Showing posts with label picture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label picture. Show all posts

August 30, 2012

Chocolate chip oatmeal coconut cookies and why I haven't been baking as much

First of all it's been hot.  When it's above 90 degrees no one feels like turning on the oven.  And even though some people are clever enough to bake on a BBQ, mine is pretty crappy so that's not an option.  So if I'm not baking what am I doing?  Well catching a lot of toads apparently.  Also a lot of gardening and I got to the beach a few times with friends.



But as the temp drops and the oven becomes more tolerable I start thinking about cookies and muffins again...

Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe adapted from Thyme of Taste

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 C of flour
  • 1/4 tsp of baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp of salt
  • 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 1 C of brown sugar
  • 1 C of dark chocolate chips 
  • 1 C oatmeal
  • 1 C shredded coconut

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and put tin foil on 2 baking sheets.  In a small bowl mix flour, b soda, salt, and oatmeal.  Melt butter in microwave and then add to it the egg, vanilla, and sugar.  Mix into the dry ingredients and then add the chocolate chips and coconut and stir to combine.  You might have to use your hands if it gets stiff.  Make walnut-sized balls of dough and place on baking sheet.  These don't spread too much because of the coconut.  Bake for at least 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottoms.  


July 12, 2012

A break from baking

My family visited my grandparents farm a lot when I was growing up. They lived in Tioga, PA which is about 5 hours upstate of Philadelphia. I used to catch toads on the farm all the time. We would find salamanders, green frogs, spring peepers, minnows, crayfish, brown snakes, all kinds of things. But the toads were always my favorite. So you can imagine how excited I was today when I found this big yellow toad in one of the gardens I am working in. We hung out for a few minutes, I called my sister and texted her some pictures, and then I let him go. He made me smile.














June 7, 2012

Molly, why did you show me this picture?



Ok so I never do this, I NEVER DO THIS, but it has to be done. I'm doing it... I'm reposting a picture from the internet that has been circulating recently and was one of the top hits when I did a google image search for "cute pig". My friend Molly AKA Mole whipped this picture out of nowhere one day and I was speechless. I am rarely speechless. This picture embodies cute like banana and chocolate embodies delicious, like the Mona Lisa embodies art, and like wearing sweatpants with high heels (Noo Noo Burger reference) embodies New Jersey housewives.

I am not sure who to credit this photo to. I don't know who took it and I'm not sure I could ever find out because it has been reposted over and over again on a million different sites. However, to the photographer I say thank you for the cuteness and also damn you for etching it into my brain for all eternity.

Your welcome people.

May 8, 2012

Cute Cartoon from John


My next door neighbor John just sent me this adorable cartoon. Thanks John! Click on the image to see it bigger.

April 15, 2012

Garlic Knots


Yes I said Garlic Knots!!! I used to eat these with my family when we went to Rockaway Beach, NY to see my aunt Nancy. We always went to this pizza shop and as I was making the garlic oil for these knots the smell took me back to that skinny shop where we would eat basket after basket...

This recipe was pretty easy, I used the same basic method of making the bread as I did with the Povitica Cinnamon Swirl Bread. So again I made the dough and went for a stroll with Lauren. We tried on some clothes, drank iced coffee, and wandered around Chestnut Hill in the sun. When we got back it was time to form the rolls and throw them in the oven.

I love the smell of yeast. I found this recipe on a blog called White On Rice Couple. It makes a pretty sturdy little knot, the ones I remember were a little more flakey and light and oily, mine are more crusty on the outside. I didn't have parsley- because I didn't know that Jenn has tons of it growing in her yard, so I used chives in the garlic oil instead. I also threw a little parmesan cheese in there too just for fun.

Ingredients:

DOUGH
1 3/4 c Warm Water
1/4 c Olive Oil
1 t Sea Salt
1 T Sugar
1 1/2 T Active Dry Yeast
approx. 5 1/2 c all-pupose, unbleached Flour

GARLIC OIL COATING
1/8 c Olive Oil
2 T unsalted Butter
4 cloves Garlic, finely crushed
1/4 c finely chopped fresh Chives
Sea Salt to taste

plus extra Olive Oil and Flour for making the knots

Directions:

Combine water, 1/4c olive oil, sea salt, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large resealable container or bowl. Mix to dissolve yeast.

Add flour. Mix to incorporate flour, cover, and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in volume (usually 1-3 hrs depending on initial water temp and warmth of proofing area). (A sunny table outside on a warm summer day is perfect for proofing!)


Chill the dough for a bit (will keep fine in fridge for several days if you want to make the dough ahead of time) to make it easier to handle (this can be skipped if you don't have the time) then set up your knotting station. Put out a large wooden cutting board and oil liberally. Grab a rolling dowel or pin and oil. Grab a pizza cutter or something similar to slice dough in strips. Put container of flour within easy reach. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper or silpats and place within easy reach.

Oil your hands to help keep dough from sticking to them. Divide the dough in two parts to make it easier to handle. Take the first half, slap it onto the oiled board several times to flatten. Using the dowel, spread into an even rectangle approx. 5"x16" and 1/2" thick. Slice the rectangle into 1/2"x5" strips.

Rotate the board 90° and sprinkle dough strips and board with flour. Taking the strip nearest to you, roll it back and forth to create an even rope. Tie into a knot (over, under, and through) and place on lined sheet pan. Place knots about an 1 1/2" apart. At first it may seem awkward making the knots but with a little practice it will become easy. Flour is your friend to help keep the dough from sticking to itself while forming the knots.


Continue making the rest of the knots with the second half of the dough. After each sheet pan fills up, cover with a dry sack towel, and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise.

Preheat oven to 400° F

After knots have doubled in size (or about the time it takes the oven to preheat), take off dry sack towel and place sheet pans in the oven. Bake for approx. 12-15 min. or until golden.


While knots are baking, make garlic coating. Gently warm olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan (if you like your garlic with less of a bite, cook it for a few minutes in oil/butter mix until soft & slightly golden). Re move from the heat and once the mixture has cooled a little transfer to a large bowl. Once mix has cooled a few minutes add a little parm and the chives.


After removing knots from oven, while still warm, place knots in the large bowl and toss with garlic coating. Season with sea salt to taste.
Best served warm, but still good when at room temp.


April 14, 2012

Summer Garden


My uncle Bruce sent me a picture this morning. That's my grandparent's old collie-german shepherd mix Shannah, my cousin Audrey, me, my sister Nora, and cousin Arthur up at my grandparent's farm in Tioga PA. They had a pretty impressive veggie garden every summer. Lots of squash and wax beans if I remember correctly. They had really rocky soil so a lot of our time was spend de-rocking the garden and then covering the weeds in black plastic to keep them down.

I have a nice garden space at my Dad's house that is just waiting to be planted, not that I have the time to do it right now- I'm having enough trouble keeping up with the laundry as it is. After school is done I'll get in there and get my hands dirty.

Today's baking plan includes that cinnamon Povitica Bread, possibly some whole wheat brownies that Martha Stewart emailed me today, and in between a little studying.

Thanks for the memories Brucey!!

Photo credit: Uncle Bruce

March 29, 2012

Marie's B&W Photo Wall

My mom wanted to share her black and white photos with us. They have a food/baking theme to them. She has them mounted on a wall in her mango-colored kitchen.





Thanks Mom

March 18, 2012

Awwwww...


I just found this picture of my mom and grandma baking!! They are so cute. When we go visit, my grandma has usually made a box of betty crocker cookies for us to nibble on. Such a sweet lady.