New Year's Day Brunch

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Everyone is getting ready for big New Year's Eve parties, but I prefer to stay low key tonight and celebrate tomorrow with a New Year's Day brunch! Brunch is my favorite meal and a great one to host. You can make it as easy or as complicated as you'd like. I prefer to try to do as much as possible ahead of time, serving coffee cakes, muffins and other baked items I can make the night before. Here are a few tips and recipe ideas for your own brunch celebration:


Tip #1: Bake items the night before. Choose items that can be made ahead so you can enjoy your guests. Muffins and Coffee Cakes are a great choice.

Tip #2: Consider Pot-luck: You can ask other guests to bring things so you aren't spending too much time in the kitchen. Again, the idea is to be able to enjoy your guests. If you want to do the baking, you can ask guests to bring an egg, meat or vegetable dish. Or just ask them to bring some fresh fruit, which is always a great part of any brunch.

Tip #3: Even if you are making everything yourself, choose dishes that can be made ahead of time and kept warm in the oven. Things like egg casseroles, french toast, or hash browns are good options. Cover with tin foil and put in the oven at 250. Or you could make MOST of the meal ahead of time and have just ONE item that needs to be made on the spot - pancakes, eggs to order, etc.

Tip #4: Have several drink options - Coffee, Tea, (and Decaf coffee or tea) as well as a variety of juices. Some brunch cocktails can be great too - Mimosas and Bloody Marys can be made by the pitcher quickly and easily just before serving the food. Sure, it's nice to make individual drinks, but we're trying to keep it EASY here! :)

Here are some Menu Ideas. Just click on the link for the recipe:


Go British with fancy teas and freshly made Scones:  Recipe for Traditional Cream SconesHow to brew proper cup of Tea  Great Coffee Cakes you can make ahead:  Almond Coffee CakeI also make a cranberry almond coffee cake by adding one cup chopped fresh cranberries to this recipe.  Cinnamon Coffee Cake  Lemon Coffee Cake Muffins can also be made ahead and are a healthier option:  Zucchini Spice / Carrot Spice Muffins
 Apple Breakfast Muffins  Sugar 'N' Spice Muffins (okay, so these ones are not as healthy as the ones above, but they are my favorite!)  Or do traditional breakfast fare with these Homemade Pancakes: 
Homemade Pancakes 
 You can even "carmelize" some apples to put on top - just peel and slice 2-3 large apples, put them in a sautee pan, add 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and cinnamon (or other spices to taste) cook on medium heat until the apples have softened and the sauce is syrupy like caramel.

Easy Valentine's Day Treats

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If you are looking for sweets for your sweetie, but you don't want to get into complicated decorating, here are some treats that look lovely and are pretty easy to make (links or instructions are below each picture):  
Bon-Bons and Cake Truffles


Nutella Hearts: This one is so simple it doesn't need its own recipe.
Take your favorite sugar cookie dough, roll it out and cut into hearts.
Bake as directed and spread Nutella over one heart, then top with another heart.  Jam Hearts: Same as above, just use good quality seedless jam instead of Nutella.
I like to cut a little "Window" out of half of the hearts (the ones that will go on top)
so the jam shows through like a Linzer cookie. Then dust with powdered sugar. 
 "Pink Lady" Cupcakes: Using the Strawberry Butter Cake recipe, make into cupcakes and frost with Whipped Strawberry Buttercream
  Red and White Swirl Cupcakes: Make your favorite cupcake recipe and white frosting (I used Whipped Butter Rum Frosting for this - it is tasty and sophisticated).Get a pastry bag and paint 3-4 stripes of red food coloring inside the bag (from the tip outward). Then fill the pastry bag with the white frosting and choose any decorator tip you like. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and it will come out with both red and white swirls. Top with store-bought heart candies.

 Sinful Chocolate Buttercream  Chocolate Rolled Cookies  

Baker's Calendar

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I love any excuse to bake, so I have what I fondly call my "Baker's Calendar." This list reminds me of the various holidays, change of seasons, and events coming up. If you're like me, you can use these events as an excuse to try out new recipes and dig up old favorites. Obviously any old weekday can also be a baking day, but these allow you to bake with a THEME in mind! :)

My baking calendar goes like this:

New Year's
Valentine's Day
Mardi Gras
St. Patrick's Day
Maple Tapping Season
Easter/Start of Spring
Cinco de Mayo
Mother's Day
Start of Summer
Father's Day
Fourth of July
Kids' birthdays (mine happen to be summer babies)
End of Summer
Back to School
Autumn / Apple and Pumpkin season
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Gingerbread House Season
Christmas / Hanukkah

Winter Baking with Canned and Frozen Fruit

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These days, we can generally get a variety of fruits and vegetables year-round due to long distance shipping and air freight. But buying produce out of season never quite tastes as good, and there is growing environmental concern over the energy used to get that food to us in the dead of winter. For all of these reasons, I try to use fruits and vegetables IN SEASON. Canned and frozen fruits can be a good substitute, especially since they are often picked at peak season before they go into a can or a freezer.

Which fruits are good canned or frozen, and which ones should we just wait to have them fresh? Are there special steps to take before baking with frozen or canned fruits that is different from using fresh? Here is a guide to baking with canned or frozen fruits:

Blueberries - Blueberries are available frozen all year round. They are also available canned, but often the canned ones come in a sweetened syrup. For pies, muffins, breads, and pancakes, I recommend using frozen berries. Spread them out on a paper towel and let them thaw, then use in the recipe as if they were fresh. If popping them into breads and muffins, you often don't even have to thaw them - follow your particular recipe. Canned blueberries (if you can find them in just water) should be rinsed and spread on paper towels to dry before using. I do not like how mushy the canned ones are, so I would only recommend them for items where the filling is all going to mush together like a jam anyway (blueberry bars, etc.) I do not use canned berries for any baked item where I want to see the individual berries (i.e. muffins).

Strawberries - Strawberries are available frozen. They get mushy after they've been frozen, so use them in things where they can be made into a syrup or a jam-like layer in bars and coffee cakes. The other great use for strawberries is to cut or mash them, macerate them in sugar, then puree them. Use this puree in strawberry cakes, cupcakes or buttercreams: Strawberry Butter Cake

Cherries - Sour cherries (the ones that give cherry pie its signature tartness) are rarely available in my area, even during their brief season. And since I have not found sour cherries frozen in my area, I am always forced to use canned. OreGon brand water-packed tart cherries make a good pie, just drain them and then make the filling according to your recipe. Dark Sweet cherries are widely available frozen, and these are great for baking as well. They are sweet, not tart like sour cherries. You don't always have to thaw them before using, but follow the specific instructions according to the recipe. (For example, if you are making a pie, they will thaw during the macerating phase, so you don't need to pre-thaw them.)

Squash/Pumpkin - You can cook your own and freeze it for later use, but to be honest, I love using canned pumpkin and canned squash. (NOT pumpkin pie filling in a can, but just plain cooked pumpkin or squash). Although it is not difficult to cook them yourself (and it does add a layer of flavor, especially if you roast the squash), canned has several benefits: First, you can always have a can on hand, just sitting in your cupboard, ready any time to make breads, cakes, muffins and pies. Second, it cuts down a lot on your prep time. Cooking pumpkin/squash may not be difficult, but it takes time. It usually adds a good hour on to your prep time. I do cook some pumpkin each year when the sugar pumpkins are in season, but on the whole this is one time when the difference in flavor is not dramatic enough for me to feel guilty about using canned most of the time.

Personalized Mosaic Craft for Kids

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Earlier this week I shared photos from my youngest daughter’s Rainbow Art Birthday Party.  Today, I’ll share all the details of one of the main crafts the children completed at the party.

When thinking of craft ideas for the party, I wanted something that would take a little time to create, be personalized for each child, and result in a craft that would look great enough to save.  I was quite happy with what I came up with, and this craft is very adaptable to a variety of occasions, and ages.

At our party, the children creating the crafts were all about 6 years old.  They were able to enjoy the craft, and complete it with just a little bit of adult help.  This project would be great for boys or girls ages 6+ (again, ages 6-7 may need a bit of help).

Here’s how we made them…

The supplies you’ll need are…

1- Bottle of Mod Podge (pictured above) – Sold near other glues in the craft store.

Sponge paint brushes (2 per child)  – 1 brush will be used to paint the letter, one will be used to mod podge the tissue to the canvas, planning two brushes per child prevents you from having to wash the brushes between stages.

Cardboard (chipboard) letters (1 per child) – I bought the letters at Hobby Lobby, they are sold in the scrapbooking section.  The letters pictured cost $1.95 each.

8″x10″ paint canvas (1 per child) - Use any size canvas you like, that is large enough to hold the letters you buy.  I found the best price was at Michael’s, where I bought a 10 pack of canvases for $20.

Assorted craft paint (as shown above) -  I find it’s best to limit the choices a bit, or children will spend too long making their selection.  Provide 4-6 total color choices, making sure there are appropriate choices for boys and girls (if you have both boys and girls at the party).

Assorted colors of tissue paper, cut or torn into small pieces – I bought a box of pre-cut tissue paper squares from Lakeshore Learning Store.  There are lots of alternatives here… you could cut your own tissue squares, have the children tear tissue for the project, or use assorted colored papers of any kind.

Hot glue gun (and glue) 

The cost for each project was under $5 (this will vary of course based on your supplies).   For me, the canvases were $2 each, the letters were $2 each, the paint less than $5 (for 6 bottles).   I already had the bottle of mod podge, the tissue and the hot glue gun.

Note- It may be good to prepare a sample mosaic, so kids can see what the final project will look like.  I had my older daugher prepare the example a few days before the party.

Getting started…

Allow the children to choose the paint color, and start painting their letter.  I had each letter laying on a piece of paper, so that paint would not get on the table (at least not too much).  Once the letters are painted, move them (with the paper underneath) to a place to dry (preferably outside, where they will dry the quickest).

Next, get started on the canvases.  Provide each child with a small dish of mod podge glue, and allow them to chose a mix of colored tissue to cover their canvas.  Using a sponge brush, apply mod modge to the canvas, in a small section, then lay a single layer of tissue paper squares (overlapping just a bit).  Apply a second layer of mod podge glue on top of the tissue paper.  Continue working in sections around the canvas.  Make sure there is a good layer of mod podge BOTH below and on top of the tissue paper.  The mod podge glue will dry clear.

Allow the mosaic canvases to dry.  Our canvases were mostly dry after being outside about an hour (depending on the weather, they make take a longer).

Once the letters and canvases are dry, attach the letters to the canvas using hot glue.  Drying time will vary based on your weather and how thick the paint or mod podge was layered.  If the projects are not quite dry at the end of your party, you could send the two pieces home separately, to be glued together (at home) once dry.

It was fun to see each child’s personality a bit, in the way they created their mosaics.

This would be a fun project for a birthday party, holiday craft party, school art project or church camp/Vacation Bible School.

Happy Crafting!

New Year's Day Brunch

To contact us Click HERE
Everyone is getting ready for big New Year's Eve parties, but I prefer to stay low key tonight and celebrate tomorrow with a New Year's Day brunch! Brunch is my favorite meal and a great one to host. You can make it as easy or as complicated as you'd like. I prefer to try to do as much as possible ahead of time, serving coffee cakes, muffins and other baked items I can make the night before. Here are a few tips and recipe ideas for your own brunch celebration:


Tip #1: Bake items the night before. Choose items that can be made ahead so you can enjoy your guests. Muffins and Coffee Cakes are a great choice.

Tip #2: Consider Pot-luck: You can ask other guests to bring things so you aren't spending too much time in the kitchen. Again, the idea is to be able to enjoy your guests. If you want to do the baking, you can ask guests to bring an egg, meat or vegetable dish. Or just ask them to bring some fresh fruit, which is always a great part of any brunch.

Tip #3: Even if you are making everything yourself, choose dishes that can be made ahead of time and kept warm in the oven. Things like egg casseroles, french toast, or hash browns are good options. Cover with tin foil and put in the oven at 250. Or you could make MOST of the meal ahead of time and have just ONE item that needs to be made on the spot - pancakes, eggs to order, etc.

Tip #4: Have several drink options - Coffee, Tea, (and Decaf coffee or tea) as well as a variety of juices. Some brunch cocktails can be great too - Mimosas and Bloody Marys can be made by the pitcher quickly and easily just before serving the food. Sure, it's nice to make individual drinks, but we're trying to keep it EASY here! :)

Here are some Menu Ideas. Just click on the link for the recipe:


Go British with fancy teas and freshly made Scones:  Recipe for Traditional Cream SconesHow to brew proper cup of Tea  Great Coffee Cakes you can make ahead:  Almond Coffee CakeI also make a cranberry almond coffee cake by adding one cup chopped fresh cranberries to this recipe.  Cinnamon Coffee Cake  Lemon Coffee Cake Muffins can also be made ahead and are a healthier option:  Zucchini Spice / Carrot Spice Muffins
 Apple Breakfast Muffins  Sugar 'N' Spice Muffins (okay, so these ones are not as healthy as the ones above, but they are my favorite!)  Or do traditional breakfast fare with these Homemade Pancakes: 
Homemade Pancakes 
 You can even "carmelize" some apples to put on top - just peel and slice 2-3 large apples, put them in a sautee pan, add 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and cinnamon (or other spices to taste) cook on medium heat until the apples have softened and the sauce is syrupy like caramel.

Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

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This tasty coffee cake is a great Brunch item - it is easy to make and stays moist when you make it the night before. For this coffee cake, I tweaked an old recipe from Bon Appetit. Once you have a good recipe for a basic sour cream coffee cake, you can easily change the flavor by changing just two ingredients - the cranberries and the almond extract. Just replace the cranberries with other chopped fruits or omit them altogether. Substitute other flavors for the Almond extract (Vanilla, Lemon or Anise would work well). There are endless variations!

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Cup Chopped fresh cranberries
(To use dried cranberries: soak them in hot water about 30 minutes to soften, then drain the water and pat dry)

Glaze:
1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tablespoon Milk
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
1/2 Cup chopped toasted Almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard-sized bundt pan.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda until well blended. Set aside.

Put the butter in a mixing bowl with the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Add the sour cream and Almond extract, mixing on low until combined. Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing on low only until combined. Fold in the cranberries by hand.

Spoon the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Test by inserting a cake tester or a toothpick into the center - it should come out clean. Let the coffee cake cool to room temperature before unmolding and topping with the glaze.

Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the confectioner's sugar with the milk and almond extract, stirring until the lumps are gone. Spoon it over the cooled cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top if you wish.

Enjoy!