a proud mommy moment

Okay, these pictures aren't great, but I just grabbed the closest camera (my phone) because I had to document the cuteness.  

Liam woke me up this morning by jumping on my bed and asking me to open the jar of peanut butter that he then thrust into my face.  As I groggily woke up and loosened the lid Liam rambled on about how he had already grabbed a knife, but "do not worry because I got the kind that is not pointy so it won't hurt me."  I would have liked to go back to sleep but Liam reminded me that it was now daytime so I had to get up now.  Plus he opened the curtains.

I walked out to the kitchen where Liam was climbing up to his little plastic table that he uses to reach the counter.  He had already grabbed a loaf of bread and the aforementioned butter knife, and had sliced a piece of bread in half.  He quickly spread peanut butter on his bread and started to clean everything up so he could eat his sandwich.  You've never seen a kid more excited about a peanut butter sandwich than Liam.

All I did in the entire process was loosen a lid and offer to put the bread away for him.  

Wow.

When did my little baby grow up?  I have always let the kids know that as long as they follow a few simple rules (no sharp knives yet, clean up, no sitting on the counter) they can have fairly free rein in the kitchen, and I want them to be comfortable cooking, but wow. ... Time goes by fast.

And frankly, I'm just happy that he wanted a sandwich for breakfast and not a huge bowl of fishie crackers!  That's why crackers go on the top shelf.  :)

I'll be back soon with an actual recipe.  This was just cute and I just had to post.  :)

Mediterranean tapas

Sorry, I've been a bit absentee lately.  Thanksgiving, having company stay, getting sick, having two wild and crazy boys, etc.  It's been a bit mental this Fall!  This recipe has actually been in the works for a while, but as you'll see when you scroll down, its fairly long and actually involves multiple recipes.

Okay, I know most people wouldn't really put Mediterranean and tapas together, but I really don't know what else to call this, because its accurate.  And yummy.

This spread is great to just leave out on the counter and grab at will.  The veggies are easy, just use what you have.  I made some pitas pretty quickly (they taste better than store bought, but they aren't as pretty).  I like to put a little of everything on my plate, and I've learned to make a lot of hummus because Jeff will eat gallons of the stuff in one sitting.

This hummus recipe can be easily halved, and is very quick and easy to make.  You don't even need that many ingredients (other than seasonings).  I don't use tahini because I really dislike the flavor and consistency.

This is all you need to make a good basic hummus: garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, cumin, water (not pictured), and a food processor.

Pulse until smooth, adding more water if necessary.  If you like a little heat add some cayenne.  I know this sounds weird, but before adding the garbanzo beans into the food processor I microwave them in a bowl for 2 minutes.  This helps soften them and they puree better.  Once the hummus is ready, scrape it into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Now comes the finish.  This isn't very pretty is it?  Not so much.  Time to dress it up with a light drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of paprika.

So much better.

This hummus is easy, yummy, healthy, and will last over a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Onto the carrots!  These are very simple to make too.  Start by dicing the carrots and steaming them until they are soft (not mushy!)

Saute some garlic until it turns golden and soft.

And here are your seasonings: cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and coriander.

Toss the carrots in a pan with the garlic, salt, seasonings, lemon juice, and water.

Voila.  All done.  Healthy, delicious, easy to grab, colorful tapas.  Also, I can tell a meal is a winner when the kids take all of it before I can eat it!

Once again, store bought pitas are fine, but these were easy and so good.  Here's the excellent recipe from the view from great island on how to make perfect pitas every time.  I made 8 pitas with this recipe.  They were thick and doughy (in a good way), but thin enough to have pockets and be pliable.
I highly recommend this recipe, but make sure you give yourself about an hour and a half to complete it, there is a lot of resting dough time involved.

My stomach is officially growling now... :)

Mediterranean tapas:

ingredients:

• veggies (red bell peppers, spinach, etc.)
• pita triangles

hummus:

• two 15 oz cans garbanzo beans
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil (more for top)
• 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• water as needed
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• paprika for top

carrot dip:

• 3 large carrots, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• water as needed

directions:
1.  Cut up some veggies and pitas and spread them on a plate with some greens (spinach, lettuce, etc.)
2.  To make the hummus, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.  Microwave in a heat safe bowl for two minutes, until warm through.  Add into food processor with salt, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, cumin, garlic, and optional cayenne.  Pulse until smooth.  Add water 1/2 tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you want.  Occasionally scrape the sides down.  Once smooth, scrape hummus into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.  Serve.  Store in an airtight container for at least a week.
3.  To make the carrot dip dice the carrots and steam them until just soft.  Set aside.  Saute the diced garlic with the olive oil until lightly golden and fragrant on medium heat.  Add in the carrots and season with the salt, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne.  Mix together well.  Pour in the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have a bit of a sauce.  Serve warm.

peach shortcake

This is one of my favorite "make anytime" desserts.  What's that?  Well, everything in this recipe is a pantry, fridge, or freezer staple that I have 98% of the time.  I can make peach shortcake any time year round in about 30 minutes.  Sweet.

You can use any biscuit or cake you want for this.  I like using Bisquick drop biscuit recipe with  some sugar and cinnamon added.  This is my go-to biscuit for this recipe for ease, and lack of many ingredients.  Plus, prep through pulling out of the oven biscuit making takes only 15 minutes.

When the biscuits go in the oven start working on the peaches.  You can use fresh or frozen peaches depending on availability and season.  They both work well.  Add one pound of sliced peaches into a medium pot and cook over medium heat.

When the peaches have mostly thawed (if using frozen) stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.

The juice from the peaches mixed with the sugar and cinnamon make a great sauce.  Stir occasionally until the peaches are soft (not mushy), and the sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat until just warm.

Let the biscuits cool a bit once they come out of the oven.

If you start making the peaches once the biscuits go in the oven they should be ready around the same time.  Let them sit out until they cool.  This is why say this recipe takes 30 minutes instead of 15.  You have to take cooling time into account.

Cut the biscuit in half.  Scoop some peaches out over the bottom biscuit half and drizzle some of the sauce over top.  Cover with the top biscuit half and finish off with a dollop of whipped cream.  Fresh homemade is preferable, but cool whip works too.  :)

Peach shortcake:
serves 4

ingredients:

biscuit:

• one recipe of biscuit drop biscuits
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

peaches:

• 1 pound sliced peaches (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

whipped cream:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

directions:
1.  Make a batch of Bisquick drop biscuits according to their directions.  While mixing add in the sugar and cinnamon.  Bake and set aside to cool.
2.  When the biscuits go into the oven begin making the peaches.  Put a pound of fresh or frozen peaches into a medium sized pot on medium heat.  If frozen allow to heat and thaw mostly.  Add in the nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  Stir in well and continue to stir occasionally until the peaches are soft, but not mushy, and the sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside until just warm.
3.  When the biscuits and peaches are almost cool enough, start making the whipped cream.  Dump the whipping cream, sugar, and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl and beat on high with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy.
4.  Finally, time to put it all together.  Slice a biscuit in half and cover the bottom half with 1/4 of the peaches and some sauce.  Top with the remaining biscuit half and top with a dollop of whipped cream.  Serve immediately.  If there are leftovers store all three components separately in airtight containers (whipped cream and peaches in the fridge, and biscuits on the counter).

Note:  Leftover peaches in the sauce (or heck, a full batch of it) are DELICIOUS mixed into oatmeal the next morning.  So good!

gingerbread cake with fresh whipped cream

California weather being crazy like it is, still at 90 degrees in mid-October is making me go bonkers.  In my mind it is Fall and I want to make pumpkin, apple, spiced treats, and drink loads of tea.  Then I walk outside and sweat to death.  Not cool California!  Like many people, I love pumpkin, but when I was perusing Pinterest for inspiration the other day I scrolled for about a minute straight through nothing but pumpkin recipes.  It was completely overwhelming and made me crave ANYTHING but pumpkin. I hadn't yet made gingerbread cake this season (one of my favs!) so I thought this would be a good time.

This cake is so yummy.  It is moist, sweet, and spicy, with a hint of orange.  It pairs well with whipped cream, but doesn't NEED it.  In fact, if you don't add the whipped cream you can tell yourself it is just bread and have a piece for breakfast (like I did this morning. ...Shh!).

I love easy cakes that can be made in one bowl.  Tastes great and less dishes?  Score!  Start by creaming the butter and sugar.

 
Next add the egg and molasses.  Stir to combine.  If you have small lumps or air bubbles, it is okay.

Add the remaining ingredients, minus the water.  If you don't have a microplane for the orange zest I recommend you get one.  They are amazing and zest far better than any other style of grater.

All the ingredients are now incorporated.  If you still have little lumps that's fine.

Scoop the batter out with a spatula into a greased 9x9 pan and gently shake to make sure the cake is even.  Pop it into the oven for 50 minutes.

The cake should be done when the timer goes off.  Make sure your toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  If you love eating hot gingerbread wait at least 10 minutes to let it set.

While you are waiting for the gingerbread to cool down you can make the whipped cream.  Store bought is okay, but I prefer homemade.  Plus, this is so easy and only requires three ingredients!

Jeff is our go-to whipped cream guy.  I don't know how that happened, it's just always been that way.  He's also my go-to waffle guy.  Liam likes to "help"...

Pour in 2 cups of whipping cream with sugar and vanilla.  We don't make ours too sweet, so taste as you go to make it your own.  Whisk this in a small bowl with a hand mixer, or use a stand mixer.

This probably should have been made in a slightly larger bowl.  Watch out for splatter if you angle the whisk!

Jeff likes his whipped cream to be crazy thick so it tastes decadent, but looks really ugly.  You can stop whisking as soon as you get stiff peaks on your whisk.  When the gingerbread has cooled a bit put a huge glob of whipped cream on top and enjoy.

print recipe

gingerbread cake with fresh whipped cream

by Liesl October-13-2014

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup plain nonfat greek yourt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the butter and sugar. In the same bowl mix in the egg and molasses. Stir in the flour, baking soda, yogurt, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and zest. Mix well, then add the hot water. Scoop into a prepped 9x9 inch dish with a spatula and place onto the middle oven rack. Bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before eating to help it set. The cooled gingerbread can be stored in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for several days.
2. Begin making the whipped cream after the gingerbread comes out of the oven. Using a hand or stand mixer combine the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Whip until thick. Taste to see if you need more sugar or vanilla added. You can stop anytime after peaks form. Jeff prefers his whipped cream extra thick which is why ours looks a bit ugly. The thicker it is, the more awkward it looks. Any leftover whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins 
Cook time: 50 mins 
Total time: 1 hour 
Yield: a 9x9 pan