Fancy French Toast

This recipe was originally printed in the Flat BellyDiet! Family Cookbook available from Amazon.com.  I’ve made some minor variations to suit my family’s tastes. It serve 4; each serving has approximately 400 calories.

 

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast (serves 4)
This is melt in your mouth delicious!

•  ½ cup dark chocolate chips
•  3 ounces low fat cream cheese
•  2 cups sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
•  1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
•  8 slices of bread
•  2-3 large eggs
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  1/2 cup 1 % low fat milk
•  1 Tablespoon transfat free margarine or butter

Combine berries & orange zest, set aside.Spread 4 slices of bread with cream cheese & sprinkle with chocolate chips. Top each with a second slice of bread to make a sandwich.

 

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 In another bowl combine eggs, vanilla & milk. Dip sandwich in egg mixture.

 

Cook until golden on both sides.

Serve topped with strawberries or additional chocolate chips and maple syrup.

Individual Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Recipe

These are Kevin's absolute favorite dessert. I've been making them for him since the late 1990s. I think I first found the recipe in a Best of Gourmet Cookbook - now long out of print. I've made them for so long that I do it mainly from memory. I thought I'd better write it down somewhere in case my memory fades in the coming years.


Individual Pear Gingerbread Recipe

For the topping

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For the cakes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 Tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced
• 1 cup molasses (preferably mild)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 firm pears, diced

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar together in a small saucepan. Pour into 6 individual ramekins. Decorate with bits of diced pear.

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together flour, baking soda, ground ginger and salt in a bowl.

Whisk molasses and boiling water in another small bowl.

Next, using a mixer beat remaining stick of softened butter, 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar and egg until creamy. Combine with flour mixture and molasses imxture. Stir in remaining diced pears and candied ginger.

Pour batter over butter/sugar mixture in ramekins. Bake 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Invert ramekin onto a plate to serve. Garnish with whipped cream and more crystallized ginger.

 

The Ballerina & Astronaut Party - The Menu & Recipes

This post pretty much embodies my imperfect style. Very few bloggers have the guts to post their mistakes. Not me! I mess up - probably more often than most of you. The pictures in this post are all things that didn't quite work out the first time...Stay tuned for Party Pictures if you want to see how the final versions turned out.

I really wanted to try my hand at a cake this year. I kept seeing beautiful pictures of fondant covered cakes. I really, really wanted one. (Note: I wanted this; not Danielle.) This was pure mommy-indulgence. If I had $75 for a cake I could have ordered one, but instead I explored the DIY route.

This was my inspiration cake - NOT the one I made!

Turns out fondant is extremely expensive at $10 a box, plus another $10 or so for tools - definitely not within my budget. It's also not a beginner's project. I gave up on my dream of pink cake perfection and decided to try a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting  (Danielle's favorite). I over beat the first batch of cream cheese frosting - it tasted good, but was too runny to use anywhere but in the middle. I wanted to start over but I was out of cream cheese. I only had enough powdered sugar for half a batch of butter cream frosting. Then Danielle wanted to color half of it pink and half of it blue... Despite everything, it tasted really good.

The practice Red Velvet cake - you can just see a hint of the blue frosting...

My Mom used to refer to my style as "assembling" rather than actual cooking. The hardest part of this menu is decorating the *&^% ballet slipper cookies. You can make most of it a day or two in advance. That way you can do what I do - spend the day of the party scrambling to pick up the house!

My big question is always what (and how much) to serve. I like to host parties at 2 or 3 PM. It's not lunchtime; it's not dinnertime. No one should arrive hungry, but if they do we'll have plenty of snacks as well as the cake. I'll be serving:

• Chex Mix (a space theme deserves a little retro food, don't you think?)
• fruits kabobs
• veggies & dip (everyone knows ballerinas are always on a diet!)
• pinwheel sandwiches (pb&j, cream cheese & ham, Italian...)
• ballet slipper cookies
• Mini Moon Pies
• marshmallow aliens & pink marshmallow fairy wands
• cinnamon sugar kettle corn
• cupcakes (Vanilla with Strawberry Frosting & Chocolate with Chocolate Frosting)

If you don't want to cook at all you can buy space themed treats at the grocery store: Starburst candies, Milky War bars and Moon Pies for example. I couldn't think of any ballet themed foods, so I stuck with pink, pink, and more pink (strawberry marshmallows, strawberry frosting, pink meringues...)

Quick Treat Preparations

Ballet Slipper Cookie

 

Thanks to Melissa at A Little Loveliness for this project! Mine didn't turn out as well as hers, but I still have time to practice. She used Nutter Butter cookies as the base, but I think any oval cookie would be fine. We're going to use Vienna Fingers.  I'm not sure anything that requires dipping in candy coating can ever truly be considered "easy"...

Marshmallow Aliens on a Stick (or "Martians")

 

These were my trial alien marshmallow pops

 

If you can't find colored marshmallows you can use food coloring to paint marshmallows. Pop the marshmallow on a stick or fork before you paint it to keep your fingers clean.

Use a new cotton swab. Dilute 6-8 drops of food coloring in a teaspoon or two of water or milk. Paint the top and sides of the marshmallows and then let dry. After about an hour you can flip them and paint the bottom if you want. No matter how tempting it is - don't dip them in the food coloring! They will never dry... Trust me on this one.

Use a dab of vanilla frosting to attach an eye to each marshmallow and you're done. I found candy eyes at both Michael's & Hobby Lobby in October.

 

My practice Fairy Wands standing in straws to harden

Pink Marshmallows on Sticks (or "Fairy Wands")

I'll also make some marshmallows for the girls...Stick a marshmallow on a stick, dip it in melted candy coating and then roll in sprinkles. Place in the freezer to harden. Voila! World's easiest party treat. This is why I do test runs in small batches before the party. I didn't like the brightly colored sprinkles with the pink candy coating so I used pastel sprinkles from Dollar Tree instead.

Tip: Place each lollipop stick in a straw to hold your pop upright while the candy coating hardens.

Recipes

Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix Modifications

The mix only requires three additional ingredients. Here are my changes for a "from scratch" taste:

          Instead of              --->              Use

• 1 1/4 Cups Water ---> 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar+ milk to make 1 cup+ 1/4 cup black coffee (for a total of 1 1/4 cups of liquid)
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil --->1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter, cooled to room temp
• 3 Large Eggs ---> no change - bring to room temp before adding to mix!

Also add

• 1 small box of dry instant chocolate pudding mix (don't prepare the pudding - just add the dry mix)

Mix and bake as directed on package.

Kettle Corn Recipe

• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• salt

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Heat oil in a 3 quart pan over medium low heat on stove top. When it is hot enough to pop one kernel, add the sugar mixture and the popcorn. Cover. Shake the pan - keep it moving or the sugar may burn! If you've never made popcorn on the stove before (and most people these days haven't) - it's done when the popping slows. Don't wait until you hear no pops or it will burn. Pour into a large bowl and toss with salt to taste.

 

Be careful! Don't eat it for the first few minutes --  you can burn your tongue on the hot sugar. How do I know this? Experience!

Lightly sweet, salty and just a hint of spice - ready as quickly as microwaved popcorn
and so, so much better tasting

About Frosting: I learned how to make frosting a few years ago from my 15 year old baby sitter. I figured if she could do it, so could I. Frosting is quick to make, stores well in the frig for about a week and can be frozen.

A few tips:

• Set out the butter and/or cream cheese to soften before you start mixing your cake.
• If you use salted butter, leave out the pinch of salt.
• Make the frosting after the cake comes out of the oven - while its cooling.

 

Naturally Pink Strawberry Frosting

• pinch salt
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed
• 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Beat butter & salt until light and fluffy. Add 3 Tbsp strawberry puree and vanilla. Sift confectioners sugar in gradually. Do not over beat or it will turn to liquid. Again, this comes from personal experience....

 

 

Kid's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

I think I'd host a party every month if I could afford it. As it is I try to host 3-4 parties a year that aren't birthday parties. I work to keep these casual parties informal, fun and most of all frugal.

Our Cinco de Mayo party was a great example of an inexpensive family friendly get together. We're lucky that May is a warm (sometimes hot!) month in Georgia so we could host our party outside. That meant a minimum of cooking and cleaning for me before the party.

It also allowed me to keep the decorations very minimal. We decorated the back deck with some chili pepper pennants and metallic swirls from Dollar Tree and bought a big sombrero!

The rest of the theme was carried by the menu. We served some wonderful margaritas for the adults - and punch in plastic margarita cups for the kids. Chips, salsa and cheese dips as well as cut veggies completed the snacks.

The main course was quesadillas (for the kids), chicken cottage cheese enchiladas and a black bean & corn salad. If you've never made them quesadillas are just Mexican grilled cheese sandwiches. Simply grill a flour tortilla in a little butter, melt cheese on it and cover with another flour tortilla. Flip to brown both sides and you're done! Of course, you can add other fillings like grilled onions, peppers, etc. but my kids are quesadilla purists.

The black bean & corn salad can be thrown together in just a few minutes. Rinse & drain a can of black beans, add a cup of frozen corn, a dash of cumin and a squeeze of fresh lime. Let stand for corn to fully defrost, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

We finished our meal with no egg Mexican brownies. Any brownie mix can be made "Mexican" by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cayenne.

Chicken Cottage Cheese Enchiladas

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and saute until browned, then add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes.

In a medium bowl mix sour cream with cottage cheese and season with salt and pepper; stir until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a bit of shredded cheese into each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NO EGG Mexican Brownies

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• pinch - up to 1/8 teaspoon- cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a heavy saucepan combine the 1/3 cup of flour and water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. When butter has melted, add the cocoa and mix until smooth; set aside to cool. Beat the sugar and vanilla into the cooled flour mixture. Stir in the cocoa mixture until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and spices, stir into the batter until just blended. Fold in chips if desired. Spread evenly in the prepared pan

Children's Mardi Gras Parade & Party

Years ago when we lived in New England and didn't have any kids I hosted a Mardi Gras party. It was very unusual in cold New England. I ordered beads and doubloons from New Orleans. I even had a King Cake Fed Exed to our house on the day of the party. We wore costumes, drank highly alcoholic hurricanes and danced.

Last year I brought back our Mardi Gras party, carefully converted for kids. No hurricanes, but we kept the beads and dancing. I made King Cakes since I was dealing with the ubiquitous egg allergy. Everyone had a great time despite a bit of rain.

We had the kids come in their leftover Halloween costumes, with bikes and scooters. We had supplies for anyone who wanted to add decorations - balloons, streamers, feathers, etc. Then the kids all paraded around our neighborhood. It worked really well for us because we could drive Amanda in the golf cart.

This year Mardi Gras is early (February 21, 2012) and I'm tempting fate by having our party in the park. For me that means no cleaning! And, unfortunately, no golf cart for Amanda so we'll be decorating her wheelchair. For my guests that may mean colder weather and nowhere to warm up. We'll see how it goes.

The party was more elaborate last year. We had a craft - decorate your own Mardi Gras mask or crown  - and a pinata. In addition to the King Cakes I made a vegetarian Jambalaya. We also gave everyone strands of beads from Dollar Tree (4 for $1).

This year I'm hoping that the playground equipment will provide enough entertainment so I won't need a craft. I'm also making it potluck so there is very little cooking involved. I've offered to provide "beads and beverages." Because I have streamers and other decorations left over from last year I estimate that I can keep the budget to about $30 - less than $1 per person!

Despite what "New Orleanians" may think, King Cake is really just a big cinnamon roll when you read the recipe. This one comes together very quickly. It is very moist, egg free and - best part for me- requires no yeast. For some reason yeast breads make me nervous.

NO EGG CINNAMON ROLL KING CAKE RECIPE

3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to total 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup sugar 
4 Tbs. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

For the filling:

1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

________________________________________
eat the oven to 400°F. Grease a cooking sheet.

Combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until the dough clumps together. The dough will be soft and moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle.

Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a narrow border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar & cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface.
 Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open. Bend into a ring

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 Tbs. more milk if necessary. Drizzle and sprinkle with yellow, green & purple colored sugars.