1 cup sifted flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 milk, heated on the stove top to the point of scalding. (use low heat!)
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar

Start by mixing the cake flour and baking powder and put aside. In another bowl, mix your egg yolks until they get a bit thick and lighter in color. Add your extract and sugar and mix well. add the flour and baking powder and stir until just incorporated. Pour in your milk and mix it well. Pour into a 9x9x2 cake pan (preferably polish pottery) at 350 degrees for approx 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Keep the cake in the pan and put aside to cool completely.

For the mousse, do this once the cake is mostly cooled.
1/2 lb container of Marscapone cheese
the juice of one lemon (at least 1 Tablespoon)
zest of one lemon
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon curd, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until they are thick and light. Add the marscapone cheese and lightly beat into the egg mixture. Mix in the lemon curd until well incorporated. Add the lemon juice and zest. For the heavy cream, we put a metal bowl and the beaters in the freezer for 20 minutes and then beat the cream in that until peaks form. FOLD them into the cheese/lemon mixture you just made.

Right before you add the mousse on top, you need to make the tres leche mixture and apply it to the cake. To do that mix the following together well:
6 oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon rum

Once the cake is cooled, take a knife and make multiple slits in the cake all over. Just sort of stab the cake, this will allow the cake to really soak up the tres leche liquid. Using a ladle, slowly poor as much of the tres leche liquid over the cake. Let it sink in. We used only half the liquid the first time and it was still too dry so don’t be afraid to use most of the liquid. After it has soaked in, spread the mousse over the cake.

You MUST put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This will give the liquid in the cake a chance to firm up and the mousse to set. When you serve, add some caramel sauce if you like, or serve without. I hope you enjoy!

I know the picture is not the best one I have ever uploaded onto this blog but to be honest, a good meatloaf doesn’t have to be beautiful. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. We paired it with a simple mashed potato and roasted corn and I have now realized just how good this little lump of meat can be. So much so that I plan on keeping ingredients on hand for a regular appearance to our menu. It is so simple, but the quality of ingredients make a big difference so since it’s an inexpensive dish to begin with, consider spending a little more for the ingredients I list:

• 1 Pound GRASS FED Beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 cup finely grated aged white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cook oats
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup diced Vidalia onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard (use your favorite, not dried)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

The key here really is the grass fed beef. Not only is this a better choice in general but the flavor absolutely superior. Cheap meat is cheap for a reason, you get what you pay for. Ok, enough said.

In a bowl, whisk the egg and milk together until well blended. Add the half and half, oats, breadcrumbs, onion, cheese and salt. Add the beef and blend well. This mixture will make eight individual servings. They will be juicy and perfect so resist the temptation to make it into a big block.

The last three ingredients are for the top. Mix the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard together and spread liberally on each one.

That’s it. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Eat and then come back here and tell me what you think!

Ingredient List:

1. Using a soup pot (at least 4 quarts) start by sweating the mushrooms, garlic, onion, olive oil, thyme, pepper, Montreal seasoning and wine on medium low heat. This usually takes about 15 minutes

2. When this is complete, put aside 3/4 cup of the mixture (you will add this later) and put the rest in a food processor. Add your chicken stock and blend until it reaches a consistency you like. I blended mine for about a minute and a half.

3. In the same pot that had the mushrooms in it, add the butter and flour and wisk on medium low heat until it blends well and begins to bubble.

4. Add your cream, milk and the mixture you blended, let heat through, about 5 minutes. Whisk often.

5. Add the cubed brie and mix well. Again, let sit about 5 minutes as it melts, whisk often.

6. Take that 3/4 cup reserved goodness, and give it a good chop if the pieces are too big. Add to your soup and mix well.

7. Add pepper to taste. Salt was unnecessary for us, but use as you need.

So fast forward to today and I decided on soup and sandwiches for dinner. The soup, cream of mushroom. The sandwich, a delightful roasted turkey. I added spinach instead of traditional lettuce, manchego cheese and thinly sliced pears. I wanted to toast them but that usually means butter and I didn’t want that. Instead we lightly brushed some of the flavored olive oil on just one side of each piece of bread and bingo! One of the best sandwiches ever. It’s a little more involved, but only slightly and I would certainly recommend trying it.
The ingredients are simple:

• Spinach leaves, stems cut off.

• Manchego cheese, either thinly sliced or crumbled
• Roasted turkey, sliced
• Pears thinly sliced
• citrus flavored olive oil

Preheat your oven to broil on HI
Start with a warm pan, only a medium heat is necessary. Lightly brush one side of each piece of bread with the flavored olive oil and lay them oil side down in the pan.
Pile your spinach up on one side of the bread, about 2 layers.
Add your cheese. About now, your bread should be starting to toast nicely.

At this point you should have both pieces of bread in the pan (oil side down) and one side should be layered with the spinach and cheese. Put on an oven mit and take the pan by the handle and hold it directly under the broiler. You are just melting the cheese and wilting the spinach. This takes literally 20 to 30 seconds. When this is complete, put the pan back on the stove top. At this point you might want to add some black pepper to the melted cheese.
Layer on the sliced pears
Layer on the turkey
Check the underside of the other piece of bread. When it is toasted to your likeness, put the sandwich together and remove from the heat.
And you’re done!

A few notes:
1. I know what you’re thinking… pears… on a sandwich? Try it, you might be surprised. We used Bosc pears but I don’t think it matters much. They are sweet of course but work well even when not as ripe. I like the flavor either way.
2. When it comes to the meat, the truth is, you can use left over turkey or even roasted chicken, either lends itself well
3. You will notice that there are no sauces on this sandwich, no mayo, no mustard, nothing. It absolutely didn’t need it but if you are unsure, make a small test sandwich first and cut it into pieces. Let everyone try it, that way you know what to tweek.
4. If you have a panini press, all the better!

My Nephews Utterly Adorable Foot

The kinds of things we should think about are not things that are bought with money, they are not earned and they are not given to you. Yet, they are the things that make the foundation of your life stronger. They are so powerful that the very scent of something from you youth can trigger a flood gate of memories. So let me share some of my simple pleasures, the things that bring me more happiness than any car, any piece of jewelry, any pair of shoes…. (ok I might have to think about that one)… or even any day of work can give you. These are the things that we hear and see all the time but we rarely take the time to listen and watch. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind. The chill on my face from the first winter’s chill. The purr of my cat as they snuggle up close. The smell and feel of freshly washed sheets. The tears that come from genuine laughter especially from my children. The smell of toast in the morning along with the sound of the coffee brewing. A clear nighttime sky that allows me to ponder the universe. The warmth of someone snuggling up to you on a chilly morning before the rest of the house wakes up. These are just some of the things that I take time to notice and appreicate.

So my challenge to you is to make a change in your life, give yourself the gift of time to savor some of the things you have been forgetting to notice. don’t just grab the chicken out of the oven and slap it on the table. Rather, present it to the table. Take in the colors of the vegetables as you chop and dice. Let your hands run over the food so you know what you are offering yourself and your family to eat. Do you ever walk by a pool or a pond? Stop and put your hand in the water and feel it this time, don’t just see it in passing. What does it feel like, look like and better yet, did it inspire you in anyway? Think that sounds funny and it’s just not you? Then start a journal and write down quick notes every time you notice something or smell something you like. What did it remind you of? Did it inspire you at all?

At the end of the day, what are some of the things that gave you a moments pause? A quick smile or a funny thought. Usually we let them go because we are busy with other things. Notice the crackle of your fireplace and the warmth on your feet. Notice the new leaves of grass growing along the walkway and the sound of your shoes as you walk to your car. The sound of the wind or the rain, the smell of the ocean and the sand in your toes. These things tell you that you are alive. Start today, start living a life worth living and to do that, you must notice and appreicate these small things because they are all part of what makes us who we are. And if you are a parent, you will certainly pass this down to your kids because they watch and learn from you. So if you are taking the time to notice small things and point them out to them, they will do this as they grow and their appreciation of life will grow with it. This is the greatest gift you can give them.

So the next time you are around a baby and get to smooch on their feet, maybe you will get to hear one of the best sounds ever created, a babies giggle. It is perfect, bubbly, fun and filled with pure love and promise. It is something we spend our whole life losing, but we can change that, it’s time to find our way again. No matter what the mistakes of my life are (and we all have them), at the end of my life, I just want to be able to say that for me, I lived a life worth living.

I love love love avocado and citrus flavors. I remember when I was younger and it was popular to make fat out to be the bad guy. I would like to think we have come a long way since those dark days. Not only is fat (the good fat mind you) essential to a well balanced diet but it is downright healthy for you. Take the much maligned avocado. By itself it might not be impressive but added to the right blend of ingredients, it adds a buttery smoothness that you can’t get from other things. This recipe is an example of that.

The basis for this recipe was first brought to my attention by my daughter who, for most of her life has insisted that she didn’t like avocado nor would she ever. I kept insisting that she did like avocado, she just didn’t know it yet. She finally admitted I was right, score one for mom! This is a bit altered from the original recipe that she brought home from Spanish class and I think it’s a winner. It’s easy, fresh and full of good things. You can really play with this too according to your likes and dislikes but make sure to add an equal amount of olive oil to vinegar. That’s the only thing I ask.

To start, whisk together the following and put aside:

• The juice of three limes
• 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons citrus infused Balsamic Vinegar (We used tangerine)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Avocado Oil (which we prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Add the following to a medium size bowl:

• 1 can Black beans (preferably organic) drained and rinsed well
• 3/4 cup corn kernels (from a can is fine)
• 2-3 Roma Tomatoes diced (remove as much of the seeds as you can)
• 2 Tablespoon finely diced (or minced) red onion
• 1 small handful of cilantro chopped (use this according to your taste, if you are not sure, start with less since you can always add more)
• 1 1/2 avocado, diced

Now all that is left to do is add the dressing you made first to the ingredients in your bowl, toss lightly and enjoy!

Notes:
1. while we used a tangerine balsamic for a few teaspoons of the dressing, you can also just use more red wine balsamic if you don’t have any of the citrus infused. Just keep in mind, equal parts oil to equal parts vinegar.
2. If you like things a bit more spicy, boost the cayenne up to 1 teaspoon. I cut back because I don’t like things spicy.
3. We usually munch these with corn chips (scoops work particularly well) but it also is a great topping for both fish and rice.
4. As far as I am concerned, the only avocado worth eating are the small Hass avocados and that is what I used here. So if you are using those large ones typically found down south, cut back to 1/2 an avocado since those are huge!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This post is dedicated to everyone who loves a little peanut butter in their cupcake, ok ALOT of peanut butter…. Let’s just jump right in. To make the cupcakes combine the following:

Here are your ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy. Do NOT use natural
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Mix your dry ingredients first (flour, baking powder and salt) and set aside
In a separate bowl mix together peanut butter and butter until light and fluffy:
Add brown sugar and mix another 20 seconds until well incorporated
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well

At this point you are going to add the flour and milk in alternating parts. Start with the flour and make sure you end with the flour.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill each muffin cup 2/3 full

Bake for 20 minutes on 350 or until done. Let cool completely.

Now for the frosting!
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter, again not the natural kind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Start by beating the powdered sugar and cream cheese on medium. Add salt, peanut butter and vanilla.
Wisk (or use a mixer) to beat the heavy cream until thickened and you have soft peaks. Fold this into the peanut butter mixture. Frost your cupcakes immediately!

A few personal notes:

1. I would use regular mass produced peanut butter (the kind with no trans fats though), it just mixes better and has a better consistency. If you are brave and want to use that kind, add 1/4 teaspoon more salt to the recipe
2. If you want to add a surprise, push down a mini reeses cup into the batter and bake as usual
3. Vanilla bean paste is something you might have to order online, it’s worth it though. It’s the entire bean ground up and has a paste consistency rather than liquid like the extracts.
4. Make sure your cupcakes are cooked and completely cooled before you start your frosting since you want to frost those babies immediately after making the frosting.
5. The topping we used for these were crunchy chocolate pearls, they are light and give a slight bitter sweet balance to the peanut butter.