Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Today's recipe is a favorite family dessert which we often had at the holidays, and for all of you who may not have the recipe saved somewhere....now you have it.

Chocolate Steamed Pudding

2 eggs well beaten

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp melted butter

3 oz melted dark or bittersweet chocolate

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

Steam in a pudding steamer for about 1-1/2 hours

Sauce: (the very best part in my opinion)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

Heat ingredients in double boiler until heated through

Serve the pudding warm (can be rewarmed in the pudding pan) with the hot sauce drizzled (or pooled) over the top

Whipped cream optional

Seasons Eatings!

1 Day 'til Christmas

Christmas Eve...hopefully by now the presents are wrapped and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care....if not, while you're out shopping today, stop in at Babe's and leave me a big tip!
Today's recipe is a breakfast dish you can prepare tonight and bake in the morning and it's sure to be a hit with everyone.
Baked Orange French Toast
8 slices french bread cut 3/4 to 1" thick
6 eggs
grated rind of one large orange
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup orange liqueur (optional)
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 or milk
3 tsp sugar
4 tsp butter
powdered sugar for dusting
Butter an 8-inch glass or nonreactive baking pan
Lay bread slices evenly in pan
Mix everything except butter and powdered sugar in a small bowl, then pour over bread and dot with butter
Refrigerate overnight
In the morning, preheat oven to 350° and bake about 30 minutes, or until puffed and set. Dust with powdered sugar. If desired, serve with a topping of butter, orange marmalade and maple syrup warmed in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Serves 2-4

2 Days 'til Christmas

2 Days 'til Christmas and a winter storm is on the way. Time for some warm holiday cheer.
Today's recipe: Peppermint Hot Chocolate
For adults:
mix 1 1/2 oz peppermint schnaaps with one cup hot chocolate, top with whipped cream and garnish with a small candy cane
For kids:
mix 1/2 tsp peppermint extract with one cup hot chocolate, top with mini marshmallows and garnish with a small candy cane
Cheers!

3 Days 'til Christmas

3 Days 'til Christmas and still searching for the right recipe for our Christmas Eve Rabbit. I think I've found it on Foodista.com

Grilled Rabbit with Peanut Chili Sauce
sounds right up our alley....check out the recipe and I'll get back to you on how it turned out.
I know, I know....rabbit??? But Farmer Paul from JenEhr assured me it was pasture raised, organic and delicious. And my research shows it is healthier than many other meats.
Whether I'll actually be able to swallow any is the question...but Tim eats most of the meat anyway!
I also researched how to cut up a rabbit, as I've never done that before.
Here's a couple of links that explain it pretty well.
EHow to Cut Up a Rabbit
The Rabbit Wrangler
Next mission...recipes for rabbit terrine or pate.

4 Days 'til Christmas

4 Days 'til Christmas

The cookies are baked, the candy is coated, the packages delivered to the post office, and I played Santa today at the Olbrich Gardens Holiday Train and Poinsettia Display and got the final picture for my 2010 calendar.

Now if I can just make it through the rest of the week at work, on Friday we can relax and stay home in our jammies playing games and eating Lobster Bisque.

Tonight, fresh, local greens with

Miso Vinaigrette:

1 Tbsp Miso (get it in the refrigerated section of your local health store or coop, or call me...I've got lots!)

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (I buy a bunch, peel it, chop it in the food processor and then freeze it in ice cube trays for ready to use recipes)

1 Tbsp honey or agave

1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 tsp lemon zest

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or whatever you've got on hand)

Put everything in the food processor and process well. Drizzle over fresh salad greens, toss well and enjoy!

Don't have fresh greens...better stop by Don's Produce when the Dane County Farmer's Market opens up again on January 9th at the Madison Senior Center.

Bon Appetit!

5 Days 'til Christmas--YIKES!

5 Days 'til Christmas--YIKES, that came fast! I still have to bake cookies and candy and prepare packages for the mail in the morning...better get a move on. First brunch with the gang...all the important things first, the rest in good time. It always amazes me how we manage to fit in time for holiday cheer with everything else going on...oh yeah, and the Packers too!
For gametime snacking...
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip:
1 can artichoke hearts
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 lb steamed spinach (or whatever greens you have on hand)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan and romano cheese (or just parm if that's all you have)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
crackers or baguette bread
Place the cream cheeses, spinach and seasonings in the food processor or mixer and blend well. Add the artichoke hearts and mix just until the hearts break down into smaller chunks. Heat in a crock pot, on the stove top, or in the microwave. Serve with crackers or baguette bread and dip away!

6 Days 'til Christmas

6 Days 'til Christmas and we're busy making candy and baking cookies.
Today was the last Farmer's Market of the year, so I went and stocked up for holiday meals.
I hadn't decided what to make for our holiday meals yet, and found some interesting options at the market. JenEhr Farms had fresh pasture raised rabbit for the first time. I have to admit, I'm more of a bunny hugger than kill-and-cooker, but I was intrigued by Farmer Paul's desciption of how their cook had prepared the dish on the grill, so I decided to give it a try. I'm letting the meat age and we'll enjoy it on Christmas Eve and let you know what we thought.
I'm researching recipes and found this one from Jamie Oliver that sounds intriguing: grilled and marinated rabbit (coniglio marinato alla griglia). I also picked up some beauty spinach from JenEhr. I purchased some chorizo, bacon, summer sausage, lamb chops and beef tenderloin from Jordandal Farms. I picked up eggs from Pecatonica Farms, cheese from Forgotten Valley Cheese, and sweet potatoes and lettuce mix from Don's Produce, carrots and garlic from Driftless Organics, and apples from Green's Pleasant Spring Orchard. By then my bags were full and my wallet empty so I headed home, pleased with my finds for holiday meals. I'm sorry that the market is closed for the next two weeks, but happy for the farmers that they will have a break from their busy schedules to spend time with their families enjoying their bounty for the holidays. The next market will be at the Madison Senior Center on January 9, 2010.