Pumpkin Bread

This is the Worlds Best Pumpkin Bread!

Moist!!!! Fluffy!!! Savory Sweet!!!

Great Cold or Warm!

You don't even need anything on it!

I Love This Bread!!

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit

In a large bowl mix:

3 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Oil

4 Eggs

3 Cups Flour

2/3 Cup Water

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking soda 

1 Tbs Baking Powder

2 Cups of Pumpkin

Bake 2 Loaves for 1 hour

or

5 dozen Muffins for 30 mins.

Enjoy!!!  

My Cookie Filled Day

I had a fun filled day of 8 dozen cookies!

I made Yummy Butterscotch Cookies today.

I'll have pictures to follow.

Tomorrow or Friday I am making Pumpkin bread and

Spice bread. I'm really excited to give these loaves as

Christmas gifts.

These are not your common breads!

This pumpkin bread will stop your friends and family

on the spot. They are very most, smooth, fluffy and

flavorful. Definately try these recipes I post. These

are some of my best recipes.

Really excited to share these with you!

=]

Enjoy!

Market Ideas

I am not sure how many people I have told about my plans, so here goes.

I am keeping this blog of my baking and cooking and 

everything I hope to build off of.

I want people to read it and get inspired,

get creative, and even just get a kick out of my poor grammar. 

:)

But this isn't all that I am working on.

I have decided that I want to do something with my baking.

SO

This summer I would like to sell some of my baked goods at 

the Skaneateles Farmers Market.

I live in just about 45 minutes away from there.

And a good friend of mine takes her yummy farm goods to 

market every year, on Thursdays and Saturdays.

I want to sell baked yummy-ness there and see

where it takes me. So I have lots to do to get ready for that.

I'm thinking tonight about how to may the table look nice.

I want to make a table cloth and find some simple plates

or platters. Maybe a cake stand or something of that kind.

I may find that I need help bringing it all together. 

But I am lucky because I do have people

that are talented and wonderful that may be up for that.

I think I would like to make it so people can pick out things

they like and be able to order them from me.

I want to offer options, 

like gluten free, different flours, different types of sugars. etc.

I don't know how it will go just yet.

But I'm working on it one step at a time.

I am so lucky

Yesterday I frosted cookies for hours.

By the time I was done frosting I did not feel like cleaning

up the dishes and everything else. 

So I saved it for today. No big deal right?

Well because I am so lucky, my boyfriend cleaned everything!

I asked him why he did all the dishes and he said
 "so you could bake more today if you wanted"!!!!!
 He is so wonderful! I love him!

So guess I'm baking more today =]

<3

Day Two of Anise Cookies!

Anise Cookies Frosting

3 sticks of butter at room temperature

1/4 cup milk

1 bag of confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp Anise flavoring

Mix well with hand held mixer

add food coloring till desired color is reached.

I had a mishap with the colors because I

had bought the wrong food coloring.

So instead of red blue and yellow, 

I have Pink, Purple, Green and Orange. =/

Ooops.

No big deal. I still like them.

Here are some pictures.

Candy Heart Cookies!

I really enjoyed these. 

<3

Day One of Anise Cookies

Anise Cookies

Made Yummy Anise Cookies.

Here is the recipe in step-by-step order.

Cookies

Step One: 

In a large bowl combine,

6 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup of shortening

3 Tbs Anise Flavoring

1 cup milk

Pinch of Salt

6 tsp of baking powder

6 cups flour

mix well, roll out

cut out shapes and place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes

I plan to ice them all tomorrow.

More Pictures to follow.

<3

Good Grocery List

I don't think there is anything more irritating than going to the store,

getting home, and realizing you forgot something important. 

Ever gone shopping and spent over a hundred dollars,

and with in 2 days you have no food left?

It happens when you are not prepared.

So here are some ideas of how to fix that.

I know you don't have time to sit down with everyone in the house

and come up with a grocery list for the week/ months etc.

So think of meals that everyone likes that you can have on hand 

in the cabinets or freezer for those sudden meals.

Perfect example:

Mac and cheese.

Freeze a brick of cheese and have noodles in the pantry.

You'll prolly have milk and butter already.

So when you get in from a long day and don't want to run out and shop,

you already have a meal.

ALSO, frozen veggies and meats.

Buy your veggies in season, they are cheaper that way. Then freeze them.

Buy your meat on sale and freeze it.

If you're going to be home late. Take some meat out in the morning to defrost.

make a quick stir fry and lay it over microwaveable rice. 

So Simple.

But for a good grocery list. 

Have an idea of some meals you would eat right away and some that can be 

in the fridge for a while and not go bad.

I'd make the fresh salad tonight and have the frozen pizza later in the week.

Also, think of meals that use the same ingredients. This way you buy one large container of 

sour cream and it gets used for two or three meals.

Or your fresh herbs are used in two meals so they don't just go bad in the crisper.

Make A List!!!!! Once you make a meal list you can divide

it into the sections of the store you are going to. 

EX: Meats, Dairy, Dry Goods, Frozen...etc.

Save yourself a lot of time and money. 

I hope this helped.

<3

My Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

Bake one potato per person, this will yield roughly 2 servings

per person, good for seconds and left overs. 

Cut each Potato in half and scoop out MOST of the potato center,

leaving about a 1/4 inch think layer on the skins.

This will make the potato stay together better in the second half of this process.

In a large bowl:

Place the scooped out potato centers

Mash with a fork.

Add:

Buttermilk

Butter

Sour Cream

Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Grated Chedder Cheese

Whip with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy

Add additional Butter and Buttermilk if needed

Fill Reserved potato skin halves with mixture

Sprinkle tops with Parmesan Cheese

Bake in Oven at 350 degrees

for Roughly 30 minutes 

Once cooked sprinkle with chopped chives.

<3 

Tales of the Lost Cook Book

I just obtained my mothers cookbook. Like I have said before

she was a fantastic cook. And I am really excited to have her cook book 

and to be able to make the food we remember so well. 

You know that moment when you are in a new environment

 and you smell something that takes you back to a good memory?

That is the power of cooking!

To come home to a house that smells like something from the past.

To taste your memories. 

I'd like to make some things this Christmas that my family

always made around the holidays.

Anise Cookies

Pies

Chicken Cordon Bleu 

Twice Baked Potatoes 

Cranberry Sauce

Mom's layer'd Chip dip

Tiramisu

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Baked Clams

Appetizer platters Mimi Style   

Yum!!! 

I'll follow up this post with at least one new recipe.

Enjoy <3

Perks of A Bread Machine

Thought I would share some simple pleasures in baking.

My mom gave me her bread machine. She had bought it years ago 

and stopped using it. The best part of a bread machine is

setting it the night before and waking up to warm homemade bread.

They are really nice, they come with a cookbook that gives you 

some options. You can also use those recipes to make your own.

My machine also makes jams and jellies. They are great gifts also. 

Warm Cinnamon Raisin Bread and tea in the morning is sooo nice!!

Another nice investment, a variety of rolling pins.

I have two nice ones. One is a stainless steal, very heavy one.

It is great for pastry dough to prevent from warming the butter 

and having to re-chill the dough. I also have a wooden pin. It is good

for pizza dough and things of that nature. 

There are many types that are really nice. French rolling pins have no handles

but the shape works well. 

Damn Good Baked French Toast

One of My Favorites

Baked French Toast

Try different breads for this. It'll change the outcome slightly.

I like to use my Cinnamon Raisin Bread cubed in big squares.

You'll need about 12 Slices of the Bread of your Choice, Cubed.

Spread the Bread out in a 11x13" pan. 

In a small bowl:

Beat ~10 eggs

Add:

1 Cup of Milk

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 tsp of Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/3 Cup brown Sugar

Pour mixture over bread cubes.

**Chill over night, covered.

Bake at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit

For 40-50 minutes. 

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar while warm. 

Breakfast for the Holidays

Tips for Holiday Breakfast

Plan it out before the holiday trip to the grocery store.

Prep it the night before.

Make it a light meal that has lots of protein. 

You're going to need the energy to make it through the day. 

Ideas:

Oatmeal with raisins and Peanut Butter

Apple slices with Peanut Butter

Fresh Fruit with Yogurt

Yogurt and Nuts

Granola and Fruit

Hot tea with honey 

Warm Milk and Honey

If you like eggs go for it. If you want an omelet try using more 

egg whites than yolks. This will decrease the cholesterol greatly. 

Pack your omelets full of veggies and try using Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

instead of butter.

My mom used to make Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas Breakfast.

We loved it but we would crash as soon as the gifts were open.

Also, the healthier the breakfast, the more likely you'll make healthier 

choices for the rest of the day. 

<3

Happy Holidays!

It is Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. It is also my boyfriend Jacobs 31st Birthday! Happy Birthday Honey! I'm so excited for this holiday season. Today we went to Jacob's fathers house for dinner. Instead of turkey we had yummy shrimp scampi! It was soo good and we had Peanut Butter Pie as his birthday cake. 

So tomorrow it is black friday and instead of great deals, I'll post some great Christmas recipes. This will keep me form the nightmare of retail stores and get us in the Christmas spirit. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! <3

Strength In Numbers

This is not my typical baking related post!

Tonight I can't sleep, I'm struggling with "what comes next."

I guess it was yesterday, though it feels like today, having not slept yet.

I went to Auburn and spent some time with two amazing men in my life.

It was so rewarding in so many ways. 

Two people I really care about got along. And not for me, but just got along.

Jacob is a very special person. And I don't know what will come of our relationship, 

and that is okay. He is so genuine and kind, he has really rebuilt my faith in companionship.

He really encourages me to strive for what I want. He knows the value of this blog.

He knows what I seek, what intend, and he supports it. I have to be grateful for that. 

Good people are everywhere, but finding them can be a challenge. 

And Zach!!!!! Of course he is so great! He has been a reliable friend always. He is so

talented and loving. His wonderful mom, Rose, calls the people we surround ourselves with "our tribe"

our adopted family. I love this! I think it is really true. 

So today was rewarding. And inspiring.

I'm a very lucky lady!

It makes my next step a little easier too.

I want to finish my education soooo much. I am currently going to school. 

I take accelerated courses towards my associates degree.

I really want it! I've been struggling with what I want to do too.

I work at non-profit agencies, and I love it.

I just want to offer it more.

But I also want to be able to pursue my baking dreams.

 I call them baking dreams but there is more too them then just the baking.

So for now. I am blogging my heart out. For all the world to read. 

And taking the steps in preparation for the "what comes next."

<3

Jacob Do Good

Jacob fixed my computer!!!!!! WOW!! Fresh start for my little HP!!! So excited! Now we are off to see a dear friend in Auburn and pick up somethings from my moms house. Have a good day everyone! Hope everyone has a little bit of luck today! <3

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 

with Pancake Flour

Cream together:

3/4 Cup. Vegetable  Shortening (can substitute butter)

1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Molasses

If you don't have Molasses you can use 1 cup of brown sugar and a 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. However,

the fresh molasses adds to the flavor of the cookies. You can control how much "spice" flavor you want 

to add, by adjusting the amount of molasses you use.

Mix in:

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

1/4 Cup Water

Separately, mix together:

1 1/2 Cups pancake flour

3 Cups Quick Oats

Combine both mixtures.

Fold in 1 Cup Raisins. 

Bake 350 Degrees Fahrenheit

12- 15 minutes

Variations:

If you want fluffy cookies add an additional egg.

If you want them to be thick and fluffy use Shortening NOT butter, and add egg.

Enjoy <3  

above is making brown sugar.

Molasses and granulated sugar.

So simple.

New take On An Old Recipe

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

So I want to bake something tasty to have after our Swiss chard, Kale soup.

But we are out of flour! Story of my life! 

So I'm going to try to use Pancake mix and oats as a substitute. 

I'm also going to have to make up for any changes that may make in the sweetness of the cookie.

So we will see how they turn out. 

Pictures to follow.


Results:
Pancake flour works!
But i had to keep adding it to the batter after each batch.
The first batch was completely flat and gooey and crumbed while warm.
The second batch that had a little more pancake flour, was a little thicker and fluffier.
The third batch was fine. But I will continue to fix the recipe.
Instead of butter I will try shortening to make them fluffier and thicker.
But they did all taste great. My boy friend Jacob loved them and didn't care what they looked like.
So I guess the flavor was perfect. 

Chai Tea

My Chai Tea Recipe

My recipe varies depending on its purpose, who's drinking it, what I have on hand,

and what my mood is.

Chai basics:

Use a med size sauce pan.

This will make as much or as little as you'd like depending on your measurements.

So here's how I would make it for you.

On high heat, heat half full, med size sauce pan of water, till steaming, NOT BOILING!

Place one Black Tea Bag, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 2 tsp Slice Fresh ginger,

1/4 tsp crushed with the side of a knife, Cardamon Seeds, a sprinkle of 4-5 dried cloves- not ground!

Once heated and allowed to merge flavor, strain liquid from solids.

Saving liquid. Discard solids.

Sweeten as desired.

Variations and Tips:

I like to use two tea bags in mine, it is more bold in flavor. Also, I

use a sprinkle of black pepper to bring out the spice flavor. I like everything strong, so 

I add more of the cinnamon and ginger and about a 1/2 tsp of Cardamon. 

You can also add sugar or honey right to the pan to have an even sweetness.

But I leave it un-sweetened because I have found the coffee-mate creamers are a 

nice sweetness you can add, coconut milk is also wonderful. 

Coconut milk can be found in any grocery store with the Goya products. 

It comes canned, and with last about 3-4 days once open. I don't know about how long

after that, because it never lasts longer than that. =]

Also, if you are seeking a nice chai warm up before bed, use different tea bags without caffeine.

I enjoy making Chai with a Tazo Honeybush tea. 

Play around with the flavors, find what you like. No two Chai's are alike.

Concentrated Chai 

Places like Starbucks, Riverbend, your local coffee shop, etc

all use a concentrated Chai syrup to make your favorite Chai tea lattes.

YOU CAN MAKE IT FOR THE PRICE OF ONE OF THOSE DRINKS!!!!!

Simply add LOTS more sugar, and less water. Reduce over Low heat.

Heat a pan of milk on low heat, if you have a steaming device use that, and then add a few shots of 

15 second dripped "espresso" coffee.

And TAADAAAA your Chai tea latte!!! 

Hope you enjoy your creations!

<3

Just Because It's Interesting

Fudge Making Monks!

My good friend Andrea just told me of Monks that make fudge!

This is so sweet! Holy Fudge!

I do not mock!

It is just sooo interesting to me!

Fudge, Cheese and Bourbon Fruitcake!

Here is the link:

http://www.gethsemanifarms.org/ 

Enjoy!

Conversion Assistance

I stumbled across a little problem today with a baking recipe.  Now the great thing about baking is the chemistry, once you understand it you can manipulate the affects of heat, chilling, rising, spoiling, caramelizing etc. And that's basically how great new recipes are made.  So a big!!!! deterrent for some people on which recipe they want to use is understanding them and without a lot of hassle.  Today I found a great recipe I plan to play around with but it was in metric measurements. So here's the site I used to roughly convert the recipe and I think with a little rationalizing and maybe comparing with other online recipes of similar fashion, you could get a pretty good grasp of the English conversions.

http://www.worldwidemetric.com/measurements.html

Hope it helped!
<3

My Molasses Story

Molasses Memories

My grandmother, Nanny, used to take me to her friends house probably once a month., from the time I was about 3 till I was about 9. This sweet woman owned a little house with a little land on the west end of Long Island.  I would sit in the backseat of my grandparents little ford ranger and hope that it would be a day of molasses cookies and gathering eggs. Faye, my grandmothers friend, had a chicken coop with chickens and roosters and a goose. She had a old brown lab named Charlie Brown and a little apple tree in the yard.  The first thing i would get to do is gather the eggs because we would need some for our molasses cookies.  Then I would feed the chickens and try and get the big goose egg from its nest. 

At some point this sweet woman would get out all the ingredients we needed and have me dump each measured amount into a big bowl.  Shed stir and roll out the dough and I would use a drinking glass dipped in floor to cut out each cookie.  I remember these cookies being huge!! They were fluffy, and thick and had a mild spice flavor.

The other day I decided to make these cookies on my own. I mixed hot water with molasses and baking soda, added flour, brown sugar, egg, spices, butter, and a few secrets to spark the spice flavor.  I found out a few key things in making these cookies: 1, use shortening not butter- shortening will let the cookies rise higher and has a much higher melting point so dough will be less sticky, and easier to work with. 2, have extra flour on hand for sticky dough.  In the end, I made some very yummy and fluffy molasses cookies. 

And with the remaining dough I made a large heart cookie! <3 Molasses cookies from the heart.

Squish Squash

Squash for the Freezer

I don't like eatting veggies that are canned if I don't have to.  I was lucky enough to get some yummy squash from my sweet friend at her farm.  So this morning I took what I believe are Delicata Squash, a long yellow and green stripped squash, and made some squash for the freezer. 

I peeled each squash with a veggie peeler and than cut off the very edge of each end, scooped out the seeds and cubed the meaty sections.  I put them in a small crock pot with a little dollop of butter so no to stick to the crock pot. It cooked on high for about an hour. Now its sitting cooling in a plastic container ready for the freezer.

Squash Ideas

I imagine pretty soon I will be cooking up some holiday pies.  I can use the prepared squash as I would a can of pumpkin in my pumpkin pies, only mine will be squash pies. =] Or the frozen squash can be used as a sweet potato or just served as squash.  I'm very excited to use my prepared squash.

All About Delicata

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=16747

http://www.livestrong.com/article/349974-the-nutritional-values-of-delicata-squash/

Here are a few sites that might map out some of the nutritional positive of this yummy veggie.

I think its also important to mention that its not just the nutrition stored in each veggie that is soooo valuable to our health, it's also knowing what goes into the preparation of it.

If you cook it, you control it!

Delicata Squash is a simple, quick veggie that appeals to your sweet tooth. Its natural sugars provide a touch of sweet, to attract even the pickiest of eaters.

Egg- complishment

Avocado Meets Egg

I just finished making my boyfriend and I a very yummy lunch. SO simple too. I made egg salad but wanted to mix it up a little. I added chopped avocado, chopped onion, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, light mayo, and salt and pepper. It was very yummy!!!! He liked it too. =]

I served it with the left over half of the avocado chopped up with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum!

I Must Be Crazy!

Ice Cream for Thought

A wonderful family I have been lucky enough to know, owns an organic farm. This family is devoted, talented, strong, and soo good at what they do.  I have been lucky enough to spend some time with these wonderful people, learn some life lessons from their hospitality, and I have the freshest!!!!! healthiest!!!! Yummiest!!!! ingredients for my cooking.  I AM BLESSED! =] So, this past week I was invited to assist in garlic cracking, and planting! Don't let anyone fool you! This is NOT easy work! Everything is done by hand and with love. I learned the correct way to crack up garlic bulbs so as not to damage each clove and to not split the germ. I learned all the little things that make for the best and most productive harvest.  Did you know one clove yeilds a whole bulb of garlic? Nature is amazing! Did you know if you plant a clove upside down it will turn itself around so that it is facing right side up while its still in the soil? So of course this amazing farm plants each individual clove one at a time, by hand. BECAUSE the time it takes for that clove to rotate itself, increases the time it needs to grow big and full. And because these amazing farmers want you to have the BEST garlic they can produce, they want to make sure its done right from the moment it goes into that soil!!! WONDERFUL!

So this has sparked an interest in me,

GARLIC ICE CREAM

I've been playng with the idea for months, it start with a silly question.

How come when you chop garlic its sticky?

Must be the glucose in it.

Then I noticed the sweet properties garlic has when cooked properly. So, why not garlic ice cream?

Thats right this will be a recipe I take on soon enough.

And why not use the garlic grown with love?

Details to follow

<3

Hello!

Hello! And Welcome!!!
My name is Samantha. And I'd like to share my cooking voyage with you! I'm not sure where it will take me yet, but the future is bright and just a crumb away. I will be posting recipe ideas, accomplishments, pictures, step-by-step glory or defeat! I hope you're as excited as I am.  Each idea, each recipe, and each outcome, stems from an experiance or memory in my past, and sometimes I will share that.  I guess that means I should share just why I am here now.
I LOVE  to bake! I love to cook also, but baking is my passion. My food is therapy in its making.  When all else fails, I bake. =] I think of my family and friends with each recipe and memories that tie me to each flavor. My family has a long line of wonderful cooks! My Aunt Bonnie is also a web sensation in her amazing recipes and designs, I'm not nearly as talented or skilled but I inspire to be. Both of my grandmothers are skilled cooks and make the yummiest meals ever!!! My mom was an amazing cook and took the time to fiddle with recipes and show me some of her skill.  All of the recipes I post are my own, not stolen from anyone else.  I think credit is deserved in talent and I will never take that from anyone.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading! And I hope you find happiness in ever bite.
<3