Chewy Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Grandpa loves these chewy cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare two bowls.

In the first bowl mix the following:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

In the second bowl cream the following:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Stir the following into the butter mixture:

3  cups oats 

1 1/2 cups raisins

Then stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture being careful not to overmix.  Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop drop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  I found it best to flatten the balls.  Bake about 12 minutes until golden but not crisp.  

Mange avec appétit.

Breakfast of Champions

I'm NOT a cold cereal person.  Never have been.  To my mom's chagrin, growing up, I would rarely eat a bowl of cereal.  On the rare occasion, I would get myself a small bowl of dry cereal and eat it with no milk.  Thankfully, I haven't passed this gene on to my crew, as they love milk and cereal, just as much as their Daddy.  Costco loves us too, since the cart is usually overflowing each visit with multiple cereal boxes.

I'm always on the hunt for other easy breakfast options.  I came across this recipe in a Martha Stewart Magazine a couple of months ago.  Quinoa has become a staple in our pantry, especially since I found a huge bag of it at Costco that lasts us for months.

Quinoa

This week, the weather here in Calgary has truly turned into Fall.  The leaves are blowing, and it is raining, almost snowing.  This Breakfast Quinoa recipe is an alternative to warm oatmeal porridge.  The kids and Mommy are loving the warm breakfast and it is helping to keep our tummies warm on our walk to school.


Breakfast Quinoa


Makes 2 cups

2 cups milk, plus more for serving
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 Tbs brown-sugar, plus more for serving
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
1 cup fresh bluberries, plus more for serving

1. Bring milk to a boil in a small sauce-pan.  Add quinoa, and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until ¾ of the milk has been absorbed about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in sugar and cinnamon.  Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.  Stir in blueberries, and cook for 30 seconds.  Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnammon and blueberries.

Why did I title this post Breakfast of Champions?  Our daddy is a champion, in more ways than one.  He NEVER misses a breakfast and he is a huge fan of cereal.  In fact, he has two special cereal bowls that he eats out of every morning.  If heading to work, he will pack cereal to go, using one of Reegs sippy cups to transport his milk.  He says the milk never leaks and he doesn't really care what people think of the sippy cup in his lunch box, he's proud to be a Daddy.  Here is one of our 'Daddy' adventures this summer, Kev's 1/2 Ironman Triathlon.

Make a picture slideshow

Love Twin B
xoxoxoxoxo

Baked Apple Dumplings/Quenelles de pomme

Black dog Grandma (aka Grandmaman) loves recipes with apples, especially when the temperature begins to drop, you begin to feel the chill in the air, the leaves on the trees blaze with autumn colours and as the apples begin to drop, Chicken Little calls "The sky is falling".  The best thing about this recipe is that it was a hit with Papa. Serve warm with cider sauce and  ice cream.

The best apples for this recipe are Golden Delicious, Braeburn or Gala (sweet and moderately firm).

Makes 8 dumplings

Apples halved, cored and filled with the butter mixture

Dough

2 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

10 tbsp. ( 1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled

5 tbsp. vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled

3/4 c. cold buttermilk

Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined.  Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.  Transfer to bowl.  Stir in buttermilk until dough forms.  (I used buttermilk powder added to the dry mixture and then water.)  Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive.  Press dough into 8 by 4 inch rectangle.  Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.  (I refrigerated overnight.)

Apple Dumplings

6 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3 tbsp. golden raisins, chopped

4 Golden Delicious apples

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tsp. cinnamon sugar mixture.  Peel apples and halve through equator.  Remove core (use melon baller), taking care not to pierce the bottom of the apple halves. and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 12 inch square.  Cut each 12 inch square into four 6 inch squares.  Working 1 at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg whites and place apple, cut side up, in center of each square.  Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, overlap edges and crimp to seal. Cut a vent hole in the top of each dumpling.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg whites, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.  

Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Serve with Cider Sauce.

Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and ready for the oven

Cider Sauce

To make this sauce up to two days in advance, reduce the cider mixture until it measures 1 1/2 cups, then refrigerate.  When you're ready to serve, return the mixture to simmer and whisk in the butter and lemon juice off heat.

1 cup apple cider (I used apple juice.)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Bring apple cider, water, sugar, and cinnamon to simmer in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.  Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice.  Drizzle over dumplings to serve.

Warm and ready for the cider sauce 

Savory Corn Waffles - From Scratch

Twin A posted a recipe for Spicy Chili and Waffles last Fall, using a Jiffy Corn Muffin mix.  After searching and searching here is Canada, I couldn't find a Corn Muffin mix anywhere.  Therefore, the search was on to find an easy, great tasting, from scratch recipe for Corn Waffles.  The below recipe is definitely a winner-winner-waffle chili dinner.


Savory Corn Waffles


Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 scant teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar, optional
2 large eggs
3 cups milk
2 cups cream-style corn (yup, from a can)
2 small cans (4 ounces) chopped mild green chile peppers (or 1/2 cup sliced green onions)
10 tablespoons melted butter

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, if using. In another bowl, whisk eggs with milk then stir in corn and chile peppers. Combine the two mixtures, stirring just until blended. Stir in the melted butter.
Bake in a preheated and oiled waffle iron until crisp, following manufacturers' basic directions for lightness settings and filling amounts.  Hint:  Use cooking spray (PAM) to coat waffle iron after each waffle to prevent sticking.
Makes about ten 6-inch Belgian style waffles.

Love Twin B
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Crab Apple Jelly and a New September Ruby Tree

Crab Apples are almost a tradition in the backyards of Canadians.  Most people have a luv-hate relationship with them.  In the Spring, the crab apple trees are beautiful and covered with flowers.  Come Fall, they are covered in small, sour apples and people are left wondering what to do with all the fruit.

The finished jelly...  Four jars of yummy!

This crab apple jelly was made with the crab apples from our backyard.  Since the trees aren't very big yet, the bounty was also small this year (4 jars of jelly).  Click on the above link to get the recipe from the Canadian Living Magazine Website.  It is the 'classic' recipe and it turned out very yummy.

I will always remember Grandma (Oma) Peterson's huge crab apple tree in her backyard and especially enjoying her crab apple jelly on buttered toast.  Hoping to recreate Oma's jelly, I made my first batch today.  Since I've never canned before (it seems complicated and scary), I bought freezer jars, in which you fill and freeze the jam, defrosting when needed.  Seemed simple enough.

The Crew has been loving butter-jelly toast for breakfast.

This summer also marked a special day as Grandma retired from teaching.  To celebrate, we bought her a September Ruby Apple Tree.  This apple tree is special as it replaced an old apple tree that needed to be cut down in their yard last summer.  The type of apple tree, a September Ruby, is also very significant as it is the name of Grandma's Art Studio.  Check out Grandma's art studio and blog.

T-man and the tree

Reegs and the tree

E-man and the wheelbarrow:  "Let's get to work already!"

The Calgary Crew and the tree

Grandpa and Mommy planting the tree

The Calgary Crew and Grandma's new September Ruby Tree

Love,
Twin B
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Pasta with Rapini, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

Serves 4

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 bunch rapini (12 oz/375 g)

12 oz (375 g) bucatini or other long pasta

3 oz (90 g) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1 cup toasted walnut pieces

In skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-low heat; cook onion and half each of the salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Stir in garlic; cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in vinegar.

Meanwhile, trim 1/2 inch (1 cm) from rapini stems; cut rapini in half.  In large pot of boiling salted water, cook rapini until tender, about 2 minutes; drain and stir into onion mixture.

Meanwhile, in separate saucepan of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid.  Return pasta to pot.

Stir in onion mixture, cheese and remaining oil, salt and pepper.  Pour in reserved liquid if necessary to moisten.  Sprinkle with walnuts.

Spanish Beef Stew

 Serves 6 to 8

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds cubed beef for stew

3 pieces bacon, chopped

1 large onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 pound red new potatoes, halved and placed in a bowl of cold water

16 ounce bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

1/2 cup dried currants

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons capers

3 tablespoons minced parsley

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot.  Brown the meat in small batches and transfer it to a platter as browned.  Add  the bacon to the pot and cook it until slightly crisp.  Pour away the fat, add the onion, garlic, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and sugar, and cook the mixture, tossing it occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes at a boil.  Add the stock and lower the heat to a simmer.  Return  the meat to the pan and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Remove the meat and potatoes with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Stir in the spinach, currants, pine nuts, capers, parsley and vinegar.  Cook the stew until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Return the meat and potatoes to the pot and cook the stew for another minute or two.  Taste it again and adjust the seasoning.

Another way of serving is to skip the potatoes and serve it over egg noodles.