Way back in the 80s, one of the winners of the Pillsbury Bake-off was a Sour Cream and Raisins bar cookie. I don’t think I have ever made the “real” recipe, but I started modifying it and have come up with a whole set of variations that are different enough that I can really call…
Month: January 2009
Broccoli Soup and Poor Man’s Garlic Toast
After writing about all the uses of broccoli stems, it seemed like a good idea to make some broccoli soup. The cold weather we’ve been having is perfect for soup, and I had everything I needed to make a large pot of it. Alongside, I made “Poor Man’s Garlic Toast” from the ends of ten…
The Rest of the Broccoli
Our family has always liked the crunchy texture and flavor of the broccoli stems about as much as the more popular crowns, so I almost always buy the entire stalks. The full broccoli stalks are usually quite a bit cheaper too, but not if you are going to throw half your purchase away. Right now,…
Making Pizza with the Grandchildren, a New Pizza Stone, and the Last Garden Tomatoes
After years of reading about the wonders of a “pizza stone,” I finally picked one up in an after Christmas sale and we tried it out last night, we being my two grandsons, ages 4 and 2 1/2, and me. I did some exploring to find more information about using and caring for a pizza…
Vanilla Beans and Vanilla Extract
A New York Times article on what to keep in your pantry mentioned “bargains in bulk” for vanilla beans when purchased on-line. Since this has always seemed too pricey for me to try, I decided to do a little research and found a) a good-looking source for beans, a pound of which would be about…
Time for Vegetables
After all the rich foods of the past few weeks–cookie exchanges, three or four course meals, chips and dips, cheese and crackers at all those holiday parties–it’s no wonder so many New Year’s resolutions involve better eating habits. To be able to keep those resolutions, it’s a good idea to have healthy ingredients around to…
Last Week’s Baked Ham, This Week’s Soup
I tucked half a ham into the slow cooker on Christmas afternoon to go with some good rolls, lots of fresh vegetables and dip, and cheese and crackers for an afternoon/evening of snacking while we played board games and talked. One of the joys of having brunch as our big Christmas meal is the relaxed…