh Farm Eggs are the BEST!!!!

There really is something to be said for homegrown! Whether it be produce or meat that is more than "organic" but raised in our beautiful Colorado fields, it just tastes SOO GOOD.

There are 2 store bought things that I will never be able to eat again, those are tomatoes and eggs.

The eggs that I buy from Judy Vader ( now Stickler) just amaze me. If you were to compare her eggs with the "organic free range eggs" at the grocery store just by looks alone it is obvious hers are a million times better.

I love cracking them open. The yolk is bright yellow and you can tell these hens are happy. And for good reason, they do live after all in one of the most beautiful places in the world and each egg is a gift of pure oral joy.

Poca Locas!!!

There is a fantastic cocktail cabin here in CB. The drinks are delicious and expensive. My favorite cocktail there is a Poco Loco which is habanero infused vodka and pineapple juice. Simple. SO simple that I am wondering why it took me so long to make this concoction myself.

Last week, I went to the store and bought some decent vodka.

Then, I added 4 habanero peppers. I used all the self control I could muster ( which was about 4 days worth) to let it infuse and tested it out.

WOW!!!! Amazing, I am hooked. Next time you want to impress your guests or just have a delicious spicy drink try this.

Add the vodka and pineapple juice in a glass with ice and shake it. Pour and garnish. It helps to shake the bottle to get all the spiciness of the peppers.

Ginger Hot and Sour Soup

This soup took me about 15 minutes to make. It was easy and delicious. The quantities listed below are more an approximation. As long as you keep the ratios the same it should come out great. I can't wait to make it again.

Ingredients:

Shiitake mushrooms

sesame oil

fresh ginger

garlic

chicken broth

Cabbage

Angle hair pasta

soy sauce

sugar

crushed red pepper

chicken breast ( cooked)

bamboo shoots

Rice vinegar

cornstarch

Instructions:

Heal oil and brown 3 tbs of ginger with a few cloves of garlic.

Add chicken broth ( about 4-5 cups)

Add chopped cabbage, cooked diced chicken, and mushrooms

Add red pepper, soy and a dash of sugar

In a bowl combine about 5 tbs of rice vinegar with 1-2 tbs of corn starch

Add this to the soup

Stir well and simmer until heated throughly.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more red pepper, broth or vinegar.

Hummus

2 cans of chickpeas
half of a lemon
about 3 tablespoons of olive oil
generous amount of garlic salt
red pepper ( to your tasting)
Rosemary
1/2 tsp. of Tahini

Mix in a blender until smooth.

Let cool for a good hour or more.

Serve with pita, Triscuts or carrots.

Spring?

I hope is around the corner. The birds have come back and hopefully with them will come nice weather. There is still a bit of winter in the air as you can see by the snow flakes and the bluebird wondering if he made it to his desired destination or went waywardly in the wrong direction.

Chronic Bell Peppers

The other day, Pete was wanting me to use some of his ground beef that needed to be eaten before it went bad.


I didn't want the staple ground beef dinner ie: hamburgers, tacos, or chili.... I wanted to make something a bit more exciting.

City Market had green bell peppers for $.69 each so I had a few sitting on my counter and thought that I would try my hand at stuffed bell peppers since I have never made them before.

These are very easy to make and the results are quite YUMMY. Or in the words of Pete Giannini, CHRONIC.

So, if you have some ground beef laying around and want an alternative to the norms then this is a good recipe to try.

Ingredients

• 4 green or red bell peppers
• Salt
• 5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice
  
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp of dried oregano
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• Dash of Cholula sauce

Method

1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.

3 Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. Oil inside peppers, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Cholula sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes .

You can always add the tops back on for a more finished look. I also added Parmesan cheese to the top as well.

Cottage Cheese

I am on a cottage cheese kick. I find nothing more refreshing or satisfying as some cottage cheese with a Cutie ( clementine) and some strawberries.

The other day, as I was nibbling away my bowl of cottage cheese and fruit, I took a look at the ingredients thinking I was doing my body good... only to be appalled at what I saw...

So I got to thinking about making my own cottage cheese. Little did I know, it's easy to do, fast, and the results are delicious.

I must point out that for as much milk as you use it doesn't make a lot of cottage cheese, so price wise, I don't think you save money but knowing that you are putting milk in your body and not all those other chemicals and things you can't even pronounce is worth it to me!

Plus, it tastes so good. :)

Ingredients

• 1 gallon ( I used skim) milk
• To make this more thrifty buy some old milk that is on sale
  
• 1/2 cup of white vinegar
• a dash of salt
  

Directions

1. Heat the milk and take off the heat just before the milk begins to boil.
   

2. Add the vinegar and allow the mixture to cool.
   
   
   

3. Drain mixture. * The recipe called for a cheesecloth, which I didn't have, so I used a coffee filter and laid that over the colander and then poured the mixture over the filter and rinsed the curds off with cold water.
   
   
   

4. Add salt and mix with your hands. You may wish to use less salt or more, depending on your taste. I like mine salty!
   

5. You can also add a little cream for a more silky texture but I didn't as I am on a diet.
   

I am going to try mozzarella next.

So sad to say goodbye

I just learned that Danny passed away due to a blood clot that lead to a stroke. Danny was such a special guy. He always made me feel so comfortable and welcome and always put a smile on my face. I don't understand why events and things happen the way that they do but I wish that he didn't have to leave so soon. We will miss you, Danny Boy. xoxox, e

Homemade Bread warms the heart and fills the belly!

From Mar 24, 2009

One of the things I love is homemade bread especially when it's hot right out of the oven.

It takes me back to when I was a little girl and my mom would bake her own bread. Now that I am a woman, I find many similarities between my mother and I ( some that I love, others that I wish I didn't posses) .

Growing up in Switzerland, one of my favorite breads was Tresse. The Swiss bread is braided and eaten with some butter and a cinnamon and sugar mixture doused on top. It is simply divine!

I wanted a salty bread to go with my Italian soup so I instead of sugar, I put rosemary and garlic.

Here is the recipe... bon appetit !

Tresse

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 package yeast ( which is 1 TB) with 1 TB sugar in a cup of HOT water.
* water needs to be hot from the tab, do not microwave to heat the water*

Let the yeast dissolve until bubbly.

Add a few TB of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, an egg yolk ( save the white!) and stir. Slowly add flour until you cannot stir the mixture easily. Take dough out and begin to kneed. Kneed dough with more flour until it is no longer sticky. Dough should be soft and smooth. Put the dough back in the bowl and let it rise ( for about 1 hr) once it has risen, punch it down, and let it rise again.

Pull dough into 3 sections and roll out into long ropes. Begin braiding. Once the bread has been braided put on a greased baking sheet and cover with an egg white ( this gives it the golden look) sprinkle with whatever type of seasoning you like. I used fresh garlic and rosemary. If you want to eat it as the original Tresse, do not garnish with seasoning. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes. You can tell when the bread is cooked by tapping the bottom of the bread. It should sound hollow.

From Mar 24, 2009

Books worth reading

Things I wish this valley had

A Boulangerie to get a croissant or a ballon with a nice piece of cheese.

A bowling alley...

Red Pepper Soup

I made this up and it is tasty and low in calories.

Ingredients:

8 roasted red peppers
3 cloves roasted garlice
1 medium onion
white wine
3 cups of chicken broth
thyme
red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese


Step 1:

Roast the red peppers and the garlic set aside

To roast red peppers, broil them until their skin
is black and burnt. Then, put in a bowl and cover
with plastic wrap until they cool. This cooks the
peppers and makes it easier to peel the skins off.

Step 2:

In a medium sauce pan, sautee onion with 1/2 of white wine
Add garlic, peppers, chicken broth, thyme and red pepper flakes
Let it simmer

Step 3:

Puree the soup until it's all blended and there are no chunks

Step 4:

Serve with freshly ground pepper and Parmesan

Step 5:

ENJOY!!!

By: Elisabeth Sparks
Crested Butte, CO

Doggie DooDoo

I like to think of myself as an animal person.

I cried the last time I hurt a bug. It was summer, I was hot, moody, and becoming more and more impatient by the incessant buzzing of a misguided bumble bee.

I meant to help when I got a piece of newspaper. I didn't roll it up. I kept it open and tried my best at prodding the bee to walk on it so I could set him free.

In my impatience, I became a little too forceful and broke off one of his legs as I pushed the newspaper between him and the window. Once, I opened the door and shook the paper, he flew off sideways and I knew he was flying away to die.

I cried.

I hurt a bee, a life force, a breathing being.

I don't normally kill bees... or spiders... or anything for that matter.

I have respect for all life.

Today, however, proved to test my love of animals and one type of animal in particular:
the canis, the canine, the DOG
or in my case

the

DOGS.

All 4 dogs.

Being the good family member that I am, I have been dog sitting my brother's 2 horribly misbehaved dogs, as well as my parent's dog, and my dog Deogie.

The morning started out as all my other mornings for the past week have... my alarm hasn't been the gentle vibration of my phone peacefully waking me from my slumber but rather barking and whining proceeded by more barking and whining.

There is no snooze button on barking.

As I opened the garage door, I was greeted with a melange of

1) vomit
2) Torn up beds
and
3) 8 piles of

YOUR PICK:
dog crap, shit, doodoo, fesces.

The day was off to a great start.

The dogs needed exercise.
If you watch the Dog Whisperer you would know this.

I took them on a walk on the golf course and up the "draw" to Hartmans. The dogs are beautiful when they run. Sophie leads leaping thru sage, over rocks, and splashing in mud puddles completely happy to be free. Deogie follows on her tail, yapping as his little lamb legs try to keep up with her gazelle legs. Jack is right behind his short legs look like nothing more than blurry lines with an occasional glimpse of a paw, and Hunter...Oh dear Hunter, he stays with me, poking along as we watch the others race.

I came back from the walk feeling refreshed and had the chance to mentally prepare for the clean up task at hand.

INTERMISSION

(here is where I will spare you the details)

Dog poop and vomit cleaned up, hands washed, I decided to reward myself with some coffee and pre-work sun soaking which began in 10 minutes and counting.

I pulled up a chair and sat out on the deck only to hear Sophie, Deogie, and Jack barking bloody (or better yet: desired kitty cat) murder.

Ethan, the next door neighbor boy, was also outside. His eyes told me what I didn't want to know.

"Your dogs chased my cat. She is scared and hiding."

I followed his gaze 5 houses down.

There were the dogs surrounding the grumpy neighbor's deck. Below I knew the cat was hiding and "my" dogs on a sleepy Sunday morning were disturbing the peace.

I looked at my watch 9:56. I had 4 minutes to stop all mayhem.

I jumped in the truck and parked on the side of the road.Walking thru your neighbor's yard is like peeking in their window or worse yet riffling thru their underwear drawer . It's a very unnerving feeling. I stood averting my eyes from their big South facing window calling out their names. When this didn't work, I tried bribing them with treats, finally in desperation I tried catching them only to have them come running towards me until once in my reach they darted away.

It was 9:59.





I jumped back in the truck and went home. Defeated, their barks still echoed throughout the entire neighborhood like some kind of gong going off letting the entire street know I was a poor dog sitter. The phone rang. I knew it was someone complaining. I didn't answer.

The dogs came back. They knew they had misbehaved and gotten away with it like a wayward teen who stayed out past curfew.

I still want that cup of coffee and outside sun baking but there is no time for that.
By: Elisabeth Sparks
Crested Butte, CO