the clean plate club

holidays :: what we've been up to

2009-01-04T13:48:00.004-05:00

whew! what a whirlwind of holiday activity it has been around here. i thought i'd give a little update on what we've been doing, learning and appreciating.

we were blessed with 3 family gatherings. we had some good, raucous fun and also some really meaningful and soul-feeding times.

here's a smattering from pre-holiday crafting thru new year's with some yums in there too. . .

here we find the young one in her first dress as a walking person. she loved the tree. o how she loved the tree. bb's artwork hangs on the wall.

i made gnomes! it's true. i totally made these. i'm officially a Waldorf mom now. there was a craft night at bb's school and i learned to gnome.

here's me trying to eat the baby. no, i was really laughing, but it does look like i want to take a little nibble. (which is true.)

the first Lego set enters the fold on Christmas 2008. yes, there was much debate in the land over the plasticness of them (see Waldorf mom above). given that we try to keep the toys in the natural category, Legos were not a given. but in the end we felt every boy should have a Lego set. it's not so bad as long as there aren't 16 million pieces. right?

i call her "little bear" quite often. so, here she is, of course, "little santa bear."

grandma came on new year's day and brought a sewing project for bb and she to work on together. they made a "sewin' patch." it comes complete with needle and thread, pins and buttons that he can totally do himself. after she left we decided to sew a little embellishment on.
speaking of sewing. . .
i got a sewing machine for Christmas. yes! i'm so very psyched. expect many a'post about that and what i make with it. i'm a novice, but so itching to learn.

coloring and making cards on his stump/table.

my celebration salad. so yum! mixed greens, orange sections, pomegranite seeds, toasted hazelnuts, chevre and an orange/pomegranite vinaigrette. and to go with it. . .

spaghetti and meatballs. oh. delish.

happy new year everyone!

holiday hiatus.

2008-12-15T18:50:00.003-05:00

there is much crafting (i'm knee deep in felt), merry-making (cookies and Charlie Brown CD) and hall decking (sprigs! everywhere!) in our home.

and not much blogging!

i'll check in when i can on your blogs.

fa la la!
i hope your season is full of warmth, family and good food.

:: kate

dessert time :: s'mores pie recipe!

2008-12-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

chocolate, graham and marshmallow is one of those combinations that just can't be beat. it's just completely delicious and nearly everyone loves it.

for your holiday festivities this year, consider making a S'mores Pie. i tell you, you won't be sorry! it conjures up all my best food memories. hot chocolate with marshmallows after a long day of sledding and snow fort building, s'mores 'round the campfire in summer, and my many visits to a bakery in Seattle that had dark chocolate covered graham crackers in a jar on the front counter. oooh. so good.

try it and tell me it's not heaven in a pie plate.

Chocolate S'mores Pie

Gourmet

For crust:

INGREDIENTS

Yield: Makes enough for a 9- to 9 1/2-inch pie

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing
1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (10 graham crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter pie plate.

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl and press evenly on bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

For the Pie:

INREDIENTS
chocolate cream filling:
7 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not more than 70% cacao; not unsweetened), finely chopped (having made this pie before, i decided to 2/3 bitter and 1/3 milk and i liked it better that way.)
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, at room temperature for 30 minutes

marshmallow topping
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Vegetable oil for greasing

Special equipment: a candy thermometer

PREPARATION

Make chocolate cream filling:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put chocolate in a large bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then gently whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Gently whisk in egg and a pinch of salt until combined and pour into graham cracker crumb crust (crust will be about half full).

Cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil and bake until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in center when gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature on a rack (filling will firm as it cools), about 1 hour.

Make marshmallow topping:

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.

Stir together sugar, corn syrup, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in cleaned 1- to 1 1/4-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until thermometer registers 260°F, about 6 minutes.

Begin beating water and gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed, then carefully pour in hot syrup in a slow stream, beating (avoid beaters and side of bowl). When all of syrup is added, increase speed to high and continue beating until mixture is tripled in volume and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined, then immediately spoon topping onto center of pie filling; it will slowly spread to cover top of pie. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour, then cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) and chill 3 hours more.

Brown topping:

Preheat broiler.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Cover edge of pie with pie shield or foil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, rotating pie as necessary, until marshmallow topping is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 10 minutes. Slice pie with a large heavy knife dipped in hot water and then dried with a towel before cutting each slice.

marshmallow topping:

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water in a large deep heatproof bowl and let stand until softened, about 1 minute.

Brown topping:

Preheat broiler.

cookie carnival :: november round-up!

2008-12-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

the challenge for November's Cookie Carnival was the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie. we used a recipe from one of my favorite cook books called In The Sweet Kitchen. it's written by Regan Daley and i can't say enough good things about it. but i'll spare you my rant this time.

i loved these cookies. and i found there were 2 KEY elements to success with them:

1. GOOD chocolate. you need a high quality chunk. do not go sticking Nestle in here. they have no place.

2. take them out of the oven just a *bit* before you think they are totally done. if you over-do them you take away the moist, soft, pillow-like nature that they have when done just right.

we found that they went VERY fast. i think we had them around for 2 days. and we went thru a lotta milk in those 2 days, too! all in all - YUM.

The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
16 oz. flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

3. Using your hands, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If somehow they don't get inhaled immediately, they may be stored airtight at room temperature for up to one week.

i'm sorry to say that i just don't have the time this month to do a full commentary-style round-up and it's likely that i may not for december either. i'm full swing into crafting for holiday gifts and am chasing my tail a bit! so, i'm sorry for that, but i do want say a big THANK YOU to all of you who participated. you have made CC a success and i am greateful. . . also, i remind you to go and visit each other's blogs and see how everyone did with this challenge because there are some great posts out there.

participating in the November challenge (pics appear above the person who took them):

holly of Phemomenon. read her post here.

stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater. read her post here.

lynn of Bites and Pieces. read her post here.

brooke of Dessert First. read her post here.

temperance of High on the Hog. read her post here.

jules at Someone's in The Kitchen. read her post here.

jessica at Mango Missives. read her post here.

kerri at K&K's Baking. read her post here.

stacey of Simply Tasty. read her post here.

michelle of Culinography. read her post here.

tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy. read her post here.

april of Abby Sweets. read her post here.

jin of Smell and Taste are My Memory. read her post here.

natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. read her post here.

laura of This and That and a Whole Lot of Food made two attempts. read the first post here. and the second here.

megan of My Baking Adventures. read her post here.

arika of My Yummy Life. read her post here.

cristine of Cooking with Cristine. read her post here.

tami of Tami's Kitchen Table Talk. read her post here.

natalie of Snooky Doodle Cakes. read her post here.

amanda of Amanda's Cookin'. read her post here.

pamela of Cookies with Boys. read her post here. (no pic)

yi of Workout Then Cook. read her post here.

jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes. read her post here.

sara of My Sweetest Day. read her post here.

brittney of Adventures in Gluttony. read her post here. (no pic)

jen of Beantown Baker. read her post here.

mary ann of Meet Me In The Kitchen. read her post here.

sihan of Fundamentally Flawed. read her post here.

Food For Thought :: Waiter Rant

2008-11-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

so, it's our first end-of-the-month review! and the first book we all chose was WAITER RANT by
steve dublanica to check the blogroll and read other Book Club posts, go here.

i have to say, i really enjoyed this book. it was, in large part, all i had hoped it would be. it was funny, sorta cynical, but with a heart underlying it that made me feel like i was reading about someone's real life and not just, unrelated, "rants."

the book is filled with hilarious bits about crazy, cranky customers, which, having been in food service in a touristy, upper-crust realm, i could relate to. and while there were times that i felt like, "hey waiters can be cranky and nasty without provocation, you know!" i also felt like he conceded that there were jerky waiters out there, too. (and don't get me started on the food spitting.)

the aspect of the book that i felt a little. . . frustrated with is the whole "break up" he underwent with The Bistro and its' staff. i understood that it was a co-dependent relationship and one that served as illustration of the writer's self-esteem issues and lack of direction in life, but i didn't need all the melodrama surrounding his leaving. he was acting like he'd just been freed from a wrongful prison sentence or something. it was just a job, dude! and there's thousands of other/better restaurants out there to work at.

i got frustrated with him. i'm supposed to feel sorry for him and his awful situation, but, i have little patience for that. if it sucks, get out of it. stop whining. and i realize that it's harsh in a way. it's not that easy for some people to up and make a change.

i also realize that it's a good reflection of how i treat myself. i'm really hard on myself in the same way. and i know full well how hard it is to make real change when your self-worth is tied up in the decision. so, who am i to judge.

overall, i'm really glad we chose it and it was a fun read. and that's my rant on Waiter Rant. . . did anyone else perceive his anger and language to escalate througout the book. i felt like, "he sure is swearing a lot all of a sudden!" it sorta crept up on me. i felt a little like he was having a personality change or something. but maybe that's what being at The Bistro did to him!

on to the next book. i can't wait to find out what it is. . .

Thanksgiving Dessert :: Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart

2008-11-23T21:39:00.006-05:00

if you are looking for a dessert to make this Thanksgiving and you need something for the non-fruit fans in your family. oh, do i have a dessert for you.

it's no secret that i heart Rose Levy Beranbaum. her Cake Bible is one of my favorite books as is her Pie and Pastry Bible although i do not yet own it. so, i got it out from the library and began to peruse. i needed a great dessert for Thanksgiving I. this was a holiday dinner that we hosted today in honor of my kids' great-grandfather. we will not see him for actual Thanksgiving or Christmas, so we had a dinner with him today. and i needed a killer dessert. i always make something chocolately at the holidays. mostly, i do this for the hubby. he doesn't eat fruit desserts of any kind. so it's a challenge (and a fun one) to come up with something new. his favorite combo is chocolate peanut butter, so when i flipped to Rose's Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart, i knew i had to look no further.

she does this tart with a peanut butter cookie crust that is moist and nutty without being too sweet. the PB mousse is done with cream cheese and lightly whipped cream. it's light, airy and also, not too sweet. the chocolate ganache features a milk/semi combot that works incredibley well. shiny top. perfect chocolate to peanut butter combo.

we loved it.

here's how it's done.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE TART
From Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pie and Pastry Bible

Sweet Peanut Butter Cookie Tart Crust
Makes one 9.5 x 1 inch tart, or 8-10 four inch tartlets

Ingredients

1/2 cup Bleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar, preferably superfine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably Jif, at room temperature
1/2 large egg (beat before measuring)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine well.

In a food processor, with the metal blade, process the sugars for several minutes or until very fine. With the motor running, add the butter cubes. Add the peanut butter and process until very smooth and creamy, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add the egg and vanilla extract and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse until just incorporated.

Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Press dough evenly into pan. (It is a little more challenging, but faster and neater, to roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap to about into an 11.5 inches in diameter. Remove one piece of plastic and gently invert the dough into the pan, easing the border into the sides of the pan so that the sharp top doesn't cut it off, use the remaining plastic wrap to press it evenly into the pan, pressing it well agains the sides. If the dough softens, refrigerate it until the wrap can be removed easily.) Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Bake the shell without weights, in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden. It will puff at first and then settle down toward the end of baking. The sides will be soft, but spring back when touched gently with a finger.

Cool on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Mousse

Ingredients

7 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter, preferably Jif, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 liquid cup heavy cream, softly whipped

In a mixer bowl, preferably with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar until uniform in color. On low speed, beat in the vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup of the whipped cream just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until blended but still airy. Scrape the mousse into the prepared tart shell and smooth the surface so that it is level. Refrigerate the tart while preparing the ganache.

Milk Chocolate Ganache Topping

Ingredients

3 ounces milk chocolate (I used Starbucks)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut)
1/3 liquid cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make chocolate very small. Bring the cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate, let sit for a minute, then stir until emulsified. Add vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mousse in a circular motion, so that it does not land too heavily on any one spot and cause a depression.

With a small metal spatula, start by spreading the ganache to the edges of the pastry, then spread it evenly to cover the entire surface. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours to set.

Store at room temperature up to 1 day, refrigerated up to 5 days, frozen up to 3 months. (Wrap after freezing to preserve shiny coating on ganache).

she's walking!

2008-11-19T20:15:00.003-05:00

this picture is blurry and sorta odd, but there is something about it that i love. there are so many moments that we share like this. i'm always trying to get my lips on her. and she laughs at my silliness. what both of my kids don't seem to understand is that a momma can't help it with the kisses. i cannot. help. myself. i need to put my lips on the baby.

but the sad truth is. she is so soon to be my toddler. on monday, my birthday (37) and hers (14 mos.) she took her first steps. and today she took 8-10 steps on her own and she did it about 5 times. so my baby is growing up. and it's awesome. i'm so proud of her and more importantly she's so proud of herself. she gets this biiiiiig grin on her face. like the one in this picture.

you go, girl. i'm so excited for you!

bagels, everyone, bagels!

2008-11-17T11:40:00.002-05:00

there are a few things in this world that are just so far better tasting when they are homemade that you will sit and exclaim as you eat that you can't believe it could be so good.

bagels are one of those foods. i was intimidated by the idea for a long time, but there came a point where i wanted to start venturing into the world of bread making. and so, my days of bageling were born.

it all stared back in Seattle. we knew a family who would have bagels for dinner. they called it (oddly enough) bagel night. so, one time when we were invited over, i made the bagels myself. and they rocked. that was many years ago. and while i haven't made bagels that many times, since i do feel i am just now getting the hang of it.

there's a few steps and it can look like a lot of instructions, but it's all very easy stuff. just takes a bit of time. but, like i tried to say at the beginning of this post. . . it's so so very worth it. homemade bagels are just a whole 'nother league from even your local bakery. i swear.

here's the recipe i use:
BASIC BAGELS

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups water, warm to the touch
1 tbs. active dry yeast
4 tbs. barley malt syrup
2 tsp. salt
5 cups bread flour
3 quarts water
Toppings - poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dehydrated or minced garlic or onion
Yellow cornmeal

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast and stir until dissolved. Add 2 tbs. of barley malt syrup, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

2. Add bread flour. Mix until ingredients are blended.

3. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and begin to knead it. If the dough is sticky, add very small amounts of bread flour as necessary. It’s better to add less than more. To be sure you don’t add too much at a time, dip your hands in the flour, shake off the excess, and knead. Repeat as necessary. Knead the dough vigorously for 12 minutes.

4. When finished, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into twelve equal parts.

5. Take a section of dough and roll it in your palms to make a ball. Poke your thumbs thru the center and work them around to make a hole a bit larger than the size of a quarter. Repeat with remaining eleven sections. Place the formed bagels on a floured surface about 2 inches apart. Be sure there are no drafts directly on them.

6. Cover them with a clean dish towel and let them rise 25 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup to 3 quarts water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Preheat the oven to 450. Prepare your cookie sheet or pan by lightly sprinkling it with corn meal.

8. At the end of 25 min., you’re ready to place your bagels in the boiling water, four bagels at a time. This stage is called kettling. The perfect bagel, when kettled, should quickly sink to the bottom of the pot of boiling water and rise immediateiy. Boil for about 4 minutes, turning the bagels over frequently with a slotted spoon. If your bagels don't sink to the bottom when you first put them in the pot, don't worry. However, if they sink to the bottom and lie there, wait till they rise to the top (and they will) before timing the 4 mins.

9. After kettling, remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drain off. Place them close together with edges touching on your cornmeal prepared cookie sheet or pan. Liberally sprinkle the bagels with your favorite toppings.

10. Place pan on rack in middle of oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the bagels by looking at their color; if necessary, continue baking until golden. Watch the bagels carefully toward the end of the baking time because every oven is different; and yours may brown quickly. After taking them out of the oven, remove the bagels from the cookie sheet and let them cool on a wire rack for 10 mins.

wordless wednesday :: autumn nature table

2008-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

thanksgiving side dish :: squash with roasted garlic and sage

2008-11-10T12:03:00.003-05:00

next week is my birthday. for our family, this is the kick-off to the holiday season. which i love! and to add more excitement to the mix, we having an early "holiday dinner" with my husband's grandfather before he heads south for the winter like all the birds we've been seeing overhead.

it's awesome that my kids get to know their great-grampa. poppa. what a total treat. and since we are hosting, i've already begun food lists and prep. thankfully, everyone is bringing a dish or drink or something to contribute.

yesterday i made some squash to freeze for the big day, so today i share with you my recipe!

SQUASH WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND SAGE
it's wickedly easy and the amounts can be played with to match your taste.

INGREDIENTS:
2 butternut squashes
1 acron squash
2-4 tbs. olive oil (roughly)
6 or so garlic cloves
1 tbs. chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. preheat oven 375 degrees. line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. slice your winter squashes in half, then in half again, lengthwise. scoop out all the seeds and pulp. half the acron and do the same. put them on your tray skin side down.

2. leaving the cloves whole and unpeeled, drop 1 or 2 into the cavity of the squash. drizzle squashes with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper. add enough water to cover the bottom of the tray.

3. roast the squashes for about 9o minutes. turn halfway thru and replenish water. test with fork for doneness before taking them out of the oven.

4. after the squashes have cooled, peel them and chop them into large chunks. place in bowl of food processor. peel the garlic and add it along with the sage. pulse until a uniform pureé is created.

5. pour into a shallow casserole dish (i used a pie plate). store in the refirgerator for up to 2 days or 2 weeks in the freezer. thaw at room temp. or in the fridge then warm in the oven 30 minutes before serving.

i like to add a topping to jazz it up a bit before serving. some suggestions are: chopped up bacon, roasted walnuts, peanuts or a bit more sage for color.

i'm always looking for new ways to prepare winter squashes, so if you have a favoite recipe, by all means, share!

cookie carnival :: november

2008-11-05T12:24:00.003-05:00

it's that time again--the cookie carnival is underway for November. to join up, please email me (kate AT the clean plate club DOT ).

i totally intended to have this up sooner, but, what can i say, i got swept up in election fever.

this month we attempt a classic! sure, we've all done them before, but i think it's because they are worthy.

this month's recipe comes from Regan Daley from her absolutely fabulous MUST-HAVE book, In The Sweet Kitchen.

the only issue i can find with this book is that there are not enough photos of her creations, there's a few, but just not enough. in addition to the creative, mouth-watering recipes this book has everything you could ever need to know about baking--conversion charts, flavor pairings, info on tools and ingredients that are detailed and smart, but Daley is never condescending. if anyone ever wants to start-up a Sweet Kitchen recipe-a-month kind of thing, i'm all over it.

so, i'm very excited to try her recipe :: THE ULTIMATE CHEWY and SOFT CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES. i haven't yet tried them and am excited to as i have loved everything in the book that i've tried so far!

her intro:
Crisp and Crunchy have their place in the world of biscuits, but not, I believe, in the best and simplest chocolate chip cookie. If you like chewy, cakey and full to the brim with chocolate, these are for you. oh yes. they are for me. and hopefully for you, as well!

also---Food For Thought the foodie bookclub is officially rolling! email me if you want to join up! our book selection for November is Waiter Rant :: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica Aka The Waiter

voting day :: it made me trembly.

2008-11-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

words fail me today. the experience of taking our kids with us to vote is one i won't forget.
it's not a long process. it's not a big to-do. no flourish. but it felt so big. so big. so important. and though i hope dearly that obama wins today, i hope more that people get out and vote. and that we unite in our desire for america to heal.

food for thought :: a book club

2008-11-01T19:45:00.003-04:00

we're officially rolling! if you would like to join Food For Thought Book Club, let me know.

November's selection is :: Waiter Rant. (Waiter has a blog, too)
Posting date :: november 30th (include a recipe you made from the book if there are any or make something up inspired by the book--optional)

soon to come Food For Thought FAQ page including all the details and blogroll.

pull up a cuppa somethin' hot and join us!

hey-ho, halloween time

2008-11-01T12:38:00.004-04:00

we ate pizza. we dressed up. we ran thru the neighborhood. we ghosted and got spooked. and candy was consumed! but, i'm proud to say not *too* much.

bb was a street. cars on him and face painted with stop sign and traffic light.

2 of his friends (one seen whizzing by) were spidermen.

and the smallest one a scarecrow.

we saw a lot of "retro" costumes. couple'a star wars droids. and a rubic's cube! indiana jones was running around. who did you see?

we also saw a girl samuri who looked AWESOME.

cookie carnival :: october round-up!

2008-10-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

it's carnival time again!

for october, we made MINI-PUMPKIN WHOOPIE pies! yes! they were my attempt at something autumnal and maybe even a fun halloween party treat. the recipe comes fom Martha and i'll give you the link here, rather than posting the recipe myself. i highly recommend you go and check out her video demo as COOKIE MONSTER himself is her guest. and he rocks. of course.

i have to say, i enjoyed these cookies a lot, but had some issues with them. i found the pumpkin aspect to be sort of. . . token. there's just not enough pumpkin flavor. i added some more to it, but i still didn't feel it packed enough of a pumpkin punch. i couldn't go too far, because i knew the filling would become runny, sooooo.... i think i would prefer a different flavor filling. as otheres felt as well. that being said, the cookie part was AWESOME! it was so tasty and cakey and sort of devil's foodie. awesome. i think others agreed with me on that.

so, without further ado, here's the round-up. thanks to EVERYONE who played along this month! i so love having each of you doing this with me. i'm excited about november, too.

remember the photo appears ABOVE the person who took it.

ENJOY!

jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes had this to say, "They're super cute and make for a nice take-along for the holidays feeding frenzies. I might try them again with a different filling. The cake/cookie was lip-smacking good."
i couldn't agree more about the lip-smacking part. true. true. read the rest of her post here.

donna of Not That Kind of Troll said she would rather have had a filling more buttercreamy than cream cheesy. . . i think she's right on. read her post here.

michelle of Something New is Cooking had this to say, "These cookies were absolutely delicious! The recipe was easy to follow and not very time consuming at all." read her post here. (no pic)

kamalie of Simple Food had this to say, "Too much chocolate (I can’t believe I’m saying that) and not enough pumpkin." read her post here.

julie of Someone's in the Kitchen had this to say, "I would absolutely make these again with a different, stronger flavored filling. Peanut butter, strawberry, and mint come to mind."
i bet strawberry would be heavenly! if she tries that, i hope she reports back! read her post here.

kirstynn of The Evans' Factor played along this month. go to her blog for her hilarious reminiscence of the Newlywed Game. her post is here.

mari of Mevrouw Cupcake has some fun pics of her friends chomping into these little beauties. read her post here.

carrie of Carrie's Sweet Life decided to make half her filling pink cherry so that she could submit her pies to the power of pink challenge blogging event. a great cause and a yummy alternative, for sure! read her post here.

natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies rode the carnival this month and serenades us with a little ditty. read her post here.

jessica of Mango Missives admits to ignoring the "mini" aspect of the recipe. she writes, "I wasn’t in the mood for mini. I wanted a nice full-bodied whoopie pie that I could stuff my face with."
now that's a stance i can get on board with! read the rest of her post here.

megan of Megan's Cookin'seems to be on the same page as jessica, "Mine were big enough that one would do ya. O.K, mine were big enough that half would do ya." read her post here.

pam of Cookies with Boys had this to say, "Honestly, I think these should be called Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin filling. So there."
i have to agree. it's easy to think the cakey part would be pumpkiny the other way....which it's not. read the rest of her post here.

michelle of Culinography found that after much delay in trying them, she liked the pumpkin/choco combo. (it is a strange pairing, but it does sorta work). read her post here.

though sara of My Sweetest Day could not use her pumpkin cookie cutters with these, she persevered! read her post here.

stephanie of Cooking In an Apron participated this month and enjoyed the results. head over to her blog and check out the picture of her sous chef. hee! cute! read stephanie's post here.

sue of Slice of Sueshe is pregnant! : )
oh yeah, and she baked the whoopie pies, too..... read her post here.

jen of Beantown Baker had this to say, "It only uses 1/4 cup of pumpkin, so it looks like I'm going to be making something else pumpkin-ey soon. I'm looking forward to that!" (i'm with her, i made pumpkin breas the next day.) read jen's post here.

yi of Workout then Cook totally changed things up and made spiced butter cookies rather than chocolate. she's a renegade! read her post here.

tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy had never made nor tasted whoopie pies before this. i love that the carnival is getting people to try new things! read her post here.

holly of Phemomenon did what we all wanted to do. she made peanut butter filling. YUM! i have to try that next. . . read her post here.

megan at My Baking Adventures is talking big about trying all kinds of other flavors of filling. i hope she reports in with her findings! read her post here.

kim of Monte Carte gave this review, "The combo of textures is also really nice, as the filling is very creamy and smooth; it balances out the cakiness of the cookie perfectly." read the rest of her post here.

stacey of Simply Tasty added all kinds of things in to this recipe--pumpkin spice kisses, chocolate chips. . . read about her results here.

amanda of Amanda's Cookin' made 3 different batches seeking the perfect pie. read her post here.

cristine of Cooking with Cristine had some issues with runny filling. but she didn't seem to mind because they tasted so dang good. read her post here.

tami of Tami's Kitchen Table Talk has never been a fan of whoopie pies. which is a foreign concept to me. but she made them anyway, because that's what carnivalers do! and hey! she liked them! bonus. read her post here.

arika of My Yummy Life. read her post here.

jin of Smell and Taste are my Memory. Read her post here.

Food For Thought :: Book Club FAQs and Blogroll

2008-10-31T11:55:00.006-04:00

if you have made it to this post, then you're thinking of joining up with Food For Thought. we'd love to have you, of course! faq's below.

here is our current blogroll:

melody of my trap door
tami of tami's kitchen table talk
natashya of living in the kitchen with puppies
jacque of daisy lane cakes
jessica of mango missives
arika of my yumy life
belle of muse in the kitchen
michelle of culinography
kerri of k&k's baking
sharon of view from my treehouse

here's the list of who will be picking books when:

december/january 2008/9 - tami of tami's kitchen table talk
february 2009 - melody of my trap door
march 2009

FAQ's

:: every month we read a book (sometimes we might take 2 months to do 1 book). on the chosen date, we all post our thoughts on the book. if there are recipes, we choose one to do. or we create a dish inspired by the book.

:: books are chosen by voting. each month a member offers 2 books for us to vote on as well as the posting date for that book.

:: on this page i will keep the blogroll as well as the list of who is picking books for which month.

:: to get on board, just comment here or email me (kate AT the clean plate club DOT net) and i'll add you to the blogroll. that's it! happy reading!

pie :: a crust to be proud of

2008-10-30T12:38:00.003-04:00

the last time i made a pie it did not turn out so well. it *looked* good, but the crust was sub-par. it was tough. chewy. i was bummed.

then all this happened and i thought i was meant to make pie! and i was excited. but then the class got cancelled. and i haven't made a pie since. until this past tuesday night. i went to a class on pie making that was awesome. i mean, it was at a community colleges, so it wasn't any great shakes in terms of the kitchen. it was all fine, but nothing to write home about. the part that was awesome is that i totally learned how to make a good crust! and it was easy!

now, the whole way thru the process i kept looking at the instructor sideways in a sort of "okay, i'll do what you say, but. . . " and she was kind. and patient and had a die-hard "don't worry, it's fine" approach that i guess you only get after years of baking professionally. she bakes over 30 pies ever Thanksgiving. dude. that's a lotta pie.

so, i did all the things she said to do. all of which i had done before. cold butter. cold water. only add enough water so that the dough just holds together. then she dumped all about and began to do what i can only describe as delicate Kneading. really? kneading? aren't you supposed to be all gentle and like, barely handle the stuff so that it doesn't get all tough? apparently not.

next she launched into some speech about the butter making steamy pockets in the dough, which gives the flakeyness. ok. that's nice, but really, kneading?

she told me to finish it, then wrap it and put in in the fridge. done.

oh, i forgot to mention that i arrived about 45 minutes late after having gone to the wrong campus, having my car not start (at which time i called hubby and cried and babbled incoherently things like, "my one night out" "i'm such an idiot" "i never get out of the freaking house and then now this") and having to drive to the right place IN THE SNOW. yes, we had a freak snow storm.

so, everyone else is chopping apples for the filling and i'm just getting going. okay, so my dough is chilling. after my dough chills for maybe 10 minutes, she takes everyone else's out so they can begin rolling. and she takes mine out with them. now i'm freaking out because it hasn't chilled long enough AND i'm not ready to roll it out as i've only just begun to work on the apples.

when it comes time to roll i ask, "is it cold enough?" her reply, "oh yeah, it'll be fine." this lady is unflappable in the face of my freak-outs.

when i rolled out the dough and it seemed like there wouldn't be enough to do a double crust she was all, "no problem, we can make that work."

i began to realize that i needed this woman around at all times.

"the car won't start and i'm stuck with both the kids in the parking lot of the post office!"
"aw, no problem. it'll be fine!"

"the kids both have fevers and it's been days now. what is going on?"
"hey, no worries, it'll be a-o-kay."

"what if mccain gets elected?"
"we can patch that up, no problem!"

now, i was not at all convinced that this pie would taste any better than the last one and knew i would not be until i tasted it.

the class ended and we all took our pies out in the snowy weather to walk to our cars. ooooh...nice warm apple pie in the car. i could not wait to get home, but i had to drive slowly because it was snowing sideways and out my windshield it looked like going light speed in the millenium falcon.

i got home. threw off my coat, grabbed a knife and plate and fork, poured me a glass of cold soy milk and sat down. i couldn't believe my buds. i did it. my pie crust was SO yummy! it was not perfect, of course, but it was damm good. and i was proud. so proud that i'm giving you some pictures.i know it's not rocket science, but good pie crust has always eluded me. now, i only home i can do it on my own!