"Make Your Own" {Almond Butter}

Recently I was doing some quick shopping while Jack was at CCD. On impulse, I bought the most expensive jar of Almond Butter imaginable.  But boy, it was worth every penny.  So proud of my find I sent my older sister a text and asked if she had ever tried it.  And to my dismay she said, "I make my own nut butters.  You're the little homemaker, make your own."  

I had been officially challenged.  I tried to talk my way out of it, stating I didn't have a fancy schmancy blender.  Too bad, my little duet blender/processor would do the trick.

Now my pricy butter is maple flavored, but all I had was pancake syrup and that would not do.  So my first batch of almond butter was sweetened with the best honey on earth.  Seriously, you need to check out Erica's shop, you will NOT be disappointed.

Honey Almond Butter

1    Cup Unsalted Roasted Almonds*
1    TBSP Honey (or to taste)
1/2  TSP Salt  (or to taste)

Place your almonds in the bowl of your food processor or fancy schmancy blender, if you have one, and set them spinning.  This is not a quick process.  In fact, I was pretty sure I was going to burn out the motor on my food processor.  But somewhere around the 12 minute mark, magic happened.  The almonds had gone from a powder, to a paste, and finally to a beautifully smooth and creamy butter.  At this point add in your honey and salt.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

My food processor is small and could only handle about a cup of nuts.  However, if you have a full size one, you could easily do 2 to 2.5 cups of nuts, no problem.

I used this in so many ways; on sliced apples, in my morning oats, and mixed into Greek yogurt.  It's pure almonds, nothing scary, and SO tasty.

*There is no need to buy raw almonds, because the mixing process takes awhile the processor/blender motor heats up quite a bit and will end up cooking your almonds anyway.

They Brought Dinner {Chicken Marsala}

Once upon a time there was a young couple living in New York City.  They had just welcomed a spirited baby boy into their lives and they were overwhelmed, tired, excited, and hungry.  A coworker of the husband, and his wife, provided a welcomed treat by bringing dinner to this famished couple.  This meal included salad, bread, Chicken Marsala, and decadent maple blondies.

I -  I mean - the new mom, didn't even know that she liked mushrooms until she devoured this fabulous meal.  When the young couple could function coherently the new mom learned the recipe came from Emeril Lagasse and she got cooking.

Now we all now everything is better with pork.  A little addition of pancetta and we have a dish worthy to share.

Chicken Marsala

1/2 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp. Emeril's Essence
2 (6 to 8-ounce) Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Oz. Pancetta, diced
3 Cups Sliced Mushrooms (I used Baby Bella, White Button, and Cremini)
3/4 Cup Marsala
1 Tbsp. Chicken Stock
1 Tsp. Corn Starch (if desired)
Salt & Pepper to Taste

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and seasoning and stire to combine.  Quicky dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking to remove any extra.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (I use a dutch oven) over medium-high heat until very hot.  Add 1 tablesppon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to a place and set aside.  Add 1 tablesppon of teh remaining butter and add the pancetta.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until frangrant and a little crisp.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid.  Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping and brown goodness from the bottom.  When the liquid has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.*  Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken to the pan.  Continue to cook until sauce has thickened and chicken has been cooked through.  About 5 to 6 minutes.  Swirl in remaining butter, add salt and pepper, and serve with prepared pasta or rice.


*  I often make a slurry out of the chicken stock and corn starch.  Just mix in the corn starch into the stock before pouring it into the dish.  This will give you more of a gravy type sauce for your meal.

I'm Ready. Bring it on!

Have you ever gone outside and realized that it no longer smells like fall, but there, in the crisp air, is the aroma of winter?

This week has started bringing frosty mornings that don't thaw before the sun sets and the smell of wood fires burning throughout the neighborhood.  We are actively losing about five minutes of sunlight a day.  It is still quite dark at 8:30 in the morning and the sun is setting earlier each night.

With the approaching winter comes the need to prepare the yard, the house, and the cars.  Since our van has front wheel drive we opted to get studded tires over snow tires.

  

Our girl has had quite a few exciting months, and she needed some TLC.  New brakes, new shoes, and fresh oil; she is ready for whatever Mother Nature has to dish out.

Now to get that emergency back pack stuffed and ready - just in case.

Bake, Rattle, and ROLL {Pumpkin Roll}

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin.  It is everywhere.  Your lattes, your M&Ms, your muffins, and your wax melt warmers.  My husband doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he has no control when there is a pumpkin roll in the house.  So of course, I indulge him (for his sake only).

I have only been making this for a couple of years, but I think the recipe is pretty much perfect.  Not nearly as intimidating as I thought to make and so worth the effort.  It is a show stopper, folks.

Pumpkin Roll

3 Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree

3/4 Cup Flour

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

Filling

2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened

8 Oz. Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 or more Cups Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.  I also line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, to help with no stick removal.

In a mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Add the flour and baking soda and blend until smooth.  Evenly spread the mixture in the prepared jelly roll pan.  It'll be thin, don't panic.

Bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven.  Remove from the oven and let it cool enough to handle.

Place a cotton tea towel (not terry) on the counter and flip the pan over onto the towel, peel the parchment off and roll the cake and the towel up and place seam side down on the counter to cool completely.

In the meantime mix together your filling.  Add the butter and cream cheese to the mixer and mix until creamy and light yellow in color (three to four minutes) scrapping sides of the bowl often.  Add the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and one cup of the sugar.  Mix well.  Contine adding sugar until it is at your desired consistency.  I will let it mix on medium for a good five minutes or more.  The flufflier, the better.  I typically use three (or four) cups of sugar per batch.  As a reference, if I double the recipe I use an entire bag of sugar.

When the cake is cool, unwrap from the towel.  It may feel slightly sticky, that's okay.  Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and roll up again without the towel.  I then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until I'm ready to serve it, or my husband finds it.

For a lovely presentation, trim the ends, place seam side down on a platter, and sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar.

These freeze very well.  Just wrap the plastic wrapped roll in foil before freezing.  I am pretty sure we enjoyed a forgotten half of pumpkin roll around Easter and it was marvelous!

So Fresh and So Clean {Homemade Laundry Detergent}

Homemade laundry soaps have been all the rage on Pinterest and Facebook pages, lately.  I know people that have been making their own soap for years.  In fact, when I visited my little sister (who is an awesome new mom by the way) she even had her own stash of homemade soap.  So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon too.

This recipe is a combination of different recipes I have seen online.  I decided to add OxiClean to mine because I have... ummm, boys and they stink, let's face it.

So here's what I used.

1 box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1 box of Borax

1 box of Baking Soda (the super big one found in baking aisle)

1 box of OxiClean, 3 lbs

2 Bars of Homemade Soap from Natural History Bees

First, with my cheese grater I shred each bar of soap onto a plate.  Then into my decorative glass jar I dumped half of each box of powder and the shreds of one bar of soap.  I put the lid on and I shook that thing silly.  I then added the rest of the powders and the remaining soap and shook it again. 

To Wash:  I store the scoop that came with the OxiClean in the container and use that as my measurement for extra large loads.  The smaller the load, the less detergent.

I have been using the detergent for about a month now.  I feel that it washes just as good as commercially sold laundry soap.  I love that I get to customize the scent based on my favorite brand of soap.  Seriously, check out Natural History Bees, if you haven't yet, she makes AH-mazing things.

Now, who is going to come fold all of my clean laundry?

Trick or Treat in the Heat

In 2005 an Anchorage neighborhood came together to hold a block event for a terminally ill boy to experience one last Trick or Treat.  It was such a success that it has continued each year with exponential growth, expanding to five neighborhoods throughout the Anchorage area.  The proceeds all go to charities dealing with childhood illnesses and diseases.

We haven't experienced our first Trick or Treat in Alaska, yet.  However, we have been told that it is often snowy and quite cold.  So we jumped at the chance to participate in this great fundraiser and TOT before it got cold.

For those of you that know us, we have been making "Jack" themed costumes for our oldest son.  He is getting to the age where he is starting to protest not being able to pick out his own costume.  Well, this provided the perfect opportunity for Jack to pick his own costume.  Any ideas on what it was?

Don't worry.  Come October he will be flaunting a traditional homemade Jack costume.

Our sweet Nolan was a dinosaur.  And truth be told, he hasn't taken the costume off since.  This was the best purchase his Aunt Wendy ever made.

Miss Claire was a snowgirl.  However, she wasn't a fan of her top hat, we are pretty sure it was tossed from the wagon on the TOT route.

It was a gorgeous evening and we had a wonderful time Trick or Treating with the mountains surrounding us in the nearby town of Eagle River.

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere {Homemade Vanilla Extract}

Have you ever been to Costco at ten in the morning with a huge bottle of vodka in your cart? No? Oh, well, I had a good reason.  I needed that huge bottle to make vanilla extract; yeah, that's my story.

So, I hate to tell you, but the holidays are approaching.  School has started, Halloween candy is out in all of the stores, and here in Alaska the leaves are slowly beginning to change colors.  I love to make cookies for Christmas.  I give them to everyone; the mail delivery person, teachers, neighbors, my husband's co-workers, and I even think I will give some to that lady who walks her boxer every day when I pick Jack up at the bus stop.

There is something special about making my favorite cookies with homemade vanilla extract.  I think they taste better and I love the little flecks of vanilla speckled in the dough.  And it is SO easy.  Give yourself at least six weeks, maybe more, to let the vanilla fully develop a rich smooth flavor.  So plan ahead.  I ordered my Madagascar Vanilla Beans from the online store Beanilla, but you can get them at most major retailers.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Jar or Bottle (Ball jars work beautifully)

Vanilla Beans

Vodka (You can also use rum, brandy, or bourbon if you want)

The general rule of thumb is five beans to one cup of alcohol.  Split your beans lengthwise to expose the beautiful black vanilla and slip them into your jar.  Pour your alcohol over top and tightly cap.  Give your bottle a good shake and place in a dark cupboard.  Once a week pull it out and give the jar a shake.  Your vanilla should be ready to go in about six to eight weeks.  It'll darken in color the longer it sits.  As you use it just top it off with more alcohol.

These bottles will be ready in time for my holiday baking.  Yum. I love Christmas cookies.  

Who am I kidding, I love all cookies.