Oktoberfest - also known as my birthday month...

Stop it.  Stop it right now.  These are amazballs.  Little tiny amazeballs of soft pretzel goodness!  We had a delightful Oktoberfest celebration this evening with some JAG friends and the host provided brats and the guests provided German treats.  I have been wanting to try my hand at soft pretzels and Lord have mercy, why did I wait?!

Little Anecdote: when I was a youngster I volunteered with the SCHMT (Summer Children's Ministry Team) at my church during the summer (Meg, Di, Steph, you with me?).  We had a day camp called Gopher Gulch and we made soft pretzels AKA: gold nuggets with the kiddos.  They were disgusting.  Rubbery.  Germy (lots of little dirty hands helping us out).  Anyhow, this experience kind of soured me from soft-pretzel making.  Glad I got over it!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Adapted from Alton Brown ~ www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups (My food scale is broken - I blame the wild monkeys that live with me - and I just used 4 1/2 cups and didn't weigh the flour.)
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (yah, I used salted and it was DELISH - my fingers might be puffy in the morning, but I'm okay with that)
Vegetable oil, for pan and work surface
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt (I used Kosher salt)

Instructions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. (This made no sense to me.  I used Silpats on two full-sized cookie sheets and called it good.  But I also made the pretzels bit sized and not full Auntie Annie's sized.)

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. (I did 6 balls.) Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. (I made 12 inch ropes - not sure how Alton got a 24" rope...)  Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. (I used a pastry cutter chopped the rope up into little chunks and rolled them into balls.)  Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. (Because I did bite-sized bits I did 5-6 at a time.)  Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. (I used a flat mesh strainer - worked like a dream.)  Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. (Re-dic-li-ous (as Owen says) to wait, but wait you must!)

Meanwhile, I leave you with a few pics from my sister + fam's visit a few weeks ago.  We visited Polyface Farms of Food, Inc. fame (www.polyfacefarms.com), just outside of Staunton, VA.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed roaming free on the farm and I ordered our Thanksgiving turkey!

Hook'em!

Owen going back to his Kansas roots - he LOVED the farm.  Let's move back to Kansas.

I mean really.

What happened to my baby??

Billy and Will - love.

Anytime you say "yay!" Hannah and Elliott clap :)

The big boys checking out the chicken coup.

The chil-ren really weren't interested in a photo opp...

Eating in the Rain

Elliott has become very helpful at rearranging my cabinets.  Super helpful.

We have had a very wet and hot summer.  If it isn't pouring rain, then it is blazing hot.  Under both circumstances we don't go outside.  Poor little boys stuck with a mama from California who only likes it outside when the weather is perfect.  So we make up inside games, like pull all the dishes out of the cabinet!  Whoo hoo!

But today was different.  It was a little humid, not too hot and we finished the day with a light rain.  Light enough that we ate dinner on the deck under our umbrella.  It was delightful!  But don't let the above picture fool you, Elliott was a bit impatient and squawked with indignation if we didn't get food onto his tray quick enough.  This smile was a rarity at dinner tonight.  Clearly we are starving him.

Tonight we dined on Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Bacon Salad.  Double the Pig, Double the Fun!  I got this little gem from Cooking Light - I generally don't like their recipes simply because there are a million steps to cutting out the fat and making the food taste good.  But this recipe was delish and we all loved it!  I tweaked it a bit based on what we had in our fridge so I'll give both variations.

Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

~ serves 4 ~

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3 1/2 teaspoons EVOO, divided

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 (6 oz) bone-in-center-cut pork chops (about 1/2" thick) (I bought boneless because they looked better and I could get more for my money and feed the masses.  Elliott was only interested in Annie's Mac N' Cheese but Owen was all in.  Yay for my good eater!)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray (I never used it, just EVOO)

2 ripe nectarines (I used white peaches from the farmers market)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 teaspoons mascarpone cheese (Trader Joe's didn't have it and I am only willing to make one shopping stop with my two little monsters)

Instructions

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Combine thyme, 1 tablespoon oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  Rub oil mixture evenly over pork chops; sprinkle with salt and black pepper (Owen helped me with this step and I just have to say I love cooking with my soon to be big 3 year old).  Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Let stand 10 minutes.

3.  While pork stands, cut nectarines in half; discard pits.  Combine sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, cumin, and red pepper in a small bowl.  Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over cut sides of nectarines.  Place nectarines on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender.  Cut nectarines into wedges; top evenly with mascarpone cheese (I bet this would take it over the top - we'll try it next time!).  Serve with pork. 

Bacon Herb Salad

2 center cut bacon strips

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (6 oz) package herb salad mix (I used spinach and arugula because I am not a fan of the dill in herb salad mix.  Not sure what it is but it is extremely off-putting to me.)

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan; crumble.  Pour drippings (I didn't use all of the drippings because this seamed excessively bacony) into a medium bowl.  Add vinegar, mustard, honey, pepper and salt into bowl; stir with a whisk (NOTE: if you let it sit for a bit, the bacon drippings will begin to harden.  Just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and voila!).  Add herb salad mix; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with bacon.

Bon Apetit!

My sweet boy.  Can't believe he'll be three in a few weeks!

I'm Back!

Boys in bow ties!

So yah, it's been busy.  We spent 3 out of 4 weeks in June traveling and the first week of July we had VBS!  This business has caught up to us as everyone has a cold - summer colds are for the birds.

The first trip was to California for some family time, beach time, cousin time and Disney time!  We took Owen and my nephew to Disneyland for the first time and it was a hit!  However, if you ask either of them, their favorite ride was the tram from the parking lot to the gates.  Awesome.

This picture was taken post Owen getting us kicked off a ride.  SWEET.  He was having a Mr. Monk moment and refused to sit in the seat so we had to get off the ride.  Other than that little incident, I'd say they liked it.  I think California Adventure was more their speed with Cars Land and Bug's Life.  Bug's Life had a ton of rides they loved - maybe we'll go back again??

Can we go back and hang out with these cousins?  They were so cute together!

In between trips we were home long enough to make THIS amazing salad.  My sister made it for us in California and it was so good, I had to make it too!  It is so light and summery - you MUST try it!

 

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

 Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1/2 pound baby arugula leaves
2 pounds seedless watermelon, 3/4-inch-diced (3 pounds with the rind)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2-pound chunk Parmesan cheese

Jer showing off his new BBQ apron.  We had grilled chicken with the Watermelon and Arugula salad - good job Chef Jer

Instructions

Place the arugula and watermelon in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the arugula to moisten.

With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and sprinkle them on the arugula and watermelon. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Our next stop on the Stephens American Tour was Louisville, Kentucky for a friend's wedding reception - we had so much fun celebrating Sarah and Matt!  LOVED her dress and wish I got a picture of her FABULOUS Jimmy Choos!

 Next stop, Stearns, Kentucky for a ride on the Big South Fork Railway!  We road an old steam engine ("Steamie" for those in the know) to an abandoned coal mine that the National Park Service now runs.  It was such a great trip!  Owen, and even Elliott, loved riding the train!

And the final stop of our tour was Jamestown, Tennessee!  We spent time with Jeremy's family and enjoyed a trip down memory lane.  I loved how excited Jeremy was to show us all the places he remembered with such fondness as a kid.

We stopped at Forbus General Store which opened in 1892.  When we rolled up there were several men on the stoop whittling wood, you can spy them off to the right.  Owen picked out a coon skin cap that Grandma Dar got him and he proceeded not only to wear it all day and to the family reunion, but to also call himself "Daniel Boone Owen."

Great summer so far but so ready to just be in Charlottesville!

Springtime Bleus

We woke up before the sun each morning - breathtaking over the Atlantic Ocean, isn't it?

We have thoroughly embraced Spring, despite its fairly late arrival!  My friends in Kansas are experiencing snow this week, so I won't complain any further!  We have made two trips to the beach, one freezing and full of the stomach bug and one absolutely spectacular!  We were fortunate enough to be invited to a friend's family beach house in South Carolina.  It was terrific (as Owen says)!!!  We got to visit with old friends, adopt a new set of grandparents (thanks Annie for sharing!) and listen to the waves crash on the shore as we fell asleep each night.  DE-lightful.

My favorite part of the week was seeing the boys discover their love of the sea!  Elliott was adorable - he loved raking the sand under his fingers and eating all the sand toys.  Owen was all about the "sea" as he called it.  He was perpetually in the water, getting buckets of water for his sand castles, and fishing for "seafood" for dinner.

I taught Owen how to make drippy castles.  Growing up I spent endless days on the beach with my cousins and sister making spectacular drippy castles!  

The night before we left for the beach, I made a delightful Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu.  As I have mentioned before, I am not a ham fan.  But lately, the tide has been turning - what the what?  I never thought there would be a day when I'd voluntarily purchase and cook with ham.  Alas, the day has arrived!

 

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu
www.skinnytaste.com
~ serves 6 ~

Ingredients
Cooking spray
12 thin sliced (36 oz total) skinless boneless chicken breasts, 3 oz each (I used 4 large chicken cutlets)
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 large egg (I had one egg in the fridge, so I made due and added a little water)
2 large egg whites
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 oz (6 slices) thinly sliced lean deli ham, sliced in half (I didn't slice the ham or swiss in half and totally should have)
6 slices (4.4 oz) Sargento reduced fat Swiss cheese, cut in half (Trader Joe's has pre-sliced low fat Swiss)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.  Wash and dry the chicken cutlets; lightly pound the chicken to make thinner and lightly season with salt and black pepper.  (My grocery store sells thinly sliced chicken cutlets so I didn't need to pound them any thinner.)

Lay the chicken on a working surface and place a slice of ham on top of the chicken, then the cheese and roll, setting them aside seam side down.  (I neglected to put the seam side down on one breast and as it cooked it popped open and was a bit of a mess.)

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites along with water to make an egg wash. (I only made four cutlets, so one egg with some water was plenty.)  In another medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.  Dip the chicken into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumbs.  Place chicken onto the baking sheet seem side down. Spray the top of the chicken with more cooking spray and bake about 25 minutes, or until until cooked.

Makes 12

Bon Appetit!

The Groundhog told the truth.

Sucker for some snow!

We woke up this morning to about 6 inches of snow!  Actually, we woke up to Owen saying, "The snow is here!"  Last night he was having some troubles settling down and falling asleep so I told him that the snow couldn't come until he fell asleep - it worked until midnight when he wandered into the room and snuggled in with us.  Who is the sucker really?

Owen loved this random puddle and was throwing everything from snow balls to himself in it.  He was SOAKING WET when he came back inside.

Owen and Jer had a great day playing in the snow.  In fact, when Daddy didn't get him up from his nap, Owen asked if Daddy was playing in the snow.  Yes, Daddy is playing int the snow by himself.  I love the way little minds work!

Sledding down the hill behind our house!

While the boys were out playing in the snow, I made the BEST minestrone!  My sister highly recommended Ina's new book ("Barefoot Contessa Foolproof"), specifically her Winter Minestrone with Garlic Bruschetta.  Holy moley, she was SO RIGHT!  It was DELISH.  It took some time to put together, but I think that is because I was manning the littlest Stephens while the big boys were outside sledding!

He loves his puffs - when he can get them in his mouth :)

Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta
~ Serves 6-8 ~ (So either these 6-8 people are having thirds or she meant to say 16-18 people.  It makes A LOT.)

{Ingredients}
Good Olive Oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced (Trader Joe's sells the exact amount but in 1/8-inch dice.  My sister used bacon and said it was a bit overpowering.  So if you use bacon, maybe drain the pan a bit before tossing in the veggies)
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots - I had to use 5, so Ina must have used enormous carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inc) diced celery (3 stalks - ditto from above)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini (or white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti (I used orzo.  For what it is worth, my sister said not to add the full amount, but only after I had already added it.  The orzo apparently never stops expanding and tends to take over the leftovers.)
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (seems like a lot, but it wilts WAY down)
1/2 cup good dry white wine (don't skip this, it gave amazing depth)
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Garlic Bruschetta (recipe follows)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (oops, forgot this part but didn't miss it!)

I got crafty with this one and took it standing on top of my chair :)

{Instructions}
1)  Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven.  (I don't know why you need this much olive oil when you are tossing in pancetta...next time I might cut it back a bit.)  Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

2)  Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

3)  Discard the bay leaf.  Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through.  The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, add more chicken stock.  Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad).  Cook just until the leaves are wilted.  Stir in the white wine and pesto.  Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste.  Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

Elliott enjoys eating much more than Owen EVER did.  Thankfully we are passed all that and Owie LOVED this soup!  He kept telling me, "Good soup Mommy!" and singing "soup, soup, soup, soup..."

Garlic Bruschetta
1 baguette
Good olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Slice the baguette at a 45 degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted.  Take the slices out of the oven and run the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic.

Bon Appetit!

Philly Foody Fun!

Footie jammie picture!

 We met some seriously amazing people when we were living in Arlington.  We are so blessed to be able to maintain those friendships - especially now that we are on the East Coast and are able to visit in person!  Four kids and five moves later, we finally were able to get together with our dear friends the Andersons.  Liz and Walter led our small group for two years and were such a blessing as leaders and friends.  I miss our weekly get-togethers!

This was the summer we met the Andersons and the rest of our wonderful small group.  Here's to a reunion this summer!  (Not pictured: the Andrews!)

Sometimes I wish we could all just move to the same cul-de-sac (maybe the one the Andersons live on?) and pick up where we left off.  Sigh.  Maybe in heaven??

Elliott and the Polar Bear at the Philadelphia Zoo in sub-zero weather.  Just kidding, it was 32*.

The Andersons took us the Lancaster Farmers Market where we had a very traditional lunch of hotdog pretzel rolls - AMAZING.  Seriously, delish and I kind of want one right now.  And we bought the goods to make Philly Cheese Steaks for dinner!  Philly Food is so up my alley!  But before we got to make the cheese steaks, we had quite the adventure at the Philadelphia Zoo in rather frigid weather!

Owen taking in the Polar Bear exhibit with is bear mittens.

 All-in-all, amazing weekend and I can't wait for our next visit - hopefully in this Summer!

Now for the cheese steaks!  Liz said she has only seen this particular meat:

i.e.: super thinly sliced, in Philadelphia area meat markets...I have yet to look for it here in Cville, but my next trip to the butcher shop I will take a look.

So, what you need is one green bell pepper and one white onion thinly sliced.  Start sauteing those bad boys in a big pan with a little EVOO until they are just tender.

Then you will just start adding the very thinly sliced meat to the pan on top of the peppers and onions. 

Give the meat a stir until it is browned.  Add a little salt and pepper to season the meat at this point.

Then start layering the provolone on top - yum.  Seriously, yum.

Then give it a good stir so the meat/onion/pepper mixture is good and provolone cheesy.  Then pour the mixture onto a cutting surface and chop it up a bit as it will be easier to load up the sandos.

Toast some delish deli rolls (apparently the rolls make all the difference and you want to get "good" rolls...) and stack them full of the cheese steak mixture.  DELISH!!

While Liz was cooking and I was taking some very poorly balanced pictures, Elliott thoroughly enjoyed the show in his bouncer.  This bouncer, I might add, I got from the "pass it along table" at my MOPS group.  Yay for free things!

Thank you Liz and Walter for teaching us the finer points of Philly Fine Dining!  Can't wait to do it again!

Make this. Make this NOW.

I have gotten fully lazy and a bit disheartened regarding taking foodie pics with my fancy pants camera.  I recently got "Plate to Pixel" (food photog book) but have yet to set aside time to learn how to take mouth watering pics.  Alas, I have resulted to my phone.  And sometimes they actually turn out better.  What? 

I also got the "Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" - I have a link to the blog to the right.  The cookbook adds several new recipes and a few I've tried from the blog (salted brown butter crispy treats!).  For the J Man's birthday I made my first recipe out of said cookbook and it was TO DIE FOR.  My new foodie friend here in Cville not only recommended the cookbook but swore up and down that the Balsamic and Beer-Braised Short Ribs with Parsnip Puree were amazing.  HOLY CANNOLI.  It was not amazing.  It was AMAZING. Finger licking good.  Except that you shouldn't eat said beef with your fingers.  Go ahead and use your fork.

For Jer's birthday, he got to use our "You Are Special" plate.  I got it as a shower gift from my sister; we grew up with a "You Are Special" plate and I love continuing the tradition with my family :)

This was seriously super easy peasy and made our home smell spectacular!  And the birthday boy was please as punch with this little treat!  I made the recommended parsnip puree and it was also ridiculously easy.  This is the perfect meal to make if you are trying to impress someone (like the love of your life, your boss, new foodie friends, etc.) or just want to be a weeknight gourmet!

Balsamic and Beer-Braised Short Ribs
~ Serves 4 to 6 ~

{Ingredients}
5 pounds bone-in short ribs (English style - i.e. separated, about 6 large or up to 10 smaller ones) at room temperature, trimmed of excess fat
 Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons tomato past
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (Have you tried the Whole Foods 365* Aged Balsamic?  Fantastic!  It was rated very highly and doesn't break the bank - plus, Deb states that you don't need to use your best aged for this recipe)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I love saying "Worcestershire.")
2 bottles (24 ounces) dark beer, such as black lager (I only had one bottle so I added a Yeung Ling and I honestly have no idea if that was a mistake or not because it tasted just fabulous.)
2 to 3 cups beef stock
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley to serve (optional)

{Instructions}
1) Prepare the Braise:  Season the short ribs generously and on all sides with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Heat a large Dutch oven (7 to 8 quarts) over high heat, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.  Once the oil is hot, brown the short ribs on all sides in batches.  Deb takes her time on this stage, making sure to get a nice brown sear on all six sides.  A singe batch can take 10-15 minutes to brown.  Transfer the browned ribs to a plate and then repeat with remaining ribs.

2) Braise the Ribs:  Preheat your oven to 325*.  Once all the ribs are browned and removed from pot, turn heat down to medium-high and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and fat.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and a little brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic cloves, and saute for 3 minutes more.  Add the tomato paste, and cook for another few minutes, until thickened; then add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and beer, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom.  Return the browned ribs to the pot.  If you can, arrange them with their meatiest sides face down.  If there are too many ribs and not enough surface space, stand them up on their sides, with the bones vertical.  Add enough beef stock to just cover the ribs.  Bring the liquid to a simmer, then turn off heat.  Cover the pot tightly with foil, then with a lid.  Deb said that if you don't use foil, the liquid evaporates too much in the oven, leaving the ribs exposed and a bit dry.

3) Bake the Ribs:  Bake for 3 hours, or until the meat can easily be pierced with a knife or pieces can be torn back with a fork.  If the bones look as if they don't want to stay in much longer, that is another good sign.  Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest for 15 minutes, uncovered.  Skim as much fat as you can off the top.  At this point you can pop them in the fridge for up to one day.  The advantage is that it will be super easy to remove the fat from the dish as it will separate and firm up.

4)  To Serve:  Serve with a sprinkling of chopped flat leaf parsley and a side of parsnip puree!

Elliott turned 5 months the day Daddy turned 34 years old :)

 Parsnip Puree

{Ingredients}
2 pounds parsnips (about 6 medium), peeled, sliced into medium-sized chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish sauce or freshly grated horseradish
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper

{Instructions}
In a large, heavy pot, combine parsnips with enough cold water to cover.  Place over moderately high heat, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, then drain.

Puree hot parsnips, butter, heavy cream, horseradish, salt, and freshly ground pepper until smooth.  (As a side note, I though the parsnip puree needed more salt!)

I know this was a long one, but TRUST ME, totally worth it!!!  And it is much easier than the length of this post indicates!

Muffin Morning

So this week I signed up to bring snacks to Bible study.  I set my alarm, got up before the little men, and got to baking.  I have to say, the last time I was up before Thing 1 and Thing 2 was when we had to make a 6:10 AM flight out of Orange County.  So, yah, I never get up before them.  I spend the night up with them, so I figure I don't need to get up before them!  I actually got these delish muffins in the oven before I had to rescue the boys from their mini-jails!

Mr. O was super stoked to have "cut-cakes" for breakfast - I continue to roll with him thinking muffins are cupcakes without frosting.

Little El would LOVE to try out some muffins.  Alas, we have yet to start him on solids.  I believe the time is nigh and he will soon be out-eating my skinny little Owen!  Elliott is such a different little man!  I love seeing his little personality emerge: like when he threw his first temper tantrum because I wouldn't let him chew on a book.  Mean mommy.

Okay, on to the Chunky Banana Bran Muffins.  These babies are so delish and not too terrible on the Weight Watchers point system: only 6!  I love them!

Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

~ Barefoot Contessa At Home ~ Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups unprocessed wheat bran

2 cups buttermilk, shaken

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (Even though my butter sat out all night it wasn't particularly soft.  I probs should have nuked it for a few seconds - it did not cream with the sugar all that well.)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

4 extra large eggs, at room temperature (Huh...I didn't do this part and I think this might have contributed to the butter/sugar conundrum.  It was very strange.)

3/4 cup unsulfered molasses

2 tsp grated orange zest

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups raisins

2 cups large-diced banana (aprox 2-3 bananas)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Line muffin tins with paper liners (so, I've had a hard time the last two times I've made these muffins with getting them out of the liners.  There is always a ton of yummy deliciousness stuck to the liner.  I think the next time I make them I will spray the pan and see if they pop out).

Combine the bran and buttermilk and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on a high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and then add the molasses, orange zest, and vanilla.  (The mixture will look curdled.)  Add the bran-buttermilk mixture and combine.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flower mixture to the batter and mix just until combined.  Don't overmix it!  Fold in the raisins, bananas, and walnuts with a rubber spatula.

With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill the muffin cups full and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans.

Bon Appetit!