My Love Affair with Knives

Kuhn Rikon knives to be exact.  (Shhh, don't tell my set of Wusthof's!)  There is just something so lovable about this brand (which are made in Switzerland.)  It could be the cute designs or all the colors, either way I want all of them!  Lately, whenever I go to a home/kitchen store, I dash for the knife section to see the Kuhn Rikon selection. (pathetic, I know, but that's the thing about affairs.....) 

I was at our local Sur La Table last week, and saw this cute knife by KR (that's what I refer to Kuhn Rikon as, it's our code name.) that was Halloween inspired.  My sister had told me awhile back that she bought this knife for carving pumpkins and cutting those pesky squashes, and she liked it. (no, this is not sloppy seconds!)  I despise cutting squash, as I have to set aside about 1/2 an hour to get the job done.  I blame it on an inadequate knife.  Anywho,  this cute Halloween knife was on sale (bonus!) so I bought it and brought it home.  Yesterday I  used it for the first time and couldn't be happier!  I used it on a butternut squash that I planned to cube and roast in the oven.  I don't know if it was the design of the teeth or that it was just so gosh darn cute, but it worked swimmingly, and in half the time!  Below are some pics of my latest fling and new found squash cutting success!  Oh, and here is a recipe for simple roasted butternut squash!


Roasted Butternut Squash

1 whole butternut squash (any size, though I find the smaller ones have more flavor)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Thyme or Rosemary  (fresh or dry, but be sure to mince it if it's fresh)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Peel, seed, and cube the squash.  Toss the cubed squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herb of choice to coat.  Spread on a sheet pan in an even layer and pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  (Toss halfway through cooking.)  Serve and enjoy!

My new Kuhn Rikon!

Isn't it dreamy?!  The sheath even has a seed scooper!

My squash before

My squash after... oh look there's that knife again!

Roasted butternut squash, Mmmmmm!

KR Ergo Paring Knives

KR Watermelon Knife.  My next fling...

Oh wow, look at all those colors!!  KR nonstick paring knives.

One of my favorite things about KR is that they make fun kid-friendly cooking tools.   I love that!  Here are Duck Snippers.

More Bread, As Promised!!

Yes, I said there would be more bread recipes and true to my word here's a(nother) great one!  Rowen and I made delicious gooey cinnamon raisin bread during the week and brought it up north for our weekend getaway to the cabin.  It was the perfect accompaniment to a steaming, hot cup of morning coffee while we watched the wind blow snow over the northern woods, add to that the sound of  logs crackling on the fire.......quite the scene isn't it?  This recipe makes two glorious sized loaves so I gave the other away, or you could put it in the freezer and break it out for your next winter weekend getaway!  It's perfect served all by itself, but a nice slather of butter would also be tasty.  I like to toast the slices first, as the cinnamon sugar swirls get all melty and goo-like.  Any way you slice it, this bread just makes you feel good!  (Sorry, that was cheesy....)  Here is the recipe!

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Makes two 9x5 inch loaves

1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 C warm water
1 C warm milk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
1 Tbsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6-6 1/4 C bread flour, plus extra if needed
3/4 C golden raisins
3/4 C dark raisins

For the filling:
2/3 C firmly packed light brown sugar mixed with 4 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of the granulated sugar over 1/2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve.  Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining water, the milk, the melted butter, remaining granulated sugar, salt, egg, and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.  Add the yeast mixture and 1/2 cup of the flour and beat for 1 minute.  Add the raisins, then beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on medium-low speed, adding flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased deep bowl and turn to coat it with the melted butter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1-1/2 hours.

First Rise

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of two 9x5 inch loaf pans.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each half into an 8x12 inch rectangle.  Lightly sprinkle each rectangle with half of the filling, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides.  Beginning at the shorter end, tightly roll up each rectangle into a compact log.  Pinch the ends and the long seam to seal in the filling.  Place each log, seam side down, in a prepared pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until about 1 inch above the rim of each pan, 1-1/2 hours.

Second Rise

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, 35-40 minutes.  Turn out onto racks and let cool completely.  (Or be like me and slice it right away, because I just can't wait that long.  Do you know how long it takes for a loaf of bread to cool completely?!  You don't want to find out....)

Disclaimer:  Bread may be hot if you don't let it cool completely, and minor burns may occur, but that's between you and the bread.

Mmmmm....swirly cinnamon and raisins!  This is worth the minor burns.

The Clutch: My Latest Addiction

Ahhh clutches.....Not to be confused with wristlets. (I despise wristlets!) I can't believe it has taken me this long to get on the clutch train.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good over sized handbag as much as the next woman.  But let's face it, our purses these days have become like an mini versions of our homes,  resembling small offices, traveling toy chests, mini-refrigerators,  ready to assemble vanities, you name it!  Sometimes all that baggage just is too much baggage to carry around!  Enter the clutch.  A small, compact, cute, and highly sophisticated bag that demands you leave more than three quarters of the rest of you at home.  I will admit that clutches are not practical for everyday use. (See above said baggage.)  But they have a place when your life requires nothing more than your phone, major credit cards, i.d, keys, and some lip gloss.  (At least that is all I ever put in mine.)  It's the perfect accessory for a party or night out on the town!  (Do you want to be "the bag lady" at a bar/restaurant swinging your 10 ton extension of your arm at other patrons heads?)  Now if only I had somewhere to go!  Here are some that I've been obsessing over.......

Navy Blue Fold Over Clutch by kslademade on Etsy

 

 

 

Pink Clutch by Madewell (the strap is removeable, no wristlets here!)

 

 

Kate Spate Magazine Clutch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dooney and Bourke Dillen II clutch (again, removable strap....)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another one from Kate Spade, it looks like a book!  Fashionable and smart!

Hot Streak Clutch from Anthropologie

A Word (or Two) about Kale

Yep, you heard me, Kale.  That green, leafy vegetable tucked in the far corner of your nearest grocer's produce section (at least that's where I found it.)  And there is probably good reason for that, as it tastes about exciting as its name.  Yes it may hold wonderful nutritional value with vitamins K and C, beta carotene, lutein, and calcium just to name a few.  But it doesn't really stir up feel good, mouthwatering images, more like nightmeres of the raw food movement.  But lo, with the right amount of love and attention, kale could be your new best friend.  In the past week I've become a real sucker for kale.  Twice.  This is how it happened.

I've always loved making soup.(maybe not always, but ever since I started cooking.)  There's just something about a pot of soup on the stove that makes me feel warm and fuzzy(or maybe cozy is the right word.)  When I first started out on my own I became a big fan of Rachael Ray, and she was all about the soups and stoups and stews.    I subscribed to her magazine and waited in anticipation for the newest monthly copy to drop in my mailbox so I could flip to the nearest soup.  (She has some really great recipes.)  Once I discovered that there were other cooks out there (thanks to food network) I branched out, but I still come back to some of my favorites from Rachael Ray.  One of those is Red & Green Winter Stoup, and yes, there is kale in it.  To be honest I didn't even know what kale was when I came upon this recipe,  so as you can imagine I looked the fool in the grocery store trying to find something in which I didn't even know what it looked like.  Needless to say I found the kale and have been making this soup every winter.  (I just made it last week, thus part one of my two part kale saga.) The bulk of it is tomatoes, potatoes, and kale, and obviously kale is the real star here.  It has that slightly bitter taste like a mustard green but also a bit nutty which is nice.  It tastes good, and is good for you!  It's pretty simple and goes well with some crusty bread.  (Yeah, that is a Rachael Ray euphemism...)Here is the recipe:

Red & Green Winter Stoup
serves 4 (more like 6 in my book)

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
2 large baking potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)
2 onions (quartered and thinly sliced)
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves finely chopped)
* I just threw in a little dried rosemary, either works fine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
4 C chicken broth
1 bunch kale (stemmed and coarsely chopped)
one 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3 large roasted red peppers
*mine were from the jar, but freshly roasted is great, really ambitious!
Bread for serving (crusty)

In a medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add potatoes, onions, rosemary, and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until softened 7-8 min.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, 6-8min. Add the kale in batches and cook until wilted, 1-2 min.  (or be like me and just add it all at once!)  Stir in the tomatoes.

Using a food processor, puree the roasted peppers.  (I just used my immersion blender with a chopper attachment thingy,  I love my immersion blender.....)  Stir into the soup pot, lower the heat and simmer for 10 min.  Discard the bay leaf and serve!

The green stuff is the kale.

So simple, right?  And delicious?  Of course!  And healthy?  It's all vegetables!  So if you think that is too good to be true take a look at this next kale concoction.  It all started about a week ago on Pinterest.  (For those of you who know Pinterest you know it's addicting, thus only adding to my long list of addictions,  all perfectly safe of course.)  I came across this kale-kiwi smoothie recipe on someone's food board.  A picture showed this bright, but not too bright, green drink that I have to say didn't look repulsive.  I was intrigued, and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I made it!  (Today to be precise.)  I used my immersion blender again, (man am I getting my money's worth on that thing!) but one could use a blender too.  The recipe called for ice, but I decided against it as it is winter here in the Midwest.  I was so pleasantly surprised when I took my first sip that I didn't have words.  That and there was no one else in the room to speak to.......sad really.  Anywho, it reminded me of those Naked smoothies which are 100% vegetables and fruit. (which by the way are awesome and you can buy them in the grocery store, usually near the produce section.) The greatest part about this is that it totally meets your 5 a-day requirement for fruits and veggies.  Now go eat a cookie, cause this is just too damn healthy.....Oh here is the recipe:

Kale-Kiwi Smoothie
serves 1-2

1 cup kale
1 small banana
2 kiwi
1 medium carrot
1/2 cup almond milk
handful of ice

Blend all ingredients together and serve!

Deliciousness!

Bedtime Stories

I am always on the search for children's books, as I'm trying to build my son's library so he doesn't have to be read the same old stuff day after day,  (I'm mean a kid can only take so much Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Cat In The Hat.) and because I often enjoy reading kid's books more than adult books. (What can I say, they are quick reads and have pictures!) Rowen is only 8 months old but he has really enjoyed being read to since he was 2 months old.  That is unless it's bedtime..... Now, officially my son's bedtime is 7:00pm, but we really start the whole bedtime process around 5:00pm.  He starts to get whiny so I get his dinner ready, while I listen to his grunts of displeasure.  He eats around 5:30 and is done in less than ten minutes.  (He is a super fast eater, and pretty much whines through the whole dinner process because I'm not getting the food into his mouth fast enough.)  Right about this time I am praying my husband will be home soon to take over.   Kurt is usually home by 6:00pm, and if not, will consequently receive glances of disappointment from me.  Ro is usually good with Kurt until 6:30.  Then  it's either bath time, which he usually likes, or if he is really in rare form, time for bed!  We usually ditch the bedtime story after we've only read two pages, and Rowen's whines have escalated to borderline crying.

Last night, after countless evenings of struggling to make it to bedtime with minimal crankiness, I realized we need to be getting this kid ready for bed sooner, especially if we want to nurture him by reading the bedtime story.  I had gone to Barnes and Noble earlier that day to pick up Out of Oz (the last of the Wicked series) which I was thrilled for as I really enjoyed the series and have not read a book(with the exception of children books) in the last 8 months. (Did I mention that Rowen is 8 months?)  I of course dropped  by the children's section to see what was new and I stumbled across this great little gem of a book called red sled by Lita Judge.  Immediately I knew this was the book to buy since we had just given Ro a Flexible Flyer sled for Christmas. 

 The book is maybe about 20 pages with full page pictures.  The story is basically about a boy(or girl, I couldn't tell so we made it a boy) who has a red sled and he leaves it outside.  Who should come along but a curious bear, who sees the sled, steals it, and proceeds to sled down the mountain!  As the bear is sledding, he picks up some other woodland critters like a moose, a porcupine, a possum, a raccoon, etc., you get the picture.  All these animals are on this tiny red sled being whisked down the mountain until they crash (they all survived thankfully), and return the sled.  The best part about this book is that there might be a total of 20 words to the whole thing, with words like "rooooeeeee! alley-oop! whoa! eeeeeee!" and other sound effects of that nature to depict the sled ride.  It's one of those books where you use your imagination to make up your own story.  Needless to say my son was captivated the entire time (no whining or anything!) with smiles when we made great sound effects.  And we ended the story by telling him that if he left his sled outside, animals would take it, so there is a moral there too!  I'm not sure if it was the fact that we got him ready for bed earlier or the book, but on this one, I'd like to think I bought him a great book!

All the animals sledding down the mountain.  Whoa!

Day Two: Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake!

Okay, I think it's safe to say that I've been successful thus far on keeping up with my blog!  Go me!  So this morning my husband (Kurt), 8 month old son (Rowen), and I went out to a local coffee shop to get out of the house.  Lately the weather has been cold and snowy and we've been suffering some major cabin fever!  (Bringing our son out to sit down establishments always poses somewhat of a challenge as he always wants to be on the move, grabbing and chewing on stuff, and screaming at people.  Today was no different as he proceeded to chew on the metal highchair arm, and eventually removed his shoes and gnawed on those until mom took them away.  At least he didn't scream...)  Anywho as I was trying to carry on a conversation with my husband, wrangle in the little beast, while sipping on my decaf soy cafe au lait, I thought, "Wouldn't it be great to have some coffee cake with this?".............Okay so I didn't think that.  I had already planned on making a coffee cake today.  But what a great transition into my post, right?!

Well, I did make my coffee cake this afternoon while my precious, and for the moment, peaceful son lay asleep in his crib.  This is maybe only the third coffee cake I've ever made, and I thought it was so unique that it had give it a whirl.  You may have already guessed what kind of coffee cake I made and if you guessed Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake, you'd be right!!  I know, I know, your thinking "macadamia nuts in a coffee cake?"  I mean I could see almonds, pecans, maybe hazelnuts, but I always thought macadamia nuts were reserved for Mauna Loa.  But who am I do be amazed?  I can't say I know coffee cakes or even nuts that well.....(I hang my head in shame.) Anyways, this one comes to you again from my W-S Baking Book (It's practically my baking bible.)  So here is the recipe....

Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake
Makes one 9 inch cake (or approximately 8 servings for my taste)

For the topping:
2/3 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the cake:
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C cake flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 C macadamia nut oil
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C unsalted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Note:  Canola oil may be substituted for the macadamia nut oil.  I went for the macadamia nut oil to get the full experience.  It does cost a bit more, and I have no idea what I will do with the rest of it, but I felt that it was worth it.  It's really a matter of personal preference!  If you do decide to go full throttle with the macadamia nut oil, remember to refrigerate after opening.

This is what the macadamia nut oil I used looks like.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round springform pan. (I only had a 9.5 inch so that is what I used.)  Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and grease the paper.  I normally skip lining my pans with parchment paper when called for, (I know, I cut corners, shame on me!) but I did it this time since I was transferring the cake onto a cake pedestal. 

For the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour and cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well blended. Stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture.  Using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  (For this step I used my stand mixer.  It's not by the book, but if I've got the equipment, I'm gonna use it!)

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.  Sprinkle evenly with half of the topping.  Cover evenly with the remaining batter.  Sprinkle evenly with the nuts, gently pressing them into the batter, then cover with the remaining topping.

The final result!

Bake until the topping is golden brown, 40-45 minutes.  A toothpick insterted into the center of the cake should come out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.


 And that is it!  I promise you will not be disappointed with this coffee cake, unless of course you have a nut allergy.  (If so please do not make this cake!)  The topping is deliciously crisp, and the cake perfectly (dare i say it?) moist!! (I cringe at the word, but there is no other way to describe it.)  This cake gave me a new found respect for the nut we call Macadamia (which did you know is actually native to Australia?!)   It will no longer be known as a chocolatey covered Hawaiian treat in my book!  So brew up a good pot of Jo, and delve into this buttery, moist (ahhh!) cake!

My piece

My First Blog Post, Aren't You Excited?!!

Yes! This is my very first blog post.....EVER!!!!!  I'm really looking forward to this and hope it's not a total flop.  I will try to blog (is that the lingo?) on a regular basis, as I love to try new recipes, buy new anything, drink new wines, go on exciting runs with my son, explore the latest kids toys/gear, and just get my thoughts out!  I'm a full time mom so sometimes I talk to myself in my head, and it would be nice to type it down and pretend that there are people out there who value what I'm saying!  Anywho, I hope if you are reading this that you find it fun and entertaining, but if you don't like it that is cool too.  Enjoy!

Okay, well onto the real heart of my first post- Bread.  That's right, and not just any bread but homemade whole-wheat bread!  (Are you riveted yet?)  To be totally honest, making homemade bread used to be scary and intimidating to me.  Seriously, getting the perfect temperature of water to mix the yeast with seemed like a doomed task.  And all the kneading, and knowing when to knead more or when to stop because you are over kneading......  Oh and the waiting!  How long can it take for bread to rise?! Honestly!

Of course this was all before I got a baking book practically dedicated to bread, a stand mixer, and a little bit of patience.  While at first it was a bit frustrating, once I really got into making my own bread it became like second nature.  But I'm not a pro by any means.  I mean, I let the stand mixer do the kneading for me, and my baking book tells me how long to let the machine run, so I just kick back and bask in the glory of effortless bread!  I've made some really delicious breads, but I thought it fitting to post on the whole-wheat bread since I just made it today.  And this is my first blog post so...... (Don't worry, if you aren't into the whole-wheat, there will be other posts about bread, I promise!)  The recipe comes from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, and might I add, if you are a serious baker, you should consider investing in a copy.  After all, as it's sub title states, it is The Essential Recipe Collection For Today's Home Baker.  I use mine at least once a week! (and I'm not that serious.) Okay, here it is:

Whole-Wheat Bread
*recipe makes two 9x5inch loaves (or if you don't have pans, shape them to approximate size)

My homemade bread! Doesn't it look like I'm a serious baker?

 

1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
Pinch of brown sugar
1 C warm water (105-115degrees F)
1 1/2 C tepid buttermilk (90degrees F)
1/4 C maple syrup
1/4C canola oil, plus more for greasing
1 Tbsp salt
3 C whole-wheat flour
3 1/2-4 C bread flour, plus extra as needed

In a bowl, sprinkle yeast and brown sugar over water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 min.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine buttermilk, maple syrup, oil, salt and 2 C whole-wheat flour.  Beat on medium-low speed until creamy, about 1 min.  Beat in the yeast mixture and the remaining whole-wheat flour and beat for 1 min.  Beat in the bread flour, 1/2 C at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides.* Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed, adding bread flour 1 Tbsp at a time if the dough sticks, until smooth but slightly stick when pressed, about 5 min.  Transfer the dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn the dough once to coat it with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1-1/2 hours.**

Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans and for the loaves. Place the loaves, seam side down, in the pans.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until about 1 inch above the pan rims, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the pan sides, 35-40 min.  Turn out onto racks and let cool completely.

*  I only used 3 1/2 C of bread flour and didn't find the need to add more during the kneading process.
** I always allow bread to rise the max amount of time a recipe gives, just to cover my bases....

This bread tastes better than any whole-wheat I've bought from the store.   I like the touch of sweetness the maple syrup lends.  Who knew maple syrup in healthy bread!  And it makes two loaves, so I kept one out for now and put one in the freezer for later!  This is perfect right out of the oven with some butter and will be great for my husbands sandwiches during the week!  (I myself ate two slices right out of the oven and then two more later with soup that I made for dinner, so maybe my husband won't have any left for the week......well it was the thought that counted!)

I admit that making bread is not a fast process, and requires some time management (what with all that rising....ugh!)  But I encourage you to give it a try, who knows, maybe this recipe will put to rest all those anxieties that homemade bread can conjure!

Mmmmmmmm, whole-wheat bread......(cue Homer Simpson drooling noises)