Some of you may recall the semester of 8th grade where I ANCHORED the DBS (Dixon Broadcast System) News EVERYDAY with Matt Duerden as well as contributed occasional (okay, just once) "Baking with Beth" cooking segments. (Cue the memories of Mr. What's-his-name (journalism teacher)and his strange obsession with me: casting me for a specialty "makeover" spot in the yearbook, keeping a picture of me hung in his office for years, and continually pestering my little sister (he was her ballroom coach for a while) with questions about me...fame has its price.)
As I recall, the most popular (or only) recipe featured was butterscotch pudding from the box with whipped cream and crushed Skor bar on top. I got the recipe from an ancient cooking with kids recipe book out of the vast Dixon Middle School library. good times.
So, I love cooking. I'm not gourmet, and I have dang four kids (my new excuse for everything I don't do well), but I cook so that I can eat something good. I think that's one of the threads that bind Marilyn and I together: we obsess about food. When am I going to eat next? What can I make that's going to taste really good? And, how much can I eat on the sly without having to share with my kids? If dinner turns out gross, can I pawn the leftovers on my husband for his lunch tomorrow?
I'm enjoying my Google Reader subscriptions to food blogs very much, though I haven't tried any of the recipes from them until now. And while others I know post a ton of pictures of great food they make, I'm too impatient to stop and take pictures of every step. Anyway, here's my first attempt at a food blogging estrasasanda.
Recipe #1: Fruit Leather
Amy, this is your recipe, plus I added some sugar. (I think my journey to becoming super healthy is going to take a little longer than yours.)
My mom gave me a bucket of apricots (and though you'll never read this mom, because you have to call me to come over and turn your computer ON, type up your mass email anecdotes from your Nauvoo missionary friends, connect to your DIAL-UP internet - that internet speed should be outlawed, and print off any and every church talk and/or Sounds of Sunday sappy with cheese story ever aired, thanks.) and I didn't have any pectin to make jam, didn't have any intention of going to the store soon, and the apricots were getting RIPE. So, I blended them all up and added some powdered sugar to taste, poured it out onto greased cookie sheets and let them dry in the sun. It was yummy! Thanks for the recipe, Amy!
P.S. Some unexpected ingredients found their way to our special fruit leather. It may be because we live next door to a swamp (but I'll thank you to refer to it as a wetland, because it sounds less trailer-trash-y) and because our backyard is still just dirt and rocks.
A little protein with our antioxidants:
Dirt is a good source of minerals:
Recipe #2: Breakfast Brulee
I copied this recipe out of a book at Meridee's house (check out her add-on). I liked how it was a faster, easier version of Creme Brulee - I didn't even need a blow torch for the carmelized sugar on top! Plus, since I used lowfat yogurt and 1% milk, I cut out a ton of fat. I feel pretty good about myself for that. Because with all the fat I saved in this recipe, it means I can eat just that many more of my brownies (see below). P.S. How come my baby fat isn't just melting off me?
It was really yummy and reminded me of bread pudding. I thought the biscuits gave them a too-starchy flavor, but if you like biscuits, then you'll probably appreciate that flavor in them.
2 good quality eggs
1/4 c. good quality whipping cream (please! I'm not going to the store for 1/4 c. whipping cream! I just used 1% milk)
1/8 tsp. good quality ground nutmeg
12 oz. good quality french vanilla yogurt (2 containers of Yoplait)
1 can good quality Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
1/3 c. good quality sugar
3 tbsp. good quality butter or margarine
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8 ramekins with Pam, place on cookie sheets. In bowl, beat eggs, cream, nutmeg, and yogurt until well blended. Separate dough into 8 biscuits and then 1/2 each biscuit, making 16 rounds. Place sugar in shallow dish. Brush both sides of each round with butter (I used my corn butterer, so I think after all I only used about 1 tbsp. of margarine) coat both sides with sugar. Place 1 dough round in bottom of each ramekin. Spoon 1/4 c. yogurt mixture over dough in ramekin. Top with remaining rounds. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool 15 min. before serving.
Recipe #3: Brownies
This is my new favorite way to make brownies. Get a box brownie mix, reduce the oil from 2/3 c. to 1/2 c. (shh, don't tell anyone. this is just to trim some fat from the recipe) and make mix according to directions. Before baking, sprinkle 1/2 c. butterscotch chips on top of batter in baking dish and then bake as usual. The chips sink a bit into the batter and give the brownies a hint of caramel flavor. YUM!
Does anyone have recipes they'd like me to post about?
And, this post took me over an hour to create. Am I the only one who feels guilty that I didn't instead spend the time playing with my kids, folding 4 days worth of laundry or cleaning my kitchen for the first time this week (...it's Saturday)?
Attention Missy Christensen: I can't find your blog! Please send me the link along with a $20 processing fee.
