Bushel O’ Fun

October 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

How is it October already and where did our summer go?!  I can’t believe we have to start thinking about raking leaves, making Halloween costumes, and busting out the sweaters already (okay, I don’t really mind that last one…).  But on the bright side, fall also means it’s apple season!!!  This Friday, Brian and I snuck out of work a little early and headed to Charlottesville to visit the Carter Mountain Orchard again.  Last year we made the trip with the entire Hawkins clan, but this time is was a quick trip, playing a game of chicken with some storms.

 

After the fun we headed out with a couple pumpkins, cider donuts, and three bushels of apples.  We spent the rest of the weekend canning apples and luckily Brian’s parents let us use their kitchen, ours is too small for this sort of operation.  By Sunday night we were in an apple coma, I’ll probably be seeing apples in my sleep for the next week.  And I’m pretty sure we can apple sauce the slowest way possible, peeling each apple by hand and then using an apple corer to cut them into slices.

We like chunky apple sauce so after boiling the apples until their nice and soft, I use a masher to break them up a little, adding some cinnamon.

We also like to skim a little juice from the boiling apples for some homemade apple juice.  It’s sooo good!

Two full days of canning and we are stocked for the year!  What’s your favorite thing to can?

Filed Under: Food, Life

Knead It, Roll It, Cut It, Cook It

August 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

After taking my first cooking class this week, I need to add another gadget to my cooking wish list -

That’s right, after one little 3 hour class, I’m a certified pasta making expert.  Ok, maybe not, but I did learn that it’s incredibly easy to make pasta and if you have a little extra time, homemade pasta tastes so much better than store bought.

I took the class at Sur la Table and suckered by friend Robyn into taking it with me.  At the class, we learned how to make the pasta dough and how to use the pasta machine to knead and cut pasta -

 And then we cooked the pasta using three different recipes -

 

And we used a Silpat Mat, another item on my wish list!

 

Ta Da!  The final products!

Mmmmmm.

Filed Under: Food

Obsessed With: Cooking Utensils

August 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I love to cook.  Unfortunately, I’m not too good at it.  While I make a yummy salsa, delicious banana bread, and gooey brownies, that’s about where my repertoire ends (unless you count a good bowl of cereal).  I’ve been experimenting more lately, even trying my own homemade bbq sauce and pasta sauce.  One good, one not so much.  And the more I get into cooking, the more I’ve become obsessed with cooking gadgets.  Maybe I’m trying to trick myself into thinking that if I buy cool toys it will make me a better cook.  More likely I’m a compulsive shopper, but who’s to say…

Here are the tools currently on my wish list -

Immersion Blender

Toaster Oven

Chef’s Knife

Silpat Mat

Apple Peeler/Corer

Waffle Tongs

Just kidding, I just couldn’t help myself.  Aren’t these the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen?

Cook Books

   

And wish me good luck, I’m taking my first cooking class on Monday!

Filed Under: Food, Products

Feelin’ Saucy

June 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

To treat Brian on Father’s Day, I got him the one present I new he’d love – meat!  Since welcoming me into his life, Brian has made some major alterations to his diet to accommodate the fact that I don’t eat meat, so a big fat juicy steak is like Christmas for him.  To go along with his steak, I made some homemade BBQ sauce.  I found this recipe for a Guinness BBQ sauce and whipped it up while Brian was out of house (side note: it was super easy, makes me wonder what other sauces we could make).  Add a jelly jar, some twine, and a little note later, Brian’s Father’s Day present was complete!

Filed Under: Food, Holiday

Tailgate Brownies

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hope you’re having a good willpower day because it’s tailgate brownie time!  My mom has been making these ever since I can remember and it’s now my go to we’re-going-to-a-party-and-I-need-to-bring-a-dessert dessert.  The key to this recipe is to only make them when you have someone to take them.  Do not, I repeat, do not make these just to have around the house.  Eight millions calories and a stomach full of guilt later, you’ll have an empty pan if you don’t share.  So here it is, the tailgate brownie recipe:

1 box German Chocolate Cake mix
1 bag chocolate chips
1 5oz. can evaporated milk
1 bag caramel candies (approximately 50)
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
 

Mix the German Chocolate Cake mix with the melted stick of butter and half of the evaporated milk.  Add the chopped pecans if desired (I make mine without them).  Press half of the mix in a greased 9×13 pan.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  While that is baking, melt the caramels by putting the candy and the other half of the evaporated milk in a double boiler.  Or, if you’re like me and don’t have a double boiler, you can MacGyver the situation and rest one smaller pot on a larger one and boil water in the bottom pot.

After the caramels are melted and the mixture is done baking, pour the caramel on top of the baked mixture.  I usually let the mixture settle for a few minutes outside of the oven before I pour the caramel on top.  After you have poured the caramel, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

Finally, crumble the remaining mixture on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes and they’re done!

And then this happens…

 So why are they called Tailgate Brownies?  Honestly, I have no idea. When something is this good, you don’t ask questions!

Filed Under: Food

Superbowl Moon Pies

February 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ah the Superbowl…what  better reason to eat gross amounts of unhealthy food!  My contribution this year was football moon pies.  I was slightly appalled after reading the ingredient list, but tried to ration that I would only be eating one myself (or two…or three…) so it was ok.  Seriously, I have no idea how our bodies can digest what was in the cream filling.  But the final product was cute and yummy, so no harm done!  And by the way, the laces were out (a little Ace Ventura humor for you).

 

Filed Under: Food