(Oh My Darling) Clementine Smoothies

 
I've talked before about my grandparents' incredible green thumbs.  From cucumbers, squash, and potatoes to lemons bigger than grapefruits (literally!), they  grow anything and everything.  Each time I visit, my grandpa is sure to send me home with a sack full of something delicious.  As we left our Christmas gathering, he gave us a mess of the sweetest, juiciest Clementines I've ever eaten.  We enjoyed most of them straight from the fridge, and the rest in the form of these creamsicle-inspired smoothies.  Yum!

Don't have Clementines?  Substitute 2 small, seedless oranges instead.

An Ommy Noms Original

INGREDIENTS
3 Clementines, peeled
1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
6-7 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS
1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth and well-incorporated.  Pour into glasses and enjoy!

28 by 28

My cooking ability has come a long way since I first started this blog over three years ago. The first year of our marriage, the Mister and I survived solely on frozen tamales and corn dogs. My uncle's jabs that the only things I could make were toast and boiled water weren't terribly far from the truth. Although the learning curve has been steep at times (see exhibits A and B), I am now more comfortable in the kitchen than I ever thought possible.

In about 15 months, I will be turning 28. In anticipation of the occasion, I've put together a list of 28 foods I'd like to tackle in the coming months. I hope you enjoy this journey with me!

Breads
1. Croissants
2. Sandwich bread
3. Focaccia
4. Custard bread

Appetizers & Sides
5. Hummus
6. Stuffed artichokes
7. Panzanella

Entrees
8. Roasted chicken that actually tastes good
9. Homemade pasta, preferably a filled one
10. Gumbo from scratch
11. Mo Mo's chicken stew
12. Pad Thai
13. Enchiladas verdes
14. Spring rolls (or egg rolls- haven't decided yet!)
15. Bolognese sauce

Desserts

16. Chocolate flan
17. Something piped
18. Baklava
19. Panna cotta
20. Gelato
21. Linzer cookies
22. Luby's cheesecake

You made what from scratch?
23. Butter
24. Ketchup
25. Sour cream
26. Peanut butter
27. Chocolate milk mix
28. Ricotta

World's Best Sugar Cookies

 
You know how we tend to associate certain tastes and smells with special times in our lives?  Well readers, this is what Christmas tastes like to me.  As a child, I looked forward to helping Mom roll out these sugar cookies each winter.  I always had my own assortment of cookie cutters and decorating sugar to choose from, and I relished each crumb of my creations.  When rolled-out, these cookies are thin and slightly crisp- perfect for decorating with royal icing.  These days, I usually make them with a cookie press, which yields a thicker, softer cookie.

From Mom

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. Stir in flour.

2. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. For cut-out cookies, Roll out dough on lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.  (To use with a cookie press, stuff dough into press and form cookies according to package directions.)

5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 min or until light golden brown. Cool and decorate as desired.

Yields about 6 dozen

Banana Bread Foster

Awhile back, I told you how much I love Gaido's, a historic seafood restaurant in Galveston, Texas.  A few weeks ago, Mr. Ommy Noms and I took a day trip to Galveston and made a beeline straight for the restaurant.  After stuffing ourselves full of shrimp and oysters, the Mister handed me a dessert menu and told me to pick one.  The winner was Banana Bread Foster, and we certainly did not regret the decision.  In fact, we loved it so much that I went to the gift shop and bought the cookbook!

To make this impressive dessert, a thick slice of moist banana bread is griddled in a brown sugar and rum butter until it develops a crisp candy-like coating.  It is then finished with homemade creme anglaise and ice cream. 

You can use any dense banana bread as a base for the dish.  (I used this one.)  Do be aware that this is not the most beginner-friendly recipe.  As written, the recipe calls to burn the alcohol off of the rum over high heat.  I wasn't comfortable with that technique, so I simmered it over medium-high for a few minutes instead.  In addition, there is a fine line between a perfectly caramelized coating and a burnt one.  Keep a close eye on the bread, checking after 1-2 minutes per side.

Adapted from Gaido's Famous Seafood Restaurant Cookbook
Serves 3 (Recipe has been scaled down)


INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tbsp rum
3 1/2-inch thick slices of dense banana bread
Ice cream and creme anglaise (recipe following)

DIRECTIONS
1.  Burn off the alcohol from the rum in a saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium when the alcohol has burned off.  Add the butter to the saucepan and stir to melt.  Add the brown sugar and mix well.

2.  Cook the banana bread slices in the butter mixture until a caramelized coating forms.  Turn to cook the other side.

3.  Remove to a plate and drizzle with creme anglaise.  Top with ice cream and enjoy!

*******

Creme Anglaise Ingredients

2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or 2-inch piece of vanilla bean, split)
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp sugar

Creme Anglaise Directions
1.  Bring the half-and-half and vanilla just to a boil in a heavy saucepan.


2.  Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add one third of the hot mixture to the egg mixture; stir well.  Stir the egg mixture into the half-and half mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats a spoon.  Do not boil.


3.  Strain through a fine strainer in to a bowl and chill over an ice bath.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Merry Christmas! (And 'nanner bread!)

 

First of all, I would like to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas!  I've had an incredible two days with family and friends and I hope you've enjoyed the same.

Today, I am sharing an incredibly moist banana bread, complete with butter and heavy cream.  (Oh yeah!) Tomorrow, I'll be sharing an incredible way to take this banana bread from bake sale to upscale- so stay tuned!

From Gourmeted, originally from Maria H's Sphere

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas 

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup heavy cream

optional: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350F. Use a non-stick or greased 9×5×3-inch loaf pan.

2.  Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add both sugar and beat well. Add eggs, egg whites and vanilla and beat until well-blended. Add mashed banana, beat for 30 seconds on high speed.

3.  Add all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add this mixture to the banana mixture, alternatively with cream. Add walnuts, mix well.

4.  Pour batter evenly unto the prepared loaf pan. Baked until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, approximately 1 hour to 1 hour & 15 minutes.

5.  Cool completely and serve. To store, cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Bread becomes more moist after resting overnight.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Today was Polar Express Day at work- one of my favorite days of the school year.  After a morning full of reading, writing, and 'rithmetic, my students and I spent the afternoon watching Polar Express while sipping hot cocoa in our jammies.

It was also the afternoon of my teaching team's annual Christmas gift exchange.  I was planning to make homemade hot chocolate mixes for them, but I saw these little guys on Dainty Chef over the weekend and just couldn't resist the adorable presentation.  If you are in need of any last-minute homemade gift ideas, look no further.  They were quick to whip up and taste delicious.  (I kept one for myself, of course!)

Be sure to visit the Make and Takes link to find printable directions for your lucky hot chocolate recipients.

From Make and Takes, originally from King Arthur Flour, via Dainty Chef
Yields 36 squares

* For gluten-free recipients, use Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and Kraft marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup heavy cream
One 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups semisweet chocolate
One 4-oz bar unsweetened chocolate (broken or chopped into smaller pieces)

For assembly:
Marshmallows
Wooden or cookie/lollipop sticks
Cellophane bags
Pretty ribbon

DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside. Heat the cream and sweetened condensed milk over medium-low heat until it starts steaming, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, put the chocolate mixture back on medium-low heat and stir with a whisk until chocolate is completely melted and shiny. Pour chocolate into prepared pan and spread chocolate as level as you possibly can. Let sit overnight (12 hours or so).

2.  Remove chocolate from pan and cut, top side face down, into squares. Divide the block into sixths each direction, so your squares will be a bit larger than 1″ x 1″. Use a long, thin knife. Heat the knife under hot water, wipe dry with a towel or paper towel, make a few cuts, then repeat the knife-heating procedure.

When ready to use, stir into 3/4 cup of piping hot milk until melted and well-combined.

Baked Oatmeal- Healthy and Delicious!

Awhile back, I told you guys that I was really not a breakfast food person.  I'd like to go ahead and take that back now.

A couple of years ago, my parents built a vacation cabin out in the country.  Its kitchen has over four times as many cabinets and drawers as mine.  Nope, I'm not bitter at all!  Aside from being a wonderful place to slow down and relax for a few days, the cabin is synonymous with a good old fashioned spoiling.  While we're there, I wake up most mornings to the smell of a delicious breakfast on the stove or in the oven.  On our last trip, my mom cooked up this tasty baked oatmeal and I recreated it at home this morning.  I love everything about this dish from the bursting-with-flavor blueberries to the crunchy pecans.  I'm looking forward to having leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. 

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, via Annie's Eats



* For gluten-free diners, use 100% pure maple syrup and vanilla extract along with gluten-free oats, such as those from Bob's Red Mill.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2 ripe bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir with a fork to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  

3.  Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with half of the berries.  Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top.  

4.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Three-Ingredient Grape Sherbet

Okay, so I'm about as attention-deficit (deficient?) as they come.  When I was a kid, I'd go to my room to make up my bed, but then I'd notice my closet door was open.  So I'd walk over to close it and spot that Bop-it I hadn't played in a couple of months.  By the time I got through playing a few rounds of that, I'd set it down only to glimpse the sleeve of my missing favorite t-shirt hiding behind a pile of yearbooks.  So I'd try it on and prance my preteen self in front of the mirror before sprawling out on the floor to flip through the yearbooks.  But then I'd stumble across a picture of dear friend Betty-Sue ("Wonder how she's doing these days?") and go BACK to the closet for stationery and my gel pen set.

By the end of my bed-making expedition, I'd walk out of my room wearing different clothes with a sealed envelope in hand, the contents of my closet scattered hither and yonder, and my bed as unmade as the day it was purchased.

True story.  My mother can attest to this.  (Mom?  You out there?)

So that should explain, at least in part, how I went to Kohls.com to buy a bathrobe last weekend and wound up on a Google results page for "Why in the world have I never seen grape ice cream?"  (As it turns out, the majority of the grape flavor is contained within the skin, which does not good ice cream make.  Thanks, Google.)

Anyway, I came across this recipe for grape sherbet and had to try it right away.  This stuff was a dream come true, let me tell you.  I used a tart not-from-concentrate grape juice that shined in the final product.  It had light and fluffy texture, which surprised me given the short ingredient list.  This is a must-try if you're a sucker for grapes like me.  :-)


Adapted from Taste of Home 

 * For gluten-free diners, use 100% grape juice or Welch's juice.

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups grape juice (preferably the fancy-pants no-sugar-added kind)
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS
1.  Combine all ingredients.  Pour into the cylinder of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer directions.  For soft-set sherbet, serve immediately.  For firmer sherbet, transfer to a container and freeze for at least four hours.

Cake Batter Truffles

Oh my whoa, these things are so moist and sinfully delicious.  I snuck a taste of the batter before parsing it out and had to restrain myself from stuffing my face like it was going out of style.

*Ahem*

Quality control, you know.

They went over very well at my Bunco night, although next time I think I'll cut back the sugar by at least a quarter cup to counteract the sweetness of the coating.

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup yellow cake mix

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

3-4 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoons sprinkles

Truffle Coating:

16 ounces (8 squares) almond bark (or white candy melts)

4 Tablespoons yellow cake mix

sprinkles

DIRECTIONS


Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.


While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake of excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffle back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until finished.

Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes around 24-30 truffles.

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

First of all, I apologize again for neglecting my dear blog.  I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, as I just turned in a paper/project that are worth 40% of my grade in one of my masters classes.  (EEK!)  Suffice it to say that take-out and frozen pizza have graced our table a lot more frequently than home-cooked goodness in the past few weeks.

Now, onto this delicious butternut squash pasta... 

I wouldn't exactly call Mr. Ommy Noms a "meat and potatoes" guy, but it's safe to say that vegetarian dishes usually aren't his bag.  So when I set a plate of butternut squash pasta in front of him, I expected a lukewarm reception at best.  Oh, but I was surprised!  My husband RAVED about this dish, going back for seconds and insisting we reserve some for leftovers.  It paired beautifully with a fresh green salad.  Despite its fancy taste, this was a very low-effort dish.  Shredding the cheese and squash ahead of time would make this a great after-work meal.

Serves 4-6
Adapted from A Little Bit of Everything

INGREDIENTS
9 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
10 oz blend of hard cheeses (I took the easy way out and used a bag of shredded Italian)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cream (I used light cream)

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Boil the pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside to cool.
2.  Shred the squash flesh using a cheese grater.
3.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, shredded squash, half the cheese, garlic, and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Transfer pasta mixture to a buttered baking dish.  Pour cream over pasta.  Top with remaining cheese.
5.  Bake until cream is absorbed and squash is cooked, about 30 minutes.

Overnight Praline French Toast

Hey guys!  I guest-posted about this Overnight Praline French Toast on Dainty Chef yesterday.  Check it out!

Hot Ham and Brie(z!)

First of all, I apologize for my extended absence.  I have been so busy lately that I haven't known what to do with myself.  I guess time flies when you're not having fun. 

For the past few years, my husband and I have vacationed in Hot Springs, Arkansas over spring break.  We are always sure to take a ride out to Cafe 1217 for a delicious light lunch.  The neat thing about this restaurant is that the menu changes on a monthly basis, so there's always something new and exciting to try.  Last year, my husband's pick was a hot ham and brie sandwich.  He let me try a bite and I was hooked.  I recreated the sandwich at home for a quick supper and it was just as delicious as I remembered.

Inspired by Cafe 1217

INGREDIENTS
Sandwich buns
Brie cheese
Sliced deli ham
Jam of your choice (I used strawberry)

DIRECTIONS
1.  Layer ham and brie slices on bottom half of the bun.  Place in toaster oven at 350 and cook until ham is heated and cheese is beginning to melt.  Put the top halves of the bun in the toaster oven until lightly toasted.

2.  Remove.  Slather the top half of the bun with jam of your choice.  Enjoy!

Brigadeiro

I happened upon these tiny Brazilian treats sometime last week and filed the recipe away in my "to make in the future" folder.  Well, "the future" happened to be yesterday.  (Read:  Making dessert is a lot more fun than writing papers.)

I've gotta tell you, these little dudes are delicious.  They're basically bite-sized chocolate caramels, with bonus points for being coated in sprinkles.  (YES, I'm 26 and still go goofy over anything with sprinkles!)  You'll know the condensed milk mixture is ready to come off the heat when it thickens up.  You'll be able to see the bottom of the pan briefly as you stir and scrape the bottom.  It took mine right at ten minutes to reach that point. 

Oh, and save yourself the headache and grease your hands when it's time to roll these into balls.  You won't regret it.  I tried to be lazy at first and ended up with gooey choco-Frankenhands.

* For gluten-free diners, use Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and gluten-free sprinkles.  According to the GF Foodlist, Guittard semi-sweet chocolate sprinkles, Betty Crocker candy sprinkles, and Betty Crocker Decor Selects sprinkles are all gluten-free.

Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes approximately 20 brigadeiros

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp white sugar
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
1.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to return to room temperature. (You may also refrigerate the mixture for ease of handling.)

2.  Grease your hands with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Form mixture into small balls and rolled in sprinkles to coat.  Truffles may be eaten at once or chilled until serving.

Black Bean Salad

This black bean salad, aka "Texas Caviar" is great on tortilla chips or on its own as a quick and easy side dish.  Be sure to rinse the beans well if you want to keep it looking pretty.

 From Allrecipes

* For gluten-free diners, double check your cans of black beans and corn for gluten sources.   Trader Joe's and Amy's black beans are gluten-free for sure, as are Del Monte cans of whole-kernel corn.  For the dressing, you can opt to make your own vinaigrette or purchase a bottle of gluten-free dressing.  Annie's Naturals, Ken's Steakhouse, Newman's Own, and Wishbone all make gluten-free Italian dressings.

INGREDIENTS

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

8 green onions, chopped

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (more or less to suit your tastes)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic powder. Toss, and chill until serving.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
These cookies are amazing. They're better than having a day off of work. They're better than finding $20 in a pocket of old jeans. They're better than going on a Hobby Lobby shopping spree with a gift card and a coupon. They're better than fresh-squeezed lemonade on a hot summer's day.  They're better than a shiny new car.

Okay, so maybe I wouldn't go THAT far, but these cookies are freakin' GOOD.  They have a light, buttery flavor with a hint of vanilla.  And the perfect proportion of chocolate chips. 

As seen on Baking Sheet; originally from The Frog Commissary Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, room temperature (ehhh, I nuked it for about 15 seconds on power level 3)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (I used dark)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (I used a little less)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand. Refrigerate dough for 20-30 minutes.

5. Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.

6. Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.

7. Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen.