Crock-pot Beef and Broccoli

Like many working mothers, I love my crock-pot. I have been trying to get ahead of the dinner time-crunch and organize my week with the help of freezer bags and an hour or two on Sunday afternoon, during Freddy's nap-time. Suffice it to say my "cook for the week" journey is a lot like the Mexican - American war, some wins, some loses, and some disasters. Thankfully there is Mexican dictator involved, although my husband might disagree. Nonetheless, this recipe I am happy to report is a definite winner, the trick is to leave out the broccoli and put it in frozen or fresh about 20 minutes or so before you eat.  I do it just as I put on the rice to cook. 

What you need

• 1 pound of all natural grass-fed beef stir-fry 

• 1 cup of dark beef consume

• 1/2 cup of soy sauce

• 1/3 cup of brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil 

• 1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce

• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar 

• 3 large garlic cloves minced

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 16 oz bag of frozen organic broccoli florets (or fresh chopped) 

• cooked rice

• chili flake (optional)

What you do

1. Add all of the ingredients save the broccoli and rice into the crock-pot. Cook on high for 2 and a half hours or 4 hours on low. 
2. Add the broccoli about 20 minutes before you want to eat. 
3. Make the rice
4. Enjoy! 

Make-ahead and freezing instructions

• You can mix all of the ingredients except for broccoli and rice and store in a Ziploc freezer bag. You can either freeze the bag  as it is, or place in your fridge. The ingredients will keep in your freezer for up to 3 days. 

• Remember to label the bag with the dish 

• If you freeze the ingredients, you can either thaw and then cook as instructed or you can put the frozen ingredients directly in the crock-pot. If cooking from frozen increase the time to 3 1/2 hours on high or 6 hours on low. 

As always, much love, many blessings, and happy cooking!

Funfetti Cupcakes and Sea Decorations

I love to cook for my son, actually, making cute food has become a near obsession. Clearly I have not taken it to a Japanese level obsession... seriously, google "bento" and you will understand. Nonetheless, I made (yes, out of a box) Funfetti cupcakes. Which I will not give you the recipe for 1) because it is on the back of the box and 2) because I do not enjoy being sued. But I will share some of our cupcake-adventures. I'm doing a little his and hers. His being my two year-old and hers being me. It is a little unfair as I have a pastry license, but that's life. You need to learn that early.

Sun Cupcakes with Candy Corn

What you need:
2 cupcakes
1/2 cup of prepared icing
yellow food dye
15 candy corns, extra to eat as this is inevitable cooking with me and any member of my family
black and red food gel writers

What you do:
1. Mix the yellow dye and with the frosting. One small drop will do.
2. Frost the cupcakes no special piping bags here... we are on vacation, dagnabit.
3. Add candy corns around the perimeter of the cupcake... I don't know why I used the word perimeter. I feel like that word needs to be reserved for 9th grade geometry or the dirty dozen trying to escape a nazi camp.  But you get the idea, make a circle on the cupcake close the edge.
4. Add the sunglasses and smiles.
5. Enjoy while looking at the beach.

Octopus Cupcakes with Gummy Worms

What you need:
2 cupcakes
1/2 cup of prepared icing
blue food dye
8 gummi worms (and extra to eat... yada yada)
black and red food gel writers


What you do:
1. Mix the blue dye and with the frosting. One small drop will do.
2. Frost the cupcakes as best you can, fingers, butter knife what ever. But you do need a lot of frosting so the gummi worms, I mean octopus arms stick.
3. Perform some gummi worm surgery cutting them in half. Add 8 gummi worm halfs to the octopus.
4. Add the little eyes and smiles.
5. Enjoy


Alas, well I hope you have enjoyed this installment of cooking on the cape... as always, much love, many blessings, and happy baking... cupcake decorating.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

My little one calls blueberries, b-berries. He is a great fan of them, and he loves oatmeal as well. I know... strange kid, but my husband also like the combination so I thought these would make a fit and easy breakfast treat. Here is the recipe adapted from day dream kitchen.

What you need:
2 cups of rolled oats
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of cold cubed butter

3 cups of fresh blueberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
4 teaspoons of cornstarch

What you do:

1. Zest a large orange, and juice save the juice and zest separately. 
2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add the blueberries, sugar. Mix the cornstarch and orange juice to form a slurry, whisk any lumps, add to the blueberries and sugar, cook for 5 minutes or so until thick. Set aside to cool. 
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
4. In your food processor pulse together the oats, flour, brown sugar, orange zest, salt, and cubed butter. 
5. Place parchment paper in a 8 inch square pan. 
6. Pour half of the oat mixture into the pan and press down with your hands. Pour over the cooled blueberry sauce. Then cover with the oat crumbles. 
7. Bake for about 45 minutes. 
8. Let cool completely, refrigerate and cut into squares. Enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert with whipped cream. 

They also freeze beautifully so you can keep them in the chiller and take one out when you want a semi healthy dessert, just pop it in the microwave for a minute. 

As always, much love, many blessings, happy baking. 

Garden Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Too many tomatoes? Yes, everyone with a garden this time of year experiences that. It is funny because we plant our gardens we never think we have enough... and then by august, we can't look at another jar of marinara. But... this is a wonderful tomato recipe that is seriously delicious.

There is a noticeable difference between homemade soup and prepared soup. Not just in the flavor but in the texture as well. It has a fantastic creamy mouth-feel.

What you need:
5 fresh tomatoes
2 red peppers
3 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of flour
2 quarts of water
3 bullion cubes of chicken, beef, or veggie
1 red onion
1 teaspoon of oil
salt and pepper to taste
garnish... like a grilled cheese sandwich :)

What you do:
1. boil a large pot of water, about 2 quarts, you are going to use this as the soup liquid
2. cut a cross into the bottom of the tomatoes and peppers, toss them in the boiling water until the skin starts to pull away.
3. put the boiled veg into a bowl and cover with cling film. let them cool, the steam will continue to take the skin and it gives you time to do the other things.
4. add the bullion cubes to the poaching liquid, and turn to simmer
5. in a separate skillet, add the oil and the chopped onion and let it sweat out and caramelize a little. add the cooked onions to the broth.
6. in the same pan, melt the butter and add the flour. stir until combined and light caramel color, add to the broth.
7. by the veg should be cooled enough to handle. peel the skins off, chop and add to the broth.
8. let cook, about 5-10 minutes, and using an immersion blender or regular blender with the top vented, puree your soup.
9. add seasoning and enjoy with your garnish of choice... and company of choice... for me that is a turkey and cheese grilled sandwich, my husband, and re-runs of new girl... enjoy!

as always, many blessings, much love, and happy cooking!

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

So normally we make pancakes for Freddy on Fridays... but it recently occurred to us, us being Dave and I, that Freddy's French Toast Fridays had a certain ring to it! Also, it allows me to indulge in my love alliteration. But I digress... so Apple cinnamon French toast, this is yet another recipe born of things in the fridge. We had stale bread, we always have too many eggs, milk, and a jar of apple pie filling from Trader Joe's... Voila 5 minute breakfast is born. I'll tell you how I made it.

What you need
2 eggs
a splash of whole milk (maybe like 1/3 of a cup)
stale-ish bread (I cut three relatively large slices into strips so Freddy can eat them easily)
a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (1/2 a teaspoon)
a dash of vanilla (1 teaspoon)
butter, oil, or cooking spray
decorations of your choosing: we used, apple cinnamon pie filling, whipped cream, and cinnamon sugar but any fruit, syrup, or cream will do...


What you do
1. Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon sugar in a bowl.
2. Dip the bread, allow to soak for a little bit, until you are sure that mixture has soaked to the middle
3. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high heat, coat with butter, oil, or spray
4. Cook the french toast on both sides until crispy and lightly golden brown. If your bread is thick, cover the pan with aluminum foil when it is toasting on the first side. The steam will cook the custard mixture on the inside of the thick bread.
5. Let cool, decorate with deliciousness, serve to your little one, and watch your husband steal from your baby... i.e. make more...

Hope you have a happy Friday!

Much love, many blessings, and happy cooking!

Mama's Brown Sugar and Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Come over here and give mama some suga... brown sugar.

Can you blame me, a girl needs a little suga. So while contemplating of deliciousness to bake up for the office, I came across a Zingerman's Gourmet Food Catalogue.

Tangent about my love affair with Zingerman's: Which by the way, if you are ever blessed enough to pass through Ann Arbor, MI, or incredibly blessed enough to live there you know what I mean. Delectables from every corner and nook in the world, a phenomenal bakery that rivals those of Europe and a deli with so much meat it would make Jewish butcher blush. Their Colossal Rubens on Marbled Rye... nuff said. Don't get me wrong University of Michigan maybe the best educational institution in the world, the football games at the Big House, awesome. But I would move their for Zingerman's, alone.

OK I'm back from my mental vacation... Yes, sour cream cake came to mind but what is in a cake without sugar? So this is what the gnomes in my kitchen decided on:

For the cake:

1 stick plus 2 teaspoons butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (i always buy in small quantities and open a new box)
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pour salt (not sea salt)
1 cup sour cream (full fat, none of this fancying about with skim milk bit)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (leave the imitation's for desperate house wives)

For the crumble middle and topping:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a cooking spray to slick up a bunt pan or i am sure any oven-proof dish will do.

In my red hot, oh so sexy Kitchenade, aka my love, with the beater attachment: cream together the butter ("its so creamy its like butta") and brown sugar until light and airy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream and vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Then add the flour. Finally just as everything is coming together, add the baking powder. Pour about half the batter into the prepared baking dish of choice, spreading out to the edges of the creamy goodness.

In a separate bowl make the cinnamon and brown sugar topping, mix with a fork the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle about half of the topping over the cake.

Then add the other half of the batter spreading with a spoonula to cover. Sprinkle all of the left over topping. And put the whole pan of sweet bliss in the oven. (Now you can lick the spoon, this batter, well lets just say i didn't want to bake it.)

Bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Use the toothpick trick to make sure its done. Take the tasty cake out of the oven and let it cool on wire rack.

There you have it, a happy set of tribal leaders at the office and a day of peace and quiet for writing.

Much love and happy baking.