Lemon Cookies

In my world, all things lemon = all things good. I am as addicted to lemon treats as I am to chocolate. Since these lemon cookies are made with a cake mix, they are soft and moist.

There really isn't much to these, since they are made with a cake mix and ready-to-spread frosting. They are a quick, easy treat that we really enjoyed on our Friday night. The Clyde ate a plateful of them!

Lemon Cookies

1/2 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 two-layer yellow cake mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2/3 cup ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Blend salad dressing, cake mix, and eggs at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Add peel. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes (Dough will be stiff).

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. (Cookies will still appear soft.) Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack.

Stir together frosting and juice until well blended. Spread on cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Read More

Devil's Food Cake With Black Pepper Boiled Icing

The September issue of Bon Appetit features a dessert section with a salt and pepper theme. All of the desserts feature salt or pepper (or both). It had this beautiful picture of a Devil's Food cake that I knew I wanted to try.

This cake is labor intensive. But, I thought it was very good. The pepper in the icing is a unique touch. I wasn't sure that I totally loved it, even though I loved the cake and the filling. But, Brian raved about the icing. He thought the pepper and the chocolate went really well together.

The cakes themselves are very fragile. I froze them before working with them to get some stability. I also used the filling the same day rather than letting it sit in the fridge overnight. It worked well the same day. I don't have one of those neat kitchen torches, so mine is not brulee'd. (Its on my list!)

Ingredients

Filling

• 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60%–64% cacao), chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Cake

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs
• 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso beans

Black Pepper Icing

• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• special equipment

  Three 9"-diameter cake pans, a candy thermometer, and (if you'd like to brûlée the icing) a kitchen torch.

Preparation

Filling

• Combine chocolate and salt in a large bowl; place a fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside. Pour 1 tablespoon cream into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring remaining cream and 1 tablespoon sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk yolks and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture; return to saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly and your finger leaves a path on the back of a spoon when drawn across, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add gelatin mixture to cream mixture; stir to dissolve. Pour through prepared strainer into chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in crème fraîche. Using an electric mixer, beat filling until well blended, about 2 minutes. Press a sheet of plastic wrap onto surface of filling; chill overnight.

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°. Coat the bottom and sides of three 9" cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds.
• Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg and egg white. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water; whisk until smooth. In a separate medium bowl, whisk both flours and next 2 ingredients.
• Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat cocoa mixture into butter mixture. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in cocoa nibs and ground espresso. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, about 17 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans set on wire racks for 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove pans and let cakes cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
• Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Stir filling to loosen. Spread half of filling (about 1 cup) over cake in an even layer. Place second cake layer on top of filling. Spread remaining filling over in an even layer. Place remaining cake layer on top. Chill cake for 1 hour.

Black Pepper Icing

• Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Attach a candy thermometer to side of a small saucepan; add remaining sugar and 1/2 cup water to pan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down side with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 240°, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed until frothy. With machine running, gradually add reserved sugar and salt from small bowl.
• Gradually add hot syrup from saucepan to egg whites, beating at medium-high speed and allowing syrup to drizzle down sides of bowl. Continue beating whites until stiff and cool, about 20 minutes. Add pepper; beat until well blended.
• Immediately spoon topping onto cake. Smooth over top and sides. Working quickly, swirl icing decoratively. DO AHEAD: Cake can be iced 1 day ahead. Cover with a cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. To brûlée the icing, use a kitchen torch to toast icing in spots.

Read More

Random Update

What an amazing run I had this morning! It was fifty-seven degrees when I got up, and it was just too good to pass up. I got in a quick four miles before it was time to come back and get ready for church. It was the first time I've been back on the left leg since the seventeen-miler, and it felt strong with no soreness whatsoever. What a relief - no damage done. Even better, I didn't see any skunks out and about this morning.

For the past few weeks, Brian and I have had several encounters with these little creatures. The first one was a while ago, when we were walking around our block late in the evening. We walked past our back yard onto the street. I noticed something dark moving in the grass, and I thought it was probably a neighborhood cat. As it came closer, I thought it was odd that the cat seemed to be walking towards us backwards. Brian grabbed my arm, and I saw the white stripe up the tail at the same time. Let me tell you, our neighbors have never seen someone running as fast up the street as I was that night. I was booking it, and Brian wasn't far behind me. Turns out, I can run 8-minute miles after all, if I have the proper motivation.

The following morning, we got up for a 1-hour run at 5:30. It was still dark, so we were using flashlights as we ran. We ran near a low-hanging tree, and I got tangled in a large spider web. I was jumping around, freaking out, because I.Hate.Spiders. And, obviously this was a big one, as the web went all of the way around my waist. I made Brian check several times that I didn't have some sort of large, ferocious monster spider on me.

We kept going down our running path, much slower, using the flashlights to watch for more webs. About a quarter mile ahead, our lights shone on yet another very large web stretched across the trail. In the middle of it was a huge spider. I started to step around it when we shone the light down onto the trail to see a skunk slowly crossing, seemingly unware that we were there. Even when we shone our lights on it, he didn't move from the path. Thank goodness we saw the spider web and stopped. Or we would have been smelling funky for a while. After that, we decided to bag the running path and we ran the city streets instead. Skunks and spiders at 5:30 in the morning are a little much for me.

In other news, my babies are back in school now. Yes, I call them my babies even though they are 7 and 9 now. Here they are on their first day:



















*Sob*

I really hate it when school starts back up again. I love our days together in the summer, and I miss them a lot when they go back to school. But, I guess they have to learn to, like, read and stuff.

Bonnie gives me all of the updates, detail by detail, every evening. I know who said what to whom, and everything else that goes on in a 3rd grade classroom. But, Clyde? When I ask him about his day, he tells me what he had for lunch. Boys.

Have an amazing Sunday!

Read More

Sweet N Tangy Chicken

This chicken surprised me. I wasn't sure about the sauce (pictured below), so I served it on the side instead of pouring it on top of the chicken. I thought it might be too sweet, but it was actually very good on the chicken. I also used BSCB instead of a whole chicken. It was a lot easier for the kids to eat.






















Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up and skin removed
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

1. In a 3-qt slow cooker, combine onion and garlic; top with chicken. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until chicken juices run clear.

2. Remove chicken and remove to a serving platter; keep warm. Transfer cooking juices to a saucepan. Skim fat from the cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

Read More

The Seventeen Miler

My legs hurt. I am whiny. And Brian is hogging The Stick. But, my legs are too sore for me to get up and wrestle it from him. For those of you who don't know what The Stick is, let me show you.















This baby is neat-o. It has rollers on it, so when you roll it on your calves and feet after you've run 17 miles, it is a mixture of pain and relief. It works out the soreness and Brian is currently running it all over his feet and making weird noises. I can't distinguish whether it feels good, or if he's in terrible pain. My guess is both.

So, today, he and I decided since the Excel spreadsheet said we have to do 17 miles last Saturday, and we missed it due to our weekend schedules. So, I took the day off, we saw the kids off to school, and began the placement of our ice chests around town for our makeshift water stops. And food snacks.

Here we are at the beginning of our journey:















































The temperatures were lovely. We kept a good, slow, even pace, and all was right with the world. About 3 miles in, I said to Brian, "This is one of the true joys of life. Out for a slow run, enjoying nature, and having this perfect weather." He agreed. We were running Pollyanna's.

We made ourselves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and bought some peanut M&M's, along with my usual honey Stingers and bananas. I ate quite a bit along the way, figuring I was fueling my body, and I kept feeling great.

That lasted up until about the 10th mile. The hills started getting harder. We got quieter. And, I had been drinking water like crazy, and had to go to the bathroom, but it meant I had to run faster to get there, so it was a conundrum.

We kept a pretty good pace until about the 13th mile. I finally got to the bathroom. And, when I sat down on the toilet, I wasn't sure I was going to get back up. The muscles were starting to get sore, and my IT band on the left leg was flaring up from running some of the more uneven trails.

I told Brian we were going to have to slow the pace for the last four miles. And, we did. We slowed down, and while painful, I was able to keep the slower pace up for two miles. It felt like every hill was injecting pain directly into my left leg, and I was a bit concerned that I might be injuring it by continuing on.

Around this time, a good round of nausea set in, and I was regretting all of those M&M's and the PBJ's that I ate during the first two hours. I couldn't even drink water without upsetting my stomach. So, the slower pace was necessary just to keep everything down at that point.

Mile 15 came, and another ice chest break came with it. I was so excited. Even though I couldn't eat or drink anything, we only had two more miles to go. Both of us were experiencing some major muscle soreness in our legs, and my left leg was still screaming. I tried stretching it as much as possible during the break, but couldn't get any relief. I really think if someone had offered to cut off my legs at that point for a small fee, I would have taken them up on it. I was hurting much worse than in the fifteen miler.

We set out on the last two miles, and I was only able to run for a few minutes at a time, and then having to walk it. I tried to concentrate on not puking while Brian prayed loudly next to me during each run. He was hurting as bad as I was, he just didn't have the nausea to go with it.

It felt like mile 16 would never come. We kept ourselves on a run/walk schedule to keep going, but every run felt like so much effort. As slow as we were, we kept going, and it wasn't long before the GPS watches showed mile 17, and the car was within sight.

YEAH. We did it!!

The car was such a lovely sight. He's our "after" pictures.

























A wee bit grumpy, very sick to my stomach and in need of some Advil. Stat!
























Brian was in better spirits, but the reason the door is open in the picture is because it took him about 15 minutes to move his leg in order to close it.

Tonight is all about recovery. The left leg is feeling better. We're in our pajamas, and have been for quite a while. We should have probably done an ice bath, but I couldn't get myself geared up for it. And, I know they say not to recover from these long runs lying down, but let me tell you, I haven't left the recliner this evening.

All we need is some Advil, The Stick, some take-out food, and all is right with the world again.

Two more weeks until the 20-miler!

Read More

Stone Fruit Lattice Pie

I am still working my way through the August issue of Bon Appetit, which is focused on pies. It only seems right that I try as many as possible. I was looking forward to this one, the Stone Fruit Lattice pie. It looks so rustic, and I loved the idea of using different fruits in one pie.

And, it tastes as good as it looks. This one has been my favorite pie so far. (The hubby disagrees with me, as the peanut butter was his fave). The peaches, the nectarines, the plums - they are all so good together in this tasty crust. This one is a must-try.
























Ingredients

Crust

• 1 Unbaked Pie Crust in a 9" glass or metal pie pan (see Master Pie Crust recipe)

Filling

• 2 pounds nectarines
• 1 pound peaches, peeled
• 1 pound plums
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water (optional)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

• Ingredient Info

  Orange-flower water is available in the cocktail-mixers or baking sections of better supermarkets and at Middle Eastern markets.

Preparation

Crust

• Divide dough in half. Roll out one half according to Unbaked Pie Crust recipe. Roll out second dough disk on a lightly floured sruface to a 14" round. Transfer round to a baking sheet. Cover and chill both crusts for 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Filling

Preheat oven to 400°. Halve, pit, and cut fruit into 1/2" thick slices. Place all fruit in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

• 

  
  

Strain fruit, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid; return fruit to same bowl. Whisk cornstarch and reserved fruit liquid in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture, netmeg, and orange-flower water, if using, to fruit; toss gently.

Pour fruit mixture into unbaked pie crust in dish.

Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut 14" dough round into 3/4"-wide strips. Weave strips over filling, forming a lattice.

Trim strips 1/2" shorter than dough overhang. Fold overhang over strips and crimp edges decoratively.

Brush beaten egg over crust edges and lattice. Sprink 1 Tbsp. sugar over. Set pie on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake pie for 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices bubble, about 40 minutes longer. Let cool on a wire rack.

Read More

Soft Molasses Spice Cookies

I am definitely ready for fall. I am just in the mood for fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. I want some pumpkin pie. And, the cooler temperatures. Please give me those cooler temperatures!

These cookies were right up my alley for the fall mood I've been in. Similar to a soft ginger snap cookie, these molasses spice cookies represent all that is great about fall. The Clyde informed me that of all the cookies I have made, these have the best smell. He sat in his chair and sniffed his cookie for a while before he ate it.

I keep thinking maybe someday he'll be a world renowned chef. With his own show on Food Network. I mean, what 7-year old sniffs his cookies? I think he's got major talent.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, divided
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves in medium bowl.

Beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in brown sugar until blended; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until fluffy. Beat in molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour mixture at low speed alternatively with 1/4 cup milk until blended. Stir in raisins, if desired.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until set. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For icing, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar and stir until blended. Add remaining 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla; stir until smooth. If icing is too thick add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Spread icing over tops of cookies. Let stand 15 minutes or until icing is set. Store in airtight contained.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Read More

Clyde vs The Environmentalists

Today, in the car, The Clyde was discussing his usual topics with Bonnie and I. Really, the main things The Clyde discusses are cars and food. Anything else he can talk about for a little while, but the conversation needs to lead back to cars or food. Otherwise, you're going to lose him.

Unfortunately for The Clyde, his Dad works weekends, so many times he is stuck with us girls. That became evident today in the car.

"I think I want a monster truck when I grow up." he said from the back seat.

"Mmmmhmmm." I replied while driving.

"I think monster trucks can knock down trees. So, when I grow up, I want to get a monster truck so I can knock down trees."

"Clyde," I said, "I don't think its a good idea to knock down trees. Why would you want to do that?"

"Well," he answered me, "because its what monsters trucks do."

"But what about this," Bonnie piped up from the back seat, "what if these were apple trees? Would you knock down an apple tree?"

The Clyde was clearly in a conundrum, being forced to pick between wheels and food. Bonnie wore a slight smile on her face for stumping him.

"No food trees." he finally answered her. "I will only knock down leafy trees."

"But, what if animals live in those leafy trees? Like birds and squirrels?" I asked him.

The Clyde was quiet for a while. He knew there was no good answer to this one.

"Mom," he said, somewhat exasperated, "I think if Dad were here, he would help me talk about my monster truck."

I couldn't help but giggle. Poor Clyde. Sometimes us girls gang up on him. We just can't provide the same level of conversation over monster trucks that Dad can. I've already asked Brian to have a monster truck conversation with Clyde in the morning, so he can feel vindicated. And, when they have their discussion? They will probably envision how many trees they will destroy without regard to fruit or wildlife.

That's the good thing about Dads.

Read More

Our Bathroom Remodel Project

Our master bath has been in desperate need of a makeover for a few years now. We go back and forth on it, trying to decide what we want, and how we are going to make it happen. We finally got ourselves a little plan together.

My goal is something like this:












And yes, I want the clawfoot tub. I am working on how to make that happen. I am trying to convince the hubby that we can get one up the stairs, but that's another story entirely.

So, last week, I was renewed with energy to tackle the bathroom, since we finally have a plan. I got myself a hammer and I was ready for Demo day.

And, if you don't watch Flip That House, Demo Day is lots of fun for everyone. You get to take out your aggressions on the wall as you hammer through tile and sheetrock.

Or at least that's how it looked to me on television.

So, Monday morning, I showed up in my bathroom with my sweat pants on, my hammer in tow, and a crowbar (just in case). Brian worked all night, so he wasn't as excited about demo day as I was. In fact, he was still in bed.

I decided I did not need to wait for him, so I began removing tile. Which did not just fall off the wall like it does on TV when I hammered it. Nope, I was having to pry the tile off of the wall, and after a while, I decided it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

So, I went and got a radio and started hammering on random items to see if anything came loose. Around this time, I noticed that Brian had moved into another bedroom to sleep. I guess he just wasn't into Demo Day.

As I hammered on random items around the bathroom, nothing really came loose, which was disappointing. So, I continued my slow tile-removing process. And, then I took a break and got myself a sandwich after I finished a couple of rows of tile.

A few hours later, Brian decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so he got up and retrieved a (much larger) hammer. He started hammering on random things around the bathroom, and much to my dismay, things just fell apart when he hammered on them. Why didn't it work for me? I totally wanted that television moment. I got up early for it, and I even wore a tool belt.

But, I was so excited by the progress that I didn't care.

Within just a few minutes, we took out the lowered ceiling above the bathtub and found some lovely 1960's original wallpaper up there. Do you like it? It can be yours for a low, low price.
























Here's a closer shot of that beautiful wallpaper.


















And then, we hammered some more and found wet walls. And, a few points in the walls where the tile did just fall off, because there was wet sheetrock underneath. The walls smelled very musty and we decided there was no way we could save any of the sheetrock in this area. So, we tore it all out.























It was at this point that Brian said we need to remove the tub. As in, he and I need to remove the tub. And, I explained to him that on Flip This House, they usually threw heavy things like this out the window to a dumpster that was positioned below.

He reminded me that we did not have a dumpster or a window. Which meant we would be carrying it down the stairs.

Let me tell you, this was a total buzzkill. This was an old, porcelain tub that really didn't want to go anywhere. And, it was going to take sheer muscle to move it. Unfortunately for Brian, I have no upper body strength. I am all legs, and like a T-Rex, my arms are useless for most things except flipping pages of a magazine.

So, after pulling on the tub for a while and getting nowhere, we decided we needed to remove the carpet to get the tub out.

And, look what we found underneath the carpet:


















Neat-o. Gold vinyl sticky tile thingies. These are authentic 1960's memorabilia, which can also be yours for a low, low price. I'll make a package deal with the wallpaper.

After pulling up the carpet and padding, we carried the both of them downstairs (and by "we", I mean Brian).

It was time to give the tub one last try.

I stretched my little arms and told Brian I was ready.

And, we heaved. Truth be told, he heaved more than me, but I still heaved.

Much to our amazement, it moved. And, thank goodness, Brian remembered the dolly in the garage. He strapped the tub to it with some bungee cords and the two of us were able to maneuver it down the stairs. Somehow. Someway. I am still not entirely sure how it happened.

But, here's what's left of the bathroom.























It looks practically the same as my example photo. Just a few small tweaks and I think we're there with it.

Stay tuned for the next episode, where Rhonda and Brian attempt to get a clawfoot tub up the stairs, while keeping their marriage intact.

Read More