December 30, 2009

The weekend before we left for Chicago, I decided that I was going to make Almond Toffee to give to our friends and neighbors for Christmas. It probably wasn’t the best timing to try a new recipe as we were still finishing up Christmas shopping, wrapping, and packing in preparation for our trip to Chicago the following day.

On top of all that, we ended up spending most of the weekend in Mission Bay at HayHay’s surf competition since he made it all the way to the finals. But, somehow, in the midst of all that, I did manage to make two batches of toffee.

I’d like to give a “shout out” and a “huge thanks” to Anna of Cookie Madness for taking the time to reply to me via email regarding a couple of questions I had about the instructions.
I really appreciate it, Anna!

This recipe is one that Anna has made for many years and since the directions are a little long, I think it’s best for you to go to Cookie Madness for the Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe. You’ll also want to read her Almond Toffee Revisited post which has more tips on making this toffee turn out “just right”.

Pecan Toffee

For my first try at this recipe, I just made the small batch so I could get a feel for it. I substituted pecans for the almonds, since I had some on hand, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. Other than that, this batch was just a teensy bit thicker than I would have liked, which may have been because the temperature got up to almost 295 before I poured it out of the pan. It was still crispy and crunchy, just not perfect.

BigSis has made this toffee almost every Christmas for as long as I can remember. And, guess what? Hers is always perfect. Mine turned out pretty darn good for being my first time to make it, but it wasn’t perfect. That’s okay though, I still gave myself a little pat on the back for trying something new and not having a meltdown over a slightly thick batch of toffee.

Best-Ever Almond Toffee

For my second batch, I went ahead and doubled the recipe since I was feeling a little better about the process. This time I did use almonds, but since I discovered that I don’t like chopping chocolate, I used semi-sweet chips instead. (I shouldn’t have done that!) When I asked for a couple of expert opinions from the chocolate lovers in my house, they both noticed that the chocolate in the first batch was better.

This batch also turned out a little too thick, as you can tell in the photo, but it was still good. I don’t think anyone else really noticed, but this batch got a little chewy after the initial crunch. It wasn’t as crispy and crunchy as it should have been, but I think I know why. I panicked just a little after I poured it into the pan and I think I gave the pan one too many teeny, tiny taps, which Anna specifically advised me not to do. I knew right away that some of the air bubbles were popping and apparently that’s what keeps this toffee so crunchy.

When in Chicago, my mother-in-law happened to pull out some toffee that her brother-in-law had sent to her from Florida. Even though I usually bypass the sweets, I was curious to try it because of my recent attempts at toffee making. This toffee was even thicker than my second batch but somehow was still really crunchy and crispy. It’s supposedly made at some special store and our uncle loves it, so if I ever end up with a perfect batch of toffee, I’m going to send some to him and my mother-in-law. I’m sure they’d both be surprised!

All in all, in the end, I did learn a few things about making toffee.

First of all, toffee making is not for wimps. I never knew how long it took to get candy up to 290 degrees and with constant stirring, it’s a bit of a workout. Secondly, I would invest in a new thermometer before attempting this again.

This is the thermometer that I used, which is the “attach-to-the-pan” type that Anna advises not to use. It’s all I had and I didn’t have time to go get a new one, so the fact that both batches turned out thick probably means that my thermometer was a bit off.

Lastly, just stick exactly to Anna’s Best-Ever Almond Toffee recipe! Don’t make substitutions, use a good thermometer, and follow the instructions to a tee and I bet you end up with a perfect batch of toffee!

~LilSis

December 29, 2009

For the first time since 1926, Dallas got a White Christmas!   It snowed all day Christmas Eve, and we ended up with around 3 or 4 inches of blowing little flakes.  Our weathermen actually called it a blizzard!  I think that folks up north who know what a real blizzard looks like would have laughed their butts off to hear that!

For us, the snow caused lots of traffic problems since it turned to ice just as everyone in the area was on the road, but it was gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Here are some images from my Christmas this year…

After a day of snow, still snowing.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and that it had a few surprises for you as ours did!

~BigSis

December 28, 2009

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

I’m sure that lots of you had snow on the ground for Christmas morning, but if we had stayed in California, we definitely would not have had a White Christmas. I think I mentioned earlier that HayHay was really hoping for a White Christmas, and, as the saying goes, you better be careful what you wish for because it just might come true!

A week ago, Sunday before we left for Chicago, he was doing this!

And two days later, he was doing this!

It really was beautiful though.

We wouldn’t have seen icicles like this in San Diego!

We had a great time with all the family and are so thankful that we were able to spend Christmas together this year.  It was 15 degrees when we left Chicago on Sunday so I have to say that I am glad to be back in the San Diego sunshine again, even though we do already miss everyone!

And, in case anyone was wondering, HayHay was back on the surfboard at 8:00 this morning!

~LilSis

December 16, 2009

I love lists! I’ve discovered over the years that it really motivates me to have an ongoing “To Do” list, not only on my Outlook, but also specific tasks and phone calls written down in my planner each day. Not only do I check it off of my Outlook task list when it’s done but I also mark it off my written list with a big fat red Sharpie. I don’t know why I enjoy this so much, but I do.

Luckily, I finally made some progress on my Christmas “To Do” List. Yes, it is now officially crunch time! Only eight days and some odd hours til Christmas!! How are you doing on your list?  I’m still a bit overwhelmed with all there is left to do before we leave on Monday, but I’m making progress.

I’m doin’ a little happy dance today since I FINALLY got all my Christmas cards in the mail and finished up the shopping on gifts that need to be shipped out of state. I know, I know, for all the early birds out there, this probably seems late to be doing this, but I’m just so glad that it’s finally done.

This morning is now designated for wrapping, and packaging the gifts that need to be shipped. I’m sure I’ll still be standing in line at the post office as you read this.

I don’t mind though. I’m actually going to take my iPod with me to the post office to listen to some Christmas music while I’m in line. I may even wear a Santa Hat today! I’m so thankful that I finally got some Christmas spirit. I had almost decided not to decorate this year since we’d be out of town, but then I decided that wouldn’t be fair to HayHay. (Christmastime is still really hard on our family since we don’t have our Dad with us so we all have to make a real effort to not be down in the dumps.)

So, that being said, I’m just happy that it’s starting to feel a bit like Christmas around here! Once we decided to go ahead and decorate, we had to get in gear! In the past two days, we’ve got the decorations out of storage, put up all the lights and outdoor decorations, decorated the inside of the house, put up and decorated a small tree, addressed and mailed all the cards, bought wrapping supplies and containers for neighbor gifts, and finished up the shopping for out of town gifts.

Once the packages are shipped this morning, I think this is all that’s left on my list to do before we leave on Monday.

• Finish shopping for gifts we’re taking with us on plane.
• Wrap gifts and pack in suitcase. (Pray it doesn’t get lost.)
• Make list of ingredients needed for neighbor gifts.
• Make, package and deliver neighbor gifts.
• Buy boots and scarf for trip.
• Pack laptop, camera, iPod, video camera, and chargers.
• Dig through closet for warm clothes to pack.

At least by Sunday night, I’ll have everything marked off my list and we’ll be able to enjoy Christmas with the family without any last minute rushing around.

I am not at all prepared for the below freezing temperatures in Chicago, but HayHay is going to be thrilled if we have a White Christmas this year.

~LilSis

November 24, 2009

I’ll be taking our family’s go-to tater recipe – Holiday Make-Ahead Potatoes – to Thanksgiving lunch at SisMama’s house this year.  If I needed to whip up anything else, you can bet I’d be choosing from this group of fab-you-luss recipes!

Breakfast

• Mom’s Monkey Bread from Ezra Poundcake

• Cinnamon Eggnog Scones from Baker’s Banter

• Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Rolls from Girlichef

Appetizers

• Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms from Food & Wine

• Parmesan Artichoke Crisps from Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy

• Aged Gouda Biscotti with Walnuts from Food & Wine

Side Dishes

• Shiitake Mushroom Stuffing from RecipeGirl

• Savory Cranberry Walnut Biscuits from Food & Wine

• Tomato and Corn Pie from Eat Me, Delicious

• Cheesy Cornbread Pudding from FoodNetwork

• Mashed Potatoes with Manchego and Olive Oil from Food & Wine

• Zippy Baked Carrots from Taste of Home

• Creamed Spinach from SmittenKitchen

• Herb-Gruyere Biscuits from Food & Wine

• Mushroom Green Bean Casserole from Taste of Home (no canned soups or canned fried onions)

• Brussels Sprouts Hash with Caramelized Shallots from Epicurious

• Chantilly Potatoes with a Parmesan Crust from Food & Wine

• Sweet Potato Casserole from AllRecipes (no marshmallows!)

• Wild Mushroom and Spinach Stuffing from Epicurious

Desserts

• Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake from AllRecipes

• Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake from the Food Librarian

• Caramel Apple Bars from SugarPlum

• Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bundt from My Baking Addiction

• Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Meet Me in the Kitchen

• Brown Sugar and Chocolate Chip Bundt from the Food Librarian

• Spiced Apple Cake with Eggnog Sauce from Epicurious

• Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars from Meet Me in the Kitchen

• Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies from Baking And Boys

• Easy Refrigerator Pumpkin Cheesecake from Ezra Poundcake

• Brown Sugar and Spice Cut-Out Cookies from Bake at 350 (Have you seen this lady’s decorated cookies?  Go, now!)

• Cranberry Streusel Shortbread Bars from Evil Chef Mom

• Texas Pecan Pie from Taste of Home

• Caramel Pumpkin Pie from Epicurious

• Pumpkin Ice Cream from David Lebovitz

• Thanksgiving Cherry Berry Pie from Cookie Madness

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

~BigSis

November 23, 2009

Holiday Potatoes

I wonder how many homes across America will have mashed potatoes on their dinner tables on Thursday? I know we will. We’re really excited this year because we’ve been invited to spend Thanksgiving with SirHoney’s cousin and some of her extended family.

One of my contributions for this Thanksgiving Dinner is mashed potatoes, so of course, I’ll be making BigSis’ infamous, “go to” mashed potato recipe, Holiday Potatoes.

BigSis has been making this mashed potato recipe for our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations for many years now. When we had all our kids at home, she would start with 10 pounds of potatoes in order to bring two 13 x 9 dishes for my hungry guys!

This recipe is actually in a cookbook that she put together over 20 years ago and she’s always called them Holiday Potatoes. If you browse the Internet, you’ll find similar recipes called Refrigerator Potatoes or Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes. The quantities vary slightly.

(I made a couple of changes this time. I added the garlic cloves, omitted the nutmeg, and added the fried shallots.)

Holiday Potatoes

9 large potatoes (I used white, but you can use Russet or Yukon Gold) peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stick butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
3 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and the garlic cloves in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil until hot, add the shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a paper towel to drain.

Once tender, drain and place the potatoes in a large bowl. Cut butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to bowl. Beat with electric mixer until potatoes are fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or place in a buttered casserole dish and refrigerate.

To reheat, bake for 20 minutes or so at 350 degrees. (I like heating mine until they’re a little brown around the edges.) Right before serving, sprinkle the shallots with salt and garnish the potatoes with the shallots.

I really liked the addition of the garlic cloves; it gave the potatoes just a very slight garlic taste. I LOVE garlic, so next time I might even add a couple more cloves.

Making the mashed potatoes this way really saves the hassle of having to beat the potatoes at the very last minute. I’m making mine on Wednesday and will refrigerate overnight, allowing me to work on other things on Thursday morning.

You might remember that this past Easter, BigSis and I thought it would be fun to do something a little different, so we turned our mashed potatoes into this Pink Potatotini.

Pink Potatotini

I won’t be making pink potatoes for Thanksgiving, but you just can’t go wrong with this recipe for Holiday Potatoes. If you happen to make them for the first time, please let me know what you think!

~LilSis

November 10, 2009

Hey LilSis, I think it’s a really appropriate time to talk about stress since we’re all about to go into Turbo-Speed Stress Season.  We all have holiday stress for different reasons.  Many of us get so excited at the holidays that we overcommit and underestimate how much time all of these things will take.  We may have financial issues that make the holidays stressful.  Some people are sad at the holidays and dread going through it, and feeling like they have to do things they really aren’t up for.  Other people have family issues that can’t be avoided at get-togethers.  Many us of just feel pulled in too many directions at one time.

For whatever reason, we’re ALL going to have stress to some degree over the next couple of months.  Maybe we can all help each other out by sharing some ways to tame stress since it’s such a universal experience!  I’ll start us off.

• My favorite way to manage holiday stress is to plan and start early!  I already mentioned that I’m doing another Christmas bake sale for the SPCA on December 14th.  How can I commit three full weekends to baking, just before Christmas?  It helps that I’m kuku/kookoo (how do you spell that?), but I actually started planning a week ago.  The baking team has already had a meeting, and we all know pretty much what we’re baking, except for a couple of new recipes that I’m going to test-drive this week.  I’m going to have all my Christmas shopping done before baking time starts, as well as all the bake sale shopping, and packaging for the bake sale goodies will be ordered this week.

How does my bit of planning translate to organizing your holiday season?

• Even though it seems way too early to start thinking about the holidays, do it now!  How often do you hear yourself say that the holidays just “snuck up on you”?  There’s no sneaking!  Christmas comes at the same time year after year!  We just haven’t planned for it!

• First of all, have a brainstorming session with yourself. Find half an hour of quiet time, and just make a rambling list of everything you can think of that you need to do between now and New Year’s Day.  As more and more things come to mind later, add them to your list.  Just getting thoughts out of your brain and onto paper will give you a serious chunk of peace of mind.  Sign me up for some of that!

• Now go back over the Master List you brainstormed, and start making Detailed Lists.  If you included “buy gifts” on your Master List, then make a Gift Idea List.  List everyone you want to buy for, and then start listing any gift ideas you have.  You can see where the holes are.  If you have no ideas at all for Uncle Paul, then make yourself a note to call Aunt Paula to find out what Uncle Paul wants.  If your list includes “send Christmas cards”, then start a separate list of the recipients, and check to see if you’re missing any addresses.  Look for those addresses now, and not on December 22nd!  You’ll also know how many cards to buy when you’re in the store, and won’t have to run back out for more at the last minute.

• Make yourself a notebook, folder or binder with all of your lists and keep it with you!  If you work outside your home, take it with you in a tote.  It doesn’t do any good to have a plan if you don’t have it available to refer to when you need to.

• Now that your lists are in the works, next get yourself a calendar going.  You might like a big wipe-off calendar that can be displayed in the kitchen for everyone to see, or maybe a calendar in your planner or on your phone works bet for you.  Whatever it is, start adding every party, every cookie exchange, every school function and every travel itinerary on it as you find out about them.  Grill your family for all of their commitments.  Update this calendar immediately as new functions are discovered.  Threaten your family that failure to notify you of a commitment means they have to eat the fruitcake that’s been regifted since 1974.  Or you could say that Santa will bring them a lump of coal, but that would be pretty mean. 

• Practice saying “no”.  The reality is, you won’t be able to do everything that is asked of you for the next couple of months.  It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.  You can say “no” to good things in order to say “yes” to the best things!

That’s how I get my holiday season organized, and it really seems to help me to just write things down!  It’s a simple thing but it has a huge impact. You won’t wake up in the middle of the night worrying about whether you’re going to forget to bake the two dozen cupcakes for the school if you’ve already put that on the calendar.

If you have other ideas, please pass them on.  Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be on a mission to find other thoughts and tips that we think might help us all enjoy this glorious season even more!

~BigSis

September 7, 2009

I’m a little late posting this brisket recipe, so you obviously won’t be making it for Labor Day, but around our house, any get-together is reason enough to make this foolproof Texas Brisket. It’s perfect for feeding a big crowd.

This is one of those recipes that I love, where there are no precise measurements or exact ingredients.  Our really great friends, F & K, who were neighbors of ours in Texas, loved my brisket so much that they begged me to write down my recipe for them before they moved back to Maryland. That was over ten years ago and I still make it the exact same way as I did back then.

Brisket is kind of like chili; everyone has their own way of doing it and there can be quite a debate about the best way to cook it: dry rub or marinade, grill or oven, baste or don’t baste, etc..

Daddy always raved about my brisket so I would make this almost every time we had a family get-together. It’s really quite simple. Here’s my version of Texas Brisket.

Texas Brisket

4 oz bottle Liquid Smoke
2 pkgs. Meat Marinade
Adkins Seasoning
12 – 14 lb. beef brisket
Barbecue sauce

First, trim off almost all fat, leaving only a small layer on bottom. Mix the Meat Marinade (I used to use McCormick’s Meat Marinade but can’t find it any more. Just use any brand that you mix with oil, water, and a little vinegar.) Put the brisket in a roaster, cover with the marinade mixture and leave in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, remove the brisket from the marinade, place in a clean roaster fat side down. Sprinkle the top and bottom generously with Liquid Smoke. Sometimes, I even use the entire bottle. Then, sprinkle with Adkins Seasoning.

Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes per pound. Don’t baste! You don’t even need to open the oven. When there is one hour remaining to cook, turn down the oven to 275 degrees and cover the brisket with your favorite barbecue sauce, whether homemade or store bought. Sometimes we make homemade sauce and sometime we just buy KC Masterpiece; it just depends on how much time I have.

Watch carefully to make sure the sauce does not burn. If you have a hot oven, you can even turn it down to 250 degrees at this stage. After about an hour, check to make sure the brisket is nice and tender. Remove from oven, let rest for about 20-30 minutes, then slice on the diagonal against the grain.

Sometimes, we just serve it in nice big tender slices and sometimes I chop it up and add more sauce to serve as chopped beef on rolls. It turns out perfect every time!    Give this recipe a try; I promise you’ll like it!

~LilSis

September 7, 2009

Labor Day Fireworks flickr photo by IceNineJon

Happy Labor Day! I suppose summer is officially over now. As a final salute to the season, I have a recipe for you. I haven’t been in the kitchen this weekend, so please forgive me for not including photos!  But trust me, this recipe is family-tested and approved!  And you already know what potato salad looks like anyway, right?

Here’s our world-famous SisFamily Potato Salad recipe, which originally came from SisMama’s dad. Ok, it might not actually be world-famous, but our family loves it! What makes it special? No to celery, green pepper, sweet relish and Miracle Whip! Yes to celery salt, a touch of mustard, boiled eggs and dill pickles. That’s how we roll!

SisFamily Potato Salad

3 to 4 pounds new potatoes, as close to the same size as possible
6 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 to 6 dill pickles, finely chopped or use dill relish
2 tablespoons yellow or spicy brown mustard
Good mayonnaise to bind it all together: usually 1 cup or more
Celery salt to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes (unpeeled) until just tender.  Allow to cool just enough to handle and then peel.  They peel easier when they’re still warm.  Cut potatoes into medium-size chunks; not too small.  They break up a bit when mixed, and you don’t want to be left with mashed potato salad.  Salt and pepper the pieces while still warm, since they absorb flavors best while warm.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the egg, onion, and pickles together.  Add the mustard, mayonnaise and a few dash of celery salt.  Mix all together, then add in the potatoes and toss together gently. Taste and adjust for seasonings.  You may need to add more mayonnaise to hold the mixture together.  The potatoes will drink up some of the moisture as they sit for a while, so we usually make the salad pretty juicy to start with.  It’s best to make the salad a day ahead or at least a couple of hours in advance so all of the flavors can blend.

For a lower-fat variation, you could use low-fat mayo, but we aren’t big fans of that product.  And here’s a tip that I learned from a co-worker.  To mellow your chopped raw onions a bit, let them marinate for an hour or so in plain water or in lemon juice, then drain them and pat them dry.  The liquid takes out some of the bitter strong flavor.  It really works!  You could also substitute chopped chives or scallions for a milder flavor.

Potato salad is a main course in my veggie household, but it’s just a side dish in LilSis’ household of carnivorous guys.  Fortunately for them, she has an awesome brisket recipe and she’s going to post it for all of you with similar big appetites in your family.  Take it away, LilSis!

~BigSis

July 4, 2009

As I’ve already mentioned, the theme for our 4th of July party on our boat dock is Hawaiian Luau, which I’m so excited about! Hawaii is one of my most favorite spots on this entire planet.

I just read an article about a woman who went to Maui on vacation and never returned to her home in NYC. I’ve actually met a couple of people who live in Maui and have told me similar stories. If I went there right now, that’s exactly what I would want to do.

One of my friends is leaving for Hawaii on Sunday and I’m so envious. (I know envy isn’t a good trait, but I’m just keepin’ it real.)

I talked earlier about sharing our Luau menu. Since I’ve got a broken camera, just like BigSis, I won’t be able to take my own photos, but I still wanted to share the recipes. So, without any further rambling, here’s what we’ll be serving to all our ‘grass skirt wearing’ friends today.

Caramelized Maui Onion Dip

To start off, we’ll be munching on this Caramelized Maui Onion Dip and Maui Chips. This recipe is from the June, 2009 issue of Sunset.

Lemon Shrimp Crackers

These Lemon Shrimp Crackers from Kraft may not technically be Hawaiian, but I thought they looked festive and very easy to make! (And SirHoney loves Ritz crackers, so this is a little treat for him.)

I also have one friend bringing the rice and some sweet and sour meatballs to go along with the appetizers.

Char siu-glazed pork (photo by Evil Chef Mom)

For the main course, we’ll be having this char siu-glazed pork. I first saw this recipe on Evil Chef Mom way before I saw it this week when flipping through all of Bo’s past issues of Sunset. It’s from the same June 2009 issue that featured a great article on hosting a modern-day Hawaiian Luau.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (Flickr Photo by Ami Sue)

For dessert, I’m making these fantastic Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes that Bo made this past weekend while we were in Chicago. This photo is very similar to how hers turned out, except that she put whipped cream on top before the cherry!  A lot of the cupcake recipes that I found used the pineapple rings, but Bo used the chunks instead. These were so good!

Basically, there are no real measurements needed.

• Make a yellow cake mix according to directions.
• Pour a little melted butter directly into the cupcake pan.
• Brush a little butter on the sides also.
• Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of the butter.
• Add the pineapple, and pour the cake batter on top.
• Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix.
• Let cool for a few minutes.
• Turn upside down.
• Top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Gratineed Pineapple (Photo by Noble Pig)

And, for the finale, I’m serving this Gratineed Pineapple from Noble Pig. Isn’t it beautiful?

I hope you enjoy your 4th of July Celebration as much as we will.

Aloha!

~LilSis