Easter Bagel Buffet

452. This past Easter we decided to have a brunch "out of the box" instead of the ham and sides to compliment and went with a bagel bar instead.

My daughter made homemade bagels and we paired them with cream cheese, scallion/cheddar cream cheese, bacon, lox, capers, red onion slices and deviled eggs on the side.  Let me just say, it was epic and we were all moaning with each delicious bite!!!

We were very happy to edit our meals and decided it is a good idea from now on.

Hope your Easter was pleasant!

"In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend."

~ C.S. Lewis, "The Grand Miracle"

"We live and die.  Christ died and lives!"

~ John Stott

Chicken Paillards

451.  Chicken is such a versatile protein and a delightful recipe is Chicken Paillards.  One you would see in an upscale French or Italian restaurant but a recipe that is very achievable for a home cook.  My recipe from beautiful Antoni Porowski's cookbook "Antoni Let's Do Dinner".

The recipe will call for tenderloin or chicken breast.  I chose to use thigh meat and they did not flatten as easily but the flavor was outstanding.  The little bits in the pan are crispy and so flavorful.

 

Antoni is not a fan of bland dishes. He makes it clear on Queer Eye that food is about more than sustenance for him. It's about self-expression and showing other people how you feel about them through the meals you prepare. In the show, Antoni urges makeover subjects to cook and eat foods that have significance for them.

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"Food can offer a moment of pure emotional pleasure in an otherwise hard and difficult world."

"For too long tomatoes have been misunderstood."

"Learn how to treat your vegetables with the love and kindness that they deserve."

~ Antoni Porowski

Shaker Pumpkin Sweet Bread

450.  Pumpkin is a great source of beta-carotene and nutrients that protect and support the heart such as vitamins A, B1, B6, and C, copper, fiber, folate, and manganese.  It is best to obtain these nutrients from food like pumpkin and not from supplements, because it may help lower your risk of heart disease.

This great recipe has been at the top of my list of favorites for many years and I know you will find it a favorite as well.  It is Shaker Pumpkin Loaves found in one of my most favorite cookbooks,  The American Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Cookbook by Kitty and Lucian Maynard.

I love, love, love these cookbooks and rarely are disappointed with any recipe.

Here is my version of the Shaker Pumpkin Sweet Bread:

I love to pull frozen pumpkin from the freezer all year long and make these sweet loaves.  The recipe always turns out perfect.  

"Every skilled baker was first an amateur."

~ Chris Geiger

Breville Mixer

 449.  This past Christmas I was gifted with a new kitchen mixer.  I have used a Kitchenaid for 30 years and it was my right hand tool for baking.  Before the mixer, I would use a food processor, Sears brand that really did a great job but could over-mix batters or doughs if not careful.

My new kitchen appliance is a beautiful, Champagne colored Breville Stand Mixer.

This stand mixer is a game changer in my baking.  The model is lighter to pick up and the top does not move around when transporting from closet to counter.  The glass mixing bowl is significantly larger and 12 cups, wider and easier to add ingredients during mixing.  Initially, it took a few attempts to get use to the control being on the side of the stand but you adjust quickly.  There is a timer if you need to follow exact timing directions for whipping or frothing or, anything!

I think my favorite feature is the lower mix speed.  You dial the speed up or down as you need to and your flour or other ingredients do not fly out of the bowl.  My Kitchenaid speed was always so fast initially, I would turn the mixer off and on quickly just to gently mix anything.

There is a button at the top of the mixer to push down and release the mixing arm.  This was also an adjustment but I found it to be an easy adjustment over the lever toggle on the side.

Not only is it a sleek machine but is beautiful as well.  And I love the paddle attachment.  My Kitchenaid paddle rubber piece would always rip away or, the paint would rub off over time. 

When researching stand mixers, the Breville seemed to be the best all around mixer for a home baker but used by pros.  Once the choice was made what brand to choose, my final struggle was choosing the best color for my kitchen.  It was a toss up between Sea Salt White and Champagne.  The paint is not matte or gloss but a lovely finish that is easy to wipe clean.  It also arrived with glass and stainless steel mixing bowls.  Hello!!!   How many times I have wished for a second bowl without having to pay an additional $100?  Also, a cover was included to place over the glass bowl if refrigeration is needed and 4 attachments with a flour cover.

I just love it!!  Breville you have won me over!  This is a pro machine and has made my baking game so much better.  I'm so glad I stepped up in quality and the price is comparable if not better than the Kitchenaid in this size.

"If baking is any labor at all, it's a labor of love.  A love that gets passed from generation to generation."

~Regina Brett

"Joy to the World"

448. It's Christmas once more and it never gets old.  Each year I can't wait to decorate our tree, bake cookies, place candle light all around and wrap gifts.  The Christmas season always brings wonderful joys to mind.

Decorating my home with all the special, memorable items collected and gifted from friends.  Each item has a story or person to reflect on.

And then there are the ornaments I've collected for years...43 years to be exact.  From our "First Christmas Together" Hallmark ornament to a beautiful handpainted creation by a charming friend.  To the mushroom ornaments my dear mother gifted me for years and my cherished Santas.  Each one is so special to me!

And, my favorite Christmas song that says what my heart loves..., "Joy To The World".

Adorable pencil tree with antique ornaments and a gorgeous painted Santa by my dear sister.

A Christmas Crèche purchased so long ago for our family.  As a child I would arrange and rearrange the characters and animals daily.  My mother gave this treasure to me.

Side vignettes of beauty all around.

A handmade Father Christmas from many years ago made by a dear friend.

From my home to yours, have a very Happy Christmas and Blessings in the New Year!

"Joy to the World"

"Joy to the World is a Christmas hymn written in 1719 by Sir Isaac Watts, an English Christian minister and writer whose sacred words were inspired by Psalm 98 of The Bible.  In its original form it had nothing to do with Christmas and was never intended to be a Christmas song.  Musically, the first four notes are the same as the first four in the chorus "Lift up your Heads" from Handel's, "Messiah" from 1742.  However, in 1836 Lowell Mason composed a riveting melody for the second part of the hymn, which combined with its popularity in the church, started its journey into the music (world).  Mason was a great admirer and scholar of Handel's music.

Christmas Cookie Baking 2023

447.  Christmas Baking 2023 highlights:

Poppy Seed Rugelach

          Peppermint Bark

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

Coffee & Cream Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Filling (These are 5 Star Cookies!!!)

Moon Cookies with Cinnamon/Powdered Sugar dusted on top

Cranberry Orange Chocolate Sliced Cookies

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! 

“‘There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!'”

~ "A Christmas Carol", Charles Dickens

Chocolate Cream Pie

446.  Chocolate Cream Pie brings to mind a satisfying, creamy, chocolaty bite.  Not to mention the baked crust, which really is my favorite part of any pie.

I've baked many pies over the years but the pie most requested is the simplest recipe with the most simple ingredients.  Even if you don't bake, don't like to bake or just don't have the time, this pie will deliver for you.

Here is a peek at my process, and, if you want to use any other pudding flavor, that is your choice.

I used a silicone mold to create sweet oak leaves on my crust.  This can be ordered from an Etsy shop called StaceyDecor.  You can find it HERE.  This shop has so many great molds for any type of baking accents, candy making and more.

My suggestion is to make the pudding the day before as it will settle, become smooth and set for ease in slicing.

And there you have an easy dessert you can make in a pie plate or a rectangle shaped pan.  And, you don't have to tell anyone it was easy ;-)

"Chocolate is cheaper than therapy, and, you don't need an appointment."

~ Author Unknown but so right