TWD- Vanilla (Egg) Ice Cream

I love homemade ice cream. I personally haven't perfected the process, but whenever I have someone else's, it's heavenly. The last TWD ice cream was pretty good- nice and creamy and rich. So I had high hopes for this one, especially since the P&Q had nothing but good things to say. This recipe, chosen by Lynnylu, is basic- hot milk and cream is added to egg yolks and sugar and cooked until it reaches the specified temperature. Somewhere I went wrong because mine just tasted like eggs. I used high quality vanilla extract, but it didn't mask the eggy flavor.Sad. I was so looking forward to some creamy vanilla ice cream. Not even root beer could save this! Although, I may try....

I'm Back!

My family went to Solvang, CA for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. If you've never been there, you should take a trip. It's the Danish capital of the United States (what that means, I'm not sure) and is filled with wonderful bakeries, restaurants, museums and shops. The highlight of our week was the Farmer's Market which was not big, but AMAZING. The best berries, peaches and nectarines I've ever tasted. My taste buds have been spoiled and no fruit will ever be the same.
Blue hydrangeas are my favorite flower. Aren't these beautiful?!!
Then there was this. People kept telling us we had to try them and we saw someone walking around with it on the street. It's called an Aebleskiver and is kind of like a round pancake/doughnut thing covered in raspberry jam and powdered sugar. It was pretty wonderful, but I was jealous of the people I saw who got it with ice cream!
And we made it back without me going into labor! TWD Vanilla Ice Cream coming soon!

TWD- Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies

I always joke around with my husband because he always says he doesn't like brownies. He makes a face when I say that's what is being served or what I'll be making. But whenever they're around, he eats them. He claims they're too chocolatey and sweet. I'm afraid this recipe is probably what he's talking about.
I made mine in a round 9" pan because I lent my 8"x8" pan out. I left out the nuts since we no likey and the coffee since we no drinky. I definitely achieved the gooey center and paper crust!
Dorie says in the book that Katherine Hepburn was famous for her brownies. This adaptation, with cinnamon added, is Dorie's tribute to the actress's brownie. These are moist and very, VERY chocolatey. I couldn't really taste the cinnamon- the warmth would've been a nice tone down to the overpowering chocolate. And believe me, if I think they were too chocolatey, they were TOO chocolatey. Head to Lisa's blog for the recipe. And congrats to Lisa for winning the TWD logo contest!

TWD- Perfect Party Cake

This week's recipe was chosen by mix, mix...stir, stir for Perfect Party Cake- a four layer lemon flavored cake filled with raspberry jam and lemon swiss meringue buttercream, topped with coconut. I changed mine up a little, omitting the lemon extract because I'm not a fan of strong lemon flavored desserts, skipping the raspberry jam and using fresh blueberries and raspberries, and skipping the coconut.This cake is really wonderful. The amount of lemon was just right for my tastes, and my husband proclaimed this to be his new favorite. Several people in the P&Q didn't have enough frosting, but mine turned out to be just right. The buttercream is one of the best I've had- so light and creamy. Even this girl couldn't get enough.
Head to Carol's blog for the recipe!

Soy Glazed Chicken Skewers

If you're female, you've probably been through (or are going through) a phase where you eat a lot of chicken. Come on, admit it- you know chicken breasts are low in fat and calories and provide a lot of protein- the perfect "diet" food, right? Honestly, when I was single, I used to just bake chicken breasts and eat them for dinner. Every. Single. Night.
It's versatile so you can put anything on it and pair it with anything and pretty much have a good meal. But you also know that chicken breasts are not super flavorful or moist. I started cooking with boneless chicken thighs as a way to get my husband to be more agreeable to eating chicken (why is chicken not a "guy" food??). The thighs are brown meat, so not low in fat, but SO much more moist and flavorful. This recipe for grilled chicken skewers is quick and tasty. I only used red bell peppers, but you could put any skewer-friendly vegetable on there (zucchini, squash, onions) and it would be fabulous. My kids and husband loved it, saying it had "restaurant flavor," a compliment from my husband to be sure since there's nothing he loves more than eating out!
Soy-Glazed Chicken Skewers
serves 4
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 T toasted sesame seed oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut in 1/4 inch strips
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch chunks
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
2 cups hot rice

Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.
Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and let sit 15 minutes. Remove chicken, reserving marinade. Pour marinade in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, thread chicken and bell peppers on 8 wooden skewers. Cook on a grill sprayed with cooking spray for 4 minutes on each side, or until done, brushing with reserved marinade. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately over hot rice.

Sweet & Sour Tofu

I'm always looking for meatless recipes. Now that summer is here, we eat grilled meat several times a week because that means my husband cooks! Tofu is usually my go-to meat substitute because my kids won't eat very many vegetables. This Cooking Light recipe is quick and easy, and has a pretty authentic sweet & sour flavor. The recipe only serves two, so keep that in mind if you're cooking for a family. Served over hot white or brown rice, this is a great way to change up your routine!Sweet & Sour Tofu
adapted from from Cooking Light
1 pkg (12.3 oz) extrafirm tofu
1 t canola oil
1/4 t salt, divided
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 t fresh ginger, minced
3/4 c unsweetened pineapple juice, divided
1 t corn starch
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 t sugar
1/4 t chili garlic sauce
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 c hot rice
Cut tofu into 6 pieces. Arrange tofu on a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with more paper towels; place a cutting board on top and let sit 15 minutes. Remove cutting board and paper towels. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add tofu and sprinkle with1/8 t salt. Cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer tofu to a plate. Add ginger and bell pepper to pan and saute 2 minutes until tender.
Combine 2 teaspoons pineapple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside. Add remaining juice to pan; stir in remaining salt, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar and chili garlic sauce. Add cornstarch mixture; stir well. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Return tofu to pan, stirring gently to coat. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over hot rice.

Happy Father's Day to the fathers in my life!
My dad:

and my husband:

TWD- Honey-Cherry Ice Cream

When we got married, one of the first things on our registery was a Cusinart ice cream maker- the one with the dual cannisters so you can make 2 quarts at once. It's been one of my favorite (and my husband's) gift. There's nothing like good homemade ice cream to celebrate summer.
This week's recipe for Honey-Peach Ice Cream was chosen by Brown Interior. I'll admit that while I was excited to make ice cream, I wasn't excited about the honey part. Just about the only thing I like honey on is toast with peanut butter. But I decided that I should stick somewhat to the recipe. Since we didn't have peaches and I didn't plan far enough in advance to buy them in time for them to ripen, I used cherries.The cherries were boiled with honey until soft then pureed for the custard.The ice cream was pretty heavy on the honey flavor. I think if I ever made this again, I would cut way back on the honey. Or omit it completely because the custard mixture made the ice cream really creamy and rich.
Check out Tommi's blog for the recipe!