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...

Mother's Day Feast!

Best Mother's Day gift EVER: Owen spontaneously saying at the breakfast table "Happy Mother's Day!"  NOT KIDDING.  Apparently Jeremy had been working on Owen saying it all morning (beginning at 5:45 AM, neat!) and the fact that he remembered and said it to me meant the world to me!!  He said it to his grammies as well :)  This little mister is the best! 

For breakfast, J made me cinnamon chip pancakes, bacon and fruit salad - perfect!  After church and a nap, we headed to Tuttle Creek State Park for a little hike and some outside time!  Little Man was so stoked for a new park!  We finally convinced him to leave the park in favor for a hike and he ran for about 15 minutes down the trail.  At first I was wondering if he was going to run for the entire 2 miles.  Silly me, not-yet-two-year-olds do eventually tucker out!  He finally asked to go "up" and he enjoyed the hike from on high!

For Mother's Day dinner I first requested a feast a la my friend Brandy's blog One is Hungry.  Although we had to make it a bit Owen friendly by adding a dip he would eat, and eliminating cheeses he would ask for, we would deny him, he'd throw a tantrum, then we'd give it to him, and then he'd spit it out and it would be wasted.  Maybe we have an adult-only cheese feast next weekend! 

Please note the beautiful roses Jeremy and Owen got me for Mother's Day!  They are so pretty and make our kitchen smell wonderful!

We thought it would be fun to have a picnic on our hike, but it didn't really work out.  So we thought we'd eat in our backyard.  And then I started to get bug bites, so we moved the picnic inside...that, and our neighbors were outside shouting at each other and the whole no-privacy fence thing kind of ruins a nice dinner outside.  So my wonderful husband put together this lovely feast at our kitchen table :)  We had rotisserie chicken, arugula, tomatoes and cucumbers on a baguette; Sun Dried Tomato Dip with cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers and pita chips; and some red grapes (my continual craving.)  Everything was FABULOUS!!  The sun-dried tomato dip was served recently at a JAG event and I'm addicted!!  You must try it!

Sun-dried Tomato Dip

~The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook~

Ingredients

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream  (J used Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (J used tobasco, but maybe next time we try Sriracha)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Instructions

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Appies

I am toying with the idea of having a Christmas Cocktail Party - the longer I "toy" the more likely it won't happen. At least until after the new year. I've always wanted to have a Christmas party, but we never seem to plan enough in advance and all the weekends are booked. How about you guys? Alas, we will have an Epiphany Party! Yessssss....and I will be making these: Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola. Can you guess where I got it? Yep, my girl Ina - Back to Basics.

The best part about this recipe is that you can do everything in advance, then throw it together to heat it up. I am always trying to figure out a way to actually enjoy little parties that I throw. I haven't done such a fab job, as I seem to always been in the kitch instead of mingling. This is the perfect answer to my desire to mingle!

Bruschetta with Peppers & Gorgonzola

Makes 32-36 appetizers - Back to Basics

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

32 to 36 (1/4" to 1/2" thick)baguette slices

4 to 5 ounces creamy Gorgonzola, at room temperature (I used blue cheese because that is what we had on hand!)

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2) Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add all the peppers and saute for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender. Sprinkle with the sugar and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the capers and basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

3) Arrange the bread slices in rows on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

4) To each toast with a spoonful of the pepper mixture. Dot each one with Gorgonzola. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

* To make ahead, make pepper mixture, and toast the bread. When you are read to serve, start from number 4.

Smokey Joes

I'd like to meet the cook who saw these little guys and came up with this little gem of a dish! Seriously, I doubt I would have perused the deli aisle and said, "Yum, tiny little wieners all mashed together in some juices, I need to get me some of those!" But someone clearly did. And then they added bacon. Be still my heart, I'm in love. And I'm happy to report, that I now am not afraid of aesthetically unpleasing food :)

I've used this recipe for brunches and cocktail hour - its great for both. In fact, I made them for a baby shower for my girlfriend Julie (who just asked for the recipe and is now living in El Salvador - not sure where she'll be getting the smokies unless there is some sort of commissary...) and they were a hit!

Get some tiny little wieners and some bacon and get wrapping!

Little Smokey Wraps
Serves alot - although I usually double the recipe...

Ingredients
1 pound little smokies
1 pound bacon
3/4 box brown sugar
toothpicks

Instructions
Slice bacon into thirds. Wrap sliced bacon around each smokey. Secure wit a toothpick. Place on a 2 piece broiler pan (I usually get the disposable aluminum foil pans as this recipe makes a giant mess that I am unwilling to clean up - if you still want to go with the broiler pan, at least line the bottom with aluminum foil). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 2 hours at 250*.

Bon Appetit!

Crowd Pleasing Easter

Jeremy and I were lucky enough to spend Easter with family this year - my parents flew out from California to celebrate Easter and to see the sights that our fine city has to offer! My dad had never been to DC, so we forced him to march around the monuments, read the Constitution and accompanying documents, watch Jeremy's argument at the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and last, but definitely not least, gaze in amazement at Julia Child's kitchen on display at the Museum of American History. Simply perfect.

Anyfood, on Easter we had a little app to whet the appetite: Crab Meat Pattie (pictured above; an old family fave that we have recently been re-introduced to and, I kid you not, it was stupendous) and the main event was traditional ham (which I was none too pleased with as I am not a fan of ham, Sam I Am). As I am not a fan of the ham, I was very excited about the Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese my mom suggested out of Ina's Back to Basics. It was SO GOOD.


Crab Meat Pattie


INGREDIENTS
12 oz cream cheese; softened (please let me know if you ever find a 12 oz package of cream cheese - I just used an 8 oz package and cut back a wee bit on the other ingredients)
1 can crab (6 oz - however, I used whatever was necessary to cover the top)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayo (I didn't add this at all - didn't need it)
1 small green onion; minced fine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup chili sauce (the kind you find next to the catsup, not the kind you find on the Asian food aisle at the super market)
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Wheat Thins on the side


INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixer (or just in a bowl and substitute your elbow grease for your mixer), combine cream cheese, lemon juice, green onion, worchestershire sauce, salt, and garlic, until well blended. If your mixture is too soggy, add the mayo. Form cream cheese mixture into a "pattie" about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. I prefer to make it thinner as then you have more surface space to cover with yummy crab!! Build a slight lip to hold the chili sauce. Spread the chili sauce around the top of the pattie (I just put as much as I needed so that it covered the surface and you couldn't "see" through to the cream cheese.) Sprinkle crab meat on top; garnish with parsley. Serve with Wheat Thins. Um, yum. We had it two out of the 8 nights my parents were here - so good!


Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
Serves 6, Back to Basics


INGREDIENTS
3 ripe but firm Anjou pears (or whatever you can get your hands on - just make sure they are firm)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons - I cheat and use "Real Lemon Juice" in the bottle...)

3 oz coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
3 tablespoons port
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 oz baby arugula (we used baby mixed greens)


INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 375*.
2) Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small, sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
3. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentations.
4) In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Back the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

How do you like my action shot? Look at the gorgeous blue cheese just staring up at you! Doesn't it look amazing with the walnuts and cranberries?? My mouth is watering.


5) Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss well. Divide the arugula amount 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt and serve.


The finished product on my fabulous Pottery Barn salad plates I got last spring. Love. The plate the crab meat pattie is on above is also part of the set. I heart them almost as much as I heart this salad.


This is the extent of my Easter ham. My mom begged and pleaded with me to have a bite. So I did. I still don't like ham unless it is hiding under some swiss cheese, nestled in between two pieces of rye bread. I don't know what it is, but that is the only way you are going to get me to eat ham. Sam. Although, if you hide it in some Mac and Cheese like the fine folks at Jackson's in Reston do, I might eat it then too and not complain...

Yes we can...

Make crab cakes that is!  My mammers was here this weekend and we had grand plans to make crab cakes!  We bought the crabmeat at Costco thinking we'd have time (ha) to whip these puppies up.  Alas, my man and I had to embark on this culinary adventure without the mammers as she had to go home :(  Alas, I am very please to report that the crab cakes were a success even if the mammers wasn't here to provide sage culinary wisdom!

Not the most beautiful specimen, but so darn good.  Get on it and get some lump crab!

Ingredients

2 pounds crabmeat

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 whole eggs

1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher slat

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

Dry bread crumbs, as needed

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350*.

2) Lightly squeeze the crabmeat to remove excess moisture.

3)  In a bowl, combine the mayo, eggs, seasonings, and parsley.  Whisk until blended.  Fold in the crabmeat and combine throughly.  Add the bread crumbs in small increments and combine just until the mixture is lightly bound together (too many bread crumbs will result in doughy cakes).  Portion into 3 oz cakes.

4)  In a frying pan, heat the olive oil.  There should be just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  Sear the crab cakes on both sides to golden brown.  Place the crab cakes in the oven for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with lemon garlic aioli (2 T may, 2 t lemon juice, 1/4 t garlic - mix).