Indoor S'mores Bars

Now that I'm a mom - it's opens a whole new world of food and food prep for me.  When looking to make something Munchkin can help me with, there are different things to think about - what can she help me make that won't make her sick if she eats a little before it's done?  What can we make that can have some margin of error for the amount that will end up on the floor?  What doesn't need a lot of knife work, heat or patience (on both our parts)?

Now, Munchkin is just turning ONE this month (OMG!!).  She isn't really helping me yet, but I came across this recipe as something to make as a give away for her birthday party.  It's a beautiful layered jar mix.  As I was testing it for yummy-ness (as not all jar mixes are as awesome in taste and they are in look in the jar) I found it was the perfect kid recipe!  Simple ingredients - check!  Nothing raw - check!  Easy for little hands - check (she can even use her hands to mix when she is dexterous enough)!  Nothing really hot (except a little time in the oven) and no real knife work - check check!!

...AND it's super yummy to boot!

I made 4 batches of this in one night for an event at work (I got 60+ bars) and hardly broke a sweat.  Even better - you probably already have everything in your pantry.

Indoor S'mores Bars

as adapted from Cookies and Cups recipe for Campfire Bars (visit here)

1½ cups graham crackers cut into 1" pieces (I used teddy grahams to look festive and avoid chopping)

1½ cups mini marshmallows

¾ cup chocolate chips

½ cup plain granola (I've used vanilla bean and honey so far)

½ cup packed light brown sugar

8 Tbsp butter - melted and cooled a little

 

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. 

 

Mix all ingredients with a bowl until all pieces are gleaming with buttery goodness.  Spread in an 8x8 baking pan, making sure to pat down the graham crackers that are sticking up a bit.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

 

Cool completely before cutting.

 

One batch makes 16 bars.

To make as a give away - layer all ingredients except butter in order listed (graham cracker on bottom and brown sugar on top) into a quart size mason jar.  Print directions and attach to jar.

 

Almost all packaged for party goodies -
just need to add tags and directions!

 

52 Weeks, 52 Cookbooks

After a year hiatus from writing, I've decided that I'm going to challenge myself. My challenge - 52 weeks, 52 cookbooks.

Way back when Friendster was old, but MySpace was new, I had looked at my cookbook collection and realized that I had purchased quite a few cookbooks, but never had cooked out of them. They were pretty and fat with ideas of culinary delights, but there were only a handful that I had ever actually cooked out of. I decided then to cook one thing (at least) out if every cookbook I owned. 

The same rings true today. My original challenge has never been met but I feel that since my cookbook selection has more than tripled since then, it's even more important to say that I have honestly used all the cookbooks I own.

Now, with 200+ cookbooks and half in storage, I think that might be a hearty challenge for someone who has been thinking about this for 8+ years. So, so I amend my challenge and add writing about it.

52 weeks, 52 cookbooks 

I have 2 shelves in my living room that are loving adorned with 67 of my most beautiful and favorite cookbooks and still, I have only cooked out of less than a quarter of them, much to the chagrin if my husband. 

With the addition if 6 new cookbooks I received for Christmas and the one other one I still plan to buy, I will pick 52 cookbooks I have not cooked from and try something new each week.  For better or worse, I will share pictures, recipes and experiences with you.

The 6 new Christmas 2012 additions - now... where to put them?

#52cookbooks

Gingerbread NYC Style - Gingerbread Brownstone

This is a wonderful post I saw on Facebook today (posted by Etsy) that give instructions on how to make a Gingerbread Brownstone.

Enjoy and share if you give it a go!

Build a Gingerbread Brownstone
By: kitchentablescraps

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Gingerbread-Brownstone/

Holy crap!  This is awesome!!

And...she lights up!

Photos borrowed from instructables.com to show just how awesome this house is.

The Last Few Days of September...

When I think of September, a bright red apple comes to mind.  There is a slight crispness in the air and school is back in full swing.  The leaves haven't turned yet, but football is in the field and on the TV and chili is on the stove.

But in recent memory, September is just as balmy and hot as August.  The AC is still on overnight and it's way to hot to make apple pie in my kitchen (aka The Hot Box).  Grrr...where have my cool September days gone?

This weekend, even though it was 80 degrees in my area of New York, I was able to catch a breeze (aided by an electric fan) and curl up on my couch and break open a fall harvest book with a warm cup of cider and imagine what I would be doing for October (the time when it will get really crisp and chilly).  My book of choice this weekend?  Homemade Harvest by Gooseberry Patch.

Gooseberry Patch was founded in 1984 by Vickie Hutchins and Jo Ann Martin, two women who loved sharing recipes.  They have created a wonderful line of cookbooks (mainly) that are compilations of submission from others who love to share their recipes from all over the country.  They each carry a theme, memories and stories about that theme and/or recipe along with tips and tricks from the staff at Gooseberry Patch.

My first encounter with Gooseberry Patch was Homemade Harvest.  This beautifully simple spiral bound book has beautiful illustrations and fall inspired recipes and crafts.  It covers soups and breads, suppers and a section that focuses exclusively on Halloween.  There is a chapter called Fall Festival Favorites, but it's mainly Friday Night Lights and tailgating friendly recipes and stories and another section that prepares you for a camp out or your next night beside the fire pit (for those of us that don't camp).  There is also a section on fall breakfasts full of eggs, sausage and pumpkins - YUM!

I spend the later half of Saturday afternoon reading this book from cover to cover.  If definitely put me in the fall mood, even if the thermometer was trying to convince me it was still Summer.  I'm sure that everyone could find at least one recipe or craft to try at home.

The First Annual NYC Honey Festival - An Afternoon in Rockaway

So I pick up my most recent edition of Edible Queens and I see an ad for the First Annual New York City Honey Festival on September 17th.  What fun!  I love honey and it would be awesome to spend the day at Rockaway Beach and taste local honey.

I think a lot of people had the same idea we did.  We showed up at about 2:30pm and the place had almost run out of honey already.  Sad, but we did each get a small jar of local honey before the supplies were depleted.  We checked out the vendors which included the likes of NY Bee Keeping advocates and local farmers.  There was a pickle vendor (Horman's Best Pickles), a HOT honey vendor (Mike's Hot Honey), two honey based craft beers (Six Point Brewery) and screen print your own bee hive t-shirts.  There was also a tasting/ranking of your favorite honeys.

We ate at Ode to the Elephant (Thai food) and AND Coffee (the BEST Hot Chocolate I've had out in a while, though they were out of marshmallows) both located in the Rockaway Beach Club (aka the NY State Park pavilion on the boardwalk).

The weather was perfect, the location was beautiful, the festival was educational and fun but the only thing missing was Stella, my sister's pup.  She would have had a blast with all the sand, surf and bees.

These hard workers didn't stop to wave to the crowds.

NY State has approved bee keeping the the boroughs -
roof tops of Brooklyn, here they come!

This poor little guys just didn't want to let go!

Honey Extraction - scrapping the wax from the comb to
get that beautiful golden liquid from its caves

The difference between a dark, amber looking honey (late season)
and a pale, golden honey (mid summer).  You can see the light color
on the top of the light wood and the dark combs in the metal racks.

No rest for these busy bees...haha...get it?

My Third and Final Assignment in the Series - Describe the Taste of a Food Item

Here goes...

My Goodburger Burger

Warm and cool. Sweet and savory. Creamy and crumbly. Smoky and sharp. Tart and mellow. Meaty and bready.

Red onions, dill pickles, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, medium rare ground meat and a toasted bun. Yum!

My Second Assignment (After Class Feedback) - Describe the Smell of a Food Item

Assignment #2 - I kind of missed the mark with the smell, but it's still a pretty good story to read. 

The Doughnut...

The raw, flour scented dough is something unspectacular until it meets the unassuming, unflavored hot oil. Once the two meet, the air fills with the scents of vanilla and butter. After 30 seconds, the scent of crisp, sweet bread is added to the mix and in a final 30 seconds, the circle of once raw, tasteless, limp dough is a fully cooked, sturdy cake scented slightly with honey, surely evoked by the beautiful golden color of the ring.

It falls off the tray, too hot to be touched and rests while the bath of powdered sugar and cinnamon await it. Once cool enough to touch, it is thrown mercilessly into its awaiting power cover. The heat of the now cooked hoop lets loose the spice and sweet of its coating, melting the super fine sugar powder creating a perfect glaze. Waiting with its circular brethren, it sits emanating its sweet vanilla and spice aromatherapy, ready to be enjoyed.

Cider Doughnuts c/o The Web

Slim Dark Hot Chocolate

The temperature has been hitting a high of 25 degrees here in New York City. I know that might be warm weather for some, but in NYC, where we just get wind chill and no snow, it's friggin' cold!

With the cold weather, the first thing I think about is Hot Chocolate. I have tried most of the powders out there. There are some that are good and some that are flavored water, but I still think that the few extra minutes needed to make hot chocolate with milk, cocoa powder and sugar is totally worth it!

Now, with New Year's and a wedding coming very soon, I also move to my slim hot chocolate. It's got all the taste of a deep rich pot du chocolat, but with fewer calories (and a little less thick).

Heidi's Dark Hot Chocolate
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 packet of splenda
1 tsp. good vanilla extract
pinch of salt (you do need it, promise)
1 c skim or low-fat milk

Pour milk into a small pot and set stove-top to medium. pour all the rest of the ingredients in without shame and take a whisk and start to stir. The cocoa powder will resist the bath, but keep whisking, it will be a dark chocolate pool soon. Heat to drinking temp (the temp you want it at) but be careful not to boil the milk. Pour into your favorite warm weather cup and enjoy!

A few favorite additions of my own (all of these are to taste):

• Peppermint Schnapps - add after so as not to cook off any of the alcohol. For a "virgin" version, use a few drops of peppermint extract.
• Marshmellows - very few calories and always a fun addition. I love how they melt into gooeyness!
• Whipped Cream - there are a million versions available for whipped cream for every fat level.
• Dark Fruit Cordial - Any dark berry cordial (cherry or raspberry, just as examples). Again, you can also use the extracts for any of these flavors.
• Coconut flavoring - Yummy!!
• Orange liquor - Contreau or the like. It's a dark chocolate orange!

What ever your flavor preferences, make it your own. There is always a little trial and error in finding your favorite. Hot chocolate is a crowd pleaser and another simple treat that always gets "wows" from those that partake. Come up with something wonderful or maybe a little different and the see how fast it goes!

An American Classic - The Hamburger!

There is something very American about a hamburger. I might be an anglophile, but I will never give up the want or need for a thick, juice patty of ground beef...usually slathered with cheese, pickles, mustard and ketchup for me.

On a recent business trip to Ohio, I came across a Johnny Rockets in the Columbus airport. I ordered, sat and enjoyed. As I took one juice bite after the next, I took in my surroundings. For those that have not been to a Johnny Rockets before, they are a homage to "the Good Ol' Days" - the 1950's soda shops. There are Coca-Cola ads with kids enjoying a tall drink, pictures of candy apple red hot rods scattered all over the walls and a wonderful mix of Doo Wap and Jukebox music filling the air.


What do you think of when you think of a big juicy burger? Do you imagine a soda jerk bringing you a hamburger, milkshake and fries? How about the joy you felt when you were 5 and got a happy meal from McDonald's when you achieved a goal? What about summer barbeques with fresh corn, burgers on the grill and chips on the table?

The Hamburger is mixed to a lot of very American memories and emotions. But...how did it all start? Well, what could be more American that at a County Fair? According to Wikipedia, there are a couple of legends. One is that residents of Hamburg, New York, which was named after Hamburg, Germany, attribute the hamburger to Ohioans Frank and Charles Menches. According to legend, the Menches brothers were vendors at the 1885 Erie County Fair (then called the Buffalo Fair) when they ran out of sausage for sandwiches and used beef instead, naming the result after the location of the fair.

Another also includes a Fair. The Seymour Community Historical Society of Seymour, Wisconsin, credits Charlie Nagreen. Now known as "Hamburger Charlie", Nagreen was fifteen when he reportedly made sandwiches out of meatballs he was selling at the 1885 Outagamie County Fair (now the Seymour Fair), so that customers could eat while walking. The Historical Society explains that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak with which local German immigrants were familiar.

One more fun fact before we go...For us in NYC - in 1921, due to widely prevalent anti-German sentiment in the U.S. during World War I, an alternative name for hamburgers (remember Hamburg, Germany?) was salisbury steak. Following the war, hamburgers became unpopular until the White Castle restaurant chain marketed and sold large numbers of small 2.5-inch square hamburgers, known as slyders. They started to punch five holes in each patty, which help them cook evenly and eliminates the need to flip the burger. White Castle was the first to sell their hamburgers in grocery stores and vending machines.

However you enjoy your burger...I hope you take as much joy as I did with my BBQ Burger on a cool Tuesday afternoon at the airport in Columbus, OH!

Thank you Wikipedia for your info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

Foodie Books - On the Light Side

I have to tell you...I am obsessed!! Joanne Fluke writes the Hannah Swensen murders...It's like Jessica Fletcher meets Mrs. Fields.

A few years ago I was searching for something that was a light and easy Christmas read. I love to cook (duh) and I love mysteries, so I picked up The Sugar Cookie Murder, by Joanne Fluke. I started to read it...and honestly, wasn't impressed. I was simple and easy. Hannah's constant correction of her sister's grammar and the long winded descriptions of things that had nothing to do with anything started to bother me. I was about 1/2 way through the book and only pages away from finding out who the murderer was. What was going on? I found out who it was, was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't who I thought it was and that the book had left me all the clues, and then turned the page to find that 1/2 the book was a cookbook! Cool!! It's stayed with the cookbooks in my kitchen first and then my mother's kitchen.

Fast forward to last month. I was looking for something to grab my attention. I needed an escape. My mom is my source for my books. She had picked up another one of the Joanne Fluke books and had read through it in just a few short days. She's fast, but not that fast. She had gotten so caught up in the serial aspects of the books that she has gone out and bought three more the next day. She passed them off to me and sure enough, the same thing happened to me!! In less than a month I had read 4 books (rereading the one Christmas book) and was hungering for more.

Hanna Swensen is a 30 year old cookie shop owner. She has a knack for finding the bodies of those that meet a murderous end. I liken the books to a good Sunday afternoon Lifetime Movie Channel 2-hour mystery series, like Mystery Woman or Murder 101. In fact, when reading, I have thought about how to stage the whole thing and if I was a movie maker how I would do it!

Fluke welcomes you into a world of county fairs, small town cops, snow up to you eyeballs, and a cat that has more personality than my cats combined. This being said - YOU WILL GET ADDICTED!! Reading one on it's own you can enjoy it, but when you read the series in order, you see that she starts to develop plots 2-3 books ahead of time with subtleties. I'm usually surprised by who did it, but not in the Murder She Wrote way where there was something Jessica knew but noone else did until she revised it. She leaves you all the clues, you just have to figure it out.

There is also a bonus - EVERY BOOK HAS RECIPES IN THEM!! And they are good!! They average about 10-15 recipes per book (except The Sugar Cookie Murder which was 1/2 a recipe book)

So the short of the long post above - I recommend the Hanna Swensen murder mystery series, but with a warning - you will want to read them all! Just start at the top and work your way down. I promise you'll be done before the Apple Turnover Murder is available in February!

A Challenge!

In my search of an image of the book I'm reading currently (Key Lime Pie Mystery) I came across the blog post by Bloggin' 'bout Books (http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2009/05/my-light-fluffy-fluke-thon.html) Her experience was so similar to mine that I had to reference her. She has decided to start a FLuke-A-Thon for herself. Now, I don't have anywhere near the following she has (Is anyone reading me?), but I thought why not, right? I have added to the sidebar my own Fluke-A-Thon tally. I'll keep you up on how I'm doing. If you want to...please join me!



My Fluke-A-Thon official starts today! The ones I have read are in BOLD

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
2. Candy for Christmas (a novella that appears inside special editions of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.)
3. Strawberry Shortcake Murder
4. Blueberry Muffin Murder
5. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
6. Fudge Cupcake Murder
7. Sugar Cookie Murder (I reread this one)
8. Peach Cobbler Murder
9. Sugar and Spice (novella/short story - part of a collection)
10. Cherry Cheesecake Murder
11. Key Lime Pie Murder (currently reading)
12. Carrot Cake Murder
13. Candy Cane Murder
14. Cream Puff Murder
15. Plum Pudding Murder (released September 2009 - only in hardcover)
16. Apple Turnover Murder (to be released in hardcover February 2010)

A Cuppa and a Scone - Irish Style

When you think of the Greek Fair, do you immediately want a hot dog? Not usually. When you are at NYC's San Gennaro Festival, do you desire Zeppolis and Sausage and Peppers? Yes!

Last weekend was the Great Irish Faire of New York at Coney Island. This means two things to me...Coney Island - Nathan's Hot Dogs and Irish Faire - Guinness!

Nathan's was not a problem and definitely a great choice (I actually had a corn dog, but I'm a sucker for their sweet meaty taste on a stick!). The wait was about 1/2 hour, as expected, and as always, it was worth it. I think it might actually be sacrilegious to not go to Nathan's if you are in Coney Island.

The surprise came from the Irish Faire...the GREAT Irish Faire...the GREAT (no Guinness or other Irish Stout) Faire. There was Harps and Hard Cider, but it's not Guinness. What did I get? A cup of tea and bit of Irish Soda Bread. Can I tell you...It was all amazing! I have tea every day, but this was tea, with a soda bread scone made lovingly by the fine AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians) surrounded by the Celtic tunes emanating from the stage made it the perfect Cuppa and the "Irish" experience I was looking for.

What is my point? I think that there is something to the concept that Italian food tastes better in Italy. Food is a function of so many of our senses. When setting up a restaurant, there is a lot of planning that goes into the design and layout. One of the most important parts of that is atmosphere. What do you want the feel of your restaurant to be? Where to you want people to imagine they are? Do you want people to remember they are in a strip mall surrounded by a dollar store and a bagel shop, or do you want people to think they are in the ivy covered terrace of a bistro on the French Riviera? The reason for this is the simple fact that the chef is the same, the ingredients are the same but still, food served in the atmosphere of it's origin creates a whole experience making the food, in a sense, taste better!

In trying to make everyday a little journey into culinary exploration, I think that the weekend helped me to truly understand this concept. Coney Island is the place for a Hot Dog and an Irish Faire has the best Cup of Tea and Soda Bread I've tasted.

Perfection leads to delays

When I started this blog I thought of all that it could be. I would be the next BIG food writer and the New York Times would be knocking on my door for my recipes and insight. Uh, yeah..No!

In focusing on what it could be I had lost the site of what it was...a forum to express my thoughts and achievements on food. There is one dear friends (Cat's Litter Box) and one awesome sister (Will Travel For Wine and Food) that also have blogs. They are true outlets for what makes them happy. They are not money makers or a place to hit it big (though the practice is not bad). They are places that they share what they love. I feel like I have lost that concept recently.

I look to both of them to take a new approach to The Non-Foodie Foodie. I am getting married in a year (YEAH!). I hope to share what I learn on my journey to the alter and maybe a few cool food things along the way!

So I, Heidi, promise to chill out on the perfection and profoundness of every blog posting I do and to post more often! Perfection is what leads to delays because, truly, nothing is ever perfect!

The Decorating Class, Part III

It seems that this set of classes has taken over my life. Without a day job at the moment, this really seems to have become my world. It’s been a lot of fun!

I’ve completed 2 of 4 courses and taking the band-aid and ripping it off in one swoop and taking the last 2 class this month. It’s a lot of icing and cake, but with the weather cooler, I think my kitchen can take it.

Here are a few more examples of the new tricks and techniques I’ve learned.



This is my Course 3 final – it was a tiered cake (as you can see, duh!) and the layers are covered in fondant. The top layer is store bought fondant and the bottom is homemade marshmallow fondant - (http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm). The roses are fondant and lilies and petunia’s are royal icing.



I did things backwards and am just now taking Course 2. Here are the products of the first two lessons – (clockwise) mums, violets, apple blossoms and daisies.



Fondant and Gum Paste (the fourth class) is going pretty good too! Here are the daisies that came out of the first lesson along with the carnations we made this week. Pretty!

For anyone who's interested - it's fun and after supplies, costs about as much as a regular cooking class, but you get to keep the stuff. Here's the Wilton's Class website - http://www.wilton.com/classes/local_classes.cfm.

The Decorating Class, Part II

The class was a success! I have figured out that the rose is something that I will not soon offer up to do for free, but it was a great experience. So great, in fact, that I have decided to take another class with my friend again, Course 3.

We decided that basket weaves and more flowers didn’t interest us as much as fondant and royal icing flowers. Week one has passed and we had a whirl win class of garlands and borders reminiscent of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, as the band gathers around the gazebo in the park (they would look really good on a 4th of July cake). Other’s included a hand contorting fabric looking border and a ruffle garland that took us 20 minutes and two icing tips to master only to find out that our kit included a tip that does both steps in one shot. That was a little annoying.

All in all, this class is much more intense than the one previous. It is nice though, it is only the two of us and the teacher. My baking buddy and I are both quick to pick things up, so I think that we will walk out of this one with a plethora of information (oh, and of course $100 more decorating paraphernalia).

Next time is fondant. This is what I’ve been waiting to play with the whole time! I have dreams of a Tiffany & Co. blue box cake and actually figured out what I need to tint the fondant the color I need. YEAH! That will be soon to come, promise!

Ladies and Gentleman! – My final project for Course 1 (pre-discoloration – a topic for another time).



My Course 1 final homework, THE ROSE! These are the ones that I made at home for the final class.




Some shots of more of my prep for the final class - it was a bit of overkill with the amount I made, but these I LOVED making. So easy and so pretty! I used them on cupcakes too.

The Decorating Class Part I

So, I am taking a Wilton Decorating Class at Michael's with a good friend and baking buddy. It's interesting. The decorating style of Wilton's is very "Women's Day" and "Soccer Mom". I put these is quote becuase I don't know reallly how to describe it. It beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it's very "Mom". Because of this style, this class has given me an additional challenge.

My personal style is a clean line, contemporary look or at the opposite end of the spectrum, a very rustic, made in a wood burning oven in 1600's English country side look. This class takes me beyond my comfort zone and into an area I'm not so sure about. The techniques are good and easy to pick up, but this class, as any good class does, is giving me the additional challenge of creativity. I don't automatically think like the buttercream roses and scalloped boarders that I am learning to do. What do I do with this new knowledge and how do I integrate it into the creative thinking that I already have going?

This is my first class project. Everyone did the same thing. I don't think it's too bad for a first try, though I do know that I need to keep practicing if I want someone to pay for something I made someday.



My homework is done for tommorow (all frosting made) and hopefully I'll have a few great roses to show next time!

Taking this class has also sparked an interest in fondant (something close to a sugar fabric that you can use to cover cakes for a smooth finish - VERY popular on wedding cakes these days) and wanting to try that for it's clean lines and flexability. The challenge in that - finding a fondant that tastes good as well as works well. Traditionally, fondant takes like, well, nothing. It can have flavor, but it's usually very gummy and most eat around it. I'll keep you posted on my search.

For anyone who's interested - it's fun and after supplies, costs about as much as a regular cooking class, but you get to keep the stuff (including the creepy clown heads). Here's the Wilton's Class website - http://www.wilton.com/classes/local_classes.cfm. I'm taking Course 1! You can also take them and eventually teach them. That's what I think I'm going to work towards!