My mom sent home with me this small bread loaf at Easter. The past years, she made a larger bread and placed the colored eggs atop of the bread for our Easter dinners.
She is where I get my love for cooking and baking from. I often tell her that I wish I can cook as well as she does. And my love for entertaining? I got that from my dad. I can talk to just about everyone, and I got that from him, no doubt about it.
Thanks Mom and Dad.
I'm in the dining room, making up a grocery list...
"I've got to go buy some eggs for Easter." I mention to the hubby looking at grocery flyers.
"I got it. The farmer friend is coming in with fresh eggs" says the hubby.
"Great! I'll take it off my list."
Hubby comes home with 3 cartons of fresh eggs. I open the box....
"Oh, the came pre-colored did they? I guess we can tell the kids we don't need to color eggs this year!"
Brown eggs.
Lesson: Don't send a man to get the job done. At least my man.
Happy Easter!
I hear ya. What? Peanut Butter and ONIONS? Together? As a soup?
I'm not off my rocker. Though I had the same response when my hubby served it to me. "The kids LOVED it!" he said. I was a bit apprehensive.
My hubby hits the kitchen at times to try out various "different" recipes. Recipes that would not necessarily jump out at me from the "must try me!" category. Some are a major miss, some are in the meh category and others are a great surprise.
And I will tell you, go forth and try it. It's really good. Creamy, peanut-y flavored with a slight sweetness. The salty bacon garnish actually complements it. Yeah, I know, strange but it all works! It's like a Top Chef challenge and we won the quickfire!
Though, I have to tell you my hubby adapts EVERYTHING and isn't the greatest at using measuring spoons & cups. So, these are the measurements below, as best to accurate as I can pin him down on.
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Peanut Butter & Onion Soup
makes 4-6 servings
4 rashers of bacon
1 medium sized onion,
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup of peanut butter
1.5 cups milk
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar (adjust to preferred taste)
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
dollop of sour cream as garnish, optional
Fry your bacon in a pot over medium heat. When cooked, remove the bacon, leaving the bacon fat and add the onions. Saute onions until soft and starting to brown. Add the broth, peanut butter, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
Reduce to simmer, and cook for about 15- 20 mintues more. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly so to puree with a handheld stick blender. Reheat if needed.
Garnish with sour cream and bacon that has been minced. Serve warm.
Recipe inspired from: Boiled Peanut Soup
I have been pretty busy lately working but I have been enjoying it every step of the way. I am very fortunate to be doing the photography for a step-by-step book on wedding and special occasion cakes. The author has some amazing cakes and I myself have been learning a thing or two about decorating as I've been photographing! Perks of the job and right up my alley: cakes, decorating, food photography - loving it all! It is a fabulous experience thus far and I can't wait until I can tell you more about it.
Due to the busy schedule the last while, I haven't been doing a lot of cooking and baking either. I've been sending my kids to school with store-bought snacks for their lunches, which has been making me a bit sad, so when I came home one night and saw those
ripe, browned bananas on the counter, I knew it was time to make me some banana bread.
I have been using this recipe often the last several months. A slice alongside your breakfast yogurt or as a snack in the kids lunch box, is exactly what this momma ordered.
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Banana Bread
makes 1 loaf
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 medium ripe bananas mashed, about 1 cup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and scrape down the sides often to mix it all well. Add the mashed banana and vanilla.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips together. Add to the banana mixture but do not over mix, only until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, until well browned and when a toothpick comes out clean. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from: Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding, Anna Olson.
With the sunshine around lately, I've been getting excited about spring and warmer weather. And recently, my palate has been wanting fresh tastes too. I've been craving lemony-flavored things. Sure, many of you probably don't think of lemons with regards to spring but the color brightens my mood. A big bowl of lemons is like a bowl of sunshine in your home!
I am digging lemons more and more, especially when it's a sweet and sour combo together. When I have lemons kicking around the house, I am always looking for different ways to use them up.
I recently stumbled upon this lemon cornmeal cake recipe. I have been more interested in using cornmeal in baking. I've used cornmeal in savory baking, such as cornbread, but never in sweet baking.
This is a great coffee cake when you have guests over and it is simple to make. I was half expecting it to be a heavy cake but it really wasn't. The simple syrup can be made while the cake is cooling and it gives it that wonderful tangy and sweet combo, that I mentioned above. And, since no flour is used in this recipe, it is gluten-free. Enjoy.
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Lemony Cornmeal Cake
makes one 9-inch cake
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
juice and zest of one lemon
1-1/4 cups almond flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
simple syrup:
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, scraping after each addition.
Add the lemon juice and zest, almond flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Mix until all incorporated.
Pour the batter into a 9-inch springform pan, which has been greased and lined with parchment paper at the bottom. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes or until the cake has developed a golden hue and is firm with touch.
Cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan & place on wire rack.
To make the simple syrup, place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the syrup to thicken slightly.
Slowly pour the simple syrup over the cake for it to absorb. Allow to cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from: Lemon Cornmeal Cake, The Big Book of Baking.
