Get Thee to a Factory

A Cheesecake Factory!! I'm taking time in our busy summer schedule to go to the Cheesecake Factory today for $1.50 cheesecake (Dine-in only). Just wanted to let you know so you could share in the sweetness.

Berries with Lemon

Berries with Lemon, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

I have a theory. If prostitutes just spent a little money and bought themselves a nice, elegant, form-fitting (but not too tight or too short) black dress, their business would increase a hundred-fold. This does not mean that I condone prostitution, quite the contrary, actually, but, come on!! Simple is more elegant and appealing. Which brings me to my recipe...

Berries with lemon and a little sugar. That's it. So simple, but so yummy and elegant and appealing. My little black dress in a bowl. Here are the measurements:

Berries with Lemon

3 cups blackberries
3 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups raspberries
1/4-1/3 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of the berries)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and let sit to let the lemon flavor soak into berries (30 minutes-overnight). Serve plain, with ice cream or whipping cream.

You can play this up a little with blueberries or grapes (halved).

Yogi's Love

Jicama Slaw Sandwich, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

HELLLLLLOOOO!! I am finally back. Our camera broke and the new one has arrived. I couldn't post recipes without pictures (this is why I love the Barefoot Contessa books--a picture for every recipe!).

With the fabulous weather we have been having here in the hometown we have been going on picnics. The kids get so excited when I tell them that is the plan and they immediately help me get things ready. What is it about picnics? Yogi loved them, and during college I went on 3 dates in one week where the guy took me on a picnic (seriously--did they think they were original?), and on the Bachelor they always have a date where they have a picnic. Basically, who doesn't like picnics?!

Here is a great sandwich for enjoying these Spring days. I used jicama slaw to give it a good crunch. It has a Mexican flair in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

Garlic Chicken Sandwich with Jicama Slaw

Chicken:
Serves 4

2 chicken breasts cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T lime juice
1 T olive oil
1/8 tsp cumin
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (or use a grill). Saute chicken for about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from heat.

Jicama Slaw

3/4 cup jicama, julienned
1 T finely chopped onion
1 T chopped cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1/8 tsp cumin
2 T plain yogurt
1/2 tsp minced jalapeno or serrano pepper
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Combine ingredients.

Toppings:
Tomato
Avocado
Pepper Jack Cheese
Whatever else you love!

Place chicken on good bread. Top with sliced tomatoes, avocados, Pepper Jack cheese and jicama slaw.

The Bun is Out of the Oven

Here's the reason I haven't posted in so long. I'm getting used to having 3 kids and hopefully I'll get some recipes up soon. Photo is by the fabulous Reb.

We celebrated St. Patty's day yesterday w/ the in-laws--Corned beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and of course: Rainbow Jello! Thanks Mom Mud for the food, and sorry we didn't help clean up. I'm off to eat my Jello leftovers.

Puffed Full of Love

Puff Pancake, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

I know I have taken a sabbatical without telling anyone. For the past month I have stepped up my hours for the Not-for-Profit that I do part-time work for (add that on top of Seminary, being 9 months pregnant...). I never work when my kids are awake so my "down time" at night has not been "down time." Hence, no time for posting on the flog.

I used to think Valentine's Day was so cheesy. Why should you have a day to tell those you love how you feel when you should do so everyday? Now I know why--for an excuse to go out to dinner without the kids. B. said that maybe next year we could all go out for dinner for Valentine's Day. I explained that we love her and Little Man, but sometimes it's nice for mommies and daddies to go out alone, too because we love each other.

This Valentine's Day was one to be remembered--S. got me a Pampering Prenatal Massage. It was a nice surprise. He had his mom (THANKS, MOM MUD) come watch the kids so I could go. It was so relaxing, and it even helped with my back pain for a few hours. He made sure there wasn't a limit to how far along you were. I wonder if they'd let me have one now that I am officially past my due date (BOTH due dates). And a thanks to my sister for watching the munchkins while we went to dinner.

S. had to settle for a combined birthday/V-day present of the Wii (I had been searching for one for weeks and finally found one in stock on V-day) and breakfast. Here's the recipe for the breakfast Puff Pancake I made. It is so easy. I found it years ago in Parenting magazine.

Puff Pancakes

1/2 stick butter (divided)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour

Toppings: (your choice)
1 lemon, sliced in half
powdered sugar
Strawberries
Peaches
Buttermilk syrup

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Divide the butter between two 8-inch round cake pans, and put them in the oven to melt. Mix eggs, milk, and flour in a blender until smooth.

Remove pans from oven and pour half the batter into each pan. Return pans to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until pancakes are very puffy, firm, and golden-brown on edges.

Add desired toppings and serve.

Banana Nana Fo Fana

WW Banana CC muffins, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

My kids tend to go through phases of what they will gorge themselves on. Example: Little Man will eat 2 bananas in two minutes, but will not want any the following day. Boo will eat a heap of green beans one night, but another night she won't have touched them. They are good at trying new foods, yet have their favorites. Still, sometimes they don't even want their favorites if they are not in the mood. Hence, sometimes I don't have any bananas when we need them, other times they just sit on the counter getting brown and black. Here's my cure for not wasting those "nanas."

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/4 cup olive oil
4 T softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease muffin tins.

Combine olive oil, butter and sugar and mix until combined well. In another bowl combine flour, soda, and salt. Add eggs, applesauce, bananas and vanilla to butter mixture. Add dry ingredients and combine. Mix in chocolate chips by hand.

Place batter into muffin tins (I use a cookie scoop so they are the same size). If you are using miniature muffin tins cook for about 20 minutes, if you are using regular muffin tins cook for 25 minutes.

Holiday Leftovers

IMG_6605, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

We still have the tree up, wreath hanging, and a list of people I need to get presents to, but I know the end of the holidays is here. Now what am I going to do with all those CANDY CANES? They SEEMED like a good idea when I saw them for 88 cents, but I am not the biggest fan, and I definitely don't want the munchkins eating all those cavity-canes. So, I came up with a recipe to get rid of them--Candy Cane Chocolate Cookies. I plan on giving them to friends and bringing them to our "Mediterranean New Years" tomorrow night (I know, not very Greek, but I need to get them out of our house).

I used bread flour for these cookies--something I learned from S.'s Aunt JoAn. They make the cookies so fluffy. Also, I rarely use margarine (like Crisco, it freaks me out), but there is a little in these, also learned from Aunt JoAn (man, we love when she visits--not just for her fun personality, but she always brings her perfectly made cookies). So, make these before you start those New Year's resolutions! Time is ticking...

Candy Cane Chocolate Cookies

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 T vanilla
6 T margarine (softened)
12 T butter (softened)
3 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
24 candy canes (about two cups), broken into small pieces

Unwrap candy canes and put into a ziplock bag. Break into pieces using a rolling pin.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugars, vanilla, eggs, butter and margarine. Beat in a mixer until fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and soda in another bowl. Add slowly to the butter mixture.

Add the candy cane pieces to the dough. Using a cookie scoop get dough, but then roll into a ball in your hand so they all look the same. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies sit for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Note: Aunt JoAn also swears by Air Bake pans, and I went and bought some--LOVE THEM! I've had perfect cookies since.

Caution: I wouldn't advise using Spree candy canes, or Jolly Rancher candy canes in place of the peppermint.