Day 197 - Cupcakes or a Loaf of Bread? You Decide!

Why does this happen EVERY SINGLE day?
Ok, well nearly almost every single day.
I have all day to bake and want to do as much as I can either prepping or completing the whole process in the morning so I can be relaxed in the evening and take the time to make dinner and relax with the family.
Wow.  That was one heck of a long run-on sentence.  Mrs. Nina Fleming would NOT be proud.  (Shhhh...high school English teacher)
BUT I am rarely ever able to do it!
I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to finish, decorate and take pictures of cupcakes, and prepare dinner.
But it wasn't like I even had to make dinner because I had put the pork shoulder in the crock pot to make pulled pork sandwiches early this morning.

I just do better under pressure.  Mr. 365 says I like being in "crisis mode", it exhilarates me.
Yeah, right.
It just stresses me out and makes me crazy!

This is adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod (soon to be Three Peas - Congratulate them!).  Thanks, Maria and Josh!

Nutella Zucchini Cupcakes or Bread - makes 12 cupcakes and 1 loaf of bread OR 20 - 24 cupcakes OR 2 smaller loaves of bread
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (I poured 1/2 cup milk into a measuring cup, then mixed 1 1/2 teaspoons into it and let it sit for 10- 15 minutes.)
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, butter, and oil.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing into the batter completely.
Mix in vanilla extract, buttermilk, Nutella, zucchini, and chocolate chips.
In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined.
Spoon batter into lined muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes on a wire rack, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

If making ALL cupcakes (20-24 count) line a second 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and follow baking instructions.
If making cupcakes AND a loaf of bread, generously spray a 9 1/2" X 5 1/2" X 3" loaf pan with cooking spray.
Pour in remaining batter and bake for 50 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in pan on a wire rack before turning out or this will happen...

Frosting
I used the Wilton Buttercream Icing recipe, made 1/ 2 the recipe because I discovered, SURPRISE!, I only had 2 cups of powdered sugar, not the 4 cups it called for.  This was also the reason I made 12 cupcakes AND a loaf of bread - not enough frosting.
I divided the frosting in half and left one half white.  The other I colored with some green food coloring.
Two Peas used a chocolate frosting and I think that would have tasted much better.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1- 4 with 4 being the best and these Nutella Zucchini Cupcakes / Bread earned 3 rolling pins.
These were so incredibly moist, it was unreal and we couldn't even taste the zucchini!

Much like those brownies I made with that secret ingredient.
I decided to add the Nutella because the recipe from Two Peas called for 1 whole cup of cocoa powder, but upon measuring, I found I only had 1/2 cup.
AND, since I only had enough powdered sugar to make 1/2 of the buttercream frosting, I decided to make the loaf of bread.
Hopefully, yesterday's zucchini rundown and today's recipe will offer you more choices for this wonderful green vegetable!
Happy baking!

Day 196 - What More Can Be Done With Zucchini, You Ask?

Z is for Zucchini

How many things can be made with zucchini?

For real?

I really couldn't tell you, there could be hundreds, thousands even!

But I've only made 7.

7??!!

Funny, I thought I'd only made like 3 or 4, but this is 365 Days of Baking and we are closing in on Day 200.

Whoa!!!  Day 200!!!!

Can you believe it???!!!

Yeah, so 7.  

I can't believe it, but what I was thinking before I went off on that Day 200 tangent was, with a few days less than 200, there's bound to be quite a few zucchini recipes, especially if we had a lot of it growing in out garden.

Let's see,...

on Day 12 there was the Impromptu Past Bake and on

Day 123, Stuffed Zucchini.

Day 125, I made the all important Zucchini Bread, and for

Day 156 baked those Zucchini Bites that I couldn't get "just right", but really wanted to.

On Day 157 we had one of the most popular zucchini recipes, Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Sticks. I received many e-mails and FaceBook comments about how yummilicious they were.  So check those out!

Day 182 I made Summer Squash Chicken and included pictures of my hometown of Wickford, RI.  Fortunately, hurricane Irene spared that small New England town even though many family and friends are without power, not knowing when it will return.

And finally, on Day 184 we had (say it with a thick Italian accent - rolls off the tongue better that way)  Chorizo Zucchini Fettucine.

Phew, that's alotta zucchini!

Well, I've got one more whopping green squash before we bid that vegetable adieu for the rest of the season. And a fond farewell we're giving it because that sucker is big enough for not one, but

TWO recipes!!!

Tonight just one, tomorrow we'll use the rest of this puppy.

Tonight we have dinner.
I made those Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Sticks, so I don't know why it never occurred to me to make what we had tonight for dinner.
And one of my specialties is Chicken Parmesan even though this version was gluten-free.  And I made Eggplant Parmesan which the family also loves.
SO...
wouldn't it only be fitting that I make a...

Zucchini Parmesan?
     serves 4


1 medium zucchini less than 1/4-inch thick
1 egg
3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
In dish with shallow sides, lightly beat egg.
In a separate dish with shallow sides, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Mix until well combined.
Begin by dipping one of the zucchini slices into the egg and then dredge it in the bread crumbs being sure to coat both sides with each.  Set aside on a plate.
Repeat process with remaining zucchini slices.

In a large skillet, pour olive oil after it has been heated on medium-high heat.
In batches, sautée the zucchini for about 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Pour a small amount of spaghetti sauce into an 8 X 8-inch baking dish, being sure to coat the entire bottom.
Transfer the browned zucchini to the baking dish.

When all slices have been sautéed, pour the remaining spaghetti sauce on top and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

At first, I wasn't that thrilled with the way this turned out.  Not that it was one of my "disaster dishes" but because I think some of the slices were too thick and consequently were a little tougher than others.

The last slice had me at the first bite!  It was pretty awesome.  The slice was thin, probably about an 1/8-inch thick, was tender on the inside, but had a nice texture on the outside with the bread crumbs.

It was yummy.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1=4 with 4 being the best.  This Zucchini Parmesan earned 3 rolling pins.  

Our son couldn't wrap his head around the concept of Zucchini Parmesan because he's stuck on my Chicken Parm., and kept calling it "Chicken Zucchini".  

Yeah.

You know when you have a lot of something you either have "a load of it" or "a bucket full"?

This is the same kid who, when he was telling a lot of jokes one day, said, "Don't worry, I've got a bucket full a load of them."

That's one that will never be forgotten!

So our young linguist thought they should earn 2 1/2 rolling pins.  He still likes the Chicken Parm.

Our daughter decided to give them 3 rolling pins as did Mr. 365.  They really liked it and said I could make it again.

I'll just wait until next summer.  I've almost had my fill of zucchini for the summer.

Tomorrow's another day.

So, the final rating is 3 rolling pins.

Thank you all for stopping by!
Happy baking!

Day 195 - Secret Recipe Club and Homemade Samoas

Last month was my first post of the Secret Recipe Club.  It is a club that was started by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin' and is based on Secret Santa where bloggers let Amanda know they want to join and then she (and now actually two of her little elves, Angela of Big Bear's Wife, and Tina of Mom's Crazy Cooking) pairs the bloggers up.  When you are assigned a blog you can choose from any recipe and either make it as is or adapt it and then make note of your changes.  The best part comes on Reveal Day when everyone posts their "assignment" and you are able to see who was given your blog and which recipe they picked.  It is SO much fun!  This way we're able to make new friends and try MANY new recipes!
The August assignment for me was... (DRUMROLL!!!)...

 Kitchen Belleicious!!

Jessica has a wonderful website with many, many recipes!
But that's not all.
There is a tab with a connection to her sister blog, Belleicious Kids, which was inspired she said by her finicky young son.  He's a cutie, too!
She has a Pantry List which is a list of everything she has in her pantry and is a great guide for a new bride or someone like me who still needs to have some of the staples stocked so I don't need to run out to the store.  Having everything at your fingertips when you decide to make a recipe is so much more convenient!
There is a Join My Recipe Challenge where she encourages her readers to join her in making one recipe a month either that the reader has been wanting to make or is one that Jessica has on her "Bucket List of Recipes".  What a great idea!
One of my favorite things on her site besides all those wonderful recipes is her Tips and Tricks list.  She has great ideas from storing sour cream and cottage cheese upside down (Why, you ask?  Go see!) to keeping the fresh berry containers for storing fresh herbs wrapped in damp paper towels.  Also, tips on freezing and storage, and substitutions.
And of course, when you have a food blog you have to have an index of all your recipes.  And oh, her recipes!  There are so many that look so delicious that it was quite difficult to choose just one!  You can bet that I'll be sharing more of hers with you as we move along here at 365.
In keeping with my blog theme, I of course chose a recipe that I could bake.  When I saw her recipe for Homemade Samoas Girl Scout Cookies, I knew that it was an absolute no-brainer that I make these because they are my absolute favorite Girl Scout cookie!!  I was SO excited!!  My college daughter loves them to, so you can be sure I'll be sending some in a care package I'm putting together for her.
I don't feel the need to make any ingredient changes since the recipe looks as close to the original cookie as you can get, I just opted to melt ingredients on the stove since I rarely use my microwave.
Be sure to stop by and check out Jessica's site and leave her a comment saying that you saw her recipe here, Also, congratulate her because she is expecting her second child!
Thank you, Jessica for this recipe and for all your wonderful tidbits on your blog!

Homemade Samoas - makes 40 cookies
  (topping adapted from Baking Bites)

Cookie
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
3 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
12 ounces good quality chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.
In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy.
Add the egg, mixing well to combine, and then add in the vanilla.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

On a lightly floured surface area, roll out the dough until it is about 1/2-inch thick.
Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a cookie sheet.

Cut out a small circle in the middle using an apple corer or something with a small circle.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lower oven temperature to 300ºF.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread coconut evenly on the sheet.
Toast for 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir it every 5 minutes until the coconut is golden in color.
Set aside.

Unwrap caramels and place in a large saucepan with milk and salt.
Cook on low heat until caramels are melted being sure to stir regularly.
When caramel is smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a rubber spatula.

Using a knife, gently spread topping over the cooled cookies.

While topping sets, melt chocolate chips in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Using a rubber spatula, spread chocolate onto the base of each cookie and place on a clean sheet of parchment paper.
Transfer the remaining chocolate to a piping or ziploc bag with the corner cut off, and drizzle over the tops of the cookies.
Allow chocolate to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

I also think that instead of melting the caramels in the saucepan, it would be easier to use the microwave.  I think it would also help to quickly warm up it up as it tends to cool and will harden, making it more difficult to spread.  And...might break a cookie or two.

Because it's been so warm here, the only way I could get the chocolate to set on the bottom of the cookie was to slide the sheet of parchment they were on onto a cookie sheet and put it into the oven for 10-15 minutes.

It worked and they became very  chewy. 

But they were quite yummy!!

They didn't taste exactly like the Girl Scout Samoas, but they were pretty darn close and I liked them better because they were homemade!

I rate every recipe that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best.  These Homemade Samoas from Jessica at Kitchen Belleicious earned 3 1/2 rolling pins!  The family really liked them and I'm sure my daughter will appreciate the surprise in the mail!

Thank you again, Jessica!

Please be sure to check out the other bloggers who have participated in this month's Secret Recipe Club and leave a comment for them!

Happy baking!

Day 194 - Raspberry Cream Cheese Scones

This recipe was adapted from my New DoubleDay Cookbook, p. 662; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Publishing Group, Inc., an imprint of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-385-19577-X.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Scones - made 24 2-inch scones

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup raspberries (about 14)
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl.
Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter and cream cheese until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add egg, milk and raspberries and mix with a fork until the dough forms a soft dough.

Roll on a floured board or pat into a circle about 1/2-inch thick, adding enough flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut into rounds with a 2-inch cutter; reroll and cut scraps.

Bake on a baking sheet covered with parchment about 2 inches apart for 12 minutes until lightly golden.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before serving warm.

Since I added the cream cheese and raspberries, I think I should have increased the flour by 1/4 cup.  I would suggest doing that since the dough was extremely sticky to work with and I ended up adding more flour as I was rolling it.
The second batch of scones that I cut had too much flour and didn't taste the same as the first.  So I threw those away.
Add the additional 1/4 cup of flour.  I think it will really help.  And then add enough flour to the board to just keep it from sticking.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best and these Raspberry Cream Cheese Scones unanimously earned 3 rolling pins.
Happy baking!

365 Days is Turning Into 300-and-I've-Lost-Count Days

My 365 days of baking has been turned into here a bake, there a bake, every other day a bake bake (sung to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm").  This has not been going as I had planned.
It seems lately my baking has been somewhat sporadic.
Today, I blame it again on the air conditioner.
It's fixed, but wasn't completed until later this afternoon with the temperature outside being a good 110 degrees AGAIN.
So I don't think I have to tell you that it took good three to four hours to cool the house down to a reasonable temperature.
The last thing I wanted to do while the inside thermometer was dropping was to slow it down by using ANY type of appliance.
So, it's been a lazy day here at the 365 homestead watching Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman debut her new show on The Food Network, NOT doing laundry, and NOT baking, although I did sweep.
And we were pleasantly surprised by Mr. 365 taking us out to dinner while the air conditioner worked its' magic after spending a small fortune to have it repaired. 
Yet the most rewarding part of my day came when I was able to spend a few hours connecting with family and friends on the east coast to make sure that so far everyone was alright.
I pray that I will be blessed with the same news tomorrow.
The forecast looks pretty dismal for the neighborhood and home where I grew up; the same neighborhood and home in which Mr. 365 and I began raising our children until moving to Arizona.
Whenever there was a threat of a hurricane we were ALWAYS evacuated.  Our home was across the street from the water of Narragansett Bay.
I'm concerned for everyone on the east coast and pray that everyone stays safe and that damage is minimal. I know that there have already been a few fatalities and prayers go out to their families.
Wherever you are tonight, be safe, hug those you love and pay it forward tomorrow.
There will be plenty of people needing some sort of assistance all around the world.
BIG baking hugs!!!
Tomorrow,...we bake.

Day 193 - A Day of Good News and Bad News

So this is how my day went, August 26, 2011.
We'll start with the bad news.
Oh dear.
I woke up to sunlight this morning.
You're probably thinking "So, usually everybody wakes up when it's sunny.", and yes, that is more than likely the case.
But not when it's cross country season for high schoolers here in Arizona.
Because it is SO stinkin' hot here in the afternoons the high school team has their practices at 5:15 in the mornings Monday through Friday, 7 am on Saturdays and then mid-October they'll switch them to after-school.
I've been getting up at 4:30 every morning during the week so that I can take care of school lunches and make a breakfast that my son can eat at school after he's done showering and before school starts.
Today however, the sun came up.
We overslept.
NOT a good feeling!!
I HATE that.
I opened my eyes in bed and FREAKED!
TWO alarms didn't go off.  TWO!!!
Ok, let me rephrase that...
The alarm on my phone did go off, but I had the phone on vibrate and didn't even hear it fall off my bedside table onto the floor from all of its' vibrating. The other alarm I slept through, music and all.
We were tired.
If you remember from yesterday, my son was feeling under the weather.  He'd taken a nap when he'd gotten home from school and before he went to bed last night told me he wasn't even sure if he'd be going today.
And this is a kid who rarely misses a day.
So upon awakening, mom freaks, wakes him up in a panic and he says to me groggily and hoarse, "I'm not goin'."
Ok, then.
It's probably just as well.  He needed to stay in bed until mid-afternoon anyway to kick this thing.
Since the cross country season's started this has been something I've been paranoid about, oversleeping and him missing practice.  Now it's time to get that alarm clock fixed in his room because I'm feeling neurotic that we'll oversleep the day of a meet.
THAT would NOT be good!
So this was the start to the day.
Question:  Have you ever overslept when you had something important to do?
Later in the morning I was sitting with my cookbooks and tablet deciding what I was going to be making over the next few days.  I was pretty excited with the recipes I'd found and knew I needed to go do a major shopping in addition to picking up the ingredients I was missing.  I gathered my coupon binder and off I went.
I returned home 4 1/2 hours later.
Yes, I spent 4 1/2 hours in ONE grocery store.
Told you it was going to be a major shop.
Actually, I didnt spend the whole time shopping, there were three women I saw (who or whom, I think it's whom - that's what I'm going with) WHOM I hadn't seen in a while, one woman in a few years.  Our daughters had been best friends for a couple of years around the beginning of high school, but have since grown apart.  Of course, she and I had some catching up to do and spent at least 45 minutes to an hour talking!!
Then I saw someone else, then another woman, and truth be told, I wasn't working as quickly as I should have to begin with because I was meticulously going through my trusty coupon binder.
This was also bad news.
4 1/2 hours at a grocery store when I should have been home baking wasn't what I had planned for today.
The good news - because it was a major shop and I was meticulous with my binder, I saved some money, just a tad more than a little bit of money. 
My total came to $408.35 and by using my store card, store coupons and manufacturer's coupons, my final cost was...
DRUMROLL!!!!!
$194.75!!!!!
Needless to say, I was VERY excited!  I saved 51%!
Then more bad news.
I arrive home thinking I'll put groceries away and then bake.
Nope.
NOT gonna happen.
The air conditioner had stopped working about a half hour before I came home.
Mr. 365 came through the door 45 minutes later and has been working on it all evening.
It's the fan.  He'll get it moving for a while and then it will stop.
Our neighbor, Mr. Jerzy Shre, was nice enough to come over, loan us some necessary oil and help us out.
Unfortunately, it's stopped again.
The good news - we had a brief downpour and the temperature dropped 20 degrees, so it's only 91 outside now.
The ultimate bad news - I didn't bake today, but I suppose you were expecting that outcome.
I am certainly NOT going to heat the house up at this point!
I'm thinking we'll be making a phone call to a mechanic in the morning - I have stuff to bake!!
Thank you for reading!
Stay cool and for those of you located on the east coast, I'm sending prayers that you will all be safe, have the necessary supplies and that damage is minimal.
I love you!
Happy Baking!

Day 192 - Baked Spaghetti Pie

Well, school has definitely started.
I know this because I had two, yes, two children come home this afternoon not feeling 100%.  I promptly gave them some Airborne (I LOVE that stuff) and they both quickly retreated into their bedrooms to take naps.
Reminds me of when they used to take naps when they were little.
I loved that quiet time in the afternoon.  It was a great chance to pick up the toys and books strewn all over the house just in time for them to do it again once they woke up.
Our house was always in a complete state of disarray.
It's funny to look at pictures of the kids when they were young because more often than not, their were things scattered across the floor.
I'm surprised Mr. 365 and I didn't break our necks.
The kids have a half day tomorrow, and then the weekend is upon us, so it will give them a much needed chance to get some rest.
Not even two weeks into the school year and they're already feeling run down.  I hope this isn't a sign of how the year is going to go.
It could be a long one.

Baked Spaghetti Pie - serves 5

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
4 pork sausage links (4 oz.) with casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb. spaghetti - cooked 2 minutes less than directed (will continue cooking in oven)
1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan by greasing it with cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sautée onion and garlic in olive oil til soft, about 5 minutes.
Add ground beef and pork links, breaking them up.  Cook until browned.
Add basil, oregano, salt, pepper and spaghetti sauce.
Mix well.
In a large bowl, beat egg.
Add cooked spaghetti and toss till completely covered.
Add meat sauce.

Mix well.
Pour into prepared spring form pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.

So, our daughter didn't want to eat this because she's removed dairy from her diet to see how that will affect her acne over the next few weeks, our son was still napping, Mr. 365 had eaten a Philly Chicken sandwich or whatever the heck it was when he was at the mall shopping for shoes and I had to go to "Meet the Teacher" night at the high school.  I barely managed to snap a few pictures before I rushed out the door.
I came home and it hadn't been touched.
Our daughter had pasta and sauce without any cheese, Mr. 365 had some also thinking that was dinner, and when I walked in the door, my son was cooking himself pasta on the stove.
WTH??
I make dinner and nobody eats it?
Hello?
I'm not doing this for my health here.
Ok, I may be doing it for a blog, but come on!  It's dinner!
I ate it.
No, not all of it because there was a lot of it, but you can bet Mr. 365 will be eating this puppy for lunch tomorrow, Saturday, and maybe even Sunday.
He likes leftovers.  Which is a good thing.
I liked it.  I liked the way the sauce had soaked into the spaghetti and that the spaghetti was crunchy in some spots.   It was flavorful and had the right amount of cheese.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Baked Spaghetti Pie earned 3 rolling pins.  I have noone else's input, so that's what I'm going with.
I enjoyed it.  It wasn't the best meal I had ever had, but it was adequate and I would make it again.
And next time I make it...they're going to EAT it!  ;-)
You know what, don't use a spring form pan.  Use a large skillet that is oven proof or maybe even a 9-inch cake pan would work. My only concern about the cake pan is that it wouldn't be large enough.
I say this because I just cleaned the spring form pan and there are little bits of spaghetti and meat that are refusing to come out of those crevices.  I'm saving you some trouble here.
Happy Baking!

Day 191 - Orange Spiced Pork Tenderloin

*Note:  I had a brain fart and completely forgot to tell you what to do with the marinade after you remove the meat.  That's all fixed now, but if there are any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!*


We're having some issues here at the 365 household - computer acting funny, central air conditioner not working, and once again, I've got some blurry pictures!
BLURRY PICTURES??!!
Yes, it's happened again, so this weekend I plan on really reading that camera manual that my daughter happened to find before she left for college and make my pictures BETTER!
Mr. 365 and I go out to an 8:10 movie and come back to the central a/c not working.

NOT GOOD when it's 10:56 at night and it's still 103ºF outside!!!

Mr. 365 is working on it as we speak.  Don't ask, I don't know what he's doing to "fix it" and it's probably best that I don't.  There are just some things a girl doesn't need to know.

I'd like to give a BIG baking hug to all my new readers and followers both here and on the 365 Facebook page.  If you haven't started following or "Like"d us yet, I encourage you to do so!  This way you'll be able to receive updates as I post and you won't miss a recipe or my good humored writing (haha).
Again, thank you for reading.  Your support means so much to me and I'm thrilled that you all are trying the recipes and that they are working for you!
WHO KNEW this would work??!!
I'm kidding.  I can cook, I'm just very flattered and humbled that y'all are wanting to recreate the things that I bake.
And I LOVE hearing your comments, so please keep them coming!!  (I can take constructive criticism, too, you know.)
I love you all!

DINNER!!

On tonight's menu, we are serving a pork tenderloin seared with a delicate blend of orange juice and brown sugar married with an aromatic bouquet of garlic, ginger, cloves, and coriander.
We hope you enjoy it.

Orange Spiced Pork - serves 4 people who do not have large appetites
 (you might want to increase the size of the tenderloin if you have a ravenous crowd and you can double the recipe)

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a Ziploc bag, add brown sugar, orange juice, garlic, ginger, cloves, coriander, parsley, salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Prick the tenderloin on all sides with a fork and place into the bag filled with the marinade.
Seal the bag, making sure to extract any air.
Marinade for 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag over once halfway through.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil and place a baking rack on it to hold the tenderloin.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a large skillet over high heat, sear the tenderloin so that it browns on all sides reserving marinade.

Transfer to rack on baking sheet and pour 1/3 of the marinade over the meat.
Cook (or rather BAKE - after all, this is a baking blog!) for 40 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 148ºF.
15 minutes into "baking time", pour another 1/3 of the marinade over the tenderloin.  Discard the rest.
Remove from oven and transfer meat to a cutting board.  Cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Well folks, the food critics here dining at the 365 household gave this Orange Spiced Pork Tenderloin rave reviews and voted unanimously to give it 3 1/2 rolling pins.
It was deliciously flavorful (can I even say that?) and had just the right amount of kick to it.
There was a nice hint of orange flavoring with the fresh juice that was added, but I'm sure refrigerated O.J. would work just as well.
This is a dinner I will definitely make again.
Oh, and the GREAT thing about this dish (besides that it was delicious) is that it was SSSSOOOOO easy!!!!
Happy baking, everyone!!
Thank you so much for reading!!

Day 190- Baklava

I really think in another life I was Greek.
I LOVE Greek food, especially baklava.
This was another one of those recipes like yesterday's cookies that my eldest daughter had been asking me to make all summer.
Wouldn't you know it, mom leaves this one to the VERY last minute as I baked it this morning and we (sniff) moved her into her college dorm this afternoon.
I'll be shipping her some in a care package this week.
I'm ok.
It's just another chapter in the book of life.
This year she's a sophomore, so I we went through the traumatic separation anxiety last year.
Although it was still more difficult than I expected it to be.  I turned to watch her walk into her dorm after we'd said our goodbyes and felt a lump in my throat and the sting of tears fill my eyes.
A mother's job is never done.

This brings me to another subject about separation from those we love.
If you remember a few weeks ago, I  and literally hundreds, if not thousands of other bloggers (and not just food bloggers!) made a peanut butter pie for Mikey.  Jennie from In Jennie's Kitchen, and her two daughters, ages 8 and 3, lost her husband and their father to a sudden massive heart attack.
Needless to say, it's been absolutely devastating emotionally and now as things come to light, financially also.
Once again, the food blogging community has made me proud and I am so happy to say that we are coming together once again to show our support for Jennie and her girls.
Shauna from Gluten-Free Girl has organized through Bloggers without Borders a way for donations to be made.  In the upcoming week(s) there will also be online bake sales where you will be able to bid on baked goods and items donated by many wonderful bloggers.
I will keep you posted as things develop.
If you are feeling compelled to make a donation or want to bid on upcoming items, I encourage you to do so.
One never knows when we may be the one in need, be it physically, emotionally or financially.
It's wonderful that we can count on others in a time of need even though it may be extremely difficult asking or even accepting the help.
People wouldn't do it if they didn't want to.
Which leads me to another story of some earthly angels, but I'll save that for tomorrow otherwise this post will be too long.
And for you,  this may not even be about Jennie and her girls - it could be someone else you know or don't know who might need a little sunshine.
A simple smile to a stranger may be the only bit of happiness they see that day.
Just please, do what you can to pay it forward.
Thanks!

Baklava - adapted from Simply recipes by Garret McCord of Vanilla Garlic
*Thaw the Phyllo dough by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.  It is sold in your grocer's freezer section.

Filling
2 cup nuts (I used 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup almonds, 1 cup walnuts), chopped fine  (This is best done in a food processor and you can vary the combination of nuts, if you'd like.)
1 lb. phyllo dough
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (I didn't use all of it, maybe 3/4 cup total)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 ground cloves

Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon rosewater
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)

Assembly
In a small saucepan, combine ingredients for syrup; water, sugar, honey, lemon juice, rose water, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick.
Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly.
Lower heat and allow syrup to simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Set aside and allow to cool completely, removing cinnamon stick

Prepare a 17 X 11-inch jelly roll pan by lining it with tin foil.  Grease it by brushing it with melted butter.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the nuts with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.
Gently roll out the phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel as will tend to dry out very quickly while working with it.
Place the first sheet of phyllo dough into the pan.  With a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until the bottom layer is 8 sheets thick, with each sheet being brushed with butter.

*The Phyllo dough may and most likely will break apart, especially if it is something you have never worked with before.  Try not to become too frustrated and start throwing things around your kitchen!  Just put the pieces back together as best you can and continue on.  The great thing about this is that in the final result, just like in a lasagna, the perfection of the construction will not matter and it will all taste just as good.  It's just important that you attempt to build it as best you can.

See, even I had trouble!

Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture.

Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat: nut mixture and then two sheets of phyllo, each brushed with butter, until there is no remaining nut mixture.

As with the bottom layer, the final top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being individually buttered. 

*My top layer was probably about 12-14 layers, but it didn't matter in the end.*

Using a sharp knife and starting at one of the corners, very gently make diagonal cuts across the baklava.  Repeat process going in other direction so that they criss-cross.  You do not need to cut all the way through at this point, just down to the first layer of nuts as best you can will be sufficient.

Don't worry if some phyllo pieces come off in the slicing process.  Just reassemble as best you can.
Fold the tin foil up along the sides and ends so that the baklava is encased.  This will allow for the syrup to soak into the sides easier after it is baked.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.

After removing it from the oven, slice as deeply into the baklava as you can using a sharp knife so that the syrup will soak to the bottom.
Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. 

I read that

 cooled syrup + hot baklava = awesome dessert 

whereas 

hot syrup + cooled baklava = not so much.

So make sure the syrup is cooled and baklava is hot!

It really was not difficult to make and I can understand it you are intimidated at the thought of making it.  As I said before, it doesn't have to be made perfectly because it will all come together just fine.
It was really only time consuming. 
And in the end, it was delicious.

Alright, not nearly as delicious as those cookies, but it was really good in a different kind of way, especially if you like baklava.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

It wasn't the best I've ever had and I think it was because I had added the rosewater.

NOT going to do that next time.

I was going to add two teaspoons as was called for in another recipe, but decided to go easy on it and I'm glad I did - I think 1/2 teaspoon would have done it, if that!  

So don't go out and buy rosewater if you don't have it just for this recipe because you don't even really need it. 

Now, if you have cardamom...you can use that although I'm not sure how much to add as I've never used it.  I would suggest searching the internet for baklava with cardamom.  Know that is one of the more expensive spices.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Baklava earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.

I think you'll enjoy it!

Happy baking!

No post today

I baked today, and then we moved our daughter into her college dorm.
The post is halfway done, but I am having to help our other daughter with her music theory homework (darned if I can remember that class I took 25 years ago!).  I guess what they say is true, " you can't teach an old dog new tricks (or even have them remember ones they DID know!)."
The son is also needing help with his Spanish.  HA!  I took French back in high school.
Wish me luck.
Will have to put the post up tomorrow.
My apologies, dear readers.

Day 189 - NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie With a Dose of Healthy Goodness

We're bringing our oldest back up to college tomorrow and ALL summer she's been begging me to make these, so I thought it would be a good thing for her to have a touch of home while she adjusts her first week.
And I know, I know, practically every food blogger has made these cookies.
But we had to at least try them.
And I had to find out for myself if the were the absolute best chocolate chip cookies as I'd heard they were.
In my book, nothing beats a good ol' Toll House chocolate chip cookie.
Those are my favorite!

So, here goes.
Oh, and I added something extra to take away the guilt of just eating a 20-inch cookie.
Ok, they weren't that big, but they were much larger than any cookie I've ever had!


The "Healthier" Chocolate Chip Cookie - adapted from Jacques Torres by way of the NY Times

1 1/2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal (*my secret healthy ingredient* - if you want to omit this, then add another 1/2 cup of cake flour to bring the total to 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds or 5 bars of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate with 60 percent cacao content 
Sea salt.

Sift flours, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.
(Note: There was some flax meal left in the sifter, but most of it went through.  The remainder that didn't, I just dumped into the bowl.)
Cut chocolate bars into 1/4-inch pieces.  Place into a small bowl and set aside.  

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add sugars and continue beating until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla.
Reducing mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Fold chocolate pieces in, making sure to bring dough up from the bottom of the bowl to incorporate.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 hours or more. It can be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using an ice cream scooper, mold the dough into the size of generous golf balls and place them onto baking sheet.
Note:  These will spread so do not place them close together!
Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.
Place cookie sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then transfer cookies to another rack to cool some more.
Repeat with remaining dough, or refrigerate to bake the remaining dough the next day.

Rumor has it that the cookies taste better the longer the dough is refrigerated.

These were absolutely... SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!!!!!

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! 

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these were, I'm actually going to say it, the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had!!!!

I can't believe it, but they were.

Everyone needs to make these at least ONCE in their lives!!

I'd added the flaxseed meal without my kids knowing and they had absolutely no idea that I'd put it in. 

I told them after they'd tasted it and they were quite surprised and even went back for more, much more!

The cookie was very chocolatey!

I'm glad I used the bars as opposed to the disks that the NY Times had suggested because there were bits of chocolate throughout the cookie.

And it made for messy chocolate hands!  

But isn't a chocolate chip cookie better when it's all over your hands anyway?
And DON"T forget to add that coarse sea salt before you put them into the oven!  It really makes the cookie!

The recipe said it would make 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.  Mine were about 4 inches and I made 7 of them in the first batch and I still have a lot of dough for more cookies tomorrow.  I'm thinking there is definitely going to be more than 18 cookies.  I'll be back with the final verdict.

All the pleasure of a delicious chocolate chip cookie without too much of the guilt! 

Put these cookies on your bucket list people!!

Make them and share them with the people you love!!

You'll make lots of friends if you bring them into work!!

Ok, maybe you don't want to make friends at work. 

At least give them to your boss to soften him up!

These will make you a very happy baker!

Happy baking! 

Day 188 - Cereal for Dinner

I want to give a HUGE shout out and THANK YOU to both Donna of The Slow Roasted Italian and Dana from Dana's Food For Thought  for doing those wonderful guest posts: Donna with her gorgeous chocolate sformato and Dana with that delicious Nutella Pull-Apart Bread.  I have to say that I'm jealous I didn't make them because I am dying to have a taste (ok, more than a taste)!  Those two ladies sure do know how to cook and I sure am glad I've met them (even if it is virtually) through this wonderful food blogging world of ours!  I hope to meet them in person one day!!
I wanted to make dinner with ingredients I had on hand so I wouldn't have to run to the store.
There's lots and lots of chicken in the fridge, but we've had that a lot these past few weeks and I'm planning on making chicken parmigiana tomorrow night, but without it being gluten free.
I certainly don't want the family to revolt because I'm overloading them on poultry.

Potato Beef Casserole - serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoon beef bouillon dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
3 potatoes, sliced thin
4 ounces pepperoni, chopped
1 cup shredded mild cheddar jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a large skillet, sautee onion in olive oil over medium heat for two minutes.
Add ground beef and cook til browned.
Add barbecue sauce, beef bouillon dissolved in water, salt, pepper, and pepperoni.

Pour skillet contents into large bowl and add potatoes, stirring to combine.
Add cheese and mix.
Place contents of bowl into an 8 X 8-inch baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour.

Ok, from the looks of this can you guess why I titled my post "Cereal for Dinner"?
Yeah.
Um...

DON'T MAKE THIS!!!!!!!

Unless you make some major changes to it.

The barbecue sauce was a bad idea - we didn't like the flavor.
Oh heck, we just didn't like the whole thing.
The potatoes were undercooked.  It probably should have been left in the oven for 1 1/2 hours to ensure the potatoes would be edible.  Actually, maybe I just removed it too early before the food fairy could have worked her magic.

This was just...gross.

Three of us sat down to dinner and tasted it before our son came to the table.  We tasted it, and decided to not say anything so we could see what his reaction would be.
We're so mean.
He took one bite of the potato and immediately spit it back onto his plate.
Then he took the smallest bite of the meat "concoction" that he could, stood up and took his plate to the sink.
Well, at least he took his "no, thank you" bite.

I had a bowl of Kix for dinner.

I rate everything that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.
I asked my daughter and husband what they thought the rating should be, "Two, One?".
Mr. 365 clearly said and I quote (because he wanted to make sure that I did), "there is no rating!"

It was...THAT bad.


So, search through the 3 1/2 and 4 rolling pin rated recipes to find a recipe that will really make you happy.
I don't even want to put any labels on this one.
Thanks for reading, even the bad posts - I love you!
Happy baking!

A Guest Post - Nutella Pull Apart Bread!

Hello all!  It’s Dana from Food for Thought, with a guest post! 

This post is actually late.  Lynne had asked me to fill in for her a few weeks ago, when she was travelling to Rhode Island for vacation.  She is so dedicated to her 365 days of posts (unlike me, who posts willy nilly whenever I feel like it), that she asked if I would mind contributing a guest post in her absence. 

Of course I didn’t mind!  But, due to some technical difficulties, the post never went up as planned. 

But now, here I am, ready for duty!  I’m so excited!

Lynne was so kind to give me free reign on whatever I wanted to post, but I decided to stick with her baking theme.  After all, I didn’t want to come in here and just start changing the rules on her.

I wanted to make sure I shared something great with all of you so that Lynne wouldn’t regret asking me.  But, to be honest, I haven’t made anything too exciting lately.  (For those of you that don’t know me yet, I am newly engaged, and have been so totally obsessed focused on wedding related stuff that I haven’t cooked anything “blog-worthy” recently.)

Luckily, at my Brinner Party a few weeks ago, I had taken pictures of the delicious Nutella Pull Apart Bread I served for dessert.  I had promised to post the pictures along with the recipe, but never actually got around to it.  (I told you I was wedding obsessed… what else could make me forget about creamy, chocolaty, delicious nutella stuffed into freshly baked bread?? Nothing, that’s what.)

Anyway, this treat definitely falls under the category of A-MAZING, and I’m sure it will make Lynne proud! 

So a big THANK YOU to Lynne for asking me to post, and for unknowingly giving me the nudge I needed to finally share this delicious Nutella Pull Apart Bread with all of you!

Ingredients

Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup granulated sugar 
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 ounces unsalted butter 
1/3 cup whole milk 
1/4 cup water 
2 large eggs, at room temperature 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling: 

1 jar nutella 
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

I originally found this recipe on Love with Food, but I have seen different versions of pull apart bread popping up all over the place.  In fact, Lynne even made her own mouthwatering looking Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread a few months ago!

Directions

1.  Prepare Dough: In a small saucepan, melt butter together with milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and water. Set aside. Let mixture cool till about 115 - 125 F. 

2.  In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix well. 

3.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs. 

4.  Using an electric or hand mixer, add milk mixture to the dry ingredients (from step 2). Mix well. Then add eggs. Keep mixing till the batter is well incorporated. Then add the remaining 3/4 cups of flour. Mix till you see a dough form. It will be sticky.   

5.  Grease a large bowl with butter. Place dough in it. Cover and place in a warm place to allow it to rest until the dough doubled in size (about 1 hour). 

6.  While the dough is resting, melt 2 oz of butter till browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.  

7.  Deflate risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 more minutes.

8.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough with a rolling pin. Roll out dough as thin as possible and to a size of about 12 inches tall and 21 inches long. 

9.  Using a pastry brush, spread melted butter across all of the dough. 

10.  Then spread as much nutella as you can on top of the dough. The more the merrier!  

11.  Slice the dough vertically, into 7 equal strips, about 3 inches wide per strip. 

12.  Stack the strips on top of each other.   

13.  Then slice the stacks into 6 equal slices. You will have 6 stacks of 7 squares. 

14.  Place each stack in the loaf pan. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow it to rest in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. The dough will expand during this time. 

15.  Place a rake in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350 F. Place loaf pan in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown. (It should be golden brown at the top to ensure the center is cooked and not soggy.) 

16.  Remove from oven. Let rest for about 20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert into a clean plate. Serve warm (especially good with ice cream!).

Using Lynne's rating scale, which ranges from one to four rolling pins, four being the best, I give this delicious gooey Nutella Bread 3 1/2 rolling pins!