Table for two please

I don't normally cook meals just for two people, but my hours at work got cut so Joe and I are going to have date night in for a while...
There are tricks for cooking for two, and a few methods of attack,

1- THE PRE-FREEZE
This is where you buy more thank 2 serving of things like, veggies and meet and break them up into one or two serving size freezer bags and freeze them. I don't like this method...because I don't like having to defrost things, but for those who don't mind it it's the most economical.

2- THE POST-FREEZE
When you fully cook a large meal and then split it up into one or two person servings tupperwear it and freeze it. This is easier than the pre-freeze but it doesn't work for everything...and if your like me you tend to forget about what you've cooked and froze. So be careful if you decide to do this.
3- THE (UN-FROZEN) LEFTOVER
I find this works best if you have roommates or like taking lunch to work. Joe and I aren't big on eating the same meal twice a week so this would never work if it was just the two of us living alone, throwing out food is sad and normally that's what this normally leads to.

4- THE ONLY COOK WHAT YOU'LL EAT
I like this best, but it is the least economical and involves many trips to the store...or at lease for me it does because I am so bad a planning meals more than a few hours before dinner time.

The trick is finding what works for you and then planing accordingly and it always takes a while to get into the swing of meal planing and nightly cooking and I always think it's a lot easier to cook for a crowd than a couple.

But the good news is I am going to be doing another week long project! Unlike before the end result wont be one big meal each day I will post a complete meal for Two! (you will be able to apply any of the methods above to each day and hopefully I will get some pictures up to go with these). I am going to make these all quick and easy week-night dinners, you know the kind you don't totally dread making when you finally get home at 8pm.

Well...

So I have been sick for like 4 weeks,

and it stink!!!

I wanted to post GiftCakes pt. 2 today...

But the recipe for that seems to have disappeared, I think if I used one notebook and not like 6 these things wouldn't happen.

Oh welllzz

I do have a recipe for y'all today though never fear!

Burnt butter cupcakes with

Cranberry Frosting!

mmmm!

So weird as it sounds this is one yummy cake!

If however you have a bad habit of accidentally burning things you may not want to try this alone

the is a difference here between "burning" the butter and "S*&%$ I BURT THE BUTTER"...

It's also a little time consuming...but well worth it if I do say so myself.

So here we go...

Burnt butter cake:

1/2 cup plus, 2 tbs. Butter

3/4 cup cake flour

3tbs sugar

5 tbs light brown sugar (don't use dark!)

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbs milk

So put all your butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly melt the butter. The butter will melt to a bright yellow (although it gets foamy, you need to pay attention to the color as it changes) after the yellow it gets golden when it's done 'burning' the liquid butter will be a golden brownish color, the sediment at the bottom will be a very orange gold brown like fall leaves (if the butter becomes dark brown or black...you effed up and for real burnt it...sorry). When your butter is the color of early fall mmm, take it off the heat and using cheese cloth (or a heavy duty paper towel) strain it into a small glass bowl and place it in to your freezer for a bit, you want it to solidify a little but not to be completely hard again (you can make the butter the day before and leave it in the fridge over night, it actually works quite well that way).

Now pre-heat the oven to 350 and line your cupcake tray (or butter and flour your cake pan, if you aren't a cupcake person). Then in your mixer mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and brown sugar, till they are all combined, then add the butter and eggs, beat till it's smoothe, last but not least add the milk! Fill your cup cake pan 3/4 full and pop those babies in the oven!

They should bake for about 15min, depending on your oven, to check then lightly push down on the top of a center cupcake and if it bounces back they are done (or the trusty tooth pick trick works too).

But while they are baking clean out the mixer and get ready to make forstin'

WOO-HOO!

Cranberry burnt butter frosting:

1/2 cup butter

4 cups confectioners sugar

3 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 tbs cranberry jam with chunks (the one that comes in the can that is like jello...won't work...at all)

So you do the butter just like for the cake in the sauce pan, except this time after straining it into a bowl mix the cranberry jam into it and let it sit on the counter for a minute or two, dump it into your mixer with the sugar and vanilla, beat it till its fluffy, add the milk and yous done!

I recommend frosting the COOLED cupcakes right away this frosting tends to 'set' I like to sprinkle some dried cranberries or a little raw sugar on the top of these to fancy them up a bit.

I hope you enjoy!

I have to do some "work" now I will be posting again real soon

thanks&junk

kj.

For the cake you'll need

So I was totally kidding

About posting more often that is...
I have been working doubles almost everyday and honestly am losing my mind a little bit...
On top of that I am getting home at 9 or so and having to cook dinner and clean the house?!?!?!
Boys suck!
So because of all that I have not been baking at all really!
I am a bit depressed about it to be totally honest I thought I would be able to do so much baking and writing come fall, apparently I was wrong.
I plan to be making whoopee this weekend so stay tuned for that, but for today here's a quickie easy bake cop-out recipe for ya.

JIFFY MIX BANANA CORN MUFFINS!
1/3 cup mashed over ripe bananas
1/2 cup soy milk (this is my attempt to be sneaky and force soy into every ones diet)
1 pack of Jiffy corn bread mix
1 egg
and cooking spray
(you can add walnuts if you want...I guess or chocolate or carob chips)

basically put it all in your mixer mix it, I use silicone cupcake cups so I spray them with a little cooking spray and fill them 3/4 of the way full. and bake at 350 for 20 or so minutes.

Easy, tasty and a good healthy breakfast mmm!


blah&junk
kj.


(also sorry for the really bad editing of the last post...yikes, that was bad!)

I work too hard...

Not really.
So I know in my first post I sort or explained what this blog was going to be about, and if you read that you re probably confused because it's not at all what I said it would be...
Well there are a few reason for that,
The first being things and people change, and well that's just life
the second is that my interests cooking/ baking wise have changed
And last but probably biggest reason is that my life is very different than it was a year or so ago when I started this blog.
I am no longer living in a basement with my cat and a mixer, I live with 3 boys (well 4 if you include the cat), I work till 8pm every night and when I come home have to worry about sustainable dinners and not just cupcakes (as much as I would like to live off cupcakes it's just not practical and well Joe wont let me), so a few big life changes turned into a new blog with a little different subject matter.
But my dears no need to worry!
Baking is still my first love and I promise I will be doing more of it and writing more about it.
Whoopee pies, Rory's Gory birthday treat, Gift Baskets, Holiday candy and cookies are all things to look forward to!

That being said, I am going to post a quick dinner menu.
This is a super easy had a long day feeling lazy (by my standards) healthy dinner.

Grilled chicken sandwiches, and/or grilled tofu sandwiches
with roasted veggies!

The boys won't eat tofu, but I like it and I feel I have been eating way too much meat lately so...

For the chicken sandwiches:
1 chicken breast per-person (I guess that depends on how many sandwiches each person is having but since all my boys have been complaining about the recent weight gain I am only making one per-person). You want to trim all of the fat of the chicken and while you are doing that stab a few holes in the chicken, so the marinade soaks in, then trow the chicken in a baggy with Italian dressing put them in the fridge for 20 or so minutes, and make your roasted veggies.
(...crazy time lapse...)
Take out your chicken and grill it on the Foreman grill (if you don't have one you should! or you can use a normal grill). I like to use rolls from the Shaw's bakery, that have sesame seeds on them, and place them in the Foreman for a few minutes or so to warm them. To assemble the sandwiches (you can do whatever you want but if you bothered to read all this, my way is perfect sooo...) Put your grilled roll on a place smear a little spicy mustard on each side, place the chicken on one side cover it with a slice of cheddar cheese, and top it off with mixed greens and sliced tomato, scoop some of your roasted veggies on the plate and you're done, unless you're me and then it's never done, because there is a days worth of dishes to do! Sigh!

Roasted Veggies:

I am going to use zucchini, summer squash, beets, green beans, green pepper and a few red potatoes (because I need to use up whats sitting in the fridge). Wash all the veggies, cut the squash, zucchini, beets, and potatoes. Boil the potatoes for a few minutes to cook them, the beets too or used canned. Then put everything in a deep baking dish, pour some Italian dressing mix them so everything is covered, cover in tin foil and bake at 350-400, till you can easily stick a fork through them.

Tofu sandwich:

So I do the tofu just like the chicken, except for the fat trimming. So drain the tofu, put it in a baggie with Italian dressing and refrigerate, grill it on the Foreman and build the sandwich the same as the chicken one (except with the tofu not the chicken..duh).

It's not something sweet but it is something yummy!

enjoy&junk
kj

It's been so long!

I'm a slacker...
Well not completely
Ya' see I normally do this at night at work when I have nothing to do,
but I have actually had tons of work to do, due to lots of crazy things.
But I am back now
so it's all good!

So today I am going to write about one of the most simple yet wonderful things ever!
(and some ways to jazz it up)
SHORTBREAD!
or more specifically:
Scottish Shortbread

(I LOVE PLAID)


So it's best to make this wearing plaid!
And listening to Joanna Newsom
(not relevant at all but so good)
and drinking...
Whiskey...duh!

So let's get started!
This is the easiest thing ever to make!

you'll need:
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 cups flour
easy easy right!

Basically pre-heat your oven to 300. throw everything into your mixer until it moist crumbs...yes crumbs!
Then, in a greased pie pan (I like the pie pan best) or 8x8 baking dish pat the dough it should be no more than 1 inch thick, make patterns in the top with a fork or with a cookie cutter (press the cookie cutter lightly into the top, don't push all the way down just enough to make an imprint)
Then bake! For about 40-50 minutes (the edges should be light brown, and the middle soft to the touch but not doughy), cut into wedges or bars and TA-DA!
So easy right!

Now a few ways to jazz it up!

There is the very basic sprinkling cinnamon sugar over the top, very basic but totally yummy.

Chocolate dipped shortbread its a totally fantastic treat, it looks fancy and is easy:
I like to use dark chocolate, but you can use milk if you'd rather, I would not recommend white!
Double boil the chocolate to melt it, then take your wedges or bars and dip then into the chocolate, use a butter knife to wipe the extra chocolate off the bottom, then place the pieces spread out on a baking sheet cover with parchment paper, and refrigerate until the chocolate is hardened. Serve on a plate with orange wedges and strawberries, perfect for tea time!

Honey almond shortbread is another perfect tea time treat, perfect for days like today, that are gloomy and rainy, with Earl gray tea and oranges!
So all you need to do for this is, about 5 minutes before your short bread is done baking pull it out drizzle it with honey and sprinkle with almond slivers, continue baking 5 or so minutes, let it cool a bit cut and serve!

2 more...

Warm whiskey sauce is a great way to fancy anything up! it involves a little effort but it's worth it, so you'll need:
4 tbs butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
2 tbs whiskey (or a little more and I like Bourbon whiskey best...but it is sweet.)
Cream the butter and sugar together, blend in the egg, then double boil the mixture over gently boiling water, still until it thickens. Remove from heat then stir in the whiskey.
Spoon the warm sauce over your shortbread and serve!

And last but not least

Shortbread with warm berry sauce almode! So remember the blueberry dunking sauce we used for the Brunch?! No well here's the link because I am not retyping it! HA!
Sauce
Just whip up some of that, (I like to have some on hand in the fridge). Put 2 scoops of ice cream in a bowl (french vanilla is awesome!) add 2 slices of short bread (artfully arranged) and then spoon the sauce on top, and enjoy!!

so that's all for today
Thanks&junk
kj.

Random ramblings & JUNK

Yeah so this is the and junk part...
I had to cover for the morning person at work today so I was up at SIX-O-FREAKIN-CLOCK-AM!
Gross!
And I will be out of work early and that rocks but I am so bored none of the blogs I read are updated yet...booo!
I want to start fashion bloggin' maybe
thought?
(I mean would the six of you who read this read my fashion blog?...too much me?)


ANY WHOS,
I am going to attempt to make chili tonight...so tomorrow I will have something to write about and it will not be as boring as this promise!


okay
mornings&junk
kj

Fall, falling in love!

My most favorite time of year is finally here!
FALL
Things I love about fall:
Warm hard cider
pumpkins
hats
scarves
light coats
chilly mornings
leaves
pumpkin spice lattes
Topsfeild fair
Halloween
Tanks gibbins (Thanks Giving)
boot shopping
pie, pie, and more pies!
hot coffee, tea and me
and
last but not least,
APPLE PICKING!
(I haven't been apple picking yet, because no one loves me enough to take me)
(Buuuut my lovely sister Holly has, so this post is for her!)

The Apple Post!

Cinnamon vanilla apple cupcakes with cinnamon whipped cream!

For the cake
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
2 cups sugar (plus 1 tsp for apple mix)
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon (plus 1/2 tsp for apple mix)
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup apple peeled and finely diced

Here we go, pre-heat your oven to 350 and set up your cupcake pan with liners. In a small bowl mix apples with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1tsp sugar, until they are coated, set aside. In another small bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, and baking powder, set aside. In a mixer cream butter and sugar, turn the mixer to low add one egg at a time, when the eggs are all mixed add the vanilla, then with the mixer on low alternately add the flour mixture and milk. When its all mixed add your apples then fill the cupcake cups 3/4 of the way and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove form oven and let cool completely before topping with whipped cream.

For the whipped cream, Use the recipe from "I hate my roommate cupcakes" and just add 1 tsp cinnamon! TA-DA! Way easier than pie!

And now for OOOY-GOOY Carmel apple cupcakes!

For the cake
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium sized apples cored, peeled, and chopped.

Okay, pre-heat the oven to 350, and line your cupcake pan. Beat sugar, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in your mixer, then add the eggs one at a time. Then mix in milk, flour, baking powder, and salt until blended, then add your apples. Fill the cups 3/4 of the way full and bake for 30-35 minutes. When those are baking make the caramel topping.

For your topping:
1/2 light brown sugar packed
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Heat sugar, butter and cream in a sauce pan over medium heat, bring to a boil. Then you want to reduce the heat to a simmer, simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, wail the cupcakes and caramel are still warm, pour topping over the cupcake and maybe a little scoop of vanilla ice cream, and eat...so so good!


There will be more apple recipes to come I am sure but that's all for now.
(I hope that's helps you get rid of some apples Holly)

crisp&junk
kj

OH! P.S.
Another amazing thing about fall...PUMPKIN BEER!

and
Fantastic!