tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61901487980698373472024-03-07T20:28:13.769-08:00Sara's SweetsSarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-38169757490327506092015-02-09T16:42:00.003-08:002015-02-18T14:58:11.469-08:005000 Pies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember a few posts back I said I've been extremely busy? Well, I've just been, you know, OPENING A RESTAURANT!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uETceynCxpU/VMA5WEzJ1-I/AAAAAAAANDE/Q8eaMVYaqe8/s1600/Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uETceynCxpU/VMA5WEzJ1-I/AAAAAAAANDE/Q8eaMVYaqe8/s1600/Logo.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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Now, it's not my restaurant (though I am on the Board and happen to be the Head Pastry Chef - I'll get back to this). It's a nonprofit that I helped to start with a few other members from my church. We sell deep dish pizza and sweet pies and other yummy goodies, all while we provide job training.<br />
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If this all sounds a little crazy, let me explain how it came to be.<br />
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In 2010 when we first started going to Fountain of Life in Long Beach (still our current church), I was sitting in the service and felt like God was telling me to open a cooking school for young adults. As you all know, I love to cook, and my background is working in the nonprofit sector. I've spent time working in low-income communities where I know employment can be difficult and real job skills are not had by many. So, the idea of a cooking school that could help people didn't seem weird to me. In fact, it seemed like an awesome way to blend my hobby (cooking) with my work experience.<br />
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But, at that time, I was pregnant with Miles. I told Roy about the idea on our drive home from church that day, and I summed it up with "wouldn't that be cool to do something like that in like 10 or 20 years?" Roy agreed that it indeed would be cool...and then we went on with the business of having a baby, not really giving the idea another thought.<br />
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Fast forward to 2012. I decided to enter the <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2012/09/kcrw-4th-annual-pie-contest.html">KCRW Pie Contest</a> and came in 3rd! Even though I'd been blogging and cooking for a while that was the first time I realized that I might actually be good.<br />
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That was a Saturday. The very next day at church our pastor briefly mentioned the Urban Chef Program that a chef in our church had done a few years ago with some 8th grade students. I immediately thought <i>we should start that up again!</i> I felt that I wanted to tell our pastor about the cooking school vision that I felt God was giving me two years prior. Again, on the drive home, Roy said to me "I think you should tell Pastor John about your cooking school vision."<br />
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So, the next week I met with John and told him all about it. I thought he'd just say, "oh nice" or something, but instead he said, "That's interesting that you say that because there is a woman in our church who wants to open a restaurant selling deep dish pizza, and she also wants to sell sweet pies, and I heard you just won a pie contest." What?!<br />
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Within that same week, John's wife Becky brought the chef (Mike), the woman with the deep dish pizza idea (Sharon), and me together for a meeting. This was my first time ever meeting Mike and Sharon. The four of us shared our stories and what we thought God might be doing in our lives. And surprisingly, we all quickly agreed on opening a pizza/pie restaurant that would provide job training to 18-28 year olds in West Long Beach. Amazing!<br />
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But, we didn't have any money, didn't have a lot of free time, and didn't really know how this would all happen. Still, we decided to meet about once a month or once every other month to keep the idea moving forward. We held a couple tasting events where we asked friends and family to give us feedback on our food. At one point we even made pies out of my house and gave them to people at church (for a $20 donation!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ_NUfaCZGQ/VNlTyoxCfYI/AAAAAAAANHQ/UBxGmxyuofw/s1600/Home%2BSalesjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ_NUfaCZGQ/VNlTyoxCfYI/AAAAAAAANHQ/UBxGmxyuofw/s1600/Home%2BSalesjpg.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loyal customer Eddie picking up a pie from my house</span></td></tr>
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Just when I thought the idea might never really happen, we randomly found a property in a strip mall not far from our church. This was June 2014. Around the same time an anonymous donor gave our church $100,000 and said we could use it however we wanted. Of course we chose to direct it to 5000 Pies (by that point we'd settled on the name based on John 6:1-14). So, suddenly we had money and a property.<br />
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The property was trashed. But, the previous tenant was a restaurant, and they had brought all the equipment up to health code. For example, the hood was there (a major cost in opening a restaurant). So, we didn't have to spend a lot to turn it into a restaurant, just do major cleaning, painting, re-doing the floors, etc. We did need to get a range, ovens, a refrigerator, freezer, and all the small hardware.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KfsrHlStFRs/VMA5TvnKrmI/AAAAAAAANCw/bO2v-4fxq9M/s1600/Construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KfsrHlStFRs/VMA5TvnKrmI/AAAAAAAANCw/bO2v-4fxq9M/s1600/Construction.jpg" height="400" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greg, our porter, working on the painting</span></td></tr>
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Then, another miracle. John got a call from a friend who is a financial advisor. This friend had a client to had opened and closed a restaurant within two years, and had a whole storage unit of equipment. He said that if we got a uhaul we could go take anything that we wanted! So, a group of us got a uhaul and loaded it up. We ended up with a range, a fryer, a bakers rack, pots, pans, utensils, catering equipment, tons of stuff!<br />
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We got everything in, worked on our menu, hired a few staff, and opened in mid September 2014.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cVL9uFPrT4s/VMA5WI9wB7I/AAAAAAAANDY/hSis5Qfd9m4/s1600/Depot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cVL9uFPrT4s/VMA5WI9wB7I/AAAAAAAANDY/hSis5Qfd9m4/s1600/Depot.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miles accompanied us on our first shopping trip to Restaurant Depot</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NhzXfBHf4Q4/VMA5VoY7-fI/AAAAAAAANDA/H_Imztb4dNo/s1600/Depot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NhzXfBHf4Q4/VMA5VoY7-fI/AAAAAAAANDA/H_Imztb4dNo/s1600/Depot2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jorge and Chef Mike with all our loot from the first shopping trip</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g4dLvy0TRRo/VMA5ZWzqDaI/AAAAAAAANDs/ibYKMNaWxZI/s1600/Training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g4dLvy0TRRo/VMA5ZWzqDaI/AAAAAAAANDs/ibYKMNaWxZI/s1600/Training.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teaching Rosal how to pipe whipped cream</span></td></tr>
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Today we make an assortment of hand pies, cookies, and whole pies to sell by the slice everyday in addition to pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. It's been really fun for me to create the entire pastry menu, and to hear that customers are enjoying my stuff. I love reading our good <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/5000-pies-long-beach">Yelp reviews</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NodRh0XCLHs/VMA7w2yaacI/AAAAAAAANEI/7tovq182hFs/s1600/Cranberry%2BHand%2BPies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NodRh0XCLHs/VMA7w2yaacI/AAAAAAAANEI/7tovq182hFs/s1600/Cranberry%2BHand%2BPies.jpg" height="332" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hand Pies</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvGsWjFZAeU/VMA5SeOD4II/AAAAAAAANCk/68uZ8cGzVwc/s1600/Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvGsWjFZAeU/VMA5SeOD4II/AAAAAAAANCk/68uZ8cGzVwc/s1600/Cookies.jpg" height="400" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPqLOHq4DqI/VMA5YYYpkKI/AAAAAAAANDk/4YdKdkz9k4E/s1600/Pear%2BCranberry%2BPie%2B(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPqLOHq4DqI/VMA5YYYpkKI/AAAAAAAANDk/4YdKdkz9k4E/s1600/Pear%2BCranberry%2BPie%2B(7).jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pie by the slice</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYLwtD0VBYc/VOUSyPha52I/AAAAAAAANKM/htvIIxJirKE/s1600/Pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYLwtD0VBYc/VOUSyPha52I/AAAAAAAANKM/htvIIxJirKE/s1600/Pizza.jpg" height="295" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deep Dish Pizza</span></td></tr>
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We had a very busy November and December as it was "pie season."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQg71hhSXxI/VMA5S_bznhI/AAAAAAAANCs/Cdy36Rw0EDs/s1600/Christmas%2BPies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FQg71hhSXxI/VMA5S_bznhI/AAAAAAAANCs/Cdy36Rw0EDs/s1600/Christmas%2BPies.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some pies getting ready to be boxed for Christmas</span></td></tr>
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We've also offered cooking classes to the local community including pizza making, tamale making and apple pie making.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtJ0_ebKBBM/VMA5W4SfBGI/AAAAAAAANDQ/Nrs8bwt1kSo/s1600/Springdale%2BClass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtJ0_ebKBBM/VMA5W4SfBGI/AAAAAAAANDQ/Nrs8bwt1kSo/s1600/Springdale%2BClass.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me teaching a group of girls from the Long Beach Housing Projects to make free form apple pies</span></td></tr>
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Here is a brief video if you'd like to see more of the restaurant and hear from some staff members. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwIEjTklj1VUBPItd09mpsWDh6R0hQZFqoI7r7V8Rzr_FG2Mf_nOnMJqxtfyOxpsy_3d36lFxDIYQ59cqqrIQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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As you can see, it's been amazing (and exhausting). I'm so grateful to be a part of it. But I do feel like I'm directing a lot of my creative energy toward the restaurant right now. So, I'm going to take an extended break from this blog. I hope to start it again one day, or at least begin a new one. I will leave all the recipes up so that you can still access them here, and I will still read and respond to the comments and to any emails that you send.<br />
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If you're curious about my latest creations, just check out our <a href="http://www.5000pies.com/">website </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/5000pies">facebook</a> page.<br />
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Love you all!<br />
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Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-29966591356929939632014-11-20T17:26:00.002-08:002014-11-20T17:26:21.642-08:00A New Twist40 years. I recently heard Ina Garten say that she's been making her Thanksgiving cranberry sauce the same way for 40 years. I've been making her recipe for the past six years, and you can read my adaptation on it <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-recipes.html">here</a>. It's really good, so I see why she sticks to making it the same way every year. Why mess with tradition?<br />
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Except, I like to mess with tradition, just a little. This year I thought I'd experiment with a new flavor. I'll probably stick with Ina's recipe for Thanksgiving Day to appease some of the older folks in the family. And, I'll enjoy it - like I said, it's good! But, I had a chance to do a mini Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time and I decided to make a Pear Ginger Cranberry Sauce. I was not disappointed with this change.<br />
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I happen to love fresh ginger. When Roy and I go to sushi we ask for a couple extra little bowls of the pickled ginger. And I add it to kale and apple juice to give it a spicy kick. It's supposed to be super anti-inflammatory, so sometimes, when I'm feeling achy, I grate up a teaspoon or two, swallow it all at once and down it with a big glass of water. Now, I'm not saying everyone one needs to do that (unless you are a huge ginger fan like me). But, if you like a subtle kick to your cranberry sauce, then try this recipe this year. Adapted from America's Test Kitchen.<br />
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<b>Pear Ginger Cranberry Sauce</b><br />
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12 ounces fresh cranberries<br />
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more if needed<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into half-inch pieces<br />
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger<br />
1 large orange<br />
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Place the cranberries, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, pears, and ginger in medium saucepan. Zest the orange and place zest in saucepan. Squeeze juice of the orange into a liquid measuring cup. Add water to the orange juice until it measures 3/4 cup of total liquid. Pour the orange juice/water mixture into the saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and continue to cook for 10 minutes until cranberries have brown down, stirring occasionally. Halfway through cooking, carefully taste the mixture. If you would like it sweeter add another tablespoon or two or three of sugar. (The sweetness will depend on how ripe and sweet your pears were, hence why you may need to add more). Cool in pan, then transfer to a glass container to store in refrigerator. (It will thicken as it cools).<br />
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<i>Makes approximately 3 cups.</i><br />
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<i>Can be made up to one week ahead. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator. </i><br />
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P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I'm so grateful for all my friends and readers and hope you have a wonderful holiday.<br />
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Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-59833746791924647942014-10-29T17:42:00.001-07:002014-10-29T17:45:08.562-07:00Ahoy MateyMiles will be dressing up as a pirate this Halloween. There have been a lot of "Ahoy Matey!" and "Shiver me timbers!" type of statements coming out of his mouth all month. He's even been singing "yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" (I guess he really likes saying "yo ho"). Tomorrow he'll be dressing up for his party at school, which of course he's super excited for. And tomorrow night we'll carve our pumpkins at home in preparation for our <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2011/11/halloween-tradition.html">chili and cinnamon rolls</a> on Friday night.<br />
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To get our pumpkins, we made our annual trek to <a href="http://www.tanakafarms.com/">Tanaka Farms</a> last weekend. We love this huge pumpkin patch, and Miles had so much fun running up and down the rows of pumpkins, climbing on hay bales, and petting animals in the petting zoo. They also have a cannon out of which they shoot pumpkins onto the hillside. It's pretty crazy watching the pumpkins soar into the air and then smash against the hill. Miles never got tired of watching it.<br />
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So, as a we prepare to celebrate Halloween, I wanted to share my recipe for spiced cider with you. It's super easy, and I love the way my house smells when I make it. I'll serve this with my cinnamon rolls on Friday night; it would also be good with other fall treats like my <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2014/10/october.html">pumpkin bread</a>, <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2014/10/more-pumpkin.html">pumpkin cookies</a>, or <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2013/10/hello-fall.html">pumpkin cake</a>. Even if you're not having company, you could make it for yourself to enjoy in the evenings by reheating the leftovers in a mug in the microwave for a few days (strain the liquid if you plan on saving it). Either way, I hope you make this soon. Have a great Halloween!<br />
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<b>Spiced Apple Cider</b><br />
<br />
2 quarts apple cider or apple juice<br />
1 large orange<br />
4 cinnamon sticks<br />
10 whole cloves<br />
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Using a vegetable peeler, peel large strips of zest off of the orange. Place in a large saucepan along with the cider, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn heat down to low and simmer, with lid on but cracked, for one hour to allow flavors to blend. Continue to simmer on very low heat until you are ready to serve.<br />
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<i>Serves 12-16</i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-13605430400006492352014-10-10T14:39:00.000-07:002014-10-10T14:39:28.362-07:00More Pumpkin In case you made the pumpkin bread from my <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2014/10/october.html">last post</a>, and are wondering what to do with the pumpkin puree you didn't use, pumpkin cookies are your answer.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_xZfaIymHk/VDhM_8wlwZI/AAAAAAAAIvM/VZgcui35nqM/s1600/Pumpkin%2BCookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_xZfaIymHk/VDhM_8wlwZI/AAAAAAAAIvM/VZgcui35nqM/s1600/Pumpkin%2BCookies.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started making these delightful little cookies (adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis) last year and must have made them about half a dozen times that fall. They are spiced with allspice and cinnamon and get a great chewy texture from oats. I like to mix in cranberries and pecans, but you could do raisins or other types of nuts. I love that it's now pumpkin season so I can enjoy these cookies for the next couple of months. Oh, and they best part - not only are they tasty, but they are also vegan, which means you don't need to feel bad if you scarf down a few.<br />
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<b>Pumpkin Cookies with Cranberries and Pecans</b><br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup raw sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw or Turbinado)<br />
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)<br />
1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/3 cup dried cranberries<br />
1/3 cup chopped, <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">toasted </a>pecans<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.<br />
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In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, syrup, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.<br />
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Drop batter in generous tablespoons onto the prepared sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Using wet fingertips flatten each cookie into a 1.5 inch round. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and cookies are slightly firm to the touch, about 17-20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to rack to cool completely.<br />
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<i>Makes approximately 24 cookies. </i><br />
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<i>Note: Can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. </i><br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-14182509802663027162014-10-01T16:19:00.000-07:002014-10-01T16:19:44.956-07:00OctoberSummer came and went in an instant this year. I've been extremely busy (more on that in an upcoming post), and therefore very absent from this blog for a while.<br />
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However, today I decided to usher in fall by doing some baking. Yes, a heat wave is going to hit southern California for the next few days. But, my Halloween decorations are up, and as soon as the calendar reads "October" I have a deep need for all things pumpkin.<br />
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Last year I made a <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2013/10/hello-fall.html">pumpkin cake</a>. Today I wanted something quick and easy and less sweet. Something that could work for breakfast, or a snack or even after dinner. Enter pumpkin bread.<br />
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Miles already ate two pieces after it was cool. Maybe I'll let him take a piece to school tomorrow. Yes, my little man stared preschool!<br />
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<b>Pumpkin Bread</b><br />
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1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (grate it fresh yourself, if possible)<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/3 cup milk (I used almond)<br />
3/4 cup chopped, <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">toasted</a> pecans (optional)<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.<br />
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In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and all spices. In a large bowl whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Whisk in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 the milk, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Fold in nuts if using. Do not over mix.<br />
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Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.<br />
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<i>Serves 8-12.</i><br />
<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-75404931905697785582014-08-13T13:25:00.000-07:002014-08-13T13:25:33.400-07:00It's in the Banana Stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can never think of frozen bananas without thinking of Arrested Development. It has to be one of my favorite shows of all time (the first three seasons that is, not the abysmal Netflix 4th season). I fell in love with it when it first came out in 2003, and Roy and I still quote lines from it.<br />
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Naturally, when I made these frozen bananas last week we talked about the show again. We kept saying "it's in the banana stand" referring to George telling Michael that there was always money in the banana stand. (Michael later sets it on fire assuming his father means they'd collect insurance money, when in reality there was $250,000 lining with walls of the stand). Much of the show's hilarity ensues around the banana stand. If you're thinking of all those funny moments, and need to log off and go back and watch the show right now, I understand.<br />
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Also, I've just heard that the cast is preparing to do a 5th season. If that's the case, I will watch because I am such a fan. I hope that they can get past how bad the 4th season was and go back to the magic of the original seasons. If they do, I'll make a batch of these and happily power through the season.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas</b><br />
<br />
4 firm but ripe bananas<br />
2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips<br />
1/3 cup chopped, toasted almonds<br />
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon (optional)<br />
8 lollipop or Popsicle sticks<br />
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Cut each banana in half and insert stick into cut side. Place on a plate and freeze for a few hours or overnight, until firm.<br />
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Melt chocolate chips in wide shallow bowl in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.<br />
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Roll banana in melted chocolate, using the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the banana and scrape off excess. Immediately sprinkle with almonds and sea salt, if using. Be sure to work quickly as the chocolate will set in about 10 seconds since the banana is already frozen. Return banana to plate and repeat with other banana halves. Enjoy right away or return to freezer.<br />
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<i>Note: Can be made up to a week in advance. Cover plate with plastic wrap. </i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-55957881155977415642014-07-23T10:57:00.000-07:002014-07-23T10:57:00.918-07:00Sweet SauceI was first introduced to hoisin sauce by my old roommate. She used to make Vietnamese spring rolls, and the best part about them was the dipping sauce she made - hoisin sauce and peanut butter, thinned with a little water, and finished with chopped peanuts. It is so good and so easy.<br />
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I used to think that hoisin was something you had to buy in a jar in the asian section of the grocery store. That is, until I got Gwyenth Paltrow's <i>It's All Good</i> and saw a homemade version. And let me tell you, it is good. So good in fact, that I make it a few times a month. It's better than what you get in the store, and better for you - no mysterious ingredients and preservatives.<br />
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It's great on grilled meat or tofu, or mixed with peanut butter to make a great sauce for spring rolls as I mentioned above. I usually use this sauce exactly as Gywenth suggests: Drizzled over a bowl of rice, veggies, and tofu with sriracha. Or as the dressing for Chinese chicken salad. To make the dressing simply mix about a quarter cup of the sauce with a tablespoon of sesame oil, three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and a tablespoon of rice vinegar. You can adjust the ingredients according to your taste.<br />
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<b>Hoisin Sauce</b><br />
<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder<br />
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1/2 cup pure maple syrup<br />
1/2 cup red miso paste<br />
2 tablespoons rice vinegar<br />
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Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add five spice powder and garlic and sautee 30 seconds. Add the syrup, miso and rice vinegar and whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool.<br />
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<i>Note: Keep sauce in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week. Red miso paste can be found in health food stores and some grocery stores. It can last for several months in the fridge, so once you buy it you can make this sauce several times before it goes bad.</i><br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-71060022393712242242014-06-23T15:03:00.001-07:002014-06-23T15:03:13.017-07:00Irish Soda BreadI was recently in the mood to make Irish soda bread. It's the perfect thing on a relaxed weekend morning. The thing that I like about it is that it is kind of like a giant scone and a loaf of bread all in one, but easier to make than either one of those. I like to add golden raisins to the mix, but you could use any dried fruit or leave it out all together. I also like to serve this with honey butter, though this too is optional. Honey butter is good on all manner of things like biscuits, corn bread, or plain ol' toast. Enjoy this combo with a cup of coffee or tea and you will be a happy camper.<br />
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<b>Irish Soda Bread</b><br />
4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt<br />
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes<br />
1 3/4 cup cold buttermilk<br />
1 egg<br />
2 teaspoons grated orange zest<br />
1 cup golden raisins<br />
Honey butter (see below)<br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.<br />
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Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low until the butter is the size of small peas. Whisk together egg, buttermilk and orange zest together in small bowl. With the mixer on low add the buttermilk mixture. Then add the raisins and mix until just combined. It will be very wet.<br />
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Dump the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. With floured hands shape it into a round. Lightly cut an X into the top with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Also, the bread will have a hallow sound if you tap on it.<br />
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Serve warm or at room temperature with honey butter if desired.<br />
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<b>Honey Butter</b><br />
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
3 tablespoons honey<br />
Pinch kosher salt<br />
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Place all items in stand mixer. Beat on medium for a few minutes until well blended and fluffy. Scrap into a bowl and serve.<br />
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<i>Note: can be made several days in advance. Store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.</i><br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-79721722155453848222014-05-27T10:31:00.000-07:002014-06-23T15:04:08.947-07:00Three!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My little man turned three last week. I can't believe how fast these three years have gone! He requested a Lightning McQueen cake for his birthday, which you can read more about below. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTlo194OEQA/U4ExEifL7PI/AAAAAAAAIbk/_dP8PKySLLc/s1600/Disneyland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTlo194OEQA/U4ExEifL7PI/AAAAAAAAIbk/_dP8PKySLLc/s1600/Disneyland.JPG" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
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We decided to take him to Disneyland the day before his birthday (while he was still free!). He is a little daredevil. Much of the day consisted of Roy taking him on rides like the rockets, teacups, Dumbo, etc. - all rides that make me sick! Even though I didn't go on all the rides, I was happy to sit back and watch his smiling face. I'm really glad he takes after his dad and doesn't have motion sickness like me!</div>
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Now, back to Lightning McQueen. Everything with this boy is Lightning McQueen these days. He watched Cars last summer and it's been his favorite ever since. He was fortunate to get a lot of Lightning McQueen presents for his birthday. </div>
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Now, on to the cake. A quick internet search will give you lots of results for all sorts of fancy Lightning McQueen cakes you can make. There is even a special pan molded in the shape of McQueen so that the actual cake is in the shape of a car. You can then do all this fancy fondant work. Some of these cakes are pretty impressive, but I do not have the time or patience for that. I also didn't want to buy a cake pan that I would use only once.<br />
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I decided to make a three layer chocolate cake. I filled it with chocolate custard and frosted it with vanilla buttercream. (Okay, so although I don't want to do a bunch of tedious decorating, I obviously don't mind taking the time to make it taste good). Before I piped the top and bottom edges, I placed edible sugar paper with Cars characters around the sides. This was my first time using this sugar paper, which I got from <a href="http://www.whim-p.com/">Whimsical Practicality</a>, and I found it really easy. It peels off of its backing and easily adheres to frosting. I then piped the edges, wrote "Happy Birthday Miles" in red icing, and topped it with a candle that I got from Party City. It was actually easy, and I'm happy with how it turned out. We invited three of his little friends from church to come eat it with us. While I think Miles might have wanted to eat it all himself, he had fun sharing it and playing with his friends.<br />
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<i>Happy birthday my sweet boy! I love every day with you, and I can't wait to see what kind of cake you want next year. </i></div>
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-81602183569240816472014-04-25T10:30:00.000-07:002014-04-25T10:30:00.343-07:00Cheers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As always, our tree has a lot of lemons on it. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgmRF2czNb8/U1qTEKptvEI/AAAAAAAAIMw/2zp20WzzEJE/s1600/Lemon-Tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgmRF2czNb8/U1qTEKptvEI/AAAAAAAAIMw/2zp20WzzEJE/s1600/Lemon-Tree.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this is our first year growing strawberries in our garden.<br />
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With these two ingredients on hand all I needed was a bottle of prosecco and a little sugar to make one of my favorite drinks last weekend. I love having this on a warm, sunny day. It's also very easy to make, and everyone seems to like it. So, try it soon, and enjoy it all summer long. Cheers!</div>
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<b>Strawberry Prosecco Muddle</b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 cups hulled, chopped strawberries<br />
6 thin lemon slices<br />
1 750 ml bottle chilled Prosecco<br />
Ice<br />
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Make simple syrup: Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool completely.<br />
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Divide strawberries among 6 glasses. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of simple syrup (depending on how sweet you like your drink). Mash the strawberries slightly with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Add lemon slice and a few ice cubes to each glass. Top with Prosecco and serve.<br />
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<i>Serves 6.</i><br />
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<i>Notes: Simple syrup can be made a few days in advance. Store in the refrigerator. Recipe adapted from </i>Bon Appetit<i>. </i><br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-1380075352649560272014-04-02T16:02:00.002-07:002014-04-02T16:06:06.710-07:00QuickI love quick breads because, well, they're quick. I case you aren't familiar with the term quick bread - it's essentially any baked good that is leavened without yeast and instead relies on leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder. Basically, this means things like banana bread, muffins, and pancakes.<br />
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Items such as these are made using the "quick-bread method." Other quick breads like cookies, cakes or biscuits do not use this method, so we won't talk about them today. The quick bread method is super easy. Basically, put all your wet ingredients into one bowl. Mix. Put all your dry ingredients into another bowl. Mix. Then put them all together and mix again. The only "technique" you need to remember with quick breads is to not over mix. As soon as the wet and dry are mixed together you must stop stirring or you'll end up with a tough bread.<br />
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Miles and I make so many quick breads together, such as his <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-morning.html">favorite pancakes</a>, that he even knows the method. He says "where's the dry mom?" and then helps me stir. Then he says "now the wet," and stirs again. "Both together!" he finally says and he helps me stir again. It's cute to see him do it and it's fun to do it with him.<br />
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Yesterday we had some very ripe bananas (how many of my recipes start out this way!), so we decided to make muffins. I've adapted this muffin from <a href="http://food52.com/">Food52</a> (a great site with good weekly emails if you are interested). It's gluten and dairy free making it a good recipe to have in your arsenal whether you eat this way or you know someone who does. But, don't worry, you know I wouldn't give you a recipe for a bland muffin. I've added almonds, shredded coconut and dark chocolate chips to the recipe. They still feel like a treat even though they are healthy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvTpiBjwCo8/UzyUPFExEdI/AAAAAAAAH9g/J7XeTv03mWk/s1600/Banana+Muffin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvTpiBjwCo8/UzyUPFExEdI/AAAAAAAAH9g/J7XeTv03mWk/s1600/Banana+Muffin.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We only use Lightening McQueen muffin liners these days. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Banana Muffins</b><br />
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<u>Dry:</u><br />
1/3 cup coconut flour<br />
1/2 cup blanched almond flour<br />
3/4 cup old fashioned oats<br />
1/4 cup ground flax seed meal<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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<u>Wet:</u><br />
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil<br />
1/4 cup pure maple syrup<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 large or 3 small bananas, mashed<br />
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1/4 cup dark chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup sliced <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">toasted</a> almonds, put more for topping<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for topping<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.<br />
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Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just a few streaks of flour remain. Add the chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut and stir gently until just combined.<br />
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Scoop the mixture into the muffin cups, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with more almonds and coconut. Bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack.<br />
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<i>Makes 12.</i><br />
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<i>Notes: Some people with gluten allergies don't eat oats. While oats themselves don't contain gluten, sometimes they way they are processed could make them come into contact with gluten. Look for oats labeled "gluten-free" if you are concerned about this. Also, look for vegan chocolate chips if you want to ensure they do not contain dairy. </i><br />
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<i>Store muffins in air-tight container at room temperature for up to one day. Freeze leftover muffins by wrapping each in clear plastic wrap and then storing in zip top bag for up to one month. </i><br />
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<i>Finally, I'll be honest with you - you have to purchase a lot of these ingredients at health food stores. But they do last for a very long time, so once you have them on hand you can make these over and over again. </i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-7141726907702042402014-01-29T14:43:00.000-08:002014-01-29T14:44:17.802-08:00Blood OrangesI'm very happy when I start to see blood oranges show up in the market at this time of year. I love the deep magenta color. Today I'm sharing a recipe for my blood orange sorbet, but there are lots of ways to use them. They are great to make freshly squeezed juice, or a mimosa if you want to get fancy with that juice. For a different kind of salad, I like to lay slices of them on a plate and top with thinly sliced red onion, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. But, whether you use them in a recipe or eat them just as they are, I encourage you to look for some now. Once they're gone we won't see them again until next year, and you certainly don't want to miss out.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whNEedBPcIc/UstMtsBySuI/AAAAAAAAHbw/KDQKljFnm2c/s1600/Blood-Oranges.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whNEedBPcIc/UstMtsBySuI/AAAAAAAAHbw/KDQKljFnm2c/s1600/Blood-Oranges.JPG" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Blood Orange Sorbet</b><br />
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3 cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about a dozen blood oranges)<br />
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />
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Combine the juice and all the sugar in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar disolves. Do not boil. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.<br />
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Process mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place in an airtight container in the freezer to firm up for a few hours before serving.<br />
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<i>Makes approximately 3 cups, serving 4. </i><br />
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<i>Notes: Can be made up to three days ahead. </i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9qMqtyX7-c/UstMuSL1m8I/AAAAAAAAHb0/JH6Q7P6YiQw/s1600/Blood-Orange-Sorbet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t9qMqtyX7-c/UstMuSL1m8I/AAAAAAAAHb0/JH6Q7P6YiQw/s1600/Blood-Orange-Sorbet.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-16239244670157670022014-01-08T15:50:00.000-08:002014-01-08T15:50:06.597-08:00A New Year, A New SmoothieDecember came and went so fast for us. I can hardly believe that it's 2014. I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, but I do tend to eat lighter in January simply because after all the holiday indulgences I want to eat cleanly and simply.<br />
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Today I will share with you the latest smoothie I've been drinking. Surprisingly, one of my most popular posts was <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-pregnant-ladies.html">this one</a>, a post about a smoothie I drank all the time when I was pregnant with Miles. This post was pinned, reposted, viewed, etc. more than any other post I've done.<br />
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I will always love making that chocolate smoothie, but I'm really enjoying this one lately, probably because it tastes really good and it's got kale in it making me feel really healthy. But, I promise you won't taste the kale. The pale green color of the smoothie is the only reminder that it's in there. Oh, and this smoothie is loaded with protein from the almond milk and almond butter. It's one tasty and healthy smoothie. Drink up.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JforrmJCxXg/UstOQ7bCp4I/AAAAAAAAHcE/fXjXC0dM-nk/s1600/Banana-Almond-Kale-Smoothie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JforrmJCxXg/UstOQ7bCp4I/AAAAAAAAHcE/fXjXC0dM-nk/s1600/Banana-Almond-Kale-Smoothie.JPG" height="400" width="346" /></a></div>
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<b>Banana Almond Kale Smoothie</b></div>
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1 banana, sliced and frozen</div>
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2 tablespoons roasted, salted almond butter</div>
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3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk</div>
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1/2 cup packed roughly chopped kale leaves (stem removed; about 1 large leaf)</div>
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2 teaspoons pure maple syrup</div>
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Place all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth. </div>
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<i>Serves 1</i></div>
Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-83633840718026307052013-12-09T11:33:00.000-08:002013-12-09T11:33:36.266-08:00Puff PastryI love this time of year. Putting up our Christmas lights, decorating our tree, drinking hot chocolate, listening to Christmas music.<br />
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This time of year is always busy for us, as it is for everyone. So, I'm always looking for ways to make things easier. Puff pastry is one of those things. You can use it to make a quick tart crust, top a pot pie, make cheesy bread sticks, bake a brie in it, and so much more.<br />
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My favorite way to use it is to make<i> palmiers</i>, those lovely French elephant ear cookies. Think of these as the easiest cookies ever. Just keep a box of puff pastry in your freezer and you'll be ready to go anytime you need to serve something. They're great after dinner with coffee or tea.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMA_oVKt854/UqYXlcwSyyI/AAAAAAAAHIs/R_ZnXifyLTg/s1600/Palmier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMA_oVKt854/UqYXlcwSyyI/AAAAAAAAHIs/R_ZnXifyLTg/s400/Palmier.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Palmiers</b><br />
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1 16 or 17 ounce box puff pastry, thawed<br />
1<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">½ </span></span>cups granulated sugar<br />
1<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">½ </span></span> teaspoons cinnamon<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto a clean work surface. Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the fridge and place on top of the sugar. Sprinkle another 1/4 of the sugar mixture on top of the puff pastry. Roll the puff pastry into a 12 x 12 inch square pressing the sugar into the dough as you go. Working with two sides, fold each halfway to the center of the dough. Then fold again until the edges touch in the center. Fold one side over the other. Place on a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Repeat with remaining sugar and second piece of puff pastry. Chill both for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.<br />
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Remove from fridge and slice into 3/8" thick slices. Place, cut side up, on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes until golden on the bottom, rotating sheets halfway through. Flip each over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden on the other side as well (you may need to rotate your sheets again halfway through the second side). Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.<br />
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<i>Makes approximately 40 cookies. </i><br />
<br /><i>Notes: Thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge. You still want it to be very cold when you begin to work with it. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. </i><br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-34603832789407213072013-11-06T14:33:00.001-08:002013-11-06T14:33:25.182-08:00Easy As PieWhere did that saying, "easy as pie" ever come from? Pies are not actually that easy to make if you want to get them right. You know that I'm <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2013/09/kcrw-5th-annual-pie-contest.html">a pie fanatic</a>, but I'm the first to admit that they can be a bit tricky and time consuming.<br />
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So, while I love making pies, I don't always have time, and I realize that a lot of you don't either especially during the holidays. If you want a recipe this fall (perhaps for Thanksgiving?) that really is quick and easy then look no further than this cranberry apple cake from Ina Garten. That lady never disappoints. This is like a cross between a cake and a pie and it literally takes 15 minutes to make (okay, plus an hour to bake).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEE0Lb3VFQw/Unp7qFgIZZI/AAAAAAAAG6U/3DrE7A4PEEQ/s1600/Apple-Cranberry-Cake1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEE0Lb3VFQw/Unp7qFgIZZI/AAAAAAAAG6U/3DrE7A4PEEQ/s400/Apple-Cranberry-Cake1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtMBBUr2c6g/Unp7rSVpi3I/AAAAAAAAG6c/YYgargdQIaY/s1600/Apple-Cranberry-Cake3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtMBBUr2c6g/Unp7rSVpi3I/AAAAAAAAG6c/YYgargdQIaY/s400/Apple-Cranberry-Cake3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, and now I'm curious about the phrase. If you are too, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_easy_as_pie">here</a> you go, easy as pie.<br />
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<b>Cranberry Apple Cake</b><br />
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12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed<br />
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced (you should have about 1 cup)<br />
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed<br />
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from 1 or 2 oranges)<br />
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 1 orange)<br />
1 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 eggs, <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">at room temperature</a><br />
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar<br />
1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/4 cup sour cream<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional<br />
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<br />
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Combine cranberries, apples, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl. Pour into 10 inch pie plate (or similar sized pan).<br />
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In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, and sour cream and mix until combined. Add flour and salt and mix until combined.<br />
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Pour batter over fruit and spread evenly. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Bake 55 - 60 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.<br />
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<i>Serves 6-8.</i><br />
<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-74089362653272349572013-10-19T15:06:00.001-07:002013-10-19T15:06:11.677-07:00Hello FallIt finally felt like fall to me this week for two reasons: 1) I made pumpkin cake, and 2) we took Miles to the pumpkin patch this morning.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi1MvELbzK8/UmL7fEZtKxI/AAAAAAAAGvY/aVZBe8WRipQ/s1600/Miles-Pumpkin-Patch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi1MvELbzK8/UmL7fEZtKxI/AAAAAAAAGvY/aVZBe8WRipQ/s400/Miles-Pumpkin-Patch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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He was pretty excited by our load of pumpkins. I can't wait to carve one with him on Halloween. He's been into all things Halloween this year, happily pointing out our neighbors' ghosts or pumpkins when we drive by their houses.<br />
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Now, back to the cake. I adapted the cake from an old recipe in Gourmet magazine, and I was really happy with how it turned out. It was exactly what I wanted - very moist and pumpkiny and perfumed with fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ATK_NzyIxqI/UmL7aX3HDPI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/xusXCX9OuE8/s1600/Pumpkin-Spice-Cake+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ATK_NzyIxqI/UmL7aX3HDPI/AAAAAAAAGvQ/xusXCX9OuE8/s400/Pumpkin-Spice-Cake+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Miles has also been into taking pictures latey, now that I sometimes let him press the button on the camera. He really wanted to take a picture of this little ghost candle, and I like how it turned out. So, enjoy his first "published" photo and the recipe below, and happy fall!<br />
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<b>Pumpkin Spice Cake with Vanilla Glaze</b><br />
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<u>Cake:</u><br />
1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1¼ cups granulated sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
2¼ cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon allspice<br />
½ teaspoon ground ginger<br />
¼ teaspoon ground cloves<br />
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (grate it fresh yourself if possible)<br />
15 oz can pumpkin (not pie filling)<br />
¾ cup buttermilk<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
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<u>Glaze:</u><br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
2 tablespoons milk (any kind is fine)<br />
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
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Make the cake: Spray a 10 inch Bundt pan with cooking spray. Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in large bowl. Set aside. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Set aside.<br />
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In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. On low, add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Still on low, add the flour and pumpkin mixtures in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until the batter is smooth.<br />
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Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.<br />
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Cool cake in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Then invert cake out onto rack and cool completely.<br />
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Make the glaze: Once cake is completely cool, whisk together glaze ingredients. Place cake on platter. Tuck in small strips of waxed paper around the cake to catch excess glaze. Using the whisk or a spoon drizzle the glaze all over the cake. Allow to set for 15 minutes. Then remove waxed paper strips.<br />
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<i>Serves 12.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9.872398376464844px;"><br /></span>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-6053188946992444872013-09-17T14:02:00.000-07:002013-09-17T14:02:17.852-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 7<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GbOqSNcJXXo/Ufg6bbJ0lVI/AAAAAAAAGOs/_P8cFdo8cqI/s1600/Watermelon+Paleta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GbOqSNcJXXo/Ufg6bbJ0lVI/AAAAAAAAGOs/_P8cFdo8cqI/s400/Watermelon+Paleta.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>
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I used to live in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana,_California">Santa Ana</a>, which is a city with a very large Latino population. In almost every neighborhood you would see <i>paleteros</i> pushing carts full of <i>paletas</i> to sell in the afternoons. I'd often<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hear them ringing their bells as they passed by my office or house, and if it was a hot day I'd go out with a dollar and come back in with a <i>coco</i> or <span style="background-color: white; color: #212121;"><i>sandía</i></span> flavored one. It was always the perfect snack to get through a hot afternoon. </span><br />
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Where I live now there is still a significant Latino population, but there is no <i>paletero</i> that comes down my street. So, I make my own. Luckily they are quick and easy. I've been enjoying these a lot in the past few weeks with the super hot weather we've been having. Make them now and enjoy these final days of summer.<br />
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<b>Watermelon, Mint and</b><b> Lime Paletas</b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves<br />
3 heaping cups cubed watermelon (seeds are okay)<br />
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice<br />
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Combine sugar, water and mint leaves in small saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.<br />
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Strain the mint syrup into blender. Discard mint leaves. Add watermelon and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a pitcher or large liquid measuring cup. Pour mixture into ice pop molds and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.<br />
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<i>Makes 6-8 depending on the size of your molds. </i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Agfs55gWFBk/Ufg6cVcd6yI/AAAAAAAAGOw/Ck_0zh9rVr0/s1600/Watermelon+Paletas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Agfs55gWFBk/Ufg6cVcd6yI/AAAAAAAAGOw/Ck_0zh9rVr0/s400/Watermelon+Paletas.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-78259624226197973192013-09-11T14:23:00.001-07:002013-09-11T14:23:46.796-07:00KCRW 5th Annual Pie ContestI'm interrupting the frozen dessert series to share good news. I got 3rd place again at the <a href="http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2013/09/congratulations-to-all-the-winners-at-the-fifth-annual-good-food-pie-contest/">KCRW Good Food Pie Contest</a>!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlyMgjE7Hwk/UjDbZCT6zII/AAAAAAAAGd4/IzRYncbsgZs/s1600/Sara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlyMgjE7Hwk/UjDbZCT6zII/AAAAAAAAGd4/IzRYncbsgZs/s400/Sara.JPG" width="190" /></a></div>
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Anyway, the contest was much the same as <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2012/09/kcrw-4th-annual-pie-contest.html">last year</a> although there were a record 350 entrants this year. Last year my prize was in the nut category. This year I entered the cream category with my Toasted Coconut & Banana Cream Pie. It is an all-butter crust filled with a coconut pudding that is studded with toasted coconut. It's got a layer of sliced bananas in the middle and is topped with whipped cream and more toasted coconut. With 68 contestants in that category alone I am very happy to have placed third.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTl7jCG0kZk/UjDbdJD3g4I/AAAAAAAAGeA/AWgC8Q2RWMw/s1600/Toasted-Coconut-Banana-Cream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTl7jCG0kZk/UjDbdJD3g4I/AAAAAAAAGeA/AWgC8Q2RWMw/s400/Toasted-Coconut-Banana-Cream.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasted Coconut & Banana Cream Pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I also entered a Cherry Pie with Coconut-Almond Crumb Topping in the vegan category. It didn't place, but I was happy with the way it turned out. That pie (including the practice ones I'd made in the weeks before the contest) was my first time making a vegan pie. I'm just excited that <a href="http://www.moby.com/">Moby</a> may have tasted it; he was one of the judges in the vegan category.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rK1GWLPmz1s/UjDbVo_MJWI/AAAAAAAAGdo/h0_k1_hnYEQ/s1600/Cherry-Pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rK1GWLPmz1s/UjDbVo_MJWI/AAAAAAAAGdo/h0_k1_hnYEQ/s400/Cherry-Pie.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan Cherry Pie with Coconut-Almond Crumb Topping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I took my customary picture with Evan Kleiman, the host of Good Food. At least I hope it becomes customary. That's two gold ribbons. Do you think I can get a blue ribbon next year? Looks like I've got a year of yummy pie baking ahead of me to find out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t_X9IuygxH4/UjDbV92fxVI/AAAAAAAAGds/WaHxeyeMcw8/s1600/Evan-Kleiman-Sara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t_X9IuygxH4/UjDbV92fxVI/AAAAAAAAGds/WaHxeyeMcw8/s400/Evan-Kleiman-Sara.JPG" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan Kleiman and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kVdWcEK5CcA/UjDbLuJLYEI/AAAAAAAAGdg/uTEFQ60-lkU/s1600/Family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kVdWcEK5CcA/UjDbLuJLYEI/AAAAAAAAGdg/uTEFQ60-lkU/s400/Family.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating with my boys again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you KCRW!<br />
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-24758755212861282962013-08-29T15:14:00.000-07:002013-08-29T15:14:46.716-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 6If you read my last post or gave the recipe a try, I'm going to give you another recipe for your ice cream maker. It's a bit different: dark chocolate and chile ice cream from Rick Bayless. This is a fantastic flavor combination that's great to make at home, as you probably won't see it in your local ice cream shop. Don't be put off by the chile. It's not spicy and it lends a warm note to the rich chocolaty ice cream. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lh-h0SdJofo/Ufg6E1jzvzI/AAAAAAAAGOU/fgqYD_jIf-U/s1600/Chile+Negro+and+Chocolate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lh-h0SdJofo/Ufg6E1jzvzI/AAAAAAAAGOU/fgqYD_jIf-U/s400/Chile+Negro+and+Chocolate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pasilla negro chile and chopped bittersweet chocolate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Dark Chocolate Chile Ice Cream</b><br />
<br />
1 large pasilla negro chile<br />
4 ounces bittersweet (preferably 60-70%) chocolate, chopped<br />
1 1/3 cups half and half<br />
4 egg yolks<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 1/3 cups heavy cream<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons water<br />
<br />
Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the top off the chile with a pair of kitchen shears, then cut the side and remove the seeds. Using tongs, toast the chile by pressing the it into the skillet until very fragrant, about 10 seconds per side. Place the chile into a small saucepan and pour in the half and half. Heat over medium until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.<br />
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Meanwhile, make a double boiler: fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Choose a large heat-proof bowl that can easily be nestled into the saucepan with out touching the water. Place the egg yolks into this bowl and set aside on the counter.<br />
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Place the chopped chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl. Transfer the chile-half and half mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth. (Take out the center of the blender lid to allow heat to escape after you've turned it on). Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into the saucepan and heat until steaming (do not boil). Rinse the strainer as you will need it later. Once it's hot, pour over the chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Then whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted.<br />
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Whisk the sugar into the egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Reduce the boiling water to a simmer and place the bowl of egg-chocolate mixture on top. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes. You will know it is thick enough when you can dip the spoon into the mixture, run your finger along the back and the line stays. This will be about 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer if you have one.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baNsVBiX1TY/Ufg6IeDcGmI/AAAAAAAAGOg/jEsUeVr9UTw/s1600/Chocolate+Chile+Custard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-baNsVBiX1TY/Ufg6IeDcGmI/AAAAAAAAGOg/jEsUeVr9UTw/s400/Chocolate+Chile+Custard.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in heavy cream, vanilla and espresso. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.<br />
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Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately if you prefer a soft texture, otherwise freeze in air-tight container to allow it to firm up a bit.<br />
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<i>Makes approximately 1 quart.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Note: Store in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to three days. </i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3qRYENDjiA/Ufg6Hj6F76I/AAAAAAAAGOc/Cp5djzq9ZpY/s1600/Chocolate+Chile+Ice+Cream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3qRYENDjiA/Ufg6Hj6F76I/AAAAAAAAGOc/Cp5djzq9ZpY/s400/Chocolate+Chile+Ice+Cream.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-85802261844045202602013-08-21T16:17:00.000-07:002013-08-21T16:17:31.432-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's time to break out your ice cream maker. I normally don't like to give you recipes that require special equipment, but I think homemade ice cream is the exception. Like so many things made from scratch it is so good if you can make it yourself. Plus ice cream makers are pretty affordable, so if you are an ice cream aficionado like me, you'll be glad you got one. </div>
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I'm going to start by giving you my recipe for the most basic of homemade ice creams: vanilla. If you read my blog regularly you know I'm a chocolate person. I would never order vanilla at an ice cream shop. But homemade vanilla I love. Mostly because it takes something like a piece of apple pie and makes it that much better. Or chocolate cake. Or cookies. You get the point. </div>
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After trying many recipes and having them come out too icy, I've finally come up with this one. You'll notice that I stir in the heavy cream at the end. I've always done this with my <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2012/06/another-birthday-cake.html">blueberry ice cream</a> and the texture of that one is great. So, one day I decided to do the same thing with the vanilla and it also came out with a great texture. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEOGZ9prnQA/Ufg5uSgZOPI/AAAAAAAAGOE/oko9I1Q_s1k/s1600/Vanilla+Ice+Cream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEOGZ9prnQA/Ufg5uSgZOPI/AAAAAAAAGOE/oko9I1Q_s1k/s400/Vanilla+Ice+Cream.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla</td></tr>
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Once you've mastered the vanilla you can easily add other ingredients to the vanilla base to create other flavors. A syrupy fruit compote can be stirred in at the end. You can add peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candies. And of course you can add chocolate. So, as a bonus I give you a technique I learned from my <i>Williams Sonoma Ice Cream</i> book where you melt chocolate with a bit of vegetable oil and add it to the ice cream machine in the last minutes of churning it. You end up with lovely slivers of chocolate throughout the ice cream. <div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMytptkdZFQ/Ufg5vWfDOzI/AAAAAAAAGOM/wTNooQ_TGYQ/s1600/Chocolate+Chip+Ice+Cream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMytptkdZFQ/Ufg5vWfDOzI/AAAAAAAAGOM/wTNooQ_TGYQ/s400/Chocolate+Chip+Ice+Cream.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Chip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Vanilla Ice Cream</b><br />
<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1/2 cup half and half<br />
1 1/2 cups heavy cream<br />
1 vanilla bean<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
4 egg yolks<br />
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1. Place the whole milk in medium saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds with a small knife into the saucepan. Add bean pod to pan. Place over medium heat and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes (do not let it boil). Turn off heat.<br />
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2. Meanwhile whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and half and half in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the vanilla bean-milk mixture into the yolk mixture until well blended. Pour the yolk mixture into the milk in the saucepan. Place over medium heat, and stir slowly and constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thickened, about 4 -6 minutes. Do not boil. You will know it is thick enough when you can dip the spoon into the mixture, run your finger along the back and the line stays. This will be about 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer if you have one.<br />
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3. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Place inside a larger bowl filled with ice water until cooled to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Once cool, whisk in heavy cream. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.<br />
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4. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately if you prefer a soft texture, otherwise freeze in air-tight container to allow it to firm up a bit.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Chip Ice Cream</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
1 batch vanilla ice cream, prepared through step 3.<br />
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped<br />
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />
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About 1 hour before you are ready to churn the ice cream, melt the chocolate and vegetable oil together in small microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds. Set aside to cool completely.<br />
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Process the vanilla ice cream in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Once the ice cream is thick like soft serve ice cream, keep the machine running and drizzle the chocolate mixture over with a large spoon. As soon as the chocolate hits the ice cream it will start to freeze and form silvers of chocolate in the ice cream. Serve immediately if you prefer a soft texture, otherwise freeze in air-tight container to allow it to firm up a bit.<br />
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<i>Each batch makes approximately 1 quart of ice cream.</i><br />
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<i>Note: Store in the freezer in an air-tight container for up to three days. </i><br />
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Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-26027511718070598932013-07-30T15:40:00.001-07:002013-08-30T20:06:05.210-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-stDxB9vPN3c/Ufg5cEsANjI/AAAAAAAAGN8/n5I2nuaOMH0/s1600/Blackberry+Granita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-stDxB9vPN3c/Ufg5cEsANjI/AAAAAAAAGN8/n5I2nuaOMH0/s400/Blackberry+Granita.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've introduced you to a granita <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2011/08/berries-and-cream.html">before</a>. But, it's so light and refreshing that I wanted to include it in the frozen dessert series. Last month<i> Bon Appetit</i> had a recipe for a blackberry one with lemon cream. I tried it and to be honest I didn't like the lemon cream. It was too thick and greasy as it was made with mascarpone (though I normally love this cheese it didn't work with the granita for me). The blackberry granita was very good though, so the next day I served it again with whipped cream and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Perfect. <br />
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<b>Blackberry Granita</b><br />
<br />
18 ounces blackberries (about 4 cups)<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tablespoon creme de cassis (black currant liqueur, optional)<br />
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice<br />
Pinch kosher salt<br />
1 cup water<br />
<a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">Whipped cream</a>, for serving<br />
Lemon zest, for serving (optional)<br />
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Combine all ingredients, except whipped cream and zest, in blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a 9 x 9 metal baking pan (or similar size shallow pan). Freeze, scraping the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes until it resembles fluffy ice, about 2 - 4 hours. Cover until ready to serve. Scrape with fork again before serving. Spoon into small bowls and top with whipped cream and lemon zest if desired.<br />
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<i>Serves 6.</i><br />
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<i>Note: Can be made three days ahead. </i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-8274137327747165782013-07-16T15:28:00.000-07:002013-07-16T20:54:06.423-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 3And now, on to the fun stuff.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5T1ZoySwzIM/Ud3TKt1OTHI/AAAAAAAAGAg/TfjznhSNPLQ/s1600/Ice+Cream+Cone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5T1ZoySwzIM/Ud3TKt1OTHI/AAAAAAAAGAg/TfjznhSNPLQ/s400/Ice+Cream+Cone.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
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I can't very well go ahead and do a frozen dessert series and not include ice cream cones, now can I? What is more fun than eating an ice cream cone? Do you remember the Drumstick ice cream cones you ate as a kid (and maybe still do)? Well, these are like those - a sugar cone lined with chocolate, filled with ice cream, dipped in chocolate again and rolled in nuts. But these are much better because by making them yourself you can use good quality chocolate and ice cream. And did I mention the flavor combinations are endless?<br />
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I'm going to give you the basic recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit, and then you can make it your own.<br />
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<b>Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Cones</b><br />
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9 standard sugar cones<br />
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped<br />
1/3 cup coconut oil<br />
3 pints ice cream, flavor of your choice<br />
<a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">Toasted nuts</a> of your choice, optional<br />
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Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over simmering water. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile take out 9 cups to hold the cones. Bunch up some strips of foil into a ring shape and fit into each glass. This will help hold the cone upright after you dip it.<br />
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Holding one cone at a time over the bowl of chocolate, pour about a quarter cup of the chocolate into the cone. Swirl to coat the entire inside of the cone, then let the excess drip back into the bowl. Then dip the top half-inch of the cone into the chocolate and let the excess drip back in again. Place the cone back in the foil ring in its cup and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. </div>
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Working one cone at a time pack some ice cream into the cone, then top with a small scoop of ice cream. Place the cone back in the foil ring in its cup, then freeze one hour.<br />
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Rewarm the chocolate mixture if it's gotten hard again. Set out toasted nuts in shallow bowls. Again, working one cone at at time dip the ice cream into the chocolate mixture rolling to coat. Immediately roll in nuts, if using, before returning to it to it's cup and placing in the freezer for another hour.<br />
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<i>Makes 9 cones. </i><br />
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<i>Note: You can make up to one week ahead. Once the cones are finished and completely frozen, wrap each in foil and stack them on a platter in the freezer.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1DbHYArSDA/Ud3TJu7QZBI/AAAAAAAAGAU/PqFrI7aRTes/s1600/Ice+Cream+Cones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p1DbHYArSDA/Ud3TJu7QZBI/AAAAAAAAGAU/PqFrI7aRTes/s400/Ice+Cream+Cones.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla ice cream with almonds, dulce de leche ice cream with cashews, and <br />
chocolate ice cream with toasted coconut and pecans.</td></tr>
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<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-23214690730506686222013-07-02T14:52:00.001-07:002013-07-03T22:54:12.515-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 2Banana Ice Cream. It's rich. It's creamy. And it happens to be vegan.<br />
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But, don't let that detour you. I think I made it pretty clear in my last post that I am an unabashed ice cream lover. Ice cream that's skimping on flavor and texture just won't cut it for me. But this banana ice cream fulfills all my requirements. It is the texture of soft serve ice cream with hints of vanilla and a bit of extra sweetness from the maple syrup. It's good on it's own, but it's absolutely delicious with the sweet and salty almond topping. If you don't believe me, then you can trust Roy - a man who would probably never intentionally choose something vegan off of a menu. He had it the other day, and mentioned three separate times throughout the evening how much he liked it. If you don't believe either of us, then you can trust Miles who said "Mom, this ice cream really yummy!" when he tasted it.<br />
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So, thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow and her new book <i>It's All Good </i>where I got the recipe. I'm loving this book as it's filled with light and healthy recipes that I can make all the time. Like the banana ice cream. Seriously, I make it all the time now.<br />
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<b>Banana Ice Cream with Sweet and Salty Roasted Almonds</b><br />
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<u>Almonds:</u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">½</span> </span>cup finely chopped <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/p/sweet-success.html">toasted</a> almonds<br />
4 teaspoons real maple syrup<br />
Big pinch flaked sea salt, such as Maldon<br />
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Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside while you make the banana ice cream.<br />
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<u>Banana Ice Cream:</u><br />
4 ripe bananas sliced into thin rounds, frozen (see note)<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">½</span></span> cup unsweetened almond milk<br />
2 tablespoons real maple syrup<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
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Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, scraping the sides as necessary. Don't worry if it's not totally smooth at first; the heat from blade of the food processor will defrost the bananas slightly and an ice cream texture will take shape. Serve immediately with almond mixture sprinkled over the top.<br />
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<i>Serves 4.</i><br />
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<i>Note: After thinly slicing the bananas into rounds, place in single layer (as best you can) in a large zip-top bag. Place in the freezer for at least several hours. Then proceed with the recipe. Now that I make this recipe regularly, I like to keep bags of frozen bananas in the freezer, so I can make it whenever I want. </i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-73868132512206791422013-06-25T15:39:00.000-07:002013-06-25T15:39:43.004-07:00Frozen Desserts: Part 1There was a bit of an ice cream issue when I was a kid. Well, actually, even until I was in high school. The thing is our family would fight over ice cream. Once the ice cream carton had run out we'd start blaming each other for taking more than their fare share. Hmm, maybe we had too much time on our hands.<br />
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My mom got so sick of us fighting over it that she literally got out five plastic containers, wrote each of our names on them in permanent marker, and starting dividing the ice cream evenly between each member of our family. So, every time she bought ice cream it would be divided between the containers before it even went into the freezer. Then we each had to monitor our own ice cream consumption. Once the ice cream in our container was gone, we'd have to wait until she bought more and refilled it to have it again.<br />
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You might have thought that this would have solved the problem, but I remember once accusing my sister of stealing mine. I'd waited all week to eat my ice cream and when I opened the container it was half gone. I rounded up both of my sisters and interrogated them until I figured out that it was the youngest one who'd taken the ice cream. On the verge of tears, she said that she'd meant to trade the flavor in her container with the flavor in mine and didn't know what had happened. I said, "I'll tell you what happened, you stole my ice cream." And I was mad at her the rest of the day.<br />
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Recalling this story makes me happy that I don't have a bunch of teenage girls. Also, sorry Em for being so ridiculous. We all laugh about the ice cream dividing today. And now as adults, we pretty much only eat ice cream out or bring it into the house for special occasions. I suppose it's best to not bring in something that has the power to tear me, and Roy and Miles apart.<br />
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Because of my extreme love for ice cream and really all frozen desserts, I decided that I'd do a whole series dedicated to some of my favorites this summer. Don't worry, most of the treats that I'll post will not require an ice cream maker and for the most part they will be simple. So, to kick off the series, here is an easy yet indulgent treat. It's an amazing and quick chocolate peanut butter sauce from Nigella Lawson.<br />
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<b>Ice Cream Sundaes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce</b><br />
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4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped<br />
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter here)<br />
3/4 cup heavy cream<br />
3 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream (or both), or flavor of your choice<br />
Chopped salted peanuts<br />
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the milk chocolate, peanut butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup until smooth. It will take just a few minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly while you scoop the ice cream. Place 2 scoops of ice cream in a bowl, drizzle desired amount of sauce over, and top with peanuts. Repeat for remaining guests. Serve immediately.<br />
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<i>Makes enough sauce to serve 4 - 6 people generously.</i><br />
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<i>Note: You can make the sauce a few days ahead and keep in a glass container in the refrigerator. Reheat in microwave until warm and smooth again.</i>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190148798069837347.post-87337191190052323872013-05-30T11:52:00.001-07:002013-05-30T11:52:38.523-07:00The Birthday BoyMiles is two!<br />
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His birthday was last week, and I'm still feeling a little bit shocked by the fact that I have a two year old. Time goes by really fast and I've enjoyed this past year with him so much. He continues to get more and more fun so I'm sure age two will have even more funny moments.<br />
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Like when I took him for his two year check up, and the doctor asked, "Do you like Snoopy?" because he was wearing a Charlie Brown shirt. Miles enthusiastically replied, "I LOVE Snoopy!"<br />
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Or when we read his <i>Spaceships</i> book and he says "fuel tank!" and "rocket booster!" as we look at the pictures. Is it obvious that he has an aerospace engineer for a dad and rockets all over his room?<br />
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Or when we're driving in the car and he sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. For some reason he tries to sing it as fast as he can over and over, so it comes out as "TwinkleStarHowYouAreLikeDiamondSkyTwinkleStar!"<br />
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Since Miles is no longer allergic to anything I let him look through my <i><a href="http://flourbakery.com/book/flour-spectacular-recipes-bostons-flour-bakerycafe">Flour</a></i> cookbook and pick out the cake he wanted me to make. He chose the yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Okay, I may have steered him toward that one, but he was very excited about it.<br />
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I'm not going to post that recipe here. But, I did make cupcakes to celebrate with our Bible study later that week. I made chocolate cupcakes and decorated half with vanilla frosting and raspberries and the other half with the chocolate-hazelnut frosting that I've been promising you since <a href="http://sara-sweets.blogspot.com/2012/05/birthday-cake.html">last year</a>. So, finally, here is that recipe.<br />
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<b>Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting</b><br />
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12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">1½</span> </span>cups powdered sugar<br />
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">¾</span> cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
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Mix butter in bowl of stand or hand-held mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add powdered sugar and cocoa and mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add vanilla, chocolate-hazelnut spread and salt and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy about 4 minutes more.<br />
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Makes enough to decoratively pipe 12-14 cupcakes.<br />
<br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612567167041455328noreply@blogger.com2